Own Yourself

I went to a wonderful networking event yesterday sponsored by a very large corporation. While there I had the honor of hearing someone speak about their decade long work and how their company was acquired by a major corporation. Throughout her whole speech I heard about how she had started, what her desires were who she had partnered with to help take the product to the level of expansion. I listened even when she said the company was acquired. She felt a sigh of relief to be an employee of her own company being involved in the day to day activities were not as intense because now she had a LARGER company do most of the work. I felt a sense of pain as I heard her because I knew that this meant she would not be passing generational wealth to her family. I listened because so many women and men start a business and decide they would rather take millions of dollars to rid themselves of the responsibility of ownership. THIS COUNTRY WAS Built on the backs of people that saw a better way for their children, yet many merchants took part in industry and still a small few of them still have their names on their businesses. I say this to say what is it about people of color that do not understand that they must pass wealth on? The fact that there are people of color with manufacturing companies that could work with producers of products. The fact that their are people of color that have marketing firms, banks, legal firms, architects and engineers, technical geniuses, artists and people in media and medicine, we have chemists, we have so many people doing wonderful and unique businesses, yet we are not networking and bartering and helping and maintaining our OWN international business. SO TO SAY THIS ONCE AND ONLY ONCE, I WILL SAY IT PROBABLY A THOUSAND TIMES. MY GRANDMOTHER MADE CAKES, her son had a restaurant, and my grandmother's cakes were at first part of his restaurant. My aunts, mother, uncles all worked in that restaurant/club. When my mom and her sister did parties I was out there in front of 22 West at age 15 selling tix to whatever party she promoted. I met my best friend that night who has been my friend for forty years. He has been there through thick and thin and have been in my corner through all of my attempts at being a music manager, a writer, an independent tv producer and now a techie. Where are the families that are helping each other and building? We go through thick and thin yes, business is not a playground but in order to pay yourself first you have to own your business. Just this week I was a victim of on the job discrimination based upon a disability and I had to take my case to a higher level because I am aware of ADA. Although my disability is painful it is not one that will stop me from doing a damn good job. But when I saw how easy it was for people that did not like me or that was intimidated by my creative mind, used my disability to rid me of my comfort work environment I realized that I had to focus more on my BUSINESS and less on my comfortable CITY JOB. So I will say this to you once, OWN YOUR OWN. WORK FOR YOURSELF, DO NOT EVER LET A PERSON OR CORPORATION CONTROL YOUR DESTINY. STOP SAYING I AM NOT ABLE TO PASS ON MY KNOWLEDGE TO MY LOVED ONES. TAKE CONTROL AND STOP BEING NEGATIVE. POOL EVERYONE THAT CAN HELP YOU TOGETHER AND MEET, AND WORK AND USE TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. I AM HERE TO TELL YOU THAT I HAVE SEEN MANY UPS AND DOWNS TRYING TO CONTINUE BEING INDEPENDENT BUT THERE IS SOMETHING KOOL MOE DEE said a long time ago that has stuck in my mind. He may not remember it but during an interview when asked about why he never thought about other jobs he said that there was no backup plan in case music did not work. He said I did not have to think about PLAN B. HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO DO PLAN A NO MATTER WHAT. SO THAT meant he did not work for anyone while doing his dream. Now not all of us have that luxury, what we do is work because the economy is such that you have to work. But use that job TO INVEST IN YOUR BUSINESS. I HAVE DONE THAT AND BELIEVE ME IT WILL TAKE YOU TO THE LEVEL YOU WANT TO BE. BUT AT SOME POINT YOU HAVE TO LET GO AND LET GOD. DIVINE PURPOSE. WHAT IS IN YOUR HEART, WHAT IS YOUR PASSION. THAT IS WHAT WILL FEED YOU. AND NEVER LOOK BACK. Read some of the books I have written and learn more about the legends of hiphop that I promoted in the early 80's that became extremely famous www.lulu.com/spotlight/darlenelewis
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