Pushing Forward…

I have been MIA for a few days, I have just been busy juggling all the ventures that I am running. My weekend started wonderfully…a simple Friday (boss was out) and I had a party Friday evening and will come to an end tomorrow (I will be working from home, which I should do any way because going to DC each day is just a waste). There is something to be said about doing what you love and just living it up. And even though it may be tiring, there is something inside that just keeps pushing you forward.

On Friday, I had my Pure Romance debut par-tay and it was hit! Despite the late start (folks on CP time…since when does 6pm mean 8pm?) And half of the folks who RSVP’ed showed (blame DC traffic)…but I still scored big time in the sales department and booked 2 other parties! I am certainly thankful to the folks who came out in the freezing cold to party. It is interesting how many women feel like they need permission to want to have a fulfilling sex life and how many think that pursing their sexual needs in their relationships is somehow taboo. On Friday night, I heard a lot of bedroom stories, and I can’t believe how many folks opened up to me in the ordering room about their private sexual life’s. Which to me, means I did a good job. I wanted people to be comfortable, relaxed and to open up .  Everyone no matter, how they came into to the party or whatever feelings they initially felt left feeling the way I had hoped. It’s amazing how many women will lay there so their partner can get satisfaction and relinquish all control and hope of being satisfied.   So Friday was a good day for me, from many different aspects.

I also got some really good designs for my company conferences happening in Charlotte and Virginia Beach, so I will begin promoting that tomorrow. My speakers are pretty much lined up, and I am hoping that this one sponsor signs on the dotted line.

Tomorrow, I am having a phone party and by all indications it will go well considering, I just pulled it together about 1 day ago. I am still learning to work my other blog, I am self-hosting it and learning all that code and techy stuff has been quite the experience. But I haven’t blew up anything yet, so I think I am doing OK   Plus, I want to take my other business completely to a blog format (and can the website) among other changes that I want to make, so this will be good practice for me.

Going back to work…I am not looking forward to.  But I know it is just a temporary means to a greater end…so I will hang in there and work rapidly to get out of there.  Like is too too short to settle for the okey doke.

A Sista Is Tired…

So, it’s 5:45, and where I am? Still at work! Why? Because I have so much crap to do it’s crazy and they just keep piling it on. See, I am a contractor, I don’t work for my client, I work for my company. And I guess since the government folks don’t do any work…they give it to us to do. But for real, it’s like my boss doesn’t understand that 1 thing could take days…even if I worked on it without working on anything else. They don’t know anything…they don’t know how to work our software and databases, they don’t know how to work our Sharepoint sites…nothing! So guess what? They ask for stuff and don’t understand the complexity of the task because in their little minds, all I need to do is push a button and out comes this pretty user-friendly report with everything just the way they like it. NOT!

I am tired on several occassion to transfer within the company and my project manager just gives me lip service. Now, don’t get me wrong, I do not have deep feelings for any one job ever. If I am at a job for longer than a year, my friends and family think that’s a miracle…’cause I stick and move… But I want to stick around to be fully vested in my 401K and if they know what’s right for them…my raise should be sweet. But I don’t know how long I can last in this…on Monday I worked almost 12 hours…today it will be close to 9. Thursday isn’t looking too great either.

I have so much stuff to do it’s crazy… I am leading one group, the acting lead of another, a team member on this group, I just got the lead for anther iniatitve. PLUS, i sat in meetings 95% of the day today…how the heck am I supposed to get anything done sitting in meetings?

Then I have the stuff that I really like to do such as my businesses. I am planning a conference in Charlotte and Virginia Beach this year…and I LOVE doing this stuff. But I spend so much time at the JOB, by the time I get around to doing the fun stuff, I do get a second wind…but the next day I am so tired. Plus, I got my Pure Romance kit and I placed another order of stuff and I got it all and I just want to go home and play in it. I love it! I have my first party this Friday! YAY!!! So I am very excited. I will post another entry about the menu later. But I digress. Anyways, a sista is tired. I need to figure out a way to do what I want to do all the time and make a whole lotta money doing it!

Love, Happiness & The Big O

My gf is the only person who has ever made me achieve the big O…the only person, period ever.  She is also the only person that I have ever been in love with and ours is the only relationship that is constantly a source of happiness (even though we have our ups and downs).

I don’t understand how people have casual sex, without love and affection sex is nothing for me.   I also don’t understand how people have open relationships.  I mean, I couldn’t take my gf  with anyone else.  Why would people want to share their partners? I guess there are some folks who are cool with that, I could never be one of those people…

But back to the big o…the only other time I have had one is with my handy dandy bullet.  Every woman needs a bullet!  I have had quite a few…I guess I wear them out! LOL.  Which is one of the reasons why I started with Pure Romance..at least I can get them at a discount now!  One of my friends (who is straight) can’t have an orgasm without the bullet…she made her man run out and buy one in the middle of sex since the one she had got a short mid-performance.

At the end of the day, I think all everyone wants is love and happiness (makes me thing of the song).  We all want to be loved, to feel it, to give it.  We all want to be happy.  Everyone goes about it in a different way.  I am happy with my gf, I hope we are together forever.  I am well on my way to being happy in my career.  I used to pursue money…but now I am in hot pursuit of love and happiness (and if money can help then so be it

As much as I don’t want to go to work tomorrow, I have decided to make the most of it since this is only a short term means to a greater end.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions…

I posted about me being stuck last week, and I think, finally I am starting to see the light.   I am starting to think being stuck isn’t always a bad then, especially if it causes you to pause and prevent you from making a wrong turn.

My problem, to an extent is that I try to put myself in a box.  And I can’t do that because there will never be a box that fully captures me, who I am, what I do, my interests, my goals, my dreams…  I am a constantly shifting paradigm, and, thats OK.

I may have several businesses, but I can never really be defined by one.  I am not a consultant, an event planner or a marketing expert.  Yes, I perform those functions but really at heart I am an entrepreneur, an innovator, and idea generator.  That’s who I am.

So being able to free myself of my self-imposed box really helps me to see the light shinning not too far away.  I think, i think I just may have got my mojo back.  I am working on a new venture and it is 1 in the morning.  I haven’t been up this late, this excited about anything in months.  I am reinventing myself and repositioning myself.  I am doing away with the old and embracing the new.  I told my self I would be financially independent by the age of 30, I that I will do.  I decided that it may make good financial sense to stay at my job, not only because the real work I actually do is interesting and will actually help me with my “side gigs” but also because If I can hang out for just another 18 months I will be fully vested in our 401k.  Which means that all the matching contributions my company has made is mine for the keeping and I like free money!!

One of the things that I have been researching for a few months now is becoming a consultant for one of those “sex toy party companies”.  I have been to a few parties (okay, a little more than a few), I have spent hundreds of bucks on “novelties” and I have always had a good time.  So I said, hey, I think I can do this.  In a past life I was a Director in Qualification for Mary Kay, I also was an associate for Pre Paid Legal, both of which I did very well.  Initially, I looked at Slumber Parties and Passion Parties but as luck had it I came across another company called Pure Romance.   And both me and my sweetie decided to do this together and we both love the company and have decided to give it a go.  Even though I have not officially signed up yet (will do that at the end of the week).  I have already created a blog site (I wanted a blog in addition to the company site they will provide) and set a date for a Trunk Show at my house.  When I get an idea, my time to market is rapid! LOL.

So I am excited and feeling good about 2009 and beyond.  On a whole other note,  I am also getting word that they killed Jenny in the next season of the L word.  Can’t say I will miss her, ’cause she was getting on my last nerve!  But that is still messed up.

I am starting to get really excited over here!

Stuck

As I have revealed in a previous post, I am fed up with the establishment…the corporate establishment.

I looked online today for an exciting job possibly in the areas of pr, communications or marketing and found none. Well one writing press releases for some boring government program. I feel like I am 19 all over again…I don’t know what I want to do with my life.

I have a small business, I have had several but that doesn’t do it for me. Yesterday, I thought about opening a branding, strategy and corporate communications company and today I am thinking about being a freelance writer. I have read all the top titles on finding your purpose, I have pondered the question “what would i do even if i didn’t get paid”.

The only thing that remains constant is the fact that i hate my commute…sitting in traffic going to and from work has to go! The other thing is that I hate not having the option of being home for my son. It is not that I want to be a stay at home anything. I just remember those times when I came home from school and my mom was there, I looked forward to that all day. My son goes to an after school program which is fine, he loves it. But I think what gets me is that I don’t have the option to be there.

One day I sat down and thought about how people get all happy when they start a job and they have a “great” benefits package complete with “2 weeks” vacation and sick leave. I am so over that! 2 weeks vacation really is only 14 days. And when life happens (especially if you have kids) you can use that up in no time. For example, if my sons school closes for bad snow and does that just 2x and I have to stay home…I am out 15% of my vacation time!

What crushes me is that I have seen a few “entry-level” jobs in fields that I have an interest. However, I can’t pay my mortgage on entry level pay. I have a great mortgage with a low-interest rate but Washington, DC has one of the highest real estate prices in the U.S. even in this market. So a home here costs much more than homes in other cities. I don’t envy homeowners in San Fransisco and NY for this very reason. So I have bare minimum level of income that I need to bring in.

When I was running my business (which I am debating what to do with) I worked with women entrepreneurs. One thing that irked me was that many would regale crowds with stories of how they quit their jobs and started their business. But what they don’t say mattered even more. These women were married, their husbands worked. These women’s incomes were probably not too important to the overall scheme of things, they were still insured (via their hubby’s insurance) so they didn’t have the same worries that a one-income household does. If I don’t have insurance, my son doesn’t have insurance. If I don’t make any money, there is no money coming into the house.

One of the the things that I need to get back on the ball with is passive income. I have earned a few hundred bucks through affiliate programs, so now I need to figure out how to turn those into 4 and 5 figure checks.

I am sick of the linear relationship between work and pay. Meaning, I had the notion of one hour of work for one hour pay. Which is why passive income is so great, because it pays off of work done previously and keeps coming.

One of the things I need to do immediately for the new year is fix my rental and rent it out. My rental unit brings in about $800 a month. But it needs a new toilet, paint and a few minor upgrades. I am going to try to do most of the work myself, but that will take time. If I bring in someone else to do it, that will take money. But I need to get it done ASAP. Rental income is considered active passive income since generally speaking as long as it is rented income comes in, but you do have to actively manage the property (upkeep, tenant issues, etc…). I need to do something (at the least get the toilet fixed) to capitalize on the inauguration rental frenzy. I probably can get about $1k for one week.

There are some new retail developments coming up and I know there is a way to capitalize on them…just quite haven’t figured out how yet.

Why was it that when I was younger, I had all the answers…now at 29…I have none?