[Lovely Things] where to begin #BlackJoy edition 💁🏽‍♀️

I cried when I got my results. 

Based on my 23&Me DNA test. I’m 40% African American, 30% Asian, and 30% European. 

My grandfather on my mom’s side is Chinese, so I grew up receiving red envelopes each February for the Chinese New Year. (Which means my new year reset will be February 12th 🧧).

My grandfather on my father’s side is Black and sold moonshine in his basement in Cleveland, Ohio. My entrepreneurial spirit goes way back. 

I never met either of my grandfathers. They both died before I was born.

So when I saw my 23&Me results, there was this deep longing to know more about my ancestors. To know who stood before me and where I came from.

I’m mostly West African where the Atlantic slave trade happened and that knowing brought me to my knees.

I’d like to honor + celebrate my African American heritage, so I’ll share #blackexcellence resources that are bringing me joy. I hope it sparks your creativity, inspires you to show up more courageously in your business and life. Happy exploring!

Here is your list of Lovely Things ♥

listen 🎧

In my Hipline class, I enjoyed dancing to Baby Girl by Chloe x Halle. I’m in Lisha’s class, where we spin and twerk, every Monday evening at 5:45pm PST (use promo code: TRYHIPLINE and join me for a free virtual class). I also had this song on repeat: In a Sentimental Mood by Duke Ellington and John Coltrane during my bubble bath.

read 📖

I just started reading the fiction novel by Colson Whitehead, The Nickel Boys, based on a real reform school in Florida. I’m also flipping through the pages of poetry and prose by Cleo Wade’s Where to Begin. And hat tip to Jennifer Covington for sharing the memoir Just As I Am by the late and great actress Cicely Tyson

Watch 📺

For an hour of laughter, watch Michelle Buteau’s comedy stand-up Welcome to Buteaupia on Netflix. My husband and I both laughed, and I loved watching a fully embodied woman take up space on stage. I didn’t know about Michelle until Elizabeth Di’Alto shared her with me. Also, my best friend from high school, Brienne Moore aka MOR, made this music video Keepin’ Us All Down. Her voice is hauntingly beautiful as she sings her response to #BlackLivesMatter 

Buy 🛍

Please consider purchasing and supporting black-owned businesses. Here’s a list mostly in Northern California that was curated by a member from my dance studio. You can also support this black-owned book store, Marcus Books, that ships all around the country.

Connect 👯 

I filled my connection cup… with 36 degrees of fun + freezing with my family. We took a hike at 8 in the morning before starting our work/school day. What P.E. looks like when homeschooling. 🥶 ⛰ 

Learn 🤓

My dear friend Nicole Walters, and lead in She's the Boss, an upcoming show on USA Network (coming out on February 25th!), has a great course to help you set the core foundations for your business: $1k1Day.

This poem Still I Rise by Maya Angelou always moves me. Here’s the opening excerpt:  

Inspire ✨

This poem Still I Rise by Maya Angelou always moves me. Here’s the opening excerpt:  

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Resource 📝

Inner Field Trip with Leesa Renee Hall has great journaling prompts to explore unconscious biases and stand on the side of justice (especially for deep feelers). Last year I participated in Embodied Gatherings with Resmaa Menakem, author of My Grandmother's Hands, and trauma therapist, Karine Bell.

Laugh 😂

Nourish 👩🏽‍🍳

Since quarantine last March, I’ve been exploring slow, mindful cooking. I love my fig-colored La Creuset Dutch Oven which brings me so much joy. I don’t listen to music or an audiobook. I bring my full presence while I cook. And I make meals that simmer and take a long time. A repeat in my home is this New Orleans Red Beans and Rice recipe by Joy the Baker (my daughter is a vegetarian, so I add the meat on the side). 

Wins ✨

Celebrating some inspiring past clients: 

• My collaboration partner, La’Kita Williams, has an excellent free hiring resource guide (her background is in HR working with Amazon, and she has a Master’s in Social Work, so she has the intelligence of big corporations and a heart of justice)

• My friend I’ve known since I was 18, Nikki Silvestri, supports social impact companies and does really deep diversity and inclusion work.

• Lynnette Abbott had her first heavenly birthday on January 26th, and it made me cherish this conversation we had about celebrating children of color and the importance of birthdays.

If this list of “Lovely Things” brought you joy, feel free to share it with a friend. 

Warm hugs,

P.S. Are you in a season of expansion and growth? If you're a founder and looking to have a solid plan of action for the next 12 months, visit my mentorship page to explore how we can work together.