Working Mom - Watch The Black Godfather

The Black Godfather – The Clarence Avant Story

While mindless scrolling through Facebook, I came across a post in which one of my former college classmates asked people to list their favorite, recent documentaries. As it happens, I enjoy documentaries and my curiosity was piqued – I looked through the comments and noticed The Black Godfather popped up several times.

I had to cancel all plans for the weekend due to illness (I got tested and it wasn't the Vid), so I had the perfect excuse to open Netflix and watch The Black Godfather documentary. I will preface this by saying I find the majority of television underwhelming. My husband can attest to the fact that I usually bail on shows after about the 4^th episode in. To my own surprise, I actually watched The Black Godfather documentary in its entirety.

It follows the story of Clarence Avant. Despite having no high school education, Clarence became highly valuable to some of the most famous figures in the world, including former United States Presidents. The stories in this documentary are eye-opening, giving the viewer a behind the scenes look into people and situations that we have only heard and read about. And ultimately, his story contains a few powerful lessons:

· The lesson of confidence: Clarence didn’t care who he was talking with, he was always going to demand respect.

· The lesson of authenticity: Clarence talked to the janitor the same way he talked to the CEO. They all got the same person (and they all knew his favorite word was “F&CK”).

· The lesson of simplicity: Clarence is a simple man, and this is what made him so powerful. He subscribed to two themes that dictated the course of many of his actions – life is about numbers and demand your value.

The final and most profound lesson of the documentary centers around what it means to be a true friend. Clarence often helped others without expecting anything in return. He cared deeply about his friends and the people he mentored. And this documentary showcases the ways in which his generosity returned to him full circle. You can view The Black Godfather on Netflix now.

Impactful Quote

"From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know: that we are here for the sake of each other - above all for those upon whose smile and well-being our own happiness depends, and also for the countless unknown souls with whose fate we are connected by a bond of sympathy. Many times a day I realize how much my own outer and inner life is built upon the labors of my fellow men, both living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received.”
Albert Einstein

Life Hack

Two-a-days. It's a term used in sports to describe teams that practice two times a day. My life hack is to cook enough food to eat for two days. Get it - two-a-days and two days #cornyalert. I got this hack from my friend Toya. I was sitting here struggling to cook every day for my family and realized my kids will be ok eating the same meal twice. It has been a stress relief knowing the kitchen will only get dirty a couple of times a week. Thanks Toya!

On Family

Greg McKeown is the author of the New York Times Bestseller, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. In this 2- minute clip, Greg tells a personal story of how one small change helped with family chores. I tried this change with my teens, and it worked!

Corporate Ecology - Work From Home Tips

The pandemic has driven an unprecedented number of individuals on a new journey of working from their homes. I consider myself fortunate, as I have been working from home for 6 years and didn’t experience that adjustment period. Like everything in life, working from home offers positives and negatives. Overall, I personally love it. Here I will share with you my 4 quick tips on how to work from home with ease:

Take your lunch AND breaks. If you don’t take moments through the day for yourself, you risk burn out. During lunch, do something you enjoy. When I first started working from home, I would clean out my emails during lunch. Because of this, I was constantly stressed, resented my employer, and was in constant neck and back pain from sitting all day. Set personal boundaries for your breaks and get away from the screen during lunch – your company will thank you as they would rather you take a break than deal with a workers comp claim because of carpel tunnel or neck problems associated with sitting all day.
Clock out. It is easy to spend 50-60 hours a week on work when you’re at home. Back in the office, there was a physical ‘turn off’ switch when you left the office, making it much easier to separate yourself from your job. While working at home, you can power through your day and suddenly realize it’s 6:30pm. Or you can scroll through work emails on your phone during family movie time. The lines are blurred. Resist the temptation to work all the time - clock out. It will still be there the next morning!
For meetings where video is not required, consider taking a walk. We all have meetings that we need to listen to, but our participation is not critical. If you don’t have to be on video, why not put on your walking shoes and take the call on-the-go?
Do nothing during your breaks. As a working corporate mom, there is always something I can be doing. It is easy to try and utilize every minute to throw clothes in the wash, prepare dinner, and/or mop up the spilled juice. However, we aren’t designed to always go-go-go. You will end up frustrated that you can’t do it all. It is better for you to accept that you need some quiet moments in your day to be the best you for your job, your home, and your family. Consider taking an old school 10-minute break without electronics.

Working from home can be a rewarding experience, but it requires thought and discipline to make it work. You got this corporate mom!!

-Nashunda Jewels Williams

A Cup of Soup for You

A truly uplifting story of a differently-abled young woman. Be warned: tears incoming!

Can I Leave You With a Meme?

The meme below really captures the before/after kid life perfectly!! Most importantly, I hope it reminds you that we are all trying to do the best we can. If we fall short on our expectations as a parent, remember that you are human, and it is ok to laugh at yourself.

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