The Rouge Collection: The Rouge 25

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Editor’s Desk

This month we are introducing to you our first ever Rouge 25.

The Rouge 25, a list of influential movers and shakers in the Baton Rouge Community. The list covers a broad spectrum of people from State Representative Edward “Ted” James, to local entrepreneur Kelly LeDuff, Lawyer Michael Platte, Radio Show Host LaTangela Sherman, and more. The Rouge 25 speaks volumes about the diversity of the landscape of Baton Rouge and people who daily attempt to impact the growth of our great city. We thought long and hard about each of these individuals and the influence they have on the lives of people in the greater Baton Rouge area.

Often those who labor the most get little credit for all that they do. We hope that by taking out the time to recognize these remarkable individuals that you can learn more about them as people. We hope these interviews will give you insight as to why each of them is successful in the work they do. A resounding tone of faith and humility is what I got from interviewing each of these people. Not one of them took a ton of credit for their own success but rather talked about how family and friends have helped them along the way.

Anais Nin said, “Our life is composed greatly from dreams, from the unconscious, and they must be brought into connection with action. They must be woven together.” These remarkable people have taken what they saw in their dreams, woke up, put their shoes on and turned those dreams into reality. I hope that reading this issue inspires you to start the work necessary to help you see your dreams come to life.

table

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CONT Community Spotlight:

Pastor Guevara and Shannon Johnson Interdenominational Faith Assembly

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Recipe Of The Month

Crabmeat Imperial by Chef Nene

09

Love and Grace

Love and grace are two of the most powerful words in our vocabulary

11

Healthy Living Fundementals

It all starts in the kitchen

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PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHEIF Gary Chambers DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Stephen Johnson DIRECTOR OF AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Brandi Cann EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Tamara Williams EXECUTIVE EDITOR Thelisia Davis ART DIRECTOR Brittany Brown SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Brett Holt/Clifford Holden HEALTH & FITNESS EDITOR Camille Johnese FASHION EDITOR Elle Marie BEAUTY DIRECTOR Laticia King CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Shaquille Cossé Jalen Greenhouse Reginald Jackson Shuntel Jenkins

Ronaldo Hardy Quinton Paul Willie Washington Ashney Williams

e of

TENT 12

The Rouge 25

A list of influential movers and shakers in the Baton Rouge Community

39

Fashion Guide 102

Beginners Way To Update Your Wardrobe By Mixing Prints

41

Nothing Holy About Hip-Hop

If my mom would have heard Kanye say, “I just talked to Jesus, he said waddup Yeezus...”

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The Back-Page

Religion can be a lot of things.

The Rouge Collection LLC. is owned and operated

by B. Cann, G. Chambers and S. Johnson

Contact Information Address: 11017 Perkins Rd. Suite C. Email: Info@therougecollection.net

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Community Spotlight: Pastors Guevara and Shannon Johnson of Interdenominational Faith Assembly

BY THELISIA DAVIS |

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TAM WILLIAMS

I

nterdenominational Faith Assembly (IFA), established in 1989, has long had the mission to draw men and women to the faith to gain a personal relationship with Christ. Through their efforts in service, education and worship IFA hopes that more will make this a reality.

“What’s unique about Faith Assembly is that we have the liberty to praise God. We are not bound. We aren’t indoctrinated. It’s a place where the spirit of God has freedom to move. We let Him have his way” Staying connected with people is very important to Pastors Guevara and Shannon Johnson as they express that through fellowship and service.

During the holidays they work with prominent figures like State Rep. Regina Barrow and Senator Sharon Weston Broome to help their community.

“You do what the Bible says to do, you fellowship and serve. Operate in agape, which is the highest type of love,” says Pastor Guevara Johnson about the IFA’s approach of making a difference with their ministry. “For Thanksgiving we feed our elderly and for Christmas we buy gifts and toys for children.”

Pastors Guevara and Shannon Johnson are the successors of Pastors Jim and Edith Howard, who began the Prayer Band that gave IFA its start. “You

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have to acknowledge that the person you are following is great. I walked with [Pastor Edith] so long and she shared things with me. If you are a good follower, you become a good leader.”

Interdenominational Faith Assembly is also home to Faith Bible Institute (FBI), an extension of Faith Christian University, where Pastor Shannon Johnson serves as director.

FBI offers classes for those “…who just want to know more about God and the Word of God,” or those who are called to the ministry. Through FBI, scholars are able to earn their Associate, Bachelor, Masters or Doctorate.

Ministry is about serving people and IFA plans to continue to serve God and the community of Baton Rouge for many years to come.

5045 Greenwell St., Baton Rouge, LA, 70805 | (225) 3554767| Worship Service begins at 10am info@faithassemblychurch.net

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Recipe Of The Month Crabmeat Imperial

BY SHANETRA SCOTT | KULINARY KREATIONZ Ingredients: 6 tbsp. butter 1/2 cup chopped green onions 1/4 cup sliced mushrooms 1lb jumbo lump crabmeat 1/4 chopped roasted red bell pepper 1/4 cup dry sherry (cooking wine) 4 slices of toasted French bread 1/4 cup of fresh parsley for garnish

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Mix 3 tbsp of the butter in a large skillet over med/ low heat. Add green onions and mushrooms, and sauté until the green onions become limp (but not brown) Add crabmeat, red bell pepper, and sherry and turn the heat up a bit. Cook, shaking the skillet( don’t stir!) until the sherry is boiled away.

Melt the remaining 3 tbsp of butter into the crabmeat mixture and pile it on to rounds of toasted French bread.

Garnish with parsley and a pinch of cayenne.

Serves 2 to 4

Love and Grace

BY RONALDO HARDY

Love and grace are two of the most powerful words in our vocabulary. We all want to feel them, and we all need both of them at times. The amazing thing about both of these words is that Christ came to demonstrate each of them to us. The problem is that in our efforts to establish structures, systems, and programs we have left them out.

This has caused many to fall away, and to no longer believe that Christ even exists. Now I know there are those who will say that there is no God. The fact of the matter is that it is impossible to truly believe that. As smart as we are as human beings, there are some things we cannot create. We could not develop all of the things we see in nature, create the animals, or even people themselves.

Even in our most creative minds there are some things that are beyond our reach. This gives me the confidence that God does in fact exist.

So why have people decided not to believe in Him? I think it’s because of how we have represented God. We have made Him this super strict being that requires us to fulfill so many commandments in order to receive His love. The fact of the matter is that is not true. God’s love for you and I is unconditional. He is simply waiting for us to embrace Him. Once we acknowledge Him, then His grace is able to cover our sins and wash us clean. When we truly understand that there is nothing that we can do that will separate us from the love of God

then we can embrace Him for who He is. He is a God who cares, a God who loves, a God who provides, and a God who will not turn His back on us. He is not concerned with our performance.

Instead, He is concerned with our hearts. Because of His love for us, He extended His grace. Grace for our sins and wrong doings.

We have to shift in our minds. We have to understand that God is not out to get us, He is out to help us. Then and only then can we feel His love. Once we feel His love it is hard to deny His existence. Embracing His love by faith is the beginning of feeling wholeness in life.

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Healthy Living Fundamentals

W

BY CAMILLE JOHNESE

e humans have a way of getting so caught up in the

Clean eating = a clean body. Clean bodies train harder, and harder training means a

complex aspects of life, we often forget those that are

more physically fit you.

most simple. Healthy living can be one of those things

Stay hydrated

that we may allow to get a bit over complicated if we

Drink water, drink water, DRINK WATER. And after that, drink more. There isn’t really

aren’t careful. I am personally very guilty of getting

a set standard as to how much water a person should consume in a day because

caught up in the latest healthy recipe, vitamin, cute gym clothes craze, and whatever

we are all different and have individual hydration needs. However, there is a rule of

else you can think of. If as a fitness coach I have these struggles then I know I’m not

thumb that I like to use. I challenge myself to consume a minimum of 2-3 bottles of

alone.

water per day. When I follow this rule I never feel like I’m lacking proper hydration.

I thought it would be a good idea to stop overcomplicating things and go back to

Not only can a lack of proper hydration make you feel less than your best during

the basics. By revisiting each fundamental of healthy living, we have the chance to

workouts, your body may also retain fluid to compensate for the lack of hydration.

remember why each of them are an important part of our overall healthy lifestyle.

When your body retains fluid you can’t metabolize fat properly, thus slowing down your weight loss efforts.

It all starts in the kitchen

Get up and get moving

Whether you’re a carnivore, vegetarian, or vegan, it is important to remember that

Last but most definitely not least...GET OFF YOUR BUTT AND GET ACTIVE. To help

80% of your healthy lifestyle journey comes from what you eat. My tip for you: Don’t

steer you in the right direction, try starting off by walking or jogging for 30 minutes

eat crap! Now, I could exhaustively define “crap”, but I’m sure we all know what that is.

three times a week. Just this minimum amount of exercise will help get your heart

All the processed, greasy, and “on-the-go” foods you’ve been putting into your body,

rate elevated enough to burn some of those extra daily calories. Once you’ve

STOP IT! The only thing you’re doing is slowing down your journey to a healthier you

established a routine, you might consider adding a day or two to your routine and

and slowing down your body’s functions at the same time. Focus on clean eating.

extending your workout time by 20-30 minutes. The more calories you burn, the

Foods that are not processed are raw, and have minimum calories but keep you

better, right? If you’re one of those people who don’t like working out alone you can

full for a while. Those are the keys to success. Now, I do realize that all great things

try asking a friend or relative to join you during your workouts or find a local workout

take time, so you may feel the need to tackle this challenge step by step. That is

class to attend.

completely fine. The main thing to remember: eat less junk food. The way to do that is: eat more real food. “Real food” being clean food. It’s really that simple.

These healthy living fundamentals are really simple, but it is when we try to take on

When taking things a step further, we should begin to take into account how food is

too much too soon and overdo the simple things that create the complexity which

prepared as well as what elements make up our meals, and how large those meals

drives many away from fitness. Study these fundamentals and get to know them,

are. As a general rule, I like to tell people that meals should be 20% protein and 80%

then build on to them. Eat clean, drink water, get moving, and whatever you do have

veggies. That protein should be lean and either baked or broiled. Veggies can be any

fun. You’re well on your way to a new and improved you. Enjoy the journey.

vegetable that isn’t too starchy, and should be fresh or frozen. Vegetables should be boiled or sautéed. Meals should be no larger than the size of your hand.

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BY THELISIA DAVIS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY TAM WILLIAMS

P

aulo Coelho said, “When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become

better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.” These amazingly gifted individuals you are about to read about are The Rouge Collection’s very first Rouge 25. Each person different yet they all share a love for this great city we choose to call home. As we sat down to interview them they shared parts of themselves that have left us inspired. The task of choosing individuals for this list in a city full of talented and hard-working people was enormous. Yet after the list was complete and the interviews were conducted one after the other, we knew that you would be touched, drawn to laugh, and maybe even get a little emotional.

What we hope to show you is just a peek into the reality of people that you may not know much about, but they make their mark on this city daily, some in little and others in huge ways to see the quality of life in this city better and the future of our home brighter. Share their stories and learn from them if you can, and if you see them in the city, pat them on the back and tell them good job, because people like these chosen few are a part of what makes the world a better place.

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Reverend Leo Cyrus Who is Leo Cyrus?

Leo Cyrus is the son of Reverend Johnny and Alice Cyrus. My father pastored in Baton Rouge for 45 years and I was born in Baton Rouge and have been here all my life.

What do you love?

I love what the Lord called me to do and that is preach. I love people; I love watching people grow; watching people change, and watching lives go in a different direction before they met the Lord.

What’s one of the problems you want to solve?

Bring our people back together, for us to have love for one another, to take advantage of the education. Coming together and establishing businesses and taking our place in the economic world. I love to see my young men and young women realizing that there is a better way than the way of the world.

What is the secret of success?

First of all is to love the Lord and accept Him as your personal savior and then be guided by His word and His spirit. Work hard, study hard, learn to sacrifice to get where you want to go, have a plan and stick with it and make sure that God is at the top of whatever you do and if you do that things will work out for your good.

What helps you get the job done?

I don’t want to sound redundant, but I couldn’t get it done if it wasn’t for the Lord. I have a wife, I can’t leave her out . She is my help. I want to say my right arm. Plus I have an administrative assistant and other folks around me that help get the job done. But I have a work habit and sometimes they question if I’m human or not. I love doing what I do and I work hard doing what I do.

Words you live by?

Romans 8-28, “For we know that all things work together for the good of them that love the Lord..” I live by those words. Things happen in my life that really hurt me and sometimes may knock me to my knees.

I just had a tragedy in my family and it was really… devastating but it’s those words, I fall back on those words, that it’s going to work out for my good.

What are your winning habits?

Man…that’s a tough one there. Rejoicing and thanking the Lord who gets the glory for whatever happens in my life for the good or the bad.

If you could say one thing to every person in the world, what would it be and why?

I would say this; you only have one life to live and you don’t know how long that life is going to last, none of us know, but remember this there is a preparation that must be made to die, and I would say first make Christ your personal savior and know your purpose and then get busy fulfilling it. Everyone has a purpose and with that purpose there ought to be a vision or a dream of how you’re going to accomplish that. To young people, get your education, stay in school, don’t get sidetracked and get all you can because there is no limit to what you can do and what you can be.

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Pastor of New Hope Baptist Church

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LaTangela Sherman Radio Host/T.V. Personality

Who is LaTangela Sherman?

LaTangela Sherman is just the average female that likes to get a lot done and likes to help when she can.

What do you love?

I love my family, I love my friends, I love experiencing different things, I love helping when I can, I love engaging in new ideas and meeting new people, I love to travel, I love the idea of love I haven’t found it yet, I also love glitter.

What do you hate?

I hate negativity; I hate when others are always trying to dampen someone’s spirit. I hate when someone tries to put someone else down in order to build themselves up. I hate the fact that we have learned to grow so accustomed to hating each other, it’s almost as if we are shunning the love, and it is not as acceptable to be as open hearted as we should be. That is just one of the things I feel that we as the community should work on. We need to learn how to spread the love so to speak.

What is the secret to success?

The secret to success is having a plan, having it all mapped out A to Z. You have to know where you are starting from. You have to know how to visualize where you have to go and you have to know between that points there are some steps that have to be taken. Consistency is keep and the will to win, the desire to win being able to get in there and say I’m going all or nothing at all.

What is something you do that no one knows you do?

I sew; I’ve never really talked about that. I also take trips to the zoo by myself once a month.

What is something you love about Baton Rouge?

I love the diversity of Baton Rouge; it’s slow enough to say if you want a chill spot you can find it. There is enough going on with the entertainment scene, so if you are looking for something nice to do you can do that as well. I also love my comfort zone here in Baton Rouge, being that I am from here all my family is here and I just know all the little nooks and crannies. So when other people come from other states I can show them that Baton Rouge is one of the best jewels on the map.

Where do you get your drive?

I think my drive was instilled in me from my grandfather.

He was a pastor for 23 years. Before he passed he worked day in and day out. He worked his full time job until he retired from Gulf States, and then he was the pastor of St. James Baptist Church out in the park. I never heard him complain, I never heard him say he was too tired to carry on, he just did it. If it was someone or a church member that was sick in the hospital he would get up and go. It was something that I didn’t have to be told I just picked it up from his example.

Are you a Droid or an iPhone? iPhone.

If you could say one thing to every single person in the world, what would it be and why?

The power of love is real and make sure you learn to love yourself and it makes it a lot easier to love others.

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Michael Platte Dunlap and Fiore Lawyer Who is Michael Platte?

A dedicated individual, family man, passionate about my job and family and just somebody who wants to help others at the end of the day.

What do you love?

Outside of family, I love where I live. I love being a part of this city and this state. I’m happily married and the father of an eleven month old. Number one is definitely being a family man.

What do you hate?

I dislike when individuals; are harsh towards other people. I’m more of a person that tries to work it out with other people and when I see people that can’t get along I try to work it out.

I guess that’s a part of my job, to try and help people work it out. With my clients I try to solve their issues as I represent them and keep everybody on the same page and make people happy.

What’s a problem that you really want to solve?

Locally would be the school system for East Baton Rouge Parish. Just seeing how far Baton Rouge has come as of late. It’s disheartening to see that we still have a failing school system. There is a solution, I’m not saying I have that solution but I think if we all come together I think we can resolve that.

What’s the secret to success?

Hard work, it is what you put into it. If you want to be successful and you do a good job and are sincere about your work and really work hard, anybody can be successful.

What are your winning habits?

Staying on top of it, with respect to studying and trying to become better at what I do. As an attorney you have to learn the law. It’s always changing and you have to stay with it and continue to learn with what you do, you can’t ever get content with what you know.

What helps you get the job done?

Outside of hard work is knowing that you are trying to help an individual and solve a problem for your client.

It’s knowing that a person has retained me to help them solve a problem and putting that problem to rest is what helps me get the job done.

Words you live by?

“Do unto others and you would have them do unto you.” It doesn’t take much to lend a helping hand to a person. You never know what little thing you do for somebody what it will do and how it will reflect and possibly change that person’s life.

What time do you go to sleep?

I try to go to bed somewhere between 11pm and 12am and be up no later than 5:30am.

Where do you get your drive?

Wanting to be successful for my family, my wife and my son, and also my grandparents and father whose deceased.

That’s what’s been able to drive me all these years.

If you could say one thing to every person in the world what would it be and why?

Be great. I think there is potential for everybody out there to be successful and be somebody. It goes back to what I said earlier, whatever you do to other individuals you never know how that is going to help someone and reflect on them in the long run.

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Charlie Whinham Host of LPB News Hour

Who is Charlie Whinham?

He is a 51 year old journalist, that works for Louisiana Public Broadcasting, that works with his neighbors, he is the president of his home owners association, he is a dog owner, and a very… very lucky man to have met the lady in his life.

What do you love?

I love story telling. I don’t know where it happened, but I know in high school, we had a civics class and it was a career day or career assignment. We had these dot matrix printers that, after we answered some questions, said you might be wired to do this type of job. Mass communication popped up. Thanks to that one class I had a chance to find out more about that field and find out if I like it. When I went to the University of Kentucky, they had a mass communication program. It allowed me to go ahead and take more interest and find out if I liked radio, television, or print. I found out I liked the story telling aspect on the electronic side where you can put pictures and words together to make little stories.

What is a problem that you would really like to solve?

Advocate for animals and just a better way to treat animals and for humans in general to become better caretakers of animals. When I see stray animals it breaks my heart, my dogs are adopted. When I see an injured animal, it is just a victim of circumstance, because of human lack of responsibility. So if there is any cause that I take personal, it is finding good homes for animals, promoting responsible pet ownership, and just promoting the great things that having animals in your life could be.

What is the secret to success?

When you find out please tell me. I’ll say this much though the difference between success and failure is razor thin. You have circumstances and situations that could go either way. Razor thin reality is the difference between success and failure and having that knowledge is vital. I will say hard work and persistence play a major role in the secret to success.

Words you live by?

Never give up, are some key words to live by that holds true for everybody because if you give up you are already destined to fail. The tough part about even if you try is, it doesn’t guarantee success. You always have to try even if the result is the exact same as not trying, but you have to believe that it makes a difference to always give it your best shot.

If you could say one thing to every person in the world, what would it be and why?

Keep a sense of humor; there are always challenges and the best mechanism to fight it off many, many, times is having a good sense of humor.

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Courtney Scott Lifestyle Business Manager Who is Courtney Scott?

She is a God fearing woman that is driven by any means necessary.

What do you love?

I love life; the good, the bad, and everything about it encompasses. What you’re destined to be and driving everyday for that destiny is a thrill.

What do you hate?

I hate negativity, it’s such a deterring thing for anything that you want to do in life and negativity comes in so many forms.

What is a problem that you want to solve?

People need hope and the smallest negative thing can drive them into a different direction, so that is a problem that I would love to solve.

What is the secret to success?

Doing, being, and to keep going.

What helps you get the job done?

Drive helps me get the job done. ‘By any means necessary,’ is something I have lived by forever, simply because you never know what is going to come and stop you from what you’re doing. You just have to keep it going.

Words you live by?

By any means necessary.

What are your winning habits?

My winning habits are prayer, first and foremost, focus and reflection.

What time do you wake up in the morning and what is the first thing you do?

Normally 6 – 7 o’clock in the morning daily, and the first thing that I do is reflect and say “I’m here. ” What time do you go to sleep?

I don’t sleep.

What is something you do that no one knows you do?

I talk to myself, the people closest to me definitely probably know that I do it but I talk a lot. I am my biggest critic and cheerleader.

What is something you love about the city of Baton Rouge?

The growth is something I truly love about the city of Baton Rouge. I am an adopted native of Baton Rouge. I have been here since high school, and seeing the dreams that I had for this city and what it’s evolving into is something I really love, and to see it keep growing is something I really love as well.

Where do you get your drive?

I definitely have to credit my parents. My father is the hustler, the fighter, the driver in me and my mother is the rational thinker in me.

If you had one thing to say to every single person in the world what would it be and why?

I would say by any means necessary do what you want to do, and I know that’s the hardest thing sometimes but you still have to do it.

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Ronnie Saurage Owner of Rukus Who is Ronny?

A business owner. A guy who likes to have fun and spend time with family and friends and just enjoy life.

What’s the first thing you do each morning?

Eat Cereal.

What help’s you get the job done?

Hustle. Motivation. Get up and work. Don’t be lazy.

Words that you live by?

Do unto other as you would want them to do unto you. There’s a bunch but that’s one of them.

What are your winning habits?

I have a habit of making good relationships with people.

What time do you go to sleep?

Anywhere between 12 and 1 am.

What time do you wake up?

Anywhere between 8 and 9 am.

What do you love?

Family first. Life, and my friends.

What do you hate?

Bad people.

What’s a problem that you really want to solve?

Greed. And people that litter. I think people being closed minded is a big problem. I think that people get stuck in this simple mind. For instance what we do or what you do or what you’re into. Clothes, shoes, skateboarding. I look at dudes that hunt, that’s not me but I think if they’re having a good time that is awesome, like, that’s really cool. If Joe Blow is into bowling on Friday nights, that’s not my deal, I don’t get it, but I think it’s awesome that he is so excited about going bowling.

People put a lot of people; in this town, in the world really, in categories. If they would just realize that its all good no matter what. Just be positive about what everybody’s doing. Go back to being a little more open minded.

What is the secret to success?

Do what you love and give it 110%.

What is something that you do that on one knows you do?

I’m an open book really. I don’t wear underwear sometimes.

Does that count? A lot of people don’t know I have to have chocolate after every meal. Period. I have to. I’ll freak out if i don’t. I carry it on me!

Droid or iPhone?

I have an iPhone but I think Droid’s where it’s at to be honest with you.

What is something you love about the city of Baton Rouge?

Everything. It’s a good community and it’s what I call home. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. I’ve been all around the country and I always can’t wait to come back home. I think it has a lot to do with our diversity. I love the people here.

Where do you get your drive?

From the way I was raised. I think about what I didn’t have and the situation I was in when I was younger and it drives me to do better than what I had, and my wife.

If you could say one thing to every person in the world, what would it be?

Smile more.

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Howard Hall

Comedian and Radio Host

Who is Howard Hall?

Howard Hall is a father, business owner, comedian, who lives in the city of Baton Rouge, well not really Baton Rouge but Zachary, close enough. I grew up in the city of Baton Rouge, I love the city and love comedy and I want the whole city to embrace that.

What do you hate?

I hate failure.

What is a problem that you really want to solve?

Baton Rouge has a plethora of talent that the world needs to see, and I want them to see it.

What is the secret of success?

Hard work and perseverance.

Where do you get your drive from?

I get my drive from God, my wife, and my kids.

What time do you wake up in the morning and what is the first thing you do?

I wake up normally at 6:30 in the morning, first thing I do is cut my alarm off and the second thing I do is say thank you to God. Words you live by?

Faith in God includes faith in His timing.

What helps you get the job done?

Knowing that I might not be the most talented but I will out work anyone.

What are your winning talents?

Working with everyone. I can work with any and everybody to get a job done.

What time do you go to sleep?

I go to sleep in between the hours of 1 and 2:30 a.m., nightly.

What is something you do that no one knows you do?

I actually help my daughter with tumbling, because I use to do gymnastics for 10 years.

Are you a Droid or an iPhone?

Droid, I don’t like to be confined to doing certain things through a certain app all the time I kind of like freedom.

What is something you love about the city of Baton Rouge?

It is inviting, if you give Baton Rouge all that you have it will actually cultivate you.

Favorite Food?

Home made Hamburgers.

If you could say one thing to every person in the world, what would it be and why?

I would say experience God in a place by yourself, the reason why is because when you have that moment with God, or your God. It is the best, most humbling, peaceful, and exciting moment that you will ever have in your life.

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Sevetri Wilson Entrepreneur/Consultant/Social Change Influencer

Who is Sevetri Wilson?

An entrepuner, African American business woman, a community activist, and a social change influencer.

What do you love?

I love the community, I love my family, I love my employees, I just love being in a place where I can see through change.

What do you hate?

I hate apathy What’s a problem that you really want to solve?

Poverty, the issues with education and health care.

What’s the secret to success?

There is no secret to success you just work hard and sometimes the dice roll in your favor and if they don’t you just have to pick yourself back up time and time again.

What are your winning habits?

Besides the fact that I don’t sleep much, I work hard, I’m detail oriented, and I never give up.

What helps you get the job done?

Good people in my corner, good resources, and good networks of people.

Words you live by?

Live to fight another day What’s the first thing you do each morning?

I get up, get dressed, hopefully I can work out and then I have my coffee.

What time do you go to sleep?

It varies I have a crazy schedule, I like to get home around 8 or 9pm, I take a three hour nap, and then I’ll wake back up and work until about 3 or 4am in the morning and then I’ll go back to sleep for maybe another hour or so and then I get back up for my day. So, it’s all over the place.

What’s something you do that no one knows you do?

My sleeping habits or the fact that I meditate and before a big event or a big proposal pitch I say a prayer and it’s always the same every time.

Are you an Android or an iPhone? iPhone, Mac, outside of being a huge Steve Jobs fan, it just works better for my lifestyle.

What is something you love about the city of Baton Rouge?

That there’s opportunity.

Where do you get your drive?

My mother and my grandmother.

If you could say one thing to every person in the world what would it be and why?

Never allow someone else to defeat you, I say that because so many times people are their own worst enemy and they are the only thing standing in their way between where they are and where they want to be.

20 • The Rouge Collection • www.therougecollection.com

Darrin Goss

Who is Darrin Goss?

I would probably define myself as a couple of things upfront.

A devoted husband celebrating 21 years of marriage this year, a loving and caring disciplinarian as a father. I would further define myself as someone who is committed, someone who feels a sense of calling to the work that I do everyday, I don’t regard what I do necessarily as a job as much as I consider it a calling. So what people need to know about Darrin Goss is that I am going to speak with honesty I’m going to be very transparent with them, and very honest, I am not going to over promise and under perform on delivery. What people should really experience with me is a genuine person who really cares about them, and cares about the community in which I live and is committed to that community’s success.

What do you love?

Oh man, a lot of things. I love life, of course my family, and I am a man of faith, so I have a very personal relationship with Christ and I have actually pastored and ministered for over 18 years. I love people, I love what people can be. I love the potential that people have, I am a firm believer that we are not as bad as what we have ever done, and I think that generates out of a place of love.

For me that carries with it the idea of forgiveness, of reconciliation and of trust, those are the things that I love.

What is a problem that you really want to solve?

For me my personal crusade is to give every young person particularly those most at risk the kinds of opportunities I enjoyed as a young person growing up in Charleston Carolin. That is the opportunity to have a great education to get as much as they can because I firmly believe that education is one of the thngs that equalizes the playing field. There are a lot of other factors to that but giving people the opportunity to have access as early as possible to great quality education and educational opportunity is something that I am very passionate about.

What is the secret to success?

For me personally the secret to success has always been preparation, I actually have a formula that I coined several years ago. It’s preparation, plus opportunity, equals success. I firmly believe that you should be spiritually, emotionally, physically, tactically and mentally prepared, and when you prepare yourself you can seize opportunities when they present themselves. You also can create opportunities for yourself, so for me success has always been wrapped up in my own personal level of preparation and I don’t think you can take a day off from that. I’m a life long learner and I think a big part of preparation is reading and learning and studying and being disciplined in your craft knowing who you are, knowing what you’re about, and then going hard after being as prepared as you can be, because you just never know when someone is going to provide an opportunity for you or you can seize an opportunity.

If you could say one thing to every person in the world, what would it be and why?

I would say be true to yourself, know who you are and what you stand for. I think that is the purest and frankly to me the simplest way to live a happy life. Be who you are, be true to yourself, and be the best that person you can be.

CEO of the Capitol Area United Way

The Rouge Collection • www.therougecollection.com • 21

Kelly LeDuff Co-owner of Open Eyes Saftey Trianing Who is Kelly LeDuff?

Kelly LeDuff is a 30 year old from Baton Rouge born and raised, I’ve traveled the country in my first career as a train master in the railroad industry. I came back home several years ago and tapped into my entrepreneur spirit. I own a business in downtown baton rouge I own a nightclub, I also own a venture I recently started with my father called “Open Eyes Safety Training” where we do self defense classes for women.

Past that I am a husband of seven years, I am a father of two, I have a four year old and a two year old, a loving son to both my mother and father. I’m a family guy and just glad to be back home I never want to leave I want to continue to stay in Baton Rouge and grow roots and be productive and be apart of this community.

What is a problem you really want to solve?

I have a group that I work with through mental illness. On my mothers side of the family I have two uncles that are mentally ill, one was murdered in Baton Rouge back in 2010 the other one still lives here in the city. I’ve been doing a lot of work with the home association that houses the mentally ill. You just look at the fights that they have with the medical system and getting their medicine. A large majority of the people that we see on the side of our streets and in our prisons are mentally ill and it is one of those hush hush type of things in the community that no one is talking about, we kind of push them to the side and throw them away. They didn’t ask for that disease it’s a terrible thing and it’s affecting my family, so that is one of my biggest fights.

What is the secret to success?

The secret to success is realizing that anything is possible, and realizing that it is true. The reason it has been around so long is because it has been a key attribute to peoples success. Understanding that you can do exactly what you set out to do. Find something that you are passionate about, because unless you’re passionate about it you wont find the energy of running through and jumping over the hurdles that come with trying to do anything that gets remembered.

Words you live by?

Love, commitment, loyalty, and respect. Respect for those you have a relationship with, respect for those you compete against and respect for yourself. I think that goes a long way with doing any type of business in life.

What are your winning habits?

My winning habits are not trying to do everything, picking a couple of things that I am passionate about, picking things that I know I can accomplish, and setting short term goals. I set weekly goals for everything, I’m kind of like Maryjane, I see Maryjane on the new show on BET, she puts the postid notes all over her room, I’m a lot like that I put postids notes all over the bathroom, my wife hates it but I look at them and I throw them away when I’m done with them.

If you could say one thing to every person in the world, what would it be and why?

Love everyone in the world and treat everybody how you would want to be treated. I think that by doing that you make memories and you touch people, and that is what makes for full funerals. That is what makes people remember you because life is short. When you are gone you take nothing with you, all you leave behind is memories and people that feel like you have impacted their lives.

22 • The Rouge Collection • www.therougecollection.com

Who is Ted James?

Well it depends on who you ask, to some people Ted James is a State Representative, to some people Ted James is a lawyer.

I’ve been blessed to hold many titles but I’m simply a product of a community that invested a lot in me, and I’ve done my best to pour that back out into the community. I love to serve people, I love to help people, because there were people that did it for me. I was a child that grew up with a lot of potential, that I didn’t realize until somebody took the time and helped me realize that potential. I see that (potential) in a lot of people.

What is your favorite food?

My favorite food is probably French Fries (laughter) but my favorite meal is probably Koto, I love koto’s hibachi chicken and steak.

What is your favorite color?

My favorite color is McKinley Blue. For folks that don’t know, McKinley Blue is Royal Blue.

What is your biggest dream?

My biggest dream is to see my community reach its maximum potential. Depending on who you ask that potential may look different, but to me it means a community that all inclusive, and to have a community where everyone has a chance to reach their full potential.

What do you love?

I love my community, my family, and what I do for a living.

What do you hate?

I don’t hate anything.

What’s a problem that you really wanna solve ?

I would love to solve the division in our city, and our parish in which I grew up in, and have grown a love for.

There’s so many people that’s working extremely hard to divide our school system, and our parish, I will continue to work hard to correct that wrong.

What’s your secret to success?

My secret to success is relying on others, the thing about learning to be a leader is learning how to follow, I found that out at a very young age.

Droid or iPhone? iPhone! iPad! iNotebook! iEverything!

What’s something that you love about the City of Baton Rouge?

I love the diversity and the strength of the younger generation.

I see our young people as a thriving people. So many negative things are said about the young people, but I see strength, and I’m excited to see the future of these young people once they reach their full potential.

What’s something that you do that most people don’t know you do?

There’s this group called ALEC, and it’s a legislative think tank, and they focus on conservative issues, I read a lot of their publications and subscribe to some of their things just to see what the other side is thinking.

Where do you get your drive ?

I get my drive from the people I serve, I know that as an elected official and an attorney I strive to do those things, and that same desire is what pushes me day in and day out.

If you could say one thing to every person in the world, what would it be?

I would say, be the change you wish to see in the world, those are very powerful words, but I think it speaks volumes to not only our mission, but our duty, to encourage others to be all that they can be.

Ted James

Louisiana State Representative District 101

The Rouge Collection • www.therougecollection.com • 23

Will Campbell Director of Louisiana Small Business Developement Center at Southern University

24 • The Rouge Collection • www.therougecollection.com

Who is Will Campbell?

Will Campbell is the director of Louisiana Small Business Development Center at Southern University, I was born in a small town, Lucedaile, Mississippi. Graduated from George County High School, from there I went to the University of South Alabama, I graduated there in 1991 with a BS degree in Military Science. Spent 2 years in the military, went through the ROTC program at University of South Alabama, very passionate about that. Right after that I went to Desert Storm, and Desert Shield. I consider myself a public servant from both the religious side, and the business side, being that I am a pastor, and help entrepreneurs turn their dreams to a reality at Southern University. I am the proud father of 3 beautiful children, my beautiful wife is Mary, she’s a graduate of Southern University, Will Campbell loves to preach the Gospel, loves being an entrepreneur, and loves serving people.

What do you love?

I love The Lord thy God, with all my heart, soul, mind, and body. And I love my neighbor, which is my wife, more than myself, and I love people.

What’s a problem that you really want to solve?

I want to overcome the problem of poverty, the rich getting richer, and the poor getting poorer. I think America has turned their heart from God, and I want bring back the righteousness. Help refuel a generation, it feels like we’ve lost our young people, I’m very passionate about that.

What is the secret to success?

For me, it’s seeking Lord thy God with your heart, soul, mind, and body, I use biblical principles in every facet of my life, from business, to ministry, to raising my children, to loving my wife, to my friends, I use that as a tool.

What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? And what time do you wake up?

I generally arise at about 4:00 AM, every morning 4:30 at the latest. I study about 45 minutes in prayer, and studying the word of God. I then I work out for about 35-45 minutes every morning. You have to take care of your spiritual body, as well as your physical body, then I kiss my wife, eat some breakfast, and I’m out the door.

What Helps you get the job done?

Well for one I can credit that to the wisdom of God, His grace and mercy has helped me do this. Having a loving wife as a support in fact that understands my purpose and my destiny. Then it’s a strong work ethic being motivated, and having a never quit attitude.

No matter what adversities come your way. You also must have the right staff, the people around you to help get things done.

Words you live by?

Love, Honor, Respect, Hardwork, Integrity, and always raise the standard.

If you could say one thing to every person in the world, what would it be, and why?

Fear God, that’s the number one thing, and let His desire be your desire, and know that you’re saved.

Dr. Rani Whitfield Tha Hip-Hop Doc Who is Doctor Rani Whitfield?

Rani Whitfield is the jack of all trades master of none, I think that is why I pursued family practice. I’m a father first and foremost I love my daughter more then anything on this earth. Musician, physician, I have many things I like to do I am an athlete at least I think I am, so man of many missions and many interest, but if I had to pick one thing I would probably say I’m a father that is probably the most important thing that I do everyday which is to attempt to raise my daughter.

What is the secret to your success?

I would have to say prayer and faith; I would not be successful if I did not have faith and belief in the man that put me here. As much credit that I give to my parents they wouldn’t be here without him as well, so prayer and faith would be the secret to my success.

What do you love?

That’s tough one, a lot of things food and sleep, which I don’t get enough of. I love me and by loving me I’m able to love and help others, so loving myself is important you have to love yourself and I do love myself.

What do you hate?

Hate is a strong word. If I had to pick something I hate, I hate for someone not to try. To be successful you have to put some effort in, and when people give up I would not say I hate the person for not trying but I hate not trying. The ability to be successful or to be more than what you want to be, you have to put some effort into it, so I hate that someone does not try to do something.

Favorite Color?

Black and Gold, it’s two Favorite Food?

Mango Fruit.

Least Favorite Food?

Liver.

What is something that you do that no one knows you do?

I pray in the shower while the water is running, so psychologically I’m praying and I’m being cleansed at the same time, and I use antibacterial soap at the same time.

How did you start playing the bass?

Funny story, I went into a music store and there was a starter base kit and some country bass music, I did not know anything else, there was a base and amp and some starter book and cd. I basically taught myself for the first six months, I have been blessed to know some guys like Eric Johnson who is an awesome bass lessons, and these guys would give me free lessons. Eric and I had a little deal I had to feed him for the lessons so they weren’t really free.

I basically was self taught and when I had issues on the bass I would go and talk to these guys and they would help me with bass lines and playing songs, so basically it has grown. So I have hooked up with Eric Johnson, my keyboard player and my guitar player in the band of euphoria Shawn Griffin is the best bass player, drummer that you have never heard about, so he teaches me all the basslines that I did not know. So I taught myself and I had help from a lot of guys, that’s how I learned how to play the bass.

How did you pick up the name the hip-hop doc?

I was christen by a friend of mine at a border view programs who I told I was trying to use music and medicine to speak relate to kids, so she said what music are you going to use and I said of course hip hop I like to rap. She called me the hip-hop doc that very day the first time the word was ever said to me.

The Rouge Collection • www.therougecollection.com • 25

Winter McCray

Artistic Director of Winter Dance Company

26 • The Rouge Collection • www.therougecollection.com

Who is Winter McCray?

Winter McCray is a Christian, I’m a Dancer, I’m a mentor, and I’m an Entrepreneur.

What do you love?

I love God, I love my Family, and of course I love Dance.

What do you hate?

Hate is such a strong word, but I hate fear, I overcame fear, I’m still overcoming fear, and doubt, but you know what God can do, so I’m slowly but surely overcoming it.

Favorite Food?

Rice and Gravy!

Least Favorite Food?

Anything healthy.

Favorite color?

Black.

What’s a problem that you really wanna solve?

The doubt that some of our young people have about pursuing their dreams.

What is something you do that nobody knows?

I know how to play the drums, when I was younger my dad played in my church and I learned how to play, but I stopped once I fell in love with dance.

What is something that you love about the city of Baton Rouge?

It’s really small, so basically everyone knows each other, so if you ever need something; ex: photographer, graphic designer, they’re probably one call away, and even if you don’t know them, somebody will know that person.

Where do you get your drive?

That’s a tough question, I get my drive from wanting my future kids to see how hard I’ve worked, and to have something to leave behind for them to build on, even if it isn’t dance, I want to leave a legacy for them so they can know that whatever you put your mind and hard work into, you can see results.

What’s the first thing you do each morning?

I brush my teeth, and thank God for waking me up.

What helps you to get the job done?

For me it’s to see the end product, sometimes when you’re doing a job and you see all that you have to do, you get discouraged by the different challenges, but my motivation is seeing my vision come to life.

Words you live by?

“Destined for greatness.”, “God can’t fail.”, “Keep running.”, those are some quotes from some of my artist friends.

What are your winning habits?

I’m a hard worker, I’m compassionate, I’m understanding when it comes to different people’s situations. I don’t give up, I’m not a quitter.

What time do you go to sleep?

It varies from night to night, I would say anywhere from 11 PM, to 5 AM, it just depends on what I have going on.

What time do you wake up?

Most of the time around 7 o’clock (AM).

If there was one thing that you could tell to every person in the world, what would it be?

I would tell everyone to know their purpose, you need to know why you’re living, why you’re here, what’s your destiny, what does your heart desire, so I would say, know your purpose.

Jacob Zumo Artist Who is Jacob Zumo?

I’m an athlete, an artist, a friend, and a family man.

What do you love?

I love life, living, enjoying each day, and experiencing new possibilities.

What do you hate?

Close-mindedness. I hate when people just aren’t open to other people. Or that they judge people without getting to know who they are and how they think.

What’s a problem that you really want to solve?

The diversity issues of the community, exposing worlds to each other. Helping people see the other side is the same.

What’s the secret to success?

Consistency, I think it’s what has helped me along the way. I got started by doing a painting for Kevin Gates just as a fan.

When the concert was over I went to my car, and as he was closing his door getting in the car I yelled his name and held the painting up. We ended up talking for thirty to forty-five minutes after that and I got connected to another group from New Orleans. These guys told me that their brother was going to be opening up for Drake in New Orleans the next week.

They told me they could get a painting to him, and they called me every day that week and sure enough that weekend I was sitting in the dressing room with Drake playing FIFA and enjoying the night. Each one of the jobs I did connected me to my next and it’s been consistent over the years, from doing a painting for Snoop years ago to doing one this year and people remembering me working and seeing that I’m still working. The secret is consistency.

What are your winning habits?

I think it’s faith, hard work, and consistency.

What helps you get the job done?

I think it’s friends, family, and networking.

What’s something you do that no one knows you do?

Procrastinate a lot. I think that’s the problem of a lot of artists.

Where do you get your drive?

I think it’s my basketball career. My family loves the sport and I’ve played basketball since I could walk. My brother was an All-American in college. We both played in the same conference. I’ve always lived that athletic drive and I think that’s what has helped my career as an artist.

If you could say one thing to every person in the world what would it be and why?

Choose life, because life is a special thing and your mom chose life.

The Rouge Collection • www.therougecollection.com • 27

Andrew Muhl Lobbiest for AARP Who is Andrew Muhl?

Andrew Muhl is a family man. He is a guy who is very creative, loves music, loves art, is very passionate about the issues that he works on. He is a very hard worker, really enjoys being around people and is a lot of fun to be around.

What do you love?

I love music. I love art. I love playing music. I love strapping on a guitar and just rocking out for 10 minutes. I love writing and being able to sit down and put something together. I love it when I’m successful at something I do, when I achieve something, or accomplish something that really makes a difference.

What do you hate?

Negativity. That is really pretty much it. Maybe people who are self centered, or maybe a little selfish.

What is a problem you really want to solve?

Really improving Baton Rouge would be on top of the list. We need more young, smart people in Baton Rouge who are forward thinking and that are willing to tackle some of the problems that we have. Crime is a huge problem.

Our public education system needs a lot of work. So we need some people with sharp elbows who want to make a change and some folks who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty and tackle some of our big issues.

What helps you get the job done?

Planning ahead and preparing. You can’t overstate the importance of preparation. There is a great quote that Ben Hogan, a golfer, said that I always think about, “Golf is a game of luck. The more I practice, the luckier I get.” I think that really speaks to the work that I do. The harder we work, and the more we practice, the better off we are. So it’s really leaving no stone unturned and making sure that you have that preparation to get the job done.

Are you a Droid or an iPhone? iPhone.

Why? I’ve never used the Droid so I don’t know. The Droid might be really good. I love… man I don’t know…the text messages seem to go through in time.

What are your winning habits?

Again preparation, but I think it’s also important to note that you have to be yourself. Something else somebody said a long time ago that really sticks out to me, “The people that matter don’t mind and the people who mind don’t matter.” So always be true to yourself. Also, don’t take yourself too seriously because we are all working towards a common goal. We are all working to improve the quality of life for others and to make a difference in our community. At the same time you have to have some time to reflect and enjoy life and to be able to laugh at yourself when things get too serious.

Where do you get your drive?

Definitely from my dad. Both of my parents but definitely from my dad. My dad was always working and he really instilled in me hard work and the importance of preparation and always being able to anticipate the unexpected. You may not be able to control the outcome but you can always at least anticipate what it can be and really just be able to have that anticipation.

What something you love about the city of Baton Rouge?

I love the food, and I love the culture. I think that Baton Rouge has a very unique culture and a very unique lifestyle that is really different than anywhere else I have ever lived.

28 • The Rouge Collection • www.therougecollection.com

LaMont Cole

CSAL INC Charter Schools Who is LaMont Cole?

A young man, who has had a very interesting life, in terms of where I grew up, how I grew up, and the people I was able to grow up around. So I’m a combination of a whole lot of people. There is the very subdued, professional individual, who is serious about children.

Then there is the real fun, crazy, buckwild loves to have fun, loves to crack jokes version of me. At the end of the day I’m just a man that believes the best thing you can do in life is help another person.

What do you love?

Knowing that each and every day there is an opportunity to help someone else be great whether that be a young male or female, a family member, my wife, my daughter. I love life. I love the idea of helping other people be great, because I think that’s what life is about helping other people be great and as long as you’re striving to help somebody else your life will continue to be better. My life is absolutely amazing and it’s because every day I wake up thinking how can I help someone else.

What do you do that no one knows you do?

Cry on my pillow. The work that we do each day working with children, some of the things we do trying to help people in our community can be depressing at times.

It can be very challenging at times, but you have to be strong, you have to be an individual that people can lean on. A lot of times listening to people’s problems, heartache, listening to their pain, and some of the things they deal with can be sad. Personally losing my father to AIDS at an early age, losing my grandmothers, both of them whom I was very close to, it could be challenging sometimes. So, sometimes I go home late at night when my wife is sleep and my daughter is sleep and I cry on my pillow and nobody knows that, well... except now.

What’s a problem that you really want to solve?

That black kids don’t believe that they are as intelligent as their peers of other races. I hate that they don’t see themselves as being as intelligent. This country, this city, has been, changed as a result of something that came out of the black community, our culture the way we do things the way we speak, the way we conduct ourselves. Yet still there are some young people that have been brainwashed to believe that they are not as intelligent as their peers from other races. I just feel like as an individual as responsible people we have to be sure that we press up on young people to know you can be great, all you have to do is wake up and decide that’s what you want to do and then start working towards it.

What’s the secret to success?

The secret is knowing that you can’t do it by yourself. You have to know and understand that there are going to be people all around you who have done exactly what you’re trying to do in some arena. It may not be exactly what you’re trying to do, but because they have been successful you have to recognize that these individuals are there and can help you. The other thing about help is being willing to help someone else. I live by the philosophy help others and you’re helping yourself, some may say that’s self-serving, but at the end of the day selfpreservation is the first law of nature. In order to take care of myself I have to help take care of other people, and that’s what I try to do.

What helps you get the job done?

Waking up every morning praying to God for guidance, wisdom, courage, and strength and being mindful to give God the glory, honor, and praise and knowing that as long as I put God first He will direct my path.

The Rouge Collection • www.therougecollection.com • 29

Britney Temple Fitlab Fitness Owner Who is Britney Temple?

Britney Temple is a wife, she is a Christian, she is the mother of two beautiful, amazing, little girls. I am an advocate of health and fitness. I am truly… truly making it my place to rid our community of the obesity epidemic. I do everything from guide my clients with nutrition, from learning about how to eat, to why exercise is important. We have a great environment that promotes accountability, that promotes relationship building, that promotes confidence in thyself and ability to make change happen and believe that we are important. I speak all over the city, I have been truly blessed to be in different publications because I find this a passion of mine, but I am a former collegiate athlete, a professional athlete. I finished from Tulane University. I played volleyball and I was blessed to play overseas in Austria. I grew up as an athlete and now have made health and fitness a priority in life for me.

What do you love?

I love God and my family first. But I love helping people in any way, shape, or form. God gives us gifts so why not use them to help others.

What is a problem you want to solve?

There are a lot of issues that I advocate for but again my priority is focusing on the epidemic of obesity in our community and bringing forth change, showing people how easy it is to make your health a priority just by doing simple things. Just choosing certain foods to eat, just making sure you are at least doing something active for 4 to 5 times a week for 30 minutes. When you’re not exposed you don’t know so education is just so important in regards to your health.

What is the secret to success?

The secret to success lies in your ability to work. There are a lot of people that are 6 feet under that had amazing dreams, hopes, and goals. If they did not put forth the work that was necessary to make sure the dream that they had could come to fruition then that is why its where it is.

I’m a believer that faith without work is dead and if I work hard enough, long enough, I believe in it, I breathe it, I speak life in it then it will come to life.

Words you live by?

“The impossible is possible.” I think sometimes we make ceilings for ourselves that the world sometimes makes us believe is a reality. I’m all about breaking down barriers, being a change agent. I love proving that something can be done when others think it cannot.

30 • The Rouge Collection • www.therougecollection.com

Ryan Chenevert Lawyer at Fletcher and Roy What do you love?

My family. They’ve always been there for me and have supported me through absolutely everything, even through crazy things that I’ve said I wanted to do.

What’s a problem you really want to solve?

Try to settle the divide between America and the rest of the world. I think as we travel across the world as Americans I see all the time that we have a negative connotation everywhere we go, we’re “arrogant”. I’d love to be able to travel and get everyone in America to travel and see the world so we can really just kind of bring it all together. I think that as we travel, and we get to see the rest of the world and how they are it would make it a lot better for us and the world as a whole.

What great business man or woman inspires you?

My senior partner at the law firm I work for, Fletcher and Roy. He started out selling vacuum cleaners door to door. He went from there to selling insurance door to door and from there went to law school and started his own law firm right out of law school which if you don’t know is one of the hardest things to do because you have no experience and no one really knows you. From selling vacuums cleaners to now having a large law firm in Baton Rouge is very inspiring. He tells me every single day to be a salesman.

What is the secret to success?

Be aggressive, be more aggressive, and never be satisfied.

What I mean by that is not competing with other people but competing with yourself. Be better than you were yesterday. Every single day. A lot of people say “don’t sleep”. I believe you need sleep, but you don’t need to waste the day.

What is something that you do that no one knows you do?

I come across very outgoing. I like to be around people a lot, but then there are some times when I just want to be alone. Sometimes on a Friday night I’ll just go home, not tell anybody what I’m doing and sit on the couch and watch DVR all night. Instead of being that outgoing extroverted person that a lot of people think I am. I just like to lay back and be alone sometimes.

What is something you love about the city of Baton Rouge?

Baton Rouge is the most incredible city in my opinion. I’ve traveled all across the country, all across the world, and Baton Rouge is a very unique place and it’s a great location. Not only is it great because of the people ,it’s home for me. 60 minutes down the road is New Orleans, the most unique place ever. You can drive a few hours and be in Houston or you can drive a few hours and you’re in Nashville. It’s got great people, a great history, and a great culture. Hands down the best city.

Where do you get your drive?

Honestly I believe that my drive was instilled by competing in sports growing up. I come from a very modest family but I’ve always been striving to be better and I think that’s comes from wanting to be better on the field and on the court. That for me has translated over to academics and now into my career. I want to be the best and I think competitive sports at a young age taught me how to do that.

If you could say one thing to every person in the world, what would it be?

Love. Love the people around you. Love the world around you and never look down on anybody.

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Terral Jackson Owner of Perfect 10 Productions Who is Terral Jackson?

Terral Jackson is a Baton Rouge native, the youngest of three children, a God fearing Christian man, 36 year old, I’ll be 37 in May, if God says the same, a hard working businessman that thoroughly wants to see people entertain themselves. A family oriented person.

What do you love?

I truly love to see my people entertain themselves, I love to see people be care free about the trials and tribulations in their lives. I love God, I love my family, I love my friends, I love my city.

What is a problem that you really want to solve?

Locally, I want take Baton Rouge off the back burner in terms of going out, I don’t want our young people to have to resort to Houston, Miami, or even New Orleans right up the road with Baton Rouge right here. I want to take my brand global, by that I mean the Perfect 10 brand.

What is the secret to success?

The secret is that there is no secret. You can’t take the elevator to the top, you have to take the stairs.

You have to walk! You have to walk up those steps daily, you have to get bumped, you have to get knocked down. I’ve been blessed to be able to entertain the people of my city for 14 years, I’ve seen a lot. I’ve seen a lot of people come and go, and I’m blessed to still be relevant, and not only relevant, but I would consider myself to be at the forefront, as it relates to entertainment in this city, this state, and this region. A lot of prayer, hard work, and an amazing team.

What helps you get the job done?

What helps me get the job done is timing, staffing, diligence. Integrity is one thing that I preach into all my staff members, all my street team members. I believe in promoting our product, not bashing anyone else’s.

What time do you get up in the morning? And what is the first thing that you do?

It varies. Sometimes it’s not about what time I get up, but what time I get in. Sometimes I dont get in until 5-6 in the morning. My little girl might come jump on my chest before she goes to school, so that might be 7 o’clock in the morning, it varies. I look to take some power naps throughout the day if that is possible, but I have a very rigorous schedule so you never know, but once I’m up, I’m rolling, I don’t stop until I close my eyes again.

Words you live by?

Integrity. When I was going through the process of joining my fraternity, Omega Psi Phi, we learned a lot of different poems, and sayings, one of those saying that I like to share with the younger brothers, especially my chapter brothers is, “Live Your Creed”; “I rather see a sermon than hear one.”; “I rather one to walk with me, than just show the way.”. I believe in trust, and honesty, and love.

If you could say one thing to every person in the world, what would it be? And why?

Life is too short for negativity, spread love, not hate, no matter what you do, be passionate about it. Ride this thing called life until the wheels fall off, life is about living, loving, and enjoying life.

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Who is Kim Miller?

Kim Miller is an identical twin that shares a love with her sister, the oldest of 8 my mothers right hand, someone that is competitive, someone that likes to help and is a very big giver.

What do you love?

My family, well first of all Jesus Christ, the friends that I have made, I love my job, I love the people that I work with, I love my customers and clients, and I love sports, baseball and football, and of course go tigers I love my fighting tigers.

What is a problem that you really want to solve?

I’d like to see the town that I live in the people that I work with become more helpful to one another. I guess my goal is to help others have a dream that other counties don’t have and that is to own a home. It sounds terrible because I’m a realtor and I make money that way but I think that starts building their pride in ownership and hopefully that will encourage them to be a better person and we can be a better city and state and then of course country.

What is the secret to success?

Prayer and lots of it. Determination, fight, do what you believe, that is what success really is, you do what God has called you to do and not pretend. Do what you believe in, if you believe its to play football then you play the best football you can, if it’s to be a realtor it is to do and know everything you need to know to do your job well, that is success. Do it where it will not hurt the other person, selfishness doesn’t get you anywhere greed doesn’t get you anywhere that goes back to what I don’t like.

What helps you get the job done?

Fight, believing in what I’m doing, for me to be successful I have to believe that what I’m doing is the right thing, but also if I make a mistake be the first person to say im sorry.

What is the first thing you do each morning and what time do you get up?

I’m actually awake before my alarm goes off at 4 o’clock, and about 10 minutes until 4 as I lay in bed I pray, and ask God to use me today in a way that will bring him the glory. Then the next thing I do is get up and go to the gym, I go to the gym 4 or 5 days a week so that I can be in good health, no not to look skinny or be better looking, because you can not stop age it is what it is, but I go to take care of myself so I can be a stronger mother, a stronger wife, a stronger friend, and a stronger co worker and be there for my clients, then I go to work.

What are your winning habits?

Prayer, education, everything I do I hope is a winning thing for me. Maybe not for me but the person I’m representing What is something you do that no one knows you do?

I’m pretty open, I don’t think I hide anything from anybody.

I pray in the shower every morning, other than that I do like everyone else I sing like a fool in the car like I’m a rock star other then that I don’t know.

If you could say one thing to every person in the world, what would it be and why?

Love one another as God loves us. I think that is what we are lacking in this world today is do unto others as you would have them do unto you, the reason being where there is self there is no love. If you don’t love somebody else you can’t help them, and I think that is where we have come, it’s always me, me, me, I, I, I, and I don’t like it, I like helping other people, if we help one another then our city, state, country, the whole doggon world will be a better place.

Kim Miller

Realtor For CJ Brown

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Patrica Talbot CEO of Baton Rouge Duplicating Products

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Who is Patricia Talbot?

A business woman. A mother. A spiritual leader. A wife. A sister, daughter, and granddaughter. A leader in the community, and expert in my business.

What’s the first thing you do each morning?

I pray and I say my affirmations that it’s going to be an awesome day and that I’ll meet great people and have wonderful opportunities. Then I get my daughters up and start the day.

What helps you get the job done?

I don’t really think about it I just get it done. I have my to do list and there’s no reason not to get it done.

Words you live by…

Faith. Love. Forgiveness. Integrity. Gratitude.

What are your winning habits?

Being grateful and being positive. Getting it done. Knowing that I’m a positive influence on someone else consistently.

What time do you go to sleep?

10:00.

What time do you wake up?

5:30.

What do you love?

I love my family. I love my business and I love working.

I love helping people. I love God. I love being on the beach and having a cold beer.

What do you hate?

I hate evil and negativity. I hate things that are slow. I hate being behind a slow driver. I hate politics. I don’t really like the government right now.

What’s a problem you really want to solve?

Education in our community. Children, and teenagers, don’t know how to speak to people, they only know how to text. They don’t use correct sentences and other communication skills.

What is the secret to success?

Honesty, integrity, and having values. Doing things for the right reasons. If you love it and have the passion for it seems to comes easy. They say work hard and and you can be successful and I believe if you work smart you can be very successful.

What is something that you do that no one knows you do?

I don’t think a lot of people know that the first thing I do when I get up in the morning is pray and say my affirmations.

Droid or iPhone? iPhone because it’s the best. I’m a Mac. It’s easy What is something you love about the city of Baton Rouge?

The people. The food. LSU. I love that you can go around and meet anyone and there’s always a connection to someone else that you know very well.

Where do you get your drive?

From my parents. They’ve always worked smart, and they always enjoyed what they did. They taught us as long has you have those values you can do anything in life.

If you could say one thing to every person in the world, what would it be?

Have peace and love in your heart. I think that would make life so much easier if everyone just had those two things in their heart. I don’t think there would be any problems.

Michael McClanahan Entrepreneur/President of Baton Rouge NAACP Who is Michael McClanahan?

Michael McClanahan is a God fearing country boy out of North Louisiana who has been in Baton Rouge and made Baton Rouge his home about thirty years ago. I’m ready to make a difference in the community by any means.

What do you love?

Family and friends What do you hate?

Racism, Discrimination and Bigotry What do you think is the secret to success?

Hard work pays off.

What helps you get the job done?

God What are words you live by?

God’s What time do you get up in the morning? And what’s the first thing you do?

Between 5:00 and 5:30 A.M.. I live by the saying, “The early bird catches the worm.”. The first thing I do because I’m praying and meditating. Then I wake my son up then my day is on. I then take my son to school. I can take my son to school. He is sixteen.

I share this with my wife all the time. I have to take him to school. I have to pick him up, because he needs to understand that when he gets his family, he will do the same thing. A lot of the times I am tired. Work 20 hours a day but it is necessary. If I can do it for him, he can do it for his.

What’s something you love about the city of Baton Rouge?

It’s a mix. It’s the capital city. The power of government is here.

It’s a great university town. LSU, Southern, BRCC. It’s a good mix of people. Black, White, Asians, Hispanics, Jews, Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics.

What time do you go to sleep?

What time do I pass out? (chuckle) ,Most of the time it’s 11 or 12. I’m dead tired.

What’s something you do that no one knows you do?

Take care of my mother. Very few people know that during the course of running around, I have the opportunity to wake my mother up in the morning and feed her breakfast and then go home and provide for her. I do her medicine; I do those things that an elder and aging mother needs. I do it for her every day.

Where do you get your drive?

My mother. I saw my mother raise five kids as a single parent in a country town with minimal, and limited resources and she did as such I didn’t know that I was poor. I didn’t know that that clothes I had on were second hand clothes, or hand me down clothes, I didn’t know that I could call on someone that I couldn’t see and touch named God and that he would deliver me, but I saw it in her, and she instilled that in me. As I go through life, as she goes through life, she relies on him more and more, and the older I get, the more I come to rely on him also.

What’s your favorite food?

Hot Tamales. Wiley Tamales. That’s my favorite thing. I can cook so I like a variety of things, but hot tamales, if anybody knows me, I eat the candy hot tamales, as well as the shuck made tamale too.

If you could say one thing to every person in the world, what would it be and why?

Help someone. My mother says, “If I could help someone in word, thought, or deed then my living will not be in vain.”.

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Simone Bray President of Southern University SGA Who is Simone Bray?

I am a die-hard Southern University Jaguar, SGA President, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Inc., and most importantly a God fearing woman.

What do you love?

I love Southern University, I grew up around it. I love my family, I love to have that time with them, even if it’s just watching T.V. and telling stories. I love being a friend to people, being a person that people can trust and confide in.

What do you hate?

I hate not being able to get my voice heard. I hate when people muffle me, or think that I’m not old enough or that I shouldn’t have such a say or a voice. I hate to be stifled.

What’s a problem that you really want to solve?

I want to solve the problem of equality in America amongst women and people of color.

What’s the secret to success?

I believe the secret to success is humility. I try to teach those coming up under me that humility is key and that there is always someone out there working just as hard, if not harder than you.

What are your winning habits?

I’ve learned to listen to others, to take the ideas of others and grow them into mine.

What helps you get the job done?

I believe it’s the people behind me, because when I get tired there are people who are pushing me. Be it my mom or dad or a student on campus, or mentor there are always people pushing me to keep going.

What’s the first thing you do each morning?

I’m usually up around 6:30 am and sometimes I snooze until 6:50, (don’t tell anyone). The first thing I do is go to my bible app on my phone and look for the scripture of the day. Then I tweet it and try to say something inspirational that applies to the scripture of the day in a way that my peers can relate to or understand.

What’s something you do that no one knows you do?

Sometimes I go in my room and shut the door and just start dancing. If I’m mad I dance, if something great happens I dance. I become Beyoncé, Ciara, or Michael Jackson and I just dance.

Where do you get your drive?

I watched my parents work more than one job. They had their careers but they always had a job on the side. My dad would referee games, my mom had a catering business, they also had a restaurant. They would never settle for just one thing, they would always do more. I think that’s what drives me to be the best and take on as many task as I can and to be the best that I can.

If you could say one thing to every person in the world what would it be and why?

Learn to love yourself. At one point I didn’t love myself, people would say I love you and you’re such a great person and I would second guess that and say I need to change this or that.

After a while, I realized I could just love myself. Once I realized that God put me here for a reason then I saw better progress in everything I did after that. So I would say love yourself.

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Reverend Raymond Jetson Who is Pastor Raymond Jetson?

Someone who recognizes how blessed they are and has a responsibility to bless others as a result.

What time do you get up?

Between 4:00 and 4:15 am.

What’s the first thing you do each morning?

I have, what I describe as a quiet time each morning. A time where I center myself and recognize who I am and whose I am.

What helps you get the job done?

Lots of prayer and recognizing it’s really not about me. Not taking myself too serious.

Words you live by?

“Make A Difference” It’s really, really easy to find fault and complain but we all have the capacity to make a difference in some way.

What are your winning habits?

Two. Persistence; don’t give up. Things are always messy in the middle. And secondly, surround yourself with good people and let them do their jobs.

What time do you go to sleep?

Around 10:00-10:30 p.m..

What do you love?

God, my family, and being able to see people’s lives changed.

What do you hate?

Excuses and mediocrity.

What’s a problem that you really want to solve?

The education of young children in general, and young black children especially.

What is the secret to success?

You have to be passionate about what you’re doing and you have to prepare yourself to do it well. So passion and preparation.

What is something you love about the city of Baton Rouge?

There are lots of good people in Baton Rouge. I love the mixture and encountering those good people.

Where do you get your drive?

It goes back to recognizing how blessed I’ve been. I’ve wasted a lot of time in my life. I honestly think I am in the best phase of life.

I’m old enough to have some wisdom and still young enough to do something with it.

If you could say one thing to every person in the world, what would it be?

‘The power to change lives in me.’ I think people expect somebody else to make a difference in their world. The reality is, the change that I seek I have to own it. If I don’t own it, it will never happen.

Pastor of Star Hill Baptist Church President & CEO of MetroMorphosis

To See All Interviews In Full Go To www.TheRougeCollection.com

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Fashion Guide 102:

Beginners Way to Update Your Wardrobe by Mixing Prints

BY ELLE MARIE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEETRIC

W

hen I first came upon the trend of mixing patterns I thought to myself, “This looks so risky. How do people achieve this look and not look tacky?”

Being the risk taker I am, I figured I’d try it out and see how I could create this look on my own. After trying this look several times, it became one of my favorite ways to style my clothing. The key to mixing patterns, I’ve learned, is one common color within the pattern will hold your look together.

Mixing patterns is a way to step out of your comfort zone and into something fun, creative, and sometimes risky. Bold geometrical patterns like circles or squares, and even stripes, paired with some print with the same color scheme are a big trend right now. Even though a lot of high end designers such as Duro Olowu, Anna Sui, Diane von Furstenberg and Jil Sanders are offering patterned outfits and separate pieces ready to mix and match, our local retail stores, boutiques and even thrift stores such as Apricot Lane, Brooklynn’s Unique Boutique, Urban Outfitters and even the Goodwills (for my thrift shoppers) are offering patterns and separate pieces similar to those designers mentioned before.

Mixing patterns can be on the lines of color blocking as well. You have to be aware of the certain colors you block together according to the color wheel as such with mixed patterns the color palette must flow together to make the patterns adjoin. Here are a few key points to make it work.

Keep mutual prints together: Stay within the same

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color palette. Match two prints with similar colors, such as a nude color in the top pattern with a brown color in the bottom pattern.

a smaller scale and the other being on a larger scale of prints, but not too matchy. (i.e. two leopard print and/ or two stripe print patterns)

Never mix two colorful bold prints: A loud red or orange printed top with a green or yellow printed bottom. You will look confused from head to toe. Choose a dominant color pattern and work your look around that. If you are doing separates, make sure you have a neutral color to give that balance.

Accessory limitations: When pattern mixing, you want those patterns to speak for themselves instead of having the focus diverted to a bright necklace and big earrings on top of that attention grabbing handbag. If you are really into accessories make sure to make them part of your pattern mixing and don’t go overboard.

Take a risk: Choose prints w/ different proportions: Try matching polka dots, stripes or tweeds with a bolder print like a floral, tribal or leopard. Remember to pay attention to the color scheme so your focus would not get lost.

Never wear more than three prints in the same look: Always keep your third pattern a small item (i.e. belt or shoe). It keeps your look from becoming too overwhelming.

Know the importance of solids: Include neutrals and solids to break up patterns. Use colors that complement each other. Adding a solid-colored shoe, purse, scarf or cardigan can be a way to break up the patterns. Make sure at least one color repeats itself.

Two of the same prints: Yes, this can be pulled off, but on a scale of things. Make sure you choose two prints that complement each other with one being on

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Even for the savviest fashionistas, mixing prints can be a bit tricky and not easy for some to do appropriately.

Remember to keep one piece as your neutral so you don’t clash with your entire outfit. Also keep textures in mind; this will balance the look off. You cannot go wrong with leopard, stripes, polka dots and floral. They are easy to mix and match and the styles will endure for ages. When mixing prints is done correctly, it becomes like art and merits a second glance of your created look. xo-ElleMarie “Style is very personal. It has nothing to do with fashion.

Fashion is over quickly. Style is forever” -Ralph Lauren

Nothing Holy About Hip Hop

S

ince Hip Hop’s commencement back in the 70’s I feel like there’s always been elements that have proved to be detrimental to one ethnic group or another. In present day rap, I’ll bet my bottom dollar that if you’re a Christian, and a rap fan, you cringe every time you hear a certain rap song, or watch a certain rap video. At a time where morality is at an all time low in Hip Hop, it seems like artists are straying further and further away from God, and The Church. Not saying that God, or The Church, or anything religious or spiritual has ever had a strong presence in Hip Hop, but these days artist are using biblical features in the most disrespectful of ways, and I think they’re losing a large fan base because of it.

Growing up, I was allowed a large amount of freedom in terms of the music I was listening to. I grew up listening to Tupac, Biggie Smalls, Lil Wayne, Jay Z, Nelly, etc. I also grew up in a stern Christian household. Music back then pushed the envelope surely, but nothing compared to now. If my mom would have heard

Kanye say, “I just talked to Jesus, he said waddup Yeezus...” she would have definitely cracked my Yeezus CD in half and tossed it. Music, now, has no sense of what blasphemy means. It has no sense of reverence for God’s name. Rapping about violence has been present in Hip Hop for some time, and I think it’s one of those things my parents had to trust that I wouldn’t let sink into my mind.

But I think if my parents heard Hip Hop now, with the rappers calling themselves God, and the videos depicting religious acts, they would honestly be not only disappointed in me for continuing to be such a fan, but disappointed in the state of the game.

One of my favorite artists, Jay Z, denounces his belief in religion quite often in his music, however, I feel I have the power to decipher between what I should, and shouldn’t absorb from his music. I had a one on one conversation with my African-American History professor once and he bought up the issue of “mental slavery.” He wasn’t just speaking on fans of Hip Hop being mentally enslaved, but also

the artist being held captive by major corporations who feel like God won’t sell in Hip Hop. Just like Kanye (ironically enough) stated in his song “Jesus Walks”, “if I talk about God, my records won’t get played? Huh?” He brought up how corporations manipulate artist to, ignore anything sanctified, or spiritual, but also poke fun at it, strip it of its power.

This is extremely discomforting to fans like myself who remain compromised, being both a fan of Hip Hop, but most importantly a child of God. Although the specific origin of the disrespect is unknown, its presence is indeed felt, and frowned down upon from a large number of people. For years people have pointed out the fact that artists no longer thank God at award shows and how much of an uproar it causes when an artist does. I wish that a change would be made in terms of at least dismissing the disrespect of our Savior, and other biblical features, but I don’t see the slightest of shifts in that direction.

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Religion can be a Lot of Things

BY SHUNTEL JENKINS

R

eligion can be a lot of things.

An answer to some; to others like myself, a question. I give applause to those who use it as a tool to build themselves up but a problem lies with those who use it to tear others down. I’ve studied several different religions over time; my childhood was anchored in Christianity.

But I wanted to know its similarities to other belief systems around the globe.

As I’ve stated before in a previous, shorter article, I grew up Baptist. The majority of my adolescence was spent in church. From the time I got baptized I was there for choir rehearsal, play rehearsal, drill team rehearsal, bible study, church anniversaries, pastor’s anniversaries, etc., etc. I loved it as a kid mostly because my family was there and other kids were there. Plus, it was entertaining watching the pastor perform his theatrics, or the one lady who we just knew would catch the Holy Ghost every Sunday. In retrospect I can’t help but to think about all the drama that occurred from past pastors with paternity issues, arrest records, and those who had to endure the power struggle between themselves and self-righteous congregation members. I even recall the

unspoken awkwardness during sermons that taught against homosexuality, while ironically employing a gay music minister. Of course these types of issues are evident across the board of major denominations. We read about the sexually abused boys in Catholicism, the suicide bombings in the name of Allah, and the advocating of misogyny and patriarchy in many religions. How is it possible that religion continues to have such a large following?

I once watched a documentary titled Kumare’ where a man decides to impersonate a wise Indian Guru, just to see if he could build up a following.

He did just that. Without any prior knowledge of him or his past, his flock clung to his every word and joined him in his made up spiritual practices.

It was just that simple! Is this religion?

Shepherds and sheep, the internal desire to be led, the good enough answer for the unexplainable, redemption for wrong doings, and instant gratification for personal accomplishments. Imagine if there was NO religion, no written doctrine, no personification of what’s considered good and evil. Picture a world where we’d have to accept accountability for our actions whether

right or wrong with no scapegoat this is the world I live in.

Still, I take from some religious sources as an aid in my spiritual wellbeing; meditation being one of these practices. Meditation has been adopted by several religions including Taoism, Buddhism, and Rastafarianism as a way to center oneself. It’s different from prayer in the sense that in prayer, you’re looking to an outside source for peace instead of within.

My challenge to all believers is for you to ask yourselves what and why you believe. If your answer is because that’s what you were raised to believe then you’re cheating yourself. I urge you to research and find your own truths and not accept what was passed down for the sake of tradition. Black people especially are so bound to tradition and it is to the detriment of our culture, of our very own well-being.

“I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god that you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.” –Stephen Roberts

The back-page column is about free expression and giving a voice to those who would often be silenced. The thoughts and views on the back-page column are that of it’s author who we believe has a first amendment right to share those views. These views are not necessarily our views but in America every voice deserves an opportunity to be heard. - The Rouge Collection

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