The Black Folder Project Is Coming to the Classroom

When I first started the Black Folder Project, my goal was simple: help people get organized before life forces them to.

Over the years, I've realized that many people want to prepare but don't know where to begin. They know they should organize their important documents, insurance information, medical records, and personal wishes, but the process can feel overwhelming. 

As I prepare my new office, I'm also bringing back the Black Folder Project Sessions. Interactive classes designed to help individuals and families begin organizing their lives one step at a time.

These won't be lectures, they will be working sessions where participants learn:

• What information belongs in a Black Folder
• Which documents every adult should know where to find
• How to organize important information before it is needed

The sessions will be offered in person at my new office location:

Elevate Business HotSpot
11864 Canon Boulevard, Suite 105
Newport News, VA 23606

I'm also developing an online version so people outside the Hampton Roads area can participate from wherever they live. The goal isn't to think about death. The goal is to create clarity, reduce confusion, and bring peace of mind while life is still moving forward.

If you've been meaning to get your affairs organized but just haven't known where to start, I hope these sessions will give you the guidance and encouragement to finally take that first step.

More details—including class dates and online registration—will be coming soon.

Prepare Before Life Disruption

Most people feel like they are prepared… until something happens. Everything is fine while life is running normally. Bills are being paid, accounts are accessible, and decisions are easy to make because
the person who manages everything is still able to do so.

The problem is not during normal times. The problem shows up when something interrupts that normal flow.

• A hospital stay.
• An unexpected illness.
• A situation where someone else suddenly has to step in and make decisions.

That is when the gaps become clear.

• Important documents are scattered or hard to find
• Account information is not easily accessible
• No one is quite sure what needs to be handled first
• Family members are left trying to figure things out in real time

The issue is not the event itself. It is the lack of preparation before it.

This is where the Black Folder Project comes in. It is not about reacting in a crisis. It is about getting organized before one ever happens. The focus is simple:

• Gathering important information in one place so it can be found when it is needed
• Making key decisions ahead of time instead of under pressure
• Creating clarity for the people who may need to step in
• Reducing confusion during moments that are already stressful

Preparation does not stop life from changing. It creates stability when it does. The goal is not perfection, it is progress. Even taking the time to organize a few key pieces of information can make a meaningful difference when it matters most.

That is why the Black Folder Project is centered around one idea:

What can be done BEFORE the emergency, BEFORE the decision, and BEFORE the stress begins?

Because when those moments come, and they will, preparation is what turns uncertainty into stability.

Most Families Are One Event Away From Instability

When people first hear about the Black Folder Project, they often assume it is about death planning. It is not, it is about stability.

Most families today are functioning without realizing how much of their daily life depends on things
continuing normally. Income continues. Health continues. Access continues. Bills get paid. Information is known. Someone knows what to do.

But what happens when one event interrupts that normal flow?

• A hospitalization
• A job loss
• A disability
• A death
• Even something as simple as someone not being able to speak for themselves

The real problem most families face is not the event itself. It is the instability that follows because nothing was organized beforehand.

• Accounts no one can access.
• Policies no one can find.
• Decisions no one prepared to make.
• Family members guessing instead of knowing.

The Black Folder is simply a stability tool. A place where important information lives so families are not forced to create order during chaos. Preparedness is not about expecting something bad to happen. It is about creating stability so that if life becomes unstable, your family is not starting from zero.

In many ways, this connects to my broader work through Ridea Works, where I study how instability shows up in work and life and how people can create structures that help them remain steady when disruption occurs.

The Black Folder Project is one of those structures. It's not a legal product or a financial product it is a stability practice for everyday families.   Most families are not one plan away from stability. They are one event away from realizing they needed one.

Walking Through Our History: Tour of Williamsburg’s Slavery Past

On August 15, 2025, I chose to spend my birthday walking through the layers of truth buried in Colonial Williamsburg. I took the Williamsburg Slavery Tour to understand more about the lives of the enslaved people who built this land and the systems that profited from their labor.  These systems still impact us today.

This was our Tour Guide Lonnie Sanifer.  He as great, interesting, and very knowledgeable.

The Tour Begins: Windmill Farm and the Reality of Tobacco Labor

We began at the Windmill Farm, surrounded by corn stalks and a few tobacco plants. 

Our guide explained how tobacco had to be checked every day for worms. Enslaved people worked from sunup to sundown, cutting, curing, and rolling tobacco leaves into hogsheads holding up to 1,000 pounds. 

Each hogshead was tagged with a log number, similar to a checkbook entry. That number was sent to an agent in London to credit the landowner once the shipment arrived. These owners were often “cash poor” not because they lacked wealth, but because their entire economic system was built on unpaid labor.

Tell Your Story Before You're Gone

Last week, I had the privilege of attending the Hampton Storytelling Festival, and it stirred something deep in me.

It was more than entertainment. It was a soul revival.

People from all walks of life stepped up to the mic to share their truth. Their humor. Their heartbreak. Their journey. And somewhere in the listening, I found a piece of myself again.

This WHRO article captured the heart of the festival beautifully:
Artists showcase heart and humor at Hampton Storytelling Festival – WHRO

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The Power of Story

We all have a story. Whether we whisper it, write it, or live it loudly, it matters.

Your story may not be perfect. It may be messy, unfinished, or hard to tell. But that does not make it any less valuable.

One thing I walked away with is this: If you don’t tell your story, who will?

Not just the highlights, not just the struggles, but the moments in between. The quiet strength. The unspoken hope. The chapters you are still trying to write.

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