The Natural Hair Family Supports Meechy Monroe

People talk about the "natural hair community" as being cult-like, trying to impose their views on others. Yes I agree there are some extremists who want to convert every woman they pass in the street that has a creamy crack addiction into a two strand twist addicted naturalista. But I don't think about those extremists, when I think of natural hair, I think of a family united by hashtags, blogs, Twitter Chats, running to Target for a product discount, YouTube subscriptions, and meet-ups. Sometimes there is an occasional jealousy moment poisoning our minds with the thought, "Ughhh I wish my hair could look like that." However, every family has those moments!

Around 6am this morning I realized how deeply rooted the natural hair family is and I'm not talking about the 4c type of roots, I am talking about steadfast faith, prayer, support, and monetary contributions. Last night around 1:30am I found out about Meechy Monroe's battle with cancer. I read her blog post and watched her video and was so overwhelmed with emotions. She was diagnosed with a rare sarcoma (or vascular cancerous tumor) in her brain. Over the past three months she has endured three consecutive strokes and two brain surgeries. She donated her beautiful hair that we all knew for the famous Meechy Twistout to Locks of Love to help a cancer patient in need. To be so selfless in your own time of need is admirable, I commend you Meechy! 

Before I went to sleep, the only post I saw on Instagram about this was of NaturalPartnersInCrime. I woke up to my social media flooded with condolences to The Monroe Family and scriptures for Meechy during her recovery. "#GetWellMeechy" was everywhere! This moment made it so clear that we truly are a family and we're all affected by Meechy's condition. Regardless if we have met her or not the love and support is there. Below are just a couple of heartwarming comments I saw on her funding page.

Today I stand as a proud member of the natural hair community FAMILY and it isn't because of the curls on my head, it is because of the overflowing amount of love we all share. As complete strangers connected externally by one feature...our hair, but we all know our hairstyles aren't the only things that tie us together, it's our hearts.

Thank you Meechy for sharing your story with us. I hope you continue to use the voice God has given you. In my eyes your platform has never been limited to just hair, makeup, or fashion, it is about inspiring others to be grateful for the person God has designed them to be. So please continue to be an inspiration to all of us!

Give LoudPen Ink on Kickstarter

So earlier this month, LoudPen, a fellow blogger reached out to me via Twitter to tell me how much she liked my blog. I was ecstatic that she found me, as it was my first time being reached out to by a stranger. After talking I learned about her blog, "De La Pen, All Pen Everything" and Kickstarter campaign to help expand her blog's reach into Pen.Point: The Seasoned Traveler and Pen.Style. After checking out her campaign, I donated to it. (My first Kickstarter donation! Yip-ee!) Read below to find out about the woman behind the project and then if you are able to, definitely go donate to her cause!

DDA: What initially inspired you to start your blog? LP: I started my blog because I wanted a place to share my opinion on fashion. Since 2010 when I started, it has grown into an international and multicultural online lifestyle magazine. I cover fashion, music, art, travel, events, and more. I want the site to be a place where people can get information on the latest designers, musicians, artists, travel destinations and hotels, not to mention know what events to attend.

DDA: What do you want people to gain from it? LP:I want to inspire people to create their own great work and lastly, I want to unite people from all different cultures and backgrounds. That's why I always emphasize the international & multicultural part so people understand I cover Asian, Hispanic, African-American, African, European, and American culture on the site. I'm proud to say that the majority of my readership is Asian, Hispanic, and African-American so I'm glad my content is reaching a diverse audience.

DDA: People always want to know where their money is going before the just give it away. For your Kickstarter, how did you determine $2,500 as your goal? Do you have a budget that you can share with us that explains the items you wish you to purchase with this money?  LP: Yes, I definitely have a budget! I would like everyone to know that I worked on the Give LoudPen Ink campaign for 3 months prior to launching it. First, I created a budget which breaks down into: $250 for travel to Dallas which is the 2nd location for the Pen.Point: The Seasoned Traveler campaign. The $250 will cover gas & my rental car. The next part is $650 for Advertising & Marketing. I am planning to launch Google AdWords campaigns and as well as using Facebook and Twitter Advertising. I ran a Facebook ad campaign for my blog a few months ago because I got a free $50 credit and it got me 50 new fans. That's a dollar per fan so I decided to include advertising in the budget. My site gets great traffic and I have a loyal following but major brands work with bloggers who have hundreds of thousands or millions of followers. If I can run a few campaigns, I would see an increase in my numbers and be able to show brands, I know how to blog and use digital/social advertising to increase my campaign reach. That would make me more valuable and make brands more likely to hire me for projects. The next $500 is for photography since that is crucial to having non-grainy photos. The last $400 is to purchase supplies like makeup, beauty products, clothes, and accessories. This is specifically for the Pen.Style shoots because since it's a series of fashion/lifestyle editorials, I want to feature great fashion and fabulous beauty in cool locations. That said, my total budget is $1800, but the reason I'm seeking $2500 is because Kickstarter charges a 5% fee for funds raised and Amazon Payments charges a 2-3% fee. So I wanted to raise enough to cover my costs and those fees.

DDA: So what do you do in order to relax from all the blogging, your day job, and planning out all these social media strategies? LP: Honestly, right now I don't have a favorite place to relax because I rarely let myself do so. I'm not where I want to be with my business and career so I'm usually working. Once my finances start flowing more I fully intend to take vacation or short weekend trips every 2-3 months. I will say that right now, my home is my sanctuary so on the weekends, I'll chill out there and I don't do any work. I usually do a full on digital detox by not using social media either.

DDA: You've been blogging since 2008, that is a long ass time. Like you said it takes money and not to mention all the time and research that goes into it as well. So when was the defining moment that made you decide that you aren't going to die afraid, you were going to just keep inking that page and sharing with your followers what is on your mind? LP: Yes, like we said on Twitter, I'm like the grandma of blogging! It has been such a crazy ass ride navigating the blogosphere. But I'll say it was my first trip to Uzbekistan in 2010 and in 2012 to cover events for the Fund Forum of Arts & Culture Uzbekistan. The Fund Forum is a nonprofit dedicated to promoting Uzbek fashion, music, and art so I was sponsored to attend and cover some of their events. Lots of family members & friends told me not to go but I took a chance and went anyway and that was a pivotal moment for me because it made me a professional blogger officially. I had a major brand cover my travel and accommodations to go all the way to Central Asia. Then when I got back I met my business partner and we co-founded our agency, The Network. With so many unique experiences, I know I won't die afraid because I've taken so many huge risks some have failed, some have been tremendously successful. Either way, "I did it my way" as Jay Z would say.

Have you ever given to a Kickstarter campaign?

What are the most effective ways of fundraising?

John Legend's "You & I" Video

John Legend's "You & I (Nobody In The World)" video made me love the song even more. When I initially heard the album, I imagined him or my husband singing it to me at my wedding. I expected the video to revolve around an intimate moment with his sexy wife Chrissy Teigen like all the rest of his videos duhhh. But nope, instead he surprised me by including a diverse group of women to show that all those flaws we think we have are actually beautiful. Where do women get cast for these things? John Legend if you are reading this, I would love to be in your next video!

Women can get so consumed with outer appearances, it usually fogs our mirror when we see our reflection. I have plenty insecurities and sometimes I find myself so focused on those instead of the features I love about myself. Now of course this is attributed to society's model of perfection and just always striving to be "better" (I say that in parentheses because enhancements or changes aren't always better, they come with their cons as well.)

This video symbolizes the experience of a woman at all stages of life. As a little girl brushing her teeth in the mirror, as a graduate tackling the real world, as a woman in the workplace dominated by men, as a pregnant mother, as a cancer survivor, and simple moments such as checking ourselves out in a car mirror while on a jog.

All women can relate to this video and I applaud John Legend for including our experiences as a whole. It displays many facets of a woman's life and shows that "you don't even have to try," which is such a relief.

Fourth of July for Black People

So I have a confession...I get nervous when writing about controversial topics. I've always been that person who hates conflict and will do everything in my power to avoid it. Do you know those people who would feel some type of way about something and instead of addressing the issue they don't say anything to the other party involved from getting offended? Yup, those annoying people. I'm one of them! But hey, don't judge me just yet, I am working on speaking my mind and telling people how I feel. It really depends on my comfort level with the person. But anyway back to the point of the post, I'm sure you've figured it out hence the name, Fourth of July for Black People. Today I scrolled through my feed and saw tons of patriotism but the post that stood out the most was this photo.

I didn't comment on the photo to ask the user her motive for posting it. Does this mean she isn't attending a BBQ today? Isn't decked out in red, white, and blue? Isn't going to watch the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks?

On a more serious note, I get it, I totally understand where she is coming from. Our people remained enslaved while America gained independence so why should African-Americans celebrate this holiday? Frederick Douglass said it the best in 1852,

What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer; a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sound of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciation of tyrants brass fronted impudence; your shout of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanks-givings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are to him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy -- a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of the United States, at this very hour.

Hours later I saw the photo below with the caption, "Where it all started...Despite inequality and racism my ancestors fought for a nation of what they dreamed it could be. #TrueAmericans #SC #FreedomFilter #HappyFourth"

These photos inspired me to write this and it's not knocking anyone's perspective, I'm just stating my opinion because this is my platform to do so. I deserve to celebrate this holiday just as much as any other American.

Yes racism, classism, and multiple forms of inequality exist and continue to affect black people, but we are in a different place than we were in 1776 and that should be celebrated. Whether it is celebrated on July 4, December 6, the third Monday in January, or the whole month of February. We have gained physical freedom and independence, it is our mentalities that remain captive.

Where do you stand on this subject?

Momentum The Inspiring Chrome Extension

Get Your Momentum Up! How can I have an inspirational blog without sharing some of my keys to remain upbeat, you ask? I simply cannot! It just wouldn't be fair for me to keep all this knowledge to myself.

My job consists of me being on a computer all day so instead of opening a new tab and seeing the boring dashboard of Google Apps or "Most Viewed Pages", I have this Google Chrome app called Momentum that you all should check out. (Shout-out to my co-worker Jenna who told me about it.)

It is perfect for a person who loves photography, philosophy, and staying organized!

From the screenshots you can see the dashboard supplies you with:

• Beautiful photo, including the location where it was taken
• "Things to do list" to stay on track of daily tasks
• Prompts you to create a daily goal through the question, "What is your main focus for today?"
• Local weather (you can see New York's has been too low for June!)
• Motivating quote on the bottom
• Time stamp with a personalized greeting including your name
• An Apps button on the top left hand corner that redirects you to the Store, Google Docs, Search, Gmail Account, Drive, and YouTube

While browsing the Chrome Store, I also saw "Dream Afar New Tab" which is similar to Momentum. According to the reviews, users prefer "Dream Afar New Tab" because it doesn't recycle photos. I have seen the same photos on Momentum before but that didn't bother me because it doesn't take away from the beauty.

The person who left the review of Dream Afar spelled "does" incorrectly and that bothers me. Regardless, try Momentum or Dream Afar New Tab and tell me how you like them!

What Chrome extensions do you use?

Do you start your day with daily affirmations similar to the quotes in this program?

I Fell In Love With a Mimosa

I've never liked breakfast food...besides pancakes or french toast. The smell of eggs is unsettling (to say in the most polite way), being assaulted on the arm by bacon grease is rude, oatmeal is boring, cereal gets soggy, bagels are apparently only a major thing in NY, sausage aesthetically disturbs me (I can only eat the patties), grits stick to your insides, Greek peach yogurt is the only kind I'll eat, and croissants aren't fluffy enough for me (Pret A Manger has the best ones!).

Growing up my main perception of lunch was gross school cafeteria lunch or whatever sandwich my Nana packed for me that I gave  to my classmate Steven. So I wasn't sold on this whole idea of "brunch", combining my two least favorite meals of the day wasn't appealing.

Don't let me get started on the drinks! I'm an apple juice type of gal! You can keep your freshly squeezed orange juice with all that pulp. Just because you add a little champagne to OJ doesn't make it tasty (or so I thought before I fell in love). I NEVER turn down a food outing, so once I heard about Cinco de Mimosa, the Food Before Love event, I had to go.

Casandra, the creator of Food Before Love was at the door in her Tacos & Tequilla shirt greeting her guests as they came in. The event was as Matilda's in the East Village and it was decorated perfectly with sombrero balloons and Corona paraphernalia everywhere.

Once you were seated, there was a menu outlining your brunch choices and then the mimosas started flowing! The music was good, the  food was tasty, the people were friendly, and the mimosas were being refilled on time. I went to the event alone and ended up sitting with ladies who were cousins. We talked, laughed, drank, and had a good ol time!

Casandra introduced my stomach to a brand new brunch experience. She turned me into a BELIEVER! I'm a mimosaholic now! My record is 8 and I'm up for the challenge so come try me.  I think I fell in love with them between round 4 and 5.

So now instead of saying "Dinner Thursday sounds good.", I can be fancy and say, "Let''s do brunch on Saturday darling."

What is your favorite meal of the day?

What is your mimosa record?

Where can I get the BEST mimosa?

Remember Me?

Yes..yes I know I've been gone for a while but I am back now with a lot in store for DDA (aka a more regular posting schedule)! Over the past month I've been attending events, networking, volunteering with NYCares, traveling, eating at amazing places I want you to check out, cooking some great recipes I want to share, and just enjoying life. I am the happiest I've ever been and it's not because life is perfect but I am embracing the journey, even all the bumps.

I am glad that I have been able to figure out a schedule that works for me, I'm so passionate about my blog and just want to share it with the world! I feel everyone needs a little inspiration every once in a while. Over the past weeks I've met a lot of inspiring people I want to introduce you all to.

So again, I apologize for being a ghost, but those days are in the past! The Feisty House's article about quitting blogging really spoke to me. Don't get me wrong, I am not thinking about quitting, that is NEVER an option for me but the time management struggle is real but my vision for DDA supersedes that. I also received some helpful tips from Studio 404's May Blogging Tips Roundup!

Thank you all for believing in me and joining the Fearless DDA family.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

What is one task you could be doing more of if you prioritized your time better? What is preventing you from making time for it?

Spring Fling Fun!- Recap

So remember the event I told you all about a couple of weeks ago? I went and had a blast! My friend Lita accompanied me and there were cake pops so she enjoyed herself as well (sweet tooth with her is an understatement). She even won a raffle that included some cool jewelry and clothing from MyTee B.A.D. ! 

Speaking of winning things, I won a ticket to Popcorn Production's PopEvents May Edition: Unleash Your Brilliance. It is a networking event for business owners and "femme-preneurs"! (how cool of a word is that?) If you aren't familiar with the company, definitely go check out the website! The company was founded by Deborah Asseraf who once used her planning and organizing skills for a major media company but then realized that she would be more fulfilled by starting her own business where she has full creative control. I LOVE entrepreneurs!!! I admire their perseverance, creativity, and quirkiness! I hope to feature Deborah one day soon in our Inspiration Corner!

Danielle was pulling those names out! You're a Winner!

As the event winded down, we had the chance to mingle! I met some really great ladies who are doing their THANGGGG! There is just something so inspirational about being surrounded by women who know what they want in life and are out to get it! It is one thing to be a planner but actually executing it is KEY! One of our activities was to introduce ourselves and when I heard someone say "Food Before Love" I was like "WHATTT?!" I literally found out about that blog two weeks prior and thought it was a genius idea so to be in the same room as the mastermind, Casandra who is the founder was fate! So of course I took her to the side, introduced myself, and told her how much I have stalked her blog. One topic led to the next and we were just clicking in moments! Then a couple of days later I attended her event Cinco De Mimosa...check back tomorrow for the scoop on that! Let's just say it was 6pm, the sun was up, and I was tipsy. So you know I had a great time!

It was my first SheDares event of many! I was glad to see Danielle in her element. I am so proud of her and the circle of women she inspires on a daily basis to live their lives BOLD! She kept introducing me to other business owners and saying how she can connect me with any of them for a feature on Don't Die Afraid but little does she know is that SHE was the major inspiration in the room!

What is your favorite aspect of spring?

She Dares Spring Fling

Okay so this post is strictly for my ladies...or for a guy who has a lady in mind that he can pass this info along to her. I am so excited to announce She Dares Spring Fling!!! My friend Danielle is hosting this on April 30th! She even gave all of my Don't Die Afraid readers a special code to use for a discount! Guess what the code is?!  *drum roll please* "Ashley", so just click on "Enter Promotional Code" and type that and then purchase your tickets.

Go for the "BYOBff (2 for 1 friend combo)" package! Besides having a really cute name, it is a good discount too! The price for one ticket is $25 and two is $40, now that is a great deal (and that doesn't even include your "Ashley" promo code)!

She Dares is a community of like-minded women who want to take charge of their lives! They are women who Don't Die Afraid! I don't want to go into too much detail about She Dares or the founder, all of that will be covered in a special profile because it is a really inspiring story. Until I get to share with you the full story, stay up to date through the She Dares Twitter.

The best way to spend your Wednesday evening after work on April 30 is hanging out with me and meeting others who are just as positive about life as you are! Besides being in a room filled with amazing women, below are 7 other reasons this is an event you don't want to miss.

1. It will get you out of your comfort zone, which is the only way to grow.
2. I'm giving you a discount! Danielle was generous to make a promo code for my readers so  I would love for you to support her event.
3. Yes I this post is about uplifting women but there will be men there too, so ladies come out and get your flirt on *wink wink*
4. There is food! Not a four course meal but there will be treats (if you know me, you know I love to eat).
5. There are drinks also! Every woman should toast to the good life once in a while!
6. We'll play games & activities, after a stressful day at work, who doesn't need a good icebreaker?
7. There are giveaways! Yes that is right....FREE STUFF!

If that wasn't convincing enough, look at the photos below of an old She Dares event, "Let's Wine About Our Differences"

Look at those women having a blast, that is going to be us on April 30! So go buy your ticket! 

How do you find and network with people with similar interests?

Are you ready to be a daring woman and be the boldest version of yourself?