Business
Raise your hand if you speak wayyy kinder to others than you do yourself. Yeah, me too.
I posted something to my stories that stopped me in my tracks because I realize it’s something I do as a freelancer way more than I’d like to admit. I shame spiral.
We (women/Black folks/POC) need to STOP thinking we are weak just because we want (and need) help with running our business. I know I'm a recovering "Strong Black woman" and even in the small instances when I do something like outsourcing my errands, I get a bit of "who do I think I am" syndrome. But it's not just about working hard y'all, it's important that we work smart too.
I'm going to get SUPER uncomfortable with y’all and be vulnerable about some of the biggest mistakes I made when I first launched... and some that might have even happened within the last six months.
Why?
Because *somebody* could stand to benefit from reading this so it doesn't happen to them.
I've shared this before, but when I originally launched, I did NOT want pink to be a part of my brand color palette. I also didn't want black.
I didn't the colors to be "too feminine".
I didn't want something "too dark".
I didn't want to do something that felt cliche.
Welp, clearly that didn't last long.
Can I be honest for a minute... or more?
You have those moments when you're TRYING to keep it together but as -soon- as someone you're close to asks how you're doing, you're ready to crumble and cry?
Yep. That's how I've felt these last few weeks since I got sick.
Auntie asked me how I was feeling and how was my mental health? I kindly bs’d my answer but truthfully... this hard yall
This is not a drill! It’s a great time to invest in your business and I’ve got you covered with the rundown.
From memberships to candles that provide mindset shifts, I got you!!
Lemme know where you’re shopping in the comments and be sure to share this if you found it helpful!
Happy Halloween, family!
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but today is my one-year anniversary! Wow wow WOWWWWWWW.
I’m in awe as I’m typing this because I remember exactly the wide range of feelings I was experiencing last year before I went live. There were so many things going on in life that just felt wrong, but my spirit led me to take a chance on myself and I am SO glad I did.
Fun fact about me: Anytime I see a conference I am interested in, the first thing I do is check out the speaker lineup. If I’m not feeling the diversity or lack thereof, I’m not going. Period. There’s no excuse.
Another thing I do as a consumer when I’m reviewing a brand’s social media is to check and see if they have people that look like me (you know, darker skin, fuller features, coily hair, etc). If I have to continuously scroll, I’m not spending my coins, and it’s as simple as that.
After 2.5 years since I last wrote on Thirty30Courtney, here I am finding myself “officially” back on some sort of writing journey. For those of you that know me, know that I suffered an incredible loss 4 months ago (more about that here) and ever since then I have been slowly trying to pick up the pieces and rest. My FMLA journey from my 9-5 is starting to wind down and while I am processing many feelings about that, I do have to give praise to the blessing that I was able to take a step back from my “normal” day-to-day.
Social Media Tips
Is it a “nice to have” for users and social media managers to be able to now auto-post reels? Absolutely.
But personally, my fear is that people are going to be creating reels without intentionality and it will ultimately ruin the fun. Don’t get lazy. Don’t post just because you can.
Do you wish you could relinquish duties for the tasks that you know how to do but simply hate doing? You're not alone.
Just because you *can* do something doesn't mean you *should* do something. This is especially true if you're not great at it or simply don't enjoy it.
This can be applied to managing your social media accounts.
If I may cut to the chase…
It’s all fun and games being online until your ish gets hacked.
I’ve been there and it SUCKS. My personal Instagram page was gone from the ‘gram for 3 months and I only had like 2K followers. Let’s just say… it was a long three months! Lol
Content
Support Black
Today is my favorite day of Kwanzaa because it’s UJAMAA aka Cooperative Economics. Why? Because you can say a lot about me, but one thing you CAN’T say is that I don’t support Black.
In 2020, I determined that I supported 67 Black-owned businesses and I was BIG proud of myself but I knew that I could go harder in 2021. Keep reading to see if I was over/under my 2020 number of 67 businesses supported.
I wanted to be intentional with starting the month off with some positive vibes because last week’s full moon energy had me going crazy (true story). As I began to curate this collection of quotes, I found it to be therapeutic. There is so much foolery happening around us during this pan dulce and I have found myself retreating inward more than I normally do. However, reading these quotes gave me hope and drive. It is my hope that you also find one or a few that jump out to you and you hold onto them. Tweet it, write it down, or put it on your mirror. I write this in love and say “thank you” to the brilliance of our ancestors, legends, and people as a whole.
8,645 pages read.
Your girl did it. Multiple funerals, mental health issues, leave from work, and just being a whole busybody, but I did it. I knocked down 40 books in 2020. What made my reads even more special was the fact that every single book I read in 2020 was written by a Black woman. Famous Black women. Established authors. Breakout authors. Caribbean authors. British authors. American authors. Fat authors. All of it.
I decided to challenge myself and see if I could put it all together. I’m still almost certain some are missing but this is a fairly accurate representation. Don’t judge me! Mind the business that pays you. Buying Black is not simply a square on your social media or a cute gif, but it’s a lifestyle. Let’s be intentional with our shopping in 2021 and beyond!
I really wanted to be intentional about celebrating all things Black women because the start of 2021 has already tried to rip away some joy, but NOT today! I was so shocked to see how much my original post, “60 Black Women to Book In DFW”, did that I knew I needed to add some more heavy hitters. So, this is for you. We know that Black History Month is coming up, and you should already be prepared (insert side-eye here), but in case you’re not, here’s a resource for you! I’ve added some names based on recommendations and continuing to expand my network.
Want to find a local nonprofit to donate to on Giving Tuesday? Look no further! I've curated a list of 25 Black nonprofits in Dallas-Fort Worth that you can donate to for Giving Tuesday 2020 and beyond. Let's give Black!
Looking to support a Black-owned business for Black Friday and the holidays? Look no further. I've got you covered with over 125 Black-owned businesses in North Texas!
As we close out a very wild March, I wanted to do something special and necessary to close out Women's History Month 2020. As our community has adjusted and responded to the Covid-19 pandemic, I kept finding myself incredibly frustrated and appalled at the lack of color on panels and "community conversations". While reflecting I simply asked myself was I going to keep complaining about it or would I help tilt the trend. In true CJ fashion, I chose the latter.
Lifestyle
I fell off the podcast train for a while but it's safe to say that I'm BACK! 🎉
Most of the ones I listen to fall in one of three categories:
Just for fun
Business
Wellness/Mental Health/Self-Improvement
What's especially fun for me is to go back and re-listen to favorite episodes to see if my perspective has changed throughout the years. I usually get another gem or two too!
If there’s anything I’ve learned as a Black woman in the US, it’s that our joy will always try to be snatched but we have to fight to keep it. We have to protect our mental by any means necessary. We need to find the good moments in some particularly crappy bouts of days in order to stay sane.
I was fine. Nothing was wrong. I was having an incredibly productive day. And that's when it came back.
I did my best to hold back the tears because again, I was having a really good day, but I ultimately surrendered. I'm batting zero against my waves of sadness and I knew I just needed to let it flow. The bad moments will always pass. Even though it really sucks when you're in the thick of it.
So while yes, glory to God I am returning to some sense of normalcy and I am okay, we cannot continue to operate in this rush to return “back to business”. Cancel the unnecessary meetings. Let people breathe. That work can wait. Many families, particularly Black and brown, and suffering catastrophic levels of damage that aren’t just a short-term fix. I anticipate insurance companies screwing over people of color when they make claims and many people are displaced. The work is just beginning and it’s time to saddle up and raise hell.
As I have spent the last few days cleaning like a crazy woman because, #BlackTraditions, I was extremely appreciative that I finished last night so that I could truly focus and reflect today. Instead of thinking about all that didn’t happen, went wrong, or what I lost, I’ve been trying to think about some of my favorite highlights.
It is hard. It is incredibly hard. I don’t share the ugly moments I deal with daily because who wants to hear that? Unless you are in my immediate circle… or my therapist, you have no idea how I am dealing. But please, do not make assumptions about someone’s healing process because it is a lifelong journey.
Well friends, the day is here. The day we have waited for since Midterms 2018. Election Day 2020. I have been feeling so many feelings and trying to process my thoughts while not spiraling because elections remind me of my godfather. I distinctly remember him taking me to Springside (a school) to vote with him and sometimes lil’ me even got to hit the voting button even if I wasn’t supposed to. I remember how since he had three TV’s in his bedroom (yep), CNN was always on one of them. So here I am, decades later, in my own fight with my community to help our people get out the vote.
Well friends, it's my 31st birthday! Happy Quarantine Birthday to me and so many others. Who knew things would turn out this way, right? But I am whole, healthy, and feeling all of the love in the early hours of today already. I'm grateful. I'm blessed. I'm also feeling a tad reflective.
So what have I learned about myself, leadership, or the world during the last 365?
With the influx of AI tools taking over the internet right in front of our eyes, it’s important that we are paying attention to a looming effect of it all… the risk of plagiarism. While these tools are dope AF, it’s important to remember that you as a user do NOT own any of the content that is provided to you. In addition, you are at risk of the bots regurgitating information as it gets it, which can produce potential plagiarism down the line.
Who cares??? You should.