Blog - Happy Black Woman

Four Steps to Becoming a Professional Speaker

April 17, 2012 | By Rosetta |

Yesterday on the Happy Black Woman Facebook community, someone asked me where I find my speaking engagements. (Speaking at conferences is a low-volume, high-price service that makes up the bulk of my income most months.) My response was that they find me! I’ve been speaking professionally since 2008 (when I got my first paid gig) and most of my clients just come to me through the various marketing channels I’ve cultivated over the years. Now I know that generic answer is not very helpful to you if you want to start getting paid as a speaker, so I’ll break down a few of the steps I think are important to the process.

7 Strategies to Help You Stop Buying Things You Don’t Need

April 16, 2012 | By Rosetta |

Over the weekend, I went to visit my mom and aunt to celebrate their birthdays. They were born one day and two years apart! We hung out at the National Harbor yesterday and I was surprised at how many shops are there now compared to how many there were when it first opened. My aunt loves to shop, so we ended up exploring many of the clothing and accessory stores at the harbor. Although I saw lots of lovely things that would look good on me, I walked away from that place empty-handed, as usual. I have little desire to buy “stuff” anymore, unless it’s something I actually need. I’ve been living this way for about two years now.

Marketing Yourself Takes Courage: What I Didn’t Know in 2007

April 13, 2012 | By Rosetta |

The most surprising thing I’ve learned in my business (so far) is just how incredibly important marketing is. Unfortunately, clients and customers don’t come to you automatically.

The Happy Black Woman Playlist: 10 Songs to Inspire You to Be Your Best Self

April 11, 2012 | By Rosetta |

Almost every morning, I listen to my “happy black woman” playlist, a series of songs with lyrics that motivate and inspire me to approach my life and work with optimism and self-love. I literally have all of them on a playlist on my iPod, all cued up for about an hour of good morning music to start my day off with. I share them with you now in the hopes that they might uplift you, too!

What I Learned from Being on Public TV: Don’t Forget Your Pantyhose

April 7, 2012 | By Rosetta |

Last month, I was in Springfield, Massachusetts to speak at a conference. As part of my trip, the event organizers also arranged for me to be interviewed on WGBY 57, the public TV station for Western New England, about my keynote speech. Below is the full interview.

My Dream Job is What I’m Doing Now

April 6, 2012 | By Rosetta |

This morning, I came aross a job listing on my Twitter feed that was an amazing fit for my skills, education and experience. Plus, it was with a very reputable nonprofit organization with smart, influential people that I’d get to work with on innovative projects. For a moment, I thought about applying. I already know the person I’d be reporting to, and about half of the staff in general. I was excited to see this particular position because it’s rare to see a role that could tempt me out of self-employment. I’ve had more than a few headhunters contact me for executive-level jobs, but it’s hard to put a price on freedom, baby.

There’s Nothing Sexy About Working for Yourself

April 5, 2012 | By Rosetta |

A lot of ladies say they want to work for themselves. It sounds so glamorous, so fun, so footloose and fancyfree. No boss! No clocking in at 9:00am! No dressing up for work! No stupid staff meetings! No office politics!

While those are definitely some of the benefits of having your own business, people often forget to acknowledge the reality that you still have to do the work. Freedom is priceless, but it’s not free. You can’t have the freedom of being your own boss if you don’t have any money coming in to support yourself with. And getting that money takes a lot of work. It’s not impossible work, but it is work. And lots of time. Depending on the type of business you have, it can take a long while to even figure out what the work really is.

Good Enough for Now

March 31, 2012 | By Rosetta |

Last week, I revamped both of my main websites myself using new themes. It took many late night hours, but since I’m not ready to hire a web designer just yet, it was the next best thing. As I was getting the new sites all set up, I kept muttering to myself that the next time I change my blog designs, they will be totally customized and blinged out by a creative professional.

But what I have right now? It’s good enough.

How to Rewrite the Story of Your Life

March 30, 2012 | By Rosetta |

As black women – we often define ourselves by our suffering. We often cling to the stories of racism or abuse or poverty that have permeated our lives and those of our ancestors.

Sometimes, we even try to “outsuffer” one another. My pain is greater than your pain! Who do you think you are? You don’t know my life! Actually, maybe I do. There are so many of us who have been through so much, or have seen our mothers/sisters/friends experience such deep hardships, that sometimes, we become the story of hardship. We become the story of suffering. We become the figurative mules of the world that Zora Neale Hurston wrote about in Their Eyes Were Watching God.

A Definition of Faith (or What I Tell Myself When I Worry)

March 28, 2012 | By Rosetta |

This is my definition of faith:

Faith is taking action in spite of fear, knowing that all of my needs will be taken care of by the universe.

What is your definition of faith? What do you tell yourself when you worry?