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As the warm embrace of summer envelops us, it's tempting to succumb to thoughts of carefree days spent lounging by the pool or taking family vacations. However, the responsibilities of work don't cease simply because the calendar page turns to summer. With kids out of school, bright sunny days, and the irresistible allure of the pool, it's crucial to strike a balance between enjoying the season and staying focused on closing out the second quarter strong and going all in for the third quarter. We didn’t say it’s going to be easy but let’s explore some potential strategies to embrace the summer while maintaining productivity and making progress towards our professional objectives. Plan Ahead and Set Clear Goals Before the summer season kicks into high gear, take some time to set clear and specific goals for the next few months. Outline your priorities, projects, and deadlines, allowing for flexibility to accommodate summer activities. Breaking down your goals into smaller, actionable tasks will help maintain focus and track progress. By having a roadmap in place, you can enjoy the summer without losing sight of your professional aspirations. Time Management and Prioritization With longer daylight hours and a desire to soak up the summer atmosphere, effective time management becomes crucial. Identify your peak productivity hours and allocate them for focused work. Consider implementing time-blocking techniques, where specific time slots are dedicated to different tasks, ensuring that work and leisure have their designated spaces. Prioritize tasks based on importance and urgency to maximize productivity while leaving room for summer enjoyment. Embrace Flexible Work Arrangements Summer often presents unique opportunities for flexible work arrangements. Explore options like remote work or adjusted schedules that allow you to make the most of the season while maintaining work commitments. Coordinate with colleagues and peers to find a balance that works for everyone. By embracing flexibility, you can enjoy outdoor activities, spend quality time with loved ones, and still meet professional obligations. Optimize Downtime for Personal Growth The summer season provides an ideal backdrop for personal growth and development. Utilize downtime effectively by engaging in activities that expand your skill set or foster creativity. Take up a new hobby, enroll in online courses or workshops, or delve into inspiring books. This allows you to recharge your mind and infuse fresh perspectives into your work, enhancing productivity and motivation. Leverage Technology and Tools Technology has revolutionized the way we work, making it easier than ever to maintain productivity from anywhere. Embrace digital tools that facilitate collaboration, project management, and communication. Cloud-based platforms enable seamless access to files and documents, fostering teamwork even when physically apart. By leveraging technology, you can stay connected and productive while enjoying the freedom of summer. Create Boundaries and Unplug While it's essential to remain focused on professional goals, it's equally crucial to carve out quality time for rest, rejuvenation, and connection with loved ones. Establish boundaries by setting aside dedicated periods for relaxation and family activities. Unplug from work-related notifications and immerse yourself fully in the present moment. By honoring these boundaries, you can recharge your energy and return to work with renewed vigor and creativity. Summer brings with it a wave of excitement and the temptation to indulge in leisure at the expense of professional pursuits. However, by adopting a strategic approach and implementing the tips outlined above, you can strike a harmonious balance between work and summer enjoyment. Embrace the season, savor the sunshine, and make memories with your loved ones, all while remaining focused on your goals. With careful planning, effective time management, and a flexible mindset, you can make this summer both productive and memorable. Ensemble is a collaborative business community and coworking space in Fort Worth, Texas. We offer busy entrepreneurs, small businesses and remote workers a warm and welcoming place to be productive, to connect and collaborate while being part of a community.​ From offices to dedicated desks, cozy couches, open seating, members and guests alike are more productive, while being connected to a community and less lonely.

It’s just another day to many people but for women, it’s a day to help forge women’s equality. International Women’s Day 2022 theme is #BreakTheBias. It is more than one day, it’s a movement against bias, stereotypes and discrimination towards women. Together we can push towards furthering progress in making a world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. As the IWD website says, we want a world where difference is valued and celebrated. International Women's Day is celebrated every year on March 8. You can adopt this theme throughout the entire year and incorporate it into your marketing materials, staff meetings, organizations you belong and everywhere you can share it. According to the IWD website: Individually, we're all responsible for our own thoughts and actions - all day, every day. We can break the bias in our communities. We can break the bias in our workplaces. We can break the bias in our schools, colleges, and universities. Together, we can all break the bias - on International Women's Day (IWD) and beyond. They further state; whether deliberate or unconscious, bias makes it difficult for women to move ahead. Knowing that bias exists isn’t enough, action is needed to level the playing field. Are you in? Will you actively call out gender bias, discrimination, and stereotyping each time you see it? Will you help break the bias? Cross your arms to show solidarity. Strike the IWD 2022 pose and share your #BreakTheBias image, video, resources, presentation, or articles on social media using #IWD2022 #BreakTheBias to encourage further people to commit to helping forge an inclusive world. Below are a few of our members taking a stance on International Women’s Day. What is the history of International Women's Day? According to the United Nations, the first National Women's Day was celebrated on February 28, 1909. The United Nations says it was designated by the Socialist Party of America to honor women in the garment industry who went on strike in New York to protest working conditions. But the first milestone in the US was much earlier - in 1848. Indignant over women being barred from speaking at an anti-slavery convention, Americans Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott congregate a few hundred people at their nation’s first women’s rights convention in New York. Together they demand civil, social, political, and religious rights for women in a Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions. A movement is born. International Women's Day is celebrated in many countries around the world. It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic, or political. Since those early years, International Women's Day has assumed a new global dimension for women in developed and developing countries alike. The growing international women's movement, which has been strengthened by four global United Nations women's conferences, has helped make the commemoration a rallying point to build support for women's rights and participation in the political and economic arenas. Read more about the origins of IWD and the history of women’s rights and the UN's contribution to the cause. Don’t forget to strike the IWD 2022 pose and share your #BreakTheBias image online. And be part of continuing the movement to end bias, stereotypes and gender inequality. #IWD2022 #BreakTheBias ------ Ensemble is a collaborative business community and coworking space in Fort Worth, Texas. We offer busy entrepreneurs, small businesses and remote workers a warm and welcoming place to be productive, to connect and collaborate while being part of a community.​

On April 4th of 2021, Ensemble celebrated the end of its 5th year in business, going into our 6th year. As I looked into the meaning behind the number five, I found myself feeling blessed to make it through our 5th year, which was 2020. Number 5 is mentioned in the Bible a total of 318 times. This number is directly linked to God’s grace, mercy, and favor. If there ever was a year to receive grace, mercy, and favor from God, then 2020 was it. The grace of God is described as an unmerited favor that comes as a result of God’s love. As a small business owner, I felt God’s favor over Ensemble in 2020. It was a tough year for many small businesses, and the coworking and flexible workspace industry was hit hard. I look at how Ensemble survived despite the pandemic and I feel incredibly blessed. I owe the blessings of 2020 to the following 5 things (or people): 1. God Through all the worries, fear, anxiety, and unknowns, God carried me through. Even when things looked bad enough to consider closing, God reminded me that everything was going to be all right. I had friends and family praying for Ensemble regularly. 2. Family Being a small business owner more often than not means the entire family is involved. Sometimes directly but most of the time indirectly. My family has listened to the woes and heartache of running a business that resulted from the great pause of 2020. They encouraged me and reminded me of my why; to make a difference and affect change in the lives of others. They were a shoulder to cry on when I felt like giving up and the kick in the pants at just the right time. People first was my priority. That’s how we built a strong community. It’s the community that continued to support us financially that carried us through the toughest months this last year and even still now. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to our members and extended community for your emotional and financial support. 4. Ensemble Team Our team went through a few changes in 2020 but one constant was the always cheerful, Clint Grimes, Community Manager. In a year when we all struggled mentally and emotionally, Clint stepped up and went beyond his regular duties. He cleaned light fixtures, changed bulbs, shampooed carpets, painted, and performed other odd jobs during the shutdown. He regularly touched base with members to ensure they felt connected and took on hosting virtual events through Zoom. That challenged us all in the beginning. When we had to let our cleaning crew go, he became part janitor also. When money got really tight, I was forced to reduce Clint's hours to part-time. Clint didn’t bat an eye about sticking with me until things got better. Through all of this, Clint was my sounding board and a constant prayer warrior. At the beginning of the summer, Julia Glidden joined the team on a part-time basis to help with social media, events, and marketing. Julia fell right into place with creative thinking and wearing many hats, including sitting at the front desk and cleaning. From mid-summer through November, these two amazing people kept Ensemble afloat while I was campaigning to be on the Burleson City Council. I was in and out of the office several times a week with little communication with either of them. Yet, they held it all together. I am privileged to work with such an amazing team, with hearts to serve and love people. 5. Friends and Professional Colleagues There is no handbook for how to get through a pandemic as a small business owner. We were all trying to figure it out at the same time. The best part is that we did it together. I received countless emails, texts and phone calls with information about PPP loans and grants as well as creative ideas on how to make money with my space. My friends, some business owners, some not, were always available to lend an ear, share an idea or cry with me. It is a blessing to have all of this support during the tough times and to celebrate when things are going well. When I think back to the last 5 years, I actually think about the legacy that I am leaving. I have met so many talented people, dedicated business owners, students, and wanna-be entrepreneurs. I have been blessed to mentor a lot of them. It makes me wonder what they will do in the next 5 years, where they will be, and whose lives they will have touched. I don’t know what the next 5 years hold for Ensemble but I know that I have been blessed by the last 5. Tamara Payne is the Founder | CEO of Ensemble Coworking. She is a seasoned entrepreneur, strategic business coach, and communications trainer.

Churchill lead Britain through one of its darkest periods. With enemies threatening to advance across the English Channel, bombing London daily, the pressure to survive was paramount. But Churchill, like any entrepreneur worth their salt, understood that failure was part of the process. One learned from their mistakes, and the greatest lesson was that there was always another day to fight on. Fall is officially here. The weather is getting cooler. All signs that we are entering the 4th quarter of business. This time of year can bring a different set of challenges to business owners and professionals. The looming holidays can be a welcome distraction from the craziness of the rest of the year but can also thwart potential success in the coming months. As we round out the last quarter of 2020 - THANK GOD! - how will you approach it? From a failure or success mindset. If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s how to be resilient and innovative. The finish line is around the corner and you will need to push yourself harder than before. It’s important to keep your composure and power through the end of the year without losing momentum and maintaining productivity? When it gets tough and you feel like you don’t have any more energy, keep your eye on the finish line, not the tasks (or steps) that it will take to get there. Keep your head up with your eyes focussed on where you are going. By the 4th quarter, you’ve got momentum. Take advantage of it. Seeds planted months ago are blossoming. New and old opportunities may arise. Be uber aware of things you didn’t plan to happen that could bring the most rewards. It’s 12 simple weeks that will fly by in the blink of an eye. A strong 4th quarter is dependent upon extraordinary execution skills. The better you execute, the better you perform, and the stronger you finish. It’s that simple. What happened yesterday or months ago, happened. It’s in the past. Be like Churchill and learn from your mistakes. There is always another day to fight on, keep going, and get to the finish line. Ensemble is a collaborative business community and coworking space in Fort Worth, Texas. We offer busy entrepreneurs, small businesses, and remote workers a warm and welcoming place to be productive, to connect, and collaborate while being part of a community.​ From offices to dedicated desks, cozy couches, open seating, members and guests alike are more productive, connect to a community, and less lonely.

What an incredible time we are living in. Thank you for the continued support from our members, the extended community in the Near Southside, the city of Fort Worth, and our collaborative partners. We are doing our best to navigate the guidelines from local and state officials regarding COVID-19. We care about the health of our members and guests. Please note that to date no one at Ensemble has received a positive test for COVID-19. If that happens we will notify you, provide contact tracing information if possible, and do our part to properly disinfect the building. In light of the recent uptick in positive cases as well as the new executive orders for Tarrant County, we have created a Health and Safety Policy. The utmost importance has been placed on REQUIRING FACE COVERINGS for members and guests while in open and shared spaces and while not being able to physically distance more than 6 (six) feet. The Ensemble Health and Safety Policy can be read completely HERE. Below are a few additional things that are not covered in the official policy. We continue to clean regularly at the highest standards possible. Conductors, our front desk support, have returned for limited hours of 10 am - 2 pm. Conductors will wear a mask during their shift and gloves while sorting the mail. Ensemble employees will wear a mask according to our Health and Safety Policy. We will have disposable masks on hand for guests or members if one is forgotten. Hand sanitizer pumps are provided throughout the building. We have ordered NanoSeptic push bar and door handle sleeves that are self-cleaning to provide extra protection in between regular cleanings. Desks in open coworking have been separated for proper physical distancing. Regular coworking members have been assigned a desk in open coworking to provide designated workspaces. We are purchasing plexiglass barriers for the front desk, conference room and shared coworking tables (where necessary and applicable). All members who use the conference rooms after hours are required to fully disinfect the tables and chairs upon the end of usage. It is imperative that we continue to serve the small business community and remote workers in the area with a critical workspace that is safe and clean. Running a business and work must go on for the majority of people. Ensemble continues to be a place where productivity combined with community are a priority. Please reach out to us with any questions or concerns. connect@ensemblecoworking.com With Appreciation! The Ensemble Team

Dear Ensemble Community: This has been a tough time for all of us. 😩 We miss the hustle and bustle of hard work within the walls of Ensemble. We miss the buzz of chatter and laughter. We miss you. We miss us as a community and we look forward to when we are all back together again “getting stuff done” together. 👫👬👭 As the new orders from the Governor came down a few days ago, the team discussed how we will begin to reopen Ensemble. Fort Worth and the rest of the state begins to wake up starting May 1st 😰 and before we made any decisions we took into consideration each and every one of you and what is best for you as our community. While we want Ensemble up and running as normal we are uber aware of continuing to stay safely distanced and keeping our space clean ✨ during this time. With that being said, the following are our new procedures starting the beginning of May📅 and continuing until the end of May or until new orders are passed by the Governor. 🕒 NEW normal operating hours: 9am - 5pm Monday - Friday. This is when Clint, a Conductor or myself will be in the space to assist you, make coffee, etc. 🚫 Conference rooms non-members: not available for booking 💢 Conference rooms members: available to book with the adjusted number of people as follows - Jam Session: no more than 4 Band Room: no more than 6 (2 per table) Orchestra Room: no more than 14 (1 per table) ✅ Conference room usage Book room as usual When booking, please tell us how many guests to expect Inform Community Manager or Conductor when done so we can properly clean the room Please remove cups or anything else you or a guest brought into the room We will not be providing water or coffee to your guests throughout the month of May until we get further away from the pandemic. You may fetch coffee or water for them if you choose. Do not let your guest enter the kitchen. Inform your guests to only use the restrooms or the room they are in. We discourage guests from taking tours or wandering the space at this time. ❗ Phone Booths We will not always know when you use a phone booth so we ask that you disinfect the phone booth desk, handles, light switches, etc. yourself. Your help is much appreciated. 🤸‍♂️ Open Coworking Open coworking members will be provided with one of the single desks in open coworking during the month of May with possible extension into June. This way only 1 person uses the desk and you can be assured of no cross contamination. This is first come, first serve. There are currently 5 sit/stand desks left, 1 under the Ensemble sign, and 4 next to the big wall. There are 3 non-adjustable desks under the Ensemble sign. Your desk will be appropriately labeled with your name and company so no one else uses it. The 4 seat sit/stand table will be used as come and go coworking along with the two tall-top tables in the middle of open coworking. 🛀 Cleaning Every day at the top of the hour we will disinfect handles, door pushes, countertops and sink handles in the kitchen, bathrooms and enter/exit doors. We need your help with assistance in cleaning as much as possible while you are in the space. Cleaning supplies are located in opening coworking and dedicated desk along with plastic gloves if you prefer. Face masks! We are not requiring the wearing of masks at this time. It is your preference to wear one if you choose. 🙌 Conductors To respect the wishes of our Conductors, they will not be coming back for several months. We have multiple conflicts with children at home and concerns about health. For the time being, Clint and Tamara will be covering the front desk and handling any member and space issues. We appreciate your understanding during this time. If you know anyone who might be interested in being a Conductor, please have them contact Clint. 👉 Events All events for the month of May will remain VIRTUAL We’ve added a weekly Work Sprint to further help those of you who are working from home in staying productive and getting stuff done. We conduct our virtual events via ZOOM. Download it to your computer or smartphone for meetings. 👀 Workspace Rules: we want to do everything we can to keep you safe and healthy now and always. We ask that you abide by the following guidelines as we reenter working together. Ok, let’s be real. Use common sense when it comes to getting back to some kind of normal. Do NOT come to Ensemble if you are feeling sick at all, have a fever (anything above 99), or a cough that is undiagnosed. We understand seasonal allergies. We’ve all got them. Do NOT come to Ensemble if you have been around anyone with COVID-19 within the least 2 weeks. Upon entering Ensemble, please 🧼🖐 wash your hands ...well wash your hands frequently throughout the day and don’t touch your eyes, nose and mouth if possible. Stay 6 feet apart when in common areas and as much as possible. Honor your co-worker's space and each other’s comfort when it comes to space. We appreciate all of you for your commitment to our community, to Ensemble and to helping keep us afloat during this difficult time. Please reach out to any of the team with any questions or concerns. connect@ensemblecoworking.com With Appreciation! The Ensemble Team

Ensemble is a small business and is considered a startup since we are under 5 years in business. We are experiencing the same fears and feelings of unknown territory as our members and many of you. This pandemic has affected all of us, from corporate to government to small and micro-businesses. We want to provide a little bit of help in connecting you to resources that might help you during this time. There is no way that we can compile the most accurate list on our own so we are sharing lists from organizations that are larger and have more resources than us. The businesses that have been hardest hit are the service and retails industries. You can help them now to survive by purchasing gift cards for use now or in the future. You can also still get food To Go at most of your local restaurants...and you can get alcohol with the food to go also. That’s a nice bonus. Below are resources for Fort Worth, Tarrant County, City of Burleson (since we have a small sister location there), State of Texas as well as national. This list will continually be updated so keep checking back. Updated 3.23.2020 Fort Worth City of Fort Worth COVID-19 for Business: http://fortworthtexas.gov/COVID-19-business/ City of Fort Worth Business Survey: https://cityoffortworth.wufoo.com/forms/fort-worth-covid19-business-survey/ City of Fort Worth Restaurants: www.FortWorth.com/RestaurantUpdates Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce COVID-19 Resources: https://www.fortworthchamber.com/covid-19/ Fort Worth Chamber Facebook Page where they are hosting regular live videos for businesses to adapt to our new working conditions: https://www.facebook.com/FTWChamber/ Near Southside Inc. in Ft. Worth has compiled and comprehensive list of city, county and national resources here: https://www.nearsouthsidefw.org/private/COVID19_Update_for_Small_Businesses_3_20_2020.pdf Burleson City of Burleson Coronavirus Updates: https://www.burlesontx.com/2059/Coronavirus City of Burleson Gift Card Program: http://btxgiftcards.com/ City of Burleson Small Business Assistance: https://www.burlesontx.com/2060/COVID-19-Small-Business-Assistance City of Burleson Business Cleaning Supplies: State of Texas Texas State Comptroller COVID-19 Information for Employers: https://twc.texas.gov/news/covid-19-resources-employers State of Texas March 19, 2020 Governor Declaration: https://www.burlesontx.com/DocumentCenter/View/19990/State-of-Texas-Executive-Order-Relating-to-COVID-19-preparedness-and-mitigation Texas Department of Health on Coronavirus: https://www.dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/ National SBA Disaster Loans for Small Business: https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/Account/Login CDC Updates on Coronavirus: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2Findex.html Resource Articles Facebook announces $100M grant program for small businesses: https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/17/facebook-small-business-grants/ List Of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Small Business Relief Programs: https://www.forbes.com/sites/advisor/2020/03/20/list-of-coronavirus-covid-19-small-business-relief-programs/#681ac808e89d Small Business Relief Tracker: Funding, Grants And Resources For Business Owners Grappling With Coronavirus: https://www.forbes.com/sites/briannegarrett/2020/03/20/small-business-relief-tracker-funding-grants-and-resources-for-business-owners-grappling-with-coronavirus/#213bef7add4c Treasury and IRS to delay tax payment deadline by 90 days: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/17/treasury-and-irs-to-delay-tax-deadline-by-90-days.html Loans for small businesses affected by the coronavirus - Where to find free or low-interest funding to keep you afloat: https://www.finder.com/business-loans-coronavirus Help Small Business - Gift certificates to support small businesses: https://www.kabbage.com/helpsmallbusiness

Ensemble is a collaborative business community and coworking space. We intentionally put coworking at the end because we value community and connection through collaboration over selling a desk or an office to work from. Collaboration is critical for all businesses to thrive and be sustainable. For women business owners and female professionals to rise to the top of their industry, we need to embrace collaboration as a smart business strategy. Collaboration is a tool that creates better business outcomes. Let’s face it, gender bias still exists in business; corporate and women entrepreneurs still face inequality. Wage gaps, glass ceilings, boardroom oversight, lack of advancement still exist and hinder women. The good old boys club is still here, in business, politics, and life. There is hope for women and it comes by working together. In an online article from November 2014 published by Fast Company, the author says for women to overcome these ingrained, intimidating challenges, we must embrace partnership as part of the solution. She continues by saying that “win-win relationships can accelerate growth, generate new opportunities and provide a network of supporters to help founders through the challenging times.” When women empower other women, powerful things happen yet somehow we still listen to that little voice in the back of our mind that says, don’t trust her, she may steal my idea or my customers. That’s competition, not collaboration. Competition is healthy but when it creates paranoia and builds a wedge between women something is wrong. To collaborate we must trust one another and communicate our needs and expectations. Open communication is critical because fear and negative’ thinking will inevitably become a challenge. In order to further trust and build loyalty when working together, we need to talk about how things are going, good or bad. We cannot go it alone. No one can. It’s the support of a great network and community of women that will propel our success and squash what’s holding us back. Each of us has weaknesses, areas that are not our strong suit. Collaboration allows for each of us to share our strengths and fill the gaps in our weaknesses. Seeking complementary partnerships makes us stronger, not weaker. Owning your weaknesses makes you approachable, likable and even someone others want to emulate. It’s a fallacy that the only strong win, because no one person is strong in all areas of business. We are stronger together. As a woman business owner, a leader in the entrepreneurial and women’s community, I want to collaborate with women. I seek it out, I encourage it. Not because I don’t like working with men. I have many great relationships with men in business who support me, encourage me and share about Ensemble. However, society is still stuck in its ways and men are a victim of societal biases towards women whether they realize it or not. Some men are unaware of their negative behavior or how something they said affects a woman, even the smallest of things can change the way a man or woman views or treats another woman. I seek female collaboration because I know that together our voices have more power, our work has more meaning and our lives make more of an impact. I want to look back at my life someday and know that I experienced more because of the relationships I built with women. I don’t want to look back and realize that I gave up opportunities to make a difference by working with other women because of my fears or judgment. Men inevitably support other men. It’s part of their nature. Women haven’t always done that. We have pandered to men in society, adapted our personas to fit their norm, instead of being feminine, owning our strengths and being emotional when we wanted to be. Women are emotional creatures. That’s what makes us great mothers, friends, leaders and great at business. The next time you find yourself judging another woman, check yourself. It’s you that should be judged. Do a double-take and find something in her that you admire. If she intimidates you, then admire her confidence. Then, reach out your hand and introduce yourself. Ask her if she ever struggled with confidence and boldly ask her to be your mentor. That is the power of collaboration which will bring you more joy, peace, and success in business and in life. I’ll finish by saying that I am not a crazy feminist. I am for empowering women and giving them a voice because as a middle-aged woman in business I have experienced bias of many kinds. I have witnessed the challenges women face in small businesses without their fellow women business owners and mentors lifting them along the way. It’s a tough road when you go it alone. I’ve felt beat down and alone many times. When my tribe surrounded me and carried me (along with God), I felt cared for and loved, I felt worthy and worth it. So, let's do this together. Reach out to me if you need collaboration, support, connections or community. Tamara Payne tamara@ensemblecoworking.com Ensemble is a collaborative business community and coworking space in Fort Worth, Texas. We offer busy entrepreneurs, small businesses and remote workers a warm and welcoming place to be productive, to connect and collaborate while being part of a community.​ From offices to dedicated desks, cozy couches, open seating, members and guests alike are more productive, connect to a community and less lonely.

In today’s world, we put professional athletes on a pedestal, we gush over movie stars, and we strive to become famous performing dances on Tik Tok. News and social media along with the latest millennial applications “apps” have distorted our perspective on what is noteworthy. People are clamoring for attention doing crazy stunts, recording their dog doing silly things. We are hammered with an onslaught of selfies, self-promotion, selfie videos of where we eat and what we are doing. Yet all the while there are people who are making a massive difference in our world that are not even noticed. Because we focus too much on the lifestyles of the rich and famous and not reality of those around us who are leaving an indelible mark upon this world. It’s easy for those with money to give because they have the means to do it but often they don’t do it easily. It’s not easy for those with less to give...but they often do it easily. Because they see a need and it’s in their DNA to make that difference. The movie Harriet, released in 2019, resurrected the story of a black female American icon, Araminta Ross, also known as Harriet Tubman. This brave woman embodied the DNA of someone who did what she had to, at her own great expense, to help others. Harriet, determined to change the trajectory of her life and the life of her family, escaped slavery and became an abolitionist and a master of the underground railroad. This woman deserves to be put on a pedestal, to have paparazzi following her and news outlets fighting over an interview with her. She should be speaking in schools about courage, determination, and leadership. Obviously, she is not here for any of that but others are. There are thousands of people from small towns to big cities that do amazing things that have a long-lasting effect on the lives of others. Within each of our communities, there is someone determined to do good in any way that they can. He or she knows the road is not easy but they push on, they stick to it because, in the end, it is the lives that they touch that matters the most. Here are a few black Americans doing incredible things today to leave our world a better place. Meet Marley Dias, founder of #1000BlackGirlBooks. Marley was a voracious reader and at the age of 11 she realized all the books she was given in school featured white boys and their dogs. So, she set out to change that. By 13, she had collected more than 11,000 books that showcase black female lead characters. She then became an author herself. “Each of us has a magic inside of us that we can use to make the world a better place.” Way to go Marley. Follow #1000BlackGirlBooks on Twitter. Meet Adam McKinney, M.A. who, with his husband Daniel Banks, Ph.D, co-founded DNAWORKS in 2006. DNAWORKS is an arts and service organization dedicated to furthering artistic expression and dialogue, focusing on issues of identity, culture, class and heritage. DNAWORKS moved its headquarters to Ft. Worth in the summer of 2016 when Adam started as a professor at Texas Christian University. Though a humble organization, DNAWORKS leaves an gigantic impact on each and every community in which they share their unique dialogue-based social justice action and community building. DNAWORKS believes art = ritual = healing = community and that this philosophy and practice lead to a more peaceful and understanding world. Find out more about DNAWORKS and help them to continue breaking down stereotypes and improving the community. www.dnaworks.org Meet Tarana Burke, a civil rights activist from The Bronx, New York who founded the “Me Too” movement on social media to raise awareness of the pervasiveness of sexual abuse and assault in society. In 2017 #MeToo went viral as a hashtag after women began using it to tweet about the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse allegations. The phrase and hashtag quickly developed into a broad-based, and eventually international movement (Wikipedia). In her Ted talk, Burke tells the story of how she wrote “Me Too” across the top of a piece of paper. What followed was an action plan for a movement that has gone global and could possibly be the most impactful thing for women’s rights since the right to vote. Who will you be? In this glamorized world we live in, who will you be? How will you be a Harriet in today's world? What are you ready to do to make a difference? From the smallest of gestures, you, too, can be a difference-maker today and tomorrow. Ensemble is a collaborative business community and coworking space in Fort Worth, Texas. We offer busy entrepreneurs, small businesses and remote workers a warm and welcoming place to be productive, to connect and collaborate while being part of a community.​ From offices to dedicated desks, cozy couches, open seating, members and guests alike are more productive, connect to a community and less lonely.

Every January starts a new year and with a new year comes new goals, resolutions, hopes and dreams. Setting goals is something we all tend to do this time of year. Especially in business. We assess the past year, our successes, our misses, so we can identify areas of improvement. The problem with goals is that we say what we “want.” We create a well thought out list of the things we want to accomplish, the sales numbers, the number of clients, the books we want to read and so on and so on. The biggest reason we fail to reach the goals is we spend little to no time getting clarifying our vision and then creating clarity of vision. These two phrases are very closely spelled and interpreted. Let’s take a closer look at the differences and the steps that follow. Clarify Vision To clarify is to make understandable, free of confusion. Visioning often involves long term goals and desires but the long term can be hard to clarify. Because things happen over time that can change our desires and even place physical obstacles in the way that completely detour our path. At the beginning of the year, vision only the next 12 months. Then break those into quarters and focus on only 3 months at a time. This way your vision is understandable and free of confusion. The more your desire and attempt to achieve in a small time frame, the more difficult you make the success of your efforts. The more confused you can become and the more likely you will feel defeated. To set yourself up for 2020 success, make your vision, goals, expectations for the year clear, free of confusion and easily understood. Clarity of Vision While the dictionary defines clarity closely to word clarify, clarity of vision as a phrase changes the context of the word. Clarity is to quality of state of being clear. To have clarity of a vision means to have clearly identified the actions or steps to take to make the vision happen. If you are a leader in any capacity clarity of vision is having a clearly communicated vision from top downwards. It requires interpreting vision to actions so that you and your staff know what the expectations are to fulfill the vision. Having clarity of vision for yourself requires doing the work, taking the time to create the action plan, the actual things that need to be done, to calendar time to do them or delegate to the appropriate person. Intention and Focus You’ve created the vision and you’ve developed the actionable items to achieve the vision. Now you need to live and work with intention and focus. Wayne Dyer says, “Our intention creates our reality.” By that he means that when we live with intention, knowing what to focus on each day with the vision in mind, the actionable steps, then we will achieve that vision. Intentional action on a daily basis is hard. We allow many unnecessary distractions derail us from intentional activity. Discipline yourself to focus on the actionable steps that move you towards your goal, to complete the vision. Do this weekly. Work in small increments so you can experience small wins, achievements and feel as though you are making a difference. Allow yourself to celebrate when you finish something. Don’t forget to stop to assess where you are, to ensure you are still aligned with your vision. You may have to adapt quarterly, revisit clarifying your vision and establishing clarity of vision again. May 2020 be filled with a clear and actionable vision. Ensemble is a collaborative business community and coworking space in Fort Worth, Texas. We offer busy entrepreneurs, small businesses and remote workers a warm and welcoming place to be productive, to connect and collaborate while being part of a community.​ From offices to dedicated desks, cozy couches, open seating, members and guests alike are more productive, connect to a community and less lonely.

As business owners, entrepreneurs and freelancers we tackle projects, client challenges and keeping up with social media. We also experience improving sales, new clients, connecting with like-minded people, opportunities for growth and collaboration, and celebrating our successes. I’ve been a solopreneur for more than 19 years. I've worked alone most of my career as a business owner. I attend networking events and belong to Chambers of Commerce. I even lead several professional networking organizations. Over the years, I have built a massive network of professionals from all walks of life. Some would say that I am super connected. Knowing a lot of people wasn’t always beneficial until I Iearned how to leverage the connections. Leveraging connections with good intention can produce powerful positive results. Intention is the key. Knowing what to do to deepen relationships will help you leverage your network. Here are 5 simple ways to start connecting on a whole new level. Create Strategic Alliances When you and a connection share a target market, you can share marketing expenses, refer business to one another (with a 10% referral fee of course), and partner on projects for a shared client. Referral Partner Give first without expecting anything in return is a rule that I live by. Give a referral to someone without expecting one in return will strengthen the connection between you and a colleague. It also feels good along the way. What you sow now, you will reap later on. Share Resources Another way I deepen a relationship is by being a resource. This can be done in several ways. Offer yourself as a mentor. Share pertinent industry information through articles you have read. Send the link via email and say something like: “Thought you’d enjoy this article. Hope things are going well.” Be a Connector You can also connect one person to another for the purpose of mentorship, information, or as a professional relationship. This is different than sending a referral for a client. This is about connecting people who need to know each other in one form or another but not about selling to each other. You could introduce two people who are from the same hometown or have worked at a similar company along the way. Collaborate To me, this is the number one thing I have come to appreciate as a business owner and an entrepreneur. When I collaborate I am no longer alone. As I look at my network I now see people in which to collaborate. I get excited about who I can invite into a project, a conversation, a meeting, a networking event. I leverage their knowledge, wisdom and experiences to improve myself and my business. Mostly importantly, I go deeper with my connections, turning them into relationships. Collaboration is the art of sharing. When you have an idea and I have an idea and we share them with each other, we now have two ideas. When we share an idea and invite collaboration, the potential for the idea to succeed is greater. Inviting input from others may alter our original idea for the better. I facilitate collaborations with people all the time. By this I mean that I bring people together to work on a project or work together in some way. I listen intently in conversations seeking small hints of a need or a pain point. I may ask a few clarifying questions to uncover the deeper need and then I leverage my network by connecting two people together. I encourage sharing ideas and especially experiences as I believe we are all going through the same things. Maybe not at the same time but an accounting problem that one person struggled with and solved, will surely come up to another. Why then do we not collaborate more? Fear? Lack of opportunity? Let's talk about fear first. I am guilty of holding my cards close to the vest. I have been burned by people in my network, multiple times. I’ve had ideas stolen, ideas trampled upon and not-so-nice people say and do things behind my back to undermine my authority. Yes, I still get afraid to share and to collaborate. I am very aware of it. I do a gut check quite frequently to determine if my fear is taking over or if my spidey senses are acutely aware that this person or situation is not good for me. I’ve worked hard to discern the difference and to trust my gut when I get that icky feeling about someone. Trust yourself and don’t let fear lead. Are there lack of opportunities to collaborate with others? Yes and no. I like to look at it like this. Some people do not know how to collaborate or even what it means. They are caught up with what they know about doing business and they don’t know any other way. Others are not open to it and that’s their loss altogether. Steer clear of them. Your gut will tell you right away. Hint: very salesly, not interested in you at all. Consider also that you are seeking collaboration. Take the first step. Reach out to someone in your network to discuss how you can collaborate together. Pick someone you liked immediately and that will support you as you learn. It’s a give-give situation. If you give of yourself, most other people will open up and give of themselves. Be a collaborator. It’s not a bad word when used for good. Leverage your network and be a collaborator. Ensemble is a collaborative business community and coworking space in Fort Worth, Texas. We offer busy entrepreneurs, small businesses and remote workers a warm and welcoming place to be productive, to connect and collaborate while being part of a community.​ #collaboration #gratitude #connections #relationships #workingtogether #entrepreneur #smallbusiness

Step up and into what you are meant to be. Empower yourself to be the expert, the one people seek for help in what you do. I’ve had multiple conversations about this very topic over the last several weeks. Mostly because this is something I am working on myself. Yes! I’ve been a business owner for nearly twenty years and I am struggling to put myself out there. Maybe you know who I am, maybe you don’t. You might have seen me on the Ensemble Facebook page, on LinkedIn, Twitter or some other social media stream. But...it’s been mostly hit and miss for me. I promote a lot of other people and the great things they do. I don’t put myself out there and say, here I am, this is how you can work with me. Do you or someone you know struggle with stepping into your greatness? Not doing so is quite a tragedy actually. Someone reminded me recently that when we don’t share our gifts and talents with the world, we are being selfish. We are actually hurting others by not showing up to help them and lift them with the expertise that we have. Well, that’s a reality check. When we don’t show up, we aren’t helping, which is what we all desire; to help others and to make a difference in the lives and businesses of others. 20 years in business! That’s a long time. In that time, I’ve experienced the up’s and down’s of being an entrepreneur. I’ve made bad financial decisions that nearly bankrupted my first business. I’ve gone back to work for someone else only to find out that I am seriously unemployable. I’ve pivoted my marketing business multiple times. I’ve mentored hundreds of business owners. I’ve won awards. I’ve published articles. Oh, and I’ve not paid myself for years at a time. I’ve got the resume. I’ve got the experience. Why then do I continue to struggle with putting myself out there, to step up and be seen? There is no one answer as to why this is a problem for me and for so many others? It’s a deep emotional hitch, something about my generation of women and what we learned and witnessed from them? I don’t know the why. I do know this. As I write about being an empowered entrepreneur this month, I realize that it’s time to empower myself to be seen, put myself out there and share my knowledge with you and others that need it. Be an Authority Who or what gives me the authority to be anything? That certainly comes to mind. I do. It’s as simple as believing and acting as if I am. Not pretending...but act the part, be the part. Be an authority. An authority is an expert in a niche. Here’s how to position yourself as an expert and therefore, be an authority in your industry or niche. Remember, that you, like me have to put yourself out there. Step up and into your authority. Be everywhere. Online, social media, offline, conferences, networking, etc. The more visible you are, the better. Speak at events. Small ones, big ones, specific ones, non-specific ones. Just speak. Speak about what you know best. Be heard. Share your message. Establish a platform. Create videos. There is no bigger platform to place you as an authority right now than creating videos. From Facebook Live to IGTV, YouTube, Periscope or direct links on your website, share your knowledge, thoughts and wisdom via video. More importantly, create and share videos regularly. Write what you know. Educate and share your expertise via blogging, long form social post and traditional social media posts. You can also guest blog for others. Find other influencers and thought leaders and do a guest writer blitz. This will propel your exposure. Charge what you’re worth. OOOHH this one hurts. I struggle with this one and so do many others. Here’s the hard truth about what you charge. Authority figures and niche influencers never work for free and are confident in charging higher prices, i.e., what they are worth. Said and done. Do it. Give compassionate advice. Yes, you know your stuff and you are good at what you do. Remember that you can speak from experience without being pushy or coming across as a know-it-all. Know one wants to work with someone that is cocky. Confidence is a necessity but arrogance is a turn off. Comment and answer questions expertly. Do your research and check your answer, but don’t answer what you don’t know. You will knock your credibility down significantly when you answer a question about something in which you are not an expert. Also, don’t forget to check your grammar and your spelling. Again, you don’t want to write anything that will take away from your authority status. Give shout outs. Do you follow someone that inspires you regularly. Give them a shout out publicly. Mention the post or blog from that influencer publicly. Make sure to tag them on social media and show appreciation and gratitude. Attend as many conferences as you can. I already mentioned being everywhere, including conferences. Conferences connect you to resources, people, other authority figures and influencers. The key is to find your tribe and stay in touch with them. Remember to reach out to speakers and leaders as well. Don’t forget to say what you do, who you are, what your expertise is. Stay current with your industry and niche - always be learning. The world is changing fast and so is everything about what you do. It’s critical that you stay on top of your niche so when you post online, share a video or comment, what you talk about lends credibility to you as an authority. Persuade don’t sell. Connect with people who have the problem you had and solved. Build rapport and let them get to know you. Then get to know them. Remember not to sell. Don’t be pushy. Create webinars. Webinars allow you to give away information for free while reaching a wide audience. They are a great opportunities to share your expertise and build a following. Make serving others your mission. Once you’ve found your ideal customer, make everything you do about serving them. When you serve your target market, you will level up as an authority. Be authentic. Always be you, be authentic. Your audience wants to see you and will connect with the real you. They can see through a fake and false presence and you will lose credibility quickly. Drill down your niche. Niche as tightly as you can, as long as there is a sizable audience for this. Believe in yourself. Know that you are enough. You are not too small or not experienced enough. You’ve put in the work, you know your stuff. Build your reputation and experience on your own. Do the work. Success doesn’t come overnight for entrepreneurs, small business owners, influencers or authority figures. Reject the “get traffic/get rich quick” schemes and put effort in your content, marketing, promotions, and networking. Who am I? I am a serial entrepreneur, a mentor to many, a business consultant and leader, community builder, women's advocate, professional speaker & trainer and a passionate connector of people to each other and the resources they need to build a thriving and sustainable business. I am a master facilitator of meetings, masterminds, and workshops. Connections, collaboration and community are in my blood. I am fun loving and goofy. I am type A, driven and I see and hear all things around the office. I am a caretaker and a nurturer. That's why they call me Momma T. I got a tattoo at 35 and my nose pierced right before I turned 48. I send goofy photos to my husband like the one on the right and he makes them my profile photo because he loves me that much. Ha! I have twin daughters that are 19 that are my pride and joy. I am serious about sharing my knowledge to help others start and grow businesses. I am an authority. Connect with Me Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Ensemble is a collaborative business community and coworking space in Fort Worth, Texas. We offer busy entrepreneurs, small businesses and remote workers a warm and welcoming place to be productive, to connect and collaborate while being part of a community.​ #authority #smallbusiness