What's new this quarter?
Holiday Word of Joy and Gratitude
“Joyful Conversations With Val”
How Stopping a Vice Uncovered a Blind Spot
Vacation as a Way of Life
Joy Light On Emara!
Power Networking: Taking Charge of Your Success!
This is our first holiday season, since 2019,  that many of us,  will reunite with family and friends.  For those who have lost loved ones during the pandemic, I am sending you a  special prayer of healing and comfort. 
 
This pandemic has made It clear to us that the relationships we have with our friends and family are very precious.  Let this holiday season be one where we put aside any differences we've had with one another and fully express our love and gratitude for being present, here and now.  

I want to take this time to thank each and every one of you for your support over the years.  Your  demonstrations of love and affection toward me are life giving!  I wish you and yours a happy and joy-filled holiday season!
I recently I launched “Joyful Conversations With Val”, an interview series committed to empowering, uplifting, and supporting women who
are in transition, are ready for a change, are resisting taking that next important step, need to be reminded of their greatness or who are living their best life now!
My next “Joyful Conversation with Val” will be held on my birthday, December 14th!  My featured guest is my dear friend, Viola Haywood. The theme of this conversation will be “Grace In Aging”. Mrs. Haywood is one of the most inspring people I know! I hope you can celebrate my birthday with Mrs. Haywood and I!
I will kick of my 2022 series of "Joyful Conversations with Val", on January 12, 2022 at 6:00 pm! I'm excited to feature Elizabeth Madison, a super talented Registered Dietician, who takes a faith based approach to wellness and weight loss. Liz is a dynamic, highly skilled practioner who has a strong committment to see her clients live a healthy and vibrant life. You don't want to miss this uplifting and informative conversation!
During this pandemic season, I found myself drinking excessively. I was still living powerfully, doing amazing work to expand my business, wholeheartedly committed to my role as Assistant Director of Student Affairs at Hunter College, staying connected with friends and family, not really missing a beat.   However,  my soul and spirit was unsettled. I decided to get grounded in my spirituality and ask for guidance. To date, I haven’t had a drink in in 73 days (but who’s counting?!).  
 
You often hear that people “have to hit rock bottom” to stop using drugs or abusing alcohol.  (Sadly, when it comes to addiction, for some,  rock bottom can also be fatal. So, in no way do I want to minimize hitting “rock bottom”)   Interestingly enough for me, when I stopped drinking alcohol, I hit a rock bottom in fully coming to terms with the fact that I have issues in creating healthy romantic relationships with men.  I now see that drinking had me numb to this knowing! I have some real issues with intimacy and interdependence!  Thank God, I’m in therapy and am committed to sorting this out!  I share this with you, to encourage you to ask yourself  if you are “numbing out” and not present to an important area of your life that is just not working.  What vices are you using to avoid dealing with conflicts, disappointments, misalignments and/or regrets.  Is there a “rock bottom” waiting for you to find freedom?  

I hope my share resonates with you in a way that has you taking action to live a joy driven life!
“Vacation as a way of life” is one of my life mottos.  It has as much to do with making a commitment to travel near and far as it has to do with a way of Being (i.e., letting my mental health, my physical health and spiritual health lead me)

In October, I visited with a dear friend who lives in Plymouth Massachusetts.  Her home is 5 minutes from the beach.  I had an absolutely fabulous time and was reminded of how spirituality uplifting the beach is during any time of the year.  

I continue to seek ways to feed my spirit.  I encourage you to seek ways to stay grounded and centered.
I seize every opportunity I have to uplift and showcase the amazing women in my life!  With that said, I’d like to introduce you to Emara Grainger!
 
Emara is a wholistic women’s empowerment coach, mother of 2, fashion and jewelry designer. This creative woman is also my Social Media Image Consultant!
 
Emara focuses on helping women live their best life from the inside out. She teaches virtual and in person fitness classes, trains one to one, and provides virtual wellness  and fitness accountability coaching. Emara also hand makes clothing and jewelry as well as fabulously styles clients. Emara does all of this while building a business and a brand and raising small children. I’m so blessed to have Emara in my circle of amazing women living their life fully self-expressed! Check her out on Instagram @endurancemome and @wristpressions
In addition to coaching women, I facilitate professional development webinars. One of my most popular webinars is : Power Networking:  Taking Charge of Your Success This presentation provides participants with the following:

  • Intentional and proactive networking strategies

  • Presentation skill building techniques 

  • A format for creating a networking action plan.

If you are interested in learning more about these webinars, please shoot me an email
“Power Networking: Where Your Career and Your Well-Being Meet” provides readers with a roadmap that integrates self-care, networking and career advancement.

It divulges insightful networking concepts and strategies which will help you learn the art of active listening, how to use social media as a networking tool, and how being of service naturally creates opportunities.

This book will help you catapult from an average networker to a power networker and achieve your goals in your personal and professional life.