Who ARE These People?
My brother Andy asked me to expound on my tribe, i.e. just who are these people? They’re my new framily.
What was wrong with the old tribe? We keep in touch, but we’re in different places doing different things. I don’t go on girlfriend vacays. Tengo hijos y no tengo dinero.
A family friend reminded me of another tribe from yester year, when I was among the tallest of a pack of little girls (and Jason).
Don’t you remember the stretch 60s’esque headbands girls wore in the 90s? Yeah, me neither, because I was born in 19… nevermind.
My sister and I ran with the kids on the Isle of Palms. It’s a beautiful place! We are Irish twins: 13 months apart. We shared friends, including the blonde center front, who has since gone on to a L.A. tribe and a successful career.
Fast Forward a Couple of Decades
The terminology has shifted from the days of running with the neighborhood kids. The group of people with whom you feel closely bonded and supported are now referred to as “my tribe.” The Urban Dictionary states that a tribe is “Close friends, good people that are loyal to you, care for you like family.” Apparently the dictionary isn’t so big into proper grammar. Is tribe p.c.? I don’t care. I like the warmth and communal connotations which using the word “tribe” conveys. My people.
I joined a creative professionals group, SWERVE, at the beginning of 2016. A new friend, Nina, invited me to attend a series of free workshops the previous fall at Flywheel, in the adapted buildings of the Innovation Quarter. I was later interviewed about this by the Winston-Salem Chamber, because the experience of joining SWERVE changed my life.
We artists have a tendency to isolate, especially when we are struggling. I was intimidated. Everyone had something great going on! I was an unemployed mom who lived on LinkedIn. Kyle Webster, who is my age, spoke to the group and I wanted to climb under the table. How are all of these people so successful? Who ARE these people?
Margaret Collins, God bless her, accepted my offer to join the group. I was soon happily canvasing social media on behalf of this new association. Margaret is a gatekeeper. She is heavily connected, working to see arts and innovation come together. Artists are more communal: we build trust and then we bring folks into the fold like family. This was more or less textbook for me, having been raised by artists. SWERVE gave me phase one of the new tribe.
I was able to build my confidence and self-esteem, through the support of my new community, and take on a marketing director position. My writing skills flourished, and I went on a strong learning curve of social media platforms and marketing trends. The market is always in flux, and it has quite a companion in social. My employer was using me for my mad skills though: swipe left! SWERVE was allowing me to shine, to soar. Swipe right.
I am thankfully experiencing JOMO. There’s a fit for an older Millennial across these platforms. Pass on the Mom jeans and SnapChat. Awkweird! I just want to write. Social is conversational, emotional, and highly connected. Perfecto.
Let me just say that FaceBook is a congregational BragBook, and I am not here for your highlight reels and FOMO. I am here to connect, encourage, and be as positively magnetic as possible.
Remember when I mentioned that I’d run from a chauvinist into the arms of women? I said what I meant and I meant what I said. My “Stepping Out” lead to an adoption by the Women’s Fund of Winston-Salem. The honor has deeply moved me and my family.
innovateHER has joined forces with the Women’s Fund, with my friend Fay Horwitt at the helm. Fay has created the action to move under-served needs in the business community into a strong future (http://www.journalnow.com/business/business_news/local/new-initiative-helps-woman-start-grow-businesses-in-winston-salem/article_7a55dbe4-4d6c-5fec-8c59-6f761fd307ad.html). Together with super-organized Christina McKenzie and the organizer Magalie Yacinthe, Fay has become more than a beacon of hope. She supports, fosters, and cultivates female leadership like a warm, continuously running river of forward motion. These women planned a TEDx in half the time required. Volunteering at that talk rounded out phase time of tribe formation. Native life!
I was a speaker at a recent innovateHER event, handmade by HER. Tribe formation, phase 3. We are women business professionals supporting other women. We are dynamic. We are energized. We are a tribe. Who ARE these people? We are Winston-Salem Women Owned. http://wswomenowned.com/
#mytribe #innovateHER2016 #tedxwswomen #handmadebyher #firstordercreative #ladywriter #not_a_mr
