Last night, I was out with my friend Syed at Buddha Bar on Little West 12th Street. While we shot the breeze drinking our drinks, we noticed this Amazon of a fine Black woman looking like she was trying to find someone.
Never the shy type, I asked if she required assistance, and she told me that she was looking for ‘James’ (or something like that), who had just texted her (supposedly from within Buddha Bar).
I told her that (1) ‘James’ would be right back, (2) to unburden herself and (3) join us while she waited for him to find her (because no gentlemen forces a woman to seek him out).
Of course, she joined us, and I set about getting her story. She introduced herself as Empress, then Charise, before finally settling on ‘The Real Empress.’
She was a performer, actor, producer, and self-professed diva. She said she had just finished working on a song with a track produced by Kanye-to-the, and recently completed a film (the name of which, I unfortunately can’t recall)..
I asked her why, if she was making such power moves, she was fooling around with people without the common decency to wait patiently on the arrival of a lady. Her response was, and I quote, “I have no idea.”
For the next 20 minutes, we talked personal power and the importance of the brand. She was astonished when I commented on her Juliard pedigree (she thought I was psychic, I told her I visited her MySpace page).
When we parted (I to Mansion, she to the lusty interest of a swarthy accented male) I told her that everything happens for a reason, and that the lesson for the evening was to chose one’s associations wisely.
Today, we can no longer afford to be on other people’s schedules. People that will be instrumental to your success will vibrate at your frequency.
Following your gut, as the barometer for ‘BS,’ is key. But always be prepared to reassess people, with whom you interact frequently, to ensure that your perceptions of people are accurate.
The Real Empress seemed like a driven person. I’m going to check in on her progress. I’ll let you know what I find.
Stephen Chukumba 