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  • Under The Influence

    Hello Honeybees,

    This week I am sharing some of my favorite social media ā€œinfluencersā€. A social media influencer (SMI) is a user onĀ socialĀ media who has established credibility in a specific industry. They have access to a large audience and can persuade others by virtue of their authenticity and reach.

    Future Influencer

    I follow a lot of SMI’s and I’m not going to lie, I have purchased stuff based on their recommendation, mostly clothes, skin care, makeup and food. But it’s all within reason. I’m not going to buy something that I would never wear or use. Ā Also, I value the opinion of the SMI’s that I follow. They are not too far removed from my lifestyle.Ā  Most are mothers on a budget and are very relateable.

    Go follow them all on Instagram to get a daily look into not only their lives but the business of their influence.

    So in no particular order here are a few of my favorite social media influencers.

    Dayna Bolden

    Talk about when it’s your time… Dayna has been blogging for over 5 years. It was when she started being consistent & truly putting in the work that the “Glow Up” happened. Dayna has been able to leave her 9-5 & become a full time blogger/influencer. She balances being a wife & a mother to her daughter Ari in the city of Baltimore. The thing that I love most about Dayna is her genuine spirit. She is so open & always dropping gems. Full disclosure… I am a member of The Bold Tribe. A group of women that Dayna is mentoring. We spent two hours talking about MY brand & how to grow it. When we were done I had a blueprint for my brand & the tools to execute it.

    Baby Shopaholic

    This Atlanta wife is the mother of two beautiful daughters. To say that I love her daughters is an understatement. Her oldest Peyton will one day win a gymnastics gold medal & her baby Harper will do whatever she wants to and everyone else better move out of her way. Trina is the Aldi queen and real to the core. She shops in the same places that I shop, Walmart, Target etc. She cooks meals that I would cook. But don’t let that fool you. She will break out the designer threads on you but that’s not her focus. I love that Trina shares the real about life and marriage. Last month I had the opportunity to meet Trina when she came to Memphis to do a brand pop up.

    Unlikely Martha

    Wife, mother of a son and daughter and my sorority sister! I found Mimi through another sorority sister two years ago at the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc, Boule in Atlanta. Mimi lives in the ATL & is a full time blogger/influencer. Her daughter is a future ballerina whose morning bus stop dance starts my day. Mimi keeps house and she really does stay fly. She has a beautiful garden in her backyard where she grows vegetables. I love watching the relationship between her & her husband. They are so down to earth. Follow them on IG for some real life marital fun. I also had a chance to meet Mimi when she to came to Memphis for a brand pop up.

    This That Beauty

    A New Jersey wife, and mother to Phoebe and skin care guru. I started following Felicia when she was holding down a 9 to 5. When I need ANY skincare advice or direction I’m heading to her blog for answers. A former social media beauty editor for Bergdorf Goodman she shares both high end & low end products. She literally puts her skin on the line trying out products for us. She’s so down to earth. She’s been known to wear the same outfit more than one day in a row (gasp)….that’s real life because if you didn’t see her in it, it’s new to you.

     

    At Home With Nikki

    Need to get your home or office in order? Follow Nikki. Her common sense approach to organizing is unmatched. Not only will you be organized but it will look stylish too. ā€œLet’s jump right inā€ & ā€œhello friendsā€ are her signature phrases.Ā  Her husband is retired military so Nikki has lived and traveled the world. She was a corporate executive so she knows how an efficient organized office should look. Nikki’s home is organizational goals for me. Check out her YouTube Channels. You won’t be disappointed.

    Of course there are plenty more influencers that I follow and enjoy but these ladies are clutch. If you are not following them then you are missing out. Don’t say that I didn’t warn you.

    Beewisdom- There is incredible power in the arts to inspire and influence- Julie Taymor

  • It’s Not That Deep

    Hello Honeybees,

    My coworkers hear me say this A Lot 😊 “It’s not that deep”

    I take the same advice in my personal life. I do everything in my power to not let the little things & little people get me off track. It’s not to say that whatever I’m talking about is not important but think about it, how important is it really?

    Will whatever ā€œitā€ is cause someone harm? Will a life be forever changed in a negative way because I’m stressed or worried about whatever ā€œitā€ is? If I’m late for a meeting will the world stop? I don’t think so. If I can’t complete something right then, are there dire consequences? I doubt it. Especially if you bring it to me last minute. If my son can’t get the Nintendo Switch, I’m not worried about it. He has a nice roof over his head, food to eat & clothes on his back. Getting that game ā€œis not that deep.ā€

    Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about being responsible as a parent & an employee but what I’m not gonna do is put more pressure on myself for something that can wait or be completed at a later time. My mental & physical health are very important to me. I want to be both a happy parent & a happy employee and adopting the ā€œits not that deepā€ attitude helps me to maintain that balance.

    Dress- Old Navy clearance, Shoes-!!!!!!!!! ,Purse- Cole HaanĀ  Ā  Ā  Photos: Kim Thomas

    So the next time you are stressing about something ask yourself ā€œIs it really THAT deep?ā€

     

    Beewisdom-Ā Ā If you treat every situation as a life and death matter, you’ll die a lot of times.–Dean Smith

  • Real G’s Move In Silence

    Hello Honeybees,

    Ok, so I am not a Lil Wayne fan but I do love the line… ā€œReal G’s move in silence like the G in lasagna.ā€ I admit that I didn’t know about the whole lasagna reference until my 18 yo son hipped me to it.Ā  One day I was sharing what I thought was some motherly advice that went something like this:

    Me: ā€œReal G’s move in silenceā€

    Him: ā€œlike the g in lasagnaā€

    Me: Looking at him like he cursed.

    Him: ā€œWhat, that’s the rest of that line from a Lil Wayne songā€

    Me: Lil Wayne? You have got to be kidding me

    Him: Nope, it’s in a Lil Wayne song

    Me: heads to Google

    Also me: people really had a debate about the ā€œGā€ in lasagna being silent and if the ā€œGā€ stood for gansta.

    Anyway, here is MY point and his I think, EVERYONE doesn’t need to know your every move. Keep some things to yourself. After you have made your move that’s when you let the world know so that we can all celebrate with you. For me when I’m making a Real G move the fewer people that know about it the better. I don’t need any negative energy around me. I will share it with the people that I trust and that I know are in my corner. Positive vibes ONLY!

    I know that social media makes it really easy to overshare, says the lady with a blog, however I share the parts of my life that I choose to share at the time that I want to share.Ā  It’s not that I’m trying to hide anything but somethings are better left unsaid until they can speak for themselves.

    Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā Tommy Hilfiger Shirt: TJMaxx, Shoes:Marshalls, Coach Purse:Gift, Skirt:Gift

    Believe me The Honeybee is planning, strategizing and executing and when the time is right I will share my moves with the world. But until then just know that this G is moving………in silence.

    Beewisdom-When you build in silence, they don’t know what to attack- Livelifehappy.com

    Photos:Kim@KPFusion