I GOT MY WHOLE LIFE W/ROBIN ROBERTS & STACEY ABRAMS AT THE RIVETER SUMMIT
“She is water,
powerful enough to drown you,
soft enough to cleanse you,
deep enough to save you”
And she became this…after attending The Riveter Summit!
When the fabulous Danielle Hill, COO of The Riveter, invites you to their annual summit where they champion groundbreaking conversations on diversity, equity, and inclusion in work and in business…YOU GO!
So, Nov 6-7 I sashayed my way to NYC, and joined a group of 500 amazing women, all about their business! To say this empowerment event was disruptively unique and unforgettable would be an understatement.
It was pure magic! This 2-day empowerment summit was an incredible soul touching affair where 2 things happened all throughout:
Every woman was encouraged to be vulnerable enough to say, “This is what I need help with.”
And every woman was also empowered enough to find opportunities where they could say “Ohh, this is my value, and this is how I can help.” With no payment, no negotiations, no nothing – just the heart to help and be helped in a mutual exchange of superwoman power.
There was a lady that ran a charitable organization that needed an influencer. They were so clear on their calling and mission to serve disadvantaged children. And guess who they connected with… that just so happens to be an influencer and special needs Mom with the exact same mission and purpose? ME!!! These types of matches-made-in-heaven happened nonstop for all in attendance.
Now the 2 keynote speakers that gave me life like “Fiddy-Eleven” times were Georgia’s star politician and future governor (yes I’m claiming it) Stacey Abrams, and Good Morning America’s star broadcaster Robin Roberts. Here’s the gems they dropped that changed my life!
Stacey Abrams
Gem #1: Don’t edit your ambition
Takeaway: Editing and limiting my ambition to make others comfortable, or because I’m afraid of failure - is doing my kids, my community, and MYSELF a disservice.
Gem #2: Don’t go at it alone!
Takeaway: It takes a team…a village. It cannot be done without one.
Gem #3: DON’T FORGET THE PAIN
Oooooohh Weeeeee. This one is personal.
The problem with neglecting pain and staying there is you leave yourself where you are. The beauty of having pain and getting over it is you grow. You need pain in order to excel. The pain itself is not final, it’s all about what you do with it.
Are you going to sit in the corner like a plant and die because you’re not watered?
Or are you going to replenish yourself by creating a new mindset, and exploring a new environment to attract all the sunshine and water you deserve as the badazz beautiful bossed up infinite bouquet of roses you truly are!?!
Stacy Abrams girrrrl…I don’t care what position you decide to run for again for…best believe you got my vote!
Robin Roberts
Many of us knew of Robin’s public battle in becoming a breast cancer survivor. But when telling her story, I had no clue 5 years after her breast cancer diagnosis - she was diagnosed with a disease known as pre-leukemia, which required a bone marrow transplant.
I keep an abundance of tissue and Advil in my purse…and I needed to use all of it, because we were all crying our hearts out!
Gem #1: There’s Power In Understanding “Not Right Now”
Takeaway: Robin shared how she turned down an opportunity with ESPN at first because she knew she wasn’t ready. It was better for her not to be the network’s first African-American female newscaster, versus messing it up and being the last. Powerful!
Gem #2: NO is a Complete Answer!
Takeaway: Robin told us Oprah taught her this. As women we too often feel the need to explain ourselves after saying NO. We add on all sorts of disclaimers and explanations. But if we don’t learn how to unapologetically say “NO” to things, our “YES” loses its power. You have the right to give ZERO you know whats! And “Ohh Hell Naw” is totally a complete answer too lol.
Gem #3: Dream Big & Focus Small
Takeaway: Everyone wants to be a “rapper” of sorts and shine on TV all over the world. But you have to build your local audience first. If you don’t, at best you end up a 1 hit wonder. The best superstars in any industry, from music to sports to tech to bloggers to entrepreneurs - built their local following first.
Small steps add up to the big dream. Skipping steps and not doing your due diligence prevents long term success. You need a strong foundation to build a skyscraper that can stand tall and last.
What’s the best way to eat an elephant?
In recap - the word I feel best describes the Riveter Summit is OVERFLOWING. It not only filled my tank, it was an OVERFLOW for every vehicle I will ever drive to pursue my dream destinations in this world. And the crazy part is I didn’t even know I needed it.
Yeah…I’ll see yall next year!
