C. Wesley Daniel: Interview with a Young Entrepreneur

When you think of mogul, what comes to mind? Personalities like Russell Simmons, Jay-Z, Steve Jobs, or even Ted Turner. Right? Certainly, they have made a name for themselves through years of hardwork, but how many of you can say you were there at the start of their success? How many of you have the opportunity to watch a mogul in the making?

C. Wesley Daniel is an enthusiastic high school graduate. A mogul in the making...if you will. Learning the ropes of the entrepreneurial world from his family, C. Wesley has turned what he's learned through-out his young life and turned it into success. At the age of 16, he created his first business. By 18, he turned his business into a successful communication corporation, continually growing at an exponential rate. Join me as I interview my affiliate and mogul in the making, C. Wesley Daniel.

UEblog: Who is C. Wesley?
CWD:I am an Atlanta born and raised entrepreneur. I was taught at a young age that I could do anything I could put my mind to. By the age of 16, I had worked 4 jobs, participated in over 15 organizations and started by first company where I create presentations for other students. In 2010, I took that company and turned it into my first corporation CeeJay Consulting Group Inc. and its first division CeeJay Public Relations, a Communications and Public Relations Agency.


UEblog: What is success to you?
CWD:Success to me is not measured by your monetary wealth but how you overcame the obstacles placed in front of you. For my entire life I have dealt with a great deal of obstacles, but I have chosen to think of the obstacles as experiences. These experiences have been good and others not so much but they have helped shape my life and are continuing to. So I consider myself successful because I did not and will not allow for any obstacles to define who I am as a person.

UEblog: Do you think young entrepreneurs are encouraged to "go forth and conquer"?
CWD:Entrepreneurs of a certain age are encouraged to go forth and conquer, and when I say a certain age I am talking about people that have ran successful companies and are ready to start something new. Picture the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. This is the type of person society sees as being able to go forth and conquer.

UEblog: Who have been your influencers in life?
CWD:My family has been the greatest asset to my life. My family has provided me the opportunities to allow for me to go and create my own opportunities. Mostly everyone in my immediate family has the entrepreneur drive and spirit. Sometimes the road was rough but it all works out in the end. I am continuously learning from my family because they are always presenting me with experiences that will continue to help me grow into a better person.

UEblog: What would you tell school aged children about dreams and achieving them?
CWD:My family has been the greatest asset to my life. My family has provided me the opportunities to allow for me to go and create my own opportunities. Mostly everyone in my immediate family has the entrepreneur drive and spirit. Sometimes the road was rough but it all works out in the end. I am continuously learning from my family because they are always presenting me with experiences that will continue to help me grow into a better person.

UEblog: Would you say entrepreneurs are born or created?
CWD: I say entrepreneurs can be created but the drive and determination to be an entrepreneur can’t. When I say that I mean that you can tell people all day about the joys of being an entrepreneur, you can help them start a company, you can even work with them to grow their company, but you can’t put the motivation in them to really do it for themselves. People say all the time that they wish they can work for themselves, and I would say well do and they would say, I can’t afford to do that or I don’t have enough training to do, or a million more excuses. Anyone can start a company and anyone can be an entrepreneur, but if you choose to do it or not is all up to you.

UEblog: Where do you see yourself in one year? Five years? Ten years?
CWD: In one year my team will be travelling around the global signing new clients. I will be taking my family’s new business to the next level. I will also be travelling around the globe for the iAm Success Network. In 5 years, my company should be celebrating our new clients on our new campus. We would have expanded our cliental outreach. I should have started my television network, and a long list of other things. In ten years, I will be changing the world and loving life.

UEblog: What quote do you live by every day?
CWD: "What ever you dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power & magic in it begin it now."
  -Goethe

UEblog: What advice would you give to someone your age who didn't know if they wanted to go to college or pursue their personal endeavors?
CWD: I would tell them to imagine a hobby or a passion that makes them the happiest. Take that joy and happinest and turn it into your life. Take the thing that gives them joy and do  it for the rest of their life. Love what ever you do because if you love it, it will love you back with financial security. Once upon a time, I didn't know what I wanted to do. I wanted to be a lawyer, then a judge, then own a hospitial, then president of my own college. The one thing that stayed consisted with all of these aspirations is that I wanted to work with people and help them get to a better place in their life. It just turns out that me helping people was in PR and Communications.

UEblog: Do you think there needs to be a curriculum in schools that encourage kids to pursue their talents, skills, dreams?
CWD: YES!!!!! I will help write the curriculum and get partners. I believe that education is not just for academia, but it is to education students to believe in themseleves, and skills, and dreams. Schools, more direct my former school did not encourage students to believe in themselves. We need to do this as a society so that we can ensure the next generation of leaders.

C. Wesley on CNN's feature about the value of college

UEblog: Where can people get to know you?
CWD: Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn |
 about.me/cwesley | www.myceejay.com

The Unemployed Entrepreneur

Circle of Success: Monday Motivation

"Lead yourself, lead your superiors, lead your peers, and free your people to do the same. All else is trivia."
        -Dee Hock

As of late, I've been observing my peers. Wondering how they are doing, what new things they have coming up in their lives, what exciting adventures they are undertaking. Many of them have their own ventures, own lives, own goals that they want to accomplish. I've known many of them since the very beginning of their success and I've been glad to see their ideas, dreams, and businesses really blossom.

These people I like to call my "circle of success." What does that mean exactly? Circle of Success is your group of peers, whether a combination of your closest friends, associates, or affiliates, that you surround yourself with. These same people are working diligently and ambitiously to create success around them. Think of it as positive peer pressure. If your "Circle of Success" is doing great things, there is no reason why you shouldn't either. If not one person in your "Circle of Success" is a failure, then you best believe you aren't either. Allow your "Circle of Success" to help propel you and your goals forward.

Surround yourself with like minded people or with people with whom can help you get to the next level.

"Lead yourself, lead your superiors, lead your peers, and free your people to do the same. All else is trivia."
        -Dee Hock

The Unemployed Entreprneur

Motivational Monday: On Abundance

Lately, I've been saying a little prayer or mantra of abundance. I noticed a while back every time I focused on the negative situations in my life, I would continue to get just that. On the contrary, when I focused on the positives in my life, I would get that and so much more. As I further delved into the arena of "unemployed entrepreneur," I stopped focusing on the no job= no money aspect and concentrated on the more time= more business aspect. So I give you for Motivational Monday, my little mantra of abundance.

"Dear Lord,
Please provide me with the abundance of time. The abundance of money and finances. The abundance of clients and contracts. The abundance of creativity and opportunity. The abundance of resources and support. The abundance of love and friendship. The abundance of patience and honesty. And most importantly, the abundance of faith and belief.
Amen."

In all honesty, it's isn't about what you don't have, but instead the abundance of what you want. It's about knowing what you want, putting it into the universe, and then going forth to seek it. It's about creating opportunities instead of waiting for them. Instead of "I wish I had a job," try asking for an abundance of job opportunities and then create them.

I hope my little mantra helps someone today because I know it's hard out there for us in the unemployed circuit, but opportunities are created by you.

The Unemployed Entrepreneur

Are you an Adaptor or an Innovator?

I read an article a while ago about entrepreneurs and MBAs, and how entrepreneurship is not something that is taught, but more or less felt and experienced. It went on to further say that business people are what is called:

“Adaptors”-those people who prefer to take others’ ideas and improve them. These people are fairly cautious and pragmatic. They prefer incremental innovation. Their motto is to do things better.

While entrepreneurs are:

“Innovators”-those people who prefer to find new ideas by sometimes overturning concepts or industry models. These people challenge others and can be risky and difficult to work with. They are into “big bang” innovation. Their motto is to do things differently.

I can agree with this. School teaches us to be good worker bees. To take what we have learned from someone else's experiences and findings and "adapt" it to our lives, to our situations. As an entrepreneur, you literally have to create your own experiences and take everything as a life lesson. Instead of feeling like you need to fix a problem or come up with a better solution, we literally seek new problems so we can create unthoughtof solutions.

Read the article for yourself and tell me what you think! 4 Reasons an MBA is Bad for an Entrepreneur

Not everyone is born to be an entrepreneur. In life, we need worker bees just as much as queen bees. Entrepreneurship is something that people are seemingly born with. It's not enough to just "adapt" to a situation, you have to be a risk taker and innovate your way through that situation.

So ask yourself, are you an adaptor or an innovator?

The Unemployed Entrepreneur

Business Etiquette: Not Everyone Has It.

Lately, I've been having some conversations with friends and associates about what is good business etiquette. I've noticed that there are so many people who are in business for themselves or want to be in business for themselves but have absolutely no idea what type of etiquette they should have. They go around doing what they do, but can't figure out why people don't want to come back. It even goes down to how you speak with people, for example:

I recently started a temporary/ part-time job. When I arrived on my first day, the district manager was there. She did her usual thing of making sure the corporate identity of the place was in good order and blah blah blah. I spoke with my manager the day after about how things were going and she said it was good but that she was very surprised at the type of language the lady used. Let's just say she uses a lot of "sentence enhancers" when she speaks.

Although, I thought it was funny, it led me to think about business etiquette and how everyone doesn't have it.

Luckily, business etiquette isn't one of those rare traits that only certain people possess. If you value yourself AND your business, then understanding a few things about doing business is very important.

Business Etiquette: Do You Have It?

1. When communicating to a new or potential client, don't be a narcissist. Just like a first date, no one wants to hear you go on and on about yourself. Sure your client needs to know about you, but you need to allow them to guide the conversation. If you spend the first 10 minutes of your client's time talking about "this accolade" "that notable client" "those accomplishments" without first inquiring about what they need, want, or are looking for (as interesting as you may sound) you've already lost them. You need to know your 30 second pitch but also be able to expand upon it for conversation. As is said in marketing, clients will only spend money with you if they are comfortable with you. The ultimate goal is for them to hire your services or purchase your product, but in order to get there you can't be a narcissist. Put your clients first.


2. Nothing is more friendly than a courtesy call, email, or letter. They've signed the contract, purchased the product and you're happy. But don't allow this to be the only time that they do business with you! A large percent of what business owners make (in the service and product industry) comes from repeat customers. Sending some form of courtesy communication not only keeps your brand at the top of mind awareness of the customer, but it continues and maintains that relationship you've built with them. It can literally be the difference between them spending a contracting you for one event or five! It's as simple as providing them with a simple "Thank You" note or "How are you" email.


3. Word of Mouth travels fast, so don't piss off your old clients because you want to target new ones. Word of mouth is the oldest form of advertising that we continue to utilize today. Do a good job with a talkative or well known client and see your business skyrocket. Conversely, fail to maintain good business etiquette, don't do a good job, or let your product fail and you might as well pack it up and call it over. Outside of financial reasons, many businesses fail because they don't have ANY word of mouth buzz...let alone negative. The best way to get your clients, new clients, and potential clients talking about you to leave them with something good to say about it...THEN ask them to provide you with a recommendation!


4. Act like you want to be in business. Why are you in business? Is it the money? The fame? The success? or the satisfaction of watching your hard work turn into something great? Regardless of WHY you are in business, one of the most important thing to do is ACT like you want to be in business. As a consumer, think about the times where you've gone to an establishment and the clerk, waitress, or manager turned you off because they acted like your money and time wasn't good enough. Don't be that person. Act like your client is the most important asset you have because well THEY ARE! Simply acting like you want to be in business is the difference between treating your business like a hobby with fans and treating your business like a business with clients.


5. Don't make promises, keep guarantees. Nothing is worse than someone breaking a promise! Period. IF you say you are going to do something...DO IT! If someone has paid you or you have an agreement with some, do everything you can to fulfill that agreement. If you've gotten them to spend money with you, then you need to treat the client, their money, and their timeline like a precious jewel. When you fail to keep your promises to people that's when you start to get bad word of mouth about being unaccountable, unprofessional, and untimely. Even worse, when your supporters starts feeling that way about you. Don't just make promises to people, keep guarantees. Do what you told them you would do and do it to the best of your abilities. Otherwise, prepare to give them a refund and never see them again.

Business Etiquette. It's the difference between being an entrepreneur and being a hobbyist with a following. Knowing how to conduct yourself at all times and how to treat your clients are very important in the business world. Remember not to be a narcissist but knowing when to talk about yourself (ie business), building a relationship with your customers can start or end with a courtesy call or lack there of. Word of mouth travels faster than the speed of light, so acting like you want to be in business and keeping your guarantees are A MUST in this ever expanding world of business!

Have you ever conducted business with someone that you could pretty much guess they wouldn't be in business the next year? Let me know!

The Unemployed Entrepreneur

Motivational Monday: The pain of life

Recently, I thought to myself

"Self, it seems as though we are going through a period of hell right now. It seems like so many things are happening that it is almost unbearable. What's a girl to do?"

I had to talk to both my mother and my significant other to really understand how important those periods of hell, challenges, trials and tribulations are to our personal growth and to the success of everything we want to accomplish. After talking to them and thinking to myself, I realize that as long as I look at these temporary situations as hell...they will continue to be, but if I look at them as life lessons and appreciate the opportunities then they don't seem as bad.

Today's motivational Monday is about that, appreciating the pain of life in order to appreciate it:

"If you want a place in the sun, you have to put up with a few blisters."
       - Abigail Van Buren

The Unemployed Entrepreneur

7 Tips Your Business Can Learn from Oprah (via Inc.)

If you're anything like me, you're feeling the absence of Oprah on your television by now. Even if you weren't an avid watcher like myself, you took comfort in knowing you could easily turn to your local channel and watch her inspiring, uplifting, and advising people everyday. Even though she is gone from our 4pm slots, trust that she is not absent from our lives. Even as a business there is so much that can be learned from our dear Oprah. Inc.com did a great job of compiling a list on tips we businesses can learn from Oprah. Check out the list overview below and definitely go to their site to see the full list and descriptions!

7 Tips Your Business Can Learn from Oprah (via Inc.):

1. Give back to your fans. How could we all forget Oprah's Favorite Things? "You get a car! You get a car! You get a car!"


2. Take risks and get attention. Taking risks is essentially what entrepreneurs do. Oprah said the only gamble she ever took was when she bet on herself...and guess what? She won. BIG!


3. Explore new verticals. Did you know Oprah started off as a news anchor before she became a television host? Her brand is now a multimedia platform with a television network, production, magazine, and apps.


4. Reveal your personal story. Personally I think the thing that makes us love Oprah and admire her is her ability to connect with people through her personal stories. She's relateable and seems like a great friend and associate to know. It's hard to find and trust people like that in business nowadays.


5. Get celebrities on your side. It's all about WHO you know, but also about WHO KNOWS YOU.


6. Become an influencer. The best leaders are the ones who can influence others to action. You can't tell me that Oprah doesn't encourage you to want to be the best version of yourself in life and in business.


7. Know when to quit. Always have a good exit strategy. You will be better remembered and sorely missed when you leave at your peak.

Check out the entire list and descriptions at Inc.com

Oprah is a lot of things to a lot of people, but the one thing that you cannot deny that she is is great.

The Unemployed Entrepreneur

Two things you shouldn't be in business...

When it comes to making a name for yourself and building up your business you have to work twice as hard to become reputable than any other well-established business out here. You have to not only prove that you the person can do what you promise you can do, but you have to prove that your business is worthy enough to conduct business with.

Many businesses will go out of business for a number of reasons this year, but one major reason some of them went out of business is because they exhibited two things you shouldn't be when trying to build your business...

Two things you shouldn't be in business:

1. The first thing you shouldn't be when making a name for yourself and/ or your business is inconsistent. Being consistent means "constantly adhering to the same principles." It means you have formed a pattern that will either push you to excellence or drop you to infamy. Although being inconsistent is a form of consistency, you never want to be known for being inconsistent. "Yeah, I can't really trust Johnny to finish his article on time, he's consistently inconsistent." Being inconsistent will make people stop working with you because they simply choose not to deal with your lack of timeliness, accuracy, or responsibility.
   
   How do you change your inconsistent ways? It's not as easy as waking up one day and saying "hey, I'm going to be consistent today!" You've formed a habit, it is now ingrained in you. The only way to break a habit is to form a better one. For example, you are inconsistent when it comes to being on time. Sometimes you get to work early, others on time, but mostly you're late. Notice this. Notice what you do differently on the days you get to work early or on time. Do you go to sleep earlier? Do you eat better? Do you prepare the night before? Take note of your good habits and from there work on doing those same good habits for at least one month. Studies have shown it takes about 21-30 days for a new habit to be formed.


2. The second thing you shouldn't be is unreliable. Nothing is worse than conducting business with someone to learn at the last minute that they are unreliable. So now not only do you have to deal with that person not getting the work done but now you have to reschedule your time to either find someone you can depend on or do it yourself. Even worse if you are that unreliable person. No one wants to feel like they got cheated when they deal with someone, because trust me when I say word of mouth travels faster than the speed of light. Being unreliable makes you untrustworthy.
   
   So how do you overcome that obstacle? If you have been labeled as unreliable or noticed that you have become unreliable the best way to rebuild your reputation is to start over and do better. Figure out why you've become unreliable. Do you take on more than you can handle? Do you lack focus? Is your attention span worse than a fruit fly? Once you figure out why people can't rely on you, it's time for you to take steps and make yourself reliable. Create to do lists, set schedules, devote quality time to a task. Learn what you can handle and how much. If life gets too hard and your are still unreliable, take on smaller tasks and build from there. Apologize to your clients and do your best to make them comfortable.

No one wants to conduct business with people they can't trust. Look at how Scarface, the Godfather, and Enron turned out. When you are inconsistent people can't trust that you will deliver in the time you promised. When you are unreliable, people can't trust you at all. You have the power to get your reputation back, but it all starts off with forming a better habit and realizing your faults.

The Unemployed Entrepreneur

Motivational Monday: Memorial Day 2011

"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal."
       -Irish Proverb

To all those who have fallen, but continue to raise us up. Happy Memorial Day.

The Unemployed Entrepreneur

Why Men STILL Make More Money Than Women

Why Men STILL Make More Money Than Women (via Excelle)

Unfortunately it is a sad truth that women still get paid less than men, now at $0.77 less per dollar than men. I've always wondered why? If women are getting more and better education than men and it has been proven that companies with a higher rate of women executives tend to do better, why is it still a problem in 2011 that women can't get an equal pay rate as their male counterparts?

Excelle explores some of the stereotypes and myths surrounding this issue:

1. Men are assertive...Women are aggressive. When men have ideas they speak up, are heard, are paid attention too. The more a woman speaks up the more she is looked at as being too aggressive, trying to hard, or bitchy.


2. Men are passionate...Women are emotional. We're humans. When we feel strongly about something it is in our nature to express our inner most thoughts, but unfortunately it's seen as a trait of weakness when women speak up about their passion.


3. Men scream...Women mutter. Even if the idea is silly or irrelevant, the fact that a man is willing to speak up is the reason why they are taken more seriously than women.


4. Men steer...Women support


5. Men are casual...Women are coquettes. The moment women showcase their more fashionable side at their jobs, they are almost always seen as being inappropriately dressed. Too much cleavage, too much leg, and you're looked as the office slutbucket.

What I liked about this article is how they offered advice to women for how to be an ambitious woman while tackling the misogynistic myths. Check them out and tell me what you think!
Why Men Still Make More Money - Excelle

From one ambitious woman to another...Women run the world, Men just think they do. ;)

The Unemployed Entrepreneur

For the 2011 graduates and beyond...

With so many people graduating from high school, secondary school, college, etc it is at this point of time in their life when they are trying to figure out which road to take next, if their dreams can truly be a reality, if the decisions they've made in the past and at this current moment will help to seal what their future will be. I remember when I graduated and thinking these things. I remember having an idea of what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be, but there was still that tinge of doubt and fear that what I want might not be plausible at this time. I'm here to tell you that all things are plausible and all things are possible because YOU believe it is.

As a graduate, you have proven yourself worthy of what the real world has in store. You survived the turmoils of high school and the stress of college to come out of it a victor. You have learned in 3-4 years what most people strive for in their life. You have learned determination. You have learned time management. Most importantly you have learned your identity. Through the decisions you've made, whether it be in your courses, extracurricular activities, or friendship choices, you have shaped who you will be for the rest of your life.

Absolutely the "real world" can be tough, but take what you've gained from your studies and apply it to your every day life. And if anyone tells you that your dreams aren't realistic tell them it is because YOU believe it is.

I am proud to watch so many people graduate and even prouder to learn what they plan on doing next. Don't just dream your dream, LIVE IT!

"Every time you state what you want or believe, you're the first to hear it. It's a message to both you and others about what you think is possible. Don't put a ceiling on yourself."
       -Oprah Winfrey

Congratulations Grads!!!
The Unemployed Entrepreneur

Keeping your cool...

Stress!!!! Who doesn't have it? Everyday we're inundated with massive levels of stress from the alarm clock going off to the time we pull the covers under our chin. It's a wonder so many people go through their lives with tension and unhealthy. What does it take to deal with this stress and not let people see you sweat? You've got to learn to keep you cool...

I recently read an article in the SmartBlog on Leadership about keeping your cool. They expressed how President Obama was pretty much born and brought up with the ability to always keep his cool. They state that he may have learned this from being under so much pressure, stress, and negativity from his time living in Indonesia when kids used to pick on him for being darker than themselves. They state that even when the president is under as much pressure as he is under, he always remains cooler than a cucumber.




They gave some tips on how we can keep our cool in our everyday lives and learn how to not show our true emotions when the pressure is on:

• Breathe deeplyIn the heat of the moment, we have a tendency to breath rapidly. When the pressure is on, take a deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. Repeat. Not only will it help to slow down your breathing, but I'm pretty sure it gives you time to think about what you need to say and not what you want to say in the heat of the moment.
• Relax your facial musclesTension is evident on our faces [when we're stressed]. Be conscious of how you look. Rub your cheeks and flex them, smile when appropriate, and if that fails think of something that makes you laugh or feel good.
• Keep your voice lowerWhen tension rises, people speak more quickly and with more emotion...also the pitch in our voice rises. Speak slower and lower the pitch to project seriousness without tension.

The best quote I read from them was, "Composure is a desired leadership attribute. It's a symbol of strength when the heath is on."

Check out the entire article on Smartblog for Leadership here.

The Unemployed Entrepreneur

Motivational Monday: On Life

So...my grandmother died this weekend.

I can't really describe to you how I feel about it because I am not sure how exactly I feel. I know I'm sad of course because the last time I saw her I think I was 7 years old. I'm disappointed because I have been saying to myself for like the last year "I have got to see my grandmother soon." and now the reality is slowly hitting me that I will NEVER get to see her alive again. I'm strong looking after my mother as the news broke; she is slowing feeling better but she cried alot and my aunt....is still hysterical. I'm feeling okay, but slightly indifferent. I feel a combination of alot of things, but mostly what I feel is the need to live however I want to live as best as I can live it.

After the shock wore off, I have come to terms with the fact that death is real. Before my grandmother passed, I had an almost child-like view of death since no one in my family has died that I knew closely. Granted it's still a bit child-like, but now I realize that we have to live life because we only get one.

This Monday's Motivational quote is about life and living it...in honor of my grandmother, Kathleen Francis.

"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me."
       -Erma Bombeck"

The Unemployed Entrepreneur

Want to try your hand at blogging?

Do you have advice, a story, anecdote, or something to share that you think will help our readers? Are you an unemployed entrepreneur, student, employed, or the like and want to share your story? Send us story to soaeventconcepts@gmail.com and we'll post YOUR story for hundreds to see!

The Unemployed Entrepreneur

Quieting Your Naysayers: The Obama Way

In anything that you do and try to accomplish there will be people who will not only try to talk you out of your goals and dreams but who will have the audacity to tell you that they can do your job better than you're currently doing it. It's easiest to think we can be better than the next person without walking a mile in their shoes. Even when we have surpassed our best, it's not easiest to quiet the naysayers.

Our President, Barack Obama, has been encountering this since he got into office some 16 months ago. Most notably, upon confirmation of a second term run, Donald Trump didn't just tell President Obama that he wasn't doing his job but tried to defame his character (birther controversy). How did Barack Obama shut down this naysayer as well as the others? Watch below:

Through humor and wit, President Obama may have been delivering some very funny jokes, but the message at the end of every punchline..."Stay in your lane, Trump." "Don't forget the facts, the hard work, and the tireless nights you will never understand...everyone else."

Another way to quiet the naysayers, the Obama way: Making the impossible possible. As you may know from the late breaking news last night and the continued coverage this morning, Osama Bin Laden is dead. Through a secret operative mission authorized by our president and carried out by the brave service people who were involved, they carried out a mission that we have been trying to attain for over a decade.


In our daily lives, we may not be provided with the task of finding one of America's Most Wanted People, but we are provided with the daily task of accomplishing our most wanted achievements. When people tell you it's impossible, show them (don't tell them) that it's more than possible.

The Unemployed Entrepreneur

Congrats William and Kate on your marriage

It's official! They're married!

In case you missed it, check out the video of the actual ceremony from ABCNews also check out our live blogging from earlier today at SOA Event Blog and our tweets at SOAeventconcept.



CONGRATULATIONS Prince William and Princess Kate!

The Unemployed Entrepreneur

Weddings: Big Business

With this week marking the countdown to the "wedding of the century" and dubbed "Royal Wedding Week," I as an event planner and aspiring wedding planner had to do my part being a part of the extravaganza. On the SOA Event Blog on Tumblr, we discuss different wedding details: royal wedding dresses, locations, etc. On The Unemployed Entrepreneur, we'll be discussing more of the business side of the royal wedding and weddings in general. So sit back and enjoy as I and we take you on a journey into weddings!

Weddings: Big Business

-The average wedding costs approximately $29,000 dollars compare that to the $6.4 million dollars it cost for Lady Diana and Prince Charles' wedding in 1981!

-Brides will spend an average of $1000 and upwards to $10,000 on her wedding dress. Price is determined on how ornate the design, the designer, location, and season. Diana's silk dress with 25 foot train cost $115,000. Speculations estimate Kate Middleton's dress to be twice that amount.

-A man will choose a stone carat (typically a diamond) at an average size of 2.0 carats. The Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson was given a 19.77 carat diamond and emerald engagement ring by her beloved Edward VIII.

-Most newlywed couples travel to the Caribbean's for their honeymoon. The Royal Family has traveled to their own estates in England and surrounding countries.

-The average couple will be together for about 1.5 years before getting engaged. Diana and Charles were together for about 6 months. Kate and William dated for NINE years before he finally proposed!

As you can see, weddings are big business. The average wedding takes a lot of time, energy, and money to put together. But as I posted in Royal Weddings: The Original Stimulus Package, weddings don't just take a lot of money but they make money too. Between the publications, fashions, memorabilia, food, flowers, and trends the wedding industry is a $40 billion industry that is continuing to grow annually. With more celebrities creating trends and brides wanting newer more unique weddings, it's no wonder a bride is willing to spend a small fortune for her "perfect day."

Not sure what the estimated wedding costs will be for Prince William and Kate Middleton, but whatever it is it will reflect the grandeur of the occasion.

The Unemployed Entrepreneur

5 Unlikely Sources to Acquire Knowledge

I've always been a firm believer in the old adage, Knowledge is Power. This past weekend, I got the chance to talk to one of the event designers at my job about growth and progress. We both agreed that in order to grow and progress (we were specifically talking about the event industry) in anything in life, you have to have continuously growing knowledge and the wisdom to seek it. For me, you are only as good as the knowledge you acquire. I take any opportunity to gain knowledge, whether it's in a book, with a co-worker, from my family, or from my associates.

As I got home, I took the opportunity to peruse my vast library of books and it prompted me to think, "what do other people do to increase their knowledge?" How do you go about acquiring the knowledge necessary to be successful and most importantly relevant?

5 Unlikely Sources of Acquiring Knowledge:
Certainly the internet is a great source for getting knowledge, but often times the information we receive can be misleading, erroneous, or false. Being a Generation Y'er or "Millenial," I'm all for a nice google search, app reference, or something technology related to get some knowledge, but being so technologically dependent, we often forget that there are other sources to gain knowledge. Read below for my sources for acquiring knowledge.

1. Books: You read them as a kid. You were forced to read them in school. It's your go to instruction manual. Why wouldn't you pick up a book at leisure to learn something new. You want to be debt free, but you don't really know where to start try reading a book and getting some tips of being debt free. Try Debt-Free Forever by Gail Vaz-Oxlade (host of 'Til Debt Do Us Part). You want to learn more about the fashion industry, try Vogue Fashion: Over 100 Years of Style. There is a library or book store near you or better yet, Amazon is just a click away!


2. The Elderly: It's funny. In America, we look down on the elderly. We think they are feeble and in a sense worthless. However, in other countries the elderly is looked at for their wisdom, life experiences, and knowledge. We need to learn from other countries and value our elderly. Not only will talking to them, learning from them, and being mentored by them make them feel wanted, but you will get knowledge that has stood the test of time.


3. Your Teachers (school, mentors, advisors): When we're in school, our teachers teach us what they have to teach us. When we get older and we begin to reminisce on the non-educational lessons they taught us we go through life with a clearer head. Instead of looking back and remembering, how about taking the time to learn from them in the present. Your teachers are always available to talk to. Get to know them, find out their background story and figure out how their wealth of knowledge can be yours.


4. Younger Peers: Recently, I began attracting peers younger than myself. All my life, I had been the younger peer influencing the older ones but lately, I've had the good fortune to learn a lot from my younger counterparts. Not only do they keep me on trend and updated but their drive and ambition reinforces mine when I feel like I don't have enough. Our younger peers, like our elderly ones, have a vast amount of knowledge all we have to do is take the time to listen and be attentive.


5. Magazines NOT in your industry but brings inspiration to your industry: Many of us read magazines because we enjoy the content, it's been a part of our lives, or just because. I bet you wouldn't think to pick up a magazine inspired by your favorite magazines. Being in the event industry, I've come to learn that it is inspired by so much more than just "events." It's inspired by fashion, interior design, food, artistic movements, just to name a few. Evaluate what industry you're in or want to be in and check out the magazines that inspire it.

Recently an associate of mine posted on her Facebook status "What would you rather have? Money or access?" I responded "how about knowledge. Knowledge can get you both access AND money...there. problem solved."

And I will always hold that true. Can't have neither without knowledge.

What are some unlikely sources of knowledge you get? Share with me!

The Unemployed Entrepreneur

Motivational Monday: On Knowledge

"Knowledge is of no value unless it is put into practice."
        -Anton Chekhov

The Unemployed Entrepreneur

Women Wednesday: An Interview with Kimberly Walker

I recently had the opportunity to interview a wonderful young woman, writer, and film maker named Kimberly Walker. I feel like there are so many female entrepreneurs, especially in Atlanta, that need to be highlighted and supported. Kimberly is one of them, even if she doesn't think she's really an entrepreneur. Check out the interview I did of her and enjoy!

An interview with Kimberly Walker from SOA Event Concepts on Vimeo.

"Tact is for people who aren't witty enough to be sarcastic."

"Live life. Be happy. Don't take yourself too seriously."      -Kimberly Walker

The Unemployed Entrepreneur