Seek Help - Lucky 13th Edition

What a whirlwind of a month it's been!! I've been in DC probably for a week in the last month and a half. I went to California to listen to Common speak with Dr. Allissa V. Richardson for the 2nd?annual?Charlotta Bass Media Trailblazer Speaker Series at 美国南加州大学 (courtesy of the Charlotta Bass Lab ). It was a great conversation and evening. I continued to be excited and impressed by the work from the lab!

After LA, I went to another part of California with my girls for a project we've been working on (which I'm super excited to share once the paperwork is locked and loaded).

Switching it up over here and going with a different format to try and streamline myself. So each week I'm going to share a few thoughts in the following categories - Seek Learning, Seek Doing, Seek Eats, Seek Nature, and Seek to Help Others.

Seek Learning

This week I learned something from Imani Ellis of the The Creative Collective NYC in her newsletter (which you can sign up for here) - It’s call Parkinson's Law. Parkinson's Law basically says that you will do your work within the time you assign to it. Meaning if you give yourself 2 months to finish a project, you’ll drag it out to finish it in 2 months and if you give yourself 2 weeks to finish a project. Voila, you’ll finish it in 2 weeks!! ?

Quick ways to Implement Parkinson's Law:

• Time Blocking: Allocate dedicated time slots for tasks and stick to them rigorously. For me 6am-9am is creative thinking/admin time!
• Priority Setting: Identify the most crucial tasks and commit to completing them within defined timelines.
• Batching Work: Group similar tasks together to streamline workflows and increase productivity. I like to do 25 minutes and then stretch / have play time for 10 minutes following.

This was my favorite part of the recent newsletter.

One thing people often ask me about is networking and making new friends (I've written articles in the past on this topic). I am constantly in different conferences and spaces and here are some ways to expand your circle!!

JOIN LOCAL CLUBS: It’s important to build your personal network, and joining any clubs that interest you is a great way. You will be exposed to great events, meet potential clients, employees, and friends. Check out clubs like the Soho House, Gathering Spot, US Black Chambers, alumni chapter for your school or social sports clubs. A lot of people don't know that your local museums, orchestra, and ballet often have a young donors club you can join as well if you want to get more interest specific.

JOIN ASSOCIATIONS: If you’re an entrepreneur, look into local chapters of the clubs related to your field or for young entrepreneurs. If you are a young professional, find the local chapter for young professionals in your field since many fields have associations. You can get connected with invitations to great conferences, a network of peers and product discounts. Cultivating a group of peers is important and will help you grow and succeed.

CREATE A SMALL GROUP OF 5 LIKE-MINDED ENTREPRENEURS: Build your own mastermind or join one! It's okay if you have similar businesses because you may have different niches or audiences and can think of ways you can help each other. There are groups that meet monthly and each member has to come to the meeting with at least one lead for another member of the group. Be mindful of each others time as well. You’re all very busy entrepreneurs, so try to keep it to less than 60 to 90 minutes once each month.

HOST A DINNER/HAPPY HOUR EACH MONTH & INVITE NEW PEOPLE: Host an event for a select group of people you want to get to know. Be strategic in your invitations, and make sure you personally meet and greet each person who’s on your list. Allow each person to bring a guest if it’s a happy hour. Make sure that your guests have time and opportunity to get to know each other. I love to cook and entertain people in my home, so I used to host dinner parties once a month. Remember, don’t make it all about business!

DON'T MAKE WITHDRAWALS WHERE YOU HAVEN'T MADE DEPOSITS: It’s really unfair to email people asking them to "pick their brains" when you have nothing you are offering them. I know it sounds harsh, but it’s true! I had to start turning down pick your brains requests because not only was it often a waste but it interrupting my day and flow with no return/upside. The ones I normally respond to are the people who say, “can I treat you to coffee or lunch?” The reason is, that small gesture shows that the person believes in a mutually beneficial relationship.

GIVE BACK: If we want a better world we have to work for it and that starts with each of us doing our part. I've been working on building a non-profit to celebreate my great grand aunt Charlotta Spears Bass and her work with Black Journalism. I also try to lend my skills to non-profits whenever I can where I often meet other professionals and and collaborate. You shouldn’t join an organization you’re not passionate about just to meet people, because that will backfire. But if you have an opportunity to partner your skills with a deserving organization, generating new business will be a nice bonus.

PARTICIPATE IN CONFERENCES & PANELS: I really like to spend time working in focused sprints. I also really love spending time with other entrepreneurs. I enjoying the right speaking opportunities and leading workshops. Panels are a great middle ground if you don't like speaking solo or want to engage with others in your industry. I’ve met some of my favorite people on panels. The best organizers work to place people with synergies on panels together. If you can have an hour conversation together on a stage, you probably will want to spend more time getting to know those people.

My last tidbit comes from recently coming back across this Medium piece by Carmen Hawker about Giving Zero Fucks and Driving the Haters Wild.

The main 3 points are:

1. It’s ok to give zero f*cks and it drives the haters wild.
2. It’s ok not to ask for feedback.
3. Don’t die with the words left inside you.

Seek Doing

Recently The Creative Ladder came to DC which is home for CEO Dionna Dorsey so it was definitely giving homecoming vibes in the best way.? Brittany Packnett Cunningham kicked us off with her honest realness and authenticity for the opening keynote.? Next we had a session explaining what your Business Chemistry assessment, courtesy of Deloitte Digital , says about your leadership style and how you might best collaborate with colleagues who have different approaches to work lead by Christina Wingard .? We then did some journaling with Chloe Dulce Louvouezo, MPS of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation .? I really loved the session with Quinnton Harris and Joy Ekuta of Retrospect .? They shared real case studies about their business that were inspiring and educational.? Throughout the day dope local creatives lead sessions for creatives.? A quick roll call of the other great speakers are Otis Stroud II of Capital One , Raj Aggarwal of Provoc , Borzou Azabdaftari of NickelBronx , Tramaine Cooper of 希尔顿全球酒店集团 , the amazing Alencia Johnson of 1063 West Broad , Rekha Patricio of American Forests , Felicia Brown of AARP , the incredible creative Victor Nguyen-Long , and Karen Chong of AARP . The day closed out with a keynote from Gary Williams Jr of the Creative Theory Agency who has been making DC creatives look good for a LONG time.?

I attended the The Female Founder Collective 's Female Founders Day in NYC last week which was such a great day!! Did you know that insurance with pay for a breast pump for people without breasts but won't pay for formula because it's considered for the infants health not the mothers which is quite antiquated (more on that below). I met so many dope founders and LOVE my new jean jacket made custom by Lefty's Right Mind courtesy of Mazda North American Operations !

Super excited for the recently announced Broccoli City festival coming back to DC July 27-28, 2024. They made the line up so sick even the haters are going to think twice about their pledge to never return last year. I of course will be there once again cause it's one of my favorite festivals!!

Seek Eats

I had an AMAZING dinner with a friend at Manhatta in NYC so you know I took pictures. Everything was delicious but I think this Tuna Tartare was my favorite of the night. It was literally a magical experience with 6 amazing courses and cocktails that were unexpected and refreshing. My favorite was the Body Language - White Cacao Mijenta Tequila, Ume Plum, Rockey’s Botanical Liqueur, Lime + Topped with London Essence Grapefruit and Lime Leaf Soda.

I tried the Big Eye Tuna with foie gras, artichokes and moscatel vinegar, Blue Crab and Caviar with green tomato and horseradish, Foie Gras Chawanmushi with shiitake and coffee ponzu, Barbecued Eel with bone marrow and red wine (still not an eel fan but I tried it), Grilled Squab with a ragu of lobster and chanterelles. We finished the meal with Chai Tea Cake with pear sorbet and pecan oat crumble. I won't share any other surprises to not ruin the experience.

I did write a Google Review to let folks know what a wonderful experience it was!

Seek Nature

I've been reading Brittany Gowan 's book "Turn To The Sun" which I picked up at the The Female Quotient house at SXSW which was a really dope experience. I really appreciate what a practical guide it is with How Tos and Meditations that can be revisited again and again. Sometimes we all need to touch some grass. What's your favorite nature activity?

Seek to Help Others

FFD Build Your Empire was such a great day filled with so many awesome women!! Some of my favorite moments were the opening performance from Kristin Sudeikis and FORWARD__Space which really got me in the zone. Next time I'm in NY, I'm definitely going to one of their classes. Melissa Wood-Tepperberg of MWH (Melissa Wood Health) was a phenomenal keynote with such great energy!! Liz Elting Sarah Fergusson Chambless Suneera Madhani and Chloe Melas were a masterclass for their panel on The Big exit dropping so many gems. I was there for Suneera who started CEO School among her many dope projects/accomplishments but the other women won me over with their discussion. After that I went to a discussion on partnerships with Kim Chappell of Bobbie and Co-founders Allie Brudner Brumel and Paige More of The Breasties . Did you know that insurance will cover a breast pump for someone with no breasts but won't give formula to someone who cannot make it themselves. Check out this Change.org petition to learn more about this problem. I learned more about the Female Founders Fund from Anu Duggal . I REALLY enjoyed the conversation between Olivia Micallef of Settle and Melissa Mash of Dagne Dover (a brand I've been a huge fan of for a long time, they really built something special). Another panel that really resonated for me was one of the closing panels with Monique Rodriguez of Mielle , Diana Ransom of INC, Jennifer Morrison from Mazda North American Operations and the Artist Jewel discussing The Power of Being Purpose Driven and Finding the Motivation to Stay the Course. They were all incredicle and inspiring and I feel like a collab between Jewel and Monique is in our future because they were vibing in the best way. The day closed with a Keynote discussion between Chelsea Clinton and Elaine Purcell moderated by Poppy Harlow . Oula sounds like a major changemakers and I was alarmed to learn that the Black Maternal Mortality rate is double the normal numbers in New York. I've always been a fan of Chelsea and the work she does. Our moms used to work together at the state department so I said hello before they whisked her away.

I've gotten a few more comedy shows under my belt (made it up to the main room at the The Comedy Loft DC for a guest spot which felt really good and I've got another show on the 18th that I'm really excited for (more details soon). It's been a great season and this year is going to just keep getting better. (When it gets a little closer, I'll tell you all about the Mark Twain Awards and the time that was had by all for Kevin Hart).