Awaken Mark&Marlene

Harmony Village 100 - International Investment Opportunity

Problem:

• You want your money to make more money for you and you don't know where to begin.
• Your job isn't pulling in enough money and you don't have time for a "side-hustle".
• You've thought of relocating to invest from anywhere and you don't want your money tied down to your "location"
• Some of you are thinking about relocating to Africa but you've just realized: a) very few jobs for foreigners, and b) you didn't start that business like you wished that you had a few years back.

Solution:

Listen to this session...

We interview Anitha, a small business owner in East Africa. She has interacted with individuals from all over the world and has a thing or two to share that we Diaspora can learn from. You'll hear a few stories. She'll explain some "Do's" and "Don'ts". It's a light-hearted discussion that is packed with gems based on real-life experiences from a "local".

Mark & Marlene share their adventures of moving from Los Angeles, CA, to Kigali, Rwanda. They talk about prepping to leave, like deciding what to do with your belongings, how to distribute them, and the impact on your mental state. The challenges of booking a flight and what the long ride was like. Finally, arriving in Rwanda, they describe what they encountered and give you a quick review of the last 6-months. If you are thinking about becoming an ex-pat, this is the episode for you. They've even included several cultural considerations. By the way, if you'd like a PDF guide to help you plan your trip - it's FREE on AwakenwithMark.com, download the document.

We take time to open up about the shifting towards principles that serve the Diaspora. Oftentimes folks want to know the mechanics of achieving their dreams/goals and they undervalue the importance of things like "change management" and "mindset". It's important to have a strategy but be prepared, because "culture eats strategy for lunch". We discuss the previous places where we have lived and how although we were in a different environment, we were still able to flourish. The "little" things make a difference, learn the nuances. We share resources from Northwestern University, Organizational Development survey data on the key characteristics needed to make ex-patriots successful, Adventureousness, Cultural Sensitivity, Curiosity, Flexibility, and Open-Mindedness. Lastly, we list a few social media resources worth watching, GoBlack2Africa, Mark Meets Africa, T3 and Me, Journey With Us, https://www.instagram.com/umoja_brothers/, Black Travelista, and First Class Africa/Ebonie Mbeteni.

Tonikaku Jay was born in Dallas, Texas, and studied Japanese there for four years. Prior to graduating from the University of Texas at San Antonio, in his last semester, he took a trip abroad to study Japanese at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies. There he honed his craft as well as skill in the Japanese language, upon his return to the United States he then becomes connected with the power players in the local San Antonio music market, performing and shows as well as creating original music. After a one-year time span back in America, Tonikaku Jay decided to pack up his bags, fly out of the country and tour the world, with his first stop being on the island of his top investors in Nicaragua, South America, performing with big names in the local market. After his stint away from North America, the time had come to increase his impact in the Japanese music market, and thusly as such, he traveled to Japan to live in the Hyogo prefecture where he has set up his own personal studio, 2020.

The music scene in the DMV (DC, MD & VA) area is a rich tapestry of talent. Many artists continue to try and "break-in" on the scene including our guest D. Black. He describes his days as a youth mentored on the bass, creating a band and their huge opportunity as they teeter on the edge of their big break. Through some zigs and zags, things took a turn, and D. Black finds himself behind the microphone as a DJ.  Due to circumstances, he has to shift in his programming niche, and that choice he selects effects artists (like you) today - he chooses the genre "Indie". If you wanna get some tips, or learn the "hook-up" on how to get your music heard you've got to hear this one.  He develops relationships that connect him to other countries like Canada and England, where he eventually finds his dream come true.  Tune in to hear about the relationships he's built that can benefit you.

With the onset of COVID-19 striking so many families, it has become imperative to think about the "unthinkable". We were really not familiar with palliative care. It is NOT hospice care. Dr. A takes time to present us with a primer on palliative care. He gives us reasons to be prepared so that your loved ones are not faced with trying to figure out how our wishes should be implemented. This is a very important topic especially for us in the Black community. There is a need for much more education and we are so grateful that Dr. A, one of "our own", with a notable career at some of the finest hospitals on the east coast would put things in layman's terms for us. Please give a listen and take his suggestions to heart, pass this episode on to your family members...take action at your next family reunion or other types of gathering. You don't want to find yourself saying, "I wish I had known that this was available". 

People who are interested in taking action about their goals are turning to life coaches. These are generally short-term engagements to achieve results in the desired area like starting a business, writing a novel, losing weight, obtaining a promotion, or increasing sales as just a few examples. In this episode, Sylvia Purvis, ICF Coach, pulls back the curtain on the mysteries surrounding coaching and opens the possibility of it as a tool to help you.  Some questions that are answered are what is a coach? What's the difference between a coach, mentor, counselor, etc. How does a coach help someone? What role does the coach play and how? What can one expect to pay? Are there other avenues to paying? Is it possible to coach oneself? She also offers tips and resources. If you have a goal yet feel stuck or feeling like you've plateaued in your progress, this episode gives you a tool to consider.

In this episode, we will hear from a COVID-19 survivor. Joe is an "open-book" as he shares his experience. FYI, he's a 45-year-old black man who stays physically fit by working out and consistently goes on 3-mile runs. You'll hear about his life prior to being infected, going into and his stay at the hospital, then finally his life since recovery. It is a journey that you don't want to take, but you must go on. Take the journey with Joe as he shares his life, a COVID-19 survivor.