FEATURED GUEST NICOLE NEWMAN

Today begins the New Year, 2010 and things don’t just happen. We see that when we look at Jeremiah 29:11 …For I know the thoughts and the plans that I have for you, says the Lord. Thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil. In this scripture God is telling us He has a set plan for our lives. A plan to help guide us to the fulfillment that He created for us. In order for us to follow the path God has set for us we have to reach out to Him with diligent faith.

As we embark on the New Year, the inference is automatically one of change. Most people look at this as a time to do things they have not been accustom to doing and that’s good, but do you know what you should be changing? We see and hear silly things like organizing closets, cleaning houses, and washing clothes, as if these tasks were somehow only done once a year. That’s silly because we know we have to stay organized and clean year round.

So what type of change should we be focusing on? Changing our thinking is the real change because change comes from within, through our thought process. But what do we change our thinking to? That’s when we realize that by following Biblical principals we change our way of thinking to what God intends for our lives and by doing that we make a difference within ourselves.

Change usually comes reluctantly for most people. We don’t want it. We’re so caught up in what we’ve been doing or thinking that it’s often difficult to switch. And that’s not good because usually the awareness of change is due to some detriment already in motion, some pain that we have created for ourselves. And that is most certainly, the worst pain.

This is why I selected my featured guest this week. She is truly a pioneer of change. Her name is Nicole Newman. She is the president and CEO of Newman Networks, www.newnetwork.com. Newman Networks designs and maintains websites and has a networking program set up for minority owned businesses in the Philadelphia area.

Ms. Newman also writes for The Philadelphia Business Technology Examiner. Her most recent article is Innovation As The New Economy For 2010 and can be found at, http://www.examiner.com/x-13481-Philadelphia-Business-Technology-Examiner~y2009m12d31-Innovation-as-the-new-economy-for-2010.

Ms. Newman is also in the process of writing her memoirs, Product Of My Environment, where she discusses her childhood and growing up and how it is that she became the entrepreneur that she is today. She says, “Change has been and always will be apart of my life. Growing up I thought my family (mom and me) were the Jefferson’s - We were always moving on up. By the time I was 16 we had lived in at least 8 different apartments throughout the city. I stopped attending the neighborhood school in the 4th grade! Mom and I had mapped out college plans when I was 4 years old. Even then, I had a sense of wanting to learn because learning is evolving. I want to evolve into a kinder, gentler Nicole who attracts successful people and can network to bring prosperity to my community. That is the dream I pursue and as I reach that level, the dream becomes bigger, which means I must evolve again...

When I worked in corporate America, I had the pinnacle of a career - a job at world renowned Deloitte Touché Tomatsu, a well respected global accounting firm. But still I was not happy. It was a great experience but now I have found my true calling in becoming an AGENT of CHANGE! The world is going through very fast technology shifts and I must be on top of the curve to show others how to navigate... Wow, Life is good!”


As we can see, Ms. Newman didn’t let changing preclude her from doing what she needed to do? No. She forged ahead and learned to take each move in stride to make all the twists and turns she needed to follow the path God had set for her. Now, she has her own company and the focus is on helping others. She wouldn’t be able to do that unless she spent time on herself.

That’s what we want to encourage you all to do this year. Find and follow the path God has set for you so that you can live an abundant life. No matter what the change may be, if God is asking you to do it, do it. He has so many greater things in mind for you.

You can connect with and read more about Ms. Newman from the following websites,

http://www.facebook.com/nickynewman?v=app_2347471856&ref=profile#/note.php?note_id=116744610283)
http://www.facebook.com/nickynewman, http://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolenewman, http://www.meetup.com/enterprisingwomensalliance.
http://www.examiner.com/x-13481-Philadelphia-Business-Technology-Examiner.


Thank you and may God continue to bless and guide you in the days to come.