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Ustyle Magazine | November 2016 - 1

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ISSUE FEATURES Turning Your Dreams Into A Goldmind Divine Happyness

A dynamic and influential online publication which focuses on events, issues and people within our diverse urban communities. The magazine’s theme is multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-generational, which places it in a commanding standpoint in the diverse urban culture.

Contact Us UStyle Magazine Bladensburg, MD 20710 (240) 517-7471 UStyleMagazine@gmail.com

Glamourizing Your Office Rodney Foster Sexy Or Not Bare Necessities of True Beauty Social Media Mania Cliques Bonita Parker Samiah Perry

PUBLISHER/CEO Bridgette Wilson- Davis CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Kimberly Johnson Duane Davis Joseph D’Urso

Mu Tariq Tara Gates Anderson Cloved In Ivy Boutique

BEAUTY EDITOR Bonita Parker EDITORIAL PROOFREADER Joseph D’Urso PHOTOS Christopher Wilson DIGITAL MAGAZINE & WEB DESIGN Kato Hammond

This magazine explores its unique market by featuring entertaining and informative articles along with exceptional photography while bringing its readership the current news, trends and businesses.

The magazine is also an excellent instrument for entrepreneurs as well as local and national artists to utilize in order to cultivate and increase their exposure within their market. UStyle Magazine gives a FACE TO A NAME and a VOICE TO THE UNHEARD. Topics to Include: Business Lifestyles Health Beauty Fashion Entertainment and Events To advertise in this new up and coming innovative online magazine, please give our office a call so that we can give you the ultimate exposure that you deserve!

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Publisher’s Corner This is Bridgette Wilson-Davis’s pursuit of happiness. Since her birth to wonderful parents Earnest and Marion Wilson in Washington, DC’s at the time Greater Southeast Community Hospital, she has made it a point to strive for her goals, which were nothing less than her grandest dreams in her eyes. One of her dreams were to become a singer/songwriter always having a love for music, and fondly remembering her beloved Father chastising her saying, “I hope you know your schoolwork like you know those songs” The love for entertainment was rooted early.

As for now she is the beautiful mother of two handsome young men, Christopher and Salulladeen Wilson, a devoted daughter, mother and friend, she is now taking the strives to make her creativity become her reality. Bridgette grew up in Maryland attended Eleanor Senior High School for 2 years and then transferring and graduating from DuVal Senior High School in Lanham, Maryland. Soon after she went on to become a licensed hairstylist and soon a respectable Medical Office Manager for a prominent Neurology Group in Upper Montgomery County, then a long stint in Orthopedics leading her to try a different arena in healthcare where she is now a Patient Liaison for a very well-known and affluent Cosmetic Surgeon. During this whole growth period, she has had the wonderful opportunity to live in Atlanta Georgia, Charlotte North Carolina then Jacksonville Florida, but her roots and passions remained in Washington, DC. And with having the love for the media, fashion, beauty, entertainment and health she decided to venture into magazine publishing for the second time, always understanding timing is everything, hence UStyle Magazine was born…..now is her time!

In her spare time, Bridgette enjoys spending time with family, reading, spending as much time as possible on the beach and living and enjoying a fabulous life after 40, finally playing by her own rules and loving it!!!!

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Turning Your Dreams Into A Goldmine How many of you have paused indefinitely on an idea (raises hand, and clears throat), only to see someone else perfectly execute your vision? Instantly your mind goes through the what ifs. Watching your concept come to life makes you want to kick yourself hard for not following through. You can’t tell anyone you hesitated, and talking about it after the fact will make you look like bitter and jealous. From the beginning what you should have done was...

Be honest!

Listen, nobody knows what they’re doing. None of us! We are all so good at giving convincing, “I’ve got it all together” face that we don’t know the daily struggles others deal with as well. We are too ashamed to say I don’t know so we pretend because we don’t want to appear like we don’t (how crazy is that). The biggest misconception ever is thinking “It’s just me”. You don’t have to put on an act. Admit you’re clueless! Then you can...

stressful days and sleepless nights. Your canvass will often be blank but somewhere in the back of your head, you see the full picture. That picture answers the question...

What is your why?

Your mind is in overdrive, with great ideas pending. So what are you going to do about that? Even in resolving one issue, others pop up. But ask yourself WHY and in finding that answer, ask why again. The answers to your whys are your keys. Use them to...

Discipline yourself!

We, yes you included, are brilliant! If you were shown your ending as opposed to your beginning, would you act or nah? If you were promised success but just had add time and dedication to the equation would you? Take those ingenious ideas and put them to work because...

Focus!

You’ve Got it!

With that out of the way, what’s the next step? Focusing.

Voices in abundance come at you so much; you actually need to be super human to block them out (myth #7582).

If blocking out people is a super power, sign us up! Failure is discouraging but focus is everything. Failure is discouraging but focus is everything! Say it again, and again, and again! You will get there just...

Most things we think about ourselves are figments of our imaginations. They’re fears and what is fear? FALSE EVIDENCE APPEARING REAL. We think we don’t measure up – LIE. We don’t have what others have – SO WHAT! We are unique and have our own contributions to give that only we can give. Are you satisfied with watching the success of others while you sit down on yours? Will you let your treasure go undiscovered? You’re sitting on a gold mine! Chip away at that thing and cash in!

Keep at it!

Success does not happen overnight. We want the same fortune that others have but don’t put in the time, energy, thought, and creativity needed to make it all come together. There is no “Magic Dream” card, no snapping of the fingers. This is persistent, hard work often accompanied by

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Divine Happiness

In asking that age-old question, what constitutes true happiness? Some of the answers we were given ranged from money to cars to the best designer clothes a person could buy, and the most popular answer we received was a man or woman. Well, all those answers were wrong. Now don’t get me wrong, they will satisfy you for a moment, but are you truly happy? Is your heart content? Well, I’m here to tell you to trash that list, because that list will never be enough. We have all seen those people who have everything and yet they are still miserable. Society has conditioned us to think that if we are not the Jones’s then we are not relevant.

True happiness is a happy spirit and a balanced life. A person who can smile genuinely from her heart and do the same for someone else exudes true happiness. Take time to enjoy life. Take a

look around at all that you have access to. Don’t get caught up in what you don’t have, and superimpose your sense of lack over all that is readily available to you and get the right perspective. A person at peace with her God is generally content with her life, full of love and free of desperation.

The void that nags us most is the vast chasm that waits to be filled with our purpose and our calling: the reason we were created. I truly believe the saying that if you find something that you love to do and would do it even you didn’t get paid for it, that’s your passion. That’s your happiness. Happiness starts and ends with us. It’s time to take stock of our priorities and gifts.

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Glamorizing Your Home Office Girl Bosses of today complete the majority of their work from home, which means that having a functioning office in the home is mandatory. Working from home can be an entrepreneur’s blessing and a curse if she doesn’t have a dedicated place to be productive.

You need that space to be motivating and functional. Get inspired by these office décor examples!

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For the girl whose work life is all about the glitz and glamour (hello fashion blogger!!), her office space is no exception. Decorate with all things fashionable and trendy. Add a pop of color or some faux fur to help get your creative juices flowing!

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Spending days at the dining table cranking out work can get old pretty quickly. Don’t have a whole room to spare for your home office? Take an unused closet and convert it into a pretty rad home office. This gives you the ability to literally close the doors on your work at quitting time!

Don’t like the door? Remove it and replace it with a curtain.

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Another way to maximize limited space is to create an office under a nook as a space-saving option. *Bonus Tip – create an inspiration board/ mood board; frame a cork board above your desk and fill it with things that inspire and motivate you.

Your office should be a place where you thrive in your work. Having a visually inspiring work space is just as important as having a tidy work space. There is no better way to unleash your inner creative beast than spending each day in a cool home office setting that will motivate you to be your best you.

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CEO and Founder of EDELHEISS WINE USTYLE: Tell us about Edelheiss Wine.

RF: Well, it is a German wine and traditionally you drink it heated, like tea or hot coffee. It’s a tradition in Europe during the winter months, although people in the US prefer to drink it room temperature. Some people make Sangrias with it as well. It’s made with all-natural spices, cinnamon and brandy. I have had pastry chefs make poached pears with it also. So it is a wine that is very versatile. It’s not your traditional red wine.

USTYLE: How did you get involved in winemaking?

RF: It is so different for me because I didn’t grow up in a wine family or near any vineyards. I was vacationing in Switzerland in 2011 and a colleague told me you have to try this wine that they heat up over there, so I said, cool, it sounds interesting. I found the restaurant that sold it and when I saw it I knew exactly what it was because it was in a mug similar to a beer mug with a handle – it was red and had steam coming from it. Everyone there was drinking it. It was freezing cold there and everyone was outdoors with ski suits and furs on drinking this wine and it was just this lifestyle that I had never seen before. I tried the wine and thought this is interesting to drink a wine that is heated up.

USTYLE: How was Switzerland?

RF: I met some great people over there that I am still friends with to this day. I told them that I want to create my own wine over here in the US like this and they were like, okay cool, let’s do it. So one of the guys I met there introduced me to his brother-in-law who lived in the States at one point but now lives in Munich, Germany, where he is originally from and now he is my business partner.

That’s how it all came about.

USTYLE: What challenges did you come across, if any, trying to bring it here to the States?

RF: Well, working with the federal government as far as getting my permits was a very smooth process. The challenging part was trying to find a vineyard that could make it, because everyone

could not make this wine. I contacted a couple of vineyards here in the States and they said that they could not make it, so we eventually found a vineyard in Germany that only produced organic wines, and my particular wine was what they specialized in.

It was a match made in heaven.

USTYLE: So you found the vineyard in Germany?

RF: Yes, it is in Germany, about four hours away from Munich.

I’ve been there a couple of times and it is breathtaking. If I could really do it, I would love to live in Europe. With the scenery, the architectural structures of everything, it’s breathtaking. Once we found the vineyard that could make the wine we took a trip there.

We met with the owner and his daughter and at the time they had been trying to break into the US market. With me living in the US and they were in Germany it was a great match. Even though this is my brand, the vineyard is in Germany, so it’s their wine but under my brand.

USTYLE: What exactly are you hoping to achieve with Edelheiss Wine?

RF: Well, I want to introduce to the States a red wine that you heat up, because a lot of people here are not used to that. A wine that you can make a Sangria with or drink at room temperature. I want to market and promote it like no one has ever done, because you can go nowhere in the States and find this type of wine.

USTYLE: How involved are you with the process of making Edelheiss?

RF: I am very involved. My business partner friend’s grandmother has the recipe to the wine – it’s like a family tradition. He sent me the recipe and we tweaked it to how we would like it over here in the States. In the States we like our red wine a little more sweet instead of dry. The way they make it was very dry and a little bitter.

My mom suggested that we add a little brandy to it to give it some flavor. We tried it and it came out perfect, after that my friend and I were in my kitchen making the wine. The first batch we

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made was horrible because I had put too much brown sugar in it and it taste like oatmeal. The second batch we added less brown sugar and it came out great. I sent that batch to the vineyard in Germany and told them this is what I want and how I wanted it to taste. They tasted what I had and I tasted what they had, and what I had was still a little too sweet for this type of wine, so they lessened the sugar a little bit more and I liked it.

USTYLE: How long does the whole process usually take?

RF: After the research was done and getting everything done legally, it took me from the idea in 2011 to having the product now.

USTYLE: What advice would you give to someone who may have an interest in wine-making?

RF: My suggestion would be to first find out what type of product you want to have. Who your target market will be. Who you will be selling your brand to, because every brand is not catered to everyone. I wanted my brand to cater to the millennials because it’s a fresh young brand. It’s exciting and cutting-edge. I’ve had many managers at five-star restaurants try it and they were like, “Wow.” There is nothing else out here like this.

USTYLE: Did you find it hard getting support in the States?

RF: No, because if you are giving out stuff for free, which is what I do with my samples, they will take it. It’s not hard getting anyone to try anything that is free. It’s just the point of introducing a new brand and introducing it to people that have never tried it before, because it’s not like it’s a Merlot or Moscato or anything like that.

It’s very unfamiliar.

USTYLE: Were you also hands-on with the packaging as well?

RF: My business partner is the creative director of an ad agency in Germany, so this is actually what he does. He sent me three bottle designs to choose from and told me to pick one and the bottle you see is the one I chose.

USTYLE: Yes, I do like this one. It has a clean look and is simple but pronounced.

RF: Yes, and you can actually reuse the bottle once the wine is finished because it has a flip top and not a cork, so you don’t need a corkscrew. It takes seconds to open.

USTYLE: Tell me about the Swarovski Crystal bottle. Will that be on the market for the general public?

RF: Yes, I am in the process right now of finding the right people who can make it for me and then we will narrow down the pricing.

Those bottles take about 5000 Swarovski crystals to cover the entire bottle, so it’s very time consuming to make, so they will be a little pricey.

USTYLE: What else can we expect from Edelheiss Wine?

RF: I have a sparkling organic white wine coming out. The samples are ready now, we are just in the process of getting it approved through the federal government. I am actually doing an event soon with The Steve and Marjorie Harvey Charity Golf Tournament that will be taking place in Las Vegas and they have

requested I supply them with the red and the white wine.

USTYLE: How did that come about?

RF: I know Steve Harvey’s wife Marjorie’s hairstylist; in fact we are really good friends, so I had the opportunity to meet her a couple of times. They put me in touch with the producers of The Steve Harvey Show. They knew I had a new wine on the market because we had discussed it previously and me coming on to the show. They reached out to me and asked if I would be interested in donating wine for the golf tournament and I accepted.

USTYLE: What challenges are there with working with the vineyard that’s located in Germany?

RF: I have two big challenges. One is dealing with the different time zones between the US and Germany, because they are six hours ahead of us, so I have to get a lot of my business done in the morning, because when it is 7:00 am here it’s 1:00 pm there.

That’s a challenge but it works. My second biggest challenge was getting with distributors. I am with a distributor now who distributes in Maryland and Washington, DC, and I just got with a distributor in Virginia.

USTYLE: What process did you have to go through in finding them and for them to even say, we will take this on?

RF: Once you meet with a distributor they are going to want to sample your product and from there they will either say yes or no.

In Washington, DC and Maryland I am already registered, but for the Virginia distributor, in order for them to represent me, I have to register my product in that state. Each state is a little different.

USTYLE: How far would you like to see your brand reach?

RF: Dubai. Every morning that I get up I pray and ask God to bring favor to my product and take it from city to city, coast to coast and country to country. That’s where I see my wine going.

USTYLE: So where can our readers purchase Edelheiss Wine?

RF: It can be found in Yes! Organic Markets in Washington, DC and Maryland, a few wine and spirit stores in Washington, DC and Maryland, and they serve it in Lauriol Plaza in Washington, DC. The Virginia distributors are getting it into the Wegmans there and next month I have a meeting with Costco.

USTYLE: Now, can you elaborate on the television show that is in the works? Who will be appearing in it?

RF: Yes, it will be me, Vernon Martin, Darnell Perkins, Gary Coates and a transgender who goes by the name Riley Knox, who does Beyoncé impersonations at Nelly’s. We are filming it because the production company that films The Braxtons are going to film this show as well. We are all really good friends with Traci Braxton and her manager Cliff, so he is putting it all together. Production has not started yet because they are still filming The Braxtons and right now they are the priority before we start filming.

USTYLE: So in closing, what else can we expect from Edelheiss Wine?

RF: We have the organic white wine, we will be having bottled water and we will be doing an energy drink that has 14k gold flakes in it.

USTYLE: I can only imagine how much that energy drink will cost with 14k gold flakes in it.

RF: Actually it will be very affordable, because there is already a company in Germany that manufactures it, so it’s just a matter of partnering with them and bringing it to the States.

RF: So I am just trying to expand the brand. It’s all about branding and expanding the brand.

If you would like to order a bottle of Edelheiss Wine, you can order from their website, at: www.edelheiss-wine.com.

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SEXY or NOT: How Sexy Are Your Undergarments?

It has been a ongoing debate that women wear pretty underclothes to impress their man… Not true!

In researching this topic with both men and women of different social backgrounds, I found the unequivocal answer. The essence of wearing matching, soft and beautiful underclothes is that they are the first layer of confidence in a person’s day. At the start of your day, you may find yourself dragging to get yourself started, realizing that your morning preparation happens in layers. Your first layer is your underclothes; you choose them according to how you feel and oftentimes how they make you feel. You find yourself checking yourself out in the mirror dressed only in your underwear. Slowly you are building your confidence for the day, then you add your next layer, all the while constantly checking yourself out, thinking, How does my underwear look under this outfit? Is this bra giving me the bang I need this morning?

Women find themselves plunging through their underwear drawers for the right fit or color to accentuate their outfit and body.

Men say that the color, style and the fit of their underwear make them feel more put together. They pride themselves on the glance a woman gives them when dressed in well-fitted underwear.

Even though it is found to be a turn-on romantically seeing your partner so well-put together down to their underclothes, it also speaks to a person’s confidence, self-esteem and commitment to self.

Tiffany, Single Mom – Washington, DC, said that wearing sexy underclothes makes her more confident and sexier in her clothes.

Tracy, Postal Carrier – Washington, DC, said you have to be on-point with your PPs (pretty panties) because you never know what the day will bring, good or bad, and you always need your first level of confidence.

Charles, Warehouse Worker – Kinston, NC, said that wearing nice-matching underwear and clean socks says that a man has taken time to accentuate a part of his physical presence.

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Bare Necessities of True Beauty Every woman knows that makeup and products can enhance your beauty. However, some might not know that inside wellness can provide you with the ultimate beauty glow. Question: what inspires your beauty? What makes you happy?

Your family? Your job? Your friends? What makes you smile, laugh, blush, feel free, beautiful and secure?

How about we tell you what can inspire your true beauty? It starts from the inside and shows on the outside!

Let us share the ultimate beauty payoff!

Spirituality: Ladies, your spirituality is so important in enhancing your true beauty. When you are at peace with yourself and have faith and hope, there is nothing more you can ask for. Your good energy and beauty will shine to everyone you encounter.

Family: Loving your family and friends will lead to harmony. Give them your best and they will give it back to you. Living life with good family relationships is all you need for your beauty to glow. Spend time with family and your friends. A beauty with a balanced life will never go unnoticed. She simply shines.

Makeover: Giving yourself a confidence boost is the best! Start with something small like getting a haircut or changing your hair color. Change is good and it makes you happy. Taking the time to enhance your beauty with a much-needed makeover will do wonders. In return, you feel alive while your inner glow starts to shine on the outside.

Friends: Everyone needs a positive social circle. Childhood friends bring back memories, new friends add excitement, or your pets can be your best friend. You must admit, having good friends or a friend around keeps your mind happy and balanced. Beauty is all about being surrounded by those who make you laugh and smile.

Your Job: Not all jobs are bad. It feels so good to do something you really love. If you are a person who follows their passion, you are glowing with beauty as we speak! Doing what you love is the best beauty secret. In return, you become satisfied with life.

Beauty is life; Live it!

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Social Media Mania Wake up, check. At work, post. At school, tweet. Drive home, like. Lay down, Snapchat. Nope, this is not the remix to Kendrick Lamar’s “Swimming Pools,” but unfortunately for some, this is a disturbing reality.

The intrigue of social media possesses many qualities that attract addicts to their vices. Do you know someone (or perhaps it’s yourself) who’s constantly checking for the latest post or tweet? Are you constantly refreshing for fear of missing a status update? The drive to do so has been associated with the same addictive traits that create dependencies and uncontrollable impulses. These traits have been seen in the vices of alcoholics or other substance abusers. It can affect relationships with friends and family.

Seriously, how many times have you seen a dinner table full of people staring at a phone screen? Are you guilty of this, too?

To like or not to like: A lil’ ol’ like can cause an uproar and be a major issue in your personal life if you let it. It can also test your emotions and self-confidence. If your significant other “likes” a picture that you don’t particularly approve of, or makes a comment about a post that you don’t agree with and it starts a problem in your situation, this is an issue!

When social media becomes a factor in the stability of your relationship, it’s clear that it has gained too much control over you.

Lost ones: There are those so absorbed in social media that most of their everyday lives are in some way involved with it. Whether it be posting every day, several times a day, or obsessively lurking to see what others are doing, they’re so lost that they become fixated on others while letting themselves go – or, even worse, feeling distaste for themselves because of constantly comparing themselves to others.

It’s safe to say that social media is the new-age diary. The only difference between Twitter and the tattered journal you used to hide under your pillow is that everything you post is consumed by people all over the world. Imagine, once upon a time, you used to want to hide all of the intricate details of your daily life away in a book. Now, you’re posting it for the sole purpose of sharing it with the people you know (and the few you’ve never even met). You post photos, your goals, outfits, meals, career battles and even your relationship woes, but at what cost?

At what point does sharing yourself with the world, just for the sake of sharing, and your followers consuming it, just for the sake of consuming, become harmful? When you drag an unwilling participant into the conversation, such as your partner, things can get extra messy.

You’ve seen it a dozen times: the angry/bitter girl or guy ranting on your timeline about their latest relationship fiasco. Why is it easier for most of us to run to social media to rant and rave about the issues that we face in our relationships instead of going to the source: our partner?

Imagine the position you put someone in when they realize you’re upset with them based off of something you tweeted or snapchatted, or even after seeing a meme you posted to Instagram? Social media was created to make the gap between people a little tighter, but instead it plays as a crutch in communication and ultimately the demise of many relationships.

So instead of whining about what’s wrong on social media, try solving the problem first. Your partner will thank you, your heart will thank you and even your followers will thank you.

Bottom line: Live your own reality and let social media be for entertainment purposes only.

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CLIQUES:

The New Mean Girls’ Sororities

“Uh, she can’t hang with us, her clothes are corny!”

“That girl is not on the same level as us…her money ain’t right.”

“Her hair isn’t good like ours. Nah, she can’t hang with us.”

None of this dialogue may sound reasonable for someone to give as an excuse not to include someone in a “circle of friends,” but the attitude some women have towards other women that they deem inferior can be petty. Have you ever been a part of the “mean girl” clique?

Unfortunately, deciding on your friendship base for superficial reasons isn’t isolated to middle school and high school.

Adult women participate in this level of shallow behavior. Vanity-driven realities are rampant in our society. Have you ever known a woman to say, “I only want my pretty friends to be a part of my bridal party?” This type of conversation takes place regularly. Your friends should be your friends no matter what they look like, but if you are being honest, consider the times you’ve been superficial and made a connection on nothing else other than looks. You are not alone.

In fact, some of your superficiality could be attributed to how you were brought up. When you were just a girl growing up, did your parents ever tell you what friends were best for you? “You should hang with the kids that get good grades”; “What’s her family like?”; “What religious background does she have?”; or “What type of work do her parents do?” All are seemingly innocent comments, but are they really? Could such questions have shaped your selection of best buddies? It may not be a conscious decision, but subconsciously, these implanted thoughts play a part in how you view life and who you choose to have in your inner circle.

Take a close look at yourself and those you surround yourself with. Evaluate who you consider your “girls.” Really take a good look at not only the physical, but the personalities that you’re drawn to. Do your friends possess favorable qualities beyond the external features? Can you have a deep conversation with them? If you needed your friends beyond the good times, do they have the depth in character to give you what you need?

Physical beauty is just that: physical beauty. But as looks fade and you find yourself searching for more from your circle, remember that substance is the true essence of friendship.

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that they can truly heal and walk in their true purpose and authenticity. That is what the symposium is about – elevation and sisterhood.

WHO ARE SOME OF THE SPEAKERS YOU HAVE IN ATTENDANCE? BP: We have Lisa Nichols who is a phenomenal national motivational speaker and 7x best-selling author. This lady slays stages worldwide and takes the ladies to a whole other level! I’m super excited about what she is going to do with the ladies. For those who may be unfamiliar – please Google her. She has an extremely powerful story of how she was a single mother on welfare and struggled her way out of poverty living into the force that she is today. She founded “Motivating the Masses” – where she transforms the lives of both men and women through her powerful workshops and programs. She has done a lot of work with Steve Harvey on building the self-development division of his company and has been seen on Oprah, The Today Show, Extra and, of course, The Steve Harvey Show. Her purpose and mission closely matches that of the Symposium as she empowers women to walk in their purpose and authenticity.

We also have Nisha Parker, Transformation Coach and Author. She is the CEO of Synergy International – very spiritually motivated. Nisha speaks globally to women about outwitting the invisible enemies and preparing your life for next-level living. She is truly a force to be reckoned with when she is on that stage… and off the stage, too, for that matter! I’m excited to have her.

We have Caprice Smith, the “Uncuffed Living Expert.” She keynotes globally and talks about getting uncuffed and releasing those chains on your life so that you can live successfully. Very much aligned with my “unmask yourself” mission. Another woman with a very powerful spirit!

I also have Candice Camille, who is Chief Wellologist & Owner of Pure Nuphoria Bed & Breakfast right here in Ft. Washington, MD. I love Candice’s style because she attacks internal beaute from a more holistic standpoint – really delving into what makes us feel good from the inside out.

She can change your life just from being in her presence – (laughter) seriously, her spirit is magical!

FIRST OF ALL, TELL US ABOUT THE UNMASK YOURSELF BEAUTE SYMPOSIUM. BP: The Unmask Yourself Beaute Symposium is a women’s empowerment event being held on September 16th -18th at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center and basically it’s about bringing women together, encouraging them to unmask – reveal their true selves and deal with the internal issues that so many of us carry with us throughout life. It’s no secret that we all have a story – and that story has affected us in one way or another – whether it led to low self-esteem, self-confidence issues, trust factors, etc., because what we tend to overlook is that these things cause us to act a certain way or demonstrate certain behaviors that may not be indicative to who we truly are internally. So my goal and the purpose of the symposium is to encourage women to release those invisible enemies so

I also have Tamara (Tam) Lee from Hush Boutique whom everyone should know from her fabulous morning fashion segment on FOX5. She is the stylist to a long list of notable celebrities! (Afterthought: hmm, I wonder if I qualify as a “notable celebrity” since she dresses me on occasion as well too?) As a matter of fact, this blazer I have on is HUSH. Nevertheless, she will be talking about the latest Fall trends and awarding three beautiful women with fashion makeovers! So I’m honored that she wants to contribute and found the time to take part in this mission.

And I have Angela Sims, who is out of Atlanta. Very beautiful spirit. She will be speaking as well.

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EXPLAIN THE “SYNERGY” CONCEPT TO THE READERS. BP: The synergy concept is about the energy you feel when interacting with another individual and your ability to connect with them. Somewhat like “instinct” but much stronger.

Synergy is present or able to be present when you – as an individual – peel back your own layers and truly become connected to who you truly are as a person – which will then enable you to feel and see others more clearly and for who they truly are. I often refer to it as a “divine connection.” You don’t know why or how you connected with this person – and the why is never revealed instantaneously – but you were internally free to feel the spiritual connection.

That’s pretty much what the synergy concept is about, a divine connection.

HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT CHOOSING THIS SELECTION OF WOMEN? BP: For me, it was all about energy… or should I say “synergy.” Which if you define it – it means “the creation of a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.” So for me, I was looking for individuals who I felt (1) shared a very similar mission as I did; (2) would understand fully the direction in which I was trying to go with the mission; and (3) who could add value to the mission as a whole. You may hear me say that this mission is bigger than me and anyone involved. So I just really paid close attention to my inner self and really just let my spiritual beliefs guide my choosing.

I already had a connection with Nisha, Candice, and Tam – so off the bat I knew they were my top choices. As for Caprice… she was GOD-sent. I had no idea who she was until this Symposium and we had a conversation by phone and our spirits just connected – it was unreal… synergy.

My assistant introduced me to Angela and we connected instantly as well. Now as for Ms. Lisa Nichols… It’s funny because when I was planning this conference, girl, you couldn’t tell me that I wasn’t having Iyanla Vanzant as my keynote. (Laughter) I remember saying to my honey – “I’m going to get Iyanla for this conference.” So I got on the phone – called up my assistant and told her to get me Iyanla’s information. Long story short – she was very interested but was not available for my dates and as my luck would have it – I couldn’t change my dates. So Lisa came highly recommended – no regrets here!

SO IS THIS YOUR FIRST SYMPOSIUM, AND ARE THERE MORE TO COME? BP: Yes, this is my first symposium, but not my first event geared towards the mission. I typically hold quarterly fourhour events called The Beaute Bar where myself and a keynote would briefly engage the audience about the importance of inner beaute and putting the emphasis on fixing your core and focusing on the outside last. But this Symposium is major and I am definitely going to do this annually. I’ve already started brainstorming on #UYBS2017. It’s funny because I’ve already been asked to bring it to Atlanta as well as North Carolina, so I do want to travel with it because I believe women everywhere can benefit from this mission. This is bigger than me, bigger than all of us. It’s about building true sisterhood and uplifting one another. It’s women’s empowerment!

HERE AT USTYLE MAGAZINE, WE THINK THE CONCEPT IS GREAT. BRINGING WOMEN TOGETHER WITHOUT THE COMPETITION. IS THAT YOUR PERCEPTION AS WELL? BP: Yes, at some point we have to come together and realize that there is enough for everyone and once you realize that you’ll get further with assistance instead of trying to stab each other in the back. Get rid of that competitive barrier. No one who has made it to the top has gotten there without the help of at least one other person.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE “DIVAS ON FIRE” WOMAN’S AWARD SHOW BEING HELD IN ATLANTA AND YOU ARE ONE OF THE 2016 AWARD RECIPIENTS? BP: Yes, it’s in Atlanta and I was nominated for the “Entrepreneur on the Rise” portion of the awards show, headed

by Renee Dawkins who has been incredible. I accepted this nomination primarily due to her mission to shine light on women who are truly doing great things in business and paying homage to those individuals. So I’m honored to have been selected and recognized. I definitely making my strides and leaving footprints along the way!

HOW DID YOU BECOME NOMINATED? BP: Basically you get nominated behind the scenes, so once I was nominated Ms. Dawkins reached out to my as-

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sistant to extend the nomination. I’m sure she did her social media checks and balances, reviewed my portfolio and bio to see what I was doing. She definitely did her legwork to make sure I was who I was.

THAT’S AWESOME. I AM SURE YOU WERE EXCITED. BP: Yes, I was. This is actually my second award. I was nominated for Metro Phenomenal Women’s award in 2015 as well. So people are definitely watching… I gotta stay on my “A” game for sure (laughter).

WHAT DOES HAVING A HEALTHY OUTLOOK ON LIFE MEAN TO YOU? BP: Having a healthy outlook on life is all about your attitude and how you view your life. It’s about being positive, believing in yourself and all things to come. Knowing the direction of your life and what it is you want out of it and just attacking that with a plan while remaining confident in your abilities and by knowing that you can accomplish all things with the right attitude.

YOU HAVE A VERY GOOD SPIRIT. WHAT SUSTAINS YOUR SPIRIT? BP: Everybody says that. (Laughter) Thank you so much. It wasn’t always this way, so it’s funny you said that. I’ve done a lot of growing internally – a lot of maturing. I have developed a level of faith and confidence in me to be authentic and transparent to those with whom I come in contact with.

This takes me back to “synergy.” In order for me to believe in me and have faith, I had to uncover and unmask me. I’ve kept me hidden for so long because I did not want people to get too close to me. (I will share more on that at the Symposium.) But I was one of the ones that needed unmasking (which is why I can speak to it and hold this conference) and once I started to unveil my true self and then walk in it unapologetically, I began coming into who I truly am. And I’m finding that GOD is slowly but very surely removing all the wrong people from my life and replacing them with more of the right people.

NOW AS FAR AS STYLE, YOU’VE GOT GREAT STYLE. TELL ME: WHERE DOES YOUR INSPIRATION COME FROM? BP: (Laughter) I look at a lot of magazines and Tam from Hush Boutique styles me. She had to help me out a lot because I am really basic. I have my moments – I’m no slouch but I’m a black leggings everyday woman. I may do a tank or tee with a blazer but everything was black, so I give it all to her and those magazines. My leggings – I actually hang up in my closet on hangers like a pair of slacks, that’s how bad it was. (Laughter) I’m most comfortable in my leggings. What started me going to Tam was my honey said, “You need to start dressing for your personality, you’re very bright and you have a bubbly personality so you need to start dressing like that.” (And he’s a beast when it comes to draping a body in some fabrics – so I took it all in good stride.) (Laughter) So in essence, he gets the credit because I then went and inboxed Tam on Facebook and inquired about her personal styling services. I remember saying to her, “Well I need to start dressing like my personality, so whatever that means can you put it together.”

(Laughter) From there it began! I’ve been HUSHED ever since!

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BOOK, “ARTIFICIAL BEAUTE.” BP: Yes, that’s my baby. Artificial Beaute is basically a spinoff or actually the introduction to the symposium. It is the story of four women, well five, including myself, who have battled the invisible enemies such as issues that stemmed from early childhood molestation, another deals with physical and verbal abuse, while another deals with a lack of confidence and feelings of inadequacy. Then there is a woman who struggles with her weight and bulimia, which actually had somewhat of an adverse effect in that she felt she had to overachieve in other areas or seek the approval from others. The book is really intense and reveals their path to overcoming the issues and dealing with them head on. While every one of us are and will always be a work in progress, I think for the most part, majority are all in a good space. I take pride in them because it takes a lot for someone who have hidden for so long – to finally come forward and be transparent. Nevertheless, each annual symposium will feature another volume of the Artificial Beaute book in an effort to give more women the opportunity to tell and share their stories.

THAT IS AWESOME! SO THIS SYMPOSIUM HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW? BP: Yes, it has, and I have just been able to pull it all together. I was waiting because when I first started planning the event, I thought, “Wait a minute, what am I doing, jumping out here like this? Who do I think I am?” (Laughter) But I knew that when I did launch it – it had to be major because I am – in essence – the “new kid on the block” in terms of women’s empowerment. While I’ve been on the circuit from a planning standpoint, to now take the stage and pour into women my own personal knowledge, I either had to go big or stay home. So it has been in the works for a while and it is going to grow and it’s going to be big, and my passion for the mission will definitely be visible.

NOW I WANT TO TOUCH ON SOMETHING THAT IS VERY PERSONAL AND CLOSE TO YOUR HEART. TELL US ABOUT THE WJP FOUNDATION. BP: Whew! (Silence) I have to try to get through this one without tears. I wasn’t prepared for that question. My son,

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who’s now 9 years old, was recently tested for autism. His name is William Jayden Parker, hence WJP Foundation.

He was assessed with having ASD – autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and a little anxiety disorder. The foundation was created to offer advocacy and support for parents, as well as other children on the spectrum. I will be very honest and admit that for a very long time I saw all the signs within him early on, but pretty much chalked the behavioral patterns up to the traumatic birth he experienced, which left him on life support for the first three months of his life. He wasn’t supposed to be here – according to doctors – and I was told me that if he did live, he would more than likely have cerebral palsy; so I kinda “blamed” his symptoms on that. So I was like okay.

(Holding back tears) But he is doing excellent now. He is a little baby genius. So nevertheless the foundation is named after him and I am working hard with advocating because as parents we are and have to be our child’s biggest advocate. They rely heavily on us to ensure that they receive the best care, the best education, the best life possible. Sure, I could have stayed in denial but again it was my honey (who’s been such a GOD-send) that said take a closer look at your child, pay attention to him, something is going on.

I KNOW THAT SOMETIMES THAT IS HARD TO DO BECAUSE YOUR FIRST INSTINCT IS TO SAY, “NO, NOT MY CHILD.” BP: Exactly, no one wants to hear that their child may have a health issue of concern or problem. I’m picking my words carefully because I have to get out of the habit of saying this is wrong, when it’s not. Now that I have an understanding what autism is about. I look at it as a gift. It is a gift because he is highly intelligent. He can do things that I have never seen a child his age do. He does multi-leveled math problems in his head, he processes numbers in literally 3.5 seconds, he builds things, he can watch a movie once and literally repeat it back to you verbatim or sit in the middle of the floor with all the figurines from the movie and act out

the entire movie! He’s amazing. All of his conversations are very intellectual – he wants to ask you about the sciences and animal fossils, and solar systems. (Laughter) I learn a whole lot from him. So nevertheless, that’s the foundation.

It’s new and it’s growing. We just started the foundation a couple of months ago and we have been working behind the scenes building the board and developing our non-profit partnerships and getting sponsors together, oh and we are also recruiting more board members – so let people know!

SO IN CLOSING WITH THIS INTERVIEW, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE READERS TO TAKE BACK WITH THEM? BP: I want every woman to know that it is okay to be your authentic self – be you – and beYOUtiful! It is okay to walk in your truth… your truth and not the truth that society has placed upon us, not the truth that the girl next door believes you should have or uphold, but your truth. Who you are, unmask yourself and be intentional in everything you do.

So come out to the Symposium! The energy in the room will be incredible. We have some powerful life-changing workshops with nuggets that will extend well past the threeday conference. There will be a lot of activities such as our incredible black dress party, tea and brunch, VIP luncheon, an incredible shopping experience with our vendors, and so much more! My sponsors gave incredible giveaways and contributions to my Beaute Bags. I will also be doing a book signing for my Artificial Beaute book. So I encourage my ladies to come on out, there are still some rooms available at a great rate and participate in this wonderful event for the entire weekend of September 16th-18th at The Gaylord down on the National Harbor!

There are still some tickets available and can be purchased at www.uybs2016.eventbrite.com and follow her on her Facebook page @TheBonitaParker or @ElevateYourBeaute where information will be shared and updated daily.

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Got a sweet tooth? Well, there’s a local home bakery in southern Maryland, owned and operated by Zaneta Green. “Sistah’s Sweet Treats” specializes in the most mouth-watering, tastiest desserts. One of Zaneta’s specialties is the spirited adult cake pops that come in various flavors, from lemon drop martinis to Kahlua and strawberry daiquiri. The cake pops are moist with a shot of your favorite spirit added in. I guarantee you won’t be able to eat just one. Sistah’s Sweet Treats also makes cakes, pies and even virgin cupcakes for your child’s birthday.

They can cater your next birthday party, wedding, bridal party, baby shower and the like.

Give them a call for your next order of Sweet Treats at (301) 281-3017, or email them at sistahs.sweet@gmail.com and let Zaneta cure your sweet tooth!

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USTYLE: So, tell us a little bit about Samiah Perry.

SP: Well, I am a Berklee College of Music student in my sophomore year now, majoring in music business and songwriting – double major.

USTYLE: Are you from this area?

SP: I am actually. Born and raised in DC. USTYLE: So, a question readers are curious to know: How did you get into playing rock?

SP: That’s so funny you ask that. It started when I was about 13 or 14. I had expressed an interest in B.B. King first and just listening to the blues. I had a mentor also at the time who said if you are interested in this, then maybe you should pluck the guitar.

He showed me tapes of the old House of Blues where I could see Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eric Clapton – just a lot of great, great people. Once I saw that, I was like, I really want to do this. I called my mom and she said, “Are you serious?”

I said, “Yes.” She then went and bought me my first guitar and since then I have been in love with it.

USTYLE: Would you say B.B. King and Eric Clapton were your early influences?

SP: They did actually. I think that learning the blues was my intro to rock because it’s really the foundation. The blues was used to develop rock ‘n’ roll. It was how we got the Led Zeppelins and David Bowies of the world and great people like that. I would encourage anyone to go and listen to that stuff because it’s so important to everything we hear today.

USTYLE: Are you self-taught on the guitar?

SP: Yes, it wasn’t until later that I got classically trained on the guitar. I was not trained before I enrolled into Berklee; once I was enrolled I actually took lessons there and I also got my theory skills and everything involved on my guitar there, but prior to that, I am very much self-taught.

USTYLE: So what inspires your music?

SP: I think a little bit of life, and if I am going to be honest, I have to say a lot of me in general. The songs I write are from the point of view of the things I have felt and thought of in my life, including my current song titled “Forever.” Everyone has loved a person. I love love and all of it in general, and I think that with my upcoming that is a little ways down the road – I’m saving it for you guys – it’s called “Risen.” When I was thinking of a title, I thought what

would I scream to someone if it was the only thing I could say about me and it was that: “Risen.” I used to be shy but I am not shy anymore, and it’s written from the point of view of that person you have become when you step out on stage; all of your doubts and fears disappear and it’s that person speaking to the old you, saying, it’s my time now. I enjoy that.

USTYLE: Tell us about your single “Forever.”

SP: This is the funniest story because it actually never happened.

It was literally just an old voice note. My producer had joked around with me and I said I have a final project to do. I want to record you and you should have a band in place. I was like, okay, and like two days before the project was due she says, “Where is your band and where is your song?” I was like, “You were serious?” I had no idea that she was serious, so it was the funniest situation. I show this little voice note of “Forever.” She heard the melody and said, “Yeah, do it.” I came up with “Forever” in two days. I presented it to her and she was like, “That’s solid.”

USTYLE: What’s your favorite: writing or performing?

SP: I would say it is definitely a mixture of both. I have been performing on stage my entire life. I was a dancer for ten years before I started playing the guitar.

USTYLE: So you’ve always been a performer?

SP: Yes. I’ve always performed, so it’s going to be interesting to put the guitar and dance together. I’m looking forward to having a great live show.

USTYLE: So what is the anticipated release date for the “Risen” album?

SP: We do not have a definite release date yet, but 90% of it is pretty much recorded. We are saving some space for some really cool features, but other than that it is pretty much done. I am excited to share it with everybody. I think it will be a little different and hopefully the reaction to that will be more than I hope for.

USTYLE: Did you do a lot of writing on this album?

SP: Yes, pretty much everything. My producer is background vocal queen, so I’ll always have her to do my background vocals.

Whenever I write a song I always turn to her and say, “What do you hear?” It’s cool to be able to bounce ideas off of her, because not everybody gets it. I think having that is important.

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time. I am not entirely sure how I am going to branch out into that knowing that they have to play the same ten songs every hour.

Whether national, local or even satellite radio should do more to promote local artists.

USTYLE: What would you say has been your biggest challenge so far?

SP: Trying to complete my schooling and doing my music has been a really big challenge because I just want to get out and perform on stage. With school I have to sit down and be composed.

I am also a Visual Merchandiser, so I actually do wall setups and dressed the mannequins and things of that nature. I’ve been doing that for about three years now.

USTYLE: Will there be any guest appearances?

SP: Well, that’s what we are determining now, because I don’t really want it to be just me. We want to save room for other people’s gifts and talents to be featured as well.

USTYLE: Anyone in particular that you are looking for?

SP: Someone with the right spirit and skills that can contribute to our brand as well as us to theirs. One particular song we have we are looking for a rapper. Everyone we have played this song for has said it’s so upbeat it needs a rapper.

USTYLE: Within the next two years where do you see your career?

SP: That’s a good question. Within the next two years, first and foremost: GRADUATING! But even during that span I would love to be performing and making a trail up and down the East Coast, pop over to the West Coast and see what I can do in LA, then maybe after that move to the Midwest because I have this very cool vibe over there with the people and little bars where I can hear and play the blues.

USTYLE: How would you categorize the type of rock you play?

SP: I would say that the foundation of everything I have written has roots in classic rock and then there is little nuances and influences from other things such as metal and hard rock and some blues as well. You will hear mostly all of those things at some point – oh, and some pop, too. My vocals are more pop, but it’s mostly geared towards rock ‘n’ roll.

USTYLE: If you could change one thing within the music industry, what would that one thing be?

SP: Well, I have noticed that the shelf life does not have the same longevity for women that it has for men. I would like to change that. I look at artists who have constantly reinvented themselves year after year, like Beyoncé for example, and forcing themselves to make people recognize that they are still relevant. I think that needs to happen with women in rock ‘n’ roll because it seems like after a certain age they tend to fall off. Men can have a career up into their 70s. That is a little goal for myself that I want to be able to change, to push that envelope.

USTYLE: Do you like being a Visual Merchandiser?

SP: I like it a lot and with those three things together makes school a little harder, but I definitely think that the end result is more important. I have to finish school, and I will finish school because I want to have that moment where I walk across the stage and like they say that is something that no one can take from you.

USTYLE: So, if you were not doing your music, what would be the next best career you would choose?

SP: That’s a really good question because I have wanted to be so many things. For example, at one point I thought I would be an archaeologist because I love history and fossils and bones and stuff like that, or I probably would have pursued a career in fashion but higher up on a corporate level.

USTYLE: What do you like most about being in the music industry?

SP: I have to say creating, because it gets you to a place within yourself that is very raw. Whether it’s the lighter moments or the darker moments in life but when you pull it out and move past it, it is something that is really indescribable, because at that moment you can’t even believe that you’ve done it, especially when it comes to writing lyrics and composing. There are a lot of feelings that go into those things and it is never like a two-second thing.

There is a lot of heart that I put into it and the things that I write all have some sort of message and a meaning. I also have a single called “Christina” where I actually dreamed the lyrics and melody, woke up and started playing the melody on the guitar and then I wrote the lyrics. I think that experience was moreso a foreshadowing of the music industry, warning myself that this can get hard and reminding myself that I have to stay true to who I am.

USTYLE: How can the readers purchase your music?

SP: They can purchase my music on www.samiahmusic.com, also from iTunes, Amazon and GooglePlay.

USTYLE: What advice would you give any aspiring artist?

SP: Something that is really near and dear to me, is be the best at being you. That is something I struggled with especially going to one of the best music schools in the world. It took my single “Forever” for me to realize it is okay to be different. I may not do a million gospel runs but I am good at this. I am good at being Samiah. That’s what I would say to any newcoming artist.

USTYLE: Do you think local radio stations could do more to promote new artists?

SP: Yes, I do think that they could do more to promote local artists because I know for me I usually only hear the Top 40s hits all the

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MU TARIQ: A Man with a Purpose Growing up in Washington, DC in the 80s was no easy task – it definitely came with its fair share of lessons and life experiences for Mu Tariq. A life-altering incident occurred just as he was entering adulthood: he was shot at close range in the neck on the streets of the nation’s capital, which, at that time, was dubbed the “Murder Capital.” This heart-wrenching tragedy left him clinging to his life; his doctors proclaimed that he would never walk again, but the strong-willed Mu Tariq had other plans. So, with sheer willpower, a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, and the support of his loved ones, he set out to begin living his life with purpose and to become that vessel and voice for the same streets that almost took his life.

Fast forward: Mu Tariq can proudly say he is one of Amazon’s Bestsellers with several books published, one titled #INPYSH, which delves into the intricacies of the male/female relationship. His sophomore release, co-authored with his loving mother B. Ernul Tariq and titled We the People are Racists, taps into the human consciousness and the state of the black community. Both books are very real, raw and gritty, so be prepared when reading them. You are definitely in for a treat.

In 2015 with his devoted queen Yvette Elizabeth Tariq by his side (she also has her own Chosen Beauty Brand), he took his love for helping the public to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he opened “The Station”: a state-of-the-art, full-service multimedia broadcasting facility. He wanted to open an opportunity for people to create their own media to be heard across the world. He hosts his own broadcast from this platform as well, titled “Mu and Friends.”

The Tariqs’ portfolio also includes Chosen Branding and Publishing Services, where they assist businesses with company branding, website design and logo development, as well as promotional and marketing needs.

Together, this socially conscious duo has made a name for themselves as dedicated community activists who believe that it is time to take back control of our communities.

News, Blogs, Books, Branding and Publishing; MuTariq.org...The Brand”

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Talk about moving and shaking! This phenomenal woman of God, Tara Gates Anderson, got that “it” factor and she’s changing the course of business branding and marketing. She is the epitome of beauty and brains, having earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from Virginia State University as well as a Master of Science in Management and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) for Public Relations, both from the University of Maryland. With credentials like these from the start, it’s no wonder she’s in high-demand to speak at conferences and events domestically and internationally, sharing her experience and expertise and empowering others to pursue and build their businesses.

Through her company, TGA Unified, LLC, an international public relations, branding and business relations firm, she has had some amazing opportunities. One very impressive moment came when she was asked to serve as conference host and speaker at this year’s “It’s Go Time” Women’s Conference where the keynote speaker was New York Times Bestselling Author Iyanla Vanzant.

Ms. Anderson was named Lifestyle and Business Editor for The OfficiaList (formerly The DC Metropolitan City), and had her company provide production assistance and event execution for “Secrets the Movie,” a motion picture slated for release nationwide this year.

Ms. Anderson’s success didn’t come overnight, but all of her past achievements along the way certainly contributed to it. She spent over 22 years in education, some of that time as a classroom teacher, prior to starting her public relations and business development company. Her love for business and education led her to launch Tara Gates Anderson University (TGAU), where she offers business branding courses and webinars for entrepreneurs from start-ups to mid-size businesses. She works intimately with the students, helping to develop their brand reputation and increase their visibility within their market.

You can keep track of Tara Gates Anderson’s many, many more accomplishments, red carpet interviews, video blogs and upcoming events at TaraGatesAnderson.com. Keep your ears and eyes open, because this Boss Chick is making moves in style!

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MITCH CREDLE

THE MAN BEHIND THE BIG LENS USTYLE: FIRST OF ALL TELL OUR READERS ALL ABOUT MITCH CREDLE AND YOUR JOURNEY INTO THE FILM INDUSTRY. MC: I’m from Washington, DC, well I wasn’t born here but I have been here since I was five years old. I have always been a community based person. That’s always just been me community based. I think I got that at an early age because even at the age of eighteen I was forced into doing community service for some trouble I had gotten in to and was arrested, when I was seventeen. By the time I turned eighteen I was an adult but I still had this juvenile charge hanging over my head. The only way to get the juvenile charge from under me was by doing community service. I started coaching basketball at a local recreation center. I took a bunch of kids from the neighborhood and we started competing and winning against some of the powerhouse coaches in the city. I had no idea what I was doing at eighteen with a bunch of twelve year olds and all the influence I had on them. We began to dominate youth basketball in the city. We were beating guys like Fluffy Parker and Doc Robinson, who at that time were considered legendary coaches. That allowed me to build a reputation at a young age just because we were going to recreation centers around the city and winning games. At that time basketball was major in the city and with me at only eighteen beating all the adults, we were beating everyone. We were never the tallest team but we were always

playing teams who were bigger only because the other coaches would go and recruit the taller kids. I just said give me all the bad kids from the neighborhood because they had a lot of heart and a lot of passion. I made them believe and think that they could beat anybody. For two straight years we won the city Championship. We never lost a game, so after that parents starting sending me their kids and say do something with him. I used basketball and football as a tool to show kids how to win and not necessarily on the basketball court but just winning in life. I always used basketball as a part of life for them and it basically gave them confidence. Some of these kids were not that smart but I made them understand that if you could beat giants in basketball, you can beat other kids in the classroom. That’s how I got started. I then went to another center and just used the same concept. With some of these kids basketball and football was their outlet, that is all they had so that basketball team was now their family.

USTYLE: IS THAT HOW YOU BEGAN MENTORING THE YOUTH? MC: Yes that is how I got involved. When I started filming at the Rita Bright Center those kids had never done any acting before but I got them to do the same thing, believe in themselves and their abilities and just go for it. They now want to continue mak-

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ing movies. One kid, Hassan Hill was picked up by some major commercials that you see on television now. He was the only kid chosen by Stephon Curry to do a photo shoot, out of all the kids in the United States he was handpicked to do the photo shoot. He was able to travel to the Black Film Festival because he starred in a movie called, “Secrets”. It all started with me telling him come on we are going to film. Once we started filming he told his dad that he no longer wanted to play basketball, that he wanted to be an actor.

USTYLE: SO YOU WENT FROM BEING A DETECTIVE FOR TWENTY-NINE YEARS TO FILM MAKING. WAS THAT SOMETHING YOU HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO? MC: I was in law enforcement for twenty-nine years, a detective for twenty-seven, and no it just fell into place because back in 2003 I wrote a book called, “Homicide and Me, Living Black and Blue”. It was basically a book about my career as a young black man in DC dealing with the trials and tribulations of every day

life, as well as enforcing the law and doing community work. I sort of combined everything. Once I was ready to publish the book the General Counsel’s office told me I could not publish the book because I was still on the job and it was a true story.

USTYLE: EVEN THOUGH IT WAS YOUR STORY? MC: Yes because it was about the Police Department and you can not make money on the job about the job, and I was going to make money off of it. Then they said I could write friction, so that is when I wrote “Stranger in the Streets” in 2010 and “Damaged Roots”. Just by doing those books allowed me to not tell true stories but allowed me to take true events and make them fictional to one story.

USTYLE: SO THAT’S WHAT THOSE BOOKS ARE ABOUT? MC: Yes. they are fictional but the events are true

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MC: No training, I just started watching people. People would always say, “man you can learn anything from You tube, so that was where I would go to learn to do this or that. Then I hooked up with Commodore and we both learned together. That’s how we got to this point. The bumps, bruises and mistakes everything. We got better as we went along and I am glad that I made those mistakes because I won’t make them today.

USTYLE: SO TECHNICALLY BOSS WAS YOUR FIRST FILM? MC: My first full movie, yes. All I was doing at first was a lot of short films, like 15 to 20 minute films. Actually BOSS was originally suppose to be a 20 minute film.

I had a thing where I was going to do a little short film and I was going to do a short film contest. I was going to pick two winners and I was going to film BOSS, so I was going to show three 15 minute films at an event. I continued writing BOSS in the meantime and continued writing until I looked up and it was a movie now. So I told Beverly and everybody my movie was no longer 15 minutes long so I am going to show you guys movie and I’m not going to show mine. Therefore I kept writing it until it was a complete movie.

USTYLE: CAN YOU JUST GO OVER THE STORY LINE FOR BOSS FOR OUR READERS?

USTYLE: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THE FILM INDUSTRY? MC: Well I started doing interviews. I use to film a girl named, Jarvalin Cooper (aka. Juicy J) in 2011. It was just me holding the camera and her doing inteviews, that’s it. Then she did a talk show and I was still holding the camera. One day I’m while holding the camera I was like I like telling stories, so I tried to do a web series years ago called, The Real Hoodwives of DC. I started doing that because on facebook I was writing a comedy thing “Hood Soaps.”

At that time I had no experience in film. I had one camera, so I got with a guy named Danny who knew how to operate the camera.

We did a web series which was trash, but everyone loved the idea of what I was trying to do, that’s what inspired me. To me the project was trash, not the people in it but the filming. I looked at other people’s stuff and I was like mine doesn’t look like that. That made me learn how to film. I started doing research and going on You tube.

USTYLE: SO IT’S SAFE TO SAY YOU HAD NO FORMAL TRAINING IN FILM

MC: BOSS is all about a friend of mine who died in 2005 I believe, her name was Mattie Johnson. Mattie was a street girl and she was so important to me. When I met her in 1991 that was my first year as a homicide detective and another detective turned me on to her. I was like who is this cute little street girl? We began to develop a real good friendship even though I was a police officer and detective and she was a street girl. I would always try to solicit information from her and she would be like dude please. So by me doing that and not really knowing who she was. No other detective would confront her with it, they knew she wasn’t going to tell. From there we just developed a friendship and a friendship where we became like brother and sister. We became very close and I never asked her about anything again. Then I started looking at her and her characteristics and realized she was a good storyteller, but to her they were not stories they were lies. She lied about everything, that’s why she could never give me information on a murdermitch3 because it was going to be a lie. I don’t think she ever told the truth.

She probably had between 15 to 20 different personalities and everybody that knew her personally, when they see BOSS they will see how I took all of the different personalities of her and created my characters, she was most definitely “Sweets”, she was Mattie, she was “Boogie”. She is everybody, she’s all the characters. I took all the pieces of her and put them in to different characters and in the light that I always knew her for. That’s why it was so easy for me to tell the story. Every main character in BOSS was her. Then I got with Trina, who was her best friend back then and told her what I was doing, she just started crying. I said Trina every character is Mattie and even Trina characters was Mattie.

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Trina felt it automatically and then when her family saw the movie they felt it. Mattie is all in the movie and that’s why I dedicated the movie to her because I said when I create and write my first movie I’m dedicating it to her. She was the one who made me a sharp homicide detective because even though I hung on the streets I was an athlete. I played sports. I was not the type of dude that sold drugs. I didn’t hang out on the corner with the drug dealers.

The older dudes would always make me go play sports. When I became a homicide detective a lot of the cool street stuff I didn’t know and Mattie would always teach me. I learned a lot of street slang from her. If I was interviewing someone and I didn’t know something I would call Mattie. That girl knew the streets. She was so in tuned to the street element, that’s why I said that I had to do BOSS. There are other stories I want to tell like love stories and youth stories but I knew I had to this for her. Then we jumped right into BOSS 2 just so we could finish the story because BOSS wasn’t completed. I wanted to finish the story and then once I finish doing this I’m going to show the versatility in the different types of stories I can tell.

USTYLE: WHAT IS YOUR SELECTION PROCESS WHEN CHOOSING ACTORS AND ACTRESSES FOR EACH CHARACTER YOU CREATE? MC: Well I wanted to use people from the streets because years ago I teamed up with someone to film a television pilot in Baltimore and we needed some people to play some street roles, so we hired professional actors. We were doing a scene with crackheads and I became very frustrated. I was like crackheads don’t act like that, so what I did was I went down the street and found several actually crackheads and said, “Ya’ll want to make some money” and they said yeah. They came down to the set and we put them in the movie. We signed them up, gave them the paperwork and they got paid. I said I want them, we can let those actors go, because they couldn’t give us that street element that we wanted. With BOSS instead of using professional actors to play street roles, I said let me use people from the streets of DC. I told them be yourself based on the script and story and let the rest take care of itself, that’s it. I wanted to keep it simple. I didn’t want people to have to play roles that they were not familiar with because it will take them out of their element and especially since they didn’t have that experience. Everybody in BOSS were inexperienced, so I wanted them to play roles that were very easy. If I would have gotten with Anwan Glover (aka. Big G) who is a little bit more versatile then I could probably do some different things, but I plan on doing that for my next movie. This first one though I wanted to use inexperienced people . Now what I did for BOSS 2 was picked up some people who have experience and put them with my inexperienced people and that’s why BOSS 2 is going to be way better than the first one.

her naked body but instead he saw all the beauty and he ended up falling in love with her.

USTYLE: OK, LET ME NOT GET TO CAUGHT UP IN THIS STORY MC: It’s a really good story, and what happens is he ends of marrying her and now she is no longer living in his gym but with him.

He is taking care of her because she doesn’t have much, no family or anything. Then what happens is one day he is getting robbed and the young guy that robbed him ended up getting caught by the police but instead of him going to jail the trainer tells the police no make him work in my gym. The young guy doesn’t show up for 3 to 4 days later and was like, yeah I’m going to work. The trainer realizes the young boy has talent and now he is training him. The young boy moves into his home. Then the trainer finds out he has cancer and is dying. He begins to realize he can’t love this young girl like he wants and sexual he can’t perform. He has all kinds of things going on and he’s dying. He begins to notice the young boy and girl are beginning to like each other and he does not know what to do because he loves the young boy too now. He is like a son to him but he’s dying, so he has a choice whether to end this before it gets serious or teach this young boy how to be a man because when he dies someone is going to be with his wife and he wanted this young boy to be.

USTYLE: YOUR LEVEL OF CREATIVITY IS VERY IMPRESSIVE. WHERE DOES IT COME FROM? MC: I don’t think of stories in advance. I think of it as I go. I write and I think as I’m writing. I never do outlines, because I have no think process. I can film a movie without even having a script if I wanted to because in my mind I know what I want to do and I don’t really know the story until I either start writing it or filming it. It’s almost like freestyle rapping.

STAY TUNED FOR BOSS 2… COMING TO A SCREEN NEAR YOU...

USTYLE: SO BOSS 2 IS A SEQUEL? MC: Yes it is a part two and this is where it ends. It has to end because I have to move on to a love story that I want to tell.

USTYLE: CAN YOU TELL OUR READERS A LITTLE ABOUT THE LOVE STORY YOU WILL BE WORKING ON? MC: Well right now it’s title Love & Boxing, but I am going to change the title. Although I love the name but everybody keeps telling me because of Love & Basketball I should change it. I have a few titles in mind, but Big G had approached me and was like, “Mitch give me a role I’ve never played before”. Basically it’s a love story about a boxing trainer who falls in love with a young girl who he took off the street because she was homeless and brought her into his boxing gym to live, but he ends up falling in love with her because he was lonely. He didn’t realize how beautiful she was since she was always dirty and grimy. One day her saw her taking a shower by accident and with not really looking at

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Native Washingtonian Ivory Wood-Twyman has reached one of her childhood dreams: turning her flourishing online women’s boutique into a brick-and-mortar establishment. Located in Clinton, Maryland and rightfully named “Cloved In Ivy,” her business has received an overwhelmingly positive response from her professional colleagues and loyal customers.

This beautiful boutique owner has always aspired to become that go-to person within the fashion industry, and has always had an eye for the latest in fashion and style that she herself exemplifies on a daily basis.

Even as a high-schooler attending Eastern Senior High in Washington, DC, she was voted “Best Dressed Female” and was definitely that voice of savvy fashion sense who won the admiration of many of her peers.

Once graduating from high school her mind was set on what direction she wanted her career to take, so she enrolled in college and majored in Business with a concentration in Merchandising. As the years went by, she made it her priority to gain as much knowledge of the retail industry as possible, taking on various positions within the higher-end retail chains, and even becoming a dedicated and trustworthy wardrobe stylist.

With years of education, skills and firsthand experience under her belt, Mrs. Twyman knew that it was her time – hence the name “Cloved In Ivy.” Her online boutique was born, and with the support of her loving husband Preston Twyman, she received a welcoming and genuine appreciation from the public. In 2016, while the stars continued to align in her favor, she opened her very first stand alone boutique.

“Cloved In Ivy” Boutique is a gorgeous, swanky and posh women’s boutique that appeals to every woman’s feminine side from the moment she enters through the French doors. The bright chandeliers add to its elegance, and the walls are filled with all the unique merchandise and accessories that a girl’s heart could possibly desire.

I urge you make a trip over to “Cloved In Ivy” for your next event or a just for a personal shopping spree. I promise you will not be disappointed, as Mrs. Twyman has certainly raised the bar with her gorgeous establishment.

This wife, mother and business owner did things her way, created her lane and now she’s the BOSS!

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Contact Us UStyle Magazine Bladensburg, MD 20710 (240) 517-7471 (Office) ustylemag291@gmail.com www.ustylemag.com

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