The Clubhouse Blogs

Navigating the app

For all who are new, or expecting to gain access soon…you might refer to this post for insight on terminology used in the community, as well as icon descriptions.

I was fairly confused using the app the first week, despite the amazing welcome communities that walk-through usage of the app. It’s a ton of information to take in, and unless you have a notebook for notes – it can be difficult to remember it all.

Once you get access to the app, you’ll want to do the following to make the most of your valuable time in the community.

STEP ONE: Connect Instagram, Twitter, or both – THEN adjust your settings ⚙️

STEP TWO: Write a jaw-dropping bio. If you’re looking for inspiration, take a look at what you plan to use the app for. Depending on the room I am in, I sometimes switch my bio order around to reflect the atmosphere so it makes sense for those who click on my picture. You’ll want to include things like:

Your top accomplishments if you will be networking professionally
What you do for others
Projects you have on-going
A little about yourself personally, if you want to relate to the other human beings using the app
other ways for people to reach you (email, website, etc.)

⬆️ Use relevant emojis in your bio to compliment the content, and don’t be afraid to change it often as you navigate the app to find what works for you! Your bio is your personality, so let it shine!

For your profile picture, make is stand out. I use bright colors, and currently use a picture with THREE of me edited in, to stand out among the sea of faces. It’s easy to be over-looked in large rooms, so the more interesting your picture is, the more you’ll get clicked on!

STEP THREE: Go ahead and search for key influencers you enjoy on other platforms, and clubs that fit your interest. You’ll find clubs ranging from stocks, science, fitness, comedy, business, poetry lounges, and more! Use Clubhouse as a way to connect with every part of who you are. Be aware that when people begin following you, for now, they may receive notifications when you enter certain rooms.

STEP FOUR: READ THE USER RULES AND GUIDELINES! 📃 this is important, and refresh your memory every so often as you learn the app by reading through it when you have questions.

The Hallway: If you scroll to the left you will see a series of rooms with people actively talking. You can jump in and out of these rooms as you please, just hit the ✌🏽button when you are ready to leave. BE AWARE that your hallway is made up of the people and topics you follow, as well as trending topics (which can be turned off in settings). If you don’t want negativity in your hallway, follow positive influences. Swipe to hide rooms you don’t want to see in your hallway.

🎉 the party hat: This icon shows up on your profile during your first week on Clubhouse, so if you are in rooms with the right people – you are typically welcomed with open mics. (Or open arms). This lets everyone know you might need help navigating the app, or explaining the goal of the conversation. Don’t be shy! Introduce yourself when you can. Being new to the app does NOT reflect your value and what you bring to the community. You are empowered in this community!

✳️ the green bean: This is the “moderator” badge and signifies who is facilitating the room. They have the ability to turn hand raising on and off, removes speakers from the stage or room for violating room rules, and more. If you are in a room with good moderators, it should be welcoming and all-inclusive. BE AWARE of the moderators asking for money or followers if they aren’t providing real value for you. Be careful in rooms that don’t allow you to speak or share insight, or ask questions. Your time is VALUABLE, only visit rooms that help you see that value, or help you accomplish your reason for using Clubhouse. Remember you can always unfollow, or tap the “leave quietly ✌🏽” button and remove yourself from any uncomfortable situation.

✋🏽 the hand: This icon lets the moderators know you want to be on stage to speak. If they accept, or invite you, make sure you mute your microphone immediately! 🎙 once accepted, your icon will be moved to the “speaker” section. They will likely ask everyone to “PTR” or “pull to refresh” so everyone can see the updated stage for who is next to speak. Pay attention where you are in line – you don’t want to be skipped over because you aren’t actively listening to the conversation. It is considered disrespectful to get on the mic and admit “I wasn’t paying attention” because it looks like you are there to take, rather than give value. Be engaged, or be gone.

🏠 The green monopoly house: This signifies a “club” that you can request to join. Read their rules and description to see if you want to join. Most clubs have off-app ways to communicate and organize events.

📨✨invites: This icon shows you how many invites you have available. Be careful, if you send an invite you cannot retract it or get it back in case it is sent to someone who doesn’t accept. I always verify before I send, that the person is someone I trust, and someone who is interested in using the app regularly.

🗓 the calendar: This icon shows you all of your upcoming “saved” events, and events you are hosting. Use this to remind yourself so you don’t miss important conversations, and I also save my events to my Apple calendar. When people you follow, or clubs you joined, schedule rooms – you have the option to save it to your phone’s calendar! The 🗓 with a plus sign is how you are able to schedule your own room. If you want people to join, spend some time networking first and making connections, and then politely ask others to co-host with you. This will notify their followers, and can help you build your audience as well. It’s ALL about mutual respect and providing value to others, while you seek value in return. Give more than you take.

🔔 the bell: This icon shows your most recent notifications which include people you follow, events, and “pings”. A “ping” is when someone you follow invites you to join a room they are in. You are not obligated to accept, unless it’s a conversation you actually want to be a part of. Also, try not to be the person that pings in all of your followers to every room you are in. Chances are, if they are on Clubhouse, they are enjoying other conversations- so be mindful and try to only ping connections into a room if you think it will give them value!

In the bottom right of the app, you’ll see a series of dots in the shape of a square. By clicking this, your connections will show – including who is currently on the app, and those who were on recently. It will also show you the clubs you are a part of. There’s also a LARGE green button that says “Start a Room”. Feel free to check out this feature and get familiar with the moderating buttons before you get a following. When you hit this button it will immediately open up an option for you to add a title to your room, and you can play around with the features before joining one of the welcome groups.

Thank you, all who follow and support this blog. If you find it helpful, or WISH you had this post before joining – please share with friends. 🏠💬 Let’s do this together.

Follow my Instagram HERE.

Or visit me at http://www.ashleymrodriguez.com

It’s FUNdamental: Reading While Black Book Club

IMAGINE being in a highly intellectual and congenial space where everyone gathering participates in discussions about books that are centered around a rich, beautiful, and American culture that is Blackness. IMAGINE being safe, warm, and nurturing while exploring and expanding your mental capacity through the gift of books written by Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC). IMAGINE there being a strong sense of community within every discourse and the wages of these conversations is more in-depth knowledge, respect, and honor for the brilliant and boisterous expression that is Black culture.

Sounds like magic, right? Well, believe me when I say that Reading While Black Book Club on Clubhouse is all of this magic described and more! J. Edward Barnes, the moderator and founder of this club, fosters a creative and welcoming space for Black book lovers to listen to, read aloud, dissect and discuss Black American literature. Inside of this club, authors and readers come together to celebrate the writing process, ask questions and build a community designed to celebrate Black literature and the Black people who love and live the stories within Black literature.

The Birth of Reading While Black Book Club

According to J., the Reading While Black Book Club (RWB) was formulated well before Clubhouse was a thing. He stated, “After the 2016 election, I was looking for a way to bring myself joy in the midst of political chaos while in community with Black people digitally.” With a tweet, this community was born. As far as the name is concerned, J. said, ” the name came from seeing so many Black people experience violence for just existing while [being] Black. So, my best friend and I said why not ‘Reading While Black’ flipping it into something positive and RWB was born.”

As a part of his why, J. explains a circumstance that highlighted to me and amplified why this club is important and why, in my opinion, this space is necessary on platforms like Clubhouse.

When I was still living in Montgomery working for the Southern Poverty Law Center as a re-enfranchisement outreach fellow, I had the opportunity to connect with young men at a symposium where I was teaching them about voting rights. Before my presentation, a young man (no older than 14), asked if I could step outside and speak with him for a moment and he told me that he couldn’t read. In that moment my heart sank to my stomach and that evening when I got home, I cried like never before. After that symposium, I started making routine visits in my personal time and started to ask them what they were reading? Many of them couldn’t answer the question so I teamed up with a few of the teachers on that campus to bring RWB to those young men.
J. Edward Barnes

With stories like this, it makes sense to me why this club is so important to J. and why being on Clubhouse helps to further his sincere and resonating mission of RWB. The joy of reading has to translate to our younger generation. There is an adage that says that if you want to hide information from someone, put that information in a book. This club seeks to uncover what some people have “hidden” in those books in plain sight! As an educator, I can respect and celebrate that!

What I Experienced While Visiting Reading While Black

I was excited to go to this particular room in preparation for this blog. I had been to RWB spaces several times before then, so I knew what I was going to get. I call myself a “functional nerd” and learning about things that I don’t already know intrigue me. Every time I enter into a RWB space, I learn something new about my own history as a Black person. For me, THAT is the prize and one of my favorite things about RWB. To hear it from J. “This February’s books of the month were all books that had been on my shelf for months and some of them years. I wanted to challenge myself as well as other readers to read 10 books in the shortest month of the year. Granted, it was ambitious and a little crazy, but it let them know that though this seems like a heavy load, when we are lifting together in community and holding each other accountable, the task is much simpler.” The book that was being discussed during my visit was How to Fight Racism by Jemar Tisby. On this visit, it was the second installment of a larger series of discussions. J. played the audio version of the book and upon completion, opened the stage for relevant and purposeful dialogue around central themes, messages and takeaways from the book. As I walked into this meeting, the RWB community was engaging in a robust conversation around religion, racism and the nuance of the intersectionality of race and faith. At times, J. would also playback some key quotes from the read-aloud and evoke conversation through questioning and then continue driving the discussion by suggesting connected books for the community to read in the future. I was delighted and felt at home seeing the critical thinking and nuanced discussions that took place with a gathering of intelligent and engaged Black people. Everyone had an opportunity be heard and even when there was debate, all sides were honored and no one was disrespected or disregarded. This was exactly the way J. designed the RWB club to be and his moderation of the room helped the discussion remain fluid, fun and ongoing throughout.

The RWB Book List for February 2021

These are the TEN books that J. bravely and purposefully selected for his club’s reading joy and information for the month of February!

Some of these authors (Jemar Tisby, Resmaa Manakem & Alex Vitale thus far) were able to come and visit the Clubhouse rooms during these discussions this month. Kiese Laymon is scheduled to be in the RWB clubhouse room on Tuesday, March 2. Having these authors there only added to the richness of the conversations because the readers were able to pick the brains of and get real-time responses from the people writing the books!

A Quick Chat with J. Edward Barnes

I asked J. a few additional questions about himself and the RWB club so that you can get to know the man behind this beautiful space and how you can show support.

As a clubhouse user/influencer, what are you hoping your voice and this club lends to the overall Clubhouse community?

I hope my voice is helping create a community that participates in recreational reading and celebrates are Black literary superheroes the way they should be celebrated. I want to curate a community that actively listens to another; a community that has dialogue and not duplicate; a community that promotes mental health awareness; a community that is unlearning the harmful practices of the past we used for survival; a community that is not only reading these books but using them to help change the material conditions of our lives and; a community that all Black people feel welcomed, centered and safe.

2. How can Clubhousers support J. Edward Barnes on and off the Clubhouse App?

Well for starters, RWB is fundraising to make sure we can give people the best experience possible on Clubhouse and the podcast that we’ll begin recording soon on Clubhouse. That means purchasing better equipment, purchasing audiobooks, and most importantly our mission is to buy books for incarcerated youth in the state of Alabama.

If readers want to support, they can donate via
Cash App: $ReadingWhileBlk
Venmo: DrTGIF

People can also become a paid subscriber of the podcast with three monthly payment options of $0.99, $4.99, and $9.99. They can find the subscription link in the bio of any of our current or previous episodes of Reading While Black Book Club which streams wherever readers listen to their podcasts.

For more information: https://anchor.fm/readingwhileblk/support

The Tavares Review

The Reading While Black Book Club is a stellar club that inhabits all the things I love about club spaces on Clubhouse. It’s cool, safe, intellectually tingling and Black! Don’t get me wrong all spaces on Clubhouse are valid, but as a Black man, I love spaces that center Blackness and upholds the beauty and excellence that I know, live and adore about being Black. This space is welcoming for all cultures to come and experience Black literature, but it is purposeful in centering the specificities of the Black experience. I ABSOLUTELY suggest that you go and check out this club and that you also follow J. on Clubhouse because he goes into some dope spaces on the app. He also curates another Clubhouse club called Thank God I’m Fresh (TGIF) and you should check that out, too!

Follow me on **Clubhouse, Instagram & Twitter at tavaresteaches**; comment and share this blog with your friends. See you next blog & email me @ tavaresteaches@yahoo.com if you have a club or a room that you want me to feature!

help! I have two clubs! now what?

I have one “baby boy” at home, who is now 13 years old middle schooler and baseball fanatic. I have two other “babies” in the Club. Want to meet them? I know, I know but, my blog, my clubs, soooo… 😉

I didn’t know why at the time but one of the things I did within a few weeks of joining Clubhouse was apply for my own club. And I’m so glad I did!

But I’m scared and nervous and not sure if I am supposed to do this, because now that I have my my own clubs, now what?

I’m excited that there are so many clubs to join and explore. I’m not intimidated at all by the shear numbers. Even before we could start our own club, I joined almost eighty clubs. I haven’t counted lately and to be honest it doesn’t matter, not one bit.

Clubs are there to be explored and reveled in! So many conversations, so little time. It will take months if not years to really get to them all.
Erna Josiah-Davis @ernajdnp

Many of them are still dormant. No rooms, no members. I feel kind of sad for them but I also understand. I haven’t been able to host nearly as many rooms in my own clubs as I thought I would when I started them. So I’m giving myself and everyone else some grace to find their place and rhythm. It will look different for everyone. I have to be patient.

While I’m here, may I share a little about my own clubs? Shameless plug, I know, I know! Remember, my blog, my clubs, so … 😁😁😁😘

The first club I started, Food for Body & Soul, is my baby, my brand mascot so to speak. I have a Facebook group with the same name. That group is different and has a different vibe and mission but is still where I like to hang out a lot running monthly mini challenges for over 500 members to jump start their health journey and share their experiences. It’s mostly women and that’s intentional.

My Clubhouse Food For Body & Soul, is a new corner of the social media universe and I’m still navigating my thoughts and goals for that space. The rooms I host are focused and exemplify wellness in many of it’s manifestations. We are such complex and fascinating creatures made by our Creator to bless and serve others. It is our duty to nurture our entire beings in order to do that and do it well.

This last week has been all about morning routines. Do you have one? Please consider this your formal invitation to come to one of my morning routine rooms and share. Would love to have you!

Then I recently started my second club and have yet to host a room there. Healthy Habit Hub is going to be fun. Less esoteric than my first club and more nuts and bolts. Get in, find your most important healthy habit and get out. I’m thinking the rooms may be really short and hyper-focused on a specific area of health and wellness.

My theory is, and this is based on lots of expert science and advise, habits can be made and broken if you know how. Why not use that knowledge to your advantage to get healthier and change your life for the better?

Our lives are made up of hundreds, if not thousands of habits. I consider it a challenge to create them and see how far they can take me.

While I’m ruminating about clubs, I love to collaborate with other clubs! It is by far one of my favorite things to do when I moderate a room. There are so many people who can bring their expertise, perspective and voice to any conversation.

I’m determined to keep my clubs and rooms open to others as much as possible. That is what Clubhouse is about for me.

See you in the Club!

Your Health To Life Coach

For your body, for your mind, for your soul.
Erna Josiah-Davis @ernajdnp

THE WELLNESS COMMUNITY ON CLUBHOUSE

Did you know that all your favourite authors, teachers, motivational speakers and spiritual leaders are on clubhouse?

Clubhouse is helping me grow at an exponential rate! I already eat, sleep and breathe personal development. Since being on the app I have learned more in one month, than in the last year.

I first heard about Clubhouse from people in a holistic entrepreneur’s group on Facebook. People were practically begging for invitations. When I researched the app, I assumed it would be mostly celebrities and people from silicon valley.

A few weeks later I woke up with a text notification that I had manifested an invite into the club out of no where. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but with all the hype I dove into the app immediately to see what all the fuss was about.

Twenty four hours later I was raving to all of my friends that they needed to get on this app! I was hooked! The spiritual, wellness and personal development communities were all there and still growing!

The Wellness Industry Leaders On Clubhouse

That’s right! The big names include Deepak Chopra, John Assaraf, Jim Kwik, Les Brown, John Grey and Tim Ferriss to name a few. You will find rooms discussing everything from wellness and holistic health to mindset and metaphysics.

I was in a room last month called ‘Let’s Learn! Share Your Wellness Practices! (no pitches).’ I’m currently living in Europe, so it got late and although I hadn’t had my chance to share my wellness practice with the room yet, I chose to sign off and go to bed. (This discipline was acquired, I didn’t have any discipline when I first got on the app.)

In the morning (10 hours later), I took a look at the app and the room was still going! This isn’t uncommon on Clubhouse, people run rooms that go on for days sometimes. None the less, I noticed there was a recognizable name on the list of speakers now… John Assaraf!

If you’re not sure who he is, remember the movie The Secret? He was one of the experts featured in the movie and has many books, courses and training on mastering your mindset.

On Clubhouse if you leave a room and come back, it remembers your place. So when I rejoined the room it placed me one square away from John, who was now a speaker.

What a cool way to start my morning! He was on Pacific time, so I only caught 30 minutes with him, but where else could I listen to him live as I brush my teeth in the morning?

He was humble, kind and very giving with information, his time and answering questions. It was also interesting to learn the he really practices what he preaches.

He shared many of his wellness practices with us, which was fun to hear about in this casual setting. One being that his evening routine was just as important as his morning routine. He called it the ‘sandwich.’

He even made a comment about having the discipline not to eat before bed, which was challenging since he has an early dinner. His solution when he gets hungry is something light, like coconut yogurt.

The Wellness Community On Clubhouse

Aside from the big names, which are growing everyday, you will find a large community of people with a passion for sharing their expertise with others.

I’ve met people who are fitness trainers, nutritionist, yogis, motivational speakers, authors, meditation teachers, functional medicine practitioners and herbalists.

There are people who have been in their field for decades, people that have been doing it for a few years and people just starting out and looking to learn. The best part is that it truly feels like a community that is looking to share, grow and uplift each other.

I’ve made new friends and connections with people I never would have had a chance to meet. It seems like there are people in the wellness community from every continent and now in many languages as well.

How To Connect With People From The Wellness Community on Clubhouse:

Follow people who have similar interest. Often people will put in their bio what they are interested in. If the person shares your interests, they are likely to join rooms that you will also be interested in. When they are in a room, if you are following them, you will be able to see that room in your hallway (home page).
Find clubs that discuss wellness. There are a growing number of clubs now and many on specific areas of wellness. When you follow the club, you will get notifications when they host a room. You will also see the clubs a person has joined at the bottom of their bio, if you find that person interesting you might also like the same clubs.
Explore the public rooms. Especially when you first join the app and you aren’t following many people, this will be the fastest way to start finding interesting wellness conversations. Go to the calendar icon, select ‘Upcoming For You’ and start scrolling!

If you are just joining the app, the wellness community is usually very welcoming. It’s the best place to test the waters when speaking for the first time. Try one of the smaller rooms where there are only a few people to get your feet wet.

Does public speaking make you nervous? Don’t worry there are rooms on Clubhouse for that!

The Wellness Conversations On Clubhouse

At this point I’ve been on Clubhouse for two months. The club is growing exponentially even with the limited access. The amount of rooms scheduled are increasing daily.

There are a plethora of rooms happening daily talking about mindset, gratitude, mental health, veganism, trauma, wellness habits, affirmations, inspirational stories, support, success coaching, meditation, daily intentions and accountability just to name a few.

If you need a reminder to be positive, no matter the time of day, there is a conversation you can join or listen to that will inspire you.

If you need some advice about relationships, career, nutrition or anything else you can think of, there is a coach, expert or community hosting a conversation on the topic daily.

If you want to reach out and have a casual conversation with like minded people, there are rooms being hosted everyday with people who are just like you waiting for you to join them.

I was grateful to find a room for morning routines in my time zone!

I wanted the accountability of a group to keep me on track for my morning routine. During the pandemic I had become inconsistent with my meditation and gratitude exercises.

This group practices the routine from the book ‘The Miracle Morning’ by Hal Elrod (who is also on Clubhouse).

We do meditation, affirmations, visualization, exercise, reading and writing. Each activity lasts for 7 minutes. We start the day with an intention and then we are done in an hour.

It was exactly what I needed to get back into my routine and now I’ve met some lovely people from all over Europe.

If you’re in Europe join us at 7am GMT Monday to Friday.

The more often you revisit a room, the faster and deeper you will start to build connections with people. I encourage you to both explore and become a regular.

But wait….there’s more!

The Metaphysical Community On Clubhouse

I haven’t even told you about the metaphysical community yet! You will find plenty of rooms on astrology, human design, intuitive readings, metaphysical healing, shamanism, tarot readings, manifesting and more.

I have had many insightful intuitive readings, energy work done, learned more about astrology, discovered Human Design all from exploring various rooms on Clubhouse.

I just launched two clubs on Clubhouse. The first is called Energetic Wellness where I will be teaching about energy clearing and showcases various energy clearing modalities and practitioners. The second is The Conscious Collective for holistic entrepreneurs to reach their professional goals using spiritual and metaphysical practices.

This is an exciting new space for people from the Wellness communities internationally to connect and uplift each other. The best is yet to come!

MY TOP 8 TIPS HOW DO YOU MODERATE ROOMS CLUBHOUSE?

So many Rooms in Clubhouse on so many different topics. Now, it is the time for you to take over and create your room.

Here are my top 8 things to know when you create your room and moderate it in a professional manner within a club.

Reset the Room every 5,10, 15 minutes depending on the people joining your room

The club you can follow and join on top next to the title. It’s intuitive to join the club or follow

One time in the end remind your audience to follow the club

Club has grown in …. (numbers)
I would like to invite you to follow the (title of the club) club click on the greenhouse next to the title to get notified every time we set a room. Thank you!
I think you are on to something there…

Be respectful, inclusive make sure you say your name when you speak and say I am done speaking at the end. Allow impaired hearing and blind people audience a chance to take part and feel included.

Be mindful of the other person

Reset the room and bring back the energy up By saying something like (this below) and reset the room by reminding the topic. You have done more thinking about it than I do! we are in the room (title) raise your hand if you want to share your comment and/or ask a question
This is our club we are not paid and we are here sharing value with you.
We are not paid, moderators.

Last call before we close the hand-raising. Hop on and talk to us.

1️⃣ step hit follow 👣🐾
2️⃣ hit the bell 🔔 to always
3️⃣ 💬 me ✨

DM the moderator, speaker, or listener:

Listening to you on ♣️🏠. I would love to collaborate with you 🙏🏿

Share the values you can bring to the audience. Make everyone feel safe around you on stage and in the audience. Remove trolls and make sure everyone agrees to disagree in a civilized way.

Enjoy your room and don’t forget to keep me posted on how this article was helpful for you. Share it with people interested in opening a room in Clubhouse.

It was Ndeye Labadens @labadensndeye and I am done speaking.

It was Ndeye Labadens and I am done speaking.

Freelance Fanatics – Quit your 9 to 5

It’s 2021, and with the chaos of last year it’s no surprise the “work from home” mantra has kind of….you know…..taken over !

I was fortunate enough to run into a Fiverr millionaire FREELANCER, and let me tell you – her community is BOOMING with information and mutual collaboration. I just had to bring her efforts here to you because now is the time to move from the 9-5 if it’s not what you want. This is the opportunity to connect with a massive group of freelance professionals waiting to help you start your journey.

Alexandra Fasulo “The Queen of Fiverr” is on Clubhouse hosting multiple rooms a week on Freelancing and working from home, and even holding spaces about the difficulty of dating as an entrepreneur.

She has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, and many other publications for her efforts in the “remote work” industry, and launched a course sharing exactly how she created financial freedom through freelancing.

She boasts a large community of freelancing professionals in every stage on Facebook with more than 3,000 members – and has a TON of information to give away on her social media.

So why am I excited about this?

BECAUSE freelancing is the movement that’s trending, and it isn’t going anywhere!

According to a survey published by LinkedIn,

“a majority of American professionals will work remote part-time or full-time by 2027.

70% of small businesses have hired freelance professionals in the past, and 81% plan to do so again in the future.”

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com

This means BIG bucks and buckets of opportunity for ANYONE who can sell a service from home.

LinkedIn recently announced they will move toward a marketplace feature as well, catering to the “remote work” needs, and platforms like Freelance US and Contra are going to give the larger international platforms a run for their money!

Follow Alex, and her rooms for more on the freelance world – and join her thriving communities to snatch a bit of financial freedom for yourself – you’ll be glad you did!

Now here’s some gems from the “Dating as an Entrepreneur” room she hosted days ago:

If you aren’t in a relationship yet, make sure you communicate your needs for flexibility from the get go. Freelancing is tough work, with crazy hours and deadlines, but it is worth it!
If you are dating or married, and begin your freelance journey while in an established relationship, COMMUNICATE how things may change in your pursuit of a freelance career. This can include moments of doubt, and insecurity as you navigate the world of negotiations and advocacy for your services. You’ll probably want support from your significant other, and support is super important!

If you reach out to Alex from here, let her know we sent you! 🙂

You can follow me on Instagram here! or visit my website at http://www.ashleymrodriguez.com to see what I’m up to!

Linguaphile Link Up (LLU)

Are you looking for some ways in which to improve your proficiency in languages? How about learning entirely new languages? That can be a challenge, and it is certainly not one for the faint of heart or the impatient.

Well, now you have the opportunity to learn just about any language that you want right on Clubhouse! Yup, you read that right…lol Duolingo Language Group, now named Linguaphile Link Up (LLU), is the club you want to join. This club was created by, Rinny (Erin Moore). You can follow her on Twitter for updates and events. Make sure to check out the meet and greets. I attended one and loved the engagement from everyone on the stage. I liked that people were sharing what languages they knew and what languages they wanted to learn. Then to see people from the audience raise their hands to get on stage and offer help to teach whatever language they knew.

One more reason for me to love Clubhouse and spread the word! I hope you take advantage of this club and meet new friends while learning a few new languages and cultures.

Club: @CH_Languages

Creator: @rinnyssance

Twitter: It’s Rinny (this is where you will find her event calendar)

Until next time ✌🏽

Podcast opportunities and Rooms on Clubhouse!

Hello there,

TOWN-HALL ROOM every Sunday! This is where you want to be every Sunday you get an update about the ClubHouse app. The founders join and talk about what is new and answer questions that have been submitted. An amazing option to be able to record a podcast and learn how to do that. I have had heard that question in many rooms on CH. I would recommend going straight to the source and get your questions answered.

Collaboration on CH!

FRENCH ROOMS ON CLUBHOUSE!

I found it refreshing to listen to different languages. I have stumbled upon the French rooms in ClubHouse. It is amazing to have people from different origins and places speaking French. If you love to listen in French

If you are looking for different language rooms, it is probably possible to find your perfect room on clubhouse. Whether you want to get better in your French-speaking or simply chill with friends and exchange ideas.

Podcast opportunities

I met my last podcast guest Brian Rollo @Brian_rollo_ on CH. You can listen to it below and if you like it you can listen to more on Apple podcast or Spotify The name is Ndeye Labadens. I look forward to hearing your feedback. Don’t forget to subscribe to support my work.

Podcast by Ndeye Labadens @labadensndeye.

Interested to be featured on my shows and podcast: send me a DM on Instagram @labadensndeye.

Welcome to the Poetry Palace

My niche on Clubhouse is poetry. It is something that I love and cling to when I need a place of solace and refuge. In the spirit of building community, poetry has has been a significant connector in many of the spaces that I am choosing to go to from my hallway. For this blog I am highlighting one that I truly adore and honor: Poetry Palace.

Welcome to the Poetry Palace

As a poet, it is important that I am able to share my poems in a safe environment that is free of judgment or critique. I want to be able to share pieces that are written five minutes prior to sharing and pieces that I have long finished days, months or even years ago. Spaces like that are many and Poetry Palace is one that I frequent regularly when I am able to. Being a truly inclusive and diverse space, it is common to see poets in the room from throughout the Black diaspora; poets from countries like, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Qatar and New Zealand; poets of both cis- and trans- gender binary and non-binary identifications; and poets of all sexual orientations. Poetry Palace is a space that curates an environment that makes EVERY poet feel comfortable in centering their personal truths without negating another poet’s truth. It is ALL love at the Poetry Palace.

My Experience of the Poetry Palace

On this particular visit, when I entered the space, a poet who had never recited a poem on Clubhouse was preparing to present a piece to the audience. The creator and curator of this space, Kristal Garcia, was heard assuring this timid newfound poet that Poetry Palace was supportive and nurturing and that all experiences were welcomed. This poet began reading and upon finishing, the co-moderators along with all the other poets on the stage vigorously flashed their mics (a Clubhouse “hand clapping” signal). The reader was so appreciative of the support and the love and let the room that they’d be back to share more. In other instances I observed:

Bhavin, a confidence coach working in digital marketing, felt brave enough to debut his version of hip hop lyrics after being encouraged to explore this passion through poetry.
a moment specifically set aside to honor and send love to Houston, Texas for all those living there who were struggling because of the recent “Snowmageddon”.
a poet from Germany who had a strong accent apologized for her accent. One of the moderators, Christopher Michael, echoed a resounding, “we do not accept your apology because there is NOTHING wrong with the way you speak” and mics start flashing with great applause.
Kristal takes the stage to bear her soul through a piece before centering the room about self-love.

This is the culture of Poetry Palace in just a few highlighted poetry exchanges that happened throughout the time I was there to witness. Every story was not only accepted but celebrated.

A Chat With the Founder of the Poetry Palace on Clubhouse, Kristal Garcia

photo courtesy of Kristal Garcia

1. What is your vision for the Poetry Palace?

My vision for the Poetry Palace is to have a space where people who are curious about poetry can mingle with those who may have done poetry for years and dip their toes into the art whereas they may have been too afraid to before. I want people to see that poetry is not elite and that it belongs to everyone who would like it to. I want people to feel safe to express and explore because standing in our voice is how we make a difference in this world. Poetry is a beautiful way to get comfortable with our own unique voice which expands beyond poetry and into our daily lives. From the mental health aspect, poetry is an excellent tool for health and healing. As a survivor of covert sex trafficking, poetry supported me in finding my voice through my own experiences and helped me to stand strong in my self love and in this, my sovereignty. Moving from surviving to thriving is what inspired me to become a Self-Love Coach and poetry has been a powerful instrument of this work of self-love. My vision for Poetry Palace also includes it being a space blooming with the respect for all backgrounds, spiritualities, religions and is considered a strong supporter of LGBTQ2+ community. Poetry Palace is a space where we can be with our open hearts together in our authenticity which looks different for each person and doesn’t fit a specific box. The highlight of Poetry Palace is that no experience is required to be in a part of the room because we are all masters of our experience and we do not critique here so we can just vibe here with the poetry and each other.

2. Why do you believe poets and poetry lovers are gravitating to this space?

I believe poets and poetry lovers come to the Poetry Palace because they can feel a loving family vibe when they enter the room and because it is truly a safe and warm loving space to relax and express in. Everyone knows our amazing moderators all contribute to bringing love,creativity, inspiration and open heartedness to the space and our camaraderie and exchanges of joy are an open invitation for people to return. We do not censor people in the Poetry Palace so everyone has the space to express their raw feelings [with being conscientious of administering trigger warnings, of course, to keep the space safe for the listeners] in the room and know that they are supported in their unique self expression. We also welcome listeners and there is no pressure to come onto the stage so people are welcome to come in and stay in the audience and enjoy the show. Listeners are appreciated and respected as well as the speakers as listening is a sacred art and a form of honoring as well. The Poetry Palace holds beautiful space for our speakers and we take the time to pour love on each person. We are also very tender with those who have come up to the stage for the first time. Ultimately I believe people gravitate toward the Poetry Palace because this space is bigger than any individual; it is a community that everyone who enters the Palace contributes to and all are welcomed with open arms.

3. As a poet and activist, how does your voice lend to the your presence on Clubhouse?

I’ve been a poet since I was very little scribbling words to guide me through my days. Poetry was something so natural to my every day life that it honestly took me awhile to notice it as something extraordinary in my life because it was so common place for me. What I did know was it was breath for me and it was my sanctuary. As for my advocacy, I’ve been a human rights advocate for over 20 years and the key point I learned from it is to open my heart in ways that challenged me to see the person before me while also using my voice to create awareness. There are poems I share that are advocacy poems to open eyes and minds to topics that our society may often not pay much attention to. Because of being a poet and advocate, I have experience that contributes to the foundational vibe of Poetry Palace of being one of artistic expression as well as full self expression in taking a stand in who we are and how that truly makes a difference in this world.

4. How can Clubhousers support Kristal on and off Clubhouse?

On Clubhouse you can follow me by searching my Clubhouse ID: @OpenHeartsUnite and click notifications so you can be notified when Poetry Palace is going LIVE. Poetry Palace is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 6-10am EST. As for as off of Clubhouse, you can sign up to my weekly newsletter on my website https://www.openheartsunite.org/ to get self love messages directly to your email. If you sign up to the newsletter you’ll also receive a free self love guided meditation once so makes sure to add OpenHeartsUnite@gmail.com to your contacts so it does not get lost in spam.

I’m a Self Love Coach, Professional Speaker- Transformational Speaker- and Dream facilitator all of which you can find out more about on my website, I am here to be of service to your journey. I have Self Love Poetry Workshops which you can also find out more on my website the link of which is also available on my Instagram @OpenHeartsUnite. If you would like to participate in my workshops or sponsor/gift someone one of my workshops or my Life Coaching, reach out via my website.

My book ‘From The Mud: The Alchemy Of Self Love Poetry’ is available for purchase on Amazon. I am a big advocate of self love activism and to me it is the most powerful form of activism. My logo is more than a logo it is a focus, I am a stand for open hearts uniting. I believe a powerful way of supporting each other is by creating the moments of putting our self love first as when self love comes first, that is what shifts the way this world is in action. I believe in you, I believe in self love.

So You’ve Been to the Poetry Palace

I asked some Poetry Palace regulars & newbies to tell me about their experiences and this is what they had to say:

Nicole said, “I’m a newbie and I voiced my first poem on their platform. They encouraged me to keep writing…they’ve taught me how to turn it into an art.“
Ryan, an Irish gentleman living in Scotland, echoed the sentiment, “How come, finally, social media is really connective in an inspirational and deep way? It might be because of places like the Poetry Palace.”
J-Nae said, “It is a happy space for me even when I’m in a bad mood. The peace of mind I get from listening to other poets is amazing.”
Stephonia made it personal in her response, “Poetry Palace became my source of healing and peace while i was going through separation from my spouse. It has given me a space to grow, share and receive love.”

There were so many others who responded that I couldn’t include due to space and time and they all echoed sentiments similar to these and it was clear to me from their responses that the Poetry Palace was a safe space for poets both new and experienced.

The Tavares Review

YOU NEED TO GO VISIT THE POETRY PALACE! It is a global space where people come and share uncensored and celebrated truth. The space is safe especially for those who are socially marginalized which makes the truth shared more potent because that truth is able to be shared without fear or judgement. This is the beauty of Poetry Palace. This is why you MUST go when you have a chance!!!

The Moderators present on MY VISIT of the Poetry Palace: Kristal, Sherri, Christopher Michae l, Nate, Sr. (on Clubhouse: @datruf), Dontrell, Michael, & Suavee. Moderators not present: Sheldon & Sunni

Follow me on **Clubhouse, Instagram & Twitter at tavaresteaches**; comment and share this blog with your friends. See you next blog!

The Night LIfe is the Right Life!

In the old world (prior to the pandemic), Saturday nights were seemingly made for the night life. In fact, the urban dictionary says “Saturday night is the most important invention in human history. Saturday night is the reason most conflicts have been resolved and is responsible for some of mankind’s most excellent discoveries”. Saturday night is all about the “night life” right? And it’s been that way from the time of the Jukebox and WWII on up to a live concert or cute pub where people gathered to enjoy the DJ and decent food.

Well thanks to clubhouse, Saturday nights are still this and more. Imagine a world where you don’t have to pick what you were going to do because you can go to multiple events all from the comfort of your hallway. And you don’t have to change out of your PJ’s to enjoy the “Night life”. Don’t believe me? Here’s a quick look into my diverse hallway.

I happened to open my app and check the hallway and BOOM, one of my favorite late-night rooms was happening inside of The Chill Mode Project Club. The room is just that, The Chill Mode where they talk about everything and nothing. It felt good to be able to catch up with some of my CMP fam (Shout out to Eso, Kristin, John, Dr, Alexis and fellow CH blogger, Tavares) along with some of the late-night regulars. It felt like a relaxing night out with close friends, simply enjoying the night air while people watching.

Then I ventured over to The Basement Club and enjoy some underground hip hop with club creator Sasso and some amazing moderators who take turn playing some of their faves that fit the theme of the night. And listen the transition from one mod to the next is so smooth that IF you don’t look up to see which profile has the gray circle, you won’t know it’s someone new spinning the track. I was low key sleepy but the vibe of the room, woke me up to the point I started typing lol thanks Erik! I’m always guaranteed to be introduced to some amazing artistry I was familiar with before entering The Basement that gets added to various playlists.

While vibing to the music, I look back at my hallway and see the “night life” on clubhouse legit has something for everybody based upon your niche, preference or even momentary need. 24/7 High Performance Success Coaching is happening with Brad Hager and as 645 people in the room. The Meez-O Estates Club has the “who’s up and wanna talk about cool stuff” room and with 483 people in there, they clearly have something to talk about. There’s the “a few scientists chatting” room with 264 people and The Chvrch Club has the “late night jams” room rolling with 437 people. The Preservation of The Human Race Club currently has a room with 118 people discussing “extraterrestrials communicate” and the 9am in London Club is rolling the “no agenda, only vibes” room with 354 people. Oh yeah… did I mention the current time is 3:30 am central? LOL

You read that correctly! At 3:30 am central time, it’s 2.1k individuals in the “this that splaaaaaah” room. Sasso has had my attention though while I type because the music is chill and making for a great backdrop for me. And then just as I finished typing and checking the necessary edits, I see a social only “let’s have fun” room with some of my clubhouse sisterhood J. Charity, Juli, Nicole, Kristin and Angela and my brother from another mother Christopher. No matter what time of day or night, these individuals always have amazing conversation. Just during the night life, it feels like a group call where we can simply unwind from the hustle and bustle of the day.

In typical Saturday night form, I’m just winding down but I didn’t have to pick one event over the other. I was able to venture to all these places; around the world even and enjoy the Saturday night life from the comfort of my bed.

Finding Faith on Clubhouse🙌🏽

If you don’t believe me when I say that you can find and explore almost anything on Clubhouse, then you aren’t paying close enough attention.

“Those who know grace, show grace”
Caroline Adegun, Founder, ButGod Community Club

I’ve had the most incredible experience the last few weeks, finding rooms and clubs that align with my Christian faith. I have not been disappointed and I’m grateful for the variety of topics and conversations. And there have been many.

Faith is such a personal construct and I don’t take it lightly. My own faith is a fragile thing, ButGod…

That was a not-so-subtle inference to the Club that has been so incredibly instrumental to my exploration of faith in the Clubhouse app:

One of the largest faith-based clubs on Clubhouse – ButGod Community!

Can I take just a few minutes to highlight this special space. Founded and lovingly commandeered by the one and only @thehollywoodwingwoman, AKA Caroline Adegun. She and this club are a force to be reckoned with when it comes to bold and unequivocal faith in Jesus Christ and the Heavenly Father. So don’t come expecting anything else, even though you may find a group dating and matching room or two 😉, just to keep things interesting. Like I said, you can find almost any conversation in the Club.

To sweeten the pot of gold, @theholloywoodwingwoman has started a ButGod Community site for the members of ButGod Community club. This happens a lot on Clubhouse. Communities, groups, memberships are rising up and marching forward in new and unique ways, and they are doing it together. This club is just one of them.

It’s almost as if we need this space in the midst of the chaos and confusion all around us to find centering and connection. Take it for what it’s worth and leave the rest. The choice is completely up to you.

It feels like a celebration every time I’m in a ButGod Community room. And the lineup of events created to foster this community is growing on the daily.

That’s the power of Clubhouse.

The daily, even moment to moment, growth is astounding and I am here for it as long as it lasts. It may be a little while or that’s my prayer every day. This train has left the station and I have faith that it’s taking me somewhere beautiful.