Calida Jones, M.M.’s Post

#WorldStorytellingDay #ComingTogether This World Storyteller Day, as we reflect on the journey of spreading the message of inclusion, we extend our deepest gratitude and heartfelt salutes to each one of our Storytellers!! Through your powerful tales, you've not only entertained but also inspired and educated, fostering a culture of acceptance and unity. Your stories are narratives of diversity, empathy, and understanding has illuminated countless minds and hearts, have transcended boundaries, bridged differences, and fostering a sense of belonging for all. Your commitment to amplifying voices often unheard and championing the cause of inclusivity is a beacon of hope in a world that sometimes feels divided. Your storytelling prowess has been instrumental in shaping perceptions, challenging biases, and paving the way for a more compassionate society. As we move forward, let us continue to honor and support our storytellers, for they are the architects of a more inclusive world. Together, let us strive to ensure that every narrative is one of unity, understanding, and celebration of diversity. With deepest gratitude and admiration for you & your craft! 🌼PS: The empty frame is to acknowledge each of the Parents, Caregivers who are the first Storyteller for each child in their growing up years!!

I've officially launched The Black Girl Magic Office newsletter/blog! ✨ 🙌🏽 Here’s some of what you can expect: - a mantra or affirmation for inspiration - reviews and recaps of dining, travel, and event experiences - courageous grown woman talk as I navigate, learn, and unlearn through this new level of womanhood - upcoming community events, grant opportunities, professional development opportunities, and other related resources to help you level up and get connected in #NewOrleans Click the link in comments to read my first newsletter post!👩🏽💻👇🏾 #newsletter #blog #professionaldevelopment #neworleansevents #substack

📙 You Belong Here: The Power of Being Seen, Heard, and Valued on Your Own Terms Author: Kim Dabbs Category: Business Diversity & Inclusion Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers   In a world overcrowded with labels, don't allow your identity to be defined by other people.   Learn how to take back your power, choose to feed the aspects of your identity that serve you, and let go of those that don't.   Everyone feels like an outsider at some point in their life-when we walk into a room and think to ourselves, I don't belong here.   To avoid these feelings of exclusion, many of us hide our authentic selves and allow others to define our identity.   You Belong Here offers a new framework that allows each of us to define how we want to be seen, heard, and valued on our own terms so we feel a sense of belonging in any situation.   Further, it serves as a launchpad for organizational leaders and culture builders to create safe spaces for individuals to show up as their authentic selves.   Readers will explore our four identities:   ✅ Our Lived Identity is made up of the aspects of our identity we inherit when we are born into the world. ✅ Our Learned Identity includes the parts of our identity that we've chosen or claimed as we make our way through the world. ✅ Our Lingering Identity is the identity we default to when we feel like an outsider and fall back into as a survival mechanism. ✅Our Loved Identity is where we find our authentic selves and see ourselves through a lens of empowerment.   In the journey to understand our past experiences and how society has established barriers to entry, we can design our own future, rooted in our Loved Identity.   We learn to rewrite the stories that aren't serving us and embrace the ones that do.   Rather than look for a seat at someone else's table, we find the tools to build our own.   When we fully leverage this and live with authenticity and purpose, we can be seen, heard, and valued in a way that gives us a sense of belonging at home, at work, and in society.   Belonging is realized when we understand everyone is an outsider and it's the power to create space for those differences that unite us all.     📚📔📕📙📓📒📗📘 Lance Scoular 🔹️ The Savvy Navigator 🧭🌐 #amazoninfluencer #book #ad #amazonbooks #fromtheauthorsmouth #belong #power #seen #heard #valued   https://lnkd.in/gBAZbpuT

📙 You Belong Here: The Power of Being Seen, Heard, and Valued on Your Own Terms Author: Kim Dabbs Category: Business Diversity & Inclusion Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers   In a world overcrowded with labels, don't allow your identity to be defined by other people.   Learn how to take back your power, choose to feed the aspects of your identity that serve you, and let go of those that don't.   Everyone feels like an outsider at some point in their life-when we walk into a room and think to ourselves, I don't belong here.   To avoid these feelings of exclusion, many of us hide our authentic selves and allow others to define our identity.   You Belong Here offers a new framework that allows each of us to define how we want to be seen, heard, and valued on our own terms so we feel a sense of belonging in any situation.   Further, it serves as a launchpad for organizational leaders and culture builders to create safe spaces for individuals to show up as their authentic selves.   Readers will explore our four identities:   ✅ Our Lived Identity is made up of the aspects of our identity we inherit when we are born into the world. ✅ Our Learned Identity includes the parts of our identity that we've chosen or claimed as we make our way through the world. ✅ Our Lingering Identity is the identity we default to when we feel like an outsider and fall back into as a survival mechanism. ✅Our Loved Identity is where we find our authentic selves and see ourselves through a lens of empowerment.   In the journey to understand our past experiences and how society has established barriers to entry, we can design our own future, rooted in our Loved Identity.   We learn to rewrite the stories that aren't serving us and embrace the ones that do.   Rather than look for a seat at someone else's table, we find the tools to build our own.   When we fully leverage this and live with authenticity and purpose, we can be seen, heard, and valued in a way that gives us a sense of belonging at home, at work, and in society.   Belonging is realized when we understand everyone is an outsider and it's the power to create space for those differences that unite us all.     📚📔📕📙📓📒📗📘 Lance Scoular 🔹️ The Savvy Navigator 🧭🌐 #amazoninfluencer #book #ad #amazonbooks #fromtheauthorsmouth #belong #power #seen #heard #valued   https://lnkd.in/gCs64REt

📙 You Belong Here: The Power of Being Seen, Heard, and Valued on Your Own Terms Author: Kim Dabbs Category: Business Diversity & Inclusion Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers   In a world overcrowded with labels, don't allow your identity to be defined by other people.   Learn how to take back your power, choose to feed the aspects of your identity that serve you, and let go of those that don't.   Everyone feels like an outsider at some point in their life-when we walk into a room and think to ourselves, I don't belong here.   To avoid these feelings of exclusion, many of us hide our authentic selves and allow others to define our identity.   You Belong Here offers a new framework that allows each of us to define how we want to be seen, heard, and valued on our own terms so we feel a sense of belonging in any situation.   Further, it serves as a launchpad for organizational leaders and culture builders to create safe spaces for individuals to show up as their authentic selves.   Readers will explore our four identities:   ✅ Our Lived Identity is made up of the aspects of our identity we inherit when we are born into the world. ✅ Our Learned Identity includes the parts of our identity that we've chosen or claimed as we make our way through the world. ✅ Our Lingering Identity is the identity we default to when we feel like an outsider and fall back into as a survival mechanism. ✅Our Loved Identity is where we find our authentic selves and see ourselves through a lens of empowerment.   In the journey to understand our past experiences and how society has established barriers to entry, we can design our own future, rooted in our Loved Identity.   We learn to rewrite the stories that aren't serving us and embrace the ones that do.   Rather than look for a seat at someone else's table, we find the tools to build our own.   When we fully leverage this and live with authenticity and purpose, we can be seen, heard, and valued in a way that gives us a sense of belonging at home, at work, and in society.   Belonging is realized when we understand everyone is an outsider and it's the power to create space for those differences that unite us all.     📚📔📕📙📓📒📗📘 Lance Scoular 🔹️ The Savvy Navigator 🧭🌐 #amazoninfluencer #book #ad #amazonbooks #fromtheauthorsmouth #belong #power #seen #heard #valued   https://lnkd.in/gBAZbpuT

🌟 Living Our Stories: A Legacy That Endures 🌟 Last evening was more than just a long-overdue get-together; it was a celebration of stories lived and shared as we gathered at Anila Keswani's amazing restaurant, Taj Mahal Indian Cuisine. Years ago, the larger-than-life Karen Butler started, "The Girlfriends." No membership dues. No regularly scheduled meetings. Just like-minded, dynamic women who shared laughs, positivity, and support of each other's dreams and goals. Karen taught us the power of storytelling—not through words alone but through actions and the connections we nurture. As we shared laughs and memories, it felt as though her spirit was right there with us, laughing and reminiscing. Who could forget Karen's trademark red lipstick? Reflecting on last night, I am reminded of the profound impact our stories can have when we choose to live them fully and share them openly. Karen’s story lives on through each of us, a testament to how our narratives can transcend time and continue to inspire. Pictured from left to right: Laverne Toombs, Meg Farris, Kim Rogers, Anila Keswani, Monica Pierre, and Margarita Bergen. What stories are you living, and how are you sharing them to ensure they endure? Let’s make our stories count. #LivingStories #LegacyBuilding #InspirationalFriendships #Storytelling #PowerOfConnection #StoryMakerAcademy

Feature Friday! How about we dedicate Fridays to celebrate the amazing and inspiring stories of our fellows, alumni, staff, students, and partners? Drop a comment below and tell us who you'd love to see featured in our first Feature Friday! #FeatureFriday #GoAheadLead #InspiringStories #FridayFunDay

I was scrolling through my feed today, and honestly, it felt a little blah. So many posts are about how amazing someone’s career is or how they can change your life if you just do this or that. But you know what really inspires me, posts and images of: • Someone creating art just because they love it. • Someone working from home, taking a break to cuddle with their dogs, because loved ones matter. • Someone saying, “Here I am, a normal everyday person in all my glory,” happy and healthy, just being themselves. That’s what I find inspiring—people living and loving their actual lives. Fancy events and spending all of your time at the office? If that’s what makes you happy, you do you! But for so many of us, life is about more than that, and corporations that don’t respect that, don’t respect you. If we all recognized that companies with outdated policies are solely focused on their own interests—regardless of the flashy benefits they offer—and if we collectively spoke up and prioritized working for organizations that genuinely care about people and making a positive impact beyond their profits, we could help shape workplaces that truly put people and families first. Fingers crossed they are out there and growing. As workers and citizens of this amazing country, let’s put our attention and money toward companies that have values we believe in, so they can grow and we can help make a shift toward a more human-centric society.

📙 You Belong Here: The Power of Being Seen, Heard, and Valued on Your Own Terms Author: Kim Dabbs Category: Business Diversity & Inclusion Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers   In a world overcrowded with labels, don't allow your identity to be defined by other people.   Learn how to take back your power, choose to feed the aspects of your identity that serve you, and let go of those that don't.   Everyone feels like an outsider at some point in their life-when we walk into a room and think to ourselves, I don't belong here.   To avoid these feelings of exclusion, many of us hide our authentic selves and allow others to define our identity.   You Belong Here offers a new framework that allows each of us to define how we want to be seen, heard, and valued on our own terms so we feel a sense of belonging in any situation.   Further, it serves as a launchpad for organizational leaders and culture builders to create safe spaces for individuals to show up as their authentic selves.   Readers will explore our four identities:   ✅ Our Lived Identity is made up of the aspects of our identity we inherit when we are born into the world. ✅ Our Learned Identity includes the parts of our identity that we've chosen or claimed as we make our way through the world. ✅ Our Lingering Identity is the identity we default to when we feel like an outsider and fall back into as a survival mechanism. ✅Our Loved Identity is where we find our authentic selves and see ourselves through a lens of empowerment.   In the journey to understand our past experiences and how society has established barriers to entry, we can design our own future, rooted in our Loved Identity.   We learn to rewrite the stories that aren't serving us and embrace the ones that do.   Rather than look for a seat at someone else's table, we find the tools to build our own.   When we fully leverage this and live with authenticity and purpose, we can be seen, heard, and valued in a way that gives us a sense of belonging at home, at work, and in society.   Belonging is realized when we understand everyone is an outsider and it's the power to create space for those differences that unite us all.     📚📔📕📙📓📒📗📘 Lance Scoular 🔹️ The Savvy Navigator 🧭🌐 #amazoninfluencer #book #ad #amazonbooks #fromtheauthorsmouth #belong #power #seen #heard #valued   https://lnkd.in/gBAZbpuT

📙 You Belong Here: The Power of Being Seen, Heard, and Valued on Your Own Terms Author: Kim Dabbs Category: Business Diversity & Inclusion Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers   In a world overcrowded with labels, don't allow your identity to be defined by other people.   Learn how to take back your power, choose to feed the aspects of your identity that serve you, and let go of those that don't.   Everyone feels like an outsider at some point in their life-when we walk into a room and think to ourselves, I don't belong here.   To avoid these feelings of exclusion, many of us hide our authentic selves and allow others to define our identity.   You Belong Here offers a new framework that allows each of us to define how we want to be seen, heard, and valued on our own terms so we feel a sense of belonging in any situation.   Further, it serves as a launchpad for organizational leaders and culture builders to create safe spaces for individuals to show up as their authentic selves.   Readers will explore our four identities:   ✅ Our Lived Identity is made up of the aspects of our identity we inherit when we are born into the world. ✅ Our Learned Identity includes the parts of our identity that we've chosen or claimed as we make our way through the world. ✅ Our Lingering Identity is the identity we default to when we feel like an outsider and fall back into as a survival mechanism. ✅Our Loved Identity is where we find our authentic selves and see ourselves through a lens of empowerment.   In the journey to understand our past experiences and how society has established barriers to entry, we can design our own future, rooted in our Loved Identity.   We learn to rewrite the stories that aren't serving us and embrace the ones that do.   Rather than look for a seat at someone else's table, we find the tools to build our own.   When we fully leverage this and live with authenticity and purpose, we can be seen, heard, and valued in a way that gives us a sense of belonging at home, at work, and in society.   Belonging is realized when we understand everyone is an outsider and it's the power to create space for those differences that unite us all.     📚📔📕📙📓📒📗📘 Lance Scoular 🔹️ The Savvy Navigator 🧭🌐 #amazoninfluencer #book #ad #amazonbooks #fromtheauthorsmouth #belong #power #seen #heard #valued   https://lnkd.in/gBAZbpuT