When a new book club spun up in my ‘hood, and a friend invited me to join, I was like “Yeah, OK!”. I like books and writing but knowing it would be a monthly meet-up with some like-minded Babes, good wine, other drinks and a tasty but light spread to review books… oh, I was in. At the time we were confirming members, rules around hosting monthly etc., I was in the ugliest first stages of my book. Truthfully, I’d put it down. Stuck on which of five directions to take it in and no clear direction, no matter how much I Googled or hit Pinterest. This book club couldn’t…
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The Truth About Bad Titles and Your SEO Score
Got a problem being succinct? Love a melodic, lyrically infused blog title? Or a mysteriously clever promo header? I know I do. Well, guess what? SEO doesn’t love it as much. BOO! I know, I know. “Hands up, ‘Chatty Cathys’” Another thing to admit: I have a teeny-weeny tendency to… waffle on. I’ve been told this affliction is a bit more common in those of us over 40. Rude, but probably true. We (I) have a lot to say, learn, and share. And while that can work, to a point in your main blog content, it’s an absolute SEO killer, and leaves all your juicy content floating-in-the-wind-dot-com. Completely unnoticed. And…
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Juneteenth: Learning & Celebrating Black Freedom in the U.S.
Today is not just another Thursday. It’s Juneteenth. A day that marks freedom finally getting to the enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. Two and a half years! Let that sink in for more than a moment. So when you hear people say it’s a celebration, now you understand. I was born and raised in London, England, to parents with Ghanaian roots, so learning about the reason for this national American holiday brought both horror but ultimately joy in the power of Black Americans. Through my discovery, and it’s been over some years, I found Juneteenth was actually one of many…
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How To Say “Oh, No, but Thanks”, When You Don’t Want To Do Something
I Don’t have to. Don’t desire to. Don’t need to. And said just like that. I can hear myself say it. Clear, crisp, firm. My kindest boundary. Being a Londoner, though I’ve lived in the USA for two decades now, occasionally I’ve had to explain to folks that my use of “sorry”, before I speak, isn’t what they think though it’s an easy mistake to make. I’m not walking around burdened by guilt and shame for every tiny misstep I make. And I don’t mean to speak for every Londoner, but it’s cultural and a term for an “Oops”. A version of “excuse me”. A filler word we throw in to keep things…
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Last Bell, Big Feels: And High School’s Done-Done
Catching-self moment, part deux. This time, it was my baby cakes graduating from high school, and let me tell you… the pride? It hit different. More pride, more happiness, but also a deeper sting with the true end of an era: no more kiddos in school. University feels different. Yes, I am (and was) ready to be done, but in that second as she crossed the stage, with me screaming her name, it was more than a whoosh of feelings. It was a whole shift. The weather showed its entire arse, and not in a cute way, but by raining sideways, even hitting us under the covered outdoor stage. Then…
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Blink and, Poof, They’re Grown: Milestones and Mumma Pride
I had to catch myself again. Mid-moment, thought, and proud mumma tears. My oldest just graduated from university, and whew… that feeling? It’s bigger than words. The kind that makes you stop and say, “Wait, how in the heck did we get here already? Who approved this! I want names!” Even the rain held off long enough to let us soak in the sun and snap a few outdoor photos, proof that the universe knew this was a moment worth capturing. And yes, I wore those toe-pinching, open-toe joints in the drizzle because even this mum showed up to celebrate her baby. Rain or not, we were going to shine.…
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When the Problem Isn’t Money or Time, What’s Left?
I had two separate conversations recently with a couple of really good friends. Different days, different women, different dreams. But both hitting the same wall.Each of them had a clear, compelling vision for a business they wanted to start. Not a product you could touch or ship, but service-based ventures they were deeply passionate about. And here’s what struck me hard: the amount of thought they’d already put in. The clarity. The specificity of events and timelines they’d laid out to the end vision was so well-formed that I cut into their dialogue at one point and flat-out asked: “Umm… this is so well thought out, why are you not…
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I’ll Be the ‘Keep-the-Peace’ Person in My Next, Next Life
My friends, family, and the real-deal peeps in and around my life know who I am and that they can count on me. How?To show up.To work smarter and harder when needed.To be loving, trusting, helpful, considerate, etc., all with a hefty pour of humour that often goes too far. I love to laugh, especially at myself. Can’t stop. Won’t stop. I don’t need to convince anyone that I am a solid human being, complete with a multi-tab brain and a soft center. But let’s be real: invisible laser-cut daggers protect that soft center that, when tested, appears like a nightmare in your deepest slumber. I’ve long since purchased a…
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Starting Sideways—Unblocking My Creativity in Many Pathways
Hi there! It’s my first SincerelyIreneB post, a few days after a lovely Mother’s Day, and here’s the thing: I’m committing, and doubling down on me. I won’t pretend I’ve been some selfless person giving only to others in spite of myself. Nope. But putting loved ones, work, and commitments ahead of the things I want to do? That’s gone on for far too long. I’ve been a sneaky creative my whole life. One without a niche, a neat box, or a specialty label, and I thought that was my problem. I love to write, and while I adore off-the-wall humor, I also have a serious side that wants to…
