CONTENTS
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mpowering Lives Business Magazine is an Inspirational, Business Publication for Women Entrepreneurs, who share their journey to success. We educate, equip, and empower the lives of other women; and inspire women to launch businesses by using their God-given gifts and talents. In this issue, some phenomenal women share their journey on the road to entrepreneurship. I am amazed at how some of these women are using their leadership abilities, wisdom, and insight, along with their God-given gifts to transform their lives and doing what they love; while inspiring so many others. From homelessness, government, or simply relocating to a new area, we shine a spotlight on these women to demonstrate, you do not have to be stuck in complacency or mediocrity. They demonstrate strength, confidence, and an unshakable faith in God that allows them to re-invent themselves and live a life that is fulfilling, impactful, and purposeful.
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With a sincere heart, I am grateful to God for this platform and the Womenpreneurs that have supported Empowering Lives Business Magazine. Without your testimonies, your stories, and your willingness to educate, equip, and empower the lives of others, this publication would not be possible. It was my goal for women around the world to be inspired to launch businesses, gain insight on work, life, balance, self-care, and to move from mediocrity to destiny. Yet, I have been inspired by your strength, your courage, and your tenacious spirit. Above all, I pray that God will super-size your visions, and exponentially increase your business! May God bless you immensely for everything you have poured out. Sandra R. Harris, Publisher
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04 - FROM THE DESK OF THE PUBLISHER Sandra R. Harris: Enlarge My Territory 06 - ON THE COVER: BELLA ROSE PASSION An Exclusive First Look at the New Herbal Fruit Cocktail Collection 14 - W.O.W. - WOMEN OF WISDOM: FIRST LADY TIFFANY HANEY Faith Driven Life Church on Pursuing God’s Purpose
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12 - BEATS BY KEE Model: Mariah Harris Sports a Delightul Summer Look from Juvia’s Place - The Zulu Palette 18 - DR. LATARSHA HOLDEN From G.E.D. to Ph.D. How to Transform Your Life 20 - IN THE SPOTLIGHT MARNICE MILLER: 22-Year Civil Service Servant to Multi-Million Dollar CEO
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26 - CASI’S BOOTCAMP 5 Tips on How to Crush Your Weight Loss Goals!
29 - KEIANNA WILLIAMS The Lifestyle Transformation Experience 2019
30 - GRANTS & RESOURCES Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs (ACE)
33 - AUTHOR’S CORNER: MARSHAWN EVANS Believe Bigger: Discover the Path to Your Life Purpose
Empowering Lives Magazine | 3
FROM THE DESK OF THE PUBLISHER Enlarge My Territory. The Little Prayer that Produces Remarkable Results!
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bought a small book with only 90 pages by Dr. Bruce Wilkinson entitled, The Prayer of Jabez - Breaking Through to the Blessed Life in 2002. In this book, he talks about living the abundant life that God longs to give us. He shares countless stories of how this remarkable prayer from a little-known Bible hero can release God’s favor, power, and protection as you break through to the blessed life we are meant to live.
Be with me in all that I do, and keep me from pain”. In the Bible, when Jabez prayed a similar prayer, it says that God gave him what he asked. When you pray for others all the time, this prayer can seem like a selfish one at first. However, when I ask for God’s blessings, I am not merely asking for more of what I can get for myself, I am asking for more, so I can give more. I want to be blessed, so I can be a blessing to others. It is God’s will and His good pleasure to bless us. We must In 2002, when I first prayed what has become known as ask for the blessing and be ready to receive it when it comes. The Prayer of Jabez (I Chronicles 4: 10 ), I had a ‘suddenly’ When you want to be more, and do more for God, and live experience. Suddenly, I received a promotion, suddenly, I beyond the limits, I encourage you to pray this prayer: received an increase in pay, and suddenly, “...Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and I experienced a windfall of God’s favor. enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be Everything doubled! However, with that with me and that You would keep me from evil, came greater responsibilities. You must that I may not cause pain!” The promise is be ready for things to start shifting and right after that. “So God granted him what he WHEN YOU PRAY moving. As with most change, there is a requested.” (I Chronicles 4:10) THE PRAYER OF level of uncertainty about what to expect. JABEZ, GET READY, Likewise, God is giving me what I asked. The You may not know what to expect, but you GET READY, GET can be sure that the change or the shift will response and support from the women have be moving in your favor! READY, GET READY been remarkable! Nationwide, women are supporting this mission. I have received article FOR A LIFE OF NO It is a little prayer that packs a big punch! submissions that would carry Empowering LIMITS!” In the first quarter of this year, Pastor T. Lives Magazine for the rest of the year! Praise J. McBride prayed, “Oh, that you would and Glory to God! I wanted to be a blessing bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory.” to them, but they have been a blessing to me. It is then that I remembered I had the book. I looked for it on my bookshelf, I am beyond grateful. With a sincere heart, I dusted it off, and began to read it over. Suddenly, it seemed am thankful for the Womenpreneurs that have supported as if the floodgates opened, and the shift started happening this vision and this mission. I have been inspired by your again. All I can say is when you pray this prayer, as T.D. strength, your courage, and your resilient spirit. Without Jakes would say, “Get Ready, Get Ready, Get Ready, Get your testimonies, your stories, and your willingness to eduReady”! cate, equip, and empower the lives of others, this publication would not be possible. I pray that God will increase your Earlier this year, I began to pray, “Oh God, that you would vision and super-size your businesses! bless me, and bless me indeed. God, enlarge my territory.
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Sandra R. Harris
Empowering Lives Magazine | 5
BELLA ROSE PASSION An Exclusive First Look at the New Herbal Cocktail Collections
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B
ella Rose is the Womanpreneur and CEO of Bella
Rose Passion. She has been nominated for Top 5 women to watch in Atlanta, Georgia. She has been featured in numerous print magazines, and featured on the Steve Harvey Show. She has earned two Small Business Awards and now has her products in one of the largest retailers - Walmart.
“Work your Passion Until it Becomes Your Paycheck�
You can support her business and purchase some awesome products at: Website: www.bellarosepassion.com Intagram: @Bella Rose Passion Facebook: Bella Rose Passion Email: info@bellarosepassion.com
Empowering Lives Magazine | 7
ON THE COVER
An Exclusive First Look at the
New Collection from Bella Rose Passion Empowering Lives: When I saw Bella Rose Passion, I said, “Oh my God,” I was simply blown away that a young black woman has products in Walmart. Tell us about your business and tell us about your products? Bella Rose: My company actually started in 2011 as cosmetics. When we started out with cosmetics, we wanted to see how far we can go. Then, I started doing skin care. It was just a hobby because I’ve been using natural products on my skin for a long time. So it was just a hobby when I accidentally mixed the colors and put it on social media. It got so much attention that I started my company because I wanted to be more professional with it. The Unicorn Shea Butter, which is one of our top selling products right now was actually just an ‘accident.’ Empowering Lives: Wow! Bella Rose: We have a collection with the Unicorn Shea Butter, an Organic Unicorn Lotion, and the Organic Unicorn Sugar Scrub for the face and body. We have the Coffee Sugar Scrub, which is good for any bruises, scrapes, or marks that you have on your body. It highlights and removes the mark. Within 48 hours, you 8 | Empowering Lives Magazine
will see a difference. So with all of our products, we use all natural organic ingredients, things that you probably use daily and you never know how good it is for your hair or skin. I wanted to get away from the chemical products and be natural. I wanted to see what I could naturally use on my skin. So I took some olive oil, avocado, and aloe vera, which are some of the primary ingredients that we use. Shea butter and cocoa butter are ingredients that I use in every single product that I have. So if you go to your local Walmart, you can pick up some aloe vera and avocado; it is really all about the mixture. So once I get the consistency of the mixture really good, I test everything. I have a 20-year old daughter, and we do some test on hair products and skin care products to see how good it does on our skin. We’ve always had sensitive skin, so I made an Eczema Butter. Once you rub it on your skin, eczema goes away immediately. It lightens and fades almost instantly. Honestly, if you mix the right two, three, or four ingredients together, they have more of an effect than just that one ingredient. Many people use shea butter, but they may not know that mixing shea butter with three
Photo provided Courtesy of Bella Rose Passion
or four oils will help you get rid of dandruff. It can help you get rid of any skin inflammation. Another natural ingredient is apple cider vinegar. I put it in my shampoo, and I call it the Hair Detox, and it literally detoxes the hair. Empowering Lives: So let’s talk distribution and packaging. Your packaging is beautiful and professional. I love it! Talk to the entrepreneurs that have ideas - such as my niece. She has a chemistry degree. She has an idea for a product. If you were coaching her, how would she go about getting started for distribution and packaging for her product? Bella Rose: Okay, first would be packaging. People have short attention spans; maybe two seconds (laughing). So if it looks pretty, we’re going to buy it. However, everything that looks pretty to me doesn’t look pretty to my consumer. So what I do is, I do come up with ideas with my graphic designer, and if I think it is beautiful, I submit it to my Manager, which is my husband. Assuming he is an everyday Walmart consumer, he may say “Nah, I don’t really see that on the shelves,” and we’ll work on it again. My husband and I work together as a team. We work on
ON THE COVER
Podcast for this article can be found on Soundcloud
packaging together. Then we pick someone else’s brain because that is going to be your consumer. And that person next to you does not have the same opinion as you, so if they do not like it, don’t take it as criticism. You have to look at it from a consumer’s point of view.
Therefore, packaging always has to be eye-catching. Whatever is eyecatching, people are likely to take a chance and buy it. I purchase so many things I do not need for my home simply because it is pretty. It is the same as when we go to any retail store, and we see something
beautiful. So make your packaging stand out, and look at it from the perspective you do when you are the consumer. Sometimes simple is better. So if it is shea butter, put shea butter. We do not have all of the fancy Empowering Lives Magazine | 9
ON THE COVER influencer charge you anywhere from $500 to $1,500. Look at her or his views first and see how much interaction that person gets on their comments. If that person gets a lot of interaction on their comments, then I would say go ahead and invest. One influencer I paid $300, and I made about $5,000 off of that $300 investment. I will say- do it, and also a lot of millennials do not like Facebook, but I will say they should if they are selling something. I am not one to sit on Facebook and post all day long. However, I do have a Facebook Business Page and a team that runs the Facebook Business Page. He puts up ads that generate thousands of dollars because those Facebook ads run all day long. Now, Instagram has ads, too, but people are more likely to purchase off of Facebook than they are on Instagram. Instagram is more so for likes, and Facebook is more so interaction. Empowering Lives: Okay. Any Influencers you would recommend? Bella Rose: Definitely, I would say if you do have the money- it’s pretty pricey but if you do have the money, try to see if you can get on the Shade Room. That is one of the biggest returns on your investment. I am Zoie is another Influencer. I sent him some products, and he posted it on his story that was up for 24 hours, and I made thousands of dollars with that little simple three seconds click. I would advise you to Google, how 10 | Empowering Lives Magazine
to contact an influencer. It will give you a structured email. This is a general email- how are you? How much is your social media ad or how much is your social media promo? Just get right to the pointkeep it simple.
Business Magazine for Women Entrepreneurs? Bella Rose: Yes- don’t be afraid to start- just do it! It’s going to be a blessing. It might not always be the easiest thing, but remembereasy isn’t always worth it, but hard work pays off.
Empowering Lives: Wow! That is some great information for women Empowering Lives: Amazing, I love that are starting businesses, it. God bless you, and may God especially the older generation continue to bless your business. that are not really social media Thank you so much for sharing! savvy, and some excellent information for me! So I thank you Website: www.BellaRosePassion.com for your willingness to Email: info@BellaRosePassion.com share. Any last words Instagram: @BellaRosePassion that you would like to Facebook: Bella Rose Passion leave for the readers of Empowering Lives
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Empowering Lives Magazine | 11
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MARQUITA NECOLE GEE
BEATS BY KEE
Where I Make Every Client “Feel the Beat!”
M
arquita Necole Gee , I am the proud CEO of Beats by Kee. Growing up as the youngest girl of my family I have always been a girly girly who loved creating beauty out of everything. From making mud pies in my Mom’s front yard under the big oak tree to wearing pig tails and getting my hair pressed,. However, I often reflect back on those things when I called myself branching out into the dessert world of makeup a few years ago, which really was a step out on faith. I have stayed up plenty of nights and had very long days determined to master my craft while in all still juggling being a wife, mom of three and a full time employee. As time went by with many ups and downs I began to concentrate more and more on the calling God placed in my life. There were days I would get all dolled up and sit at my desk. Brows on fleek and highlights popping, just to be told day after day, “Girl, you need to beat my face one day, you be killing it”. I never knew I would be blessed enough to have hands that make someone feel so much joy simply by enhancing the beauty
that is already within everyone. Now my motto is to make every client feel the “BEAT”! I thank God on a daily that I able to use my gift because I know that I am able to use my gift because I know that this is just that. It is a gift that took me a while to understand, but being a freelance, self-taught make-up artist ensures me everyday I will be growing more and more with the help of God and my supporters. I give all thanks and glory to God because “Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world”.
Services Offered: Brow Enhancements Full-Face (Basic & Glam) Mink Lashes
Makeup Model: Mariah Harris
BASED IN WINTER HAVEN, FLORIDA Contact: Marquita Necole Gee MarquitaGee83@yahoo.com Beats_by_Kee Beats By Kee Now Accepting New Clients
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Photos provided Courtesy of Mariah Harris Photography Credit:Eric Richardson
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Mariah Harris
Empowering Lives Magazine | 13
Words of Wisdom
Lady Tiffany Haney
Photo Provided Courtesy of Tiffany Haney
PURSUING GOD’S PURPOSE
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oday, I am both excited and honored to have an amazing Phenomenal Woman of God to impart words of wisdom to the readers and subscribers of Empowering Lives Magazine. A platform where we are educating, equipping, and empowering women to launch businesses. Today, we will be educated, equipped, and empowered to live our lives on Purpose. She is an Educator, she is the wife of Pastor Oliver J. Haney III, and the mother of three beautiful children. She is lovingly known as First Lady by her congregation and the “Quiet Storm” by her husband, who is also her Pastor. She is First Lady Tiffany Haney of Faith Driven Life Church in East Point, Georgia. Welcome to Empowering Lives. Lady Haney: Thank you so much for having me today, I am excited. Empowering Lives: Let us just get right into it, the thing that most people want to discover. What on earth was I created to do? First Lady Haney, talk to us about Purpose. Lady Haney: Purpose is a topic that is close to my heart because I am in pursuit of Purpose myself. I started this journey towards the end of last year, and I have been praying to God on what to do for the ladies of Faith Driven, and what I could give them for 2019. He told me to give them what He
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Words of Wisdom
“TO PURSUE PURPOSE REQUIRES WORK, IT REQUIRES COMMITMENT, IT REQUIRES DEDICATION, IT REQUIRES FOCUS ” my word and pray every day. When we are looking for a specific answer, we have to be very specific in our prayer and in our study. For me, I had to break down everything and just focus on my God-given assignment, and through that, He would start revealing things to me on the need for me to walk in Purpose and the detriment of not walking in Purpose. When I say Purpose, I mean God ordained Purpose. Because sometimes, we can be doing morally good things, and things that are even beneficial to ourselves and others, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that it is what we were created by God to do. Empowering Lives: I know you have a gift of teaching, First Lady. In your opinion, is there a difference between Purpose, your calling, and your assignment. Is there a difference? Lady Haney: In the broad scheme of things, I don’t
think there is a difference; it is the terminology. My study is based on Paul, when he was talking to the Philippians about his pursuit. He was in pursuit to lay hold of why God laid hold of him. I said, what does that mean. He said I am in pursuit, and my question was, what are you pursuing. He said I am pursuing why God laid hold of me, God laid hold of him. He was in his own world, and God laid hold of him, knocked him down, called him into the ministry, which was calling him into his assignment and also calling him to his Purpose. Looking at it that way, I think they are all the same thing as it relates to doing what God wants you to do. Empowering Lives: What would you say to someone who is struggling to find her Purpose in life? Lady Haney: That is really good because working with people, I have come across that question a lot. My first response is something I am really sure about. I feel good with the response of God is not hiding. He would not hide our Purpose from us because I believe walking in Purpose allows you to get the blessings of God. If your blessing from Him is your obedience to the test of Him calling you, then He would not withhold that knowledge from you. I think again, it goes back to Paul, that Purpose is something you have to pursue. To pursue requires work, it requires commitment, it requires dedication, it requires focus, and sometimes I find that people are not committed to the pursuit itself. It is parallel to anything we pursue, we pursue degrees, we pursue professions, we pursue people, and we are overly committed to those things we are pursuing. However, when it comes to the things of God, it seems as if we are fighting for time, we are struggling to give Him the thing He requires of us, and we are fighting to study. We do not have time for this and we don’t have for that. Photo Provided Courtesy of Tiffany Haney “The Family”
had given me, which is The Pursuit of Purpose. It sounds very cliché; I just didn’t know where to start. I said Lord, I am in the ministry, so it seems like I am already living my Purpose, or what you have for me to do. But I did not feel totally fulfilled, and I felt like there was something else for me. Therefore, I became very deliberate and intentional in my prayer and study life, to deal with the subject of Purpose. What I am learning is that when we want God to reveal something to us, we really have to be intentional in our study on that particular thing. So it is not enough to read
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C
Words of Wisdom
an You Ever Really Know If You Are
Living The Life for Which You Were Created?
The reason why some of us do not know our calling is because we have not been faithful to the pursuit itself. We have to revisit our personal pursuits. How committed are we? First, we are not committed to the pursuit of Purpose. I used the example of how we pursue things in life. We pursue the careers, we pursue professions, and we pursue people. We pursue a lot of things, and we are very strategic about our pursuits, we are very hungry, deliberate, and intentional, we pursue things very well. There is something about when we get to the things of God, though, we are not as committed. There is always a reason, there is always an excuse, there is always something that comes up that gets in the way of our study, of our prayer, of our commitment. My response is, let us reevaluate how we have been pursuing Purpose. Let us look at the time spent in pursuit of Purpose. Next, would be to gain an understanding as we pursue. We do not know everything about God. All we have to go on is the Word of God. If we look at the Word of God as our road map, we would see that He has never given anybody the whole picture or the entire plan at one time. We are looking for this huge picture. We have to be in the mindset that we are always trusting God to obey the steps, trusting that the steps of a good man are ordered. We go by steps, and if we follow in His steps, He will lead us to the bigger things. Empowering Lives: I like it a lot. You said some very powerful things about how God operates in the lives of His people. So how do you know if you have missed the mark? Is there a way that you can ever be certain that you are doing exactly what God created you to do? Lady Haney: That is good. I would really need to sit on that one, but my initial first response would be what I am coming to 16 | Empowering Lives Magazine
believe in this pursuit is that we have more than one purpose. I believe that we have different purposes in different seasons. In this season, my Purpose could be this, and then my Purpose would change in another season. Understand, we are talking about God’s Purpose, and his Purpose always leads back to redemption. So if someone is not being redeemed, then that is just probably a talent or something you are good at. But we are talking about God-ordained Purpose. When his Purpose is being carried out, redemption is being carried out. Somebody is being saved, somebody is being brought to the kingdom of God. That is how you can see the difference between somebody doing something great, and somebody walking in God’s Purpose, everything leads back to redemption. Empowering Lives: I love it, I love that. God’s Purpose always leads to redemption. That leads me into the next question I have for you. Do you think everyone’s Purpose is for the church? For example, Beyoncé, one of the greatest entertainers in secular music. In your opinion, is she doing the thing she was created to do? She is a remarkable entertainer. One would think she is living out her Purpose
“GOD-ORDAINED PURPOSE ALWAYS LEADS BACK TO REDEMPTION” the thing she was created to do. Do you believe everyone’s Purpose is strictly for the church? Lady Haney: I think everyone’s God-given Purpose is for redemption. The church is an interesting word. To understand the terminology of “church”, and how it references the building, the Bible refers to
the assembly of people all together, talking about the church, and the body of the Believers. However, when we are talking about Purpose and Ministry, and we say that it is for redemption, or to bring people to the Kingdom. It doesn’t necessarily mean to a building; it is to Christ. Understand that I don’t have a stamp to know it all. I believe in my own pursuit, and what I believe He was revealing for me. I believe when we are doing God’s Purpose, God is always glorified. God gets the glory, and there is a soul that is won through our lives and our Purpose. There is a different kind of gift, and they might not manifest in that building of those walls, and God is so much bigger than where we try to put him. When we are pursuing, he gives us avenues that are not typical because in the society that we live in today, those things that the church views are not accepted, so he has to give us opportunities to reach those who are not churched. Empowering Lives: What is your favorite scripture that you live by. Lady Haney: He who is able to keep me from falling. That is Jude 1:24. That is probably my favorite in this season. I realize that I may go through, but I have the one who is able to keep me from falling. He is not going to let me fall, that is definitely my favorite. Empowering Lives: Alright, there you have it! The phenomenal First Lady of Faith Driven Life Church. Thank you and God bless you. How can we support? Lady Haney: Faith Driven Life Church, we are located at 2822 Randall Street, East Point Georgia 30344 We have a very active Facebook page. Like us at Faith Driven Life Church. We are also on Instagram and Twitter @faithdrivenlifechurch. I am on Facebook @TiffanyHaney.
Empowering Lives Magazine | 17
INSPIRATIONAL CORNER
From G.E.D to Ph.D.
How to Transform Your Life
Photo provided Courtesy of Dr. Latarsha Holden
Tell us about Three Elements Inc, and what made you launch this business.
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hree Elements Inc, is the heart and soul of who I am. My Three Elements are: Love, Compassion, and Service. Those three elements are poured into any project I am a part of, any book that I write, and all of my speaking engagements. My services are: Motivational Speaking, Personal Development Coaching, and Workshop Facilitator. What makes me different is my genuine love and compassion for humanity. I know what it feels like when people look the other way, when you need help the most. I decided to start a business where I can show love, compassion, and service to others. This passion led to the launch of my business Three Elements Inc. 18 | Empowering Lives Magazine
Dr. Holden, you were not always this great success story that you are today. Walk us through the journey. It’s been a long journey. I went from being homeless with six children to a Political candidate in the 2017 election in the City of Atlanta, from a GED to a Doctorate Degree in Leadership, and a published author of twelve books that I completed in a year and a half. If it had not been for God’s mercy and grace, there is no way I would have made it. I made a vow that if God brought me out of homelessness and hopelessness, I would go back and fight for others. The last ten years were the
hardest times of my life. Overcoming homelessness, low self-esteem, hopelessness, and a defeated mindset was not an easy process. But when I looked at the faces of my six children, they became a source of motivation for me to pull myself up.
“When you know your ‘Why’, it will help you get through the ‘How’ moments.” However, when you are as low as I was, living in an abandoned house with my children as squatters, the only thing you can do is look up. The power of God, His grace, and His mercy became my first source of hope when I pleaded with God
INSPIRATIONAL CORNER to please help me. I would get a little more strength to keep going. Then, I decided to fight for me and my children. With no money, and a lack of family support, I fought.
I told them, “The same fight I had to bring my family out of homelessness, is the same fight that I will have for you and your families.”
However, it was not easy. To transform your life requires Perseverance, Discipline, Focus, Commitment, Time Management, and Organization. These are all the things I learned, and now I speak and facilitate workshops to help others.
My daughter said it was so surreal to be able to check my name on that ballot. It established the legacy that I was building to leave for my children. At that time, people asked me, how did it make me feel to not win the race. But, actually,
Dr. Holden, that was a mighty bold, and courageous move to run for a political office in 2017. Where did you get the courage to make such a bold move? It was actually the same seat that Keisha Lance Bottoms sat for two terms prior to becoming Mayor for the City of Atlanta. My primary reason for entering the political race was to fight for the people. Although, I was the underdog, and I only raised $1,500; I did very well at the polls because the people could sense my sincerity.
“I did Win! I may not have won the political race, but it was still a win for my family!” You are the CEO of Three Elements, Inc, the Author of 12 books, ran a close race as a Political Candidate, from a G.E.D. to earning a Ph.D., and you have a documentary based on your life, No Longer Lost. To date, what has been your greatest accomplishment?
Instilling a heart of service within my children. During our transition, I told my children, “I don’t have much to give you materially, but what I have to give is my unconditional love, and to teach you how to serve”. At my lowest point, I gave them a strong foundation to become great leaders.
“I am grateful for all the things I have accomplished; but my greatest accomplishment that makes me proud are my six children, who are leaders with a heart to serve”. One is getting ready to graduate from D. M. Therrell High School, but the other five children are all in professions that serve others; including my oldest son who served in the United States Marine Corps.
For Bookings, you can reach me at: Website: www.3elementsinc.com Email: latarshaholden@yahoo.com Facebook: @Latarsha.HoldenBenton Instagram: @LatarshaHolden6 Amazon: Latarsha D. Holden Documentary: No Longer Lost: The Latarsha Holden Story – Also available on Amazon.com
Empowering Lives Magazine | 19
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
From Civil Service to Multi-Million Dollar CEO
Marnice Miller
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oday, I have a 22-year veteran of the Civil Service. She has served within various sectors of the Government where she has received numerous awards. She is a wife and mother of three adult children, who are all graduates of higher education. She is affiliated with multiple professional organizations. She is the CEO of Human Capital Resources and Concept Inc. Welcome, Marnice Miller. Thank you, I am happy to be here and happy to be a part of Empowering Lives. Empowering Lives is a platform where we interview women entrepreneurs who share their inspirational journey of launching a business. When starting a business, women have questions about financing, questions about branding, and how to get their business off the ground. But you are in government so talk to us a little about how to transition from a steady paycheck every two weeks to the uncertainty of entrepreneurship? I can sum up the transition with a capital A, and that is anxiety (Laughing). After 22 years of serving as a Civil Servant, I left the government to start a company. I was a Senior Human Resources Officer with the Defense Intelligence Agency, and that was a six-figure salary, so it was very tough. I had a
Podcast for this article can be found on Soundcloud
Photo provided Courtesy of Marnice Miller
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IN THE SPOTLIGHT out of the sky, and I say fall out of the air in terms of the phone can ring one day, and that is the call you have been waiting for out of the blue. So you have to be open and flexible and not give up, you have to keep knocking on doors, someone is going to remember you. Perseverance is also very key in starting your own company and staying the course. How did you start to think about transitioning from a six-figure, civil service job that you have worked for 22 years, very structured and move over into entrepreneurship?
Photo provided Courtesy of Marnice Miller
lot of anxiety. So what I did before I actually left, I started doing the groundwork, and when I say the groundwork, I mean, I started talking to people, I started talking to a lot of companies and started getting advice on what things I should start with. Then I took all of that advice, and I tailored it for my schedule, for what was realistic for me as it related to the amount of funds I would need, would I have to expend towards travel to networking and conferences? Because of all of that cost money. I would seek out all of the free conference, free seminars, and ways to network. Of course, when you are talking to people, they want to know that you are serious about doing business, or collaborating and partnering. You have to have a website. You must have business cards because those are the things on the surface that people are going to look for right up-front. There are going to be a lot of sleepless nights and anxiety because when you are accustomed to a steady paycheck coming in,
and then it is not happening, it is all on you and what decisions you make. You are up a lot, just thinking, writing, and planning. I started keeping a journal and just writing things down because when you are in the thick of it, you would forget things, but you have to keep yourself a journey to a plan out what your goals are. Awesome, that is amazing. So networking, free seminars, drafting business cards, a website, and keep a journal to start. Absolutely! Talk to as many people as you can and don’t give up. You may knock on 50 company doors before one company says, “Hi,” and takes your appointment and begins to develop a business relationship. Don’t give up because the first company does not have time to talk to you because again, in business, which I had to learn because a Civil Servant’s job is very structured. You know what the government is going to do, you know what your day to day is. But when you are in business, things are thrown at you all types of ways. Something can literally fall
If you had asked me that question 10 years ago, I would have said, “I am probably going to do about 35 years and then I am going to retire. Then I am going to do free work somewhere later on after retirement.” Things just took a turn. Ten years ago, I met my husband who has been an entrepreneur the majority of his life, and I had one too many mornings of getting up and him saying, “I am going to play golf, I have a client to see, and I would be on the golf course.” And me thinking about traffic 2-3 hours a day and sitting on a job for 11 hours and getting back in that same traffic to come home. I began to feel unfulfilled, so that was one thing. Yes, it was a paycheck, but it started not to be as challenging anymore. When you work for the government, even in a senior ranking position, you still don’t have the power. I like to say that my passion outweighs the power that I had. For example, if we get a new Director, the entire focus can change. So we could have been working on something for 48 Empowering Lives Magazine | 21
IN THE SPOTLIGHT weeks, and a new Director comes in and says, “Guess what? This is week 52, and we are going to change the whole thing”. So they have the power. My passion has always been people; that is why I am in the Human Resources field; you always meet new people. Now, being in business for myself just puts it on a top-level platform because now, I affect lives. Because your work is your livelihood, so it gives me joy to be able to employ individuals, to be able to feel like they work for a great company and on top of that, we are doing an excellent job for the federal government. Amazing! Tell us about Human Capital Resources, precisely what your company is and what you do. Human Capital Resources and Concept is a premier federal contractor, which means that 100% of our base is the federal government. When I started this company, because of my background in Human Resources, naturally, I am going to start a human resource company. In hindsight, I wish I would have made the company something different because I know a lot of other things now about this type of business. You don’t want to pigeon hole your business into a name that would deter various types of business from your company because of the name. In this realm of work, you are a service company so for the most part, if you read a solicitation and you can do that job, or you can hire individuals to do that work, you can go after that contract. You don’t want your name to avert whoever is looking at that proposal and steer them away from you 22 | Empowering Lives Magazine
because they are thinking that you are only HR. A lot of times, I go for HCRC versus Human Capital Resources and Concept. I use the acronym because HCRC could mean anything, so I am not pigeonholed. But again, my true passion is HR. So every time I see that HR solicitation, my eyes get big and I am very excited about it. But we also do anti-terrorism training. We have the largest contract with the Department of Army for their anti-terrorism training, which primarily has not been a woman-owned company. We hold an annual conference in Orlando, Florida, which we wrapped up this past February where we had dignitaries from all over the world that came to speak at our conference. We have HR work with the Department of Defense as educational activities. They are the teachers who actually teach our service members, children, and family members all over the world. We have several contractors at HR, administrative, training, leadership and development, and 100% of our client base is the federal government. It is amazing to hear that a woman can go into this line of work that is typically dominated by men, and be able to provide services for the federal government. I absolutely love it. Do you have to be certified? Talk to us about what it means to be certified as a womanowned business or minorityenterprise. Small Business Administration, who I would say govern those small business certifications that you just mentioned. So there are quite a few that are out there,
there is one for minorities, there is one for women, there is one for veteran-owned, there is one for service-disabled veteran owned. There is one for what is called HUB Zone, which is an acronym for historically underutilized business zone, which are areas where employment statistics are low. For all certifications, you go through a vetting process with Small Business Administration. The biggest one being the 8A certification. The 8(a) Certification is a business assistance program for small disadvantaged businesses for socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. There is a paper drill for the 8A Certification. There is a drill about your upbringing and your background as it relates to being an African American woman. You tell a story in a two-page document that you send to them, and all of the things that you put into that document is also part of the requirements. Financial statements that you provide, there is a requirement to be in business for at least 2 years or be able to be waived out of that requirement. There are some things that you can do to waive the two-year requirement, but they want to see a full picture. I really love the vetting process. For me to get the certification, it took about 6 months, and there are a lot of questions back and forth that they ask. My company also has a top-secret facility clearance, so in my life as a civil servant, I always worked under a top-secret facility clearance. Meaning, the government is combing my background with a fine toothcomb and deeming me appropriate to view top secret and sensitive information.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Photo provided Courtesy of Marnice Miller
When I started the company, it is not just me anymore, and they come, and comb everything with a fine-toothed comb with your company. Then they grant your company that top-secret facility type clearance and that allows me to be able to do work with an agency who have that element of secrecy and documents with classified materials within the agency. That was another tough one for me to get because you have to have another company come to you. No one entrusts that to people, until they get to know you, so that is like a courtship of trying to find a company to collaborate with. Once I found a company, it was really a courtship of them getting to know my company on an intimate level to ensure that they can trust me to do so. Those are the certifications, woman-owned is usually the same; you are providing birth certificates
and passports to prove first of all that you are a woman. Second of all, they go through the financial documents, and they are trying to see that you have a company and showing proof that the company is actually gaining revenue. All of those go through the Small Business Administration, and there are tons of information out there, even on the web that walk you through each step about how to get these certifications. Awesome. That is a lot of information, but very very excellent information for women that want to start a business and contract with the federal government. Thank you for that information. Now, I am going to take a turn here just a little bit and ask you how long have you been in business, and how do you balance starting your business with marriage and family? I came out of government,
September of 2015, and that was my first official day as it relates to working on the company. I did some preliminary things before I decided that this as going to be the route that I was going to take. Things like setting up the company, and doing all the necessary paperwork. So when I step out of government, and it was my actual last day, I could hit the ground running. In March 2015, is when the company was established. In September 2015 is when I actually first sat in this chair as President. So we are talking about a good 6 months of putting everything together. How did you balance the startup with self-care and your family? Being married to an entrepreneur made things a little easier. Some of the things that stopped me from doing this earlier was the fact that Empowering Lives Magazine | 23
IN THE SPOTLIGHT I did have three children. I wanted to make sure that everyone was done with college. My son, who is now 26, he was graduating from Florida A&M. He graduated in May before I actually came out of government in August. So I made sure those things were aligned so I wouldn’t have that pressure of having a child away in college, and then no steady paycheck. Because in business, you don’t know how quickly or how slow they would go. Luckily, I was able to really utilize my contacts and previous relationships. I gained my first contract almost immediately after leaving my government job from a relationship that I had back in Germany with the Department of Defense educational activity when I was an employee. Because a lot of the individuals who actually were my peers at the time are now in those decision-making seats. One of the other things I did before leaving, I started sending emails to everyone I remember while I was still in government saying, “Hey, this is what I am thinking about doing.” If you have done a good job and you have worked for people, and they know that you did a good job, then they know who you are, and they know what you are capable of. When they have opportunities, they would say let us call Marnice, we know that she knows this work and it really was that easy. When I actually got out and gained that first contract, and that is when business happened, and my eyes had to get wider because now, I have the work and you have to learn all these other things about dealing with other companies and how other companies do business. I always say they need to have a business 24 | Empowering Lives Magazine
for dummies or government contracting for dummies. Because sometimes, you think it is easy, but it is not so easy when it comes to dealing with people. When we are doing work share, and work share really equals dollars, but we like to say work share in this business. But that means how much money my company is going to get and if I am partnering with another company, how much money are they going to get? You have to learn how to be business savvy, read all of the fine print in the contract and ensure you have those legal things to put into place. So getting the contract was easy, but it involved other things that enlightened me and opened my eyes. Wow! So my last question and this is one of the biggest challenges for a lot of women wanting to start their own business. Financing, where do the women get the startup capital from?
you begin to land larger contracts or even more smaller contracts. Then eventually, you are earning enough to have that as a line of credit. My company could actually do small HR services for other small businesses. I started with the government because the government is what I know and what I understand. But now that I am in it, I know how large it can be. You don’t have to have a full government background to do this type of company because it is really just providing services. Awesome. So give us one catchphrase that you live by. “Don’t give up and stay the course” because it is your passion that is going to drive whatever it is that you are going to do. “To start a business is very courageous because it takes dedication, it takes perseverance. You are going to get knocked down, but you have to stay the course, you have to get back up, dust yourself off, and stay the course.
For me, I used my retirement. Once you are able to gain contracts, it is hard with the banks Thank you so much for sharing because they want to see a history today. I have absolutely enjoyed of you getting a contract. When your time, the information you are just starting, here is my that you have given. You have contract, I want a loan. No, it is given me some homework to not happening. So they do have go and research. Thank you companies out there that work so much, thank you for your with companies. They know what time, I appreciate the wealth of we do intimately, and they would information that you have shared finance those contracts for you. today. Continued success in your At a higher interest rate, they business! would factor your invoices. But for a startup company Marnice Miller, CEO who had nowhere Human Capital Resources and Concepts, Inc. else to go, it is Website: www.hcrconcepts.com still a way to get Email: marnice.miller@hcrconcepts.com your business Phone: (844) 564-6253 started and to keep it going until
Empowering Lives Magazine | 25
#Empowering Lives Magazine
CASI’S BOOTCAMP
DIVINE HEALTH
Photo provided Courtesy of Casi’s Bootcamp
Casi Fields, Owner
C
asi Fields is the Owner of Casi’s Boot Camp; where she focuses on helping women eat healthier and lose weight “straight military style.”
Women are working long hours, taking care of the family, taking care of our husbands, running businesses, and trying to maintain self-care. Casi, talk to us on how we can incorporate a healthy lifestyle. I always tell the ladies that to balance, you must set a schedule. We must schedule time for ourselves because if you don’t, you will never get it in. Me personally, I am busy throughout the day, because I homeschool my son; and then I have boot camp. Therefore, it is easier for me to workout before work. At 5:30 in the morning, that is an excellent time to work out, and that is why I have classes before your day starts. Nothing much is going on at 5:30 in the morning; which allows you to get in, workout, and get out. For women with little time because of their hectic schedule in 26 | Empowering Lives Magazine
the morning, they can exercise at 6:30 in the evening. That is why we have both time slots 5:30 mornings and 6:30 evenings, so women can schedule just one hour a day for themselves. You have “Straight Military Style Bootcamp, and Ladies, it is intense. I have taken her boot camps, and she is no joke! How did Casi’s Bootcamp come into existence; and Then share with us what inspired the military style bootcamp? I used to be a group fitness instructor. I’ve been teaching group fitness for about 25 years all over the world. When I got to Atlanta, my initial goal was to open up a regular gym; but that didn’t work out. What really inspired me to do boot camp is that even though it is a group, it is personalized. I call myself a group personal trainer because I know everybody’s name in the group and I learn everybody’s weaknesses and strengths. Although it is a group, participants get personal training and a personal touch at the same time.
5
TIPS ON
How to Crush
YOUR WEIGHT LOSS GOALS!
What really motivated me to start the boot camp is I get to teach group fitness without all of the extra parameters. I set my own parameters by helping people lose weight the healthy way. The military-style came about because from my experience, when people want to get healthy and fit, they tend to respond better to structure and accountability, and the militarystyle gives you both. What is the average weight a person loses that goes through your program? From my 14 years of service, the average person that follows the program to the letter loses 20 pounds in six weeks. My highest record for a woman is 32 pounds lost and the best record for a man is 43 pounds. My cheaters come, but they do not follow the meal plan, even they lose between 5 -7 pounds. I really want to know the answer to my next question because this is a challenge for me. I am sure if it is a challenge for me, it is a challenge for many others. How important is Self-Discipline in helping us to meet our weight loss goals? What are some steps to help us to become more disciplined in meeting our weight loss goals? 1.. You have to Decide Once you make that decision, the discipline part comes along, and then the other steps will fall in place. 2. You have to know your Kryptonite For me, food is not my kryptonite. My kryptonite is alcohol. So discipline is easy for me because during camp, I am structured. It is easy for me and someone like me to follow a meal plan because I always eat healthy. I’ve been eating clean all my life, so that is not a challenge. The challenge for me is
alcohol, and the only way to survive that is to remove the temptation. If there is no alcohol, junk food, or whatever your guilty pleasure is, then you are not going to eat it. Yet, there are times during camp where you will want that temptation, but if you don’t buy it, it is not there. 3. Find Substitutions If sugar is your kryptonite, and like some of my clients, you have a sweet tooth, try healthier options like Silk Blueberry Yogurt. I love the Silk Blueberry Yogurt; it is so good that it is the same satisfaction you would get if you had eaten a bowl of ice cream. An 8-ounce glass of Silk Chocolate Milk can satisfy a chocolate craving if you are maintaining your weight loss. A juicy, ruby red grapefruit is also great for satisfying a sweet tooth. These options are so much better when you are on a weight loss journey. They taste so delicious, and they satisfy that sugar craving. If you are craving something crunchy, instead of a bag of chips, have some cucumber slices. The crunchy texture of the cucumber will satisfy the urge to eat something crunchy.
On your lunch break, walk around the mall, walk around your subdivision when you get off work. Any means of extra movement and exercise is helpful. Even sitting at your desk, take a pair of dumbells and do some arm presses, and do some leg lifts, will help to get the blood flowing. This is especially helpful for busy Moms with children that have extra-curricular activities. If you take the children to their game, walk around the park to get that exercise in. 5. Set Parameters For instance, let’s say Monday - Friday, you set a parameter not to drink; not a drop of alcohol or any sugar. You may have to take baby steps. My ‘baby-steppers’ set incremental goals. Each camp, they will do a little bit more. For instance, they may start by not eating after 6 pm. Then the next camp, they will incorporate the Raw Greens Day, and no eating after 6 pm. Then the next camp, they will eliminate soft drinks and fruit juices and only drink water, along with Raw Greens Day, and no eating after 6 pm. My daughter is one of the ‘baby-step’ people, but you may have someone else who is more and
“YOU HAVE TO KNOW YOUR KRYTONITE ... THEN REMOVE THE TEMPTATION. IF THERE IS NO ALCOHOL, JUNK FOOD, OR WHATEVER YOUR GUILTY PLEASURE IS, THEN IT IS NOT THERE FOR YOU TO HAVE” 4. Be Intentional about More Movement Especially if you have a sedentary job where you sit most of the day. Be intentional to move more by taking the elevator instead of the stairs. Instead of looking for the closest parking space, park farther away when you go to the store.
disciplined. Thank you so much for your time and your wealth of information. I genuinely think you are a Phenomenal Woman, and thank you for all that you do to help challenge us, motivate us, and empower us to meet our weight loss goals! May God continue to bless your business! Empowering Lives Magazine | 27
DIVINE HEALTH
Photos provided Courtesy of Casi’s Bootcamp
“COME GET SOME” “I SEE YOU”
Casi’s Boot Camp 8564 Tara Blvd. Ste. C. Jonesboro, GA 30236
Website: www.CasisBootcamp.com Email: info@casisbootcamp.com Facebook: Casi’s Bootcamp Instagram: @Casisbootcamp The next camp is September 3rd - October 11th EARLY REGISTRATION DATE IS AUGUST 31ST THIS IS AN EXPERIENCE, YOU WOULD NOT WANT TO MISS!
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Empowering Lives Magazine | 29
Grants & Resources
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ACE is an equal opportunity provider and employer. ACE is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), SBA Microlender 30 | Empowering Magazine Intermediary, SBA CommunityLives Advantage Lender, and a USDA intermediary. APR19-V2
April 16, 2019 2:43 PM
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Grants & Resources
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ACE is an equal opportunity provider and employer. ACE is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), SBA Microlender Intermediary, SBA Community Advantage Lender, and a USDA intermediary. DEC.03.18-V1
(678) 335-5600 • www.aceloans.org Empowering Lives Magazine | 31
32 | Empowering Lives Magazine
Author’s Corner
R
einvention strategist Marshawn Evans Daniels delivers a practical and inspirational guide for women ready to reclaim their lives and discover a higher purpose after experiencing regret and disappointment—demonstrating that through disruption, life can become sweeter than ever imagined. Marshawn thought she was on the right path. She was an accomplished business woman and high-powered sports attorney ready to marry the man of her dreams— until she learned just days before a fairytale wedding that he was cheating on her. After betrayal flipped her seemingly perfect world upside down, she found herself craving significance, not just success. Believe Bigger is about resilience, reclaiming your life, and how God uses rejection, hardship, and unexpected circumstances to awaken something greater within...if you’re willing to embrace disruption. You’ll see her go from heartbroken and hitting rock bottom financially, to building a multi-million dollar faith-centered enterprise, and finding something super sweet along the way. Calling. Marshawn shares what it takes to turn pain into purpose and your mess into a larger message and life mission.
“The Best Book about Discovering Purpose that I have read in a long time!”
Whether you are drowning in selfdoubt and regret, feeling stuck, or sensing a shift but unable to discern what’s next, Marshawn’s Purpose Map outlining the 5 Stages of Divine Reinvention, will give you insight into your true gifts and calling—and the courage to pursue them. You’ll see that difficulties are not designed to devastate you, but to ignite the bigger dreams, life, love, and abundance you were destined for all along. Marshawn Evans Daniels https://marshawn.com/
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Model: Mariah Harris | Booking Info: Instagram: Gorgeous_Queen2 | Makeup:Beats by Kee | Photography: Eric Richardson Model does not represent Juvia’s Place but is sporting a summer look from the Zulu and Festival Palettes
