Published: Originally published online in Glass Heel as ‘Get Lost In Your Present’ by Amanda A. Ebokosia.
“Be QUIET,” I say to myself as I prepare for a short weekend getaway with a friend. My mind cannot let go from the deadlines of projects that seem to have dominated my entire summer. Opening my planner, I see red marks and highlights – broken down not by day alone— but every 15 minutes. Again, I say—Be QUIET! As quickly as I dismissed the red marks and sticky notes from my planner to meet so and so, my mind responded:
“Just relax!”
I quickly walk down the aisle of a train to take a seat across from a friend who is rapt in the moment reading, “Basic Black” by Cathie Black—a book I lent her. We’re anticipating our first adventure of the summer, while on a train ride that’s about 2 hours long.
My thoughts are racing— thinking about the future and work. How could I be thinking about work on vacation?
As I sink down into my chair I say, “2 hours. We will be there in 2 hours—phew, this is going to be a long ride.”
Not batting an eyelash my friend manages to say, “Yes, and I forgot my headphones. But this is good.” Fighting the urge to make small talk to pass the time, I reach into…
READ MORE: (HERE)
| The Road not Taken – By: Robert Frost |
| Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, |
|
| And sorry I could not travel both |
|
| And be one traveler, long I stood |
|
| And looked down one as far as I could |
|
| To where it bent in the undergrowth; |
5 |
|
| Then took the other, as just as fair, |
|
| And having perhaps the better claim, |
|
| Because it was grassy and wanted wear; |
|
| Though as for that the passing there |
|
| Had worn them really about the same, |
10 |
|
| And both that morning equally lay |
|
| In leaves no step had trodden black. |
|
| Oh, I kept the first for another day! |
|
| Yet knowing how way leads on to way, |
|
| I doubted if I should ever come back. |
15 |
|
| I shall be telling this with a sigh |
|
| Somewhere ages and ages hence: |
|
| Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— |
|
| I took the one less traveled by, |
|
| And that has made all the difference. |
20 |
|
|
How beautiful is this poem? An honest account of what we all will or have eventually faced. Standing with our backs against the wall, we often make decisions that could in fact change the course of our lives. Like this person, he finds himself in a fork in a road, having to make decision about what path he should take. Observing that each path is the same, he admits that in the future he would say, or convince himself/others, that he took the path less traveled.
Published: Originally published online in Black Enterprise as ‘Power Women: Building Global Business Leaders: 3 Power Women Who Rock’ by Amanda A. Ebokosia
Image credit: http://secretaryclinton.files.wordpress.com
People are taking notice of the power moves by women across the globe now more than ever. And when it comes to women-led businesses in developing nations, the importance of supporting their growth is enormous. “Empowering women and girls is the best way to maintain stability in a country, reduce poverty, and promote sustainable development,” says Saran Kaba Jones, executive director of FACE Africa, a nonprofit organization that develops water purification and sanitation systems throughout Liberia.
What can you do? That simple question chorused by the Half The Sky movement, has placed the flashlight on the challenges that women face around the world. Countless people watched with bated breath the recent premiere of PBS’s 2-day documentary “Half The Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide,“ based on the New York Times best-seller written by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn.
READ MORE: ( HERE )
Published: Originally published online in Forbes as ‘Be A Healthy Leader, Master The Art of Delegation’ by Amanda A. Ebokosia
Image: ©iStockphoto.com/elgol
You don’t need an alarm. You wake up every day at 4 AM and knock out one or two hours of answering correspondence, before briefing yourself for an important morning meeting. It’s not even 9 AM for that “important” meeting. You’re already two steps ahead. 6 AM: You get ready to start your day with ample time to have your most important meal, breakfast.
It’s Monday. Your team is at the office working hard from tasks that were already delegated last Friday night. Yes, those extra hours you spent at the office, skipping cocktails with the team, drilling out plans for the upcoming week— was all a part of this week’s grand plan. Your execution is perfect. You have 15 minutes to spare before the clock strikes ten and concludes your morning presentation. Silence is broken by a subtle applause. You greet it with a confident smile—not a hair strand out of place from your bun.
You’re the master of time. It is working with you, not against you. This is not just a perfect painting illustrated on canvas. This is real life. It is the result of effort, discipline, and consistent planning to develop what we call, “healthy habits for a healthy leader.”
Mastering the art of delegation is also to blame for this seemingly flawless execution. Have you heard of the entrepreneur or manager burnout? It’s quite common. It’s the point where one reaches full exhaustion, which makes them incapable of doing anything productive –like run a business, due to micromanaging pitfalls. I’ve had several friends pull their entrepreneur or manager call out sick day card due to the ‘burnout.’ Their work physically had a negative impact on their health. Don’t let it happen to you, I was a victim.
How can we avoid micromanaging pitfalls and master the art of delegation?
READ MORE: ( HERE )
Published: Originally published online in Black Enterprise as ’5 Leadership Lessons From Michelle Obama’ by Amanda A. Ebokosia
Mom-in-Chief. Golden smile. Arguably one of the most progressive first ladies of our time. Michelle Obama has made her mark. Coloring outside the lines of past traditional roles of first ladies, Obama plays an active role in support of her husband’s agenda. Like many first ladies before her, Michelle skillfully weaves a personal identity of her husband— an image that will gainfully assist him to his reelection. However, she accomplishes what few great speakers have done, evoking exemplary practices of leadership through her words.
READ MORE: ( HERE )
Published: Originally published online in Forbes as ‘The Power of Mentorship for Young African American Women’ by Amanda A. Ebokosia.
“There was no plan B. It was going to be this or I was going to fail.” Tamron Hall, Host of MSNBC’s The Newsnation
“Behind every successful person, there are groups of people working together. I fell in with a crowd that was exploring our experiences .” Sheryl Salomon, managing editor of The Root
If you haven’t heard of or attended The Root’s Young, Fabulous & Femaleevent, you’ve missed out. With it’s aim to bring hundreds of young African American women together to discuss career challenges and offer practical advice from prominent women in business, the event gives aspiring professionals the resources they need to achieve straight from their role models. To learn more about the inspiration behind this event, I sat down with two great journalists, moderator Tamron Hall, host of MSNBC’s Newsnation and NBC Correspondent as well as Managing Editor of The Root, Sheryl Salomon. Here is my conversation with them.
***
Amanda Ebokosia: As a child growing up in a small community in Texas, did you always want to become a journalist? If you did not choose journalism what field would you be in?
Tamron Hall: “Yes, I always knew I was going to be a journalist. My father was in the military for 25 years –he was in the army– and my mom was an educator. I grew up watching the evening news. I’d jokingly say, “Was that our Johnny Carson ?” Those were the shows that I’d watch with my family. At the time, I did not realize it was (called) “interviewing” people but I’d go talk to people. I would go sit down with the 90-year-old lady at the end of my block and was so intrigued by everything she had to say,” said Hall “Being a kid everyone used to say that I was nosey. There was no plan B. It was going to be this or I was going to fail.”
Amanda Ebokosia: Many young women here at The Root’s Young Fabulous Female event are seeking mentors to provide career insight and opportunities. Did you have a particular mentor who really helped you when you first started?
READ MORE: (HERE)
Published: Originally published online in Glass Heel as ‘Saying Goodbye to Someday’ by Amanda A. Ebokosia.
Start Booming, the message etched across our notebooks read. The blue cover glistened as it made its debut on every table adorned with name cards and folders in our lecture room. My ticket, tucked away in my oversize bag, assured me that I was ready for this. My heart, not so much. It raced, skipped and would have done the Tango, if it could.
Grabbing my name tag, I glanced across the room. It was medium-sized and filled with incessant chatter of “Hellos”…..”…and what brings you here to this event?” it was a never-ending ribbon of introductions. I made my way to the pastry stand.
It may have been the sugar or the sweetness of cherry filled surprises that greeted my lips—a wave of calm enveloped me. “I was meant to be here today,” I thought.
In a room full of executives from mid-level to senior, sprinkled with emerging and serial entrepreneurs with grand ideas – I sat there in my seat ready to brace myself for what came next. A woman’s voice was heard. A professor of Cognition at Virginia University was making her opening remarks, leading us to what will be a full on transformative event.
The message was clear. We were all there for one thing. We wanted to see a change in our business and our ideas. From topic to topic we transitioned, taking short breaks for lunch and quick but meaningful pleasantries. By the end of the day, we knew everyone intimately by first names.
READ MORE: (HERE)
Dear All,
I’ve been quite busy with so many programs and changes with The Gem Project! We’re excited to start the next round of public speaking and debate series for our youth there.
There is so many plans I have for this website amandaebokosia.com.
Will be changing a lot of things! In the meantime, check out some of my NEW articles on
Black Enterprise and Glass Heel!
Much love,
Amanda
This morning I thought of the Jeff Bezos of our world. The ones who pitched their first ideas in crowded basements to their friends and their friends’ friends. The ones who saw a vision so pristine, yet so alien and unattainable to the most revered critic. The Jeff Bezos of the world who took their ideas out of hats— and made them lifelines to their existence.
