Sitting in the audience, you can hear the vibrant cheers of proud mothers, fathers and relatives “That’s my baby!” or “We love you!” You can also catch a glance of the educators and administrators sitting proud among the sea of caps and gowns (displaying an occasional thumbs up). As my children (students) walked across the stage, some smiled, some cried and some even broke out into an hilarious dance (you know who you are

This year I had the privilege of being asked to administer two graduations. As I listened to the roar of the crowds and the jubilant responses of the graduates, for the first time I WAS STRUCK WITH FEAR!

Ok, let me please explain, before you stop reading this blog. Yes, graduation is a joyous occasion and Yes, it is a milestone in a student’s life. The Fear was not about the appropriate length of the gowns or would someone stumble while delivering their valedictorian speech.

The question arose in my chest like a bolt of lightning surging the sky during an electrical storm. The question was simply “Had we done enough?”

I know these students have passed the reading and mathematics sections of the FCAT, and had earned 24 credits and had a minimum of a 2.0 grade point average and most of them had repaid all of their school debts; for losing their library books (wink).

The true question was had we prepared them for the relevant rigors of life.  Had we prepared them for their matriculation through college or technical school, the reality of paying bills, the seriousness of becoming parents, the maturity necessary for marriage and also instilled in them the willingness to work.

I know, I know you are saying “Well, they have to grow up sometime and take responsibility for their lives.” Yes, you are correct, but these are our children. At any point during the school year we became their teachers, their mentors, their guidance counselors, their friends, their coaches and sometimes, we are even had to step in as their father or mother.

Extraordinary Educators have a HUGE JOB!

The question still remains “Have we done enough?” Did they only learn reading, writing and arithmetic or did they understand our deeper philosophical lessons of Respect, Responsibility, Honesty and Discernment?

I hope, I wish, I pray they got it!

Students, Children, Friends, and Family as you depart for the Real World as  Adults!

Please Remember the poem by Maltbie Babcock

Be Strong!

We are not here to play, to dream, to drift,
We have hard work to do, and loads to lift.
Shun not the struggle; face it. ‘Tis God’s gift.

Be strong!
Say not the days are evil, – Who’s to blame?
And fold not the hands and acquiesce, – O shame!
Stand up, speak out, and bravely, in God’s name.

Be strong!
It matters not how deep entrenched the wrong,
How hard the battle goes, the day, how long.
Faint not, fight on! To-morrow comes the song

Educate, Empower & Inspire,

Mr. Adrian Anthony, MBA

This Labor Day weekend, I had visions of spending time on the beach, reading a book and generally relaxing…however, those plans didn’t exactly happen – instead, an even better plan unfolded!  I was recently asked to be featured in a book about “40 women leaders under 40″ by an amazing young leader, Ardre Orie, CEO and Executive Director of the Pink Wish Foundation!

The Pink Wish Foundation is a non-profit organization with one goal – “to empower women and girls to dream, believe and achieve,” and after talking with Ardre, I discovered she was hosting the NEXT Generation Leadership Summit the Saturday of Labor Day Weekend and she invited me to come.  I have a passion for the empowerment of women and girls, so it was a pretty easy decision.  My mom and I got up early on Saturday morning to begin the drive up to Gainesville.  Immediately upon walking into the location, I was greeted with pink and green Pink Wish Foundation signs and so happy to see a room full of young girls who were excited and ready for an afternoon of learning about leadership and goal-setting!

Ardre was in full educator mode and had the full attention of the young ladies who learned how to stand when presenting (press your shoulder blades together and clasp your hands behind your back), how to see their dreams come true (set goals and verbalize them) and how to speak before a group (make eye contact and speak loudly & clearly).   These may seem like simple steps, but they make all the difference when you’re a 9 year old explaining to an audience why your goal of becoming a doctor is important to you (which the girls did, one by one!)!

I enjoyed participating in a community “think-tank,” charged with understanding how to bridge the gap in our children’s modern day experience, and identifying what success factors caused our group of panelists to succeed in life.  This was such a great event – just watching the young ladies break through shyness and be assured of the support of their community through rounds of applause for each – this is what left me feeling so fulfilled at the end of the day!

Each girl expressed their Pink Wish, and my Pink Wish is for more opportunities to spread the message of empowerment on every level!  Great job & kudos to Ardre, as well as Leadership Rockstar Chris Chestnut, Esq. (Pink Wish Board Member featured in my book), high school classmates Erica Thomas-Reed and Sherrick Orie and my fellow business school classmates Carlarta Baskin & Aswad Hodges!  Keep inspiring young ladies to make their “pink wish” come true!

A well respected mentor was once asked by his young mentee, “If you could describe in one word the quality that it takes to be a successful leader, what would that one word be?”  The mentor, a man who had experienced many heartbreaks and triumphs over the years, knew that this earnest question was asked sincerely.  He allowed the question to weigh on his heart for a while, because he knew how much his young mentee valued his words and opinions.  As the mentor thought back over his life, one word stood out.  A word that summed up the essence of what it takes to walk the road less traveled and successfully reach your destination.  He carefully considered its truths and then answered his mentee.  “Relentlessness,” he replied.  “The one word that has shaped the successes that I’ve been allowed to experience as a leader is relentlessness.”

To be relentless means more than just not giving up.  It means not giving up in the face of your greatest fear or your greatest challenge!

To develop the relentless advantage, you will be tested on increasing levels of challenge until your endurance has stretched beyond its limits.  More and more goals are reached, and more successes are attained when you have a relentless attitude, because you know that if you can just keep doing what you know you are supposed to do, the waves will stop crashing, the tide will calm, and you can enjoy the beauty of the experience.

Be RELENTLESS…Be a Rockstar Leader!

Enjoy this video from one of our favorite movies, Facing The Giants – it’s a perfect picture of what it means to be relentless!

Have you ever felt as though there was more to your experience?  Like everything that has happened to you had more meaning than you could see on the surface?  That’s what the process of the SuccessQuest feels like, as termed by our mentor Master Teacher Chike Akua.  I just finished reading Akua’s book, SuccessQuest!  The Journey From Ordinary to Extraordinary, and I must say, after reading The Alchemist, watching The Secret and being a student of “success” for many years, Chike Akua put a “definition” on what I have experienced in life.  You ARE extraordinary, the problem is that you just may not consciously know the extent of the impact that you can make.  You may not consciously wield your power.  Akua describes this power in his book – “…understand that there is an unseen world in and around you whirling and swirling with possibility.  Part of your responsibility is to harness these forces and use them for good to manifest your vision.”  You must know and exercise your mission and purpose, otherwise you will be consumed by someone else’s.  Good food for thought, huh?  I thought so too.  Continue the journey of success, and once you get to the end, you’ll realize that it’s only the beginning.  Every round goes higher and higher!

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Recently, I heard a story where the author described the process of putting your ideas into action.  The problem, he said, was that most people get stuck on “get set…” and they never “GO!”  They want the best, but they don’t continue taking action.  Maybe it’s because that action appears to be overwhelming, and it just seems like there’s not enough energy or time to accomplish the goal.

It reminds me of the saying “Just take one day at a time,” which is what we do daily at anthonyGroup.   We always set goals larger than ourselves, goals that are more than what we can accomplish alone, because we know that if our goal is only big enough for us to accomplish, it doesn’t leave any room for others to come along and get involved!  Since we’ve worked within our goal and vision for education, empowerment and inspiration, so many others have come along to help us, and the enlightenment they’ve shared with us has taken our vision to higher and higher levels.

For example,  I went to a conference in April, met an  Educational Consultant there who invited us to attend his event, and at that event, I reconnected with two contacts from over 10 years ago, who both have opened doors for us to speak at both their conference and university.  You can see how happy we all were to reconnect in the picture above!  I couldn’t have set up this kind of opportunity, it was divinely orchestrated!  When you step into your vision, and actually “GO!”, stepping out even though you may not know every step, you will be so surprised at the success you will experience!  Stay connected to your dreams and never let go.  Just keep placing one foot in front of the other, and you’ll get there.

A great example of this is The R.E.A.L. World Institute Leadership Summit which we’ve been working diligently on – it’s purpose is to inspire student to pursue leadership opportunities throughout their lives, starting now!  Through our research, we’ve found that when a student is in a leadership position, that they are better able to handle challenges and have a more positive outlook on life.   This positivity leads them on a path where they are much more likely to accomplish their authentic purpose and be effective, both professionally and personally!

The R.E.A.L. World Institute Leadership Summit will be held this October and November on multiple college campuses.  We’re still adding and confirming locations and are excited to spread this unique, empowering message to so many students!  We’ll be announcing the locations to our mailing list subscribers next month,  and if you would like to attend or volunteer, let us know!

Live life on purpose today, and remember, don’t just Get Ready or Get Set…..GO!

“If one advances confidently in the direction of their dreams, and endeavors to live the life they have imagined, they will meet with a success unexpected in common hours!” – Henry David Thoreau

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What does it feel like when you are ready to succeed?  When you know you have so much potential and hidden abilities stored on the inside? It feels frustrating, because that’s what it is.

Whenever you feel frustrated, remember the words of Jesse Jackson “keep hope alive!” You are positioned to make a positive difference in the world. Your hope mixed with action will create opportunities for you to show what you’re made of.

I remember when I was a senior in high school, and I really had no clue of how I was going to go to college.  I had no money, no plan and, according to some people, no options. I felt the situation was hopeless, but I was determined to be hopeful. I got up every morning and played music that was inspirational – from jazz and gospel to reggae. I chose songs that talked about action, dreams and winning. I played them over and over, and I mean over again. I begin to believe that if I got up every morning, went to school, went to work, researched the path I needed to take, then things would somehow get better. As I moved forward, I noticed things would seem to get worse, but there would always be a “good” door that would open. I can say that today, I am a successful college graduate – and it came from the hope that was planted during that time in high school.

Don’t let your doubts get you down. Make the choice to put that nervous energy to work for you, instead of against you.

Take time to get ready.  Invest time and money in learning how to accomplish your goals.  Use your quiet time, early in the morning, to listen to the creative ideas that will come. Then set your plan for your next steps. You will be pleasantly surprised to discover how much you have to offer your family, school, work, community and more.

Now it’s time to take these ideas and begin to manifest the results that is birthed out of  frustrating times.

When you know what frustrates you, you will know what fulfills you. When you feel strongly about what’s wrong in the world, you’ve taken the first step to making it right in the world.

Are you ready? Get Set? Hoping is the potential…now you are ready to deliver!  I know you will make a difference today!  – Adrian

“The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.”

- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Now, for my story.  I had an opposite, but similar experience to my husband Adrian’s experience. One of my greatest passions is for leadership and helping people determine the exact steps they need to take to achieve, and I’ve always had a special passion for female empowerment.  My women’s group, Renew, began in 1999 after a vision from God of a group of women who would meet, discuss the power of the Word and enjoy giving gifts and eating delicious foods in each other’s homes.  Each year, we have a calendar full of meetings, retreats and even sponsored a Renew for teenagers.

Our Renew retreats are so much fun – over the years, we’ve had city-wide scavenger hunts, pit seats at Broadway plays, themed tours and private salsa and merengue lessons…we always try to keep it creative.   One particular retreat, we went to the mountains of Tennessee and rented a gorgeous, secluded cabin that overlooked a deep valley.  Typically, wooded retreats wouldn’t appeal to our group of women, but this was no ordinary cabin!  It was beautiful…but unfortunately, the good news about this trip stops here!  Everything that could’ve gone wrong did – including (but not limited to):

1. Half our group got lost…for 6 hours
2. One member got extremely sick and had to be rushed to the hospital
3. Wasps plagued the area
4. The group that was lost was mad, angry and tired when they finally arrived
5. Two members were pregnant and ended up being dumped in the river on what was supposed to be a quiet canoe trip, at one point, one of them was stranded on a rock in the middle of rushing water! (note:  It was all our husbands could do not to drive down to Tennessee and pick us all up when they heard that one!)

You know the saying, “when it rains…” As the leader of the group and member of the planning committee, I was DONE.  Absolutely speechless at the way things were going.  I couldn’t talk to anyone but God about how awful this Renew Retreat was going.

I got up extra early the last morning of our trip and went out to sit on the sprawling covered porch of our beautiful cabin.  I didn’t know it, but the early morning sunrise in that area was known to be an amazing site.  I sat, watching the sun rise over the foggy valley, up over the mountains.

In that still, soft moment, I heard the following words – “your purpose is to be a distribution center for wealth and information around the globe.”  My first thought, like most, was “how?”  The answer came:  “through writing and speaking.”  I suddenly had a new awareness about what I was meant to do.

Fast-forward many years, and I, like Adrian, have spoken extensively on different topics over the years.  He and I, coming together to offer these specific services to the world is the ultimate love story.  We are able to love other people and love God through the expression of this gift.  We look forward to sharing it with you!

Now, on to why we are doing this together…but before I go, here’s one of my favorite pics of Renew, the Indianapolis Group.  Leave a Comment