Happy Thanksgiving!

 

                Happy Thanksgiving Blogger family! I am thankful that you’re reading this and I still have an audience after all of these years. I do not take it for granted.

                This 2024 I am thankful that things are finally turning my way. I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am grateful that I am receiving many more opportunities. It is like I have finally found what works.

It has been hard acquiring skills, doing interviews, writing many blog posts, content creation. You name it. I have done it since 2018 in Washington, DC. The 2020 pandemic has made things weird; however, I have managed to learn new skills, meet new people and have a new perspective.

                The things that I have learned while here in Cleveland have made me appreciative of never quitting, always doing self-assessments and continuous improvement.

                That continuous improvement spills over to my writing. Even in a world where video rules supreme, writing has always been important. I’ve always prided myself on my English language skills and written communication. Especially as someone who is an economist and in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), communicating to non-tech audiences have been huge in my book.

                I see myself thankful for my Blogger family. I am continuing to blog on this account well beyond when I return to DuPont Circle because why quit now 19-20 years in it? You keep me going and I thank you for this.

Blogger Site Has 2.4 Million Alexa Internet Site Ranking

 Very happy to announce that carlarjenkins.blogspot.com has a 2.4 million Alexa Internet site ranking. Alexa Internet is a website ranking tool. It ranks the top 20 million website. Having a 2.4 million site ranking is huge especially since I have not posted on here for over 3 years.

                I thank you for consistently reading all of my old posts. I am grateful that you’ve found value in them especially eBay. Value and highly quality content are the two pillars I have always done. Receiving this high Alexa Internet site ranking is proof positive of this.

eBay Adventure - Sellers R Us

                It’s August and I’ve relisted my two shoes that the fraudsters got me for last month. It is all about rebounding! Immediately I have received questions from a persona about my mules’ soles and the definition of new with defects. I tell the buyer that everything is in pristine condition except the soles which have minor scuffs on them. I photograph the soles and thank her for visiting my store. In between this exchange, I learn that the email is another seller. Who knew? My mind blown! Now I have been an eBay seller for all of 6 weeks and I already feel like I am part of the eBay seller community (Well, I am very big on courtesy and providing quick and high-quality customer service. I pride myself on shipping out my merchandise the same business day that I receive them). I have learned so much from customer and their inquiries. They have improved my customer service and ability to deliver.

Visit my eBay store here: http://www.ebay.com/usr/carljenkin_6

Moving from Writer to Mentor During Nanowrimo

                Nanowrimo is grueling. I will be the first to admit this. This is my first time winning in 8 tries. As soon as I have won I have morphed into mentor role because I need to see more people win. I have shared participants my tips and stories of my overcoming writer’s block (It’s real that the first 43,000 words were easy but I get writer’s block with 7200 words to go. I have managed to snap out of it by writing 8900 words in 2 days winning Nanowrimo with 51,630 words.). Mentoring comes easy for me because I love to communicate with people and exchange ideas. It is the 29^th and there are still people winning the competition, and people who need encouragement to cross the finish line. 

Nanowrimo Badges

Proactivity Blog Entry #8: Being a Blessing

This week while doing my taxes I realize that I will receive the largest refund of my entire working life. This directly derives from my Dress from Success donations. When I was donating my ill-fitting shoes, I wanted them to go to women wearing a size 12AA. It was rough finding shoes for 12 narrow. The organization would give them to poor women wanting to work, earn a livable wage and feed their families. I did not think that putting them on EBay was appropriate because this recession ravaged the poorest people who could not afford decent shoes yet needed them the most to keep their jobs. The District's 12% unemployment rate proved this. Throughout 2009 I donated over thousands of dollars in shoes.

This year I will expand my charitable giving beyond Dress for Success to include Suited for Change, Goodwill and the Salvation Army. I already have my stuff mapped out. This week I will donate two evening dresses to the DC Public Schools' Annual Prom Donation Drop-Off. Originally I think I would only give the black evening gown I would had worn to the Southern Inaugural Ball; but, after learning that I am a size 8 in strapless gowns, I will give my size 10 silver sequined cocktail dress, too. In addition, I will give my White House Black Market dress and three Forever 21 dresses to either the Goodwill or Salvation Army. Finally, within two weeks I will donate some more shoes to Dress for Success.

Giving to others makes me feel better because I am contributing to my community. This is not a single isolated event. For instance, the old National Coalition of 100 Black Women chapter has sent me the DC Public Schools email. Social change is the cornerstone of all of my social memberships. I refuse to join any group that does not serve the community.