d-mars.com Business Journal 89

Business Journal Inspire, Inform & Educate

December 2014

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Unlocking Your Keys to Success

How to Find the Right Mortgage for You

By Ige Johnson When you’re planning to buy a home— whether as a first-time homebuyer or as a seasoned pro—deciding how much you can afford is a critical initial step PAGE 18

“Demystifying Success!”

By Noel Pinnock “Leadership begins with you and success rests in the arms of those who you lead, inspire and develop.”

PAGE 20

PAGE 4

Texas Southern University Points of Pride In the Business Community City of Houston Office of Business Opportunity Hosts Meet the Buyer PAGE 22

PAGE 14

Look Within Yourself to Find the Keys to Success Join our e-mail list for the latest updates@ d-mars.com

PAGE 16

10 Must-Haves for the Successful Business Professional

Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.

– Abraham Lincoln

DEPARTMENT OF AVIATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TSU Aviation Students are trained by professional airline pilots. Students will prepare for the FAA written exams, train in State of the Art Flight Simulators, log countable flight hours at Ellington Field and Hobby Airport and earn a commercial pilot license. The TSU Pilot Program is certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

AVIATION SCIENCE PROFESSIONAL PILOT DEGREE

For more Information, contact TSU Aviation Science at

713-313-1846

www.cost.tsu.edu

December 2014 3

Journal Behind The

Publisher’s Message

Keith J. Davis, Sr.

SR. PUBLISHER Keith J. Davis, Sr.

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Kevin Davis

VICE PRESIDENT Kim Floyd

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Valerie Jones

ACCOUNTING MANAGER Eugenie Doualla

Office Manager Johnny Ray Davis, Jr.

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES C.T. Foster Eric D. Goodwine Tiffany Black

PHOTOGRAPHY

In life, there will be all kinds of things to deter you from finding your own success – naysayers, finances and life’s unfortunate mishaps. But one should never let outside influences dictate their success in business. By unlocking your keys to success – (i.e. positive thinking, investing in yourself) – it places you in a great position to do amazing things in 2015.

In this issue of our Business Journal – which features Texas Southern University as the cover story – we explore the different ways to unlock your keys to success, with tips from some top experts and professionals in the industry. I hope that you find it inspiring and use their advice to jumpstart a great New Year!

As always again, thank you for your continued support of d-mars.com. When you support d-mars.com, you are supporting more than just our company; you are supporting the communities in which we live and work. Working together, we can succeed in making positive things happen.

CONTENTS

L.C. Poullard Grady Carter Tony Gaines

MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR Andrea Hennekes

online support specialist Anthony Torregosa

LAYOUT & GRAPHIC DESIGNER Angel Rosa

DISTRIBUTION Booker T. Davis, Jr. Rockie Hayden

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Carroll G. Robinson Michael O. Adams Dr. D Ivan Young Ash Davito Kimberly Floyd Valerie Jones Ige Johnson Noel Pinnock Kachelle Kelly LaTrice Martin-Gault Mikal Powers

Texas Southern University Points of Pride................................................................................................................................................ 4 Energy Matters.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 12 Look Within Yourself to Find the Keys to Success................................................................................................................................. 14 Unlocking Your Keys to Success.................................................................................................................................................................. 14 10 Must-Haves for the Successful Business Professional....................................................................................................................16 How to Find the Right Mortgage for You...................................................................................................................................................18 “Demystifying Success!”................................................................................................................................................................................20 Unlocking the Keys to YOUR Success........................................................................................................................................................20 Did You Know?.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 22 Old Folks Saying…............................................................................................................................................................................................ 22 In the Business Community…....................................................................................................................................................................... 22 Holiday Season – The Record-Breaking Months for Foreclosure!...................................................................................................... 24 Resolve to Increase Business Success in 2015 by Boosting Employee Morale............................................................................26

Are you Ready to Take Your Business to the Next Level?

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MR. D-MARS

Presents

Tip of the Month Write down a list of goals you’d like to achieve in the New Year and reference the list often. Goals are often more attainable when you can physically see them.

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BLACK PAGES ONLINE BUSINESS DIRECTORY What this means to you,

The Business Owner: • The ability to stimulate money in our communities • Publicity at an affordable price • The professionalism it provides to black-owned businesses

It’s time we put our future finances into our own HANDS! We must encourage members to patronize black-owned businesses to further expand the economic power of African American merchants and the households that support them.

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Texas Southern

4 December 2014

University Points of Pride

TSU Fast Facts 1927

The year TSU was founded

9,262

Number of students enrolled

Source: tsu.edu

27%

The percentage of all African American pharmacists in the U.S. who graduated from TSU

80+

Number of student organizations on campus

150

How many acres of land the campus comprises

1,400

Number of staff and faculty employed at TSU

10

Number of colleges and schools that comprise TSU’s academic curriculum

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100+

Number of undergraduate and graduate programs and concentrations

exas Southern University is a comprehensive metropolitan university. Building on its legacy as a historically black institution, the University provides academic and research programs that address critical urban issues and prepares an ethnically diverse student population to become a force for positive change in a global society. In order to achieve this mission, Texas Southern University provides: • Quality instruction in a culture of innovative teaching and learning; • Basic and applied research and scholarship that is responsive to community issues; • Opportunities for public service that benefit the community and the world.

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December 2014 5

TSU Received Approval from Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for Two New Degree Programs in Engineering: Civil Engineering and Computer/Electrical Engineering

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exas Southern University’s (TSU) College of Science and Technology (COST) has been authorized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) to begin offering bachelor’s degree programs in Civil Engineering in the spring of 2015 and in Electrical and Computer Engineering in the fall of 2015.

“This is a major addition to COST’s STEM degree programs and a great step forward in the advancement of education for minority students,” said Dr. Lei Yu, COST dean. “These programs will provide significantly to the workforce for civil, electrical and computer engineers.”

According to Yu, these are the professional occupations with the greatest demand of all engineering and science occupations and which have the least minority practitioners.

Students graduating from the newly minted engineering programs will be in

great demand, as the statistics show that the demand for engineering graduates in the next decade is expected to increase at more than double the rate for all other professionals.

Civil engineering is expected to experience significant growth in light of the urgent need to rebuild the national infrastructure. Electrical and computer engineering will also be expected to grow significantly with the advent of the “Internet of Things” and the automation of the manufacturing, transportation and energy infrastructures. Engineering education is considered a priority for the State’s economic well-being and the na-

tional security. TSU will now be able to join other institutions to make its contributions by adding to the production and diversification of highly skilled engineers to the workforce in the State.

Both programs will be accredited through the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), which is the major engineering program accreditation body in the United States.

Both programs will differ from other similar programs in the area by including a formal co-op engineering track.

Working with corporations, industries and government agencies, the Cooperative Education Track will give students

lege (LSC) proved to be successful this fall with 337 students transferring to TSU from HCC and 56 from LSC. The Presidential high school bus tour paid off as well. Desoto High School was the top recruited school in the state with 38 first-time freshman students enrolling at TSU, followed by Houston’s James Madison High School with 35 and Energized STEM Academy-West High School with 32. The President plans to lead another high school bus tour across Texas during this school year.

The TSU Summer School Program was another successful venture for the university. Students were given an opportunity to jumpstart their college experience by strengthening their Math, Reading and English skills. A total of 153 students successfully completed the academy.

“This is part of our mission, to give people an opportunity to attend college,” Rudley said. “We are not here to give people a free ride, but an opportunity to better themselves if they are willing to work hard.”

The College of Science and Technology was the most attractive of the university’s schools and colleges. They had the largest overall increase with 20.5%.

The School of Business and School of Communication also experienced dou-

the opportunity to gain work experience before graduating. Alternating work semesters with school semesters, the students can work toward career goals in a meaningful job while going to school and testing degree interests in real-world situations.

“It was our goal to develop a Civil Engineering Program that would provide high-quality, practice-focused education to fully develop and enrich the students’ lives in a culturally diverse environment and develop their personal potential to the greatest extent possible to serve the society at large,” said University President Dr. John Rudley. He added, “I am so very happy for our university, our current and future students and our alumni and former students.”

Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. James Ward noted, “Societal needs call for greater diversity within the engineering profession. Historically, African Americans have been severely underrepresented in the engineering fields, so consequently there is a dire need to implement more academic programs that will attract, nurture and graduate more African Americans in the engineering disciplines. Our two new degree programs will contribute to stemming the tide of constant decline in the number of degrees awarded to minorities and African American students in Civil, Electrical and Computer Engineering.”

TSU’s Enrollment Jumps 6.4% this Fall Semester, after 9% Enrollment Decrease in 2013 Due to Cuts to Pell Grants and Parent Loans

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exas Southern University experienced one of the largest freshman classes in recent years. TSU’s enrollment climbed 6.4% for fall 2014 with 9,262 students. The university’s numbers got a huge boost by attracting 1,590 freshman and 941 transfer students. Enrollment in both categories is the highest it’s been since 2007.

Dr. John Rudley, TSU’s President, credits the implementation of an aggressive recruiting strategy for the university’s success. The strategy included a presidential bus tour led by Rudley to 24 Texas high schools, partnerships with area community colleges which allowed a seamless transition into the university and more marketing of TSU’s unique degree programs.

“The key to increasing our enrollment now and in the future will be to tell potential students and parents about our academic programs,” stated Rudley. “TSU’s unique degree programs will fulfill careers of the future.”

TSU offers degrees such as Maritime Transportation, which has a partnership with the Port of Houston; our Urban Planning & Environmental Policy; Emergency Management & Homeland Security; Aviation Science, in which students become professional pilots and airport managers; Sport Management; and Entertainment and Recording Management.

TSU’s partnerships with Houston Community College and Lone Star Col-

ble digit increases.

TSU saw a 12.6% increase in Hispanic students and a 30.3% increase in International students with the country of Saudi

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Experience Our World of Advertising, Marketing, Media and Communication

6 December 2014

CONTINUED from page 5 Arabia leading the way of students enrolling at the university.

Texas Southern seems to have overcome the 2013 disruption in its steady growth since migrating from an open admissions university in 2008. The decrease last fall is attributed to the federal government reducing the Pell grant nationally which left hundreds of TSU students with few options to cover their tuition and fees.

President Rudley’s goal is to have a 10,000+ student enrollment, with nearly half of its students residing on campus. His mission gets underway with the new 800-bed dormitory. He plans to add more dormitories in the coming years. Statistics have proven that students are more successful if they reside in an academic environment.

With TSU’s unique degree programs and an aggressive plan for recruiting, Rudley expects to surpass that goal by fall 2015.

Texas Southern University is accepting applications for its spring 2015 semester. Individuals can choose one of more than 120 degree programs offered by TSU’s 10 colleges and universities.

Register now by going to www.tsu.edu/admissions.

TSU Invests $1.2 million in a New World Class Forensic Lab to Train Students in Crime Scene Investigations Equipment Better than Most in Crime Labs across the Country

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r. Ashraf Mozayani, professor of Administration of Justice and executive director of the Forensic Science Learning Lab (FSLL), and Dr. Aybike Dip, visiting post-doctoral professor, hosted 10 international delegates from Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan for a five-day training course in TSU’s newly opened FSLL. Several TSU forensic science students and interns studied with the international delegates.

During the training, participants learned about the latest research in forensic toxicology theory, technical applications, instrumentation and computer applications.

TSU Named One of the Most Military Friendly School for Veterans

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or the fifth time in six years, Texas Southern University has been designated a Military Friendly School by Victory Media, the leader in successfully connecting the military and civilian worlds.

“This is a tremendous designation for the university,” said Taiwan Johnson, TSU’s Veterans Affairs coordinator.

“This shows veterans, potential students and the community that Texas Southern values and honors America’s service men and women. To be designated as Military Friendly for the fifth year confirms that we are committed to meeting federal guidelines and initiatives concerning military veterans.”

The Military Friendly Schools designation is awarded to the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace military students and to dedicate resources to ensure their success in the classroom and after graduation. The methodology used for making the Military Friendly Schools list has changed the student veteran landscape to one much more transparent, and has played a significant role over the past six years in capturing and advancing best practices to support military students across the country.

For more information about Texas Southern University’s commitment to attracting and supporting military students, visit TSU’s website at http:// em.tsu.edu/registrar/veteran.php

Kevin Hart Becomes Honorary Member of “Ocean of Soul” Band at Texas Southern University in Houston

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or Texas Southern University’s famed Ocean of Soul Marching Band, the year is ending pretty much the same way it began – with a big band Bang! The famed band was on hand to play for the premiere opening of popular entertainer/comedian Kevin Hart at his opening at the Edwards IMAX off Katy Freeway in Houston, Texas. Hart

got into the groove and made a few cool moves to the sounds of the Ocean. Band Director Richard Lee made it official – Kevin Hart is now an official member of the famed and popular Texas Southern University Marching Band, “the Ocean of Soul.” Making Hart an honorary member is the university’s way of “thanking” Hart publicly for his support

of the band’s trip to the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the enshrinement of their alumnus Michael Strahan during the summer. Hart donated $50,000 in support of the student musicians. Hart has also been asked to return to the campus of Texas Southern University next year.

It’s a surprise, you’ll have to wait and see what’s being planned.

Rudley Plans a 30-School Presidential Bus Tour He will offer scholarships to high-performing students on the spot. He personally recruited 600 students last year.

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exas Southern University President Dr. John Rudley, who now holds the esteemed title of “top recruiter” for TSU, is geared up and ready to roll on his 2014–2015 Presidential Bus Tour. Armed with admissions officers and faculty representatives, the TSU team will discuss degree programs and assist with college preparatory, financial assistance, scholar-

ships, housing and career choices.

According to Brian Armstrong, Office of Admissions, “Last year’s Presidential Tour was a tremendous success.

We feel that it benefitted first-genera-

tion college students the most, because it gives them an opportunity to speak directly with us and directly with our President. There’s nothing like one-onone attention. We find this method to

be a win-win for our university.”

Dr. Rudley speaks to students about the university’s unique degree programs and college affordability during the visits.

At times, the team includes TSU students. Depending on the audiences, students share information about their college experience. They talk about life on campus, in the classroom and exchange ideas and cultural experiences with students from different countries and backgrounds.

Last year’s bus tour netted the university 205 first-time freshmen, with the largest number coming from Desoto High School, followed by Houston’s James Madison High School and Energized STEM Academy-West High School, respectively. This year’s tour started with Davis High School in Houston and will include more than two dozen schools in six cities.

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December 2014 7

A New Definition of Winning in Athletics: TSU athletes are now graduating at a rate of 54%, a phenomenal increase from 29% 4 years ago

Southern University’s 2013-2014 APR is 970 for the department overall (up from 833 in 2009). All 16 sports at TSU are above the NCAA mandated APR with football at 977, men’s basketball at 953, and four sports (women’s basketball, women’s golf, women’s cross country track and women’s volleyball) scoring a perfect 1000 APR. Dr. McClelland predicts that the 970 APR rate will result in a better than 70% graduation rate in the next few years, placing it among the Division 1 academic elite teams.

“This dramatically demonstrates that with the right leadership and a concerted effort, college athletes can be highly successful in the classroom as well as on the field,” said Texas Southern University President John Rudley. “Dr. McClelland and his team have focused on ensuring that our student athletes are winning in the classroom first, which will ensure that they will graduate and continue to be winners at whatever career they choose, whether it is in athletics or in the corporate boardroom.”

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f ever an athletics program can be called the “Comeback Team” it is the revolutionary change that has occurred over the past five years at Texas Southern University in the success of their student athletes. The most notable aspect of this “comeback” is that it is in the classroom as well as on the field.

Athletics Director Dr. Charles McClelland brought in new coaches to bring the teams back to a competitive level. At the same time, he also brought in an outstanding compliance and academic support team to bring the academic performance and graduation rate up. The NCAA is releasing the latest graduation rates for Division 1 schools and Texas Southern University has risen from one of the worst in the country in 2008 at 29% to today in which better than 54% of TSU athletes are graduating in six years. Indeed this last May, 58 student athletes received their degrees, compared to 14 in 2009.

Even more encouraging is the projected student athlete graduation rate based on the most recent APR (Academic Progress Rate) data that was submitted to the NCAA in October. Although the NCAA won’t officially certify and release the APR numbers until May 2015, Texas

Tom Joyner Awarded Four Scholarships to TSU Students

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exas Southern University was the Tom Joyner Foundation’s School of the Month for June 2014. Radio personality Tom Joyner leads this effort to help keep students in historically black colleges and universities. For four weeks in June, a male student, who is a campus leader who is making a difference in the quality of life for his community with at least a 3.5 GPA, received a $1,500 scholarship grant announced live on the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show.

Texas Southern University Hercules Scholarship recipients were: Knubian Gatlin, a sophomore Dietetics major from Spring, TX; Jared Artmore, a sophomore Pre-Pharmacy major from Beaumont, TX; Derrick Smallwood, a sophomore Finance major from DeSoto, TX; and Keilon Robinson, Jr., a sophomore double major in Chemistry and Mathematics from Houston, TX.

Derrick Smallwood

Keilon Robinson, Jr.

Jared Artmore

Knubian Gatlin

Experience Our World of Advertising, Marketing, Media and Communication

8 December 2014

TSU’s New 800-Bed Freshman Student Housing Becomes Reality

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onstruction is well underway on the $41.5 million, 215,000-square-foot New Student Resident Housing Complex.

Houston-based architectural firm Harrison Kornberg – in collaboration with Lord, Aeck, Sargent – were awarded the contract to design the seven-story building that will include social and study areas on all residential f loors. Other amenities include: a dining hall, locker storage, a laundry on all residential f loors, a convenience store, roof terrace

and a gaming area. The rooms are double occupancy with a shared restroom.

Pepper-Lawson Construction/ Horizon International Group started the project on February 28, 2014 and is expected to complete construction in August 2015. The 800-bed facility will allow Texas Southern to house nearly all of its incoming freshmen on campus.

Currently, the university has six student housing complexes: Urban Academic Village, Lanier East, Lanier West, University Courtyard, Tierwester I and Tierwester II. There are 1,300 students living in campus housing.

TSU Faculty Research has Increased; Top Grant Potentially Worth up to $3.7 Million

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he National Science Foundation (NSF) named the Houston Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (H-LSAMP) project as a Senior Alliance for the 2014-2015 academic years. With this award, the H-LSAMP, now in its fourth five-year funding period, is one of the longest-running LSAMP programs in the nation. The project has been awarded approximately $750,000 for this year, with the potential to receive up to $3.75 million over the next five years.

H-LSAMP was assembled under the leadership of Dr. Bobby Wilson, an L. Lloyd Woods Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Shell Oil Endowed Chaired Professor of Environmental Toxicology, with support from TSU President Dr. John Rudley. Wilson serves as a professor in the Department of Chemistry.

Dr. Divya Chandrasekhar recently received a three-year collaborative research grant from the National Science Foundation for $101,879 to study “Interdependency in Decision Making, A Holistic Approach to Understanding Community Recovery from Catastro-

Dr. Bobby Wilson

Dr. Divya Chandrasekhar

Dr. Zivar Yousefipour

phes.” This research proposal addresses how households and businesses make

Dr. Christopher Tymczak

Dr. Daniel Vrinceanu

decisions to stay in place or relocate after disasters and focuses on four pri-

mary factors: their own capacity to recover; the influence of business decisions on households and vice versa; the influence of governmental recovery and mitigation aid; and the passage of time.

The National Institutes of Health/ National Institute of General Medical Sciences awarded Dr. Zivar Yousefipour $453,000 for four years to study “Molecular Mechanism of AcroleinInduced Vascular Toxicity: Role of PPAR gamma and NAD(P)H.” This proposal will focus on Acrolein, a copious environmental pollutant and a major component of cigarette smoke that is involved in the development of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, asthma, lung cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis.

Dr. Christopher Tymczak and Dr. Daniel Vrinceanu are the proud recipients of a three-year research grant for $643,217 from the U. S. Army to study “Many Body Density Matrix Theory: Excitations and Time Dependent Response.” MBDMT is a Linear Scaling Method for calculating the correlations of atomic, molecular and condensed matter systems.

According to Dr. Tymczak, the new Many Body Density Matrix Theory will allow him and his team to apply a more computationally simplified approach to compute easily the properties of atoms and molecules to an unprecedented level of accuracy.

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December 2014 9

TSU is Getting Increased Visits from High Profile Guests Among them are Admiral Paul Zukunft, 25th Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, AT&T Top Officials, United Airlines and Roosevelt Petry

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n an effort to showcase Texas Southern’s facilities, programs and physical appearance, the university has had visits from high profile individuals. Additionally, the university’s leaders are visiting outside the campus to share news about TSU’s achievements and vision.

1. Recently, Admiral Paul Zukunft, 25th Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, visited the campus to observe and discuss the possibility of a partnership between TSU’s Maritime Transportation students and the Coast Guard’s officer recruitment program.

2. Representatives from United Airlines toured the College of Science and Technology (COST) Aviation program where students can earn their pilot’s licenses. United is looking to partner through scholarships and internships.

3. AT&T awarded Texas Southern University a $100,000 AT&T contribution to support the school’s Urban Academic Village (UAV), an innovative student support and workforce preparation program to help underserved, first-generation, minority freshmen students stay on track to successfully complete their college education.

4. Mr. Roosevelt Petry, owner of GP Industrial Contractors Inc. in Port Arthur, TX, is a major contributor to Texas Southern University. TSU leadership visited GP Industries to see the full effects of his operation. In turn, he recently toured Texas Southern and he’s looking for ways to become a full-f ledged partner with the university. He will partner with TSU on the academic side as it relates to its two new engineering degrees - Civil Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering as well as lecture and serve in the Jesse H. Jones School of Business.

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His Eminence Cardinal Daniel DiNardo Spoke During TSU Student Leadership Day

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ardinal Daniel DiNardo, the metropolitan archbishop of Galveston-Houston and spiritual leader to its 1.3 million Catholics, visited Texas Southern University October 22 to help the university celebrate Student Appreciation Day and kick off its Homecoming celebration. After hearing from student leaders and musical selections by the University Choir, Cardinal DiNardo spoke to the audience of students about ethics and leadership. His Eminence DiNardo implored upon the students to develop the selfless and giving character that is needed to lead effectively with compassion.

To close the ceremony, University Program Council president Jordan Morris presented His Eminence Cardinal DiNardo with a resolution on behalf of the University and Miss TSU La’Shunda Barlow announced Gerrick Jiminez as the inaugural recipient of the His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo Leadership Scholarship.

Following the ceremony, Cardinal DiNardo was given a tour of the campus and met with State and community leaders in the Rod Paige Education Building who were on campus conducting a hearing on human trafficking.

Experience Our World of Advertising, Marketing, Media and Communication

10 December 2014

TSU’s Men’s Basketball Team Won SWAC Championship Tournament and Appeared in the NCAA Tournament

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he Texas Southern Tigers men’s basketball team captured their first SWAC Tournament title in 12 years when they beat rival Prairie View A&M 78-73 in the championship game at the Toyota Center in Houston.

TSU’s Aaric Murray led the Tigers with 27 points and 10 rebounds in an all-around impressive performance which netted him his seventh double-

double of the season.

The conference win qualified the Tigers for the NCAA Regional Tournament in Dayton, Ohio. TSU faced Cal Poly and fell 81-69 at the First Four inside the UD Arena.

“I’m proud of my basketball team,” said TSU head coach Mike Davis. “We had a really good season. We were 6

and 6 at one time in the conference.

We started to play really good basketball down the stretch. We won nine straight games, six games in the conference and three games in the tournament. I thought we played a really good basketball team tonight, they’re well-coached.”

TSU’s Murray set the new record

for most individual points scored in a NCAA Tournament game with 38 points as he went 14-of-23 from the field.

Texas Southern concluded the year with a 19-15 overall record winning nine out of their last 10 games. Davis has led three different schools to the NCAA Tournament.

TSU Softball Crowned Division and Conference Champions

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he Lady Tigers’ softball team faired the best by capturing the SWAC Championship along with their fourth consecutive West Division title.

It was their first championship title since 2000. The Lady Tigers finished the regular season 15-2 in conference play and 31-20 overall. They went through the SWAC Championship tournament without a loss.

They beat Alcorn State (10-2), Prairie View A&M twice (11-4 & 5-2) and Mississippi Krystalani Yockman Valley (6-3) for the crown.

“This is truly a great feeling,” said TSU head coach Worley Barker.

“We’ve been playing our best softball the past couple of weeks. I’m extremely proud of this group of young ladies. Going into this tournament we talked about getting timely hits, pitching the ball well and playing solid defense. We did really wells in those three facets of the game and we made the plays we had to make. We got contributions from our entire lineup and Madison Staton really stepped up as well as Sammantha Jimenez inside the circle. This was an overall team effort that allowed us to accomplish our goals and win this championship.”

Earl Carl Institute for Legal & Social Policy Hosted Successful Disproportionate Minority Contact Conference

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n light of the October 9 shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, the Earl Carl Institute and its partners presented a timely discussion on overrepresentation and disparate treatment of minorities in various social systems. The Institute assembled an esteemed group of experts in the area of Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) to present a forum entitled “The Shooting of Michael Brown: Now

What? Systemic Maltreatment: Dismantling Disproportionality through Strategic Partnerships” with the hope of bringing the community together to explore what we as a community of color can do to address the issue of disproportionate minority contact. The programming inquired into, “Do we wait on the majority population to act or for another protest following another shooting? What will we do before the next Michael Brown incident?”

The conference was held at Thurgood Marshall School of Law. The event provided more than 120 attendees with a statement of the problem of disproportionality through the use of statistical data, presentations from knowledgeable experts and public discussion.

The purpose of this community event was to provide attendees with information about inequities suffered by African Americans in the education, health care,

foster care and criminal justice systems.

The goal of the event was to help form strategic partnerships to try to reduce the overrepresentation of people of color in these systems.

As covered in the program, the criminal justice, juvenile justice, educational disciplinary, child welfare and health care systems all are systems in which the minority community is disproportionately represented.

Experience Our World of Advertising, Marketing, Media and Communication

December 2014  11

Experience Our World of Advertising, Marketing, Media and Communication

12 December 2014

Energy Matters Carroll G. Robinson and Michael O. Adams

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Contributing Writer

oustonians know we need to care about what’s going on in the energy industry. The price of natural gas and a barrel of oil matters to our city, local jobs and economic growth.

Private sector employment and economic growth are the foundation for generating revenue for city government.

The Keystone XL pipeline may not be the right project, but energy independence through an “all of the above” strategy is a local economic stimulus and a national security priority.

America can protect our environment and water supply while still producing enough energy to be energy independent.

It’s not an either or zero sum situation, we have to (and can) do both.

Increasing domestic energy production and working with Canada and Mexico will help lessen American dependency on oil imports from the Middle East.

Independence from Middle Eastern oil, lifting or relaxing the restrictions on exporting American oil and exporting more liquefied natural gas (LNG) to India and Europe would strengthen the United States

and European Union’s diplomatic efforts in the growing standoff with Russia over its invasion of the Ukraine.

Doing these things would also provide the United States more flexibility in its Middle East policy.

Americans want Washington to be able to protect our vital national security interests around the world as well as protect our environment at home while rebuilding our economy.

Americans want “nation building” at home. We want government to invest in: 1) improving our schools and workforce train-

ing, 2) rebuilding our roads and bridges, 3) building more urban transit to provide transportation options to those without a vehicle and to help reduce congestion, 4) innovation through life sciences and high tech research and development (R & D) and 5) fixing the federal tax code to build elevators to the middle class for more Americans.

An economic ladder to the middle class is no longer sufficient in this era of income and wealth inequality.

Houstonians need to support these efforts, along with expanding the Port of Houston Ship Channel and repurposing

the Johnson Space Center. They are key to our city’s continued (and long term) growth and shared prosperity.

Houston is the energy capitol of the world – home to the world’s largest Medical Center, is one of the busiest ports in the world and has two international airports as well as the nation’s most diverse population.

What happens around the world matters to Houston. *Robinson and Adams are members of the faculty at Texas Southern University’s Barbara-Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs.

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December 2014  13

Experience Our World of Advertising, Marketing, Media and Communication

14 December 2014

Look Within Yourself

to Find the Keys to Success

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By Dr. D Ivan Young Contributing Writer

f it were easy, everybody could do it. Being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart. It doesn’t matter if you’re MR. D-MARS, Oprah or TD Jakes, success is not handed to you, nor does it happen overnight. Successfulness is the result of purpose, commitment, tenacity, perseverance, endurance and faith. As a Master Certified Coach and Credential Master MBTI Practitioner, I work with everyone from startup entrepreneurs, service providers, pro athletes and governments. You’d be surprised that the exact same level of clarity and commitment it takes to start a lawn mowing service or to win an NBA championship is in every respect indeed the exact same set of characteristics one needs to succeed in any type business.

An unrelenting vision of self and knowing your purpose are the chief constituents in building a successful brand.

If you don’t know who you are and why you’re aspiring to do what you do, especially when adversity is present, you’re not going to make it. Real champions have fortitude for a reason. They’re the ones who want the ball when the odds are stacked against the team. The same is true for successful business people. One cannot wallow in depression or have pity parties just because the going gets tough.

If anything, when setbacks and bad breaks happen, real champions use such

ordeals to invigorate themselves. Pressure also quickens them. They take lemons and make lemonade. “Winners Never Quit, and Quitters Never Win.” Other significant factors are tenacity and perseverance. Those two things are knit together in the minds of achievers.

By definition, tenacity means diligence and stubbornness. The diligence part is easy, I know you get that. But the stubbornness, that’s a different animal. Being haphazardly stubborn is where many aspiring, and even seasoned, capitalists get derailed. At best, it’s downright futile to be so caught up in how you have been doing things that you lose sight of how to adapt to an ever evolving business environment.

A good example of this is SEO on websites. If you’re not up to date on Google’s Panda and Penguin updates, or you’re not keeping track of how Google’s algorithm ranks your website, what worked in the past could very well curse you in the present. Permeability and flexibility are quintessential if you’re to grow and going to continue to flourish. Inasmuch, being stubborn enough not to be discour-

aged in the midst of change is an indispensable character trait of successful business people. Put mildly, be wise.

Understanding that success is “epistemological” and not “static” is another key component in building a successful brand. Throughout the last few years, I’ve come to realize that building a successful brand requires an ever evolving vision.

You cannot limit yourself to what brought you to the table. That’s where endurance and vision comes in. I’ll use climbing a mountain as an example. At the base of the mountain it’s okay to wear shorts and a T-shirt; however, as you ascend, you will encounter significant climate changes. By the time you get halfway up, you’d better have prepared yourself to adapt to an ever changing inhospitable climate. Failure to pack a change of clothes could easily and needlessly kill your pursuit toward your goal. Moreover, you must anticipate future needs. Without the proper gear, how can you advance or push forward? That once friendly trail will morph into an unsympathetic passageway, a passageway which will only accommodate those who

are well prepared. In addition, you will need the help of a seasoned guide. Without one, you may summit to the top, but you’ll be so frustrated and beaten by the time you get there that you cannot enjoy what you’ve accomplished. In other words, what profit does a man receive to gain the whole world and lose your soul in the process? A wise person heeds the counsel of wise advisors. In your case, that would be Life Coaches, Mentors, Attorneys, Accountants, etc. Such advisors can save you thousands of dollars, many needless delays and setbacks.

Lastly, never lose sight of the fact that lasting and durable success is rooted in purpose. I advise my clients to do what you do for the love of it. If your motivation is only to make money or be famous, you are wasting your time. Your gifts and talents were not given to you to stroke your ego. There’s a reason you have your unique abilities, whatever those abilities are. You’ve been bestowed your gifts and talents so that you may positively affect the lives of other people, the people who God placed in your path. The Word says, “Seek the Kingdom and its righteousness, and all of these ‘THINGS’ will be added unto.” What that means is if you do what you’re gifted to do for the right reasons you can have all of the spoils that come with it.

But, even when you do the “Right” thing for the “Wrong” reason, you may succeed, but you will NOT have peace. The lesson here is a simple one. Do the right thing, do it for the right reasons, do what makes you happy and do it while blessing other people. Then, and only then, will peace, wealth, fame and success find you.

Written Exclusively for d-mars.com Business Journal Dr. D Ivan Young 877.508.2025

Unlocking Your Keys to Success

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tion I asked myself before I started my businesses and built the team around me.

• What do I love to do?

• What am I good at?

By Ash Davito • What are Contributing Writer my strengths so n order to truly unlock your keys that I can be of to success and dive straight into use to others? your potential, you have to first • What are my “identify what they are.” What are weaknesses so that your keys to success? As a businessI can find the right man, that was the very first quesperson who

is strong in that area?

• What am I passionate about enough to live the rest of my life learning and teaching?

Once these questions are answered, you have paved the way to start your journey towards your destiny. It’s different for everyone; some people ask themselves these questions as early as elementary

school. Me personally, I was in college at Prairie View A&M University when I asked myself these things. My answers were writing and entertainment, so that was my starting path with an idea of what to expect or knowing anyone affiliated in those fields.

I started doing local runway fashion shows that led to me being featured in national music videos. That led to featured and leading acting roles and also stage theater plays.

After spending a few years learning “the business” hands on, I started writing and self-publishing my books and now I’m producing my own movies and film projects.

Asking the right questions and being honest with myself is what has unlocked the keys to my success.

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By Kimberly Floyd / Valerie Jones Vice President / Associate Editor

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perating your own business is a labor of love. It takes countless hours, sleepless nights, loss of friends at times and much more…but your business is your baby. And no one will care for it and love it like you.

So it makes sense that you’d want to put your business in the best possible position to not only fulfill you, but generate income and be profitable. Unfortunately, many small businesses fail – and for reasons that can often be prevented! We’ve compiled a short list of important essentials any good business professional needs. While it’s not all-inclusive, it should serve as a helpful guide in building your business.

Professional Head Shot Any man or woman who wants to be respected in the business realm needs to have a professional head shot on hand. This should be taken by a photographer using a professional camera and you should be dressed in business attire. Be sure the photographer takes varied head shots (some vertical, some horizontal). All photos should be high resolution.

Active Social Media Presence In this day and age, it’s not enough to simply have a company Facebook page. In order to be a contender in the business world, it’s important to have numerous social media channels, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. And just having the pages isn’t enough; they must be maintained.

Don’t let your last post be from May 2011. Audience engagement is key. Each social media channel serves a different audience, so make sure you’re aware of that.

Most entrepreneurs are extremely busy and may not have the time to maintain all of their social media channels. If that’s the case, hire someone to do it for you. Social media marketing is a growing profession, so you should be able to find lots of capable people.

Operational Website This can’t be stressed enough. Your website is the first thing people are going to want to visit after hearing of you or your business…so make sure it’s up and running. All of your business collateral (i.e. business cards, fliers, banners) should have your website prominently displayed. Nothing is more frustrating than visiting a website only to find that it’s not user friendly, or worse yet, the domain has expired.

That looks unprofessional and can deter people from

Must-Haves

Successful Business Professional for the

ever visiting your website again – resulting in loss of potential business. At the very least, have a landing page or a one-pager. There are several templates out there for creating simple websites. Use one!

Company Bio and Personal Bio It’s important that you have a company bio (commonly placed on your website) to give people an overview of what your company does/ offers. Next, people will also be interested in learning about the owner or the person behind the business.

This is where your personal bio will come in handy.

Keep both on hand and make sure they’re up-to-date.

A good rule of thumb is to update your personal and company bios every six months.

Marketing Budget This will be used for any and all marketing needs for you and your business. This includes advertising, promotion and public relations – everything from print ads to billboards. The amount of money to set aside for the marketing budget will vary based on factors such as the size of the business and its annual sales. In order to have a strong business, people need to know who you are and what you offer.

While word of mouth is great and a very inexpensive form of advertising, you never want to limit yourself or your business.

High Resolution Logo This is extremely important. You should have a high resolution logo on file. It’s best to have it in several different formats: (i.e. jpg, eps, pdf, tif, etc.). For example, jpg is better for web while eps is best for print. Be sure to retrieve your logo in all formats from whoever designed it. They should be able to supply it. Your logo will be needed for all advertising.

Work “Uniform” You’ll be expected to attend more meetings, conferences and dinners than you can

imagine as a business professional, so it’s imperative that you own two or three “go-to” outfits to wear.

Make sure they are professional, fit you well and are versatile (good for day or evening events). For men, this may be a couple of nice suits. Women may opt for a nice blazer in a couple of different colors. Whichever you pick, make sure you have them dry-cleaned and ready to wear on any given day.

Copyright Images You cannot, I repeat, you cannot copy images from the web without permission. This could be a very costly mistake. There are numerous copyright laws out there prohibiting use of copyrighted images. The last thing you want is a lawsuit filed against you or your company. There are some websites that offer royalty-free images, meaning you can use the images free of charge, but be sure you really research and read the fine print beforehand. If ever in doubt, it’s best to err on the side of caution.

Community Connection Making sure your business has a constant community connection is very important for several reasons; primarily because it keeps your name in the community. This can be achieved by becoming a stakeholder in the community, joining community boards or even developing a nonprofit arm of your business. You should always make giving back and serving your community a priority. People tend to support the businesses in the communities in which they live and work.

Networking Opportunities Last, but certainly not least, no serious businessman or businesswoman can expect to get to the next level without some form of networking. Never, ever miss an opportunity to network. This means: attend socials, mixers, meet-and-greets and galas. Don’t miss out on any opportunity to network.

You never know who could be your next client, partner or referral!

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Experience Our World of Advertising, Marketing, Media and Communication

18 December 2014

How to Find the Right Mortgage for You If you don’t have large cash reserves in your savings account, you’ll save yourself trouble later on by choosing a conservative mortgage.

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By Ige Johnson

Contributing Writer

hen you’re planning to buy a home—whether as a firsttime homebuyer or as a seasoned pro—deciding how much you can afford is a critical initial step. Once you know that, you’ll be able to find a mortgage tailored to fit your style.

But figuring it out takes more than knowing your debt-to-income ratio. Real estate is an investment, and you need to know your risk tolerance when investing.

Are you conservative, aggressive or somewhere in the middle? Here’s how to tell your real estate risk tolerance.

Income Level Income Level Start by taking a look at your income level.

If you make a higher income, you can afford to be an aggressive borrower, with up to 41% of your monthly take-home pay going toward your debts and 36% going toward housing expenses.

If your income falls in the middle to lower range for your area, an aggressive plan may not work for you.

“Let’s use 41% debt ratio as a benchmark,” said Casey Fleming, mortgage adviser and author of ‘The Loan Guide: How to Get the Best Possible Mortgage.’ “If you make $60,000 per year, that’s $5,000 per month. A 41% debt ratio means that $2,050 is committed to monthly debts—before groceries, taxes, health insurance, utilities, beer, etc. Most folks will eventually get into trouble if they do this.”

Age Age Your age is also an im-

portant deciding factor.

If you’re younger, purchasing your first home, have many years of work ahead of you and feel like you’re in line for pay increases and promotions as you go on, choosing an aggressive plan may make sense. You’ll put more toward your debts and mortgage payments each month—but you’ll be able to build up equity faster.

However, if you’re nearing retirement or already retired, this strategy may not work.

“If you’re looking at retirement, you shouldn’t be using your current income to calculate your debt ratios—you should be using your projected retirement income,” Fleming said.

This lower, more stagnant income might be better suited to a conservative financial approach.

Bringing It All

Bringing It All ToTogether gether Once you know what type of borrower you are, realtor. com’s Home Affordability Calculator can help you see what your mortgage and monthly expenses may look like.

By plugging some basic financial information into the calculator and selecting your borrowing type, you’ll be able to see an estimated monthly payment breakdown—including principle and interest payments, property tax, home insurance and mortgage insurance.

Use this tool to help you manage your real estate risk tolerance.

Financial Stability Stability Financial How you make your income also factors into the equation.

“If you have a steady base plus windfall income from bonuses, commissions or stock options, then the windfall income could be used as your ‘rainy day’ bucket and pushing your debt ratio to 41% makes sense,” Fleming said.

On the other hand, if your work is steady—but you don’t see a promotion or raise in your future—a moderate financial plan would suit you better.

And if you’re self-employed, a conservative approach is best.

“If someone is self-employed or on 100% commission, unless they have a superb, steady track record, I would never want to see them push the envelope,” she added.

Saving Habits Saving Habits Before you apply for a mortgage, take a hard look at how much you have—or haven’t—socked away.

“If someone is a good saver, I’m more comfortable with them pushing the debt-ratio envelope, because I know they can manage tight months,” Fleming said. “This is especially true if they will have good reserves after close of escrow.”

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Experience Our World of Advertising, Marketing, Media and Communication

20 December 2014

“Demystifying Success!”

By Noel Pinnock

Contributing Writer

“Leadership begins with you and success rests in the arms of those who you lead, inspire and develop.”

I

express this with my team daily. When I serendipitously constructed this statement, I did not truly realize its impact and cascading effects. Productivity and morale increase when people possess ownership and it is this dynamic that drives organizational transformation, community buy-in and personal

success. Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish a pre-determined objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. Success can be defined in many different ways.

According to the Merriam Dictionary, success is the achievement of something planned or attempted. Obtaining success is not an insurmountable task, but it is intentional; it is not an enigma, but it is predicated by leadership.

Are leaders born? Well, this is a highly debated question because so many perspectives are floating around. Which of the following statements about leadership are true?

1. Leaders are born with a natural ability to lead.

2. Leaders are individuals who have been assigned positions of authority.

3. The terms “leader” and “manager” essentially define the same role.

If you answered ‘no’ to all of the statements, then you are correct. Some believe that in order to be a leader and promote intentional success, the person must have the genetic fortitude or work in a position of authority. Others believe that individuals can be trained to

Pinnock CONTINUED on page 22

Unlocking the Keys to YOUR Success

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By Kachelle Kelly

As a business owner, “tired” is not a word that can be found in your vocabulary. Your choice to become an entrepreneur dictates that you be “ON” until you reach the level of success that you desire to achieve. Remember, emulating others is not the ultimate key to business success. It’s reaching inside and getting in touch with that little boy or little girl that boldly took the first step toward their destiny. In remembering the tenacity that it took to do what seemed impossible for you at that mo-

ment, you WILL be empowered to move forward to do what’s perceived as impossible now!

Check out my book Boss Women & Men Pray to help you discover your purpose in business and to move one step closer to unlocking the keys to your success by activating your success and spirit. Visit www.bossespray.com to enjoy free audio and videos. Learn more about coaching, products and services at www.kachellekelly.com. Follow me on Instagram @kachellekelly and Twitter @kachelle.

Contributing Writer

an has been seeking the answer to the mythical question of, “How do I achieve success?” since the beginning of time. I propose that we’ve had the answer since God first formed Adam out of dust.

We have a propensity to look outside of ourselves for the answer but God, the Master Designer, placed it right on the inside of us all. From the day we said our first word, or scooted the length of our cribs, we have been accessing that key to accomplish life tasks. You may think, “It can’t possibly be that simple,” but it is. Our drive to master the human condition is also the fuel that motivates us to accomplish unfathomable tasks.

It’s not until there’s an interruption in our programming that we start to stray from that. When we start to measure ourselves by what we see in others, we abort our original design. In the early years, it may be conforming to what we’ve been taught by our parents and educational caregivers. But even then, we risk becoming lost in the expectations of others versus being nurtured and instructed in conformity with the Master Designer’s plan for success in our lives. Granted, children don’t come with an instructional manual, but if you study their natural tendencies, you will get clues as to how they are programmed. As a parent, you get the opportunity to ensure that your child – in their teachable years – is supported by parenting methodologies that complement their success DNA. As adolescents, we seek to find our own successes with tools that haven’t quite matured enough to do the job.

That’s where parenting and education comes to the rescue. But as adults we are fully empowered to discover our success DNA. The problem is that sometimes we have been lulled into an apathetic state and the mere thought of doing the necessary hard work to get there is too tiring.

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Experience Our World of Advertising, Marketing, Media and Communication

22 December 2014

Did You Know? In the Business Community To View More Photos, Visit Our Website www.d-mars.com and Click on ‘Photos’

City of Houston Office of Business Opportunity Hosts Meet the Buyer

K

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

wanzaa, a holiday celebrating family, culture and heritage, was created

by Dr. Maulana Karenga. Beginning December 26 and lasting for seven days, Kwanzaa was first celebrated in 1966 and was established as a means to help African Americans reconnect with their African roots and heritage. Modeled after the first harvest celebrations in Africa, Kwanzaa’s colors have significant meanings. Black represents the black people, red represents the blood that unites all people of African ancestry and green represents the rich land in Africa.

“Dead men tell no tales.”

Pinnock from page 20

Dead people will not betray any secrets.

When Danielle was a little girl, she remembered her older brother Josh had a secret club, which consisted of him and three of his friends. Like most boys that age, they were a bit mischievous. Danielle remembers them getting into trouble at school, staying out too late and picking fights in the neighborhood. They always held their club meetings in secret locations. Danielle suspected this was because she always tried to tag along and they didn’t want her there.

Now, Danielle and her brother are both adults and Josh has since grew out of his childish ways. He makes a living as a respected family law attorney. Catching up over family dinner one night, Danielle asked Josh about his secret club as a teenager. “Where did you all hold your secret meetings?” she asked. Josh laughed when he said, “we used to hold the meetings in the graveyard.” Danielle paused. She didn’t think that was too funny. “For the life of me, why on Earth would you all hold meetings at the graveyard? That’s creepy.” Josh explained his reasoning. “Back then, we were all knucklehead boys and always into trouble. If we didn’t want people to know what we were up to, then we had to go to where we could talk openly and freely. Dead men tell no tales.”

If you have an Old Folks Saying you’d like to submit for consideration in our d-mars.com Business Journal, please email them to editor@d-mars.com. Be sure to include your name, the Old Folks Saying and the meaning.

function in a leadership capacity. Well, these perspectives are not very inaccurate because it is my personal belief that great leaders have an innate desire to selflessly serve as well as develop themselves on an ongoing basis to keep their saws sharpened.

As we approach a new tomorrow today, new and seasoned leaders need to be encouraged. When they arrive in new situations, they encounter many changes and undergo many changes themselves. Encouragement helps them reach increased potential; it empowers them by giving them energy to continue when they make mistakes. Use lots of positive reinforcement with your people to promote success. Don’t take acceptable work for granted and thank people for it. Praise a person every time you see improvement. And personalize your encouragement any time you can. Remember, what motivates one person may leave another cold or even irritated. Find out what works with each of your people and use it.

UCLA basketball coach John Wooden told players who scored to give a smile, wink or nod to the player who gave them a good pass. “What if he’s not looking?” asked a team member. Wooden replied, “I guarantee he’ll look.” Everyone values encouragement and looks for it – especially when his leader is a consistent encourager. Leaders lead because they: Look at possibilities and visualize what might be; Elevate the expectations of those working with him or her; Activate commitment by defining the way; and Develop trust.

Are you looking to be a leader in your community, job or home? If your response is yes, then there is not one formula to make the transition. Remember, the leader that positions him/herself too far in front of his/her troops be-

gins to look more and more like the enemy, which means in order to be a leader, you must have followers.

Followership is an elected function as people have to elect to follow you and in return you must develop a bond of trust with those who share in your vision. Trust is a twoway street. A leader shows that he or she is willing to entrust part of the vision to others in order for them to carry it out (remember my coined phrase). By empowering others to do their part, a leader earns their trust, and success is only inevitable.

So, how do you spell success? Well, my response is simply, L-E-A-D-E-R-S-H-I-P! Remember, the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers {leaders} are few; therefore, pray to the Lord (God) of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest (Matthew 9:37-38 NIV). The harvest is ready and there is much work to do! If you are leading, inspiring, informing and educating, then keep up the good work, but if you are not, then it is never too late to start.

Remember, too, there is no success without successors.

Someone has to be able to steward your vision and be able to carry the torch after you have left the scene. In fact, I believe like the late Dr. Myles Munroe, in that we have to make ourselves, as leaders, unnecessary and afford others opportunities to lead and move into position. Let’s face it readers…to be successful, one has to: • Understand self (strengths and weaknesses) • Learn and grow continuously • Set clear expectations and execute So there you have it, who are you pouring into…in your organization, community or home? This is the true question that must be answered when demystifying SUCCESS to achieve SUCCESS! #getatit! www.noelpinnock.com

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Experience Our World of Advertising, Marketing, Media and Communication

24 December 2014

Holiday Season –

The Record-Breaking Months for Foreclosure!

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LaTrice Martin-Gault, The Foreclosure Bully Contributing Writer

f you follow me on Facebook and Twitter, you know that I can speak on several topics: love and hate, good and evil, being fruitful and being slothful. However, my greatest topic is my biggest passion and success, which is saving families from foreclosure!

With the holiday season being the center of our attention, the chilly weather and the spirit to give, it is hard to imagine the number of people who will be out in the cold after January 6, 2015. Foreclosure happens every first Tuesday of every month here in Texas. Unfortunately, many families waiting for a miracle are disappointed more in November, December and January. This is because of the banks’ overwhelming workload and the shortened days before they will begin to prepare for tax season. This is not to reference those who spend months prior trying to get approved for a loan modification that they will not qualify for, after the banks’ robust and blindsided guidelines.

It is unfortunate that millions of home-

owners wait in faith on a bank, an investor or a mortgage company to save them when clearly the bank’s hope points back to their profits. They advise them NOT to seek help OUTSIDE of their advisors, however, as the sale date approaches, they leave homeowners hopeless and without confidence in a system that is designed to fail them! Some will file bankruptcy at the last minute, only to find that they will submit at least two more times before the foreclosure still follows. Why? Because although Bankruptcy will cancel out the proposed sale date, in essence, it will not save the home. What most attorneys will not inform you is that Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, which is a restructure plan designed to pay back what you owe, will increase your mortgage payment. Keep in mind, it is a plan to pay back what you owe, in combination with your current mortgage. For example, your current mortgage payment is $1,700 per month and you are delinquent $21,000.

Your new payment, over the next five years, will increase to $2,068. The question becomes: if you could not afford the original payment, how do you afford to pay MORE? If homeowners who face this dilemma will be honest, they will tell you that most homeowners in this situation will get dismissed from bankruptcy within the first year and find themselves in a worse situation.

So, what is the solution? First, know your status! Are you in foreclosure status?

Do you have a sale date? When are you scheduled to be foreclosed? According to your bank’s guidelines, do you qualify or not? Have you been denied? If you have been denied before, why, and what has changed since the denial? Most families lose their homes to foreclosure because they fail to open mail or respond to their mortgage company during the holidays or any day for that matter. Hiding behind the mail will NOT save your home! In fact, it will speed up the process. Stay in constant communication with your mortgage company and do not be afraid to know the truth. If you do not understand, seek outside advice…outside professional advice!!! Ask for a referral from your city officials or church leadership. Do not assume that “fee” means “scam!” Do your research! Whatever you do, GET HELP! The truth is, the mortgage company does not want your home. However, in order for your mortgage company to keep you in your home, you must qualify for one of their programs – loan modification, repayment plan or forbearance. Save Your Properties pre-qualifies all referred clients before taking them on as a customer. Save Your Properties ensures them that every client

will meet their mortgage company’s guidelines, and instructs clients on how to prove they qualify.

Save Your Properties and The Foreclosure Bully urge you to “keep” your home this holiday!

Check your mail and contact your mortgage company for reliable answers. Do not allow the mortgage company to force you into foreclosure because they are running out of time. Find out your status, and if you are facing foreclosure, seek assistance FAST. Remember, your mortgage company has their best interest at hand. If a bankruptcy is your only option, know the facts before you agree under pressure. Call your city official or church for a reference, but whatever you do, do not lose your home this holiday or any day!

The Foreclosure Bully is a non-fiction character who fights for families in foreclosure. She is employed by Save Your Properties, a for-profit foreclosure consulting firm since 1997. To find out more about The Foreclosure Bully or to submit a Speaker’s Request, visit www.saveyourprop.com/bio.

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Experience Our World of Advertising, Marketing, Media and Communication

26 December 2014

Resolve to Increase Business Success in 2015 by Boosting Employee Morale

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By Mikal Powers Contributing Writer

esolutions. It’s something we do every year in both our personal and professional lives. As a business owner or executive, setting goals for the year ahead and resolving to continually improve business practices is critical to ongoing success. Many managers and executives focus on increasing profits or billable hours, but forget a company’s success is often driven by how employees feel about the company and their contributed role to its success.

You can put your company on track to achieve greater results in 2015 by resolving to improve your employee culture now. The holiday season is typically slower and provides an opportunity for employers to connect with employees, share their gratitude and vision for the employee and build momentum for the business in 2015.

A recent University of Phoenix survey showed that Americans are career driven. Forty-seven percent of working adults judge their self-worth on their jobs or careers. And 60 percent say they would quit their job if they felt it decreased their feeling of self-worth.

Keeping your employees happy can help foster a more productive work environment.

Here are a few ways employers can help their employees feel like a valuable members of the team: 1. Focus on training, education and career management to help workers be more flexible in their career paths, grow with their organizations and contribute more effectively.

2. Provide employees with professional development opportunities and advanced educational resources in an effort to further promote and advance the development of current employees.

3. Recognize the benefits of an engaged and dedicated workforce through career advancement opportunities.

No matter what resolutions you set for your business, employees are essential to meet and exceed these goals. Recognize hard work and achievements in your workforce, and get started now to jump start success in 2015.

Mikal Powers is campus director at University of Phoenix Houston Campus overseeing campus operations. Powers earned a bachelor’s degree in business management and a master’s degree in business administration from University of Phoenix. He spent five years as a Helicopter Search and Rescue Swimmer and Operations Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy. After earning his degree, Powers attended the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and became a reserve officer for South Texas where he is committed to keeping communities safe and assisting residents in need.

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