Brown Girl From Boston Celebrating 2 Years of FLYness

"We ain't gotta wait It's a toast to you and me
Bills ain't so bad, celebrate that
Party in the yard 'til the lights come on
Ain't nobody crying
We've come so far, been climbing
Now the clouds they passed us by
C'mon and raise your glass up high"- Common, Celebrate

On May 14, 2016, Brown Girl From Boston officially celebrated two years of being a blogger and business owner. Most startup businesses usually fail or business owners quit their businesses around this time. Many are not supported, they go into business for the wrong reasons and intentions of becoming a billionaire and making a profit from people. Yes, you want to profit from your business because it will be your main livelihood one day. If you are going into business to make money off the rip, you need to review your intention of starting a startup because the money will not fall from the sky in abundance. The clients are not going to kick down your doors waiting to buy your services and business. You will fail over and over because you may not find your formula yet, you don't have someone to mentor you and guide you, and you don't give things a try.

I am thankful that Brown Girl From Boston is still going strong because I wanted to quit Brown Girl From Boston every day. Things got tough, I wanted to quit. I had writer's block, I wanted to quit. I got taken advantage of by some people who wasn't part of my tribe, I wanted to quit. I didn't have any structured order and formula, I wanted to quit. I was alone, vulnerable, and stuck, I wanted to quit. Every time, I wanted to quit, I had my village especially my husband pushing me to keep moving forward. Each time, I thought about quitting, blessings and opportunities came all the way through and I am thankful to God for that.

Let's talk about Celebrating FLYness:

Hunti, I work hard, I play hard, I love, hard, and I coach hard. The grind is too real and I am about the grinding life. I had to slow down on the grind to celebrate a milestone. I was working so hard the first year, I didn't have time to celebrate and embrace Brown Girl From Boston. I love telling my story of Brown Girl From Boston's beginnings. I always make people laugh when I tell folks that I used to work for the Devil Wears Polyester, not Prada. Despite leaving my job as a Director, I did learn a lot about myself and managing folks from various walks of life, personality traits, and character. I need to go through that experience to know how to effective run my business, attract my clients, and press forward when times got rough and tough.

Everyone should celebrate their greatness and FLYness because, in the society we live in, folks are on autopilot. Folks forget to celebrate milestones, accomplishments, and thriving in life. I know there is plenty of work to do but you still don't want to rush through life and forgot to celebrate the small and large victories. Celebrate your life and your life work.

I wanted to celebrate in Providence first because I started BGFB here, I build partnerships and tribe members here, and I just wanted to give back and kick back and enjoy the Brown Girl Tribe. I wanted to celebrated and enjoy one another company and network because we need one another. Also, there isn't a lot of events that celebrate women's FLYness in Rhode Island and other areas. We had women from all walks of life who came out and showed love to BGFB. We have the twenty-something year old to the young and vibrant baby boomers. BGFB definitely bring out best of both worlds and women in between. This celebration was laid back, fun-loving, positive, and open. I stated whatever happens in Brooklyn Coffee Teahouse will stay here. No, I will not share our intimate conversations but know that it was live and plenty of aha moments appeared. Thank you, sistahs, for being so open to share.

I want to share a few blessings that occurred before the celebration to help it become magical:

1. I have to give a major S/O to Diana who is a Brown Girl From Boston, my husband's former high school classmate who was so gracious enough to give and sponsor three deserving women to attend this event.

2. We had a few connections and reconnection during the FLYness celebration. My Mattapan FLY Girls came through and two of them reconnected after not seeing one another since the 6th grade at Thompson Middle School. It was awesome to see the reconnection. We also had two women who connected because they knew the same person. That person was one person's brother and he was the other FLY girls supervisor. Life is crazy.

3. While we were talking about balancing life, business, and intimate relationships; Mr. Imafidon rolled through (LOL). My face was priceless because I wasn't expecting him. Thank goodness I was bad-mouthing him. That is a no-no anyways.

4. We had the perfect amount of women, the perfect energy, and synergy in the room. Each woman was different, similar, came from various walks of life and connected through BGFB. How beautiful! Check out the photo above. No one was domineering, no one was shaming folks, no one bashing folks, and no one brought heat or judgment to the FLY Girl Sistah circle. We all brought our shine and FLYness to support one another.v

5. We were bummed that it had to come to an end. We were vibing, laughing, and enjoying one another's company.

To end this blog post, I have to say this, no copy and paste Brown Girl From Boston because there is only one me. No this isn't an arrogant statement nor a boastful statement. Being Brown Girl From Boston, running Brown Girl From Boston blog and coaching services may look FLY and easy but it is not. I had to find my voice, find my FLYness own my power, and refine Andrea. Brown Girl From Boston isn't going anywhere because we are just getting started. For those who rock with Brown Girl From Boston, I love you, I love how you let your FLYness shine, and I appreciate and see you, FLYness! Thank you for allowing me to be kind, FLY, honest, authentic, funny, Hip Hop Brainiac, brainy, brown, and the FLYest Brown Girl that you know thus far.

Thank you all for the love, support, readership, and well wishes throughout the two years of Brown Girl From Boston! I thought I told you that we won't stop, we are just getting started, Baby!

Peace, Love, and FLYness

Drea

Brown Girl From Boston

Life Lesson: Never Forget Where You Came From

It's where you been and where you be
And without understanding, you cannot proceed
Complete, the start and the end
Then it just go round again
-Talib Kweli, History

Knowing and acknowledging where we came from is extremely important. We take a piece of our environment everywhere we go. It is ingrained and embedded in our very essence. Knowing who we are, how we think, what motivates us, our values, beliefs, the way we view the world (good or bad), our roots and our historical context impacts everything we think and believe and do.

As a student at John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science, I also knew which direction I wanted my life to go, I let my light shine bright and I was determined to be positive and leave a lasting legacy at that school and in my life. Hence, I left home at the tender age of 18, to attend Tuskegee University in Alabama to allow my light to shine even brighter elsewhere. I ask I believe and I was determined to attend Tuskegee University. If it wasn't for my tenacity, drive, and work ethic, I would be stuck with my unknown potential and undiscovered life's purpose. As a Bostonian, I am a tough and resilient person with a kind, serving and tender soul.

Last night, I went to the very city that birthed me, raised me and coached me to be the woman that I am today: Boston. I went to Boston to hang out with middle/high school friends who can into town to visit and reconnect with the people, the city, and the culture. I was delighted to see my friends and celebrate our womanhood, our victories, and laugh at our memories but I was in my feelings while visiting Boston. I was so much in my feelings because I was driving through the city yesterday and recognize the gentrification, recognize that things are not the same and even recognized that I am not the same. Things should progress and evolve and people should progress and evolve but not lose sight from the humble beginnings.

When I went back to Boston yesterday, I discovered a few things about myself that Boston provided for me:

If It wasn't for Boston:

1. I wouldn't know my own strength! In my life, I had my fair share of adversities and hardships. In my own family, we experienced tragedy early by losing my eldest brother to gun violence. When you lose a sibling it is such a traumatic event that you will never get over in your lifetime. I remember my brother babysitting me, nurturing me and just showing me unconditional love to have that taken away within seconds. You have to find another source of strength to handle such a terrible lost. That's why I live my live fearlessly, loudly and boldly because I know how it feels to have something so beautiful taken away. 
2. I wouldn't know how to be resilient and recognize my greatness. Before my brother's murder, my parent's marriage was in turmoil due to internal and external factors. My parents decided to part ways after 20 something years of marriage. During this time, not only were we grieving the death of my brother but we were dealing with the death of a two-parent African-American household. I was dealing with this loss while attending the James J. Chittick Elementary School in Hyde Park, MA. I was able to still attend school, thrive and manage to be a top student without any behavioral problems. I have to credit Jehovah, my Mother, and our tight-knit village. 
3. I was able to celebrate and embrace my mother's trials, tribulations, and triumphs. As a 31-year-old, woman, and wife, I appreciate my mother's strength and she taught me life lessons on being a woman, knowing and owning my worth, and letting my light shine. When my parents divorce, my mother had to learn how to pay bills, upkeep and maintain a mortgage, and raising a pre-teen, I salute and celebrate my mother because she decided not to take ownership of being a victim but decided to be a victor. 
4. I wouldn't know that I could and would be a leader. I had my first taste of being a leader in the elementary school. I was the first person at the James J. Chittick School to start the school's newsletter on our first Apple computers with the Oregon Trial  as the featuring game. (LOL) Yes, I am telling my age. Being the youngest and only girl out my siblings, I had no choice but to being a leader and standing out. I went to numerous of leaderships recruits, mentored and tutored young ones while being a student in high school, being picked Captain of my High School Basketball team two years in a row and being able to lead various organizations within my 31 years on earth. 
5. I wouldn't know anything about a strong, healthy, work-ethic and work-life balance. Being on the road of entrepreneurship it isn't for the faint of heart because you have to put in major work in and sacrifice a lot such as "Happy Hours" and "meaningless conversations" lol. Just kidding. But, I started working at the tender age of 14 as a Red Shirt for BYCF and my second job as a bagger and cashier at Star Market (which is now Shaws) in Back Bay at the Prudential Center. I don't shine away from hard work but I know how to work smarter and balance my work along with quality time and celebrating my F.LYness.
6. I would have never met my husband of 3 years. My husband and I have a 17-year history of puppy love, friendship, partnership, and unconditional love. Unbeknown to me, I didn't know we went to the same school in the 7th grade until later on in life. We official met one another through one of our mutual friends at 14 and worked together at Star Market. My husband and I are two weeks apart, born at Boston City Hospital now Boston Medical Center, both Bostonians (he is from Roxbury and I am from Mattapan). Throughout the 17 years, we went our separate ways but maintain contact. I am thankful for my husband because he is very supportive, transparent, authentic and loving. 

Going back to Boston yesterday gave me a restored and refreshed outlook on patience, perseverance,
and persistent. While driving through the city especially my old neighborhood in Mattapan, I got goosebumps and reminisced about the makings of Brown Girl From Boston or simply Drea! I also reminisced about being a being the little girl at 31 Hollingsworth St. in Mattapan MA 02126, full of light, purpose, creativity and living the simple life. Even though my parents retired back to Alabama and I live out of state, I don't get back to Boston as I like to because home ain't home any longer. It is where my roots were planted and grew from, memories stored and I place I go to reminisce (my God). Home is where you make it but never forget where you can f​rom.

Quick Fact: Mattapan is a Native American name for "a good place to be".

Coaching question: Where are you from? How often do you visit your hometown? How did you hometown helped shape you as a person?

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