Stories in Black and White

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of attending VoWcon (Voices of Women Conference) as always to be expected from 4 Real Women International, INC. it was a wonderful and inspiring event with a diverse set of honored guests that included Award winning -journalist and Spectrum NY 1 News anchor, Cheryl Wills and Brandi Inez Sutton of the Metropolitan Opera. The theme for the conference this year was all about breaking barriers in all parts of your life and highlighted the need to share your story.

With 4RWI CFO, Angela Fletcher & 4RWI Founder, Norka Blackman-Richards

What made this VoWcon17 even more special was the fact that it was also the book launch of Real Women’s Stories – a powerful, inspiring collection of short stories by and about real women. I had been invited to submit a chapter for this book earlier in the year and it was approved to be included in the published text very soon after I sent my first draft. Ever since I was a kid I’ve had the goal to be a published author so the fact that my first published work is actually a chapter about a personal life experience is pretty surreal, nevertheless I can officially add “author” in my resume while also take pride in the fact that my words may help and inspire someone going through similar challenges to the ones I had.

The books!

As one of the authors of the anthology, I knew I would be expected to attend the conference so back in the summer I had already made plans for an outfit to the point that just needed to find the right shoes for it. However a little less than a week before the event, I was asked by my editor and the 4RWI team to wear white, which worried me because I can literally count on one hand the amount of white items in my closet. With no time to shop I put in my request for my Dia box and got this lovely dress from the new Nanette by Nanette Lepore collection.  Continue reading

Slay Sista Slay

Happy Women’s History Month!  Having spent five years volunteering with a NYC-based women’s empowerment non profit, I can truly say that there is nothing more powerful than when women come together to advocate for the rights and advancement of other women. It is a notion that deserves to be celebrated and explored through various platforms of discussion. For this reason I’m hoping to cover topics relevant to female empowerment on the blog such as budgeting, the significance of creating a personal brand, as well as making time for self-love all through what is left of this month.  Of course fashion will still be featured,  including my final winter look for this season and some early spring looks that I’m excited to finally share, as it is a significant way we can empower each other, however, such self-expression is only one part of our experience as women.   Continue reading

Think Pink – Shopping For a Cause

We’ve finally made it to October which means sweater weather, pumpkin spice EVERYTHING, New York Comic Con and, of course, Halloween. Yet there is one more significant thing  that occurs this month that is sometimes ignored during the rest of the year, that is breast cancer awareness.

The great thing is there are ways to help even if you can’t do so personally by volunteering  and do it in style. So if you believe that this is an important cause that needs to be spread, consider representing and supporting by purchasing and wearing something pink this month. I did some searching and found some great affordable “pink power” selections for the office, casual Sundays and even for those weekly workouts, all of which donates a  percentage of the retail prices towards the various nonprofit organizations and their work. Continue reading