My Baby Elevated My Hustle

Written August 27th & 28th

Published August 31st

The moment I saw those two pink lines my priorities shifted. My hopes transformed into determination. I have to win.I have to succeed in all I do. No more selling myself short or undervaluing my work. There is now a life on the line. A life that we are responsible for. Since that moment, I have been brainstorming, rearranging, planning, gathering and creating a timeline for all the steps of my multi entrepreneurial journey. 

 The 1st step I took is deciding to showcase my personally selected clothing, jewelry & accessories on my website via social media live sales once this precious bundle of joy is born. This is something I’m very excited about because it embodies the message of my online store, “My Style & Story Shared With You”. I’ll be able to connect with my clientele on a more personal level and share myself with them deeper than a webpage. PLUS I’m designating my other page to also exclusively showcase the fabulously known $5 PAPARAZZI JEWELRY as an independent Consultant for my clientele that love to sparkle and shine on a more fixed budget. I’ve been shopping with my chosen consultant for a year now and decided to join her team after being satisfied with every piece I received. So I’m ecstatic that I get to showcase my own selected paparazzi pieces! 

Daily I’d go through my vendor list and pre order inventory for both stores in every category that I plan on showcasing in the fall. All the while I have this little nugget in the forefront of my mind as he rolls and kicks waiting for his debut. I want him to have everything I didn’t. I want to give him the time and love that he deserves. I want to be the very best version of myself so he can have the space to grow into who he needs to be. 

Though I’ve been determined in business, I admit the knowledge of mybaby boy has elevated my hustle. As I write this I’m laying in my hospital bed in Labor & Delivery. Each sentence quickly being expressed between contractions. MY GOODNESS THESE CONTRACTIONS! With each burst of unimaginable pain all I think to myself is he has to come out and this is the process of making that happen. I look forward to when this epidural kicks in! 7cm in, I’m almost there! My mind keeps toggling between the here and now, and all I’m planning to secure his future.

I just want him out so I can walk out the door with him and execute our plans. I know it’s not necessarily going to go exactly that way as healing, recovery and getting into a solid routine has to happen first. Plus I have to get my body back. Actually more so embrace the new mommy body I am about to receive and sculpt it the way I desire it to be. I’m up for the challenge. As I evolve and transition into a new season, my clothing pieces will reflect that as well. I look forward to going through the journey with you all. 

My baby boy will be out soon I hope. It’s time to push. I have to focus. Time for me to sign off until then. Stay tuned and keep a look out for my live social media sales on Facebook and Instagram plus my other projects to follow in the next few weeks (or month lol I know I’m pushing the timeline. I’m just eager to get started). Until then, shop my websites!:

Boutique: www.shopgesphania.com

Paparazzi $5 Jewelry: www.jewelnationpink.com

Love & Light,

Gesphania (New Mommy) 

Update: After 30 minutes of pushing later... I’m officially a mommy. He’s so perfect! The most amazing feeling 💙

Tracee's Got Something for the 3B - 4C Curls

As a fellow member of the natural hair movement I was elated when I received the news that actress Tracee Ellis Ross has thrown her natural hair care hat in the ring and is launching her very own line. Titled Patten, according to Ross this vision has been a 20 year dream and 10 years in the making. Writing her first brand pitch in 2008, Ross took her time and worked with a team of chemists for 2 years to formulate what she finds as the perfect combination of safe ingredients to cater to the 3B - 4C audience. After testing over 74 samples on herself along with her panel of different hair types, Ms Ross finally landed 7 products as an introduction to the Pattern collection.

What is also exciting about this brand is the sizes available for purchase. One of my main issues personally with natural hair products is the small sizes. Usually after two washes I need a whole new bottle of shampoo conditioner. Ross provides the option of large, refillable travel sizes and reasonable pricing to make Pattern affordable and accessible. Now the question is will all melanated hair types love it? We shall find out when Pattern makes it’s debut on September 9th. I for one will be following up with a review and photos of my results.

For more information and to get updates on the launch, visit https://patternbeauty.com

-Love & Light my Rising Roses!

GOODBYE JOB, HELLO CAREER!

Sweater Dress from www.shopgesphania.com

For years I dreamed of the day I would leave that 9-5. That corporate hustle working for some anonymous millionaire. I would go into somewhat of a progressive trance, envisioning my last day. How I would walk out humbly but internally would be doing back flips. Well my Rising Roses, that day has finally come. This lady right here is an official full time entrepreneur.

It has been a long time coming.

Days, months and years of waiting for the right moment to take that leap. The perfect strategy to execute. I was patient. I waited, waited some more, and became comfortable in just waiting. Until it hit me that the right moment would never come and there's no true perfect strategy. You just have to make a decision and go with it.

I started packing my desk weeks ahead.

My spirit was pulling at me and screaming "time is up Gess! The time is now!" By the time the decision was made, I didn't even need one box for my things. I just had my jacket, my purse and the huge grin I was attempting to hide as I walked out of that building. The building that I had no future in. The building many of my now former co-workers claimed as their own, using phrases like "We have made 2 billion this year". While in my head I always would rebuttal, "No THEY have made 2 billion this year".

I'm not made for the 9-5

Not that there's anything wrong with those who do love to work for a company. Companies would fail without employees. Nothing would get done. People would hate speaking to an automated system and the world would probably blow up in anger and chaos because of it. So I have much respect for the 9-5ers.

For those like me who want to march to the beat of their own drum, I encourage you to go for it. Whatever you're passionate about and want to share with the world, go make it happen. There isn't a perfect moment to seize the day. You only have one day that's yours at a time. Tomorrow may be too little too late.

What am I doing now you may ask?

• I am continuing to build my fabulous fashion website www.shopgesphania.com 
• I am officially a certified wedding consultant (your girl was low key in school) and plan to use this passionate skill to further build our Bridal Boutique Storefront and wedding decor service www.susesweddings.com
• I also will continue to let my artistic side flourish as the 2nd photographer for our Production business, QREV Production

Does this make me a serial entrepreneur?

Nevertheless, I am going for all that I love, all that I look forward to waking up to, all that is worth my time. It's about living your BEST life. Do not settle for less. I've said this so many times and I will continue to remind you to keep striving towards the accomplishment of all your DREAMS.

So I say cheers to living your best life. Go live it. I believe in you!

Love & Light

Black Owned Spotlight: Grandslammer$ Inc by Chris Blackwood

I was scrolling through my timeline when one of my friends shared a photo of one of the coolest sweatshirts I've ever seen. A young woman wearing a white sweatshirt with a huge sparkly gold seal in the center. It immediately pulled me in and I had to know where she got it from. It took me about 5 seconds to discover Grandslammer$, a black owned business located in our northern neighbor, Canada.

After looking at their numerous apparel selections, I decided to get the very sweatshirt that initially caught my attention. Pricing was decent (Remember the US Dollar is currently higher which will translate at checkout), plus I'm always searching for coupon codes and I managed to snag one upon check out.

Once I received it I fell in LOVE. Even more eye catching in person, I wore it out the next day I received it. Material is quality and super comfy. The attractive glitter logo makes it more versatile to wear with sneakers or heels. I can't begin to count the amount of people that asked me where I got this awesome find! I had to learn more about the man behind the sparkle so I reached out and what I found out made me appreciate it even more. Check out his personal interview with me below and EXCLUSIVE TO MY READERS! ENJOY 15% OFF YOUR VERY OWN GRANDSLAMMER$ GEAR! DIRECTIONS TO GET THE CODE AT THE END OF THIS INTERVIEW!

Name: Chris Blackwood
Age: 34
Brand Name: Grandslammer$

When did you start creating your apparel line? 

We started the clothing line 3 years ago. My younger brother Jason Blackwood, Co Founder of Grandslammer$, and I began this journey in the community of Jane and Finch which is located in Toronto, Canada. 

Where does your artistic influence come from?

The artistic influence for our Grandslammer$ logo and our various editions come from My younger brother Jason. This Granslammer$ journey was all started from my younger brother's vision. 

What is the concept behind your brand?  Grandslammer$ is a Canadian urban clothing line that symbolizes hard work, determination, achieving your goals, Grinding for yours, and never giving up. Grandslammer$ is a lifestyle. Individuals, around the world, that are working hard to achieve their personal goals everyday is a Grandslammer$. Our logo is a clock, with the word GRIND in it, meaning that every second, minute, and hour you have to GRIND in order to achieve your personal goals.

What do you hope to accomplish with your brand?

What we hope to accomplish with Grandslammer$ is to be recognized as a credible Canadian clothing line, just like ROOTS. We also hope to have expand from our online store to an actual store front. We want to inspire other young people and young entrepreneurs coming from "at risk" communities, that we grew up in, to follow their dreams and GRIND for it. 

What inspired your logo? And the glitter effect? 

What inspired our logo was my younger brother's vision of "GRINDING for yours "as soon as you wake up. As you can see, our logo has a clock and it says GRIND. That's why our motto is "Support the BRAND that supports your GRIND ". Our "Glitter Effect" symbolizes the hard work that an individual is putting into achieving his or her personal goals. You have to GRIND to SHINE. The glitter adds a special feeling to our pieces when it's being worn. If you don't wear jewelry, our shirts our the perfect accessory. The feedback for the glitter has been humbling because all of our customers love there way it looks and makes them feel.

How do you describe your fashions and style?

I describe my fashion style as a simple, clean, and loud at the same time. I can wear our Grandslammer$ Brand in any setting (at home, at work, at special events, and in the club). 

How did you develop your interest in an apparel line? 

Coming from our community, which is considered a "hood" you have to always be on point and look fresh. You always have to make sure that your shoes match your shirt, your pants complement your shirt and shoes, and your hat compliments everything else. We use to wear all the name brand clothing lines but then we realized that we could do the same thing. So my brother came up with the Grandslammer$ concept and that's all I've been wearing ever since. The feedback has been humbling on all levels.

What is your favorite item in your collection?

Picking a favorite item is like choosing who is my very child. I honestly love them all. Every last piece, in our collection, is a personal favorite of mine.

What do you hope for your business in the future?

We hope to be Nationally recognized as a credible urban clothing line. Also, have a few store fronts around Canada and North America

What is the biggest challenge being a black business owner?

Being taken seriously from clothing manufacturers and the general public is our biggest challenge by I strongly believe that, due to our work ethic, we are slowly getting their attention.

What advice do you have other aspiring business owners?

Believe in your brand no matter what. Stay consistent with marketing your brand. Utilize social media to market your brand. Last but not least, create a team of individuals that believe in your brand as much as you do.

ENJOY 15% OFF YOUR GRANDSLAMMER$ APPAREL! CLICK HERE TO GRAB THE CODE!

#SUPPORTBLACKOWNED
#BLACKOWNEDBUSINESS
#REVIVEBLACKWALLSTREET

Update: NEW Season NEW Arrivals! ShopGesphania.com

It's been about 3 months since my self titled fashion website was launched (insert happy dance here). I have been a busy bee since then connecting with vendors, scheduling photo shoots and just learning along the way. With the fall/winter season here I have just added some new items!

During this season I like to dress a little darker. Solid dark blazers are my go-to add on. I've added both Navy and Wine blazers to the collection. You can rock them with jeans and a simple tee, add flair to your business attire over a black blouse and slacks, or throw it over a mini dress for a night on the town.

Following my collection, you will soon notice my love of jumpsuits. I choose a Jumpsuit when I don't feel like figuring out what top should go with what bottom. It's a complete outfit in itself and all I have to focus on is what shoes to wear with it. There will always be one or two jumpsuits in each season. My new jumpsuit love is the Bond Jumpsuit. What pulled me in was the one side lapel! Gives that "I'm holding a blazer over one shoulder look but I'm so not". Fits in all the right places! I don't see this jumpsuit staying available for long. I'm already selling out of some sizes.

I think my favorite add of this season's collection are the Ora Dresses. Comes in three colors: Wine, Nude, and Black. I love the fit and solid material. Two elements of this dress pulled me in. The first is the Front & Back Half-Wrap Overlay. In my transformation from being a skinny mini to "Slim Thick", I have acquired a new ASSet (pun intended), my booty. Some dresses make it look too accentuated so the Half Wrap tones it down but still gives that slight sexy appeal.

There will be more styles to come! With winter approaching we will be entering the season of SPARKLE so look forward to that soon!

As always thank you for taking the time to read and make sure to show me some LOVE in the comments section and on my LOVE WALL (<---click there) on my fashion site (I'm kind of bummed cause I moved the wall to a different section and didn't know that would delete ALL the previous comments... :( !... BUT nonetheless I appreciate all the encouragement I've been shown thus far! It means so much!

Dream Big
♥ Gesphania

Why The Protests Of Today Are NOT Enough

Photo Courtesy of the women of Rescued Church Boston

So it happened again. I woke up to a slew of social media posts regarding another unarmed black person killed by police. My heart began to race as I tried to remain as calm as possible while watching the video on the train to work. I kept repeating to myself "slow breaths Gess". I remembered my previous reaction to the murder of Philando Castile. How I burst into tears and sobbed in public like he was my own brother. How the white people on the train tried their best not to make eye contact and the black people gave me looks of comfort. I didn't want to lose control the way I did before. 

Now I sat watching this new video. This new video with the same old familiarity. A black man on the side of the road because his car broke down, was confronted and shot by police for looking like a "big bad dude" to them. His name was Terrence Crutcher. The next day another black man was shot in his car while waiting for his son. His name was Keith Lamont Scott. 

I have reached a point where I'm not surprised by these incidents and I expect more of them to occur. The outrage is felt for a few weeks through rally's, protests and news coverage and then it dies down until the next injustice. Picket signs and catchy chants are not making a difference. Yes it brings light to the issue and gets people talking, but not enough movement towards change. What can we do when protesting isn't enough?

I think back to when protesting made a difference. When protests resulted in actual change. What comes to mind the most was the Montgomery bus boycott. To fight the injustice of segregation within public transportation, 40,000 African American bus riders stopped using the service. Instead, they car pooled with one another or walked to get to their destination. This wasn't just a one day thing. This boycott lasted 381 days. Back then, African Americans made up 75% of Montgomery ridership. This boycott resulted in the U.S Supreme Court ruling that any law requiring racially segregated seating on buses violated the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

A change was made because white society was beginning to become affected economically. No black bus riders meant 75% of revenue was lost until justice prevailed. Imagine if we could do this in today's times? If as a collective every black person made a decision to boycott UNTIL change is made. And I'm not talking picket signs and marches. I'm talking like refusing to purchase anything from white owned companies until a law is put in place that bans shoot to kill so the suspect can have a chance to be tried fairly. If we don't take a united stand and stick to it until we see results, it's very unlikely that these murders will stop. We as a people have been mistreated since we were forced to come to this land. Isn't it time to truly unify?

You may ask, how is it possible to avoid buying from white owned companies? Where will I eat? Where will I purchase groceries? The problem is we rely on and invest so much into white owned companies that we forgot how to survive on our own. This is the time to research black owned business including black owned farms, markets, retail stores, restaurants, banks, etc. Reach out to the closest black owned businesses in your area and assemble to start a plan to support one another. Let's all get on the same page. If we can make a big enough impact economically, we can push for a change. 

Below are a few links that can get you started. Reach out to the black leaders in you neighborhood and begin a movement in your community:

Black Owned Banks List: http://watchtheyard.com/life/black-owned-banks/

Black Owned Restaurants: http://www.idontdoclubs.com/2016/07/08/black-owned-restaurants/

Black Owned Farms: http://preview.blavity.com/black-farmers-to-buy-from/

Black Owned Grocery Stores: https://blackmainstreet.net/black-farmers-and-grocery-stores-to-buy-from/

Black Owned General Directory: https://www.supportblackowned.com/

#BUYBLACKMOVEMENT
#SUPPORTBLACKBUSINESS

Not Your Average Model Size: Introducing My Fashion Site! (Insert enthusiastic scream here)

Photo Cred: QREV Production

I did it. I launched ShopGesphania.com. A website I have been envisioning for quite some time but initially did not imagine it to be a reality. I wanted to build myself as a brand. Merging all of my passions into one. Writing, media and fashion. Sharing my style with the world and incorporating my personal experience with each item. The sole model of said website, me. No searching for that 5'7", 100 lbs beauty that most boutiques choose to promote their brand. Just the 5'0" 140 lbs queen that is myself.

My first photo shoot session was quite nerve wrecking. I was filled with emotion as I tried on each outfit analyzing my every inch. I am not model size... not in weight or in height, I thought. Would my face be good enough for my target audience?, I pondered. Do I even look good in these clothes? All my insecurities spilled out and with each snap I became more nervous. My photographer did not share the same sentiment. He showered my posture, look and overall appearance with compliments. At first, I thought, building my confidence with compliments was part of his job to bring the best out of me, but after I took a peak at myself on his camera, I began to see what he did. I began to see my not so average model size is the perfect fit.

I find this whole process interesting because up until 2 years ago, I was that 100 lbs slim beauty (minus the height). I used to complain about being too small for my age and I wanted to join "Team Thick" so badly. For years I compared my body to others and tried to attain what I thought was beautiful. Now that I've reached my goal weight, I have moments when I'm wondering if I'm too big. Definitely an eye opening realization that beauty truly begins with accepting yourself for who you are no matter the size and striving to become the best version of you. Certainly grateful for this self awareness.

With that, I am proud of the woman I am, and the woman I am growing into. I am very excited to share more of myself with you through my passions. Make sure to visit ShopGesphania.com and leave a comment on the Love Wall. I appreciate all the encouragement, love and support!