"F" Words, Landmines & Wonder Women

I 'm a trailblazer! I was born with the spirit of audacity to establish a blazing path paved with bold confidence and sheer faith for others to follow. I don't know if birth order has anything to do with it, but being the oldest child, I can't help but walk around with my imaginary Wonder Woman cape soaring through the air proclaiming my right as a leader. I wasn't always this confident. It took hard work to arrive at this place. Growing up in grade school I was shy and self-conscious, not to mention a tomboy, until eighth grade. Then I began hanging out with cool girls. No one believes that I could have been a tomboy because at first glance they see my signature 4-inch stiletto heels and my sophisticated classic fashion styles and say, "no way!". Back in the day when I was a tomboy, my BMX bike and a good brawl was a nice confidence booster. Nowadays, the "F" words I use give me a newfound confidence and I say them proudly, "Femininity" "Fashionista", "Fierce!" and "Food!" (I like that one too!) I'm much more comfortable in this role now that I'm coming into my own as a woman - a modern "Sex in the City" -ish entrepreneurwoman. There were obstacles I had to overcome and ugly demons I had to face. Now, I've arrived with the help of divine intervention and very enterprising women.

I moved to Atlanta nearly two years ago and stepped on tremendous and unassuming landmines that nearly knocked me off my throne! I was in a new city, didn't have very many family members (not the ones I talk to often), trying to hide from the emotional disappointment of a bad breakup, trying to hide the drama from my family, work my day job and pursue building my business. Talk about exhausting! I was in terrible need of a Wonder Woman to rescue me from my anguish. I knew I had what it took to be a walking example of success, but it was not manifesting. I was afraid of failure and success. My circumstances at the time almost convinced me that I was a joke. I was by myself with no one to speak to the "heart" of who I knew I was. I was bummed. I always knew I had to surround myself with trailblazing women. They keep me focused and don't allow me to make petty excuses when I'm faced with "growth opportunities". For me, women of this caliber are my lifeline. I was nearly sinking in self-pity when my anchor arrived with a bright red cape and hope in her arms.

I was at a women's networking retreat when I met her - Bonnie Ross-Parker, CEO/Founder of The Joy of Connecting ®. I was recovering from "life" and was in need of the extra oomph to get me back to feeling like the trailblazer I was born to be. I thought treating myself to this event would be a good start. Here's the irony, I stumbled upon Bonnie and her women's networking group a few weeks prior to this event and made up my mind to learn more about it. I know it sounds like I stalked her, but I truly had no idea that we would be attending the same event. Talk about answered prayer! Bonnie and I sat at the same table during the luncheon and exchanged information - that's when I realized who she was. A few weeks later, she invited me to a Joy of Connecting ® dinner gathering at her home. The day of the gathering I was nervous and didn't know what to expect. I've attended my fair share of networking adventures only to be disappointed and feeling duped afterwards. Although I did research before the event, I was still somewhat skeptical. There were cars lined up and down the cul de sac where Bonnie lives and that shy, self-conscious girl from my past tried to make a come back. In my gut, I felt this was something I needed to do so I could start believing in myself and my business again. I made my way to the door.

Inside were diverse women of all ages with big smiles and warm spirits to greet you at the foyer. They were talking and laughing over a colorful buffet of delicious food. I zeroed in on Bonnie. Still nervous, we exchanged hugs and I eyed her suspiciously. Bonnie purposely kept her distance from me - giving me room to wiggle into my confidence and introduce myself to others. Before long, I had made new friends and began bonding and sharing with them based on our commonalities. That night my faith was renewed and I got my "sexy back" with the help and encouragement of Bonnie and the ladies of The Joy of Connecting ®.

When that wonderful evening came to a close - still laughing and connecting with powerful women, I gave Bonnie a strong hug and thanked her. She had no idea how much she'd restored my self-confidence. An award-winning business woman, a successful author and speaker as well as a trailblazer is who Bonnie Ross-Parker is, but she didn't give me those credentials at our first introduction. She was caring, encouraging and although she didn't know me, she believed in me and invited me into her life. After spending some time with Bonnie and hearing about her journey from being a school teacher to owning several Mail Boxes Etc. franchises to creating The Joy of Connecting ®, I realized how blessed I was to be in the company of such an extraordinary woman. I also realized that The Joy of Connecting ®, was an organization created out of love to support women entrepreneurs, business owners, and other professional trailblazing women like me. This one experience put the spirit of audacity back in me, allowing me to authentically connect with other pioneering women and share my dreams and intentions with them.

Now that I got my "sexy back", I'm moving forward, paving a blazing path of bold confidence and sheer faith for others to follow and I'm not alone. My journey has taught me that we need each other. I have several other trailblazing women joining me as a result of having dinner at Bonnie's house. Me in my 4-inch stiletto heels, Bonnie in her signature cowboy boots and a band of WonderWomen showing off stylish and sophisticated businesses in a supportive environment and we're blazing trails in style!

- Tamika Morrison, CEO/Founder of The Write Stylz Public Relations Firm