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March 19, 2013 

ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED? Bee’s Event Updates

Hope y’all are doing well! I wanted to drop a quick post off to let you guys know about some of the awesome events I’ll be taking part in this spring/summer! If you’re in the Toronto/NY area and looking for some dope events to hit up, I got you!

TEASE Fridays at Saviari

teasefridays

Are you single in Toronto? Do you want to meet cool folks in the city without the pomp and circumstance (and screwfacing) that many events here are known for? Starting on March 22nd, I’ll be hosting TEASE Fridays at Saviari Tea & Cocktail Lounge, where you can do just that! TEASE will be a happy hour mixer where you can come in, enjoy some amazing drinks and tea-infused foods, and mix and mingle with some of Toronto’s flyest. I’ll be there to help facilitate conversations and to maintain the flirty atmosphere of TEASE – and to ensure that you aren’t sitting nose-deep in a corner on your phone. This will be the first event in a while where we DON’T want you to tweet, Instagram, or Facebook promote – we want you to *gasp* actually talk to people! If you can handle that, then TEASE is the spot for you!

The Mystic Effect

themysticeffect

Rolling along with the hosting duties, I’ll be the hostess with the mostest at The Mystic Effect – an amazing art show that covers mediums like fashion, film, visual art, music, and dance. The brainchild of Stacy-Ann Buchanan Productions, this show will be on April 28th at Revival Bar, and I can’t wait! If you’re a fan of art in all its various forms, you’ll want to grab your ticket for The Mystic Effect ASAP! Even better? You’ll be contributing to charity. Part proceeds will support Urban Arts, a non-profit charitable youth organization that offers multi-arts based programs that serve to develop youth as artists and leaders. Do some good and whet your artistic appetite at the same damn time!

R Flavour presents Dead Wit Laugh ft. Donnell Rawlings

DWL Donnell

All of the events I’m involved with are special to me, but this one is on another level. I’ve talked about the Dead Wit Laugh comedy shows that had been held at Dazzling Lounge in Toronto last year, but this one is bigger and better – and it’s the creation of myself and my husband! Really and truly, it was his idea to put together a major comedy show  - teamwork makes the dream work, so him and I have been toiling (along with the help of some great friends) to make this show a success. The hilarious Donnell Rawlings (of Chappelle’s Show, The Guy Code, and The Wire) will be headlining the show on June 16th, and guest acts include comedians Nick Reynoldson, Dave Merheje, and Trixx, and spoken word artist Dwayne Morgan. Jay Martin will be our wonderful host, so we have the Toronto talent on lock! The NXNE Festival (Canada’s partner to SXSW) is on board as a partner, so our Dead Wit Laugh show will be the headlining comedy show of the festival week! Early bird tickets are available on Ticketmaster, so I’d better see my local (and international, if you’re making the trip up!) folks there to support!

Blogging While Brown Conference 

bloggingwhilebrown

Whew. As if I wasn’t feeling excited and anxious about everything I’ve written about so far, I have this news to add: I’ll be a featured speaker at this summer’s Blogging While Brown Conference in NYC! After attending for the first time last year, I took a leap and submitted a speaker’s proposal…and just when I thought I wasn’t going to be selected, I got the celebratory phone call to say I was in! I’ll be doing a talk tentatively called ‘Cross-Border Conundrums’ which will touch on various aspects of being an international Black blogger and how to maximize our connections across borders and overseas. The world of being a blogger of colour is so much wider in the US, and many people I met at BWB gave me the “There’s BLACK people in Canada?!” question – so I want to do my part to add a bit of diversity to the conference. If you’ll be at BWB this year, lemme know! I need a hotel buddy!

Like I said, a ton of things are on the go, and a lot of hard work is going into each and every one of these events!

YouTube Preview Image

So, there you have it. There are a couple of other things in the works, but as you can see from this post, I’ll be keeping REALLY busy over the next few months! If you’ve got any questions about any of the events I mentioned, let a sista know!

January 23, 2013 

TORONTO TO NYC: Upcoming Events Worth Getting Out The House For

As hard as I try to fight it, the cold Toronto winter makes it difficult for a girl to enjoy a hot night out on the town. Friends are in hibernation, the couch is just too damn comfy, and windchills and snow squalls leave you with very few sexy outfit options. Gone are the carefree days of summer, where you could just plop yourself anywhere in the city and meander about – on the flip side, winter gives you a discerning eye. If I’m coming out of my house in January/February, it better be for a damn good reason. Luckily for my readers in Toronto and NYC, I’ve got a few top-quality events that you’ll want to check out – just get off the couch and out of those sweats, and take my word for it!

Blue Bash

Every year, Toronto-based event coordination company R Flavour hosts Blue Bash – one of the best parties I’ve been to in the 5 years it’s been taking place. It’s a consistently dope party that offers great music, great vibes, and great people without pretentiousness or immature nonsense. This Saturday, the party will be taking place at Dazzling Lounge on the King West strip – DJs Kold Fusion and Soca Sweetness will be on the 1s and 2s, and Studio Cakes will be in the house with some amazing sweet treats! We always celebrate HomieLoverFriend’s birthday there, so we go all out. Don’t forget the most important part (aside from being ready to have a great time and to choose your shoes carefully – Kold Fusion’s sets have caused heel casualties) – wear BLUE! The more blue, the better! If you’re looking for a party to shake off this week’s deep freeze, I’ll see you at Blue Bash!

  • When: January 26th – doors open at 10pm
  • Where: Dazzling Lounge (291 King St. W)
  • Cover: $10 before 11:30, more after

trey anthony’s Millionaire Artist Workshop

Late last year, I featured Toronto’s own media maven/businesswoman trey anthony in advance of  her first Millionaire Artist Workshop. It was such a success, she’s back for another go! If you’re an artist of any kind, seeking to learn how to establish your worth and get on the path to success, this 1-day workshop is for you! trey will be joined by amazing panelists that will be able to give you worthwhile knowledge and help guide you through your artistic pursuits. Mark down February 2nd in your calendar, and be sure to grab your ticket ASAP!

Date Night at Drom in NYC

Y’all remember the post I wrote recently about dating in long-term relationships? Well, let me show you how things fall into place when they’re supposed to…HomieLoverFriend and I will be visiting the Big Apple next month, and one of the feature events we’ll be hitting is Date Night NYC, hosted by Keya Maeesha! The first Date Night went down in November, and from all accounts (including this review), it was the bomb. A lovely, intimate venue, incredible live singers, food, drinks, and good vibes that might make a girl want to go half on a baby – whether you’re boo’d up or not, Date Night sounds like the perfect event to check with your honey or your homies. The Tdot-NYC connection continues with Toronto’s own Ayah, Date Night’s featured performer! I adore her voice, and can’t wait to hear her live! Be there or be square – and make sure you find me to say hey! I’m looking forward to making some in-person connections before the long trip home, so don’t let me down :)  Sidenote: I’m also hoping to organize a little meet up, and will be hitting Donuts Are Forever 7, the annual tribute party for super-producer/OG Slum Village member J Dilla!

Whew! A sista is excited for the next upcoming weeks! Will I be seeing you at Blue Bash, the Millionaire Artist Workshop, or at Date Night NYC? Let me know!

July 4, 2012 

BIENVENUE A MONTREAL: My Canada Day Escape

Today is Independence Day for my friends of the American persuasion, and Americans – I’ma let y’all finish, but right now I want to recap my weekend in Montreal for Canada Day!

Thanks to some good friends (heyyyy, KB and V!), the main squeeze and I had round trip, business class tickets to Montreal on VIA Rail, and we were more than ready to get away. Planning this trip wasn’t as easy as I expected. Between his busy weekends and mine, it was almost impossible to find a weekend where we were both free to run away from the city. We finally sorted things out, and we were on the way!

I was especially looking forward to this train ride, since I can barely remember the one time I took the train when I was younger. Traveling business class? Free drinks and food? Comfy seats and ample leg room? I was ’bout it. Everything was lovely until we took our rightful place at the head of the boarding line, and the line was stopped to allow us on first. I didn’t realize that line bypass was one of the business class perks, and it seemed that a few folks in the economy line didn’t realize that either. Or, maybe it was just good ole ignorance rearing its ugly head. You see, the White couple in front of us had no issues, but when HomieLoverFriend and I walked up, we were met with “The end of the line is back there!” and “ex-CUSE me?!” Sigh. The VIA Rail staff were kind and professional, and the sting faded away once I got a rum and Coke in my hand.

Started out with this bangin' dry Bantu knot-out, but MTL humidity wouldn't let me live

VIA Rail meals weren't too shabby! The tilapia was DELISH!

My pinky finger STAYED up during that whole trip!

About 6 hours later, we finally reached our destination. After checking into our hotel, Le Centre Sheraton Montreal, we hit the road to do what would be a frequent activity over the weekend – eat DELICIOUS food.

The weekend was full of delights that appealed to my Taurean spirit. Decadence, luxury, good food, drinks, and other pretty things – Montreal had it all. When we weren’t sitting on a patio eating some amazing pasta or burgers, we were on a patio drinking 2-for-1 drinks and colourful cocktails called The Hawaiian Punch. Montreal nightlife was interesting. With the legal drinking age at 18, it seemed like a LOT of the freaks that came out at night were young as all get out. I realized that if I REALLY wanted to party in Montreal, I needed to get up on some Haitian tunes – the songs sounded dope, but I had no idea of the call and responses and accompanying dances that everyone else was doing. Most food joints were open til 5am, so finding after-club eats wasn’t hard at all. Poutine, burgers, and Pogos were the go-to late night foods, and I enjoyed every single bite!

We hit up the Montreal Jazz Festival, which was surprisingly lackluster the day we went. The most entertainment we had was from a street performer named SnapBoogie who had a gang of people posted up on the sidewalk, watching him as he did tricks like jumping and flipping over 5 petrified audience members. The streets of Montreal were more interesting than any organized event, and this was also true on Canada Day.

Snap Boogie 'bout to jump over a lil one...

...and prepping to jump over these scared folks

The day started out calm and cool, with polite old ladies and babies in parks waving Canadian flags. We saw a few picnics and some gatherings at downtown cathedrals, and I marveled at the quaintness of Montreal’s celebrations. However – that all changed after Spain won the Euro Cup. Montreal turned into Little Espana, and all quaintness was gone. People screaming, cars honking, huge Spain flags billowing out of windows – the city went wild. I just shook my head. Canadians always talk about the brash patriotism of the US, but here we were, celebrating Spain’s win more than we did our own country. Meh.

My favourite part of the trip was when the Boo and I took a walk through Old Montreal. The oldest area of the city is nestled near the St. Lawrence River, and houses historical buildings from the 1600s. A history lover like me was in heaven with the old architecture and cobblestone streets, until my comfy flats broke and I had to traipse around in platform wedges o__O

A gutted building transformed into a cute garden resto

Horse-drawn carriages were all over Old Montreal

Loved this old courthouse

Teetering in platform wedges in a narrow cobblestone alleyway...no broken ankles though!

Before we knew it, it was time to head to the train station and make our way back home. Another comfy VIA Rail ride awaited us, and soon we were back at Union Station, greeted by the sounds of horns honking and taxi drivers cussing. Ah, Toronto. There’s no place like home.

My Canucks: How did you celebrate Canada Day? What do you think of our level of patriotism here in the Great North? For my Americanos: Happy Independence Day! We thank you for Michael Jackson, Texas BBQ, and the dudes with the cute accents who visit us at Caribana time! How are y’all gettin’ down for the 4th?

 

June 8, 2012 

BLOGGING WHILE BROWN 2K12 PT. 3: An Introvert’s Take On Networking

Lovin' the crew: Slim, Patrice, Ruth, Moi, Amber, and Sharontina

At best, I’d find another shy soul and build a connection over shared stories of awkward networking events. At worst, I’d spill a drink while trying to shake someone’s hand, answer “yes” when somebody asked “what’s your name?”, or leave Philly with the same amount of business cards I came with because I spoke with absolutely NO ONE. These were the items on my Scale Of Social Interaction For Introverts And Generally Clumsy People, however I had no choice but to face my fears and get social at this year’s Blogging While Brown Conference.

Through the entire conference, I had my sista sidekick Rowena with me, so I never really was alone. However, you never want to come off as the anti-social, standing-in-the-corner-gossiping-with-your-homegirl type at social events either. So, how did put my shyness aside and make the most of the human experience at Blogging While Brown?

Musical Chairs

Break time during the panels seemed to be a game of Musical Chairs. People would get up to grab a snack, make a call, or say hello to a friend, and next thing they knew, someone else was in their seat. Ro and I had pretty prime seating, so while we stayed put, we were treated to a rotation of different people joining our table. It would start with a smile, or a shared laugh over a joke. Then, the question: “So,what’s your blog about?” followed by “Where are you from?” Ro and I were the only non-Americans in the house (that I knew of), so when people heard “Toronto”, that opened up an entirely new conversation. The Musical Chairs game really helped me to practice my blogging elevator pitch – finding an efficient and interesting way to answer “So, what do you blog about?” Eventually, I was totally comfortable talking about myself and my blog, and learning about everyone else’s too. Added bonus – my business cards got WORKED! Extra extra bonus? Meeting a VP from a dope hair care line that’s READY to do an event here in Toronto…

Myself, Rowena, and Eva of Socamom.com

With the ever-dope Luvvie Ajayi

No Such Thing As Coincidence

On Friday evening, something truly awesome happened when Ro and I returned after a break for the evening panel. We walked back up to the room where the earlier panels had been held, only to find the room empty, save a few women. They noted our confusion and advised that the Relationship panel was in a different room downstairs. Before we had a chance to turn around, one of the women commented on my hair and asked for some hair tips. As we talked, another exclaimed “Oh my God – you look JUST LIKE ILYASAH!” then turned to her friends saying “Doesn’t she look like Ilyasah? With her skin and her glasses and her hair – and Ilyasah’s hair is natural too!” Everyone at the table emphatically agreed that I looked identical to Ilyasah, so I had to ask – “Who is Ilyasah?”

“Oh – Ilyasah Shabazz. Malcolm X’s daughter!” I thought it was cool that these women were friends with a woman from such strong lineage, and wondered if I really did look like her. One of the women told me to find her on Twitter. “Tweet Ilyasah and tell her you met Teresa here – and Teresa thinks y’all look like twins!” I agreed, but ended up thinking I’d come across like a lunatic, so I put that thought in the back of my head. Later that night at the hotel, Ro asked if I had tweeted Ilyasah. I changed my mind and was about to do so, however I forgot the woman’s name who I met hours earlier. I found Ilyasah on Twitter and followed her, and left it at that.

The next morning, we just happened to run into the same woman from the day before! “Did you tweet Ilyasah?” she asked. I told her I was going to, but forgot her name. “It’s Teresa. TWEET HER NOW!” So I did:

@ good morning! I met a friend of yours (Teresa) at #bwb2012 - she said we look exactly alike & I should tweet you! So, hello!
June 2, 2012 9:10 am via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

Then she replied:

An honor, Sis! 🌺🌺RT @: @ good morning! I met a friend of yours (Teresa) at #bwb2012 - ... http://t.co/9VxD7tFG
June 2, 2012 9:50 am via UberSocial for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite
@ilyasahShabazz
ilyasah Al-Shabazz

Then I geeked out:

@ trust me - when I googled your picture, the honour (sorry, I'm Canadian) was ALL mine! Great to connect with you!
June 2, 2012 9:55 am via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

Then she made me geek out even harder:

I'd like to do the same. Send info, pls 😊 RT @: @ trust me - when I googled your ... http://t.co/uoRNqG55
June 2, 2012 10:01 am via UberSocial for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite
@ilyasahShabazz
ilyasah Al-Shabazz

Then I DM’d her my contact info and blog link, and she replied saying she’d be checking it out.

Then I realized, I’m tweeting with Ilyasah Shabazz. Don’t tell me Twitter is a waste of time. Had we not ended up in the wrong room, and had I not run into Teresa again out of all the people at the conference, I would have never connected with Ilyasah. Something to think about.

Nighttime Is The Right Time

Friday and Saturday nights featured various mingling events. On Friday, we attended a Mix & Mingle event sponsored by Curls Unleashed. It was at this event that I learned how just being genuine, no matter how awkward I may feel, was the best way to connect with others. Complimenting someone’s hairstyle or shoe game (and really meaning it) opened the door to meeting so many awesome people! ’83 To Infinity business cards were whizzing out of my hands left and right!

With Thea of GBL Sales

Saturday night was the big afterparty, thrown by Patrice from Afrobella and Shea Radiance. Ro and I got dolled up and hit up The Reef, an awesome Jamaican restaurant and lounge. It was the Blogging While Brown sendoff, and everyone seemed really comfortable and ready to have a good time. We feasted on veggies, beef patties, and jerk chicken wings, and tried HARD not to wine down low when we realized that The Reef was playing some damn good reggae! The Caribbean contingent couldn’t hide though – we were soon joined by Patrice and Eva aka Socamom, and enjoyed a little well-behaved bubble. This part was “easy” – by then, I had spoken with, or shared a smile/laugh with almost everyone in there. It was nothing to strike up a convo with someone at that point, because just being at the conference already gave us a common ground. I met some more great people, chatted with the founder of Shea Radiance, Funlayo Alabi, about visiting Toronto, and got my eat on. I was a happy camper – and then the real music started. We turned The Reef out! There I was, in my reggae & soca element, cracking jokes with Scott Hanselman – and it happened. In a Nutty Professor moment, I started to get a bit too into what I was saying…started talking with my hands…and next thing I know, Scott’s drink was on the floor and Patrice was checking herself for any water damage. Sigh. I guess you can mask being a introvert, but you can’t ever mask being clumsy as all hell.

So, what did I learn? Have an interesting elevator pitch. Make sure business cards are easily accessible. Walk into the wrong room sometimes. Be genuine. Remember what you have in common. And for the love of God, Allah, Buddha, and any other deity, try NOT to dash a keynote speaker’s drink halfway across the club!

Attending the Blogging While Brown conference really helped me to continue the process of working on my shyness. Overall, I think I did pretty well! This post just barely covers the impact of connecting and interacting with the other conference attendees – and I think the true impact is yet to be seen. How are you in networking settings? Are you a nervous wreck or a schmoozing king/queen? Let me know how you cope!

June 6, 2012 

BLOGGING WHILE BROWN 2K12 PT. 2: Breakouts and Breakthroughs

The Chemical Heritage Foundation Center - where all the magic happened

I’m back to give y’all some more insider info on this year’s Blogging While Brown Conference – if you missed part one, click here to get caught up!

Friday night, we took in the evening panel – “Love is a Battlefield” featuring Michelle Talbert (of Black Love Rules), Damon Young (of Very Smart Brothers) and Kaneisha Grayson (author of Be Your Own Boyfriend). I missed a bit of the beginning due to a very interesting conversation I had, all by accident (more on that later) – but I got in just in time to catch the jokes and knowledge from the panelists. Relationship blogging is always interesting, especially when you’re IN a relationship. I got some interesting perspectives on maintaining privacy while still being true to yourself and your audience.

After the panel, we stuck around for the Mix and Mingle networking event sponsored by Curls Unleashed. I’ll give the full rundown on all the social aspects of the conference in my next post, so let me get right into Saturday’s conference schedule…

We kicked things off with what turned out the be the most hilarious and entertaining session of the weekend – the opening keynote “Your Personal Brand: It Actually IS All About You!” led by Adria Richards (of But You’re A Girl), Luvvie Ajayi (of Awesomely Luvvie), and Scott Hanselman (of Scott Hanselman’s Computer Zen & Microsoft). Personal branding is crucial to a blogger’s success, as it fully establishes how people feel about you when they see your face or hear your name. Luvvie covered the voice aspect of your brand. How do you say what you say? Adria covered the medium aspect. How do you best get your voice across? On a blog? Youtube? Twitter? Facebook? A mix of all of those and more? Scott covered the reach component. When you’ve established your voice and found your medium, how well is your message getting to the people who need to/should get it? Overall, the same point was emphasized that I heard in the Blog To Big Business panel – content is king. If you have great content that resonates with your audience, you will find that you have a strong, unique voice that stretches across your chosen medium to effortlessly reach your target.

It reminded me of the quote “if you build it, they will come” – as a new blogger, I’ve been very cognizant of hits and subscribers and comments, and used those analytics to base my growth and success. The personal branding panel opened my eyes to the fact that yes, numbers are important. However, what’s more important is to have content that is authentic, creative, well-crafted, and from a place of passion, and that’s what I aim for in every post on ’83 To Infinity. Scott summed it up with another great quote regarding relying on content to create blog longevity: “It’s one thing to watch the first episode of a show. It’s another to watch the last.”

After the keynote panel, we had the opportunity to attend break-out sessions. We chose from one of 2 or 3 sessions happening based on our personal interests, and the smaller groups helped us to be a bit more interactive with the speakers and each other.

My first break-out session was “Blogging Without Bounds: Taking Blogging Offline Into Local Communities” led by Toni Carey and Ashley Hicks from Black Girls Run. These ladies have done an amazing job of taking their online presence offline by the creation of events, meet-ups, and BGR chapters across America. They gave me great advice on my struggle with taking ’83 To Infinity offline – do I wait until I have a certain number of readers, or do I go ahead and put on an event, and hopefully gain new readers? I won’t give away the answer, but just know that it definitely helped to steer me in the right direction as far as creating some kind of external community as well as the blog community.

The whole group came back together for the lunch panel on “Social Media & Technology: What’s Next?” tabled by Anslem Samuel Rocque (of Naked With Socks On, and most recently – like as of the day of the panel – new Managing Editor for Jet Magazine), Marlin Page (CEO of Knowledge Brokers and Microsoft Diversity Recruiter), and Tony Williams (Director of Government Affairs at Comcast). We learned about different apps to help bloggers manage their social media platforms, national programs to promote technology education for youth, and a number of other interesting technological tidbits.

Next Level Sister Bloggers panel

“Next Level Sister Bloggers” was the next break-out session I attended. Paneled by Patrice Grell Yursik (of Afrobella – who I met last year), Kathryn Finney (of The Budget Fashionista), Maria Niles (Client Services Director of BlogHer), and Elisa Camahort (Co-founder of BlogHer), this session covered each woman’s journey and experiences in the blogging world. Patrice’s story resonated with me, especially when she spoke about the negativity she endured from her 9-5 while she chased her blogging dreams. It can be a struggle, but success is possible!

The keynote panel, “Netroots, Blackroots, Grassroots: Social Media & Social Change Five Years Later” was tabled by a ‘Who’s Who’ of local and national activists: Tamika D. Mallory (Nat’l Exec. Director of National Action Network), Naomi Leapheart (Philadelphia activist and teacher), Prof. Terry Smith (Research Professor at DePaul College of Law), and Kimberly Ellis, Ph.D. (aka Dr. Goddess). This panel looked at the role social media can play in social change, and how to move from behind the computer screen to take activist blogging to the next level. It was such an interesting perspective for me – coming from Canada, I was immediately aware of the differences of political awareness and activism between us and our neighbours to the south. Eye-opening to say the least.

At the end of Day 2, my notebook was FULL. I had scribbled so many quotes, notes, tips, and teachings that I didn’t know what I was going to do with all that info. What I did know was that my understanding and knowledge of blogging was infinitely deeper than when I left Toronto days before. Closing remarks by Gina McCauley, Founder of Blogging While Brown and Amina Hanan, Exec. Director of Blogging While Brown were met with rousing applause from veteran conference-goers and newbies alike. When I heard more than one BWB vet say that THIS was the best conference ever, I was so happy that I chose to come this year. If you’re involved in any way with blogging, branding, or social media, keep in touch with the Blogging While Brown gang so that you can be ready for 2013!

So – that recaps the amazing lineup of panels and speakers that taught me SO many blogging lessons! I’m not done yet though! A very important part of the weekend (and the part that made me the most nervous) was the social aspect. In my next post, I’ll give you the lowdown on the part of the conference you couldn’t experience unless you were there – and drive the point home about the importance of face-to-face connections (especially for us shy folks!) – stay tuned! 

 

 

June 5, 2012 

BLOGGING WHILE BROWN 2K12 PT. 1: The Business of Blogging

I’m an introvert.

I’ve been told I mask it well, but at the very core of this being called Bee, I’m the type of person who gets anxious at networking events, may come off as aloof when I’m around a group of people I’m meeting for the first time, and prefer to recharge my batteries at home – ideally with a book, music, and my own company. So, when I registered for the 2012 Blogging While Brown Conference, I was filled with excitement and chilling fear. I was a new blogger – would I be totally out of my league? Many of the folks I follow on Twitter had been to BWB numerous times – would it feel high-school cliqueish? And how damn awkward would I be with the daunting task of networking? All of these questions swirled through my mind in the days leading up to my departure, but I had a few things on my side. One: I wasn’t alone – the homie Rowena from Nubiansoulslocks was rollin’ with me, and two: my desire to learn and grow was greater than my fear of all of the unknowns. So last Thursday, we reached Philly and hit the ground running!

The trip to Philadelphia was…exhausting. A 10 hour bus ride became a 12 hour bus ride due to hold-ups at the border and traffic stops. Excitement kept Ro and I going for a while, but when that faded it was the struggle of all struggles. A packed bus, wi-fi access as scanty as Naomi Campbell’s edges, and chatty passengers made for a long ride. Anyways, we finally reached Philly, checked in at the Hyatt, and hit the sheets to catch some shut-eye before our 1st day at the conference.

Walking to the conference, and realized that the street we needed to be on was a bit out of reach. Lol.

The next morning, Ro and I trekked it the few blocks from the hotel to the Chemical Heritage Foundation Center where the conference was being held. Friday was dubbed the “Business of Blogging” day, and I was curious to see what that would entail.

Panel #1 was “Blog To Book”, featuring Angel Laws (of Concrete Loop), Demetria Lucas (of A Belle In Brooklyn), and Todd Hunter. Angel and Demetria are successful bloggers-turned-published authors, and Todd is an editor for Atria Books. They shared invaluable information for bloggers who have aspirations of being published as well. Key takeaways from this panel were:

  • Ensure that your book is part of a bigger brand. It will help if bloggers-turned-authors have a sizeable social media presence, with the potential to build more – that still may not translate into automatic sales, but will help to sell you to a publishing house.
  • Write proper book proposals! A guide was mentioned for those looking for help in this arena: How To Write A Book Proposal by Michael Larsen

Next was “Blogs and Brands”, featuring Tyrha M. Lindsey (Managing Director at LAI Communications), Jennifer Polk (VP at Edelman Digital), and Mananya Soobhawan (Digital Supervisor at Weber Shandwick) – all amazingly intelligent women with backgrounds in PR and brand collaboration, especially in the online world. A large amount of blog monetization comes from bloggers and brands partnering together, so these ladies explained what brands are looking for in bloggers, and how bloggers can be prepared to take the next step to monetization. Important points were:

  • Blog analytics (# of subscribers, comments, unique views, Twitter followers, etc.) are important, but many brands place more value on the credibility, authenticity, and uniqueness of the blogger. Build your numbers, but BE YOU!
  • Want to pitch a proposal to a PR agency/brand? Use a 10-slide Powerpoint presentation, not a Word document. Include hyperlinks to a few sample blog posts and/or screenshots from your blog. If you’ve done any work with brands in the past, include a case study of what you did/what happened. Ensure to have graphics, like an image of yourself, your logo, etc. Include contact info. IMPORTANT – make sure your About page is ON POINT! Agencies/brands will usually look at that and your most recent blog post to get an impression of you.

Ro, our new friend LaTasha, and I at lunch

Myself, new homie G. Ann, and a Caribana-like model from Philly's Global Fusion Festival

The after-lunch panel was “Blog To TV”, led by Harry Hairston (Emmy Award-winning journalist), Lou Dobbs (Social Media Editor for WCAU-TV), and Alexis Garrett Stodghill (New York and Lifestyle Editor for TheGrio.com). This panel was great for educating bloggers on their role in TV media – from obtaining guest spots on live TV to the blogger vs. journalist conundrum. Here were some key take aways:

  • If you’ve never been on TV/radio before, record yourself using your phone and play it back to hear what the tone, cadence, and inflection of your voice on tape.
  • Many people attempt to connect with anchors and journalists via Twitter, but you may have better luck reaching out to the news directors instead. Anchors/journalists can have such tunnel vision that they may not respond to an alternative view. News directors may be able to see your vision.

The last panel of the day was probably the most polarizing. “Blog To Big Business” was paneled by Fred Mwangaguhunga (Founder/CEO of MediaTakeOut.com), David Wilson (Creator/Executive Editor of TheGrio.com), and Jennifer Williams (CEO of J Sharpe Agency Public Relations). I was looking forward to learning about how to grow your blog into a media empire, but we definitely got much more than that at this panel. Fred from MTO had the room buzzing and Twitter on fire with his quotes that “passion and love for the Black culture are all you need to have to work at MTO” and “in the future, we’ll look back and see that MTO was positive for Black culture”. Yeah. MTO has never been one of my favourite sites to say the least, but I was glad I’d be able to hear the real deal from the man behind the ratchetry. However, when he made those statements, I tuned out until David started talking. David’s story explained the upward trajectory of how he left corporate America to complete a documentary about his family’s history, and how he eventually created TheGrio.com and sold to NBC. It was impressive to hear him discuss his presence and impact in NBC’s boardrooms because of his beginnings with TheGrio.com. Overall, the main lesson I got from this panel was the importance of passion and excellent content. Write about what you love, write it well, and the right people will come knocking.

Here’s an awesome highlight reel that captures the essence of Day 1:

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That sums up Day 1 of the Blogging While Brown Conference – The Business Of Blogging! Stay tuned for a recap of the Relationship Panel, Day 2’s social media focus, and my forays into successful networking and socializing with complete strangers (including how I got through the weekend without my usual clumsiness – until the last night)…

May 31, 2012 

I’M OUT: Philly, Here I Come!

 

Well, I’m off on my first mini-vacay of the year! Today, I’m heading out of Toronto and road trippin’ it to Philadelphia for the Blogging While Brown Conference! My homegirl Ro from Nubiansoulslocks and I are headed to the City of Brotherly Love for a few days of networking, learning, meeting new folks, and FUN!

The Blogging While Brown Conference launched in 2008, and is “dedicated to education, collaboration, and innovation among bloggers of colour.” These goals are achieved through well-constructed panel discussions, keynote speakers, breakout sessions, and networking events – and I’ve only heard amazing things about this conference!

Some of this year’s speakers include Patrice Grell Yursik (aka Afrobella), Demetria Lucas (aka A Belle In Brooklyn), Angel Laws (of Concrete Loop), Frederick Mwangaguhunga (of MediaTakeOut.com), and Anselm Samuel Rocque (of Naked With Socks On), among many others! Many of the speakers are people whose blogs I frequent and admire, so I’m excited to soak up their knowledge and experiences to make ’83 To Infinity an even better stop on your internet journey.

It seems like Philly is the place to be this weekend, with Blogging While Brown and The Roots Picnic happening at the same damn time (sorry, I’m listening to some Future as I type this). I’m just happy to explore a new city, experience the amazingness that is the BWB conference, and maybe, just MAYBE hit The Roots picnic on Saturday! I’ll be feeling out the city too to see how I’d feel about coming back on Labour Day Weekend for Jay-Z’s Made In America music festival…but I’m getting ahead of myself. Ro and I are ready to bring some Canadian flava to Blogging While Brown, so wish us luck!

I’ll do my best to keep y’all updated over the next few days, so be sure to hit me up on Twitter or Facebook for deets! Have a wonderful weekend!

April 3, 2012 

Traveling Dreams: Suitcases + Sunglasses = Sayonara!

The traveling bug has been nipping at me for a while now, but these days, I’m feeling the bite. I don’t know about y’all, but I suffer from a certain kind of cabin fever that is only cured by a passport stamp and a plane trip to a far-off, usually warm, but always beautiful place.

The other day, I was on a bus from my hometown back to Toronto. Driving down the 401 on a grey, rainy day had me daydreaming about the days gone by when I left the raindrops, snowflakes, loonies and toonies behind for more exotic temperatures and currency. Now I’m sitting here, trying to count my loonies and toonies and save up for another trip away from home…

Having parents from another country helped to spark my love of traveling early in life. Visiting family, whether in the U.S. or Caribbean, was always a great excuse to get away. As I grew older, I found friends and partners who shared that love of travel, which made it easy to plan amazing and memorable excursions. Traveling on my own also taught me a lot of lessons in common sense, and forced me to be comfortable with my own company in unfamiliar surroundings. Regardless, each trip I’ve been on has been an experience I won’t soon forget. Dancing to Waka Flocka in a bathrobe at the Four Seasons in Vegas while eating a $7 bag of gummy bears? I did that. Getting over my fear of heights by traveling on a ropeline over Japan’s Seito Sea? I did that. Eating Patsy’s bake and shark while kicking up sand at Maracas Beach in Trinidad? I did that. Traveling has opened my mind to things that I never would have thought possible – and it’s an experience I think that everyone needs to embrace.

Real Bee, fake background - Orlando, FL

Lunch @ Senor Frog's - Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas

Where everybody knows your name - Boston, MA

On the bus - Kyoto, Japan

Mama Bee and I livin' it up - Beverly Hills, CA

Heading for that bake and shark - Maracas Beach, Trinidad

I’ve had pricier trips (Japan), cheaper trips (Boston, Miami), and damn-near-free trips (Vegas – thanks to my old company), but my love of traveling forces me to find a way regardless. Expedia and iTravel2000 have given me access to CRAZY deals on flights and hotels. Having extended family in other cities and countries helps with a place to stay or a seasoned travel guide to take me around. Saving my pennies for a trip I really wanted to take is hard work, but pays off as soon as that plane lands safely in my travel destination…there’s nothing like that feeling.

There’s absolutely nothing like getting out of the familiar and jumping into a brand new space. My favourite thing about traveling is that it ignites my senses. Different tastes, smells, sounds, sights, and textures (literal – the feel of velvety black sand between my toes; figurative – the overwhelming feeling of history while visiting a Japanese shrine) give me gifts that I can’t get any other way.

Looking for motivation or other like-minded travelers? Check out Nomadness TV, a dope travel and life blog that has me ready to hop on a plane back to Asia. Oneika The Traveler is another travel goddess (and fellow Canuck!) whose love of teaching helped to get her all around the world. Want to make a HUGE life change? Read “Quit Your Job, Travel The World” on Clutch Magazine for some inspiration.

As for me, I’m currently saving my loonies and toonies for a weekend getaway to Philadelphia for the Blogging While Brown conference in June. After that, who knows. You might just catch me on a beach in Bali…a girl can dream!

Do you travel for work or pleasure? What has been your favourite trip to date? Where is your dream destination? Is anything holding you back from traveling? Let a sista know!

 

 

November 9, 2011 

Honeymoon Hair: Straight to Kinky & Everything In Between

Do you remember the post I wrote recently on vacation hair? I had my St. Lucia trip in mind, but had no clue how drastically different this vacation would be compared to those in the past. Where on previous trips, I was able to maintain one or two different styles for the duration of the trip, this trip had me in a different style almost every day!

When we arrived in St. Lucia, I still had my hair pressed from my visit to Urban Textures. The air conditioning on the shuttle from the airport to resort keep me cool and intact…

…but a short time in the humid island weather had me poufing out like nobody’s business! For dinner on the first night, I slicked back the front and pulled my hair into a low side ponytail/pouf situation – it worked though!

I was able to enjoy a day at the pool the following day….since I figured my hair would get wet at some point then, I just pulled those poufy tresses up into a high bun, and held down my flyaways with a black headband made from the leg of some old pantyhose (Goody ain’t got nothin’ on me!):

After splish-splashing in the pool and the Caribbean Sea, I ended up co-washing and twisting with some gel and shea butter, then pinned them up for the night, and the next day…

Later that day, it was time to let those twists loose…the humidity was SO much kinder to my curls!

After spending another day on and in the water (speedboating, snorkeling, bathing in mud and doing photo shoots under waterfalls), needless to say, a redo was necessary:

I loved this snakeskin/50′s roll + headwrap combo….I twisted my hair into what I call “loose” Bantu knots – I coiled the twists flat against my head and bobbypinned them instead of twisting into the regular knots that hold themselves together. I had two twists in the front that I had no clue what to do with, and since my hair was still wet, I got a couple more bobbypins out…coiled the two twists around each other, then tied on a headwrap leaving the front out. Black winged liner, my fave specs, and a red lip and I was good to go!

The next day, I undid the twists, but as usually happens with anything Bantu-related, my hair was not fully dry. I let my hair down, pinned back the sides to force fullness in the back (and cover the frizzy damp parts), and hit the road. Not the greatest pic, but here ya go:

I ended up back in the water after our morning at the school, but preferred taking a nap over staying up to twist my hair again…so for dinner that night, I pulled out a few clips and bobbypins and got to work on a quick updo:

French-rolled in the back and held in place with clips, I took the front piece and twisted it back and to the side, then pinned it in place. Do you recognize that peek of blue I’m wearing? It’s the same Henkaa dress I wore here, but I tried a sweetheart style:

Did I mention I LOVE these dresses? I need another one ASAP because y’all are going to be tired of seeing this one!

By this point, our trip was almost over. My hair either stayed pinned up or thrown into a messy bun. For our last night, we headed off the resort and to a nearby street party that pops off every Friday night. I was feeling hella lazy at this point, so it was all about jeans, a tank top, and lipgloss. That’s it. I had my hair in a bun, but hadn’t slicked the front down to my liking, so I threw on a silk scarf:

The next day, it was time to call it a week, and hop on that plane home.

So, what tools did I bring with me?

  • Herbal Essences Hello Hydration conditioner
  • Ampro gel
  • Shea butter
  • Elastics
  • Pantyhose headband
  • Bobbypins
  • Banana clips
  • 2 Headscarves

And that’s it! For me, it was minimal work with maximum style…just the way I likes it! I ensured that I loaded up with conditioner before I headed out for the day, in order to keep my hair moist under the hot sun, and protected from chlorine and salt in the water. As soon as we got back to the room, I would rinse or just spritz my hair with water and add more conditioner. I would *try* to sleep with my silk headscarf, but that didn’t always happen ;) Other than that, I didn’t worry about my hair too much…I was too busy having fun!

There you have it – my honeymoon week hair! Do you have any vacation plans coming up? Are you already setting your hair plans in motion, or do you just go with the flow?

November 7, 2011 

St. Lucia Was Too Good To Me…But I’m Back!

Hey y’all! So, my week of unlimited sun, fun, food and drinks is over, and I’m back to the harsh reality of Toronto life.

If you didn’t know, I went away to St. Lucia for my honeymoon! Let me just tell you – being on my honeymoon, I would make sure to have a good time no matter where I went, but St. Lucia was the most gorgeous background for a week of love.

We stayed at the Sandals La Toc (also called the Regency) in Castries, but were able to “stay at one, play at three”, as there is also the Sandals Halcyon and Sandals Grande resorts on the island. It was our first Sandals trip, but after meeting so many couples at check-in who were back for their 2nd, 3rd, 10th visit, we were looking forward to what awaited us over the week. I’ll just say, we were not disappointed! The hotel was incredible (I’ll be linking to my Trip Advisor review of the resort later this week), the island was breathtakingly beautiful, and the people of St. Lucia were ridiculously friendly and genuinely nice!

I’ll get down to the nitty gritty of the trip in the days to come, but for now I need to do some laundry and look for my day planner and my watch…two things I haven’t looked at in a week! What everyone wants to see are pictures, so I’ll share some here to hold you over :)

In front of the fountain at the Sandals Grande

Trying to overcome my aquaphobia by snorkeling in Marigot Bay

Covered in mud at the Soufrière sulphur springs

Frolicking (love that word!) in the Toraille waterfall

On the edge of the speedboat with the Pitons in the background

After reading 'Where the Wild Things Are' to the 1st graders at Balata Gov't School, we acted like wild things for the camera

Street partying in Gros Islet

So there you have it – a taste of what the past week was like for me. I’ll update you guys on the details of the trip (well, not ALL the details), tell you about a new personal mission that was revealed to me, and for all my hair fiends, let you know how I landed in St. Lucia with flat ironed tresses and left with a messy kinky/curly/nappy bun! Stay tuned!

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