The Butterfly Effect ??

Dear?Reader,

It happened at a Women's Shelter in Harlem, NY, in 2017. There was a group of 12 women who met weekly for afternoon classes to talk about jobs, housing, and childcare. I was a volunteer and had been asked to share with these women how they might tackle the job market. ?

There was limited trust at first, certainly due to our starkly different external identities, yet the donuts I bought each week helped keep attendance up. There was an underlying busyness from navigating the bureaucracy, coupled with an urgency to escape their past that made standard powerpoint decks pointless. We made our sessions hands-on, starting by having everyone set up their LinkedIn profile. We went through how to bridge career gaps and highlight achievements. We made sure that my own linkedin account endorsed each of them for certain skills, elevating their profiles. We helped them feel seen and successful for everything they had been through. Having that credentialed profile was the big start. Then we applied to jobs—any job, many jobs—like a machine. We worked on follow-ups and turned it into a game. ?

After our sessions ended, I went back to my stable job and apartment in Brooklyn and wondered about them. I thought about what more I could do. Less than a year later, I would be leaving New York to move to the Middle East to work with women who had much in common with these 12 women in Harlem. Little did I know, just two months after this workshop, one of the women, Ashona, got a job through Linkedin. She contacted me years later to tell me her story.

In a circle of life moment, Ashona F. joined the Odettians for a chat about resiliency, entrepreneurship, and self-love. She talked about her journey from a women's shelter to starting her own business and now helping other women in shelters get their starts.

Our Odettians loved Ashona, sending love notes like:

• "The grace and calm with which you spoke about such a sensitive topic was amazing." – Muneeba
• "One Mama against all odds!" – Amina
• "So very proud of you, Ashona. May you come across greater blessings in life." – Huma

This is how I learned about the power of the butterfly effect, where a single event can lead to a ripple of positive change. Just like a butterfly flaps her wings in a gentle rhythmic motion, creating a ripple that can grow into a tornado, our small actions of love and support can create waves of change in the world. The little things we do can have a far-reaching impact, touching lives and inspiring others in ways we may never fully see. This is Odetta.

Thank you for your support.? ?

Katharine

Odettian Quote: A Ray of Light in My Life

“Odetta is a ray of light in my life and one of my biggest blessings. As an MBA, scholarship holder, and silver medalist, I dreamed of working in multinational companies and being financially independent. Instead, I was told, "NO MORE, NOW YOU GOTTA STAY AT HOME, WITH ALL YOUR DEGREES AND MEDALS TO BE PRESERVED IN A CABINET." My dreams felt shattered just by getting married. But the fire in me kept me alive for 5 years until I found Odetta by chance. Despite my professional degree, I could only find rare online job opportunities earning little to no money. My in-laws and husband were not financially supportive, and I had no pocket money for me and my kids. Odetta gave me wings to fly. I worked during the hours when my in-laws were sleeping because if they found out, they would have taken my hard-earned money. For almost 4 years, my in-laws still don't know that I work online, but they feel surprised at how I am managing without begging them for money. My happiest moment is when my kids ask if I can buy them their favorite toy, and I say, "Yes, take it!" Thank you for creating a company like Odetta. I never want to leave my job, until I die of course. I am a loyal and proud Odettian.”

Quote of the Month

"To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world." – Dr. Seuss