Leading from a Place of Tomorrow is necessary in ethical leadership. Anything that I do in advocacy work, I do from a place of tomorrow. Not “How will this affect me now, but how will this affect the people after me?” Leading from a place of now is selfish and self-centered. Making ourselves comfortable now…
Category: Life Happens
77 Days Until 2027
When I made my Bingo card back in January, I was a full-time employee. As April’s do in my life, April changed everything. April always forces me to grow, whether I want to or not (thanks, universe). Being a middle child and only girl, I’m always being forced to build the energy in the room….
Confessions of an Ex-Millennial Mayor: You’re Lucky If Your Biggest Gripe with Your Elected Official is Romance Novels
Nowadays, if the biggest and most ridiculous thing about your local representative is that they write and publish romance novels, that seems pretty sane compared to other local officials’ hobbies and delusions. Growing up, I loved Barbie. Yes, her fashion was on point, but I don’t think that’s what I loved about her. Yes, I…
Once Upon a Black Woman: Are You Human
Is Being *Unhinged and Authentic the New Captcha for the Anti-AI Movement *A little less hinged. “Showing up online a little unhinged proves that you aren’t using AI, and it’ll set you apart.” A post on LinkedIn read, and it got me thinking. They’re not wrong! Being a little unhinged or quirky, leaning into your…
Confessions of an Ex-Millennial Mayor: Money Fixes Everything, Intentions Lead the Way, & Other Lies We Tell Ourselves
How believing in everyone who has big dreams, big pockets, and great intentions to make your community better could be detrimental to small communities. If I had a quarter for every time that I heard, “The last mayor didn’t do x, y, z,” and “You have big shoes to fill,” I would have more than…
Confessions of a Millennial Mayor: The Pandemic, PA, and the Big Bad Wolf
The pandemic, the response, the local government academy classes canceled, and the mayor’s first lawsuit “We’ll flatten the curve,” those words still haunt me. The hair on my arms still raises when those words are arranged in that order. I had just gotten back from a New Orleans Mardi Gras Trip for my birthday when…
Once Upon a Black Woman: Unemployment, Maturity, Peace, and Self-Worth
I found out April 1st that, come April 30th, my full time employment would be eliminated. My car decided that it wanted to make the sound that could only be compared to the whale in Finding Nemo. And that’s okay because gas is now more than the 412 area code that Pittsburgh resides in. It’s…
Once Upon a Black Woman: There’s Something About April & Change
April always tests what I’m made of… In April 2013, I joined AmeriCorps after being laid off for the first time. In April 2014, I became an American Airlines flight attendant. In April 2023, I was laid off for a second time. This time from my third career as a healthcare IT Business Analyst. I…
Confessions of an Ex-Millennial Mayor: The Weak in a Weak Mayor System
Why I Didn’t Run for Mayor Again and Instead Ran for Braddock Council “Can we do… shouldn’t we build… can y’all vote on?” In most weak mayor systems, mayors can break ties, cut ribbons, declare emergencies, and oversee police departments. Most mayors in weak mayor systems spend their time convincing council members to vote for…
Once Upon a Black Woman: Voting, Not Voting, Consequences, and Reflection on the Election
We currently have war, high Gas Prices, high Unemployment, and inflation because people didn’t want to vote for a black woman. My grandfather got me into the habit of reading the news every morning. My mother got me into the habit of reading books because, according to her, everything that anyone would ever want to…
