"Stop Waiting... Do It Now", was an empowering and inspiring conference held in Kenner, Louisiana. The creator and host Laquita Brooks, produced an amazing event with powerful speakers, local vendors, and amazing food and surprises. The guest speakers included Sula Kim, Havilah Malone, Cee Cee Michaela, and Bershan Shaw. Each speaker shared personal stories in which they turned hardship into triumph. There wasn't a guest in the building that didn't connect in some way with the ladies that took the stage.

Sula Kim, news anchor for New Orleans own WDSU television station shared her story of turning down life changing opportunities because of her feelings of unworthiness. Havilah Malone, best selling author, talked about stepping out on her journey to become an author, and leaving her "day job" to pursue her life's passions. Cee Cee Michaela, actress and international natural health coach, discussed her trademarked company and movement Zuleana. On Friday, Cee Cee provided a free pop-up Zuleana African Cardio session in The Esplanade Mall. Today, Cee Cee shared her wealth of knowledge on nutrition and health, as well as, engaged our audience in a short version of her Zuleana African Cardio dance moves. Bershan Shaw, life coach and motivational speaker, shared her triumph over stage 4 breast cancer, leaving the past behind, and her famous LIFT model.

All of the women displayed a passion and energy to the audience that proved that not only did they talk the talk, but they walked the walked. Women and men stayed behind after the conference to have personal conversations with the presenters. The guests were definitely eager to learn more about how they could Stop Waiting.. and Do It Now.

I am so glad that Nola Girls Night Out, was invited to this exciting event. I had the privilege of raffling off two Nola Girls Night Out Classic tees , as well as, meet some amazing women. I am sure that this will be a yearly event that will get bigger and better. Nola Girls Night Out, is always excited to support local businesses, events, and charities that are need of reviews, assistance, and ladies in the seats. Please contact us if you are interested in having Nola Girls Night Out at your next event or production.

~DM

We made it! We are at the end of April 2017, we have tackled a quarter of the year and we are pressing on. Like most of you, I started strong with goals and optimism and then things dulled a bit in February. The newness of the New Year wore off and I found myself repeating some of the same old habits. Then March arrived and I snapped out of it. I don't know if it was the change in weather or the time change but I became re-energized and focused.

I revisited my goals, read more books, and began to talk about my intentions with like minded friends and I became inspired. I attended a Women's empowerment group and I had more fuel to get me through obstacles and keep me on track. This is a great time in my life, right?? The answer is Yes.... but.....

I was sitting enjoying a discussion lead by author and business strategist Havilah Malone , author of "How to become a Publicity Magnet In Any Market via TV, Radio & Print", discuss writing down plans of action, being accountable, and identifying the specifics of what you want out of life personally,financially, and professionally. One question that was asked to the group once we were instructed to write down how much money we wanted to make was, what are you willing to give to earn that income? That seems like an easy question to answer on the surface but when you go deeper, the task of achieving the goal may not be as simple.

When someone says that they want to make millions of dollars, one would expect that you would give your time, talents, knowledge, and full effort. However, there is a price for that financial or professional growth. Time spent focusing on work and developing relationships may mean time away from family, the disconnection of familiar friendships, and you may find yourself alone a majority of the time. For some, that may be a reasonable sacrifice but for others it may create a level of guilt that slows the process of growing. Here's a few suggestions on how to battle the guilt of growth.

1. Believe that your success does not just serve you, but it will also benefit those that you love and your community.

2. Growth requires stretching beyond the familiar to reach new heights. Those that you love may not grow at the same rate or time and that's OKAY.

3. Time is of the essence and there is no better time to start than today. Time will continue whether you work towards your goals or not. You might as well put time into what you want to achieve. Lastly, there will Never be the perfect time to start so just get going.

I've listened to interviews, read books & articles of some of the most successful people in the world and one thing that I've never heard was that the journey was easy and without sacrifice. Let's Do It!

~DM