SEPT/OCT SEPT/OCT 2022 2022 ISSUE I5 SSUE 5 VOLUME V3 OLUME 3 P A I N T I N G H I S S T O R I E S SISTERS. LOVE. BUSINESS. LUXURY. KIM SCOULLER "I didn't know what quit meant." Brand Loneliness— How To Overcome It CREATING A BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESS We're Clapping for TattedUpX, celebrity tattoo artist
H E L P I N G T E A M S A L I G N A N D L E V E L U P S I N C E 2 0 0 1 CORPORATE SAVVY Real, reliable, transformative and fun. Facilitated by Chloé Taylor Brown EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP & TEAM BUILDING PROGRAMS INCLUDING VERBAL & NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION WWW.CHLOETAYLORBROWN.COM
COLORPOWER: Knowing your best colors & shades: Getting Ready Chloé Style MAKEASHiFT!iT'SNEVERTOOLATE Donnella Cranford GEMMA'SHiSTORiCALGEMS A snapshot of Ida B. Wells from Dr. Gemma Beckley 13WRiTTENiNiNK Meet TattedUpX, celebrity tattoo artist Shana Lee Lassin 18COVERSTOR Painting His Stories 88YOURSTYLEMATTERS Wardrobe, fashion & clothes Chloé Taylor Brown 12 62 76 30 36 40 43 47 49 56 58 84 86 THESiTUATiON:FROMCOLLEGETOTHEREALWORLD Victoria's Voice with Victoria Moore McMiller MYPiVOTALMOMENT Janis Hunt Johnson 54 93 98 OUTWiTHTHEOLDMAKEUP Professional make up tips from Shari Perkins SAPREA.ORG Liberating society from child sexual abuse SiGNATURELiPS Be a woman with style by Chloé Taylor Brown HEY,MAMAS! Let's reset the season with Elena Taylor-Bagger GiFTWRAPPiNGSTARSFORCHiLDREN Olga Dru WE'RECLAPPiNGFORDR.TANAM.SESSiON Trailblazer in diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging by Chloé Taylor Brown NEWNiCE Laurie Renfro SHAYSAMUELS "I didn't know what quit meant." in converstion with Paula G. Voice POiSE,POSTURE,MOVEMENT Four steps to acquiring good posture DONOTGiVEUPONYOU! Paula G Voice DARKSKIN Poetry by Seane Shaw
27GALLERYANDERSONSMiTH Official Launch: September 16, 2022 28 29 60 61 74 THE9THANNUALWOMENONTHEMOVESUMMiT Women collaborating, connecting & creating 94FALLFAVORiTES! Lisa Washington's Roasted vegetables in red wine with toasted almonds 32YOURMASTERPLAN:CREATiNGABLUEPRiNTFORSUCCESS Greg Winston LiTTLEPiNKBOOK Women's empowerment luncheon THESABREENSTORY:SiSTERS.LOVE.BUSiNESS.LUXURY. in conversation with Chloé Taylor Brown 7 11 14 96 99 BRANDLONELiNESS Lisa S. Jones tells us what it is and how to overcome it KIMSCOULLER Uncovering money secrets THEGiRL-SWAGCURRiCULUM When we save a girl, we save nations, even generations CAFÉIAM The ultimate cup of coffee 95 HE'SGOTFLAVOR! Miguel Global's special Bourbon Chicken Sauce 48 DANiELANDRÉLANGER The story is luxurious PERSONALEXCELLENCEPROGRAMS Executive coaching, training & facilitating transformation SPARKiNGPASSiONANDPURPOSE Kristin Sparks is helping women reconnect with joy PEPYOURSELF A 12 step Personal Excellence Profile coaching program
CHLOÉ TAYLOR BROWN STAY AMAZING IN YOUR OWN AUTHENTIC WAY, AND FLOURISH.
God loves blessing and gifting us the desires of our heart to live our purpose and play our life game If we believe this, then isn’t it our right and our responsibility to go for it to decide and choose what “it” is that our heart desires, and to make that known to the Universe? Shouldn’t we get excited, declare our "it" within ourselves and out loud, and then start stepping into it with faith, confidence, substance, and some style? Shouldn't we act as if it already is and shouldn’t we practice becoming it daily until we shine as such?
When I think of September and October, I always feel a sense of newness fresh starts and do overs. It reminds me of going back to school or back to Milan for the Prêt à Porter fashion shows when I was a model. For me, and for all of us here at Flourish Digital Magazine, we're feeling excited about reestablishing ourselves within our heart's desires and resetting the season with the magazine as well as our first in person gathering since our inception in January 2020. We are very happy with our partnership with Prudential Financial, Inc. We are also pleased to announce our collaboration with Gallery Anderson Smith and the gallery's official launch in Buckhead Atlanta, Georgia on September 16th. Read Anderson's amazing cover story starting on page 18. You will be inspired spiritually and artistically.
This issue is near and dear to my heart, for several reasons, but especially because of the loyalty from the contributors and writers who work and share with FDM and with you our readers in every issue. Thank you, to each and every one of you I know you will enjoy reading The Sabreen Story; finding out why we're clapping for Dr Tana M Session; getting to know "X" in Written In Ink; learning how to overcome Brand Loneliness; understanding how Daniel André Langer turns brands into luxury brands; and visiting with all the additional fabulous people and things that we're sharing with you in this issue Happy Fall! <
Chloé Taylor Brown
F L O U R I S H D I G I T A L M A G A Z I N E . C O M | F A L L 2 0 2 2 | 6 Editor's Note
I am very pleased to introduce you to Saliah, Kareemah, and Najiyyah Mustafa, creators and founders of Sabreen Cosmetics, a clean luxury beauty brand curated to inspire women to live life unapologetically: Be Unapologetic™. The three sisters founded Sabreen Cosmetics to honor the life and legacy of their beloved aunt, Nabeehah Sabreen, who fought a valiant battle against Breast Cancer until 2009. They told me their aunt lived her life on her own terms, and unapologetically as a proud Black American woman The company was launched in 2018 Saliah, the oldest niece, tells me, "We really wanted to do something to honor her life and legacy. Before the establishment of this brand, it was really hard to cope with her passing. Sometimes it would be too painful to even say her name. Not that we didn't love her, but it would just be so painful to think about the experience when we watched her go from a very vibrant woman to a shell of a person, for lack of a better term. And because of our aunt, our mission is to be a luxury, clean brand and to make sure that we level up and do it in phases. We are very intentional about making sure that whatever decisions we make, they're strategic
B E U N A P O L O G E T I C ™ THE SABREEN TSTORY HE SABREEN STORY F L O U R I S H D I G I T A L M A G A Z I N E . C O M | F A L L 2 0 2 2 | 7
Chloé: Regarding Daniel, his character, and the work he does, I will agree with you on that. His knowledge and generosity are extensive. And Daniel the man is dynamic, caring and passionate, and he loves communicating and sharing his knowledge. When was it that you first reached out to him? >
Saliah: Even though our long term goal was to be a luxury brand, we started out premium when we launched in 2018, and from then until now, we've been very dynamic, and making sure we're always evolving. We had gathered a lot of information and learned a lot about the luxury markets, and we were trying to find a way to implement it. And this is where Dr. Daniel André Langer comes in to play. He is the CEO of Équité, a company that develops and elevates luxury brands, lifestyle brands and consumer brands, creating extreme value. In November 2020, my sister, Kareemah, and I decided it was time to pivot into the luxury space We were getting our hands on as many resources and books as we could We did an entire revamp by ourselves and then hit the ceiling We couldn't go any further on our own We knew we were missing something That's when we started searching and researching like a mad scientist And I came across Dr Langer's website, just on a Google search Something inside me compelled me to send him a message His website and message resonated with me So, I sent him a message And considering his credentials he travels the world and he's a professor at Pepperdine University in California I was surprised he got back with me He was very warm very much a real person like an uncle Sometimes you meet people like him, and they're kind of pretentious, but he's a down to earth person That's how we got to that point We were really in need of expertise, and I think Dr. Daniel Langer is one of the best in the luxury market.
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Saliah: He helped us nail down our brand story which we already had, but we didn't know we had it. And we needed to get hyper focused around that. It was something that represented my aunt authentically and represented who we are as women authentically as well. And that's our slogan, "Be unapologetic." We're working on building a community, to inspire, and to be aspirational for women especially Black women to encourage them to be whoever they want to be, and on their own terms.
Now, where's your other sister?
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Saliah: Najiyyah is at work right now. She is very valuable to the business. We're all luxury shoppers, but Najiyyah is a heavy luxury shopper. Every other thing she wears is Fendi, Prada, Burberry, and on and on. Her style and eye help us to stay on the pulse of what's going on in the luxury market and to maintain quality with the creative direction of the business. We all love fashion, but she's extremely fashion forward with a sporty, trendy type of style. >
Kareemah: We reached out to Dr. Daniel in September 2021. We were trying to figure out how to position ourselves as a luxury brand. We actually didn't start working with him until the beginning of 2022. He showed us what a luxury brand really is, and what luxury storytelling is, and how to position yourself even if you're as small as we are. And of course, we're very small, but with big dreams of sitting next to Chanel and Dior one day. And Dr. Daniel never shied away from what we wanted. Sometimes when you work with different people, they try to persuade you to go a different way, or they say your dreams are too big that you'll never one day sit next to Chanel. But he never told us that we couldn't do it. He always told us, "Well, if you want to do this, this is the correct way." He showed us the correct path that luxury brands take. And I'm so appreciative.
Chloé: I like what you said, Saliah, that working with Daniel feels like working with an uncle. Having said that, what has happened for your brand since you've worked with Daniel, from the beginning until now?
Chloé: Yes. Unapologetic. I love how the three of you are stepping into being and expressing your authenticity individually and collectively as sisters. It's a creative thing, and I just love that so much.
Saliah: I want people to understand what luxury is It is not a word that you aimlessly throw around It's an art It's something that's niche and should be treated as such Dr Daniel was able to really show us that luxury is not just a price point It's how you feel It's exclusive and attainable Chloé: It's the experience and the memories it creates Saliah: Yes For example, when you look at Flourish Digital Magazine, it's a different experience from Essence it’s more luxurious! I picked that up quite quickly just from looking at it the first time And it's funny, because Kareemah literally just said a couple of weeks ago, "We need our own Black luxury magazine, like a Harper's Bazaar or Vogue " She said that And here you are, it's a fact that you have your magazine, and now we're being interviewed for it When I saw it, I thought right away, "I need to know what's going on in there because there's something luxurious, and that's what we want " And I’m happy that Dr Daniel Langer is the expert and taste maker who introduced us Because this is what luxury is And we want other aspiring Black luxury brands to understand that this is an art, and something that we are taking very seriously Chloé: I love what you've said, Saliah Thank you Kareemah, what do you like best about working with Daniel Langer? Kareemah: He is a true visionary I love how he's been able to dissect and niche down all our bright ideas into a concept. It's truly amazing. If you're ever able to work with him, you'll be amazed at how he synthesizes information and brings ideas to life. So, we love Dr. Daniel Langer for doing that for our brand: Sabreen.
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Chloé: However, it’s not basic either. It's stepping into being your best self, and that's what you girls are doing. And that shows up in all that you do luxuriously and unapologetically. And we love it, and admire you, your sisters and what you are creating. <
Kareemah: Absolutely.
Saliah: And we all really need Flourish Digital Magazine because there's a whole audience of affluent Black women, and women of color in general, and women who aren't Black who want to know what we're doing because we're the trend setters. And to be unapologetically honest, I don't feel like women like us are represented nearly enough. And when we are shown, it's often shown in a negative light in a way that suggests, “Oh, you think you're better than me." That type of thing. And we say, “No, it's not elitist.”
Saliah continued: She's been like that for years We all have our different style Kareemah is more of a chic maximalist She's the person who's coming with the fur, like Diana Ross That's her all the way And I'm somewhere in the middle, between these two My style is more chic and more classic, with unique pieces mixed in at the same time Yes, Najiyyah is a very valuable asset to the brand Chloé: What's important to you, now?
THE STORY IS
THE
DR. DANIEL ANDRÉ LANGER
EXTREME
Daniel is frequently featured in leading global media publications like Forbes, The Economist, The New York Times, The Financial Times, The Business of Fashion, Skift, The Robb Report, The Nikkei, Tatler Asia, The South China Morning Post, and Jing Daily. < MAN WHO CREATES VALUE FOR BRANDS. He is the founder and CEO of the luxury, lifestyle and consumer brand strategy firm Équité. He is also professor of luxury strategy and extreme value creation at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, where he is teaching MBA students and building a world class center for disruptive luxury. Daniel consults for some of the leading luxury brands in the world. He is the author of several luxury management books and a global keynote speaker. He holds luxury masterclasses in Europe, the United States and Asia. He is an award winning brand builder with a track record in building and developing leading beauty brands. LUXURIOUS.
EQUITEBRANDS COM @DRANGER ÉQUITÉ FLOURISHDIGITALMAGAZINE COM | FALL 2022 | 11
READ MORE ON PAGE 66 WE'RECLAPPINGFORDR. You've tried everything to retain your top talent and help develop their careers, but they keep leaving! Productivity is down. You're losing money, clients, and customers—and your employees aren't happy. What are you doing wrong, and how can you fix it quick? > b y C h l o é T a y l o r B r o w n
WrittenInInk byShanaLeeLassin Fromthe34thfloorofthehighrisethathousesSkinDesignTattooHawaii, EuzahnCollins AKAX,AKATattedUpX pointsoutthesublimeand mesmerizingviewthatgreetsclientswhovisittheexclusiveislandtattoo shop.Fromthefrontdeskwindow,MagicIslandandtheAlaMoanabeach parkcommandtheview.AndfromX’stattoochair,theviewoftheManoa Valleylushgreenmountainsisameditativescenethatcanbringcalmto eventhemostnervoustattooclient.Amongthenewestcelebritytattoo artistsonthescene,X,originallyfromAtlanta,islivingherdreamsafterthe challengingprocessofthrowingoffconventionsandexpectationsthat tiedhertoacareerthatfailedtomeetherneeds.“Moneywasjustthefirst problem,”shestarts.“Teachersdothemostimportantwork.Theyholdthe futureintheirhandsinthewaythattheyservestudents." > READ THE STORY ON PAGE 50 Teachersdothemostimportantwork. FLOURISHDIGITALMAGAZINE.COM | FALL 2022 | 13
WHAT IS IT & HOW CAN YOU OVERCOME IT?
Asanentrepreneur,haveyoueverfoundyourself awakeintheweehoursofthenightthinkingaboutthe dayjustpastandthedaytocome?Ifyou'reanything likeme,youknowwhatIamtalkingabout thatquiet, lonelytimewhentherestoftheworldisasleep,butyou areupfeverishlygoingoverwhatyouneedtodoto makeyourdream yourbusinessvision cometrue Itisasifyouarealoneinaworldwherefewunderstand whatyouaregoingthrough.Eventhoseclosesttoyou, suchasfamilyandfriends,donotalwaysunderstand whyyouaresodrivenandcommittedtoseeingyour dreamhappen.Asentrepreneurs,wemustacceptthat ourjourneytowardgreatnesswilloftenincludelong andlonelyhours Ofcourse,thisloneliness whatIcallbrandloneliness cantakemanyforms Itisoftenafeelingdeepdown withinyourselfthatnooneunderstands.Youalone carrythetorchforyourvisionandyouaretheultimate delivererofyoursuccess Oftenthisself imposed isolationmaystillexist,evenifyouhaveotherteam members DoubtistheEnemyofSuccess BRANDLONELINESS F L O U R I S H D I G I T A L M A G A Z I N E . C O M | F A L L 2 0 2 2 | 1 4 Youbelievethatyouaretheonewhomustmakeit happen.Becauseyoutoilinsolitude,youalonemust dealwiththeinevitabledoubtsanduncertainties thateveryentrepreneurfacesdaily Brandloneliness willsometimesstartasavoiceinyourhead questioningyourabilitiesandthetruthaboutyour vision,whennooneelseislooking Questionssuchas "WhatamIdoing?" "AmItherightperson?""Isitthe righttime?"Isthistherightproduct?""Whatifthis doesn’thappen?"cascadethroughyourhead BusinessmanagementauthorJimCollinssuggests that“goodistheenemyofgreat;doubtistheenemy ofsuccessfortheentrepreneur”Unfortunately,we entrepreneursdonotoftentalkaboutourmisgivings oruncertainties.Afterall,asthevisionaryleaderof ourenterprise,wedon'twantpeopletoseeusas vulnerable,unsure,orlackingconfidence Wepush theseinevitablefeelingsdowndeeperintothe darknesswherethosefeelingscontinuetochurn, growlouderandundermineus Doesanyoftheabovesoundfamiliar?Ifso,youcan andneedtobringthesethoughtsout,fromthe darkestdepthsofyourmind,toseethemforwhat theyreallyareinthelightofday Inotherwords,it's importantforyoutoknow:Youarenotalone The purposeofthisarticleistoempoweryouto overcomebrandloneliness. >
ByLisaS.Jones,Founder&ChiefEyeMailOfficer,EyeMailInc.
Lisa S. Jones is the Founder & Chief EyeMail Officer of EyeMail Inc. She is a catalyst for digital disruption and a prolific innovator with multiple, patentpending technologies in the communications industry. Recognitions include a Stevie Award for Innovator of Year; Delta Air Lines' Catalyst of the Year Award for her impact to digital email strategy; 10 Businesswomen to admire in 2021; and most recently 2022 Microsoft Finalist, Diverse Supplier of the SheYear.isaboard member of the Technology Association of Georgia Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Society; she is also a volunteer at the Women in Technology Association. Lisa has an MBA from Alabama A&M as well as an executive degree from the Tuck Business School at Dartmouth. She is currently enrolled at Harvard Business School. She is a trailblazer for women in technology and an industry thought leader.
F L O U R I S H D I G I T A L M A G A Z I N E . C O M | F A L L 2 0 2 2 | 1 5 @EYEMAILCEO LISASJONES EYEMAILINCCOM
NowyoumaybewonderingwhyIrefertoyour journeyasanentrepreneurinthecontextofbrand loneliness Itisafairquestion Thefactis,yourpersonaljourneyisyourbrand.Itis whatmakesyourbusinessuniquelyyours becauseeverythingyousayanddowillbe reflectedinyourwork.Whenyouthinkof companieslikeTesla,youimmediatelythinkofElon Musk AmazonmeansJeffBezos Likeyou,theyboth startedsmall.Theygrewtobecomeglobal enterprises,yettheirname theirbrand isforever linkedtotheircompany Forthisreason,andnomatterhowbigyour enterprisegrows,yourpersonaljourneywillalways beyourpersonalbrand’sjourney Rememberto remainfocused,andcelebratethateverystep smallandlarge areallstepsthatcounttoward yourgoal Staythecourseandnevergiveup!
SuccessIsWithinYou YouAreYourBrand
Ievencarrywithmeon myphoneimagesofinspirationalsayingsand messagesfrompeoplewhosewordsresonatewith metoday Igleaninspirationfrompeoplewhohave walkedinmyshoesandmadeit.Therefore,Itoo,can makeit!Includedinmylibraryofvisualinspirationis Oprahmagazine,andquotesfromSteveJobs,Henry Ford,andRockyBalboa yes,Rocky andapictureof mymomandme. Activelyseeksupportivethoughtleadershipand mentors.Theysayitislonelyatthetop,butthatis oftenbychoicemorethanbycircumstance
Itdoesn’tmatterwhatformyourversionofsuccesstakes; allthatmattersisthatyoucontinuetoseeit,pursueit, andultimatelyembraceit Itisthefuelthatwillkeepyou movingforward. Withyourvisionfirmlyinmindandalwaysin sight,herearesomeoftheconceptsor approachesthathaveenabledmetocut throughthehazeofbrandlonelinessto
Weall needaneartobendandavoicefromwhichtolearn Eveninthosesituationswhensomeoneyoumay knowisnotreadilyavailable,youcanreachoutinto theworldtomakenewfriendsandmentorsby listeningtopodcastsorattendingamasterclass.For me,oneofmyall timefavoritepodcastsisGuyRaz's HowIBuiltThis YoucanalsolistentoTEDTalksand connectwithotherentrepreneurs fromandwith whomyoucanbothteachandlearn.
Surroundyourselfwithpositiveimages Whenyoulook aroundyouroffice,whatdoyousee?Forme,my brandisenergizedbypicturesandbooksthatboth encourageandinspireme
achievemygoals:
Aspreviouslystated,everyentrepreneurwillexperience brandlonelinessanditsstingofuncertaintyfromtime totime Itisinevitable Movingbeyondtherecognitionof unavoidabledoubtsandfears,yourmissionistoremind yourselfofallthewaysthatyouwillsucceed.Inessence, youmustenvisionyourversionofsuccess Forexample, pictureyourselfwinningthatbigcontract,garnering industryawards,orseeingyourbankaccountgrow eachyear
Keepagratitudejournaltodocumentanddatethe highsandlowsofyourjourneyandwhatyou've learnedalongtheway Besidesbeingamazedathow faryouhavecome,yourjournalwillonedaybecome theinspirationandsourceforwhentheworldwritesa bookaboutyourlifeandwhatmakesyouspecial Lightingacandlecanbeencouragingevenwhile working,asitisaremindertorelyonyourfaithand alwaystoblazeatrailforward
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Anderson Smith:
MPainting yStories
COVER & COVER STORY IMAGES Anderson Smith says unabashedly that he's unique and not afraid to show it. That said, he also considers himself to be an introvert. I met Anderson several years ago at his photography studio. We were both training and working with an aspiring young model someone who has gone on to become an international super model, by the way. I've run into Anderson a few times at events since then, and recently, our paths crossed again. To my wonderful delight, he shared with me that he'd started painting about five years ago. He is now opening his own luxury art gallery in Buckhead Atlanta, Georgia Being a lover of art, I was intrigued and wanted to know more. I learned that Anderson is a visual self taught artist who is inspired by life's many nuances. The more I learned about Anderson his vision and his dreams the more I wanted to share his art and his love story. > Danny Acres Photography @acres studios @acres studios.talent
BY CHLOÉ TAYLOR BROWN
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PHOTOGRAPHER: DANNY ACRES
I've always been a creative person, but it didn't really hit me until my early 30s, when I first picked up a camera I had no intentions of being a photographer My dad was a photographer, and my mom says she never thought in 100 years that I would take to photography because I never showed any interest in it growing up. Even though I knew my dad was a photographer.
Chloé: Do you have to go home to release that to get your energy back by being alone?
Anderson: I've been an artist all my life, but I was an athlete growing up. Art was never my dream. I wanted to play basketball or football. I was good at it because I was just athletically gifted, but I wasn't passionate about it. But art was always there the creative side of me was always there.
Chloé: Anderson, you say you're an introvert How has that played out in your life? Has that characteristic helped you, held you back or made no difference in your endeavors and in what you've wanted to accomplish?
Anderson: Well, I’ll take you back I've always been enamored by cinema and Hollywood just the visual things that I would see in movies and television. So, I've always had something in the back of my mind about that. When I moved to Atlanta, I started shooting videos. I was a videographer and bought a lot of video equipment because I was just enamored by the medium, thinking I would be a filmmaker, because I always had a love for film and cinema. So that was innately tapping into my creative abilities from drawing and painting as a kid It's just an extension of me as a creative person
Anderson: It's probably helped, especially during the pandemic, because I'm an "only boy" in my family, so I used to spend a lot of time alone anyway. So it didn't really bother me. And being an introvert hasn't hindered me in any way. And when I'm out and about, I'm a social butterfly. I'm very engaging But I'm also very aware of my surroundings I have social anxiety If I'm in crowds for too long, I get a little anxious, especially if I don't really know anybody
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Anderson: Yes, to decompress But I enjoy and look forward to throwing events occasionally, and I've been to thousands of events over the years. I'm comfortable for a certain period, and I've learned how to put on that face, and be a little livelier than usual. Because my personality is just really laid back. Chloé: You are an artist. What age were you when you really felt and realized this that you were going to be who you are and who you wanted to become in this art space?
Chloé: What made you pick up that camera at thirty something?
Chloé: So, you have an eye, and you can feel your art? >
Anderson: I think it was just a creative outlet for me Chloé: Wait How did you even get to that, though? You said you hadn't picked up a camera before So how did you, at age thirty, happen to have a camera in your hand, and then to know that it would be a creative outlet?
I've been an artist all my life, but I was an athlete growing up.
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Anderson: When I first started shooting videos, it was just more documentary type of stuff that I was doing. I started to mimic some of the great filmmakers the movies that I loved that were made by Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola all those guys. But the first photograph that launched it for me was a huge mural for Fashion Night Out that was years ago in Atlanta I had taken pictures of this young, gorgeous Black girl, and I remember being asked by a friend to be part of a pop up gallery in Brookhaven But I didn't have any work, and it was my late girlfriend, Oksana, who said, "What about that girl?" As soon as she said the words, "that girl,” the light went on in my mind And that photograph became part of a huge mural for Fashion Night Out.
Anderson: I've always had an eye, as to how I think things should look, on camera or on canvas. I slowly transitioned into photography after videography because the medium is pretty much the same as far as composition and all that It's just a steel medium versus motion So, it was just kind of a gradual transition for me, as I took to it I was good at it I had the mental knowhow, and I learned a lot by watching television Chloé: Do you remember the first time you surprised yourself and realized you were on to something big creatively?
At that point, that's when everything just kind of started happening. I wasn't expecting it, but I was happy that my image was chosen. And that same image of “that girl” became part of an art piece that I did. That was the first piece of art that I ever sold. >
Anderson continued: And that's when I started to develop and put together this body of work artistically, for a photo exhibit called Atlanta Celebrates Photography I didn't want to do what everybody else was doing and have just regular photographs of people or subjects So, when my girlfriend said "that girl" I started creating this body of work with just manipulating the images that I had shot in New York, and I called it Photo Fusion. I had those printed, and because they were very different from what everybody else had at the show, people started gravitating to it because it was different. And that pretty much continued the same launch in a different way.
Anderson: She was my rock. She was my inspiration. She was my muse. If it wasn't for her and I told her this all the time when she was here if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be the artist I am right now. She pushed me. She took me to New York If she never took me to New York City, I don't know if I would even have an art career, to be honest with you New York City changed everything for me as an artist the energy of the city and the inspiration that I got from that city the first time I was there changed everything Oksana was the catalyst to everything And so, when she passed, there was a void I needed to fill even though when she was still here, my art career was starting to take shape. It was very early in the beginning stages. She would always harp on things and say things, and just manifest everything that she talked about. And all that we talked about has manifested into reality to date. >
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Chloé: That's so cool. You seem to be the kind of guy that even though something spectacular may have just happened for you, with you, or around you you keep a mellow demeanor Because you don't get too excited about anything Is that true?
Anderson: People say that I'm very humble It's very hard for me to accept praise I appreciate it, but I don't get too excited What a lot of people don't know about me it’s been kept a secret for years Only my close friends know about this about me: I was once a stand up comic. I performed a lot in Texas, California, and Michigan and in Atlanta when I first moved here. I was probably about twenty five years old. I've always had these dreams of grandeur in the creative fields, yet laid back at the same time. I've always been this person.
But when my girlfriend passed in 2015 from breast cancer, I decided to host a breast cancer fundraiser I didn't know what I was doing or how to go about it, but it was just something that I wanted to do It was a mix of things that we both enjoyed, which was art, food, and music So, Arts Eats Speaks was born out of that Chloé: Anderson, are you willing to share how you were able to get through that challenging time the loss of your girlfriend, Oksana?
Anderson continued: She talked about my art being in the airport. I have art in the airport. She talked about my art being on huge glass installations. I've done that And so many other things we would talk about
Chloé: I love that your art is on display at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport Make sure, everybody, to visit Anderson's art next time you're traveling through the Atlanta airport The B Concourse food court is where his art is located Anderson: Thank you. So there were a lot of things that she and I talked about over a period of time, and then when she left this world, that void was deeply felt. So, out of my depression came a change in my direction. And that's when it just hit me to my core that this is who I am. I'm an artist.
Chloé: I love this because it's going back to spirit, to self awareness, and to consciousness, isn't it? When you realized and trusted your gut, you couldn't deny it Did you try to deny it?
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After she passed, out of depression, I started creating and painting again. And I remember just buying these huge canvases and sitting in the loft that we shared, and I would just paint That's when the light struck me, saying, "Anderson, this is who you are This is who you've always been You are an artist " Once I accepted that, everything changed
Anderson: I accepted it Because I went back to my childhood and realized that I had always been an artist I wanted to be a cartoonist My favorite aunt, who's only a few years older than I am, went missing when my grandmother passed, and she was missing for a very long time over twenty years But when she returned and showed up at a family reunion a couple of years ago, I got a chance to tell her, "If it wasn't for you coming over to our house, sitting at our dining room table, and me watching you draw, I would never have become an artist. I would never have picked up a pencil to start drawing." I would just love to watch her draw. And that's when I took an interest in art, and I started to mimic her, and what she was doing. So I thanked her for that She had no idea It brought her to tears >
Anderson continued: So, it wasn't a surprise when I decided to accept who I am and what I am. My aunt was the springboard, but my Oksana was the glue, the catalyst to really make me tap into who I am Oksana would push and push She was my worst critic and my greatest cheerleader but it was easy for me to accept that coming from her Chloé: I was just going to say that A lot of men don't want their girlfriend or their wife to push them But that was what you needed, and you saw it, and you accepted it Anderson: She made me see it. As a kid, I drew all the time. I would sit in my room for hours and hours and just draw. But it was always an afterthought because I was so much into sports. It just wasn't really something that I thought could happen. But Oksana was the catalyst, the one who made me see it, and made me envision it, and really believe. It wasn't hard for me to accept that from her. Chloé: Did you study art in college?
Anderson: Well, when I graduated high school, I didn't go straight to college I went to the military I was just a young seventeen year old kid who didn't know any better My situation at the time was very dire My grades weren't all that good I graduated, but I couldn't get the grades to pass the ACT at the time, even to be eligible to go to college. I could have gone to a junior college, but I was against that. I just wanted to get out of my situation in my neighborhood. So, the military was my way out. I spent a little over a year in the military, and I was discharged. >
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Chloé: When you quit your job, did you have your studio set up? >
Anderson: Yes, it was. It was Barbara Scotia in Concord, North Carolina, right outside of Charlotte. Being there helped me to start seeing things more clearly. Growing up, I didn't pay attention to a lot of things in the world.
Anderson: Yes, that's when I got a big client shooting products But my photography career started in nightlife photography, in old Buckhead Atlanta, where all the clubs and nightlife happened then. It’s where Buckhead Village exists now That was all nightlife That's where I got my start I would shoot a lot of event photography for Jezebel magazine and Peach magazine From there I transitioned into fashion because I was enamored with European fashion and models. Then, I got a big client shortly after that and I quit my job.
Anderson continued: Then I went back home, and I wasn’t really thinking about going to college at all by then I just went back home And my best friend who I grew up with ended up in a college in North Carolina He gave me a call and said, “Man, you should come down here nothing’s going on where you are " I was like, "Yeah, you're right " I was in one of those transitional points of my life I can tell you the story because everybody knows it. During my junior year of high school, my mom and older sister became addicted to crack cocaine it was very tumultuous in the household. So, this was one of the huge reasons why I just wanted to get out, to get away, to escape. So that prompted me to go to into the military. But when I got out of the military, things were still going on when I came back home to the neighborhood So, like I was saying, I didn't have any aspirations about going to college I was asking myself, "What am I going to do? What's my next step? Am I going to stay here or what?" I didn't really have a plan So that's when my friend was saying, “Man, come down here ” And so I got on the Greyhound bus, went down to North Carolina, applied to school and stayed there for almost five years Chloé: Was your college an HBCU so that got you grounded as a Black man?
Chloé: I know they would all be so proud of you and what you’re making of yourself now. Is it fair to say that you were in your mid to late thirties when you actually began making a living in photography?
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If it wasn't about sports or drawing Superman, I didn't really care much about anything So, when I got to school, a lot of things started to open my eyes, especially speaking to and interacting with people from different parts of the country, and people from the islands These experiences really shaped my understanding of life and things about being a Black man in America I learned a lot from many people, which helped me shape my life.
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Anderson: I'm an open book. I wear my heart on my sleeve. One of my sisters was upset with me because I shared in another interview and talked about our mother and sister But what I have shared is part of who I am, and it is a part of my story And it helped to get me through to where I am today I'm not the first person to have had a crack cocaine addicted mother or family member And I won't be the last It has been cathartic for me to share Chloé: It's inspiring, because as you have shared, you've gone through a lot as a kid, a teen, and as a young man. And you were able to make some good decisions and choices. Maybe there was uncertainty at times, but as you look back, you can see how the dots were connecting. And everything that you've gone through has gotten you to be who you are today. I want to congratulate you for not giving in to depression, and fighting to be who you are now >
Anderson: Well, yes and no A good friend of mine had just acquired a studio at the Goat Farm in West Midtown and called me, saying, "Hey, man, I got this studio You want to come over and be a part of it?" The timing was just perfect because I had literally just quit my job, where I was working in Loganville, Georgia I remember going in that morning and I said, "I quit I'm going to be a photographer." I was bold. Because I had been shooting up to that point and had started to get some momentum. And I knew it when I woke up that morning. "This is it!"
Chloé: Did you feel it in your gut that this was your time?
Chloé: Did you have any scary months with bills and your lifestyle after that decision? Anderson: I remember I had just met Oksana, and shortly after that, we started getting serious and ended up moving in together. And I'm just trying everything doing all these ridiculous photo shoot deals like $99 unlimited photo shoots. And Oksana was saying, "Are you nuts? Are you crazy? People are taking advantage of you." And I soon realized she was right So, yes, it was very scary in the beginning But it was her support that really kept me going Chloé: That's beautiful, Anderson, how you were able to find love that infused your career, and everything just aligned, and blended and worked so beautifully. I love how you've just given Oksana honor for being your muse, and sometimes your commander and not letting people take advantage of you, and reminding you not to undersell yourself. Thank you for sharing so openly.
Anderson: Yes, I knew it when I woke up that morning. I knew it when I was getting dressed to go into work "This is my last day " I just felt it in my gut I didn't have a pot to pee in nor a window to throw it out of but I leaped out on faith And God had me So I just said, "This is it If not now, then when?"
Anderson: I did fall into a deep depression. Oksana was my soulmate. And I got through it with the help of a lot of friends and family. Getting through that was tough. It took a lot of healing and it took a long time. But at the same time, I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to experience her life, her light, and her gift while she was here. I carry that with me every day the little voices while I'm creating Chloé: Yes I'm sure her spirit is dancing for you, and all that's leading up to September 16th, 2022 What are you anticipating for the big launch of Gallery Anderson Smith?
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Anderson: I'm anxious I'm overwhelmed I'm elated All my emotions are kind of running the gamut right now. I'm anticipating love, community, expression, artistic wellness, excitement, joy I'm anticipating so many things, Chloé. Fellowship, excellence, so much beauty and celebrating with all the people that I've known over the years, and with people who have given me hope and pushed me, and those who have encouraged me and given me a sense of comfort to do this. I'm anticipating an amazing evening I really am I think about it 24/7 I go to sleep thinking about it I wake up thinking about it It’s truly a blessing < Visit AndersonSmithCollection com
SEPTEMBER 16TH THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH FOR THE SEPT/OCT ISSUE OF FLOURISH DIGITAL MAGAZINE THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH YOU'RE INVITED GALLERY ANDERSON SMITH 294 BUCKHEAD AVE., ATLANTA, GEORGIA 7–10PM When you ' re unique and not afraid to show it, people will come to you for what you do uniquely. Anderson Smith SPECIAL GUEST PERFORMANCE DJ GRACE LAMOUR / I AM PAPI PICASSO RSVP HERE
A O n eD a y C o n f e r e n c e f o r W o m e n t o C O L L A B O R A T E , C O N N E C T & C R E A T E .
An inspiring group of powerful, gracious, knowledgeable Women of Color gracing the stage at the 9thAnnualWomenontheMoveSummit2022
Front: Dr Kim McNair, Founder, Business Women Empowerment Project Women on the Move Summit Georgia
The Porsche Experience Center Atlanta,
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From left to right: Erica Rocker, Alnissa Ruiz Craig, Summer Jackson, Careshia Moore, Dr. Cle'a Etheridge, Misty Fernandez, Tiffany Kirk, Chloé Taylor Brown, and Valencia Williamson
We are inspired, empowered and dynamic women who know our worth what we’re made of and capable of accomplishing as leaders in business and in life. Our contribution to society is extraordinary with remarkable triumphs and unmatched fearlessness. That's what you see in this year's Women on the Move Summit photo. Join the conversation and be inspired into authentic action. Be part of a platform to discuss and address systemic issues facing women today and what we can do about it. Be inspired and empowered to be on the move. For more information and to register go to bwepinc.org
Sign Up Now!
by Donnella Cranford Is it time to hit the reset button and make a shift? Well, it is never too late to make a shift One of the most challenging things in a believer’s life is knowing when a season has ended and when it’s time to shift and enter into a new one. In nature, each season has its specific characteristics, entities that are specific to that particular season. There is a natural shift in the atmosphere, as God has created it to be >
IT'S
MakeAShift! NEVER TOO LATE
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Connect with individuals who know more than you do. Affirm Psalm 32:8: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye on you ”
What might be a sign that it’s time for a shift?
Consider the following:
IT’S NEVER TOO LATE
DonnellaCranfordistheauthor of
MAKE
EncouragingYourHeartand FounderofWomenAfterGod's OwnHeart
God will often use circumstances to indicate it is time for a shift, and a new season is waiting for you to enter. Situations might even become a bit uncomfortable, or your passion is altered. When you become aware that change is happening, that’s the time to begin praying about it and listening for guidance and revelation from the Holy Spirit God will often close doors and open new ones to let you know it’s time for a shift. Situations might not be working out as before, and opportunities that were once available are changing. This could be because you are ready for a shift. Doors closing can act as blessings along with a warning that you need to make a shift. Again, begin praying and listening for direction from the Holy Spirit.
Consider the following:
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Make the shift expecting great results.
What questions might you ask yourself as you make the shift?
Let go of the old and take on the new as you trust in God’s guidance God will always lead you Jeremiah 29:11 is a promise to hold on to as you make a shift The Scripture says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” < TO A SHIFT!
Consider the following:
What steps might you need to take when it’s time to shift?
In life, there are specific characteristics, things that occur, which I believe are indicators for a person to make a shift in their life Sometimes we hold on to the season of life we are currently in, and miss the blessing of the new season because we just don’t want to shift
There are various reasons we don’t make the shift It could be fear; it could be our comfort in the present; it could be that change is difficult; it could even be that we might think it is too late to make a shift Today, be encouraged and know: It’s never too late to make that shift With a shift comes a new harvest You are entering a new season in your life How do I know? Because when God takes us through a season change a shift it’s always with the purpose of greater productivity In our spiritual lives, seasons are designed with the purpose of providing wisdom and fruitfulness
YOUR MASTER PLAN Greg Winston CreatingaBlueprintforSuccess FLOURISHDIGITALMAGAZINE COM | FALL 2022 | 32
Let's get started on how you can reinvent the system of goal setting Starting with the Achilles heel of goal setting: the result Most sales people focus on the goal or end result at the exclusion of all else Instead, while keeping the end result in mind, focus on the steps you need to take in order to achieve it. If your goal is to lose ten pounds, the steps might be to exercise for half an hour three times a week, to adopt and stick to a low fat diet, and to eliminate or cut back on sweets.
02. 03.
After learning the basics of hair care from her brothers, Madame C.J. Walker set out to bring hair care to women She set a goal of building a company for women In 1904, this self assured African American woman attended the St Louis World's Fair and recruited women to sell her products She went on to build a company that helped thousands to earn a living, and she became the first female self made millionaire in America in the process. And it all started with a goal of sharing hair care products.
He was born with and often battled epileptic fits and seizures Tired of the struggle, he told his mom, "I won't be sick anymore." When she asked why, this future star said, "I heard an angel tell me" The child was Prince, and he immediately set a goal of becoming a rock star He wrote his first song at seven years old Went on to land a recording contract by the age of nineteen 01.
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Steve Harvey was thirty years old, living in his car, showering at gas stations and swimming pools But he was pushed by a dream of becoming a standup comedian and wouldn't quit Steve's goal was so real to him that he lived it every day and prayed for it every day. In every case I have outlined, each person saw their dream before it became true because of a goal Most business professionals, whether skilled or unskilled, experienced or novice, dream of superior performance They want acceleration bonuses, the corner office or they dream of starting their own business But without a concrete plan, the vast majority of these dreams never come true While they may actually set some goals, most people fall short of achieving them because they use the “pass/fail system” Before we get to the science of setting and achieving goals, I want to share with you the one characteristic that dominates as a predictor of success And this is it: While many think the magic is in intelligence, family ties, the right school or money, the real secret is overlooked. After reviewing hundreds of success stories and their timeline, one thing stood out and accurately predicted success. The secret? It's grit. That means that each and every day, regardless of what happened the day before or how you feel, you must keep going Don't worry about being perfect at that moment Just make it as perfect as can be Climb the mountain, each day, a little at a time Use grit What I'm saying is that we have real ability And here's how to get to it
IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT THAT YOU KNOW THE BEST WAY TO SET SPECIFIC, WORTHWHILE GOALS. WE RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING STEPS: DREAM BIG WRITE THEM DOWN BE SPECIFIC REVIEW THEM OFTEN TELL EVERYONE
Place your written goal statements someplace where you will see them often on your desk, the refrigerator, bathroom mirror, or dashboard of your car Review them at least once a day Monitor and track your progress Whenever you achieve a significant sub goal or end result, cross it off, and celebrate! Friends, family, business associates all can help you by following your progress and offering support and encouragement When times get tough, these are the people who will keep you going >
You gain an increasing level of control over the outcome by gaining control over the process. Each time you successfully complete one of the steps, it energizes you to achieve your end result goal. You strengthen your belief that you can achieve goals that may at first seem overwhelming by breaking them down into manageable sub-goals or steps.
You will only go after goals that truly get you excited Increasing your sales by 50 percent is a means to a greater end When you set a goal, stop and think about why you want it Once you have the dream in place eg, a larger, more attractive house; college education for your children; freedom to travel; or support of a loved one lay out the steps it will take to get there And start
WHEN YOU FOCUS ON THE PROCESS AS WELL AS ON THE RESULT, THREE IMPORTANT THINGS HAPPEN:
WHAT'S YOUR GOAL?
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When you write down the goal and the steps, they take on substance and legitimacy. Up to this point, they are still dreams, and tend to easily fade from your consciousness Begin all goal statements with the words “I will ” to reflect your clear intention
The more specific your goal statements, the more likely it is that you will achieve them Instead of “I will lose weight,” write “I will lose ten pounds by the first day of Spring” Rather than “I will exceed my monthly goal,“ write “I will generate at least $10,000 more than my June budget,” or something equally specific.
If your goal is to increase your sales by 50 percent, your steps could include: taking a reputable sales training course, doubling the number of cold calls you make, creating a system for letting your current customers know you appreciate their business, and asking current customers for referrals
Routinely go over the points of this article. Keep educating yourself with information that aligns with your entrepreneurial direction. For every small setback, know that you can create an equal position and equal reaction That's grit it's passion and perseverance done daily, weekly and yearly Climb the mountain and watch how your goals lift you up effortlessly And as you climb, you will inspire others around you Soon, your confidence will grow regarding your ability to set and achieve your goals Applying your new confidence creates genius <
Goal achievement, then, is a combination of having exciting goals; formulating a specific, step by step plan of action; writing down goal statements; using systematic tracking and review; and maintaining a good support system The difference between failure and success can often be traced to poor planning If you truly want to achieve a goal and believe in your ability to achieve it, the key to that achievement is the plan you put into place. So, make a firm commitment, take ownership of (accountability for) your dream, create a specific plan and follow it. Do everything in your power to stay motivated and inspired. If you want to design the life you truly desire instead of simply accepting what comes your way, the secret is good planning. Years ago, I read my first book on creating success. The book was titled Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. Hill interviewed the most successful people in the world at that time (the 1920s). Names that may sound familiar to you are Edison, Carnegie, Rockefeller and many more When I compare their success to success today for minority entrepreneurs, one thing towers above all others: belief Each one of those business leaders believed their ideas and concepts would work They believed that the world was just waiting to experience their creations Each person was no smarter than you are, and in most cases had less to offer In today's world, we have been taught the opposite taught incorrectly We have been taught that the world is the way the world is Not only is it not the way we perceive it, it is also not a world we have to fit into. By setting clear goals, you can do something most individuals never consider. Most people never consider that they have the ability to create their own piece of the world's marketplace. Go confidently, and grab the opportunity you have created. Make a living doing exactly what you dream about. You must persue it!
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Since graduating from Cornell University in 2022, I’ve struggled to put into perspective what this new chapter of life means for me. I C IT C T R I A ' RS I A ' SV V I C IE C E F L O U R I S H D I G I T A L M A G A Z I N E C O M | F A L L 2 0 2 2 | 3 6
VICTORIA'S VOICE
I’myoung,Black,andfemale,Ihaveagreatjobwithlots of promise for future growth, and I graduated from a great college. But I still feel like I have no idea how to navigate my life I mean, as of a week ago I didn’t know you were supposed to pour off the “dirty” water from a can of beans and pour clean water in the pot to replace it. Every day, I’m still learning how to be an adult. And yet,I’vesupposedlybeenoneforfouryearsalready. I’mconvincedIhavenotoolsthatcouldhavehelpedme to be more prepared for starting life on my own and helping provide for my family, and I’ve struggled to be patient with myself as I navigate this journey. I’m impatient with how slow things move in Memphis, Tennessee, versus my experience at college in upstate New York. And I’m impatient with my role at my job constantlyfeelinglikethingsshouldbemovingfasteror thatIshouldbelookingforotherjobssothatIdon’tget comfortableandfeelstagnant
eventhoughIknowthat she needs me to help with my grandmother who has recentlyfallenill thatIrealizedIneededtochangemy mindset I needed to find a word, a feeling, to replace this impatience that I’ve always struggled with, and which has now hit me full force: I don’t have a specific structure telling me where I’ll be in four years So I’ve found that word in my recent quest for trying new hairstyles There are a lot of similarities I can draw from starting my new adult life with trying new hairstyles For example: a twist out on 4A curly hair requires well conditioned, clean hair, a leave in conditioner, a curling cream (if necessary), and a moisturizing hair gel. I usually section my hair in five tiers starting from bottom to top, and I take my hair in small sections, applying the aforementioned products, and properly detangling each section with a Denman brush before starting the twisting process I can’t tell you how many times I did this process when I first started my curly hair journey And it came out a hot ass mess >
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Butitwasn’tuntilIhadthefeelingthatIneededtomove outofmymom’shomesooner
Graceismorethanpatience.Anyonecanwaitforthingstoget betterortochange timeisgoingtopassbyregardless but thatdoesn’trequireyoutoremainpositivewhilewaiting,or eventobepurposefulduringthewaitingprocess Grace requiresmoreempathy Gracesays,“There’snoreasonIshould begoodatthisifI’veneverdoneitbefore,”andallowsmeto feelpeacewhileI'mpatientwithmyselfinthisnewterritory I oftenfeeloutsidepressurefromtheworld,andevenfrom closefamilyandfriendstobesuccessful,becauseofallofthe sacrificesthatweremadeformetogetwhereIamandtohave hadtheopportunitiesthatI’vehad.Icangetoverwhelmedby mylackofpatienceformyselfoverfailing,makingmistakes, andtryingagain I’llgetsooverwhelmed,I’llprojectthose feelingsontootherpeople:IfIcan’tfail,noonecan,so everyoneelsehastobeperfect,too! Andthat'sjustnotrealistic.Likethosehairstyles,youcan havealltherightproductsandtoolsandknowexactlywhat todowiththem,anditstilldoesn’tmeanthatyourhairwill comeoutnicely Sometimesittakestryingnewapproaches overandoveragainuntilyoufindthecombinationthat worksthebest.Andsometimesittakesalittlebitofgrace. It’sokaytolooklikeShirleyTempleforacoupleofdaysif theendresultresemblesTraceeEllisRoss Everythingisa process,andnothingworthanythingcomeseasy I’mnotsurewheremylifewilltakemeorifI’mevengoing intherightdirection.HowwouldIknow?I’veneverdone thisbefore.AllIcandoisgivemyselfgraceduringthis periodtotrydifferentthingsandnotbeafraidtofall
G M th w th I'd A ey fle D on ab no da w ne A m I'v Pa un
Ultimately,IknowI’mgoingtogetbackupagain Mynext stageoflifeisgoingtobeamazingbecauseI’mgoingintoit withagreatheadonmyshouldersandanevenbetterflexi rodsetonmyhead.
<F L O U R I S H D I G I T A L M A G A Z I N E . C O M | F A L L 2 0 2 2 | 3 8 Victoria is a recent college graduate and HR Recruitment Operations Analyst, Hilton Hotels. VictoriaMooreMcMiller
BRENDA TAYLOR LEWIS TRANSFORMING PEOPLE, PLACES & SPACES ALTERATIONS HOME DECOR PERSONAL SHOPPING By appointment only: +1 470-261-9674 brendaragz2richez@gmail.com F L O U R I S H D I G I T A L M A G A Z I N E C O M | F A L L 2 0 2 2 | 3 9
I U s e d t o B e a L o s e r . ItmayseemlikeIalwayshaveittogether,withmyeasy goingdemeanorandcalm equanimity—livingmyfairlysimplelifeofspiritualpursuitshereinSouthernOregon. Butmanyyearsago,Iwasquiteadifferentperson.LatelyI’vebeenthinkingbackto themomentImadeadecisionthatchangedmylifeforever.AtthetimeIdidn’tknow itwouldprovetobesosignificant,butinhindsightIseehowremarkableitwasthat onthatfatefulnight,Ichosetodosomethingcourageous. Iwastwenty somethingandlivinginChicagoinamultilingualneighborhoodcalled EdgewaterbetweenLittleVietnamandtheSwedishareaknownasAndersonville.I walkedmilesadayandrodethe“el”trainwhereverIneededtogo includingmy dayjobinthesuburbofEvanston.Aftermydivorce,IhadmovedfromtheSouth SidetotheNorth,nowlivingwithmycomedy writerboyfriend. Backthen,Iwasbasicallyapessimist andIdidn’treallylikemyself.Overall,Iwasn’t averyhappyperson,althoughItriedmybest.Alwaysastraight-Astudent,growing upaPK(preacher’skid)inIndianaI’dforeverbeenmadefunofasanerdwhonever fitin.Iwasevenbulliedinjuniorhighschool.Andoutintherealworld,thingsweren’t thatdifferent. Sufficeittosay:Ihadneverbeencool. Allthesame,I’drecentlyspentmysavingsonavintageguitar,determinedtoplay againafterhavingputitasideduringmymarriage.Practicingnearlyeveryday,I’d grownmycallusesback.Iwasteachingmyselfbarrechords.I’devenwrittena coupleofsongs althoughIhadn’ttoldanyoneaboutthat. Aguyfromworkinvitedmetoapartyathisplace.Hewasaguitarplayer.“Besure tobringyouraxe,”hesaid.ButIhatedparties.AndeventhoughIhadsunginall sortsofchoirsandtalentshows,Iwasfranklymortifiedatthethoughtofplayingin frontofabunchofpeopleIdidn’tknow. > MY PIVOTAL MOMENT FLOURISHDIGITALMAGAZINE COM | FALL 2022 | 40
I’m not sure he even registered that I’d been home
And that was brave But that wasn’t the crucial moment. It’s what happened next This guy’s small apartment was filled with only a few acquaintances known to me, and honestly there was no one I wanted to get to know. Some people had brought their instruments but no one was playing yet. I didn’t know what to do with myself. I couldn’t abide small talk So after about an hour maybe less I said my goodbyes, and I was barely noticed as I left On the ride home I went through my usual self loathing routine. But the second I unlocked the door to our apartment, I saw that my boyfriend was totally absorbed in working on his latest project, which meant I had no one to complain to No one to hear my sob story about how phony parties are and how pointless life is There I was, just me and my Eeyore thoughts. And all of a sudden, I looked at him, and I looked at myself, and I knew I had to do something different. I grabbed my hard case and called out, “I’m getting my guitar going back to the party! See you later!”
I Jumped Off the Deep End. They showered me with compliments and introduced me to various band members between sets I met Son Seals an accomplished Alligator Records recording artist I knew nothing about, but who decades later would be inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. And just like that, I was in. Over the next few days and weeks, Tony introduced me to all sorts of topnotch players at The Old Town School of Folk Music, a vibrant music center where in the 1960s John Prine took his first guitar lessons. (Tony’s day job was working at its store, Different Strummer.) Because of the confidence Tony had instilled in me, I found the courage to attend the school’s song circles To my surprise, for the first time in my life I was popular, and most people presumed I was a teacher there. >
Did I decide to go to that party? Amazingly enough, yes I did.
The party was in full swing by the time I got back And within just a few minutes, a good looking stringbean Black dude made a grand entrance and introduced himself to me. With a winning smile he said his name was Tony, and he was a drummer. Clearly a man who loved life, he talked a mile a minute and laughed easily. Before I even had time to be nervous, among the jamming professional players, I soon found myself joining in And before I knew it, I was playing my new songs to an audience of strangers. After the second song, you could hear a pin drop. Tony asked, “Where have you been, girl?” Tony and a guitarist buddy of his soon swept me away for a night on the town. We ditched the crowds to get in the back entrance of several clubs, where I got my first taste of a blues education. They never had to pay, and they seemed to know everyone.
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Janis Hunt Johnson ForawhileIwas“Janis&TheJohnsons” andTonywasmydrummerintheband.(Noonecould’ve predictedthatinjustafewyearsIwouldmarryamaninshowbiznamedDavidC JohnsoninaCalifornia orangegrove myhusbandforthelast28years butthat’sastoryforanothertime.)Ourbandwasthe musicalreliefforacomedyshowattheElboRoomeveryWednesdayhostedbyJamesFinnGarner (todayabest sellingsatirist) IwasafeaturedartistattheNationalWomen’sMusicFestivaltwoyearsin arow IplayedclubsinLondonandDublin AfterrecordingmysecondalbumImovedtoL.A.topursuestardomandfollowthatboyfriend.Webroke up,ofcourse.(HelaterwentontowinaGoldenGlobeforhisscreenplayforToyStory2,butagain,that’s anotherstory) Fortifiedwithmytapes,ItalkedmywayintoagigatthelegendaryTroubadour.Twice.Irecordedmy thirdalbum,andgotairplayafterslippingmytapeinfrontofalocaldeejay’smicwhileshewas interviewingDarWilliamsandJoanBaezataSantaMonicaStarbucks. Oh,thethingswedo. InthoseChicagoandLA saladdays,Imadelifelongfriends Bestofall,Icameintomyown Andallofthis incrediblyamazingstuffhappenedbecauseonenightI’dhadenoughofmyself andchosetodo somethingoutoftheordinary. < March2009,Medford,Oregon:reunionwithTonyDaleandJimmyTomasello whentheyplayedbanjomasterMichaelJ Miles'"America1968" atthe CraterianTheater,wheremyhusbandhappenedtobeemployed! Flourish Digital Magazine copyeditor | spiritual author/prayer coach/healer The Salad Days. Afterthat,Iwasboldenoughtoplaysomemoreofmyoriginalsongsatopenmics untilsoonIwas gettingpaidtoplayatclubsandbarsalloverChicago.IsangbackupwithMegonMcDonough(ofthe FourBitchin’Babes)onthefirstalbumTimGrimmeverrecorded(he’snowafolkveteran);andIhungout withotherfolkcelebritieslikeHarryWallerandRamblin’JackElliott.Ioncesharedthestagewithrockers TheBadExamples. Withinmonths,I’drecordedanoriginalEP,andwithinayearI’drecordedmyfirstalbum(bothwereon cassetteinthosedays)onmyownlabel,Janisongs.Ithrewacateredrecord releasepartytoapacked houseatTheOldTownSchool,withrecord labelfolksinattendance.Iwasinterviewedandfavorably reviewedinmanyChicagopublications.IwonBestUnsignedArtistof1990andgotradioairplay. Thereweremanypayinggigswithmysidemanextraordinaire,LeeHebert InNewYorkCityweplayed theFastFolkstage,thenmadeadollarandsomechangebusking! aroadtripofmemoriesforalifetime FLOURISHDIGITALMAGAZINE COM | FALL 2022 | 42 Editing ASKJANIS COM Blog CSRenewal Medium com Music soundcloud.com/Janissongs
It’s almost time for the holidays, and there are many families struggling right now to put food on the table, yet they still want to give holiday gifts to their children. Christmas and holiday time is not about material things it’s about reminding each other and our little ones that they are not forgotten, that they are immensely loved, and that they are important! >
Every child deserves to experience the joy of opening a gift on a special day Gift Wrapping Stars For Children fulfills this mission by donating beautifully wrapped gifts to families in need.
G i f t W r a p p i n g S t a r s F O R C H I L D R E N F L O U R I S H D I G I T A L M A G A Z I N E . C O M | F A L L 2 0 2 2 | 4 4
F L O U R I S H D I G I T A L M A G A Z I N E . C O M | F A L L 2 0 2 2 | 4 5
What Gift Wrapping Stars will do for you.
Gift Wrapping Stars Inc. will deliver elegantly wrapped gifts to your corporate office and arrange them in the shape of a Christmas tree as part of the corporate fundraising event This Christmas tree will symbolize the joy your firm will deliver to many youngsters on Christmas Day and special holidays. This tree will be displayed for three weeks before being delivered to the children who will benefit. >
Gift Wrapping Stars Inc. is a 501(c)(3) Organization Its mission is to raise public awareness about the needs of children in orphanages, foster care, and low income families by giving them beautifully wrapped gifts on their birthdays and holidays. Any children who are currently living in foster families, orphanages, or children's homes, or in financially disadvantaged families, will be eligible to receive gifts.
Olga Dru is the founder of Gift Wrapping Stars for Children She has always loved wrapping presents Her adventure began many years ago when she opened her business in Europe, and after relocating to the United States, she chose to use her gift wrapping skills to help others. The group began operations in 2021, and in its first year of operation it donated gifts to nearly 600 children, entirely through internal contributions from organization officers. Please support our cause.
< F L O U R I S H D I G I T A L M A G A Z I N E . C O M | F A L L 2 0 2 2 | 4 6 GIFTWRAPPINGSTARS COM
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The He's Got Flavor Bourbon Chicken Sauce brings you that elevated, yet original and authentic food court flavor, made with real bourbon and fresh ingredients for a delicious, smooth taste! Millions have seen the videos on TikTok and Instagram, and now you can take home this special sauce for a limited time! Use HGF Bourbon Chicken Sauce to add outstanding flavor to steak, pork, turkey, fish and vegetables WWW.HESGOTFLAVOR.COM
poetry by Seane Shaw It's like a meandering consciousness that's not so esoteric in nature. Its reflection shines under the moonlit sky like the color contrasting words at the end of a movie. Dark as night when the sol meets mine. Aging slowly like a fine wine. Majestic in its beauty and yet threatening by the mere sight. Born free but robbed of my birthright. There's tragedy in stories both spoken and untold that never held ransom a heart of gold. Identical beneath the surface and delicate to the touch. This suit of armor, once thought to be a burden, transcends the strength of my ancestors and what I love so much. What has been sown are the stories reaped from the struggle that's more than skin deep.
< DARK SKIN FLOURISHDIGITALMAGAZINE COM | FALL 2022 | 49 @ S H A W L I F E
continuedfrompage13: "And,it’snoteasy,"Xadds."Then,thiscountrywantstopayaslittleaspossiblewhilepressingfor unrealisticoutcomes Itcanbedepleting,demoralizing Itwasforme” AswetalkabouteducationintheUnitedStates,IsenseanacheofsadnessinX “Iwenttothemecca [HowardUniversity],andgotamaster'sdegreeineducationfromJohnsHopkinsthinkingIcould makeachange.ButIfoundtherewasaceiling.Andthereisnorealpartnershipwithparents. Administrationshavetheiragendas,andsoIsawIwouldneverbeabletoprovidemystudentswith whattheyreallyneed.”Xtellsmeaboutsomeofthestudentsshehasstayedincontactwithsince leavingteaching “Theycallme'mom'now NotMissCollins Soyouseehowdeeptheirneedtobe seenandcaredforgoes”WhenIaskhowshecopedwithherdisappointmentasateacher,Xbegins tosharehertattoojourney “Tattoosandtattoopeopleweremyonlysourceofjoyduringthattime.Igotsomeofmyfirsttattoo modelingjobswhenIwasteachinginIndianola oneofthepoorestcitiesinMississippi.”Describing theclashbetweenherteachingcareerandherburgeoningexperiencesinthetattooworld,X explains,“IrealizedtherewasaprofessionalworldwhereIcouldbehappy IknewIwantedmoreof thatkindofjoyinmylife” > FLOURISHDIGITALMAGAZINE COM | FALL 2022 | 50 Tattoos and tattoo people were my only source of joy during that time.
WhenXfinallyleftMississippi,shelandedanopportunityatanexclusiveAtlantaprivateschool.Yetthere shefoundherselfevenmoreunhappy.“TheonlythingthatkeptmegoingwasthetattooindustrystuffI wasdoinginthebackground,”sheconfesses “IstartedInkTherapy,mytattoo centerededucational podcast AndIcollaboratedwithInkMaster[arealityshow]competitorAngelRoseontheInstagram page@darkskintattootips Iwasusingmyeducationbackground butnewlyinthetattooindustry In hindsight,though,IrealizeIwasstillplayingitsafe” LikeachildatChristmas,X’smysticalgreeneyeswiden.“BackthenIdidn’tthinkIcouldbealegittattoo artistwithoutanartbackground.IknewIcoulddrawbutIhadnoformaltraining.Ireallydidn’twantto gofrombeingastrugglingteachertoabeingstrugglingtattooartist But,then,Iwasblessedtobe confrontedbyrealinspiration” XtellsmeabouttakingherpodcasttothegrandopeningofSkinDesign,Caesar’sPalace Legendary tattooartistRobertPhoalreadyhadoneLasVegaslocation alongwithSkinDesign,Hawaii,aswellasa BrooklynspotandoneinOrangeCounty buthewasopeninganewlocationonTheStriptomeetthe needsofvacationersandhigher endclients ”Robertwelcomedmeandmylittlepodcasttocoverthe opening,andIgottoseetheinnerworkingsofahighlyfunctionaltattooshop”Xslowsdowntodescribe Pho’sfamily includingafamilyofartists andhowshecouldseeherselfbeingapartofit “Everyonewasonthesamepage.Noonewasstrayingfromtheplan.Thecreativeandbusinesssides meshed.SkinDesignwasadreamplaceandIwasdeterminedtoworkforRobertinsomecapacity.So whenheannouncedhewaslookingfornewapprentices,Ihadtogoforit.” Normallyatravelerwiththequantityofluggagerequiredtosupportastylishlook,XleftAtlantawitha singledufflebagandheriPad “Iworesweatsandheadwrapsforthefirstsixmonths,”sherecallswitha dazzlingsmile DressedinaMarineSerredesertovershirtandJessicaRichSoBossyslides,there’sno traceofthesacrificialgrindshedescribes She’snowbreakingintothecelebrityarena > FLOURISHDIGITALMAGAZINE COM | FALL 2022 | 51
"WhenItattooedEricBellingeritwaslikefamily We blastedhismusicwhileIworkedandtheconversation waseasy Iliketotreatallofmyclientslikecelebrities so it’saspecialhonorwhenactualcelebritieschoosemeto dotheirtattoos.” XshowsmeapictureofthetattooshedidforBellinger’s wife actress,producerandwomen’sadvocate,La’Miya JanaeGood Bellinger “Herenergywascontagious She’s suchapowerfulandpositiveperson”WhenIaskXabout KimKardashian’sverbalretortagainsttattoos whyputa bumperstickeronaBentley shesmilesdemurelyand says,“IthinkthatclichéstartedoutwithaMercedes.” Then,withamorethoughtfullook,sheadds,“Noshade onKimoranyonewhodoesn’twanttobetattooed ButI seethebodyasatempletobeadorned Tattooingisan ancientartthathasmeaninginesthetic,identity, inclusion,accomplishmentandmore.Mytattoosarenot slogansormessagesorevenentertainmentforothers. Andcertainlynotdefacement.Insteadtheyaremy witnessandtestimony Lotsofpeopleseetheirtattoosin similarways” > F L O U R I S H D I G I T A L M A G A Z I N E . C O M | F A L L 2 0 2 2 | 5 2
Stillyounginthegame,Xacknowledges shehasmoretolearn “Ihavethedeepest respectformyfellowtattooartists.Ilearn alotfromtheirbusinessandartistic journeys.AndfromourBlackandfemale trailblazers,too I’llbeconnectingwith JacciGreshambeforehershopclosesfor goodthisyear”Inteachermode,X providesashortsynopsisonthe71 year oldGresham thecountry’sfirstknown Blackfemaletattooartist,whoopened AartAccentTattoosintheheartofNew Orleansnearlyfiftyyearsago “Maybethat willbemeoneday,”Xmuses “Itwouldbe amazingtomakeauniquemarkonthis industry.” It’sclearthatXhasmadeitthroughthe reset Aftertakingasafe,traditionalroad, thencomingtoaneardeadend,shehas writtenanewstoryforherlife andit’s writteninink Flourishinginhergratefully foundbutnon traditionalcareer,shesays, “Fearandanxietystillcreepupsometimes, butthat’sjustapartofbeinghuman” Xisopen,ambitious,industriousandloyal Sheiscomfortableinherheadandheart andmademorewholebytheinkonher skin. < Flourishing in her gratefully found but non-traditional career FLOURISHDIGITALMAGAZINE COM | FALL 2022 | 53 @TATTEDUP X SDT
The Real Technique make up brushes and sponges are a great addition to your make up kit, giving you a more flawless look than those old, dirty sponges and brushes will. These items can also be found in Ulta as well as Target and online stores.
Lastly, I suggest you sanitize your new products and make up tools weekly to ensure that they are performing the best that they can and to ensure they are free of bacteria. Check out our Summer 2022 issue to learn more about how to make your make up flourish all day long. <
It's officially a new season and the perfect time to put out the old and bring in the new make up! Studies show that many women have and use their make up products for over three years at a time Are you one of those make up loving ladies? If so, how about deciding that Fall 2022 is the perfect time to throw away your make up that is over a year old? It's also time to get rid of any make up brushes and sponges that are over three months old. Old make up and make up utensils can cause acne, skin irritation, and can even breed lots of bacteria that is not good for your skin. This bacteria can cause fungal infections, e. coli and even staph infections This is your sign to grab some new make up products that I know you will love! In fact, here are a few products that I can suggest, which I'm sure you will become addicted to, just as I have Fenty Beauty foundation is one of my new favorite make up products because of its full coverage yet it's very natural looking, leaving you with a fresh, flawless finish. You can find this product online as well as in various Sephora and Ulta Beauty stores
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Beauty Tips with Shari Perkins Out with the Old Make up
SHARI’S LIFE OF SLUXXURY HARI’S LIFE OF SLUXXURY HARI’S LIFE OF LUXXURY @LUXXSHARI @LUXXSHARI T@LUXXSHARI THELUXXURYCOLLECTION.COM THELUXXURYCOLLECTION.COM HELUXXURYCOLLECTION.COM
Another product line that I recommend is The Luxxury Collection cosmetics, specifically the lip gloss and the eyeliner. These products are a staple for any and all make up looks because they instantly give you a much more professional finished look and a touch of glam. The lip gloss and eyeliner can be ordered online at theluxxurycollection.com.
Never Underestimate yourinnate abilities,your potential,or yourpersonal power. CHLOÉ TAYLOR BROWN F L O U R I S H D I G I T A L M A G A Z I N E . C O M | F A L L 2 0 2 2 | 5 5
ThisisalettertoallTheInnovativeMomsaroundtheglobe Andherearesomeinstructionsbeforeyouread this:Stop,sitdown,grabyourfavoritedrinkorsnack,putonsomecalmingmusic,read,thinkandthen slowlyanswerthequestionsasked norush.Don'tjustreadthislikeanyarticle,butasaheartfeltletter specificallypennedtoyou Takeadeepbreathandletmecheckinwithyou Let's Reset The Season Hey, Mamas!
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byElenaTaylor Bagger Hey Mamas, How are you doing? It seems like a generic question, but if you stop and take the time to ponder and answer, it becomes a beautiful exchange of emotions that someone actually cares about you. And I do care. Are you feeling OK? Have you been well? Did you take some time to make and follow up on your doctor's appointments? "Health is wealth" may sound cheesy but it’s true How are things going at work? I hope things are going well Make sure you’re spending time outside of work for some much deserved self care. How’s the family doing? How are you feeling emotionally? If you’re thinking about therapy, that may be a good idea if you’re comfortable with it, but of course it’s up to you I myself was actually thinking about going back again >
www.theinnovativemom.com @theinnovativemom the innovative mom ELENA TAYLOR-BAGGER Founder of The Innovative Mom, and single mom to five young adults F L O U R I S H D I G I T A L M A G A Z I N E . C O M | F A L L 2 0 2 2 | 5 7
Areyougameforgettingamassagethisweekend?Icould definitelyuseone Iknowmoneymaybeanissueattimes,but ahotsoakmayhelpyourelax.Haveyoubeenworkingonyour business?Don’tfeelbadifyou’renotwhereyouthoughtyou’d be It’sOK Everythinghappensatthetimeitshould You’renot slacking Ifyouareslacking,thenrestup,becauseIknowyou haveitinyoutokeepmovingforward.Didyoufinishyour paperworktogobacktoschool?Didyoutrysomethingdifferent thisweek?Areyougettingenoughrestandstayinghydrated? Didyouremembertopee?Yes,thisisanhonestquestion!Are youtakingtimetobreathe,daydreamandjustbe? Daydreamingismygo to;ithelpsmestayfocusedand visualizewhatIwantmylifetolooklike Itakefiveorten minutesthroughoutmydaytodojustthat
You’ve been on my mind. No matter where you are in the world, I’ve often wondered even though we’re apart and have never met are you moving through the seasons of life feeling loved? Are you feeling empowered, supported, and encouraged? Are you being nurtured as you nurture so many others? Are you grieving? Are you overwhelmed? Are you hurting? Are you filled with joy and loving life? Are you in a phase of life that’s filled with abundance and happiness? Are you taking time out to show yourself some love, be sociable, work on your finances? You don’t have to think too hard on these I’m just checking in I hope life is kind to you If you’re in a tough spot right now, I truly hope that things will let up soon, and that you will have freedom I hope you have an abundance of love, hope, peace, and support Know that I’m here cheering for each of you Just for a moment, take some time out for you Find ways to renew your mind and get to know you No matter the season, phase or time you’re in, you are loved. I would love to hear back from you, so send me an email at elenataylor@theinnovativemomcom <
Nice Nice ew ew Whenmydaughterwasanundergraduate,shespentascholarshipyearabroad andattendedLondon’sKingsCollege.Uponherreturn,shepresentedmewitha beautifulsignaturegiftboxfromtheworld-famousHarrodsdepartmentstore. Betweendelicatesheetsoftissuepaperwasasexyandelegantnightgowninblack. Afterbreathinginitscharm,ItuckedthegownawaywiththethoughtthatIwould onedaywearitwithsomeonespecial ButbythetimeIthoughtofthegownagain morethanthreeyearshadpassed Clearlynoonespecialhadcomealongtoignite amemoryoftheintimatesouvenir.Feelingsillyandalittleashamed,Itorethrough mychestofdrawersdeterminedtofindthegownandseeifitfit.Anditdid.Itfitmy bodyperfectly.Excitedbythefeelofthesilkyfabriconmyskin,Iaddedapairof danglyearrings,andthensomestrappyshoes.Iwalkedfrommirrortomirror feelingnearlytipsywithexhilaration Ifeltamazinginthatpreciousgift of a gown Butallofasudden,theroomseemedtoshrink.Theeuphoriavanishedandmy moodshiftedtosober.Eyetoeyewithmyselfinthemirror,thequestionsstruck. WhydidIneglectmydaughter’sgiftforsolong?WhyhadIpostponedan enjoymentthathadbeencuratedespeciallyforme? > byLaurieRenfro FLOURISHDIGITALMAGAZINE COM | FALL 2022 | 58
FLOURISHDIGITALMAGAZINE COM | FALL 2022 | 59 @routineinterrupted Laurie Renfro
“begood,”andwedoourbesttodoaswearetold
Exhaustedofheartandsometimesofhealth Itwas thatthingthatdidn’tquiteagreewithyourspiritbut youwentalongwithitanyway.Itwasallthosetimes youswallowedyourtruthtosparesomeoneelse’s feelingsortokeeptheso calledpeace Howabout whenyoustayedinyourlaneeventhoughyouknew thewholesituationwasabouttoexplode? Rememberhowthecleanupfelltoyou?And,there arethosefriendswhohardlyshowupasafriendto you,yetyoukeepinvitingthemtothecookout The tinyandmultipledropsofacquiescence, compromise,denialandself denialcanaggregate toformdangerousstormsinourlives MynightgownfromHarrodsnowshowssignsof wear Andmybodydoesn’tfititsseductiveshape likeitusedto Istillwearit,though,incelebrationof mydaughterandthemonumentaldaythatIre recognizedmySelf justasinCaribbeanpoetDerek Walcott’sLove After Love,inwhichheurges,“Give backyourhearttoitself,tothestrangerwhohas lovedyouallyourlife,whomyouignoredfor another.” Thereisanew nice wecantakeontoreplacethe “nice”weweregroomedfor.Thisnewniceisshaped bysolidlisteningtoourselvesandourlimits.Itis nurturedbygeneroustendingtoourSelves Thisnew nicefortifieswobblyboundariesbornofcenturiesof sexismandreturnsustoourinherentempowered state.Withboundariesfirmlyinplace,wearegood. Wearenice Wearedivine < LaurieRenfroisawriter andspiritualseekerwith aMaster'sdegreein SpiritualPsychology fromSofiaUniversity inPaloAlto,California (formerlytheInstitute forTranspersonal Psychology).
Forindenturedwomen,beingnicewasrequiredto retainandmaintaineventhemostmeager employment Forenslavedwomen,beingnicemeant alloftheaboveplusthehopethattheymightbe sparedsomeoftheunspeakableviolenceandabuse thatpervadeddailylife.Andwhilethesehistories havelargelybeeninterruptedinthemodernWestern world,thelegacyofrequired“nice”stillinfectsthe wayweraiseourfemalechildrenandmanyofthe wayswetreatourselves. Icanhearitnow:“Yougotmewrong,girl Ilove myself!Iamnicetomyself.”AsTinaTurnerfamously asked,“What’slovegottodowithit?”Ifyou’rewilling toslowdownandtakeadeeperlook,youwillseethe insidiousnatureofperemptory“nice”Becauseithas alwaysbeenexpectedofwomen,andthenpracticed bywomenwithbroadconsistency,thiswayofbeing hasbecomenormalized And,so,weviewandexperienceitasrightandgood. Thatis,untilwefindourselvesspentandconsumed
Ifirstthoughtaboutmyself esteem,butquickly confirmedthatwasn’ttheproblem.Stayingwiththe self inquiryunderthemirroredlight,Ifoldedmy bodytothefloorforwhatIthoughtwasgoingtobe alongsit.But,quickly,Ifeltananswercoming through.Itwasstarkandimmediate,andresisted theregularegoicobjections Theanswerwasplain andsimple:Iwasnotinthepracticeofbeingniceto myself.Clearly,Ihadnotbeennicetomyself. Forweeks,Iwasplaguedwiththisnewknowledgeof myself ThefactthatIwasnotconsistentlyniceto myselfwasinconflictwiththewayIregularly showedupintheworld.Peoplerecognizedmeasa capable,boldandconfidentwoman Andonthe inside,Ihaddonealotofwork Istudiedpsychology, submittedmyselftocounseling,readself help books.Iwatched,morethanvicariously,Iyanla Vanzantchangelives Ichanted,meditated,and prayed So,howdidthishappen?HowdidIendup puttingmywellbeingbehindthatofothers?And,I wasequallycurioustoknow:WasItheonlywoman caughtinthisdilemma? Likethecarmodelyouseeeverywhereonceyou purchaseitforyourself,Ibegantoseewomen beyondtheirpubicpresentation Isaw likeme manyhadattainedanunconscioustolerancefor tweakingtheirmeasureofbenefitfortheadvantage ofothers Evenfantasticalothers And,onthe surface,thosetweaksseemedwhollypositive nicetobenice,right?Butdoledoutwithout consciousnessoftheaccumulationandcosts,this behaviorthatmaylooklikelovecanleaveourvery ownselvesoutoftheloveaffair Ineachgeneration,Ithinkitstartswithgood intentions Thevoicesofourmosttrustedtellusto Thenlifebecomesmorecomplicated.”Good” morphsinto“nice”withoutformalnoticeorclarified mine,communityandreligionandclass existingor arecategoriesthatgrewarmsand tentaclesandwrappedusupintolivesofbounded thetightandcontrolledbehaviors thatourpeoplefeltwouldassureoursafetyand successinthismessy,judgmentalandexclusionary world.Theymeantitforourgood.Wehadtobe good Then,nice Historically,beingnicehashaditsrewards.Andfor womanofallbackgrounds,beingnicehasbeenan essentialcurrencyinmale dominatedsocieties Beingnicegarneredfavorinenvironmentswhere mereaccusationcoulddeemawomanaharlot, heathenorheretic eachpunishablebydeathat differentpointsintime Forprivilegedwomen,failure tobenicecouldliterallymeanyourhead ThinkAnne BoleynandKingHenryVIII.
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Adore your authenticity. Be present & trust your gut. Make good solid decisions based on your heart's desires. Be a fantastic verbal & non-verbal communicator of your thoughts & goals. Learn to build rapport by respecting yourself & others. Choose your friends wisely & interact with them as your team. Act like a lady and get ready for the real deal. It's near. Set your goals based on your decisions & make it happen. Have certainty and faith in yourself & your plans as you put it all together. Command respect by being authentic and turning up your "it" factor. Be ready. Your vision is expanding. Do all of this and accomplish what you #DECIDED in Number 3. Learn How To: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Enquire about booking a program at CHLOETAYLORBROWN.COM Review Girl Swagat Amazon.com ForGenZtoGenX Women&GirlsTo Thrive&Flourish AProgressive, Interactive Personal Development Curriculum& Program. FLOURISHDIGITALMAGAZINE COM | FALL 2022 | 60
PCOMPETENT CRODUCTIVE TONFIDENT RUSTWORTHY WHOLE LOVING TRUTHFUL KNOWING C VE M A S T E R F U L H O N O R A B L E E X P A N S I V E ASUCSUFFIC ACCO SAF CONSTRUCTVE RESPECTFU L HOPEFU L HE L PFU L FR I END L Y LOYALORG ZED A E LEVEL UP WITH PEP, ENERGY AND EXCELLENCE! GET THE WHOLE PROGRAM. CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS, FEELINGS, ACTIONS, AND YOUR RESULTS IN 12 DAYS. A COMPLETE DOWNLOADABLE, INTERACTIVE COACHING PROGRAM: INCLUDES THE PEP ASSESSMENT, WORKBOOK AND MP3 AUDIO CHLOETAYLORBROWN.COM TRYTHEPERSONAL EXCELLENCEPROFILE WHEEL.WHEREWILL YOULAND? F L O U R I S H D I G I T A L M A G A Z I N E . C O M | F A L L 2 0 2 2 | 6 1
FLOURISHDIGITALMAGAZINE COM | FALL 2022 | 62 A SNAPSHOT OF IDA B. WELLS
byDr GemmaBeckley There are historical figures, incidents, and views that influence and shape one ’ s life. The life of Ida Bell Wells is one such influence in my life. Though born 160 years ago, this African American woman continues to provide significant lessons I became aware of Ida B Wells as a new resident of Holly Springs, Mississippi where she was born Ida is also known as a pioneer in Social Work, which has been my life’s profession. Therefore, her story has been personally inspirational. Throughout her life there were many challenges which she overcame. This women of humble beginnings continues to provide lessons of strength, perseverance, and remarkable resilience. Let's look at some key events during the sixty nine years of Ida’s life reflective of continual lessons learned. Born July 16, 1862, six months before the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, Ida Bell Wells appeared destined for greatness and leadership in a world where history was evolving quickly especially for African Americans. Reared in Holly Springs, Mississippi to newly freed slaves, Ida’s parents provided the essentials and more to her and her eight siblings. Upon the death of Ida’s parents and of one sibling in 1878, the sixteen year old Ida took responsibility for rearing her remaining seven siblings Her moral and family commitment took precedence Where did this strength come from? The examples set by her parents were numerous. Consider the laws of 1863 and immediately afterwards. Legal marriages were not permitted during slavery. >
A Portrait of R e s i l i e n c e F L O U R I S H D I G I T A L M A G A Z I N E . C O M | F A L L 2 0 2 2 | 6 3
On September 15, 1885, Ida Wells, after boarding the train and taking her seat in the ladies’ car, was asked to leave to go to the colored car. She refused, and after being asked on two occasions or more, the train attendants attempted >
After the Emancipation Proclamation, freed slaves were legally granted the right to marry. On January 28, 1869, a marriage certificate was issued to “Jim” Wells and “Liza” Boling. This was their second vow. Elizabeth “Lizzie” Warrenton and Jim Wells were married according to the customs within slavery at the time of Ida’s birth Jim Wells, determined to insure every level of a freedman’s legitimacy, procured a formal certificate of marriage for him and his new bride. This was not a simple matter during that time, and should be recognized as a valuable step toward the establishment of legitimacy and the demand for respect for African American marriages After the war, Jim Wells worked for wages as a respected carpenter for the family that had once owned him. There was soon a parting of ways between Jim and his employer, when in 1867 freedmen had the opportunity, under The Reconstruction Act to vote. It should be made clear that although any slave struggled to evolve into a life of freedom, Jim Wells demonstrated his legitimacy as a full citizen to vote By now, Ida was six years old As the oldest child she had experienced those struggles up close and personally. Ida’s entire formal education began in mid 1866 at the age of eight years old at Asbury Methodist Church, and continued at Shaw University (now Rust College). These are the seeds of character building sown into Ida Wells’ life by her family and community. Her strong education led her into the great leadership roles that continued to provide her with life lessons Ida moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 1882. Moving her two younger sisters to Memphis was the beginning of a new chapter in Ida’s life. During the Memphis years, Ida’s legacy was established She began to write, and ventured into journalism, becoming the editor of several well respected newspapers. She also developed her political activism, which led to the Anti Lynching Movement, which she championed In 1875, the federal Civil Rights Bill gave Blacks the right to sue in state courts if they were discriminated against because of race in public accommodations. As Ida rode the train to her teaching job, she was often forced into the filthy smoking car even though she had purchased a ticket for the first class ladies’ car Because of the rising of Jim Crow laws, controlled State legislation claimed the right to exclude whom they wished from public or private accommodations. These circumstances set the stage for the lawsuit of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway line
to forcefully remove her. She continued to refuse and instead indicated that she would leave the train She chose to leave the train rather than to take a seat in the colored car. She sued the Railroad and won in December 1884. Not surprisingly, in the Avalanche newspaper the next day, the headlines read: “A Darky Damsel Obtains a Verdict for Damages" and "What it Cost to Put a Colored Teacher in a Smoking Car: $500." Ida’s case was viewed as a victory for the race, and for Black women in particular. As a journalist, Ida Wells gave a powerful voice to the atrocities impacting African Americans She gained great respect for her journalistic talents In addition to pieces published in The Evening Star and The Living Way, her articles were often reprinted abroad, as well as in the more than 200 Black weeklies then in circulation in the United States. She adopted the pen name Iola Ida B Wells eventually became an owner of The Memphis Free Speech newspaper Another major incident that occurred was the killing of three Black friends who had successfully opened a grocery store in Memphis, and who were viewed as a threat to white grocers in the same community. The Black men were dragged from their jail cell and killed by a white mob. Ida Wells was outraged at the fate of these three Black men. One of the strongest anti lynching campaigns at the time was launched In a seven column article on the front page of The New York Age newspaper, an editorial was presented providing facts and specifics of the horrors of lynching in Memphis and throughout the South Tragically, the offices of The Memphis Free Speech were destroyed. The destruction of The Memphis Free Speech provided the impetus for national and international recognition of prevailing injustices Leaving Memphis at the insistence of numerous leaders who feared for her safety, Ida Wells left town. As the leader of the Anti Lynching Movement, she often spoke publicly to bring attention to the atrocities impacting African Americans Her expertise was being sought abroad, too, where the Anti Caste Movement of India was taking place. Wells’ accomplishments during her years in Chicago are also well documented and deserve greater attention Nowadays, many of her actions are becoming increasingly known, providing a new generation of Americans with lessons of strength, perseverance and resiliency Ida Wells was posthumously awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Journalism in 2020 for outstanding and courageous reporting. She never stopped the pursuit of justice for her people. She is recognized as one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
Ida B. Wells lived a life that serves as an amazing reminder of our responsibility to flourish. Her life serves as a reminder of who we are as a people, as a community, and as a nation It's our responsibility to persevere < Dr Gemma Beckley, Professor Emeritus of Rust College. Sources include: Paula Giddings' biography, Ida: A Sword Among Lions (2008) and Miriam DeCosta' Willis' The Memphis Diary of Ida B. Wells (1995).
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OCTOBER IS #BREASTCANCERAWARENESS MONTH
P E G G Y PIGEON'S F I G H T I S OUR FIGHT
She was 34. It was December 4th, 2010 when Peggy was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer (DCIS) She had no chemotherapy, but 33 treatments of radiation. The last five treatments burned her skin terribly By March 28, 2011 a genetic test indicated that everything was normal, and she would not get cancer again. However, On June 12, 2012 the cancer returned, and two weeks later she had a bilateral mastectomy It was June 4th, 2022 when Peggy was in Holly Springs, Mississippi with her friends, celebrating God's grace and mercy in her life. Peggy says that it's God's power that keeps her going, and she can never thank God enough: "Thank you, Lord, for favoring me!" @PEGGYPIGEON
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DR. TANA M. S E S S I O N We're Clapping for A Woman Linked In, Blazing Trails & Leaving Pathways for Other Women to Follow
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Working While Black: A Woman's Guide to Stop Being the Best Kept Secret, intrigued me right away, so it was the first thing I asked her about Chloé: I really like this book's title, Tana It feels familiar, like a subject and book that many women could relate to and benefit from How did you come up with that?
Tana: Yes. Well, Working While Black: A Woman's Guide to Stop Being the Best Kept Secret actually wasn’t my idea It was Dr Lois Franco's idea She wrote the New York Times bestselling book, Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office, which was a staple for a lot of women in corporate America as they were looking to climb that corporate ladder to grow their career. She realized her book was missing a Black woman ' s perspective. She gave some good insight in terms of tools and strategies, and how to negotiate and navigate in ways that she knew as a White woman And, to her credit, she said, "Tana, I don't know how to answer the questions that women of color come and ask me about their challenges, because I don't have those challenges. I never faced those things before." And she knew my background in Human Resources I've been in it for over thirty years, and I moved my way up from Administrative Assistant to Chief Human Resources Officer So, she thought I would have some good insight. And I said, "Hey, not only do I have good insight, I have my own story to tell."
continued from page 12: As I was getting ready for my conversation with Dr. Tana M. Session, I learned that she is an award winning consultant, international speaker, executive level performance coach, and best selling author She is also a recognized inclusion, diversity and multigenerational thought leader and media contributor, and a proud mother and wife One of her books,
Tana: It's a little of everything, Chloé First and foremost, I like to let people know that my background is probably a bit of surprise to people who don't know me. I spent the first four years of my life as a foster child from birth until almost four years old. I was raised by a White family in New York for those years And then ultimately, I was reunited with my maternal grandparents, who got guardianship of me We eventually moved to the South, where I spent most of my youth, and then I later relocated back to New York >
I WAS ABLE TO TALK TO OTHER PROFESSIONAL WOMEN IN CORPORATE AMERICA— ENTREPRENEURS, INCLUDING SWATI MANDELA—BECAUSE
Chloé: Tana, how did you become who you are today? Who taught, trained, mentored, and coached you? Or did you just discover yourself, who you wanted to become, and simply stepped into it?
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I WANTED TO GET A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE.
Tana: I start off by just writing about my experiences like sometimes being the only person who looked like me, or facing areas of inequitable pay, unfair treatment, discrimination, racism, micro aggressions. All those things And I decided that my story wasn't enough So, I was able to talk to other professional women in corporate America entrepreneurs, including Swati Mandela because I wanted to get a global perspective She is the granddaughter of Winnie and Nelson Mandela. I wanted to hear others' stories. And what I found out is, when we ' re experiencing some of these issues in the workplace, oftentimes because we are the only one who looks like us, or one of a few, we think we ' re the only ones having those experiences So, this created a community of women where we realized, "Hey, that happened to me, too. How did you navigate that? What did you feel? How did you move past it? How did you heal?" And I put them in different categories based on a coaching program that I created called Stop Being the Best Kept Secret Not only did we simply share our stories I didn't want it to be a " woe is me " kind of book It really provides guides and information around how to own your power, your truth, your healing, your self worth, and ultimately your destiny. And so, each of the women provided insight into how they were able to learn how to own their power, their truth, their healing, and so on through each of the experiences that they had That's why I call it a guide because, yes, we share our stories, and some of them are worse than others, but at the end of each chapter, each story, you get these nuggets of wisdom from these women who put it into practice and saw the results.
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I had a mentor very early in my career who saw something in me that I didn't see myself, regarding being in HR I thought, "I'm just going to be a secretary I'm going to make some money, party all weekend, and show up for work on Monday " She was the Director of Personnel at the time what they called Personnel at Ernst and Young She took me under her wing and started involving me in meetings with partners. These were people who I ordinarily wouldn't have any contact with. I was sitting in on employee relations issues, and gaining an understanding of how those were handled within corporate America And I started to realize, "This could be fun This could be something I could really do " And she encouraged me to go back to school and get my certifications Like everything she kind of did along her path, I followed right behind her. And so I was able to grow that career to the point where I did actually become the leader of HR, for multiple organizations, during the last ten years of my life in corporate America. And then I started my own consulting company in 2014 And I had someone reach out to me on LinkedIn just this week She said, "I just want to pick your brain I want to know how to get involved in diversity work " She told me, "I see what you ' re doing I want to do the same thing, and I feel like I'm so far behind."
I'M VERY AUTHENTIC WITH MY CLIENTS, AND WE HAVE VERY TOUGH CONVERSATIONS.
Tana: Well, I think it's almost a necessity Because one of the things I've learned in business, especially in being an entrepreneur, solopreneur being the name and the product behind the brand is that people want to work with someone they know, someone they like, and someone they trust. And if they feel like they don't really know you, or they can't trust you, or they don't like you, then they're going to be hesitant. Right? Because that's who they are buying into. That's who they are partnering with. So I'm very authentic with my clients, and we have very tough conversations, and I hold them accountable, and I challenge them. I don't hide anything about my background. Just Google me. It's out there. I guarantee you'll find it I think that vulnerability also humanizes us, right? So, yes, we ' re coming in as experts or professionals in this field And also at the end of the day, we ' re human >
It's never that It's really vital to have an understanding of what someone ' s journey has been to get to where they are And I'm still not where I want to be yet In fact, I'm starting law school this month at 53 years old! So, I'm not that young.
And I said, "Let me stop you right there first Understand that what you ' re seeing now was a lot of time in the making You're seeing chapter twenty You didn't see one through nineteen." Right? So, I shared with her, "Look, I started my business in 2014. I was operating at a loss for many of those years. I didn't really start to turn a profit until around 2018, 2019. So, what you ' re seeing is a culmination of all that work I've done, plus all the effort put in by myself and my team to build a brand around who I am and what I do So, all of that just took a lot of time and people believing in me, seeing things in me that I didn't even see in myself And me just betting on myself every day, just taking a chance, putting myself out there, making the big ask, shooting my shot, and being turned down many times. And not letting that discourage me. " Chloé: You said something earlier about vulnerability, and I've been thinking about that word. In fact, my oldest son had been watching me and asked, "Mom, do you think you could be a little more vulnerable?" I would like to get your thoughts on that As far as women carving out our own businesses and holding our position as professionals and experts, what are your thoughts on that?
Tana continued: I share that because sometimes people see you and they see where you are, and they don't know the history of it So I'm glad you asked that question because I think it's so important for us to be transparent. And, in some ways, we need to be vulnerable about what our experiences have been our challenges, our barriers So that people don't think, "Oh, I'm failing," or "Why can't I get that?" Or "Why her, and not me?"
Chloé: What are your thoughts on Black women in corporate America finding mentors who can see them and help them?
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Tana: Yes, I agree I think authenticity and vulnerability are sisters, but not twins, right? So, I think they work side by side But you also have to be in a position where you feel safe to be vulnerable. I tell my leaders when I'm coaching them that there must be a level of vulnerability with your staff so that they know you ' re not perfect, you make mistakes, you ' ve learned your lessons, and that's why they can trust you to guide them in their career and give them feedback in a way that is coming from a place of caring and not authoritarianism I think that's the thing that you have to know how to balance. So, am I vulnerable with every single client? No, but some I have developed really good relationships with, and I feel like they know me, I know them, and I can share, and they can share, and it's a safe space And I feel like that helps to foster the relationship even further They feel like, "Oh, I really know who Doctor Tana is She's not just Doctor Tana, she's also Tana, the wife, the mother the person who's experiencing issues in the workplace, the person who's been told ' no, ' time and time and time again. And it kept going, and now she's reaping the rewards of that." It's a balance you have to have.
A MENTOR SHOULD NOT BE IN THE
Chloé: I feel authentic. Are those attributes authenticity and vulnerability sisters? Related?
Tana: Well, one of the things I would say is that a mentor should not be in the workplace, but outside of the workplace Your sponsors should be absolutely in your workplace. Those are the ones who are going to say your name behind closed doors in ways that are going to help you shine and give you opportunities that perhaps you don't know about > WORKPLACE.
Tana continued: They're going to be the ones who are going to be able to open those doors for you because they can use their power, their privilege, and their influence to do so On the other hand, your mentors, I feel very strongly, should be outside of the workplace because this is a space where you have to truly be vulnerable, and they're going to hold you accountable They're going to hold up a mirror they're going to ask you the tough, hard questions and you don't want any of that to be held against you when you ' re up for a promotion, or up for a new project, or trying to transfer to a different department. You don't want those little whispers out there. Because it could happen. And I've seen it happen to myself and to others.
CERTAIN PARTS OF MY DNA—WHO I AM, HOW I SHOW UP, HOW I SPEAK, HOW I DRESS, HOW I WEAR MY HAIR—I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO CHANGE THAT TO MAKE THEM FEEL COMFORTABLE.
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So that's why I feel it's like separation of church and state. They should be separate.
Chloé: I saw on your website, "Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging." I love that, because we all want to belong. Talk about that.
Tana: Sure I told my clients and individuals that the belonging is the hardest and the longest part of the journey So a lot of organizations are focused on diversity and inclusion or diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) But the belonging piece to me is the part that either is not completely understood, or that people feel frustrated about Because they feel like "We've done the DEI part, and we ' re still not seeing results " Well, that's because your employees don't really feel like they belong So, you have to have the foundation of diversity I think that's a given For the most part, organizations are diverse They may not be extremely diverse, but they're diverse When you get to the inclusion part, now it's, "OK, I need to be much more intentional about those underrepresented groups here in the workforce, and understanding what some of the challenges and barriers are And how do we remove them or eliminate them so that they can see the same success as those who aren't underrepresented?" And then you have the equity piece where you need to look at your systems, your policies, your procedures, and your pace process in order to understand where the gaps in equity are, and to help people understand that equity doesn't mean equality. There's a difference. That's why some people get confused as well Then the belonging piece is that once all those things are in place, I should feel like I can show my true, authentic self and not be judged not be treated differently. That I can ask questions or challenge people without the fear of retribution or retaliation that's going to be held against me at some point That I don't have to "code switch" to fit in. Right? So for example, certain parts of my DNA who I am, how I show up, how I speak, how I dress, how I wear my hair I shouldn't have to change that to make them (meaning the majority) feel comfortable. That's the part that I think people really struggle with is to understand that when you have that, that's your secret sauce. The DEI part, that should just be the given. That should be done no matter what. It's the belonging piece that's vital That's the longest tail of a journey.
Chloé: Did you coin that, Tana? Tana: No. I wish I had. >
Chloé: That's great advice, Tana There are mentors outside of work, and then there are sponsors who will champion you at work Tana: Yes. The mentor I had early in my career started out as my mentor and eventually became my sponsor And then when I left that company, which was Ernst and Young, I continued to see her as a mentor as I grew my career So, she mentored me to get me into HR, and understanding HR and creating the interest of it for me. But by the time I started building my career, I left Ernst and Young, and then she became a mentor But while I was there, she was opening opportunities for me as well.
Tana: Blonde, right now. It will be platinum this weekend after I get my hair cut. But the answer is twenty five years. My son is twenty seven I cut my hair when he was two years old He went to New York on a visit with his father We were living in Atlanta at the time, and he wanted to take our son to New York for a week to spend time with family And I remember when my son came back at that time you were still able to go to the gate to meet them I was at the gate, and I was all excited to see my little boy come back home. And his dad's carrying him in his arms and he comes off the plane, and he goes, "Mommy, your hair is yellow!" I was like, "No it's not, it's white. It's blond." He said, "No, it's yellow." And it's been that way ever since
Tana: It is, yes And Chloé, I've entertained changing it, growing it out, and I'm always like, "No, I'm not there yet"
Chloé: It's your style, and it works beautifully for you Speaking of style, I really love your image and style Did you get it from someone else? Did you combine some favorite images together? How did you create your look? >
Chloé: I like that you mentioned "code switching." Please share more on that.
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Chloé: Is it something new, though, that's being added now?
Tana: It has been, yes And you'll also see people add "J" for Justice, and "A" for accessibility It really depends on what their focus is as it relates to this work
Tana: What I like to tell people is that if you feel like you have to leave parts of yourself at home, then you may not feel like you really belong You may not feel like you can be your true, authentic self Now, within the confines of what that culture is, within the confines of where you are in your career, and what your ultimate career goals are, you have to use some emotional intelligence. Right? So, let's be real. There are certain things that in the vernacular you may have with your friends but you won't bring that into the workplace. And that's true for everyone. I have White women who tell me that they code switch whenever they're in a room with a bunch of men So, it's not owned by any one group of people
We all do a little bit of code switching, depending on where we are the environment, the culture, what we ' re hoping to that meeting or this situation All those things, I think, play into our psyche when we are in ink as we become more and more comfortable, hopefully the code switching starts to ou feel safe, and they feel safe And
Chloé: I like that a lot So, speaking of letting your hair down, how long have you had such a chic, short, platinum hairstyle? Is it platinum or blonde?
Chloé: That's part of your signature look?
Tana: Much like you, I used to model very early in my life, and I've been into fashion ever since the supermodel days I used to have pictures of Naomi Sims and Beverly Johnson Chloé: And you reached way back for the icons Tana: Exactly. Yes, I went way back to the icons, and I had their pictures on my wall. And ever since I was probably nine or ten, I was saying, "I want to be a model, I want to be a model " And so, I've always had this love and appreciation for fashion And I remember when I was about twelve or thirteen, my grandparents scraped up some money to send me to Barbizon Modeling School in Manhattan My grandfather would take me there on Saturdays on the train It was such a cute little experience my teeny, little grandfather would take me to Barbizon and wait in the lobby while I was doing these classes on etiquette, on how to walk, on how to sit, on how to stand, and all these things that I learned And that stuff is still in me It never, ever left I have people tell me, “You stand and sit like a dancer " And they ask, "Are you a dancer?" And I'll just say, "No, that's Barbizon " Chloé: Yes I love that Is there anything that I have not asked you about your work, your style, or anything else that you would like our readers to know about you? Anything that you would like to share?
Chloé: Will you still be working in your company?
Tana: As I said, I'm starting law school My focus is going to be Civil Rights Law I've had people ask me, they say, "You're a doctor, you ' ve got all these degrees Why are you going back to school?" And it's because I want to take the work that I do in corporate which is primarily around diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging and I feel like that work needs to start before people get into the workforce. So, my goal is ultimately to be able to sit across the table from federal, state, and local politicians and lawmakers, as they're thinking about changing laws I want to help them understand how this will actually impact the workplace, in particular underrepresented groups I want to be able to talk about equal pay for women of all colors And I feel like having that Civil Rights Law degree is going to give me more of a foundation to have those conversations I will still run my business People think that I'm going to go work for a law firm They ask, "Are you going to work for Ben Crump?" No, that's not what I'm going to do. Ben Crump may work for me one day, and that's what I'm going to do! It will all be under the umbrella of TanaMSession.com, and it's just another arm of the business that I'll be doing Chloé: That's exciting Will that take two to three years? Tana: Yes It's a program that will take thirty two to forty months My son, he knows me well He said, "Mom, that means you ' re going to try and do it in thirty, right?" And I answered him, "If I can, you know I will." But right now they already told me, "Dr. Session, plan for forty And if you beat that, that's great but just plan for forty months
Tana: Not a new book, but I do have a second course that I will be releasing on LinkedIn soon The first course is called Uncovering Unconscious Bias in Recruiting and Interviewing. It's had over a quarter million people take it. And I was asked if I could create another course. And so, the next one will be launching in the Fall of 2022. I just recorded it a couple of weeks ago I'm really excited about this one because it really helps organizations and DEI practitioners and HR people know how to take the work that they've done thus far around diversity especially if they feel stuck or don't know what to do next to the next level I give them the tools and the information on how to continue the momentum. And it's basically the same level of consulting that I do with my clients every day. I've basically condensed it into a one hour course >
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Tana: Yes, but I am reducing my schedule, so I will only be doing client facing work Monday through Wednesday. Our office is already closed on Fridays. So now I'm just going to give myself Thursday through Sunday to do law school.
Chloé: That's wonderful Do you have any new books that you ' re going to be writing soon?
Chloé: Awesome And speaking of LinkedIn, tell us about what you ' re doing. I know people want to know this. How did you get to be so aligned and in tune to be able to partner with someone like LinkedIn?
Chloé: Well, I think you ' re brilliant, fabulous, beautiful, and fun And I am so honored that you were able to take the time to grant this interview because I know it's going to inspire many women Thank you, Dr Tana M Session TanaMSession.com
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ONE OF THE PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE WAS A PRODUCER FOR LINKEDIN, AND ASKED IF I WOULD TAKE THE COURSE THAT I HAD JUST DONE FOR THE CONFERENCE AND MAKE IT A LINKEDIN COURSE.
Tana: Well, I got on their radar, which was good I did a speaking engagement at a conference back in 2018. And it just so happens that one of the people in the audience was a producer for LinkedIn, and they asked if I would take the course that I had just done for the conference and make it a LinkedIn course And I said, "Absolutely " So, it took some negotiations and some time, but we were able to finally come to the table, and we launched it in January 2021. And they came back to me around Spring of this year and said, "Hey, we have clients who are asking us what's next We don't know what to tell them We know this is what you do Would you be open to designing another course?" And again I said, "Absolutely."
HavingstrongwomenaroundisabigpartofKristin Sparks’story.Whenshewaslittle,hergrandmotherwould sharemade upstorieswithher talesofgreatadventure, alwayswithherasthehero,andneveradamselin distress.Hergrandmother’sstoriesalwayspaintedheras thebraveone,wielderoftheswordonaquest,dancingin meadows,scalingmountainsandslayingdragons
Sparking Passionand Purpose: HOW KRISTIN SPARKSIS HELPING WOMEN RECONNECT WITHJOY TheExVAgency F L O U R I S H D I G I T A L M A G A Z I N E C O M | F A L L 2 0 2 2 | 7 4 WRARINCCOM byKarenGamba
In2013Kristinsufferedafallthat leftherwheelchair bound.Later,shebattledandsurvived cancer
Overtheyears,shefacedmanychallengingmoments. Theembersofhergrandmother'sstoriessparkedinher, onceagain,whensherealizedhowmanywomen experiencemomentsintheirlivesoffeelingempty, directionlessandalone.Kristinknewthatpositivethoughts andwordshavepower Sheknewasupportivenetwork wouldmakeallthedifference.Sheknewitwastimeto takecontrolofherlifetobearesourcetootherswhohad experiencedthesechallengesintheirownlives Today,KristinistheFounderandCEOofWRARInc.,a communicationsandconnectionscompanythat empowersindividualsandexecutivesthroughcorporate andpersonalgrowthguidanceandspecializedretreats. SheisatrainerintheJackCanfieldMethodologyandshe isalsoaTraumaandShameRecoverySpecialist OnDecember2–9,2022,KristinSparkswillhostand producetheIDOMERetreat aboldandunparalleled eventthatwillgatherwomenfromaroundtheworldto helpthemreconnectwithjoy,passionandpurpose—atthe luxurious,award winningRitzCarltoninSarasota,Florida
“Evensomeofthemostsuccessfulcareerwomenor businessownersouttherearenotpassionateabouttheir livesandwhattheydoItissoimportanttoreconnectwith thethingsthatbringusjoyinlife.HavingMarciShimoff—the NewYorkTimesbestsellingauthoroftheChickenSoupfor theSoulseries jointhiseventasakeynotespeakerisa testamenttotheworkwewillbedoing,whichishelping womentostarttakingstepstoamorefulfillinglife,inasafe, beautifulenvironment,”saysKristin“Thiseightday experienceisspecificallyaimedatbreakingdestructive cyclesthatdonotfeedourminds,bodiesandsouls.Itrelies onactionableandrelevantadvicetohelpwomenontheir journeytoselfdiscoveryTherewillbedailysessionswith experiencedguides,andconnectingwithlikeminded womentoaccessthepowerofinfinitepossibilitiesandjoy allinaluxurious,beautifulandtranquilenvironment” InJune2022,KristinwasawardedtheWomenofInfluence accoladebySarasotaMagazine."Iamapull-up-yourbootstrapskindofgal,alwayslandingonmyfeetnomatter thelifechallengeTheinterestsofmyclients,andthe womenIworkwith,arealwaysmypriority,"Kristinexplains. Kristinisalsothehostofthe“WRARwithSparks”podcast,in whichshehasconversationswithinternationalguests abou we cang nd busin Form Kristi IDOM
WhenKristingotolder,shelostthatmagic.Shelosther faithanddirectionandforgotwhatitwasliketofeel empoweredandbrave
You could have everything going for yourself; your family and friends could think you are the smartest, funniest, kindest, most beautiful woman in the world; but that's not worth a penny with a hole in it if it's not in alignment with how you think and how you feel about what you think. Remember this: How you feel is what you are praying, emoting, and sending out to the Universe—it's your energy. Do all you can to feel good about yourself and about your life. We all deserve to feel our best. It starts with believing in yourself, setting goals and thinking better thoughts.
TheFeeling IsGolden
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S h a y S a m u e l s
BY PAULA G. VOICE ARTIST
She is a radio and television personality. She is the owner and CEO of Let’s Talk Business Consulting Group. She is a recording artist, performer, and songwriter. She is also a life coach. She is known as “The Voice of an Angel” and she definitely knows how to flourish! She is Shay Samuels—and she sat down with yours truly for a very thoughtprovoking conversation. >
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT QUIT MEANT. IN CONVERSATION WITH A MULTI-AWARD-WINNING INSPIRATIONAL RECORDING
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Paula G.: During a pandemic Shay Samuels: During the pandemic! Yes, during the pandemic, I went from actually working for corporations, going around the world, to training and doing workshops and building organizations After I started to really get into legalizing my business, the pandemic allowed it to flourish
Paula G.: Who is Shay Samuels?
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Shay Samuels: Well, I would like to say that Shay Samuels is an ordinary, small town girl But I am also a mother I'm a grandmother Yes, ironically, and surprisingly, I am a grandmother I'm a sister to a lot of people, to a lot of women and to a lot of men as well I'm a woman of God who really, really loves for God’s people to know their purpose Most and foremost, I just feel like there's so much to life I felt that at a young age Shay Samuels overall is just a woman who walks out her purpose every day. Paula G.: You have certainly demonstrated walking out your purpose and flourishing in the process Tell us a bit about how you ’ ve come through two and a half years of the pandemic I, for one, think that you have demonstrated remarkable productivity in the midst of navigating an unknown season Share with us how you have flourished through the pandemic What changes did you make? What transformations did you have to make?
The truth is, my business, my company, it actually took off!
Shay Samuels: Wow! I think the pandemic really stretched me The pandemic really put me in a place where you pray for things and then it happens. You just don't know how it's going to happen. The pandemic really stretched me as a media specialist The pandemic stretched me to the point where I needed to get focused on new material I was so used to recording in a studio, that I had to end up building an at home studio And it was challenging It was also fun because I like to decorate So it was fun, just kind of putting all that together As an artist, it allowed me to grow The pandemic actually helped a lot of my new songs, at the time, to flourish I had an EP that was supposed to come out for three years, and it just so happened that it finally hit the digital stores in March 2020 And that is right when the pandemic happened So, my single I'm Good was a pandemic favorite I remember the audience doing an I'm Good challenge as a check in It was really good for me to see that, as an artist And then there's a part in the song that talks about coffee in the morning. And so, there were people who were doing coffee cup challenges It brought light to a lot of the people who could have focused on the bad during the pandemic It brought a lot of light And I was very, very happy to see that happen But it really stretched me professionally
My single, I'm Good, was a pandemic favorite.
Shay Samuels, continued: So, there were many people who were now wanting to start up their businesses on a smaller scale My expertise allowed some of those companies to bring a vision You know, the Bible reminds us to write a vision and make it plain They had the vision laid out, but they did not have the help to get where they wanted to be And so in the pandemic, it allowed me to be their support, and so my company flourished as well in the process
Shay Samuels: I appreciate you asking, because it really is kind of a show starter for me Right before the pandemic was happening, the company I was working for had been going through a major change, starting in the year 2019 I heard God say to " save differently" in the month of October I was in Phoenix, Arizona, on a flight back, and I just heard " save differently " And I didn't know what that meant and I just kind of ignored it And then several months later, in February 2020, I heard the same thing: " save differently " So I started saving differently And around about the same time, the company was bringing in consultants who were going to be looking at the different dynamics of this organization And they had done it for years prior to a particular young man coming in But maybe no less than two months after this man came in, the company laid off all of the leadership And, really, honestly, it was such a push for me I don't call it a layoff I don't call it a termination If you have heard me on my radio interviews, I always call it "the push " I think, every now and then, we need that So, the company pushed me into my own business
Paula G.: Significant, right? Shay Samuels: Yes, it was It was February 2020 that I heard the message. And then the pandemic start was announced in March 2020, and that's when the music came out By May 2020, they were beginning to lay off everyone else, because at that time they were sending everyone home for good We had known that the pandemic was going to be their reason to use that excuse, that it's just time for us to go ahead and downsize Everyone's working from home Even in that story, I remember as the pandemic was happening, that one of my bosses at the time, she was actually very fond of my music And, at a board meeting, they were announcing how we were all going to be home for awhile And they were really encouraging people to stay focused, to stay encouraged, to do healthy things at home, to have more family time Well, right in the middle of that board meeting, that townhall meeting, this boss asked me to play one of the songs off of my EP entitled It Will Be Alright >
Paula G.: Can we back up a little bit, and would you share how you wound up in a position to start your own business in the first place?
Paula G.: And this was February 2020 Shay Samuels: Yes Then March!
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Shay Samuels, continued: And so that was such a blessing for me as well Paula G.: As you ' ve been sharing, it reminds me of how we ' re all juggling in this journey called life With the pandemic, you continued walking with the gifts and talents that God has given you your music You are an artist You have been able to blend your professional, your personal, your gifts all together on this journey, this independent journey, to where you are an independent artist You are a business owner, an entrepreneur and you took what was a challenging situation and you transformed it into a thriving, productive business and ministry What was it that resides within you? What gave you the impetus to continue to be motivated, to continue to move forward, to continue to think of ways that you could flourish and transform your situation? As opposed to sitting on the sofa, saying, "Woe is me"? You could have said, "We're in the middle of a pandemic I can't do anything " Shay Samuels: You know, I believe that it was the people When the pandemic happened, a lot of independent artists they were really nervous Not just independent artists, but mainstream artists as well They were really nervous about what would happen to their careers, because, of course, as you know, we couldn't go out and be on stage live anymore The pandemic was scarce for everyone The first time I received a phone call from a pastor asking if I could do their live service, it showed me how valuable the ministry is overall I think when that started to happen, more people started to contact me to do live services on Facebook Live or on Instagram Live. So, as they were getting savvy with technology, they also were allowing me the opportunity to be a part of it What I started understanding is: the remnant When you are the remnant, you ' re not doing your life just to entertain You're not doing life to just be a part of the in crowd You're not just doing what's trending >
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Shay Samuels, continued: There's a Scripture that talks about the wheat and the tares God says, like the wheat and the tares, just show up, and you ' re going to be sifted They will know who you are And so, I feel that in the pandemic, a lot of people who had a need, they knew who to call to fill that need At that time, they needed something serious They needed something intimate They wanted something that had an anointing attached to it And so it was because of those things that I was reminded of who I am and how important it was for me to push no matter what Paula G.: And from a young age, you ' ve always had a transformative mindset, a survival mindset A how can I make lemonade out of lemons mindset You always appear to have that type of mindset "This is my situation How can I manifest the solution?" Can you speak to that and share your thoughts and reflections when you look back over your life and you think things over?
Shay Samuels: You know, I reflect back on being a fifteen year old pregnant girl, having my first daughter at the age of sixteen And turning right back around and doing it again I had my second one at the age of seventeen There were a lot of people who were afraid at that age But I can't say that I was afraid, because I knew who I was I was more ashamed I was probably embarrassed I mean, my family didn't even know I was doing anything like that I saw a lot of people give up I saw a lot of kids my age at the time having kids And their parents were raising the kids The grandparents were raising the kids, and the aunts, the uncles all raising the kids I was very determined And I had the option for my kids' father’s mother to raise my kids and his grandmother, too, who wanted to take the kids so I could go through school I was so determined to not be a statistic, although of course I became one by having them I was very determined to not put them in a system And so, I worked hard I worked three jobs at that age And I didn't know what quit meant I knew that Paula G.: Say that again! Say that again!
I w a s r e m i n d e d o f w h o i a m
Shay Samuels: I didn't know what quit meant! I simply didn't know what that meant And so, I just kept going on I didn't think about inspiring other women at the time I just knew that I wanted to set up a life for my kids that I didn't have a life that wouldn't show that their mother had them at such a young age >
Shay Samuels: I did not know how to quit I didn't know how to! Quit just wasn't in my vocabulary You know, I feel like I exercised my right to be positive in every thought that I had Even when it looked hard, I exercised my right to move forward, when I could have looked behind me >
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think what happened was just knowing that I could I have a song entitled About Me and I say, "I always knew life could be this good, but I just didn't know how I'd get there " And so, I guess I can answer that today by saying I knew that I could, and I never gave up Paula G.: Because you didn't know how to quit.
Shay Samuels, continued: And our kids went through the trials and tribulations of having a young mother There were things that I was doing that people at that time, at the age of forty five, weren't even doing I mean, I had friends that were forty five years old I had friends who were forty five, and we were all living next to one another. But I purchased my first house at the age of twenty one! Because my mom moved around so much, and I didn't want to have that on my back I wanted somewhere stable for my kids to be So, I started looking at houses at a very young age And I did that I purchased my first house at twenty one, just for stability I
Paula G.: Wow The doors of the church are open! You've shared so many nuggets for our readers to take away from this to encourage them, to inspire them, to motivate them to transform their situation, whatever their situation may be Is there anything else that you'd like to share with our readers?
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OFFICIALLYSHAYSAMUELS SHAY SAMS
@PAULAGVOICE PAU
Paula G.: My Lady Wisdom, Jr Shay Samuels: I get it from the best!
Shay Samuels: You know, I would say to the younger women who may come across this interview: Life may seem like it's over. Because of any situation that we ' ve chosen However, I encourage you to look in the mirror and to look really deep down, beyond the mirror Look into your soul, and identify with who you thought you could be, at one point We all think we can be a ballerina, or we could be a doctor
Shay Samuels, continued: I exercised the right to not blame my kids' father for his incarceration He got incarcerated when they were young There were a lot of people blaming their situations even today, people blame everybody for things that didn't happen But I knew with two kids they needed me more than anything I wanted to devote myself to allowing them as young women to see that if you never give up, if you never, ever, ever give up, then whatever you want to accomplish, you can see it through It's going to take some work You know, the Bible also reminds us that faith without works is dead. Back then, I didn't have a lot of faith I had more persistence than anything else at that time You think about it now At my age, I had persistence, dedication, and faith
WWW.PAULAGVOICE.COM
There's that dream you had when you were a young girl Go back, and find out when you lost it all What was it? Was it the situation that left you with a guy who did something not right? Or a father who didn't say you were good enough? Or a mother who didn't tell you how qualified you are? Whatever it is, when you find that, stay there for just a second and thank God for that moment. Because that moment will change your life forever
Paula G.: Thank you for sharing with our audience the magnificent, mighty, and phenomenal ways that you have navigated this journey called life, and for showing us how you have continued to flourish < Connect with Shay: by Paula G Voice, AKA Lady Wisdom
A triple threat
THE GIRL-SWAG PROJECT Coaching & Training for Girls To Become Confident, Dynamic, Young Women CHLOETAYLORBROWN.COM F L O U R I S H D I G I T A L M A G A Z I N E . C O M | F A L L 2 0 2 2 | 8 3 SEE PAGE 60 FOR MORE INFORMATION
by Chloé Taylor Brown
I believe we project our best image when we demonstrate good posture When a woman demonstrates good posture she is revered for her confidence and often for her attractiveness Posture maintenance is a wonderful way to build confidence and feel better about yourself Your body will love you for it, and will begin to show itself off because it feels so much better
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Almost immediately you will begin to receive positive responses from others, which will reinforce your behavior Perfect posture is more than sitting and standing up straight although these are important factors to remember With increased knowledge about your body, good posture can be obtained rather quickly Good posture relieves tension and strain It’s not being stuffy, stiff or rigid It helps you to relax into your body’s natural positions, allowing you to move about effortlessly with poise and grace demonstrating poetry in motion. >
< STEPSTOGOOD P o s t u r e
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When your body is properly aligned, it will move like a well oiled machine. You will walk and move about painlessly and effortlessly, giving the illusion of gliding. When your body is aligned properly your ears are over your shoulders; your shoulders are over your hips and your hips are over your ankles and your toes point straight ahead. When your body is misaligned you will know it because of tension or even pain
Maintaining good posture is beautiful and functional It relieves pain, prevents future pain and gives you an air of royal elegance Try it on for yourself
Alignment Balance Symmetry BackHealth
You must pay close attention to your body and constantly seek symmetry, which is having balanced body proportions Your body can become off balanced or asymmetric from everyday life such as carrying your baby on one hip often. One side of your body may be stronger than the other, which affects your balance. If for whatever reason you are asymmetric, fitness training can help by working on distributing strength, flexibility and range of motion equally. One of the main causes of poor posture is a lack of good back health, and one of the main causes of back pain is poor posture So, it’s time to break the cycle, by strengthening and stretching your entire back. Perhaps it's time you tried yoga or Pilates.
When your body is balanced it equates to wellness. Being balanced means, knowing your center and being able to find it at will. When you acquire a real sense of balance, others will inquire about your beauty secrets because you will begin to move like a ballet dancer, becoming extremely attractive.
WWW.PAULAGVOICE.COM @PAULAGVOICE PAULA G VOICE F L O U R I S H D I G I T A L M A G A Z I N E . C O M | F A L L 2 0 2 2 | 8 6
One thing I’ve learned (among many other lessons) is to never give up on myself I’ve had some dreams where I have prepared and prepared I have waited and waited To no avail Opportunities never came Or so I thought I eventually tapered on my preparations At some point down the road, the opportunity knocked, and then I had to scramble to prepare to answer the door! Take it from me, never give up on yourself! This wisdom journey comes from lessons like this one Regardless of what it presently looks like, remaining prepared is not an option it is a must There are times in our lives when we feel those opportunities should be beating down our door We can’t understand why we are not seeing results while others appear to be thriving in the very thing we are attempting to succeed in But our season lies on the other side We cannot give up on ourselves I'm a woman of faith God never gives up on me Who am I to give up on myself?
Be encouraged, and keep working at it In this winter season of my life, doors have opened that I have been seeking and praying for since I was in my mid twenties Don’t sell yourself short Keep going Your day is coming! When it seems as though nothing is happening, keep pushing forward. When it seems like no one is paying attention, keep pushing forward. When it seems like you are taking two steps forward and four steps backward, keep pushing It’s all part of the process to get to the finish line The rewards are so satisfying, and well deserved. Hang in there, and embrace your journey. <
Donotgiveuponyou!
I am Paula G Voice AKA Lady Wisdom a sagacious independent lifestyle influencer, embracing my journey I influence dreamers to do the same by breathing life into their vison and ultimately the manifestation of the same It is never too late to embrace your journey and live your dream Flourish!
We allow others to validate how we feel about ourselves For instance, we may be influenced by those who criticize what it is that we do, which in turn causes self doubt We second guess ourselves and our abilities, rather than stand in confidence that we do what we do in excellence Keep pressing forward, keep practicing, keep sharpening those skills because that opportunity is on its way I am reminded of the journey of the early inventors and how many times they either failed or were rejected before they found success with their inventions. Oh, how they had to overcome the naysayers. Imagine if they had given up. You may not be reading or listening to this, if electricity had not been developed. The ability to record audio may not have been developed. While success appears to come overnight, in reality, it is a lengthy process. It’s in the behind the scenes work and sacrifice that we do not see. Please know: That is where the development and perfecting of the craft comes.
Weallowotherstovalidatehowwe feelaboutourselves.
WHO IS I? WHEN I CATCH A GLIMPSE OF MYSELF MY TRUE AUTHENTIC POWERFUL SELF I ASK... WHO IS THIS THAT OBSERVES ME HAS AWARENESS AND BEING BUT IS NOT MY BODY MY PAST MY PRESENT OR MY FUTURE... YET IT DOES EXIST AND SEES ME IT IS I. I AM THE OBSERVER. I AM THAT I AM. WITHIN ME IS THE OBSERVER. F L O U R I S H D I G I T A L M A G A Z I N E . C O M | F A L L 2 0 2 2 | 8 7
WARDROBE, FASHION & CLOTHES
project or communicate about myself? How do
world? What do
Ask
perceive me? YOUR STYLE MATTERS FLOURISHDIGITALMAGAZINE COM | FALL 2022 | 88 by
What kind of relationship are you having with your clothes? Fashion and clothing have the power to influence you in a profound way. This effect can be positive or negative and it can have a major impact upon your self-esteem, your mood and the impressions you make on other people. The messages that your clothing convey can profoundly affect the perceptions of others and they affect you as well Therefore, it is always to your advantage to dress for effect and to look the part As individuals and professionals, though, we have a collection of self images to choose from It is important that we understand that the choice of image at any given time is based on role demands
Who am I being
With these questions answered, you will have a better understanding of the big picture for your life and how you want to advance, which determines your ideal wardrobe and what will work best for you while at the same time what will project your authentic image. When you begin designing, creating and perfecting your authentic image it is necessary to take into account the role you will be playing in your life, as well as your lifestyle. > yourself: in the I want to I want others to Chloé Taylor Brown
L i f e s t y l eDRESS THE PART
If you are the Vice President of Marketing at a Fortune 500 company, your work attire will probably be quite different from a middle school Special Education teacher And, no doubt, your lifestyle will probably be very different as well If you are an art dealer you will probably dress differently from an accountant or a radiologist Even a television news anchor would dress differently from a film editor Are you urban, suburban, small town, international or rural? Are you married or single? Do you have children? What is your age? Do you work from home? Do you travel often? Do you entertain friends and family and/or clients and business associates? When you’re home, do you like to lounge, cook or garden? My point is: All of these multi-dimensional parts of who you are being, or who you want to be, must be taken into consideration in order for you to be authentic in the way you are expressing yourself visually. So, to make sure that you’re ready to get ready for all the areas of your life while remaining authentic you’ll want to give your wardrobe a fresh and energetic workout by starting with two steps Assess everything that you have in your closets and drawers. Clear out everything that is not consistent with your big picture of who you are and where you’re headed in your life. >
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How
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CAUTION Ask
Unless you’re clear about your goals right now, you may find yourself creating a persona that is inauthentic, and in fact, incongruent with your true essence and where you really want to go Now, listen, if your goal is to create characters for your life, then that’s fine Go for it
What
This can be necessary at times In fact, some careers even demand various personas But, if your objective is to create and project a reliable and trustworthy appearance that meets the requirements of any occasion, then let’s be intentional for a moment yourself these questions: do I want to communicate about myself? important is my image to my success in becoming who I want to be and in communicating what I want others to know about me?
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Please! Before you take on the task of completing your closet evaluation, auditing your wardrobe and purchasing new pieces to include into your existing wardrobe, I want you to understand the social significance of clothing, and the relationship between fashion and identity. As I have indicated before, people judge you based on how you look and the clothes you wear. So make your clothes work for you, not against you.
One of the first comprehensive studies of the social significance of clothing was conducted in 1950 at Michigan State University It showed that urban, white collar workers dressed to impress others, while rural, blue collar workers were concerned more about durability and performance of clothing. The only thing that has changed today is that there are fewer rural, blue collar workers and millions upon millions of workers from many varied fields of work who realize the importance of dressing for effect and to impress. Most successful people build wardrobes that take them where they want to go in life With that said, I encourage you to seriously consider the big picture for your career and life Otherwise, your endeavors may feel superficial and staged >
LikemanywomenIknow,youprobablyhaveclothesinyourclosetthatyou haven’twornforyears andtherearepossiblypiecesinyourwardrobethat youhavenotwornatall.Getridoftheseclothes,Darling.Someoneelsecan reallyusethemandwillbeverypleasedtohavethem Butfirst,Iwantyouto understandwhyyouhavetheseunwornpiecesandclothesthatmisrepresent youhanginginyourclosetinthefirstplace. Inordertodothis,Iwanttoshowyouhowyourlifestyle,andyourfashion personalitytype combinedwithyourbodytypeandshape willgiveyou everyadvantagetolookingabsolutelyfabulousandappropriateforanyand alloccasions Integratingalloftheseelementsintothewayyouthinkabout yourvisualappearance yourprofessionalpresence helpsyouto understandwhatworksandwhatdoesnotworkinbuildingyourbest wardrobeandimage. < Tolearnmoreaboutdressingforeffectandforyourlifestyle,buymybook,GettingReadyChloé Style: PerfectingYourAuthenticImageatAmazoncom YOUR CLOSET FLOURISHDIGITALMAGAZINE COM | FALL 2022 | 92
DO YOU HAVE A SIGNATURE DAYTIME LIP COLOR?
YOUR EVERYDAY COLOR
If you follow these simple techniques, you’ll never be caught without a pretty glow that looks completely natural while boosting your self esteem Read more from Getting Ready Chloé Style: Perfecting Your Authentic Image at Amazoncom < SABREENCOSMETICS.COM
Choose your everyday color based on your natural lip shade APPLICATION
SIGNATURE LIPS S A B R E E N
To have your very own signature lip color says a lot about a woman Choose one for a natural, daytime look; a chic work look; and a glamour look. But first, you’ll want to have smooth, kissable lips that don’t scratch so always apply a little lip balm before going to bed and before you apply your lipstick. I like cream and matte lipsticks for daytime; they have staying power Gloss is fun, too, but not for staying power
BE A WOMAN WITH STYLE BY CHLOÉ TAYLOR BROWN F L O U R I S H D I G I T A L M A G A Z I N E . C O M | F A L L 2 0 2 2 | 9 3
Now, glide your pretty lipstick over your lips, and blot to remove excess color Glide lipstick on again and blot again to even out the texture This should last for several hours
Garnish: toasted nuts, cranberries and lemon zest
For the toasted almonds: Just add the nuts in a non stick pan on medium heat and allow to toast until you can smell the nuts' aroma Remove from heat, being careful not to burn them
INGREDIENTS
FallFavorites!
LisaWashington'sRoasted VegetablesinRedWinewith ToastedAlmonds
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It's time to try one of my favorite dishes to make in the Fall and during the holidays, beef bourguignon But I wondered, how might I do a take on that recipe using vegetables? Beef bourguignon is a beef stew braised in red wine (often red Burgundy) and beef stock typically flavored with onions, garlic, carrots, and a bouquet garni, and garnished with mushrooms, pearl onions, and bacon Yes, it's definitely a show-stopper! But so is this recipe my plant-based inspiration: roasted vegetables in red wine with toasted almonds This amazing dish gives you the elegance, richness and flavor profile that beef bourguignon brings to your palette It could easily be a main course for your vegan or vegetarian table
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees In a large cast iron skillet on medium high heat, add the oil and chopped veggies and sea salt. Cook for about 10 minutes Add the onions and garlic Add the harissa and brown sugar Stir and cook for another 5 minutes Add the wine and vinegar Place the cast iron skillet in the oven and roast for 30 35 minutes until the vegetables are brown and a fork can go through the vegetables easily. Once cooked, add the vegetables in a beautiful bowl and top them with the nuts, cranberries and lemon zest
INSTRUCTIONS
ConnectwithLisaM Washington CEOofB'TyliWellnessandBeautyCo.& Authorof Set The Table With Love @lifewithlisawashington SETTHETABLEWITHLOVE COM 1 medium butter squash, peeled and chopped into 1- to 2-inch pieces 1 pound Brussels sprouts, peeled and halved 3 medium purple sweet potatoes,peeled and chopped into 1- to 2-inch pieces 2 Tbsp olive oil 1/4 cup chopped onions 2 garlic cloves, peeled and diced 1 Tbsp. sea salt, or to taste 1 1/2 Tbsp harissa seasoning, adjust to your preference 1 Tbsp brown sugar 1 1/2 cups red wine 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
CAFFÈDANESI Thequalityoftrue Italianespresso Eachcupof Danesicoffee containsthelove andthecare ofthosewho givetheirbestto createaunique product,everyday. CaféIAm. VISITCAFÉIAM thecafeiam.com F L O U R I S H D I G I T A L M A G A Z I N E . C O M | F A L L 2 0 2 2 | 9 5
In previous articles, I’ve talked about the importance of learning how money works Let’s start with a basic financial concept many people do not know but it's something that can make a huge difference in your personal finances Have you ever heard of the Rule of 72 before? It’s a little known mental math shortcut that the wealthy have used for years It’s one of the best kept money secrets You simply divide any interest rate into the number 72 and it tells you about how long it takes for the money to double. It works for you if you save money, and against you if you borrow money. 72 ÷ Interest Rate = 7Approximate 2 ÷ Interest Rate = Approximate Years to YDouble ears to Double
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Let's look at a few examples:[1] 72 ÷ 1% = 72 years to double 3% = 24 years to double 6% = 12 years to double 9% = 8 years to double 12% = 6 years to double If you ’ re setting money aside for retirement or another long term financial goal, understanding how many doubles you need to achieve your goal will inform your decisions about the amount you ’ re saving and the potential rate of return you can expect. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic many people, especially women, are concerned about market volatility and are not comfortable with investment risk.[2] >
U N C O V E R I N G M O N E Y S E C R E T S
Knowledge is power. Knowing how money works can mean the difference between reaching your personal financial goals or falling short. Gather all of your bank, retirement and investment account statements and all of your credit card and loan statements. Do the math: Apply the Rule of 72 to the rates of return to see how many doubles you can expect in your favor and how many doubles your bank or other lender can expect against you Then make adjustments as necessary to increase the potential rates of return on your savings and to decrease the rates of return on, or the amount of, your debts < [1] The Rule of 72 is a mathematical concept that approximates the number of years it will take to double the principal at a constant rate of return compounded over time All figures are for illustrative purposes only and do not reflect the performance risks, fees, expenses or taxes associated with an actual investment If these costs were reflected, the amounts shown would be lower and the time to double would be longer The rate of return of investments fluctuates over time and as a result, the actual time it will take an investment to double in value cannot be predicted with any certainty Investing entails risk, including possible loss of principal
Next NSteps ext Steps
Now, let’s look at how the Rule of 72 can work against you. The average existing credit card interest rate is 15.10%.[4] While funds in the money market account you hold at the bank are doubling every 800 years, the bank is doubling its money from your credit card every 4.8 years. Can you see why the Rule of 72 is the best kept money secret?
Currently, there’s almost $10 trillion in money market and passbook savings accounts, which average 0 09% and 0 06%, respectively [3] If your money is held in a money market account earning just 0 09%, it would take 800 years to double So, $1 invested in a money market account today would become $2 in the year 2821
[2] ThinkAdvisor, “Retirement Literacy Among Women (and Men) Is Woefully Low: Survey,” Ginger Szala, January 11, 2021 [4] https://wallethub com/edu/cc/average credit card interest rate/50841 [3] https://www federalreserve gov/releases/H6/20210223/; https://www valuepenguin com/banking/average bank interest rates#: :text=Average%20interest%20rates%20at%20major%20U S %20banks%20,% 20%200 25%25%20%206%20more%20rows%20 is a financial professional and attorney. For a complimentary copy of the book “How Money Works: Stop Being A Sucker” by Steve Siebold and Tom Mathews, contact Kim at: Kim KScouller im Scouller kim.scouller@wealthwave.com WEALTHWAVE COM/KIMSCOULLER F L O U R I S H D I G I T A L M A G A Z I N E . C O M | F A L L 2 0 2 2 | 9 7
F L O U R I S H D I G I T A L M A G A Z I N E . C O M | F A L L 2 0 2 2 | 9 8
KNOWINGYOURBESTCOLORS&SHADES
COLORPOWER
A woman with style has a good understanding of basic colors with regard to her core wardrobe and how these colors can be mixed with other colors to perfect a positive and powerful non verbal communication tool called Color Power. She knows her best colors; and, she also knows the color her personality adds to the program in the same magnificent style as that of a coloratura soprano.
If you already know your best colors, that’s fabulous! You already have the upper hand when it comes to coordinating wonderful color combinations for your core wardrobe which consists of suits, jackets, skirts, pants, blouses and tops, and dresses. However, if you don’t know and need a little assistance or a frame of reference as to how colors harmonize, complement or clash, it’s as simple as hiring a professional presence expert or an image consultant to assist you by doing a personal color analysis, which will help you determine your best colors
by Chloé Taylor Brown
You, too, can acquire color power if you properly exploit the colors that work best for you, and take advantage of them in creating and perfecting your authentic wardrobe and image. Your personal, most fabulous color combinations are waiting to display themselves in your wardrobe, Darling for play, work, evening or any special occasion. Your best colors will complement and enhance your skin tone, hair and eye color. They will make you feel good and look marvelous Do take advantage of them A color’s personality can be energetic and sparkling, with the power to motivate, inspire and attract people to you. Another color’s personality can be dull, lethargic and boring possibly pushing people away from you. And you may not even know that's happening. But, the right combination of colors used appropriately can give you a superstar, magical style a style that sets you apart in a positive way.
Don’t be too rigid, though. Once you know what works for you, your style and personality, you will have the confidence to experiment with different combinations. Many women with enormous confidence can actually wear almost any color and make it fabulous! They know how to mix and match and how to wear a particular shade or tint They embrace fashion and know what’s hot and what’s not; however, they are not trendy. They simply have style. If that's you, then go for it, Darling. If you need a little help with your image and style then check out my first book, Getting Ready Chloé Style: Perfecting Your Authentic Image, or feel free to book an image consultation when you're ready at www chloetaylorbrown com <
DISCOVER MORE FOR YOUR LEADERS AND TE WWW.CHLOETAYLORBROWN.COM Personal Excellence Coaching & Training: Real, Reliable, Transformative and Fun. Facilitated by Chloé Taylor Brown CLIENTS HAVE INCLUDED: This training is about excellence energy, personal power, holding a position, and looking the part. It's about excelling in areas that matter. Personal Excellence is being a high level performer and achiever. It's honoring yourself, your team, and contributing greatly and authentically. PERSONAL E X C E L L E N C E P R O G R A M S GETYOURTEAM A L I G N E D & E N E R G I Z E D
