Words of Wisdom From @JadeMLawrence. A Mention of @fabsnetwork

Jade “What did you say to my mate?” Lawrence speaks a whole lotta damn sense. Last week she tweeted the following.

“People only want to know you when you have reached the peak of your success, not when you’re building it.”

Never a truer word spoken. I SOOOOOOO believe that, to the point that it inspired my blog post today.

I had to re-tweet that the moment I saw it and before bed made a call to fabsnetwork [his Twitter name] to see how he was getting on with his many a business ventures. I mentioned that tweet to him because as soon as I saw it, I thought of him.

On April 1st 2010 he sent out a broadcast message on BBM saying he had secured a £1.2million deal with Google. My eyes lit up and I was ecstatic for him. I held off from calling him. Why? I knew for a FACT that he would have had a ton of people instantly calling and texting him on the sight of £1.2 million alone. I asked him and he said his phone was blowing up something crazy. After I sat back and thought about it with my dodo self, I realised he had played an April’s Fool prank. OK so, I had been got but I ONLY believed it because I know just how HARD he works and is always off to some meeting and trying to secure some deal, so to me that ‘make believe’ deal was not far fetched. I see him doing his thing and you know when you just know someone is going to do what they set out to achieve??? Well that’s him! I gave him some advice and told him to watch the people that are checking for him now, and watch those that come out of the woodwork when something major happens and want in on celebrating his success with him. He’s not silly. He saw a prime example with that April Fools joke and I’m glad some people showed their true colours at the sight of money. All of a sudden they knew his name. All of a sudden they just had to pick up the phone and call.

I don’t support people just because I support them because I believe in them and see their potential.

If you start your own business, cause or campaign, getting people to support you is tough. There are two things that are very noticeable and suck big time.

1. When the people closest to you don’t even have your back, support you or show any interest.

2. When you get to a certain level, the people who apply to number 1 all of a sudden know you and want in. They now realise you were serious about yours all along and not a fluke talking about what you were going to do.

When you’re on your way to making it, you’re a joke and an embarrassment. The minute you achieve a little something, now you’re all of a sudden credible to them???

Why are people only ready to pick up the phone and call FAB when they see a BBM broadcast message that mentions pound signs?

Is Jade’s phone going to blow up with people from her past when she gets leading roles in film and television?

Are people going to tell you “I knew you could do it!” when you got to where you are at? The same people who LIE through their teeth and never even uttered those words to you on your way up.

Anyone who supports you now during the hard times when your dreams are down on paper or in your head GENUINELY has your back. They support you because they believe in your dream along with you. Sometimes they believe for you when you may not believe even believe in yourself all that much at times. Anyone that you know who supports you AFTER you’ve made it to where you want to be, needs to be kept at a firm distance. Trust me, these people will be the ones that if you lost it all, will disappear just as fast as they popped up.

Surround yourself with like minded individuals

Meaning if you’re trying to get ahead in business, surround yourself with established people in business or others like yourself who are serious about becoming a businessman/woman. Get a mentor, network, and stick with those folks. If you want to be in business, then be about business. Don’t be about Pookie n dem who have no desire to get ahead. Let them do them. Spending most of your time around Pookie will not help you to progress to the next level, because you and Pookie are on a different level entirely. If they’re good people/friends to you and only good for hanging out, dinner, drinks, clubbing, then hang out, dine, drink and club when you have the time to do so. Don’t get distracted, but don’t neglect or cut off your friends either, just divvy up your time wisely.

If you have some friends like I do that have no drive or desire to start a business then don’t chat your business about your business to them. You will not get any support in the sense that you are hoping for and will often find yourself very frustrated with them. Those not wanting to do the same as you is fine, it really is. We all have different goals and aspirations in life.

If you need a little or sometimes a big hand with something and they never follow through for you after they say they will, then do the following. Make a mental note of who they are, check how often they call you and/or wanting favours, then keep doing you. You know why? When you’ve done you to the fullest, made it and been successful I bet you you’ll have either a very jealous friend or one who is all of a sudden VERY supportive. Check them on that when the time comes and remind them that they couldn’t even respond to an e-mail, phone call or come through when you needed them the most.

Beforehand save the frustration that’s mounted up in the pit of your belly and create your little black book. Use this as a means of inspiration to press and push forward and become very accomplished in your goals. Don’t use it to cuss them out and tell them "they ain’t shit!" It will only set you back as you don’t need any upset during ‘Operation Do You’ time. On the right side write down the names of the ones in your corner, on the left side the names of the ones that weren’t. When it comes to the celebratory gathering, shout out, acknowledgement of the ones who helped you along the way, open that book, pick up the mic, refer to and thank the right side ONLY. Drop the mic and exit the stage to the left. Let whoever want to get vex, get vex. You yourself were vex when they weren’t helping you out or supporting you. You held it in continued to do you, and got on with it. That’ll be your exhale moment. You asked, they declined, or did not support you. They could have been on the right side of your book if they really wanted to. Instead you got left, so that’s where they stay too.

Continue to believe in yourself and remain focused. The reality of it is the people we expect to care and support 100% actually don’t. The realisation of this can be shocking and to some very hurtful. Like I said, pay close attention, watch them, but watch what you’re doing even more. Sometimes I like to ‘test’ those closest to me, ask them for support in some way, when needed and see if they come through. I’ve noticed it’s the same culprits all the time that don’t. LondonDiva knows when her phone rings, when people say good luck, when people do the smallest of favours she asks, when people help her out. She remembers. [Enough of talking about myself in the third person].

The sad thing is that sometimes along the way the ones that help you the most are strangers or people that you don’t know very well. These people will outnumber the ones that you thought would have your back when asked.

So read it again and let it sink in

“People only want to know you when you have reached the peak of your success, not when you’re building it.”

Thank you Jade.

Nick Cannon's April 12th Jet Magazine Cover - He Isn't Mr Carey!

People call him corny, but the brotha man and husband to one of the biggest selling female artists of all time is very accomplished...and he hasn't even hit 30 yet. 

Nick Cannon made his first million at 15 years old. 

Can we please stop with the NICK CANNON IS BROKE CRAP! 

"Well..." I hear you say, "compared to Jay Z and Diddy...." 

Shut up!!

...no need to compare, because compared to Bill Gates & Steve Jobs, Jay-Z and Diddy are broke, so that's neither here nor there. I'm highly doubting anyone reading this blog is on Nick's level so check your bank account before you call anyone broke. How are broke folks gonna call someone richer than themselves broke?

This is a hard working man with more fingers in business related pie holes than the average Joe out there.

He hasn't got x amount of kids by x amount of women. he's not doing prison time. He's not buying up ridiculous amounts of cars and houses from every cheque. Nor is he spending over $100k in clubs on Dom P and Cristal in one night. 

Nick doesn't really flaunt his wealth, and it seems he is secure enough within himself to be married to a highly successful woman 11 years his senior.....but according to a lot of you Nick is broke, and it was Mariah who paid for her ring? Stop the madness!

I like the way Sherri, put Barbara in her place on The View back in October 2009, referring to Nick as being an entrepreneur. You could tell she looked a lil pissed off about her even asking "did Nick Pay for the ring?" How do you even have the gaul to ask Mariah (or any woman that) for that matter?

You can see the rings in all their glory at the 4:00 mark.

According to Forbes magazine Nick Cannon's net is worth an estimated $34-39 million, and Mariah worth around $250-$300 million. Based on their careers and success it's easy to to see why, but I'm not going to knock a man who's worth a hell of a lot more than you or I. If he likes it, I love it.

Now to some, people would say his net worth isn't much. Truth is Nick Cannon is a rare breed in Black Celebville. As long as he stays hard working, committed to his businesses and marriage, he's alright by me. From what I see of Nick Cannon so far I wouldn't mind seeing more brothas like him in every walk of life. We should be proud of him and his accomplishments. How many times do black men get press for negativity, and the minute someone pops up like Tyler Perry or Nick Cannon we always have to find SOMETHING to focus on and harp on about. I constantly hear 'coonery' referred to Tyler and 'corny' referred to Nick, but there will be women in droves saddened by Lil Weezy doing jail time and signing damn petitions for his release. Some of you are supporting the wrong brothas I swear!

Send me a Nick Cannon any day, if that's corny I want it. I'll appreciate him. 

He's not afraid to marry a woman more financially affluent and successful than him. 

Has no problem showing and telling the world how much he loves her.

Continues to be a highly successful business man with his 'corny' self cashing those 'corny' checks and driving his 'corny' cars with a brand new 'corny' mansion in LA which he recently purchased with Mariah.

You know there are a ton of highly successful, highly paid black women that would want a brotha that fits the bill like that? Especially one who earns substantially less than his wife and he just doesn't care because he's too busy trying build his own empire. Go get it Nick I wish you the best of luck and anyone else out there trying to be their own boss and build some wealth for themselves.

You can also read about Nick's up & coming projects for 2010 in a back dated Essence feature.

Nick Cannon: Being His Own Man

JET - April 12, 2010 issue

Nick Canon says he laughs when people call him "Mr. Mariah Carey." 'That type of stuff is humorous to me," he says. "The 'Mr.Carey' stuff is not an insult to me." Cannon and Carey married two years ago in a top-secret ceremony in The Bahamas that surprised many in and out of Hollywood.

He says if he was not accomplished in his own right, he might worry when people refer to him as just Mariah's husband. "If I were an insecure individual or if that was true, that type of statement—that I am a 'boy toy' or 'yes man' and all that type of stuff—would bother me. "But anybody who knows me or talks to me for five minutes knows clearly that's not the picture," says Cannon, who is 29.

Cannon has established himself as an actor (in the film Drumline, for example); a recording artist and music producer; stand-up comic; radio personality; and TV host of America's Got Talent.

These days, he is also building a business empire. Cannon is the CEO of his own multimedia company, NCredible Entertainment, and chairman of the Teen Nick television network. Still, his marriage to Mariah Carey gets a lot of attention.

The two clicked when Carey cast him as a lover in the video for her single Bye Bye in 2008. They wed soon afterward (JET, May 26 2008). Some said it wouldn't last more than a few months because of their age difference and her megastar status. He's heard all the rumors and speculation about their relationship.

"You can't take any of it seriously. As long as you are strong with who you are and put your family first within your household what people say on the outside is meaningless," Cannon says. "I believe a marriage is a union where two become one. I am not worried about it." He says age is not a factor in their marriage. "On the outside it may look like it, but it never comes up. We both have youthful spirits; we enjoy life."

Cannon says they will have children when "the time is right." "You can't have a family and be all over the world. You've got to focus and get it right," he says.

Inspiration From The Uninspired

A man has worked here for 35 years and showed up to work today 15 minutes before he’s due to start. I can already hear the ‘black’ responses to that alone in my head. Now the best you’ll get out of me is 3 minutes early, then I’ll spend those 180 seconds washing my hands and fixing my hair before the work day starts. You pay me from 8am you get me from 8am.

So for his dedicated 35 years he got £350 as a ‘gift.’

After much blinking and Jamaican cussing in my head, I had to work this out on a calculator.

That £350 works out to be £10 a year.

If you break it down much further that works out to be £0.19 a week.

19 pence a week for getting out of your bed, competing in the rush hour there and back, dedicating 35-40 hours a week over 35 years for a company that you played a part in helping build and remain strong in the financial sector.

Imagine if your boss came by to your desk every Friday, put £0.19 [30 cents] on your desk, and said thank you for your hard work this week? Wouldn’t you be vex? Wouldn’t you be looking for another job kowing that you’re worth more than that as a bonus and a thank you?

LondonDiva’s moral of the story is this….

START YOUR OWN BUSINESS. BE YOUR OWN BOSS. REWARD YOURSELF WITH WHATEVER YOU WANT, WHEN YOU WANT, BECAUSE YOU CAN!!

My standards are HIGH! During the interview for this job we got on the subject of cars and I told my then-to-be boss about my reality to one day own an Audi R8. [See what I did there? I didn’t call it a desire, wish or a dream. I called it a reality. You do the same with yours]. I left that interview knowing that job was mine and as I waiting to cross the street and Audi R8 passed me by, I smiled and shook my head. I’d never seen one in London before. NEVER, and this is a city where people drive some nice expensive cars. I drool over this car when watching Iron-Man [sometimes I only watch this movie JUST to see the car…yes that’s how much I love it]. I look at it online on the Audi website and it’s even on my digital photo frame vision board.

By me seeing this car I saw it as a good luck omen. You know when YOU KNOW you see signs, when you see them and what they mean…well that was my moment. Explain it to anyone else and it’s a coincidence [which I don’t believe in] or you’re strange. As far as I was concerned it was a sign to sit tight, the job and that car when I’m running the show as my own boss will be coming to me. I got the job which I knew I already had, and my manager liked me enough in the interview to up the rate I requested to be put forward for.

This man [the old dude who’s been here for 35 years] is my inspiration! He reminds me I’m here for the very purpose I came back to work for and do what I need to do…

1. Save my money, and use it to make more money.

2. Pay off the last of my debts which I can do in a matter of months.

THAT’S IT!

Not interested in a career. Don’t ask me about a 5 year plan, cause that’s just like cursing at me to my face! And not going on any courses to extend my knowledge either!

Every time I look at him he’s a reminder to stick to the plans I’m currently creating for myself and once 1 & 2 are completed get the HELL on out!

It’s not just the Trumps and the Winfrey’s that are inspiring when it comes to business. Sometimes it’s the little people, with no ambition, drive or determination to better themselves that inspire the hell out of you to NOT want to be like them.

So THANK YOU little Benjamin Button* looking old man, when I’m ready to celebrate my accomplishments and pick up my car from the dealership. I will think of you and have a splash of champagne in your honour!

*name withheld to save him from pure shame and embarrassment for not grabbing life by the balls and stepping out.