DinkyDo

Welcome to another EBWS blog. At EBWS, we don’t sell apparel. We sell Stories. We sell ideas, aspirations, inspiration, and beliefs. Wearing our apparel serves as a reaffirmation of your greatness. At EBWS, every design has a story. We don’t create our apparel only to look good. We want our designs to mean something. Simply put, our swag is designed to serve as a mindset changer.  

In this blog, I want to talk about fitness and how fitness can affect a person’s professional and personal growth. This blog’s title is DinkyDo, a phrase that describes when a man’s stomach comes out further than his dinky do, hood I know. For women, it is called BootyDo, which describes when a woman’s stomach….well, you get the point. Hey, don’t kill me. I am just the messenger. Seriously, the lack of fitness in our community is a big deal. COVID has been teeing off on the black community since its inception. COVID has been so destructive in our community because many of us have underlining lifestyle-related health issues that have weakened our immune systems. Couple that with the fact that many of us are frontline workers and are not in jobs that provide good health insurance. That combination of issues mixed with COVID is a recipe for disaster. Although COVID is the immediate issue regarding health and wellness, what I want to talk about is the long-term professional impact of fitness in regards to earning power.

Your Hidden Body Language.

Your appearance speaks volumes prior to ever opening your mouth.  Slouched shoulders project laziness.  Wearing oversized clothes to hide the rolls projects unkemptness.  Ever heard of the Belt Buckle Test, well read on and I will explain what the Belt Buckle Test is. The truth is if you are trying to close a deal, whether you are selling yourself in an interview or trying to sell a product or idea if someone in the room doesn’t find you somewhat bangable, it becomes harder to close the deal. I know it sounds harsh, but it is the truth. There is a reason why high end clothing stores always have someone attractive asking, “may I help you.” Sex appeal sells. Ever notice when buying something expensive, like a car, the sales rep is typically well polished. It’s not until the deal is just about closed that you run into the “attractively deficient” F&I manager trying to give you that high ass interest rate. That is because looks sell. Fitness plays a crucial role in looking attractive. Real talk, if your sales pitch is questionable, then a nice ass or some broad shoulders might just be enough to get you to the finish line.

In corporate America, there are many overriding impressions of the black man. We are often viewed as angry and lazy. Although these perceptions are unjustified, it is still something we, unfortunately, must contend with.

To combat these perceptions, there are certain things we can do visually. First, being healthy helps to exude confidence. People with good health typically have a little more “bounce to the ounce” for all my Zapp and Roger fans out there. A strong frame naturally promotes good posture, which screams confidence. Combining an active lifestyle with decent eating habits can help someone look younger and more vibrant. Healthy skin helps a person to look more youthful and gives them that “sol glow.” People who workout will typically wear clothes that accentuate the fact they have been grinding in the gym. Fellas, earlier I asked if you could pass the belt buckle test? Before you can answer that question, you might be wondering what the hell is the Belt Buckle test? Welp, the Belt Buckle test is when you put on a pair of pants and tuck in your shirt. Is your stomach small enough to see your belt buckle? If not, then your temple might be in need of some repairs. I am not asking that question to be funny, but when people walk in the room, the first thing people see is your physical appearance.  Having a shirt that drapes perfectly on a pair of broad shoulders can do wonders for a guy’s image. Or a skirt that clings perfectly to a woman’s thighs, highlighting that figure can be a game-changer. Needless to say, fitness can be a very effective weapon in business.

In business, presentation is often more important than substance. Most ideas start out as bad ideas that eventually morph into better ideas. Quite often, people will gamble on supporting an idea because of the confidence the person selling the idea exudes. You are more likely to buy a health club membership if the person selling the membership looks like their abs have been photoshopped. The truth is people often hear what they want to hear, and your message might be received better if your appearance matches.

Since we are being honest with each other, being fit doesn’t only impact the workforce. The truth is as men age our “D” game can go south quick if we are not careful.  Yet, for some ungodly reason a females sexual appetite increases exponentially as she ages.  Hell, has no fury like a woman who needs her back broken but can’t get it.  I am not a doctor so I can’t tell you the biological reasons why it happens but what I can tell you is consistent fitness can delay the negative impacts of aging for men.  I don’t know about ya’ll but I have dreamed and prayed my whole life to have sex served to me on a platter and I be damn if I am going to let some damn push-ups and sit-ups be the reason I can’t enjoy the fruits of my labor.  Many of the arguments between couples have been solved by dropping that “D.” Being fit helps to keep the blood flowing(if you know what I mean). As we age, if we don’t keep ourselves fit, then “ole boy” might do his impression of “Elvis has left the building” at entirely the wrong time. Trust me, if you are married there will come a time when you will need to bring the pain like you did in your 20s. You best be ready! Killing it in the bedroom might be the difference between you getting Ramen Noodles for dinner and getting a steak.

In closing, health is wealth, and with the advent of social media and platforms like Youtube, there are many resources that can help anyone reach their fitness goals. Fitness doesn’t require money, and in comparison to other things we often do, it actually requires very little time. What fitness does require is discipline and consistency.