Wow. It finally hit me that not only are we approaching 2010, but we are coming to the end of a decade! I don’t know how I missed that. I remember what I was think as we approached the end of 1999 and believe me, some of the things I’m doing today wasn’t even on the radar. So after I marinated on the fact that we’re closing a decade, I started doing some reflecting and reviewing of my life over this past 10 years.
As I approached 2000, I had no idea that some things would be this way today in 2009. In no particular order, I lost my Dad, found love, raised a teenager (and got him off to college), gained some new friends (and great mentors!), lost some old ones, had serious financial loss, learned how to invest, made money in the stock market, lost money in the market, had great financial gain, bought a house, got debt free, got back into debt, returned to college, started a radio show, became an empty nester, left recruiting, got back into recruiting, wrote a book, turned 40, lost close family members, gained two nephews and sister in law, saw the biggest rip off election, celebrated our first Black President, and even got a dog! WOW. It’s enough to make my head spin. There was much more, but those are the highlights. I can’t say this decade was the greatest but it has shown me how tough and resourceful I really am. I have had some great times, don’t get me wrong. But as I turned 30 at the beginning of this decade, I had a map of where I wanted to head this decade. I had it all figured out. I’d grow a multi-million dollar company and be living in a mansion by the end of the decade. Well I can report I am NOT living in a mansion…yet. LOL
I remember in 1999 my Dad being all panicked and cautious about Y2K (remember that!) and the millenium. He swore that the end was near and that we needed to start stockpiling canned good, flashlights and batteries.LOL He said technology was going to go crazy. Daddy never even had a cell phone! 2000 came in without any fanfare. Once he was positive that Y2K wasn’t going to converge upon us, he was fine. Two years later, we buried him. I would say that was the beginning of the “toughening” of Adrienne Graham. I had always played it safe and was Daddy’s Little Girl. No matter what I got myself into, my Daddy always helped me get out. Well when he passed, I found myself for the first time having to be a real live grown up. I learned how to step into my own, handle my finances, and start going for what I want. Until then, it had been a test run.
Today, I look at what I’m doing and I know back in 1999 I wouldn’t have been half the woman with half the courage to do some of the things I’m doing now. For the longest time I thought God was punishing me for using my Dad as a safety net. But as I got deeper into the word I realized that life is a cycle. None of us are guaranteed to be here forever. While my Dad left us at what I think is a young age, it was his time. I know now that he’s looking down on me smiling and proud of me. I adore my radio show. I am excited about the magazine and internet tv channel. I can’t wait to see what happens with my business in 2010.
The one thing I’ve learn, and perhaps the most important thing, is that I can do anything I want if I put my mind to it. I no longer live life worried about what’s going to happen. I live in the moment, not in the past. Yes, 2009 was one of the hardest years for me in this decade, but it didn’t break me. If I didn’t break after losing my Dad, I can handle anything this economy throws at me! I create my own power. I control my own destiny (with God of course). I’m proud of how far I’ve come. I go into 2010 not bitter about 2009 like a lot of people. I’ve taken the lessons I learned this year (this decade) and use them to move me forward. There is no time for tears. There is no time for would have, could have, should have. I am ready to make big things happen.
So out with this decade and the trials that came with it. I take those lumps and those lessons and move on to living my best life. I look forward to 2010 and all the phenomenal things waiting for me as I approach it. I have such an excitement built up inside of me. I wish you could feel my vibes! I look forward to taking what I’ve learned and not just turning my business into a multi million dollar business, but also blessing others as I rise.
Are you ready for the next decade? I sure hope so. Time waits for no man or woman.
Til next time.
Adrienne Graham
It doesn’t have to be lonely at the top. Sometimes women feel they have so much more to prove than men, that they keep every task, project, or issue to themselves. This can lead to destruction if you’re not careful. Ladies, you can be a leader and still delegate critical tasks to others, while maintaining control. There’s no rule that says in order to be successful you HAVE to do it all. Join me as my guests and I discuss how women in top positions handle leadership and delegating. We will be discussing how to learn how to delegate in order to lead effectively, the pitfalls of not delegating, hiring the right people and deciding what should be delegated, and how to create an environment where people will gladly follow your lead because they believe in your vision and mission. Tune in live at 9AM EST at 
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First of all, let me acknowledge that I am late. I should have made this post last month. But better late than never. It’s no secret that Oprah is one of my role models. I may not agree with everything she says or does, but it doesn’t diminish my respect for her. You see, I can agree to disagree with her and not hate her. But in the end, she is always a shrewd business woman, a compassionate human being and a powerful force to be reckoned with. She is someone I aspire to be like. I don’t want to replace Oprah. I want to be a media mogul in my own right without trying to step into her shine. I just want to give women the tools they need to experience professional growth and empowerment through media.
I first heard about the impending sale from an email a friend forwarded to me yesterday. I had mixed emotions when I read it. On the one hand, I thought “here we go again. Selling out just like Essence. Well if they didn’t care about their readership, then good riddance”. On the other hand I thought, “wait a minute. Not again! We are losing our publications! Something has to be done”.
There is an ongoing “debate” as to whether or not women can successfully manage a career AND a family. Both are equally demanding aspects of women’s lives that they want to manage successfully. Some say women shouldn’t sacrifice their family, specifically their children, to be successful in business. Others say women should go for their dreams and be successful in business to give a good example to their children, specifically their daughters. It isn’t a black and white issue. Today’s upwardly mobile professional woman has her eye on her family and the prize and aren’t settling for one over the other. They learn to make it work without sacrificing quality in either area. My panelists say you CAN have both. Join me and my guests as we discuss the ins and outs of managing a successful career AND raising a healthy family…without losing your mind!
If you listened to my radio show this morning 
