Back to Reality

I am enamored with fall weather. I love the change in foliage. I love the bright days and humidity-free air. I love relaxing on such a nice, simple day. I ended the week on a promising note. A lot of good follow up and future work that will be featured in online magazines and blogs. The week was a long one and I was exhausted by Friday afternoon. In the last 24 hours, I've taken two intense siestas on top of my nightly slumber. I can honestly say that I am rested and ready to get back to work in the morning.

Working six days of week is demanding. The reality is that I cannot fall behind. It's in my best interest to work harder than I ever have before. Nonetheless, I need to be more perceptive of my time management and wellness while developing an overall balance. Naturally, the concept of making sense of building a business and having a life is easier said then done.

Since I start my workweek on Sunday, I always like to tackle my emails and get as many assignments under control as possible. In terms of allocating my time, I think I might need to do a little re-adjusting and just place realistic boundaries on my goals. You cannot do everything. Prior to reading a Forbes.com article this evening, a quote appeared that is so apropos.

“Business demands faith, compels earnestness, requires courage, is honestly selfish, is penalized for mistakes, and is the essence of life.” -  William Feather

Enough said. 

BBM

I should be sleeping or at least in the process of sleeping but I cannot get over the fact that I have a Blackberry. I am hesitant to use it because I don't want to damage it or worse, break it entirely. I came to possess said device by way of my business development internship. My friend's dad owns a new business and is looking for someone to drive leads and find potential clients. I am a learner and worker, so this opportunity might be a great fit. We had a nice business lunch in beautiful Old Town Alexandria. As usual, I forgot to take pictures but I dressed nicely and brought copies of my resume. I had the opportunity to talk about my interest in business and past work experience. It was nice to hear from a new business owner. It's exciting to be a part of something that is growing.

Yesterday and today were long and busy. Tomorrow won't be any different. Networking, going to events or meeting up with people is a lot of work. I suppose it's the only way to make connections and be "in-the-know". I wasn't feeling too well by the time I got home so I skipped out  on two other events that I was looking forward to but I'm too worried. 

Though last night's NAPW meeting was cancelled I got a great book from Lisa Goodnight at AAUW. Secrets of Powerful Women: Leading Change for A New Generation has been a good read thus far. There are so many inspirational stories and quotes. One of my favorites is, "collect experiences, not things" from Grey Wolf. A simple truth to mull over the next few days...  

POST-Intro

I never started my blog with an introduction. No lead, no bio, not a thing. I did this on purpose because I wanted to see if I could successfully write more than six posts without bailing out. And now, I present to you an intro or something of the sort.

My name is Ijeoma (e-jho-maa) and I started blogging last week because I promised myself this summer that I would. I attended the 2012 BlogHer conference in New York City. Correction - I attended the PathFinder Day, which is more or less a precursor to the multi-day conference. I took Megabus, super duper early from Washington, D.C. six weeks ago to the day to attend and the five hour bus trip was worth it. Thankfully, the weather was decent. August heat in NYC is not cute but the ultra fab Hilton New York was chilled to my liking.

The PathFinder Day was what I needed to at least understand why people blog. There were women everywhere. All shapes, sizes, demographics, etc. I think I spent most of the day slightly bemused. I was stepping out of my comfort zone but I was trying to imagine having a blog as a means of living, social change or simply for fun. Though I was little late (and had to leave early), I checked-in at the registration, got my badge and headed straight for the morning workshop that interested me the most: My Blog as Business.

I knew well in advance that I did not have a blog, nor was I in the process of beginning one but envisioning my future blog as a business was appealing. I like reading about business, particularly small/mid-sized businesses, and entrepreneurship. More importantly, I get inspired and empowered when I read articles or see videos about powerful women. Problem is, I don't see it as often as I would like or that should exist online. I identify with a lot of communities - millienials, former viola and cello players, Americorps, Nigerians, first-generation Americans, folks who wear glasses. But I love being a woman who wants to lead people or manage a business.

So, I thought the workshop, My Blog as Business, would be perfect. And it would have been if I actually had a blog. Minor fail. I learned a lot of legalese and how to avoid being sued. Oh, and how to protect my content, though I am still trying to apply all that knowledge. After a very scrumptious lunch, I switched gears and decided I needed to refocus and be kind to myself. For round two, I chose, My Blog as Change Agent, to hone in on why I actually was at this conference in the first place.

I was skeptical. Really skeptical but ultimately kept an open mind and stayed positive. Besides, the speakers Deb and Diane were really nice and encouraging. The space they created was safe and hopeful, two very important qualities for a tyro. Long story short, I met a small group of women at my table who were giving me ideas and support. On the bus ride home, I sent them all emails. Now, I look forward to emailing them again to let them know I started a blog! I will include their blogs in another post.

The proof is in the badge. 

I didn't take any pictures at the conference, sad face. Thankfully, I still have my name badge as evidence that I attended BlogHer'12. I am glad I did. How's that for an intro?