Time of the year again for me to take a moment of pause, and reflect on what 2014 has been for me. Most of the categories include five answers, some more. All, an open book. Here goes something. No particular order.
People:
1. Darrick 2. Kali 3. Dad 4. Caesar 5. Roz 6. Fedler 7. Marion
Places:
1. Apia, Samoa 2. Johannesburg, South Africa 3. Cape Town, South Africa 4. Charlotte, NC 5. Barcelona, Spain
Books:
1. Rich Dad, Poor Dad 2. The 5 Love Languages 3. Know Your Value 4. The Celestine Prophecy 5. Guide to Greatness
Films:
1. The Theory of Everything 2. Beasts of the Southern Wild 3. Inside Out- Documentary 4. Obvious Child
Words/Catch Phrases:
1. Stay hungry. Stay Foolish. 2. Hmmm. 3. Word. 4. I can't. 5. Dope.
Songs:
1. Beautiful - Musiq 2. Grown Woman- Beyonce 3. Drunk in Love -Beyonce 4. So Ambitious - Jay Z feat. Pharrell 5. Respect My Conglomerate - Busta Rhymes Feat. Jadakiss and Lil'Wayne
Successes:
1. Signing distribution deal with Issa Rae Productions
2. Two features on News One w/Roland Martin with TV One
3. Being in the room at WEEN Awards...approaching Vashtie and Gary Dourdan
4. Going to Cherae's Birthday and being cool as a cucumber under highly stressful energy. Growth for real. Unbothered.
5. Getting a matchmaker to simply give help with the love life.
6. Standing up for myself by getting out of an emotionally destructive relationship.
7. Boxing classes. Always wanted to try this.
8. Getting nominated for an honorary Ph.D....which I turned down.
9. Nomination to Iona College Alumni Board of Directors...which I will accept.
10. Creating CrowfundingMastermind.com with Arielle Loren
11. That dinner the last night of South Africa Nomadnessx 2014... thank you Cape Town Board of Tourism.
12. The financial leveling out that shows the light at the end of the entrepreneurial tunnel. Thank the Universe!
13. Facing, and getting my finances completely broken down by Tiffany 'The Budgetnista' Aliche. She is a fucking Godsend. Get with her. I cried.
14. Clearing 100 orders from NomadnessMerch.com during the holiday season. Wow. Gratitude isn't the word. Thank you.
15. Officially diving in headfirst to getting all my dental work done...and qualifying/obtaining health care for the first time in seven years. No more out of pocket.
16. '30 Lessons Leading to 30' approaching my 30th birthday, and how many people I didn't realize it helped.
17. Being put onto Abraham Hicks by Caesar. Subsequently, Reigniting my spiritual journey, even telling the Buddhist family, I need 5 feet for awhile.
18. Bomb ass new merchandise and graphic design intern. Shouts to Helena
19. Being featured on Paul Carrick Brunson's #MENTORMONDAYS....THAT, yea....that's the closest I've ever been to Oprah. ;-) #lovePaul
'Failures':
1. Gaining 20 pounds of a 55 pound weight loss back. Enter boxing.
2. Not finishing my book this year, knowing the shit is totally my fault. Procrastination + ADD + packed ass schedule is not the move for this shit. Get the fucking book out, Evie.
3. Relationship with Mom.
4. Coming home from a trip and finding out my cat, Zorro, got into chemicals in the apartment and having to take him to the vet. Lawd, that Mom moment was crazy.
5. Black female suicides
6. Police shootings of my people...the NON-INDICTMENTS
7. Getting a damn Nomadness bathing suit to come to fruition. Lawd this process.
8. Not getting the new site or app out this year.
Lessons:
1. I am enough.
2. I meet dope, amazing, husband worthy men all the time, given my network. But, if they aren't looking for a relationship...they AREN'T where I need them to be. Thus, it's time to move on accordingly. No matter how dope they are.
3. Discrespect is a non-negotiable. In any type of relationship.
4. If someone doesn't take the time to take care of themselves, I feel they will never take the time to take care of anyone else....and it's unattractive.
5. Stay laser-like focused on the vision. That includes continuing to say 'no' way more often than I ever say yes.
6. If I go somewhere for myself, and don't want it to turn into a meet up, I can't say/post anything. A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G
7. The key to success, is just focusing on your own shit. Create the bubble.
8. They ALWAYS come back.
9. I'm still attracted to women from time to time. And when it happens, it's still animalistic as hell.
10. Be what's next! #NMDN
11. Stick to the Nomadness script. It was an AMAZING year for us. The one time we attempted a deviation of process, it didn't work. Lesson learned.
12. People. Process. Profit. Taken from one of my new favorite shows, 'The Profit'
13. There are two keys to everything: happiness and consistency. To love, health, being an entrepreneur. You don't have to go HAM everyday, but you have to do something everyday. "You don't start out building a wall. You say I'm going to lay this brick as perfectly as a brick can be laid...and keep doing that everyday.' - Will Smith
14. Some of my ideas can get me sued. I'm sure my attorney appreciates this.
15. I hear 'No' less and less. I can't call if it means I'm actually hearing it from outside sources less, or if I am literally becoming deaf to the word, and doing shit anyway.
Memorable Moments:
1. Anytime Crystal Washington posted on social media reminding me that while, yes, I'm in the room with some heavy hitters this year.....they are ALSO in the room with ME.
2. Spiritual/Energy reading with Adoma
3. Chilling at Skidmore College after my Black History Month presentation, with the students. I LOVE speaking at colleges and universities. It's my sweet spot.
4. Cab ride with Airis, Stephanie, and Sonya in Cape Town, to Table Mountain. Driver was CRUNK!
5. My breakdowns in front of the Tribe. Firstly, with the women of India Nomadnessx 2014, finally letting go of everything from 2013. Secondly, about family issues at the Tribe Thanksgiving Dinner.
6. Cousin Danijah's engagement party. Was dope to be in the club with family, including Grandma. Excited to have Parisians in the family.
7. Almost literally, and definitely figuratively, running into Caesar at Barnes & Noble. Then....our subsequent hours worth of conversations about all life's wonders that's happened since then.
8. Getting my taxes done.
9. Getting new homeopathic remedy.
10. Visiting Rudi's grave with Fedler.
11. Ashley's Wedding. Danielle's Wedding.
12. Nomadness 3 Year Anniversary Party...being in a position to fly the whole team into NYC for the celebration meant the world to me.
13. Meeting Rene @ownbyfemme and vibing with her. She’s been a hair and girl crush for awhile. I stayed professional. Great spirit.
14. William Middleton bolting like a bat out of hell into the Pamplona arena to run with the bulls on Barcelona Nomadnessx 2014 Trip.
15. That first meal with Darrick in Barcelona…and everything subsequently.
16. Dee pulling me to the side at the Tribe BBQ and politely digging in my ass.
17. Getting invited into the home of Danny Simmons and seeing all the art he's collected. So dope. I adore this man (and his help).
18. Dinner with Ashlea Pope, at Art Basel
19. Watching Stephanie O’Conner in her element pulling off the Talib Kweli concert in Jo'Burg
20. Watching Airis teach a cooking class in Maboneng, South Africa randomly. Seeing my friends do what they love, through my forum, warms my heart in an indescribable way.
21. Night on the phone with Darrick, in which I found my spoken word journal from college, and he had me spitting for the first time in years.
22. Jillian pulling me to the side, and crying on a Jaipur street, thanking me for Nomadness bringing her to India for Holi.
23. Watching Michaela bungee jump from Orlando Towers in Soweto, and screaming 'NOMADNESS' on the way down.
24. Finding out we lost our first tribe member to a battle with cancer, while still coming home from India.
25. Going to Johannesburg's Mercedes Benz Fashion Week
26. Having a Tribe member post, revealing that she was diagnosed with only a year left to live. She wanted to know where we would travel to if all our affairs were in tact and $150,000 was available for the around the world journey. THIS.....is strength, and family.
27. Heart to heart convos with Leon Burks Jr.
28. Gifted Dave Chappelle and Erykah Badu tickets from Jean. 10 rows back from stage.
29. Getting a guided tour through Danny Simmon's African art collected house in Brooklyn.
30. Kevin Hart with Dad, Aunt Sharon, and Sarafina.
31. Phone call with Poogie.
Goals For 2015:
1. Get in the best shape of my life
2. Getting exactly who I want, and the sponsorship dollars needed to launch #NMDN and blowing everyone’s fucking brains open
3. Enter, and grow inside of a positive-creative-progressive-loving-respectful- fulfilling- nurturing relationship
4. Finish the book
5. Get '30 Lessons to 30' in print
6. Not leave that office until Travel Channel has signed me onto a show contract
7. Partnerships, partnerships, partnerships
8. Get repped by a major talent agency, giving me a manager/agent to get bookings on everything from shows, to travel news segments.
9. At least 12 paid speaking engagements
10. Acquire _____ in Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Thailand
11. Keep innovating Nomadness as more than a travel group. First up, New Year’s announcement video
12. App Out into the Universe, even if Beta
13. Skillshare courses up/marketed
14. SXSW
15. Apply for TED
to be continued….. Let's go 2015! Thank you 2014 for being as dope as you were.