Yesterday was day 1.  I attended an Atlanta All White Brunch hosted by Lillie Mae PR.  I was a panelist for the event as well. I have this thing where I like to be on time for events.  I always feel like you miss the most important information if you are more than 15 minutes late.  When you are on time you get to survey the room and choose a good seat.  I decided to sit in the middle of the table close to the speaking area.  There were two great vendors setting up an illustrator and a cosmetic vendor.  Both ladies had a positive and perky attitude.  Things were getting off to a great start.  The hostess gave me a hug and looked happy to see me so I felt really good. The event had a clean and elegant look to it and the room felt very upbeat.  As more attendees came in a beautiful spirited lady chose a seat next to me and we began to chat.  She is an Atlanta native that has her hand in a lot of pots including PR, Branding, Real Estate and Fitness. It was funny because we had some similarities but overall she was a great conversationist.  We talked about how other people expect you to only be able to do one thing in life but it’s acceptable for multi millionaires to own several businesses that span various industries. It made me realize that it was our time to change that stereotype for entrepreneurs as well.

We were asked to do an interactive activity of decorating the card in front of us on the table.  The hostess provided stickers for us to get started.  We were later instructed to write an inspirational note to ourselves that we can refer back to when the road get tough.  I thought that was an awesome activity.  I write notes and letters to myself every so often and I am always so excited when I find them months later and the message applies to my life at the current time.

We then had a panel discussion.  This was my first official speaking event where I got a chance to talk about my journey from corporate america to entrepreneurship. I thought I would be nervous but I actually feel like I found my stride.  I felt confident and like an expert.  I also felt like I had something positive to share with other people. I believe I have unlocked new possibilities in this chapter in my life.  I walked away feeling like it was now my turn for my voice to be heard. I had a spiritual conversation with my uncle about three years ago and I was telling him about some poems I wrote and he said “Sounds like it’s your turn to be heard”.  I kind of brushed it off because I wasn’t sure I was ready to be open and in front of others.  I was so used to playing the background and being the observer.  However, the moment this event ended I knew exactly what he meant. It all made sense so I accept my new role with honor.  I think it’s an honor for people to come out and hear what you have to say.  With so much noise in life, tv and media in general it seems like everyone is saying everything at the same time.  So for someone to feel like they want to attend something specific to hear my story and the stories of the other women on the panel is such a great honor.

Needless to say this event exceeded my expectations. Before the event ended I got the opportunity to meet several other women who seemed set on uplifting and empowering people who looked like them. It was a great afternoon. I am still beaming.  I believe I walked away with at least five new connections with the potential for future endeavors.  New opportunities are always presenting themselves to us and it is up to us to decide if and when we are ready to follow the call.

Peace and Blessings