Anthony Scaramucci lasted just 11 short days as Donald Trump’s White House communications director during the summer of 2017. Like many others handpicked by the “president,” he was ousted and sent on his merry way to become one of many people who briefly worked for the revolving door that is the Trump administration…
Have you been to Toronto yet? If you’re looking for a vibrant city that applauds itself on having diversity as its strength, you have to visit Canada and see what Toronto has in store. Toronto has been recognized as one of the most multicultural cities in the world, boasting over 200 ethnic groups with over 140 languages spoken. It’s now the fourth-largest city in the world and continues to attract people who are seeking a community where they can fit in while standing out. Black entrepreneurs and professionals will find a rich, welcoming culture that will expose you to life beyond the space you currently occupy.
The captivating city scene provides a perfect way to unwind after a long day of work or relaxation. Whether you’re in Toronto for business, pleasure, or have a long layover, here are some things you can do to see why Toronto is ranked at the top of the list for diversity.
[RELATED: AMERICAN BLACK WOMEN ARE MOVING IN DROVES TO THIS ONE COUNTRY]
One way to get a world-class crash course on a city’s diversity is by exploring a variety of cultures through the food. Food is where cultures typically connect. Local entrepreneur Jusep Sim curated the Chopsticks + Forks Great Canadian Food Tour to expose travelers from around the world to the most authentic cuisines in the city.
In less than three hours, you can get a taste of the best bites in Toronto while getting a tour of Kensington Market. This neighborhood is known as one of the most eclectic and diverse spots in the city, representing over 25 countries and captivating street art. It’s the perfect way to get a glimpse of the entire city in one neighborhood.
Enjoy these multi-cultural bites while learning fascinating historical facts and stories:
Are you hungry yet? Head on over to Chopsticks + Forks to learn more, because a trip to Toronto isn’t complete without diving into the different flavors available at the family-owned businesses in Kensington Market.
If you’re looking for a breathtaking view to spark creativity and new ideas in your business or career, then check out the Canadian National (CN) Tower. It’s one of the top-rated attractions of Toronto. The CN Tower, which held the record for being the tallest freestanding tower for 32 years, is a great way to see the city at an elevated level.
If you’re meeting with clients or seeking exclusive dining, the 360 Restaurant at the top of the tower provides an unforgettable food experience and a revolving view of Toronto. For all travel adventurers who want to walk on the “wild side,” the CN Tower provides the “edge walk” experience which gives visitors the ability to walk along the edge while the wind is blowing all around you. Now you can truly experience what it’s like to have no barriers in life!
Are you coming directly from Toronto Pearson International Airport? Take a short trip (less than 30 minutes) to CN Tower. It’s conveniently located by other city attractions, so you’ll be inches away from the best pictures your camera can take by the popular Canada sign. This location also puts you steps away from the Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, Steam Whistle Brewery, Rogers Centre, and The Rec Room–Eats & Entertainment.
While you’re in Toronto, you’ll experience a different side of life when you escape to Hotel X Toronto by Library Hotel Collection, one of the newest hot spots for celebrities and booming business professionals. The hotel has been recognized as “the city’s first resort-style hotel” by Toronto Star. Hotel X offers amenities that provide the perfect level of comfort, creativity, and luxury for you and your family.
What’s fascinating about this hotel is that it was intentionally created with different personalities in mind. The hotel offers a variety of activities to help you schmooze with others while providing intimate spots throughout the hotel for relaxation. This spacious gem boasts four indoor tennis courts, a tech-savvy workout gym, and various studios for spin class and hot yoga–plus unrivaled sports and wellness facilities. You can experience all this while enjoying the most exquisite views from the rooftop Falcon SkyBar and taking advantage of the array of books that can be found all around.
Toronto is a special place that moves to a beat that can’t be matched by any other city in North America. Most importantly, its cultural diversity attracts people all over the world who can find a place for them in the city–no matter who they are and where they come from.
Black Enterprise Contributors Network
Cardi B has made it clear that she doesn’t need more press–-and it’s in large part due to her amazing publicity team at The Cream Agency, headed by Patientce Foster.
Foster plays multiple roles for Cardi, which includes being her independent publicist. She shared, “We work very closely with Ashley Kalmanowitz, our label publicist, who has done an amazing, consistent job in bringing an immense amount of press opportunities to the table. I am also head of her brand partnerships, and day-to-day operations. [Cardi] has honestly allowed me to be a part of almost every conversation pertaining to her career, including creative, her music, her vision, her ambitions.”
While onlookers get to appreciate the beautiful glossy images, energetic performances, and humorous interviews Cardi B dishes, each of these requires lots of preparation. Foster shared that the most challenging part of the job is having to work under a constant pressure that never seems to let up. You must make yourself available for everyone else while still trying to be emotionally available for yourself.
“It’s easy to lose yourself and your mind while trying to keep up with the demands and obligations of the job,” she says with a laugh.
[RELATED: WE’RE ALL DEGREES OF SEPARATION FROM CARDI B: THE UBIQUITY OF HIP-HOP’S CURRENT IT GIRL]
The industry has its perks too. Foster loves being able to work with kind-hearted people with brilliant minds and genuine souls. Noting, “The best part of my job is having a voice, being able to be vocal about what we’re doing, where we’re going, how to evolve and remain consistent.”
Foster recommends that anyone interested in pursuing this career look to build in every direction that could align with their end goal.
“Don’t be so specific in your direction that you turn down opportunities that will help you to build a Rolodex or increase your experiences. Place yourself in rooms that will help you to build contacts. Place yourself at tables that will open your ears to conversation and educate you. Become so well-versed in the industry so that when your time does come you’re equipped with education, contacts, and networks. Those elements are essentially what the person/brand hiring you wants–your reach and your experience.”
Rubbing shoulders with celebs is a dream for many, but there are unspoken rules. Foster advises that your approach and intent are everything. “Some people want to rub a shoulder for a photo opp, rub a shoulder to be able to post on social media and caption the moment as if they are acquainted with the celeb and use the visual for their own leverage. My pet peeve would be how the approach is made. Complimenting a celeb, asking them to possibly look at their art, listen to their music or [ask] for a photo is always OK, but how it’s done is what bothers me. The sense of false entitlement is what bothers me.”
While Foster cannot forget her Southern roots being born in Charlotte, North Carolina, she credits her upbringing to Wilmington, Delaware, where she moved at the tender age of 7.
“The city of Wilmington has played a major role in my development as a person and as a professional. The fact that Delaware is the second-smallest state, makes Wilmington even smaller. There’s no radio station, sports team, little to no representation. We are often overlooked. It takes a certain consistency, determination, and tenacity to be visible, to be seen, to be recognized. It’s easy to feel defeated when you’re counted out, or always coming in last. Wilmington lent me a fearless mind, a tough skin, and a confidence I wouldn’t have been able to get from anywhere else.”
Leaving her job at Hertz to start a full-service salon is what led her to Cardi. Foster’s pivots may seem haphazard to some, but she had a clear vision.
“I left Hertz to open a full-service salon in 2013, Vixated. Vixated was able to fuel my ambitions and my journey to being a publicist by allowing me freedom, time, and funds to travel and take unpaid opportunities to build my resume and experience. It was in my second year of business (2015) that I was introduced to Cardi by a friend at the time, and now my partner. She needed hair and beauty services and my Wilmington salon location provided that. God made it so that we met again a month later during a Fashion Week PR internship, and it was then that I was hired. I went from working in Hertz, to building a business that paved the way to a career in publicity.”
On top of being a ‘small town girl’ who took a leap of faith to start her own business, Foster is also a single mother. This responsibility helped to mold her in a massive way,
“Being a single mother is a responsibility like no other. You can’t go out and a build a team to assist you, or ask just anyone to help you, or expect anyone to love and care for your child the way you do. That baby is yours, and yours only, your responsibility and forever obligation. Nothing is about you anymore, everything is about your baby. Every decision you make is for that baby. Every goal you make and plan you execute has one end goal, that baby, and the baby’s future.
“That mindset has become the fuel that burns my fire, it has become the motivation and intent behind every decision I make. It has made me a more aware woman, a more direct woman, a more assertive woman. There’s no time for question, doubt, or error. I have become a more decisive woman. I have to go get what I want, and ask for what I want, and make what I want happen–not for me anymore, but for the future, and well-being of my child.”
Foster, a Millennial herself, does not buy into the dialog that Millennials are lazy and entitled.
“I believe that we are in a new era of new approach. How the generation before us achieved success, and the paths they took has changed. Times have changed.
“I believe that this generation is innovative, fearless, doesn’t hear the word ‘no’ [and] will make something out of nothing. This generation has been revolutionary. We have single-handedly changed the world as they once knew it. This generation has changed the digital age, how we listen to music, how we purchase items, how we socialize, how we look for and obtain jobs. This generation has given the power to individuals in becoming whatever they want to be.”
Foster is so grateful in what she has been able to accomplish. “[I’m] so humbled to be a part of one of the greatest, most consistent teams in the game. My contributions, my work, and my results have allowed me to build one of the fastest-growing PR and creative marketing/branding boutique agencies in the business. The Cream Agency has only begun to make its mark. The impression we make will be one that will last to the end of time. I’m standing on that!”
Black Enterprise Contributors Network
