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
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
Why it’s hard to be human (or, how to let go of fear).
How do we do this thing, this act of being a human?
When Taking Time For Yourself Is a Stretch.
We’re only about ten days into the new year and already I’m not feelin’ so new! This isn’t a bad thing really. I think what happened is that I didn’t take any real time for myself over the holidays. I was very consumed, as a lot of you lovely entrepreneurial types are, with getting prepared for the new year. I wanted to “feel” new and look new with new posts and updated social media sites and new gigs lined up and so on and so on. I feel like I accomplished a lot, but… Read More
When Asking for Help Feels So Unsexy.
When I left LA, I never thought one of my concerns would be eyelashes. I had a large supply back home and didn’t think to bring any of them, because…why? Argh! Finding sexy, affordable eyelashes can be a little tough in Prague; at least it has been for me. They just don’t seem to be readily available. And, the ones that you do find are plasticy or pricey. Nothing a Bettie wants. I finally bit the bullet and bought a plasticy pair during an awesome shopping excursion to Sapa, which is a… Read More
When Change is Bigger Than You.
When I started the Brown Betties™ in 2004, I had an idea in mind. I wanted to create something that was about successful, positive, strong black women. During that time, black women in particular were sort of experiencing a social backlash…in the media and to the man on the street, we were seen as video hoe’s and neck poppin’ sassy pants who got really loud on the bus or at Walmart. While this woman exists, and I certainly know this woman, this woman wasn’t me. I don’t know how to snap my neck to… Read More
How Knowing Who You Aren’t Helps You Know Who You Might Be.
I thought I was going to be Britney Spears. And then a certain reality set in. I’m not talking about the type of reality that comes from well-meaning parents and crappy friends who tell you can’t or shouldn’t do something. Or the reality that says you have a mortgage to pay and children to feed. I’m talking about something much more challenging. The reality that set in for me was coming from me. My own words. My own fears. My own doubts. I didn’t need others to tell me I couldn’t be… Read More
Sultry, Sassy, Sophisticated Women 