Yes, please!
This month marks a year from when I embarked upon writing a new book … one that would help me and one that I hope would help others. Titled, The Brown Betties Guide: Knowing Your NO, the idea came about as I realized during a pivotal moment in my life that I wish I had said no, sooner. I wasn’t blaming myself for not saying no right away, but always the one to try to learn, I kept questioning, at what point during the event that happened could (should) I have said… Read More
Don’t let perfection be a buzzkill
If you’re anything like me, you have a love/hate relationship with perfection. Specifically, being perfect. When you’re growing a business, a brand or even a baby, you can’t expect everything to go perfectly. It’s simply not going to happen and the more time you spend on things being perfect is more time not spent on growing and even enjoying what you’ve built. Not fun. I have a need to please and a need to be liked and naturally, those needs can’t be executed without a dose of perfection sprinkled in as a… Read More
When Chris Rock is right.
I went to the very cool BET “META” (Media, Entertainment, Technology Alliance) event two weeks ago at Milk Studios here in Los Angeles. While I was there, I thought to myself, “Chris Rock was right!” What’s this, you say? Peppur is friends with Chris Rock? No, I’m not friends with Chris Rock (yet?) but, years ago, he delivered this quote in an interview: Success is a combination of opportunity meets preparation, and after awhile, your peers are in a position of power. – Chris Rock The quote stuck with me because, 1)… Read More
Do you build a blog or build your life?
I had BIG plans for the month of May in Bettie-land! In honor of Mother’s Day, my plan was to feature our Betties who are also moms and to truly live it up this month in the blog and on our Facebook page by celebrating these women who are leading the family way. And then a few life things happened to derail me, which became good learning lessons for those out there trying to build a business or a blog! The first thing: While I proudly put my ask out for articles… Read More
What’s the biggest trick to beauty?
I love how nature is showing us her flawless beauty this Spring; I figured we should respond in kind. Therefore, this month in Bettie-land, we’ll focus on Beauty — both inside and out. Beauty means alotta things to alotta people these days. You can’t scroll through Instagram without seeing a pretty-font message reminding you to love yourself!, put yourself first! and be confident! I’m not any different. The thing is, I do believe that you have to see your own beauty before you can fully show it to the world. It does absolutely… Read More
How a Bettie goes global.
Meet Amanda Agate, she is the Program Coordinator of Global Curriculum in the University of Arizona’s Global Department. She’s also doing this while completing her MA in English Applied Linguistics in TESL from the College of English at UA. She graduates in May. And this summer, thanks to her Fulbright-Hays Group Project award, she will participate in teacher training in China! This is how you prepare yourself to have an international life. Amanda is one of those women with chutzpah who always finds a way, so a few years ago when she… Read More
How living abroad can be more than you ever dreamed.
We continue with words from our international women! Here is an interview with Juwana Jenkins, a singer from Philadelphia who has lived in Prague for over twenty years and now calls it her home. As an international artist, you’ve had to learn to navigate language, place and self as you have followed your passion, dreams and business. How do you find strength? I’m driven and motivated to be my best self. Everyday I’m learning what that looks like and how that feels on that day under those unique circumstances, so learning is… Read More
Spotlight: One beautiful Bettie.
Happy Women’s Day to all of you today and everyday! I’m personally highlighting the wonderful Zeina who was my student while I was teaching at Prague College. She is fantastic and I’m choosing to honor her today. She is a Syrian journalist in Prague, author of three books for children, a film critique, and an activist. All my love, Ms Bettie Instagram: kanawatizeina Website of her documentary film: https://zeinakana.wixsite.com/taste-of-homeland Article: https://thefeeduneed.com/whats-wrong/vacation-in-a-war-zone/ Article in Czech: https://www.divadelni-noviny.cz/pulmesic-na-prazskem-nebi
How a Bettie from Bosnia sees things.
International Bettie contributor Masa Hilcisin is a dynamic woman, raised in Bosnia and living in Prague. An educator, humanitarian, filmmaker, mother and artist (among many other titles), here is what she poetically had to say when asked about what it means to her to help women heal through art … and to be a Bettie. There is her gaze Look into the memory. There is her gaze, gaze of the past, gaze of vulnerability, gaze which explores borders, gaze which knows when to say “no”, gaze which follows layers of paint, happiness and… Read More
How to be an International Woman.
My first international trip was a 9th-grade exchange trip to France. We visited Kenosha’s sister city, Douai in the north and also spent time in Paris. This trip was life-changing for tons of reasons, one being that it was the catalyst for me to get my first job. I had to earn the money to go; thank you 5:00 am biscuit-making shift at the McDonald’s on Sheridan Road! In spite of that trip being a life-changing experience, it took me over thirty years until I traveled abroad again. Theater got me to… Read More
Sultry, Sassy, Sophisticated Women 