The secret to success: Authenticity
Eunique Jones Gibson, powerhouse-for-good and American Family brand ambassador, recently gave a presentation at American Family national headquarters. Her message? Take risks, address what scares you and give yourself persmission to do it anyway.
There’s no doubt that AmFam Brand Ambassador Eunique Jones Gibson is highly successful. Her photography and social activism are done with intention and an open heart.
“Being genuine. Networking, collaborating, it’s all about relationships. Being your authentic self,” says Eunique.
Eunique recently spoke at AmFam national headquarters about common issues many women relate to, but don’t talk about.
Eunique broke down her to-do list to share how she makes her dreams a reality. She’s had careers at NASA, SONY BMG and Microsoft. She’s also known for her “Because of Them We Can” campaign featuring children dressed up as famous African-American figures such as Maya Angelou, Muhammed Ali and Frederick Douglas. Many of her photos from this campaign have been displayed at DreamBank.
Here are highlights from her advice for reaching your dreams:
Choose you first
“As a woman, choose you first. What matters to you and what moves you needs to be a priority,” Eunique says. “It’s something I practice daily. Even if it’s just waking up 30 minutes early to have a cup of tea and sit with myself.”
Process the fear
“Fear is: False Evidence Apperaring to be Real,” Eunique says. “Date your ideas. Flirt with them. Address what scares you about the idea.”
Embrace the risk
“Seek strategic risks because they cause you to stretch and grow,” Eunique says.
Replace the list
“Instead of things you want to do, change it to a list of things you want to learn,” Eunique says.
Give yourself permission to do it
“Resist the temptation to shrink,” Eunique says.
Looking for a splash of inspiration, employee attendee Beth Lindorff says she wasn’t disappointed.
“The things she said are mantras that I felt I’ve been doing, but she was able to verbalize them,” Beth says. “I love these events. It’s like the foundation of your day or week and builds you up.”
Being a working mom can be hard, says fellow attendee Heather Mills.
“The big thing I walked away with was: When you make yourself available to everyone else, how can you make time available for you?” says Heather.
Learn more about Eunique
If you'd like to know more about Eunique's many projects, visit her website and follow her on Twitter and Facebook.