There are great people without great fame and I know this because I meet them every day. Every single day. On planes, on trains, in lines and while I dine. I meet dope people doing dope ish that deserve our recognition. And on that note, today’s Woman Crush Wednesday is a poppin hunni from the Lou -- Stacey L. Pugh.
Her Story...
Stacey started her journey as a brand ambassador for a popular skincare company and while ambassadoring she quickly grew on the social scene. Pretty soon she was involved in everything from hosting brunches for black millennial women to co-producing podcasts. And now...she sits with little ole me to share her wisdom on passion and purpose, being all that you can be and her latest adventure—Hunni Pop.
Keisha Mabry: Friend Stacey!!! I am so excited to talk passion and purpose with you because a lot of the work that I do with Hey Friend is a matter of helping people find their passion and purpose. What do you have to say about these two things and what words of advice do you have for people trying to find their way?
Stacey L. Pugh: Listen. If you are feeling stumped or in disarray with your goals in life right now -- you have to get involved in some kind of network and/or attend a conference or workshop that will help you realign yourself to your purpose.
For me, my realignment came from experiencing the National Urban League Conference (and more specifically the YP Lead Summit) which was hosted in St. Louis, MO this year. Since I stay in St. Louis...my travel, my room and my board were taken out of the equation and since I volunteered and worked media...I got through the whole weekend by spending less than $50!
Keisha Mabry: Under $50...say what now?! That’s dope. Tell us more.
Stacey L. Pugh: Yes hunni. Business, political and community leaders came from all over the country and Marc Morel -- the National Urban League’s CEO -- challenged and charged everyone to ‘stay woke’.
Keisha Mabry: So what did that charge mean for you?
Stacey L. Pugh: What did that mean for me? A recharge! As a black millennial woman who not only has a 9 to 5 but also multiple side hustles—I needed this experience! It's so important for me, and I hope for others, to go through life and be present -- and not only in my profession but also in my community. This conference was so special to me because it reminded me of that.
Keisha Mabry: That sounds amazing friend and I know it was because I was right there with you adventuring and finessing our way into things. Speaking of adventure and the art of finesse -- what part of the conference did you enjoy the best?
Stacey L. Pugh: I had so many amazing moments that I want to share...so many amazing moments that I experienced from this whole adventure...so many that inspired me to get back on my grind and I hope by sharing these they will inspire others:
1. The struggle is real but it can also be less real. Personally, I struggle with building my brand while working a full-time job, I struggle with building my brand as a black woman and I struggle with building a brand that takes into consideration the things that are affecting my community. I struggle because being what you define as successful is difficult. It’s difficult and it’s a balancing act.
But during the Ladies Who Lead session I learned that you just have to “get ya mind right to get right”. The session was hosted by Cameka Smith who leads “The Boss Network” and successful women like Lakara Foster, Tamika Mallory and Amber Noble Garland who shared their journeys from getting started to getting to where they are now. Lakara Foster, who has a counseling background, just flat out said that she visits her therapist every Monday...and that to see one doesn’t mean you are crazy...to see one is about having balance.
Unfortunately, mental health is still a stigma amongst African-American communities but we have to make it the norm. We have to make it the norm to find balance, to seek therapy and to create accessibility to these resources so that we can thrive and shine.
2. Budgets and barters are a must. By volunteering my time and talents – I gained treasures. I gained access to the conference, I supported the different events taking place, I helped with the college fair, I assisted with speaker management and all of this volunteering taught me that you can trade your time and talents for access to many places and spaces. It’s called bartering and we need to learn how to do it bigger, better and faster.
3. Know what you’re doing and who you are doing it for. “They ask me what I do and who are you doing it for?” This is a lyric from a popular rap song but it is also a real question, and one that came up in a session called Personal Branding vs Career Branding. During the session, Alechia Reese (Strategic Brand Director for Daya by Zendaya) broke it all the way down and said you need to have 3 things that you are passionate about. Those three things need to be present in your life and on your social media pages so that people know who you are and why you do what you do!
So we must ask ourselves why we do what we do? Are we truly passionate about our careers, our lives, our brand? And does that reflect what we are putting out there socially? If you go to my Facebook page right now you will see that I am all about the adventure, putting people on, a foodie, a youth advocate, etc. etc. It's easy to identify what I am about and all that I am about is aligned to my brand.
4. Always have an aha-moment. Ok...my ultimate fan girl aha-moment happened when I met Charreah Jackson (Essence’s Magazine Senior Editor of Lifestyle & Relationships) and Arsha Jones (Consultant, Owner/Operator of Capital City Co. and Creator of Tees in The Trap). Take that in for a minute! To simply have access to these two women changed my perspective instantly. I can go into detail about what they shared with me at another time but what was so important is that I came to them ready.
Have you ever wanted to connect with someone who does amazing stuff but you don’t know what you are going to bring to their table? Research and confidence are key when building relationships with successful people. I made myself belong in their space because I knew what I wanted to offer them and what I wanted to ask them. If you have someone who is doing what you want to do and you haven’t approached them yet you are keeping yourself stuck.
Keisha Mabry: Friend. You just spoke so much truth and light...omg...your future if so bright. I hope I am able to capture all that you shared about connecting!!! You know I can go on and on and on about the importance of relationships but this interview is already getting long. So...last question but certainly not least...what’s your story?
Stacey L. Pugh: What's my story? Well I love adventures. People hear adventure and they instantly think of thrills and chills, risk taking, etc. etc., but my idea of adventure revolves around two things: fear and flow. In the last few years I have taken some leaps of faith that have led me to some of the best and worst times of my life but at the end of it all – I kept going and keep going. I keep flowing over my fear.
I am also team goals, team new friends, team put people on, team boss up, team what's poppin’ and team love me first. My long story is full of happiness and sadness but I’m here, I’m present and I’m carrying on in my favorite adventure and that's life. (and life is lit friend!)
Keisha Mabry: Life is lit friend! Love ya so much and I am so thankful you shared this moment with me. I wish you nothing but the best on your poppin journey!!!
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About Keisha Mabry: Keisha Mabry is an author, speaker and social entrepreneur on a mission to change the world one connection at a time by changing trajectories and changing minds. Her new book Hey Friend: 100 Ways to Connect with 100 People in 100 Days is a movement to make the world friendly again or at the very least friendlier than it’s ever been. It’s a must-read, a fun read and the ultimate guide to meeting new peeps. Keisha believes that by connecting people to people and people to resources she can increase movements, access, communication and progress to get the right people in the right seats to end inequality. Learn more about this fearlessly free human being at www.keishamabry.com. #heyFRIEND
About Stacey L. Pugh: Stacey L. Pugh is a poppin hunni from St. Louis, MO. Starting as a brand ambassador for a popular skincare company she grew on the social scene and learned that she loved getting millennial black women together and doing life with them. She has been an influencer for other platforms like I Don’t Do Clubs, a co-producer for the Plug Talk Podcast and has recently launched into her own thang called Hunni (honey) Pop! where you can follow her adventures that not only put you on but help you meet new people, be great and do dope ish! Follow her on Facebook @Stacey L. Pugh, on Instagram @ _staceysadventure, on Twitter @StaceyAdventure and with the hashtags #staceysadventure and #gogirl.