view of the Empire State Building at night, from the rooftop at Vu Bar
On Thursday night, I hosted my first Happy Black Woman Happy Hour in New York City! It was also the first stop on my Fall 2012 Happy Hour Tour and it far exceeded my hopes for how I wanted the event to go. I decided to have the happy hour at the bar in the hotel I was staying at because, honestly, I was afraid that no one would show up! I figured if no one came, I could just slink back down to my room LOL. I was worried about whether anyone would turn out because I don’t really know anybody in New York like I do in DC, where the previous happy hours have been held.
But, you know what they say…
“Feel the fear and do it anyway.” – Unknown
So I just did it! I put the invitation out there and about 20 lovely ladies DID show up. And all my fear melted into the laughter we all shared on the rooftop of Vu Bar. The view was incredible, the weather was perfect and my drink (a dark and stormy, my new favorite libation) was good!
ladies connecting on the rooftop: @qimster @alissanichole @patricia_gene pictured left to right
What totally blew me away about being in a place where I didn’t know anyone IRL was that all the women who showed up were the kind of women I’d want to be friends with. Our group was made up of interesting bloggers, naturalistas, lawyers, travelers, yogis, actresses, coaches, foodies, writers, consultants, business owners – all pursuing their ideal lives in their own unique way. I literally could have sat down and talked with each amazing sister the entire night, but I had to mingle!
pictured left is @MissT1806 (maker of beautiful earrings at http://www.etsy.com/shop/misstdesign),
on the right is Tracee aka The Empress of http://www.empressmovements.com/blog/
I’d been following Ebonie aka @ebstheway and her work through Friends of Ebonie for a while via Twitter, so it was a real gift to be able to experience her positive energy in person.
Me and @ebstheway! In my brand new HBW t-shirt!
I felt lucky to get the chance to meet Natalie aka @happiestactress, who told me about her journey of wanting to be an actress ever since she was a little girl. And now…that’s exactly what she does! (You may have seen Natalie as Mimi Marquez in Rent Off Broadway or as Lenore White on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire.) Natalie brought her friend Pilin aka @pilintoglow, who’s also an actress as well as a yoga instructor and nutrition coach. I’m so glad Pilin took the time to share her light with our group! I also got to meet the courageous Frantzy aka @fbazile who is taking a month-long trip to Paris(!) next week. (Please send her good energy for safe travels!)
@fbazile pictured middle in purple, @happiestactress pictured right in gray sweater, @pilintoglow far right
I was actually planning to write more of a full recap here, but two of the amazing HBW who were at the happy hour have pretty much already done it for me. Check out the links to their posts below for lots of great photos (i.e. much better than the iPhone pictures I took LOL) and insight:
- Things We Love: Happy Black Women Unite in NYC! (Friends of Ebonie)
- 4 Ways To Be A Happy Black Woman (Pint-Sized Influence)
Much love and many thanks to Ebonie and Nicole for blogging about our New York event! If you were there, thank you again for bringing your smiles and your stories. I appreciate you sharing the evening with me. And if you couldn’t join us in NYC, please check out our upcoming events in Charlotte and Atlanta :)
P.S. I also debuted the brand new HBW T-SHIRT at Thursday’s happy hour, as you can see me wearing in the photos. The t-shirts will be available here on the blog for sale next week!
Rosetta Thurman is a nationally-recognized author, speaker, mentor and coach dedicated to helping women create their ideal lives.
Hi! I found your website as I was googling speaker fee tips. Thank you for the article you shared on the topic earlier in 2012.
I also thought you would like to know the quote you included in this article – “Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway” is by Susan Jeffers PHD. It is the title to her book on the subject and I would highly recommend for anyone doing any coaching or expanding their world beyond their comfort zone!
This is wonderful. And you know what: each of those women will tell their friends and this thing will grow exponentially. I saw the story about the Black Girls Run and they started just as you did and now they are a national movement. I know the same will happen for you. It seems like a lovely event. Thanks for sharing.
Just moved to NYC… moving and the new job have meant I haven’t had time to keep up with my blog feed.
Sorry I missed the meet up. Hopefully you will do another one in this city!
Aww, too bad you missed it! Would’ve been nice to meet you. Next time :)