I'm Angela, and I'm a Gen Y Dreamer.
You're probably thinking "Angela, I know you called yourself 'Your Brother in Real Estate' for a while, now you're saying you're 'Gen Y Dreamer'...what does that even mean?" I'm hear to tell you it may not be what you expect.
Generally speaking to be of "Gen Y" means that I'm a member of the demographic that happens to be one of the largest on the planet, and with over 80 million people may soon surpass the baby boomers. I grew up with both parents working and more disposable income than previous generations and have often been branded as overindulged, spoiled, and a disengaged "kid" that looks at the world through my prism of self interest and that I'm entitled to whatever I want. Having grown up with the internet, I'm also the first generation that's completely comfortable with technology and suffer from a case of immediate gratification disorder, so when I want to find whatever it is I'm looking for, I want it yesterday. If you worked with me at a job where I was unhappy you probably already know I'm leaving soon, because I've hopped around a bit. Now in order to get out the message and to find that next one that I'll take for granted as well, I'll make posts in my twitter or facebook feed while at the same time Skyping a friend overseas, listening to my ipod, and watching my favorite TV shows on HULU.
On the flip side, I have a HUGE social and economic impact on the world, and am one of the most optimistic people about the future. I'm now at the age where I'm shopping for my first house, getting married, and possibly even raising a "kid" of my own. I'm growing up and making choices that will affect the rest of my life and would like them to make a positive impact on the lives of those closest to me as well. I thrive and am driven toward success not in the place that promises to pay me the most money or get me the nice shiny car... I mean yeah those things are nice, but I want to be with an organization that is making a difference in the world - where things matter, where I know I'm part of something and people care about me. I care about finding a work-home balance, and I know that everything I was raised to believe about finding a dream job that makes me happy and doing something I love gives me faith that all my dreams will come true.
Now that you know about my generation...let me tell you about what makes me a dreamer. It started a few years ago when I was the first in my family to graduate college. Thanks to my parents who were always there for me, it would just be the beginning of my journey. Soon after, I would be living my dream of working in real estate at high rise buildings in the city and on my way to the top. And then the economy would hit and real estate would be the first to feel the slow. The company I was with at the time was awesome - and contrary to the job hopping that gen y is know for, I wouldn't have ever considered of leaving - that was until I would find myself following a new career path.
It was after attending a motivational seminar called the Turning Point retreat, that I would soon realize it was the turning point in my career. My journey in my dream continued as I would meet people that would change my life that year and inspire me to DREAM BIGGER than I ever thought I could - I could picture myself traveling from city to city on a stage inspiring others and changing lives, giving others a taste of the energy that I felt deep inside me. I knew that if I would make a change in my career that I would be up for a challenge, and if public speaking is the number one fear that it couldn't find a bigger one.
Still I didn't know a lot of things to begin my plan...or even WHAT I was going to do. Above all when I had this big dream, I definitely had no idea HOW I would make it happen.
Soon the WHAT came easy, the more I daydreamed and asked myself about my life's purpose my cards dealt me quote that stuck in my head, "Concentrate on SERVING a purpose, not FINDING one." When I thought of service, I only thought of one thing - my distinguished service award from my business fraternity. Somehow the more I thought about that organization and my core values the more my dream came alive. I realized the people I wanted to help most were my brothers, the college students that would soon be facing the same stereotypes I did entering the real world.
The plans continued as I shared my dream with a few close friends, but soon I was brainstorming with people around the country when I traveled on a 12 week cross-country adventure to begin my research and development. My WHAT was coming together as project consisting of a Road Rules meets The Apprentice dreamz team to travel from campus to campus in an RV to host large-scale dream workshops. In addition, there would be many companies supporting our endeavor because it offered a great value to connect with the students they would like to become part of their organizations, ones who also believed in following their dreams and making a difference in the world.
Yes, a few years ago when this started I was a multi-tasking, optimistic, young DREAMER who was thought she could do it all and then some....that year. As for the stereotype about Gen Y instant gratification, I believe is completely true; however I can attest that the experiences and risks I took helped shape who I am today, a DOER. I believe a dreamer and a doer are very similar and both are required to be an entrepreneur. In order for me to keep going on my journey the Doer must stay focused on developing more material for the workshops, recruiting more people to join the organization and establishing my company, A2Z. However, it is the dreamer in me who lives on to ensure that I stay in balance between work and play, who never lets me give up on what the D.R.E.A.M. originally meant to me - that I had Discovered my passions, Realized my Entrepreneurial Abilities and Manifested my Destiny.
Some may say I'm just a Gen Y Dreamer...that the things I dream about are impossible to accomplish, but isn't that what life is all about?...Doing the impossible and living life to the fullest? I am entitled...but so is everyone. You're entitled to dream whether you are 21 or 81, I'm just the messenger who believes in spreading the word that "Dreamz do come true!" and that is what makes me a Gen Y Dreamer.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
A2Z Dream Workshop Information
The A2Z Dream Workshop is a series of workshops created and hosted by Angela which began in 2009 at campuses such as Saint Louis University, Tulane University New Orleans, University of Kentucky, University of Iowa, Drake University and her alma mater, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. the mission is to inspire today's generation to live their dreams and invoke the entrepreneurial spirit in their transition from college to career. She focuses on topics such as: personality types, leadership skills, reflection exercises on life experience, risk and reward, law of attraction, visualization of goals, effective communication, entrepreneurship, teamwork, and multiple generations in the workplace.
The "A2Z" theme is incorporated throughout the series as a metaphor for the steps one takes in their journey to their dreams. Visualizing her goals and what she is working toward, the workshop becoming a day-long leadership retreat, Angela is an example of what she teaches. She uses personal stories and passes along the message of her mentor, "You can't go from A to Z without hitting all the letters in between."
Workshop 1: Discovering Passions and Personalities - Ever wish you knew how to predict the actions of your team, or member of your organization? Do you wish people would be able to better understand you and how you work best? Determining one's personality type used in the workplace and an important part of our life-long learning. The classic question comes up, "Am I this way because I learned it or is this just the way I am?" When you know who you are and your reoccurring actions, you are confident in your actions which allows you and your team to make the most of today. This workshop is based on personality types defined by Dr. Gary Smalley and is about discovery of your passions. You may find out things that you did not know before or it may confirm exactly wat you thought about yourself. In this guided workshop you will participate in interactive exercises that will help lead you down the career path of your dreams from A2Z.
Workshop 2: A2Z Realization - Everyone has a story to share, what are the experiences in yours that have taught you the greatest lessons? What inspires you? This workshop is foucsed on living a balnaced life between a successful career and having fun playing the game of life. Based on Angela's upcoming book (ABCs from College to Career) each letter of the alphabet gives an example and asks a question participants are asked to reflect on their own lives. (i.e. A is for Ace, B is for Balance, K is for Kite, N is for Networking, Z is for Zen) Check back soon or visit www.angelabrandenburg.com for more details on the book!
Workshop 3: Gen Y Dreamers - What are the risks you are willing to take to make your dreams come true? What are your entrepreneurial abilities? More details coming soon!
To schedule the A2Z Dream Workshop at your campus or organization, please contact Angela at angela@angelabrandenburg.com, facebook message or call 920-540-6556. Thank you!
The "A2Z" theme is incorporated throughout the series as a metaphor for the steps one takes in their journey to their dreams. Visualizing her goals and what she is working toward, the workshop becoming a day-long leadership retreat, Angela is an example of what she teaches. She uses personal stories and passes along the message of her mentor, "You can't go from A to Z without hitting all the letters in between."
Workshop 1: Discovering Passions and Personalities - Ever wish you knew how to predict the actions of your team, or member of your organization? Do you wish people would be able to better understand you and how you work best? Determining one's personality type used in the workplace and an important part of our life-long learning. The classic question comes up, "Am I this way because I learned it or is this just the way I am?" When you know who you are and your reoccurring actions, you are confident in your actions which allows you and your team to make the most of today. This workshop is based on personality types defined by Dr. Gary Smalley and is about discovery of your passions. You may find out things that you did not know before or it may confirm exactly wat you thought about yourself. In this guided workshop you will participate in interactive exercises that will help lead you down the career path of your dreams from A2Z.
Workshop 2: A2Z Realization - Everyone has a story to share, what are the experiences in yours that have taught you the greatest lessons? What inspires you? This workshop is foucsed on living a balnaced life between a successful career and having fun playing the game of life. Based on Angela's upcoming book (ABCs from College to Career) each letter of the alphabet gives an example and asks a question participants are asked to reflect on their own lives. (i.e. A is for Ace, B is for Balance, K is for Kite, N is for Networking, Z is for Zen) Check back soon or visit www.angelabrandenburg.com for more details on the book!
Workshop 3: Gen Y Dreamers - What are the risks you are willing to take to make your dreams come true? What are your entrepreneurial abilities? More details coming soon!
To schedule the A2Z Dream Workshop at your campus or organization, please contact Angela at angela@angelabrandenburg.com, facebook message or call 920-540-6556. Thank you!
A2Z Dream Workshop & Angela's History
Hi I'm Angela Brandenburg, creator of the A2Z Dream Workshop, here to tell you a little bit more about the history of how this all came together. I was born and raised in the small town of Hilbert, Wisconsin and was the first in my extended family to graduate college when I earned a BA in marketing and real estate from the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee in 2006. Upon graduation, I joined a Chicago real estate developer and would begin my work in luxury condominium developments and relocate from Milwaukee to Chicago.
In 2007 my focus was on building a strong network as I met many business leaders worldwide at conference as well as via social media. I would develop my personal brand as "Your Brother in Real Estate" which combined my love for my membership in a co-ed professional business fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi, with my passion for real estate.
2008 would mark the year my career began to transition as I followed another passion for public speaking and teaching which had been prevalent since my adolescent years. Through the course of a 12-week cross-county journey I would take hold of the research and development of what i would later teach about self-descovery and realizing my entrepreneurial abilities to develop my business in the industry. It was also when I developed a new brand and coined the accronym that would soon become the title and theme of my workshop "D.R.E.A.M." which stands for Discover passions, Realize Entrepreneurial Abilities and Manifest your destiny.
In 2009 I would make the commitment to devote my career to following my dream to become a nationally recogized inspirational speaker. I gained experience through hosting an all-day career conference called Professionapalooza for the AKPsi Chicago Alumni Chapter and began traveling to campuses nationwide developing my own material for the Dream Workshop. When sharing my stories, the students labeled me an "Inspiration for Today's Generation" and inspired me to begin writing my first book (more details coming soon!).
Over the last year, the A2Z Dream Workshop has become a 3 part series that focuses on inspiring today's generation to live their dreams and invokes the entrepreneurial spirit. I believe in leading by example, so everything I teach is represented in what I apply to my own business as I continue to visualize my dream that the workshops will become day-long leadership retreat. The theme, A2Z, comes from the words of my long-time mentor, "You can't go from A to Z without hitting all the letters in between." I may only be on steps A, B and C but I know that my A2Z journey to my dream has only begun on my "Road to Brotherhood."
In 2007 my focus was on building a strong network as I met many business leaders worldwide at conference as well as via social media. I would develop my personal brand as "Your Brother in Real Estate" which combined my love for my membership in a co-ed professional business fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi, with my passion for real estate.
2008 would mark the year my career began to transition as I followed another passion for public speaking and teaching which had been prevalent since my adolescent years. Through the course of a 12-week cross-county journey I would take hold of the research and development of what i would later teach about self-descovery and realizing my entrepreneurial abilities to develop my business in the industry. It was also when I developed a new brand and coined the accronym that would soon become the title and theme of my workshop "D.R.E.A.M." which stands for Discover passions, Realize Entrepreneurial Abilities and Manifest your destiny.
In 2009 I would make the commitment to devote my career to following my dream to become a nationally recogized inspirational speaker. I gained experience through hosting an all-day career conference called Professionapalooza for the AKPsi Chicago Alumni Chapter and began traveling to campuses nationwide developing my own material for the Dream Workshop. When sharing my stories, the students labeled me an "Inspiration for Today's Generation" and inspired me to begin writing my first book (more details coming soon!).
Over the last year, the A2Z Dream Workshop has become a 3 part series that focuses on inspiring today's generation to live their dreams and invokes the entrepreneurial spirit. I believe in leading by example, so everything I teach is represented in what I apply to my own business as I continue to visualize my dream that the workshops will become day-long leadership retreat. The theme, A2Z, comes from the words of my long-time mentor, "You can't go from A to Z without hitting all the letters in between." I may only be on steps A, B and C but I know that my A2Z journey to my dream has only begun on my "Road to Brotherhood."
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