by Kandia Johnson

April 25, 2024

How To Future-Proof Your Job Skills

Whether you're an entrepreneur or employee, everyone should future-proof their careers.

Originally Published May 15, 2018.

Let’s face it, job security disappeared years ago, and the reality is you can be madly in love with your job and have no plans to change careers, but factors such as market trends (e.g., Will your job exist in 10 years?) and even sickness can derail your plans for longevity. So whether you’re an entrepreneur or employee, everyone should future-proof their careers. Future proofing your career boils down to making a lifelong commitment to invest in your intellectual capital — a combination of your knowledge, relationships, and systems that can be used for some other moneymaking opportunities. Plus, it’s an opportunity to create generational wealth for your family.

Here are Four Ways to Future-Proof Your Career.

Make professional and personal development a priority

If you’re an employee, professional development is not your employer’s responsibility; it’s yours. In addition to the performance goals set by your company, you should have at least two goals that relate to expanding your knowledge and experience beyond your comfort zone. And take note, from books and conferences such as the Disruptors Summit to virtual networking and wealth-building programs such as The Black Business School, learning extends beyond the traditional college or corporate education program.

Develop cross-functional skills or business knowledge

For instance, if you work as a lawyer, a cross-functional skill could be teaching, writing thought leadership articles, coaching, or counseling. If you work as a construction worker, you might consider opportunities in designing, plumbing, investing in rehab properties, or teaching DIY home improvement workshops online and offline.

Build and maintain relationships

When it comes to networking, many people make the mistake of waiting until they are desperate for a new job or opportunity to start developing professional relationships outside of their work environment. This is a big mistake, because professional relationships take time to develop. From meetups to professional organizations and Facebook groups, make relationship building a weekly habit.

Read books and articles

Reportedly, many successful people such as Mark Cuban and Oprah Winfrey credit reading as a key component of their success. Beyond fiction and non-fiction books, follow your industry trends and challenge yourself to read books and news outside of your immediate interest. To develop a reading habit, set 30-45-minute reading sessions or join audible to listen to audiobooks on your way to work or during your morning routine.

business, hustle, success, career, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, VaynerMedia, Claude silver

by Lydia Blanco

April 25, 2024

How To Hustle With Your Heart

Here's how you can hustle with your heart in order to reach your maximum success and potential.

Originally Published Nov. 16, 2018.

So much gets lost in the everyday hustle of getting things done as a professional or business owner. You know, the important things like compassion for yourself and others; taking the time to take deep breaths when you’re feeling anxious, upset, or overwhelmed; and being mindful about the energy that you put out into the world as well as the energy you receive.

Sounds like a lot, right? But those are the things that Claude Silver, chief heart officer at VaynerMedia, says are critical to becoming whole and ultimately successful whether you’re clocking in or signing checks. Simply put, it’s called heart.

We met Silver at the Smart Hustle Small Business Conference where she spoke about hustling with your heart and further shared how people can do just that.

As chief heart officer, Silver oversees people operations at VaynerMedia, which includes but is not limited to being responsible for talent management, employee experience and retention, learning and development, coaching, culture, internal communications, and recruitment for over 750 employees. And with more than 20 years of experience in the marketing, media, and people operations, Silver knows a thing or two about cultivating strong leaders.

She says that connection is the thread that weaves strong teams together in both large corporations and small businesses.

“Connection is key and when you’re going to hire people you want to make sure that you are hiring for skillset and culture addition. I don’t say culture fit anymore because that assumes that you and I are identical. And we’re not. But culture addition means that we add something to this culture whether it’s diversity of thought, ideas, or curiosity. Or, diversity in general.”

Connection can also be defined as heart. And that is one of the ways that she teaches people to hustle with their hearts.

“Connection builds trusts, builds empathy, and that all adds to teams that are resilient, accountable, and loyal,” says Silver. It also builds character.

And what she says is just as important, as connectedness is energy. While a lot of people like to focus on time management, Silver believes in energy management. “We all have energy,” she adds. “The more and more that we’re aware of our energy we can know what we can afford to give and what we need to keep because we need to get through the day.”

Managing your energy requires social and emotional intelligence. And when you embody that quality it is proven to help you become more efficient.

So, how can you hustle with your heart no matter what your title is? Here are three tips from Silver:

Actively listen. Listen without interrupting or challenging someone.
Practice patience. Be patient like the Lord infused you with it.
Be empathetic. You want to make sure that you’re working on a team where things are understood because then you get a shorthand of one another.

Rappers Eric B & Rakim 1987, New York, New York, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

April 25, 2024

After Snub, Eric B. & Rakim Congratulate 2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees

'Congratulations to the diverse group of artists inducted into the Rock Hall this year. Seeing Tribe and Mary on the list besides Cher, Ozzy, Kool and the Gang and all of the other icons shows how inclusive the institution has become.'

With more hip-hop artists finally receiving recognition for their contributions to music, including the inclusion of A Tribe Called Quest’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year, Eric B. and Rakim have given their blessings and look forward to their turn in the hopefully near future.

According to TMZ, after missing out on being inducted for a second time after two separate nominations, the first in 2012 and for this year’s class, the duo applauded the diversity of the inductees. The DJ and emcee team also acknowledged fellow peers, A Tribe Called Quest and Mary J. Blige, for being included in this year’s ceremony.

In a statement to the media outlet, Eric B & Rakim said, “Congratulations to the diverse group of artists inducted into the Rock Hall this year. Seeing Tribe and Mary on the list besides Cher, Ozzy, Kool and the Gang, and all of the other icons show how inclusive the institution has become.”

With an expected inclusion in the future, they also wrote, “Keep voting… we’ll join you soon!”

A Tribe Called Quest will join 11 other hip-hop artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Last year’s inductee, Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot, as well as JAY-Z, LL COOL J, Eminem, The Notorious B.I.G., Grandmaster Flash and the Furious 5, Run DMC, Tupac, N.W.A., Public Enemy, and the Beastie Boys.

This year’s honorees are: In the Performer Category: A Tribe Called Quest, Mary J. Blige, Kool & The Gang, Dave Matthews Band, Cher, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, and Ozzy Osbourne.

For Musical Excellence: Dionne Warwick, Norman Whitfield, Jimmy Buffet and MC5.

For Musical Influence: Big Mama Thornton, Alexis Korner, and John Mayall

The Ahmet Ertegun Award: Suzanne de Passe

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation announced that this year’s induction ceremony will take place on Saturday, Oct. 19, at its home in Cleveland, Ohio, and will be televised on Disney+ and ABC.

X formerly known as twitter, charging, social media, engagement, initial. tagging, sell, over post, social media, management, NYPD

by Wendy Pace

April 25, 2024

How To Excel Social Media Management

For many small business owners, social media is a burden or afterthought. It's a time-consuming hassle that often gets left on the shelf.

Originally Published Mar. 16, 2019.

For many small business owners, social media is a burden or afterthought. It’s a time-consuming hassle that often gets left on the shelf. Social media management for small businesses is necessary if you want your business to be successful.

Social media marketing is crucial for many small businesses to gain traction in the marketplace. The internet is one of the last vestiges of an even playing field. Big corporations haven’t truly figured out how to make social media home runs any more than the small business. They just throw more money at it and hope the idea sticks, and this allows the little guy to move in and create amazing advertising headway with a small budget. Creative ideas can often win the day.

Marketing used to be about telling the consumer what they needed and why they needed it. Today, the tables are turned and the consumer is telling the company what they need, and it is up to the company to meet it. However, the question must be asked, are corporations listening? Is your business listening to what your customers have to say?

Social media is now the main form of communication between company and client. The online conversation between consumer and producer is crucial to a business’s success. Figuring out your social media management plan is just as important as your overall marketing plan.

If you as a business owner choose just one place to put your marketing dollars, it should be on social media marketing. Still, this is a daunting task for some. Social media marketing takes an average of six hours a week to cover just basic posting. Many small business owners can’t spare an hour let alone six hours out of their week. It might be worth your money to have a social media manager handle this for you. Consider what you charge per hour for your services, then consider that is what you are paying for social media management for those six hours of the week you work on marketing. Too steep of a price? Most likely you can find a social media manager that would cost you far less per hour to handle your online marketing than it costs for you to do it yourself.

Choosing the right social media manager is important. Your social media manager has to have a clear idea of the audience you have and are trying to gain. With that audience in mind, your social media manager should be generating a plan to meet that audience online in ways that create engagement. You don’t want just any old thing posted to your online channels. Postings need to be thoughtful and give an opportunity for your audience to engage. This means curating information to share and creating unique content that allows you and your company to highlight your expertise or answers a question that your potential client is searching for. Meeting the needs of the audience where they are is so very important for true engagement.

Marketing isn’t rocket science, but it does take thought and consideration. Always remember that social media is a marathon, not a sprint! Time and patience will help you build the social media engagement you want and need with your customers.

by Sharelle B. McNair

April 24, 2024

George Santos Ends Independent Comeback Campaign After Raising Zero Dollars

Just let it go....

The comeback campaign for former U.S. Representative George Santos (R-N.Y.) ended after he failed to raise any money.

The disgraced politician was running as an independent candidate for the 1st Congressional District in New York after he was expelled in December 2023 from the House while facing charges of federal fraud. Speculation of his withdrawal sparked in March 2024 after his campaign committee reported no fundraising or expenditures.

Santos announced via Twitter on Apr. 23.

“I have decided to withdraw from my independent run for #NY1…I don’t want my run to be portrayed as reprisal against Nick Lalota. Although Nick and I don’t have the same voting record, and I remain critical of his abysmal record, I don’t want to split the ticket and be responsible for handing the house to Dems,” he wrote. “It is clear that with the rise of antisemitism in our country, we cannot afford to hand the house to Dems as they have a very large issue with antisemitism in their ranks. Staying in this race guarantees a victory for the Dems in the race.”

🚨Announcement!

I have decided to withdraw from my independent run for #NY1…

I don’t want my run to be portrayed as reprisal against Nick Lalota… Although Nick and I don’t have the same voting record and I remain critical of his abysmal record, I don’t want to split the…
— George Santos (@MrSantosNY) April 23, 2024

His campaign only lasted one month while challenging Republican Rep. Nick LaLota in the GOP primary for the eastern Long Island congressional district – a different district than he previously represented. In the following weeks, he said he would leave the GOP to run independently.

As the sixth member of Congress to be expelled in the House’s history, Santos alluded that he met with leaders and constituents and felt it was best to end his campaign. “The future holds countless possibilities, and I am ready, willing and able to step up to the plate and go fight for my country at any time,” he continued.

“I will continue to participate in the public policy discussion and will do my part… I will always strive to stand on the right side of history. It’s only goodbye for now; I’ll be back.”

During his tenure in Washington, D.C., Santos was at the center of numerous scandals, including accusations of fabricating his bio to include claims of being Jewish and details in his education and employment. Santos eventually pleaded not guilty to a list of federal charges, including tricking Congress about his wealth, stealing from his campaign and receiving unemployment benefits that he didn’t deserve.

His trial is tentatively scheduled for late 2024.

Black Americans, Landowner, Tenant farmer on his front porch, Taxes

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

April 24, 2024

New Book Reveals How The U.S. Stole $600B From Black Americans Through Unfair Taxes Post-Slavery

A new book details the $600 billion stolen from Black Americans nationwide.

A new book is set to unravel how the U.S. stole $600 billion from Black Americans.

Andrew W. Kahrl, professor of history and African American studies at the University of Virginia, put extensive research in his new book which describes how U.S. bureaucracies created the nation’s ongoing racial wealth gap by implementing a system of highly unjust municipal and state taxes, Bloomberg reported. The Black Tax: 150 Years of Theft, Exploitation, and Dispossession in America shares statistics, studies, and tales of Black Americans being cheated out of land ownership and pushed into poverty by racist laws and practices dating back to the Jim Crow era.

“This history sheds new light on the forces generating economic inequality in America and the racial character of those inequalities,” Kahrl writes.

The book pairs personal stories with rich details about municipalities nationwide that used complex tax collection to fund distribution to white land and property owners, and the economic dynamics spanning over a century of U.S. history.

Starting in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, unfair tactics were used to doubly disadvantage Black landowners by artificially inflating property value estimates for tax calculation, overcharging them for their land, and exploiting their inability to pay as a means to seize their properties.

Examples include Anthony Fleming and J.R. Rooks, two Black men forced off their farmland by white supremacist mobs, who went on to establish a town with the goal of enabling Black Americans to own land. By 1911, Edmonson, Arkansas, encompassed 30 square miles of stores, a bank, a hotel, and a post office for local Black homeowners.

However, 20 years later, the town was no more after white plantation owners plotted to seize the land by imposing taxes on lots the Edmonson residents were unaware of. Once the residents failed to pay the taxes they had no clue about, the plantation owners seized the land. It was deeded over to one of the plantation owners who had concocted the scheme and demolished all of the buildings.

In 1920, Hillery Thomas Stewart Sr. lost 24 acres of land in a tax sale “under dubious circumstances” after the great-great-grandfather of George Floyd failed to pay $18.83 in taxes. Losing the land forced the Stewart family into poverty.

When looking at the 11 million acres of land taken from Black Americans, it equates to $326 billion in today’s dollars. Not to forget the millions in taxes Black Americans have overpaid for over a century. From 1870 to 2020, Black Americans were overtaxed by more than $275 billion in 2023 dollars.

Kahrl doesn’t just focus on the grim findings but he does share possible solutions to making up for the last century of financial oppression against the Black community. He suggests the establishment of a federal fiscal equity program that mirrors Canada’s approach, where funds are allocated to local governments based on their needs. He also suggests introducing a universal home tax exemption for numerous Americans, especially lower-income homeowners or those residing in historically neglected areas. Another option would be to impose taxes on the wealthiest individuals in the U.S.

“This is the past that we live with today. But it does not have to be our future,” Kahrl writes.

The Black Tax: 150 Years of Theft, Exploitation, and Dispossession in America was released on Wednesday, April 24, and retails for $35 through the University of Chicago Press.

TikToker, Reesa Teesa, clients, social media, content

by Kandia Johnson

April 24, 2024

How To Turn Content Into Clients

Whether you're looking to market your services or sell tickets to an event, one of the fastest ways to attract clients is to create valuable content.

Originally Published May 19, 2018

Whether you’re looking to market your services or sell tickets to an event, creating valuable content is one of the fastest ways to attract clients. People don’t want to be sold anymore—they want to be engaged in meaningful conversation. So, from creating snackable content for Instagram or TikTok to publishing YouTube videos or blog posts for your website or platforms —think of your content as a way to showcase your expertise, build trust with potential clients, and convince them to invest in your services without being pushy.

Here are five ways to turn your content into clients.

Write an article that solves a problem for your audience and include your byline.

The article should be related to the product, service, or event you’re trying to market. Include a two- to three-sentence byline at the end of the article. A byline is an opportunity to showcase your expertise and convert a reader into a customer. However, it shouldn’t be overly promotional. Include at least two of the following: (a) details about the event, (b) your unique value proposition, and (c) a link to your website and social media sites.

Introduce yourself using your unique value proposition.

For instance, if you host a weekly Instagram or TikTok, start each video with your 10-second UVP—a statement that describes how you solve your client’s problems and what makes you different from the competition. A good rule of thumb is to focus on how you can make your customers’ lives easier and the result they can expect from working with you.

Create a content upgrade tied to the blog post topic.

A content upgrade is additional material that provides bonus content for the reader in exchange for their email address. Examples of opt-ins include a guide that can provide steps, tips, and advice related to the content, a worksheet or template to help the reader apply what they read in your blog post, an invitation to a webinar related to the topic, or a call to action to get notified for the next article in a related series. Once you have a reader’s email address, it’s an opportunity to contact them directly about any upcoming sales or events related to your business.

Create a challenge that focuses on how to help your audience overcome a common problem.

Beyond engaging your audience, creating a community of like-minded individuals and growing your email list, challenges provide a great opportunity to tease an upcoming service or product event and entice potential customers to buy. Typically, challenges are five, seven, and 21 days. Examples include a five-day meditation and mindfulness challenge, 21-day goal setting and action challenge, or a 21-day workout challenge.

Host a free webinar related to the topic of your product or service.

Let’s say you planned to sell an online course in 20 days. You could host a free 30-minute webinar, which teaches one topic from your course, then summarize your webinar telling your audience about your upcoming paid course.

Host a weekly, free LIVE video training on Facebook or Instagram leading up to your event.

Typically, you can focus your free training on audience challenges, barriers preventing your audiences from attending your event, common mistakes made on their journey to success, and why your topic is important.

Include your “sales offer” on all of your social media profiles and include the direct link to your sales landing page.

You can use services such as MailChimp (free but limited in terms of sales) and LeadPages (monthly payment required, but tons of options for selling, embedding video, and linking to Facebook ads).

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

April 24, 2024

Atlanta Breaks Records In Vacant Office Spaces In The City

Atlanta's downtown sector makes up the majority of these vacancies despite revitalizations projects underway.

Atlanta is breaking records–for the number of available vacant office spaces around the city.

Data released by real estate firm CBRE revealed that Atlanta continues to have a substantial amount of office spaces that have yet to be rented out. Over a third of all office spaces remain up for grabs in the Georgia capital, an ongoing statistic that is granting Atlanta a not-so-endearing claim to fame.

This trend impacted multiple areas, but especially in its downtown sector. Specifically, the report disclosed that Atlanta’s downtown marked 54.7% of office vacancies. The area is undergoing a revitalization project, deemed the “Master Plan,” after years of stagnation for both residential and business development. However, its current conditions are not helping potential buyers opt-in.

The firm concludes that the wide availability stems from corporations reducing expenses due to the fluctuating economic state.

“Overall, the stubbornly high availability rate in Atlanta continues to be the result of corporate tenants with substantial footprints offloading unneeded space amidst economic distress,” the firm wrote in its report.

“Many of these tenants are opting to sublease entire buildings and consolidate their leases into a single location. In some cases, owner-occupiers are going as far as shedding HQ locations and regional satellite offices in an effort to mitigate the impact of current economic conditions.”

Moreover, the prices for these spaces actually increased despite supply overwhelming the demand. Asking prices began at $31.46 per square foot at the start of 2024. Its contracts with big tech companies like Microsoft are also feeling the pressure to redevelop the area.

However, Atlanta has made some strides toward remedying the issue. Leases were signed on over two million square feet of office space during the first quarter of 2024. While this feat has contributed to the most growth since the pandemic began, it is not enough to fully fix the vacancy problem.

Art collector,Eric Edwards, investment, buying, tips

by Kandia Johnson

April 24, 2024

Art Collector Talks African Art, Gives Buying Tips

Invest in art.

Originally Published Aug. 3, 2015

Nestled in the heart of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York, lies a $10 million African art collection owned by Eric Edwards, a former AT&T executive.

“My love for African history began as a child, but I didn’t start purchasing art until the 1970s,” says Edwards. “I had no intentions on becoming an art collector. I initially brought African art because it gave me peace and tranquility when I left my everyday life working in New York City.”

But after spending more than 40 years collecting artifacts that represent 54 African countries, and 4,000 years of history, Edwards realized his private collection needed a home. Edwards decided to make a home for his collection opening, The Cultural Museum of African Art.

“The principle of the museum is based on the West African Sankofa principle: You don’t know where you are going, if you don’t know where you’ve been,” says Edwards. The museum will feature his private collection of more than 2,000 pieces of African art, a world-class library, youth education programs, and a research and media center.

We caught up with Edwards to learn more about his plans for opening a museum and tips for investing in African art.

BLACK ENTERPRISE: Where does your love for Africa come from? Who has inspired you the most?

Edwards: As a child my parents inspired my passion for Africa, especially my father, who was an immigrant from Barbados. During that time, because of the state of racism against people of African descent in the United States, he was very concerned about what we, as children, would encounter as we entered the public school system in New York City. He was certain we would not be able to learn about African culture and history as he had in Barbados. So he took it upon himself to teach his children everything about African history and its many gifts to the world.

Tell us about the experience that inspired you to purchase your first piece of art.

I also have a passion for audiophilia—high-fidelity sound and equipment. Many years ago, I was a member of the two top audio files society in New York. We would have meetings at different members’ homes in the tri-state area. These people were doctors, engineers, scientists, psychiatrists, etc., who had a passion for music. While visiting their impressive homes, I started to notice a lot of African art. These people were of non-African descent. I asked them how they acquired their pieces of art and they told me about art galleries and auction houses such as Sotheby’s and Christie’s. I immediately became totally absorbed with artifacts and what they represented. The passion never ended.

One day while on my lunch break at AT&T, I took a walk through the SoHo area and I came across an African art gallery. I fell in love with a maternity figure from the Ivory Coast—a woman holding a baby [while] sitting on a birth chair. I purchased it for $300. I just put it on my desk at my office. But looking back I had no clue that this would ignite a flame in me to start a collection.

What do you look for when purchasing art? Do you have a preference for a certain time period?

For over 40 years, the one thing that I look for is the history behind each piece.
At the same time I started collecting art I started purchasing books on African history. I built a library just as powerful as my collection. I wanted to know everything I could about each piece.

Not only is the art beautiful, it’s three-dimensional. Each piece was created for unique purposes such as utilitarian items that were used for everyday life: protection or warfare, religious, funerary or maybe even to honor a particular ancestry or system of royalty.

Africa is a continent of secrets. Many of the pieces in my collection are pieces from a secret society. Societies that educated young girls on how to become women or trained young boys in warfare, how to be a man or their responsibility to their ancestors.

Can you share your best piece of advice for investing in or buying African art?

I firmly believe everyone should own a piece of African art.

There’s a lot of African art out there so people should find and buy a piece of art that was made in Africa. There’s nothing wrong with “tourist art” but it’s important to know that it was made in Africa even if it was made in a factory. It should also represent a particular cultural group or tradition.

If you’re an aspiring art collector, you should go directly to the source. I recommend that you do a lot of research to find the artisans. I’ve purchased art from all around the world and my pieces go back 4,000 years. These pieces were used in rituals; they came from royal houses and were utilized in every day life. I’ve brought art from prestigious auction houses, galleries, and private collections around the world. Over the years, I’ve also developed relationships with royal families over in Africa, and I purchased pieces directly from them. For instance, when I purchased one piece of art from a royal family, officials from Africa had to come to my home and perform a ceremony for me to take possession of the artifact.

You should also document your purchases. Because of my technology background, I developed a database of information to document each piece in my collection.

Lauren London , Kross, Nipsey Hussle, Ermias, estate, money, payments,

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

April 24, 2024

Lauren London Approves Financial Report That Grants Son $5.6M From Nipsey Hussle’s Estate

Lauren London signed off on an accounting report that grants her son, Kross, $5.6 million.

Lauren London put her support behind an accounting report that grants her son over $5 million from Nipsey Hussle’s estate.

The late rapper’s brother, Blacc Sam, who oversees the estate, submitted the final accounting report, Radar Online reports. The document included a signature of approval from London who welcomed her son Kross with Hussle prior to his death on March 31, 2019.

Since Hussle’s passing, Sam has been working to finalize his brother’s estate and figure out how much his two children, son Kross and daughter, Emani, with his ex Tanisha Foster, would get. The final accounting report confirms that all of Hussle’s debts have been paid and financial matters resolved.

With the estate listed at $11 million, each of Hussle’s children would receive $5.6 million after legal fees and other costs were paid off. The children will also receive payments as the estate continues to earn money.

The news comes weeks after London paid tribute to Hussle on the fifth anniversary of his death.

“If you know me You know March is always tough for me 31 days of holding my breath,” she captioned an Instagram photo of Hussle wearing a white Puma tracksuit.

“This day decided to fall on Easter Sunday this 2024 Interesting…. considering your name #GodWillRise Energy never dies…. I love you. Eternal.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Lauren London (@laurenlondon)

Hussle was fatally shot outside his Marathon Clothing store in Crenshaw, Los Angeles in March 2019. His killer, Eric R. Holder Jr., was found guilty of first-degree murder in February 2023 and sentenced to 60 years to life in prison.

London returned to acting, starring in the 2023 Netflix film “You People” alongside Jonah Hill, Eddie Murphy, and Nia Long. She shared how her two sons, including her eldest, Kameron, whom she shares with rapper Lil Wayne, helped her push past grief over Hussle’s death to return to work.

“We can’t stop, you know?” London told Entertainment Tonight. “We do have a purpose, all of us, and it’s important for my sons to see me moving forward with grief, not just curling up in a ball because I curled up in a ball for a long time.”