Special Edition: The InnovatHER Issue

Krystal Phillips

TAKING BACK THE BLOCK !!!

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MOVES A BLACK WOMAN'S PLACE IN THE FEMINIST MOVEMENT

"Black Women Are The EPITOME of Fashion, Beauty & Business."

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MONEY MOVES

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WOMEN

BIZ in IMAGE HER InnovatHER Issue Vol 1 Issue 5

NOVEMBER 2018 VISIT HERIMAGE.ORG

BEHIND THE SCENES HER IMAGE Vol. 1 Issue 5 November 2018 Cover Image Krystal Phillips Makeup BritniBelle Fashion Stylist Epitome Beautique Photography Edishia Roundtree Editorial Edishia Roundtree Editor Contributors Edishia Roundtree, Melinda Lumpkin, Michelle Wynn, Tanishia Burton, Sasha Mitchell, Jenise Wilson Advertising Melinda Lumpkin info@herimage.org

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AN E-MAGAZINE FOR BLACK FEMINISTS

SASHA MITCHELL |

"A BLACK WOMAN'S PLACE IN THE FEMINIST MOVEMENT" PG 43Â

Creator of A Table For One, a platform and movement to encourage women to transform the way they see themselves. Inspiring women to enjoy their own company, Sasha writes about her adulting adventures depicting her journey that relates to so many other young women. Currently residing in the Greater New York Area, and a graduate of Hampton University, Sasha is a millennial black woman piloting through the corporate world.

27 year old Black Feminist, poet, artist in every aspect of the word (painter, drawer, sketcher, all of that jazz), freelance writer, blogger, decorator. She does it all. Born and raised in Atlanna (as one would say). A Neo Soul, "A Different World", "Living Single", "Black Ish" and "Martin' fanatic. Nature lover, peace advocate and beauty junkie.

"KENOVATIVE" PG 13 "THE CREATIVE VESSEL" PG 15

MEET HER TEAM

| TANISHIA BURTON Jenise Wilson is a native of Hampton, Virginia. She is a graduate of Liberty University; where she majored in Cinematic Arts. She has the heart of gold and enjoys the benefits of influencing young black women to be better than the person they call their hero. With writing being her passion she chooses to use her words to encourage individuals.

HER IMAGE CONTRIBUTORS

"VOICE OF HER" PG 9 "THE MEDIA REPORT" PG 17

| JENISE WILSON

HER STORY NOVEMBER 2018 VOL 1 | ISSUE 5

DIVINE ORDER GRIND MODE TAKE BACK THE BLOCK EPITOME

Cover Photography by Brenton Jomar of 20SUMN

27 29 30 31

INSIDE

HER IMAGE

12 WOMEN IN BIZ 11 Entrepreneurs share their wins and losses to inspire you to innovate and cultivate

38 THE NEXT MOVE The Lady Leader took a trip to China and brought back gems

Narcisse James Photography by: @twajokuphoto

42 FEMINISM The Black Woman's Place in The Feminist Movement

8- Letter From The Ladies of HER image Black Women are the real InnovatHers 9- Voice of HER Jenise shares how being in love is like a game of UNO and she declares WAR 13- Fashion Feature Kenovative the Fashion Curator 15- Creative Vessel 17- The Media Report 18- Medicine Can self-care be self-sabotage?

24- Finance Femme 4 must follow females in finance 34- Travel + Transform Where travel meets self-preservation 36- Tame Your Sweet Tooth Maya shares how she turned her guilty pleasures into profits 45- Her Tribe Book Club The book to make you trash all your self-help books HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCORPIOOOOO

21 MILLENNIAL MEDIA PLUG Meet the Millennial Publicist, badass brand strategist and marketing maven that is sure to take your brand to another level, if you're willing to let her HER IMAGE MAGAZINE

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LETTER FROM THE LADIES OF HER IMAGE

NOBLE NOVEMBER

THE INNOVATHER ISSUE

This is where empires are created. We are smack dab in the middle of quarter four and the holidays are quickly approaching. Will it make you or break you?

Will you take a break or push through? Her Image is rooting for you to go harder, put in the work that others are not willing to, do what it takes to reach your personal and business goals- basically go beast mode!

Generally, around this time people completely lose sight of their personal goals to focus on giving back and making friends or family happy. All that is great but do not forget that pouring into yourself and your brand will ultimately benefit your community and the ones around you.

We are way ahead of the game with this one. We are not waiting until February to acknowledge the need for us to keep the black dollar within the community. That is a topic that must be discussed

and addressed now before the biggest shopping season approaches. That’s why our goal with this month’s issue is to inspire you to push forward so that we can buy back the block.

In the following pages, we will bring you the most innovative and inspiring women from every industry.

Beauty Business Mogul and our cover feature Krystal talks about the struggle of what it takes to build a beauty supply store as a minority in the industry and exactly why its so important. Co-founder and international importer Melinda Marie takes us on her journey to China to source products for her hair extension line that caters to the curly girls. We bring you a doctor’s take on self-care and so much more from fashion to media. Additionally, Sasha dissects the role of black women in the feminist movement.

As always there’s so much you can take from this issue to use not only as tips but as motivation to fuel you through to your success. We hope you enjoy.

V

oice of

HER

THE MAKING OF AN

ADVOCATE

us how she wanted something basic, yet eccentric. A few wondered why she didn’t keep the title modern with options such as Black, Afro-centric, or African-American Girl Chronicles, etc. Wilson didn’t let such commentary change her mind towards her title. She kept what was laid upon her heart. “I know using the term, “colored” is old school, but color speaks of layers and dimensions. It’s not a solid, ya’ know. Everyone knows that there is so much to us, colored women.” Wilson states.

Wilson tells us that most of her inspiration had come from her own experiences. Being the younger sibling of two older brothers, Wilson witnessed her mother raising Kings and a Queen in a neighborhood where it was easy to become a statistic and not an influence. She allowed peoples’ experience to be her teacher, “I’m a firm believer in the thought of We come across innovators every day. The rise in black female entrepreneurship has doubled someone’s experience being a substitute teacher of your own,” she adds.

Nevertheless, she decided to gather these stories and create a selection of exponentially as of last year. Queens are taking what she calls, “journal entries”. Wilson elaborates on how she started writing over all sorts of avenues allowing more than the sky to be the limit. Jenise Wilson appoints writing these journal entries back in college when friends would talk to her about their personal interferences. She would gather the tales from females and to be one of her revenues by creating a book write a poem pertaining to that particular encumbrance. In the progression series, Colored Girl Chronicles. Wilson shares of creating short stories and poetry, the thought came to mind that others with us her experiences through writing her needed to read what was happening. She felt others needed to experience series and different backlashes that she had to someone’s struggle, other than their own. She felt it was important for people face while creating her masterpiece of writings. to acknowledge that there is always someone that had been through and done worse. “You’re never alone,” Wilson tells us. She has also written aTV Pilot for the book series and is now seeking further direction as to taking the appropriate steps to make that happen next.

Wilson has created a self-image for her and her work, but not all of it has been positive feedback. She tells us how many people didn’t agree with the image she was giving black women. Most people thought she was only portraying the struggle of a black woman and not the success. “I never will understand the backlash given, but in defense – J-Cole said, there’s beauty in the struggle and ugliness in the success. I feel that sharing the struggles and strengths of a black woman is more effective rather than discussing the achievements. Success doesn’t happen overnight. No one is perfect.

We have all done and been through things before success. Some people like to keep it bottled in; some like to share their vulnerable stages so that others may know that they are not alone in the steps of trusting the process.”

Jenise Wilson only sells her book on TheBookPatch.com, to purchase you can simply click the book below. She also sends out signed copies to her Instagram followers, so follow her on IG @Soulflogetic. Wilson is now on part three of her book series and she plans to stop at seven. She self-publishes a series every seven months on the 27th of the month. Wilson is on the ball and we wish her She of many has chosen to speak nothing other than love and success. Before about the things that black women go heading out Wilson left us with a sample story through that stretches the strength of and poem from her book, Colored Girl a black woman. “We go through Chronicles (Part 3), which is scheduled things, to grow through things. We to release, November 27th – located don’t get stuck, we get through – on TheBookPatch.com that’s why I chose to create a series of events that shaped and molded the strength of a woman – a black woman,” Wilson says. She also goes on to explain why she had chosen the name, Colored Girl Chronicles while sipping her lemon Bigalow tea. She tells

It’s not every day that a girl chooses to speak about the battles of a black woman.

U N O

Since being in love is like a game, I'm playing Uno Because I always throw out skip, then love gets reversed And even though my feelings get hurt I must love the pain Or either his lustful touch that makes me say, oh shucks Whatever happened to me not giving a fxck? Instead I'm catching these easy ass feelings that are just so hard to get rid of I remember when my emotions didn't even budge But since he came around My emotions embraced his attractions with a tight hug Like my vagina muscles that grips his penis While his head is thrown back saying, I like this Sorry, but I had to add this But listen once that's all over and I'm back to being sober Those images of those positions playback in my head, Fourplay, my four leaf clover But I noticed I had no luck with you I wanted chemistry found out, I'm just sex for you I get mad and say I'm not going through this again But like I said I'm playing uno Cause I threw that reverse back Now you want a girl to draw two And although my feelings get hurt I must love this pain I receive from you Not prepared right now, but you need to know I will get you back my dude You always contradict the status of our relationship One minute you are all mine and I'm all yours Then we get in public, yet that affection you don't even show it I ask you why And now you’re single, boy See, I had to say, boy — cause you act young Hell make your mind up because I can't do this for long And hell maybe I'm childish too Sitting around complaining, but still putting up with you But you know what I'm done because I'm about to win this game of uno I threw out a draw four and heck yea I switched the color Because I got tired of getting my feelings hurt My heart can't deal with mix signals You took my love for a joke and laughed as if it was a riddle And I came to the conclusion that I'm about to switch this game you are playing Because I declare war

WOMEN I NB

I Z

WOMEN ARE NATURAL BORN INNOVATORS. THE RISE IN BLACK FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP HAS DOUBLED EXPONENTIALLY IN THE LAST YEAR. QUEENS ARE TAKING OVER ALL SORTS OF AVENUES ALLOWING FOR MORE THAN THE SKY TO BE THE LIMIT. JENISE WILSON

We interviewed 10 business owners in many industries about their journey in entrepreneurship and how it pertains to black women all around.

"Fashion is very important. It is lifeenhancing and, like everything that gives pleasure, it is worth doing well."

-Vivienne Westwood

KENOVATIVE - by Tanishia Burton THAT'S HER: MEET KENDALL LYLE

When I think of a fashionista Kendall is without a doubt a Black Queen I would without a doubt associate with the title. She has a uniqueness to her creations that wows you and of course, when she wears her items she introduces them with so much class and an abundance of undeniable Black Girl Magic. Meeting and becoming friends with Kendall at the age of 13, I knew that Kendall would pursue fashion. I mean come on now, she wore bracelets that matched her shirt and hair bows and a pose that has lead to her dream of walking the runway. Fast forward to adulthood, Kendall has not only walked the runway but also pursued fashion full force.

Kendall is very creative, very inspiring and I am very honored to introduce her to you all. I’ve touched bases with Ms. Lyle and I hope that the information given would not only inspire you but also have you all see why Kendall is no doubt a phenomenal Black Queen.

“So Kendall, if you do not mind tell us more about you and what lead you to pursue fashion?”

Kendall: “My love for fashion is something that I literally was born into and fell in love with. I have always loved anything involving the arts and every part of creativity that comes with it.”

“You have a business of your own, which I want to add that I love, by the way, tell us about your business and its purpose.”

Kendall: “Nidell Maono is the name of my company, which is a combination of my first and middle name (Kendall Nicole). Manono is a Swahili term for visionary. As far as the purpose of my business, my brand represents everything about me from my fashion, production and all over creativity.”

“We’ve all been told at one point or another how important confidence is, what is your view on confidence and do you think it is a necessary trait to have when pursuing your goals and dreams?”

Kendall: “I absolutely think that confidence is a must, not only in entrepreneurship but in everything that you do, because if YOU don’t believe in YOU no one else will.”

“Being this a Black Feminist magazine and promoting/celebrating other Black Queens as well as the unity of Black women, are there any women in your life or in the public eye that inspires you and your work?”

Kendall: “My mom. She inspired me just through fighting through and dealing with cancer and remaining beautiful inside and out.”

I would also like to point out that her mom also creates and designs as well. I definitely see where she gets her creativity.

Last but not least I asked Kendall if there is any advice she could give other Black women about being their own boss as well as anything that she’d like to share that has helped her stay focused during times when she felt like giving up.

Kendall: “Being a young Black woman alone is enough to be proud of! Whatever it is you pursue in life, do it because you love it and because it makes you happy. Treat each moment in life as if you’ll never experience it again and as cliche’ as it may sound NEVER GIVE UP.

From making accessories for @supacent to doing fashion shows all while keeping it classy and staying true to herself Kendall is HER. You can find/follow Kendall on her IG @kenovative and as always be blessed Queens.

VESSEL

CREATIVE

by Tanishia Burton

A

To me, art is more often than not the external version of an internal investigation, whether we know it or dive into myself to understand and heal from the why’s of my issues. The journey has given me a not. It is one place we can be free hyper-awareness of myself, other people and from the cage of society’s identity God’s hand in my life. God has given me a heart for destroying expectations. the broken and the lost and I often find myself

s an artist, I cannot express enough the excitement of interviewing another fellow artist. I’ve witnessed Sanese’s creations at my first art show back in November 2017 and have since been in love with her work.

Sanese is not only an artist but also a freelance counseling people through their issues. I believe - Sanese Pippen photographer/entrepreneur based in Alpharetta, the pain’s of life are inevitable, but that does not GA who has been creating for 6 years and mean we have to simmer in the bitterness of them. counting. I was able to touch bases with Sanese and get into the depth of What I love the most is that God has given me creative gifts and an her craft and the diversity of what we call art. The goal is to have others empathetic mind to be able to help other people heal and grow from their not just see art as colors on a canvas but also as a voice, a message and a past traumas. My creative journey started when I was 8, writing lyrics as a movement. way to cope with my daddy issues, however, my artistic journey began in “To begin, I would like for you to introduce yourself and fill us in on college. Believe it or not, I had no desire to be an artist when I started what lead you to do art.” college. I just wanted to learn how to take better photos for my business. It Sanese: “If I had to describe my sassy self in one long-winded sentence, wasn’t until I took a drawing class that allowed me to experiment with I’d say I was an animated creative following God’s lead to understanding different mediums did I realize I could draw. The class made me want to the why’s of life, while simultaneously breaking out into song at a experiment with spray paint, and thus my independent journey as an artist moments notice. With God’s help, I’ve spent the last 6 years on a deep began. As an abstract expressionist, I loved that I didn’t have to have a plan

or know what the end game was going to be for the piece to turn out beautiful. Painting became my freedom from being a self-control freak. Over the years, I began to realize that the more I let go, the more I allowed God to paint through me until my paintings eventually became conversations with God. It was during these conversations that God would teach me about myself, himself and our relationship together.

“What is the name of your business and what is its purpose?”

Sanese: “The name of my art business is The Creative Vessel. God is the Visionary. I am the Vessel. Its purpose is layered. On one hand, these paintings are another source of communication between God and I. More times than not, God uses these paintings to address past, present and future situations in my life. Sometimes, he uses these paintings to pass wisdom about himself and our relationship.

The second layer is God using me to teach other people those same lessons. Sharing my stories and my journey creates an opportunity for other people to open up about their situations. The result is often me giving one on one counseling or ministry to whoever needs it on whatever level they need it. My other business is Pippen Photography. I believe the purpose of this business is encouragement. My job is to encourage people and make them feel confident in how they are before they even see the photos. Great photos are just a bonus. I want people to know they are amazing all by themselves, not because I or somebody else made them look amazing.

“What is your view on art and how important do you think it is for those in our community to have art especially Black girls in which she replied: Sanese: “To me, art is more often than not the external version of an internal investigation, whether we know it or not. It is one place we can be free from the cage of society’s identity destroying expectations. The best art is defiant in the face of conformity. Art at its rawest form is broken rules, expectations and stereotypes.

In short, it is the personification or manifestation of self-discovery.

That is part of why art is so crucial for the black community. Our community is often labeled from the moment we come out of the womb and it's usually done from a point of criticism. You’re light skin. You’re dark skin. You’re too soft. You’re a ho. You’re a player.

You’re a thug. You’re a criminal. Why are you trying so hard to be white by speaking proper? You’re just like your daddy. You’re triflin’ like your mama. The world is so noisy with misconceptions of us, both within our community and outside of it, that we can’t hear the truth: You are whom God created you to be. Mislabeling often

makes it difficult to figure out who that is. Art is one of the most potent bolt cutters, breaking the shackles of everyone else’s view of us, as an individual and a whole. Whether it be conscious or subconscious, art is the soul’s way of trying to carve out its own identity by either expressing what damaged it and or making a bold statement as to who we were all along. I think that’s something the black community needs now more than ever. We are in an identity crisis on a political, social and personal level. How many more would get free with a pencil or a brush in their hand, especially black little girls. Women have always been the backbone of the community, and society is often the dictator of how a woman should be. Since there aren’t as many positive representations of us, it is much harder for a black girl to see or find her value. The more black artists there are, especially female artists, the more positive representation there is of us, the less adhesive mislabels have to stick. Powerful women raise powerful daughters. Art is just one way to give little girls that power back for the first time.”

I know that there are a number of Black artists that are women who, like me, aim to take the entrepreneurial route which lead me to ask Sanese what advice would she give those who are trying to pursue art as a career and how important does she think it is for Black women to pursue entrepreneurship in today’s society?

Sanese: “I think it is imperative for black women to pursue entrepreneurship in today’s society. As I said before, women are the backbone of the household and the community. I think there is a certain level of independence and power that comes into play when a woman has her own business. Not power to belittle the man, but power in a sense of self and value. Having your own adds new layers of self-worth and makes it harder for the stereotypes of society to dictate who you are and what you have. To run your own business is to be innovative in problem-solving on an internal level. That internal work, always affects change on an external level, something our community desperately needs right now. Having your own business, your own mind, your own sense of self-gives a woman more stability in her identity foundation. We are often the ones who inspire change and encourage growth within the household, mostly by the words we use, but imagine if we led in our own way by example. That is the supportive leadership of a queen. When coupled with the leadership of a King, only positive growth can manifest in our community, one family at a time.

So many do not see the depth of art and the role it plays in African Americans/Blacks using creativity as their voice. More and more Black women are pursuing the art field and I wanted to have Sanese voice her opinion as she has hands-on experience with not only creating art but also doing art shows as well as selling her pieces.

The Media Report

by Jenise Wilson

T

oday many Podcast share the honor of becoming Americas’ great social influencers. It is a verbal platform for creative critics to tackle topics of issues of today and tomorrow. Most influencers tell stories and others simply use the platform for commentary reasons.

It was a pleasure interviewing Kayla White, a young beautiful woman from Newport News, Virginia who has recently launched her podcast, Note to Self. White has undergone many obstacles. Her podcast, Note to Self are fresh discussions of soul secrets. White speaks on topics that many people alter mentally, but never speak about because of insecurities. Her podcast differentiates the contents of understanding life as a hustle to survive. White addresses stepping stones such as; trusting the process, setting forth progressions, and allowing oneself to cut through the metamorphosis to become the beautiful butterfly one was created to be. It was an honor to speak with an intuitive influence. White is the oldest of five siblings and at an early age, she had to exercise her role in leadership. “My siblings are simply my world, they’re my reasons to keep pushing,” White says. Following that statement, White spoke about battling through issues with herself and she feels that inner emotions should be exposed. “I’ve thought about keeping

“I’ve thought about keeping everything to myself plenty of times, but keeping things bottled in, where does it actually get us?”

everything to myself plenty of times, but keeping things bottled in, where does it get us?” Many people talk about trusting the process, but no one speaks on

speaking about real life emotions and processions.” White

what we go through mentally while trusting the process. Whites’ choice of

further communicates with us how she would rather her

discussions are great, but the title is intriguing. White was asked why she

audience hear her voice. She wanted people to pay attention to

chose Note to self as a podcast title?

the message and not the way it was delivered. “And by the

“Dealing with sobriety many people wanted to know my story which was

sound of my voice, people will know that I’m not perfect. My

special because everyone took something different from each testimony. It

voice cracks; my words may fumble.” White wants people to

was something that they were able to grasp and take a note for self. It’s like

hear the rawness in her voice because she positions real

someone can speak in front of an audience and at the end, each will take

emotions throughout her podcast, but eventually, she will

something different from the speech. While thinking that, it was sort of an

branch off into other media outlets. A podcast gives an audience

epiphany type moment. That’s when Note to Self came to mind and it holds a

the chance to paint their own picture. In our younger days, we

significant amount of value. Because utilizing the podcast as a platform to

often view ourselves as something else other than what we

share my journey, I don’t expect everyone to take the same lesson. Everyone

actually become. Creating a podcast was something that White

will take something different and it is now a note to self,” White expresses.

did not see herself doing, but was not opposed to doing – once

White continued to specify her dealings with experiences and where her

the thought and time had presented itself. “It wasn’t an “Aha”

inspiration comes from. She finds her inspirations for topics coming at her

moment that I had, but one day I actually woke up and told

mostly when she’s going through a situation. Life is the greatest guru for

myself that I was going to start a podcast and I did. Once the

everyone. “What you take away from your milestones is your note to self,”

idea came to mind it was already created, after that — I just

White says. She has been receiving great feedback from peers as well as

needed a name and to take action.” White expresses her

outsiders – all elaborate on how well her work ethics are. “It’s an incredible

thoughts on life’s purpose as we wrapped things up. Note for

feeling when people reach out to tell me that my podcast has helped them seek

Self broadcasts on Anchor and Apple Podcast apps. White

clarity as to why they had to go through a situation. I am simply thrilled.” She

publishes her work biweekly, but only for right now. She has

articulates the circumstances that take place has a huge impact on individuals.

over two thousand listeners and has only been up and running

In the podcast, White speaks in depth about those challenges. She also speaks

for a few months. White plans to take her work to the next level.

about utilizing the podcast as her choice of platform. White chooses to do a

While wrapping up the interview, I asked white what advice

podcast because it’s more personal when one is listening to influence without

would she give to other women that had a passion to create? She

vision. “I didn’t want to do a YouTube channel just yet; I didn’t want people

responded, “There are many creators out there. The advice I

to reflect what I was trying to get across by paying attention to my

would give future innovators is to pray on the vision and do

background or my appearance. With me doing the podcast, you can set your

whatever your heart wants to explore.” Whatever one takes

environment — it’s like me coming to where you are

from that response is a note to self.

CAN SELF-CAREÂ BE SELF-SABOTAGE

BY MELINDA LUMPKIN I've been working in women's health my entire career and what I have noticed is that women are caretakers of everyone else but we are not caretakers of ourselves.

- DR. SHAUGHANASSEE

S

elf love, self-care, and holistic health alternatives seem to be at an all-time high amongst melanated women and it is a beautiful thing. More women are turning to self-awareness and natural remedies to heal themselves from mental and even physical trauma. This is a revolutionary movement in a society that has built big businesses around traditional healthcare and medicine. Women are becoming more conscious to the fact that medical procedures were developed before the importance of the female anatomy was acknowledged. These procedures are continually practiced based on industry standards and tradition. This is leaving women to feel skeptical toward professional medical attention and instead are taking wellness into their own hands.

Social media and the internet has birthed self-proclaimed healers that speak against healthcare standards surrounding childbirth, mental health, and sexual matters. Learning and taking personal responsibility for our healthcare is always a good choice but is this new found “woke” neglecting necessary tried and true healthcare? We turned to speaker and female health expert Dr. Shaughanassee Williams of HealthyHer for her opinion on this topic.

Dr. Shaughanassee is a Hampton Roads, Va Native and ODU alumni who has dedicated her entire medical career to women’s health by serving as a certified nurse midwife and advanced practice nurse. She launched her own private practice HealthyHer Women’s Center in 2016 to meet the medical need of today’s busy women.

Tell us about your journey in the medical field. What lead you to launch HealthyHer? Dr. Shaughanassee : I've been working in women's health my entire career and what I have noticed is that women are caretakers of everyone else but we are not caretakers of ourselves. I'm really a proponent for women knowing themselves, being an advocate for their health and just making sure that we are at our healthiest self because we cannot properly take care of other people if we do not take care of ourselves. Working in the traditional medical model has given me a lot of experience and exposure to women, but I have noticed that we don't really get a chance to focus on wellness. Areas like eating well, exercise, and stress management are things that we should do on a regular basis but we don't promote them as much as we should. Therefore, at HealthyHer, I want to be two things. I want to be holistic and wellrounded. We bring that wellness component back to women's health.

Our service is very intimate, just like you and I are having a conversation right now. I like to have these same type of conversations with our patients.

Yes I love your office, when I walked in I felt like I was going to meet someone that I could talk to, it's not like “OMG I don't want to tell my doctor this or, should I tell them about that”, I feel like I can come in here and have girl talk.

Dr. Shaughanassee : Exactly yes, I want to be personable because it is essential that I know everything about you so I could take the best care of you. I want people to be comfortable so that way they can divulge the truth and we can work to really help them where they are. We also want to provide an all-inclusive service that takes care of multiple things in one place. People don't talk to one another in the medical field, we have records in all kind of places. At HealthyHer we believe in a more convenient model that allows you to take care of multiple things at one location. This allows us to stay in the know about the overall wellness of our patients.

Innovation Versus Tradition Do you feel as if doctors are aware of the changing trends in the wellness industry? Are they evolving to meet the demands or holding strong on traditional care?

Dr. Shaughanassee : As a whole, yes. I think that the medical field is changing. Physicians, nurse practitioners, and different health care providers are moving towards a more integrative system, where we recognize that there is room to promote supplements, exercise, and more sleep. We realize that all of these things are important to women’s health. On the individual level it really just depends on the provider’s experience with new things. If they have not researched alternatives then they may not be comfortable prescribing certain things.

Women are becoming more skeptical of medical procedures that are used during childbirth. Due to information being shared online, women look at other options such as home births. What are your thoughts?

Dr. Shaughanassee : Women have the freedom of choice and I'm a proponent of that. However, women should at least consult with a professional. I'm not even my own medical provider. I have a medical provider. I can't diagnose myself. Home births are beautiful but it's for the right woman. Women who do not not have any medical concerns are good candidates but she won’t know that unless she consults with a health care provider that they trust and will listen to their views.

Do you think that the access to internet can lead to self sabotage when it comes to receiving proper care?

Dr. Shaughanassee : Yes, the internet is great. We are in an age where we have access to many great resources that were not available before.

That is a blessing and a curse because anyone can post anything and we do not know what their credentials are. We do not know what their experiences were. The internet is a tool like any other tool. You can use a hammer and nails to build but if you do not know how to use them, they are going to hurt you. In order to use the internet effectively, I’d advise to always go back and check your findings with a health care provider.

SELF-CARE AS A SAFE ALTERNATIVE

Currently women are becoming more aware of our health and wellness. Instead of going to our doctors, we are going online. We are doing our own research. What do you think about women seeking help from supplements?

Dr. Shaughanassee : I definitely think that everything has its place. I think medicine has its place and supplements have their place. Women just have to be well informed because every woman is made

differently. Every woman's health conditions are different. For example, a woman can be taking supplements and also taking medications. Unless she is well-informed, by talking to your healthcare provider some things may collide and actually cause further health problems. At times, we can get back to different herbs, food, and lifestyle changes, but other times, like say for instance, during extreme pain you may need medicine.

What is your opinion on Probiotics?

Dr. Shaughanassee : Probiotics have great benefits when looking at gut and vaginal health. When looking for a probiotic look at the amount of strands. If you are looking for probiotics to help with vaginal health ensure that it has lactobacillus acidophilus and it says that it is specifically for women’s health. I recommend Women’s Ultimate Flora.

Let’s talk about the infamous Yeast - Bacterial Vaginosis cycle. What are your thoughts on using over the counter remedies such as Boric Acid to balance out vaginal pH and cure these things?

Dr. Shaughanassee : It's tricky. I wouldn't recommend anyone to use it without talking to their health care provider first. Some women may have a negative reaction and no one wants to have a reaction "downthere". Bacterial Vaginosis is an imbalance and some natural things may restore the balance but it's important to determine what is causing the imbalance. Before taking anything there may be some lifestyle changes such as sex habits and hygiene that may need to be addressed with a health professional. Those lifestyle changes may in itself fix the issue.

Do you recommend using soap or feminine wash for vaginal cleaning?

Dr. Shaughanassee : Water works really well. The vagina is a selfcleansing organism. Of course you don't want to use something harsh but at the end of the day even mild soap is not normally down there. It’s foreign so your body still recognizes this is not your natural pH and it may get off balance. You can still use soap everywhere else, but just don't apply it down there. I tell people maybe stop applying it at the bottom of your abdomen so that way you are not tempted to put that rag too far down.

Birth control KillThePill With all of the current opinions surrounding the birth control pill, what is your stance?

Dr. Shaughanassee : Again, I know it may sound generic but it goes back to what we talked about earlier. Everything has a place, including birth control. I like to talk to women in detail about what their lives look like, what their goals are for pregnancy or pregnancy prevention. Some women don't even take the pill for those reasons. They have other health care conditions like menstrual concerns where birth control may be beneficial. I like to consult with each woman individually, look at the option, and give her a well-informed perspective. Then we can come up with the best decision for her.

TRENDING TOPIC What are your thoughts on the Self-Care movement as it pertains to the medical field?

Dr. Shaughanassee : This whole movement of self-care and of being aware, is good. It's leading women more into getting our health exams, eat better, and exercise. My only concern there is that we acknowledge what self care is. Vacations, looking good, and going to the nail salon is great. Those things can help with care and esteem but real self care includes getting your annual exams. We are now more open with our sexuality so it is important that we acknowledge and address things such as STDs and safe sex. We have to work on creating a more balanced view of self-care.

HealthyHer Women’s Center is located at 2147 Old Greenbrier Road Chesapeake, VA 23320. They accept multiple forms of health care insurance and even offer affordable payment options. Not only do they offer GYN services, but they also offer weight loss and spa services as well.

You can reach them by phone 757-306-1300 or email info@healthyherwomen.com For more information from Dr. S you can click here and follow her on Instagram @HealthyHerWomen or check out her website www.HealthyHerWomen.com

NARCISSE JAMES

COFFEE x HUSTLE

THE MILLENNIAL MEDIA PLUG

NARCISSE TALKS HAVING MORE FAITH THAN FEAR WHEN GOING AFTER YOUR CALLING

by Edishia Roundtree

“Standing alone doesn’t mean I am alone, it means I’m strong enough to handle shxt on my own.”

- KEVIN GATES

It was a cold day in February in Louisiana when Narcisse got the call that her father had passed away after being diagnosed with cancer.

Although things had been a little rough for her she knew it was time to pay homage to the hustler that made her. Before Mr. Holland returned home, Narcisse made a promise to her father that the next thing she tried she’d stick to and from that moment forward she knew it was time to manifest the life she always knew was destined for her.

Weird. Awkward. Loner. Troublemaker. These were a few words that could have been used to describe Narcisse as a teenager. Now it all makes sense that she was merely paving her path to be the innovator she is today- the reigning supreme in content creation, marketing, and brand strategy. If you’re on Instagram you probably know her page (@coffeexhustle) when you see one of those standout images scroll down your timeline. There was always nothing but standing room when Narcisse entered the building. She recalls that as a young girl she was always one that refused to conform to the norm.

If her life depended on conformity, well then CoffeexHustle would have never been birthed. When they wore cornrows, she had a roller wrap. She always got in trouble in school for bringing her favorite spiderman blanket. Then, Narcisse knew that she would be someone to take the path less traveled and be her own boss.

Although Narcisse knew that she’d account for her success someday, she initially took a more common route. With feeling nonstop pressure to attend college she enrolled at UL for marketing.

Dropped out! She went back home and decided to go to Cosmetology school. Dropped out! She thought she had enough passion in fashion to become a stylist. Nope! Wasn’t her lane either. She was all over the place. When her father (a renowned hustler) was diagnosed with cancer, Narcisse would visit him at the hospital every day and they would chat over coffee (which is where the name CoffeexHustle derived). It was in watching her father transition, that she knew something had to give and the Post Office wasn’t it.

COFFEE X HUSTLE When Narcisse had her son in 2015 she was working at Cox, selling cable in Walmart. She grew antisocial working in sales while pregnant so she decided to do something different. That was when she became a mail lady. Although she recalls her time at the post office to be a very trying time for her, it was where she met her fiance. “Something good came from my time there,” she states. The money was good, the hours sucked, life was decent, her fiance was better, she started back going to school, Narcisse was settled in okay. She then became pregnant with her second child. After taking some time off for her pregnancy she returned to work ready to get it out the mud because she had two children to care for now. But this time something was different.

Narcisse’s head wasn’t in the game anymore. So again, she took some time off from work. Little did she know her transition was near, after sitting in her room for months, mentally and physically drained she returned to work and had a panic attack. “Didn’t I tell you to quit this job. What do I have to do or say to make you quit this job? You are not listening to me.” Narcisse shares that these were the words she heard clear as day.

She left work, went to the hospital and was immediately placed on suicide watch.

They said she was unstable. After a little time, they released her on her own cognizance. Though not suicidal she called the suicide hotline because she felt she was in need of a little motivation.

They asked her if she was suicidal. She told them no and they stated she’d have to call back because the hotline was busy. It had already taken a lot of willpower for Narcisse to call the hotline in the first place, so to be told that she had to call back because she didn’t

want to kill herself was just the trigger she needed. At that moment she told herself that now was the time to make something of herself and get out of her way because no one was going to hold her hand. She cried non-stop for days, weeks until she had no tears left to cry. She prayed daily and asked the higher power to get her through this time. She had worked at the post office tirelessly for years watching others grow miserable and throw their lives away. She told her supervisor continuously that she knew she wasn’t going to be there long although he felt different.

Narcisse knew it was time to go and eventually she got up the courage to walk away.

After googling and non-stop research she learned about PR which was foreign in Louisiana. Through her research, she learned that although she was new to this, she was true to this. Everything had lead up to her becoming the Marketing Maven, Millennial Publicist and Badass Brand Strategist she is today. Great writer?

Check! Good communication skills?

Check! Good at networking? Check! PR was designed perfectly for Narcisse. She started to reach out to people, take on internships and through her mentor relationship with Trey Davenport, she was told that she’d be great at it.

Narcisse shares that there are many sides to her and she’s coming into this phase of her life where she is open to trying any and everything. “It’s nothing wrong with trying something then realizing you’re not good at it and reverting to your original path. There is no straight line to success and if you never try, you’ll never know.”

The millennial plug states that it was in removing all the noise and listening to the messages that had been there all along that lead her to follow through.

What do you love most about being in this industry?

Being able to give birth to something.

Creating something from scratch, nourishing it and watching it come to life like a baby. Joy comes from that process.

What is your proudest moment thus far?

I recently signed a client that I was very fond of when I first started the

CoffeexHustle instagram page. She was one of the first people I followed and reached out to, to work with. Although, she kind of brushed me off at the time I had my mind set that we would work together someday. And now, a year later I manifested that.

How do you get past the No’s?

I’m confident in that every seed I plant will eventually bloom even if its a whole year later. I always strive to make a lasting impression because I know they will never forget you as long as you make them remember you.

What’s your advise to millennials when it comes to pitching themselves?

You have to ensure when you pitch yourself, their mission is directly aligned with what it is you want to do. You may not always be a fit. Just because there is clout or a large following it won’t always work. A lot of times we attach ourselves to people and brands that outside of social media may not be what its hyped up to be.

Get a copy of their editorial calendar or media kit so that you will know what they are looking for. Before reaching out know when it may be most relevant to your brand because you will have a better chance of being heard.

Do you feel there are any challenges you face as a black woman in the industry?

How do you overcome those challenges?

Clients having unrealistic expectations.

They expect significant results right away.

I have to remind them that its a process and hard work must be done before reaching out to larger platforms. They also have to realize that small outlets are just as essential as larger ones. We may look over smaller outlets because their small but that may be where our target audience is.

What are your tips to someone that may be transitioning?

Keep it real with yourself! Know what you are qualified for and not qualified for.

Identify what you are best at. Be confident and believe it. Work without believing in yourself is dead. Determine what keeps your good vibes flowing. I listen to Gates all the time because I feel like he is speaking affirmations to me.

4 female's in finance

by Melinda Lumpkin

Social media can be intoxicating and manipulate you into comparison mode when you see all the picture perfect people your age that seem to have it all together. The latest Fashion Nova wardrobe, nice whip, and things you can’t afford. Meanwhile you are just trying to stretch your stash of Ramen noodles to the next period. First off, half of the things you see on social media is fake. I know it’s hard to believe since everyone seems to be living their best life but it’s true. Social media is only a tiny snapshot of someones lifestyle and doesn’t accurately reflect their financial status.

Secondly, you are not alone. We are right here in the struggle with you.

Instead of admiring "insta-celebs" put some real motivation on your timeline. We have found 4 women that are keeping it real about finance and sharing their lessons learned and personal journey to help others gain a healthy relationship with money and get out of debt. Find one that relates to you most, simply click on their picture and follow.

FINANCE

JENNIFER M. JACKSON ADLT 101

KARA STEVENS FRUGAL FEMINISTA

Jennifer is a millennial transition coach that cracked the code

Kara was able to claw her way out of 40k worth of debt and

to adulting and got ahead of student loans and debt. She

launched the Frugal Feminista blog to show a transparent side

created ADLT 101 as the resource that she wishes she had

of personal finance management.

along her journey.

TIA FINANCIALLY FIT + FAB Tia launched financially fit and fab to help millennials

STACEY FLOWERS STACEYFLOWERS.COM

navigate their way to financial freedom. She has 8 years of

Drowning in debt? You are not alone and Stacey Flowers is

experience in the finance industry specializing in personal

here to show and encourage you. This lifestyle and finance

banking, student loans and investing. Not only does her blog

blogger uses her platform to show you her journey to pay back

provide tips she is also available to hold you accountable.

over 200,000 in debt.

DIVINE

ORDER

Krystal Phillips puts her money where her mouth is when fate takes the lead and drives her through to her lifes mission.

I KNEW IT WAS TIME WHEN I GOT THAT UNEXPECTED PHONE CALL Cover Feature written by/ Photography: Edishia Roundtree Makeup: @BritniBelle Hair: Shaylon's Retreat Wardrobe: Epitome Beautique

I REMEMBER AS A YOUNG GIRL IT WOULD ALWAYS BOTHER ME WHEN WE WENT TO THE BEAUTY SUPPLY STORE AND THESE PEOPLE NEVER LOOKED LIKE ME. I DIDN'T REALIZE UNTIL NOW THAT MARKED THE FOUNDATION.

T

SHIRT: (click to order) EPITOME BEAUTIQUE ALBUM: SOLANGE (A Seat At Tthe Table) MAKEUP: @BRITNEBELLE

he sun rays shine through the blinds early morning

It’s cloudy out, the rough winds in the atmosphere signal that

as she gets ready for work. Preparing baby girl for

a storm may be near, it was just another day in the neighborhood,

another day without her after 2 months of being

nevertheless, they made their periodic trip. Little Krystal in tow,

back to the daily grind from maternity leave. It was just another

left arm raised as she holds tightly to her mother's hand,

day for a wife, new mother and Corporate employee, Krystal

anxiously walking to keep up, they enter the screeching door of

Phillips when she (amongst others) got that phone call. That

the beauty supply store down the street from their Galveston, Tx

unexpected phone call! The phone call that served as

home. Striding through the store with caution, head turning back

confirmation for what God had been signaling to her for a while.

and forth until finally, her eyes land upon this woman with pale

Moments were leading up to this where she had received that tap

skin and small eyes, she glanced curiously (like always) staring

on the shoulder, that dream late at night that came to visit every

down the cashier with inquiring eyes attempting to understand

now and again- that entrepreneurial itch which led her to research

why they were in this store, with people that looked unfamiliar to

business ventures, that to her surprise, later revealed its purpose.

her, purchasing products for her, a little black girl. As she arrived

But like many of us may know all too well, she found herself

home, time was of the essence so they got straight to it. It was

stuck in the day to day grind. Krystal worked profusely while

the same ole’ routine. With her head bowed, teeth grinding and

maintaining stellar performance for 11 years, although never

eyes scrunched, little Krystal was getting ready to undergo a

quite satisfied, she couldn’t quite ignite the courage to walk away

transition of a lifetime. Little did she know this was the defining

from what she presumed was her security net. As if that

moment for what later served as the foundation for “Epitome

call wasn’t enough confirmation for her, during the countless

Beautique”, your one-stop shop and overall black girl magic

hours, days and weeks spent researching entrepreneurship and

experience for all things beauty and fashion.

“how to start a business”, Krystal was led right back to her roots.

CULTURE

GRIND MODE With no time to waste, her backbone supporting her every

Blood, sweat, and tears! These were the words that

step of the way and a daughter to not only care for but also

could be used to describe what took place in a matter of 4

set an example for, Krystal initiated grind mode to the max.

months. Long days, sleepless nights, juggling motherhood,

While others may take time to fret and mourn what may be

preparing build out, reaching out to vendors, securing

considered a significant loss, the day she got the news that

accounts, not securing accounts, denial, rejection, door

her career was no longer her career she instantly got to

slams, trial and error and still trying to figure it all out,

work. Krystal was usually a worrier and sometimes felt

she let faith lead the way as she put some action behind her

nervous or anxious. As if things couldn’t be even more

prayers and in a matter of 4 months Epitome was open for

challenging for her during this term, as a new mother and

business. Now, let’s put this in context: Krystal was laid off

wife, she knew spending time in despair wasn’t an option.

in July, negotiating her lease in August, and on the 17th

Considering she had already begun the process of learning

day of December, her dreams were now her reality.

the ins and outs of opening a beauty supply store, she was

Krystal accounts for her husband being her backbone

already ahead of the game when it was time to put her

now more than ever during this process. She shares that, if

money where her mouth was. Loan? Nope! Hand out? From

you have a partner while going through your journey of

where!? Krystal was getting ready to navigate new territory

entrepreneurship their backing or lack thereof could make

blind with no roadmap but she knew she had no choice but

or break. Fortunately for the couple, a new and admirable

to figure it out. After 11 years of service, savings and

side of him was exposed and became everything she didn’t

severance pay she spent her hard earned dollars to fund

know what she would need during this new phase of her

what she was called to do.

life.

TAKE

BACKThe

BLOCK

There is this stigma that follows black women (and men) that we are incapable of achieving anything worth obtaining. We represent undeserving neighborhoods, ran through communities and runaway slaves. Although, non-black people would instead look at us as violent monkey’s, welfare junkies and hoodrats, what they forget to acknowledge is the real power of broke along with the African American buying power.

lack Enterprise recently projected Black Buying Power to

And with there being a slight increase of black-owned beauty supply

reach 1.1trillion, however, a report from Nielsen identifies

stores they are watchful though barely wary of this. Krystal recalls being

that we are currently responsible for 1.2 trillion. While this

told she needed to be in business a year before she can open an account.

is a large number and a grappling statistic, we must be mindful of the

The irony in this is how can you be in business with no product. They will

context at which this number is being used. This number identifies the

intentionally make it challenging for you to procure products, spike their

manner in which African Americans are spending their money, not

prices to prevent you from purchasing, tell you they have to visit your

making. On the other hand, hair care is a billion dollar industry, thanks

store before you can open an account and refuse to initiate any level of

to us. Taking this into consideration, we as black women represent the

satisfactory customer service because they are convinced that we need

majority of consumers while we are barely accounting for even the

them in this industry. Truth is, in the current state we’re in. We do!

smallest percentage of those offering these products. This fact should

I witnessed, while on the set of the cover, two Korean women walked

be enough to change the current state of black-owned businesses.

in Epitome Beautique while they were noticeably closed. Nevertheless,

Krystal states, “Black women are responsible for over 90% in revenue

Krystal continued with her immaculate customer service, greeted the

in the industry, it only makes sense that we have a larger presence on

women and asked if she could assist in any way, although they were

the other side as well.”

closed. They remained silent and continued to walk about her store, pick

While entrepreneurship is on the rise and black women are

up products, analyze and take notes of brands and categories. Krystal

currently accounting for the fastest growing group we still have a long

shares that it was nothing new. People come into her store on almost a

way to go. Especially in the beauty industry. It's no surprise that on

daily basis to do research and attempt to take pictures of products. These

just about every corner of the ghetto and “not so ghetto” there is a

people are ‘shooketh’ because they know that we bring something to the

beauty supply owned by a Korean or Chinese American. More

market that they don’t and the more black women enter this industry

specifically they own over 70% of the beauty supply stores in the

opposite side consumer, they face decreased customers.

country. Why is this? Cleary this is due to their unlimited resources

Though to date, no shortage of challenges and no mentor, Krystal

and direct ties to China and Korea where hair extensions and products

continually reminds herself that there is a bigger picture. Epitome is

are primarily produced. They have a monopoly in the market.

bigger than her and she knows regardless she can’t give up, therefore, she

“As black women, we are the majority consumers in the beauty

must push through and remain determined. Which is her proudest

industry, however, we barely hold a share in the market when it comes

moment thus far. The ability to not cave, stay strong and remember that

to distribution and that in itself is a problem. We need to have a more

she worked too hard and has come too far to give in. Knowing she’s

significant presence and not only in the retail aspect but we need to get

changing the image, making a difference in the life of every little black

involved in manufacturing and distributing as well.”

girl that walks in her store, sees her face and not having to experience

With this, they maintain direct and indirect power when it comes to

what she recalls from her childhood.

African Americans building in this industry. They are fully aware that

A jewel that will never leave her is, “It’s overcoming the moment

we are their target audience and primary source of income, it's no

where you are ready to quit that you make it. So stay strong and Never

secret why they are positioned strategically where they are.

Quit!”

B

EPITOME

“The definition of epitome is the perfect example of something,”

e·pit·o·me

ˈ

/ə pidəmē/ noun

Krystal explains the story behind the name. “When I think in terms of beauty, style, and sophistication, I believe that women of color embody that. When something is the perfect example of something, it is the model for others to copy which concerning cultural appropriation we see this every day.

People are always trying to replicate though they can never be the original.”

SEPTEMBER 2018 VISIT HERIMAGE.ORG

pass a few other stores to get there but if it is important to you like it rom the moment I pulled into the lot, it was

is important to me I would rather you go spend your money with our

clear that a woman of color owns the store.

sister.” Krystal states as we chat about the importance of black

You couldn’t help but noticed the big signs

women supporting black women. We have to neglect the theory that

of women of color with natural hair

we can not support one another. We have to intentionally spend our

F

E

plastered on the windows. When I walked

money with each other. More often than not people start businesses

in, I couldn’t help but smell the serenading

as passion projects that later produce profits. This is why it is

scent of essential oils in the air as India

important to shop with small business owners because you are

Arie played in the background. As I walked

supporting their livelihood. This is not to say that it is all about the

through the store in awe at this beautiful and intimate set up I could

money. However, why shop with people that do not have your best

not help but notice, stop, and stare in admiration at this wall. All I

interest at heart when you can spend your money somewhere that is

could think to myself was, “Powerful!” Lauryn Hill. Solange.

mission-driven.

Michelle Obama. Angela Davis. Erykah Badu. Janelle Monae. The

Phillips plans to start a nonprofit organization where she can

list goes on. The back wall of the store, directly across from the

share the knowledge that she has gained during her journey while

entrance was the black girl wall of fame! WOW! I was indeed in

also supporting other black women in business. She aspires to

paradise.

continue to encourage women to challenge the status quo, break

down barriers and take on positions of power in any and every industry so that they may pave the way for little black girls to come.

With her husband by her side, every step of the way and her daughter

I AM NOT MY HAIR I AM NOT THIS SKIN I AM NOT YOUR EXPECTATIONS, NO I AM NOT MY HAIR I AM NOT THIS SKIN I AM THE SOUL THAT LIVES WITHIN - INDIA ARIE

It is essential for Krystal to provide an experience at her

beautique. Which is why it isn’t your typical beauty supply store.

You can shop for apparel, get your makeup done, co-work and

network at Epitome Beautique. Phillips is also very strategic about providing only quality products that are natural and service our

particular texture of hair. She intentionally seeks out and offers

opportunities to those that manufacture products locally to position

their products in her store. Phillips believes that it is essential for us to not only support but also intentionally and purposefully

collaborate to directly impact the state of the culture. Knowing that the people that possess a significant portion of this industry are intentionally making it difficult has become motivation for Phillips to lift as she climbs.

“I will point you in the direction of another beauty supply store that is a couple of miles down the road and yeah you may have to

watching her every move she has enough determination and motivation to see through to her dreams and she points out that it is crucial for you to identify your why FIRST! She believes that our generation holds untapped potential that we need to dig deep and manifest to ensure the future of our tomorrow. Phillips wants us to learn from her mistakes, get a mentor if we can, support our sisters, do our research and lastly,

SHOW DON'T SAY!

SEPTEMBER 2018 VISIT HERIMAGE.ORG

TRAVEL + TRANSFORM On The Road To Self-preservation

by Edishia Roundtree

“It was time for me to release the bondage and live life my way.”

- DIANE WESH

“It was time for me to release the bondage and live life my way.”

So she just booked her flight because she knew it was no turning around after that.

Since going on her first solo backpacking trip in Europe and the Middle-East, she has vowed to continue on this journey to exposing her most authentic self. Diane shares that she had never felt more alive than she feels when she travels. Diane isn’t ANTIMEN she’s just come to learn that the “traditional” lifestyle wasn’t so traditional for her. “Women are often so domesticated and defined by external factors are attachments. I don’t need a man. I’ve lived that life where I expected marriage and more. I’ve had several relationships, my share of both good and bad. But now I have free-will.” Formerly identifying as a woman that did feel as though they needed someone, it was through traveling that she regained confidence and realized she didn’t need anyone except herself to define herself.

ometimes the road less traveled is the road worth traveling. When

S

you spend 20 plus years of your life with your head down doing what’s expected of you, you don’t realize that you’re losing so much of yourself. High school. College. 9-5. Marriage. Children. 401k. This was the plan that was laid out for Diane Wesh before she could even grasp the concept of living on her own. Though she conceded, had a boyfriend, went on to college and obtained her master's degree she always knew this wasn’t the path she was meant to travel. Nevertheless, she just wanted to make her parents proud. Until the day came where she had, had enough of living her life on someone else’s terms. She put in her two-week notice and told her parents she was moving to Alaska. Although this was the life Diane had dreamed of living, it was still difficult for her to leave since her parents were immigrants from Haiti and were convinced she was throwing her life away.

“At 2 am in the morning, lying in bed, staring in the dark who is that person you are wishing you are.”

What is your favorite destination? Least We had a chance to chat with Diane Wesh to learn the in’s and out’s of her travels and how she is using her platform to promote self-care: Why do you travel?

"Traveling keeps me open-minded. I believe education doesn’t stop after college. I love to immerse myself in other cultures. I went to the middle-east and broke bread with the Islamic Community. Through my travels, I have learned that the world isn’t as scary as its made out to be. It’s quite liberating and you will see when you go on your first solo trip."

How do you go about picking the places you travel to? Is it strategic?

"One of my friends played basketball overseas. I told her, wow Ireland looks amazing. She said it is you should come visit. Within a week I booked my flight.

Today, when I take Ubers and visit places I ask people to name a country that I’ve probably never heard of and I take notes."

How are you applying your degree today considering you are not using it in the traditional sense?

"If you want to go to college to be extremely successful and get a job, college isn’t always the route depending on what you want to do.

I believe college is more of an experience. I don’t necessarily use my degree directly but it has helped mold me into the woman I am today. For example, I met a lot of human rights activist in the middle east and we can share conversations that others may not be able to."

How do you pay for your travels?

I am incredibly open-minded and resourceful. Stay somewhere temporarily, stack some money and go to the next place.

favorite?

Alaska is my favorite because I’m an outdoors person. I climb, hike and just love immersing myself in nature.

Ireland was my least favorite because of where I was. I’m not a city person. The real Ireland fish and chips are so good though.

What is your next destination?

New Zealand & Australia You can get a Work Holiday Visa for one year if you’re under the age of 30. You just move to the country and work. #1 Tip to someone interested in traveling more?

Just Do It. You’ll never be ready.

What would you say to 16 yr old “Diane” stuck between deciding to go to college and pursuing a less common career like traveling the world?

Be Yourself. In a world that is always trying to duplicate others, be authentic.

Couch Surfing app- Similar to airbnb except its free. You learn about another culture and connect with locals and you compensate them with returning the favor but for example, if they cook for you, you wash the dishes. It's a great experience.

Coolworks.com- Seasonal jobs all over the world. Most of those jobs will give you lodging for really cheap.

TAMEÂ YOUR SWEET TOOTH & Turn your passion into profits.

by Michelle Wynn

Do you have a sweet tooth that needs to be tamed? Look no further! Founder and creator of CupCookieBerry, Maya Moore has mastered those sweet guilty pleasures we all have!

Maya's inspiration for her business came from her feeling uninspired by her career of choice, which is in financial operations. Before college, she enjoyed life as a creative and once she started her career she grew frustrated with the fact that her creative side wasn't being put to use. Although Maya doesn't regret majoring in finance, she expressed that she felt she was far too creative to be in such a mundane career path.

Maya began tackling the kitchen around the age of 11. As far as cake decorating, she's always been the type to find alternative ways to have multiple streams of income. She described the birth of her business as "bizarre" since it came as a dream, however, it was the perfect combination of three things that she loves; designing, creating and baking all in one.

From that moment on her mind was made up and she was all in. From investing in online virtual cake seminars to watching tons of videos Maya wanted to know any and everything it was to know. She surprisingly received a lot of support from family, friends and social media. Cupcookieberry was a cute quirky way of saying that she does it all- cupcakes, cookies, and chocolate dipped strawberries. She had been recently contemplating on a name change because her focus and specialty has shifted to custom cakes.

Over the past two years, it has been quite a learning experience for Maya and her business.

From long nights, trial and errors and with her many mishaps she has stood tall through it all.

She didn't forget to mention to shout out her amazing fiancĂŠ for his support, being her number one fan and helping her keep a clean workspace as she goes alone. She plans to continue to grow her business, build a great website and expand on what Cupcookieberry

MAYA MOORE CUPCOOKIEBERRY

will offer as time and funding permits.

Maya encourages everyone to do whatever it is that they are passionate about and if they are unsure of what their passion is, try everything! She adds, "You may be pleasantly surprised at your untapped potential and hidden talents!"

MONEY MOVES

THE

下⼀步⾏

NEXT MOVE

A

lthough we have made some significant moves, my trip to China showed me that we have so much more to conquer and it is going to take collaboration to get it done.

- MELINDA LUMPKIN

PRETTY & PRODUCTIVE

I

had the opportunity to take a business trip to China for the Canton Fair. It was nothing short of amazing and opened my eyes to the state of business for black women in the beauty industry. With the help of social media and the internet, black women have added hustle, and built big businesses in the beauty industry. Whether it’s selling hair, selling lashes, or owning a salon, black women all over the US are doing their thang. Although we have made some major moves, my trip to China showed me that we have so much more to conquer and it is going to take collaboration to get it done.

After 17 long hours of flying and the most awkward 30 minute car ride, I arrived at the Nan Yang Royal Hotel in Guangzhou, China. I was quickly humbled when I realized that no one spoke english, like not one person. Yea, so needless to say, the majority of my trip involved playing charades to try to communicate with the locals. Guangzhou, like all of China is extremely over populated. Everything is crowded, and there is always a line so pushing, shoving, and horn honking is a part of the daily experience when maneuvering around the city but it’s all a norm for them. No one gets upset about literally being pushed onto the subway by a crowd of people or honked at while they are peddling their bike across the street inches away from oncoming traffic. It’s just a part of their vibe. Their culture is aggressive and direct so when they do translate what they are saying into english it comes off as rude. Despite all of this I still felt safe. It seemed as if they don’t mean any harm, they just don’t have time to keep it cute.

On day one I woke up at 6 am to catch the bus to the Canton Fair.

The Canton Fair is one of the world’s largest trade shows where importers and exporters gather to showcase their newest innovations in all industries from electronics to beauty. It takes place twice a year, is broken down into three phases, and attracts over 300,000 buyers and exhibitors per phase. So of course I thought I was making big moves traveling to an event of this caliber right. This place was huge, according to my fitbit I walked 4 miles while I was there and I doubt I saw even half of the booths. I wouldn’t trade the experience for the world but I have to be honest and say the Canton fair is for the big girls.

By Big Girls I mean companies who have 10K-100K to spend on inventory because the exhibitors there are accustomed to placing large orders in order to provide products at low prices per piece. I was able to make some great connections and map out some long term strategies but there were not any good human hair suppliers there. There was only one hair company there called MerryLight and the units they had on display looked like cheap beauty supply store wigs. This told me that although hair vendors are all the rage on instagram they still have a long way to go in terms of big business and major exporting. It also threw a wrench in my plans because I planned to go to the fair, find more hair vendors, then spend a few days touring factories.

I was quickly humbled when I realized that no one spoke english, like not one person.

Yea, so needless to say, the majority of my trip involved playing charades to try to communicate with the locals.

collaborate with other black female entrepreneurs in the hair industry. We don’t realize it but our lack of unity is making them big bucks. If we do not collaborate they will surely wipe us out and continue to sell direct to consumer.

INDUSTRY INSIDERS Not So Secrets that black women need to know about this industry: We are winning small battles but losing the war at conquering our piece of this multi billion dollar industry. Most of us are actually dealing with the middle man disguised as a manufacturer. Guangzhou is a huge city and due to environmental issues there is no actual hair factories in that area. This means if you are doing business with anyone in that area they are a part of the sales department. They have no real pull when it comes to pricing and sourcing. Most of them have never even seen a factory. They are simply sales representatives that do and say what they are told.

All hair in China is not the same.

Marketing in the hair industry is borderline manipulations. A lot of terms are created and thrown around with lose meanings in order to simplify the thought process and make a quick sale. Instead of trying to explain all the details, manufactures will just say this is good and that

DIVINE ORDER Luckily, divine order was working in my

diamond in the rough company that I

favor because while taking a break from

discovered from some extensive research.

working the fair grounds I connected with

This was an entire different experience

some people that were very familiar with

than visiting the market. It was more of a

the area and hair market in Guangzhou.

business meeting than a madhouse. The

On day two I tackled catching the Subway

company owners sent car service directly

for my first time and they took me down to

to my hotel and I was welcomed into a

the African district, what locals call the

board room instead of a crowded room

market. It was an eye opening experience

full of hair dealers like at the market. I

and suddenly things started to make sense.

was able to sit down with the company

After visiting about 10 different

leaders, ask detail questions about

vendors in the market I realized that most

manufacturing, and build solid

of them were just middle men and not

relationships. I was introduced to the

attached to any particular manufacturing

entire staff from sales team to

factory. They were willing to negotiate but

manufacture manager. They were

ultimately they were just quick talking

very knowledgeable and did not flinch

sales representatives. The prices were

during my interrogation like the sellers

bomb and some of the hair was OK but

down at the market. They were not very

none of it stood a chance next to the hair

open to negotiating prices unless I was

I had already been sourcing. My years of

willing to purchased 20 or more kilograms

experience with hair extension really paid

at a time.

off. I was able to weed through the bull,

They stood firm behind their prices

confirm things that I already knew, and

based on quality. I did not have much to

gain a more realistic view on the industry

bargain with because I knew from

as a whole.

experience and by seeing the alternative

On the third day I was able to meet

options at the market that they were

with the manufacturer that I had been

telling the truth about their product vs the

working with for years and another

competition. I left feeling accomplished

is bad. They will do that in whatever way they have to say it in order to get their prospect to buy and buy now. The language barrier also plays a part into this confusion. It is often said that all hair from China is low quality. That is not true. Most of the hair being marketed to us via Instagram, WhatsApp and in our email is low quality from the Asian hustlers at the market but it’s different levels to it throughout China.

DID YOU KNOW?

but also feeling obligated to inform and

Photography by Kevin O.

HER IMAGE MAGAZINE | 41

HERE ARE MY TIPS TO AVOID HIT OR MISS HAIR EXTENSIONS.

BONUS- DOWNLOAD THESE APPS

If a company is spamming you to make a sale, they are not a direct manufacturer.

Colored bands around bundles are used to mark the quality. Gold is the lowest, then silver, then black. To stay on the safe side, avoid companies that offer various grades of hair. They can’t be trusted.

NAVIGATE THE TERRAIN WITH NO ISSUES:

Never settle for hair that smell like cornchips , has tons of grey and short hair mixed into the bundle, and thin ends. It may look good now but after 2-3 months and washing it will mat and tangle.

Express VPN: The apps that we commonly

Don’t waste your time buying vendor list. These list that are

use like Instagram, Facebook, and all Google

floating around contain the contact information of middle men and

Apps do not work in China due to the

sales representatives. The head honcho at these companies are not

firewall. Downloading Express VPN in

easily accessible by people that have never been to China.

advance will allow you to use these apps

Overall, I feel like the trip was well worth it and the experience I

while you are there.

gained added so much value and credibility to my brand. I learned alot but the only thing that can take my company and other small black owned companies like mine to the next level is money. We need money to gain more respect from big manufacturing companies because right now they see us simply as retail customers. The only companies that are willing to lower their prices for us are the ones with low quality hair. The companies with legit product know the game and

DiDi: This is the Chinese version of UBER

are not budging on price. Large manufacturing companies in China

and it is a lifesaver because taxis can easily

are experts at marketing and selling hair to us. We need more

tell that you are a foreigner and over charge

representation on the manufacturing end of this industry. They know

you for a taxi ride. DiDi will give you a fare

our every move because we are purchasing from them in small

price and tell you in advance just like

amounts. They are able to put their sales teams on instagram to

UBER.

monitor our moves, steal our pictures, and sell the same quality product for lower prices than we can. Basically they are our suppliers and our competition. The only way that we can change that is to buy back the block. The next move for black women building brands in this industry is to collaborate. They will always win at this game unless we collaborate and put our equity together. We have to spend enough money with them that makes it more valuable for them to stop selling direct to consumer and work directly with companies only.

LET’S COLLABORATE & CONQUER TIPS THAT CAN HELP YOU PLAN YOUR TRIP Have at least one company scheduled to meet with ahead of time.

Explore Guangzhou: This app will help you navigate the subway which is also heaven sent because Guangzhou is huge. Asking vendors which subway line and stop are they near will help you navigate to them.

Ask them exactly where their factory is at and if you will be able to tour it. Some companies in Guangzhou have factories in location that require another flight to reach.

Take feminine wipes and tissue with you. Public restrooms do not have tissue and they do not have regular toilets. They have basically a hole in the floor. Yes, it is as gross as it sounds so be prepared because you will do a lot of traveling and will not be able to hold it until you return to your hotel.

The water is not safe to drink so keep bottle water with you and

WeChat: This is like Facebook messenger in

never drink from the faucets.

China. It is how everyone communicates. It

Don’t be afraid to venture off and network with in reason. I

also works in the states so you can use it to

traveled completely alone and meet unexpected connections by

keep in contact with the connects that you

using social media. Make the most of your trip.

make while in China.

Be prepared to purchase hair while you are there even if it is a small amount. This will cut out the shipping and money transaction fees that you encounter while ordering from the states.

THE BLACK WOMAN'S PLACE IN THEÂ FEMINIST MOVEMENT - Sasha Mitchell

"I’ve always defined myself as a Black Woman."

Not just a woman. My femininity is not independent of my blackness. I’m not a woman without being black. The two are not mutually exclusive.

This is because the first thing people notice about me is my blackness, followed by me being female. I’ve always felt like I’ve had a responsibility to the black community first and foremost. I rarely focused on my femininity.

T

hat’s because growing up, society continued to remind me that because of my darker complexion I should feel inferior, nevermind the fact that I was a girl. There was so much complexity that came with my skin color, I couldn’t possibly focus on my gender and the bias that came along with it!

As a little black girl, I enjoyed what other little girls did. Tea parties, Barbies, you name it, I was a pink obsessed and princess loving girly girl. In the 90s little black girls could walk down and choose a black Barbie. The ONE and only black Barbie that every black little girl had. One day, my grandmother took me to the gigantic American Girl store Downtown Chicago to choose whatever I wanted! Of course, I wanted the girl who resembled me, but during that time American Girl offered only one black doll, Abby, who was a slave. We didn’t have a rock star doll or the teacher. Just Abby. The point I’m making is, that there was content in just offering the bare minimum for black girls. As these black girls blossomed into

women, they would run into the same issues. Black women in the U.S. are paid 21% less than white women. Black women are paid 61 cents to the dollar of non-Hispanic white men. Again, bare minimum with the expectancy of contentment. It wasn’t until I started my career in Corporate America at 22 years old that I’d be introduced to sexism. The prejudice discrimination against me because of my gender. It feels like my entire life I’ve dealt with indirect and direct racism. I’ve been given the “you’ve got to work twice as hard,” pep talk that most black parents give their children in school. I knew about the intense police relations in my community, but what I wasn’t prepared for was the discrimination that comes along with being a woman. In fact, about one year ago I remember meeting the CEO of a company at an event and him directly telling me in the middle of a discussion around other men, “Wow, you’re a lot hotter in person than on the phone.” That same night talking amongst a different group of corporate white men, I was asked, “ So... is this your first big girl job?” Call me crazy, but had I been a man I highly doubt the outcome would’ve been the same. Sexism and balancing my woman-

hood in the corporate world...now this was new!

Back in January of 2016, I witnessed the Women’s March shortly after Trump’s Inauguration, but I didn’t feel a sense of pride. I felt conflicted. I felt like I had to choose. I had to choose between and femininity and my blackness (which no one should have to do). After learning that 53% of white women voted for Trump, and watching the same women who shared his moral beliefs march the streets of DC intensely “fighting” for women’s rights, I couldn’t affiliate myself with this feminist movement. Where did I fit in?

Why couldn’t I embrace my womanhood marching along with the other women? Their agenda wasn’t my agenda, there was no comradery. But I was a woman too...wasn’t I? My discomfort led me to do more research. I started to read and watch docu-series about the women’s rights movement in the 60s and the Suffrage Movement. Even back then, it was evident that is had always been this way. Women of color have always been “left out” of the movement. It was almost like we weren’t in fact women.

History has taught us that white feminists' early failures to embrace black women in the Suffrage Movement set a standard for future decades of exclusion making it difficult to join them in solidarity years later. How do you integrate race, class, and gender? I found myself questioning this new, social media driven, trendy feminist movement. I couldn’t relate. Many of us can't.

A feminist is just someone who supports or believes in the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.

Arguably the groundwork of the feminist movement was demonstrated through the Civil Rights movement first, with organizations such as The Black Panthers.

We saw courage, pride, and beauty, from black women paving the way for other conscious women to take action everywhere. Black women were creating entities of their feminist movements with organizations such as, The Black Women’s Liberation Committee, and Black Sisters United, one of the few women

organizations that openly supported different sexual orientations at the time. Black women were the voice of reason, we always have been.

The Women’s March was the largest coordinated protest in U.S. history and one of the largest in world history. The march was led by activists Tamika Mallory (a black woman), Carmen Perez (a latina woman), and Linda Sarsour (a Muslim woman). We have birthed and

"I felt conflicted. I felt like I had to choose. I had to choose between my femininity and my blackness." organizations that openly supported different sexual orientations at the time. Black women were the voice of reason, we always have been.

The Women’s March was the largest coordinated protest in U.S. history and one of the largest in world history. The march was led by activists Tamika Mallory (a black woman), Carmen Perez (a latina woman), and Linda Sarsour (a Muslim woman). We have birthed and raised generations in this country. We have always been the center change, and there is no change unless we take part. Stand in that strength, and know that you belong and drive the feminist movement.

Thank you, Shirley Chisholm. Thank you, Nina Simone. Thank you, Oprah Winfrey. Thank you, Aileen Hernandez. Thank you, Tarana Burke.

Thank you, Tamika Mallory, Carmen Perez, and Linda Sarsour. Thank you, Alice Walker. Thank you, Ida B. Wells. Thank you Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi. Thank you, Assata Shakur. Thank you, Dr. Maya Angelou. Thank you Kathleen Cleaver. Thank you Audre Lorde. Thank you to the many more Black Women activists who dedicated their lives to be that change.

BLACK WOMEN, YOU DON’T NEED PERMISSION AND YOU ABSOLUTELY DO NOT HAVE TO CHOOSE ONE OVER THE OTHER.

EMBRACE YOUR BLACKNESS AND EMBRACE YOUR FEMININITY!

HER TRIBE BOOK CLUB

THE BOOK THAT WILL MAKE YOU TRASH ALL YOUR MARKETING BOOKS As a loyal social media stalker of Alex Wolf, I must admit that this will be a well deserved but slightly biased review of her first book Resonate. Being a consumer of all things personal development, branding, and marketing, I can say that this read eliminates the need for 80% of the marketing books that are being marketed to you right now. Alex wolf figured out the formula to create a viral brand and "beehive" level following while building Boss Babes. Yup, that word that you’ve seen plastered all over social media and remixed to create many of the pretty brands that are taking over on IG, um huh, yea, she did that!

In the book, she takes you on a ride of how she started that brand that quickly grew to over 1 million followers in one year. She also explains why after gaining what most would consider success on social media she walked away from the Boss Babe brand to become a writer.

If you are an entrepreneur, creator, or artist, you more than likely have a message to share but may not know how to get an audience to listen. You feel intimidated by all the competition and the fact that everyone is now a perfectly branded influencer. You think if I could just go viral or just get more followers all my prayers will be answered. You are stressing out wondering if you just need to jump on the bandwagon and try to copy the Kardashian clan doing whatever it takes to get some sort of attention.

You've consumed tons of content from so many influencers teaching you how and when to post but you are still desperate to see results. This may not be your case but if you are anything like me and feel puzzled that the social strategy this is a must read. Alex gives all the answers and it’s not what you think.

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WE CAN MANIFEST ANYTHING WE WANT IN LIFE. USE THE POWER THAT LIVES WITHIN YOU.” - Narcisse James

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