Get up, Get out & Get Motivated

WE BUY BLACK

CAMELLIA ALISE

Camellia Alise is a unisex, specialized skincare company, focused on providing comprehensive beauty educational services and effective natural personal care products. Our primary services are manufacturing and retailing all natural skincare products for razor bumps and cellulite, with a business model consisting of spa equipment supply and beauty training services. Prices range $15.00 to $50.00 Products are available at www.camelliaalise. com and onAmazon.

MESS IN A BOTTLE T-shirt company with MESSages that come packaged in a reusable bottle. What’s your MESSage?

Wear your MESSage. An expressive brand that allows you to say whatever you want without ever having to say anything at all.

Prices range from $14 and up. Products are available atwww. messinabottle.com.

HGC APPAREL

“Black By Popular Demand” Moderate. Haute Greek Couture, AKA HGC Apparel, is a fashion line that was created in 2006 created by a 90’s kid who’s passionate about up-lifting the black community.

Prices range from $7.99 and up. Products are available atwww. hgcapparel.com. Text HGCVIP TO 33777 For Exclusive Sales, Discounts, & More.

ELEV8 PRINT AND DESIGN, LLC “Jesus is Greater”. This shirt signifies that there is nothing in this world that can be compared to his Greatness.

Prices start at $10.99- $19.99. Products are available athttp:// www.elev8printdesign. com/store.html.

JEROME LOVE

Founder and President of one of America’s largest business tradeshows the Texas Black Expo, Jerome Love is a man of many talents. Entrepreneur, an award-winning author, real estate agent, founder, speaker, husband, and father almost sums it up. The author of Get Up, Get Out and Get Something lives by his book title, he stated that the phrase, “epitomizes his life and the life of successful entrepreneurs across the world.” Love has been voted Entrepreneur of the Year (National Black MBA Association), Pinnacle Award Finalist (HCCOC), and Multi-Million Dollar Top Producer (Prudential Texas Realty). With over 16 years of experience in multiple expert areas under his belt, he has become a top keynote speaker amongst corporate and collegiate audiences. Pre-COVID-19 Love and his team would be getting ready for the Texas Black Expo Summer Celebration in Houston, TX. The annual event held in June unites hundreds of small business vendors, corporate exhibitors, influential speakers, business development seminars, women’s forums, activities for children, health and wellness screenings, hair and fashion shows, and national entertainment such as Angie Stone, India Arie, Will Downing, Shirley Caesar, Deitrick Haddon, and Karen Clark & Kiki Sheard and more. This event has grown to become the largest African-American marketing trade show in the state of Texas, now drawing close to 20,000 attendees, more than 250 vendors, and numerous attractions throughout the nationally recognized four-day experience. The Summer Celebration is more than a trade show, it’s a socially-responsible, statewide community organization dedicated to strengthening

Jerome D. Love

Photography by Len Benett

communities, inspiring youth, and building better lives for us all. It has become a highly anticipated event and Houstonians view it as an integrated part of Houston’s community fabric.

This year in place of the recent pandemic, the Texas Black Expo is focused on providing grants to small businesses that are currently suffering. The organization has already pro- vided more than $20,000 in grants to small businesses affected by the pandemic. Their goal is to provide $100,000. If you would like to donate towards the goal or find out more information about this initiative click here.

For the past 16 years, the Summer Celebration landmark event has been produced by Texas Black Expo, Inc. a non-profit organization that aims to stimulate growth and development within urban communities by strengthening businesses, inspiring youth, and building bet- ter lives. The Texas Black Expo is committed to the community, economic development, the diverse individuals who have invested their time, talent, and energy into building strong families, underserved businesses, youth by providing entrepreneurial and edu- cational opportunities and increased devel- opment in our communities.

The Texas Black Expo focuses on 3 critical ar- eas to help accomplish our goals:

• Assist startups and underserved business- es through financial education, business plan development, and organizational formation.

• Empower existing underserved businesses through operational development, strength- ening business models, and providing access to capital.

• Inspire underserved youth by providing training and resources to prepare them for entrepreneurship and/or college life. Texas Black Expo, Inc. celebrates cultural diversity and inclusiveness across all races, ethnicities, nationalities, generations, and socioeconomic levels. We continue to strive for excellence by providing unique events and programs, which reflect the changing landscape of Texas and the world. Our com- mitment to excellence through personal en- hancement and community development exemplifies our dedication to improving the quality of life for all.

Texas Black Expo, Inc. demonstrates account- ability and integrity in its delivery of quality programs and events that provide important customer service, which builds community and trust through active teamwork.

The Texas Black Expo was created in 2007. It operates with a mission to foster business growth and development, educate and ex- pose youths to the world of entrepreneur- ship, and provide events designed to inform, economically empower and establish the lo- cal community.

The producers of the Houston Black Expo, President Jerome Love and Vice President Shannon Cormier, Ph.D., formed the Texas Black Expo with a desire to brand the orga- nization as more than a once-per-year trade show organization. Rather, the focus will be on delivering year-round community devel- opment events, connecting Texas businesses to the communities it serves, and developing the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Before founding the Texas Black Expo, Jerome Love and Dr. Cormier produced the Houston Black Expo for four years first at the Reliant Center and later at the George R. Brown Con- vention Center. Operated by the Black Expo of Houston, LLC, the Houston Black Expo has served the Houston community since 2004 with its signature event, the “Summer Cele- bration.”

The founders of the Texas Black Expo look for- ward to serving African-American Texas busi- ness communities. Everyone has a story about why they started, what’s your why? I started my first business when I was 19, by the age of 26 I was in the hole over $100,000 due to silly business moves and ignorance. I real- ized that many within my community could and would make the same decision as a result of the same ignorance. I wanted to help entrepre- neurs just like me to increase their chance of success by providing training, resources, and a platform to promote their business. Being in business can be hard and difficult sometimes, what keeps you motivated? I think that being in business for 20+ years is a blessing. I often tell people that I feel I have an advantage over most. Most people that work 9 to 5’s have a false sense of security as they have a “solid” company that they work for. Every day I wake up, I realize that me and my children’s ability to eat is based upon my hustle and in reality in God’s favor. I recognize that God is my source, Deuteronomy 8:18 states that “It is he that gives you the ability to gain wealth.” So in a crisis such as COVID-19 while others are freak- ing out as the source they were depending on is in question, I am settled in my spirit as my source has not changed. I rely on what I have always relied upon. Do you have a philosophy or quote that you live by? If so, what is it? Get Up, Get Out and Get something (GUGOGS). This was the name of my first business that I started at 19, which was a clothing line. How- ever, it also epitomizes my life and the life of successful entrepreneurs across the world. Tell us about your book ‘Get Up, Get Out & Get Motivated.’ Get Up, Get out & Get Motivated is my threepart book series that inspires individuals to be more effective as an entrepreneur and a leader. Each edition tells the story of success, triumph, and lessons learned along the way in a down to earth manner that people relate too. You can purchase all three editions at http://www. jeromedlove.com. What inspired the book? Ultimately, I wanted to share my story to help others. When I started in business a friend said to me to read several books, most of which were way over my head as I didn’t understand business. I wanted to make complex business and leadership strategies practical. The only thing that comes to mind is the “failure” of GU- GOGS my clothing line. I originally saw myself being like FUBU or Sean John etc. We noticed that you have different editions of your book could you tell us the difference? The entrepreneur edition, explains my entre- preneurial journey. The leadership edition fo- cuses on the struggles and challenges I faced on the path to becoming a more successful leader. The student edition touches on my struggles during my teen years. I go in-depth about how I was expelled in high school how- ever I didn’t allow that to stop me from gradu- ating from one of the country’s top universities, The University of Texas at Austin. How did you get into Real Estate? I got my license when I was 19. It was around that time I found out that I didn’t want to work in corporate America, and thus I was seeking a way to independence and real estate was the first thing that I tried, and today it is the core of my businesses. I have a wide array of experience in real estate honed over the last 24 years. New home con- struction, remodeling, investments, property management, rehabilitating homes, and resi- dential sales are some of the areas my compa- nies focus on. Also, I oversee a team of agents

Jerome D. Love speaking at an event.

With Former Mayor Annise Parker

that handle residential home sales.

Jerome D. Love giving a thumbs up.

From an unsuccessful clothing line and a lifestyle pivot, Jerome D. Love took his past lessons mixed with his passion for wanting to help more entrepreneurs to prosper and thrive. “I believe in learn- ing and evolving,” stated Love. Evolving is exactly what he did. He took the name of the clothing line and wrote several books. Now he gets paid to speak across the country on success, leadership, mo- tivation, and peak performance and the foundation of his success is the “failure” of GUGOGS. Love plans to spend this year developing and building upon the foundation that has already been estab- lished to make the next years to come even greater.

For more information about Jerome D. Love visit www.jeromedlove.com. Be sure to follow him on social media.

Instagram: @ jeromedlove Instagram: @texasblackexpo