Huami Magazine Hampton Roads March/April 2021

HAMPTON ROADS

®

March/April 2021 Vol. 1 Issue 10 FREE

Hampton Roads - March/April 2021

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Your Purpose Is Not A Laughing Matter A Letter From The Editor

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

A long time ago, 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 would change my life forever. This segment of time A Letter theperiod EditorEnglish class, and the first week of a new was during myfrom fourth school year.

What if tomorrow didn’t of ayour plans, hopes Back then I was mischievous, very arrive? sarcastic,Alland self-proclaimed and dreams wouldn’t a street to park on. What if my ‘class clown’.

I would try to sethave the tone for my classroom amongst everything thatand youI thought, decided the to put off until tomorrow classmates with jokes, bigger the audience, thenever grander my performance could be. would However, in this particular class, teacher happened?

There be no reason to save for the a rainy was a formidable opponent.

She was short inthe stature, veryofelegant day, and you could spare someone trouble makingand full of finesse, and seemed to lock in on me like a torpedo before tardy bell promises. What if your last opportunity seemingly the expired even sounded.

Her name wasyou Mrs. Kerr, and I would soon learn that she today? What would do? wasn’t one to play around.

I’ve been told that I often seem like I do too much.

One day while in English class, I began to get comfortable and execute Honestly, I feel like I am not doing enough and I’m a firm my form of cheap humor. I led off with a cough, and a slight sneeze; silly believer knowing thatwell God wouldn’t anythinginto on me acts that usuallyinworked pretty with getting put my audience position.

I couldn’t I sometimes wonder how life But mythat act was snuffedhandle. out immediately.

“Don’t you sneeze or would cough in be that if I chose to sitThose idle and accept whatspoken it presented I I my. Take outside”. were the words directlyto tome. me and have found that very boring.

In myinto opinion, opportunity knew she was serious byto thebeway Mrs. Kerr stared my eyes.

From that is a blessing that isn’t afforded to everyone.

A challenge point on, I never laughed in her class unless I was led by her permission to do so. to I must admit that my egoWhat was aislittle but can I would eventually me is an adventure. thebruised, worst that happen? get over If Iit.do nothing, I fail, and if I try I don’t, but instead learn

something new about myself. Relinquish your pride and in

In soreturn many words, helped me to understand my purpose in no acquireshe life. laughing matter. I genuinely appreciate Mrs. Kerr. She helped me to understand the English instruction she provided was not a laughing matter, The best advice ever given to me happened when someone and I or anyone else wouldn’t prevent the learning and growth of other told me to make my tomorrow happen today. In doing so students.

I have pressed my way through doors with a key that only hope provided.

I have also learned the difference As the school year progressed, I began to look forward to between my fourth what God blesses me with and what life can burden period English class and spending time with Mrs. Kerr.

I soakedme up with every bit as well. that I compare knowing when topoem, be confident andthem of information she hadittotooffer, studied every and recited when be quiet,and because back to her withtoprecision, made it a someone mayshe getchanged it confused point to show her that my life by stopping me from robbing myself of with being arrogant. sound instruction.

Make you tomorrow

Mrs. Kerr obviously loved and happen today, butme most her otherimportantly students, thousands of them make it count. she encountered for several decades of Life is but a whisper and teaching. She is my hero. Students like me we must put ourselves in a all deserve a hero such as Mrs. Kerr in their position what classrooms, eitherto in hear the form ofita is peer or telling us. instructor.

She helped me to understand that my purpose was no laughing matter.

TerryL.L.Watson Watson Terry 4

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Editor/Founder

www.huamimagazine.com Terry L. Watson

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mykelmedia@yahoo.com (336) 340-7844 HUAMI MAGAZINE is published quarterly by the Mykel Media Company. Any reproduction of any portion of this publication is prohibited without written permission from the publisher prior to doing so. Mykel Media doesn’t accept responsibility for statements made by individuals featured or advertisers. Comments concerning this publication Greensboro, NCeditor by may be submitted to the 2021 All Rights Reserved E-mail at terrywatson@huamimagazine.com terry.editor@yahoo.com or to Mykel Media Company, LLC P.O. Box 20102 Greensboro, NC 27420 HUAMI MAGAZINE 2014 All Rights Reserved

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Hampton Roads - March/April 2021

November/December 2014

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HAMPTON ROADS

CONTENTS

Word of God Fellowship

Pastor Mitch Summerfield

On The Cover

Mark Cooper Marching Elites Drill Team

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Innate Success

Shmeka Gibson

MARCH/APRIL 2021

26

18

Sweat Realty Group

Latoya Adkins

Love For Community

Terence Doctor

24

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Also Featured Cleveland

Christian Branding and Marketing Arshawna Warren

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St. Louis

30

New York/New Jersey

34

Perfect Skin Code Rhonda Crowder Let Me Help Your Business Grow Ashley Bishop

Detroit

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Philadelphia

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Elasticity Hair Care Sonya Molette CDB Foundation Khadijah Butler

Yolanda Smith

With coaching, she is helping others maximize their potentional in business Indianapolis, IN

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Cutest Baby Photo He is a real cutey.

Introducing Prince Antonio Kelly

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Hampton Roads - March/April 2021

By Gamal Williams Photos by Ronald Smith Photos by Gamal Williams “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach him to fish and you’ll feed him for a lifetime.” – Lao Tzu It’s a rainy day in the Pheobus section of Hampton, Virginia. A black SUV pulls into the empty parking lot of Mercury Entertainment Center, an old bingo hall converted into a community center and home to the award-winning Marching Elites. The silhouetted figure behind the steering wheel surveys the nothingness presence in the parking lot, then slowly exits his vehicle. The first thing one notices is his appearance; black hat, black jacket, black jeans, black Adidas…and a shiny law enforcement shield dangling from his neck. In many black neighborhoods, this means trouble.

Not in Hampton. Here, he isn’t a threat. Here, he is a hero.

Here, he is Colonel Cooper.

Colonel Cooper removes his keys to unlock the Entertainment Center’s double glass doors with sadness in his eyes. “If it wasn’t for this COVID, this place would be filled.” The foyer of the cement building is decorated with photos of Marching Elite teams from years past on the left, posters of concerts to the right. “We’ve had a lot of people come through here. The Persuaders, Blue Magic, The Temptations, Gerald Alston, Lenny Williams…they come and hold their concerts here. I’ll tell you; it would be old and young up in here. Everybody having a good time,” he says.

Where do the proceeds go? “You’re standing in it,” Colonel Cooper explains. “All of those concerts are to benefit the program and the community.” There is a longing in his voice. He stares out into the vast space of the Entertainment Center, but one can tell Mark doesn’t see empty chairs, unused parlor games, or a vacant stage; he sees memories.

Mark Cooper grew up in Hampton, having seen the best and worst it could offer. “I was headed towards the wrong path. My older brother was killed when I was 15, and he 17.

Stabbed right in front of me. I had to step up. My mother was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome and had to be in a wheelchair. My younger sister was disabled. I promised God if He got me and my family through this, I would give back,” he shared.

A few years before his brother’s death, Mark saw a marching group called the Blue Diamonds led by a man named Sgt. Moon. “They were sharp. I was like ‘Wow,” Cooper says. “I want to do that!” The then 12-year-oldwent into his backyard and started mimicking what he saw.

Before long, he formed his first marching team, the Bay Avenue Steppers. Joy takes over his voice when he speaks of the Steppers. “We were good. I had been creating my own steps and marches. I called it military-style funky drill.”

After his brother’s death, marching became an outlet, and soon, would become his focus.

Mark joined the Hampton High School Drill team, quickly becoming the team leader. The Hampton High School Crabbers became renowned for their precision and unique style, winning two national titles. After graduating, Mark

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enrolled in the Army Reserve Officer Training program at Hampton University. Even with a full course load, and a mother and sister that needed his support, Mark kept his promise to give back. He returned to Hampton High to coach the marching and drill teams.

During his junior year at Hampton University, the time came where he had to make a choice; leave for the Army and become an Officer or let that dream go to stay home with his mother, sister, and the children of Hampton. The choice wasn’t really a choice at all for Mark. “I had to stay. My mother and sister needed me here. No one else could take care of them. Plus, I had made a promise.”

Upon graduation, Mark went to work at the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind. It was there that Mark found his true calling. “One day I was out in the courtyard, practicing some drills.

I was so into what I was doing that I didn’t notice some of the kids were watching me. Now, the students were legally blind and deaf, but did have some ability to see and hear. They came up to me and said ‘Mr. Cooper, can you teach us to do that?’ I said yeah, but I wondered how am I gonna teach these kids how to march? I talked to the teachers at the school and the administrators, and we came up with a plan. We developed our own sign language specific to the movements we made for the kids who couldn’t hear. For the kids who couldn’t see, we developed special cadence and movements to work with them,” he shares.

What happened next was nothing short of amazing. Founded in 1989, the students of The Golden Elites from Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind became one of the most formidable teams in the nation. Two years later in 1991, they competed in the National Drill and Dance Team Championships in Orlando, Florida.

The only hearing-impaired/sightimpaired team in the competition went toe-to-toe with non-impaired teams.

Colonel Cooper begins turning the overhead lights on, pointing at the many activities that fill the 21,631 square foot facility. A large banner celebrating the 25-year anniversary of the Marching Elites hangs overhead. There are casino games along the left wall next to one of the two concession counters. A sea of tables, each with two chairs form an arena-style arch around a large stage to the right.

“That’s the stage right there. This is concert level equipment; speakers, lighting, everything,” says Colonel Cooper. “In fact, we have an upcoming performance, and the kids are supposed to come in and rehearse. We have this program called Old School and the Youngsters. I’ll get up there and sing old school music, the good stuff, and the kids back me up.” It’s only when he speaks of meeting up with the children later that evening, that he smiles for the first time, but then his renowned focused glare comes back.

With all the success the Golden Elites of the Virginia School for the Deaf and The Blind achieved, as well as his track record of winning at Hampton High School, in 1991 the City of Hampton

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Hampton Roads - March/April 2021

School Superintendent reached out to Mark and asked him to implement a similar program in a local elementary school. Mark formed the Marching Elites for 4th and 5th graders. The next year, the Superintendent wanted him to do it at another school. The year after that, the Superintendent asked Mark to implement his style of leadership, mentorship, accountability, and love in all 33 Hampton public schools. In 1993, Mark decided to form the Marching Elites. “I worked with the school district to get the word out for the open enrollment. I was expecting maybe 100 or 150 students to show up. Instead, 1,500 kids showed up. We could only take 300.” How did one man teach 300 kids how to march? He didn’t do it alone. He had help. His former students from the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind showed up, to give back.

As we tour the facility, what’s surprising is, besides the banner and photos in the foyer, nothing points to this being a facility for a nationally acclaimed drill team. We then make our way to the back of the facility, and behind the stage, secluded from normal view, is the trophy room. Two large display cases hold what a massive table could not, all filled with trophies. “These kids are amazing. Three national championships, and we have been all over; appeared 106 & Park on BET, Showtime at the Apollo, performed at the (2016) Chic-Fil-A Bowl, you name it,” he shares. I ask why all of this isn’t out on the main floor. “The Marching Elites, the drilling and the marching, that’s just the hook. That gets the kids in the door, the parents too,” Mark replies.

The Marching Elites, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization runs more than just its award-winning drill team. Seven minutes away from the Mercury Entertainment Center, is another facility, the Elites Youth Motivational Center. The Youth Motivational Center boasts a newly renovated gaming area, a STEM and computer lab, juice bar, and plans to build a studio for children to explore their musical talents. Most importantly, the Youth Motivational Center serves as an after school and summer camp, the latter providing children three meals a day from its in-house commercial kitchen, at a price of $65 per week. “I keep the bingo hall open a few nights a week to help pay the bills and subsidize these programs,” Mark states, “but the concerts, the prize money, all of it goes to keep these programs going for the low-income families…even if the kids don’t march.” The third and newest facility, houses The Little Tin Soldiers, a childcare center and accredited school, serving ages six weeks to 12-years-old.

When asked how he can staff all of these different facilities, he responds with pride. “We are a 95% volunteer organization. Part of a child being enrolled in the Marching Elites drill team is that the parent or guardian must volunteer in some capacity. It takes a commitment from the parents to be accepted. From fundraising, to cooking staff, to mentorship programs. If their grades aren’t up to par, we have parents and former students that tutor. We even have a security team that travels with us on the road. I certify them.”

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We travel to the Elites Youth Motivational Center, its parking lot empty as well, except for two large vans parked behind the building. As we enter, the sounds of men at work can be heard echoing throughout the empty space. “I got some people in here fixing some lights.” The building is divided into two parts separated by a 4-inch wall; one side is set up to host receptions, parties, or smaller concerts; the other is used for a kid’s paradise, full of games, computers, books, and televisions.

Colonel Cooper isn’t wasting this time. He would much rather have his buildings filled with children marching or studying or talking with one and other, but he settles for having contractors in the building making improvements for when they return. “I think the best part of all of this is when the kids themselves give back.”

One such kid, is now a United States Navy Reserve Officer and dental surgeon, Lieutenant Commander Donovan Caves.

Dr. Caves was one of the early Marching Elites members, joining in 1996 along with his younger sister. “At first it was just something to do, but it’s easy now to look back at it in a mature way. We have a large community and the kids in the program were from all different schools, kids that wouldn’t normally hang out. It was a way to come together other than sports,” Dr. Caves shares. When asked about Colonel Cooper, he pauses then lets out a loving chuckle as he begins to talk. “Coop, he is just…amazing! He’s so selfless and humble. I was fortunate in that I was able to hang out with him more than typical kids, and I’ll tell you, that man…as long as there’s a need, he will find a way to fill it. What really amazes me is that people are trying to find some sense of normalcy with COVID and everything, and somehow, he is fighting to help others. He has a way of making the extraordinary seem ordinary. It’s how he taught us, and what he taught us. Discipline and wanting to be disciplined to where you wanted to excel at being disciplined. Communication, precision, giving back. Skill sets that we would use throughout life. He would always tell us though ‘It’s not extraordinary; it’s what’s expected,’” Dr. Caves concludes.

Sasha lets out a long sigh to collect her thoughts. “While we were practicing, he would talk to us. Telling us stories, giving advice, encouraging us. He is just so special. I love him.” She continues, “And all of us that marched together, we still go back, we help the kids in the program now with their marching and join them in parades. All because of Colonel Cooper.”

The noise coming from the contractors in the adjacent room lets him know he needs to address something. He turns back to our conversation, but his eyes say everything.

Our time has come to an end. As we rise, he turns to me. “Is there anything else I can do for you?” Not wanting to tell him no, I simply thank him. He extends his hand; I open my arms and hug him. In our day together, I learned so much from Colonel Mark Cooper. Lessons of humility, selflessness, sacrifice, perseverance, and commitment. He smiles one last time, then he does something that surprised me, but probably shouldn’t have. He invited me back.

“When we open back up, when all this is over, come on by. Bring your son.” Yes, Sir. I most certainly will!

As we finish our tour, Colonel Cooper finally decides to sit down, and at the pace he has been moving, this might be the first time he has rested all day. “Donovan Caves, he is a great man. He’s on my Board of Directors now. Another young lady, Harmonie Mason, she has her own law firm now, Harmonie Law. She’s on my Board of Directors as well. They all came up together.” He smiles, then dives into his phone, asking me to excuse him, as if he could offend. It’s his daughter, a senior in college, returning his call. He then mentions another one of his many, many success stories.

Sasha Anderson, a Howard University senior, could hardly hold her emotions in when talking about Colonel Cooper. “I joined the Marching Elites in 8th grade. I had seen some pamphlets at school and decided ‘Why not?’ As soon as you get around him, and the program, and the other kids, you see it’s a place of love. It helped to get kids off the streets and it became something to look forward to. The best part is when the Alumni came back and taught us and marched with us. But Marching Elites became a family, you know. Marching allowed a release. I would look forward to Saturdays where we would all get together and talk. We all were experiencing things, but when we marched, there was an intensity to it because we knew it was more than us, it was bigger than us. He built that in us,” Sasha says.

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Mark Cooper

The Marching Elites Drill Team

Hampton Roads - March/April 2021

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Tyneka Howard - H2G Leadership Group Lead(H)er – Faith, Fitness, Relationship, & Career 202-709-6447 - www.h2gleadher.net

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By Jalessa Rogers Photos by Gwendolyn Wilson

Family, legacy, and generational wealth. These are three words the black community have been changing from a conversation piece, into a reality. Latoya Adkins is a real estate broker and the owner of Sweat Realty Group, LLC. She is a prime example of a black entrepreneur that is creating generational wealth and legacy for her family.

Adkins was born in Portsmouth, VA but was “humbly” raised by a tight knit family in Southampton County, VA. After graduating from Southampton High School in 1996, Adkins decided to join the military. With hopes of getting away from her community and seeing and learning something different, she served in the National Guard and Army Reserve as military police for eight years. After completing her active duty, she decided to pursue her dream of being a real estate agent. In 2008, she began her real estate journey, doing so while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Saint Paul’s College.

After completing her degree in 2012, and with the encouragement of a few friends, Adkins started making big strides in her career. This included getting her broker license and eventually starting her own company.

What started off as a solo venture turned into a continuously expanding realtor company that Adkins did not see for her future. “After disappointing experiences while working for companies, I decided to branch out on my own. I had no intentions of owning a company. I just wanted to work alone. But then came Sonya Davis, and she wanted to work with me, and that gave me the accountability to get my company together,” she says.

In December of 2017, Adkins opened her first realtor company in Franklin, VA. As someone who is known for their hard work, reliability, and being understanding, she was able to gain the attention of more realtors looking for a new and fresh start. In 2019, Adkins was able to expand her company to open a second location in Carrollton, VA. Although she had not set out to do this, she now has sixteen agents including herself. and she made sure that everybody that works with her just as committed to being successful at providing the best possible service to her clients as she is.

From the beginning of her journey until now, Adkins has maintained one of her biggest goals; family. “I have two children, so my goal was just to be comfortable in life financially, and be able to take care of my family and leave something for my boys,” she says. “My children have been my biggest motivation from day one.”

Moving forward, she has made God the focus of every transaction that happens at her company, stating that “everything that happened with my business was not my plan, every goal I set God told me that wasn’t good enough, and that He wanted more.”

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Sonya Davis- Realtor 757-653-8376 SonyaDavisGroup@gmail.com Sonya Davis is hard working and enthusiastic about helping her clients achieve their real estate goals. She has experience with buyers and sellers and her ultimate goal is helping her clients get through the real estate process as smoothly as possible.

Sonya has a Bachelors of Science degree in Psychology from Old Dominion University and a Masters of Science degree in Social Work from Norfolk State University and she previously worked in the field of social work for over 17 years. Sonya believes that this experience is what helps her to be a great real estate agent. She takes time with her clients to understand what their real estate needs are and to make sure that she provides each client with the care and concern needed when

Candice Watkins (757) 320-8526 cwatkinssrg@gmail.com As a Realtor, it is my goal to focus on being a client advocate with integrity. Using passion, knowledge, teamwork, effective communication, and a little fun I hope to make my client’s real estate transactions a positively memorable experience.

While I work with all Virginia clients, I am proud to say that I am a Military Relocation Professional as well as a Homes for Heroes Agent. Both programs provide ways to better assist and give back to those who do so much for our communities. I have taken extra steps to ensure that I have additional training and education to add special care to service members and community heroes that are looking to buy or sell.

Justin Boone Jtboonerealestate@gmail.com 757-681-2285 Providing a service with respects to the purchase and sale of real estate I am a born and raised Hampton Roads, Virginia native. I am a graduate of Old Dominion University where I obtained a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. I became interested in real estate in 2019 and obtained my real estate license in 2020. Being professional, compassionate and determined are just a few of my personal traits that aid me in making clients real estate experience a smooth and memorable one.

Denise Ricks 213 N Main Street Franklin, VA 23851 757-535-0761 I am an experienced Real Estate Agent and I believe that people know what they want, and it is my duty to help them find it. Excellent customer service, manners and respecting the opinions of others are very important. I started out as a real estate assistant in 2006 and I obtained my real estate license in 2007.

I became a Real Estate Broker in January 2021. I love working with buyers and sellers in order to help them to reach their desired real estate goals. This is not a job for me it is a gift, so the present is for you.

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Helping Buyers and Sellers with real estate transactions, Comparative Marketing Analysis Multiple Listing Service, Advertising, Marketing, Open Houses, Contract Preparation, Best Practices, Coordinate Property Showings & Closings, Selling Residential Homes, Commercial Buildings, Industrial and Land, Evaluate Mortgage Options, Facilitate Negotiations, Serve as a liaison between our clients and other professionals, Promote Property Sales, Developing Content for Presentations

Sherita Barham (757) 641-4318 sheritabsrg@gmail.com Area of Focus: Residential sales Please describe the products and services you offer: I provide great customer service to all clients, consult and guide each client throughout the home buying and selling process, and assist clients with purchasing or selling their home.

Jenifer Spratley- Real Estate Agent 757-291-1249 jenspratley@gmail.com

Donald N. Sullivan Jr.- Real Estate Agent 757-329-1857 WatchDonaldSell@gmail.com Donald epitomizes professionalism, enthusiasm, integrity and thoroughness, in every endeavor, to include your real estate transaction. From humble beginnings, he has learned from being in foster care that helping others is the highest commission a person can obtain while on earth.

As a real estate agent, Donald’s desire is to change lives by assisting in the pathway to changing your residence. Prior to becoming a real estate agent, Donald learned the power of discipline, dedication and order in accomplishing the mission at hand, as a U.S. Air Force Veteran. Donald has kept himself in proximity with community organizations that promote growth and development in youth, giving them a fair chance at success in life and ultimately future home ownership. Donald’s commitment to you is to provide you with the maximum level of service and to ensure your real estate goals are attained during these uncertain times.

Jacqueline Lasoce- Real Estate Agent (757) 324-6914 Jackielsrg@gmail.com Residential, Luxury & Commercial Sales To provide outstanding and informative customer service to all clients. I am Licensed to service all of Virginia. I am determined to make sure my clients go through the process as smoothly as possible, all while gaining knowledge. I provide free consultations for buyers and sellers.

I connect buyers and sellers with Lenders and Credit specialists. It’s Your Time!

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Jamecia Hawkins 757-207-0574 jamecia23hawkins@gmail.com www.jameciahawkins.com First Time Home Buyers, Buyers, and Sellers I provide each client, with an experience of a lifetime, making the home buying process, as smooth as possible. I alleviate the stress and worries that my clients may have, by educating them on the process, before and during.

Erica Ellison- Real Estate Agent 757-648-9283 EricaSoldMyHome@gmail.com

Tameka Henry 757-343-4641 tamekahenryrealtor@gmail.com hwww.homesforheroes.com/affiliate/tameka-henry Military, teachers, firefighters, police, EMS, medical field, 1st time home buyers As the Real Estate Tutor I offer hands on, step by step guidance throughout the process. From dreams to reality!

Dametrice Goodwyn – Realtor 757-377-2719 Goodwyn29@gmail.com

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The AMP TEAM consist of two generations of real estate professionals who understand the value of family. Shayla Albergottie, Jackie Myrick and Felicia Parker have over twentyfive years of experience as agents in the Hampton Roads Area.

We possess similar core values, which include loving God first, family and real estate. We have a passion for serving our clients while assisting them in achieving their homeownership or investment goals. Our personal investments in real estate have afforded us the knowledge to educate and assist our clients in the homeownership process. The AMP TEAM is confident that your real estate needs will be met with satisfaction and we will provide results that move you.

Shayla Albergottie- 757-572-7740 Jackie Myrick- 757-303-5846 Felicia Parker- 757-651-9287 Email: TheAMPTeam@gmail.com

“After disappointing experiences while working for companies, I decided to branch out on my own. I had no intentions of owning a company. I just wanted to work alone.”

Latoya Adikns

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Innate Success Corp.

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Hampton Roads - March/April 2021

By Teyah Gilmore Photos by Shmeka Gibson People who have innate abilities are bred with special qualities. These qualities can help them become successful in their career or life. Shmeka Gibson and Innate Success Corp. focus is to bring out their clients’ natural talents, because being special is not for the ordinary.

Located in Memphis, TN, Innate Success Corp. provides a variety of business options, tools and resources needed to develop business owners, organize business practices, enhance the leader traits in individuals, and promote potential business leaders. Innate Success core services also gives guidance and writes grants for companies allowing them to potentially have funds for future projects.

Innate Success core service provides sustainable advice and business models for companies. Other aspects include data analysis, a virtual learning site and personal/professional development workshops that help the clients build a stronger foundation.

Many of the services are offered through contracts or a paid membership through the virtual learning site.

In sense, they are planting seeds for companies to grow, and not just for the companies that can afford it.

Shmeka is a strong advocate for the community and offer many opportunities for individuals looking to start a business or enhance a skillset. She offers a business mentorship program for start-up and grassroot businesses to receive organizational and program development. Gibson also has her own radio show called “Mindset Shift” which airs on Sunday mornings at 10:00 am, EST. As a writer, she has authored three books based on a model she created called Changing the Mindset©. This model applies Psychology principles to help people alter their behaviors to change their behavior. Her business is centered around the Changing the Mindset© concept.

Shmeka believes that everyone deserves to have a chance to be great, mainly because she was given one as well. Before Innate Success Corp. (previously known as SG Consulting and data started in 2018) was re-branded and launched in 2021, Shmeka was on a journey to finding her own innate gifts. Her career began with her working in social services, 17 years ago. However, at that time in her life, she felt it was time to change. “I’m going through the data piece.

I’m going through processes and systems, and then, that’s when I decided to change my degree from counseling to industrial organizational psychology.” exclaimed Shmeka while working for a company before her own.

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“Probably about a month later, I did a story with a local magazine here in Memphis.

They were asking me questions about my consulting business and grant writing and wanted to know how businesses become sustainable. That magazine article was a success and from that moment, I went from making $30,000 annually to booking $30,000 contracts.”

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Gibson worked for many companies that enhanced her skills and pushed her to the fullest potential. She always had a skillset in data base management and processing systems, but those skills were nurtured and enhance through her professional experiences.

Through life, she experienced relationship shifts and business trail and errors, but she was not determined to give up.

Things took off fast. One of her published books in her Changing the Mindset©. trilogy would give her the break of her life. “Probably about a month later, I did a story with a local magazine here in Memphis. They were asking me questions about my consulting business and grant writing and wanted to know how businesses become sustainable. That magazine article was a success and from that moment, I went from making $30,000 annually to booking $30,000 contracts,” she says. From those contracts she supported organizations with applying for emergency relief funds and non-profit grants. Those opportunities helped her, and her staff stay employed during the pandemic and to sustain her business. Donations poured in for the mentorship program which allowed Innate Success to offer free services to 20 businesses worldwide to help their business also stay sustainable. Gibson also donated to other nonprofits during the pandemic.

Therefore, the community so strongly resonates with her. From her family, friends, and constituents in the community, Shmeka has been supported along the way.

From mentoring workshops to almost finishing the final Changing the Mindset© book, she intends to return that love by helping clients and communities be their best selves. In the pages of her legacy, she hopes that it is written that her focus is not only about success, but how she got there and helped other people.

“When I leave this earth, I want people to say that Shmeka creates opportunities for other people. Shmeka made sure she brought out the best in you, and excellence was always, always the standard when you interacted with Shmeka,” she says.

Considering this, Shmeka also loves to give people joy. In the meantime, she will continue to pour into the lives of others and serve her community, with a heart of joy.

Shmeka Gibson 901-238-7511 www.innatesuccess.org service@innatesuccess.com 21

Author, Community & Youth Advocate

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By David Hendricks Photos by Terence Doctor They say that “It takes a village to raise a child.” Terence Doctor provides Hopewell, VA with a much-needed leader in the African American community to lead its village.

Terence was born in Queens, New York and spent the first four - five years of his life there before relocating to Richmond, Virginia, where he currently still resides.

In Richmond, Terence is known for his devoted community involvement and concern for the betterment of people, specifically African Americans.

After graduating from Hopewell High School in 2004, Terence went onto to attend Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, NC before transferring to Virginia State University. After a few semesters at VSU, he decided to take some time off from school. “I needed a break and wanted to give myself an opportunity clearly think my next step in life,” he says. He recently reenrolled in school at Liberty University.

Terence has faced his share of challenges. He grew up in a single-parent household with his mother, as an only child in Hopewell. This was in a neighborhood where hearing police sirens and gunshots were an accepted part of the landscape.

“It was normal in my neighborhood which was also filled with talents and gifts, but had limited resources and little encouragement for the youth,” Terence said. He knew as a child that he wanted more out of life, and he also wanted to give back to his community when offered the chance.

Terence’s book, “Please Give Me A Dollar” is essentially the journal of his life, made public. It is an inspirational and motivational book of nuggets or what he calls “life lessons” that he’s learned with the purpose to inspire others to find their happiness and purpose. He says his inspiration for writing the book was rooted in his passion to inspire others to go after their dreams and happiness.

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Terence also leads a non-profit organization called Blueprint to Manhood, which is geared for young men ages 7-17. It focuses on uplifting, mentorship, and guiding young men into their journey of manhood. He created Blueprint to Manhood due to a lack of programs and events for young men within his communities, outside of sports.

He has also published another book, Please Give Me A Dollar, which focuses on mankinds obsession with money. “The concept of using “dollar” was speaking from the viewpoint of searching for self and happiness and compared it to a form of currency. In other words, one’s happiness or “dollar” may appear insignificant to others but has the most worth in their life. I do not want or desire what others have, I want my happiness or “dollar”.”

Terence’s goal was to always to be active in the community rather than to be a leader. “We are obligated to be active in the community in someone or another. As Brother Malcolm X once said, ‘So early in my life, I had learned that if you want something, you had better make some noise’. Me being active in my community is my ‘noise’ and paying homage to those before me, to carry on and push towards equality,” Terence said.

According to Terence, the importance of Self-Love is the most important life lesson. “When you understand and know who you are, there is no limit to where you can go.”

TerenceDoctor22@gmail.com Facebook: Terence Doctor Motivational/Author Facebook: Brother A.P. Instagram: pharaoh_doctor Facebook: Blueprint to Manhood Instagram: blueprinttomanhood

Terence’s inspiration is God, his wife Joni, his children Cameron and Peyton Zora, his hometown of Hopewell, Virginia, and the surrounding areas. He is also inspired by young, optmisitic people who are looking to better themselves and their environments. He also considers his family to be his biggest accomplishment. Becoming an author, founder of a non-profit, and enrolling back into college, are some as well. “They’re all big accomplishments because growing up I didn’t feel that they were achievable goals,” he says.

Terence is prouder of “Blueprint to Manhood” than “Please Give Me A Dollar because he values seeing young men growing more positive in our communities is better than anything he’s done individually. He loves the community aspect of his nonprofit organization.

Terence’s advice to young people would be “Accept accountability for your actions, adjust and live your life for the better. Things may be rough right now but continue to stay the course and believe in you! Tap into your greatness. Be great in all you do, for the world is yours,” he says.

In the near future, Terence and his wife will be expecting their new baby girl in May 2021. He is also looking to complete his degree and another book will be published in the near future as well. h

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One on One with

Pastor Mitch Summerfield Word of God Fellowship Church 3000 Rock Quarry Road, Raleigh, NC 27610 www.wogfc.org

Who is Pastor Mitch Summerfield?

This is a very layered question. He’s a very lovely son, husband, brother, leader, pastor, and in some cases, he’s also a mentor, and entrepreneur.

When did you become the Pastor of Word of God Fellowship?

I officially became the Pastor of Word of God Fellowship on March 3, 2018.

What is the focus and foundation of your ministry?

Healing hurting people spiritually and naturally is the foundation at Word of God Fellowship. As a leader and pastor, my utmost desire and love is community. One thing I realized as a child, was that I was always a giver. My father raised myself and my siblings to be a giver, to never be selfish, to be willing to give your last, be willing to help others no matter how God blesses you. I stuck with that. I saw my father do it, I saw my mother do it, I heard them preach it. That has always been my thing, and it’s what I wanted to do. In college, me and my friends started a company that helped the underprivileged community, people that have mental health disabilities. I’m dyslexic and was born with dyslexia, which is a developmental delay. I’ve always been partial to people who are underprivileged, who are fighting, who are trying, but in some ways have not been given the opportunity. I would say the fabric and core of who I am is healing hurting people.

How has your ministry impacted your life?

After the loss of both my parents in 2017, the church was a family started ministry which started over 30 years ago. The people in the church have watched me grow up. The people who serve in ministry with me have wrapped their arms around me, wrapped their arms around my vision. They didn’t try to stifle who I am. They adjusted and we just got involved together. Especially during this pandemic, I witness people really carry out the vision from soles to polls, Covid 19 testing, helping the community, and education arms. All the things I have a vision for the people with the church just helped support the efforts and that was so refreshing.

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What is your testimony?

I would say my testimony is overcoming every obstacle that had me thinking I wasn’t going to amount to anything, as well as all of the stereotypes that have been placed on African American men for centuries. So many people get swayed by things in their lives. If I would have gotten swayed by the amount of losses I had, I think I would have given up on my faith. My biggest/ greatest testimony is staying true to my faith, and making sure my faith is stuck to the fabric of who I am.

What is your viewpoint of the Covid 19 pandemic and how has Word of God responded?

There have been a lot of people who have died and lost their lives. And I feel horrible, from a natural perspective.

It has hurt our people, our nation. During the Black Lives Matter Movement, you think of how many black lives, both male and female, that have been murdered and killed? It has been traumatic. I feel like the pandemic has created a sense of trauma that is going to take a while to heal from. On the other side, there’s another perspective to see of those who survived. I feel if we listen and learn, we will become stronger after. If we can get through this, we can get through anything. We had to stay home, we had to wear masks, some people have been without food, others without electricity, some have been kicked out of their homes. I believe that in some cases for people it will be a fresh start for people. I feel it will be an awakening moment that they learn from this. Some people’s families got stronger, it got hard for a long minute but then strength began to happen. We’ve spent more time with our families,and spent more time in our homes than ever before. It’s like the whole world had to slow down for us to witness and experience these things. It’s been uncomfortable, traumatic, stressful, frustrating. But for me in some ways it’s been rewarding because I’ve learned and listened which is something difficult to do when you’re caught in the hustle and bustle of everything.

How are you and your church involved in your community?

We’ve always had a prison ministry for men and women. We’ve always fed the community and that’s something I always want to continue just because of my giving spirit. I think the younger generations are called to lead that charge. The younger generation is very cause and purpose driven. The churches over the years have steered away from it and now they are coming back to it. When we do that as leaders and as churches it ignites something in young people, it ignites something in the community. I believe that’s one way we begin to rebuild the community.

Who or what inspires you the most?

One is studying God’s word which inspires me the most. The second is watching people develop and grow to go from one place in where they started from joining the church or started ministry. Lastly is reaching my community.

When it’s all said and done, what would like for your legacy to be?

I would want my grandchildren’s grandchildren to continue the message of healing hurting people. I feel like in this world it’s always going to be somebody hurting, someone in need. If we care about others more than we care about ourselves God will always bless us. I would want that message to continue. I would want that to be what the Mitch Summerfield legacy is all about.

If anything at all, what would you change about your journey?

I think I’m not sure what those things would be. I’m sure I’ll find a way to put more down time in. I’ll have more time for self care, in the beginning of my ministry. The first three years of my ministry I had to roll my sleeves up and get to work. I had to just jump right in and go for what I knew. I was doing on the job training developing people, getting a hold of ministry, and preaching and teaching. So going into year five of ministry and year ten, I’m really focusing on having more down time for self care. 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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Perfect Skin Code

By Arielle Kilgore Photos by Kimberly Brown

Confidence is not just a feeling. It is a look.

Kimberly Brown, a dermatologist, understands the importance of having great skin and wants to share her talent and knowledge with everyone.

Perfect Skin Code, founded by Kimberly Brown, is a personal brand that prides itself on helping people achieve great skin, and keeping it. Brown’s company can be found in St. Louis, Missouri.

She shares how her clients would come into her office and ask how she was able to get her skin so perfect. “Truth is, you can’t have someone else’s skin, you just have to develop a code that works for you,” she says. Some of her products include a vitamin C serum and retinol for discolored skin. Her company also provides tools and tips for the face that help educate the masses. While most people believe that skincare has to be strenuous and costly, Brown consistently demonstrates that having good skin can be as simple as one, two, three.

Brown has served as a professional dermatologist for ten years. While in her capacity, she has dealt with discoloration of skin, and other facial problems such as acne.

Perfect Skin Code LLC is about finding your secret combination that can give you clear results. She released her product line on January 26, 2021, with the goal to help people not ignore their skin anymore, but to embrace it and feel better about themselves. Moreover, since Covid-19 has reached its one-year anniversary, she believes that achieving what you want most, should not stop you. Not even a virus.

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Although skincare can make or break any opportunity for anyone, Brown believes that women of color should be invested in more. “Women of color are at a deficit when it comes to taking care of what’s important. I just decided that it was time to kind of reach out beyond the confines of my office and help educate women about their skin, especially African American women,” Brown explained. In an article published by the New York Times, women of color are more difficult to treat because of their high frequency to contract dark spots, discolorations, yellowing, or other problematic skin conditions. Even three years after the release of the article, a few brands, including Brown’s, have developed lines specifically for African Americans and their problems. “We tend to either ignore our skin or we don’t know what to do based on the special needs that we have.

That’s what made me decide to start by providing education and then branch out into offering a few products,” she says.

Furthermore, the inspiration for her work does not only come from the women in her community, but her personal experiences also drive her to make other people’s lives as uncluttered and as close to as arrant as she is today.

Several years ago, Brown was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Her diagnosis then helped her achieve what she was made to do, which was help other clients succeed in their dreams and in hers. Writing down her plan and doing things one day at time is how Brown met her goals. She also explained that having a support system and having specific people to do things she isn’t able to, aid in her accomplishments as well. “We all have strengths and weaknesses, but we must know them and ask for other ideas and expertise. This is how people grow and become great. It takes a village,” Brown said.

Moving forward, her goal is to keep making products, specifically for African American women. As a dermatologist who’s worked in skin for 10 years and has concise knowledge on women, it is her duty to continue to empower and educate those around her. “Vanity is not a bad thing, neither is wanting to look good. I believe you shouldn’t be deprived of that. It should be a part of who you are,” she says.

To learn more about Kimberly Brown and the Perfect Skin Code product line, please contact her directly or visit her website. h

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I Am Ashley Bishop 34

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By Terry L. Watson Photos by Ashley Bishop Ashley Bishop of New Jersey is a website designer and brand strategist who is passionate about helping aspiring and ambitious current small business owners and entrepreneurs create brands that leave lasting impressions. She has a degree in Information Technology and Digital Communications from Rutgers University, and has extensive educational background in technology, digital marketing, and design. Ashley not only brings a trained perspective, but also a personal spark that helps turn everyday visions into real brands and websites.

Many of the products offered by Ashley are designed for ambitious and aspiring small business owners, as well as entrepreneurs who are ready to elevate their brands.

These products include Brand Strategy, Brand Design, Website Design, Social Media, Graphic Design, and Brand Packaging.

Her path to entrepreneurship began while she was a freshman in college. She shares, “I always loved creative design and I’m a very social person and so what came next made perfectly good sense. I created social media graphics for local small businesses near my campus and through referrals, my services became more popular.

I started officially freelancing my sophomore year in college. With my educational background, I became deeply knowledgeable about technology and building digital presences, and I looked for mentors to work with.

Three years later, I established my business and I’ve been fortunate to assist many clients since doing so,” she says.

While she expresses that she is mostly inspired by God. While her journey has been difficult, because she didn’t waiver and continued to rely on her faith, she was able to stand. Additionally, she shares her mom has had the biggest impact on her life and career. Her mother passed when she was young. Though she was able to instill enough confidence and ambition into Ashley that she says will last a lifetime. “It is because of her that I know anything is possible and I refuse to settle for anything less than reaching my goal.”

The life of an entrepreneur is challenging, and often unpredictable. Ashley knows this firsthand and offers some advice to anyone who is considering taking the leap into her world. “Just do it. Ignore the fact that everyone else is doing what you do. Ignore everyone who doubts you. Have so much faith in yourself that you can’t allow yourself to fail.”

Moving forward she hopes to help current and aspiring small business owners and entrepreneurs, escalate their brands. She is currently working on scaling her business and expanding her team, all while looking for ways to help others.

www.iamashleyjbishop.com

To learn more about Ashley, please visit her website.

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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

www.iamarshawna.com

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Elasticity Hair Care

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By Ayana Bryant Photos by Livin For Media Photography

Many industries endured a major hit from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. The world of cosmetology and small businesses within it came to a complete halt by the orders of local and state governments everywhere, with some being unable to sustain the blow. Local Detroit salon owner and businesswoman, Sonya Molette managed to keep her 20-year-old business alive and even used her time during the shutdown to develop a new venture.

Molette, born and raised in Detroit, Michigan is leaving her mark on the hair industry in her unique way. She was given by mother to be raised by her grandparents at age of nine. She also suffered the loss of her mother at age 16 although, in what she describes as an unpleasant time in her life. Molette grew ip spoiled, loved and with lots of structure in her life. Always finding herself in leadership positions throughout school, she quickly realized that she enjoyed leading a team and excelling in whatever field she entered. This began to awaken an entrepreneurial spirit within her and inspired her to pursue something she had always loved, which was hair. She began to make money in school charging her classmates for finger waves and pony tails during lunchtime. Then she’d parade up and down the block with her “dollar gel” servicing many new clients.

After ditching the idea to pursue a career in mortuary science, Molette enrolled at Detroit’s own Preston and Anna’s Beauty School. Now following her passion, she received her cosmetology license. After graduating, she began working at various beauty salons in the city. She paid very close attention to learn all she could to gain experience and learn the ropes of the salon business. When that entrepreneurial spirit was reawakened yet again, she made the decision to open her own salon taking everything she had learned into consideration, but on a greater level.

Molette opened the doors to Hype Hair Salon, LLC in November of 2001 and will be celebrating 20 years of business this year.

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“ Being a single mother and running a salon from sun-up to sun-down was challenging. I’ve had breaking points but never broke, so that’s where I got the name.....Elasticity.”

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Hype Hair Salon remains as one of the top hair salons within the metro Detroit area.

Offering service for all phases of hair, they are known for styling to perfection. When the pandemic hit last year, the salon had to close its doors, generating absolutely no revenue for any of its stylists or the owner. Molette says that experience has surely reminded her that as a business owner you must keep your finances in order. She encourages other small business to save as much as they can because you never know when something like this can happen, and preparation is key.

Although 2020 was a very difficult time it gave Molette the opportunity to begin developing her own faith-based product line, Elasticity Hair Care. She partnered with a local manufacturer handpicking each specific ingredient that would most benefit her customers hair and a chemist to help her solidify the formulas. This product line includes a therapeutic purifying shampoo and conditioner, leave in conditioner, heat protectant, holding spray, silk and serum, and also a luminosity sheen. Molette says that God gave her the name Elasticity and shares, “Being a single mother working, and running a salon from sun-up to sun-down was challenging. I’ve had breaking points but never broke, so that’s where I got the name Elasticity. The ability to stretch and bounce back without breaking. I call my Ministry in a Bottle.” She hopes that these products will help women spiritually as well as physically. Elasticity Hair Care will launch in June 2021.

Molette says that her three beautiful daughters are what motivate her to continue thriving and working hard. “Failure was never an option for me. I thrive on making it and just being successful in every right,” she says.

With a successful career spanning over the last 25 years, she has definitely left her mark on the industry. Her accomplishments also include working as a celebrity stylist for some of our favs such as The Clark Sisters, The Sheards, Judge Hatchett, Judge Mablean, and even Hoopz from the hit reality TV show Flavor of Love, plus many more.

Molette’s future plans for her career include promoting her hair line and opening a second Hype Hair location in Texas, where she plans to relocate. After the launch of Elasticity Hair Care in May, she plans to begin work on two new collections, Elasticity Natural and Elasticity Kids.

Sonya Molette Elasticity Hair Care 248-403-3404 42

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His Legacy Lives On

By Gamal Williams Photo by CDB Scholarship Foundation Inc

How does one turn tragedy into legacy? When the Butler family experienced the tragic murder of her father, the question wasn’t first and foremost in Khadijah Butler’s mind. Craig Butler’s life was an inspiration to Khadijah. Her face lights up when speaking about him. “My father was a family man; he was the life of the party. He was big on having a moral compass, and how my sister and I were to be perceived in the world. He was also a very giving man. He was murdered when I was 19, shot in the groin by a 14-year-old boy over a dispute. Yet, in that short amount of time in my life, he dropped so many jewels on me,” she shares.

The trial of her father’s murderer took a toll on Khadijah. “My first year at Temple University was tough. The trial was over the summer; it was on television and in the newspapers,” she says. She remembered her father’s lessons on education and fearlessness and stayed the course. After graduating summa cum laude with her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology (the study of the mechanics of body movements), the native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, saw herself working for her hometown team. “I initially wanted to be an athletic trainer for the Eagles! I thought it would be such a cool thing not only as a woman, but as an African-American woman,” she says. When Khadijah went to ply her craft, the hurdles necessary to break into the NFL as an athletic trainer left her a bit discouraged.

“I had to decide and learn how do I pivot. Initially, I though about nursing, but then an old friend said ‘Why don’t you get into clinical research? You have such a big heart and already give back so much.

That is an industry you don’t see us in,’” Khadijah says. The idea intrigued her. “I thought ‘Okay. I could still use my degree. I could still focus on science. I could be a part of a new medical treatment or medication that could help people, especially with what’s going on today with COVID-19. Plus, I saw that there wasn’t really a lot of African-American women in that field.”

Undeterred and renewed, she decided to recommit herself to school and obtained her Master of Science in Management from Rosemont College. “I get my work ethic from my father, my fearlessness from him,” she shares. Khadijah accepted a position as a Project Data Manager for Clinical Research Organization, an opportunity that became extremely fulfilling for her. Yet, despite all of her success, Khadijah felt she could be doing more. It was then

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she remembered the life of someone that molded her into the strong, black woman she is today, her father.

Khadijah wanted to honor her father’s memory while helping the youth of Philadelphia. “We all know the gun violence that occurs in Philly, the educational gaps that exist in America, and when I think of the 14-year-old boy, who is now a man and still in prison, I wondered how could I tie all of that together to honor him? I wanted to redirect our youth on education and not gun violence,” she says.

In January 2020, Khadijah started the Craig D. Butler Scholarship Foundation with the goal of providing scholarships to deserving students. According to the Craig D. Butler Scholarship Foundation website, the CDB aims to aid young adults from under-served populations to pursue higher education. Each year, the CDB Scholarship Foundation will seek future high school graduates to offer financial support as they pursue their dreams in the aftermath of gun violence. The CDB Scholarship is an annual, merit-based competition, that focuses on instilling philanthropic values in ambitious, driven, goal-oriented individuals.

“I didn’t want to make the scholarship centered around what happened to my dad,” Khadijah explains, “but so many people became connected to my story. I decided if I was going to start a business, I wanted to do something to memorialize him. I toyed with the idea for years, then finally decided to just do it. I said, ‘This is the time!’ I wanted to do something to give back and build our family legacy,” she says.

Khadijah smiles now when she talks about her father, because it always leads to discussions of the CDB and how his legacy lives on. “It’s been twenty years since his death, and I miss him, but I am giving back to Philly and getting his name out there in a positive light through the scholarship,” she says.

Hard work. Sound morals. Giving back. Principles that define who Craig D. Butler was as a man, husband, and father, and now his legacy lives on thanks to his daughter for future generations to emulate.

To learn more about the Craig D. Butler Foundation, visit www. craigdbutlerscholarship.com or you can email Khadijah at info@ craigdbutlerscholarship.com. h

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Branding 4 Success LLC

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By Dorjae’ McClammey Photos by Faith Blackwell Photography Introducing, Yolanda M. Smith, a people growth leader, and brandthrupist.

As a personal branding expert and career coach, Yolanda has a passion for helping others achieve their highest potential by unleashing the power of personal branding. She teaches her clients how to articulate their value, live authentically, and stand out so they can earn, lead, and win more.

Born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, Yolanda grew up in a singleparent household with her brother and was blessed to never want for anything. Her mother, an amazing woman who did everything for her children, always told her that she can be anything she wanted to be as long as she worked hard for it. Her mother instilled this mindset into Yolanda giving her the power and courage to make whatever she wanted, a reality.

Yolanda attended St. Rita Catholic School for elementary, and there she had a community of people that cared for her.

Her mother was adamant about making sure she received the best education so, when it was time for her to attend high school, they moved out to the suburbs which opened the opportunity for her to enroll at North Central High School, a township school. “There I received a sort of culture shock with only 10% of the population being African American, and realized I had to learn how to assimilate with others, she says. While this was easy for my brother, it took me a minute to adjust, then finally, I guess I realized well, if you’re going to have fun, if you’re going to live fulfilled, you’re going to have to figure this one out.”

Her next move landed her at Indiana University - Kelly School of Business which she paid for herself, in full, without taking out a single loan. While in school, she and a friend started their own business, a clothing line of imprinted sportswear called Yotra Designs. Once she graduated, the duo shut their business down and Yolanda moved to Tennessee after accepting a job in pharmaceutical sales. She would eventually hold different roles in the industry, but soon focused on expanding her education and went back to school to obtain her master’s in business administration at Indiana Wesleyan University, and in true Yolanda fashion, paid for it herself. She now lives in Indianapolis and is married with two children. This is also where Branding 4 Success, LLC was born.

Back in 2009, Yolanda was asked to be a part of a team that would help create employee engagement strategies. One day, she was in a meeting and in walked the CEO of the company she worked for. He was going around the room Yolanda shares, asking everyone who they were and what they did. When he got to her, she choked. At that moment she knew

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she had blown the opportunity to tell the single most highest-ranking man in the company, something interesting about herself, and not just her job title. She took that as a learning experience. Fast forward to 2013, she is now the chairman of the board of the non-profit organization, Girl Talk Incorporated.

While brainstorming on how the organization could do more for the girls in programming (ages of 10 to 18), she started researching topics and came upon the idea of, you guessed it, personal branding.

After doing more research, she ended up creating a personal branding workshop. While presenting these workshops to the girls, she noticed that their mothers would stay for the sessions, and told her how they need the information as well. Yolanda took that as an opportunity to take her workshop to the next level and serve corporate professionals.

She held two workshops during one of the employee resource group forums at her company, both packed with hundreds of participants and when she took the stage, she knew she was in her element. In that moment, she knew this was her calling. “That’s when I knew, I have something here. I just knew...this was my purpose, to help others build a powerful personal brand” she says.

The real magic of Branding 4 Success happens when Yolanda and her team help others discover their true self, their superpower and passion. Now let it be known that the difference between Yolanda and other motivational speakers is that she follows up with action. While some motivational speakers inspire you in that moment, Branding 4 Success not only inspires, but offers practical solutions to get you into action through classes, workshops, coaching, and more. Yolanda helps people take the journey of not only branding themselves, but also bringing their vision to reality, “I take people through a process to help them understand what their purpose and values are, know their why, and then know their worth.

Because once someone gets this, they acquire a level of courage and confidence that is unwavering,” she says.

Along with her business, Yolanda has authored a best-selling book called Reputation to Reward: Mastering Your Brand Signature to Earn More, Lead More, Win More. She also facilitates masterclasses to corporate and non-profit organizations, and associations. She has an online course called Reputation to Reward: Creating and Maximizing Your Brand Signature and provides individual and group coaching programs which are customized based on the client’s needs. One of her popular programs is the Brand Assessment Survey, where she uses a validated tool to assess people’s brands. Her other coaching programs are customized to ensure she helps clients brand themselves and strategize to accomplish their goals. She is also a National Public Speaker available for booking.

Yolanda emphasizes the importance of having a powerful personal brand, especially during the uncertain times the world is currently experiencing. People are starting to feel invisible due to the isolation from the pandemic. “How do you maintain and elevate your visibility so you can continue to achieve the reward you desire?”. She states you must use the best of what you have, to keep moving forward.

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Hampton Roads - March/April 2021

Hampton Roads - March/April 2021

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“It’s not about getting back to normal; we won’t be going back to normal, and who wants to go back anyways. Who said it was all that great,” she says? “I like the idea of getting to a better place, something new and exciting. Now is the opportunity that individuals have to be able to transition and reinvent themselves and start doing what they are passionate about.”

Yolanda teaches her clients everything she has learned through her own trial and error, so they will not make the same mistakes.

Fortunately, she has experienced success, despite not having any mentors or coaches until she was mid-career. “I often stop and think about how much further I could have gone faster if I had guidance. When I was faced with certain obstacles, I realized I could have navigated through them better if I knew the protocols of corporate America,” she says. She learned that you must be strategic and intentional with the things you do to ensure you get results, and that not everyone is interested in your opinion, so think before you speak.

“Influential people are not concerned with always being right; they are concerned with being effective,” she says.

A major situation that helped push Branding 4 Success forward happened when her job underwent a massive restructuring. All her coaches, mentors, and sponsors were gone. Team Yolanda was out the door and the replacement boss was not exactly her cheerleader.

It seemed like they made it a mission to bring Yolanda down and she took the wait and see approach. “I knew I had not done anything wrong,” she shares. That was a huge mistake as the narrative they created resulted in Yolanda being demoted, and the remainder of her team were taken away. This became a true nightmare for her. Yet, Yolanda stated that she knew in the end, she had no one to blame but herself. “I knew how to brand myself. I knew the importance of telling your story because if you don’t tell your story someone else will and it may not be the story you want to have told. The reason I didn’t crumble is I already had built my brand, I was confident in myself, and when you build your brand, you know who you are,” she said.

She has also made it clear that just because she is an entrepreneur, she wasn’t going to stop generating multiple streams of income. She didn’t leave her employer, and now, as a parallel-prenuer she still works in the corporate setting, and her employer is a big consumer of her branding services. “They utilize me to teach employees how to be visible and gain recognition for the expertise they have to advance their careers.

Yolanda notes that her greatest satisfaction comes from seeing others succeed, “working with other people and seeing their successes is one of my greatest accomplishments.” It should also be mentioned that she has many awards under her belt, including the LRL President’s Award for Diversity, the 360PM Elite Award for Transformational Leadership, and the Indianapolis Business Journal named her one of the 2017 Women of Influence. She admits that receiving external rewards and recognition is awesome because it lets her know the work she’s doing truly matters.

Yolanda has shown us that she is a non-stop woman of motivation. In January, she experienced a few nights of restlessness and was constantly awoken out of her sleep, and hearing the words, “Look Up, Get Up, Level Up.” At first, she ignored it, but once it happened the second night, she realized she wasn’t going to get any sleep until she figured out what this meant. So, she looked up, got up, and went to her office, and she began brain dumping. “Within two hours, I had a full-blown 4-week group coaching curriculum outlined to be conducted on a specified day for 2-hours, each week,” she says. The program sold-out in 2 weeks and launched in February and she is hosting the monthly series for individuals who want to achieve next-level excellence by building a brand, creating strategies, and developing a positive digital footprint. Can you guess the name of it? If you said anything other than “Look Up -Get Up -Level Up” I’d be disappointed. I would join quickly because her classes are filling up fast.

Looking forward to the future, Yolanda is currently working on her next book. As she continues her journey, she plans to invest in Branding 4 Success full time. Her end goal is to be a premier branding and career coaching company, helping people around the world discover their passion and purpose to reach their highest potential.

If you are interested in connecting or learning more about Yolanda and Branding 4 Success check out her social media handles and website, LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/branding4success, Twitter - @_YolandaSmith, Instagram - branding4success, www.Yolandamsmith.com, or contact her at yolanda@yolanda-smith.com h

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