The Prevailing Woman: Summer 2018

Celebrity wedding and event planner

KATHY ROMERO

talks about the power of grit and grace.

BLAZING HOT SUMMER FASHION TRENDS PARENTING TIPS WHILE TRAVELING

Daytime Emmy Award Winner

reveals her motherhood secrets, career failures and rising above the drama

Michelle Quick

Boutique interior design studio specializing in residential interior and e-design services.

Servicing DC, MD, VA and beyond.

Creatively

www.creativereflectionsdesign.com hello@creativereflectionsdesign.com 240-776-2553

CURATED SPACES

@creativereflectionsdesign

Transforming, Optimizing, and Sustaining Your Brand

DRLATANYAMOORE.COM

Table of Contents Spotlight Contributors Behind the scenes Summer Fitness Summer Trends Sherri Shepherd The Prevailing Woman Self-Care for The Prevailing Woman Never without purpose Love letters: Bridging Brands and Cultures Parenting while traveling The Super Woman Syndrome Good Karma ENTERTAINMENT

02 06 09 19 32 42 72 74

76 84 86 88

Credits Sabrina Seymore

Founding Editor-In-Chief

Cassandra Adams Jones Editor, Communications

Kenali Battle Editor

Alicia Ruffin Beauty Editor

Caprice Melton Fashion Editor

Rosalyn Harris Journalist

Latisha Coleman Graphic Designer

Contributors

Minister Tina France, Dr. Nicole Swiner, Dr. Allison Matthews, Sabrina Seymore, Rosalyn Harris, Caprice Melton, Kentoura Gilmore, Dr. LaTanya Moore, Dr. Trish Harleston

Cover Story Team

Photographer: J3Collection Videographer: Zoe Pictures Hair Stylist: Ken Kandy Makeup artist: Makeup by Latrice Wardrobe Stylist: Kwame Waters Publicist: Kita Williams

Social Love

Iconic fashion designer, Kate Spade, will forever be an inspiration to us all.

Her brand was the ultimate go-to when planning a bridal shower, baby shower, girls’ brunch, photoshoot, and all things girly!

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SPOTLIGHT

Contributors

ANSWERED THESE FOUR QUESTIONS:

1. Name one or two women who inspire you and why?

2. What are 3 of your favorite meals?

3. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be and why?

4. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

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CAPRICE

Melton

1. One or two women who inspire you and why?

The women that inspire me are my older sister TaQuonda Hill. My sister helped raise me and Iʼve always looked up to her. Now at 36, she is a full time mom of two, wife, and works in corporate america for Delta Airlines. I never hear her complain about it. Sheʼs always been a go-getter and business driven since we were young.

Next would be Robyn “Rihanna” Fenty she inspires me to be myself and live with out worrying about what people will think of you. As we all know Rihanna does what she wants, when she wants, all while being her “unapologetic” self.

2. What are 3 of your favorite meals?

1. Oxtails, rice and peas, macaroni and cheese, with cabbage.

2. Lamb chops and potatoes au gratin 3. Chicken and Shrimp carbonara

3. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be and why?

If I could live any where in the world it would have to be London. Back in 2014 I had the opportunity to study abroad there and fell in love with everything London had to offer. And plus it’s the fashion captial of the world.

4. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

If I could travel anywhere in the world if would be Bora Bora. I always see pictures of how beautiful the island is and would love to see for myself.

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DR. LATANYA

Moore

Implementation Specialist/ Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist

@TheDrMoore

1. One or two women who inspire you and why?

My grandmother- She is the most spiritual person I know and despite what is going on my life, positive or negative, I can count on her to give guidance that is biblically based.

2. What are 3 of your favorite meals?

I love good sushi rolls, particularly crab or shrimp tempura (With a side of edamame of course). I can eat grilled chicken everyday. Grilled salmon with asparagus over a bed of rice gives me life!

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3. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be and why?

A Caribbean island because I feel refreshed and renewed when I am around a beautiful body of water.

4. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

Africa! I would love to experience the rich culture and have a safari experience.

KENTOURA

Gilmore Freelance Journalist

@ _Effortlessglam 1. One or two women who inspire you and why?

My Mother, Sabrina Seymore of course! and BeyoncĂŠ

2. What are 3 of your favorite meals?

Lemon Pepper Wings, Sweet Potato Pie, Sushi

3. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be and why?

I would live in Berlin. I took a trip to Germany last summer and fell in love with the food, people, and quick access to anywhere in Europe.

4. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

Nairobi, Kenya to visit Giraffe Manor.

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with Sherri Shepherd

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THE PREVAILING WOMAN 7

Seymore Speaks It’s the new fiscal year, yay! Or nay, maybe?

2018 has been flying by at speed of lightening.

I remember just writing down my goals for the year and I feel like I haven’t even had an opportunity to touch any of them. Oh wait, Sabrina, you know better than this. What are excuses? [I encourage you read the poem by Excuses by Edgar Allen Poe] While, many of my goals haven’t been touched, I have reach a new height in my career as the Founder of The Prevailing Woman. Distribution has doubled, we’re at the peak of planning our inaugural women’s conference, and this issue is full of highly successful and reputable women.

Recently, I started The Prevailing Facebook group and within 30 days, I was able to have 850 ladies join the group. The group discusses EVERYTHING. From lifestyle topics, entrepreneurship, beauty, finance and even love. The demographics range between 25-65 year old black women. I mean come on...

800+ women in one group sounds like drama, but trust me-it’s all good vibes.

This issue is what I’d like to think of as the “Breakthrough Issue”. I struggled-a lot. I had the women identified, journalists ready, and then writer’s block and a dose giving up came over me. No good thing is easily attained. So what kind of “Prevailing Woman” would I be if I just threw in the towel because I decided to give up?

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Interviewing Sherri Shepherd really touched me in so many ways that she will never know.

Sherri has a unique story that I believe is a story for the ambitious and fearless woman. Her story actually pushed me to move forward with planning our first women’s conference, She Prevails!

The purpose of She Prevails is to empower, entertain, and recharge women who are thought leaders, entrepreneurs and have a general interest in the welfare of their communities. It is an opportunity for women to come together to hear dynamic speakers and create meaningful relationships in a curated atmosphere with the sole purpose of women exceling.

We have 30 speakers and keynote addresses by Tasha Smith, Kela Walker, Charli Penn, Lucinda Cross and so many more! I hope you can join me on September 8-9in Durham, NC.

Sabrina Seymore Sabrina Seymore @sabrinaseymore

FITNESS with JaNassa Kearney

Fire hydrant

with Resistance Bands

I. Place a resistance band above your knees II. Get on your hands and knees with your wrists under your shoulders and knees hip width apart III. Raise one leg to the up to the height up of your hip IV. Return to starting position, repeat for 10 reps, and then switch legs

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Leg Lift

Combo with Leg Crossover

I. Begin on your hands and knees II. Hands should be directly underneath your shoulders III. Keep your abdominals pulled in tight IV. Lift one leg at hip level, and pulse for 4 V. Cross same leg over to opposite side, and pulse for 4 VI. Return to starting position, repeat for 10 reps, and then switch legs THE PREVAILING WOMAN 11

Gluteus Hamstring Bridge

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I. Lie face up on the floor, with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Keep your arms at your side with your palms down II. Lift one leg, and push your foot into the ball III. Lift your hips off of the ground until your hips and shoulders form a straight line IV. Extend one leg straight out off of ball, with your toe pointed V. Squeeze your glutes and keep your abs drawn in so you don’t overextend your back during the exercise VI. Hold your bridge for 2 seconds before easing back down VII. Return to starting position, repeat for 10 reps, and then switch legs

Bosu Walking Lunges with Barbell Bar

I. Line up 4 - 6 Bosu Balls II. Begin standing with your feet shoulder width apart III. Hold a barbell across your upper back with an overhand grip, or you can extend your arms across the bar – avoid resting the bar on your neck IV. Step onto first bosu with both feet V. Step forward with on leg, flexing your knees to drop your hips VI. Descend until your rear knee nearly touches the ground (at least 4 inches above ground) VII. Your posture should remain upright, and your knee should stay above the front foot

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JaNassa Kearney is a Personal Trainer, Nutritionist, and Fitness Influencer. Better known as Nassa, is known for her urgency in inspiring and motivating women to live a healthier lifestyle. Nassa obtained her undergraduate degree (B.S.) from North Carolina Central University, and her Masters of Business Administration from Strayer University.

Nassa worked for the federal government for nearly 10 years before making a career change into the Fitness, Health & Wellness Industry.

After getting married, and having her first child, she gained nearly 80lbs.

Throughout her weight loss journey, she gained a keen sense of urgency to help other women.

Nassa and her Fitness with Nassa brand have been featured on multiple news and media outlets. She has been recognized as one of the top Personal Trainers in the Charlotte, NC community. She has worked alongside other profound Personal Trainers in the industry. Nassa has been the leading health & fitness coach for several corporations, and has been featured in several women empowerment conferences.

Fitness with Nassa mission is to empower women through health, fitness & wellness. Her goal is to motivate, inspire, and demonstrate to women that they too can be wives, mothers and career women all while living a healthier lifestyle.

Nassa’s formula to all of her clients is Professionalism + Enthusiastic Commitment + Creativity = Satisfied Clients with Results!

Nassa’s Health

& Wellness Tips Limit Regular Doctor Visits

- Research shows the less you move your body the more health issues you will experience. Incorporating walking in everything you do will reduce health issues.

Most Americans have sedentary level activity due to having corporate jobs and sitting in front of a computer every day. Then after work we go home to sit down for the remainder of the evening with no heighten level of activity in the course of 24 hours. Some people do not enjoy going to the gym or boot camps. You know what?

This level of activity isn’t necessarily needed to reduce doctor visits. You just simply need to MOVE MORE! Start counting your steps each day. Counting your steps can help you improve your overall health. Products such as the Fitbit and Apple Watch can calculate your steps each day. According to Fitbit.com, 7,000-10,000 steps per day can improve your overall health.

Reduce Chronic Health Problems

- Most Americans tend to avoid exercise when they are experiencing chronic health problems. Studies show that exercise will actually reverse chronic health problems such as high blood pressure, arthritis and type II diabetes. If you are unaware of your options, visit a Physical Therapist of an American College of Sports Medicine Personal Trainer. These professionals are subject matter experts, and can create customized plans for you once you have been approved from your physician.

Losing Weight and Keeping the Weight Off

- Nutrition is KEY when trying to lose weight. However, combining strength training and cardio will assist with your weight loss journey. Functional exercises burn calories that would normally be stored fat (unwanted weight gain). Strength Training builds and preserves muscle mass. Look at it this way; cardio sheds the fat, and strength & conditioning tones what has been lost.

Less Stress

- Exercising regularly can reduce stress levels and depression. Exercise makes you feel great! Exercising 3 times a week will increase your overall mood. Make sure that you are doing a form of exercise that you truly enjoy. When people are stressed and depressed, they tend to focus more on why things are happening and what they can do to change the situation. So make sure you are participating in an exercise that makes you feel happy, clears your mind, and is enjoyable.

Instagram: @fitnesswithnassa Facebook: Fitness with Nassa Snapchat: nassa_fitness THE PREVAILING WOMAN 15

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Written By Minister Tina M. France My daughter is a very talented basketball player. She did so well on her middle school team, she was nominated to participate in her league’s 3-point contest and conference All-Star Game. Though her overall game is quite formidable she is primarily known for her defense and her ability to get to the basket and score rather than shooting 3-pointers. She practiced for days. We were all excited and looking forward to the All-Star Game where she could join other top players in her league for a fun, competitive game.

I’ll b the first to admit, I’m that mom who cheers (loudly) at games and record video clips to post them to Facebook and Instagram. So, I have tons of videos on my phone. I keep certain video that are especially noteworthy which limits the amount of new videos I’m able to keep.

On the day of the All Star game festivities, this was the case.

I had limited space on my phone for videos. The 3-point contest began. I recorded video of the first round.

She made a couple of them and made it to the final round. I decided not to record this next round so that I had space left for the All-Star game that was coming up next. The final round began and she hits the first shot, then the second, then the third, then the fourth, THEN THE FIFTH, THEN THE SIXTH, THEN THE SEVENTH, THEN THE EIGHTH, MISSED THE NINTH, THEN HITS THE FINAL MONEY BALL that equaled TWO MADE SHOTS. The crowd went wild!

I was so proud of her and excited about what just happened!

Then I realized that I missed it! It wasn’t recorded! I was so focused on what was coming, that I missed my chance to capture this amazing and historic performance in the moment.

If we’re really honest, how often do we become preoccupied with our future plans that we miss what is happening in our lives right now. The future, or at least the idea of the future, can be one really potent drug. The idea of reaching our goals and living out our dreams can be so euphoric that we can sometimes become apathetic concerning what God has placed in our hands to do right now.

On the other end of the spectrum, our preoccupation with the fear of what our future could hold 18 THE PREVAILING WOMAN

can paralyze us into inaction for fear that we won’t measure up.

The truth is that God has given us both our present and our future to enjoy. So how do we maintain a healthy focus on our future while still enjoying our lives right now?

1) Be Prayerful: Spending time each morning communing with God gives us a chance to get instructions from our Creator. Receiving divine instruction daily prevents us from getting ahead of ourselves and helps us to stay focused.

2) Be Grateful: Find at least three things to be grateful for each day. Gratefulness can go a long way toward keeping us engaged and excited about what God is doing in our lives.

3) Be Prepared: If I’d planned appropriately, I would have downloaded the videos I wanted to keep to my computer so I’d have ample space to use for my daughter’s 3-point contest and All-Star Game. Don’t skimp on the preparation. If you know what needs to be done, just do it.

Being prepared reduces the chances that you’ll miss major opportunities when they come along.

Words of wisdom from the scriptures in Ecclesiastes 8:15 says, “And I commend joy, for man has no good thing under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.”

So enjoy your life, both the now and the future.

Our Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for the beauty of life. Help us to have a healthy appreciation for our future while still being present in what you’re doing in us and through us right now. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

From The Well Ministries is the evangelistic outreach ministry of Minister Tina M. France. To connect with her, visit www.fromthewellministries.com or like her on Facebook: From The Well Ministries.

SUMMER TRENDS

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1. Denim Jacket with Belt (Zara $69) 2. Ripped Mini Skirt (Zara $39) 3. Printed t-shirt ($19)

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4. Hexagonal Crossbody (Zara $39) 5. Loral wedges (Zara $59) 6. Gold raised earrings (Zara $19)

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1. Blue Satin Slip Dress (Topshop $60) 2. LV Archlight Trainers (Louis Vuitton $1090) 3. LV Bumbag (Louis Vuitton $1500)

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1. Yellow Ribbed Bralet (Nordstrom $38) 2. White Balenciaga Extra Small Triangle Bag (Nordstrom $ 1890) 3. Wide Leg Jean (Zara $ 49.90) 4. Floral Tribal headband ( Zara $14) 5. Leith Sunglasses (Nordstrom $24.99) 6. Calvin Klein Sandal (Saks 5th $119.00) 7. Baublebar Tassel Earrings (Nordstrom $38)

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Fuchsia Sandals (Aldo $39) Vinyl Tote Bag (Zara $49) Spaghetti Strap ruffle dress (Jcrew $268) Burberry Sunglasses (Nordstrom $245) Kendra Scoot Tassel Necklace ($59) Kendra Scott Fuchsia bracelet ($60)

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Lani Bailey ON CATCHING FLIGHTS & TAKING NAMES Written by Rosalyn Harris Travel has quickly become one of the major elements of women’s self-care regimen. As more and more of us begin to take over the world in various business industries and evolve into improved versions of ourselves, it seems that embarking on beautiful excursions and being immersed in different cultures in far off places has become a new way to balance out our lives in such a way that it brings a sense of internal happiness and wholeness.

Lani Bailey recognized the value in this new pursuit for travel and experiences among women and created a solution with Her Travel Tribe Boutique, a luxury travel company for powerhouse women who want to take the time to relax, rejuvenate, and rediscover their mind, bodies and souls through world travels with other like-minded women.

Coming from a small town and growing up in a household with a single mother, Lani remembers not having the resources to travel but always wanting to do so. She looked around and saw many women in her small town who had not left the state or even the city. She saw everything they had on their plates and knew all too well how life can get so busy that it can quickly pass us by without us actually living it. So, she thought, what if I could take these ladies to exotic places around the world and give them an experience they will never forget? Like the saying goes... she thought she could so she did.

Ready to book your trip yet? Read more about how Lani and Her Travel Tribe Boutique are creating life-changing experiences with travel.

Lani’sTop 3 Destinations: Jamaica, Thailand and New York The Ideal Woman For HerTravelTribeTrips: First thing, she’s gotta be positive. No one wants to travel across the world with Debbie Downer or someone with a diva attitude.

I take the time to group women together who I think will enjoy each other and be eager to learn from one another as well the culture they’ll be exposed to. She also has to love to be around other women and feed off of their energy.

CraftingThe Itinerary: As a former wedding planner of eight years, I’m really big on the details. I love crafting the itineraries and searching high and low for the locations and activities that will provide the best

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experiences. I spend months crafting the itineraries, so a lot of time goes into it. I try to create an experience from the time women book their trip to the time they arrive back home.

I like sending them surprises in the form of various trinkets and gifts shortly after booking, before leaving and when they arrive at their destination. In the future, I’m looking to add speakers on our trips who can speak on different topics to add to the overall impact of the experience. My itineraries are crafted with high quality experience and excellent customer service in mind. And the details... the details are what makes everything really special.

The Most Popular Item On Any ItineraryTo Date: The itinerary item that was a hit out of all the itineraries was a trip to the prison that held Nelson Mandela in Capetown, South Africa. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend that trip.

However, it was the activity I heard the most about from the ladies who did attend. The ladies really enjoyed learning about Nelson Mandela’s story in the very cell that imprisoned him.

What FormerTravelers Say AboutTheir HerTravel Tribe Experience: It feels amazing to be able to assist women with traveling the world. Some women have said that if it wasn’t for me that traveling would have never crossed their mind. Women have have wanted to travel but never thought they could because of their many obligations have been able to fulfill a dream of theirs. Others have said that their travel experience was life-changing and something they had never done in their entire lives. Providing an experience for these women has also been a learning experience for me. It’s so rewarding to meet so many women from all walks of life and help create unforgettable experiences for them.

Visit www.hertraveltribeboutique.com to learn more about some of the amazing trips and memorable itineraries Lani is cooking up.

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SUMMER SWIMWEAR

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White Chain Print Pants $30 (prettylittlething.com) White Chain Print Kimono $38 (pretteylittlething.com) White Bow Bikini Set $28 (prettylittlething.com) Beaded slides $49 (Zara) Tonal Oversized Skyblue Sunglasses $10 (Urban Outfitters)

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1. Camoflague Print Triangle Bikini Top $3 (Topshop) 2. Caomflague Bikini bottom $30 (Topshop) 3. Black distress denim mini skirt $35 4.Black sneaker inspired sandal $59 (Zara) 5. Oversized Black Distress denim Jacket $45 (Prettylittething) 6. Givenchy Rottweiler Twill Head Scarf $263

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Slash Cut out one piece $240 (Lee and Lani) Lace Pants $25 (Fashionnova) Shiny slided $59 (Zara) 3.1 Philip Lim Leather tote $249 (Nordstorm) AV1’ 58mm Sunglasses Matte/Gunmetal Green $200 (Nordstrom)

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1. Orange cheetah Bikini top $18 (prettylittlethings) 2. Orange Cheetah print bottoms $18 (prettylittlethings.com) 3. White crochet beaded top $38 (prettylittething) 4. White crochet beaded pants $45 (prettylittlething.com) 5. Oliva Animal print Sandals $49 (Urban Outfitters) 6. Green Cat Eye Sunglasses $16 (Urban outfitters)

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INSPIRE

CONNECT

PREVAIL

About the Magazine

The Prevailing Woman is a magazine that promotes personal and world. professional achievements at all levels of business throughout the World.

The Prevailing Woman Magazine has expanded as a multifaceted media source that reaches millions quarterly. The magazine is high gloss, 75-125 pages, contemporary in look and appeal. Quality word and art content is the number one goal. The magazine is empowering, newsworthy and thought-provoking. It appeals to a woman who wantsto toexpand expandtheir their network, prevail in their career, or general interest in the welfare of prevailing women.

Social Media

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Sabrina Seymore is Founding Editor-In-Chief of The Prevailing Woman magazine. Sabrina created this magazine to highlight women who are prevailing in their respective fields and to empower woman to maximize their highest potential in all areas of their life. Our first issue of the digital and print magazine launched in Spring 2017. advertise@prevailingwoman.com 919.760.3219

919.760.3219 │advertise@prevailingwoman.com

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Ads due: April 1, 2018 Issue: Summer 2018 Issue: FallMarch 2018 15, 2018 Anniversary Issue:

w w w . p r e v a i l i n g w o m a n . c o m

Sherri SHEPHERD

When you hear the name Sherri Shepherd you likely think: big personality, loads of laughter, fun-fun-and more fun! While you surely have an accurate description of the on-stage comedian Sherri Shepard, just know that she is holistically so much more! The Prevailing Woman got a chance to sit down with Sherri and delve into her life from childhood, heartache, ultimate success and happiness.

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Interviewer: Can you tell me who Sherri Shepherd was before she got into the TV, media, and entertainment industry?

Sherri Shepherd: Sherri Shepherd was a very shy person; a Jehovah’s Witness that used to go on field service every weekend. She was a legal secretary, not very talkative-unless you’re really good friends with her. Funny enough, I’m shy, yet really silly.

Interviewer: How have your educational and professional experiences led you to have the success you have today?

Sherri: I went to a school in an all-white neighborhood.

As a child I was bullied, so I learned to use my humor to cope with my feelings. Because I was a Jehovah’s Witness, I had good grades (I was a straight-A student), but I wasn’t allowed to go to college. Because I didn’t get to go to college, I heavily encouraged my nieces and nephews to go to college. When we moved to Los Angeles, I went to a junior college where I started taking all Spanish classes. My ideas was to save my money to move to Spain for a year and become an interpreter, but then I got bit by the comedy bug.

Interviewer: What inspired you to go into the media and entertainment industry?

Sherri: It’s so funny. I didn’t think I would be in this business. I used to stand up in front of a fan with a hairbrush and sing into it. I wanted to get into radio. But when I think about when I was younger, my family and I used to have variety shows and I always made everybody laugh.

It was a natural progression. I didn’t think about being a comic. As a legal secretary, I talked everyone into having a night out - secretaries go to bed at eight o’clock because they have got to get up early. So it was kind of boring. I talked my co-workers into going to a comedy show for some fun. As I was sitting there-before Andrew

Dice Clay, 80 groups coming up-and I was making everybody laugh. When Andrew Dice Clay came on, he made all of the women angry.

One lady leaned back, and she said, “You can do this, you’re funnier than him, you could do this!“ You never know what seed you can plant with your words. She planted the seed. And I called all 11 of my girlfriends who were legal secretaries, and I said, “Do you think stand-up comedy is something I could do?” 10 of them said, “No.” They said, “You have a great job as a legal secretary, you got your pension, your 401K, it’s going to take you 10 years to make it.” One of my girlfriends said, “If you think you can do it, you got to try it. You got to go for it.”

When she realized her words encouraged me, it spurred her on to quit her job as a legal secretary. She moved to Arizona, she got married, and became one of the top real estate agent. Her billboards are along freeways because she decided to take a chance.

Another incident that led me to pursue comedy is an encounter with Eddie Griffin and not in Andrew Dice Clay, and saying- they thought I was a groupie. I was so shy, but I asked: “How do I do that?”

Eddie was like, “Just get on the stage.” I said, “But I’m scared.” And he said something that I carried with me to this day. He said, “Do it scared.” That’s how I’ve always lived my life.

That’s how I started-scared.

Interviewer: How did you handle the changes in your career and what influenced these power moves?

Sherri: It’s two things that I did when I decided to quit my job as a legal secretary. First, I had to prepare. I did a lot of homework, and I said I can’t be on my feet waitressing. I can’t slide on a pole-I’m too big. So I prepared and save up some money, as a little bit of precaution. I started going to acting classes. I prepared and really started hitting the clubs. I think you have to know, if

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you decide to jump, you have got to know what you’re jumping into. I cashed out my 401 to make sure my rent was paid for about five months and I didn’t have that worry over my head.

The second thing was, I just said I’m going to go and do this. I’m scared to death, but there’s a thing inside of me that said I got to do it. It was getting to the point where I was getting sick of being at the law firm because I didn’t want to be there.

I only got joy being on stage, and I said, “You know, I think I got to leave and make this move and just trust that God is going to guide me in the way that I should go.”

I think getting there- despite the fear-go for it because if you never go, you never know. There are so many people who never go for it and they live with regrets.

Interviewer: Tell us about a time you experienced a controversial co-worker or cast member.

Sherri: Gosh, probably if I was to go from backwards to forwards, it was two incidents that changed. I remember becoming a regular on Suddenly Susan was my first one. Kathy Griffin was on the show, and she was used to being the funny one.

She was funny- and then I was also brought in as the funny one. I remember Kathy Griffin just used to ignore me in the lobby. She was making plans for everybody to go lunch, and I kept going, “She didn’t ask me, she didn’t ask me.” And you had to go past my dressing room to leave.

All the time I was like, “She is not asking me to go to lunch,” and they all walked past my dressing room,

and I heard one of the actors, Nestor Carbonell say, “Where’s Sherri?” and Kathy said, “She’s got something to do.” I remember I was just crying, stuff was running out of my nose. I called my husband one night at the time and he was just like, “You know, sometimes people get threatened, and you have to know who you are.”

Secondly, for three years I cried while being on The View because I felt like I didn’t fit in with the ladies. I felt like I wasn’t smart enough because I

didn’t go to college-everybody had gone to college.

As a Jehovah’s Witness, I was raised not to argue with people. So debating was something that scared me to death, and like I said, I always felt like I wasn’t worthy enough.

Interviewer: Wow! As an avid viewer, of The View I would have never thought you went through that.

Sherri: I was miserable. Barbara Walters gave me a hard time every single day. I’ll never forget when Whoopi asked me, if I thought the earth was round or flat, and I said, “I didn’t know.” It was because I was so nervous that I pretty much zoned out. I was thinking, “Did I pay the water bill? I got to pick up Jeffrey’s milk.”

When I said I didn’t know if the earth was round or flat, can I tell you, everybody was mad at me. So many journalists said I should be fired with a stupid stick. Bill O’Reilly called me a pinhead. Wendy Williams said I could be replaced with a potato sack.

Every black woman in America went from loving that I was on The View, to hating me because they felt this was a focus group.

They said specifically,“black women do not like you. They think you’ve brought them back”.

Going through all of that hurt so much. Karen Johnson approached me and she said, “You look at me, if Barbara Walters didn’t think you could do this job, she wouldn’t have hired you.“ Barbara even came and said, “I’m proud of you.

You got to fall, but you’re learning.” And she said, “Wipe your tears up, dear.”

That fall made me do my homework. It made me do my research and learn how to defend my beliefs. Before, I never had to defend my beliefs; I just believed what you said.

Interviewer: Have you ever dealt with any controversy?

Sherri: I would like to mention that getting married a second time and dealing with it publicly was very hard for me. God had to shut my mouth.

God was like, “I’m going to do the defending of you”.

Being in a situation where you go from people really liking you to something put out about you that’s not true is tough. You see yourself in tabloids and blogs, and people sent me hate mail saying, “You’re not a Christian. You don’t love Jesus.”

It was extremely difficult. There were a lot of

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tears. It was a lot of having to go out and smile regardless of what I was feeling.

Interviewer: Are you open to love again? What advice do you have for women who are looking for love?

Sherri: I’m definitely not looking for love.

Make sure you’re healed from any of kind break up. When you don‘t take time to do self-reflection and realize what you need to do differently, nothing will work. You got to heal.

We can’t be Mr. Fix It and try to do it yourself.

I would say that was the problem with mine.

I went from 1A to 2A. When 1A ripped the band-aid off and I jumped right into a relationship with 2A, there was no time to heal.

When you heal, you realize what you want, what you like to do, and you find your voice.

Now, am I open to love? Oh, my goodness.

First, I can’t afford another husband. I guess my advice is see if you’re done with the freedom and look closely before you come out broke!

Unfortunately, that is where I am. If I’m looking at a person, my first thought is “Well, how much is this going to cost me.’

Interviewer: Many women are struggling to find their purpose in life. Other women who I’ve spoken to may feel like they are walking in their purpose of serving others. What do you believe your purpose is and how did you get clarity in identifying it?

Sherri: I think the thing in your head that scares you the most is the thing that you really have to take a look at. That thing that makes you think, “I don’t know if I can do that.” Purpose is beyond you, bigger than you, and needs more help than what you can give. I think purpose and walking in it, is definitely something you can’t do by yourself.

I think my purpose is to make people laugh. I think it’s to touch them with laughter. I do drama.

While watching the Brian Banks movie, there wasn’t a smile on my face. If I wasn’t screaming, I was on the floor crying-broken. I think it’s touching people. But I realize this takes a lot of soul to doing drama.

This is hard for me.

Even when I was getting prepared, and I would be in a corner crying, somebody would go, “Girl, I loved you on Dancing With The Stars.

That was amazing!” I’d have to get it together. Making people smile is what I do. That’s who I am. I think God gives me little tidbits over here to fulfill that. I just want to do drama. I feel like I’m touching people with laughter. I’m touching people with comedy. I make people feel better. The View discusses serious stuff, but I bring a sense of humor.

It took me three years of crying and hearing repeatedly, even when I was sitting in the hospital with my mother, “You made us laugh so hard... Girl, you cracked me up. Girl, you’re like my girlfriend!”

It just came together like, oh, this is what I bring.This is who I am. I can get on stage and now with my eyes closed. I can make it because this what I do. It’s who I am.

Interviewer: What were your proudest moments?

In your career, personal life, and in business?

Sherri: My proudest moment in my personal life is seeing my son Jeffrey make strides every day. Jeffrey was born at five and a half months, and they said that he would be mentally retarded- thank goodness they don’t use that word anymore.

Melanie Comarcho at the Nokia Theater, and I got a standing ovation. You know black people can be brutal, but I made them laugh!

Interviewer: How do you incorporate self-care in with all of your accomplishments, work, and traveling?

Sherri: I’d say you got take time with your girlfriends because they will recharge you.

When I’m going through my stuff, it’s those sort of moments where I am so glad I have them. We have silliness and fun stuff all in our pajamas. All the women are spiritual chargers -- like you can go out and face the world because other women are going through the same thing as you are going through. It may not be the same exact thing, but they are going through something just like you are going through, and you lift each other up.

That’s number one, but I think you have to take time out. For me, I take kickboxing.

I hate it and I love it because my body is going to love it. It’s making me stronger and I feel better. The endorphins- I sometimes call them orgasms. The orgasms pumping in your body. The endorphins just make you feel like you can face the world when you exercise.

Jeffrey talks to me. When we pray together, I look at my son (who was born on my birthday) and I go, “God, you really loved me to give me this child, obviously unique.

For some reason, you think I could pull it off and raise him with all his unique challenges.

Every day, I’m so thankful for that little boy”.

In my career, my proudest moment-- is there a proud moment? Just maybe to get on a stage.

I got on stage just a few months ago with Loni Love, Nene Leakes, Jess Hillarious, and

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Interviewer: Are there any influential women that have played a role in your success or just have inspired you?

Sherri: Whoopi Goldberg is a big one. She is that eccentric on TV. She has really helped me navigate through The View. Whoopi was very hard on me. She expected a lot from me. Sometimes there were tears, but Whoopi truly cared. I mean through the ups and the downs, Whoopi didn’t come to my second wedding because she loved me too much.

Interviewer: Is she your mentor today.

cast anybody else. This just shows how your character and integrity goes before your talent.

Sherri: Absolutely! She will text me and ask, “How’s Jeffrey, how are you doing?”

Interviewer: How would you define a prevailing woman?

I’ll say Niecy Nash is a big one too. We have been friends since the first husband, 1A. Niecy was somebody that when I found out the first husband was cheating, She put her hair up.

The only reason why we didn’t get to the girl’s house is because my GPS couldn’t figure if it’s avenue, street, or lane. That’s the only thing that saved her. Niecy probably got lost on purpose.

She had been at my place to cry with and listen to me. Honestly, just when I need it, she’ll call.

Even when she was going through, she would call just to make sure I was okay. She is truly one that will pray for you, that will lift you up, and that will be like: “Come on. Stop with the foolishness.”

Sherri: A prevailing woman is one that has been through some stuff. A woman who has pushed herself to get back up. She shakes her shoulders off, puts her big girl panties on, and she still moves through life. A prevailing woman is one who refuses to stay down.

A prevailing woman is a woman who says- “I’m scared, I don’t know how to do this, I’m not sure,” but she puts one foot in front of the other, and she still makes that journey. She takes care of her family, she loves, she’s there. She’s a rock, sometimes she’s not, but in all faith, she still gets back up. That’s what I think a prevailing woman is.

Interviewer: Without spilling all of the details, what information can you share on your co-star role in the upcoming second season of “Trial and Error?”

Sherri: It’s the second season on NBC, and the first season was with John Lithgow. So if you like Parks and Recreation or The Office ours is about this weird town called East Peck, and it’s in South Carolina where people are inbred.

There’s a murder.

Now it’s Kristin Chenoweth as the suspected murdered, but my character Anne Flatch has all of these random disorders.

When she sees beautiful artwork, she faints. She laughs hysterically when you talk about murder.

She walks when she gets her anesthesia from the dentist. She will hop backwards and speak some British accent. She will set herself on fire when she drinks too much-she’s interesting.

This is very different from anything that I ever played. They cast me first before they

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Kathy Romero With Grit And Grace Written by Rosalyn Harris

Give a woman with grit and grace a vision and watch her deliver far beyond what you could have ever imagined. It’s called creating magic, and Kathy Romero is the Houdini of luxury wedding and event planning. For over 21 years, Kathy has seamlessly executed a number of elaborate weddings and events all over the world for clients who range from celebrity clients to corporate entities. Her preceding reputation humbly boasts of her extensive experience working across a variety of event settings, a high business acumen, an unmatched work ethic, and a no detail left behind attitude. In short, Kathy gets it done.

Not only does Kathy get it done, but she helps others get it done as well. One of her most recent and note worthy endeavors is her new workshop series KR: The Planner Collective, where she hosts anintimate roundtable of sorts in the midst of other planners and business owners who are looking to learn from Kathy on how to take their businesses to the next level. It’s an invaluable conversation to say the least and has allowed Kathy to share her tools of success with other entrepreneurs in hopes of making their journey as a business owner a little smoother than her own.

Kathy’s brand goes far beyond wedding planning. Her innate and artistic flair for fashion, design and style inevitably overflows into other areas of her life, naturally making her a lifestyle expert. She doesn’t just cater to brides. She also aims to help those of us at home who enjoy creating our own definition of magic and luxury in our everyday lives.

Whether it’s making some upgrades to your home décor or planning to host a casual kickback at your place, Kathy wants to help us do it beautifully, seamlessly and with as less stress as possible, all while being true to who you are. Kathy is redefining luxury and affirming that it is accessible to us all, no matter what your budget looks like.

People like to equate luxury with money. It’s not the case.

Sometimes luxury has less to do with money and more 44 THE PREVAILING WOMAN

to do with creating something that feels good to YOU. Something that is comfortable. It’s about creating the right experience for yourself and coming from a place of authenticity. Luxury has to do with being your best and feeling your best wherever you are. It is the ability to create a space that is safe for you to express yourself however you woke up feeling that day. You should let the way that you feel determine the way your life expands. When it expands, make sure it’s expanding in a way that stays true to your core and you’ll never go wrong.

Once you get the Kathy Romero experience and fully take in just how much of a force she is, you’ll probably have one question: HOW? How does someone like Kathy Romero come to be? How has she managed to build a successful business and brand incorporating her natural talents and gifts? How does she find the time to reach back and pour into other entrepreneurs, all while putting her family first and without losing her sense of identity?

Well, taking it back to her younger days, she’ll tell you that she has always been very aware of her surroundings without being defined by them. From her wardrobe style to her lifestyle, she’s always had theability to dictate those things that made her happy despite what was going on around her. Even before her wedding planning days, she operated within this impenetrable realm of self-awareness while working in Corporate America as a finance professional.

Even in the corporate world, Kathy says she created her own terms. She established and enforced boundaries for herself amongst her colleagues and superiors that helped her maintain her personal morals and standard of living.

She exercised her voice and spoke up about what she was and was not willing to do when it came to taking on new projects and pursuing new ventures. As a result, it set a very respectful tone for others who approached her.

I created my own terms. It wasn’t always received well, but

it’s what I wanted. And I was respected for it. When I was offered new promotions or opportunities, they would say to me, we understand that family is important to you but we have this opportunity. They understood that about me. It was considered very bold at the time but it was actually respected. A lot of times, we are afraid of what people are going to think by saying what we won’t do, versus making sure people understand what we will do. I think that’s really important. A lot of times, we’re afraid that we’re not going to get the higher title or job if we don’t say yes to everything. And the reality is you shouldn’t say yes to everything.

Kathy translated her self-awareness from the finance world to wedding and event planning. She had made the decision that finance was not warm enough for her. Wedding planning allowed Kathy to have real exchanges with people and create something beyond what she believed in – her clients’ visions. She was able to take someone else’s vision and bring them to life; create designs that speaks volumes to others and makes them happy. It defined who she is and how she operates, which is exactly where she belongs. In addition to her keen sense of self, Kathy also credits 3

specific things when she’s asked how she does it all: intention, transparency and preparation. For Kathy, exercising proper preparation could be taking on a new client whose event is fast approaching.

I’m going to make sure I understand all of the elements that are important to my new client. Next, I’m going to pull from a pool of vendors and partners that I can trust.

You can be the best planner in the world, but if you don’t know where to pull from in the industry, which is filled with so many great minds, then you’re not really creating magic. And the magic happens when you understand how to match the perfect creative partners with the needs of your client, all while keeping in mind that you are the key glue that i going to bring this to fruition.

When it comes to intention and transparency, it’s all about giving 1000% to make sure her clients are happy, never slacking, and prioritizing. For Kathy, family always comes first, so prioritizing her demands is vital to her success and happiness. It’s a skill that many women find themselves trying to master as they navigate the workforce or their businesses. In the end, prioritizing is THE PREVAILING WOMAN 45

a series of choices that we all must act on if we desire to be the best at who we are and what we do.

You have to make choices in life; because whatever choices you make creates circumstances that you need to be happy with.

As for what else makes Kath really happy?.... being the source of help for someone else. Her KR: The Planner Collective grants her the space to make others happy in a way that is different from event planning. Kathy spoke passionately about this endeavor: Many moons ago you couldn’t just call up another planner and ask questions. I wanted to create a platform where people could ask me anything. I hope people see me as a hard worker and a person who has done every type of planning. I want to help people understand how to do that on their own and give them tools that nobody wants to give in this industry, as if there isn’t enough fo everybody to enjoy success and be part of it. The more educated we are, the better we are as planners. The more educated my counterparts are, the better it is, the more inspired I am to be better and constantly create the notion that I have to continue to polish my craft and grow – it really nourishes all of us. I look at it less from the standpoint of how much money this is going to take away from my pot, and more about how this is going to expand my knowledge and the knowledge of others. No matter what leave you’re planning on, we’re all in the service industry. Providing that service at a certain level is what is going to differentiate us.

Kathy’s desire for people to prosper and thrive in what they do was evident as she expressed why she started The KR Planning Collective. She hasn’t forgotten what it’s like to try to figure things out on your own.

Why not explain to people some of the steps I took when I was lost? Because it’s hard to be alone. I realized that sometimes, all you need is someone to tell you that you can start the day. Just telling someone they can actually do it really changes the spectrum.

The magical thing is while speaking to planners, I’ve seen The Collective has expanded to all business owners – people who have started their businessand they’re looking to go to a higher level. That makes me

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truly happy because my initial intention is working to help others. I know that at some point I was lost.

So, by establishing a platform that speaks on some of the tools that I implemented in my business that could actually be the source of help for somebody, makes me so happy and want to wake up and do it 10 times. I really wish there was enough of Kathy Romero to go around to every state to help people push their businesses forward.

Like many of the greats, Kathy is leaving her mark as a leader in her industry and the world in general by the power of multiplication. It’s been said that all great leaders create more great leaders. It appears that’s exactly what Kathy is doing with The KR Planning Collective – blazing trails and molding more great leaders. Not just as a business owner, but as a lifestyle expert as well.

As a bonus that I think we all can appreciate, Kathy left some us with excellent hosting tips when we want to host our own events that we can actually enjoy, and use to create our very own [insert your name here] experience, with a dash of Kathy Romero’s touch of luxe.

Here are four things you should consider when hosting or creating your next event: 1. Who Are My Guests: Knowing who will be attending my event helps me determine how I will cater to them, make them feel great and ensure that this experience will stay etched in their minds, creating memories forever.

2. My Tabletop Design: All of the items and the details that go into that is important. When they sit down, that is really what is prevalent in front of their eyes. I’m going to wow them with the details and make every little thing look intentional. Everything on the table should be creating a magical feeling for your guests when they sit down.

3. Greeting/Welcoming My Guests: It’s all about how you welcome your guests when they walk into your home/venue. The moment you welcome someone on the level of warmth, the whole thing changes. They feel like they’re wanted. Your guests want to feel that way when they attend an event. They want to feel like they were thought of and what was needed for them to feel good and truly enjoy the event.

4. A Good Understanding of Cuisine: Whatever you’re serving, you should have a really good understanding of it and how to pair it with other things.

Ask yourself what are you serving and how are you serving it. For me it’s cuisine. For someone else it might be drinks. It’s all about where you are in your life.

them feel great, and figuring out how to make your experience a beautiful that you can actually enjoy while hosting.

Here’s to celebrating life and being the hostess with the mostess!

Overall, Kathy says it’s all about connecting the dots between who’s coming and what is going to make

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Angela Giakas AND The Sunday Chapter The Power of Inspiration Written by Rosalyn Harris

In 2018, the blogosphere appears to have evolved into this magical place filled with beautiful people who seem to know all the hacks, all the beauty secrets, where to find all the latest and greatest looks, and be rich enough to travel to all of the most exotic and gorgeous destinations of the earth while eating the finest of cuisines. Bloggers have the uncanny ability to make life look like cake.

For some bloggers, it’s more than just jet setting and beautifully curated Instagram feeds. For Angela Giakas, it’s about being a source of inspiration. As creator of the highly attractive blog The Sunday Chapter, Angela has built a digital destination that any and everyone can visit and enjoy. Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, blogging wasn’t the most reputable way to make a living, or even the easiest to pull off in 2014 when Angela first started. Nonetheless, she has managed to create impactful and engaging content on her blog that resonates and inspires the masses of traffic that frequent The Sunday Chapter on a daily basis. Angela is known for radiating positivity and integrity through her blog and online presence, which has gone a long way in establishing herself as a legitimate influencer and authority in her areas of expertise: fashion, beauty, travel, and lifestyle.

In a such a saturated industry that is heavily focused on appearances, Angela sets herself apart with messages that speak to people’s heart and soul. She‘s able to create a deeper connection with her community and those who keep up with her on social media. That connection is the avenue by which she channels empowerment and inspiration to others so that they may live out their own versions of fulfillment.

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We linked up with Angela to get the real behind the scenes insight on what it takes to be a successful and inspirational blogger and influencer in this new world realm that we call, the internet.

Q: What is your definition of great style?

Q: I read that you‘ve been blogging for about 5 years now. What was blogging like for you in the very beginning? What were some of the challenges that you encountered?

Q: Tell me the meaning behind the name The Sunday Chapter.

A: I used to work pretty much 6 days a week so Sundays were the only days I could get out, go for adventures, create content and then blog about it all. When I was trying to think of a name, “Sunday Chapter” randomly popped into my head but had such a positive connotation for me, that it kind of stuck.

A: Blogging was very different back then, mostly because it wasn‘t considered a career path and Instagram wasn‘t a main platform. People laughed at me and made fun of the fact I had a blog, so much so that I even shut it down at one point.

It wasn‘t exactly the “popular” thing to do and it was a very misunderstood industry.

Q: Your blog is highly respected for your fashion and beaut y posts, but also largely due to your inspirational posts. Do you remember when and how your blog began to shift from just beauty and fashion to additional doses of positivity?

A: As much as I love fashion and beauty, sometimes I want to add a bit more value to my posts, which is when I started sharing my outfits but writing about self-help topics such as getting over a bad day, feeling more confident, struggles with anxiety, etc.

Q: It‘s often said that you can‘t pour from an empty cup. What kinds of lifestyle practices do you engage in to fill you up so that you can pour inspiration into others through your blog?

A: Having a balanced life is really important for me to feel inspired and creative. This means making time for things that keep me happy, meeting up with friends, taking up different hobbies, working out, and most importantly, spending time in the offline world without social media. Every couple of weeks, I try to go a day without my phone and feel so refreshed once I‘m back.

A: I think personalization is the definition of great style. It‘s being yourself and expressing yourself through what you‘re wearing.

Q: What would you say are some of the great things that bloggers contribute to the world of social media, the internet, and society at large?

A: Bloggers contribute so much value into social media and the on line world. Successful bloggers first become an authority in their niche and then contribute all their knowledge, experiences, tips and advice to everyone for free. Blogs have almost become a new form of magazines, which I think is an incredible achievement.

Q: New bloggers are emerging on the scene every day. As an experienced blogger, do you offer any tips or advice that might help them be more successful on their journey?

A: When it comes to Instagram, there‘s many apps that can help you with your feed. I use UNUM to plan out my feed to make sure it‘s cohesive, and Tailwind is great for scheduling and analytics for Instagram and Pinterest. I would also really recommend setting up your blog on self-hosted Wordpress if you‘re wanting to take it beyond a hobby.

Q: As a beauty blogger, can you let us in on a few secrets?

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1) Your best beauty hack?

A: I‘m obsessed with oils right now! They‘re amazing for hydrating the skin, but I also add in a drop of rosehip oil into my foundation for a dewy, pretty finish. Tea tree oil is also great to get rid of zits!

2) Your best style hack?

A: Keep it simple and invest in good quality basics. Don‘t overcomplicate things. I‘m a firm believer in the “less is more” approach.

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3) Your best life hack?

A: Google calendar. Honestly, I don’t know how I’d live without it.

Q: Can you tell me where are your favorite places to travel and why?

A: Like so many people, Europe is definitely my favorite place to travel. I’ve fallen in love with both the Greek islands and Croatia, so much so that I‘ve spent 3

summers in a row there! Everything from the locals, beaches, atmosphere, nightlife, history and adventures I‘ve had in both places and keep them very close to my heart.

Q: How has traveling inspired your work as a blogger?

A: Travel is one thing that keeps me inspired to continue blogging.

When I fall in love with a place, I just want to share it with everyone.

I love connecting with locals and learning about different cultures. It always gives me a fresh and creative perspective on things.

Q: What kind of mark do you want to impress upon people when they encounter you, your blog, your social media posts, etc? If you had a choice as to how they would feel or what they would do after an encounter with you or your brand, what would it be?

A: I want people to feel inspired, above all. I want people to leave with something, whether it be a piece of advice, fashion tip, or knowledge of a new destination. I want peopl to

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Nurse Alice

When Pain Meets Purpose for America’s Favorite Nurse Written by Rosalyn Harris [My Dad was in the military and had high blood pressure.

He was on medication. At the time, we didn‘t have the outreach and the education and resources that we have now. Being the eldest, I saw my Dad having to take all of the medications and not feeling good. He had strokes and mini strokes, high blood pressure, and a heart attack.

He had been in and out of the hospital so much that it was kind of like, Ok Dad’s in the ER again, he‘ll be out tomorrow. And one day, I remember I was super busy and had so much to do. And I just felt in my spirit, something said ,no, you‘re going to set all that to the side and go visit your dad in the ER that day. So, I went to the emergency room and when I walked through the door, literally it felt like slow motion; like a movie. My Dad‘s name is Lee. And I heard something on the television about the name Lee. I had this weird spirit as I was walking back. And then there was all of this chaos. And I could see nurses running around. At the time, I was just entering college and in my nursing program so I didn‘t fully understand everything.

And I remember a nurse coming out and saying, I’m sorry.

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And I’m like, sorry for what? And she’s like, I’m sorry your Dad didn’t make it. But I could still feel the chaos and hear some of the chattering. I just didn’t feel confident in the care that had been provided. I was asking questions and they couldn‘t answer them. Even, I as a nursing student, knew some of those things. So, I told myself I was going to be the best cardiac nurse in the world, and that no family would ever have to go through what we went through. Because they didn‘t explain a lot of things, they made us sit in this corridor. We didn‘t feel welcomed or involved in my Dad‘s care. And I remember, even when my Dad was in and out of the hospital, my Dad was like, Alice you‘re going to be a nurse. And I was like, Daddy, I‘m going to be an accountant, because I’m about my coin. And he was like, no, you‘re going to be a great nurse. So, when all that happened and the loss that we felt and the gap in communication, it was like why didn‘t you tell us this and why didn‘t you explain this to us? So, I said I was going to be the best cardiac nurse in the world.]

A tragic loss, displeasing care, and a prophetic forecast from her passing father. These were the seeds and soil that conceived America’s Favorite Nurse, the title that Dr. Oz and countless of Nurse Alice’s patients and their loved ones so affectionately dubbe her. It’s also a title that she has spent 20+ years earning every ounce of. As valedictorian of her high school graduating class, she’s used to earning highly respected titles, even after becoming a teen mom and being encouraged by teachers and others to settle for less.

Saving lives and caring for people in their most vulnerable states can’t be an easy endeavor to wake up and pursue daily, but Nurse Alice does it at the highest of levels and with the least amount of lax.

So, what all goes into actually becoming the world’s best cardiac nurse? What does watering and cultivating those seeds that were planted inside of Nurse Alice in that emergency roomon that mournful day actually look like? It looks like a woman on a mission. She took every online and in-person class, listened to every audio book, went to every conference, watched every documentary, asked every question to every physician, and soaked up everything that she possibly could. It took her sense of self-discipline to a much higher level. It gave her a broader spectrum of knowledge that equipped her to react better in certain situations. She found that her knowledge aided in her ability to calmly respond to problems that arose on the job with solutions and clarity when others would respond with chaos and anxiety.

She also became an advanced practice nurse, specialty and board certified; she joined every single community outreach she could think of from the Urban League to American Heart Association, and even outreach programs through churches and the NAACP. She wasn’t just a silent participant or inactive member of these programs. She would make a beeline to the position of Chairwoman for many of them. Notably, she worked as a past Chairwoman for the American Heart Association’s Western States Multicultural Health Equity Task Fork, which implemented programs that impacted about 65 million people. She’s worked with the Obama administration and other notable political advocates that we know such as our beloved Auntie Maxine Waters.

She wanted to ensure her ability to make the changes that she wanted to see in the way patients and people in general were being cared for by healthcare professionals. After doing all of these things, she’s now back working in the emergency room, coming full circle to where it all started. As an ER nurse, she makes it a point to educate nurses and doctors on their mannerisms as well as how they teach and communicate with people about what kind of care their getting. No matter

how busy she is, she takes the time out to greet every single person and family member with a smile and make sure they feel confident in the care they are receiving.

I’m always like Daddy‘s watching. He would be so proud.

Because of what we were robbed of, I’m just like, “no”.

Everybody; I don‘t care if you‘re homeless, you have no health insurance, or you‘re from Harvard or you barely graduated from a junior college, everyone deserves to be treated with respect and care when it comes to healthcare, because that could be your very last moment.

Nurse Alice’s be the best at what I do attitude, and putting the necessary action behind that declaration has been a major key in her success thus far. It’s one of the assets that’s made her a leader in the healthcare industry. Even with all of the formal training and continuing education that’s typically very technical in nature, Nurse Alice’s quality of care lies within the details and due diligence she extends to all of her patients. The extra time that she takes to go in after the doctor to ask the patient and family members questions to make sure they understand what the doctor explained to them. Taking the time to ensure her peers are referring to patients by their names as opposed to their room numbers or diagnoses. Genuinely being receptive to patients and their loved ones who shower her with hugs an kisses in gratitude of her exceptional and diligent care for them. Essentially, it’s all in the details when it comes to Nurse Alice’s care. Even so, Nurse Alice says that to her, there is no extra mile, because this is just what she does. It’s the core of who she is. And she considers it a privilege.

When it comes to leadership, she’s obviously got that ground covered. In her leadership roles, she’s been able to sit at the tables of key stakeholders and decision makers when it comes to the type of programs, policies and practices in healthcare. As a black woman, this kind of influence is critical to minorities. Nurse Alice takes every advantage to be a voice for people of color within these gatherings to ensure that decisions about the care they will receive indeed addresses the real needs of this population, versus assumptions made by her non-black counterparts.

Nurse Alice understands the reality that not everyone has access to the resources that are available to them. It’s one of the reasons why she does a lot of prevention education and advocacy on radio and television; to teach and reach as many as possible.

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In that same spirit, she’s authored two books, “Curb Your Cravings: 31 Foods to Fool Your Appetite, and the highly anticipated title, “28 Ways in 28 Days”. The first title is geared towards educating people on the ways to take control of your nutrition, specifically by breaking down how certain foods and actions can infiltrate that connection between your mind and your stomach, so that you’re not unknowingly perpetuating poor eating habits.

The second title, which has yet to be released, goes in depth about different changes you can make in your day to day activities that can help you lose weight. Knowing that it takes around 28 days to make or break a habit, Nurse Alice uses that timeframe to teach you how you can take those day to day changes and do them consistently in order to make those changes a more permanent lifestyle for you.

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You can visitwww.asknursealice.com to stay up to date on the release and receive all of the resources and education she consistently provides on heart health and general wellness.

As someone who is so well versed in the acts of excellent patient care, and what has a sincere passion and purpose behind her career as a nurse, it’s promising to know that this level of humanity exists in Nurse Alice as basic standard of care in our healthcare system. In her years of caring for people who are exposed and vulnerable, facing life threatening illnesses, and even death, she’s acquired some heavy life lessons. One being the value of family and relationships.

So many people, we hustle and hustle. We measure our success based on certain accolades and certain financial status. And those things are important, especially when we‘re working towards them. But sometimes dialing back and understanding that I’m not going to have this moment again. So, family and relationships and living life in the moment are important. I want to be rich in memories.

So, when I‘m old and kind of limited in what I do, I can remember the memories. Especially, when I see people who are literally on their death bed. Family will come in and that‘s one of their biggest regrets. It‘s like, all grandma wanted to do was go to the picnic. We don’t get those moments back. No amount of money can buy those things. I see that all the time. So, I make sure to take the time to tell my son how much I love him, even when he gets on my nerves. I always tell him, ‘mommy loves you’.

Taking time to do those things are important.

I remember being on the phone with my dad. Before he went to the emergency room, I had talked to him earlier that morning. I remember kind of rushing off the phone because I had a lot of stuff to do. And when he passed away later that day, it was like man. Daddy was just callin to see how I was doing. That‘s one of the biggest lessons that I really want to share with people.

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LaTisha Perry Educate the Child. Cultivate the Dancer: The Holistic Dance Curriculum Written by Rosalyn Harris

The best dancers are molded by the best teachers.

These teachers don’t limit their instruction to just dance. These teachers nurture the whole child as a way of developing a master dancer. LaTisha Perry, owner and dance instructor of EducateDancer studio of Greensboro, N.C, is the poster child for this concept.

As a former special education teacher and having been instructed as a dancer growing up, she knows firsthand the important role that a well-rounded education plays in the cultivation of a great dancer.

LaTisha opened up EducateDancer Studio three years ago and has since grown tremendously in every area of dance and teaching. Unlike most traditional dance studios, LaTisha has a more holistic approach teaching dance.

She understands that dance won’t be the end all do all for every student that she crosses paths with, therefore she is very intentional about keeping the installation of principles at the core of her dance curriculum. These principles include dedication, pushing through when things get hard, being prompt and on time, discipline, etiquette, working well with others, cheering others on, learning to handle rejection, and so many others. These were the same principles that were instilled in her as a young dancer and that she’s been able to carry with 56 THE PREVAILING WOMAN

her in all facets of her life. It’s what inspired her holistic approach of teaching dance. Of them all, she credits learning how to handle rejection as the most valuable: For me, the biggest lesson was learning how to move past rejection. I didn’t understand this when I was younger, but as I started auditioning for high school teams and then the Golden Delights at North Carolina A&T University, I heard the word “no” a lot. I am thankful that I had coaches and teachers who always knew how to deliver the message to me so that I could receive it in a good way. Now as an adult, when things don’t go my way, I’m able to easily get through those things. The other big thing that I’ve learned through dance is how to work well with people and how to talk to them. When I was a dancer on various teams, I had to learn how to work with people who were better than me and who were not as good as me. When I auditioned for the Golden Delights and matriculated all the way up to Captain, I had to learn how to lead. I had to learn how to recognize different dance styles, figure out ways to group dancers who had similar styles together and who had different styles together in order to create a good outcome. Because of this, I can take these skills and work at any job.

The strict curriculum at EducateDancer Studio helps drive these principles home in for all 50-60 students

currently enrolled, some who are as young as 3 or 4 years old who take these principles and their dance auditions very serious. It is how LaTisha ensures that her and her teachers are teaching the entire learner.

As a former Guilford County school teacher, LaTisha uses Guilford County Schools curriculum as a model example to create her own dance curriculum. She runs EducateDancer much like a traditional school where she would be considered the principal and her teachers have full range creativity and independence in their classes. They have regular staff meetings and discuss ways they can enhance the students’ performance as both a dancer and a person.

Instead of standardized tests, LaTisha is able to closely watch each of her student’s level of performance and properly place them in the appropriate class level. She continues to assess their progression and promote them to higher level classes to ensure that they are growing and being challenged accordingly. She finds that this method benefits her students more than just placing them in classes based on their ages.

LaTisha offers a variety of classes at EducateDancer, but she says the most popular are the Hip Hop classes. All the kids are always ready to sign up for hip hop classes.

I feel like hip-hop is very free, unlike the very structured ballet. Hip Hop is more about how to manipulate your body and learning how to hit certain moves on certain beats. It’s really fun and the kids know all the songs. Plus, the culture really popular. Whereas ballet is more tight and strict. In ballet, there’s right and wrong techniques so it’s a little restraining.

My biggest group of students are 3-5 years old. The most popular class for them is ballet, which is what I recommend because ballet is the foundation of all things dance.

LaTisha and her teachers at EducateDancer recently celebrated a huge accomplishment for the studio.

LaTisha recently noticed that her students took an interest in acting. So, she decided to write a play about a girl who wanted to audition for a dance company but felt defeated because she did not see a lot of Black ballet dancers. Her students auditioned for their parts and acted in the play. It was a huge hit.

All of the kids did an amazing job acting out their roles and kept the crowd laughing. It was just perfect. It was my first time writing a play. I really don’t know how I was even able to do it. I guess God guided me through it.

Another recent win for the Studio was the epitome artistic expression. During the time when a North Carolina man out of Charlotte was killed by policemen, LaTisha recalls that the situation really bothered her, and she wanted to do something about it. She took the opportunity to use an upcoming photo shoot that she and had previously scheduled for her and her students as a way to express and celebrate the beauty and excellence of Black culture.

She had an idea to have her and her students wear bantu knot hairstyles and dress in all black for the shoot. In true educator form, it was a way to teach her students a powerful lesson.

There are certain conversations that you don’t want to have with kids because they might be too young to understand; but I wanted to do something to instill in them how great it is to be Black and affirm the many shades of our skin, the many hairstyles we wear, and the many practices of our culture, because they will question it at some point. So, we did the photoshoot and it went viral. It was everywhere. Everyone was reposting it including celebrities. It was just a really great win for us. I felt really good about that.

Adding to all of the exciting things in store for EducateDancer. LaTisha is looking forward to working with well-known Beyonce dancer, Kimberly Gibson, in making each of their dance studios sister organizations so that they can hold workshops together, travel, and train dancers all over, making a global impact.

LaTisha and Kimberly formed a relationship when Kimberly danced with LaTisha at her wedding for LaTisha’s husband. Since then, Kimberly has been to LaTisha’s dance studio and taught classes for some of her students. LaTisha has watched Kimberly dance

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with Beyonce since 2009, so she’s very much looking forward to this partnership.

With so arts bein such a huge part of people like LaTisha and her students, it’s disheartening to hear how many conversations public school boards are having about possibly cutting their Arts programs due to budget cuts. I asked LaTisha about her thoughts on this.

Everybody doesn’t learn the same way. Because of this, teachers have done a great job with getting creative with their lessons in the classroom.

Nonetheless, I have read research where the art programs have helped students perform well in classes like math and science or other traditional classes. The Arts helps build self-esteem in children and gives them another outlet of expression. It will be very hurtful to me if more schools did this because I have seen so many students blossom and grow and feel good about themselves because of the Arts whatever type of art they like. I have seen the Arts

help students open up and express themselves freely. It would really suck to snatch something like that from kids.

In just the three short years, that EducateDancer Studio has been in business, LaTisha has been able to make a resounding impact on the Greensboro community. She has been able to partner with other people in the community to offer scholarships so that several of her students can take dance classes at her studio for a year for free. She is also looking forward to bringing back one of her previous successful events where she brings Black Santa to the Greensboro area to take pictures with children during the Christmas season.

LaTisha’s influence in the Greensboro community and beyond is impressionable and inspiring. Every great leader and educator knows that with influence comes responsibility. When asked what kind of influence and impact she hopes to leave on the Greensboro community she replied: I just want any and everybody who has ever been under my care or influence to be well-versed citizens and make an impact. Sometimes it just takes one person to change your life and influence you to do something great for others. Hopefully my biggest impact on Greensboro are the people I’ve had the opportunity to have around me and hopefully it just trickles down.

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Catherine

Williamson Hardy Women in Government: 10 Steps to Getting In & Moving Up Written by Rosalyn Harris

If you haven’t been bit by the entrepreneur bug yet, and considering a career in government, you’ll want to grab your tea cup and take notes for this one.

Boss women don’t just occupy the business world.

They also occupy our government agencies. Catherine Williamson-Hardy, the Deputy Director of Durham County’s Department of Social Services (DSS) in North Carolina, has over 25 years in the government sector, operating in various management roles across multiple state and local departments. Williamson-Hardy is the first person to ever employ this role within Durham County DSS, as the role itself is also new to the department.

Specifically, the Deputy Director role was birthed from a need recognized by the department’s board and county management that there was an essential need for a different management structure within the department; one which could effectively ensure continuality of operations and manage the complexities that arise from an ever-changing agency that employs 500+ employees, is federal and state mandated, and has a $64 million dollar budget. Williamson-Hardy was asked to assume the role of Deputy Director after serving as interim Director for six months.

Williamson-Hardy recalls openly sharing with the board when she was appointed interim Director that she had no desire to permanently fill that role and would not be applying for the position. She intended to go back to her role as an Assistant Director. However, her work ethic told a different story. She worked like she wanted the job, not because she did, but because that’s who she is. In any position that Williamson-Hardy has taken, it’s been her natural response to perform that job well above 100%.

She intentionally sets her mind on making sure that she is always presenting herself and working in such a way that would fit any opportunity that might come her way.

Basically, she stays ready.

Williamson-Hardy’s government career began when she was an incoming graduate student atNorth Carolina 60 THE PREVAILING WOMAN

Central University. Starting from a temporary position and later serving in various roles throughout the department, she was consistently promoted to higher ranks. Those promotions did not skip a beat when she and her family relocated to Maryland in 1997, or when she left the government sector for the academia world after being recruited by Appalachian State University to join their team that led staff development and training for child welfare systems around the country and internationally.

Williamson-Hardy’s stint with academia lasted 7 years before she returned back to Durham County DSS for the third time. All three times she’s returned, Williamson-Hardy has always been welcomed back without pause. It’s proof that being a valuable asset to your organization is priceless and will ensure hinges are on your former place of employment.

Williamson-Hardy opened up her toolbox to share with us everything it took for her to build her professional brand and successfully progress through her career in government. We’ve taken those tools and compiled a list of gems for the professional woman who is interested in working in or advancing in government agencies. These

gems could also be applied to professional women of almost any industry.

Intentionally Prioritize Your Mind, Body, and Spirit.

Williamson-Hardy emphasizes the importance of women maintaining their identity in the midst of pursuing professional goals and life in general. Carving out time for yourself mentally, spiritually, and physically so that you have enough mental fortitude to be able to show up in all of the other aspects of your life is critical. Give yourself a break sometimes and recognize that there will be seasons in your life where this task is much harder than other times; but if you constantly make this a priority, it will never fall off your radar. If you find yourself struggling with holding on to your identity or giving your all to your career, family, etcetera, then you should stop, rewrite the equation and add yourself back in. Identify those things that make YOU whole and complete and hold on to them for your life. For Williamson-Hardy, those things are her spiritual life, her family, friends, and doing the things that are just about Catherine (not Catherine the mother, Catherine the wife, or Catherine the Director) – just Catherine.

Build Really Great Relationships.

Williamson-Hardy has been able to explore career opportunities at multiple agencies and institutions while leaving and coming back to Durham County DSS three times. This is partly due to her ability to build excellent rapport with colleagues and consumers alike. Even when first entering the government sector as a temporary employee for Durham County DSS, she was called upon by a sorority sister and asked if she’d be interested in the job. Williamson-Hardy has learned that most often, a lot of the places that she wanted to go and tables she wanted to sit at, she did not have access to in the moment that she desired it. So, it was important for her to position herself so that the people who did have access to those tables could introduce her name into the conversation whenever opportunities were being discussed that she had already proven herself capable of handling. Ensure that the relationships you build enable people to feel confident speaking positively on your behalf.

Consciously Build Your Reputable Professional Brand.

Williamson-Hardy has always been conscious of building a solid professional reputation for herself from the very early stages of her career. She found that it was very important who people said she was when she wasn’t in the room.

If you’re trying to move ahead and grow, most of the time the opportunities that you seek present themselves outside of your presence. As she grew her career, she

realized that all of the opportunities that presented themselves to her and that helped her to advance professionally, were happening at tables that she didn’t even know existed. Her name would come up at those tables partly due to her relationships, but ultimately because of her professional brand and reputation. As you continue to grow in your respective profession, the weight of your name and professional brand should also grow.

That weight shouldn’t be measured by title or stature, but by your competency and work ethic.

Stay Prepared for Expected AND Unexpected Opportunities.

When Williamson-Hardy’s husband’s job relocated their family to Maryland, she initially interviewed for a temporary position at St. Mary’s County DSS managing contracts. She did not get that job. However, the Director was so impressed by everything Williamson-Hardy had accomplished that she created a temporary position for her, based on a need that the Director had, that she felt would be a better fit for Williamson-Hardy. Fast forward a few months later while Williamson-Hardy was out of work on maternity leave, (yes, she got the job while 6-months pregnant) the same Director gave her a call to commend her on her great work that she had done for the agency thus far and offered to make her temporary position permanent. In less than three years,

she became an Assistant Director at that Agency. It goes to show that opportunities can land in your lap when you least expect it; even while working and preparing for the ones that you actually know about. Trusting God and being a good steward over the gifts and opportunities He has afforded you naturally creates other opportunities that continue to prepare you for future ones.

Say Yes Now. Learn How Later.

When Williamson-Hardy said “yes” to her sorority sister regarding the temporary position with Durham County DSS, she didn’t know she would be asked to be the supervisor of the program which she was onboarding.

The purpose of this program was to help seniors of low income families who need help paying for their heating and cooling bill. Williamson-Hardy accepted the call as supervisor of the program, which is only offered during a specific time period each year. She was given a manual and had about two weeks to learn the program, policies and procedures before the employees that she was going to be responsible for training and ensuring they understood the policies and procedures came on board. From that one manual, she was able to effectively perform that job without any other prior relevant experience and do so well enough to earn her a permanent entry level position within the agency.

Capitalize on the opportunities that you want, even if you think you’re not qualified for them, and do the work to learn the ropes as you go.

Master Your Work.

Mastering the tasks and responsibilities of her job was the foundation on which Williamson-Hardy built her professional brand. Williamson-Hardy’s belief has always been placed in doing the work, and trusting God to do the rest. She believes that it is imperative to demonstrate a level of mastery of your current job, while seeking advancement. This signals to those who can open doors for you that you are ready to move up. Often this is a challenge, but demonstrated competencies are priceless and become part of your professional brand. It’s not about magic, luck or even being special. It’s about doing the work and being prepared for opportunities when they present themselves.

Always Be Hungry to Learn.

Having a learner mentality and not getting complacent set Williamson-Hardy up for having more breath, depth and knowledge in her industry and work settings. For Williamson-Hardy, that learner mentality looked like taking on new roles 62 THE PREVAILING WOMAN

and responsibilities that would position her to learn more within the agency even when there was no additional compensation. It also looked like seeking out mentorships, attending conferences, joining professional groups and doing whatever she saw other people doing who were presenting themselves in the ways that she aspired to present herself. Look at those people who are showing up and delivering in the ways that you aspire to, then take the time to understand what it takes to get there and do your best to expose yourself to that same process.

Choose Mentors Strategically.

When choosing mentors, Williamson-Hardy had a strategy that she recommends. Seek out two types of mentors: ones who are like you and ones who are completely different from you. Between the two types, they will help reveal your strengths and weaknesses to you and eliminate your blind spots that subconsciously hinder you from growing.

Meet the Expectations.

Williamson-Hardy’s job has long required her to screen and hire suitable candidates within the agencies she’s worked in. What does she look for? o Technical competencies o Vision o Ability to effectively make decisions and recommendations o Communication skills o Emotional intelligence o Adaptive leadership skills o Integrity o Someone who has high levels of compassion and courage o Self-awareness o Demonstrated relationship management skills o Someone who supports learning and development in others and is a life-long learner themselves Ambitiously Envision Where You’re Going, While Ambitiously Excelling Where You Are. It’s okay to have grand ambition and a willingness to work for it. Williamson-Hardy applauds women for having grand ambition. However, starting off in your career, you can get so caught up in the discontent

of the position you’re in, that it impacts your performance, which then limits future opportunities for you; because the only thing people have to go by is what you’ve done. You don’t want to lose sight of what you’re tasked to do because you’re too busy looking forward to the future. WilliamsonHardy says, “I applaud you for having grand ambition and thinking about what you want to do next, but I implore you to work the job you’re in as if it’s your dream job, so that when an opportunity presents itself, someone can look at the work you’ve done to say you’re the right person for that next opportunity.”

Applying these tools has propelled Williamson-Hardy from her start as a temporary worker to the first Deputy Director of her Agency.

In addition, as the founder and lead trainer of Creative Approaches to Talent Development, LLC, she couples her experiences and training skills to share her considerable knowledge as a leader to equip individuals and teams for success. We trust that one or two of these gems will resonate with you and you will add to your tool box.

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Dr. Shana Hughes Creating Your Own Highway; because our lane just want do

dmd

Written by Rosalyn Harris

Creatives.

It’s a label we’ve given those of us who pursue careers and work that doesn’t typically fit the more traditional professions of the world. It’s most used to refer to those in fields such as art, writing, fashion, film, entertainment, and pretty much anyone who have created their own definition of the word “work”. Our doctors, dentists, lawyers, nurses, and fire fighters weren’t usually seen as the “creatives” of the world.... until more recently.

Dr. Shana Hughes is breaking that tradition with a dental practice called The Tooth Booth, providing aesthetics services at said dental practice, restoring antique furniture at a storefront (and online) called Junk Pony, and offering fashion pieces at said storefront. Quite the array of talents, but Dr. Hughes wouldn’t have it any other way. Her big personality, energetic demeanor, and constant need to stay busy sets the perfect stage for her to successfully pull off all of these ventures that reside on various ends of the spectrum.

Simply put, you can’t put people like Dr. Hughes into a box and expect that box to stay intact.

A self-described dental geek, Dr. Hughes has built The Tooth Booth from the ground up and started expanding into other areas of interests from there. One being Junk Pony, her antique furniture restoration business that she owns alongside her mother. Another being beauty related business with the aesthetics services she offers at The Tooth Booth. All of this is the result of a woman who simply has multiple areas of interests that she wants to pursue in her life. Most women can relate to this, but few actually exhibit the courage to go after each and every one that she wants to.

Dr. Hughes gives us the blueprint on how she didn’t just create her own lane, but her own four lane highway.

Q: How and when did your interest in dentistry come about and develop?

A: I wasn’t one of those kids that said, “I want to be a dentist when I grow up.” I decided a month or so before applications were due that I wanted to go to dental school. Thankfully it turned out to be a great decision.

Dentistry seemed like the perfect cross of science and artistry – I was right.

Q: Did The Tooth Booth start out as just a dental practice or did you always offer all of the other skincare services and products? What made you expand into those things and how did you do it?

A: We started as strictly a family & cosmetic dentistry practice then expanded to include our other facial aesthetic services. It was a very natural transition as your smile aesthetics is not based on teeth alone. The lips and other facial features that frame your teeth all contribute to the beauty of your smile.

So naturally, if you are addressing only teeth, without addressing all the facial aesthetic concerns of your patient, you can’t fully address their concerns in every case. In fact, in some cases, you may actually make their specific situation worse.

Q: I know that it takes a great team to be able to have a successful dental practice and experience the growth that you’ve had. What are some of your favorite qualities about your team that you know contributed to the success of your practice?

A: Oh goodness! I couldn’t imagine the growth and success I’ve experienced without my squad.

They are my biggest cheerleaders, all while making each procedure run as smoothly as possible. They make my job easier for sure, but they also keep spirits light which is important in a dental office. We take our jobs seriously, but I’m thankful for a group of girls that share my sense of humor and understand how to balance work and fun. Our patients notice and appreciate our lighthearted banter and the overall attitude of the office lightens the mood in most situations. Our patients love my team and tell me that often which makes me feel like a proud mom. Most were hired with no prior experience in dentistry, so it’s been so fun to teach them and watch them grow. I’m not someone who relinquishes control easily, so it took some big adjustments on my part to learn to delegate, but with a busy schedule like ours delegations to keep things running smoothly is key and with a great group of mine, that has become easier and easier for me.

Q: What does a typical day look like for you? How does that differ from what you thought it might look like 10 years ago?

A: A typical day for me is crazy busy. I see a ton of patients per day – much more than the average dental practice model as I like to stay busy. I don’t like my schedule so over packed that I can’t spend sufficient time with everyone, but I definitely allow no downtime.

Between seeing patients, the huge amount of research and continuing education I complete, managing our very active social media accounts myself, various speaking engagements, my two-year-old son, Otis, and Junk Pony (my boutique), I count myself lucky to get a lunch break each day.

This is much different than what I pictured 10 years ago since I never planned my own office until right before graduation from dental school. Just like dental school was a spur of the moment decision, so was the The Tooth Booth.

Otis was a surprise too as my husband and I were told we couldn’t have children of our own, which, in a roundabout way, is how Junk Pony came about. I started restoring old furniture in my garage as a way to keep myself busy – I told you I love to stay busy – and a way to raise money for an expensive adoption which we had come to accept would be the only way we’d have children.

Needless to say, my typical day is definitely nothing I would have pictured 10 years ago. It’s much better than anything I could have pictured. All my dreams are coming true and all my prayers are being answered.

Q: You seem to be involved and have interests in a wide range of things from dentistry to fashion and beauty to antique furniture. I think a lot of women can relate to not being confined to one area of interests and they want to explore them all, but find it difficult to. What advice would you give women who want to be successful in multiple areas that aren’t necessarily relevant to one another?

A: Don’t box yourself in professionally or creatively and don’t let others. Professors laughed at The Tooth Booth when I was in dental school, but I didn’t let it stop me.

Not only was I going to do it, but I was going to do it my own way. Sometimes people are scared of people or ideas that don’t fit in the little categories to which they are accustomed. If we all fit into neat little boxes nothing would ever evolve or change. We’d all look and THE PREVAILING WOMAN 65

act and be the exact same. That’s a dull world. Be you.

Do you. If some people can’t understand that, that’s okay, because others will and those are your people. That ’s your audience!

The first step in pursuing your interests no matter how wide ranging, is surrounding yourself with a team (at work, at home, even socially) that can ap preciate and support you. If you don’t have the right people in place, you won’t get far. Learn to delegate and lead. Find a common thread in your interests.

No matter how far ranging they seem, there’s a way to relate them or play your interests off each other.

Mine didn’t fit into just one business model, but I found a way to make four passions (dentistry and aesthetics then antique furniture and fashion) into to businesses that aren’t just business to me, but fun.

These aren’t my only interests so that’s where my Instagram storyline comes in handy. I can explore those other interests and passions there while my patients get to know me better.

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Q: What’s one of the most challenging things you’ve had to overcome in life? In business?

A: My husband and I struggled with infertility. That was hard for me on so many different levels. I felt like I was disappointing him, but I also felt like a failure. Before that struggle most things had come very easy to me my whole life. I always achieved whatever goal I set for myself, and usually with minimal effort. This was different. It wasn’t something I could study or research or charm my way through.

Then when we decided to adopt, we had a few failed adoptions as well that left me broken for awhile. I wanted to know what was wrong with me.

I felt damaged. I have a big personality and am very strong willed and independent, so I wasn’t open or vocal about any of the emotions I was having at the time. It was a dark time in my life definitely.

I’ve already touched on this point a little, but in business my biggest challenge has been learning to delegate. There’s no way you can fill every role

and do every job yourself and maintain a successful business with your sanity intact. Once I stepped back and relinquished some control, both my businesses began to flourish. This is why I stress how important it is to surround yourself with a team you can trust.

Q: Now that you’ve reached this point of in your life where you’ve been able to create and sustain successful businesses that you love, what would you tell women who are in the beginning stages of starting a business? What would you tell women who are thinking about growing their business?

A: Be brave. Owning and running your own business is not for the weak. As a female business owner, I think people tend to underestimate you, which shouldn’t deter you. In fact, let it drive you. They’ll all be that more surprised when you kill it!

Being from eastern Kentucky originally, I have an accent. An accent I never noticed until I moved out of East Kentucky for dental school. I expressed to my mom during my first months away, that some were very quick to point out my accent and that it was making me feel a little inadequate. She gave me some of the best advice I’ve ever gotten.

She said, “Let them underestimate you. Your accent is not a weakness. Use it to your advantage.

It sets you apart. It makes you memorable. They’ll be even more surprised when you’re successful.”

That advice can be applied to so many things: gender, culture, skin color, academic background – whatever it is that others may perceive as a weakness, is the fuel that can drive you and will just make it that much more impressive when you achieve your goals.

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Michelle Quick

The Mommy Mogul Life with WAGS LA Star Michelle Quick Written by Rosalyn Harris

Wise words spoken from a woman who is passionate about being a mother, wife, business woman, and empowering other women to be the best versions of themselves.

Michelle Quick’s experience as a mother with her 9-year-old son Jaiden and one-y ear-old daughter Cali has stirred up the mommy mogul inside of her and she’s ready to put it to good use. After listening to so many other moms and women ask her for advice on various lifestyle related topics, Michelle decided to create a digital space where she could share and connect with those women on a more intimate platform. Thus, www.highchairstohighheels.com was birthed.

A: High Chairs to High Heels is really my life.

It was inspired by how in one minute of my life I can be cleaning my daughter’s high chair and the next minute I’m in heels handling business. I have to switch hats in the blink of an eye. Women were reaching o ut to me asking me how I went about doing certain things, so I wanted to create a space where I could share all of that. For example, I’m a baby product junkie, so I can just go on the site and talk about what products I like and just everyday things that empowers mothers. Just the little things that make women feel beautiful: outfit inspirations, makeup, workout stuff.

Q: Tell me what inspired you to create this movement?

Q: You have a mommy and daughter clothing line coming out, right? Can you tell me we can expect from it?

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A: The line is called Cali and Me and it will be might be putting in some overtime in those released in a few months. Starting out, I plan to efforts. Nonetheless, Michelle says she’s some feature a lot of casual pieces and pieces that you of the most important practices she’s embraced can where different ways and get a lot of use to help her marriage to Washington Redskins out of. I’m working on comfortable everyday kind wide receiver Brian Quick were selflessness, of looks. My daughter is my mini me, so she avoiding stress from things out of her control, and I end up having similar outfits a lot of the and lots of communication that involves her time. Same thing with a lot of my friends with being a better listener. little girls. A lot of little girls love I’m blessed to have dressing up like such an amazing their moms, trying husband. I know on their shoes, people see all of the and playing in their good stuff on makeup. I thought Instagram and it would be great they’re labeling us if moms could #familygoals. But have a place where there’s a lot that goes they can easily find into that. There’s a lot mommy daughter of compromising and matching looks in learning how to be one place instead selfless. I have to do of going crazy trying stuff that meets him to find similar looks halfway and he has to in a lot of different do stuff that meets ~ Michelle Quick places. me halfway. I also think it’s important In addition to Cali to date your husband and Me, Michelle is and feel beautiful working on expanding the High Chairs to High on your dates. Then a lot of it comes down to Heels site to include more self-improvement communication. I remember my brother once resources that will help build women up to set telling me that I should take the time to listen good examples for their daughters and other to my husband more and hear about the things young girls who look up to them. Once she had that are on his mind and how he’s feeling. A lot her daughter, she became more aware of the of times we’re so excited to see our husbands impact that she had on her. It inspired her to when he walks through the door that we start want to lean into her own growth and evolution talking their ears off and bombarding him with as a woman and mother. It’s important to her questions. Instead my brother suggested that I that she is a great role model for her daughter. give my husband some time to himself when he comes home and let him unwind a bit.

When it comes to marriage, we all know that Then maybe ask him about his day and see if it’s a full-time effort. Add a high-profile status, he wants to talk about anything. I’ve taken that distance, and everything that comes with having advice and it’s worked well for us. I also learned a professional athlete as a husband, and you that I can’t stress over anything he is and or isn’t

A woman who feels good and has confidence can do anything.

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doing. I realized that the only person that I have control over is Michelle (and the kids of course).

Realizing this has helped me evolve a lot as a wife and person.

You may have already gotten an inside peek of Michelle and her marriage and family life. The reality TV series WAGS: LA aired on E! for three seasons from 2015 to 2017, with Michelle being a cast member on the last two seasons.

Q: What were some of the pros and cons for you of being on reality TV? A: Starting off with the bad. People will see a 10 second clip of the show and base their entire perception of a person off of that one clip. They don’t see what led up to the clip or the full story. You can’t do anything about it except go to your social media platforms and try to explain things. I still sometimes feel like I owe people an explanation. But I had to learn that I can’t force people to change their perception of me. The good thing was that I remained as true to myself as I could have on the show. I didn’t try to portray a certain image or anything. I kept it as real as I could and was just ME. I had some many women and young girls reach out to me to tell me how much my story impacted them because they were

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going through similar situations as me.

Just to know that I was in some way a role model for other women in other parts of the world is good enough for me.

Even while investing so much time in her family, Michelle still makes sure she carves out that coveted “me time” that is ever so precious to moms everywhere. Her mani/pedi appointments and gym times are pre-planned and vital to her overall well-being. For Michelle, it’s not just about relaxing and destressing. It’s more about feeling great and taking the time to get back in tune with herself. It is during these times that she gets the best ideas and strongest motivation to go after them. She encourages all moms to do the same.

If you feel great you can do anything. A woman who feels good and has confidence can do ANYTHING! What we’re capable of is amazing as women. We’re super beings. Everything comes together when you feel great. You have such great energy. All kinds of doors start opening for you as long as you have a positive mindset.

Michelle has definitely had to tap into her own super powers when the father of her 9-year-old son Jaiden, former NFL running back Joe McKnight, was gunned down and tragically murdered in a

senseless act of violence that was characterized as an apparent road rage incident in New Orleans in 2016. Michelle expressed that telling her son that his father had been killed was by far the hardest thing she has ever had to do in her entire life.

Q: It’s hard enough to wrap your head around and try to cope with something like this as an adult. How did you go about explaining this to your son and helping him begin to heal from it?

A: For us, it’s just a day at a time. There are ups and downs. I had to explain things to him from a child’s point of view. I had to be very careful with my words. Certain details he didn’t need to know. It’s something that I still have to continue to talk to him about as he gets older and has more questions. It never goes away. My biggest thing is I don’t want him to grow up with hatred in his heart. It’s easy for me to tell him that a white person hurt his dad but I don’t want him to grow up with that chip on his shoulder, hating people because of their race or anything else. I try to speak more to the behavior. Thank God the man is behind bars for the next 30 years. But I use that as a teaching moment. I let him know that every decision has a consequence, and that he should be the best person he can be because you never know what someone else is going to do. We also have Christian roots, so I find a lot of comfort in speaking with him about God and letting him know that some things we just don’t have all the answers to. I help him focus on the fact that we’re still here and letting him know that his dad is always watching over him. I try to reinforce positivity and remind him that now it’s about making his dad proud and carrying on his legacy. It also helps that we have such a strong support system. From my husband to Joe’s family and friends. So many people stepped in to make sure that me and Jaiden were OK. It just spoke volumes as to the kind of person that Joe was.

That’s the legacy that I want my son to know and carry on. There isn’t a week that goes by that we don’t talk about Joe. It’s continuous work of

talking about his dad and just communicating with him about it because I don’t want him to shut downt. As hard as it is to talk about, I feel like once you do start talking the healing can begin to happen.

Michelle has experienced a host of challenges throughout her life. However, she considers it all a piece of her character and a necessary part of her personal growth.

Life is such a beautiful struggle. It’s almost like a photo shoot. Most people don’t see all of the work that goes into a shoot behind the scenes.

They don’t see the time and effort that so many people put into getting great shots. They just see this beautiful photo in the end and it looks easy.

I once had a photo shoot where I had to walk some distance barefoot in mud and dirt just to get to this beautiful location. The photos were amazing, but no one saw what it took to get the shot. Sometimes that bumpiest roads leads you to the most beautiful destinations.

Like most women juggling family and business while trying to take care of themselves, Michelle is a powerhouse in her own right. She’s taken whatever life has thrown at her and used those experiences to build herself up. She’s consciously making lifestyle changes to evolve into a better woman each day so that she can fully deliver in her other roles as a wife, mom, and business woman. While some may say that changing your life starts from the inside out, Michelle reveals that sometimes it happens on the outside first and then the inside. It’s one of the reasons why she pushes the notion of women feeling beautiful and confident about themselves, especially the moms. She wants every mother to remember that just because you’re a mom doesn’t mean you have to give up on yourself. She’s on a mission to touch lives one mommy at a time.

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self care

for the prevailing woman Meet yourself at yourself ...

3 tips to help you get through your week Mentally

1 2

Going to Sleep on time at least once during the week

3

.

We all want to accomplish everything on our to-do list, but many times we end up draining ourselves without noticing it until the breakdown point.

Taking the time to wake up a little earlier to go to bed earlier will help with your mental productivity throughout the week.

Find a scent that relaxes you.

There is so much power in your sense of smell, it evokes positive memories and motivates your decision making. Scents that are great for relaxation include Lavender, Chamomile, Jasmine, and my personal favo rite Gardenia. Do a little candle hunting and find the one that makes you stop, close your eyes, and reflect on your happy place.

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Making a Motivational Music Playlist: On many streaming platforms (Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music, Etc.) you’re able to make a personalized playlist. Personally, I have a workout, Wine down, Motivational, and inspirational playlist. We go through many stages mentally throughout the week and sometimes someone singing or even rapping what you’re feeling can help you make it to your next step. Find some of your favorite songs to listen to and make various playlists to fit your everyday needs and it will make a world of difference!

Written by Kentoura Gilmore

WE GOT THIS Positioning Women as Entrepreneurial Problem Solvers Written by Dr. Allison Matthews How many of you have wondered why women’s undergarments or makeup lines don’t match their skin tone? Or why feminine products are expensive and uncomfortable? These issues may seem small, but in recent years, women have launched companies to help solve these problems. They leveraged their personal experiences to identify pain points that a huge market of other women consumers also experienced. We are continuing to see the emergence of a host of brilliant women-owned businesses aiming to disrupt the status quo.

Women are starting to work together to solve many of the world’s problems. To name a few —Rihanna’s Fenty makeup brand created products that match a broader range of skin tones and flew off the shelves. Similarly, Thinx is a women-owned company that designed “period panties” that eliminated the need to buy disposable feminine products. In 2017, more than 11.6 million firms were owned by women, employing nearly 9 million people, and generating $1.7 trillion in sales asof 2017 (National Association of Women Business Owners nawbo. org).These women harnessed their personal experiences and skill sts to solve problems and create successful businesses.

As a researcher turned entrepreneur, I often doubted my ability to become a business owner because I was taught I would be considered a failure if I didn’t use my academic training tobecome a professor. But the more I tried to fit in the academic mold, I realized how

limited I felt in the work I was doing. Like many others in academia, I quickly realized that the academic job market was narrowing rather than expanding. People who looked like me— women of color, in particular — were not being hired for tenure track positions. Even when I thought I wasn’t ready, the job market was pushing me to take the leap into entrepreneurship. This experience forced meto reflect onmy unique experiences and abilities to solve problems in my community. My scholarship focuses on finding better ways to help people from marginalized communities get access to healthcare resources, battle stigma and discrimination, and improve their health behaviors. My business partners and I come from the communities most affected by health disparities and our experiences have been fraught with hurdles to jump to access medications. We used those experiences and our skill set to creatively design Digital LinCS™ as a unique solution to improving access to free medication for uninsured and underinsured people.

How do your experiences and skill set make you uniquely qualified to solve problems? It is important to identify how the challenges you have faced in your life can actually be the inspiration you need to create an impactful and successful business!

Because working with others is better than working alone, here are some helpful resources for women small business owners:

1. National Association of Women Business Owners — https://www.nawbo.org/ 2. Innovation Women — Innovative, Technical and Entrepreneurial Women https://www.innovationwomen.com 3. Amber Grants for Women Small Business Owners — https://ambergrantsforwomen.com/about-us/ 4. Women’s Crowdfunding Site — ifundwomen.com 5. 37 angels — A community of women investors 37angels.com 6. BOSS — Bringing Out Successful Sisters, a social networking site for African American women entrepreneurs thebossnetwork.org

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Written by Dr. Trish Harleston

1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord [always doing your best and doing more than is needed], being continually aware that your labor [even to the point of exhaustion] in the Lord is not futile nor wasted [it is never without purpose].”

Amplified Translation Periodically we will encounter those days when we have to remind ourselves that the work serves a much great purpose than we are often able to conceptualize. I’d like to believe that our minds are incapable of fully comprehending the purpose for which the Lord desires to use His children. It is for that reason that we must commit to trusting God even when we don’t understand the plan of God. The exhortation that is presented in this scripture in 1 Corinthians 15:58 serves as a necessary reminder as we strive to remain loyal and faithful in situations that seem unfair and sometimes pain-staking. It can also serve as a timely and relevant prompting when we find ourselves struggling to stand in a position of stability and security when the foundation upon which we are trusting seems unreliable and unsteady.

So, the next time you decide that it’s not worth the headache, be reminded that the headache is temporary, but the work is purposeful and has eternal implications.

God puts us on display while we’re going through the agony and the misfortune such that someone watching us may see Him, know Him and trust Him even more w hen He elevates the platform to make His greater works more visible through us.

So, this trial, this test, this heartache, those tears, the betrayal, the hurt, the rejection –even on the worst of days – is not without purpose.

Remain steadfast and immovable – and keep doing the work. Nothing that you do for the Lord is wasted – it is never without purpose.

So just hang in there!

But the Word of God suggests that we must not waver in our endeavor to get the work done – to keep it moving. The work that frustrates us, the environment that discourages us and the individuals whose objective is to distract us from the goal – are not without purpose.

When we accept that the labor is not about what’s tangible, but serves a much greater purpose; this then becomes the reality that keeps us moving when retreating seems to be the most logical answer. How many times has walking away seemed to be more rational than sticking it out? Numerous? Remember, if we decide to stop short of the finish, we risk jeopardizing the purpose and forfeiting the promise.

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Love Letters:

Bridging Brands and Cultures

By Natalie Boden When was the last time you received a love letter?

Maybe it wasn’t in writing but it was more of a gesture.

How about the last time you wrote one? Some might say that the giving and receiving of love letters has become a lost art. Natalie Boden, Founder and President of BODEN, an independent communications agency, would beg to differ. Natalie’s agency uses this strategy to help big brands connect with communities and demonstrate that they understand the emotional drivers of their consumers.

As a girl growing up in Honduras, Natalie was actively involved in the family businesses, owned and operated by her parents as well as the family matriarch, her grandmother. Naturally, she learned a lot from this training, and coupled with the global introspect that her father consistently instilled in her from a young age, she had the foundation to build her award- winning agency, BODEN. BODEN works with the some of the world’s most iconic brands, helping them inspire cultural leadership, drive conversation and connect to communities. Their work in reaching U.S. Hispanic consumers is in a league of its own, earning them accolades from esteemed

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industry organizations such as the Public Relations Society of America and PR News. Recognized as 2017 Agency of the Year by the Hispanic Public Relations Association, Natalie and her team have been the driving force behind many of the campaigns and initiatives connecting brands like McDonald’s, Target and UnitedHealthcare, to name a few, with multicultural communities.

The agency’s recent “Síganme los Buenos” campaign, for their client McDonald’s, was hugely successful in driving brand reputation and the purchase of their $1 $2 $3 Dollar Menu items. The campaign was developed based on the insight that Hispanics seek the best for their families and are always looking for clever ways to find a great deal without compromising quality.

BODEN set out to generate excitement about the $1 $2 $3 Dollar Menu among budget- conscious Hispanic consumers by bringing together the $1 $2 $3 Dollar Menu and one of the most beloved and clever Hispanic icons: El Chapulín Colorado.

The partnership with El Chapulín Colorado, who is a beloved character in the Latin community and often referred to as the Mickey Mouse of Latin America, was multi-faceted, involving online and offline elements, from

targeted social media content to a media tour and an instore event featuring giveaways and limited-edition items.

The McDonald’s location where the events were held had a line out of the door. The agency’s team helped to raise sales for that day and increase foot traffic, while also generating positive press and stakeholder engagement.

The campaign, implemented at one of the McDonald’s restaurants in Houston, served as a love letter to their Hispanic consumers by demonstrating that the brand understood the rational and emotional drivers of this community. As one influencer wrote regarding the matter, “McDonald’s NAILED IT!” Ultimately, the campaign accomplished what love letters are supposed to, make the recipients feel special and build genuine relationship.

According to Natalie, 2018 is the year of the Hispanic market. It is the year of embracing diversity as a business imperative and not just as a fad. The Hispanic market in particular is a major key for business growth.

Building a business like BODEN that thrives both internally and externally takes some trial and error. Natalie attributes the success of her agency to their ability to build culture from within.

When you go into business, your big goal is to make a profit. You don‘t really think of building culture. Because we didn‘t do that in the beginning some mistakes were made. But we learned from them and made efforts to build culture internally. Now we‘re in a really good place.

The agency has been named to PR New’ Top Places to Work in PR. Considered by many as a thought leader, Natalie says she just worked hard.

There’s a quote by Estée Lauder that says something like, ‘I never dreamed of success. I just worked for it.

Nonetheless, Natalie is proud to be a positive example of hard work, success, and ambition for women, especially Latinas. One of the ways she continues this legacy is by building and sustaining connections with non-profit organizations through philanthropic efforts. Natalie and her team have partnered with Las Pequeñas Rosas, an organization that teaches young girls in Honduras who come from humble backgrounds to believe in their dreams as well as give them the tools they need to succeed.

Natalie’s late sister-in-law spent her summers volunteering with this organization and Natalie has endeavored to carry on those efforts with the help of her agency and her nineyear-old daughter, Sasha. A portion of BODEN’s profits are shared with Las Pequeñas Rosas. Additionally, Natalie sits on the Latina Advisory Board of Girls, Inc. as well as on the board of ColorComm. As a mother of three, two of them girls, Natalie is passionate about the advancement of women and young girls and helping them achieve their dreams.

Outside of BODEN, Natalie enjoys spending time with her family. She is intentional about instilling some of the same principles her parents instilled in her into her own children, as well as the concept of inclusivity. She has frequent conversations with her kids about bridging the gaps between themselves and those who may be different from them at school. She also talks to them about culture and race in a proactive manner instead of waiting until an issue arises.

Natalie says, “Women can celebrate themselves by doing something small for themselves every day. Make it a practice and don‘t wait until you’re burned out. Take the time and don‘t feel guilty about it. And make sure you tell yourself every day that you‘re doing great.

Natalie’s life work is centered around using the art of love and inclusivity to connect those who wouldn’t otherwise connect. If social media has taught us anything, it’s the power of connections. What better tool than compassion to drive the concept of inclusivity towards creating these connections.

We can all take a lesson from Natalie’s methods and apply them as individuals to foster powerful connections with others around us. Imagine how different our country and even the world would be if every person wrote their own individual love letter to someone from another culture who they did not know. Imagine what would happen if that lover letter turned into a conversation. Imagine if that conversation led to several other conversations that birthed an authentic relationship filled with genuine and mutual care and regard for one another. In the spirit of Natalie Boden and BODEN, I charge you to initiate such a connection with someone in 2018 and help pioneer the evolution of a human race that embraces inclusivity as the standard and not just a trend.

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The Scoop on Hair Removal

While many have a continuous hair removal regimen throughout the year, many seem to focus more on unwanted hair removal during the spring and summer months. Deciding which hair removal process is best for you can be tricky depending on frequency, pain tolerance, and financial investment to name a few. Learn more about your options on how to stay hair free this season... possibly every season!

HOW IT WORKS SHAVING

WAXING

| INVESTMENT |

Shaving removes hair From the visible Surface by using a Razor to cut it off.

$2 -10 for razors and shaving cream.

Wax is applied in the direction of the hair growth and removed buy pulling in the opposite direction of application to remove the hair from the root.

$20-85 depending on the area and salon location.

DEPILATORY A cream is applied to the skin in the area where hair removal is needed. The chemicals in the product weaken the hair allowing you to wipe it away.

BENEFITS

|

Inexpensive, painless, quick and easy way to remove hair at home.

Hair grows back quickly and can cause thicker hair to grow back.

Hair removal for 3-6 weeks depending on hair type.

Can be painful within the first few sessions.

Ingrown hairs and razor burn are common.

Can result in ingrown hairs.

Smooth skin.

$6-14 per container.

DRAWBACKS

Hair length must be long enough for the wax to adhere.

Inexpensive, removes hair a little lower than the skin allowing the regrowth to be slower .

The odor is terrible due to the chemicals in the product.

Can be irritating to sensitive skin and lead to ingrown hairs.

SUGARING

A paste created from sugar, lemon and hot water are used in the direction of hair growth to remove hair from the roots.

$20-80 depending on area and salon location.

100% natural, room temperature paste, less painful than waxing and less hair breakage .

Not effective on very short hair.

LASER HAIR REMOVAL

A laser penetrates the skin to reach the hair shaft ultimately destroying the follicle and future hair growth.

$95-250 per session. 6 or more sessions are needed.

Great for sensitive skin.

Can be expensive, painful and requires multiple visits.

Long-term hair removal.

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GLOW BABY GLOW! Shimmering, bright, glowing, and sun-kissed vibes are the rave this season! Use these products alone or paired to take your glow up a notch or two!

ST. TROPEZ SELF TAN BRONZING MOUSSE This lightweight mousse is formulated to create an even and seamless deep bronze shade on the skin. The mix of aloe vera along with its quick drying and aromaguard technology makes it a must have for the season! ($18, Dermstore.com)

Nars Laguna Body Tint with Broad Nars has killed two birds with one stone with this limited edition body tint. Not only does it provide a stunning transferresistant, glowing tint to the skin, it also protects the skin from the harmful rays of the sun! ($45, NarsCosmetics.com)

Don’t forget about your best asset! Your SMILE!

Good JuJu Whitening Paste ™ is a handmade natural teeth whitener that is fluoride and SLS free. The active ingredient is charcoal; this is what gives the paste its infamous black color. It has minimal taste (sweet/ minty flavor) and it works over time by pulling toxins that cause surface stains away from your teeth without weakening the enamel or causing sensitivity. ($12.99, socouturellc.com)

TANtalizer Body Bronzing Spray w/ Puff Applicator

This aerosol bronzer provides instant color while the mix of Maracuja, Camu Camu, Acai Berry, Pomegranate, and Vitamins A & E help to improve the health and glow of your skin!

Use the puff applicator to buff in the product for a streak-free and mess-free application. ($33, Lorac.com) 80 THE PREVAILING WOMAN

What is fun in the sun without a great SELFIE? Selfie Tan’N Go Sunless Instant Body Bronzer won’t stain your clothes, is fragrance and cruelty free and doesn’t contain any parabens. Feel free to reapply for a deeper bronze result! ($28, SelfieGlow.com)

Kiehls Sun-Free Self –Tanning Formula

This is a lightweight, non-greasy self-tanning formula this is instantly absorbed by the skin to avoid spottiness and streaking.

This product is made with Apricot Kernel Oil, Cocoa Seed Butter and Vitamin E and is great for your face and body! ($38, Kiehls.com)

Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs Spray

Sun kissed legs are a spray away with out the damaging effects of the sun! This is a fast-drying self tanner that is affordable, transfer-resistant and water resistant! ($9.89, Target.com)

Bobbi Brown Limited Edition Highlight & Glow Shimmer Brick Palette

This palette is EVERYTHING! With 3 versatile, shimmering brick shades that can be worn together to provide a soft, radiant and natural glow. The palette has shades ranging in Rose, Copper, Diamond and Apricot. ($72, BobbiBrownCosmetics.com)

Baked Body Frosting with Body Puff Puff Use this baked body frosting on your shoulders and collarbone to take your glow to the next level. Use this product wet or dry. Try all three shades! ($45, LauraGeller.com)

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Now Booking Alicia Ruffin Book Online Follow Me!

Color Artist Designer Cuts Extension/Weave Specialist Healthy Hair Maintenance

310.709.8050 @kenrichhair kenrichhair@gmail.com

PARENTING

WHILE TRAVELING Written by Doc Swiner

We literally just dropped our 2 kids off to stay with their grandparents for the week, as we prepare to travel to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. They’re not quite the ages yet where they could travel internationally comfortably. However, for those that are traveling abroad with their little ones, here are some medical and parenting tips for you: 1. Make sure their vaccines are updated. If traveling between now and May, flu is still a risk for very young children. Please make sure they’re vaccinated, along with Tdap and MMR, if needed. If you’re unsure, ask your medical provider to check their records.

2. Make sure you don’t need to purchase them their own ticket.

If still in a carrier seat, you can likely hold them in your lap and check the seat. Check with each airline to see what the age cut off is for needing their own, individual seat.

3. Carry lots of snacks and sanitized wipes. The other passengers on the flight will love you for keeping your little ones content with snacks on the plane. But, please don’t forget the sanitizer and sanitized wipes, for obvious reasons.

3. Carry lots of snacks and sanitized wipes. The other passengers on the flight will love you for keeping your little

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ones content with s\nacks on the plane.

But, please don’t forget the sanitizer and sanitized wipes, for obvious reasons.

4. Electronics are ok. There has been a lot of heated debate lately about how much screen time kids should be allowed and at what age. As a family doctor, I understand where the professionals and concerned parents are coming from.

However, as a parent myself, I have allowed and do allow my children to watch TV and play with electronic tablets; after their homework has been completed. If they misbehave or their grades begin to slip, the screens are the

first rewards to go away. With travel, screens have saved our lives. The flight and rides are much more calm and quiet if the iPads are brought along. We also tend to lean toward almost all educational programs for them to watch. Go with your gut.

5. Careful with food and water. When traveling to destinations with questionable water sources or increased rates of water or food-borne illnesses (ie. malaria, cholera, typhoid --- check www.cdc.gov before going), use bottled or filtered water for drinking and brushing the teeth. You might stay away from fresh fruits and vegetables, as well, as they would be washed in the water. Cooked or dried versions might be better for both you and the kids. Montezuma’s Revenge is a horrible diarrheal illness that you can

get antibiotics for beforehand to travel with (Cipro or Xifaxan for adults and kids >12yo, or Doxycycline, Bactrim, Septra for kids and babies <12yo). See your doctor for these prescriptions.

5. Enjoy them. Try to relax and not be so stringent with the schedule and the rules that you forget to have fun. That’s true when traveling and when at home. Our time with our kids goes by so quickly and they grow up so fast. Don’t forget you’re making memories on your vacations. Be present and be safe out there.

Have fun!

DocSwiner

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THE SUPERWOMAN SYNDROME:

How Women Leaders Can Become Stressed and Burned Out Dr. LaTanya Moore

We’ve all met her! The woman who is taking care of a husband and children at home, participating in ministries at her church, a member of several community organizations, and still manages to keep her body and wardrobe flawless. She also the woman in a leadership positions on her job or even an entrepreneur, defying odds every day in the board room. Somehow, she manages to lead effortlessly by making decisions, problem solving, and engaging in adaptive leadership skills. We commend them on their accomplishments as the rewards and recognition surely follows. We look at them as mentors because we want the same amount of self-discipline in our lives. They spend time giving back and pouring wisdom into young leaders because they know how important it is to construct the next generation in an intentional way. These women are killing it!

We see them as our local heroes and often regard them as superwomen. We wonder how they achieve so much in such a short amount of time. We ask for tips and advice because we too want the power and magic wand to be so successful. They continue to pour into us, helping us to define ourselves and showing us the ropes accomplish our goals.

But silently and secretly, these superwomen have breakdowns too. They have given so much of themselves and used ALL of their strength to lead a successful event or meeting on that day. And often times, when they need to be refilled and restored with some of the same energy they have given us, there is no reciprocation.

Constantly pouring into others without being refilled can have consequences and lead to stress, a lack of energy, and burn out.

How? How does a superwoman refill when the expectations of her are so great? What does a superwoman do to protect herself from becoming drained by the needs of others? After all, she has standards and leadership roles to uphold, and wouldn’t dare show any weakness. Better yet, what can I do for the superwoman in my life? All awesome questions to ask yourself!

Here are a few tips that may be helpful for the superwoman syndrome or someone supporting a superwoman:

If you are a superwoman...

This section is for you: Tip 1: AWARENESS. You are AWESOME! So awesome that you have an awareness of what others need and can quickly come to their rescue. However, it starts with awareness of yourself, knowing and understanding when you are feeling drained, exhausted, or overwhelmed. When you notice a 86 THE PREVAILING WOMAN

difference in your body and your energy levels, obey!

Your body provides clear signs when it’s time to kick into restoration mode. Seek to intentionally create time and space to engage in the restoration and refilling process.

Tip 2. IDENTIFY TECHNIQUES. It’s time to identify what YOU need after giving so much of yourself. It’s important that this process if meaningful to you. So, let’s identify a few techniques that you find rewarding and refilling. Start by developing a listof techniques such as disconnecting for a few moments, venting to a friend, using essential oils, exercising, praying, or listening to music. Maybe it’s taking a trip or getting a massage. The key here is finding the right combination of techniques that work consistently.

Tip 3. SELF-CARE. THIS is all about your ability to create intentional time and space in your life to practice coping skills and engage in activities that make you happy. Self-care is ongoing. I repeat, selfcare if ongoing! If you have identified that yourself as a superwoman, you should consistently schedule and plan for self-care. Self-care and self-regulation are also a part of resilience. These techniques are imperative to bounce back from overwhelming situations.

If you support a superwoman...

This section is for you: Tip 1. BE GENUINE. If you support a superwoman, genuinely ask, how are you? Expect a real answer with any trials and situations that require her to express herself. Often times as supporters, we expect a superwoman to have it all together, thus fail to anticipate a response that requires us to process through their feelings of being overwhelmed. Since you’re being genuine here, ensure that you have time and availability to listen. There’s nothing worse than someone opening up when you aren’t available to provide real support. Probe if necessary but do not pressure.

Tip 2. CREATE OPPORTUNITY. Real supporters understand the schedule of a superwoman and are careful not to overstep scheduling boundaries.

However, as a support, create opportunities that will aid in her self-care and refilling process.This can be done by taking a task or item off her to-do list or creating an event that takes her away from her to-

do list. Time with the girls, family, or a spouse can generate what she needs to reenergize.

Tip 3. POUR INTO HER. Remember, she pours into others through her leadership roles and numerous responsibilities every single day. Yet often times, a superwoman does not encounter people who pour into her through motivation or inspiration in return. Say inspirational things, cheer her on, and drop wisdom nuggets when possible. Send sermons, podcasts, articles, and resources that increase knowledge and create a spark in her interest. Seek to fill her cup as she takes on the world one individual at a time.

I AM A SUPERWOMAN WHO ROCKS! LaTanya Moore, Ph.D., LMFT

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ENTERAINMENT:

The Cultures Platform for Artistry

Who is Good Karma Entertainment Good Karma Entertainment is a non-profit organization based out of New Jersey that strives to provide a platform for artists while equipping them with the resources they will need to thrive.

Artists both aspiring and established will get the opportunity to sow affirmative entertainment into the community. With Good Karma Entertainment’s culture being sculpted by the influences of performing arts, the organization considers it their responsibility to nurture artists through mentorship, internship and scholarship, creating positive and strong artists of tomorrow.

How and Why Good Karma Entertainment Was Conceived Two high school friends, Emily Prince and Kayla “Kay” Spells of East Orange, NJ, started a community of artists while attending Cicely Tyson Performing Arts High School that aimed to foster an encouraging and supporting environment for the lifestyle of many artists as they pursue their dreams. Emily, a dancer, and Kay, a singer/ songwriter and former stage manager, officially started Good Karma Entertainment in 2017 out of their hearts’ desire to continue and expand that community they built back in high school to help artists progress towards making a career of their art. This organization is all about letting artists know that it is possible to pursue their artistry as careers and actually make a living doing it It’s about helping artists understand that obstacles will exist on any career path that they take so it’s best to pursue what you actually love.

Who Good Karma Entertainment Serves and How Good Karma Entertainment serves the people.

From the individual artist to the community as a whole. Good Karma Entertainment currently puts on four to five high quality productions annually that are cast with all kinds of artists from all over the Tri-State area and beyond. These productions give artists an opportunity to showcase their talents on a stage in front of their community and those who are searching for said talent. For the millions of artists who are using their social media platforms to showcase their artistry, Good Karma Entertainment is essentially grabbing those artists and saying, “we see you”, and then giving them a bigger stage to perform in front of people whom they may not have otherwise reached. This organization recognizes that if they do not grab kids when they’re young and help them hone in on their craft, they’re likely to end up as adults who work in industries they hate just to pay their bills, all the while knowing they are talented but are too scared to go after their real dreams. Knowing this, Good Karma Entertainment uses productions, internships, scholarships, and partnerships with key stakeholders and influencers in entertainment to pour into these artists from a young age and feed them to the community

and ultimately the world. This helps artists gain experience and exposure, both of which hold high value as a performing artist. In return, we as the general public get to witness great entertainment from amazing artists who we may or may not have heard of, but we definitely want to know about.

Good Karma Entertainment Shows and Events To Know About Putting On The Hits is a popular show of Good Karma Entertainment that Emily and Kay actually reinvented when they were still in high school.

The show had been orchestrated for years prior to Emily and Kay’s high school days and hey decided to bring it back on another level by popular demand, and it’s been a big crowd pleaser every time. This production is basically the Lip Sync Battle TV show before the TV show was ever created. Artists get a chance to perform their favorite songs while dressed as the singer of these songs, complete with backup dancers and wardrobe. It is completely student ran, from the coordination and planning to all of the stage elements.

Burlesque and R&B is a modernized burlesque show with the addition of R&B singers as a twist.

It started out as a fun idea and once the first production occurred, the community responded very well. This show has become a treat for both the performing artists and the community; so much so that it is this year’s season closer for Good Karma Entertainment.

Discussion Panels: These panels consist of more established artists who sit down with the younger artists of Good Karma Entertainment to have relevant and helpful discussions about artistry as a career. These panels help facilitate more conversations to answer questions that many artists have when they’re trying to excel in their craft and pursue their dreams. It acts as a bridge between some of the aspiring artists and those who are a bit more established. Less seasoned artists are able to pose questions and seek advice on how to better themselves and their future careers. More established artists get to pour into those less experienced artists and motivate them to never give up on their art form by showing them that it is possible to have a career in artistry and answering their questions from a more experienced perspective. It’s a learning experience and another way to nurture the artists’ mindset.

Connect With Good Karma Entertainment Keep up with Good Karma Entertainment’s artists and shows by connecting with them on Facebook: Good Karma Entertainment, and on Instagram @GoodKarmaEnt. The official website for Good Karma Entertainment is set to launch in July 2018 on www.goodkarmaent.org.

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