April 2022 Issue by Where It Begins

PINKY COLE

Talks Slutty Vegan & Give VEGAN TIPS Look Inside for CHEF OF THE MONTH

Exclusive Interview with

Nikki B. BASKETBALLMOM, ENTREPRENEUR, AUTHOR

CONTENTS APRIL 2022 NIKKI B SHAUN CROMARTIE CHERIE JOHNSON DUTCH ROCKA ASHLEY SCOTT ANNA ORIS BRUNO ALCANTARA CHARLES ANTHONY PINKY COLE ANDREA NICOLE DIRTY WHITE GREG BROUSSARD (EGYPTIAN LOVER) JASON FONTENOT CRUSOE GONGBAY TIFFANY HARRIS BUDDY WIKE COREY MCINTOSH

04 06 08 11 13 16 20 24 26 30 32 36 38 40 42 44 46

24 08

40 Founder – Cece Hymes

W.I.B (Where It Begins) is an Independent agency with the aim to always be innovated in each approach taken to projects and making sure excellence is given in a projects execution when it comes to media marketing, branding, networking and management. Founded by the well experienced and ever growing force; D.C native - Cece Hymes, the most important and integral aspect of W.I.B is that branding for both Creatives and Businesses is taken to the next level with each and every project undertaken.

We’ve continued to represent a very diverse and well acclaimed roster of emerging talents in the entertainment, and businesses! With a determined persistence for continued excellence, our Founder – Cece Hymes, with a college Degree in Business Management, has also worked within radio and with many companies such as: RDE Entertainment, H.I.G.H Entertainment and Caribbean Gospel Records Ltd.,

"My purpose in life is to be the best mother & businesswoman I can be."

NIKKI B. 4

WIB PROMOTING NETWORK

Q. Thanks for interviewing with us. Tell everyone who you are and what you do. A. My name is Nikki Burnett also known as Nikki B. I’m a Wife, BasketballMom & entrepreneur. I’m a real estate specialist with 20 years of experience in Real Estate Sales, Construction & Investments. I’m the CEO of Modern Luxury Real Estate, an investment firm specializing in vacation rentals found on Airbnb & VRBO. I’m also the mom and manager of NBA prospect Nimari Burnett who is a McDonald’s All American, Gold Medalist & University of Alabama basketball player. Q. Who or what motivated you to be the woman you are today? A. My determination to be self-sufficient, successful & independent constantly motivates me to be the woman I am today. Q. How has the experience been being a BasketballMom? A. The experience of being a

BasketballMom has been very rewarding over the years. I’ve had the opportunity to travel to just about every city in the United States as well as Asia to support and cheer my son on. I launched a clothing company, BasketballMom back in 2011 & later got picked up for a TV show on the Lifetime network in 2017…all in the name of being a BasketballMom. Q. How do you define your purpose in life? A. My purpose in life is to be the best mother & businesswoman I can be. To nurture my son to become the best basketball player, businessman & philanthropist. Q. Was there a time in your career you felt like you wanted to give up? A. Yes, there have been times when I wanted to give up on real estate. I was burned out of being a realtor & showing multiples houses to buyers that didn’t know what they really wanted.

Q. What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? A. The best advice I’ve ever received is to not rush things. Things will present themselves when the timing is right. The second-best piece of advice I’ve received is to only pursue the things that you are passionate about. Q. Tell us some goals you are working on accomplishing for 2022? A. In 2022 my list of goals is: To pass my Nevada real estate test… Start my E-commerce business… Write my first Airbnb book & film my course that will teach others how to get into the short-term rental business. Q. How would you describe your future in three words? A. In three words I would explain my future as: Successful, Millionaire & Well-Traveled Q. Are you working on any new events or projects? A. I’m speaking at a few events this year and working on several real estate projects in Nashville, Scottsdale, Houston & Dallas Texas. Q. Where can the readers follow you? A. Readers can follow me on Instagram: @NikkiBTheBrand

WHERE IT BEGINS

WIB PROMOTING NETWORK

SHAUN

CROMARTIE Q. Thanks for interviewing with us. Tell everyone who you are and what you do. A. What’s going on, I go by the name Cromartie and I’m a R&B/ HipHop Singer straight out the District of Columbia ready to change the game.

Q. What or who motivated you to want to be in the music industry? A. My Biggest motivation of wanting to do music was definitely listening and hearing music from the 90s. The sound around that time was amazing! It was so many artists that played apart from men and woman. Back then for me it was all about the soul in the sound So when doing music, I push myself to think about those sounds and ways. Q. Let’s talk about your single and the motivation behind the song? A. My first single “Special” was honestly a gift from God to me. The motivation behind that song was my life. Growing up in uptown northwest DC I would have thought I was the richest kid on the block due to how my mother made it for us, but we were not, we struggled just like the next person, but we were rich in love. Music was always with me even at a young age. As I got older, I believe in myself more and more. I didn’t always make the right decisions in my Life, but I do know doing this music thing was one of the good ones My second single “7 Days” the motivation behind that song was wanting a song with that 90’s

feels but also mixing it with the new era type of music. Around that time, I really wanted a song about the days of the week. I like to push myself to write about certain topics to see if I can and then this was made.

Q. What has been one of your biggest accomplishments? A. One of my biggest accomplishments I would have to say is in my hometown on our local radio station 93.9 My song won a contest 5 nights in a row granting me an interview and getting my song played on air for everyone to hear. Q. Tell us one goal you would like to achieve for 2022? A. In 2022 A goal I would really like to achieve is to get as much of my music and videos out there and get them streams up as much as possible. The world needs to know who Cromartie is and I can’t wait to show them. Q. What is your biggest challenge you’ve had so far in your career? A. I think the biggest challenge I’ve had in my career so far is knowing who is there to truly help you win and knowing who want to take advantage. So many ppl will look at that dollar sign on your head and don’t give a ****. As long as the right ppl stay around you and keep you grounded you will forever be good.

Q. If you could perform with anyone, who would it be? A. If I could perform with ANYONE in the world It would definitely have had to be Luther Vandross. The soul that Luther brought to the table was unmatched. He will always and forever be my favorite singer. Q. What do you think is missing in today’s music? A. I think today’s music is missing the soul that we grew up off just as much as R&B. Back then one ooo Wap Wap and your mom was cooking and crying on way to turn that radio up louder so she can feel the song more, we don’t have that now. I want to open the door for the type of music we once known as R&B . Q. Are you working on any new projects or upcoming events? A. Yes, I am working on singles. We just working trying to find the best sounds that we want to go with to really give the urban feel that we want to bring. Q. How can the readers follow you? A. Follow me on all social media platforms @Cromartiee_ My music is on all platforms as well!! Be looking out for my new single dropping soon called Zodiac & 7Days.

"The world needs to know who Cromartie is and I can't wait to show them."

WHERE IT BEGINS

"People get shocked... I'm more like Holly from the hood than Hollywood."

CHERIE JOHNSON Photo credit: Will Utley Photography

WIB PROMOTING NETWORK

Q. Thanks for interviewing with us. Tell us who you are and what you do. A. I am Cherie Johnson. I host a podcast called Cherie‘s world podcast. New episodes come out every Wednesday. I also own a spa in Miami called Kian which stands for Keeping it all-natural. I am a mommy and I have an extraordinarily intelligent seven-year-old little girl. And I happen to be a veteran in the entertainment industry with four decades under my belt best known for my work on TV shows Punky Brewster and family matters. Q. Who or what motivated you to be the woman you are today? A. My mother has been my biggest motivation today to be the woman that I am. She taught me how to love myself unapologetically. She also never put any pressure on me as far as acting. She could care less about what I did for a living as long as it was legal, she was proud. My mother taught me to never put mental stock in fame, money, or material because those things didn’t matter. People mattered and being a good person matters. Status and material hold no real net worth when life is over. As far as the decisions in my career, Cicely Tyson was a huge motivation since I was a small

child. She told me that I never had to play a slave because she’d already done that I never had to play Housekeeper because she had already done that and it was important for me to choose characters that would help move black women forward. I never felt that I needed to just portray anything because I needed a job. Q. Let’s talk about “KIAN” and how it got started? A. Kian is the brainchild of my business partner Alycia Lerer. Being a former model the way she looks is very important to her. Through a conversation, she became a client of mine. I am a certified nutritionist and after putting her on a meal plan... She decided that I was going to be her business partner. For my birthday she gave me a pair of keys and told me that I was her business partner and we just opened a spa. I love her. That was 4 years ago now. Since then, she’s become a certified wellness coach and we now own our wellness center. www. Keepingitallnatural.com Q. What are some goals you want to accomplish for 2022? A. I always have a huge list of goals that I want to accomplish every year. This year on my list is to help my daughter finish fifth grade. She’s homeschooled

and I have been her homeschool teacher for the last year. She will be going to a charter school in the fall. I would like to open up another location for our wellness center. I want to get a distribution deal for a film that I produced that is in post- production right now. I also am looking to purchase another investment property and produce another film before the years are over as well as publish another book. Q. Tell us more about your podcast “Cherie’s World” and some of the topics you discuss? A. Courtney Blackmon my CoHost and shows Producer makes sure Cherie’s world podcast talks about everything that’s going on currently in the world as well as give me the opportunity to introduce some of the people that I have known and loved my whole life in a personal light to the world the goal for today’s world podcast is really to humanize the celebrity we are going on our third season with 156 episodes under our belt have gotten a chance to interview some of the most amazing people in business and entertainment like

WHERE IT BEGINS

Big Daddy Kane, Tamar Braxton and Shyheim Franklin from WuTang Cedric Ceballos, The Worldclass Wreckin Cru, J.J. Fad, Dawn from En Vogue, Emmanuel Lewis and so many others….. Q. What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had in your career? A. The biggest challenges in my career I have been trying to get from behind the characters that I played as a child. That’s why twenty years ago started producing my own projects.

Q. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? A. If I could go anywhere in the world that I wanted to go right now I would love to take a tour around the continent of Africa. You hear about Jewish people having their birthright trip. I believe that Black people should have their birthright trip back to Africa and I would love to take my daughter to travel through many of the countries so that she can enjoy the continent of the beginning of all man. I think it’s important for her to know

that the Africa she’s watching on American TV is not the true Africa! Q. Let’s talk about “Advice for my Sistas” and the motivation behind it? A. Advice for my Sista’s is really a labor of love! When I turned 40 the relationship, I had with myself totally changed. I learned to trust my gut I learned to love myself in a deeper way than I have ever loved myself before and I believe that motherhood was a part of that self-love and there were so many things that I noticed women didn’t talk about in an interest form like pregnancy and childbirth and aftercare for yourself after having a baby I wanted to make sure that I was able to put something down in Writing‘s with my sisters could get that buys from me that I had never gotten from anyone. Writing is my therapy. I am a true introvert, and I don’t speak much off-camera. People have asked me over and over who the true Cherie is. They wanted to share my thoughts and my feelings and for me, communication seems to be easier through writing than speaking so it’s really just a way for me to share myself and my thoughts with my community, my village. Q. Are you working on any new projects or upcoming events? A. Unfortunately, all events have been put on hold due to Covid but yes, I am working on some more film projects this year and I have a couple in post- production that I’m hoping that I can get out by the third quarter. I’ve also been working on a book and I pray to have that completed by spring. Q. Where can the readers follow you? A. You can find me at my website which is www.Therealcherie.com or all social media is @cheriejohnson75.

WIB PROMOTING NETWORK

DUTCH ROCKA Q. Thanks for interviewing with us. Tell us who you are and what you do. A. My name is Lebert Steve Rose aka Dutch Rocka from Kingston city Jamaica. Q. Tell us a little bit about your journey and how you got

to where you are today? A. As a child growing up, I always knew the power of music, I had 5 brothers and 2 sisters that listened to a wide selection of music and saw how it can uplift, entertain and unify. I’ve seen it give hope to seeming hopeless people and comfort to the broken

hearted. So now the goal is to spread good musical vibes to those that resonate with it. Q. Let’s talk about your company “Love Rules Ent” and the how it got started? A. I was always into art and had dreams of designing my own WHERE IT BEGINS

T-Shirts, L R are my initials. I prayed for it to be greater than just my name and after trying a few combinations I was stuck on “LOVE RULES” and started my company in 2018 (Love Rules Ent LLC) loverulesent.com. Q. How was your experience performing with the group “Corpse Crew”? A. Corpse Crew was my first attempt at being an artist. The name came from us teenagers thinking that our styles are so dangerous it could kill therefore causing a “Corpse”, it was my days of doing hip hop music hitting up parties in around Queens, New York with a couple of my neighbors we went by Dutch, Drag and Sparrow. Our crew ended when I went back to Jamaica. Q. Tell us what “Rip Hop” means? A. Rip Hop is when I combine both Reggae and hip hop on one track, which was easy to me because of eclectic musical influences. Q. What are some of your goals you would like to accomplish for 2022?

WIB PROMOTING NETWORK

A. For 2022 I plan to expand awareness of my music and my brand. I’ll be doing more pop-up shops, festivals and more musical performances. I am also planning a Love Rules event that will showcase both my music and other artists that resonate with the mission of the Love Rules brand, which is to spread positive vibes, love and unity. Q. Can you tell us what is one of your biggest accomplishments or achievements you’ve received in your career? A. One of my greatest accomplishments thus far is collaborating with a reggae artist name Joe 10 on a song called “Bone Yard” featuring myself that’s about stopping gun violence. The video has been embraced by Flow TV in Jamaica and is now in rotation. I also did the first radio commercial for Magnum Tonic Wine which is popular in the Caribbean for over 20 years now. Additionally in 2021 after releasing songs like “Runaway Train” and “You Lied”

with cinematic visuals based on real life situations, I’m humbled and grateful for the positive feedback from home and the international markets. Q. Tell us one fun fact about yourself? A. I love making organic power smoothies because I like eating healthy and sometimes even cook ackee and salt fish which is Jamaica’s national dish. Q. Are you working on any new events or upcoming projects? A. I have a new song about to drop that’s produced by Joe 10 called “Give Thanks” I’m also working on a Love Rules event for Spring and an EP set to be released this Summer. Q. Where can the readers follow you? A. I can be found on all social medias @dutchrocka and on my website Dutchrocka.com

"I'm humbled and grateful for the positive feedback from home and the international markets."

Photo credit: Will Downing

ASHLEY SCOTT WHERE IT BEGINS

Q. Thanks for interviewing with us. Tell everyone who you are and what you do. A. Thank you for having me. It’s an honor to be in your publication. My name is Ashley Scott. I am a singer/ songwriter mainly in the genres of R&B and Jazz. I am a native of Philadelphia and graduate of Howard University in Washington DC where I received my Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Music. I have been in the music industry for a lot of years both on the creative and business side. On the creative side I have 7 singles released on my own label Soulful Sounds International Records and have performed on the same stages as Eric Roberson, Will Downing, Take 6, Jean Carn, and Bilal... On the business side I have worked in Marketing, Promotions, and Event Production. Current and past clients include Will Downing, Marcus Johnson, Najee, and Kenya. Q. Tell us a little about your journey and how you got to where you are today? A. Well I was always a singer and in college a friend of the family got me a job at a concert venue where the who’s who of Classic Soul performed from Teena Marie, The Whispers, The O’Jays, etc. She said I needed to know the business and behind the scenes. At this venue I learned Stage Production, Contracts, Club and Radio Promotions and Venue Management. I started my own company Philash Entertainment Group in college and from there I began producing events and doing promotions in Philadelphia. Started a non-profit called The Artists United to help educate adults and the youth on the Entertainment Industry.

WIB PROMOTING NETWORK

Q. Who or What influenced you to pursue a career as a singer/ songwriter? A. My parents had an amazing record collection and they always played Earth, Wind, & Fire, Stevie Wonder, and Chicago. However, my aunt (dad’s sister) Helen Scott is a singer with a female trio from Philadelphia called The Three Degrees. She started at the age of 15 and the group is still performing to this very day. They are known for the songs “When Will I See You Again” and “TSOP - (The Sound of Philadelphia)” which was the longtime theme song for the show Soul Train. Seeing a video of her performance at The Royal Albert Hall in London in 1979 is what inspired me to do this. My mother also grew up on the same street in West Philadelphia as The Delfonics (known for “La La Means I Love You” and “Didn’t I Blow Your Mind”). The group members Randy Cain, William Hart, Wilbert Hart and later Major Harris became like the extended Uncles. Watching and listening to both of these groups gave me a foundation of musical harmony and arrangements as well as a liking for Pop and Jazz standards. For instance, The Three Degrees were known for performing songs like “MacArthur Park” and The Delfonics have a great cover of “Alfie.” Q. What makes your music different and more unique than others? A. My music and creative process is very traditional. Most of my songs with the exception of the dance remixes has all live instrumentation in them. I really focus on making timeless music that will last and be remembered forever. I have had a few singles thus far, especially “Dance the Night Away” and “Don’t Throw Our Love Away” which are songs that have given me international acclaim especially in the UK.

Q. Let’s talk about your single and the motivation behind the song? A. “Together” was a piece of art that was carefully crafted. While the motive is always timeless music I was intentional with the song being a wedding song that people could either use as a first dance or walk down the aisle to. Musically speaking I was going for warm chords and a time signature to give you space to sing. Once my friend/producer Stan Davis established the track with the rhythm section, I had to have live strings and horns. Also being from Philadelphia, the song had to reflect the lush sound that the city is known for from the 70’s and Neo Soul eras. I sought out a legendary arranger that I have always known and respected, Dennis “Doc” Williams. Doc is the longtime musical director for The O’Jays and has done arrangements for them. Gerald Levert, and more. I was looking for counter melodies with the strings and good punches with the horns. Doc was the right call for this one. Going back to the timeless music I love watching the late nighttime Life infomercials on their CD collection and musical tv shows and it’s a dream to create songs to stand the test of time. All of that inspiration was used to paint the song “Together”. Q. If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be? A. That list is too long to name but anyone that I have been inspired by and who makes great music and that ranges from Jam & Lewis; Carvin Haggins & Ivan Barias; Dre & Vidal; Frank McComb; Stevie Wonder; Eric Roberson; Lalah Hathaway; etc. I was able to collaborate with my friend and mentor Will Downing on the song “Dance the Night Away.”

Photo credit: Will Downing

Q. What is one fun fact about yourself? A. There are a few. Outside of music I love being a dad to my two daughters ages 6 and 3; researching my family history and connecting with cousins; and watching Professional Wrestling on tv weekly both WWE and AEW.

supporters of the music and once they love you, they love you for life. I know that as those are 2 of the main places The Three Degrees have been performing in their 59-year existence. In the states I would love to hit major markets like Washington DC, New York, Chicago. Los Angeles, Atlanta, etc...

Q. If you could perform anywhere in the world, where would it be? A. Right now I would love to perform overseas in the UK and Japan. Those audiences are really

Q. Are you working on any new projects or upcoming events? A. I am beginning to work on a new song to release later in the year as well as an original jazz tune. I am trying to stay consistent with

releasing 2 to 3 singles a year. Q. How can the readers follow you? A. My website is AshleyScottMusic. com. On Instagram and Twitter, it’s AshleyScott3. On Facebook they can go to Facebook.com/ IAmAshleyScott and Tik Tok is @AshleyScottMusic. I also produce a weekly radio show for Indie Soul and Jazz called Soulful Sounds Radio. They can get that on my website as well or from Soundcloud.com/ SoulfulSoundsRadio

“I was always told to remain independent as an artist in the entertainment Industry from my Howard University college professor (Jazz Pianist/Producer) Webster Lewis as he said a record contract is nothing but a credit card, what they pay out you will pay back.”

WHERE IT BEGINS

ANNA ORIS

loved acting. Even though I loved my family, I always felt like a prisoner of my own life because I was not fulfilling my passion. Three years later I decided that I have to do something because I forgot about my dream, and forgot about myself. I was unhappy with myself because of the weight I had gained after giving birth, so I found the motivation to start working out at the gym to improve my self image and gain back my body confidence. I felt so inspired by my new confidence that I entered beauty competitions. I did one competition in St. Petersburg, one in Europe and one in the US in Jacksonville. Q. Tell everyone who you are and what you do? A. Hello , my name is Anna Oris. I work in the entertainment industry as a theater/TV/film actress, model, TV host, influencer and public figure. Q. Tell us a little about your journey and how you got to where you are today? A. I started to work as a model at the young age of 15 yrs old. After working successfully as a model, I remembered that my dream was always to become an actress. I have a memory from when I was about 5 years old, I stood up on a chair and started to tell a story I made up for every character. Then I turned to my parents and told them that I will be an actress some day and move to Los Angeles. They were laughing at me and I started to cry, but that dream stayed alive inside of me and never died. In my later years, when I was eighteen years old I went to university to study special education for acting in TV and theater. While getting my education, I also worked, but ended up getting married and having a baby. I struggled to juggle everything that I was responsible for and wanted to do. So I decided to take a break from my acting. It was such a hard decision because I really

2015 year was a great year for me as I received many awards as a professional actress, as a top model, and one for successful person in St. Petersburg. This was also the year that I got the main role in a theater. I also received a 5 yr contract for Colgate toothpaste. Then in 2016 I moved with my husband and daughter to Moscow to work as a weather TV host for three years. The following year, I got divorced in 2017. I remembered my dream that I wanted to move to Los Angeles,

so I started the process to move my daughter and I to the USA. In 2019 I was finally able to make the move. My dream came true, and six months later the pandemic started but that didn’t deter me from my goals. I continued looking for any job in the entertainment business. For the last year, during the pandemic, I made 5 movies and 1 TV show even though I was new to the USA. I accomplished all this through my own research. Of course for the last 2 and a half years while I’m here in the USA I continued to make a lot of commercials, print modeling work, and runway shows. Q. Who are some people who influenced you in your career? A. First, it’s my parents who influenced me, I am appreciative for everything that I learned from them. Although I did not have a wonderful childhood but my parents taught me a lot of things. Most of all, I am grateful to them for who I am. Second, is my daughter. She is my everything. I can’t even find the words to express how much she helps me. Someone in my life once said to me, “I’m sorry that u have a daughter and I understand how hard it is to try to have a career when you have a kid”. And I told him please never tell me this again because Amelia, my daughter, she is the main person who supports my career. Everything I do is for her, she is my greatest inspiration. During my life I had many people who really helped me with my career, especially when I moved to the USA. I met so many great people. I didn’t know that it could be like this. I should say thank you so much to my entertainment Lawyer and friend, Larry Winberg. And to all my friends in the USA who support me every day and share in every moment. Q. What has been your biggest accomplishment or achievements you’ve received in your career? A. All of the projects and

everything that I’ve ever done in my career is special to me, because each new experience brings growth and learning to my art form. I am a better person, learning new things as each project brings something special to my life. One of my highlight moments was participating in the International Beauty Competition in 2015. I placed in the top 15. It was really a great opportunity. Other accomplishments I am proud of is the contract with Colgate, the video and print commercial for ColdWell banker Real Estate, and my first supporting lead role in the feature western movie “Assault on Rio Bravo”. What an amazing experience it was to film. I have been blessed to do so many incredible things and have great opportunities come my way. Q. How was your transition coming from Russia to the U.S.? A. It was extremely hard, because my daughter and I didn’t speak any English at all. We had very little money and just took the leap of faith and moved. Once I arrived I did everything I could to work like crazy. I was trying to settle myself and my daughter. I tried to find a school in the best area for her, give her a stable life. All while I was trying to make money and at the same time, struggling to learn English. Then I realized not only do I need to know English, but I have to work on my accent as well. I actually think that the pandemic helped us in this, as it gave us a chance to be home, watch tv shows in English, study together and practice on a daily basis.

Q. Let’s talk about some of the movies/TV shows you have been a part of? A. I starred in many TV series in Russia, Turkey. You can check my IMDB page. Also, I was working with Paul Giammati in the movie “Cold Soul.” It was a very small supporting role. I was like 18 years old. Paul flew to SaintPetersburg for this project. Let’s talk what I did in the USA. I played in 5 Hollywood films and 1 TV show: The western movie “Assault on Rio Bravo”. I just recorded the song for this movie. Film was inspired by true events and the life story of Ivan Turchaninov (who Alexander will portray) – the colonel in the Russian Imperial Guards who immigrated to America in 1856 and later became a Union army brigade general and the only Russian hero of American Civil War. He was better known in North America by his Anglicised name John Basil Turchin. The film stars Alexander Nevsky (Black Rose), Matthias Hues (Dark Angel), Olivier Gruner (Nemesis) and Joe Cornet (Prayer for the Damned), who also directs and executive produces. The film also stars Natalie Denise Sperl (Mank), Kerry Goodwin (Promise), Russian actress/ supermodel Anna Oris and Arrow in the Head founder John Fallon (100 Feet) aka The Arrow! “Assault on Rio Bravo” is currently in post production in Los Angeles under the supervision of editor Cody Miller (Maximum Impact). The film is produced by Alexander Nevsky and Eric Brenner. The horror movie “Night of the Caregiver” is an international co-production between ETA Films, San Rafael Production and

WIB PROMOTING NETWORK

Brooklyn. Based on an award-winning AFI thesis. The writer and Director is Max Weissberg. TV show “My American Family" Created by Victor Migalchan, it's a story about a young man from Eastern Europe, who comes to the USA from China in order to fulfill his dream and stays with his American-Latino family.

Hollywood Storm, and it’s coming to us from the creative team behind the upcoming actionpacked Western Assault on Rio Bravo, with Joe Cornet (A Prayer for the Damned) directing from a screenplay written by Craig Hamann (Showdown in Manila). Alexander Nevsky (Black Rose) is producing, and Cornet serves as executive producer with Eric Brenner (The Haunting of Sharon Tate) and Sean Murray (Call of Duty: Black Ops), who is also composing the score. Eileen Dietz, best known for playing the demon in the classic horror film The Exorcist, Natalie Denise Sperl (Mank), Anna Oris (Assault on Rio Bravo), Academy Award nominee Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight), and Joe Cornet himself. Sam Wilkerson (Paydirt) was the director of photography, and the stunt coordinator was Robert Madrid (Half Past Dead 2). Feature drama film “Karaganda”. The story of the film is very touching. A prisoner in a Soviet prison camp is on a mission to rescue his wife, a journey that will transform him into a powerful crime boss in Brighton Beach,

The short movie “Ravishing”. This movie is coming. Unfortunately, I could not tell you story before the production gives me permission. The short movie “Enchantress”. There was very interesting experience because I was playing the Enchantress. So, it is mystery movie about beautiful woman who stuck in the powerful house for many hundred Years. One day she finally run out from this house. Q. Where do you see yourself in the next three years? A.You know I see myself as a successful woman. And for me to be a successful woman it means: I have a great acting career, happy family and great health. Q. What are some goals you want to accomplish for 2022? A. I want to get a regular role in a TV show on the popular online platforms. Also I have a dream. Do you know the cartoon Anastasiya which was made by Fox Family films and Fox Animation studios? So, I want to play main role Anastasiya in the movie musical. I want to sign the contract with a strong theatrical representative. I have so many ideas and dreams, but I think this is one of the most important I want to accomplish.

The main actor is legendary Actor Danny Trejo. Also, I had the pleasure of being cast in a film entitled OKSANA which depicts the true story of a Ukrainian girl who was brutally assaulted and ultimately murdered. The original mission of the film was to help expose and end violence towards women but since the onslaught of the war in Ukraine, I believe the film has taken on a much deeper meaning.

Q. Are you working on any new projects or upcoming events? A. I am working on an action movie which will be filming in Europe. Also, I am working with a famous Swiss artist, posing as a model for his paintings. These paintings will be will be presented in an exhibition in Florida. I am working on my own charity art Exhibition which will be in Los Angeles. And I am working with a few famous beauty brands as an influencer. Q. Tell us where the readers can follow you? A. Yes, I have a lot of social media accounts. I think the best link where you can find anything about me is https://taplink.cc/ annaoris_official

WHERE IT BEGINS

"Being successful is to be happy, however that looks like, we gotta go for it."

BRUNO

ALCANTARA 20

WIB PROMOTING NETWORK

help people. Massage therapy started as a hobby back in Brazil, I never had the intention to really take it as a profession but it ended up that I am pretty good at it. Through massage I have the opportunity to help people more physically and through coaching more mentally, emotionally. Q. What goals do you see yourself accomplishing for 2022? A. I am working on a lot of goals in my personal and professional life. I guess I can share that I am working to improve my Spanish. Q. Thanks for interviewing with us. Tell us who you are and what you do. A. My name is Bruno Alcantara. I am originally from Brazil, and I’ve been in the US for 8 years. I work as a LGBTQ + Life Coach, Massage Therapist, Model for the show RuPaul’s DragRace and freelancer as an event Producer. Q. Tell us a little bit of your journey and how you got to where you are today? A. I come from a simple family in Bahia, but I always dreamed big, my mom reminded me that when I was 7, I told her I was going to travel the world and that I was going to live far away. Right after I finished my Degree in Communication Advertising and my MBA in Human Resources, I had the opportunity to work for 3 years at Sao Paulo Fashion Week and Fashion Rio and this experience made me learn and grow a lot, it also made me want to be fluent in English so bad. And that was the real reason I came to Los Angeles to do 3 months of English school. Q. What has been one of your most memorable achievements or awards you’ve received in your career?

A. Being in the US brought me amazing experiences that I consider achievements. I finished 2 years of acting school and that was really challenging, especially because of the language. When I received my certification as a life coach, I was pretty good too. I had the opportunity to work in events like Emmy’s and Oscar’s and I was just so happy with that. And I had the opportunity to work in an international tour with Madonna, an opportunity that many people all over the world would love to have, it was an unforgettable experience that I still revisit sometimes. Q. How did you become part of the Pit Crew of RuPaul’s DragRace? A. When I was working at Madonna’s Tour, I met Jaime Laurita who was my boss, he is a really close friend with Michelle Visage, that’s how I got connected with the production of the show and after a few calls I was invited to work together as a test and here I am many seasons later. Q. Let’s talk about being a Massage Therapist and the motivation behind it? A. Not everyone knows that, but I am pretty spiritual aware and love to work with people and to

Q. Let’s talk about your “Only Fans” page and what made you want to start one? A. I was invited by the OF team to have a page and after this call they explained to me that in my page I could post whatever I liked, not a specific kind of content. So, my intention was really to give my followers or fans the opportunity to see more about my life, me, another way to connect with people that probably really like me because it’s a paid platform. Q. Tell us one fun fact about yourself? A. I am afraid of heights, and I dream about getting married, how is that? haha Q. Are you working on any new projects or upcoming events? A. I just worked at the last Oscars 2022 on March 27, DragCon Los Angeles is also coming. DragRace is still happening, and some other cool things I won’t share until it is confirmed. Q. Where can the readers follow you? A. They can follow me on IG: brunocalcantara and from there you find all the others. My coaching website: www.brunocalcantara.com

"The music that I create is music that fits the kind of person I am."

CHARLES ANTHONY

WIB PROMOTING NETWORK

Q. Who are some of your musical influencers who inspired you in your career? A. My musical influencers are Michael Jackson, Ne-Yo and Usher. My family is by far my biggest inspiration for me in my career. They consistently keep me motivated to keep going no matter what obstacles that come up that may try and get in my way as I pursue and build a successful music career.

Q. Thanks for interviewing with us. Tell us what you do and who you are. A. I am Charles Anthony an R&B singer from Dallas, Texas. Q. What first got you into music? A. I first fell in love with music because I started watching Michael Jackson perform. I knew from that moment I wanted to become an artist.

Q. Let’s talk about your single “Girls Like You” and the motivation behind the song. A. I wanted to make a fun inspiring energetic song dedicated to all kinds of women letting them know that there are good men who genuinely appreciate them every day. Q. How would you describe the music that you typically create? A. The music that I create is music that fits the kind of person I am. I consider myself to be someone who is fun, outgoing and loving. Q. If you could open a show for any artists, who would it be? A. I would love to open up for

Usher, Chris brown, Ne-Yo, and Justin Bieber. I chose them specifically because they fit the performance style that I give to my audience. Q. Where do you see yourself in the next three years? A. I see myself being a known and globally recognized artist with 5 hit singles 3 platinum albums and consistently traveling making an impact on as many people as possible. Q. If you could go anywhere in the world and perform, where would it be? A. I would love to go over to London, England. I always wanted to visit there personally, and to also have an opportunity to perform there would also mean a lot to me. Q. Are you working on any new projects or upcoming events? A. I’m going to be performing in some upcoming shows beginning in a few weeks from now. I’ll be performing on AfroTV, also I’ll be performing at SXSW, and I’ll also be opening up for Aaron Carter this year. Q. Where can the readers follow you? A. The readers can be sure to follow me on Instagram at charlesanthonymusic.

WHERE IT BEGINS

"The entrepreneurial journey is not one for the weak or faint of the heart."

PINKY COLE Photo credit: Sterling

WIB PROMOTING NETWORK

Q. Thanks for interviewing with us. Tell us who you are and what you do. A. I am a serial entrepreneur, brand strategist and founder & visionary behind Bar Vegan, Slutty Vegan ATL – a nationally acclaimed, Atlanta-based burger joint offering creative takes on plant-based burgers with racy names like Sloppy Toppy, Fussy Hussy and One Night Stand – and The Pinky Cole Foundation. Q. Tell us a little bit about your journey and how you got to where you are today? A. I was born and raised in East Baltimore and started my entrepreneurial journey early through creating business plans and side-hustles with friends and family members during high school. I moved to Atlanta to attend Clark Atlanta University, and while I quickly became enamored with the city, I decided to pursue acting in Los Angeles upon graduation and later worked as a successful television producer in New York City and Connecticut. I eventually made my first foray into the culinary world with my popular restaurant, Pinky’s Jamaican and American

Restaurant, in New York, which tragically burned down. I relocated to Atlanta and came up with Slutty Vegan ATL during a late-night craving for mouthwatering vegan fast food in Atlanta. From there, I started cooking vegan burgers in a shared kitchen in August 2018, and the Slutty Vegan empire was born. The wildly popular, gamechanging concept has not slowed down since opening. Today, Slutty Vegan has four brick-and-mortar locations including Jonesboro, Georgia and Duluth, Georgia plus outposts in Atlanta’s Edgewood and West View neighborhoods, with more to come including Birmingham, Alabama and Athens, Georgia. The brand’s “Big ‘Ol Slut” food truck pops up in neighborhoods across metro Atlanta and in cities across the country to share its famous burgers and fries with fans near and far. Q. How did you come up with the name “Slutty Vegan”? A. Sex and food are the two most pleasurable experiences in life. A Slutty Vegan, in my mind, is someone who eats vegan but enjoys junk food – as long as it’s not dead. I knew the name would be a great hook to help people to reimagine food. What I didn’t know was how much of an impact it would make. Q. Let’s talk about your cooking book and the motivation behind the book? A. I’m releasing my first book, Eat Plants, B*tch, with 13A of Gallery Books Group. It’s on sale beginning November 2022 wherever books are sold. It›s my love letter to food, and it will feature 91 vegan recipes including breakfast creations, dinner items like Jamaican dishes from Cole›s childhood, tapas and small plates created to celebrate and invoke joy, and her signature southern comfort food, plus a selection of tips and tricks for vegan cooking, plant-based substitutes and

Photo credit: Sterling

complementary dips, jam, jellies and gravy to enhance the recipes. Q. Can you give us more details about the “Getting Slutty Tour”? A. The brand’s “Big ‘Ol Slut” food truck pops up in neighborhoods across metro Atlanta and in cities across the country to share its famous burgers and fries with fans near and far. Stay tuned for updates on where we’re popping up next on Instagram. Q. What have been some of the challenges and hurdles you’ve had to go through in your career? A. The entrepreneurial journey is not one for the weak or faint of the heart. It requires hard work, dedication, self-discipline, prayer, and vision. As a minority female entrepreneur, you can multiply all of that by a hundred and add a side of prejudice and sexism to the side. For reasons like these, I push so hard. Q. What tips can you give to someone who is shifting towards becoming a vegan? A. I think healthy eating means eating what makes you feel good! We know that vegetables and quinoa are a big part of most vegans diets, but who says they can’t enjoy a great burger every now and again too? Food isn’t

Photo credit: Sterling

WHERE IT BEGINS

Photo credit: Maya Hockaday

just about feeding your body, it’s nourishing your soul. Being healthy means being able to take time away from your busy life to indulge in the little pleasures that life brings. And there’s no greater pleasure than eating good food with good people. At home, I use fresh herbs to spice up all of my meals. I believe I can make anything taste good. I use fresh herbs, pimento, coconut milk, Jamaican peppers, fresh garlic, vegetable bouillon, exotic mushrooms, and more to make my vegan food taste delicious. Q. Can you tell us some goals you would like to accomplish for 2022? A. Open more Slutty Vegan locations! So far, upcoming

Photo Courtesy of: Slutty Vegan

locations include Athens, Georgia, Birmingham, Alabama, Brooklyn, New York, Baltimore, Maryland and more.

locations have a line down a block that tells me that obviously we’re doing something right. We›ve made veganism fun and accessible.

Q. What has been one of your greatest accomplishments you’ve received in career? A. When we talk about the impact that’s been made in the South, to have people lined down the block every single day? All of our

Q. Are you working on any new events or upcoming projects? A. Right now, my focus is on opening new locations, the launch of my cookbook and initiatives through my foundation, like the Square 1: The Life Insurance Experience. We’re teaming up with my partner Derrick Hayes of Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks to spearhead the program with an initiative to provide life insurance policies by December 2023 to 25,000 Black men to support their health and generate generational wealth in the Black community. Q. Where can the readers follow you? A. @Pinky907, @SluttyVeganATL, @BarVeganATL and @PinkyGivesBack

Photo credit: Maya Hockaday

WIB PROMOTING NETWORK

ANDREA NICOLE 30

WIB PROMOTING NETWORK

Q. Thanks for interviewing with us. Tell everyone who you are and what you do. A. My name is Andrea Nicole. I am a recording artist and songwriter. You will find that my music has thought-provoking messages that urge the listener to evaluate their life or situation. My prayer is to touch someone in some way through my music.

myself and witnessed of others. Relationships can be difficult and confusing while at the same time rewarding. I knew people could relate.

Q. Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in the music industry? A. Music filled my home growing up as a child. My dad played the bass guitar, and my older brother sings as well. I also sang in my church choir, community choirs, school talent shows and other local events to showcase my talent. As I got older, I knew I had a gift and wanted to share it with the world. My gift motivates and inspires me to keep pushing and to follow my dreams.

Q. What has been the biggest accomplishment or achievement you’ve received in your career? A. I would have to say that my biggest accomplishment or achievement was performing on the historical stage at the Apollo and given the opportunity to rub the iconic log that you see everybody rub lol.

Q. Let’s talk about your Ep “Straight from The Heart” and the motivation behind it? A. Straight from the Heart came from situations I have experienced

Q. Where do you see yourself in three years? A. In three years I see myself still doing what I love only in front of millions!

Q. If you could perform anywhere in the world, where would it be? A. I would love to perform at the BET and the Soul Train Awards because it celebrates AfricanAmerican culture, music and entertainment. I would love to be a part of that one day. Q. Tell us mode detail about your new single “Good Luvah”? A. Good Luvah is definitely my favorite song right now… It’s so sexy! Releasing it right around Valentine’s Day was perfect. The title says it all!

Q. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? A. The best advice I’ve ever received was to stay humble and always keep God first in everything that I do. Q. Are you working on any new projects or upcoming events? A. Yes. There will be a visual coming very soon for “Good Luvah.” I will also be releasing another EP soon after that so stay tuned. Q. How can the readers follow you? A. You can follow me on… Facebook@andreanicole4real Instagram@andreanicole4real TikTok@andreanicole4real Twitter@andreanicole_3 www.andreanicolemusic.com

"Stay humble and always keep God first in everything that I do."

WHERE IT BEGINS

"Music is my priority."

DIRTY WHITE 32

WIB PROMOTING NETWORK

Q. Who is DirtyFWhite? A. DirtyFWhite is a moniker that describes my artistry. It’s become synonymous with my creativity, my passion, my influences, and my drive. DirtyFWhite also pays homage to Lil Wayne, one of my favorite artists of all time!

heavily in metal. I’m sitting on multiple tracks that are heavier than anything I’ve ever worked on. Also, moonlighting on the side with some beautiful piano ballads. Covers of classic songs have been flooding my streaming sites and will continue to do so!

Q. Where Did you get the name Dirty F White? A. So originally, I had some friends that started calling me that, my buddy Scott was the main one. He drew the name from a Foreigner song entitled “Dirty White Boy”. I wasn’t too fond of the name initially and I kept telling people “Naw man don’t call me that”...but it spread like wildfire amongst my friend group and fans I already had, and finally I decided to quit fighting it and just use it to my advantage. I added the F in the middle as a tribute to Lil Wayne, because he always used to call himself Weezy F Baby.

Q. It also states that you are from North Carolina which is considered the south what time is being like they are how do people in the south relate to you doing Southern music? A. There’s been some hate, no doubt, just in general, and that’s to be expected... My image is constantly evolving, so naturally, there’s also been a lot of comparisons made. I naturally get compared to Eminem for my rap prowess but as time as gone along, more of the multigenre stuff has started happening in my career so I get compared to Bruno Mars a lot, Anderson Paak as well. One thing I haven’t seen though, has been any particular comments about me being Southern. Anybody with ears can tell I’m southern, and there’s a ton of amazing southern music leading the way before me, so I definitely haven’t been shushed or shunned for being southern, that I can remember.

Q. Your One Sheet says that you are a multi-genre artist exactly what does that mean? A. It means I’m a crossover artist. I have and will continue to make music with multiple influences, sounds and sonic variations. I have songs that are heavily Jazz influenced. I have songs that are purebred piano ballads. I have songs that are heavily metaldominated and are aggressive as hellllll. I can sing, rap, produce, compose, arrange, and perform my own instrumentals. All under the same roof. Shoutout to CBT STUDIOS for giving me a place to progress musically and spiritually. If you go on my page right now, you’ll find multiple genres across my discography. There’s something for everyone. Q. Which Genre do you lean towards the most? A. As of recently, l been dabbling

Q. After opening up for several artists which one did you have the most fun opening for? A. Definitely Juvenile of the hot boys, at the Greenfield Lake Amphitheater in Wilmington, NC. The crowd was super lit and they were vibing with us heavy. Plus, I got the chance to share the stage with my great friend and collaborator Breeze Davis, along with Tut Grady and other talented performers Q. What platforms is your music available on? A. All streaming platforms. Apple music, Spotify, Google Play, Audiomack, SoundCloud, Snapchat,

Instagram, you name it. Just Google DirtyFWhite and it’s all over the place. Q. What artist is your biggest influence? A. Hmmmm. That’s a tough one to answer. Probably Lil Wayne for starters, he was a huge influence towards hip-hop and rap in my early career. Royce Da 59, Anderson. Paak, Eminem, Hopson, Jarret Benton, Tech N9ne, Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, Blackstreet, Justin Bieber, Michael Bublé, YBN Cordae, Wu Tang, D12, BIG Krit, Andre 3k, Yelawolf, Mac Miller, Chris Brown, Jay Z, Cyhi the Prynce, T.I., Kanye, Kid Cudi, etc etc. the list goes on and on. Q. What are your plans for 2022? A. Hitting several key tour dates with my management team. Shoutout to Shawn Bonner and Anthony Burkett, those guys have put in a massive amount of work for the sake of our team and they’re awesome folks. I plan on producing a massive amount of music in 2022 as well, thanks to my brothers at CBT STUDIOS, Bobby Dollaz and Young Will. Collaborations are on the way as well with Wilmington NC artist TVM Killa, as well as songs with 1090 Trigg, the Beach Bumz and several others. 2022 is a year for public performance, massive upgrades in sound and image, Collaborations with fashion brands and more. I can’t wait to show you guys more. Q. Do you see acting in your future? A. Absolutely. I would love to get into it. Acting has been something I’ve always dabbled in, doing voice-overs, etc. It has to make sense though, obviously. Music is my priority and if there’s an acting role that collides, we’re going to focus on the music. An acting role

WHERE IT BEGINS

would really make my day though hahaha. I would love to act. Send the roles my way lol Q. How would you describe your style of dress? A. I like streetwear honestly. I normally rock hoodies and skater tees, but then I have days where I’ll wear a collar and dress up nice. Still got to keep the Air Max 90’s though! It’s super eclectic, I guess. A mix of business casual and streetwear. I strongly dislike ties though. Very rarely will you catch me wearing a tie. Q. What inspired you to record the song reasons? A. I wrote Reasons at age 19 with a broken heart, sitting on a picnic table with an acoustic guitar. It eventually got transposed to piano and that’s become my favorite version. I lost the girl I love because I refused

WIB PROMOTING NETWORK

to put down my pride and admit I cared about her. I was too focused on avoiding relationships and love and it cost me dearly. The song outlines some of the agony I endured during this loss and basically clings to the premise that ignorance is bliss. If you listen to the lyrics, you’ll hear the pain in my soul and ever since it was written, that song has spoken volumes about the fate of the lost and the lonely. Q. Please tell us where people can follow and find more of your music? A. Please follow me on all streaming platforms by searching “DirtyWhite”, all one word. All social media’s are @dirtyfwhite, across the board. Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity and I’m honored to be featured on your platform. Thank you so much.

NATURAL IS BETTER Especially For Your Skin! - Our products are 100% Vegetarian - Organically Grown Ingredients

- Free Shipping with $50 order - Gift Sets available!

T h e b o d y s h o p at h o m e - u s a . c o m / D r L i s a S m i t h

"Enjoy your Life!"

GREG

BROUSSARD (EGYPTIAN LOVER)

WIB PROMOTING NETWORK

Q. Tell everyone who you are and what you do? A. I am a recording artist that produced my own music on my own label and distributed it with my own distribution company. My very first solo record was gold. I started out as a DJ and used that mindset to produce my own style of music in 1983. Releasing it in 1984. Q. Let’s talk a little about your journey and how you got to where you are today? A. I’ve always loved making music for people to dance to. I also love DJing making people dance. Doing them both at the same time is a dream come true. I started out with a huge dance promotion crew (Uncle Jam’s Army) where I played for 10,000 people at the L.A. Sports Arena and soon after that I was making records and touring. The touring never stopped, I just keep on doing shows showing off my DJ skills and performing my songs. I put on one hell of an old school show. Q. What are some goals you want to accomplish for 2022? A. In 2022 I want to finish a screenplay and start making movies. This has been a dream of mine for a long time now. I’ve started many but need to finish one.

Q. What do you think is missing in today’s music and the DJ world? A. I’m not too sure because I only do what I do. I don’t go to other concerts to judge the new generation. They are who they are doing their own style just as I did 40 years ago. More power to the new and upcoming DJs never stops living your dream. If you are entertaining the people, keep doing your thing. Q. You have so many classics do you have a personal favorite among your releases? A. Too many…. I’ll just pick one for now “Killing it” Q. If you could change anything in the music industry, what would it be? A. I really can’t answer that because it’s a done deal now. But if I were the Major labels, I would have never stopped making vinyl for CDs. I would have continued to make both. Years later this did come back to bite them in the ass. But why cry over spilled milk. I continued to press vinyl records and I’m still doing it today. My last 3 albums were available on vinyl, CD, and tape as well as digital downloads. Q. Tell us what has been your biggest accomplishment or award you’ve received in your career? A. I don’t recall awards, but my biggest accomplishment was getting

on the radio. Once people heard my music it was the number 1 requested song. My songs were played every hour. I was very excited and pleased and just in a dream state when this was going on. Q. What is one message you would like to give to your fans? A. Enjoy your Life! Q. Are you working on any new projects or upcoming events? A. I have 3 new albums 1984, 1985, and 1986 out now. Go to Bandcamp.com to have a listen. I gave these albums these names because I recorded them the same way I recorded my first albums in the 80’s. I used the same equipment and the same recording studios. Money was no object in this process. I just wanted it to be done for my fans. It was a big success, and these 3 albums are now my favorite songs. I even remade “Everything She Wants” by Wham (George Michael) and so many good beats with my 808. These three albums (The Trilogy) will be my legacy. My fans can see me DJ and perform all over the world because I am always on tour. Q. Where can the readers follow you? A. Everyone can follow me @theegyptianlover.

WHERE IT BEGINS

CHEF OF THE MONTH

JASON

"My two favorite chefs are my wife and mother. I have learned a lot from them."

FONTENOT 38

WIB PROMOTING NETWORK

Q. Tell everyone who you are and what you do. A. My name is Jason Fontenot. I am the owner and operator of Louisiana & Southern “Q”uisine. I cater events and also provide personal chef services.

Q. Tell us what your biggest challenge is being a chef? A. It’s balancing my job as a teacher, my family, and making time to cook for events. So, I would say time management. Q. Who are some chefs that motives you? A. Well, I love Gordon Ramsay and Bobby Flay. My two favorite chefs are my wife and mother. I have learned a lot from them. My wife is very adventurous with her cooking and my mother taught me how to make red beans and jambalaya.

Q. Can you tell us a little bit about your journey and how you got to where you are today? A. I was born and raised in Mandeville Louisiana, which is a suburb of New Orleans. I moved to Georgia when I was 20 to become an electrician, which I did. After doing that I decided to go back to school to become a teacher and coach. I’ve been doing that the last 7 years. During my time as a teacher I would cook for the school staff, and I love cooking at home too. During the pandemic I decide to take my love of cooking to the next level and start this business. Q. Let’s talk about “Louisiana & Southern “Q”uisine and the motivation behind it? A. Well, I wanted to take steps to share the food I love cooking with others and make some money doing it. I have cooked for the staff at my school and for fundraisers for my basketball teams. My coworkers loved my food and some encouraged me turn my passion into a business. The name for my business came to me one morning while thinking about starting this endeavor. I am an LSU fan and I love cooking with my smoker. I married the two and came up with LSQ, the Q being for BBQ. Then L of course is for Louisiana and S for my southern roots.

Q. Where do you see your company in the next three years? A. In three years, I hope to have a list of loyal clients and find events to cater annually. I would like to be working towards having a food truck. put on hold. I was able to adapt my business model and provide personal chef services. I had opportunities to serve people in the comfort of their own homes and provide a more intimate dining experience. Q. What is your favorite dish or dessert that you love to make? A. My favorite dish to make is red beans and jambalaya with fried fish or chicken. That is my staple dish and a favorite to most of my family and friends.

Q. Are you working on any new projects or upcoming events? A. At this time, I am working on a pop-up event in South Carolina with my cousin. We are going to have dinner and entertainment in a nice venue up there. Q. Where can the readers follow you? A. Readers can follow me on IG @ LSQuisine and Facebook with the same handle name.

Q. Can you share how the pandemic has helped or hurt your business? A. The pandemic has helped my business and what services I offer. My original idea was to provide catering for events, but because of Covid, large gatherings were

WHERE IT BEGINS

"Loyalty is everything."

CRUSOE GONGBAY 40

WIB PROMOTING NETWORK

A. My first touchdown playing running back in The Austrian Football League. It was a broken play an the quarterback threw me a short pass and I ran it 40 yards for a touchdown. Q. Where do you see yourself in the next three years? A. Hopefully still playing football on a new contract and exploring a new country and learning new things about the culture.

Q. Tell everyone who you are and what you do? A. My name is Crusoe Gongbay and I’m a professional athlete. Q. What inspired you to be a football player? A. I didn’t exactly have inspiration. I started off as a soccer player and when I was 13 a football coach saw my speed and decided to introduce me to football at an organized level. Q. Can you describe how you would go about developing a game plan? A. It starts at night getting proper rest and hydration, looking over the defensive scheme I will play against an looking for the player’s weaknesses. Q. What aspects of football you get most excited about? A. Playing with my team, scoring touchdowns, performing well for the fans. Q. Can you tell us your most memorable moment you had playing international football?

Q. What has been your biggest challenge being a football player? A. I’ve had 3 injuries. 1 to my foot and 2 on my knees. Having surgery an going through rehab is a tough process but over coming it and being able to play again makes it worth it. Q. Give us one fun fact about yourself? A. I love to dance and being around the creation of music. I see myself in a A&R type of setting in the near future. Q. Are there any new skills or hobbies you picked up since the pandemic? A. New heathy habits with natural healing and body maintenance by eating the proper foods. Also, other online investment tactics. Q. Can you give some inspiring words to others that want to be an athlete? A. Focus on your craft. Outside influences will distract you but you have to stay focused. Work hard and continue to push yourself. Eat a correct diet. Your body is a machine and your future money maker you have to take care of it. Most important be thankful you have the athletic abilities you were born with. Thank God and stay prayed up.

Q. Are you working on any new events or projects? A. Look out for some of my new investments. “C.K. Investors” where we help with business ideas and plans to help you with business funding. “Big Victories” a marketing and management company. We just started a podcast that you can tune into with athletes, CEOs, artists etc... “Big victories podcast” “Villa Therese Catholic Clinic is a non-profit health clinic I’ve been working in Santa Fe New Mexico. Look out for all these projects. All projects beneficial for the people. Q. Where can the readers follow you? A. Instagram: CrusoeGB Twitter: CrusoeGB Instagram: C.Kinestors Instagram:bigvictories Instagram: Villlacatholic Facebook Villa Therese Catholic Clinic

WHERE IT BEGINS

"Self-care is not just skincare. It can be meditation, going for a walk, reading a book or even silent reflection."

TIFFANY HARRIS 42

WIB PROMOTING NETWORK

Q. Tell everyone who you are and what you do. A. My name is Tiffany Harris, and I am a woman of many trades. I am the owner of the skincare and hair care company Whip My Butta Organics, I’m a cosmetologist, and an occupational therapist that specializes in lymphedema.

Q. Where do you see your brand in the next three years? A. I plan to make my brand more readily available to a variety of college campuses in upstate New York, where we are based, so BIPOC college students won’t have to travel off campus while supporting a local brand.

Q. What made you want to pursue a career as a cosmetologist? A. I have always loved the beauty industry, mainly because I love making people feel great about themselves and increasing their self-esteem. I’m very proud of the decision I made to complete my degree during high school. It’s made me more marketable and knowledgeable about one of my first loves.

Q. What makes your brand different than other brands? A. Whip My Butta is very transparent about our ingredients, for starters. We make sure our customers know what ingredients are in the products they are putting on their skin. Second, I’m very careful about suggest something I’m not sure about. I have no problem referring my customers to a dermatologist or medical doctor when they ask questions outside of my expertise.

Q. Let’s talk about “Whip My Butta” & how it got started. A. I started Whip My Butta Organics after my second daughter was born. Both of my children suffered with eczema, and I knew I did not want a steroid to treat it. Through research and a lot of trial and error, I created a formula that cleared their skin within 3 days. After it became popular with my friends and family, I knew I had a good thing going. That was when I started this business, based on that particular whipped body butter.

Q. Can you give us any tips on self-care? A. Sure! Always make time for a self-care routine in the morning and in the evening. It will allow you to feel and look better as well as have some much-needed reflection time. That’s very important to me. Self-care is not just skincare. It can be meditation, going for a walk, reading a book or even silent reflection. Find your happy medium and figure out what calms you or makes you feel good. Q. Tell us what products are

your best sellers? A. Our new Boozy Skin Collection is selling really well. Our body glazes, Eczema butter and Rose Facial Oil have been around for a while and are still best sellers for us. Q. Do you have any specials for the spring and summer? A. Yes, we do! We have a new Boozy Skin Collection, which became an instant fan favorite. The scents are named after alcoholic drinks, so that’s a fun collection for the summertime. We also have our LimitedEdition Spring Collection scents that are available March through September. Q. Are you working on any new projects or upcoming events? A. We participated in the Mind, Body & Soul Expo on April 16th, and will be in Syracuse at the NYS Fairgrounds for the Food Truck Battle on May 14th. Q. Where can the readers follow you? A. We’re @whipmybuttaorganics on Instagram and @ whipmybuttaorganicsbyjania on Facebook, but you can also get alerts about special deals and new products on www. whipmybuttaorganics.com. Wholesale orders can be placed by emailing whipmybuttaobj@ gmail.com.

WHERE IT BEGINS

"Follow your dreams"

BUDDY WIKE

WIB PROMOTING NETWORK

Q. Tell everyone who you are and what you do. A. Hey, my name is Buddy Wike, born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. I started out playing piano in church with my dad. I joined the army when I was 18 years old and while I was there, I was introduced to Kenny Green by a mutual friend also Kenny. We started working on music in the rec area and that’s where Intro began. Q. Tell us about your journey and how you got to where you are today? A.I always had music on my mind as I was growing up. Never thought about making it a profession, always had a love for music so, once I went to the military that led to Intro. Q. Who are your top five favorite artists of all time? A. I will say Anita Baker, James Ingram, Gregory Porter, Lalah Hathaway, and 50 Cent. Q. What is the next major thing Intro has going on in 2022? A. We have the Intro documentary coming out Intro (Music, Lyrics and Life. The story of Kenny, Jeff and Buddy.), shot by Jason Evans, with Indaflix Films. As well as entertaining releasing unreleased music as NFT’s.

Q. Tell us one of your most memorable moments or accomplishments in your career. A. One of the most memorable moments would be performing with all the talented artists that I have always looked up to on the American Music Awards for Black Men United. I would also say being able to provide for my family. Q. What are some of the hardships you faced during your career? A. During our era there were a lot of shady contracts being written and I would say navigating through the industry and watching out for those that were not there to help and not always being successful. Also, the passing of my brother Kenny. That was heartbreaking. Q. If you could change anything about the industry,

what would it be? A. It would be that the artist would not be responsible for paying for the promoting and producing of the projects they put out. I feel like that should be the responsibility of the record label. Q. What do you think contributed to the shift in R&B music in the past ten years? A. I would say technology. It makes it much easier now to record and promote music now more than back in our era. Q. Are you currently working on any new projects? A. Yes, we are writing music for our new artists, as well as tours and working on music of our own. Q. Where can readers follow you? A. Instagram: BuddyWikemusic, Facebook: Buddy Wike, Also BuddyWike.com

WHERE IT BEGINS

"COME GET THIS W3RK."

COREY

MCINTOSH 46

WIB PROMOTING NETWORK

Q. Hello, thank you for taking the time to interview with Where It Begins Magazine. Tell everyone who you are and what you do. A. Hi, my name is Corey McIntosh, and I am a lifestyle specialist. What that means is I help individuals achieve their lifestyle goals in an uplifting manner. Q. What made you want to pursue a career in being a lifestyle coach? A. A lot of times people go through things in life that we, on the outside, know nothing about. Fitness and health are one of the most empowering components in life to help change your body, but I also add in uplifting the spirit as well. This helps to keep people motivated to continue the journey and for me that is the ultimate goal. Q. How was the transition from being a basketball player to being a business owner? A. The transition was fairly easy. It has been about ten years since I started. The business was always

there in my everyday life. The hardest part was learning how to become a successful businessman and apply it. Q. Tell us about your business and some of the services you offer. A. I offer a few workout plans. I have an eight-week, 12 week and a yearly plan. You get your workout and meal plans along with accountability. I also have a traveling dance class, called Whine and W3rk, we are working on an app coming out as well, where you can dance and workout with me from wherever you are. I also get out and look for content to add to my social media to uplift people. Q. What has been your biggest challenge with building your brand? A. I would say my sock line Macw3rk socks. It took so long to get it up and running. A year or more going through the behindthe-scenes issues with the sock line. Also going from person-to-person training to exclusively using online programs. Q. What are some of your goals you would like to achieve for 2022? A. I would say working on myself. Continuing to better myself in different areas, such as my delivery, and being more aware of the people and how to meet their needs in the best way possible. Q. What are some other hobbies that you have? A. Other than picking up my basketball every now and then fitness is really my only hobby. Q. Are you trending or using TikTok? A. Working on that. I have a good following, but I need to get into it just a little more. Q. What was some of the best advice given to you? A. Nothing is on your time. You

must put in work and be patient. Patience is one of my favorite words, if you use it in every aspect of life you will come out on top. Q. What advice can you give to anyone trying to stay fit and healthy? A. To drink as much water as possible and continue to eat. People often think eating too much makes you gain weight, but that is only if you eat the wrong things. You need to eat at least every 3 to 4 hours and incorporate some type of workout and they should see results. Q. What events do you have coming up? A. We are currently on the Whine and Work fitness dance tour. The schedule is on my Instagram page Macw3rk you can follow me there and get everyone to join the app so they can work out with me weekly. To my fans thank you and I appreciate and love you all. You can also look at my website Macw3rk.com.

WHERE IT BEGINS

GET THAT GLOW

WWW.PRETTYINPINKSTONINC.COM

Photographer: Gudrun Gabriel Stylist: Vivian Dinkins-Stith Make-up Artist: Yolanda Marshall Hair: Lisa Newton, Hair Game

April 2022 Issue

Articles inside

COREY MCINTOSH

JASON FONTENOT

ANDREA NICOLE

BUDDY WIKE

CRUSOE GONGBAY

GREG BROUSSARD (EGYPTIAN LOVER

TIFFANY HARRIS

DIRTY WHITE

PINKY COLE

ASHLEY SCOTT

SHAUN CROMARTIE

CHARLES ANTHONY

ANNA ORIS

NIKKI B

CHERIE JOHNSON

BRUNO ALCANTARA

DUTCH ROCKA