The Columbus Tri-Annual Issue 3 by NBMBAA Columbus Chapter

he Columbus

ri annual -

A National Black MBA association Columbus Chapter Publication

ALSO INSIDE: leadership in a negative world Mistakes men make in their career The art of selling yourself: Effective ways to network

How to Raise Our Young

G I RLS To Become

W OM E N Issue 3

Editorial Edi

Hello 2015! Wow, 2014 has already past and the NBMBAA Columbus chapter had a tremendous year! Thank you to all members, corporate sponsors, aﬃliates, and supporters making the NBMBAA Columbus chapter successful! Here are just some of our major accomplishments: • • •

• • • • • • •

A 34% increase in membership. Our very own David Harrison was awarded the Helping Hands award at the NBMBAA Conference and Exposi on. The NBMBAA Columbus Chapter in partnership with The Ohio State University hosted the 2014 Leaders of Tomorrow Business Case Compe on. We gave away$16,000.00 in scholarships to gradua ng seniors in our Leaders of Tomorrow program. Hosted successful events such as our annual résumé workshop, real estate inves ng, and more! Collaborated with the Columbus Metropolitan Library and City School for mentoring young boys and girls. Three members were recognized at the annual Mentor Program celebra on. Successfully hosted the 2014 NBMBAA Leadership Retreat. The Helping Hands award at the NBMBAA Conference and Exposi on. ...and many MANY more accomplishments!

This is the third issue of our online magazine The Columbus TriAnnual. Launched in 2014, members and aﬃliates to the NBMBAA contribute ar cles that empower people from all walks of life. From career advice to leadership skills, each issue is aimed to make YOU a be er person in your professional and personal life. 2015 will be no diﬀerent! In closing I hope to see you at one of or many events in 2015!

Regards,

Tamara Staley

President NBMBAA Columbus Chapter 1

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2014 in pICtures!

More images can be found at www.columbusbmba.org www.columbusbmba.org 2

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2014 in pICtures!

www.columbusbmba.org 4

Contents Putting the Pieces Together for pemeds - by tasha jefferson Without Order of Opera ons a emp ng mathema cal calcula ons would be chao c...

Mistakes Men make in their careers - by Fanchon Kent

13 17

The plight of the Black man has been challenged for years.

How Minorities can succeed in a technological career- by charles byrd Minori es who want to pursue a technological

career in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s society must focus on several objec ves

the art of selling yourself: - By lynette smith Do you envision yourself doing more than your current roll/job requires?

positive leadership in a negative world - by corey humphries O en this feeling of going against the grain can provide a fuel or a con nued adrenaline rush

how to raise our young girls to become women - By sean-nika steel Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s genera on faces some complicated issues that genera ons of the past have not had to experience.

25 29 P N 31

he Columbus

Tri-annual

issue 3

editor

Publisher

Tasha asha Jeﬀ Jeﬀerson erson

Edmund mund Davidson

Contributing Writers

h Jeﬀ J ﬀerson Tasha

Fanchon Kent

Ch l Byrd B d Charles

L ith Lyne e SSmith

orey Humphries Corey

Nik Steele St l Sean-Nika

NBMBAA 1 East Wacker Chicago, IL 60601 (312) 236-2622

NBMBAA Columbus Chapter P.O. Box 163575 Columbus, Ohio 43216. (614) 470-1683

We value your feedback and encourage you to share your thoughts about our magazine. Please send all emails to marke ng@columbusbmba.org. facebook.com/columbus.nbmbaa @Columbus_MBA linkedin.com/in/nbmbaacolumbus instagram.com/nbmbaacolumbus

the NBMBAA. Who are we? The National Black MBA Association® (NBMBAA) was founded in 1970 at a two-day conference held at the University of Chicago, by a group of African American MBA students, faculty, advisors, and businessmen. The purposes of the Association are: the encouragement of career independence for African American business professionals; the promotion of African American intellectual and economic wealth and empowerment; and the professional advancement of African American business professionals. Comprised of African American and minority business professionals from across the world, the Association is a business force boasting U.S. and international members and corporate partners. The Association has awarded over $5 million dollars in scholarships to minority students participating in both undergraduate and graduate programs around the world. Today, the membership is over 9,000 and the Association has expanded its outreach to include 46 chapters and 28 collegiate chapters. At the NBMBAA®, empowering professionals through strategic business forces is fundamental to our character and the way we represent our members. We have created numerous ways for our members to contribute to our commitment of fostering intellectual and economic wealth for the communities in which we empower, work, and serve.

VISION The Na onal Black MBA Associa on will be the premier business organiza on serving Black professionals.

Mission The Na onal Black MBA Associa on leads in the crea on of educa onal opportuni es and economic growth for African-Americans. We serve to: • • •

Provide innova ve programs to s mulate their intellectual and economic growth Build partnerships with key stakeholders who help facilitate this growth. Increase awareness and facilitate access to graduate management educa on programs and career opportuni es in management fields. For more informa on about NBMBAA go to www.nbmbaa.org

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Leaders of Tomorrow Since 1992, the National Black MBA Association has provided mentors who coach students on a consistent basis in college preparation, academic success, leadership, public speaking, social engagement, networking, and goal setting to develop discipline, set and achieve high academic standards, and implement ways to serve their communities. Over 8,000 minority high school students have been mentored through LOT. LOT operates in more than 30 U.S. cities, Canada, and the United Kingdom More than 95% of LOT graduates enroll in college. More than $2 million in scholarships and programming support has been provided by LOT and its partners.

Setting New Standards The hallmark of LOT is its intensity. Working with their mentors, high school students are encouraged to tackle challenges most other students wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t dare even approach, regardless of socio-economic circumstances, and overcome those challenges with a high degree of excellence. At the same time, LOT students learn how to be leadersâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; setting goals and high standards for themselves and their peers, and motivating others to follow their lead as they make a difference in their communities.

Creating New Habits Too many students are not proficient in basic subject matter. Moreover, to be competitive in a globally interconnected marketplace, proficiency is not enough. Excellence is required. The Leaders of Tomorrow Program helps students change the way they approach achievement on an everyday basis so that striving for excellence becomes a habit.

Embracing New Opportunities LOT helps young people learn both how to prepare to take advantage of and create opportunities. They are exposed to different ways of thinking, different cultures, diverse career fields, numerous colleges, and people who have achieved greatness. In the process, future leaders discover that whatever they want to accomplish in life is within their grasp, as long as they have the discipline, courage, assertiveness, and skill to make it happen. For more informa on about Leaders of Tomorrow go to www.nbmbaa.org/lot/lotCase.aspx www.columbusbmba.org 8

The Value of being a Member Membership Fees We offer several membership options based on professional level and affiliation. Student Membership

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2015 NBMBAA Columbus Chapter Tamara Staley President

Buffie Patt Vice Presid Corporate

Tasha Jefferson Vice President Administration

Edmund D Vice Presid Marketing

Yammah Morgan Vice President Operations

Qiana Wil Vice Presid Leaders of

Anthony Wilson Vice President Finance

Deadra M Vice Presid Records

Executive Board Members

terson dent e Outreach

Davidson dent g

liams dent f Tomorrow

cIntosh dent

Buffie Patterson Immediate Past President

Past Presidents of the NBMBAA Columbus Chapter 1993 1994 1995

Carey Cheri Leslie Epps Myron Hoskins

1996 – 2000 2000 – 2004 2004 – 2008 2009 – 2013

Diana Spencer David Harrison Oyauma Garrison Buffie McGee Patterson

NBMBAA Columbus Chapter Bi-Weekly

NEWSLETTER Sign up Today! B in the know about our latest events, upcoming educa onal Be w workshops, career development, and more. Just email n newsle er@columbusbmba.org and ask to be placed on the n newsle er distribu on list!

Putting the Pieces Together for

PEMDAS An Approach to Problem Solving

Part 1 By Tasha Jefferson

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Without our universally-accepted Order of Opera ons a emp ng mathema cal calcula ons would be chao c, frustra ng, and would yield unreliable results. Order of Opera ons is a pre-defined sequence of how to approach and solve mathema cal equa ons. It is a best prac ce, a standard, a mandatory method even. Its framework yields the consistency that we need to make mathema cs func onal. Without such a systema c approach we would be unable to build buildings using architecture, formulate and administer eďŹ&#x20AC;ec ve medica ons, nor develop algorithms that serve as the basis for computer programs that increasingly impact every aspect of our lives. You can look around and easily observe all the many ways that the func on of math has been converted into prac cal everyday solu ons. This has been a very successful approach, would you agree? What about extrapola ng the framework onto the everyday problemsolving process? Let us explore what that could look like. PEMDAS is the common term used in the United States for Order of Opera ons. It is an acronym that stands for Parentheses, Exponents, Mul plica on, Division, Addi on, and Subtrac on. There are varia ons used in other countries such as BEDMAS, BODMAS, and BIDMAS (B = Brackets, O = Orders, and I = Indices). Note that the M and D have been rearranged. This is due to the communica ve proper es which do not restrict an order between the two; simply put you can do either first and obtain the same outcome. Using the PEMDAS acronym, let us explore problem solving using Priori za on, Energy, Medita on, Delibera on, Ac on, and Surveys. Priori za on www.columbusbmba.org 14

Parentheses and brackets are addressed first in the solu on set, they are the first priority. Math within each confine has been placed there a er though ully determining each component’s value both standalone and in rela on to all other components. Some mes a coefficient can be extracted. In math coefficients simplify the process, allowing a set of rules to be applied to all of the items inside of the parenthesis since it has already been determined that all factors have the coefficient in common and will be affected in the same way, in propor on. To formulate a comprehensive and viable equa on the following is necessary: 1) though ul evalua on and organiza on of the individual components given each component’s independent and rela ve relevance 2) iden fica on of coefficients that can simplify the equa on and 3) recogni on of the priori es. The same principles are fi ng when addressing life problems. How to priori ze. Understand that most issues can be simplified into a few common themes. Iden fy those themes, or coefficients in math terms, and then decide how much importance to assign each one. Use this assessment tool to objec vely priori ze problems. Some themes in no par cular order are:

• • • • • • • • • • •

Time sensi vity High/low consequence High/low reward Sequen al (prerequisite for another ac vity) Impact Strategy Value-alignment Peer pressure Duress Ethics Already established hierarchy of priori es

Time sensi vity by nature seems to be the default winner when it comes to priori zing. However, other themes are at play in important decision making. Have you ever simultaneously faced mul ple pressing deadlines, an upcoming mee ng, and several important inbound emails and phone calls? You may conclude that there is not enough me to do everything and decide to eliminate some of the tasks. The decision to determine which tasks to eliminate changes the factors from purely thinking of how badly me is pressing, to evalua ng other themes. For instance which tasks will cause the most nega ve consequences if le undone? Conversely, which tasks can be cancelled with the least amounts of nega ve repercussion? The desire to achieve posi ve outcomes can be as persuasive as the desire to avoid nega ve outcomes…ask any entrepreneur, student, athlete, or parent that has foregone sleep and pushed him or herself 15

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past physical limits to achieve a personal goal. Furthermore, values and sense of integrity should factor into problem-solving and decision-making. It should be easier to stack-up compe ng problems and compare the pros and cons a er iden fying which themes are at play and which themes are the most cri cal in that moment. Simplifying a dilemma by separa ng the components into well-defined themes brings clarity and facilitates efficiency in the process of confron ng problems. Energy Exponents and roots are addressed second in the solu on set, they bring exponen al increase and decrease. We o en forget about the roots component of exponents. Many mes in life we forget about what exponents and roots can symbolically represent. That is that we are all connected to the universe; and we affect and are effected by each other. Taking me to factor in this powerful mindset will set you apart. Exponents are o en referred to as an nth power. Power is synonyms with energy. When evalua ng a situa on it is wise to check the energies involved. What is your energy? What are the energies of others? How do you feel? How do you think others feel? Is someone red, sick, stressed, or under pressure? Do you care? What personali es are involved? What factors are feeding into the situa on? What are the various inten ons and mo ves at play? Is there any harbored resentment lingering? What are the root causes of the problem? Conceptualizing powers as energy that strengthens and grows upward, and roots as energy firmly planted in stability and wisdom, sets the stage for great insight. Exponents and roots are on the same axis of energy, they just move inversely on that axis. An exponent mul plies itself while a root divides itself. As one replicates itself to become increasing larger, the other divides itself to become increasing smaller. Residence on the same axis means that what is done can o en be undone using the inverse process [3^3=9 and √9=3]. Simply put, find liberty in thinking up abstract solu ons, and be less risk averse to taking leaps of faith. If you thought that there were no mistake erasers in life, find faith in this example that there are. What dichotomies exists in the problem that you are a emp ng to solve?

• • • • • • • •

Posi ve/nega ve Internal/external Confidence/insecurity Selfish/selfless Short-term/long-term Ethical dilemmas Will there be a long term eﬀect to your short term decision? Are you comfortable with any karma that your decision may yield? www.columbusbmba.org 16

CAREER

RSMISTA KES WOM ES MEN MAKEINT ENMA KEINTHEIRC NMAKEIN THEIRCA EIN THEIRCAREE THEIR CAREERS MI The plight of the Black man has been By challenged for years. Unfortunately, this has had a negative impact on his ability to maintain steady employment. Reasons can stem from making mistakes that can be contributed to the following: not being drafted to the NFL, starting a family, having a criminal record, or making a wrong career choice. Everyone has different circumstances and making mistakes is not a negative. Moreover, each person in a similar situation will fare differently. However, from the points of views for the men contributing to this article, these actions were mistakes made during their careers.

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Fanchon Kent

MENMAKEINTHEIR HEIRCAREERMIST CAREERMISTAKE AREERMISTAKESW ERMISTAKESMENM ISTAESWOMENMA

www.columbusbmba.org 18

CAREER

STAKESMENMAKEINTHEIRCAREERSMISTAKESMENM

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According to the BLS, “Much has changed for African-Americans since the 1963 March on Washington (which, recall, was a march for “Jobs and Freedom”), but one thing hasn’t: The unemployment rate among blacks is about double that among whites, as it has been for most of the past six decades. In 1954, the earliest year for which the Bureau of Labor Sta s cs has consistent unemployment data by race, the white rate averaged 5% and the black rate averaged 9.9%. Last month, the jobless rate among whites was 6.6%; among blacks, 12.6%. Over that me, the unemployment rate for blacks has averaged about 2.2 mes that for whites” (Drew.S, The Pew Research Group).

One man commented, “My career aspira ons started for me as a quarter back Allstar player for my HS. I received a full scholarship to college wherein, I con nued playing as a quarter back. Being a professional football player was always on my horizon. However, it did not turn out to be the way I envisioned. Instead, I ended up not becoming a professional football player. I felt like I accomplished being a role model and a er 5 years I obtained a degree in Communica ons. Looking back there were many things that I would have done diﬀerently. One of those was my school of choice. This had a major impact in terms of my professional career. How the dra works is that it looks at the school, the league and the marke ng ability of the player. In my situa on, I was not dra ed not because I lacked the skills as an athlete but my school was considered a D1 level. Most of the players at that me were being dra ed from the top ten schools. Had I known back then that my school of choice would make the diﬀerence in my professional ability to play ball, I would have a ended an in-state school.”

Another interviewee explained that “I started a family at the very young age of 17. One of the problems I had was changing focus on my new family instead of school. While I was in school working on my Bachelor’s degree I s ll had mouths to feed. The hardest part about that was working full- me and going to school and taking care of my family. I knew I wanted a be er life and this was the only way to make it happen. If I had to do it over again, I would not have started a family so early but would have finished my educa on and then started my career. Today, I can stake claim in my overall success of determina on and the love that I had for my family. This helped me to push forward with my plans even though many mes I wanted to give up.” 19

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MAKEINTHEIRCAREERSMISTAKESMENMAKEI N

Another gentleman shared his experience as a felon. At an early age he would run with the wrong group of people and as a result he caught a case. He was charged with drug possession and had to serve 10 years in a federal prison. So far he has not been able to work outside of any fast food establishment. Most of his me was spent in prison but managed to get his GED. In this he regrets ge ng mixed up with the wrong crowd and wished that he would have stayed in school, finished his degree and then started a family. Twenty years later, he can say that being determined to work and beat the odds has helped him to be successful in his career. He is the proud owner of a landscaping business and worked hard to build up a reputable business. The mistakes made early as a child nearly cost him his career. While he cannot see himself working for a corpora on he has found solace being a business owner and helps others in his same predicament.

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The Huﬃngton Post commented, “One in every three black males born today can expect to go to prison at some point in their life, compared with one in every six La no males, and one in every 17 white males, if current incarcera on trends con nue. These are among the many pieces of evidence cited by the Sentencing Project, a Washington, D.C.-based group that advocates for prison reform, in a report on the staggering racial dispari es that permeate the American criminal jus ce system” (2013.Knafo.S, Huﬃngton Post).

“My military career started right a er high school. I served the United States Army and received a medical honorable discharge a er 15 year of service. The military paid for me to a end school full me. I a ended a private university and graduated sum cum lada with a general business management diploma. A er college gradua on, I accepted a posi on as a retail manager. At the me I worked 50-70 hours per week. I felt like this was too many hours because I never had any me for myself. While s ll collec ng my medical disability form the military, I decided to quit that job. I wanted something where I could work a regular shi but without the demands that came along with the management type posi on. The mistake that I made was not making the right career choice and qui ng my job prematurely. I should have stayed in that posi on which would have learned me some very valuable skills. I struggled for years to find stable employment. Today, I work as a consultant helping people to start up their own businesses which has proven to be very rewarding for me.”

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THEIRCAREERMISTAKEMAKEINTHEIRCAREERSMISTA ESMEN

Young Black men — across the board — score below their counterparts in other racial and ethnic groups when it comes to gradua on rates, literacy rates and college preparedness. And many African American men, in turn, are virtually locked out of employment and are filling up the na on’s prisons in dispropor onate numbers” (2015. Thompson,T., The Smiley Group).

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CAREER

References: Desilver, Drew. “Black Unemployment Rate Is Consistently Twice That of Whites.” H p:// www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank. The Pew Research Center, 21 Aug. 2013. Web. 6 Feb. 2015. <h p://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/08/21/through-good- mes-and-bad-blackunemployment-is-consistently-double-that-of-whites/> Knafo, Saki. “1 In 3 Black Males Will Go To Prison In Their Life me, Report Warns.” Huff Post Black Voices. The Huffington Post, 4 Oct. 2013. Web. 6 Feb. 2015. <h p://www. huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/04/racial-dispari es-criminal-jus ce_n_4045144.html>. Thompson, Tamika. “Fact Sheet: Outcomes for Young, Black Men.”H p://www.pbs.org/wnet/ tavissmiley. The Smiley Group, 1 Jan. 2015. Web. 6 Feb. 2015. <, h p://www.pbs.org/wnet/ tavissmiley/tsr/too-important-to-fail/fact-sheet-outcomes-for-young-black-men>. Rodgers, Nick. “Mistakes MEN Make in Their Career.” Telephone interview. 5 Feb. 2015. Confiden al. “Mistakes MEN Make in Their Career.” Telephone interview. 5 Feb. 2015. Jackson, William. “Mistakes MEN Make in Their Career.” Telephone interview. 5 Feb. 2015.

{ Be sure to check out “Mistakes Women Make in Their Careers” in Issue #2 of the Columbus Tri-Annual. Click here to read 21

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CAREER

How 01 minorities can succeed in a

technological

TAKE J0BS 0THERS D0N'T WANT

D0 N0T C0MPR0MISE Y0UR INTEGRITY

When you accept tasks, assignments, or projects that others do not want to do or won’t do; it puts the spotlight on you and your abili es to do the job. This puts your manager and peers on no ce that you are competent and qualified when you excel in successfully complete those tasks, assignments, or projects.

If you are asked to be a part of a decision that violates company policy, doesn’t feel right or you are being asked to perform something that is contrary to what is expected of you, Do Not Do It. Express your feelings to your manager and others and let them know that you are not comfortable with it. This tells those you work with what is, and what is not, an acceptable work parameter for you.

career

By Charles Byrd A technological career is a gateway to possible success to those who pursue this path. In today’s society, technical job opportunities seem to be in abundance. Anyone who is in a technological career must perform to be a success in their role. Minorities who want to pursue a technological career in today’s society must focus on several objectives to be successful. I am going to list 5 key objectives that minorities must utilize to succeed in a technological career: 23

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ALWAYS TRY T0 LEARN NEW TECHN0L0GY AND IDEAS

BE C0ACHABLE

Technology is expanding and growing daily. It is important to learn on your own the tools of your trade. If there are applica ons or processes that you want to learn be proac ve and pursue those areas. Ask to par cipate in a course, training or even online research to ensure that you are keeping up with new technology.

Technological careers foster working with others. Individuals must be able to listen and follow direc ons to make sure that there responsibili es are complete and align with business direc ves. IT departments value staff who can work well and can intermingle with different IT area and staff.

DEFINE Y0UR G0ALS

A person who does not have clearly defined goals will not have clearly defined steps. A person who has clarity in his or her IT organiza on will display value, the ability to perform, and the ability to communicate to customers and others in their organiza on.

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CAREER 25

The Art of Selling Yourself:

Effective Ways to Network

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By Lynette Smith

r u o y in k c tu s lt fe r e v e u o Have y current role/job? Do you envision yourself doing mo re than your current roll/job requires ?

. e n lo a t o n e ’r u o y t a th w If so, kno

Shawn, a very accomplished associate at an adver sing agency feels like he’s in a career “rut” and cannot get out of it. He has done everything asked of him by his current employer and o en exceeds their expecta ons. He is a top performer and rou nely wins awards and accolades for his contribu ons. Shawn can’t figure out why he hasn’t been “fast tracked” within his organiza on. He struggles with understanding how such an accomplished associate like himself hasn’t been approached by management and “groomed” to move up in the organiza on. What Shawn does not understand about the culture of his organiza on is that networking is a main means of upward mobility. He hasn’t networked well, if at all, in the past years and believes that his work should speak for itself. He doesn’t like what he considers individuals being “fake” in an eﬀort to “get something” from one another. www.columbusbmba.org 26

CAREER

What Shawn fails to understand is that in today’s business environment, networking is a crucial ac vity. Whether your goal is to engage, learn from, & interact with people from diﬀerent departments, volunteer/oﬀer your skills, or get promoted, networking is a cri cal skill that you need to possess. Many people are unclear as to what exactly networking is, which is why they refrain from doing so. Anyone can become a good networker. To do so, you’ll need to keep a few things in mind.

BE BE BE BE BE BE 27

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Accessible - return calls, be available, touches base periodically.

Responsive – help out, call people back, mends fences when things go awry.

Efficient - recognize priorities, does things quickly, don’t waste time.

Dependable – get things done, follow through, “do what you say you’ll do when you say you’ll do it”.

(Somewhat) Predictable – be consistent, don’t create surprises.

Of High integrity – be credible, keep confidences, protect secrets, have high standards of honesty.

Now that you have a few ps for how to successfully network. You’ll need to test out your newfound skills/ skills/talents. /talents. Networking happens in lots of places and can be long and calculated or brief and d unplanned. unp planneed. The key is for you to “always be prepared” so that when opportuni es present themselves, em mseelvees, you yo ou can capitalize on them. A good good networker netwo has perfected cteed an an elevator eleva speech. Elevator evvatorr sspeeches peeech should be 30-60 seconds nd ds in n length, len ngth h, concise, and tell elll who wh ho you you are, ar what you do, do & why why you would be a perfect candidate. id datee. The The idea id de is that you should ho ould d be be able ab ble to deliver this speech during an elevator ride, which iss usually usuallly short. sho You should be be able able to to ra le off your elevator speech p anywhere: a cocktail p party, h happy h hour, ggolf ou ng, g or even d during a weekend vo volunteer olunteer ac vity. For help elp with with crea crea ng and/or perfec erfeec n ngg your your elevator speech, use sourcess llike ikee the the internet, intte Linkedin, in n, career caareeer co coaches, oa and friends en nds or or colleagues. colllea Once you have a good d elevator eleevator sspeech p that you’ve u’ve p prac rac cced e and perfected, teed, it it’s t ’ss mee to test it out. Networking happens in a variety of se ngs and loca ons. To do it successfully, be sure Ne v tto o a eend nd events outside utsside o off yo your our comfort zone such ch as as lunches, lunches happy hours, golf & charity ou ngs, remember o u ngs s, even volunteer ntteerr eevents. veentss. If you’re new to it, t,, rem mem mbeer that you don’t have to be the ng one new person. Be sure lilife ife off the th party. Prior or to going goingg to to an event, set a goal go oal off mee mee n before much as you can about who else tto o do do your yo homework orkk b efore a ending the event.. LLearn earn aass mu will be a ending, what their roles/ tles are, and who actually “gets things done.” Make sure you obtain the person’s business card and follow up on your mee ng by telephone or email. Remind the person of where you met, thank them for their me, and be sure to offer your assistance to them. If you do this enough, you’ll successfully expand your network very quickly. You can also connect people who are not currently connected ectted but but should sho be (in your opinion). vely network, op pinion). This T form of “paying ayingg it it forward” forwa is another way to effecc ve ely n etw wo leave a las ng impression, im mpresssion and help others. errs. You You want waant to be memorable and helping elp pingg others otherrs is a good way to do o so. so . With ps above you ccan begin W ith the the few f an b egin to successfully create or expand your network. Keep in mind that a successful has not learned skills overnight. succcessful networker ne learned their t ernigght. It It will wi take some me and plenty of prac Don’t praac cce. e. D o overthinkk iit. t. Step Step out ou ut of your comfort fo ort zone zone and an nd a end an event rm med d with with your yo elevator speech peeech h aand nd you’re yo theere. You You can c even join a or ac vity armed half wayy there. leaaguee, that th hat you y think networks wo orkss well, welll, at a an event and nd d watch watch them the in ac on. Be friend or colleague, pleasant, learn arn ab about bout others’ oth interestss and d needs needs so s that you y can an off ffeerr h help elp aand/or / connect them to someone. Most importantly, imp portantly, have fun. een eestablished, stablissh update it regularly. gu ularlyy. Nurture Nurttu your relaa o nsh hip ps by by Once your network has be been onships ing h elp p, aand n upda ng otherss o n the the latest lates “happenings” ngss” with with you. you connec ng regularly, offeri ering help, on ow wh hen you Remember, you don’t know when you’ll need to “ask” for a favor, support, etc. Keep the lines of communica on open and make sure your rela onship is a “two-way street.” Good luck!

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LEADERSHIP

POSITIVEin LEADERSHIP +-+-+-+-+-+By Corey Humphries

The cool thing is that we are fortunate to live in a country in which views can diﬀer or have the freedom of expression. Keep in mind there may be some constraints depending upon who provides the opportunity. It could be an employer, a sponsor, a poli cal party, a nonprofit organiza on, place of worship or community. True visionaries are ones who can inspire change and/or movement. Leaders are these visionaries that can truly inspire someone to move and or change. O en mes depending on points of view, leaders could be considered “threats” because naturally it diﬀers from the norm, status quo, or mainstream view.

Over the last couple years, several events have occurred in which the pubic displayed outcries of disagreement, disappointment, concern or injus ce. Deaths of unarmed civilians in mul ple states from authori es and the rulings following; to genocides in Africa based upon religious beliefs; to human traﬃcking across interna onal borders. One wonders what were they thinking? What do they expect the outcome of this to be? Can they con nue with their normal lives or is this how they have been raised and taught? What mo vates them? What strikes their anger or pushes their bu ons? What needs to be proven or displayed? Why now? These types of ques ons amongst others naturally arise however one may not always know the answer. One may feel the answer is apparent based upon research from mul ple sources and some mes it may s ll be unclear. The world consists of very diverse perspec ves and beliefs, some even taking a great amount of pride in being diﬀerent or considered an “excep on.” This can also create a following because there may be others that want to track the same path and be “excep onal.” O en this feeling of going against the grain can provide a fuel or a con nued adrenaline rush that empowers the leaders with a spirit of rebellion to believe that change is needed. As men oned in the first paragraph, they may view themselves as threat to society. Being a threat can have both its advantages and disadvantages, but one has to be strategic in knowing how to handle the posi ve and nega ve. There are posi ve leaders that have demonstrated how to handle both the advantages and disadvantages. Individuals such as MLK, President Obama, S. True Cathy, Steve Jobs, Gregg Popovich just to name a few. However unfortunately there are leaders reflected on the other side of the spectrum that take advantage of their power in a more disheartening manner and o en it just seems simply because they have the ability to do so. One may not fully understand the why’s. 29

TCT| Issue 3

NEGATIVE a

WORLD

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The world naturally has its ups and downs. Some mes it appears to be more downs than ups. There are many cases that do not appear fair, do not make sense, or seem as though someone just did not get them right. But also keep in mind, there may be outcomes in which one person or a group may not be able to have a current influence upon. I share a strong faith that God will not cast down more than one can bear and God works in mysterious ways. There is a unique purpose for everything and for each one of us. Even though it may seem that there is an abundance of nega vity displayed throughout society, there is also an abundant presence of opportunity. Look out for those gems that turn these opportuni es into posi ves. There are some out there. Maybe you can become one. Please be mindful that the display of nega vity throughout media is frankly what sells. That is how many individuals and/or organiza ons keep their jobs. One may not always see the posi ve figures in society because some mes it may not provide that edge that the sex, drugs, violence, and opposi on brings as far as ra ngs and viewing power. I am not at all saying that certain occurrences happen merely for entertainment value, I am just saying donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forgot your purpose. Despite the nega vity and opposi on, there are certain people specifically placed to ignite a flame and inspire change in a posi ve direc on. With that said, I try to live by the mantra of having a posi ve influence on anyone or anything I come in contact with. Some mes it can be just simply saying hello or providing a helping hand or a high five. But some mes it also takes going the extra mile. Simple things such as being respec ul, genuine and giving without receiving a request helps showcase character. People generally support someone that displays great character. Try to see if you can have a posi ve influence on just one person. Let that be a start if you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t already done so. From there challenge yourself to do it again. By star ng with the group that surrounds you, you will see more of these posi ve gems in society. You will eventually know your purpose and leverage your walk in life.

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LIFESTYLE

How to Raise Our Young

G I RLS To Become

W OM E N by Sean-Nika Steele

TCT| Issue 3

Our young girls also need to be raised to know their self-worth and to believe in themselves.

Today’s genera on faces some complicated issues that genera ons of the past have not had to experience as loudly and vividly. When we take a look at the issues that impact our young girls, we see issues around the world that largely are the result of gender inequality. Some of these issues include nega ve influences from the media, human traﬃcking, gender based violence, pay inequality and even limited work opportuni es. There is also an interes ng diﬀerence in the sta s cs concerning the young women of our me. Some sta s cs will illustrate that we have more women in higher educa on in comparison to our male counterparts. On the other hand, there is informa on from sources like the Na onal Women’s Law Center that provides the troubling feedback that one in four American girls do not finish high school. This sta s c goes on to say that this rate is higher for young girls of color. While there are certainly other factors that contribute to the aforemen oned sta s cs, the truth of the ma er is that we just have to do be er. We can start with the young girls in our communi es and in our families here in our country.

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LIFESTYLE

If this genera on is our future, how do we raise our young girls to become more? How do we raise our young girls to overcome their obstacles like the women of yesteryear seemed to do with grace and with such strength? In the midst of this conversa on, it is important to remain hopeful, solu on-oriented and posi ve. If we were to query the resilient women of wisdom who walked these familiar paths decades ago, they would be sure to provide sound and profound words of encouragement, guidance and direc on. However, many of these lovely ladies are moving on to their final res ng place and much of that amazing wisdom is ge ng lost in transla on. Nonetheless, the story does not have to end with the mentors and leaders of the past genera on because we have the ability to make a difference. We can reach out to the current and upcoming genera ons - just as someone took the me to do with us in our youth. In today’s mes, our young girls s ll need role models who are genuine, true and posi ve examples. Our young girls also need to be raised to know their self-worth and to believe in themselves. These things are only effec ve if we truly believe in and embody the meaning ourselves. There are many occasions where the solu on to our concerns and our circumstances starts with us. We must truly be the change that we wish to see and take ac on to make a difference. Being an example to our young girls is as simple as showing them the right or ideal ways to live a healthy fulfilling life. Serving as an example does not mean we have to be the pinnacle of perfec on or aspire to be the ideal woman. Much of serving as a real example involves the exact opposite. It involves being human, acknowledging our faults or shortcomings and having real conversa ons around the lesson we learned. We can be a mentor by speaking to how we overcame par cular obstacles and how we have been graced to make it to this very moment. In order to serve as an example, we must also hold ourselves accountable by watching our ac ons and words. This takes ac ng and thinking consciously - with purpose and with intent. We must truly some mes begin with the end in mind. We can ask ourselves: “What do I I want this young lady to absorb from this ac on? What am I trying to teach her?” What we find from this

TCT| Issue 3

brief touch base with ourselves is that we become be er individuals as well which further aids us in being living examples to the next genera on. In order to help our young girls, we must also encourage them by teaching them self-worth and making posi ve deposits into their self-esteem banks. Today’s young ladies should know that it’s okay to be strong, confident and independent in comparison to someone who merely follows the crowd. Self-confidence, self-acceptance and having a strong sense of personal worth determines a lot in our lives from the thoughts that we think, to the choices that we make to the opportuni es that will be aﬀorded to us. When we know ourselves and when we are in tune with the life events that have impacted us the most, we can (and we should) be empathe c and construc ve toward someone else enduring that same struggle. We can build up our young ladies and give them instruc on without tearing them down or killing their pride. We should strive to always be honest and transparent in our communica on. While the truth will have a certain s ng of its own, nega ve words, ac ons and behaviors toward our young ladies while they are in such a vulnerable adolescent state can be much worse. Our young girls can look to the media to find ca ness, nega vity and superficiality. Our homes and communi es should not reflect the same sad story. We can tell the truth and instruct in love so that our real intent is evident and so that our words don’t destroy a young girl’s confidence in the process. Speaking of the process, it’s important to remember that communica on takes me so we need to have pa ence and persistence with our young girls. Many of us failed to get life right the first, third and fi h me as well. The great thing about our own stories is that they provide us with reassurance that our young girls will one day get the point too. Lastly, we must teach our young girls to believe in themselves. Some mothers, like mine, teach their children to believe that they can do anything that they put their mind too. This is one of those teachings that may not make sense un l they are older but we can again model the way as they grow. We can coach our young ladies through those hard situa ons and celebrate their victories and eﬀorts at the end. Believing in oneself is all inclusive of all the points that were previously discussed. In order to help our young girls believe in themselves, we have to teach them how to accept themselves. We can also strengthen their individual beliefs by providing them with healthy and posi ve examples of thriving, resilient adults. Our ac on plan is to take ac on and we can start today. Please take the me to reinforce and reassure our young girls that they are not only beau ful, but that they are intelligent, powerful and just plain amazing. Let them know that they don’t have to be anyone else but themselves. Let them know that they are unique and that they are not a mistake. Let them know that they are purposed and that they are loved. Let them know that we will be cheering them on along the way and that we will definitely be there smiling at the finish line. Reference: h p://dayo hegirl.org/ www.columbusbmba.org 34

The Building Blocks of Leadership: Relevance. Drive. Effect. REGISTRATION AND HOUSING OPENS APRIL 15TH Early Bird: (Apr 15 - Jun 30) Regular: (Jul 1 - Aug 16) Late: (Aug 16 - Sep 25) Orange County Convention Center 9990 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819 September 22 - 26, 2015

CONFERENCE OVERVIEW Location Orange County Convention Center 9990 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819 September 22 – 26, 2015

Career Expo Exhibit Hall B3 & B4 Thursday, Sept 24, 9:00am – 5:00pm Friday, Sept 25, 9:00am – 5:00pm

Registration Hours Tuesday, Sept 22, 4:00pm – 8:00pm Wednesday, Sept 23, 7:00am – 7:00pm Thursday, Sept 24, 7:00am – 6:00pm Friday, Sept 25, 7:00am – 3:00pm

NBMBAA Employment Network® Exhibit Hall B5 Thursday, Sept 24, 8:00am – 6:00pm Friday, Sept 25, 8:00am – 6:00pm

Be sure to follow the NBMBAA Columbus chapter for upcoming workshops to get you ready for national conference! For more information on the conference go to http://www.nbmbaaconference.org/