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Ataiai, 1970 captured by JD ’Ohkai Ojeikere

lupita nyong’o as nakia in wakanda forever?? no i will not be over it

Young children are to be guided as they learn about themselves and the world we live in. It grieves the Lord’s heart to witness so many be mislead in celebrating wickedness under the guise of festive fun or free sweets. Whether you actively partake or are passive when it comes to Halloween, the protection of young children should concern all. In the same way a loving parent would not want to willingly expose their child to life threatening danger, the same conviction should be had when it comes to Halloween. There is too much spiritual darkness taking place that the natural eyes cannot see, that then manifests differently in the lives of young people because, they weren’t always protected from demonic deception growing up. Some people may not have known that so much could be beyond the costumes and celebrations we see. Others of you may not believe a word I’ve said and think it’s being too deep. Either way, it is my hope this offers enlightenment on the protection of children not only in the physical but in the spiritual too. 

“God is not intimidated by the enormity of our requests. God honours bold requests, because bold requests honour God.”

black glamour is my favorite category ✨

10 Lessons from My Most Recent Internship!

For those of you who don’t know, I spent January doing a consulting internship and well, I had a blast. I was in a cozy, ski-lodge environment, I worked with a team of amazing students from around the world to come up with a consulting solution for a mega-cap company, and most importantly, I got a TON of advice from some of the biggest people in marketing, consulting, and finance. And of course, I can’t wait to share it with you guys. Let’s get into it:

1. If you’re not growing in a position, you should leave it.

It doesn’t matter if you’re working in the most prestigious role at the most prestigious company in the world, the moment you begin to feel comfortable or like you’re not growing, you need to transition. The people who tend to make the biggest impact and attain the most success, are the ones who have seemingly lived a thousand lives. They’ve worked in various industries, taken on countless different roles, and as a result, have grown tremendously throughout their careers. An entrepreneur came to speak to us who started his career as an investment banker, transitioned into becoming a diplomat, then a restaurant owner, and finally the founder of a huge tech company. He made it very clear that had he stayed working at his cushy finance job, he would’ve been half the person he is today. By committing to quit every job he could no longer learn from, he found his passions, his hobbies, his partner, and most importantly, he found a way to make a huge impact in the world.

2. Borrow & adapt.

Instead of trying to rewrite the wheel, look to the people who have already succeeded in what you’re trying to do and adapt their technique so it works for you. For example, if your boss found their success by networking their ass off at every step in their career, figure out how you can use networking to your advantage when trying to move up in your company. I borrow and adapt from people I admire all the time. I know exactly how my mentors got to where they are, and I’ve worked to apply their methods to my own life. I’ve read tons of books from the biggest entrepreneurs out there and I know it would be silly to not borrow their advice so I can one day reach a similar level of success. As you progress in your career, look to the greats for inspiration and figure out what they did so you can, well,  do it better.

3. If you can Google it, don’t ask it.

I’ve said before that the old saying “there’s no such thing as a stupid question” is false because there are such things as stupid questions and people ask them all the time. To me, a stupid question is one that you can find the answer to on your own. This notion became abundantly clear to me a couple of weeks ago when we were given the opportunity to ask questions to professionals at the company we were doing consulting for, and one of the executives prefaced our session by saying “If you can find the answers to these questions without asking us, don’t ask them. We’re busy and it’s not our job to do your work for you”. So the point is: don’t waste people’s time by asking silly questions just to get your voice heard. Ask questions that are compelling and require answers that can’t be found on Wikipedia or (gasp!) Reddit.

4. Express your vision.

One of the most successful startup founders out there came to speak to us a few days ago, and when I asked him for his top interviewing advice, he simply said “Express your vision”. Then he went into a story about how his first job was working as a blackjack dealer at a casino in a popular ski resort. The job paid well, so naturally, he was up against hundreds of applicants for that one spot. Well, during the interview, when they asked “Why do you want to become a blackjack dealer?” he responded, “Because my vision is to one day run the casino. But I have to start somewhere, right?”. The moral of his story is to always express your long-term vision when trying to make your case. Don’t just tell your interviewer that you want to work as a marketing assistant because you like the company’s culture. Tell them you want to one day become the company’s chief marketing officer, so you’re committed to becoming the best marketing assistant they’ve ever had. When people know that you have an innate drive to do amazing things, they will be inclined to open doors for you. 99% of people are too scared to express what they truly want. Stand out by actually owning your vision and sharing it.

5. Short, Sweet, & Front-loaded.

This is how you should structure pretty much every point you make. Nobody is going to pay attention to your pitch if you drag on about things that don’t matter. If you start a point off slowly and calmly, people will get bored and they will very quickly stop paying attention. None of this background story or providing context nonsense. Your pitch should get right to the point, be compelling, and start with a bang. Get your energy up to an 11 and start with something like “I am the ideal candidate for this position for three reasons” or “This product is going to change the world. Here’s why”. By doing so, you get to control how they react to the rest of the conversation.

6. You have got to get over your fear of public speaking.

Because no matter who you are or what career you find yourself in, you will eventually have to speak in front of a large group of people. Whether it’s as a maid of honor at a wedding, sitting around a large dinner table, or standing in front of a board room, I can guarantee you that will you need to step up at some point and be able to express yourself clearly and calmly in front of many people. During my internship, I had to do some form of public speaking nearly every day simply because our directors knew that public speaking is an essential part of life. So, if you’re deathly afraid of it, I suggest you get started right now on getting over that fear. Invest in some books, watch a few TED Talks, sign up for your local toastmasters, and do whatever you have to do to become a strong speaker. This is a tough pill to swallow but I have to say it: your ability to speak well in front of an audience will define the trajectory of your career.

7. Don’t underestimate the value of a supportive partner.

Nearly every leader who came to speak to interns, at some point or another, mentioned how they would have never gotten to their level of success without their spouse. One of the speakers explained exactly why, he said “I’ve never made a career decision without talking it through with my wife. I’m not a superhuman. I have blind spots and my wife, who knows me even better than I know myself, can immediately spot them and help me make the right choices.” I know we’re all independent women here, but understand that having a partner who will not only support you unconditionally but will also push you to be your best self and hold you accountable will make a HUGE difference in your career and ultimately, in your life.

8. “Don’t create magic, create the conditions for magic to happen”.

The chief marketing officer of one of the largest companies in the world gave this exact answer when one of the interns asked him what his secret to success is. He explained that you don’t have to be a genius or have all the perfect answers to stand out in your career. Your ideas don’t even need to be all that great. All you need to do is surround yourself with the right people and facilitate the right environment to create the proverbial magic. And it makes perfect sense. Have you ever driven yourself crazy trying to come up with a solution to a problem, only for a friend to offer you the perfect solution within seconds? Well, if you can consistently surround yourself with a group of people who go beyond your blind spots, you’re going to be successful in truly any endeavor.

9. Focus on the big picture.

Translation: don’t sweat the small stuff. When it comes to your career, you’re not going to be judged on that outfit you wore that one time or that presentation you were nervous about. You’re going to be judged on the culmination of your work throughout your time in a role. I get so many questions from people freaking out about the silliest issues related to their careers and frankly, none of them matter. When you show up at the office every day, instead of spending two hours formatting your notes or practicing in the mirror how you’ll say good morning to your coworker, start showing up ready to get your work done to the best of your ability despite the tiny mistakes you’re bound to make.

10. Create a vision statement for your life.

A neuroscientist came to speak to us early on in the internship and he spent the entire two-hour-long session having us make vision statements for our lives. A vision statement is a couple of sentences that summarize your ultimate goal in life. And this goal doesn’t have to be tangible, like becoming a billionaire, but can be more intuitive, like living a peaceful life. The neuroscientist explained that these statements are so important because they serve as a constant reminder for you to zero in on your goals, projects, and tasks that have the highest impact on the areas you want to prioritize. So set aside a few hours to sit down with yourself and figure out exactly what you want in life. Once you’ve come up with an answer, summarize it in a couple of sentences and put it on a notecard or your notes app, and look at it every morning before getting out of bed and every night before going to sleep. It's often said that “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” Most people want to race ahead and cut corners. Don’t cut this corner.

You are so used to your features, you don’t know how beautiful you look to a stranger.

Women glow differently when they start seeing themselves the way that God does.