Tag / #Uprising

by Uprising Experience

Align To Define

By: Luronda T. Jennings | March 2018 | Celebrating Women- Women’s History Month

 

Wandering through life distracted with no view

Allowing your past to repeatedly bruise you

Seeking direction from those who are unauthorized

Ignoring the signs to align so you can define

 

Door after door slamming in your face

You’re looking into the mirror at empty emotions you want to replace

Choosing to remain, allowing fear to fog your mind

Blocking the signs to align so you can define

 

Complacent insecurity traditionally acquired

Transparent incompatibility unconditionally hired

Your soul is yearning for true definition

But your mind is avoiding alignment with your divine destination

Tree-woman

Stop accepting what is meant to be neglected

Start embracing what is meant to be protected

Stop suppressing what is meant to amplified

Start aligning what is meant to be defined

 

The definition of your purpose aligned with the needs of this world

His power giving you strength to lay down and give birth

Nurturing the whole woman He created you to be

Seeking Him, loving everyone, and serving others until you reach your destiny

She could

 

by Uprising Experience

“I always feel like…somebody’s watching me”

By: Kristi Love | Blogger

@uprisingwgc

Y’all remember that song right? It’s a real thing, but not in a paranoid way. Do you ever feel like individuals are watching you, no matter where you go, you can feel somebody watching you move throughout the room?

That happened to me MLK weekend at a volunteer event with Thursday Network  @thursdaynetwork and Serve DC @servedc  They were hosting their 18th Annual MLK Blanket and Toiletries Drive. I sensed people were watching me especially these two individuals.

Honestly, I was not in the best of spirits that day (initially). The volunteer event was awesome, however, I was not completely present with a positive mindset when I walked in (plus it was crowded and I’m not into crowds for real).

Even in my not so good mood, I did a self-check and changed my mindset. I also had to get it together because I was representing With Great Care, LLC (WGC) an organization I’m a part of so I could not have a negative attitude.

I immediately started to be useful and begin working with my teammates because we were there to serve. As the morning went on a young woman and I kept passing each other. We would smile, halfway acknowledge each another, and keep it moving. I am naturally an observant person, therefore I was already detecting how the members of the lead organizations were navigating and managing the huge crowd (including me) that came to help and give back that day. So, noticing her walk back and forth always had me wondering, “Who are you?”

Then, the last time she and I crossed path’s she finally stopped and said, “What is your name?” “My name is Kristi,” I said. She then told me her name and went on to say how she noticed my shirt (the shirt in the picture) and my positive energy/vibe. I told her about my shirt and With Great Care, LLC WGC and we chatted some more.

In case you missed it, she stopped me after we passed each other on several occasions because of my spirit and energy I decided to have that day. I was initially in a funk but made a decision to give of myself and serve. My spirit became kind, loving, welcoming, and my non-verbal communication made others feel comfortable- I was approachable.

Towards the end of our volunteer shift, another young woman approached me. She did the same, asked about my With Great Care shirt and how she noticed me in the room and wanted to know more because of my spirit. We also discussed our occupations and she shared how she wanted to make more of an impact on individuals directly and not behind the scenes. We laughed, encouraged each other, and ended with “It was nice to meet you”. We connected simply because of my spirit and energy.

I share this not to boast about me, but more about who I represent. Not only do I represent my personal brand, I represent my family, God and specifically on that day I was representing With Great Care, LLC @withgreatcare.  Just think if I had kept my negative attitude sporting the WGC Brand; instead of being approached by two individuals who felt my positive energy, I could have been talked about amongst others in an undesirable manner.

WGC team

With Great Care Team members                @equanimous_soph @yushaassadmusic @loveceejay @klovejoypeace

In the spirit of doing all things with great care, purpose, and intention I must walk in purpose and walk in love, joy, and peace.

I left there feeling grateful to be in that space because ultimately, the light in me was shining, I served those in need and I possibly made a difference in those lady’s lives (from our conversations). They made a difference in my life- realizing how important it is to let your light shine (for others, not self). I knew it wasn’t me that made the impact, it was the God in me.

You never know who’s watching you

Be careful and mindful of your spirit as you go about your day and pay attention to your thoughts. Who do you represent when you leave your home? Be sure to leave the house every day, living life, With Great Care.

Peace and Blessings

 

*photo cred @ceemoments_p

by Uprising Experience

“The Look” of an Entrepreneur

Kristi Love | Blogger                                                                                       2017

@uprisingexperience

Growing up, the only entrepreneurs I knew were folks selling Noni Juice, Mary Kay, and Avon. They were talking fast and inviting me to their life changing meetings.

Ok, I may be exaggerating a little, but you get my point.

The word or the thought of an entrepreneur was not used regularly in my household. I grew up knowing the word “work”. That’s what people did- they go to school, get that good education, and go to work. Make sure it is a good company where you can stay for 10 years or more and get that “good retirement plan”. I may be telling my age, because nowadays, people only stay in jobs for 3-8years (with the average being 5years).

So, what does an entrepreneur look like? Who is this person? What is their style, their race, age, and educational background? People in the media have shown us their version of an Entrepreneur. Just Google “Top Richest Entrepreneurs”. The same group of people will show up on any list. Want to guess who’s on that list?

Yes, you guessed it- Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, the co-founders of Google, and the list goes on? The common thread- they are all (usually) men…white men. Literally a list full of white males.

Funny thing is however; as an adult, I am surrounded around African American men and women entrepreneurs more than any other race/ethnicity. That is my reality. It doesn’t matter what images are portrayed in the media. We are all capable of creating the images of what an entrepreneur looks like. We are the look.

Non-Profit Organizations like Black Girl Vision in DC (where crowdfunding meets pitch competition) is a perfect example of creating the image of an entrepreneur. Black Girl Vision is a community of women for women of color entrepreneurs who receive networking opportunities, learning experiences, and crowd funding. Black Girl Vision is on a Mission to support Women of Color Entrepreneurs

There is no one look of an entrepreneur. We all come in different sizes, shades, ethnicity, and socioeconomic backgrounds. The media is wrong with their idea of a “successful entrepreneur”.

entrepreneur2

Now that it’s clear that “The Look of an Entrepreneur” doesn’t really exist, let’s discuss the qualities and characteristics needed to be an Entrepreneur.

*Stay tuned

by Uprising Experience

Black Girl Vision is on a Mission to support Women of Color Entrepreneurs

By: Kristi Love

Logo BGV

Black Girl Vision brings a twist to the typical pitch competition. They have created, ‘Pitch Competition meets Crowd Funding’. Women of color (and others) register for the monthly BGV event which generates funding for pitch competitors. On the day of the Eat, Pitch, Vote, event, 8 women of color pitch their idea. At the end, participants vote for their favorite business idea. The winner receives funding which allows them to grow their business.

As a business owner of 3 companies and entrepreneur herself, Shelly Bell knew that women of color start businesses at higher rates than everyone else, nonetheless lack the support needed to sustain a viable and profitable business. S. BellProviding access to capital for women of color business owners and entrepreneurs was Shelly’s vison when she created Black Girl Vision in August of 2016.  “With so many women of color entrepreneurs and all the Black Girl Magic happening, we also need support, networking, and funding to work,” Shelly told Uprising.

After attending a few BGV events, the members of DICE were eager to participate in BGV’s Pitch Completion. They won on March 18th and that was the first time founders of DICE pitched their idea and they pitched their way to winning 1st Place!

The founders of DICE, Amber Watson, Tasha Lo Port, and Michaela Hall first connected with Black Girl Vision (BGV) via Instagram (@blackgirlvision). They founded DICE (Diversity, Inclusion, and Collaborative Engagement Leadership Group) to create a better world by celebrating the differences of all people through conversation and collaboration.  “We develop workplaces where discussions and problem-solving are more inclusive, collaborative, and successful in discovering collective solutions that work,” founders tell Uprising Experience.

As winners of the pitch competition, DICE members received $500 in funding, T-shirts for their business, an accounting consultation, a legal consultation, a network of supporters, and business coaching.

“As a successful entrepreneur, Shelly Bell’s guidance has been instrumental in helping us take advantage of opportunities and avoid pitfalls. Having an experienced mentor pushed our business to the next level. We are more competitive, more strategic, and more equipped with the knowledge needed to be successful,” said DICE founders.

DICE women

The seed funding helped DICE advance their goals in several ways, “We created a community of practice around diversity and inclusion engagements, we updated our products to provide better training experiences for our customers, and we secured advertising that increased our social media following and produced client leads,” says, Ms. Hall of DICE.

Since the Black Girl Vision Pitch Competition win, members of DICE have advanced to the second level of the DC EBay Startup Cup and they were chosen as one of the top 26 companies from among 100. “The support we’ve received from Black Girl Vision undoubtedly gave us the competitive edge,” DICE tells Uprising.