Common and Queen Latifah take time out of their day to surprise PS22 Youth Choir and perform "Champion" together. These kids are amazing and touching hearts all over America as they continue to post videos of inspirational songs on Youtube. Common and Queen Latifah's suprise appearance were indeed fire to keep these kids going. Take time to listen to this video and pass it on.
Common and Queen Latifah star in JUST WRIGHT, in theaters on May 14.
-Keep Up and help our youth do the same!
I haven't done a Young and Keeping Up feature in awhile, but this is the perfect person and post to bring it back! If you have been reading since I first started blogging, then you remember the Culinary Goddess Brittany Erin. She use to contribute the recipe of the month, and now she isn't just typing them up for us, she has made her recipes into a catering company, Party Like B.E. I couldn't be more proud of her, and I hope her original readers are also.
I recently went down to DC to speak at a banquet for an organization that I was apart of in college. Upon my arrival I was immediately informed that Brittany would be catering the event, and boy was I surprised. I had experienced her cooking at many small events amongst friends, but had no clue what to expect for a larger event. Well, it turned out to be amazing!
It was an Asian inspired menu. Among the dishes were a chicken dish, fish, pineapple fried rice, mashed potatoes, and the best cucumber salad I have ever tasted. Not to mention she had my favorite, Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce, to go on the side. It was just what the doctor ordered.
I encourage anyone in DC to hire Brittany Erin for your event. She has a unique flavor to her dishes, and she is very affordable. B.E. Inspired B.E. Bold B.E. The Food
You can contact her @:
Brittany.erin@gmail.com
Brittany Erin!
That is me in the gray... excited.
The Fish was amazing.
You had two different choices of fried rice.
This is one of my fav dishes...cucumber salad!
Dating 101: He can't court you if you are already doing the work for him. Step back and let him make some of the moves. Let him ask you out. Let him call you. Don't always be available. If he doesn't chase, it will hardly ever be a thrill for him. You want him to stay interested, let him work to discover what makes you so great!
P.S. Never use all of your energy to prove to someone why you will make the perfect wife or husband...you will come off too strong and desperate.
Ever wonder how certain people make it to the top of a corporation or industry over others? Maybe someone has kindly leaned over towards you and whispered "it's politics." While it would be ideal for some to have their work ethic be the factor that gets them to the top of an organization chart, it just isn't that simple. It has a lot to do with politics. In a book I was reading recently they gave us 21 ways to successfully politic in an organization. Below I have listed them. Let me know what you think and if any of them have worked for you.
1. With superiors, peers, and subordinates, reach out to find the common ground; then meet them on that common ground and get to know them.
2. Give others credit, but make sure they know and see you give them credit.
3. Information is power-especially when the subject is corporate politics. Get the information by letting others talk. Then keep the information private by holding it close to the vest: no "he said, she said."
4. Help a peer find and execute a solution that achieves the peer's goal, then suggest the peer help you spread the solution around the organization-under both your names.
5. Build a reputation as a compromiser, not as someone "out to get" people.
6. Stay above the fray; Never be heard bad mouthing anyone; talk business, not personalities.
7. Be sure you are seen as approachable, and not holier than thou.
8. Make your subordinates your champions: Get them thinking positively about what they do, and they will "market" both the department and you.
9. Ask veterans and superiors for their advice. The highest form of flattery is to be looked upon as an expert and asked for help. The person asked will be grateful- and will be impressed by your intelligence. Besides, veterans and superiors do have wisdom to impart; make use of it.
10. Make people feel good-all the people you come in contact with. Make them feel important. If they go away feeling "high," they'll remember you for it.
11. Always strive for champions who will tout your excellence. There's no such thing as a true meritocracy in corporate life.
12. Pick your issues and don't get hung up on winning and playing to win all the time. Choose your battles and then let your colleagues win. Pyrrhic victories are deadly.
13. Don't take a bad day personally; leave hurt feelings at home and focus on the task. Learn from it and move on.
14. Show enthusiasm and a positive attitude, never negativity or emotion.
15. Keep private matters private. Be known as a trusted confidante.
16. Forget the notion that "it isn't enough to win; others must lose." You don't win by beating up a peer: What goes around really does come around.
17. Be a subtle suck-up. Pick your key issues; other times, agree with the boss.
18. Remember the company is not your family- vent at home not at work.
19. Trusting others to keep confidence is foolhardily. Like the telephone game, what comes back to you will not be recognizable.
20. You can't control what people say about you, but you can control what they know.
21. Treat your colleagues well-make allies even if your rivals.
-Keep Up and you can move to the top!
Taken from the book What Every Successful Woman Knows: 12 breakthrough strategies to get the power & ignite your career, by Janice Reals Ellig & William J. Morin.
I know now more than ever everyone is trying to join the blogging world. Some people are also trying to drive as much traffic as they can to their site as possible. I know I also wanted to know how often I should post throughout the day. After reading many articles, I find that to get maximum growth, post multiple times per day to drive the most traffic (3-5 times or more is considered best).
You want to give people a reason to come back often. Why would they come back if the same article has been up for weeks or even days? You want to remember you are like a newspaper where people are constantly seeking your point of view. Determine your goal, and if it is to drive constant traffic, consider posting throughout the day or at least once a day.
-Keep Up or your traffic might never grow! (especially if you have something wonderful to share)
I had to learn this the hard way, but relationship 101...avoid addressing an issue or concern with your mate while you are mad. For some reason being mad does not allow us the opportunity to see situations clearly. It also makes it harder for us to truly see it from our mates point-of-view. The worse part is that sometimes after you have calmed down for a minute, you realize that what you were mad about is extremely silly, and you could have avoided an argument way before it started.
My suggestion is that when something makes you mad, be alone with your thoughts for a second, listen to music, or do anything that prevents you from immediately addressing your mate. When you are calm, then go and talk to your mate. When you talk in a calm matter, you learn that it is so much easier to fix the issue at hand.
-Keep Up and don't be the reason that your relationship fails!
For all of you people that are into PR, below is someone that you should follow for constant PR tips and updates on what is going on in the industry. If you are going to use twitter, make sure you are following people that can be beneficial to your career.
Lizz Harmon:
Results-driven PR maven. Writer; editor; perpetual dieter; lover of my family, news, learning, the beach, my dog & Oreo...
http://twitter.com/LizzHarmon
-Keep Up and learn from the best!
It is like the sound of a familiar outside noise that was once annoying, but you have learned to tune it out. You have developed methods that can help you drown the sound out, but yet it is still louder than ever. That is what it seems like our generation does when it comes to taking advice and listening to each other. It is so hard for us to hear critiques and criticism about ourselves, that we have developed defense mechanism to avoid having to really address what we hear about ourselves.
I don't know about you, but when I hear criticism about myself it automatically makes me feel like a failure in a certain area. It is like in my mind I want to be great at everything, and one thing ruins that perfect picture I am trying to paint of myself. When all I have to really do is take in what is said, address the potential issue, and try my best to fix the flaw. That of course is easier typed than done. However, I think that everyone needs to take time to truly listen to what people are saying around you. Everything they say might not be true, but if you hear a familiar statement by more than one person, it may be time for you to address a flaw or work on a certain area of your life.
We have to be welcome to criticism, because without it we might be stuck in a place we don't want to be in. Also, sometimes people on the outside look at things differently than the way we see ourselves. Oftentimes are view is a little off. For example, have you ever been able to help a friend with their relationship problems, but for some reason you can't apply your own advice? It is very important to sometimes listen to another point of view.
Today, let's all take the first step towards being open and welcoming critiques and criticism. You never know how that one issue that you address can change your success level.
-Keep Up and don't let fear of criticism keep you down
A good way to increase the amount of relevant followers you have or increase your ability to network, is to make sure your twitter bio says the right information. You want the bio to describe what you are trying to promote on twitter. You can share what field you are in, what you tweet about, and/or what your personal interest are.
When people click on your profile they will immediately have a better understanding on who they are about to follow or not follow. This is great if you are building a brand, giving people a better understanding about why your tweets will be beneficial, but it is also great if you are for example a graphic designer, and they can see that in your bio.
Eliminate just putting the quotes and cute little sayings. You can still have fun with your bio, but make sure you are including more content about yourself. Maybe add the quote or saying at the end.
FYI: If your twitter account is not private, you come up in a lot of different "twitter" directories, where random people can find you. Give them a better understanding of who you are, and watch the number of relevant followers increase.
My Bio: Motivator, blogger, and Social Media Marketer by day, Socialite by night! Lover of food, traveling, and everything nice! -@imkeepingup
-Keep Up and your followers will too!
Recently, first African-American Republican National Chairman Michael Steele told 200 DePaul University students that his party really hasn't given African-Americans a reason to vote for them. I read the entire article, and after them outlining the majority of the lecture he had with the students, I was left with no real reason to do so now. That is what makes me mad about the Republican party; they always beat around the bush with their reasoning's and answers, and conclude with the same statement of hating that the government is involved in so much. I really would like to know from an African-American Republican why I should consider a party that seems to care nothing about the minorities in our country. I could be mistaken and not well informed, so I really hope someone could help me out.
Click here to read the article on Michael Steele...
-Keeping Up with Politics and the force that controls us all...
We are in the times where it seems like the only career move is to start your own business. "They" keep telling us that the job market is getting better, but it seems like more and more people are out of jobs. But starting a business doesn't seem easy, and it seems like start-up cost are a fortune. I ran across this cool article that talks about how you can start a business for almost nothing. Fancy offices are out, and 2010 is in...
The Un-Office:
You don't need to rent out office space, you just purchase BaseCamp-a web-based project-management app. It lets you assign tasks, send instant messages, collaboratively edit documents, create presentations and track projects with employees and clients. Plans start at $24 a month for as many as 15 projects and go up to $149 a month for unlimited use.
www.Basecamphq.com
Credit Cards:
You can use Square to allow people to make credit-card purchases, instead of setting up a conventional credit card payment system. Square allows you to swipe plastic with your iPhone or iPod. It has instant photo verification, on-screen signature technology and email receipts. $1 for the app plus 2.9 percent of each transaction.
www.squareup.com
The Phone:
Use Goole Voice. Voice gives you the local number of your choice and lets you forward it to as many landline or cell phones as you please, giving you an office number. Voice transcribes voicemails for access through text message or e-mail, and incoming calls can be recorded and played back on the web. Local calls are free; long distance starts at just 2 cents a minute.
www.google.com/voice
The Fax:
Use eFax, instead of buying a fax machine and a landline. With eFax you get a local fax number of your choosing and 130 incoming pages each month. And eFax sens incoming faxes as e-mail attachments. Cost $16.95 a month.
www.EFax.com
IT Department:
Use Dropbox's free downlodable software: Just drag and drop files into a desktop folder to sync them to computers and PDAs...no IT guy needed. Free!
www.Dropbox.com
Accounting Department:
Use Freshbooks-an online invoicing, time-tracking and expense service. It automates the accounting department with an easy web interface that sends documents to clients. 3 clients for free, and $19 a month for 25 clients.
www.freshbooks.com
Complaint Department:
Use Get Satisfaction. It collects questions, complaints, and feedback from throughout the social media universe and organizes it into a customer service platform that can used on your website. Plans start at $19 a month.
www.getsatisfaction.com
Make it Legal:
Create a simple LLC or trade-mark your business name with LegalZoom, starting at $149.
www.legalzoom.com
Makes starting a business cheap and easy!
-Don't forget to pass this article on and Keep Up!
The article was taken from Entrepreneur Magazine
Page 30 of the May 2010 edition.
The title: Start a business for nothing
www.entrepreneur.com
"While it's often easy to know what you don't want, figuring out what you really want is a lot tougher"
I was reading a book and came across a cute way to visualize your future. So often people are confused on where they should be going and what they should be doing in life. They don't know the steps to take, because they are unclear what the destination is. The book ask you try this exercise" Write an article for Fortune magazine on the subject of you five years from now. What will you have accomplished? What will people say about you? What will you have done in your community and with your family? Focus on the following to get a complete picture for this article.
1. How much power or influence do you have over other people?
How many and what kind of people seek your advice?
2. How well known are you? Who is in your circle of power?
3. What makes you unique? What is your brand image? How do people differentiate you from others?
4. What is your net worth?
$500,000
1,000,000
3,000,000
6,000,000
8,000,000
10,000,000
15,000,000
20,000,000 or more
5. Describe in detail what you are doing in terms of:
6. Describe the sense of joy and exhailaration you feel in your moment of achievement. What do people appluad? What are you most proud of?
7. Describe your sense of well-being.
Now step back from this look at the future and articulate the five key steps that got you to your moment of achievement and your sense of well-being. These steps are nothing less than a strategy to get you to where you want to be.
I thought this was a wonderful activity and a chance to really map out where you want to be. It is like writing your future bio...how exciting!?!
"Make it look easy even when it is not. This is a sign of power and being in control of your destiny" -What Every Successful Woman Knows, by Janice Reals Ellig and William J. Morin
The absolute worse is when people tend to always let everyone know how hard they have it, or how hard the task at hand is. People look up to and listen to people that seem like experts at what they do. Make the things that you do look easy and do it with grace! You will move up a lot quicker than people that show that things are hard for them.
How do you interpret this quote? Do you agree or disagree?
-Keep Up!
1. Looking for a job and can't seem to find one? You should try forming a job-club. A Job-club is where you get a group of people together that are looking for a job. You share with each other details about what you are looking for in a career. You also help each other figure out exactly what you want to do when you might be a little unsure. The biggest benefit is that you help each other look for a job. So instead of you searching alone, you have now added extra set of eyes. Start off trying it with two other people, and see if the extra eyes and ears help!
2. Trying to be Frugal? Here are a list of websites that you can go to that might help you save a little.
www.alwaysfrugal.com
www.dealcatcher.com
www.retailmenot.com
www.clevermoms.com
www.couponmom.com
www.couponcabin.com
www.couponheaven.com
www.valpak.com/coupons/home
www.coupons.smartsource.com
www.fatwallet.com
www.thebudgettravel.com
www.wejustgotback.com
www.restaurant.com
3. You need to do a self inventory of yourself.
You need to start truly composing a list of all of your skills, experiences, personality traits, and understand your spirituality. Take a few days to be alone with your thoughts and truly evaluate where you are currently and where you are trying to be. Sometimes we think we know exactly what is going on with ourselves, and are content, but can't understand why things aren't exactly how we want it to be. Maybe we can't understand why we don't have a man or a certain job. Stop blaming other people or situations for the reason that you don't have the life you want. Take control by truly understanding who you are, and what changes you need to make!
-Keep Up!
Imagine yourself being the captain of the team. It is draft season, and it is time to re-evaluate who you already have on your team, possibly make a few trades, and maybe pick up a few rookies. You begin to go down your roster and realize that you are indeed carrying a few dead weights, and the possibility of you winning next season seems less likely with them still playing on the team. You begin to have to make difficult choices, especially when some of them have been around for years.
The team I am referring to is your team of friends. Many of us have a group of people we surround ourselves with , some great, but some seem to be pulling us further down than we already are, instead of lifting us up to where we need to be. A broken record seems to continue to play over and over in our head that some of these people need to go, yet the record seems to play clear just enough for you to hear the familiar tune that reminds you of why you were holding on to them in the first place.
You have to somehow ignore that one memory and move forward. This year there is no room for dead weight on your team. You are trying to make it the finals, and can do without someone that probably won't even lead you to the playoffs. It is important that you realize that everyone you surround yourself with should be helping you move forward, and if they are not, it is time to make that trade. Positivity around you leads to positive outcomes in life. You can do without the opportunist, yes man, and trouble maker. Hey, think of your team as an all-star team; they need to be helping you play an all-star game.
Are you confused on what the opportunist, yes man and trouble maker looks like?
Opportunist: Someone who comes around when times are good, and is nowhere to be found when times are bad. This person might be using you for your money, career opportunities, or simply your energy. When they get what they want, they are gone...or pretend they are still around, but their heart has been gone. Some opportunist are trying to hold on long enough to be there in the future in case you make it big and they can benefit from that. Some opportunist are even around for you to help them emotionally with their problems, but could care less what you are going through.
The Yes Man: These people tell you everything that you want to hear. They tip toe around giving you real advice, and refrain from ever telling you something they think might hurt your feelings. Every time you around them it is like you are back in slavery, and all you can hear is "yes master this" and "yes master that". Heaven forbid you ever need someone to tell you the truth about something, because you will be stuck at square one asking this person for advice. They never realize that they are hurting you more by telling you yes all the time.
Trouble Maker: This person is tricky. Sometimes this person tends to be the best of friends. They truly care about what you have to say, and "yes" only comes when it is necessary. But this person is always getting you into some type of trouble, or constantly bringing miss drama to meet you every other Friday. This is the friend who thinks just because they do "everything" for you, that somehow you are suppose to roll along with them to face drama again. Or they simply have so much negative energy, that whatever positive energy you have runs away scared.
All three of these people need to be removed from the team immediately, and don't worry about what their contracts say. (lol get a good lawyer instead) All three of them can bring negative energy, and in the long run hold you back from being great in life. It is hard when you love these people dearly, but I say you are the bad friend if you continue to pretend everything is okay. If you can't let them go forever, you at least need a break...sit them on the bench for awhile. Maybe they will start playing right once they realize you are serious about having a productive team around you. If not, time to make that trade.
How is your team looking right now? Do you have a team that is ready to take you to the finals....
-Keep Up!
Ever been confused on why you lost a job or didn't get into an organization of your choice? Ever think you were overly qualified for both, and was confused on how this opportunity could slip from under your tightly gripped hands? Trust me you are not alone, and thousands of people question things like this everyday. I have set in my room tons of times and ask these same questions, afraid that I would never understand the answer. How could I carefully prepare myself for a specific journey, only for my journey to consist of new roads I never knew existed, dead ends that I would have never imagined, red lights out of nowhere, and green lights when I least expected it?
Someone once told me that God closes doors so that he can open new doors. He explained that we as people tend to constantly get comfortable in our current situations and content with whatever we are doing. He goes on to say that sometimes God must close the current doors, or we will never do it for ourselves. As he was speaking, I began to realize that he chooses not to open some doors for us, because only he knows what is behind them, and he is trying to let us know that what is behind that door is not for us.
It gave me so much comfort to understand that God knows which doors to open, close, and not open, because he is walking 10 steps ahead of us. He can see what the future has in store for us, while we can only see what is in front of us. It made me understand that we are walking blindly as he leads us in the right direction. I am now thankful that certain doors were closed for me like getting laid off last year from a job that I was content with. I am thankful that he didn't allow me to get what seemed like hundreds of jobs I applied for after that. Thankful that he opened up doors such as the ability to create a blog, and even thankful that he waited to open up the door to the current job I have as social media marketer for Great Performances.
I now know that I must trust in him for he knows the direction that he is taking me in. My only job is to make sure that I am striving for perfection in everything that I do, no matter what the task is, I am ready, for I know it could be the next step towards fulfilling my purpose.
-Keep Up!
“Only one who devotes himself to a cause with his whole strength and soul can be a true master. For this reason mastery demands all of a person.” - Albert Einstein
We are all trying to be great at something, well at least those that think greatness is an option. We live in a world where people have become legends, masters, and considered "greats" in many different fields, and one day dream of being the same. If you are like me, I am working towards making that dream a reality, and even if I don't become a legend in my field, I will settle for being able to make a lot of money or make a huge difference because I am good at what I do. If you aren't striving for greatness you are striving below the true potential of the human race. Life is short , you might as well spend it being great. :)
I listen to stories from Diddy and Trump, and how they got to the top. They talk about spending hours working, and how they have never stopped grinding to this day. I also listen to the average person talk about their grind in their field, and I wonder if we are truly doing all the "grinding" we could be doing? Are we spending the correct amount of time on our crafts to one day get the result of success?
I read a few articles that said to truly master something you must spend 10,000 hours or 6 to 10 years. Of course it varies for people depending on the level of knowledge you already have, and how fast you learn. But the point is, you must dedicate a large amount of time to truly become great at something.
I think that if you are starting a business, an artist, singer, or want to be the best marketer, you should spend time daily (including weekends) on your craft. You should spend at least an hour a day doing something to help build your skills or help your business grow. I would recommend more if you truly want to be great fast! I feel like if you aren't tired at the end of the day, you didn't truly grind!
I think that you should also make sure that you are constantly doing the following:
1. Study experts in your field/industry. (read their books, websites, articles about them...)
2. Read books on your field/industry
3. Subscribe to magazines in your field/industry
4. Read blogs in your field/industry
If you really want to stand out in your industry and become one of the greatest to ever do it...you need to also be thinking about what you bring new to the table. How are you going to change the game?
I also recommend that you get a journal and take note of the amount of hours you spend each day on your craft!
You can also get a friend to hold you accountable by making yourself submit to them daily what you have worked on when it comes to your craft.
Today, take the first step to truly grinding and mastering your craft. If you aren't working daily...you aren't truly working!
-Keep Up!
I am beyond disgusted. Five people have been charged in the gang rape of a 7-year-old girl in Jersey. They say the little girl attended a party with her 15-year-old sister and her sister then sold her for sex to some of the men in attendance. 7 men took their turns raping the little girl, but only five of the men have been charged so far. The men ranged from ages 20 to 13. The 15-year-old sister has been charged with promoting prostitution, aggravated sexual assault and other crimes.
I am outraged that this happened to this innocent little girl. You have to be really messed up in the head to sell your little sister for sex, and even more sick to be the one's to rape her. After the 1st rape you sick bastards, and seeing her face probably in extreme pain, how could you be the one to go next? I am confident that she probably cried out a few times, and you simply ignored it and took your turn? This world is filled with so many "sick" people, and the crime rate continues to grow. I am wondering if the world will even make it past 2012??
My heart and prayers go out to the family of the 7-year-girl and I hope that the bastards that did this get thrown in jail and the key never to be found.
Click here to read the original article...
-Keep Up!
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