Saying Goodbye to 22

Dec 30

As we close out yet another year. One thing is for sure. There was a theme of success. Yep! I’ve witnessed so many people really thriving and paving their own way up towards the life they’ve dreamt of having. So, what has made 2022 so different from past years? Well, for starters. for the last 2 years we’ve experienced, forced isolation. sickness, death, financial loss to say the least. Image welcoming an unknown airborne disease, then the entire world shuts down pretty much after you’ve said Happy 2020?

I know the plans I personally had lined up. I literally had just landed back home after traveling when less than one week we were quarantined. Let’s not forget how devastating it was to watch the whole toilet paper drama go down. I don’t forgive many of you for that- but, I’ll digress. Hand sanitizer, bleach, masks shortages had many Americans losing their sh*t. (pun intended) Then came the beauty of remote working. That is until you realized it’s harder to hold a Zoom meeting with a two year old yelling in the background. This also meant home schooling your uncontrollable children. Yes, many of you found out it wasn’t the teacher aftercall! Needless to say, it’s been tough.

I think reality set in for many of us. One being. Stop using the mantra, “Live your best life” and actually LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE.

If you haven’t noticed. More start up businesses have emerged.

Total business applications were the highest on record in 2021 — a stunning 53 percent jump above the total filed in 2019 and 23 percent higher than in 2020.

Nearly 5.4 million applications were filed to form new businesses in 2021 — the most of any year on record going back to 2005, based on the latest Census data.

The filing translates into roughly 1.9 million more business applications in 2021 than in 2019 before the pandemic, a 53 percent increase.

With women making up 46 percent of Black entrepreneurs, this group shows one of the highest percentages of female small business owners in any segment –

I think many women of color said, its our time. Then proceeded to show up and show out. I believe a lot of what’s transpiring is genuine. Not just for Instagram or social media as a whole. I love the idea of many of us taking the past unfortunate incidences and flourishing after the storm has passed. This last year has made it seem as if things are slightly getting back to normal. I say, this is just our new normal and we’re simply learning to adjust and roll with the currents. I have a love hate relationship with it. But, nothing is supposed to stay the same, right? And with 2023 just days away thinking of what may be on the horizon may feel exciting to some. Yet fearful to others.

As it should be. I hope everyone continues to thrive and succeed in their prospective fields. We can breathe a little and— without the masks. I think? Editor in Chief and CEO Rae Ashe