Millennial on a Mission: Timi Komonibo

Happy Friday! Today's Millennial on a Mission is not only a (future) fellow Syracuse University graduate, (congrats to the class of 2015!) but she's also a entrepreneur with heart for giving back to her community. Her nonprofit organization, Style Lottery, is a sustainable fashion  philanthropy nonprofit that hosts "pop-up swaps" where guests can swap their lightly used clothing items with each other and donate what is un-swapped to organizations that serve women in need throughout the community. Now that she's on the cusp of entering the job market, she hopes to launch a career within corporate social responsibility and/or philanthropy.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Timi Komonibo.

A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Timi went into college as an undeclared major, convinced (in her words) "that all Nigerian kids were supposed to excel at science and math", but she struggled to fit into that cultural archetype. Instead, she noticed that she was stronger at writing and creative projects. "I took classes in almost every liberal arts department," she recalls. "At the end of my four years, I graduated with two majors-- one in Communication Studies and another in African Diaspora Studies. After graduating, I joined Teach for America and taught middle school math and reading in my hometown of Houston, TX." On Sunday, Timi will graduate from Syracuse University with a Master's degree in Public Diplomacy.

CC: What has inspired you to pursue your choice of career? Who are some individuals you admire in and out of your field of work? What challenges have you faced in building your business/brand, and what have you learned from them?

TK:  My internship at a global pro-bono firm helped me see that partnerships between the public and private sector can create innovative solutions for the world's challenges. I care deeply about issues surrounding sustainability because it is an area where collective effort could bring about a great change. Women like Helena Helmersson at H&M and Sheena Matheiken from The Uniform Project inspire me because they are rethinking fashion's impact on the world. Women are driving the eco-fashion movement and the solutions are limitless.

Style Lottery came to be because I wanted to give my friends and I a way to swap our clothes with one another. Teaching people to "restyle, reuse, and reward" with their clothing instantly became our mission. Our goal is to be a resource for people wanting to make a difference through fashion. We want to empower people and show them that every eco-friendly action is making a difference. I have been reading anything I can get my hands on about the circular economy, zero waste, and eco-fashion. From my research, my team and I have discovered that the average woman has about $500 of unworn clothing in her closet. We thought to ourselves, why should unworn or unwanted clothing be thrown away when we can provide an eco-friendly way to swap clothing and give back to women in the community?

One of my biggest challenges has been educating people about sustainable fashion. From the start, we knew we had to undo several misconceptions around second-hand clothing and swap. We did focus groups and surveys trying to get better understand our consumers. Whether it be the clothes that find a new home rather than ending up in a landfill or the girl who receives a shopping spree thanks to generous donors, we see what adding a conscience to fashion does.

To Timi, being a Millennial on a Mission means to know where your talents, interests, and passions line up and work relentlessly to bring the three together. "I have found that in Style Lottery, and since starting this endeavor, I have found myself taking bigger and bigger leaps of faith because I believe in my vision for a more sustainable and compassionate world," she says.  Timi is starting a Kickstarter in mid-May, and she admits it will be one of the scariest things that she's ever done. "I'm doing it so we can expand our work with a Style Lottery fashion philanthropy bus." Her advice to millennials looking to launch their own ventures? Do it anyway. "Is your dream so big that it scares you? Good. Do it anyway. Of course, take time to plan but make sure action follows soon after. But make take a risk and see how big of a splash you can make." 

You can keep up with Timi on Twitter and Instagram, and visit her blog Naturale Chronicles. 

You're Not Behind; You're Right Where You're Supposed To Be.

Sometimes, we just need a moment to pause and reflect.  I'll admit, these first four months of 2015 have been an amazing experience. From going back to my beloved alma mater to deliver my first (paid) keynote speech, to picking up running and completing two 5 K races, (I've got a 10 K next month and a half marathon in September - wee!) I've been pretty busy. However, I'm grateful for all of the growth and lessons I've learned thus far.

But of course, being the "Millennial on a Mission" that I am,  I always think that I could be doing more. More speaking engagements, more blog posts and Twitter chats, and of course, much more with certain activation ideas that are just floating in my head waiting to be released. But over-thinking more often than not lead to stress, break-outs and most importantly losing sleep. And as much as we want to THINK that we have the same 24 hours as Beyoncé, we have to remember that our own real lives are a little bit more complex than hers (no shade.)

In a conversation with a fellow Millennial On A Mission the other day, I mentioned that I felt like I was behind and needed a moment just to stop and breathe. Her next response helped me put a LOT into perspective very quickly:

"Chasity, you're not behind at all. In fact, you're a lot further than most. You just need to redirect your energy and time to things that matter the most to you."

Of course! Why didn't I think of that? While I love helping others strategize how they can reach their full potential, I can't neglect things that make me the happiest. No doubt - I can name about 50-11 distractions that have kept be from launching that blog, or starting that new venture. But now is the time to learn from my mistakes, and move forward in the right direction.

What helped me even feel more at ease is that my mentor-in-my-head blogger, queen of shade, ultimate #gladiator and social extraordinaire Luvvie Ajayi has even admitted to feeling the same way. And while people think her brand has blown up overnight, she had to quickly set the record straight via her Facebook page:

"Nothing happening for me right now was fast. This was a 12 year process. I am a 12-year overnight success. And what comes with it is that I am currently overwhelmed. It's a first world problem but I am. I feel like I'm neglecting so many people from it too.

I just saw a picture of me where I looked exhausted. That is what my default is nowadays. I NEEDED the last 3 days in Phoenix. And to twerk in a pool. And to ignore emails. And to act like I'm not constantly playing catch up. Or that I am not drowning in THINGS. But yeah... I am overwhelmed. But I am grateful. Always grateful." 

Moral of the story? Right now, at this moment in your personal and professional life, you are RIGHT where you are supposed to be. While being proactive is always a plus, don't force it boo-boo! By all means, if you don't like something - change it! But know that it will TAKE TIME for you to see the results of your labor. Yes, you will get overwhelmed, anxious, and even a little scarred at times. But as long as you remember WHY you started, you will be able to keep going. Take the time to really enjoy the experiences that come your way, and ALWAYS show gratitude. Because when you do, the universe will continue to bless you with new opportunities on your journey to greatness.

Never forget that you're amazing, and don't let comparison steal your joy, or stop you from reaching your goals. We all have the ability to be successful, it just takes pacing ourselves and practicing patience.

Here's to much more amazingness in 2015,

Chasity

Millennial on a Mission: Laurence Bradford

While this week's "Millennial on a Mission" does many things, everything ties back to technology in someway. As a self-taught developer and the founder of LearnToCodeWith.Me, she has put together resources for people teaching themselves how to code. As she likes to say, "Get digital skills, be happy." Ladies and gentlemen, meet Laurence Bradford.

Hailing from Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, Laurence attended college in Boston at Emmanuel College where she studied history. "Today I am basically doing the opposite as far as disciplines go," she says. Currently, she the Tech Careers Expert for about.com, but also does website strategy consulting. "Essentially, I look at both a site's content (written, images, etc.) and its design/layout," Laurence says. "Because for a great website, both are vital."

CC: What has inspired you to pursue your choice of career? Who are some individuals you admire in and out of your field of work? What challenges have you faced in building your business/brand, and what have you learned from them?

LB: After college, I decided to teach in Thailand. While there, I began keeping a travel blog. My boyfriend Matt built me a personal website as a Valentine's Day gift, which led me to want to make changes on my own to the site layout and design. Whenever I wanted to make a minor change, I had to ask him and it was driving me crazy! So I began teaching myself basic WordPress skills.

Around that same time, (I was still in Thailand at this point.) I kept reading and hearing about the demand for tech workers in the US. It sort of clicked, “Wow I like this. And there’s a demand for people with these skills!” One thing led to another, and here I am today: the founder of Learn to Code With Me and the Tech Careers Expert for About.com!

There are a number of people that I admire professionally, but the first few that come to mind are Neil Patel, Pat Flynn, Marie Forleo and Danielle Laporte.  I love her quote, "Launch and learn. Everything is progress." It’s one of the quotes I live by.

Right now I struggle with this: Knowing when to do something yourself, or hire someone to do it. I fail everyday. I start things I can't finish. I can't find answers to problems. I freak out because I spent too much money on ___ and now I worry about paying my credit card statement. But if you're not failing, you're not doing something right. If you succeed at everything you do, you're not challenging yourself enough. So I try to view failures as a learning opportunity. And a way to help others learn from my mistakes.

"Some days it's really freaking hard. But when it comes down to it, I know it's better than the alternative: sitting in a lackluster cubicle, working towards another person's dream. (Translation: working for someone else, and not yourself.)"

To Laurence, being a "Millennial on a Mission" means not taking “no” for an answer, and chasing your dream even when it seems like no one is supporting you. "It took me months to get my site (Learn to Code With Me) to 100 email subscribers," Laurence recalls. "It's easy to let the numbers discourage you. But if you're passionate about what you're doing, it's worth it. Don’t let the little things distract you from your larger goal." When it comes to achieving her dream on a daily basis, it's important to know that you can't be 100% daily.

"You need to recharge the batteries, and resting is really, really important. But... I work a lot. I learn from failure. And I always try to turn it into a positive." Her advice to anyone out there who is afraid or hesitant to live their dream? Think of what our ancestors went through to get us here. "The "risks" we take today are typically so small in comparison to what they went through. Today, everything is accessible, and we are so blessed. We are doing a disservice to all of our grandparents and great grandparents and great great grandparents by not taking risks. The time is now to stop living in our comfort zone and to start following our passions."

4 #Networking Fails To Avoid

Happy Thursday, peeps! With the Cherry Blossoms in bloom and the temperature rising, more millennials are finding themselves having to attend networking happy hours after work. Sounds pretty cool, right? Well, for some. But for others, it's an event where they are encouraged to awkwardly stand in the corner of a room, have conversations with people they don't know, and ultimately exchange business cards with promises of keeping in touch.

In part two of the "Stop Networking & Start Building Your Network" series, here are four things I've learned from networking that you want to avoid:

1. Lack of Eye Contact and Attentiveness. There's nothing that bothers me more than when some individuals choose to look everything else EXCEPT for me when I'm speaking to them. They'll look in their drink, scroll through their phone, or yawn and simply look uninterested. When you are at a networking event, you want to make sure that you're giving whomever you're speaking to your full attention -- even if it's for just 60 seconds. Yes, I understand that chicken wing is finger-licking good, but keep in mind that your conversations with new don't have to last all night long. Which leads me to my next point...

2. Improper Transitioning. Speaking from experience, conversations can become very awkward if you just decide to up and walk away without transitioning into another conversation or ending with a proper salutation. Perfect example: last week while I was attending an event at American University, one of my friends entered the room while I was in the middle of the conversation. I start chatting with him, and suddenly I realized that I hadn't introduced him to the rest of the group. Needless to say, into a bit of a weird (and sort of rude) moment. If you find that you gravitate toward larger conversations (with no more than 4 people) during networking events, remember to always give the newest person to the mix an opportunity to introduce themselves, and if you need to dip, excuse yourself accordingly.

3. Doing The Most. Particularly when there are big-wigs in the room (think: politicians, journalists, CEOs) you will sometimes have those individuals who feel the need to over-do it. I remember a few years back during a pretty big networking reception, one of my peers was not just overzealous about his networking techniques, but he was bragging about it too. Now, when you're a novice networker, your thought may be to hustle and get as many business cards as possible, but remember the end goal is to harvest a relationship with the people that you meet. My idea is always to move around the room and meet different people, and if I find that our conversation was fruitful, grab their business card and keep it moving.

4. Not following up. Friend. What's the point of going to a networking event, schoomizing around the room and grabbing business cards if you aren't going to do any outreach? Granted, I'm guilty of racking up a number of business cards at some events, but a great way to remember to follow-up with someone is to make a small note on their business card to send them an email or a text. Similarly, if someone sends you a note, don't wait TOO long to respond to their kind gesture! While you're not obligated to become besties with the people you meet at networking events, these individuals could become vital to your expanding network down the line.

And there you have it! Keeping these things in mind will not only make you more effective at networking, but more purposeful when you attend events this summer, and all year round. Are there any other fails that you would add to the list? Send me a tweet or share your thoughts in the comments below. Happy Networking!

Chasity

Guest Post: How Networking Helped My Transition From Student to Young Professional

Today's guest post comes from career coach  for young professionals Autumn Smith. Visit her blog for more tips on how millennials can jump start their careers. This is the first installment in a three-part series titled "Stop Networking & Start Building A Network." 

A year ago today, I finished my last grad school final exam. The relief I felt in being done with school was like no other, but I knew I had a whole new challenge ahead of me. After graduating grad school in DC, I moved back to my hometown in Chicago. Although, I'm from the Chicago area, living there now, as a young professional, is much different than living there as a college student. I've had to readjust and make new friends, join new organizations, and navigate my way around this big city. Here are some things I did that could help you out during your transition.

Join an organization

From organizations in your field to alumni associations, there are plenty of different groups you can join that align with your interests. Don't only join these organizations, but become active! Join their board or volunteer at some of their upcoming events. This is a great way to get to know other members and become a familiar face for those new members looking to join.

Get involved with something you're passionate about

I love helping young professionals with development during the early years of their career, and I make that known when meeting new people. Thanks to this, I've been able to connect with people in Chicago who are passionate about the same type of things I am. I met these people through organizations I have joined, as well as LinkedIn. These connections have introduced me to their network, who then introduce me to their network, and so on.

Take risks

Before joining any of the organizations I am now a member of, I knew no one, so I attended these events alone. While, it may seem scary at first, knowing I had something in common with their members allowed me to feel comfortable, and keep the conversation flowing. I also took a risk and started my own blog. I'm not a writer, but wanted so share what I have learned, in regards to professional development, with those who may be stuck in their careers. That outlet has allowed me to network with people all over the world - from other bloggers, to people in different countries who stumbled upon my website for career advice.

While, I'm still growing and learning, networking has been an important factor in where I am in my career today. How has networking helped you get to where you are today?