No matter what struggles your going through or what battles your facing, never give up. A wise man told me “Only the strong survive”. That tells me, through a crumbling economy and trying to stay above water, there’s still opportunity…and more opportunity to come.
Today, I want you to check out this video by a motivational speaker, Les Brown titled “You Gotta Be Hungry”.
Being that March is women’s month I felt that it would only be right that I share a recent experience. Last Saturday I had the pleasure to attend KStarr’s first fundraising event, “Make up & Martini“. The money raised would go towards having a baby shower for three women at the St. Ambrose Family shelter. Falasha, the founder of KStarr, gave a great speech and it had a great impact on those in attendance. Her speech was so heart warming the women in the room hung on every word Falasha spoke. Their hearts went out to the women who were strangers but their donation was going to play a major role in future of the mother and child. KStarr plans to stay in the lives of the mother and child until the child reaches the age of 18. Also they will give the child a scholarship of $500, so that the future college grad may be able to pay for their books. On this day $604 was raised, just about $400 short of the $1000 goal.
What I loved most about the event is that I got to see women of all color come out to support a great cause and foundation and as an added bonus get free make up tips from Tiana of M.A.C and the women of Lord’s and Lady’s and not to forget a glass of FREE Martini’s. I got to meet Dave, the owner of Vintage Lounge, where the event was being held, and at one point he was mixing the drinks the venue had a great vibe to it. As I was walking around and listening to the women I heard conversation range from martinis, colleges, make up and hot iron press tips by Tiana and Lords & Lady’s crew. As a guy I was so out of my element, but I was picking up future brownie points that I knew for sure.
I don’t get make up at all, to me its just color. On this day I was schooled to what M.A.C was all about, and one thing I learned is that a woman and her M.A.C is not to be played with. I observed like a child as Tiana applied the make up to Falasha’s face. I couldn’t deny it I was impressed with the skill, and that when I was told “applying make up is not a skill, but an art.” “And M.A.C you have to understand is a lifestyle, its universal and open to all sex and races.“ As Bobby Shakes snapped pictures and I sat there and reflected and in a weird way G-Hamp was sort of like M.A.C. We’re universal and open to all. Of course I’d be the only to find a link between G-Hamp and M.A.C, but what can I say “Its what I do.”
I love KStarr and all that they stand for. One great story I took from this day was of a woman who actually never wore make up before, but came out to the event and was pampered very nicely. I asked her why she never wore make and how she felt she simply stated that she never had time to apply make up because she had kids and she felt beautiful. This is what KStarr is about to me, they are about reaching across the borders and open new doors of opportunity.
Please visit www.Kstarr.org or www.theghampmovement.com (if you’re reading from my notes on FaceBook) feel free to donate and bring joy to new life.
As I wrote about last week, I hope that one day G-HAMP Apparel will be able to give meaningful opportunities to people in the future. Until then we can help give opportunities by leveraging the connections we have made. Here BIG chance for someone really special.
Glamour Magazine is looking for a strong women who is a real grass-roots activist with a very dramatic story. Someone who’s done something uniquely for women, under risk and duress. This person will be a part of Glamour’s Women of the Year Awards. They are looking for someone who has done great work in Central or Eastern Europe, China, South or Central America, Southeast Asia, Northern Europe or Russia.
Please note that the bar for these awards is set VERY high. They are looking for real A-List activists who have over come amazing odds to bring change for other women. They have changed the law, or fought the status quo to make life better for other women in their situation.
Previous winners are people like Somaly Mam who is a Cambodian woman that is rescuing child prostitutes in Cambodia and stamping out the practice. During the awards ceremony she brought a 12 year old ex-child prostitute onstage and the girl’s story was so absolutely moving that Queen Latifah pledged $150,000 of her own money on the spot, to Somaly Mam’s group.
Needless to say they are looking for the best of the best. If you know anyone that you think would be a candidate for this award please leave a short description of the person and your email in the comments and I’ll get in touch with you.
Please spead the word. This could be a big chance for some incredible women doing amazing work.
We’re always striving to make a better living and achieve wealth in our lives. With the economic crisis happening in our country, now is the right time to build strong connections with the people around you whether they’re from your job, in your neighborhood, at your church, your school; wherever. When you build these connections it can pay off dividends in your present and/or future aspirations.
This past Wednesday, Nelson Dewitt (from Coto Solutions and G-HAMP Apparel) invited me to a networking event in Cambridge, Ma. at the Andala Coffee House. I met some really cool, sincere people. Guys like Joselin Mane who runs a marketing consultanting company called LITBeL Consulting. He gave me plenty of info and tips on how I can effectively market my product. I met Miguel Danielson who is an intellectual property and strategy counseling lawyer. He’s also the co-founder and general manager of a music company called Mac Jams looking for a company to design their t-shirts 
. If you’re free on a Wednesday morning, Andala Coffee House is a good place to go to meet people and build connections.
Now Andala Coffee shop or any other coffee shop is not the only place where you can make connections with people. You can make connections with people ANYWHERE at any point and time. I bumped into a good friend of mine from back in the day; we played basketball and went to church. I found him on facebook when he found me and requested me as a friend. My good friend Daniel Irving, who runs BD Mack Designs, is a very talented brother that can design web sites, draw, and does photo-shop. He’s also a photographer and claims to have a good jump-shot lol. If you need any of the likes, check out his website for more info.
Check out this SUPER funny video on ways to make connections with people:
Links:
http://www.ismckenzie.com/7-ways-to-build-strong-relationships/
http://digitallabz.com/blogs/how-to-build-strong-relationships-on-twitter.html
http://www.bdmackdesigns.com
http://www.LITBeL.com
www.macjams.com
Its funny where you get your inspiration at times. I’ve heard stories about how when someone has a near death experience and reflect on the word in a new whole new light. Well my inspiration came while sitting and playing the new add on to Grand Theft Auto. While playing I was tuning in the different radio stations they have listed. With the variety that I had I decided to listen to the station “Tuff Gong”. Than out of nowhere came this Bob Marley song which just touched my soul. The name of the song was “So much trouble in the World.” This as my Jamaican brothers would say is “a wicked chune (tune)”
There I am sitting going around shooting at other guys and the melody put me in a trance and one point it picked up a line “We the street people talkin’, Yeah, we the people strugglin’.” And it the song felt spoke to me about everything that was going on. Everywhere we go from its not hard to see the effect of the recession we are facing today. I use to feel like what happened in Washington didn’t really effect me, and the was usually the feeling of others around me. “The problem in Washington was for the rich, not me.”
And now I watch around as we all struggle in the same from the same issues. The recession that we face hasn’t placed itself in one area, but all communities are affected. Small mom and pop stores which held as the brand of the communities are now struggling or have vanished. Cities like Flint and Detroit Michigan are missing the their identities. The are no longer known for the car factory booming that the once were, but as on of top the cities facing unemployment at higher than the nation average.
There’s also a part in the song to me made me feel like Bob Marley was pretty much telling us why issues like this happen in the world. He sang “You see men sailing on their ego trip, Blast off on their spaceship, Million miles from reality: No care for you, no care for me.” The significance of this line is that it says to me people with higher power our going on doing what they want, and act as if they we the people are beneath them. Their greed has no consideration of what may happen to the common man or woman.
This song was listed on Bob Marley album “Survival” released in 1979. From reading the lyrics and listening to this fine chune, I see that this a repeated cycle that even when we get out of it there will be another one. Who knew a song written about the struggle of the 70’s would still apply to todays world.
The question I ask and will continue to wonder is, why can’t some of the rich humble themselves instead of let their ego and greed lead to the downfall of the ones under them? At the end of the day it’s the ones who are at the bottom of the food chain who makes it possible for the one on top to be able to live well as they do.
Last week my high school held a memorial service for my friend Marquis Porter who died in Iraq Jan 11th 2009. It was such a great gesture by the school and a lot of old faces showed up. Its was bitter sweet because I got to reconnect with people but I wish it was for a better reason.
Marquis and I went to school together for 5 years. Even though he was two years older than me our school was very small and everyone was very close. I remember him as being fun loving and just a great person to be around. We took the train and played lacrosse together.
During the memorial service people shared their stories about teaching or going to school with Marquis. Everyone said the same thing. He was a bright, loved life and made everyone he was around a better person. The hardest part about hearing these stories was realizing how much people can mean to you with out even know it. You don’t know what you got til its gone.
He was a very driven person. He grew up in the Fidelis Way projects of Brighton. He would take a bus and train to get to school. Sometimes waking before his mother. With after school activities he wouldn’t get home until 7 or 8 at night, only to start on his home work and do it all over again. He did it everyday because he loved the school and what he was doing. After hearing everyone talk about there memories its clear that we loved him too.
While its sad that such an amazing person had to loose his life he can be an insperation to us all. He took full advantage of the opportunities that were presented to him and make a meaningful impact on this world.
I also have to say thank you to my school who took in Marquis even though he wasn’t a “typical” private school student. During my time there they embraced many kids like Marquis who’s parents didn’t have the means to send there kids to a school like that. Many of those kids because my closest friends.
To me this is a story of taking a chance on people and giving them the tools they need to succeed. I just finish a book called Outliers by Malcum Gladwell that talks about this topic. He says the only real difference between “rich” and “poor” families is the opportunities they are presented with and if they can take advantage of them. I hope one day G-HAMP Apparel will be able to give people those same opportunities to succeed.
We will all miss you Marquis. Thank you for your service to our country and for being the person we all knew and loved. R.I.P.
There’s no excuse for a sole proprietor or an organization not being able to get the task done. When ideas are shared and plans are being strategized, the hard work must come into effect to execute.
Being an up and coming successful entrepenuer, I’ve had the luxury of working and meeting some people who know how to get the task at hand done. As hard working individuals, we tend to forget task that need to be done due to mismanagement of time and laziness. I know because I used to be one of them. But what I learned from task handling people are the technological resources we have at our own discretion.
One of the resources I use to complete task and follow up with other task are Remember The Milk, Jott, and Google. These resources are fairly cheap and free. So use them because they help make you more organized in handling your business.
I’ve never seen something so incredible and creative in my life. These guys put together full body work-out routines by using the local playground. After seeing their video, I’m looking towards canceling my gym membership and doing some work-outs they do…all calisthenics.
If you’re a person who loves to work out and can appreciate hard work, than I want you to check this video out.
Bartendaz with their founder, Hassan Yasin, a.k.a. GIANT are a group of positive brothers that are making it happen in the neighborhood. With their positive influences on the minds of youths and adults in the community, they use ‘drinking’ as a message of getting ‘drunk’ with physical fitness and hard work. They go to different playgrounds in the neighborhood and showcase some to the ‘sickest’ workout routines using the playgrounds monkey-bars, and various other objects with push ups, pull-ups, and sit-ups.Check out their myspace page for more information:
P.S: Happy Birthday George Hampton
In reference to the title, I want you to check out this video from an NBA athlete who is probably top 5 smallest players to every play on the NBA stage:
Nate Robinson is a such a huge inspiration to me when I see him jump as high as he does on the basketball court. People would say that he has no business dunking like that with his height disadvantage. They would say that there’s no way he can possibly pull that dunk off. Well, to the nay-sayers and doubters, anything is possible…if you have confidence and believe in yourself.
In the neighborhoods I grow up in and just meeting people who’ve gone threw struggle, I’ve noticed how brilliant and talented they really are. These people are capable of being some of the biggest scholars, architects, scientist, artist, doctors, athletes, musicians, writers, etc. You can just go down the line of what they can do with their skills, talents, and abilites. But the question is, why aren’t they being noticed? How come nobody is talking about they’re gifts and what they have to offer? How come they’re not pursuing their talents as a career or a profession? Probably because others cast doubt on them including their family and friends. They don’t receive much support from people who they’re looking to for guidance. Most importantly, they lack complete self-confidence.
Let me tell you future millionaires and top professionals, that if you have a way and passion with a plan, you will succeed. Just look at President Barack Obama for as a prime example. Who what of thought we would ever see a African-American president of the United States of America. Can you imagine the synicism and doubt casted on him when he announced that he was going to run for president? He probably had everything, but the kitchen sink thrown at him, trying to defeat his confidence. But he had a plan and all the support he needed and look at him now; the rest is history.
One of my good friends name June runs a basketball league called ATB League through-out the year. He’s an independent developer in creating this basketball league to bring young men of all races together who enjoy playing the game of basketball. I’m currently a b-ball player in the ATB league with the ‘Blaze’ squad. When you sign up on the ATB League website, you can catch stats, scores, and game summaries. The games are Tuesdays and Thursdays each week. If you feel like you haven’t found a league to play in to showcase your skills and also get a good work-out, I recommend that you join the ATB League and sign up for the Spring season starting in early April; check the website for more information.
I’m gonna leave you with this video from Gerra Gistand. She’s a student from MacGregor Elementary School in Houston who won the 13th Annual MLK Oratory. When you see this video, you’ll be mesmorized by her talent…Check It Out
There was a point where I actually came to terms with my passion for Hip Hop was dying. The radio for the last few years has flooded my ears with junk. So I had to look elsewhere for a better source of music. I found it in smooth vibes of conscience Reggae. Listening to great artist such as; Richie Spice, Jah Cure, Sizzla, Buju Banton, and many more. Conscience Reggae brought me what I felt rap was missing, real meaning. The songs spoke about the struggles of violence, aids, the government and many more. This was music which was about something and I needed to find that same essence in Hip Hop and I think I found it.
The Urban Nerdz (The U.N), a local rap group from Boston, fit the bill just right. This trio of Kay Special, Bueffard Mallary, and Ace Boogie are phenomenal. I was taken back by their style of dress, but its fresh, brand new, tight just as their lyrics. These young men rhymes truly surpass their own own generation. Listening to the track “Sleezy” featuring Jazz E. Lyte is so reminiscent of a Tribe called Quest, Lupe Fiasco, Gym Class Heroes, and Retro Kidz (new rap group from New York). I’m so in awe of their music and transition between the artist on the track its pure genius. They’re bringing back the pure music of late the 80′s and 90′s with a whole new style. Their beats you can’t help but “bop” you feel the fun in the music. They truly are part of the link that Hip Hop is missing.
Their music is of value and of reason. They rap range from relationships to the “cool guys” around the way (“The Coolest”). The diverse subjects they cover is so uplifting. Currently I’m listening to songs their songs they have posted on Facebook and they don’t disappoint. The other day in I was listening to a DJ interview Hip Hop legend Chubb Rock and remember him saying that old school rap is still alive in Boston and that we remember the essence of the music, and that’s how I feel about The U.N (Urban Nerdz, remember?). This groups is raps breath of fresh air.
I couldn’t help but write about these guys, they reflect a part of who G-HAMP is. Like us they are positive and are working outside the box. The U.N took their environment and made a positive spin out of it. They are the true essence not being a product of their event, but making a positive product out of it called music.
If you have a Facebook or Myspace account definitely add these guys. And as helpful hint listen to “The Coolest” and “Koneechiwah.” Look out for the their first album out this March, the Hip Hop scene is going to get a rude awakening, by some Urban Nerdz.
