When something bad happens in your life, which can happen pretty infrequently, that is the moment when you have a few decisions to make. Do you allow the moment to define you, destroy you, or use it as ammunition to further fuel you? I will not lie, I definitely had a moment or two when I did not know how I was going to make it out on top during this time, however, I knew that I could not allow this moment to define me. If I did, I wanted it to define me as a victor and not a victim, and I definitely was not going to let it destroy me; that wasn't even an option on my table.
After I completed some of my short term goals, I decided to take some time to celebrate myself and my accomplishments during such a challenging time in my life. Although some of my friends took me out for drinks the day of my birthday, I did not plan anything for my friends to attend that week as I usually would do. Therefore, I decided to combine my birthday celebrations with my launch party for my brand new website!
Towards the end of October, my birthday/launch party began as just a thought in my
mind, and I honestly did not know how I was going to pull it off, but I was extremely determined to. I had just wrapped up a successful event for one of my clients earlier that month, and I was on a high from that event. It reminded me that it was time to celebrate myself, and in order to now have a successful event for myself, I had to make sure I had everything in order.
I started off by asking myself the following questions:
Which date works best for my family, friends and I, before Thanksgiving?
What am I trying to accomplish by hosting this event?
Is it within a realistic timeframe to occur?
Where would I host it?
Would I have enough funds to pull this off??
Once I reflected on these questions, I decided to tap into my social currency, in other words, my network, to make this come to life.
Strategize & Celebrate
I concluded that November 15th would be the best date throw my launch party. It was the perfect date, right in the middle of the month and 10 days before Thanksgiving in order to avoid any possible date overlaps. Once I solidified the date, I reached out to my friend/manager to see if that date would work well to host the event at the restaurant I worked at, La Fonda Boricua. I initially wanted to host the event at my apartment building but the time restraint did not work for me, so Harlem, NY it is!
My next steps were to confirm Papi Wines as my wine sponsor, approve the food & signature drink menu, create the invites, & determined how much I would charge my guests to attend. The fee would cover the food and drinks for my guests and help support some of my business needs. I also decided to make gift bags for the first 30 people who attend my event which consisted of small bottles of Papi Wine, a small jar of banana pudding made by Indulge by Mia, and business cards.
I then began marketing my event on my social media while also announcing a digital launch prior to the event for the people who would not be able to attend. My digital launch took place on IG TV, a week before the actual launch party. It was very important to me to host both the digital launch and this live launch party because I wanted and needed to bring awareness to my brand, while also proving to myself that despite my circumstances, I still am able to show up and celebrate myself.
A Colorful Dreamer Agency Launch Party
I had over 40 people attend my event which included family, friends and my regular customers at the restaurant. Although there were a few hiccups, it still turned out to be a success and I was greeted with many people excited to celebrate my birthday, my brand, and me overall! It was such an amazingly warm feeling to see most of the people I love and care for in one room mingling with one another, some even making new connections.
The unlimited wine, my signature drink entitled 'The Dreamcatcher,' all the food, and the
music was a hit! We ate, drank, and danced the night away, and I could not have had it any other way. So, instead of letting my setback hold me back and define me in a negative way, I decided to allow it to define me in a more profound way, with me emerging with a new brand image, and the confidence that came along with that.
I decided during my birthday month that I was going to celebrate my small and large wins no matter what my bank account looked like or what my stress levels felt like. I had just finished receiving my unemployment checks in October so I was definitely in fight or flight mode, however, through my determination to keep pushing, I was able to make my November, my birth month, one to remember, shared with the ones I love and care for.
Click on this video recap of my party in the 'Dream in Color Events' tab.
Blessed to see a New Year filled with New Goals
The end of the year was approaching and it did add a little more stress due to my thoughts about how I will make 2020 different and more lucrative. Despite my thoughts of whats next, I made sure to embrace what was happening in my life at the moment, remaining grateful for the roof I still have over my head and being able to still pay my rent & bills. My 2020 goals are ones I knew I had to get down on paper, but for the moment, I decided to remain focused on the rest of the days I had left in 2019, and to make the best of that.
I had to remind myself that what was meant to destroy me, actually was strengthening me, and I am excited to see where the rest of this journey takes me.
The finale of my story, Chapter 5, will be revealed next Wednesday, April 29th, 2020.
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Thank you for reading, and stay tuned!