I’ve been getting into the book of Nehemiah recently, and while chapter 3 about the builders is a bit lengthy, it has purpose. Each verse had names of the people that pitched in to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and it was not a simple task. It took a village, men, women and elders to restore what was taken down. Each person had a role to play and it’s a testament to how we can see our villages or communities around us.
It takes a village effort to sustain a village, and like in the Old Testament days to 2018, it remains to be true. With that in mind, entrepreneur and founder Eunique Jones Gibson started Dream Village ™, a “co-working community to provide the space and energy necessary to help people build their dream and their village.”
The Dream Village Tour in partnership with American Family Insurance, stopped by Chicago to mobilize the Dream Village mission and to “remove the access barrier so that people from various walks of life could be included in dream and village building dialogue” and more. The event included family friendly games and activities, a marching band opener, and discussion sessions around the three tenets of their vision: Dreams, Hustle, and Village.
Each panel included influencers, public figures and community supports with ties to Chicago, including bloggers Luvvie Ajayi, Afrobella, Melissa Kimble, entrepreneurs Rashidat Owe, Chris-Tia Donaldson, Christian Maxwell, Hajj Flemings, Monica Halsip, and many more. Here are just some of the many takeaways from the event for your own dream, hustle and village journey:
“The deeper your relationship is with God, the steadier you’ll be on your entrepreneurship journey.”
“Keep God first and approach everything with gratitude.”
“Businesses are a lot like people, they have a beginning and an end. If it does end, don’t let it destroy you. There were lessons learned in that challenge if you’re being a creator. That business may not last in the current situation because you can rebuild and reinvent yourself.”
“What sells is transparency. Get people to fall in love with who you are, authentically yourself.” –Rashida Owe, Author and Holistic Lifestyle Expert
“Take ownership of your work and what brought you to this point.” –Lauren Ash,
Founder and Executive Director, Black Girl In Om
“I try my hardest to support other young people to pursue their passions. Black youth aren’t supported enough when they are doing something positive. The people who do that for me help me out a lot.”
–AJ Carr, Actor and Founder of Building Bosses
“Every time I’ve had to move, I had someone to catch me. I really love my village.”
–Melissa Kimble, Founder of #blkcreatives
“A village is a combo of family, peers from the community and other artists. We all have the same beliefs that we want to make our community better. We are the solution for our community.”
–Monica Haslip, Founder and Executive Director, Little Black Pearl
One of the interactive moments at the event was to take a pledge to your dream by writing it out and posting it on their wall. Dream Village is not just about creating a space for ideas to be born, but for them to manifest through accountability and networking.
Here’s what I had to share for my pledge, with you all in mind: “See healthy and successful marriages in my community.” Part of seeing it is doing my part to encourage, teach and advocate for healthy, God centered relationships and marriages that will thus lead to stronger communities. It starts at home, which is what I would share when it comes to building a village.
Sometimes we need the encouragement of community to be bold enough to step out on our dreams. In the process we can’t neglect the work/hustle required to succeed, but that work also includes what we need to change about ourselves. In your journey find people who want to see you fulfill your dream and do what you can to rebuild your community or give back to the dreamers in your life. May this be an ongoing cycle of positivity that we need in our society today! Learn more about Dream Village and their next tour stops here.
