Urban Call Briefs

from OTC - June 2020

by OTC Beauty

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Ladosha Wright

Educator, Author and Speaker Policy Advocate

Paula McCoy

Community Developer & Retail Entrepreneur

Kim Davies Smith

Customer Service and Sales Expert

Wheatley Swaynze Exum

Gospel Minister & Radio Personality

Ladosha Wright

Educator, Author and Speaker Policy Advocate Ladosha Wright is a salon owner and cosmetologist specializing in trichology - the science of scalp and hair. She uses this science to empower people who have had experiences with hair shaming, hair discrimination and frustration with their textured hair to understand it and care for it. Wright’s unique approach to cosmetology is undoubtedly enhanced by her 14 years of experience as an outreach worker and her recent works as a self-published author of two self-published books; Curly Hair Adventures and What They Don’t Tell You at the Hair Salon. She aims to provide education and training to those frustrated with textured hair. Her expertise in hair color application and education was influenced by her time working with the legendary and pioneering hairstylist, Ms. Olive Benson.

Ladosha Wright

Educator, Author and Speaker Policy Advocate

Currently, she is a leading Framesi certified master colorist. She is sought after for her meticulous color application, corrective formulas and intricate foil placement. She brings her expertise to “textured” hair individuals around the world. Teaching them “what they don’t tell you at the hair salon” about home hair care. She is a regular on local television and radio. She has also been featured in local newspapers and magazines. She has provided hairstyling and makeup services on local television sets, local theaters and worked collaboratively with filmmakers, photographers, colleges and universities fashion programs. In 2019, she partnered with Fatou Saine Gaye, founder of the Gaye Njorro Skills Academy in Banjul, Gambia (Western Africa) to write the country’s first cosmetology curriculum. The curriculum is also used in Senegal.

Wright has her own line of hair care products and has developed a hairstyling system that caters to all hair textures. In her spare time, she donates her time between libraries here and her library, The Wright Library, in Banjul, Gambia in partnership with the Cleveland Public Library promoting literacy and business development to the cosmetology students attending the Gaye Njorro Skills Academy. She is also a member of the Beauty and Barber Empowerment Center (bbec.wildapricot.org).

Paula McCoy

Community Developer & Retail Entreprenuer McCoy’s philosophy is “look at life through the wind-shield, not the rear view mirror.”

Paula McCoy has spent a large part of her career as a personal and professional trainer, program and community developer. She has over 30 years of experience training groups, developing programs, engaging community and leading five local and state nonprofit organizations. Locally, McCoy is known for her work in Asset-based Community Development.

Paula McCoy

Community Developer & Retail Entrepreneur

As a native of Winston-Salem, McCoy attended the public schools and graduated from Carver High School. She received her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from North Carolina A & T State University, earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Education and a Master’s of Arts Degree in Education Administration and Supervision. McCoy successfully completed coursework in Duke University’s Certificate Program in Nonprofit Management and earned a second master’s degree in Social Work (MSW) with a concentration in community development at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio on May 15, 2005. McCoy is also a certified life coach through the International Coaches Federation (ICF).

McCoy served over five years as the Executive Director of Neighbor’s for Better Neighborhoods (NBN). NBN is a neighborhood support

organization whose mission is to connect people, strengthen voices, and leverage resources with a vision of safe, just and self-determined neighborhoods. Through an asset-based community development model, NBN seeks sustainable solutions for neighborhood revitalization.

McCoy is also an entrepreneur, having opened a fresh produce market in a food desert, The Village Produce and Country Store, in her neighborhood of Ogburn Station in Winston-Salem. The market carries lines of Hemp essential oils and lotions and is adjacent to her cosmetologist daughter Yasmine Crowell’s Essence of Beauty Studio. The salon offers beauty and barber services. She also operates McCoy Enterprises, a consultant and coaching firm focused on in organizational and community development.

For more than four years, McCoy served as Operations Manager for Guiding Institute for Developmental Education (GIDE), a nonprofit dedicated to serving youth and children in an afterschool program and empowering their parents to be active in their children’s education.

McCoy served in the role as the President for the NC Minority Support Center (NCMSC) and CEO of Generations Community Credit Union (GCCU), a North Carolina based conglomerate of minority-owned historical credit unions in Durham, NC. The NCMSC was a statewide advocate that partnered with Community Development Credit Unions (CDCUs), providing technical assistance, grants and loans to help them build generational wealth and create opportunities for individuals, families and communities. The Support Center’s name was recently changed to Carolina Small Business Fund.

Prior to this, McCoy was the Program Director for the Local Initiatives Support Corporation in W-S and worked closely with a local advisory committee of funders and Community Development Corporation’s (CDCs) to implement strategies designed to strengthen CDCs and the communities they serve. She was responsible for raising over $2 million in philanthropy to fund LISC operations and grants to CDCs over a threeyear period. McCoy was employed in various roles at LISC for seven years.

McCoy was also the Executive Director of Northwest Child Development Council from 1994 to 2000. Northwest, a 30+-year organization, managed 13 childcare centers in five counties in North Carolina. McCoy serves her community and has been active on numerous boards. She has been active in local politics and has served in leadership capacities in her local party.

Kim Davies Smith

Customer Service and Sales Expert

Kim Davies Smith

Customer Service, Sales Expert Kim Davies Smith is a customer service, sales and marketing expert with over 25 years of experience serving companies such as General Motors, IBM and Smart Care Solutions formally Ecolab. Smith is skilled at building relationships and securing new business while delivering excellent customer service. She has a positive attitude and a passion for delivering solutions to complex customer problems. Over the years, she has demonstrated her effective management skills of leading by example and teamwork to drive successful business results. Throughout her journey, there has always been changes and ups and downs as she found opportunities to continue to learn and grow in other careers such as real estate sales, restaurant ownership, and apparel sales. Starting early in Smith’s life, she has always paid attention to beauty and fashion, often imaging what it would be like to assist others in making their clothing selections. As an apparel sales associate at EnVogue Boutique she was able to explore and develop her abilities to understand the science of style in fashion and colors. Soon becoming a fashion advisor for her clientele, always trusting her judgment to find the perfect clothing selections in color and style that enhanced their individual beauty. Smith realized that by changing the clothing on a mannequin it could influence the way a person feels about fashion. She also believes that when you look good, you feel good, and “if you feel good, you do good”. Smith resides in Carmel, Indiana - an Indianapolis suburb. She volunteers her time and talents to support Indiana Black Expo, Circle City Classic, Habitat of America, and seminars to promote home ownership in her community.

At a young age, she travelled abroad to countries in East Africa such as Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda that have enhanced her horizon. Smith received her BA degree at Michigan States University from the school of Urban Development with aspirations to help urban areas to achieve economic growth and wealth. She gained an Associate degree in Electronic from Career Development Institute to develop her technical skills. Smith is also a graduate of IBM’s management development school and has received multiple awards for providing excellent customer service. Smith has participated on company committees to ensure team voices are heard and action is taken to help shape a productive work environment.

Smith is also a member of Every.Black and serves as the Benefits Specialist assisting new members to understand and take advantage member services. Every.Black is a company that assists entrepreneurs to create wealth by leveraging technology and utilizing a strategy of global networking.

Wheatley Swaynze Exum

Gospel Minister & Radio Personality Born in North Carolina, but raised in Dorchester, Massachusetts, Wheatley Swaynze Exum was exposed to many opportunities. Exum was nominated as a Black Teen of Massachusetts and attended the historical Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts. Exum continued her education at Northeast Broadcasting School and began her career in communications in 1986 working as a PBX (Public Broadcast Exchange) supervisor. In 1990, God blessed Exum with a baby girl, Antonia. Her family came home to North Carolina in 1995. She then worked as a receptionist at a law firm, received her paralegal degree and was promoted to a paralegal position. Exum’s endeavors as a paralegal for 22 years helped build the Law Offices of John T. Orcutt along with many others.

Wheatley Swaynze Exum

Gospel Minister & Radio Personality

name ever since. Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” is her favorite scripture.

She had a vision to create the Swaynze School of Excellence to provide enrichment training for children ages 8 to 15 to enhance their self-esteem, wisdom, knowledge, and God given talents. The location for the school was sponsored by Shabawana Parker, the owner of Naveah Designs salon where you can also get your makeup done, a haircut or even a relaxing massage. In 2017, Exum took on a radio personality named “Sweetly”, where she is the co-host of the Restaurant Magic podcast with Nevada York known as “The Hotness.” They highlight restaurant owners, caterers, food trucks, culinary artists, and delicious foods throughout North America. The show can be heard on iTunes, Google Play, YouTube and The Every. Black Podcast Network. The Restaurant Magic hosts are working on a TV show and started a food blog, critiquing different foods and restaurants.

Exum works as an actress in commercials, instructional videos, movies, and photo shoots, too. She is also a member of Every.Black, a company that assists entrepreneurs to create wealth by leveraging technology and utilizing a strategy of global networking. Contact the Swayzne School of Excellence at: https://www.facebook.com/swayzneschool/ and www. thehotnessandsweetly.blogspot.com.

Each month, Urban Call Briefs covers subjects that provide readers of OTC Beauty Magazine with information on multicultural consumers, Hispanics and African Americans, who are the fastest growing consumer segments in the U.S. The mission of this column is to build a bridge of communications and information between manufacturers and retailers and the ethnic consumers they wish to serve better. The column offers resources covering marketing, retail merchandising, consumer research, purchase behavior, fashion and beauty trends, industry events and people, trade association news, new product launches and a potpourri of information designed to help the readers make intelligent decisions about the customers they serve. Urban Call is a registered trademark of Segmented Marketing Services, Inc. (SMSi). For more information, call 336-759-7477 or visit www.segmentedmarketing.com.

The preceding article is the property of SMSi – Urban Call Marketing, Inc. and may not be reproduced without written permission from the author. ShinenJam_Must Have 5.5x4.25 Ad.pdf 1 3/31/20 8:04 PM

Take the Purest Hygiene Pledge

In light of these challenging times, one company sought to help beauty supply stores in Georgia reopen safely. But that effort turned into something much bigger.

Strength of Nature - the makers of African Pride, Dr. Miracle’s, Just For Me and Motions – has created the Purest Hygiene Pledge, a movement that will help people safely navigate through public spaces and reduce the spread of germs. “I’ve been in the health and beauty business for over 40 years, and I never imagined that there would be a day when independently owned and operated beauty salons, barbers, nail and retail partners would have to close,” Mario de la Guardia, the movement’s originator and the founder and chair of Strength of Nature said. “That’s why I came up with a simple set of hygiene rules to help people of all walks of life to reduce the spread of germs in public spaces,” de la Guardia said.

The Purest Hygiene Pledge follows three simple tenants:

AVOID touching objects in public spaces.

SANITIZE - If you must touch objects, sanitize BEFORE and AFTER contact. Sanitizing before stops the spread of germs to the object, and sanitizing after stops germs from coming back onto your hands and subsequently, your phone, keys, wallet, purse, etc.

CLEAN your hands and nails before touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

de la Guardia notes that it’s important to use hand sanitizers that have the CDC’s minimum required alcohol content and that the sanitizer use adheres to CDC guidelines. The Purest Hygiene hand sanitizer is most certainly a great choice and is available to OTC stores through Jinny Beauty Supply. When using a sanitizer, people should also remember to rub their hands together until the sanitizer completely dries and disappears. These are the steps that de la Guardia hopes everyone will take to protect themselves and their loved ones during these unprecedented times.

Launching a Movement

Headquartered in Savannah, Georgia, Strength of Nature has been able to launch the “I Pledge Purest Hygiene” movement in one of the hardesthit states in the nation. The company kicked off this effort by selecting a diverse group of 100 people from all walks of life who will take the pledge, and, in turn, choose their charity of choice to receive a donation of 100 bottles of Purest Hygiene hand sanitizer, according to de la Guardia. The initiative and charitable contributions will continue across the nation over the next few months. And while the pledge and rules will not eliminate the risk of disease, today could be the day that Americans join together in unity to help one another reduce the spread of germs in public spaces. “Implementing these three simple Purest Hygiene rules can be a solution to take the proper precautions to safeguard yourself, family, neighbors, caregivers and consumers, essentially reducing the spread of germs in public spaces,” de la Guardia added. “Let’s all be socially responsible and join in unity with one another.”