i still wear MAC

December 15, 2009 By

Recently I hosted the Charleston Holiday Parade for our local cable station, Comcast C2. It’s something I’ve done for the past four years and I really enjoy it. This year, as I dig deeper into my writing about a major life change that resulted in leaving the TV business… I’ve become well aware of the irony.

I still do TV work. And I still wear MAC.

I write a lot about crossroads, transitions, leaps of faith—but my goal is not to start a revolt… to encourage a whole Jerry McGuire “who’s coming with me?” movement.  Although the changes I’ve made have been kind of like that.

I’ve been self-employed since 2003 and my resume is a curious maze… but for the most part I’ve been able to find freelance work in my areas of professional expertise. Over at my empire, Angie, Inc. (seriously, you’ve never heard of it?) I’ve accomplished things I’m very proud of, and I’ve learned a lot of new things, too.

Wearing MAC (a cosmetics line, in case you’re wondering) is just one aspect of my identity. I have learned not to let it define me, as it once did. But today, when people ask me “what do you do?” I want to crawl under a table. They want a quick definition and what I have for them is a bit longer… more like a book, an after school special, or maybe a series on Lifetime. Sorry, going off into my own little world again…

When people ask what we do, they really want to know who we are, and that can’t always be summed up in a resume, an elevator pitch, or a mission statement.  The authentic me surfaces during spin class when I’m in “a zone” or when words bubble up from somewhere inside and I can’t get to pen, paper or my laptop fast enough.  She’s in my laughter, my tears, the vulnerable side that I often protect… she’s in my clarity, my creativity and my strength. She is my heart, my soul… the part of me that transcends the boundaries of time and space.

I blog because it forces me to make a point… to find some purpose, some meaning behind my thoughts… to take my life experience and broaden the perspective so it’s relevant to you.

So I guess my point today and question for you is this… when you take away the labels… what’s left? That question can be terrifying. I used to think the answer was “Nothing… there’s nothing left.”

But that’s just not true. Not for me. And not for you.

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strength, courage and wisdom

December 9, 2009 By

If I could create Life: The Soundtrack this song would no doubt be on it.

Yesterday I had the honor of sharing my story on Jennie’s blog… a journey that took me 3,000 miles away– but ultimately right back home. Today I got to pick Jennie’s mid-week music snack.  I chose a song I played over and over again during that life-changing road trip. I still listen to it today, when I need the courage to step out on faith.

Need some soulful inspiration? Head over to The Sassy Steel Magnolia now.

Filed Under: Redefining Success Tagged With: , ,

secret side revealed

December 8, 2009 By

Today, I’m honored to be featured over at The Sassy Steel Magnolia. My assignment: talk about a time when one of my secret sides revealed itself… how it happened and how I came to terms with it.

Last week, I declared my commitment to writing my story. Today, I take you on the road, to the time when my old life began to unravel, the catalyst for where I am, and who I am, now.

Follow me to The Sassy Steel Magnolia by clicking here.

ps- be sure to check out The SSM tomorrow– I’m selecting the mid-week music snack!

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Should I Stay OR Should I Go?

January 20, 2009 By

I’m a big fan of taking leaps of faith. Give me a ledge and you might have to tackle me to keep me from swan diving off the side. (Okay, I’m really holding my nose with a huge inner tube around my waist… but I’m still gonna jump.)

I give talks designed to inspire women to live authentically, to embrace their passions and make personal and professional decisions that reflect those passions. Even still, I don’t necessarily advocate they all quit their jobs, move across the country or make any other major life change without having that gut feeling, that inner knowing that whispers… It’s time.

Even when the soft echoes of fate are rooting for us to follow our hearts, it’s still not easy. We ask ourselves, “How can I really know I’m doing the right thing?” We don’t get a crystal ball or a road map detailing the new uncharted path we are about to take. When we step out on faith, we aren’t promised a path free from challenges and growing pains, but we do discover gifts and opportunities we never imagined.

If you’ve read my last blog post, you know I was feeling especially liberated after adding more memory to my aging computer. Creating more space on the hard drive inspired an all-out cleaning spree, and I marveled over the positive effects of clearing the clutter in my life.

So in the spirit of full disclosure, I think it’s important to let you know that over the holidays, my computer crashed. Again. For months I had been dealing with this technical difficulty. The computer would crash, and I would reinstall Windows, causing me to lose emails and anything else I had not backed up. The process would restore the computer to its original state– the way it was when I bought it in 2004. So I had to to upgrade Internet Explorer, Adobe, and reinstall all the video players. Each time I clicked the mouse, I’d have to download another something or other. I can’t believe I went through that process more than once. Try three times. Finally, when it crashed again, after I had plunked down a hundred bucks for more memory, I could have sworn the message on the computer screen said something like “Hey, lady, give it up. Buy a new computer.”

I think it’s a common trap we all fall into from time to time. We refuse to fail. So we do everything in our power to make our situation work. But I think there’s real courage in admitting, “I’ve tried. And tried. And tried. This just ain’t working.”

Letting go is not giving up. It’s not failing. It’s smart. If something is causing you ongoing stress, are you ready to loosen your grip? Do you have courage to listen to the voice within, when it whispers, It’s time?

If so, share your story and inspire others by commenting on this post.

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Moving Forward: Feeling the Fear and Doing It Anyway.

May 4, 2008 By

I consider it a real gift when I have the opportunity to make meaningful connections with other women. I draw wisdom and inspiration from their journeys, and I often find a piece of myself in their personal stories. Recently, I had the opportunity to emcee the 14th Annual Administrative Professionals Day Conference, hosted by Trident Technical College. The event’s theme: Moving Forward. To me, moving forward means that we choose not to be victims of our circumstances; instead we use them as opportunities to learn and grow. We understand what we can control (ourselves) and the things we can’t (everything else). We rise above our negativity, fear, and pain to discover the lives we were created to live.

Here I am pictured on the right, along with Yvonne Noisette, Program Leader for Trident Tech’s Continuing Education Division, and Nikki Hardin, Founder and Publisher of skirt! magazine. Nikki is a true example of a woman who had a dream, felt the fear, and pursued it anyway. She was 29 years old and a single mom of three when she started college for the first time. She earned a BA in literature, attended graduate school, and got “her first real, full-time job.” In 1985, she packed up and moved to Charleston, which she had never seen and barely heard of. A decade later, Nikki was “nursing a mid-life crisis” when a friend asked her, “What do you want to do?” She told him that she wanted to start a magazine for women that was interesting to read. And he asked, “So why don’t you do that?” So she did. In 1994, with only $400 to her name, skirt! was born. The magazine grew and in 2003, she sold the skirt! to Morris Communications, maintained her leadership role, and secured her retirement. Today, skirt! is in 20 cities. Bravo!

I also had the opportunity to meet Marshawn Evans, an attorney, business owner, and former contestant on The Apprentice. Marshawn is making her mark on the world, and she hasn’t even reached the age of 30. Marshawn was a young girl when she saw the vision of the successful woman she wanted be, watching the character, Claire Huxtable, on The Cosby Show. Marshawn and Nikki are excellent examples of women who had a vision, and despite challenges and setbacks, made a decision to move forward.

In my coaching practice, I often ask my clients to describe their vision for their lives. Many times, we are afraid to let ourselves “go there” because we see all the obstacles standing in our way. But if we take a moment to recognize our gifts and talents and understand that we were created to use them, it is easier to shift our thinking from the obstacles, to the possibilities. We don’t have to figure it all out today. All we have to do is move forward.
Until next time… Angie

 

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