October 3, 2008
Celebrate a Marriage
Today, one of my friends / colleagues a WAHM is celebrating her 9th Anniversary. In congratulating her, I started having thoughts about marriage and about how great it is to be able to celebrate marriage and it triggereda discussion on her network. Then I had the thought to share it with the world. I thought that so many could be encouraged by it. Ok, there may be some that beg to differ. Since I have been married for 24 years to the same 1 man, I feel, I had the right.
Oh my friend is Kandice a WAHM and she have a network just for WAHM’s of Color. www.wahmsofcolor.ning.com
Read below for the discussion that was started on her network.
Wow! Seeing Kandice tweet and announcement that today is her 9thWedding Anniversary it started to trigger some thoughts within me. So I thought I would share them. That’s providing I can hold on to them long enough…Mind is just going and going and going with thoughts…
Well first it started me to look for something to congratulate Kandice for her GREAT accomplishment of still being married after 9 years.
Today and even yesterday, so many marriages do not make it through 2 years. Ok, I know there are some that don’t make through the 1st year or even the 1st 6 months. So for anyone to celebrate their marriage for 3 yrs, 4 yrs, 5 yrs and most certainly 9 yrs, have accomplished much.
Talk about success!
If you have been married for more than 2 years and you and husband are still together…even if you are not happy at the moment, consider yourself successful at marriage, even though you still have a long ways to go, that is SUCCESS 100%.
To get to the place of celebrating a Marriage, let me tell you. It’s alot of give and take, see and don’t see, hear and don’t hear, and always forgiving and FORGETTING. Yes! <b>FORGETTING</b>.
Most marriages don’t survive to celebrate another year of marriage, because someone supposedly forgave but did not FORGET! I would almost question the forgiveness also. However in order for you to be able to go forward and celebrate your marriage year after year after year, you HAVE to learn and do everything you can to forget some things. If you don’t, you will live out your marriage trying to get revenge, or holding it against your husband, or always bringing it up and nagging at your husband about it. As much as we like to nag. Men do not like nagging women and most definitely not a nagging wife.
I am speaking from 24 years of marriage of a 30 year relationship with my husband…Yes, I was 14 when I met David and he is the greatest…Yep, we do alot of see and don’t see, hearing and not hearing…Don’t get me wrong. We deal with our issues, but some things are not even worth the discussion….So if at anytime you can just let it go, Honey, LET IT GO. Your marriage is worth more than that situation. That issue will pass, be over and done and leave you alone. No one really wants to be alone.
So to continue to celebrate marriage year after year after year. Let things go. We all make mistakes. Women probably more than our husbands. Especially those of us who are Small Biz Owners and Entrepreneurs, think we got it going on and gonna let our husbands know that and half tail being a real wife to him…Ok, enough on that.
Celebrate Your Marriage every opportunity that you get. No matter what…You love your husband or you would not have married him…right? Of course I am right. Yeah, he gets on your nerves most times, no, he don’t always do it right…make more mistakes than most men you know, but he is yours and you chose him or God chose him for you. Make it work….Notice, I said MAKE it work.
Marriage is a ministry. Don’t throw in the towel at the smallest or at the biggest problem that arises. It will always past. We will talk more on this subject…Yes, I have alot to say…:))
It angers or disturbs me at how we and Strong Black Women, at least that is how we label ourselves and ..ok. that is going to be another discussion…I am going to stop right here.
Just wanted to encourage you all that are married. MAKE it a marriage to always be celebrated and especially on your anniversary.
Read my blog <b>Make it a Great Day</b> at <a href=”http://www.sisterssavingsisters.wordpress.com”>www.sisterssavingsisters.wordpress.com</a>
Everything that could happen to destroy your marriage, most likely will happen….but you don’t let anything or anybody destroy your marriage.
KEEP CELEBRATING YOUR MARRIAGE!
Charlene
RCIT
September 21, 2008
How Do You Measure Success?
A long time ago when I worked for a Real Estate Co. I met the Broker of the company and he became a great friend. Even after leaving that brokerage, I still stayed in touch with him. Whenever something came up about real estate, I would always contact him. One day we were talking and somehow we got on the subject about being successful. We talked about how most people do not consider themselves successful unless they are “RICH”, got a lot of money, got alot of material things and so on. You know all the things that people would need to consider themselves a success. Most of what don’t really matter in this world, when it all boils down, none of which means you are successful. Perhaps those things were received from someone, perhaps those things were inherited from some one, perhaps one has lied and stolen and cheated to get those things. Because you have alot of money, or alot of things….do that mean that you are successful? Well, let me rephrase that. If you reached a level of what you consider is success by lying, cheating and stealing. Do it mean you are really or truly successful?
Well, back to the conversation that I was having with my Real Estate Broker friend. He thought it necessary to share with me how successful I was. Not sure how it got back on me at that point, but it was. He begin to ask me about things I had completed and I begin to name things that I had completed and he then said, You are successful. He shared with me that if I had ever completed anything that I was successful at that thing, which would make me a successful person. This conversation took place about 25 years ago. My oldest son was 2 and he is 27 now. I was married and still married now. I guess somewhere in our conversation, I must have said something contrary to be successful in my own life and he did not waste any time letting me know opposite. Today, I wanted to share this with you.
This came on my mind, while I was suppose to been having some “me time”. I thought I was watching T.V. which I was, but the thought crossed my mind. “How Do You Measure Success” So I thought I would write about this and ask the question. If you are reading this, please comment back to me. How do you measure success. Do you measure success by things that you have or by how much money you have. Do you consider every person that Society has labeled rich or millionaires to be successful. If so, why? Are they successful because they have lots of money and things or are they successful because they accomplished and succeeded at the task that would land them in their position.
Perhaps you are reading this and because you are not rich or wealthy with cash and material things, you don’t consider yourself to be successful. Let me help you out today. If you have ever completed anything, that makes you successful in that thing, which means you are successful. Though you may be striving in other areas, but yet completing other things, or milestones in your life. Those completed things makes you a successful person. If anyone should ever raise that question in your presence again about success, you be sure to raise your hand for the category of successful people. Now there may be some that would disagree with that.
According to Wikipedia, Success may mean:
- a level of social status
- achievement of an objective / goal
- the opposite of failure
If you have completed High School, College, major goals and objectives that you have set for yourself, perhaps you have raised children, or married for numerous years. Let me tell you. If you have completed any of what I have just mentioned. You are successful. Perhaps, you don’t have alot of completed projects under your belt. If you have one. You are still successful and don’t allow anyone to take that success from you. We strive daily to complete new projects in our lives and in our business and so on. Some may not go as planned and you have to change the plan, perhaps the one you are working on is not the one for you, so you moved on to something else. You are still not to be considered as unsuccessful. As I stated earlier. The one thing, the two things that you have completed makes you a successful person.
Now, how do you measure success? I hope that if you were measuring it another way and not considering yourself successful, that you have thought on it and have changed your thought about yourself. Know that you are successful and we strive daily for success in our lives by completing things in our lives. Strive daily to complete things and not just start alot of things.
Give me your feed back
HOW DO YOU MEASURE SUCCESS?
September 20, 2008
Make it a Great Day!!
I was just going over an email that my Marketing Coach had sent to me and at the end of the message it said ” Make it a great day”
Now I have seen that closing often and have used it myself on many occasion as many of you have also. Today, “Make” just jumped out at me in my mind. Make it a great day. As I begin to ponder on Make. It kind of like dawned on me that there are days and times when you have to make your day great. With so much going on in the world and in life bad news all around on the news etc and with so many obstacles that can get in your way and more than likely will get in your way. With so many haters in the world…there are just times when you have to do everything in your power to MAKE your day a great day. You probably have to MAKE some other things great too. Great days and great outcomes don’t just happen for most people and everything that could stop you or prevent you from having a great outcome most times do happen. Be encouraged today in knowing that you can MAKE your outcome great. Work hard at it. Don’t let anything distract you today that would make your outcome anything but great. You take control of the situation and MAKE it great, thereby MAKING your day a great day.
Don’t let other peoples decisions MAKE your day – YOU MAKE your day
Don’t allow other peoples attitudes to MAKE your day- YOU set the atmosphere or change the atmosphere…Remember your goal is to MAKE it a great day.
Don’t allow the negative or bad outcome of someone elses day, MAKE your day the same
YOU step out and MAKE your day a great day.
This just jumped out and me and the funniest thing about it, is that it was not an email message that was sent to me today. It had been sent to me a few days ago and I was going back over the email message. So don’t be surprised if and when something that you have done in the past has a positive impact on someone in the future. Yeah, even the small things, can have major impacts on others
Kudos to Robert Moment of www.howtostartyoursmallbusiness.com for having such an impact on my life with such a small phrase
Do MAKE your day a great day
Do MAKE your week a great week
Do MAKE your month a great month
and you shall end up MAKING your year a great year every year
Charlene Brown
Serial Entrepreneur – Visionary – The Grand Connector – Master Networker
The Black Business Cafe / Sisters Saving Sisters
New FDA Law Could Impact a Local Woman’s Business
Jamila White bka The Ecommerce Diva and owner of J.Blossom could and would be affected by this new FDA Law. Watch the report from Ch 9 WUSA
Who says natural products have to be boring?
At j.blossom, we believe every girl is beautiful, and our products are about helping girls feel good on the inside as well as on the outside! Every product is made with laughter and love and has a positive affirmation right on the bottle, such as “Short or tall, thick or thin, I love the skin that I am in!”
Visit J.Blossom at www.jblossom.com
September 19, 2008
Joanna Rollins Founder / CEO of Empowering Leaders Consultants
My name is Joanna Rollins the Founder/CEO of Empowering Leaders Consultants based out of Baltimore, Maryland. Empowering Leaders Consultants was released into a business in January 2008, but it took 4 years prior for me to accept the vision that I had and the anointing that was on my life to want to make a change in the lives of others especially women. So as the years went on operating in an unstable job market in 2007 the company that I worked for had closed our location and I didn’t know what to do for I wasn’t expecting it to happen but knowing that it was a possiblity that it could. But I looked at this as an opportunity to really do what I love and that is Teaching and motivating others to reach their Destinies.
So I went through the process of starting my own business I enrolled in a 11 week Entrepreneur program and successfully completed the program and received a certificate in Business Skills training. So I went from not knowing how to make my dream happen to the doors being open for it to happen, so in January 2008 Empowering Leaders Consultants was born. I never really knew that it would be this difficult to start a business, and there are many obstacles and challenges I had to face and are still facing and that was the lack of consistent support, but being the strong warrior that I am, I had to quickly overcome that challenge because I realized if I never get the help does this mean I stop pursuing after my own Destiny and my answer was “NO”. I had to solely rely on the hand of God and trusting and believing that I wasn’t in this alone. Sometimes when the challenges were great I wanted to give up but I had to tell myself that if I don’t reach my place of destiny all of those people who are waiting to receive from me will never get what they are supposed to have if I am out of position and not in place. So I tried my eyes and hosted my firts workshop in May 2008 entitled: Pursuing after Destiny with the attendance of only 10 people I taught as though there were 10, 000 people because as long as my audience receives and apply the information I have done my job.
While I am on my journey there are several people that I am helping along the way and one of the greatest things I could have ever done was aligned myself with Butterfly Cares a mentoring organization for teenage girls. I volunteer my services and my time when being requested of me because I understand the dilemmas that teenage girls face every day ranging from peer pressure to low self-esteem and the fruits of my labor was not in vain when I facilitated a workshop hosted by them entitled: “Preparing Daugthers for Destiny” and it was one young lad y name Briana that really accepted change.
About ELC. Empowering Leaders Consultant is a Christ centered business. As a diverse company we specialize in leadership development training for corporations, businesses, and ministries; were our mission and goal is to empower and equip entry level management to executive/senior management and leaders in ministry to lead with passion and decisiveness without compromising truth or integrity; we also offers motivational speaking, mentoring, consulting, and life coaching services to Faith-based & Non-profit organizations, Community outreach, Youth & Young adults, Entrepreneurs, and Individuals.
To know more about my company visit us at http://www.Empowering1.net
Warmest Regards,
Joanna Rollins
CEO/Facilitator
410.412.0653
A Great Support System for Women
Every month SSS choose 2 Sister’s Business to feature. The goal is to exemplify our name Sisters Saving Sisters. So every month we are to support those 2 businesses in some way to assist in their business being successful and increasing their profits. We choose these businesses at our previous meeting for the next month, by drawing from a bowl of business cards to determine who will be featured for the next month. We thought this was a fair way to spread the wealth around the group. It also encourages the women to come out to our meetings. If a woman is not there to drop her business card in the bowl, then she don’t stand a chance of being the business of the month. We pick 1 business that have a tangible product and then 1 business that have a service to offer. For the entire month we spotlight that business, blog about that business and at our meeting for that particular month we showcase their business and support them, by 1, buying products from the business that have tangible products to sale and for the business with a service we come up with ways to support that business, either by using their service ourself or referring business to them or helping them to promote their business for that month. It’s a new concept and we are hoping that it works and that it works even more for the business owner. We want our Sisters business to be successful and this is one way that we can support her in making it just that. We are all excited about the NEW Sisters Saving Sisters and the ladies are being very supportive and participating in most of what we have brought forth so far.
Check out our featured SSS Business and see how they may be of service to you.
To join this phenomenal Women’s Group in the DC, Md, Va Area visit: http://networkmarket.meetup.com/590/
Vionna Jones – Fit in DC, LLC & Hot Mama Fitness Studio (September 2008 Member of the Month)
Vionna Jones began her love of fitness ten years ago when she moved to the Washington DC area. She found herself with a desk job and a much more sedentary life than she led during her years attending The Pennsylvania State University. She started taking step aerobics classes and was immediately hooked! Many years later, in 2004 she became an AFAA-Certified Group Fitness Instructor and an ACE-Certified Personal Trainer. Her other certifications include: AFAA Kickboxing Certification (2005), Cycle Reebok Certification (2005), Healthy Moms Fitness Professional (2005), BOSU Integrated Balance Training Certification (2005). She is also a 200-hour RYT Certified Yoga Instructor (2007). Vionna works with all populations, but especially enjoys working with expectant moms, new moms and seniors- one on one and in a group fitness setting. She has also taught physical education to elementary school students at Horace Mann Elementary School in Washington, DC. As the owner of Fit in DC, LLC and the founder of the Hot Mama Fitness Studio, Vionna strives to help others to live healthier, happier lives. Her hobbies include rollerblading, bike riding, reading, being outside, traveling (especially to the beach) and being with friends. Vionna Jones currently resides in Columbia Heights.
Hot Mama Fitness Studio
The Hot Mama Fitness Studio was born from Vionna’s desire to help new and expectant mothers realize their health and fitness goals.
The Hot Mama Fitness Studio will provide mothers in the Washington, DC metropolitan area with the best in pre-natal and post-natal fitness, yoga, nutrition and wellness workshops. Our programs will help moms to enjoy a wonderful, healthy pregnancy and return to their pre-pregnancy fitness level with ease. The goal of the Hot Mama Fitness Studio is to help our mothers to attain a more balanced, healthy and rewarding lifestyle. Our studio is truly unique.
Among the classes and services that we will provide include the Hot Mama Pre-Natal Fitness Class, the Zen Mama Pre-Natal Yoga Class, Post-Natal Pilates, Post-Natal Small Group Personal Training, Pre-Natal and Post-Natal Belly Dancing, Mom and Baby Fitness and Yoga Classes, Ballet-tone, Nutrition Workshops, Seated Massage, Infant Massage, Birthing Classes and much more.
Our instructors are highly trained and truly understand what you are going through. Our classes are small to give you the personal attention that you desire and deserve.
Healthy families start with healthy moms. Become a Hot Mama today!
Website: http://www.fitindc.com
Phone: 202-423-7445
The Organizer!!! How Did I Become This?
Well today, I thought it might be time for me to talk about me and how it all came to be with Sisters Saving Sisters Meetup Group. So I am going to take some time now to share the story.
I am Charlene Brown, born and raised in Washington, DC. Wife of 24yrs of a 30yr relationship with 4 sons 27-25-20-18. Grandmother and loving it. I am the Owner of The Black Business Cafe which house and mothers Black Vendors Network, Kingdom Biz & now Events Nationwide and Sisters Saving Sisters.
I have been asked “how do you do it”? My answer is this. When God gives you something it becomes an assignment and wisdom is given from God to accomplish the many duties that come with it all. God gives me wisdom to do what I do and that’s all I know. I love it all, because in everything that I do, it is an avenue to help and assist people and I love doing that. I am a relational kind of person and I don’t take relationships lightly. I love establishing relationships with people and when one goes in left field, it takes me by storm. I am always trying to figure out what went wrong or what happened. Oh yeah, they don’t all work out the way I would like, however God is good and I am always learning to accept what God has allowed.
How did I become The Organizer of Sisters Saving Sisters? Whew!! Well, I was a member of the MeetupGroup, one that I must admit, I was not active on not one bit. I liked the name of it, but could never findthe time to attend the meetings. Ok, most times, I did not even go to the site. Then one day, I had this bright idea to start a Women’s meetup group for The BBC Women. One that I did not share with anyone. I just wanted to see what it would do on it’s own. Well, on it’s own it really was not doing anything. I had not shared it with my Network or anyone else for that matter. Then one day, one of my colleagues joined from Florida. So there we were, just me and her….:)). Now this was unusual for me, because everything that I do, that God has his hand in, grows and prospers and this group was not doing anything. It was so amazing to me. It was one sign that I wasn’t to have it, at least not that way. Of course the night I started it, I asked myself, “why did you just do that” and I had no answer, so I let it just sit there and of course, still nothing.
In the meanwhile, I started getting these messages that one of my meet up groups was closing and to save my meetup group. So I looked at the email and tried to click on the button to get more info about the group, but since I already was owner of 3 other meet ups, it would not allow me to even get the info on it. So I said, oh well and kept it moving,continuied doing what I do with all my other assignments. Not too long after that, I received another email. Same thing, that one of my meet up groups was about to close and to save it. Well again, I clicked for more info to see if I wanted to save the group and yep, the same thing. I could not get info, because I already had the max meetup groups that one person could have. So again, I left it alone. Then I got to thinking about it and what an opportunity it would be to keep that group open. Yes, It was the meetup group Sisters Saving Sisters ( I will use SSS for short here on out ). So I went to one of my meetups to see about stepping down as the organizer, so that I could step up into the organizer position for SSS. Well to my surprise, I just could not get it done or figured out. So again, I left it alone and said oh well. Then not long after that, again guess what I got? You guesses it!! Another email from meetup.com, that my meetup group SSS would be closing. This time it was Urgent! The group would be clsoingin 24hrs if no one stepped up to save it. Now, I just felt compelled to do something. A group of Women, with a name as such, just could not cease to be. At least that is what I felt within me. So now the challenge was on for me to figure this thing out. What I could not believe is that out of over 100 members that no one had stepped up to save this group. Now that did not make sense to me. So, can you guess what I had to do. If you guessed, remove myself from the organizer seat of The BBC Women’s Social, you are correct. There was just something within me that did not want this group to close. Now I really did not see how or know where I would find the time to organize this group with all that I already had and I had stepped down as Chapter Leader and withdrew my entire membership only months prior from a really great Women’s Organization (that really hurt me, becuase I did not want to leave it) but God had instructed me to cut it completely off. No, He had not revealed to me that only a few months later, that I would be organizing another one. God is good and he does all things well though. So now the race was on for me to do something andI did it. Yep, I did it. I send my colleague a message on the other group and told her about SSS andt that she could join me over there and I stepped down from The BBC Women’s Social and stepped up into SSS on August 5, 2008. It was a great feeling that I had to save that group. There is great meaning in the name and it fitted my character andthere were only a few things that would be changed. That is how my journey began with SSS. The first day, I did nothing. Trying to figure out now how to approach the group, seeing so many familiar faces from my previous group. I kind of thought, they would think I was crazy or unstable or something…So I was quiet and prayerful for the first day. Then I think it was the 2nd day, that I thought I need to speak or say something. Some of the Women had already started reaching out to me and thanking me for saving the group and how they felt that it was worth saving. That made me feel good too, about saving it. So after praying about this group and asking God how to confront them and what to do, I got my answers ( some of them anyway ) and I wrote an introduction to the group, telling them who I was a little andreaching out to them to find out more about the group. The rest is kind of history and I will write more about it soon.
Just thought that before I started coming forth about the great women in this group and how we are Sisters on the move, building and establishing a new relationship with one another, that I should share a little bit about the organizer and how I got started with SSS.
Let me add this. There are some phenomenal women in this meet up and they are doing some wonderful things and being successful and I intend to share as much as possible about them as I can or as they allow for the world to know how great they are. They reached out to me and made me feel very comfortable. Of course some women have left and some are still leaving but we can’t tell, because for every one that leaves, God sends 2. So whereas we were at 136 members when I stepped up, we are now at 147 members…see, you can’t even tell that any have left. But as you can see, it’s growing and that is always a sign to me that I am in the right place. We all are going to grow together, and find that balance in and for our lives and our businesses as we reach out to bring others in to experience the same things. If you are in the local area of DC, MD, Va and interested in joining our Meetup Group. http://networkmarket.meetup.com/590
September 14, 2008
Upper Marlboro Woman Raises Lupus Awareness (Lisa Datcher) – Let’s Support & Save a Sister
Upper Marlboro woman raises lupus awareness Sept 10, 2008
Linda Phelps | Faith & Action (The Gazette)
Each day we hear about diseases like cancer, diabetes, AIDS. We have months devoted to them and the media spotlight their causes. Raising funds to find a cure and awareness are championed by music, film and theater celebrities and politicians.
Lisa Datcher is hoping to add lupus to that list. Datcher, an Upper Marlboro resident, was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, or lupus, in 1992. Since that time she has made attempts to promote lupus awareness.
“I have made attempts to promote lupus awareness locally and nationally because still in 2008 there are many people who have never heard of this devastating disease; a disease that affects an estimated 1.5 million Americans where 90 percent are women,” Datcher said.
Although I had heard of the disease, I was not sure what it was all about or how you knew if you had it. According to the Web site for The Lupus Foundation of America, lupus is a chronic, potentially devastating autoimmune disease in which the immune system turns against the body’s own cells and tissues, causing inflammation and tissue damage. Because it is not easy to diagnose, lupus is called the “great imitator.”
According to the National Institutes of Health, lupus is also three times more common among African-American women than Caucasian women and is also more common than in women of Hispanic, Asian and Native American descent. Incidence is also greater among Hispanic, Asian and Native American women.
There is also no single diagnostic test for lupus. Datcher said that it took four months for a definitive answer to her illness. Misdiagnosed with arthritis and multiple sclerosis it was not until she had a screening test call an anti-nuclear antibody test that she was diagnosed with lupus.
Datcher says she has not let the disease take over her life. She formed an online support group for others to connect and support one another. Datcher will also participate in the “Walk With Us To Cure Lupus Walkathon,” to be held at 10 a.m. Nov. 2 at the National Mall, Capitol Reflecting Pool.
Datcher said that it is critical that adequate funding is available for continued research so that a cure can be found and is appealing for donations for research by registering to walk or by making a donation to the Alliance for Lupus Research.
Sisters Saving Sisters is supporting this Walk and this Cause and we ask you to help us.
If you would like to make a donation, please visit the site and make it online:
Team Lisa-Giving the Boot to the Lupe.” http://walk.lupusresearch.org/site/TR?fr_id=1950&pg=teamlist
You can either join the team or click on Charlene Brown to Sponsor The Black Business Cafe and Sisters Saving Sisters. We pledged $2000.00
Sisters on The Move 