The Think and Grow Chick

The Blog Has Moved!

2010-07-28T10:00:00.000-04:00

That's right ladies (and a few gents!) I had no idea that this blog wasn't being updated at the regularity of the new location until one sweet reader emailed me asking me where I had been for 3 months! I am such a jerk for assuming (1) that you all knew and (2) that blogger would automatically pick up my new updates. Anyway, you can check out all your favorite advice for "thinking and growing" at http://thinkandgrowchick.com. Come check it out!

Mini Post: A Clothing Store That Helps You Set Goals?!?!

2010-04-26T15:20:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone! I've made a commitment to post more regularly, so I'm shooting for everyday this week, but unfortunately, it's FINALS time here at school and I'm getting slammed with assignments. Nevertheless, I did have a chance to have a quick session of 'net surfing and I stumbled upon the coolest thing:

Yoga-inspired athletic store, Lululemon (pronounced, "Lu-Lu-Lemon") has an awesome feature on their website to help you set goals, called Goal Tender!

I won't have time today, but if you do, pop over to the site and start filling out the questionnaire. They even have a guide to help you get your goals out and a progress tracker! Plus, you can always print out what you wrote and stick it on your bathroom mirror for constant reminding :-)

Are any of you going to go for it today and fill our your goals on the site? What are your goals? Let us know what you'll be writing about by commenting below.

Mid-Goal Check-in + Upcoming Topics

2010-04-20T17:28:00.000-04:00

Ah! There is nothing like the coming of spring! From the first break in the weather, many of us get that uncontrollable itch to not only shed clothes, but to shed all of our unnecessary clutter. Old Magazines? Tossed. Roughed up winter boots? Out. Left over hearty beef stew? Garbage disposal.

Photo by Samantha (This Home Sweet Home) on Flickr

While I'm certainly not one to stop anyone from getting down and dirty with their spring cleaning, I think it's important that we not forget to "spring clean" the most important item of all...

...our New Year/January goals!

Little more than a mere three months ago, I think we all made grandiose promises to ourselves about eating healthier, losing weight, transforming our looks, and making enough money to quit our jobs. (Well, perhaps that last one was just me...) Since resolutions only become realities if you actively pursue them, springtime is the perfect time to take a good look at where you're headed, and make adjustments as needed. I particularly need to check my goals with relative frequency, as you'll remember that my resolutions were not just for the year, but were set to be completed in 6 months. Since I'm the resident guinea pig for all things goal related, lets (1) take an honest look at the progress of my January resolutions and (2) see how they relate to the topics that I'll be delving into in the near future:

Goal 1: I will attempt to bring in a solid income of $2,350 per month.

Progress: I look at my current budget and can't help but giggle when I'm reminded of this goal. I giggle not just because I'm still quite a ways off from it, but because I conjured up that figure in slight ignorance to just how much I need to get along as a college student and how much it's going to take to get rid of my debt. I am not only budgeting now, but I am taking free money management courses and I now know I can be effective with my money even if I make less than $2000. On top of that, I am currently averaging about $1200 per month, which I think is pretty darn good for a full-time student who previously was making zero. With the knowledge I've picked up from some great finance books and resources, I feel very confident about my progress towards this financial goal. I feel so confident in fact, I'm planning a few post dedicated to sharing the financial books I've been reading and the things I've been learning with you all.

Goal 2: I will completely pay off my lowest credit card amount, $873.53

Progress: My current balance on the card in question is $723.53, meaning I've paid $150 to date. This may seem like a meager amount, but this is huge for me as I've never significantly paid down a credit card with running it back up in a few months. I've paid that $150 slowly over the last 3-4 months, and it's help me get into the mindset of regularly paying down debt before I spend my money on things that don't matter, like eating out and shopping. Also, I'm expecting a large refund check to come soon, and I plan on using that money to pay off this credit card in its entirety. I feel totally confident that I will hit my goal if not by July (my 6 month mark) then by a time shortly thereafter. As a little tip, two books that have helped changed my approach to successfully picking off debt are The Richest Man in Babylon and The Millionaire Next Door. I plan to go in greater detail about those two books in a separate post in the near future.

Goal 3: I will have at least $1000 in personal savings in 6 month's time

Progress: This one is a doozy because in addition to meeting this goal, I'm working to pay down debt at the same time. I'll be totally honest here—I've only saved $148.38 as I right this. When I look at my savings in relation to the where I want to be, I am not even close. That said, part of why I have so little is because I literally didn't start saving until last month. Up until last month, I felt like there was no way I could save because I didn't make that much and I felt like I was spending everything I had on rent, bills, and food. It wasn't until I read one of my new favorite finance books, The Richest Man in Babylon, that I learned that I should at least attempt to save 10% of everything I make. Once I started saving 10% of my income before I had a chance to spend it on anything else, I was able to amass almost $150 in little over one month. When I look at my savings in those terms, I fill pretty pleased with myself, as having any sort of savings is a major accomplishment for me. While I can't honestly foresee hitting my $1000 savings mark by July without receiving some unexpected financial windfall. Because I'm not one to bank on anonymous checks in the mail, I do feel confident that my newfound slow and steady savings approach can get me to at least $500 by my goal due date.

Goal 4: ~~I will be enrolling back in school part-time for the 2010 summer session, and full-time for the 2010 fall session~~

Progress: Why is this goal crossed off, you ask? Because I've completed it!!!! I've enrolled full-time at The University of The District of Columbia and I am so freakin' excited. If you missed all the details on my complete meltdown at Howard, I invite you to check that out just to put in perspective how amazing it is that I'm back in school. Come May, I will have officially completed the sophomore year of my new program, Marketing, and I am on track to graduate in 2012 (earlier if I take summer school). Since I'm officially a resident of this city, I qualified for the reduced, in-state tuition and was able to take out federal loans to cover the cost of this semester. I'll also be eligible for a scholarship next semester if I remain above a 3.0. I could go on and on about how grateful I am for getting a second chance to pursue my education, but I digress...

Goal 5: ~~My hair will reach armpit length (APL) or longer in six months or less~~

Progress: Bam! I completed this goal too, just this April! Check out my April Length Check post for details, but given the support and response from everyone on my progress, I shall post my detailed hair routine soon.

Goal 6: In 6 month's time I really want to tone up my physique

Progress: This goal really grinds my gears because I've had it in my grasp several times, only to let it slip away. Not to long ago, I jumped on the Jillian Michaels bandwagon (love her!) and lost 10 pounds with her 30 Day Shred DVD. Since then, I have not been exercising regularly and all of that beautiful definition that was just starting to sprout in my arms and abs has all but melted away. In short, this goal could have been crossed off, but I got lazy. I have since committed to a gym routine I found on bodybuilding.com for women. To better chart my proposal, I will write some future posts on exercising and overall wellness soon.

Goal 7: ~~I want to improve my wardrobe~~

Progress: I have crossed off this goal not necessarily because I've completed it (though I did get my hands on a few really cute items a few months ago), but because it's really not all that important in the grand scheme of everything else I'm trying to complete. One may argue that hair might not have anything to do with my other goals either, but I disagree in the fact that (1) at least accomplishing hair goals are free, and (2) dedication to growing out hair, especially as a black woman, can really teach perseverance in other areas of life and achieving what was once though impossible (like being a black woman with long, natural hair). I feel like "improving my wardrobe" places too much emphasis on spending money at a time where I find my mindset conforming to financial diligence and a focus on financial freedom. Not that they're mutually exclusive, but I'll take financial independence, fitness, healthy hair, and a college degree over an immaculate wardrobe any day, and I feel like my focus is better spent on the above for that reason.

Goal 7: 6 month's time I really want to develop this blog

While this blog has definitely made some progress in terms of readership, interaction, and facebook fans and twitter followers, there is always something more to achieve and if I'm lucky, this will be a goal that I'll never be satisfied enough to cross off. As it stands (and as many of you have pointed out), I really need to get my posting schedule together. At the end of my 6 months, if nothing else, I want to have a consistent posting schedule. Currently I am aiming for daily posting during the week, so we shall see how it goes.

**
Whew! Sorry so long, but many of you have asked and this is how my goals are coming along. I'm pleased with my progress for the most part, though I definitely plan to ramp it up so I can accomplish all that is important to my by July. So how are your January resolutions going? Are you due for a "mid-goal" check-in?

April Length Check + a Word on Protective Styling

2010-04-06T12:48:00.000-04:00

At first, I thought the day would never come when I would wear protective styles. An ardent lover of the afro since the beginning of my natural days, I had since resigned that "hidden hair" was simply not for me. When I finally did bite the bullet and agree to start wearing protective styles, I did so begrudgingly as I thought the day would never come where I actually liked it.

Thank God I'm a terrible psychic, because that day has come: I am totally in love with my protective styling! Why the sudden change of heart? Allow me to present the evidence...

From November 2009 Hair

Here I was back in November 2009 with my very unhappy hair. As I mentioned when I first posted this picture, my love for wearing my hair "out" had caused me to slip into a state of unapologetic negligence. I forgot to moisturize my hair for days. I slept on cotton pillowcases without covering my hair up for bed. I used the blow dryer constantly to stretch out my roots. My hair was dry with frail ends and virtually no length retention. As you can see by my face I was a very unhappy camper.

Fast forward to February, I had finally gotten the hang of my hair regimen and started to wear protective styles as a way keep my hair from drying out in the harsh winter air.

From February 2010 Protective Styles

By this time, I had my routine down pat. Usually on Sunday or Monday, I would wash my hair, put it in twist and pin it, then wear it like that all the way until Friday, where I would take the twist out and rock it curly for the weekend. Come Sunday, I'd do it all over again.

Just this past Easter, however, I noticed something peculiar. Upon taking my hair down so that I could wear it "out" for church, I was really shocked at how my hair looked.

From April Hair (in Philadelphia!)

From April Hair (in Philadelphia!

Never before had my hair sat at that length in its curly state! I decided to do some investigating...

Before

From April 2010 Length Check

After

Before

From April 2010 Length Check

After

In six months I went from just below shoulder length to armpit length with protective styling. And I never thought I'd see the day...

Evolution of a Protective Style Series, Part 2

2010-03-11T11:02:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! Here's the next video in my series showing the styles that helped me get over my irrational obsession with wearing my hair "out". Enjoy!

Things to Do When Waiting for Water to Boil*

2010-03-10T10:05:00.002-05:00

Though my mom has since expressed guilt for allowing my dad to subject me and my sister to such an unhealthy habit, one of my favorite things to whip up in the kitchen with my dad as a child was none other than Top Ramen Noodles. With a full 800 mg of sodium in every pack, I was delighted by the various flavors these little noodles possessed, of which was only enhanced by my father's inventive additions of smoked sausage slices. Though this simple meal generally took less than 10 minutes to make, my childhood appetite always felt prisoner to the 5 or so minutes it would take just to get the water boiling. Instructing me to go play until our lunch was ready, my father informed me on my way into the play room that water always takes longer to boil if you watch it, and that before I even had time to get into a second round of make-believe with my stuffed animals, my little bowl of noodles would be ready.

Though I've since (mostly) kicked the habit of Top Ramen lunches as a young adult, the principle of trying not to watch "water boil" has remained. More often than not, many of the goals we want to achieve require both time and patience before they can come to fruition. It is interesting then, that as children we learn not to watch water boil, but we keep an eye on our progress towards our personal goals like a hawk. I'm most guilty of this with my goals related to my hair (and I suspect that many of you are too) but this can be a problem with almost any kind of goal. As an easy remedy for all of us, here's an easy list of things to do when waiting for your particular "pot of water" to "boil":

Since you can't watch your hair grow on a daily basis, add other positive activities to your line-up that can be performed on a daily basis. For example, you can start exercising so that you have something to direct your attention to daily. Plus, by the time you hair (or whatever your goal is) gets to where you want it, you'll have a nice, toned body to go with it.
Become an avid reader. You all know that my philosophy is that you can never read enough books on a subject that interest you, because you should never stop learning. Use this opportunity to even read books directly related to your goal, as the information you read might help you get to your goal that much faster. Or, if you think reading books about the goal you're working on will just make you crazier, find an easy novel or fiction book to dive into instead.
Help someone else with their goals. Yep, take the focus and pressure off of yourself and reach out and help someone else with their dreams. There's a reason why helping others is more than a nice virtue; helping others is also a way to help yourself.

And would you look at that? The water's ready...

Evolution of a Protective Style Series, Part 1

2010-03-09T08:28:00.001-05:00

They say you can't keep doing the same thing and expect different results, so I finally bit the bullet and did what I'd never thought I'd do.

I started wearing my hair in protective styles more often.

Formally a ride-or-die 'fro enthusiast, my hair hadn't seen so much as a ponytail since I escaped the grip of my mother's box braids and barrettes during my childhood. Below is the first video of my series, chronicling how I achieve my style and maintain my sanity without having my hair out all the time.

I know many of you readers vary in your affinity for (or against) protective styles. How do you rock your hair when trying to achieve your length goals? What works for you the best?

Tyra Banks and the Personal Mission Statement

2010-03-02T15:17:00.000-05:00

Jam-packed and hung very closely together, I forcefully waded through the racks trying to keep my composure as a mixed scent of moth balls and black coconut incense wafted through the air. Grungy jeans I'd never wear, grandma's old night gowns, and pilling maternity knits all got pushed to the side as I continued on my mission. With the sun shining and the weather slightly warm, I had carved out a chunk of my day just to come there and do what I was doing at the moment. I was in a thrift store...and I was in heaven. The great thing about thrift stores is that one way or another, they are all alike. Though I happen to be a strict secondhand clothing connoisseur, there always seems to be a never ending supply of knick-knacks barraging the first 20 feet of the store.

True to form, on this particular shopping trip, I encountered a large, old television set, propped up on a crate playing none other than The Tyra Show. Mildly intrigued, I listened on as I continued my quest for vintage treasure. This particular episode was dealing with teenage girls who are trying to escape abusive relationships. To encourage the young women, Tyra had brought on Jaslene Gonzalez, America's Next Top Model Cycle 8 winner and admitted survivor of an abusive relationship. As the conversation drew on (and I became more frustrated as I couldn't find one gem in the mass of "gently used" madness), Jaslene suddenly turned to Tyra, eyes full of grateful tears, and sobbed as she thanked Tyra over and over again for giving her the opportunity of a lifetime and "taking her all over the world". Maybe I was just moved by the moment and of course I'm biased because I've always been a Tyra fan, but right then and there, I really respected Tyra's business dealings more than I ever had before.

In her own words, Tyra's mission is to use her modeling career as a tool to get other women (and the fashion industry) to change the way they think about beauty and the way they see themselves. Say what you want about Tyra, and long before Top Model and the Tyra Show, she has worked towards that end. I think this is really critical, because in essence, Tyra is saying that she has a positive personal mission statement that permeates the mission of whatever endeavor she may be working on. In a world where everyone from Bernie Madoff to Karrine Stefans has a personal mission statement of "get rich by any means necessary", it's both refreshing and a good reminder to make sure our personal mission statements are both positive and bigger than just ourselves.

As rule, women don't generally have to be reminded to weave some "do good" into their businesses or projects because women tend to be more nurturing than men. What I do see a lot of women do, however, is swing to the opposite end of the spectrum and feel that they have to be totally consumed by helping others, so they never do anything for themselves. I praise Tyra for walking that line well; her modeling and talk show career were obviously for her and to fulfill her own interest and talents, however she allowed her personal mission to drive her to "do some good" at the same time. Another role model in this area is none other than Hill Harper. No, he's not a woman and no, his work isn't directed to help women (unless you count his charm and amazing good looks), but Hill has used his rising star to spearhead a self-esteem building movement for young, black men. Not only was this an altruistic moves on his part, but a strategic one I think. No matter how you slice it, doing the right thing is always the best choice—even to your bottom line.

So how do you identify your personal mission statement? Think about who you are, what's most important to you, then write it down! Also think about which of the world's ill's speak to you the most, then think about how your God-given talents can have a positive effect. Get inspiration from other leaders and role models who are making an impact in the field that you want to be in. Most importantly, live out your personal mission and use it to guide you in your everyday dealings. When you feel overwhelmed by your activities and can't even remember why you got started in the first place, let your personal mission statement be a reminder that your goal is bigger than the obstacles that temporarily lay before you. After all, if Tyra can do it all the way to the top of supermodel stardom, then so can you.

Video: What is Your Chief Aim?

2010-02-25T12:08:00.000-05:00

Video: What is a Think and Grow Chick?

2010-02-24T12:22:00.000-05:00

Here's a little video I made the morning, properly introducing just what a Think and Grow Chick is. Are you a Think and Grow Chick?

"Master-Mind" Your Sister Circle

2010-02-24T09:45:00.016-05:00

Photo by JCSU

Women know all too well how important "kickin' it" with the girls can be. While our male counterparts are scratching their heads wondering why on earth two or more women are necessary for one trip to the restroom, social ladies know that keeping your very best girlfriends at the ready, all the time, is actually pretty useful for a multitude of situations. When shopping, for instance, it always pays to bring your girl who isn't afraid to tell you that (1) your butt looks saggy in those jeans and (2) you're only buying them because they're on sale. Of course, this is insight you should be able to bring to yourself, but sometimes the extra eye and your girl's particularly keen sense of style makes all the difference in accomplishing your ultimate aim—finding the perfect pair of jeans. I find it particularly interesting then, that many woman don't translate this approach to collaboration when trying to achieve more substantial goals like starting a business. The same thing that makes our personal "sister circles" great—diverse yet like-minded friends who have strengths that compliment our weaknesses—is the same thing that can help us achieve the goals that are really important in our lives. In other words, put your more ambitious friends to work by orchestrating your own "mastermind" group.

Though the term "Mastermind" was coined by Napoleon Hill in many of his books (Think and Grow Rich, The Laws of Success, etc) the "mastermind" concept has been around since people have been around. Call it a mastermind, a sister circle, your inner clique, or your "fav 5", simply put, having an informal group of people with different, complimenting talents working together for you is really the key to achieving any singular goal.

"But I don't have any money to hire anybody," some might protest. A mastermind group isn't about hiring people, but about electing people to help you because you can help them too. Do you hire a friend to listen to you when deciding about what to do with a wayward boyfriend? Of course not; your friend is there for you because she likes you and she knows she can expect that same dedication from you in her time of need. So it is with the people in your mastermind group—helping you helps them help themselves. A prime example of this is an informal arrangement I currently have with a good friend of mine. She's a phenomenal connector in terms of networking and gaining contacts, while I'm a great orchestrator in terms of putting talents to profitable use. When I came to her for help in learning how to meet the right people for my projects, she happily obliged as she needed help with selling her networking skills as services for her own consulting business. Though no money exchanged hands, we traded something even better: our time and devotion for each other. By keeping track of the other's progress and meeting every few weeks just to check in, she and I have collectively gotten a lot farther working together than we could have hoped when previously on our own. For our specific goals, she and I employed our own little mastermind group of two...each other.

One of my favorite examples of a successful, large scale mastermind group online (though they don't refer to themselves as such) is the hair forum at longhaircareforum.com. Literally as often as every few minutes, thousands of Black women from all over the world get together to discuss and help each other achieve, long, healthy hair. If you spend a few minutes browsing the members' picture albums of their hair, the difference between the growth of their hair prior to joining the forum and after is almost astronomical. No one's hair grew any faster after joining the forum, of course; however, being privy to the groups collective knowledge and being held accountable for their individual goals allows virtually every member to retain longer hair quicker than they had been able to on their own.

If you look closely at pretty much any success story, big or small, a mastermind group was operating somewhere in the background, at some point in time. Is collaboration with like minded individuals a part of your strategy for success? Share your thoughts in the comments box or email me at thinkandgrowchick [at] gmail [dot] com.

Celebrating the Hair and Now

2010-02-08T10:33:00.001-05:00

With the record breaking "snowpocalypse" ravaging the east coast and trapping me inside for a full 48 hours and counting, I was free to unapologatically wear my pajamas all day, eat cheese snacks, and watch VH1 Soul for hours on end. It was during this marathon that I happened upon Laura Izibor, an up-and-coming neo-soul singer of Nigerian and Irish decent.

(photo credit: lauraizibor.com)

With funky tracks and a delightfully different and interesting voice, a video featuring Izibor was a pleasant interruption to the monotony of my day. So I laid there, on the couch, in lazy bliss as my TV set blared Izibor's latest, "From My Heart to Yours". As I toe-tapped to the beat, however, I was troubled to find my attention quietly seduced away from the song by...

you guessed it...

...her hair. As beautiful and stylish as her ringlets are, I was somewhat suprised at my own reaction to her 'do. Normally when I see a chick with a rockin' 'fro, she is instantly filed away into my mental reservoir of "Holy Grail Hair" and I spend the next few weeks researching her routine and trying everything I can to get my hair on an equally fabulous level. Sitting on the couch and studying Izibor's tresses, however, led me to a different conclusion.

For the first time, looking at someone else's remarkable hair gave me an uncontrollable desire to get out there and celebrate my own, just as it is.

Blame it on delusion induced by snow day captivity, but by watching Izibor bop around in her music video with her artsy clothes, big hoop earrings, and larger than life hair, I felt remiss that for the last few weeks, I hadn't been celebrating myself in the same way. For the first time in American culture, there is a wealth of information about natural, African-American hair and it can be easy to get lost in the "tips and tricks" that'll help you make your hair longer, looser, shinier, or simply "something else". Learning about and trying things with natural hair (as any natural diva can attest to) can be great, but it is such an involved process that I think sometimes we can lose sight of the fun in rocking our hair as it is.

If we're not careful, such an "on to the next" attitude can permiate other aspects of our lives. While I'm not saying that ambition, drive, and trying to better yourself is a bad thing (after all, this blog is rooted in such characteristics), it is something to manage correctly, as you do not want to wake up one day and realize that nothing you have or did was good enough because you were always looking for that next best thing. I've been guilty of this when studying other people's path to success, and I 've certainly been guilty of this when admiring other women's natural hair.

So dear readers, I challenge you to celebrate your current state of being in whatever facet of your life you may be struggling with the most, today. For example, If you're newly natural and find yourself drooling over pictures of Corinne Bailey Rae's long curls, try using accessories, stunning makeup, or just a more confident attitude to make you feel like the 'fro you've got is "all that and then some" until you reach your ultimate hair goal. Life's too short--make the most of what you have, when you have it, and the rest will fall in to place.

"Think and Grow Chick" of the Day: Meet the Fabulous Kimmay

2010-02-03T09:51:00.002-05:00

For those of you who don't know, Kim of KimmayTube on Youtube.com is a phenomenal lady to both watch and glean life advice from. I was lucky enough to score an interview with her, and I have to say that it is a real treat. Before we dive into the interview, check out one of my favorite videos from her entitled, "Advice to a 23 year old me—My financial Fall, Pt. 2"

(embeded with permission from KimmayTube)

******
Hello Kimmay! Welcome to Think & Grow Chick, a blog were I document achievement of goals important to young, black women. Can you start off by telling our readers what it is you do?

I'm a graphics consultant. I help companies to see where they are going through info-graphics or other creative forms (like boardgames). It has less to do with art and more with understanding processes and problem solving. Having an art background has helped, but most people in my profession majored in business, journalism or marketing.  

What is a typical day in your life like?

Honestly, there is no such thing as a typical day for me. Sometimes I have to travel, other times I work from home (in my pajamas). But a typical week includes exercise, preparing meals on my nights to cook and checking email/Youtube 50 million times. Now that I'm starting my new company LUV Naturals, I spend a lot of time researching, contacting manufacturers and making purchases for the website. I'm excited and everything is coming together nicely. But there is still a lot of work left to be done!  

How did you get into your current space in life? Can you tell us about your background?

That is such an open ended question! All I can say is that I know what I want in life and I go for it.
I don't make excuses. Absolutely no excuses! I'm motivated by the success and talents of others and I'm willing to plan & work for what I want out of life. That is key. If you are discouraged by the success of others, that is a personal problem that needs to be worked out pronto! lol. It will only hold you back and keep you from realizing your full potential. Even that slight tinge of jealousy or green envy is a sign that it is time to step up your game, not hate on theirs. I’ve been living by this “rule” for the past 10 years now. It works. Lol.

What were your goals back in college or during your youth? Did they change over time, or did they always lead to what it is you are doing now?

There was no straight path to where I am in life today. I've always known how to adapt and self-critique in order to improve myself. The only thing that has changed is that now I have a plan. Having a plan is necessary to make your vision a reality. You have to see it, schedule the steps required to get there and just do it. Even if you don't have a full fleshed out plan, make a sketch of it, write something down. That will be the start of your journey.

Every lesson/skill that you've learned in life *should* automatically be applied to everything you do in the future. Your unique experiences set you apart from the pack.

How did KimmayTube come about? What was your motivation?

I started kimmaytube because I believed I had something unique to offer to the natural hair community. I love the entire creative process of taking a video from concept to final.

Also, I felt that if I didn't like the way natural hair was being presented, I needed to promote my ideals. For example, I'm personally not a fan of weaves for naturals *ducks tomatoes*. Lol. I'm not! I think it sends the message that our hair can't be managed and worn on its own, without "help" in order to be beautiful and presentable to the world. So while I think it is perfectly fine for a natural to sport her weaves/wigs etc.

I want to help put forth an alternative message to the world (we are global on Youtube!) that we can. At all stages, we can wear our own hair and be beautiful.

Plus the myth about afro-textured hair not being able to grow long needs to be dispelled! And then I won’t feel like weaves send a bad message about our self-image. They can simply be known as a styling option not a “crutch” or something to hide our hair beneath.

My channel is for everyone. No matter the race or hair type. People need to see more positive images of black women. To let the media tell it, we’re mostly, sad, angry, unhappy, unfulfilled etc. but this is the internet. We can share our lives and show the world (and ourselves) who we really are or where we want to be.  

Please describe some of the realities of promoting yourself using social media? How has it been for you?

I have found it to be incredibly easy because I AM A FAN OF YOUTUBE, period.
I don't just take cues from other naturals, I also watch what other non-hair related Youtubers are doing. You can learn a lot from them (editing, graphics etc.).

Plus, I create videos on a regular basis. You have to be visible on Youtube in order to grow an audience. It happens gradually too (it has taken me 8 months to get this far).

And if the fans love what you're doing (and if you're helpful) they will spread the word about you (Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, etc.). I LOVE my subscribers! They show me so much love and support and I am deeply grateful.

What would you describe to be your greatest moment since becoming a success on Youtube?

I enjoy making the top 15 highest rated in the How to Style category on a regular basis. I love the emails and comments I get from my subscribers telling me how helpful or inspiring I've been. It can be overwhelming at times! But helping & teaching others is rewarding.

  I see from your last video that you have are promoting LuvNaturals.com, your up-and-coming business. Can you tell us more about this project?

I've started an online retail company for hair accessories, hair products and hair education tools. It will launch on February 14th. I'll have more to say about it in a future video. :0)  

You seem to be both an entrepreneurial and creative person in general. What is your stance on entrepreneurship? What are some of your personal entrepreneurial goals?

My goal is to launch and run a successful company! :-)

If you had to work with a young woman like you and help her get a dream or idea off of the ground, what are some key principles you would be certain to stress to her?

Give yourself permission to do whatever you want to do. You don't need the approval of others to start your own business. You need to be prepared and be willing to put in the work to make it successful. It won't be handed to you.  

Clearly the internet has been instrumental in developing KimmayTube. What are some of your recommendations for promoting on the internet?

Give people something of value and they will come back. Connect with them. Be yourself. (so cliché but true).  

I love, love, love your summer and winter fashion videos, and the pieces you that you model for your fans! Can you describe your personal style?

Comfortable, Flexible, Interchangeable. It is important to build a wardrobe with the basics/ the "classic" pieces that never go out of style. You can always mix & match and add new accessories to freshen up your basics. ;0)  

How has your personal style developed over time?

As my age, profession, marital status changed, so did my style. I shop at stores that offer clothing made of high quality materials. I can look at the way a garment is constructed and determine if it's going to fall apart and fade easily. I want my clothing to say that I'm a grown woman but also that I have a whimsical spirit. I'm well read/cultured, interested in the arts and that I take pride in my appearance. But I know that the way I carry myself and my body language also tells
these things and more.

How does your personal style affect your approach to your line of work and clients?

My personal style doesn't affect my approach with my clients. My feeling of confidence and competence does. They only care about whether or not I can deliver. I'm probably ten times more stylish when going on a date with my husband or to the grocery store! :0)

  What are your recommendations to someone looking to develop their own personal style?

My advice is to know your body type. Understand what is flattering on your figure and work it! Allow your clothing choices to say something about you because your outside appearance is all that most people (everyday strangers) are going to see. Be comfortable & confident. Confidence comes from knowing who you are and embracing what is unique about you.  

Has the economy affected your approach to personal styling at all? What is your advice for looking fly on a budget?

The economy has not affected my personal hair styling because I never really spent a lot of money on my hair. Before launching LUV Naturals, I tried different products, but my collection happened gradually. Literally, over the years. Ex: Some of my Miss Jessies products were bought in 2006!

Wearing your hair in protective styles (like two strand twists, braids, buns, tuck and go's-like my first video) are not expensive at all. In fact, if you take care of your hair and not focus on having it "out and fly" all the time, you won't need silicone based products to mask your damage.

My staples, aloe vera juice, castor oil, jojoba oil, avocado oil & shea butter are all fairly inexpensive.

Many of your subscribers also love you because you have fabulous natural hair. Can briefly tell us about your natural experience?

My natural hair experience is not at all typical. I've been working on this "natural thing" for 13 years now. I was natural before hair forums, before there was any mainstream language about it all. Words like "transitioning" & "big chop" weren't common terms.

I ceased relaxing my hair back in 1997, wore braid extensions for a few years, then big chopped my hair several times between 1999 - 2005, got a texturizer in 2006 and hated it. I had to cut drastically cut my hair until the texturized pieces were gone. After that, I began to research about hair through books and when I discovered Youtube I really saw the amazing style options that I had never thought of doing. I practiced them on my hair and then discovered techniques on my own. I've now grown my hair to the longest length it has ever been in my life. I continue to learn so much.

What are some of the products that you use?

1) Giovanni Smooth As Silk Conditioner (I use for deep conditioning treatments)
2) 50/50 Hydrating Balance (as a detangling creme)
3) Kinky Curly Curling Custard (as a styling "treat" because I don't wear my hair in curly styles often)

Would you describe yourself as more of a minimalist or an addict when it comes to caring for your hair?

Somewhere in between, because now I buy products to test them on my hair (and friends/family) to determine whether or not they are worthy of a review (or for selling on LUV Naturals).

What is your advice for those just getting into the natural blogging game?

Know your purpose and what you have to offer. Take the time to understand what is missing in order to create opportunity. There is SO MUCH opportunity. Find your niche and make sure it's something you'd do for free, then it's less like work. But believe me, it'll STILL be work, just more enjoyable. :0)  

What is the response to your hair given your business and the types of clients that you work with?

My hair has never been an issue. I wear my hair in styles that compliment my more conservative dress code when working in a professional environment.

Do you consider your look to be professional?

Absolutely!  

What is your advice for women who want to break out on their own, but are concerned about how their hair or sense of style might affect people’s perceptions of them?

I have no advice for them. If they are overly-concerned with what others think of them, then they aren't ready. Wow. I know that sounds mean. lol. But I seriously can't relate to people who allow others to dictate their precious time on earth, sorry. Our lives are too short not to be lived and enjoyed and be ourselves. Life must be honored and respected every day.  

I personally appreciated the four-part series on financial advice that you recently did. What's the best financial advice you feel every fly, confident female should know?

Live below your means. And just because you can buy it or barely afford it doesn't mean you should have it. The Repo Man will get you. Believe that! lol.  

What are your personal measures of success? By your own standards, do you consider yourself successful?

Success is freedom to do whatever I want to do with my day. Everyday. Yes, I feel successful because I've accomplished many things I've set out to do, like traveling, establishing a reputation as person with an excellent work ethic, finding a life partner to love... I'm content with my life.

But I worked and continue to WORK for it. Sometimes that means literally working and putting in the time to perfect my craft or working on myself, personally.

What is a “Think and Grow Chick” to you?

I have no idea! I'd never heard of the term until you presented it to me . I look forward to learning more though. I think you’re on to something. :-)  

Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to share some insight with my readers. You are truly a “Think and Grow Chick”! Is there anything else you’d like to share or that you want everyone to know about you? What are the best ways for one to get in contact with you?

No problem! Thanks for asking me to share. :0)

kim@kimmaytube.com

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Kimmay is freaking amazing. Make sure to check out her Youtube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/kimmaytube

Video: Natural Hair Routine Part I: The Pre-Poo

2010-01-21T10:28:00.002-05:00

***

Yes, I'm a jerk for not being able to adhere to the posting schedule that I devised. Lets just agree that the Monday/Friday posting schedule is suspended as of now, and i'll simply try to post as often as I can :-)

***

This is the first in a series of videos I'm working on which will show you all my new hair routine and the progress my hair makes as I stick with it over the next few months. Enjoy!

Blogs are the New Black?

2010-01-11T14:02:00.000-05:00

Via my twitter feed, I recently ran across Black Enterprise's "Be Next 2010" which is their yearly feature on young, up-and-coming black entrepreneurs. Hoping to get on that list myself one day, imagine my surprise and delight to see Natasha Eubanks, fellow blogger and creator of TheYBF.com among the ranks.

With Black Enterprise featuring Natasha's success with turning her blog into a successful, full-blown company, I thought it'd be helpful today to post some tips about using a blog to launch your next project, since I know many of my readers are also bloggers with big dreams of starting really amazing ventures.

The number one reason to start a blog is that a blog helps you hone in on what you're trying to accomplish. You will never gain the readership you desire if you don't center your blog around a specific niche and purpose. The same can be said for your business or project—you will never gain the success you desire if you don't have a specific purpose. What problem are you solving with your idea? If you have an idea that will legitimately be useful to a group of people, then writing about it should attract a significant following. If you find that you're struggling to think of things to write about on your blog or people are not attracted to the things you are writing about, then perhaps that is evidence that your blog and your project need some tweaking.

Another blatant reason to start a blog is that blogs are a free/cheap way to get online. I don't know about you, but I never have a ton of cash to blow on web designers and hosting just to put up a website. Blogs are a perfect solution because in nearly all cases, they are free to start and come with free hosting. If you want your blog to reflect your own domain (i.e. www.yourbusiness.com), many blogs can do that for just the cost of the domain name (generally $10 for a whole year). When bootstrapping a new venture, there's really no reason to have a "standard website" when your first starting out, as many blogging platforms have free, professional templates you can use instead. Furthermore, a blog can provide all the information a standard website would have if you simply set it up right. Make sure all the info a potential customer would need about your company is easily found on your blog, and voila! You are good to go!

Speaking of customers, a blog is a great way to build your potential customer base. Once you gain a significant readership to your blog, you can begin marketing your project directly to your visitors, as they are likely to already have an interest in your idea since they keep coming back to read your blog.

A blog is also a great testing place for potential products or services. Thinking of launching a new t-shirt line? Write a few post about if first and get your readers involved. Read their comments and listen to what they have to say before you spend money on that new project. What you think is a great idea might not be so if you're truly targeting your readers as customers. Take you reader feedback seriously; it can save you from spending thousands on a new but poorly planned idea.

The point is if you have enough moxie to start up a blog a get it to a mildly successful point, then you can probably do the same with a business.

Have you had success with blogging? Are you just starting out but are dying to be the next "YBF" blogger? Share your thoughts in the comments box or email me at thinkandgrowchick [at] gmail [dot] com.

How Going Natural Taught Me Everything I Know About Success

2010-01-04T12:52:00.002-05:00

Though every new year brings about a renewed sense of self improvement and making changes, I find that my 2010 resolutions are particularly magnified because we're now moving into a new decade. With the pressure on, I find myself looking to things I've accomplished in the past for inspiration to being successful now. What prior success sticks out the most for me?

Photo by Robert S. Donovan

...going natural :-)

Now obviously, I've done things that carry more weight in the grand scheme of life than having natural hair, but I'm consistently inspired by my own natural hair journey particularly because there were clear, concrete steps I took to reach "hair success" that I often refer to when trying to accomplish something else. Going natural taught me to:

1. Beginning with the end in mind. Even though this bit of wisdom came from Yogi Bear, it's so true: "If you don't know where you're going, you might end up somewhere else!" I still vividly remember being 15 and seeing a full page picture in my Teen Magazine of this black model with the most beautiful, coily, kinky 'fro ever! I immediately tore the page out, ran downstairs to the kitchen, and frantically asked my mom one simple question—"Before I had a perm, do you think my hair texture looked like this?" Startled by both the randomness and the immediacy behind my inquiry, my mom answered with a puzzled, "Uh, yeah, I guess..." and the rest is history. That was all I needed and 6 years later, my hair is actually quite similar in texture and style to the picture that inspired me years ago. I had saw what my "success" would look before I even embarked on the journey, and I received confirmation that my "end" was in fact feasible. To accomplish anything in life, we have to know what the end looks like before we even start while never keeping our eyes off of the finish line

2. Research. Prior to going natural, I was a regular black girl with a standing, biweekly appointment at the local JCPenney hair salon. I would walk in with itchy, week old hair and walk out with the silkiest "wrap" a hoodied dryer and Motion's Foaming Set Lotion could provide. Needless to say, I didn't know much about my hair seeing as I rarely did it myself. Not one to be easily discouraged, however, it took all of maybe one month and an absurd number of hours spent in front of Google for me to become my own hair expert. Whether you're going natural or losing 50 pounds, research is crucial to meeting your goal successfully—you must become your own expert, as no one can reach your goal for you.

3. Identify and maximize your capabilities. Looking back on my natural hair care journey, I'm most proud of the fact that I did it with the meager resources I had as a 15 year old. I had school and a part-time job at the dry cleaners up the street, so under no circumstances could I afford (nor did I have the time) to see a stylist regularly, pay for elaborate sew-ins, or purchase expensive hair treatments just to transition out of my relaxer. What I could do as a 15 year old, however, was study natural hair in the same manner that I studied for school and perfect the art of "do-it-yourself" since I was young and able, which is exactly what I did. Sometimes we look at the things we cannot do and get discouraged about our goals when really, we should identify that things we can do and work the crap out of them.

4. Surround yourself with inspiration. Part of the reason I spent so much time in front of the computer was because the internet was really the only place I could see pictures and read inspiring stories about natural hair. Whether it's pictures torn from magazines, articles bookmarked online, or actual people in your life, you absolutely have to surround yourself with inspiration to remind you of why you're working towards your goal to begin with.

5. Follow through. To be honest, my natural hair journey wasn't too bad for about six months. For the most part, I treated my hair as if I were stretching a relaxer and kept it pressed. Then the summer came leaving my hair perpetually sweated out and stuff really hit the fan. I wanted to go back to a relaxer SO bad, but kept in mind how big of a waste all my work up to this point would be if I didn't stick it out. If you commit to achieving something, then really commit and follow through to the very end. If you quit working towards your goal at the first sign of trouble, then you'll never get anywhere.

6. Enjoy your success... I loved my hair when it was finally all natural and I still do to this day. I was so excited when first going natural that I wore it in all sorts of natural hair styles, showcasing all of my hard work. It's important to really bask in the end result of your hard work because, well, you earned it. Which brings me to...

7. ...Maintain your success... You have to consistently maintain and improve all that you've worked for. After 6 years of being natural, I sometimes find myself slipping into lazy practices, leaving my with hair that isn't as great as it was in my early natural days. What got you there will not keep you there... Success is a journey, not a destination.

8. ...Share your success. I went from knowing nothing about my hair to knowing enough to share that knowledge and help other people. Even now, when I get compliments on my hair, I feel most rewarded when I can use that as an opportunity to share what I've done and help someone else attain the success that I've reached. Ask anyone, they'll tell you that I ADORE when someone tells me that I was a big help in them going natural. In part, that's why I even have this blog—I love sharing my journey to help other people :-) Why even bother being successful if you're just going to keep it to yourself?

So what do you think, dear readers? Is there a particular accomplishment from your past that inspires you to be successful in the future?

Help a Chick Grow: How Do I Craft a Proposal for My Business Idea?

2010-01-04T10:27:00.001-05:00

***Over the last few weeks, I've been totally honored by all of the comments and emails I've received from you all over the whole range of topics that I talk about here. With this post, I'm officially starting the "Help a Chick Grow" Series—if you have any questions or problems about hair, beauty, business, inspiration, style, spirituality, etc, etc, you can email me and I'll post them so that I, along with the other fellow Think & Grow Chick readers can help you out. Below you'll find the first of this series with a question from Kenyan reader, Clara:

Dear Think & Grow Chick,

I really like your writing. You are very goal oriented and focused.

I am 21, live in Kenya and I am in 3rd year of college and I am starting a business. I had an idea similar to the Lemon Bar. I want to hold an event related to fashion and makeup. I want to approach a fashion retailer and a makeup company, get women together, teach them how to dress, find their individual style and how to apply makeup.

I already have a makeup line willing to participate, I just need to get a fashion retailer. To do this, I need to write a proposal. Any ideas on what to write?

Have a great year,
Clara

Thank you so much for following my blog, Clara! It's great to know I have a subscriber all the way from Kenya!

As far as your business idea, I love your concept; especially the part about teaching your participants about personal style. This is really what you need to drive home when crafting a proposal for a possible retail sponsor.

First, brainstorm a few retailers (large and small) that already target the audience that you are targeting for your business. No sense in writing a proposal for Ann Taylor if none of the women attending your even like to shop there.

Secondly, find a simple sponsorship proposal template (you can type those three words right in to Google) to use as a guide for your proposal. I found one that might be of assistance to you here. Regardless of what template you use or how snazzy it looks, you'll want to make sure that you include:

An overview/introduction to your event including why you are doing this and who your audience will be...
Sponsorship packages you are offering (how much do they have to pay and what does it get them)...
Deadlines/schedule up until the event, and...
Contact information (including who they make the check out to!)

You'd be surprised how much support a well written proposal will get from various companies. My best advice is to research your audience, research the retailer, and research proposals. The point is to prove to the retailer that you have what they want (customers) and that sponsoring your event will bring them more business. If you can do that in a well-thought out proposal, then your golden!

Good Luck,
~The Think & Grow Chick

***

What say you, dear readers? I know many of you are some business savvy phenoms; leave your suggestions in the comments if you have some advice for Clara. Have a question yourself? The hit me up at twitter.com/thinkngrowchick or thinkandgrowchick [at] gmail [dot] com.

Respecting the Space Between the Rock and the Hard Place

2010-01-04T10:01:00.003-05:00

I ran across BeautifulBrwnBabyDol on Youtube when looking for fitness tips and I have to say, I really love this chick. Besides posting her very inspiring weight loss journey (she lost a ridiculous amount of weight by just eating right and working out, sometimes only using workout DVDs!) she comes off as confident and as "a real black girl", as she so aptly puts it. The video that I posted above was particularly inspiring to me for some not so obvious reasons. I invite you to watch the entire video (but you can fast-forward to 6:29 if your pressed for time and just want to get to the core of what I'm talking about) then read on below.

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Now I'm not an ex-fat girl as I've been tall and slim my entire life, but I think many of the things BeautifulBrwn speaks on are universally true, regardless of what kind of transformation you are embarking on. What she describes as "the journey" I call "the space between the rock and the hard place" and it's so important that you respect it for all the reasons BeautifulBrwn talks about.

As you all know, I am on a pretty daunting "get-out-of-debt-and-get-back-in-school" journey for 2010. I have to admit, this is a "down" point in my life and it is CRAZY how different people will treat you because you are not "up"! Where BeautifulBrwn has people vying for her attention now that she is fit and "skinny" but couldn't catch a break when she was "fat", I had people fawning over me left and right when I had a scholarship and was attending Howard University, but now that I'm in debt, waiting tables full time, and saving up to go to the local public university you would think I had leprosy or something! Even my own family is giving me the side eye because they're not sure I can really pull this off. But you know what? I'm alright because I know this is my journey, not my destination and I'm learning to love me for who I am and not any of the titles I carry—impressive or otherwise—at any given point in time.

More importantly, BeautifulBrwn hit it on the head when she says not to advertise your progress in a way that seeks validation from other people. As she puts it, "Pop up and be the hotness" and this is so true. When my school and finance issues first hit me, I felt like I had to put a disclaimer on my chest when meeting new people or telling old ones about my situation. Instead of just saying "I'm saving up for school right now" or telling people about the new university I plan on attending, I found myself still telling people I was a Howard student or avoiding the whole topic of school all together. I now see that all of the stammering, half-truths, and drawn out anecdotes were totally unnecessary because it doesn't matter what anyone thinks. No, I don't go to Howard anymore. So? Yes, I'm working to pay off some debts. And? Both God and I know what I'm doing is the right thing, and in a few short weeks this ordeal has fine tuned my character and helped me appreciate my faith, my opportunities and my life in ways that I was totally blind to when I was a "successful" yet arrogant and unappreciative person. Furthermore, sharing my story has helped me connect with and reach out to other young women who are going through the same thing. I couldn't ask for a better silver lining, but I might have missed it if I refused to respect my journey in the first place.

So how can you respect the space between your rock and hard place?

1. Don't be in such a rush to "get there". Making a true, long-lasting change in your life is a transformative thing, which means a process is involved. You cannot make progress if you ignore the process. For instance, if your going natural, commit to the several months it will take you to grow out that 'fro, and love yourself on the good and bad days. I can't tell you how many women run back to a relaxer because they weren't committed to the entire process of going natural–ugly hair days and all.

2. Recognize that it's lonely at the top. BeautifulBrwn pretty much described this throughout her entire video, but it's worth repeating: not everyone is going to be happy about your transformation. You may have to drop some people and make new friends. This is okay, because a better you demands some better company. In the words of Will Smith, "You can often project your success in life by looking at the top 5 people you spend most of your time with. If you don't want to be those people, you know what to do..."

3. Never forget where you came from. This is so important! In reality, staying grounded in your journey and not basing your self-esteem on your success after the fact will save you if, God forbid, you face another hardship. We hear all the time that you shouldn't care what others think about you, but this goes both ways; you should be unaffected by both the hate and the praise you receive externally. This was the hardest thing for me to deal with; all my life I was great at ignoring negative feedback, but I swung to the opposite extreme and wrapped my confidence in my success and the adoration I received from my family, friends, teachers, acquaintances, strangers, etc. When all of that stopped, I didn't know what to do with myself! I had totally forgotten where I came from, but now I will always remember.

So that's all I got, beloved readers. How are you respecting the space between the rock and the hard place? How are you growing on your journey? Share your thoughts via the comments, or email me at thinkandgrowchick [at] gmail [dot] com.

New Years Hair Update

2009-12-15T11:06:00.002-05:00

If you remember a few posts back, I talked about how I wanted a new hair look for the New Year. I put up a few pictures of looks I decided I was going to go for and said that I was saving up some money so I could get to the salon and make it all happen. Well, because I've been flagrant in my neglect to update you all with my subsequent hair decision after that post, today's post is dedicated to my new hair regimen and styles that I actually decided to go through with for the New Year.

For starters, I did in fact head to "The Dominican's" (pre-financial apocalypse, of course) to get my hair straightened.

Maybe it's because of my increasing skill in doing my hair myself, but to be honest, I was not really impressed with the final results. Yes my hair was soft, yes it was shiny (and no, this picture doesn't really do it justice) but I can't say I was super impressed. If I can ever save up enough money to get my hands on a Maxiglide, I have a sneaking suspicion that I can do a much better job myself. But I digress...The whole point of me getting my hair straightened was to determined whether or not I wanted to go through with the Heidi Klum haircut I featured in my last hair post.

I must say, I'm glad I had my hair straightened on a separate salon visit first, because once I saw the state of my hair and how long my bangs were—I just couldn't go through with the cut. In fact, I couldn't go through with anything...no cut, no color, no nothing.

From November 2009 Hair

Why couldn't I go through with my painstakingly planned New Year's hair makeover, you ask? For two reasons:

(1) My hair was so raggedy! I knew I was being abusive to my locks with all the rough combing and sleeping on cotton pillow cases but WOW! The above picture features my hair AFTER the stylist trimmed it. Look at all those scraggly, fly-away ends! I ended up trimming it again myself the next day because I was so horrified with the condition of my hair. Needless to say, I just felt that it would be reckless to go experimenting with new haircuts and hair colors as my hair needed some serious TLC.

(2) I was actually really surprised at how long my hair was once it was straightened. Like I said before, I've been an abusive parent to my tresses and I assumed that I was going to face a lot of breakage, leaving me with shorter hair. To my luck, I did not have a lot of breakage and even retained some length—the trade off was that I had to deal with an exorbitant amount of split ends instead. Nevertheless, seeing the length (however meager) renewed my desire for a head of healthy, long hair. Thus, scissors are officially out of the question and my new hair goal for New Years and beyond is armpit length, or "APL" status.

Since that week of straight hair, I have since been on a mad dash to find the perfect combination of products and techniques for a new "growing my hair" regimen. I've been on forums, read blogs, and watched youtube videos to get an idea of the things to try and so far...I think I've been pretty successful :-) Stay tuned for an upcoming post on my new regimen and different techniques I've been trying with my hair.

Have you ever had plans for your do, but changed you mind once you actually got to the salon? Are you currently on a "grow my hair" challenge yourself? What are you doing to ensure "hair success"? Share your comments below.

The Easiest Way to Predict the Future...

2009-12-10T11:44:00.001-05:00

...Is to create it! And every year around this time, I find myself turning into a list makin', collage pastin', goal chasing fool, trying to do just that—create my future. So why do all of this particularly doing THIS time a year, you ask?

Photo from Jek in the Box

Because the New Year is near, duh!

Like clean, white sheets, fresh from the dryer on laundry day, the beginning of the New Year is that new start most of us just can't wait to get into. With a tumultuous 2009 nearly behind me, I too am excited at the prospects of white my life will be like in 2010. True to Think & Grow Chick form, I am leaving nothing to chance and everything to a well documented list of goals. The difference this year, however, is that I am not waiting for a whole 'nother year to pass by before I realize I didn't accomplish anything. Goals are useless if (1) you don't set deadlines for yourself and (2) you don't review your goals to see if you're making any progress before your deadline hits. In other words, the following represent things that I am trying to do in 6 months or less. Meet my half-year hit list:

I will attempt to bring in a solid income of $2,350 per month. Though this is equivalent to a million dollars for me given the (college student) poverty level I'm currently operating at, the above number was carefully calculated as just what I need to get out of my current financial mishap and still have some left over. I just got hired at a popular downtown bar (and I still plan on keeping my current part-time job), so working full-time, I think this is feasible. (I'll do more about my new budgeting plan in a separate post.)
I will completely pay off my lowest credit card amount, $873.53. (I have three cards in total...I know, I know, I'm cringing too.) Calculated in the income goal above, I should be able to eradicate that little grey piece of plastic which has caused me so much pain and cost me near a grand to date. Sheesh...
Because I'm super ambitious, I plan to attack my debt AND I will have at least $1000 in personal savings in 6 month's time. I know ya'll think I'm crazy because I owe A LOT of money, but if I've learned anything from those personal finance books, it's that you have to have some sort of egg nest when paying off debt, otherwise you'll just run back to your credit card when the (inevitable) first sign of trouble hits. I cannot go back there again, so my new plan incorporates paying myself first.
I will be enrolling back in school part-time for the 2010 summer session, and full-time for the 2010 fall session. I would be in school right now if it weren't for the back tuition I owe Howard, so a soon as that's paid off (which will be in less than 6 months is I can hit the income number listed in #1), I'm enrolling in the most affordable school I can get in to so that I can FINISH. THIS. DEGREE!!!
Swinging into the land of vanity, My hair will reach armpit length (APL) or longer in six months or less. I'm armed with a new regimen and a new attitude, (again, more in a separate post) so I see no reason why my strands can't attain such lengths.
This may come as a surprise because I'm already a pretty healthy, slim girl, but in 6 month's time I really want to tone up my physique. That's right, I'm trying to be all chiseled up like I was in my high school ballerina/track running days. I'll be sure to document my new found fitness adventure in subsequent post.
I've been saying this forever and I'm sorry I still have to say it now, but I want to improve my wardrobe. Now this is not to say that I dress busted or anything, but my financial situation has really jacked up my fashion situation and I have had enough! I used to take pride in being a generally stylish young woman and I want to get back to that, stat! I've included shopping money in my target income level (goal #1) so that I can achieve this, guilt-free.
Last but of course not least, in 6 month's time I really want to develop this blog. To be honest, I've really grown to love blogging and I think it can become an amazing personal resource and entrepreneurial venture for me and my readers. I generally like to be more concrete than simply saying that I want to "develop" something, but for now I'll say that I definitely want to increase readership.

So that's it for me dear readers. The are my personal action items for the next 6 months, starting today. My deadline for all of these goals is Thursday, June 10, 2010. I am not playing around this year and neither should you! Two (or a thousand) heads are better than one, so I encourage everyone to come up with their own 6 month game plan and either link to it in the comment box below, or email it to me at thinkandgrowchick [at] gmail [dot] com so that we can get the ball rolling together.

Never Say What You Can't Do: Video Response

2009-12-03T13:19:00.000-05:00

A simple video response to yesterday's post :-)
(you may need to turn up your volume, the audio is kind of low, sorry!)

Never Say What You Can't Do

2009-12-02T11:53:00.003-05:00

I cried harder as she continued on her lecture. Even though her voice was rising, between my sobs and my hands uncontrollably shaking the earpiece, I was struggling to hear what she was saying.

"Courtney, we are not built to break. You are stronger than this! So what, you've got to take a little detour. So? God is teaching you a lesson right now! Take this time to get your act together, then get your a** back in school! I know it seems like a lot of money—hell, that's a lot of money for me and I have a full-time job. But this is not insurmountable. If you work hard for the next 6 months and save everything—and I mean it Courtney, you better save everything—you can pay that off. I don't mean to sound like I'm not sympathetic to your situation because I am, but right now, you need tough love to get you out of this. You think this is tough?? You have it made, Courtney. There are women leaving abusive husbands, struggling to get that degree while living in homeless shelters. Heck, you think it was easy for me trying to get through grad school with two small daughters? Why do you think I'd always invite those young girls over to study at our house, hmm? It was because I couldn't afford childcare!!! I would feed them and they would come over and study with me so I could watch you and your sister! It is not a game, sweetie, but there are worst things in life. You can do this. So have a good cry, splash some cold water on your face, call your boyfriend, make some tea, draft up a plan, and get down to business."

"Do you understand?"

"Yes," I replied to my mother as I sniffed hard and hung up the phone. I was so angry but she was so right. I had gotten myself into this, but I could definitely get myself out of this if I was willing to put in the work.

Deep down, however, I knew the tears came less from the unfair charge I was being forced to pay and more from realizing for the first time where I really am in life. I cried hard a few days ago because for the first time, I really felt like I was at the bottom. To be perfectly honest, I am.

At 21 years old, I am unenrolled from college, I owe $3,350 in charges from Howard University, and I cannot transfer to another school until I pay the debt off because there is now a hold on my transcripts. In addition to all of that, I'm currently on a strict repayment plan with my credit card company because I owe $4,687.46 and almost 80% of that amount has to be paid in 12 months or else I get slammed with an outrageous interest rate. To say this is not the life I envisioned for myself is an understatement.

When I first came to Howard, I was a bright and shiny, scholarship having, 3.8 GPA achieving, chemical engineering student. "I'll never leave Howard," I adamantly told my parents on one of their first visits. "This is the dorm where all the scholarship girls stay," I continued. "I'll never stay in that other dorm."

Fast forward to my sophomore year when waking up to go to class literally sent me into panic attacks. I had long discovered that I was not really interested in engineering and that I was just doing it because it was "impressive", but I was too scared to do anything else because I didn't want to let anyone down. My grades were reflecting my lack of interest as I was struggling to hold on to a 2.5 GPA and my scholarship was a thing of the past.

Since I'm the type of person who likes to fix things before anyone notices that things are going wrong, I applied for my first credit card, hoping I could build up some credit before the school year ended so that I could take out a private loan to finance the rest of my education without getting my parents involved. As God would have it, the economy tanked right at the end of that year, simultaneously forcing Sallie Mae to raise the credit score required for school loans and leaving me up the creek without a paddle.

By my Junior year, I knew I had to get out of engineering before I graduated with a worthless GPA. I had since discovered my love and aptitude for Business, but the School of Business at Howard refused to accept me without a 3.0 GPA. Factor in the Parent Plus Loan my dad had taken out for me without knowing the extent of my academic and financial predicament, and you'll understand why I felt like my only option left was to crawl under a rock and die. Embarrassed and scared because my back was up against the wall, I broke down during a routine phone call with my dad and I told him everything.

I was so surprised at how supportive my dad was that I felt bad for not telling him sooner. Through my tears and much needed prayer, my dad agreed that it would be best if I withdrew from Howard and transfered to a less expensive university that would accept me into their business program before I wasted anymore time and money. Thinking the worst of my situation was over, I withdrew from all of my engineering classes and made the arrangements to enroll in the spring semester at the city university across town, given that I could take advantage of their lower, in-state tuition rates.

Everything seemed brighter at that point. I was laughing again, smiling again, and overall I was feeling more like myself. I was excited to be spending less money on a new major that I knew I would truly love and I couldn't wait to get started. The world seemed to be turning up roses until my new school told me Howard would not release my transcripts. I ventured to the financial aid department to find out why and BAM! Because I withdrew before the semester ended, Howard had returned all of my federal loans that were previously covering my tuition, unbeknownst to me, leaving me with a balance of $3,350. My heart sank—I would not be able to transfer to any school until the amount was paid in full.

I have been M.I.A. on this blog not just because all of this is happening (though it certainly has taken a lot of my mental energy) but because in order to stay true to the mission I had when I first started this blog, I knew I'd be a complete fraud if I continued blogging without addressing my situation on here. How on earth can I spread that message of "Think and Grow Chicks can achieve any goal!" and not put the spotlight on myself? If I truly believe my own mission, then I have to be this blog's resident example of making all of your dreams come true...even if everything seems to be going wrong.

So take heart, my beloved readers, I'm going to be fine and if you're going through anything right now, you're going to be fine too. With a little hard work and a whole lotta prayer, I know I can still achieve everything I've ever dreamed of doing. I will be back in school in 6 months, I will pay off all of my debt in a year, I will graduate as a high achieving business major, and I will be a raging success. Period. So if you forgive me for taking a leave of absence over the last few weeks and you believe in this blog, this mission, and the fact that you truly can accomplish any goals as a Think and Grow Chick, then I invite you to continue to follow my journey.

If you have a "comeback" story to share related to any topic or goal, feel free to leave your comments below or email me at thinkandgrowchick [at] gmail [dot] com.

Youtubing Your Way to A New You

2009-11-20T16:08:00.000-05:00

You'd be surprised at the wisdom you can run across on youtube. A lot of "average" people like you and me make some pretty cool videos. Below is one from one of my newly faved youtubers, LeobodyC5. The video below is a great one on healthy eating habits and new things to try for those of you trying maintain a healthier lifestyle.

Besides Leobody's California-esque attitude towards healthy eating and holistic living (she lives in LA), I especially like this chick because (1) here hair is fabulous and (2) she's got a killer vintage wardrobe, all of which she documents on her youtube page. She's like that fabulous 80s glamazon I would have been had I not been an infant in 1989. I couldn't embed the hair or vintage videos because she has embedding disabled, however you can check them out here and here, respectively.

Enjoy!

Why a Shopaholic is Better with Money Than You

2009-11-06T14:52:00.000-05:00

A few days ago, in between episodes of my beloved Bridezilla on WeTV, (delusionally conceited brides are, in fact, hilarious) I ran across the network's new series, The Secret Lives of Women. Normally reserved for ex-prostitutes, drug addicts, and cult followers, the last episode I saw featured shopaholics. From a teenage girl who stole her mother's credit cards to finance her habit, to a neglected housewife who had succumbed to compulsive bargain shopping to justify her mounting debt, I sat on the couch with my popcorn, gleefully entertained by the sheer ridiculousness of the rationals these women told themselves on a daily basis.

My glee, however, quickly morphed into a subtle feeling of personal failure when the show rapped up to feature their last shopaholic. Deemed the "responsible shopaholic" by her business partner, this woman lived the good life, compulsively shopping with cash only, because she knew that for every purchase—without fail—she could create a business opportunity to match or surpass the amount spent on her very frequent shopping trips.

I turned the TV off feeling salty...duped, even. "How in the world did this woman do it," I thought to myself. "Is it really possible to be that business savvy?" Before the thoughts even left my head, I knew my frustration rested not with the fact that this woman had impeccable business acumen, but that I didn't. Call me crazy, call me a lunatic for thinking I could master the art of business at only 21 years of age, but being fully in control of my own time, income, and passions has been a dream of mine since I was just 16.

Everyday, we turn on the news only to see good, hard working people plummet from comfortable salaries to poverty. Why? Because being in control of your own destiny is not taught in school. Only now, as corporations are forced to reveal that providing you with a paycheck is not, and has never been, their priority are people scrambling to make a living with the shirt on their back and the skills in their head.

As a college student moving closer to the "real world" with every semester that passes, let me be the first to say that I don't ever want to be dependent on someone else to give me the income to live my life. Though the lady featured on Secret Lives probably is a legitimate shopaholic and a slave to materialism (none of which I want to be), no one can say that she is not in control of her own income and destiny. She finances her exorbitant lifestyle with extra cash when most of us can't even make groceries without pulling out the credit card.

What's really going on here?

If you ask me, most people—particularly women—don't know what it means to be entrepreneurial. Just because you work for someone else does not mean you can't be entrepreneurial. In fact, working for someone else is often the best place to start. All there is to being "entrepreneurial" is taking the resources you have and using them to create an opportunity for yourself. Sure, your paycheck may come from your employer, but no one said your source of income had to stop at that paycheck.

What would happen if, every month you used your paycheck—even a portion of it—as start-up capital for the business called "You"? What if you spent $50 on some business cards and an ad in the newspaper offering services for something you do well? How quickly could that $50 turn into $100, even $200? Even though I work for someone else, just last week I spent $0 and 10 minutes to post an ad on Craigslist offering my services for writing business plans, and already I'm making money. Now I don't have to choose between taking time off my job for Thanksgiving and paying my rent—my income does not end at my paycheck.

The point is, your livelihood does not have to stop at your paycheck. If you are smart about it, your paycheck can simply be the foundation from which your true source of income flows, making you less reliant on your paycheck to begin with. Use your paycheck to invest in things that will provide you with additional revenue streams. The company you work for does not keep all of their eggs in one basket and neither should you. All you need is time to plan and a little creativity.

If a shopaholic can do it, why can't you?

"Refuse to Choose" with Eisa Davis and Barbara Sher

2009-11-05T13:54:00.001-05:00

I absolutely love this Gap commercial featuring Eisa Davis. In the clip, she explains her deep need to engage ALL of her passions and it really struck a chord with me, because I like to think that I operate the same way.

A few weeks ago, I came across the book "Refuse to Choose" after it was recommended in an interview I read on one of my daily blog readings. Curious about the title, I previewed the first few chapters on Google Books and I instantly loved it so much that I ordered it online. I haven't finished it yet, but so far it details ways to get things done for people who have a lot of creative needs and talents (like me and Eisa Davis), whom author Barbara Sher describes as "scanners". I plan on doing a full book review pretty soon, but I figured many of you readers may identify with this notion of needing to do many things at once.

Have you been told to just "choose one thing?" Are you currently living a life full of different occupations and hobbies? I'm interested to hear some outside perspectives on this. Share your comments below...

New Years Hair...Planned 57 days Early...

2009-11-05T11:27:00.003-05:00

Since I'm on kick about moving forward for the new year, it wouldn't be right if I didn't have at least one post about my more shallow desires...namely, my hair. When I first started this blog, I said I was bored with my cute but worn-out 'fro and I was on the ultimate quest to find something new. I still want to remain natural, but I gotta find something that (1) is a little more sleek and grown-up now that I've reached my 21st birthday and (2) will allow me to grow my hair out and keep it healthy.

Now that I've narrowed it down to a few looks I want to try and mastered the art of the "set it and forget it", I think I've got my game plan together. For starters, the haircut I will have by Jan 1, 2010 is....

The Heidi Klum!!! Now before ya'll get in a tizzy because I'm adopting a straight haircut, you must first understand the genius behind this hairstyle for a natural girl. Firstly, a sleek face-frame like this is perfect for people who go back and forth between curly and straight looks. The overall longer length of the hair keeps the hair from being too tightly coiled when curly; however, the layers in the front maintain the face-framing effect even when in an afro. In other words, "The Heidi Klum" when curly easily translates into...

The Tanika Ray!!! See? Two great hairstyles for the price of one haircut...

Now what's a fresh chop for the new year without some fresh color? I oscillate back and forth between dark hair and bright blonde all the time, but for this upcoming year, I think the verdict will be...

...golden blonde and reddish highlights a la Amerie and Eva Mendes. I think it'll really set off the haircut when worn straight or curly.

For all you divas living in the DC area, I plan on handing this transformation over to Salon Revive on U Street with Yodit, the head stylist there. She did a bang up job on my natural hair over a year ago, and I'm quite confident in here ability to give me my dream look for the new year.

Any of you ladies plan on channeling something brand new for the new year? Share your prospective hair transformations in the comment box below.

What's your game plan for 2010?

2009-11-04T11:26:00.000-05:00

Not to scare anyone, but there are only 58 days until the new year.

Yep, less than a mere two months before the deadline for our 2009 promises come and slap us in the face. I don't know about ya'll, but I think I'm going to call 2009 a wash. Not to say that cool things didn't happen for me or that great things weren't achieved by me in 2009, but 2009 was definitely not my best year. Perhaps 2009 would be easier to look back on if all of my mishaps were unwarranted, but if I'm honest, that is definitely not the case. Many of the biggest disappointments were a direct result of promises I didn't keep to myself.

And those are the worst promises to break.

Because I'm a fighter, I refuse to wallow in my remaining 58 days, hoping for a better 2010. In fact, starting today I'm going to guarantee a great 2010 by preparing for it 58 days early—that means today.

If I really assess what happened in 2009, I'd say most of my lapses happened because (1) I did not prioritize my goals and (2) I did not give enough reverence to the process of achieving those goals. You might be thinking, "What are you talking about, Think & Grow Chick, this whole blog is about dreams and goals?" I'd say you are right, this blog is about dreams and goals; however, up until now I've done a poor job of managing those dreams and goals.

Firstly, most of the things we want in our lives are related. For example, you can't achieve your goal moving into a nicer apartment until you achieve your goal of being better about your finances. My issue was that I'd spend a whole afternoon pouring over apartment ads without spending a fraction of that energy to setup a budget to save up for that future apartment. No more in 2010. From now on, first things first.

Secondly, just because dreaming is fun and makes you feel hopeful does not mean that the process of making it happen will necessarily be fun and hopeful too. In fact, a good testament to whether or not you're working hard enough is if the initial dreaming phase is the only things thing that keeps you going through the hard work your doing now.

So that's it for me. 2010 = prioritization + action. What's 2010 for you?

"Think and Grow Chick" of the Day: Simone of Erstwhile Style

2009-11-04T10:40:00.001-05:00

For today's "Think and Grow Chick of the Day", I have a true treat for anyone who loves (1) women doing their thang and (2) vintage clothes!!! I present to you Simone of Etsy fame with her fab online shop, Erstwhile Style. I've stalked Simone's vintage shop for a while now and she consistently has great stuff. Keep reading to get a glimpse of this vintage entrepreneur's world...

(Photo by Simone @ https://shop.marketpublique.com/stores/erstwhilestyle)

Hello Simone!
Welcome to Think & Grow Chick, a blog were I document achievement of goals important to young, black women. Can you start off by telling our readers what it is you do?

I am the owner and operator of Erstwhile Style Vintage Clothing on Etsy and Market Publique.

What is a typical day in your life like?

My day generally starts with a photoshoot (photographing new items for the shop). Listing new items takes up a big part of my day..and hunting for fab new finds is 24/7!

How did you get into your current space in life? Can you tell us about your background?

I am a woman of many trades, but my appreciation for vintage clothing began quite early. My mother used to take me around thrift stores in our town. I would watch scour basement church thrift stores; she would find the most fabulous cashmere coats!

What were some of your goals in "back in the day"? Did they change over time, or did they always lead to what it is you are doing now?

Well, back in the day I collected vintage for my own personal use, and still do, but it got to a point where my closets were literally overflowing and it was time to purge some things. So it started out as just a little online rummage sale for myself, but I received so many inquiries after that about specific items that buyers were looking for - then a lightbulb went off. :-)

Please describe some of the realities of starting and running your own business. How has it been for you?

Well, like any business, you must know your market, and have more than a working knowledge of what you are selling. Knowing how to spot and date vintage is an acquired skill. And you have to love what you do.

Do you run your company full-time, or do you still work for someone else? Are you a one-woman operation?

I run Erstwhile Style full time almost all by myself. My hubby acts as my photographer but I do everything else. I have other personal aspirations and I spend time fulfilling those dreams as well. But this business is my sole source of employment. I love it! Its finally at a place where I don't have to work for anyone else. It took about a year to get to this point.

What is your stance on entrepreneurship? What are some of your personal entrepreneurial goals?

I believe that any business, like any goal in life, requires dedication and hard work. You get back what you put in. Ultimately, I would like for Erstwhile Style to be its own website, with advertisers, and personal shopping services for our customers.

If you had to work with a young woman like you and help her start her business, what are some key principles you would be certain to stress to her?

Again, know your product. Know your market. Find a niche.

How do you attract shoppers to your online boutique?

Well, as you know, Twitter and Facebook are wonderful avenues for promotion. I also advertise on other sites. Blog features, like yours, also help. And word of mouth goes a LONG way. We have many repeat customers who refer their friends.

How important has the internet been in promotion? What are some of your recommendations for promoting on the internet?

Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Ning,..

You have great personal style! How does your personal style affect your approach to your shop and the pieces you select?

Thank you! Many people equate vintage with old, dusty, smelly..NO. Quality always comes first. My motto is that I will never offer anything for sale that is not up to my own standards. That way, I never go wrong. I also have the ability to select items that, while may not be my own PERSONAL style, I can envision it on someone else. I can see something and immediately envision what it would look like with the right accessories. I would like to think I have what I call ''the eye''. Haha.

How has your personal style developed over time?

Well, my style has evolved over time as I have gotten to know myself, and what looks good on my body. I think fashion is a reflection of my personality and how I'm feeling on that day. So one day I'm in heels, the next day I'm in cargo pants. But I always find a way to put my own signature stamp on every outfit.

What are your recommendations to someone looking to develop their own personal style?

Never copy what you see in a magazine exactly. Just because something is the ''hottest trend'', does not make it right for you. Know what looks good on your body, and more importantly know what doesn't.

Has the economy affected your personal shopping budget? What is your advice for looking fly on a budget?

Ugh, the economy has affected everything. We all have to make smarter buying choices. Looking fly on a budget? Vintage of course! Its generally a fraction of the cost of what you covet in the magazines and you can generally find something comparable that is within your budget. Even if you are not buying vintage, as a general rule, a good rule of thumb is to buy some key pieces, or what I like to call supporting acts, that can help make the rest of your wardrobe work. For example, knit tops, jeans, a blazer, etc.

Anyone who catches a glimpse of you modeling your great pieces will notice that you have fabulous hair. Are you natural?

Oh no, my secret is out! I am the model; I only do it because I am cheap labor..haha..Yes, its all real. We are a family of HAIR. My mother has dreads down to her waist; my brother has long hair too.

What are some of the hair products that you use?

Well, not much; it real simple. I use regular olive oil from the grocery store on my ends (not everyday or it looks greasy), Mizani deep conditioner at the salon. And my hair dresser slips me some of her Kerastase on my way out to use at home. ;-)

Would you describe yourself as more of a minimalist or an addict when it comes to caring for your hair? How about fashion?

I am a minimalist when it comes to everything, though I take my hair care, style, and health very seriously. I TRY not to shop outside of my budget (ladies, you know that is soo hard when you see something you like!). But for me, less is more.

What is your advice for women who want to try vintage, but are unsure of what to look for or how to wear vintage in a modern way?

I would say that the easiest way to start would be to identify pieces that you really like and try to find a vintage adaptation of it. Most often it will be cheaper with better quality. For example, right now the sequin/shiny trend is really hot. I see pieces in Vogue, Glamour, Ebony by top designers that are in the upwards of $1000 or more. You can find some in our shop, or anyone else's for a tenth of that price.

Do you have any upcoming projects for Erstwhile Style, or otherwise?

We are starting to offer personal shopping services on a small scale for some of the repeat customers and its working out great. Stay tuned..

What are your personal measures of success? By your own standards, do you consider yourself successful?

Well, not having to punch that time clock on a daily basis is a big one!

What is a “Think and Grow Chick” to you?

If you can think it, dream it, you can be it. That simple. Go get it.

Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to share some insight with my readers. You are truly a “Think and Grow Chick”! Is there anything else you’d like to share or that you want everyone to know about you? What are the best ways for one to get in contact with you?

You can find the shop/s at www.erstwhilestyle.etsy.com or shop.marketpublique.com/stores/erstwhilestyle Follow ES on Twitter too! twitter.com/erstwhilestyle
***

Well, there you have it; promote online, know you market, be stylish by wearing vintage and... use olive oil on your ends!

Are you a true "Think & Grow Chick" that would like to participate in the interview series? If so, email me a short bio and links to whatever it is that you do so that I can prepare an interview for you!

It's Official, Your Girl is in Business!

2009-10-26T13:43:00.000-04:00

Remember a while back how I said I had something up my sleeve? Well my project is complete! I, Think & Grow Chick, have made the leap into to world of online entrepreneurship. I am the proud creator of Think and Grow Vintage (thinkandgrowvintage.etsy.com), an etsy vintage store for all my Think and Grow Chicks! Below are a few of my favorite pieces that are on sale as of today:

100% Cashmere 80s Vintage Dress

80s Vintage Levi's Denim Jacket

Vintage 80s Wilson's Leather Pants

Like I said, these are just a few of my favorites, so be sure to check out the rest at my store. From now on, in the side bar of the blog, there's a button that updates with my newest stuff and will take you directly to my store.

If you're a Think and Grow Chick (which I know you are), use the code TGC2009 to receive a 15% discount off your first purchase. How "Think and Grow Stylish" is that?

"Think and Grow Chick" of the Day: Meet the Urban Paper Princess Kia Howey

2009-10-26T10:05:00.000-04:00

In an effort to showcase other Think and Grow Chicks who are achieving their goals and reaching their dreams, I'd like to present to you the first interview of the series with Kia Howey, founder of UrbanPaperLoft.com

(Photo by Jasiatic @ createtressphotography.blogspot.com)

Hello Kia! Welcome to Think & Grow Chick, a blog were I document achievement of goals important to young, black women. Can you start off by telling our readers what it is that you do? What is a typical day in your life like?

Pretty busy. I work full time as an Internet Communications Manager at a company that makes arts and crafts products. So my 9-5 day is pretty busy. Often I work on my own collection at lunch. I have two children who are 8 and 2 which also keeps me busy. I work a lot on my own business in the evenings and on the weekends. I try to make time each day to do something. Sometimes it is two hours and sometimes it is 15 minutes. I use my days to plan what I need to so, so that when I do have time I can hit the ground running. I keep running lists of thing that need to happen.

How did you get into your current space in life? Can you tell us about your background?

I've been interested in design since early grade school. When I was in high school, I took an advertising design class that exposed me to the world of graphic design and was hooked. I studied graphic design at Florida A & M University and Temple University. While at FAMU, I had a professor who had been a board game designer and was introduced to the world of product design.

When I finished school I moved to Atlanta. My first job out of school was a very typical layout design job. Then by luck, was able to join the IBM web design team (with no web experience). This was pivotal experience because it gave me a background in web design and exposure to project management in general-two skills I still use.

Several other important things happened in Atlanta. In no particularly order, I married my husband, had a child and made a big jump into working for myself- my husband and I opened a juice bar, and I also did freelance design work. This was at a time when the economy was very tenuous (similar to now), the dot com boom was crashing and 9-11 had just happened. My lesson from that was to always keep multiple revenue streams open and be prepared for change.

After several years, I had an opportunity to go back to work full time. Shortly after that, I went to work as a temp. at a company that manufactures products in the crafts industry and I've been there ever since. I started as a product designer and now work as the communications manager for the website. I've continued to gain a lot of knowledge from my job about product design, product development and marketing. I've also been delving deeper into the world of social media and web communications.In 2008, as part of my own business, I launched two websites: Kia Nicole (kianicole.com) and Urban Paper Loft (urbanpaperloft.com).

I understand that you studied both at FAMU and Temple University. What were your goals in college? Did they change over time, or did they always lead to what it is you are doing now?

Yes and no. I wanted to be in design and that has never changed. I did go through a period where I feel like I lost track of what it is I wanted versus school programs and curriculum. My lesson from that is when picking a college or job, you have to always ask "What do I want out of this?" It can be easy to began pursuing someone else's agenda for you rather than your own vision. If you can get something out of your situation that you need, whether it is experience, contacts, economic benefits—then that is cool. But if not, it may be time to move on or reevaluate.

Please describe some of the realities of starting and running your own business. How has it been for you?

The biggest challenge for most small businesses is cash flow-managing your money as it comes in and out. The second challenge is usually time management or trying to wear too many hats at once. And that's no different for me.

You currently work full-time while working on your business; tell us about how that's been for you. Do you have plans to leave your full-time employment?

Well, it definitely requires big picture planning. My vision for myself is that I will be working for myself full-time in the future. I have done it before. I do want to have a level of stability with my business when I set out on my own again.

How do you attract clients for your business?

I've participated in The National Stationery show. I submit products to trade magazines like Stationery Trends and Greetings Etc. and have had work in both. I am about to do some big pushes to national magazines. Also, word of mouth and internet-blogs, facebook, etc.

What is your stance on entrepreneurship verses employment? What are some of your personal entrepreneurial goals?

I have a very entrepreneurial spirit and have a family that had had some success as entrepreneurs. I think it is a mind set. But I think it is always important to have a PLAN B (and maybe C) As we've seen with this economy, you can go from a six figure job to nothing at all with no prospects. You should always have something you can do for extra income, whether it is sewing or a trade or a full fledged business.

If you had to work with a young woman and help her start her business, what are some key principles you would be certain to stress to her?

Do a business plan. It will stress you out and it will change over time, but it will let you know if you have a viable product. Sometimes the numbers just don't make sense. If the numbers don't make sense, you have to explore other options. If you can't commit to doing a business plan, you may not be ready for business. Ask for help. SCORE and SBA are great-all the free help you need is out there. Sometimes you have to be very persistent in order to get what you want but the resources are there. The most important thing is just do something! Don't overthink things--just get in action mode. You very rarely get it right the first time anyway, so you better get started now making mistakes and learning!!!

You also have background working with IBM in web development. How important has the internet been in promotion? What are some of your recommendations for promoting on the internet?

Extremely. It is the primary way I meet and interact with people. There are great online tools for everything from book keeping to storing files that help with business. Also the world is moving from traditional 'advertising' to inbound marketing, which basically means that instead of just advertising (broadcasting out), you make yourself available to people who are searching for you. Social media, blogs and google are the way people look for products. People also rely on the reviews and opinions of their friends. The internet is integral in this. I do A LOT of e-classes and workshops and things like that to learn.

I love how you say that a turtle is your mascot and you motto is "slow and steady wins the race". Can you give us some of your time management and goal achieving tips?

Sure, very small consistent goals. Try to carve out some time each day for your own projects- even if it is just 10 minutes each day. Stay focused by writing things down. You can seem like things are going slowly and then have one big moment that changes everything, so you have to prepare for that.

The style of your designs are great; they really embody an urban, black woman. How did you come up with the concept?

I love the silhouette design trend that seems to be everywhere. You can find cute silhouettes of kids and horses and birds. But sadly, I've seen almost none with black women or any type of ethnic profiles. So that was my goal --but I wanted them to be funky.

Tell us about Urban Paper Loft versus KiaNicole.com.

Kia Nicole is my signature collection, almost exclusively for kids. In addition to paper -party, birth announcements and such, I'm doing a very cool line of home decor that includes wall art, growth charts that I am hoping to expand. The cool thing about these products is that most can be personalized with skin tone and names. I wanted to do something so that every child can have things for their room that look like them. This is so important for children's self esteem.

The Urban Paper Loft line delivers custom stationery with urban taste for adults. This line will be expanded to include different types of stationery with funky designs. These designs are influenced by art, music and urban life in general.

Would you say that your personal style reflects that of Urban Paper Loft? What about KiaNicole.com?

That is an interesting question. I would say both. Part of me loves the more lighthearted and whimsical style of the Kia Nicole products. I love children and it is easy for me to illustrate in this style. The other side of me goes a little bit more sophisticated but still very fun loving.

Describe your personal style. How has your personal style developed over time?

I love color. I love patterns. I love fashion and style but I also like like no fuss and stress. I like to find brands and products that work for me. Once I find something that works for me I am completely loyal.

How does your personal style affect your approach to your business and clients?

I'm learning more and more not to be afraid to really put my personality into the things that I am doing. The more I've been able to do this, the happier I have been with my work personally and also gotten more accolades.

How can those of us without a design background, use design to make the simple things more interesting, like you do with your line of stationery?

I'm working on creating a more beautiful environment every day. Whether that is my home or car or desk. It is a challenge for me. I'm a pack rat, so I am having to learn how to edit and tr how things away and only keep things that I love.

What are some of your tips for developing a unique, fly sense of style in this poor economy?

More than ever, I plan purchases. I've been doing an inventory of what I have, what types of things I really need and I shop accordingly. It takes a lot of the guilt out of shopping and makes it easier to discern between wants and needs. And don't get caught up in the Brand/Name game.

What is your advice for women who want to break out on their own, but have families or other possible constraints?

Surround yourself by positive people and things. Motivational resources like books and pod casts are great. Write down your goals and plans in a journal or
sketch book. We all have personal challenges. When you read bios of successful people they have all overcome some obstacle or challenge.

Do you have any upcoming projects?

I'm expanding both collections. For the Kia Nicole line, I hope to have design for all the most popular themes in kids room decor by early next year. I am also working on some different distribution plans for all my products.

What are your personal measures of success? By your own standards, do you consider yourself successful?

If you do something you love and maintain personal integrity--I would call that a success!

What is a “Think and Grow Chick” to you?

A fabulously inspiring woman who has a vision for her life and who uses her talents and gifts to create a better world for herself and her community.

Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to share some insight with my readers. You are truly a “Think and Grow Chick”!

Is there anything else you’d like to share or that you want everyone to know about you? What are the best ways for one to get in contact with you? You can see my products at kianicole.com, urbanpaperloft.com. Thanks for taking time to plan this. Your blog is a great inspiration!
***

Kia is sooo freaking amazing; what an inspiring woman. Be sure to check her out regularly at KiaNicole.com and UrbanPaperLoft.

Are you a true "Think & Grow Chick" that would like to participate in the interview series? If so, email me a short bio and links to whatever it is that you do so that I can prepare an interview for you!

Workin' It Out with NS1463: A Mini-Story

2009-10-19T14:32:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! Here's a quick post with a video I was recently in for my friends start-up clothing company NS1463. He describes it as "A clothing company owned by a Nigerian...we're changing attitudes." Check it out!

How to Stay Chic When "On the Grind"

2009-10-16T10:05:00.001-04:00

Fall is officially here y'all; it was incredibly cold, dreary and rainy in The District today. As one who's not particularly fond of gross weather, I did what I always do on bleak, miserable days—I immediately went to grab the frumpiest outfit I could find and proceeded NOT to do my hair, all of course, with my usual “I'll be darned if I waste looking cute on such an ugly day” rational.

It wasn't until I waltzed into class, almost proud of my decided commitment to “disheveled-ness”, did I realize how alone I was with this philosophy. With their leather boots, girly hoodies, and fitted wool coats, every single female classmate of mine arrived to class in style, apparently ready to get both their learn, and their fashion game, on.

I sighed with exasperation as I slumped into my seat; every time I try to slack on Howard's campus, I'm quickly reminded that being on your grind is okay, but slippin' on style is not. So, in an ode to school pride, I've put together a list of things that will help stay on the chic and narrow, even when I'm on the grind...

Oh how I LOVE Andrea from Fly. She is another one of my imaginary best friends, but I digress. The point is, she's always on the grind finding creative, interesting stuff to post on her blog, yet she can come up with the cutest hair style in no time! Besides being adorable, this look is great because it's a style within a style. Before bed or in the morning, wash your hair like normal, then put it in little twist. If your lazy like me, pin it up in a cute 'do like Andrea and leave them in for a few days or until you feel like taking them down. When you do, you'll have the cutest 'fro ever. How time/energy efficient is that?

I couldn't include the staple of a leather jacket without featuring my girl Meagan! Now I know that many blogs have criticized Meagan over the years for seemingly wearing her favorite pieces too much, but I think Meagan's go-to outfit choices are just a testament to how real women operate...if your staples are fabulous, then you will certainly wear them more than once. Repeated wear, especially in this economy, is in fact, the point. Do yourself a favor and get a leather bomber before the weather really breaks and they get to expensive. If you're like me and not to scared to buy secondhand, then you can find some great leather jackets at area vintage stores or online.

Jeans are a no brainer, I know, but you'd be surprised at how often you'd find yourself back in those busted sweatpants if your jeans aren't easy to wear or don't have the proper fit. Allow me to (re)introduce you to Gap, particularly their fabulous jeans. I have been all around the jean world, from Sevens to Earls to J Brands to Forever 21 and let me just tell you — Gap 1969 Premium Denim is the truth. Gap's denim rivals most premium brands; I own both a boyfriend cut and a skinny jean and I LOVE them! So why was I caught slippin' in class today you ask? Well, I'm still waiting on next weeks paycheck so I can run out and get the above, which is the "Real Straight" cut in "dark wash". There is nothing in the world more versatile. Mmmm, straight-leg, dark denim jeans...

Ah! A simple, low-top converse. Chic in it's simplicity, this is the lightest, easiest sneaker to just throw on and go. Plus, they don't get so beat up looking because (1) they're black and (2) they're canvas, which means you can just throw them in the washer from time to time. These are the perfect shoes to put on when you have something better to do than think about what shoes you want to put on...

So that's my list for "on the grind" chicness—a cute twist-up/twist-out 'do, a black leather bomber, some dark denim straight legs, and some simple black converse. What are your "go-to" items when you don't want to get caught slippin'? Share your comments below.

The power of editing...learn it by watching Bravo TV

2009-10-07T11:15:00.000-04:00

Watching TV is a dangerous trap that seems to creep up during my strongest bouts of procrastination. What I should have been doing this morning was writing, but instead I was slipping into the vortex that is Bravo TV. While the ideals of entrepreneurship will always be my first passion, I get so easily sucked into anything that relates to fashion because as a concept, it's self-gratifying and liberating...much like entrepreneurship. My love affair with the world of fashion is especially dangerous when Project Runway reruns and the vintage clothing category on eBay are, respectively, a channel change and mouse click away...

Halfway through the end of the season finale of The Fashion Show, my boyfriend called to reprimand me for my fashion-induced lack of focus, given I hadn't updated my blog all weekend (apparently he's an avid reader). Though I knew he was totally right, there was something about today's episode that felt like more than mindless TV. Here I was, in awe of one of the contestant's fashion collection only to watch all of the judges shoot her down for lack of consistency. At first I disagreed with the judges criticisms as I felt the contestant had designed brilliant clothes with lots of interesting patterns and shapes, but it wasn't until the last judge made her comments that I suddenly "got it".

I paraphrase, but the judge said to the contestant, "What you've done with your work is create lots of beautiful, interesting chapters. I worry; however, that with all of these brilliant pieces that you've lost the storyline. You've forgot how to edit."

I never expected to find today's post topic from reality TV, but what that judge said was genius. So often as ambitious, spritely, young adults we dive head first into a lot of truly exceptional projects only to lose the "storyline" of our true goals. I am so, so, SO guilty of this as I am blessed and cursed to be pretty good at a lot of different things. If we want to be truly successful at the things that mean the most to us, we really have to learn what it means to edit and ratchet our efforts down.

A great article on this is The Power of One, from Life Learning Today (via Leo Babauta of Zenhabits.com). This article suggests that you rank all of your goals in order of importance, then work solely on the most important one until it is accomplished, then move down to the next one. Essentially, this method is the debt snowball of goal setting.

While I agree that you have to create a hierarchy for goals if you ever hope to complete any of them, working on one at a time is just too limiting for me as there is a lot that I want to accomplish. My method for editing is to choose one goal per category in your life to accomplish at a time. The trick is then to pick goals that still relate to the other categories. For example, I have a goal of finding an effective workout routine that I can do on a consistent basis. Though this would fall under the "health" category in my life, it's related to my productivity and spirituality goals. In other words, its okay to work on more than one goal at a time as long as you're being incestuous about it; keep it all related. If you're really determined, keeping everything in an excel spreadsheet or a simple notebook can help.

I know all this goal talk may seem geeky some, but it's really important to continuously edit yourself so that you can keep all of your energy focused. Had that contestant learned that, she might have had the winning collection.

Had I learned that, I might have had this post written a whole lot sooner.

Up My Sleeve...

2009-10-04T15:12:00.003-04:00

Firstly, I'd like to apologize for the sporadic posting. Not only have I been knee deep in school work, but I've been working on a project that should be up and running by the end of October. What is this project you say? Well that, my friends, will be a secret until it's ready to be revealed.

Because I'm really bad at keeping secrets however, I'm posting an article from Clutch Magazine that (1) has some great information and (2) alludes to what it is I got my hands in. If you think you know what I'm up to, tweet me @thinkngrowchick on twitter with your guess to receive something special when my project is out. Enjoy, and keep your eyes open ;-)

The word on the street is vintage is back and better than ever! With the release of “Factory Girl” staring the fashionable Sienna Miller and celebrities rocking 70’s high waisted pants everywhere you look, vintage is definitely smoking hot. But honestly when is vintage not hot.

In fashion, there is rarely a new idea or concept. Most current trends can be traced back to a vintage look or style. Many famous designers have made their mark by adding new twists to old looks. Marc Jacobs borrows heavily from the 80’s in his latest collection, and look no further than 70’s for Christian Louboutin platforms inspiration. So why go to the designers to spend thousands of dollars to recreate e a look when you can buy vintage, get the original look and spend much less?

When buying vintage you want to set a price range. For instance, if you are going for a 60’s look and have a higher budget, invest in a Pucci piece. If your range is lower you can get the 60’s look with a funky mini dress and scarf. The Pucci piece will be more of an investment but the cheaper look will give you the same look without the price. Also, make sure not to look like your going to a Halloween party. You can avoid looking too costumey by not dressing in head to toe vintage. Mix some cool vintage finds with current pieces for a new twist on an old look.

Inspect the vintage piece you intend to buy thoroughly if you can. If you are buying online, try to buy from a seller with a return policy. And read their ad carefully. Some vintage pieces can have extreme wear while others can be in almost new condition. Vintage doesn’t mean old and used. Look for pieces that can last for years to come.

Now that you know what to look for when buying vintage, here are tips on where to look to get a great vintage find. Remember to go for classic pieces, invest wisely and put your own spin and flavor to old school pieces.

Set it and Forget it: A Natural Hair Care Plan for the Lazy and/or Rebellious

2009-10-04T12:58:00.009-04:00

With all the information out there supposedly showing black women how to have fabulously long, strong, and wild natural hair, it's a little hard not to feel a bit overwhelmed. I mean, what on earth is a "baggie" and how often do I have to do it? Why do have to "protect my ends"...what if I want to show them off? Why do all the "natural" hair products cost a million dollars? Do I trim or don't I trim? Do I need to see a hairdresser when I'm natural, or not? Is shampoo allowed or am I forced to wash my hair with just conditioner for the rest of my life? What happens when I go on vacation and the airport takes away my 16 oz bottle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil? Do I have to do a hot oil treatment before swimming? Why are there so many RULES???

All of these questions weigh infinitely heavier on me when you couple them with the fact that I am a bum. Well not a total bum, but I do tend to bum out on things when I feel I have something more important on my plate. Don't get me wrong, hair is important ("hair is a woman's greatest accessory") but what happens when...oh I don't know, you have a 10 page research paper due for class next week? What happens when you're finally gaining traction on that clothing line you've been designing for 5 years? When you get that promotion at work and your hours increase? When your boyfriend comes over more often? When you're taking more time to volunteer with your church? What happens when, oh I don't know, life becomes kind of interesting and you can't spend 4 hours before bed every night massaging your scalp and "deep treating" your ends? Are Black women forever relegated to that back of the Pretty Hair Bus if we don't spend infinite amounts of time (and money) on our locks?

Call me rebellious, call me lazy, but I simply refuse to spend exorbitant amounts of my time on my hair anymore in the hopes of achieving hair greatness. Back in August, in my "Think and Grow Fabulous Hair" post, I prescribed myself the following plan:

Track my progress obsessively
Tie my hair up every night or at least sleep in a silk pillow case to deter breakage
Continue to wash and style my hair when it's parted into four sections for less breakage and easier manageability
Keep hair inspirations nearby in either a physical or online scrapbook
Use natural products
Use Henna regularly
Style my hair using the Twist n' Curl method to promote growth
Get a support system! (i.e. naturallycurly.com hair forums)

In a nutshell, I totally fell off from that plan. I wrote it because it was the best distillation of everything available online for natural haired women that I could come up with. Now that I am thoroughly exhausted with "doing my hair", I've stubbornly decided that oodles of effort is not what it takes for a Black woman to have nice, natural hair—especially if she's got other things to think about. My new plan is as follows:

~~Track my progress obsessively~~ Spend time on my hair when appropriate
~~Tie my hair up every night or at least sleep in a silk pillow case to deter breakage~~ Sleep in a satin bonnet cap—it's easy and it works on a myriad of hairstyles
~~Continue to wash and style my hair when it's parted into four sections for less breakage and easier manageability~~ Wash or co-wash my hair whenever I feel it needs it (generally every 3-4 days)
~~Keep hair inspirations nearby in either a physical or online scrapbook~~ When I see nice hair, I'll mentally note it and keep it moving
~~Use natural products~~ Use products that work (Raw Shea butter, Aubrey Organics Shampoo and Conditioner, and Kinky Curly Leave-In seem to do just fine)
~~Use Henna regularly~~ (Henna was way more hassle than it was worth...more on that in another post)
~~Style my hair using the Twist n' Curl method to promote growth~~ I like Bantu Knots—they take 10 minutes, require no heat, tools or supplies, and look great when you take them out
Get a support system! (i.e. interact with people with nice hair who actively pursue other goals so that I don't sucked back into the "do your hair" vortex)

So I don't know, maybe I'm a lunatic and will fail miserably with my new "set it and forget it" approach to my 'fro, but since I've been actively "doing" my natural hair for 6 years with pretty mild results, I think a more hands off plan is exactly what my hair needs. We shall see...

How are all you naturals fairing with your quest for great hair? Is a certain amount of time on your hair required? Let me know by leaving your comments below...

Follow Fridays on Think and Grow Chick

2009-09-10T10:00:00.000-04:00

Since joining twitter, I've gotten a lot of love on "Follow Fridays" (#FF, #FollowFriday) where everyone shares people they recommend following. This blog is really unique because it's all about achieving things important to young women like you and me—what better way to drive the Think and Grow Chick mission home then by taking time to introduce other "Think and Grow Chicks"...which is all of you!

If you're a cool chick trying to achieve something–anything—drop me an email at thinkandgrowchick [at] gmail [dot] com so that I can set up an interview. My goal is to showcase a cool, go-getting chick (or dude!) every Friday so that I can follow your progress, just how you all follow mine.

See you this Friday!

Learn Something From Gary Vaynerchuk Today

2009-09-09T14:00:00.000-04:00

During one of my regular web-surfing-for-freelance-tips-and-entrepreneurship-advice sessions (I seem to drift into one anytime I'm on the computer), I came across the name Gary Vaynerchuk. Curious about the funky last name, I went to his website only to learn that he's a young business guru, having brought his father's wine business from a few million a year to 50+ million a year using unconventional methods. The video below is of Vaynerchuk and other business men and women who have followed some of his principles, on the show Big Idea with Donny Deutsch.

This clip was so good, I watched it twice, back-to-back and took notes. As you all know, I'm crazy passionate about starting businesses, projects, and whatever else; this video was the most concise and informative advice I've ever heard on starting something and making it great. Many of you that I follow on twitter and other blogs express dreams of starting your own clothing lines, boutiques, beauty lines and other small businesses. Hopefully this video will be as enlightening for you as it was for me.

Notes (they make more sense if you watch the video first):

Be as real or transparent as possible
Don't follow trends; find them! Talk to everyone you can to see what's going on. (i.e. Vaynerchuk knew that Australian and Spanish wines would eventually be bigger than California wines because people liked California wines for their bold, fruity flavor, and Australia and Spain had wines that emphasized that palette even more than California)
If you invest in anything, invest in talent (it's the people, stupid!)
Create a category vs playing in a category
Make friends outside of your obvious network (ex. Wine guy speaks at technology conferences instead of wine events)
1 Million people is worth way more than 1 Million dollars; social equity is priceless
Sell something higher than just your product (i.e. Bose doesn't sell audio equipment, they sell an experience. Mercedes doesn't sell cars, they a lifestyle. Dior doesn't sell clothes, they sell high glamour. Find out what your target customer is really looking to buy, then sell it to them)
Position your product/service next to related products/services, not competing ones (i.e. Borba had Sephora place his vitamin water next to skin care products, not other vitamin water products)
Promote your product before it's ready (Borba got People Magazine to report on his idea 4 months before it actually came out, so that when it did come out, people were already excited about it)
Don't let anyone tell you how you how to get it done; do it any way you can without worrying about "rules"

What do you think? Are you motivated in to action? What are you working on? Share your comments below.

Global Inspiration for a Quirky Personal Style

2009-09-09T13:00:00.000-04:00

Since I'm on a style kick today, I was doing a little research on one of my favorite magazine's website, luckymag.com and came across an article on global style. What was most captivating about the article was not what the women were wearing (even though all of them were well-dressed), but rather the specifics and limits each woman featured imposed on herself about her own style. Comments like, "I stay away from lipstick at all costs..." made me think about what it means to have personal style in the first place. When we're trying to reinvent a look, I think it's very easy to slip into the habit of subscribing to every look, trend, and fad in the effort to "be stylish". What the women of the article were all alluding to, was that they each have great style for the things that they don't wear as much as for the things that they do. The reasons why they don't wear certain things varied ("...I look like a 10-year-old girl who wants to look like her mother!") but their choices were intensely personal and made their style stand out as their own rather than that of some celebrity or fashion magazine.

Over the last few weeks, I've been working towards my goal of rebuilding my wardrobe and looking more "grown-up". While I totally recommend looking to others (i.e. my obsession with Tracee Ellis Ross) for style inspiration, it's important to keep your personal tastes and needs in the forefront. In an effort to follow my own advice, below is a list of my own personal style quirks that I'm keeping in mind on my quest for a more grown up look:

I recently read a quote in a West Elm catalog that said "I'm not a fan of brights. I think earth tones are good for the soul." I instantly thought, "Wow, that's me!" even though I thought I was a colorful dresser all l this time. I love grey, black, cream, and neutral colors, so I guess I can quit trying to force myself to incorporate colorful pieces just because I thought it was something you're supposed to do.
I adore the look of heels and really do wish I could wear them all the time, but in reality, I love flats for their convenience and comfort. Despite my taste, I am a flats girl unless, as one .
I think simple sneakers can be really elegant. The original All-Atar Chuck Taylors don't look good on me because my feet are too big (size 10, baby!), but the slimmer, skipper-style "Chuck Taylor Light" sneakers look great on me. They only come and cream and black, which is enough variety for me.
I've always been drawn to that laid back, California style because I need to be comfortable. I wish I could dress as unreasonable as some of the things I see in fashion magazines, but at the end of the day, I need to feel as good as my clothes make me look. Jersey cotton, silk, and cashmere are some of my favorite textiles.
I love a jean with a great fit, but I realize that can include more than skinny jeans. 90% of the time you can find me in low riding skinny jeans...I ~~want~~ need to branch out to straight legs, bootcuts, and wide-legs with a higher rise.
Speaking of jeans, I really want to experiment with colors other than blue. Black, grey and pastel jeans will really add dimension to my otherwise neutral color pallet.
Much to the chagrin of my boyfriend, I looove pockets and hoodies...on anything! Dresses with hoods, shirts with side pockets, it doesn't matter. Don't ask me why I like 'em, I just do.
I had so many dresses in my wardrobe at one point that I had to remind myself to put on some pants. I am the queen of dresses. If I could wear a dress everyday, I would. I think dresses are incredible feminine, comfortable, and are the easiest way to look pulled together.
I don't really spend a lot of energy picking out tops. I tend to make my pants, shoes, or accessories the focal point of an outfit rather than the blouse I'm wearing. When I do go shopping for shirts, I like to look for basic tops with interesting cuts, shapes or details.
I love pieces that accentuate the waist—cinched jackets, wrap dresses and belted tops are all easy ways to add a little oomph to an outfit.

To keep these things in mind, below is a sampling of look I've been playing with on ShopStyle. If any of you do wardrobe building on ShopStyle, you can find my looks under ThinkandGrowChick. What are your fashion quirks? Have any of you had success building a wardrobe? Share your comments below or email me to be featured.

The Revolution Will Not Be...Stylized?

2009-09-04T17:42:00.000-04:00

Those of you who were following my tweets a few days ago heard a lot about my school, Howard University, and the protest the entire student body and faculty had outside of the Administration Building. I won't spend my time here going over what the protest was about, but it was so big that my lovely campus was to make an appearance on the evening news. As a student, I feel like my fellow students were totally justified in the protest and articulately conveyed our position to ABC's news anchors. That said, I can't help but cringe at the thought...

"What were my fellow students wearing??"

I know, I know, I shouldn't be preoccupied with my peers' fashion when there are serious matters at hand...but...ya'll don't understand how severe fashion is at Howard University. I do and will always love the creativity and progressiveness involved in the way many of my fellow students dress. Below is a slideshow a friend put together for his blog a few years ago.

Like I said, the fashion is innovative—even a little crazy at times. If you tuned-in to the news, I'm sure you and the whole world know what I mean. My dilemma is, as an engineering student, I can't do things like wear 5-inch heels and leopard print tights to class and still hope to be taken seriously by my professors. Since I lost all my clothes in a flood, I'm trying to rebuild my wardrobe so that I emanate that grown, ultra-stylish mystic. The question is how do I do that without looking like I spend more time in Bloomingdale's than in my Organic Chemistry textbook? Is it possible to be both fashionable and reasonable at the same time?

My fashion problem is compounded with my financial problem; not only do I need an über-chic look that refrains from screaming "fashion slave!", I need it on a budget.

So what it one to do when in doubt? Look to someone else who knows what they're doing! Below are a few famous women with style that, at least I think, fit the "un-fussy fashionista" bill:

As one Concreteloop.com reader commented, "I want to be Tracee Ellis Ross when I grow up."

Now ya'll know I wasn't going to write a post about fashion and style and not include Tracee! Don't act like you don't know that me and Tracee are (imaginary) best friends...

Seriously, no matter where this woman is going or what she's doing, she always look SPOT ON for the occasion, which is what fashion is all about. A gorgeously ornate cocktail dress means nothing if you're wearing it to the grocery store. Contrary to popular belief, fashion is as much about context as it is about the clothes. Tracee artfully demonstrates this at nearly every appearance.

With her carefree air and frequent nods to vintage, Blake Lively (Yes, "Serena" on Gossip Girls for those of you who won't admit you watch it sometimes) is "stylish school girl" alter-ego. Most everything she wears is (obviously) chic enough to be featured in magazines, but is also easy, functional, and fit for someone like me who is in school 5 days a week. While my classmates are emulating Rhianna's super-tight acid wash jeans and punk-rock stilettos, I'll be taking notes on Blake's effortless jeans, boots, and t-shirt combos.

Who doesn't love Tia??? Watching her grow from a cute teenager on Sister, Sister to a talented powerhouse on The Game should be reason enough to fawn over newlywed, Tia Mowry Hardrict.

I love Tia because before anything, the girl is smart and talented. Behind the brains is then Tia's beauty and great style. I'm always amazed at how underrated she is as a trendsetter; Tia is the epitome of what it means to be "put-together". From her hair to her makeup to her nail polish, Tia's overall look is always just fantastic.

The above women are who I'll be studying this semster for effortless style in and outside of class. I know a lot of my readers are also busy women with a penchant for fashion. What looks are you ladies checking for? How do you keep it all together without looking overdone? Share your tips and stories below.

Freelancin' Hopes and Financial Woes

2009-08-24T09:31:00.000-04:00

It's been maybe three weeks since I've started this blog, and as you all know by now I have a lot a goals I'm striving for, all of which I'm documenting via this blog. Two related goals that I haven't spent a lot of time on (too much hair talk, I know) but are still immensely important are my goals of making a living off of my own endeavors (i.e. quitting my job and getting people to pay me directly for some skill of mine) and saving enough money to pay for summer school this year, as I'm going to need it if I have any hope of graduating on time.

I started researching women who have kicked meaningless jobs behind in lieu of self-employment, and subsequently ran across the name Michelle Goodman. Michelle has been cultivating her freelance life for 17 years now, and frequently writes and speaks about "fleeing the cube" for more greener pastures. Though my desire is to flee the host stand since I work as a hostess as a restaurant, the host stand is cubish in shape, so I reason that Michelle's advice can speak to me too. I ran downtown first thing the next day to pick up one of Michelle's book at the library.

As you paint the picture of my eagerness walking into that library, all hopeful and set to be a successful, self-employed young woman once I got my hands on Michelle's book, imagine the utter horror I felt as I walked up to the checkout counter only to be told that my library card has been blocked because I owe $50.98. Yes, I, Think and Grow Chick, owe $50.98 to the PUBLIC LIBRARY. With my parade literally rained on, it began to thunderstorm as I exited the library and walked to the train, bookless.

The whole ordeal made me want to kick myself not only because I didn't get the book, but because this habit of owing money for the silliest things is one I have extreme difficulty in breaking. I keep myself in what I call "dumb debt"...debt I acquire for really dumb reasons, like losing library books. I had originally planned to read Michelle's book over the weekend then write about it today; however, now my focus is on getting serious about eliminating and staying out dumb debt, especially if I have any hope of accomplishing my original goals of self-employment and saving for summer school.

The biggest accomplices to dumb debt, for me, are not paying attention to my money and wanting things that don't really matter. I'm a college student with little money as it is, so both of these problems are having a devastating effect on my finances. To stay true to the T&GR principles that have inspired this blog to begin with, I started thinking of a plan that could save me from my dumb, debt ridden ways. After realizing that self-reliance is what got me into this mess in the first place, I've decided to "borrow" a plan from Trixare4kids, a reader on Consumerist.com that paid off nearly $14,500 in 20 months, after following tips she learned on the internet. The snippets I've decided to take from her are as follows:

Go Cash Only

This is the granddaddy of all personal finance advice, but it's amazing how many people don't subscribe to it. Trixare4kids simply states, "If I did not have the cash, I did not need it". This is so true; I've justified splurges with my debit card on hair products by reminding myself that my bank transfers money from my savings if I overdraft on my checking account. I know, I know, I'm cringing as I type it. Clearly, cash can be the only way for me.

Set up a budget

...Another nugget of often-ignored personal advice gold. My mother is a "G" when it comes to finances and has always kept our family on a budget, though somehow I did not seem to inherit such financial tenacity. I've never had a budget because I've always figured that I'm poor and poor people don't need to budget; we need to make more money. Now I'm thinking maybe I'm poor because I don't budget...hmm...

Cut back on Expenses

This piece of advice is almost trite because it's repeated so often, but it's true. The problem is, everyone underestimates what is really an expense to them. For example, I'm about to move into an apartment where everything is included—internet, gas, electric, everything. I could easily reason that my only expense is rent, food, and transportation, but anyone who knows me knows I spend hundreds of dollars on hair products. Yes, hair products. As silly as it sounds, hair products are a major expense for me, therefore I have to cut back.

So, like every other goal I document on here, we shall see how this goes. Any of you have problems with debt. Care to share a success story? Share your comments below.

Spirituality in Natural Hair?

2009-08-20T12:58:00.000-04:00

Holed up in the house for the last few days because I'm too broke to go anywhere (ya'll know ya'll been there), I admit that I've slipped into a certain laziness when it came to posting on this blog.

Sorry, ya'll.

That said, my motivation has been renewed over a topic that resurfaces in the black community seemingly ever 24 hours...

Hair.

A few recent stories have sparked me into blogging action; (1) Chris Rock's upcoming documentary called Good Hair, (2) Curly Nikki's article on natural women's "Superiority Complex" and (3) Tyra Bank's recent announcement of going "au natural" for season 5 of the Tyra Show.

Whew! Where to begin, where to begin? Well before I begin, I'd implore my readers to watch the following clip.

Crazy, huh? I have no idea who wrote this documentary or when it came out (I stumbled on it via Clutch Magazine) but the main thing that struck me throughout that clip was the narrators comment at the end, saying "They were the "darkies"...which resembled the Africans loved only by their Jesus."

Hmm...once again I'm stuck about where to begin. Such a comment is tantalizing to me because over a year ago, before I became a Christian, I got into an argument with my very devout, Christian best friend who had accused me of idolizing my hair. You may wonder what being Christian has to do with anything, but the biblical definition of idolatry is a lot different than the secular one, so I wanted to make it clear from the beginning that my opinion on the topic will be rooted in the Christian perspective, though the issue has religious and non-religious appeal.

It's no doubt that when black women decide to go natural, more often than not they describe it as a pretty intense experience. What starts off as maybe a quest for a healthy head of hair or maybe just a quest to save the money flying out of their pocketbooks every 8 weeks for a regular touch-up, generally ends in a self-discovery of sorts, centered around personal ideals of beauty and their perceptions of beauty in the Black community as a whole. Fired up with new opinions about beauty in the black community, new Naturals are often accused of being condescending and judgmental to their non-natural sisters.

I joke all the time that once you go natural, it's mandatory that you have to start shopping at Whole Foods, wear puka shells, bathe in patchouli, and make statements about "becoming one with the universe". I can't tell you how many times someone has assumed me to be a vegan and/or a Black Nationalist just because I have a 'fro. The truth in my jest; however, lies at the fact that "going natural" more often than not hits the transitioner spiritually, regardless of their reasons for deciding to go natural in the first place. I personally went natural almost 6 years ago just because I wanted my long hair back after the perm broke it all off, but about 3-4 years into it, I found myself getting into heated arguments with people about how my natural hair "brought me closer to God".

Whoa.

I look back now and go, "Boy I was trippin' !" but the crux is that the newly natural find a new identity in their natural hair. As shown by the video, hair to African-Americans is such a deep rooted subject that finding a new identity in one's natural, African-American hair can lead to an all over transformation—not just with the hair, but with mind, body, and soul.

The "soul" part is the nucleus for this post today. The above video suggested that the blacks who revered a European aesthetic and subsequently discriminated against their "natural" brethren were further from the Christian doctrine than those blacks who praised God for loving them just as the were. One of the commenters on the Curly Nikki post asking whether or not natural women have a superiority complex states:

Some black women tell themselves they relax their hair so it will be easier for them to manage (I know I did). But, I say they relax their hair because they are ashamed of who they are and what God created. Natural hair is not hard to maintain when you know what you are doing. In addition, if God wanted a black woman to have [straight] hair, God would have created her that way.

As someone now on the other side of the spiritual fence, I see that my friend was totally right about me idolizing my hair. I went way overboard in my devotion to my natural hair and the excessive desiring of things to further glorify my hair while simultaneously making little to no regard for the God who gave me my curly locks. The question now is: is it possible for natural hair to bring you closer to God, as several outspoken naturals suggest? Are we even justified in seeing hair as a spiritual thing?

Contrary to my own past beliefs, I do not believe that going natural can or will bring you closer to God. I know that statement will be obvious to some and utter blasphemy to others, but the Bible clearly states that our communion with God has everything to do the faith in Him, repentance, and prayer, and nothing to do with how closely we fashion ourselves to our original "God-given" state, which is where I erred before. Believing that "being natural" in any regard (no perm, no makeup, no deodorant, whatever) gets you some sort of special communion with God, I feel, is wrong because most of the things we consider "being natural" are superficial, we just attribute spirituality to them.

That said, I think going natural, or anything that causes you to abandon a previous lifestyle for a greater goal can be a great experience to draw on when getting closer to God. Getting closer to God, no matter what your religion, requires discipline, dedication, and an overall abandonment of the way you lived life before your quest. When you find friends ridiculing you for your belief in God or for choosing not to live a certain way anymore as a result of God working in your life, it can be a very lonely, humiliating ordeal. Sometimes it helps if you went through something on a (much) smaller scale that parallels (but is not equal to) your spiritual journey to refer to when the road gets rough. In a way, this is what I think most naturals really mean when they say that going natural helped them grow spiritually—not that going natural makes them closer to God per se, but that the experience brought so much ridicule and alienation before it became rewarding that they had something to look back on when hit with the inevitable tribulations one goes through when they seek God. Going natural, of course, is only one example of an experience that can parallel one's spiritual growth; dedication to a sport, marriage, getting through med school, etc, are all things that, on a much, much smaller scale, can be great reminders that "there's light at the end of the tunnel" when facing the hardships of spiritual growth. Doing any of those things, however, can't replace the journey of growing closer to God, in my opinion.

Since I plan to document my hair goals as well as my spiritual goals (when appropriate) on this blog, I felt the supposed spirituality behind natural hair would be a fitting topic, especially in light of all talk about black hair circulating the media recently. What do you readers think? Are naturals who claim deeper spirituality because of their hair justified in their claims? Does hair have anything to do with one's spirituality or "true self"? Share your comments below.

Hey Peeps...

2009-08-12T14:56:00.000-04:00

...quick post to tell you all that I'm on twitter.

twitter.com/thinkngrowchick. Check me out ;-)

Mojo Spa, My Business Goals, and "The Lemon Bar" Explained

2009-08-11T10:13:00.000-04:00

Okay, I thought I'd give up feeding my vanity for a while and start talking about something else...my greed! Now you guys know that I am 100% kidding; I am definitely not greedy, but I think it fair to say that us young women care about a lot more than just hair—we have tuition to pay, credit card debt to eliminate, dreams of being our own boss ladies...we're trying to do things with our money, and I am no exception!

If there's one thing that characterizes me besides my wild, natural hair; it's my wild, natural ambition to be an entrepreneur. I want nothing more in life than to make my own money and be my own boss lady; I've been pushing towards this goal since my freshman year of college.

You might remember me mentioning wanting to start something called "The Lemon Bar" on my Goal Sheet; The Lemon Bar (tentative name) is another one of my "campus business ideas" and I think it has the potential to be a big hit at Howard. First, a little background story...

For my birthday last month, I made the trip to Chi-town to have a little R&R with my girlfriends. We ventured down to the Wicker Park neighborhood in the hopes of padding our wardrobe with all those cool, secondhand stores they have down there, and lo and behold, we run into...

Mojo Spa! Curious at the banner that said "Handmade Beauty & Comfort Spa" we moseyed on in only to find...

The cutest freakin' natural beauty products in the world! Yes, you read correctly: beauty products, not baked goods. Everything in Mojo Spa not only looked exactly like the real thing, but it smelled like it to.

Noticing that we were gawking over all of the products, a friendly salesgirl came up to me and my friend and told us all about the store and what they do. Not only do they sell these completely original products, but they also host "Pajama Night" parties where the bring in a DJ, give away facials, and let their customers shop/party in the store well after closing hours. There was also a little nail salon in the back of the store in addition to cute jewelry and other clothing accessories placed in between the beauty products. The store was simply spectacular!

Being the wanna-be CEO that I am, I hammered that poor sales girl for details on the owner. I wanted to know who she was, what was her background, who her investors were, what did her balance sheet look like, where was her factory...okay, okay I didn't exactly ask all of that, but I was thinking it! The salesgirl did divulge; however, that the owner was a former chef, which is why everything in the store was so life-like. The owner lived in a studio not far from the shop, which was also where she and "some help" mixed and packaged the products.

I left that place with my mind racing a million miles a minute. Instead of daydreaming about how I could come back with next week's paycheck and go hog-wild in that store, I instead fantasized about how I could come back with next week's paycheck and start a competing business. Alright, maybe not a competing business, but I did have a business idea that was rooted in what I saw at Mojo Spa.

Now I'm not business expert (though I will be one day...) but from that one visit, I understand Mojo's success to be rooted in two things: experience and capitalization.

Experience

I have not tried Mojo's products, but it would be my guess that you could find many other natural beauty products for a much lower price that are way better than what Mojo sells. I would bet money on that. I don't say that to say that I think Mojo makes bad beauty products, but I think it's clear that beauty products are not what Mojo is really selling...Mojo is selling an experience. Think about what it would feel like if you went in to a store that sold beauty products, clothes, accessories, had a nail salon, and they occasionally gave out real food samples, but they didn't possess all the glitter and twinkle that Mojo does. What would shopping at that store feel like? No need to think too hard, you probably go to such a store a few times a week...that store is called Walmart. See my point? Think about even the difference felt from shopping at Target versus Walmart. People will shell out lots of money for an experience and Mojo Spa has that rule down pat.

Capitalization

According to the Oxford American Dictionary, to "capitalize" on something means "to take the chance to gain advatage from something." Again, I don't say this to make Mojo sound cruel or anything; I say this to make the owner of Mojo sound incredibly smart. She was a chef by trade, yet she runs a store filled items and services that are outside of her professional skill set. Granted, I don't know this woman, but from what the salesgirl alluded to and what I can see in the store, it would be my guess that the owner does not get down and "create" all that stuff herself. She's not sewing those cute tote bags, she's not crafting all the jewelry in those displays, she's not painting anyone's nails, and I don't think she's molding those soaps. She's probably being a good boss lady and running her business. In other words, she's capitalizing on other people's talents by putting all the puzzle pieces together for them and her customers, in the form of her store.

I think this so important for females who want to start their own businesses, because more often than not, women get into the trap that they have to be both the creator and the seller of a product or service. They get so attached to what it is that they're producing that they can't step outside of their one-person operation to make some real money. The truth is, you will make more money and spend less energy if you capitalize on, i.e. put the pieces together, for someone else's talent instead. If you do this correctly, this is a mutually beneficial business arrangement. The talent makes money and gets exposure they otherwise might not have while the business owner capitalizes on the talent's success. Producers make more than the artist. Publishers make more than the authors. The salon makes more than the hairdresser. The agency makes more than the models. The restaurant makes more than the chef. And Mojo makes more than the individual brands/service providers sold in that store, which is why Mojo is a success.

So with all that in my head (I'm a nerd, I know. I try to find the business case study in everything...) I decided I want to start The Lemon Bar. The Lemon Bar will be a series of events done on campus and in the city, that features local boutique clothiers, natural beauty products, and other local products and services of interest to young women. The Lemon Bar will take a commission for every item sold during the event, and will feature local female entrepreneur as speakers to draw potential customers in. Cute snacks and drinks will be provided throughout the entire event, and The Lemon Bar will get local sponsorships in order to produce the event without charging admission.

This is important for me because the first business I ever started was natural beauty care line. It ultimately failed; however, because I was formulating the products, mixing the products, packaging the products, marketing the products, and selling the products ALL BY MYSELF. I didn't know the value in creating a business model that capitalized on talent outside of myself, but now I do.

The Lemon Bar is still a work in progress, but the point is to provide a chic experience a la Mojo Spa while capitalizing on the products and services of local vendors. It's a win for them because they have an opportunity to make sales they ordinarily might not have, and it's a win for me because I get a piece of every transaction made through my event.

It's called "The Lemon Bar" because lemons are "fresh" and we want the event to be a "bar for fresh taste". Personally, I think we can come up with a better name, but my partner and I have been brainstorming like crazy and we have yet to come up with anything better. Hopefully a better name will pop up soon...

What do you think of "The Lemon Bar"? Got a better name idea? Want to share your "boss lady" business idea with Think and Grow Chick? Share your comments below.

First Try with Cassia: Nature's "Clear" Alternative to Henna

2009-08-10T14:42:00.000-04:00

Besides the dry, frizzy bush, and the constant teasing from my boyfriend, there were actually a few perks to not taking care of my hair. First and foremost, I spent zero dollars every week trying the latest and greatest hair concoctions. Secondly, I never had to subject myself to late night, bleary-eyed, "fotki stalking" of the internet's most beautifully-coifed, natural haired women. Now that I am working to upgrade my locks; however, I have been reduced to the above afflictions. Just the other day, one hour after I woke up, I found myself scouring the aisles of Whole Foods for hair products.

What could possibly drive someone to make a 20 minute trip to an overpriced natural food store so that they can spend $22 on natural hair stuff first thing in the morning, you ask? Don't blame it on the alcohol...blame it on CurlyNikki, NaturallyCurly.com, and Henna instead.

As I've been discussing with my last few blog post, one of the many goals I will be tracking on this blog deals with me getting out of my "natural hair rut", as I like to call it. Instead of the lack luster 'fro I've grown accustomed to rocking, I'd like to fashion my hair into long, loose, thick, shiny, dark curls. To do this my plan included many of the recommendations from one of my favorite hair bloggers, CurlyNikki.

On CN's blog, she talks about how Henna changed her (hair) life and how she's such a proponent. She points her readers to this thread on NaturallyCurly.com for how she got her start using Henna.

Dear friends, that thread dates back to September 2007 and is 132 pages and counting. The amount of info on that thread about Henna is ridiculous. After sifting through that thread all week, I was nothing short of obsessed with Henna and what it could possibly do for my hair—hence me waking up first thing in the morning and speeding down the freeway to Whole Foods.

Once at Whole Foods, I purchased Light Mountain Neutral Henna because I wanted to get my feet wet with Cassia before I completely jumped in. "Whoa, whoa, ThinkandGrowChick" I can hear you say. "Neutral Henna? Cassia? Just what are you talking about?"

Well dear friends, after losing nearly a week of my life to reading that Henna thread on NaturallyCurly.com, I feel as if I'm almost an expert. To be clear, Henna is a plant indigenous to Africa, India, and other parts of Asia. Since forever, women in those regions have been using the plant in a paste to impart strength, shine, and a red tint to their hair. There is a second plant called Cassia that has similar effect to hair as Henna, but it is not permanent and does not leave the red tint (thus it's nickname as "neutral henna").

Though Henna is permanent, supposedly, continuous use will provide one with bionic hair. Judging from CurlyNikki and some of the other NaturallyCurly.com members, Henna is the truth and I couldn't wait to try it. I dashed out to Whole Foods to pick up some Cassia, in the hopes that if Cassia did well in my hair, I would try the longer lasting Henna.

Here's the Light Mountain Brand I bought at Whole Foods. Apparently, one should be weary of store brand Henna/Cassia because they tend to be lower grade and have harmful, metal additives in them, but I felt okay using this one because other NaturallyCurly members had success with it and the box clearly stated that the only ingredient in it was Cassia.

Next, I mixed the stuff up with freshly brewed green tea and a little lemon juice, and I let it sit for about 5 hours.

Mmm, green, muddy goodness.

Here I am with this ancient crap all over my head. By this time it was, oh, 3am, but I was trying not to look crazy tired in front of the camera. I had laid a towel over my pillow because it was my original intent to sleep in it. That quickly changed when the mix kept running down the nape of my neck and all over the towel. I couldn't sleep like that, so I decided to just stay up until it was finished.

Let me be the first to say that this stuff was quite a challenge to rinse out. I shampooed about 3 times, but still felt a lot of grit in my hair, so I just decided to condition my hair in the hopes that the "slip" provided my the conditioner would slide the gritty leftover right on out. I was correct; next time I plan to just co-wash instead of using shampoo. After my hair was clean, I sectioned it back into four parts a la maneandchic and added the all natural Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave-in conditioner. Next, I set my hair using the Twist n Curl method via CurlyNikki and I went to bed.

Ta-da! This is how I woke up. Well, obviously I had to take my hair down and such, but this is how my hair came out. I love it! It's so cute!

Here you can see the shine. Call me crazy, but I swore my hair was ever so subtly red, even though I used Cassia which imparts a golden tint, if any, on the hair. It turned out pretty good though, I'm excited to see how true henna will turn out on my hair.

Anyone else out their have experiences with henna? Did using it give you bionic hair? Share your comments below.

Develop a Plan: Think and Grow Fabulous Hair

2009-08-09T23:40:00.000-04:00

Per my last post on the official kick-off of operation "Get out of your natural hair rut", I talked about my goal to have long, big, loosely curled, dark, shiny hair (say that 5 times fast). Today's post is about the second part of the Think and Grow Rich principles where Napoleon Hill states that you have to have a plan to get what you desire. I'm concocting a hybrid plan based on the recommendations of my two favorite hair bloggers, Maneandchic and CurlyNikki. My plan is to:

Track my progress obsessively
Tie my hair up every night or at least sleep in a silk pillow case to deter breakage
Continue to wash and style my hair when it's parted into four sections for less breakage and easier manageability
Keep hair inspirations nearby in either a physical or online scrapbook
Use natural products
Use Henna regularly
Style my hair using the Twist n' Curl method to promote growth
Get a support system! (i.e. naturallycurly.com hair forums)

Why did I choose all of these very specific things to do? Well let's assess...

Maneandchic

Progress Tracking

I think the number one thing Maneandchic is famous for is her commitment to tracking her progress. I remember looking at her first post the other day, when she had a collar-bone length, relaxed bob, and she vowed from that point on she was going to have bra-strap length, natural hair...that was in April of 2007. Today she has reached past armpit length and growing.

The funny thing is, I had my hair goals long before I decided to write about them today; the problem is I never took the time to track my progress. I fact, Maneandchic's "Think and Grow Long" post inspired me to add my hair goals to this Think and Grow Chick blog. On previous blogs I started, I spent most of my time blogging about entrepreneurship because being an entrepreneur is my life's dream, but I always fell off of those blogs because I felt so limited. After all, my first entrepreneurial venture was a natural hair care line called Material Gurl, and my natural hair still remains an important part of me.

From Product Pictures

I thought people might think I was silly for talking about seemingly "superficial" goals like hair care on a blog where I simultaneously talked about things like financial freedom and spirituality, but being a Think and Grow Chick is about thinking and growing the WHOLE chick, not just the "serious" parts. So yeah, I could be doing anything in the world right now, but I'm using my precious time to draft and document a plan to reach my hair goals. Thanks Maneandchic for giving me the confidence to do that.

Tying hair up at night

Maneandchic attributes much of her growth to tying her hair up at night. She is so dedicated to keeping her hair under wraps while she sleeps, she's even known to "baggy".

Sectioning hair into four parts

Additionally, Maneandchic sections her natural hair into four parts for cleansing, conditioning, and styling purposes. She writes:

I do everything in four sections. It's easier to detangle my hair this way and also I'm ensuring that I reach every inch of my head when using this method to apply product. In fact, my hair was falling out by the handfuls up until two years ago when I first employed this method. I use it for everything. When I get ready for bed I part my hair in these four sections and apply oils. In the morning I co-wash in sections and then detangle in sections. I strongly suggest this method for transitioners, as it helped me transition for over a year successfully while retaining most of my hair.

Hair Inspirations

Maneandchic is also popular for he knack at finding and profiling inspiring models and everyday women with beautiful natural hair. There were many days that I would go to her site just to look at the pictures she posted. If I learn nothing else from Maneandchic, I know to keep visuals of my goal around me at all times.

The general recommendation for people pursuing goals like this is to tear things they like out of magazines and save them in a folder. Again, I'm both a bit lazy and a bit of a tech nerd, so what I've vowed to do is take things I like off of the internet, and clip them to my Evernote. For those of you unfamiliar with the greatness that is Evernote, it's an digital notebook system that syncs from online, to your desktop, to your iphone/ipod and back again. I use Evernote for all my goals, not just hair, but I'll do an in-depth review of Evernote at another time.

Natural products

I've always liked natural products and felt they were better for your hair, but I fell off because the Korean beauty supply store is IMMEDIATELY off campus and it was just too easy to stock up on all the petroleum-based crap they sell in there. This is particularly sad because, as I stated previously, I started a natural product line my sophomore year in college. Following Maneandchic reminded me how important natural products are to my hair goals, so I'm working to get back on track.

CurlyNikki

I found out about CurlyNikki through some youtube videos done by fans of hers and through Maneandchic, and let me just say that this chick has some gorgeous hair! Check out her site and you'll see why I've incorporated her routine into my hair plan.

Henna

CurlyNikki is a HUGE henna proponent having started using henna herself in 2007 (you can literally follow her henna journey day by day on this thread of the naturallycurly.com forum). Via CurlyNikki's testimony and her hair pictures, Henna apparently makes hair very strong, shiny, and healthy. Though henna is a little messy (it looks like thick mud once mixed) and more inconvenient to do then a regular deep conditioner, I'm totally down for the challenge if it'll give me the hair it's famous for.

Twist n Curl

The "Twist n Curl" is CurlyNikki's signature hair-do and her method for maintain hair length. To do a TnC, section and twist hair like normal for a twist out, but wrap the ends around rollers to deter split ends and breakage. CurlyNikki claims she used to be a "wash-n-go" kind of girl, but her hair never got passed shoulder length. With the help of her TnC and Henna use, CurlyNikki's hair is quickly approaching waist-length.

I'm lazy so obviously I love to "wash-n-go", but I've hit the same shoulder-length brick wall CurlyNikki mentions, so I think it's time I try something new. CurlyNikki also maintains that she either ties her hair up at night or uses a silk pillow case, so I think both the Twist n Curl and a silk pillow case are in my immediate future.

Get a support system

CurlyNikki is an extremely active member of the NaturallyCurly forums. I used to think it was dorky to join a hair forum and talk about natural hair all day, but I've noticed nearly all of the women active on those forums meet their hair goals. I think the forums provide you with fellowship and accountability, both of which are so important that Napoleon Hill spent a lot of time in Think and Grow Rich talking about "Mastermind groups" —a group where you can fellowship and hold others accountable over reaching your goals. I've already joined naturallycurly.com and I plan on posting soon...check me out as Think&GrowChick.

So that's it! How does my plan sound to you? Have your own plan for fabulous natural hair? Let me know what you think by commenting!

Finding My Hair Inspiration

2009-08-08T15:25:00.000-04:00

In an effort to appease my vanity, I've decided the first goal I'll post about will be about...hair!!! My beloved, afro-ed hair...what to do, what to do. Let's assess...

Um, yeah. I technically have been natural my whole life, but I never knew my hair texture because it was always braided up or pressed out when I was a little girl. When I turned 13, I begged, cried and screamed for a perm...only to receive it and beg, cry and scream when all my hair broke off. What was once super long and super luxurious hair was now truncated at my collar bone by the time I was a sophomore in high school. At the wise age of 15 1/2 (yes, a whopping 2 1/2 years later), I informed my mom she could cancel my standing touch-up appointments at J.C. Penney because I was "growing my perm out".

And so my journey began.

5 1/2 years later, I'm still natural and still loving it, but I can't deny that I've sunk into a total rut. What's both wonderful and dangerous about natural hair is that you can literally wake up and go. I'm a college student, so "wake up and go" is essential. Couple that with being in a serious relationship where you feel you don't have to "impress anybody anymore" and you have arrived at my intersection—dry, no style, mediocre hair.

Luckily for me, turning 21 has renewed my passion to find my "inner grown woman", so my former, haphazard 'fro just seems very unacceptable now. Though I now know what I don't want, the key is focusing on what I do want. We return to principle #1 of Think and Grow Rich where Napoleon Hill states that you have to fix in your mind exactly what you desire. I'm cheating a little bit because the following looks aren't exactly what I desire, but the inspire and invoke the presence that I think I'm going for.

Wayna!!! I love soul music and I get mistaken to be Ethiopian a lot, so Wayna is my Ethiopian-born, soul singer alter ego. Though her hair is straight here, Wayna is natural and rocks a curly look on a lot of her older promo pics. Surprisingly though, I like Wayna better with straight hair. It's healthy, long, and dark and I would love to at least to have the option to wear my hair like this whenever I felt like it. My hair is not nearly this long or this healthy, but it could be...

Tracee Ellis Ross!!! This wouldn't be a proper post about natural hair without mentioning Tracee! Her hair inspires black women worldwide and I am certainly no exception. My boyfriend always makes fun of the fantasy friendship I've developed with her in my head...she is so cool. I love her hair and her style.

Teyana Taylor, of Super Sweet 16 fame. I know the "authenticity" of this chicks hair is constantly called into question, but for a 17 year old, I'm sorry, she's fly. Her hair is gorgeous! I love it and I want it asap...

After going over my hair inspirations, I think the key things to note are length, volume, and color. All of these women have big, long, loosely curled, dark hair...and that's what I want. Just how will I attain this fabulous hair? Stay tuned for my next post on second principle of T&GR...planning!

Initial "Think & Grow Chick" To-Do List

2009-08-05T10:04:00.000-04:00

Alright. If this blog is going to be my online journal for achieving my goals via the T&GR principles, then I guess I should state which goals I'm trying to achieve. I'll go into detail about each of these individual goals in later posts, but right now I just want to lay my initial goals out so I know what I'm working with. As the T&GR principles state, determining exactly what it is you desire is the first step to success. As I'm sure most young women can relate, my main goals fall into the following categories:

Money/Employment
Style
Beauty
Health/Fitness
College
Organization/Time Management
Spirituality

Let's take a look at what exactly I'll be working towards this year...
(This is a long, detailed list, so if your lazy, you can just skip down to the bottom of this page to look at a summary of my goals without the commentary)

Think and Grow Rich

All my goals dealing with money, work, and entrepreneurship will hence forth be labeled "Think and Grow Rich". Napoleon Hill's plan should be especially applicable to this category in my life because, well...that's what his plan was developed for! The three main immediate goals I have for thinking and growing rich include:

Starting a series of beauty and vintage fashion events on campus tentatively named The Lemon Bar
Developing a network on campus comprised of student businesses then promoting them to local, non-student businesses in the city
Have enough income from my own ventures/freelance initiatives to not have to work a part-time job while in school

In a nutshell, I have competing passion for both entrepreneurship and vintage fashion/beauty/generally creative stuff, so every hour that I spend at a part-time job feels like a complete waste of my time. I would love nothing more than to devote all of my free time to a business I've started in creative industry and get paid for it. So no more dreaming about it...I'm taking T&GR's advice and I'm planning on it.

Think and Grow Stylish

If you're rolling your eyes here, then you probably should be reading a different blog. I can't help it; I love fashion, particularly vintage fashion. Vintage is great because it generally cost less than new clothes, yet the quality tends to be better and it's completely unique. As a poor college student, you can't beat that.

While I'm always tweaking and re-tweaking my look just to keep things interesting, my current quest for a great wardrobe comes at after the Armageddon of my flooded apartment. Not only was everything soggy, but mold had taken over the room. Here's a pair of some never worn vintage Stuart Weitzman for Neiman Marcus pumps...

...RUINED! I wish I could just put it behind me with days worth of retail therapy, but the problem is I'm very tight on cash. I also attend Howard University, a school where style is required, not an option. Therefore, my goal is not simply to snag some great clothes, but to do so as close to $free.99 as possible. Hopefully the T&GR principles are up to the challenge.

Think and Grow Pretty

T&G Pretty overlaps a little bit with T&G Stylish and T&G Fit, but this section deals with my superficial goals about changing up my look. I recently just turned 21 (woo-hoo!) and I've come to realize how bored I am with my look. Now don't get me wrong...I think I'm cute, but I've been riding the same wave for a while now, and as a legal, bona fide adult, I desperately want that "grown" look. I won't deal to much with clothes here because I already went over all of that in T&G Stylish, but my hair and makeup goals will be handled here.

Speaking of makeup, I've donned the same look since high school; a bronzy face with pink lips. I desperately need to not only new makeup, but new technique as well. Truth be told, I'm actually not the greatest at applying makeup. This may shock my friends because many of them say I taught them about makeup, but in reality, I only know a few basic techniques that work, and I've been pimping them since I was 16. Granted, my makeup generally looks good, but I have a hard time changing it up, and nothing I do exudes the "grown and sexy" look I'm going for.

As for the hair, I've been natural for about 6 years now; I love my big, curly afro and would never think of going back to a perm. *However*...I do feel like I've exhausted all of the popular natural hair-doos out there and I definitely need a change. Most of the stuff for natural hair online deals with transitioning out of a perm or mastering basic styles. The internet has yet to tackle what happens when you've been natural for a while and you love it, but you're a little bored with the monotony of a 'fro?

Hopefully I can successfully do that here; my goal is to find new signature look for both my hair and makeup.

Think and Grow Fit

I'm a little embarrassed to admit, but I have gotten SO out of shape lately. What once was the body of both a track and field athlete and a ballerina, has now been reduced to that of a girl who spends too much time on the couch. I've only gained about 10 pounds, but because I have a naturally round face and was always muscular and lean my entire life, and extra 10 pounds looks a really flabby to me. More than the way it looks, an extra 10 pounds is an indication of active lifestyle I've all but abandoned in favor of lazy afternoons in front of my Macbook. I'm kicking my sedentary butt into shape; I'm using the T&GR principles to get fit and to tone up.

Think and Grow Studious

This is my senior year of my chemical engineering program in college. Though I'm not graduating because I'm on a five-year track, this year is very important because it'll determine whether or not I'm graduating on-time. I've flip-flopped in the past, both with my grades and my major (I changed to Finance for a semester, but I decided to switch it back this year) so I really have no room for mistakes this year. Though Think and Grow Rich was not written to help someone will school, this might be the most important goal it can help me reach. I'm retaking a lot of classes this semester, so my goal is two-fold; I want at least a 3.5 this semester and I want to save up enough money this year to be able to afford summer school sessions so that I can graduate on time.

Think and Grow Organized

Organization is so overlooked yet it's so important. I feel like I don't even really have to go into detail on this one; I simply need to stop procrastinating and learn to keep important things mentally and physically in their place. That's part of the reason why I started this blog ;-)

Spirituality

I obviously do not need to use the Think and Grow Rich principles for my Christian faith (that's what the Bible is for), but that doesn't mean I don't have spiritual goals, because I do. Spirituality is without a doubt my most important goal and the crux of any success I have had or ever hope to have in my life. Without Christ, I am and would have, nothing. Therefore, I will document my spiritual growth on this blog when appropriate because it's such an integral part of my life, but I am making the conscious decision to be discerning about it on here because one's walk with God is a very intimate, personal thing.

Summary
Whoo! You are dedicated if you read through all of that! If you didn't, no fear; I summarized all of my goals below:

Think and Grow Rich (Money/Employment)

Start a series of beauty and vintage fashion events on campus tentatively named The Lemon Bar
Develop a network on campus comprised of student businesses, then promote them to local, non-student businesses in the city
Have enough income from my own ventures/freelance initiatives to not have to work a part-time job while in school

Think and Grow Stylish (Style)

Rebuild a my funky wardrobe on the cheap!

Think and Grow Pretty (Beauty)

Find a new, wearable signature look for my makeup and learn the proper technique to apply it.
Get out of my natural hair rut and while working to make my hair healthier.

Think and Grow Fit (Health and Fitness)

Return to my active lifestyle, drop the excess 10 pounds, and tone up my whole body.

Think and Grow Studious (College)

Earn at least a 3.5 GPA this semester and save up enough money this year to be able to afford summer school sessions so that I can graduate on time.

Think and Grow Organized (Organization/Time Mgmt)

Quit procrastinating and mentally and physically keep things in their respective places.

Spirituality

Grow closer to God!!! (via prayer and The Bible, not T&GR)

Now go forth and read my blog to see how my goal chasing and the Think and Grow Rich principles work out!

About

2009-08-04T13:56:00.000-04:00

Hello and welcome to my blog!

By reading the title of this blog, you've probably noticed that I'm relating to Napoleon Hill's classic book, Think and Grow Rich. If you haven't heard of this book, it chronicles "the secret" to being rich per Hill's study of wealthy men over 20 years.I originally read the book a few years ago, but didn't finish it due to the book's frustrating habit of never saying out right what this "secret" to wealth was. It wasn't until attending an entrepreneurship conference in June 2009 that one of the motivational speakers present laid it all out for a small group of us to understand. According to chapter 2 of the book, America's wealthiest individuals become so because they:

Fix in their mind exactly what it is they desire
Determine what they intend to give in exchange for what they desire
Establish a definite time for when they intend to possess what it is they desire
Create a definite plan
Write out a statement for what it is they want and the time limit for its acquisition
Read their written statement aloud twice daily

The motivational speaker was so adamant about the aforementioned steps that she placed them on a laminated notecard and passed them out to us. "This will change your life," she said. This blog will ultimately see if she's correct.

To be clear, this blog is not about getting rich. If the above Think and Grow Rich steps have any merit, then they should be able to help someone do a lot more than just be rich. What if money's not an issue, but staying organized is? What if you're dying to lose 10 pounds? Write a book? Get a 4.0? Get fluent in Arabic? Become a fashion designer?

As a 20-something college girl living in a big city, my goals are numerous yet very specific. I want a 3.5 this semester as much as I want an extensive vintage wardrobe. I want to start a business on campus as much as I want to grow a huge afro. The point is, I'm always attempting to "think and grow" into something; what better way to see if such a famous book works then by applying it to my own life?

Therefore, I am the Think & Grow Chick and this blog is both my online journal and a running how-to guide for "chicks who want to do everything". ;-)