On Wednesday, December 1, 2010 I received some of the most exciting news...but before I elaborate, let me introduce myself. Hello, I’m Crystal Black Davis and I’m a serial entrepreneur. I own a rapidly growing food marketing firm specializing in the product development and promotions of gourmet foods and I’m a published author who’s successfully launched one popular novel and currently working on the second novel and reference book. I live in the New York City metro with my amazing husband of eight (going on nine) years and I’m ambitious to a fault…so much so that I have always put off the prospects of motherhood to “next year” because whenever I stopped to survey my life as it was at that given moment, it never seem to fit into the here and now. I’m always on the move, from multi-city book tours to frequent international travel (eight European client meetings in just shy of four months is my current record) it was very hard to see how a baby would fit into that equation. This is a dilemma that many women face, so much so that a national magazine, Essence, reached out to interview me on the topic (read article here). After giving my views on why I didn’t feel as if I was ready for children, the response to the piece was overwhelming, generally positive but surprisingly a lot of opposition. Mainly due to that fact that my husband has been open to the idea of children since the completion of his MBA (though he’s always maintained that if it happened he would be extremely happy and if it didn’t or if it was delayed, he’d be fine with that as well). What surprised me the most was that I was being labeled as either selfish for my reasoning or that I must not want children period…neither was the case and I was completely blindsided by the sentiment. What’s very interesting is that my interview was fresh off the heels of an article I’d just read about Rebecca Walker (Alice Walker’s estranged daughter) and her accounts of growing up feeling neglected and unwanted due to what she portrayed as an always too busy, career obsessed mother…the last thing I want is for any future child of mine to feel as if Savvy and my other projects were priority and they were not.
Fast forward to October, about a month following the Essence article, several exciting things were happening to me, one in particular being the chance meeting of a major potential client. After a last minute platform change fiasco at Gare du Nord train station in Paris, I jumped on a train en route to Parc des Exposition for one of the world’s largest international food shows, SIAL. A gentleman who had apparently experienced my same platform confusion jumped on after me and following a huff of exhaustion he stated, “I really hope this is the train to Parc des Exposition.” I mentioned that I was almost 80% sure that it was and after the announcer confirmed it as such, we both began to calm down. Being that he was seated across from me and was evidently headed to the same destination, I introduced myself. He, in turn, did the same. It turns out that he’s the president of a seafood distributor in Barcelona that supplies over 80% of Spain’s shellfish. They recently launched a new line of prepared foods that they are looking to export to the U.S. and they need assistance with the entire market launch process…which is exactly what Savvy does. Talk about perfect place and perfect time!
So let’s revisit December 1, 2010.
After an extremely hectic work day I received some major news…I was informed that I’d won the British Airways Face of Opportunity business competition. My prize, a high profile entrepreneurs conference here in NYC and in London featuring Bill Rancic (season one winner of The Apprentice), Rich Sloan (founder of StartupNation) and Barbara Corcoran (real estate contributor on NBC’s Today Show, founder of NYC real estate empire The Corcoran Group, and yes, a shark on Shark Tank) in addition to that, the major prize was a round trip business class ticket to Barcelona to meet with Maresmar face to face! Nothing could top the excitement I felt after receiving that news…or so I thought. The next day, still hung over from the news of my big win, I began the process of mapping out my plan of action for Maresmar, but there was something hanging over my head that wasn’t completely atypical, yet still a cause for inquiry…I was late, as in female biologically late. Like four days late. So I decided to text my inner circle (my three BFF’s in Indianapolis) with the following question, “I’m four days late, how concerned should I be?” I obviously knew the answer to the question however I wanted my friends’ point of view to gauge the appropriate level of alarm. Within minutes they all responded with “GO GET A PREGNANCY TEST NOW!!!” So after completing a scheduled teleconference and fitting in a quick lunch, I headed to the drug store, went home and took the test. I’d gone through this drill before and I fully anticipated that the end result would be what it has always been because for the past eight years of marriage, our birth control method had been exactly the same and based on Einstein’s theory of insanity, why should I expect different results? So as I nonchalantly reached for the wand, I had an attitude of “here we go again.” That was until I saw that pink plus sign. Lucky for me, I purchased a multi-pack with three tests because I thought for sure that I messed up the first time…and the second time…okay, third time’s a charm.
Oh my goodness…I’m pregnant.
I jokingly state my pregnancy happened based on that darned law of attraction…it was spoken into existence! The two months prior to our big news, the baby topic seemed to come up more often than it ever had. From clients to family members, fans of Shaken and Stirred to total strangers, I felt as if I was wearing a perpetual “ask me if I plan to have a baby anytime soon” sign on my forehead…and then there was the Essence article, in which my stance on pregnancy remained consistent until the moment I looked at the wand. But wow, my reaction to seeing the positive sign (after the third try, LOL) completely took the Crystal who thought she wasn’t ready for children by surprise…I responded to the results with a moment of disbelief, followed by sudden and uncontrollable tears of joy, then jumping up from the edge of the tub, rushing up the stairs to my bedroom and kneeling down to give verbal thanks to God. I’m a firm believer in not questioning or doubting God’s master plan for my life. I came to that realization in 2009 when God called my fifty-five year old Mother home after a quick six month battle with breast cancer. God obviously had bigger plans for her and evidently my pregnancy is part of God’s bigger plan for me, my husband and my child. And for that, I’m content and excited about this new chapter in my life and everything that comes with it. I fully acknowledge that despite the busy factor, part of my baby apprehension was fear. Fear of all that comes with pregnancy, the symptoms, the needles, the hours of labor…not to mention the fear of now not having my Mother to guide me through this mystery I call motherhood, also the fear of raising a child in a city where we don’t have any family and would likely have to rely on a total stranger for childcare, admittedly the fear of the loss of freedom that I'd grown so accustom to, and the ultimate overriding fear of having the responsibility of rearing a productive member of society. Very valid and it was very much my reality and in some respects it still is, but I’m realistic and I’m going with the flow…surprisingly I’m managing it better than I ever expected. Not to say that I anticipate this to be easy, I just know one thing’s for certain, everything will work out the way it’s supposed to. Savvy will go on, future books will be written and during that process, a beautiful child will be nurtured, reared and prioritized. Do I know the exact path of how everything is going to be accomplished, no and that’s okay because it’s already been mapped out and I have completely “let go and let God”…so, with that said, I’m just beginning my second trimester and I have a long way to go…so without further ado, I’d like to welcome you to my journey!
