What I’ve Been Up To: “I Feel Good” Edition

March 11, 2012

in Faith,Personal,Work

I remember I used to love to blog. I used to love to write. I still love writing, I just don’t have time for it as much as I used to. Or, let’s say I don’t make time for it as much as I used to. What’s been taking up my time?

Work.

I’m not sure I could love my job any more than I already do. It’s the right mix of fun and adventure with just enough challenge to keep me interested and inspired to do better.

Anyway, enough gushing about my job. We’re here to give an info dump on what I’ve been up to, what I am loving and more. So here we go:

  • I gave a pretty detailed Q&A interview on Madame Noire about my career, schooling, etc. Go read it here.
  • I went to the GRAMMYs for the third time. It was amazing! Read my posts about this past season here. I have pictures somewhere. I may upload them at some point.
  • One of the web series I produce, How I Made It, is in its second season (yay!). Check out the new batch of fashionistas here.
  • I’ve been flying all over the place. Mostly NYC and LA, but I was in Houston and SFO recently. Going to Utah and Florida soon. I love to travel! Need to get out of this country, though.
  • I’m still hiring. I am always hiring, it seems. New jobs. New positions. I’m slow to hire, as I’m always looking for the perfect fit for my team. My team? They’re all awesome, and I love to do work with them. I strive to preserve this about my team.
  • I’m producing a documentary. I am working with some great people. I am excited about this. I wish I could tell you more.

Other than that, I’ve been sitting around counting my blessings. Let’s talk about that, shall we? I may not have everyone’s approval in terms of what I do for a living, where I work, how much I work, where I live, how I live my life, who I hang out with, what I do with my time. However. I know this one thing, the most important thing of all: I was created and made to be exactly where I am at this moment in time. And nobody can say or do anything to make me feel any kind of way about it. Nobody. This is not shade I’m serving to anyone in particular. Really. I just need to get this off my chest, and perhaps I needed to type it out so I can keep this at the forefront of my mind in times of doubt. Also, so I can remember who is really in control here.

I don’t know how long this will last, I do not know where it is going. But when you’ve been through a series of events wondering where all of this is going and then you get to a point in your life where it all “fits” like a convoluted masterpiece, you sit back and look at it all and realize, there is no way I could have gotten to Point X, if I hadn’t stopped at Point J first–no matter how miserable Point J seemed at the time–Point J is what I needed in order to get through Point L and whoa, Point X is kind of amazing. This is how I know God is with me, and has been with me the entire time. I’ve been in this special place before, where everything fit like a glove, and it is the most amazing feeling ever. I know it doesn’t last forever because you’ve got to keep moving, keep growing, and growth doesn’t happen in places of comfort. But for now, I’m happy. This season of life is great.

By no means is life perfect right now. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything and honestly, my improved relationship with God the past few years has been the best thing to happen to me. I very much appreciate the legacy of faith my mom and parents have instilled in me. I have no idea where I would be if I hadn’t found Jesus, even though I found Him when I was 6 years old and can barely remember life without Him. I don’t mean to get all preachy (I hate preachy), but I just needed to share this sentiment that is on my heart.

I feel good.

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I’m hiring: Interns, Producers and Editors for my team! (LA/NYC)

January 23, 2012

in Work

I’m looking for interns, producers and editors for my department over at my job (new site coming soon!).

If you aren’t aware, I’m the Managing Director of a production studio for a new media company and I manage production staff/interns for our LA and NYC offices. I need to find some people as soon as possible (interns are ongoing)

Some of the NYC positions may be able to hire/work out of the LA office if I can’t find anyone in the NYC area. Or maybe I’ll hire for both in both offices. My department is growing really fast, so you never know!

LA OFFICE

NY OFFICE

Apply. Send to people looking for jobs. Lather, rinse, repeat.

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I Miss Writing.

January 11, 2012

in Personal

More regular writing in 2012.

Promise.

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Launching “How I Made It”

November 17, 2011

in #Tech,Video

Yesterday I launched a new series for my job (job? yes–I have a job! more on it later—I’m too busy working). It is called “How I Made It” and it profiles Black women who have made it in the fashion and beauty industry. Our first episode features Mikki Taylor, former Beauty & Cover Editor for ESSENCE Magazine. Mikki is a pretty awesome lady. Shooting this was the first time I have experienced her in the flesh, and I enjoyed every minute of it!

This is the third series I’ve launched for the job so far. Each project is special to me for one reason or another, and every new series is my new favorite. I am pretty proud of this piece, which is saying a lot–I am hardly ever proud of my work for longer than 10 seconds immediately following launching. The team I put together to pull all of this off was amazing. From the makeup artist to the motion graphics team to the director, editor and DP, to the producer, the musician who created the music and of course our regular staff who had lots of input. I think this may have been the first piece we’ve done that I couldn’t stop watching over and over again. I think my favorite part of this whole thing is I got it done right under budget, ha!

I really enjoy producing video content for the web. It’s happening for me really quickly, but being able to tell visual stories that you can’t find in mainstream media–especially those about and for Black people is kinda….cool. I am loving the opportunity to be able to do this.

Watch the video below. [click to continue…]

Tagged as: how I made it, job, moguldom, styleblazer, work

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Remembering Steve Jobs

October 5, 2011

in #Tech


In case you didn’t know, I am a big nerd. I am also a big sap. So when I heard the news that Steve Jobs had passed away today, I kinda broke down in tears. In public. Ugly crying, everywhere.

First, let me rewind. Six weeks ago Steve stepped down from his position at Apple, and I guess I knew then that it was a wrap. Steve had always said when his health got so bad that he could no longer lead Apple, he would step down. And when that day had come, I knew things had to be dire, because Steve struck me as the kinda guy who would try to work until his dying day. I shed some tears that day, knowing his time had to be soon.

I came home crying this evening (finally home where I could really break down) and my roommate thought I was a bit crazy for crying over the passing of a man I had never met. But, much like Michael Jackson, Steve was a cultural game changer for the majority of my life.

My first interaction with a (cool) personal computer was some early model Macintosh. Sure, I’d played Oregon Trail on some sort of early model IBM. But I remember loving computers and thinking they were awesome in 7th grade when my Journalism teacher taught us how to lay out our school newspaper on a Macintosh. It was way more interactive, it made cute, cool sounds and it was easy to work with. In High School, we did our art projects on Macs in Art class. At home, our very first computer was an Apple laptop. My first interactions with the Internet was through an Apple computer, and today I make my living on the Internet. The first computer my parents bought for me in college was a graphite iMac. Every computer I’ve ever purchased as an adult has been a Mac. My first (and last! lol) boyfriend was an Apple Genius. I remember the day I bought my first iPod, convinced that me and 50 Cent had to be the only Black people on the planet who owned iPods…and that was cool. I remember the day I bought my first iPhone. And as a budding entrepreneur and someone trying to mold her career, I’ve admired Steve’s passion, business acumen, and innovation.

In some way shape or form, Steve Jobs has influenced the way I consume and produce media, the way I think, and he’s had a hand in how I communicate with the world. I know we all have a limited time on this earth, but I think one can only hope that they will leave behind a legacy as impactful as Steve’s.

Rest in peace.

Tagged as: #Tech, apple, iphone, ipod, macintosh, steve jobs

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(Self)Motivated Early

Family

Yesterday I called my mom’s house to have a not-so-brief chat and catch up. The person who answered the phone was one of my little sisters, age 14, who entered her freshman year of high school 6 weeks ago. We had some small talk and then she said, “[my nickname redacted], can I ask you [...]

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About That Backside of the Desert…

Faith

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Recharging in LA

Faith

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Dating and The Church

Faith

In my last post I talked about my journey over the past year to working on my faith. I said my next post would be about sex and dating within the Christian context, so here we go. Last summer, after attending a few small group bible studies offered by my church (they’re more like book [...]

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It’s Holy Week: My Journey Back to Church

Faith

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