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EMPOWERING WOMEN SPRING 2022

Dr. Lei Lewis Dr. Reneé Allen Shondalon Hoffler Brandy O Neal Somalia Ramin Somalia Hoffler Trisonia Lewis Rick Robbins Remi Osi Sheryl Nance-Nash Nykole Wyatt Lydia Pace Ayana Finch Sheryl Nance-Nash Pamela Johnson Marilyn Helgeson Remi Osi Krystol Diggs Jan Robertson Kenneth Turner Photography Jared Zem Photography Berlin Kerry Grant Photography Tory Brown Photography Daniel Evans Photography Dee Moore Alyiah Thomas Satia Thomas Sonya Savoy Christian Info@womenofwealthmagazine.com womenofwealthmagazine.com womenofwealthmagazine@gmail.com Magazine Availability Issues are available at Barnes and Noble and national airports. In addition to freelance writers, Women of Wealth seeks experienced advertising sales executives. Inquiries should be sent to womenofwealthmagazine@gmail.com

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STORIES Dr. Lei Lewis Shondalon Dr. Reneé Starlynn Allen Bershan Shaw Dr. Carolyn Love Dr. Cheryl Jackson Dr. Ellawese Smith Dr. Shirley K. Clark Shanay Dudley Jan Goss Krystal Henry Dr. Jacquelyn Hadnot Dr. Sonya R. Hamm Maggie Bellevue Dr. Hattie N. Washington Dr. Deirdre Marie Manley Neshella R. Jones-Mitchell Gloria S. Riley Erica Hill Melissa Boston Gayle Jennings-O’Byrne Laquita Brooks Lynesa Williams Lael Caldwell Dr. Trina Brown Dr. BJ Douglass Dr. Sandrie Serrano-Bermudez Brandy O’Neal Julie A. Gibson Michelle Reese-Wiseman

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Welcome to the Hamptons

“LIFT AND CLIMB” ISSUE

NY OTH E R YEAR, a WOM E N OF WEALTH ISSU E on the subject of Success, Power and Wealth, would be about women, getting out in the world and making it happen.

But this is 2022. So what do you do when you come through a season of the COVI D -19 Virus? Where do you go when you can’t go as far as the past years of travel? How do you continue to nurture your mind, body and soul with daily reminders of a pandemic and disturbing news? You go inward, you simply go inward and perhaps take a 3 hour flight or put that top down and travel to the beautiful Hamptons, where the wealthy and prestigious play. But Why you may think? AFTE R retiring from 30 years of law, one of the very first things that I did, was set out on a mission to discover the mindset of wealthy people and how others and myself, could acquire such wealth. I quickly realized that without someone reaching back for me as they “Lift and Climbed” I may have spent waste—less years overcoming pitfalls that would ultimately challenge my faith. But God!

I’ve had my share of life’s ups and downs God’s been good to me, and the downs have been few I would guess you can say, God has blessed me. WOW Magazine

This special edition is very dear to my heart. In fact, it rings a melody of gratefulness, tenacity and resilience. For what started out as a life time vision of me hosting 20 perhaps 50 women at the Hamptons, soon became an avalanche of 200 plus women from across the country and abroad making history with Women of Wealth Magazine in the most phenomenal way, for never in the history of The Hamptons has this many women and women of color congregated. As I reflect back on my journey with Women of Wealth Magazine, I can tell you that it has not been easy, however the hunger of feeding the souls of women through the pages of business, beauty and wealthy lifestyles also fed me. Today, I’m full and lifting as I continue to climb to higher heights through out these pages. I’m inspired by this issue’s exclusive cover featuring, Dr. Cheryl Action Jackson who speaks often about her 8 years of placing a setting for Oprah Winfrey at her “Minnie’s Food Pantry” Gala and being ridiculed each year that Oprah declined. Oh but year 8! You can read all about it inside.

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I’m reminded of myself, year after year dreaming of the hopes of a Hampton Women of Wealth Summit and each year, hoping for the next. Oh but we are here! Also in this edition, we extend our gratitude and deepest appreciation the the amazing women that made this possible. There are stories from women in all walks of life that understand my vision and heart. Women who like myself , look back reach back and grab anothers hand to Lift them as they Climb. For the first time this year, we’re introducing a list of Titans, wildly influential design minded women who have made the Women of Wealth Magazine team so proud to introduce. Women who fiercely stepped out on faith and have become nurturers through their products, non profits and businesses. These courageous ladies are an example of the power of within and I am proud to take the reins of introducing them through out the pages of this issue. As a famed Editor and Chief of Women of Wealth Magazine a native of Beckley, West Virginia, raised by three teenagers after the death of our dear mother...the

landscape of my mind living with eight other siblings was never a beautiful magazine. It was however love, nurturing and strength, a strong root that became the sustainable cultivation of my life over time. For the first time this year, I will be unveiling my signature fragrance line LEI ELLE , only in Hamptons designed with you in mind.

reminded of these words from a beautiful song that James Cleveland sang on an Unknown Album. “I’ve had my share of life’s ups and downs God’s been good to me, and the downs have been few I would guess you can say, God has blessed me. But there’s never been a time in my life, he didn’t bring me through.”

Perhaps my love for life and people, for beauty and art, for music and collaboration, has also been the fuel that fires my advocacy of lifting others today.

If anyone should ever write, my life story. For whatever reason there might be. He will be there, between each line of pain and glory.

Perhaps in this issue you too will be inspired as we Lift and Climb to higher heights and continue to watch over the landscapes of those that need cultivating.

Jesus is the best thing that ever happened to me.

As I stroll through the pages of our Hampton’s Edition of Women of Wealth Magazine and gleam with excitement of the joy that you too will experience, my heart is

Dr. Lei Lewis Publisher and Editor in Chief FAVOR REWROTE MY LIFE BY BISHOP CAROLYN LOVE

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Shondalon

RULES OF EMPOWERMENT

rom the Entertainment Editor’s Empowerment Zone. Between Us! This Divine Message was SHARED WITH ME AND I MUST SHARE WITH YOU!

Never forget that everyone cannot sit in your front row. If you can CHANGE your mind, you can CHANGE your season, you can CHANGE your life. SEEK GOD/CREATOR in ALL that you do, one word from GOD/ CREATOR can change our life!! Get a Mentor, allow yourself to be teachable. Be humble on the INSIDE but STRONG & ASSERTIVE on the OUTSIDE! The art of communication is essential. Do not let where you came from dictate where you are going. Do not let your past rearrange your future. Set your goals, your limits, and do not cross the line. Become unstoppable and necessary in your approach. There is a BLUEPRINT of your life, FIND IT!! See the invisible and make impossibilities become possible. DARE TO DREAM 3 DIMENSIONAL! Sing YOUR SONG and NOT someone else’s song. Negative words pouring forth from others become your stepping stones to success. Power is only a place, so position yourself too.

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Set our goals, your limits, and do not cross the line.

When others say I can’t, you say I WILL! Choose the wind beneath your sail very carefully, ENCOURAGE YOURSELF and create your moment. Use your past to position yourself in your future. Rise up early and position yourself in the day. Define your failure or your failure will define you. Locate greatness and study it. Take note of who you are following. You have to BEAT the best to BE the best! Go where others dare not. Don’t just set an example, Be the example. Know when to turn back and know when to go forth. THERE IS POWER!

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IN GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS! Discern your season and you empower yourself! THE MIND IS THE BATTLEFIELD, choose your battles carefully power and purpose, force your outcome, on the path to empowerment you will encounter obstacles too heavy for you to lift alone. DON’T BE TOO PROUD TO ASK FOR HELP!! PEACE & BLESSINGS. SHONDALON Actor & Realtor shondalon@gmail.com 678-267-6707

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HEART-TO-HEART with Dr. Reneé Starlynn Allen

eet Dr. Reneé Starlynn Allen, a black celebrity emcee and host of the Reneé’ Allen & Friends Show. She is also known as The People’s Emcee, Radio & TV Host, Advocate for Women, Families &Human Decency. Dr. Allen is the Founder & C.E.O. of Global Conscious Initiative and launched the DMV 48 Men of Power during the pandemic to highlight men of color who have accomplished phenomenal deeds in this earth and communtiy. Reneé has been a symbol of inspiration for so many in the entertainment industry. Growing up in Fairfield, Connecticut, with two younger sisters, Reneé had to take on a great deal of responsibility at a young age. She was always a force to be reckoned with throughout her academic life; whether it was becoming the first black female all-school Congress President of her High School or winning at volleyball, Reneé has worked her way towards the top of the success ladder.

Transparency. It’s the real deal.

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When asked about the women who inspired her, this is what Reneé had to say. “I start with my family because my Grandma Connie [late], my mother’s mother, she’s just the epitome of what a grandma should be. I mean, she was there for everything! She Inspired my two sisters Lisa, Sonya and I. My Aunt Pookie [late] was another one who always there for us, too. She didn’t skip a beat and I remember that she gave me my deposit on my first home in 1984. She was extraordinarily supportive, and I miss them both dearly. I owe everything that I am to Charlotte Fraser, my mother. She gave just enough rope to let you have some fun while keeping you protected and safe. And I just can’t repay her enough, and I try to do everything I can for her daily.” My Mom is one in a zillion and was responsible for assisting many people in our family as well as several of her friends. With the opportunity to meet the great Oprah just at the start of her career, Reneé already knew she was born to serve a bigger purpose. “It was a fundraiser for $1 million to pay off a building downtown, for I believe the National Council for Negro Women, and I met Oprah at that time. She has just completed an interview with Forbes Magazine. She has always been someone that I respected and was proud of; I only wish that I would have given her my card at the time.” She is a living testimony of After successfully running the Reneé Allen & Friends Show for years, Reneé is proud to launch her first solo book by October 2022. This is what you should expect from it. “Transparency. It is the real deal. Testimonies from like-minded women and men will be included in my book. Over the past decade and a half I’ve completed eight anthologies. I’m working on my first solo book, Star Power, and I’m also working on a book with Janice

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Stevens Cook which focuses on the emotional setbacks and how you can overcome them. We met, and we had an experience that we share in this book to help women celebrate each other and stop being jealous of one another. It’s a powerful book, and we have other like-minded women and celebrities involved in it, as well. Everyone is always talking about this word jealousy because it’s not going anywhere. Racism, jealousy and cancer seem to be the poison in the universe, and I want to do something about it and I wish to find a cure for it all. GOD Willing! Dr. Reneé has had various mentors throughout her life who helped her excel and grow in her career and pushed her to never give up on her dreams. “I’ve been extremely blessed with many extraordinary experiences where I have received priceless advice from amazing human-beings throughout my life!” Of course, my Mother, Charlotte Fraser, has been the ultimate mentor and role model to me. My father, Leith Fraser, who was my first male mentor and the first man I ever fell in love with; spoiled me and molded me. Charles Overton, Scott, C.S.O. insurance became a mentor of mine, taught me so much, not just about insurance, but just life skills and how to be the greatest salesman in the world. I really learned a lot from him. Darnell Self and his wife, Traci, have been excellent friends to me since 2000. When I met Marcia Dyson; we became very close almost instantly. She and I met through a mutual acquaintance, and I fell in agape love with her and shortly thereafter, brought her to my first women’s event in D.C. where many of the women in my front & second rows had the opportunity to meet her and eventually develop friendships. I love to connect people. I am not selfish and believe that its our duty on earth to connect people and support their dreams so that they will experience trajectory in their passion & purpose. I cannot forget about Dr. Lance London. I have known him for thirty-seven plus years and he has been a safe

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Celebrating our Mother, Charlotte Fraser’s, 80th Birthday! or Thank you Mom, Charlotte Fraser for 80+ years of love. or My Siblings and Mom l to r: Lisa, Mother Charlotte, Sonya and Dr. Reneé

haven for me during some of the most difficult years of my life and taught me so much as an entrepreneur. Roger Gore and Dr. George C. Fraser have been inspiration to my soul. FraserNet and the Power Networking Conference changed my way of thinking as a black consumer in America. Each of us bares a responsibility to engage, educate, empower, inspire and motivate our next generation. There are too many to mention, and I am grateful for all who pours positivity and wisdom into my life If you are a young woman who wants to break into the entertainment industry as a commentator or interviewer, Reneé shares some valuable advice for you. “You know, women are beautiful people, super emotional and competitive. Keep an open mind! Let things slide off of you that you’re not connecting with. Don’t hold on to things or someone who’s not helping you. Just focus on a great attitude as attitude determines altitude. You are extremely vulnerable and fragile when you’re a young woman or man coming into this world. And it can be frightening, especially for black men who we know how they’re being treated out in the world. So, I would just say, keep your attitude, right? Write your thoughts and goals down on a piece of paper. Always think about your growth and concentrate on becoming a better version of yourself. Figure out what you could have done better in your rework relationships. Write your goals for the

next day. What do you want to accomplish? Write your top three things to focus on the next day, and if you fall short, don’t beat yourself up because you have time to make mistakes if you learn from those mistakes and keep going! The one thing you should do your best to avoid is giving up on your dreams because its never too late and you are never too old. Leaving us with some words of wisdom, this is what the amazing Dr. Reneé Starlynn Allen had to say. “What I’d like to leave you with are these words of wisdom. We are all growing. It doesn’t matter how old you are; we all learn something new every day. Become someone who loves to learn and serve! What I want people to realize is no matter what income bracket you’re in, or no matter what educational level you have accomplished; Know that we are all human beings and each of us deserves grace, mercy and favor. My prayer is for everyone to walk in kindness because you never know what people are going through. Someone could have received a diagnosis of cancer, or have had one of their parents or loved ones pass away, etc. There’s no reason to be mean at all in this world. And if you’re being mean; shame on you. Being a decent and kind person is a decision! Each of us has one life and it’s your gift to GOD [or your higher power] to be the best! #BamBoomPowdow

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Bershan Shaw

UNSTOPPABLE

ershan wasn’t born a warrior, she became one. She survived Stage 4 breast cancer after being given a three-month sentence to live. She is now thirteen years cancer free, and she is not only surviving but she is thriving. Bershan decided at the moment she got diagnosed to get busy living and not dying. She went through a dark period of dealing with depression, anxiety, and stress. Her mental health was taking a toll on her and she knew that she had to do something about it. That’s when she started to do research on positive living and a positive mindset. She became a certified life and business coach to help others who were suffering in silence just like her. During her time in the chemo room, she birthed the idea of launching her mental health app URAWARRIOR. URAWARRIOR is a positive social networking site with a purpose. No bullying, no trolling, and no negativity because Ms. Shaw believes that you are what you think, and you are what you believe. She has come up with a methodology called THE URAWARRIOR METHOD to help people with their mindset to make them do better and be better. Her life now is focused on mental health advocacy and giving back to those who have suffered as she lost her brother and her mother to breast cancer and mental health battles, and she is now the champion carrying the torch to heal as they both struggled with mental health struggles. Now, she wants to start a movement to “Remove the Stigma” and help people heal through human connection. Go to www.urawarrior.com to sign up now. As I continued my interview, I found Bershan Shaw to be bold, daring, beautiful and UNSTOPPABLE! More importantly, She is a walking, living testimony of God’s healing power! She states, “I made a choice every, single day that I was going to LIVEI I believed what the scriptures said and, “live and not die and declare the works of the Lord”, says Bershan! Did I mention that Bershan Shaw is a survivor, a thriver, a daughter to her dad whom she is so close to. Bershan is a tv personality who spreads love and motivation. In truth, Bershan is an international transformational speaker, a business and leadership coach, Bershan is no longer a people pleaser. She is a warrior and passionate about helping young girls and women thrive.

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When asked about her reaction to the diagnosis, Bershan said “when I first got diagnosed and the doctor told me that my breast cancer had spread throughout my body, and it was in my blood stream and that I had stage 4 breast cancer I thought it was the end. I thought my life was over. I couldn’t believe this was happening to me and I didn’t know why it was happening to me. I wasn’t married. I didn’t have any children and I thought my life was over. Until the doctor said, “Well Do you believe in miracles,” Something deep inside of my spirit connected with my inner warrior, and it was like a jolt of faith that went into my system, and I said, “HELL YEAH” I believe in miracles. At that moment I said to myself yes, I believe in miracles, and I believe in myself. I have never been through such a huge battle, but I can do this. I have overcome a lot of different things.” And that’s just what I did. I’m ten years no evidence of disease-cancer free. I made a promise to God and the Universe that day that I will never let any doctor or man write my story. Cancer was my diagnosis not my prognosis. I went into the hallway and got on my knees between me and GOD. So, I said I will promise help young girls and women realize that they can overcome any adversity they are going through. That they could be strong, brave and have confidence to go through whatever CANCER that is holding them back. Because CANCER is more than the disease its cancerous people and things in our life. I made a pact with GOD that I would be the connector in helping women and young girls overcome any obstacles that come their way. So, I began mentoring and coaching women at homeless shelters because just like I needed someone to support me through my difficult times I wanted to do the same for other women. It was called the Oprah coffee club.

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These women thought I was saving them they were saving me. I made a pact with God to help women and I’m keeping my word until the day I die.” I can see that you are a Boss, tell us about it. It is true, “I am what you call a multi-preneur I’m an international motivational speaker. I have spoken in places like Poland, Ghana, Rome, Germany, London and more. I’m a business and leadership coach. I help managers and c suite level executives become better leaders and help them with team management, employee motivation and dysfunctional behaviors in their workplace. I have a personal development business where I coach individuals and corporate teams from speaker and presentation coaching to emotional intelligence. I would say I’m a strategist and a guru at human behavior. I invest in real estate, so I own properties in multiple cities, and I am launching my ‘I AM A WARRIOR’ Jewelry line and an IAMAWARRIOR app and digital academy for personal development. So, I would say I like keeping myself busy. My brand is I AM A WARRIOR because it resonates with the soul. It makes you feel like even when you fall you can get back up and do it because YOU ARE A WARRIOR. My business is broken into four parts 1. business leadership coach/Emotional Intelligence Leader/Diversity & Inclusion Expert 2. Speaker & Presentation Coach 3. Personal development coaching and training in life and relationship 4. Products- workbooks, jewelry and digital academy and my jewelry line.” Bershan, what is your next? My next is always something new and challenging. I challenge myself to do and go where many don’t. I like going to third world emerging markets helping women

I made a choice every, single day that I was going to LIVE!

become entrepreneurs and helping them see their self-worth. I love helping women open to new possibilities; that’s my sweet spot. I help women to not play small in anything in their life and live with abundance. I am a woman that loves to help other women grow, expand, and stretch themselves. I feel like women are the true leaders of the world. When we wake up and realize we hold the power, and we are multi-taskers, and child bearers then we start to realize that we are the true warriors. So, my next is to keep spreading that word and uplifting women from one to as many as I can. I want to speak on as many stages globally spreading the message of finding the true warrior in you thereby enabling you to step into your greatness. “I think growing my product lines to clothes, Jewelry, books and apps is what’s next for me and doing more television appearances to get the world out there” Bershan goes on to say, “I can truly say that I volunteer at homeless shelters every other Monday and these women have changed my life, I mentor about ten women to be motivational speakers and coaches. I give money and time to women and young girls with cancer. I put my money and time where my mouth is. I don’t just talk about it. I am about it. I have gotten where I am today for helping and giving back to others.” As I got to know this young woman, I became convinced that Bershan is UNSTOPPABLE! God gave her the ability to conquer death. Follow Bershan on the following sites: Twitter@bershanshaw @instagram @bershanshaw facebook@bershan

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Dr. Carolyn Love

FAVOR REWROTE MY LIFE

rom my heart to yours, My story and journey forward are a series of testimonies of how the favor of God rewrote my life and caused me to move into wholeness. Favor means that God chose to move powerfully in my direction. We are living in a pivotal time in history where our world is changing daily. As we live through the day of the pandemic, please know that God has not forgotten you. He has great plans for you! When I reflect over my life, I can see that God’s favor has been upon me greatly all my life. Only God could have salvaged my brokenness and traumas and restored me to His original plan for my life. God’s favor helped me to forgive myself and others. My story reflects that God, and His favor were never finished with all that He had purposed for me. There is nothing that you can sense, fathom, or experience that can compare to favor. It is indeed a wonder affording endless benefits to it recipients. The gracious kindness of God exceeds the very value of our daily bread. The preferential treatment that God dotes on His children is a marvel. The experiences of “true life” for me hinges on the favor of God. I am grateful and honored that His best interest was never denied from me. It is available to anyone who desires to walk in it and instant obedience will “set you up” for the favor God.

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It is with great honor and appreciation that I can pen the many radiant experiences that clearly explains, Favor Rewrote My Life. I share from a refreshing and reassuring experience driven and principle-based perspective. I candidly and openly invite you to follow me as I coach and prepare you to receive God’s favor to rewrite your life’s story. Get ready for this journey with favor to begin right now. 1. God’s favor will erase some things and write some better things in its place. When favor finishes on your behalf, you will be a mighty force to be reckoned with. 2. I have lived to testify and be an example of what God’s favor can do. Favor is timeless, relevant, and an appointed time from the Lord. 3. The favor of God has been like an open window of my life, regardless of how my situations and circumstances looked. 4. I realize and know that the devil did not like this, he did not want me to live to see the needed moments of change. The favor principle is one of the truths from the Word of God. It is just as important as salvation, healing, prosperity, and love. Favor is a blessing from the Lord. It is the same as fasting, prayer, tithing, and offerings. It is a biblical principle. When I understood that favor is a principle, then I understood that the Lord had ordained my season of favor for me to embrace and walk in throughout my life. I advise you to understand and refuse to miss this time of the Lord’s visitation. The Lord promises to visit you in this season of favor. Favor releases and resurrects the born-again believer. Favor is not something that you can make the Lord do, but it is something that the Lord decided in His Word to do for you. Favor is scriptural. At the age of five our house caught on fire and was totally engulfed in flames, and everyone made it out safely. My father did a head count and realized that I was missing, and he came back in the burning house for me. The firefighters advised him that it was too dangerous and there was no way that I could still be alive. But my dad came in and found me and brought me to safety. He sustained severe burns during the rescue and we both made it out. No matter what it looks like, you already have the advantage in the situation because favor is on your life. Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you a future and hope,” says the Lord. The Lord said, “I had an expected end.” It was already cut out in my course of life. God had my future and everything that He had already purposed and planned

for me had to happen. It could not end suddenly because of a house fire. Favor releases you for good purpose and will keep you positioned for the Master’s use. I am living today because Favor Rewrote My Life. I am a living witness that the Lord will loose you from anything that will attempt to change the course of His directions for you. Down through the years of my life I have encountered many obstacles, setbacks, failures, betrayals, made major mistakes, and terrible decisions; but Favor Rewrote My Life. I have had health challenges, family deaths, financial, credit, relationships, and marriage challenges, and battles with suicide; but God’s Favor Rewrote My Life. In the times of my personal affliction, the Lord loosed me and set me free. You might be walking through something right now but, stay focused on the Lord. Do not sway to the right or to the left; just set your eyes on what you are believing and expecting the Lord to do. His favor will set your free for good purposes! When you know that you know you are on track, yet you are experiencing the pain of going through test and trials, you may think, “Lord how can it hurt like this when I am on track? This stuff I am going through is incredible Lord and it doesn’t make any sense.” But He says, “What I’m doing for you on the other side also doesn’t make any sense, but I SHALL.” All the pains and disappointments lead me to this season of senseless favor. This is the kind of favor that does not make sense. Because I have been there and He has delivered me, you too can allow favor to rewrite your life. I’ve been through a lot of things, and I choose to be grateful and not ashamed. Why? Because it was only the Lord that brought me through. Just to be sure that it is truly clear that favor did not exempt me, but it protected and guided me through every struggle, just a few moments in time that favor walked me through and beyond the house fire at five years old: - Molestation by a relative - Dropping out of high school - Brain injury, in a coma for seven days, in the hospital - Death of an infant daughter - Monetary crisis with repossession and bankruptcy - Both husband and daughter diagnosed and in treatment for cancer in the same year (a five-year process to Healing)

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- Both parents pass away within seven months of each other You do not know what it has taken to get me to this point. You do know to whom much is given, much is required. It all has been a part of a refining process, maturity, development, and rising for: - Wife of 50 years, a mother-of-three - Grandmother of nine grandchildren and great-grandmother to one - Pastor of a thriving congregation for thirty-two years - Founder of Truth Bible University for twenty-eight years - Greater Progressive Community Development, Inc., a non-profit corporation for twenty-five years Not to boast or brag, but just to indicate that favor WILL find its way to you and your seemingly hopeless situations and change things. God has a magnificent plan to prove that He has not forgotten you. You are engraved in His hands. Joseph, from the book of Genesis, shows how the Lord gave him favor and kept him through almost 14 years of struggle. When I read the scripture and saw how the Lord came through for Joseph, I was assured that He would do it for me. I encourage you to think about your prison experience and expect God to show favor to you. Expect the favor principle to work in your life. The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man. This revelation has protected me from the stand still that could have happened from the pains and fiery darts that were sent my way. Just as God commanded favor to do his job for Joseph, He is getting ready to command favor once again to show up on your behalf. God has chosen YOU to save many people lives! Favor is going to turn ALL that stuff around! Just declare, “Things are getting ready to change for me!” Today, in addition to the many different things that favor has positioned me to do, I am currently a: - Marriage Counselor - International Speaker - Author - Pastoral Coach - Expansion Coach

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- Song Writer - Marketplace Strategist - Mentor & Spiritual Mother - Wealth Trainer - Certified Chaplin - Financial Developer - Life Path Finder I am a living witness, and it is my sincere prayer that my story will be a blessing to you and that you will use the knowledge shared to help you expect and walk in God’s favor. PRAYER: No matter how dim or bleak your situation may be today, tomorrow it can completely turn around all because God saw you and knew what He put on the inside of you. He will bring you from obscurity to notoriety. Favor is on its way to bring you to your wealthy, rightful, and promised place on this earth. Embrace this season in prayer, faith, and expectation. If He, did it for Joseph and me, He will do it for you. Embrace it. Don’t just get information, but receive the blessings, results, and benefits. Let’s pray… Faithful Father, thank You that Your Word revives my soul, gives wisdom to my mind, and produces joy in my heart. Your Word says that, If I abide in You, I will produce much fruit. Please help me to abide in You and experience Your favor. You can do far more abundantly than all that I could ask or imagine, according to the power at work within me. You have promised that if I commit whatever I do to You, then You will cause my plans to succeed. My success will come from aligning my plans with Your Will. Guide my path and show me favor. May I be granted the grace and mercy to see victory in my life. Remind me that there is no power greater than You. Nothing standing against me shall prosper. Now may the Lord of Grace show me always favor and in every way. Awaken my courage and confidence that I may receive all the blessings that You have prepared for me. In union with You, I ask for special favor today. Help me to trust in what is unseen. Remind me of the truth of your power that surrounds me and that You are fighting for me. Give me favor and breakthrough in my life. Now may You, the Lord of all, always give me success and in every way. In your mighty Name I pray. Amen. *This is only a portion of my story, but my E book and audio book, Favor Rewrote My Life, will tell more and will inspire you to allow God’s favor to rewrite your future and change your life.

There is nothing that you can sense, fathom, or experience that can compare to favor.

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F E E D I N G

M Y

S O U L

Dr. Cheryl Jackson

HOW HUNGRY ARE YOU TO SUCCEED?

r. Cheryl Jackson knows what it feels to be like to be hungry personally and professionally. After getting married at the age of seventeen and having two sons she experienced hunger trying to feed her own family and was declined food stamps. She managed to bounce back and secure work in the corporate world. She also became a red-carpet correspondent for Entertainment Tonight and other award shows. In 2014, life for Dr. Jackson would suddenly change. Her father died at the age of 58 years old.

It was that moment that a different hunger pain kicked in. Jackson did her soul searching and after two years of major anxiety and depression, through her pain she found her purpose. Jackson was hungry to let the world know who her only living parent was, so she founded Minnie’s Food Pantry, an award-winning charity headquartered in Plano, Texas named after her mother, the late Dr. Minnie Hawthorne Ewing. With two cans of corns and only the first and last month’s rent, on April Fools Day Jackson began feeding the hungry. She was intentional about choosing that day because so many people thought that it was a joke. They laughed at Jackson and said that nobody was hungry in their community, but she knew that was wrong because she was once hungry herself.

Well you know? I remember being hungry, growing up with my mother on welfare in Milwaukee. 28

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It was also important that Jackson removed the stigma of what the face of hunger looked like. She had to overcome the challenge that people believed anyone that was hungry should be grateful for anything they received. Jackson knew she had to do something different, she had to create an environment, so people didn’t feel like just a number when they came to get a healthy meal from Minnie’s. Jackson also decided to create a red-carpet experience for every family that comes to Minnie’s Food Pantry and that created a viral effect for her charity. Jackson also knew it would be difficult to change people’s mind, that only the homeless people needed food. In fact, after providing over seventeen million meals and counting the statics show that it’s the working class that needs assistance just to get them through the month. So, when she began her mission, she set her goals to work with and be mentored by on one of the most powerful voices in the world, the Oprah Winfrey. Speaking of April Fool’s Day, everyone laughed when Jackson told them that one day Oprah would speak her name. She was hungry to meet Oprah and to have her become an ambassador for Minnie’s Food Pantry. In fact, years prior to starting Minnie’s Food Pantry, Jackson had her first encounter with Oprah, it’s those chance encounters and moments at events that would result in an amazing friendship between the two of them. Minnie’s Food Pantry started out in a five hundred square foot building and has expanded years later into a 28,000 square foot state of the art facility complete with a learning lab and a place and space of hope for people in need of their next meal. Jackson’s journey has been rough. She was invited to sit at the table for meetings but was never given any utensils to eat with. They always gave her the scraps, but she kept going. For over nine years, her charity provided healthy meals and she remembers telling her mother that she wanted Oprah to use her voice and platform to shine the light on hunger. Her mother told it will happen and she encouraged her to just keep working and believing. Then tragedy struck, Jackson was in a board meeting when she received the call that her mother had a sudden heart attack. Her world as she knew it would never be the same. Her heart was shattered as she tried to put together the pieces of her life. Jackson remembers sitting on the bed crying and looking to the heavens. She wanted to give up and she begged God to give her a sign to let her know that she was supposed to continue this mission. The person for whom she honored and loved was gone.

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Why should she keep going? It was in that very moment her phone sent her an alert, it was a message Oprah Winfrey offering her condolences and telling her she was going to donate $100,000 to the charity in her honor. Jackson remembers wiping her tears and saying I believe I’ll run on to see what the end is going to be. Getting to Oprah wasn’t easy though, Jackson was faced with more challenges. However, she survived the storms. Today Minnie’s Food Pantry is an award-winning organization with twelve locations that includes a learning lab to train and educate children in school and help adults to receive higher paying wages on their jobs. When Jackson finally received a call from Oprah she was able to share her successes and struggles and she firmly believes that people say “NO” because they don’t “KNOW” who you are or what you believe but Jackson was hungry and Oprah heard her voice and after 8 times of telling Jackson NO, Ms. Winfrey changed her answer to “YES” and was the keynote speaker for Minnie’s Food Pantry Gala in 2018 and here is part of the transcript from the event. Jackson says when she needs to be motivated, she simply plays that video of her teacher and friend, and she puts on the autographed shoes that Ms. Winfrey gave her and pulls out the purse Ms. Winfrey gave her, and she walks into a room HUNGRY to succeed. Her question is, how hungry are YOU? Finally after years of Dr. Jackson working and waiting , Ms. Oprah Gail Winfrey took the stage at Minnie’s Food Pantry’s 10th Annual Gala. This is a portion of her speech. This really is a miracle. It’s a miracle because I don’t leave home unless I must, or I want to; because I’ve earned the right to do exactly what I want to do. And that is what I wish for you and everyone in this room. That is what real freedom is about. I did a movie years ago called Beloved and there’s a line written by the esteem-able Toni Morrison that says, “freedom is waking up in the morning and deciding for yourself what to do with the day.” So, I get to decide because I’m a free woman. I get to decide what I want to do with my time, and where I want to put my energy and where I want to be used—because my consistent prayer since I was a little girl and I thought God and Santa Claus were kind of ’ the same—they both were keeping a list and checking it twice—I have always had the prayer of “Use Me.” How can I be used?

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I’ve been free a long time. Which means you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do—so you are free to say “no.” And I say “no” and I mean no. Except if it’s Cheryl Action Jackson. She doesn’t even know that Jesus is my brother. And Jesus told me the first 8 years to say NO. And the reason he told me to say no is because I know that it’s easy to call the person that you think has the money, and that can give you the help and hand-out, but what is important and what I’ve come to understand after interviewing over 37,584 people personally, is that it’s only the people, not the people that just have the dream but the people that know how to execute the dream. You can’t help someone who just has a dream, most people have dreams. It’s the people that know how to execute the dream and sustain the dream. So, for the first eight times I said NO. Why? Because I’m waiting to see what you’re going to do. I’m waiting to see whether the organization you’re creating can sustain itself. Often, you can be told no and keep getting up. This I know for sure. People talk about power this and power that, but real power comes from building strength. And you don’t get strong unless you’re told no enough times to develop the strength. Strength is muscle. Strength x strength x strength x strength = power. So, when you have acquired the power of one, you’ve been told no enough time, you’ve been told its impossible enough times, you’ve been told you can’t enough times but you still say I will find a way—that’s somebody worth lifting. That is why I chose to be here tonight and said yes to Cheryl action Jackson because she’s earned it. It

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is no easy thing to start out as one then builds yourself to 16,000 volunteers. All the volunteers stand up right now. No easy thing to get people to see your vision, join and execute it. I paid to be here tonight. I paid for myself. I paid for my gas. I paid for my hotel. I paid for the room. I paid to be in the room, to be with you tonight, to support Cheryl and to support not just Minnie’s pantry but what it means to create a Minnie’s pantry. And to say to you that there’s a Minnie’s pantry in your own life. There’s a dream that you have in your own life that has yet to be fulfilled that requires the kind of determination, perseverance, will and strength x strength x strength that equals the power of one to get it done. How many of you in this room have ever been hungry? Raise your hands high and proud. Thank you for that. I happen to live in a place so beautiful that every time I pass my front door, I sing a little mantra: “Jesus loves me, this I know.” Every single time I pass my door I sing it because I live in a place so amazingly beautiful that I know Jesus lives there too. And even though I paid for it and paid big money for it, I think of it as a gift. I never even want to leave it, so it takes real motivation to get me to leave the place where Jesus lives, ok? I don’t call it the Promised Land for nothing. It feels like that. I’ve been that blessed in my life. So, I’m sitting this past Easter with a group of my girls from South Africa. I’m sitting with twenty-two girls that come from townships and villages of nothing. Nothing. So, I ask the question as we’re sitting around the table—“does anybody remember being hungry?.

I shared with them—I said, “Well you know? I remember being hungry, growing up with my mother on welfare in Milwaukee. And I remember the morning we had corn flakes but no milk in the house and only grape Kool-Aid and I poured the grape Kool-Aid over the cornflakes. They got soggy quick. All day being hungry because my mother wasn’t home and having to take care of my half brother and sister and nothing to feed them. I went to Ms. Thomas’ house—she lived downstairs—and I said, “Ms. Thomas me, Pat and Jeffrey are hungry. Can we have something to eat?” and Ms. Thomas made peanut butter sandwiches for us. My mother came home and found out and gave me a whopping. She said, “How dare you put our business in the street? How dare you going down there for food acting like you were hungry?” I said, “But Mama I was hungry.” She said, “You not hungry. We have enough food in this house.” When someone tells you something you know is not true, you know it’s not true. I think I’m still hungry. Now I’m just ashamed about being hungry. Now I know that it’s not ok to be hungry. It’s something I’m supposed to not let anyone else know and if I let someone else know that means that I’ve put our business in the street. And this is what I love Cheryl Jackson for. She understood that nobody should be humiliated because they’re hungry. You should not have to feel ashamed to say, “I just can’t make enough to get food on the table this week.” She knew that when she started feeding people in honor of her mother and she knew that to put them on a red carpet and to put people in the room that understood that everybody that has been pulled up by their bootstraps had somebody to help them with the straps. She understood that, understood something I just realized so profoundly recently when I did a piece for 60 minutes: It’s not about what’s wrong with you that you don’t have enough food on the table. It’s not about what’s wrong with you that you couldn’t keep your job. It’s about what happened to you. And so that everybody at Minnie’s operates from the point of view of we know something happened cause we know that anybody raising a family trying to do the best they can in the world wants the most basic need of every human being and that is to have food on the table. So, we realize that something happened, and you don’t even have to tell us what happened. The fact that you had the courage to reach out and ask for help to put food on your table to take care of your family means that you also deserve the dignity to be served by people that understand what that means. So, she started as one. I think it’s amazing that you can start

with two cans of corn and move to 80,000 meals a month. That is living in the stream of consciousness. That is living in God’s flow. That is living God’s dream for you in such a way that you attract all the people in this room. When I called Cheryl, I had no intention of saying yes. I saw that DM so many times it was aggravating me. The time I called, and her mother had died, and I gave the $100,000 I was like, “Ok I’m really sorry that your mother had died.” The second time I gave $250,000 because I thought that would relieve me of the DMs. What had happened was I called Cheryl and I said I’m going to give you $250,000. She kept talking and I said, “did you hear me? I said I’m going to give you $250k.” Then she said, “but will you come?” I said, “Cheryl, I just gave you a quarter of a million dollars in four minutes. That’s not going to do?” and she said, “No girl… no girl.” I said, “Ok… I guess I’m coming to Texas.” So, I came to Texas because I wanted to raise money. I had to spend money to get here, and I still donated $250k. I’m going to donate another $250k and I want another $250k from this room. And before you decide, let me tell you about paying it forward. This is the thing. This is the one rule that I live by. You know the line in The Color Purple when she says, ‘Anything you try to do to me already been done to you?’ That is law. That’s not just Whoopie. That is law. The law says that whatever you put out into the world with the energy of your intention is going to come back to you. And every pastor in this room can back me up. What you’re putting out into the world is going to come back with the intention that you gave. That’s why I don’t do anything unless it is intentional. I give from the purest, strongest, Jesus centered place in my heart.

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We must have winning a mindset and attitude if we are going to get the prize!

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DEDICATION, DISCIPLINE, DETERMINATION

Dr. Ellawese Smith

HOW DID YOU GET TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY?

live my life by 6 “D” — These are the 6 D’s of Success that have made my life an path prosperous Deity: God is first in my life, then family, church & friends. Decision: Choose to accept God’s set plan for your life, (set place, born to do) unchanging, have a fixed resolve; know you’re fully equipped. “If you think you’re too small you have never been in company with the mosquito.” Dedication: Enthusiastic and commitment is the fire that continually ignites your decision; it is your daily inner motivation. Discipline: Stay true to your destined course, no distraction — stay focused. As a believer, (life’s university), the only core curriculum is the Word of God. For the world, there is no core curriculum, their total life is an elective! Determination: “The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places!” “The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary!” (Vidal Sasson). We must do our part. I can, I will & I must! Don’t Quit: The 11th commandment — Quitting is not an option. Hold fast to your confession of faith, dream, vision and destiny; unyieldingly. The greater, better, and best is yet to come at the door!

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I would not be a medical doctor today if I had given up as a child. You see, when I was two years old, I was diagnosed with polio. For 13 years, I underwent physical therapy. But even though, I dealt with polio for this protracted timeframe, I never set limitations on my life and what I could do. In fact, it was when I was dealing with polio that the Lord spoke to me as a young child and told me that I was going to be a medical doctor and that I was going to be a multi-millionaire—a conduit to finance His end time harvest of souls. And just liked He promised, today, I am a medical doctor, multi-millionaire, and a philanthropist—financing His kingdom’s endeavors. What do you feel is your greatest gift that God has given you to give to the world? Healing—After 13 years dealing with polio, I was supernaturally healed. Now, God is using me all over the world, and in my profession, to pray for the sick and they recover. I have incredible faith for people to be supernaturally healed. When you have gone through what I have gone through, you know all things are possible with God. Regardless of my career as a medical doctor (science), I never allow this to get in the way of my believing that God can do exceedingly abundantly than anything we can ask or think. For me, science and faith are not at odds. God has blessed me to be a blessing. Throughout my career as a medical doctor and for 13 years of missions in Africa, I have seen supernatural healings—people’s eyes and ears opened, abnormal growths dissolved, limbs extended, and the dead raised just to name a few. As medical doctors, we owe it to our patients to give them the “best” care. Whether it is science, faith, or both, we should give to them as we have been gifted. What was one of your major hurdles in life? Blindness—This year, June 2021, I was blinded from a corneal abrasion that acutely became severely infected. Initially, this affected my left eye, but the severe pain and light hypersensitivity affected both eyes to subsequent complete blindness. I underwent emergency surgery on my left eye and was told by the surgeon that “enucleation was the only option.” This threatened my career (I am an Anesthesiologist), my finances (income/wealth, and life as I knew it (as a mother, grandmother, and a daughter caring for my 99-year-old mother). While in the hospital, the entire medical team and staff had to treat me in “darkness.” No light could be on in my room. I was released from the hospital, but I had to have a driver, and, of course, I could not go back to work. I own a private practice consulting service, so for me, not working, meant no income coming in. I fought with my faith and speaking life and healing from every word I had been taught from the Word of God. Two months later, after being released from the hospital, my eyesight was restored, and I have

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returned to work. Both eyes miraculously improved, and I can now see again. What has been one of your greatest accomplishments in the medical field? Being the first female African American physician to become the Chief of Staff at John Peter Smith Health Network in their 100-year history. This medical center is a level 1 Trauma Center in Fort Worth, Texas. Also being honored at The University of Texas at Arlington where I attended as an undergraduate, as the first female African American to graduate and become a physician. What do you think the strategy to success is? The 6 pillars I mentioned earlier (Deity, Decision, Dedication, Discipline, Determination & Don’t Quit) is my success model. Hands down! When I was accepted into medical school at Howard University, I arrived on the campus excited and ready to do whatever I needed to do to become a medical doctor. However, I never thought I would have to sleep in my car for the first two weeks of this journey. You see, the lady who agreed to share an apartment with, did not show up. Therefore, I had nowhere to sleep. But I did not let this deter me from my destiny in becoming a medical doctor. If you want something bad enough, and in the words of Dave Ramsey, CEO of Financial Peace University, “you will do what others will not do, so you can have what others will not have.” God took me from the pit to the palace. Because of my perseverance and tenacity, the Assistant Dean of Students Affairs had an aunt who had just recently lost her husband, so she had a room I could stay in. In fact, she lived in a mansion in Washington, DC across from Rock Creek Park. She surprisingly had a maid and many days, they prepared lunch and dinner for me. God used this experience to expand and level up my wealth consciousness. You see, if you are going to be a multi-millionaire, you need to see and experience how wealthy people live. God did this for me while I was a medical student. What advice can you give to women when they are facing adversities? The Bible says, many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord will deliver you out of them all. We must see things from the “end” standpoint, and not the beginning or middle. We are already overcomers! If you look at your destiny through lenses from the beginning and the middle components, you will see trials, trouble, and turbulence. But if you look through the lenses from the end gauge, you will see your triumphant victory. Most people quit during the process, but that is no time to give up. The process is part of the equation— Though we walk THROUGH the valley of shadow of

death—the Bible says. WE MUST HAVE WINNING A MINDSET AND ATTITUDE IF WE ARE GOING TO GET THE PRIZE! What has been your greatest milestone? Succeeding against all odds: By becoming a Christian African American Female medical doctor. I am truly God’s Medicine Woman. Who supported you most during your college years? My parents. When I first enrolled in UTA, I was told by a counselor that I could not be a medical doctor. My heart was broken. I was told I needed to enroll in Medical Technology, so I did. I volunteered in the lab and then I met a wonderful Pathologist. One day, he said, “You are so intelligent and smart…what is it you want to do in life?” I told him God wanted me to be a medical doctor. He instructed me to take the MCAT exam. I did and I passed. I had no biology, physics, microbiology, or biochemistry at the college level at that time. Then I changed my major to PreMed and was accepted by five medical schools. I elected to go to Howard University College of Medicine, in Washington, DC and the rest is history. I have been a medical doctor for over 30 years. I have paid for many other students to attend college including medical school. God blesses us, so we can be a blessing to others. I want to thank this Pathologist today for his support and encouragement. God used him to push me into my God-given assignment in life. We all need a pusher and someone that will believe in us!

What does the future look like for Dr. Ellawese? The future is very bright for me. Every area of my life will take a quantum leap—my faith, my tenacity, my finances, etc. I am going to travel the world professional speaking and declaring the goodness of God and His faithfulness! After being healed from death (I died for 15 mins when I was baby, SIDS), polio, cancer, and now, blindness, I am pulling out all the stops. I am determined, and I can’t be stopped. Give three of the brightest moments in your life, who shared them with you? The birth of my daughter…Dr. Yvonne Covin. I was blessed to become a mother against all odds including an emergency myomectomy with instructions that I had only six months to conceive. Once pregnant, I was placed on three months of complete bed rest threatening to miscarry, so this was truly a memorable occasion for me. Hooding my daughter as a medical doctor (Yvonne Covin, MD) during her “Hooding Ceremony” at graduation and telling her that she had “gone through the process!” Doing Medical Missions Projects — seeing God perform supernatural miracles in Africa repeatedly. I remember one lady who had been completely blind for 10 years, and she asked me to pray for her. I prayed and God instantly healed her. She started screaming and shouting, “I can see,” then she read a newspaper! Years previously, she had surgery twice on her eyes, but it was to no avail. God met her need that day!!! This was a great moment for me, others on this medical mission and the multitudes at that village there in Abia State, Nigeria. We all witnessed a great miracle. Never give up on yourself or God.

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If God, did it for her, He can do it for you!!!

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B E S T

S E L L I N G

A U T H O R

Dr. Shirley K. Clark

A WOMAN EMPOWERED & ANOINTED TO EMPOWER OTHERS

t was a day Dr. Shirley Clark would never forget. It was her high school graduation. As the great Charles Dickens’s novel said, “It was the best of times and the worst of times.” Dr. Clark was 17 years old, and in her own words, “she was quite ignorant to all that was going on around her during this time in her life. She had truly little insight about her graduation and education. All she knew, it was expected of her to finish high school, but completing it had no long-term meaning in her life.” You see, the entire 17 years of Dr. Clark’s life, she was reared in an impoverished environment and her daily mindset was survival. With her mother having only a six-grade education and her father having little education as well, they did not have the educational acumen to share with her why education was important. When Dr. Clark’s parents married, they were sixteen years old. They lived in a rural community down on the East Coast, Washington, NC. Everybody in the community mostly worked in fields planting and harvesting primarily corn, collard greens, and tobacco. So, when her parents married at such an early age, they had to forfeit their education to work to create a life for themselves and their seven children.

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As you can imagine, taking care of all of them was a challenge. But everything deteriorated when her father started drinking and abusing her mother. Eventually, her mother had to leave the marriage and move back to her hometown. With little education and no job, her mother had to make the toughest decision in her life—to put her children in the hand of caregivers. They were in foster care for three years. Dr. Clark was five when this happened, and it was three years later that she and siblings were united with their mother. However, their caregivers during this transitional period were very abusive. They endured physical and psychological abuse as well as molestation. When they united back with their mother from day to day, they did not know how they were going to survive. According to Dr. Clark, life growing up in poverty was awful! Dr. Clark did graduate from high school, but she did not know how

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to write a complete sentence, all she knew how to write was a run on sentence. Her life took a turn for the best when she married up (married into a family that believed in higher education). Most of his family had earned higher educational degree. But in Dr. Clark’s pedigree there were four generations without a higher educational degree. It was at the age of 35 that Dr. Clark found herself in a lab learning what a comma and a semicolon were. But today, Dr. Clark is the CEO and Founder of Clark’s Consulting Firm, LLC. It was in the year 2000 that Dr. Clark established her business. Under her firm she has six departments: Self-Publishing Writer’s Agency (Jabez Books), PR, Marketing & Branding Firm, Corporate Coaching & Consulting Services, a Business Leadership Institute, Event Planning, and an Entertainers & Speakers’ Management Service. Her firm collaborates and services primarily authors,

speakers, entrepreneurs, business owners and events with high-end clients (billionaires, millionaires, celebrities, CEOs, and governmental officials). Such as Oprah Winfrey, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John, T. D. Jakes, Dr. Michael Roberts, Les Brown, Lisa Nichols, NFL Gospel Super Bowl Concert, Cassi Davis of Tyler Perry’s movies, Get Motivated Business Seminar, and many more. Her firm today is in high demand and their net worth is over a million dollars. In addition, their clients and strategic partners have been featured on/in: Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Huffington Post, CNN, Fox News, CBS, BET, Lifetime, ABC, Dallas Morning News, CBN, James Robison Show, Nightline, NBC, Black Enterprise, Essence, The Steve Harvey Show, Judge Hatchett Show, Bravo, Women’s World Magazine, Daystar, Dr. Steve Show, etc. In 2014, Dr. Clark’s Firm was selected to be listed in the Who’s Who in Black Dallas Business Publication. Personally, Dr. Clark has been featured on over 400 media outlets such as Fox4 news, Judge Faith, TBN, The Word Network, The Potter’s Touch, Impact, TCT, KCBI radio Station, Courageous Woman magazine, Epitome Magazine, The Happy Entrepreneur Podcast, The Now Network, Power Page Newspaper, The BIZ Hub Broadcast, to name a few. But the greatest testimony in Dr. Clark’s life is that she is now a prolific author. To date, she has written over 40

inspirational, motivation and business resource books. She is an award-winning 8x #1 Amazon Best-Selling Author with a reader’s audience in Asia, Africa, South America, Europe, and the U.S. (including Hawaii and Alaska). In addition, Dr. Clark is a Certified Business and Life Coach, Wealth Strategist, CSO (Chief Soaking Officer), Millionaire Brand Strategist and a Ramsey Preferred Master Financial Coach. As an international executive keynote speaker, Dr. Clark has shared the stage with Lisa Nichols, Les Brown, Grant Cardone, Dr. George Fraser, Dr. Keith Johnson, Bill Walsh, Beyonce’s father—Matthew Knowles, Myron Golden, Dr. Cindy Trimm, Dean Gazario, Dr. Traci Lynn, Dr. Willie Jolley, Former Governor of Texas—Rick Perry, and so many more. Because of what Dr. Clark has gone through, her heart and passion are truly to give back. Today, her mission is to raise up Kingdompreneurs — individuals within the faith-based arena that have been called to the marketplace to start businesses. You see, Dr. Clark’s faith is extremely important to her, and if it had not been for her faith, she said, she would not be where she is today. Dr. Clark encourages everyone to never give up on your dreams and destiny in life. If God, did it for her, He can do it for you!!!

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H E R

S T O R Y

Shanay Dudley

EDUCATION AS A PASSION

assionate about all things education and beauty, Shanay “Topcurl” Dudley is a highly sought-after leader and educator in the cosmetology and beauty industry. Licensed in cosmetology since 2000, she founded Topcurl Beauty Academy and established Salon Topcurl in Bowie, MD, in 2018. Shanay holds her license in the District of Columbia, Virginia, Texas, and Maryland. If that wasn’t a big enough accomplishment, she is also the Only National Board Certified Cosmetology Teacher in Maryland. All I could say was, “this is truly a WOW Woman!” The roots of this brilliant WOW Woman’s formal cosmetology education and career began in the public school system in her hometown of Baltimore, Maryland, where she obtained her cosmetology license at the young age of seventeen. From there, she attended college fulltime while balancing a full-time salon career. After graduating from undergrad college, she became a State Certified Cosmetology Instructor and Program Coordinator in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Since 2006, Ms. Shanay has trained many high school and private career cosmetology graduates who are now licensed professionals, from cosmetologists to nail techs. Outer beauty is the one thing that often amplifies the inner confidence of women, and Salon Topcurl does a magnificent job at elevating the beauty and spirit of women. At the same time, Topcurl Beauty Academy trains top talent in cutting-edge techniques, professionalism, and business ethics.

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this is truly a WOW Woman!

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In 2021, Topcurl Beauty Academy expanded to Alexandria, VA, to include esthetics and beauty instructor programs. Shanay’s lifetime commitment is to develop and implement the highest educational, ethical, and professional standards through her cosmetology school; therefore, she continues to take classes and improve her learning to support diverse, eager students who attend the Topcurl Beauty Academy. Her example of selfless leadership, tenacity, and resilience will leave a footprint in the life of every graduate of Topcurl Beauty Academy, and her confidence indeed touches every person coming through Salon Topcurl. I was intrigued to learn about this beautiful WOW Woman, and here is a little peek inside our conversation. WOW: Shanay, you are a true Woman of Wealth! In all of your profound accomplishments, let me start by asking what wealth means to you?

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Shanay: That’s a great question. When I think of wealth, I see beyond the typical monetary value. I value good health, good relationships, and financial stability. So those are the things that encompass wealth to me. WOW: Awesome! My friend, Dr. Michael Roberts, loves to say, “rich screams, but the wealthy whispers.”

Bowie, MD location when he’s home from college and is also apprenticing under me to focus on male grooming and commercial real estate upon graduating college. I believe this will help him fully understand the beauty business from both the business and practitioner sides which will be critical to our ability to expand and open new beauty schools and salons.

WOW: So what’s your driving force that keeps you going? What makes you excited to get up in the morning?

My youngest son, Justin, is considering learning electrical applications to assist with repairs throughout the businesses. Upon graduating high school, he also plans to get into real estate investing.

Shanay: I have two things that are my driving forces. The first drive is my two sons, Sean and Justin. I never wanted them to feel like they couldn’t do or have things when I was a single-parent. I worked two jobs to make ends meet to give them the additional opportunities to play in paid organized sports and travel.

Ultimately, the second drive is watching the smiles and the glow of the beauty graduates who receive their beauty licenses from the public school I work for and my private career schools. It’s been refreshing for me to help them and serve as a sound support system for them even after graduating from school.

They have both become an intricate part of the growing beauty empire. My oldest son, Sean, works at our

It has always been my dream to give back as a mentor. I stand behind the four-step system that a person

Shanay: Yes! I love it! I love it!

should learn first, implement and grow, expand the business and then mentor the future. The fourstep system is my circle of what professional responsibility should reflect. WOW: Okay, fantastic. How have you remained grounded with your overwhelming astounding success, especially as a relatively young woman? Shanay: Well, I often pray and thank God for choosing me. I consider myself a servant of the beauty culture. Coming from humble beginnings as a ward of the court ultimately allows me to appreciate coming from a place of lack and ultimately receiving the gift of a prosperous life. I have started a monthly self-care regimen to help me balance. I must admit I have found myself burnt out on more than one occasion. The rebuild is no fun, so I allow my team to support me more with the task because I can’t do it all at this level of success by myself.

WOW: Did anyone in particular play a critical role in your journey? Shanay: I have watched people indirectly from afar to gain insight into how successful businesses are built and operated, but ultimately, I would have to say it’s just not one person who directly played a critical role in my journey. I wish I had a mentor to make it easier starting up, but I didn’t know anyone personally who had a beauty school. I did receive motivation and support from my friends who became family, family members, and in some instances, complete strangers, who would just listen to my endeavors and encourage me to open my salon and school. Other people tend to see the things that we don’t always see in ourselves. My two sons are probably the most motivating forces; they motivate me beyond my ability to motivate myself a lot of time. They helped me indirectly remain strong and push through all my obstacles to endure, to be able to provide for them as a single parent.

One of the key lessons I have come to value through my journey is, “It’s not how long it takes; it’s simply that you finish what you start.” WOW: I know there was a price to pay to get where you are now. Can you share some of the hurdles you’ve overcome and some of your most significant achievements? Shanay: The biggest hurdle was growing up as an orphan or ward of the court in Baltimore, Maryland. That, in itself, is just a rough place to grow up, and to do it without having parents and living from household to household, I had to quickly learn how to adjust to the norms of the person who had custody of me and their household structure. So yeah, that was a massive challenge for me, and sometimes I felt myself in low spots of life, wondering why all of this was happening to me? I just wanted a loving, stable home. To “kick the sunken spots” of life during grade school, I would try to find ways to motivate myself to get over things I couldn’t control. That was my only outlet for happiness. I

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believe that is one of the things that turned out also to be a driving force of my success. Years of strategizing while playing chess afforded me the skills to use in my day-to-day life by staying twenty moves ahead of my position in life. If I had let my circumstances and environment control my outcome, I don’t know where I would be today. I was in a situation where I had to grow up faster than I wanted to. As it pertains to my greatest accomplishment, I would have to say it’s been a blessing to have the ability to physically birth my children because I have friends who aren’t able to have kids. I vowed to my kids that I would create a family structure that brought in togetherness, a feeling that I, as an orphan child, yearned for and wanted desperately to make for them, a massive accomplishment for me. The second greatest accomplishment for me will be obtaining the highest credential that a teacher can have, the National Board Certification for Teaching. I’m the first and only cosmetology instructor in the whole state of Maryland to hold this honor. Less than half of all national prospectus candidates pass this rigorous process on the first try, as I did. So that is a huge accomplishment that I don’t take for granted. Everything I’ve gone through has humbled me more in the sense that I’m constantly self-reflecting, saying, I can’t believe I’m here; I’m so appreciative. I’m so thankful! So, the obstacles allowed me to appreciate and value the positive things that happened in my life even more. WOW: Can you tell me at what age did you become an orphan? Shanay: Well, most of my life, pretty much. I was three or four years old when I left my mom and went to live with my Aunt Odessa, who is the next best thing to my birth mother. By the court definition, I wasn’t officially an

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orphan until the age of eight, and it’s been a journey. I still have copies of those documents, and I plan to expand more on my experience in my upcoming memoir book. WOW: Okay. Will you take a moment and say something to someone who may still struggle with being an orphan. What would you tell them? Shanay: One of the biggest things I would say to them is to try not to look to other people for validation and motivation. I often run across people who look for others to validate or motivate them, and I can honestly say it doesn’t work. I had to learn how to motivate myself to push through and persevere. I would sometimes talk to myself and say, “Shanay, you got to get it together, you can do better, you know you can.” As cliché as it may sound, it helped me with self-love. As an orphan, we often become loners because we are so used to not having a real support system; therefore, it’s important to learn how to be your best fan. It’s great to have that support system eventually, but it may not come when you want it to come, or come when you need it, and it comes in different ways that you may not have thought, but don’t wait for outside validation. I didn’t experience togetherness or support until I had my kids, so they are the ones who give me strength; even though they are younger, I learn so much from them and our bond is what has given me a sense of togetherness. WOW: Yes, yes. Now, let’s shift and talk about what economic development means to you and how do you create it? You have self-development but what about economic development for a person? How can one achieve that? Shanay: I have to say, there are multiple ways you can alternately conquer the goal of economic development. For me, coming from

the poorest areas of Baltimore, I would say being creative with the business financing and figuring out how to generate income. I’ve always lived by three golden rules for managing money. 1. I save a third of my earnings. 2. I spend a third on necessary expenses, and 3. I use the other third for fun, leisure, and other things I may need. Once I was able to implement the three golden rules consistently, I stuck with that model and then ultimately reinvested back into the community by creating jobs, beauty mentees, and participating in community service projects. I think it’s imperative and desperately needed. Each one, teach one, so through Topcurl Beauty Academy, I’m able to teach some of those savvy business skills that I’ve learned by trial and error and to pour that back into the community members that come to the school so they know that’s the system of professional growth. WOW: Tell us about the school’s culture Shanay: Surprisingly, we have a broad age range of participants as young as high school students, who are on the verge of graduating high school up to the late fifties. When speaking to the ladies about their experience and what brought them to Topcurl Beauty Academy, I find they all come for different reasons. Some older women work for the government during the day and decide they want to pursue their passion for beauty, and some are looking for part-time hobbies. It’s trendy to be a nail tech, so some of the younger ladies are pursuing that path. Our school does participate in granting scholarships from the state and private organizations, so some of the young ladies can get grants to attend the school, which is phenomenal for us to assist them in reaching their goals.

They all bring different skill levels and expertise to the table, and some are entirely new, never even picked up any tool or equipment for beauty; and to see them light up and glow when they obtain that license it’s just a breath of fresh air. It allows me to relive my personal experience of getting licensed for the first time over and over. Our school culture is familyoriented. Graduates love to come back to visit and ask business questions. They are the daughters I always wanted.

WOW: Do you have a salon as well as the Academy? Shanay: Yes, I have Salon Topcurl. It’s a suite concept salon consisting of seven private salon rooms with licensed professionals such as estheticians for skincare, natural hair care stylists, nail techs, and cosmetologists. WOW: Well Shanay, it has been a pleasure hearing your story, and again I say, “You are a Real WOW (Women of Wealth) Woman. I have to visit you at Salon Topcurl, and I can’t wait to see your Beauty Academy. Do you have any last

words as we close our time together? Shanay: No, Thank you so much for the opportunity; I greatly appreciate it. Topcurl Contact Information: Owner: Shanay Dudley Website: www.Topcurl.com IG: @Topcurl & @ TopcurlBeautyAcademy Cosmetology, Nail Technology, Esthetics and Makeup Artistry Programs

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F O U N D E R

O F

C I V I L I T Y

C O N S U L T I N G

Jan Goss

LEVERAGING THE POWER OF LOVE

arning money by sweeping sidewalks as a seven-year-old child is the first ‘paying’ job Jan Goss can remember. Her memory is not of the “work” but of the relationship of work to money. “I learned from an early age that work equals money and I understood that I loved making my own money,” Goss recalls. However, like many in her generation she was raised in a religious household and taught that money was not important. Through three marriages which resulted in two divorces and left her widowed in her 60’s, Jan spent most of her adult life in financial pain and despair. “My first husband was a businessman who became a pastor. We built a church together. One Sunday he resigned and left the church. On Monday he left me with eight children - three of our own and five foster children - no money and a congregation that looked to me to keep things together. I knew I had to make money, but I hadn’t yet clarified my foundational beliefs about money and the “why” I wanted to make money. I was in survival mode when love began to turn things around.” Born in Munich, Germany to a military family, Goss moved 21 times in 18 years. From an early age, she had a deep spiritual relationship with God and understood that she could rely on that relationship to trust her intuition and listen to her calling. “I have always believed that my relationship with my creator is based on love. Love is the most important thing. I believe that God has given me and gives all of us gifts and talents that allow us to become the person we were created to be. God gave us these things through love and through love we use these talents to give to him that for which we were born.”

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My purpose is to inspire and empower leaders to live an abundant life.

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Show Up Well and Civility Consulting “My purpose is to inspire and empower leaders to live an abundant life” Jan Goss is the Principal and Founder of Civility Consulting, an Austin based firm specializing in personal and professional development. She is recognized as a highly respected executive coach with a reputation for helping individuals and organizations create quick and sustainable results. Jan is an award-winning speaker and a #1 best-selling author. Jan studied International Business at American Intercontinental University and is a graduate of the Protocol School of Washington in DC. She is also an honored graduate of the Global Leadership Program in San Diego, CA. Jan developed 4 successful businesses after the age of 40 beginning with 13 years in the Real Estate industry and then opening the Austin School of Protocol. She now focuses on Civility Consulting, LLC and the Show Up Well Academy and Coaching. Jan’s intuitive gifts and strong spiritual foundation set her apart from any other trusted advisor. She resides in beautiful Austin, TX where she enjoys the lakes and hills and being with family and friends. Website: civilityconsulting.com

Looking for a way to provide for her family, Goss got a real estate license, became a real estate agent which soon provided a sixfigure income. She continued her journey developing four successful businesses after the age of 40. “I was pushed to make money. I knew that I always loved to work and make money, but I had to believe that having wealth and being faithful to loving God were not mutually exclusive. I had so much judgment around wealth. Yes, love makes you wealthy - much more than a bank account. However, I needed money. What clarified it for me was my belief about the WHY why I wanted money.” Jan’s two pronged faith-based ‘why’ became the driving force behind her money mind-set. She believes that money is a tool to be used to make life better - better for self and for loved ones - and to help us become the best version of ourselves that God intended. Secondly, money can be used to do good works - the work God intended and called us to do. As a single parent Jan soon realized that more money meant more

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choices and better choices. “I could provide for my family. We could live in a nicer neighborhood where my children could get a better education. I could buy a reliable car - one that we didn’t have to worry about breaking down when we needed it. The more money I made the more I learned that I was in charge of my relationship to money and that I wanted it to be based on love. I wanted to be motivated by love - love for my family, love for others and the work I could do to help them, love for my creator and gratitude for the gifts and talents I had been given.” Building a relationship with money was enhanced when Goss was introduced to quantum physics and began to understand the energy of money. Through books like Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles and the affirmations of Florence Scovel Shinn, she learned that it was important to understand that she oversaw the relationship and exchange of that energy. Along with her friend, Camille Walker, Goss held a call on the science of getting rich, where the principles she learned were

discussed weekly for five years. “For years I put that information in me, and I benefited from listening to other people’s experiences around money and building wealth. This is when things really turned around for me.” During her real estate career, Goss took a leap of faith, spent 60% of her bank account to hire a business coach, Lisa Nichols, who helped her understand that it was important to no longer work for money but to allow money to work for her. She also began to leverage the power of love through personal and professional development. This led to enrollment in the Global Leadership Program and connections with businesspeople all over the world. Jan also began to better understand gifts and talents that had been in her from childhood. With first impression management, she took her inherent intuition into the business world when she collaborated with companies showing them shifts in protocol which would save them money and increase productivity. Building on her passion to help people develop personally and professionally, Goss attended and

“Three things will last forever— faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13

graduated from the Protocol School of Washington in D.C. leading her to establish the Austin School of Protocol. This enabled her to create two businesses that she heads today - Show Up Well and Civility Consulting. Goss and her Show Up Well Team strategically support the execution of each company’s mission, vision and value system through customized training, mastermind groups, and executive coaching. The goal is to create a profitable company culture that values civility, accountability, kindness and connecting to a larger purpose. Jan calls this a “Show Up Well Culture.” As Jan’s leadership skills grew and success was noted her personal and professional coaching and consulting business grew as well. With the belief that success starts from the top down, Goss began with C level executives before providing training to company employees. These sessions quickly led to adding individual coaching clients to her business model and many wanted to learn about her money mindset. In addition, she was often asked to speak for groups and began to hold seminars about her journey from financial pain to financial

sustainability. “I am enthusiastic about helping people shift their beliefs around money. Just as I was never taught the simple principles of using money to build a life of wealth, many people who come to me for help never learned these things either. We begin by examining their money mindset - attitudes, emotions, and underlying beliefs - that instructs their relationship with money. I train people to treat money as if it were a person - their best friend. Do they treat money with respect? Do they think it is evil? Do they fear that it will control them? What are their fears around wealth? When money comes to you do you treat it with respect and gratitude, or do you treat it dismissively and give it away? It brings me immense joy to be able to train people to develop a healthy relationship with money. To enable them to face their fears and come into the light that financial sustainability provides. Shifting their relationship with money is all part of their personal and spiritual development - loving themselves as God created them to be.” Goss acknowledges that her many gifts and talents are God-given. Her “super powers” include putting

people at ease and helping them look at life with faith, hope and love. “ My calling comes 100% from the holy spirit. I have a strong spiritual foundation which supports my ability to intuitively see the best in people and bring out the good in them. Magic happens every time I am with a client. It is supernatural and I cannot do what I do by myself. These gifts come directly from my creator. There is always a synchronicity of seeing a pathway for a person, where they are headed and being their guide. They choose their own way, but I am their guide. I can put them at ease and make them believe in a positive outcome. I give them the tools to succeed and the beliefs to build on. In truth, the bottom line goes back to love. The love God has for me by creating me and giving me gifts and talents. The love I have for God by always learning and growing and answering my calling to help others become all they can be. And the love I feel for people - it is genuine, and they can feel the authenticity. You can have all the wealth in the world but if you don’t have love, you are poor.”

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S U C C E S S

C O A C H

Krystal Henry

OVERCOME LIFE-CHANGING BATTLES

rom the very beginning, God destined Krystal to be great for His name’s sake. It was August 1995 that her LIGHT’s journey started when she met her future husband, Raymond. They swiftly entered into covenant with God through holy matrimony followed by baptism exactly one year later! The couple immediately began serving in the areas of doing Bible studies, outreach, and prison ministry. And in September 2000, this power couple founded Power of the Gospel Ministries. Today, Pastor Raymond “Redd” and Evangelist Krystal Henry inspire the masses through their church, Mighty Kings Youth Basketball Organization, Power Lift Podcast, Corporate Coaching and much more. Three pillars that motivated and kept the couple focused no matter what obstacles and adversities came their way were determination, diligence, and perseverance.

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From what if, to what is.

Giving birth to her son was one of the challenges they had to overcome. Krystal was a DES Daughter (a drug, Diethylstilbestrol, prescribed to prevent miscarriages), which caused her to undergo numerous surgeries resulting in a recommended hysterectomy. However, Krystal declined the doctor’s advice, and years later, by the Grace of God, five fibroids were discovered growing simultaneously as her son grew in her womb! Remarkably, he was delivered healthy and strong.

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Then years later, triple Negative Breast Cancer “hit” her happy family out of nowhere. The diagnosis catapulted Krystal right into a molting season! She lost all her hair, underwent several surgeries, received chemotherapy, radiation therapy and “God therapy” (scriptures and worship). Then one day God spoke to her and said, “Although Breast Cancer is a Silent Killer, Krystal would not be a Silent Survivor!” This milestone taught her to LIVE for Christ for real. This was a major turning point, which led her to empower, motivate, encourage, inspire, and help others to overcome intentionally.

After coming through these challenges, Krystal never gave up on life and God. So, in 2021, Krystal enrolled in the 90 Day Wealth Mastermind Challenge directed by Dr. Shirley Clark of Clark’s Consulting Firm. Taking the plunge to invest in herself, allowed astronomical projects to come her way. A vortex of abundance released a new mindset, book opportunities, which led her to become a five-time Amazon Best Selling Author, Publisher, Podcaster, Radio Personality, TV Co-Host, Speaker, Success Coach, Anthologist, Clubhouse Host, and creator of Made To Lead Millions a multi-dimensional coaching hub developed for a diverse clientele birthed from her leadership book. Passion and purpose became more “Krystal” clear as she helped transform executives, phenomenal entrepreneurs, millionaires, ministerial leaders, and confidence seekers “from their What if,” to their “What is!” Krystal believes in the word “MAXIMIZE “which means to enhance, increase, and expand. ACTION produces MAXIMIZATION! Pushing past potential is maximizing a believe better, achieve better, and live better mindset! Her favorite scripture states, “But those who wait on the Lord

shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31 NKJV. This scripture was given to her during her battle with triple negative breast cancer. It also comforted her through the loss of her younger sister, who died at the age of 36, and when her husband, 10 years after her, won the battle against Prostate Cancer. And this March 2022, Women’s History Month, Krystal was named among the top 50 Women as “Pioneers of Change,” recognized by Dr Renee Huffman of “Women of Dignity.” Her next appearance is in the Hamptons, NY where she will be a seminar speaker at the “12th Annual Women of Wealth Billionaire Roundtable Power Summit,” April 2022. As well, Krystal is being honored by Sheryl Jones, “The Queen of Hearts” of the Love of Hearts Movement in August 2022, for her contributions of kindness and community service. Tremendous opportunities are available for you to connect, collaborate, and be enhanced with Coach Krystal at www. krystalhenry.net.

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I am passionate about worship, passionate about life, passionate about God’s people and about how I pursue the heart of God.

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ENCOURAGE, INSPIRE, EDUCATE & EMPOWER

Dr. Jacquelyn Hadnot

A PASSION TO ADVANCE THE KINGDOM

s the founder of Mallie Boushaye Essentials and Purpose Life Coaching LLC, who also started other companies including Diversified Business Services, Diversified Communications, and Kingdom Purpose Enterprises. Dr. Jacquie Hadnot is no stranger to the world of coaching and business, she is a Marketplace Apostle with a passion to advance the Kingdom through the marketplace. Her life was transformed by gifted coaches and mentors, and this motivated her to empower people through her coaching and ministry gifts. Her mission is to encourage, inspire, educate, and empower her clients and students to facilitate positive change in the world. She is recognized as a sought-after ministry gift, investor, philanthropist, entrepreneur, empowerment speaker and business and purpose life coach. Her kingdom impact is grounded in — faith in God, perseverance, resilience, and an unshakeable determination to succeed. Her Apostolic mantle to the marketplace is a driving force behind her desire to be an instrument of change and bring Kingdom minded individuals and businesses to the forefront of the marketplace. She is the author of over thirty-nine books and teachings including: Unlocking the Power to Create Wealth and Unlocking the Power: Dimensions Of Power. Her seven-book series, A Woman Of Worth has impacted the lives of women around the world with workshops, conferences, scholarships, and outreach projects.

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Her passion is to impact lives through her teachings and ministry. Her mission is clear: • To make Christ real to the world. • To create solutions for a better world. • Empower the world through learning. • Empower entrepreneurs to birth healthy, productive, and prosperous businesses. • To encourage and empower women to walk in their purpose and destiny. She believes that when it comes to creating a life you love, it’s all about creating an atmosphere conducive to learning, growth, resilience, strength and determi58

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nation and her methods have been proven to work again, and again. One of her core beliefs is that a life worth living is a life that is dedicated to being of service to others. For that reason, she founded It Is Written Ministries, A Woman of Worth Empowerment Ministries, the Sisterpreneur Empowerment Program, and the Matthew 25 Homeless Outreach Ministry. Jacquie’s passion and purpose revolve around helping individuals, ministries, and entrepreneurs create an impactful influence in the world. Nothing makes her happier than watching dedicated business owners

and individuals achieve their dreams; knowing that she played a part in making those dreams come true. Jacquie’s journey to excellence has been fueled with an unrelenting passion for empowering people. Her down-to-earth humor compels audiences to laugh while they learn. Jacquie is passionate about people, ministry, leadership, and successful businesses. She is inspired to help people take their lives, careers, and businesses to unprecedented levels. She sums up her mission in life to this: “My ultimate goal is to help individuals learn the strategies they need to succeed in life.”

Dr. Jacquie holds a ThD in Pastoral Theology, a MA in Leadership and Education and a BA in Theology. In addition, she holds a degree in Accounting and Business Finance. She is also a Master Life Coach, Business S uccess Coach and Cancer Care & Wellness Coach. She and husband Minister Gregory Hadnot reside in Overland Park Kansas and together they oversee Agents of Change Empowerment Ministries and I gniting the Fire Television Network.

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A U T H O R

Dr. Sonya R. Hamm

ACTIVATE YOUR FINANCIAL SUPERPOWERS

IRLFRIEND! Let’s Get RICH and Live! “The 10 BIGGEST Money Lessons Every Woman Needs to Create Financial Freedom and Manifest Her Dreams” is for every woman ready to activate her financial superpowers and manifest the abundant, bold, unapologetic, high definition lifestyle of purpose, power, and profitability you deserve to have! The word R.I.C.H probably caused your heart to race, defensive thoughts to arise, such as “I could never get R.I.C.H,” or an emotional flood of anxiety may be sweeping over you. Calm down, take a deep breath and relax! If you have emotional stress around money and wealth, you owe it to yourself to read every page of this book to help you break the chains of fear from your life and make friends with wealth and money. Girlfriend, the time has come for you to invest in yourself, your dreams, your potential to “Get R.I.C.H.,” and this book will help you do it!

Calm down, take a deep breath and relax!

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The “Let’s Get R.I.C.H. and Live” Mandate for Girlfriends around the world is a clarion call for women to make friends with wealth using the acronym R.I.C.H. as a guide to inPower her to: R – Respect Her Value I – Invest in Profitable Ventures C – Command Her Cash Flow H – Honor Her Faith, Family, and Future Too many “Girlfriends” live beneath their R.I.C.H. potential partly because societal systems set us up for failure by not teaching financial literacy, which leaves most of us feeling unqualified in financial matters; therefore, too many women live in secret shame and remain silent about money. After all, it would be too embarrassing to tell a Girlfriend your real money story. Or would it? What if I told you most of us experience financial roadblocks, setbacks, hiccups that we are not proud of, and the average woman has a money story, or two, or three she wishes she could go back and rewrite! The truth is, we all want one thing: the freedom to live a life of abundance on our terms with the people we love and who love us! For this reason, the “Let’s Get RICH and Live Mandate” makes it possible for every woman to start from where she is, with what she has, and become as R.I.C.H. and powerful as she desires to be! Girlfriend! God created you with wealth etched in your DNA which is why you will never escape the desire for a fuller, more meaningful, overflowing life…and that is why this book is written with a mission to spark “Get Rich Conversations; “amongst Girlfriends that hold us accountable to Manifest our Dream Life! Money is a necessary part of life, just like oxygen, water, and food which is why the three-fold mission of this book is to: 1. Disrupt the silent shame, fear, and stress women often carry around money regardless of how much or how little they have. 2. Inspire Girlfriends to start having “Get RICH Conversations” that motivate one another to

dominate the money game, “Get R.I.C.H.,” and WIN in Life! 3. Provide ten practical money lessons to help every Girlfriend build a positive money relationship, create financial freedom, and confidently manifest her dream life! It’s time to eliminate the imposter syndrome, lay aside the pride, anger, and shame, and kick fear out the door! The time of robbing yourself to take care of everybody else, racking up debt to impress, cutting back, depriving yourself, living paycheck to the next day, worrying about how you will buy the house, send the kids to college, retire, or live your dream life, etc. it all ends here! In this Book, You Will Learn : What MonEyMotions™ are and how to recognize yours so you can conquer them and make friends with money, create wealth, and enjoy financial freedom on your terms. How to tap into your “Financial Super Powers” and begin using them to live an abundant life of Purpose, Power, and Profitability! How to Define Your Get RICH Dream Life and begin building the income, influence, and lifestyle you desire instead of settling for an unfulfilled career that leaves you unhappy and drained. How to speak the language of money, understand the different money vehicles, and strategically use them to create financial freedom that can pass from one generation to the next. You will learn how to live a Millionaire Lifestyle on your current income without a strict budget, working insane hours, sacrificing family time, or depriving yourself of joy and happiness. How you can legally document, protect and transfer your estate without paying high taxes and estate fees. And you will read the stories of several Girlfriends who have overcome money challenges and are now on the path to financial freedom and living their dream life.

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H E R

S T O R Y

Maggie Bellevue

A TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADER

Christian minister, international speaker, and women’s advocate. For the past 20 years, she has traveled throughout Europe, Africa, America, Canada, and the Caribbean, sharing God’s Word through her Kingdom Empowerment International Ministries, in the process also attending to the socio-economic empowerment of disenfranchised communities and marginalized populations, and advocating for the rights of women and children. In recent years, she has emerged as a major force for transformation in the lives of many through personal and professional development seminars and conferences that are uniquely designed, not only to empower people intellectually and economically, but to also help them identify their life’s purpose, and to propel them towards manifesting that purpose. This Chosen Woman has walked an incredible journey to a place of purpose, and that is why today, she is referred to as The Apostle of Purpose. In essence, her journey in ministry is an eloquent testimony to the fact that, even at an early age, God is already aware of what He created us to do. I am an Apostle of Purpose. I found myself immensely privileged, through my Kingdom Empowerment International Ministries, to work with many other ministries in countries as far flung from the United States as Nigeria, Haiti, Aruba, Canada, Dominican Republic, and Jordan. During this extensive overseas ministerial work, I realized that my greatest joy came from impacting and transforming lives and communities. For instance, my organization is at the incipient stages of establishing a 28-classroom K-12 Christian school in Haiti. I envisage a future rich in work that will strongly impact the spiritual and social lives of people in communities.

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I realized that my greatest joy came from impacting and transforming lives and communities. WOW Magazine

My organization has, additionally, provided a platform for major transformation in the lives of many through my personal development seminars that are uniquely designed to help people identify their life’s purpose, and to live in that purpose. Additionally, I have authored two books on the subject of ‘Purpose.’ My principal objective with these initiatives is to provide a solid intellectual and theological platform that will power the vision of my ministry to help millions of people all over the world arrive at the wellspring of divine resourcefulness that lies dormant in them as their treasure house of purpose. To reach this global audience more quickly, I have added an audiovisual component to that vision by establishing a YouTube channel called The Apostle of Purpose.

Thirdly, purpose allows us to live a life of meaning. we start to work toward a career that better fits our purpose. Instead of remaining exposed to people who are incompatible with our purpose and goals, we start to gravitate towards people who genuinely share the same values with us.

I teach that there are five reasons why we need to have and live a life of purpose. We place our ladder of life against the wall and start to ascend it. Often, for most people, that ladder is leaning against the wrong wall. Nothing can be more unfortunate than pursuing current goals for the next twenty years only to become disenchanted with the outcome and realize that this wasn’t what one wanted in the first place.

Finally, purpose allows us to start to achieve success purely on our own terms. Rather than see success as an end, we tend to first identify what we truly care about, and then direct our energy into making that our ultimate reality. When we discover our true purpose, we will naturally want to devote our life to pursuing it since it is also the source of our greatest sense of fulfillment.

Secondly, purpose allows us to develop a clarity on what is important and what is unimportant. Most of us are constantly engaged in activities that ultimately make little or no difference to the pursuit of our worthy goals. Purpose allows us to immediately see which goals are important and which are not.

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Fourthly, the pursuit of purpose will give us the burst of energy that will make each day a cauldron of steaming passion. Each morning, we will leap out of bed, excited at what we will achieve that day. At night, we may dread going to sleep simply because we would rather be living our purpose than dissipating eight hours into sleep! Most people, not living their purpose, barely endure each day.

I will wind up by asking you to start thinking of the legacy that will outlive your life journey. The desire to leave a legacy demand that you be genuinely grounded in offering yourself and making a meaningful and lasting contribution to humanity by serving a cause greater than yourself. The requirements of such a legacy are simply that you embrace your uniqueness, and passionately

immerse your entire self into life in such a way that your gift will be freely available to all, and that you take full responsibility for ensuring that your legacy will outlast your time on earth. Your legacy will speak into what you do between here and eternity. The legacy you leave behind is the life you lead. It matters because everything you say and do is a deposit into that legacy. When you shift to living in such a way as to leave a legacy, your influence comes from who you truly are at a deep place, and you measure your life purpose, no longer by an emphasis on accomplishments, wealth, and recognition, but by your core inner values. Permit me to introduce you to the two books I have written about purpose. The first book is, Treasures Of The Soul - Unearthing God’s Purpose For Your Life. It is presented in a unique format called The 7 ‘Cs of Living In Purpose; the 7 ‘C’s being, Conceive, Confidence, Concentrate, Consistence, Commitment, Character, and Celebration, and it provides the framework for living life, and living it more abundantly. It also provides a system by which the book can be genuinely life transforming. Its overall message is that there is a living well deep inside of each one of us, and from which a river of living water flows into all aspects of our life. As we dig deeper, we will discover this treasure of our own soul. As soon as we discover this treasure, we have also discovered our

purpose here on Earth, and by the same token, the precise reason for our creation. The second book, The Purpose Devotional - Biblical Illustrations of Those Who Lived In God’s Purpose, is a logical follow up to the first book. It uses God’s people in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible to illustrate how He deploys His divine Will to achieve His ultimate purpose in our lives. All the characters featured in the devotional, whether hero or villain, were called by God to do something that was merely a part of His overall purpose, both in the life of the individual, and for the unfolding destiny of Mankind. The book is both a devotional and a companion, being a handbook of action techniques for purposeful living. To this end, the book can be useful in three ways. One; it can be read wholesale, as one would any other book. Two; it fundamentally serves as a devotional. Three; If one has a problem, randomly opening the book after praying and meditating on the problem might lead one to the page that can offer sufficient insight and direction for confronting the problem. Naturally, this is spiritual guidance since the text is fundamentally derived from the Word of God. You can visit my website: www.Maggiebellevue.com Facebook: Maggie Bellevue Twitter: @MaggieBellevue Instagram: MaggieBellevue LinkedIn: Maggie Bellevue

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C H I E F

E X E C U T I V E

O F F I C E R

Dr. Hattie N. Washington

DRIVEN2SUCCEED (D2S)

r. Hattie N. Washington served as a tenured Professor of Education at Coppin State University (CSU) in Baltimore for 22 years. She made history as the first female Vice President in the University’s 100-year history—presented $8 million to the Coppin State Foundation Board–$5 million over fundraising goal.

During the same twenty-two years that Dr. Washington contributed enormously to Coppin State University, she also founded in 1997 Aunt Hattie’s Place, Inc (AHP), a 501(c)(3) non-profit residential facility in Baltimore to care for males from the foster care system with special educational needs. With a loving staff, a team of professional practitioners and volunteers, she provided care and nurturing for over 100 boys and young men ages eight to twenty-one who had been abused, abandoned, and neglected in the 22-years. Hattie (affectionately, call “Aunt Hattie”) believes that “all children are talented, intelligent, loveable and full of hope; but just need love, guidance, structure and high expectations to achieve their full potential.” They needed a “helping hand,” not a “hand out.” Prior to Coppin, Dr. Washington was Assistant Superintendent of Baltimore City Schools; Prior, was an Evaluator of Superintendents for the Maryland State Dept. of Education; Earlier, was a Teacher for over 20 years—in the USA and Greece.

Yes, we can, we must! 66

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Dr. Washington holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education from Norfolk State University with a minor in Special Education; a master’s degree from Ball State University (an Athens, Greece Overseas Program) in Counseling Psychology; and a Doctorate from the University of Maryland College Park in Curriculum and Instruction. She has engaged in further post-graduate study in Multicultural Education and Special Education at Glasgow University in Scotland, UK (on a Rotary International Scholarship), in Executive Management (IEM) at Harvard University in Boston, and in Institutional Accountability in Higher Education at Oxford University in London, England, UK. “As the mother of two daughters who have grown into accomplished young women (a physician & an attorney), my teachings and child-rearing strategies and foundation prepared me to lead AHP in providing foster boys with the love, guidance, structure, and high expectation; whereby many became productive young men whose dreams of hope and success became reality. I taught my daughters and my foster young men the mantra, ‘Yes, We Can; We MUST.’ My work with Aunt Hattie’s Place (AHP), Baltimore City Schools, Maryland State Dept. of Education (MSDE), and at Coppin State were my ministries and grew out of my childhood experiences and a need to “give back” and “pay it forward.”

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She has received numerous awards, plaques, citations, and other recognitions for her work with Aunt Hattie’s Place, Coppin State University, foster children, and community organizations. The most recent recognition was the recipient of President Biden’s 2022 Presidential LifeTime Achievement Award—that will be presented to her at The Royal Gold Ball on April 30, 2022, in The Hamptons, Long Island, NY—Coordinated by The Global Women Empowerment Foundation and The WOW (Women of Wealth) Magazine (Dr, Lei Lweis, Founder/Host). Dr. Washington is the author of three books: Driven to Succeed: Lessons Learned Through Faith, Family and Favor; Aunt Hattie’s Cookbook: Southern Comfort Food Favorites; Determinada A Triunfar:… (in Spanish); and recently, two anthologies: Always Sisters: The Power of Sisterhood; and Think Pink: Success Stories from Women who Launched Businesses and Changed Lives. Proceeds from these books benefit her Aunt Hattie Scholarship Fund (AHSF) at Coppin State University for foster youth who have aged out of the system and want to continue their education. For Book Signings, Speaking Engagements, Workshops/ Consultant, or her DRIVEN2SUCCEED Motivational Merchandise, Contact her at 443-804-6545 or info@ drhnwashington.com. www.drhnwashington.com

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D E I R D R E

M A R I E

M A N L E Y

WOMEN OF WEALTH — TRAILBLAZER, FORWARD THINKER, EMPOWERING AND RESOURCEFUL

r. Deirdre M. Manley was born and raised in Hartford Connecticut (inner city). She is a freelance writer, blogger, poet, published author and successful Entrepreneur. Her life experiences laid the cornerstone to develop her pathway to success.

Deirdre earned her undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree from Bethune-Cookman College, Daytona Beach, FL. Deirdre soon discovered her passion for early childhood education; supported by her papa, and spiritual foundation big momma En routed; inspired Deidre to step out on faith! Shortly after she (migrate) to South Caroline in pursuit of both her master’s and doctorate degree in Education Leadership/Early Childhood from South Carolina State University. After years of experience in early childhood education, Deirdre was compelled to discover new innovative techniques to support Educator’s across the country. It was her passion for early childhood education and her belief that “Every Child Needs a Champion,” that paved the way to becoming a “Woman of Wealth.” She travels the country empowering grantees of federal funding to provide equity in early education and assist with developing their road map of success. Deirdre ’s forward thinking and strategic planning led to the foundation of “No Limit Consulting” the world of passionate educators and strategists seeking to help leaders and organizations thrive across the country. In 2006, Dr. Manley work diligently alongside researchers, early childhood experts to create the state of Florida Voluntary PreK program. In 2009, Dr. Manley assisted with the development of the Department of Children and Families Childcare Licensing and Background Screening Childcare Providers training portal. In 2009, Dr. Manley became an Adjunct professor in Early Childhood for the University of Phoenix, where she and a team of researchers and professors, created the Bachelor’s Degree program in Early Childhood. In 2010, Dr. Manley worked with the National Center for Quality Teaching and Learning @ University of Washington, in Seattle, WA, where she assisted with the

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development of the “15 Minute Suites” for all Head Start programs to use for professional development across the country. For over 22 years, Dr. Manley works with many early childhood programs for the Office of Head Start and local school boards across the United States providing program planning, training and technical assistance and quality assurance protocol to support. When visiting Fairbanks, Alaska and Singapore, Deirdre was catapulted into advocacy for equity across early childhood programs. This began her journey in training and technical assistance. In 2015, Dr. Manley launched her first compilation of poetry, “Reflections, Floating Red Petunias, in Hartford, CT. In 2017, Dr. Manley was featured on Windsor Community Television, Windsor, CT, “Diversity in the Community” where she discussed her plight growing up in the inner city and how prayer, family and her “Village” propelled her into the purpose God has designed for her life. Deirdre continues to inspire, motivate, and encourage individuals and empower organizations to cultivate a cultural environment that is sensitive to cultural diversity and growth mindset across the United States; through regional/national trainings, speaking engagements (published Author), charity and local communities’ events. Dr. Manley’s passion has always been in offering higher quality learning and equity across early childhood programs with a focus on infant and toddlers, with special needs. Her work has been cited in many communities to include to licensed childcare programs and national safety prevention programs that service families in need of support from “The Village.” Deirdre has served in several different capacities, however her passion and love for life changing experiences lives within and God’s light continues to shine bright every day of her life.

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P A S T O R

N E S H E L L A

J O N E S - M I T C H E L L

TRIUMPHANTLY WISE & PROSPEROUS

astor Neshella Jones-Mitchell, triumphantly lives up to her unique name, meaning wise advisor and prosperous: With her gracious smile and warm presence, this dynamic leader is enthusiastic about training and equipping, professional men, and women, and developing essential skills and fundamental strategies that will help them to excel, advance, and obtain financial freedom, live healthy lives, and leave a legacy for the next generation.

She’s multi-gifted and a world-changer who has been equipping people to fulfill their destinies and maximize their financial potential for over 35 years. Her in-side beauty and wisdom are timeless, and her style is refined by years of experience. This hard-working ambassador and woman of integrity lives, walks, and talks from a kingdom perspective, her life is rooted and grounded in the word of God and His redeeming love for her. She’s admired by her peers for being impartial, and she has a tenacity for building healthy and long-lasting relationships by building up the body of Christ and His kingdom to present everyone complete in Christ. One of her mottos is “Live a triumphant, abundant and victorious life in Jesus Christ and you will prosper and be in good health and have a lot of wealth” this is her legacy. Pastor Neshella completed seminary school and earned her master’s degree in theology and religious education, and family counseling at Bishop A.L. Hardy Academy for Theology in 1999. And in 2004 she was the 1st women Pastor to be ordained by her late bishop of 48 years, Bishop A. L. Hardy. She acquired her certifications in vicarious trauma, PTSD, FAS, dysfunctional families, and domestic violence from the University of Washington in Tacoma WA. She’s worked as a licensed registered

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counselor for the State of Washington for over 20 years. Since 2003 she’s served as the CoPastor of Glory House Fellowship Church. She is a powerful anointed preaching machine, teacher, mentor, and consultant for persons from all walks of life. For 35 years she’s served as an international and national motivational speaker, educator, mentor, professor, and life coach. For several years she’s also served as the Founder and CEO of Victorious Women’s Ministry, empowering thousands of women through spiritual counseling, mentoring, and coaching. CEO & Founder of Abundant Life Outreach Ministries for Families, a wrap-around service program that thousands of underserved families have participated in. Alongside her husband, she is also the Co-Founder of M & J Networking & Coaching, a networking and leadership development, and economic development program. Since 1999 she’s volunteered as an award-winning Domestic Violence Executive Director, equipping, and instructing women inmates at the SeaTac Federal Detention Center’s Psychology Unit. She is a retiree and alumni of the University of Washington’s ParentChild Assistance Program where she worked for over 12 years with clients

diagnosed with co-occurring disorders, domestic violence, and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. She’s also a retiree of Mars Hills Graduate College where she worked as a Domestic Violence Instructor and Professor. Pastor Neshella has been recognized on numerous occasions, receiving many honors and awards from national and international churches, corporations, community leaders, SeaTac Federal Detention Center - Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Kent, WA Mayor Award for Outstanding Community Services. Thousands of people throughout the United States, the regions of Africa, and the UK’s lives have been changed because of this dynamic woman of God’s tireless work and sacrifice of service. For over 21 years Pastor Neshella’s been married to Bishop Marvin D. Mitchell, D.Ph., Senior Pastor of the Glory House Fellowship Church in Kent, WA. They have four beautiful children and 5 grandchildren. To Live An Abundant Life of Health, Wealth & Prosperity Is A Choice Over the years Pastor Neshella has been blessed to overcome deployable health and personal issues such as economic inequality, cancer, frontal lobe brain damage, severe learning disabilities, and

to problem-solve and take risks, let go of the past and move on, and it’s made this new journey all the sweeter, glorious, and profitable. For her own health and well-being, she’s dedicated her life to being accountable to a dynamic support group where mentors and spiritual advisors believed in her, support women of color, and empower them to live triumphant and abundant lives mentally, physically, and spiritually. She’s also taken intentional baby steps to detox her life and deliberately rid herself of the obstacles and toxic people that affected and could have kept her from living a victorious and abundant life. You can’t live a toxic life and a so-called healthy life at the same time, you must choose one or the other and she chose prosperity and an abundant life.

passing away and being revived twice in her lifetime. This was not the adult plight in life that she dreamed about as a child, being helpless, hopeless, and living a life she thought she would never get delivered from. The crippling effects of trauma, grief and loss, rejections, abandonment, and brokenness were intended to destroy her for life, but she was determined to be an overcome not a victim. Her favorite scriptures to sustain her and bring her through the most difficult times in her life are You are beautiful for you are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14. The lord will never leave you or forsake you. Hebrew 13:5. The joy of the Lord is my strength. Nehemiah 8:10. My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast even more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:8-10. She made an intentional and conscious decision to decree and declare the word of God over her life, apply the word of God and walk by faith, and not by sight

and live a triumphant and abundant life. Miracles signs and wonders started happening because she refused to give up on herself and her life and she refused to be a victim and decided to speak life and live life like the victorious woman should. Overcoming Trauma & Living A Triumphant & Abundant Life How Sweet It Is Pastor Neshella is a survivor and a triumphant woman of God. In 1995 when she decided to come out of denial and forgive herself and others for years of abuse, she had experienced she decided to return to her 1st love, totally trust and depend on God, fast, pray and let go of her past so she could be successful in her future. Learning to trust God and live a healthy, healed, and whole life by any means necessary was uncharted territory for her and at the same time it was liberating and something she had never experienced earlier in her childhood. She’s learned

The journey she’s now on has been worth the hurt, pain, and suffering it taught her how to depend on her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and how to become an overcomer, and how to become a woman of integrity, prosperity, health, and wealth. She’s learned how to serve genuinely with a kind heart and love deeply who God has assigned her to serve. She’s still learning how to be content in all things, she’s still learning how to be patient no matter what the circumstances look like, she’s still learning how to be sympathetic to everyone no matter who they are. She will always be learning how to assist and empower others to live a victorious life not a life as a victim. It’s hard work but she’s willing to make the changes to make it work. This is Pastor Neshella’s journey to being triumphantly wise and prosperous in everything she put her hand to. If you have not met her, she invites you to meet a Queen that is anointed, appointed, and crowned by God with an abundance of blessings and favor, health, and wealth!

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G L O R I A

S .

R I L E Y

IMAGINE, BELIEVE, AND PROSPER

f you are looking for someone to take your organization’s goals from a simple dream to reality, Gloria S. Riley is the transformational speaker and coach that can make it happen. Whether it’s financial coaching and training or self-development and actualization, her presentations bring new awareness and ideas around wealth accumulation and prosperity.

Bringing more than fifteen years of experience as a Financial Advisor, one of Gloria’s chief delights is seeing others implement principles of prosperity and achieve goals they previously only dreamed could happen. Drawing from her personal experience, she takes everything she’s learned and pours it into her work of helping organizations and individuals become more efficient with clarity around their goals, leaving them happier and more fulfilled.

I did what I now teach others to do. I imagined, believed, and persevered before I prospered. My journey has required me to stay the course in the face of difficulties and stay true to my dreams, goals, and my life’s aspirations. In addition, I studied my craft, invested in my specialization with money, time, and continued education, and associated with experts in my field. I guess you could say I learned to listen well and grasp much.

their child, and many others gave me guidance, protection, and direction along the way. Since my Aunt did not have children, she allowed me to experience many adventures while not confining me to her life experiences. I was given the gift to dream and imagine a better life for myself, whatever I decided to pursue or wherever I wanted to go. I remember my uncle instilling in me, “you can be anyone you want to be just make up your mind.”

As the McDonough Insurance and Financial Services Team owner, Gloria helps grateful clients understand pathways to financial success, ultimately putting them on the path to creating and living their best life. Gloria holds a BA in Public Administration from Seattle Pacific University and an MBA from Ohio Christian University. She is also a Certified Fund Specialist (CFS) and Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow (LUTCF) who has helped establish principles of prosperity and wealth at institutions ranging from fortune 500 companies to small businesses.

First hand, I witnessed that a disabling medical condition could strike at any time to anyone. Disability can set the family back financially if you do not have adequate insurance to replace the lost income of the family member who becomes disabled. When you are down on your luck, people are waiting to take advantage of your situation for their gain.

My Aunt was my mother’s oldest sister. She gave me unconditional love, and I was able to return this love to her when her health declined and ultimately ended in her early death at age sixty. Overall, she gave me the gift to dream and imagine a better life and pursue or go wherever I wanted to go.

Our family felt the impact of disability which led to us losing our home. Going through that ordeal forced me to acquire wisdom and responsibility early because I had to assist with my sick guardian’s caregiving. I saw firsthand how important it is to protect your assets with the proper legal documents and financial planning.

I would say Gloria S. Riley is Phenomenal, Dynamic, and Inspirational.

Come inside the conversation WOW Magazine was able to have and meet the woman on a mission to help us Imagine, Believe, and Prosper©, Gloria S. Riley. Hello Gloria! I want to start by asking you how you created the level of success you have today?

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What other valuable lessons did your environment teach you? I am where I am today because my Aunt and uncle chose me to raise as

So, tell me, how would you describe yourself in three words?

Many people see the glory but don’t know the story of a person’s success. What other hurdles did you have to overcome in life? Gloria: While pursuing my career path, I had to overcome and balance marriage and parenting three sons (who are all two years apart) and remain joyful in the process. I always had a very active lifestyle between being a wife,

My husband is always for me. Children are our heritage, and I have always learned from mine and am pleased with whom they have become.

parenting, developing my career in financial services, and holding positions in my church. It was important to me for my sons to experience childhood, participate in sports and other programs and give myself the space to excel in my career while maintaining an atmosphere of love, joy, and happiness. Reflecting on my past accomplishments is one of the things that helped me achieve the balance. I was my mother’s first child to graduate from a four-year college, own a home at age 27 as a single woman, become a registered representative at age 26, and later become a financial advisor and business owner. The sweet spirit of my Aunt and our fond memories encourage me always. I remember her story of how her parents died when she was a child leaving her to help raise her siblings. She and her brothers and sisters walked barefoot on a dirt road to school for their education. I knew education was essential but later learned how instrumental it is. What do you believe are the powers to success? I believe the powers of success start with studying our Creator, gleaning from successful people, learning how to network, maintaining an appreciation of oneself, living adventurously, and listening to your inner self and others. It also includes understanding how to build and protect wealth, believing the promise from the Creator that you will have great success, and that we are all uniquely and wonderfully made to prosper; those are my powers. What does your daily routine look like and how does it help you mentally? The first-morning routine is to read the

I admire my brother, who has successfully married for over 30 years and represents a great example of marriage. Tell us what you consider your greatest accomplishment.

bible, the second is to write something inspirational, and the third is to exercise daily. When I begin my morning by reading positive, powerful words, it energizes me from head to toe. I feel led to share what I gleaned with my friends and associates, hoping they too feel they can conquer their world. My mind needs to align with how my body feels, and I accomplish this by stretching my muscles, meditating, practicing yoga, and pilates. I practice stretching and walking for about 30-45 minutes, setting the day’s tempo. My focus is intact, and I am ready for the day’s adventures. Who are the major influencers in your life? How have they influenced you? The significant influencers in my life are my Creator, Aunt, Uncle, Husband, children, and brother. I was introduced to my Creator at the age of eight and religion is integral to my being. My Aunt showed me love, unselfish giving, and independence. My uncle was strong, determined, direct, and loving. When I was in need, he would always meet me halfway, which was a good lesson to learn. Family-oriented, disciplinary, generous, caring, and supportive are some of the wonderful traits of my husband.

Owning my insurance and financial services practice is a proud and significant accomplishment. After working in the industry for years and experiencing the business, compliance requirements, and responsibilities, I was ready to launch my business. I created a business plan and set out to earn a living utilizing what I learned over the years. It took some time to reach the salary I was making in the corporate world, but I endured. Fortunately, the clients came together, staff, contracts, and the income. Well, Gloria, it has been an honor to interview you and learn more about the WOW Woman helping women Imagine, Believe, and Prosper. In closing, can you tell us your philosophy for living your best life? Yes, I believe our only limitation comes from the things we allow to limit us. You need someone to show you the lock and encourage you to open the door. The keys to success and productivity are already in our pockets. My life motto is “Growth and development of people is the principal calling of leadership.” I aim to help people fulfill their vision for personal development and strengthen the total walk of their destiny. I am committed and passionate about supporting and guiding the transformation of others as I continue to grow in my personal and business journey.

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E R I C A

H I L L

MONEY RESET COACH

re you ready to start manifesting commas and zeroes in your bank account? If so, Erica Hill is on a mission to help women reset their minds to unlock the door to money, freedom, and wealth.

Known as the “Money Reset Coach,” Erica Hill inspires and educates families on the importance of building generational wealth and leaving a legacy through her financial services agency and a team of more than twenty-nine agents. When you wake up in the morning, if the first thing that comes to your mind is not “I love my Fabulous Life,” then Erica is the woman who can get you on track to building your “Fabulous Life.” She helps professional women worldwide improve, enrich, and elevate their lives by dismantling limiting beliefs that no longer serve them. Although her average client earns a good income, many of them were not good money managers. After recognizing the common thread of lousy money management among her clients, Erica began to take a comprehensive approach by implementing practices to help them reset their mindset and then guiding them to restructure their money so that it works for them instead of them working for it. Her profound insight in helping families develop retirement and wealth-building strategies is a driving force in the company’s revenue exceedingly more than 8.5 million dollars in less than eighteen months. Earning her finance degree from Clark Atlanta University, this WOW Woman became enthusiastic about personal finance and wealth building after recognizing her degree did not automatically equate to success. Yes, her personal journey was less than smooth sailing even though she followed a lot of the traditional advice, such as

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going to college and getting a degree as her ticket to success.

need, and to boot, I did not have a job to pay for any of this stuff.

Erica says, “I realized that we are born into abundance, but programmed into lack.” She recounts how she did not grow up hearing many positive references when it came to the subject of money. Some of the common negative money beliefs she remembers hearing were never tell people your business, money does not grow on trees, and the infamous, “the love of money is the root of all evil.” “All the negativity about money doesn’t just come from family; it is in the fabric of society, and as children, we are absorbing all of these negative messages into our subconscious thinking, says Erica.”

I am the first person in my immediate family to earn a degree, and as proud as my family was, what nobody knew was; that as I was walking across the stage to accept my degree, something else was walking right along with me. Bad Credit!

Erica, can you tell us about your college experience? Erica: Well, I am the girl who listened to the adults around me. I went to college and got that degree, but nobody told me what to do with the money after I got it, and I am also the child who grew up hearing those negative things. In my sophomore year in college, they offered college students credit cards. I wanted a free mug or something like that, and that is how they lured me over to talk to them. So, I got this credit card; I got approved for something like a $2000.00 credit limit. Well, as I said in the beginning, I am that same woman, the young adult, who did not grow up hearing many positive things about money. No one ever taught me how to manage my money, and I did not have any money classes in school either. So, I got that credit card, and before I knew it, my spending got out of control; I bought a bunch of stuff that I did not

So, I am receiving this degree, but I am receiving it with less than desirable credit, and in the financial services industry, the first thing they do is request a copy of your credit report. So, although I had the degree, it took me a while to get a job because of my low credit scores. Erica, I hear this story repeatedly, and it is so sad. Can you tell us a little about the emotional impact this had on you? Erica: Yes! I really thought I was going to be happy once I graduated because I did everything my elders told me to do, but I was anything but happy. I eventually got a job, yet I was still that young adult with the negative money programming; the only difference is I had a degree to go with it. I did not possess the most important thing, and that was knowing how to be a good steward of the money I was bringing in. I was living on a financial roller coaster. I would make money, spend money, and the cycle was never-ending. So, in my early years, I was very depressed, overwhelmed, and just stressed when it came to money because I did not understand how to manage it. I was always robbing Peter to pay Paul. No young person should start their life in financial turmoil, but that is where I was.

teach us, how is one to learn?

WOW: I am sure many of our readers can relate to your story. Tell us how you were able to rebound and get to where you are today. Erica: Fast forward, I got a job working in the mortgage industry, and I was seeing young people in my age range making money moves, buying homes and things. I wanted to be like them, so I bought my first home at twentyseven, then I started buying investment properties. From there, I leaped and decided that I would own my own mortgage company, and I did that. I was soon a phenomenally successful African American female in a maledominated industry coming out the gate, making six figures in my first year, doing exceptionally well with investing in properties. Remember, we were born into abundance, but we were programmed into lack. So, although I was doing very well for myself, I still did not have the proper foundational mindset on how to be a good steward of money, and I was blindly ignorant. I did not have the appropriate knowledge to take the money and make it work for me because I did not know what I did not know. I was operating my business with DIY (do-it-yourself) financing, which most people do initially. People often try to use their limited knowledge to grow their business and money, not understanding they need a professional to help them navigate because, in most cases, they have little understanding of how it all works. So, in saying that, even though I came out the gate making excellent money and excelling in my industry, it all came to a halt by the third year, which is when the market crashed. So, what did you do after the market crash? Erica: I was not pretty at all. I had to file for bankruptcy and surrender some of my

So, what does the future look like for Erica Hill? What is your vision going forward?

properties. As a result, I labelled myself a failure because my identity was attached to things, and when those things were gone from me, I felt like I was a failure, and the bold, confident woman I once was, was no longer the person I saw when I looked in the mirror. I was depressed; I felt disempowered, sad, and worried. I was everything except for that confident, empowered woman. Once I realized that I was going through a mild state of depression, I started hiring various coaches and doing a lot of personal growth and development. The most rewarding part of the coaching was when the light bulb went off in me, and it finally clicked that I was not a failure, but I merely failed to perform…you talk about an “aha” moment! Up until then, I was attaching the word failure to my identity. All those past “failures” had me believing I was terrible with money, and that was a lie. The truth was, I did not have an abundance mindset; I never developed the skillset of abundance. Once I separated the failure to perform from me, Erica, it was then that my life began to skyrocket. Nobody is a failure; however, many have failed to perform financially due to a lack of financial education. If a person did not come from a household where their parents taught them the importance of money and how to structure it, and our schools did not

There is no more time for a reset; we cannot continue to pass down the poverty mindset from generation to generation? No more! My goal in life is to use my discovery as a motivation to make sure those lack conversations and programming end with this generation. Imagine what our world would look like if kids came out of the box, knowing their identity and authenticity. What if they knew that they live in an abundant universe, and when they take that mindset, coupled with the knowledge, where do you think this world would be? So, my goal is to teach a million women how to change the financial trajectory of generations to come, and it starts with each of us. I am resetting minds and changing generations. In the next five years, my vision is to develop a culture of women doing explosive things in the world and changing the next five generations to come, starting with them, and it all begins with reprogramming their minds and structuring their finances to serve them. I am also excited about authoring my most recent book entitled “Reset, Learn How to Grow Money and Build a Legacy,” available on Amazon. In the book, I break down some of the concepts that prevent people from building generational wealth, and I share strategies that the wealthy have been using for centuries to grow their money but are unknown to the average person. It has been a pleasure interviewing you Erica, now tell us how we can contact you. Erica: Thank you! The best way to contact me is through my website at www.erica-hill.com

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C H I E F

E X E C U T I V E

O F F I C E R

Melissa Boston

WAKANNA FOR LIFE

round-Breaker, Trailblazer, and Game-Changer are the words that come to mind when you think of Melissa Boston, CEO of WaKanna For Life, a Chicago-based Cannabis and CBD company. Bringing over thirty years of experience and knowledge in the sales and business development arena, this WOW Woman is disrupting the marketplace through her innovative leadership and marketing strategies. Melissa was instrumental in establishing two Cannabis/CBD startup companies, where her leadership led to explosive growth for both companies with direct oversight of ten employees and a multifaceted marketing and sales team. Her wisdom, wit, and marketing skills went to work as she and her team were able to redirect a company headed for imminent closure from eight thousand dollars a month in sales to over thirty-five thousand dollars a month in only thirty days. Over the next eighteen months, she grew the company’s sales by over twenty-four hundred percent, hitting a high six-figures of two-hundred thousand dollars for two consecutive months. More recently, this business powerhouse led the second company to a record $1.2 Million in sales within seven months by implementing her innovative marketing techniques. These techniques generated an astounding $392K for the company alone in one month. In addition to her extensive experience in the cannabis industry alone, Melissa has received MVP status for six of the eight companies she ever worked for full-time and has helped rapidly grow the sales and daily functioning of many businesses.

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One such business is a multi-billion-dollar international shipping company that hired her as an import-export specialist, but she was quickly promoted to a business development account representative and ultimately to Account Sales Manager. She increased the customer base, managed customer growth and attrition, and facilitated client presentations with an ability to efficiently close sales. Her work grew one account from $7M to $33M in annual sales. As CEO, Melissa leads operations and strategic direction of their enterprise, with full responsibility for all bottomline factors. She created the company’s website - vital to its success - which included writing all content and verifying that all information was FDA-compliant. Through her efforts and continued mentoring of the marketing team, they have maintained a strategic and active web presence since the company’s inception. Through her strategic insight and implementation, her team has diligently grown the company’s revenue to over three million dollars ($3,000,000.00) in sales as of November 2020.

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Currently, thirty-five states and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis-related products for medical use, of which sixteen have legalized the recreational use of marijuana as of April 2021. As more and more Americans accept the idea of legalizing marijuana across all lines, the growth of Wakanna For Life is unlimited in a space that is still underserved by women and women of color in particular. Gender and racial diversity in the Cannabis industry remains an uphill climb as the start-up costs can range anywhere from seven hundred thousand to open an existing retail store to more than twelve million dollars for a newly constructed cultivation space. From licensing, staffing, technology, taxes, and security systems to the facility, operational and legal compliance, the capital requirements are a steep investment to start, sustain, and scale the business long-term. Still, through Melissa’s creative marketing and strategic leadership, this WOW Woman is blazing the trail for many women to enter the lucrative Cannabis/CBD Market. She is undoubtedly a remarkable example to follow as she disrupts this market both as a woman and a woman of

color, breaking records in this highly caucasian, male-dominated industry. Of course cannabis has its positive and negative traits which is why included in her larger vision for the company, employee oversight and development, and regular interaction with the public; Melissa has been integral in creating a safe, effective, compliant scaffolding that could hold the company’s high-quality products. In this regard, she worked directly with labs on the homogenization of all products, secured independent Certificates of Analysis (COAs) on all products, and worked with pharmacists to implement product recall practices. Through her oversight of ensuring their products undergo rigorous testing, they have not had to undergo any product recalls. Melissa and her team have developed and implemented training that details product knowledge, friendly and efficient customer service, and compliance with federal and state regulations to further ensure public safety. They are also teaching about the entrepreneurial benefits of the cannabis business and offering opportunity to those who see this as a viable path to business ownership. She believes strongly in community involvement and has helped put together a CBD Education course and CBD Social Media training for the general public. In November 2019, her company was also responsible for paying rent for several seniors in the community facing eviction and homelessness. Through this new and promising opportunity, not only is Melissa forging an alternative path to health and wellness; she is also providing socio-economic benefits to a diverse generation of young men and women who do not fit into the mold of the traditional business systems of old. In her most recent role with an international company, she constantly raises awareness in others of what is possible. Leveraging her passion for public speaking and wellness products, she has established markets in over forty countries in just a few years, including Turkey, Ukraine, Singapore, and China, making her one of the primary faces of the company. Melissa’s powerful driving passion for wellness, community, and healing ultimately metamorphosed into a published book on general health for the human body. In her new book, she shares her extensive knowledge of plant medicines, diet and exercise routines, and mindfulness practices to coach the reader into living a more fulfilling lifestyle. As an international speaker on wellness and body nutrition, she brings her passion into all aspects of her own life and work and infuses her knowledge within her career in the cannabis industry.

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Speaker at Milken Institute Global Conference, Fast Company, Aspen Ideas Festival, Bermuda Women Entrepreneurship Summit, The Nantucket Project, 5th Element/Nobel Peace Prize Forum, United Nations, Ellevate, JPMorgan, BNY Mellon and SOCAP. 82

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Q U I C K

S C A N

Gayle Jennings-O’Byrne

GLOBAL VISION

ayle Jennings-O’Byrne is an African-American venture capitalist who is the Chief Investment Officer of Southbox Entertainment LLC and co-founder of the WOCstar Fund, an early stage investment fund that invests in tech companies led by women of color entrepreneurs (“WOCstars”) and diverse, inclusive teams. Gayle (pronounced: Gay-lä) takes a unique builder capital approach to scale and growing companies and projects to success. Named “10 Women Changing the Landscape of Leadership” by the New York Times, March 2021. Gayle was recently named one of 500+ Linkedin Influencers, a list that includes Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Arianna Huffington, and Mary Barra. She hosts VCs off the Record, a podcast for both entrepreneurs and investors that provides real talk by real investors. With over 30+ years of wall street, technology, philanthropy experience, she is unique in her global experience and knowledge and one among few AfricanAmerican women to start a venture capital firm. Mergers and Acquisitions banker at JPMorgan, including working on media deals such as Lions Gate Entertainment and Artisan Entertainment. Previously served as an advisory board member of the Ghetto Film School, led the capital/planning effort for the Cinema High School, and was instrumental in the funding and launch of a city-wide film and media curriculum for the New York City School District. She is a graduate of the Wharton School of Business, the University of Michigan, and an attendee of the National University of Singapore and City of London Polytechnic. She has traveled, studied, or worked in over 75+ countries. Recently appointed president of The Nantucket Project Academy. Board member of Women. NYC and BE NYC (Black Entrepreneurs), both based out of the New York City Department of Small Business Services and a Nazarian Social Innovator-in-Residence at Wharton Social Impact Initiative, and a Tribeca Disruptor Fellow. gayle@southbox.io +1-917-822-9991 www.southbox.io @gaylejenningsobyrne

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I help people pivot by making them realize that there are seasons to whatever they need to do.

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B U S I N E S S

O W N E R

Laquita Brooks

ANTICIPATING THE FUTURE

hen I hear the name “The Motivational Maven”, chills run through my spine, not in a way to gloat but as a surreal feeling of being able to overcome all the challenges in my life. From a humble Christian Background, as a little girl in Louisiana, the need to always be there for people had filled me even at that youthful age. I was always passionate about people; from doctrines from the bible, the ways I was raised, and the interactions I had with people, it was evident that life was all about helping others around you. As a young woman, I thrived off motivation with the travails of being a Black woman in school and other areas. Of course, you hear many Black women say that it was not easy fending off racism and juggling school work or their professional life. But for me, it was particularly hard as I was a teen mom. You know the feeling where it is hard to figure out what you want to do in a particular field, but you know you are supposed to be there. That was me; I relished being an entrepreneur; however, I did not even know what I would do with my life. I would sell candy and sweets in my school and even start making air just to earn more money. As much as breaking free from the shackles of poverty was the mission, I enjoyed seeing the smiles on people’s faces when I made their hair or sold them candy. I have always been fascinated by having multiple streams of income, the thrill of having different areas through which I could pull money from was lovely. So, I invested in many things, from, Hair Salon, to Real Estate to Coaching, Public speaking and a host of other businesses. For me, following the trend and anticipating the future was my motivation. I like to study the times and envision where things are going. Hence, taking action for me is a carefully thought-out process that involves a series of meetings with influencers in the fields to get the best results.

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As a visionary, I have seen many creative and talented individuals succumb to the pressure that they do not need to take on different things. The fear of not being able to manage responsibilities limits us as individuals. This is one of the reasons why I decided to coach people. To liberate them from terrible mindsets that set them back. I feel that with the right mindset, you can accomplish anything. Look at me today, a teen mom struggling to understand life to a 7 figure Real Estate investor, Mother, Wife and Mentor. How did I get started? Right from my early days in church, there was always an innate feeling to see people smile. I was great at coordinating and organizing people. It was just soothing to see other kids thrive, so it was no surprise how I quickly became a leader in the church. But aside from Church activities, growing up under the watchful eyes of my mother, she instilled in me an independent mindset. She would empower me to become a better version of myself even at a youthful age; bear in mind I still did not know what to do with my life, but I knew I wanted to work for myself. I knew I wanted to own businesses, which business? I had no idea, but the thrill of handling my affairs and making ends meet even at a young age felt so rewarding. So as a young school kid, I would go buy candies, sweets from the local store and sell them to the kids. I was the go-to candy girl in the school. I realized that after we had lunch in school, the kids would always want to munch on something. So, it dawned on me to invest my pocket money in buying sweets. From a few kids to half of the school knowing my name. I was still not satisfied; I did not want to be known only as the candy girl and so I started curling hair in my mother’s kitchen during the weekends. It was so exciting to be curing hair for $10 - $15 in my mum’s kitchen at a youthful age. I loved the independence it gave me, to be that industrious at a youthful age was something I took pride in. I am sure every woman, regardless of their color, can relate to the experience of being a mother. In the beginning, I

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was bewildered with so many emotions as to how my life will turn out. I mean, how was I supposed to manage being a mom, juggle with school and try to become someone in life. I was lost for a long time struggling with the constant reminder that I was a failure. But there was one thing that did not go to waste in my life even with the whole whirlwind of emotions, the enterprising spirit never died. As a young Black woman who had always had to find a way to fend for herself, even at a youthful age, it was all I knew. My passion for making hair propelled me to go into hair school, where I was able to master the rudiments of making hair. I enjoyed it but it was like there was something missing. I knew there was more to my life than making hair and so as the Universe normally orchestrates things, I got to know about stocks and real estate. I was fascinated by Real Estate, and I went to a school to hone my craft. Now, many people call me the Motivational Maven for many reasons, but I would like to point out one of those reasons. My ability to master distinct aspects of business in order to liberate people is what makes life so rewarding. The thought that you are crazy for doing many things never sat well with me; I wanted to master so much so I would never be stranded again in my life. Today, I thrive in different areas of life and want people to see that they can achieve even greater success with the right person or people behind them. How did I disaster proof my business? If anyone says that owning a business is easy, then it is for sure that they do not know half of what they are talking about. Starting and managing a business is one of the most hectic things to do as a human being and a woman. I get asked the question, how am I able to run multiple businesses. Aside from the norms of having a quality staff and being in the right niche, one of the essential factors of preserving your business is disaster proof. No one wants to be a victim of any kind of disaster, especially the one that affects the business. But you need to disaster proof your business to continue the legacy of your operations regardless of the outcome. So how was I able to disaster proof any business? I will show

you five ways I was able to do this. The first thing I did to disaster proof my business was get proper insurance. I am no prophet of doom, nor am I expecting a hurricane, flood, or fire to engulf your business. But in any eventuality of any of these happenings, it is expedient that you have the proper insurance that will help you bounce back. I have seen folks that have thriving businesses but since they did not have good insurance, they were not able to continue their legacy. Secondly, I was able to pivot into other areas to up-scale my business. So, what that meant was investing in Online sales, free shipping, free delivery to ensure that I have a rich customer base. The third thing was to ensure that there was more than one channel of communication between my business and the customer base. You need to provide different outlets through which your customers can reach you. Therefore, investing in quality customer relationship management through digital marketing, text messaging, and email integration software is key to saving your business. There are many forms of disaster that can occur in a business; one of them is going bankrupt. During the first wave of the pandemic, there were many companies that closed because they were not able to keep up with their operations. However, if you have multiple streams of income, you can easily find ways to salvage the situation when an economic meltdown happens. As a business owner, you should have multiple streams of income so that you can be free from any unexpected issues. Finally, having a business comes with unexpected situations that will require some amount of money. As a business owner, you should have some money stored somewhere in your reserves that can be labeled as emergency funds. This was one of the ways I was able to disaster proof my business. Helping Others to Pivot There is one thing I always tell people that I coach and others in general, your ability to thrive in life rests on how well you can change with the times. Imagine

someone still using the typewriter to send a message when there are Emails. It sounds absurd, but that is how being fixed to one spot can look ridiculous. But all my life, I was never afraid of pivoting, of changing with the times, and becoming a better version of myself. As I grew up, I realized that through my interaction with people, many feared pivoting. There are distinct reasons why people might be scared of pivoting. One of the major reasons that hampers people in changing with the times is the fact that they feel they should be doing so much more with their lives, but unfortunately, they do not know what to do. I need to put it out there; it took a long time to figure out what to do with much life, and even the successful people are constantly finding themselves as they go through life. So, it is okay to keep finding yourself; you do not have to be hard on yourself. Take your time to follow what you believe in. Another issue is when people follow what their parents want them to do. Many parents want to live their lives through their kids, so if they did not have the opportunity to play basketball, they would want their kids to do so even if their passion is being a musician. So, one of the ways I help people pivot is by making them understand why exactly they cannot move forward? Is there a fear that is stopping you? As much as I want to help people pivot in their business personally, they need to understand where they are going, so that translates into their business. Another way I help people pivot is by making them realize that there are seasons to whatever you need to do. The most important thing is gaining the knowledge and the application of the information you gathered at a particular time of your life. For me, I have been able to do different businesses, from having hair salons to running a logistics company to even managing an online store. I always understood that there are seasons that define your life, not all seasons will work out in your life, but that is okay. They all have a way of shaping you to become better. As a business owner or even anyone in general, understanding that the seasons

business, it could be a natural disaster, a death of a colleague, financial struggles or any other unexpected occurrence. One reason business crumble is that their owners do not have sufficient information on how to prepare their business when disaster comes. However, here are five tips you should know in disaster proofing your business. First, have good property insurance. I know that it might have been emphasized before, but there is nothing like being absolved of major incidents that have to do with the disfiguring of your building. No one wished for it, but you do not have to spend a huge amount of money trying to rebuild. match distinct aspects of you is one way of pivoting. The world will constantly tell you that you do not have a focus, that you are all over the place. But what if your definition of being scattered was exploration. I did not know what I was supposed to do for a long time, but I sure did explore. Now, I know what to do and what not to do for my business and life to excel. Also pivoting in life and business requires you to have the right coach that can motivate and put you on the right track. I had to find a coach that was able to align my creativity and channel my abilities into areas where I could excel. So, it is only normal to reciprocate the favor my coach did for me by helping others whom I knew were stuck in that same situation of being stuck. It is necessary to have someone in your corner to encourage you and let you know that you are not alone, that your dreams are valid, and that you can achieve what you want. As a business owner, you need to be forethinking, and knowing the distinct aspects of your life will help you find ways to break free from any issue relating to your business. Therefore, some companies are still standing even after the pandemic because they have incorporated latest ideas into their business that have helped them grow. 5 tips every business owner should know to disaster proof their business Disaster can come in any shape in a

Another tip that business owners need to have been figuring out the essence of the community. Remember that you are serving the people in a community. If there is an issue or a disaster that affects the community, you need to find ways to ensure that you are a brand that people can always rely on. Your brand image must resonate peace even in the storm through your services, communication, and products. Find ways to alleviate their problems easily. You can provide free shipping, discounted prices, and free coupons. Thirdly, you should always provide emotional support to your employees, clients, and everyone that is connected to your business. Check on your employees, provide better working conditions and ensure that there is a smooth work/life balance. Plus, the customers are major stakeholders, so you should check on them, send them messages on their special days and always make them feel great. Another way to disaster proof your business as a business owner is by creating strategies that will suit the season you are in. Whatever business climate you find yourself in, whether you are in the awareness stage or you are looking to convert the leads that you have. Different strategies must be employed to ensure that your goals and objectives are achieved. Finally, always have money in your reserves for any unexpected situation in your business. You need to keep some money aside so that you do not get stranded when the need arises.

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H O L I S T I C

W E L L N E S S

P R A C T I T I O N E R

Lynesa Williams

DISCUSSING HER SEAT AT THE TABLE Lynesa Williams comes from small and humble beginnings. Even though Lynesa was born in Long Branch, NJ, and spent much of her life living in Los Angeles, CA, New York City, NY, and Panama Canal overseas, she calls Murfreesboro, TN, her home. In December 2004, Lynesa L. Williams was at the height of her life - an 11-year married Mother-atHome with three beautiful children.

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However, by January 2008, she had lost it all – her husband, her home, and the life that she had grown so accustomed to. At that point, she knew she had to begin to search for a new life path that would satisfy her needs for both professional and personal growth. Lynesa knew it was time to discover her AUTHENTIC self and start Living LYNESA...Loving Yourself “NOW” Empowers Success Ahead. After two months of learning to stand in her Power and live her life in Full Voice, Lynesa took her newfound discovery of herself along with her past experience as a successful corporate executive and transitioned seamlessly into the multi-level marketing industry, where she quickly earned top honors as Rookie of the Year and Company MVP for her continued multi-million-dollar earning records with the company she represented. Lynesa is able to talk the talk because she has definitively walked the walk — a walk filled with pain, uncertainty, fear, and ultimately joy and blessings. She has been through what so many of us have been through instability, problems with our home life, children, partners, finances, and the stark and painful reality that somewhere along the line, she had somehow lost herself. Lynesa is an accomplished author of two published books - Take The Popcorn Out of Your Pancakes — A book that empowers Women to transition from Corporate America to become a Profitable Entrepreneurial Mother-at-Home. And The Eulogy. —A book that

teaches practical tips on how you can love yourself unconditionally and how you can cultivate and grow healthy relationships. But if asked, Lynesa would say that she is most proud of being the inspirational founder of “The BellaBody” — a Biblical Based nine (9) week weight loss program that transforms your Mindset regarding your relationship with yourself and unhealthy practices. See, where the Mind goes, the Body must follow. Lynesa is also the creator of “Releasing The BEE Within.” A program that will walk you step-by-step to reprogramming your MIND, BODY, and SOUL to master your strengths and eliminate your weakness and attract the Man of your DREAMS. With this program, you’ll not only transform your MIND by uprooting false beliefs regarding relationships, but you will also transform your BODY and SOUL into the beautiful being that God so desired for you to BEE for your soulmate. Lynesa is currently a proud mother of twin daughters, Jasmine and Jessica, one son, Stephen, and two beautiful granddaughters, Jimille and Jaselle. She is also a Regional Director for family own health and wellness business. To contact Lynesa please write: LivingLynesa@gmail.com or visit her website: www.LivingLynesa.com

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B E N

L A E L

Lael Caldwell

SUCCESS THROUGH NETWORKING

ael Caldwell is the Co-Founder of Ben & Lael, Inc. She began Ben & Lael with her husband, Ben Caldwell in 1998. Her career started as a trainee with the Bissell Companies, a commercial real estate development company responsible for developing millions of square feet of hotels, shopping centers and office buildings in Charlotte, NC. During her 10 years with the Bissell Companies, she was promoted to Vice President of Marketing. Throughout her time there, Lael developed proposals and negotiated contracts with Fortune 500 companies to move their headquarters or take residence in one of the Bissell Companies’ properties. She was featured in Business Properties and shared her insights as to how she achieved her success. After resigning from her position, Lael moved to Nashville to serve as a missionary in South Africa. While in training, she met Ben Caldwell and they married that year. Although Ben was working at Slingerland making guitars and drums, Lael encouraged him to take a year and work as an unpaid intern with Terry Talley, a worldrenowned metal smith. After one year of being mentored, they began Ben & Lael, Inc.

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Lael was very successful at networking yet wanted to create and teach a new strategy. Thus began Align, Define, and Achieve, a weekly networking meeting allowing CEO’s to share their story about their successes, failures and strategies. She also began a weekly meeting for medical professionals who were invited to share their stories of success and strategy to overcome adversity. During her three years of weekly meetings with Dr. Terry Smith and Dr. Bob Sturgeon, Lael was introduced to the practice of Neuro Linguistic Programming. She obtained her certification as a Master Practitioner in NLP through The Tad James Group; allowing her to begin her Executive Coaching Business where she trains and strategizes with CEO’s and their staff.

Since rejoining the business, Ben & Lael has been featured in Garden & Gun, Southern Home, Victoria Magazine, Cottage Journal and Nashville Arts Magazine. She created a master group of influencers and began working and training a new team. Lael began to focus on the selling of enamels and within 2 years had tripled their sales. The Haslam’s commissioned the Tennessee Leadership Award. Ben & Lael also reinvigorated the jewelry line with the help of talented staff. The jewelry is now being shown in stores across the country and is also carried at The Hermitage Gift Shop in Nashville.

Lael joined a direct selling company for two years. In two months, she became their number one new sales representative. She was featured in their national publication where she shared her success strategies.

Ben & Lael won the commission for Starbucks Reserve in Birmingham, Michigan to create etched copper panels for the interior, as well as the commission to create the Ellis Island Family Heritage Awards 2017. They received the commission to create the enameled flag for the Tennessee Leadership Award 2018 for Dolly Parton.

Ben asked Lael to realign full time in the Ben & Lael business in 2015. She left her position as Regional Director of Tradebank to fully invest her time in their business. She set forth her strategies to increase revenue and drive business through commissions.

Lael believes that the product is the human being. People connect to the human being first and your product second. Once you define who you are, align with the right people to inspire your dream, and you put forth the consistent effort to achieve, anything is possible.

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Strong, timeless, and one of a kind.

Ben & Lael enamel paintings and large flags have been featured in the Wachovia Center in NY and Vanderbilt Medical Center lobby in Nashville, TN and their hand made copper and silver serving pieces can be seen in stores all over the country.

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H E R

S T O R Y

Dr. Trina Brown

WALKING INTENTIONALLY

ho is Dr. Trina Brown, she is a twin and youngest of 10 children, also a coal miners’ granddaughter from small town in West Virginia. Dr. Brown has overcome several obstacles in life but through her determination, she was not giving up her dreams. As a single mother, Dr. Brown continued to move forward in make her dream a reality. “Unhealthy behavior. Hindered you from walking into your purpose.” Dr. Brown The one thing I can say is you have the power and the greatness within you to change your situation. Don’t let fear stop you from allowing your voice to be heard in the earth; use your voice to create a sound that would help someone else. In May of 2001 Dr. Brown started her own company, Second Opportunity Support Center SOSC mission was to educate and empowered the people in the community with second chance in life. In October 2008 Dr. Brown heard the cry of help from the people regarding their mortgage and saving their home. She restructured SOSC to start assist families in crisis with their mortgage. Since then, SOSC have saved and modified over 1500 homes across the United States. After praying and seeking the Lord Dr. Brown knew she need to do more regarding Educating & Empowering the people, so she wrote an e-book 10 Steps on Controlling Your Loan Modification.

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Don’t let unhealthy behavior hindered you from walking into your purpose.

In March 2008 Dr. Brown had a witty invention and move forward in getting it on the market. In September 2010 her invention was made public by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. When Dr. Brown, oldest sister Lennetta Mickey was diagnosed with Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) in 2004 her sister was diagnosed with dementia and pass away in 2017. Dr. Brown is the Founder/CEO of Neuro Pathic Trainers (Power and Greatness within the MIND). Dr. Brown is dedicated to educating and empowering people about Dementia disease and the financial impact on families and communities. During the COVID-19 pandemic Dr. Brown launched Data Civility LLC in May 2020. Data Civility is a company that focus on “Data Transparency bettering Humanity.” In November 2020 she received her Doctor of Philosophy in Humanities from United Graduate College and Seminary International. Dr. Brown is a God-fearing woman who trust the Lord. She is walking in her purpose under the authority that was given to her by the Father through His son Jesus Christ. Dr. Brown declares Isaiah 61:1 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek;

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He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;” She believes that what is impossible for man is possible with God - all we must do is trust His word. Dr. Brown is a #1 Best Seller Author, have served the Communities as an Advocate for Healthcare & Humanity for over 30 years, International Motivational Speaker, and Radio Host in over 180 countries, Mental and Health Lifestyle Coach, Mental Fitness Trainer, Inventor, Evangelist/Prophetess, Founder/ CEO Data Civility LLC (African American biomedical company) and Neuro Pathic Trainers Foundation, Inc. (Mental and Physical healthy lifestyle) a division of Dr. Trina Brown & Associates. Dr. Brown has been serving on numerous committees and ministered with various organizations. Dr. Brown mission is to educate and empower people about healthcare issues with dementia and financial impact on the families and communities. “Power and Greatness within the M.I.N.D.” Mental Improvement Negates Deterioration. Dr. Brown is a God-fearing woman who trust the Lord. Dr. Brown is a mother one son Fredrick Brown- Grant Jr. To learn more about Dr. Trina Brown please visit her websites: www.neuropathictrainers.com and www. datacivility.com.

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I am driven and defined only by the Ruler of the Godhead.

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Dr. BJ Douglass

WHO ARE YOU – I ASKED

he said, give me an opportunity to share my story and you will know, just who I am. I felt the excitement in the air as I settled in to hear this phenomenon Woman Of God tell me just who she is. Quite often, when asked that question, words fail the woman sitting before me because they have never looked within and truly found the answer to that question. Not so with Dr. BJ Douglass. I learned that she is a renowned singer, motivational speaker, composer, ordained minister, and mentor to many. Her CD “You Are My Hero,” featuring one of the most anointed versions of “The Lord’s Prayer” and “Freedom Song,” has inspired people around the world. Dr. BJ, referred to as the Quintessential Queen behind the scenes is a charismatic, determined, divine, Dunamis Woman who knows how to pray on purpose. People seek her prayers and say she has a direct line to God. Known as a quiet storm, her work always culminates with a bright ray of Sun prior to her stepping back and then, just letting it shine. I found this piece fascinating. She is not concerned about who gets credit, her focus is always on getting the job done. When the community in Oklahoma City was notified that the Frederick Douglass High School was slated to be torn down, BJ and her husband Frederick Douglass IV were very instrumental in encouraging the State and Local governments in Oklahoma City not to demolish the dilapidated High school. She was the driving voice that would not accept no from the local governments. Once it was decided that the school would be saved, the Alumni stepped up mightily and lead the charge to turn the school into a state of the arts high school with a college style campus. In the style of Dr. BJ Douglass, this sassy, classy, fearless woman wearing hats and gloves left town, and returned only for the ribbon cutting.

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There are scores of stories about this down to earth woman with an infectious smile whose fearlessness cannot be put in a box. BJ said, “I am driven and defined only by the Ruler of the Godhead.” Known as a Seer, BJ has been the motivator behind the scenes, breaking down barriers and quietly changing history. She is a philanthropist who supports people and programs from Africa to America. Wearing her daytime hat, she created Unlocking Doors, a program that generated more than 9,000 affordable housing units. She has instructed thousands of people throughout the nation at prestigious venues such as Princeton, Johns Hopkins, Rutgers and Hampton Universities, plus the Capital Speakers Club of Washington DC’s June Joint. After speaking in South Africa, BJ was invited to the Mandela foundation. She loves to help others, treating everyone fairly, showing kindness in small things and never thinking she is above anyone. Her powerful, melodious voice both speaking and in song heals hearts and changes minds. Dr. BJ Douglass is married to Frederick Douglass, IV, Mother of two children and Grandmother of five. I decided to dig deeper: What has been your driving force in life? Saving the children! Honoring the ancestors; Defeating Fascist Ignorance. Learning and loving drives me to climb and set a stage for my Children and Grandchildren to excel in life. Do you have a mentor[s] or ever had a mentor? My Mother, Lee Perl was a real pearl and my greatest mentor. She taught me how to be strong. Raised me in the oven, so,when it gets hot in the kitchen, I can always stand the heat. She taught me to keep my chin high and my standards higher. Congressman John Lewis taught me to fear anything yet be kind to everyone and stay true to embracing “good trouble.” Reverend CT Vivian taught me to be bold with grace. Dorothy Height taught me to honor the dignity of every person, and never stoop to gossiping. John Wilks taught me how to be effective in any circle and never be afraid to use power. He said “lead, follow or get the hell out of the way”. Mother Hattie Daniels taught me what can be done through hard work, God and humility. Coretta Scott King was also a quiet storm, I just wanted to be just like her. Odessa Smith, taught me how to pray on purpose. Who or what keeps you going? Prayer keeps me going! Knowing for sure, God loves me, and always has my back. Love for my family! My determination to stand tall in my own space, knowing the higher the barrier, the taller I become. The drive

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to leave a legacy, touch people’s lives, and affect change to make the world a better place. My ability to take the bricks thrown at me, build a bridge with them and get over it. What has been your biggest hurdle or obstacle in life and how did you overcome it? My biggest hurdle was getting over the death of my Mother and the major family squabbles her death created. The shock of knowing that the people I thought loved me and those who I thought loved each other really did not. They only loved the things that they inherited because of our Queen’s death. I never knew my strength until being strong was my only choice. My life was changed forever, when I watched two biological sisters who were also sorority sisters kick each other when they were down and capitalizing off each other’s weaknesses. Life is an uncertain roller coaster. We must choose to embrace it and enjoy the ride; or sulk in it and derail your dreams. This roller coaster of life taught me not to rebel against all of life’s challenges, but to trust God and learn from every moment of the journey. I decided to pull myself up embrace the challenges and never allow myself to be a victim. So, I chose love, dismissed evil and prayed that God would remove the pain and hatred in the hearts of others. Love allowed me to smile, and never block my blessings. If you had the opportunity to give advice to your younger self, what would it be? Learn and read as much as you can. Pay Attention at all times. Know, that anyone who deliberately tries to hurt you, wants to be you. Believe in yourself ! Know that no one can stop you but you. Embrace your gifts and do not let anyone suppress your shine. What others think of you is none of your business, so do not worry about what they think or care about their lies, just shine. Ignore bullies and never let them see you sweat. Every time you accomplish something, find a way to do it better the next time. Always be trustworthy. Know for sure that Racism is the ultimate manifestation of fear and ignorance. How has the pandemic affected you and your family and how did you cope with this national crisis? The Pandemic had a positive effect on my family because it made us appreciate each other even more. We all became more protective of each other and always worked as a team. We enjoyed fixing lunches and giving them to students who relied on school for their meals. Our Daughter, Melani Douglass, who is at the vanguard of leadership in the Art world, a single parent juggling work, and raising her daughter, still

managed to check on us regularly. We got through the crisis with gratitude. The pandemic taught us to never take life for granted. Live each day like it was your last because it just might be. It taught us to stay focused. Fred and I coped through loving, giving, dancing, and praising. What would you like to change in the world? I would love to transform fear by turning it into faith. Manage humanity between the races. Turn Inner City and rural schools into state-of-the-art facilities and make mental health care a priority in America. Encourage everyone to live by James Baldwin’s quote, “Hatred which could destroy so much, never failed to destroy the one who hated, and this is an immutable law.” Why do you feel it’s important for women to tell their story? Women should always tell their stories, because we are the strength in our families and the wind beneath the wings of our men. Women are taken for granted and all too often, we are the most misunderstood creatures on earth. Women are taught not to seem capable, because we will be accused of bragging. We must love who we are, enjoy our sassy and embrace our sexy. We must tell our stories! Anna Murray Douglass never told her story and that highly intelligent woman was shamefully called illiterate in history books. When women are naturally friendly and charismatic, we are accused of being flirty. When we are private people, we are accused of being stuck-up. If we are not afraid to talk, we are accused of being loquacious, and aggressive. When women are quiet, we are accused of being weak, vulnerable, and shy. Our men and our children are usually our story, the story tellers and we are a footnote, the helpmate, first-lady, and God knows what else. Women must be determined to stand in our own square, tell their story and be the same blessing we have been to others to ourselves. Women can only win when we tell our

stories and embrace the stories of other Women. We cannot love other women until we love ourselves. Men pit us against each other for their own progress and purposes, by invoking competition on a regular basis. We must also learn to tell our stories to God aloud, so we can hear it and learn to embrace ourselves through, the good, the bad and the embarrassing. What does real wealth mean to you? The operative word is real. Real wealth is not about money; it is the ability to live life on your own terms. Being free to focus on things that matter, changing the world, helping others, and giving back. True wealth is seeking deeper relationships and positive personal growth. Being yourself and embracing it. Finding a silver-lining in every cloud. Pleasing yourself and God. When you know that you have to live with yourself and so, you must be fit for yourself to know is wealth. Although financial wealth is definitely an attainable goal when you press on, the ultimate wealth is manifested through good health, compounded with the love of friends and family. That is real wealth and real joy. Is there anything else you would like the W.O.W readers to know about? In spite of the lack of appreciation we have received in America, I am determined to save our Democracy in order to save our children. I am determined to defeat ignorance, with hard-work and perseverance. I know, we are the people who made it out of chains; the disappointing revocation of reconstruction; Jim Crow; Black laws: rape; beatings; etc, etc, etc. No one can stop us. I am fearless! We did not just land on Plymouth Rock, so we need to stop being shocked; stop analyzing evil; be motivated to be proactive and beat evil in its own games to save our children. We must save the children! I conclude this interview with “May God continue to bless this storyteller and her family.” If you would like to follow up with this dynamic lady please reach her at b100j99@aol.com.

Hatred which could destroy so much, never failed to destroy the one who hated, and this is an immutable law. JAMES BALDWIN

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Dr. Sandrie Serrano-Bermudez

ADVANCING KINGDOM POWER

had the privilege of attending an event in Vineland, NJ where a phenomenal woman Dr. Sandrie Serrano-Bermudez, a blessed Entrepreneur | Mentor/Life Coach | Global Public Speaker |Wife of the former Mayor of Vineland, New Jersey | Chancellor and Author are intentionally laser focused and hard at work. Gliding from room to room, with poise and grace, Dr. Bermudez reviews the program that she and her team have carefully ordered. The seminars and VIP luncheon are filled, and looking at the audience, one gets the sense that this event has been crafted with the people in mind. Conference attendees have clearly come out to support their favorite artists, but they have also come with an expectancy and ready for a move of God. As she prepares to take the stage, I realize that I am in awe of her passion and cannot wait to hear what she is getting ready to say to the masses. Full of energy and enthusiasm, she delivers a message with power and humility. “Are you ready to See Beyond?” she asks the crowd. “I believe so much in all of you…I and my team have been praying for ALL of you to receive what God has in store for you today!” It was such a blessing to have met her. So, let’s get started with HER STORY.

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Though we are many we are one.

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Who is Dr. Sandrie Serrano-Bermudez? I am glad you asked! First, let me say this. She is an inspirational woman with great wisdom & wit. A Resident of the beautiful city of Vineland, New Jersey, Dr. Sandrie Serrano Bermudez is the former First Lady and is married to former Mayor and entrepreneur; The Honorable Ruben Bermudez elected in 2004-2016. She has served for more than 40 years in the corporate, government & lecture circuit where her focus has been on leadership development, personal growth, global operations management & Global Influencer Strategist & International Protocol She is also the overseer of the Hands Fellowships, CEO of the Hand Foundation, NJ, and an Executive Director of the John Maxwell Team as an effective, inspirational, and influential speaker. Whether in the public or private sector, her teaching style is engaging, professionally researched, pertinent to her audience, entertaining, distinguished, and distinct. Her style is “big, broad and animated.” She leaves her audiences hungry for more with an unforgettable experience. She teaches and equips individuals on a local and global stage via her rich life experiences and through a myriad of entrepreneurial platforms, which include but are not limited to: Sandrie Global Media, Sandrie Global Ministries, and Global Government Leadership Institute. With vast experience working in entertainment and media, Dr. Serrano Bermudez is working in partnership with Wave Network and

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protégé Michelle Bonilla as an executive producer for “iDesign”—an unscripted reality TV show merging the worlds of the high fashion runways and the heartlands of social injustices on a global scale. Equipping Families Worldwide Since 1978 Dr. Serrano-Bermudez has been serving God since 1978, equipping families, from the neighborhoods to the Nations. “I believe in creating an environment where everyone feels accepted, challenged, supported, and affirmed…it is at the core of who I am and part of my kingdom work” says Bermudez. As I looked at her and listened to her, I remember thinking, “What a powerhouse! What a leader!” –A true scholarly intellectual and motivational force called and sent to the Nations. In authoring this article about her, certain words came to my mind as I attempted to describe Dr. Sandrie Serrano Bermudez: She is an enthusiastic visionary, entrepreneur, mentor, life coach, destiny helper, and philanthropist. She is intentionally laser focused while on her mission to transform lives one family at a time. Helping others achieve their dreams and the greatness within themselves is at the heart of her core values. Honors & Awards Bermudez has received many honors including the following: The Rosa Parks Award (2016), United to Serve America Diamond Award for effective

leadership and outstanding service in Washington, D.C. One of the fifty top influential Latina Business Women in the United States by “El Diario La Prensa” (A Spanish Newspaper in New York City). She has represented Youth Entertainment Studios (YES) at a Global Level and served on the Collin Powell Youth Summit to name a few. One would expect that with her many accomplishments, she might be ready to slow down, right? It is exactly the opposite! Stay tuned for more from this dynamic woman of power, influence, and faith. Dr. Serrano Bermudez is just starting to warm up! She has currently released her devotional book “The Power of One Moment.” In her own words: This book is a unique journal that serves as a creative and engaging way to experience the power of many words, moments, and insights from my heart to yours. These are stories from my personal journey that I hope will inspire you to create your very own personal thoughts, ideas, and lists so that you too can set your sights high and SEE Beyond. So Where Does She Go From Here? For anyone who knows Dr. Serrano Bermudez, she not only SEES beyond but she is ready to FLY beyond, staying intentionally laser focused and careful to promote a global vision with a local view from the neighborhoods to the nations. A phrase that sums up her passion and captures her heart, Dr. Serrano Bermudez is often quoted saying “Though we are many we are one” which speaks to her relentless commitment to building families, churches, and communities always at home and abroad. When asked about some of the most memorable events that she has hosted, Dr. Bermudez says: “I am proud of our Tasha Cobbs Concert where we hosted well over one thousand people. We had the privilege of hosting RealTalkKim—from Atlanta, GA.—which was also an incredible experience.” These events were created in partnership with Jarivette Andujar Swope, and Dr. Lauretta Pierce (a.k.a. the

Cookie Lady). We also featured speakers such as Prophetess Sister Perri Reid, (formerly known as Pebbles), Pastor. Jr Serrano, Dr. Lei Lewis (yours truly) with Women Of Wealth Magazine and recording artists Raul Sanchez and Michelle Bonilla. Though most of the world has been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Serrano-Bermudez has remained consistent and adapted to create virtual and in-person experiences where most recently, she hosted the Global Legendary Legacy Leadership Awards. This year’s recipients of the You Surpass them All award included Global-Mogul-Influencer-CEO Tomeka Holyfield, Global-Music Icon-Actress Angie Stone, and Nathanial Torres, Esq. also the recipient of a Hispanic Choice Award. In addition to launching special projects, she is very proud of the community support the Hand Foundation has been able to provide vulnerable families during the continuing COVID crisis - where critical aid has been provided to 388 churches and 62 families have been financially adopted.. We leave you with this final piece of exciting news - A recent highlight for Dr. Serrano-Bermudez includes the launch of her own television show Sandrie & Friends - a talk show that features a multi-generational panel, discussing faith-based content, fashion, the arts, leadership, entertainment news, and additional “Hot Topics”. Conversation segments include interviews with prominent figures, celebrities, ministers, CEOs, entrepreneurs, and others. Tune in to Sandrie & Friends on the Dominion TV network: http://www. dominion.tv every Sunday at 6pm, Wednesday at 2:30am, Thursday at 8:30pm, and Friday 8:00am EST. For more information on where to connect with Dr. Sandrie Serrano-Bermudez or to find more regarding her many entrepreneurial endeavors and special projects please visit: handfoundationnj.com or e-mail: Handfoundationnj@gmail.com

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“Brandy” O’Neal

THE RENAISSANCE WOMAN

istory is painted with the accomplishments of women who have made great contributions to our society. There are simply too many to name in this article without the risk of missing the names of some of the most accomplished women who ever lived. Many of them were born into great families and yet many others had to find their way through the challenges of life, which often made them tire of the politics, stresses, and often closed doors that society often offered them. Even as I write this article, I think of Judge, Ketanji Brown Jackson, the newly nominated supreme court justice by President Joe Biden, who has managed to earn two degrees from Harvard University, and if confirmed she will be the first black woman on the nation’s highest court system. Women have come a long way and we shall continue to make our mark in society. Thousands of women join the ranks of those who have reached heights in life that rival the accomplishments of those who often felt that they were not capable of doing much more than the average person.

Women we salute you and say, “Thank You,” for giving us hope and inspiration. For you are the “Renaissance Women.”

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In my book of poetry, I describe what I believe is a befitting name for women who reach heights unknown and accomplish things that take patience, courage, and hard work. Some call her a Super Woman, I call her (as the poem is so aptly entitled) Renaissance Woman. She is bold and beautiful, strong and mighty. She is the kind of woman that walks into a room and gains attention for her energy that greets the people before her outer beauty, energy that changes the hearts and attitudes of many who observe her presence. She never has to speak because her presence speaks volumes for her. She has learned to be grateful for those things in life that money cannot buy. She is proud to be a mother or to simply be the daughter of a mother who in some way helped to shape her into the woman that she is. She is willing to plant her seeds for greatness in life and every day she spends time toiling the soil and nurturing that seed until it blossomed. She understands that the weeds may try to grow and choke the life from the seed, but her determination makes us keep moving forward even when she may feel like giving up. Her spiritual walk is intact and her God watches over her to ensure that she continues and never gives up. Today I pay tribute to you, the Renaissance Woman of our day. It is your effort toward change and the bettering of our world that has helped shape those

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places where we can see advancement. We clearly understand that we have a long way to go, but we take a moment just to pause and say thank you for your unselfish efforts and never-ending strides toward a better world that continue to lead us to “ keep the faith and hope alive.” Today, I salute you for being courageous and for being able to carry the torch once carried by women who have passed on to the other side, It is you dear lady, that brings hope and inspiration for women to come and we shall remember your contributions, efforts, and accomplishment as we experience a better world. You are the Renaissance woman, that woman who knows much and who uses that knowledge to pave the way for others, You are that woman who has acquired profound knowledge in many areas and who has set the pace for others to follow. You are that woman who has proved to the world that dreams do come true and goals can be reached. You are “that” woman and we salute you today and always and we say “Thank You,” for giving us hope and inspiration. You are the “Renaissance Women.” Footnote: You can read the inspiration for this article The Arrival in my next book The Soul Tears The Second Journey coming soon on Amazon.com. The Souls Tears The First Journey is available on Amazon.com and lifepublushing.com

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In America, all you need is Jesus Christ and a library card.

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Julie A. Gibson

LIVING LIFE WITH PURPOSE

hen Julie A. Gibson talks about financial literacy, economic empowerment, and the need for people of color to close the wealth gap, she not only speaks as a scholar but as someone who has also lived the experience. From humble beginnings, Julie’s grandparents were Mississippi sharecroppers. Her single mother raised five kids on welfare in government housing outside of Chicago, Illinois. She was the first person in her entire extended family to graduate from college. So how does one go from being the granddaughter of Mississippi sharecroppers to working in the highest levels of finance on Wall Street and graduating from Harvard University, I asked? “In America, all you need is Jesus Christ and a library card.” She elaborates on how one act of kindness changed the trajectory of her life. It was one day after school when she was around ten years old. She was at the public library where she went regularly after school just to hang out because it was clean, quiet, and orderly, unlike the chaotic ghetto she eventually had to return home to each day. On this day, the old, mean, steely blue-eyed librarian asked her to step outside the building. At first Julie thought the lady was kicking her out of the place. That lady didn’t suffer fools nor allow any ruckus in ‘her library.’ But no, the librarian asked her to read the name of the person stenciled on the face of the building. Young Julie sounded out the name, “Andrew Carnegie.” The librarian then asked her why his name was on the building. Julie made an educated guess and asked, “Is he the mayor or something?” The librarian said, “No, he is not the mayor. I see you coming here every day just wandering around aimlessly. I want you to find out why Andrew Carnegie’s name is on this building and report back to me.” The librarian, having just gauged that Julie could read, gave Julie her first research assignment. After a couple of days, Julie excitedly turned in her report. It turned out that Andrew Carnegie’s name was on the building because as a philanthropist, Carnegie donated the money to build that library as he had done for most public libraries in America in the late 1890s. WOW Magazine

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Like Julie, Carnegie had grown up poor. As a kid he worked around the house doing chores for a wealthy General. The General would pay him a nickel a day. But the biggest reward was letting young Carnegie read books in the General’s expansive private library after all the chores were completed. Those books helped develop Carnegie’s young mind and he later became one of the wealthiest industrialists in America. He remembered how important reading was and decided to build public libraries with his wealth. He famously said, “The public library is the poor man’s university.” Like Carnegie, Julie read and read all her way to a Harvard education. The public library was the place where Julie started her journey and learned a big word for a ten-year-old from the ghetto: “philanthropy.” At Harvard, Julie’s research centered on questions involving the relationship between Democracy and Income Inequality, and how philanthropy might fill the gaps. She wanted to know why Black people in the US and South Africa tended to stay at the bottom economically. She focused on two questions: (1) Are people of color steered toward political participation at the expense of economic empowerment? And

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(2) If so, will income inequality cause Black people to lose faith in politics and democracy. In her work looking at the history of the NAACP in the United States and the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa, she did indeed find that those organizations were focused on Black voting rights in presidential elections at the expense of more tangible economic development efforts. For example, a speech by a NAACP Regional Director in the 1970s articulated the mindset of the NAACP at the time with respect to Black capitalism and democracy. The director said: “Black capitalism will not help the Black worker — the Black worker has an enormously significant political role to play. We must continually point out that the source funds for a genuine war on poverty lies in Washington and that liberal thinking men are to be elected to national office. Black people must vote.” Efforts to broaden access to capital for Black business ownership and entrepreneurship were consistently shot down by these organizations as they focused primarily on voting rights. The reason Julie chose to look at the United States and South Africa is because those two countries share similar racial and economic histories. Their histories included

the use of slave or migrant labor to secure rapid accumulation of wealth for a small subset of the population. In the US, slave labor built tremendous wealth in the South and in Northern industries involved in textile exports. In South Africa, Black low wage mining labor built the fortunes of names like Cecil Rhodes, the Rothschilds and the Oppenheimers, families whose extreme wealth exists to this day. Although poor Black people challenged the status quo with the civil rights movement in the US and the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, political participation rose in tandem with extreme economic inequality. Systemic racial oppression and economic injustice persist to this day. It is called racial capitalism. When asked about Reparative Philanthropy, Julie states, I want a deeper reckoning with racial capitalism in America. Racial capitalism points to the fact that the large wealth gap in America between Black people and Whites is a direct result of the inseparable interlock of racial domination through cheap or free Black labor. It involves the notion that White capital accumulation was fundamentally driven by violence and coercion against Black labor. As a result, Julie agrees with those calling for reparations. In her

About Julie Julie A. Gibson became knowledgeable in High Finance with the intent of helping those in her community close the knowledge gap in financial literacy. She started her career as an internal auditor in the Capital Markets industry and went on to support clients’ Derivatives activities on Wall Street and the City of London. Julie later became the youngest Vice President and interim CFO of international banking conglomerate ABN AMRO’s Chicago based Capital Markets operation. When Julie and her family relocated to Tampa, Florida she joined Merrill Lynch as the sole Black female investment advisor in the office. She later joined Metlife, managing their mortgage-backed securities accounting operations and was selected to travel to New Delhi, India to direct talent and migrate those operations offshore.

book, Daughters of the Diaspora Get Ready, she says: “American descendants of slavery are due reparations for the forced slave labor of their ancestors, and the African continent is due reparations for the theft of human capital that left its shores.” But, She says, we are past the stage of ‘40 acres and a mule’. America must address social ills, mental and physical health disparities, education, and income inequality gaps. In her research, Julie recommends a comprehensive approach involving Reparative Philanthropy. This supports the idea that capital can be deployed through philanthropic foundations to address social failures such as political and economic inequality. The reparative component in philanthropy comes into play by acknowledging that harm has been done to a specific segment of society and that the philanthropy should be targeted and aimed at restoration. She believes that wealthy philanthropists can play a pivotal role in rectifying and counter-balancing the impact of racial capitalism. Wealthy foundations should be incentivized to tackle reparative justice issues as they donate monies to help remedy the worst off who are impacted by an unjust system. Philanthropic programs could target marginalized groups for entrepreneurial training, financial literacy, business capital, and subcontracts with large multinational corporations. These measures can help close income gaps and provide an economic footing for future generations.

Most recently, Julie has focused on commercial real estate (CRE). As a licensed realtor, and with her extensive finance background, she enjoys helping CRE clients build generational wealth through various asset classes and sectors including multifamily, warehouses, nonprofit institutions, and affordable housing. In addition to CRE, Julie has honed her entrepreneurial and creative talents as a speaker, author, and publisher of inspirational and selfhelp books. She is the author of four non-fiction books, all available at Amazon:

For her part, Julie sees herself as a “truth teller,” continuing to advocate for remedies against racial capitalism and injustice. She advocates from an informed perspective having worked in the Capital Markets industry for twenty years spanning multiple disciplines including: brokerage, banking, derivatives, foreign exchange, compliance, and accounting. She sees the difference financial literacy can make in the community as she teaches young people financial fundamentals.

Julie enjoys her equally important roles as wife and mother. She has been married to Dr. Albert Kabemba for thirty years. They reside in Thonotosassa, Florida and have one son, Uriah Kabemba who is an aspiring film director.

• Daughters of the Diaspora Get Ready • Iraq the Graveyard of Empires • Power Prayers for Kingdom Dominion • Urban Monks and Mystics

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I N T E R V I E W

Michelle Reese-Wiseman

BOLD, INTELLIGENT AND FEARLESS written by Shivonne Stellar

e were challenged to write such an article as the one below but knew there was such a need for this type of knowledge to be shared. Michelle Wiseman came well recommended to us. We did indeed find her to be very engaging, beautiful and so knowledgeable about her industry. Wiseman is the owner and principal mortician of Wiseman Funeral Home & Chapel located in Clinton Maryland and the recently established Wiseman Funeral in Camp Springs, Maryland. We knew this article would be very timely and comforting given the space the world finds itself in. Power exuded from Wiseman as she walked towards me to participate in a pre-interview conversation. I was extremely impressed and fascinated with this woman as I intently listened to her as she boldly discussed her industry. I gleaned from the conversation that mentoring, educating and caring for her community was a passion of hers. I concluded the conversation with understanding that Michelle Wiseman is a woman that easily walks with power, purpose and influence. My subsequent interview with Wiseman proved my point.

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I asked, what in the world is a beautiful young lady like you doing in this business? How did this happen? Wiseman: I think the thought of women morticians have always given people pause for thought. This profession has historically been a male dominated industry. Women started to really dominated in the 21 century. We are here to stay. Is this a family business? Wiseman: Yes, I am the first person in my family to graduate from mortuary college and open a funeral home. I graduated from The University of the District of Columbia in 2007. I opened the business in 2008. My parents and sisters are all very instrumental in helping to run the day to day operations. My mother is head administrator, my father is the hearse & limousine driver. My sisters Monique is HR, Marline is the chapel clergy and Monica

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sometimes helps out with catering. I have been fortunate enough to employ other great staff members however it is largely family business. We as a people tend to look at what you do from one aspect. But in my conversation with you, I learned there is more to it than just helping someone to rest in peace, so let us talk about the living. We talked about some things you have had to deal with such as human trafficking. We talked about how prevalent the theft of organs is. This part of the conversation led me to how you empower people in your community.

Wiseman: The death care industry is very unique & requires a specific skill set. Morticians are certainly empathetic & sympathetic to families who have experienced loss. However, the general public isn’t aware of one of the largest responsibilities morticians have. We are responsible for containing potential public safty hazards. Human remains are dangerous. They are often riddled with disease, airboure and blood-bourne pathogens. We must protect the public. Funeral homes are federally regulated by OHSA and must meet their stadards in order to legally operate. Additionally, every state has it’s own governing body. One of the concerns I have right now as the owner of a funeral establishment is the increase in black market tissue & organ harvesting. As morticians we must be vilgilant inspectors of human remains that enter our facilities. Black market organ harvesting is especially dangerous because of it’s potentail to spread disease.

So, people will buy someone’s organ and they do not know the health risks involved in buying that. Wiseman: I speak often with community associations, churches and social groups. I always encourage them to preplan, to get warm and fuzzy with their mortician. If someone passes in middle of the night, you don’t know who’s coming to get your loved one if you haven’t maintained a relationship with your local mortician. So upon leaving your home or leaving your loved one’s home on the way to the morgue, they have what is called chop houses. Before they get to where they’re going, they’ll stop off and take a heart or a liver or some blood or some tissue or some bone, anything they can do to salvage, to save a life. This is an extremely dangerous crime. And you said there is a lot of missing black women? Wiseman: Yes. The Washington

Metropalitian area is begininng to show signs of this epidemic. Black people are missing. Some have fallen victim to sex trafficking while others have met the ill fate of black-market organ & tissue harvesting. Human organs are big ticket item on the black market. Do you motivate and mentor women, young girls in other areas than the one that you work in? Wiseman: Absolutely. I love being a mentor; giving away the professional gift that was given to me. Watching a young apprentice grow into a confident mortician and fly on its own is extremely rewarding to me. Wonderful. Now obviously our community needs much education about what we talked about previously, pre-planning because we absolutely do not do that. So how do you get the community to be more responsive to the pre-planning?

Wiseman: I think it is most effective when you come in from an educational point. You must educate the community and let them know that if you leave this earth and the business is undone, the government will seize the property. So it’s a matter of educating. You have to promote their curiosity to the point where they feel motivated to act because they’re empowered with knowledge. Secondly you pretty much ask them to leave a love letter for their family. Pre-Planning, it is just basically a love letter letting your family know where to find their business once they are gone, how they like to be remembered, how they would like to be celebrated their likes and their dislikes. Moving on to the next subject. I asked her, what do you think of the political climate? Wiseman: Politically there is good & bad in every party. I don’t swing to far left or right either way. However, I have noticed no

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matter who’s in office the plight of the black race remains largely the same. I believe if we opened our own business, support our own, kept funds in our own community we might be better off. My sentiments entirely. Any final thoughts? Wiseman: I would like to encourage our youth along a path that leads to financial independence, wealth and entrepreneurship. The business of mortuary science possess all three of the aforementioned qualities. It is a solid business with deep historical roots. If managed correctly will certainly lead to

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generational wealth. It is grown through the dispensing of great service and is extremly rewarding. There is no greater calling!

Wonderful. Thank you so much Michelle Wiseman for this interview. I appreciate you.

Awesome. Do you consider yourself a philanthropist?

That concludes my interview but thought I would add a little more about the woman of power and influence.

Wiseman: Absolutely. In every way and any time, I can. If someone wants to reach out to you where would they contact, you? Wiseman: Via email, michelle@ wisemanfuneralhome.net. Or they can reach me on our office line at (301) 899-2005.

“She is the co-author of the Amazon bestselling book, Permission to Win. It is compiled of some of the most powerful advice, offered to those young women who will come after us. This copulation is from strong and successfully women who are winners in their fields. The word tool given to young women is a kind of a “heads-up”,

Serving you professionally with the utmost respect.

in the business world and life in general. It encourages them to be tenacious. And it promotes health not only the body, but also in the mind, and the spirited. Wiseman holds a Degree of Applied Science, in the field of Mortuary Science, from the University of the District of Columbia and is an avid speaker. Mrs. Wiseman

also sits on the Advisory Board of Academics for the University of The District of Columbia and has also been certified as a Pre-Need Funeral Counselor by the National Funeral Directors Association. She is a member the National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association. She is an accomplished licensed Master Barber who

uses this skill to donate her time grooming men, who are homeless or in nursing and senior care facilities.” A true philanthropist. Michelle Wiseman has been married to Lt. Colonel Dewey R. Wiseman Sr, for 20 years & they reside in the beautiful town of Bowie, located in Prince Georges County, Maryland.

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Articles inside

Michelle Reese-Wiseman

Julie A. Gibson

Brandy O’Neal

Dr. Sandrie Serrano-Bermudez

Dr. BJ Douglass

Dr. Trina Brown

Lael Caldwell

Laquita Brooks

Lynesa Williams

Gayle Jennings-O’Byrne

Melissa Boston

Gloria S. Riley

Erica Hill

Neshella R. Jones-Mitchell

Dr. Deirdre Marie Manley

Maggie Bellevue

Jan Goss

Dr. Hattie N. Washington

Krystal Henry

Dr. Jacquelyn Hadnot

Dr. Sonya R. Hamm

Shanay Dudley

Dr. Shirley K. Clark

Dr. Cheryl Jackson

Shondalon

Dr. Ellawese Smith

Dr. Reneé Starlynn Allen

Dr. Carolyn Love

Bershan Shaw

Dr. Lei Lewis