The Honeybee's Lifestyle

Category: LIFESTYLE

  • Position Yourself

    Hello Honeybees,

    Recently I was listening to Soledad O’Brien speak on a podcast about her leaving CNN. She spoke about how they never really “fired” her but they offered her a different position that she felt was not a good fit for her. To her credit she was able to walk away from CNN because she had financially positioned herself to do so. While working at CNN she was frugal with her money so that she was able to make better decisions based on what she wanted to do vs. what she had to do.

    We’ve all been there. And there is being somewhere because you feel like you have to. Being in a relationship because you feel like you have to. If I leave this relationship then I’ll be alone. If I leave this job then how will I survive? Because let’s face it, we all have bills to pay.

    Positioning yourself means giving yourself options. It’s a very helpless feeling knowing that other people literally hold your destiny in their hands. Hopefully they will have your best interest at heart but then again they may not. It’s a crap shoot.

    So how do you position yourself?

    Financially- living below your means. Have a nest egg so that if you need to make a decision you are making it from a point of substance and not survival.

    Skills- work on improving your skill set so that you have more to offer. If you only know how to do one thing, then one thing is all that you can do.

    Find your side hustle- this goes along with your finances AND improving your skills. That side hustle can help you to save. That side hustle can be your additional skill. This combination can be life saving.

    Network- get to know people outside of your circle, that includes having a mentor. People who know you & your worth. People who can and will advocate for you, even when you are NOT in the room.

    I encourage you to position yourself so that when you are ready to move, you can…..just like that!

    What part of your life needs a position change?

    Beewisdom-“Proper positive positioning is the key to experiencing miracles.” Edmond Mbiaka

     

    Photos by kaughtbykaete.com 

  • Blogger XPO 2019

    Hello Honeybees,

    August was a crazy busy month. It started with a focus on family and ended with a focus on me. I spent a weekend in Nashville at the 2nd annual Blogger Xchange XPO.

    The Blogger Xchange was founded by Leigh Love & Kay Elle. Both are Nashville natives that grew up together. They saw a need to bring the growing Nashville blogger community together and thus their first event was created. Leigh is a music, travel & events blogger. Kay Elle is a beauty, fashion and lifestyle blogger. The two together make a very dynamic team.

    Fortunately for our local blogger community, they do come to Memphis to host classes which have been very helpful. So when I got the chance to attend this years XPO I jumped at it. My blogger boo Mocha_Divas and I hit the highway headed east ready to learn and grow.

    Thursday night was VIP night. Once there we checked in to our hotel and got ready for a walking photo tour with Photo Walk Tour the Gulch. So many Instagramable spaces. Christy & Abbey did an great job especially working with all of us bloggers. We finished the tour at Winky Lux by making flower crowns. We didn’t make the kick off party that night because after the drive up and the photo walk we were tired but I heard that the guys from Slim & Husky’s shared some great advice.

    Saturday was the big day. After a healthy breakfast from Rush Bowls and Box Water we headed into hear Memphis’ own Paris Chanel give the keynote speech. My takeaway from Paris was to pursue your passion. Blogging is a passion project for me so this was confirmation that I was in the right place. The rest of the day was filled with very informative sessions. My notebook is full of gems and action plans.

    One of the speakers in my first session “Writing with Soul” was Brittney Oliver. When Brittney started to share her story I thought to myself, this sounds so familiar. Turns out I heard Brittney on one of my favorite podcast Switch,Pivot or Quit. A few of my other sessions included Perfecting the Feed and The Business of Blogging. The Business of Blogging helped us to understand some of the legal aspects of blogging. You know all those FTC rules and regulations.

    Sunday Brunch fed my soul. The food provided by Chef Batts was delicious and the adult beverages were plentiful. But our brunch speaker Kenya Raymer of @Halfietruth was REAL. She  talked about setting boundaries in these internet streets and if you follow Kenya then you know that she doesn’t play about this and I so admire that. She also talked about being authentic, something that she does so well. It’s always interesting to me to meet people that I follow in person. I’m not always sure how to approach them but Kenya put me at ease.

    I have my blog to do list and I have already tackled the first item. Yea me!!!! I also won a $150 gift card to Macy’s. I feel a haute fall wardrobe in my future.

    I can not express the impact from the Blogger XPO weekend. Not just for the blog but for my life. I am already looking forward to next years XPO but in the meantime I’ll be ready for the next blogger class in Memphis.

    Thanks Leigh & Kay for an awesome weekend. See you next year.

     

    Beewisdom- “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X

     

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  • Diner En Blanc

    Hello Honeybees,

    The inaugural Diner En Blanc Memphis is termine` & this Honeybee is tired. I’ve always wanted to attend a Diner En Blanc event especially after seeing them in other cities. Thanks to Instagram I’ve watched Diner En Blanc in NY, NJ and Baltimore but there is nothing like having my own personal experience.

     

    First things first. What exactly is Diner En Blanc? That’s a blog post in itself. Click on this link to read about the history of the event and it’s traditions, which includes keeping the location secret.

    Unless I’m waaaay out of the loop Memphians didn’t share the secret location, although I KNOW people had to know. Great job 901! Being in this public space overlooking the mighty Mississippi was symbolic. Thank you Victoria Young for bringing Diner En Blanc to not only Memphis but to Tennessee. Every detail was simply beautiful.

    Second. This event is not for procrastinators. There is A LOT of planning that goes into making DEB an enjoyable experience. My table mate was my blogger boo Desiree at Mocha Divas. Our process was to divide & conquer. We split the preparations so that no one would be overwhelmed. We purchased our table,chairs & food from the e-store so that we wouldn’t have to transport them. Next year I’ll probably still get the table & chairs from the e-store but I’ll bring my own food.

    Third. You must wear white. I was lucky that I had several white dresses to choose from so that part was easy. Next year I’ll look for something more flowly, it was H-O-T but that’s Memphis in the summer. Here are few of my favorites from the night

     

     

    My shoe game happened by accident. I love it when that happens. What do think?

    Fourth. There are rules to this process:

    Transportation- we meet our awesome table leader at our designated location & WALKED to our secret location. It wasn’t far but… walking….in Memphis…in August, but it was all part of the experience & I enjoyed the sea of white walking through downtown. The tourists were really curious & we stopped several times to explain our adventure.

    The tables. The tables are lined up to look like one super long picnic table. Every table is covered with a white tablecloth. Creativity really came out in the centerpieces & table settings.

    The beginning & the end. After everything is set up dinner starts with the waving of the napkins (while there’s still daylight) & it’s officially over with the lighting of the sparklers (when it’s dark).

     

    The Honeybee is NOT an outdoors person AT ALL but I am so glad that I put that aside and attended Diner En Blanc. Life is about living and enjoying every experience and I must say I really enjoyed this one.

     

     

    Beewisdom- I’m just enjoying my life at the moment