Everyone on social media has probably seen the meme and photos for this quote by Frank Ocean, “Work hard in silence, let your success be your noise.”
I’ve believed in this since 2015 when a variety of my creative processes for the work I create were taken and made into their own. Addressing this has proven to me that the people that are capable of taking your work and feeling comfortable about it are also the people that will not own it and apologize. That means they’d have to admit to their faults and it’s not a easy process for anyone, let alone an uncreative soulless individual that would rather succeed by stepping on everyone than collaborate with you to share the same voice and mission but do so together.
Since I cannot change nor control anyone else other than myself, I’ve chosen to move forward and to do so without the bitterness. I don’t have the time nor emotional energy for anything so negative. However, this was a great lesson. I used to tell others what I was doing away from the public eye of social media until it was where I wanted it to be. So I would meet someone for coffee and I’d open up to them as they said they liked to “bounce ideas off of me” but I didn’t realize the ideas I had for myself were going to be taken from that coffee meeting. I thought I was in a good place with them because the excitement was mutual. But since I didn’t declare the project, tagline, name, or whatever, it was ripped away and made unauthentic with the wrong purpose behind it.
*Sigh.* This part of being honest and open is where I get in trouble. I believe people will honor and respect me the same way I do to them. Clearly we’re not on the same ethical playground.
Alas, here I am. I’m not listening to Frank Ocean anymore. I’m owning my projects and making the claim publicly with the sincere hopes that my work will be left where it should be; with me and with you as I share it.
So here I go again on my own; not on my grind nor my hustle. I’m going with grace and gumption.
Here’s a project I’ve worked on with Blessings in a Backpack with the hopes to bring it to the other nonprofits that I work with in the city of Louisville. The test for this was done over 15 days. This is the national release for the influencer marketing reach:
Louisville Do-Gooders:
Louisville Do-Gooders is an influencer based group. We’re influencing on a higher level than ever before because we’re doing it for the benefit of nonprofits in the city we all love. We’re activating our individual voices to help raise awareness and donations to our individual networks to connect others with for the greater good of the city and the nonprofits that exist within it. This is a program built specific to each nonprofit to maximize the reach and donations to them.
Let’s grow together: I’d love to make this a project that far exceeds the organic reach within the city of Louisville! So if you’re ever wanting to do the same in another city, please let me know. I’d love to collaborate with others that realize the power behind working together instead of against one another.