This summer marks my one-year anniversary of membership with the Miramar Pembroke Pines Chamber of Commerce. It has been a wonderful year of growth, stretching, questions, and opportunities. I am excited to begin this next year and grow my business and network community. Today, I attended my first event of this new season, “The Modern Woman Business Summit.” This year’s theme was “Defining Power” and they posed the questions What is Power and What does it Mean to be a Woman in Power?”
Haitian American Emonde Prosper, Educator, Curriculum Specialist and Poet spoke life into the audience before she even began her lyrical performance. She offered the poem “Muted Woman” which was an indictment on dimming your light. She stated “…do not shrink yourself…” and “claim your true identity, don’t be afraid to speak.” Her second offering was a poem about her beautiful homeland Ayiti. She interwove creole and English beautifully sharing her love for her country and how “[She’s] tired of people not understanding what it means to be Haitian.”
The next speaker to “buss di place” was Vice Mayor of Miramar Alexandra P. Davis who danced up to the podium to what sounded like an Afro beat riddim. She discussed her British and Jamaican heritage and how growing up in Jamaica helped shaped her positive image of Black women in leadership. She offered tools concerned with “finding what your passion and purpose [are]…and “when you find it, it doesn’t feel like work.”
Hon. Catalina Avalos of Broward County followed. She shared her Latin American heritage and how those humble beginnings led to the great appreciation she has for this country which she instills in her family. Her poignant offering was “If not me then who?”
Author, Activist, Singer/songwriter, and survivor of the Pulse Nightclub shooting (in Orlando) Patience Murray closed the presentations. She shared her testimony during that awful day stating, “I am nothing w/out my faith in God no matter what it looks like.” What a powerful testimony. Murray blessed us with several points focused on how to cultivate power:
What an amazing day of inspiration, encouragement, and support. I am fueled to continue my journey on this path of entrepreneurship, understanding that giving up is not an option. I must also remember to keep my faith central to my practice and that my gift is powerless if I don’t believe in myself. Thank you, panelists and the Miramar Pembroke Pines Chamber of Commerce, for a wonderful event.
I won one of the raffles from “Jonah’s Birth” which is a company focused on “hynobirthing, a technique and philosophy that allows women to achieve a calm, peaceful, and gentle birthing experience” (https://www.jonahsbirth.com/services). This makes perfect sense cause I’m birthing something HUGE!!! Yasssss….Manifestation…..GOD!!!
Images:
Image 1: Panelists: Edmonde Prosper, Hon. Catalina Avalos of Broward County, Vice Mayor of Miramar Alexandra P. Davis, and Patience Murray
Image 2: Patience Murray
Image 3: Edmonde Prosper and AC
Image 4: Edmonde Prosper and Jennifer Lee Marcus (Legal Shield Independent Associate)
Image 5: Nathalie Delaine (nVibeTribe Life Coaching) and AC
Image 6. AC
Haitian American Emonde Prosper, Educator, Curriculum Specialist and Poet spoke life into the audience before she even began her lyrical performance. She offered the poem “Muted Woman” which was an indictment on dimming your light. She stated “…do not shrink yourself…” and “claim your true identity, don’t be afraid to speak.” Her second offering was a poem about her beautiful homeland Ayiti. She interwove creole and English beautifully sharing her love for her country and how “[She’s] tired of people not understanding what it means to be Haitian.”
The next speaker to “buss di place” was Vice Mayor of Miramar Alexandra P. Davis who danced up to the podium to what sounded like an Afro beat riddim. She discussed her British and Jamaican heritage and how growing up in Jamaica helped shaped her positive image of Black women in leadership. She offered tools concerned with “finding what your passion and purpose [are]…and “when you find it, it doesn’t feel like work.”
Hon. Catalina Avalos of Broward County followed. She shared her Latin American heritage and how those humble beginnings led to the great appreciation she has for this country which she instills in her family. Her poignant offering was “If not me then who?”
Author, Activist, Singer/songwriter, and survivor of the Pulse Nightclub shooting (in Orlando) Patience Murray closed the presentations. She shared her testimony during that awful day stating, “I am nothing w/out my faith in God no matter what it looks like.” What a powerful testimony. Murray blessed us with several points focused on how to cultivate power:
- Anchor your faith…get crystal clear…in the midst of chaos.
- Don’t be surprised…some trials come to prove our vision. What are you willing to push through for that vision? And, …it’s not meant to stop us, it’s there to shape us.
- People are counting on you…if you feel the challenges are too much, think about the people [and]…you never know who is connected to your journey.
- Get over yourself (give hope, love, and joy…that’s what fills me up) …never accept defeat…no matter what it looks like…anything can change…no matter how unlikely it may seem…
- It’s ok to pivot on your path…you have all the permission in the world to change.
- Don’t skip the stepping stones.
- Own your power and voice…don’t be afraid to be who you are.
- Show up as your best self…become the huge person that is inside of you.
- How are you inspiring the next generation to become their best selves?
- “Kindness, assertiveness, and preparation” (Judge Avalos)
- “Believe who you are in the private moments” (Prosper)
- “Be around people who bring the best out of you” (Murray)
What an amazing day of inspiration, encouragement, and support. I am fueled to continue my journey on this path of entrepreneurship, understanding that giving up is not an option. I must also remember to keep my faith central to my practice and that my gift is powerless if I don’t believe in myself. Thank you, panelists and the Miramar Pembroke Pines Chamber of Commerce, for a wonderful event.
I won one of the raffles from “Jonah’s Birth” which is a company focused on “hynobirthing, a technique and philosophy that allows women to achieve a calm, peaceful, and gentle birthing experience” (https://www.jonahsbirth.com/services). This makes perfect sense cause I’m birthing something HUGE!!! Yasssss….Manifestation…..GOD!!!
Images:
Image 1: Panelists: Edmonde Prosper, Hon. Catalina Avalos of Broward County, Vice Mayor of Miramar Alexandra P. Davis, and Patience Murray
Image 2: Patience Murray
Image 3: Edmonde Prosper and AC
Image 4: Edmonde Prosper and Jennifer Lee Marcus (Legal Shield Independent Associate)
Image 5: Nathalie Delaine (nVibeTribe Life Coaching) and AC
Image 6. AC
RSS Feed