To Be or Not to Be a TotalBee

Inspirational stories are definitely worth knowing about. While I enjoy writing, I also enjoy learning about others who inspire me. This article is where I use my writing and interview a person who has not only inspired me, but many other women.

Recently I received a MySpace friends request and gladly accepted. making my way to this new friend's page, I was totally inspired by her story. This story is why I chose to interview her.

"A TotalBee is a Total Beauty Exuding Empowerment! TotalBee.com & The TOTALBEE Clothing Line was created by a Confident Military Spouse, who knows the challenges other confident women face daily. Her hopes are to Inspire, Encourage & Enhance all women on all levels."

As one we're noticed...as a Swarm we're unstoppable! TOTALBEE.com is a site where a woman can Be in Total Control of Herself. Why I created TotalBee™ To Bee or not to Bee.

Ladies, that's truly been our dilemma for centuries. Throughout my life I've met women from all different backgrounds & races and yet we all share one common factor...at some point in each of our lives we've been degraded by being referred to as a B*TCH...well...not anymore. Allow me to share with you why I've created TotalBee™.

One day while in a meeting with my then new boss, a passive and condescending male, I was asked to describe my personality type. I responded with, "I have a direct personality as it related to my work, mission first". My boss then snidely stated," You know there are other ways to do things other than being a B_ I_ T_ C_ H ". (He actually spelled it out as if made a difference).

Did this upset me? Of course it did. At no time did I suggest that my being "direct" meant that he should or could refer to me as a "B*TCH". As I am sure he would have never made that comment to any of our male staff. I left that meeting feeling powerless. That night I went home and began to doubt my very being.

I had spent years building a strong reputation within our division and I successfully helped our department services become well sought out. To have been disregarded by someone who had just met me and who was obviously intimidated by me in some manner was unacceptable.

That following week we had another meeting. Again, he made another B*TCH reference, but this time I was prepared.

I calmly and directly replied, " Sir you know, I don't mind being thought of as B*TCH...because B*TCHES get things done." I completely knocked that arrogantly smug look off his face .

After that meeting I said to myself never again will anyone, male or female, have such negative power over me simply because they can't adapt to a strong and intelligent woman. Ladies, regardless of the negative name calling that often accompany us throughout our personal and professional journeys, we do not have to conform to the low standards.

Even when women use the word to describe other women the disrespectful stereo-typing is perpetuated. So basically how can we expect to be regarded as equals when we disrespect ourselves. Women are dynamic creatures, yet throughout the years there has been an expectation for us to be seen and not heard.

By remaining silent and submissive we empower others over us. Without the freedom or the right of positive self expression, we're simply not women living...we're simple women existing. A woman's virtue exceeds that of a female canine or any other species as far as that goes, by any standard of measurement.

Never again will I be made to feel, think or accept anything less. To be referred to as the "B" word no longer bothers me...because at the end of the day I know who and what I am. I am a woman "Beeing" In Total Control of Herself !

I TOTALLY choose TO BEE the phenomenal embodiment of what positively defines a woman...Beauty, Intelligence, Grace, Elegance, Strength and Sophistication! TotalBee™ is a new name brand for women and it is my Honeycomb. Self-Empowerment, Self-Enlightenment, Self- Expression, Self-Contentment, Self-Control and most importantly Self-Respect reign supreme. I dare YOU To BEE"

Disclaimer: The above statement is the story, in detail, about TotalBees and how it came about. The statements and opinions are those by the owner who was interviewed, not by the author of this article.

Interview with Sabrina Newby:

Viktorya: Tell us a little about yourself, where you are from and do you have a family?

Sabrina: My name is Sabrina Newby. I am originally from DeRidder, La. and I am a proud Military Spouse.

Viktorya: Do you have any accomplishments other than TotalBee?

Sabrina: In regards to owning my own business, TotalBee is my first venture but I am also currently working on other projects.

Viktorya: TotalBee is a very unique name. How did you come up with it?

Sabrina: The name TotalBee comes from in part to one of the nicknames that my husband has given me which is "B "(short for Brina) then I coupled that with the issue of women being referred to as the "B" word. I was inspired with the name TOTALBEE.

Viktorya: Tell us the story behind TotalBee and how it came about.

Sabrina: The TotalBee concept stems from the issue I take with women being labeled as the B word simply because of the way we as women confidently express ourselves or by simply being who we are.

Viktorya: What is your ultimate goal as Owner/CEO of TotalBee?

Sabrina:My goal is to inspire women to speak out against such derogatory labels, maintain our pride and self respect as women and positively reflect our inner beings without fear of being vilified in the forum of public opinion.

Viktorya: Have you considered donating to battered women or volunteering in a shelter for abused and battered women?

Sabrina: Yes. Actually that is one of the projects I am also working on. Basically incorporating a forum for women who are victims of abuse intoTotalBee.com

Viktorya: What all does TotalBee offer?

Sabrina: It offers an outlet for the everyday woman to share her experience of the obstacles she's faces in her life and how she positively overcomes them. Hoping that women who read about the ordeal and who may also be silently battling the same issues are inspired by the stories and know, at least, they are not alone. And it offers a clothing line that promotes positive self expression. Letting the world know you are a proud, confident women.

Viktorya: What is your take on how women dress these days? How do you feel that it effects the way others may treat them?

Sabrina: It depends really on the environment that we are in. I think women should have the right to dress how they want. On the converse of that, and depending on the attire and environment, they may not get the positive feedback they initially hoped for.

Viktorya: It's one thing to be a TotalBee and another to be as classy as possible, including the way we dress. How does that statement affect you?

Sabrina: I believe being a TOTALBEE and being classy is one in the same. TOTALBEE is about the positive attributes of being a women no matter what situation we as women may find ourselves in and being classy and keeping it classy is a major part of that.

Viktorya: Where would you like to see TotalBees in about five years?

Sabrina: I hope that it will be or well on its way to becoming a main component in womens lives in regards to advocacy and fashion.

Viktorya: I chose to interview you because I love your "why" behind TotalBees and your classy and respectable approach to someone who disrespected you. Not all women would have handled it that way. Could you give us some tips on how to handle such a situation?

Sabrina: Thank you. I personally feel whenever women are placed in a situation, such as mine ,the main objective for the person launching the attack is to diminish the woman's confidence and gain power over her. So if we as women give into such negativity (especially in a professional setting) by either becoming overly emotional or by accepting what's being said to us without a calm yet genius rebuttal then we allow that person control over us . I feel when women are confronted by situations like mine remaining confident is always the best defense.

Viktorya: If you could give women one statement of advice in less then 10 words, what would you say?

Sabrina: "Never let them see you sweat"
Thank You. It was a pleasure!

That concludes the interview. If you would like to know more about TotalBees, please look to your right at the resource box.