Today I had the opportunity to attend the 99%Conference put on by Behance and Coolhunting, a conference all about making ideas happen. As an ideas person, I start, stop, get frustrated, second guess myself and in that aspect just like 99% of ideas people let many fall by the wayside, but today’s conference reinforced that I am ready to fall into the 1% that actually bring ideas to fruition. That was the idea behind the conference, getting from the idea stage to actually putting in the work to make something happen. My highlight was hearing Seth Goodin speak and reinforcing the fact that we need to just do it or as he stated ship and ship on time. I also had the opportunity to speak briefly with him during lunch and he was as humble and witty as can be. Check out insight from the conference on Tina’s blog Swissmiss.

Design on a Dime is New York City’s most popular interior design charity event. For the fifth anniversary Laidback along with the world’s top interior designers will create unforgettable room vignettes with new merchandise, donated and then sold for 60 to 80 percent off retail pricing.
My vignette is themed Urban Rhapsody.
I am very excited to be a part of this fundraiser that will give back to those living with HIV.

The Black Retail Action Group is hosting a panel called ” How to Succeed In The World Of Self-Employment” and yours truly along with Natalia Allen, Founder, Design Futurist, Miguel Antoinne, Owner, Miguel Antoinne, Sharon Joseph, Owner, Harlem Lanes, Tara Simone Powell, Owner, Barbara’s Flowers, and brothers Shane and Shawn Ward of Shane & Shawn will be sharing our stories and experiences as business owners.

DATE
Wednesday, April 22, 2009

TIME
6:00 pm – 8:30 pm

LOCATION
FashionOpolis @ LIM 12 E. 53rd Street
Ground Floor (b/w 5th & Madison)

FEE
Members – Free / Non-Members – $25 For more info check out the BRAG website

On Tuesday, April 28th, 2009 from 5-6:30pm the Laidbackchick will be kicking it in Harlem as part of a panel called “Sisters and Hermanas Represent.”

I received an email from Mimi, a woman that I had met this past December at the Shop N Mingle event who is working with young sisters to empower them. This is what she wrote: I facilitate a weekly program, Business Women in Training, for girls of color between the ages of 13-16. In this group, my students learn about business skills while they develop their own body butter product line, Sister Scentsations. The girls have been having a great time designing, making, and marketing their products. To spice up their learning process I thought it would be great if they meet actual women who were once in their shoes; at the beginning phase. It has been proven that through mentorship, students learn better and are more motivated. With that being said, that is how this First Anniversary event “Sisters and Hermanas Represent: Women of Color Who Are Making their Dreams Reality” came about.

This is what entrepreneurship and community building is all about, the old saying “Each one teach one.”