How much money would it take to change your life?

I think as a nation, we're obsessed with the concept of more.

Most people could use ''more'' money, ''more'' time or ''more'' stuff  in their life.

But last year, I realized that it doesn't take much to really ''change'' your life.

My life was forever changed when my husband gave me $10,000 to start ''a business''. I didn't have a plan, just a shared vision. We envisioned having a family owned business that provided enough income for us to both work there and to create good paying jobs within the Black community.

Time...

My mother in laws passing and a business disappointment have made me take a long look at time and timing.

I had discussed with her my plans to return to college and at 43 I know that it's past time and a bit overdue. (she got her first degree at 50 and then 2 masters degrees)

I've also had to think realistically about a second child. I know that I could physically handle it, but am I willing to do what it takes organizationally. A child can't be my motivation to organize my life. I have to want that for my own peace of mind.

A few weeks before my mother in laws transition we were told that the station our radio program airs on was changing from an old school R&B format to comedy. Again I realized how much I was relying on the unreliable whims of people who live in another part of the country. I've had to step up really fast and do some quick research into ways that we can control our own product better. More to come on the details, but time dictated that I move quickly and decisively and it was made painfully clear that my current mode of operation had to change.

Time waits for no man and when our time on this side is up, it is indeed over.

I want to spend more time with my sister and cousins and I want to do more writing for pleasure and publishing.

It's time for me to have more fun, return to school, get my house in order, get  to baby making and put my business on the fast track so we we don't lose momentum.

It's time...

Traveling to The DNC and my 400th post!

Recently I spent a week away from home. It was combination work and pleasure. I was covering the DNC but my best friend lives in Charlotte so I stayed with her and had a ball being roommates again after 20 years.

It's always exciting to cover news stories that are also televised. It makes my reporting easier because of the visual the reader gets from tv in advance of my report.

Here's a link to the website for my newspaper and here's a few pics that didn't make the official report.

Gaining Focus

For the first time since my radio program began in 2005, I am taking a two month hiatus!  I'm really going to get into my lane and stay there!

My lane? The "homeschooling Muslim wife who has a business, weighs properly and has great friendships" lane.

For that reason, I am pulling back in some areas and "going in" in some areas.

Areas where I need to pull back - Facebook games, smartphone games. I might spend an hour on these a day. That is enough time for sewing, exercise, scrapping or cleaning.

Areas where I need to "go in" - Business planning, advance lesson planning, menu planning.

I am off to a good start. This post comes a few weeks after I've already started so I'm confident that these are not just words.

I'm re-energized!

This blog has been interrupted by my life

So here's what I've been up to:

Selling, selling, selling and selling advertising
Supervising an eager and extrememly helpful intern
Planning for a new direction for my company
Researching and cranking out stories for my paper
Researching submission guidelines for a couple magazines I think I have a shot at being published in
Getting my menu right because I was gaining weight again
Homeschooling
Reading books in preparation for a speech I'm giving (see?)

Then...
Planning for my spring/summer sewing
Doing LOTS of hair (more on THAT later)
*Channeling Wendy* How YOU doooin'?

What a blessing.

Can I just take a moment to publicly acknowledge how WONDERFUL my life is?

I love what I do for a living.

I spend most of my days with my husband and my daughter. We are a big package deal and I love that.

We work from home.

We get to be with my daughter as she learns, discovers and grows.

We have food in the fridge, our lights and water are on and I have nothing in the pawn shop! LOL! (somebody who is self-employed knows what I'm talking about :o)

I skipped out on some work time to bake brownies with my babygirl and take her to homeschool park day and then took a nice 2 hour nap so I am about to take my laptop up to my bedroom and finish the rest of my writing and editing work. I can work in bed while my daughter sleeps around the corner.

This is a great life. Not a lot of stress, just a lot of joy.

I wish you all peace and joy and all the love you can stand.

Wake up call!

This week I had two wake up calls.

I have been working to lose weight and improve my health. When I weighed in on Tuesday, I had gained four pounds.

I always want to know "the reason" anything happens. So I went back through my food journal and couldn't find anything wrong. But then I thought about my week. The week before, I had to deal with a troublesome employee ( to say the least). It caused me to put in extra hours at my desk and lose some sleep time. Consequently, my feet and ankles and hands were swollen from lack of rest and circulation. I fired that person and resolved to not let any drama linger to the point that it is interfering with my family or my well being!

Then on Friday, Tim Russert died. Everyone commented on his commitment to his job and his family and how he loved his job so much that he spent countless hours on research and promotion of his show. That sound too familiar.

I have been working hard at not working so hard since April. It's tough to walk away sometimes, but my life depends on it!

What's up!

The Kentucky primaries wore me down.

I had to cover Michelle Obama's appearance in the city on Monday. I wanted to share the photo above because I love how everyone behind Mrs. Obama is taking her picture, LOL! (if you click on it, it will blow up. If you use it, credit A. Gerton as photographer)

Tuesday morning I was on Santita Jackson's radio show in Chicago by telephone to talk about the primaries. (She's Rev. Jackson's oldest daughter and is The Queen of Chicago talk radio :-)

Tuesday afternoon, I had to do some exit polling for my story. (Everyone I interviewed was for Obama, he won Lexington and Louisville despite the crushing loss of votes in KY)

Then I had to get photos and quotes to the Black newswire.

Tuesday night I had to watch results while putting away laundry and eating.

This morning I had to review final numbers from the Secretary of State and do Santita's show again (which was actually the highlight of my day).

I had to go grocery shopping and am about to cook some dinner.

And now I have 36 hours to turn out my next issue of the paper, do some lessons with baby girl, feed my family and sleep a bit.

Talk to you later!!!!!!

Just fine...

Whew! I am through with that moment I was having. I had to press forward and basically get an entire new staff. Interviewing all these people and reading all these writing samples took me through something. I knew it was time to grow and my little family was growing and I was resisting. I had to get myself in check so I could effectively manage all of the personalities and philosophies and opinions that come with the new people.

I hired 2 new sales people; a project editor; an on air personality and brought on two new freelance writers (and hopefully one more Omi :).

It would seem like I'd be saying, "Whew! More help!" but it means a lot of work in an area with which I struggle, MANAGEMENT. I had to free my mind and my plate so I would manage my new staff well. They are a great team and if managed properly, we'll see some real progress around here.

This time reminds me of the beginning of my company. The energy and excitement of the people I have around me is contagious. I know that they would not have applied for these positions if they did not see a place that was on the move and something they would be proud to associate with. I am proud of my company. Proud of my and my husbands accomplishments.

I have a new reminder on my desk that reads, "wdUt?" It's code for "what do YOU think?"

Because in the end, that's all that really matters.

Weather condition.....combination rain and hail with gusty winds.

It's about to get deep in here. I go through these periods of growth that are usually painful to go through and equally painful to watch.

I have to get to the root of my discomfort and fear so I can get to the next level.

At this point in 2008, I have everything in place to make this my most productive and professionally rewarding year in history. I just have to get over a few personal and emotional hurdles/obstacles and I then I can run like the wind.

So I'm saying that to say...here I go. You can read along for the ride or catch me in a few. I hope to hear from you along the journey, but it really is my trip to take.

Join us on Sunday!!!

Join me Sunday (12/23) at 6pm EST for my weekly radio show "Key Conversations". You can listen LIVE on-line at www.wlap.com

Our topic will be "2007 Year End Review" We're giving a Black perspective on the biggest local and national headlines. This week is Part 2.

Special guests will be:
Popular blogger Mwabi Murdock, Editor in chief of Jamati.com
and
Founder of BlackAmericanTalks.net, Bruce Edwards

LISTEN ONLINE AT WWW.WLAP.COM (click Listen Live)

A page from the story that is my life...

Today I had the unfortunate experience of being a guest on the "Wylie Coyote Show" here in Big City Wanna Be. I call it that because it is a play on the radio show hosts name, and her audience is like a pack of wild coyote's.

Background: I turned some of my random thoughts into a rather long piece on the Michael Vick case and sent it the daily newspaper for publication. They asked me, at the end of 2006, to consider being a regular contributing commentator but I declined for the time being. Now, I felt up to the task of the additional writing that it would require. And also, I had to prepare for the potential added attention I may experience.

My article ran on Saturday and by Monday I got a call from Ms. Coyote to be on her show. I have declined her invitation each time I've been invited this year, because her audience does not stay on topic and they accuse every Black person who comes on the radio of "playing the race card." I decided to begin writing a few pieces for the daily to promote our newspaper and radio show and since exposure was the goal I accepted the invitation to do the show.

Some people crave the spotlight, and I admit I did too for a while in my life. I now prefer for my words to be in print so that people can reread them for clarity and any misinterpretation of my words can be blamed on the reader and not my sometimes blunt delivery.

Several listeners (all "sounded" white) took this opportunity to:
1. Accuse me of calling another talk show host a racist.
2. Tell me I was a racist for having a "Black" newspaper.
3. Tell me Black need to clean out their own backyard before calling others racist because we have Black colleges, Miss Black America and BET so are racists too.
4. Tell me that they were just waiting for someone to say that Vick was a victim of racism. Because "you people" always revert to that when you are caught with your hands in the cookie jar.
5. Agree that Vick should get his job back in the NFL (which was my real point in the article) but people like me make him sick always talking about race.
6. Call in to say that he had a comment but was so angry at me he couldn't get his thoughts together.

But 3 brothers (of course one being my Supa Dupa Fly Husband) and 1 white man called to defend my position.
1. The first caller gave several examples through the years of Black athletes who have been paid less that white counterparts helping to prove my belief that there is an underlying racist belief that Blacks aren't deserving of wealth. (I didn't say overwhelming belief, I said underlying)
2. The second caller compared the treatment of Barry Bonds to that of Roger Clemens. Why is a Black man accused of steroid use for hitting home runs but the white pitcher isn't?
3. The white man said that there are too many instances where judges and government has had to step in and change laws that were unfair toward Blacks for us to simply dismiss any claims of racism in this or any other case. He mentioned the crack v. cocaine sentencing and driving while Black as instances where it didn't seem racist initially, but further evaluation proved it.
4. Lastly, one brother called after I left and said he didn't know why I even came on the show knowing how her audience is. He said he only listens so he can hear what her listeners are really saying behind closed doors.

I had to go take some nerve pills and sit down with baby girl and work a puzzle with her to calm down.

When I returned to the office though, a 70 year old Black business owner called me. She told me that I made her proud by standing my ground against those callers and that that's how we 'used to be'. We always had the back of one another and my defense of Vick's rights was the right thing to do. I never said he wasn't guilty but I didn't let people kick him while he's down. She said what she read in the paper was not at all they way they tried to spin it on the radio.

That's why I do what I do. I am a defender of truth and I'm for the rise of Black people. Some see my Black pride as hatred for non-Blacks, but that's their issue to deal with. That one call from my elder reminded me that God groomed me for this work and this was just another day at the office.

p.s. I'm going to write something on the train wreck that we call "talk radio".

See you on the radio!

Join me today at 6pm EST for my weekly radio show "Key Conversations". You can listen LIVE on-line at www.wlap.com

Our topic will be "2007 Year End Review" We're giving a Black perspective on the biggest local and national headlines.

Special guests will be:
Popular blogger Mwabi Murdock, Editor in chief of Jamati.com
and
Founder of BlackAmericanTalks.net, Bruce Edwards

LISTEN ONLINE AT WWW.WLAP.COM (click Listen Live)

Have a great weekend!

Please listen in to my radio show, Key Conversations, LIVE online at www.wlap.com (click LISTEN LIVE) THIS SUNDAY at 6pm EST. My guest will be Ms. Harriette Cole. We'll be discussing "Holiday Etiquette". If you live in Central KY listen in on 630AM at 6pm.

Remember, Key Conversations SUNDAY at 6pm EST! See you on the radio!

The next generation

Though I am not old enough to be the mother of a college student, I often look at college students as children. Mostly because of the whining and complaining I hear from them. But recently, I have been pleasantly surprised by some students. Particularly some young women. During the big march in Jena, an informational rally was held at The Univ. of Ken.tu.cky. by the Del.ta's. They did it up, complete with t-shirts, a table full of laptops so that people could sign on-line petitions, speakers and even a symbolic demonstration with 6 Black male students sitting under a tree that resembled the "white" tree" in Jena. I was so excited when I saw this student organized event.

The ladies have caught the militant bug and are now hosting a series of talks on current controversial or seldom reported events. I will be speaking at the next one. I am going to chronicle the life, death and death investigation of Remy Okonkwo. A normal, healthy, well-loved Black student at a small Baptist college in Georgetown, KY. who was found dead, hanging from a noose in his all-white fraternity house. (He was one of two Black members.)

I've been covering this story for a while now while the major media has ignored it. The ladies want people to hear the details and hopefully be inspired to do something.

I am feeling better about the future knowing that all this recent trouble for Blacks in America has not made the youth bitter, but instead made them stronger, more unified and willing to ACT UP when necessary!

Calm, cool, collected

That's my mood today. For the first time in a long time I am not feeling rushed or under the gun. I didn't think about how life would be as the owner of a newspaper, and I should have. This constant deadline that I am on get's to be overwhelming at times. But today, I'm cool. I pushed my deadline back and now I'm cruising in to the finish line instead of running to the finish line with an armful of files and tripping over my shoelace and falling face first over the line with papers flying everywhere. That would make a great cartoon but it's not cool to be the one in a perpetual out of balance state. I'm going to really strive to get organized before 2008. I'm not superstitious but I do believe in setting goals to finish or begin things by January 1. Only because it's easy to remember as an anniversary.

Well, I'm back to work, but I'm chillin'. I'm not stressed one bit but I'm going to keep a steady pace so I won't be blogging about stress on Monday.

Much peace,
Sister P

Right now...

I'm feeling good.
Had a productive work day and even managed to get in some "idiot box" time. I watched that damned Chef Gordon do a "helluva" makeover on a restaurant. But I managed to get some inspiration from his last few words. He basically told the restaurant owner (who was about to shut down) that now that he was back on track, he had to transition from just a chef to a restaurateur.

I am right there with my business. I have to go from managing editor and talk show host to CEO. Though I'm doing that, I don't have the "mentality". I work "with" my staff and don't really allow myself the space to move the business forward. I think that everyone feels like they have input, but they don't all stay awake at night strategizing our next move like me and then I'm swayed by their "gut reaction" or impulsive suggestion.

I have to take charge. This is my life and my business. This is the business that I am building for generations to come so I have to set a strong foundation and no better time than the crucial year 6. 80% of small businesses fail in the first 5 years and we are in the 4th quarter of a hellacious year 5.

I'm ready to make that move and now I realize that that was what all the crying has been for. I've been going through a birthing process and I'm half way through labor, without the pain medication (drugs/alcohol). It's rough but I'll make it and we'll be a happier family for it.

Jessica Care Moore and Missing "The D"

I LOVE DETROIT! And have never met a person from The D that I didn't love. The poet, writer, business woman, publisher, mother, wife Jessica Care Moore was here in Big City Wanna Be for the weekend and she is SO Detroit. She even has a "D" tatted on her arm. (I want one so bad).

Jessica made me have a new appreciation for poetry. I usually don't want to do all the thinking that goes along with poetry (symbolism, metaphors, etc.)She just breaks it down.


As I watched her juggle the hectic schedule that "we"/African Girl planned for her with a one year old in tow, I saw myself. Someone who has a plan that includes self-fulfillment and motherhood and financial gains. She performed and cared for her son and handled her publishing business and socialized with guests at dinners and receptions.

She is phenomenal and my sister and lovely and inspiring and intelligent and a Black woman.


Here's a bonus video if you want some more Jessica (sorry Ms. J, I know you didn't approve these clips on the 'tube but it does the job :o)

Independent Thinker....

I don't have hero's but I sure admire Cathy Hughes. She has already done what my husband and I hope to do (create a media empire) plus she is an independent thinker. Let me know what you think about what Ms. Hughes has to say about controlling our own images...