I’ve heard humble beginnings invite glorious ends. This video inspires me by reminding me everyone has got to start somewhere!
Over the next 15 years I expect my life to drastically change. I want to experience exponential growth and expansion in my entire life (well except physically lol don’t need no growth in this ole’ body lol). Career, spirit, health, well-being, love though, I just want to EXPLODE into the greatness I truly believe I’m destined to step into! My thoughts of my future overwhelm me and I’m grateful I’ve got so many people in my world that support me and my desires, whatever they may be at the moment. When I first read about Oprah’s 50th Birthday Legends Luncheon, I wanted to do something similar for my birthday. This year seemed like the right time. And although every woman who has made an impact on my life couldn’t be there, I think the ladies that did show up symbolized all that I desire to be. The day was simple. I invited everyone for brunch and gave them an index card with a quote, definition, saying and or phrase they had to recite to the group. One by one I had the women who’ve raised me, stood by me, mentored me and worked along side me stand up, say their card then I told a story about them. The intention was pure and simple: to show gratitude for the women in my life. The outcome was one I couldn’t imagine. I let go some long deep seated issues and found peace within myself. I wanted the women who came to feel like they are a special part of my life because without them (and others who could not attend) I’m not sure I’d be where I am. It is impossible to look at me and know my story but know that nothing I am or have accomplished has been a solo endeavor! And that realization alone is BRILLIANT!
Here are the lovely pictures from my event done by L. Kasimu Harris of Vision and Verbs Media-check out his work, dat boy is good! LOL!
Davida’s Brunch – Images by L. Kasimu Harris
Also, here’s a list of the women who were on hand and what they had to say:
- Brandi – “Getting your first job in the business may be the hardest thing you do.” (Brandi got me my first interview for my first gig in good ole’ Hollywood!)
Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire. This is your moment. Own it.
Yesterday day one of three day finale of the Oprah Winfrey Show aired. I was super excited to watch! I mean the show has been on for TWENTY FIVE YEARS! CRAZY! I was so beyond moved I cried the entire time. So much so I had to turn off the tv. But why? Why was I so moved to tears? True I’m a bit emo so it doesn’t take much to make me cry but this was different. These tears were not for sadness or reflection. I was crying because watching that finale made me realize what is to come if I tap into my “Oprah” power.
To me, Oprah’s true power lies in her ability to stand for what she wants. She became the most powerful woman in entertainment simply doing what came natural to her. She’s shared her life with us, billions of us around the world. Giving so much of herself and her resources to impact and influence and shape the world into one she would like to see. So often when things are not as I’d have them be, I complain or sulk or simply walk away. What would happen if instead, I took action to create the world around me? And when she stood for things, she enlisted the help of her friends and forced them to live up to their full potential! How many times do you see powerful folk that shit on others? Not Oprah-she put her people in positions to shine!
Oprah has always taught that this is the moment! Right NOW! And what we do in this moment simply preps us for the next moment that is sure to come…I’m tearing up as I type. If you like her or not, Oprah’s life is a reflection of what can happen when one focuses on their power instead of their limitations. Oprah’s story was not one that indicated this would be her legacy. But she worked to deal with her ish, often times in front of all of us, and she let go! She has flourished and become for many the epitome of success. AND I love that she’s always promoted those people or products she felt helped her life. AND she gave so much! AND she’s always so clearly in the moment (look at her expressions! You can see whatever emotion she’s having at the moment).
I love what Oprah stands for and in my eyes she’s a hero, mentor, teacher…PERSONALITY! And she consistently has done the work for 25 years! A QUARTER OF A CENTURY! Thanks Oprah for all you have done and stood for…
Every day I watched how a bare metal frame rolling down the line would come out the other end a spanking brand new car. Maybe I could do the same thing with my music … create a place where a kid off the street could walk in one door an unknown and come out another door a star.
There’s a lot of opinions about Berry Gordy. I personally believe he’s one of the most astute businessmen of our time. He founded Motown which developed a sound that lives on today. No one developed artists like Motown did and many a group has come along following the framework the label set up. I love Berry Gordy and his influence (and damn near passed out the first time I heard his voice on the phone lol). Pioneer, visionary, leader, entrepreneur, influencer, risk taker…all qualities I hope to embody as I become a producer. Oh yeah after he mastered the music game, he made a few amazing films including “Lady Sings the Blues,” and directed “Mahogany”. Here’s his story…
Berry Gordy, Jr., was born in 1929 and reared in Detroit. He was not the first businessman in the family; both parents were self-employed, his father as a plastering contractor, his mother as an insurance agent. Gordy dropped out of Northeastern High School in his junior year to pursue a career as a Featherweight boxer. Between 1948 and 1951 he fought 15 Golden Gloves matches, 12 of which he won, but his fighting career was clipped short when he was drafted to serve in the Korean War.
Upon his discharge from the Army in 1953, Berry Gordy returned to Detroit and used his service pay to open the Three-D Record Mart. His love for the jazz of Stan Kenton, Charlie Parker, and Thelonius Monk influenced his inventory more than his customers’ requests for “things like Fats Domino,” and his business soon failed.
Gordy worked for his father for a short period and then as a chrome trimmer on the assembly line at the Ford Motor Company. The monotony was formidable, and Gordy’s way of overcoming it was to write songs in his head, some of which were recorded by local singers. Decca Records bought several of his compositions, including “Reet Petite” and “Lonely Teardrops” (both recorded by Jackie Wilson), and when Gordy compared his royalty checks to what Decca made from the modest hits, he realized that writing the hits wasn’t enough. He needed to own them. Read More
Today as I was getting my hair done (long hair don’t care for a while-pics to come) I began to think of my personal hair history and how many things I’ve tried to use to make my mane behave how I’d have it to. That made me feel so grateful there was a multitude of hair options for coarse, kinky, curly, wavy, sometimes straight, extra thick hair like mine. And to think, all the products I use were derived from Madame C.J. Walker’s pomade and heated tools developed in 1905. Her empire made her not only a pioneer in the hair care industry but the first self made female millionaire. That’s what I call a boss!
Madame C.J. Walker (1867-1919)
Entrepreneur and philanthropist. Born Sarah Breedlove on December 23, 1867, in Delta, Louisiana. Madam C. J. Walker was one of the first female African-American entrepreneurs. Orphaned at the age of seven, she was raised by an elder sister. Walker married to Moses McWilliams at age 14 in Vicksburg. Widowed at age 20 with a daughter, A Lelia, she moved to St. Louis and attended public night schools and worked days as a washerwoman.
Driven by her own struggles with hair loss during 1890s, Madam C. J. Walker began experimenting with different hair care treatments and products. In 1905 she invented a method for straightening African-Americans’ “kinky” hair: her method involved her own formula for a pomade, much brushing, and the use of heated combs. Encouraged by her success, she moved to Denver, Colorado, where she married Charles J. Walker. She promoted her method and products by traveling about the country giving lecture-demonstrations. Her business became so successful that she opened an office in Pittsburgh in 1908, which she left in the charge of her daughter. Read More
pic credit: George Burns for HARPO
Last night was super emotional. I watched WAITING FOR SUPERMAN and it made me feel so helpless. I was really angry at the government, teachers unions, parents, and myself for not doing more to help educate children in America. I started my career as a teacher but gave up very quickly. I remember saying “It’s not worth it,” when preparing our children for the world is so worth the bs I had to go through on the day to day. After the movie, I turned on Oprah. Oprah’s show was about a huge family secret. Her mother had a daughter that she gave up for adoption that only one family member knew about. That secret daughter found out who her mother was and found a way to contact Oprah’s niece. Long story short, they found out she was in fact Oprah’s sister (half sister they have the same mom not dad). Oprah met Patricia this past Thanksgiving for the first time and yesterday’s show shared this story. I expected Oprah to be mad, pissed off and defensive. I thought she’d be done with her mom. Afterall, her mother had all the time in the world to share this secret. And this sister, how could she be sure she didn’t just show up for money? Well Oprah addressed my concerns. Because the sister knew the secret for a few years and never went to the media, Oprah felt a great sense of loyalty to her. (Her other half sister that she grew up with and knew sold the story that Oprah had had an abortion to the tabloids back in the 80s.) As far as her mom, Oprah felt like she was still stuck in 1963-embarrassed that she had gotten pregnant and could not take care of her baby. I guess I was shocked by Oprah’s candor. Yes I see her delve deep into the lives of others everyday but this was her story. Family secrets can be a mess but here she was laying it all out for the world to see. I love that about Oprah. She’s got a way of being so brutally honest that it forces me to live in my truth. One of her last statements was, ” This is the truth as I know it.” The truth does indeed set us free. That’s why Oprah wasn’t burdened by this-she was free from it. She asked her mother to free herself…that made me challenge myself to allow myself more freedom. How can I be more truthful? Where am I not being honest? What am I hiding? What’s blocking my way to being free? As I answer these questions, I challenge myself to do so in a way that doesn’t bring guilt or shame but rather compassion and love. Instead of being mad because I quit teaching, I can release that guilt and recognize that the traditional classroom wasn’t my passion. I can free myself from feeling some kind of way about my own family secrets. I can free myself from all the shoulda, woulda, coulda situations. I’m ready to ask the tough questions, release the things that no longer serve me and move on because in the end, I just want to be free…
Monday was MLK Day but it wasn’t a holiday on my job. When I got up for work, my Granny was already up. She was in fact off for the day but she was up doing things around the house. She proceeded to make me breakfast which I of course can do for myself. But I was not in the mood, to make food or to have the debate about how I should let her do things for me, so I let her prepare my egg white and turkey bacon sandwich. This brief interaction opened me up to a huge revelation. My grandmother has always been a really great cook. She has always held a job in some form of food service related industry and even ran her own business as a caterer until she decided she was over it. Granny loves to cook and loves to cook for others and that’s exactly what she’s done with her life. Everything I read always says to find what you love and do it and she’s done just that. Its weird because I never thought of my Granny as a career woman but she’s achieved what I desire to do in my life as it relates to work. She found her gift and she found a way to get paid for that gift as well has share that gift with others as often as she can. I felt so close to her in that moment and I’m sure she thought I was tripping because I got all emo on her. Moving home for this brief time was a good thing. I’ve have gotten closer to my Granny, not as a kid but as an adult, and found we have so much more in common than I could have expected. I’m so grateful for the lessons she’s taught me throughout my life and especially grateful that I’m at a place in my life that I can recognize those common threads. Her life gives me the courage to go after what I truly want in life. I love that lady…
Since I began to work in physical production, I get to meet new and interesting people on every new job. One of my favorite people to work for to date was Clark Johnson. I served as his assistant on the pilot of DELTA BLUES (later changed to MEMPHIS BEAT). Clark is an amazing person! Super down to Earth, really engaging and definitely about supporting local businesses and workers. It was so great to work with him! I’ve been watching THE WIRE and started Season 5 last night. I knew that Clark had directed the show during the first season. He told me when we wrapped DELTA BLUES that I should get into THE WIRE. HE was right – I LOVE IT! He told me he made a brief appearance in Season 5. He’s a jokester and his “appearance” is as one of the main characters during the season! I saw the first episode of the last season last night and he’s good! (He starred in HOMICIDE back in the day but I never saw that show either.) Anyway, yet another example of an industry vet that does not place himself in a box! While there are 700,000 things that work my nerves about my career choice, opportunities to work closely with greats such as Clark are amazing. I feel so fortunate and hope that my future work somehow reflects all the great mentors I’ve had throughout my career!
