Socialize! Sure, you arrived alone. You’re nervous. You don’t know ANYONE (or the one person you DO know is busy working/setting up the room). You’re just getting started with your business. You’re shy. Now’s your chance to be brave. Be bold. Introduce yourself to someone else whose all alone and just as nervous as you are. You’d be surprised at what a simple “hello, my name is …” can bring. I’ve met some of the BEST people that way.

Take plenty of business cards! Its a quick and easy way to be remembered, if you can’t stay long or just don’t have much to say (yet). Hand over a card and say “Let’s do lunch soon!”

In case you run out of business cards…connect on your fav social media site (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) real-time.

Follow up! Don’t let those business cards collect dust. If you’re not a “phone person”, just send an “it was nice to meet you…” email. It shows that you’re really interested in keeping in touch.

Of course, there’s much more to business, but these are just the beyond basics of it all. After awhile, you’ll begin to see some of the same people (who will then introduce you to new people) and you’ll have a recognized face and  name. The beat goes on!

Happy networking!

-L. Denise
{stellar.SASSY.social}
foodie | blogger | socialite

Tonight President Obama will deliver his first official  State of the Union Address for 2010  at 9 p.m. Eastern Time/ 6 p.m. Pacific Time. President Obama will touch on topics such as health care, initiatives intended to help the middle-class families and his educational “Race to the Top” grant program -aimed at sparking innovation in schools across the country. As Americans struggle during a time of economic recession, will Obama deliver a message that will encourage hope and muffle the naysayers? Tune in tonight…

Rose — you are the lucky winner and we will be contacting you shortly. Congratulations and have a happy holiday!

The 12 Days of Giving Holiday Giveaway has come to an end and we want to thank all of our fabulous sponsors for this year. We want to thank everyone that participated and we look forward to bringing to you more great brands throughout the year!

We would like to thank Carol’s Daughter, FHI Heat, Sears, a Tarte, Rocawear.com, Laidback Home and Urban Bazaar, Anolon cookware, Lenora Dame, and M.A.C. Cosmetics, The Body Shop and last but not least, Black Enterprise and Hearst Magazines.

We have a giveaway for our savvy and our home girls…a year’s subscription to Black Enterprise, O Magazine, and House Beautiful magazines. You will receive ALL Three mags…so happy reading.

To win the subscriptions all you have to do is leave a Happy Holiday message in the comment section below. That’s it.

Thank you all once again for joining us this year and we know that 2010 will be even more fab…with your support.

The giveaway is open until 12:00 a.m. EST Wednesday morning and will be randomly selected using Random.org. Good luck!

Have you ever wondered how your favorite bloggers earn a living and become known for what they do? Have you ever considered quitting your day job to blog? Have you started countless blogs only to serially abandon them? First thing’s first: Stop reading outdated conventional wisdom. BLOG YOUR PASSION is the difference between owning your blog and renting one. You’ve read the entry-level articles and posts on blogging that take you on a curiously addictive trip around redundancy but in BLOG YOUR PASSION the timeless blog secrets, tips, links, and ideas are shared, and the blogger myths are dispelled. Whether you want to start a new career, own your own business, or establishing your own voice after reading BYP you will be better equipped in the art of authentic blogging. Don’t wait. The time is now to live your passion.

Melinda Lewis, founder of Get Togetha blog, the chic lifestyle and home blog, and the go to spot for homegirls everywhere, decided to write Blog Your Passion “…because I remember being a totally lost and confused soul on how to create a successful blog and how frustrating it was trying to manufacture blog success. When you’re a newbie blogger or a potential blogger or even a writer who want’s to get their voice out…there’s so many links to click and so much information to process…so I created blog your passion as a shortcut to share the timeless and effective secrets that have worked for me. At the end of the day successful blogging is about passion; its about following your gut and being unafraid in allowing your writer’s voice to be as great as it can possibly be.”

Melinda has laid it all out for future bloggers and bloggers who are looking to take their blogs to the next level. Take a moment to visit Get Togetha blog and download the e-book.

If you are into statistics, you may not be as surprised to learn, as I was, that Americans are dealing with record numbers of psychological stress. According to recent data from the African American community alone, 3.7 percent of all African Americans over the age of 18 have feelings of sadness; 1.9 percent feel hopeless, 1.3 percent feel worthless and 6.8 percent believe everything is an effort.

The numbers for African American women over 18 are even worse, with 4.7 percent feeling sadness; 2.5 percent feeling hopeless; 1.7 percent feeling worthless and 7.9 percent feeling everything is a task.  So, there is little doubt that being single during the holidays doesn’t help with these emotions.

A new book helps black women develop a positive self-image and combat the feeling of worthlessness that plague them and deal with their loneliness which is exacerbated during the holidays when they dwell on not having a significant other.

In I Didn’t Work This Hard Just to Get Married: Successful Single Black Women Speak Out, through lively and revealing interviews with women from various walks of life, Nika Beamon explores the challenges and issues affecting single black women. Single women like Actress/Comedian Kim Coles, Cheetah Girls creator Deborah Gregory, Interior Designer Sheila Bridges, and many more candidly discuss aging without a man and confronting the feelings of loneliness they’ve faced.  The book speaks directly to the black woman’s experience, addressing unique challenges such as income discrepancies between genders, the high rate of male incarceration, and the “Baby Momma Syndrome”. The women discuss the false expectations they face from men, from families, and from friends.  Moreover, the book speaks to all women facing the prospect of another holiday or year without a spouse; a fact that for many compound their feelings of emotional distress.

Written in the best tradition of girlfriend talking to girlfriend, the book delivers tales of lessons learned, hard times and good times, told by women who found ways to achieve their dreams by defying convention. Their conclusion: singlehood, whether temporary or permanent, and though often challenging, is a fulfilling state; a life which doesn’t have to be lonely simply because you are single.

This sounds like a book I need to read.  Join me and pick up a copy at Amazon.com.

Fly girl Ally Marie, owner of She-Blogs.com sat down with Co-Founder of Getemgirls.com, Shakara Bridgers to discuss the future of Get ‘Em Girl Inc., Preparing meals for the holidays and what an average day at Get ‘Em Girl Inc. is like.

She-blogs: Who is Shakara Bridgers?

SB: Shakara Bridgers is God’s child…Sandra and Harry’s eldest daughter…Tara Decoda’s mentor… Jeniece and Joan’s business partner… a hip hop junkie and a Get ‘Em Girl from Harlem.

She-blogs: For those who aren’t familiar tell me what the Get’ Em Girls are all about?
SB: We are three girlfriends (Shakara, Jeniece and Joan), who got together to write a cook book/lifestyle guide that would inspire woman all over the world. We tell the story of the sassy, intelligent and passionate woman of color through book publishing and online communities.

She-blogs: What is your definition of a Get ‘Em Girl?
SB: A Get ‘Em Girl is a female who goes out and get what she wants. Whether it be in the boardroom or the bedroom…lol. She is forward thinking, smart, sassy and savvy.

She-blogs: The Holidays are quickly approaching and many of us are looking to entertain our guests with swanky soirée’s. How do you feel your latest book “The Get ‘Em Girls Guide To The Perfect Get Together” can help with that?
SB: The Get ‘Em Girls Guide to the Perfect Get Together (Simon & Schuster) is a great cookbook and lifestyle guide for women who are trying to make a great impression during the upcoming holidays. In our “First Holiday” chapter we have Thanksgiving Dinner for Two, Christmas Feast at Your Place and New Year’s Eve Dinner Party menus. My favorite recipe out of the chapter would be my Grandma Adean’s Pecan Millionaires. Every Christmas my Grandmother makes this delicious candy in chocolate and white chocolate for my family.

She-blogs: I heard that you can make wonderful things happen in the kitchen…How long have you been a chef and did you go to school for it?
SB: I will be honest cooking was never my thing. I would watch Jeniece cook for her fiancé and I loved the response she got. My mother was great in the kitchen, but for some reason I was always to busy to learn…but then I became interested in a man and wanted to impress him (Kool-Aid and Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls will only get you so far). So, I would call Jeniece and Joan for help and recipes and thus my love for cooking and the Get ‘Em Girls Guide to the Perfect Get Together were born. My specialty would be baking.

She-blogs: What is your average day like?
SB: Everyday is different but usually Jeniece calls and wakes me up around 7am. I get dressed and walk into my office (second bedroom) to work on articles for our lifestyle website Getemgirls.com. Around 10 am I get on a conference call with Jeniece and Joan for a daily rundown. Afterwards I am either in meetings, conference calls, writing or baking cupcakes for an event. In the evening I am out networking, making sure the Get ‘Em Girl brand stays relevant. I have a mentee, Tara Decoda who sometimes “squats” at my place. She is my muse and when we are not arguing about why she has to turn the fire up so high when she is cooking, we are working late nights developing a special project that we will share with the She-blogs readers very soon!

She-blogs: Are there any new projects that you will be taking on in 2010?
SB: For 2010 we are looking to make our catering company a priority. Our goal is to open The Cupcake Suite store in Harlem. The Cupcake Suite would house our delicious cupcakes, pastries, teas, sandwiches and soups.

She-blogs: Tell me about one of the biggest career obstacles you have faced and how you worked through it?
SB: My biggest would probably be my mother passing last month from Breast Cancer complications. For so long I wanted to be successful and make her proud of me. The last three months she was my priority. Having two partners allowed me to focus on her and not worry about the business suffering. Once she passed, finding the strength to smile, stay positive and keep moving on has been tough. However, my mother sacrificed so much for me to live my dream and I know she is watching, therefore I have no choice but to get out of bed and be great.

She-blogs: Why do you think it is important for women to stick together and genuinely help one another?
SB: Because we are suppose to. I am a Get ‘Em Girl, but first and foremost I am God’s child. It is my duty to love my sisters and support them in all their endeavors when possible. Who wants to be great alone? I try to keep myself surrounded by great women who want to make other women greater than themselves.

She-blogs: When was the last time you laughed so hard you couldn’t breathe?
SB: Reading Twitter conversations between radio personality @cthegod and comedian @lilduval. They keep me entertained daily.

She-blogs: What do you do to stay balanced?
SB: I have yet to find real balance, but I am working on it. Since my mother has passed I have started to take the time to smell the roses. I read magazines more and I travel. Recently I went to Denver to catch a football game and New Orleans to eat some beignets.

Sandra (her mom), Shakara, and Tanitsha…WASN’T HER MOM BEAUTIFUL!

To read the rest of this wonderful interview stop by She-Blogs.com

Established in 2009, May We Rest In Peace is a 501(c)(3) organization that provides financial assistance to Detroit families who cannot afford to bury their loved ones.

Das was moved to start this charity after reading an article describing how bodies were piling up at a Detroit city morgue because families could not afford funeral costs as a result of the recent economic crisis.

For more information on May We Rest in Peace, visit www.maywerestinpeace.org.

CNN Broadcast Airtimes for “May We Rest in Peace” Today (Nov.16):

• 12:00PM EST – CNN
• 2:00PM EST – CNN
• 2:10PM EST – HLN
• 3:47PM EST – HLN

You can also view the story at http://money.cnn.com

Source: 135th St Agency

Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden joined hundreds of active-duty service members, veterans, military families, and volunteers at George Washington University in Washington, DC to launch ServiceNation’s Mission Serve initiative.

The event, which was hosted by MTV’s Sway, honored the service our troops and their families have given, celebrated the inaugural round of MISSION SERVE initiatives, and awarded Alma J. Powell, chair of America’s Promise Alliance and wife of General Colin Powell, with the first annual ServiceNation Award for Excellence in Military and Civilian Service for a lifetime of service to our children, communities, and nation.

For more information on ServiceNation and Mission Serve visit ServiceNation.org