Women of MORE Magazine Anniversary Edition

SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY EDITION

VIEWERSHIP IN 100 COUNTRIES 144,260 8,345 IMPRESSIONS READERS

HARPER’S BAZAAR

DEEMSWOMENOFMORE MAGAZINEASONEOFTHERISING FEMALEMAGAZINESTOREAD

SEE INSIDE THE SECRET SHE CARRIED FOR ONE YEAR MICHELLE WASHINGTON CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER EDITOR IN CHIEF

COMING SOON

Wooo!

This month mark’s our first year of success as a published magazine. I am super duper excited by the success and recognition we have experienced in such a short amount of time.

As a little girl I always loved magazines; I enjoyed reading the articles and getting ideas for fashion to apply to my style. However, I never dreamed I would have my own. It just didn’t seem to be in my reach.

Years later, I would come across a small purse size version of Elle Magazine. I picked it up and held it in my hand. Something inside my belly began to leap, and I begin to dream. I began to dream about Women of More having our own magazine. I became inspired. I carried that Elle magazine around for one whole year. My dream now felt possible.

I shared my dream with a circle of women who encouraged me, helped nurture my dream, and give birth to something I am extremely proud of today.

That same purse size version of Elle magazine is still hanging up in my office as a reminder of the beginning. Along with that magazine, my office is surrounded by pictures of women who I admire and dream of interviewing one day (such as Tina Turner, Sheila E, Diane Sawyer, Jada Pickett, just to name a few). These are examples of women who have overcome obstacles and still emerged to live out their MORE. A year ago, Women of More Magazine was an idea inspired by a Woman who saw something that gave her hope. Today, it’s a magazine in over 100 countries, with over 8,000 thousand readers, and 144,260 plus impressions. In addition to that, it's been publicly recognized by Harper’s Bazaar as one of the rising feminist magazines to read. That is simply remarkable!

The manifestation of this dream would not be possible without the hardworking and amazing writers who have unselfishly given of their time and talents. I am grateful. To the subscribers and followers of Women of MORE, I cannot say, thank you enough for believing in us. Thanks for celebrating with us and helping us reach the world with our message of being and doing MORE. There is so much more to come. We have some things in works from new Web site channels, videos, social networking platforms, mobile apps and more—we're providing more ways than ever before for you to connect with your MORE.

Michelle Washington

Chief Executive Officer and Editor in Chief

5|WOMEN OF MORE MAGAZINE FINANCE

VANESSA LINDLEY

PLANNING

TOWIN

The “B” Word: Budget Many people hate to hear the word budget asit remindsthem ofa “diet”and feelsrestrictive. So, I like to use the words “spending plan” instead.

When strategizing for our “spending plan”, we must treat our household economies like abusiness. We should be forecasting, planning, tracking and making adjustments regularly.

Having aspending plan givesyou controlofwhere your money goes.

You get to decide. How you achieve successisactuallysticking to the plan. Ifyou’ve ever been successfulin any areasof your life, you know it tookcommitment, attention, focus, intention, support. Thiscan happen with your finances.

Creating aSuccessful Spending Plan Agreat way to be successfulin your spending plan isto make sure that ALL ofyour spending, big & small, isaccounted for.

Collect allofthe necessaryfinancialdocuments: ü Pay stub ü Employee benefit documents ü Socialsecurity statements ü Utility bills ü Mortgage statement ü Lease agreements ü Car notes ü Credit card statements ü Student loan documents, etc

Areyouapersonofyourword? Doyoukeepyourpromises topeople? Canyoukeepyourpromisetoyourselfto achievethefinancialgoalsandplansyousetforyourself?

Weallhavegoals. That’sforsure. Andthisistrue,especially withourfinances. Youmaywanttobuyahome,goon vacation,planforretirement,payoffdebt,etc. The questionis,whatareyoudoingtoachievethem?

Thecriticalstepinfinancialgoalachievementisplanning!

And,what’sthefirstthingthatcomestomindwhenyou thinkoffinancialplanning?

CONNECT WITH VANESSA THE LINDLEY CONSULTING GROUP, LLC www.lindleyconsultinggroup.com PH: 646.404.7007

Spending on Extras When planning, most people focuson the “must haves”like housing, food, utilities, transportation, etc. But, theyoften forget about the “nice to haves”that bring them joy and add value to their life like entertainment, gift giving, coffee, etc. You are going to spend money on these things, so theymust be accounted for and incorporated in your plan.

Ifyou are not sure on what to include or what you actuallyspend money on, you may have to trackyour spending for two weeksto know how much you actuallyspend on these “extras.

TrackYourSpending Toolsthat can help you with tracking your spending are spending plan worksheets and personal finance management platforms.

You must remember, though, that your spending plan isnever fixed.

Once you’ve established your plans, tracked your expensesand selected the right tools, you also have to make adjustments to your plan asyou go along.

I recommend completing aspending plan, trackyour expensesfor two weeks, make necessaryadjustments, then make future adjustments asnecessary. Remember, this is yourplan.

Don’t worry about what you thinkyou ought to do. Instead, focuson your goals, your needsand wantsand tryto find away to incorporate allofthem into your plan.

6| MORE FOOD

GINA WILLIS PERSONAL CHEF

FRIED CORN WITH OKRA, TOMATOES AND GRILLED CILANTRO SHRIMP I consider myself the “New” Low Country, and I like making old favorites with a new twist. For example, this is my take on succotash. I omitted the lima beans, and added fresh local grilled shrimp. And of course you have to have a slice of jalapeno skillet cornbread on the side!

The road that led me here seems like it was by chance.

Social media provided a platform for me to showcase my food, but part of my journey to MORE was creating a business for myself, that I enjoyed and didn't feel like a burden to maintain. Cooking is my passion, and my joy comes from creating new dishes.

Although based in Savannah I now travel to provide personal chef services in home and on site locations. I absolutely love who I am becoming!

I love to share with others who are looking for their more. This is a quote from Oprah that I keep on my vision board; “Do what you love. Give it back in form of service, and you will do more than succeed. You will triumph.”

CONNECT WITH GINA WHATSGINACOOKING

F U M B L E FORWARD

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY

FORGIVE YOURSELF

8 | MORE CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Fashion

Michelle Marie Fashion society

Style is always in

SAVING BABIES’ LIVES

10 | MORE HEALTH

FIRST BIRTHDAY! A CRITICAL MILESTONE

Too many babies die before reaching their first birthday.

Often, there’s no explanation. The pain, grief, and sense of loss can be overwhelming. What do we know and what can be done to save babies’ lives?

What We Know Early prenatal care is critical.

Birth defects, prematurity, accidents, and complications associated with pregnancy can cause infant death, so early prenatal care is critical. You can head off problems before they start or get prompt treatment for identified problems to reduce risks to your baby. As soon as you think you’re pregnant, see a doctor. Get started on prenatal vitamins. Stop smoking. Stop drinking and no drugs, not even over-the-counter drugs, without your doctor’s approval.

Smoking, drinking, and drugs pose grave risks to your baby. Getting early prenatal care and eliminating these risky behaviors can save your baby’s life.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is a leading cause of infant mortality. Infant mortality is defined as infant death prior to the first birthday. The cause of death is attributed to SIDS when a baby one to 12 months dies and there is no explainable cause. The death makes no sense not to the families and not to the health care community. What we do know is certain practices can reduce the risk of SIDS. What Can You Do? Use safe sleep practices.

• Babies should sleep alone in a safety-approved crib with a firm mattress and a fitted sheet. Sleeping with parents or siblings can cause death by overlay. This is when a person rolls on top or against the infant and it suffocates.

•

No pillows, quilts, blankets, bumper pads, stuffed animals, or toys should be placed in the crib. Whereas these items look cute, they are serious suffocation hazards.

•

Put babies to sleep on their backs. If placed on the side, babies can flip onto their stomachs. Placing babies on their stomachs to sleep increases the risk of SIDS. The reason is not clear, but it is thought to be related to rebreathing carbon dioxide when bedding gets bunched up around their noses. Tummy-time is fine for play but not for sleep.

•

Keep your baby in your room in a safety-approved crib for the first six months.

•

Use a pacifier. Pacifiers encourage babies to suck and breathe.

However, do not attach the pacifier with a string around the neck.

•

Make sure your baby sitter follows your safe sleep practices.

How can you help?

You can help reduce the incidence of infant mortality by shining a light on the problem. Tell the women in your circle that lack of early prenatal care, unsafe sleep practices, lack of breastfeeding, and exposure to tobacco smoke increases the risk of SIDS. When a grandmother tells you “I raised three kids. I know how to put a baby to sleep“ remind her we have new evidence to support safe sleep practices. Since we know better, we’ve got to do better.

To learn more on how to reduce the problem of infant mortality in your community checkout the video campaign put together by Denise Jordan and members of the Zeta Eta Chapter of Chi Eta Phi Sorority at Watch Denise and the members of the Zeta Eta Chapter of Chi Eta Phi Sorority Here or visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Infant Mortality at Visit Reproductive Health Here For more information on why babies should sleep on their backs visit Visit Healthy Children Here For the latest information on safety-approved cribs visit Visit Safety Education Here

Denise Jordan MA, RN

Is a community/public health nursing instructor actively engaged in health promotion and disease prevention through education Contact Denise Jordan at denisemjordan@msn.com

12| MORE PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Moving Beyond Goal-Setting to Goal-Getting

BY DR. CHERITA WEATHERSPOON Greetings, Powerful Women! Here we are in the second quarter of the year. Time flies when you're having fun, right? If I were a betting woman, I'd be willing to wager that you set a few goals at the beginning of the year. Maybe you called them resolutions, intentions, commitments or some other word that communicated your desire to accomplish something, to make a distinct change in your life or to become a more empowered version of you. How's that going for you?

Some of you have made excellent and, perhaps, unbelievable progress on your goals; but some of you may still be at the starting gate, waiting for the time and the conditions to be right to move forward. There is no better time for you to GO than right now.

The conditions may never be perfect; you may never have enough money, enough support or enough time. What you do have is your greatest resource, and that is you. While having more money, more support and more time would make your journey easier; it's not necessary. What is needed is your commitment to what you say you want, your willingness to sacrifice for what you want, and your resilience in doing the work that it will take for you to accomplish your goals.

Throughout the remainder of 2017, I am going to share with you ten specific strategies that will help move you from being a goal-setter to a goal-getter. These strategies came out of my personal struggle to accomplish the goals that were most important to me and to begin doing the things that I had envisioned for over a decade. If you are anything like I was; knowing that you have more to offer the world than what you are doing now. Clear that you are more powerful than what you are allowed to be in your roles right now. Realizing that you can be more impactful than what you have the opportunity to be right now. You'll want to pay attention to what I'm going to share. Are you ready? Then, let’s GO! The past is the past, and that is where it should remain.

Whatever it is that you've experienced that has kept you from moving forward, it is time to get over it. Your feelings are real.

There is no denying that. If you are angry, you have a right to be. If you are hurt, you have a right to be. If it's hard to forgive, that's understandable. But, you do not deserve to be bound by your past experiences, by the people that hurt you or the experiences that broke your spirit. Holding on to that emotion prevents you from fully being the gift that you are to this world, from experiencing all the wonderful things that you deserve, and from accomplishing your goals.

Today is the day you GET OVER it! Envision yourself jumping over the hurdle in front of you on your way to becoming who you were created to be. Yes, it takes energy. You've got energy; you've been spending a lot of energy holding onto these negative feelings for years. Use that same energy to Get Over this emotional hurdle. Make the decision to jump and jump as high as you can to clear the obstacle. On the other side of that barrier is your destiny. Now, refuse to allow yourself to be held hostage again by what other people may do to you or say about you, or by any situation that may have been unfair to you.

Allow yourself to feel the emotion at that time, then quickly make the decision to Get Over it. Handle whatever you need to take care of, but don't talk about it unnecessarily. Don't bring other people into the situation who are not already involved.

They will only remind you of the pain you experienced and keep you from getting over it. Don’t spend time thinking about what you should have said, how should have responded, or how to get back at them. Use that time to think about how you are going to get ahead despite them.

Think about it. There's probably a time or two that you decided not to go somewhere because a particular person would be there. You let your emotion keep you from that experience.

You may look in the mirror and see all the imperfections instead of your natural, unique beauty because someone once told you that you were ugly. You still believe their lies, and it has destroyed your confidence. You have a dream that you won't pursue because someone told you that you couldn't do it.

You are letting their misconceptions about you prevent you from living the life you desire.

10 Powerful Steps to Accomplishing Your Goals & Living the Life You Desire at www.GO10Steps.com. Follow me at CoachCherita on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and learn more about me at www.CheritaWeatherspoon.com. Remember, you deserve all that you desire, so GO for it

In the next issue, we’ll look at the next strategies in this process to create the life you desire. If you can’t wait until then, pick up your copy of GO!

13 | MORE BEAUTY

14 | MORE PERSONAL DEVELPMENT

Forgive Those Who Betrayed You

By Latisha Nicollette

Many of us openly admit our trust issues. The majority of the time the problems stem from a betrayal we’ve experienced in a past relationship. A betrayal is an act of deliberate disloyalty.

Learning that you were betrayed takes you by surprise and often feels like an unexpected swift kick in the stomach. As a result, your mind and heart begin to question everything and everyone. You wonder how this could have happened, why this happened, or think how unbelievable it is that this happened. Everyone you love is now suspect: Will he betray me, too? Can I trust her? You spin countless hours and sleepless nights trying to make sense of it all. Your thoughts go from how to why, and eventually to this will never happen again. We cannot control every hurtful thing that happens to us, but we can control how we respond and how quickly we forgive the wrongdoer.

Forgiving someone who betrayed you is never easy. When the idea of forgiving comes up, for most the immediate response is, “No, I will never forgive them.” It’s as if we believe that the act of forgiving I in some way saying that we condone the betrayal or that we are weak or an easy target. To forgive is to stop feeling anger towards someone that has done something wrong. It sounds simple, but many of us would agree that it's much harder than it seems. The effects of betrayal can linger for a very long time when you don't truly know how to forgive. When we choose not to forgive, it holds us back, and we keep a part of ourselves guarded, possibly never realizing that we’re still holding the pain and anger of the betrayal until it resurfaces in another relationship. We find ourselves saying things like, “I don’t trust easily,” “I have trust issues,” or giving a blatant warning, “I’ll never trust you,” or “I don’t trust anyone.”

Choose to forgive. Decide to let go of the anger and forgive yourself for not seeing it coming, for your emotional reaction, and for letting the actions of others impact you. Next, ask God to forgive you and help you release and let the anger you feel towards that person go. Finally, remember Matthew 6:1415, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Latisha Nicollette www.whataboutaclutch.com IG: @WHATABOUTACLUTCH FB: WHATABOUTALCUTCH & Latisha Nicollette

15 | MORE FASHION

Eccentric Kristoure FASHION BOUTIQUE

WRITTEN BY

MORE BOOK REVIEWS We are currently looking for authors that would like to

advertise in Women of MORE Magazine. Â For more information email: Â more@womenofmoremagazine.com

purchase your copy www.unearthingtheroyalty.com

purchase your copy www.unearthingtheroyalty.com

THE

GOLDEN CIRCLE

Congratulations to Barbara Gray and Sherry Brown, the Chapter 2017 Golden Circle Contest Winners! As we celebrate Women’s History month, we honor Barbara and Sherry for being women who are indeed writing history and “living in their purpose, on purpose.”1 Women’s History month is a time to recognize the accomplishments of all women across the world. It is also a time to reflect on the past in order to gain historical understanding that can be used to passionately fuel future endeavors. Both Barbara and Sherry are embracing this New Year with a renewed focus. Each day, they are purposefully writing their Chapter 2017 as transformative messages that are igniting changes in their own lives and in the lives of people within their circles of influence. We applaud their great vision and tenacity! Join these ladies and become intentional about writing your Chapter 2017, so that your chapter will become a part of the rich history of women for many years to come.

DAPHNE A. HENRY THE GOLDEN CIRCLE Senior Correspondent Chapter2017gcc@gmail.com

Barbara Gray Age: 59 Location: Wewahitchka, FL Chapter 2017 Transformative Goal: My life's goal was to be a model; however, God changed that...Now, I model for Christ. Daily I follow Him so my actions model His character and are a reflection of His love in my home, church, and community. In 2017, I will encourage more young ladies to also become models for Jesus Christ.

Sherry Brown Age: 54 Location: Cullman, AL Chapter 2017 Transformative Goal: Little girls with dreams grow up to be women of vision. As a counselor with a private practice, I encourage women to find balance in their lives mentally, physically, and spiritually. It is key that I represent empowerment, change, and growth. The year of 2017 is a path of art lessons, increasing photograph skills, setting new fitness goals, laughing tremendously and striving toward completion of my book on becoming a warrior of restoration and healing.

1

Quote by Michelle Washington, CEO of MORE Magazine.

The

18 | MORE PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

BY SHAUNDYLL

Secret Behind My

“Sunken Place” My friends have always valued my ability to keep a good secret. I am like a walking vault.

It’s a great trait to have in friendships because people appreciate that they can trust you with the matters of their heart. I have come to understand the value of this in myself. My knack for keeping secrets started at about the age of six when I kept my first secret -a dark and dirty secret.

Over the years, that secret dug a hole in my heart, character, and soul. It changed how I handled myself in relationships and friendships, skewed how I viewed intimacy, and it dirtied how I saw and thought about myself. Each year that went by without revealing my secret further exacerbated my pain.

It wasn’t until my 30’s that I came to the conclusion that I was ready to come to a place of consciousness.

I knew that who I became wasn't who I truly was, and it was time for the journey to begin to find the real me. The journey consisted of therapy and revealing my secret to someone who wouldn't judge me, who I could cry in front of and who would just listen without trying to fix it for me. It pushed me to be honest with myself about how much damage I had During a recent date night with my husband, allowed to occur in my life. The details of the secret It was late at night, and I was asleep. I am not we had the opportunity to see a brilliant film weren’t my fault, but I needed to take ownership sure of the exact time, but I will never forget titled Get Out. I found myself being able to over the decisions that I had made later in life as a relate to that "sunken place;" the place where result. Being honest with myself allowed me to be the moment. It was in that instant that you outwardly look aware, in touch and everything I had learned about family, trust, honest with God about who I was and finally trust love, security and privacy became a lie. It was normal, but the place within you where your him to help me with the remainder of my journey, the first night that I was molested. I remember emotions connect you to yourself and others and He is still doing that today. is missing. It wasn't hypnosis that dragged me trying to trick my mind into thinking that nothing had happened and that perhaps it was to this disconnected state; it was the secret. I Freedom is a choice that you have to make. The a bad dream. Unfortunately, that bad dream had learned to fix my clothes, smile, makeup sunken place is no way to live your life. In fact, it isn’t kept recurring; the dream where he walks in and hair perfectly to hide the scars. Or, so I living; it is existing. and begins to violate me sexually. This was not thought. a dream at all, but instead my childhood What secrets are keeping you captive? What secrets reality. A reality that I chose not to deal with Despite my outward appearance looked well have you allowed to poison your character, your because I decided to tuck it away and keep it a put together and I could interact with people heart, and your mind? What secrets have you given and appear happy, there were things that secret. the power to damage your relationships? What people could not see. People couldn’t see that secrets are weighing you down as you navigate in my sunken place I had become an excessive throughout your daily life?

I was too young to understand what was happening or why, but I knew it wasn’t right drinker. They couldn't see that in my sunken and I knew I didn’t like it. I felt both hopeless place I was using my sexuality to gain control You can continue to allow the secret to control you of them and situations. People didn’t and helpless. I remember wondering if this or today can be the day where you take control of was happening to my friends, but I wouldn’t understand that because of my sunken place I the secret and dismantle the power it has had in your dare ask. I did not know how to share what I had trouble with commitment and that I life. My hope is that you will choose the latter and didn’t know how to feel and receive love. My begin to find your freedom from the sunken place. was experiencing. I can distinctly remember almost telling two family members, but I just secret took me to this place, and I didn’t know how to break free. couldn’t do it. I couldn’t reveal the secret. I had the opportunity to tell someone once, but What I didn’t understand at that time in my nothing happened. To me, that meant the secret wasn't supposed to be exposed. It was life was that I could either take control of the years before I mentioned it again. It was a lot secret or I could let the secret take control of for me to try and process at such a young age. me. When you take control of the secret, you Every year that I attempted to work through can break free of its power in your life. this on my own, I became more and more Unfortunately for me, my secret had me, and emotionally crippled. it had me by the neck. It was choking the life, purpose, hope, love, joy and peace out of me.

I was dying, and I didn't even know it. I was waking up each day, just trying to stay alive. I survived on life support for over 30 years.

There were days I didn’t want to live, days I was ready to give up, and days I hated myself, CONNECT WITH SHAUNDYLL my choices and who this secret had caused me to become.

Ifyou’re dreaming ofsomething big, craving amassive change, looking to impact othersand share your valuable content and message, or live alife of freedom and serve otherson amuch larger scale, then read on.

Now, you should know. I am so over the never-ending chorusofbroken online marketing promisesand grandiose headlinesthat sound so fantastic but are hardly realistic. I’ve been that struggling life and businesscoach seeking miraculous solutionsto allmy marketing problemsand waysto attract my dream clients.

Sure, I've enjoyed successin my previouscareersand businesses. Asan Emmy Award-winning TVhost & 20 year TVnewsanchor, I could bore you with my yawn-worthy ‘credentials.' I have past achievementsin the aerialfitness industry, reaching the top 1% in networkmarketing, creating and profiting from an award-winning online video seriesand TVprogram, podcasting, speaking and book launches. I've tried it all, and I am humbled at the victories...Blah, blah, blah!

But who cares? I stillcouldn’t figure out how to consistentlycrackthe 10K "CODE" in coaching and make a substantialchunkofcash each month while traveling and living my freedombased, location independent lifestyle from my laptop and cellphone.

Nothing -and I mean nothing (including the best courses and programs), worked for me until I asked myself what was missing from my strategy and specifically, what I was missing on a personal level. I came up with some real answers: face to face connections, intimacy, laughter, and the occasional high five and a hug.

TheFormulaforMore

BYDARIETHCHISOLM

I Just relying on the internet or social media marketing was not working. I was seeking real conversations with my community, in person, not over a live stream or email or in Facebook messenger or even through online videos (all great options by the way - but they don’t compare to face-to-face connections). Somewhere along the internet divide, we've lost the human touch.

I began hosting a few smaller, live and in person workshops while traveling across the country to promote my book and speaking. I worked through the creation process day-by-day until I planned, promoted and profited from my first live group workshop.

One day, with my coaching content and five people, I made $5,000. I duplicated this over and over, and in less than 90 days I had earned over $97,000. I had something, and it worked, so I started teaching my clients to design and profit from small live workshops. Within weeks, they were perfecting my formula.

That's why I'm so excited to share with you How to Launch your First Live Workshop Formula.

This proven 5-Step method works even if - You have never hosted an event before (And hardly consider yourself an "event planner").

- You don't have a massive email or contact list (size doesn't matter with this method - what a relief, right?).

- You only have an itty bitty budget (you can plan a luxury workshop and create a transformative experience, without spending thousands of dollars).

- You don't have content, an agenda or the structure in place to 'teach' and 'entertain' a group of paying clients for an entire day (starting from scratch is entirely okay, I'll show you how to craft your content quickly).

Hosting workshops and live events is a perfect way to generate new buzz about you, spark your marketing campaign and step into a leading role in your niche, even if this entire concept makes you feel uncomfortable.

I’ll show you how to: - Fill the seats using my oh-so-practical and proven strategies to eliminate overwhelm, confusion, and doubt.

- Plan an event on any budget.

- Create and design your workshop content.

- Close the sale and create raving fans And so much more!

CONNECT WITH DARIETH WWW.DARIETHCHISOLM.COM

Darieth Chisolm

WOMEN OF MORE

GAME CHANGHER’S AROUND THE WORLD

Sandrine NGOMA

Country: France Name of Business: NG & Co Consulting Contact Information Email bonjour@ngandco.com FB, IG, and TW Page: thewomanpurpose When did you discover your MORE? I discovered my MORE in 2012 when I realize my worth. I realized that if I didn’t care about myself nobody will. This happened just after obtening my MBA is when I discovered new ways for my personal growth. I took one step at a time to know myself more than ever.

What would you say to inspire women around the world?

You are unique and you can make the difference. The world needs what you have got. Your singular way of seeing things makes you this magic being who can recreate his reality. What you agree yourself to see it’s your divine vision which can become reality.

Describe a mentor that has had a profound impact on your life.

I never met her, but Michelle Obama is such an inspiration for me. She is the woman that makes me feel that being ambitious could be a feminine virture. I love the way she promotes education for girls and having a purpose and plan for your life.

Shante Hynson

Delaware Renee Alexander Jewelry, LLC www.reneealexanderjewelry.com FB and IG: reneealexanderjewelry When did you discover your MORE? I discovered my more when I realized that I was putting my everything into a company/job that I was not getting the benefits from. Working every day and having nothing to show for it. I then realized that I needed and wanted more for myself and family.

What would you say to inspire women around the world?

I want to tell women to not to forget about themselves. As women, we put our all into our spouses, children and running our homes that we always forget about ourselves. It is never too late to start dreaming!

Relax, rejuvenate and get refreshed, so you can set some goals and slay them!

Describe a mentor that has had a profound impact on your life.

One person who has had an impact on my life as a wife and entrepreneur is Anita Freeman. Anita started the group Royal Wives Club, a community for wives. She has several businesses and has a lot of knowledge that she does not hold back on but helps pull the next one up.

21 | MORE HEALTH AND WELLNESS

IT IS OK TO NOT BE OK

SO YOU CAN BE OK!

BY WENDY TALLEY, LCSW

If there was a way you can feel safe to express the real YOU when you are not feeling well… WOULD YOU? In a recent Forbes magazine in July 2015, it said, “In a recent global survey we found that 14% of the 2,957 people we queried feel chronically overwhelmed. At the end of a busy day they feel drained. Of the group, 16% of those who feel overwhelmed were female; 13% were male.

Do you fit into this percentage? I know I have on many occasions.

The roles that many Americans play in the day-to-day hustle and bustle of life can cause us to fall into the belief “never let them see you sweat.”

What if I told you “IT IS OK TO NOT BE OK SO YOU CAN BE OK.” The article on The Impact of Stress

by Steve Bressert, Ph.D. provides a list, however here are a few you can start with: ü Sleep disturbance ü Lack of energy ü General negative attitudes or thoughts ü Constant worry ü Your mind races at times

Just looking at the list, you might be saying, “WOW that is me all the time, but I am doing ok. Well are you really?

WELL, I have the solution! ü Stop and evaluated yourself and see if you experiencing any from the list above. Call your primary physician for a full physical. ü Take some time off from work for a mini vacation. Bed and Breakfast Getaways ü Reduce or eliminate social media, cell phone usage, and time on the computer 1 hours before bed. ü Create boundaries to block out negative or bad news each day. In the morning do not accept negative news before 10am. Lastly, 3 hours before bed do not except bad news.

Remember, IT IS OK TO NOT BE OK, so you can make the necessary changes SO YOU CAN BE OK!

WENDY TALLEY, LCSW CEO/FOUNDER THELESE CONSLUTING GROUP, LLC

theleseconslutinggroup@gmail.com

Rainbow Huff P4O Guest Writer

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND CONTRIBUTION

Jil Jordan Greene Chief Operating Officer

Darieth Chisolm Senior Contributor

Daphne Henry Senior Contributor The Golden Circle

Mary Byrd Senior Contributor Fashion

Denise Jordan Senior Contributor Health and Wellness

Vanessa Lindley Senior Contributor Finances

Shaundyll Rogers Contributor

Latisha Nicollette Contributor

Dr. Cherita Weatherspoon Contributor

WEARECURRENTLYLOOKINGFORCONTRIBUTORSTOADDTOOURTEAM. EMAIL: MORE@WOMENOFMOREMAGAZINE.COM