Smarty Girl Leadership

My WordPress Blog

  • About The Editors
    • About Erica
      • Erica on Fashion/Tech in Vegas
  • Home
    • Tech News
      • Wired’s Clive Thompson Interview
    • Entrepreneur Tips
      • CEO Beer Summits
    • Entertainment
      • Live Concert Review
      • Book Reviews
  • Dating & Other Sports
    • Dating Soccer Players
    • Bicycling
      • Bike Pretty Blogger Melissa Davies
  • DIY
    • Photo Editing Tutorial
    • Fitness Tips
    • Healthy Eating
    • #FilmRace
  • Audio Scriptwriting and Video Storytelling Services

Courtney Swan Black Lives Matter Ally & Mentor Grammie

July 30, 2016 by smartygirl Leave a Comment

Courtney Swan

Photo Credit: Courtney Swan

” A grandmother is a little bit parent, a little bit teacher, and a little bit best friend.” -Author Unknown

Growing up living in my Grammie’s house, I understood this quote on a deeper level than most. My grandma was and is to this day a parent, a teacher, a best friend. My role model, my faith mentor, my biggest fan — the list is never-ending.

We often look to the famous- the rock stars, the innovators, the world changers- as our sources of influence. Barack Obama, Kim Kardashian, and Jimmy Fallon are included on Time’s list of 2015’s most influential people on the internet. But how often do we turn away from the television (or more realistically, our laptop and phone screens) and look to the people around us?

My Grammie is without one single doubt the largest influencer in my life. Without her mentorship over my life from my childhood, I promise you I would not be the woman I am today.

I could honestly write about every individual way she has helped mould me into the identity I proudly and joyfully embrace today, but I’m going to attempt to put it all into a jam-packed nutshell. If I had to use one word to epitomize my Grammie, it would be compassionate. This woman LOVES people with reckless abandon. I was raised to believe that every single person, regardless of age, gender, race, sexuality, religion, skin colour, social status, or any other factor, deserves equal opportunity and treatment by all. Period. No if’s, and’s, or but’s.

She taught me that the homeless are people too and are worthy of the same level of dignity that I’m entitled to. She taught me that immigrants come to North America to develop healthy and prosperous lives, just like you and I, and deserve the same opportunities that I have as a Canadian-born, young, white female. She taught me not to judge people on the colour of their skin but on the content of their character.

My grandma continuously shows me firsthand what it looks like to love people the way Christ loves us, and I swear she doesn’t even realize it most of the time. For her it’s not a habit, it’s a characteristic. It’s not a task, it’s an inherent part of who she is. And I can’t adequately express how grateful I am for being raised under her influence and guidance.

Now, a bit more about me— if I had to put a label on myself, I like to think I’d be a human rights activist. Like my grandmother taught me, I believe in the radical notion that every human being is entitled to equal rights and freedoms. I believe that my greatest purpose in life is to help work towards developing a world where each individual is granted the inherent rights and freedoms  permitted to them just by virtue of being human.

I don’t believe in coincidence, and I certainly don’t believe that these passions of mine just randomly found a way into the deepest parts of my heart. I don’t believe that it was by chance that I’ve come to love people I will never even meet with every fibre of my being.

I can confidently say that it is largely thanks to my Grammie’s influence that I am the person I am today, and that I have chosen to dedicate my life to the causes I have. I can also proudly say that I would not change a darn thing.

Every single one of us is in the process of creating our legacies. Each day, you write the story that future generations will tell about you. If I can encourage you at all with this post, let me encourage you to leave the kind of legacy that my grandmother has left with me. And I’m not saying that you should make everyone around you want to be a human rights activist. All I’m asking is that you be intentional about the impact you’re leaving on those around you every single day. Think about the me’s around you who look to you the way I look to her. You’re leaving an impact on them whether you choose to or not, so please, I implore you, make it a powerful one.

Courtney Swan is a Canadian writer with a passion for people who specializes in race relations and human rights. Her website? courtneyswan.ca Find her on Twitter at @courtney__swan

Audiobook Hey Blogger! Narrated by Beth Matzke

December 4, 2015 by Renee Marchol Leave a Comment

Our blog is happy to announce the launch of our first of many audibooks and ebook tutorials, available for sale on Amazon, Audible, and iBookstores by SmartyFellas and SmartyGirls! We have partnered with Tablo and Audible to bring readers a new way to enjoy our advice from experts. On any device? Most devices. So you can listen to it through your earbuds? Yep.

Our team at SGL equips readers to run their own blog and recruit their own writer teams and expert panels. Our Editor-in-Chief Renee Marchol tips her fedora and can’t wait to read what you have produced in the New Year. #writeon

Hey Blogger!: A not-quite 18-minute tutorial for your first blogHey Blogger!: A not-quite 18-minute tutorial for your first blog by Renee Marchol
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I noticed an education gap for beginning bloggers so I created an audiobook tutorial for this with Narrator Beth Matzke.

Sure there are many get rich quick tutorials on creating a website to generate income. However, no Quickstart for bloggers who were interested in managing quality content and building a trusted reputation for reporting.

Wouldn’t a curious reader want to know a system for handling submissions for guest posts, requests for product reviews and evaluating ad clients? However, the foundation of a blog is its value to the public. How do you lead a team of writers to generate original and relevant content over the long-term?

These are the methods that I have used as Editor-in-Chief of the successful tech entertainment and leadership lifestyle blog SmartyGirlLeadership.com

View all my reviews

Fielding Questions About Asexuality as a Sexual Orientation: Holiday Hotseat 2015

November 26, 2015 by Renee Marchol Leave a Comment

Thanksgiving is usually a friend or family gathering where people feast on comfort foods and watch football before taking a nap. This drowsy, dozy comforting event shouldn’t have sharp edges in conversations. Right? Well, maybe for fun political debates last 7 uncomfortable minutes. Then some ribbing about loyalty to a particular football team that is only mildly awkward. Correct?

For our debut of SGL’s Love & Sex Series for Healthy Relationships here’s how to avoid hurtful comments when a friend or family member shares an update about his/her love life. Since our readers were curious, we asked our friend Ditching Adulthood blog Creator Cierra Mercier to return as a Guest Blogger to speak to us about asexuality.

Ditching Adulthood blogger Cierra Mercier

Photo Credit: Cierra Mercier Ditching Adulthood



Asexuality is not a lack of emotions or feelings; simply put, it’s a lack of sexual attraction. For some reason when the term “asexual”, or phrase “lack of sexual attraction” are spoken, whoever you’re talking to will more-than-likely not get it. I know I’ve been treated like I had no clue what I was talking about (in my 20s), or like I was some emotionless android with no sense of feeling. It hurts to be treated like you’re less than human, or as if you don’t know yourself well enough to know who you are.


I remember when I didn’t know about asexuality, and I just stuck with the “saving myself for marriage” excuse. But it wasn’t an excuse, it wasn’t truly something I believed in either, because I knew even if I was married, I wouldn’t be attracted to my husband sexually.


BUT, that doesn’t mean we can’t love, show affection, or have sex. This is what people can’t seem to understand. We can still crave, and HAVE a healthy relationship without sex being any type of focal point.


Most people, once being told that I’m asexual, doubt and dismiss me. They wonder what happened in my life that made me this way. They’ll tell me to get it checked out because something’s clearly wrong. I’ve even been told by guys interested in me that I just needed someone to give it to me right, in order to fix me.


From disgusting “advice” like that, to telling me—condescendingly, I might add—that I’ll want it when I meet the right one… It’s disheartening and frustrating. Aside from the fact that I was in an almost four-year relationship without that level of intimacy (he was eager to have sex once we were married, and I just played along because I didn’t know about the asexualrealm then), you just know. There doesn’t need to be a test or experience.


If you were a straight male friend of mine, and you told me “how do you know if you’ve never tried it?” I could ask you “how do you know you wouldn’t like sex with men if you haven’t tried it?” You just know, you see? I was curious about things like cuddling and kissing, but sex was never on my radar of curiosity. And I’m okay with that!


The heteronormative mindset is what’s predominate in our society, and it includes being both heterosexual and heteromantic. In actuality, there are plenty of people who just don’t identify with both of those terms, and when they arise to the occasion of identifying themselves, a whirlwind of confusion occurs. It’s really appreciated when people take the time to ask meaningful questions, and honestly try to understand when you’re trying to explain something that can play such a huge role in your relationships.


I know I for one am very patient as long as the conversation toward understanding is civil. And honestly that’s all most of us ever wants, is to feel human, and be loved in whatever way feels best for us.


For more candid talk about life, love and art, you can follow SmartyGirl Cierra Mercier on Twitter @ditchadulthood
Blog Ditching Adulthood

Photo Credit: Cierra Mercier’s Ditching Adulthood Logo

Preview: Love and Sex Series including Asexuality Perspectives

November 6, 2015 by Renee Marchol Leave a Comment

Here is an excerpt from the upcoming Thanksgiving week educational report:

Our panel includes Cierra Mercier of Ditching Adulthood who self-identifies as asexual

Ditching Adulthood blogger Cierra Mercier

Photo Credit: Cierra Mercier Ditching Adulthood

Most people, once being told that I’m asexual, doubt and dismiss me. They wonder what happened in my life that made me this way. They’ll tell me to get it checked out because something’s clearly wrong. I’ve even been told by guys interested in me that I just needed someone to give it to me right, in order to fix me.
From disgusting “advice” like that, to telling me—condescendingly, I might add—that I’ll want it when I meet the right one… It’s disheartening and frustrating. Aside from the fact that I was in an almost four-year relationship without that level of intimacy (he was eager to have sex once we were married, and I just played along because I didn’t know about the asexual realm then), you just know. There doesn’t need to be a test or experience.

To read more on our Love & Sex series, visit our blog again mid November for SmartyFellas and SmartyGirls who are willing to open up to help dispel myths about Love & Sex in our diverse community.

Follow Cierra Mercier on Twitter @ditchadulthood

Ditching Adulthood logo Cierra Mercier

Photo Credit: Cierra Mercier Ditching Adulthood logo

We are releasing our Love & Sex series just in time for family holiday get-togethers to show support, friendship and solidarity with those who are served prying questions about private life along with ladle-full of gluten-free vegetarian turkey stuffing. We will be sitting in those dining room chairs and in that hot seat right alongside you.

vegan thanksgiving food recipes turkey vegetables

Photo Credit: PrincessPinkyGirl.com Turkey Veggie Party Tray

« Previous Page
Next Page »

Connect with me

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Twitter

Subscribe to new post alerts

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Popular Posts

Meet Team Tacoma: The 48 Hour Film Project Seattle

By smartygirl on July 25, 2014

  My white Nokia smartphone is smeared with mini chocolate donut and I couldn’t be happier. Why? Tonight was the kickoff production meeting for The 48 Hour Film Project Seattle. These are a few of production crew who aren’t camera shy. From left to right: Jon Spieth, Iver Nitz, Serena Berry and Greyson Boevers. I […]

Stunts, Safety & Saving Innocence: An Interview with Stuntwoman Emily Hopkins

By smartygirl on September 16, 2013

Associate Editor Erica Tyler is in charge of identifying 20 Ordinary Heroes in the Community this fall. At the end of the summer the Editor-in-Chief stumbled upon a league of such in West Los Angeles. Would you like to know one of them? She works on the team of Saving Innocence as an Intake and […]

Butterfly Ball Light by Diffuse Lighting

By smartygirl on October 7, 2011

Butterfly Ball Light By Diffuse Lighting When I was 12-years-old I showed my 14-year-old cousin the newest silhouettes I made out of a department store catalog. This was the wrong thing to do on a summer morning. It marked me as a weirdo for the rest of the summer. She was more interested in the […]

3 Female DIY Interior Design Bloggers Aunt Renee Admires

By smartygirl on October 15, 2011

My interest in reading interior design blogs written by women with children began with one blog post perfectly suited to me, “Tentacle Pot Pie“. Notmartha.org Blogger Megan Reardon won me as a fan with her unusual presentation of conventional recipes such as meatloaf. She shapes unassuming meatloaf into oven-crisped amputated hands. Her chicken pot pie […]

Embed Our Badge

Smarty Girl Leadership

Archives

  • August 2019
  • May 2018
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • July 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011

Copyright © 2021 · Beautiful Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in