Portrait of a Hustler: Shawntel O. Asemota of SOA Event Concepts, LLC

T.G.I.M.! Thank God it’s Monday! Most folks dread this day, as it marks the start of another torturous work week at the office. But there are few individuals in this world who smile at the mere mention of Monday. To them Monday indicates not just the beginning of the work week, but the chance to create new opportunities for success. It’s grind time!

As many of you know, I’m quite the late bloomer. Though I have a job that provides me a comfortable living, I’m not in love with it. It’s not what I want to do for the rest of my life. And to be 100% honest, I’m still not sure what I want to do with my life. But now, I at least have an idea, all thanks to my best friend and entrepreneurial mentor, Shawntel O. Asemota.

I met Shawntel in the summer of 2007 at the University of Georgia in a step aerobics class. She has a certain je ne sais quoi about her that instantly drew me to her and made us fast friends. Shawntel initially starter her college career thinking she was going to become a lawyer, then retire as an event planner. She soon realized that law just wasn’t for her and switched to advertising that helped her creative juices flow freely. With her advertising degree she got a job right out of college with a direct marketing firm. Realizing that corporate America wasn’t for her she quite to pursue her passion, and reach success as an event planner. And so, SOA Event Concepts, LLC was born.

Let’s face it. Being an entrepreneur takes hard work, determination, discipline and faith. I’ve always admired Shawntel’s drive and work ethic. She is a master time manager and multi-tasker, juggling building her brand, blogging about her experiences as the Unemployed [but Empowered] Entrepreneur, freelancing as a relationship columnist, working as an event coordinator at her new job with Event Design Group, rubbing elbows with fellow grinders in her industry, and still finding time to balance and build on a successful relationship with an equally ambitious “boyfriancé”. There is nothing this woman can’t do, and yet she still finds time to be an amazing friend to me.

So in the spirit of Mondays, I encourage all of you to stop looking at today like the plague, take a  page right out of Shawntel’s proverbial book, and start seeing the world through SOA colored glasses – it’s a new beginning full of networking opportunities, business ventures, and the chance to build your own personal empire. Now, as my lovie/BFF always says, "go forth and conquer your dreams" even when everyone else is having a bad case of the Mondays.

♥  - The Bougie Budgetista

Oh You Fancy, Huh?

bou·gie [bü-zhē]

-adjective

1. Aspiring to be a higher class than one is.
2. Extravagant, often to the point of snobbery.
3. Anything that is perceived as "upscale" from a blue-collar point of view.  

It seems so simple to tack on a negative connotation to such a simple word. To most, when they hear the word "bougie," all they really hear is "stuck up," "arrogant," "cocky," "siditty," "fancy" even. But when you take a moment and really delve into the origins of the word, we find a much simpler and respected meaning. To be bougie is to be a hustler.

Let's look back to the late middle ages. Western Europe was in turmoil. Britain and France had both suffered multiple famines and the black death. Fields were left with no one to work them. Landlords were so desperate for employees that they raised wages to entice workers. And those workers took heed. In fact, some expected more. Much more. In the 14th and 15th centuries, artisans and tradesmen arose and became an economic powerhouse. They branched out and conducted business in favor of their own interests. These early entrepreneurs had their eyes on the prize and through their hard work, made it to the top of the social ladder - rubbing elbows with nobility. The bourgeoisie was born.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the bourgeoisie established themselves as the prominent middle class. They rallied for changes in property laws, expanded trade and commerce and established a capitalist economy. By the late 19th century, this social class had was retiring and living comfortably off their own investments. Now, correct me if i'm wrong, but last time i checked, this is what we all strive for - success and comfort. Today's entrepreneurs share the same mentality as the bourgeois did in the 1700s. With hard work, dedication, and innovation, this social class moved up from being commoners in a feudal economy to being recognized as nobility. By encouraging thinking outside of the box and even gender equality, and by being disciplined enough to focus in perfecting the skills necessary to be the best at what their trade, the bourgeois created the blueprint for today's hustlers to follow.

I've caught so much hell for calling myself "The Bougie Budgetista." I mean, I’ve actually been told "I would never want to be considered bougie." All I can do is laugh at those poor souls. Why wouldn't you want to be successful? If you don't want success as desperately as you want to take your next breath, then please, do the rest of us bougie folks a favor and step aside. We're on a mission to get to the top and you run the risk of getting trampled over.

Now, once you're safely on the sidelines, take a moment and look around you. See if you can spot the hustlers grinding right under your nose. You see that young woman sipping a latté in Barnes & Nobel? She's actually thumbing through event planning magazines getting ideas for her next project while simultaneously typing her column for an online publication. You see that well dressed young man at the sushi restaurant at 2:00pm having lunch with some older gentlemen? Did you notice his 9 to 5 work badge on his hip? He's actually holding a business meeting with the owners of the newest night club in the city, negotiating a contract for his promotions company to host events on Thursday nights. Mind you, the young man is on his lunch break at work. It's 6:00am and you're going for your morning jog and you notice a man leaving the studio with a red bull in his hand. He's actually been up all night, working with his artists while checking the progress of this t-shirt company and confirming his next three MCing gigs for major greek events. And did you notice the young woman at the fabric store debating between two couture designers' patterns? She's actually an aspiring designer, making beautiful renditions of Europe’s hottest looks for little if any money, just to get her name out there. And the next time you're at your city's hottest night spot, take a look in the VIP section. You may just see these fabulous individuals there after months of hard work and sleepless nights poppin' bottles. After all, we are bougie.

♥  - The Bougie Budgetista