🗣 Focus your Hustle. Find your Voice.

🎉 Yo! We are back at the weekly office party, where everyday feels like #casualFridays. Dropping mics and sounding off.

I’m going to start off with a wellness check before we dive into the deep end of finding YOUR voice. How are y’all doing this week? Despite being in a real mood (is mercury in Gatorade retrograde or something) a few days ago, I was able to pull myself from the emo trenches. Such a Pisces thing to say, but it’s our season so pardon me this once.

With that being said, I’m not only going to introduce you to how I got back to being me, but start the conversation around finding your voice through creativity.

THIS IS WHERE YOUR HUSTLE MEETS YOUR FLOW. 

🗣 Special Sound Off: Big salute to Anessa Fike, I can’t put her book ‘The Revolution of Work: F*ck the Patriarchy and the Workplace it Built’ down. It has ignited a whole new HR/People Ops mindset in many of us. Get your copy here ASAP.

If this email was forwarded to you, tap in and join the cool collective.

⛽️ Fueling creativity + community + connections ⛽️

Everyday I’m hustlin’…..

This has BEEN the motto for so long. While I have been a hustler since becoming a mom at 18 years old, there is one thing I’ve learned about the grind. You can compliment it with REST. You can enhance it with REINVENTION. You can ultimately remix it with your creativity.

In speaking with other talented peeps, I’m hearing that [while they hustle] their foundation of authenticity seems to be fading into the background. This is a place they want to get back to - they want to get back to being more of themselves. Many of us lose that spark as we strive for big titles + bright lights OR by saying ‘yes’ to too many things when we should be saying ‘not yet’.

But what if I told you that the key to building better connections, community, and careers is your creativity? Would you believe me?

The idea of being creative is not solely reserved for the obvious gifts. Trust me, if I could sing, it would be a wrap for everyone.

What I mean is that the way you communicate, your writing style, your problem solving at work - is all being creative. You never lose creativity, it’s always there. It evolves as you do, and sometimes, you have to peel back the layers to get closer to your gifts. Reinvention is beautiful and necessary. Putting a focus on the best version of you is how you begin to [re]focus that hustle.

💡 Work can FEEL like a transactional relationship, but how do you want to SHOW up each day?

So what’s the blueprint to find more of this creative flow? 

There’s quite a bit of ways we could tackle this, but let’s focus on the basics.

What you’ll need:

• A journal would be helpful or the Notes section in your phone

• A focus zone

• Your favorite playlist (I like a 90s R&B vibe - thank me later)

• An open mind + heart

🔮 To thine own self be true.

The first step is getting real about self-discovery. We should actually do these internal audits more frequently as opposed to only doing them when we unlock a new birthday decade. Ain’t nothing wrong with a bit of meaningful exploration.

The objective here is to evaluate your current career status, your aspirational goals, and your challenges.

You can start by asking yourself:

1. What are three career achievements you're most proud of, and why?

2. Describe a moment in your career when you felt most alive and engaged. What were you doing?

3. What are your top three career aspirations? How do they align with your personal values and interests?

✨ May the [creative] force be with you.

The next phase will be about reframing your mindset to encourage creativity, innovation, and open-mindedness. This can look different for everyone but I can say that mindfulness practices enhance your focus while reducing stress. Creative mind-mapping can boost ideas. When you feel stuck, take a break and do something that you like. [read: something that feels good to you]

You can start by asking yourself:

1. How do you define creativity in the context of your career? Do you feel you're currently living up to that definition?

2. What practices or habits do you think might be stifling your creativity, and how can you modify them to become more creatively engaged?

3. What unique skills or talents do you possess that differentiate you in your career field?

🧩 The Hustle and Flow integration.

What do we want to achieve here? A harmony between your hard work and your creative flow. This is also where you’ll have to dig deep to combat burnout through time management systems + building better rituals. When you feel good and pay attention to your energy, you create momentum in the daily moments that matter.

You can start by asking yourself:

1. Describe a time when you were so absorbed in a task that you lost track of time. What were you doing, and what do you think contributed to this state of flow?

2. How do you balance the need for productivity (hustle) with the need for creativity and innovation in your work?

3. What rituals or routines could you implement to more regularly enter a state of flow?

✋🏽 The above is a small framework to support your journey. If you want to dig deeper, you know where to find me. [hint: reply to the email]

🪴 We could all use [CREATIVE] affirmations, right?

Even Grammy award-winning rapper Lil Jon talks about the importance of affirmations to combat negative self-talk. Grab one [or as many as you need] of these affirmations below. Don’t forget sharing is caring.

1️⃣ Creative thinking is my natural state, and I apply it to all aspects of my work with ease.

2️⃣ I trust in my creative abilities, knowing that the first step is simply to begin.

3️⃣ I release the need for perfection and embrace the joy of the creative process.

4️⃣ I open my mind to new possibilities, allowing creativity to flow freely.

5️⃣ I seek out collaboration and connection with others, understanding that diverse perspectives fuel creativity.

🎙 time to sound off in HR/People Operations.

As People leaders, we definitely need to add joy back into our work. It can be HARD on the daily. I truly believe we can do that through our creative lens. That can be a catalyst to how we bring more of our full selves to work, using our authentic voices. Plot twist: this is also how we connect with Gen Z.

We can use creativity as an ally to not only design engaging People programs, but to also enhance how we problem solve alongside other orgs in the company [read: marketing is a fun place to start].

But it’s hard to use my authentic voice where I work!! I definitely understand. Let’s start with YOUR story and we can find a parallel to where your career meets creative in a fruitful way.

⚡️QUICKSTRIKE HR SOUND BITES

The HR/People Operations landscape is evolving. Check out some of the happenings below.

• On Linkedin, I had a fun time in the comment section talking about how Lil Jon is now helping me turn down (versus UP) as an elder millennial.

• Need to refresh how you look at employee experience? Check out this guide from Culture Amp.

• Kat Fergerson is taking us on a mini masterclass of how we turn conflict into connection.

👟 SNEAKER INDUSTRY SOUND BITES

You could say sneakers + streetwear is my thing. If you enjoy sneaker culture - this section is for you.

• Our Tradeblock founders were highlighted by Nice Kicks as a Black-owned company that you should pay attention to. 😉

• This Women’s Nike Zoom Vomero 5 is in my e-cart right now. 👏🏽

• Kicks & Fros is a Black woman-owned lifestyle brand that celebrates women in sneakers. Check out their latest sneaker cleaner!

🎧 A SONG I DIDN’T SKIP ON MY PLAYLIST TODAY

This song is not only a trending audio in the social media streets, but IT’S A WHOLE VIBE!

I’ve been singing (read: off key AF) alllllll week. 🌹🌹

There are so many people taking a moment to reset and reach their goals. I’ve now connected with over two dozen talented people to talk career aspirations, creative projects, and cool kicks. 👟👟

This space is for y’all. If you made it this far, thank you for reading today.

On this last day of Black History Month, here’s a swift reminder that our Black voices are celebrated EVERY 👏🏽 DAY 👏🏽.