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Jan./Feb. 2019 Vol. 1 Issue 9 FREE
&Angie Stanford From The Heart Event Rentals Memphis - Jan./Feb. 2019
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There Are No If, Ands, Or Buts About It!
You’re Responsible For Your Own Happiness There Are No If, Ands, Or Buts About It!
A Letter Fromfrom The the Editor A Letter Editor
According to a definition provided by Merriam-Webster’s A Letter from the Editor online What dictionary, the word joy arrive? is defined byyour an emotion if tomorrow didn’t All of plans, hopes evoked by well being, success or good fortune, or the if and dreams wouldn’t have a street to park on. What prospect of if possessing what The same everything that you decided to desires. put off until tomorrow never What tomorrow didn’tone arrive? All of your plans, hopes dictionary defines happiness as a state of well being and happened? would beano reason to save a rainy and dreams There wouldn’t have street to park on. for What if contentment. For many people, of of joymaking andnever day, and you could someone theuntil trouble everything that youspare decided tothe putpresence off tomorrow happiness is just as significant and water to their promises. What if would your last opportunity happened? There be as noair reason toseemingly saveisfor aexpired rainy survival, forWhat it can be hard impossible to move today? would youand do? day, and you could spare someone the trouble ofor making function without them. promises. What if your last opportunity seemingly expired I’ve been that I often today? Whattold would you do? seem like I do too much. Honestly, I feel likeothers I am not enoughThey and also I’m aseek firm Many people seek to doing fulfill them. in knowing that God wouldn’t put on me I’ve been that I often seem likehappiness. I do anything too much. the believer assistance oftold things and objects for I don’t that there I couldn’t handle. I not sometimes wonder how would Honestly, Iisfeel like I am doing and I’mlife a firm believe anything wrong with enough doing this, however I be if I chose to sit idle and accept what it presented to me. believer in knowing that God wouldn’t put anything on me know first-hand that things and people can leave you feeling I have that be very boring. In myhave opinion, opportunity that I found couldn’t handle. I sometimes wonder how life would empty and lonely into their absence. Others their own is a blessing that isn’t afforded to everyone. A challenge be if I chose to sit idle and accept what it presented to agenda and purpose and putting someone else’s needs me. I to me is ancan adventure. What is the In worst that can happen? have found that be very boring. my opinion, before theirs betoquite a challenge, especially if itopportunity requires If I do nothing, I fail, and if I try I don’t, but instead learn is a blessing that isn’t afforded to everyone. A challenge for them to surrender their joy in the process. something new about myself. yourcan pride and in to me is an adventure. What is Relinquish the worst that happen? return acquire life. If I domany nothing, I fail,may and get if I try I don’t, learn While people married tobut be instead happy, there about myself. Relinquish pride and in are something some whonew eventually find themselves inyour a strenuous The best advice ever given to me happened when someone return acquire life. situation mainly because they didn’t possess any joy before. told me to make my tomorrow happen today. In doing so It is impossible to be the sunshine in someone else’s world I have pressed myever way given through doors with a key thatsomeone only The best advice to me happened when if you are internally consumed with darkness and pain. hopeme provided. have also learned the today. difference between told to makeImy tomorrow happen In doing so Ultimately, you are responsible for your own happiness. blesses and what cana burden with Iwhat 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 Happiness is obtained by spending time with yourself. when tocan be quiet, what God blesses me with and what life burdenbecause me with Youasmust who you and what youtolike and someone may getdislike it confused well.learn I compare it toare knowing when be confident and about “you”. If you are unaware of your strengths, with being when to bearrogant. quiet, because tolerances, limits, andget it confused someone may weaknesses, it you is impossible Make tomorrowto with being arrogant. help another individual manage happen today, but most theirs. importantly Once you identify make itthe count. Make you tomorrow source happen of your joya and happiness Life is but whisper and today, but most develop a plan or strategy to we must putmake ourselves in a importantly it count. make them constant in your position toa hear what it is Life isabut whisper and life. In we thismust new year, your joyin a telling us.put ourselves and happiness be what connected position may to hear it is to the amount you share with telling us. others. Terry L. Watson
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CONTENTS
JAN./FEB. 2019
MEMPHIS EDITION
Serving His Community
Edward Surratt
On The Cover
Stanford and Angie Harris From The Heart Event Rentals
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Art Gives Me Life
Christina Hairston
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Erika Hendrix
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Meet Baby Boy Braxton
Experience Live
Huami Magazine Cutest Baby
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Also Featured
Tiffany Hampton For Her, Fitness is a way of life. Learn what makes up Bostic Total Body of Raleigh, NC.
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Toni M. Winston Follow The Pink Squirrel from Richmond, VA.
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Martin Bailey He is the Voice of Triumph from Greenville, SC.
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Stanford & 6
By Terry L. Watson Photos by Stanford Harris
For them, the road to success must be traveled with a lifetime of commitment and teamwork. Stanford and Angie Harris are an inspiring entrepreneurial couple from Memphis, TN. They began dating in 2014 and were later married on June 3rd, 2017. Both being family oriented, it was easy to settle into the newness of a blended family of two boys and two girls, ages 5, 11, 13, and 18.
From The Heart Event Rentals
&Angie
“Our main focus in life is to create a family owned business and create other sources of income from things that we enjoy doing in life, while also teaching our children these skills to build generational wealth within our family,” they share. Their business is From The Heart Event Rentals, an event rental company that offers luxurious furniture pieces, letter tables, backdrops, and other unique event decor including throne chairs, chair covers, charger plates, and more. “Our goal is to create the main focal point for our client’s events. We strive to provide the best experience possible to our client’s and will even deliver and pick up rental items.” Their business began in December 2017. However, the idea came unexpectedly. “During our engagement we were thinking of how we would love certain luxury items for our wedding,” they said. They were faced with sort of a dilemma with trying to find these items in Memphis. During the process of researching they paid attention to what was happening at other events and we were amazed by the decor. After doing so, they decided to decorate our own wedding and the rest is history. “After the wedding we weren’t interested in the whole decorating part to say the least. The more research we conducted, the more we learned of how event rental companies in other parts of the country operated. For instance, in New York and other east coast cities they were utilizing huge-oversized throne chairs and other types of unique decor. We hadn’t seen that in Memphis. We were sold and knew exactly what experience we would offer to our area.”
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Their inspiration comes from their children and their will to be financially free. They share, “It makes us happy to make others happy. Proving superior customer services is very important and we think that’s a crucial part of any business.” “We love making our customers events stand out. It’s all about the ‘WOW Factor”. We work very hard to give our customers more variety, luxury, and quality and make them feel like the ‘King and Queen’ at their events.”
“Sometimes we don’t even know how we do it, but things just always seem to work in our favor.”
Though owning and operating their business is their passion, within their occupations, Stanford is a Commercial Truck Driver, while Angie works as a Medical Laboratory Technician. Owning a business can be quite a challenge for most and was for this power couple as well. The first ordeal was transportation and trying to get the right vehicle to deliver and pick up their rentals. They would have to utilize U-Haul trucks and trailers, and even borrow vehicles from time to time. They were also faced with financial challenges. “Currently, we own all of our inventory, but it’s not easy building a business out of your own pockets. Luckily, we were blessed with careers that provides a decent compensation to take care of our family and build up our business,” they said. Time has been a hurdle for them also. Stanford is on the road a lot and Angie’s career demands a lot of her time as well. Because of this, they try to get in as much work as possible on the weekends and still have time for their children. “Sometimes we don’t even know how we do it, but things just always seem to work in our favor.” Moving forward, their immediate plan is to expand. “We want to experiment with new chair styles, backdrops, dance floors, stages and lighting. We also want to acquire an event hall where we can put all of our items in our very own place,” they said. Be on the lookout for Form The Heart Events in 2019. h
From The Heart Event Rentals 4466 Elvis Presley Blvd. Memphis, TN (901) 424-5031
X L perience ive
Dr. Erika Hendrix
& Pastor Betina Moffitt Host of Experience Live
Co-host of Experience Live
By Dawn Cauthen Thornton Photos by Still Shots Photography
It’s a known fact that friends can have the same goal, can be equally intelligent, possess the same drive, but travel opposite paths on their journey to the same destination. Dr. Erika Hendrix and Pastor Betina Moffitt, the hosts of 107.9 FM’s, ‘The Xperience Live’ radio show, are perfect proof. At the age of seven, Betina Moffitt gave her life to Christ. Her father, Charlie Watson, is a pastor, having been saved on the street, so she knew the power of following God’s word. The same night she was saved, young Betina began laying hands and prophesying. And she found joy in passing out miniature Bibles to whomever would take one. Erika Hendrix bloomed a little later but still knew when it was the right time in her life to embrace the change. And she had to fight for it. As teens, her twin brother was called to serve God and was fully embraced and praised for his gift. A few years later, Dr. Hendrix had a dream that it was her time, and felt she was ready. Her family felt otherwise. “Growing up in a Baptist family, it was unheard of for women to be called to preach, as men were. But I knew I was ready,” she confirms. In 1995, both aspiring ministers experienced major shifts. Pastor Moffitt was in the process of nurturing a relationship that would later lead to marriage and motherhood, while Dr. Hendrix continued to explore her singleness and figure out where her life, career, and spirituality were headed. That year, they were both being called to do the Lord’s work and their mentor Bishop Donnie Graves was there to guide them through it all. He noticed contrasting qualities in each of them and set out to nurture them individually. While Erika received frequent phone calls and coaching sessions, Betina received words of encouragement and minimal guidance. In December of that year, they were both ordained as ministers on the same night during the same service.
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“I believe the radio program removes an intimidating factor because we don’t do hard preaching. We sit down and talk.” On the night of the sermon, Dr. Hendrix’s family arrived at the church to cheer her on. Unfortunately, before entering the church, her grandfather had a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital. Dr. Hendrix forged ahead, delivering the sermon that would ordain her as a minister, but she knew from that moment on she wouldn’t be able to rely on anything but her faith. Even if her family couldn’t be there, she had to continue. Their paths moved in opposite directions over the years; Pastor Moffitt continued to breathe life into her family unit to strengthen it while Erika decided that her five-year plan would not involve a committed relationship, avoiding any deterrents. She obtained a bachelor’s degree from N.C. A&T, a master’s degree from Hood University, and a doctorate from ITC Seminary. Both always kept their eyes on the prize and never lost their faith. “This past summer God put it on my heart to do a radio show. But I didn’t know where to go. I remember I had used 107.9, which is a non-profit radio station, to do advertisement for our summer camp. He was looking to add more people, so I reached out to him,” explains Dr. Hendrix. Their goal wasn’t to deliver an ‘all-out’ preaching show, but to offer practical principles to live by while sharing their personal life experiences. In the fall of 2018, Pastor Bettina Moffitt and Dr. Erika Hendrix made history with the radio station, by being the first females to go live and have their own talk show. Because it has been such a hit, the station has gotten flocked with calls from others interested in following in their footsteps.
Pastor Betina Moffitt be.moffittministries@yahoo.com
336-954-6816
@ Betina Moffitt 12
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“We take for granted that people know how to pray, or study the bible, or even live life on a daily basis,” says Dr. Hendrix. The show’s inaugural topic in October was ‘How to finish strong, specifically, how to finish what you start.’ The topic in November focused on personal vision. Many churches focus on goals for their entity but may forget about the vision of their worshippers. The two ladies want to promote thoughts on their individual lives and that of their families. Their most recent conversation was ‘Promises of God’. They pride themselves on using scripture and the word of God to teach these lessons and they encourage their listeners to actually use a physical Bible.
“This past summer God put it on my heart to do a radio show. But I didn’t know where to go.” “I believe the radio program removes an intimidating factor because we don’t do hard preaching. We sit down and talk. I think what we have that others may not, is, we’re transparent. Sometimes the church misses that,” says Pastor Moffitt. In 2019, the duo plan to offer more conversations surrounding women’s issues, including, the wife’s role in a marriage, what place do single women have in the church, specifically women of color in ministry. Early on, the ladies were not always welcomed with open arms in a male-dominated field but they both feel that now is the perfect time for women to claim a firm stance at the podium and hold other visible roles. “Women need to know that they can pastor more than just women. What makes them more well-rounded is when they can pastor men, families, singles, seniors, and anyone else,” Dr. Hendrix affirms. And because there are so few women, she wants to stress the need to encourage each other’s gifts and not compete. Listeners will hear them expound on these topics much more on the weekly program that airs on Thursdays from 1 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Additionally, the show has been a vehicle to promote what they’re doing individually. Pastor Moffitt is growing her church, Overcoming Deliverance Center, alongside her father, who serves as the Overseer. They’ve implemented an initiative penned ‘Restore 1 Win 1’ hoping to serve and build the community and the families that live in it. Dr. Hendrix lends her time to assist the pastor wherever she needs it. This year will also see Dr. Hendrix publish a book entitled “An Open Letter to the Black Church”, and later, a workbook on moving from discipleship to mentorship. But the connection doesn’t stop there with these two. Dr. Hendrix is the pastor’s instructor at Apex School of Theology, as the pastor works towards her first bachelor’s degree. Dr. Erika Hendrix and Pastor Betina Moffitt are busy ministering, teaching, and serving their communities in multiple capacities. They’ve touched many lives through radio frequency for the last three months and they can’t wait to minister to even more and have a greater impact on their growing audience. h
Dr. Erika Hendrix hendrixerika@gmail.com
336-587-8876
@ Erika Hendrix 13
Tiffany Hampton Bostic Total Body
By Dawn Cauthen Thornton Photos by Nieto Photography
Now that we’ve welcomed 2019, how many are thinking ‘new year, new me’? Have you selected the diet you’re going to start right after the holiday sweets are all gone? Well, according to certified personal trainer and bodybuilder, Tiffany Hampton owner of Bostic Total Body, that might be the first mistake of transforming yourself. “Eating differently and taking care of your body does not mean dieting, because dieting is temporary. You have to think of it as a lifestyle change,” the well-known personal trainer explains. Tiffany knows a thing or two about lifestyle changes, in more ways than one. Over the years she has changed jobs, changed careers, and changed her commitment to her passion. When she finally yielded to what she has always loved, her life was elevated more than she expected. In 2007, Tiffany relocated to North Carolina to find a job in banking. She went on several interviews but couldn’t seem to secure the type of employment she was looking for. Since she has always enjoyed physical fitness, she decided to hire a personal trainer to help keep her in shape. He noticed Tiffany was very athletic, was disciplined, and felt she had what it took to be a great trainer to others. She was slow to move, but did reach out to another trainer who liked her style and hired her to work at his gym. He also encouraged her to become certified as a personal trainer, but she took it a step further and obtained a bachelor’s degree from St. Augustine University in Human Performance and Wellness along with her new certification.
“Eating differently and taking care of your body does not mean dieting, because dieting is temporary. You have to think of it as a lifestyle change.”
She wasn’t quite ready to be a trainer full time, and found employment success at a restaurant in the area for a time and lost her motivation for fitness. Unfortunately her job ended abruptly and she was left, wondering what to do. During the course of then next year, she had gotten married, given birth to her son, and enrolled in graduate school to pursue a master’s degree in special education. With a year left in school, Tiffany admitted to herself that she wasn’t happy and decided to forego the last two semesters of school to pursue that idea that continued to haunt her, fitness. “I held my first class outside at a park and did that for about six months,” says Tiffany. She created a flyer, advertised it, and watched the women flock to it. She obtained a few personal clients from the class, and trained for a short time, but needed more time to grow and mature as a businesswoman. Shortly after, she was
hired by Wake County as a Teacher’s Assistant. Within two months she knew the role wasn’t for her. The idea of being a trainer continued to reverberate in her mind. She had to find a way back to what she loved. And she did. Tiffany spent time training at different locations, including a church facility, and built her clientele. “Life happened and I went through some personal losses and needed to step away from training for a while.” The fitness enthusiast became interested in bodybuilding and set her sets on competing while she regained control of her career. For two years, Tiffany trained and traveled. That’s when she had the bright idea to become an online trainer. Bostic Total Body was born on October 31, 2014 and her Instagram page, Godly_FitClassy, already has over 10,000 followers. Considering her training is virtual, her clients are located all across the globe, with most located around the United States. To date, she is booked through May and travels around the country to help prepare her competitive clients with their competitions. Tiffany knows there are thousands of fitness trainers to choose from, but she feels her business is different, in that she ministers to her clients and considers herself to be more than a trainer. Her clients get face time with her through video apps, they have her personal cell phone number, and email. “What really stands out is my ministry. I have to help a lot of my clients on a spiritual level. They break down spiritually sometimes, so I help them because I’ve gone through things myself.” While many programs simply ask you to sign up for a program online and they never lay eyes on you, as a trainer, Tiffany, creates meal plans, work out routines and can evaluate their progress with pictures they share and videos. When Tiffany isn’t training others, she’s preparing herself to compete and her own former trainer persuaded her to make the leap. He noticed that she was physically strong but it seems that she was mentally weak. Her self-esteem was low and she lacked confidence. She noticed that after she started training, she became mentally stronger and more disciplined. “Competing helps keep me disciplined with reading my word, with seeking God first, fasting, all of that.” That’s why she incorporates God into everything she does. Her clients, who are all female, are called Godly Fit Beauties. And each client is considered a doll. The business keeps Tiffany quite busy, but it doesn’t slow her down. With the major support of a dedicated client, in 2018, she opened her boutique, ‘Godly Fit Boutique’ that sells women’s apparel. She published her first book, ‘The Distractions That Hinder You from Your Blessings’, in the fall of 2017 and her second book, ‘A Simple Guide to Godly Fit’, a cookbook, is currently at the printing press right now. The third, ‘Your Breakdown Before Your Breakthrough’ will be published this summer and the fourth in the series, ‘Your Reward for Being a Godly Woman’ is slated to release in December of 2019. She also has a few big ideas in the works that will catapult her to a larger platform Since stepping out on faith in 2014, Tiffany credits her immediate family and complete strangers with supporting her the most. They believed in her craft and trusted her skill enough to invest in her and even refer several clients whose lives she transformed. Tiffany wholeheartedly believes these people are God-sent.
Tiffany Hamptom Bostic Total Body 919-307-9858
Just as this dedicated businesswoman revolutionized her life and her career, she knows anyone can position themselves to travel the same journey. h Memphis - Jan./Feb. 2019
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VOICE
The
OF
triumph
By Toya Moore Photos by Apollo Wonex
Psalms 47:1 says “O clap your hands, all ye peoples; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.” It was this verse, along with a need for an additional stream of income that led Martin Bailey to begin his company. He named the company “The Voice of Triumph” because he believes that God called on him to use his voice. And use his voice he does. Martin’s company specializes in voiceovers, but he provides his customers so much more. He creates commercials, writes specialty content and records voiceovers for entrepreneurs and business owners in South Carolina. His commitment to quality has made his business very successful in a short amount of time. The business launched in October 2017, but Martin’s been on this path for as long as he can remember. At an early age he had a fascination with words. “While growing up in East Orange New Jersey, he would watch and listen closely to the news broadcast. I did this not necessarily for content, but as a result of my fascination for the way the newscasters spoke. The cadence and tone of news reporters and radio hosts has always fascinated me,” he says. While in school, he realized he had the ability to copy or mimic certain voices and would often copy the voices of his favorite on air personality, newscaster or teacher. This ability would be a huge benefit to him later in life. After graduating high school, Martin enlisted in the Army reserves. After one year, he transitioned to active duty status. During his time there, he was often complimented on the sound of his voice. People would even ask him if he had worked in radio before. Though he enjoyed listening to news and radio, he never saw it as anything more than that. Little did he know that a seed had been planted. Martin went on to retire from the Army after 20 years of service. He later moved to South Carolina and landed a position working with a health insurance carrier. In this position, he spent a lot of time talking to his customers on the phone. Again, people would consistently compliment him on his voice and ask if he’d ever worked in radio.
“While growing up in East Orange New Jersey, he would watch and listen closely to the news broadcast. I did this not necessarily for content, but as a result of my fascination for the way the newscasters spoke.”
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“While growing up in East Orange New Jersey, he would watch and listen closely to the news broadcast. I did this not necessarily for content, but as a result of my fascination for the way the newscasters spoke.”
Martin Bailey Voice of Triumph Speaking Life Into Your Business
www.voice471.com
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Things were going well, until they weren’t. Martin went through a difficult separation and divorce in 2017. After the divorce, money was tight, and he needed additional income. While trying to figure out what to do on his own, Martin says he was overcome by God’s presence. “I heard the voice of God telling me to use my voice or perish. God told me that if I did not do something, I would not be able to survive,” he says. The light bulbs were starting to go off in Martin’s head. He realized that he was able to create an additional stream of income by using his voice to do voice-overs and commercials for others. That is how the voiceover business was born. He created a demo with Chris Clay at Nu Soul Productions in Charlotte N.C. He then shopped the demo with entrepreneurs, business owners and local professionals, hoping to get some leads. His first client referred him to others who needed voice-over services. Through word of mouth, his clientele grew. He testifies that by going through and surviving his own personal nightmare, a divorce and financial crisis, played a huge role in preparing him to be live his dream. After the business was launched, Martin settled into building his brand. After having a conversation with one of his coworkers, the trajectory of his life would change once again. His coworker just so happened to be interning at a local gospel radio station and knew about Martin’s voice-over business. She encouraged him to apply for a position there also. Now things were really coming together. Martin went to the radio station and applied for a position. Once they heard his voice, Martin was soon presented with a job offer. In December 2017, he began his training with WVFM 95.3 FM. In March 2018, Martin was hired on as a weekend radio host. 2017 was just the beginning for Martin. In 2018, he established himself as an entrepreneur and savvy business man. So, what’s next for him in 2019? We should expect to hear more of Martin’s voice throughout North and South Carolina, and beyond. Though his future appears to be very bright, Martin desires to be exclusive, so we will just have to wait and see…or in the case of the Voice of Triumph, we will have to wait and listen.
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By Toya Moore Photos by Edward L. Surratt Be impactful, be in demand. Be international. That is the dream of Edward Surratt. Originally from Lincolnton, N.C., Edward is on a mission to educate and motivate as many people as he can. He wears many different hats, but with one consistent message; Expect Greater. Those words are more than a catch phrase or a business tagline Edward shares. “It’s a movement and a part of my ministry, and my motivation. Edward is one of the state’s greatest movers and shakers and a highly sought-after speaker who not only empowers but engages audiences on a national level. Edward has been an ordained pastor since 2002, and is also a husband, mentor, author, and motivational speaker. Throughout his life he has used the word of God to bring a simple message to anyone who would listen. That practice developed into what is his personal mantra; his business and a way of life which is Expect Greater. There have been many things that have steered Edward to where he is today. He shares one experience that occurred while he was pastoring in a local housing authority community. There he met a young male who approached him and shared his salvation and love for God. However, the young man asked Edward to teach him how to live today. “Teach me how to survive where I am today,” Edward says the young man said. “I had to take a step back and realize that I was doing a disservice by trying to win young souls over to Christ without teaching them how to live on a day to day basis. I had to change that mindset and by doing so I was able to capture more young people and help them survive. I was also able to help lead them to Christ. This experience really changed my life and open the door to motivational speaking.”
Michael Anderson, a gospel rapper. Everyone’s spouse is also considered a part of the team, as they provide logistical support, encouragement, and the missing details needed to maintain a rigorous travel schedule. The Expect Greater team has traveled to Cuba, Uganda and Amsterdam to participate in youth activities and do motivational and inspirational concerts and preach the word of God. The team is currently in negotiations to travel to the Philippines and Ghana, and other international locations. Edward offers his motivational services to anyone who seeks them. He also hopes to continue to impact and change the lives of others with his message. “No matter how bad your situation is or how tough things may appear, If you believe that God has placed greatness on the inside of you, then you should Expect Greater,” he says. To schedule a date and time for him to speak at your next event, please contact him. h
Even before the Expect Greater brand, Edward has always been involved in ministering and giving back to his community. For the past 20 years, he has been mentoring youth. “I truly believe it is important to give time, encouragement and support to young people. At one point I even had my own mentoring program. If it was up to me, I would try mentor everyone, but time and resources doesn’t allow for that,” he says. “Expect Greater is for all ages,” says Edward. “Many of my workshops are youth focused, but the topics are not limited to youth and youth programs. I often conduct group coaching sessions for youth programs, schools or church groups. As a result of these sessions, many of the participants have expressed how impactful the information has been in their lives. They have also requested more. It’s almost as if my participants - Expect Greater.” In a response his students request for something tangible from the workshops, Edward has written a book, “Three Weeks to A Focused Future”. In it, he takes the concepts and messages used in his workshops to create daily principles to help workshop participants and readers stay encouraged and focused on their dreams or goals. He is currently working on his second and third which are scheduled to be released in 2019. There are certain attributes that one must possess in order to be an effective motivational speaker. For Edward, it’s his calm approach. He also speaks with confidence about his challenges and successes. “I am never surprised at the blessings God has bestowed upon me, my business, and this ministry. I have learned to expect nothing but the greatness of God. I expect to get invited to speak. I expect to meet people and connect with others. I expect for people to read my books and attend my workshops,” he says. His ministry and teachings have allowed to travel throughout the United States and overseas, spreading the Expect Greater message. The Expect Greater team includes promoter Bernard Pitts, and
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Christina Hairston Art Gives Me Life
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By Terry L. Watson Photos provided by CNH hristina Hairston is an artist and activist that strongly believes in the power of creating her own spaces. As an alumna of VCUarts with a degree in Communication Arts her visual art investigates the beauty, struggle, and intersectionality of black people. Christina uses art and design as a platform to inform and unite her community. Her most recent design work can be found at the Institute for Contemporary Art. There she has designed the newspaper accompanying Paul Rucker’s exhibit “Storm in the Time of Shelter”.
“I am a motivated artist that strives to help others. I’ve always been involved with activism. Art and activism go hand in hand because art is a medium for communication, expression and a tool to inform. I have always strived to help others in any way I can,” she shares. Christina is also someone who sets goals and pursues them, without failing. She admits there have been times when she didn’t get exactly what she expected, but understands by not doing so, that it is part of the growing and learning process of life. With her business, CNH Visual Art & Design, she offers an array of services and products. With a fine arts background from Virginia Commonwealth University, specifically In Communication Arts, her services range from custom illustrations, paintings, digital art and branding. She also offers paint sessions for groups, training and classes for design, and also sell prints of her most popular work. Continued on the next page Memphis - Jan./Feb. 2019
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Her interests in art began at an early age around, ten years old. Many artists in her family specifically her father, have encouraged and supported my interest in art. When she originally deciding on a career path, she planned to become a nurse through the support of the A.V.I.D program at Locust Grove Middle School. She obtained her CNA license in 2012 from Orange County High School and was eager to purse nursing professionally. When it was time to attend college, she found herself at Longwood University as an undeclared major because their nursing program was full, with a two-year waiting list. During that first semester she soon drifted to her creative habits and signed up to take a few art classes in the spring semester of 2013. It was then she realized her true passion was to be an artist. “After two years at Longwood, I decided I needed a change and transferred to Virginia Commonwealth University to pursue art school. After meeting some like-minded friends, I was encouraged to get out and promote myself and my art. I started small by selling prints here and there in Richmond and began creating a fan-base of friends and professional colleagues. Now, I continually sell my work and do Graphic Design professionally for the Richmond Symphony,” she says. Christina has many inspirations and influencers. Artistically, close friend and colleague Paul Rucker is one of her mentors who inspires her to work hard and stand for what she believes in. Professionally, her supervisor and friend Erin Frye, is one of her biggest influencers who also inspires her through her positive attitude and sound work ethic. “I honestly find inspiration in people I encounter every day, so many of us lead exemplary lives in one way or another,” she shares. h
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By Tonya Tolson and Denise Anquenette Photos by Kimie James, IYQ Phogtography Toni M. Winston wears many hats—digital media strategist, brand coach, author, blogger, corporate worker, wife, and mom. Some might wonder how she manages to do it all or encourage her to take one thing at a time, but Toni has no intentions of slowing down or scaling back. She believes that many people, herself included, work better by staying busy on a number of projects. In fact, she refers to herself as a Multi-Passionate Creative. “It’s okay to navigate the world working on several interest sequentially or simultaneously. But the goal is not to just be “busy”. We want to accomplish things.” Moving into 2019 Toni is shifting her focus from being busy to creating an atmosphere, for herself and her clients, of productivity and profitability. Affectionately known as Ms. Toni Moni or “girl Toni” (since she and her husband both share the name, Tony), she was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia where she attended John Marshall High School and Virginia Commonwealth University. Toni also earned an Event Management Certification from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. For over 24 years she has worked in corporate America which she feels has equipped her with effective leadership, strategy planning, project management, and communication and organizational skills—the very skills she uses in her entrepreneurial endeavors and with her clients. Toni began her entrepreneurial career with an event management company called Memorable Moments and Events where she planned social, corporate and religious conferences and events. It was during a client meeting that she was asked to describe herself as a color and an animal, Toni chose the color pink because it was cute and a squirrel because sometimes, she was just all over the place working on different things. For those that chuckle, Toni reminds them that even squirrels have a backstory. “To a casual observer squirrels may appear to be all over the place, but they are actually gathering and storing up for times of need.” She says there are a couple of lesson to be learned here for entrepreneurs who are overly concerned about what people say. “First, having goals is the key to your success. Secondly, doing what works best for your brand and your business may not look smooth or logical. But when you do the work that needs to be done, your productivity will pay off.”
Not long after, Toni along with two girlfriends, appeared on the Dr. Oz show tasked to drop two dress sizes in 90 days. At the end of the 90 days, Dr. Oz requested she blog on his website and share, inspire and coach others towards their weight loss goals. This allowed her to blog on a national platform and helped to kick off her blog ‘Follow the Pink Squirrel’— covering a variety of topics and a behind-the-scene look at her life. With topics ranging from weight loss and meal prep to gardening, readers can find a topic that relates to their lives. No matter the topic at hand, Toni always circles back to goal setting, following dreams and overall mindset. She has followers from all walks of life and is confident that her strategies can help anyone create a roadmap for their own life. She credits her family as her strength and for being a source of inspiration. Toni hadn’t set out to become an author, but it came about through a conversation with her then, four-year-old daughter. While at a doctor’s appointment, her daughter, who talked about wanting hair like that of her classmates said, “But mom my hair is fuzzy”. To which Toni replied, “But your hair is cute”. With that one conversation the poem “My Hair is Fuzzy, My Hair is Cute” was composed on Toni’s then blackberry. In 2014 Toni secured an illustrator which took “My Hair is Fuzzy, My Hair is Cute” from a poem to a full-fledge children’s book. She learned the ins and outs of self-publishing so that she would be prepared to publish her own materials and assist others when the time was right. ‘My Hair is Fuzzy’ would later become a 2015 Best Seller in Children’s Books on Amazon. Her next book ‘Caroline’s Hair’, is scheduled to be released in 2019. This writing was born out of her daughter stating she wanted hair like that of her classmate named Caroline. Although children’s books have been Toni’s niche, she is looking to expand her audience and will soon release another project, ‘21-Day for Moving You from Vision to Victory’ which will focus on goal setting, action steps, and success mantras.
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As if she wasn’t already busy, Toni also specializes in digital media creation which includes brand coaching, website enhancements, social media marketing, and more. In this role, she takes her client’s current brand and moves it to the next level by helping them gain brand clarity and online visibility. “You improve your social media presence by first, clarifying your goals, setting a strategy and creating content. That’s where I come in. I help my clients define those goals, build the strategies and refine those processes which leads to amazing content and success,” she says. Having this strategy to be successful for so many of her clients, Toni created her signature Victory Board Events. “That is my mission, to take clients from Vision to Victory. It’s a vision board on steroids,” she says. The workshop assists her clients with creating a road map to chart goals and dreams. The vision board process paired with practical application, goal setting and mindset applications propels their vision board to a “victory board”. Combined with additional one-on-one or group coaching, Toni is able to develop a plan that is able to point them in the right direction. For those who may have a road map or vision board in place but not active, she offers a ‘Resuscitate Your Vision’ session to help bring it back to life. It is done by revisiting concepts taught in her other sessions, intended to help clarify someone’s focus and reengage their efforts. All of her services are available for presentations at Girls Night Out, church groups, and social clubs. h
Having goals is the key to your success. Doing what works best for your brand and your business may not look smooth or logical. However, when you do the work that needs to be done, your productivity will pay off. Interested in working with Toni M. Winston or hosting an event? Contact her for more information. www.tonimwinston.com tonim.winston@gmail.com 804-467-5517
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