Tag: change agents

KFair’s New Year’s Resolutions for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

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Another New Year, another set of New Year’s resolutions. This January we want you to be the best you that you can be! And it just so happens that January is National Mentoring Month! So, here are Kelly Fair’s New Year’s Resolutions to provide some inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs and change-makers.

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6 New Year’s Resolutions for 2016:

1) Declutter and Reorganize. In this New Year, you need to pull it all together! Go through your home and office and remove what you don’t need. Remember, it doesn’t have to go in the garbage. Some of your items can be donated (even office supplies), or have a garage sale! I used to make the mistake of holding on to old clothes that no longer fit me, because I lost weight. What I found out was if I didn’t get rid of the clothes, or get them altered to fit my new size, I eventually found my way to fitting them again.  So, pigeonholed clothes that were too big for me cleared things out, and kept me out of a cycle of weight gain. By decluttering and reorganizing you will feel refreshed and ready for a year of productivity. No more losing important documents, your favorite pen.

2) Understand Your Finances. This is key to having a successful year! This applies not only to any business or non-profit endeavors, but your personal life as well. But, I’ve found my improved financial habits in my business, help me create better habits while managing my personal financial matters as well. Consider creating a money management system to show you how much your spending, what you’re spending it on, and how much you are saving. You won’t believe what kind of waste might be happening right under your nose from mindless money management. If you aren’t sure how to tackle this project, go to your library and check out a book on finance management, and seek referrals from trusted people for a great financial planner, or accountant that can help improve your personal and professional outcomes.

3) Be Social, Be Smart. As years pass, it gets harder to maintain relationships. Make it a goal this year to reconnect with those who are lost and strengthen your ties with the people around you. But that doesn’t mean you have to become best friends with everybody! Be smart about your social life. Surround yourself with the people who support you. You’re gonna be tackling some big plans this year and you need all the encouragement and constructive feedback you can get! And, as a mentor, or one running a mentoring organization, good people will support you even when your youth and community work Jerrod you really busy, and won’t allow you to have as much social time. Good people can recognize and sorry you in your passions. Most importantly, don’t lose touch with your mentors–if they taught you something before, they can teach you something now.

4) Read More. You should never stop reading. Novels, poetry, how-to’s, and history books–they all have something to offer us. And don’t forget to read more news. Stay updated on current events locally, nationally, and globally. How can you expect to change the world if you don’t know what is happening in the world. Stay updated!

5) Act. This year isn’t going to be just another year of dreaming and hoping. This year you are going to take action. Is there a non-profit you wanted to start or an entrepreneurial endeavor you’ve been planning, or have you been planning to support others’-mentoring organizations in greater capacity? 2016 is the year you are going to make it happen. So find that pen and paper and start planning. You need weekly and monthly goals to keep yourself moving forward. And somebody to hold you accountable!

6) Find Time For Yourself. Never lose sight of your own health. You have to be at the best you can be this year to accomplish your goals. Find time everyday for some self-care. Whether its an a work out, meditation, at-home manicure or your favorite TV show, give yourself that time to relax! We want you to be at your most productive, passionate, and confident self!

We believe that when you are at your best, then you are in the optimal position to not only impact the lives of others, but to be the best leader you can be. 

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Ladies, Let’s Get Techie

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We all know that women are just as good as men when it comes to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) careers. Society has been pushing to close the gender gap for jobs in these sectors—successfully! According to a HuffPost article, in 2013 more than half of all US biological scientists were women. More women are entering the careers in the life sciences; think biology, genetics, and even zoology.

But, this push towards gender equality in STEM hasn’t been felt equally across the fields. The number of men in technology/computing careers still ridiculously outweighs that of women. Consider this:

“At Google, women make up 30 percent of the company’s overall workforce, but hold only 17 percent of the company’s tech jobs. At Facebook, 15 percent of tech roles are staffed by women. At Twitter, it’s a laughable 10 percent. For non-technical jobs at Twitter (think marketing, HR, sales), the gender split is 50-50.”

original.jpgWhile women are getting careers at tech companies, they are not actually involved in computing roles. So, what gives?

It’s the same old story. Our society has perpetuated the myth that boys are better at maths and sciences than girls. While many of us know that this is a stereotype and does not actually reflect real abilities, it still influences how we operate. HuffPost states, “Men are twice as likely as women to be hired for a job in mathematics when the only difference between candidates is gender.”

That type of thinking is what needs to be stopped! We need our girls to know that their gender does not influence their intelligence or abilities. Girls, boys, and those outside the gender binary are all able to learn computing skills and apply those skills to future careers. And why would you not? Technology and computing careers are some of the fastest growing fields in the United States—it is a means for success.

According to General Motors CEO Mary Barra, “There will be a war for technical talent.” At Polished Pebbles we want to properly prepare our girls for this battle. Join us this Second Saturday, December 12 at Blue 1647 to learn about opportunities in technology and computing! You don’t want to miss out on this opportunity to jumpstart your daughter’s interest in these exciting fields.

Let’s combat the stereotype together!

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I Did Not Know That People Like Me Could Exist…

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Chimamanda Adichie is a rockin’ novelist from Nigeria. In her TedTalk, Chimamanda shares her personal story of growing up in Nigeria reading only stories about white children with blonde hair and blue eyes. When she began to write, these characters filled her pages; though she could not relate in any way. As the media around her, books, only portrayed white children in stories, she did not know that people who looked like her could be in literature!

From then on, Chimamanda became aware of these “single stories” we develop about people and places. When we only portray people or places in a single way, they become stereotypes. These stereotypes then dominate the identities we create about others and ourselves.

Although Chimamanda speaks to Africa, the same theories can be applied to the United States, most notably, African-Americans. From the historic beginnings of black face to the more recent token person of color, the portrayal of African-Americans by mainstream media has been poor. While we may naively assume that this is contained to only fictional movies and television shows, it is not. The news and social media have been prominent aggravators of the single story surrounding African-Americans. A recent example of this is the viral video of a New York man slapping a woman on the train after being insulted and hit (read more on my JET post here).

Having these stereotypes continually presented to our youth affect their self-development. As Chimamanda says, “The problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete”. Without the full story we cannot properly mentor and support our youth. Without analyzing communities, schools, and society we cannot begin to understand the family or the youth. We must search for the full story.

How do we do this as mentors, parents, teachers, friends, or community members? WE TALK TO OUR YOUTH! They can provide us their stories.

Do not fall for the danger of the single story.

How will you create an alternate ending?