GoGirlMgz October 2019

Volume 1 • Issue 5

pin g Lib Bab Up W er y ith ty GoGirlMgz.com

Ke e

October 2019

OCTOBER 2019

SPECIAL FEATURES

30 Baby Liberty Update

COVER STORIES 12

24

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DIA SIMMS

32 Wind Beneath Her Wings

How this once-exec assistant brought one of hip hop’s biggest brand portfolios to near-billion dollar status

Catherine Stark is flying high as the first female marine pilot to fly the formidable T-35C Fighter Jet.

38 Perspire Sauna Studio

JORDAN BONES

After a car accent, this top beauty blogger and meditation maven turned trauma into triumph to live her best life

Feeling thick and tired? Skin suffering from breakouts out of nowhere? Packing on the pounds? Achy muscles and stiff joints?

Then, it’s time to step into the state-of-theart infrared studios at Perspire!

42 The Making of a GoGirl

GRETA THUNBERG

Whether you’re a fan or foe of the most-talkedabout environmental activist, there’s no denying this precocious sixteenyear-old climate crusader has grabbed the world’s attention. Here’s what you need to know about the tempestuous teen, the great Greta Thunberg.

Give your mommyspeak a makeover with these 20 re-imagined affirmations.

46 GoGirl Spotlight Series

Jennifer Murphy caught up with bestselling author, life coach, and keynote motivational speaker Valerie Sheppard to discuss her latest inspirational ventures.

66 College Girl to Candy Girl

PHOTO CREDIT: ebony.com

SUBSCRIBE CO N TAC T

FREE Subscription gogirlmgz.com Social Media @GoGirl_Mgz | OCTOBER 2019

How this 20-something found a way to kick sugar, but keep candy.

70 The Sum of All Parts

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We’re catching up with our littlest, globetrotting GoGirl, Liberty Weeks. So, here’s what’s been happening in the lands of Liberty.

This arithmetic aficionada is the first female to win the nobel prize in math.

FITNESS/WELLNESS

52 Triple Threat

Fans and followers are flipping overdecorated gymnast Simone Biles’ latest nail-biting, gravity-defying routines.

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Our Silent GoGirl Angels This month is Rett Syndrome Awareness month and I thought I would use my letter to help spread awareness for our “Silent GoGirl Angels”.

I had never heard of Rett Syndrome until a few years ago. One evening I was at a restaurant and a woman ran up to me and said she couldn’t believe it was me. She was very excited and asked if she could please sit down and share something with me. I said of course, and I sat down and let her tell me her story about her daughter, Layla.

Nancy pulled out her phone, started showing me her daughter's pictures and described the rare disorder that her daughter has. It brought tears to my eyes. She said, “My daughter seemed like a normal little girl when she was born, but at the age of two she started losing some of her motor skills and speech. She started having trouble walking and using her hands, and overtime ended up in a wheelchair”. Nancy continued on to tell me how devastating it was as a mother to see her daughter suffer, and not be able to do the things she loved as a little girl. She said that every day it progressed and the symptoms worsened. She started having seizures and underwent many surgeries each year.

Nancy told me that even though her daughter has such a difficult life with many painful challenges, she still is a happy-hearted little girl with a big personality. She smiles and loves to laugh. She’s so strong and optimistic. She said, “My daughter is my miracle. She’s my silent angel who has taught me to be a better person. I used to be self-focused and did not appreciate the things in life that matter the most. Layla changed all of that. She teaches me every day to be a better person. She’s my superhero and I love her with my whole heart.”

This amazing mother then went on to tell me the story about how her daughter came to first came to know “GoGirl” and how she loves my funny YouTube videos. Nancy was watching a video on YouTube and one of the suggested videos that popped up next was the time when I drove my Power Wheels Barbie Jeep and “punked" the AAA guy into thinking that my jeep had broken down. Layla started laughing hysterically when she saw a grown lady driving a toy jeep and mischievously pulled a prank on the AAA guy. Nancy then showed Layla some of my other videos that were listed on my YouTube Channel. Layla loved them and she still loves and watches them to this day.

It made me so happy to see that in a small way I had brought some joy to this beautiful mother and daughter. It also made me feel a connection with this little angel and I couldn’t wait to meet her and advocate for her. Rett Syndrome affects 1 in every 20,000 girls and 1 in every 1 million boys worldwide, yet there is very little awareness and no cure…this made me want to do what I could to help.

Since my fateful meeting with Nancy, I have gotten to know Layla, and I pay her visits when I can. Her smile and laughter are precious, and she especially loves it when I show up wearing my pink GoGirl superhero cape and show her my latest video. Her mother and I have become great friends, and when Nancy is able to get away for a “Mommy break” I enjoy spending that time with Nancy and creating some of our own memories as girlfriends. We often put our heads together about ways to

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Jennifer Murphy leverage my brand and GoGirl organization to help spread the word and help find a cure.

Nancy plans to take Layla on some special trips over the coming months and fit in as many beautiful memories as possible with her sweet daughter. Sadly, most girls with Rett Syndrome pass away in their teens. The clock is ticking for all Retts girls and their families. We must find a cure. I plan to also fit in as many times with Layla as possible. She has become a source of inspiration for me and helps me keep priorities in perspective.

Please join me in supporting RettSyndrome.org.

Your donation will fund Rett Syndrome research to identify treatments and a cure, and programs that empower families affected

by Rett Syndrome. I will be filming a special video with Nancy and Layla soon and will be sharing it as an episode in my GoGirl Super Hero series. In this series “GoGirl” brings surprises to people in need, and awareness to charities and special causes. You can support and subscribe to this series and learn more about the GoGirl Worldwide Foundation by visiting: www.GoGirlSuperHero.com.

View our GoGirl SuperHero series intro: What are your own SuperHero qualities that you can unlock from within?

I hope you love our magazine and please share it with those you know who would ask gain inspiration from our pages.

Love you all,

Jennifer Murphy “GoGirl” Founder/CEO - GoGirl Worldwide Magazine

Founders Jennifer Murphy | Rachel Medina

CEO

PUBLISHER

Jennifer Murphy

Rachel Medina

A R T D I R E C TO R

SOCIAL MEDIA MGR

Dennis Igoe

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A DV E RT I S I N G SP E C I A L I ST

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LEAD WRITER

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WEB DESIGN

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B OA R D M E M B E R S

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Stephen llavsky CO N TAC T

Office (877) 334-7972 | E-mail ads@GoGirlMgz.com Social Media @GoGirl_Mgz COV E R

Dia Simms — Facebook.com

PHOTO CREDIT:

Dia Simms — Facebook.com

“Women Empowering Women through Events | Magazines | Products | & Giving” The GoGirl Brand is built by women, for women, and specializes in creating content and experiential opportunities for empowered woman, to empower others across the country with their story and GoGirl mission. GoGirl Magazine, LLC. is not affiliated with any other publishing company and is a digital community complimenting the family of GoGirl events, products, services and its foundation.

Copy Right GoGirl Magazine, L.L.C., 2019

The team at GoGirl Worldwide Magazine browse the web and social media for ordinary women doing extraordinary things in their lives, communities, and careers. We then spotlight these women each month and bring forward images and content shared by these women online and on their social media accounts. GoGirl Worldwide Magazine takes no credit for images and/or content shared by these women in their public domains and makes every attempt to publish the source of the images used on our website GoGirlMgz.com, our social media accounts and in our monthly magazine. If a photo has been published by GoGirl Worldwide Magazine that has inaccurate photo credits, please contact us immediately with the proper credits at editorial@gogirlmgz.com. If we have shined our bright pink spotlight on you this issue or in a past issue, thank you for being a GoGirl who inspires us all.

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE: WOMEN TAKING THE WHEEL

There's a saying that goes something like this, "Behind every successful man is a great woman". In this issue of GoGirl Worldwide Magazine, we shine the spotlight on Dia Simms, C.E.O of Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs' major media and brand empire. Dia has a brilliant business mind, she's a beautiful woman, and has the emotional and intellectual strength necessary to steer that corporate ship in the directions of success.

In business there are many storms; some almost impossible to predict, and others you see coming from a mile away but sometimes we can convince ourselves that it's probably not a big deal…until suddenly it is. So we salute all women in business in every issue because we understand the struggle and celebrate your wins!

Rachel Medina Rachel Medina is a 20-year media and publishing veteran, GoGirl Worldwide Magazine Co-Founder, Public Speaker, and a serial Entrepreneur. She is also the host of a new Podcast and YouTube show called Rachel Unpacked “Unpacking Life’s Baggage Together” where she shares the life lessons and tools for success that she has learned as a parent, wife, business owner, and woman... along the way.

Click to Watch Podcast

One young lady is taking on more than a storm, she is taking on climate in its entirety and causing waves on both sides of the political landscape. Greta Thunberg may be young, but she is brave, passionate and fearlessly driven to move the needle on the issue of climate change. In her GoGirl feature, there is a link to a video that may quiet the storm just enough to feel the love she has for this planet of ours.

Welcome to the October issue of GoGirl Worldwide Magazine. May this and every issue inspire you to believe that all things are possible if you dare to believe that they are.

SOCIAL MEDIA: @rachelmedina101 Online: RachelMedina.com

Enjoy.

Rachel Medina Co-Creator & Publisher

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How This Once-Exec Assistant Brought One of Hip Hop’s Biggest Brand Portfolios to Near-Billion Dollar Status

Listen up, Ladies!

Superstar Sean

“Diddy” Combs’ leading lady claims the best ways to climb the corporate ladder is to work hard, level the playing field, know your selfworth, and…carry a clipboard? Dia Simms is divulging all the delicious deets to achieving the sweet taste of success. beatsbydre.com

A

long-time power protegee to hip hop music mogul and brand innovator Sean “Diddy” Combs, smart, savvy businesswoman and entrepreneur Dia Simms is a woman to watch. Having

played an instrumental and influential role in the rise of Combs Enterprises, including subsidiary Combs Wine and Spirits, Simms was appointed the president of the hip hop-based portfolio brand by CEO/ Founder Sean Combs in 2015 and has successfully built the brand to an estimated $820 billion-dollar worth in just a few short years.

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A sharp mastermind and versatile creative head, Simms led the charge in strategic marketing, brand innovation, and execution of Ciroc Ultra Premium Vodka, DeLeon Tequila, and other spirits-based innovations for Combs Enterprises. Having worked with Combs since 2005, Simms’ unparalleled track record as an ingenious entrepreneur and shrewd business badass allowed her to spearhead and catapult Combs Enterprises to global brand success. Under Simms’ leadership, the once-obscure Combs Wine and Spirits has exponentially grown and prospered. A power player in acquiring DeLeon Tequila in 2013, Ciroc Ultra Premium Vodka has also experienced over 1000% growth, morphing into one of the world’s most recognized vodka brands on the market thanks to Simms' business-building talents.

Combs Wine and Spirits has since received a plethora of business awards, including the highly-coveted Diageo Golden Bar Award for “Best Spirits Advertising” and Diageo’s 2011 Global Marketing Brilliance Award for “Best Synergy 360.” Combs Wine and Spirits also reaped recognition at the 2014 Pro Awards for “Best Holiday Campaign” and “Best Cause-based” Campaign.

Making the Corporate Climb — Two Steps at a Time Born in the quaint Northern California seaside town of Monterey, the Atlanta-based business brainchild had a rather humble start and unconventional career trajectory before entering the star-studded, exciting world of hip hop. Before being discovered by hip hop star Combs, Simms worked

for the U. S. Department of Defense, in advertising sales, event and club promotion, and for the pharmaceutical industry, respectively. Initially hired as Combs’ executive assistant and right-hand woman in 2005, Simms quickly climbed through the arduous ranks of the rap arena, eventually distinguishing herself and scoring the commanding role of Chief of Staff. But, she was far from done. Always the youngest in the room, Simms was then promoted to Combs’ executive team, including that of General Manager of Advertising and Marketing and then on to Executive VP of Combs Wine and Spirits. Network Journal has named the bubbly, soft-spoken business builder in their 40 Under 40 Class of 2010.

In 2011, Essence Magazine fittingly named Simms “Leader of the New School.”

hiphopwired.com

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Dia Simms — facebook.com

Moving Forward While Giving Back Aside from building bespoke businesses into billion-dollar brands, Simms has been flexing her philanthropic muscles at The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurs, which provides entrepreneurial education and “know-how” to business-aspiring high school students.

The busy brand-builder also sits on the board of The Boys and Girls Club of Harlem. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Morgan State University, her master’s in Management from the Florida Institute of Technology, and even holds a Level II certification from the Defense Acquisition University. She was the first person ever to be appointed to the role of President at Combs Enterprises.

Welcome to the Boy’s Club A steadfast supporter of knowing your value when it comes to business, the brandbuilding icon knows a thing or two about being the lone female in a male-dominated industry, as she recalls entering a roomful of business with Combs. She asserts her greatest advocate and the proponent is the entertainer and entrepreneur himself.

“Sean goes out of his way just to level-set the room. There are so many times where he will introduce me and say, ‘She is the president of Combs Enterprises,’ and the men in the room will say, ‘Are you going to get some coffee?’” A major creative force in building Comb’s immense empire to an estimated $820 million, according to Forbes magazine, Simms has maintained a professional dedication – and delivered – to a diverse and distinctive enterprise that employs over 220 individuals. Her innate ability to bring Combs’ innovative ideations to life, Simms supercharged the growth, success, and recognition of a powerful portfolio of companies, such as Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment Group, Sean John, Combs Wine and Spirits, AQUAHydrate, The Blue Flame Marketing Agency, Revolt Films, and Revolt Media and Television.

Simms attests her early days working as an eager and ambitious music promoter in her 20s inadvertently armed her with the indispensable tools to successfully navigate “a man’s world.”

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The “Clipboard Effect” Named to Ebony’s “Power 100” list in 2017, Simms says the secret to success is the elusive “clipboard effect.” In an exclusive interview with Forbes last year, Simms recounted how she would invariably carry a wooden clipboard to all the events she was promoting and bestowed the unorthodox bit of advice upon her younger female colleagues because it patently signals “I’m here for work.”

Simms was an integral, grassroots-driven advocate for leveling the playing field, with respect to equal pay and diversity of staff.

She has often been found propagating that women in business have shown significant increases in productivity, creativity, and overall brand success. His unrelenting work ethic and incessant thirst for knowledge and learning new things are what keeps Simms grinding full speed ahead. “I look for information everywhere I go. I really believe that everybody has something to learn and something to teach.”

Dia Simms — facebook.com

A recent recipient of Billboard’s “Women in Music,” list, Simms voluntarily stepped down from her prestigious role at Combs’ brand conglomerate late last summer to enter the budding cannabis biz.

Brand-tastic! facebook.com

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“One thing Sean Combs has been smart

about is putting women in leadership, it's just a good bet. Don't put me in charge to check a box. I am good for business.�

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HOW THIS TOP BEAUTY BLOGGER AND MEDITATION MAVEN TURNED TRAUMA INTO TRIUMPH TO LIVE HER BEST LIFE

After a car accident on a wet night left her paralyzed from the chest down at the young age of 15, Jordan Bone, author of “My Beautiful Struggle” and Kylie Jenner cosmetics co-conspirator, found herself drowning in deep depression and relying heavily on anti-depressants to get through each day. Desperate, she began perusing YouTube for meditation videos one evening as an alternate relief to her mounting mental anguish. That night, the UK-based blonde bombshell tossed her pills once and for all and never looked back.

R

ealizing it was “up to only her� to live her best life, the sought-after motivational speaker and spirited social media personality admits that wheelchair confinement can be unbearably challenging at times. Completely med-free, Jordan, now 30, is a rising YouTube star with over 250,000 thousand subscribers to her beauty/motivational/meditation channel JordanBone89, which she started in 2010 in the mere hope of helping at least one person willing to watch. Her social media channel promotes powerful messages of positivity, personal empowerment, and hope, including uplifting motivational affirmations.

Turning Pain into Pleasure After her YouTube following began building, ironically, Jordan became increasingly uninspired with her fashion journalism studies at UCA in Epsom, UK and dropped out, devoting all her time to creating inspirational, uber positive content. With increased exposure, she began raising money for Spinal Research, spoke at schools and universities across the UK, and became an outspoken advocate for road safety and spinal cord injuries. Life can change in a split second. Jordan half-heartedly accepted a 26

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ride from a friend during a night of inclement weather, which resulted in a life-changing accident that left her nearly choked to death by her seatbelt and a paraplegic.

When one night she found her modest webcam not technically cooperating, she used her unceremonious free time to try her hand at writing. And, on August 23rd, 2013, Jordansbeautifullife.com was born. With the growth of her personal lifestyle and beauty blog, the social media stunner was able to purchase a professional camera and began integrating her love for meditation with makeup, tanning, and tattoos at the behest of her readers. When her legions of fans and devout subscribers began commenting about why she never showed her hands opening compacts or twisting off tops of tubes of makeup in her tutorials, a amazon.com

vulnerable Jordan recorded an emotional, tear-filled video, fittingly entitled “My Beautiful Struggle” (and now a bestselling book), divulging the painful details of her daily struggles and the fateful night that left her wheelchair-ridden with limited mobility in her hands. Unsurprisingly, the heartfelt video instantly went viral and currently boasts 17 million views on Facebook and 5 million on YouTube.

New, Beautiful Beginnings Now a full-time YouTuber raking in the bucks, Jordan also collabs with legendary, cosmetic giants L’Oreal, Urban Decay, and beauty bloggerbeloved brand Illamasqua. Her book, “My Beautiful Struggle,” sold out on the first day of its release in May 2017. A true testament to the human spirit and finding triumph after the unthinkable, Jordan continues to dedicate her life to helping others overcome depression, social isolation, and mentally debilitating negativity. She is living proof that “You can live a positive life even through a negative situation.” — Jordan Bone.

You can follow the rising social media starlet on beauty and fashion-filled Instagram feed @JBone89, on YouTube at JordanBone89, and on her long-running, personal lifestyle blog Jordansbeautifullife.com.

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What’s On Your Bucket List?

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Discover the best places to see and grab inspiration from our Insider Guides regarding amazingly cool things to do.

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Start making your own bucket list. Here we go. . .

Keeping Up With

Baby Liberty

We’re catching up with our littlest, globetrotting GoGirl, Liberty Weeks. The last we left off, Liberty was getting ready to make her trans-Atlantic debut voyage in the family’s new private plane, took her first steps, and was cordially invited to be a member of the Young Explorer’s Club. It was a busy summer for our favorite traveling tot, to say the least. So, here’s what’s been happening in the lands of Liberty.

Growing up so fast, little Liberty officially closed out the sizzling summer season in style by being back in the Big Apple where she attended her very first red-carpet gala to benefit the preservation of the ocean and Amazon Rain Forest. The exciting, star-studded event was full of glitz, glamour, and attention-grabbing A-listers. Liberty got to witness her dad receive a very special award from a real-life princess – Princess Jazmin from Monaco! Then, he was off to idyllic Italy to meet the Pope, while Liberty and her mom, Stephanie, headed down south to Nashville to welcome the cool, crisp autumn season. Falling into the sweet, spicy, and spooky season, they visited a fun, festive pumpkin patch with family before heading down to the 30

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southernmost point of the continental U. S. – gorgeous Key West, Florida! That was pretty cool since it felt like summer started all over again.

Then, it was off to the Bahamas where last month’s hurricane Dorian devastated much of the land, including many homes, resorts, businesses, and children’s shelters. With the funds Liberty’s Lemonade raised, Liberty and her parents stopped by a Salvation Army to purchase clothes, supplies, and much-needed toiletries to hand out to the displaced children and shelters ravaged by the recent storm. After visiting different children’s shelters on the island, Liberty got to take a dip in the calm, clear waters of Exuma, where she swam with pigs and sharks.

The globetrotting clan was then packing it up to meet up with friends in nearby Turks and Caicos.

Currently, Liberty’s Lemonade is still seeking to help more displaced children from the post-Dorian devastation. If you’d like to help, please be sure to visit Liberty’s Lemonade at gofundme.com/libertyslemonade to make a donation. Liberty and her family will make certain your donation gets to those in need.

For weekly whereabouts and traveling tidbits, follow Liberty on Instagram @liberty.weeks.

Don’t forget to check back for the latest on Liberty in next month’s GoGirl Worldwide issue. In the meantime, please stay safe and have a spooky, kooky, fun-tastic fall!

Happy Halloween!

Flying High with the First Female Marine Pilot to Fly the Formidable T-35C Fighter Jet

military.com

Buckle up! We’re taking flight with this month’s top gun GoGirl.

Force. The T-35C is the only fighter jet model specifically designed to take off and land on aircraft carriers. Stark, only 24, graduated from Mercyhurst Prep and is expected to commence training to fly the T-35C Lightning II at the Naval Air Station in Lemoore, California. Anticipating her newest – and Corps – challenge yet, Stark is expected to be deployed following a year of her intense T-35C flight training.

Wing Woman

Congratulations to First Lieutenant Catherine Stark, the first woman Marine to be assigned to the U. S. Navy’s T-35C fleet replacement squadron. And, apparently, the modest Marine doesn’t think it’s that big of a deal. Well, here at the GoGirl headquarters, we beg to differ.

The Erie, Pennsylvania native was assigned last August at a ceremony in Kingsville, Texas, is the very first female Marine pilot to try to fly the U. S. Navy’s T-35C fleet replacement squadron, which was designed and built by legendary Lockheed Martin.

The befittingly named T-35C Lightning II is a fifth-generation fighter jet produced to replace the F-18 in both the Navy and Marine Corps, including the F-22 in the U. S. Air 34

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Upon graduating with her degree in aerospace engineering from the U. S. Naval Academy, Stark was immediately commissioned as a Marine officer in 2016.

It required 18 months of grueling flight school training before earning her Wings of Gold, the recognizable is proudly worn by accomplished naval aviators. The lady lieutenant spent her first six months of flight school training on the historic Beechraft F-6 Texan II prior to advancing to the aircraft carrier-capable McDonnell Douglas T-45 Goshawk. It’s customary for pilots in training

to complete two flights per day, which can be onerous, according to Stark. “I can only compare it to becoming a medical doctor.

You’re flying every day and getting evaluated and intensely scrutinized.” The difference between training to fly the T-6 and the T-45 training fighter jets is the pilot isn’t required to have any previous knowledge of weaponry systems, radars, or military tactics, as with the T-35C. “The most enjoyable thing is it’s such an amazing challenge…it’s mental. You have to know your stuff. You have to apply your brain to this job, but it’s also physical… it’s spiritual, too, in a sense that you have to have a bit of feistiness and not give up.”

Joseph Stark is a Naval Supply Systems Command logistics director for Seal Team 4. Her sister, Zofia Stark also completed the U. S. Naval Academy and is a first lieutenant in the Marine Corps. “She was evaluated by merit, not gender,” her mother Beata Stark says of her accomplished young daughter.

“She had to meet the same standards to pass as everyone else. We’re proud. We’re grateful.”

Looks like this Stark is soaring amongst the stars.

Up until recently, only pilots who had been successfully flying F-18’s were chosen to train for the T-35C. Now, the Corps are selecting candidates fresh out of flight school to train for the T-35C – no prior fleet experience necessary. Stark and one other classmate were the first two Marines chosen to exclusively train for the T-35C upon completion of flight school. “And, I guess you could tack on that, because I’m a woman, by virtue, I guess I’m the first woman pilot to fly the T-35C for the Marine Corps…I don’t want to downplay it, but I don’t think it’s that big of a deal,” she modestly asserts.

It’s in the Genes Lieutenant Stark is the fourth of eight siblings and among three enlisted in the United States military. Her brother, Lieutenant 35

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Give Your MommySpeak a Makeover with These 20 Re-imagined Affirmations

When young mother and blogger Jessica Kromer found herself repeatedly bestowing compliments upon her 18 month-old baby girl that seemed to only affirm the little one’s physical attributes, she purposefully decided to try something new and completely unconventional.

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t’s nothing to apologize for or be chastised about. Most parents unknowingly compliment their little girls using indoctrinated phrases like, “You’re so pretty” or “You’re my cute little girl.” After all, it’s kind of hard not to when the mere sight of a little girl can melt the hardest of hearts. While parents have been uttering these sorts of seemingly innocuous phrases to their impressionable daughters since the beginning of time, Kromer argues we could unknowingly be doing our daughters a

grave disservice in the long run. Telling little girls that they’re pretty or cute or beautiful every so often is harmless, but it shouldn’t be a parent’s first choice of words when addressing their aspiring GoGirls.

So, Kromer and her husband thoughtfully compiled a list of 20 non-physical affirmations that focus on one’s “other” attributes, such as intelligence, capabilities, skills, talents, fortitude, and integrity. By articulating phrases that address these nonphysical attributes, we inadvertently cultivate positivity, empowerment, power, and purpose within our girls. Now, when Kromer and her husband speak to their daughter, they try to be mindful of the lasting messages they’re sending with their chosen words. They hope their re-imagined affirmations will help their daughter look beyond her physical appearance and towards her intelligence, skills, and heart while growing up — and well into womanhood.

Following is Jessica’s list of 20 empowering affirmations she and her husband use when speaking to their baby girl. Feel free to add your own!

1.

You have the power to change the world.

2.

You are unlike any other.

3.

You have a beautiful soul.

4.

You’re so smart!

5.

Be yourself – no matter what.

6.

You have the power to help others.

7.

You are going to move mountains.

8.

You are strong.

9.

You have a loving heart.

11.

You have the best sense of humor.

12. You have a great laugh.

13. You are very loved.

14. You give fantastic hugs!

15. We are proud of you.

16. You did a great job!

17. You are deserving of kind words.

18. God loves you.

19. You have an amazing imagination.

20. We’re thankful God gave you to us.

10. You mean the world to us.

When you’re speaking to your little girl — or someone else’s precocious little one — using these uplifting, emotionallyaffirming phrases can be exponentially beneficial to her self-esteem, confidence, and resilience. “The more we give, the better future for our girls and for the world.” — Jessica Kromer.x To learn more about Jessica and to subscribe to her lifestyle blog, be sure to visit HerViewFromHome.com.

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GoGirl Entrepreneur Spotlight Series

GoGirl Founder/CEO female-empowering emissary extraordinaire Jennifer Murphy caught up with bestselling author, life coach, and keynote motivational speaker Valerie Sheppard to discuss her latest inspirational ventures. And, unsurprisingly, it’s full of heart‌and happiness!

Despite her endless Barbie Jeep blunders, Jennifer was finally able to make her meeting with Valerie Sheppard for a GoGirl-to-GoGirl chat about creating peace and positivity within your life, regardless of the unceremonious curveballs you’re thrown. Take a look at some of these sage takeaways from their exclusive, light-hearted meet-up.

You’ll definitely want to make some mental notes!

The life coach for aspiring, young entrepreneurs and teachers, and reformed corporate ladder climber, Valerie is the Amazon bestselling author of “Living Happy to Be Me: Dancing Your Soul Lightstyle.”

The current keynote motivational speaker and lecturer at the University of California – Irvine recommends that if you’re feeling a little “off,” burnt-out, or disenchanted with what’s going on in your life, whether, on a professional, spiritual, or personal level, it’s best to “stay the course” and not ever give up because there are opportunities around every corner. But, most importantly, staying in the highest vibration possible – the attitude of gratitude – is the absolute, most significant stand you can take away from ANY situation. Always choose happiness and look for that valeriesheppard.com proverbial silver lining 48

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in every circumstance, because it is invariably there. And, don’t be afraid to make some leaps and bounds by making necessary changes — no matter how scary, daunting, or onerous. Life is an endless sea of ebb and flow. Things are not meant to stay stagnant.

Change is inevitable and imperative for personal growth and spiritual awakening and allows one to open up to receiving new opportunities, paths, and rewarding journeys.

The staunch stroke survivor who gleefully enjoys spending her downtime visiting the horsing ranch and archery range is also a former pole vaulter and soccer player and relied on her athletic past to get her through her darkest days during recovery. Valerie also revealed how most of us have, rather, unfortunately, been conditioned to think if we don’t “work hard” or struggle, we won’t succeed or procure all the prosperity and abundance life has to offer. She counters this way of thinking is simply counter-productive, damaging, and not true. Instead, she offers using the context of “play” instead of “work.”

This seemingly simple shift in mindset can help open up our minds to infinite inspiration, creativity, and intuition while allowing us to live from our “hearts.” Imagine that! Shift your focus and experience the magic that awaits. Click the video to see the entire, elucidating interview.

A Little 411 on This Fierce Female Born in Quantico, VA, Valerie Sheppard studied at both Syracuse University and George Mason University before making her successful 28-year climb up the corporate

ladder, monotonously grinding in nonprofit marketing at legendary companies, such as Proctor and Gamble and the Zyman Group.

An undeniably indomitable spirit, Sheppard had suffered a debilitating stroke, but refused to let that hold her back from pursuing her dreams and realizing her life’s purpose — helping others manifest their dreams and define their life purpose! She currently lectures on life coaching courses at the University of California – Irvine and is the CEO/Founder of Positive Life with the Heart of Living Vibrantly, which provides exclusive one-one-one personal coaching, as well as small-grouped workshops, teleseminars, and special events designed to help those learn to live deeply and honestly through their hearts. Through Valerie’s unwavering commitment to selffulfillment, positive leadership, and unrelenting compassion, one will learn to live a meaningful and fulfilling life through self-efficacy, while creating and manifesting boundless peace, positivity, prosperity, contentment, and true happiness.

Publisher Book Award for Self-Help. She is a renowned keynote motivational speaker, revered university lecturer, certified Laughter Yoga instructor, and a recurring member of an award-winning professional comedy troupe. Valerie also co-authored the national bestseller “Everything is Subject to Change.”

To learn more about Valerie and to attend any of her life-changing workshops, visit HappytoBeMe.net. Be sure to follow her on Instagram @happy.to.be.me for a daily dose of uplifting, motivational quotes from famous women, authors, and legendary world leaders. “Teaching self-awareness, self-acceptance, and self-love as the centerpieces of high-performance leadership of teams and organizations.”

VIEW VIDEO!!

Valerie is the Amazon #1 Bestselling Author of “Living Happy to Be Me: Dancing Your Soul Lightstyle” and is the recipient of the Independent 49

Give the gift of MAGIC with FAO Schwarz® .

THIS RECORD-BREAKING, GOLD MEDALIST GYMNAST MAKES HISTORY TWICE IN TWO DAYS!

Fans and followers are flipping over-decorated gymnast Simone Biles’ latest nail-biting, gravitydefying routines both on — and off — the mat.

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Biles, 22, made gymnastics history this

past August during the U. S. Gymnastics Championships after successfully nailing a “triple-double” on the mat. For those who are not inclined to perfectly performing flips, twists, twirls, spins, or splits mid-air, allow us to explain the wow-worthy, complex move: two flips and three mid-air twists PLUS a double-double (not to be confused with the popular In-and-Out burger joint menu item) dismount that involves TWO flips on the balance beam BEFORE fluidly executing THREE twists onto the floor below the beam.

Dizzy yet?

Biles, a 4-times Olympic goldmedalist, is the first female gymnast to ever land the “tripletimetoast.com double” competitively, and, according to The Washington Post, the third athlete ever in the sports’ history. She is also the first flipping female to even attempt the tricky double-double dismount and successfully nail it. Biles’ history-making moves awarded her a record-tying sixth in the U. S. “allaround” title. With awe-inspiring videos of her historical August performance going viral, Biles is currently enjoying a new wave of recognition, support, and adulation from both celebs, sponsors, and fans. With snaps and clips showcasing her captivating stunts 54

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last August, she aptly captioned one of her share-worthy posts, “That feeling when you make history…twice.”

Currently prepping to rep the red, white, and blue – again – at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Biles earned her all-around athlete title by 4.95 points, winning 20 straight since 2013. Additionally, she won titles in the balance beam, vault, and floor routines, respectively, according to ESPN.

From Kiddie Cartwheels to Grabbing the Gold Standing at just 4’8,” the super-smiley, small-framed Biles was a crucial performer of the gold-winning team dubbed “Final Five” at the 2016 summer games in Rio de Janeiro. The Ohio-born, lithe, gymnast prodigy continues to dominate the sport with more than two dozen Olympic and World Championship medals. Raised and officially adopted by her grandparents, Ron and Nellie, Biles discovered her love for the riveting, fan-favorite sport during a school field trip to a local gymnastics center, and began competing as a level 8 gymnast at the age of 10. By age 13, Biles had solidified her standing at the junior elite level, snatching the top spot in both the vault and balance beam routines, finishing third in the “all-around” at the American Classic. In 2013, she emerged as a senior elite-level gymnast as the “all-around” winner at the U. S. P&G Championship, delivering another historic, eye-popping performance and becoming the first African-American female athlete to win gold in the “all-around” category. By

2015, Biles became the first female to win her third consecutive “all-around” title, earning a record-breaking ten gold medals, which led her to the 2016 Olympic games. She led her team to victory gold with an impressive 15.933 in vault, 15.3 on the balance beam, and 15.8 for floor routine, where she flawlessly executed her famous, signature move — a double layout with a half-twist.

Biles continues to offer one-on-one coaching and group classes and is sponsored by Nike, Caboodles cosmetics kits, Beats by Dr. Dre, and Core Power. She officially signed with Octagon agency in 2015, who also reps another familiar, multi-gold medalist — Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps. She is reportedly dating teammate Stacy Ervin, Jr. We’ll bend over backward to see you take home the glorious gold — again — for the U. S. A. in 2020, Simone! You go, Girl!

Laurence Griffiths_Getty Images: eonline

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Your City, ST www.pedego.com

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Whether you’re a fan or foe of the most-talked-about environmental activist, there’s no denying this precocious sixteen-year-old climate crusader has grabbed the world’s attention. Here’s what you need to know about the tempestuous teen, the great Greta Thunberg.

A Chilly Reception

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nless you haven’t noticed, this Nordic Nobel Peace Prize nominee is a fastrising star amongst the most notable of climate change enthusiasts. No matter what side of the political aisle you fall, this adolescent activist has EVERYONE talking.

Globetrotting by sea in a zero-emissions boat to speak at environmental conferences worldwide, the busy, Swedish-born teen willfully and passionately practices what she preaches. Make no mistake. Unlike many of her activist predecessors and current climate change celeb cohorts who unapologetically fly in private jets attending conferences where they shamelessly implore the masses to eagerly relinquish life’s little luxuries, like air travel, eating meat, and sipping through plastic straws, Thunberg puts her money where her mouth is – and she’s unafraid to call those out who don’t.

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Having officially renounced her studies back in Sweden to purposefully affect change after launching the successfully #Fridaysforfuture movement nearly two years ago, Thunberg has found herself inadvertently thrust into the very tumultuous political climate.

Traveling the world over to conduct plenary speeches marked with unforgettably fervent pleas, implorations, and blatant, scolding denunciations that instantaneously went viral, the bold teen unabashedly continues to address the world’s most powerful leaders with an unsettling tenor tinged with anguish, fear, and fury. Beseeching her listeners to heed the dire warnings of imminent, catastrophic consequences likened to human extinction if something isn’t done immediately, Thunberg thrust with her fair share of criticism and praise. Her deeply emotional, impassioned speech at the United Nation’s climate summit in New York last month immediately set off tidal waves on both sides of the contentious political globalnews.ca

spectrum. The climate change advocates on the progressive side are on-board with her courageous crusade, while conservatives argue the young climate change proponent is unwittingly being used as just another political pawn by the opposition to push the long-running climate change hoax. Whether you agree or disagree with Thunberg’s personal pursuits, there’s no doubt she’s uncompromising in her convictions.

A Rising Star in a Sea of Schism The chubby-cheeked environmental activist with the defiant stare who boasts a Twitter and Instagram following of nearly 7 million hasn’t been without her personal challenges.

Afflicted with socially debilitating Asperger’s Syndrome, Thunberg also suffers from clinical depression and has endured an eating disorder bout, though you’d never know it. In 2018, she initiated a school strike outside the Swedish parliament, which swiftly spread globally and currently includes 100,000 schoolchildren from all over the world. The audacious usatoday.com movement became the basis for #Fridaysforfuture where children cut class every Friday to protest for climate change.

Thunberg has spoken at climate rallies and on panels in Stockholm, Helsinki, Brussels,

London, as well as attended the United Nations COP24 in Katowice, Poland where she addressed the secretary-general with a plenary, keynote speech that went viral. A voracious vegan, she was recently named one of the most influential people in Time magazine. In January 2019, she was invited to the World Economic Forum in Davos, where her zealous speeches, again, made a worldwide impact. Last September, she was given the keys to the city of Montreal by Mayor Valerie Plante.

Fueling the Furor The irony of her unequivocally provocative climate campaigning cannot be overlooked.

Her hard-hitting message meant to

evoke fear, response, and call to action, simultaneously blames the very people who commend her valiant efforts. During her latest appearance at the United Nations climate summit in New York last month, 61

she amassed a new pool of supporters as well as adversaries following her famous speech in which she furiously summoned dignitaries and leaders to take action — or else. Sporting a seemingly innocuous appearance of “schoolgirl” braids, oversized coats, and hand-painted signs usatoday.com that eligibly state her plea, one may be inclined to question, “why all the hate?” that’s coming from so many, particularly on the political right.

Some dare to suggest her impressionable pubescence, gender, or the fact that the climate resolutions she explicitly offers counter the current economic and political atmosphere. “We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can think of is money and fairytales of eternal growth… how dare you?” she angrily began her speech last month at the United Nations, clearly

addressing a room full of attendees who've previously dismissed and/or denied the urgency for change. The phrase that dominated news cycles for days, eliciting contention, harmony, mockery, and adulation. Thunberg concluded her fiery speech promising change was looming, “…whether you like it or not,” but without a clear, definitive plan. Hopefully, she can get China on-board. At the very least.

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Fast Facts about Greta Thunberg

• In 2018, she pioneered the global warming movement #Fridaysforfuture, which encourages students to cut class all in the name of saving the planet.

• She first addressed the United Nations COP24 climate summit in Poland at age 15.

• She is recognized by Time magazine as one of 100 influential people and even graced the eminent publication’s cover.

• She is nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for her continued, arduous fight for climate change. If selected, she would be the youngest laureate since Malala Yousafzai.

• She patiently sailed across the vast Atlantic to the United Nations climate summit in New York aboard an eco-friendly, zero emissions boat voyage that took two weeks to complete.

• She sees her Asperger’s “as a superpower,” noting that people on the autism spectrum see things “a bit differently” and possess a “special intent” and perspective on things.

The world is watching this stormy weather GoGirl, that’s for sure. teeenvogue.com

GIVE YOUR CONCRETE THE FACELIFT IT DESERVES VIEW VIDEO!!

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How This 20-Something Found a Way to Kick Sugar, But Keep Candy

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Founder and CEO of cult healthy candy brand SmartSweets, Tara Bosch, has miraculously re-invented (thankfully) some of our favorite, classic chewy candies to fit the demanding needs of the growing healthy lifestyle movement and disrupted the entire candy category in the process. This is the sweet story you’ve been craving!

Tara Bosch was like most young women her age. She struggled with weight fluctuations and poor body image nearly her entire life due to her sugar-laden addictions. Read: copious bags of gummy bears, gummy worms, Swedish Fish, and fruity peach rings.

But, not wanting to give up on her favorite past-time of polishing off an entire bag of Sour Patch Kids in a single sitting, she took to her kitchen and set out to find a healthier, better, even sweeter alternative.

And, apparently, they’re a huge hit with Whole Foods, Sprouts, Bed, Bath, and Beyond, and other major retailers. Here’s her inspiring, sweet story of how she navigated through Candyland.

SmartSweets are mini, blue bags that contain the updated, sugar-free versions of the classic, chewy candies that have been around for nearly 100 years. With

the superstar ingredient stevia providing the desired sweet effect, the latest newcomer to hit the candy aisle yields 80 calories, only 3 grams of sugar, and no added sugar for a single ounce bag. The brand’s motto, “Kick Sugar, Keep Candy” features guiltless indulgences of our all-time, goto movie theater sweets alternatives, like Swedish Fish, peach rings, Sour Patch Kids, and others. Touted by fitness and food bloggers, the satisfyingly sweet-tasting treats beg the question, “Why is there still sugar in candy in 2019?”

Named one of Inc. Magazine’s 30 Under 30 last year, the Canadian candy connoisseur, Bosch, now 23, has brought her chewy, bitesized sweet obsessions stateside. Officially launched in 2016, SmartSweets hopes to fill a long overdue void in the candy market, by offering a yummy-tasting alternative to the original, sweet-laden candies that have been linked to a host of health challenges, like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Unable to find a healthy alternative on the shelves that actually tasted like candy and not cardboard, Bosch developed her own.

In the summer of 2015, she purchased a gummy bear mold off Amazon and started researching raw material suppliers to test different sugar alternatives, including picdeer.org

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plant-based fibers. Bosch wanted her product to be gluten-free, GMO-free, vegan, lactose-free, soy-free, and plant-based and cater to the growing health and fitness movement. Bosch was determined to create a guilt-free, healthy swap of the original candies no matter what it took. She then met with various technical experts to help refine the recipe and the ingredients list. The bestselling, low sugar line is eerily similar to the look, size, shape, and texture of the classic candy staples. The current, addictive collection includes Fruity Gummy Bears, Sour Gummy Bears, Sour Blast Buddies, Peach Rings, and Sweet Fish. Each 1.8 oz. bag retails for $3.29. And, there’s more in the making!

debuted at their registers all across Canada.

And, the 500 Whole Foods locations that currently stock the hot-selling sweets are estimated to sell more than 2 million bags this coming year. The line has caught on with self-professed candy lovers and fitness fiends who crave a more health-conscious alternative to their insatiable sweet tooth.

SmartSweets is now available in more than 10,000 stores in the U. S. and Canada.

Based in Indiana, the cult candy company is currently working on deals with Target, Kroger, and Vitamin Shoppe and employees 28 people. Bosch has independently raised $6.1 million in funding from angel investors.

SmartSweets is the first non-chocolate candy variety on the market that uses stevia as a sugar alternative.

You can follow Tara’s sweet, healthy journey through Candy Land @smartsweets and @ smartsweetsfounder on Instagram.

You go, candy GoGirl! Your candy is GoGirl sweet tooth-tested and approved!

So, when the fall semester at the University of British Columbia rolled around in 2015, Bosch decided to forego her studies to focus on bringing SmartSweets to fruition.

She attended tradeshows and met with a buyer from Bed, Bath, and Beyond. A year later, the SmartSweets Fruity Gummy Bears 69 picdeer.org

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Here at GoGirl, we lesser-known love “firsts,” especially when they precede “female.” And, this inspiring story really adds up.

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t was much like any other random, relaxing Sunday morning. Renowned mathematician and an emeritus professor at the University of Texas in Austin, Karen Uhlenbeck, emerged from Mass at her local church to find a text message from Alice Chang in Norway awaiting her response: “Please call.”

Unbeknownst to her at the time, Dr. Uhlenbeck was set to become the first female to receive the sought-after Abel Prize in Mathematics.

One of the world’s most coveted and prestigious awards, the Abel Prize cites, “…the fundamental impact of [her] work in analysis, geometry, and mathematical physics,” according to The New York Times. The Nobel Prize for mathematics, the Abel Prize, is personally awarded by the king of Norway to honor and distinguish outstanding mathematicians who’ve illustrated exemplary work and 72

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who’ve greatly influenced and contributed to their field. The mathematics honor has been given annually since 2003, but up until now, only men have been the fortuitous recipients.

A substantial cash sum of around $700K accompanies the esteemed prize.

Dr. Uhlenbeck, 77, is acclaimed for her groundbreaking work in geometric partial differential equations, gauge theory, and integrable systems. She continues to pioneer a new, lesser-known field called geometric analysis and has famously contributed to theories of predictive mathematics, which were surprisingly inspired by digital “soap bubbles.” The winning factor in determining Uhlenbeck as the newest Abel Prize beneficiary was “that she did things nobody thought about doing, and after she did, she laid the foundations with a brand of mathematics,” said Sun-Yung Alice Chang, a mathematician at Princeton University who sat on the Abel Prize committee.

Novels to Numbers — The Making of a Math Maven Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Uhlenbeck grew up as an enthusiastic bookworm, incessantly diving into the infinitely imaginative world of fiction, as well as the endlessly informative one of non-fiction. It wasn’t until she enrolled in the freshman honors math course at the University of Michigan where the world of numbers, statistics, and shapes stole her heart forever. “The structure, elegance, and beauty of mathematics struck me

immediately and I lost my heart to it,” she wrote in the book Mathematics: An Outer View of the Inner World. A self-professed recluse, the award-winning mathematician was also transfixed by the field because it was “something you can work on in solitude if you wish,” admittedly adding, “I regarded anything to do with people as being sort of a horrible profession.”

Although her seminal work has awarded her the exalted Abel, it wasn’t the first time this devotee of digits had broken through the proverbial glass ceiling. In 1990, she became only the second woman in history to

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present a plenary lecture at the International Congress of Mathematics. The first female was Emmy Noether in 1932. Talk about a much-needed dry spell ending! While initially drawn to mathematics for its lonewolf appeal, Uhlenbeck would eventually embrace her growing role as leader and model for aspiring female mathematicians and co-founded a mentoring program for women in mathematics at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey.

Uhlenbreck would then go on to hold the Sid W. Richardson Foundation chair at the University of Texas in Austin, where she currently teaches.

Surprised by her recent, history-making achievement, Uhlenbeck has yet to decide what she plans on doing with her unceremonious cash windfall. Now, that’s something to count on!

Calling all mathematician mavens! You, too, can be number one!

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