Age is Just A Number
Recently The New York Times featured a story about powerful women. All the women over 60.
It is important to remember that age is just a number.
Small Biz Boomer
Life Lessons for All Generations
Archive for the category “Intergenerational”
Black Women’s Roundtable Report: Black Women in the U.S.
BWRReport.BlackWomeninU.S.2015.3.26.15FINAL
Black Women in the United States, 2015, continues the Black Women’s Roundtable’s (BWR) annual inquiry into the challenges and triumphs of Black women across the U.S. This year’s report, however, provides an even more nuanced examination of Black women’s experiences, not only uncovering broad, national trends, but also taking a specific deep dive into the conditions of Black women in key To that aim, we’ve included a special “Voices” section which shares the experiences and personal narratives of state-based BWR leaders who are on the front lines, addressing every day issues that are central to the Black woman’s experience across the nation. As such, this report is unique. It provides a broad perspective on the conditions of Black women throughout the nation while also giving a more refined view that allows an authentic reflection of the varied conditions of Black women. From the most remote rural areas of this nation to bustling urban centers, this report shares a three dimensional representation of the lives of Black women throughout these United States.
For more information go to http://www.ncbcp.org/bwr
For BabyBoomers Sometimes It’s Best to “Listen Down”
Recently I attended a conference where I met two young women who had just attended a workshop for millennials. One was a millennial and the other a Gen-Xer . Both expressed concern about the lack of clarity and focus of the panel. The workshop, they said, simply did not speak to them. I asked them about their concerns and found they had some great ideas to what could have been done differently. We then discussed their workplace situation. It seems both faced barriers and constant challenges from baby boomers who were still stuck on how things were done 20 years ago. The boomers, they said, would not even try to . listen to their ideas.
No doubt about it we baby boomers are amazing. I do know and greatly appreciate “AARP” – the American Association for Retired Persons which advocates for us boomers and those older. We have amazing role models that remain relevant across generations . Witness Aretha Franklin, “The Queen of Soul,” with a new comeback album that will “cover” the latest hits. The late Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Brendan Eich (the guy that invented JavaScript) remain tech industry and social icons. Heck we even can claim a U.S. President (Barack Obama). We are leaders of social change, news anchors, business owners, heads of state, corporate giants, authors and we are eternally young to boot. Yet for far too many it has been hard for us to make room for the generations that have come after us. While we have much wisdom and knowledge to pass on, we have become rather stingy and egotistical about it. We jealously guard our turf, not wanting to share. Worst we don’t want to hear fresh ideas from those younger than us. Yes, we will hire “young” presuming that younger means cheaper just so long as our ideals, our wisdom, our knowledge will still dominate. That need, by the way, includes the workplace as well as the simple community event. So where can we start to bridge the information/wisdom/knowledge gap? Let’s just start by listening. Young people have a lot to offer not just in terms of social media or new tech know-how. Many are also quite wise. Frankly, if we #boomers are to really to remain “forever young,” we have to start listening and respecting what we hear from members of generations that follow us. So next time a seemingly overconfident millennial or gen-Xer offers you advice, just listen. It may be the first step in helping you change the world or at least change your life.
Inspiring Boomer : Flo McAfee, Renaissance Woman
This was the first blog posted on this site in 2013. Flo McAfee recently published a Kindle version of her book “Grown-Up ABC’s Momma Taught Me” available on Amazon. The hard copy version will come out later this summer. You can find her beautiful art works at www.floydettamcafee.com.
Flo McAfee is an army brat who has lead a very peripatetic life. Always on the move, she grew up calling more than 20 places home during her formative years including Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Augsburg, Germany and West Point Military Academy.
Floydetta “Flo” McAfee
Flo also is a wife, step-mother, entrepreneur, political activist, public relations pro, writer, photographer, and artist. She worked on numerous political campaigns including that of the late Senator Ted Kennedy. She worked with the legendary advertising executive Caroline Jones (see Flo’s Blog www.reachwingspan.com). She served at the White House during the Clinton Administration. And Flo has produced or held production positions on award-winning documentaries and video productions.
For more than 20 years, she has run her own communications business. Summerland Studio is her multimedia and public relations firm with a “cross-cultural edge,” that is based in the D.C. area. In between business, Flo finds time to satisfy her creative yearnings. She recently wrote and illustrated an inspirational book, Grown-Up ABCs Momma Taught Me.
While Flo McAfee appears to be a fixer in the vein of “Scandal’s” Olivia Pope, she is more an adviser offering clients strategic solutions and thoughtful guidance to help them avoid business and branding pitfalls in today’s media driven world. Her calm, cool demeanor belies a steely discipline perhaps stemming from her military upbringing.
“An entrepreneur must keep three things in mind: to move beyond your boundaries; to deliver something—if you don’t, all you end up with is an idea,” Flo says. “Finally, it is important to give back to flourish the business flow to future generations.”
Small Biz Boomer 