Understanding Beyonce, Business, and Balance while Traveling Around The World!

It’s week 3 of my Up with People World Tour! Woohoo! Wait. What does that really mean? What happens during week 3? Early Mornings. Late Nights. Dance Rehearsals. Vocal Exercises. Educational Sessions. Wardrobe Approvals. Media Training. Fancy Dinners. Meals On -The - Go. Fatigue. Excitement.  Ups. Downs. Flips. Turns. Where do I end? What do I do? 

Ask Beyonce! She seems to have it all figured out. Well let's get this straight. Having it all figured out does not mean knowing it all and exemplifying perfection. It means keeping a team around you who can help you go from where you are to where you want to be. It means understanding who you are and paying attention to what you need in order to be mentally and emotionally ready for the journey you are walking on. It means partnering and reaching out to new people so that you can expand your circle, influence, and impact. It means working through the pain in order to tap into exclusive gains.

Watching Beyonce's Superbowl performance on February 7th (My Birthday!) proved to me that she understands the power of using teamwork to make all of her dreams work. Little did I know, the 3rd week of my Up with People tour was going to test me and force me to THINK like Beyonce in order to be my best during each moment. It forced me to rely on my team in order to adapt to a lifestyle transformation as a Certified Public Accountant and Fitness Instructor to a full-time performer  on a mission to unite the world through music and dance. CHANGE is NOT easy but it challenges you to tap into other parts of you in order to release the BEST of you!

Monday (Feb 1, 2016). Happy February! Oh no - February already? Why couldn't we have a SNOW DAY today??? My heart started beating uncontrollably and my stomach started bubbling with nervousness. Am I ready for February? Well at that moment I was NOT ready for February and my facial expressions revealed all of my concerns. But something told me to attend the full day of staging for our first Up with People show so I did it! Now I understand why I was supposed to experience that day.  

Our first education activity required us to share our emotions. Emotions? What's that? Business and emotions usually don't mix. Right? I may be wrong on this one. We focused on the four phases of emotions that participants may feel during week 3: Honey Moon, Crisis, Recovery, Adjustment.  I won't reveal the category that I placed myself in but all I know is that I wanted to feel BETTER. I was so excited during week 2 and I wanted to recapture those feelings. My incredible CHEWIE (Anne) saves the day by being a great listener and sharing comforting advice. What's a chewie? An accountability partner who keeps you on track and reminds you of your WHY when you are emotionally and mentally drained. Within 10 minutes of talking to Anne, I felt like a new person! HALLELUJAH!

Then the emotions came back when we played "Cross the Line". What a deep game! We had to cross the line if we could relate to the statement. Crossing the line gave you a chance to share your stories and experiences. We shared stories about bullying, socioeconomic status, growing up in a single family home, religion, spirituality, and many more details that left many of us in tears. 

What an emotional day! We had the chance to leave at 4 PM due to the snowstorm that was heading towards Denver. Early dismissal means additional time to practice and prepare for a better week! 

Tuesday (Feb 2, 2016). Ask and you shall receive! Ground hog day and guess what?? Snow Day! Is this my lucky day? I wanted to rest since I was a bit under the weather and this was my moment. My lucky day had arrived.  I also found out I was the Ms. Corporate America Ambassador and spoke to my blogging coach. It was time to get ready for a month of progress! 

Wednesday (Feb 3, 2016). An introduction to "Life in the Fish Bowl" at 9am. Here are the highlights from the session:

• Your life will be fundamentally different since you are in Up with People 
• When the camera is on, don't pick your nose. 
• Welcome to the fish bowl where you now live in the public eye. And the public is everywhere. You will lose your anonymity. 
• You may become the spokesperson for Up with People! 
• You have the opportunity to reach and impact far more people than you have every imagined. 

I can't wait to see what unfolds during this journey! So what else happened? Dance practice and learning more about the cities that we will be visiting on our World Tour. Late night of rehearsals until 8:30 PM. 

Thursday (Feb 4, 2016) Health Day. I have never taken a sick day from work unless I was in the hospital. But I was forced to LISTEN to my body. Balance is key when you are on a mission! Your mind may want to do a million things but your body may have other needs. LISTEN. I did! Unfortunately, I had to miss the dance review for one of my favorite dances. I absolutely loved the Janet/Michael Jackson 80's Dance and hope to perform it one day but today was not going to be that day. 

Friday (Feb 5, 2015). Last day at the Sherman Center. Check out my last video at the Sherman Center in downtown Denver. What's next? Dinner for Two!  It’s not what you are thinking. I had dinner with an incredible personal growth coach that I met at the leadership roundtable.  The one and only Stephanie Collins! When I read Stephanie's bio, I was immediately captivated by her mission. I told my host mom how intrigued I was with Stephanie's story and how I wanted to meet her. Well my host mom knew Stephanie Collins! Small world! Not only did I connect with her at the leadership roundtable but we went to one of her favorite Thai restaurants and discussed business and balance. It was clearly a Beyonce type of conversation (whatever that means). Stephanie asked questions that would help me identify my target audience in business. I informed her that I would love to work with Accountants and Finance professionals between the ages of 23-35 who are seeking to remove self-limiting fears, go beyond their cubes, and create career success and happiness. Hmmmm...that target group that I want to work with sounds a lot like ME.  I will never forget this statement. "There are people who are looking for and NEED what you have to offer. They just don't know that you exist yet." Well I think it's almost time for us to meet! I told Stephanie that I would create more videos on youtube so that I can connect with my target audience. Stay tuned! 

Saturday (Feb 6, 2016).  No off day this Saturday. I have a feeling that Beyonce rarely takes off days when she has a show coming up. This was our first day at Manual High School. I started my day with 3 hours of dancing prep at Manual High School since I was on the dance team crew.

I did NOT take the bus back to Louisville. Why? I was greeted by huge smiles at Manual High School at 6PM as I met my family. I’m sure Beyonce meets new people every time that she goes on tour but it's an amazing feeling when you meet family! Dinner with my Family. 

Sunday (Feb 7, 2016).  Superbowl Sunday and my Birthday! Birthday Breakfast at Lucile's in Boulder. Shrimp and Grits & Beignets! Then my host mom, Marie, and I went shopping for our show costumes. Next was the Super Bowl! Guess who performed?? Beyonce and Bruno Mars! What an incredible birthday present! 

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9 Reasons Why Week Two of UWP World Tour Was Better Than Fine Wine

     Would you care for a sip of fine wine? I have some just for YOU. Fine wines represent the highest quality of wines and one sip can elevate the way that you feel. But what if I told you that I can offer you something better than wine? 

Once you lay your eyes on this program, you will be SPRUNG! Don't believe me? Go to www.upwithpeople.org. This website may be everything you have been looking for! I wanted to marry this program 9 years ago but the wedding didn't take place until this year. It's safe to say that I am madly in LOVE and believe that this experience was worth the commitment. 

     If you are seeking to travel, perform, and impact, you are seconds away from a global education program that will allow you to do those three things and more! Up with People is a global education program founded on the principle of using music as a means of communicating and inspiring people. Through host family living, world tours, and cultural education, you will gain the information needed in order to make decisions and impact the world as a global citizen. 

     So what is a typical week like as a cast member of Up with People? I quickly discovered that there is not a typical week and every day presents a unique opportunity to learn more about you and the world around you. Although week 2 presented me with moments of discomfort and sprinkles of exhilaration, I can definitely say that I'm a stronger person because of my diverse range of experiences. Here are my Top 9 experiences that may cause you to apply to become a cast member! 

     1.   Get Closer to Your Dream Job. I knew that I would have the opportunity    to perform around the world but I had no idea that I could take advantage of internships. On Tuesday, January 26^th, Up with People staff members introduced us to over 20 different internship and assistantship opportunities that we could take advantage of over the next 5 weeks. This was a great surprise since I will be pursuing my MBA in the next 5 months and exploring new career opportunities. Now I can get hands-on experience in my area of interest before I start my MBA program. Thanks Up with People! If you are aiming to gain valuable experience that will make you a hot commodity in the work place, you should think about exploring Up with People. 

     2.    The Sweetest Word You Will Ever Hear. What word draws people in to what you have to say? Your name! That’s right. If you say a person’s name multiple times during a conversation, you make the other person feel valued. We learned the power of names during our Up with People education session and were challenged to say the cast member name associated with each picture that was scattered around the room. Sounds easy, right? Well imagine if you had to remember over 100 names? YIKES! We worked as a team and were able to remember over 95% of the names. Go team! I also snapped  pictures of my roommate and I that were used in the name game.

     3.   Dancing with the Stars. So what did I do during my second week of Up with People staging? Dance. Dance. Dance. This would be the perfect time to check my BMI. Well I don’t know if my eating habits are as superb as my cardio regimen. But I do know that preparing for your first 2 - hour show in less than 3 weeks is INTENSE. Review for the dances that we learned during the first week of staging took place on Wednesday. January 27^th. So I had reviews for 2 dances. My body and mind were not ready for it. But I must say that this is great tour training! If you can excel in this fast – paced environment, you can do ANYTHING. What motivates me to keep dancing? The opportunity to unite the world through music and dance is what keeps me in my dancing shoes.  

     4.   Up with People Legacy Dinner. Distinguished Alumni visited Cast A 2016 to breathe life into UWP’s vibrant history. The goal was to show appreciation for the legacy that we inherited and to inspire us all to continue this amazing journey. Did it work? Yes! There were chills running down my spine when my admissions counselor, Nicole Magloire, took the stage.

     Nicole Magloire was the last speaker of the night. When she approached the crowd at the Legacy Dinner, she started with these words:

“Some people bring out the best in us. Some people bring out the worst in us. Some people bring out the most in us."                     

What a powerful beginning that was only a teaser that lead up to the well told stories that captivated everyone in the room. As Nicole stared into the eyes of the participants who were hanging on to her every word, we were all breathing with inspiration thinking about how we would get to witness what Nicole was sharing with us.

Here is a fun fact. Jesse Owens was an early supporter and former member of UWP’s Board of Directors. Did I just type Jesse Owens? Yes! Jesse Owens made history as an African-American Olympic Gold Medalist.

     5.    Speed Dating with Colorado’s Most Influential Leaders. Before our Friday festivities commenced, we had the opportunity to welcome over 20 community leaders to the Sherman Center for 1 hour of speed dating. 

    Prior to the leadership event, I read all biographies to find out more about the leaders and to identify what questions I had for them. Before leaving the house on Friday, I informed my host mom that I would love to meet Stephanie C. because her career path reflected the opportunities that I would like to take advantage of. Well my host mom informed me that Stephanie C. was at her house for Super bowl Sunday 2 years ago. Wow! Small world! 

     I immediately connected with Stephanie and was inspired by her journey and career advice. Everyone that I had the chance to connect with had valuable information to share. Good thing I was taking copious notes! Rico Nunn, Superintendent of the Aurora School System, talked about the importance of being flexible and open in your career. You never know where life will take you! Marketing & Sponsorship Director for Cherry Creek Shopping Center, Dave Dixon, captivated everyone with his business insights. His MBA education shined bright as he spoke about growth strategies and positioning the shopping center to attract his ideal client. What an honor to connect with business leaders who are affiliated with Up with People! Follow-up is key so I will be sending emails soon. 

   

     6.   Party Like a Rockstar. As we were getting on our bus heading back to Louisville, Denver after our Friday staging preparation, I received a special phone call from my host mom. “Change of plans. We are going out to celebrate a special 22nd birthday.” Woohoo! We went to Boulder, Colorado and enjoyed a variety of foods at The Mediterranean tapas restaurant. 

7. Host Family Dinners.Early Mornings. Late Nights. When my alarm clock rings at 4:20 AM, I am tempted to hit the snooze button while I cuddle up for 30 more minutes thinking about the delicious meal I had the night before. The food is really scrumptious! I have been taking notes so that I can return to Chicago as a Master Chef. Yes, I have high hopes! Anything is possible. My roomie, Marie Englebert, receives the award for master baker because of her Belgium specialty cake. It was DELICIOUS!! 

    8. Tea Time! Since Tea is the most popular beverage in the world (except for water), my host family took my cast mate and I to the Celestial Seasoning Tea Tour. There is only one tea factory in the world and it resides in Colorado! Muy interesante! My Tea I.Q just went up 5 notches! The tour guide started the tour with a 8-12 minute video before taking us on a tour of the factory. There are three steps to the tea production process: Milling, Mixing, and Packing. The tour guide walked us through each part of the process while I opened my ears wider. I didn't know there was so much to learn about Tea!

     9. Share Your World with the World.  It was fun dispelling pageantry myths and introducing my cast mates to the power of pageantry. It was also great to have the opportunity to share with the world what happens when you are a pageant titleholder. Check out my video and vote for me to become your next Ms. Corporate America Ambassador.

LIKE the Ms. Corporate America Page below and LIKE the Charlene Rhinehart for Ms. Corporate America VIDEO that was posted on January 26^th. Voting ends on February 1^st. 

Ms. Corporate America Organization Facebook Page

Find this post on the Ms. Corporate America page and Like the Post under the video. Thank you in advance!

     

     Are you ready to stretch beyond your comfort zone and unite others through music and dance? Let's talk! You can apply online at www.upwithpeople.org. 

    Keep Creating Endless Opportunities, 

   Charlene Rhinehart 

   Ms. Corporate America 2015 

   www.mscorporateamerica.com 

   www.charlenerhinehart.com

   www.thecareergoddess.com