Extend a hearty congratulations

When someone has done a good job…don't hold back with the praise.  Recently a quasi competitor of mine hosted an awesome event that attracted all of the city's A-listers.  It was the Harlem Fine Arts Show.

I was so impressed with her ability to gather all of these stars in one setting.  Instead of getting jealous or envious, I sent her a lot of luv.

And so, on this blog, I congratulate Lynn Norment on a phenomenal event at the Merchandise Mart.  Based on the smiles and the tremendous networking as well as the tremendous talent the artists exhibited, she deserves Buddah Bows!

Fate is my friend

I was recently in Detroit supporting a sorority sister as she and her husband opened their spa.  It was an awesome event and I was so glad I made the trip.  Just the smile that greeted me made the trip worth it.  But, while I was there, I visited the Wright Museum of African American History.  It was a beautiful visit and the exhibits, memorabilia, artifacts and the overall presentation of the Museum are beyond words. I've always felt Karma was with me because, as I was about to visit my final exhibit and enter the area, a lady said:  "Hi Soror!"  Well, I was carrying me AKA bag and she is a member.  We chatted and it turned out that she is the Vice President of the Museum.  From there, it was nothin' but love.  She gave me a personal tour of the Museum, and shared historic nuggets that I never would have learned.  To top it all off, she gave me a ride to the train depot where I caught the train home.  Had I been a minute early or late, I'd have missed her as she was on her way to her office. It was a memorable visit that became a delightful experience because of this fortuitous meeting.  I've introduced her to AKAs in the area and she made the outreach to them. A fortuitous twist of fate created this meeting and resulted in a new bond and a lifelong friend.

Stay one more minute

I get anxious at events and want to leave.  That happened recently at a party. It was for a radio friend and I got cranky during the tribute speeches and decided to leave.  But, then I decided to stay one more minute.  There were a lot of friends there I hadn't seen.  So, I decided if I'd stay one more minute, I can get past the speeches and connect with old friends and new prospects.  So, while the speeches were droning on, I kept saying "One more minute."  It was worth it for the new friends I met, the old friends I re-connected with and the new prospects I could tap.  It was just worth it for me to say "Stay one more minute."

It's an investment-- Not a cost

I recently hosted a dinner party for former clients, friends and prospects.  It was a way of saying "I may be retired, but I am available for select assignments."  There were about 20 people there and it was a perfect platform for me to be a hostess and to use the power of my hosting position to make my point.  Immediately, I got an assignment.  It paid for the dinner -- and then some.  So, the dinner was an investment -- not a cost!