Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Inspiration, Macaroni and Rotimi

On September 25, 2016 I attended #thePowerLunchDC, a networking event created by @FamousDave87 and @TheGspotDC. The event featured vendors, networking, good eating, and an inspirational panel. The panel consisted of; singer, songwriter and radio personality Lil Mo, singer and actor Rotimi, best known for his role on Starz’s Power, Charrisse Jordan of Real Housewives of Potomac, the Crab Boss, an entrepreneur known for his strong social media following and amazing seafood, and Tyann Hodges the 25 year old hair guru with over 65K followers.
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I’m such a supporter of entrepreneurship. It was cool to see vendors with such great products and personalities. I brought my friend Erica with me, and she literally couldn’t stop shopping! One of the things I liked most was the way everyone supported each other. Everyone just had a “let’s all be great” mentality, which as we know is not always the case. After networking and vendors there was a full course meal that consisted of fish, chicken, desserts, and much more. Honestly, I didn’t have too much but what I tasted was great! The mac and cheese was definitely my fave.
OF course the biggest part of the day was the panel. It was inspiring and hilarious at the same time. Lil Mo is officially my friend in my mind. Currently, shscreen-shot-2016-09-27-at-5-31-21-pme works as a radio personality at WKYS in DC and lives in Philly. “It’s better to be tired than broke,” she said. Lil Mo stars in TV One’s RnB Divas, works as a radio personality, is an entrepreneur and a wife and mother. Suddenly, my life didn’t seem so hectic. She spoke about the power of having talent and not using sexuality to “make it.”  Lil Mo is Muslim and therefore believes highly in covering her body.” No one can take away your talent,” she said. Also, Rotimi spoke about his Nigerian upbringing and how important it is to work hard and stay humble. He’s been singing for years but acting is new. However, when the opportunity presented itself he worked hard and has been very successful. He jokingly explained one of his “mama I made moments” as the day a girl asked him if she could “just watch him go to the bathroom.” Charrisse spoke about how important it is to respect and support US and even paid homage to everyone on-stage. While the Crabb Boss spoke about the power of using social media to cultivate your brand and following. “I humanize myself and let people see what my days are really like,” he said. Tyann also spoke about the joys of gaining a following and how important it is to engage with them and utilize the power of connecting with people.
I drove about three hours there and back to this event. I never want to miss an opportunity to be inspired or share inspiration with my readers. The vendors had some really nice stuff. There are a few photos and plugs below. Also, since I’m currently obsessed with Power seeing Rotimi was a treat too. He’s actually even cuter in person for anyone who was wondering. Butimg_0605, what really touched me was seeing the youth engage with the panel and audience members. There were entrepreneurs in their TEENS with great questions and getting ideas! I know millennials get a lot of slack, but we’re taking over! You know I don’t promote anything unless I truly enjoyed it. IF you guys are ever in ever in the DMV I’d definitely try to make #thePowerLunchDC. Take a look at the pictures and IG plugs below. Support Us. Tweet/IG/Comment me any feedback.
Creators: @FamousDave87 & @GspotDC
Panelist: @thelilmoshow @rotimimusic @crabboss00 @1charrisse & @allulreandmore
Food:@konsciouskaterers
Sponsors: Pretty Penni Events & Prissy Sweet Cake Treats
Check out the photos here.  Feel free to tag yourselves.❤

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Review: Love Jones the Musical

Tuesday, September 20th I attended Love Jones the Musical in Norfolk, VA. The show was created in honor of the 20th anniversary of the  classic film, Love Jones. I had a really nice time, and give it a strong B. The singing was great and if you're a lover of RnB you will definitely enjoy and respect the talent onstage. Chrisette Michele did very well and looked amazing onstage. There were also performances from Raheem Devaughn, Musiq Soulchild, Marsha Ambrosious and more. Although this show was based around the movie, it was definitely not identical. While the storyline was similar there were a few differences. I really enjoyed how they modernized it. This version included emoji references, Rihanna songs, and online dating stories. Still, there was a very mixed age crowd and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

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We did start a few minutes late, it made the show feel a little too long for me. I also wasn't a fan of the ending, it seemed pretty abrupt. I'm pretty sure anyone who has seen it would agree with this statement.
However, if the worse thing I can say about a show is that it felt long that's pretty good. Plus it could be a personal thing. I don't care for long shows or movies, except Batman and Django. Don't judge me. I felt the judgment.
Anyway, I definitely recommend this show for individuals who love theatre, soul music and the arts. I suggest being open minded and not a stickler for the original. I've had friends who went in other cities and they feel the same way. Let me know your thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with my review? Tweet me or comment below.
<3 - @AskKirbyCarroll