My Women’s Empowement Weekend kicked off with the Queens & Cocktails “Women of Unity” Event at Noir Bar & Lounge in Raleigh. Our Host Mir.I.Am from K97.5 kept everyone engaged and ready for all the festivities. There was food, live music, networking, cocktails, live performances and giveaways. I really like the mission behind “Women of Unity” being to inspire and empower women by providing the opportunity to support, promote and networking with other women. The speakers for the evening were phenomenal and really gave everyone something to think about. Natasha Lake spoke about “OWNing Our Empire” She touched on being supportive and asked what “WE” as entrepreneurs think is important to be successful in our businesses. There were so many great answers but, I think the number one answer was SUPPORT. She also shared to “STOP telling your BIG ideas to people with small minds!” Let that marinade and let me know how you receive it and what that means for you. Karen Bonner spoke about “Trust in the Process”. Karen shared her journey to entrepreneurship with us and she has gone through some trials but came out successfully on top. I’m so inspired by her testimony.
I also must share that these are women of GOD. It was so refreshing to see women openly giving glory to GOD for sustaining them and giving them strength through their personal journeys. Lashonda Stone-Minor spoke about her G.L.O.W Girl organization which is faith based and empowers women of all ages. Lashonda talked about the importance of following your dreams and of course NEVER losing your G.L.O.W! I left Women of Unity feeling refreshed and I had the opportunity to network and meet some new people that I truly connected with. I honesty can’t wait for the next event and the opportunity to support women in my community. Rae, the organizer and founder of Queens Unlimited said to “Collaborate instead of compete!” I truly believe there is enough out here for everybody and we can be so much more powerful working together vs. working against each other. Think about it! Fast Forward to Saturday… I had a great time at Women’s Empowerment with TheMrsTee who accompanied me. When I tell you that I hung on to EVERY word that was spoken that day! Everyone that graced the stage had a message and I was there for it! I will tell you that my favorite moments were Tina Campbell’s performance, she was giving me life with her words in between her songs and was very transparent.
David & Tamela Mann made me tear up at least three times! Two were from laughing so hard and the 3rd time was when Tamela took me to the King with her beautiful voice. I jut LOVE that song. They have a beautiful testimony to share and I admire their love for one another and marriage. Viola Davis took us back to her childhood where she grew up in poor conditions and shared the moment and vision that changed her life. She had a plan and it worked! She mentioned it always starts with a vision. Viola Davis also shared that “failure is a big part of your success as anything else.” Also, to “tell your story!” “Shame can’t exist when you tell your story and share your testimony.” She also shared “When in fear, when in doubt, when frozen… JUMP!” I was so inspired by Viola Davis. I thoroughly enjoyed the Teddy Riley and Black Street performance. That man really knows how to put on a show. Monica took us back to the nineties and I was okay with that. She also performed a couple of songs off of her current album. I really admire her as an artist who has been around and stood the test of time since she was twelve years old. Jazmine Sullivan had an awesome performance and I love all her songs. That voice is amazing! Women’s Empowerment was phenomenal! Can’t wait for #WE2017!
Bonus: We had an opportunity in between panels and performances to visit ALL the vendor booths and shop local! I got a new PURPLE Lip Gloss from MoniB Cosmetics that I can’t wait to rock. I had an ongoing battle with TheMrsTee all day long. She purchased a new PINK lipstick. She’s on Team Pink and I can’t stand Pepto Bismol. Lol! Nothing is Pinktastic about that! Purplicious Everything! This battle is ongoing and will play out on social media. #TeamPurple & #TeamPink Stay Tuned…
