UnCagedPhoenix Magazine: March 2019

ISSUE NO. 3 | MARCH 2019 

UnCaged 

Phoenix 

MAGAZINE

CONTENTS 

DEPARTMENTS 

22 

Preparing for 

Overflow 

6 

20 

Financial 

Plumbing 

Facing 

Deadlines 

3 

Behind the Scenes 

16 

Puzzles 

24 

Monthly Worksheet 

8 

4 

Do You Have 

Space? 

Cassie Manning 

NubianRockChick 

14 

Sneaky 

Stress 

Symptoms 

18 

Monthly 

Challenge 

Five Note 

Challenge 

2 UnCagedPhoenix

BEHIND THE SCENES AT UNCAGED PHOENIX 

arch, oh how I needed thee! February, though 

productive, was a hump month that showed me 

the kryptonite in my armor. Trust me when 

I say that I had to fall back and take my own 

advice on self-care and self-love. 

One thing February did prepare me for was 

the need to put in the necessary groundwork 

to ensure growth. We are now midway 

through March, the beginning of our seasons 

of overflow. But with overflow comes the 

need for adequate advance preparation. 

Without a proactive mindset and hard work, 

blessings can sometimes feel like curses. 

In a society of instantaneity, where people 

expect everything overnight, there is very 

little said on the value of preparation. 

Yes, we all deserve blessings. However, 

blessings must be received with arms 

held open, as well as ready to lift the 

concomitant weight and responsibilities. 

This month’s edition focuses on preparing 

you to navigate the tides of pre- and postoverflow. 

Whether it be in your personal life 

or business, you need to make room for the 

requirements and stress brought on by an 

abundant life. 

But don’t worry...this edition isn’t only 

about preparation. We made sure to make 

room for an amazing interview with Cassie 

Manning of Nubian Rock Chick. Cassie shares 

insights into the reality behind having her own 

business and the creation of her empowering 

pieces. Also included is a little teaser to our new 

book Overcoming Failure, which is dedicated 

to mitigating the stigma and strain caused by 

failure and mistakes (now available for sale both 

in e-book and print formats). 

Together we can all reduce our anxiety and 

trepidation, while sharpening the skills and 

preparation needed to achieve growth in every 

area of our life and business. 

Lisa Smithen 

UnCagedPhoenix 

3

RELATIONSHIPS 

n our personal lives and even in 

business, there is a fallacy that quantity 

is greater than quality. This illusion is 

leading many people to always add 

more to their emotional plate. But is 

it actually necessary to have more? For 

example, in relation to the individuals we 

keep in our circle, are we in fact adding value 

to our lives or are we hoarding? 

As we get older—and are no longer occupied 

with the thought of being the most popular 

kid on the playground—we have to be willing 

to take an audit of our relationships and 

assess if there is enough emotional space for 

more. For example, [and I already know that 

many women will write emails about this] 

how many shoes do you need in your life? No 

matter how many you buy, you will continue 

to have no more than two feet to wear them. 

Unnecessary friendships are like bad shoes. 

[Yes, I am comparing friendships to shoes!] 

Keeping people in your life to fill the need for 

abundance, is as pointless as uncomfortable 

shoes. If your friendships are no longer a good 

fit and you don’t have enough space or time to 

give value to others, then what is the point of 

holding on to them? 

You are not a bad person for reassessing your 

relationships. In fact, it is healthier to allow 

toxic relationships and friendships—that no 

longer feed you—to fade away. This will create 

space for persons who will pour into you, as 

well as those you can—in turn—bring value to. 

We will never be a perfect fit for everyone and 

being continually surrounded by individuals 

who serve no purpose is cruel. They are not 

ornaments to fill our otherwise empty lives. 

Our value and our purpose are not governed 

by the number of people in our lives and 

are completely independent of our approval 

ratings. 

Do bear in mind that this does not include 

friendships separated by distance and time. 

There will always be persons you have not seen 

or individuals you haven’t spoken to in forever. 

Nonetheless, when you reconnect it feels like 

no time has passed and the bond is stronger 

than ever. These types of relationships are not 

space-fillers but are instead priceless artifacts. 

Here are a few questions to help you audit 

your friendships as you try to escape the 

‘quantity over quality’ temptation. Remember 

to be honest with yourself! 

1. Do you bring value to their lives? 

2. Do they bring value to your life? 

3. Do you still share similar beliefs? 

4. Are you/ they supportive? 

5. Does the friendship cause unnecessary 

pain or discomfort? 

6. Are you friends out of obligation or is it a 

common “healthy bond”? 


5

LIFE’S TOOLS 

hether you are a student, parent, business owner or volunteer, at some point in 

your life, you are going to experience deadlines. 

For some us, deadlines can spur us into creating great work. However, for many 

people, pending deadlines can cause excruciating fear and anxiety. Just the idea 

of having to complete tasks within a limited amount of time—coupled with the 

oftentimes scarcity of resources—can terrify anyone. But deadlines may not be 

as scary as you might initially think. With a few techniques you will be able to 

prevail over the anxiety and meet those deadlines. 


Do not bite off 

more than you 

can chew 

Yes, it is great to get involved, but if you know in advance that there 

is no way you are going to get everything done, say No! Saying 

‘no’ does not make you less of a team player. In fact, it shows that 

you care more about the cause than your personal ego. Admit to 

yourself and to others that you can’t be a superhero every day and 

speak up if adding another item to your list will keep you from 

performing at your best. 

A s k 

f o r 

help 

You are not a robot and even robots work together. Why do you believe that you 

have to do everything by yourself? Being known as the go-to person who can get 

things done is different from being the person who is always involved in everything. 

Share the weight. Delegate to people who can manage some of the load. Don’t ask 

every and anyone to help you. Not everyone can handle responsibility and some 

people will never be able to work as hard as you. Be picky. 

Project 

management 

and planning 

is vital 

People may find you anal, but if you know that you perform better after 

you have analyzed your time, resources, goals and deadline, then do it. 

Some of us need to create lists, charts and tables to visualize the process. 

Nothing is wrong with that, as long as you don’t spend so much time 

planning that you leave no time to actually do anything. Breaking down 

the project to determine what your priorities are and what things you 

can work on secondarily is important. Identify which tasks are dependent 

on the completion/outcome of other activities or the input of additional 

individuals/teams. This will allow your time to be divided more effectively, 

minimizing the drift and unproductiveness that occurs while you wait. 

Communication 

is key 

If you are working as a team or employing others, it will be important 

to communicate adequately. By explaining the overall vision to 

everyone, you will give them an opportunity to connect to your cause 

and potentially motivate them even more. 

Humans will 

be humans 

We are all humans [hopefully] and as such we are all capable of falling short 

and making mistakes—you need to leave wiggle room. If you need to meet 

a deadline for the 15th of the month, communicate to your team that you 

will need all of their parts long before the actual deadline. This will remove 

the assumption on thinking that your Final Deadline is theirs. No!! You have 

to leave cushion space to make any required amendments. Modifications 

are generally necessary, not only as part of a quality check, but also as a 

safeguard to ensure that all pieces gel together and bring value to everyone. 


7

INTERVIEW 

assie 

Manning 

NUBIANROCKCHICK 

his month we have the delight of interviewing Cassie Manning of 

NubianRockChick. If you don’t know who Cassie is, then you are definitely 

missing out. Cassie is an up and coming, self-taught, mixed-media artist and creative 

entrepreneur who is taking the illustration world by storm. NubianRockChick ships 

products intentionally displaying real women in all of their melanin glory. But Cassie 

does not stop there! Through YouTube, she brings her followers into the day-to-day 

life of an Entrepreneur; gracefully displaying the behind the scenes of her business 

and the creative process of her work. UnCaged family, I am so proud to introduce you to 

Cassie Manning and NubianRockChick. 


INTERVIEW 

Hello Cassie! Let’s jump straight into it...Who 

is Cassie Manning and what would you like our 

readers to know about you and your business? 

Hi, I’m a married mother of two and an 

illustrator from the UK. I create images of 

women in my style with the aim of inspiring 

women. 

When did you start your journey with 

NubianRockChick? 

I’ve always had a love for art, but I only took it 

back up again when I had my two children as a 

way to de-stress. I am naturally a person that 

doesn’t like to give up when I start things, and 

I love learning and building new skills. But I 

started NubianRockChick officially in 2016 

after people kept asking to buy what I had 

been producing for myself. 

A lot of Entrepreneurs believe that starting 

a business is easy, did you experience any 

hiccups in the beginning? 

Absolutely, as with anything there always is. 

Learning how to reproduce my artwork to sell, 

how to ship things out and build a website all 

came with hiccups. Also, selling artwork was 

tough in the beginning as not many people 

knew my work at first. So, there were some 

very slow months. Figuring out the right 

products for my audience was also tough in 

the beginning. 

Did you believe that you would be here today? 

No way! Each day I can’t believe that I have the 

support I have. I almost feel like an imposter. I 

am so grateful to the audience/tribe that has 

blessed me and continue to support my store. 

Did you always envision that NubianRockChick 

would be where it is today? 

Honestly, I had no expectations at the 

beginning. I started this purely to relax and 

it grew from there. In the future I hope to 

continue to grow and one day have a fullyfledged 

stationary line that I can be proud off. 

Do you have a 5-year plan or vision for 

NubianRockChick? 

Yes, to keep growing and offer more of what 

my tribe wants. I would love to have a bigger 

studio with some staff so I can make time to 

make more and more illustrations. 

What advice do you have for women who want 

to start a business but feel like it is impossible to 

compete with all of the established companies 

and popular influencers? 

Oh gosh…...I think if you start off comparing 

yourself to others you aren’t going to get very 

far, and you will be the one holding yourself 

back. There is only one you and no one can 

do what you do in your style. Concentrate 

on your craft and your style and your tribe 

will follow. There is room for us all, just like 

there are different artists there are different 

customers and they will find you if you put in 

the work. Also, you first have to be passionate 

about what you are doing. When you are truly 

passionate, you will readily put the overtime in 

to build your dream and it won’t feel like work. 

Where do you pull inspiration from to 

constantly create such amazing work? 

My inspiration comes from the everyday 

woman; they inspire me the most. I also 

take inspiration from conversations I’ve had 

with people or how I am feeling that day or 

something as simple as a fashion picture 

giving me vibes. 

You create very inspiring and beautiful 

images, and now your YouTube videos show 

the behind the scenes and reality of being a 

businesswoman and taking care of family—is 

it as easy as it looks? 

It’s not easy at all...I didn’t think I made it 

look easier. Most of the time I feel like I’m 

blundering my way thru it all and it’s pretty 

evident (lol). I am trying to make sure there 

is a balance between it all and it is hard. I am 

working on it every day. 


Are you where you want to be in life and in 

business? 

If I said I was exactly where I wanted to be in 

business I would be lying. But I am extremely 

happy and proud of where I am now and what I 

have achieved. I always aspire to achieve more 

in business, as most people would. 

What are some of the things that people 

misunderstand or take for granted with being 

an entrepreneur? 

They think that being your own boss means you 

can take time off when you want (lol). That is 

not the case! You have to put in huge amounts 

of overtime which can be tough, but if you love 

what you are doing you will be happy to do 


11

INTERVIEW 

it. Also, I think they take for granted that you 

will be running a business on your own, which 

means you literally are probably doing the job 

of 5 people or more, and some don’t understand 

that. 

That leads me to my next question, how do you 

make time for you? (How do you show kindness 

to you?) 

It’s hard. I have to force myself sometimes, 

as it’s easy to get caught up with constantly 

working. But I have learnt that you will be on 

the fast track to burn out if you don’t have down 

time. Recently this year, I have been making 

efforts to set boundaries with start and finish 

times for my working days. This also includes 

limiting working on the weekends. 

Are there any specials, sales or new products 

coming out that you would like mentioned by 

UnCaged Phoenix on social media this month? 

I have new illustrations out all the time! I like 

to drop new things every few weeks, so always 

best to stay tuned to my Instagram or by joining 

my mailing list to find out what’s dropping next. 

Make sure to follow and subscribe to Cassie at 

NubianRockChick on Instagram and YouTube 

to learn more about her story. You will love 

her humble and funny perspective on art and 

business. Don’t forget to visit her store and 

show her some UnCaged Family love! Trust 

me, you are going to love the products she 

showcases at https://NubianRockChick.com/ 


Introducing 

Available in e-Book and Print Formats 

at www.uncagedphoenix.com/shop/

SELF-CARE 

t some point in our lives we are all going to get 

stressed. It is inevitable. Stress can affect your mood 

and your health (if left unchecked), leaving you 

susceptible to many health problems down the road. 


SELF-CARE 

Contrary to popular belief, stress does not only show up when you 

are feeling overwhelmed. It can sneak into your day-to-day life, 

hoping to lay unnoticed for a long time until it is too late. But there 

are some telltale signs we can look out for when it comes to stress. 

Please note…this list is by no means exhaustive and nowhere near 

complete. These are only a few of the indications that tend to go 

unnoticed when we are experiencing stress. By being aware of these 

symptoms, you will now be able to make the necessary adjustments 

and take proactive measures early. 

STRESS SYMPTOMS 

• Aches and Pains: Tensions in your jaw. Knots in your neck and 

shoulders, gastrointestinal stress 

• Nervousness? Are you experiencing nervous tension? Do you feel 

unable to focus and easily jumpy? 

• Your skin may have gone to war. Due to the elevated levels of 

cortisol (stress hormone) when stressed, your skin will excrete 

more and more inflammatory oils, causing breakouts and 

eczema to flare up. It’s hard enough to face daily battles and now 

your skin may want to act out too! 

• Feeling Forgetful. Forgetting things is natural. At first, the little 

things—even the frequency of memory lapse—may go unnoticed 

by you and everyone around you. If left unchecked, what may 

start as a nuisance occurrence can easily progress to the inability 

to focus or concentrate and may keep you from remembering the 

important things. 

• Fatigue/ Restless Sleep. We all get tired. But the inability to rest and 

recharge as a result of an overactive mind that is preoccupied with 

what could go wrong, may point to a larger problem. Consistent 

fatigue and restless sleep can be an early manifestation of a 

more dangerous condition. It should be noted that some of us do 

get best ideas at night. However, there is a difference between a 

creative burst and panicking/worrying about What Ifs. 

A few other symptoms to pay attention to: 

• Muscle Tension • Headaches 

• Change in Sex Drive • Fluctuations in body weight 

• Change in Eating Habits 


15

PUZZLES 

S S K F K I R H J R C N J U M U X E Y S B T D S 

E G L L H R I M R E O W D V Q F S H S N N P Q T 

S N N U N V O Y E T M P Y I P O W E I E L R I N 

Z R O I O G S W G C P R P Q P R N N M B U I N E 

G B Q U S M Z E W A A H I R B I V N P H T O W M 

I D D H G S D V C R S P U M P E O D H X B R E H 

N G L A W H E U O A S P N P S R S C M M T I L C 

V O L I Y X D L W H I V A T I C S T G P I T R A 

E N S Z U D C U B C O H M V P T M L A M L Y E T 

S N X S E B R J J I N E N S R E G G I R T H V T 

T J M C R M L E C T N E M E G A N A M K T H I A 

B M S E N X L E A T Y P N P Y A S M H I D J L F 

S T A R T O V E R M W G R Q J U S I A Y L T E L 

Y A C L E W T H F R T P G E T X U F P J M D D O 

O U L R I W U Q H H A J J O P P O R T U N I T Y 

J D W S A H S D V P H B O A I A H B C M W H W F 

N X D E R A C N W E P I H G G N R Q U A L I T Y 

E O T G B H S C A D G I V L X N A A B U B G C B 

M Q R P Y W C P A U E D H L H A J L T T G U T F 

E P U Y C H Y A U U G I N X J U V Z F I I I K K 

O L T Z J U O M P E M N Y C F D O F K F O C U S 

H I H Q F T H R J X Q T R C B E D B S T C N F I 

W A Z Z L X R X X I J H T N G R R Z J Z A H Q Z 

Y H T R O W Q Q B J X B P Q K R P N M S D F Q O 


PUZZLES 

Answers 

Attachments 

Blessings 

Build 

Care 

Character 

Compassion 

Daydream 

Deliver 

Enjoy 

Enough 

Environment 

Faith 

Focus 

Happiness 

Invest 

Investment 

Management 

Opportunity 

Preparation 

Priority 

Purpose 

Quality 

Start 

Startover 

Strength 

Triggers 

Truth 

Try 

Voice 

Why 

Wisdom 

Work 

Worthy 


17

FiveNote 

Challenge 

or our monthly challenge, we are going to get out of our 

shells for a little bit. Don’t stress! If you made it through 

the previous challenges, then this one is going to be a 

breeze!! 

Successful completion of this challenge is going to require 

the following: 

• Five (5) sheets of paper or Five (5) greeting cards 

• Your best handwriting skills [Yes, you are going to have 

to take your time and write legibly!] 

• The work or home address of five people who have made 

a positive impact in your life. (You are encouraged to add 

more people, but the minimum should be five.) 

• A loving heart [or at least a kind or sentimental moment]

MONTHLY CHALLENGE 

STEPS: 

1. Select five [or more] persons who have made a positive impact in your life. They may have 

been your preschool teacher, best friend, babysitter, boyfriend, sister, professor, neighbor, 

etc. For example, I had a director who became one of my life-teachers, although their initial 

role in my life was as an employer. They taught me so much through the way they managed 

the company, took care of their family and even their outlook on religion and personal 

development. The person you select may not be someone you know personally, just someone 

you who has influenced your life in an efficacious way. 

2. Write a short note thanking them for the impact they made in your life. I know you want to 

send an email. But…guess what…an inbox is no place to send this type of gratitude. And… 

handwritten letters and thank you cards make people smile. 

3. Mail the letters/cards. You don’t have to give them to the individuals directly. The point of 

the challenge is just to say Thank You [not create an uncomfortable situation]. Plus, for some 

of you, the person who ultimately helped to have a positive influence on your life may not had 

a positive intent from the get-go. Remember even rejection can bring about positive change. 

4. Continue being thankful for the positive things (whether big or small). Now it is your turn to 

impact someone else’s life. You will never know the difference you will make. 


19

COACHING 


oney. We all want it and wish we had more of it. But what does the money we do have 

(or lack thereof) reveal about us? How often do you assess your financial plumbing 

situation? Confused? Let me explain… 

We can look at money management as a selection between two choices: either invest 

in wells that fill and nourish you in the short- and long-term, or squander money in 

emotional expenditures that drain you and cover up deeper problems. Too often, we gravitate 

toward flushing disposable income down emotional drains. Not sure if that is you? Well…let’s clear 

that up right now… 

Spending in emotional drains includes expending funds to compete with others. Did you buy that 

pair of shoes, dress, jewelry, house and car so others will consider you their equal? Did you convince 

yourself that you needed or had to have something just because it would make you look or be like 

others or, perhaps, better than everyone else? How did that work out for you? 

Do you spend to distract yourself from your past or present? Are you splurging on things and 

experiences as a means of trying to forget what you are feeling inside? Is it your hope that, by drowning 

yourself in material items, you will avoid acknowledging, thinking about or reflecting on what is really 

going on? Hmmm…how is that working out for you? Has it healed the pain? Wasn’t reality waiting 

patiently for you after the money was spent? 

Or were you attempting to hide something from 

the world? Are you concealing a secret behind 

each purchase? Do you want people’s 

eyes to move towards the shine and 

glow, and away from the insecurities 

and pain you hold inside? Material 

possessions and lavish spending 

merely serve as curtains to 

camouflage loneliness, fear, 

abuse and failures. At the end 

of the day your issues are still 

going to fester if left untreated. 

The least amount of your 

money consumed by 

emotional drains the better. 

We all have days where we 

may treat ourselves with 

purchases (mine is sushi). But 

if we ask ourselves why we are 

spending before we do, we will 

be able to limit the damage and 

thus have better management of 

the money and resources we have.

ENTREPRENEUR CORNER 

ave you ever crawled into bed at the 

end of a hard workday and prayed 

for God to grow your business 

and bless you with overflow? You 

know…the type of prayer when you 

remix your own version of the Lord is My 

Shepherd (Psalm 23), begging God to provide 

the necessary capital, product, clients and 

staff? But…have you ever considered what 

would happen if it actually occurred today? 

I’m serious! Ask yourself what would transpire 

if it all were to materialize right now. Are you 

really ready for an overflow in business? 

Imagine, for a moment, what would ensue if 

you woke up with 300 times the amount of 

orders you normally received. Will you be able 

to deliver? What about if you prayed for more 

clients, and awoke to emails and calls from 

500 prospects? Do you have the procedures 

already in place that will allow you to serve 

them? 

If we are honest with ourselves, we can readily 

admit our woeful unpreparedness for such a 

drastic surge in demand. Acknowledging that 

we want or need an increase is just part of the 

process. You have to prepare for it. Behind 

the scenes of any business, there is a lot of 

research and prep work that entrepreneurs 

seldomly talk about. They never tell you that 


1Make sure you are 

producing products and 

services that bring value 

to your customers. Work 

on quality control issues 

while you are still small. 

Waiting to perfect your 

offerings is unwise, as it 

may leave you without 

the needed time to 

upgrade. There is no 

time like the present 

to ensure you have 

something great to offer. 

2Consistently serve with 

kindness and respect. 

You may not have a large 

email list or following but 

that does not mean that 

they should not receive 

quality care. Offering 

great customer service 

will allow you to put the 

necessary procedures in 

place now that can be 

later adapted for growth. 

3Know your limits. Have real 

conversations with your 

suppliers and service providers 

to evaluate their capacity and 

lead time. By understanding— 

in advance—what they can 

handle, you can determine 

how much business you can 

4Value your health. One thing 

that can be never be stated 

enough is the importance of 

living a healthy lifestyle. By 

making your health a priority, 

you will be physically, 

mentally and emotionally 

capable to take on additional 

responsibilities. Your mind 

and body are your most 

important tools and you 

have to take care of them 

each and every day. 

accept under your present 

limitations. Your constraints 

may include the amount of 

time you can realistically 

dedicate to projects or how 

much travel you can manage 

without conflict or burnout. 

Knowing your limitations does 

not dictate that you will never 

grow. It does, however, help you 

to create plans or put alternate 

measures in place. 

without a proactive mindset, many people can 

miss out on opportunities before the rewards 

can be fully reaped. Though this may seem 

like a trivial thing, being unprepared can be 

damaging to your business’ reputation and 

leave you in a worse position than you were 

initially. 

Don’t panic! There are some things that you 

can start now to prepare for the overflow. 

Working hard and preparing in advance puts 

you in a much better position than just sitting 

idly, unsuspecting and ill-equipped. Always 

remember that for a basket to be filled, you 

must first have a strong basket. 


23

MONTHLY WORKSHEET 

Daily Spending 

Questions to ask when considering a purchase... Yes No 

• Is it necessary? 

• Can it be avoided? 

• Is this an emotional purchase? 

• Is there an inexpensive alternative? 

If an inexpensive alternative is available, list the reasons why the 

alternate should not be purchased. 

• Is this a reoccurence purchase? If so, how can I reduce this expense next 

time? 


Daily Spending 

MONTHLY WORKSHEET 

Disposable Income Breakdown Amount % of Total Spend 

Necessary Purchases $ ____________________ _______________ % 

Avoidable (Postponable) Purchases $ ____________________ _______________ % 

Emotional Purchases $ ____________________ _______________ % 

Total Spending 

$ ____________________ 

Avoidable 

Purchases 

Emotional 

Purchases 

Necessary Purchases 

Example 

Fill in your breakdown. 


25

AVAILABLE THIS MONTH 

uncagedphoenix 

uncagedphoenix_blog 

www.uncagedphoenix.com 

customerservice@uncagedphoenix.com

UnCagedPhoenix Magazine: March 2019

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