Networking + Girl Bosses Mixer

On Sunday, I had the pleasure of joining Cotten Kandi Media company, as the host, for their Girl Bosses Networking event. 

@epiphanykendell @mieks_summerdove @cottenkandimedia @beautifulket

The event was absolutely amazing and inspiring.

Four millennial women shared career and life advice with attendees, while I served as host. We discussed the different industries our speakers represent and heard tips about how to be successful. It was a beautiful event because all of us were so supportive, knowledgeable and willing to share with others.

There were moments when I had to stop and reflect on the strength and power that was in the room. Between the speakers and our audience, we successfully created a safe space where everyone felt comfortable being vulnerable and supporting each other. As women of color in professional industries, the ability to do this is so important because oftentimes, women struggle to find these spaces in their work life.

Of course some companies and industries are better than others, but with this event, we wanted to show young women that the support is there. We also stressed the importance and benefits of networking. Hearing "networking" can be intimidating for some, but really, networking is simply intentional communication. Networking is attending events like the Girl Bosses event and connecting with someone in your field. It doesn't have to be super serious or formal. If you're nervous about how to "network" make sure you employ these three simple tips.

1. Remember their name and their relevance to you. 

A tip I learned very early in my career (maybe 13 years old) is when I collect someone's business card, I write one interesting fact about them on the back of it. When I'm doing follow-up, I send an email to the new contact and mention something we discussed. Now, as an adult and a businessowner, I make sure to include how we can collaborate. Try it!

2. Attend networking events! 

There are companies (like @thecolormeb) and people that host these events to get young people talking and engaged. Go to eventbrite.com and search for events in your area. On instagram, search the hashtags. If you're shy about speaking with people, this is a great place to start because you can search for events that will make you feel comfortable. Also, some of these events are FREE. You just have to find them.

3. Be yourself. 

Like I said previously, networking is simply intentional communication. There's no script, no formula - just do you. Talking to someone in a c-suite position or a managerial position can be scary, but they are people just like me and you. Also, if someone is not a nice person, chances are their employer wouldn't send them to recruiting or networking events, so don't worry about that. If you need help overcoming nerves, try practicing with a friend. You can also shoot me an email at cmb.nyc1@gmail.com. Happy to help!

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xoxo,

Courtney

Founder/CEO 

@TheColorMeB

Girl Bosses Networking Event

"Girl Bosses Networking Mixer"

Ms. Toni, Founder of Cotten Kandi Media, LLC

Sunday, March 22, 2015 from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM (EDT)

Cambria Heights, New York

Want to network with women who've inspired you? Our Girl Bosses (How She Did It): Networking Mixer will bring a panelist of women from various backgrounds in media and journalism, finance, public relations and business consulting in one room. Here's your opportunity to not only meet and mingle, but to learn from some of the women you aspire to be like.

Get your tickets here now!

My Natural Hair in Corporate America

Without fail, every day, I take a moment in the morning and make sure my nappy hair is ready for the work day.

Please excuse me if you find the word "nappy" uncomfortable or offensive. I don't intend to offend anyone. However, my hair is happily nappy, thick, curly and kinky. I am so thankful and grateful that I work with highly intelligent people that embrace and love my hairdo. 

To some folks, this probably doesn't seem like a big deal. For me, someone that has been treated adversely because of my natural blackness, acceptance of my natural hair at work is huge. I love feeling comfortable and not worrying about my supervisor staring at my tightly coiled curls.

When I started my job in December 2013, I straightened my hair every day.

Ain't nobody got time.

I wanted to make sure I was "appropriate" for the office. Millennials in corporate America are well-aware of our age, seniority and position in the workplace (because countless articles and baby boomers remind us daily). As a young woman of color, in corporate America, working in New York City, I wanted to put my best foot forward and set myself up for success. After two months, I was over it. I didn't have time to do that every morning, and it was hard on my thick hair. So what was I to do?

Coming to work with my big hair would already make me stand out. Wearing a weave was out because I've stopped paying hundred of dollars for hair. Don't have time for that either. I didn't want to approach my supervisor and risk turning a non-issue into an issue. 

So what to do?!

I asked my homegirls at work. They told me to be free. I did and everyone loved it. Now, I don't know if that will work in everyone's office but I do have a couple tips for you to consider:

1. What is your company's culture? Since having the come-to-Jesus moment with my homegirls, I decided that I'm comfortable straightening my hair if I ever have to interview for a job or become client-facing. I believe client interaction warrants changing your hair because you are now representing your company. Is your company culture business-professional? Or casual? Look around and talk to your peers. 

2. Is your hair distracting? My hair is big and nappy and I LOVE it. We sit in cubicles so my hair doesn't block anyone's view- I'm good. Now, if I were to dye it purple, people might turn their heads when I walk by. Just like you wouldn't wear a super tight pencil skirt with a donkey booty, you probably shouldn't wear your Cassie-shaved-on-the-side to the board meeting. If you're in San Francisco, at one of those cool millennial-run tech companies, DO IT!

3. Is it cute? No shade but make sure your hair is on point. There is no specific style you have to rock in the workplace. I'd be hypocrite if I said your hair has to be bone-straight; but I do think your hair should be like your outfit- on point and super cute :)

Join our mailing list for updates on our blog , programs and services,+ exclusive access to my periscope tutorials !

xoxo,

Courtney

Founder/CEO 

@TheColorMeB

New Everything

2015 is the year of excellence. Over the last couple months, I've been saying "we're on the precipice of change." So many things are happening politically and socially in our cities, our country and globally; and millennials are involved and influential in this discourse. From the #blacklivesmatter movement to the upcoming presidential election, we are informed, opinionated and motivated to make change. Some call it idealistic, that's fine. I know communities can come together and make sustainable change. That's why I started my company.
 
And that's totally characteristic of the millennial generation right? We see a problem and we look beyond the black and white binaries of the world, and find a solution in "the grey." 2015 is our time.
 
We're trying NEW things! I look around my social and professional network, and my peers and I are switching it up and attempting to mitigate social problems created and exacerbated by institutional isms-racism, sexism, ageism, etc. We are taking the social justice theories taught to us in school and applying it to real world problems to find peace, safety and fun.

Ari Takata-Vasquez opened Viscera, a 3-D printed apparel company and storefront in Oakland, California. In addition to her products being fabulous and innovative, they're all made on the U.S. Perhaps her masters degree in urban planning from UC Berkeley influenced her decision to operate in and produce her pieces in the United States. She is combating some of the adverse effects of globalization and adding jobs to the city. She's also providing us with really cool, unique fashion!

Viscera Studio



Viscera Studio

Viscera Studio

Viscera Studio

Many of you know @TheColorMeB is involved with the 2015 Global Millennial Conference. GMC15 is a premiere conference for millennials, by millennials. GMC15 will focus on career and business development, as well as networking. Part of the reason conference producer, Amber Aziza, decided to develop the conference was to give the millennial generation an experience that fits their unique needs. The conference is a place for millennials to market their personal brand, to conduct business with other millennial game-changers, and to grow their network!

www.gmc15.com

www.gmc15.com

www.gmc15.com

Are you interested in attending the Global Millennial Conference, but you're unsure if it's right for you? Want to learn more from the Millennial Powerhouses that will attend, present, and perform at the conference?
Click here for more information

To cultivate peace and balance, a group of friends and I have decided to commit more time to nurturing our spiritual selves. We are going to read Purpose Drive Life by Rick Warren and discuss it together. Some young professionals have the opportunity to live their adult life near their family. Some of us have the opportunity to go far away. Nonetheless, you might go through a time in your early adult life where you lose touch with the institution that helped form your moral compass. That institution might have been family, church or a support group. We are starting this Bible study group to learn more about God's word, and also, to find support and solace in our girlfriends during these difficult times in society.



Purpose Driven Life

As my network grows, and I connect with more people in career consulting, I'm noticing a void in the industry. I've found so many wonderful women-run career fashion blogs. Awesome! I love it. However, it has been difficult to find women of color on these blogs. I am committed to finding more women of color that blog/post career advice and fashion tips. I am also stepping out of my comfort zone and creating my own content. Leading by example :)



@thecolormeb





@thecolormeb

@thecolormeb

 Join our mailing list for updates on our blog , programs and services,+ exclusive access to my periscope tutorials !

xoxo,

Courtney

Founder/CEO 

@TheColorMeB

The Women of 'Orange Is the New Black' Are #Winning and Teaching Social Justice

Yessssss! The women of Orange Is the New Black showed up and showed out at the SAG Awards. The show's cast took home many awards, and looked absolutely fabulous! Such a powerful moment for women of color. OITNB is a show about a woman serving a sentence in a federal prison. This primarily female, diverse cast is hysterical, so you should watch.

Photo Credit: Jezebel

Furthermore, I encourage you to watch a couple episodes because they're addressing issues that relate to incarceration and implicitly people of color. According to the NAACP's Criminal Justice Fact Sheet, 1 million of the United States's 2.3 million prisoners were black people. Black men alone account for 700,000 of the 2,000,000 people in US prisons.

Photo Credit: ACLU

For more information about the prison industrial complex, I highly recommend Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow. In season 1 of OITNB, after years in prison, Tasha "Taystee" Jefferson (played by the fabulous Danielle Brooks) gains freedom.



Taystee ends up back in jail before the end of the season because she has no resources to help adjust to freedom in her familiar surroundings. High recidivism rates are a problem in urban centers like San Francisco and Cleveland; but in today's media, we only hear one side of that story. According to "a 2012 report by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, just over 65% of those released from California’s prison system return within three years."

The story sounds like this. "Person of color goes to jail. POC gets out. POC gets arrested and is in jail again." In states with a three strikes law, the story  could read:

"POC goes to jail for stealing swishers. POC is imprisoned for ridiculous amount of time for robbery. POC gets out. POC is disenfranchised and cannot find a job with a felony on their record. POC steals bread to eat or sells weed to make money. POC  goes back to jail and will probably go again after that. 3rd strike. Life."

Sorry, had to speed it up at the end because I'm tired of hearing this narrative. While the story is quite simplistic and somewhat silly, you get the idea. You don't hear about stories like Taystee. What is it like for black women when they're released from prison? I don't know, but this show has given me a lot to further research. The show has also given me a lot to celebrate, like the perseverance and creativity of women of color in extreme circumstances; and I'm happy the SAG Awards honored them. This is a huge moment in history because shows like OITNB and Blackish are redefining our representation in mainstream media. These hilarious story lines tell stories that people of color tell at their kitchen tables or at a family function, inherently beginning to breakdown the stereotypes about people of color.

 The women of OITNB are so talented and STUNNING! Check out their SAG fashion below:

The cast of Orange Is the New Black accepting the SAG award for best comedy show



Actress Danielle Brooks, she's so stunning!

Actress Uzo Aduba who won a SAG Award for best actor in a comedy

Always elegant actress Laverne Cox

Actress Dascha Polanco. Her dress is fabulous! 

Actress Jackie Cruz. This dress is EVERYTHING!

Join our mailing list for updates on our blog , programs and services,+ exclusive access to my periscope tutorials !

xoxo,

Courtney

Founder/CEO 

@TheColorMeB

The Precipice of a Movement, Hello 2015!

As I reflect on this year, I've realized it went by extremely fast! There were some amazing highs and utterly exhausting lows. Because 2013 was such a tough year for the black community with unbelievable headlines about heartbreaking events like Trayvon Martin’s killer being acquitted and the mysterious death of Kendrick Johnson, I dedicated 2014 to my community. 

Trayvon Martin

Kendrick Johnson

When it came to the greater community, 2014 was worse than 2013, however. My natural and Christian inclination to help my community brought many nights of pensive, anxious and somber feelings this year. In 2014, we saw the personification of the pain that Ferguson citizens and those that stand in solidarity with them, experience regularly.

I have refrained from discussing Ferguson or the Eric Garner verdict because I agree- burn it down, shut down Grand Central and the Westside Highway. My emotional, visceral response is one of anger and embarrassment. At 26, two degrees later, I understand what James Baldwin meant when he said, “to be a Negro in this country, and to be relatively conscious, is to be in a rage almost all the time." I have three nephews, a brother, and boyfriend at home that I could easily lose like the families of Michael Brown and Eric Garner lost their loved ones. To think, to even slightly imagine that I could lose them, and their killer walks, makes me sick.

In 2014, I spent a lot of time in prayer. I prayed for the families of victims of gun violence, especially the mothers that lost their children. The state of black women in America has been characterized by the stories of Janay Rice, #iamjada, Stephanie Moseley, and grieving mothers.

Janay Rice

#iamjada

There's so much to unpack with all these moments - spousal abuse, sexual assault, cyberbullying, suicide, etc. Each of these women experienced something terrible and had their stories broadcasted. These stories about black women are quite different than the stories about black men in the media this year. As a critical race scholar, I argue that one resounding theme of these 2014 headlines is #blacklivesmatter. Our voices, our lives, our bodies, our privacy – it all matters and should be respected at all times. I'm tired of the contention, apathy and ignorance towards that fact.

As I prepare to start 2015, it is hard to be optimistic. It’s hard to believe that real change involving community-police relations will happen when representatives from the NYPD blame the mayor and describe their relationship with the community as “in wartime.” It’s hard to believe that real change involving women and our bodies when Jada, after months of living through this horrific experience, still gets little support from her own community. It’s hard to be optimistic when media and society are constantly telling me that my life and community is not worth as much as others.

It’s hard to be optimistic, but it is easy to be motivated, passionate, angry, and most importantly, faithful. 2014 was a rough year, but we made it and gained wisdom and understanding. I’m going into 2015 with a new found awareness of what it is to be black in America and leveraging my power to help my community. 

The deaths and tragedies in the black community in 2014 started a dialogue that will facilitate change; and I want to be a visionary leading that charge. Thousands of people continue to congregate nationwide, in protest about police brutality. Thousands of people joined the #iamjada campaign via twitter and social media; and eventually the alleged perpetrators were apprehended. 

Millions March Los Angeles

Harvard Medical students "die-in"

We are at the precipice of the next great social movement, and now is the time to decide what your role will be in the movement. In 2014, I started my nonprofit to mitigate the cyclical social issues that millennial women of color endure. In 2015, I will continue to do great work with my organization. I will also make a conscious effort to use my organizational reach to spread love and positivity to our community.

What will you do in 2015 that will positively impact your community? Take a moment and fill in the blanks below, save it somewhere and make the conscious commitment to do it.

“In 2015, I will________________________________ to help the _____________ community.”

Join our mailing list for updates on our blog , programs and services,+ exclusive access to my periscope tutorials !

xoxo,

Courtney

Founder/CEO 

@TheColorMeB

Need to Update Your Resume?

"27 Beautiful Résumé Designs You’ll Want To Steal" via Buzzfeed