Madam Nselaa Ward, Meeting One of My Heroes During Women's History Month

I am overwhelmed with emotion today. My hands are shaking just as I try to type out this blog and capture how I am feeling in this moment. Meet the Moment if you will, which was the theme for yesterday’s Tedx Asheville. I have been to one other Tedx in Savannah more than a decade ago, and for some reason, I hadn’t made a point to go to any since although they are truly astounding days and I’m kicking myself that I missed so many years. Never again. Not after what I experienced yesterday at Tedx Asheville.

I went to the Red Rug Roundtable in December 2023, and we heard from 5 runner-up Ted Talk speakers. It was fantastic. Truly an elevated experience. But I hadn’t done much research on the speakers for this year’s Ted Talk because sometimes I over-research and go down deep rabbit holes (thanks, ADHD!). So, I made a decision to walk in blind. Sure, I knew a little, and I got some behind-the-scenes update from my new friend and total freaking badass, Jennifer Germaine, who was one of the organizers this year. Her presence is incredible and I highly recommend you take any and all of her upcoming courses, classes, workshops—she’s a force of nature and I have her to thank for introducing me to Madam Nselaa Ward. Girl, I don’t know if I would have been brave enough on my own to go up to this stunning goddess, so thank you forever and ever for marching me over there and introducing us!!! I owe you a pedicure ;)

“Nselaa Ward, Juris Doctor, CEO of Ni’ Nava & Associates (NNA), has one of the most powerful stories of entrepreneurial resilience. Ward, JD has been asked to speak at TEDx’s around the world, universities, and corporations to deliver her expertise and life changing story of transcending from a child sex worker in a crack cocaine community to an attorney and ultimately becoming one of the top business architects in the country.”

But I’m partial to her Instagram bio:

Seeing her speak was life-shattering for me. I don’t cry much, and certainly not in public, but holy shit, this woman had me in tears from moment one. And then when she threw up a picture of the Women’s March 2017 that my mom and I went to together—squishing onto the buses, wearing our pink pussy hats, and standing for at least 8 hours to listen to all the speakers, including Madam Nselaa Ward herself—I felt transported back to that very moment, standing around all these completely amazing women including my long-time activist and feminist and so-left-it’s-overboard mom. It was a life-changing moment without a doubt, and frankly I’m a little ashamed of myself for not staying on that path. I could have been serving women for the last seven years, and instead have only made it my focus over the last six months?!?!

But, life happens. The seed was planted and it full-out bloomed yesterday. I am more committed than ever to uplift women every day in every freaking way I can, whether that’s helping them define their legacy, open doors through my connections, create more pathways to entrepreneurship for women, organizing and sponsoring groups including InvestHER Asheville and Women in Trades Hub, or having a cup of tea and talking about work, life and everything in between.

“But back to the amazing, earth-shattering, life-changing moment of hearing Ms. Ward speak. ”

I walked into Tedx Asheville, not realizing I was going to hear a speaker that I had listened to at such an impactful event with rapt attention—I mean, she IS considered one of the top slam poets in the world—just over seven years ago at the Women’s March in 2017 in Washington, D.C.. I think most of the women there knew in our bones that the Supreme Court would reverse Roe V. Wade, and we were sadly proven right in 2022. My mom and I were more devastated than anyone else I know (at least, publicly) about Trump winning the election, and I suppose that’s why we made the expensive, exhausting, took-three-days-to-recover trip that left me feeling both more empty than I’d ever felt but somehow with a full heart. It was the sustenance in which I think my soul lived on for the next four horrific years.

Yesterday, meeting Nselaa, gave me enough sustenance yesterday to last me the rest of my life.

I know that sounds dramatic, but now that I have her as someone I can follow and engage with and get to know and be continuously inspired by thanks to her sometimes downright hilarious Instagram posts and her willingness to OWN HER WORTH, HER MISTAKES, EVERYTHING. She is so purely herself, and when she wrapped me in a huge, huge hug—literally the best hug I have ever received in my entire life (again, not an exaggeration)—I could feel her soul. To know that a soul like hers exists, and that she is burning the whole damn forest down to make more pathways for more women to be their boldest, baddest, best, wealthiest selves and change the damn world? Well, that’s pretty damn remarkable, and I owe it to her to help the women’s movement continue and make the sisterhood stronger and we’re not stopping until there is a women president, more women in leadership, more millionaire women, and more women entrepreneurs. We need women like Nselaa now more than ever, and I can’t wait to see what she does next.

Nselaa is my favorite type of woman. A true Renaissance Woman. She isn’t afraid to do everything she wants to do. I mean, read THIS bio I just found of her that I think is the best description ever for this powerhouse woman. “Nselaa Ward: Notorious Attorney, Top Slam Poet, Trouble-Maker for NOW. From Caramel to Juris Doctor. Her live talks reveal a story of resilience, making you your own superhero. Seen on TLC, CNN, CSPAN, BET, March for Women's Lives stage, and more.”

I was sitting about the 15th row off to the left. Absolutely excellent seats that I didn’t feel like we deserved because I came in HOT right at 10am in the dark, rainy morning. Now, Nselaa had on some dangerously fierce and tall spiked red heels to go with her completely perfect, fucking superhero dress that I now know as one of her followers that she had a bra on underneath with the letters “P” and “A” for her Prostitute Archetype speech. But even that ferocious bra couldn’t contain her huge, huge fucking heart. Her willingness to step into her full power and use every single part of her story, her skills, her talents, and her downright freaking GRACE and LOVE and LIFE-CHANGING PRESENCE. I was shocked that I towered over her (as you can see in our super adorable picture) because I truly thought she was 6-feet tall when she was on the stage. No joke, and I even told her that and she laughed and laughed. Making someone like her laugh? Yeah, go ahead and marked me down as happy as a clam for the rest of 2024…

If you get a chance to see this woman speak, about anything, anytime, anywhere, jump on the chance. Because I can see this woman filling up Madison Square Garden with her authenticity and generosity of spirit and her downright fucking fabulousness. I have never seen a speaker like her in my life, and as Ms. Germaine and I discussed yesterday, she takes you on a full emotional journey during her speech with her tone, volume, movements, curves for days, beauty, pain, peace and perseverance.

I felt so seen, more healed, understood and heard in just a few brief moments with this unbelievable woman. I hope to make a sliver of the impact this woman is making in the world and for women everywhere.

I am forever changed by you, Nselaa, Renaissance Woman and real-life superhero. I hope every woman can learn to lean into every part of her story—even the messiest, scariest, most horrible, most traumatic—and celebrate and embrace her PROSTITUTE ARCHETYPE alongside you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I’ll see you in Washington if we need to rally the ladies together again!!!

With so much love. Let’s do this!