Scrum Journal: Day 2

                I have decided to pursue my certified scrum master license. Telvin has okayed it and I have learned that the Fairfax CSM training class has 8 more slots. Furthermore, I have learned from Peter that I can write this sucker off on my taxes (which is cool but my ultimate goal is earning my certification to increase my competitive advantage). After all of this, I have bought Scrum for Dummies reading all the way to page 57. I must admit that I have learned so much more from this than I previously thought. I was skeptical because yesterday I read a scrum book from the master! Jeff Sutherland was the discipline’s cofounder. I thought that I knew everything; but, Scrum for Dummies is teaching so much more about the discipline. Although I am resting my finger, I know that I will surpass 75 pages even the first 100 pages by the end of tonight. I am very hungry to walk into Wednesday’s workshop with working scrum knowledge. I refuse to be half-cocked rolling in there even if it is 8:30am!

                I have started developing a new morning routine. My normal routine is to work from 10am to 3:30am so when I learn that the CSM workshop starting time is 8:30am, I know that I have to change. I make my cell phone’s clock alarm goes off at 6am and 6:30am ( I have awakened at 6:20am). This course costs over $1000 which is too much money to mess up oversleeping! This is the rest of my life. I must admit that I am quite amazed that I am still fully functioning during the evening.

                I have plunked down the money for the CSM training. There is no going back. I will stick to my schedule because I truly believe that come Friday, I will be certified and my life will change. CSM will help solidify my being a techie. I always love tinkering and learning about new trends. Scrum is a framework about doing things rapidly in many iterations. In a way, Scrum resembles my life. Having been in DC for nearly 10 years, my life Monday couldn’t mirror my life Friday of the same week. I have had situations where my life has completely changed (for the better) in one year. I vividly remembered the difference before and after my Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM). One day I was struggling to get by, the next day, I had more than enough income. The same with my Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. After obtaining my PMP, employers just start coming out of the woodwork. Many told me that they would only interview me because I had the MBA/PMP combination. I feel the same way with the CSM. I love being a techie and an ardent advocate of continuous improvement; and, scrum is all about continuous improvement. Scrum is starting to be my sweet spot because I love continuous improvement and using my intuition to hack myself. This looks like it is going to work out well.

Protecting Myself One Idea at a Time

                Today I have received my US Copyright Office papers for my book. Protecting my intellectual property is indispensable in a knowledge economy. You must protect your ideas at all costs. I feel so much safer knowing that my upcoming book is protected and that no one can rip me off. Below is the official paperwork:

I am way more motivated to keep at it and finish my book’s revision this month.

I am doing intellectual property protection beyond just my ideas. I have protected my name by buying the carlarjenkins.live because I must control my media and content. If you don’t control it, someone else will. Here is the official US Copyright Office site: http://www.copyright.gov/

Scrum Journal : Day 1

Early Sunday morning at 12:45am, I emailed four of my LinkedIn connections who had both PMP and (CSM) certified scrum master certifications asking them about CSM. I have done this instead of sleep, because I have had things swirling in my head. I am also fed up of potential employers asking me if my PMP certification the only certification; or, if I am considering ITIL certification. This morning I got sick and tired of being sick and tired! I was in a rut and had to get out of it.

                When I reawaked, three of the four connections responded. All three mentioned that scrum was hot. Also one person recommended a book by scrum cofounder Jeff Sutherland. After one sample chapter, I was enthralled finding the Crown publishing larger sample chapters. Although I bought the paper book, I decided not to wait until after 8pm in order to receive the information. That was the best decision I made today because my paper book arrived at 8:30pm and I finished reading and outlining the book at 9:30pm. Jeff Sutherland’s book took you through Scrum’s past, present and future. The appendix was a goldmine taking the reader through ten steps. Upon completing the book, I decide to take the CSM exam. My business analysis background and IT project management helped so much with this decision.

Once I decided to earn CSM certification, I went to ScrumAlliance to check out the local courses. Now although there was no eligibility criteria (like 4500 project management hours for PMP with college degrees), those 2-day workshop prices were sky high. $993 was the cheapest. Yikes! I just thanked God that I had the money on my credit card. Another problem was timing. I got this CSM epiphany on a Sunday. Three workshops started Monday so of course they were full. In addition, another CSM workshop was filled for Thursday and Friday. My research skills went into overdrive because I would not be denied this opportunity to advance my career! I found some other courses but these companies straight up lied about their locations. One in particular, had the unmitigated gall to say Washington, DC but its workshop was happening in Sterling, Virginia at the Dulles Spring Hill Suites. Look Dulles airport was far away in Virginia. Washington, DC had National Airport. That company was trying to capture the unsuspecting non-natives. It would not get me though! I did manage to find another CSM workshop in Fairfax; but, I checked the map and saw it was near George Mason University (or the boonies as a downtown Washingtonian would say). I checked the address learning that it was off of the Vienna, Virginia metro stop. Okay, cool. The orange line was manageable. The price was lower than the $1300, $1650 and $1950 that I saw. I emailed the vendor for more accurate address and information. And, with that, I was well on my way towards becoming a certified scrum master.

Pi Day at Paradiso Pizzeria

                Yesterday I celebrated PiDay by having what else? Pizza! Check out the Quattro fromaggi (4-cheese) pizza! It was my first time there (and, of course, it was a madhouse due to PiDay because I still managed to snag a seat) but I liked the ambiance and more importantly, the food.

Live from the Front Lines of the Gilt City Warehouse Sale!

                Today is the start of the Gilt City DC’s warehouse sale. It is located this year at Dock 5 of the Union Market. This is behind the shops off of Neal Street NE. I have attended the biannual Gilt City warehouse sale since its inception and have reported on it through this very blog (http://bit.ly/21ffFu0 ). I have attended the first access media event. Gilt City has sent me a private email link before the regular tickets go on sale because I am a premium client, have been here before and the site follows me on Twitter. The first access media event benefits are getting first crack at all of the goodies. This is great when both my dress and shoe size is 12. Speaking of shoe size, I am happy that Gilt City has (finally) stocked my shoe size!

In addition, to shoes, I have snagged the white Diane von Furstenberg dress and two Alice + Olivia dresses. These are two of my favorite designers plus I couldn’t resist the Alice + Olivia sparkle! I absolutely love sequins and they make me feel feminine.

Another bonus is the extra discounts coming from certain colored tags. I manage to score an extra 20% off my blue Alice + Olivia dress because it has a lavender tag. 

I hope that these insider tidbits guide you through your Gilt City warehouse sale visit. This event is happening today and tomorrow. Here is the link to purchase tickets (http://gi.lt/1oQY4uA). Hurry up because they are going fast and you save hundreds of dollars in one place! 

My Adventure with MS Project

                Okay, I admit that this intro to MS Project class will be harder than normal. I will have to listen and pay attention. This is the first time in nearly 6 years that I have taken the Ed2Go Project class. The last time was in April 2010 when I first got started in project management. BEA had it on its computer so I took the course scoring 69%. (I intend to score way higher this time especially with all of this PMP wisdom underneath my belt.). During this first lesson, the blood rushes through parts of my brain where it hasn’t in a very long time. This means that I am learning something new. I need to build up a tolerance towards learning MS Project 2013. I am just glad that I have gotten a free 60-day trial. This trial is the economic justification for enrolling. Although I know that eventually I would have to relearn Project, getting a free version keeps the cost manageable else I would be strictly on YouTube and dummies book (I have purchased the MS Project 2013 for Dummies book to supplement my learning.) I refuse to quit because I will master it. Project is a skill that I must have in order to stay relevant as a Senior Project Manager.

Closing the Door

                I have always been great at closing the door on things, persons and processes that no longer serve me. Today I have decided that I am closing the door on working in the federal government. I have had an 8-year career there but after receiving 2 $80/hour jobs from recruiters. This is $160,000 per year. One of the 2 will offer me $90/hour or $180,000. That’s more than GS-15 step 10 income which is $155,000; and, the process takes 15 years to go from step 1 to step 10. Right now I stand to earn more than 15 years. Knowing myself I will be way farther along than $180,000 by year 2031.

                This isn’t the first time that I have closed the door on something. I have done this with two federal agencies, Constellation and now the federal sector. I am happy to leave and never return to my first federal agency because this year this agency is moving from DC to Maryland. I have a choice in this matter. There are so many miserable people relocating but I am still here in DC.

Closing the door is liberating because I can focus on the future. The past is not competing with my future. I can devote time towards creating a new system that serves me now instead of being torn. Indecisiveness kills many people’s dreams; but, not mine. Yes, I admit that the federal sector has been good and has taught me a lot; but, I am very happy that I can move on towards something good. If I stay applying for federal jobs than I am limiting my income and personal growth; therefore, I am closing the door.

Intrepid : My 2016 Word of the Year

Intrepid (noun)-  

characterized by resolute fearlessness, fortitude, and endurance  intrepid explorer>

                Intrepid is my word for 2016. I am fearless both personally and professionally. 2016 will bring about absolution. I am very resolute that this will be my biggest and best year yet. There will be no slow down here from 2015 to 2016. I envision my business will be successful earning over $1 million in its inaugural year. Although this is a lofty goal, having earned over $100,000 for three straight years, I have new lands to conquer. I know that I need a system and am open to developing this in order to achieve my $1 million. My radio show will take off because it deals with positive change, project management and brand management. In addition, I will also have my radio and positive change mobile apps available in 2016.

Personally, I envision myself in a full-time job that I love where I can contribute. I have been planting a lot of seeds this year and am ready to reap the harvest. Although this is winter, early 2016 will be my harvest season. I will get a high-paying job where I will be a great fit. In addition, I will rid myself of negative and people or companies trying to take me down. Most importantly, I will eliminate people and things that no longer serve me because I need to be lighter in order to get to the next level. 

What I have learned in 2015

2015 has offered me a whole lot of lessons, both good and bad. Here are my biggest lessons:

• The higher up I go, the more stealth my backup plan has to be.
• I am very good writer and will publish my new book next year.
• Overcoming my fear of failure has increased my opportunity. I have owned my own website and started my own online radio show.
• My being genuine has helped me personally and professionally in so many ways.
• That I’m now a senior-level professional who might have to rely on search firms now to aid me in my job search.
• I’ll have to entertain entrepreneurship because I think that I might have hit the ceiling on pay.
• I need to speak more instead of thinking that the data will speak for me. I admit that I am quite an analytical person but many people aren’t.
• After filing a customer complaint, release my emotions from the final result.
• I have been in DC for 9 years and have survived every situation. I most certainly will survive whatever happens next. 

My 2015 Has Been Nothing Short of Amazing!

                Although there are still 15 days left in 2015, I feel that this is the appropriate time to discuss my year. I have purchased my carlarjenkins website domain, started a blog, became a LinkedIn Pulse contributor, renewed my PMP certification, traveled to Dallas, Cleveland, Atlanta and New York City and reserved my LLC business name. It has also been tumultuous as I am in between consulting opportunities; however, the good far outweighs the bad. Taking control of my personal career brand and dedicating myself towards writing have increased my confidence. I can handle anything that comes my way in 2016.

Federal Reserve Rate Hike and Career Management

Promote Your Competitive Advantage

Assess, Action and Adapt

Deliberately Expect the Extraordinary

                Listening to Constance Arnold’s most recent podcast has motivated me to deliberately ask and expect the extraordinary. This phrase has awakened me because until then I have only expected the ordinary. Given how my life has been for the past 4 years, all I want to do is keep my head above water and pay my bills on time. Now I have managed 3 promotions in the last 4 years but there has been a significant amount of turbulence too. However, right now I realize that I have decided to ask for the extraordinary. I simply don’t want to have a full-time position. I want one which is mentally stimulating where I will be able to learn something every day. Also I will deliberately expect more than just starting my business off on the right foot. I expect to it to be epic! Constance’s podcast has stopped me from settling right then and there because I know that I am capable to expecting more; therefore, for the next 30 days, I will keep a deliberate action journal chronicling my daily steps towards an extraordinary life. I love this idea because I love continuous improvement and with 32 days remaining in 2015, I can see progress ending this year on a high note; and, positioning myself for a way better 2016.

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

Winning Nanowrimo and Its Meaning to Me

I have won Nanowrimo after 8 years. I’ve won because I have an outline, a theme, encouragement and determination. I’d be the first to admit that it has been hard. There have been 4 days that I’ve stopped because my brain swirls with all of these ideas. My brain need a break. In the past 2 days, I’ve typed over 8900 words to win. After turning the corner on 40,000 words with 8 days to go, I was determined to win. Before this year, 38,000 was my personal best. Now I will revise my book and prepare for the manuscript editing this December.

The Difference between Gratitude and Intention

There is a difference between gratitude and intention. Many gurus want people to be grateful. There is nothing wrong with that. I awake every morning and go to bed every night grateful for life and opportunity; however, I am set intentions every morning and night towards getting as much money, abundance and freedom. I equate gratitude as static or potential energy. When are grateful, you are still and quiet. You are grateful for your current state and what you have right now. Yet, to move forward, you need intentions which is dynamic or kinetic energy. When you intend to do something, you set the ball in motion. There is a big difference between gratitude and intention. You cannot move forward only on gratitude. You must add intention in order to become a better version of you.

Veracity

Veracity (noun):

Full Definition of VERACITY

1

:  devotion to the truth :  truthfulness

2

:  power of conveying or perceiving truth

3

:  conformity with truth or fact :  accuracy

4

:  something true

                The word of the week is veracity. Although I practice internal honesty every day, with 2016 being less than 45 days away, I need to be more honest. I need to declutter letting things, ideas and people who don’t serve me. I need to drop things that hold me back from my greatness. I must do it now and not want until New Year’s Eve because those evil spirits will weigh me down.

Project Execution with 45 Days Left This Year

Nano Epiphany and Other Things

                I know that I have been busy with Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) so I haven’t been writing on Blogger much. Today I have to take a mental break (I am currently at 17,676 words and 20,000 is my next goal). I am ahead 3 days so I deserve the rest. Also I have had a great epiphany. While perusing the #Nanowrimo hashtag yesterday, I came across some woman who wasn’t participating in this year’s competition because it coincided with her doctoral thesis. We tweeted each other and I learned that writing a 50,000-word novel was similar to writing a doctoral dissertation. The lightbulb went off immediately.

                I admit that I have been toying around with returning to school for my doctoral degree but I am conflicted about which major I should pursue.  I know that economics is the most math intensive out of statistics and business administration, but it is very hard. Personally, I don’t want to be seen as a math slacker. I am leaning towards taking statistics because it is out of 100 and I can still hold tight to my NASA Astronaut dreams. To become a NASA Astronaut, I need to have a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) degree. Statistics will qualify me for this. Furthermore, becoming an astronaut satisfies my inner Trekker. My mother has hooked me on the original Star Trek with William Shatner while growing up in Cleveland. I always want to be in something science-related. Therefore, earning a statistics degree puts me front and center. Although I have some incomplete education elsewhere, I still believe that with adequate preparation and discipline that I can accomplish my stats goal (It would be great to write about my statistical analysis too!).

My Worst Travel Weekend Ever!

I had the travel experience from hell this past weekend. I was supposed to board American Airlines at National airport to Norfolk to attend the TCE Summit. I was excited in the Uber en route to DC airport when I got this cancellation email. Immediately I called the customer service and that lady was a grade A witch. She told me that she cancelled my entire reservation because I did not want to fly out of Baltimore, layover in Charlotte then fly to Norfolk. That would had taken 5 hours. I hung up on her returning home to book a Sunday American Airline plane ticket then Amtrak business ticket to Newport News. I arrived at Union Station at 5:30pm but the train was late boarding everyone at 6:15pm instead of 5:50pm meaning that I didn’t get into Newport News until 10:50pm. The only thing keeping me calm was talking with my girlfriend. My train ride was the first stop because I had to board a transfer bus from Newport News to Norfolk. Finally, I had to call Uber to my hotel arriving after midnight. What angered me the most was that I was unable to eat dinner with my father. My saving grace was that he was still up when I arrived there (and offered me a piece of chicken because I refused to pay exorbitant food rates on Amtrak).

Newport News Amtrak Station

                I spent all Saturday morning recuperating and overcoming my travel headache which I attributed to downing caffeine. My father said that he would be on the road at 6am so I drug myself out of bed, put on my business slacks and took a photo with my Dad because that was what I initially wanted on Friday night. I posted it on Facebook and Instagram ASAP. My Dad stayed an extra day to see me and that photo represented redemption. American Airlines could not hold me down! After he left, I crashed missing half of the TCE Summit.

Dad and I at the Norfolk Springhill Suites

I made it to the other session.  Then we had lunch. Afterward I was stuck at the Me/Self table which I did not understand because I took time out for myself. What I hated was this woman who complained to us about her being invisible to her husband but when I called her on it she played victim. I did not need that. Furthermore, I noticed that some reason there was always 1 crazy at my conference table. I should attract better. I took my photo, did a Periscope and returned back to my room to await my Ohio State game.

Sunday morning I was ready to fly out to DC. My flight was 10:05am and I left at 8:30am to ensure that I was there on time. Nope! American delayed my first an hour. On top of that, my original return flight ticket was honored. I tweeted the airline immediately because that meant that I bought a duplicate ticket. Things got worse because I ended up waiting 3 hours and 45 minutes for my flight to leave. That was the worst flight experience I ever had. Although I applied for my refund Sunday night, I spent Monday and Tuesday recovering from the hellish travel weekend courtesy of American. I am sticking with United and Delta after this!

Norfolk Airport outside

I’ve Decided to Grow Up Today

                I have purchased Money  magazine at the CVS this afternoon. After reading it, I buy a 2-year $20 subscription because I need to grow up and manage my money better. Now I do earn 6 figures, save 25% of my non-rent paycheck and max out my retirement savings to receive the corporate match but I just feel stuck; therefore, I have decided to better educate myself financially. I know that I am full capable of not only getting to the $1 million level but surpassing it. I know that I possess the ability to become the first wholly owned black Fortune 500 CEO company. I have grown up over $32 ($12 for 1-year Kiplinger Personal Finance and $20 for a 2-year Money magazine subscriptions). I may also consider buying Worth magazine because my goal is to prepare myself for the stratosphere. I know that my book career will take off and reading financial magazines are the ways that I’ll be prepared for positive change.

Mass Shootings Will Never Make Me Numb EVER!

                Unlike some people, I am not numb to mass shootings. Today is no exception. I can never understand the motive behind them. Like ‘what is it?’ Why shoot up everything over stupid mess. Now I have been teased throughout grade school but killing people is a big no-no. It is just plain grotesque that killing a whole bunch of people is okay. Finally, let’s start re-labeling these mass murderers as evil instead of mentally ill. 99.9% of mentally ill people aren’t blogging manifestos and killing people.

http://t.co/icHuFqknnt  (Heavy.com Oregon mass shooter article)

When Ed2Go Learning Becomes Your Second Skin: Continuing Education and Improving Myself and My Business

                I have to take stock in my accomplishments and not have tunnel vision all of the time. Today I have completed Ed2Go Creating WordPress Websites I quizzes 1 and 2. In the middle of my class, 2 things hit me: 1) I am amazed at my level of productivity when I am not stressed and 2) taking Ed2go courses constitute as self-investment. Regarding the latter, I have taken Ed2Go classes on and off for 5 years that the practice has become normalized. I have tunnel vision and don’t even consider it as self-investment; however, it is because I am paying money and devoting time and effort towards improving myself. I am now running PositivityChange.com and I need to acquire as much knowledge as possible. Tonight I have created a WordPress site independent of GoDaddy. That’s a huge accomplishment because now I can update my site independently. In addition, I can go over my site with my social media coach tomorrow afternoon. By tomorrow’s appointment, I will have completed 2 more lessons so that I will have a better grip on WordPress. Continuing education is essential towards my improving my brand and me. 

Your Links Are Live on Your Periscope Landing Page

NYC Four Seasons Restaurant Pool Room Review

This week I have attended the inaugural Periscope Summit (you can read all about it here on LinkedIn http://bit.ly/1FCbG3R ). During my downtime. I are at the New York City Four Seasons Restaurant – Pool Room. I had to dine there since I was a DC Four Seasons regular. The NYC atmosphere was totally different surprising me. It was 100% businesslike even at 8:15pm. I was astounded because DC was the more conservative town it was NYC where the men wore this standard uniform (blue suit jacket, white shirt and red tie). I was just glad to wear my Roberto Cavalli dress and Rene Caovilla sandals. The highlight was the food of course! The wait staff was wonderful. I got free ravioli and chocolate cake for my first visit. It wouldn’t be my last check out my photos!

NYC Four Seasons Restaurant Dinner Menu

Shrimp Ravioli

Grilled Snapper

Free Chocolate Cake, Apple Cinnamon Cake and Free Cotton Candy

NYC Four Seasons Restaurant Pool Room Table Setting

What I Learned from Periscope Summit

Check out my new YouTube video discussing my Blogger and LinkedIn What I Learned from Periscope Summit article. Enjoy!

Lessons from Attending the First Periscope Community Summit

This week was the inaugural Periscope Community Summit. It was held in New York City. Periscope is a livestreaming application available on iPhone and Android. I managed to score a ticket and a room at the Yotel (the conference hotel) for this event. Below were the lessons learned that I culminated while attending. These 5 tips would help maximize your conference experience.

1.       Develop a personal marketing plan

I drafted mine while on the plan because I wanted to capitalize upon the opportunity of attending the first Periscope Community Summit; and this demands focus. My marketing plan contained the 4ps: product, place, price and promotion. These four constituted the marketing mix. Here was mine for the Periscope Summit:

·         Product: me

·         Place: Periscope Summit in New York City

·         Price: varies depending on product or service

·         Promotion: My Periscope feed and YouTube channel

Periscope is only available for 24 hours so many users either subscribe to Katch or upload their videos onto YouTube. The Katch website is katch.me. You could also upload your Periscope to YouTube. YouTube would increase your search engine optimization (SEO).

2.       Attend the meetups

I had the benefit of staying at the Summit’s conference hotel where there were many meetups occurring. These allowed me to network with other scopers (people who use Periscope). Sometimes these meetups were more important than the sponsored events because you saw people in their raw element without pretense. These unofficial group settings made networking easier.

3.       Practice your elevator pitch

Your elevator pitch was indispensable towards introducing yourself especially during a livestream event. The Periscope Summit was a livestream event with many broadcasters and someone could film you. You wanted to look professional just in case your video went viral. Be known for the right reason by staying prepared and practicing your elevator pitch!

4.       Have fun and explore

Take advantage of downtime to recharge yourself. Since the conference hotel was in Times Square, I explored the area. I also traveled to Midtown and Fashion Avenue. These excursions gave me a more well-rounded experience by merging the conference with the city.

5.       Have a post-conference action plan

Though it was nice that you’ve attended the conference, created your personal media plan, practiced your elevator pitch and networked all of the events, all of those things would be for naught without implementing a post-conference action plan. Creating one is essential because once the hype and enthusiasm wore off, you don’t want to be disappointed. Follow-up with thank you letters and emails mentioning the event you both attended and you’re interested in establishing a connection in the future. The recipient would remember that simple goodwill gesture. The letter would also establish your brand as one with integrity. The post-conference action plan enabled me to never squander a conference opportunity!

Check me out on Periscope at https://www.periscope.tv/missphenom

Check me out on YouTube at http://bit.ly/1OxtUqi

My Extended Summer DC Restaurant Week Photos

                Below are my summer DC restaurant week photos. I have gone to PJ Clarke’s, Kapnos, Hay Adams hotel and Co Co Sala. My photos have been late because I have been busy but I love participating in this bi-annual event. Here are my photos by restaurants:

PJ Clarke's

Kapnos

Hay Adams Hotel

Co Co Sala

Hitting the Refresh Button: 2015 is 2/3 Over With

I have had one of those rare days from Hell. I am here in my jammies vegging out on TV when I realize that 2/3 of 2015 is over. I have to hit the refresh button tomorrow because there are 4 more months to get it right in 2015. No more sulking but a whole lot more doing.

Bouncing Back

Resilient

a :  capable of withstanding shock without permanent deformation or rupture

b :  tending to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change

— re·sil·ient·ly adverb

After having a horrific start to this week, I have bounced back towards being productive. I’m getting back to writing and photography. I’m getting back to me and I love it.

Bishop T.D. Jakes’ Destiny Book Review

                T.D. Jakes’ Destiny book is supposed to take off where Instinct left off but Destiny did more than that. Destiny supplied the blueprint towards taking full advantage of the window of opportunity is still open. My favorite part of the book is surviving the horror movie. Oftentimes in life, when you grow your former crew, they become zombies trying to repossess your soul and kill your dreams. I identify with this in my life. It can look like the Michael Jackson Thriller music video.

                Bishop Jakes also discusses what happens after the horror movie and very few people delve into this transitional period once your destiny is realized. Jakes understands that the reader needs new skills to adapt to this new environment. His book Destiny masterfully guides you through the paradigm shift towards fulfilling yours.

My 1% Improvement: Reading What Color Is Your Parachute 2016

I am reading, ‘What Color is Your Parachute for 2016’. Honestly, I was just perusing Amazon just to look at any new career books that I can read and I discovered that this book was just published this past Tuesday, August 11, 2015. It’s a classic. I honestly never read a previous edition. I know it's been around for over 20 years but I said why not go ahead read it? Give it a chance, give it a shot and more importantly from a personal career perspective I wanted to get into my second gear for the rest of 2015. As you know this is August 2015 and I believe we have in between 33 to 40% of the year remaining so why should I wait until 2016 to do something when I can get started in August 2015? Get a head start and do something productive for the remaining three and a half months. Furthermore, this time also coincides with the children's back to school. I know that a lot of my friends have children. Since this is back-to-school for them, I decided to read this book as my own personal back-to-school for personal enrichment. I will update everyone on periscope to see what I currently think of the book.

My Birthday 2015

Sage (adjective)

1

a :  wise through reflection and experience

b archaic :  grave, solemn

2

:  proceeding from or characterized by wisdom, prudence, and good judgment <sage advice>

— sage·ly adverb

— sage·ness noun

This year I turn a new leaf and a new page. I will leave all of last year’s trials and tribulations in my rearview mirror. All of these obstacles have given me sage wisdom. Now I know what not to do and how to move forward after adversity. I am looking forward towards my new year and know that this will be my best year ever!

Insight: The Day before My Birthday

Insight (noun)

1.       The power or act of seeing into a situation: penetration

2.       The act or result of apprehending the inner nature of things or of seeing intuitively

This is my last day as a 37-year-old. This year has been one with a lot of tribulations, some I’ve never experience before now. Honestly, though I’ve come out on top, I never want to ever repeat this cycle ever, ever again. What I will do in my next year of life is travel more. It’s essential to move beyond DC to grow personally and professionally. 

Many Happy Returns!

I returned to Cleveland for my high school reunion. I missed my hometown and my former classmates. It was good seeing how everyone was better now in 2015 than in 2010. People came out of the recession better off. That was all that I could ask for. Furthermore, I was happy to see my family. It had been 1 year since returning home. 

Me at my high school reunion at the Aloft Beachwood hotel lounge

Touched Down in Dallas for the Power Networking Conference

Today I’ve flown Virgin America first class from DC to Dallas to attend the Power Networking Conference. Just out my view inside and outside the cabin!

Virgin America Glass

Virgin America Lemon Sorbet and Cookies

Virgin America Pappadelle Beef

Dallas outside of my window

Dallas outside of my window

Documenting My Knowledge

A business card company offers to host my website. Although I decline the offer, the idea has gotten me thinking. I have an MBA and a PMP so I possess a wealth of insight for people. I aim to put it to great use by writing what I know. 

Tabling my PMI-PBA Certification Exam (for Now)

                I am tabling my PMI-PBA certification exam for now because I have other things going on right now. Also I admit that I haven’t scored as high (62% minimum) so I have to stop and reapply.  I am proud that I have committed myself towards studying because given 1-2 months I will be better prepared. The good news is that I am working in the profession and am always collecting requirements so I will be okay! 

My Dream Is Only for Me to Understand!

I just realize that after sharing my certification dream with a career professional, that not everyone understands your dream. Hey, I have a vision of how obtaining my current certification will help me. I understand it and that’s all that matters. This is a growth moment. 

Udemy Comes to the Rescue with my PMI-PBA Exam Prep

I am very happy that I can get my Udemy business analysis videos on my other computer. At times I hate always either typing or writing down my PMI-PBA lessons. Also video learning accentuates my current learning. I have a couple more weeks before my test and I need all of the help that I can get. 

Countdown to Taking the PMI-PBA Exam

I have made significant progress during my 1-week window by typing the PMI BA Practice Guide chapters 1-2 and 4-6. I truly want to be earn my PMI-PBA certification because it has been nearly 1 year since submitting my application. Furthermore, I am now working as a Business Analyst so obtaining certification is a huge competitive advantage. This week I have scheduled my exam for June 23rd. Since the exam is based on the practice guide, I now what’s required and will reread it twice to pass the test the first time.

Strolling Down the Street in My Stuart Weitzman Gladiators!

Some lady saw my Stuart Weitzman​ Gladiator sandals and said 'very few people could pull that look off' Very true. I chose the gold over the black because the former was a showstopper! I had garnered a whole lot of attention with these!

Managing Positive Change

                I am experiencing a whole lot of (positive) change yet it is still change so I must effectively manage it. This morning I have downloaded like three change management books to adequately prepare for it. Though I have been in DC for 9 years and have experienced a lot of change (both good and bad), right now I’ve learned to do a better job and dealing with change. Having renewed my PMP certification, I approach the latest change as a project. Hey, I’ve mastered project management why not apply my transferable skills towards change management? Once thing is for certain, I will have a process in place instead of trying to figure it out all willy-nilly.

Renewing My PMP Certification

Yesterday I renewed my PMP certification by scoring 94% on my Ed2Go High Speed Project Management final and 97% on my Ed2Go Introduction to Business Analysis and Achieving Success with Difficult People finals. Once I obtained my certificates of completion, I got Ed2Go’s REP number and entered all of my personal development units (24 apiece) and viola my PMP certification was renewed until June 2019. 

Step-by-Step Inch-by-Inch

I have completely typed PMI BA Practice Guide’s chapter. This is the biggest chapter and I am happy that I have overcome this obstacle. Tomorrow I will start typing chapter 5. My original goal is to complete chapter 5 by Saturday but starting tomorrow is even better because I’ll have a head start and will be able to take the Rita Mulachy PBA online domain exam on Saturday instead of Sunday. The online simulator is based on the BA Practice Guide so I know that my test results will mirror my actual performance. Scoring at least 75% on the simulations is my goal because it gives me significant wiggle room (61% is the minimum passage rate. The PMI-PBA exam has 200 questions just like the PMP. I know that I am more than capable of answering 150 questions correctly.). I have one month and I know that with Rita, I will pass the exam.

                I have also caught up on my Ed2Go Intro to Business Analysis course by finishing quiz 11. Quiz 12 and the final exam will be posted Friday. I will print them completing quiz 12 then highlighting the final exam. I will complete the final Saturday. Next I have completed Achieving Success with Difficult People quizzes 6 and 7. Tomorrow I will complete quizzes 8 through 12 and highlight the final. During Memorial Day weekend, I will finish these two finals putting me 2 steps closer towards renewing my PMP certification. PMI requires 60 personal development units (PDUs). Each Ed2Go course gives me 24 PDUs so when I complete these two courses, I will have 48 PDUs. High-Speed Project Management will be my only outstanding course. I will work on it after Saturday’s two finals completing my final exam on Sunday. When Memorial Day rolls around, I will have 72 PDUs completed and be able to use my PMP all the way until June 2019!

Making Inroads towards My PMP Certification Renewal

                Today I’ve made a dent into my Ed2Go Introduction to Business Analysis course completing lessons 1, 3-10. Tomorrow lesson 11 will debut and I will complete it along with my High-Speed Project Management courses. Since I’ve last written, I’ve learned that Project Management Institute will change its certification renewal process December 1^st and I want to get my renewal out of the way. PMI requires 60 personal development units over a 3-year period. I am enrolled in 3 courses at 24 personal development units apiece which squares my renewal away before June. Although I have done well academically and professionally, completing my PMP certification renewal in May is a very big accomplishment. I would have ended my first five months on a high note!