A Career Transition is on the Horizon...what now?

Photography. Camerawork. Shutterbug-itis.  Call it what you will, but it's bitten this reader, and she wants very much to follow her bliss! 

I received this email from one of my most supportive readers since Execumama.blogspot.com and Execumama.com have been in existence.  I am so honored that she thought enough of not just me, but all of you, while contemplating such an important thing in her life.

I know many of us are in various stages of running our own businesses, from contemplation to full immersion, so I know you have something—a tip, a word of encouragement, or a tried-and-true angle to offer her in this matter.  So, please--read on, comment, and follow her on Twitter (@Aqualass) to see how you can help inspire another entrepreneur, just as you'd want done for you.

Dear Execumama,

I am sick and tired, damn it!  I am sick and tired of being hindered by the fears and uncertainties that accompany "stepping outside the box." 

I LOVE photography and I'm currently a photographer in training here in Florida. I'm taking classes and studying on my own as well.  My goal is to open a photo studio and also sell prints in many formats (magazines, screensavers, etc...) Hell, I want my name to be credited as contributing photographer in National Geographic or one of those fancy magazines!

Here's the thing, I can't wait until the opportunity arises, or at the right time, or when I get some money or as soon as blah...blah...blah.  I want to get started NOW!  All I have right now is my passion, my camera, a couple of lenses, a tripod, a few memory cards, extra batteries and a nice bag to carry it all in. 

And here come the million dollar questions:
    •    How do I solicit customers with limited experience and empty pockets?
    •    How do I represent myself on a business card?  Surely I can say I'm a photographer with no experience...but who would take me seriously If I say I'm an amateur? 
    •    How do I solicit people to "practice" on?

Would love to chat to other photographers out there too.  Help!!!

You have a diverse following, and I am hoping that your supporters will be kind enough to give me tips, advise, ideas, etc. 

Oh and another important thing, I need to make myself look relevant as all photographer-esque, right?  What exactly will that mean in terms of my wardrobe/style of dress?  What changes did you make to better match your line of work?

Thank you,
Inspired and Ready (Right Now...damn it!)
@Aqualass

Okay folks,  what did you do to get past the "How will I's" and on to the business of doing this Out The Box work that you now do?

Image Credit

Social Media Gone Live: BlogLive: Atlanta (Round II)

*Channeling Sophia Patrillo.  Golden Girls, circa 1988* 
Picture it: Atlanta, 2010 - I'm walking down Peachtree Street with a mac-alicious limp, rockin' a tight lavender suit, complete with a mean fedora cocked to the side...

Why? Because I'm feeling mighty fine about how well the second round of BlogLive: Atlanta went off July 10th!!

Round II's BlogLive Five, consisted of five of Atlanta's Everyday Amazing people!

John Cloonan: Realize, LLC - @JohnCloonan on Twitter
Bessie Winn-Afeku: The She is Me Program, Inc - @fabdogooder on Twitter
Angela Stalcup: Ladies Who Launch Atlanta  / The Curvy Life - @CurvyA on Twitter
Tangie Henry of Inspired Sistah, LLC - @InspiredSistah on Twitter
Aquarius Williams of QTalks TV - @QTALKS on Twitter

Originally, we planned to take the show on the road and head to a new city (we got three requests from the excitement of Round I - woot!), but yo, Round II's topics got so heated, and the time flew by so fast, that we're left with little choice but to a Round III in Atlanta to address a MAJORLY TOUCHY TOPIC that our audience just did not want to let go.  More deets to come on that!

So, I encourage you to register at Face/Forward's main site and be on the look out for organic connections and creative networking by way of Face/Forward Events!

Breastfeeding past 12 months is...illegal?

Seriously? 

Public breastfeeding is still, in 2010, a hot button issue!

I came across this post yesterday, and could not wait to get a free moment to share it with my bloggy fam to get your perspectives!

Here's an excerpt from Iced Mudd's blog post:

Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-58-101 et seq. (2006) permits a mother to breastfeed an infant 12 months or younger in any location, public or private, that the mother is authorized to be, and prohibits local governments from criminalizing or restricting breastfeeding. 

Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-1-305 (1999) requires employers to provide daily unpaid break time for a mother to express breast milk for her infant child. Employers are also required to make a reasonable effort to provide a private location, other than a toilet stall, in close proximity to the workplace for this activity. (SB 1856)

I applaud your efforts to protect the rights of mothers to feed their children as God and nature intended. 

I am currently breastfeeding my 32 month old son. I am very disappointed to see that the law that has been passed in our state discriminates against the right of a mother to breastfeed her child in a location where she otherwise has a place to be because that child has passed his first birthday. The exact portion of the law that I am referring to states:...READ THE REST HERE.

I can see the raised eyebrows right now.  32 months—4 months shy of the three year mark—is for some people way too old to be breastfeeding.  But here's the thing: IT'S HER CHILD! Should she (and every other mother fortunate enough to be able to breastfeed their child) not have a choice of how to nourish her child without the weight of public scrutiny and unsolicited opinions and "advice"?

I've experienced the scoffs and eye-rolls first hand when I would breastfeed my then two-year-old daughter in a public place.  Mind you, I always had a nursing cloth draped across my shoulder and chest to minimize the distractions for my daughter while she drank.  The cloth was NOT to appease any nay-sayers, and to this day, when I mention that I was blessed enough to breastfeed one daughter into her second year, I get the "Wow, that's a bit much!" and the "Seriously?!" comments, none of which I give two shits about, because it was MY choice.

What are your thoughts?  

Should a mother's right to breastfeed past 12 months be of public concern?  


Are you bothered by a mother breastfeeding her child in public?


Is there a cut-off age for public breastfeeding that should be enforced or encouraged?

Curious about public breastfeeding legislation in your state?  CLICK HERE.

Sage on a Saturday: He doesn't have a period!!

I'm willing to bet you could comfortably co-sign on the following statement:

In our household, we have more than ample fodder for a 15-week run of "Kids Say the Darndest Things".

Here's one example of why I drink really fast when my daughters engage in their frequent verbal battles.  In this case, I got caught slipping and couldn't swallow my Ting (what you know about Ting?) fast enough, therefore it ended up all over the table in front of me.

Sage (age 4): Why won't Zion (our kitten) play when I want him to play? Aaaarrg!

Marley (age 6): Sage, because he has to have a period where all he has is peace and quiet, especially because he just had surgery (our kitten was recently neutered).

Sage: Helloooooo, he doesn't have a period, Mar! That's why he had surgery, so that he can't have any kittens!!

Uh, okaaaayyy...I guess our talks about menstruation have to get a bit more in-depth, and I need to specify that periods only happen in females--women and cats alike.

#GottaLuvTheBabies

Smart Women Marry Men Who Love Them More!

Well, that was JUICIER dan a mug!!

Round II of BlogLive: Atlanta went so well that we'll be taking the show on the road!

I haven't been doing my regular posting over here on my very first e-space, but it's because this Execumama has been busy, y'all! I was supposed to be taking the summer "off", but apparently, the Universe and my business partner for Face/Forward, Tawana Necole of Corporate Chics had different plans for me!  No complaints though, because I'm a happy camper right now, and I've resolved to taking a few weeks off before the end of summer instead of beating myself up for being inspired to do the work I love during these sun-infused months.

Okay, so I have to share one question with you from the BlogLive forum because I know you will tell it to me straight, no chaser.  At BlogLive, a panel (that acts as "living blogs") is asked a series of questions by Tawana and me, and their answers serve as their "Blog posts".  After they give their two cents on the topic, then audience members raise their comment cards to "comment" on the "post".  Ya kinda gotta be there to get it, but trust me, it's all the way live! Check out the photos on our Facebook Page, and I'll be posting the event video soon...

So, here's the juicy topic: There's a theory out there that says a smart woman marries a man who loves her more than she loves him.  Do you believe this to be the best bet for a woman?

Dude, folks got so riled up over this question (present company included!) and we had to cut it short so that we didn't end up ditching our other segments! Some members of our panel and our audience believed in this idea and others called it "the biggest bunch of crap they ever heard in their lives".  Even my laid back, usually quiet hubby had to get on the mic!

Needless to say, we'll be chatting more about relationships at our next event ... we kinda have no choice because comment cards were nearly hurled at us when we closed the post for comments - LOL!

Oooh, and one of the BEST parts of BlogLive: Atlanta was me getting to meet some of my Twitter pals! @MochaWriter @InspiredSistah @QTALKS @TheFinanceMom @JohnCloonan @NaturiBeauty @CocoDivas @CurvyA and @FabDoGooder were among the commenters and panelists at Round II. @LisaCWrites checked in via Twitter, and @RedWebIT was our UStream navigator for the afternoon.  Some of them I've already met, hugged, and fallen in love with, but others....aaah, to be young and in love (again and again). Can I just reiterate how much my work ROCKS!

@FabDoGooder @CorporateChic @CurvyA and moi!

You can check out some of the other topics by searching #BlogLive hashtag on Twitter.  We chatted up media, business, politics, relationships, sex, and media with a great group, and we're looking forward to chatting it up on a global scale soon!!


So, what say you? 
Do smart women marry men who love them more?? 

Stretch Marks, C-sections, and Other Post-Baby Celebrations

The conversations need to be had.

Repeatedly.

Ever wish your stomach didn't look like it needed a good hot iron and some spray starch to get the wrinkles (bka stretch marks) out?  Me too, chile! We birthed babies, our bodies changed, and then we were left standing in our mirrors thinking, "How the hell am I supposed to feel about this?" I struggle with it at times. Let me not front and try to tell you that every day for me is coated in "Your beautiful, dammit!" mantras.  Nope, not me. I vacillate, and so I work at detaching from the negative feelings and moving into a space of full acceptance.  So, when I see my fellow mommies taking the less-traveled road and creating open forums to discuss our secret disdains for parts of our own bodies, I must turn on my high beams and point them out.

Yesterday, I read a brilliant post by my one of my bloggy buddies turned real-life homie, Ana Gazawi of Quiskaeya.com.  C-section scars was the topic she discussed on her stage over at MomsofHue.com, and Ana, I thank you for writing with such heart, such honesty, and such depth.

I wrote about my own discomfort with my stretch marks, and have since been working diligently to reach a place of acceptance with my "new digs." I choose to focus on a healthy body, inside and out, and some stretch marks ain't stoppin' my show, ya dig?!

My friend, Denene over at MyBrownBaby offered up a brilliant reminder of how our booties, thighs, and hips help create the perfect bodies for birthing our blessings, and I re-read that post ever so often, and high five Denene from my laptop.

I came across a great picture and post on Facebook by FitRichWoman, who was also stepping out of her towel and saying, "We have stretch marks: don't be alarmed!" She didn't celebrate them, and she doesn't want 'em, but she showed them, and it was for her what is was for me -- a step in the right direction.

Do you need to have that conversation with yourself?   What parts of your body are you shaking your head at, instead of seeing for what it is -- a part of your unique landscape; a result of your beautiful journey to motherhood; or hell, a temporary issue until you get that bad boy nipped and tucked if you so desire!

The goal is simple: get to a point—and get there soon—where you can assert with confidence and authenticity: I LOVE MY TEMPLE!

Burning Calories and Getting Fit! Hot Yoga Results

I took the 636-calorie burn plunge with hot (bikram) yoga, and it was SO worth my time!

That's me getting "after-school tutoring" from certified Yoga instructor, Tiffany Campbell, owner of Temple Yoga & Wellness here in metro Atlanta.

My #TeamTiffany partners (even though they're doing the bulk of the work - LOL!) have been doing Hot Yoga as a part of Tiffany B.'s weight loss journey, and I took my first class last week.

What I loved about this class size is that it was small, so she gave each of us extra special attention.  Tiffany also does corporate yoga, where she has large groups of executives, and I think if I'd somehow wandered into one of her larger classes, I might have passed out from my own fears of being in the heated room trying to do pose after pose. How many calories does fainting burn anyway?

It actually wasn't as hard core as I'd envisioned, but I did sweat like I'd walked 20 miles in scorching heat, and I wasn't quite prepared for that! The poses called for a level of focus that I'm used to from my other yoga classes, and as always with yoga, I started to feel the benefits right away.  Small muscles in my legs were getting "shouted out" in new ways, and I FELT that!

 The next day,  my body felt like I'd done two rounds of P90X, which reminds me of how effective yoga can be in a shorter time than many other forms of exercise that I've tried (and I've tried plenty!). The photo above is of Tiffany B. doing some after-class practice while Tiffany talked her through it.  The li'l mama in Tiffany's arms is Tiffany B.'s doggie, Mocha! #TooCute

I thoroughly enjoyed the Hot Yoga class and will be dragging my family and friends to join the Hot Yoga movement with Tiffany! If you're in metro Atlanta and want to check it out with me on a Monday afternoon, email me or comment, and we can meet up there! 636 calories in one hour -- yes, please!

Who knows, maybe after a few more sessions, I'll join the ranks of Tiffany B. and the other brave souls and muster up enough courage to hang out in this pose...

Namaste!

Keeping It All-the-way Sexy!

Oooh, honey! *Rocking back and forth and pretending to chew gum because it works with this visual*  I am SUPER-stoked about starting the Execumamas Speak series this month.  To compliment the regular My, She's Fly feature on Execumama.com, I'm opening the resource pool to include the opinions by a cadre of deliciously inspiring and generous women I meet all the time! What a life I live huh! I'm telling you, with all its unknowns, bumps and bruises, I still wouldn't trade my life as an entrepreneur for anything! I get to use my time my way, and a part of that is attracting the energy of fellow Execumamas who embrace their fullest selves.  Wanna meet one?  

Lisa Renee Charles, sensual and intimacy healer, wife, and mother, is SPEAKING ON IT in a wonderful way, and I invite you to take copious notes, Mamas!  I gave her the virtual shoulder-tap for a takeaway to compliment this piece, and she generously obliged, despite her busy schedule.  Much appreciated, Lisa!  

Here's how Lisa (Follow her @lisacwrites) keeps it all the way SEXY!

What I do to feel sexy as a busy wife, mom, and business owner takes consistent thought and creativity on my part. I'm the only one who is responsible for my level of sexiness and just knowing that helps me to keep it tight. *Smiles*

One of the first things I consciously pay attention to is what I'm wearing when I'm home all day long with my children.  Baggy clothes are not allowed! I don't want to get too comfortable and end up growing into them so putting on clothing that shows my curves makes me feel sexy. This is something I do for myself.

Next up is Spa Time! Mani-pedis, Massages, Facials, Scrubs...you get the idea! At least once a month, I make sure and set an appointment to get some form of pampering. If that's not an option financially, the next best thing is to do it for yourself. Close your bedroom door and take some time to pamper yourself, even if it's just to take a nap. 

Last tip: Moms, get rid of the GUILT! Wearing guilt on you is not sexy at all! We tend to worry [so much] about what we are not giving to our kids that we overcompensate for this imaginary issue. When I started to peel the layers of guilt off of me, I started to see ME again and that's when the fun began! My focus was no longer on what I was not doing for my children, but more so on finding out what brings me pleasure, what makes me happy, what makes me feel sexy and slowly taking baby steps in the direction of me.

As one half of a succcessful union (and they made some beautiful babies, I tell ya!), Lisa promotes the concept of embracing one's inner Goddess and following one's bliss. That's a photo of her and hubby at their anniversary party.  Sweet!! What's not to love?

Want a few more Execumama's opinions on Sexy Execumama Status (Yes, the S.E.S. factor)?  Click the link to read this article for starters.  Oh, and please leave your personal tips for keeping it SEXY!!