Have you joined the Pinterest movement? I have. It’s a lot of fun and very inspiring for my creative process. Check out my 13 boards when you have a chance: http://pinterest.com/anandaleeke.
Author: Ananda Leeke
Thriving Mindfully Coach + Author + Artist + Human Design Doula
So excited that it’s Social Media Week DC!
Today marks the launch of the Social Media Week DC (the very first one), a week-long series of events featuring panels, workshops, Twitter chats, and parties. iStrategyLabs is the chief organizer of Social Media Week DC (#smwwdc – folks have also used #smwdc on Twitter).
When I looked at the schedule last week, I discovered so many amazing events. I decided to check out a few events that really spoke to my interests. Here’s what I plan to check out.
- February 13 and February 15 – The Fashion Impact Report Launch – Working Together to Generate New Resources in DC (Two great #fashionpact Twitter chats with #dcfashion community that is sponsored by Svelte, LLC one of my favorite PR firms — I am big fan of the DC fashion community. I love to support DC fashion boutiques, bloggers, PR firms, etc. I call it my way of giving back as a geeky chic fashion lover!)
- February 13 – Sex, Politics and Social Media (two of my favorite social media women Shireen Mitchell and Lisa Byrne are hosting the event featuring two social media women I admire: Shana Glickfield and City Girl Blogs founder Steph Woods)
- February 16 – Health Communication, Digital Media & the Latino Community (sponsored by Latinos in Social Media, one of my favorite social media communities. Mi #LATISM familia rocks!)
- February 17 – Another Social Network? How to Combat Social Media Fatigue in Your Business (I’m always interested in how people, businesses, and organizations are managing their social media lives. The concept of social media fatique is something I discuss in my blogger wellness workshops and yoga classes for social media/computer users at conferences.)
Are you planning to attend any Social Media Week DC events?
If you live outside of DC, are you going to any Social Media Week events in your local area (they are hosted in several big cities)?
Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy your week!
Remembering Digital Sister Susan Niebur, One of My #DSFierceLiving Sheros
This morning I dedicated my yoga practice to Susan Niebur, an amazing digital sister and #dsfierceliving shero who inspires me tremendously. After yoga, I wrote in my journal and discovered I was writing the dedication page for my book, Digital Sisterhood. Susan’s name appeared. Here’s why.
I heard Susan share her breast cancer journey at BlogHer in New York City in August 2010. Click here to watch a video of her talk. Her words moved my spirit. They made me think of my two grandmothers who lived with breast cancer. When I returned home from BlogHer, I started following her blog, Toddler Planet and became inspired by her fierce living spirit, heart, and courage. She quickly became one of my digital sister sheros.
In January 2011, I met her in person at the Be Blogalicious movie event in Silver Spring, Maryland (photo above was taken of Susan at the event). That was a game changing moment because I had a chance to tell her how much I was inspired by her BlogHer talk and blog.
In October 2011, I listened to Susan share her journey at the Blogalicious Conference held at the National Harbor in Maryland. Later in the day, I was able to hug her and say how much I appreciated her story and work. Susan made her transition on February 6. Her hug is now a priceless gift I will always treasure.
Through Susan’s blog, I was able to witness the power of how one woman used social media to document and share her health journey, build community with like-minded people, give and receive support, and promote breast cancer awareness. She caused me to look for other women who were doing similar things with social media. I found plenty. These women along with Susan inspired me to dedicate Digital Sisterhood Month 2011 to women’s health.
I am so grateful for the presence of Susan in my social media life. Her fierce spirit, heart, and courage will always be remembered. Today I am sending love and light to her husband, sons, family, and friends. She will be deeply missed.
Visit her Toddler Planet blog to learn more about her amazing life and journey.
PS: Join Digital Sisterhood Network on February 8 for a special #DigitalSisterhood Wednesday Twitter tribute to Susan. Follow @digitalsisterhd and check out the #dsfierceliving Pinterest board.
Happy Friday!
Happy Friday!
January sure has been a quick month! It’s been filled with lots of rest, play, fun, and work for me …. writing, revising, dreaming, brainstorming. I call it the Dragon Year of Fierce Living. Dragon Year comes from Chinese New Year (started on 1/23). My family celebrates it on Sunday! I am also a dragon! Yep I was born the year of the dragon and nicknamed Puf the Magic Dragon as a child.
Check out the new look of AnandaLeeke.com. Let me know what you think.
Thanks in advance. Enjoy the rest of January and have a fabulous February!
PS: Check me out on #Digitalsisterhood Wednesdays via @digitalsisterhd on Twitter in February. Each Wednesday Digital Sisterhood Network is going to have a #DSFierceLiving discussion you don’t wanna miss!
Watch video of Ananda speaking about Digital Sisterhood at Ignite DC
I just learned that Ignite DC posted a video my “Digital Sisterhood for DC Women Entrepreneurs” talk on Blip TV. It was given on October 20, 2011. Click on the link to watch the video. http://blip.tv/ignitedc/ananda-leeke-presents-at-ignite-d-c-8-5736296.
Here’s the link to the SlideShare presentation (it was updated with additional slides on October 24, 2011). http://www.slideshare.net/anandaleeke/digital-sisterhood-for-dc-women-entrepreneurs-9865081
What do you think about the video and presentation?
Thanks for your comments!
What were your top 40 moments of 2011?
2011 was an intense year for me. So many great things happened. So many lessons were learned. Each person and experience made me who I am today.
As I look back on 2011, some of my greatest experiences were from my work with the Digital Sisterhood Network. Click here to listen to my audio blog that provides my top 40 Digital Sisterhood moments in 2011 (1 hour 11 minutes).
Check out some of my photos below.
1) Traveling to Haiti as the Heart of Haiti Blogger Ambassador with a group of dynamic group of digital sisters in February
Heart of Haiti Digital Sisters
Heart of Haiti Digital Sisters
Heart of Haiti Digital Sisters
Heart of Haiti Digital Sisters
Heart of Haiti Digital Sisters2) Speaking about Digital Sisterhood for DC Women Entrepreneurs at Ignite DC #8 in October
Digital Sisterhood at Ignite DC #8
Digital Sisterhood at Ignite DC #8Digital Sisterhood at Ignite DC #8
Digital Sisterhood at Ignite DC #8
3) Speaking at the Blogalicious/Black Public Relations Society of DC Meet-Up in September
Blogalicious/Black Public Relations Society DC Meet Up
4) Attending the Blogalicious Weekend Conference with lifestyle blogger Kamaria T. Richmond, the 2011 Digital Sisterhood Network Blogger-in-Residence at the Gaylord National Hotel in October
Digital Sisterhood at Blogalicious
5) Meeting my BlogHer roommate Lilian Chang, founder of ChineseGrandma.com at the BlogHer Conference in August
Digital Sisterhood at BlogHer
Ananda is speaking at #BLISSDOM12 on 2/24 @ 2:30 pm — Fierce Living from Your Creative Heart
Great News! I am headed to BLISSDOM on February 23-25! I have been wanting to attend this social media conference for years! Why? Because it represents Fierce Living to the MAX!!!!! They have amazing speakers all of the time! They celebrate joie de vivre and call it BLISS (which is the meaning of Ananda in Sanskrit)! I also love the spirit and work of Alli Worthington, Barbara Jones, and the entire BLISSDOM team!
Guess what? I will be speaking about Fierce Living, my new favorite passion and 2012 life theme during BLISSDOM. The topic of my writing session is “Fierce Living from Your Creative Heart.” It will be held on February 24 from 2:30 to 4:00 pm. See the description below.
SESSION DESCRIPTION:
Calling all creative women! You know who you are Ms. Artist, Collage Maker, Crafter, Dancer, Dramatic Performer, Musician, Painter, Photographer, Poet, Sculptor, and Ms. Writer. When’s the last time you allowed yourself the space to dream, imagine, and create something that inspired a deep feeling of peace, play, and fulfillment? Wait no more. During this session, you will have an opportunity to explore your inner women (also known as archetypes or personalities) and the role they play in your creativity through mindful writing exercises and discussion. The takeaways include ways to tap into your inner women’s intuition, imagination, and nurturing energy as “fierce living” growth opportunities for 2012 and beyond.
FYI — Join #DSFierce Living Conversations on #DigitalSisterhood Wednesdays
The 2012 theme of Digital Sisterhood Network (DSN) is “Fierce Living.” As the DSN founder, I define Fierce Living as,
“the mindful practice of unplugging, understanding, and unifying who I am online and offline from the inside out so I am able to express myself fully in my healthy living journey, Digital Sisterhood book writing, art, and work as a coach, digital media producer, yoga teacher, and innerpreneur.”
My mother Theresa and Oprah Winfrey are two of my Fierce Living sheroes because they remind women we are stronger than we know.
DSN recognizes that fierce living means different things to different people. That’s why we are hosting #DSFierceLiving conversations on Facebook, Pinterest, Survey Monkey, and Twitter on #DigitalSisterhood Wednesdays in 2012.
Here are four ways you can participate.
1) LIKE Digital Sisterhood on Facebook, visit the page on #DigitalSisterhood Wednesdays, and share what you are doing to make fierce living a reality in your daily life.
2) Create a #DSFierceLiving 2012 board on Pinterest and share what fierce living looks like in your life. Cross post your Pinterest link on Digital Sisterhood Facebook page. Also, tweet the link on Twitter with the hashtag #DSFierceLiving. DSN will retweet it. Click here to check out Ananda Leeke’s #DSFierceLiving Board on Pinterest.
3) Follow @Digitalsisterhd on Twitter and participate in #DigitalSisterhood Wednesdays by tweeting your favorite digital sisters. Tweet about your acts of fierce living by using the hashtag #DSFierceLiving.
4) Participate in #DSFierceLiving 2012 Conversation on Survey Monkey by answering six easy and fun questions about your fierce living definition, sheroes, and inspirational music.
LINKS:
- Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/anandaleeke/dsfierceliving-2012
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/digitalsisterhood
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/digitalsisterhd
- Survey Monkey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KJCW8ZL
Happy New Year & My 2012 Fierce Living Theme
Happy New Year!
It’s hard to believe that it’s already day 13 of the new year. How has 2012 been so far?
I’ve been taking my southern sweet time to arrive in this new year. It is what I call my “Fierce Living” approach. I love that phrase! That’s why I adopted it as my personal life theme and the 2012 theme for the Digital Sisterhood Network.
So what is Fierce Living all about? I define it as,
“the mindful practice of unplugging, understanding, and unifying who I am online and offline from the inside out so I am able to express myself fully in my healthy living journey, Digital Sisterhood book writing, art, and work as a coach, digital media producer, yoga teacher, and innerpreneur.”
This definition has been a regular topic of discussion in my “Follow My Heart” journal. My journal entries have explored the various colors, scents, yoga poses, travel adventures, physical exercises, magazines, music, movies, books, beverages, teas, foods, sheroes, jewelry, shoes, boots, and clothing that inspire Fierce Living.
I also created a six-word memoir: Dream. Imagine. Create. Inspire. Express Peace. These words are my 2012 Fierce Living mantras. Click here to listen to a short audio blog about what Fierce Living means to me in 2012.
Have you joined the Pinterest revolution of digital vision boards? I am happy to admit that I did. I created a Pinterest board with images and statements that remind me to practice Fierce Living in 2012 and beyond. Click here to check it out.
My journal entries have also explored what Fierce Living looks like in my digital life: the time I spend online, the content I post, the comments I make on social media sites, the email and blog subscriptions I maintain, the words I use to describe myself, the photos I use to represent myself, the blog templates I use to express my thoughts, the businesses I patronize, and the causes I support. After writing in my journal, my life began to manifest some of my thoughts.
So here’s what happened during the first 12 days of the new year. I unplugged from the web on most days and got a lot of sleep. I also practiced yoga, meditation, mantra chanting with my mala beads, and Reiki daily. My MINT Gym membership was used regularly. I gave the TRX training equipment and bike a serious workout. The medicine balls and mats were great for all of my planks, sit ups, crunches, boat poses, side planks, and forearm planks.
I went crazy reading my fashion, health, yoga, poetry, and tech magazines at healthy cafes like Sweet Green and Teaism. I discovered a hot chocolate made with rice milk at Teaism. Delish! It protects me from soy and dairy allergies! Cosi, Starbucks, and Love Cafe were the hot spots for my journal writing. Love the tomato basil soup at Love Cafe!
Long walks home from the subway in the evening helped me practice mindfulness as I noticed the different changes in my neighborhood. Thanks to my friend Gustavo, the owner of Habitat Live & Wear on U Street, I started having my own personal dance parties with new music from Spain. Gustavo gave me two great CDs! Love them!
The January shopping goddess helped me score a pair of Nine West black patent leather wedge boots and a smokey quartz ring from Habitat that I have been stalking since early fall. What bargains!
By the way, I am deep into the meaning and power of gemstones. My new smokey quartz ring has some powerful energy. Did you know smokey quartz is nature’s stone of endurance? It promotes personal pride and joie de vivre (joy in living), creativity in business, and opens the path for perception and learning. It is also a protection stone that cleanses and clears negative energy. I like that it facilitates your ability to get things done in the practical world and enhances organizational skills in the workplace or home office. I definitely need all of these things as I move into my Fierce Living 2012!
I watched Young & the Restless, PAN AM, The Practice, and Grey’s Anatomy online as I organized my shoe and boot collection with Real Simple organizers, folded clothes, and decluttered my closet.
I took some time to launch my digital streamlining project for my WordPress and Tumblr blogs (still works in process … web sites will be added later this year). That led me to select new photos for my online presence, edit and repost my bio, and reduce the amount of email I receive.
I even found a few moments to submit two speaking proposals for BlogHer 2012. That process did not take long. I used old proposals and added a few new lines. I call it Fierce Living Recycled.
I also said NO to several opportunities that were exciting, but not appropriate for what I am called to do now. Guess what? That saying NO really does allow you to say YES when great things show up. And that’s what happened when I accepted an amazing speaking opportunity to discuss “Fierce Living from Your Creative Heart” at BLISSDOM 2012 in February.
As a result of this Fierce Living, I received three HUGE blessings.
- A fresh, open mind that led me to begin writing a chapter of my Digital Sisterhood book (which will be published later this year).
- A better understanding and practice of boundaries to ensure I have creative time to write, time to play, and time to rest.
- A renewed sense of joie de vivre (joy in living).
Now that’s Fierce Living for me! What is Fierce Living to you?
What are your Fierce Living (FL) 2012 colors, scents, foods, yoga poses, clothing, shoes, boots, jewelry, and music?
Orange is my FL color. Pink, purple, red, yellow, blue, and black are second runners up! Almond oil is my FL scent. Sweet potatoes and beets are my FL food. The forward fold and warrior one are my FL yoga pose. My fuchsia coat from Violet Boutique is my FL clothing. My black and pink Saucony jogging shoes are my FL shoes. My Nine West black patent leather boots are my FL boots. My smokey quartz ring is my FL jewelry. Eric Roberson’s Mr Nice Guy CD is my FL music.
Who are your Fierce Living sheroes?
My mother Theresa and Oprah are two of my FL sheroes.
Well, that’s enough FL for a Friday! Enjoy your weekend and 2012!
Yours in Fierce Living,
Ananda
Saying hello to my blog audience & sharing news about my book … It’s coming in 2012!
Happy October All!
It’s been a long time since we connected on this blog. I hope your fall season is going well. Mine has been filled with revelations like the one I had during the Blogalicious Weekend Conference on October 21-23, 2011. While I was learning, sharing, laughing, sipping on cocktails at the evening events, chatting and drinking wine in the Wine Sisterhood Sassy Suite, and enjoying digital sisterhood and brotherhood moments at Blogalicious, I realized I needed to be honest with myself about the work I have taken on as the Digital Sisterhood Network founder. I made a list of all of my obligations, goals, and upcoming activities. Looking at the list on Sunday helped me see I needed to give myself more time to finish my next book, Digital Sisterhood, a memoir. More time is several months. That means the book will be published in 2012.
It feels really good to share my revelation and plans with you all!
Thank you for your continued support and positive energy!
Blessings,
Ananda
Check out the links below to see what I have been doing.
1) My Ignite DC #8 Talk on “Digital Sisterhood for DC Women Entrepreneurs” Flickr photos and presentation (see below)
2) Photos of My Blogalicious Weekend Conference Adventures on Flickr
3) Behind the Scenes Photos from My Author Photo Shoot on Flickr
4) Video from My Author Photo Shoot on Vimeo
5) Photos from My BlogHer conference adventures on Flickr
6) Blog Posts about My BlogHer speaking gigs and experiences
a. Blogger Wellness speaking gig
c. My Pepsico Video Feature
7) Video of My Panel Participation at Blogalicious – Black Public Relations Society of DC Meet Up on Vimeo
8) Blog Post – My Panel Participation at Blogalicious – Black Public Relations Society of DC Meet Up
Time to complete my Digital Sisterhood book — Will be away from this blog until late October 2011
Happy Earth Day! Happy Good Friday!
Last weekend during Digital Sisterhood Unplugged Sunday I made a decision to step away from this blog and my @AnandaLeeke Twitter page, Facebook pages, Tumblr page, Flickr phoho-sharing site, Vimeo channel, and Cinchcast audio blog to begin the wonderful, juicy journey of completing my next book, Digital Sisterhood, a memoir. The only thing I needed to do was a pick a date. I have vacillated on the date all week. This morning I realized during my yoga, Reiki healing touch, and meditation practice that my day to step away is in fact today. That means this is the last blog post until late October (will be back in time for Blogalicious on October 21-23 in DC).
It also means I will reduce my daily and weekly social media activities that support the Digital Sisterhood Network beginning May 1. Next week I have several blogs (with videos and photos) to write and post along with several radio shows to organize for the Feminism Online Project series on Digital Sisterhood Radio. The Feminism Online Project ends on May 31. I will continue to host the Digital Sisterhood Wednesday weekly celebrations on Twitter (late April through October), post reminders about Digital Sisterhood Unplugged Sundays each month, and manage the monthly episodes of The Stroke Diva Fabulous Show hosted by lifestyle blogger Kamaria Richmond, Digital Sisterhood Network Blogger-in-Residence, on Digital Sisterhood Radio. I will spend time in May and June managing the final weeks of my Kickstarter fundraiser which ends on June 28 and hosting the June 29th DC She Writers Meet Up featuring guest poet/writer Dr. Ada Diaz, a Howard University professor. I will launch the Digital Civility and Security Initiative for a week (July 4-11) and co-host the July 6th Twitter chat on digital civility with Andrea Weckerle, CiviliNation founder. In August, I will do a few audio blogs about my BlogHer participation. In addition, I will host the September 29th DC She Writers Meet Up. WOW! That felt good to share. It’s my way of having accountability with myself and life coach Yael.
Thanks for stopping by and reading my words, sending me positive vibes and energy for my writing journey, and supporting all of my creative efforts! May you have a beautiful rest of April, May, June, July, August, September, and October!
Blessings,
Ananda
PS: Listen to my audio blog about Earth Day and a poem that celebrates green living! Enjoy!
Ananda Leeke 