By Janna M. Hall | CEO, Leap Innovative Group
www.LeapInnovativeGroup.com
Happy New Year!
2017 proved to be an incredible year for Urban Views Weekly—not only did we celebrate 10 years of serving the local community, but we also went 100% digital! That’s right, all of the positive news out of Richmond’s Black community is right here online, just a click away. It’s an exciting transition and journey, and one we’re grateful to have you along for.
As we reflect on our own 2018 goals, we realize that they don’t begin and end with us. As part of this community, we’re in this together, and we all hold a level of accountability in ensuring we accomplish what we set out to achieve in this new year.
So what’s the word for 2018? Expansion. Whether expanding your support of Black business, expanding your network, or your horizons to reach total wellness, allow this year to be one of personal and professional growth.
Expand your support of Black business.
This area of expansion will always be a priority for us, and should be for you, too! Since our conception in 2007, Urban Views Weekly has remained dedicated to highlighting the very organizations, companies, and people whose contributions keep the Black community thriving. It’s true; Richmond is bursting at the seams with Black businesses that meet every need, from finance to food, and marketing to mechanical. At every turn, you’ll find that there’s an opportunity to invest your dollar back into your community and help a local business thrive. When you support a Black business, you’re helping extend the longevity of the Black dollar as it circulates into our community. Currently, African Americans’ buying power stands at an astounding $1.1 Trillion, yet only two cents of every dollar we spend stays within our community. How can we change that this year?
Start small; challenge yourself to supporting at least one Black-owned business each month. Have date night at a Black-owned restaurant. Visit a Black mechanic for your car repairs. Seek out a Black-owned law firm for your legal advice. Tax season is near; do you know a Black accountant? When you do your research, you’ll see that the members of our community are ready to serve and keep our dollars circulating, and they need your help. In this year of expansion, expand your support of Black businesses and watch how they’ll flourish.
Expand your network.
Whether you’re a business owner or a local professional, there’s immeasurable value in expanding your network beyond your current social and professional circles. Your access to information, events, and opportunity grows, and you’re able to develop meaningful connections with the people who make our region great.
Organizations like Urban League, Metropolitan Business League, and Central Virginia African American Chamber of Commerce (CVAACC) foster these types of relationships and allow for network expansion. While membership-based, each organization shares the common goal of advancing our community through connections and promoting general support between members.
Brittany Quarles, Director of Sales for Richmond’s Radio One and CVAACC board member, believes that these types of organizations are instrumental in expanding networks, especially professionally.
“It’s important to have people in your corner as a network of support when you’re an [business] owner or decision-maker,” she explains. “You need like-minded connections that will not only push you to be greater, but that also serve as reminders that you’re not alone as you go through professional trials and triumphs.”
Your network is everything.
Expand your health horizons.
Conversations about health and wellness often begin and end with healthcare providers and prescriptions. Seldom do members of our community believe in taking our wellness into our own hands; in a way, it’s taboo to explore alternative methods to achieving optimal health. However, Black Americans face unique set of struggles connected to physical and mental illness that traditional healthcare alone doesn’t treat. We’ve got to expand our horizons and prioritize our total wellness.
Ashley Williams, Founder and Owner of bareSOUL Yoga, believes that though its lack of diversity renders it intimidating, the practicing of yoga is the solution to a litany of barriers that prevent our community from reaching a state of wholeness.
“The Black community is disproportionately affected by chronic pain diseases including hypertension, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, and other diseases related to lifestyle, stress, trauma, and more,” she explains. “We have been notorious for not taking care of our physical, mental, and emotional health due to perception and stigma, but we must make it a priority to take care of ourselves and each other every single day, not just when it is required.”
Founded in May 2017, the Jackson Ward-based studio focuses on yoga, meditation, breathing and deep relaxation techniques for all ages and fitness levels.
“bareSOUL bridges yoga, education, and community to cultivate a diverse healing experience that nourishes the mind, body, and soul.” Williams says. “Our vision is that we are able to offer an inclusive, safe space where people can move, breath, laugh, cry, and connect with themselves and others.
This year, our community must expand our limited view of healthcare and take a proactive approach to healthy living. Our lives depend on it, and we’ve got countless resources—including Black-owned businesses—who are dedicated to walking the walk alongside us.
While we expand opportunities to spread positivity within the Black community, we’re also expanding the ways in which we can make a true impact. At the very basic level, it begins with ourselves, and then extends to our neighbors, businesses, and the community at large. In your 2018 goals, make room for both personal and professional growth, and commit to expansion. As we expand individually, we’ll expand together, and our world become all the better for it.
