They closed down the @lululemon in my neighborhood because the theft was just…

They closed down the @lululemon in my neighborhood because the theft was just too high. Bummer.

I was a brand ambassador for lulu for a few years. My image got used nationally. It was super cool. Lululemon helped me leverage my skillfulness as a teacher into something more meaningful. By offering opportunities to teach via their community development projects (for which i was paid and dressed) i was able to reach across the city to find intereated practitioners.

So weird to have been an influencer before there were “influencers,” or to have been ‘sponsored’ by a brand. But its true! And it was great! People in hugh paying positions liked seeing me in new, expensive clothes. It opened doors.

They invested a lot in my leadership development and I wonder now about what it means to be a community organizer (which i would call myself) and using that as a juxtaposition for compariosn to how we define influencer (which I would not label myself).

in some small way, I knew that I was picked because I looked chipper and non-threatening while still being somehow masculine. I had to reckon on leveraging my lookw and charisma for business AND service opportunities.

Long term, I wonder which is better for the wallet? To be a local brand ambassador or an Internet influencer? Which is better for the soul? Same same? I mean, when I got published in @yogajournal for my work on yoga during times of political unrest, it was my knowledge and hard work that got me in the door— but lulu was right there to help me look my best. I appreciated that.