BLACK by Latesha Townsend
Black. It is the name I have been given in the place which I was risen. Black. What is black?
Black
It is the name I have been given in the place which I was risen. Black. What is black? It is the first thing that you will see when you meet me, which is funny to me because when I look in the mirror, I see a nice Golden Honey Brown. As the great linguist James Baldwin once said, “I realized when I was very young, that whatever it was that he was looking at, it wasn’t me” (James Baldwin). Black is the color that is not a color at all. It is the evil villain in every movie, good versus bad black versus white. “Black is evil. The saved are white.” (James Baldwin). Blacklist, black market, black magic these are the things you would have us see.
So, what is Black?
It is the crown that I wear and the smile I share to know that the blood of so many great BLACK heroes runs through my veins: Ella Baker, Fanny Lou Hamer, Queen Neithikret, Septima Poinsette Clark.
It is not the bondage or chains that the media wants it to be.
But the eternal bond that ties me to a great nation. It is this bond we share that allows us to have an entire conversation in a glance at a distance. Black is the unspoken union among strangers, bound like family. Black is knowing that in this random moment at the grocery store for a brief window of time the divine light in me recognizes the divine light in you.
Black is being raised by a woman who possesses not only beauty and curves but who is also intelligent, resilient, and has unparalleled strength. Strength, the capacity of an object or substance to withstand great force or pressure (Oxford Dictionary). My Mother’s love is a shield from all this hatred I feel. Her relentless pursuit, elegance and grace provides me the ability to smile when I should be holding back tears. While others say she is tough, unloving, or angry, I will forever silently hold the truth and reasons of why she raised me thus. I am eternally grateful for the gifts that she gave me. Black.
Black, is choosing a partner with ultimate wisdom and power who can teach my unborn son to return home alive. Teaching him how to politically navigate your presumptuous questions:
“Hey Man, you got any….. (insert drug here).
Hey, Brother you look familiar, do you live here?
Do you have identification?”
After all;
“Black Privilege is me having memorized my unconceived child’s eulogy” (Crystal Valentine).
If only bullets could kill racism.
What is Black?
Black is beautiful!
It is the golden bouncing curls, and a natural ability to adapt in any situation.
It is the knowledge that the shark that raised me made me phenomenal; independent and lacking lazy. “Cause I’m a woman. Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me” (Maya Angelou).
And to the younger me, the scared me I would say this; “remember to always hold your head high because you are
Black!”
Written By Latesha Townsend
Professional Photo by @kmhforte.jpeg
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TIPSY TUESDAY | 5 Moves To Boss Up Your Business Cashflow
Ready to pay less taxes, see increases in your bank account?
5 Moves To Boss Up Your Business Cashflow
Ready to pay less taxes, see increases in your bank account? I am sure you are, after all who wouldn’t be ready???
Hands up....who remembers when they were learning to drive? I do remember!! In particular I was afraid when big vehicles like trucks or trailers came near me.. I would start looking at them instead of keeping my eyes on the road. My instructor would keep reminding me to keep my eyes on the road and be focussed. Those instructions I kept with me as I learnt to drive in the snow, on ice and through the mountains. Keep focussed. Keep focussed.
Focus can be hard especially when there are so many things to keep your eyes on.
In a business it’s no different...what will make your business successful and not another failure or statistic?
The number one reason businesses fail is lack of paying attention to their financial numbers, not paying attention to warning signs, red lights and key indicators. Cash flow warning signs are often ignored or not understood due to lack of understanding the financial numbers of your business.
Like your body your business cannot survive without cash flow. Cash flow is the lifeblood of your business. It is similar to the oxygen needed for the body to survive.
You have to train yourself as a business owner/entrepreneur to keep your eyes on the key things that will make your business succeed.. you have to keep your eyes on the financial numbers and cashflow to ensure your business is cash positive and recession proof.
Your business is needed by your community, country and the world at large. It is needed to impact lives around your community and the wider world and of course allow you to live your legacy now.
Why would you risk losing your business by not paying attention to the key thing to ensure it survives? Why would you not be proactive/innovate when it relates to your business?
Let’s look at 5 ways to BOSS up Your business cashflow:
1) KEEP YOUR BOOKS, FINANCIAL RECORDS CURRENT- You cannot afford to have late entries, late recordings and delays in your business when it comes to producing your financial numbers. You are at a greater risk of fraud and losing money from strategies that are not working when your financial records are not updated timely.
2) UNDERSTAND THE FLOW OF CASH – Know the various sources of your cash inflows and cash outflows, know their timing - when will they impact your real life bank account. The flow of cash is very key to making decisions in your business and help you increase cashflow.
3) CATEGORIZE YOUR BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS CORRECTLY - You will save on taxes paid and ensure tax benefits and credits are utilized accurately.
4) USE KEY METRICS -. Be positioned to stop money leaks. If you are not using "What If Analysis" to be innovative and proactive, you are not able to quickly tell if your business is en route to bankruptcy. Bankruptcy does not according to popular belief happen overnight. There are key signs that are often ignored or not understood.
5) USE CASH FORECASTS – This is a key tool to know your starting and ending position with cashflow each period. This tool is integral for any business, it sets the foundation for strategy formulation, decision making and so much more for your business.
As a bonus you will receive a session with Kirsha when you purchase the above!
As a business owner/entrepreneur you may not be physically doing these tasks however you need to ensure they are being performed by reliable experts who are able to pick up quickly on errors and other red flags to minimize the risks of your business not responding quickly or being innovative or proactive toward any issues.
The number of followers on social media, your email list and the number of likes when you post content can at times lead to your distractions about what matters in your business. While they do matter focussing on the key financial numbers will help your business to be positioned to be recession proof and cash positive.
So what will be the key thing you focus on in your business no matter what?
Submission by Kirsha Campbell, CPA, CMA “The Cashflow Maven”
When business owners find their businesses in financial chaos and are serious to take the leap to say hello to cashflow and MORE, they reach out to Kirsha Campbell “The Cashflow Maven”. A CPA/CMA, Kirsha integrates all the moving parts in your business to set up the right foundation to be recession proof, operate with reduced risk, increase cashflow, set up effective systems and procedures and so much more. Kirsha helps business owners to say goodbye to overwhelm, stress and frustration about their business results and operation.
Kirsha values continuous improvement and is sought after for her attention to details, integrity and her passion to turn businesses around. Having spent years in the corporate world, she understands key strategies that need to be adhered to ensure businesses are successful and set up to be recession proof. She also understands the need for businesses to have customized strategies that fit their particular situation.
She is deeply passionate about helping her clients and is committed to forming lasting relationships. She has a heart for her clients and is deeply committed to their businesses being set up for success and be their “go-to” second brain for their business.
She expertly steps into each relationship with her clients and is committed to create change and effective solutions in businesses recognizing the importance of looking beyond the numbers.
Pigeon Lake Wellness Studio - Janelle Ford
Relax. Rejuvenate. Replenish. Restore. Enjoy a mini road trip out to the lake and enjoy the fresh country air and relaxation that comes with being surrounded by nature. We are a rural studio at Pigeon Lake located 50min southwest of Edmonton.
Relax. Rejuvenate. Replenish. Restore. Enjoy a mini road trip out to the lake and enjoy the fresh country air and relaxation that comes with being surrounded by nature. We are a rural studio at Pigeon Lake located 50min southwest of Edmonton. We are located in the serene resort town called the Village at Pigeon Lake. We offer a variety of retreats, workshops, yoga and fitness classes all in one convenient location and all year round.
We also collaborate with other businesses to support them with either space rental or can provide assistance with their event.
We offer a range of retreats including corporate wellness retreats, couples retreats, girlfriend getaways, bachelorette parties, yoga and spa days and more.
We can also help businesses or individuals customize their own retreats!
