What feels like yesterday, we were not allowed to be in the same room as each other, we were restricted from being close and from creating celebrations with friends and family.
The global pandemic as well as many social movements took a devastating toll on some, inspired others and lit a fire under me.
2019 was THE YEAR for all of us and 2020 was even more so. For Our DJ Rocks - we hit a milestone that was all every business owner could ever dream of, hitting every goal ever dreamed to this point.
Then to even make it to the epitome of climax and it all being ripped out of hands in a matter of a few news stories followed by a global pandemic. It put such a heavy and dark cloud over such a bright and colorful world we live in. So many lessons learned.
I hesitate 100x having this event, for 1000 different reasons. But when I asked the opinion of everyone I cared about, and they asked my purpose, it was ALWAYS a unanimous YES.
And now, after all the lessons we learned over the past year and half, the most important one and the true purpose this celebration…
LOVE. LEAD. EXCEL.
This movement. These words can morph into any scenario. It is Our DJ Rocks Mission. It is my personal life purpose and it’s so much more.
LOVE - love what we do, who we do it with and who we do it for. Love each and every single one of us in this room, in this community locally and nationally. Love without condition. Love blindly and with your whole heart.
LEAD - take care of yourself so you can take care of others. Lift someone up who cannot walk alone. Hold someone's hand who may not have the strength to carry on. Be unshakeable in your commitment to your friends, family and coworkers.
EXCEL - at the end of the day - SLAY AT EVERY F*ng THING. LFG.
In addition to LOVE. LEAD. EXCEL. Being my personal manifesto and the Our DJ Rocks Mission, it is NOW a Podcast and LIVE!
The Love Lead Excel Podcast is about Loving what you do, Leading by example, and then Excelling at it all. We’re getting real and raw behind the scenes with the founder of Our DJ Rocks, Orlando’s own Kristin Wilson. Life is all about being in fearless pursuit of what sets your soul on fire! Join us as Kristin takes out the filter and goes ALL in to talk “all the things” - what really goes into building and running a successful business. From being the leader of a kick-ass team to the constant drive to push the sales, marketing, and branding envelope - all while living out the mission of #LoveLeadExcel.Want to be updated on Love Lead Excel and Podcasts? Click the link below.
Philanthropy
“You cannot pour from an empty cup”. You have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others. And that’s one of the things I’ve been working on for about 12+ months.
We have partnered with the Covenant House of Orlando and raised $1050 through our anniversary celebration which will go directly to their mission of "serving all God's children, with absolute respect and unconditional love, to guide youth experiencing homelessness and to protect and safeguard all youth in need. In addition, as a member of the Ambassador Board, I look forward to continuing to give back and raise funds. If you want to get involved, or volunteer, let me know!
About the Covenant House
Since 1995, Covenant House Florida in Orlando has been meeting the needs of youth experiencing homelessness in the Central Florida Community. The agency offers housing options, as well as programs and services designed to meet the unique needs of youth in crisis.
Housing
The tri-county area (Orange, Osceola, and Seminole) has limited housing options for young people experiencing homelessness. Covenant House Florida has two options for youth that are unstably housed. Our Respite Center is located in unincorporated Orange County. This 24-bed sanctuary is available for youth ages 18-20, and offers a low-barrier housing option for youth experiencing homelessness. Last year, CHF provided a total of 17,891 nights of shelter to young people in crisis. The Rights of Passage Apartment Living (ROPAL) Program offers transitional housing beds for youth ages 18 to 24 through scattered-site apartments located in Orange and Osceola Counties. This program is partly-funded by HUD through the Continuum of Care (CoC).
Community Services
A vast majority of youth who are experiencing homelessness may not be ready to embrace the structure of the respite center or transitional housing, but are eager to begin working towards their goals through case management and supportive services. Covenant House Florida offers two programs that meet the needs of these youth on a daily basis. The Community Services Center (CSC) serves as an integral part of CHF’s safe haven. Youth from the community experiencing homelessness and housing instability are welcomed to drop-in for dignity items such as a nutritious bag lunch, hygiene products, and information about all of the services that CHF has to offer. These youth receive encouragement to enroll in case management services that help youth create a housing stability plan, and can refer youth to community resources and all of the other CHF Residential and Supportive Service Programs. Furthermore, the Street Outreach Program is comprises of two outreach case managers who travel through the Central Florida region and provide case management, meals, hygiene items, transportation passes, as well as supportive services and housing referrals to youth they meet who are experiencing homelessness. Last year, 191 youth who experienced homelessness received services from the Street Outreach Program.
Education
General Education Diploma Program (GED): Over 56% of the youth served by Covenant House Florida in Orlando do not have a high school diploma. CHF offers educational services that are specially tailored to meet the individual needs of the youth. GED Classes and Post-Secondary Education Support include a full-time Education Instructor that works with youth individually at their education level, and offers educational counseling to encourage the pursuit of the youth’s post-secondary education goals. CHF has an established relationship with multiple community partners to expand the scope of services available for our program participants, to include Valencia College and Orange Technical College, where CHF youth can enroll and begin their college education with the tuition waived.
Employment
Over 70% of the youth we serve are unemployed. In order to help the youth become financially self-sufficient, CHF offers an Employment Assistance Program that focuses on obtaining and maintaining a job and includes the following topics: resume building, cover letter writing, basic customer service manners, job searching online and in-person, professional attire, conflict resolution in the workplace, personality assessment tool, career assessment, communication, teamwork, identifying internships/mentors, financial literacy and team building.
Parenting Education and Child Development
In order to help pregnant and parenting youth, our Child Development and Parenting Education offers all parenting youth family sessions with the Parenting Educator, who uses the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) and Ages and Stages Questionnaire – Social Emotional (ASQ-SE) screening tools to assess the developmental stages of the child(ren). The Parenting Educator then works with the youth to establish goals, activities, and appropriate referrals when necessary, in order to enhance the child(ren)’s development, and work with the youth to identify goals and activities to be able to improve their parenting skills and build strong family dynamics.
Gratitude
I didn’t get where I am without a tribe and the support of so many who believed in my mission. First I’d like to thank some of my good friends and also those on the creative team to help bring this event to life.
Photo and Video - @laiacona_photography
Planning + Coordination - @annachristineevents
Beauty - @beautespeciale
DJs -@j.w.jaeger @dawson.high
Live LED Sax - @reggieonsax
Custom Ballons - @centralfloridaballoondecor
Custom Monograms - @progobo
Floral - @gatherandgracedesigns
AV - JW Jeager
Dessert - @sweetmissvs
Celebration + Design - @ourdjrocks
Venue - The Robinson
And second, when I thought about how I’d like to commemorate this milestone, I thought of all the people who we’re supposed to be standing physically next to me and even RSVPed, but couldn't make it because their life on this earth ended too soon. So I’d like to make my words known that I am so grateful to these two specific people who are now angels who now watch over me: Rebekkah Joy and Marc Burgess. This song is for you.
”Keeper of the Flame” by Miranda Lambert:
I'm walking in their footsteps
I'm singing their old songs
Somebody blazed this trail
I'm treadin' on
I'm bent, but I'm not broken
I'm stronger than I feel
I'm made of flesh and bone
I've been burned out to ashes
Waiting for a wind
To carry me and start a fire again
Sometimes I'm just a flicker
A candle in your eye
But I swear to God
I'll never let it die