(Im)Perfectly Happy
When four college friends formed the Brown Sugarettes Mastermind Group, they had very different goals—but matched each other in ambition. Yet ten years later they can’t help wondering what happened to the hopeful, confident, driven women they used to be—and how to get them back . . .
Synopsis
When four college friends formed the Brown Sugarettes Mastermind Group, they had very different goals—but matched each other in ambition. Yet ten years later they can’t help wondering what happened to the hopeful, confident, driven women they used to be—and how to get them back . . .
Radio personality Raina, known as “the black Delilah,” hates the wholesome persona that’s made her a success. Doling out syrupy versions of her grandma’s wisdom feels worlds away from the sarcastic, tell-it-like-it-is woman Raina really is.
Kara Jones was sure she’d be a master sommelier by thirty. Life and loss interfered with that plan. Now she has one more chance—but it’s taking a toll on her self-esteem and her marriage.
Nikki Grayson hardly recognizes the stay-at-home mom she’s become. When her band signed a record deal, she swapped the limelight for a minivan and a sensible ’do. Now she’s wishing she had followed her heart. Instead, she’s drowning her regret in alcohol.
Public defender Sienna Njeri willingly put her city council aspirations aside to support her fiancé’s bid for office—and now she’s wondering if her loyalty is misplaced.
Longing for the support, advice, and tough love they once shared, all four resolve to start meeting up again. After all, their dreams may still be within reach. But are they worth the price they’ll pay to achieve them?
The Inspiration Behind the Story
On my “About Me” page, I shared my story and journey to publishing. There was a turning point when I knew I couldn’t ignore the voice inside of me that encouraged me to write. I’ve learned to listen more closely to that voice over the years. There was another turning point when I heard the voice. It was during an episode of Oprah’s Next Chapter Show. Oprah interviewed Hollywood’s top black actresses, including Alfre Woodard, Viola Davis, Phylicia Rashad and Gabrielle Union. They discussed the challenges they face as black women in Hollywood. With limited roles/opportunities they often compete with each other. Alfre saw this and created an event for black women around Oscar season where they can network, connect, and celebrate each other.
Toward the end of the episode, Oprah poses the question to them, and I’m paraphrasing here: “How do we fix this problem?”
Alfre Woodard answers (again paraphrasing) “We need more black writers to write.”
It was a call to arms for me. Everything went silent. I could only focus on Alfre Woodard’s simple solution. And the voice said, “And that’s what you’re going to do.”
I knew I needed to write something for us, because representation matters.
This next point of inspiration was my own Mastermind Group. My best friend, Mike approached myself and my other best friend, Ashley about forming a group. Every week, we either met in person or hosted a video chat to discuss our goals, share resources and provide feedback. We were accountable to each other. If someone was slacking, we had an “intervention” and discussed solutions to get the person out of the rut. Each of us achieved our initial goals. My goal was to be published. Mike’s goal was to switch careers from a web developer to a product manager and to create an app. Ashley’s goal was to quit corporate America and pursue her passion to as travel blogger and brand influencer. She has worked with dozens of brands and traveled to several dozen countries. And guess what? She quit her job almost two years ago!The road to pursue our dreams was (is) tough. It took me four years to get published. I can’t tell you how hard it is to stay motivated after receiving a rejection letter from a publisher or agent, but I didn’t give up. So this book pays homage to those who relentlessly pursue their dreams. (Im)perfectly Happy is a love letter to black women who have often sacrificed themselves, their goals and happiness and dreams for others.