Calling all fly college + career millennial women to this awesome opportunity!

When I started CMB Professional Development Agency, who knew we would be blessed enough to start a mentor program. I started CMB when I was 25 years old. All of my close friends were out of school; and I had reached that awkward age where I didn't have any close friends still in college... I was starting to feel old!

Anywho, many of my female friends and associates started approaching me about wanting to get involved. We all wanted to find a way to help women in college and graduate school. We all wanted to be that rational voice that we once needed to hear the winter break before graduation when you questioned the last 3.5 years of your life. We wanted to be that boss career woman we sought advice from when trying to figure out what to do with our politics degree.

We, like most millennials, have this knack for wanting to help each other out. We also like succeeding at our passions. CMB Mentor is the avenue to embrace both of those millennial tenets. At CMB Mentor, we strive to connect millennial college women to career women in their industry. We do monthly check-ins via Skype/Facetime. I also host monthly webinars related to networking, career advancement, and leadership. 

This spring, I want to plan a brunch in NYC! I'd love to gather college seniors and career women for an afternoon of delicious brunch, networking and of course ki-ki'ing. We're also going to continue to dive deeper on our webinars. We'll build on the foundation we laid in the fall when we hosted "Critical Conversations on a College Campus," and discussed how to address acts of discrimination and racism on campus. We welcome students to share their experiences. We ask mentors to share their wisdom and offer support. It will be awesome!

If you're a millennial college or a career woman,

that wants to succeed in their professional aspirations,

that likes seeing other women "win" on their grind and in their hustle,

that enjoys attending fun meet-ups and ki-ki'ing with the girls -

CMB Mentor is for you! Sign-up here!

To apply to be a Mentor, CLICK HERE!

To apply to be a Mentee, CLICK HERE!

A few of our CMB Mentors shared their wisdom and experiences during the #SheLeads2016 virtual conference. Our facilitators shared tips on networking, taking on leadership roles at work, self-care and more! Sign-up here and get access to some of these fantastic workshops!

Color Me Brave: Leandra Cartagena #servantleader #stjudes #womenpower

Color Me Brave is a blog series that celebrates amazing women that are both successful in their careers and supportive towards other women trying to make it. This series was created especially for millennial women of color because I want them to see other women of color that have been in their place, walked in their shoes and persevered. Color Me Brave is full of fabulous women leaders with dynamic stories. Enjoy and join me in applauding these industry leaders. To contact our Color Me Brave leaders, please email hello@thecolormeb.com.

Leandra Cartagena

Color Me Brave: Where did you attend college? 

Leandra Cartagena: University of San Francisco. Graduated in 2010 with a degree in International Business and Finance.

Color Me Brave: What do you do for a living? Where do you work? 

Lea: I work for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® as a Bilingual Regional Development Representative II- That means I do events that fundraise money for the lifesaving mission of St. Jude.

I have been in my job for 2 years and I love it. I see myself growing within the company and staying here forever.

I get to do what I love. I plan amazing events that bring joy to the attendees and lots of money to find a cure for pediatric cancer. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food. I work hard to make sure that no family ever has to worry about medical bills while being treated at St. Jude. All a family should worry about is helping their child live.

Color Me Brave: Why did you decide to take on this position? Is it part of a larger plan for you? 

Lea: It was a great opportunity for me to utilize my planning skills and support an organization I blindly believe in.

Color Me Brave: Are you a member of any professional organizations? If so which ones? 

Lea: I am a sister of Lambda Theta Nu Sorority, Inc.  My job requires a lot of travelling and that limits my involvement.

Color Me Brave: What are the biggest challenges you face in your job? In your industry?

Lea: In the nonprofit industry, the biggest struggle is that there are too many nonprofits. Millennials are obsess with starting their own nonprofit instead of supporting a well-established one.

One thing I have learned in my job is that you can’t control everything. No matter how well you planned there are certain factors that you can’t control. It is okay to accept that uncertainty is going to happen.

Color Me Brave: How do you overcome obstacles in the workplace?

Lea: Being organized and research are two key factors. If you do these two things, it is much easier to work through the obstacles and find solutions that emerge out of the problem.

Color Me Brave: What’s something you wish you could tell your college freshman self? 

Lea: Listen to Dad’s advice about life and money. Save half of your financial aid refund and enjoy college to the fullest since it will be some of your best years.

He has always been right.

Color Me Brave: How can women show their support for other women in the workplace?

Lea: As women, we need to learn to up lift each other instead of seeing each other as competition. Understand that we need each other to grow. It is important for us to find a woman mentor someone who understands us and is able to push us to greatness.

Color Me Brave: What do you do to relax with your girlfriends?

Lea: My girlfriends and I love and cherish our dinner/wine dates. Dates where we vent and support each other. Where we laugh or cry depending on the mood.

We also enjoy going Latin Dancing. Dancing is the cure to any heartbreak or any problem. Gotta dance it out.  

Color Me Brave: Anything else you want our millennial hustlapreneurs to know about you?

Lea: I’m 29 years old with a long life ahead of me. The things I have learned so far is that you need to make time for the people you love. It does not matter how busy you think you are. Make time for those who matter. Relationships are a two way street and they take work.

For more information Color Me Brave and other CMB services, check out our website www.thecolormeb.com ! Click here to join our mailing list!

Thank you for reading the first edition of Color Me Brave blog series! Learn more about our services and #SheLeads: Leadership + Empowerment Conference on our website!

A couple of our CMBrave honorees shared their wisdom and experiences during the #SheLeads2016 virtual conference. Our facilitators shared tips on networking, taking on leadership roles at work, self-care and more! Sign-up here and get access to interactive + fantastic workshops!

February is For Lovers (and Hustlapreneurs!)

February is here! January flew by and the shortest month of the year is upon us! I'm feeling all types of good because it's February and 50 degrees in NYC! I've been praying for a California winter and He showed up!!!

Photo cred: memegenerator.net

The official day of love, Valentine's Day, is also in the month of February. It's the time to snuggle up with your significant other and shower them with love and chocolate. If you're single, it's the time to love yourself and hopefully enjoy time with people you do love. 

I want love to rule each part of my life this month, and I challenge you to do the same. How does it look when love manifests in aspects of your life? It looks like joy and happiness.

At Work

As a Hustlapreneur, there's a couple ways to show love and appreciation at work. A different kind of love than I express with my boo thang, of course. You can express love at work by making it a happier place to work. In your regular life, you're wonderful, nice and compassionate. Do you bring that same generosity and fun-loving personality to work? Try it! Being a good colleague will take you far, and it is a great way to network. Putting on a positive attitude will also make work more enjoyable for you. 

Because she's smiling at work. And WERKing it. 

In my personal life

There are plenty of resources out there to help you plan a creative Valentine's Day night out. But what about with family and friends? How can we focus on showing more love this month with them? In my last blog post, I shared my goals for 2016, including a goal to get closer to my siblings and extended family. One way I'm achieving this, is making sure I call home at least once a week. I've also planned out times when I will fly home to San Francisco. While home, I plan to do a little babysitting of my nieces and nephews. I don't have kids yet and helping my younger sister and niece with their children is an extremely helpful way to provide support and show them appreciation. With my friends, I'm doing the same thing. 

Me babysitting :) Her cheeks!!!

Like many millennials, I finished school and many of my friends dispersed all over the world. I made the move to New York, and have been here for about 3 years. I've been keeping up with them on facebook and instagram, but this month, I'm going to try calling them more and facetiming more. When I say, "we should grab drinks sometime," I'm actually going to schedule time. I love hanging out with my girlfriends and it's too easy to get caught up life and forget to take the time and show your appreciation for them. I also show love by helping them with career development, for free. Always got their back!

Finances

Yes, your finances! Showing love for your finances mean paying attention to them and making wise decisions. As millennials, we're far from retirement. However, we're at the perfect age to think strategically with our finances and purchase property, invest in businesses/projects, invest in our own professional development and more. It's also the perfect age to go out, party with friends and go on super cute dinner dates. You can do it all, but you have to be proactive and make plans for your money. I follow tips from a super helpful millennial that specializes in financial planning and making money! Check out www.amandaabella.com for resources!

Black History Month

Black History Month is every day in my life. I'm that one homegirl that will turn an annoying incident on the street into a history lesson about the fetishization of Sarah Baartman. I'm including a note about BHM because in addition to thinking about our past and honoring our ancestors, February is also a time to think about how the history has affected us today. In 2016, as I read news headlines, one thing is clear - POC must support each other and create a safe space for ourselves. The same kindness and appreciation we employ with our family and friends, we should extend to all, instead of letting these messages of hatred and intolerance influence our actions. 

WE CAN all get along! It's up to us to be the change we wish to see in the world. In February, I challenge you to step up and show love everywhere you go. I'm going to try my best! I need your help though. I'll be all over Periscope this month, sharing positive messages and I need you on with me! Follow me (at)courtney_ball6 and join our mailing list to get notifications of all my broadcasts. 

Xoxo,
Courtney 
Founder of @TheColorMeB