-The Muse
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Mercury Retrogrades, The Muse Renews
Thank you for following my entrepreneurial journey this past year and a half. As I said in my second post ever, being an Entreprehustler is the starting point to becoming a true mogul. Please follow my ascent to mogulhood at Musings Magazine.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
I Am Not Afraid!: In Loving Memory of Professor Derrick Bell
When everything in your life points in one direction, I suggest you get to stepping! This is my advice to you that I am currently taking myself. My friend Lurie Daniel-Favors relayed to me a metaphor about magnets. She said that a magnet attracts a nail because the currents are all flowing in one direction. The nail has just as much ability to attract, except that its currents are flowing in a bunch of different directions. I'm not saying it exactly right, but the point is: FOCUS! Focus is POWER, the power to attract.
The Other N Word
I have officially decided to put all my focus into my book through the end of the fiscal year. That is hard to type because I have LOVE for all my current projects and wanted to dabble in all three, but the Gods have spoken. I have begun the process of testing my audience. Really this means sending it to my friends. Now, I have only completed a rough book proposal, not my whole manuscript. I sent Chapter 1 to a few people and it instantly made me feel that they needed to read the rest for that chapter to have any context. Although the reception was good, it is imperative that I complete this for my title to make sense. I have a completed Chapter Annotations section and that provides a much clearer picture, but I think I only sent that to one person besides reading it myself. It is pretty great though...pretty, pretty great. (in my Larry David voice).
Anyway, I had decided to put the proposal aside and let it simmer before whipping it into shape and deciding my next move. With one week to spare, I moved right into production of my radio show, A-MusE-N and my calendar was filling up with dates in anticipation of my pitching stage. All the while, everything in around me was pointing to my need to focus on completing the book.
First, I got a call from a venture capitalist who expressed interest in helping me self-publish my book and use his social media, SEO expertise to create my own audience.
Then, I get a tweet from my friend Tanekeya Word attaching a NYT article entitled "The Post-Black Condition." It turns out to be a book review by Professor Orlando Patterson of Toure's new book "Who's Afraid of Post Blackness?". Anyway, this ignited something in me and connected to something I have been holding on to for almost 2 years now. Not just my book, but what my voice adds to the general conversation. In January of 2010, I received a vision and it was so clear and awesome and I really wanted to do everything in my power to make it real. I hesistated, but I finally sent the people who believed in me "The Muse Story" which came to me during that time. Their response began a series of events that were so unbelievably tied to my purpose that I was truly overwhelmed. Truly! I had to take a break and get into my head so that I could get out of it. They say success is when preparedness meets opportunity, well let's just say I am prepared Now.
In that story I talk about how meeting Valerie Boyd and hearing about her journey to tell Zora Neale Hurston's story sparked something for me. Fate would have it that I was having brunch with Boyd a month later outside of Eatonville and I suggested that she coin a term to describe this new renaissance we felt occuring in the arts community. She suggested I do it. We both kind of laughed it off, but of course, that was part of my vision. Well, Patterson asked a question in his review about what my generation thought about our role in society in light of the benefits we have been afforded. I felt the need to answer that question and I am working to get it published in the Washington Post. The Other N Word is my contribution to the conversation and it is obviously taking place now.
Yesterday was just a surreal day, more so upon reflection than it was in real time. I was on my first television commercial shoot and in front of the camera to boot. I come home and find out that Steve Jobs has passed away and this morning I find out that my beloved Professor Bell also passed away along with Reverend Shuttersworth. Three brave visionaries...such a powerful message! 10/5/11--I will never forget this day! Reading Professor Bell's obituary in the NY Times solidified for me that my book was to be my focus. It was He who introduced me to Critical Race Theory and just being critical and not substituting your own sense of logic for those of others. My decision to use my personal narrative to tell the story of my theory is directly influenced by his defiance of the contraining rules of legal and scholarly writing. I hope to push even further so that I can talk to, instead of talking about, the people I represent. In Professor Bell's honor, and because the message couldn't be any clearer, I am devoting from now through the Winter's cold to completing the 1st full draft of The Other N Word. I am also manifesting a warm vacation spot a couple of those months where I can write in peace.
The Other N Word
I have officially decided to put all my focus into my book through the end of the fiscal year. That is hard to type because I have LOVE for all my current projects and wanted to dabble in all three, but the Gods have spoken. I have begun the process of testing my audience. Really this means sending it to my friends. Now, I have only completed a rough book proposal, not my whole manuscript. I sent Chapter 1 to a few people and it instantly made me feel that they needed to read the rest for that chapter to have any context. Although the reception was good, it is imperative that I complete this for my title to make sense. I have a completed Chapter Annotations section and that provides a much clearer picture, but I think I only sent that to one person besides reading it myself. It is pretty great though...pretty, pretty great. (in my Larry David voice).
Anyway, I had decided to put the proposal aside and let it simmer before whipping it into shape and deciding my next move. With one week to spare, I moved right into production of my radio show, A-MusE-N and my calendar was filling up with dates in anticipation of my pitching stage. All the while, everything in around me was pointing to my need to focus on completing the book.
First, I got a call from a venture capitalist who expressed interest in helping me self-publish my book and use his social media, SEO expertise to create my own audience.
Then, I get a tweet from my friend Tanekeya Word attaching a NYT article entitled "The Post-Black Condition." It turns out to be a book review by Professor Orlando Patterson of Toure's new book "Who's Afraid of Post Blackness?". Anyway, this ignited something in me and connected to something I have been holding on to for almost 2 years now. Not just my book, but what my voice adds to the general conversation. In January of 2010, I received a vision and it was so clear and awesome and I really wanted to do everything in my power to make it real. I hesistated, but I finally sent the people who believed in me "The Muse Story" which came to me during that time. Their response began a series of events that were so unbelievably tied to my purpose that I was truly overwhelmed. Truly! I had to take a break and get into my head so that I could get out of it. They say success is when preparedness meets opportunity, well let's just say I am prepared Now.
In that story I talk about how meeting Valerie Boyd and hearing about her journey to tell Zora Neale Hurston's story sparked something for me. Fate would have it that I was having brunch with Boyd a month later outside of Eatonville and I suggested that she coin a term to describe this new renaissance we felt occuring in the arts community. She suggested I do it. We both kind of laughed it off, but of course, that was part of my vision. Well, Patterson asked a question in his review about what my generation thought about our role in society in light of the benefits we have been afforded. I felt the need to answer that question and I am working to get it published in the Washington Post. The Other N Word is my contribution to the conversation and it is obviously taking place now.
Yesterday was just a surreal day, more so upon reflection than it was in real time. I was on my first television commercial shoot and in front of the camera to boot. I come home and find out that Steve Jobs has passed away and this morning I find out that my beloved Professor Bell also passed away along with Reverend Shuttersworth. Three brave visionaries...such a powerful message! 10/5/11--I will never forget this day! Reading Professor Bell's obituary in the NY Times solidified for me that my book was to be my focus. It was He who introduced me to Critical Race Theory and just being critical and not substituting your own sense of logic for those of others. My decision to use my personal narrative to tell the story of my theory is directly influenced by his defiance of the contraining rules of legal and scholarly writing. I hope to push even further so that I can talk to, instead of talking about, the people I represent. In Professor Bell's honor, and because the message couldn't be any clearer, I am devoting from now through the Winter's cold to completing the 1st full draft of The Other N Word. I am also manifesting a warm vacation spot a couple of those months where I can write in peace.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
I Am The Muse!
The Reinvention
A couple months ago I posed the question: "to reinvent or to revolutionize?" I was not referring to anything in particular at the time, but it got me thinking about the Artist that I am becoming and how different she is from the always logical LW-C we all know and love. Finally the answer came to me, REINVENT, and from there my whole artistic platform began to take shape.
As I contemplated my projects, I realized that this was more than just a book and a radio show, this was my official emergence as an Artist. My first crack at letting the person that lives in my head take full control of my body. My husband always reminds me "to get the things you never had, you have to do the things you've never done." I have taken this mantra to heart and challenged myself at every turn. By doing so, I have become quite comfortable with having The Muse at the helm and letting Logical LaNora take a much needed break.
The way I see it, LW-C has been working tirelessly for the past 32 years with excellent results. Pretty much the definition of the "American Dream"- from the streets of South Central Los Angeles to degrees from Berkeley and NYU Law, a successful career as an attorney at an AmLaw Top 50 firm, a model 8 year marriage to an exceptionally supportive, beautiful black man, two smart and beautiful babies, properties in 3 states, great friends and a social life to boot. Everything I had on my list, I have accomplished and I imagine my maker saying to me "well done my good and faithful servant," BUT "what have you created?, how have you used your gifts and talents to make a mark on the world?"
Well, LW-C's bag of tricks was exhausted so I decided that if God saw something more for my life, there must be something or someone inside of me that could pull it off. As you know if you have been following my journey, I scaled back my budding business and took the time to "find my artist," that vulnerable and creative part of myself that was trapped under 30 years of rubble. I dug and dug until my hands were raw and bloody and just when I was beginning to doubt the fruitfulness of my efforts...I heard a faint voice.
Enters The Muse
So you know that my business is called Muse Creative Arts Agency, and the name came from the 12 years I have spent being a muse to my oh so talented husband. He has been drawing or painting me since I met him and even when a character is not me, people always see me in it somehow. This was my first foray into the artistic world...the inspirer. I always believed that I was blessed with superior intellect and no real talent and I went into my business with that in mind. I was always attracted to the creative world (I mean, really, I married a painter) and figured that my role in that world must be to help the ones with the talent get their message to the masses and make some money in the process. So, I went about the business of making this happen.
Well, along the way I realized that I was coming up with great ideas all the time. When I would share them with others they would get really excited about the possibility, but I would always end up tabling my own projects and jumping onto other people's dreams. I was living out that saying "those who can, do. those who can't, teach. " I believed that I was strategically creative, but I could not actually create myself. I thought that if I could succeed in helping make someone else's dream a reality, the dreamer inside of me would be satisfied. Wrong! I had the formula backwards, by finding a community of Artists to embrace The Muse, the Artist inside of Me was awakened.
She started out timid, weak from decades of neglect. I had to learn how to be a proper caregiver, being sure that she was provided with the proper amount of food, water and sleep so that she would grow strong. I had to cleanse myself of the fears, doubts, and excuses that plagued my existence so that I would not pass them on to her. Slowly she began to come into her own and, just like my two year old daughter with all the tasks I used to complete for her, she declared "I can do it." True to her word, once I got out of the way, The Muse proved that she could stand on her own two feet. She did such a great job, I decided to let her borrow mine for the next 8 years.
Passing the Torch
So, as of August 8th, 2011, the 32nd anniversary of my birth, The Muse has had full reign and that chick is FIERCE! As I said before, I plan to retire by the time I am 40 so it is only fitting that The Muse take over for the next 8 years to take my journey from the imagined to the unimaginable. I have to admit that I am in awe of myself for being so open to my journey and finding a way to get out of my own way. By doing so, I have tapped into my niche and found my VOICE.
MCa2 Productions
Ok, so I started out talking about reinvention and now that I am here in the Big Apple, I have decided to incorporate the next branch of my business (M C a squared Productions) wherein The Muse's projects will be housed. I can not tell you how excited I am to finally be out of my head and back to doing the work. If this blog is your only connection to me, you may think that talking, thinking and strategizing is all I do, but I really feel more comfortable staying out of my head and having my nose to the grind.
To that end, I have been setting and knocking out deadlines left and right. The first being my long awaited book proposal for The Other N Word! I am proud to announce that I woke up this morning to a completed rough draft ready for my final edits. I will spend the rest of the day getting it in good shape and then let it sit for awhile before I make the next move. I believe that I have a new perspective to add to the conversation about the "state of Black America" and I want to make sure that I am being true to my voice without sacrificing my credibility and, consequently, my possible reach.
I am now free to go into full production mode on my radio show. I am attempting something that I believe is completely original, yet pays homage to various traditional, and traditionally Black, art forms. Another aspect of reinvention.
On October 11th, I have my official photoshoot with designer Brian Evans who has created an amazing "coming out" outfit for me and photographer Bryant Johnson who has an uncanny ability to capture The Muse inside of me.
Finally, I am working on my first TV pitch package. I already have one idea that has been given the thumbs up for further development and I have several more that I plan to present as I team up with an established director/producer to prepare for my first round of pitches to the networks with which he has established relationships. This will be my primary focus after I get my first A-MusE-N broadcast under my belt.
By 11/11/11, I will have my marketing materials complete as I present myself to the world as a fully emerged Artist. I am working on an article that I hope will be accepted by a national publication by that date and will stand as my break out piece as a writer. Needless to say, I have my work cut out for me!
Although this may sound like a lot, it is nothing compared to the 24/7 mental marathon I have been on for the last year or so. Since I have been actually writing my book and drafting the proposal, creating the content for my radio show, and developing my television show concepts, I have had much less anxiety than when I was simply thinking through my book, figuring out the concept for my show and thinking of TV show ideas. Contrary to popular belief, it has been much easier "done than said" for me and I look forward to sharing my results with you through this blog and my Art with you through my manifestations. Wish me luck!
-The Muse
A couple months ago I posed the question: "to reinvent or to revolutionize?" I was not referring to anything in particular at the time, but it got me thinking about the Artist that I am becoming and how different she is from the always logical LW-C we all know and love. Finally the answer came to me, REINVENT, and from there my whole artistic platform began to take shape.
As I contemplated my projects, I realized that this was more than just a book and a radio show, this was my official emergence as an Artist. My first crack at letting the person that lives in my head take full control of my body. My husband always reminds me "to get the things you never had, you have to do the things you've never done." I have taken this mantra to heart and challenged myself at every turn. By doing so, I have become quite comfortable with having The Muse at the helm and letting Logical LaNora take a much needed break.
The way I see it, LW-C has been working tirelessly for the past 32 years with excellent results. Pretty much the definition of the "American Dream"- from the streets of South Central Los Angeles to degrees from Berkeley and NYU Law, a successful career as an attorney at an AmLaw Top 50 firm, a model 8 year marriage to an exceptionally supportive, beautiful black man, two smart and beautiful babies, properties in 3 states, great friends and a social life to boot. Everything I had on my list, I have accomplished and I imagine my maker saying to me "well done my good and faithful servant," BUT "what have you created?, how have you used your gifts and talents to make a mark on the world?"
Well, LW-C's bag of tricks was exhausted so I decided that if God saw something more for my life, there must be something or someone inside of me that could pull it off. As you know if you have been following my journey, I scaled back my budding business and took the time to "find my artist," that vulnerable and creative part of myself that was trapped under 30 years of rubble. I dug and dug until my hands were raw and bloody and just when I was beginning to doubt the fruitfulness of my efforts...I heard a faint voice.
Enters The Muse
So you know that my business is called Muse Creative Arts Agency, and the name came from the 12 years I have spent being a muse to my oh so talented husband. He has been drawing or painting me since I met him and even when a character is not me, people always see me in it somehow. This was my first foray into the artistic world...the inspirer. I always believed that I was blessed with superior intellect and no real talent and I went into my business with that in mind. I was always attracted to the creative world (I mean, really, I married a painter) and figured that my role in that world must be to help the ones with the talent get their message to the masses and make some money in the process. So, I went about the business of making this happen.
Well, along the way I realized that I was coming up with great ideas all the time. When I would share them with others they would get really excited about the possibility, but I would always end up tabling my own projects and jumping onto other people's dreams. I was living out that saying "those who can, do. those who can't, teach. " I believed that I was strategically creative, but I could not actually create myself. I thought that if I could succeed in helping make someone else's dream a reality, the dreamer inside of me would be satisfied. Wrong! I had the formula backwards, by finding a community of Artists to embrace The Muse, the Artist inside of Me was awakened.
She started out timid, weak from decades of neglect. I had to learn how to be a proper caregiver, being sure that she was provided with the proper amount of food, water and sleep so that she would grow strong. I had to cleanse myself of the fears, doubts, and excuses that plagued my existence so that I would not pass them on to her. Slowly she began to come into her own and, just like my two year old daughter with all the tasks I used to complete for her, she declared "I can do it." True to her word, once I got out of the way, The Muse proved that she could stand on her own two feet. She did such a great job, I decided to let her borrow mine for the next 8 years.
Passing the Torch
So, as of August 8th, 2011, the 32nd anniversary of my birth, The Muse has had full reign and that chick is FIERCE! As I said before, I plan to retire by the time I am 40 so it is only fitting that The Muse take over for the next 8 years to take my journey from the imagined to the unimaginable. I have to admit that I am in awe of myself for being so open to my journey and finding a way to get out of my own way. By doing so, I have tapped into my niche and found my VOICE.
MCa2 Productions
Ok, so I started out talking about reinvention and now that I am here in the Big Apple, I have decided to incorporate the next branch of my business (M C a squared Productions) wherein The Muse's projects will be housed. I can not tell you how excited I am to finally be out of my head and back to doing the work. If this blog is your only connection to me, you may think that talking, thinking and strategizing is all I do, but I really feel more comfortable staying out of my head and having my nose to the grind.
To that end, I have been setting and knocking out deadlines left and right. The first being my long awaited book proposal for The Other N Word! I am proud to announce that I woke up this morning to a completed rough draft ready for my final edits. I will spend the rest of the day getting it in good shape and then let it sit for awhile before I make the next move. I believe that I have a new perspective to add to the conversation about the "state of Black America" and I want to make sure that I am being true to my voice without sacrificing my credibility and, consequently, my possible reach.
I am now free to go into full production mode on my radio show. I am attempting something that I believe is completely original, yet pays homage to various traditional, and traditionally Black, art forms. Another aspect of reinvention.
On October 11th, I have my official photoshoot with designer Brian Evans who has created an amazing "coming out" outfit for me and photographer Bryant Johnson who has an uncanny ability to capture The Muse inside of me.
Finally, I am working on my first TV pitch package. I already have one idea that has been given the thumbs up for further development and I have several more that I plan to present as I team up with an established director/producer to prepare for my first round of pitches to the networks with which he has established relationships. This will be my primary focus after I get my first A-MusE-N broadcast under my belt.
By 11/11/11, I will have my marketing materials complete as I present myself to the world as a fully emerged Artist. I am working on an article that I hope will be accepted by a national publication by that date and will stand as my break out piece as a writer. Needless to say, I have my work cut out for me!
Although this may sound like a lot, it is nothing compared to the 24/7 mental marathon I have been on for the last year or so. Since I have been actually writing my book and drafting the proposal, creating the content for my radio show, and developing my television show concepts, I have had much less anxiety than when I was simply thinking through my book, figuring out the concept for my show and thinking of TV show ideas. Contrary to popular belief, it has been much easier "done than said" for me and I look forward to sharing my results with you through this blog and my Art with you through my manifestations. Wish me luck!
-The Muse
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Respect the Retrograde
Ok, so I had heard people say "mercury is in retrograde" before, but I never knew what that meant until relatively recently. I am not sure that I understand it completely, but I do know that plans do not tend to go so well during these periods.
I have a lot out in the universe, so I am heeding the warning and staying away from important decisions and limiting my communications through the end of the month. This is in perfect synchronicity with this month being a final grind time. I am going underground and will emerge with my completed book proposal!
Wish me luck and I look forward to updating you in early September.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Go Time!
Numbers Don't Lie
Making Moves
Since I decided that June 1, 2011 was the beginning of Muse's fiscal year, I have been progressing steadily and July was a great month. I am learning to trust myself more as a writer, which has led to some great writing. Seeing my progress helped me move myself to the next stage of the process which is securing an agent. Before doing the traditional mass mailing, I reached out to my friends whose agent seems like a great fit for me. That was on Friday. So now the ball is rolling and I will have my full proposal drafted by the end of the month.
If all goes as planned, my first official A-MusE-N radio show will broadcast on September 12th at 8pm on 1480 am in Washington, DC. I have been practicing my inaugural opening monologue and finding my groove as a radio personality. It has been a lot of work, but August will begin bootcamp style preparation. This show has to be amazing and there is potential now, but putting in the work will make it real!
Needless to say, I am beyond pumped! God has blessed me with a space to clear my head, practice and just take it all in, my writing is flowing and I am feeling no fear. I am so open to my journey and thoroughly convinced that it will unfold in more amazing ways than I could ever imagine. Stay tuned!
-The Muse
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Is that me?!...I'm pretty DOPE!
Its All Coming Together
Just finished my bio and thought it would be great to share it with you. It took me three times reading it for me to stop critiquing the writing and realize that I am the SHIT! I'm doing what I'm saying I'm doing and I am brave enough to put it all out there on the way, sink or swim. Here's hoping for salty waters...
“It's not the profession, it’s the mind.” -The Muse
Not only does LaNora Williams-Clark believe this quote to be true, her life’s journey illustrates its truth. Born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, Williams-Clark went on to graduate from UC Berkeley with honors in Political Science and a fulltime offer from KPMG to join their Audit team. Deciding to pursue her lifelong goal of becoming a lawyer, Williams-Clark instead attended and graduated from NYU School of Law.
Williams-Clark’s greatest asset is her sense of logic. When combined with the fact that she is an extremely creative/strategic thinker, a fast learner and a hard worker, the result is the ability to adapt those gifts to any environment. Williams-Clark entered the work force under special permission from the state because it would be one month before she was 16 and legally able to work as a Proof Operator for Bank of America. Always attracted to numbers, patterns and connections, she continued working for BofA as a teller until she graduated from high school and furthered this path by joining InRoads and interning as an Auditor with KPMG for two years. At the same time, Williams-Clark vigorously pursued all opportunities that would lead her to a Top 10 law school; leading various Pre-Law and Political Science organizations, participating on and leading moot court teams in competition, working part-time at a prestigious boutique law firm, interning for the Secretary of Education, completing two theses and graduating at the top of her class.
Williams-Clark’s greatest gift is her sense of people. When combined with the fact that she has a genuine interest in stories, feels a personal obligation to her community, and is a natural communicator, the result is the ability to create/control any environment. She has navigated the halls of, arguably, the best public university as well as the best private law school in the country. She has worked in extremely diverse legal environments from a 8-person firm to a union, a legal clinic to a BigLaw firm. As well as extremely diverse legal issues, from Offender Re-entry to Products Liability, Drug Policy to Constitutional Law. Her community work has spanned from the founding of a single-sex dual academy in SE Washington, DC to raising capital for the launch of a new progressive AM radio station, from supporting the arts to protecting the artists.
Williams-Clark’s greatest power is her sense of worth. When combined with her willingness to take risks, her resilience in the face of fear, and her relentless pursuit of happiness and purpose, the result is the ability to transcend any environment. Deciding to abandon her blooming law career, Williams-Clark found her passion in entrepreneurialship and her purpose in the creative arts. After working as a commercial litigator and constitutional lawyer in Washington, DC for nearly five years, in January 2009 she started her own strategic/creative branding firm, Muse Creative Arts Agency (Muse CAA), whose clients include The DC Office of Motion Picture and TV Development, award-winning jazz musician Marcus Johnson, and several small businesses including construction development corporations, law firms and personal fitness brands. Muse CAA also supports the development of 10 select creative entrepreneurs and their various projects, including a children’s book series, tv/film projects, theatrical projects, and other forms of storytelling. After wrapping up various projects and winding down several clients, in 2011 Williams-Clark decided to focus on her #1 client: herself.
Currently residing in Harlem, NYC, Williams-Clark is working on her first book, The Other N Word, which uses her story to illuminate the various historical, cultural, and experiential impediments to corporate and entrepreneurial success for African-Americans and illustrate how to accept, account for and ascend these obstacles. The other “N” word is Networking and she argues that, much like the “real” N word, we must understand the root of the term and then find a way to adapt it within our culture. For the past year, she has been blogging about her entrepreneurial journey at entreprehustler.blogspot.com and she recently began a “short posting” blog about her Harlem adventure at harlemontherise.blogspot.com. Williams-Clark is also in development on her new radio show, A-MusE-N, launching on 1480AM in Washington, DC this Fall — a one hour weekly commentary featuring the musings of LaNora Williams-Clark (“The Muse”). She has recently wrapped up associate production work on a documentary series pilot for Animal Planet in association with the producers of Taking on Tyson and Brick City. If green-lit, production will begin in the Fall for a 10 episode series.
By pursuing her creative and entrepreneurial dreams, Williams-Clark hopes that, much like Malcolm Gladwell and The Tipping Point, her life will stand as a shining example of the theory she puts forth in her book.
Just finished my bio and thought it would be great to share it with you. It took me three times reading it for me to stop critiquing the writing and realize that I am the SHIT! I'm doing what I'm saying I'm doing and I am brave enough to put it all out there on the way, sink or swim. Here's hoping for salty waters...
LaNora Williams-Clark, Esq. (“The Muse”)
Writer/Developer/Creator/Producer
“It's not the profession, it’s the mind.” -The Muse
Not only does LaNora Williams-Clark believe this quote to be true, her life’s journey illustrates its truth. Born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, Williams-Clark went on to graduate from UC Berkeley with honors in Political Science and a fulltime offer from KPMG to join their Audit team. Deciding to pursue her lifelong goal of becoming a lawyer, Williams-Clark instead attended and graduated from NYU School of Law.
Williams-Clark’s greatest asset is her sense of logic. When combined with the fact that she is an extremely creative/strategic thinker, a fast learner and a hard worker, the result is the ability to adapt those gifts to any environment. Williams-Clark entered the work force under special permission from the state because it would be one month before she was 16 and legally able to work as a Proof Operator for Bank of America. Always attracted to numbers, patterns and connections, she continued working for BofA as a teller until she graduated from high school and furthered this path by joining InRoads and interning as an Auditor with KPMG for two years. At the same time, Williams-Clark vigorously pursued all opportunities that would lead her to a Top 10 law school; leading various Pre-Law and Political Science organizations, participating on and leading moot court teams in competition, working part-time at a prestigious boutique law firm, interning for the Secretary of Education, completing two theses and graduating at the top of her class.
Williams-Clark’s greatest gift is her sense of people. When combined with the fact that she has a genuine interest in stories, feels a personal obligation to her community, and is a natural communicator, the result is the ability to create/control any environment. She has navigated the halls of, arguably, the best public university as well as the best private law school in the country. She has worked in extremely diverse legal environments from a 8-person firm to a union, a legal clinic to a BigLaw firm. As well as extremely diverse legal issues, from Offender Re-entry to Products Liability, Drug Policy to Constitutional Law. Her community work has spanned from the founding of a single-sex dual academy in SE Washington, DC to raising capital for the launch of a new progressive AM radio station, from supporting the arts to protecting the artists.
Williams-Clark’s greatest power is her sense of worth. When combined with her willingness to take risks, her resilience in the face of fear, and her relentless pursuit of happiness and purpose, the result is the ability to transcend any environment. Deciding to abandon her blooming law career, Williams-Clark found her passion in entrepreneurialship and her purpose in the creative arts. After working as a commercial litigator and constitutional lawyer in Washington, DC for nearly five years, in January 2009 she started her own strategic/creative branding firm, Muse Creative Arts Agency (Muse CAA), whose clients include The DC Office of Motion Picture and TV Development, award-winning jazz musician Marcus Johnson, and several small businesses including construction development corporations, law firms and personal fitness brands. Muse CAA also supports the development of 10 select creative entrepreneurs and their various projects, including a children’s book series, tv/film projects, theatrical projects, and other forms of storytelling. After wrapping up various projects and winding down several clients, in 2011 Williams-Clark decided to focus on her #1 client: herself.
Currently residing in Harlem, NYC, Williams-Clark is working on her first book, The Other N Word, which uses her story to illuminate the various historical, cultural, and experiential impediments to corporate and entrepreneurial success for African-Americans and illustrate how to accept, account for and ascend these obstacles. The other “N” word is Networking and she argues that, much like the “real” N word, we must understand the root of the term and then find a way to adapt it within our culture. For the past year, she has been blogging about her entrepreneurial journey at entreprehustler.blogspot.com and she recently began a “short posting” blog about her Harlem adventure at harlemontherise.blogspot.com. Williams-Clark is also in development on her new radio show, A-MusE-N, launching on 1480AM in Washington, DC this Fall — a one hour weekly commentary featuring the musings of LaNora Williams-Clark (“The Muse”). She has recently wrapped up associate production work on a documentary series pilot for Animal Planet in association with the producers of Taking on Tyson and Brick City. If green-lit, production will begin in the Fall for a 10 episode series.
By pursuing her creative and entrepreneurial dreams, Williams-Clark hopes that, much like Malcolm Gladwell and The Tipping Point, her life will stand as a shining example of the theory she puts forth in her book.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Momentary Relapse
Ok, so I have been living in a really inspired space and it has helped me gain the confidence I need to pull off my official "launch" of the Muse brand. I am growing as a writer, finding my groove as I wait for the proper space and time to finally complete my book. At first I would fight it when I got the urge to write about some random topic, now I trust my writing instincts and have found that these short writing projects really get me more disciplined as a writer and remind me how fun the process is as I embark on a very emotional writing project.
The Other N Word
Notice I said "proper space and time" when referring to my book. This was my "lawyer" way of saying that I am not currently writing my book, though it is #1 on my list and I have already worked it out in my mind (and notes). What I am trying to accomplish requires a huge mental and emotional commitment and I have not had the proper time or space to even try. I just continue to work out the details and trust that it will all happen in due time and I will be wiser for it.
A-Muse-N
Thankfully, the writing continues and my radio show is perfect fodder for my random (or not so random) topics. I wrote a brilliant introduction of The Muse that brought my whole journey together so well. Learning it and getting it down the way I want to present it on my show brought me back to elementary school when I used to win all the oratory contests. That is a feeling I hadn't tapped into in a very long time, very exhilirating. And the writing is excellent. I have to say that myself because I believe it, I can't wait for other people's validation to know my own truth.
I am confident that the radio station will be in full operation by the Fall, but I plan to launch my show online this Fall no matter what.
"I'm Just Confessing"
Alright, so all this greatness is happening all around and I start thinking about the logistics of everything. I thought about the costs associated with branding materials, promotion, etc. and the hustler took over the entrepreneur as I began to plant seeds in grounds that seasons past have proven infertile. In reality, I was just scared of the thought that I am entering the stage of my process where it will take considerable time and some money to make it successful and I was not comfortable relying on my current household income when there is no guarantee of payoff. Bad move for a Master Manifestor. I know it will pay off and speaking with my husband solidified that for me. After pointing out the pattern that I was falling back into (first not so nicely, then, after prodding, sensically), he came back to the fact that I have been afforded a rare opportunity not to overthink the money side and really "invest" in ME. To the extent that an opportunity outside of writing my book is in line with my overall goal or requires minimal time, go for it. Otherwise, don't! And especially not with some old bullshit that you are painting over with a keener stroke...that shit still stinks. LOL.
Anyway, I am making light of what was a real reality check for me. Hubby suggested I write out what I wanted my life to be and really go backwards from there and think of every move I make within that matrix. Great advice! I am in the process of doing this now as I prepare for the week ahead, but I am proud to say that I have come up with a baseline for myself. If a job/opportunity does not fall under these 4 titles, I will not go forward with them: Writer, Creator, Developer, Producer. If it does not come with pay, it has to be MY project. That is all for now.
The Other N Word
Notice I said "proper space and time" when referring to my book. This was my "lawyer" way of saying that I am not currently writing my book, though it is #1 on my list and I have already worked it out in my mind (and notes). What I am trying to accomplish requires a huge mental and emotional commitment and I have not had the proper time or space to even try. I just continue to work out the details and trust that it will all happen in due time and I will be wiser for it.
A-Muse-N
Thankfully, the writing continues and my radio show is perfect fodder for my random (or not so random) topics. I wrote a brilliant introduction of The Muse that brought my whole journey together so well. Learning it and getting it down the way I want to present it on my show brought me back to elementary school when I used to win all the oratory contests. That is a feeling I hadn't tapped into in a very long time, very exhilirating. And the writing is excellent. I have to say that myself because I believe it, I can't wait for other people's validation to know my own truth.
I am confident that the radio station will be in full operation by the Fall, but I plan to launch my show online this Fall no matter what.
"I'm Just Confessing"
Alright, so all this greatness is happening all around and I start thinking about the logistics of everything. I thought about the costs associated with branding materials, promotion, etc. and the hustler took over the entrepreneur as I began to plant seeds in grounds that seasons past have proven infertile. In reality, I was just scared of the thought that I am entering the stage of my process where it will take considerable time and some money to make it successful and I was not comfortable relying on my current household income when there is no guarantee of payoff. Bad move for a Master Manifestor. I know it will pay off and speaking with my husband solidified that for me. After pointing out the pattern that I was falling back into (first not so nicely, then, after prodding, sensically), he came back to the fact that I have been afforded a rare opportunity not to overthink the money side and really "invest" in ME. To the extent that an opportunity outside of writing my book is in line with my overall goal or requires minimal time, go for it. Otherwise, don't! And especially not with some old bullshit that you are painting over with a keener stroke...that shit still stinks. LOL.
Anyway, I am making light of what was a real reality check for me. Hubby suggested I write out what I wanted my life to be and really go backwards from there and think of every move I make within that matrix. Great advice! I am in the process of doing this now as I prepare for the week ahead, but I am proud to say that I have come up with a baseline for myself. If a job/opportunity does not fall under these 4 titles, I will not go forward with them: Writer, Creator, Developer, Producer. If it does not come with pay, it has to be MY project. That is all for now.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
"When Did You Fall in Love with Hip-Hop?"
It has been awhile since my last post because...wait for it, wait for it...I have been busy WRITING my book! Now that I am officially settled into my new Harlem apartment, my 2 year old is in school, and all of our travel and guests have subsided, I am finding it much easier to focus. The result has been amazing! I knew I had some shit to say, but it is amazing to see it come together so brilliantly.
Taking a Page from Hip-Hop
In Brown Sugar, I believe, Sanaa Latham asked the question "When did you fall in love with Hip Hop?" For several reasons (all of which will be revealed in my book), my answer to that question is February 2010...now over a year later, my "lover's" bragadocious-ness has rubbed off on me. I feel like the "best that ever did it", I have fully embodied "The Muse" persona, and "everyday I'm entreprehustling."
Those of you who have been following my journey can understand how big a deal it is for me to write those words. I have been aware of my "greatness" for awhile, but I have been plagued by fear. Fortunately, I have always been able to act in spite of my fears, but the mental work it takes has been exhausting. I have finally come to a place where my mind is conditioned enough to jump off this mountain with the self-assuredness that my wings will expand and I will soar to unimaginable heights. And if my wind gear happens to fail, I have the wherewithal to get back up that mountain in a fraction of the time it took me the first go-round. So Fear can suck my proverbial d*ck, I was made for this!
Now back to the lab...lol.
Taking a Page from Hip-Hop
In Brown Sugar, I believe, Sanaa Latham asked the question "When did you fall in love with Hip Hop?" For several reasons (all of which will be revealed in my book), my answer to that question is February 2010...now over a year later, my "lover's" bragadocious-ness has rubbed off on me. I feel like the "best that ever did it", I have fully embodied "The Muse" persona, and "everyday I'm entreprehustling."
Those of you who have been following my journey can understand how big a deal it is for me to write those words. I have been aware of my "greatness" for awhile, but I have been plagued by fear. Fortunately, I have always been able to act in spite of my fears, but the mental work it takes has been exhausting. I have finally come to a place where my mind is conditioned enough to jump off this mountain with the self-assuredness that my wings will expand and I will soar to unimaginable heights. And if my wind gear happens to fail, I have the wherewithal to get back up that mountain in a fraction of the time it took me the first go-round. So Fear can suck my proverbial d*ck, I was made for this!
Now back to the lab...lol.
Friday, April 8, 2011
All About Me
Keeping in line with my goals for this year, I am officially declaring 2011 to be all about me. I am finding my voice and I think I like it!
Manifesting
So, a few months ago I set a top 10 publisher as one of the goals for my book. As I stated, I have two published friends both under major publishing houses. Well, fate would have it that I randomly (or fatefully) connected with a former national account manager for Simon & Schuster. I have not mentioned that I am writing a book yet, but I plan to do so at an opportune time in the near future.
Now that it is a go, I can talk about my "silver platter" opportunity. Again, my fellow entreprehustler Kymone Freeman called me out of the blue and we got on the subject of the new progressive am radio station he is part of starting in DC. He had mentioned it a few months back, but this was the first time I was hearing more details. Come to find out that he is the Program Director and they are launching the station on Emancipation Day. Somehow, while thinking about who I can connect him with to assist with movement, I said that I wanted to have my own show. I have thought of doing a radio blog ever since my husband introduced me to Tariq Nasheed, who both infuriates and inspires me. I even recorded myself just to see how I would sound, but never took it further. I continued to take notes on the ideas I would have for the show, so when this opportunity presented itself it felt like kismet. Fast forward one week and I was turning in my pitch for consideration. To both my fear and delight, it was accepted and I will have a weekly show airing on Mondays at 8pm on 1480 am and online. Here is the pitch, I am sure it will evolve over time but I am excited that I am facing my fears and going for it:
A-MusE-N
Length: 1 hour/wk (either half music/half commentary or I’ll share my hour with a
subprogrammer)
Description: An entertaining and inspiring commentary-based show featuring the musings of
LaNora Williams-Clark, The Muse. Each show will feature 8 short segments:
1. Roll Call: every week I will pick someone in DC that I believe is clued in to their
higher purpose and will be counted as part of this new renaissance taking place. I
will not let those people know in advance. Sort of my “call to arms”.
2. How to be a Strong Black Woman without being a Single Black Woman (SBW ≠
SBW): Simple tips from a woman that has only been single 3 months of her entire
life, starting from Pre-School, combined with real life examples.
3. My Momma Said: Weekly advice from none other than my mom, the #1 hustler!
4. The Knowledge Without The Game: The basic theory of my book, The Other N
Word—Advice on how we can advance from our point of relative capitalistic
disadvantage, i.e., moving beyond knowing and doing and toward understanding and
applying.
5. My Harlem!: Connect the movement with stories from my week in Harlem. (see
harlemontherise.blogspot.com)
6. What’s in a Name?: Break down the name/moniker of someone who has
demonstrated greatness. E.g., Oprah (OWN. Harpo), Jay-Z (“HOV, got my own lane
already”), Puff Daddy, etc.
7. Connotations and Context Clues: Weekly observations regarding subliminal
meanings, things that make you hmmm, etc. My ode to the conspiracy theorists.
8. Entreprehustler Minute: One minute a week to flush out my definition of a
entreprehustler. (see entreprehustler.blogspot.com)
Needless to say, between writing my book, writing two blogs and now doing the show, I am becoming intimately aware of my voice and really letting people in on my thought process for the first time ever. I am hoping that by putting it all out there, I will deal the final death blow in the war of Muse v. Fear. Wish me luck!
Manifesting
So, a few months ago I set a top 10 publisher as one of the goals for my book. As I stated, I have two published friends both under major publishing houses. Well, fate would have it that I randomly (or fatefully) connected with a former national account manager for Simon & Schuster. I have not mentioned that I am writing a book yet, but I plan to do so at an opportune time in the near future.
Now that it is a go, I can talk about my "silver platter" opportunity. Again, my fellow entreprehustler Kymone Freeman called me out of the blue and we got on the subject of the new progressive am radio station he is part of starting in DC. He had mentioned it a few months back, but this was the first time I was hearing more details. Come to find out that he is the Program Director and they are launching the station on Emancipation Day. Somehow, while thinking about who I can connect him with to assist with movement, I said that I wanted to have my own show. I have thought of doing a radio blog ever since my husband introduced me to Tariq Nasheed, who both infuriates and inspires me. I even recorded myself just to see how I would sound, but never took it further. I continued to take notes on the ideas I would have for the show, so when this opportunity presented itself it felt like kismet. Fast forward one week and I was turning in my pitch for consideration. To both my fear and delight, it was accepted and I will have a weekly show airing on Mondays at 8pm on 1480 am and online. Here is the pitch, I am sure it will evolve over time but I am excited that I am facing my fears and going for it:
A-MusE-N
Length: 1 hour/wk (either half music/half commentary or I’ll share my hour with a
subprogrammer)
Description: An entertaining and inspiring commentary-based show featuring the musings of
LaNora Williams-Clark, The Muse. Each show will feature 8 short segments:
1. Roll Call: every week I will pick someone in DC that I believe is clued in to their
higher purpose and will be counted as part of this new renaissance taking place. I
will not let those people know in advance. Sort of my “call to arms”.
2. How to be a Strong Black Woman without being a Single Black Woman (SBW ≠
SBW): Simple tips from a woman that has only been single 3 months of her entire
life, starting from Pre-School, combined with real life examples.
3. My Momma Said: Weekly advice from none other than my mom, the #1 hustler!
4. The Knowledge Without The Game: The basic theory of my book, The Other N
Word—Advice on how we can advance from our point of relative capitalistic
disadvantage, i.e., moving beyond knowing and doing and toward understanding and
applying.
5. My Harlem!: Connect the movement with stories from my week in Harlem. (see
harlemontherise.blogspot.com)
6. What’s in a Name?: Break down the name/moniker of someone who has
demonstrated greatness. E.g., Oprah (OWN. Harpo), Jay-Z (“HOV, got my own lane
already”), Puff Daddy, etc.
7. Connotations and Context Clues: Weekly observations regarding subliminal
meanings, things that make you hmmm, etc. My ode to the conspiracy theorists.
8. Entreprehustler Minute: One minute a week to flush out my definition of a
entreprehustler. (see entreprehustler.blogspot.com)
Needless to say, between writing my book, writing two blogs and now doing the show, I am becoming intimately aware of my voice and really letting people in on my thought process for the first time ever. I am hoping that by putting it all out there, I will deal the final death blow in the war of Muse v. Fear. Wish me luck!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Whatever may come...
So in solidarity with my fellow entreprehustler Kimmi Chu, I have decided to take 2011 off. Meaning, I will not pursue anything and i will only consider things that are brought to me on a silver platter. And by silver platter I mean passive income. Already working on my book and writing two blogs, teaching my 2year old daughter until September when she can get into school, and hoping for an AP position on a not yet greenlit show. A very exciting venture that fits my criteria has already caught my attention. I'm in the process of "making it real", so wish me luck.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Motivation
I've been feeling like I'm overdue for an emotional breakdown and it finally came this morning, as I hugged my Mom goodbye. The past 4 months have been a whirlwind of change and I was determined to conquer it all like a beast. This attitude helped me do just that, but the little things have started creeping up on me as of late. People like to say that "the devil is busy", I'm not sure if I would describe it that way but I finally understand the concept. The funny part is that if I were to say out loud those things that are bothering me, I'd feel stupid because they are all minor and meaningless. Nonetheless, the sheer rapid succession of small irritations after all the work it has taken to not stress the little (or big, for that matter) things has warranted a good cleansing cry and what better than a hug from your Mom to begin that release.
Straight Talk
You never really see yourself as clearly as when you have an outside observer there to illuminate your life. It has become clear to me that I have a serious Superwoman complex. Because I know what's inside of me, I fail to give myself enough credit and that can lead others to not appreciate me as much as they should. If I act as if everything comes easy, then how can I expect the perceivers to view things any different. If I am being honest, the past four years have been really tough. Because they have simultaneously been really amazing, I tend to undermine the significance of and need to acknowledge the pain.
2007
In January of 2007, I was diagnosed with Grave's disease. After googling it and learning more, I prayed that I would not get the eye symptoms. Of course, it was a useless prayer because going through the experience was a necessary part of my journey. Ever since I can remember, my eyes have been the most significant physical part of me. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul and I knew I was special at an early age, in part because of how others reacted to my eyes.
Needless to say that those big eyes that I came to regard as the feature that made me beautiful all of a sudden changing was, well, soul changing. All the less obvious symptoms of my my hyperthyroidism, tiredness, weight loss, ankle swelling, even difficulties with reproduction meant nothing as I witnessed one eye, then the other quickly begin to protrude from their sockets. My loss of eye control was in direct correlation with my loss of self confidence. After years of not being particularly photogenic, I had finally begun to look great in photos only to now have my greatest insecurity show up every time anyone even thought about taking a picture. It took me a long time and a lot of staring at myself in the mirror to re-find my beauty. My big hair is definitely an ode to my big eyes, my thought was fuck it, give 'em something to remember.
2008
After finally accepting myself and recapturing my natural confidence, I was ready to start my family. Because my thyroid was so "hot", it could not be controlled with medication but I wanted to try this route anyway because I would rather not have them take out my thyroid and have to take a pill everyday for the rest of my life. Those who know me, know that I am very adverse to medication so between the treatment of my eyes and of my thyroid, at one time I was taking 14 pills a day. Talk about feeling defective... Anyway, I finally made the decision to have my thyroid burned out through radioactive iodine because I was told that I would have to wait 6 months after to try to get pregnant. At that point I was 28, I had been married for 5 years, with my husband for 9. I was a top lawyer at a top firm and I was finally ready to embark on this journey. Well, it was not to be as smooth as I'd hoped because I ended up having to have the treatment twice (which is unheard-of) which rendered me unable to attempt to reproduce for over a year. Then when I was finally able to try, my body was so out of whack that I could not get pregnant.
In true LaNora fashion, I chocked it up as a loss and began dreaming up an alternative life for myself. This is when my entrepreneurial spirit began to take flight. My business would be my baby and I went about doing the work that would hopefully lead me to leave my legal career and find my passion.
2009
January 1st was the first day of this journey I am on today and as everyone knows, one of the worse economic times in American history. I took this as a great sign. There was never a better time to be broke and an entrepreneur. Obama was being sworn in as President and it felt like the sky was the limit.
Because I refuse to let any "expert" opinion override what I know to be logical, I stopped taking my Thyroid medication. Because I had no thyroid, I was supposed to have hypothyroidIsm but I was constantly losing weight and my cycle had not returned to normal in over a year. I was told that I needed this pill to regulate my metabolism, but it seemed that my body thought otherwise. Right or wrong, within a couple months of stopping the medication, I found out I was pregnant. Funny that this was early October and I had officially resigned from my firm on September 26th with a December 31st end date. I would never have gone down this road had I had my wish and got pregnant right when I felt the time was right. So, by May of 2009 I had my second baby (Muse being my first) and embarked upon a parallel personal journey.
2010
This was perhaps the most difficult year because, for the first time in my life, I began to self-analyze and really work on myself. Life up to this point had been pretty easy. I hate saying that because many of the things I have achieved, especially considering my relative disadvantages, are things most people will never achieve even with tons of hard work, but I have come to realize that it is what it is. For the first time since 8th grade, I had to decide on what path my life would follow. At this point, true greatness was the only option because I had already reached the heights that society deemed exceptional. The difference this time was that there was no blueprint for me to follow. I had to go inside and find myself, discover my Muse and accept my spiritual gifts in order to have a chance to fulfill what was becoming my obvious potential.
This blog has been my way of sharing my journey from that point. So, you know that in November I had my second child, my husband landed his dream job and we are now living in New York.
Moving Forward
I have been coaching myself to give myself a break, but in the last week or so little doubts have tried to creep in. All the financial issues that I thought I had resolved have decided to linger a little longer, the confidence I have in my ability to write an amazing book has gone through waxes and wanes in light of my "show me" philosophy, I have had to reevaluate my commitment to other endeavors as the reality that I will not be able to get my daughter into a good school until September set in and on top of that, hubby's new job comes with a twist we have never encountered, lots of travel.
Needless to say, I needed a good cry just to let that all out and refresh my spirit. I am truly feeling renewed as I wrap up this retrospective. I am looking around at my new home in Harlem, sun shining through the windows, my baby sleeping here on the couch next to me as I write. My big girl sleeping in her room and my wonderful husband in ours. I was made for greatness and all evidence points to my fulfillment of my destiny. Though I need to allow myself these emotional breaks more often, I am comfortable with my Superwoman complex. It keeps me soaring and as Zora would exhort "jump at the sun!".
Straight Talk
You never really see yourself as clearly as when you have an outside observer there to illuminate your life. It has become clear to me that I have a serious Superwoman complex. Because I know what's inside of me, I fail to give myself enough credit and that can lead others to not appreciate me as much as they should. If I act as if everything comes easy, then how can I expect the perceivers to view things any different. If I am being honest, the past four years have been really tough. Because they have simultaneously been really amazing, I tend to undermine the significance of and need to acknowledge the pain.
2007
In January of 2007, I was diagnosed with Grave's disease. After googling it and learning more, I prayed that I would not get the eye symptoms. Of course, it was a useless prayer because going through the experience was a necessary part of my journey. Ever since I can remember, my eyes have been the most significant physical part of me. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul and I knew I was special at an early age, in part because of how others reacted to my eyes.
Needless to say that those big eyes that I came to regard as the feature that made me beautiful all of a sudden changing was, well, soul changing. All the less obvious symptoms of my my hyperthyroidism, tiredness, weight loss, ankle swelling, even difficulties with reproduction meant nothing as I witnessed one eye, then the other quickly begin to protrude from their sockets. My loss of eye control was in direct correlation with my loss of self confidence. After years of not being particularly photogenic, I had finally begun to look great in photos only to now have my greatest insecurity show up every time anyone even thought about taking a picture. It took me a long time and a lot of staring at myself in the mirror to re-find my beauty. My big hair is definitely an ode to my big eyes, my thought was fuck it, give 'em something to remember.
2008
After finally accepting myself and recapturing my natural confidence, I was ready to start my family. Because my thyroid was so "hot", it could not be controlled with medication but I wanted to try this route anyway because I would rather not have them take out my thyroid and have to take a pill everyday for the rest of my life. Those who know me, know that I am very adverse to medication so between the treatment of my eyes and of my thyroid, at one time I was taking 14 pills a day. Talk about feeling defective... Anyway, I finally made the decision to have my thyroid burned out through radioactive iodine because I was told that I would have to wait 6 months after to try to get pregnant. At that point I was 28, I had been married for 5 years, with my husband for 9. I was a top lawyer at a top firm and I was finally ready to embark on this journey. Well, it was not to be as smooth as I'd hoped because I ended up having to have the treatment twice (which is unheard-of) which rendered me unable to attempt to reproduce for over a year. Then when I was finally able to try, my body was so out of whack that I could not get pregnant.
In true LaNora fashion, I chocked it up as a loss and began dreaming up an alternative life for myself. This is when my entrepreneurial spirit began to take flight. My business would be my baby and I went about doing the work that would hopefully lead me to leave my legal career and find my passion.
2009
January 1st was the first day of this journey I am on today and as everyone knows, one of the worse economic times in American history. I took this as a great sign. There was never a better time to be broke and an entrepreneur. Obama was being sworn in as President and it felt like the sky was the limit.
Because I refuse to let any "expert" opinion override what I know to be logical, I stopped taking my Thyroid medication. Because I had no thyroid, I was supposed to have hypothyroidIsm but I was constantly losing weight and my cycle had not returned to normal in over a year. I was told that I needed this pill to regulate my metabolism, but it seemed that my body thought otherwise. Right or wrong, within a couple months of stopping the medication, I found out I was pregnant. Funny that this was early October and I had officially resigned from my firm on September 26th with a December 31st end date. I would never have gone down this road had I had my wish and got pregnant right when I felt the time was right. So, by May of 2009 I had my second baby (Muse being my first) and embarked upon a parallel personal journey.
2010
This was perhaps the most difficult year because, for the first time in my life, I began to self-analyze and really work on myself. Life up to this point had been pretty easy. I hate saying that because many of the things I have achieved, especially considering my relative disadvantages, are things most people will never achieve even with tons of hard work, but I have come to realize that it is what it is. For the first time since 8th grade, I had to decide on what path my life would follow. At this point, true greatness was the only option because I had already reached the heights that society deemed exceptional. The difference this time was that there was no blueprint for me to follow. I had to go inside and find myself, discover my Muse and accept my spiritual gifts in order to have a chance to fulfill what was becoming my obvious potential.
This blog has been my way of sharing my journey from that point. So, you know that in November I had my second child, my husband landed his dream job and we are now living in New York.
Moving Forward
I have been coaching myself to give myself a break, but in the last week or so little doubts have tried to creep in. All the financial issues that I thought I had resolved have decided to linger a little longer, the confidence I have in my ability to write an amazing book has gone through waxes and wanes in light of my "show me" philosophy, I have had to reevaluate my commitment to other endeavors as the reality that I will not be able to get my daughter into a good school until September set in and on top of that, hubby's new job comes with a twist we have never encountered, lots of travel.
Needless to say, I needed a good cry just to let that all out and refresh my spirit. I am truly feeling renewed as I wrap up this retrospective. I am looking around at my new home in Harlem, sun shining through the windows, my baby sleeping here on the couch next to me as I write. My big girl sleeping in her room and my wonderful husband in ours. I was made for greatness and all evidence points to my fulfillment of my destiny. Though I need to allow myself these emotional breaks more often, I am comfortable with my Superwoman complex. It keeps me soaring and as Zora would exhort "jump at the sun!".
Monday, March 14, 2011
Itching to Write
So, I decided to postpone writing until April 1st to give myself pressure-free time with the baby as well as time to get settled in my new Harlem home. I believe this was a good decision, as I am finding new inspiration daily since I began moving on the 3rd of this month. I am down to one last box and I have my mom here to help me with the girls for the next day or 2.
Besides writing my book, I have been contemplating what direction to take Muse CAA. I believe my biggest mistake the first go around was letting my career happen to me instead of making deliberate moves toward a defined goal. I am determined not to do that this time. In the short time that I've been here, I've already taken advantage of a couple opportunities that have come my way, one in which I would love to pursue further and the other that I have decided would take me down the same path that led me to halt operations mid year last year.
Door #1
About a week before my scheduled move, I got a call from my friend Keith, who owns Decoder (a media company), about an opportunity to associate produce a pilot for a documentary series on Animal Planet. Not wanting to miss out on a great opportunity, after hearing from the producer I spent all day trying to make arrangements for someone to be there with my baby until my Mom arrived. It was a 2-day job and the first time I would be away from my breastfed baby. Needless to say, there were a lot of hoops to jump through to pull this off. But, in true Muse fashion, I made it happen. I caught the train from DC to NY at 5am to be here for the 9am call time. The experience was wonderful and I believe I made a great impression. If the show is picked up, we are looking at a 10 episode deal, so I am hopeful that this sacrifice will manifest into a great long term prospect.
Door#2
While I was here, I stayed with my good friends Stacey and Carlos. Stacey's sister was asking about what I did in terms of branding because after managing top salons in the city, she had taken the leap of faith and opened her own salon. After our conversation, she asked if I would like to work an upcoming event with her. I jumped at the chance to plant another seed for Muse. The event was yesterday and was great PR for her salon and a great opportunity for me to see this Maven in action. Though I believe in her long term potential, my down time gave me time to realize that I am more interested in project-based, strategic opportunities and this would be more of a long term growth opportunity. Also, it is in an industry in which i am only peripherally interested. While at the event, I met another entrepreneur who was interested in me helping her grow her brand. This was after I essentially sold her product to a retailer exhibiting at the same event. Again though, after the buzz of being sought after wore I off, I reflected on my goal of creating my own destiny and decided to forego this opportunity as well. As my husband said, I may never have another opportunity like this where I have the time to really think about what I want to do and what will lead me to my millionaire dream. He believes that it is great that I am testing out these various opportunities, but cautioned me against jumping on other people's journey unnecessarily.
All that is to say, I will be focusing on my book and my babies and hopefully this Associate Producer position for now. I have a few other passion-based trails that i want to blaze once I figure out how they could become profitable. By the time I get Ryan into a good day care, I hope to have a direction and plan of action ready. Wish me luck!
Besides writing my book, I have been contemplating what direction to take Muse CAA. I believe my biggest mistake the first go around was letting my career happen to me instead of making deliberate moves toward a defined goal. I am determined not to do that this time. In the short time that I've been here, I've already taken advantage of a couple opportunities that have come my way, one in which I would love to pursue further and the other that I have decided would take me down the same path that led me to halt operations mid year last year.
Door #1
About a week before my scheduled move, I got a call from my friend Keith, who owns Decoder (a media company), about an opportunity to associate produce a pilot for a documentary series on Animal Planet. Not wanting to miss out on a great opportunity, after hearing from the producer I spent all day trying to make arrangements for someone to be there with my baby until my Mom arrived. It was a 2-day job and the first time I would be away from my breastfed baby. Needless to say, there were a lot of hoops to jump through to pull this off. But, in true Muse fashion, I made it happen. I caught the train from DC to NY at 5am to be here for the 9am call time. The experience was wonderful and I believe I made a great impression. If the show is picked up, we are looking at a 10 episode deal, so I am hopeful that this sacrifice will manifest into a great long term prospect.
Door#2
While I was here, I stayed with my good friends Stacey and Carlos. Stacey's sister was asking about what I did in terms of branding because after managing top salons in the city, she had taken the leap of faith and opened her own salon. After our conversation, she asked if I would like to work an upcoming event with her. I jumped at the chance to plant another seed for Muse. The event was yesterday and was great PR for her salon and a great opportunity for me to see this Maven in action. Though I believe in her long term potential, my down time gave me time to realize that I am more interested in project-based, strategic opportunities and this would be more of a long term growth opportunity. Also, it is in an industry in which i am only peripherally interested. While at the event, I met another entrepreneur who was interested in me helping her grow her brand. This was after I essentially sold her product to a retailer exhibiting at the same event. Again though, after the buzz of being sought after wore I off, I reflected on my goal of creating my own destiny and decided to forego this opportunity as well. As my husband said, I may never have another opportunity like this where I have the time to really think about what I want to do and what will lead me to my millionaire dream. He believes that it is great that I am testing out these various opportunities, but cautioned me against jumping on other people's journey unnecessarily.
All that is to say, I will be focusing on my book and my babies and hopefully this Associate Producer position for now. I have a few other passion-based trails that i want to blaze once I figure out how they could become profitable. By the time I get Ryan into a good day care, I hope to have a direction and plan of action ready. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Momentary Interruption
Writing...oh how I missed thee.
There is way too much going on for me to focus just now. Besides the 2.5 month old we call Bear, I am getting my house in order in preparation for the big move to NYC.
I am now reading three books at once (so LaNora), so this feels like just another part of the work. It has me thinking about within what genre I would place my book. Because of its negative connotation, I hate the term "self-help" and really I am helping you help yourself, so where am I in that description. Memoirs by young people are starting to be popular, but this is definitely not my memoir though I use my journey to illustrate my proposition. So, I'm working on that one for my pitch letter. I want to be in the same category as "The Tipping Point", but Gladwell's description of his genre doesn't seem worked out quite yet...lol.
The best part of not writing is that I have had a lot of time to DREAM. I have not had that in awhile. Once you are on autopilot, the daily dreaming seems to subside. This is a necessary part because you can really get locked in the dreaming and forget to do the work. I am enjoying developing my work plan. I think it is soooo sexy that I will be a writer in Harlem. I have an address on West 119th and St. Nicholas and I can already feel myself being part of a tradition of Black writers who find their peak of inspiration on those Harlem streets. I love the story that I am writing for myself.
Muse News
Now that I think of it, there is some news to report regarding Muse CAA: I got a call about being an Associate Producer (AP) for a new Animal Planet series. I have not been officially offered the position, nor have I accepted anything but it came through a wonderful contact, so I think it will work out. So, that is a great start to my networking journey in NYC.
I hope to be settled into my new apartment by the end of March, so I will give myself to April 1st to get it together before I put myself on a writing schedule. This is real progress for me not to beat myself up about not meeting these self-inflicted deadlines. I am a deadline driven person, so I love and need them. But I am also a motivated person, so I have the tendency to overexert myself unnecessarily. Finding the right balance, and being blessed with the freedom to exercise it, has been overwhelmingly inspiring; taking the time to live in that inspired state has been life-changing. So back to writing April 1st and back to work, i.e., reading Wrapped In Rainbows, now!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
2011...
Waxing Retrospective
My first blog post lays out my three goals for 2010 and the seven faults I must overcome to be successful. Over the course of the year, I narrowed it down to 1 goal, which was to complete my book proposal, and I reduced those seven faults to their common denominator and made it my business to conquer the fears that were inhibiting my success. In order to grow, I had to stop moving long enough to evaluate my behavior. To that end, I winded down all of my contracts and stepped away from working with clients and really spent some time working on me. Never before had I put up a mirror and evaluated myself, especially not my faults. This was a necessary step if I wanted to continue being an entrepreneur. But we all know that necessary does not mean easy. In fact, 2010 was the most difficult year of my life. I am happy to say that it was well worth it because I came out of the process with a renewed and deeper belief in myself, a no stress attitude, and an awareness of those weaknesses that I must address as I travel on this entrepreneurial journey. Now for the work...
On to the Next
Tomorrow starts the first day back to work after my self-granted maternity leave. Because I was working on so many things last year on top of being pregnant and taking care of my first baby, I made it a point not to pressure myself too much. Now that is over. I do have a newborn, but she is low maintenance. My oldest is now in daycare and my husband has accepted a new demanding job that will involve a major move to NYC sometime in March. With this in mind, I am giving myself through the end of February to complete my book proposal. I would love to move to NYC with a clean slate so I can go about the business of reinventing myself. With no clients and no lingering assignments, I will be free to dream all new dreams and work on making them come true in The Big Apple.
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