JustAskMaia

I am no tech junkie nor do I proclaim to be up to date on all of the social media platforms, that would definitely be a lie. Since 2009 there has been a “thing” called Black Twitter, although previously called other things before locking into the aforementioned catch phrase, that is apparently a much talked about reference to not only issues that affect our community, but also a source of laughs and disses among mass conversations within. 

Now, while I have heard of this Black Twitter, I never really grasped the concept or the relevant necessity to be among the crowd until I was side eyed for being a part of the movement to assist, rather push for, the growth and advancement of black people yet not be a “regular” or even participating member of Black Twitter. 

While I am not offended at all by this blatant attempt to belittle my efforts with Rush Consulting Firm nor my personal efforts by not engaging in this particular platform, I was taken back by the fact that something so little would demean my entire work within our community.

I tweet almost daily, very positive and inspiring tweets. For the sake of the respectability of my company,  I often keep it short and direct, but why is it so important to jump into conversations not directed at me or my mission? Am I that out of touch that I cannot see the relevance of it? 

I would love to be in the know within every platform available that I may not only press upon my fellow brothers and sisters the simplicity and urgency to start and maintain your own business but that I may also make connections to be able to assist people in partnering up with those of like minds and goals for an even greater outcome. 

In a technology driven world it is hard to keep up with the newest and latest thing and I dare not try but is Black twitter worth it? I don’t know,  I never got an invite. 😉

-Rush

Rush Consulting Firm, my baby, has always had a soft spot in my heart; well not always because it was started in 2009, but ever since then.

I have enjoyed all of my clients. I have enjoyed coaching and consulting, building and planning, promoting and supporting. It had always been a goal of mine to help people and with Rush Consulting Firm, I am able to do just that. I have met many amazing and inspiring people along the way and even gained a few friendships.

Over the years I have had to revamp the face and structure of the business to scale down on products and services because I often times found myself too overextended whether it be for my ill focus or growing family. But I am happy to say that I have found my honed focus and I cannot be happier.

The problem with this is, I am often told that I am too honed in and my demographic is not broad enough. I rebelled even though one of the people who told me this is a man I look up to and is my absolute go-to in times of needed advice, my millionaire mentor. I didn’t rebel in the sense that a teenager would but more in the mindset of, I know this can work.

Business was doing very well, so well that I was more hopeful than ever that I would be able to rely on only Rush Consulting Firm to sustain my family.  I wasn’t happy and I felt like I was not going in the direction that I had envisioned for the company years ago.  So, I stuck to my guns and made the shift and I am suffering. Emotionally it is draining. Mentally it is frustrating. Financially I am at rock bottom.

I am writing this blog because I always speak about going after what you want for your business, and I still mean that, but I offer you my transparency that it is scary and I do not know what else to do but push forward.

I currently have no clients on my roster and all of my previous clients have reached their level of success where I felt I could release them. Of course, we still talk and I offer up pointers but they have reached a pinnacle where they are flourishing.

So, here I am all fresh and new-like and feeling like I am starting over. It is absolutely a fearful point in my life but I know I can make it. I have started over so many times that I am actually bewildered as to why I feel so hesitant and afraid.

The direction I have decided to go in with Rush Consulting Firm is assisting more black people in starting their own business. Am I exclusive to black [brown] people? No, absolutely not, but that is my focus. I feel that in today’s society we must tap into our strengths and ideas and rise to the top, no longer be seen as the underdog. There is a plethora of knowledge out there and leaves no reason that we should still find ourselves waiting and wanting a handout. We can build businesses and become a part of the ‘elite’ with hard work and dedication.

There was not always this availability of information for us but now there is and I want to do my part to help with the growth and maintenance of the community.

There is no reason we should not be among the many in Forbes and entrepreneur and the like. We are full of ideas and inventions, its time we let our light shine to brighten the world.

The problem is, in all honesty, we still think small, and we still feel like we are a suppressed people. We refuse to rise up to our greatness. We have lacked the knowledge and belief that we are more than the minority for so long that now we believe it.

I am ready to break the curse but many are not ready so here I am, ready, willing, and able to assist and I am not getting the support like I was from ‘other’ people. I am determined though, even in this time of fear. And I believe that because my heart is in it as well as my soul, that I will see my vision for Rush Consulting Firm come to fruition.

I must admit, that I am contemplating a go fund me account to keep this company afloat. But I am no beggar, I am a hard worker who believes in the magic of melanin and hard work.

See you at the top.

-Rush

Sooo, after having a house full of children, one of the RushBunch decided to ask me the question no parent likes to be asked. Where do babies come from? Actually, I would not have minded that question because the way the question is posed it would be an easily divertable one. But alas, the geniuses that learn at Rush Academy know me all too well. Her direct question was, How do babies get in your stomach?

For those that do not read my blogs or posts often, first of all, shame on you, you must know that I have a very direct and honest approach with my children. There is no fairy tales and fallacies I use to cover up truths and fact of life. No flying storks over here!

Despite what some may think, babies do not come from McRushes mangina. Only a man and woman can make that happen.

While this question makes me sad that my baby is growing up, my first instinct was, how can I make this a homeschool lesson. But before the lesson, I must first answer the question because it will only be repeated until I do.

What did I say? Sperm. Yes, I gave a one-word answer and looked at her for the follow-up, there wasn’t one. Assuredly she was waiting for my explanation but I had already decided that it will be a school lesson. The little that asked me is seven and I figure, my six and five years old would be interested as well. So, tomorrows lesson will be on sex education. We have a 16-year-old whom we have a talk with probably every year since he was 9 but bring it up more often, as we giggle about how uncomfortable he gets because we are so blunt. He appreciates it though he says, keeps him in check.

I was hoping to continue with finances but that can wait until next week.

-Rush

 

Some people always dreamed of having a large family. Some people do not want children at all. Me and McRush, we never really opted either way. We were a happily married couple who really just went with the flow of things. Although, there were times where we tried several different birth control options; we got pregnant on every one. NuvaRing(2), IUD (2), the patch (2), the pill, etc. It just seemed like the Gods were laughing at our every attempt to not conceive. So we quit trying. Many people have asked why I don’t get a tubal ligation or McRush a vasectomy, which is rude to say the least but… We have never been a fan of permanently altering our bodies, what will be will be. The only thing that has ever worked for us is going strictly off my cycle and the moon cycle (yes it works) HOWEVER, this particular method takes discipline to resist urges, discipline, clearly, we do not always have. So here we are sitting in the hospital after having to go an emergency cesarean with pregnancy number 10.

This experience has prompted me to rethink methods of birth control. Still absolutely not a fan of body alterations and obviously being two very fertile beings meant to single-handedly replenish the earth of melanated children (that is a joke), the aforementioned medical procedures are starting to look like our only options.

Having suffered losing a child to SIDS (that is a story for another day) and miscarrying another, the loss is not something I want to continue with, especially something as precious as a child.

Here is the rundown of my latest pregnancy hiccup.

I went to a scheduled doctors appointment to get checked. I was 39 weeks and 5 days along, and as any mom could tell you, this is one of those uncomfortable visits where a doctor has to place her fingers inside of you and see if you are dilated. I was two centimeters but for me, that is nothing because I can hold that position for a month. So, we checked out and went about our day. While at Walmart, I stopped to go to the restroom and as I squatted over the toilet, yes, I squat, I saw what looked like mustard but much more brown. I called McRush into the restroom and explained and showed him, yeah, we are THAT couple. I called the office a spoke to a nurse who told me not to worry but just be watchful. Leary, we continued on with our errands. About an hour later, the nurse calls back and said the doctor wants me to go in. We head to the hospital arriving just before six in the evening and they hook me up to the monitors. Turns out what I thought were Braxton hicks all this time were actually contractions and with every contraction #10 heartbeat would take a nose dive. We had an awesome nurse, actually two, one was Maria P. and the other I do not remember but when I find out I will update this post. These ladies were not having it. after 4 contraction/rate drops, they wanted to get him out. They moved very quickly to make it happen. By 6:32 #10 was welcomed into the world, not by me though because I was KNOCKED out.  In addition to being under anesthesia, I’d had an allergic reaction so was dosed with Benadryl.

I didn’t know where my baby was or whether or not he was alive. No one was saying anything and I was too drugged up to ask.

At four thirty in the morning, I was rolled down to the NICU where #10 was being held filled with tubes and laid out almost completely naked. This was the first time I had seen him and I couldn’t even hold him. It broke my heart into pieces and I knew then that I would not be going through this again.

He is having respiratory issues because of the meconium he ingested. That is what I was leaking in Walmart because I had ruptured and didn’t even know it.

He is doing better. He is off oxygen and off of his feeding tube. I may still have to be discharged without him but I have a few people out there cashing in favors through prayer so I am hopeful that at the very max, I can pick him up one day after I am released.

I have had a c-section before, but it was because #5 pushed his cord out with his hand so the aftermath was I still was able to hold him and leave with him. As a homeschooling mom whom already has detachment issues because of the loss of two of my aforementioned children, leaving my side is not something I am comfortable with when it comes to my babies. So this is hard for me. I have been keeping busy with work while in the hospital despite the pleas from friends, loved ones, and strangers alike, to take it easy.

I appreciate all of the love and well wishes from everyone and I will keep you posted.

-Rush

 

Greetings!

Thank you for checking in. I would like to focus on something I normally do not speak upon; Money.

It is often assumed that we reap the many ‘benefits’ of public assistance because our family is so big, but lets be quite honest, its more so because we are black than any other reason. That’s a conversation for another day though.

You would be surprised at just how many times my family has been denied medicaid, food stamps, cash assistance, or even financial help from programs like LIHEAP; liquid assets I suppose because our pockets were definitely a liability when we found ourselves in a position to seek out such help. What I did learn though, is we are better off without it? Why? Accountability. I may make a few enemies with this but it is one of  my most favorite sayings. It is from Mr. Bill Cosby when once speaking for the Rainbow Coalition a few years back. He stated that we rely too much on the welfare system and by welfare he was speaking in its entirety including public housing. He said “The system is not set to sustain you but for you to move in, move up, and move out.” [I paraphrase.] We all have moments in life where we need help but taking advantage of this ‘help’ is not only irresponsible, it’s  selfish. What about the people who really need it, even more than you but you are celebrating the fact that you pay $7 in rent while raking in hundreds of dollars in food stamps and cash assistance while simultaneously keeping yourself and children geared up in the latest fashions? You could, no you should be saving that money to buy a home, cash even, with all the money you save. Start a business. Something besides attaching value to such materialistic things that completely depletes in value the moment you purchase it.

This is not a post to belittle or offend anyone because I and my family were down and out a few times before arriving where we are, both mentally and financially. It is a post to make you consider your intentions.

My business Rush Consulting Firm, is set to show you how to build a business on a solid foundation without breaking the bank and maintain your business by maximizing your dollar. I have a Business mindset series that will start January 10, 2018 last through June 2018 and its FREE. It will be streamed via Periscope. While the information I will be giving out is awesome for starting and growing your business mindset, I think That I will add some streams that speak on financial literacy. Now I am no financial adviser so I will not be going into depth due to liability, but I can definitely share some tips I have learned that helped me along the way.

There is a growing concern over our debt in America and if you live here, you should be concerned about it too. Our biggest reasons for financial deficit? Yup, public assistance i.e. Medicaid and Medicare, two of the biggest things we rely on. But we can start our businesses and help the economic structure or wait, getting everything we can until its dried out, and later suffer the consequences.

I also get from people, that I have secured my retirement plan with my children, my first thought is how grossly ignorant such a comment is. The truth is, I am securing theirs and McRush and I’s by teaching them financial literacy in addition to becoming an entrepreneur and business owner. This is also one of the reasons I chose to home school our children, these very basic fundamentals of life are not taught in school. This along with self respect, humanity, and confidence are the things that will pull the economy together but, in my humble opinion, that is not the goal of the government but I will stop there before I find myself in trouble.

I do hope you will join me in the Business Mindset Series via Periscope starting in January so you can take a hold of your financial stability starting with the mind set. If you do not have Periscope, get one, of course its FREE! Then go to http://www.Periscope.tv/MaishaRush and come ready with a notebook to jot down all the awesome Rush nuggets I will be giving out!

-Rush

Today I wore a shirt that I really liked. Its an all white tee shirt with the words, thinly but neatly inscribed, ‘Think Positive’. I don’t wear it that often because of my pregnant belly but today I was feeling my vibes so I figured, why not.  I didn’t spend much money on this shirt but I did spend more than usual because I was supporting a small black business. I went about my day remembering the words ‘Think positive’ I was so anxious to display because it was reflective upon how I felt this morning.

As a mom and business owner, I oftentimes do not consider my attire and today was no different. I have on the tee shirt, a pair of leggings (NOT see through), a cami tee and socks; nothing fancy. By the end of the day, my shirt is filled with blood on my shoulder, red sauce on my sleeve. a dirt hand print an my belly and chalk on my butt. I snickered to myself in thoughts of an younger me who would have had all kinds of fits because my clothes are ruined. But as I look at this shirt, one of my favorites, all I see is love.

The blood on  my shoulder is when #8 hurt himself and I swooped him up and rocked him to a calm state. The red sauce is when #9 and I sat outside in the rocking chair sharing some noodles. The dirt hand print is when #7 patted me with excitement as a tractor rolled through our neighborhood. The chalk on my butt is when I sat outside with the RushBunch and drew on the ground. Lets not forget about the stretched belly from #10.

People ask how I do it and I can never give a definitive answer because really, I don’t know myself. All I know is I take life one day at a time and though my days get hectic and I may even cry (from stepping on a lego) my family is an accomplishment I am proud to share with the world.

I take pride in them and my businesses. I run them the same. with ease and love. But never take it too easy because just like children, it will run you ragged if you let it.

I have Mondays off and for the first time in a long time, I took today off from business and focused on myself and self care. I did things that made me smile. Luckily for me that was hanging out with the bunch.

There was a question posed on FB today, what would you get if you could go to any spa. I chuckled at this question because I have never been to a Spa. My reply was, I would settle for an hour of quiet time in the lobby.

Sometimes its the simple things…. Really, its always the simple things.

-Rush

Happy Birthday Madison.

The one thing that drives me crazy is the children running around the house when they should being doing school or housework. I am constantly repeating myself about do what meeds to be done then you can have youe fun. 

Such a hypocrite. 

The one thing I am learning about myself is I do the same thing, except its more internal and mental. When I am supposed to be doing one thing my mind is wandered off already, as if disinterested,  onto my next task. And what happens when you lose interest in something? You abandon it. What you find out about being a parent is you soon realize its all relevant. Whatever drives you crazy the most about your children is usually the same exact thing that you need to look inward of yourself. Fix it. 

Life is funny that way. But see, I have a double dose and not because I have 10 children but because I have clients whom I treat like my children. I love them almost instantaneously and I care about their personal, as well as business, well being. Some of them don’t listen and I find myself once again repeating but here’s the kicker, I’M NOT LISTENING TO ME.  So even when they do follow my instructions, I don’t. Then I get those salty phone calls telling me how wonderful my advice was and that they followed it to the letter and received awesome results.  After the call I sit there shaking my head at the very stubborness that drives me crazy about my children. Too busy being distracted and lost what you could have attracted. 

Structure.

This is also a word I have probably hated my whole life but what I do know is it actually works. It takes a lot of time and effort to put it together but once you find your groove everything will flow. If we are on a schedule my life is easy peasy. If not, I oftentimes want to lay in bed tucked under my covers eating buttered toast <— my comfort food, don’t judge me. 

So the next time you are about to yell or fuss at your children, look within first. You will be surprised how much this helps YOU grow. 

-Rush

So today when I stepped outside, I tripped on a stupid rock and before I knew it I was laying flat on my back and my children circling around me. In the biggest panic was McRush and #1. As they ran to my aid, I pleaded with them to just lay there for a moment, They obliged nervously. I just needed a moment for the pain to subside. Ironically all I could think about was the fact that I was laying my freshly washed and detangled fro on the ground filled with rocks and dirt.

I have a high tolerance for pain, clearly being pregnant with child number 10, so I felt discomfort but nothing major.

McRush and #1 pulled me up and I went in the house to sit down. I carried on with my day as usual, because well, that’s what I do best. Keep pushing.

Well, hours later, my back is stiff and my hip is sore. I believe I slightly twisted my ankle and my wrist so I am miserable. To add insult to injury, I feel a cold coming on and I am out of sea moss. Oh, le sigh.

I had planned or working into the morning hours on a couple projects but I am so drained right now. And what’s best is the RushBunch are wide awake. I put on a movie on netflix in my room and they are camping out on the floor tonight. McRush is working tonight. Had I told him I was in pain, he probably would have called off but I think I got this under control. I am blogging then going to bed.

Today we met with a lovely homeschooling Mama and her crew! It was awesome meeting her and hopefully we can collaborate later down the road to do some field trips and swap tricks and tips. I also took that time to bask in the glow of the sun. Unfortunately I only turned grey but I did reap two hour of vitamin D and boosted my melanin magic. AYYYYYYY!

Oh, I know some of you reading are concerned about #10 but rest assured, I have mastered falling while pregnant and he is is moving about like crazy. Thank you for your concerns.

-Rush

Hello iRush family!

It is the final trimester of this pregnancy and everyday I feel it a little more than yesterday but thank goodness for the desire to be great!

So, I have chosen to take a step back, just a little, from homeschooling on such a rigorous schedule. At this point, I teach if I teach and I don’t if I don’t.  Now before you jump on this bandwagon, please note that the RushBunch homeschools year round despite the required 180 days a year so we can afford to skip around. However, just because I am not teaching does not mean that they are not learning. We will oftentimes use the group or montessori method. In group I pair an older child with one or two younger children and let them do an hour worth of various review assignments. In the montessori method my eldest child will teach the class. This semester he opted for science. 

In addition, this year I chose to do binders. Everyone has their own review binder and can go into the binder and pick a subject they wish to work on. For the littles, they have writable work. Basically, I printed out some review work for them and laminated it. I punched holes in it and placed it in a bindet. They can then get a dry erase marker and mark it up and erase it after it is checked. 

We also invested in very affordable iRulu tablets for everyone and though it was a very tedious task, we downloaded age appropriate games and schoolwork for each of them on their own tablets. 

My 11th grader we decided to focus on SAT prep instead of 11th grade work. In addition to the many websites including Khan Academy, I downloaded the SAT prep test and laminated each page for him to work on. He can grab a section, math, science, reading, etc., and practice as much as he needs to. Only I have the key so I do check his work. 

I believe most of you know that one of my children had an IEP in school due to the strength of his [forced] ADHD medication that caused short term memory loss. Well, there is a bimder for that work as well. In addition to tablet work to keep the brain thinking and processing. 
Work was hectic for the majority of this month. Rush Consulting Firm picked up sseveral new clients who posed a challenge to my knowledge. I appreciate these clients most because they push me to continuously grow and learn.

Now it is the end of the month and I am feeling the wind down. But that will not last long because I am hosting an event on the 10th of October plus I am holding  a business business building workshop on Friday the 13th. I am super excited because I lowered my rates for those who really just want to get their business up and running and we will get it all done THAT day! Like, they will literally leave the workshop as a legitimate business owner!

I am so very excited for the success to come for both my RushBunch family and my iRush family. 

-Rush

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