By Sylvia Powers
Texas Metro News
More than 200 women were captivated as author and motivational speaker Mikki Taylor creatively crafted her words as she addressed the theme, “Healing the Inner Girl,” for the 23rd Women’s Day Program of Central Pointé Church of Christ in Dallas, Texas.
A popular speaker who is in high demand, Taylor has authored three books and spoken worldwide. She called on attendees to learn their worth. “You were created to be the difference,” she said. “As you go and grow, you need to be clear about that fact. Whatever you’re rehearsing instead of activating or whatever you’re tolerating, instead of eliminating won’t change. It will become your constant.
“In fact, if that’s your story, and you’re not being the author of it, it’s just going to be a consensus report,” advised Taylor; who is best known for her influential tenure at Essence magazine, where she served as Beauty and Cover Director for more than 30 years. Although her name recognition is associated with outer beauty, she sculpted her words to help the women at Central Pointé focus on the beauty they held within.
“Black women are standard bearers in the community across the nation. We are responsible for many people in our lives, not just our immediate families but the organizations that we support, the jobs we work, the church, and the places that we show up and empower. It is important that we are also empowered,” she insisted.
Taylor’s work with ESSENCE has been immortalized in OWN Network’s Time of Essence, where she shed critical light on the trailblazing magazine’s evolution, and its role in shaping culture, empowering women, and championing diversity.
“Many of us are in places that the elders and the ancestors could only dream of. It is import- ant as we support others that we support ourselves. It’s important for us to recognize what we need. We have to realize that encompasses everything from setting boundaries in our lives to taking time to self-nurture.
Today, we are relearning what that means. There was a time when one would think of that as being selfish or self-centered. Now we know that self-nurturing is not only positive, it is critical to us,” Taylor continued.
Her power-packed message left the women with an 8-step plan to reclaim their lives and release their power and purpose.
“We always say you cannot give out of your lack. You can’t give what you don’t have. You have to make sure that you’re restored and rejuvenated as you seek to serve,” encouraged Taylor.
During her career, Taylor has cast and produced over 500 covers for Essence Magazine, including the iconic first family photo of the Obamas.
According to Taylor, of all the things that she has accomplished, she is most proudest of being a voice for Black Women and witnessing the positive changes in the advertising and marketing world firsthand.
“Today, Black beauty in all shapes and sizes has begun to be celebrated,” said Taylor.
“I have to say that Essence was at the forum for teaching. During my tenure, I held what we called Smart Beauty Breakfasts for the industry. We would invite the beauty industry to teach them how we see ourselves to help them to know that beauty for us is self-referential.
‘We celebrate ourselves in all our glory. I wanted to help them understand the language to speak to us and as they chose to advertise and market to us.”
Taylor told the audience that she and her husband, Leo, had just celebrated 42 years of marriage. However, she admitted there was no secret sauce to the relationship’s longevity. She shared that they wrote their own wedding vows and have always been committed to supporting each other.
Concluding her strategic and motivational speech, Taylor encouraged the ladies to embrace every day.
“It’s important that we wake up every day excited to be who we are, that we put great weight on the fact that God only created one of each of us in the entire universe and he was satisfied. If we’re not appreciative, if we’re not grateful, we will miss what he intended. We don’t want to do that because no matter how great we think any day is, he still has more.
“When I talked earlier about our cups and saucers running over, we need to behold that as truth,” she concluded. “ I can’t wait to see what’s next for all of us, because what I have already seen blows me away!”
Taylor has authored critically-acclaimed books including Self-Seduction: Your Ultimate Path to Inner & Outer Beauty (Random House); Commander in Chic: Every Woman’s Guide to Managing Her Style Like a First Lady (Simon and Schuster); Editor-in-Chic: How to Style and Be Your Most Empowered Self (Simon and Schuster) and Force of Beauty: A Newark Family Memoir, an Audible Original, co-authored with filmmaker Deborah Riley Draper.
Sylvia Powers is a writer and photojournalist for I Messenger Media. An author and activist, she is the founder of the Celebrating Life Foundation and an advocate for women’s health. Write to her at editor@texasmetronews.com.
