Ananda Leeke

Happy Internet Geek Tuesday!

Posted by Ananda Leekeon June 11, 2013in Internet Geek TuesdayLeave a comment

Happy Internet Geek Tuesday!

The women I meet online are some of the most brilliant, creative, entrepreneurial, and generous people in the universe. Alli Worthington is one of these women. Alli is the founder of Blissfully Domestic, a women’s e-zine, that helped spark the creativity she used to launch and co-found BlissDom and BlissDom Canada with Barbara Jones, CEO/Founder of Blissful Media Group and One2One Network in 2008. She is also a business consultant, coach, speaker, and strategist who has worked with and advised Fortune 500 companies and small businesses, from tech companies to your favorite household brands.

I first discovered her online presence and BlissDom during a conversation I had with women bloggers at the BlogHer conference in 2009. After the conference, I started following her on Twitter and reading about BlissDom. Her tweets introduced me to her brilliance, community building efforts, creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, and generosity. She quickly became one of my digital sister diva sheroes.

I met Alli in person while attending and speaking at the BlissDom 2012 Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Her positive energy and spirit were the first things I noticed and felt. She was in fact blissful from the inside out. Her commitment to sharing the best ideas, information, and inspiration with the BlissDom community was readily apparent.

Recently, Alli relaunched her web site AlliWorthington.com and changed the focus of her business so that it helps individuals realize they have what it takes to build their own business. Through her web site, she is offering several resources (see below).

Articles: Ask Alli and Building a Business
VIP Newsletter
Free E-Books: The Get Going Guide to Awesome, The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Radical Change, and The Action Guide to Online Success

I am a huge fan of these resources. The articles and VIP Newsletter rock my world with information, insights, and inspiration. My favorites articles are listed below.

I plan to read Alli’s three books this summer in preparation for the BlogHer Conference in July, Blogalicious Weekend Conference in October, and the launch of my book, Digital Sisterhood: A Memoir of Fierce Living Online later this year.

A few last things… Be sure to follow Alli on Twitter. LIKE her on Facebook. See what’s she is pinning on Pinterest and posting on Instagram.

Happy Yoga Monday! 6/10/13

Posted by Ananda Leekeon June 10, 2013May 2, 2013in Yoga, Yoga MondaysLeave a comment

Happy Yoga Monday!

One of the things I loved about my yoga teacher training experience at Flow Yoga Center in 2005 and 2006 was the lessons on the five Yamas, the the moral, ethical and societal guidelines that Patanjali outlined in the Yoga Sutra for yoginis (female yoga practiioners) and yogis (male practitioners) to use in their yoga practice. They include:

Ahimsa – nonjudgment and kindness towards yourself and others.
Satya – truthfulness in how you feel and what you think, say, and do.
Asteya – believing and practicing abundance and not stealing.
Brahmacharya – using our spiritual, emotional, physical, and sexual energy wisely.
Aparigraha – accepting and being content with who we are and what we have and not practicing jealousy.

Click here to read a Yoga Journal about the Yamas. This month, I am focusing on Ahimsa.

What is your favorite Yama?

OM #YogaMonday OM!

Happy Creativity Thursday!

Posted by Ananda Leekeon June 6, 2013June 6, 2013in Creativity Thursday, CrowdfundingLeave a comment

Photo Credit: The Smithsonian Castle, www.si.edu/About — Photo Credit: The Smithsonian Castle, http://www.si.edu/About

Happy Creativity Thursday!

Growing up in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area afforded me many opportunities to visit and fall in love with the Smithsonian Museums. My love affair with the Smithsonian and other museums was nurtured by my mother and the nuns who taught me art history and appreciation at St. Elizabeth Seton High School.

Photo Credit: Freer Gallery and Sackler Gallery logo

By the time I moved into my first D.C. apartment and started Howard University School of Law, the Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery had become two of my favorite places to hang out and learn about Asian art. Over the years, I have attended numerous exhibitions, film screenings, and dance performances. Some of my favorites have included Buddhist art, Japanese art of the Edo period, Hokusai’s paintings, and the art of Mughal, India. Last year, the Sackler Gallery celebrated its 25th anniversary with an evening gala of art, fine Asian-inspired cuisine, and a performance by celebrated violinist Hahn-Bin.

This week, I learned about the Smithsonian’s Yoga: The Art of Transformation, the world’s first exhibition of yogic art that is being crowdfunded.

About the Yoga: The Art of Transformation

The exhibition is scheduled to open on October 19. It will feature more than 120 works that explores yoga’s goals; its Hindu, as well as Buddhist, Jain, and Sufi
manifestations; its means of transforming body and consciousness; and its
profound philosophical foundations.

About the Crowdfunding Campaign

The Smithsonian launched its crowdfunding campaign on May 29 (will end on July 1) with a funding goal of $125,000. To date, the campaign has raised $12,800. The purpose of the campaign is to raise money to create videos, publications, and pamphlets; print catalogs, offer yoga classes during the exhibition, and more. After reading about the exhibition and watching the crowdfunding campaign video on YouTube, the yoga teacher, artist, and Internet geek inside of me became excited and inspired to make a donation. Why? Three of my passions have come together in one project I can support: yoga, creativity, and the Internet. Click here to make a contribution.

About Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is a web-based financial model that allows individuals to network and pool their money in community to support projects and ventures initiated by other people and organizations. gofundme, indiegogo, and Kickstarter are three of the most popular reward-based crowdfunding platforms. The Smithsonian is using Razoo, a crowdfunding platform for nonprofit organizations. To learn more about crowdfunding, click here to see my Crowdfunding Pinterest board of resources.

Happy Internet Geek Tuesday!

Posted by Ananda Leekeon June 4, 2013June 4, 2013in Internet Geek TuesdayLeave a comment

Photo Credit: http://shetakesontheworld.com/

Happy Internet Geek Tuesday!

Today, I am celebrating Internet entrepreneur and She Takes on the World blog founder Natalie MacNeil’s new book, She Takes on the World: A Guide to Being Your Own Boss, Working Happy, Living on Purpose, a clever, informative, and inspiring business book. I discovered MacNeil on Twitter as a thought leader and started reading her blog and articles on Forbes-Women.com several years ago. She quickly became a digital diva shero and virtual mentor.

As a part of my research and writing journey for my upcoming book, Digital Sisterhood: A Memoir of Fierce Living Online, I read MacNeil’s She Takes on the World. It was a quick and energizing read filled with soulful affirmations and mantras, brilliant and bold ideas, wisdom, authentic conversations with women entrepreneurs who shared their lessons learned, and a heavy dose of inspiration that moved me to adopt and use the “I AM ready” affirmation discussed in Chapter Three on a daily basis. Here it is: “I am ready. I am open to guidance and I am ready to achieve greatness. I AM ready.” This affirmation appealed to my new thought spiritual practices and use of similar affirmations. It is helping me move past my fear of finishing my memoir this summer.

The Lessons and Confessions session in each chapter that features insights and wisdom from female entrepreneurs was PRICELESS. When I read their words, I could hear their voices. They spoke directly from their hearts about their challenges and successes. RareFunk.ca founder Tamara Minns’ lessons learned was soul medicine: “Keep your mind focused on your dreams, follow your gut, and keep those who truly believe in you close by for encouraging reminders that one doesn’t need everyone’s approval to move forward.”

Chapter Four offered me a better understanding of my personal brand and how it should reflect who I am from the inside out. My takeaway was about valuing and telling my own story. Here’s what MacNeil had to say: “People buy into a person, a story, an idea – not merely a trinket. A story is better than any mission statement you could craft for your brand. Your story is social currency. What do I mean by that? I mean that people like to talk, and if you give them something entertaining to talk about, they will unconsciously perceive it as valuable. That’s currency. Give your customers that currency, and they will buy from over and over again.” I love the phrase social currency. It reminded me of my feminine currency phrase I use to describe Digital Sisterhood.

Chapter Five’s gold nugget was wrapped in a five-step mantra for achieving goals and tasks: “Today I get five steps closer to reaching my goal.” The practice of focusing only on five goals per day helped me take a deep breath of release and ease into the final stages of writing my book.

Chapter Nine’s branding and marketing advice and resources were invaluable. They helped me develop a plan to strengthen my online presence. That’s exactly what I need as I move forward with my book PR and marketing efforts.

To learn more about MacNeil and her amazing work, click here to watch her video. And if you are a revolutionary woman, join She Takes on the World. Go on and do it. I did!

Happy Yoga Monday! 6/3/13

Posted by Ananda Leekeon June 3, 2013May 2, 2013in Yoga, Yoga MondaysLeave a comment

Photo Credit: www.flickr.com/photos/thepathunwinding/3657082205/ — Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thepathunwinding/3657082205/

Happy Yoga Monday!

One of my favorite parts of a yoga class is when the teacher ends the class with a bow and greets everyone with the sacred word “Namaste” and the class members respond with the same greeting. Namaste is a Sanskrit word that means “the light within me salutes the light within you.” Whenever I say this word to myself or others, I am reminded of our divinity. Click here to read a short Yoga Journal article about the meaning of Namaste.

How do you feel when you say Namaste?

OM #YogaMonday OM!

Happy Creativity Thursday!

Posted by Ananda Leekeon May 30, 2013May 28, 2013in Art, Artist-in-Residence at Smith Center, Creativity ThursdayLeave a comment

Happy Creativity Thursday!

Each month, I try to participate in an arts-related event in my U Street neighborhood in Washington, D.C. I usually visit the Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery at Smith Center for Healing and the Arts. Last month, I attended the opening reception for the Gallery’s Alchemical Vessels, an exhibition featuring ceramic bowls created by 125 artists.

Each artist made a ceramic bowl that reflected his or her own personal aesthetic and medium. Together, the ceramic bowls symbolized the importance of creating healing space.

The creation of healing space is a core element of Smith Center’s mission and my intention as a Smith Center artist-in-residence at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Click here to learn more about the exhibition. If you are in the D.C. area on June 7, plan to attend the artists’ closing reception at 7:00 p.m.

Happy Internet Geek Tuesday!

Posted by Ananda Leekeon May 28, 2013May 28, 2013in Blogher Conference, BlogHer13, Internet Geek TuesdayLeave a comment

Happy Internet Geek Tuesday!

Have you heard of BlogHer?

BlogHer is the largest community of women who blog and a media company that was created by Elisa Camahort Page, Jory des Jardins, and Lisa Stone in 2005.

Photo Credit: BlogHer.com - BlogHer co-founders Lisa Stone, Jory Des Jardins, and Elisa Camahort Page — Photo Credit: BlogHer.com – BlogHer co-founders Lisa Stone, Jory Des Jardins, and Elisa Camahort Page

To date, BlogHer has created opportunities for the 55 million women in its community to gain exposure, education, community, and economic empowerment through its conferences for women in social media, publishing network of 3,000 blogs authored by women, and BlogHer.com, the leading guide to the hottest news and trends among women in social media.

BlogHer 2010 - Ananda, Julie Diaz-Asper, Ana Roca Castro, and Sylvia Aguilera — BlogHer 2010 – Ananda, Julie Diaz-Asper, Ana Roca Castro, and Sylvia Aguilera

Vikki Reich, Heather Mann, and Ananda at BlogHer11 session on Peer Mentoring

I joined BlogHer in 2008. I’ve been fortunate to attend the annual conference in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012. The BlogHer community and conferences have helped me to dream bigger and grow as a person, entrepreneur, speaker, and writer in numerous ways. I believe BlogHer invests deeply in its members which creates a similar investment commitment by its members. Last year, I wrote a conference blog recap that expressed my definition of BlogHer (it is written as an acronym). See below.

BlogHer 2012 Podcasting Panel - Deborah Shane, Ananda, and Jasmin Singer — BlogHer 2012 Podcasting Panel – Deborah Shane, Ananda, and Jasmin Singer

BlogHer 2012 Breakfast with Ananda and Veronica Arrerola

B – Building community through meaningful and mindful connections, conversations, collaborative partnerships and projects, and commerce that generates revenue and valued added exchanges for myself and others.

L – Learning and sharing information that helps me and others grow to our fullest potential.

O – Opening my heart to be inspired and energized by the stories I hear from fellow bloggers, keynote speakers, and representatives from brands, companies, organizations, and marketing/PR firms.

G – Giving back to others by sharing what I know and affirming and supporting others’ efforts.

H – Having fun and celebrating digital sisterhood and digital brotherhood bonds with new and old blogging friends.

E – Embracing and valuing the power, presence, and passion of my own voice, creativity, expertise, thought leadership, entrepreneurial efforts, social good causes and campaigns, and definition of success.

R – Remembering that my return on investment (ROI) from my BlogHer community and conference participation is rooted in my attitude, intentions, choices, personal responsibility, and actions.

This year, I am excited to share I will be speaking about social media leadership and co-hosting the Multi-Culti party with two amazing digital sisters, Pauline Campos and Dwana De La Cerna at the July conference in Chicago. I hope you will be able to join us at the conference and the Multi-Culti party. Click here to register.

Photo Credit: www.sheratonchicago.com — Photo Credit: http://www.sheratonchicago.com

Are you headed to the BlogHer conference in Chicago?

What are you looking forward to learning about and receiving from the BlogHer conference?

I am looking forward to connecting with my current network of digital sisters and brothers, meeting new digital sisters and brothers, co-hosting the Multi-Culti party, speaking about social media leadership, attending some of the Style Mini-Con sessions, hearing the Voices of the Year speakers (one of my favorite events), and listening to the keynote addresses by Majora Carter and Sheryl Sandberg.

Hope to see you in Chicago!

Happy Yoga Monday! 5/27/13

Posted by Ananda Leekeon May 27, 2013May 24, 2013in UncategorizedLeave a comment

Photo Credit: www.dailycupofyoga.com/ — Photo Credit: http://www.dailycupofyoga.com/

Happy Yoga Monday! Happy Memorial Day!

As a yoga teacher and writer, I enjoy reading yoga blogs and web sites. The Daily Cup of Yoga is one of my favorite yoga web sites to visit. The Daily Cup of Yoga includes tips, tools, wisdom on yoga, books,and technology. The site has several posts about yoga apps you can use with your smartphone. I love how Brian, the founder of The Daily Cup of Yoga, keeps the book section updated with great resources. Like him, I am a yoga book lover! Click here to visit the site.

What is your favorite yoga blog or web site?

OM #YogaMonday OM!

Happy Creativity Thursday!

Posted by Ananda Leekeon May 23, 2013May 23, 2013in Creativity, Creativity Thursday, Digital Sisterhood: Fierce Living Online for 25 Years2 Comments

Photo Credit: Leigh Mosley - www.leighmosley.com — Photo Credit: Leigh Mosley – http://www.leighmosley.com

Happy Creativity Thursday!

Writing a book is a journey in itself. When your write about yourself like I have in my debut novel and creative memoir, you may encounter moments in your writing journey that force you to deal with your fears and past experiences. That’s what has been happening during my Digital Sisterhood memoir book writing process. I have started and stopped many times. I have been overwhelmed and wounded by my own need to control a creative process that requires constant surrender. I have allowed my reaction to the edits I received from my publisher in December to stall my publication process. In short, it has been a creative struggle I often wish I did not have to deal with, but I am hanging with support, positive energy, and love from an amazing team of family, friends, peers, yoga teachers, an acupuncturist, a book editor extraordinaire, a keep it real life coach, and detailed copy editors who keep me on track.

I have also used inspiring books to strengthen myself from the inside out as I finalize the manuscript. One book that has inspired me greatly is writing teacher Judith Barrington’s Writing the Memoir. In her book, Barrington writes with emotional honesty about the memoir writing journey. It gave me the words I was looking for to describe the bottled up emotions I have been carrying around about my writing fears. It was liberating to read her guidance on theme selection, voice, tone, form, plot, scene, and character development. She also stressed the value of having a disciplined practice. I enjoyed her references to writings by Alice Walker and Virginia Woolf. After I finished her book, I felt refreshed and ready to pick up my editing pen and complete my Digital Sisterhood book edits. What a blessing!

Happy Internet Geek Tuesday!

Posted by Ananda Leekeon May 21, 2013May 21, 2013in Internet Geek Tuesday4 Comments

Happy Internet Geek Tuesday!

Today, I am remembering the musical discoveries I made while connecting with other music lovers on Myspace in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009. Yes I said Myspace. I know saying that word is very retro in the social networking world, but I had to say it.

I miss being on Myspace and learning about amazing indie artists like Ayanna Gregory, a soulful vocalist, songwriter, educator, and activist, She is also the daughter of Dick Gregory, a comedian, vegetarian, Civil Rights activist, and nutritional consultant. I used to visit Gregory’s Myspace page to stay updated on her musical career and Beautiful Flower CD concerts. Nowadays, I use Facebook to stay updated.

I would also check out her growing list of friends to see if I could find other indie artists. Most times, I would find several I liked and end up buying their CDs on CDBaby.com (the web site where many indie artists sell their music).

If you had a Myspace account, check out the questions below. Feel free to respond to them in the comment section. If you still use Myspace, please post your page’s link. I’ll visit it in the coming days.

When did you join Myspace?

I joined in 2006.

What made you join?

My cousin and stylist Sharon Malachi told me Myspace was a great way to stay updated about the indie music artists we loved listening to and seeing perform. I also used Myspace to promote and market my debut novel, Love’s Troubadours – Karma: Book One.

What were your favorite Myspace sites to visit?

I loved visiting the sites of Ayanna Gregory, Eric Roberson, Kenny Dust, and HKB FiNN, Tim’m West, and Fertile Ground.

Did you leave Myspace? When and why?

I stopped using it in 2009 because my community and most of the indie artists I liked moved to Facebook and Twitter. So I followed them.

What social networking sites do you currently participate in?

I am on most of the social networking sites: Instagram, Flickr, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Tumblr, Twitter, Vimeo, and YouTube.

What are your favorite social networking sites?

I love Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.