American Idol Season 7

Last week Monday through Wednesday (10-8 thru 10-10), I had the opportunity to work as a production assistant on the second round auditions of American Idol Season 7. It was a very interesting experience and I met a lot of really interesting people.

I also worked on the round one auditions that were held in August. It was really cool and sometimes disturbing to see the different people (thousands) that came to the Georgia Dome to throw caution to the wind for a chance on American Idol. Then when I was called back to assist with the second round auditions, I got to see what can happen when someone is encouraged to follow their dream. I also got to see that the whole process of auditioning for American Idol takes commitment and guts, whether you can really sing or not.

I learned a whole lot on the set of American Idol Season 7 and although we typically work long hours, it's a great experience. In addition to my work as a public relations consultant, I also work as a production assistant and eventually want to produce films. Right now my film experience is on the job training. The life of a PA is a humbling and growing experience that is not for everyone. Watching reality shows is addictive and I think working on them can be equally addictive because there is an element of realness to them. It's interesting to see real people transformed from everyday joes (who tend to be really attractive), to reality stars who become almost immediately untouchable. I am going to look into working on some more reality shows and share my adventures as a PA with you.

If you or anyone you know is interested in being on a reality show and would like tips on how to really stand out, check out this blog castinginatl.blogspot.com.
The blog is written by a lady that I worked with on American Idol and she has worked on reality shows and in casting for a few years. She has a lot of insight about reality shows and what casting directors want.

Adam Zyo Fashions

Last Saturday (10-6) I had the opportunity to attend the Adam Zyo (pronounced Zee-Yo) fashion show at Fever Nightclub. Initially I wondered how a fashion show in a club would go over but when I got there and saw the setup, it made total sense. Fever Nightclub is a great club venue for a fashion show because they set up an actual runway in the bottom level of the club. It was a little short in my opinion but nice, black and sparkling. Overall the setup was really cool.

The show was also well done. The models looked model-esque and you could tell that the designer really put a lot into it with hair and makeup. The show was mostly showcasing men's suits and jackets on the male and female models. I really liked the suits because they could be worn right off the runway into an office. They were cut well and simple but elegant. I like a man in a good suit and these were good suits.

Check out Adam Zyo's website at www.adamzyo.com. He also does women's clothes as well.

Atlantis Music Conference Wrap Up

Well...last week I participated in the Atlantis Music Conference held yearly in Atlanta. I had the opportunity to attend some very informative panels/seminars. One of which was about how to market an artist via the internet. It was very informative, however I was deeply disturbed at the audience make up.

Now the Atlantis Music Conference is one that caters to independent artists in the rock and hip hop arenas mostly so the people attending the event are usually a mix of independent hip hop artists and their camps and indie rock bands and their people. Well in this particular panel, which was very informative, the audience was made up mostly of rock and roll bands. When I glanced around the room, I saw maybe 8 black people and only four or five of them were hip hop artists. It was disappointing to say the least. I hope that more hip hop and r&b artists take the time to learn about the power of the internet and how the web can advance their career.

Other than that the event was pretty good. An artist that is a part of the Renea Solomon Group family, Tigah performed at the Saturday night showcase held at Sugar Hill. He did an excellent job and his message was definitely received by those in the audience that night. Check out his website for more information about Tigah, Solomon Sheppard Music and the Truth Music Movement.

Music all around!!

The past few days have been full of great music for me. This past Thursday night (8-2-07), I had the opportunity to see the Rock the Bells concert at HiFi Buys Amphitheater. Well actually I was working at the show. I work at HiFi Buys every summer as a server for the box seats. It's a great way to see concerts and shows that I wouldn't normally go to. I've seen Jimmy Buffet, Mudvayne, Poison, Dave Matthews Band, 311, Kenny Chesney and many more other artists.

Well last Thursday I got a chance to see the lineup that consisted of Jedi Mind Tricks, Immortal Technique, David Banner, Pharoahe Monche, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Nas, Erykah Badu and the Wu-Tang Clan. It was a great show. Now I must qualify this by saying that I'm not a huge hip hop person. Like I told someone at the show, I'm an "R&B chick" but since I started working with my business partner and other die hard hip hop heads, I have become much more aware of hip hop. I love a great lyricist almost as much as I love a great singer. I was honored to have the opportunity to experience the Rock the Bells festival. It was cool to see Talib Kweli and Mos Def perform as Black Star. And Nas was definitely great to watch. I can see why he has the fan base that he does. He has so much charisma. I only got to see a few minutes of the Wu-Tang Clan but it was great to see a large group of rappers on stage and understand everyone clearly.

Now on Saturday I had the opportunity to work at the Flashback Festival. I always try to work that festival whenever I get the chance because there are always some old school groups that I would like to see. This year I was excited at the opportunity to see Stephanie Mills. I made it a point to stay after I was done working to sit and watch her do her thing. I got to hear her sing two of my favorites ballads of all time, "I Have Learned to Respect the Power of Love" and "Home". Like I said before, I'm an "R&B chick" who listened to a lot of her parent's music growing up so I am a fan of Jeffrey Osborne, Billy Ocean, Rene and Angela, Stephanie Mills, Klymaxx and many more. My Sirius radio is more often on the easy listening stations than anything.

If you have the chance, check out the Rock the Bells festival. Here is the website: www.rockthebells.net

Charm School Reunion-my thoughts

I just finished watching the Charm School Reunion on VH1. In case you don't watch that type of television, let me give you some background info.

Flavor of Love was a VERY popular VH1 show based on 80's hip hop icon Flavor Flav finding a special woman to spend his time with. Now Flav is known to be a bit of a charmer and that is evidenced by the many children he has by many different women. Well after his popular run on the Vh1 show, The Surreal Life, where he had a very public relationship with another 80's star, Brigitte Nielsen, the network decided to capitalize on their popularity and created a show centered around them called Strange Love. Well during the filming of that show, the couple ended things because of their intense jealously and constant arguing. I suppose VH1 saw that Flav was so well-received that they decided to create a Bachelor style show with Flav as the lonely bachelor seeking companionship.

Now because Flav is who he is, it was pretty much guaranteed that he was not going to attract the model type of women that The Bachelor attracted. He did however manage to attract strippers, porn stars and other very extreme type of women. The women alone on the show were interesting to watch, however what was more interesting (disturbing) to watch was Flav's interaction with these women. He took full advantage of having a bevy of twenty-somethings all competing for his (and the camera's) attention by groping, feeling, touching and open mouth kissing these women any chance he got. It was often quite stomach turning to watch him shove his tongue down these women's throats on a regular basis. I'm not opposed to seeing people enjoy each other's company but I don't want to see anyone almost licking someone else's face and calling it a kiss. Eww..

Ok, I digress. Well after the first season of Flavor of Love, Flav was left alone so VH1 decided to have a second season of the show. Comedian Monique and her production company was apparently watching the two seasons of Flavor of Love in total disgust. She decided to create a show called Flavor of Love Girls: Charm School and invite some of the Flavor of Love contestants to attend her charm school and come out more self respecting women. The grand prize was $50,000. Well the winner Saaphyri was really deserving and she looked great on the reunion show. What spurred me to write this blog was something that happened between Larissa and Monique.

...stepping onto my soapbox...

Larissa was a very outspoken and volatile person on all of the shows. She was expelled in Episode 7 because she tried to win at any cost, even attempting to throw her friend under the bus for something that they both did. Well she came on the reunion show and was very angry and disrespectful toward Monique and her "friend" Shay. What upset me was that her mother was there but she didn't seem to be stepping up to the plate to be a mother to Larissa. Monique got so upset at Larissa that she approached her in an almost threatening way and Larissa's mother was quick to get in Monique's face but she had nothing to say about the way Larissa was acting.

I was amazed. Why is it that someone outside of her family is trying so hard to bring out the best in Larissa? Why wasn't her mother doing that? Why did her mother allow her to be on national television making a fool out of herself and being the stereotypical "angry, ghetto" black women that she was portraying herself to be? I am hoping that Larissa's mother is going to step up her game and push her to be more of a lady and not take to manipulation and disrespect to get her point across. I also hope that what we saw on the show was only half the story and that Larissa's mom is really a much stronger woman and is working to push Larissa to be the best woman she can become. Watching that interaction just made me super glad that my mom was such a great role model for me growing up. She showed me how to work on being the best woman I can be through her triumphs and through her mistakes. I wish that more women could have that influence from a woman in their life.

...stepping down from my soapbox...

Goodnight.

Consciously seeking wealth

Well I have been working as a full time consultant for a little over a month. It's been a struggle but I knew it would be. However I made a conscious decision that I was on a journey to acquiring wealth. I got an article from a yahoo group I belong to that speaks strongly to strengthening my journey for wealth acquisition. I thought I'd share it with you so you can take the words with you as well.

Saving Money and Building Wealth:
Wealth Consciousness

Here is a secret to building wealth: before you ever accumulate any substantial sum of money you must gain a wealth consciousness.

What is “wealth consciousness”? It is a consciousness of abundance that recognizes that you deserve wealth and financial rewards in life just for being you. It is a fundamental law of the universe that if you don’t think you deserve something then you will most certainly not get it. You must first of all recognize that you deserve something before you will ever receive it.

Those who have it in the back of their mind that they don’t deserve money or that money is evil will most certainly find that circumstances dictate that they will experience financial lack regardless of their talent, opportunities and experience. Even if you find this hard to believe, it is hard to argue with the fact that a negative attitude, in and of itself, creates problems of its own. And having a poverty consciousness certainly qualifies as a bad attitude in the realm of finances.

Poverty consciousness is the opposite of wealth consciousness. Poverty consciousness focuses on lack and the fact that ones needs are never met. This belief system is the fundamental reason that most people do not accumulate wealth. Therefore when they do get money they act like they will never get it again and thus spend it all at one time rather than accumulating it. How much money you make has no bearing if you can accumulate wealth, believe it or not. There are people making incomes twice the median average who still do not accumulate wealth and then there are people making the median income who are able to accumulate wealth. One has wealth consciousness and one does not. It is simple as that.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Trunk Show!

Thursday night I went to the Innovative Creators Trunk Show hosted by Icon Style. It was a trunk show suite featuring clothing and accessories by Dareales, Layla K Designs, Madame DuJour, RMax Clothing and Diva Dezine jewelry, among others. It was an eclectic and interesting mix of people and I enjoyed the networking and the wonderful clothing and accessory designs. I will definitely be visiting their respective websites to add to my collection soon.

I also had the opportunity to finally meet and chat with Ms. Layla K. owner of Layla K. Designs, Madame DuJour, Fuschya Models and The Couture Connoisseur Fashion Network. Whew! She is one busy lady. She is also the writer of a fabulous fashion blog "One Haute Chic". Check it out, One Haute Chic. She is also the Executive Director of Hautelanta Fashion Week which will be held September 19-23 in Atlanta. Check out the website for Hautelanta Fashion Week.

Stay tuned for more information on my event with will be also happening during Hautelanta Fashion Week called Fashion House. For more information about the organization creating Fashion House, check out the myspace page for Elan Fashion Inc.

Welcome to Parish Nation!

Yesterday night I went to a happy hour event that featured the new line by Parish Nation. It's a men's clothing line that is for the fashionable man who likes to stand out without looking like he is trying to hard. The line is quite versatile. One of the models was wearing a fresh pair of white Air Force Ones and one of the others was wearing nice black dress shoes. Both pairs of shoes looked hot with the clothes. I especially loved the colorful stitching on the jeans.

Check out their website: www.parish-nation.com. If you know any fashion forward men who like to stand out with little effort, this is definitely the clothing line for him.

Hood Hard Day!

Last night I attended the first Hood Hard Day held at the Atrium in Stone Mountain, Ga. It was an interesting event and although the concert started about an hour late, once it started it was off and running. I really appreciated the fact that the organizers (DJ Aaries, Isis of Word on the Streetz Magazine) had a stage manager (Kim Ellis of KE Consulting) who kept the show going steadily all night.

I'm not what you would consider a "hood" type of person by any means but there were some good acts that performed last night. One group that stood out was a group from the midwest called Thorobread (I hope I spelled that right) and another female duo called Two Tone (I hope I spelled that right). Although in both groups there was a definite stand out member, both held their own on the stage and kept my attention.

Overall, I would say that the Hood Hard Day concert was put together ok and ran fairly smoothly from my vantage point. I was pleased enough with the event that I spoke to my business partner first thing this morning about working on getting things set up so that our artist, Don Dolla (click his name to check out his myspace page) can perform at the next Hood Hard Day.

For more information, check out the website: www.hoodhardday.com

And the winner is...

Jordin Sparks!

Although I haven't been an avid American Idol watcher since Ruben Studdard won but I always keep my eye on the show to see how things progress. As it got down to the wire, I was an avid Jordin Sparks fan. She is gorgeous, likeable and has a wonderful voice. Blake felt too much like a gimmick to me and his beatboxing schtick would wear out after a while.

Yaaa! for Jordin.

The Cha Cha Diva wins!!

I have been an avid watcher of America's Next Top Model since cycle 1 when Adrienne went from ugly duckling to winner. I cheered loudly when Eva became the first black woman to win ANTM. Now I am cheering just as loudly now that Jaslene has become the first latina woman to win. Not only did she do that, but she was turned away in cycle 7 only to come back and win the whole damn thing.

Go Cha Cha Diva!

On to step two...

Well the time has come. Tomorrow is my last day at my part time day gig at SunTrust. So now I'm going to be flying without a safety net. But things have been going really well since then.

The modeling/talent agency I went to wants to represent me so I can go fully into that situation now. I have garnered two clients that I am currently doing PR consulting for.

http://www.winchelupperclassmen.com

http://www.mondaymover.com

Things are going well for the fashion event in September. It's called Fashion House and we are getting a great response for it already without even having to do much promotion as of yet.

I'm feeling very optimistic about everything. It really feels like this is a great time to make the move that I am making.

I will be detailing my adventures as a full time entrepreneur on here. They should be pretty interesting because my new itinerary also includes doing a lot more traveling. Since I don't have to take "time off" per say, I can hop in my car and see the sites and the people in other cities. I'm excited!

Commitment is hard...

Well I've finally done it. I put my two week notice at my part time "day gig" and I am pushing forward with building my "side" business to be my main business. I have two clients that I am actively working with and a couple of other ones I'm preparing proposals for. Stay tuned...

I am also working on a fashion event that will be held in September during Hautelanta.Fashion Week. It's a series of panels and seminars punctuated by a fashion exhibit and fashion show. We are focused on putting the spotlight on the Atlanta fashion scene. It's a small scene that is growing. We are also focused on educating people about the different aspects of the fashion industry. It's going to be a wonderful event that will show the world that Atlanta does have its own unique fashion element. Stay tuned...

Overall, things are going really well. I feel like my timing has been really good and should work out really well in the long run. I also heard back from the talent agency I went to and they are interested in representing me. So adventures in prettyville will indeed continue. Definitely stay tuned...

There's a lot to check back for so keep coming back!

Confidence is key

As time approaches for me to make a huge leap, I am struggling to maintain my confidence. I have had some professional experiences that have shown me that I am indeed making the right decision.

I want to say thanks to my new clients/partners: Winchel's Upperclassmen Barber Spa (if any of you guys are in Atlanta, check him out. His website is www.winchelupperclassmen.com) and Felecia Hatcher of FeleciaFlair PR. We are working on a website project as well, www.mondaymover.com. Check it out and sign up for the weekly email. It's full of great inspirational tidbits as well as professional development information that anyone can benefit from.

I'm full of optimism and hope right now. It's a lovely day!

Change is indeed scary...

I set a very strict short term goal for myself that is quickly approaching (the end of this week!) and I'm becoming nervous. I am working hard to properly plan things out so that I won't be scrambling to recover but things haven't happened quite as planned.

However, I still think I need to move forward as planned. Stay tuned...

Right now I am working with a group of people to create an event that will be held during Hautelanta.Fashion Week here in Atlanta in September. Keep checking back for updates. More information coming soon.

Changes

Well it's been a week and I still haven't heard from the agency I visited last week. I think I will reach out this afternoon and see where I stand. So stay tuned...

But this time I'm thinking about business. I have been working with a start up company since the end of last year and I'm starting to feel less than confident in the company's owner/founder. He doesn't seem to have a clear understanding of how to run a business and he has an even less clear understanding of what the people who are working with him actually do. When he initially brought the idea of the company to me, he told me that he wanted a comprehensive media campaign nationwide and eventually worldwide. When I brought up the idea of me assisting in other public relations areas since my skillset goes beyond just media relations, he insisted that I play that one position. He said that he needed everyone to do one thing really well rather than getting bogged down by other duties.

So I said fine. I would focus on getting media for the company but at the time, everything wasn't ready for media scrutiny. So I started getting things prepped and ready for when things came together. Well time passed and problems started arising with the other team members. Things weren't getting done and the company became stagnant. Well at the outset, I thought it was such a great idea that I reached out to a couple of friends of mine who I knew would be assets to the company. One of my friends began working really closely with the head of the company. After things went stagnant, he was instrumental in getting them going again.

But more problems arose and the company still isn't ready. So now I'm in an interesting position. Do I stick around and wait it out to see if the company head will get things together while the idea is still somewhat viable? Or do I walk away from the situation completely?

I'm not sure what I'm going to do at this point. I have set a very strict short term goal for myself and I have to keep all things in proper perspective. Stay tuned...

They say change is good but it is also a bit nerve wracking as well.

Today is the day! adventures in prettyville continued...

Well today is the day. I am headed over to a modeling agency after I get off of work to take some snapshots. I'm quite curious as to how it will turn out. I feel pretty cute today so that should definitely translate through the camera. This could be another venture for me to get into. It would be pretty cool to be working as a model. I've always had an interest in fashion and with my newfound interest in being in front of the camera, this is a great way to learn more about that side of the fashion industry. It's cool how this experience could lead to making me a better producer overall.

Well I will keep you posted about how things go. Wish me luck!

You want me to do what?!?!

The other day I was talking to this guy I know. He is an attractive guy with a couple of different companies doing his thing. I had to know why he was single. Of course he said it was by choice. He told me that he wasn't really looking for a relationship right now. So I asked him whether he had a shortage of female companionship.

"Oh no!" was his reply. He said that he likes to have fun and if a woman understands that then it's all cool. Now I couldn't help but respect him for that because I've run across quite a few guys who feel the same way but they don't have the balls to come right out and say it.

Now this is what got me.

Within the same conversation he asked me if I liked to cook. I hesitated because I've found that many guys (especially here in the South) use that as a judgment type question. I tend to be negatively judged because I'm not the domestic type and I don't have a problem saying that. There's no need for me to pretend to be something I'm not. Now don't get me wrong, I will take care of the people in my life (just ask anyone close to me) but I'm not the woman eagerly waiting for her husband and kids to cook for and clean up after.

So when he asked me about my cooking skills, my first thought was WTF? You want to know if I would cook a meal for you right after you just said that you only want to offer a woman "fun" because you don't have time for much else.

How is it that he could do that with a straight face? The double standard in that statement alone was interesting to me. In one instance you can't help but appreciate his honesty and in another you can't help but be a little unnerved at his nerve.

It's so crazy to me...

master cleanse!

All I can say about that is Ugh!

I attempted to cleanse my body and prepare it for better eating by using the Master Cleanse. It's an old concept that Beyonce just recently made famous. She did it for 10 days and lost 20 pounds before she did Dreamgirls, which is why she looked so skinny. Well I decided to do it as a way to cleanse my system. I only planned to do it for 5 days.

Well last weekend I bought all of the necessary ingredients: lemons, grade B maple syrup, water, cayenne pepper and an herbal tea with senna in it. I planned on doing it this weekend.

Last night I mixed all of the ingredients together per the instructions. I tasted a small amount of it and although it tasted bad, I figured I could deal with it. I made myself a cup of the tea and went off to bed, hungry.

When I woke up this morning, I was ready to go forward with my cleanse. I went to the kitchen and got one of my bottles of the concoction to start drinking. The stuff tasted much worse than I remembered. I figured I could make it work so I kept drinking it. The more I drank, the worse I felt. It made me sick to my stomach after only drinking a little so I decided to abort the cleanse.

I poured all of that crap down the sink and got me some fruit to eat. I will rembark on my master cleanse experience again in the near future but with some modifications. I will tell that tale when the time comes. Right now I guess I will just work out over the weekend to prep for my foray into plus modeling.

Adventures in prettyville

Well I am about to start on a new adventure. I've always been interested in being in front of the camera. I've debated about trying either acting or modeling. Well I have been doing some research on plus modeling and I think I could be a good candidate for commercial/catalog plus modeling. Standing at 5'5 with no shoes on, I don't fit the qualifications for a high fashion plus model but I could still shoot for other work. So, next Wednesday I'm going to an agency that's currently looking for plus models to take some snapshots.

Wish me luck.

I've always thought it would be fun to enter into modeling but I would much rather have an agent to work with rather than doing it on my own. I will be keeping you guys posted on how things go. Let's hope that next Wednesday isn't my first and last foray into the world of plus modeling.

I can do it.

Education is key...

The more I work in the industry of music and entertainment, the more I realize that the most important thing people are lacking is education.

It really interests me how lots of industries make their money off of people not knowing. The music industry used to be such industry but as times change, it is becoming more and more apparent that educating people really can make things more profitable.

Consider this, if more people knew about real estate and the most appropriate way to go about purchasing and refinancing a house, maybe the real estate market would be better off because the foreclosure rate would be lower. What about the banking industry? Don't you think that banks might make more interest or fee income off of more saavy consumers? Because although overdraft fees are $32 to $35 for most banks, that fee often comes with a price to the bank in the end because the customer doesn't have any money in their account. We all know that the customers with the highest balances get the best treatment so why not educate people to get and keep those balances high?

The same goes for the music industry. Although there are record label execs who've made huge profits off of artists not having enough knowledge, I'm sure those companies could stand to make a bigger more long term profit off of artists who actually understand the business of music. With this in mind I am working on a couple of projects that will help to actually empower the artists and give them basic knowledge so that they can move confidentally into their business dealings.

Knowledge is power but using that knowledge to further positive action is more powerful.

new artist to watch-Lily Allen!!

I'm an ecletic person. When it comes to music, I will play anything from Danity Kane to Jay-Z within one car trip. I can truly say that I like all types of music. If it appeals to my senses, I will listen to it and sing along if I learn the words.

Well the other day I was watching videos getting caught up on what's new and considered hot by BET, VH1 and MTV's standards and I saw a video by this new artist, Lily Allen. I've been hearing her song on the radio for a while now and I like it because it's catchy and cute but after seeing the video, I'm sold on it.

I love how her video was so unapologetic about things that I'm sure many women want to do after a breakup but don't have the guts to do. The funny thing is that I read about her in Jane Magazine and that made me pay more attention to her as well. Jane Magazine is often unapologetic about covering all aspects of women's thoughts and lives so them writing an article about Lily Allen definitely gave her some "street cred" in my eyes.

I encourage women to check her out. People are so afraid to be completely honest about how they feel and want to react to things. This song is just one small example of how refreshing it is to own your feelings even if they may not be the most user friendly to others.

Go Lily Allen!!

Frustration

I have been working really hard to build my client list. I've had several opportunities presented to me and many of them have not panned out. It's hard to work with people who may or may not truly understand how business works especially if my sole role is to publicize or promote their product or service. I guess since I also do business consulting and run my own business, I have some knowledge about running and setting up a business. It sometimes bothers me to see someone with an awesome idea and concept that can be quite profitable let it get away because of lack of humility or lack of experience.

Creating a company can be a humbling learning experience that teaches you patience and perseverance all at the same time. Everyone isn't supposed to be a business owner. Some people are great at providing the ideas and others are great at executing those ideas. There are even fewer people who are great at providing and executing ideas.

When I tell people that I have my own company, they look at me all impressed. They tend to think it's cool that I work for myself but what they don't know is that I work almost around the clock. I hardly ever get time off and I am always on call but I also have to fully understand my strengths and weaknesses.

That's what has me so frustrated dealing with some people. They refuse to accept where they are weak and allow someone else to assist. No one man is an island. No one woman can do it all. Understanding that one fact is essential. Before you even make the move to figure out what you want to name your company, you need to understand that.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

I'm sure there will be plenty of blogs about today. Some people will blog about love lost. Others will blog about the commercialization of the day and then some people will blog about how they hate this day.

I'm really indifferent to it one way or the other. I can remember only a couple of times that I actually had a Valentine on V-day (and two of those times were when I was in elementary school). Any other time I've been single. Sometimes woefully single other times powerfully single.

This year I'm just single. Now don't get me wrong. I am a romantic at heart and it would be sweet and lovely if the person who had my heart would take the time out to do something extra special today but alas he does not believe in the holiday and I am left to presume that my desires are not pressing enough to make him step outside of himself. I suppose that's why I'm still single...Oh well different discussion, different day.

All in all, I just want to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day. Make this and every other day as special as it can be for you. I know I will be enjoying my bottle of cheap, yet tasty bubbly tonight.

Impressions

It always amazes me how people perceive things. One major moment in the life of one person can be yet another daily occurence in another person's.

The other day I was talking to a friend of mine and he made a reference to another individual that he'd had a run in with while in college (5+ years ago) and he mentioned not liking that person. Well time had come where he was going to have to interact with this person again and he was dreading it. Funny thing, he met up with the person and their interaction was cool. In fact, the other person didn't even seem to remember the incident.

It's crazy how we as people make things in life much more than they should be or need to be. I met a good friend of someone I'm close to and she said something that I keep in mind often. She said "Don't take things so personal." Now when she said it at the time I didn't fully get it but as time passed, I started to get it more and more. What she basically meant was "It's not always about you."

I agree.

If you think about it, people are so self absorbed that most of the time they're so busy thinking about themselves that they didn't even notice what you did. Or if they did notice, they won't necessarily remember it unless it had some major impact on them. I think we would all breathe easier if we remembered that. "It's not always about you."

Interesting concept.

Can a girl get a break?

Goodness...it truly is hard out there for a pimp...

Late last year I decided that I wanted to focus more on my public relations skills and bringing in more PR clients. I'm very choosy about who I work with, especially as I make a name for myself as someone who does PR in the entertainment (music) industry. I enjoy working with people who deserve publicity and promotion and helping them get it. I don't mind working hard and I'm confident in my skillset as a PR person but it's hard to get clients.

I've reached out to people who have said that they need PR work but I get no response. It can be frustrating at times. Now I can admit that I am working on a major project that will definitely pan out financially if we can get all of the necessary components working. (Stay tuned for that one...) but I want to work with at least two other clients to solidify my client goals.

Keep your fingers crossed for me as I keep pushing forward. This is yet another thing that is teaching me the patience that I understand is necessary for growth.

Now on a personal note, I am not doing so well in that department. I am so delighted that I was able to enjoy the experience of being truly in love and while things haven't panned out as I had hoped, I still have a special place in my heart for him. He is dealing with some major stress right now and some people aren't the easiest to be close to when they're stressed out. I understand that but it is hurtful at times when he acts out due to stress so I just work to be understanding and step away from things when I feel like I'm starting to react negatively.

Goodness this patience thing covers all relationships, business and personal. Boy the life lessons never stop!

The cost of doing business

When I initially decided that entrepreneurship was the best route for me to go I knew that it would take some time before I was financially stable and able to work solely on my business endeavors without having to maintain a "real job" . With that in mind I began to work on creating a name for myself as a public relations person and manager so that I could drum up business as a consultant. I work hard, really hard. I have a part time "real job" that helps pay my bills and gives me health, dental and vision insurance and when I'm not there I'm working hard at building my client base as a consultant.

I always figured I would come across fakers and other people who weren't in a good place to handle good business but I never thought that I would work with or attempt to work with people who would go as far as to sign contracts and put things in place only to let the business lapse. I suppose I was naive when I figured that filling out paperwork and agreements was enough to ensure that a person would at least attempt to handle business.

I was wrong. I guess I gave people too much credit but I've found that becoming angry and jaded isn't the answer either. I will just work on maintaining my optimism and finding positive people to work with. People who honor their commitments and stand by their word because it's important to them. I still see the glass as half full.

Live your life...don't let your life live you

Happy New Year!!!

I know that its been sometime since I blogged. Life has been quite busy. I finally got the chance to go to New York for a few days. I really enjoyed being there and exploring the city. I met some cool new people and got a chance to reconnect with someone from my past. I am convinced that I need to be up there right now. I'm working on it and there will definitely be some interesting blogs about my adventures or mis-adventures.

With all of my time being spent offline and dealing with people, I noticed a disturbing trend. Many people allow themselves to become victims of their own lives and situations. I have had conversations with friends and family members who would complain about things in their lives but when I asked them if they have tried to change the situation I get lots of excuses about why they can't. It amazes me because if I ever have a problem with my situation I make moves to change it. If I can't change anything but my role in it, I will do that.

I just wish that more people would take an active role in their own destinies. Yes there are those that believe that no matter what we say, our destiny is fated, however I believe that we do have control over the path we take to get there. You know life is not always about the destination. It's often about the journey. (I totally stole that from somewhere and made it my own.)