Speaking at The Flawless Chats Women's Brunch
Don’t you love it when people say your name in the right circles? I’m blessed to know people who do exactly that. I try my best to keep my bouquet of connections filled with cool, progressive people who aren’t haters. My friend, Dwayne “Stewy” Stewart, has always mentioned my name in the right circles, and I have done the same for him. He recently recommended me as a speaker for the 1st Flawless Chats Women’s Brunch. I was honored by the recommendation, but after it was all over, I was even more honored that I had been chosen to be a part of such an occasion.
I don’t know if you read my Saturn Retrograde article on Soul Trine, but I had been going through it for the month of August. I only touched on the phone issue, which was a big deal, but so much more occurred, and I knew nothing was going to stop me from going to this event. It took two weeks to fix an issue with my phone that would normally taken an hour, my big toenail split horizontally and broke off, and a whole heap of other things happened, but I was determined to speak at this event. Why?
People coming together for the purpose of healing is beautiful, and I’m always interested in supporting them. Being that this event was in Kingston, Jamaica, and the women here, like most BIPOC women of the Western Hemisphere, have been deeply impacted by the direct and trickle-down effects of the evils of Colonization. I was extra thrilled to be a part of the healing conversation.
I do not live in Kingston, so I left the house very early because “ya neva know.” Due to precautions, leaving early brought me right to the venue two hours ahead of schedule. I’m glad I did. I got a chance to take in the lovely setup and get energetically comfortable, and review my notes before everything kicked off. I met Marshala Phillips of Flawless Chats for the first time at the event. She was absolutely radiant and had an eye for the quality of the final touches of the event before the crowd arrived. Her event coordinator O’Jae Adlam anticipated every instance and let nothing fall through the cracks. In my marketing career, I’ve worked on multi-million dollar(USD) conferences and high-end company parties, and I know O’Jae knew his stuff.
The event started with an introduction from the host Minister Denise Adams. She kept the energy high and set the tone for a wonderful day. I loved the way she gave recaps of everyone’s presentation and engaged the crowd. Marshala started by revealing a very vulnerable piece of her truth to set the tone of authenticity and healing through revealing and acceptance.
I was tasked with speaking about the impact of healing on the mind. With all that I’ve been through, I am an expert. I shared insights into my traumas and how I used them for fuel to create the life I wanted at various points in my life and discussed the importance of healing for future generations. The mixed messages given through Colonization and Christianity that helped set the stage for culturally accepted traumas for women across the Western Hemisphere and the African Diaspora were a part of my speech. I also discussed our role as women in the healing process from what has been suffered for generations and how to make the world better for our generations to come. I brought up the importance of expression as a release from trauma. I often recommend physical and creative releases for my clients and used my book, Trials and Tribulations of a Healing Heart, as an example.
Kiddist Cowans discussed the emotional impact of a physical concern and the impact of her faith in the healing process. Her deeply touching story brought light to a woman who went through a similar situation with unfortunate results. The impact of stress on the body is mind-blowing at times. There was not a dry eye in the audience by the end of her speech.
Dr. Kadian Walters spoke on the importance of healing and various types of emotional traumas we carry around day to day and the importance of releasing them. She led the audience in a beautiful release ceremony.
Between the speakers, Marshala opened up about her various healing journeys. She was honest, relatable, and free of shame. She also discussed the trap that shame is within itself - to keep us quiet, in denial, and away from healing.
This was indeed an empowering experience. I am honored to have worked alongside the speakers to help women feel more comfortable with their healing journeys.
It was a brunch, so let’s touch on the food. It was absolutely delicious and beautifully plated. Prior to the event, we got the opportunity to experience Irie Smoothies. The smoothies were so simple and natural. They had so many options on hand. It felt like they brought the smoothie shop plaza experience to the event.
At the end of the event, I was presented with a lovely plaque to thank me for my participation in the event. This was designed by Jessie’s Gifts and Decor. As a speaker, this was a very pleasant experience. I enjoyed my time at the event.
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I lovveeeeeee this Candace and I can’t thank enough for coming and sharing your journey with us. I’m still in awe. #blackwomensupportingblackwomen #womenempowerment