7 Rules of Power, Opportunity & Confidence for Black Women In America
“When I live in purpose, I’m equipped with everything I need.”
– Karen Arrington
Living a next level life means rewriting the rules. Karen Arrington’s NAACP Image Award nominated literary work will give you everything needed to do just that and level up. Entrepreneurs, corporate professionals and non-profit gurus across the world are always looking to do more with less, work smarter not harder and be fabulous while they do it.
A consummate goal getter, Arrington has lived an unimaginable life, which started in toddlerhood. At three years old, she was present and accounted for at Dr. Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech, a next level life in the making. Arrington’s book has easy to implement rules, tools and inspirational stories to help you live a big life in 2020 and beyond.
Why is Your Next Level Life your first book?
ARRINGTON: It’s 2020. Now there’s no better opportunity for Black women in America to level up and claim the opportunities available to us. We are resilient and unstoppable. And with the advent of the Internet and women who have smashed glass ceilings and paved the way for us allowed for this book to happen.
What is one accomplishment where you rewrote the rules?
ARRINGTON: Having the book nominated! If you look at my social media, I have a small intimate following. Erica Campbell is also nominated and she’s a gospel celebrity!
We get stuck in this box and we feel like we have to position ourselves in a certain way. Who said I have to have a million followers to get nominated or to be an influencer? It’s all about positioning yourself.
Your network is also a key component. I like to share this question with women: Who do you know that I need to know? It can be just that simple. The people I have been able to meet and grow my network is because I ask this question.
Since I was nominated, I’ve had celebrity fashion designers, reach out to style me, numerous speaking requests. And just like that, your circle begins to change.
Rule #2 states: Find your next level friends. When did this really sink in for you?
ARRINGTON: It all started when I first met my Lisa. She’s now my attorney, confidante and sistah. I realized next level friends can change your life and your trajectory. They can see things you can’t see. You need someone who can see your blind spots, hold you accountable and not let you dim your light.
Your next level friends will check you and help you shift your mindset. Lisa has been so influential. Once she became a part of my power entourage, the mentoring and coaching that she provided opened up so many doors. She also allowed me to tap into her network. And I found that these women truly cared about my success. Hang around women who already have what they want and know what they want. It allows us to better invest in one another without jealousy and envy.
What advice do you have for people struggling with curating a better mindset?
ARRINGTON: It comes down to environment. It’s your squad. You want to think about who you’re surrounded by. Once I started hanging around people who move differently. I began to move and think differently too. I started to see possibilities that I couldn’t see before. I have so many aha moments when I’m around my power entourage and other highly successful women. We don’t know what we don’t know and that’s because we are so contained. Ask yourself: Who am I surrounding myself with? Am I keeping company with game changers?
Take inventory of your circle because it will have a huge impact on your mindset. I began thinking outside the box when I saw high achieving people. Most people see problems, but I see opportunity.
Anything is possible when you simply rewrite the rules.
