"The Year of the Black, Female Entrepreneur"

2014 has been marked as the Year of the Woman when it comes to entrepreneurship and executive board room participants. More exciting, African-American women entrepreneurship is on the rise and as such the buying power of African-American women is estimated to be in the trillions over the next couple of years! Forbes Magazine (2013) reported that African-American, female owned businesses skyrocketed by 191% in a period of 10 years. So, African-American women, regardless of their marital or income status, have the desire to launch their own business enterprises. Why are some of us not launching out on our own? The issue of access to resources such as social and financial capital has been a hindrance for many African-American women as they strike out as first time business owners. Not knowing where to go or who to go to for valuable startup information as well as seed money has discouraged many women from becoming successful entrepreneurs. What can we do about this? Ma'at Rising, Incorporated's community initiative, "Project: Next Level Woman- Fayetteville" aims to help African-American women strike out as first time entrepreneurs and give them the support they need in order to succeed- from learning how to startup a business, brand themselves, and effectively manage their time, and powerfully network. Encourage the women in your life who want to build their passion into a business that can help others to go to www.maatrisingankh.com and register for Empowerment Seminar I taking place on April 26, 2014 at 2 p.m. Find your biz zone! Peace and Ashe'.

Forbes Magazine reports- The Future's Most Powerful Bosses- Women...

A new Forbes magazine article has hit the sweetspot! In "11 Reasons 2014 Will be a Breakout Year for Women Entrepreneurs," Geri Steingel tells us all the juicy reasons why women will be running it this year and why women will run the U.S. within the next decade- read the info and get up to speed (http://www.forbes.com/sites/geristengel/2014/01/08/11-reasons-2014-will-be-a-break-out-year-for-women-entrepreneurs/). One of the top reasons women are running it- they invest heavily in their personal and professional development. Steingel reports that women invest in their own personal and professional development at an enormous rate because women know that learning run parallels to upward growth and mobility. Successful employees and entrepreneurs spend hundreds, if not hundreds of thousands, of hours on their own personal and professional development through self-directed reading, audio CDs, live and online success coaching sessions, etc. If you want to step up your entrepreneurship hustle or hone your craft as an employee- invest in yourself first. Register for Ma'at Rising, Incorporated's women's empowerment seminar scheduled for April 26, 2014 at www.maatrisingankh.com. God Bless and Ashe'.

Business without Faith goes Dead...

Build your Faith in God, Yourself, and your Business. With it, you can do Everything, without it you only have your circumstances. Any entrepreneur who has stayed the course will tell you that you will go through peaks and valleys with your business. There will be seasons when clientele is good and profits soar through the roof and then there are those seasons where you almost have to beg by giving 1/2 price deals for your services and products. No worries- this is a natural part of the business process. Exercising your Faith in your Business by continuing to move and plan for new or enhanced services and goods even during a downturn and not giving up will prove to be a fortitude and faith builder as soon afterwards the clientel begins to gradually build up as well as your profit margin. Having a business is a miracle! Dont' believe it? Business is the process of bringing into physical manifestation what you put on paper or spoke out into the Universe by advertising to people that you offer services and goods. At some point, the physical manifestation will show in the form of clientele and growing profits. This is why God will bless the righteous business owner. God knows that this person is a believer in miracles and a faith worker. So, this is your season to act on faith and be a worker of miracles! There are 2 things you need in the world to start- mind, your own business. If you caught that, connect with Ma'at Rising, Inc.'s community initiative to produce more African-American female entrepreneurs in North Carolina at www.maatrisingankh.com. God Bless and Ashe'.

No Matter Your Season, Stay Active in Your Life's Plan...

No matter what season of your life you're in- stay active in your life's plan. "As above, so below"- we all go through seasons just like nature- winter, spring, summer, fall. Whatever season you're in, learn to be content in it- get the lesson(s), be grateful for your space, but prepare for the next season because it's going to come. Queen Afua in her bestsellers, Sacred Woman and Heal Thyself talks about the 4 seasons in our lives as African women in various areas such as relationships, business, and so on. I've learned that even when waiting on God to map out the "How" in our lives, we are still responsible for the "What" and the "Why." The "what" is what we want in this life. The "why" is why we set the goals we set for our lives and why we must achieve them so badly. The hiccup for many of us sometimes is in the "how" to get these things accomplished and still maintain balance. I've heard it said, "If your what and why is BIG enough, God will work out the how." I'm a believer in this. And even in God's mapping out of the "how" I'm continuously having an attitude of gratitude, doing all I can for others, and seeing the signs of my next moves in every person I meet, in every situation I encounter, and in every quiet whisper of a peaceful moment. For me, I believe that the Bible's "Peace, be still, and know that I am God" is my commandement to (1) have peace, (2) freeze all the things in my head and going on around me, and know that God has always had and will always have my back. It's then that I can see God's face, hear God's voice, and know what next. God bless, Yabo, and Ashe'.

Success is an Intentional Occurrence...

Success is an intentional occurrence. Success by chance or luck is only an illusion. What then is success? I like Paul Meyer's definition-"success is the progressive realization of predetermined, worthwhile, personal goals." Someone who obtains success has already envisioned their goal's destination, planned for the occassion, and executed the actions necessary to see their goals fulfilled. Have you ever dreamed of something, took the action to make it happen, and it totally ended up being a larger success than what you expected? That's the energy behind success when you move forward with passion. Passion makes everything ignite and explode! Ever seen someone speak with passion that it stirs something up in you and you didn't even share the same view before the person started speaking? Passion is contagious and it makes everything gravitate towards it- that's why some people's success seem to be so massive when we look at it. But, the truth is, we have the ability within us to have massive success as well, especially if it's combined with real passion. Progressive & Worthwhile. Notice Meyer's definition included the words Progressive and Worthwhile. That means that along the way, you may experience some failures or falls on the way to realizing your goals. This doesn't signal that it won't work- it actually signals that you're doing thing right but need some improvement on the action plan. Some of our greatest successes have come from our ability to fail, over and over and over again. Predetermined. You must "see it" before you "see it" or you'll never see it. What does this mean? Simply put, you must set goals in order to be able to usher in the energy that will make these things a reality. The Law of Attraction says that once we decide, get passion behind our decision, and move towards our goals- the entire Universe moves the right people, situations, and resources in our direction in order to ensure that our dreams are realized. So, today, I charge you to make achieving your goals an intentional endeavor forged with passion, focus, and commitment- even through the failures. Succeed, succeed, and progressively succeed some more. God bless, Yabo, Ashe!

Be a BOSS about your Business...

Always go into any business dealing with a plan laid out and all your ducks in a row. Knowing what you want, asking for what you need, and having a posture of confidence when you do so does not have to equate to the stereotypical "angry Black woman." One book that I would recommend to women in my circle is "The Little Black Book of Success: Laws for Leadership for Black" by Haygood, Brown, and McLean. It's an absolute must for any woman wanting to go to her next level of greatness in her own business or as an employee. I try to take these steps when walking into any situation where I will conduct business- (1) research, (2) inquire, (3) speak with a mid-level or executive level manager, and (4) make a decision and put it in writing. Researching a company or organization will give you background on its mission, vision, and purpose. You should know about the products or services that you are interested in purchasing or you should know more about the company if you are interested in offering them your own services. Make a quick phone call or "scout" the organization so that you have a closer "view" of the business. Then, speak with someone who is a mid-level manager or an executive level manager about what they look for in a business arrangement or what their current market needs are- just to find out how you and your services may make a "good fit." When speaking, sit with a posture of confidence. Also, know your value- if they are interested in your products or services- don't haggle your pricing. If you charge $1500 for speaking engagements- don't settle for $1000- they'll certainly let another company know that your rates are "negotiable" and thats' not what you want. Lastly, make a decision about what you will do- either you will offer services or purchase a product/service or you will not. Maybe you can offer services or purchase services but with stipulations/conditions. Either way, make a decision and make your decision known by (1) making a phone call and (2) sending a letter. The letter should thank the organization for the opportunity to work with them at this time- if you so choose. However, if you decide that the relationship would not work out beneficially for both parties- thank them for their time and state that possibly in the future your needs will meet up. Whatever you do- be a BOSS about it- people will remember your business dealings for a long time to come. Make sure it's what you want them to remember and pass on to others.

It's Not Always About the Bandwagon...

Greetings All! Today's word is short. Simply stated- not everyone is going to cry "Hoorah" over your Dreams. Your job is to carry out your appointed Vision and make it happen- with or without others on board. Most of all- this may even be the case when those who you want to be on board aren't exactly ecstatic about what you're doing. All things have a season and we must remember that when we're working on our own things. Support all those that you can, while you can, when you can. God bless, Yabo, and Ashe'!