4 of 40: The life of a track and field alternate at the Paris Olympics

At some point, the “40 for 40” experience generated a lot of momentum and I didn’t have to proactively seek experiences, they started to find me. That was the case with the Paris Olympics. I happened to be speaking with a colleague that mentioned they were getting tickets to the Olympics and I simply said, “if you get access to some tickets, let me know!”. In 1996, the Olympics were held in Atlanta, Georgia, a mere two hours away from me, and I did not get a chance to go. I remember the footage vividly and I had a t-shirt with “Izzy” on it that I loved. An opportunity to get to the Olympics was the perfect activity to add to my “live it” list!

The call came one random afternoon over a year ago, “I can get tickets. Are you in?” Yes, yes, yes I said to purchasing track and field tickets without having any clue where the tickets would be located (#uncommon favor landed me center field row 10!). Fast forward to the actual Olympics, and who knew you could be an alternate sitting in the stands!!! No one asked me directly per se but I yelled to the team from the stands that I was there and available. Even though I wasn’t tapped in, I just concluded the best 3-day, first time Olympic experience I could have imagined.

Beyonce said it best when she described America as a “big, bold, beautiful, complicated nation”. As a Black American woman born and raised in the south, I feel this sentiment deeply. However, the Olympic pride one feels rooting for your home country amongst people rooting for theirs is unparalleled. It feels like that moment where you may be in a fight with your brother or sister but if someone else tries to attack him or her, it’s ON! The American flag became the international “head nod” typically reserved for making eye contact with another BIPOC in the course of daily life. We, Americans, cheered alongside each other, booed alongside each other, shared hugs, laughs and pictures. For these moments we were all united for one common goal, to cheer our athletes to victory.

I saw world records broken, injuries, upsets, tears of joy, tears of sadness but most importantly I saw some of the most gifted athletes around the world doing their thing! I got a chance to see Sha’Carri Richards, Gabby Thomas and Noah Lyles race. I developed a new obsession with the Pole Vault event - Katie Moon is my shero! I saw my first Water Polo event (sans Flava Flav unfortunately). I watched both women’s and men’s basketball. The women’s game - clean sweep. The men’s game almost gave me a heart attack! Serbia did not come to play but thankfully Team USA pulled through!

Bonus part of the experience was the hospitality add on. I’ve done this for a number of sporting events and highly recommend. Aside from a space to relax and recharge away from the masses, there are generally installations that are often informative and interactive, enhancing the overall experience. At the Paris Olympics “Club 24”, I was able to simulate coming out of the blocks on a race track (something I haven’t done since high school), have my own victory ceremony and see featured athletes break dancing as part of the Olympic competition debut.

Call to action: Don’t keep your interests private. Be engaged with those around you - you never know what you have in common and where the discussion will take you. No one can help you if they don’t know what you need - it could take you to the Olympics!

Reflecting on patriotism post my Olympic experience, Kevin Durant described it best, “A lot of bullsh*t happens in our country, but a lot of great things happen, too."

Go Team USA,

Megan.

*Note this post was written before Jordan Chiles was stripped of her bronze medal.

3 of 40: I saw Beyonce and Stevie Wonder at the Grammy’s…Beyonce waved.

Well not exactly at me per se but she did wave at the crowd and I was there so checkmark for me! Still “reeling” with excitement from my first red carpet Glambot experience (spoiler alert: it was NOT at the Grammy’s), I thought this is the perfect #flashbackfriday to write about my first awards show experience. I have been a long time fan of awards shows. I love to see my favorite artists recognized, buzz-worthy performances and of course - the red carpet lewks!

I put on my live it list “awards show” indiscriminately with a goal to get at least one awards show for my birthday. Step one, share my aspiration with my network and see who has a connection to any awards show. As God saw fit, an opportunity came through a friend to go the Grammy’s. Perks of being the guest of a producer - row 7 seats!!! Step two, secure the dress! Brandon Grate, photographer extraordinaire and gemini bae for life, graciously served as my “gown consigliere” for the event. I screenshot probably 50 gowns and ordered at least 5, before confirming this black sequined number that gave me the perfect combination of sexy and glam for the show.

I shared this experience with my fellow fashionista and music lover Ebony. Pre-Grammy’s festivities were a must - brunch, flower market visit and a quick trip to rodeo drive was in order (Eb is my number one shopping enabler 🙃.

Highlights of the show - Viola Davis achieved EGOT status, Stevie Wonder performed, Beyonce made history as most nominated Grammy artist ever and top it all off, it was the 50th anniversary of hip hop! The tribute was indescribable. I got a chance to see every hip hop artist you could think of from Queen Latifah to J.J. Fad to Snoop Dog to The Pharcyde. I then had a full on fan girl moment as all of the artists filed off the stage walking right past us! We wrapped with the official Grammy’s afterparty. I rarely take pics with celebrities unless it’s a vibey moment. I took one pic that night with none other than Too Short. Not sure I can level up this awards experience!

The Grammy’s did not disappoint although I had two misses - I did not get to walk the red carpet nor did I do the Glambot that I have been watching Cole Walliser host for years. (Shout out to the Urban League and Carolina Glambot for bringing the Glambot experience to Charlotte!)

Call to action: Come up with an experience you’d like to have and be intentional on how to activate your network to make it happen. They say people are only six degrees of separation…I’d argue there are even less degrees separating you from the experiences you want to have!

See you on the carpet,

Megan.

A Stellar Experience: 5 things that excited me about volunteering at the 2024 Stellar Awards

In an unexpected turn of events, I got the opportunity to serve as a volunteer on a production team for the Stellar Awards show. I was assigned to the blue carpet escort team where I was responsible for escorting talent down the blue carpet to meet with the various media outlets, transitioning them to VIP area and ultimately making sure they were shuttled to the show. This was a first time experience I’ll never forget. The highlight for me was the incredible people I met, the energy of the event and of course the opportunity to be in the midst of such amazing gospel artists!

This was a “behind the curtain” experience for me as I had never worked an award show before. I learned a lot at the Stellar awards applicable to events and life more broadly.

Here are five things that I found most exciting about my Stellar experience:

1 - Exposure to something new.

This was a whole new world for me.

I cannot recall ever wearing a headset and walkie talkie before yesterday (my closest experience was the chirp phone back in the day lol). In orientation, you are taught the communication protocols which are straight forward and clear. Don’t be shocked if you hear me speak “Go for Megan” into one of my airpods next week lol Run of show is completely different when you are in production verses getting mic’d up for one segment on the talent side. Now I officially have award show production experience - updating my resume tonight!

2 - The awesome people.

And no I don’t mean celebrities (although the ones I met were cool). I mean the team I got to work closely with. The production team was a collaborative, fun, get-it-done group.  I was inspired by the sense of pride and commitment people exhibited to their roles.

I met some of the coolest artists, media reps and PR agents to do it! That made my job easier as everyone was able to work together to make this a great experience for all. I made some lasting connections.

3 - Celebrating the gospel greats.

Tye Tribbett won many awards including artist of the year. I was able to join the show at this point and watch him receive this award. His energy on the blue carpet all the way to the shuttle passes the vibe check. That made celebrating him and his six wins even more special! I got a chance to escort a few first time nominees and get up close and personal with some of the greats(I really wanted to see Shirley Ceaser and just hold her handbag…maybe next year). Seeing these artists in their element and be celebrated for the music they make that uplifts our souls was truly a privilege.

4 - The glitz and glamour.

The highlight of any awards show is the fashion! It was great to see the fashions on both sides of the blue carpet rope! Artists, media representatives and sponsors came to slay! I was working too hard to get a proper view of all the lewks to give a full rundown but some of my favorites were Erica Cambell and her daughters along with Mike and Natalie Todd.

5 - Lessons learned.

I learned a lot but a few reminders will stick with me for a life time.

Always be aware. In the escort role, specifically we were coached to be keenly aware at all times - location of your assigned talent, your position in videos/pictures and last but not least, your face. Processing situations sometimes comes with a reaction (My resting face is an area for improvement 🙃). All I kept thinking was  “don’t become a meme, don’t become a meme!” (Time will tell lol)

Expect the pivot. The day before the show I went through two hours of orientation. Do you think that is what happened the next day? In the words of my dad, “Does a fish have knees?”. Global tech outage, surge in talent arrival, Las Vegas heat. All that was left was to go with the flow. Take nothing personal. Focus on results. Just as relevant in show business as in Corporate America.

No one role is more important than another in production. You need everyone hitting on all cylinders to make a production run well - positive attitudes and energy, knowledge of responsibilities, proactive communication and timely response. Seems intuitive but watching the pieces come together was fascinating. I got a rush by the whole experience (even though my feet are still in recovery!)

Kudos to Sonya, Selah, Kevin, Kaasha and the entire P413 production team for your work on another awesome event. It was an honor to be on the team!

Call to action: Find an opportunity that exposes you to an entirely different world. You never know who you will meet and what you will learn behind the curtain!

Standing by for Stellar 2025,

Megan.

2 of 40: Up close with tradition at Wimbledon

It’s one thing to watch Wimbledon on television. It’s a completely different ball game (pun intended) to breathe the Wimbledon air. Last year I had the privilege of going with Molly to the semi-finals and finals matches for an unforgettable experience. The grounds are beautiful. The fashions are everything. The tennis is magical. I honestly believe the air was different! Everything was organized, everyone orderly and well put together. I felt dignified just being in the midst…I was likely standing taller :-)

My favorite thing about Wimbledon - the tennis of course! Specifically, the atmosphere. Centre Court is intimate. The crowd is silent and still. You could literally hear a pin drop when the players serve. The commitment and intensity of the Ball Crew is unmatched. My favorite match was the Men’s Singles final where Carlos Alcaraz defeated Djokovic after almost five hours of play! (I can’t wait to see the outcome of this year’s rematch!). I was also excited to see Ons Jabeur play in the women’s singles final but she was ultimately defeated by Marketa Vondrousova. I misplaced my spare phone with most of my footage from this trip but my favorite Royal Box capture was none other than Issa Rae!

The ultimate weird flex (not sure if people still say that) is having hospitality. That was certainly the cherry on top of the experience. Lawn hospitality, which includes lunch from a Michelin star chef, cocktails, afternoon tea and music, is a nice chill vibe away from the crowds. I recommend indulging after a long day of tennis. It is July and it can get hot.

Most overrated thing about Wimbledon - strawberries and cream. I was not inspired. I’d also give a B- to the Pimm’s Cup. It was okay but Honey Deuce me please(US Open loyalists will agree!). Although I was pictured in front of the sausage grill, I did not get in line at that time and should have! Every other time I passed by, the line was 100+ people long and I did not end up getting one but I hear the sausage is amazing. The other thing I would do differently is check out the other courts. Even though we did walk the grounds, we spent most of our time at Centre Court and there is a lot of tennis going on leading up to the finals. I am experiencing FOMO this year as I’m stateside and not courtside. I cannot wait to get to another Wimbledon match - the grass, the florals, the fashion will be calling my name next July!

Reflecting on Wimbledon, it’s not an experience I would have pursued without intention. I could have easily kept watching it on TV. Now not only do I plan to return, I’m actively trying to get to all four of the grand slams.

Your call to action: What are you watching from the screen or sidelines that you simply haven’t tried to experience? Set a new goal or intention and then do it!

The ball is in your court,

Megan.

1 of 40: For the love of tennis

Tennis has been an interest of mine for a long time…mostly watching matches and hitting a few balls here and there. It was on my actual 40th birthday while in Arizona that I took the tennis lesson that would make me fall in love with playing the sport. I was checking out at the spa when I overheard someone booking a tennis court. Me being the curious person that I am, I inquired about the courts and learned the property was formerly a tennis ranch. I also learned that I could sign up for lessons and they had availability the next day! All that was left for me to do was head to the mall for a tennis outfit and it was on :-)

On my way to my 40th birthday tennis lesson - in running shoes :-)

It was quite hot so I took an early morning lesson to beat the Scottsdale heat. I am not sure if it was the scenery, my amazing pro or the satisfaction of the ball hitting the sweet spot on the racquet (and staying in the court) but I was instantly HOOKED! I worked up a sweat, I was challenged intellectually and I had fun. When I asked if I could come back the next day, he said yes but only if I bought actual tennis shoes - apparently I was at risk of hurting myself playing in running shoes made to go forward versus side to side! Back to the mall again for me to procure my first pair of tennis shoes. This marked the start of my tennis gear obsession - racquets, hats, skirts, dresses - oh my!

After returning to Charlotte, I was fortunate to have a built in tennis buddy in my friend, Soror and devoted tennis mom, Sutanne. Her husband and son are already deeply entrenched in the tennis world so it was a no brainer for her to jump in too! We started taking lessons with a pro and playing together locally each week. This has truly been an ongoing life highlight - lots of exercise and laughs! Our group expanded to include more women and #TennisFridays has become an ongoing tradition one year later!

Since I’ve started playing, watching tennis has become even more serious for me! As part of my 40 for 40 journey, I’ve experienced more tennis through playing and watching than I could have imagined in a life time. Many of the experiences I’ve shared with fellow tennis lover, friend and world traveller, Molly.

Top R - With Sutanne in our 2023 US Open Ball Crew fits; Bottom L - With Molly gearing up for a lesson

Studies have shown that adults who play tennis are shown to having a longer life expectancy! Why you ask - not only is it exercise for your body but it’s exercise with others! If you play tennis or have any interest in playing with a 2.0 player on the rise, Charlotte and beyond, drop me a note and we can hit the court when I’m in your city!

Your call to action: Explore physical activities that are of interest to you. Take the lesson, meet up with other enthusiasts, buy the gear! Ask around to see who is interested in joining in with you. You may just find a new habit that may pay dividends for life!

Your fav tennis lover,

Megan.