Longevity

Usher dropped his first album in 1994! Fast forward 30 years later, Shanita Rapatalo (She/Her) and I went to our first Usher concert.

He sang it all. R&B, house, pop, ballads, party anthems.

A two-hour concert with no dead spots. Shanita and I were standing the whole time and singing and dancing along.

Usher brought videos and photos from various parts of his life and music career. I admire artists who have honed their craft and have been able to adapt to the times. I love Usher's earlier albums (My Way to Confessions to 8701) but appreciate how his music has stretched (OMG and DJ Got Us Fallin in Love Again).

He has taken care of his voice (he hit every note!) and his body.

You don't have that kind of sustainable success without habits and routines and people who support your longevity, I'd be curious to learn how he does it!

I'll be at Education Leaders of Color's National Convening in Baltimore from September 9th through 11th.

This is my EIGHTH convening, and I can't wait to connect, learn, and bring joy to the EdLoc community,

Registration is open until August 30th! See you there!

Speaking of longevity, my friend Atnre Alleyne just celebrated TeenSHARP 's 15th anniversary.

He shares his 15 tips for nonprofit leaders in the post below. He has a book coming out soon that will expand further on these tips!

What I appreciate most about Atnre is his conviction and his consistency.

I interviewed Atnre on the RONderings podcast, where he shared his story and how he and his partner Tatiana founded TeenSharp.

Brooklyn Laboratory Charter School is celebrating its TENTH anniversary. As a proud board member and chair of the fundraising committee, we are holding a 10th-anniversary reception on Wednesday, October 23rd.

Tickets are available here!

If you are interested in sponsorship, silent auction items, or matching gifts for our event, please contact me directly.

#IronSharpensIron #LabStrong

More Brooklyn Lab news!

Our CEO Dr. Garland L. Thomas-McDavid has a #SXSWEDU panel for 2025, and we need your help! Vote for the panel here.

Happiness requires struggle.

I hadn't seen happiness and struggle in the same sentence. But I am reminded of my buddies Chris and David talking about their Buddhist practice and how much suffering is to be embraced as a part of the human condition.

I read Tim Ferriss' 5-Bullet Friday, and came across this article by Mark Manson.

In my leadership and fitness journeys, I have learned to embrace suffering and struggle. Mindset, meditation, and preparation have been SUPER important.

I sit in discomfort when facilitating meetings or coaching clients or gritting through sets of heavy squats while breathing and staying focused on the moment.

Having grown up learning to avoid conflict (a long story about my childhood for another #RONservations newsletter!), avoiding conflict still pops up. The inertia of getting something started that I should do (yes, I still don't know how to drive) or finally getting something started (swimming lessons!) have come with overthinking/rationalizing/finding inertia to take action.

Mark Manson's article asks this question that I'll be thinking about the rest of this year, "What is the pain that you want to sustain?"

I am curious from my subscribers what pain you sustain in your growth in life and career!

Product, Service, Person

Check out the FOURTH PSP!

Product

For my powerlifting journey, I have used creatine for the last three years consistently. I feel stronger, recover better, and my 1RMs get better over time because of creatine.

Note, I am NOT a doctor nor a nutritionist, but every credible source I've read about creatine is predominantly universal on its effect and safety.

I use this creatine supplement on Amazon.

Service

I started working with Elsa Marquez in early 2022 as my executive coach. She is warm, direct, asks lots of questions, and helps ascertain patterns of behavior and situations.

I can't recommend her enough. Oh and I did a RONDerings podcast with her here.

Person

Barbara M. Logan Smith, PhD and I talked for the first time this week. TFA has been a ginomrous circle of people in my life, and I was glad to talk to Barbara about her career journey and the DEIB work she has led at TFA.

I love talking to empathetic, generous people, and Barbara is DEFINITELY one of them!

P.S. I am taking calls from authors who need coaching and development, ghostwriting, or editing and publishing support!

Expand your brand and deepen your credibility at 1/10 of the price of a doctorate or MBA!

Contact me here to schedule a call.

P.P.S. I'm an author. My book, Leverage the People Who Love and Care About You Personally and Professionally, is about the archetypes of people you need in your circle of champions to further your career.

P.P.P.S. I'm a career/leadership/equity coach. I have been supporting leaders and jobseekers for the last 20 years to find their next career move, improve their leadership practice, and amplify their equity lens. I use a combination of intuition and practical wisdom to support my clients. Message me if you'd like me to coach you!

P.P.P.P.S Stronger Consulting is looking to support social impact organizations with its signature search and consulting services. If you're a senior leader/hiring manager, let's chat so we can see how our services align to your needs.