January 2020 Issue Vol 1

MAGAZINE

BRONZE january 2020

Keep that Bronze skin supple this winter

Tips on Getting a clearer vision in 2020

Carline Beaubrun Founder of Pajamas & A Purpose Inc. Empowering Girls & Women

BRONZEMAGONLINE.COM

NEW YEAR NEW ME D

PAJAMA BRUNCH

ream it

B

elieve it

D

o it

GRAB YOUR DREAMS, GOALS, FAVORITE PJs, PILLOW AND A BLANKET & LET’S GET READY TO START

2020

OFF RIGHT!

Sunday, January 12, 2020

10am - 3pm Viana Hotel and Spa 3998 Brush Hollow Rd, Westbury, NY 11590

Tickets Include:

Brunch Buffet | Make your own Mimosa Bar | Breathwork Session Vision Board Session (including all supplies) | Motivational Session Mini Massage & Swag Bag Tickets available on Eventbrite: pajamasandapurpose.eventbrite.com pajamasandapurpose.org | pajamasandapurpose.org/our-events

Photo Credit: Adrienne Anderson

HAPPY NEW YEAR! xoxo, Bronze Magazine

BRONZE MAGAZINE

January 2020 Editor’s Note

Cover Credits:

Cover Star: Carline Beaubrun Photographer: Big Time Bully Productions FOUNDER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Shawn Stuldivant CO-OWNER Barry Stuldivant ISSUE DESIGN BY Shawn Stuldivant WRITERS Marian Nimoh Tobbylola Oniga Patrice Rivers Kiara Timo

Happy New Year Bronze Beauties! It’s a wonderful time for renewal. Realistically, I know that you can’t just wash away all the issues and challenges you may have faced in 2019, but we can all certainly reset our thoughts to make room for all the possibilities that may come with a new year. I’ll be soon attending an amazing event in which Bronze Magazine is a media sponsor. The New Year, New Me Empowerment Pajama Brunch presented by Pajamas & A Purpose Inc. is just what the spirit needs - empowerment, encouragement and inspiration. Oh, and you can wear your pajamas! The organization’s founder, Carline Beaubrun happens to be our cover star of this month’s issue! Carline gives us all the details on how she was inspired to create such a brilliant event concept, the importance of the organization in the community, what to expect at this month’s event, and much more!

I’m so honored to know Carline and I look forward to supporting her and her organization’s mission to empower girls and women.

If you are in the NYC/Long Island area, you definitely will want to attend. Tickets are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ new-year-new-me-pajama-brunch-tickets-69751034221

xoxo, Shawn

I hope to see you there :-)

CONTENTS JANUARY 2020

6

8

16

19

20

10

Photography by Big Time Bully Productions

nesta simone

Women Empowerment Through Style By: Marian Nimoh

"I am walking in my purpose by using style to empower women as well as my fearless and driven events. My purpose is growing as I grow as a person. I am walking in it, and I have to keep going higher and higher," says Nesta Simone, Personal Stylist and Wardrobe Consultant from Brooklyn NY. Simone uses fashion to empower and make women feel confident about themselves by discovering their style. After working for Monique Lhuiller in 2001 producing fashion events, dressing clients in bridal wear and preparing them for weddings, she decided to create her own personal styling business in 2017 using the tools and skills she gained working for the fashion designer. Simone works with clients from all walks of life such as entrepreneurs, busy moms, individuals transitioning into a career, and even the woman with a new man in her life.

With her tomboy, baggy clothes, and afrocentric style, Simone does not believe in attaching herself to one style. “As women, we should not be holding on to one style. Our style evolves as we mature and that is how I feel about my style,” says Simone.

She loves to have fun and showcase her personality through bright colors, prints and statement pieces. “Your personality is what will make the outfit work. The outfit can look good but if you are not confident, it will not work,” she says. She likes to look effortless when she dresses, believing that simplicity is key. “A forced style is someone who is thinking too much and doing too much by putting too many different things together,” says Simone. Four years ago, Simone was constantly wearing fitted jeans but she is currently rocking high waisted and wide legged jeans.

"I am walking in my purpose by using style to empower women."

6

BRONZEMAGONLINE.COM

january 2020

My definition of style is how you present and express yourself. The way you dress is perceived by others and the first thing people see is your look, this defines who you are, says Simone. Simone looks up to her mother and the 70’s for her style inspiration. “I love the 70’s, wearing my mom’s dresses, the big hair, the warm tones, colors. It’s effortless dressing,” she says. She loves shopping at Modcloth, an online vintage store, where Simone finds pieces and mixes it with her own.

When it comes to styling, Simone does not believe in rules. She believes that everyone is different and she has a fashion philosophy stating that one should always wear what they love and find pieces that works for their body type.

"My definition of style is how you present and express yourself."

“When I help a client find their style, I get to know them, who they are; whether they are married, have kids, a new job, what their hobbies are,” says Simone. This helps her figure out where they are in their lives and the direction they are going in order to create a sense of style for them. Simone not only gets to know her clients personally but she also finds out what her clients' fashion goals are where she pulls ideas from sites like Pinterest, shops for her clients online and puts together a lookbook for them.

Simone works with clients who are serious, committed, and ready to upgrade themselves and their styles.

Her clients range from entrepreneur women, people who need help finding items, brides, and clients with different personalities, all of which require her to be very sensitive to their feelings and respect the items they want to keep because this is a life changing experience for them.

“She deals with clients with a cluttered closet, where she helps them declutter their closets by season, and have a “yes and no” pile for the clothes that they want to keep and the ones that they would like to sell or donate. “You should be able to get dressed in 10 minutes when your pieces are organized.

When you are struggling to create an outfit, maybe you have too much and you have to start decluttering,” says Simone. Simone shops online for all her clients where she mixes and matches pieces that a client already owns with the new pieces she shopped for online. It takes about two to three months for Simone to style her clients. She follows up with them through email, a phone call or text months after helping them discover their sense of style.

In addition to styling clients, Simone is also a busy mother. To find out more about Nesta Simone or to upgrade your style, you can visit her website at Nestasimone.com or follow her on Instagram at nestasimonestyle.

From Dreams to reality with Nina Ameri

L.A. Ovation Award winner Nina Ameri has been doing an amazing job making a name for herself in the movie industry. She is most known for her role in Venice Bound, Jack the Dog, and her most recent gig starring on Atypical, a Netflix Original TV series. As an Iranian refugee, Ameri was forced to move to the states with her family and start her life over. However, from the age of five, Ameri knew what she was destined to become.

8

BRONZEMAGONLINE.COM

january 2020

Bronze Magazine: Tell me Nina, how did you deal with being only five years old and witnessing a revolution at such a young age?

Nina Ameri: I have vivid memories that I remember. I remember that there was a curfew. You had to be in the house by a certain time. The curfew was a new thing put in place probably for the impending revolution that was coming. One time the curfew bell rang and I was at a friend’s house, I wasn’t home. I remember panicking and my parents had to secretly pick me up. We had to leave secretly from a back door and through a garden to our car. Driving on back roads to get home without getting caught. It was so scary to me.

Bronze Magazine: Are there any memories from back home that has stayed with you since?

Nina Ameri: I had these beautiful white Persian cats named Kitty and Mishu. I loved them and they were exquisite looking.

I remember learning English and playing with my tutor’s American son, practicing my newly learned language.

Bronze Magazine: How was the transition to living in the states?

Nina Ameri: Hard. I felt out of place and foreign. I was made fun of a lot for being foreign and speaking a different language. It was not popular to be Iranian then because of the hostage crisis. I used to pretend we were French.

Bronze Magazine: Is there any acting technique you learned in Iran that has stayed with you since?

Nina Ameri: No acting technique. I just loved imitating my mom's friends. It used to make my mom laugh a lot. She said that I was so good at imitating.

Bronze Magazine: Did you face any challenges trying to get into acting as an Iranian citizen?

Nina Ameri: No, I was an American citizen by then.

Bronze Magazine: What advice would you give to upcoming actresses trying to break into the movie industry?

Nina Ameri: Study your craft and throw yourself into anything you can. Do theatre, all kinds of it, that’s the best training.

Physical theatre, classical theatre, and improv.

Bronze Magazine: How did you land the role of Luisa on Atypical? Tell us about your character. What similarities or differences can you point out between yourself and Luisa?

Nina Ameri: I auditioned for it. Me and Luisa were similar; moms trying to balance it all. Luisa, on the other hand, has children on the spectrum which comes with its own set of challenges. She lets things roll off her back more than I do. I need to learn that from her, actually.

Bronze Magazine: What can viewers expect to see from Luisa on the show in season three?

Nina Ameri: More funny moments, HA! Bronze Magazine: Tell me about how it felt receiving the L.A. Ovation award for best ensemble performance in the show La Gioconda. What do you think lead to you receiving this award?

Nina Ameri: Best Feeling. I absolutely LOVED that show and I am so proud of the work we all did. It was the most unique and creative experience I have ever had acting. It was a silent show, an homage to silent films set to an amazing soundtrack. The costumes, hair and makeup were all from the silent era in film.

We all played 10-13 characters in the show. What a ride. It was all thanks to the genius of our creator/ director Randy Schulman.

Bronze Magazine: If you weren’t an actress what other profession would you have been a part of?

Nina Ameri: I love fashion, interior design, and art. I also would have loved to be musician….

Instagram: @Ninaameri

Photography by : Big Time Bully Productions

"AS A FIRSTGENERATION COLLEGE GRADUATE WHO COMES FROM VERY HUMBLE BEGINNINGS, I WAS NO STRANGER TO HARD WORK, FAITH, PERSEVERANCE AND BIG DREAMS."

"OUR EVENTS BUILD AUTHENTIC RELATIONSHIPS."

RADICAL RABBIT A HEALTHY BITE OF NASHVILLE Nashville, the home of some of the best BBQ in the nation, is embracing a new wave of veganism and Mariah, owner of Radical Rabbit, is riding it until the wheels fall off. Radical Rabbit is a company that provides tasty and healthy vegan soul food plates at pop-ups and events across Nashville, Tennessee. Radical Rabbit, a dream that began in a dorm room, aspires to introduce an all-natural and crueltyfree lifestyle to the minority community in Nashville for health benefits and social awareness of veganism.

Here's what Mariah had to say on how she got started‌ I started cooking in my dorm when I was attending University for business and art and I had no idea that I wanted to cook.

By Kiara Timo

I lived in a dorm room with no kitchen, so I sneaked in a hot plate. I wanted to do it [sell vegan plates] then and there, but I guess I wasn’t ready. I graduated, then had my kid shortly after, and then I just started it back up.

I started cooking again and discovered that I had a real passion for it.

I was a vegetarian [before]. I studied PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, while I was in college and I was also doing black activism. I guess I had a spiritual awakening that included veganism and the liberation of not only people but animals. I have been vegan for about 4-5 years now.

"EVERYTHING YOU CAN GET ON A REGULAR DIET YOU CAN GET ON A VEGAN DIET. THERE ARE A LOT OF HEALTH BENEFITS." I watched 12 Years A Slave in my dorm room and I had a connection like ‘wow, this was done to my people back in the day’ and I just kept thinking about animals and their situation and how they’re living in hell every single day. Angela Davis visited the campus and she was saying how she’s vegan because she can’t say that she just wants our people to be free if there are also other things, living things, on this earth that are in hell because that would be hypocritical.

There’s also the moral aspect, ‘you judge a country on how they treat their animals,’ and there’s the environmental aspect. The number one destroyer of our plants are animals and agriculture. The trees, our land, and we give our food multiple grains and feed our livestock, but our people are starving. When it comes to the health of our people-which is something I’ve grown to advocate more for, food is a huge killer in Black people’s culture with heart disease and diabetes. A lot of diseases are linked to our food and what we eat. So, going vegan is a great alternative to that and doing it as I have with vegan soul food makes it a lot easier.

There are a lot of health benefits to veganism. Mariah hopes that Radical Rabbit inspires individuals to consider either becoming a vegan or including vegan meals in their diet, not just for the sake of the animals, but for the sake of the happiness and health of mankind.

Here's what Mariah had to say about the benefits of a vegan diet…

I had an aunt who passed away not

too long ago and many family members who passed away from heart attacks out of nowhere or they couldn’t eat right with their diabetes or they had issues with their heart and their doctor told them they had to start taking heart medicine but a lot of things could be reversed with a healthy diet. If you start now, then you won’t have to worry about that later.

People think that vegans need protein, but we get a lot of protein from the food that we eat. We get our protein from where other people get their protein. Cows and pigs get their protein from grass and we [vegans] are eating straight plant so we’re getting that raw protein. Almond milk has 50% more calcium then Cow Milk and there are moral benefits to it. I make it raw without preservatives and straight from the nuts and you get some of the protein. It’s not coming from a dairy farm that is not environmentally friendly.

Everything you can get on a regular diet you can get on a vegan diet.

There are a lot of health benefits.

You feel great and you get a lot of energy. Plants—I see it as a living food, so when you’re eating a living food and not corpses then you feel it. I feel like if you eat a dead animal and they died screaming in pain and agony that energy can be transferred. When you’re eating living plants and things that are grown from the earth without blood and horror then you’ll feel better.

The vegan ribs are my most popular dish. My favorite is the suya jack root kabab. It’s from East Africa. I love the African dishes I make. There’s also a peanut stew that I like and that’s from Ghana.

Vegan food can be more expensive.

The way that I look at it now is that you can pay for food that is not junk food, which is hard for some people and I understand that, but then you won’t be paying for a ton of doctor’s bills later because you have to buy heart disease medicine. The way that Radical Rabbit tries to combat the expense is with something I do called name your price. I’ve had people trade reusable straws that they made, or someone even made hot sauce and traded it.

As Radical Rabbit continues to grow in Nashville, so does its clientele, and Mariah has made it a goal to make sure that people have access to healthy food options.

Here’s what Mariah had to say about her clientele, the vegan community and where she hopes to take Radical Rabbit in the future…

The age range is young adults, that’s my main clientele, but some people are testing it out. Some people just want to try a vegan meal, which is great.

18

BRONZEMAGONLINE.COM

The vegan community out here is growing. There are a lot of vegan restaurants here now, and we also have a Facebook group. It’s becoming a really big and friendly city. My daughter’s daycare provides a vegan breakfast, lunch and snack. There are other options people can go to if they're not vegan, but I think the difference is that I can prepare your food where it will be all-natural, but it will taste really good and you won’t have as much guilt as you would eating somewhere else.

january 2020

In ten years, I hope Radical Rabbit has multiple locations and is an actual institution. I want to be everywhere.

As social awareness continues to thrive among communities across America, we will surely see an increased presence of Radical Rabbit.

Nashville is blessed with the first bite. Starting in January, Nashville locals can find Radical Rabbit at Nashville Downtown Farmers market every other Friday serving hot and fresh food. She will also be at the first night market on January 17th serving lunch and dinner. Keep up with Radical Rabbit on Instagram: @RadicalRabbit and be sure to like their Facebook page: Radical Rabbit and check out their website at radrab.com

Keep that Bronze Skin Supple this Winter

By Nsi Amah

By Patrice Rivers

In Habakkuk 2:2 it clearly states, “And the Lord answered me, write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.”

20

BRONZEMAGONLINE.COM

january 2020

Keeping Your Vision Alive!

Create a Vision Board!

“You’ve got to think about big things while you’re doing small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction.” ~Alvin Toffler

OPRAH WINFREY:

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH ONLY PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO LIFT YOU HIGHER .

@bronzemag

@bronzemagazine