Brave

Do you know that "Fear Not" is written 365 times in the bible? Sounds to me like that is a scripture a day to remind you not to be afraid no matter what the day holds.

Part of those words, "Fear Not" in the bible are instances where an angel of the Lord would come down and before they would say anything, they would first say, "Fear Not". They would say it first because fear is a crippling feeling. Fear will paralyze you. Paralyze you to step into your destiny, paralyze you to run towards the call God has on your life...it will completely freeze you. So they would say it first because if that person would choose not to fear, then they could continue on to do whatever the angel came down to tell them. Otherwise, if they were in fear they couldn't move.

Think about it. When you are in fear you cannot move forward. If you cannot move forward, you are stagnant.

But when you begin to understand the greatness of our God. The vastness of His love for you. The protection He provides for you...You will begin to see that you have no reason  to fear. You see, it's all in His hands. Everything is in His timing. Whether you feel like it or not, whether you realize it or not...God is always with you. He never leaves you nor forsakes you.

Deuteronomy 31:6 "Be strong & courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you."

So if he never leaves us nor forsakes us, then what do we have to be afraid of?

Now this doesn't mean we don't have the opportunity to feel fear. It just means that you shouldn't take the bait. Don't fear, for God is with you! When you are operating in fear, you are showing that you don't have faith in God. You cannot have fear & faith inside of you. It's either one or the other.

You see, fear is the opposite of faith. If you fear, you aren't trusting in God, therefore you aren't in faith. You are focusing on the problem instead of focusing on the God that created you and is bigger than anything you may face. You are putting that situation above God. You are saying, "God can't solve this, He can't help me. I'm scared. I don't know what to do." But when you choose faith, you are allowing God to work on your behalf. You are allowing Him to work things out for you. (Romans 8:28).

So tonight, I say, "Fear Not". God is with you. He is always with you. It doesn't matter whether you feel it or not. He is...He always is. Don't look at the situation, don't look at your circumstance. But look at the God that says, "Be strong & courageous!" (Joshua 1:7). He will make you brave, He will fight your battles for you. All you have to do is let Him. Trust Him. Obey Him. Get to know Him. Let Him make you brave :)

Song accompanying this blog:

1)  Bethel Music & Amanda Cook "You Make Me Brave". You make me brave

2) Moriah Peters "Brave" Brave

Balance Beam

When I was younger, I was in gymnastics. One of the hardest activities for me was the balance beam. You couldn't have too much weight on one side or the other, or you would fall and possibly get pretty hurt. You had to have that balance, in the middle of the beam.

Well, that's the same in life. To be successful, you must have balance. You cannot have too much weight on one side or the other, or you will fall. What I mean is,you cannot be working all of the time and not spending anytime with your family. You cannot stay up late every night and not get enough sleep. Or, eat out all the time and never cook. How you spend your time is how you gain balance.

You must prioritize correctly. And let me tell you, you will never have enough time in the world to do anything if you don't make time for God FIRST. Whether it's in His word, in prayer, or praise & worship...when you put God first, everything else will fall into place. You will have that balance.

The bible says when you seek Him first, that all the things will be added unto you. I believe that part of those things is time. It always seems like there is more time in the day when you spend it with Him first. But, when you seek God first...when you look to Him first...when He has the number one spot in your life...then it will be that much easier to keep your balance. :)

"But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" Matthew 6:33

Ask Seek Knock

The other day, I attended the live taping of the radio show, Michigan Business Rap.  This show features a panel of small business owners, including my bosses, Jim Trebilcock & Scott Danek, of Equanimity Wealth Management.  They have weekly guests on the show that share their experiences and answer questions that the panelists propose.  

This show in particular included David Thomas & Andre Hutson, former MSU basketball players, now owners of Evergreen Car Wash.  Hutson also owns Eagle Eye Fitness Center.  They had an interesting discussion on the transition from sports stars to entrepreneurs.  Tom Izzo also called the show and proudly answered questions about these former athletes.

(Left to right) David Thomas, Andre Hutson, Scott Danek, Jim Trebilcock.

During the show, I was able to talk with Michael Patrick Shiels, a syndicated radio host who is now the host of his own television program called Michigan Big Show.  He has traveled the globe and interviewed some of the most interesting people.  He has also written a book called Invite Yourself to the Party and as I talked with him, I would like to share what he told me.

Me:  "What is the secret to your success?"

MPS:  "Well, that's an interesting question...(he paused for a second)  I would say, writing a lot of hand-written thank you notes.  After I would meet someone, I would write a thank you note.  They seemed to really appreciate that.  Also, I kept my friends as true friends, not just contacting them when I needed something.  Valuing their friendship, I cultivated it, not just calling on them when I needed something."

Me:  "How have you gotten to where you are today?"

MPS:  "Well, I wrote a lot of letters.  Ever since I was young, I always wrote letters asking for opportunities.  For example, I wrote the Detroit Tigers, asking if they needed a bat boy.  I received a lot of declines, a lot of people said no.  But I just kept on asking.  I didn't get discouraged.  I have actually kept all of the letters I received, I have them in a book.  Ya know, a lot of what you are asking is written in my book."

 I really enjoyed our conversation, this is just a small part of what contributed to his success.  He didn't wait for opportunity to knock, he went out and created his own opportunities.  In life, you cannot wait for opportunities to present themselves, sometimes you just have to create them.  He saw the importance of people and the value of friendship.  It was a pleasure speaking with him and I think we all can learn from him by taking initiative and create the life we want. 

Visit his website at:

Michigan Big Show

Check out his book:

Invite Yourself to the Party

How a concert turned into a lesson in business....

At the last Fearless Entertainment concert event I attended, I had the opportunity to speak with Hajj E. Flemings.  You haven't heard of him?  Oh, you will.  He is the CEO & Founder of Brand Camp University.  He was also recently featured on CNN's Black In America 4: The New Promised Land: Silicon Valley.  Anyways, he was volunteering at the concert and so I had a chance to ask him a few questions.  He shared some great insights on marketing & branding.  Whether you are a public figure or an entrepreneur, lessons in branding can always be very beneficial.  Based on what I learned, I have provided 3 tips. 

1)  Power in pictures.  In branding, one of the most important things you can do for yourself is invest in a great photographer.  Humans are such visual creatures, how can you build a brand without amazing images?  So I would suggest schedule a photo shoot!  It doesn't have to be anything high fashion, just some nice, clean images of yourself.  Then, you can choose a favorite and use it as your logo.  Your face is now your brand!  May I also suggest you find a signature piece for your photo.  For example, he was explaining to me how he found this random pair of black, square, glasses and took some photos in them.  He used those photos to brand himself, so now he can't go anywhere without them because they are part of his image 'signature'.  

2)  Know for what you stand for.   A brand is what others expect out of you.  So, during the branding process, you are creating an image of who you are.  Take a few years building that image, building that foundation of strong morals.  In terms of a business, you ought to know your goals, your mission statement, what you stand for.  Take the time to discover what that is, build upon that.  The pressures of trends, society, and media can bring you to a place of moral dilemma.  So, the stronger your values, the more you won't allow pressure to dictate your decisions.  Your brand will reflect you.  So know yourself, know what you are reflecting....that way you won't be afraid to stand for it.

3)  Stay humble.  One thing I truly appreciated about speaking with Hajj is his humility.  He continued to give glory to God, claiming that at the end of the day, he is where he is because of God's favor.  I have learned that if pride comes before the fall, then as soon as you feel as though YOU have gotten yourself where you are in your power...you are on your way down, only a matter of time.  So, if you remain humble and know that it was God who brought you to where you are - you will only continue upwards.  God will exalt those who exalt Him.  If you give the honor where honor is due, then God will in turn show honor and grace to you!  So, no matter how big you become, never forget who got you there.  

In conclusion, I have learned through the years that if you meet someone more successful than you - shut up and listen.  Don't act like you know everything.  Do not try to prove you can speak at their level just because you feel as though you need to.  Many people think they have to show what they know instead of take the opportunity to learn.  Ask questions, take notes, listen.  That person is probably more successful for a reason, so take the time to learn what that reason is.  Now go schedule a photo shoot and get your brand on!

Thank you Hajj for taking the time to share some branding tidbits with me!

For more information on Brand Camp University, visit: http://www.BrandCampU.com

Or visit: www.hajjflemings.com

Your calling is calling - should I take a message?

Destiny.  Callings.  It's no wonder dreams don't manifest over night.  The man power, drive, motivation and passion it takes to carry out a dream can almost seem unbearable.  But you have to start somewhere.  Look around you, everything you see started off as a mere dream, started off as an idea.  Steve Jobs drastically changed our technology world from innovative ideas, what if he would of listened to those who didn't believe the impossible?  Walt Disney created a reality from his imagination, what if he would of given up after people told him he was crazy?  These men had a dream inside of them that would not quit.  Sometimes the manifestation is right beyond the time you feel like quitting.  You would be surprised to see how far you can go after the point you feel like walking away.  You may be saying, "well that is easy for them because they had such a clear vision to pursue".  Often times, we may have the drive, but lack the dream to follow.  Here are a few tips to position yourself in finding your passions.

1) Emotions Often times, your passion is the very thing that moves you emotionally.  When you see an abusive relationship does it make you mad enough to want to make a difference and possibly start a woman's shelter?  Or if someone were to tell you you weren't supposed to become a missionary, would you be sad because you have a heart for nations and traveling?  Take notice of the things that drive you to action, most of the time there is a reason for your motivation.

2)  Discouragement Once you understand your passions, sometimes you start off discouraged because there are already many people pursuing that same dream.  Don't tell yourself you can't do something just because someone else is already doing it.  If you have always wanted to write music and see someone else succeeding, sometimes you may feel like you don't have to push towards that dream because someone already is.  There are 6.9 trillion people on the earth.  We are all unique and are drawn to different things.  Do not let other people already living your dream discourage you, God put that desire in your heart for a reason.

3)  Time Get to know your creator.  If God created you for a purpose, the more time you spend with Him, the more you will discover who you are in Him and what you are called to do.  An artist knows his paintings inside and out because he created them, he spend ample time carefully constructing them.  Thus, since God created you, when you spend time learning Him, you spend time understanding yourself.  If we were made in His image, the more we know Him, the more we begin to know ourselves.  Take time for this, take time to learn about yourself. 

When you begin to know yourself and what moves you to action, you will begin to discover your purpose.  The first step is uncovering your passions, the clearer that becomes, the harder it will be for anything or anyone to discourage you.  Start a journey of self discovery, reflecting on those things that motivate you, and write them down.  If you don't know where or how to start, just start!  Things will be revealed to you as you take that first step.  GO!

Do you know the secret??

 

"She knows the secret!"  I heard Mike Gordon, of Fearless Entertainment say, pointing to me.  "What?"  I ask, confused, but know that I am being brought into the conversation.  We were at the Man Up Detroit concert & Mike was talking to a music artist referred to as RIME.  The music artist had asked him how Fearless Entertainment continues to host countless Christian rap shows so successfully. And Mike referred him to me....and he was right, I do know the secret to their success.....marketing!

As I proceeded to explain some of the things I have learned in terms of marketing over the years, I realized perhaps other musical artists needed to hear this information.  I understand as a musical talent, perhaps a buried fear is preforming to an empty room.  Here are a few tips that will help ensure that doesn't happen to you:

1) Right audience. You can spend a lot of money on flyers or advertisements, but could be wasted if handed to the wrong people.  Invest time and money in the audience you desire to reach.  If I am trying to reach a young person, I wouldn't advertise the event in the newspaper because that generation turns to social media for their information.  This may take research.

2)  Image Control.  If you are a new artist or would simply just like to change your image - know your image.  What would you like to portray?  You are your own brand.  When people see a brand, they expect a certain promise, be that promise.  Show consistency.  I suggest you 'sanitize' your social media or web-site.  Be the image you wish to portray, the brand.

3) Show integrity.  Be a person of your word.  Be honest, follow through with what you say you will do.  There is enough 'artists' in the world, so stand out simply by doing what you say you will do.  Your reputation is something that as talent, all you have.  So know that everything you do is essentially tied to your image as well as your brand.  Stand for integrity, if anything that alone will make you stand out.

These are just a few tips that I will be sharing throughout my own life experience...stay posted for more secrets :)

To learn more about Fearless Entertainment, visit:  www.fearlessentertainment.net