Akuba T.

Every once in a while a good program comes along where all the starts are aligned:  Great speakers, great content, awesome giveaways and FREE.  Well i’m happy to report that I found one and grateful that I went.  Before I proceed, let me give my disclaimer as to why you weren’t invited:  I didn’t have this blog up and running then.

On Saturday, October 22, the awesome people over at Rolling Out Magazine so graciously hosted the event which was held at the History Center in Atlanta, Ga.  Not 10minutes after being there yours truly won $100 from American Express!  I needed that.  The event was opened by Tami of the blog Talking with Tami.  There were tons of giveaways in which I racked up again.

The speakers were: Tracy Jennings, Michele Thornton, Keisha Walker, McGhee Williams Osse and Natasha Hastings.  Each woman shared their personal success stories and bits of wisdom.  I gained a lot of perspective from the event.  Admittedly, I tend to be hard on myself about how long it took me to get to a place where I understood what I wanted my life to look like and actually go for it.  With that being said, it was refreshing to know some of these women made career-altering decisions in their late 20s and into their 30s.

The most resounding message was how important it is to brand myself.  This blog is part of my attempts to do this =)

I applaud Rolling Out and I look forward to attending this event in the future.

“Be a brand, not an accessory.” – Michele Thornton

XOXO,

AYT

So I was reading a post written by The Fabulous Do-Gooder called One Shot Wednesday:  Your Calling. She writes about the most recent issue of Oprah Magazine which features a section called “Find Your True Calling!-A Guide to Discovering Who You’re Meant to Be.”  Bessie’s post and the magazine feature really hit home for me as I set out to really dig deep to discover my passions.  I’m happy to report i’m on to something.

I just knew once I had my passions figured out life would be easier.  WRONG. The new challenge is finding open windows and doors of opportunity.  The reality check was that just because I now have focus doesn’t mean jobs and opportunities are just going to fall out of the sky.  If you haven’t read:  #Akuba4Alums, now would be a good time…Once you finish this post of course.

So now i’m doing everything in my power to create opportunities.  I’m starting with branding myself.  Defining exactly who I am, what my values are and how I communicate this to the world.

Now, I could have this all wrong and discover that my true calling is rescuing baby seals or something just as random, but for now i’m content. At the very least I will be helping people and not a business’ bottom line which is what I most disliked about my Corporate American job.

So now i’m living by the old adage: “If you can’t find a way, make a way.” I’m already on my way.  I’ve given myself the wonderful title of Community Relations Specialist.  When you resolve to manage your own career path, you can do things like give yourself the title you’ve always wanted. Lol.

Anxiously awaiting this journey!

XOXO,

AYT

Well, i’m in the last semester of my MBA. I will be finished in October! I am currently looking for internships that I can do while i’m in school. I found two that interest me. One is a grants management assistant position with the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy and the other is a fundraising intern with the International Rescue Committee. I think both will give me great experience. We will wait and see what happens.

These last two months are bittersweet. I am happy to finally be at the end of this journey, but I can feel the beginnings of anxiety about getting back into job search mode. If anyone knows me, they know how long it took me to find a job I liked (and that liked me) after graduating. I feel like I am preparing myself and I have a killer resume (if I do say so myself), but time will tell if employers feel the same way! lol

That’s all for now. Take care and until next time…whatever you are, be the best one.

XOXO,

AYT