Huami Magazine for Chicago March/April 2021

CHICAGO

®

Mar./Apr. 2021 Vol. 1 Issue 1 FREE

Pristine Esthetics Chicago - March/April 2021

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Your A Laughing Matter TherePurpose Are No Is If,Not Ands, Or Buts About It! A Letter From The Editor

There Are No If, Ands, Or Buts About It!

A Letter Editor A long timefrom ago, the when I was a much younger man, and a student at the most prestigious high school in the city of Greensboro, something happened to me that A Letter from thewould Editorchange my life forever. This segment of time was during my fourth period class, and first week a new What if tomorrow English didn’t arrive?

Allthe of your plans,ofhopes schooland year. dreams wouldn’t have a street to park on. What if

everything that you decided to put off until tomorrow never What if tomorrow didn’t arrive?

All of your plans, hopes

Back then I was mischievous, very sarcastic, aon. self-proclaimed happened?

There would beano reason to save for a rainy and dreams wouldn’t have street to and park What if ‘class clown’.

I would try to set the tone for my classroom amongst my day, and you could someone theuntil trouble of making everything that youspare decided to put off tomorrow never classmates with jokes, and I thought, the bigger the audience, the grander promises. What your last happened?

Thereif would be opportunity no reason toseemingly save for aexpired rainy my performance could be. However, in this particular class, the teacher today?

What would you do? and you could spare someone the trouble ofelegant makingand full was a day, formidable opponent.

She was short in stature, very promises.

What if your last opportunity seemingly of finesse, and seemed to lock in on me like a torpedo beforeexpired the tardy bell I’ve been told that IMrs. often seem I do soon too much. today?

What would you do?Kerr, even sounded.

Her name was andlike I would learn that she I feel like I am not doing enough and I’m a firm wasn’tHonestly, one to play around.

believer in knowing that God seem wouldn’t on me I’ve been told that I often like put I do anything too much. that couldn’t handle. sometimes wonder how would Iinfeel like Iclass, amI not doing and I’mlife aand firm OneHonestly, day Iwhile English I began toenough get comfortable execute my form of cheap humor.

I led off with a cough, and a slight sneeze; be if I chose to sit idle and accept what it presented to I believer in knowing that God wouldn’t put anything onme. mesilly acts that usually worked with getting audience into position. have that topretty be very boring.

In mymy opinion, opportunity that I found couldn’t handle.

I well sometimes wonder how life would But my act was snuffed out immediately.

“Don’t you sneeze or cough is a blessing that isn’t afforded to everyone.

A challenge be if I chose to sit idle and accept what it presented to me. Iin my classroom.

Take outside”.

Those themy words directly to to mefound is anthat adventure.

What iswere the In worst thatspoken can opportunity happen? have that to be very boring. opinion, me and I knew she was serious by the way she stared into my eyes.

If aI do nothing, if I try to I don’t, but instead learn From is blessing thatI fail, isn’tand afforded everyone.

A challenge that point on, I never laughed in her class unless I was led by her permission something new about myself. yourcan pride and in to me is an adventure.

What is Relinquish the worst that happen? to do so. I must admit that my ego was a little bruised, but I would return acquire life.

If I do nothing, I fail, and if I try I don’t, but instead learn eventually get over it. something new about myself. Relinquish your pride and in The best advice ever given me happened when someone acquire life.helped In soreturn many words, she me totounderstand that my purpose in no told me to make my tomorrow happen today.

In doing so laughing matter. I genuinely appreciate Mrs. Kerr because she helped me have pressed way given through doors with a key only The best advice ever to me happened when someone to alsoI understand themy English instruction she provided wasthat not a laughing hope provided. have also learned the difference between told makeIelse my tomorrow happen today.

Inand doing so of matter, andme I ortoanyone wouldn’t prevent the learning growth blesses and what cana burden with other Iwhat students. haveGod pressed my me waywith through doorslife with key thatme only as well.

I compare it toalso knowing when be confident and hope provided.

I have learned the to difference between As the school progressed, began to look forward tobecause my when tocan be quiet, what God year blesses me withI and what life burden mefourth with periodasEnglish class and spending time with Mrs. Kerr.

I soaked up every bit may get it confused well. I compare it to knowingsomeone when to be confident and of information that she had to offer, studied every poem, and recited with being when to bearrogant. quiet, because them back to her with precision, and made it a someone may get it confused point to show her that she changed my Make youarrogant. tomorrow with being life by stopping me from robbing myself of happen today, but most sound instruction. importantly make it count.

Make you tomorrow Life is but a whisper and happen today,loved but most Mrs. Kerr obviously me and we must put ourselves a importantly make it count. her other students, thousands ofin them position to hear what it is Life is butofaseveral whisper and of she encountered decades telling we must puthero. ourselves in alike me teaching.

She isus. my Students all deserve a hero such as Mrs. Kerr position to hear what it is in their classrooms, either telling us. in the form of a peer or instructor. She helped to understand Terry L.me Watson that my purpose was no laughing matter.

www.huamimagazine.com Editor In Chief

Terry L. Watson www.huamimagazine.com www.huamimagazine.com Alana Allen - Deputy Editor Editor In Chief

TerryWriters L. WatsonPublisher Terry L Watson Alana Allen - Deputy Tonya Dixon Editor Terry L. Watson Jalessa Rogers Writers

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On The Cover

Photo by Shaw Photography Group

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November/December 2014

On The Cover

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CONTENTS

MARCH/APRIL 2021

CHICAGO

Christian Branding

Arshawna Warren

On The Cover

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Pristine Esthetics Erica Shaw

Skye Larea’s Culinary

Chef Eric Wells

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My Insight Coaching

Pache Felton

Huami Magazine Cutest Baby

Prince Antonio Kelly

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Also Featured

Erika Burnett It all begins with a few words. Her company is changing how these words used. A Single Suggestion.

Philadelphia, PA

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Chanda Davis Never judge a book by its cover. Her journey in life proves just that.

Huntsville, AL

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Rhonda Crowder Meet the face and founder of Broken To Life Ministries.

Charlotte, NC

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Pristine Esthetics 6

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By Terry L. Watson Photos by Erica Simone

Who is Erica Shaw? Also known as Erica Simone, she describes herself as a free-spirited person who embraces life as it comes, but consistently pushes herself to reach the highest potentials that life has to offer. “I am a survivor, and a mother of four, and a bonus mom of three. I’m also a wife to my forever partner Albert,” she says.

Professionally, Erica serves her community of Chicago, IL as a Registered Medical Assistant, and has been for the last 19 years. She received her Esthetic education at Dudley’s Beauty College in Chicago, and graduated July of 2020. With her education, she has opened her very own business, Pristine Esthetics Inc, and Embodied by Pristine Esthetics.

Her journey has had a few ups and downs, and there have been a few challenges along the way. Erica shares, “I was a teen mother who endured abuse, neglect, and financial hardship. I struggled to get a four-year degree, and finally got it, nine years after I started. I got stuck working a job that I felt like I had to do in order to support my family. Through those experiences I also discovered my purpose, and now an Esthetician, I am working towards my Ph.D. in Metaphysical Science.”

Some of the services Erica offers include body sculpting, skin tightening, cellulite treatments, manual lymphatic massage for post-operative clients, and relaxing facials.

“My goal is to provide an ultimate namaste experience, of relaxation, and restoration.

I believe in healthy skin, body, and spirit, beauty from the inside out. I provide meditative facials, and Reiki. There are also makeup services, body sculpting services like Cavitation Lipo, Laser Lipo, Vacuum Therapy, and Sauna Detox Wraps.

I also offer eyebrow waxing and tinting,” she says.

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Although Erica may be a new Esthetician, she is adapted with the beauty industry. She has modeled for companies like Luster Products as a child and did freelance modeling for six years as an adult. She has been a self-taught freelance makeup artist of ten years.

Erica is gentle and cognizant of the problematic areas that she addresses. She focuses on the metaphysical belief system that whatsoever we manifest, whether it’s healing, having the body of our dreams, or abundance. She believes that it’s possible.

While being a business owner, Erica has a genuine love for serving and helping others. “I love that I offer common services with my own gifts added to them. Anyone can go to school and perform facials, but it takes a higher vibration to have the experiences I offer. It’s my goal for all of my clients to leave relaxed, confident, and enlightened after each service,” she says.

For Erica, her family comes first. “My children have impacted my life in ways that couldn’t have ever imagined. They challenge me to be and do better every day. My life partner Albert has taught me so much about life and my place in it,” she says.

She is also inspired by four successful black women. She says they are where she aspires to be. “They offer the best business advice, mother advice, and relationship advice. I am truly blessed to have them in my life,” she says.

168 S. Halsted Chicago Heights, IL 60411 331-305-3715 www.pristineesthetics.com

Erica says if she could change anything about her journey, she would have pursued her dreams sooner. “I find so much gratification in what I do that I often wonder where I would be if I had done it in my 20’s,” she says. “When it’s all said and done, I want my legacy to say that I was a black woman and also one of the most spiritual influencers this world has ever seen.”

Her advice to anyone who may be thinking about entrepreneurship or starting a business is determine what your purpose in life is, and tie it to your gifts, so that you can build wealth. “Write your vision and speak it daily,” she says.

Moving forward, Erica plans to continue to motivate and help others on their spiritual path. She also hopes to open a facility where all Metaphysical practices can be shared. h

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Rhonda Walking Into My Purpose

By Laci Ollison Photos by Still Shots Photography

Rhonda Crowder is no stranger to struggle. Throughout her life she has seen plenty of heartbreak, pain, and let down. But despite all the things she has gone through, Rhonda has managed to blossom and build herself up into a thriving entrepreneur and businesswoman. She has done this with the help of God, her family, and the encouragement of her children.

Presently residing in Monroe, NC, the mother of two says her children are the biggest reason why she felt the need to push herself to be the woman that she is today. “My children are my why. They’ve seen me broken, they’ve seen me in tears, and they’ve seen me in pain. There was once a moment in time where all I knew to do was cry, and my children were a witness to that. There was a time when I laid on my face and cried because I didn’t know what to say because I was so broken. I only knew the Lord’s Prayer, so I said that. My son was three and a half at the time, and he would lay beside me and kiss me,” she says.

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As challenging as it was for Rhonda, she knew she had to preserve and endure. Though there were moments when she didn’t have the words to say, more less answers, she shares it was her faith that pulled her along and provided her with the strength to stand. “God had to break me in order to give me life again.”

It was from her brokenness that Rhonda found a new outlook and meaning to her life. That’s where Broken To Life Ministries began Rhonda shares.

“Through brokenness God has allowed me to see myself, see connections, and what needed to be connected and what didn’t need to be connected.”

Broken To Life Ministries has produced some great things for Rhonda. She has authored and published a book, Broken To Life, which she details her trials and triumphs through 14 chapters beginning with the onset of brokenness, and concluding with her being set free. She also serves as a motivational speaker, evangelist, and is a trusted ear to many.

In chapter two of Broken To Life, Rhonda shares, “There is a time when you must stop falling out, shouting, smiling in one’s face then talking about them behind their backs and just plainly be honest and have a conversation without being disrespectful and controlling. Most of all, one must look at their own flaws. We must realize that we are representing the name of Jesus.” She concludes in chapter 14 by saying, “If we claim that God is a big God, and he can do all things, then we need to act like it and put his name before everything and seal it with a deal like you have won the lottery!”

Rhonda is a 2004 graduate of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. She has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, with a concentration in Public Relations. “Some people call me Evangelist, but I just say I’m a child of God,” Rhonda says while smiling. “I just thank God for the anointing on my life because it takes a lot. People don’t realize that you go through a lot when you have an anointing on your life.”

Rhonda said that it has been the anointing on her life and the power of the Holy Spirit that has given her wisdom to operate in her calling. “My favorite verse in the bible is Jeremiah 29:11; For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.”

It is that same verse that helps Rhonda understand what to do when she isn’t always sure.

“I lean on that in times of fasting and prayer. I ask God what does He want me to talk about, what do you want me to say.”

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“

The Power of being Broken allows God to refill the cup of life, the oil of the anointing and Holy Spirit where you have been emptied.

“

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More than anything, Rhonda hopes that through her life and experiences, others will find hope and push through their own set of challenges. She also encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to follow their calling if they genuinely want to be successful in life. “You do what God asked you to do and He will make sure you have everything you need and desire. Don’t strive to be like others around you. Stop doing what they’re doing and see yourself in whatever you desire to do. Whatever your situation is, if it’s not fitting, don’t make it fit. Find the place where God wants you to be.

At some point you must stop focusing on everyone else and what God has asked you to do. While you are focusing on everyone else, you will miss what you’re supposed to do, and you’ll be stuck watching everyone else climb,” she says.

Rhonda also says that it’s important to not listen to those who may have negative opinions. “Cut the naysayers out. When you start asking what other people think, everyone is going to have a different opinion. It’s going to put you in the center because you feel like you have to please everyone. But when you start to pull away from people, God will put the actual people that you need in your life close to you.”

Although Rhonda can encourage and uplift others, it took her a long time to get to this place.

“I thank God for restoring. I asked God ‘why me’. I had to learn how to love myself. I had to learn how to enjoy myself. I had to turn to God.” Currently Rhonda has started an educational consulting business, as well as a performing arts center called Power Moves Performing Arts Academy. Though currently not housed in a brick-and-mortar location, there are plans to do so. Through Power Moves Performing Arts Academy, Rhonda would like for kids to be able to come and learn about theater, and learn how to get to the next level, including college all while reaching for the stars.

Moving forward, Rhonda plans to share her ministry and programs with anyone who would like to be a part. In addition to many obligations and duties she already has, Rhonda is also a singer. She has been featured in major publications and on platforms such as iHeartRadio. To learn more about her, please contact her directly. To purchase a copy of Broken To Life, please visit www.amazon.com to do so. It is also available in paperback and Kindle form.

Rhonda Crowder

336-419-6432 Facebook: broken2lifeministries Instagram: broken2lifeministries` Email: broken2lifeministries@gmail.com Chicago - March/April 2021

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Karena

Washington writing from my heart 18

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By Terry L. Watson Photos by Xmedia360 I am an educator, author, and someone who enjoys the serene moments life has to offer.

A native of West Helena, AR, she graduated from Central High School in 2000. Next she enrolled at Central Arkansas, and received her undergraduate degree in business in 2007. With her academic accomplishments taken care of, she then worked with kids with special needs. “This had nothing to do with my degree in business, however caring for kids truly pulled at my heart, so much so that I decided to make a career of it,” she says.

She then moved to Missouri in 2007, settling in the area of St Louis where she eventually learns of a school district whose sole purpose is to provide education and inclusion opportunities for kids with special needs. She got a job as a paraprofessional and the rest is history. She began working on her masters during the Fall of 2009 and graduated December 2012. Three months after receiving her Masters of Arts in Teaching, she was hired as a Special Education teacher.

The Lost Coin is the first book that she has authored, to be specific she actually has co-authored this book along with others.

The book makes reference to how women have lost something, who instead of seeking God, relied on thier intitution and direction for sellf fulfillment. Karena shares this decision didn’t make her situation any better, it actually made it worse.

The other part of the book talks about losing her parents. “When you lose your parents, both of them, it makes you feel empty,” she says. While enduring this loss, someone came along, making her feel loved again, and provided her with a sense of family. This was far from what was about to happen. The person she thought was her saving grace would turn out to be a nightmare. She lost emotionally, Continued on the next page

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“My testimony is I learned that I am not out of reach. I don’t care how low you may feel, God will come and pull you out of it. God tried pulling me out so many times, but I refused to come along. Things didn’t change in my life until I decided to make a change.”

Pictured with Karena is her sister Kocysha LaShaun, who also co-authored on the book, The Lost Coin.

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and physically. “All of this happended because I wanted to be a part of something. I wanted to belong,” she says.

Relief came in the form of abscense. The person she relied on was removed from her life. Things weren’t totally in order.

She was living in a hotel. She was working three jobs, and going to school. In March 2013, she began to feel things were getting back in order.

“The biggest message that I want to convey in the book is to let others know who may find themselves in a similar situation, they’re not alone. There has been so many who have traveled this path and survived. I survived and so can you,” she says.

Karena says she is inspired by the impact of her life and testimony. “All that I endured happened for a reason. My pain was not in vain. I believe that others can be helped by learning of my struggle and my journey,” she says.

“My testimony is I learned that I am not out of reach. I don’t care how low you may feel, God will come and pull you out of it. God had tried to pull me out so many times, but I refused to come along. Things didn’t change in my life until I decided to make a change,” she says. “It was a covering that protected me from going down the wrong path. It was nothing but His grace and His mercy that protected me from going down the wrong path,” she says.

With all that Karena has endured, the loss of her parents and being trapped in an unhealthy relationship for years, she still smiles. It’s hard to take the joy from a person who has seen life at its darkest levels, losing on all fronts, and still hanging in the fight long enough to see God move. Her joy has been validated.

The advice she offers to others who may follow in her footsteps as an author is to follow your heart. “Be authentic.

Speak from your heart. Listen to your inner voice so that you are following the path that needs to be followed. This will ensure that you reach the people who need you the most.

Stay real to yourself and understand that no one cares more for you than you do for yourself,” she says.

It hasn’t been a smooth ride, but its the road that God prepared for her to travel. “Honestly, I wouldn’t change anything. Every part of this journey has taught me lessons that have not only been beneficial to me, but has helped others who I’ve crossed paths with,” she says.

In the future, Karena plans to speak more rather than write, about her life experiences. However, she understands that it’s ultimately up to what God says. She understands this all to well, and as fate would have it, she is currently writing a childrens book.

To learn more about Karena Washington, please purchase a copy of the book, The Lost Coin by visiting her website. h

karena@unabridgedsolutions.net thelostcoinap.com/karena (to purchase book)

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A Single Suggestion 24

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By Marrissa Dick Photos by Erika Burnett

Handmade, the word, is an adjective and it means not made by machine and typically of superior quality.

Most handmade items are crafted in small studios or people’s own homes. Having something handmade affords you the opportunity to work directly with the artisan to customize your purchase. Because you are dealing directly with the artisans when you purchase handcrafted products, they might be open to tweaking certain aspects of their product specifically to fit your needs.

Meet Erika Burnett, founder of A Single Suggestion, a one-of-a-kind handcrafted company where cards and stationery are made that puts a smile on the faces of many people and happy memories in their hearts. A Single Suggestion is a business located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that is dedicated to rekindling the lost art of handwritten notes.

Erika shares here story, “When I first start working at the University of Pennsylvania, my former manager was making cards as a hobby. She took me to a card marking and I have been hooked ever since. I used most of my paychecks to buy supplies and sit at home on the weekends making cards for family and friends. I did that for 12 years just for fun. I had no idea I would ever start a business until I attended a networking event for women. My cousin encouraged me to go so when I got there and displayed my handcrafted cards everyone fell in love with them. I was told that I should have been in business a long time ago. I was humbled that people actually appreciated my work.

Those women gave me all of the support I needed to get started. A business coach, accountant and mentor nurtured me with knowledge and information I needed to be successful in my business. My business opened its virtual doors six months later in June 2013.”

You may be asking yourself, what is so exciting about a card when you can go to Hallmark and buy one. Erika shares, “My business is handmade stationary. I make one of a kind note cards. There are no sentiments on the inside, but the card itself, says it all. Because they are one of a kind, once a particular design is sold, I don’t remake it unless a customer happens to see it on my website and really wants something similar to it. I also carry handmade gift card holders, handmade bookmarks, journals, gift pens and gift sets. My online store contains over 400 stationary items and they are all one of a kind.You know when I first started working at the University of Pennsylvania my former manager was already making cards as a hobby. She offered to take me to class with her; I went and have been hooked ever since. I would buy my supplies and sit at home on the weekends and make cards for family and friends. I did that for 12 years just for fun. I didn’t know I would enjoy creating cards.”

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One reason people purchase handcrafted goods is because they like having something unique and they find satisfaction in knowing that having a handmade creation means that there are fewer of them on the market. When you make a purchase from A Single Suggestion, you are receiving a unique item. Erika only makes one-of-a-kind cards so that means that the purchaser of the card will be the only person with it or the recipient, of that card, will have something special. Of course, there are others who make cards by using computer programs but Erika’s cards are handmade down to the paper.

She shares, “I cut the paper myself. I do all of the hand stamping using ink and rubber stamps, the old fashioned way. My cards are not mass produced and I don’t sell them wholesale. My cards and other stationery items are authentic and made with high quality products.”

Often, Erika will receive solicitations from other merchants to carry her product in their stores, but she is adamant that her creations are not going to be mass produced. “I do want to see my cards and stationery in stores, but what I don’t want to do is lose the concept of the handmade component. Often times when you are picked up by a store, they begin mass producing your work and they want to change things. That’s not what I want to happen. I will turn something down if my cards don’t have the same personable affect.” For those consumers who appreciate one-of-a-kind designs, A Single Suggestion is especially for you.

We all know that the pandemic has severely crippled socialization. Some people are suffering with depression because they are unable to see their family or very close friends. Erika understands that this season in America calls for creative

ways to share your love. For that reason, she created, Handwritten Love. She shares, “Every month, I send love to individuals through cards or letters. Life can be tough sometimes and not everyone has someone to show them love when they need it or give them a little inspiration when they’re thinking about giving up on their dreams or life in general.

Everyone can use a kind word or two. I love to see people happy and if I can’t see them happy, I know they will be when they open the envelope and see that card in their hand. You know, God blessed me with all of this. He blessed me so I can be a blessing to someone else. Doing this work brings me peace and it relaxes me. In this day and time where everything is digital, we’ve lost touch with the social aspect of sitting down and having a conversation. The intimacy between personto-person communication is almost obsolete. My goal is to rekindle handwritten notes,” she says.

If you are having an intimate gathering of not more than 25 guests and you want to impress them from the onset, then let Erika create beautifully handcrafted invitations especially for your occasion. Your guests won’t toss these cards away.

You can see her many creations by going to www.asinglesuggestion.com and you can call Erika at (267) 702-3138 to speak with her about her designs. h

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“I cut the paper myself. I do all of the hand stamping. I use ink and rubber stamping the old-fashioned way. I color with markers, pencils, and crayons. I use watercolors and even bleach sometimes to get the affect I’m looking for. You won’t find my cards in a major store because they are one-of-a-kind handmade cards and stationery,”

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By Marrissa Dick Photos by Chanda Davis Most who were not born with a silver spoon in their mouth, may appreciate what it means to come from humble beginnings. Understanding how and where you grew up plays a major part in your drive to grow beyond those humbling circumstances. Many of us do that by going to college and acquiring scholarly and interdisciplinary knowledge while others accomplish moving forward in life by working hard on a 9 to 5 or grinding for themselves as entrepreneurs.

The point is that humble beginnings can either make or break you. Have you ever wondered why some people come from the womb and it seems as if they are destined for greatness? How is it that some can press through the oppressive experiences while others, “just can’t get right”?

Could it be that the one who presses forward is the generational curse breaker? When you have been “chosen” to be that curse breaker then you understand that your life is going to be challenging with every breath you take.

Meet Chanda Davis Lanier, generational curse breaker and owner and managing broker of Chanda Davis Real Estate, one of the largest black owned women brokerages in the state of Alabama. Chanda is also the owner and instructor of Superior School of Real Estate, one of the fastest growing schools in the Southeast region.

Chanda shares, “My life started out rough, my mother struggled with drug addiction. I was born addicted to heroin, so I was given methadone to wean me off the heroin.

My maternal grandmother who loved her family dearly, attempted to adopt me but the State of Pennsylvania would not allow it due to the large number of a family already residing in her residence. Grandmother reached out to her brother-inlaw and pleaded with him to adopt me in hopes of keeping me in the family. After four years in foster care, I was moved to a new state with a new family. Life was hard growing up because even though my parents did the best they knew how, I always seemed to have to face my mother’s past. Thank goodness for my Aunt Dora who was a college professor in Tuskegee, Alabama. When I was older, I went to visit with her one summer and she noticed while we were playing spades that I didn’t know how to add or use negative numbers. So, the next day she sat me down and taught me arithmetic starting with one plus one. By the end of the summer, I was doing percentages, decimals, and algebra. Aunt Dora called her brother and basically told him that she was going to keep me during my 8th grade year in hopes of catching me up to grade level. That one year turned into four years of studying for hours each night. Aunt Dora was the turning point of my life.

I thank God for grace and mercy because He brought my Aunt Dora into my life. Aunt Dora constantly reminded me that I was beautiful and with hard work, I could achieve anything in life. She was my saving grace. Aunt Dora provided much structure, guidance, and support. I was required to attend Girl Scout meetings on Saturdays and Church each Sunday. God’s word gave me a sense of confidence and security. I really held on to the Word of God when I started college. I was placed on academic probation after my first quarter due to a 1.6 GPA.

“My life started out rough. I was born to a heroin addict who left me in the hospital; my mother never came back for me. Of course, I was born addicted to heroin, so I was given methadone to wean me off the herion.”

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I was terrified, so I went to the student support center and worked hard to improve my grades. Thank God that I was able to attain my degree- even if it was with a 2.7 GPA. I did something that no one ever thought I could do- I became a college graduate.”

Despite her challenges Chanda continued her education and earned a master’s degree in Biology education, an Education Specialist degree in Curriculum Design and she is just a few hours shy of a degree in Education Administration. She taught at an inner-city school for three years then transitioned to an exclusive middle school and high school where both she and her students flourished. In addition to being a National Board Certified Teacher, there are not many coveted titles for teaching that she hasn’t won such as Teacher of the Year for Huntsville City Schools, Alabama Science Teacher of the Year and a finalist in Shell Oil Company’s Top Science Teacher Award. Not only was Chanda a local and state decorated teacher but she was also recognized on the national level. She won The Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). Included in that distinction Chanda met then, vice-president Joe and Jill Biden. So, what does a teacher with a master’s degree in Biology education do after 17-years of laudable teaching?

She quits teaching and becomes a longdistance truck driver! Yes, you read it right.

Let me enlighten you on her rationale.

According to Chanda, “I had a lot going on back then. I was going through a divorce and I had three daughters. I was teaching genetics and anatomy and AP environmental science, so I really had hard core classes and on top of that I taught 200 students daily. The overload of teaching and going through the divorce was just too much. I felt like it was killing me. I needed money and many of my friends told me that trucking was the ideal occupation to make lots of money, so I opened a hot-shot trucking company with a flatbed. I was now a trucker! I traveled across country with light loads. During that one year, anything that could have happened to cause me to go out of business, happened. One truck caught on fire and another truck’s transmission fell out while I was waiting to unload. Then another time I was driving through Virginia during an unexpected ice storm. I was going down a mountain when the brakes gave out. I was sliding down this mountain praying and crying out to God for help. Wow, talk

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trying to tell you something’. I was devastated and while in the middle of an explosive cry, a local broker called asking if I cared to move my real estate license to her company and she assured me that she would help me rebrand my real estate school. I have been a part time real estate agent since 2001 and have had a real estate instructor’s license since 2009.”

How many of us recognize that all that shines isn’t gold? How many of us know that people will capitalize upon your gifts as though they were their own? The moment Chanda stepped into her new career of real estate; commission checks started pouring in. Even though most of the money was going to trying to save her trucking company, Chanda realized that being a fulltime real estate agent may be her answer. Then, out of the blue, one of the largest real estate schools in the state asked her to become an instructor. Chanda was so excited because she believed that it was a gift that God was giving back to her- the gift of TEACHING! Chanda, already “teacher extraordinaire,” took that real estate school’s pass rate from 32% to 76% in one year. With numbers like that it was a no brainer that the owner would want to join forces and lock her in by offering to sell her the school. Naïvely, she believed that the seasoned owner would honor her word but she soon discovered that was not the case.

So, she gave a 30 day notice and started planning to rebrand her own school. She changed the name from Davis School of Real Estate to Superior School of Real Estate. She opened the doors, with new branding in October 2017 and by December 2017, she was at full capacity and in search of a larger location.

Chanda became one of the top salespersons at her real estate company. She was a multi-million dollar producer and won many company awards for her production. Her real estate school was performing very well. She and her broker together decided that they would join forces to open a separate location for her brokerage and Chanda’s real estate school. They both signed the lease in a very elite area and for over a month Chanda focused on doing the build-out of the location. Unfortunately, a day before the two of them were to join forces and pay the rent together, the broker informed Chanda that she had changed her mind about partnering. Chanda was devastated that morning but was forced to suck it up and teach the 10 students enrolled in post-license class. The beauty of her having to face her students, is that she taught these new agents in pre-license class and they were considered her friends. While Chanda was depressed and terrified to take on such a monumental task on her own.

To her chagrin, everyone was supportive and excited for her new business adventure. Her students, friends, and family had encouraged her for years to run her own real estate company.

How many of us know that God always has a ram in the bush? Chanda recalls the preparation for moving into a new space on her own. “So now I have to furnish the entire place and as God would have it the previous tenants left all of their furniture and the landlord gave it to me and we have been going strong ever since.” Look at how God turned the bad to Chicago - March/April 2021

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good for His daughter. Today she has 75 agents, and her school has one of the highest pass rates in Alabama. In 2020 Chanda paid over 1.3 million dollars in actual cash real estate commissions. No bad for an infant who started out addicted to heroin, placed in foster care, then adopted. All of that happened just so she could meet another ram in the bush, Aunt Dora. Not bad at all.

So why would someone consider becoming a real estate agent with Chanda when there are a plethora of real estate agencies to choose from?

“My husband helped me find that peace because that’s the type of energy he has as a mental health counselor. He taught me about love because he showed me patience, kindness, and he cared for me.

He loved me enough to help me meet my own goals....”

Chanda explains, “Well, I think people come to my school because I have one the highest pass rates in Alabama, and I am good to my students and I work to help them reach their highest potential. I had two people help me reach mine and that was my Aunt Dora and my husband. When I first met my husband, Telly, I was a mess. I had a lot going on. He helped me learn how to focus on what I did best.

He showed me the meaning of success through his actions and that taught me to appreciate the beauty in life. I have absorbed his essence. He is a beautiful and simplistic man who can see the beauty in everything. He saw the beauty in me even though I could not. My husband helped me find that peace because that’s the type of energy he has as a mental health counselor. He taught me about love because he showed me patience, kindness, and he cared for me. He loved me enough to help me meet my own goals and in doing that he realized that he wasn’t living up to his full potential. He is now working on obtaining his real estate license, too.”

Why would someone want to work with Chanda or attend her real estate school?

She says, “My school is far more than your ordinary real estate school. Here we affect change in our agents, students, and in our clients lives. We all work as a team. I don’t think other establishments can pride themselves on having that type of community-oriented business. They may say it, but we live it here. I believe in giving back and we definitely have the reputation for doing that. From buying groceries to helping others become entrepreneurs.

I have a reputation for being ‘The Real Estate Lady’ in the communities we serve. That’s a tag name I can live with. I pay you while I train you. In my business it’s not just about the money. We don’t chase it. If I see that you’re chasing money and not caring about the clients, then you can’t work here because my passion is to see all of us win. I see this business as life changing. I know we are changing lives one client at a time and we are helping people reach their full potential. My life didn’t start out great, so I want to be an encouragement to others, so their past doesn’t define their future. Saved people want to save others. Somebody saved me and I want to do the same for others, too.”

In 2005, Chanda was in a terrible car accident and was told that she would never walk again. She prayed and promised God that if she were to walk again, she would make the classroom her ministry. Real estate class is a place for healing, for encouragement and for achievement all while learning very analytical material. Students in Chanda’s classes learn by connecting Chanda’s life stories, songs, dances, and maybe even some preaching to real

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estate pedagogy. Chanda has learned that FEAR is the paralyzer that holds the soul hostage, so she’s learned to live each day in the excitement of ‘what’s next’ and bathing in the ‘what is in the now’.

There were days that Chanda wanted to give up but she always believed that God had a special purpose for her. She believed that one day her story would give someone else courage and strength. She uses her past to give hope to her students as she formulates them into daily real estate lessons. “I am so happy that my dark days did not cause me to give up. I held on when sometimes making through another second seemed impossible.” From being left in the hospital, to not learning to read and write until late in life, from being told that she would never amount to anything, from being divorced in her 40s, from almost being homeless, and from only having one choicePRAYER! Chanda will tell you, she is far from a saint, but she knows the mighty HAND OF GOD! He has used the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. He blessed her with Chanda Davis Real Estate, Superior School of Real Estate by Chanda, and Valley Metro Property Management. Now the LORD blessed the latter days of Chanda’s life more than her humble beginnings.

Her experiences have taught her how to love the unlovable, to believe in the unbelievable, and never to count anyone out. Her belief is that, “God has a special plan for us all. Sometimes just asking for help can change your entire world. I want to show those people who have started out with humble beginnings that there is hope and that they don’t have to give in to their circumstances. We always have a choice, and that choice should be to become the best we can regardless of how we start out in life. There are no excuses.” Frederic Neichie, a German philosopher, wrote two poignant statements. The first, ‘To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering’ and second, ‘That which does not kill us makes us stronger.’” These quotes stand as testimonials to Chanda Davis Lanier’s life experience - Curse Breaker, Overcomer, Philanthropist, Life Changer, and Forever Humble.

If you are interested in either becoming a real estate agent or purchasing your dream home then contact your Huntsville, Alabama real estate agency, Chanda Davis Real Estate or Superior School of Real Estate by Chanda and see how she and her team can help you meet your full potential. You may contact Chanda by visiting her web sites or calling her directly. h

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Arshawna Warren Christian Branding & Marketing

By Jalessa Rogers Photos by Arshawna Warren In the era of smartphones and social media there are many ways that both can help establish and grow your business. For example, in the middle of a pandemic, social media has presented itself to be a useful platform for businesses such as churches and other ministries. Arshawna Warren, a Cleveland, OH native, is a Christian branding and marketing professional. With her business, I Am Arshawna LLC, she has been successful utilizing social media as a tool to help ministries stay active and spread their message and information.

Born and raised by a single mother in Cleveland, Warren was an active child, involved in singing, dancing, painting, acting, and ministry. “Being an only child raised by a two-time breast cancer survivor, my mother made sure I was educated on selfbreast exams,” she says. During a self-exam, Warren discovered a lump and was later diagnosed with breast cancer at the tender age of sixteen. After being examined by her doctor and having a lumpectomy, her cancer was discovered and removed in surgery.

After her experience with breast cancer, Warren started a workshop called Be Pretty in Pink, in 2013. “My workshop was created to educate middle school and high school girls about breast cancer, encourage them, empower them, and teach them about the seriousness of breast cancer,” stated Warren. Her willingness to help other young girls and educate them about breast cancer gained national attention, and she was invited to be a guest on the Steve Harvey Show. In 2015 with the help of Steve Harvey, she was able to turn her workshop into a nonprofit organization.

As a recent psychology graduate of Baldwin Wallace University, Warren reflects on how her childhood was the reason she chose her school and major. “Being bullied as a child made me want to help young people with their mental health. Although I did not want to stay close to home, I felt that God wanted me to go there,” she says.

Warren stated that helping ministries navigate social media and their online presence is a big part of her business and has been even before the pandemic.

“Whatever God has for me, whatever that is, I am going to be helping somebody reach their full potential,” said Warren.

“I genuinely believe that my ‘why’ and my purpose is to help people, but it starts from the home. How you cater to the people who are around you, your family members, and your friends, they are what motivates me. I’m truly encouraged by their love and their support.” stated Warren. She feels that her motivation has always been her family, and they are one of the biggest reasons she has accomplished so much in her young life. Motivation to her has been labeled as her “whys” and her “whys” are her family and the people who she serves.

Growing up as an active church member helped Warren figure out a growing market that she could navigate and be successful in.

“As a Christian branding and marketing professional my goal is to help different ministries, churches and brands navigate the social media world and market themselves in a professional way,” stated Warren.

In her business, she has worked diligently to help ministries spread their message about God in an effective way. Warren’s main goals are to have a perpetual effect and reach more people, and to pay it forward as much as possible. She is also a big advocate for mental health because she was bullied as a child, so she plans to “give back to so many people who are struggling,” said Warren.

Now that it is the third month in this new 2021 year, it has been almost a full year since the first stay at home orders were announced throughout the United States. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of churches and ministry leaders decided to close places of worship and stream their services online. When asked about working with ministries and navigating them during this time,

The future looks bright for Warren and she isn’t displaying any signs of slowing down. She shares her motivating mantra, “whatever God has for me.” To learn more about Arshawna Warren, please visit her website. h

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By Dillian Teabout Photos by Chef Eric Wells A disciple of Christ, husband, father, and author are just a few ways to describe this astounding chef. Chef Eric Wells, who is from Cleveland, Ohio has pushed boundaries, and, in the process, he has made a name for himself.

Chef Wells is the proud owner of “Skye LaRae’s Culinary Services.” He specializes in intimate dinners for two. However, his company also offers dinner parties and catering events for potential clients. “Skye LaRae’s Culinary Service” provides cooking classes that serve as a great bonding exercise for couples and help improve amateur chefs’ skills. When asked what the chef’s favorite dish was, he stumped but concluded it was Pad Thai. “I love southeast Asian cuisine. It’s just like stir fry but done with rice noodles and a bunch of vegetables thrown in it. It’s a great dish and different,” Chef Wells said.

His biggest inspiration came from home. When Chef Wells was a child, he enjoyed watching and helping his mother cook. “I loved watching her cook,” Chef Wells said. “I enjoyed seeing how food brought people together.” It was at this early age that he observed the power of food.

While working for a Fortune 500 company, Chef Wells’ mother advised him to change career paths. At the time, he was at age 30, and his faith in God helped him to make this decision. “Before my mother passed away in 2003, she told me to take this gift of cooking given from God and use it,” Chef Wells said. “At the time, I had a wife and kids. I also had bills to pay, but I decided to go to culinary school.”

Chef Wells has won many awards and appeared on TV a multitude of times. He has been seen on “Fox 8 in the Morning,” “Good Day Cleveland,” and “The Robin Swoboda Show.” He has won awards such as the “Vintage Ohio Celebrity Chef Cook-Off” in 2003, and in 2015.

Despite winning awards and his television appearances, he doesn’t consider any of these to be his greatest accomplishment. When discussing this topic, Chef Wells recalls when he graduated from the International Culinary Arts and Sciences Institute in Chesterland, Ohio, in 2004. “Being the first African American to graduate from the institute was an amazing feeling. That is my biggest accomplishment overall.”

Currently, Chef Wells is looking to expand his business, as he is training chefs to work for him. As it continues to grow, he finds himself wanting and needing some additional help. “The only negative about my business is that I’m one person,” Chef Wells said. “I have a couple of young chefs to help me. With their assistance, I will be able to do multiple events in one night, soon.”

Chef Wells planned on opening a restaurant of his own until he began cooking for his coworkers at his old job. The smiles he put on people’s faces and the conversation he had, caused him to fall in love with being a personal chef.

For aspiring chefs, he advises they find a niche and be themselves.

“The problem with what’s going on now is that everybody wants to be something they’re not. Find a niche that makes you stand out in a crowd and do not care about what people think about you.”

Chef Wells believes the lord gives each of us a purpose and doesn’t provide vision without provision. He also believes that God tests our faith in Him while we are going through life. “There have been several times I wanted to turn around and walk away,” Chef Wells said. “However, I know that God was testing my faith to see if I believed in him.” h To learn more about Chef Eric Wells, please visit his website.

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By Terry L. Watson Photos by Pache Felton

Who is Pache Felton? “I am a survivor, a student of life, a motivator, a high school dropout, and a resilient and powerful black woman,” she describes.

On the day she was born her father was murdered.

As a young adult, she endured the impact of not having a dad, as it left her feeling alone and abandoned. “Witnessing the bond little girls and women had with their fathers was bittersweet for me. I always wondered what my relationship would have been like if I had a dad. However, I did not allow unwarranted feelings to influence my life. I was loved beyond measure and nurtured by strong, single women. My grandmother was the foundation of my family. When she transitioned, my foundation was gone, and I was lost. I was only 13 years old. I dropped out of school once I reached the tenth grade and headed down a destructive path,” she says.

Life would continue to happen for Pache. After becoming a single parent at the age of 19, her life shifted. She still did things that a typical 19-year-old would do; however, there was always a sense of her needing to get her life together. She shares, “I pivoted at age 26 and took control of my educational realm. Today, I hold a M.S. in Organizational Leadership, M.A in Curriculum and Instruction, a B.A. in Psychology, and a M.S. pending in Educational Psychology.” Talk about a pivot.

Pache is also a business owner. Her company, My Insight Coaching stands on the motto, “Be the Best You!” My Insight Coaching was created as a safe haven for Pache’s clients, and its mission is to impact and inspire women, men, teens, and families who seek to improve themselves. Many of the areas that Pache focuses on are Building Self-Awareness, Building Self-Confidence, Improving Work Ethic, Becoming Self-Reliant, Gaining Perspective On Life, Maintaining A Positive Mindset, Discovering Passion and Purpose, Improving Personal Specific Skills, Gaining A Deeper Level Of Learning, Communicating More Effectively, Establishing And Taking Action Towards Achieving Goals, Learning How To Live With Pain And Sorrow, and Taking Responsibility and Accountability For Actions and Commitments.

She’s also the Co-founder of Harlem Girls Inc, which was established in 2018. Its motto is “There is more in you!’ The organization assists women and youth by conducting self-esteem workshops, leadership training, business seminars, teaching entrepreneurship skills, and helping individuals become authors. The organization also provides goods and services for sale such as books and apparel.

“Witnessing the bond little girls and women had with their fathers was bittersweet for me. I always wondered what my relationship would have been like if I had a dad. However, I did not allow unwarranted feelings to influence my life.”

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My Insight Coaching is designed to assist all who seek to look at life through a different lens. Pache shares, “I want to create and provide opportunities for the less fortunate. I know firsthand what the consequences of growing up in an impoverished district is like, and where the required educational means are not provided. The kind of places where students are not heard, and teachers are imprudent about the student’s future.”

Pache says her company began many years ago.

“I have been motivating and encouraging others for years and the funny thing is I was not looking to make a business out of it. Yet, I always found myself supporting and pushing people to live out their dreams. I figured, why not make it official, so I attained a license to become a Certified Professional Coach,” she says.

Through every challenge and reward, Pache shares she finds inspiration in knowing that God loves her. “Without his grace and mercy, I do not know where I would be. The fact that He uses someone like me, with all my cracks and scars, keeps me humble and in a state of gratitude.

People will take what they see at face value, not understanding it’s expensive to be you. I often tell people I am made up of a bunch of little pieces,” she says.

Even more, she has a genuine love for helping others. “I love to see the lightbulb come on for my clients and whoever I impact. When they discover what they are made of and they begin to live out their purpose, that’s rewarding for me. The fact that I can be a part of someone’s transformation fuels me and helps me to persevere. I am also pushed by the love of my daughter. She is the reason I began to evolve. Once I understood the responsibility, I was tasked with taking care of another human being, I knew it was no longer about me and my wants, but about this person I created,” she says.

Pache Felton

My Insight Coaching www.myinsightcoaching.org

In the future, Pache says she is looking forward to working in the field of psychology and contributing to research and theories that influence how people residing in inner cities are educated. “My goal is to provide educational means to individuals who reside in poverty-stricken areas by creating an atmosphere that is conducive for creativity and innovation. My vision as a psychology practitioner-scholar is to work as a Program Development Specialist and collaborate with other practitioners, educators, and administrators. This will help me to obtain insight on what is desirable to help students succeed academically and professionally,” she says.

To learn more about Pache and her companies, please visit her website. h

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By Ayana Bryant Photos by Jaquilla Ross Far too often, so many people suffer the devastating consequences of bad spending habits. This issue seems to be a direct result of those same individuals being uninformed on the concept of financial literacy.

Milwaukee native, Jaquilla Ross of Ross Financial has made it her mission to educate and uplift her community to achieve financial freedom and regain control of their lives.

After graduating from Marquette University in 2011 with a bachelor’s in Accounting, Ross then immediately went on to receive her master’s in Professional Accountancy from The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, graduating in 2013.

After experiencing financial hardship of her own, Ross decided that it was her calling to educate others on how to avoid making the same mistakes she did.

Launching Ross Financial, LLC in July of 2016 would help her do just that, and after almost five years in business there is no denying the impact that Ross has made in her community. The relationships she creates with her clients is something she sees as financial therapy. She states, “I’m not a therapist but my coaching sessions are something that really motivates my clients to change their habits.”

Ross Financial prepares personal and business income tax returns, handles bookkeeping and accounting services for small to medium businesses. They also offer financial coaching services. Ross has been able to help her local community save nearly 30,000 dollars in taxes, successfully serving nearly 100 clients every tax season.

Throughout the remainder of the year, Ross Financial facilitates financial literacy workshops with organizations such as the African American Chamber of Commerce in Milwaukee, and the North West Side Community Development.

Ross still holds a strong understanding of how it felt to experience her own financial struggles and how a lack of knowledge got her to that place. That period in her life is what really keeps her motivated to continue moving forward and helping others.

“I’m not a therapist but my coaching sessions are something that really motivates my clients to change their habits.”

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Ross adamantly states that it is critical people understand the importance of managing their finances. When asked what major advice she could offer to someone just starting out Ross pushes three solid points. The first one is budgeting, creating a monthly budget will help to show you how much money you have and exactly where it is going. Secondly, be sure to save! A person should always pay themselves first by saving at least 5-10% of their income. Finally, plan for retirement no matter how young you are, “The younger you are the better! Starting off early just allows for more money you will have in the long run” says Ross.

Last year in 2020, Ross Financial helped to secure over 50,000 dollars in grants and payroll protection program funds for clients amid the COVID-19 pandemic. They’ve also had great success in restructuring many of its client’s tax structures. As a result, her clients were able to maximize their refund and nearly double what they originally assumed they would get back.

Along with the success of her business also comes its challenges. One that Ross has faced as a black female business owner has been fighting to be paid her worth. As a woman in this profession Ross notices that it is usually men who are more likely to challenge her prices, and it’s something that she has found to be quite disappointing.

Nevertheless, Ross remains determined and says this isn’t something that has discouraged her in her work.

The future looks bright for Ross Financial.

As the business continues to take on more and more clients, Ross plans to expand her tax business by one day acquiring an office space with a full staff of tax preparers.

However, her current focus is to continue facilitating workshops and securing speaking engagements to educate anyone who would like to learn.

Ross’s ultimate goal is to help her clients make money, keep money, and save money! Her hope is to one day become a global brand and teach others how to build economic wealth. h

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MAGAZINE

Cutest Baby

Prince Antonio Kelly The son of Dominique and Latisha Kelly

To submit photographs to be placed in the Huami Magazine Cutest Baby feature, please send a detailed email to huami.cutestbaby@gmail.com

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