by Uchechi | Apr 2, 2017 | Blog
now more than ever
what she says matters
now more than ever a lifting of the veil
and telling “supposed tos” to get the hell out of sight
seems just right
i do not want another woman
to lose
her voice
i do not want another woman to believe in everything
except herself
I do not want what first starts as nail biting and picking
acne to turn into saying nothing
sitting in the back of the class
letting someone else speak up about her idea and take the credit
i do not want her to belong to the history books no one writes
the shoulda coulda woulda
the unexemplary life that was dulled by someone else always choosing for her
i want her to live
knowing that her voice
may have meant nothing to those who would rather see her
remain silent
but it was valued as precious
to her
now
is the time
more than ever
to blossom into becoming the woman you do
see in the mirror
but are afraid to actually greet
by Uchechi | Apr 1, 2017 | Blog
Kicking off National Poetry Month with the #NaPoWriMo (National Poetry Writing Month) challenge: 1 poem a day.
It’s not about worrying the poem to death or making it perfect. It’s about putting it out there, being vulnerable and sharing. I am grateful for this opportunity to share my gifts as a poet, lover of language and technologist. Enjoy!
it is good to remember
that there was a time before this
i see you squatting in the corner of the public restroom
i see you having locked yourself in your room
unable to see what’s next how to leave
him how to grow yourself out of this job where
the men who say they love your work at work
want you to say you love them
it is good to remember
that there was a time before this
you my dear
belonged to some body
you my dear belonged
to someone
warmth sat beside you wrapped its arms around you pulled
you in close and the skin the contact welcomed you into the world
and that was another way to explain grace
it is good to remember
just when you feel you can’t breathe just when you’re beginning
to wonder if you can expand your chest and just exhale
everything you’ve ever wanted to say
say it now my dear
say it now
it is good to remember
there were giggles before this
all of us laughed and hollered
hyena style before this
the ones without parents
the ones with the drug addicted loved ones
the ones with the perfect family portrait
all of us will one day end up curled up in the corner
in a public restroom or our own private ones
and be unable to breathe
this is when i need you
to remember
that there was a time before this moment
when you were loved
and if it happened before
it will happen once
again
© Uchechi Kalu 2017
by Uchechi | Mar 22, 2017 | Blog
Happy International Poetry Day!
In celebration, I was inspired to write this poem.
Singing America
We started with tacos
everyone says this is the best place
she was the thing that caught my attention
she must have been my mothers age
translucent skin browned by heritage
this is Mexico
she sang
we too, are America
the light was shining down on her
the stage flamed with all she was giving us
her heartbeat shot straight out and
hit me
just as she opened her mouth for the next song
she liquified fear and spilled it for all of us
it dripped onto the floor and somehow I wanted to smear my hands
in it and cover myself in this imagination of what could be
this must be the country we dream of
maybe she is America
browned and pushing 60 and so sure of herself
that wink she gives me says everything
maybe she too is the America I’ve always loved
long dark hair rich with history and allowance of grays as evidence of our sins but there to remind us of what not to do again
maybe she too is the America
when she opens her mouth I spy a hint of metal
braces tucked of metal
braces careening out of her mouth
the awkward girl
the pimpled boy
but no we will not tease her
because she is absolutely glorious
maybe she too is the America I’ve always wanted
reminding us all that always wanted
by now we have finished the tacos
and the margaritas and I can’t leave without requesting a song
Gracias A La Vida
She bows towards me starts to pluck her guitar and the song goes
it just keeps going
Thank You Life
She is tilting her head back and singing with every muscle
I can see it
she is choosing to believe tat that life
in the end
has been good to us
On the way out she grabs my hand as I
put something in her basket
those eyes dark like plums
Yes, this is America
her awkward smile
her wrinkled skin her belief that good things do happen
her colored past her wrongs often never made right
her brownness her colored ness her other ness but sameness
her belief that she can do anything she wants including sing in a bar when she’s pushing my mother’s age
her sure eyes her love for the other
this is what I love about her
Now, I’m just asking her to come
home
© Uchechi Kalu 2017
by Uchechi | Mar 15, 2016 | Social Media
Let me first start by saying that if you are an entrepreneur, it is important for you to have a Twitter presence. It’s not necessarily just a way for people to tell you about what they had for breakfast. As startup founders, people often want to know about the people behind the companies they met or saw pitch during NOEW. They also want you to make it easy for them to find you, engage with you and spread the word about what you’re doing (at least, what’s relevant).
New Orleans Entrepreneur Week is an opportunity to capture insights and thoughts from thought leaders in this emerging tech startup city.
Benefits of using Twitter during #NOEW2016
- Leverage an existing (and popular event)
NOEW is the premier entrepreneur event in New Orleans, and including the hashtag in your tweets will help you gain more exposure and reach a wider audience on twitter.
#NOEW2016 helps you gain new followers (and colleagues, who are also attending the event)
Usually when someone finds you on Twitter, they’re interested in something about you that connects to their industry, interest, social group, etc. Twitter can be a low-commitment way to exchange contact info with people you meet or want to meet, both virtually and in person.
When you attend an event like #NOEW2016, the shared interest is #NOEW2016.
Take that extra step to find out if there’s something in common that drew you both there. Who knows what could come from it?
- Talk to your users via Twitter.
Are you a new photo sharing app, wedding planning app or in the health or #medtech space? Sharing posts on twitter during a major event allows you to find potential users who might be attending. Twitter itself blew up at SxSW by being the right thing at the right time in the right place.
- Establish yourself as a thought leader.
Do you have a unique perspective within your industry? Start tweeting about it and see how many people connect. People are hungry for real info and experience (not just rehashed stuff and platitudes). Give them what they want!
- Establish yourself as a follower of prominent thought leaders.
You can actually help other people with your own special expertise and taste as a curator. Would you rather follow 10 people who post something you want to read once a month, or who seem like they’re constantly bringing great things to your attention?
- You get a lot when you give a lot. Connect with others at #NOEW2016, attend events and quote thought leaders. They’ll thank you for tweeting about them, and you’ll find new friends and colleagues.
Here’s are some great sample tweets for #NOEW2016:
Here’s a great way to promote what you’re doing at NOEW:
Here’s a great way to support your fellow entrepreneurs during NOEW:
Want to promote your product during NOEW, do this:
The How: Now, here’s the play by play on how to do it.
For those who already have an account:
- Update your personal and company twitter ( if you’re a company founder, it’s important to have both) profiles to clarify who you are, what you do, how you benefit your users and why anyone should care. I think Matt Candler, founder of 4.0 Schools, does a great job of integrating his personal/founder profile and his company profile.
- Jot down 2-4 hashtags that you want to use during #NOEW2016 (And yes, this hashtag should be on your list). Tip: Make sure you’re using hashtags that are specific to your industry.
- Share to your personal Twitter profile and your business profile. If you don’t already have a twitter account for your business, create one! I like to post to my founder account, and then RT to my business account and vice versa.
- When attending events, quote the presenters and use their event hashtags and Twitter handles if you know them. Tip: Before the event starts, look up the presenters on Twitter and follow them.
- For presenters, throw up a slide with your company, twitter handle and the #NOEW2016 hashtag. If you’re also using your own event hashtag, let your audience know which hashtags you’ll be using and how to find you on social media before you start speaking.
- Spread the word about your product, event, company, offer, but do it in a way that targets attendees who might be your target customers.
- Network with Twitter in mind: When you meet a new person, follow them on Twitter to see their latest posts and find out what they’re talking about. Remember, twitter is all about the conversation.
- Whenever possible, use a photo. We all love an inside view into the what’s going on. Photos capture the magic of events, and the more you add photos, the more twitter users will retweet you. Think of images at social media bling. Everyone wants it!
- Follow people on Twitter instead of taking their business cards. This is a trick I learned a few years ago while at SXSW. After I had run out of cards, I realized that I could just follow interesting people I met on Twitter. Instead of worrying that you’re out of cards, You can say something like this: I’m out of cards, but I’d love to connect on Twitter. What’s great about this is that you will remember them because you see their photo and their Twitter bio right there. You no longer have to wait to get home and wonder whoae cards you have in your hands.
NOEW is a major entrepreneur and tech event in New Orleans. It’s not unlike events like SXSW. The thing to remember is that you want to network with a purpose, and not just collect business cards that will end up in a pile.
If you haven’t joined Twitter yet, now is the time to do it. Why? It’s real time conversation about events happening now. Did you see a great presentation? Share it! Did you connect with an innovative entrepreneur? Tweet about it. The goal is to engage with your audience, and the best way to do that is by sharing useful information.
For those of you who don’t have an account:
- Set one up, stat.
- Follow the instructions above.
- Add the #NOEW2016 hashtag to every tweet during the event.
- When attending events, quote the presenters and use their hashtags if you know them.
- For presenters, throw up a slide with your company, twitter handle and the #NOEW2016 hashtag. .
- Spread the word about your product, company, offer, but do it in a way that targets attendees. Here’s a great sample tweet:
Don’t have a twitter account while attending #NOEW2016? Now is the time to sign up!
What interesting content will you be sharing on Twitter during #NOEW2015? Hit me up @uchechi_writes and follow my web development company @LinkingArts.
