LUXE LIFE Magazine
Stormy Wellington A Force of Nature
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Editorial Staff
Candice Bar
Multi-media mogul, speaker, mentor, tv personality, author & female entrepreneur advocate. Ms. Bar is the Founder and CEO of Luxe Enterpise which includes:
Luxe Media Luxe Life Magazine Luxe Life Cosmetics Luxe Media Studios Luxe Life W/ Candice Bar Vodcast Women of Achivement Awards & Even More
Candice’s shows Luxe Life & No Holds Barred is currently streaming world wide
“I was inspired to create the magazine because there was nothing like it. It was important to me to create a magazine dedicated soley for female entrepreneurs. It’s time for the ladies to stand together, help lift each other up, and own their power. ” Founder & CEO Candice Bar
O U R F O U N D E R
LUXE LIFE MAGAZINE 3
A For
rce of Nature Interview with Stormy Wellington
Candice Bar: I love interviewing female powerhouses for the magazine, and clearly you’re a powerhouse. We are all about female empowerment, women doing big things in the world, and you’re one of them. Stormy Wellington: I am so excited to be here, thank you for having me. It’s exciting to keep things fun! CB: You’ve got to play hard; you’ve got to work hard. Clearly, you are a woman doing things and we love supporting female entrepreneurship, You have a great story, and I’d love for you to share with our readers where you came from. SW: Well, my journey started when my mom was pregnant. My mom was on the way to have an abortion with me at 5 months pregnant. She was going to deliver me and I would be deceased. On that day my mom went to have an abortion, my dad stepped in and they had this big argument. My mom was told that she needed to be at the doctor at 12 noon on that Wednesday. If she did not get to the doctor for that very appointment, the doctor was not going to be able to perform the procedure. My mom was a big-time drug dealer, my dad was cheating on her; she just wasn’t happy with the relationship. It made her determined not to have me. Even before I was born, I came into a situation that I kind of felt like I had to fight; I wasn’t wanted. Faith stepped in, in the form of my dad. She ends up not being able to have that abortion, so she ends up giving birth to me. My mom did not name me for three days. For three days I had no name.
On the third day the nurse walks in and says, “I’m sorry miss, but you have to name this child.” My mom kissed her teeth and said, “Name her Stormy.” A lot of people don’t know that’s my real name, and where it came from. If you were to ask, my mom would tell you she had so much trauma and problems with my dad, that the best way to describe their love affair was stormy. My name was pain for my mom. I did have a lot of childhood trauma growing up. I had the best of both worlds - I call it “Rich dad, hustler mom”. What I mean when I say that - my mom was a hustler. Everything she did revolved around drugs; traffic drugs, cook drugs, use drugs - that’s the type of life that I came up seeing. I saw what a kilo of cocaine looked like at 8 years old. I knew when my mom was getting ready to go out of town. I saw all her drug dealer friends, the life they lived, and her hot girlfriends. I would hear them talking about the things they did. I heard and saw those type of things early on. Then there were some summer breaks I would go visit my dad: rich dad. What do I mean by rich? Respect, Integrity, (Take) Care, Honor - that’s what I call R.I.C.H. My dad had this beautiful wife, and together they had a family. That’s how I was able to experience eating dinner at the dinner table with a family; dad getting up having to go to work, watching dad shovel the snow out the window. I saw both worlds and I decided at a really young age that I didn’t want either of the two. I made up my mind at a young age that I did not want to be like either of my parents. I grew up around a lot of fast things. I’ve been around drug dealers. I was a stripper at 13 years old. LUXE LIFE MAGAZINE 5
A Force of Nature
My mom was in Jamaica doing what she does, and My younger years were all about me trying to while she was gone the water got turned off. For figure out how to survive, as a child and very young weeks my brother and I were in the house with no adult. I had to figure out how to survive. water. All of this at 13 years old. One day my friend invited me to a strip club, and I looked very mature, CB: When you got older and became so I went with him to the strip club, and I’ll never successful, did your mother ever forget this day. I had on a black suede skirt, a black acknowledge or apologize for having you see suede vest and a white top. They offered to give me or be around certain things? $600 a man, if I lifted my skirt. At that time, I was like, “That is disgusting, I would never do that!” but SW: See, where I’m from this is normal. Where then I thought about the water back home off. I’m from, I did what I had to do. I did the best I At 13 years old, I lifted my skirt up, and I got $600 to could with the wisdom and the knowledge that turn the water back on the next day. I learned at 13, I had. My environment with my family, where I if I do this, I’ll get this. come from, there was nothing to apologize for. You do what you have to do. Love is called providing, My friends turned into 15/16-year-old strippers, and love is not spelled L-O-V-E. It’s spelled I end up becoming one. I ended up having my first P-R-O-V-I-D-E. You love, you provide. That’s child, dropped out of high school, and I became a why I love the way I love because my mom taught real stripper because I had to take care of my son. me when somebody loves you, they are going to I’ve been living the fast life, the hustler’s life, for a take care of you. No, my mom never apologized long time. I’ve never went this deep before but, one because there was nothing to apologize for. I’m 43 of the things I tell people is that I learned not to be years old, and I still don’t believe my mom owes offended by rejection. I learned that in the strip club. me an apology. I believe she did the best she could You had to hustle in the strip club. I learned that with the wisdom and the knowledge that she had. women are always in competition with each other. She showed me selling drugs, but I saw selling a I learned that one minute somebody could be your product, so I still learned something, I just didn’t friend, and next minute they hate you. sell a product that was going to lead me to prison. I dropped out of school and what ended up CB: I’ve always said there is a fine line happening to me was that I saw the best of both between entrepreneurs and drug dealers. worlds. I knew that I didn’t want to be like either the The mindset is pretty much the same two, but I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I except, one decided to sell a legal product, knew it because that’s freedom, and I like that. There that’s the only difference. were no limitations to entrepreneurship, so I end up opening up a boutique at 18 years old. After that, SW: Drug dealers are some very smart people. I had my daughter at 19 and that’s when I decided They just don’t know that they can channel their that cannot strip anymore. I cannot let my daughter energy somewhere else. They can clean it up and think that being a stripper is cool, so then I started to do big things, it’s just a mindset shift actually. learn the retail industry. I opened a boutique where I used to sell clothes, right here in North Miami beach. CB: So, you were 19, you had your own I learned a lot of business acumen then. boutique, you stopped stripping, then what? LUXE LIFE MAGAZINE 6
SW: I dated. You know where I’m from, you find a rich man, get married and have two kids with the white picket fence and y’all live happily ever after. After graduating college, I tried that, but it didn’t work out. The best thing that could have happened for me, is that it didn’t work out. I remember I was so devastated by that relationship not working out that it just encouraged me to move to Atlanta. I moved to Atlanta, and by that time I had two kids. Everybody did something as an entrepreneur. I decided that I wanted to do something different so I moved to Atlanta. Atlanta for me was like the Black Mecca. I’d never seen that many black folks before, Atlanta changed my life. I got into a little real estate, did alright, but then the market crashed around 2005 if you remember that. With it, my life changed for the worse. That’s when I started to say things to myself like, “Oh my God everything is happening cycles. Every time something good goes for me, something bad happens. Every time it gets to me, it doesn’t work anymore.” I was playing the victim, and so I end up getting very broke and very depressed. I struggled for a while, and I ended up working as a bartender.. At one point, I started working at a call center. We used to get you to try to pay your cell phone bill. Long story short, I end up collecting over $1,000,000 in closed accounts. Later, I discovered that they had given me a bunch of closed accounts because they didn’t trust me with live accounts. That didn’t matter and I still made $1,000,000 on those accounts. Back home, my water was off, my car had just got repossessed, and only reason why my water was turned back on was because I learned how to turn my water back on with the pliers. The company told me they were going to give me a raise. They end up calling me into the office one day, and my raise was $0.25. The most important thing about that was, at that moment I made a decision. My decision was that I can’t keep allowing somebody else to hold a glass ceiling over my head, to hold a pen to my future, to dictate how far I’m going to go in life.
I ended up praying, looking, and having an open mind. Doing so, I ended up getting into network marketing. CB: How was that introduced to you? Who introduced that to you?
“My decision was that I can’t keep allowing somebody else to hold a glass ceiling over my head, to hold a pen to my future, to dictate how far I’m going to go in life.” SW: One of my houses that I was able to keep, so I decided to rent it out. I found someone that was interested in renting the house. The guy came over, he’s loving house, he’s loving everything, but he said, “Listen, I’ll rent this house out from you, but you have to do one thing. You have to complete the basement.” In my mind, I thought I had to find the money do it. I called a contractor over, Robert Jackson; I will never forget his name. I had met him two weeks prior, and in the middle of him giving me an estimate, he looks down at me, and he says, “Let me ask you a question. Do you or anybody you know, want to lose 5 pounds in five days without diets, exercise, surgery or pills?” I looked at him and was like, “Are you trying to call me fat?” He said, “My wife just had a baby, and she looks better now than before she had the baby.” and it surprised me. LUXE LIFE MAGAZINE 7
A Force of Nature CB: This guy is a salesperson.
There are so many different layers to me, I’m so many different people and not just one person. I SW: Yes, he is, I didn’t know that at the time. In my don’t let anybody box me in. mind I thought, “I do want to lose some weight, you found me.” CB: Many of us are so many different people yet we don’t express it. Some people The next day he set up a meeting with him, me, and don’t know how to express it, because his wife. When I saw his wife, I looked at her and humans tend to need things in boxes for thought, “If this lady can do what she’s doing, so it to make sense. That’s not who we are, can I!” At the time she was making like $60,000 a that’s not how we run. We’re actually month. I was thinking to myself, “There is no way energetic beings and we happen to be in somebody is making $60,000 a month. If half of what this skin suit, but we’re so much more than she said is the truth, I’m good.” I ended up joining most of us know about ourselves. It takes that company. My first network marketing company. a lot of strength to do what you’ve done. I literally got in that company with no belief. I looked It takes a lot of vision, takes a lot of focus, at her, I was inspired that there’s a black woman determination, and perseverance. At any with a big butt and small waist making money. I point in time, were there some bumps in wrote a bad check to get started in that meeting I the road that had you saying, “I don’t know went to. It was me and my two broke girlfriends. My if I can do this. I’m not sure who I am.” two broke girlfriends told me that I was making the biggest mistake in my life, and that day I went on SW: I mean I’ve had a lot of bumps in the road, my own faith, and to be honest with you, I’ve had but the first one that comes to my mind is my some bumps in the road. Even so, since 2008 I’ve mom. My mom was a hustler. I understood hustle earned about $65 million in the network marketing and love, and figure it out, and resilience. All of profession. this and being a warrior, a woman king, from my mom. My mom was a single mother, she raised me CB: That is amazing! Well, first you bet and my three siblings, and none of us are the same. on yourself and then you hit the ground I turned out this way because of my mom. It’s the running. same thing – it’s all perspective. SW: Yeah, in this industry it blows my mind when I CB: You can be a victim, or you can be think about the type of money that I’ve been able to victorious. earn for myself. SW: My first bump in the road, I had to learn to CB: You’ve got to be the top earner. overcome was when my mom went to prison. My mom went to prison at 57, that’s old. Watching SW: I am the top earner in my company. That my mom going to prison at 57 years old, and company is long gone, so I got into another being helpless and wondering if she’s going to die company. I’ve been in the network marketing in prison was a lot for me. While my mom was in industry now for 14 years, November makes 15 prison, I was a normal person, I was still working a years. job. So just imagine. when somebody goes to LUXE LIFE MAGAZINE 8
prison, they still have the house and car and all this stuff. My mom went to prison, so that left me with the burden of trying to pay her bills. One of the things that that almost broke me is when my mom came home. Imagine it as her child, when my mom came home, she walked into the prison at 57, she rolled out at 60. The prison walls took her body down. She came home with 17 teeth in her mouth. Just imagine, she didn’t want to smile; and then the bed did something to her hips, so she had to use a wheelchair. When my mom came home, she came home to nothing, because we ended up putting her stuff in storage. Her storage bill was $600 a month, and we couldn’t even afford that.
SW: One of my first mentors was a woman named Erica McQueen. I was with her in network marketing and I would go to her home and I watched her be a wife, I watched her be a mother, I just watched her. She was working at the airport for Delta, but she was still writing business. One day I was even cleaning up her kitchen, because it would be an honor.
All the things my mom had sold drugs for, all the prison time; all of it was gone. It’s almost like you live all these years for nothing. Every picture, every outfit, just imagine everything that you have acquired up until now, gone. Nothing. Just your shell of a body that is broken down. I share this story because my mom was my number one motivation. When she came home, remember I’m broke, I wasn’t in network marketing then. I’m just regular girl, so my mom comes home she’s embarrassed, she’s depressed, she’s not herself, she needed a wheelchair. I had to find a way to make money, that job making $13.25 an hour was not going to cut it. When I got into network marketing I hustled because I had to. The bump in the road for me was either I’m going to do this for my mom or she’s going to die. I’m going to be able to have the dignity and pride, knowing that I did everything to take care my mom and I honored her. I’m big on honor. Everything is honor for me, so that was definitely my first bump in the road. CB: Every entrepreneur I’ve ever interviewed have had mentors throughout their life. People to show us a different way, or see something inside of us that we may not see ourselves. Who was one of your first mentors to help shift you in a positive way? LUXE LIFE MAGAZINE 9
A Force of Nature First of all, I don’t learn from people that I don’t admire. If I don’t see something in you that I desire, I don’t get on your list or take up space. If you want something that somebody has, I believe that you pay your way, you serve your way, or you earn your way into good relationships. When I was broke, I used this philosophy. She didn’t ask me to be a student, I watched her and decided that that’s the woman I want to learn from. I do believe it’s not what’s taught, it what’s caught. I watched her everything. I watched her mannerisms, I watched how she treated her husband and her children, I watched how she got up and went to work, I watched how she would talk to people, I watched how she would prospect and recruit. Being able to watch her, I was able to duplicate her. She was one of my very first mentors.
SW: I do. I have not been traveling like I used to this year, but I do have teams in Dominican Republic, Colombia, Paraguay, and Mexico – I have teams all over the world.
CB: As you were coming up, what was something you were able to get for yourself that you’ve always wanted?
CB: Absolutely! Now you have your own product’s; you have two skin care lines.
CB: Are the owners of the company shocked that anyone has gotten to the level that you have, but also the fact that anyone worked to the level that you are at, within the company? SW: I wouldn’t say that they’re shocked, but I’m sure they’re happy. I would say this, when I first got in the company, it was doing about $10 million a year. The biggest year we’ve had is $490 million, I know I had a huge impact on that for sure.
SW: Not really, although it does seem like I have SW: A Presidential Rolex watch. Every Rolex watch two skin care lines. That’s because one of my skin that I had was either purchased for me from a man, care products comes from my CBD company. I or it was something I got through some type of illegal have a community called Girl Hold My Hand. activity, to say the least. When I was able to take my money and buy a $20,000 - $25,000 watch with my CB: Let’s talk about that. Could you explain hard-earned income, it was everything. I bought a what it is, why you created it, who’s in it? I gold mother of pearl presidential watch, in 18 karat want all the details. gold. CB: Very nice! Now in 2023, you have quite the empire. Can you share how many people are underneath you in your network? SW: In my network marketing organization I have personally enrolled 8,000 people myself. It’s about 1,000 people a year joining, and my organization is up to about 700,000 people. CB: That’s amazing, wow! That sure is a lot. Do you travel internationally for training? LUXE LIFE MAGAZINE 10
“If you want something that somebody has, I believe that you pay your way, you serve your way, or you earn your way into good relationships.”
SW: Girl Hold My Hand was inspired by my mom. All in order to authentically connect, collaborate, August 26th, 2011, my mom passed away as I was and celebrate with other people. I believe that holding her hand. I didn’t know that she was dying, when you know yourself; you love yourself and you and I thought she was coming home that day. I embrace yourself, whatever your personalities may thought she was just having an anxiety attack, but be. You become, excuse my French, but I call it really, I watched my mom go through the entire “unf*ckwithable.” It doesn’t matter, because I don’t dying process. I can never forget that. I held her care who likes me, I don’t care who hates me. hand up until the doctors came. From that moment, I went into a really bad depression. It’s like my whole This community, we meet every weekday. I do life I found that men help me, and women did not special women’s retreats with them. We travel help me. I had a lot of jealous women, intimidated together, too. I have a conference every year called women, women that act like they are helping me, “The Awakening,” here in Miami. It’s a threebut are not. They just were around and doing just or-four day women’s ultimate experience. We enough to get by. Consciously I always wanted to do do everything from talking about relationships, something to heal what I never got. marriage, polygamy, bisexuality, divorce, to spirituality. What really gave me that stamp was when I went to a women’s event, and I was a keynote speaker. I CB: Do you have other people come in and was about to start speaking and I asked the woman speak? who actually hosted me for the event if she would mind if I share something. The room was very heavy, SW: Charlotte, Scarlett and Sabrina spoke. Both like all the women had just heavy energy. It didn’t of The Cardone’s have spoken. Rick Ross, Alana really make sense to me because we’re at a woman’s Powell, and Natasha Mayne. We always bring out empowerment conference, and I can feel everybody different speakers. We go through a manual, so you here seems to be angry for no reason. literally go home with a blueprint to your life. You go home with an understanding on what you are, The host gave me permission to grab the microphone what are your likes, what are your dislikes, and so and I said to everybody, “Look to the woman to the on. It’s a whole experience that’s bigger than just left of you, look to the woman to the right of you. Do emotionalism. It’s about writing down your life on you know that woman wants to be loved just like you paper for when you go through dark moments. So do? You know that woman wants to be seen, adored, when you get back home, you can go through this admired and respected just like you do? I just started book and remember what you wrote. It’s a great going into this hole, and I said, “Put your purse down tool to stay in the flow. and hold the hand of the woman next to you, and I want you to look at her I want you to understand CB: What’s next? You’ve done, and I she’s you.” Everybody just started hugging and would say in a short period of time, more crying and in that moment; I felt inside me, “This than most in their entire life. You created is something.” I thought if girlholdmyhand.com is different products, you have different things available, this needs to be my initiative. I went to going on, you’re involved in a lot. girlholdmyhand.com and it was available, I bought the domain name and it started. Girl Hold My Hand SW: It’s a lot of things, next. I believe that you is my community, it’s all about knowing yourself, should always be working on a project and on loving yourself, and embracing yourself. yourself, always - until you die. LUXE LIFE MAGAZINE 11
A Force of Nature
Staying stimulated and excited about something that CB: I love that you still have the passion for it because that’s hard to see. Sometimes you’re doing to help somebody else. we’re doing something for a long time, it gets lackluster. I have a couple of projects. I’m still in network marketing, I love network marketing. I think every person in the world should be in network marketing. SW: I believe this: live it or die. I live it, so I’m not I love how you grow and how you’re accountable, I forcing it. This is my lifestyle, so it’s easy to talk about what you love. love that it creates a systematic approach to life, so I’m still doing this. CB: You have to have multiple things going on for income, and not just relying on one. Relying on one thing is ridiculous, it doesn’t make sense. Everyone has things going on and life is not going to stop. Well, here’s your moment. You have to create your moment. With network marketing, you must get with a product or service that you’re passionate about. Why are you passionate about this? SW: This changed my life. I’m now 43. My daughter is 23. We go places together and people are like, “No way, that’s not your mom! That is not your mom, and that’s not your daughter.” I love the products I have. In my mind I’m not selling anything, I’m just telling you about some products that can change your life and they can help you. I can tell when I don’t take my products, and I can tell when I do take my products. I look better and I feel better, and I just want to help as many people as I can through this vehicle and the product. CB: For people that are in network marketing, whatever company they are with; how do you get past the people saying, “No”? SW: First of all, you must understand two things. This is a story that I had to tell myself. No means, “Not right now,” or no means they don’t know any better. How can I let someone discourage me from this vehicle that I’ve made $50 million in eight years? LUXE LIFE MAGAZINE 12
CB: I really want to ask you; your daughter saw all this. She saw you coming up, she saw different areas of your life. What are her thoughts on everything now?
When you think about it, and I mean really think about it, I kind of feel sorry for some men. Number one, a man is supposed to be a hunter, a provider. So, let’s just take me, and I’m just trying to be very humble, but I just have to keep it real, SW: You know, one of the things I’m working on right? Every month I probably spend $100,000. with my daughter is a podcast and based upon Picture a guy saying I’m going to pay all your bills our perspectives. I’m glad you asked that question, and take care of you. When you say that you must because it makes me know that I’m on the right be specific. Picture you’re going to pay all my bills track. I have an idea what I think my daughter and take care me, but I have no mortgage on my thinks. I believe my daughter respects and admires house, so you can pick a car to pay off? I just think what I’ve created. However, I do think with the type that depending on the type of man, he could feel of work that I put in, it did take a lot of time away. emasculated. I just believe that men need to date in their tax bracket and if it bothers you. For some CB: I do want to focus on that too, for people men it won’t bother them because they know that reading this. It does take a lot of work. It they take care you in other ways. My new thing is – takes work, so if you’re afraid of the word, is it money that I really want from my new man, or “work,” you’re not going to be successful. do I want affection? SW: I worked. I made one million in my first 7 months from nothing, but I probably slept 5 days in a year. Even with that, I would do it all over again. I think my daughter probably thinks I work too much. I think that she probably thinks I need some more balance, but I also think she loves what I’ve created. Now I’m in a space where I’m being more open to a relationship. I’m not married. I was married, divorced, and I’m single now. I know what I want for real this time. I’m not forcing anything. Just letting it happen naturally.
CB: I also think different females want different things. SW: Right, but I’m finding that a lot of successful women like yourself or myself - it’s the same thing. The money box is checked off. If you can make me feel love, you can adore me, you can join me and we can have fun together. You don’t want my money, please don’t ask me to borrow any money! If you can hold your own and don’t need me for anything? God, I love it! I think we need to talk about that more. I think the men don’t know that. Yeah, I want a Birkin bag, but I’m going to buy my Birkin bag. I would love if you bought me some flowers, or some perfume out of the blue. Not on my birthday now, but if you did that on the regular day, it makes it so special.
CB: I like having this conversation. It seems to be one thing that I keep hearing repeatedly when you’re a successful female entrepreneur. It’s that it is hard to find a guy that can keep up, or support, or not feel intimidated. Usually, successful men are not with successful females because they need to CB: That’s exactly it! have that control and that power. Let’s have this conversation. SW: I feel the same! I’m not weird! It’s exactly it, and I think women are afraid to say that because SW: Yeah, and I agree. I think there’s people out the women are supposed to want a man for money. there, I would never say all men, that’s generalizing If a man doesn’t have any money, I don’t think the too much, but I do believe that it’s slim pickings. man could be completely broke. LUXE LIFE MAGAZINE 13
A Force of Nature
I think we’ve got our stuff covered, what do you want People would be surprised to know that I don’t emotionally from a man? Let’s start talking about think anybody loves me. I think everybody gains that. from me and love comes from what they’re getting. A love that is like a deep affinity, I don’t think as CB: You take care of your stuff in your life; much. I just think that everybody is around for I’ll take care of my stuff in my life that I what they can get. I’m not I’m not a victim to built. We’re coming together. Again, don’t it, I just feel like I have yet to see that love from ask me for anything, but if I want to give you someone who’s not getting something from me. something, I will. I think when you give a lot Everybody that is around me, they get from me you receive a lot. You don’t do that for that and that’s not a negative thing. reason, it just happens that way. I know that you are also an author; would you care to delve into that? SW: I am an author! I have written four books. Every book represents different seasons of my life. I have a book called, “The 9 Laws” and these books will change your life. I think that success leaves clues, and when you are winning in life you must leave behind the clues, the tips, and strategies to how you did it. I’m always online, I’m always writing something, some type of book, out doing some type of event, because I’m proud. I’m happy and I’m proud of who I am, and happy for what I’ve created. I came from nothing, I had absolutely nothing. I don’t have a rich uncle that left me some money, I had to go build this from the zero ground. Now I feel like I’ve a sense of responsibility to help the community, whoever that may be. I want to help everybody, humanity. I want to continue to grow, to continue to serve. I really hope that people in this season, pay attention to all the fine writing. Don’t let it scare you, don’t think recession, don’t think depression, just think let’s go . CB: Very powerful. What is something that people would be very surprised to know about you? SW: I’m scared to say this but it’s the first thing that came to my mind. LUXE LIFE MAGAZINE 14
“Girl Hold My Hand is my community, it’s all about knowing yourself, loving yourself, and embracing yourself. All in order to authentically connect, collaborate, and celebrate with other people.” I give an immense amount of love. One of my philosophies is you come bearing gifts, you came with gifts, you love getting gifts. I’m going to end up putting on that chain from time to time, and every time I put it on, I’m going to think of you. That’s beautiful, that’s smart. So now, you’re getting in my frequency, it’s like I’m wearing a gift from you. With it, I’m praying for you, I’m meditating for you, it’s beautiful. It will make me think of you each time I wear it.
I’m always loving on people, but I don’t know or feel day in my life, and I will live the fullness of life in genuine love from people. all God has for me.” CB: Do you feel that you’re not allowing that That’s my thing, that’s my to go to that took me love from people, or you just feel that people out of very dark places. That affirmation is a part don’t give at the frequency of love that you’re of who I became from those affirmations. I was giving out? not those things that I speak when I first spoke of them. SW: It’s a double-edged sword. Let’s just imagine if everyone that you spoke to every day was either CB: That is beautiful. What a great on your payroll, or living out one of your houses, affirmation to use daily. Is there anything or driving your cars. They benefited from you else you’d like to leave our readers with? somewhere, somehow. Reciprocity is not necessary, is not necessarily mutual. Granted this is your job, or SW: I will say be yourself, learn who you are, granted you’re my family, but can you be my family grow in your authenticity. Be true to you, whoever and not ask me for nothing? Don’t ask me for any doesn’t like it, that’s fine. That’s not your person, money. Just call me and just see how I’m doing. and just be brave enough to know that you could When a person loves you, they provide. So, I love be, do, or have anything that you want. We live you I provide. What are you providing for me? I’m in a universe that is limitless. It’s always giving. looking forward to the day when it’s somebody in my Grow so that you can give, because if you give that life that I’m not giving you anything but me. means you are alive, I’m grateful that you had this interview with me, and I hope that you learned CB: Moving on to talking about affirmations something, or felt something that is transformative and positivity, there are books that most to you, because I feel transformed! entrepreneurs have read to bring them to a different level. Is there an affirmation, or a CB: Be sure to follow Miss Stormy and scripture, that you keep in the forefront of reach out to her. Make sure you know your mind when you’re not having such a what she’s doing because she’s doing big great day? things. Thank you to all of our readers out there, and be ready for even more exciting SW: I have a couple of those in my toolbox. One of interviews! my favourites is, “I will hear the voice of the Holy Spirit within. I would lead and I follow. I will create and not destroy. I am a force for good. I defy the odds. I set new standards. I am a leader. I am the head and not the tail. I am above and not beneath. I am the lender and not the borrower. I am loved by God. I am chosen by God. I’m protected by God. Nowhere before me and against me shall prosper. Nowhere before and against me, shall prosper. Every tongue that rises up against me in judgment shall be condemned. It’s my season. It’s my turn. I’m healthy. I’m happy. I’m humble. I’m wealthy. I’m strong. I am a champion. I will win. I will never be broke another LUXE LIFE MAGAZINE 15
HOW TO BURN M AT AN Here’s some GOOD NEWS: Your metabolism doesn’t drop off as soon as you may think! Even better: There are ways to keep it humming along for years to come. the ‘batteries’ in your cells, but there are ways to
make the most of your metabolic health no matter How Age Impacts Metabolism how many candles are on your birthday cake. If There are many factors that affect metabolism at you’re in your 20s, 30s, 40s or 50s, you can build any age, but the biggest one is how much you move. healthy lifestyle habits now that will pay off. If you Being active is easier when you are young, but as are older already, those habits matter more than we move into middle age and senior years, there’s a ever to maximize your strength and vibrancy. Here tendency to move less as your career and busy home are some of the most powerful strategies and ones life make regular exercise harder to squeeze in. Then I follow. of course, there are the aches and pains that we all experience that can also limit movement. Move More. Be active on the regular! At the same time, you’ll likely lose muscle tissue as you get older. Starting at around age 30, muscle mass starts to decline at a rate of three to eight percent per decade. Being less active is certainly a part of this but changes in levels of certain hormones like testosterone, thyroid and growth hormone and how our body processes them, may also play a role. All of these factors dial up the body’s proportion of fat to muscle. And since fat burns only about one-third as many calories as muscle tissue does, the result is less calorie-burning power. Lastly, the older we get, the more likely you are to develop a chronic condition such as heart disease or diabetes. This could affect how your body processes nutrients, how your organs function and other metabolic measures. It also can hamper you from being as active as you used to be. What Can You Do To Keep Those Fires Burning Okay, so you can’t exactly change your genetics or LUXE LIFE MAGAZINE 18
MORE CALORIES NY AGE
Get 150 Minutes of Moderately Intense Cardio Per Week. Yes, aerobic activity such as brisk walking, running, or cycling burns calories. Aim for at least 30 minutes of heart-pumping activity five By getting exercise you are strengthening your lungs and heart as well building up muscle which is days a week and you’ll meet goal.
By: Corinne Cavanaugh
more metabolically active than fat, and the exercise Eat the Right Amount for Your Body. As we itself burns calories. mature, our calorie needs do drop; however, the portions you serve yourself may not. You can use Strength Train at Least Twice a Week. Aim to strength train at least two to three times a week. an online calorie calculator that factors in your age, height, and weight. Build muscle mass by lifting dumbbells, weight machines, or even doing push-ups and squats that use your body weight as resistance. This CAN keep Steer Clear of Crash Diets. If you need to lose weight, it’s best to go slow and steady. Extreme diets adding muscle as you mature. ultimately fail, and a slower metabolism is often the reason. Prioritize Protein. Protein is crucial in building and repairing your metabolism. About half a gram of protein per body pound of body weight. Try to get some protein at every meal. Work on Sleep. Too little sleep can contribute to weight gain. Not to mention that when you are groggy, you’re more likely to skip your workouts. Prioritize good sleep, and get help if problems persist. THE BOTTOM LINE: A lot of what you do to stay healthy as you age is good for your metabolism, too. Exercising regularly, eating well and moderately, and getting adequate sleep are no-brainers and necessary at all stages in life. By making them a part of your daily routine, you can help keep your metabolism at its best. You’ll also lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and likely boost your energy levels as an added bonus! Everything adds up and like the saying goes, “Move or Lose It”. LUXE LIFE MAGAZINE 19
LUXE LIFE MAGAZINE 20
UNLOCKING THE POWER WITHIN: EMBRACING SHADOW WORK FOR TRANSFORMATION
By: Tiffany Powers
LUXE LIFE MAGAZINE 22
In the realm of self-discovery, there lies a transformative journey known as shadow work. This profound practice invites us to explore the depths of our subconscious, shedding light on the aspects of ourselves we may have long ignored or denied. By embracing our shadows, we embark on a path of healing and empowerment, unveiling the immense potential that lies within.
Spiritual seekers, let us embark on this profound journey of self-discovery. Embrace the shadows within, for it is through their integration that we find our authentic power. As we heal ourselves, we become beacons of light, radiating love and abundance into the world. Trust in the transformative power of shadow work, and let it guide you towards manifesting the life of your dreams.
Shadow work encompasses various aspects, from confronting past traumas to acknowledging and integrating our deepest fears and insecurities. By delving into these uncharted territories, we allow ourselves to heal wounds that have held us back and reclaim our authentic selves. Consider the example of self-sabotage. Many of us yearn for success and abundance, yet our subconscious patterns may lead us astray. Through shadow work, we can recognize and dismantle these patterns, paving the way for a life of fulfillment and prosperity. By addressing the root causes of our selfsabotage, we can rewrite our narrative and manifest the life of our dreams. Moreover, shadow work provides a gateway to emotional liberation. Unresolved emotions, such as anger, grief, or shame, can weigh heavily on our hearts, limiting our capacity for joy and love. By bravely facing these emotions, we begin the process of healing, releasing the burdens that no longer serve us. As we embrace our shadows, we make space for light to enter our lives, cultivating deep selfacceptance and inner peace. Ultimately, shadow work is a sacred pilgrimage towards self-mastery. It is an opportunity to confront the parts of ourselves that we may have disowned, to integrate them into our being and harness their transformative power. By embarking on this journey, we unlock our true potential, aligning ourselves with the divine flow of the universe.
“Trust in the transformative power of shadow work, and let it guide you towards manifesting the life of your dreams.” LUXE LIFE MAGAZINE 23
