Walk Away…

𝓢𝓮𝓵𝓯-𝓬𝓪𝓻𝓮 Walk away from people and situations that cause you pain.

From people who put you down.
Walk away from things that poison your soul.

Think about your inner circle. Are they adding value? Find yourself always feeling sad and down caused by others? Look deeply. Maybe it’s time to walk away.

South Florida Writers Of Color Online Literary Magazine…





Stories, Poetry, Writings and Gleanings inspire prowess

Dr. Shelly Cameron

Mentors Matter: Memories of My Lifelong Mentor Dr. Ulysses Van Spiva

By Ralph Hogges
Looking back over my life brings forth memories of my struggles to achieve educational and career opportunities in the White Supremacy’s Deep South and the special person that God put in my life to protect, teach and guide me. His name was Dr. Ulysses Van Spiva. He was an amazing blessing in my life. I write to share some of those memories of my lifelong mentor with you.  

After earning my master’s degree at Tuskegee Institute (University) on May 16, 1972, I was hired as a personnel administrator in the University Personnel Relations Department at Florida International University (FIU) on August 28, 1972. FIU was a new university in the Florida’s State University System, scheduled to officially open on September 14, 1972. 

Standing on the elevated steps of the Primera Casa (First Building) on that Grand Opening day ceremony, with city, county and state VIP officials and numerous other leaders, I glanced here and there, searching for some black employees, but finding only a few. They were mostly janitorial and lawn workers.

Read More in Writers of Color Literary Magazine

Insightful And Inspirational Wisdom for Aspiring, Beginning and Emerging Writers

By Indiana Robinson
My name is Dr. Indiana Robinson. I am a Jamaican-American author of 50 books, primarily in the nonfiction genre, and minimally in the fiction genre. Among the nonfiction topics I have published and am publishing are memoirs, biography, history, unsung heroes, visual arts, poetry, academics, music, ancestry, children’s activity, animals, meteorology, geography, spirituality, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), proverbs as social commentary, leadership, sports (cricket), culinary arts, and business. My sole fictional work is a novella comprising three short stories on companionship, trickery, and fable. I publish my books under the pen names of Inyaso, Dr. D., and a few others.

I am also an educator/dissertation chair and earned my doctorate at Nova Southeastern University a decade ago. My books are available from: https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Inyaso.

Dr. Ralph Hogges asked me to answer the following questions. I hope my responses will be insightful and inspirational to aspiring, beginning and emerging writers.
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Power of the Blood at Work in You 
“Veil Torn in Two” Volume 2
Release Date TBA
www.neatbooks4u.com 
By Arnetha Thomas

We already said, “Our growth process is inevitable for maturity.” I’m reminded of the title “No pain, no gain,” secular hit song of 1988 by the late Betty Wright. Her lyrics are prevalent for todays’ problems. She sang about life troubles and to gain something, we must go through something. The late Betty Wright lived and grew-up in Miami, Florida.
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A Woman’s Worth
Excerpt from the Book: Rhythm and Hues – Twenty-Three Stories of 
Hardship and Hope
By Corey B. Collins

At times like these, the woman wonders what the point of it all is. Recent news of the unexpected death of yet another close friend, a mere two years her senior, came out of nowhere and rained down on her like a storm for which she was woefully unprepared. Sorrow cements her to the cream-colored recliner in her living room. She looks down. Her lap cradles the framed photo. Moisture wells just beneath the lower lip of her left eyelid. Knowing she must conserve the lion share of her sadness for the marathon day of grief lying in wait at her friend’s funeral, she rations just one tear. It eventually breaches the rim of her eyelid, journeys the length of her cheek and pools at the bottom of her chin. Then, gravity continues to have its way. The picture frame intercepts the liquid before it meets the ground. She wipes the droplet from the glass housing the most recent image of her dog Ozzie. Her furry friend had been gifted by her older brother fourteen years ago as a comfort in the wake of the untimely passing of her longtime human companion and soul mate of thirty-six years. Lung cancer had been the thief that stole her husband. A familiar ring abruptly invades the woman’s airspace, rescuing her from her melancholy malaise. She answers her smart phone.
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Let Healing Rise

By Rosemarie Cole
You are divided red and blue
My heart ache for you
If - My people pray
There will be ray
Of light and hope
Fill your crevices with love
Then blessing will come from
above
If – My people seek
I will speak
Of life and peace
I set you on a hill
For the earth – void to fill
If – My people turn
You will not be burn
By sparks of fire

Last Time

By S. Ettosi Brooks
The last time I saw Jamaica I’d said goodbye to my heart.
I lost it somewhere between Hope Gardens and Constant Spring. 
So we meet, So we part.
I remember staring at the bus as it retreated from me carrying my love, hopes and dreams.
The moon, impassive to human foolishness, sent a soft shimmering sound floating by.
I looked through tear veiled eyes at her hard, bright fulness.
A baby in her mother’s arms stared at me. You know, the way children do as if it was God looking at you through their eyes?
Now, the child full blossoming with the careless beauty of youth, sashays past me. I knew it was her at once, but she did not know me. How could she?
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Learning Is Important To Your Retirement Journey

Excerpt from the Book, Retirement: The Journey and The Destination
By Patricia Reid-Waugh

A positive senior mindset rejects the idea that “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” This adage has proven not to be true. Instead, we have embraced the reality of lifelong learning. While that adage may have originated from some people’s preference not to have to learn new things in old age, it says nothing about our ability.

Experience shows that it is never too late to pursue a dream. A positive retirement mindset is being willing to start from scratch where necessary. Early in retirement, I realized that almost everything I wanted to do involved learning some new skill or technique to complement the competencies I had acquired over the years. Was this a problem? Not at all.
I wanted to play the violin and the steel pan. Although I was an accomplished pianist and organist, fully functional in music theory, the violin and steel pan required different skills that I had to learn from scratch. I had to put on the beginner’s mindset and become that little girl learning music once again. At first, the idea was intimidating. But then it was invigorating!
	I wanted to have an active presence on the Internet to maintain social engagement, access entertainment, improve my knowledge, and buy and sell products and services, among other things. This meant developing a broader range of digital skills than the basic computer competencies I had acquired to get by in the working world. I had to delve into topics like digital marketing, webpage building, and e-commerce, learning these tools and technologies for the first time. These skills did not even exist when I was in school. But, was I able to learn them at seventy years old? Absolutely.
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Gleanings of Hope, Leadership, Success and Inspiration

The Grave is filled with Dreams that were never realized

Les Brown
The inner feeling that quietly tugs at your heart. Look closely. Listen quietly. You will hear. For years, my mom wanted to write her story. She wrote on notepads, pieces of paper, the typewriter, then reached for the computer. A journey that lasted decades throughout her life. A journey that was never to be fulfilled. My sister too-like a Martyr stricken by the ravishes of cancer, dreamed of telling her story. But, like my mom, she too passed away with it in her heart quietly waiting. She accomplished much yet still had that silent dream that was never fulfilled.

                                    The grave is filled with dreams that were never realized ~Les Brown

Today I write to inspire you, you, and you to go after your dreams, goals, and aspirations. A Certified Professional Coach, I smirk as I reflect on God’s sense of humor. I write on all things business gleaned from my research on success., leadership, and change. Strides before the pandemic I followed the Quest to write on stories of inspiration from over a decade of blogging and journaling. Intrigued by the quiet tug, I followed the lead as the inspirational series unfolded. It began with Green Light: When God Says Go; then My Safe Place and the soon to be published Red Light: When God Says No. Red Light came through a child’s handwritten note on a napkin. It was voiced by my daughter’s 10 year-old son who giggled as he asked me to write it. Intrigued, I looked up with a smile to the Lord and nodded in surrender. The prequel – My Safe Place was just being published. Who am I to disobey? The series unfolded.
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Busy Is Good…

A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.

George Bernard Shaw

Success Strategies

Busy is good. That’s my favorite response to entrepreneurs who express that they are busy.

You see, we have all been there when there is nothing to do. No job. No contract. No financial inflow. What frequently follows is sadness, apathy, boredom, inability to meet financial obligations and the list goes on. For sure that ain’t good for our mental state and wellbeing.

Among Others

An 80-year-old grandmother was busy going to the gym, church, shopping, Medical visits to the doctor. Those activities kept her busy. It made her feel alive. Then suddenly her husband also retired. Now they both sit at home watching golf, tennis, jeopardy and wheel of fortune on TV. This past weekend she spent time in the hospital. Latency had stepped in.

The Deal

That’s what happens when we are not busy. It happens to entrepreneurs, workers, student or retirees. There’s no respect of persons.

For…

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Why People Accept Jobs: 9 Reasons…

Is Your Organization Selling what employees want to buy? The question Gallup posed most certainly creates a pause for both the employer who is searching for top talent and the job hunter who comes with his or her own fair share of what they will or will not accept.

9 Reasons Employees Accept Job Offers

Here are a few things that top talent seek in their next career move:

  1. Great Pay and Benefits (duh)
  2. Environments that are respectful, diverse and inclusive
  3. Great Cultural fit to bolster a sense of belonging
  4. Work in a location that is safe, easily accessible, and aesthetically pleasing
  5. The desire for flexibility –remote or hybrid work
  6. Work/ Life balance. Fast disappearing are those days of long working hours that when they get home they are no use to family or themselves
  7. Financial Stability. People want to work where they don’t have to worry about the business viability as well as their own ability to cover expenses and save for their future
  8. To work with great people (stress-free) and build key relationship with others in the industry
  9. The ability to learn and grow that fosters self-actualization

If you are providing these things as an organization, you are well on your way to attracting and retaining top talent. Seeing gaps? Lets connect to get you you started on the road to improvement.

Likewise, as you reflect on the 9 reasons, what stands out to you? Is there anything you would like to add? Do share. We would love to hear.

Cheers!

Fatherhood On Father’s Day…

Success Strategies

How Do Dads Do Things Differently?

CNN Headline news posed the question to fathers. Tune into my Conversation with Senior IT Expert Daveyton Blake who is a Father, Coach and Community young adult Mentor. Dads of all kinds will be intrigued by the intense truths explored in this interview.

Listen in now and share with a dad this Father’s Day.

Cheers!

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Career Transition: Bezos Minimization Framework…

The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.

J.P. Morgan

The Regret Minimization Framework is a simple mental model to minimize the number of regrets in the long run. Jeff Bezos after a conversation with his boss asked himself what he would regret more when he was 80 years old: Trying to build something he had strong conviction in and failing, or failing to give it a try? He realized that not trying would haunt him every day (Utkarsh Amitabh HBR).

Walking away from a great job is not an easy decision. I know that because I did it. I walked away from a great career in the pharmaceutical industry. Naturally, this decision came with it’s fair share of ups and downs but when you decide to make a decision based on purpose, all you need to do is weigh the consequences. Like Bezos did, he considered himself at age 80 and thought about it in the context of regret. If you know Amazon, then the rest is history.

As a Certified Professional Coach who specializes in career transitions and people management, I have help many leaders become clear on the next step in their career journey. It may not mean that you want to venture out into entrepreneurship. It might very well be that you want to shift into a new career in the same company or another. I reflect on a client who left his career in the financial industry to venture into a new career in social work. Hmmm, pretty drastic change, right? But the change proved satisfying.

So what’s your plan? What’s your purpose? What’s your passion? Can’t figure it out? Let’s connect.

Have a success story? Do share, we would love to hear.

Cheers!

7 Job Interview Red Flags…

Opportunities don’t happen, you create them

Chris Grosser

Harvard Business Reviews top Job Interview Red Flags by Rebecca Zucker . Here are my top 7 favs.

  1. Constant rescheduling and disorganization
  2. Disrespecting others
  3. Values conflict
  4. Lack of clarity or consistency in answers to your questions
  5. Bait and switch – job starts to sound different from job description
  6. Resistance to change (they say they want to change but not so)
  7. Excessive number of interviews or drawn-out interview process (c-suite longer than junior position but when it reaches 14, hmmm…

Which red flag stands out for you? Any missing? Do share. We would love to hear.

Cheers!

Photo by Rachel Claire

Celebrate Achiever, Celebrate in 13 Ways

Success Strategies

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The most beautiful things are not associated with money; they are memories and moments. If you don’t celebrate those, they can pass you by. – Alek Wek

I love challenges. I set goals, and do everything to accomplish them. Then when I do, I move on to the next goal. As the head of Head of Human Resources for many years, I relentlessly celebrated the achievement of others on the job, but I never stopped to celebrate my own personal achievements. In recent years I came to value the importance of celebrating life’s triumphs. I guess it comes with maturity. There is something gratifying to it. Besides, it leaves a lasting legacy on those close to me.

Oh how to celebrate? The question was asked and many Bravely Expressed  and jumped in. But I found Sarah Starrs list of ways to celebrate insightful. Here I share my top favs!

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21 Leadership Habits To Avoid

Follow the leader, leader, leader. Not always. Here are Marshall Goldsmith’s 21 habits that derail effective leadership.

  1. The need to win at all costs
  2. Adding too much value (the desire to add to every discussion)
  3. Passing Judgment
  4. Making destructive comments
  5. Starting with “no”, “but” or “however” (conveys I’m right, you’re wrong)
  6. Telling the world how smart we are
  7. Speaking when angry
  8. Negativity (let me explain why that won’t work)
  9. Withholding information
  10. Failing to give proper recognition
  11. Claiming credit we do not deserve
  12. Making excuses
  13. Clinging to the past
  14. Playing favorites
  15. Refusing to express regret
  16. Not listening
  17. Failing to express gratitude
  18. Punishing the messenger
  19. Passing the buck (blaming others)
  20. An excessive need to be “me” (exalting our faults as virtues)
  21. Refusing to accept responsibility for needing to change (that’s just who I am)

Hope the list sparks your interest as to the qualities to avoid to ensure your leadership is effective. Any thoughts? Do share. We would love to hear!

Cheers!

6 Top Things Aspiring Entrepreneurs Should Do in 2022

Authored By Nicola Reid

If you’re one of the many millions of people hoping to start a new business this year, congratulations. This is a journey that you will never forget. There are many twists and turns down the path toward entrepreneurship, and your actions now can make it a much smoother process in the days ahead. Today, the Success Strategies blog touches on a few things that all aspiring entrepreneurs should do when starting a business in 2022.

1. Evaluate Yourself

First and foremost, you have to evaluate yourself. Do you really have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? According to Alcor Investment Services, entrepreneurs don’t procrastinate and are continually solving problems. If you are the type of person that makes plans and takes action on them, you might be a great candidate for entrepreneurship. In addition to these “soft” skills, you should also be at least somewhat versed in marketing, financial management, and customer service.

2. Decide on a Business Structure

Business structures are not just for major corporations. As a small business owner, you have the right to form your own entity. Doing so now can help legitimize your business. Consider filing as an LLC, which is a limited liability company. There are many advantages here, including lower taxes and reducing the possibility of your personal assets being targeted in case of a serious business flaw. You can use a local attorney or an online formation service, though the latter is much more affordable than the former.

3. Utilize Free Tools and Services

Even when you’re a small business, you must be prepared to break out your wallet (more on the financial commitment later on). However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t get some things without writing a check. You can use Google Docs to collaborate with your employees and customers and you can even find an image size converter online that allows you to upload photos to your website and social media. Although it might seem like a small thing now, fewer pixels in your images will make your site load faster, which can increase the amount of time customers spend on your domain. Search Engine Journal acknowledges slow load speed as the number one reason that people move to a different website.

4. Stay Motivated

As an entrepreneur, you will experience successes and failures. It is during these failures that you must remember to stay motivated and never give up.

5. Understand the Financial Commitment

Starting a business is a huge financial commitment, and many small business owners are unprepared for the sheer number of checks that get written each week. Remember, you have not only your startup cost but also business filing expenses, taxes, payroll, inventory, and more. Although this might sound like a lot, don’t despair. There are plenty of deductions you can take, especially if you use your home as your office. CPA Mark J. Kohler notes that you may even be able to deduct part of your vehicle expenses as a home-based business owner.

6. Strategize

Running your business means prioritizing everything every day. One thing you cannot forget is to pay attention to your customers and the competition to find out what they want. To do this, you will need to do market research and implement a product roadmap when you are ready to launch something new. Use a template (another potentially free online service) that helps you set deadlines and understand where you may have trouble in the process. Having your product launches mapped out ahead of time will help you prioritize and set more reasonable goals.

Launching your own business is one of the best ways to create wealth for yourself and your family. Although it may seem intimidating now, trust that you will soon have the experience to navigate the world of entrepreneurship with your head held high. Remember, no one ever got rich working for someone else, and your fears are the only thing stopping you from mapping out your own path toward success.

About The Author

Nicola Reid is an entrepreneur and small business owner from Texas. She created Business4Today.com to provide access to the resources members of marginalized groups need to turn their entrepreneurial dreams into reality. Through her site, she hopes to support the growing number of people of color, women, and members of the LGBTQ+ community who are taking the leap into small business ownership.

Photo by MART PRODUCTION on Pexels.com

If Your Life Was A Book What Would The Title Be?…

Success Strategies

This Question was posed by Think & Grow Prosper. It sparked my interest so I decided to read a synopsis of the over 4K Visceral responses. Some Synchronized, some humorous, while others left readers in deep thought. Here I share:

  • No Apologies
  • I don’t know
  • God’s Journey
  • Nope,Wrong Book
  • Sunshine
  • Dreamer
  • Fate of Tragedies
  • Where’s the Donut?
  • Burnt Desires with regrets
  • Journey of Mistakes
  • Uprising
  • The Chronicles of Surviving in Today’s Society
  • The Endless Possibilities of a Life Lovingly Lived
  • Why me?
  • Wasted Years
  • Don’t Have your Children 16 Years Apart and Here’s Why
  • Never Ending Circle of Struggle
  • And the Caterpillar Became a Butterfly
  • The Great Forever
  • No Limits
  • From Concrete to a White Picket Fence
  • Life Happens
  • Hot Mess Empress
  • The Conqueror of Fears
  • Just Go With the Flow
  • Incredible
  • This Thang Called Life
  • Still searching
  • Rising from the Ashes
  • Masked
  • This Girl Just Want to Have…

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Career: The 7 Signs That Tells You When To Look For New Opportunities…

Success Strategies

pexels-photo-845451.jpeg

We have all been there. Times when we feel we are at a crossroad and don’t know whether to stay with the company, or whether to go. It’s not an easy road. Certainly a time for deep reflection and analysis. But it can be done using helpful strategies.

7 Signs That Tells You When To Look for New Opportunities

Extracted from theMuse, here are my top 7 WHENs that you can use to know when it’s time to move on.

  1. When you are unhappy most of the day. What’s the point of being unhappy doing what you do?
  2. When the only way you can move up is when your boss retires. Oh well, need I say more?
  3. When you get passed over for a promotion more than once
  4. When your company is cutting back or your industry is shrinking. Astonished?Commonsense really…extinction is at hand. Be alert. Keep your eyes…

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