Food For Thought

Read about how I approach life

Why I Started Reading…

Trick Your Mind To Achieve Your Goals

How To Judge Your Professional Success

FOLLOW ALONG

@karl.sona

karl.sona

The drip 💧 in this photo is MAJOR... I can’t

The drip 💧 in this photo is MAJOR... I can’t even lie!

But if I put the facade and the aesthetic aside for a moment, and tap into my heart, it’s more about my vision... a vision much bigger than myself.

So what’s the vision?

I’m choosing to call it Dear BLK CEO.

It’s about reframing the stereotypical image that comes to mind when you hear the letters C.E.O.

It’s about collaborating with people of color and normalizing our ability to learn the skills required to put ourselves in the ownership seat.

It’s about striving for and celebrating Black Excellence, and doing it with the utmost of class.

It’s a vision I feel blessed to be called to participate in and I look forward to the journey ahead🙏🏿😎

My maker just got me through 2020, and so did your

My maker just got me through 2020, and so did yours🙏🏿

Arguably one of the most challenging years for many of us...

And if you’re reading this, here YOU are, still standing...

There’s no ceiling on how far we can go in 2021 given what we all just overcame.

No matter where you are in your story, pause today at some point to BELIEVE you have it within you to create what you want.

Be blessed in 2021.

A cigar and a bourbon can work wonders sometimes w

A cigar and a bourbon can work wonders sometimes with helping me pause, and reflect on the beautiful opportunities the Lord has placed within my life.

The last few months have been such a challenging test...

-Starting and operating a new business

-Working to be a better man and partner in my relationship

-Chasing sales goals

-Being displaced from my home for about 1.5 MOs

-Reflecting in areas within my life and my journey that the old me would simply have shove under a rug

Through all this and much more, I’ve accepted that the Obstacle is the Way and I couldn’t be more excited for what more the journey has in store.

Stay blessed 🙏🏿

It was so peaceful walking through the streets of

It was so peaceful walking through the streets of Tulum this morning.

It takes me a while sometimes to turn my brain off to find un-interrupted joy with being in the moment.

Putting problems, worries, and anxieties that come with daily life is hard for me.

As an achiever, it’s my normal tendency to go into ‘fire drill mode’ where EVERY single issue needs to be resolved immediately.

But I’ve realized, that approach leads to nothing but more overwhelm and missed opportunities of just being in the moment.

It’s the little moments where you can slow down, recalibrate, and re-gain some clarity on how to come back more focused, more sharp, and even more prepared to DOMINATE whatever is in your path.

Give yourself the moment😉

And I finally found that moment

1 year ago today I met my luvahhh Julia, aka JuJu,

1 year ago today I met my luvahhh Julia, aka JuJu, aka Jugemeister, but better known as @fitfatandallthat totally by chance at the Park.

I always thought it was BS when people would tell me stories of how they first met their person...

They would say things like, “everything in the room disappeared and then I noticed the one....”

OR “ it’s as if time stood still and there they were...”

Today, I’m feeling extremely grateful and blessed to say that I can relate❤️

When I first saw Julia, my eyes immediately locked in on her...

She was all I could see, and all I could focus on at the moment.

I had no clue we would be together and where we are today but I’m incredibly happy for the current scenery and everyday I get to wake up with her.

Cheers to 1 year babe... can’t wait for many more to come. 😊🤗

You don’t have to be anything other than who you

You don’t have to be anything other than who you really are because the world needs you to be YOU.
___
⠀
If you’re thinking this sounds too ‘head up in the clouds’, or if you’re actually struggling with just being yourself, I want you to stick with me for a second because I’ve felt the same way myself.
___
⠀
Sometimes, the best way to figure out exactly who you are is to simply pause, take a knee, and check-in with yourself.
___
⠀
I do this often, and it's interesting to see how my identity has evolved.
⠀
So who am I?
___
⠀
I’m a 1st generation African Immigrant. I didn’t like being different when I was younger, but now I realize being different is where your strength lies. My background and culture has shaped my perspective of what’s really possible when you’re the ‘underdog’ and determined to win no matter the circumstances.
___
⠀
When I was growing up, I believed that one of the few paths to success and freedom was to become a doctor. Now, as a medical device salesman, I sell to them, and it turns out there’s a lot of opportunity for success and arguably more freedom with the latter.
___
⠀
I’m a young entrepreneur. I’ve already had my ass handed to me on enough ventures to understand that entrepreneurship is far less about the perceived prestige of being an ‘entrepreneur’ and far more about the ability to exercise supreme resilience when it comes to identifying problems and effectively solving them. I’m wired to be an entrepreneur, and I’m not stopping until I find the problem I was meant to solve.
__
⠀
Now, that’s just a little bit of who I am. Not all that I am, but just a small snapshot. I only shared 3 quick facts, and I’m willing to bet that all 3 may not necessarily be applicable to you.

2 years ago, the opportunity to move to Colorado l

2 years ago, the opportunity to move to Colorado literally fell into my lap out of nowhere.
____
⠀
I had never even visited the state prior to my decision to make the move. I knew that there were mountains there and people there seemed high on life, but that was about it.
___
⠀
When I was growing up, my family didn’t hike or camp. The concept seemed kind of foreign and definitely wasn’t a part of my culture or upbringing.
⠀
I never saw myself as an outdoorsy person or even thought that I would ever enjoy being outdoors, but my time in Colorado has shown me differently.
___
⠀
In many ways, living in Colorado has challenged me and that’s why a part of me has come to love it here.
⠀
I have come to realize that the elements of nature aren’t only reserved for certain people or certain families. They’re for everyone.
___
⠀
As I love being in the city, I’ve learned that there are certain intangibles that you can only experience in nature.
⠀
Like the calming energy that you feel from being grounded while sitting on a quartz rock, taking in the grandiose view of formations that have stood the test of time!
___
⠀
It’s definitely a whole new level of beauty that I have found an appreciation for. One that I probably would never have been exposed to if I didn’t open myself up to the change of scenery.
___
⠀
I think this is true of many other things in life until we find ourselves in a new environment that offers new experiences and options.
___
⠀
So my question for the day is straightforward.
⠀
How do you think your current scenery is holding you back from new experiences?

We hear a lot about white privilege these days, ri

We hear a lot about white privilege these days, right?
___
⠀
While that’s definitely a real thing, and a conversation for a different post, I want to share a story from a long time ago in my journey when I first experienced privilege in my life.
___
⠀
I grew up in a 2 bedroom condo with my parents right off of Briggs Chaney Rd. in Silver Spring, MD. It wasn’t fancy, but it was a peaceful and safe neighborhood.
⠀
I used to spend a lot of overnights with my aunt and uncle when my parents were working the 3rd shift or at school late at night, just 3 min down the street in an area called Castle Blvd.
⠀
Castle Blvd was so close to home, but at times it felt like an entirely different world.
___
⠀
I’ll never forget seeing a murdered body lying in the middle of the street with blood flowing every which way down the street.
⠀
Or the first time when we woke up to broken glass everywhere just to find that my uncle’s Honda Accord had been stolen in the night.
___
⠀
This was a place that didn’t feel peaceful or safe and I was always on guard.
⠀
I would always thank God when the next day when my parents came to pick me up.
⠀
We would jump in the car, lock the doors, make that left turn out of Castle Blvd and head down Briggs Chaney Rd for home.
⠀
I would watch the street disappear behind us and my nerves would instantly calm.
____
⠀
Those days were some of the first times that I realized how privileged I was. I was so thankful that I got to get out and go home.
⠀
This is just one story from my life, that I share because some times it feels like we only focus on how others have been privileged in their life, that we overlook instances, however small, of when we’ve experienced privilege in our own lives.
___
⠀
Unfortunately, Privilege is not equal. Especially, if you’re black in America
⠀
BUT it is still out there for you to experience and take ownership over.
___
⠀
I believe Privilege should be a goal in life. I want access to resources, I want wealth, I want options.
⠀
Don’t you?
⠀
If your answer is yes, I suggest you shift your focus to moments you’ve been privileged. Remember how it felt and what you liked about it. Look for opportunities to create more of this.

Load More... Follow on Instagram