The Revival – Spring Classes

The Revival – Spring Classes
The Revival – Hyde Park’s new improv comedy theater – is thrilled to announce our roster of Spring classes! Highlights include:

  • Improv (for Adults & Kids)
  • Stand Up Comedy (for Adults & Teens)
  • Acting (for Kids)
  • Storytelling
  • Presentation Skills 

Classes begin the week of March 28th and meet once per week for 8 weeks in our theater.

For Class Info & Registration go to the Revival website. 

http://the-revival.com/classes.php

5 "Other" Reasons Women are Single Mothers

I’m bothered by people who were raised by single parents, but bash single parents. Specifically, single mothers. According to America Single Mothers are the demise of whole communities – I’m not going to go there today. 

Back to these bitter, single mom babies. Maybe their experience was traumatic, filled with not enough hugs, support or Nike’s. I don’t know. I’m actually speculating – they could have been raised in a loving 2 parent household. If that’s the case, they should really shut the hell up. If I sound hostile it’s because I take offense. 
My mom was tough, but did well with her 3 kids. Honestly – for real, for real, I wouldn’t be the proud woman I am if it wasn’t for her influence. I’m not talking about just getting a college degree either. I’m talking about how I feel about myself. I’m confident in my abilities and ideas. I treat people with respect. I value family. That came from the 3 single moms that raised me. 
And I never heard them complain about having to raise their kids alone. 
So when someone says, “Single moms, should make better choices.” I say, many of them do. For whatever reason the dad isn’t around, many single moms make the best decisions for their families daily. 
Yes, taking care of a child alone is rough – but single mothers understand the important job they have. They will make mistakes, all parents do. 

Who is to say things would be any better with a father in the home. Fathers that want to be fathers add value to the home, but a man that doesn’t prioritize family could be detrimental to the entire family. Again, we don’t know every single mothers story. I’d rather for a woman to walk away from a bad situation, opposed to letting her kids see behavior that could damage them for life. 
And I’m not bashing dads. It’s just that a single dad is seen as amazing and single mothers are seen as less than human. 

And about dads – Why do we automatically assume that a man is a dead beat or the mother is a woman that makes pour decisions in men. The world is so much bigger than those people we see on our timelines. Making judgements based on the 3 ratchet chicks that post all day just isn’t logical. 
There are more reasons than the obvious for why a woman is holding down her house alone. 

5 “Other” Reasons Women are Single Mothers 
1. The father passed away from an illness, active duty or other reason
2. The father decided not to be involved with the child or mother
3. The mother made a conscious decision to raise her child without a father 
4. The mother adopted a child, was artificially inseminated or is taking care of a child she didn’t give birth to
5. A traumatic experience led to her pregnancy and parenting alone is the safest choice 
So instead of assuming single moms are these horrible helpless women, think of all the amazing people you’ve encountered in your life. I guarantee some of them were raised by single women. 

WHY POST MOMMY BEYONCE IS MUCH BOLDER THAN PRE MOMMY BEYONCE.

Of course the world is set a blaze whenever Beyonce randomly drops any piece of music, video or artwork. She’s worked HARD for that Queen B title and mama is working even harder to keep it. Doesn’t look like she’s giving it up anytime soon either. 


Who the hell else in the music industry is so sure of themselves that they need NO radio, magazine or press releases (nobody in my Keith Sweat voice).

 

While Nicki Minaj proclaimed, she’s not giving up her title until she starts having children. Bey is screaming, I’m a working mommy. Who mad?

 

What strikes me as phenomenal is the boldness of her words, marketing moves and stance on women’s empowerment since becoming a mother. She touched on it pre mommyhood, but post mommyhood is all about loving yourself, not just getting money. 



As Beyonce journey’s into various areas of womanhood her interest change. What she cares about is changing. She’s gone from songs about partying with girlfriends, to making love to her husband, to girls running the world.

 

While many things are changing her leotard and dance moves aren’t going anywhere. I’m figuring this is what throws people off about her messages. Like, who said that empowering women meant being fully clothed. 


I’d rather see her booty shaking than hear another broken hearted tune or men are not worthy R&B song. Her messages bring energy, power and sex appeal to womanhood. Elements many moms start to lose after changing dirty diapers, breast feeding and being consumed with all things baby for years.

 

It’s not many artist telling women to be in love but have your own life, money, goals and dreams. I’m here for any message about self loveEspecially for moms. There just isn’t enough of that today for women. Honestly, young girls are drowning in lyrics about what men want them to be. 

 

Yeah, I like Future, but I definitely don’t want my daughter to be his next baby mama.  

 

Mrs. Carter proclaims proudly to be Jay – Z’s wife, but will never let us forget that part of the empire is fully hers. She praises her man without diminishing her own value. What a powerful message to young women worried about finding Mr. Right. Imagine that, a man that’s not intimidated by your drive and ambition. 

 

Not only is the sweet smell of empowerment in her music, it’s in her business moves. She assembles her teams and productions strategically to include women. Remember the all female band? She not only talks women empowerment – she invests in it! That’s dope on so many levels. 

 

Powerful women, such as Yvette Noel-SchureMelina Matsoukas and Tina Knowles have contributed to the brand of Beyonce. Oh don’t get me started on her ability to recognize the importance of collaboration among women. We are so freaking powerful as collective whole and we don’t need to be rich or famous to tap into that.

 

Of course, there are a lot of people still hung up on the original Destiny’s Child split. It looked pretty messy from the outside looking in. We would be lying if we didn’t look at our own lives  counting the numerous friends lost along the way. It’s a part a growing up. A lesson Beyonce will undoubtedly teach Blue Ivy. Everybody can’t go with you to the top, baby girl.

 

The brand of Beyonce is fully aware of her power on the world, but I’d like to argue that it’s the power that Blue Ivy has on her that is causing a change of heart.

 

To date she’s directed her messages to ALL women, not singling out her black sisters (Although if you ask me, I’d swear she’s singing directly to me and my friends). In many interviews, she’s credited her mother with her polished demeanor, work ethic and creativity. It’s no wonder that the new post mommy Beyonce seems to be a bit more edgier than we remember. The way her mother nurtured her growth and development, she is now doing for her own daughter. See motherhood will do that to you.

 

When I became a mother it happened to me to. You become enlightened and aware of the injustice, pollution and dangers of this massive planet. And you are constantly thinking, how can I protect my child from this? How do I prepare my child to survive in a world that is out to destroy their spirit. That’s a heavy weight. Beyonce, I believe, is feeling that weight of how to prepare Blue for new levels of criticism about her appearance, her parents and her privilege. You’ve seen the way the media and  rude ass adults have commented on this child. 

 

The days of Beyonce living for herself are over. Mama Beyis thinking about her daughter, little Blue IVY. She is thinking of how heartless critics (black, white and other) will without thinking twice criticize the size of her nose and the texture of her hair. She is thinking about how one day her daughter may be stopped by police while driving and never make it home. She is thinking that if she doesn’t say something, anything, her daughter is going to one day look at her and say, “Mommy, what did you do to make this world better for me.” Saying she sang her way through life, just ain’t going to cut it.

 

Oh there is no more playing it safe when you become a mother. Being responsible for a life besides our own forces us to look at this vicious world through the eyes of a protector.


So to the critics begging for Bey to stay in her lane, but  are all good with her shaking her cakes and singing about nothing that will change the world. Listen here, Mama Bey is a different breed of woman. She is a MOTHER now and ALL LANES that impact our kids belong to US.

 

Why do some people get ahead in life and others don’t?

Why do some people get ahead in life and others don’t? I have no clue. What I do know is if no one knows who you are or what you do they can’t connect you with valuable opportunities. One tactic that has worked for me is personal branding. I didn’t attend a top college or no someone that new someone, but I’ve always been good at marketing my skills and aspirations.

I’ve been able to gain valuable opportunities by magnifying my strengths  For me that’s work ethic, professionalism, forward thinking and positive energy. We all have our fair share of gifts, but you’ve got to know how to work them.

Let’s say you don’t enjoy your job, which means you are actively looking for some way to get the hell out. One way to improve your chances of finding a job you actually like is improving your digital footprint.

What is a digital footprint? It’s all the good and bad information floating around about you on the internet. It’s what pops up if someone Googles your name.

You’re probably thinking, well I’m not on social media or my pages are private. Well that’s not good either. If recruiters are looking for a candidate, one of the first things they’ll do is look you up on a website like Linkedin. If you’re not there, but the next candidate is with a shiny portfolio and colleague recommendations – that could be a lost opportunity for you.

We all wear multiple hats on a regular basis. The well-mannered professional we are at work takes a back seat to the blunt, swearing wine connoisseur we are on the weekends 😉 The truth is we need a web presence for the person that pays our bills. People need to know about the professional side of us.

Show the world you’re anything but basic. You’re AMAZING!

Get Used to It: There will be some "ugly days" during the progression process.

BEAST MODE! I know beasts aren’t cute, but to hell with being cute when you have goals to reach. Just kidding. I love my lipstick lol. But, there will be some “ugly days” during the progression process. 2016 is your break out year and you need to be ready. The slate has been wiped clean and the sweet smell of opportunity is in the air. Smells like Victoria Secret Love Spell on a 14 year old girl. Our optimism is strong and our vision is clear at this point in the year. Mama’s got big plans! How do we keep that momentum?

REFLECT, PLAN, PURSUE, REVISE

      The goals and dreams of last year should be categorized in 3 ways:
       
      •  I accomplished my goal
      •  I’m rolling this goal over
      •  I’m deleting this goal
      DON’T FEEL DEFEATED
      Do not feel defeated if you did not accomplish a goal or need to roll them over. Life unexp
      ected happens to us all and we are balancing other lives besides our own. We’re building more than just dream businesses. We’re building dream relationships, dream kids, dream homes and dream careers. Just breathe and say, “I Got THIS!”

      USE YOUR ENERGY FOR GOOD
      We must use our energy to press forward, not to beat ourselves up about goals deferred. Growth happens and that can mean out growing a goal. It’s best to delete that goal (or person) and move on. Holding on to it could be a distraction from other goals you’re passionate about. Let it go and focus!

       
      PLAN OUT YOUR VISION
      Go look at your old vision board or list and start thinking about how that goal fits into your life or the life you want.  If we don’t review what we did or didn’t do – we can’t apply those lessons to 2016. I lear
      ned some really big business and family lessons last year that will help me plan better this year. One big lesson I learned is that organization is needed to succeed. Doing things by the seat of our pants is not the way to build an empire. I’m planning to bring the heat this year.

       

       
       
      “If you do not know where you come from, then you don’t know where you are, and if you don’t know where you are, then you don’t know where you’re going. And if you don’t know where you’re going, you’re probably going wrong.” Terry Pratchett
       
      Good Vibes and Great Opportunities,
      Chanel

      Hit Up the Chicago Public Library

      Take full advantage of the Chicago Public Library. There is so much for you and your kids to do. As you can see from his Kool Aid smile he gets excited about a good book. 
      The library is a great place to bond with your kid over books, games and toys. They may even see a familiar friend.  
      Need quiet time?
      Put them on a kid friendly computer for an hour while you read, write, plan or just relax. It’s one of my secret weapons for affordable parenting. Oh, and they have tons of online resources. 
      I found all of the scholarly journals for my research paper by logging into my Chicago Public Library account at home.

      Get That Money Girl: How to Create Powerful Client Presentations

      Hey ladies,

      Passing on info from one of the many professional development email lists I’ve signed up for. 

      Persuasive Presentations 
      to Sell More Or Pitch For Funding 

      Overview :

      A presentation can be a powerful tool if you need to persuade prospects, clients or investors to consider your project positively.  With a persuasive presentation, you are clearly in charge.  You stand while they sit.  You control the sequence and flow of information.  However, if you are uptight, nervous or drench your slides with text/words, you will seriously undermine your message.

       

      Workshop Description:

      This one day workshop is limited to only 8 participants. and involves multiple exercises to help you stand before the group and practice new skills. The participant will learn the following:

       

      Delivery skillsHow to master physical delivery techniques, (like those in tennis or golf) and how to stand and speak persuasively, so that you project an image of sincerity, conviction and expertise. 

       

      Staging techniques How to keep the focus on you and how to get and stay away from the lectern and work with your visuals to better connect with viewers. (However, you are the “show,” not the slides.)

       

      Q&A tips-How to encourage questions, neutralize negative ones and involve the whole group.

       

      Effective uses of visuals-How to create PowerPoint slides that reinforce your message, entertain and ensure retention. (Text/word slides fail on all three counts!)

       

      Presenter:

      Paul LeRoux started as a corporate speechwriter and then spent 25 years in his own business, coaching senior executives for important speeches and preparing startup companies for venture capital presentations.  He is a co-author of Visual Selling and creator of numerous training DVDs to help individuals enhance their written proposals and oral presentations                                     

       

      DateWednesday September 16, 2015

      Time8:30 am – 3:00 pm  (Light lunch provided)

      Place:  South Suburban College, Oak Forest Campus, Room 5250

                   16333 S. Kilbourn Avenue, Oak Forest

                                     

      FREE EVENT  Registration required, Limited to 8 participants per class

       

      To Register:  Call 708-596-2000 ext. 3258

              

      Who Are the Mountains In Your Life?

      Are you surrounded with movers or mountains ? Movers are people that keep pressing forward no matter how hard things get. They keep it moving. Mountains are people that never progress from their situation. They are often negative, always making excuses for why they can not move forward to get ahead. 

      Identify these people immediately. Who we surround ourselves with can effect our growth and development. “Movers” get rid of “Mountains” to succeed. ‪#‎MoveMountains‬

      In These Streets: Free Thursday’s at Chicago Children’s Museum

      There is no word in the dictionary that excites parents like the word “FREE.” Well here is another freebie to add to your weekly excitement. Target sponsors free entry at Navy Piers Chicago Children Museum. 

      Because everything is better with a friend, we invited my son’s favorite playmate to make it a play date. 
      The Thursday night admissions line extended through the indoor garden, which is a pretty cool place to wait in a line for 20 minutes. I can dig a little greenery while I wait to be ran over by kids. Once the doors were open to the free crowd, the boys took off to the first play station. 
      We let the youngins lead the way through the maze of play stations. There is the fire station, tunnel, maze, climbing thingy, public transportation station, artifact dinosaur station, splash – make a damn whole mess – station.
      Our 6 year olds had a ball. Non stop running, laughing, fighting and screaming. A kids dream and a parents headache lol. A headache, we were happy to endure. 
      I suggest you take your kiddies to The Chicago Children’s Museum before they turn 9 years old. After that they’ll be the kids too big to be at the playground, running over the smaller innocent kids – nobody wants their kid to be the play area bully.
      Do you have a favorite free activity? Share it in the comments section 😉

      In These Streets: NFL Draft Chicago Festivities with the Kids

      Well Well Well – They decided to throw good ole Chicago a bone by hosting the NFL Draft here after 51 years.

      Now that I got my snide remark out the way – I’m so excited that the NFL Draft was held in Chicago this year. I’m charged because:

      1. My son is a huge sports fan and he’s old enough to actually remember attending the event. 
      2. It was 70 degrees in Chicago. In other parts of the country that wouldn’t be a surprise. Believe me Chicagoans were excited.

      I’m always looking for ways to confirm I’m a good parent. You know good parenting is all about creating memories that stick with our kids long after they hopefully move out our house.

      My son noticed the Draft Town posters during a recent trip to Maggie Daley park in downtown Chicago. We had no clue what the heck Draft Town was, so me being the investigator that I am – I Googled it. (Yeah, all great investigators use Google.) On the great wizard of information, also known as Google – I discovered the NFL Draft website listing all the festivities for NFL Draft weekend. #Jackpot

      I was a little worried that there would be a hefty cost to participate. Not the case. The fan festival was FREE. The real FREE. Not that it’s free to get in, but you have to pay to participate free. FREE makes mommy very happy 😉

      I called up my Woes to see if they were down for some action. Translation: I called my mommy friends to ask if they’d like to participate in the festivities. I switch between professional speech and slang regularly – keep up!

      My fabulous friend Chae and her dynamic son Donnie decided to roll with us. The rest is history. The boys kicked field goals, recorded touch down dances, conquered football training courses and threw balls at random people. Everyone that attended the event was in good spirits, which was awesome. It’s always a crap shoot when you’re taking your kids to a massive event with drinking adults.

      Fortunately for us – Chicago was on it’s best behavior. I’m sure this will be one of those memories the boys will keep until long after they move out of our houses.

      Sincerely,

      Good Parent