You know that feeling when everything that could possibly goes wrong happens exactly how it would if your enemy were writing your life story? Yea, well… thatās exactly how Miamiās Art Basel weekend went for me. Tiffany Haddish has this joke about how the devil lives in Miami & Iām telling yāall sheās right because he stole my phone. Let me tell you the story…
Category Archives: Personal Growth
The Lessons I Learned from Loss
The only thing that hurts me more than to watch a mother lose her son, is to watch a sister lose her brother. On November 3rd, we lost my cousin, Julio Angel Berroa Jr., to the night. While I was out enjoying my Halloween, my cousin was fighting his demons. I can only make guesses at to what he was trying to escape from, but since his passing, itās been hard for me to focus. āYa muriĆ³,ā my mother confirmed Junior was officially gone to me through text message. As much as I wanted to be by his side & shake him out of that coma, I know I wouldnāt have been able to stomach it. I donāt know how my mother did it. I didnāt know what to do or say, but unfortunately, I knew how to feel.
The Annual @IROKART Pop Up Show – Brooklyn, NY
If there is one things Iām always reminder of at the @IROKART pop up show is that I have to dedicate my heart more than anything else. As patrons walk in, they have plenty to choose from – plenty artists, plenty products, plenty food and plenty drinks. At the door, youāre more than likely to be greeted by Koriās family ā I donāt know them personally, but I immediately feel like my whole family is in the building. Vendors of all types are stationed around the room ready to give you whatever youāre in the market for.
My Hot Girl Summer (Defined)
The heat is on. Women have never been as powerful as they are today and Iām here for it. The streets have dubbed this summer āHot Girl Summerā and thatās reason enough to show out. But am I the only one feeling the pressure?
New Job: Stay Hungry, Stay Humble
Iām officially in the 10th year of my professional career, so Iām not here to play games. Iām trying to tread carefully, but prove myself at the same time. For the first time in forever, Iām working with a group of people who only care about one thing: get the job done. As I finished off my first round of meet & greets, I can tell they all have personality ā thatās the best and worst part of my job. As a project manager, my job is make sure things get done. With that said, people have to trust and like me. Iāve gotten used to this fact, so as I start this new job, i want to make sure they respect me; I want them to know that who I am, is a great person all-around. Not only am I someone you can grab coffee with, but someone you can depend on to meet the deadline.
How I Tripled My Worth.
As a woman or color, I honestly feel the āOlivia Pope Pressureā in which I have to be twice as good as everyone else; my excellence isnāt celebrated, rather expected šš½āāļø If I donāt assimilate fast enough, I will be pushed out. In addition, it feels somehow easier to treat me like an assistant or secretary. While my co-worker might not care about doing menial or grunt work, I can only put up with so much for so long. I need to feel like Iām growing or excelling in my career and like there are opportunities for my growth. I know āblack donāt crackā but I prefer not to be considered based on my appearance or age. Iāve been at my current job for 5 years now and I was passed over twice. Iāve had enough š¤
A Letter to Nipsey
Dear Nipsey,
This is my first of these; I figure I can speak directly, now. I canāt say I was your biggest fan, I just know I knew your songs even if I wasnāt aware of it. Only thing I ever knew about you was you did it your way; Iām learning to walk my walk. Music is a powerful thing. Still, it seems you were well aware of the greater evil lurking. Itās a shame violence chases men like you, like it does.
Finding the right time & place.
Iāve been trying to be patient with everything & everyone; from my job to my friends to my boyfriend, if it isnāt one thing, itās another. Over the years, tho, I feel like Iāve finally learned the trick: feel less. Iām not saying that will work for you š¤·š½āāļø but Iāve definitely been known to put more work into a relationship than it deserves. I started to wonder if, maybe, my expectations for people were too high.
Office Politics + Mind Games
I got so stressed out at work I started reading The 48 Laws of Power. For the 4th time in my career, I feel like Iāve been looked over and not recognized. As I continue taking steps up the corporate ladder, I only hope the politics donāt pull me down. āWho you know here matters more than what you know,ā is something the Director of HR told us in a leadership seminar. How can I stay motivated, while feeling like my merit will never be rewarded?
Get Out of that Bad Mood
From the outside looking in, it can seem like youāre always in a bad mood and like no matter if you were given the sun, moon and the stars, youād still be unhappy. Unfortunately, if it seems that way, it might just be true. What people forget to think about though is the fact that you may never be satisfied by the sun, moor or stars, if what you desire is mountains and waterfalls. If youāre not happy, you have to take a step back and reevaluate ā for yourselfā what is is that is making you upset and take charge to change that energy.
EllaThought 