January 2022 Entertainment Issue

16 PEOPLE to Watch for This YEAR NEW BEGINNING for 2022

Marci Hopkins

photo by: Marta Chodur

HOST & CREATOR OF WAKE UP

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CONTENTS JANUARY 2022 Marci Hopkins Victor Migalchan Jamie Perkins Nimari Burnett Christian Ross-Francis William Brownlee SR Tony Swindle Ashley Alexander Leslie Wibberley Mary N Cameron Brown Jenna Glatzer Xio Axelrod Barry Szeto Buddhakai Nicole Deese

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04 06 08 10 12 14 18 20 24 26 28 30 34 36 38 40

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36 Founder – Cece Hymes

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W.I.B (Where It Begins) is an Independent agency with the aim to always be innovated in each approach taken to projects and making sure excellence is given in a projects execution when it comes to media marketing, branding, networking and management.

Founded by the well experienced and ever growing force; D.C native - Cece Hymes, the most important and integral aspect of W.I.B is that branding for both Creatives and Businesses is taken to the next level with each and every project undertaken.

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We’ve continued to represent a very diverse and well acclaimed roster of emerging talents in the entertainment, and businesses!

With a determined persistence for continued excellence, our Founder – Cece Hymes, with a college Degree in Business Management, has also worked within radio and with many companies such as: RDE Entertainment, H.I.G.H Entertainment and Caribbean Gospel Records Ltd.,

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"And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life, "JK Rowling". "

Marci Hopkins

Q. Tell everyone who you are and what you do.

A. I am fortunate to call myself an award winning tv host, National Recovery Expert, author, inventor, and mother.

I am the host, creator and executive producer of Wake Up with Marci, a talk show of empowerment, celebrity inspiration, education, and resources, airing on CBS owned WLNY-TV 10/55 in the New York/ New Jersey market and streaming on Hulu Live. My mission is to share hope, let people know they are not alone and help others live their happiest lives.

Q. Let’s talk about “Wake up with Marci” & how it got started?

A. Wake Up with Marci is a passion project. I am a sexual abuse survivor and just celebrated 6 years of sobriety. When I decided to put down the drink, heal from my trauma, and change my behaviors and mindset, I began to live a life of joy and abundance. For these reasons I knew I wanted to help others to know they could do the same, I offer this through my platform Wake Up with Marci and my book Chaosto Clarity, launching Spring of 2022!

Q. How has your experience been helping and supporting the youth in Uganda?

A. Beyond fulfilling! Fate connected to me to the Kamuli Orphanage on Facebook. I connected quickly to the woman that ran the orphanage, Justina, an orphan herself. She dedicated her life to giving these children a better life. I, along with others raised enough money to buy land, build a home with enough rooms for the children, a functional kitchen, and bathrooms. Things that we take for granted every day. They now have crops, a water system for clean water and animals, these things have created sustainable living. It fills my heart to help these orphans that had nothing. I am now helping another orphanage and hope to start a foundation soon to help the orphans

that have nothing, especially right now during the pandemic. This would be my most fulfilling project in my life.

Q. Let’s talk about your book and the motivation behind it?

A. I am beyond excited to share my book Chaos to Clarity. My intention of writing this book is to share my story of alcoholism, and past trauma to connect with the reader. I share ways I moved through my healing journey, and I want others to know they are not alone. I share what helped me, in hopes it will help the reader. Each chapter has a personal story, and insight into seeing the signs of negative behavior, then provide ways to break the cycle. I educate you on the behaviors, cycles and provide resources to move forward with your own healing journey. I then offer ways I did my inner soul healing from my past and moved into a complete life of faith and happiness. My intention with this memoir/self-help book is to help others looking for recovery and healing from their past. I want the reader to connect with me, their higher source and move to a place of living a more fulfilling life.

I lived in chaos and moved into clarity, I was provided multiple signs from the other side and broke generational cycles. I share signs so others can begin to see the signs from the God/Devine and their angels. One of the signs for me happened a few months after I had stopped drinking and moved into a new home.

I was sitting outside by the pool and hundreds of dragonflies were dancing in the air, while one came right by me and hovered over the water. I knew in that moment that God and the universe was completely behind me and my transformation. Dragonflies represent transformation and that was my sign that I was moving in the right direction. (Do you see dragonflies around you?) The dragonflies never came back. This is what I want to empower the reader to do for themselves, to see the signs from the other side because they are happening all of the time, we just have to notice. I show you a life of full joy is possible; I am living proof!

Q. Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

A. My long-term goal is to have a national platform with Wake Up. I want to do a TEDx talk and become a public speaker to help the younger and older generation to understand that change and happiness is possible. I want to be a voice of change for breaking generational cycles.

Q. What is the most surprising fact you’ve learned about yourself last year?

A. I have learned that I am capable of doing anything that I put my mind to. When I was my sickest, I hated myself, I believed I had nothing of substance to offer anyone and I thought I was stupid.

I have proved myself wrong in all of these areas. I now fully love myself; I know I have so much to offer in the life and I am far from stupid.

I am proud of the woman and mom I am today.

Q. How do you balance your personal and professional life?

A. I don’t think of what I do as a 9-5 or block myself into specific hours to be a professional or a mom. I break it up through the day as necessary. I may wake up earlier than I used to, to get these quiet moments but I have found that is when I’m most creative and getting my best work done because I allow space for my intuition and God to guide me. My children will always come first but I have created a successful business, written a book and had an invention all without neglecting the most important people in my life, my husband, and my children.

Q. What advice can you give to others that would like to be an entrepreneur?

A. Everything does not have to be perfect before you go for it, don’t give up too soon, surround yourself with those that support you, always keep learning and ask for help.

Q. Are you working on any new projects or upcoming events?

A. I am finalizing my book Chaos to Clarity, which will be released in Spring of 2022 and looking to launch my new car organizer, Carssentials in 2022.

Q. Where can the readers follow you?

A. I am very active on Instagram, keep up with Wake Up @officialwakeupwithmarci_ and I share hope and recovery on Instagram @hostmarcihopkins. Facebook at Wake Up with Marci.

You can keep up with my show and the launch of Chaos to Clarity at www.wakeupwithmarci.com The show is available every Saturday at 10am Est on WLNY-TV 10/55 in New York/New Jersey, streaming on Hulu Live. Nationally you can watch on YouTube TV at Wake Up with Marci. You can also catch it on all podcast platforms.

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While researching show business news, I came across information about My American Family TV series and it's creator Victor Migalchan. It was pretty incredible and we decided to reach out to Victor and share his story of tv and movie making.

Here is a part of our interview:

"I don't have dreams, only goals " -Victor Migalchan.

Hello, thank you for having me. I’m Victor Migalchan, show runner (show creator) and director based in Los Angeles, CA. Q. Who or What motivated you to be the man you are today?

A. I’m my own motivation.

I’m in love what I do, I’m always super excited to start a new day and actually going to sleep sometimes is frustrating. I work nonstop and each accomplishment is a motivation to take another challenge. Now if we talk about personalities or books which influenced my development, of course I am grateful to Confucius, Laozi, Sun Zi, Chin Ning-Chu, Niccolò Machiavelli, Dale Carnegie, Dr. Paul Ekman, Antoine de Montchréstien and of course life stories of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Guy Ritchie, Doug Ellin, Quentin Tarantino, Jeremy Piven, Martin Scorsese, James Cameron,

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Victor

Migalchan

Q. Tell us in your opinion what is the most important quality pf a film director?

A. I’d say it’s discipline, efficiency, diplomacy, flexibility, creativity, professionalism, and positive thinking. You cannot accomplish anything if you are negative; you cannot accomplish anything if you aren’t a team builder, player, and leader. You have to create a mechanism which will work perfectly and efficiently as a Swiss watch. Another thing is we have to be in connection with modern world and not think with categories of late 1990s or early 2000s.

Steven Spielberg, etc. Each of these great personalities has a lot to teach us. Of course, I can’t forget to mention the Bible. There are many sources we can get wisdom from.

Q. Let’s talk about “My American Family” and the motivation behind the series?

A. My American Family was born when I was in Harbin, holding lectures at a film & media college.

It was super cold and in between my lectures I was thinking about my American friends I just started writing. My American Family is based on my life story of coming to the US, with huge influence of Chinese culture. I wanted to demonstrate many old school ideals and values which I carry, as well as to show the most diverse cast and each culture in its authentic form. We address to the audience and remind everyone about the importance of the family, as it is the main unit of the society; we show friendship and devotion; we show how different people of different cultures can exist together happily, collaborate, and improve country’s GDP.

Q. What is your favorite film?

A. I have many favorite films which I learn from. Again, we talk about films of Quentin Tarantino, Guy Ritchie, James Cameron, Martin Scorsese, Steve Spielberg, etc. Each film is a school for me. When you are a filmmaker and a shark, films become like books for you, not just regular entertainment. Each moment is a tip how to learn from the genius which directed or created it.

Q. Who are some actors/ actresses you would love to work with?

A. Oh there are so many. I’d say first of all I’d love to work with directors I just mentioned. If we talk about actors, I love working with my team, we know each other, we are loyal and we have great understanding. If we talk about celebrities, I’d be glad to work with Sylvester Stallone,

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Johnny Depp, George Clooney, Mike Tyson, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Jason Statham, Meryl Streep, Saoirse Ronan, Natalie Portman, Hilary Swank, and of course Danny Trejo.

Q. Tell us where you see yourself in the next three years?

A. I’ll keep competing for Emmys and I definitely see myself winning Emmy awards, Oscar. Besides I’ll put my efforts to bringing more investment to La, to CA and the US and not only into the Entertainment Industry. I’ll work on improving conditions and bringing more chances to small and mis sized businesses which are actually the platform and pillar of the freedom and market economy. Of course, I’ll work on improving the infrastructure and environmental protection.

Q. Are you working on any new projects or upcoming events?

A. Yes, we are working on another TV Series “Modern Kungfu”, we finished filming season 1 of the “Dragon Chef” (cooking show).

We are in pre-production of an educational animation series for children “Anni & Axie” and a feature film “The Sun also Dies”, written by Emmy winner Nicolas Coster.

Q. Where can the readers follow you?

A. Readers could find and follow me on Instagram: @victormigalchan and social media: Victor Migalchan

Q. What has been the biggest challenge in your career?

A. We face challenges every day.

The main point for me is to be better than yesterday. To create value and give back. I’d say the biggest challenge is expected to be seen, accepted, and overcome.

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"My kids are my purpose in life. They always come first. "

Jamie Perkins

Q. How do you define your purpose in life?

A. My kids are my purpose in life.

They always come first. I’ve had to sacrifice a lot for them but it’s worth it

Q. Thanks for interviewing with us. Tell everyone who you are and what you do.

A. I’m a single father from Melbourne Australia who makes YouTube videos. These days it’s mainly family focused Vlogs but over the years I’ve done everything from cinematic travel content to super car videos.

Q. Tell us a little about your journey and how you got to where you are today?

A. I’ve been consistently making YouTube videos for about 10 years so it’s a long journey and pretty big story to tell. The cool thing is it’s all been documented so the easiest way to express that story is to just tell you to tune in and watch.

It was a bit of a right time, right place kind of a thing. Back when I began Vlogging wasn’t really mainstream. It was something I just did on the side for fun while I was trying to become a film maker. But over the years YouTube provided more opportunities than the other film Avenue I was trying to take so it became my full-time job and I’ve never looked back. It’s definitely been a lot of hard work though. At the peak of it, it was the hardest I’d worked in my life and at the time I never really wanted people to see how much work went into it because that would take away from the effortless feel people enjoyed about Vlogs.

Q. Tell us some of the great opportunities and challenges you’ve had as a Youtuber?

A. I’ve been incredibly blessed with too many opportunities to mention but here are some of the highlights.

I’ve got to travel to some of the most beautiful places on earth and call it work, I’ve driven most of my dream cars and as a car guy that’s been a dream come true, Thanks to YouTube I was able to be a stay at home dad since the birth of my kids and be much more involved in their lives than I would have been if I’d stuck to the traditional film career route so that was a big blessing and I even once got flown to the Vatican to make a Vlog with The Pope which was pretty cool!

There’s definitely been a lot of challenges though. The biggest one was going through a very public divorce. Divorce is one of the hardest things that a person can go through, especially when there’s kids involved. but to go through it in the public eye with millions of people throwing their two cents in, making up all sorts of horrible lies and rumors about me, it was really hard. I really wanted to just quit making videos for a long time, but this was my career I’d put so much work into building.

I also had really big bills mounting

up and needed to keep working. So, I sucked it up and kept going. It was a lot harder than people think.

Q. What or who inspires you to be a YouTuber?

A. The youtubers who inspire me the most are the guys who push the limits of creativity. My 2 favorite youtubers are Casey Neistat and Jesse Wellens.

Q. What is one fun fact about yourself?

A. One fun fact about myself. I started my life in the jungle of west Papua which is where my parents met and lived as missionaries. It’s somewhere I’ve always wanted to go back to as I’ve grown up hearing so many amazing stories about my parent’s adventures there.

Q. Are you working on any new events or projects?

A. I’m just trying to spread some positivity. I think there’s so much toxic stuff on social media and I’m trying to somehow sprinkle some positivity into the mix.

Q. Where can the readers follow you?

A. Check me out on YouTube www. youtube.com/jamieperkins and Instagram @jamieperkins.

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"Never give up on your dreams. "

Nimari Burnett

Q. Thanks for interviewing with us. Tell everyone who you are and what you do.

A. My name is Nimari Burnett, student-athlete from the University of Alabama, originally from Chicago, Illinois.

Q. What inspired you to play basketball?

A. My passion and love for the game inspired me to play. It was always natural and when I was big enough to shoot on a fisher price basketball rim, I would shoot on it all day.

Q. Who is your favorite sports hero?

A. I wouldn’t call him my sports hero, but Kyrie Irving is my favorite basketball player. I love his style; I love how he doesn’t rely on his athleticism, and he has pure skill to get his game off against anyone. In my opinion he’s one of the most skilled NBA players ever.

Q. Tell us what’s the next big move for you for 2022?

A. The next big move for me in 2022 is getting back to playing basketball and at a high level. I tore my ACL and LCL on September 2nd, 2021, and it has fueled me to be even hungrier and passionate. I love my story and the story I’m going to tell, and I can’t wait for me to accomplish my goals and dreams.

Q. Let’s talk about “FanJoy” and the motivation behind it?

A. The motivation behind Fanjoy is creating a product that many people can relate to. The quotes such as “Beat the Odds” and “Smile Through the Struggle” just symbolizes what I am all about and defeating adversity as I am doing right now to this day. Obviously, there is more adversity to come, and that’s the point of it as everyone in life will eventually deal with some form of adversity, it depends on how you handle it. A big quote that I go by is, “Life is 10% of what you go through and 90% how you handle it.” Overcoming the adversity with a positive mindset is the most important thing and that’s what me and Fanjoy collaborated on.

Q. Can you tell us your most memorable moment you’ve had in your career?

A. The most memorable thing that has happened in my career was defeating LaMelo Ball and Spire Academy in my junior year of high school. This

moment specifically because that game brought attention to me more and my game began to be noticed more on a national level. Also beating them by a large margin was really a good time as me and my team had prepared for that game since the start of the season.

Q. What’s some words of inspiration you can provide to people who wants to be athlete?

A. Some words of inspiration would be to simply never give up on your dreams. Although many young players might always hear this, it should really stick in this instance because like I said before, everyone fights some form of adversity and what’s important is how you handle it. I would tell young aspiring athletes to continue to work hard, think outside the box, and study the game of which they play. Lastly, to never forget to always have fun playing the game which brought so much joy growing up, while off the court making good decisions, being around the right crowd and being discipline.

Q. What is one fun fact about yourself?

A. One fun fact about me is that I don’t eat dairy, beef, or pork so dietary restrictions as a whole.

Q. Are you working on any new events or projects?

A. Currently, I’m not working on any new events or projects besides my next drop of Fanjoy clothing.

Currently focused on my rehab and getting better every single day, on and off the court, mentally and physically. I’m really focused on watching film and enhancing my knowledge and overall mindset.

Q. Where can the readers follow you?

A. The readers can follow me on Instagram @Nimari.Burnett and on YouTube by my full name: Nimari Burnett!

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"I love helping athletes even people in general to reach their goals. "

Christian Ross-Francis

reach their goals. So that’s why I got it into marketing and branding because it maximizes your exposure and can help athletes get to the next level off the court. So ever since that marketing and branding have been my niche.

Q. Thanks for interviewing with us. Tell everyone who you are and what you do.

A. My name is Christian, and my area of expertise is in branding and marketing, event management and social media training.

Q. Tell us a little bit about your journey and how you got to where you are today?

A. A little bit about my journey and how I got here today is I’ve always been around sports. I played basketball the majority of my life, so sports are something I’ve been around a long time. Through my journey in sports, I tried many different avenues such as a basketball training, coaching and being an assistant general manager for a professional team. But through it all I leaned that I loved helping athletes even people in general to

Q. Let’s talk about “Life Beyond the Rim” and the motivation behind it?

A. Life Beyond the Rim is a program I started to mentor female athletes on and off the court. Not only that but to teach them the importance of having a backup plan, how to utilize social media, how grades are important and who to find the right school for you. My motivation and passion behind this program are that I didn’t have a backup plan growing up because I thought basketball would be the rest of my life, the end it will be all of life. I also didn’t have that help or guidance after me playing to at least put in the right direction, so I want to prevent that for other athletes. Because it’s not easy after you stop dribbling that ball.

Q. How did you know you wanted to pursue this career?

A. That’s a crazy question because I really wanted to pursue my career when the pandemic hit. Before that I was so focus on helping other people get their business going and off the ground, I never thought about me. So, I hit up my close friend and client Nikki B and was like I want you to be my

first client and with no hesitation she was like ok I’m in! So, from there on we been killing it with her brand!

Q. What has been the hardest/ most challenging part in your career?

A. The most challenging part in my career is being a black woman in sports. It’s been a struggle for me because women in sports wasn’t getting the recognization in sports like we are now. So, I’m glad we are changing the narrative and we are getting the appreciation that has been needed. But we still have a way to go!

Q. Tell us an accomplishment you see yourself achieving in the next three years?

A. The goals that I see myself accomplishing in the next 3 years is being a top marketing and branding guru, my business being a multi-million-dollar business, and me mentoring athletes to the next level.

Q. What is the most surprising fact you’ve learned about yourself this year?

A. The most surprising fact that I’ve learned about myself is that I’m bossy and annoying when it comes to business because I want things done in a timely manner lol.

Q. How do you balance your personal and professional life?

A. I’ve always struggled with balancing my professional and personal life, but this year has taught me that balance is very much needed.

So now I don’t answer my phone after a certain time, and I take breaks when necessary.

Q. Are you working on any new events or projects?

A. Yes next year I’m working on a tour for my clients, upnext sports will be doing courses for student athletes and big events.

Q. Where can the readers follow you?

A. IG consultwithcris Website upnextsportsconsulting.com LinkedIn Christian Ross-Francis

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"Dont allow your past to handcuff your future!"

William

Brownlee SR

Q. Thanks for interviewing with us. Tell everyone who you are and what you do.

A. I am the Overseer William Brownlee of Emmanuel Christian Center I am a husband to Lady Talia Brownlee a father with three sons, William A. Brownlee, Jr., Ty A. Brownlee, Takai Whiting-Scott and one daughter Trinity Grace Brownlee who are also known as my legacies. I was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA., first in the projects of Philadelphia, then down the bottom of west philly.

My spiritual journey began at The Church of New Hope and Faith located in the heart of West Philadelphia, under the leadership and tutelage of Bishop James McNeal Jr. I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, on a full athletic scholarship from Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. I later went on to pursue his Master of Divinity at Palmer Theological Seminary in King of Prussia, PA. I began serving as a motivational speaker for the Youth Empowerment Program as a keynote speaker for the Men of Excellence Foundation, both in Philadelphia and at preaching engagements across the country.

The presence of God has always been with me even throughout my childhood. The impartation and cultivation that I received in my younger years under Bishop James McNeal Jr. prepared me for the call and mandate that God placed upon my life.

In 2016 God gave me a vision and name for a church that would be the spiritual foundation for the non- believers and would cultivate the millennial generation. This led to a full sacrifice of my NFL football career and an opportunity of a lifetime. During this time of sacrifice; with the grace, mercy, and favor of God, I founded the Emmanuel Christian Center (ECC) of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in January of 2017. Since then, the ministry has been growing and thriving making an impact in our community. I am also an entre-

it for anyone, I begin to open up something she once had, a salon, and then acquiring real estate, and tapping into industries that was inspired by my banking career, helping other business flourish, as a business banker, and branch manager pushed me into becoming a serialprenuer.

preneur and under the leading of the Holy Spirit, I have established Divine Enterprises.

It consists of Divine Chosen Realty LLC, Divine Financial Services LLC, DB Divine Encounter LLC, Divine Entertainment, J&W Investments LLC, W/E investment Group LLC, Trinity Investment LLC, T&W Investment Group LLC, William Brownlee Credit Repair, Brownlee Scholarship Fund, Emmanuel Christian Center Inc., Emmanuel Christian Center of Los Angeles, and Emmanuel Christian Center Leadership Academy. In addition to being the CEO of these organizations, Pastor Brownlee has written his first book “Quotes 4 Life” and is now an author.

Q. Tell us a little about your journey and how you got to where you are today?

A. In a nutshell, just say this journey wasn’t my plan, lol it was the plan of God, my plan was NFL, and while pursuing, his instructions was going home and help in ministry, never knew I’d give up my dreams, to follow his plan for my life, from the field to his field, from helping in ministry from the church that I grew up in, to pastoring my own church, and business fell in my lap after burying my grandmother, seeing she had a business but did not leave

Q. How do you define your purpose in life?

A. I am a purpose pusher that is my purpose. I desire to push the best out of people to see them get to their greatest potential in life. I am a life changer. I love making an impact and seeing change and growth in those in my community. I strive to be an example of change and in the will of God to lead his people.

Q. How has your experience been being a senior pastor of Emmanuel Christian Center?

A. Being the pastor Of Emmanuel Christian Center has been a life changing experience, not just for me but for others as well. Seeing lives that were at one under destruction, misguided, abandoned, lost, rejected, no understanding of purpose, not come into the knowledge of not only who God is but who they are, is a joy to see, and an impact to make. I live by the quote “impact will always be greater than income”. Emmanuel becoming a part of my life purpose, gives me a daily dose of gratitude for life.

Coming from afamily where I could have been a drug pusher, I decided to be a purpose pusher, and a life changer.

Q. Let’s talk about “Divine Enterprises” and how it got started?

A. Divine was started by divinely being led by God himself. God showed me each entity at the divine time and how birth each of them.

Divine Enterprises LLC is a family of companies which offers a spectrum of diverse services with the same goal, helping the community achieve their goals. The company is designed to produce maximum impact for our customers and the

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broader community. Divine Enterprises consists of Divine Chosen Realty LLC, Divine Financial Services LLC, DB Divine Encounter LLC, Divine Entertainment, William Brownlee Credit Repair, Brownlee Scholarship Fund, WAB Ministry, Divine styles salon and Divine beauty supply store. We are expanding and growing to make sure the purpose of impact is complete.

Q. Can you give us more details on your mentorship programs and what you offer?

A. Under the umbrella of many things, William A. Brownlee Sr. Mentorship Program is a sector which supports influencers, and business owners. I have a passion for seeing others strive in their creativity without hindrances and setbacks. The WAB Mentorship Program understands that the art of becoming the best version of yourself, starts with being seen from a different perspective. The program uses a holistic approach

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that allows multiple facets of your life to be simultaneously RESET which will produce life changing experiences and a state of evolution to your mindset. The program was set to be intense. It’s designed to ignite purpose and build a tenacity within each mentee that will help to deliver the greatness that lives inside of each of them.

The Program offers: • Virtual & In Person Mentor Sessions • Content Building & Branding • Mental and Spiritual Wellness Classes • Bible Guidance & Impartation • Business Consultations And much more!

Q. Let’s talk about your book “Quotes 4 Life” and the motivation behind the book?

A. My quotes for life book weren’t something I just decided to do for fun, it was an opportunity for me to allow others to think heal and reflect through all they’ve been through and all they could poten-

tially go through.

Q. How do you keep up with the trend in fashion?

A. I love fashion and I love to shop.

I love going to the mall and purchasing the newest releases. I als have a stylist that finds the hottest items so that I set the trend.

Q. Are you working on any new events or projects?

A. Yes, Saturday we are giving 1,000 toys to families in the community. I am also currently prepared to close on 3 properties in another state, a New Building purchase for a day care here in Philadelphia, and lastly, the purchase of our New church building.

Q. Where can the readers follow you?

A. You can Find me on : Instagram @williambrowleesr Twitter @iamwillbrownlee My website williamabrownleesr.com My book can be purchased on both my website and Amazon.com.

Tony

Swindle

Q. Thanks for interviewing with us. Tell everyone who you are and what you do.

A. Well my name is Tony Swindle I reside in Dallas Texas. I run a sports media company called SwinCity Media. We specialize in sports events and teaching youth to become professionals in their fields.

Q. How do you define your purpose in life?

A. I define my purpose in life is to help people to tap into their real selves.

Q. Who do you look up to for inspiration or mentorship?

A. I’m an information seeker, so I talk to GOD a lot, I speak to mentors Rob Wright, Kenny Stevenson, also I look at what those that was successful before me.

Q. As a male leader what has been the most significant barrier in your career?

A. Being in your own way. I am perfectionist, even though I know things will be perfect, I believe that everything should flow.

Q. Who is your favorite sports hero?

A. I don’t have a sports hero.

I took different things from those that I felt had something that I use and grow with. Everyone has something that we all can use.

Q. Let’s talk about “SwinCity League” and the motivation behind it?

A. SwinCity League was created tap into the greatness of the city. I consider myself an artist, so I love to create at a high level. Bringing my style to life and letting everyone experience it.

Q. What advice would you give to the next generation of male leaders?

A. Listen to yourself. Listen first.

Speak last. Take advice from those that have failed, so you don’t do what they did. Listen to those that are successful take their losses and wins, so you know how it fits where you are going.

Q. Where do you see yourself in the next three years?

A. Everything GOD need me to do. Using SwinCity to inspire and create options for the people.

Q. Are you working on any new events or projects?

A. Yes, I am working on adding more experiences to SwinCity to help others Tap into their GREATNESS. Q. Where can the readers follow you?

A. Follow us at @swincityleague.

"Building Together"

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"The love, passion, and fulfillment that fashion brings me is what has motivated me to branch out and create my own brand."

Ashley

Alexander

Q. Thanks for interviewing with us. Tell everyone who you are and what you do.

A. My name is Ashley Alexander, and I have an upscale boutique called Public Attraction which is located in Huntsville, Alabama. I also have my own brand which is called Get Your Own $uga Daddy.

Q. Let’s talk about your brand, “Public Attraction” and how that got started?

A. The love, passion, and fulfillment that fashion brings me is what has motivated me to branch out and create my own brand. I’ve always aspired to become my own boss, so my admiration for fashion plus wanting to handle my own incentives are the reason Public Attraction exists. However, despite this, I have also wanted to continue my grandmother, Jessie Alexander’, legacy alive. Which is why I opened Public Attraction on her birthday April 11th, 2015.

Q. Who inspired you to be an entrepreneur?

A. My aunt Pricilla Stone Pope, who has always been my biggest supporter was the one who pushed me beyond my limits to become an entrepreneur. She saw greatness within me even before I could. She was also the person I created my first business with, which was called My Secret Closet.

Q. Tell us more details on “Get your own $uga Daddy” and the motivation behind the brand?

A. The motivation behind my brand symbolizes that woman should want and can have a man, that puts them on such a high pedestal, treats them like the true queen they are, and is their number one supporter.

A “Suga Daddy” does not have to be an older man who wants you for your body but rather a man who values, loves, and respects you. My brand is about how elegant and poised us beautiful woman are.

Q. Where do you see your brand in the next 5 year?

A. My goal is to have my brand branched out in other

states and to lock down a business deal. I’d love for my boutique to be seen as a true black owned fashion company. Just like Telfer, which has become a household name recently, I’d love for my business to grow to become the talk of town.

Q. What are your three favorite stores to shop at?

A. I truly love shopping at all designer stores however in my top three for sure, I’d say would be Neiman Marcus, Christian Louboutin, and Gucci.

Q. How do you keep up with fashion and what your supporters want?

A. Fashion and style are two things that are constantly changing; however, I try to keep up with the latest “trends” by doing my research and due diligence by seeing what current celebrities are wearing, what blogs are discussing what is in and what is out, and what trends are circulating on social media.

Q. What are some of your biggest challenges you’ve had in your career?

A. I believe the biggest challenge not only for me but for everyone right now is the pandemic.

Because of the pandemic, receiving quality material and merchandise: on time, efficient and in great condition has been a challenge.

Q. Are you working on any new projects or events?

A. At this moment, I am in the works of writing my own first book that reveals proven process on how a woman can obtain her own “Suga Daddy”.

Q. Tell the readers where they can follow you?

A. My social media handles are Facebook: Public Attraction, Instagram: publicattractionllc, YouTube: public attraction and my own website which is shoppublicattraction.com

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Leslie

"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you." Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

Wibberley Q. Thanks for interviewing with us. Tell everyone who you are and what you do.

A. My name is Leslie Wibberley.

I’m a former physiotherapist who turned to writing when injuries and two failed surgeries on my shoulder and wrist left me no choice but to leave my beloved career behind. I returned to a childhood passion— writing and fell deeply and irrevocably in love. I’ve been writing full time for four years now and I’ve been fortunate to have my words published both in print and online. This includes stories in seven editions of Chicken Soup for the Soul as well as various anthologies and literary journals, including the Bram Stoker nominated anthology, Not All Monsters, featuring women in horror.

Q. How was your experience being in the “Be You” book?

A. The Chicken Soup for the Soul organization is a dream to work with and I will continue to submit stories to their calls until I have nothing left to write.

Q. Who or what inspired you to be a writer?

A. I’ve always been a voracious reader, and there is nothing I love more than getting lost inside a story. I love words, and language, and so the writing came very naturally to me. It is such a rush to create people and worlds so real that they have the ability to make deep emotional connections in readers.

Q. What is your favorite childhood book?

A. I have so many, but one sticks out. In Grade 4, our teacher read Charlotte’s Web to the class. I think

then, including winning two major contests and signing with my first literary agent. Sadly, that relationship didn’t work out, but I started off 2022 with a bang by signing with my dream agent for a new project.

This was definitely a career high for me.

we all fell in love with both the teacher and the story.

Q. How do you deal with writer’s block?

A. I tend to jump from project to project when I’m stuck. I write a lot of short fiction across a wide variety of genres, and I find this really helps me find a path into the one I’m stuck on. Also, I have two musical muses—Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas, a dynamic fiddle, and cello duo. Whenever the words refuse to come, I play their music, and everything starts to flow.

Q. Where do you get your information or ideas for your articles?

A. Mostly from my own life experiences.

Q. Tell us one of your most memorable achievements or accomplishments you’ve had in your career?

A. Selling my first story was a huge moment. I think that was the first time I felt comfortable calling myself a writer, but I’ve had so many other amazing moments since

Q. Do you have any hobbies or interest outside of writing?

A. Yes, I love working with clay, I used to throw on the wheel but found sculpture was far more satisfying. I dabble in painting and drawing. I love music and attempt to play the violin, ukulele, piano, and mandolin. Sadly, I am proficient at none of them. Recently I’ve taken up pickleball as a way to connect with friends safely outside and get exercise at the same time. Something that has been very rewarding as we struggle through this pandemic.

Q. Are you working on any new books or upcoming projects?

A. The story I just signed with my agent is a women’s fiction story with a splash of magic. We are now revising this project. I have a creepy short story about crows called Attempted Murder in Pulp Literature’s latest issue, which was released this fall, another story in Chicken Soup for the Soul, in their Christmas Blessing’s issue, which has also just been released, and a literary horror piece coming out next year in an anthology called Prairie Witch, by an Aurora nominated editor.

Q. Where can the readers follow you?

A. Website: lesliewibberley.com Twitter: @feismom Instagram: @lesliewibberley Facebook: wibberleythewordsmith.

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"I developed a deep love for music and the creation process.

It's the only thing I want to do and it brings me so much joy every day."

Mary N

Q. Thanks for interviewing with us today. Tell everyone who you are and what you do.

A. Thank you for interviewing me, it was such a pleasure. I’m Mary N and I’m a 26-year-old singer- songwriter and guitarist from Portugal. I also produce my own songs. Currently working on my new Album.

Q. What made you want to pursue a career to be a singer?

A. I’ve always had this little music flame since I was a kid, probably because my dad and my brother used to be DJ’s and they would play music all the time at our house. It was infectious. That flame started to grow and become more serious when I received my first guitar at 10 years old. After that, I could not put it down and started creating original music when I was around 14/15 years old. I developed a deep love for music and the creation process.

It’s the only thing I want to do and it brings me so much joy every day.

I’m the only musician in my family, so it’s like it was just meant to be my destiny.

Q. Let’s talk about your single “Trust Your Gut” and the motivation behind the song?

A. I’ve been working on my second album for these past couple years, and I was feeling super demotivated and tired. As a songwriter, I’m always writing songs and it kills me not being able to show them right away. For some reason, when I wrote this particular song, my gut was telling me that I should release it before the new album, and that’s what I end up doing. I’m glad I trusted my gut, because after I released that song, great things started to happen and provided me the motivation I needed to finish up my new album.

Q. I know that you have plenty of guitars which ones is your favorite, and do you have a name for them?

A. I love my Dakota red Fender Telecaster. You can see me playing it in a lot of my videos on my YouTube channel. This guitar has brought me so many inspirational moments. I call her Tiger

Lily. Then my black acoustic Takamine. I’ve always wanted to own this guitar. I love to bust it out to create new songs. You can see this guitar in a lot of my videos as well, especially the ones I’m also singing. I call her Wendy. I’m a huge Peter Pan fan.

Q. If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?

A. I’d say Michael Jackson, because he was a musical genius, and I would learn a lot from him. Since that’s impossible to happen now, I’m going to have to say Avril Lavigne, because she was a huge part of my musical growth and I think she and I would have an amazing musical chemistry.

Q. Who are your top three musical influences?

A. Avril Lavigne and McFly influenced me a lot when it comes to songwriting, because they’re songs are very rich and catchy melody wise. Polyphia introduced me to a totally new world of guitar, a big part of my playing and the way I

use my guitar in productions comes from learning and listening to their songs.

Q. What is your most memorable achievement or accomplishment you’ve received in your career?

A. My music career changed a little bit when one of my videos started to get a lot of views and shares. It now has 3.5 million views on YouTube.

From that day on, people finally started to notice my work and I feel that might have been the most memorable accomplishment so far.

Q. If you could change one thing in the music industry, what would it be?

A. It’s hard to say just one thing, but I would change streaming royalties.

It’s unfairly distributed and it’s devaluing all artist’s work.

Q. Are you working on any new projects or events?

A. I’m working on my second album right now. It should be coming out this year. It has been a lot of hard work, but I’ve grown so much as an artist during this process and I’m excited to share these new songs with the world. They mean so much to me and I hope they can touch others as well.

Q. Where can the readers follow you?

A. I’m on every main social media platform as @marynofficial. You can also visit my website: www.marynofficial.com

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"Consistency is the key to get in good shape and have the body you desire"

Cameron Brown

Q. Thanks for interviewing with us. Tell everyone who you are and what you do.

A. Thank you for the interview! My name is Cameron Brown and I’m a 29-year-old real estate agent in Las Vegas, Nevada.

was great. I never had so much fun in my life than I had in the 3 years with Chippendales. I worked with a great cast and got to do so many different charity events and news interviews. It was just a fun wild experience!

Q. Tell us a little about your journey and how you got to where you are today?

A. Well I grew up in a small blue collared town called Sharon, Pennsylvania. I worked in a steel mill all through college and I made the move to Vegas in 2015 once I received my bachelor’s degree. My journey started when I auditioned for The Chippendales and earned a spot for the show. I traveled all over Europe and some of Asia. That was a fun period of time which was 3 years. Just recently I was featured on a reality dating show called FBoy Island and that was an awesome experience.

Q. What motivates you to train and coach people?

A. My motivation for training comes from my athletic background with playing sports. I learned a lot of training knowledge by being coached by some of the top strength & conditioning coaches in Division 1 football & NFL. My coaching background comes from my huge love for working with children. That is my absolute favorite thing to do is work with kids in sports. It’s something I still am pursuing, and I want to start my own youth sports camp.

Q. What is one of your greatest experiences you’ve had in your career?

A. I would say one of my greatest experiences would be just traveling all over the world when I was with Chippendales. It really opened my eyes to a new world, and it made me more humble and appreciative.

Q. Let’s talk about your experience being a Chippendale?

A. My experience as a Chippendale

Q. If you can go anywhere in the world, where would it be?

A. If I could go anywhere in the world, it would be Sweden. The reason I choose Sweden is because I’ve visited there several times with Chippendales, and I fell in love with the country and all the pretty girls that live there. LoL. Q. What advice can you give other people who wants to be fit?

A. My advice to people who are looking to be fit is to just eat healthy and workout and be consistent

with it. Consistency is the key to get in good shape and have the body you desire. It’s going to be tough at times and you’re going to want to quit and go eat “hamburgers n fries” but you got to say F that nonsense and go get a salad!

Q. How was your experience gracing the stage with Mariah Carey?

A. It was unbelievable sharing the stage with Mariah. She is so beautiful and a legend in the music industry. I was honored to meet her, and she even told me I was “cute”.

I’ll take that from Mariah Carey any day.

Q. Are you working on any new projects or events?

A. Right now I’m working on trying to do another Reality Tv show in 2022. At the moment I’m currently focused on my real estate career.

Q. Where can the readers follow you?

A. Readers can follow me on Instagram, Snapchat, & Facebook. (Links are below) IG- Iamboom6 Snap- crimdelacrim6 FB- https://www.facebook.com/ cam.b.brown

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Jenna

Glatzer Q. Thanks for interviewing with us. Tell everyone who you are and what you do.

A. Hi! I’m a writer and ghostwriter, and I’ve written more than 30 books. Some with celebrities, some with “regular” people with really interesting stories to tell, some health and business books…

I’ve written a wide variety, but my favorite is memoir. People are so interesting, and ghostwriting memoirs means I get to ask really deep, nosy questions. I also write articles and essays for publications such as Washington Post, Parents, Mic, and Healthline.

Q. How was your experience being in the “Be You” book?

A. Loved it. I’ve written for the Chicken Soup series many times; I’ve always loved reading the books because they’re so hopeful and uplifting, so I enjoy writing for them. I also love the e-mails I get afterwards; so often, readers write to say that they related to a story I wrote, and that’s gratifying.

Q. Who or what inspired you to be an author?

A. I was a big reader at an early age—the kind of kid who sneaked a flashlight under the covers so I could read more Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary books. I enjoyed writing, but didn’t plan it as a career until after college. I got a terrible panic disorder at age 21 and wound up housebound for a few years.

During that time, I had to figure out a way to make a living from home, and I thought, “Well, two of my college professors told me I was meant to be a writer— that’s something I can try.” So, I started with magazine articles

and screenplays, then I answered an ad for writers for a children’s educational book series, and eventually I began writing books for adults.

Q. Can you give us more details on “The Marilyn Monroe Treasures”?

A. Sure. I had written a book with Celine Dion (Celine Dion: For Keeps) and the same publisher that produced that book wanted to do a similar book about Marilyn Monroe, authorized by her estate. They asked me to write it because they were happy with the work I did with Celine.

It was challenging to find new information about Marilyn because there’ve been so many books and articles written about her! I reached out to many unlikely sources—a beauty pageant contestant she’d competed against before she got famous, a police officer’s daughter who had a never-beforeseen photo of her dad with Marilyn…

I interviewed anyone I could find who had a connection with her, and found some stories I thought were fascinating. I didn’t end up with a strong theory about her death, though—I thought the research would bring me more clarity about whether her death was genuinely a suicide or not, and if so, what led up to it. But her ending remains a mystery.

Q. What had been your biggest accomplishment in your career?

A. Working with Celine is still my favorite accomplishment. She’s wonderful, warm, down-to-earth, and so much fun.

Q. What has been your biggest challenge in your career?

"Working with Celine is still my favorite accomplishment."

A. I’m a single mom, and the income of writing can be a real roller coaster. There are great years and lean years, times when clients pay on time and other times when they don’t, or editors take months to get back to me with edits (which pushes my pay back)—it’s unpredictable and takes a strong tolerance for risk and a healthy savings account to get through!

Q. Let’s talk about your latest book and the motivation behind the book?

A. My most recently released book that I’m allowed to talk about (some of them are “deep ghostwriting!”) is Waiting in the Wings with Tiffany Haas, a Broadway actress who starred as Glinda in Wicked.

I’m a theatre kid at heart, and I loved working on this book with Tiffany about how people can start and sustain acting careers.

Q. Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

A. Working on more celebrity books and releasing my own memoir.

Living somewhere warm, where Covid is a distant memory!

Q. Are you working on any new books or upcoming projects?

A. Right now I’m working with Ginger Minj from RuPaul’s Drag Race on a book about her life and southern roots. It’s been a blast.

Ginger is hilarious and really wellspoken.

Q. Where can the readers follow you?

A. Website: www.jennaglatzer.com Twitter: twitter.com/GhostwriterJG Instagram: www.instagram.com/ ghostwriterjenna/ WIB Magazine

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Friendship By: Cece Hymes

What is Friendship A bond between the two A trust within me and you The time that is spent And people we look up too.

We have friends that are strong We have friends that be wrong But that friendship We have to build bonds.

We have friends for years We have some that last for days But the good thing Is that we have memories.

Friendship is important And we all do need That one good friend We can talk to yes indeed.

Tell your friend You love them Every chance you get Time is too short So, enjoy the present.

I am grateful For the friends that I have And hope you are too This poem is dedicated To friendship So, tell them I love you.

My Journey By: Cece Hymes

My journey is real With up and down hills But I have dreams That I know I have to fill.

My journey is my life Staying positive with Christ Inspiring others to stay sane With all of this pain.

We all have a journey We live by every day Let’s support one another With positivity and change.

This journey is a blessing Because I learned so many lessons But 2021 has been the deal It changed my life for real.

So never give up On yourself and your dreams This is our journey and We all need to believe.

Change is coming And that’s my plead Thanks to my journey I will always believe.

Xio

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Axelrod

Q. Thanks for interviewing with us. Tell everyone who you are and what you do.

A. My name is Xio (pronounced ZEE-oh) Axelrod, and my pronouns are she/her. I’m an author of contemporary fiction and romance featuring diverse casts. Much of my work is set in the music industry.

Q. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

A. I’ve always written in some form first poetry, then songs, and eventually long form prose. I don’t think I ever set out to become an author, but I’m happy with where my path took me.

Q. Let’s talk about your book “The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes” and the motivation behind the book?

A. I grew up in the music industry and, as an indie musician myself, I wanted to show the other side of the business. The not so glamorous side. For instance, the daily grind of being in the studio or being on tour. I also wanted to show women, particularly Black women, in a space (in this case, rock music) that is predominantly White, male, and straight.

Q. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

A. How much I didn’t know about how women, and again Black women in particular, had contributed to rock’s history. I tumbled down the research rabbit hole on YouTube and stumbled upon some truly talented historymakers.

Q. If you could tell your younger self anything, what would it be?

A. Don’t discount your storytelling voice. It’s unique. You’re unique.

Q. Tell us one of your most memorable achievement or accomplishments that you’ve had in your career?

A. The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes is my 9th release, but it was the first time I could walk into a major retailer like Target or Barnes & Noble and see my book on the shelf. That was pretty major. Also, having the book released in hardcover with Book of the Month was really something else. I honestly teared up when I first held it in my hands.

Q. Who is your favorite author?

A. I don’t have a single favorite author, there are too many wonderful storytellers. Some faves include Beverly Jenkins, Kennedy Ryan, Kristan Higgins, Talia Hibbert, Helen Hoang, Farrah Rochon, Casey McQuiston, Cat Sebastian, K.M. Jackson, Alexis Hall, Kristen Callihan, Riley Hart…

I could go on. We just lost one of the people that had a huge impact on me as a teen, and as a writer – Anne Rice. If I had to pick one author to read for the rest of my life, it might be her.

Q. What advice can you give to others that want to be an author?

A. The only way to be an author is to write. You can study, read, listen, watch, and research all you want. But until you get actual words on the page, you won’t achieve your goal. And it doesn’t have to be perfect. There’s a great saying: you can’t edit a blank page. Sit down and write.

Q. Are you working on any new events or projects?

A. I’m currently working on three books: the second installment in the

Lilly’s series, The Girl with Rhythm in Her Heart, the follow-up to my 2017 novella, Fast Forward, and the first book in a duet for Blue Box Press, which is due out in the fall of 2022. All three are very different, so it’s going to be interesting to see how readers respond.

Q. Where can the readers follow you?

A. I’m a social media butterfly, but they can primarily find me on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter @xioaxelrod. I also have a Facebook group for my readers, the XIP Room. I’ve been known to do exclusive excerpts and giveaways in there.

“…cute, curvy girls were a dime a dozen. Cute, curvy Black women who could play the guitar like Prince and knew the difference between Twenty One Pilots and Matchbox Twenty? Not so much.” ~ from The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes by Xio Axelro

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"Writing songs is by far the best way to express how I feel and to keep me from bottling up what's in my head.... hence the name of my latest EP- In My Head."

Barry Szeto 36

WIB Magazine

Channel) was the host. It was my first ever national television appearance. I didn’t win first place, but it was a great experience and it only added fuel to my fire.

Q. If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?

A. There are so many artists I love but if I had to choose, I would say Drake, Tory Lanez, The Weeknd, Ella Mai, would be cool. So, many artists inspire me, but Drake, Tory Lanez, The Weeknd would be amazing to collaborate with.

Q. Thanks for interviewing with us today. Tell everyone who you are and what you do.

A. First of all, thank you for having me! I am a pop/r&b recording artist in Toronto originally from Vancouver. I’ve been making music for the past 10 years. I grew up listening to a lot of 90’s and 2000’s pop music with my family and a lot of my music now has a nostalgic feel to it.

I am currently working on my best EP and recently I have released a cover in Chinese for the first-time ever. incorporate into my music.

You will notice there’s a bit of a nostalgic vibe when you hear my songs.

Q. What made you want to pursue a career in the music industry?

A. My passion for music had started when I was very young. I started taking piano, violin, guitar, and voice lessons at the New Conservatory of Music. My first performance ever, was at my high school talent show and the response was surprisingly great! I will never forget the surprise that the school had when they saw this chubby Asian kid belt out a Brian McKnight song. From that moment, I knew that’s what I wanted to do.

Q. Tell us more about your single and the motivation behind the song?

A. My latest single “For Real” is the 4th song off my latest EP, “In My Head”, whom I’ve collaborated with my current producer, Daniel Jay Sheppard. It’s an emotional song about unintentionally breaking someone’s heart as I did not take the relationship serious, leading to anger and confusion. This song is my apology to that person.

Q. What is one fun fact about yourself?

A. Like most Asians, I have a huge passion for skin care. I’m all about good skin and skin health. I’m always on the lookout for new and exciting products out there!

Q. What do you think is missing in the music waves right now?

A. I respect that the industry is always evolving. It’s always a challenge keeping up with the new

and different platforms and strategies nowadays. The only thing I find hard about being independent, is that uncertainty. I also find that the whole concept of quantity over quality is becoming larger. I miss the days where it was all about the music and the excitement of waiting for that one artist’s album dropping rather than having several artists releasing multiple albums and singles at once. On the plus side, independent artists have full control over their music and releases now.

Q. Tell us your most memorable accomplishment or achievement you’ve received in your career?

A. Every show, appearance, and performance is a blessing to me. One of my biggest shows was opening for Karl Wolf at the Hershey Centre as it was my first show at an arena.

There were so many memorable events that happened over the past few years.

Q. Are you working on any new events or upcoming projects?

A. I am currently working on my new EP and covers. I am currently getting inspiration from many fellow artists.

Q. Where can the readers follow you?

A. I am on all social media and streaming platforms: Instagram: @barryszetosings Sound Cloud: Barry Szeto Msuic Facebook: Barry Szeto Twitter: @barryszeto Tiktok: barryszetomusic

Q. Let’s talk about your experience being on “Today’s Talent Time”?

A. Today’s Talent Time is the Canadian equivalent to Star Search.

Sandie Savelli (The Shopping

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"To all my 'day ones' from my peoples down to my enemies...I needed both support and the hate to bring out the best in me."

photo by: Brett Littleton

Buddhakai

Nas, Lauren Hill, Method Man. And for the more current artists, I would love to do a song with NF, Lecrae, Andy Mineo and Post Malone.

Q. Who are your top 5 favorite rappers of all time?

A. Nas, Eminem, Lauren Hill, Method Man, NF. Q. What is one fun fact about yourself?

A. I prefer listening to Broadway Musicals way more than I like listening to rap music. photo by: Brian Godeaux

Q. Thanks for interviewing with us today. Tell everyone who you are and what you do.

A. I am a successful car salesman / life-insurance agent by day, and a super motivational hip hop lyricist by night.

Q. What made you want to pursue a career as a rapper?

A. Growing up, poetry on paper was an escape for me that allowed me to express myself, even if most of it was just for myself or a select few (maybe even for the one it was written for). Rapping opened up the doors for me to take the expression to a next level... Turning it into a profitable career would simply mean that I would be earning great wages for doing something I absolutely love doing now.

Q. Let’s talk about your album “Take Off” and the motivation behind it?

A. “Take Off” is about taking it to the next level. I used to be a cocaine and crystal meth addict. After quitting that, I gained a substantial

photo by: JT Schmidlapp

amount of weight and reached 315 lbs. where I could barely make it up the stairs without struggling to breathe. I was also completely broke and in a ton of credit card and medical debts with a super low credit score... On top of that, I suffered from heavy depression and insecurity. I’ve spent the last 13 years discovering myself and overcoming every one of those struggles. I’m celebrating over 15 years of sobriety, sitting at a healthy 205 lbs. solid, nowhere near broke with a couple of investment properties, a successful career in the automotive industry, and most importantly, I get to live in extreme joy with a beautiful family... my beautiful wife, Jamie... my 3-yearold daughter Araya Lynn and my 8-month-old son, Ziah Reign.

Now I want to take off to the next level for 2022.

Q. If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?

A. There are too many to name!

Here are a few that I would probably die if I had a song with... Eminem,

Q. What do you think is missing in the music waves right now?

A. Me. And I don’t mean that in a cocky sense at all. I simply mean an artist That’s actually overcome a ton of struggles and focuses on writing songs that inspire people based on those struggles. There are tons of artists that write inspirational songs... and they’re great... but their next song is completely the opposite. One second, they sing about something amazing, the next they’re degrading women... it’s almost ridiculous.

Q. Tell us your most memorable accomplishment or achievement you’ve received in your career?

A. Being asked to perform a halftime show at the Pepsi Center for Sparta Combat AVM9 event. That was insane.

Q. Are you working on any new projects or events?

A. A few... I’m always cooking something up... Life continues to happen and evolve, and I continue to rap about it.

Q. Where can the readers follow you?

A. https://www.youtube.com/user/ BUDDHAKAI13 https://www.facebook.com/ Buddhakai13/ https://www.instagram.com/ buddhakai13/ https://soundcloud.com/ buddhakai13 https://bit.ly/BuddhakaiSpotify https://www.iambuddhakai.com/

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“When I first started writing, I had no clue how to go about structuring a novel.. but I’m so glad I didn’t let the fear of the unknown stop me from pursuing a dream."

Nicole Deese

Q. Thanks for interviewing with us. Tell everyone who you are and what you do.

A. Hello! I’m Nicole Deese and I’m the author of fourteen contemporary romance novels. My most recent novels, Before I Called You Mine and All That Really Matters have been published by Bethany House Publishing.

Q. What or who influenced you to be an author?

A. I’ve been an avid reader and lover of stories since I was a young girl, but the year I turned thirty, after reading several popular trilogies I couldn’t set down, I decided to put some of my own story ideas to paper. When I first started writing, I had no clue how to go about structuring a novel, but when I look back at that time now, I’m so glad I didn’t let the fear of the unknown stop me from pursing a dream.

Q. What’s one of the greatest rewards in your career so far?

A. One of things I’m most grateful for is my writing/plotting group— we call ourselves The Coast To Coast Plotting Society. For the past seven years I’ve met with the same four authors for a week-long plotting retreat where we brainstorm new story ideas and encourage each other in our writing pursuits.

We’ve become close friends despite living a part, but I simply couldn’t imagine doing life without any of them.

Q. Tell us about your book “All That Really Matters” & the motivation behind the book?

A. All That Really Matters features Molly McKenzie, whose bright personality and beauty advice has earned her an impressive following on social media. When a career-making opportunity requires a unique type of life experience from her, she decides to volunteer at a residential program for agedout foster kids. Only the program’s director, Silas Whittaker, doesn’t seem to find Molly nearly as charming as her online followers do. At least, not at first. Molly’s influencer platform may have taken her years to build, but it will only

take one summer to discover what really matters most. As an adoptive parent myself, I wanted to create a realistic, yet uplifting story that highlights both the heartache and hope involved in working with this vulnerable group of people.

Q. Out of all the books you’ve written which one was your favorite?

A. I don’t think I can choose a favorite, but there is one book that will always hold a special place in my heart due to the inspiration behind the subject matter. My 2020 release, Before I Called You Mine, was inspired by the international adoption of our daughter, Lucy Mei in 2017. It’s a multifaceted love story with many ups and down involving the depths of sacrificial love.

Q. If you were making a movie of this book, who would you cast?

A. For Molly McKenzie I’d cast actress Blake Lively, and for Silas Whittaker, I’d cast Alex Gonzales.

Q. What are some of your other hobbies?

A. In addition to writing, I also enjoy playing the piano and singing, thrift store shopping, serving in my local church, social outings with my girlfriends, game nights with my family, and traveling, traveling, traveling!

Q. What advice can you give to other authors?

A. My advice to authors is to simply focus their energy and attention on their own pages. It’s so tempting to compare ourselves to other authors and our first drafts to finished publications, but comparison will only ever rob us of the joy and creativity needed to finish our own works in progress—so let’s keep our eyes focused on our own pages and write, write, write.

many connections to All That Really Matters, including two familiar characters, Val Locklier and Miles McKenzie (Molly’s twin brother).

Also, I recently signed a new threebook contract with Bethany House Publishing for an angsty contemporary romance series that will start releasing in spring of 2023. I’m super excited about these stories and can’t wait to share them with the world!

Q. Where can the readers follow you?

A. I’m most active on my Instagram account: nicoledeeseauthor and on my Nicole Deese, Author page on Facebook.com. For the most up-todate announcements on book news, giveaway events, special sales, and behind-the-scenes info, please subscribe to my newsletter at nicole@ nicoledeese.com Author BIO: Nicole Deese has written over a dozen humorous, heartfelt, and hope-filled novels which include a Carol Award winner and a RITA finalist. When she’s not working on her next contemporary romance, she can usually be found reading one by a window overlooking the inspiring beauty of the Inland Northwest. She lives in small-town Idaho with her happily-ever-after hubby, two tech-nerd sons, and one princess daughter with the heart of a warrior.

Learn more at : www.NicoleDeese.com

Q. Are you working on any new projects or upcoming events?

A. Yes! All That It Takes, my upcoming release (April 2022) has

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