Speak Woman Magazine - Winter 2018 Issue

Editor’sNote

New Year, New Perspective

As we embark upon this New Year it is easy to get caught up in the usual “New Year Resolution” cycle that usually ends in quick defeat. This issue of Speak Woman offers motivation to create a New Perspective in 2018. Instead of taking inventory of our downfalls let us first celebrate all that is good and right in our lives.

This issue features articles & interviews to motivate you to create goals that move you beyond where you are to where you are destined to be!!!

Be Blessed,

Shanda Campbell, Founder of Speak Woman

Speak Woman was created with a simple mission; to uplift & spotlight the positivity in EVERY woman!

We strive to be a vessel of information for our readers.

Trademark Property of Speak Woman Magazine, LLC

Founder/Editor-At-Large La’Shanda Campbell

Publisher

Speak Woman Magazine, LLC

Speak Woman welcomes submissions. For advertising information visit speakwomanmagazine.com

“Empowerment, for me, is defined as the ability to help women find their Unique Voice. In a society that has been trained to follow the next best thing, we have lost sight of the power within our own Voice. The power our Voice has in education, entrepreneurship, family structure, and media has been downplayed as insignificant.

How do we reclaim our power and reinstate the strength within our own words? Through the empowerment of women and children!”

Altovise Pelzer

Altovise Pelzer moved to Maryland from Philadelphia, PA. She is a mother, best-selling author, speaker, Tele-Summit Strategist, Founder of the online Your Voice & Reactivate Me Communities, VIP Live Streamer, and head script writer for Breaking Free International.

Homelessness and molestation greatly affected Altovise’s decision to motivate women and youth to find their unique voice. She takes women from abuse to applause by equipping them to Define, Accept, and Use their Unique Voice as a speaker or author. Women after abuse go through numerous self harming actions that start with a seed of low self-esteem. We know that there is no “one size fits all” solution for helping women who have gone through abuse. Through E-courses, live events, books, and social media Altovise wants to touch and transform the lives of women globally one woman at a time.

www.altovisepelzer.com

Sharron Dugger CEO of Just Oil Hair & Body Solutions

This Natural hair movement has created experts, novices, and everything in between on how to care for and style natural hair.As more women embark on that journey, they seek out experts to learn how to properly care for their natural hair. My journey has caused me too to become an expert…about my own hair. So instead of seeking experts, become one, of your own natural hair.

You may have heard terms such as porosity, density, 4b/c hair along with a host of techniques. But no two hair textures are exactly alike. What works for one person’s style, products, or methods may not work for another.All is not lost when caring for your hair. There are three basic things you need to know: 1. Hydration 2. Moisture 3. How much does your hair need?

Hydration- Hair needs water. Our bodies are made up of 70% water so naturally some of that water is in our hair. Have you ever had frizz? Frizz is your hair absorbing hydration from the atmosphere. Hydration keeps hair from drying and breaking. Hair is soft when wet. But when it dries it’s hard. That’s because the water has not been locked in so when it dries, it goes right back to being dry and brittle. Moisturizing seals in the water thus giving you that softness, manageability, and reducing evaporation.

Moisture–Hair needs oil/fatty acids. Our bodies naturally produce oil to moisturize our hair and skin. This oil gives hair its shine, prevents drying, and protects against external substances. It’s called sebum, composed primarily of fatty acids. When sebum is in excess, hair can appear oily. Often the problem we face is amongst our activities, products we use, and the environment, our hair gets stripped of these natural oils. So we have to replenish it. I believe most if not allAfrican/African-American hair has a curl pattern that is soft by nature. Course hair does not equal hard hair. Our hair has been conditioned to be that way through the products we use.

How much of each does your hair need? As you study your hair, you will begin to know what it needs. Hair that has been straightened absorbs oil better. Hair in it’s natural state needs oil and water in the form of a lotion. Once you understand these three concepts, you too can become an expert of your Natural hair. When hair is properly hydrated and moisturized, it’s naturally soft, shiny, and curly.

Kayelin Tiggs

Kayelin Tiggs, 25 years old, is a graduate from Wright State University with a BA in Psychology. She plans to enter into a Doctorate program to receive my PhD in Clinical Neuropsychology. Kayelin works for Miami Valley Child Development Centers (Dayton, Oh) as a Family Support Specialist; working with children and families to assure that their developmental and health needs are being met preparing them for kindergarten and beyond.

Kayelin also participate in pageants, currently holding the Miss North Central Ohio title with my platform being Mental Health Awareness. She hopes to win the title of Miss Ohio USA in November, and represent Ohio in the MissUSA National Competition in 2018. As if that’s not enough Kayelin is also developing a Summer youth program for the non-profit Cross Over Community Development. This program focuses on helping immigrant youth begin striving for the "American Dream”.

millennialsoulfoodblog.wordpress.com

Building Healthy Relationships Starting with Self

Yamika Leeper-Stephens Lifestyle Fitness Coach YLS Fitness & Exercise Coaching LLC

When a woman values her self-worth she gives an eternity of life to her future generations. She is the foundation, the source, the key to how we see ourselves. Everyone who follows her will help nurture or destroy what she has given good or bad, positive or negative. Woman is the beginning of all relationships. It is important for a woman to know and love who she is.

Building healthy relationships can be a challenge if you allow them to. Healthy relationships start with self. You do not accept toxic and unhealthy relationships when you have a healthy relationship with yourself. People who have healthy relationships with themselves are usually in healthy relationships with others. How you feel about yourself determines how others can and will feel about you. It’s simple, you receive what you give. People treat you how you treat yourself. For the new year let’s focus on building a healthy relationship starting with self, no regrets and no apologies.

Here are a few tips I practice daily to maintain a healthy relationship with self and others:

Schedule Self-Care:

Too often we neglect and overlook ourselves for others, resulting in so many emotions that leave us with feelings of depletion. I challenge you to take some time for yourself daily. Yes, I said daily. This is part of selfcare. This can include working out, relaxing, meditation, quiet time alone, writing, a long bath, manicure and pedicure. You determine what that is in the moment. Selfcare is a necessity for ourselves, it allows us to refuel when feelings of depletion arise. When doing this daily you never run on the half full half empty feeling. Most importantly, you never allow your energy to be fully drained. Your cup is always full. You will have the ability to manage healthy relationships with your loved ones and people you communicate with on a regular and daily basis. Selfcare is simply a way to sustain healthy relationships.

Set Boundaries and Prioritize Self:

Do away with the long to do list, set boundaries and prioritize YOU! We are so accustomed to our to do list that we forget about what’s most important. If you say you are important and you are at the bottom of your to do list, how often do you get to focus on you? You are essentially telling yourself it’s okay to be neglected. Self-neglect will lead you to exhaustion and feelings of depletion. You cannot live on emptiness nor sustain a healthy relationship depleted. Other people see the value of you by your own standards. How you operate and function in your own relationship with self is key to all relationships. Setting boundaries allows you to prioritize you by putting you at the top of your long list. Setting boundaries also allows you not to set unrealistic expectations of others. Challenge yourself by putting you first, you are most important.

Practice Self-value and Worth:

I woke up one morning bold, confident and pleased with the woman I saw and became. I walked passed the mirror and saw me and immediately fell in love with the woman I am becoming. Your self-value and worth eliminates confidence the best outfit you could ever where. The amount of love you pour into yourself is literally the amount of love you receive in relationships. Accept only what you give and accept nothing less than what you value. Know your worth.

“

Empowerment if defined by Merriam is to give power or authority to by legal or official means. It is the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one's life and claiming one's rights but how can you control and claim what you don't know you possess?

Empowerment, therefore is the process of developing people to believe, see, and walk in what you stirred and pulled out. It (empowerment) is the development of personal power or strength, the ability to take action, or improved interaction skills socially, physically, and mentally.”

Khalilah Olokunola

Although Khalilah Olokunola, of Brooklyn, New York, is college educated she was not born with a silver spoon she worked for it. Despite growing up in an upper middle class home, life happened and she lost her name in lieu of a number, but she remained adamant on education and spent many days and nights dreaming about the American Dream she saw on TV or read about in books. This dream wasn't about picket fences but making IMPACT!

Today Khalilah is happily married toAl with four wonderful children. She is also the managing partner of CatalcorE, a Personal & Professional Development Firm, that works with women, faith based organizations, and diverse start-up teams. She holds more than 10 years of experience in business development, event /set production, qualitative & quantitative methods for individual & organizational development, and strategy & effective growth. She has a proven track record in connecting brands to their base while connecting them to who they are. She was instrumental & led fast track marketing campaigns connecting Fortune 500 companies & venture capital firms to C Suite Executives. Khalilah is known for igniting fires by getting to the core to catalyze who you are & what you are called to do during speaking engagements, workshop's , classes, and Core Experiences that challenge the individual or team to move out of their comfort zone. She is the author of Be Brave & Brave Vision, two interactive workbooks & journals of intentional lessons of leadership for women who aspire to lead. Each workbook has scripture reference and can be found in the Christian Life section of Barnes and Nobles.

Khalilah has been nominated for a Women of Achievement Award by the YWCA & as a Woman to Watch by WILMA Magazine . When she is not developing the next leader she is speaking at both business & ministry conferences.She is available to help you get to the core of who you are and what you do .

www.KhalilahOlokunola.com

New Year, New Perspective

Denise Burns

Anew year often begins with resolutions and ideas of all the things we need to change or improve. We usually do some type of soul searching and find things about ourselves we are unhappy with often forgetting our life is a journey. We forget how every obstacle molds and guides us to our next adventure on our journey. We take time to focus on all the things we need to be better at, not realizing how our resolutions remind us constantly of how we fail everyday. Resolutions are supposed to help us be better, to be all the things we were not the previous year. How do you know you weren’t enough? How do you set your guidelines on what enough really is?

With this New Year I challenge you to change your perspective. I challenge you to stop looking at all your short comings, all your failures and disappointments. I challenge you to look to God for understanding and compassion, not for other people, but for yourself. Yes for you. We are so hard on ourselves leaving no room for positivity to grow along with self acceptance. We are so often looking for others to accept and to appreciate us that we forget how important self love and acceptance is.

Making a resolution to be better is the same as signing your own death certificate. You are telling yourself what a failure you have been. Please stop this craziness. The Bible tells us “we all fall short” in Romans 3:23. We will never meet our own expectations if we first do not understand we are destined to fall. Failure allows us to learn and grow, to change and improve. We must first learn our short comings; our failures are what keep us humble and moving forward.

Lillian

SWM Speak Woman Magazine