Huami Magazine for Philadelphia May/June 2021 by Terry Watson

PHILADELPHIA

May/June 2021 Vol. 1 Issue 2 FREE

+ + Vuliwear

Philadelphia - May/June 2021

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May/June 2021

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Awards, Accolades, and Alignment A Letter From The Editor Sometimes I reflect on where I have come from in life. With each reflection, the feelings are always different from one another, and it makes good sense for them to be. There are peaks and valleys; good moments during the valleys, and even bad ones when I thought things should have been great. I guess you can describe it as a roller coaster ride A Letter from the Editor that never ends.

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

I am the second youngest child in a family of six, with two additional tomorrow didn’tthe arrive? All of plans, hopes big sisters.What Withifthis arrangement, number of your stories to share is andEven dreams wouldn’t have street to park What if own plentiful. more, the steps thata I’ve taken have on. painted their everything you decided to uniqueness, put off untiland tomorrow never picture, validating that my individuality and eventually happened? would no reason to save for you a rainy revealing what I amThere purposed for.beThere is a saying “what don’t could someone theGod trouble of making know, day, can’tand hurtyou you”. Forspare me, learning what has destined for my life and not responding according Hisopportunity desire is sortseemingly of an opposite parallel promises. What if yourto last expired to thattoday? adage, What meaning onceyou I learned would do? who I was supposed to be, every act of disobedience that followed has been painful.

I’ve been told that I often seem like I do too much. I have taken in alike lot Iof things in life.enough I have been Honestly,part I feel am not doing and acknowledged I’m a firm for some, and for some, I have not, and in my dusty collection,on one believer in knowing that God wouldn’t put anything memight find a few plaques, trophies, certificates, and awards. Though I haven’t that I couldn’t handle. I sometimes wonder how life would received many accolades, yet I know they’re coming. I confess that I once be if I chose to sit idle and accept what it presented to me. I believed they would, I am now at a place where those items just don’t have found that to be very boring. In my opinion, opportunity do it for me. I realized such symbols of merit have only provided short is a blessing that isn’t afforded to everyone. A challenge moments of enthusiasm, and any mental record of them is fleeting. If I to me is an adventure. What is the worst that can happen? have no memory, then it’s like it never happened. If I do nothing, I fail, and if I try I don’t, but instead learn newdown aboutand myself. Relinquish pride and in Butsomething when I slowed allowed my life toyour get into alignment return acquire life. for me, everything that I gave value to with what God has purposed before, I used as a foundation to stand on to obtain that which will never The best ever given me happened when someone lose its value; and advice that is God’s favor.toI realized that when God blesses told me to make my tomorrow happen today. In doing me, the sensations are unending, and the benefits will open doorsso I can I have way Ithrough doors a key that only have open onpressed my own.my When walk with God, with and that means allowing God tohope lead me, every desire, and need appears to just fall in place. provided. I havewant, also learned the difference between

what God blesses me with and what life can burden me with I havewhen learned awards and as well. I compare it to knowing tothat be confident and accolades are good but being in when to be quiet, because alignment with Godmay hasget wayitmore value. someone confused What God gives us will last, a whole lot with being arrogant. longer than anything the world gives us. He promises not you to keep any good thing Make tomorrow from us, and all we have to do is trust in happen today, but most Him. For me, being loved by God is the importantly make it count. purest form of an award and accolade, Life is but a whisper and and one the world will never be able to put up ourselves in a duplicatewe ormust measure to.

www.huamimagazine.com Terry L. Watson

Publisher

www.huamimagazine.com Dillan Teabout Editor In Chief Writer Terry L. Watson Writer Ayana Bryant Allen - Deputy Editor DavidAlana Hendricks Writer Dorjae’ McClammey Writer Writers

Tonya Dixon Seawards Dawson Terry L. Watson Photographer Fredrostar Productions Alana Allen Photographer Tamara Smith Jamey Jenkins Jeuron Dove Photographer Photographers Perfect Lenz Photography Todd Youngblood Photography

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Who Shotya Photography huami.philadelphia@gmail.com (336)340-7844 Layout Howard Gaither Photography

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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, NC may be submitted to the editor by 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

position to hear what it is telling us.

Terry L. Watson

Terry L. Watson Editor/Founder

On The Cover

Photo by Shaw Photography Group

CONTENTS

MAY/JUNE 2021

PHILADELPHIA

Greenbaxx Inc.

Pat Green

On The Cover

Vuliwear Dionne Ellison

Hello Black Man

Jamey Jenkins

Soapsation Bathtique

Evonne Hardee

GreenHouse Effect Project LLC

Malie Jordyn Neal She is the cutest, and has been selected as Huami Magazine’s Cutest Baby.

Bhrea Jefferson

Also Featured

Shanna Jennette Are you looking to travel? Do you need swimwear for your trip? She can help with both. Atlanta, GA

Lora McClain-Muhammad She is known as the Coloring Book Queen. Learn more about her journey. Gary, IN

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Dionne Ellison By Dillan Teabout Photos by Dionne Ellison

Creative, self-disciplined, and passionate are only a few ways to describe Dionne Ellison. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Dionne embodies the toughness and intuitiveness to survive. The skills come into play as she is the proud owner of Vuliwear, an intriguing sunglass line that is produced exclusively by her. Dionne shares she was inspired by some bug eyes she saw while surfing the internet. Each of her sunglasses remarkably captures different insects’ eyes, ranging from Striped Horseflies to African Twig Mantises. “I was surfing the web and came across some photographs of insects. They were magnified so large that you could see their compound eyes and beautiful colors. I instantly thought of sunglasses.” Remarkably, Dionne discovered hidden beauty in something many people would simply swat away. Once the idea struck her, she took action and found two manufacturers to help bring it to life. Once things were in order, she launched her business on June 27, 2017, which is also National Sunglasses Day. Vuliwear sunglasses are a functional fashion piece. They are fully polarized, UVA, and UVB protected. Not only do Vuliwear sunglasses look great, they also promote good eye health. Dionne was diagnosed with a small cataract in her right eye and learned that cataracts can be caused by UV damage. “My mission is not just from a fashion standpoint, but from a health standpoint as well,” Dionne said. One example of her efforts is the partnership Vuliwear has with nothingbutnets. net, a grassroots organization that provides treated nets for families threatened by malaria. “I thought it would be cool to partner with an organization that is helping families,” Dionne said. Due to the Covid 19 pandemic, her three-year-old business slowed down a little. “I had to weather the storm and not spend money on advertisements, mainly because no one was thinking of buying sunglasses. However, now that summer is getting closer, and things are opening up slowly, I am in a position to launch some new marketing campaigns to help drive my business,” she says. Continued on the next page

Even with the pandemic, she remains hopeful, and in the next five years, she has enormous plans for Vuliwear. She wants Vuliwear to partner with optical stores and fashion bouquets to expand her brand. Additionally, there are plans to start a fashion line for Vuliwear. Currently, Vuliwear can be found in two stores located in Philadelphia. One is a blackowned optical store called “Omega Optical,” and the other is a fashion boutique called “Shop Sixty Five.” While retail can be profitable, her focus is moving to wholesale. She shares, “Wholesale, from a financial standpoint is a definite way to go, because the business gets exposure to our customers. I have been a one-woman show since we launched but I plan to add a few more designs and increase the Vuliwear team internally.” Entrepreneurship is in the genetic makeup of Dionne’s family. Her late parents were also entrepreneurs, and she shares how she loves the benefits it provides. “I love thinking of new things and solving problems. Entrepreneurship is hard, but if it was easy, I probably wouldn’t do it,” she says. “I am driven by wanting to create generational wealth, and I plan to give my business to my son eventually. When things get hard, I think of my son.” For young black entrepreneurs, Dionne’s most significant piece of advice for them is something she has personally done and believes in. “Believe in yourself, be authentic, and keep moving forward. Every day you are going to wake up and question yourself. You don’t need to conquer the entire world. All you need to do is find your market and go from there,” she says. When asked how she wants to be remembered, Dionne shares she hopes for her drive to win. “I want people to know I believe in myself and a higher power. I tried to live my life to never say ‘I wish I would have, because living with regret to me is one of the worst things to do. I want to be remembered as a person who tried everything that I had a passion for,” she says. h To learn more about Dionne and Vuliwear, please visit her website.

www.vuliwear.com

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By David Hendricks Photo by Greenbaxx Inc.

Greenbaxx Inc. is an up-and-coming sports and entertainment management company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and founded by Philadelphia native, Pat Green. Greenbaxx Inc. was created mainly focusing on the music industry, assisting artists with growth and development, however, their focus is now to incorporate similar services in the sports arena. Pat grew up in a two-parent household along with his younger brother. His family moved around often, allowing Pat to get a taste of North Jersey, South Jersey, and Maryland. Despite the traveling, Pat and his family still consider ``The City of Brotherly Love” to be home. Philadelphia is where Pat found his first love, the game of basketball. He grew up wanting to play in the National Basketball Association but that didn’t work out for him, and so he knew he needed to find another avenue that would offer him a comfortable lifestyle. Greenbaxx Inc. started as a party promotion team and was originally called Paper Chase. Unfortunately, the name Paper Chase was already taken so Green needed to think of a new name. “I wanted to create a business name that was similar to my government name. I thought of my last name and came up with the idea of ‘Greenbacks’ which is a nickname for money. I made it unique by adding the two (x’s) and Greenbaxx came to life,” he says. Pat’s friend, DJ Kam, who was also a rapper, explained to him that he liked the way that he promoted parties. DJ Kam ensured Green that his soft skills would make him a great manager. Being the ambitious and innovative businessman that he is, Pat jumped at the opportunity and things took off for Greenbaxx. Pat knew his love was still and would forever be the game of basketball. Not forgetting this, he shares he plans to use the music industry to get into the sports industry. Some of the services that Greenbaxx Inc. provides include establishing LLCs for new entrepreneurs, helping them with expansion, marketing, branding, scheduling, and financing. Greenbaxx Inc. also manages athletes by acting as a liaison and helping to get an agent and attorneys in place. Some of Greenbaxx Inc.’s clients include DJ Kam and DJ Spontane who are both from Philadelphia as well. Along with DJ June from Brooklyn and DJ Malc Geez, who is Meek Mill’s former DJ. He has also worked with Ruff Ryders Records, being a party promoter and managing DJ Malc Geez while he was Meek Mill’s DJ. Pat plans to sign some more potential clients and athletes soon.

Pat says he loves being an entrepreneur because it gives him freedom. He quotes Dame Dash and says, “How can you imagine telling your wife to get up for work when she can go on vacation.” Along with Dame Dash, he is also inspired by guys like Maverick Carter and Rich Paul. “They are all big names, but God and his family are my biggest inspiration,” he says. Since the beginning of his career, Pat has been motivated by the murder of his childhood friend. Not to mention his 17-year-old son who recently graduated from high school and will be enrolled at Rutgers University in the fall, studying Business Administration. Moving forward, Pat plans on Greenbaxx Inc. becoming a premier management company. “The goal is for it to become nationally recognized. I plan on making this happen by putting God first, working hard, and networking,” he says. h To learn more about Greenbaxx, please visit their website.

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By Jalessa Rogers Photos by Lora McClain-Muhammad

Growing up as a black child in America, there is and will always be a need for positive black representation. Author Lora McClain-Muhammad has found the perfect way to show that. She has created coloring books that are the perfect representation for young African American boys and girls to learn and become comfortable in their own skin. Born and raised in Gary, IN, this former Fortune 500 sales and marketing manager did not dream of becoming an author. Her journey is what she describes in her own words as something that “God kept nudging her to do.” It all began shortly after graduating from high school. The path she chose was one similar to the one that a lot of members of her family took, entering the corporate world. Instead of attending college, she decided to take an opportunity presented to her. First, she took a test, gained a company’s interest with her gift of gab, and would eventually become a sales and marketing manager, enjoying a career that would span for almost 30 years. Although she was very occupied with corporate America, she was still able to further her education and attend Park College while in her thirties. These were modest steps that would soon connect the dots of her career as an author. “Becoming an author was a surprise journey for me and nothing that I even envisioned. However, when my granddaughter was born, I was given the vision to write a coloring book. Representation matters and I wanted my granddaughter to see a book that looks like her,” stated McClain-Muhammad. After Continued on the next page

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“I found my purpose and my calling doing these books. I’m happier and I feel freer than I’ve ever been. Nothing is better than seeing the smile on the little children’s faces during book signings or hearing them say ‘hey that looks like me....” being given this vision, she went on to create the “I Need You to Know” series with the first coloring book being titled “I Need You to Know the ABCs of Black Girl Magic” with her granddaughter as the cover image. Her second coloring book is titled I Need “You to Know the ABCs of a Young Kings Greatness” with another one that followed titled, “I Need You to Know #You Matter”. Despite the naysayers that tried to discourage her from this journey she was able to sell over 30,000 books and depicted members of her family as the images throughout her collection. For Lora, it was all about finding her purpose in life. “I found my purpose and my calling doing these books. I’m happier and I feel freer than I’ve ever been. Nothing is better than seeing the smile on the little children’s faces during book signings or hearing them say ‘hey that looks like me” because they genuinely love the book,” she expressed. Since the world changed because of COVID-19, she has not been able to do inperson book signings. However, she found a safe way to continue to tour and reach a broader audience. “I came up with a virtual book tour, along with five other African American women authors. We were able to reach children a lot further, virtually than in person. During these times of social injustice and unrest, I think that it’s a timely piece to show that representation does matter to our kids. Even more, they need to see themselves depicted beautifully. We address these issues with the release of “I Need You to Know...#You Matter,” explained McClainMuhammad. Lora is an indie author and will be celebrating her two-year book anniversary this May. Her books are currently available on Amazon, Walmart, Barnes and Noble, and BAM. h

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Lora McClain-Muhammad www.coloringbookqueen.com 219-616-8180 15

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By Ayana Bryant Photos by Seawards Dawson

Greensboro, North Carolina native Shanna Jennette is becoming the ultimate one-stop-shop for all your traveling needs. After five years in business, she is expanding her traveling agency, My Legendary Travel LLC to now include a fashion sector. Her creativity and desire to help others have served as a foundation to bring her business and ideas to life. A graduate of the University of North Carolina Greensboro, Shanna began her career as a special education teacher with the organization Teach for America. After accepting the position in 2011, she was relocated to New York City to teach in the public school system for the next two and a half years. Moving to New York was Shanna’s very first major traveling experience and the first time she had ever traveled by plane. This was the furthest she had ever been from North Carolina and as most could imagine this experience introduced her to a lot of new things. Living in New York City exposed Shanna to so much diversity, she became intrigued with all the new people she met and cultures that she was now exposed to. An interest in learning more about the cultures of her students and friends began to grow and she decided that she would travel to these places and see them for herself. When she began planning her first international trip, she learned a lot of new information and thought about how she could share this knowledge with others.

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Shanna then reconnected with an old college friend via social media who happened to be a part-time travel agent. After many conversations, Shanna eventually learned of all the required classes and certifications that she would need to begin this new venture. “So that’s what I did, after completing my travel agent certification, I filed an LLC to begin my business and in 2016, My Legendary Travel was born,” she shares.

“So that’s what I did, after completing my travel agent certification, I filed an LLC to begin my business and in 2016, My Legendary Travel was born.” My Legendary Travel provides quality care and service for every one of its clients and their vacation plans big or small. International or domestic travel, cruise, or land adventure this agency does it all! Now with their newly added fashion sector, they hope to help women find functional and affordable swimwear for their vacations.

Continued on the next page

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While planning her own vacations Shanna seemed to always find trouble picking swimsuits that complimented her shape. Swimsuits that provided the coverage she needed were never quite that stylish and the more fashionable swimwear that she would find would be too revealing. She figured that other women were probably experiencing the same issues, so she decided to begin creating her own pieces. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020 traveling came to a complete standstill all around the world. As you can imagine this would be a travel agents’ worst nightmare but not for Shanna, this situation shifted her attention and revealed an opportunity for her to expand the business. During the lockdown, she was able to forge new business relationships with a swimsuit vendor and a fashion designer that had made personal swimsuits for her in the past. Through collaboration with the vendor and the designer, Shanna was able to produce multiple designs for monokinis, one-pieces, and two-pieces. Each swimsuit has a price point that ranges from about $25-$45 depending on the style. As of now, Shanna is finding success with promoting her line via social media and by hosting pop-up shops as she prepares for her big re-launch later this year. Shanna finds motivation from the community of women entrepreneurs that she is now surrounded by. She stated that attending business workshops and seminars where other black women are sharing their success stories inspires her to keep going. “Going to those kinds of events allows me to network and build new friendships and business relationships, we are all able to help each other and keep each other motivated,” says Shanna. Continued on the next page

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“I get so many returning customers, and for me that’s big, I love that they always come back because it is a testament to the service I provided.” The one thing that seems to make her the proudest regarding her business would be the rapport she has built with her clientele. “I get so many returning customers, and for me that’s big, I love that they always come back because it is a testament to the service I provided,” says Shanna. She also gets a lot of business from the referrals made by her previous clients which is something she is very grateful for. In the future, Shanna plans to continue expanding the fashion sector of My Legendary Travel. The line will include swimsuit coverups, airport and lounge attire, as well as travel accessories such as passport booklets. Avoid the headache of planning your next vacation by utilizing a travel agent, My Legendary Travel might be the fit for you! h

Connect with Shanna Jennette at www.mylegendarytravel.com or via Instagram @legendarytravel1

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Evonne Hardee Soapsation Bathtique

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By Arielle Kilgore Photos by Evonne Hardee

Being all-natural has not proven to be a trend, but a way of life for most people. Evonne Hardee and her business SoapSation Bathtique in New York caters to having everything natural so your skin can be the best of the best. A native of Brooklyn, Evonne started her business on faith and determination. Today, it continues to operate on the very same foundation. SoapSation Bathtique is an all-natural body store that specializes in making organic products for the skin. Hardee also makes gift baskets full of bath bombs and goodie bags for catered events like baby showers or birthday parties. Her bestseller includes a honey oat milk soap that helps with dry skin or individuals who have eczema. Other products include body oils, cupcake soaps, and facial soaps. Everything is made by hand herself and is specialized to the customer’s needs and wants. “I do everything myself. It’s my therapy. It’s my happy place. I can make soap in my sleep. It’s just second nature to me at this point,” she shares. Evonne started her business by giving out soap and other products to her family and friends. Her party favors turned into a business in 2016. “At some point, I decided to let me stop what I’m doing and revamp what I’m doing so I can turn it into a business,” Evonne explains. Likewise, the same year Hardee became homeless. Her determination for creating products and passion for making more effective skincare drove her to keep going. “It was a struggle, but I kept it going. And I overcame anything that was in the road to stop me,” she says. From then on, the number of batches she produced turned from once a week, into six batches a week for her growing, hungry customers. Having something real is important to Hardee. She was always a nature girl and experimental when she was young growing her passion for chemistry and the science behind beautiful skin from Earth’s properties. Research, time, and passion have driven her business and provide her with sustainability. Hardee explains that YouTube and other quick sources are not the keys to a growing business. Dedication and persistence plus engaging with your clients can determine how successful you are going to be. The hobby she formed brought her peace and fortunately helped many people feel amazing about their skin.

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Although Covid-19 proved to be a challenging year for smaller businesses, SoapSation Bathtique rose to the top. Her secret? Covid provided a better connection between Hardee and her clients. It allowed her to focus on the specific needs of her customers with skin problems and show people the light of using things from mother nature to heal your skin. “Everything that you need for your skin is actually here on Earth. Like it’s in your garden. It’s everywhere. There are so many natural oils plants, stuff that you can use to moisturize and cleanse and take better care of your skin,” Evonne says. Most of the products on the shelves have emollients and chemicals that can erode your skin or make skin issues worse, specifically in African American communities. These chemicals can cause irritation to the skin and increase the problems that we already have. Representation matters in the black community. It is the ability to have options and those options be safe and effective. As an African American woman, it was important for Evonne have a business that her community could trust and also see progress. Black communities, especially in starting or growing businesses, experience culticutlure, the annihilation of businesses that carry the same product. The idea of culticutlure can spread doubt and fear of multiple successful black businesses. However, Hardee stands by keeping your dream alive so other people like us can have options and obtain a better lifestyle. “We need something to help sustain us. To sustain our natural beauty,” she says. It does not matter where you start, she explains the necessity to keep going through hard times. “And you have to understand that there will be hard times, but if you’re passionate enough about it, you’ll overcome those hard times. There’s nothing that we can’t do!” Evonne continues to grow her business with pop-up events starting in New Jersey in June of this year. Providing consistent and quality customer service remains to be one of her highest priorities. You can learn more about Evonne and many of the wonderful products she creates by visiting her website. h

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“I didn’t feel any resentment towards my father and decided that instead of focusing on the past I was going to keep moving forward with our relationship.”

By Dorjae McClammey Photos by Jamey Jenkins

He wants everyone to have an ear for this. Hello Black Man. Jamey Jenkins, husband, father, and entrepreneur. Born and raised in Mississippi, he grew up in the small town of Hazelhurst. As a student at Hazlehurst High School, he was involved with the debate team, basketball team, and eventually graduated at the top of his class with honors in 1997. Next, he enrolled at the well-known HBCU, Alcorn State University, majoring in Political Science Pre-Law. He was also inducted into the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. After graduating in 2002, Jamey received a job at the automotive giant Nissan North America and much like everything else in his life, was able to work himself to the top. Starting as a Technician, he then moved up to Lead Tech, then to Supervisor, and currently serves as Lead Manager. Continued on the next page

Growing up, Jamey had a real simple life. He was raised by a hard-working single mother, and shares he didn’t ask for much, but his mother always made him feel like he had the world. He met his father while he was in high school, and the connection they made he shares, was so amazing it was like they never missed a beat. “If someone were to tell you that we didn’t grow up together, you wouldn’t believe it,” he says. “I didn’t feel any resentment towards my father and decided that instead of focusing on the past I was going to keep moving forward with our relationship.” Growing into manhood Jamey acquired a family of his own. He was married and got divorced, producing a son in his union. His son came to live with him for a while, and he figured out quickly that their communication style was quite different. “I wanted to find the best way to adapt to him and his needs instead of my son trying to adapt to me as the parent,” he says. Jenkins used this knowledge to create a list of things he wanted his son to know about him, which involved creating questions for them to ask each other. While writing down things he wanted his son to know about him, Jamey realized that he didn’t know a lot about his dad. He knew the basic things but not who he was as a person. So, as he continued to write down all these questions and something came to his mind. “I realized that if I put all these questions together in journal form, then I would have an almost perfect autobiography,” he says. Starting with 250 questions he thought if the question did not make you pause, it wouldn’t be added to the journal. So that removed all of the basic questions and narrowed it down to 52 questions, equaling one question a week for an entire year. All the questions were thought-provoking and intriguing, focusing on finances, future endeavors, and love. The kind of questions and answers that don’t come up in everyday conversations. He knew he was onto something and In November 2019, the Hello Black Man Journal was created. He didn’t stop there, as he has created a series of interactive journals that are designed to help members of the African American community dig deep within and learn things about themselves that they would have never thought of. The Hello Black Man Journal has been well designed and is easily comprehensible. One side allows space for a quote and/or question, and the other side has a space for the reader to journal and reflect.

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Jamey didn’t stop with Hello Black Man. He has created a journal for just about everyone. After Hello Black Man, he wrote Hello Black Woman, which is inspired by his daughter, wife, and mother. There is also Hello Black Child. With this addition, Jamey wanted to open up the mind of the young person and jumpstart their communication abilities and provide a safe and trusting place to get everything in their mind out and show someone what they are going through. With Hello Black Teenager Jamey, wanted something that can help teens and adults connect better. “I feel as though teenagers today have it way harder than I did. With social media being a big factor in a teenager’s life I wanted a place for young adults to get their emotions and thoughts out somewhere other than online,” he says. There is also Hello Black Couple which is meant for two people to write and connect. Jamey has had couples who’ve been married 40 plus years tell him that they didn’t know half of the things about their partner they thought they did. This journal strives to reopen deep communication between new and current partners. Hello Black First Responder is for the people who are so unique and mentally trained and are sadly constantly fighting between career and community. A space for those people, paramedics, firefighters, and law enforcement who see a lot, finally have a place to release what they’ve been holding in.

Then there’s the Journey Journal. Jamey wanted to create an avenue for everyone in the world to be able to start their transition to be more open and connected with themselves. Finally, there is the Hello Black Entrepreneur. As someone who has multiple businesses, he is no stranger to the hustle. “In our community, we grind, we are hustlers and hard workers. Yet I feel as though the community does not do a great job at writing the details down of what we are doing and so this journal is for those who need an outline for when they need to go back for a reference, or when they start a new business, they know how they did it the first time and will be able to do it again with less hassle. I’ve had more phone calls about that journal in the last three months than Hello Black Man in the last year.” Jamey has what others may call an “unreal” motivator, which is time. Time pushes him to be more connected with his business, family, and surroundings. It pushes him to have a business that will be impactful forever. He wants his products to be so impactful, that in the next 100 to 200 years, someone will be able to pick them up and still be inspired. He wants to use his journals to make history in the black community also. “If my grandson’s, grandson’s grandson needs help or motivation, he can see what I wrote, and hopefully it will drive him to a better place,” he says. Continued on the next page

“If my grandson’s, grandson’s grandson needs help or motivation, he can see what I wrote, and hopefully it will drive him to a better place,” Even though he’s not huge on accolades, Jamey feels most accomplished when he sees his work in action. He says a client’s appreciation, feedback, and recognition is all the reward he needs. Most of all, being able to find a way to connect with his kids better is his biggest accomplishment. Moving forward, Jamey currently has two more journals in the work, Hello Black Student and Hello Black Educator. He feels like this group of people doesn’t get the respect nor pay they deserve. “Because they give to the youth in the community, I want to give them an avenue to talk about their careers, express their emotions, and be able to unwind. My goal is to put my journals into millions of hands who need a safe space to unwind,” he says.

Jamey Jenkins

Hello Black Man www.helloblackman.com

The Covid 19 pandemic has put a hold on The Hello Black Man Conference, though Jamey and his team have been working hard to bring it back for the Spring of 2022. That will also be the celebration of their third-year mark. Jamey is a down-to-earth kind of guy. His favorite dish to prepare is frozen pizza. His top three movies are Heat with Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, Tombstone, and Shawshank Redemption. He is also a world-renowned spade player, “spadesologist” and has received the City-Wide Spades trophy in Mississippi. h To learn more about Jamey Jenkins and Hello Black Man, please visit his website.

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BhreaJefferson The GreenHouse Effect Project

By Terry L. Watson Photos by Fredrostar Productions Many words can be used to describe Bhrea Jefferson. Also known as Bre, at heart, she is a nature-lover. Her foundation is solidified by being a wife to her husband of six years, DonTaye. Together they share two sons, DonTaye Jr and Dallas. At 28 years of age, the Chemical Engineer and two-time business owner/entrepreneur is striving to make her impact on the world and her community by way of her newest venture, The GreenHouse Effect Project LLC. Bhrea was born and raised in Huntsville, AL. Still currently residing there, Bhrea fully understands what she does can influence and inspire others, so she lives her life to be a role model for young girls. She is also passionate about bridging women in business together, while also pursuing her dreams. She has a go-getter attitude when it comes to doing business and exemplifies what it means to be a servant for God, as she lives her life serving others. The GreenHouse Effect Project is a non-profit organization that was founded in Huntsville, AL. Its purpose is to educate, empower, inform, and include women to obtain the dream of entrepreneurship. Bhrea says, “I aspire to collaborate with other women and show the world that we are more alike than we realize.” The GreenHouse Effect Project is symbolically the same as a real Greenhouse for plants. A traditional Greenhouse is used to shield crops and plants from excessive cold or hot temperatures while maintaining a stable environment year-round. It also makes it possible for the plants to grow outside of their natural environment. With the GreenHouse Effect Project, Bhrea incorporates the same theory. “Experienced or seasoned businesswomen act as the (glass or plastic) exterior, shielding aspiring entrepreneurs from harm’s way with advice and business solutions. We maintain a warm, comforting, inclusive environment year-round, which allows everyone to grow equally, bettering ourselves and achieving our goals. What’s special about The GreenHouse Effect Project is we can support, uplift, and encourage one woman at a time,” she says. Continued on the next page

So how did Bhrea’s journey begin? She says she started gathering ideas and brainstorming in October 2019. After organizing her thoughts and ideas, she launched The GreenHouse Effect Project on March 4, 2020, just before the world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “I initially started the business idea of having functions in person with women in my community, but became impossible because of the pandemic,” she says. Still, Bhrea was able to press on. Bhrea shares she has devoted her life to helping others mainly due to the grace that God has shown her. “I have survived things that were sent to destroy me physically, mentally, and emotionally. In my darkest hours, I figured out a way to pull myself out, flipping my frown back into a smile. When I thought I completely lost myself in pleasing other people, I found a way to reveal and find my true identity once again. When we hit rock bottom, I don’t think we as women, give ourselves enough credit for being our own coach, counselor, chef, doctor, therapist, and everything in between. When our family and friends are hurting, we are there to fix and heal them, but who heals us? At my worst state, my source of strength has come from my Bible, devotionals, and meditation. I thank God for strengthening me so that I can still be here today,” Bhrea shares. Understandably, to do what Bhrea is doing, one must have love and compassion for others. Often, Bhrea is connected with new people, and because of this, more women in her community are networking and making new connections. “I’ve asked God to take away my fears, nervousness, and timidness, and use me as a vessel to serve my community,” she says. There have also been some challenges that Bhrea has overcome in her business. She shares, the first business I started was with my husband as a used car dealer. I didn’t anticipate getting a cold shoulder or negative energy from the people I thought loved me the most as I climbed the success ladder. It’s funny how when you’re doing average or bad, people love you. Yet, when you’re trying to excel in your career and provide better opportunities for you and your family, hate can emerge. Sometimes the hard work is overlooked, and the fruits of our labor are only noticed. Times when I thought I would have been congratulated, I wasn’t, but instead, I was shunned. However, I didn’t allow that to stop me from loving.” For other entrepreneurs who may follow in Bhrea footsteps, she offers some advice. “Chase after your dreams with all that you have and don’t stop. Remember that nothing lasts forever. Whatever you’re going through, it can’t last forever. It’s just a season. The only way that you will fail in life is if you quit, so don’t quit! When you’re sitting in your bed at night contemplating whether you should keep going or not, just go! Don’t let anyone force their insecurities on you to make you feel you aren’t worthy enough to enjoy every ounce of success that comes to you. If God gave you the vision, it is for you, and only you to understand,” Bhrea shares.

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Moving forward, Bhrea plans for The Greenhouse Effect Project to be the go-to place for women in entrepreneurship. She plans to launch a successful talk show titled, Mauve’ Convos on the YouTube platform. She also hopes to build more economic strength in her community and would like to expand her business to other states and produce her own line of products. “Through my journey in entrepreneurship, I found running a business and being business-minded is a language. I want to bring forth the ups, the downs, and the ins and outs of being a woman behind a business. I have a lot of great plans for the show, and I can’t wait to share with the world!” h

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Jonathan C. H arris Anything Is Possible 38

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By Terry L. Watson Photos by Jonathan Harris

For author Jonathan Harris, he has proven that anything is possible. In just one year, he transformed his appearance and embraced the responsibility of living a healthier life and dropped 100 pounds. For many, that can be an impossible feat, but for Jonathan it all coincides with who he is, an achiever, overcomer, and conqueror.

In just one year, Jonathan shed 100 pounds.

Born and raised in Fort Washington, Maryland, he is no stranger to leadership, hard work, or success. At the young age of ten years old, he was featured as a guest weatherman for a day on a local new station, Fox 5 DC News. He was the high school Valedictorian of his graduating class, and has earned many awards such as the Forty Under 40 for Prince George’s County, MD. He is also a TEDx Talk speaker, and TEDxFortWashington Founder. He has been recognized by the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) Outstanding Men’s Program and is the recipient of the Kiwanis Club Citizenship Award. After high school, he attended the University of Delaware where he ironically fell in love with his Resident Assistant (RA) job and working with students. After college, he had a major career switch and decided to pursue a career in higher education. That led to his first degree granting HBCU, Lincoln University. With some much already accomplished, Jonathan found time to do even more. In 2016, he authored his first book, Master of Ceremonies: A Male’s Guide for a Successful Life. In 2020, he did the unimaginable and wrote two books, on the same day: Growing Gents and Girls With Pearls. He then started his own publishing company, Harris Publishing, LLC, so that he could help more aspiring authors. Jonathan shares, “My debut book, Master of Ceremonies: A Male’s Guide for a Successful Life, has been added to several popular bookstores including Barnes and Noble, eBay, Amazon, Books-A-Million, Apple Bookstore, and many more. The book is about how to take ownership of your own life and improve your self-worth.” His second book, Growing Gents, reached the top 250 for best-selling books for the ‘books for boys’ category. His third book, Girls With Pearls climbed to the top 500 for best-selling books for the ‘books for girls’ category in just its first week on the Amazon best-selling book charts.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, I realize that families need help in providing educational and fun materials for their children. As a young African American male author, I am excited to provide new content for them.”

Continued on the next page

Jonathan shares that Growing Gents teaches boys at an early age what it means to be a gentleman. “Imagine a world where all little boys grow up to be kind, thoughtful, punctual, and helpful. This is what I wanted to capture,” he says. “Girls With Pearls is the perfect book to instill great qualities that will last a lifetime. This effective, beautiful, and colorful book shows young girls the importance of using manners, treating themselves and others with respect, and following their dreams. A lot of children’s literature gives a message through a fictional story, but we do not have many children’s books that are self-help and offer a powerful message. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I realize that families need help in providing educational and fun materials for their children. As a young African American male author, I am excited to provide new content for them.”

Master of Ceremonies A Male’s Guide For A Successful Life

Growing Gents

Girls With Pearls

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Jonathan says he is inspired by those who will follow after him. “Since I was a child, my late grandfather, William Kirksey always told me that nothing in this world was designed for its own use. Meaning an apple tree doesn’t grow apples to eat the apples themselves. I know that I was put on this earth to make things better for the next person,” he says. “I have a lot of young people who look up to me, including my godson, nephews, mentees, cousins, students, and those who read my books. They remind me that quitting is not an option. As a black man, I constantly think of past slaves who were beaten, jailed, and even killed for learning how to read and write, so becoming an author means the world to me. The same way my ancestors worked hard to make sure I had better, is the same way I want to pay it forward for the next generation of people. My goal is to leave the world in a better space than I found it.” Jonathan shares that being an author has afforded a lot of opportunities. “I have spoken with schools, churches, mentoring programs, and on many other platforms. I have been blessed to have some pretty impactful conversations with the youth about self-esteem, friendship choices, healthy relationships, finances, spirituality/ religion, education, and much more. Due to my transparency with them, many students have opened up about some challenging situations in their lives,” he shares. In the future, Jonathan plans to publish his fourth book, and organize a book tour. He is also considering running for public office. On top of that, he is looking forward to becoming a husband and father one day. h To learn more about Jonathan, please visit his website.

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By Terry L. Watson Photos by Suesy Coils Care It’s all about the hair; healthy and beautiful hair. Secquoyah Lacy, also known as SuesyCoils, is a 24-year-old Micro-Influencer and entrepreneur that resides in Milwaukee, WI. Secquoyah was born and raised on the south side of Chicago, IL, and is the middle child of four. Being a business owner, it is hard to believe that she was once a shy, reserved, independent, and protective young person. She shares, as a young girl growing up, I was known for my hair. However, I didn’t realize the true beauty and confidence that accompanied it.” Even with compliments and admiration for her hair, Secquoyah experienced doubt and even hatred at times. She describes it as a love-hate relationship. “I would never wear it in its natural state, though my father encouraged me to and embrace the kinks and coils. Still, I never would. I honestly thought he was crazy. I always feared that it would appear short or ugly, or nappy,” she says. Secquoyah’s viewpoint completely changed as a college student at Illinois State University. There she studied Sociology and due to the lack of attention, care, and resources, the way she saw and handled her hair changed. At Illinois State University she didn’t have her mom to take her to hair appointments every two weeks. She didn’t have a proper diet, nor was she educated on how to keep her hair healthy. She experienced severe hair breakage and allergic reactions to mainstream products. Once she realized the source of the issues she had with her hair, she took matters into her own hands and became a self-described “research queen”. “This is where I fell in love with all things natural. The overload of information about essential oils, herbs, meditation, reflection, and how they can help heal the body sparked a sense of intrigue within me. I found myself constantly sharing tips, remedies, and products I made with things around me. My initial thought was why not get on YouTube and help to inform and inspire others. I knew I wasn’t the only one who lacked the proper information about hair care. I wanted to help everyone I possibly could, and so this is how SuesyCoils was born, with the intention to share my knowledge about hair, and share natural ways to take care of your body,” she says. The SuesyCoilsCare is a truly diverse line of hair care products and includes the basic essentials for taking care of your hair. There is the Coil Crack™️ Hair System, the Coil King Collection, the SuesyCoilsCare Bonnet, SuesyCoilsCare Skin, and various Coil accessories. The Coil Crack™️ System consists of Shampoo bars, Conditioner, Hair Growth Oil, Edge Control, and Twisting Cream. The products

in the Coil Crack™️ Hair System are infused with fenugreek, rosemary and other natural ingredients that are designed to relieve dry/ itchy scalp, promote hair growth, stimulate, and repair damaged hair follicles, and rebuild and strengthen hair shafts, thus making detangling easier all while leaving your hair strands moisturized. Secquoyah says “after just one wash, you’ll be addicted. My two best-sellers are the Coil Crack™️ Hair Growth Oil- RollerBall and the SuesyCoilsCare bonnet.” She shares The Coil Crack™️ Hair Growth Oil- RollerBall stimulates hair growth, moisturizes hair and scalp, may prevent hair loss and breakage, treats dandruff, treats premature graying, kills bacteria on the scalp, and improves scalp health. It is infused with fenugreek, rosemary, lemon, peppermint, tea tree, and lavender. The RollerBall bottle is good for braids (of any kind), short beards, edges, bald spots, and traveling. The massaging from the roller ball helps stimulate growth as well. This application will not leave your fingers oily. The SuesyCoilsCare Bonnet has a satin thick wide stretchy band, good for laying edges. It is big enough to secure braids and will stay on your head all night. So, no more waking up with your hair all over your head. It’s soft, breathable, and hypoallergenic. The SuesyCoilsCare Bonnet has even been worn by celebrity influencer, Dream Doll. Continued on the next page

So how did Secquoyah get started. She shares she launched SuesyCoilsCare in May 2019, right after graduating from Illinois State University. “SuesyCoilsCare literally fell into my lap. It was not my intention to start a business or sell products at all. I solely made products for myself and planned to create tutorials to share with the world on YouTube. Yet, friends and family would request products and encourage me to sell them,” she says. But she hadn’t made the connection yet. Graduation came and she had no idea of what she could do that would bring in reasonable finances. However, something was happening in her dreams while she was sleeping. She shares, “I saw my logo, product labels, recipe ideas and so much more all in my sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I had dreams and had to wake up and write down the ideas that naturally flowed to me. Soon I started to breathe, live, and dream all things SuesyCoilsCare I knew it was what I was supposed to do. It was my purpose.” Being an entrepreneur, Secquoyah has faced some challenges. One has been scammers who are not playing fair in the world of business. She counters their efforts by carefully researching potential business-related transactions prior to sending any money out. She is also challenged running a business in itself and understands that it takes a lot of courage and confidence to keep pushing forward. And she is doing that very well.

www.suesycoilscare.com

She says what she loves most about her business is the chance to help other people fall in love with their hair and gain self-confidence. She also loves the opportunity she has to inspire and encourage others who look like her. “The fact that I can inspire others, truly inspires me because I know I have so many people watching and rooting for me. I can’t wait until I am in position to help other young women pursue their dreams as well. I am also inspired by my father who passed away in January 2019. From day one, he encouraged me to embrace my naturalness and look how far it has gotten me. I am very appreciative of the way my life panned out, but I wish I could have him here on this journey with me. He is my inspiration, and I keep going with that hope that I am making him proud,” she shares. Her advice to anyone who is thinking about starting a business such as hers is to try every single idea. “Make sure you test and trust your products before putting them out. You should always be 100% confident in whatever product or service you offer. Know what you’re talking about and be confident. Always be willing to learn and share what you know. When you put good in the world, good returns back to you,” she says. Moving forward, Secquoyah plans to launch SuesyCoilsCare Skin, which will be a product line of various skin care products, face bars, sugar scrubs, face masks, and more. She will also launch the Kiddie Coils Collection, a product line for children. She is also coming out with a specialty hair oil line that targets a specific problem. These oils will be released accompanied with educational information to further her initiative to be transparent about what’s in her products. h To learn more about SuesyCoilsCare, please visit her website.

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MAGAZINE

Cutest Baby

Malia Jordyn Neal The daugter of Marquia J. Neal

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

A sisterhood & support-community of women chasing their dreams in entrepreneurship.

Bhrea Jefferson Founder & Director