Discovering Damita: Writing My Book

I really enjoyed my day today. I met with a writer who read the introduction to my story and gave me some wonderful feedback. I felt energized to write the novel I have been working on since 2007. It has stayed with me throughout the years but I just didn't know what how to complete it. But now, with speaking to my friend, I see the light and know which way I want to take the characters.

I love writing, it is my way to escape. When I'm not telling someone's story, I like to write fiction and create characters that are opposite of my personality and have them say things that I want to say but never do. It is a wonderful way for me to release many different feelings and thoughts onto the universe.

I am looking forward to sharing my progress with my story and I am looking forward to finishing it because it is time. Thanks Brit!


Damita Shanklin is the Founder/Publisher of Ujima Magazine and the co-host of Ujima TV with Damita and Evelina.

Have You Ever Been Bullied?

I was sad to read a story in the news today about two young girls who hung themselves in a suicide pack because they were allegedly bullied. This is so appalling because these two young girls did not see another option to help them get through this. Both of their parents felt they did everything possible to assist them and did not see any signs that they would take their lives.

When will bullying be taken seriously? I personally was bullied from third grade to six grade. I had a break during 7th and 8th grade because I was placed in a different school. It was the happiness years of my school life. But then I went to high school and met all the same people. To make a long story short, my bully hit me in the back of my head and it changed my life FOREVER. I have never been the same and it shaped how I deal with people and I do not allow people to get close to me because I do not trust motives or what they might do to me.

The young girls that hung themselves was said to be bullied on Facebook and through text messages. It made me realize that when I was going through this, at least once I left school, I had a break and could find solace at home, in my room, with my family. But nowadays, bullies continue contact 24 hours because of technology. I cannot image the humiliation I would get from online messages and text. It was more than enough in person each and every day.

My prayers go out to the families of these young girls and I am going to work and do what I can to stop bullying. I can no longer sit back and watch what happen to me, happen to others. I want to do my part. Something has to be done to stop this long history of kids bullying kids. I never knew what caused my bully to dislike me so much that she had to resort to violence, but I do not want other kids to have to feel how I felt and how I have to deal with the residual effects.




Damita Miller-Shanklin is the Founder and Publisher of Ujima Magazine and the Host of Ujima TV with Damita and Evelina.

Building A Business with An Idea

I have been watching American’s Next Great Restaurant and as I watch I think about my own business. No it is not a restaurant but it all started with an idea. All the contestants have an idea of what type of restaurant they want which includes what they will serve, their logo, how they will serve the food, the taste and how to market their business for the best return. These are lessons all business owners think about and work hard to accomplish.

Ujima Magazine started with an idea. From there the development of my concept came, the logo, how the information would be delivered, how I would market the magazine to gain interest just for starters. But just as the contestants found they had to make some changes to accommodate their goals, so have I. It has been difficult to cut back on things I found important to the magazine such as the amount of pages. But I think of the bigger picture which is I have a magazine that can still reach our community despite the struggle.

There are a few things I have learned as I push forward in building the Ujima Empire.

1.   Be clear about what you want to do. Decide the type of business you want to pursue from your ideas. Go with the one that fuels your passion if nothing else.

2.    Surround yourself with people who are pursuing their own business for support and feedback.

3.    Stay true to your dream despite naysayers because if you believe in what you are doing, you will be fine.

4.   Understand that success for most people do not happen overnight, so be ready to work hard for your dream.

5.    Make good business decisions that will impact your business for the good. But don’t be afraid to make mistakes because you will. But learn from them and keep going.

I continue to learn each day something new about my business and myself. But I embrace it and push on.

What have you learned? Can you share your lessons?

Damita Miller-Shanklin is the founder and publisher of Ujima Magazine and co-host of Ujima TV with Damita and Evelina.

Ujima Magazine 

Are You an Online Hoarder?

Are You an Online Hoarder?

Do You Allow Your Children to Curse at You?

Do You Allow Your Children to Curse at You?

Working Hard

Hey Everyone- It has been a while since I have wrote. I have been working on establishing my web presence for my business. Because I learn things by reading and talking with people, it has taken a bit to get things going to where I can manage everything. I love technology and learning about social media's. Please visit Ujima's blog at www.ujimamagazine.blogspot.com and also join us on Facebook. The more people that become aware of Ujima and read the magazine, the more people we can reach.

I will return shortly with more day to day insights from my life. Thanks for reading.

Memories of my Father

Happy Father's Day To All-

“One of the things that my parents have taught me is never listen to other people’s expectations. You should live your own life and live up to your own expectations, and those are the only things I really care about it.” Tiger Woods

I thought since it is Father’s Day issue, I would pay homage to him. My father passed away on February 16, 2003 at 9:30am. We all said our good-byes and as we sat in the small conference room waiting for the chaplain or the doctor (I can’t remember clearly) I heard the venting machine beep loudly announcing that my father took his last breath. I will never forget how devastating it felt.

My father had three girls and one grandson. We all had a different relationship with him. Because I was the baby, I was the last to leave the house, so I spent everyday with him. Even after I got married, I went over to the house and spent time with him and my mother. My mom would cook breakfast for us every morning before we headed to work. My father did not say much, but when he did, you knew it was serious and you should listen. So, we talked everyday briefly but I always knew he loved me and I never worried about that. As a matter of fact, I never told my dad I loved him until he was in the emergency room laying on a wooden slate upside down preparing to have emergency surgery. But we knew the love between father and daughter was there. When I was in high school, he would always give me an allowance each day. I would save most of the money and by the end of the week, I had enough money to buy a book or something I wanted. When I got married, he still continued to give me an allowance of three dollars a day. I looked for this money too. Before I would head out for work I would go to him and say “daddy, you got my three dollars?” He would laugh and turn his back and look in his wallet and give me the money. We did this up until the day he passed away. I missed it. It was just something we did.

My father, Willie Miller, Jr, took good care of his family and he ensured we all had what we needed to live good, happy, and peaceful lives. He taught us to depend on ourselves and work for what we want out of life. He worked hard everyday for the things we wanted and needed in life. I miss him every day and sometimes I hear him speaking to me or I think of something he used to do and it brings a smile to my face. He was a quiet but strong man and he believed in family. Take this Father’s Day and say I love you to your father or the man who raised you and has taken care of you. Let him know you appreciate him. 
I really wish I could give my father three dollars…

A Publisher's Day

     I have to tell you about a wonderful  day I had yesterday. I had an interview with a young man and his mother in Hutto. He is going to be the cover on the July issue of Ujima. I had spoken to his mother but I wanted to speak with him and get photos. The thing I cannot believe is I did not have my camera handy or my phone camera for what was about to happen. After we spoke, he wanted to show me his new baby goats. I had never seen a goat up close nor the opportunity to pet one. So, I said why not? Well, because I know nothing about farm animals, I thought he would walk out to the pen and pick one up. But no, you have to chase them down, like you do chickens. He finally was able to catch one and he brought it so I could pet it. They are sooo cute! They almost look like small dogs. They were brown while the rest were white. I got to see the father and the mother's. But while we were admiring the baby goat, the other's came out of the pen. What do you do? You put them back in. Well, I did not know how to do that but I knew I had to help. So, I went to the fence door so I could help guide them back in the pen. 

The mother and the son guided them and I opened the gate up wide and got them in. It was such fun and a wonderful experience. I told this young boy, I would always remember him and the fun we had putting the goats back in their pen. I was tired and a bit sweaty, but it was fun. This is just another reason I enjoy what I do because I meet new people and experience things that are so out of my range. It's a memory I will never forget but I will start keeping my camera on me. I did recently purchase a Flip camera so I need to use it. It would have been a good video.

I told everyone I saw yesterday "I got to pet a goat and help them get back in their pen." This was a proud moment for me.

A Night On Lake Travis

Last night I took a ride on a boat on Lake Travis. It was a beautiful night, full of stars but quite windy. It was a family ride to celebrate the graduation of my great nephew. I had not been out to Lake Travis in a long time. I sat on the upper deck with my husband and we talked, watched the youngsters swim and everybody had such a great time. It was good to take a night off from working but I paid for it today, but that's alright because family still comes first in my life. 

The feeling of being overwhelmed has sucked up my energy and my brain.  With the fundraiser event only three weeks away, the crunch is on. I feel ready to take it on, but it's a lot to take in when you have never planned an event in your whole life. I pray people come out and support Ujima. I do understand that times are hard and people have to really think about what they spend their money on. So, I hope some people will spend it on a good cause which is the continuation of the magazine. We are almost at our year anniversary and in this short period I feel we have done good in the community. I feel we have reached people and celebrated our communities passions, creativity, and success.

I will prepare to go to bed knowing that tomorrow will be a new day and I will work just as hard or harder as I did today. Thanks for reading 

Embrace Your Community

Today was a great day for the Miller family. My great nephew graduated from Hendrickson High School! It was great to watch him walk across the stage to accept his diploma and his key to the future. He will step into the shoes of adulthood and pursue all the dreams and aspirations that lay before him. My nephew did a great job raising him. He is a smart, intelligent and fun loving soul. When he was younger, I didn't spend too much time with him or his siblings. But as I have gotten older and they have grown, I find myself talking with him more as well as his younger brother and sister. I enjoy them. But he will now attend college and start building his life and his identify as a Black male and a man in our society. I am very proud of him. He made it out of high school without doing drugs, becoming a father or going to jail. That's a great accomplishment for all of our Black males today. I am looking forward to watching his life choices and what steps he will take to leave his mark on the world. 

All in all I had a good day. I did hurt my feet wearing shoes that hurt my feet, but that's ok, it was for a good cause. But my feet do hurt :). Good luck Dre and I wish you all life has to offer. My husband and I talked briefly about how much older we will be when his younger siblings graduate, but if I can be 83 years old, like my mother who attended the ceremonies today, I will be happy. She was able to see her great-great grandson graduate. What a thrill and a blessing. 

Well, I'm going to sign off and rest because I have a busy writing day tomorrow. Thanks for reading.

Embrace Your Community

A Publisher's Day

Hello Everyone!

I have been busy and kinda tired, I haven't written in a couple of days. But I kept thinking I need to write something soon. Today, when I woke up I realized I didn't have to be anyplace. I could actually stay home if I like. So, after I tried to get up and go to the nearest coffee shop, I couldn't move. I did rise up out of my recliner, but I stopped and just sat back down. Guilt is running through my veins, but hey, I just couldn't move. I know I can't have any down time because I will sit and sit and sit. I got up for coffee and took my dogs outside, that is it. The good news is I started writing my July articles, so not all is lost. The Managing Editor had to do some errands for our mother, so I stayed in South Austin instead of racing to Pflugerville (across town) by 1o in the morning. I have to say it did feel good.

I had my usual drawbacks of spending too much time on Facebook, Twitter and searching for new blogs to follow. But I did some important writing. I am not meeting my deadlines and that is becoming a problem. I ask myself why am I procrastinating? Why? I don't know. I have to do better.  But overall I had a good somewhat productive day. I guess I better stop writing on this blog and get to work.  Thanks for reading.

Embrace Your Community

A Cool Publisher's Day

Have you ever met someone in a coffee shop, interviewed them and before they leave, you stand up, hold hands and say a prayer? Well, it happened to me today. I met a wonderful woman today. I interviewed her about Sickle Cell Anemia. Her son has the disease. He is the spokesperson for the National Sickle Cell Organization. He met President Obama. Can you believe it? She is a dynamic person. It caught me off guard, but once we grabbed hands and bowed our heads, we prayed and the other people in the coffee shop faded away. I couldn't believe I did it and felt good about it. The experiences I have with people is just wonderful and interesting.

Each time I meet someone new, I am positive I'm doing the right thing. Because there are so many wonderful people in Austin and each person that I have come in contact with have so much to give to our community. But it reaffirms everything for me. I love telling someone's story and watching it unfold in print. I just had to share my cool day. 

I was suppose to get up early (5:30am) to start my morning because I knew I had to be at my interview at 10:00am. But of course, it didn't happen. I have to work on this. But managing editor and I decided after the interview to take the rest of the day off. So I stopped working around 2pm today. We are still working on finalizing the June issue, but it will be out the first week.  I'm excited. I will work some tomorrow and Sunday. My day ended with a phone call from the Trella Foundation. I have been asked to be on the board of the foundation which is the first for me. I am not sure how it will work, but I will learn. I believe in Trella's House and I'm glad to be apart of the foundation. My first board. Wow! I need to pinch myself.

Well, tomorrow's a new day and thanks for reading.

"Embrace Your Community" 

My Life

I woke up this morning feeling good. I was rushing to get out of the house to be at my team meeting by 10:30am. I made it barely, but that's ok. I can't seem to be on time as I once was. When I worked for someone else, I was always on time. I realize I need to treat my business as I did when I worked for a company. I need to get up at 5:30am as I did before and start my day with my mediation, coffee and my plans for the day.  I felt good when I arrived at work. So, I have to make this a priority.  I may be getting to relaxed with my time issue, but I can't afford that mindset.  

My meeting went well and we accomplished a lot and new ideas were put on the table. I'm excited about them all. I received my invitations for the Wine Tasting fundraiser and they are so pretty and so ME. I got a lot of work ahead but I think it will all be worth it. I have been writing on my short story blog and I'm developing a story that I plan to share at some point. But I just don't have enough time to do all I want to do. I"m squeezing in small amounts of time for me to play on Twitter and Facebook and just find things of interest on the internet, but it is limited. But I have made a goal to get up earlier and act like I work for someone else and make solid expectations for myself. I didn't have a problem adhering to other people's expectations. Having my own magazine is MY JOB and I have to remember that . I have to do what is needed to be successful, just as I was in my old job. Taking back some of the habits I had established will work the same in this situation. 

I'm glad to be feeling good though. It helps to enjoy yourself. I did get a little stressed and frustrated yesterday, so I just came home and vegged on my recliner. I love my worn recliner. My babies, Mia and Tanner, lay in my lap or whatever they can find space and we just relax and enjoy each other's company. They are so wonderful to have around.

I have a interview tomorrow and I'm looking forward to it. It will be about Sickle Cell Anemia and how it affects many Black people in our communities. It is a medical issue that we don't know a lot about but it affects quite a few Black people. After that, I may take some time for myself... but I doubt. 

Well tomorrow's a new day and I will keep writing. Thanks for reading.

"Embrace Your Community.

A Publisher's Day

I woke up feeling pretty good today. I have been working like crazy staying up late to finish everything, even though I realize I will never finish.  I listened to my Gospel music as I do everyday to get me feeling really good as I drove to my coffee shop office Java. I thought about a friend who reached a year of her book of poetry being published. I am so happy for her.  It is so good when you reached a goal that started out as just a thought but ended up to be a dream come true. Way to Go Shametra! It is only the beginning for you. As I thought about her, I thought about my own year coming up in September. My thought that turned to a dream will be upon me in September. I will definitely have to reflect just as she did.

Today I was able to work from an agenda and accomplished everything that was listed for today. It is such a good feeling when I do this. The editor and I realized we have to have an agenda to keep us on track. It makes us feel good and we feel we have met our goals for the day. The magazine continues to move forward and grow. People continue to be responsive and apart of the growth. Thanks Austin. I'm working hard to have a great fundraiser event. I have great people surrounding me, so I have no doubt. But because again, I'm completely out of my comfort zone, I am afraid and fearful. But it comes from my own insecurities. I have a lot by the way. 

I have an interview tomorrow morning and then the team will meet to review the June issue. It will go out on time. I'm excited about it. It is our Father's Day issue. I love celebrating the Black man and the good black men who are working, loving and providing security to their family. They are out there, we just have to give them light to shine. They are covered by all the darkness that drains from a wound created by our society. Ujima will always give them the power and the positive light they deserve and need. 

Tomorrow is a new day, and I will continue to write. Thanks for reading. See ya soon.

"Embrace Your Community"

A Publisher's Weekend

I have had a wonderful but busy weekend thus far. Yesterday, I had a fun time with my girls at Schlosky's. We laughed and talked for a long while. We had a wonderful time together as usual. When I get with them, I laugh so hard, sometimes my eyes start watering. It's a wonderful release. We have been meeting at Schlosky's since 1997.I do miss going to the Wine Festival at the Domain. This is the first year I did not attend. The weather has been raining so I'm not so sure I would have enjoyed myself. There is always next year. It is a fun event. 

 Today, I had a meeting with my fundraiser coordinator and the lady who is making my invitations for the Wine Tasting event. I finalized the invitations. They are very nice. I was also glad to have a Starbucks Carmel Machiatto, love that coffee drink. I even splurged for extra carmel.

Please meet Mia and Tanner. They are my babies. I do have one other beautiful baby named Solomon. He is a black Chow. He is a really nice dog. They make up our family. We, my husband and I, love them to death. They keep me laughing and smiling when I feel down or sad. They are great companions.

Well tomorrow's a new day. Thanks for reading.

The Life of a Publisher

I have gotten behind a bit in writing. But all is well.  I have to tell you about my day yesterday. I went to the second OSEC ( Original Self-Employed Collaboration) meeting. It is the meeting I joined last month. It is for women who are business owners and entrepreneurs. I really enjoy this group because it is more than a social group where you meet people and give them your card. The leader of the group is Donna Johnson. You can find more information at her website www.donnaspeaks.com. Anyway, she has an agenda and she follows it. If this means we have to talk more at the end, the lesson for that day is given. Yesterday we discussed branding. What is it you want your business to convey to people? I got a lot from this discussion. The group is diverse and all the women involved are in different lines of business. We have construction company owners, artist, landscaping artist, life insurance agent, to someone who is finding her way. But from the group she received tips and ideas of how she may proceed to narrow down what she wants to do. It's a great group.

After that, I was too tired to do much else. I have plenty of my plate however. Because I have to get this fundraiser planned out and ready to go. 

Today, I had to stop and take a break. I felt really tired today. I had an interview with a young lady who has started a program working with our young black children in the community. After that meeting, I came home and took a rest in my recliner and then got up around 5pm to start working. I feel a little bit better and I will have to stop and sit still because if I don't I will be exhausted to the point where I can't do anything. But I feel I can't just stop or I losing time. Tomorrow is a new day and I will wake up and continue on.  Thanks for reading.

"Embrace Your Community"

Life of A Publisher

I spent time learning how to add photos to my Facebook page. It was fun and I did it. Today was a busy day. I met with the fundraising coordinator about the upcoming Ujima event on June 26th. I'm excited and nervous at the same time. Not to mention there are a lot of pieces that have to be done. With all of this planning, I still have a magazine to put out. The managing editor and myself tried to spend time today discussing how we can make our job a little easier. The system we have for writing and interviewing is not really working. We are always stressed at the last minute trying to meet our deadline, write all the articles, take photos,etc.  We were not able to do that today, so it will be a priority tomorrow.  We are attending the OSEC meeting tomorrow at Sherlocks. It is the Original Self-Employed Collaboration meeting. It is a time I can step away from the business and learn from other people.

I still have to work on my database and brainstorm about making the job easier tonight. But I will get it done... I have too. Well I better get business if I want to get any sleep tonight. 

Thanks for reading.

 

"Embrace Your Community"

May Issue of Ujima

The May issue is final out. I know it's late but production was delayed due to a family emergency. But even though it was delayed it is still a good issue. The young girl on the cover is Simone. Her story is incredible. She started college at 15 years old. She is now 17 years old and is attending University of Texas, graduating next year. She will then apply to medical school. She is an inspiration to young people and old. She made me want to do better. I love meeting people who are young and know what they want to do and make plans for their future. She's amazing.

Although I was very happy to get the issue out, I had somewhat of a small glitch. I found out that the cafe I was going to use for the Wine Tasting event was double booked, leaving me out. So, I'm now looking for another venue. But I did not freak out and I calmly started looking for another location. I did contact the fundraiser assistant and she will assist with this task too. I have to keep the date because I have gotten the speaker locked in and I just do not want to change. I spent tonight updating my database with names, numbers and addresses. So, that's today. But tomorrow will be editing day for the June issue so it will a day of concentration. Yahoo!

Be back tomorrow. Thanks for reading.

The Life and Times of a Publisher

Today has been a difficult day. It was the day technology decided to stop for me. I went to my coffeehouse office to write. I have most of my June copy done, however, I needed to go back and listen to some of my notes. That's when I realized my audio pen would not work. I sat at the table hitting the pen against the paper trying to get it to pick up the sound. But of course, it would not budge. I was screaming inside. Then instead of the May issue being delivered from the printer in San Antonio, my husband ended up having to drive and get them. This did not make me happy. But on the bright side, they will go out to the community tomorrow... Yea! Finally.

So I have sat looking to see if I had any other options for a audio pen and haven't found any. I'm also trying to decide will I invest in a new pen or just use the traditional recorder. But I love technology and love to find the next best thing. But I am worried about the interviews I cannot go back and listen to for information. But I learn today, I better use a back up when I interview someone because even with sketchy notes it is hard to remember everything. That is what makes the audio pen so great. Ugh!!!!

Now I can move on to the June issue and all of the things I have to do for my year issue.  Between planning for the fundraiser, writing, interviewing, and all the other things that happen in life, I should have plenty to keep me busy. Tomorrow is a new day and I'll be ready for it. Thanks for reading.

The Life and Times of a Publisher

My life as a publisher today was good. I met with my team to discuss ideas, changes, upcoming events and improvements that need to be made. I have a good team and we work hard to make improvements and stay ahead of the game. Working to be the best is hard work, but things worth having, always mean hard work. We are working on the June issue, which we are putting together. Because it is only myself and the managing editor writing all the articles, we work hard to meet our deadlines along with everything we have to do to keep it going. Whew! I wonder sometime how we do it, but we always get it done. The May issue is late coming out but hopefully it will be ready tomorrow. An untimely family emergency caused the production to be delayed, but when they come out they will be worth the wait. 

After the meeting, I worked on things that need to be done for our Anniversary issue. How exciting. I spent tonight looking for a Evite site that I can work the task for the Wine Tasting Event on June 26th. I have a lot of my plate and I hope I can keep it all in order. It's not easy but I can do it. This week should be fairly easy because it's our proof and marketing week. I have to generate some dollars so I really need to work on Marketing. So much to do and not enough time in the day. 

The good thing is tomorrow is a new day! See ya tomorrow and thanks for reading.