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Did you know women influence or make 80% of all consumer purchasing decisions? Did you know that Smart Businesses are Advertising in Women of Wealth? Did you know that Businesses that fail to ADVERTISE, ADVERTISE to fail? WOMEN OF WEALTH is a bi-monthly online and print publication for women about Wealth and Power.

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W O M E N O F W E A LT H M A G A Z I N E ’ S

List of Top

Women Icons with Global Influence Inspired by Women Worldwide

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama American Lawyer, Former First Lady of the United States

Gina Rinehart Australian Mining Magnate Chairman of Hanock Prospecting

Nancy D’Alesandro Pelosi An American politician serving as the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives

Hillary Rodman Clinton An American Politician, Diplomat, Lawyer, Former Candidate for President of United States

Debra l. Lee Former CEO & Chairman of BET Networks

Oprah Winfrey American Media Executive, Actress, Talk Show Host, Television Producer & Philanthropist

Janice Bryant Howroyd Founder & Chief Executive Officer of the ACT-1 Group

Christel Dehaan

Suzanne Shank Chairwoman, CEO & Co-Founder of Siebert Cisneros Shank & Co., LLC

Elaine Farrell Wynn American Billionaire Businesswoman Philanthropist and Art Collector. CoFounder Mirage and Wynn Resorts

Isabel Dos Santos Angolan Businesswoman

Phyllis Winchester Newhouse Co Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Xtreme Solutions, Inc. Atlanta, Ga.

Kiko Davis Trustee of Donald Davis Living Trust, Majority Stockholer of First Independence Bank

Sarah Blakely Founder & CEO, Spanx

Lori Greiner Self-made Inventor & Entrepreneur, Shark on ABC’s SharkTank, Show on QVC

Shonda Rhimes American Television Executive Producer, Screenwriter, Author. Showrunner and Head Writer

Meryl Streep An Iconic American Actress

Cheryl Boone Isaacs President, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, known for its annual Academy Awards

Barbara Ann Corcoran American Businesswoman, Investor, Speaker, Author, Television Personality

Stacey Yvonne Abrams American Politician, Lawyer and Former Candidate for Governor of Georgia

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms An American Politician and Lawyer, Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia

Cynthia N. Day President & CEO, Citizen Trust Bank, Atlanta, GA

Mryna White Director of Public Affairs, Atlanta Airport

Edie Fraser Founder of STEMConnector, a businessleader, author, entrepreneur, and philanthropist

Folorunsho Alakija A Nigerian Billionaire Businesswoman

Kay Kent CEO, CFO at Continuum Aquatics

June Davidson, PHD President of Coaching Firm Internationaland American Seminar Leaders Association

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Shelia Crump Johnson American Businesswoman, Co-Founder of BET, CEO of Salamander Hotels and Resorts

Germanborn, American businesswoman, philanthropist and Founder of ChristelHouse International

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STORIES Dr. Lei Lewis Dr. Felicia Young Shirley Luu Geteey Omar Dr. Jasmin Sculark Jeanna Robinson Ruth W. Smith Dr. Gloria Johnson-Rodgers Dr. Nephetina Serrano Dr. Valerie Bennett Shirley Ferguson Dr. Hattie N. Washington Josette Simpson Debby Montgomery Johnson Michelle René Banks

Shondalon Hoffler Somalia Hoffler Richard Brickus III Rick Robbins Remi Osi Sheryl Nance-Nash Nykole Wyatt Lydia Pace Ayana Finch Sheryl Nance-Nash Pamela Johnson Marilyn Helgeson Remi Osi Krystol Diggs Jan Robertson Kenneth Turner Photography Jared Zem Photography Berlin Kerry Grant Photography Tory Brown Photography Daniel Evans Photography Dee Moore Alyiah Thomas Satia Thomas Sonya Savoy Christian Info@womenofwealthmagazine.com www.womenofwealthmagazine.com womenofwealthmagazine@gmail.com Magazine Availability Issues are available at Barnes and Noble and national airports. In addition to freelance writers, Women of Wealth seeks experienced advertising sales executives. Inquiries should be sent to womenofwealthmagazine@gmail.com

Magazine Issues are available at Barnes and Noble and NATIONAL AIRPORTS TO INCLUDE ATLANTA, MIAMI, DALLAS AND LOS ANGELES. Letters to the editor at womenofwealthmagazine@gmail.com Correspondence may be edited for length and clarity. Please include name, address and email address. Published 4 times a year | Subscription Rate: U.S. 1 year $49.95 Copyright©2014 Women Of Wealth Magazine USA Inc. 786-510-3571

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Dr. Lei Lewis, CEO/Publisher, WOMEN OF WEALTH MAGAZINE 10 Years of

“MY LOOK INTO THE WEALTHY MINDSET”

fter retiring from the practice of law, one of the first things I did was to set out on a mission to discover the mindset of wealthy people and how can I, and others acquire that mindset. I needed to carefully articulate a concept of wealth that comprehensively defines wealth. I noticed that with this mission, one of the first things I had to do was to enlighten people on the very significant difference between ‘success’ and ‘wealth’. I fully realized that the greatest confusion in the lives of most people is the ability to properly situate these two very fundamental aspirations in their proper places as they journey through life. Thankfully, I have also learned a lot as I set out on my own journey to create Women of Wealth magazine as the vehicle for my crusade.

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At Women of Wealth Magazine, we celebrate wealth because it can give us many pleasant experiences. But, we also celebrate wealth and the wealthy, not because wealth is an end unto itself—there being other important parameters that guarantee a successful life, but because one of our greatest possessions on this earthly plane is freedom, and wealth can give us this freedom. We believe that it will be good for people to experience this freedom, for with it, many an illusion they labor under will dissipate into thin air, allowing them to see more of the beauty in their world each day of their life.

Defining the Wealthy Mindset, Now, if we say that to acquire wealth requires a certain type of mindset, we need to identify what type of mindset that is. But first, let me talk briefly about myself. I practiced as a full time lawyer for over thirty years. Then, the time came for me to retire and do something else. I began to look around to see what it was that I could do. That came with its own peculiar challenges. I had been a lawyer most of my life, and I had to pray hard about fashioning out a new identity for myself. The prospect of stepping back and following a leader was not a very attractive one for me and it required me to sincerely identify what it was that I would want to do if I could do it at all. I acknowledged that I loved to read, and that I love to write. I had been told that I was a good writer, so why not start there? That was how and why I eventually figured that I would create a magazine, and I did. I came to that decision in 2009; that would be about ten years ago. So, my journey into magazine publishing started at that time, and here I am today. The magazine is

currently enjoying wide distribution at airports all around the nation, and outside this nation as well as in national bookstore chains.

The Multi-Dimensional Me In many respects, I’m a multifaceted personality, and because of that, chapter two of the book of my life might be talking about the three phases, or the three dimensions of Dr. Lei Lewis’ life. Yet, that might still prove to be an inaccurate proposition. I will explain. There is Dr. Lei Lewis the minster, Dr. Lei Lewis, the retired lawyer, and now we have Dr. Lei Lewis the writer and publisher. But, does that sufficiently describe my odyssey? I would say it does not. If it were that easy to lock my life into three dimensions, or three phases, where would you place Dr. Lewis the mother, Dr. Lewis the CEO and business owner, Dr. Lewis the mentor, and the military woman? Yes, I served in the military. And, believe it or not, there is the wife. Yes, I tried the ‘wife project’ a couple of times. That did not work out. In the final analysis, I am probably in error by trying to constrain my journey so far into three phases. In truth, my life has been a multi-faceted one. I have played so many roles that it is now difficult for me to fit snugly into any one compartment of description. Ultimately, I can only safely describe myself as a multi-dimensional person. Yes, that is so very true depending on who I’m relating with, and God knows I have been so many things to so many different people.

The Carrot Chasers I would say that wealth is like a carrot. As human beings, we are seemingly traveling on our individual roads trying to catch up with the carrot which is speeding

in front, and just ahead of us. Sometimes–thinking that we are so close to it, we reach out and make a triumphant attempt to touch it. However, the moment we stretch out our hand to grasp it; it’s almost as if the carrot picks up speed, and the next instant it is once more that much farther out of our reach. From a broad point of view, it’s as if the world is divided into different categories of people when it comes to wealth. We have those who were born into wealth however; they are constantly chasing after more of it. In fact, although they already have it, it is never enough, and the more of it they have, the more of it they want. We also have the ‘carrot chasers,’ and these are the ones who seem to be consistently on the chase for elusive wealth. The carrot chasers seem to be always looking out the window and trying to see how they can be of benefit to the world, even while their eyes are on the elusive carrot, just ahead. I recognized these paradoxes as I set out on my own journey to find wealth.

Mentorship Is Vital In Acquiring a Wealthy Mindset Along my journey, I also discovered something else. As a woman involved in the car ride, and who like most other people was chasing my carrot, I knew I should expect to find men and women in front of me blocking the carrot I was chasing, and that was exactly what happened. Women, especially, were always there, in between one’s car and the carrot speeding ahead. Sadly enough, what I continually experienced was just that. Difficult as it is to explain, women seem to have a hard time helping other women. What I also discovered was that, generally, women are inclined to lead their fellow wom-

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The truly wealthy woman is a truly successful woman, not only because her bank account is brimming with millions of dollars, but also because of her noble disposition, she willingly helps another woman become wealthy.” With that supposition, I would go on to testify that Women of Wealth Magazine believes that mentoring and philanthropy in a multicultural society will soon be the new norm. It will be the new paradigm of wealth.”

en to believe that they are willing to help them in some way or the other, only to eventually leave them stranded in the ocean of their forlorn hopes. Mentorship is very important. Few people achieve their ambitions and aspirations in life without mentorship of some kind or the other. Such a mentor could be anyone. A mentor could be a parent, or even a total stranger. You need someone other than yourself to help you in the race to catch that carrot you call wealth. Mentors tend to know things that you don’t. Additionally, they are more likely to have gone through certain experiences that are totally alien to you. Some of them have already been down the path you are just about to tread, and they know the exact location of all the potholes, craters and sinister bends on that road. The one special privilege they have, and which they are qualified to avail you of, is to help you in saving invaluable time and avoidable trouble by sounding that crucial note of warning that you should not go down a certain road. However, mentorship is a two-way street. It is one thing to be mentored; it is an entirely different proposition to receive mentorship, humbly and in good faith. To benefit from mentorship, you must have a teachable mindset, or call it a mentor mindset, if you will. But, that is still not all that

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it takes. You need to always find a way to remain in the company of women who are already so far ahead of you. The truth is that there is little or no benefit in walking with women who are of the same status as you. The blind cannot lead the blind. You need to have mentors that are so far ahead of you within the context of whatever meaning you ascribe to wealth; whether that meaning is money; whether it is optimal health and wellness; whether it is your emotional well-being or, whether it is success on some rare platform of human endeavor. Great is the man or woman who will sit at the feet of another and tap from his wisdom. Great is that person who puts himself at the disposal of another’s superior knowledge and wisdom. Indeed, when the pupil is ready, the master materializes! For, in truth, no man is wise enough by himself. Doesn’t the Book of Life proclaim that no servant is greater than his master, nor can a messenger be greater than the one who sent him? For, what (after all) is wisdom if not to learn all one can, and then have the humility to realize that one does not know it all? He who teaches himself has a fool for a master. Indeed, wise is he who will humbly sit at the feet of someone more successful. For, his superior wisdom will flow down to the pupil, as if propelled by some form of spiritual gravity.

So, I urge you to partake of the fellowship of wisdom and knowledge that exists amongst those who are traveling between you and your carrot. To fly the way the eagle flies, you must perch on his back, and spread out the way he spreads his wings. Wealth is an acquired mindset. The acquisition of true wealth, in whatever form, is the fulfillment of a certain dream. Speaking of women; I think we almost owe to ourselves to feel obliged to help other women—if for no other reason that we know how hard the struggle can be. If we possess the ability and the power to assist, then we should do so. Permit me to explain something of a crucial nature. A wealthy woman with influence can pick up the phone and introduce you to someone who can and probably will make a tremendous impact on your life. My tragic discovery is that many women can do this but will not do so. My sincere cry is for women to help other women. Speaking from my own experience on this journey, one of my greatest challenges has been, keeping the communication doors open with some of the wealthy women with influence that I met on this journey; for I understood they were reluctant to help me enlarge my territory, or to acquire a wealthy mindset.

The Case for Marketplace Ministry by Dr. Lei Lewis – Theme: “A Covenant with Divine Love”

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Now what else have I experienced along my journey? I noticed this. Those who are extremely wealthy love God. They know that there is a God who does it for them. Most of them would tell you,” I don’t want to do anything until I have thanked God. I honor God by giving back. I honor God by hiring, not for me personally, but for my business. In some of my challenges, I know there’s a God because I felt God intercede in what I was going through at that particular time.” One woman comes to my mind, and I feel compelled to share her story. She said, “You know, Dr. Lei, I’m a five-time cancer survivor!” I was stunned because she looked so good. For most of us, we can only imagine what it means to be diagnosed with cancer. Someone once told me it’s like being in hell, and that the trick is to go through it so quickly that people don’t even realize that you have been through it and back. Life is like a theatrical stage in which we are all playing different roles. The key is not so much the role we are playing, but how we effectively go through that role. If we walk with dignity, and with faith, and remain firm in our belief until we can come out looking so good that other people—being totally baffled will look at us and say, “I thought something was going on with you, but you don’t look like you’ve been through anything!” Your simple response would be, “You know, we can only thank God!”

The Right Attitude is in The Wealth Mindset So, attitude matters a great deal. Attitude is a big part of the wealthy mindset. Sometimes however, we get stuck in a difficult place in which it becomes tough to wheel

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ourselves out of the situation we find ourselves in. It is all part of the struggle in ‘chasing the carrot’ stage of our evolution. Yet, when this happens, and we get stuck in that unfortunate place, it becomes all about the mindset that we need to help us out. When we get stuck in that manner we must be able to reach down into our innermost being and turn the wheel of progress in order to get back on track. It is also at such times that we need someone to help us to get through it; to help us get unstuck. May I suggest a mentor? My own experience is that I’ve had to continually encourage myself. One of the first things we need to do is pray unceasingly for strength, and for intestinal- fortitude in the face of adversity. This isn’t easy and can be quite heart-wrenching. As I once told someone, a mentor can be someone you have never even met yet. The beauty and utility of present day technology is that the Internet allows you to know anyone you wish to know. You can also meet a potential mentor through her book. Read all about her struggles, and her successes. Examine her attitude critically. This is called ‘virtual mentoring.’ A mentor, of course can be male or female. My good friend and mentor Dr. Yomi Garnett once told me that, apart from a mentor he calls the Sage, he has met not even one of the other people who have been his greatest teachers. He said to me, “You know, Dr. Lei, my teachers are all great American motivational speakers and spiritual authors. Yet, I have never met one of these people.” Get yourself a mentor. Find out what meeting that virtual mentor of yours will be appearing next. Find a way to at-

tend the meeting. It could turn out to be a rare opportunity to meet him or her. It’s all part of your car ride ‘chasing your carrot’. Learn to re-listen for what you’re not hearing properly. I can remember life being so awful when I lost my mother at the tender age of 13. I felt like my heart had been ripped out. It was a terrible situation, and it was so horrible because I was not there when she was killed. I never got the opportunity to say goodbye to her. Let me share an enduring secret with you. Your environment does matter. DNA does matters. Let no one tell you otherwise. These are the factors that keep propelling you to victory; to fulfill your mission and to become the person you are destined to become. Having lost both parents at the age of thirteen, my siblings and I were now faced with the harrowing prospect of teenagers trying to raise teenagers. But we had great DNA from our mother on the inside of us, and we were able to merge that with our mindset. All nine of us achieved success. What we went through without a mother or father can only be imagined. The nightmare that could have easily incapacitated my siblings and me for the rest of our childhood was the horrible fact that my father killed my mother. I encourage you to buy the book on Amazon, “Icons of the Boardroom” and read the rest of my compelling Journey that has brought me to this place called Now! You can reach us at: info@womenofwealthmagazine.com or womenofwealthmagazine.com

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WOW Magazine had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Ms. Le Yen Nguyen a 30-year veteran in the skin care industry and founder of Ecobel Med Spa, a medical and day spa, located in Atlanta, Georgia, serving Buckhead and surrounding Atlanta areas.

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For more than 3 years as the owner of award-winning Ecobel Med Spa (www.ecobelmedspa.com) Buckhead, Atlanta, Le Yen Nguyen has helped thousands of Atlantans and people from around the world experience and embody feeling beautiful from the inside out. Her core insights into life-long vitality and elegance evolved from a saying she learned from her parents as a child in Vietnam, and again while studying at the elite aesthetics schools of Europe: Le Yen is a graduate of two highly regarded skincare schools: the Ecole Internationale des Estheticiennes de Direction (now known as Elysees-Marbeuf); and the Italian school Emmanuelle Rossetti. She was also certified as a French Board certified Master-Esthetician since 1981. Le Yen considers herself a “ visagiste ” , a formal title that allows her to examine a person’s face and skin and design a treatment that matches the contours of their unique appearance.

Ecobel, which won “Best Med Spa Service” in Atlanta in 2015, Le Yen is a leading authority on anti-aging and hormone replacement therapies for both men and women. She is certified in Anti-Aging Medicine by Empire Medical Training in 2016 and has trained with world renown Anti-Aging endocrinologist Dr. Thierry Hertoghe in Belgium in 2015. She is also certified by CIBTAC (Confederation of International Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology), a pioneering organization located in the United Kingdom. She is Professionally Endorsed and certified by Spas2b, an advanced spa training school in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada since April 2015. Le Yen’s journey to success in America came after periods of challenge and adversity. Her career as a budding entrepreneur began in Vietnam as a teenager, where she sold her family’s household goods on the streets after the fall of Saigon in 1975.

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Sherry: I note one of your core principles is beauty from the inside out. Why is this important? Le Yen: It is important for two reasons. First of all, I was taught this from a child. The phrase that sticks with me the most is what my mother used to say to me in Vietnamese: “pretty is, what pretty does”. My mom always instilled that in me as well. “Pretty is what pretty does” refers to your behavior and how you treat your inside, your body, this is how the beauty is going to radiate on the outside. When you are considering looking to a professional for anti-aging and hormone replacement advice, a client really needs to seek someone who will view them as a whole person. You have to be healthy and beautiful on the inside in order to be beautiful on the outside. As a “Visagiste” (a French word meaning designer of the face), I help people understand the full scope of their internal and external health and how every decision we make together is connected to revitalizing and restoring their natural elegance. Second, we all know that the skin is a billboard of your inner health. When you see the skin on the outside you see all the symptoms of the inside on the skin. From extensive studies in Chinese Medicine and other traditions I know that the deep immune system is very important in defining how you look and feel on the outside. If you have a healthy inside everything is going to radiate through. You are going to feel beautiful and look elegant on the outside.

cation and world couture came from my Father. He is the most stylish man I have ever known. My family experienced the fall of Saigon first hand. After a year of living with that devastation, we re-located to France where I received a formal education in French schools. The mix of the cultural upbringing that I had helped me understand a broad view of culture and beauty. Plus, I have advanced studies in Paris, Italy and the U.S. Yes, I am a 30year female entrepreneur in America, and part of my success stems from an intimate understanding of people from every walk of life.

Le Yen successfully combines her knowledge of scientific medical based treatment techniques with exten-sive training in the use of herbal and botanical compounds in skincare.

Sherry: How has your multicultural upbringing and or exposure impacted your view of the world? Le Yen: My global experiences are the foundation of everything I do. It’s where the East meets West in my life. I was born and raised in Vietnam. I have traditional Asian values that were taught by my parents at home. So that’s how I view the world. That is what helped to shape my outlook on the world. From a young age, I also had a western outlook on the world such as civil rights, women emancipation, living democracy in the third world. Those are issues that have always been important to me. My understanding of sophisti-

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Sherry: Could you kindly inform readers of some of those values? Le Yen: Some of the values that I carry are service before self, caring for others, respect for the elderly, integrity and excellence in what you do - do your best all the time.

Sherry: What inspired you to enter the skin care industry? Le Yen: I would say not what but who. It was my mom. Growing up in Vietnam, we had times when my mom could afford to buy cosmetics and skincare. But other times when we couldn’t, she made home remedies. I was watching her doing hand masks for her hands, rinse for her hair, so those kinds of things. I grew up watching her take care of herself. In Asian culture, your parents always raise you to grow up and be either an engineer or doctor. But I just knew that it was in me, the love for skincare, the passion for skincare was in me and that’s what I followed. I followed my instinct and my love. That’s why I’m in skin care today. So it’s very important that you treat your inside well so that you can reflect the beauty on the outside.

We do hormone therapies where we balance you. Stress over the years or every day stress can cause your body to go into inflammation and inflammation causes aging, weight gain, and various chronic diseases. Much of it stems from imbalances in the hormones. I often recommend a program to detoxify to help remove chemicals in the fat tissues, liver and kidneys to reduce inflammation. Then after that, we do a comprehensive blood work to measure the hormones and work to balance the hormones so that the body can function properly again.

start - up funds. Therefore, for many years, I had to work and reinvest it in my company. What that meant is that I had to sacrifice my earnings in order to reinvest in my company. For many years it was very, very, hard. There were tough times financially. Any business person – especially someone with an entrepreneurial spirit – understands the importance of finances. In such a competitive space, and with clients who carry such extraordinary expectations, the business side of the business is a constant challenge. The third thing is people, meaning staff. We are in a different era. It’s been Sherry: I’d like to know, for our challenging over the years to find and readers, what was one of your retain staff who embrace the culture of greatest challenges in business Ecobel, which is integrity, customer and how did you overcome that service as our utmost priority and then challenge? excellence. People are content with being Le Yen: Great question. I would wrap rich, of doing just enough to have a job or that up in three things. It is a competitive a career path. industry. It is very hard to compete against businesses that have low Sherry: What are some of your integrity, who drive prices to the bottom secrets to success and how would and make everything a cheap you encourage readers to start a commodity. That is not the approach business? someone should take with their own Le Yen: To advise somebody to start a skin. In order for us to continue to business, I would say, be ready to work provide excellent service, it costs money harder than your staff. Be ready to work and training and the right staff. It is a 60 - 70 hours to build that business. And constant challenge to compete against plan, a lot of planning. If you fail to plan, businesses that do not do quality but you plan to fail. That’s what I have to quantity, hustling volume at a very low say. People should also acknowledge their strength and weaknesses, and price. That is what my first challenge is - competitors that have low integrity in always celebrates your strengths. I think the secret to the success of Ecobel is me. their business practice. The second one is my business prac- It’s just who I am as a person. It’s been a tice itself. When I started my business, I lot of hard work, and 100% worth it. You have to have integrity. I refuse to be started with my savings, very low average. It’s just who I am,

You need a lot of persistence and hard work. A few times I have fallen. But I have picked myself up and kept going. You just have to keep going. Sherry: You mentioned that sometimes you failed, how did you encourage yourself? How did you get back on your feet? What steps did you take to bounce back into a higher level of success? Le Yen: I think my upbringing. I was raised during the Vietnam War. I had fought battles to survive, immigrated to a new country twice, and faced cultural and social challenges along the way, including being bullied while I was in school. As a result of the hardships, I learned to be resilient and self – reliant. It is 30 years after opening Ecobel and I am unveiling a completely new side to my business that will complement the spas services perfectly. Ecobel Med Spa, still anchored in the Buckhead business community to this day. Le Yen is the owner of an womanowned business in the hypercompetitive health and wellness industry. Ecobel Med Spa is located at 2996 Grandview Ave NE #224, Atlanta, GA 30305, (404) 960-0812). The spa is open 10 am - 6 pm. Le Yen is available for one-on-one VIP consultations for anti-aging and hormone. For more information on Le Yen’s special events, speaking, workshop and training, contact E. Emmet Brady, brand strategist at 510-759-7624.

Sherry: What does a regular consultation entail? Le Yen: Often when people come to me they want instant gratification. So, what I would do is to treat their outside first, to give that instant gratification, to beautify the skin on the outside. Then I tell them that to truly have long lasting beau-ty, one must take care of the inside. We do that using various scientific methods.

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My global experiences are the foundation of everything I do. It’s where the East meets West in my life. I was born and raised in Vietnam. I have traditional Asian values that were taught by my parents at home. So that’s how I view the world. That is what helped to shape my outlook on the world.”

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. 22

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P E N N S Y L V A N I A

D O C T O R

Dr. Felicia Young

COMPASSION AND CARE FOR HER PATIENTS Tâ&#x20AC;&#x2039;h ere are many powerful pioneers in the field of medicine who have made it their collective goal in their plethora lifetimes to further medicine and open doors for the advancement of strong women in the practice of medicine. The list of firsts can go infinitely as new medical procedures are created, technology advances, new diseases cures for those diseases are discovered, and advancement in treatment and cures for existing maladies. Dr. Felicia Young, MD,FAAFP is among those who work diligently to be a part of that select committee of pioneers. She has created a personalized precise healthcare approach so that each individual patient can receive the proper treatment, education, and training shaped for their individual needs. She believes that it is imperative that we treat the whole person. We must start with preventive health care which is needed to prevent and maintain the quality of life and wellness needed to live a more prosperous life. Pennsylvania Doctor Felicia Young is a Family Medicine Physician licensed in multiple States. She has been recognized by the American Academy of Family Physician and she received the distinct honor of receiving a Degree of Fellow from the American Academy of Family Physicians. This is a national medical association which represents thousands and thousands of Family Physicians. During her career she has done extensive work in the field of Family Medicine and her service also has gone internationally where she has done mission work treating patients in Liberia, Kenya, and Jamaica to name a few.

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These experiences have led her on a path to not only treating but better educating her patients about some of the many illnesses that plague all ages such as diabetes and the number one killer- heart disease. Dr. Young believes that the development of a comprehensive training and education program which is individualized, personalized and precise can lead to a more independent and healthy life. Along with her current general practice she also has a consultant practice where patients all over the globe have direct access to her and she empowers, educate, and treat them. Dr. Youngâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s passion has been and always will be compassion and care for her patients. As we move into a world where we are connected almost instantly to anywhere in the world, Dr. Youngâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goal is to reach as many as she can to educate, empower, and train patients and consultees to live longer, fuller, healthier and more prosperous lives.

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Disruptors are fast-moving companies, often startups, focused on a particular innovative technology or process in everything from mobile payments to insurance. And, they have been attacking some of the most profitable elements of the financial services value chain.” ~ Google

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Shirley Luu

THE FINANCIAL SERVICES DISRUPTOR

rom the “Wealthy Women TV Show,” Women Of Wealth Magazine introduces the ‘Financial Services Disruptor’ Shirley Luu, Founder and CEO of Shirley Luu and Associates, LLC powered by First Financial Security, Inc. Shirley guarantees that if you give her 30 minutes of your time she can put you on the road to creating a dynasty and totally change the trajectory of your financial future, including generational wealth for your family’s family. “Most people are simply unaware of the powerful financial products that exist today and which we offer that will secure your wealth for tomorrow and beyond,” Shirley explains. “This gap in awareness leaves an ocean of opportunity available for those who want to learn the business and champion the cause with us.” Shirley plays in the playground of the successful and loves to mentor others on acquiring a wealthy mindset. I can see myself being mentored by Shirley, who was also a syndicated columnist, known as “The Wealth Guru” for an online platform that promoted expert opinions on money, wealth and financial literacy. Shirley is inspired to educate everyone, but especially women and minorities. She provides a roadmap to becoming financially independent, basically starting at zero.

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A Little Background in Her Own Words Shirley, tell us a little about getting into the financial services industry. “My background starts with the Fortune 500 companies. I was enjoying what I was doing and then, my husband decided one day, ‘well, let’s go and open up a business so that you can be an entrepreneur.’ So, I left the Fortune 500 company, took everything I had and opened a business in Virginia. Shortly thereafter my husband died suddenly. My life was devastated. We had to move out of the house immediately and find a place to live.” “I was left with three children, then ages 1, 15 and 16, and I had to embrace a new direction. I believe life is a roll of the dice at times and challenging times do not discriminate. At any time, any one of us can be faced with homelessness due to an unexpected and devastating event. I knew one thing was certain, that if you don’t proactively plan, with respect to savings, retirement and, most important, life insurance, the likelihood is that your family’s financial situation will be bleak.” “I did not even have time to really grieve, I had to find a way to take care of myself and my children. So, I decided to get into the financial services industry because I strongly felt that women should know, at all times, where they stand on money, their family, and their wellbeing. My passion is in educating and empowering women and their families.” “Rooted in empathy and experience, I recognized the unique challenges that exist for women and thus I have been active in empowering women to “know their money” through various educational and enrichment programs.”

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AN OPPORTUNITY AS A FINANCIAL MISSIONARY Shirley, what’s your outlook on your business? “We are attracting an ever-growing force of associates and licensed professionals who not only share my vision for wealth empowerment, but they also see the tremendous business opportunity that exists in the financial services industry. I am mobilizing a team of Financial Missionaries where educating our clients is the key because, only then is “choice” possible for the client….from two aspects. One from a client standpoint - we are setting them up for financial security. The second aspect [from a business development standpoint] will provide an opportunity for those who believe in our crusade to educate others while having an opportunity to earn a great living.” SHIRLEY LUU’S ACHIEVEMENTS Shirley, can you bring us up to date with some of the things you have been doing since over the last few years, and how you have been empowering women and others? “It’s been an exciting ride, and it’s incredible to be honored with numerous awards. Since 2004, I started creating platforms to educate women and men across the region. I’ve even spoken more recently at the DC Convention Center.” “And to be honest, it’s so exciting, to grow and be recognized as a company of success. I was featured in Forbes, Oprah Winfrey Magazine, and Entrepreneur Magazine. In addition, Copa Style Magazine recognized me on the front cover for the 2019 Businesswoman of the Year.”

“I just found out Morgan State University asked me if I could come out and speak. I’m also doing an educational platform with George Mason, with their Finance Club in entrepreneurship, where I’m teaching them about money. I’ve conducted financial workshops with various universities such as the University of Maryland and Towson University. These workshops provide the community an opportunity to learn about money.” “In addition to that, I’ll have a platform for financial education within the next 30 days on a local television station in the Washington area.” In 2019, Shirley Luu and Associates was nominated for and won the Fairfax County Bea Malone Small Business of the Year Award. In addition, Leadership Fairfax awarded Shirley Luu the prestigious 2019 Corporate Leadership Award.

“When it comes to retirement, there are three main components that everyone should incorporate. One, leave a tax-free legacy for your family in the case that one dies too soon. Two, have a guaranteed stream of income in the case that one lives too long. Three, have living benefits you can access if a crisis occurs like chronic or terminal illness.” “With over 23 years in the financial services industry, I began to study the insurance component of the retirement arena and eventually began preaching it to others. [I’ve been], mostly excited about the combination of features and benefits we are able to secure within a single account or plan. For example, we can structure annuities which essentially provide the best of both worlds, giving you low-risk growth and a guaranteed minimum return. We can offer you cash value and show you how to be your own bank. We can help you get market upside gains with downside protection and no losses to your principal. And you can access benefits while still living, for large ticket items or if you get sick.”

“These are just a few of the next generation of products and the reason my clients love the financial security they experience by placing their money in properly structured life insurance policies and annuities.” “Some may say, ‘How is this possible?’ The short answer: due to the evolution and innovation of financial products, especially within the life insurance industry within the last 15-20 years, coupled with key changes in State and Federal laws, and further enhanced by competition within the industry - all of which has ultimately allowed a new breed of indexed products to exist and serve as another viable solution and powerful choice for those seeking financial security.”

“Laws have evolved, and new laws have emerged over the last decade, and over 90% of financial advisors and investors are in disbelief and shock when I educate them on the benefits and features of today’s life insurance when structured properly.” “So, 15 years ago, I started a financial brokerage fir m. Our core values are Diversity, Education and Team. We recruit diverse ethnicities to enhance our team. It was very tough. None of the traditional advisors believed these unique financial products really existed. So I decided to focus on working with women and minorities, and that’s how it got started.” Shirley’s approach to partnering with other advisors is also unique. “We just won a contract with one of the largest franchises for tax services for the Latino markets. They interviewed at least five financial fir ms, but they ended up choosing Shirley Luu & Associates.”

As we spoke, I could tell that Shirley was excited about her well-deserved achievements. According to one of her professional colleagues, “Shirley is powerful and can only shoot straight up to the top with that type of recognition, dedication, and heartfelt commitment.” GOING FROM ZERO TO MILLIONAIRE Shirley, how did you become so successful? “When I got into the financial industry, I found out that there were lots of new emerging products for retirement that the traditional insurance company and financial fir ms were not even talking about.”

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“We help these tax service franchises innovate by adding financial services to their tax practice. And, this business model innovation isn’t limited to tax services offices. We apply this innovation to many other industries such as law firms, CPA firms, banks, mortgage companies, etc.” CHAMPIONING GIRL POWER “Today, 80 percent of my team are women and minorities. I initially offered those who’ve had misfortune in life an opportunity to participate in a unique training program [allowing them to] advance in life. So I provided a solution for those who were serious and wanted to get involved in one of the most lucrative industries to help others and make a lot of money. My criteria is that they must have a positive attitude and the willingness to learn.” Shirley has an uncommon passion for helping women. She believes in her heart that they can succeed if they put their mind to it. She also has compassion to help women in her organization. She has even bought a car, paid rent, paid electric bills, and paid tuition for women in need — but, has asked nothing in return. Currently, Shirley has her eyes set on a new initiative in conjunction with an organization called Shelter House, a non-profit that provides crisis intervention and safe housing to men, women and children. This partnership allows for Shirley Luu and Associates to help women and men transition to a new career field in financial services. Shirley has committed to sponsoring all certification fees required for these prospective associates to begin practicing in the field. Her hope is simply that they learn how to pay-it-forward for others in need once they themselves are successful. FAMILY IMPACT Shirley, how have your kids done through this journey? “I have three kids. The oldest girl is Amanda. She currently works for a well known global social media application in the Human Resource Department, and she is well respected in Silicon Valley. She’s very bright and beautiful. She just got married in August, and I’m so proud and happy for her and my new son-inlaw, Kevin. My son, Michael, in the beginning, was kind of tough. He was a brilliant kid but quit high school. As a mom, I didn’t know what to do. But I’ll tell you the success story now: I got him into a GED program and once he graduated, he was more like a valedictorian at his GED class. He went on to George Mason University, graduated and ended up with a physicist degree. And at the same time, he went into the Army, became an Airborne Army Ranger before separating from the military. In August,

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he was accepted into MIT PhD program in physics.

How many agents do you have?

And the last one is Jade. She’s the youngest and in high school doing extremely well. She’s ultrasmart, beautiful and has a strong head on her shoulders. And I’m very proud of her, as well.”

“Well, right now, I guess probably around 4,000 agents across the nation. I run the operation with directors across every state helping me. I think I have about 360 directors that help me run the organization.”

DIFFERENT FROM THE REST Why would someone come to you, your team, for a financial analysis or retirement plan?

So, what happens when any of those directors bring in a new agent?

“I use leverage to grow the business and to train people. We have partnered with some great, highly reputable companies, Barron’s top-listed carriers and as a valued broker, we are able to provide proprietary products truly unique to the industry.”

“They have to train them. They are responsible for training and teaching them. So now what I do is I leverage my directors to go and train all those people in all those states. And then they in turn have a team of folks that they trust. But that’s just a small piece. We’re about to take this thing to a whole new level. It’s going to be fun.”

“And actually, the other factor that makes me different, is how I protect people’s money and all that. So it’s really good, you know.”

So how can prospective clients and associates reach you Shirley? “… our presence is in all 50

States, especially all the major cities around the country. We have remote agents and satellite offices too, and that’s because financial education belongs to everyone everywhere. Not just to the major cities or [those who are] well-to-do.” Shirley Luu and Assoicates are at the top of their game with numerous insurance carriers, two of which carriers have even developed proprietary products for her organization. She is confident that 2020 will be a remarkable year not only for her fir m but for her clients as well. She noted that Shirley Luu and Associates shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. “I can’t sit still,” laughed Shirley. “I was born to do this.” For more information on Shirley Luu and Associates, call 703.608.1203; go online at ShirleyLuuAssociates.com; or e-mail Shirley at shirley@shirleyluuassociates.com.

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Geteey Omar

THE STUNNING, ELEGANT AND PROLIFIC WEDDING AND EVENTS DESIGNER by Zahra Omar

ars have a cruel and indiscriminate way of impacting the lives of a population, diverting individual lives into unknown directions. The decades long war that had engulfed Geteey Omars’ native country, Afghanistan, has not been any different. From a very young age, it became obvious that, Geteey, was gifted with a unique sense of creativity. She loved to create arts and craft projects, designing unique pieces to be displayed around her house. Each day, after school, she was excited to start another project, experimenting with different color schemes and textures. But, soon, life would change in more ways than Geetey could have ever anticipated. The Russian invasion of Afghanistan changed everything. Political unrest and division plagued the country. The sense of security and peace began to shatter under the heavy weight of daily violence and fear. In order to ensure their children’s safety and well being, Geteey’s parents decided to flee the country.

Photography credit: Jamshid Momtaz

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As Geteey was being uprooted from her native country, she bade farewell to her lifelong friends and also her precious hand-made projects that adorned the rooms of her family home. Despite an uncertain future, she made a promise to herself that she would never leave her dreams behind, and that they would accompany her to wherever life would take her next. In 1990, Geteey finally arrived in the United States. She was now determined to eliminate all the obstacles that life had placed on her path to accomplishing her creative aspirations. She worked tirelessly to overcome the language barrier, she familiarized herself with a new culture, and she swiftly assimilated to her new surroundings. Geteey also continued to excel in the fields of interior design and decoration. Her passion, hard work, unique vision and perseverance finally came to fruition with the creation of Platinum Weddings and Décor in Northern Virginia. She had finally realized her American dream and her entrepreneurial spirit. One of her goals was to be culturally sensitive to the needs of a vastly diverse clientele. Her dedication to each client and her creative vision have earned her accolades, support and rave reviews. Geteey, believes that the success of her growing business is largely due to her meticulous attention to detail and her refined and ever evolving sense of style. She values the individuality of each client and strives to fulfill all their expectations. Geteey’s drive and passion to turn her clients’ wishes into reality have made her a successful entrepreneur. After all, who values dreams more than a woman who as a little girl had to abandon everything but her dreams. Contact her for your dream wedding or event space design. Contact her for any type of creative interior design at info@platinumweddingsva.com and/or at platinumweddingsva.com or on Instagram, Pinterest or Face Book at Platinum Weddings and Décor. Contact us by phone at 703-200-1291.

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Another Segment from

CONVERSATIONS WITH WEALTHY WOMEN TV Show. Dr. Jasmin Sculark

Dr. Jazz, I would like to start this session off with a discussion about the many facets of Dr. Jasmin Sculark. I am the Senior Pastor and Founder of Victory Grace Center in Maryland. I am also the Chief Executive Officer of Dr. Jazz Ministries, where we travel globally impacting lives through the written and spoken word. Excellent. Can you take us back to some of the renowned ministries you have shared the same pulpits with? Well, I have had the privilege of ministering at the Woman Thou Art Loose Conference with Bishop T.D. Jakes and with Pastor Jamal Bryant. I also have had the privilege of speaking at Megafest; and have ministered internationally in the UK, Africa on the Word Network and TBN. I served as a minister under Dr. Charles Edward Booth and pastored two churches before I started by own.

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How do you take charge of your day?

She got inspired and found her purpose.

Just waking up every day is a blessing. So, after I receive the blessing, I thank God. Then, I ask myself, these four things: Who do I want to be; What do I want to have; What do I want to do; and Who do I want to help? I use these 4 points as a focus for helping people outside of my acquaintance, like women. I want them to be wealthy, healthy, in good relationships, and finally to have faith. So, I help them with advice and support as it pertains to finances, family, and their faith.

I know you came from Trinidad, please tell us what was your life like growing up there?

Dr. Sculark, I have attended many of your Events and I have noticed that the norm for attendance is standing room only, why is that? Most of the time, I get people coming to my events to be inspired. For example, I had someone from Maryland to come in, she did not know what she was coming to the city to do until Dr. Renee Allen introduced me to her.

I’m from a remote village in Trinidad called Laventille. My story was like that of Jesus of Nazareth when people questioned his legitimacy to speak about the things of God because of where he was from. My community was infested with drugs and crime. A family of seven kids, and I am the last one. My mom died when I was 14, so I was raised by my siblings, especially my sister. We did everything we could to survive in that village because that was the only thing we could hope for. I once told a story on the TD Jakes show about the $32 seed contributed to me by members of my village to help send me to America. It was the wish of my sister for me and my siblings to come here.

In this Series we are featuring our interview with DR. JASMIN SCULARK affectionately called “Dr. Jazz”.

I am the Fruit of a $32 Seed I see myself as a product of that $32 seed, not $32 million. However, I faced a traumatic situation before leaving Trinidad, which I recorded in my first book “Dancing with Broken Bones.” For many years, I did not share this incident, only to bring it up at the Woman Thou Art Loosed conference because I realized I needed to heal. My first book, Dancing with Broken Bones, was centered around the culture of Trinidad and my ability to dance despite the brokenness. The brokenness involved losing my mom and being a victim of rape. I developed a survival instinct and a determination that $32 was going to be the lowest amount I would ever earn in America. I came to Binghamton, New York and attended a school—Practical Bible College—which was predominately Caucasian, and that was where I discovered my preaching and teaching gifts.

As a child, I was usually an outspoken person, so I was sent to detention a few times. My high school teacher would say to me, she wished God could turn my outspokenness to something better, and I guess He did. The same mouth that got angry and said hurtful things is now the mouth that is constructive, and God is using to create wonders. My experiences set the table before me and enabled me to interact and dine with all races and nationalities around the world. In college, I did a lot of menial jobs to attain my degree. I continued my education and received my Masters and later my doctoral degree without any student loans. I had no help but God. Because the school needed more people of color, I was given the opportunity to speak to people of all races in 40 different cities and states. Before you knew it, African American student numbers started to increase in the school. During this time, I had an

epiphany and realized that public speaking was my gift. I then relocated to Washington, D.C. Amazing story. What’s the next plan for empowering women? I know you have the marketplace ministry, but what are we expecting anytime soon? It is good that you asked that. I love what I do in the church while preaching to the nation as a manifestation of my gifts. But I want to empower women globally to be themselves. That’s why I started my FinallyMe4Real movement. This movement seeks to empower, equip and encourage women to freely live in the full authenticity of who they are in all areas of their lives which includes their ministry, money, mental health and more. When women without financial security speak, it saddens me. They attend all the seminars and conferences but still end up broke. I’m of the opinion that without

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a strategy, the trend will continue. I will use myself as an example: getting married and then ending up in divorce. The divorce wasn’t my real concern; it was how I would live financially because everything we had together was in his name. It was then that I developed a strategy to move from poverty to prosperity. I have seen the best of both worlds, poverty and wealth. I realized I had placed all my eggs in one place. I believe that everything outside of us is a resource to financial stability rather than a source. It doesn’t matter who the person is; you don’t have to depend on them for joy, peace, and your finances. During my days at my first place of worship, the church grew exponentially under my guidance and one day someone asked me, how much money did the church have in the bank, and I didn’t have a clue. He told me I haven’t started my pastoral work until I knew where the money went. That is when I realized it is not just important to have faith but to understand finance. I was busy working for God’s people, and the Board couldn’t give me a raise? That is what women pastors must contend with because we don’t know our value. If we do, we would know our worth. We don’t because we get emotionally enshrined in most situations. That is why my advice to women is to keep your emotions in check and work with the numbers in front of you.

FEARLESS, RELEVANT, RELENTLESS AND INTENTIONAL

According to Dr. Sculark, You must be logical and smart in a board room. When asked the meaning of that statement, she said, You must be logical and smart in a board room. I spoke with a friend of mine, and he proposed that we deal with racism. I promised my support to him but emphasized that we both live in separate worlds. While racism is primary to him; sexism is more of my primary concern. Because I see no reason why men should be earning more than women who take on the same amount of work. The stats don’t support black women when it comes to making money. I want equality in all areas between opposite sexes, that is why I keep championing equal pay passionately. Having the confidence to demand what you deserve is what I am seeking to teach women. Thank you Dr. Sculark, All of this has been so inspiring, I hate for it to end, however, we have reached the end of our interview unless you want to bring in something more before we close out. I was hoping not to take up too much of your time. No, not really. If your readers desire to contact me they can reach me at Jasmin Sculark scularkj@icloud.com

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R O B I N S O N

Becoming a director affords me the opportunity to mentor, educate and encourage our unit members… says Jeanna Robinson I am under the Phenomenal Elite Executive National Sales Director, Gloria Mayfield-Banks of Ellicott City, MD and I’m currently a member of the Vision Unit. I received The Mary Kay pin with the Crest around it is because I became a Team Leader when I shared this opportunity with five (5) women who became new business owners on my team.

Jeanna Robinson resides in two worlds, the Mary Kay Culture and the Real Estate Culture. She felt that she would make a bigger impact by serving both communities. Robinson is a licensed realtor in MD since 2013 and affiliated with Samson Properties Brokerage in the Greg Evans Group serving the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Northern Virginia areas. We thank Robinson for her willingness to serve others. She is a Military Veteran and specialize in programs that help veterans and first time home buyers. According to Robinson, her passion is helping people achieve all their real estate desires. She declares that, her clients have been

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and are currently purchasing or selling residential properties, investment properties, leasing properties, and/or in need of residential rental properties. Robinson goes on to say that she has impacted the lives of people by short sales preventing foreclosures and leasing commercial properties for their businesses. I asked Robinson, what encourages you to rise early and go for it, she stated, customer service and understanding my client’s real estate needs are very important to me and being available to provide the very BEST in total customer Satisfaction is my mission. To contact Robinson, please refer to the website on the facing page.

My name is Jeanna Robinson and I’m preparing for my retirement in July 2020 from the federal government after working 38+ years, which includes military and civilian service. My plan is to work my passion which is Mary Kay Skincare and Cosmetics along with Real Estate. I believe in leaving a legacy for my family of FAITH, Wisdom, entrepreneur knowledge, understanding finances, and wealth management. This is a continuous learning process because things seem to change so often. I want to help people achieve their very best while encouraging them and giving a hand up along the way! I’ve started an amazing business with Mary Kay Skincare and Cosmetics. I wholeheartedly believe in the vision that Mary Kay Ashe believed which

is God First, Family Second, and Career Third! To me, this is called balancing life. She also believed in the “Golden Rule” Treat others the way you want to be treated and make people feel Special. This truly resonated with me, as well as the products being one of the Best Ever! Currently, I am a Red Jacket, Future Director in Qualification with a Team consisting of eight (8) or more of my personal recruits. My team members and I shared this amazing opportunity with twenty four (24) or more other people showing them how to start a home based business. This movement resulted in us becoming our own unit and me qualifying as their Director. After my retirement from the military, the name of our future unit will be “Heavenly Divine Majestic Grace” (HDMG). Becoming a Director affords me the opportunity to mentor, educate and encourage our unit members and others to become Mary Kay Stars thereby receiving recognition, continuous learning and earning the use of company cars! Get Excited!! Mary Kay has skincare for every skin type, which includes a new skincare line called “Naturally” which is certified as “All Natural”. For more information about our phenomenal products and opportunity, you may reach me at the information below: marykay.com/ jrobinson4

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W I N

WHEN GOD IS ENOUGH

Archbishop Ruth W. Smith

s I sat here in awe of this Woman of God, Bishop Ruth Smith, I was reminded of Bishop T. D. Jakes’ sermon describing the different people that a leader should have around him or her. He named the confidant and two others. But the one that stuck in my mind was the confidant. He said that person is critical to your ministry and to you. You know that they are going to be there no matter what, and the good thing about that is he said, is that they will tell you when you have gone offline and will help bring you back on track. They don’t judge you, but they will talk to you, and they will keep your secret. They are there for you. I have been under Bishops Ruth’s ministry for many years and I know she carries a burden for her church, Light of the World Christian Tabernacle in Stockbridge, Georgia as well as an International Ministry of World Leaders in their Covenant Fellowship. She is a woman called to lead men and women. I asked: Bishop Ruth what it is like being a leader of Christian men? You know all my life; God has used me in a very interesting way. From a young age, I always knew that God had a purpose and plan for my life even before I knew who God was. I always have had this Grace on my life. I realized that I learned to get along with all kinds of people in all kinds of categories and ages. Because of this space that God has had me in, there has been a non-judgmental kind of spirit residing within me.

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Going back to Bishop Jakes’ sermon, he said this second person is not there for you–per se. They are not there because and they love you, but they are there because they love your cause and your purpose. So, they are there to serve the purpose. He said the problem with that person is that they will ride along for a while, but if they see something, they think is better they will jump off your bandwagon and on to another. I want you to share some of your experience (if any) with that type of person. They start running with you but is not the confidant that is assigned to you. So, tell us, have you experienced this type of personality in your ministry? Yes, I have, as I said, I have been a leader all my life. My father taught me to be a businesswoman. So, I’ve been in business all my life. But I had my first official business when I was 12 years old. I had my own snack bar. I was responsible for selling the product and running the business. My first employee was my mother’s age. So, I was a 12-year-old with an employee that was my mom’s age; which I guess was about 50 years old. So yes, I have experienced those kinds of people. The first thing I dealt with was this older woman stealing from my business. I really didn’t know how to handle it. The person that was helping me with my business said to me, “My God Parents, if people are stealing from you it’s coming out of your pocket, so you need to be able to sit that person down and talk to them about it.” And so, I did. That was the one of the most challenging things I have ever done. But what it taught me was: You must be honest with yourself and you must be honest with people. What my godparents helped me understand in that situation was that the older woman was not just an older woman, she was an employee of mine, and I had to take responsibility over that situation. I also found that the people closest to you may be the most dangerous when it comes down to just riding the train long enough to get what they can get from the ride. It is dangerous because you have given them your confidence. It is very difficult to have a person to walk close with you and not get to know the things that you wouldn’t want broadcasted to the world. So, when I bring people into my inner circle, I’m always questioning why is this person here? What is he or she suppose too bring to the table? And what are they expecting to receive? Once I can discern those two things, then I open the circle for that person to come in. If I can’t answer those two questions, then I just wait. Here’s the

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big piece of it. If there’s not an exchange being made, then it’s not from God.

I want to talk now about leadership of women. As a woman I want you to speak to women leaders out there. Empower them with your conversation. God made us intentional beings. I always knew that I was intentionally brought into this realm, and I share that with women. The more authentically you can be yourself, the more likely you will be the best person you can be. And you’ll also be the person God intended for you to be. I grew up on the farm and was, trained in business so I never knew or thought about not being a businesswoman and having my own money. So, I say to women, make sure to be all you can be, even if you are a homemaker—which my mom was. But she was Proverbs 31 homemaker. She knitted. She made clothes. She was out doing business and selling stuff. She was still being productive even after my dad passed away. The other thing is, I continued my development in corporate America. At age 19, I started working for the BellSouth Corporation. I thank God I was intelligent and skilled. Therefore, I got put on a fast track for management. I was managing people, male, female, mostly people that did not look like me, and some by the way were older people as well. God never told human beings to dominate human beings. It was supposed to be a win–win for all. We now have this mind-set that somehow men are supposed to dominate women. That’s not true. We should labour together for God. If we think that we can do it without either one of us; try having your children without a woman or without a man.

You and the church have grown so much since you took on the leadership after Bishop Jimmie Lee Smith went home. Tell us about that growth. We’re headquartered in Stockbridge, Georgia. And yes, the late Archbishop Jimmie Lee Smith and I started this work and he transitioned to be with the Lord in January of 2008. I received a consecration to be the lead Bishop which is what an Archbishop is, of the Covenant Fellowship plus the senior pastor at the Light of the World. We were already established, so I didn’t have to relocate. However, I did have to build the Jimmie Lee Smith Community Center which was a very integral part of the vision of the ministry. And God was so gracious to us that the Center was built without a change order, and without an overrun of the budget. We had no issues with the construction. It was just that much grace on getting that facility built.

Our facility has a vision. Its acronym is: SEE—Sports, Education and Entertainment designed for our new generation. The new life for this church is going to be these young people, and the Center has really been a wide door opened for us for evangelism and completing what God said it would do. We are ministering in the local schools, and we have a before and after care school program. We have basketball and volleyball camps which affords us the opportunity to witness to people. Many of them have come across the campus to connect with the church.

of course, a lot less stress on my physical body as well. Our ministry has been in India for some time, but now we’re looking toward another region in India in 2020.

At the church we are revamping the Covenant Fellowship which is an organization of churches, agencies and insightful ministers. Many of our members have gone on their first international missions’ trip because of their connection with our Covenant Fellowship. We have been able to introduce them to vetted pastors and bishops in third world countries the Islands, and Europe. In the meantime, what my job has been is to go to new territory. These are just new things that I’ve implemented over the last 10 years. Most of my international travel now is a one-time travel. I go, I vet, I establish and then I’ll take somebody along with me that potentially could be a person who can lead that work. Sometimes, I might have to go back again and introduce someone else to that community. Thank God, I have been able to release a lot of the work to different Bishops and leaders to handle over the last ten years that we, (meaning my late husband and I) had been doing by ourselves. For the present work God has given me a different grace from that of my late husband.

Now I know you have a pretty clear interest in the church planting part of ministry. So, what is your vision for that?

I’ve been given the assignment to empower; which has enabled me to reach much farther with a lot less stress. And

I guess the other thing is we have experienced a good bit of attrition. People have moved on in different directions for different reasons. God sends people out and God sends people in to continue to work the vision. It has taken us to new dimensions and new levels. If a person can’t go to that new dimension, then he must shift, so that God can send in the person who can.

Yes, and before we start talking about planting, we must understand what it is we want to plant. Do we want to plant Elders from the local church? If so, they require apostolic grace. So, as a church planter one of the main things that I deal with is a gift assessment to make sure I know what their spiritual gifts are. If they are an apostle, I will usually discourage them from trying to plant a church ‘as usual’, because (following Biblical example) an Apostle is going to plant a church and turn it over to a Pastor to pastor. Jesus worked with 12 apostles. So, the Apostle should get at least 12 people that he or she can pour that vision into before they take the first step in planting a church. It is a Jesus principle. If we can’t get 12 people to really connect to your vision, purpose, and plan of what God has told you to do—then it’s either, not time to plant, or you’re not ready. Visit us at www. comeintothelight.org.

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H U M A N I T A R I A N

A N D

A U T H O R

Dr. Gloria Johnson-Rodgers, MD

THE INCREDIBLE TRUE STORY

other Gloria Johnson-Rodgers. a family practice physician is the Supervisor of Women, South Central, Georgia, Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Church Of God In Christ, humanitarian and author. She began life in a shotgun house in a small town called Shaw, Mississippi, and grew up on commodity food and a lot of love. According to Dr Rodgers her mom was an excellent mother but a fusser. One day her mother revealed that she had been raped as a child but never told anyone, once she released the secret her whole character changed, and she was no longer a fusser. On the other hand, she describes her Dad as a very calm, very loving and giving man. “My Dad was the type of person who would give you the coat off his back, she states, anything he had he would give you. He was really the role model for the type of person I’ve grown up to be.” Unfortunately, she lost her Dad at an early age. She was only eight and in the third grade when he passed away. This was a changing moment in her life, and the first time she ever reached out to the lord. She spoke to the Lord directly that day and it was then that He revealed his presence to her. She stated that She was sitting in church and could suddenly see light everywhere. Even her hands were glowing from His power.

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She told no one about the experience until she became an adult, but from that day on she knew and could see things that nobody could. And as incredible as this was, it wasn’t the first religious experience that she experienced during childhood. The second one came when a young boy in her neighbourhood died. She was able to feel and know that he had passed away before anyone else did. Again, the experience was so terrifying that she told no one, and even asked for the lord to take her powers away.

The Lord gave her what she asked for until she went away to college. She had decided to become a physician at the age of five, after watching a man die because of a lack of adequate medical care and was sitting in the chapel at college when suddenly she heard a voice while praying. The voice told her,

“Why are you so concerned about man’s faces when I supply everything that you ask me for.” She was shaken by this experience, and at that moment decided to give up on earthly ways and service the Lord always and forever. She said, “Okay I give up and I’ll serve you, I’ll do what you want me to do!”

From this point on the lord opened every door. Every time she would ask him for something, he would do it just like that (This is why Dr Rodgers likes to tell people who are new in Christ that they really don’t understand what they have.) The first thing she asked him for was that he would help her go to the chemical research plant at Monsanto, DuPont. Not only did he let her go, but he helped her get her name onto the patent for every light emitting dial that’s in America.

Yes, she helped to create the digital watch that millions of people wear everyday of their lives. The summer after that she wanted to do biological research and the lord allowed her to do that at Brown University, where she was able to work on many breakthroughs. And next he allowed her to attend pre-med at Harvard, where she continued her success. From that point on and for the rest of her life the lord continued to open things up for her. But still she didn’t tell anyone, because she didn’t want anybody to think that she was weird or religious. Remember, at this time she was at medical school, and that’s not a place where you can talk about these types of things.

At this point she’s reminded of another story. WOW Magazine

Once when she was little and playing outside in the yard, she cut her finger, split it in half, just like that. She was bleeding everywhere but right before her face, the lord took it and put it back together without a stitch. She never told a soul until about four years ago. Never told anyone. Not a living soul. And as her life continued, she began to have a deeper and deeper hunger and thirst for the lord. She loved him and she loved people. She wanted to be like the people who oozed with love and sweetness, not people who were mean and had no love for anyone. So, it was in college that she re-dedicated herself to the Lord. She decided that she was about him and him only. That’s when her ministry truly started, and she was given the gift of prophecy.

greatest doctor they had ever seen. She prayed for patients and they lived, including a set of triplets who were going to die, but managed to pull through. After she prayed for them the children began to thrive and were soon able to go home. After this experience she was inspired to become a neonatologist and paediatrician, especially when a fellow Doctor recommended that she do this. Another miraculous experience which she had was when there was a patient in her early 30’s who was dying. She had no idea what was wrong with this woman and consulted every specialist in the hospital. None of them could come up with a solution, so she sat at her desk, prayed and said, “God, I don’t know what’s wrong with this girl”

It was also when she started to teach bible study and met her husband.

Suddenly a book opened on her desk to this very disease.

She was so dedicated to the lord that for a whole year she refused to talk to him. But he persisted, and called her every day that year, until finally she gave in. As it turned out her future husbands’ father was a preacher in the church. They got married, finished school together, began their life, and five years later had a child. At that point she was teaching bible study on Wednesday night and the place was packed. Just by praying, fasting and teaching the word she was able to achieve this. She continued to teach, and the lord would continue to give her things. After college her husband wanted to move back to Georgia, where he wanted to open a church, which he did.

She was at the medical centre, where the lord continued to work miracles in her life. People thought she was a great doctor, they told her she was the

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It was a rare disease, and she needed to do total blood exchange if the woman was going to live. No one at the hospital believed her, but she persisted and turned out to be right. After the doctors performed tests, they discovered that this woman did in fact have the disease, and once they did a full exchange of this young woman’s blood her life was saved. Now every year she sends Dr Rodgers a card saying thank you every year. After this so many things happened. At this point she had no plans to enter the ministry. Her husband was leading a ministry, and she was going to be a pastor’s wife and sit in the front row. She was more than happy to be a Doctor and a great surgeon and deliver babies and make lots of money.

wasn’t ready for him to go. So, we prayed, and God sent him back. It was a miracle from God. Dr. Rodgers went on to say “I cannot do any miracles without His power. Furthermore, she states “I have been in ministry for 30 years and I have seen God perform countless miracles.”

Suddenly she realized this was true and she had to give up medicine and give her life to the Lord. This sounded impossible because at that point she had 500 patients. These patients loved her because she spoiled them. She treated them really, well, and even gave them free medicine. But then her husband came over and told her that he had heard the lord tell him the exact same thing in the car on the way over. At that moment she took the stethoscope off her neck, hung it up and moved her stuff over to the Church, where she’s been ever since. This was a good choice because she was able to heal even more people in the church than in the hospital. The biggest happened in 1993, when she was praying at the altar with her husband. One of her people had lupus for 27 years, and she was able to heal it simply with prayer. Nobody touched this patient, she simply came in and kneeled at the altar, and the lord healed her completely. Other women were cured from cancer, and after five days went to her Doctor who couldn’t find a single trace of the cancer remaining. And this woman is still living today.

But then an incredible experience happened.

Her greatest miracle was when her husband fell down the stairs and had subdural hematoma. Her husband was rushed to the hospital and after an MRI they discovered that he had a blood clot on his brain.

It all happened when a man she knew died. He was 95 years old; he had no heart rate and no pulse. They covered him up, but his wife

He was going to die, and there was almost no chance that he could pull through.

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My Dad was the type of person who would give you the coat off his back, she states, anything he had he would give you. He was really the role model for the type of person I’ve grown up to be.”

So, she called a city wide interdenominational fasting prayer. They met at the church at 6 o’clock every day. And in six months the lord had completely cured her husband and he was back preaching. While her husband was in the hospital he couldn’t walk, couldn’t talk, couldn’t even go to the bathroom. During this time, she needed someone to take over at the church. Once again, the lord intervened and commanded her to become the pastor of the church, and from that day on she and her husband were pastors at the church. Not co-pastors but joint pastors together. They’ve now been working together for more than 30 years, have and performed countless miracles, as well as overcoming many challenges.

90% of the vote. She was appointed by Bishop Norman O. Harper. According to Dr. Rodgers, “Bishop Harper took a vote, but the decision was his, he said he prayed, and God told him I was the one.”

Mother Rodgers is a giver, She did so much for the senior citizens in her Jurisdiction who had no one else to help them, as well as assist other women. The Jurisdiction was in search of someone to head the women’s Department.

Another secret to her success was her love of people, and willingness to share whatever she had with them. This included cooking for everybody in the neighborhood. She would cook for the church and for the dorm, when she was a counsellor and when she was married. She made homemade cheesecakes foreverybody at the Married Student Housing at the University Of

Finally, she became the new supervisor of Women for the South-Central Georgia, with an overwhelming

She says that the only reason that she was able to reach this point was by placing her full faith in the lord, and because he was able to fight every battle for her, repeatedly. Anytime anybody has come up against her, the lord has struck them down. Even the people who were jealous of her success. And even when this happened, she continued to show love and was able to overcome what life threw at her. She has kept her faith from being a little girl and has always done exactly what the Lord commanded.

Iowa including 15 cheesecakes at a time. She just loved to cook, and it was her way of showing love. In 2017, Dr. Rodgers was appointed as the Facilitator for the Caregivers Prayer Line giving hope for those who care for others. Dr. Gloria Johnson-Rodgers has been blessed with an impeccable professional career and has received numerous awards. However, her first love, the elderly, has brought her full circle and now she is doing what she enjoys most, providing care to those who can by no other means support themselves through the Gwendolyn Wilkes Rainbow Centre founded in 1993. Mother Rodgers has served as a member, Vice-President and President of the Examining Board for the International Women’s Department, Church of God in Christ, INC 2001, 2006, 2015-2017 respectively. She serves on the highest board in the International Women’s Department, Executive Board, as member and secretary 2007, 2011 respectively as well as a member of the McGlothen House Board 2000-2017.

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B Y

C L A U D I A

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C R A M E R

Dr. Nephetina Serrano

FINALLY, A GOD SENT MINISTRY FOR COUPLES

ame-Changer. Powerhouse. Influencer. Mentor. Counselor. Lover of God and His people. Advocate of Marriage and the Family. These are just some of the many descriptions that could describe this magnanimous woman of God. Today we are excited to introduce to you Dr. Nephetina L. Serrano. She is an American Pentecostal Evangelist, Relationship Expert, Certified Marriage Counselor, International Inspirational Empowerment Speaker, Author, Certified Counselor (NBCA) Mentor and Certified Life Coach. Dr. Nephetina Serrano, along with her husband of 30 years, Dr. Richard Serrano is co-founder of Covenant Marriages, Covenant Rescue 911 and Covenant Marriages Institute. The Serranos are highly motivated visionaries and are a purpose-driven Christian couple. They actively coach and counsel couples in transitional phases within their marriages and lives. They offer life-changing advice, guidance and tools to deal with the challenges incident to achieving authentic oneness in marriage. They are known as The Marriage CEOs. Dr. Nephetina Serrano and her husband will be starring in a new TV show, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Your Marriage Mattersâ&#x20AC;? airing on Dominion Network TV beginning January 2020 every Saturday at 10:30am EST.

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This female entrepreneur is co-author of the book, THE MARRIAGE CORPORATION: Corporate Strategies for Fulfilling God’s Purpose in a Covenant Marriage. THE MARRIAGE CORPORATION seeks to give guidance on the establishment of a coherent family structure. It also highlights the organizational needs of a covenant marriage. In addition, Dr. Nephetina is the publisher of Marriage CEO Magazine (Real Couples, Real Issues, Real Talk) which is a publication tailored to meet the relationship needs of married couples, especially those in leadership positions in the community, business and ministry. The publication will focus on the real issues that matter most to couples and their families, while also providing a learning platform for singles preparing to embark on their own marital journeys. In the WOW Magazine interview with Dr. Serrano, She speaks about how she advises couples concerning marriage and relationships. According to her, love is not a contract, but a covenant that is based on a biblical principle that has its foundation in the Word of God, stating that “marriage is, and should be forever.”

Dr. Nephetina Serrano! We are so blessed to have a powerhouse like you sit down with us and share some gems of knowledge with our readers. So let’s dive right in. Dr. Serrano: Thank you for having me!

Dr. Serrano, in society’s past, it seemed as though the church played a major role in the institution and foundation of marriage as we know it. However, in today’s society, it seems that marriage and church are two separate institutions that have been deemed unnecessary and optional in the 56

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decision-making process. What do you feel is the role, goal and necessity of the church in marriage today? Dr. Serrano: Great question. It is unfortunate that many churches neglect the need for marriage ministry. Churches have ministries for children, men and women, but there are no marriage ministries to take care of and guide the newly married couple along. Most of the time, the church has only the pastors for marriage counseling. Even so, couples should do their best to survive by holding onto each other and saying “enough is enough”, not allowing defeat to be an option in their marriage. My belief is that pastors, teachers, preachers and leaders in the church should be more transparent with their own struggles and challenges faced in the marriage, thereby being more relatable and setting a realistic example for couples. Not to air dirty laundry, but to be real, human. People are looking for real; this generation is looking for transparency. We, as leaders should share our testimony as God leads, of course, and with wisdom so that others can be blessed.

So, as a marriage CEO relationship expert, what would this counseling look like for a newly married or engaged couple? Dr. Serrano: Most of the couples we counsel have been in a marriage for seven years or more. Marriage starts from the moment you say, “I Do”— which at that time goes from a promise to a covenant. Covenant is a game changer and couples must believe they are better together, and declare divorce not an option! When we counsel couples, we have them go over those vows again because I believe that beforehand they are just repeating what someone is saying without understanding what it fully means. So, it is im-

portant for us to go over them, for them to understand its meaning all the more. After that, we talk about the things that should have been considered in premarital counseling like faith, health, finances and sex—which most new couples think is going to sustain them. It absolutely grieves my heart to consider the rate of divorce in the world, especially within the church today. We did a quantitative study on the rate of divorce two years ago and we actually want to repeat the studies due to the statistic we hear a lot: marriages in the church have a higher divorce rate compared to all marriages worldwide. According to the studies we conducted two years ago, I disagree with the notion, although the rate of divorce in the church has increased in recent times. Divorces are happening because there is no covenant accountability; oftentimes, people go to church out of religious identity, not because of their relationship with the Creator. However, most premarital counseling programs should last from eight to twelve weeks. Most people counsel for just three sessions. This prepares couples to fail in their marriages; three sessions are just introductory and only able to scratch the surface. It doesn’t allow the space to deep dive into the real issues that are going to keep a marriage together during the trials of life. Moreover, during our counseling sessions, the husband and the wife are counseled separately at first because we need to talk about foundational things such as their upbringing. For example, if there was abuse in the childhood home, if their parents were separated or they were married and unhappy in a previous relationship, this could be the contributing factor of their view of marriage as individuals. In our research and practice, I also find that people have a misunderstanding of what cove-

Where no counsel is, the People fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety. nant marriage is all about. And this is where the two become one—which includes mind, body and soul. Many marriages are failing because people are going into marriage with their hurt, pain and disappointment, and are thinking that getting married is going to fix everything. The Covenant concept is a game-changer and couples need to determine they are better together, refusing to allow divorce to be an option. Wow, these are insightful things. Please share the story of how you and your husband met and how you came about starting this wonderful ministry. Dr. Serrano: This ministry has turned into our life’s work and devotion. It is a unique and exceptional ministry, unlike traditional ministries. It’s more so comprised of outreach. Most of what we do is outside “the four walls.” My husband and I have been married for over 30 years now; July 1st is our anniversary date. My husband is a Puerto Rican born in the USA. We met when I was a senior in high school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I grew up in a household that was privy to domestic violence. It was very challenging living at home. I couldn’t talk about some of the things that were happening behind closed doors.

~ Proverbs 11:14

I was a little bit sad on the day that I met my husband, and I remember praying because I wasn’t the kind of girl that dated a lot of guys. All I wanted was a friend, so I just started talking to him at a pizza place at which I worked at the time. I share our story in a book compilation of which I am a co-author called Wives on Fire. In my chapter of the book called “No Pain, No Promise”, I talk about how I met my husband and some of the things that we went through. Before meeting him that day, I had gone into the bathroom of the pizza shop and had prayed and prayed to God for a husband, not just a boyfriend. I prayed for a man like my uncle Dalton, my auntie’s husband.

What a beautiful testament to the power of prayer! This testimony is key that God hears us, young or old. How do you continue to minister to and encourage young and older women in their life journeys? Dr. Serrano: When we lived in Delaware, I started doing sleepovers, and I cooked for children and ladies at my house. That was my way to bring girls together in the community to help them know each other, and for me to also do a little mentorship, encouraging them to support

one another. Mentorship is very important to me; one of the central points of my mission from a woman’s standpoint is to encourage, uplift and inspire women to believe in themselves and begin to L.I.V. (Live In Victory) again. They must know, no matter what they have gone through yesterday—the moment we wake up, a new day brings new opportunities to seize and make good use of the time we have.

Appreciating new opportunities is so key in marriage and in the pursuit of our individual and collective purposes. Tell me, how did you and your husband discover marriage ministry as your collective purpose? Dr. Serrano: One Sunday morning, my husband sat maybe three rows behind me. I sat at the front with my ministerial team. As we were driving home after service, my husband said: ‘Honey, I’ve got to tell you something.” He said that he started talking to God about himself and everything going on around him. He said he could not concentrate because his mind was with a couple that he knew was in trouble; my husband told God that he wanted to be with the couple, helping them and

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My advice is that couples should be transparent with each other.

not be where he was. When he said he didn’t want to be there right now, God told him, 911. My husband asked God what it meant, and God gave him the whole Covenant Rescue program. My husband shared with me that the program was going to help couples. He saw us building a 24-hour network of support systems, organizations and churches- all geared to be a resource for marriages in their time of need. Before he left that day, the vision of Covenant Rescue 911 was birthed out of a conversation with God and desire to help couples. We can tell you that that couple is still together and stronger in their relationship today.

What an amazing story! Dr. Serrano, do you have any closing advice for today’s couples that need a word of hope and encouragement? Dr. Serrano: My advice is that couples should be transparent with each other. That means that even through hardships, tribulations and trials in marriage (because a marriage does have bad and good times), you need to understand that

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there is something greater that can help you get through that process, and that greater thing is Christ. It’s hard for people that don’t know Christ in a personal way to get through marriage.

Great words of wisdom. How can we follow you and learn more about your work? Dr. Serrano: My husband and I are coauthors of the best-selling book, The Marriage Corporation. The Marriage Corporation basically gives guidance on the establishment of how to have a coherent family structure. It highlights the organizational needs of covenant marriage. The objective of the book is predicated on the fact that a family unit requires administrative structure for it to function effectively, efficiently and properly the way God intended. Whether you are single, engaged, a veteran couple, a pastor, a minister, leader or a layperson, it doesn’t matter. This is the kind of book that will help you tremendously. It’s going to expound on some useful

values and qualifications needed for a healthy marriage. It will help you to build a very successful relationship. The book, The Marriage Corporation is basically intended to be a roadmap to help couples establish structure during their enduring times within the home. The Marriage CEOs Drs. Richard and Nephetina Serrano have earned a distinguished reputation both nationally and internationally as a power couple, being revered as an example of authentic true love in marriage by all who encounter them. To learn more about their ministry and work: Visit their website: covenantmarriagesinc.org The 24-hour hotline for couples and families in crisis is: (855)737-2911 x4855. Email: covenantmarriagesinc@gmail.com FACEBOOK: facebook.com/covenantmarriagesinc. HELPLINE: help@covenantrescue911.com Check out other books by Dr. Serrano: Ain’t No Plan B, When Doves Cr y- Stories that Heal, and Wives on Fire

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C O N V E R S A T I O N S

Dr. Valerie Bennett

A CHANGE AGENT FOR STEM IN THE KINGDOM

r. Valerie Bennett is an engineer from Atlanta, Ga. whom we interviewed about her journey through life, her current projects, and her aspirations for the future.

I have been a long-time admirer of your personality, life, journey, including your work and family. So, take us a little bit deeper into your life’s journey, so that we can understand who Dr. Valerie Bennett is.

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We understand that young black women can be shy when they work around the opposite sex. We want them to know that their voice, their STEM voice, is powerful and important.”

I’m Valerie Bennett, a doctorate degree holder and a mother of two adorable kids. I was born and grew up in Atlanta before furthering my education in mechanical engineering at Vanderbilt University. However, my Ph.D., was at Georgia Tech, where I enjoyed every experience despite being the only black female engineering student there (that’s a topic for another story).

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We understand that young black women can be shy when they work around the opposite sex.

I’m very passionate about what I do; that is why a lot of my work revolves around the sciences, including math, engineering, and technology. Most of my life has been helping kids to find their footing in these areas of science at a tender age. Many times it is up to them to take that leap of faith.

That can be a breath-taking experience. I heard you mention kids and catching them young. I understand you have a program that 62

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incorporates girls into engineering. I believe you call it the STEM programs in your Organization? Yes, I run a non-profit company called the STEM campus, where I chair as the CEO. It is an important project for me because its mission is to navigate, motivate and educate young people towards STEM, especially girls, with whom I have a strong passion. We want African-American Youth to pursue STEM because these are areas

where there are so few. Incorporating the influence of our STEM programs at an early age will help boost our chances. It is the same reason we have STEM workshops for various courses like coding, engineering, robotics, during the year and in the summer. We have also connected with reputable companies like GOOGLE and PPG to bring this about. We understand that young black women can be shy or completely withdrawn when they work around the opposite sex. In respect to this, their voice might

be trimmed down a bit compared to how they are motivated in an all-girl environment. We want to promote programs like ours that so that they can feel confident about themselves in these subjects.

Wow! You have been exemplary in empowering these young girls. I understand you served, or are still serving in the church in various capacities. Tell me more about that.

Well, I’m a devoted Christian who believes in salvation through Christ. I have a strong belief in the Word of God; its standards, and rewards. I want to take my Christian life a bit further by imparting it in my offspring. I understand the benefits of bringing them to Christ while they are young. I know how long it took me to build a relationship with God; I just want my kids to find that out at an earlier age than I did. I am a licensed Evangelist in the Church of God in Christ (COGIC).

Great. Now, do you or your husband serve as pastor at your church? NO, My husband serves as an ordained Assistant Pastor, and Elder at Temple of Faith COGIC in the city of Atlanta. Our pastor is Thomas L. Frazier. My husband and I have been members for over 25 years. My husband serves as Dean of the C.H. Mason Theological Seminary on the campus of ITC (Interdenominational Theological Center) in the heart of the city.

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Do you have specific duties that you perform at the church? I work with the Minister’s and Preacher’s Wives group and with our youth. I enjoy teaching kids’ bible lessons that also connect STEM and robotics concepts with a curriculum that I wrote. I am also blessed and grateful to work on the jurisdictional level as part of South Central Georgia with Bishop Norman O. Harper and our Supervisor of Women, Dr. Gloria Rodgers. She is an amazing Woman of God and one of my Mentors.

Why does working under Dr. Rodgers mean so much to you? I find it exhilarating that she has allowed women to work in areas which they are passionate about. She appointed me as STEM Director of programs in our jurisdiction. Her background is in STEM also because she is a highly trained medical doctor by trade. It is not often that we get a chance to break from the norm of church activity. She saw this would help us to fulfill our potential in the church. We also have the scholastic motivation ministries, where I get to work with local and state departments. Over the years, we have been able to transform the type of work we do in the Church of God In Christ. Before setting out to work in the ministry for robotics, I approached Supt. David T. Whitley. He is the National Director for SMM, a leader and Superintendent in our church. I searched out his opinion on teaching young people about robotics. I stressed the connection between what we do in church and today’s technology. He gave me his full support. When I was a child, I did not always see the benefit of having these types of strong science foundation’s. However, today as a teacher, I can point them in the right direction as someone who has been there and done that!

As a successful woman working in ministry myself, I get how hard it is to do unconventional things in the church. I try to use my Magazine to drive focus on change and empowerment of women. So, tell us, how do you reconcile the work that you are doing in STEM with the work that you are doing for the Kingdom? 64

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Some even volunteer to bring friends whom they feel could benefit from the program. Yes! It is okay with us for them to tag along. In fact, it’s a great evangelistic tool for kids and adults. Adults who ARE tech savvy have found a home in this work because they can use their skills to inspire kids. So, you can see that we all can work in the house of God, but in different aspects, as does your WOW magazine.

That’s true, considering the number of events we cover, we usually want host them outside the four walls of the church, using social media. So, I am grateful for what we do. I got a hint you have a book under wraps? Yes, God inspired me to write a book called “Bible Lessons for Techies: Thriving in Your Relationship with God Through a Technology Lens.” It’s a great way to understand the connection between the Bible and Technology in the church. For example, there is an analogy in the book that uses the trinity to represent the three satellites that are needed to pinpoint a person’s location via GPS. A God that watches and sees everything is like a GPS monitoring system. The book talks about things like that.

Can we find it on Amazon? Yes, you can. It is also available on Kindle and you can reach me via of my email address: Valben444@gmail.com Dr. Bennett Is there anything else you would like to say to our readers and viewers today? Yes. Never give up on God and continue to be led by Him in good times or bad. Trusting God causes us to have confidence in His Divine will for us. This was an interview with Dr. Valerie Bennett an accomplished best-selling author. Look for upcoming interviews on another edition of “Conversations with Kingdom Women.” Instagram: @dr.valb, @stemcompassinc Facebook: dr.valb, STEM Compass www.stemcompassinc.org vbennett@stemcompassinc.org

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GET FREE FROM PEOPLE; GET CLOSER TO GOD Apostle Shirley Ferguson

hirley Ferguson is a woman of many parts. Being a person with a multiplicity of interests and divinely-endowed creative pursuits, she is what is intellectually referred to as a multipotentiality. She is a devoted minister of the Word of God, an accomplished realtor, a consummate entrepreneur, a respected motivator, a revered mentor, a sensitive humanitarian, and a serial philanthropist. Her story is a classic study in total commitment to the Will and guidance of God in a quest to fulfill her ordained destiny. Additionally, and to all intents and purposes, she seeks to impact positively on the lives of others through the dual instrumentality of preaching the Word of God and Christ-centered entrepreneurship. This is her remarkable story. Her Journey

This is no ordinary article; it is a Story of a Minister. Entrepreneur. Author. Mentor. Humanitarian and a Story of God, His People,Their Faith and Their Finance

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Apostle Shirley Ferguson is the Founding President of Living Waters Deliverance Ministries, Inc., whose goal is to expand the Kingdom of God by fulfilling His purpose for Man on earth; and by developing Living Waters Deliverance Ministries globally, in the process providing servers built to equip and strengthen Christians, Churches, and various ministries through the facilitation of conferences, support systems, workshops, and health programs.

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The aim is to ensure enablement for effective stewardship of God’s resources. Living Waters Deliverance Ministries Inc., in real terms, is a faith-based behemoth that serves as the umbrella organization under which she runs Women of Faith Ministries, Young Women of Purpose, Kid With A Purpose (KWAP), Ambassadors For Christ, Women of Wisdom, My Brother’s Keeper, Marvelous, and ACTS Pastoral Alliance, all of which operate out of the city of Fairfield, California. Her ecclesiastical journey, which has spanned all of thirty five years, began at Emmanuel Christian Center, in San Francisco, California, where she served under the supervision of Pastor R. Miller, and later Pastor C.M Haynie. Her work at Emmanuel Christian Center was nothing short of a celebration of total dedication to ministry as was evident in her commitment as a Sunday school teacher, choir director and devoted assistant to Pastor Haynie. She further deployed her boundless energy to enormously effective urban outreaches in an enthusiastic evangelical mission that has remained one of the outstanding hallmarks of her work in Christian ministry. If Apostle Ferguson’s devotion and commitment to the development of her own ministry has been total, then her support for other churches and ministries can only be accurately qualified as selfless and self-relinquishing. She has not only been keynote speaker at several churches, and at multiple women conferences, her fervent desire to fulfill and totally exploit her God-given potentials for edifying the body of Christ has seen her untiringly teaching people the keys to deliverance and righteous living. A preacher who unapologetically believes in the omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence of God in the affairs of Man, Apostle Ferguson, in her unflagging mission to guide people to a place of righteous change, deliverance, freedom and healing, never tires of boldly proclaiming the need for people to unshackle themselves from the tentacles placed on them by people, and get closer to God. Married to a loving and devoted husband of thirty six years, and mother to two wonderful children, Shirley Ferguson’s preparation for life in the service of God has been thorough and intensive, if not both exhaustive and all-inclusive. She graduated from pastoral training at World Harvest Bible College, and she is currently pursuing studies for a Master’s degree in Theology at Friends International Christian University. Her involvement, both in organizing and attending, seminars, workshops and conferences, is nothing short of formidable. She has held conferences that include ‘Unity Prayer,’ Radical Anointed Women (RAW), Motivation Momentum Women Empowerment Summit and Empowerment Business Expo. She is also

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an affiliate of Chitwood and Chitwood, the Tennessee-based organization that is specialized in providing value-driven, comprehensive financial service packages to Christian ministries. Widely known and acclaimed for her bottomless magnanimity and philanthropic works, which include aiding the poor and homeless, Apostle Ferguson is author of the Book, “No Longer Bound.” She has authored her second book, “Knowing Your Spiritual Authority.”

Her Ministry Her ministry is a place “where the Spirit of the Lord dwells.” That salient fact is incontrovertible, if only for the fact that Living Waters Deliverance Ministries Inc., is compassionately fulfilling the Great Commission of God on earth. At the ministry, Gods’ Word is taught by well-trained indigenous pastors, resulting in remarkable transformations in the lives of people. A potent platform on which the Divine mandate is deployed is that each member of the ministry is inspired to aim for a total submission to the Supreme Will of God. It therefore comes as little or no surprise that, in encouraging hitherto unreached people to repose total and unalloyed trust in Jesus Christ, the ministry is employing the most potent spiritual tools possible to fully equip them to become disciples, leaders, missionaries and pastors. In Apostle Shirley Ferguson’s own words, “We see nations being overturned by the love of Christ. Our aim is to continue being the church that will touch humanity through miracles, signs and wonders. We are proud to be part of a generation that is witnessing the planting of churches at the ends of the earth, and to the treasured glory of Christ. We are beginning to see things that are, so far, so wondrous that words of mouth are inadequate in explaining them. As the scripture in Habakkuk 1:5 says, “Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvelously: for I will work a work in your days which ye will not believe, though it be told you.”

The Entrepreneur Shirley Ferguson has been an active practitioner in the financial arena since 1988. In an exciting career as a Licensed Real Estate Agent that has spanned the last twenty years, she started out in the Title and Escrow Business sector, before migrating to the Mortgage Broker sector of the Realtor business. In truth, Shirley and her husband have been more focused on the business of Buying and Selling of Homes, an entrepreneurial odyssey that saw them starting out in San Francisco, from where they moved to Oakland, and then on to Sacramento, all major towns in California.

After a stint in Texas, they moved back to Fairfield in California. Shirley and her husband obviously repose a fondness for buying and remodeling houses, in all probability because of the tremendous thrill, satisfaction and fulfillment they derive from helping several individuals and families to establish themselves in safe, secure and comfortable environments. In achieving this objective, they have also assisted a lot of people who had hitherto felt sidetracked and marginalized in repositioning and reorganizing lives that were previously quite dysfunctional. The phenomenal success of their realtor business was merely a precursor to other fulfilling business ventures. They soon inaugurated a new business called SF Global Financial Services through which they assist people with the crucial elements of the sound financial education that can both help them re-order their financial life and put them back on viable financial footing. Relatedly, they have also established a company called Transitions 2 Life LLC which actively runs programs that helps society’s displaced to transition back to supportive environments in which they can have adequate and appropriate resources that will enable them to both exploit and create opportunities that will equip them to evolve into peak performing members of society, with the potential of contributing meaningfully to their world. Such resources include resume skills positioning, budgeting skills and sound financial methods. The company also locates homes for unwed mothers, so as to make the prospect of single parenthood less daunting for them.

Touching Lives In poignantly touching the lives of people in ways too numerous to mention, it is clear that Apostle Ferguson is eloquently proving herself to be one of an emerging brand of Ministers of the Living Word of God that are fervently committed to revolutionizing impartation in many more ways than one, all with the singular purpose of breathing new life into what authentic and impactful ministration is all about. A few personal testimonies of the tremendous impact she is making will suffice.

GOD’S GIFT TO ME – My Testimony, Tamela Gospel

“I had just lost my mother when I met Apostle Shirley Ferguson for the first time. I was feeling lost, alone, and depressed. I wanted nothing more than to give up on life. When I told her about my loss, she helped me by being there for me. She attended my mother’s funeral and offered me badly-needed spiritual advice. She truly embraced me with open arms, and took me in as one of her own, becoming my spiritual mother from then on. She not only took me in as one of her own, but also took in my kids, encouraging them, and helping me mold them into the beautiful young ladies that they are today. Apostle Ferguson is an exuberant and prudent woman with a beautiful smile that can brighten up any room. She is always ready to make everyone around her laugh and smile. She has a personal relationship with the members of the church, making it seem like a second home for them. Since I’ve known her, she has taught me how to be a strong woman in Christ, encouraging and pushing me to be great in every aspect of my life. She sends me random encouraging texts that tell me she loves me, and which seem to come right when I need to hear such words. Without Apostle Ferguson, I don’t know where I’d be in life today. When I felt lost and wanted to give up, she helped me to see that God has a plan for my life. She also runs classes that help with our everyday concerns, such as financial growth and marriage matters. She truly walks the path of a Christian and she is a gift from God to me! I’ve always referred to her as my angel, because, she is always there for me. Apostle Shirley is a beautiful and phenomenal woman who God has placed here to do great things for Him and his people. I am so glad I am a part of her life.” As Apostle Shirley Ferguson continues to impact positively on the lives of others, she also proves that life in ministry can be used to edify one’s entrepreneurial inclinations. She also validates the concept that financial empowerment is a natural accompaniment of kingdom dominion, and that economic power is supposed to be a natural birthright of the children of God Apostle Shirley H. Ferguson, Founding President, Living Waters Deliverance Ministries, Inc. Fairfield, California. You can contact her at 707-384-1362 x2, www.lwdm.org, apostleferguson@lwdm.org”

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Dr. Hattie N. Washington (AUNT HATTIE)

PROVIDED A NURTURING HOME AND A SAFE HAVEN

FOR ABUSED FOSTER BOYS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

he made history as the first female vice president of the Coppin State University in its one-hundred-year history. It was during this time that she also worked as the Executive Director of their Development Foundation. Her goal, while in this position, was to implement a capital campaign to raise $3 million within five years. When her campaign ended, she had raised over $8 million dollars within five years. I am referring to Dr. Hattie N. Washington. We were delighted to finally get the interview from this Renown Educator, Motivational Speaker, Award-Winning Author of several books, and Founder of Aunt Hattie’s Place, Inc. As I talked with her it soon became obvious to me that she had a heart for disadvan-taged, homeless, and special needs youth, especially young boys of color. She was affectionately called “Aunt Hattie” by them. Washington tells the story how she came to be known as Aunt Hattie.

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“I have a passion for disenfranchised youth; therefore, I took them into my own home for a time. It was doing that time I realized they needed a permanent home of their own. Thus, without thinking twice, I decided to use my retirement money to support the opening of a boys’ home. I called it Aunt Hattie’s Place (AHP) because that name invoked a welcoming and homey kinship feel to the boys home. Aunt Hattie’s Place, Inc was a 501(c) (3) non-profit residential facility in Baltimore to service males from the foster care system who had special educational needs. God was with me, and I was able to bring in dedicated and loving staff, volunteers, and a team of professional practitioners to work with me. We worked tirelessly to provide care, treatments and nurturing for young boys and men ages 8 to 21 years old who had been abandoned, neglected, and abused. After obtaining our 501©3 non-profit certification, we were later able to accept donations, apply for grants, bond bills and other revenue to establish even more group homes in Sandy Spring and Randallstown.” I firmly believe that every child is intelligent, full of hope, talented and loveable, but just needs love, structure, and guidance. We were able to provide those. We did require them to have high expectation, self-discipline, and self-dignity to actualize their potential.”

school they were supposed to be attending. As a result, she put them in her car and drove back to her office.

I said to Washington, very few would do what you did, what drove you to make such a bold move, especially with young boys who grew to become young men under your guidance. According to Washington. it was because she truly believes investing in foster children is worth the effort, encouragement, and time. She continued with conviction, “I believe that it takes a village to raise a child. Aunt Hattie’s Place is a home where foster boys who have been neglected and abused can find a safe haven. My responsibilities as a foster parent began when I found kids on the corner in the middle of the day. I stopped my car to see why they were out of school because they were in my school district as Baltimore City Schools’ Assistant Superintendent. I found out that they did not have an address.” Washington said they told her they were foster kids and were confused about the

She holds a certificate of Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education from Norfolk State University with a minor in Special Education. She engaged herself in further post-graduate studies in Multiculturalism and Special Education Administration (on a Rotary International Scholarship), at Glasgow University, Scotland, UK. Washington has attended several institutions of higher learning such as: Harvard University in Boston, Oxford University in London, England, Ball State University (an Athens, Greece Overseas Program), and received her Doctorate from the University of Maryland College Park in Curriculum and Instruction. She worked as a professor of Education for over twenty-years at Coppin State University (CSU), Baltimore, Maryland. She also served as the assistant superintendent of Baltimore City Schools, and an evaluator and program specialist for the Maryland State Department of Education.

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“My secretary called social services and explained the situation. While they were looking into the matter, I took them home with me; supposedly just for a night. One night turned into a week, and one week turned to a month. After several months had passed, I decided that I would keep them because they were no bother at all.” In 1997, this is where we found ourselves, my boys and me. At the (now group home) the young men called all the volunteers, board members, and staff, ‘uncles and aunts’. Aunt Hattie firmly believed that all her boys needed was support and a “helping hand”; not a “handout”. Aunt Hattie’s Place began because a group of young boys needed someone to care. She saw it as a call to action and her life’s lessons learned through faith, family and favor caused her to step up to the plate and hit a home run. That, she did. WASHINGTON THE EDUCATOR

WASHINGTON THE AUTHOR Dr. Hattie Washington is a motivational speaker who has authored of two books DRIVEN TO SUCCEED: An Inspirational Memoir of Lessons Learned through Faith, Family & Favor and AUNT HATTIE’S COOKBOOK: Southern Comfort Food Favorites. In her Driven to Succeed:… book, she wrote about relationships, family, and the complexities of growing up during the segregation and desegregation era where the student strike at Robert Russa Moton High School, in Farmville, Virginia in 1951, was significant to the historic Brown vs. Board of Education landmark case. Her strong belief and high self-expectation shone through despite her early humble background being educated in a two-room elementary schoolhouse that was in Prince Edward County, VA. Her school closed in 1959 due to Virginia’s massive resistance to the Brown vs. Board of Education desegregation/civil rights case. In her book, she also talked about how an ongoing series of her setbacks brought on many stumbling blocks, yet she was able to break the barriers trying to stop her. The proceeds from two other books and the recent one released in 2020 (in Spanish) help to benefit her scholarship fund at Coppin University to foster youths who want to further their education. Her book, AUNT HATTIE’S COOKBOOK: Southern Comfort Food Favorites, a companion book to the “DRIVEN TO SUCCEED:…” book is loved by novice and expert cooks. The book will guide you through many special dishes, such as her homemade hot buttermilk biscuits dripping with her melted honey butter sauce, fried apples, golden-brown fried chicken, and her scrumptious desserts, such as sweet potato pie, her signature bread pudding, blackberry cobbler, apple pie, peach cobbler, and her stepmother’s old-fashioned traditional Christmas fruitcake. WASHINGTON’S RECOGNITIONS AND AWARDS Dr. Hattie N. Washington has received numerous recognitions, plaques, citations, and awards, for her work

in fostering community and children organizations through Coppin State University, Aunt Hattie’s Place, and other community service organizations: National Council for Negro Women (NCNW), Black Women for Positive Change (BW4PC), Sisters 4 Sisters Network (S4SN), just to name a few. Some of the awards she received include: the 2018 Maryland Women’s Commission Hall of Fame Award, nominated by Dr. Valencia Campbell, President of Prince George’s Country Drug Policy Coalition, Inc. In addition to the above, she received the Sisters4Sisters Network 15th anniversary Jewel Diamond Taylor Inspirational Life Changer Award, the 2013 Outstanding Service to Youth award by the Montgomery County Commission on Youth and Families, the Outstanding 2017 Graduate Faculty Award from Coppin State University and the Top 100 Minority Business Entrepreneurial of the Year (2009 and 2012), and others. WASHINGTON THE WOMAN The most tremendous thing I noticed about Dr. Washington was her outlook on life. She revealed to me that it wasn’t until her later years that she found out the sobering truth from the only mother she knew. She was not her biological child. She was her stepmother but made no difference in her love for her stepchildren (four of us) than her own biological children (six of them). Hattie had to wonder if somehow this was why she had such a heart for abandoned children. Her parenting skills were also demonstrated in rearing her two biological daughters (one is a physician and the other an attorney). Some people in this life get to choose their destiny, and for others…it’s already chosen for them. But, she believes one can change their negative path, as she did, through faith, family and favor; just Dream Big, Think Positive and Work Hard. Contact Aunt Hattie at: drhnwashington.com for workshops, speeches, and book signings.

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Josette Simpson

RESTAURANT OWNER EXTRAORDINAIRE

hen Women Of Wealth Magazine was introduced to Josette Simpson, we were so impressed with this beautiful woman. Immediately, we knew we had to introduce her to our readers. Her story was so inspiring. Enjoy. Josette, your coping mechanisms amaze me, look at you standing there as if nothing challenging has ever happened to you, that your life was perfect. I would be fooled except I know your story. Will you please let my readers in on your little secret about how to stay strong even in the midst of the storm. What coping mechanisms did you use to come through your storm(s)? I come from an impoverished background and neither of my parents had more than a high school education. My father also suffered from substance abuse, so my home life was often times difficult. Because of the financial instability in my home, I was frequently shuffled between my parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and grandparentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; homes.

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SoBe Honestly, I was pretty unhappy most of my childhood and I yearned for a better life. Once I graduated high school and left home, I was determined to create a better life for myself. I focused on completing my education and eventually earned a Master’s Degree in Nursing. Professionally, I have financial stability and independence. In my personal life, I make sure that I have as little drama as possible. Of course, I have faced challenges in my life, and at those times, I have turned to my faith in God to see me through. It is my faith that enables me to withstand and surmount the challenges that I face. In addition to my faith, I rely on my husband’s abiding love and support. He has taught me to love, to forgive, to be patient, and to be generous. I thank God every day for his friendship and guidance.

Is the discussion about your first marriage acceptable? Absolutely! I met my first husband when I was seventeen years old. Initially, we were very close friends. Later in our friendship, he

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expressed a desire to have a romantic relationship with me. I naively moved forward with a romantic relationship believing that the friendship would be fundamental to the success of a romantic relationship. Unfortunately, I was incorrect! We were great as friends, but romantically, we had too many incompatibilities. My divorce seemed inevitable, but actually getting a divorce left me feeling a little defeated. Rather than beating myself, I tried to learn from the experience. Being in my first marriage helped me to get know myself as a woman and to more clearly understand what I was looking for in a husband. I felt so bad about getting divorced, but on the bright side, I got the most wonderful son from that relationship.

Well, you have picked yourself up very quickly, haven’t you? Tell us, how did you do it? Well, as I said, after my divorce, I

really learned a lot about myself and what to look for in a husband. When I met my current husband, we hit it off immediately. We were married within three years! He has owned a technology firm for twenty-seven years now. So, when he told me that he wanted to open a restaurant, I was a little shocked. Neither of us had any culinary experience, so we had to do a lot of research before opening in February 2015. SoBe is a very a beautiful restaurant that is one of kind in our county. We have served our community and have met so many wonderful people at the same time.

Does your community support you? If, yes. How? Yes! We are very blessed to have community support. We talk to our customers all of the time, and they tell us how proud they are to have a beautiful, black owed establishment in their neighborhood. SoBe

has the ambiance and quality of a Washington D.C. restaurant, but you don’t have to leave home and deal with all of the traffic and parking issues. We have regular customers who thank us for building SoBe. They are happy to have some place nice close to home and a place to bring out of town family and friends. The local government is also very supportive. They host government sponsored events at SoBe frequently.

Josette, how do you define wealth? I define wealth as having love, peace, education, and happiness. If you are blessed to attain these things, then the money will follow and you’ll know how to manage it responsibly. I have the benefit of having both perspectives. I have been poor and I am where I am now. Money only makes you more of what you already are as a person.

That is a great line of thought. Now tell me, does any part of your belief system include helping other women?

Of course it does. A lot of people know me through the restaurant, but I am a nurse anesthetist, and I work in an operating room giving anesthesia for patients having surgery. I’ve been a nurse since 2001 and that’s probably my biggest avenue for women’s empowerment. I work with women all of the time for health maintenance issues. I talk to women about women’s health issues, such as breast cancer and cervical cancer and preventative health maintenance. I am particularly focused on this area because the black community is truly underserved. There are fewer resources in this area and the patients lack education. Some patients have inherent fears about health care, and I really try to educate the patients and dispel as many fears as possible. I have met several men who were afraid to get a prostate exam and women who were afraid to get a mammogram. I spend a lot of time educating those people and encouraging them to get their exams. My biggest focus in helping women is on my two daughters. I met my step daughter when she was seventeen years old. I have spent a lot

of time with her making sure that she pursued her education. Now that she has finished college, we talk about so many issues. I want to make sure that she is successful professionally and happy and healthy personally. I also have a five year old daughter. I’m making sure feel that she feels good about herself and that I instill that value of education. I want to serve as a role model to both of them. I think it is very important for them to see a strong, educated black woman.

Josette what is your next Chapter, you are succeeding at so many wonderful things, nurse, businesswoman empowering other women, restaurant owner, mother, wife and community leader. Thank you so much for asking! My husband and I are actually about to open a hair salon. Once the salon opens, I want to start a blog. I want to cover issues, such as health, wellness, and beauty. I want a platform where people feel comfortable to talk about very personal issues. For instance, I would film myself getting a mammogram and talk about

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the importance of the exam. Hopefully, seeing the actual exam would help women feel less fearful about getting mammograms. Mammograms are uncomfortable, but the benefits of having a mammogram far outweigh any discomfort you might experience.

Great, now let’s discuss the three qualities that we believe a woman should possess. Be Fearless in her pursuit of her happiness, stay relevant in her pursuit and be intentional at all times in her pursuit. I have talked about these things 78

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myself. I would love to hear your thoughts on the topic? Health and beauty are at the top of that list for me. I’ve always tried to live a healthy life. I have a healthy diet and I exercise regularly. The secondary benefit to regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle is beauty. As I’ve gotten older, I’m still in great shape and I still have the confidence of looking great. In terms of staying relevant, my children keep me relevant! They keep me apprised of current trends, including the use of social media. Frankly, I cannot understand the concept of posting your private

business on the world wide web! But my children have explained the benefits of social media from a business perspective, and so I have professional social media pages. As far as being intentional, my husband and I are living our best lives and we are not apologizing for it! We have been kind to so many people and we work so hard. I think we have earned the right to live our best lives. We are truly happy and it’s not by accident! We keep it that way. If any of your readers desire to reach out to me, please do so at info@soberestaurantandlounge. com or look for the blog for McKenna Jordan Salon Bar.

‘

Because of the financial instability in my home, I was frequently shuffled between my parents’ and grandparents’ homes.

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D A T I N G

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Debby Montgomery Johnson

THE WOMAN BEHIND THE SMILE

first met Debby Montgomery Johnson at a Conference in Texas. I was captivated by her engaging smile. She has such a beautiful spirit, even after what she has been through. Most of us would have retreated from the world. I admire her tremendously, what a shining light for all would be scam victims to see. Even as she tells her story within the pages of Women Of Wealth Magazine, she has turned her tragic betrayal into triumph. You can see her on television shows like Dr. Oz, Mel Robbins, Tamron Hall and so many others, sharing her story to prevent this from happening to another person. She took off the cloak of shame and devastation to help other women. She has written a best seller book about her betrayal, so please make sure you get a copy of it. “The Woman Behind the Smile.” I knew this story belonged in Women Of Wealth Magazine, it is so compelling. Except for a few questions, I am going to permit her to share her story with you in her own way.

“I worked as an Air Force Intelligence Officer for more than eight years with assignments in Washington, DC at the Pentagon and in Germany. I married my Air Force sweetheart and we were together for almost 26 years. We had 4 children, life was grand, you could say almost “perfect” and then my husband tragically passed away from a sudden heart attack related to his diabetes. For the next six months I felt like a zombie, not knowing how I was going to carry on. I was now a widow (I hate that word) and single mom of four. Fortunately, three of my four kids were in the military or in college and I only had my youngest son at home. He was 15 at the time and in an instant became the man of the house.” Debby goes on to state that “I quickly surmised that things would have to change. We would now have to live off one salary whereas

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before we had a two-salary household. I did not want my children’s lifestyle to take another dramatic turn. I knew that my husband was a successful entrepreneur, so perhaps, I thought, I could learn his business while working my day job at the same time. There was just one problem with this idea, I had no idea how his business worked.”

“Debby” I asked, “What type of business was your husband in?” He started BenfoComplete.com, a vitamin supplement company in 2003, she says. “It was an online business that he ran out of the house. At the time, I was working as a public-school treasurer, and what I was about to attempt would require enormous courage and fortitude. So little by little I learned how to run his, and now “my” company. After a while I

was making more with the company in a month than I did at my day job in a year. So, I quit my job at the school.”

“When did the loneliness become unbearable?” I asked. “During the first six months after my husband died, I dealt with my grief by staying as busy as possible, but it was between the hours of midnight and 4 AM and the sleeping alone that got to me. The emotions left from his death would come out at night and haunt me. My friends wanted me to “get a life” and they recommended online dating. I thought about it but was unsure about the idea. At 52 I did not want to go through the pain of dating again and experience those old teenage feelings of not being good enough, smart enough or pretty enough. Eventually, I decid-

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about forgiveness, and I asked what was wrong – what had I done. It was then that he revealed his secret. He CONFESSED that the last two years had all been a SCAM.”

I Lost a Million Dollars to an Online Dating Scam”

ed to try it. I put up the “perfect profile”, honest and transparent, with my best pictures and wrote down a lot about my life, except about my husband and children. My first time out I used a faithbased dating site called LDS Planet. Originally, I did not have very good luck with the site, so I tried another one but eventually I went back to it.” “Out of the blue, I was contacted by a guy called Dr. Eric Cole. He claimed to be an international businessman from London, a widower with a 10-year-old son. We started messaging each other back and forth on the website. One day Eric contacted me via email and wanted to talk on Yahoo chat which was supposed to be like texting. I soon became addicted to this new way of communicating. I loved writing to him. What was so powerful about this was that he was really listening to me. After many years of marriage, I had internalized a lot of things, and Eric allowed me to talk things out. He

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was a good listener and provided an outlet for me to express the hurt and the anxiety of being a widow, a single mom and of running my husband’s business.”

“Did you ever try to meet up with him?” I asked. “Oh yes”, she says and smiles. “We were to meet up in South Florida for Christmas but unfortunately he was always working, first in Houston and then in Malaysia, India and the Far East where he purported to have a contract moving hardwood trees. Eric explained that his job was going to pay him a lot of money, but that he would get it at the end of his contract. I believed him.”

Was there anything else that he used to legitimize this relationship, or him not visiting with you? “Eric claimed he was originally from London. He was a widower with a young son. He said his son lived with his sister while he was

off travelling. I got to “meet” Mary and Kenny, the people that he was calling his sister and son. We would often chat through email or instant messenger. I had pictures and lots of emails from them, and even though I had never met them in person, we began to feel like family.”

How long did the online relationship continue? “Eric and I were together for almost 2 years. Everything came to a head early one morning on September 10, 2012. I was awakened in the middle of the night by the “ding ding ding” of an instant message. It was Eric and he started asking me weird questions, such as how I felt about forgiveness. We had often talked about spiritual things but this time I got an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach and knew something bad was about to happen. After speaking for a while, we signed off, but then a couple of hours later Eric came back online. He still wanted to talk

Describe your feelings at that moment? “I sat there listening to him in shock, thinking it was all a lie and feeling devastated. Even then I refused to believe him, and wanted him to prove it to me, so Eric said he would come online live – apparently there was a camera function on yahoo chat that I hadn’t known about so he walked me through setting it up. I was expecting to see “my Eric”, a 55-year-old British man, but up pops a dark haired, dark eyed, dark skinned young man with a huge smile on his face. At that moment it was as if I had died inside. He was so happy to finally see me and asked if we could continue the relationship. Obviously, that was impossible. “Eric” claimed to have fallen in love with me and said he could no longer keep the scam going. I was still in shock because over the last two years I had given him over a million dollars… One Million Eighty Thousand Six Hundred and Forty-Three dollars to be exact. The worst part was that I did not even have this money in the bank. I used money from my retirement accounts, investments, and even by selling my old gold jewellery. In desperation I went to the FBI and turned him in, however, because Eric was in Nigeria there wasn’t anything, they could do about it. They also said that I would never see my money again. I pretended that it was okay, but inside I was dying, and felt unbelievably ashamed at what I had done. I did not want anybody to know, so I kept quiet and when asked about him, I told everyone that we had broken up. I felt destroyed from the inside out – how could a welltrained, intelligent woman be so taken? My parents supported me,

and we drew very close, but the entire situation was very difficult to deal with and left me feeling worse than when my husband died.”

Why did it take you so long to share this with friends and family members? “I kept silent partly because I was trained in the Air Force not to tell anyone about what I was doing. Additionally, it is important to keep the “victims” isolated from friends and family. This is just one of the techniques scam artists use because they don’t want people telling you not to send them money. When I started “dating” Eric, my kids warned me to be careful. They told me what NOT to do and with all the “Don’t do this and Don’t do that’s”, I told them that I was the adult here and to leave me alone! So, you can imagine how hesitant I was to tell them about the scam. I let my heart rule my head. My oldest son found out while his wife was listening to a radio talk show I was being interviewed on. He was VERY upset…VERY. All three boys felt bad about not being able to protect their mom, but I was the one who pushed them away. I let my heart rule my head. My parents were the most support for me and came over immediately just as they did when Lou died. My daughter understood better than her brothers how I could have been taken in and she encouraged me to tell my story so I could warn and educate others.

Debby what advice would you give to someone that is considering online dating? I would advise everyone, of all ages, but particularly, older women to be careful because they could be talking with someone that is using stolen pictures or impersonating someone else. Also, if you haven’t seen the person that you are “dating”, in person within two weeks, then that person is most likely a scammer. If they start to confess

their undying love very quickly or try to pull you in, they might also be a scammer. If they EVER ask for money, they are scammers. Also don’t think that you’re too smart to get scammed. These people appeal to your heart and not your head, and that’s why so many women fall for their stories/lies. Also do Google searches on their pictures, this way you can find out if they’ve been used in other profiles. And if nothing comes up then the guy is either a fake or working for Homeland Security. It also helps to talk to your friends about what’s happening, that way they can warn you if things seem strange. Remember, the scam artist wants to isolate you, so have a dating ‘buddy”- someone you can talk to about your experiences. Last thing – men in military uniforms do not ask for money and they aren’t even supposed to be online at all. Trust me, as a former US Air Force Officer and the mother of two active duty officers, DO NOT, do not send money to anyone saying they are in the military.” This story does have a happy ending, because Debby met a wonderful man through friends and has now remarried. She has a kind heart and spends many hours helping broke and broken women through the recovery and pain of online dating betrayal. You can reach her at Debby@ TheWomanBehindTheSmile.com or 802-281-3609. There is so much more to this compelling and gripping story. Check out www.TheWomanBehindTheSmile.com and then buy her book , The Woman Behind The Smile- Triumph Over the Ultimate Online Dating Betrayal, on Amazon. Her final words to you are “Stand Up, Speak Up, Be True to You.” Beware and be aware! Find power in your story and share with another. Hugs.

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R I G H T F U L

K I N G D O M

P O S I T I O N

MICHELLE RENĂ&#x2030; BANKS A Political Strategist in The Kingdom and in The Market Place

ichelle RenĂŠ Banks is a woman that has spent much time in the trenches of the Kingdom. We know this because she has spent more than 30 years in the non-profit arena building organizations and assisting others in identifying and developing their gifts and skill sets while posturing them for success. She spent 15 years, first as an educator, then mentoring and coaching teachers in the mastery of their educational pedagogy and the practice of their instructional delivery. Pastor RenĂŠ Banks is a proven galvanizer of people around social and political causes and has been instrumental in leading organizations and municipalities through the rigorous and unending process of social change.

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When one of us wins, it’s a win for all of us.”

René, as she is called by her friends, was appointed by the Governor of Maryland to serve as Commissioner on the Maryland Commission for Women and the Professional Standards and Teacher Education Board. She was also appointed commissioner by Charles County Maryland to serve four year terms as Commissioner on the Charles County Commission for Women and the Blue Ribbon Commission for Race and Inter-Group Relations, a commission established to address racial inequities and social unrest within the counties of Southern Maryland. A Jewel in the Kingdom and in the marketplace. After attending seminary, René became engaged in the organizational development of non-profits, including, but not limited to churches. Her passion for issues of equity and social justice began to grow and became

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the lens by which she both reflected upon her prior work and endeavors to create new bodies of work, women being her primary target population. Matters of lack of opportunity, inequity and issues of inequality and subjugation in the workplace have placed financial stability and career growth out of reach for far too many women, for far too long. René is determined to challenge the systemic oppression of women through advocacy, and confronting those systems (including the traditional church) by taking on the role she has coined “prophetic strategist”. She aims to use prophetic insight and partnerships with networks and organizations to further facilitate the uprising that has already begun, where women embrace each other as allies and not competitors; where those who having walked through doors of opportunity and wealth, are trailblazing paths for their sisters from their commu-

nities and all around the globe to do the same. When one of us wins, it’s a win for all of us. René is currently establishing the platform for the gathering and prophetic strategic planning phase of this process of releasing women into their wealthy place, to places where they can walk in their full capacity as women and where they can thrive. This platform, René’s Roundtable is in its developmental stages. It will be mobile, empowered, and empowering. Women have been the strength, backbone and foundation of every movement in every institution known to man. There is nothing we cannot accomplish. It is critical that we both know that and walk in it. René believes she is assigned to three of the seven mountains of culture: Religion, Government and

Arts & Entertainment. In addition to establishing the Rene’s Roundtable platform, she is currently writing two books while serving as Chief of People and Culture at a non-profit in Richmond, VA. In addition to the above, she is mentoring and coaching women and alongside of her husband, Apostle Steven W. Banks she is serving as Pastor in a new church they recently planted, Proceeding Word Church. Apostle Banks is the love of her life and her biggest supporter. She is a provocative and compelling speaker whose words are a call to action. We will continue to see God stretch Pastor Rene Banks as she walks in her greatness. She has taken her rightful Kingdom position and now with minister therein. Please reach out to her at ladyrenebanks@gmail.com.

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Frank Lewis (right), owner of MBQ Magazine, Rabia Ayana Finch Lewis (center) writer with WOW Magazine, and Dr. Lei Lewis.

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Trisonia Lewis (left), Creative Director for WOW Magazine, and Shondalon Hoffler, Entertainment Editor for WOW Magazine

Renee Knorr (left) is a model, actress, fashion consultant, and CEO with Shondalon Hoffler

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