Social Change and a Pen: Hannah Friedman

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of interviewing writer Hannah Friedman for an article I wrote for Huffington Post. And I must say that Hannah is one amazing chic! Check out an excerpt of her interview below.

The Case of the "Bumpy Bottom Louboutins"

Christian Louboutin, Rolex, Balenciaga, Burberry, Channel...you name it they got it-the counterfeit version that is. And with every counterfeit version of a designer label..there is an obvious lack of quality that can be seen in an instant with the trained eye. Regardless of the fact that these items are fake, there are those who must have "replica" designer pieces in their wardrobe since they can not afford the real thing.

Question(s) for you...

Do you think that society is so obsessed with labels, keeping up, and impressing people that we will take short cuts or even overextend ourselves to make people view us in a certain light? Why do you think some women would rather have a pair a faulty replica "Bumpy Bottom" Christian Louboutins? Or do you think it is perfectly OK to buy replicas until one can afford the real thing?

"The real you is more interesting than the fake someone else.."-Lauryn Hill

Finding Myself in Paris: "Bonjour Madame!"

This summer I found a piece of myself..in Paris. It was a pretty simple act and I kind of stumbled upon.. myself. As I was leaving the Eiffel Tower, I came across what looked like a group of school girls. They were in uniform and with them were two adult women. The girls were roughly between the ages 9 and 14 and were all of African Descent. As they approached me they all said in unison, "Bonjour Madame!". I thought to myself, "wow the are so manner able and polite". But then another part of me wanted me to know that that brief moment was just a sign, a sign with a confirmation. Because my passion and purpose is empowering young women, as I take this journey to fulfilling that, I must not only enjoy the scenery on the journey, but ACKNOWLEDGE  it. Your life. It's all about the journey, the people you meet, what you notice, and what you learn along the way.

"I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it."

Mentor in My Head: Malaak Compton-Rock

     Throughout our journey in life, we get inspiration from different things and even from people that we may not have necessarily ever met. A lot of my inspirations come from people that I have never met in person, but I respect them very much, and admire their work ethic and their passion for making a difference. These people are my "Mentors in My Head". One of my mentors in my head is Malaak Compton-Rock, Founder and Director of The Angel Rock Project, and she also is the wife of actor and comedian Chris Rock. The Angel Rock Project is "an on-line e-village promoting volunteerism, social responsibility, and sustainable change". I was completely blown away by Mrs. Compton-Rock when I was first introduced to her and her organization on the CNN Special "Black in America". Her enthusiasm, drive, and her passion to inspire the world to take part in social responsibility and service moved me, and just confirmed what I already knew.

For more information on The Angel Rock Project please  visit www.angelrockproject.com . MalaakCompton-Rock {I love saying her name!} is a Fabulous Do Gooder in my book!

Lebron James a "Fabulous Do-Gooder" {..well at least I think so}

I am sure you have probably heard about LeBron James' "decision" to play for the Miami Heat by now. Everything leading up to the broadcast of his "decision" and after was a media frenzy. There were many people who were against the decision he made and there were people who took issue with how he went about making his announcement. But as for me, I think James actually went about this in a pretty clever way. For starters, James owns his own marketing company LRMR, which approached ESPN with the idea for the "The Decision". And according to Sports Business Daily,

"ESPN did not pay James for the exclusive, nor would the network consider it a time buy since LRMR did not purchase the air time. "The only financial arrangement is that time was made available for LeBron's camp to bring in sponsors to run spots in the show for the benefit of the Boys & Girls Club,".

Blog Live Atlanta: Had a Blast!

This Past Saturday I had the privilege to participate in Face Forward's Blog Live Atlanta event as a panelist. If you were not there...you should have been. The event was basically "Creative Networking Gone Live!". We had great lively discussions about topics ranging from Relationships, Business, to Politics and the Media.

And speaking of lively discussions..One question in particular sparked a very interesting conversation. The topic was:  "Smart Women Marry Men Who Love Them More!" Is that rooted in fear or sheer femme?  Juicy right? I know. Read Execumamas post about this topic on her blog and join the discussion!

Your Compass

"I think if you look at people, whether in business or government, who haven't had any moral compass, who've just changed to say whatever they thought the popular thing was, in the end they're losers. "

-Michael Bloomberg

When was the last time you evaluated your compass?

"Unheard Voices: Women Can't Wait"

Photo Credit: Concern.net

OK, so check this out; women work 2/3 of the world's working hours, we produce more than 1/2 of the worlds food, but we only earn 1/10 (10%) of the worlds income? Um..Yeah it doesn't sound right to me either (concern.net). A few days ago I was walking down the Oxford Street in London, England doing a bit of shopping while on my vacation and I overheard a young man talking to a woman about the need for women's voices to be heard. Immediately I wanted to find out more about what they were talking about. So I waited around until the were done with their conversation and the I started speaking with the gentleman.

 Well, to make a long story short, he works with an organization called  Concern Worldwide that is running a campaign called "Unheard Voices". Unheard Voices is on a mission to bring awareness to the fact that 60% of people who go hungry every night are women, despite the fact that they produce the majority of food in developing countries. Women play a vital, yet unrecognised, role in the fight against hunger and poverty.

To find out more about their campaign, please visit www.concern.net

Makes me think of the song by Donna Summer..

"She works hard for the money so you better treat her right..!"

Fab Do-Gooder Call for Help

We need your help folks. My organization, The She is Me Program, Inc., is in need of your help. All the events, workshops, programs, and community service projects that we do are funded by donations and sponsors from people like you.

In order for us to continue to empower young women we need your support, and of course your charitable donation :) . Please consider making a $5 charitable donation. For every $5 donation you make, you are entered into a drawing for a brand new Blackberry Bold 9700. The drawing will be held on July 6.

To make your donation please CLICK HERE

You are very appreciated

Blog Live: Atlanta Social Media Gone Live

What are you doing on July 10th? Nothing? Great, then come out to Blog Live :Atlanta Social Media Gone Live presented by Face Forward!

"Participants will enjoy special teas and snacks crafted from freshly picked local herbs while discussing hot topics like social faux pas, best and worst practices, and “Hot Now” media issues. These “posts” will leave them worked up and on the edge of their seats, as they learn about blog terminology, and networking do’s and don’ts while sharing their two cents!"

Oh yeah, and I am one of the guest panelist!

Click HERE for more information.