So, here I am, 30, happily married mother of 2 wonderful boys, an online marketing professional and a musician.
I'd like to use just one of those to describe myself, but it just wouldn't be complete. I am who I am, and at 30, I definitely know what that means.
Saturday, October 24, 2020
Talking positivity with Wendy of YourHelpfulWendy
Life is full of hardships.
It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, now matter how much you want it to be.
Disease, sadness, breakups, death and taxes are some of the ways that life can punch you in the gut.
You can try to avoid most, but ultimately, some things are going to catch up to you.
The best you can do is be a decent human, do good things and align yourself with like minded people.
And my favorite thing to do is to focus on the positive.
Just like you can’t have the good without the bad, it also works the other way around.
The way I see it, you have two choices.
You either wallow in the bad stuff, or you acknowledge it and keep marching towards the good.
That’s why, when I come across really positive people, I gravitate towards them.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of FedEx Office®.
Yep, it’s an unprecedented time.
Mine, like many other businesses, has been affected by the pandemic.
Specifically, my LatinaMeetup events have had to pivot to virtual events for the time being.
I am lucky that our community of Latina professionals is supportive and everyone really embodies our mission, which is to CELEBRATE, ELEVATE and CONNECT Latina professionals.
I’m all about getting things done and working towards those goals.
So, while I plan and execute our virtual events, I am dreaming of and planning for when we can get back to seeing each other in person when safety and guidelines permit.
I decided to work on some things on that to-do list that were neglected when the event schedule was so hectic.
Specifically, I needed to get some posters and flyers printed in one place without having to run around to different suppliers.
And since I’ve used them many times before to get out of a bind, I decided to use FedEx Office®.
I can’t count the amount of times we’ve had someone forget their business cards for a trade show or event.
And FedEx Office has come to the rescue every single time.
So off I went to my local FedEx Office store, which was an easy two miles from my home.
They are seriously everywhere.
Walking into my local FedEx Office store ready to get some essentials for my events.
As soon as I walked in, I was greeted and immediately tended to by a wonderful associate named Ashley.
I explained what I needed, whipped out my flash drive, and got to work with her on ordering my posters.
I had several versions of each file to allow for needing crop marks, etc., so she made sure we were working with the correct files.
Here I am chatting with the lovely Ashley as she explains my options and makes sure the file she opened is the correct one.
Now, if you know me, you know indecisive is NOT a word you would use to describe me.
But times are different, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted just a poster or a banner or both.
I knew that they had many options, but when the manager stepped in and offered to show me more options, I was thrilled.
I had the option to print banners of every possible size and configuration.
Hikem showed me so many options that my mind was absolutely buzzing with ideas.
I also had no idea that they offered backlit prints, car magnets or custom boxes.
I placed my order and it was ready in a couple of days.
And I was thrilled with the quality.
I was also glad that I listened to Ashley when she suggested I go with matte instead of glossy.
That way, when we took photos, there wouldn’t be the issue of glare.
Check out my LatinaMeetup poster. See, no glare.
I also had these simple flyers made.
They are a perfect finishing touch for tables.
I was very happy with the results.
My only issue is that now I have all these ideas!
I came prepared for printing posters and flyers, but I left with a new list of other items I will be ordering.
For example, a custom box would be adorable and a great branding opportunity for our virtual event prize winners.
Also, I don’t need a car magnet, but I really want one and they could be great for prizes too.
What would you get printed at a FedEx Office now that you know how much stuff they offer? Right now, FedEx Office is offering some great discounts. Save $20 off a $50 print order using promo code NAT212 at checkout. Offer ends 11/30, and the promo code can be used in-store and online. Learn more here.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of FedEx Office.
Everyone talks about self love and finding one’s true calling.
We talk a lot about external factors that affect our careers.
We talk about diversity issues and glass ceilings.
Don’t get me wrong. Those things most definitely exist.
And I have been affected by them as well.
But that’s another story for another time.
With all the focus on external factors affecting our careers, we rarely talk about looking inward in an effort to become a better member of a team.
I mean, when was the last time you thought about your role in your own problems at work?
Maria’s Career
I met Maria about 7 years ago.
We get together for drinks every month, even if it’s at each other’s homes.
She is a manager at a fairly large company and she loves her job.
Last year her direct report announced his retirement.
She KNEW she was meant for this position.
Without missing a beat, she excitedly applied to be his replacement.
Being a director would represent a tremendous growth opportunity, a great boost in salary and a sense of having arrived.
As the daughter of Peruvian immigrants, this was another opportunity for her to fulfill her family’s American Dream.
She was the first college graduate in her family.
She was the first person in her family to work in a white collar position.
And now, she was finally going to continue moving up the ladder in a career she adored.
Her excitement was so great that she shared the opportunity with her entire family.
Maria possesses all of the credentials, education and a proven track record of getting results.
Being a hard worker, she was always first in the office and last out on her team.
The promotion was a done deal.
An email changes everything
When she read an email announcing that her colleague, Mark got the promotion, she was dumbfounded.
How could this happen?
She was also furious.
How dare they?
She KNEW she was the most qualified candidate for that position.
Her mind immediately went over all of the reasons why she was passed over.
She was certain that they didn’t want to give a woman the position.
She also surmised that their diversity initiatives must be a total front.
Why else would they pass over a highly qualified Latina for a top position?
She checked every single box.
Unfortunately, neither of those narratives were true.
They had a VP who was a Latina and several women in leadership roles.
But Maria couldn’t see past her anger and disappointment.
A real friendship
She called me that very night to get together for drinks.
Mainly, she wanted someone she could vent with.
Unfortunately for Maria, I wasn’t the friend she wanted that night.
Instead, I was the friend she needed.
I didn’t sit there and toast to her horrible bosses and terrible company.
I did share how sorry I was that she didn’t get the promotion,
Then I asked her very pointed questions about her relationships at work.
I challenged her to look inward and write down anything negative about herself that would affect her working relationships.
It’s the exact opposite of what we get told to do lately.
We usually get asked to write down all of the good things about ourselves to lift our self esteem.
Yes, I’m a fan of patting yourself on the back when deserved.
However, I am NOT a fan of the adult version of the participation trophy.
You do NOT get a sticker for showing up on time very day.
You do NOT get a kudos for doing your job well and working hard.
If you disagree with me, you are entitled to that difference of opinion.
If you want to discover why I choose to think this way, read on.
Now let’s go over how this frame of thinking affected Maria’s view.
What she neglected to take into consideration was her own role in the decision.
She forgot that her affinity for gossip was a well known fact about her character.
She forgot that a few of the people she maligned through the years happened to be key decision makers.
Lastly, she forgot that the turnover rate for her team was three times that of any other group in the company due to her management style.
It was brutal for her to face these facts.
Because, they were absolutely FACTS that spoke to her character as it pertained to her job.
The hard questions
Now put yourself in the position of the person doing the hiring.
Whomever you choose will reflect directly in you, your reputation and your career.
Would you choose someone who is proven to create an atmosphere of gossip and dissent?
Would you stake your name and reputation on someone who’s leadership style includes the 3X turnover rate?
Would you hire her for a position that oversees multiple groups within the organization?
Maria was mad at me for a couple of weeks.
She wouldn’t return my calls, and I thought our friendship was pretty much over.
I truly hoped it was stronger than this, but I understood how painful that level of self reflection could be.
It’s you, not me
Some folks never quite get it, and they continue to blame external factors for things that go wrong in their lives.
That’s why every single politician operates on a platform of fear and victim-hood.
They make every speech about how the “other” side has taken this or that from you and how they will “help” you solve all your problems.
Once she had some time to reflect, Maria mustered the humility to speak to a few colleagues.
They gave her feedback to support the painful conclusions she spoke about with me.
A few weeks later she called me to apologize for getting mad at me.
She realized that she had work to do.
Great news!
When she she shared with me what her colleagues revealed about her, I excitedly responded with, “that is excellent news!”
Of course she was shocked that I would say something so obviously dumb.
That was, until I gave her my reason.
If the external factors that she assumed were the reasons for her missing an opportunity to grow in her career turned out to be the culprit, she was screwed.
You can’t control what you don’t control.
It was 100% her fault.
That meant she was also 100% in control.
She was no longer at the mercy of external factors she had concoted.
She was no longer the victim.
She had power.
Maria could now work on fixing the issues that led to this negative outcome.
I wasn’t a fan since I’ve been spending countless hours on Zoom meetings that could easily have been handled by a simple email.
But I get it, people are craving that human interaction.
So I knew that I had to go virtual.
LatinaMeetup is a community of Latina professionals who support each other.
The mission statement is:
LatinaMeetup’s mission is to CELEBRATE, ELEVATE and CONNECT Latina professionals in order to build and consolidate Latina wealth and influence.
A GIANT part of this initiative is our in-person events where hundreds of ladies experience amazing networking opportunities that we work so hard to create.
Of course, during this current pandemic situation, the events element has been heavily impacted.
Like most event planners, we’ve had to cancel the rest of the year.
This year we were only able to pull off one event in Washington, D.C. in the beginning of March, right before everything went crazy.
The other events in Atlanta, Chicago, New York City and Miami have all been postponed until further notice.
Like any thriving community, ours needs to be fueled by constant interaction and opportunities to connect.
Having in-person events without any real guidance was not even an option.
But I didn’t want to lose the momentum that I have spent the last two years building up.
And I also had sponsors to think about.
There were several challenges I needed to address:
How could I ensure that their brands would receive the attention and eyeballs they deserved?
How would we handle product placements and opportunities for our attendees to sample products?
How could we support our sponsors while still keeping our events fun, fast-moving and engaging?
How would I handle choosing winners for our giveaways?
What would be an alternative to supplying goody bags?
How do we make sure the events are fast-paced, exciting and fun for everyone in a world where they can just log off?
Virtual events were certainly a part of the answer, but I needed to ensure the LatinaMeetup vibe was coming through.
Our events are not the most posh on purpose.
I don’t want people walking around, wanting to be seen.
There are a zillion events that serve that purpose.
This event is about a community and connecting.
So I decided to just take the plunge and hold our first event.
We had about 60 people sign up and 35 actually show up.
LatinaMeetup Zoom
Here’s the truth. The planning was terrible.
And that was my fault as the host.
I didn’t set a time limit and we all just took turns introducing ourselves.
As you may have guessed, some ladies were taaaallllkkkerrrs.
That doesn’t bother me, but it doesn’t server everyone in the community.
I even had an attendee leave and tell me we needed time limits on her way out.
But we still managed to have a nice time in spite of that.
But I wanted more.
I wanted attendees to have such a good time that they couldn’t wait until the next one.
And I failed at that during this first virtual event.
So I took my bruised ego and went about researching games we could play and a format that would deliver on my goals.
I also recruited one of our attendees who has a very endearing and sparkly personality to help co-host.
Seriously, how many times do you hear it on any given day?
Every phone call or zoom meeting I attend now starts with some reference to this “new normal”.
Bleh.
It reminds me of when when a hurricane is on its way and all of the news stations keep repeating the term, “hunker down”.
Anywho, here we are, and this really IS the way things are.
I mean, we’re three months into it!
And no one really knows when things will go back to the way they were, if they ever will.
Will we shake hands again at business meetings?
Or will we come up with some new, awkward way of greeting people?
Anything but the fist pump though.
That’s just weird after a certain age.
I know I’ve shaken thousands of hands in my lifetime between meetings and tradeshows.
Is that over?
Alright, enough about shaking hands.
Let’s move onto the good stuff.
No matter what, one thing I know for sure is that there is humor to be gleaned from all of this newly normal madness.
See what I did there?
I thought I’d share some of my favorite COVID-19 memes.
Meme #1: Two Types of People
Two types of people during quarantine
I’m finding that I fluctuate between both types. Some days I am all about that self betterment. Others I wonder how I was able to eat that much food in so little time.
Meme #2: Hide The Snacks
How to hide the snacks
If you have ever had the wonderful experience of parenting and housing a teen boy, you will easily get this one. Yes, I do hide snacks. It’s survival of the fittest here, and if I don’t hide them, I don’t eat them.
Meme #3 COVID Ven Diagram
How many times of late have you had this weird feeling that you are living through some crazy dystopian work of fiction? I get hit with that uneasiness at least a couple of times daily.
Meme #4: Never Set It To 2020
Back To The Future 2020 Meme
Come on. How often have you thought, “If only I could go back in time?” I definitely would NEVER choose to come back to this hot mess. I’d prefer to just skip over it, please and thank you.
Meme #5: Corona Wolves
That sounds about right. I’ve had to work much harder to stay on top of what day it is. Even though I work nonstop, it just doesn’t seem the same.
There you have it folks.
These are my top 5 COVID-19 memes right now.
There are a lot more where those came from.
So be sure you come back next week to see the new share-worthy memes I stumble across on the interwebs.
Until next time.
And for Pete’s sake, stay safe during this “new normal”!
Another week in quarantine and I have officially lost count of which week it is.
Yes, it HAS been challenging to stay home and socialize only via Zoom and Facetime, but I am still taking this situation very seriously.
I know there is a huge debate going on right now about re-opening the economy.
Let’s escape all the debates and talk about what people are doing that is good!
With that, I give you another edition of my COVID-19 Kudos List!
Publix Supermarkets Buy From Farmers, Dairies And Donate To Food Banks
Photo by Rob Maxwell
Being from Florida, I have always been a fan of Publix. They are a bit pricier, but the money goes towards important things like employing people with special needs. So I tried to shop there as often as possible.
With an estimated 17 million people experiencing food insecurity, Publix has stepped up to help by buying fresh produce and milk from Florida farmers and southeastern dairies and donating to Feeding America-member food banks.
“As a food retailer, we have the unique opportunity to bridge the gap between the needs of families and farmers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic,” said Todd Jones, chief executive officer.
Kudos to them for using their buying power to alleviate TWO major groups being caused by this pandemic, the farmers and the consumers.
A Denver Community Holds A Parade to Celebrate the Adoption of a Girl by Her Foster Parents
Way to go to this entire community for making such a special moment into a celebration! Go ahead, watch and smile!
Congrats to Poppy and family!
D.C. Chemistry Teacher Jonte Lee Makes Home School Chemistry Cool
Teachers have been tasked with transforming an entire half of a school year into online learning. That, in itself, is a huge undertaking for which they should be commended.
Then you have those who really take things to another level.
Kudos to you Jonte Lee for making chemistry fun from your home kitchen!
Virginia Beach labor and delivery nurses sew special masks to help hearing-impaired first-time father
I saw this on WAVY news this week and obviously teared up.
Nurses are, by nature, deeply caring people. So this was no surprise. But it still got me.
There you go.
I hope these stories reminded you to focus on the positives and celebrate the good, because there is always good and bad.
The reason isn’t because I am some highly transformed individual who possesses the secrets of the meaning of life.
It’s the result of being pragmatic and realizing that you ALWAYS have a choice between being sad and living in that misery or choosing joy and taking ownership of your life and circumstances.
So, while the media is focusing on how terrible things are right now, and they are…
I want to give a shout out and big Kudos to those individuals and companies who have chosen to DO SOMETHING about our current situation in the world.
LEGO Factory is Producing Thousands of Protective Plastic Face Masks for Medical Workers
This week LEGO began to make visors at their factory in Billund for healthcare workers on the frontline in Denmark. They worked around the clock to create designs and make moulds that can produce more than 13,000 visors a day.
Not only did one of my favorite celebs on the planet donate $1 million to Vanderbilt University’s coronavirus research, but she’s also making us feel better with her inimitable story telling talents. As of Tuesday, April 9, the Dolly will read bedtime stories selected from the Imagination Library, her book gifting program which mails free books to children. “Goodnight with Dolly” will stream every week for the next 10 weeks.
There you have it folks.
Yes, times are bad, and there is a lot of loss right now. But if you’re reading this and you’re stuck at home being cranky about being stuck at home, remember to focus on gratitude and the fact that you are home and not in a hospital fighting for your life.
Don’t forget to come back next week for another round of COVID-19 Kudos!
Also, I would love to hear about other folks we should be giving Kudos to right now. Share yours in the comments.
The holidays are over and I am preparing for my first trade shows of the year.
I have gotten really good at packing a suitcase, jumping on a plane and preparing for non-stop meetings and connections in the hopes of growing my business.
Trade shows are a big investment, whether you are speaking, sponsoring or attending.
I also know how pricey they can be if you are a solopreneur or small business. I also know that if you answer to someone for being sent on behalf of a company, they are wanting some value in spending that dinero on you.
You are spending money and time, and you should be able to come back with A LOT of prospects for your business.
The key is having a strategy in place before you even hit the show floor.
Here are my three trade show hacks that never fail to produce a great pipeline of new clients.
HACK #1: Start Connecting ASAP
There is nothing worse than having a long stretch of open time at an event where your sole purpose is to network, learn and drum up business. If you aren’t doing any of those three things for a long stretch of time, then you are not capitalizing on the money spent on the event.
My goal with each event is to have as many meetings as possible. I like my calendar to be completely booked. Heck, I even book meetings for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
A well managed show will usually have an app that you can use to find other attendees and post your wants or schedule meetings. I usually start connecting with people on the app as soon as I get access.
If I don’t receive an email with access, then I contact the show organizers and ask them what options they have for making connections prior to the show.
HACK #2: Use Social Media
Find the show hashtags, which are usually on their website, and start following, liking and reading up on what other attendees, speakers and sponsors are posting.
Be sure to engage with other attendees’ posts and reach out to anyone who you think may be a fit for you to do business.
Once you have done that, it’s time for you to start posting. I usually post once every 3-5 days per platform.
For example, on LinkedIn, I will post that I am attending the show and then what I am specifically looking for with regards to a connection.
Here is an example of a post I used with an event called Leadscon which is all about lead generation. Since I know what the show is about, I cater my post to attendees and what they are also looking for.
And ALWAYS include a call-to-action with a link or way for your prospects to reach you.
Leadscon post on LinkedIn. Notice that I use the show hashtag along with hashtags pertinent to the industry the show is serving.
HACK #3: Get Cell Numbers
Make sure you collect the cell phone number of every person you have a meeting with. I use calendly, which is a great scheduling app that synchs with my calendars so that I have zero data entry to do.
When someone clicks on my calendly link, they are able to choose an open time slot and they HAVE to enter a cell phone number in order to complete the meeting request.
Then, in the morning, before you head out, take a selfie of yourself that shows what you are wearing.
Next, text the people you are meeting with that photo so that you are easy for them to find. It makes a huge difference.
DO NOT send them a perfectly photo-shopped photo of yourself from social media. We all know that is not what we look like 24/7. It’s also easier for someone to find you by what you are wearing that very day.
That’s it folks!
These tips right here should help you to focus on that ROI and get your investment back, and then some!
This post was sponsored as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
The husband and I made a plan to focus much of our younger years on working hard as parents and entrepreneurs with the goal of enjoying the fruits of our labor later in our lives.
That vision was rocked when fifteen years ago, my husband, who was 35 at the time, was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes.
He spent almost an entire year complaining of constant headaches and dizziness before he finally decided to get it checked out.
Sure enough, the diagnosis was T2D.
We were both scared, having heard about all of the complications this could represent.
For example, up to 50% of individuals with type 2 diabetes may develop heart failure, and after it develops, there is no cure.
Worse yet was the revelation that after a heart failure diagnosis, the survival rate is 50% at five years and 10% at 10 years.
This mami wasn’t about to let her man go down that road.
So I did what I always do when I am faced with a challenge, I arm myself with as much information as I can.
The good news is that there are are actions you can take today that can make a huge difference in reducing your risk tomorrow.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with T2D, I challenge and invite you to also arm yourself with the information you need to reduce the risk of HF.
Remember to talk to your doctor to understand your risk of heart failure and what immediate actions should be taken.
And definitely check out Diabetes Can Break Your Heart, a newly launched national movement with a goal to change the trajectory of heart failure (HF) in Type 2 diabetes (T2D).
This campaign offers a powerful declaration and rallying cry to raise awareness, create community action and spark dialogue between those with Type 2 diabetes and their healthcare providers to reduce the risk of HF.
I am happy to report that the Mister has his T2D under control and is in great health thanks to a proactive plan of attack.
I hope you will check out the Diabetes Can Break Your Heart movement and share it with your friends because knowledge truly is powerful.
That said, I have this box of old mixtapes from when I was a teen in the late 80s and early 90s that I couldn’t bear to part ways with.
These were my attempts at expressing my crazy teen angst emotions with what are still the coolest songs ever.
They serve as a chronicle of those very formative and undeniably wacko years in my life.
Falling in love with Queen
When I went through my Queen phase, a decade after they were really huge, I made my own “best of” tapes. They were basically a journal detailing my discovery of my favorite band starting with Killer Queen. It included all of their juicy anthems like We Will Rock You along with some favorites like Don’t Stop Me Now and Bicycle Race. Of course, I had to finish it with Who Wants To Live Forever, one of my favorite songs of all time.
The Blues years
I discovered the Blues when I was 14, so I put together some amazing compilations with songs like, The Thrill Is Gone by B.B. King, Tain’t Nobody Business If I Do by Bessie Smith and T-Bone Walker’s Call It Stormy Monday.
The Latin music collection
I bet you were wondering when this proud Latina was going to talk about her Latin music tapes.
Fear not, for I created collections upon collections of awesome and caliente Latin hits.
Way before there was Despacito, there was Bonito y Sabroso by Cuban mambo masters Pérez Prado and Benny Moré.
It was and is delicious.
Then there was Oye Como Va, both versions.
Of course, Querida by Juan Gabril drips of heartache and lament. Annnnnd Amor Eterno, also by Juan Gabriel is a traditional ranchera song he wrote to his mother.
You may weep now.
There was Conga by Gloria Estefna which was a must at every party and La Incondicional by Luis Miguel, another Latino heartthrob of the 80s.
I could go on forever with literally hundreds of tunes, but I need to wrap this post up before it becomes a book.
Getting over heartbreak
When I inevitably experienced heartbreak for the first time, I created a cry-along track with REO Speedwagon’s Can’t Fight This Feeling, Babe by Styx and the epic Nothing Compares 2 U by Sinead O’Connor.
As you can see, these tapes were my diary and I just couldn’t part ways with them.
ION Boombox Deluxe Bluetooth Speaker
Now that I’ve learned about the Boom Box Deluxe, I can dust off these babies and make all my favorite old mixes sound brand-new again.
It looks just like the old school boomboxes, which the retro lover in me digs.
The techie in me loves that it streams music wirelessly from any Bluetooth®-enabled device. It also has USB playback capability to handle most other music sources.
The Boom Box Deluxe makes all your favorite old music sound brand-new again. Image Credit: Best Buy
Features
Check out all of the amazing features.
0’s-style retro stereo cassette boombox
Dual full-range speakers pump out powerful bass and clear highs\
Stereo cassette plays all the tapes in your collection
Streams music wirelessly from any Bluetooth-enabled device
Records onto cassette from radio, built-in microphone or external source
Runs on AC or long-lasting (10 hr) rechargeable battery
Records onto USB stick so you can archive your old cassettes
Sensitive AM/FM radio
USB playback capability
Bass and treble controls for exact tonal customization
VU meters help adjust your recordings to ideal level
IT'S ME, NOT YOU. Personal responsibility. I'm not sure why more people don't embrace it. When you give away the responsibility… You give away power and control. NO THANK YOU. 
Follow @danay.e for inspo 
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@danay.e for the intro
Choose your favorite artwork
Find three things lying around your house⠀
Recreate the artwork with those items
