July Feature: I'm on Work Like a Mother Podcast!

Today I look a look at my schedule and realized the summer is basically over! One stop in Staples and seeing all the school supplies perfectly lined up seemed to solidify that. 

It's been quite the hiatus here in this space! I'm most active on Instagram - specifically my stories - but am excited to share that I was recently featured on Work Like a Mother Podcast produced by Neighborhood Schools. 

Check it out (you can also search "Work Like a Mother on Spotify or Apple too!):

Here's a link to the summary transcript here! 

I'm excited to be doing a lot of cool projects offline, but please check out my personal website Quiana for all things brand me. 

For now I'm settling into 2 more weeks of camp for my kids then a few fun family adventures as things continue to re-open and we safely reunite with family and friends across the US. 

Safe travels to those of you traveling this summer as well!

Happy April!: Where I've Been

I had this post as a draft to go up last week and was going to say how excited I was to post monthly but alas, here we are at April! It amazes me how much social media has changed since I started this space in 2009 as a digital journal of young family life. While I continue to stay most active on Instagram, I'm grateful to still have this space to return to document important updates.

Here's where I've been lately...

Welcome 2021: Time to Align (& a Giveaway)

{Mug via Mud LOVE}

Exhale.

That's exactly what this Monday feels like to me.

I was over on IG TV this morning with a Happy New Year message explaining a bit more.

Check it out...

Join Me at Power to Fly's Allyship to Impact on September 10

 

Happy September! It's officially my birthday month, and I have a couple exciting speaking engagements coming up. The first is Power to Fly's Allyship to Impact conference on September 10 - 11. My session "Building Connections in a Virtual World" is on September 10 at 4p.m. EST and my co-panelist Toya Lillard, was also featured with me on The Riveter's list of "10 Black Womxn You Should Know."

Our session will talk about how we're building community in the midst of social unrest and Covid-19. I'm excited to share my experience at the crossroads of parenting, activism and entrepreneurship. Beyond my session there's a whole host of engaging topics over the 2-day event and you can get your FREE ticket here.

Even if you can't attend both days, I still think it's a great idea to sign up and try to pop in and out as your schedule allows! There will also be networking opportunities as well. 

Learn more about Power to Fly on their website here. 

I'll share my next speaking engagement soon...

10 Things I'm Looking Forward to in 2019 (& a Giveaway)

{Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links.}

Happy 2019! In case you've been wondering where I've been lately look below...

Quiana in Action

Shirt via Myrtle & Flossie

"What exactly do you do?"

It's a question I often get asked directly and sometimes it's implied so I thought it would be helpful to share the projects I'm currently working on especially if there are followers whose work might align with what I'm doing and which might lead to future partnerships. 

Here we go...

Introducing Setu: An Inclusive Yoga Community (& a Giveaway!)

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post in partnership with Setu; all opinions expressed are my own.

When I looked over the session options at this year's W.E.L.L. Summit, morning yoga with Jessamyn Stanley jumped out at me. I've tried yoga a handful of times, but have always found that my mind wanders, and it's a bit intimidating as I'm not flexible. Like Not. At. All. 

So what made me sign up anyway?

Celebrating National Women’s Small Business Month with zulily

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of zulily; all opinions expressed are my own. 

Running Harlem Lovebirds as well as my own small business has made me a champion of fellow entrepreneurs and when zulily reached out to me highlighting their efforts to celebrate National Women's Small Business Month I was excited to join in!

ICYMI: 2018 Day Designer Unboxing Video #PlannerAddict

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. 

We're barely into August and the 2018 Day Designers are here!

Crazy right?

Mother's Day LipSense Giveaway!

Disclosure: I received samples to facilitate this review; all opinions expressed are my own.

I'm an admitted low-maintenance mama when it comes to all things beauty and wellness so when LipSense popped up in my feed, as I often do I gave it a quick glance and kept scrolling. Yet people kept raving about it. 

Enter my childhood friend and fellow mompreneur, Kara McElree. 

Planner Alert: 2017 Day Designer Unboxing Video

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

If you've been following me the past 2 years you know I have a bit of an obsession with my Day Designer planner. I first met the creator Whitney English at ALT Summit 2014 (and yes, I NEED to get back to Alt Summit!), and I appreciated her thoughtfulness as a mom and entrepreneur when creating the Day Designer in 2010. It's been one of *the* best annual investments I've made for myself and my business so much so that I've even got my sisters on board and we order annually altogether as part of our business. It's something to look forward to!

Airplane Mode

We got back at 2a.m. Saturday from our spring break trip, and it was a last minute hiatus that I so needed. Mr. Lovebird instructed there was to be no sharing on social media during our trip ("No Twittix," as he calls it!), and we didn't even tell our family until we were en route to our connecting flight.

Robin Wilson Home Quilts Now At Kohl's

Disclosure: I am a compensated brand ambassador for Robin Wilson Home; all opinions expressed are my own.

Happy August friends! As I look around my social media feeds I see images of back to school in my timeline. While we have exactly 5 weeks from today until Nia's first day, we're already starting preparations and one of those things is getting our home in order. While some get excited for spring cleaning, I look forward to a fall refresh and I'm not just talking shopping for back to school clothes!

Robin Wilson Home just launched her line of quilts at Kohl's! In addition to the gorgeous prints I've shared before available at Bed Bath & Beyond with the expansion to Kohl's comes additional prints including my favorite: Hyannis.

Both practical and stylish, I like the bold rectangle print of the cotton quilt, available in sizes Twin through King along with matching shams. The cream, brown and gray combination are strong enough for masculine tastes while the floral, striped and scroll print brings a feminine touch. Also with limited time especially during back to school season, I especially appreciate that the quilts are machine washable.

Here's the good news: originally $209-$299, Kohl's is currently having a special sale online on Robin Wilson Home quilts for only $125 to $179!

Beyond the new line at Kohl's the Robin Wilson Home brand continues to grow with the publishing of her new book Clean Design, which offers tips on how to make your home a safe haven while maintaining style. 

Also, as a fellow entrepreneur I'm very excited for the Robin Wilson Home brand and Robin being named to Atlanta Black Star's list of 10 African-American Women Who Are Entrepreneurial Powerhouses.   


Be sure to follow Robin Wilson Home on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest product news and giveaways!

 

A New England Retreat With My Sisters

Yesterday I was playing catch-up after returning from a weekend retreat in Vermont . . .

With my sisters.

When I told a few people that I was preparing for this trip they raised an eyebrow and remarked, "Oh, that's a good idea!" 

And it was.

My sisters and I soft-launched our business earlier this year and while we've been taking on word-of-mouth clients, we are excited for our hard launch in 2015. To prepare for this I got the idea when during my familymoon at Snapdragon Inn earlier this year that I should return with my sisters for a business retreat to hash out our goals and prepare for our launch.

At the time I had no idea that I'd be driving only 2 hours north from Portsmouth, NH so it really seemed providence when we relocated and it came time to book our trip. My sisters made their way up from NYC on Amtrak. It was practically door-to-door!

A few highlights from our retreat . . .

 

 

Thank you to Michelle, innkeeper of Snapdragon Inn and her staff for yet another wonderful stay. She is an incredible hostess and I encourage my readers to book a visit if you can!

Would you consider taking a retreat with your family? Have you ever done something like that before?
 

Revisiting Pins & Needles (and a Quick 3-Step Placemat Tutorial!)

 

Before our recent move I went on a whirlwind tour saying goodbye to a few of my favorite small businesses. One of those is the UES shop Pins & Needles (you can read my original posts here and here). I was excited to see mention of their expansion in their newsletter and wanted to check it out for myself. The owner Rachel started off with one side of the floor that her shop occupies and now has doubled the space.

The original space

The addition; I love the inspirational words on the wall!

Rachel always has such fun prints in her shop and helped me pick out a couple for a placemat project for the kids and "kickee" pants for Grayson. While my mom was here she helped me with the placemat which was super easy, and I'm sharing the tutorial with you today:

Materials:

• Favorite fabric (sized to pre-cut felt backing)
• Felt backing (the piece was pre-cut in a placemat friendly size)
• Double binding in a complimentary color
• Fusing tape

Directions:

Step 1: Iron fabric and felt, match up and trim if needed

Step 2: Measure and cut binding for all 4 sides, pressing to make tight edges

Step 3: Measure fusing tape to match binding, laying in each piece and ironing all the way around, tucking in edges and pressing with more pieces of fusing web as needed all the way around

That's it!

Especially with the holidays approaching you can make these more formal depending on the fabric and trim you choose plus they'd make a great favor for your guests to take-home!

Which holiday projects have you started? Be sure to follow Pins & Needles on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for project  inspiration!
 

The One Time I Met Tory Burch #CORYANDTORY

As I'm slowly making my way through recapping the whirlwind of events I attended during my 3rd trimester, I'm realizing how epic it really was! I nearly forgot that I met Tory Burch ya'll - crazy right?! Here's how it went down . . . 

About a week before the actual event a fellow Wellesley alum friend who works with U.S. Senator Cory Booker posted this listing on Facebook:

Seeing how soon the date was I thought, "Oh this must be full, but I'll give RSVPing a try anyway!" I logged onto Eventbrite and surprisingly, there were still openings so I signed right up. I mentioned it in passing a few days later to my sister Ariane, and she was a bit annoyed that I hadn't invited her. I let her know it was a NJ-business-centric event and didn't think she would be interested seeing how she's all "Miss Manhattan" and all. She's not really like that (!), but anyway, she was definitely interested. When Ariane tried to sign up it was sold out however a spot opened up last minute and she was able to join me. Hooray for sister power!

Ariane grabs a quick bite - it was so quick, it was blurry! Just keepin' it real!

The "fireside chat" event was held at Liberty House (quick fact: ran by a female entrepreneur!). It was a gorgeous, sun-filled room with an amazing view of the Manhattan skyline - I would've loved to get pictures of the view, but the sun rising over the skyline just wouldn't allow it. Still the spot is definitely etched in my memory as one to visit with Mr. Lovebird. It was my first time there, and it's quite romantic! A networking breakfast was also provided, but with Nia in preschool and drop-off at 8:30 I couldn't get there early enough so Ariane and I grabbed a quick bite and took our seats.  

{Image Credit: Leading Women Entrepreneurs}

In the hour-long chat Tory shared her start-up story: how she requested funds from about 200 potential investors (mostly friends and family) and created a 5-year plan launching in 2004 without a dime spent on traditional media - yes, it can be done!

As a mom, I was especially interested to hear how Tory handles mompreneurship and she explained that it's ALWAYS a struggle, but that family is first. She makes sure she is 100% present when she is with them and takes her sons to school herself daily.

{Image Credit: Leading Women Entrepreneurs}

I was thrilled to hear Tory and Senator Booker share their enthusiasm for social media. I still can't believe how hard some folks diss it, but I'm also a firm believer. Of course there is foolishness on there, but as Senator Booker explained, if you have 200+ followers, you have influence beyond measure. Tory explained how becoming an early adopter of social media helped lead to her success especially without a marketing budget. In fact, she handles her own Instagram and Twitter accounts personally!

The biggest challenges Tory sees when it comes to female entrepreneurship is 1) access to capital and 2) mentorship. Because of this she created the Elizabeth Street Capital initiative (the name was derived from her 1st store location) partnering with Bank of America to provide $10 million towards low cost loans. She encouraged the audience to apply to the program which has basic criteria of a great idea and a sound plan. 

After the event, I knew the attendees would bum rush the front to get pictures and was surprised to see how gracious Tory was to take them. I cautiously made my way to the front with my large belly and a few ladies literally carved a path to Tory for me, and I was able to chat with her quickly and get a quick picture with her and my sister:

I was surprised when Tory asked me the name of the baby (kinda how Dr. Oz did)! I stumbled a moment and explained that my sister didn't even know it yet, and it was still under wraps. 

Overall, the event was a great kick-off for me and my sister as well as we're in the works on a special sister-business project along with our other sister Lauren. It's been a bit of a slow start, but we're confident in the direction we're headed, and it was such an inspiration to be able to hear directly from Tory about how she built her business. It was just the encouragement we needed!

Are you a Tory Burch fan? If you're a mompreneur, who inspires you?
 

The Closest You'll Get to Picking My Brain

Ahhhhhh the beloved Homey Hook-Up . . . Mr. Lovebird, who has my best interest in mind, has winced over the years as he's witnessed me allowing people to "pick my brain." He's even chastised me for doing so. In looking at my fellow entrepreneurs I definitely see a trend that a lot of times it's women who request and permit this brain picking to go on instead of getting paid for the insight and services we provide. I've since taken a different approach, per Mr. Lovebird's imploring, which I recently shared on Instagram to much discussion:

As I stated in the Instagram conversation, I definitely think there's a place for an initial consultation, but time and time again I've had it happen to me and fellow entrepreneurs that someone takes advantage and just keeps coming back for more "brain picking" then hem and haw when it comes to actually paying for services.

I'm always happy to do informational interviews, but I've learned to identify those who are doing the most when it comes to brain picking.

This spring I had a couple features that count as a bit of acceptable "brain picking" that I'd like to share with you:

Blogalicious Solopreneur Spotlight:

In this quick feature I share my story, a day in the life and a few resources I find helpful. I'll be attending Blogalicious for the 3rd time this fall and if you'd like to join me there click here to register - there's still time!

If you have more time on your hands and want to learn a bit more about my journey check out this next feature:

Purpose Rockstar Podcast:

Thank you to those of you who have read, listened to and cross-posted these features on social media - I appreciate your support!

What's your thoughts on "brain picking" (actually sounds a bit gross if you think about it!)? Are you in a freelancer/consultant career that gets abused by "brain pickers?" How do you handle it?

An Alt Summit Inspired Giveaway: Ginger's Wild

Disclosure: I received a sample pack of Ginger's Wild soap to facilitate this review; all opinions expressed are my own.

In honor of Alt Summit and all things DIY and handmade when a friend of mine introduced me to Ginger's Wild I was thrilled to share the beautifully, handmade soaps with my readers. I'm a soap-a-holic, meaning while I like a good body wash, nothing beats using a bar of soap - especially one that smells divine.


"I like to think that every scent has a bit of my personally in it.  My soap is fragrant and fun!  I want people to get excited about bathing!  I only use sustainable oils and the high quality fragrance oils and essential oils and do not use any harsh detergents in any of my products.”
 

Ginger - a self-proclaimed product junkie - created her company in a sudden burst of late-night inspiration waking up suddenly and declaring, "I want to make soap!" While she enlists the help of her fiancé as her tester, Ginger looks forward to being able to go full time with her business.

Ginger's Wild most popular scent Lemongrass is a bright, crisp aroma that will convert even the most resistant morning person. In the sample pack Ginger shared with me I was immediately drawn to the cucumber melon which reminded me of a summer spa day - perfect for using especially during the polar vortex we just experienced in NYC. When I unwrapped the soap it felt creamy with a butter-like texture and I knew my skin was in for a treat! It definitely isn't the drugstore soap I grew up with.

Love the delicate packaging!

From Wakey, Wakey to Salted Coconuts you can find all of Ginger's Wild's scents in her Etsy shop in both bars and soap loafs - which can be cut into your own individual bars as needed. I had never heard of a "soap loaf" before until Ginger explained it to me - here's an example:

 

Ginger is giving one of my reader's a custom Lemongrass soap loaf (valued at $35) topped with gold-colored mica powder, which is safe on skin and provides a beautiful shimmer to the soap.

To enter just use the Rafflecopter form below. The giveaway ends Thursday, January 30 with the winner announced on January 31. Open to U.S. residents only. Good luck and happy lathering!


a Rafflecopter giveaway


 

Home With Robin: An Inside Look at Balance

Disclosure: I am a compensated brand ambassador for Robin Wilson Home; all opinions expressed are my own.

I was thrilled to announce just a couple short months ago the launch of Robin Wilson Home's line of comforters in Bed Bath & Beyond stores nationwide and today I want to share a quick peek behind the brand.

In her short film Robin discusses her challenges balancing her business, motherhood and marriage. Especially as a mompreneur I find her story truly inspirational. Robin had some tough decisions to make and it's exciting to see now where her brand is headed. 

Follow along on her journey (click through the blue button to play the video in Vimeo):

SHORT FILM: Home with Robin from Robin Wilson on Vimeo.

 What speaks to you about Robin's experience finding balance? How do you maintain it in your own life? Do you think it's even possible?