Where there's a will, there's a Woman ~ Abiola

Abiola Abrams is our very first featured female at Where there's a will, there's a Woman! ABIOLA ABRAMS is a TV personality, author and art filmmaker who shows up with her big mouth and hot pink doctor bag of advice and self worth to whip us into shape.

1. When did you discover your inner goddess? I would have to say that like all little girls I was born knowing my power. Then somewhere along the way - with life, and teasing and advertising and cultural brainwashing I forgot it. I rediscover my inner goddess daily. And I have dedicated my work to helping my sisters on the planet remember as well, and allow them to use and access my mistakes, snafus and triumphs as their own!!

2. What color excites you? Purple. Purple is deep moody, regal and sensual. It can flash loving or angry depending on the shade. I agree with Alice Walker: The Goddess gets angry if you walk past the color purple and don't notice it!!

3. Where did you grow up? I am a native New Yorker. I was born in Brooklyn, raised in Queens, went to middle school and high school on the Upper East Side and went to undergrad upstate. My family is from Guyana though, in South America. So it was New York until I walked into my parent's front gate. Then I was in Guyana USA!

4. Name 5 women who inspire you. I am inspired by Oprah Winfrey, of course, Martha Stewart, Michelle Obama, affirmation master Louise Hay, and the writer SARK.

5. If you had to recommend 1 good book, what would it be? Oh come on-- of course I must recommend Dare by Abiola Abrams, a thirty something year old empress living in Harlem!! You just wouldn't respect me if I said anything else! *giggling.*

6. Do you believe in miracles? I absolutely believe in miracles. My very existence is a miracle. My mom says I was born weeks early. I couldn't wait to get out and get started. I am the daughter of immigrants, great-great granddaughter of slaves-- from a completely different continent. I a descended from Africans in South America. Heck yeah I believe in miracles! You can find out more about Abiola at www.abiolaabrams.com or www.planetabiola.com. Leave a comment!

Playing The Bigger Game - PART 5

Step 5: Decide That Intimidation Is For Suckers

You know those people who wish you could work with – or at least get to notice you – that scare the hell out of you because they’re out of your league? Well, guess what – they’re actually real, normal people. (Well, maybe ‘normal’ is an overstatement). Unless they’re truly one of the “diva” types, there are generally a lot of ways to approach them successfully.
Remember, people are people. There is no magical halo around the people farther up the food chain –they are all as screwed up as (we!) are. They freak out over the things just like you do, have the same fears and worries as you do – and in fact their stress levels are higher than yours because everything they do is scrutinized so much more.

(Left to Right: Martha Stewart, Sean "P. Diddy" Combs & Michael Eisner)

So why are you intimidated by them? Why are you afraid to approach them for joint ventures, or call them for interviews, or get some foot in the door that would bring you closer to them?

Two reasons:
If you want their approval, you’re afraid you’ll be rejected. And the world will end if that happens, right? Wrong. See the earlier step about failure. Yes, you will be rejected the first time. All that means is that you’ll need a better strategy (more on that later).

Or

If they’re your competition they are scary to you. Maybe the person / company you’re intimidated by is a direct competitor and you’re freaked out that you could never thrive in their shadow. News flash: There’s room for other people if you’re committed to being remarkable. Go buy Seth Godin’s Purple Cow or Tribes and realize the pie is big enough for everyone.

Bottom line is, you have to consciously decide that you’re not going to be intimidated by other people. Nobody is out of your league, and nobody is indestructible.

Think a “regular person” can’t connect with A-listers? Watch carefully, people do it all the time. Think a “regular business” can’t compete with your dominant competitor? IBM thought that, and Dell kicked it’s butt starting out in a dorm room. And tiny little FireFox tore Internet Explorer a new one. It happens all the time. And there’s no reason it can’t happen for you.

Here’s the thing: Intimidation is just the manifestation of insecurity. You’re afraid someone won’t think you’re worthy to talk to or you’re afraid someone’s so much better than you that the free market won’t give you a fighting chance.
Dra-ma.

Instead of letting that twinge of fear paralyze your brain into thinking “never gonna happen” you need to get to the root of that fear, find out what’s causing it, and defuse it with rational thinking. You know, things that maybe have to do with that whole “define your value to others” thing we talked about earlier?

Intimidation is a sucker’s game because it’s all about your brain tricking you into not thinking your way around your insecurity. It’s a defense mechanism designed to protect you because on some level you don’t feel ready.

Game on. SEE YOU ON OPRAH!!!

ReMix Tuesday with Lil Mogul November 2009

FACE to FACE

The MEGA World of Lil Mogul
by Lil Mogul

This is my last Remix TUESDAY in December of 2009. On Tuesday, November 10 The MEGA World of Lil Mogul discussed Brands more than ever need Face-to-Face connection with customers.

We live in the most hyper-connected time in the country's history; and yet we exist in a constant state of disconnection. While Apple, BlackBerry, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, Match.com, Fresh Direct, and Amazon are well-designed, convenient and address specific needs and for the most part work well; they are also responsible for the undeniable in-personal interactions we used to take for granted during the course of a regular day.

I live in Harlem and I'm always amused by watching teens walking down the street with their friends while texting and talking on their cell phones rather than with each other! How is this younger demographic, armed to the teeth with all the technologically advanced connectivity tools, going to cope and interact as responsible adults? Poorly, I contend. Facebook, Twitter, MySpace? -- "Social" networks that do not require you to engage in any kind of human socialization. Apple? -- Creators of the iMac, the iPod, the iPhone and iTouch. I do not think it too crazy to say that we are in the midst of a dreadful away of human interaction that could seriously impact people's ability to truly "connect" with one another.

We've already seen the emergence of dieting coaches, dating coaches, life coaches. Now, people will pay many thousands of dollars to attend "Unplugged Retreats." Eventually, the pendulum will swing the other way, back toward more personal/human connections. And the brands that get that will be winners. I believe the brands that do not emphasize ultra-modern design, trendy badge value or blow-your-mind technological innovation as their core vision -- but rather emphasize the value of person-to-person, real live human interaction -- are the ones that will ascend and maintain leadership positions in the long run.

This trend may already be happening. One company that is already starting to apply that thinking is Macy’s. Macy's "Come Together" cause-marketing campaign scores points for teaming up with Feed America to provide 10 million meals for local food banks. With the tagline "The Great American Dinner Party," the retailer is encouraging people across the country to participate by having some friends over for a dinner party/fundraiser -- and just simply enjoy each other's company.

Macy's will match the contributions raised by each party. Television commercials for the campaign feature celebs such as Martha Stewart, Usher, Jessica Simpson, Tommy Hilfiger, Donald Trump, and Queen Latifah enjoying their own dinner party after hours inside Macy's Herald Square.

Old School? Yes!!! But in this day and age, also kind of revolutionary.

So in 2010... I will meet you at the playground.

Lil Mogul... Face-to-Face

Brands Need Face-To-Face Connection

The MEGA World of Lil Mogul

by Lil Mogul

We live in the most hyper-connected time in the country's history; and yet we exist in a constant state of disconnection. While Apple, BlackBerry, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, Match.com, Fresh Direct, and Amazon are well-designed, convenient and address specific needs and for the most part work well; they are also responsible for the undeniable in-personal interactions we used to take for granted during the course of a regular day.

I live in Harlem and I'm always amused by watching teens walking down the street with their friends while texting and talking on their cell phones rather than with each other! How is this younger demographic, armed to the teeth with all the technologically advanced connectivity tools, going to cope and interact as responsible adults? Poorly, I contend. Facebook, Twitter, MySpace? -- "Social" networks that do not require you to engage in any kind of human socialization. Apple? -- Creators of the iMac, the iPod, the iPhone and iTouch. I do not think it too crazy to say that we are in the midst of a dreadful away of human interaction that could seriously impact people's ability to truly "connect" with one another.

We've already seen the emergence of dieting coaches, dating coaches, life coaches. Now, people will pay many thousands of dollars to attend "Unplugged Retreats." Eventually, the pendulum will swing the other way, back toward more personal/human connections. And the brands that get that will be winners. I believe the brands that do not emphasize ultra-modern design, trendy badge value or blow-your-mind technological innovation as their core vision -- but rather emphasize the value of person-to-person, real live human interaction -- are the ones that will ascend and maintain leadership positions in the long run.

This trend may already be happening. One company that is already starting to apply that thinking is Macy’s. Macy's "Come Together" cause-marketing campaign scores points for teaming up with Feed America to provide 10 million meals for local food banks. With the tagline "The Great American Dinner Party," the retailer is encouraging people across the country to participate by having some friends over for a dinner party/fundraiser -- and just simply enjoy each other's company.

Macy's will match the contributions raised by each party. Television commercials for the campaign feature celebs such as Martha Stewart, Usher, Jessica Simpson, Tommy Hilfiger, Donald Trump, and Queen Latifah enjoying their own dinner party after hours inside Macy's Herald Square.

Old School? Yes. But in this day and age, also kind of revolutionary.

So, I invite all of my friends and business associates to join The Future every Saturday starting November 28th for the Saturday Experience at Desire Lounge, 45 West 8th Street, West Village, NYC for some Face-to-Face time. STAY CONNECTED and discover new friends. We are calling them OFFLINE EVENTS.

We have a preview offline event this Saturday, November 14th at Desire at 10pm, The Future, Nubian Dreams, Fela and Brother/Sister plays attendees are all inviting you to join us.

Marva Allen on The Power of One with Lil Mogul

The MEGA World of Lil Mogul
by Lil Mogul

I am constantly asked about my name Lil Mogul. Why Lil? Working 10-14 hour days for the past 15 years, I have become a BIG Mover & Shaker among a conglomerate of other entrepreneurs: ie. Martha Stewart, Oprah Winfrey, Bob Johnson, Russell Simmons, etc. Standing toe to toe to those folks, I am Lil; however, feel just as empowered, important and confident. In the MEGA World of Lil Mogul, I have a number of friends who are also Lil Moguls. Today, newbiepreneurs meet my friend Marva Allen, Owner of the Hue-Man Bookstore on The Future TV. (Click to Play)


Have you ever wondered how the power of your spare change...20 nickels....10 dimes... 4 quarters or $1 single dollar bill could impact your community? For the past 3 months, Marva has been working on the campaign The Power of One, a program that is all about using your spare change for CHANGE. Did you know that since the beginning of the economic downturn 35% or more of Harlem Businesses have closed? This should ripple shock and dismay but more importantly, it should create a call to action for people of the community. What these closings really mean is that essential services are being lost, which in turn creates a void that will not attract progress. So why are these businesses closing? And could this mass catastrophe be prevented in the future? Categorically yes. But stable communities require involvement. To learn more about Hue-Man Bookstore and The Power of One Campaign go to: www.huemanbookstore.com.

Join The Future on Wednesday, September 9, 2009 at 6:30pm – 8:30pm for NY Fashion Week kickoff Beauty Buzz with Celebrity Makeup Artist D’Angelo Thompson & Andrea Fairweather at Hue-Man Bookstore. Please RSVP by 5:00pm on Tuesday, September 8th at Richard@MEGAManagementInc.com

Lash Out with Ja'Maal Buster!!!

Eyelash Guru Ja'Maal Buster's new line makes going glam easy - and affordable
By Lisa Petty
NBC Dallas, TX


“My life revolves around lashes!”

We first met Ja’Maal Buster years ago when he was getting his start here in Dallas. Back then, a steady stream of our city’s most fashionable women would line up each day to receive a set of his flawless false lashes. Today, the story’s much the same for this busy stylist, except home base is now Beverly Hills and his clients are among the most famous faces in the world.

On any given day, you might find this “Eyelash Guru to the Stars” in New York, Miami, Paris or Dubai – anywhere a glamorous party, award show or special event requires the glitterati to look their very best. For example, Beyoncé wore Ja’Maal’s lashes each night on her most recent tour. Martha Stewart also often wears a pair when filming her television show, and Rihanna rocks ‘em every single day (rain or shine). A small but crucial beauty detail, the impact of a great set of lashes can’t be underestimated. Unfortunately, though, many women are intimidated by the application process. And let’s be honest – we can’t all call a celebrity Guru when we’re getting ready for a night on the town.

But now, great lashes are right at our fingertips.
Enter Ja’Maal’s new line of affordable at-home lashes, ideal for regular girls who like a little touch of glam. “Each lash in my line has a name, has a meaning,” he explains, pointing out favorites like the Trophy Wife, the Gold Digger and the Little Black Lash. Each fits a certain style and personality, from flirtatious to outrageous and everything in between. The best part? They’re only $10 per pair, and with Ja’Maal’s Placement Tool (only $10 as well), application is also a breeze. So, between making the rich and famous even more fabulous and developing his own line of lashes, we had to wonder whether our old friend Ja’Maal missed Big D (‘cause we sure do miss him). The answer? “I do miss Dallas. That’s where I got my start…my stories from there are very close to my heart.”

What a sweetie. You can check out Ja’Maal’s new lash line at www.jamaalbuster.com. We’re partial to the Madison Avenue…but we might feel like Glow in the Dark come Saturday night. You never know. GO YOU... Lil Mogul!!!