The Adrianna
The Aspect of Mental Health One thing you can count on is that you ’ re busy when starting a new business venture. You are using all your resources, doing research, and picking everyone ’ s brain. With so many moving parts, collaborations, or meetings, you are probably putting many things on the back burner. One of these may very well be your mental health. New ventures usually come along with a lack of sleep, poor food choices, you're frequently on the run, and you have the constant pressure to be “ on. ” Physical attributes aren’t the only things taxing your mental health. Your inner peace may also become off-center. However, keep in mind that this is entirely normal; not many people are free of mental health problems. Make sure to check in with yourself during these days of building your venture. If you are struggling or even think you are struggling, seek some help. Mental healthcare looks different for everyone, so do what is best for you and your schedule. As your business gets bigger, you will go through other growing pains, but keep in mind that mental health struggles don’t have to be permanent!
Before I joined the military, I had to lose 30 pounds. I had never lost weight before. I didn’t know. I was at the point when most of my clothes didn’t fit, and I would wear stretchy clothes to hide my weight. I started to ride my bike every day. 3 miles, 5 miles, 10 miles, even 20 miles. After a while, I lost 12 pounds, but I couldn’t lose anymore; I plateaued. Plateauing is very frustrating for anyone who has lost weight because you know you are doing the work but not getting the results you want.
In addition to veteran narratives, we wanted to highlight topics top of mind as you aspire and work your way through your ventures. So additionally, we'll include curated personal stories from our veterans to illustrate our topics further. And we'll be highlighting local veteran-related ventures through our Local Connections section. Stay tuned for our next magazine edition slated to drop in December.
I had to change something. So, I started to run.
By Jenna Carlton
However, there are always resources one of the resources available on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website. Another resource is mentalhealth.gov. Their link is here.
Welcome to our first edition of The Adrianna newsletter. And thank you for subscribing.
Lessons Through the Pen
By Jeremiah Valentine
I remember the day vividly; it was over 6 years ago. It snowed the night before; I lived in Michigan, and snow came early that year. I stepped outside, and I could see my breath. I put on basketball shoes, three sweaters, and some thick sweatpants. I wasn’t going to be defeated by the weather. I didn’t stretch; I am young, I thought, I don’t need to. I started through my front yard, sprinting past the mailbox and onto the icy street. The ice wasn’t the problem; my lungs were burning, and I was only 30 yards from the front door. I am good, I thought, keep going. I continued down the street, made a left, held a short distance, then a right. By now, the sprint was a jog, my knees were hurting because they weren’t used to the impact, my chest was hurting because of my lungs, my fingers started to go numb. I made it to the end of the street. I turned around and headed back. I had run over a third of a mile; it wasn’t far at all. When I got back to the house, I almost passed out on the floor to recover. My fingers, ankles, chest, and face were cold to the touch. My body was hurting from embarrassment and physical activity. I managed to recover and walked downstairs to my room in the basement. I was not happy with myself. I was used to riding twenty miles on my bike; how did that not translate? I felt defeated. I marched over to my Lazy boy and sat in it. I thought to myself; I might not have run a mile today. But at least I got out and tried; I already beat the people who never got up from the couch. Sometimes all you must do is show up. Three months later, I lost weight and joined the military, but I had to show up and run as often as possible. I had to do the work, and it was worth it because I will never forget the lesson I learned that day. It made me the person I am today.
The latest body of work released through my art collective, Requiem, is entitled Almost There.
Although the album dropped in September of 2021, it has been in the works since August 2020. Amid the COVID pandemic, I was quarantined with a brand new computer and 14 days of nothing but limited access to anything except infinite free time to create. After searching the music platform Splice for hours, I stumbled upon quite a few samples and loops I was fond of. It had been quite a while since I had produced for myself, so I wanted to see if I still had my touch behind the boards. Within three days, I'd done about six beats. I wrote to each beat as well. After 14 days, I had every beat recorded.
Ultimately, I decided to scrap the project, feeling that it wasn't cohesive and that listeners essentially wouldn't understand it. Likewise, listeners wouldn't connect with the stories and feelings being portrayed on the album. But I always keep it on my computer and phone. As time passed, other songs and projects I produced were dropped to the public, most notably my cult classic Goat Talk II, produced entirely by my high school friend Will Jordan, or JRDN.
Howell
Furthermore, I worked on several loosies (single song drops) and two concept albums in recent months, one of them being a significant project. But my selectiveness was slowing down progress, endlessly looking for beats and fine tuning my mixes. Time passed, and unfortunately, I didn't have the luxury of not releasing music while keeping my buzz. I scavenged around and found the old beats on my computer and thought I couldn't do a massive project, but I had gems that the world needed to hear. So, I halted my work on my albums to knock out an EP. Its purpose is to fill in the gap between my projects, let my fans know I'm still working, and stay patient. Fans are asking what next, like kids in a back seat tired of the drive, so only one answer was fitting...we're almost there. The album is coming soon.
State of My Art By Yaqub
La Fogata Food Truck
Local Connections
Every day we come across businesses in a variety of ways. Since I moved to Panama City Beach, the neighborhood periodically has food trucks come through our development. La Fogata was one of those food trucks, and ever since I tried their food, I always look forward to them coming back. I have not met anyone who does not have an appreciation of food, but not too many people open food businesses. How did your commitment to food come about? First, I want to thank you, Marcus, for taking an interest in our small business. My commitment to food came about as I combined two things that I sincerely love, service and cooking. Having spent time in Mexico and being married to a Mexican American, I have firsthand knowledge and a genuine appreciation for Authentic Mexican Food. When my family and I went out locally to eat at “Mexican Restaurants,” we have tasted the lack of authenticity in the food we were served. Indeed we are surrounded by Tex Mex cuisine that is mistaken for authentic. I saw a local Authentic Mexican food industry gap and decided to introduce authentic Mexican Food from the purchase, preparation, cook, and serve to my community. Starting a food business has several obstacles. So with that, what is the process like to deciding menu items?
You are 100% correct! Starting a food business is not for the faint at heart. The first thing I did was sit down and brainstorm. I made a list of all the dishes I could make well, and others told me I make well. Then I had to ask myself who would be my target audience. Finally, it was a lot of trial and error rotating items on and off the menu based on public demand. We have a grill in the trailer and a picture of a bonfire on the outside. I also took into consideration the cooking process we wanted to promote. So we are a grilled to order Authentic Mexican Food trailer.
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When we last talked in person at the food truck, I asked about a restaurant location. What are your thoughts currently on opening a restaurant location? Marcus, I have asked myself that question numerous times, and I keep coming back to the same answer. Brand Identity. By starting in a mobile unit, we can take our brand everywhere. To us, it's about getting our name out in the community and getting people talking about our food. If I were to start in a restaurant, I would not have been able to introduce scores of people to my “authentic” Mexican Food. In a restaurant, you are limited to one place. People must come to you. Being service oriented and mobile allows me to take my business to the masses. Hopefully, in the future, we will have a brick and mortar. What lessons can you give people who are thinking about operating a food truck or other business ventures? I would tell anyone thinking about a food truck business or opening any business to do their homework! The number one lesson that my husband and I have learned is that it's ALL OR NOTHING! Not 80%/20% or 70%/30%, its 100% of your effort. Managing a business is hard. Finding time to do all the necessary things to keep your business running; finding quality employees, balancing the books, ordering inventory, maintaining vehicles in optimum care, purchasing gas, propane, and keeping up with all dates when things are due. Business success is a direct reflection of time invested towards it. You must be ALL IN! Passion will make things more bearable, but it can only take you so far. Bumps and obstacles will present themselves but stay the course and don’t get distracted from your goal. You will be successful. I’m sure there are next steps, but we must take it one day at a time. Every day we open La Fogata 850, I give God praise because it’s only by His mercy and grace, we are still able to put smiles on people’s faces with our Authentic Mexican Food. You can find the La Fogata food truck in the Panama City, Florida area. Follow them here on Facebook. Are there next steps for the company? For the lastest from Adrianna, visit www.adriannamedia.com