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Black Women------that makes us PROUD
Topic Started: Nov 12 2010, 02:48 AM (48,991 Views)
Malia

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UNCF Scholar, Lauren Brownridge: Future Engineer


The UNCF (United Negro College Fund) will broadcast, UNCF An Evening of Stars, Presented by Target this weekend, and you already know that singer, Patti LaBelle, singer-songwriters, Erykah Badu and Anthony Hamilton, and R&B star, Ledisi will also shine. Rolling out wants you to meet this UNCF scholar whose one of the brightest stars around.

Why did you decide to study engineering?

I decided to study engineering with help from my father. During my senior year of high school, I did not know what I wanted to study in college. At that time, my father and I had a long talk about what I liked to do in school and what I would like to possibly do in the future. It piqued my interest since I did not know what engineers did. He told me to research see if it could be something I wanted to do. It amazed me that engineers work on things that I use all the time, like roads and power lines. I knew then I wanted to be an engineer. When I had to decide what discipline of engineering to study, I talked to several of my cousins, one who is an engineer, to explain to me the difference between the various engineering disciplines. Since I liked math and physics, putting all this information together, helped make my decision easier. I knew I wanted to study electrical engineering.

Do you feel that diversity is a reality in your chosen field?

I do feel diversity is a reality in engineering. Just observing the professors and the students at my school, I can see that engineering is an interest that reaches different parts of the world. We have professors that come to North Carolina A&T State University to teach engineering from a variety of different countries. Also, the opportunities for students to study abroad give us the ability to see engineering in diverse areas of the world. Although I do see a number of women in engineering, I also see that as an area that can have continued growth.

How did you become a UNCF Scholar?

I became a UNCF Scholar through a couple friends from school. They had talked to me and some of my other friends about an opportunity to obtain an internship and scholarship by filling out an application on uncf.org. Around this time, we were having our fall career fair. My friends and I visited the UNCF booth to meet Ms. Crystal Terry because our friends who told us about this opportunity said we should meet her. After meeting Ms. Terry and talking more about the opportunity of getting an internship and scholarship, we all decided to apply.

How has this prestigious honor helped your career?

This honor has helped my career because of the experience. Now companies search for the type of experience you have had in your field when they are hiring for internships and full-time positions. Before this opportunity came about, I did not have any experience in my field. The internship that I was able to obtain through UNCF opened the door for me to get the experience I needed. It has helped me with my class work as well as opening even more doors to other amazing opportunities. It has also helped me pay for my education.

What does your immediate family think about this honor?

They think that the recognition from UNCF is a fantastic honor and UNCF does a great job of encouraging young people to further their education. My family is very proud and happy for me.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

The best advice I have received is to stay in school and to put forth the best effort in everything that I commit to.
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Malia

Jenell Ross Thrives as President of Family-Owned Auto Dealerships

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Jenell Ross was weaned on automotive dealerships. Even as a school-aged child, every single possible research and book report she completed was centered around the car and the automotive business. The car business was her first love and the second-generation automotive dealership owner could not see herself in any other capacity. She still can’t.

It’s this kind of next-level love and passion for the business that provided sufficient fortification for Ross to not only survive but thrive as president of the Bobb Ross Automotive Group. Being insulated with family members and close associates enables Ross to oversee the growth of three separate dealership lots — Buick/GMC and Mercede Benz — and shepherd each through the tumultuous storms of tragedy and the Great Recession, ready to bring on a fourth brand, Fiat, into their portfolio.

Her father, Bob Ross, founded the Bob Ross Automotive Group, 37 years in Indiana and then moved it to Centerville, Ohio, near Dayton. then we moved to our present location, which consists of Buick, GMC, Mercedes Benz and Fiat. At the height of the Bob Ross influence, he passed away from heart disease at age 52. Furthermore, while her dealerships were threatened from the greatest marketplace crash since the Great Depression, her mother succumbed to a medical malady. Now that she has righted the ship Ross looks forward to continued growth with each brand. She spoke with rolling out about continuing a nationally recognized automotive dynasty.


Describe what it’s like to grow up in the auto industry:

I’ve had the fortunate pleasure of growing up in the automotive industry and have always enjoyed being around cars and being involved with my father and his friends and his peers and the spirit that was exhibited through them. I fell in love with cars pretty early. In grade school, middle school, anytime I could do a research paper, I centered it on the automotive industry because it allowed me to learn. I’ve worked in various aspects of the organization. I knew that it was something that I eventually wanted to do, to become an automobile dealer like my father. Not realizing that it would happen so soon. He passed away at 62. And I took over the day-to-day operations at 27, which is truly not the norm for an African American female to run the day-to-day operations of an automotive dealership.


Tell us about the excitement of bringing on the Fiat into your automotive fold:

For the past 15 years, I’ve sustained the organization and maintained as well as wanting to grow the organization. So Fiat is our most recent acquisition that we acquired and starting to do business here in 2012. Fiat is a new brand coming back into the U.S. it’s always exciting to be involved in something that is new. We did the same thing with Hummer. So we were one of the Hummer dealers. So I know what it’s like to start with a new brand and market a new brand and just the excitement it brings. And that was an iconic brand as well. This is a little different situation from a size perspective. So with Fiat, we don’t have a vehicle in terms of that segment of size that we currently represent with our brands. So it’s a way of providing our customers a way to stay with the Bob Ross Auto Group if they are looking for something a little smaller. We call it the small big car. So we’re very happy to represent Fiat.


Following the unfortunate passing of your father, you and your mother had to jump into the executive leadership role of Bob Auto Group, tell us about that:

The very fortunate — of a very unfortunate situation — is that my mother who had been with him in this journey of auto dealer ownership, assumed the presidency role. So I handled the day-to-day operations along with my brother, Robert Jr. so we became the executive leadership team of our organization. It’s not often that you have the opportunity to work [professionally] with both parents. And that’s something I had the opportunity to do. They both exuded different styles of operations. And I would say that I’ve learned a lot from both sides of the house. There were some challenges and adversity and nervousness because the dealership was run by a man. And now there’s two women stepping and dealing with management and employees on a day-to-day basis. One of the things that both of us tried to project is that ‘we’re not trying to reinvent the wheel. Obviously what he had established in terms of programs, processes and people were working. But when things needed to be fine-tuned or changed our staff was very willing to do so. They had the confidence in us that they had some very viable operations working because, at the end of the day, you can’t be everywhere. Our people are our biggest assets.


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Malia

Tynicka Battle Offers Tips on Establishing Strategic Digital Partnerships


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With an overcrowded digital landscape replete with brands vying for each and every click on the keyboard, it is essential to establish a formidable Web presence. Tynicka Battle, CEO and co-founder of ThinkTank Digital is often the go-to professional for those aiming to reach that goal. For the past 6 years, the company she co-founded with Amina Elshahawi has helped brands such as Nokia, Bombay and talent such as Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey embed their digital footprint. Rolling out talked with Battle about marketing in the digital space.

The challenge for many brands is identifying their target market. How do you help brands discover their market?

Corporate brands typically have significant amounts of data profiling their target audience and where they suspect their targets live online. Our job is to fine-tune the plan, identifying influencer outlets, journalists, talent and relevant social networking platforms to utilize. We also take pride in shedding light on additional market segments that should be addressed.

Is it more beneficial for a brand to secure placement on a recognized high-traffic site or go to a much smaller platform but with more engaged followers?

Great question. A video premiere on say, Pitchfork, is greater than a premiere on a portal’s Music Channel. The client may love the traffic the portal offers, but the win is always in the influencer co-sign. I believe in this strategy for both emerging and established brands.

One of your services includes strategic partnerships, which can help align brands with platforms offering greater exposure. What tips do you have for brands on identifying and securing such partners?

A lot of clients wish to go straight for the high-profile brands when the real success is first identifying a partner with a robust strategic partnership team and philosophy, real influence with your base and a strong social media presence. It is also best to allow three to four months from conception to execution, depending on the size of the partner you seek. A lot of legal back-and-forth occurs between the initial thumbs up and the fruition of the partnership. A tip for securing a partner is to remain persistent. If your brand is a good match and your pitch is succinct, you will most likely get a call or email back. Closing the deal is where the real work lies.

For more information, please visit www.thinktankmktg.com.
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Malia

Behind The Click: Adria Richards, Organic Technology Consultant

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Welcome back for another profile spotlight! This time I thought I would check in with a fellow tech pioneer and organic technology consultant Adria Richards. Not an executive, not a start-up chieftan; Adria provides a service which lights a torch for those trying to make their way in the new era of digital business by providing special insight. What type of insight you may ask, and how? Well, read on to find out!

LDC: So Adria let’s start off with where you went to school?
AR: I started with a major in psychology at the local college in Minneapolis. I knew I wanted to help people and make a difference in the world. My mother had her master’s in sociology so I thought I’d follow that path.

I took computer 101 but it was so basic at the time that I couldn’t understand how anyone would want to learn more about input devices, motherboards and memory. I had the opportunity to become a Windows 98 beta tester and my whole view on technology changed. My mother had signed me up for to be a beta tester because she loved coupons and deals and wasn’t going to pass up receiving a $200 software license. In order to participate in the program, the letter I received from Microsoft indicated I would need to increase the hard drive space and speed of the CD-rom in the old hand-me-down NCR computer I had. I immediately went to work figuring out how I would get this done and picked up my first computer book, “Upgrading and Repairing PC’s” the 8th Edition by Que. Not only did it help me make the necessary upgrades to my computer, it also helped me land my first real tech job at Geekquad! Back then, Geeksquad would give you a written test and one of the questions was, “What does ‘fdisk /mbr do?” and I was able to explain that it formatted the master boot record to wipe out viruses and other unwanted programs.

I realized the world was changing and this “Internet” thing was going to be big. I wanted to become a network administrator. As I looked around the post secondary landscape, I realized I could not get the training I needed to accomplish this goal. I dropped out of school and began working on getting IT certifications and real world job experience. By 2000, I’d passed the A+ certification test and set my next certification goals on becoming an MCSA (Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator). I achieved this in 2005.

LDC: How did you get into training?

AR: When you solve technology problems, a large aspect of that is making sure the problem doesn’t happen again. When working with end users, this means explaining to them how their actions (or lack of action) contributed to the problem and educating them on what to do next time. From the very beginning in my technology career, I began to receive recognition for how I dealt with people. As time went on, the compliments, notes of appreciation and feedback continued. I enjoyed helping people have that, “Ah ha!” moment with technology and as I became more experienced in network administration, website development and IT projects, I realized how much I enjoyed that facetime with customers.

My first opportunity to do in-classroom training was 2007. A friend of mine was going on vacation and had been doing a series of classes at the local St. Paul Continuing Education program. He asked me to cover his classes which included, Intro to Windows XP, Microsoft Excel and Introduction to Online Research. I researched adult education, technical training strategies and went to work creating a curriculum. Since I’d worked for several years at a market research company, I folded in surveys as a part of the outline to ensure I gathered feedback from students. I had a blast and began looking for more technical training opportunities. It wasn’t long before I spotted a position at the Minneapolis Urban League. They were looking for an A+ certification instructor to teach a 12 week course. I applied, prepared a proposal and landed the position. Again I created the curriculum, delivered it, actively engaged the students and staff for feedback, built an intranet using WordPress to share coursework and class updates.

I then moved into making screencast tutorials for clients, again with very positive feedback. Eventually, I began uploading these videos to YouTube and again, received compliments, questions and consulting inquiries.



LDC: By the way, where were you born and how do you like living in the tech hub of San Francisco now?

AR: I love San Francisco because of the sheer positive “can do” attitude of the people. Here you get the vibe that people are interested in trying new things. They’re also very collaborative and helpful. The food, the culture, the weather, the events and of course the technology! What isn’t there to like? Oh yes, the cost of living! It’s much higher than most cities in the US and is akin to living in New York City.

LDC: So when did you start your consulting firm in SF and what challenges do you have in getting your clients?

AR: I started consulting in 2006. I had been working at an ISP and after many failed attempts to initiate change with a focus on customer satisfaction, I decided I could do a better job on my own and left. I didn’t have many clients when I got started and that was scary. Not having a steady paycheck can freak out a lot of people. I’ve only been unemployed once and that was for less than two months in 2002.

I realized I needed to do two things to get clients: network with other people and have an online presence. I reached out to a lot of local consulting firms to see if I could help supplement their larger clients and provide cover during the holidays. I worked to understand what it took to brand myself and make clear my service offerings. I looked for opportunities to partner with companies that provided complimentary services, such as a database administrator who didn’t do SEO but had clients that needed that as a service.

The next challenging part was bookkeeping, mileage and receipts, finding the right solutions to add to my toolkit and of course, finding clients! Over time, I found some great resources for attracting and selecting clients including CJ Hayden’s book, “Get Clients Now” and Michael Port’s “Book Yourself Solid”. These books talked about strategies to raise awareness about your service offerings as well as how to identify and seek clients that I enjoyed working with. Most of my business today is word of mouth and via my website. Potential clients read my blog posts, watch my videos or see me speak at a conference and feel I understand their business problems. Which I do! It’s been a blessing to be able to work with amazing companies and make a difference in their business productivity throughout the years.

LDC: Please describe a typical day, if such a thing exists?

AR: A typical day for me as a business technology consultant starts with a solid, high protein breakfast that usually involves bacon, yoga, a review of my yearly goals and then a review and prioritization of my tasks for the day. Mondays are when I focus on strategy for my business and look for opportunities. I followup with leads and proposals. Tuesday through Thursday are usually work days where I move from project to project, completing a task and then updating the client with the next step. Towards the end of the week, I focus on networking with people either over coffee, at an event or catching up on the phone. It’s really important for me that I have a work / life balance but some weeks sneak away with my time and like many consultants and freelancers, I catch myself working past 6pm or on weekends. My goal is not to make it a habit. One way I do this is to not communicate with clients in the evenings or the weekends. This sets boundaries and expectations. Of course I love the freedom of my schedule but sometimes there are those weeks where I’m grinding away on several projects. San Francisco is a great place to live because I can step away from my desk and find a variety of interesting events to attend and relax with friends!

LDC: What suggestions do you have for women thinking about taking the plunge and working for themselves as consultants?

AR: Before you get started, do your research. Conduct informational interviews with companies who would be interested in your services. Find out as much as you can about how they currently work, what organizational issues they face and how they’re currently addressing them. This will give you great insight into the market. Also make sure to do these sort of interviews with your peers. I reached out to people who were not in my geographic location to ask them about their consulting services; one fellow in Australia was very helpful and provided me feedback on my website and we’re still friends to this day!

LDC: What’s a consistent challenge you have to overcome as a Black woman in technology?

AR: Stereotypes. There are actually two sides of the coin here. Technology is rapidly evolving and people are in need of solutions so my experience has been they are willing to look past their stereotypes because they just need the job done. This has been a boon for me because everything for the company is new and they just don’t have time to judge people based on their race and gender. On the other hand, when it comes to joining up to established organizations or projects, people lean towards what they know and this means asking friends, coworkers and peers for recommendations; and this is why networking is so important – If you’re not out there connecting with people, you won’t be in their mind. So it’s not so much of there being blatant racism but rather if you’re not at the holiday party or out on the golf course (or in the case of the Bay area, on the ski and snowboard slopes) you’ll be left out of decision based discussions and opportunities. I still encounter people who don’t believe I am a competent, experienced technology professional. Also with the growing popularity of social media, I find more and more women are being relegated to “social media experts” when they are actually experienced programmers, engineers or consultants like myself.

LDC: Speaking of all this, w hat did you think of the whole Arrington/Black in America back-and-forth regarding the recent CNN docu on Blacks in tech?

AR: It was not a surprise that CNN took advantage of the situation and portrayed the footage they collected in such a way as to make the NewMe Accelerator look like a reality show. It was not a surprise that Michael Arrington made an outrageous comment. What was amazing is that due to the documentary, thousands of Black people across America became aware of the great Black technology migration going on in Silicon Valley. I personally knew many of the people participating in the NewMe program as well as the founders. I’m excited to see for 2012 that Google will be sponsoring and hosting the program! I wrote a blog post outlining my thoughts.

LDC: What’s your biggest hope for the future of your position in the industry?

AR: One of the challenges with being a consultant is that you wear many hats. This can make it hard for people to understand what you do. While that may sound discouraging, I am excited everyday by the amazing opportunities I have to work with companies of all sizes. I touch all verticals from service based professionals including accountants and auto repair shops to construction, technology startups, educational organizations, marketing and PR firms, health and holistic medicine, vacation and travel, consumer electronics, print media, nonprofits and faith based organizations. All companies have a business lifecycle with their customers that looks like this: awareness, lead generation, acquisition, sale, support, onboarding, training, support, customer maintenance, feedback, referrals and then the process repeats itself. All of these companies need help solving business problems with technology solutions. It can mean migrating them to Google Apps for hosted email and shared calendars, introducing them to a customer relationship management (CRM) solution like 37Signals Highrise or training them how to use Techsmith’s Camtasia Studio to make videos that engage and educate their customers.

As technology in the workplace merges with the cloud, the value of knowledge workers who understand the world of technology instead of a small slice will increase.

So there you have it! Adria Richards, inspiring and lighting the way for others. To stay up on tech developments and more, follow me on Twitter @mediaempress.

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Malia

PinkBoss: Empowering Women Via Entrepreneurship


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I recently learned about PinkBoss through one of their former clients who had nothing but rave reviews for them, and I’m a fan of anything that encourages entrepreneurship. Their mission is to empower women to become economically self-sufficient through entrepreneurship, and they can help take your business idea or startup business to the next level while also providing tools and services to manage the business once it’s up and running. They’ve also got a great free resources section on their website to help prospective entrepreneurs get started.

A self-proclaimed “multi-entrepreneur,” Parker balances family and entrepreneurship with flare and a style all her own. Garnering the attention of aspiring female business owners, Parker, along with her husband, created PinkBoss, Inc, a one-stop business boutique for women in need of that extra push of support from branding and marketing to website development.

Her mission and purpose is to empower women to use their passion and skills to generate income that will allow them the flexibility to do what they love every day. Parker has taught several entrepreneurship workshops and is currently teaching her first curriculum, “The Pink Princess Guide to Entrepreneurship,” in the metro Atlanta area. She credits her success to community involvement, which landed her the opportunity to facilitate the Black Enterprise Youth Entrepreneur Conference in both 2010 and 2011.

TB: What was the inspiration behind starting ThePinkBoss?

VP: I started PinkBoss, Inc because I wanted to become a resource for female entrepreneurs that offered business services as well as consulting.

TB: How many partners and employees do you currently have?

VP: I currently have 3 employees and I am launching my Internpreneur Program and hope to have 5 interns by February 1. Our Internpreneur Program is a 4 month internship with PinkBoss, Inc offering 12 weeks of business development and compensation of over $5,000 in business start up services to assist them with their business ventures after the completion of our program.

TB: What is your ideal client profile in terms of the type and stage of business they’re in and background of the founder(s) (for example, first time entrepreneurs with a corporate background starting service businesses)?

VP: My ideal client is a woman that has a business venture in mind but needs that extra push to take the next step. She is lacks the resources and direction to achieve her goals and we are able to assist her through consulting and business services.

TB: What is your best client success story?

VP: One of my clients was on the fence about starting her business. She has a great job but was not happy with her daily routine. After a few weeks of accountability meetings I was able to assist her with a strategic plan in starting her event planning business while still working her full time job. She recently called me in tears because she is booked for the next two months and thankful that PinkBoss, Inc helped her jump start her business idea.

TB: What’s your favorite business-related mobile app?

VP: I have two Evernote and Square. Evernote allows me to capture my thoughts, notes articles and more and sync on my iPad, iPhone and desktop. Square allows me to obtain payments while out of the office and at vendor events. It has increase my sales by 20% in only a few months.

TB: What are your favorite business-related web services (e.g. mailchimp, wordpress, wufoo, etc.)?

VP:

Jotform ~ Allows me to create web forms instantly
Mailchimp ~ Auto responder, list management and email marketing in one. I use this service often
Hootesuite ~ Monitors my various social media platforms and allows me to schedule my team to assist in scheduling social media content
Safe Sync ~ Service backs up files on my computer and allows me access to files remotely
CRM Zoho ~ Keep track of resources, potential clients and campaign conversions.
Google Analytics ~ Best kept secret of small business owners. Allows me to monitor the visitors to my website and create marketing strategies based on reports.

TB: What sets your company apart from other biz dev service providers?

VP: Our focus is on the advancement of female entrepreneurs. We offer business consulting services as well as business and brand development services all things needed to create a sustainable business.


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Malia

CONGRATS!! TYRA BANKS GRADUATES FROM HAVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL & NOW IS APART OF THE CURRICULUM!

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Tyra Banks is officially a Harvard Graduate! In 2012, the model mogul started taking the course which was created for business owners, with hectic schedule. There are 3 week installments of classes over 3 years to fit in to the students schedules. Tyra says after just 1 term, she had already started approaching her business differently.

After my first term, I came back and killed a whole bunch of businesses we were going into. We have to say no more often than we say yes, no matter how much money people put on that goddamned table. Harvard is all about innovation and being first to market. It’s something I’m constantly bringing back to my team.

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negroplease

That is pretty amazing, go Tyra!
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Malia

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Are you a fun, free-spirited, fashion forward women with an endless love for urban culture? If so, then you’re already up on Fearless Magazine, a fun, inspiring publication for ‘us’, that has already had some of black Hollywood’s hottest stars grace the cover within its first year of publication. The magazine title ‘Fearless’ is fitting for the Publisher & Creator of the publication, Arian Simone, an ambitious, fearless go-getter who is chasing her dreams, while inspiring others.

Not only a magazine publisher, but a public relations and event pro, Simone is credited with doing publicity work on films such as Takers, Quantam of Solace, Hancock, Seven Pounds, This Christmas, Limitless and many more. She was also the Head Women in Charge, planning Lil Wayne’s and Braylon Edwards 25th birthday parties, Chris Brown’s MTV My Super Sweet 18 and a plethora of other entertainment industry events. This multi-faceted business woman was listed as one of Ebony Magazine’s top 30 business leaders under 30 and has been featured in various media publications.

With such an impeccable resume at such a young age, who would have thought that just a few years ago this mogul in the making was homeless and sleeping in her car. Shocking, right? Flip the page to read more on Arian’s story of hardship, struggle, faith, survival and success.


MN: You’ve had quite the journey since graduating college and starting you’re career. Tell our readers a little about it!

AS: Yes, it has been quite the journey and I wouldn’t be here talking to you today if it wasn’t for my faith in God! It all started in 2004, when I graduated from Florida A&M University and decided to move to Los Angeles. I moved to LA in 2004, with a dream and a job. Within one month, my company got sold, I got laid off and was broke. I moved from my apartment to my car. I sold all my clothes and belongings so I could eat and put gas in the car. Applying to over 150 jobs with no job offers, I was on welfare and food stamps, with a broke car, I was forced to move into a shelter. I called my mother one day and told her I didn’t even see the purpose of living if this is what life is like.

MN: That’s rough, how did you get through such a trying experience and end up where you are today?

AS: After being homeless and unemployed for over a year, I randomly received a call from an old co-worker who needed public relations services. I took on the project, one referral led to the next and within 2 weeks, I had about 6 projects on my lap. It was unbelievable how fast things turned around, but I knew God wouldn’t fail me. Instead of renting an apartment, I rented office space and slept in the office for awhile. My office was in the same building as Steve Harvey’s morning show, so I was fortunate to meet and network with celebrities and prominent people in the entertainment industry. One day Coach Carter, the real Coach Carter walked in my office and gave me the opportunity of a lifetime.

MN: WOW! Your luck turned around incredibly fast!

AS: Yes, I know! So Coach Carter noticed that I was living in my office and wanted to help me out. He asked to hire me to do the public relations on the film being created after his life story. I didn’t know before then, but movie studio’s outsource smaller firms to do the public relations and promotion for movies. I was hired by Paramount Studios to do press events for Coach Carter the movie, which turned into me working on other films such as Stomp the Yard Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, Step Up 2…the list goes on and on.

MN: You went from being homeless to doing press for a major motion picture within months. That’s very inspiring and proof that anything is possible.

AS: I know my story is very inspirational, this is how I birthed Fearless Magazine. I wanted to encourage others to pursue their dreams and have a media outlet that was a vehicle for that. I wanted to allow people to share their fearless journeys in life to bring inspiration and healing to others while they are on their journey.

The publication inspires, while covering fashion, entertainment, health, beauty, faith, relationships and much more. Fearless is fun, fabulous and designed to uplift our readers. There is a print version and digital version and Shop Fearless, where we sell our Fearless T-Shirts’s. More than just a magazine and a t-shirt, I like to consider ‘Fearless’ a mindset, a movement and a way of life.

MN: What other business ventures are you working on right now besides Fearless Magazine?

AS: I’m a huge philanthropist, so I’m always giving back and I have a non-profit organization of my own, Live Your Dreams. I wanted to deeply give to the revitalization and rebuilding of my hometown Detroit, which is suffering during this economy. I found a way to do it with my beauty line, The Esther Experience , which is a beauty regime similar to Queen Esther in the Bible. It’s a 12 month regime, where the first 6 months focus on the skin and the second 6 months focus on the cosmetics and the perfume. All of the products are manufactured and imported from Detroit. I’m also opening a beauty bar in Birmingham Michigan, that will provide mani & pedi services, makeup application and feature The Esther Experience. I’m very passionate about this project because I’m able to employ people in my community, from the manufacturer to the nail technicians. It’s an amazing feeling to be able to give back to the community I came from.

MN: We love a successful business women who gives back. Tell us about your non-profit organization!

AS: Live Your Dreams, a non-profit where we we educate the youth about non-traditional careers. I’m in the school’s about every week here in Detroit, talking to youth to not only help them pursue their dreams, but to find them. In today’s workplace, creative job’s are as much needed as the traditional one’s that aren’t taught in school. Unfortunately, a lot of the youth don’t have any outlet to learn about these jobs, so I try and help them. I ask them; what do you like to do for fun? What makes you smile? what are you passionate about? It’s my hope that through this program youth can find and pursue their dreams while being encouraged and empowered.

MN: What advice do you live by and give the youth in pursuing their dreams?

AS: Be dedicated, faithful and keep things in order. I put God first, Family second, and business third. A lot of sacrifices come with that order, but if you have a goal in mind, order helps you achieve it and things fall in place with much more ease. Seek counsel in a mentor, that is extremely important as you gain invaluable knowledge and wisdom. A huge majority of the movies that I worked on was because I was referred by my mentor.

MN: Any words of wisdom to give to our readers who are pursuing a dream and may have hit a roadblock?

AS: Make your dream your only option..have an ‘in it, to win it‘ mentality and you can’t lose.

MN: Two words for you Arian: INSPIRING & UPLIFTING! For more words of inspiration and encouragement, follow Arian and Fearless Magazine.

http://fearlessmag.com/
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Malia

FEARLESS JOURNEY: Camerine Robinson

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When I say I am who God says I am, it means his grace and his constant direction allows me to plow in life and not look back. I am a lover of people and God has placed a special love in my heart for single mothers, as I am one myself.

I love empowering women to show them that as women, we can accomplish and do all things through Christ that strengthen us. I like to say that God has a sense of humor because he placed in my heart to create my Visionfriends Network (which sponsors a single mother on a paid vacation), before I even became one.

I am truly blessed. My most important role besides being a servant of God is that of being a mother. I am a single mother of 5 children (Mani eighteen years old: currently in her second semester of college and made the Dean’s List her first semester; Josh sixteen years old: junior in HS; Bria twelve years old; Jordon eight years old; Kimora 5 years old).

Professionally, I am a Regional Sales Manager for a major health insurance company and oversee between 300-500 brokers across three states. I am a college graduate with my B.A. and Master’s. I actually had my oldest the end of my third year in college. I had my daughter at the end of March and took April off, returned in May and took my final. One of my professors held my daughter in his arms, while I sat in his office to take my finals. (My daughter graduated high school with honors and theUniversityofAlbanyhonored all the local students in the newspaper and held a ceremony at the university. The very same professor was in attendance to see this honor bestowed upon my daughter.)

With my third child Bria, I worked full-time and attended my Master’s program full-time; ran a marathon while I was three months pregnant with my fourth child Jordon, for the American Stroke Association to honor my grandmother who died from complications of stroke (I started to train and discovered later that I was pregnant, received my doctors blessing, so I ran).

I love sharing with women the art of not giving up or to give in to life’s circumstances. I could not have accomplished anything without my faith in God and constantly inquiring of Him for guidance in all that I do. I want to share how to overcome rejection, how I ran a household being a single mother, the principles that I hold close to my heart and the importance of loving and respecting your children as little people who will eventually become grown adults. Tools were implemented with inputs from my children to get good grades and how to overcome bad ones. The older ones are all “A” students, with the younger in fast pursuit.

I love to share with women how I became financially independent by shopping wisely and taking control over my finances. Now I am not saying that I didn’t make some mistakes, but throughout my life, I have learned to recognize that obstacles enter our lives for us to learn from them. I have learned to embrace obstacles, but most importantly, to learn not to make the same mistakes over again, because it always brings us back to the start until we get it right.

I want to share my belief in God and show how I implement biblical principals to overcome life’s circumstances by constantly asking for guidance and believing God’s word that “faith without work is dead.”

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Malia

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FEARLESS JOURNEY: Caneeka Elleanor

As a young child I was a witness to domestic violence in the home and those are images that stuck with me well into college.

I was silent in my confusion and often times felt alone in my experience. From having extensive experience working with children, adolescents, and families, I’ve recognized that it is naïve to think that there aren’t other children and young adults in the same shoes that I once was in.

Writing poetry was an outlet for me in the midst of chaos. It was what kept me focused on doing well in school and it gave me a sense of peace in my spirit.

I wrote and published “Smeared Eyeliner and Faded Lipstick” in 2009 and as my platform for the book I’ve begun a fundraiser and charity to help support children who witness domestic violence groups. My book is a compilation of poetry that shares my experiences and the experiences I’ve witnessed of other’s dealings with the different aspects of love. It’s a love story from all angles but a motivation to take hold of, have a desire for and to make healthier relationships.

I envision “Smeared Eyeliner and Faded Lipstick” having an impact on women young and old around the world who have ever felt like their voice didn’t matter. Women who have sat silent in their abuse and young girls who have suffered in silence witnessing the deterioration of strong, healthy relationships not only in their city, but in the country. I want my words, my expression, and my fearlessness to come out and stand up for the children of domestic violence to be something that will have an impact on every person who reads a poem whether they share in my experiences or if they know someone who has. My goal as an activist & poet is to ultimately change perspectives and encourage a passion within each of us to stand up for something greater than ourselves.





For more information, email: words.behind.the.makeup@gmail.com.

To purchase “Smeared Eyeliner & Faded Lipstick” go to: www.amazon.com
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