| Black Women------that makes us PROUD | |
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| Topic Started: Nov 12 2010, 02:48 AM (48,988 Views) | |
| Nat Turner | May 1 2012, 01:52 AM Post #391 |
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Dr. Ngozi okonjo iweala is one of the most powerful women in Africa, she is the former World Bank managing director, and now today she's the finance Minister in Nigeria. Not only that she was also in the running to become the World Bank President. http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2012/apr/01/profile-ngozi-okonjo-iweala
Edited by Nat Turner, May 1 2012, 01:59 AM.
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| Shirley Brown | May 1 2012, 06:53 PM Post #392 |
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Good ahead sisters. |
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| Malia | May 6 2012, 11:40 PM Post #393 |
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Jeri Lynne Johnson![]() Jeri Lynne Johnson is the Founder and Music Director of the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra, the first and only multi-ethnic professional orchestra in Philadelphia. Maestra Johnson is a graduate of Wellesley College and the University of Chicago, is an accomplished conductor, composer and pianist. From 2001-2004, she was the assistant conductor of The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia,[1] where she dedicated herself to bringing inspiring new music to the stage. She has led orchestras around the world including the Colorado Symphony, Bournemouth Symphony (UK), and the Weimar Staatskapelle (Germany). Alongside prominent woman conductors Marin Alsop and JoAnn Falletta, Ms. Johnson was heralded on the NBC Today Show as one of the nation’s leading female conductors. In 2005, Ms. Johnson made history as the first African-American woman to win an international conducting prize when she was awarded the Taki Concordia Conducting Fellowship. http://www.jerilynnejohnson.com/web/home.aspx http://madamenoire.com/171361/how-she-made-it-founder-of-black-pearl-chamber-orchestra-knows-what-business-sounds-like/ |
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| Malia | May 6 2012, 11:44 PM Post #394 |
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![]() Susan Nicholas, Founder & CEO of DocPons Inc. Occupation: Founder & CEO of DocPons Inc. Favorite Read: Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy Recent Read: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath 2012′s Ultimate Goal: Revolutionizing Healthcare in America Quote Governing Your Mission: “Every spirit that inhabits a human body can have access to affordable care with DocPons Coupons” Twitter handle: @docponsceo We continue my Behind the Click series with a remarkable start-up founder. Meet Susan Nicholas, MD MBA of the high tech start-up DocPons Inc. It is fitting that I add Susan to the profile series of colleagues particularly at this time given that she is beautifully blending healthcare and technology; and of course healthcare is at the top of our minds given the debate regarding President Obama’s healthcare agenda. The Supreme Court decision will affect us all and depending which way the chips fall, start-ups such as DocPons may have greater and greater relevancy. DocPons offers an online platform for purchasing quality outpatient healthcare services in America. Read on to learn about how Susan began this endeavor. No doubt, her story and outlook will inspire you! LDC: So, Susan, tell our readers where you attended college and obtained your MD/MBA. SN: I attended college in my hometown of Morgantown, WV. I obtained a bachelors in Biology from West Virginia University. I earned my MD degree from the University of Iowa and my MBA from Goizueta Business School at Emory University in Atlanta. My post graduate medical training was toward a career in Cardiothoracic Surgery where I did a clinical fellowship in Cardiothoracic Surgery at Stanford University. I did my MBA with a concentration in private equity finance. LDC: What led to your interest in pursuing this particular educational route? SN: As a young girl, I had always thought that I wanted to be a doctor so going to medical school was second nature. I went to business school more than a decade later during my career transition from practicing Cardiothoracic Surgery to becoming an entrepreneur. LDC: So obviously you are applying it well to your start up. What gave you the idea to create this venture? SN: I got the idea to start DocPons™ while co-instructing a physician entrepreneur event in Atlanta in late January 2011. A healthcare provider in the audience spoke anecdotally about placing an offer on Groupon® that generated both revenues for his business and recurrent patient volume during the most recent economic recession. I thought at that time “Now what would I call my company that created revenue and patient volume for all types of healthcare providers” that was both targeted and sensitive to the unique nature of the healthcare industry. I came up with the name DocPons, a play in Doctor Coupons. I purchased the domain name the following day and was incorporated two weeks later. LDC: How is it funded? SN: To date, the company has been funded by friends and family, essentially “bootstrapped”. However, I have been promoting the company around the country and the world over the past several months. DocPons was featured as one of the nine most innovative start-up healthcare companies in the world at the Doctor 2.0 conference in Paris, France in June of 2011. In addition, DocPons is a member company of both the Start-up America initiative and Start-up Health in NYC. Most recently, DocPons was featured in Silicon Valley at the Women 2.0 Pitch Competition in February 2012 and won the prize for the “Product Most Likely to Change the World”. Despite the early recognition and accomplishments of DocPons, raising the next financing round has proved challenging. The playing field is not level when it comes to women led start-ups receiving venture funding. At the end of the day, I hope DocPons changes this antiquated paradigm once and for all. LDC: What suggestions do you have for other women of color looking to fund start ups, by the way? SN: Though every individual path is unique, I would suggest applying for everything that you think you can even remotely quality for. Casting a broad net is essential. There are several women-only initiatives addressing the inequalities women entrepreneurs and CEO’s face. These resources are a good start. At the very least, women led initiatives can level the field when gender is the issue. Racial bias, however can be yet another obstacle that many investors and potential partners have to overcome. Attitude changes, like paradigm shifts take time. I would suggest pushing through the glass ceiling inch by inch, never giving up and always believing in yourself. LDC: During the funding process and overall journey, have you encountered any situations that you have felt were race/gender based that were negative? If so, how did you overcome them? SN: Of course. However, when I feel that gender or race has played a role in a decision that was not in my favor, I recognize it and move forward. Dwelling to long on gender and racial bias issues is draining and at times downright depressing. I manage to get up the next day and start anew. I cannot dwell there. I just think that somewhere out there the perfect investor and strategic partners are waiting for me. I just keep it moving, as they say. LDC: I’m talking to you now at a particularly interesting moment in our country’s history regarding healthcare. Would you care to state your feelings on the upcoming Supreme Court ruling? Also, how do you feel healthcare issues particularly affects Black women in this country? SN: Please allow me to qualify my statements on this topic to say that I do not have a legal background to discuss the legal precedent surrounding the Supreme Court hearings. However, I do have a general understanding of the Affordable Care Act. There are several changes proposed that are essential to begin healing the broken healthcare system in America. The expansion of Medicaid, inclusion of pre-existing conditions, and allowing young people to stay on their parents plan until age 26 are just a few. What is not addressed in the Affordable Care Act is the affordability of individuals entering the Health Exchange. As we all know, high deductible plans are quite expensive. Private insurers will sell deductible plans from $1,000 to upwards of $10,000 for the most catastrophic plans. The deductible for the Obama Care plan is $4,950. Most Americans, I believe, cannot afford this. The problem with high deductible plans as I see it are two-fold. An individual pays out-of-pocket for most all outpatient care services until the deductible is reached. Most healthy individuals will not consume that much healthcare in any one year to satisfy the high deductible and thus are left with a substantial deductible payment should they need hospitalization. This scenario is what makes high deductible plans so unaffordable. Because of the high cost of routine outpatient healthcare, many people will forego routine health and wellness care when covered with high deductible plans. This leads to a vicious cycle in the healthcare system where persons are waiting until conditions become unbearable before presenting for care. This then leads to higher healthcare costs, sicker Americans, and healthcare system that is bankrupting both families and the government. Minorities are more severely affected generally speaking with the healthcare system in its current state. This relates back to the disparities in access to care that affect health outcomes and life expectancy. This is a founding premise for the DocPons concept as it relates to the uninsured and underinsured. The DocPons mission is to provide quality affordable outpatient healthcare services to those that typically would not have access. We aim to keep all primary care coupons under $100. It is free to register and we need only a valid email address to begin serving our subscribers. In America today, the number of uninsured and underinsured combined includes more than 81 million persons. LDC: What is your biggest challenge during the day running this start up? SN: My biggest challenge on any day is patience and staving off doubt. Starting a company is challenging and reaching milestones takes time. It’s easy to second guess yourself when you feel that progress in not being made as quickly as you would like it. LDC: What is your biggest hope for DocPons this year? SN: My biggest hope for DocPons this year is that we can begin serving Americans with the affordable, quality, outpatient care services that they need and deserve. Though the company is just over a year old, it can feel like an eternity when you want to exact change in the world. LDC: What has response been like to your company and why do you think it’s been received as such? SN: Surprisingly, most people tell me that they feel inspired by the DocPons concept. Everyone that hears about it is excited. I want to capitalize on that collective feeling and provide a superior service that is transformative in healthcare. I think people feel this way because as Americans, positive change in our healthcare system is long overdue. http://madamenoire.com/154264/behind-the-click-susan-nicholas-founder-ceo-of-docpons-inc/ |
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| New York | May 26 2012, 01:23 PM Post #395 |
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Good information Malia. |
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| Malia | May 27 2012, 04:20 PM Post #396 |
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![]() If you’re having a bit of difficulty with your savings plan, maybe you can benefit from a meeting with financial twin divas Tai and Tarin Perry. The two offer a powerful combination of tips and advice for saving that is bound to improve your bank account. Black Enterprise reports that the Chicago natives were born into a family of seven, and their mother’s thrifty spending early on to make a way for her large family helped them to realize the value and importance of saving. They have turned their financial savvy into the popular blog DoubleSavingDivas.com. The site receives over 44,000 unique viewers a month and has been featured on shows hosted by Rachel Ray and Nate Berkus, as well as “Extreme Couponing” on TLC. The Perry twins first decided to run their blog after realizing that there were limited voices online to economically encourage and uplift African Americans. “Before anyone else can help us we need to first learn how to help ourselves,” the twins said to Black Enterprise. “In helping ourselves the key is to have a new vision of what our money is and what it is to be used for. Once we realize this understanding we will no longer have to wait for someone to open up a door for us.” They believe their site offers a unique take on financial knowledge. Not only is it from the point of view of two African American twins, it provides knowledge on coupons and store deals and explains how to use them in every day life. “We tell about our successes as well as our failures in hopes that people would be benefited by both,” they disclose. “Our strategies have been tried and have been proven to be successful over time. Our techniques are very doable and we strive to take complex concepts and make sure that anybody can put them to use.” In the future, the twins plan on producing an Internet based show entitled, “Let’s Save Money.” They also release that there may be a reality show and possibly a book later down the road. With all of their business success, their only regret is that they didn’t start sooner. “Once you have a vision don’t hesitate to take the necessary steps in making your vision into reality sooner rather than later,” they advise. “While working a 9-to-5 career, we had to take the necessary steps to incorporate our blogging into our already busy schedules. We couldn’t allow being a wife, mother, and career woman stop us from pursuing our passion in building our brand.” |
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| Malia | Jun 29 2012, 01:55 PM Post #397 |
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Q&A: Kezia M. Williams of Capital Cause Talks About Keeping Millennials Engaged in Philanthropy![]() During a time when many might doubt the motivation and engagement of young people in philanthropy, Kezia M. Williams of Washington D.C. based non-profit organization Capital Cause is putting that stereotype to the test. As a part of the upward and well-mobilized millennial generation herself, Williams is changing the landscape of how young adults give back, meeting them where they are through popular social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter. Williams’ commitment and dedication to summoning a whole generation of future philanthropists to use their resources as a way to give back is revamping the landscape and stereotypes of service to the community. Williams and her team at Capital Cause are making philanthropy young and popular again for a whole new generation looking to find a fresh way to change the world. Madame Noire: Capital Cause will be hosting their premier event, The Young Philanthropists Industry Brunch, in Washington D.C. June 30th. How did the event do last year, and what is your overall goal for the brunch this year, themed after poverty to raise awareness and money for the national and global issue? Kezia M. Williams: Capital Cause is elated to be able to host the 2nd Annual Young Philanthropists Industry Brunch this year. Last year’s event attracted 250 young philanthropists, trailblazers and changemakers who were interested in connecting with senior level leaders in their industry over brunch. Guests at the 2011 brunch included industry representatives from Booz | Allen | Hamilton, the White House, Politico, and the Washingtonian to name a few. Attendees at the brunch selected two nonprofits doing work to reduce the educational disparity gap as beneficiaries of two grants. This year we plan to follow the same format; however we will increase the giving component and award three grants instead of two. Annually, we ask our Young Philanthropist members to choose the cause that Capital Cause will donate its gifts of time and money to for the duration of the fiscal year. Last year, our members choose education and collectively worked to award five grants and donate 400 hours to local nonprofits. This fiscal year, in under six months, our Young Philanthropists members have donated $25,000, awarded five grants and contributed 3300 service hours to help end poverty, hunger and homelessness in the Nation’s Capital. MN: What misconceptions have you received from others by working with millennials (for example, they are lazy, not motivated, do not care about the community, etc.), and how do you combat that as an organization? KW: Capital Cause has witnessed our members deconstruct the myth that young people don’t care about philanthropy or giving back. They have proven this by demonstrating the power of small gifts by coordinating low-dollar, high-grossing giving campaigns, deconstructing the myth that only large donations and large donors count. They have demanded that Capital Cause plan more service events that show high and measurable impact in communities, deconstructing the myth that young people want less and give less time. Though we’ve only supported the DC Metropolitan Area, we believe their desires are representative of a larger millennial group that has been misrepresented and ill-defined when it comes to philanthropy. Young people aren’t disinterested in service; they are disinterested in participating in outdated service-based activities that don’t consider millennial interests. MN: As a non-profit organization that has engaged over 3000 young philanthropists to participate and invest in your cause, how important is having service opportunities targeted primarily to millennials? KW: It is very important for organizations to craft service activities that cater to millennial interests. This generation is becoming more selective about how they seek out volunteer opportunities that align with causes they support. Instead of volunteering just to say they “gave back,” young people are strategically gifting their talents, skills and donations to nonprofits that appeal to their interest. They are also proactively engaging their formal and informal networks in their cause work, using the internet as a medium to raise money, recruit volunteers and share information. If organizations and nonprofits want to keep millenials engaged, they will have to revamp the old model of broadly targeting volunteers and specifically demonstrate why getting involved is important by creating non-traditional avenues for millenials to get involved. MN: What is your role at Capital Cause in detail, and why do you have such a passion for engaging young people in philanthropy? KW: I currently serve as Chair of Capital Cause. My role involves managing a board of 10 changemakers, overseeing the activities of six operating committees and collaboratively setting the strategic vision and mission objectives of the organization. The passion millennials have to change the world fuels my excitement about young philanthropy. Unlike previous generations, Millenials have been born in the age of information and many of them have taken advantage of this period in time. They have used information to research world issues, connected with people in need of charity, and mobilized for change via innovative social mediums. I believe our generation will change the world through these efforts, and I am honored to play a small role in that through my leadership with Capital Cause. MN: How did your organization get started in September of 2009? What brought on this idea that eventually led into becoming a non-profit organization? KW: Prior to September 2009, I led a team of young people to plan low-dollar fundraisers on behalf of a presidential candidate. Together we were able to raise nearly $250,000 and engage over 500 volunteers nationwide to support a national campaign. However, once the campaign ended and inauguration was over, some of the volunteers wanted to continue our fundraising and organizing efforts. So we met up at Busboys & Poets on K Street in Washington, DC and talked about how “next steps” would look. We rejected the idea of continuing to back a candidate because we thought it was polarizing, and decided to create an organization that was cause-focused. In the ten months following, we met twice a week to build out the vision, complete the necessary paperwork and plan for the years ahead. The result of our effort is still manifesting itself in Capital Cause today. MN: Tell us more about what it takes for an organization to become a fiscally-sponsored 501c3 nonprofit organization. KM: A nonprofit organization must complete their 501c3 paperwork with the IRS in order to receive tax-deductible contributions. However, generally speaking, attorneys advise that new and aspiring organizations planning to file IRS nonprofit paperwork seek fiscal-sponsorship first. Fiscal sponsorship allows new and aspiring nonprofits to use the tax deductible status of a larger nonprofit for a small fee, and for all intents and purposes act as a nonprofit organization for up to three years. Capital Cause is fiscally-sponsored and has maintained a fiscal sponsorship relationship with a local DC nonprofit for two years. This has allowed us to incrementally fill out our IRS paperwork, and populate it with information describing what we’re actually doing as opposed to future plans that may or may not occur. This is the benefit a fiscal sponsorship provides, the flexibility to decide how you want to operate, prior to sending your “final decisions” to the IRS while simultaneously enabling donors to make tax-deductible contributions. To find out more information about obtaining fiscal sponsorship, I suggest DC Metropolitan aspiring nonprofit organizations contact Georgetown Law Center. MN: How has the organization changed and grown over the past three years? KW: Over the past three years, Capital Cause has grown to develop carefully-constructed programs that engage our supporters in collective giving. New programs include a new membership initiative, the Young Philanthropist Program and a skills-based volunteer initiative, the Giving Circles Projects. Our Young Philanthropists Program requires that supporters donate $30 and pledge five service hours. These contributions are then combined and competitively awarded in the form of grants to nonprofits Young Philanthropist members select. Our Giving Circles Projects connect the skills and talents of our Young Philanthropists to nonprofits in need of specialized talent to complete high-impact service projects. MN: What outlets does Capital Cause use to market/advertise itself, and how does it sustain itself in social media and keep aspiring young philanthropists engaged? KW: Capital Cause relies heavily on Facebook and Twitter to inform, inspire, engage and challenge young people to consider philanthropy right now. We make sure to hit on three core concepts to make sure our messaging remains consistent: 1. We call our supporters #YoungPhilanthropists and define the term continuously by sharing the Capital Cause definition, quotes and stories related to philanthropy. 2. We share opportunities for our Young Philanthropists get involved. Activities included Capital Cause sponsored events and sharing programs being planned by our nonprofit partners. 3. We highlight the work of our members and demonstrate how they give back daily; this way our supporters can learn about philanthropy through the example that our members and supporters set. Millennials are a tech-savvy generation, so we make sure to use social media and other online mechanisms to engage them where they are. MN: What honorable mentions, awards, recognitions, etc. has Capital Cause received for its work in the Washington D.C. community? KW: Recently, Capital Cause was awarded the Kiwanis Club – Excellence in Community Service award. This award recognized the 3,000 Capital Cause Young Philanthropists who have donated to support microgrants benefiting nonprofits working to eradicate educational inequity and end poverty in the DC Metropolitan area. We were humbled and honored to have a 97 year-old nonprofit recognize our nascent philanthropic efforts; and, it’s our goal to follow in their footsteps and continue to make a difference in under-served communities. MN: Are you looking to expand the reach of Capital Cause? KW: The long-term goal of Capital Cause includes founding chapters nationwide. We believe the message of young philanthropy isn’t just applicable to people located in the DC Metropolitan area. We’re making it our mission to revolutionize philanthropy in order to build a new generation of young donors committed to giving back throughout their lifetime. MN: What would like others to know about your organization, Capital Cause and engaging millennials in philanthropy? I work with a stellar team of changemakers who are serious about achieving the Capital Cause mission. Though each person has their specific roles and responsibilities, Board members choose not to work in silos. Together we brainstorm solutions to challenges, and create opportunities from roadblocks and we do it for the benefit of young philanthropists. In the past, I have joined Boards where having the title usurps doing the work. Capital Cause is a refreshing change from this, and I am honored to be a part of this group of servant leaders. I see the value of philanthropy daily, when I see them work selflessly for a cause. More information about the work of Capital Cause and how to get involved can be found at www.capitalcause.com. Edited by Malia, Jun 29 2012, 02:04 PM.
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| Malia | Jun 29 2012, 02:01 PM Post #398 |
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Entrepreneur Spotlight: Afrobella on Building Her Hugely Successful Beauty Brand![]() By Andrea Williams Everybody you know has a blog: your girlfriend who styles your hair every Thursday, your niece who’s only in the tenth grade and even her third period math teacher. But back in 2006, when Patrice Yursik first took to the web with her online journal of sorts, blogging wasn’t exactly tres chic. The former journalist was encouraged by an internet-savvy friend to share her opinions with the world, and he prodded her to come up with an under-the-radar topic that would attract eager readers. Her short list? Natural hair tips and trends, makeup for black women and plus-sized beauty. She purchased her domain name on August 13; two days later she published her first post. Now Yursik is more commonly known as Afrobella – the super fly chick with the super fly natural and one of the web’s top beauty blogs, black or otherwise. She flits about the country on one exciting assignment after another – interviewing celebs on the Academy Awards red carpet, working with chemists to perfect her very own MAC Lipglass shade – all the while keeping her 32,000-plus Twitter followers abreast of the latest and greatest in natural beauty and fashion. Yursik has come a long way from her days as the calendar editor of a Miami newspaper, but she credits that real-life journalistic experience as the training ground for her blog. “The challenge was that it was a weekly newspaper, and you just had to write as much as you can, and edit as much as you can and turn in perfect copy every week,” she says. “So it was a good preparation for building my own blog. It showed me that I can write a variety of different topics and interview anybody.” Unfortunately, while the position helped her develop the chops she would need to consistently churn out creative, reader-friendly content for Afrobella.com, it also proved to be the catalyst that forced her to commit to her budding brand full-time. While she was working, Yursik was able to juggle her online duties with her daily 9-5 responsibilities, jetting off to record segments for NPR’s News and Notes Blogger’s Roundtable on her lunch break and posting to her site in the evenings. Everything was smooth sailing until she was offered the opportunity of a lifetime to attend an event in D.C. held in honor of Barak Obama’s Presidential Inauguration. It was a pivotal moment because, despite her obvious and well-justified excitement, her boss was decidedly less thrilled. In fact, he forbade her to go to the event, or to speak during a special pre-Inauguration show on NPR. “It killed me,” she admits. “I had to stay behind and do all the work because my assistant got to go. I went home, and I was very emotional, and I told my husband. He was like, ‘This is ridiculous; you have to leave.’ That was the first time he had ever said that.” The decision to leave her day job wasn’t made lightheartedly. Yursik and her husband had saved enough money to cover current bills and rent a UHAUL to move from South Florida to Chicago – and in with his parents. It’s a move that proves that the road to internet stardom may not have been smooth, but it was paved with determination and commitment. “Having somebody in your life who believes in your dreams and is willing to sacrifice to build them with you is the most incredible asset that anybody can have,” says Yursik of her husband. That support gave Yursik the strength she needed to keep pushing and building Afrobella. And she had plenty of time to do it since none of the Chicago-area publications where she applied for jobs made an offer. Their loss turned out to be the gain of several outlets interested in hiring Yursik as a freelancer, including AOL Black Voices and Voque Italia’s Vogue Black. Today, Afrobella is growing strong with 350,000 page views and 85,000 unique visitors each month. And on the financial front, Yursik says that she is now making the kind of money that she had always hoped to. But despite being hugely popular, she admits that she probably wouldn’t be as eager to start her blog in 2012. “If someone came to me now and said that I should write a blog, I would be daunted by the landscape because I think that there’s oversaturation, especially in certain segments of the blogosphere and the black blogosphere,” she explains. That’s important advice for wannabe scribes with get-rich-quick dreams and fantasies of millions of visitors. Success is certainly possible, but not without a plan, dedication and, most importantly, a niche, warns Yursik. “People read blogs because they want your insight and opinion and personal perspective,” she adds. “And that’s why blogs will always have a space. So if you have something to say and it’s different and intelligent, then yes, you should start a blog. And it’s not too late for you.” http://madamenoire.com/191911/entrepreneur-spotlight-black-beauty-blogger-afrobella-discuss-building-her-hugely-successful-brand/2/ |
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| Veritas | Jun 30 2012, 12:23 PM Post #399 |
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In a world where so many folks often are not who they say that they are and appear to be and have all kinds of ulterior motives, engage in meaningless gamesmanships and sophomoric mind games, these kinds of stories do my heart glad Malia. Please keep them coming. Fortunately, these are the types of Black women that I'm surrounded by daily. The "go getters", the don't have time for games and bullshit, the ones who have evolved to a higher plane and refuse to look down. The ones that you can learn so much from and come away feeling humbled and honored. The kind of women that Black Men should be standing inline to be close to.
Edited by Veritas, Jun 30 2012, 12:25 PM.
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| Nat Turner | Jul 1 2012, 02:06 PM Post #400 |
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Great information Malia. |
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3:18 PM Jul 11