Last weekend at the Spark Portland Event I attended, Ellen Yin of Cubicle to CEO said something that really stuck with me, "Know when to pivot and when to persist." I've been reflecting this week on the places in my own life and business I need to pivot and where I should persist. 

In this episode:

• Future plans for the Embracing Intensity Community.
• My focus for the next few months.
• The power of understanding your own brain. 

Links:

Embracing Intensity Community

Spark Events

Cubicle to CEO Podcast

I met a wonderfully interesting person about a year ago. We were introduced through a women’s business group, and we chatted for hours when we met for coffee. I knew I had to get her on the show so you can hear her story and mission.

Nneka Coxeff is the editor-in-chief of Black Lace + Pearls magazine. She founded the creative lifestyle and healing arts magazine to showcase her inspirational works while merging her skillset as a writer and longtime publicist. Nneka has created a beautiful platform for other healers, professionals, and entrepreneurs to connect, build community, and share their gifts and talents with the world. Nneka aspires to inspire others to live out their desires and to turn their dreams into reality, all while owning their unique authenticity and individuality. Black Lace + Pearls magazine highlights women around the globe who make it their business to serve the world to make it a better place for all. The magazine holds a special place in its mission for female powerhouses and game-changers who are breaking barriers within their field.

Show Highlights:

• Why Nneka is intensely passionate about her role as a married mother of five, along with inspiring and motivating others and helping people realize their purpose
• How a former boss made all the difference in Nneka’s life by seeing something she couldn’t see in herself
• How Nneka’s personal brand of intensity includes a lot of energy and positivity
• Why Nneka became an introvert and a journaler due to her intuition and inquisitiveness as a child
• How she was shaped and affected by being told to “stop asking so many questions” as a child
• How competitiveness with yourself can be misinterpreted
• How Nneka’s family was the only black family in a predominantly white neighborhood with some white supremacists
• How toning down led to Nneka turning inward and leaning on journaling and writing
• Why Nneka’s intensity is sometimes out of control in her passion for motivating others
• How Nneka helps others see the good in themselves and advocates for authenticity
• A look at fitting in vs. belonging
• Nneka’s Write to Heal workshops
• How Nneka learned to be resilient through the death of her young son
• Why Nneka wants to help people own the losses that come in life and learn to move through them
• How writing and meeting other intense people have helped Nneka
• The importance of the power of self-care practices like meditation and journaling
• The best advice Nneka has received: “Give from your overflow.” (Don’t deplete yourself or you’ll have nothing to give!)
• Meaningful books: A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle, The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, and all of Iyanla Vanzant’s books
• Know your intentions, know your history, and know yourself
• Thoughts on the law of attraction
• How Nneka helps others by encouraging them to own their talents and special gifts and put a voice to their personal stories
• Nneka’s parting advice: “Keep doing you and living out your purpose.”

Resources:

Find Nneka on Facebook and Instagram

Email Nneka:  nneka.denise@gmail.com

Nneka’s website:  BLP Magazine

Join the Accountability Mastermind: http://www.auroraremember.com/accountability-mastermind

I've been talking lately about false images on social media and perpetuating unrealistic ideals. That got me thinking more about community and belonging, not just "fitting in." 

In this episode:

• Perpetuating unrealistic images. 
• "Fitting in" vs. Belonging
• Upcoming community events that encourage being your full self!

Links:

Embracing Intensity Community

Embracing Intensity Upcoming Events

Lior Holtzman Photography

Spark Live

Black Lace and Pearls Events

Thrive With Intensity Group Program

When you think of intensity, you probably think of someone who is always loud and overbearing. The truth is that intense people can have a quiet nature that isn’t dominating. Meet today’s guest!

Phyllis G. Williams is the co-host of Living The Principles podcast. She’s a US Marine veteran, educator, and entrepreneur who is passionate about community. Phyllis’ entrepreneurial endeavors revolve around writing and speaking, and she’s described by her friends as “quiet, yet strong and confident.” It was a pleasure to get to know Phyllis in this interview, and I hope you enjoy!

Show Highlights:

• Why Phyllis is intensely passionate about community mainly because she has seen how her life has been affected by it
• How her family was Phyllis’ first community, the Marines her second, and Toastmasters her third
• Why Phyllis’ true intensity isn’t loud and aggressive, but a quiet strength with devotion
• As Phyllis grew up, she was a creative storyteller who was always comfortable being alone
• How Phyllis learned values like integrity and honesty through colloquialisms in her Mississippi upbringing
• Why Phyllis felt like she had to hide her voice and her accent for a long time
• Phyllis’ intensity gets out of control when she is too concerned about other people’s feelings and overly concerned about her actions
• The creative ways in which Phyllis helps others look introspectively at themselves
• How she harnesses the power of her intensity through journaling
• The acronym RISE for personal habits: reflect, intentions, stretching, elevate
• The best advice Phyllis ever received was from her mother: “Don’t worry about things you can’t control.”
• An inspiring book: One Word That Will Change Your Life by Jon Gordon
• How Phyllis helps others through her workshop, Authenticity, and Authority
• How her podcast helps debunk beliefs in the black community through topics like business, relationships, and unity
• Key areas of emphasis for Phyllis are self-awareness, selflessness, and self-love

Resources:

Phyllis’ website:  Progress Promoter

Find Phyllis on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram: Phyllis G. Williams or @ProgressPromoter

One Word That Will Change Your Life by Dan Britton, Jimmy Page, and Jon Gordon

In high school when we read the Scarlet Letter, we had an assignment to pick a letter to represent a fault or weakness of ours. I picked the letter P for Procrastination and Perfectionism. My teacher believed the procrastination part but not so much the perfectionism...

In this episode:

• Why perfectionism and procrastination are intertwined.
• 3 lessons learned from blogging the last 5 years and podcasting the last 3.
• Going with your brain quirks instead of against them. 

Links:

Embracing Intensity Community