DANOMI

It’s funny how nearing the end of each year affords you the opportunity to reflect on the year that is passing away and prepare for the year ahead. Whenever I look ahead I kind of naturally start to think in terms of goal setting and planning. This year is no different. There are so many things that I want to put on the agenda for this upcoming year. But before I get started I want to take a little bit of time to reflect on the year that has just passed away.

Just like every other year 2008 had its share of ups and downs for me both personally and professionally. Last year around this time just before stepping into 2008 I came up with a little chant to help me get ready for the New Year:

2008 IS GONNA BE GREAT! 2008 IS GONNA BE GREAT!

I’m not prepared to dig into all of the factors from 2007 which led to my having to come up with a reassuring positivity chant to get ready for 2008. Instead I’ll just kind of sum up 2007 like this: I felt completely trapped.

One of the reasons for this helpless condition of feeling trapped is that we finally moved back into our house which had to be restored and completely rebuilt as a result of damage from Hurricane Katrina. For many this magical moment of experiencing the right of return in its fullness was an ultimate high but for me it was the undesirable confirmation that New Orleans was home again. Every time I think I’m out they pull me right back in.

The second main contributing factor to this feeling of being trapped had everything to do with my professional life. I run a small Air Conditioning and Heating (HVAC) business as you may or may not already be aware of. The point is somewhere along the way during 2007 I hit “The Dip” as Seth Godin refers to it. At the time I didn’t really understand fully this concept although I quite naturally came up with various possible solutions to my “unique” predicament. All I knew for sure was that I was in a bad spot and all I could think about was quitting. After a whole year has passed and I’ve had the benefit of reading several books, blogs and articles which helped to shed light on this little situation it would seem that I was right on with feeling like that. The Dip contains the best advice I’ve read on this subject and also bolsters what I knew at the moment I began to feel trapped by my business. If you cannot be the best at what you are doing then quitting is a better option than languishing in mediocrity.

Quitting isn’t as easy as it sounds. There are always other factors to consider and more specifically other people (customers, employees & family) relying on you to fulfill your role. Quitting one thing to focus on another thing will automatically begin to redefine your role and affect the relationships that you are involved in. Two days ago I watched half of Kung-Fu Panda and the beginning of the movie sheds a little light on my situation. The A/C business is to me what the noodle business was to Panda. In 2006 I took over the reins of the family business not fully comprehending what that meant. Had I realized the importance of being passionate about what you do I would have definitely thought twice about accepting the responsibility to run a business which I don’t truly live and breathe.

2008 IS GONNA BE GREAT! 2008 IS GONNA BE GREAT!

What was extremely unclear at the time was what I would do instead and how would I extricate myself from this undesirable condition of feeling trapped by circumstances that were seemingly beyond my control. How had I gotten to this point? But more importantly, how would I get myself past this point?

As 2008 rolled around I decided that I would get started on my Digital Empire. For some years I’d been thinking about doing something internet related but the stars never seemed to align for me to step into the realm of online business. I knew a couple of web designers who do amazing work but the problem with working with digital creatives who bring to life your vision is you have to be able to communicate your vision clearly. My vision was anything but defined but I knew I wanted to do something. I started the next logical step and that was to begin to look at the time I invested online from a more business like perspective and try to figure out how I could carve out opportunities for myself.

This of course opened up a whole new world of possibilities. After doing some reading I decided to launch a blog because it allowed me to produce and publish my own content online and eliminated the need for a web design person until I develop my online vision. As a result of launching this blog almost by default I ended up landing two “clients” serving as their “Social Media Specialist/ Advisor/ Strategist.” Social Media has proved to be a fun ride thus far because on a certain level I “get it” but the majority of people and businesses still don’t get it. This post wasn’t intended to be a series but I guess it will have to be since the Holidays are invading my space in the form of family members crowding me out and interrupting my flow. AHHHHHHHHHH!

 Share

We as a country stand in very unfamiliar territory. We have entered an era in which major changes are taking place in every field of human endeavor. We have to embrace this change and understand that the changes that are taking place are necessary for our collective growth and development. The thought leaders of today are desperately trying to hold onto their position as thought leaders but have outlived their current usefulness. This change has been coming for some time now even though those who were in positions of power have been reluctant to acknowledge the need for real change. They have been extremely concerned with maintaining the status quo which is a recipe for disaster.

Every industry is in real trouble now and we have more problems than solutions. Big media is in trouble and the business model that has worked for them in the past has been broken for some years now but they have finally warmed to the idea of developing a new model.

“We had to figure out a way to create a competitive media company without any of the pre-existing resources. Our lack of a legacy was both an obstacle and a boon. On the one hand, we had no infrastructure, no team of reporters, no brand. On the other hand, we had no baggage - unlike a television network, or a print newspaper, or a magazine that has to reconfigure and translate itself into a new online medium. We were under no burden of a long-standing business model - we were free to create a brand new one… So while we had to overcome the fact that we were starting from nothing, we also had the benefit of starting from nothing.” - Kenneth Lerer from the foreword of The Huffington Post Complete Guide To Blogging.

The auto industry is on life support and the only answers they have lie in their ability to re-finance their reluctance to embrace change. The American government’s main answer is to print money it doesn’t have in the hope that it can buy itself enough time to figure out how to maintain its dominance in a changing world.

“Of much greater practical importance, the Fed bluntly announced that it would print as much money as necessary to revive the frozen credit markets and fight what is shaping up as the nation’s worst economic downturn since World War II.”

I know that Obama won the election and ushered us into a post-racial environment. Like Dr. Cornell West pointed out a couple of days ago Black people have pushed past racism a long time ago and what Obama’s election marks is a milestone for whites in regards to racism. As Black people we have to embrace the “Audacity of Hope” and recognize that there are a lot of opportunities available if you are willing to recognize that the playing field is level. Your opposition is real enough but all you have to do is step onto the playing field.

You have an advantage by not having much to lose. Whatever you want to do today can be accomplished if only you have the desire and will to accomplish it. All of the tools to accomplish what you will are available and at your disposal. You may not know where to look for them but with a little persistence you can locate someone who is more than willing to help you to accomplish your goals. The only thing missing is you and your desire to accomplish what you will.

I’m more than certain that most of your goals have nothing to do with spending the rest of your life in a jail cell. I’m sure you aren’t looking forward to being riddled with gunshots and being laid to rest before you get a chance to live your life. Unless these are your goals you should re-examine the choices you’ve made thus far and take a second look at the activities you are involved in. You already know the two most probable routes your life will lead you as a Blackman in this country: dead or in jail. You’ve heard it over and over. You have an opportunity to re-write your future. You already are equipped with most of what you need to exceed in this life naturally. You just have to decide that you want more out of your life.

Anything you want to do can be done today. You have no excuse for contributing to the destruction of Black lives in America. You also do not have to volunteer to work for the Prison Industrial Complex. If you are determined to volunteer your time then the least you could do is join the Peace Corp and see something new. The Block and the jail cell are played. You’ve been there and done that.

You can do exactly what you want to do with your life. It’s your choice.

 Share

Last week a report released by CQ Press ranking crime rates in American cities placed New Orleans at the top of the list for this less than honorable distinction. As many New Orleanians know this is nothing new for us. Back in 1994 we set the record for murder rate and can lay claim to being the Murder Capital of the World. Even though our population may never amount to what it was before Hurricane Katrina, pound for pound we are still the champ. Do a Google search for New Orleans murder rate and take a look at the statistics for yourself. One link sends you over to Wikipedia and peep their description of New Orleans crime:

New Orleans has a high violent crime rate. Its homicide rate has consistently ranked in the top five of large cities in the country since the 1980s. In 1994, 421 people were killed (85.8 per 100,000 people), a homicide rate which has not been matched by any major city to date.[18] The homicide rate rose and fell year to year throughout the late 1990s, but the overall trend from 1994 to 1999 was a steady reduction in homicides.
From 1999 to 2004, the homicide rate again increased. New Orleans had the highest murder rate of any major American city in 2002 (53.3 per 100,000 people). In 2004, there were 275 murders reported.[19]
After Hurricane Katrina, media attention focused on the reduced violent crime rate following the exodus of many New Orleanians. That trend is beginning to reverse itself as more people return to the city, although calculating the homicide rate remains difficult given that no authoritative source can cite a total population figure.[20]

The statistics are staggering and as we descend further and further into this recession which is drawing parallels to the Great Depression era the crime rate here will only get worse. The problems contributing to these conditions are varied as are the solutions necessary to help turn this disturbing trend around. Police chief Warren Riley has been under fire of late and this only adds fuel to the flames of those calling for his resignation.

He made some very valid points by pointing out that “The problem won’t change until we take care of the poor people in this city, until we take care of the impoverished in this city, until we gave them the same educational opportunities as everyone else, until we give them direction.” I can’t help but reflect on the ‘real’ policy makers of this city (hint: it’s not the elected officials) who thwarted an effort to set up a community outreach program with proven results in other cities plagued by violence.

We can change the course of history for this beautifully violent city but it will take a lot of hard work on all our parts. There have been an increasing number of people who have dedicated their efforts to creating opportunities for the historically underserved of this city. One such organization has served as a support system for this emerging flock of Social Entrepreneurs who are making great strides towards making New Orleans a better place to live. Take a second to scan over SENO’s website and find out which organizations are doing what to better our community. Then Give Them Your Support. Whether your support is financial or your time directly, the people who dedicate their lives to making sure that the least in this city have a fighting chance at making something out of their lives deserve your help and support. We must all learn to work together effectively to reverse the trend. Barrack Obama’s election serves as a sign that anything is possible and it is possible to improve the conditions which foster the criminal element in this city. Most of it is poverty related and one of the most effective ways to eliminate poverty is through generating profits. Community outreach programs can no longer depend on grants alone to help those in need of help but must begin to focus on ways to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit by creatively utilizing the talents of the people served to launch new businesses. It can be done. It will be done. And we are the ones who will make it happen. PEACE!

 Share

Dr. Ron Daniels echoed my thoughts from earlier about Black people always being the conscious of this country. I was reflecting about the significance of Hurricane Katrina and how it illustrated to the world how Black people still suffer in this country. The fact that our leaders, architects and giants are converging on this city for the State of the Black World on the heels Barrack Obama’s historic election serves as a reminder to the world that there is still work to do amongst ourselves in order for us to continue to make collective progress. The conference has been appropriately intimate thus far, making for a good teacher to student ratio as we continue to receive guidance in the struggle for our complete Liberation as a people. Change is beautiful isn’t it?

 Share

 Share