Category: The Future is Female

An interviewing category featuring amazing Women of Color who have succeeded on their own terms.

Are You An Entrepreneur?

Posted on by Amada Acosta Addair in Money, The Future is Female, Wise Latina

There are people who believe that it would be luxurious to never have to work. They dream of spending days free of responsibilities.

Then there is a different type of person. They recognize that their key to happiness is not to be free from obligation. Instead, their happiness is derived from creation, nurturing, and growth. This is the person who wants to see a vision come to fruition.

This is the entrepreneur!

But beyond being the person who takes on the financial risks and legal responsibilities of starting and running a business, entrepreneurs are people who have a vision for a different future. But, bringing a vision to fruition can be taxing and time-consuming. It requires understanding several things about yourself and your business. If you want to become an entrepreneur, there are five things you need to consider.

Ideas Matter

An entrepreneur without ideas is not an entrepreneur. After all, before you can start a business, you must have an idea of the type of business you wish to have. If you are interested in being an entrepreneur but you are not clear on the type of business you want, use the following list to help you get started:

  • What am I good at? (To have a business, you must have a basis of understanding in the business, ergo, you must have some competence in the area of business.)
  • What do I enjoy doing? (It is not enough to be good at something, you have to enjoy doing it.)
  • How much time will I need to take this concept from idea to executable concept?
  • Who do I know in this field that can serve as a mentor? (Remember, questions are going to come up that you will need to ask someone.)

The idea you have does not have to be revolutionary. You can take a simple idea and turn it into a very successful business. But you have to start developing your idea.

Execution Matters

Entrepreneurship requires starting with a big concept and making it a reality. It means not stopping until you have achieved your desired outcome. Many people get overwhelmed by this. I know I did. At the end of 2020, my husband and I created a retail CBD and smoke shop. When we first got into the building we rented, I was overwhelmed. The space was previously leased by a head shop and the entire space was painted in black!

We renovated it using the colors white and lavender (Party Hat by Behr.) Have you ever tried to paint over black? It was not easy. It took significant time and money. We had no choice but to do the work, one paint stroke at a time. If we had failed at this critical point then we would have not gotten it off the ground. We would not have been able to open the doors on December 12th; so we hustled until the work was done and then celebrated with a grand opening party.

But, that was not the only challenge we encountered. From the moment we conceived the idea, it was a series of moments where execution was critical. Have the concept? Decide on a name for your business. Have a name? Secure the website. Have a website? Decide on marketing ideas.

It keeps going and going. The execution never stops.

Money Matters

A sad reality of entrepreneurship is that money does matter. The old adage that states that you “need money to make money” is an old adage for a reason. You will need to have some seed money to start the business you endeavor. Here are some places where money will need to be spent as you start your business:

  • Business formation (registering your business with your state, trademarking a logo, etc.);
  • Business marketing (purchasing a domain, doing your own website or hiring someone to do your website, preparing and creating signage, flyers, loyalty cards, etc.)
  • Business basics (leasing or buying a location, purchasing products, hiring employees, basic hardware, and point of sale software); and,
  • Business management (employee training, bookkeeping services, and general tax issues.)

There are a large number of places where you can spend money on your business. But, by determining what things you can and do enjoy doing, you may be able to save yourself some money.

Planning Matters

You will notice that in this article, planning comes after execution. But, this is the only time that it will. Planning is what helps you take your idea to full concept. Planning will help you ensure you have a roadmap for your idea’s success. It will help you create reasonable timelines and it will help you budget correctly. In fact, planning is the piece that ties all of the others together.

While it is true that not everyone is great at planning, there are some things that you can do to help you in the planning phase.

Time Matters

Of all of the things that you need as an entrepreneur, the most important is time. After all, you cannot start and grow a business unless you are willing to put time into your business. You must nurture your business every step of the way.

An important caveat, you should not be the only one working your business. For example, if your entrepreneurial concept is a restaurant, you cannot be chef, waiter, dishwasher, and front of house all at once.

If you try to be the jack of all trades, you will end up being the master of none. But, if you select one piece of the business that you can do exceptionally well and hire others to do the other things, you can success. For that reason, I recommend that you devote your time to the things that you a)enjoy and are good at, and b) will help you level up your business. The other things should be delegated.

What words of advice do you have for entrepreneurs?

Diluting People Power

Posted on by Amada Acosta Addair in American Me, The Future is Female, Wise Latina

Awww, fall. The crisp breeze reminds you to pull out your favorite sweaters. The somewhat functioning college football (I live in a Big Twelve community) tells us that people are trying to pretend all is normal. But things are not normal. Covid-19 continues to plague communities worldwide. In the US, the 2020 Presidential election has begun. Early voting is taking place.

Unlike in the past election, United Statians are making efforts to participate in early voting. This has resulted in many states with long lines and citizens waiting for hours to cast a ballot. The media touts this as a demonstration of the passion that US citizens are showing to make their voices heard. That’s plausible.

However, it is also plausible and more likely that we are witnessing voter suppression in action. In 2013, the US Supreme Court voted to invalidate key aspects of the Voting Rights Act. This important legislation was created in 1964. It was intended to ensure that all US citizens had access to voting. For all who may not know, this was a real problem in the post-civil war US.

AND, IT CONTINUES TO BE A PROBLEM NOW.

As soon as the US Supreme Court announced its decision, States went into suppression mode. Texas initiated new “voter identification laws” that made less people (and yes, I am talking US citizens) eligible for voting. Many States began “redistricting” efforts that diluted the power of voters in individual communities. In fact, these problems persist today.

The sad thing is that the people who want to reduce the powers of people are now being blatant about it. Republican Kansas state senator Susan Wagle was caught on video talking to right-wing cronies about redrawing the maps so that they can remove US House representative Sharice Davids (the lone Democrat representing Kansas) from her seat and replace her with a conservative. The Governor of Texas changed the rules regarding ballot boxes. He has pushed to limit them to one per county. Why is this a problem? Because 41 counties in Texas are bigger than the State of Rhode Island.

But all of these actions are wrong. They strike at the chord of what we tell the world that it means to be “American.” Overseas, we want to tout ourselves as a beacon of democracy. Stateside some of our elected leaders are nothing more than part of an authoritarian regime. Overseas we want to encourage people to embrace democracy and capitalism. Stateside our government continues to suppress the people of color, women, and young voters.

Worse than the fact that we are suppressing the will of US citizens, is that these actions serve to undermine our position on the world stage. These government actors make it so that our own military, I am talking low level soldiers here, are at greater risk when they serve tours overseas. These actions weaken the credibility of our diplomats. They even make it harder for US citizens to travel freely outside of this country.

My hope for our country is that 2020 will be a wake up call for all. My hope is that people will not assume that casting their vote for a different Presidential candidate will be enough to get our country back on track. It will not. I hope that once the election is over, people will begin the real work of democracy. From my perspective, the things that can help get our country to fulfill the promise it makes to us all are as follows:

Increasing the number of political parties

I don’t necessarily have a lot of ideas about how this happens. But, I do wonder why in a country of 330 million people we only have two major political parties. I believe that this puts us at a huge disadvantage. And, it puts the political parties in peril. Case in point, when I first obtained the right to vote through naturalization, I was so excited to register as a Republican. After all, I reasoned, thanks to a Republican (President Ronald Reagan) my family and I had been the beneficiaries of amnesty, a political move that ensured millions of undocumented immigrants the opportunity to legalize their status in the US.

Unfortunately, the party that I long believed in is unlike the party I learned to respect. I understood that it was a party of small government. But, now I ask myself how it is possible that a political party advocating for small government is pushing to give the government control the bodies of 50% of its population? The party that I thought encouraged civic engagement now seeks to oppress its voters. And, I do not understand how the party of Lincoln has now become the party of white supremacists. That used to be the goal of the southern democrats. Don’t believe me? Remember that guy George Wallace, governor of Alabama who fought integration of schools? Yeah, he was a democrat.

Abolishing the electoral college

This is perhaps my most ambitious wish. The abolishment of the electoral college would require major support to amend the US constitution. But, this action would ensure that everyone’s vote actually counted in future Presidential elections. Currently, the vote of the people does not actually ensure a Presidential win. We learned this in 2001 with Bush v. Gore and were reminded of this lesson in 2016 with Clinton vs. Trump.

Putting term limits on federal representatives

This is crucial to ensure that our public servants (i.e. representatives and senators) do not cross the threshold from serving the public to become political conduits of lobbyists and corporations. It ensures that representatives do not get to stay in power without bringing any real results to their constituents. And, it ensures that new ideas and younger people can contribute to creating the society that they desire. After all, it is younger people who must live longer with the outcomes of policy decisions made at high levels of government.

Reducing dark money in politics

Of course, money is a problem in politics. In 2010, the US Supreme Court issued its opinion in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. This case reversed years of campaign finance restrictions. It put power in corporations and the ultra wealthy by enabling unlimited spending in elections. It further reduced the power of the federal election commission to promote and protect this country.

But it is not just the decision in Citizens United that has turned our elections into a shitshow. Media also plays a hand. CBS chairman was quoted in 2016 stating that although Donald Trump may not be good for America, he certainly is good for the ratings of TV networks, specifically his.

This is not all. In 2020, NBC chose to host a Trump town hall meeting at the same time as ABC was running a town hall meeting for Biden. ABC’s program was scheduled earlier and intended to be a Presidential debate. When Trump pulled out of the debate, NBC rewarded him with his own town hall meeting on three of their channels. Instead of giving the people of our country the opportunity to watch both and evaluate their choices, NBC chose to create a fight for ratings.

These types of actions must stop. Our country’s future requires all of our participation. It requires us to have rules in place that protect all of our people. Our country deserves more than what corporations, politicians and outside actors (like foreign governments) are trying to push us to become. It requires all of us to remember that WE THE PEOPLE must fight towards ensuring that we will all have opportunities for LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.

What ideas do you have to improve our country’s political structure?

Support Your Sisters

Posted on by Amada Acosta Addair in Money, The Future is Female

Ayuda a tus hermanas.

Whether you say it in English or Spanish, supporting other women is important.

Over the course of the last year, I have had complex feelings about what it means to be a woman in this world. On the one hand, I feel comfortable identifying as woman. I always have. I have never minded the mandates and conventions placed upon my gender even though I may not have always abided by them. But over the last year, I have found the cultural backlash against women to be overwhelming. Depressing even.

For that reason, I plan to make 2021 my Women’s Appreciation Year. This means that I am going to take active steps to appreciate and support women. I endeavor to fully embrace this concept in a number of ways.

Arts

In the arts arena, I intend to focus my purchasing power on female artists, authors, actors, and musicians. Beyond that, I am going to take extra steps to introduce my friends and family to those that I love. As gifts, I will consider giving the gift a of book written by a woman. I will write a positive review about a blogger and share her through my social media. I will create a playlist with women’s music that moves me and share it to my colleagues.

Business

There are many ways to support your sisters in business. First, contemplate all of the friends and family members you have that are in direct sales. Second, think of all of the things you purchase from your favorite big box retailer. Finally, think of the friends that you can purchase from instead of the retailer. Need skin care? Talk to your cousin who sells Rodan and Fields. Want to try a new mascara? Give your friend whose been a long-time Mary Kay consultant a call.

The key to purchasing from friends in this manner is to purchase ahead of your needs. You do not have the luxury of running out of a product when you purchase the direct sales method because it can take a few days for your purchases to come in.

From there, expand your horizons. Check out women owned businesses in your town. Don’t know how to find them? Call your local chamber of commerce or use your favorite search engine to discover women owned businesses.

Professionals

I am talking attorneys, accountants, and doctors. If you have never done so, consider hiring a female professional. If finding a female professional seems onerous, stop sweating. Call your state’s accounting, bar, or medical association for a list of referrals. Ask your friends and family members about professionals they have used in the past. Finally, start looking at business websites after a search engine check of “Female Attorney” (or accountants or doctors) and the name of your city.

Now it’s your turn…

How do you plan to support women in 2021?

Identify Your Goals

Posted on by Amada Acosta Addair in Money, The Future is Female

Every year, I try to challenge myself by trying something new. Most years, I forget my first of the year promise. By the second quarter of the year, I get busy with the day to day responsibilities that are part of my career, family, and personal obligations. And, I fail to accomplish the things on my aspirational list.

But this year, I have promised, will be exceptional. This year, I plan to share my fiction and nonfiction writing with the world. I plan to open up a conversation with Latinas worldwide who are navigating the numerous tags that identify them to the world.

But, I recognized that having an exceptional life requires exceptional efforts. For that reason, I began four months prior by preparing a future-focused plan. I not only backwards engineered my plan by contemplating my goals, my deadlines to accomplish said goals, and the current efforts that I must continue to exert in my life. I have created an excellent game plan for success.

What do you dream?

Plans require VISION.

But, before I could do all of that fun planning, preparation, and plotting, I had to start with the most important thing… A GOAL. Identifying my goals was crucial to creating my plan for success. If you wish to identify your goals as I did, check out the list of questions that I asked myself to identify my goal. I hope the list will help you begin an important conversation with yourself.

If these questions help you or you want to share any additional questions you use to help in your personal development efforts, comment on this post. You can also communicate with me at my Facebook page @AmadaAcostaAddair, Let me know how they work. I will start checking in on the steps you are taking to accomplish your goals.

5 Questions to Help You Identify Your Goals

What are three goals you wish to accomplish in your life? (or, In the next five years? In the coming year?  Etc. Think of any three goals. You are strong, hard-working, and achievement-oriented. You crush goals. Only you can limit your dreams.)

What are five steps which you must take under each of these goals in order to accomplish them?

Are there any time limitations or requirements you must meet in order to complete your goals? (I.E.- I wish to become a teacher. I must obtain a bachelor’s degree and a teaching certificate in order to be a teacher. A bachelor’s degree takes approximately 4-6 years to complete.)

Do any of your goals require a certain amount of financial investment? If yes, are you able to make that financial investment at this time?

Which of these goals are you going to start working towards today?

What is the first step you need to take to get started?

What is next?

I hope these questions have helped you identify the goals. And, I hope that they help you evaluate whether or not you can begin to work towards your goals today.

Once you have identified the goals you have for your life, it is easy to create a future-focused plan that can be executed and accomplished. You deserve to live the life you envision for yourself. However, it is important to remember that amazing opportunities come from extraordinary efforts. Therefore, you must now use the goals you have identified to create the plan. It is as easy and hard as all of that.

Do you want to  discuss how to create a plan from your goals? Wish to discuss your goals in greater detail? Remember, identifying your goals is just the first step. Now that you have determined what goals you have the time and money to accomplish, you will need to create a plan.

 

What question(s) would you have added to my list of five?

The Journey Begins

Posted on by Amada Acosta Addair in American Me, Fictional Faves, The Future is Female

Hello! Welcome to my first blog post. For a long time I have dreamed of becoming a published author. I would write things that were never shared with anyone else. I kept my desire at bay by writing and forgetting.

Over the last few years, I have felt a strong desire to share my voice. I have wanted to read and hear Latinx voices like mine. And I have realized that it is my job to add those voices to the America’s conversation.

I want to share non-fiction essays on empowerment, immigration, gender, race, and sex. That is the goal of this blog. Additionally, I will share short stories (written by me) and pop-culture review (books, music, movies.) I have some other ideas that I will be preparing and fine tuning with which I want to surprise you. Please take time to read and share with whomever you think would be interested in these topics.

Moreover, I want to hear from you. As an aspiring author, I want to communicate reflect the voices of women like you and me. And, for that reason, I want you to talk back. I want to hear you and get to know how you live your best life.

Thank you for reading this. And, welcome to my world.

Con Cariño,

 

Amada