Yesterday evening, a group of various black business owners gathered at We Got Soul Food Restaurant for its kick off summer series event, “Cocktails & Conversation”. It’s a networking event from the collaborative minds of We Got Soul, Fringe Benefits, and Urban Spice Magazine.
Cocktails & Conversations is an event focused on creating a culture of empowerment. Building networks and connections with in the small business community through fellowship, face to face networking, renewing established relationships , gaining exposure to resources, and being in the presence of like minded professionals. The power of being in the room and doing business the old fashion way is the forefront of this movement.
The black business owners in attendance had the opportunity to collaborate our resources. We talked about the needs of each business owner, and we actively discussed and volunteered to assist them with those needs in a way that is unprecedented at many other networking events. With all that is going on in America today, we recognize that Economic Power is a force to be reckoned with. If we strengthen our economic power within our community, it gives us an opportunity to elicit change from the inside instead of relying on outside entities to make us better and stronger.
I loved seeing these business owners come together to encourage one another, show camaraderie, and make themselves available to building something great within their community. Comedian, Alton Walker, was the MC for the evening and he kept things lively and focused from 7p-10p. The time felt as if it sped by, no one left prior to closing, and all believed they made great connections.
A standout moment of the event was when Cola Pettiford discussed her need for delivery services. When no one in attendance raised a hand to provide those services, many of us switched gears and thought…”This would be a great opportunity to start such a business!”. We immediately began thinking of how collectively we could get the ball rolling to bring it to fruition. I couldn’t help thinking, “Wow! We collectively birthed a business in an instant.” That was the beauty of it. No one was thinking about the obstacles or hurdles we’d have to face to make it happen. There was only a sense of we CAN make it happen.
The Cocktails & Conversations event was a breath of fresh air, especially when most of us felt like we were suffocating most of the day, by the looming smog of murders at the hands of police. You could feel the weight falling from our shoulders as we embraced one another in love, knowing that we are all we got.
This is a weekly event series. Next week, we’ll be following up with the businesses connected and reporting on the status of their collaborations. We invite you to come out and be a part of the revitalization of the black community. We do this through ECONOMICS! Our money matters, our businesses matter, our communities matter…and our lives matter.
For more information on Cocktails & Conversations, or to become a sponsor, email wegotsoul@att.net.
