CEO Magazine May 2015 Issue

CEO MAGAZINE

M a y 20 15 Iss ue

Supporting Women Who Do It All

F re e

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF YOUR LIFE

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Heroes Come in All Shapes and Sizes… My Daughter is Mine.

Meet Chloe:

Mom’s Little Hero

Must Haves for

“Me Time”

Crab Cakes to Dazzle

Your Party Guests

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ENTER TO WIN

inside

Find out what we are reporting, what’s happening and the themes for upcoming editions.

CEO Hears You

The word on the street is that people are talking about us. We trust that you will tell us what they are saying. Send us a note—and don’t leave out any details…you might just show up on our page. Email: ceohearsyou@ceosofrva.com

Can’t Get Enough of

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CEO? Share Your Story With ü ü ü

content 6

Letter from the Publisher

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Meet the Women Who Do It All

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CEO Parents Parents Inspire Young Visionaries

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CEO Feature: Mom You Inspire Me

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Meet Chloe: Mom’s Little Hero

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CEO Mind, Body & Spirit: 3 Amazing Ways to Relax

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Dear Stupid .Me

ü If you believe you have the Best Friend (BFF), tell us why, and you y

and can win a Summer Staycay. Subscribe for details.

Us: ü If you know a young CEO (age 11 to 22) who is making a

difference in her community, nominate her to be featured in an upcoming issue. ü If you or someone you know has experienced bullying and or domestic violence. ü If you could ask a single or married man one question, what would it be? ü If you are getting married soon and planning your own wedding, tell us your love story. ü If you have a “Dear Stupid” moment that you would like to share with Ms. Corrine. Email: editor@ceosofrva.com .

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CEO Dish: The Crab Cake Sliders Are Ready

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Can you help me find a home?

No I can’t, but I know who can. Please

have a grown up call Nupath Children Services @ 804-560-5511

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www.nupathcs.org

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Help a foster child find a great home

CEO MAGAZINE

Chief Executive Of your Life Publishers

Sharon & Robert Oliver

sharon@ceosofrva.com

Editor-At-Large

Diane Williams

diane@ceosofrva.com

Content Editor

Chaya Braxton

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Copy Editor

Ashley Hewlett

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Photo Director / Project Manager

Jadien R. Jones

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Business Developnent Manager

Philnina Braden

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Editorial Assistant / Staff Writer

Jennifer Drummond

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Advertising and Sales Manager

Robert Oliver

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Advertising and Sales Representative

Eric Mohta

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Business Support

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and were taught the values of what it means to be a woman, wife, and mother and to give back to our community. My mom stood by my dad for 20 years as he led a small church and fed the homeless. She was even a foster mother for many children. As I look back, I consider the lessons to be invaluable to me as I raise my own children.

CEOs, this month’s magazine will easily become one of your favorites because we are honoring the women in our lives who we affectionately call MOTHERS. Motherhood has been the best experience of my life, and I have my mother to thank for it. I understand that behind every CEO “Chief Executive of her life,” there is a mother or mentor who has stepped in to mold you into the woman you are today. Behind this CEO, stands a sassy, savvy, sweet mother named Lois Watson; she is indeed my CHAMPION. My mom did not grow up with the same childhood experience that she gave me; she decided not to allow what she wasn’t given or didn’t have to hinder her from providing those opportunities for her children. My mom vowed to be a better mom for me and my two sisters, Lisa and Diane. We grew up with lots of love 6

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I want to encourage all of the children who have experienced the loss of your champion due to an illness or a tragedy to understand that her legacy still lives in you. I also want to speak into the spirit of that woman whose mom was absent without explanation and her excuse just isn’t good enough: try to find closure. If finding closure is not an option, then seek to forgive. Remember forgiveness is not for the other person, it is the open door out of your cage. Finally, you may be a mom who has been present but absent in the lives of your children. I want to encourage you to forgive yourself and start today making every decision and moment count with your family. In closing, I want to say thank you to my mom for being my champion and choosing to be better than her life’s circumstances.

In this edition, you will enjoy letters from children who celebrate their moms and share how they have inspired them. Take a moment before you start reading and grab a box of tissues…you will need it.

Happy Mother’s Day, Sharon

CEO

HEARS YOU

Sometimes our readers leave us messages. We love it when you call. The following is a voicemail left for us by Richmond resident, Annie Pane.

“Mrs. Oliver, this is Annie Pane. I wrote you a little note when I first picked up your magazine in the fall before Christmas about how I loved it and read it from cover to cover. I just picked up the March and April issue at the grocery store in Martin’s and you have outdone yourself. It is unbelievable! I read it from cover to cover, and I know I am going to go back and flip it over and read it from cover to cover again. I thought it was great…Kudos and Congratulations. Thank you.”

Tell us about your favorite story or feature: ceohearsyou@ceosofrva.com

CEO MAGAZINE

CEO

SPOTLIGHT

WOMEN WHO DO IT ALL: In Their Own Words

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Reasons to Join the CEO Business Directory Today:

Put your products and services in front of 10,000+ potential customers.

Our Business Directory is a connection hub of other CEOs and businesses like yours.

Name: Carrie Charity Age: 27 City: Hopewell, VA Hats: Office Manager and Community Volunteer How she stays balanced: “I spend time with family and work to provide for the ones I love. I enjoy a glass of wine in front of my fireplace.”

Name: Pamela Doss Age: 43 City: Henrico, VA Hats: Assistant Comptroller of Mid Atlantic Convenience Stores, Former Girl Scout Troop Leader, Owner of jewelry business: Just For You, Alpha Kappa Alpha Pi Rho Omega Chapter Member, Wife and Mother How she stays balanced: “I read, work on jewelry and take quiet time for myself.”

Name: Sy G Age: 38 City: Henrico, VA Hats: Leadership Coach, Entrepreneur, Media Host, Co-Producer of “Motivate Speak and Show,” Wife and Mother How she stays Balanced: “Really, I wish I could say I have a magic formula for doing it all. The quote I speak over my life and my children’s is ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ I’ve learned to have a plan but write it down in pencil so that I am able to readjust easily if I need to.”

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By Diane Williams

Complimenting your child on his or her skill and ability may not be enough as the world becomes more global and the job market more competitive with young men and women looking for employment after college graduation.

Why wait until your children are kneedeep in debt, wide-eyed and ready to take on the world from a room in your house to teach them how to sustain themselves by profiting from their businesses? Maya Criss and Kayla Monroe are not waiting until they walk across the stage to follow their dreams.

Ever since Maya Criss, 16, was young, she has witnessed her mom, Marci,struggle but has never seen her mom use this as an excuse to quit. Maya’s mom received twomaster’s degrees, worked two master’s and ran a business as a single mom. “I’m proud of her and am glad that she has instilled that same determination in me and my sister,’’ says Maya of her mom. “That right there is what has pushed me to speak up for myself when I was getting bullied. That was the foundation that 8

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led me to building my business,” says Maya.

Maya Criss is the owner of BaNue which stands for Beauty in You. She provides consultations for her clients and customizes her natural hair products. After a few months in business, Maya grossed $1,000 in profit. The young entrepreneur owes her business acumen to her mom: “While developing my business, my mom has taught me how to create a brand, identify a niche and market myself as my own personal brand.’’

Lisa Monroe inspired her 7-year-old Kayla to create a vision board. She teaches her daughter, Kayla, to set goals for the year and then create a picture board to visualize her goals. These are strategies Monroe uses in her role as Community Director of Pathways to Success Foundation, a veterans program based in Petersburg, VA.Kayla’s board reflects her goals for 2015 which include going on a Disney cruise, traveling to Jamaica, earning a spot on the cheerleading squad, taking a gymnastics class, earning A’s in her classes, and owning a big home when she grows up.

Calling All Young Innovators!

Have you or someone you know (ages 11-22)created a product, provides a service or has inspired a business concept? We believe that you are never too young to make an impact in the marketplace or the community--let us tell your story.Be featured in CEO Magazine’s Young Innovator Series. Tell us in 100 words or less why you or your nominee should be selected.

Email your submission to editor@ceosofrva.com-insert “YOUNG INNOVATOR” in the subject line

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CEO MAGAZINE

FRESH CRABS

BUTTER

BREAD CRUMBS

ITALIAN PARSLEY

GREEN ONION

FRESH LEMON JUICE

SRIRACHA SAUCE

CRAB CAKES

Crab Cake Slider with Sriracha Tartar Sauce

By Carol Lou of A Passion for Entertaining www.apassionforentertaining.com

Ingredients • 1 lb fresh lump crabmeat, drained • 1/2 cup bread crumbs • 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder • 1/3 cup milk • 1 large egg, beaten • 1/4 cup mayonnaise • 2 tablespoons chopped green onion • 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt • Dash of white pepper • 1/4 cup flour • 2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning • 1/4 cup melted butter Instructions 1. Combine breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, baking powder, milk, egg, mayonnaise, green onion,

Italian parsley, garlic salt and white pepper in a large bowl. Gently fold in crab meat; form into patties and refrigerate covered a few hours for the crab cakes to firm up. One hour prior to cooking, dredge each cake in a mixture of flour and Old Bay. Melt butter in skillet and cook patties over medium high heat, approximately 4 minutes per side or until brown--watch carefully.

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Serve on roll with sriracha tartar sauce.

One pound of crabmeat yields 9 sliders Sriracha Tartar Sauce • 1/3 cup mayonnaise • 1 tablespoon pickle relish (I prefer sweet pickle relish; however, you could use dill pickle relish.)

• 1/4 teaspoon sriracha (You can adjust according to your taste.)

• 1 squeeze of lemon juice Instructions 1. Combine all ingredients and serve on sliders.

Carol Lou Melim is a Virginia food blogger who is passionate about home cooking and entertaining.

Currently, she is writing a cookbook featuring her family’s favorite recipes. In addition to being a food blogger, Carol Lou teaches English as a certified TEFL instructor. When Carol Lou is not blogging or teaching, she is golfing, another one of her passions.

Follow Carol Lou at www.apassionforentertaining.com 9 9

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They are sweet, sassy, determined, courageous, provocative and uplifting--they are our mothers. In celebration of Mother’s Day, CEO Magazine presents the stories of sons and daughters whose moms have inspired them.

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Mother: Linda Braxton Son: Adam Power

My mother, Linda Braxton, is a powerful woman. She instilled in me, at a very tender age, a principle that has and will always propel me forward and upward—the belief in oneself. Being deeply convicted of this has not only strengthened me, but has literally forced me through all of life’s challenges.

til she passed that I began to live by those words that she had once spoken to me. January 2014, I set out to reach my goal. I had my days when I didn’t feel like working out or eating healthy, but I didn’t allow those days to stop me from going forward. My love for fitness has pushed me into becoming a personal trainer. Seeing how many people are inspired by my journey motivates me more and more. I do this with passion. I want the world to know that whatever it is that you are struggling with or want to achieve, you can do it. You simply have to believe in yourself and along the way keep your head up--don’t allow a setback to cause you from achieving your goal because you can do it.

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Thank you mother for your heroism—and inspiring mine. I love you.

Mother: Carolyn Alexander Daughter: April Alexander On October 20, 2013, my life changed completely. I spoke with my mother around 7:30 pm that evening only to receive a call by 10 pm for me to come to the hospital. By 11 pm my mother had passed away. She suffered from a massive heart attack from diabetic complications. Who would have thought that within a few hours I would no longer hear my mother’s voice again?

Before my mother’s passing, I remember calling her and being upset about my weight. She said to me, “April, you can achieve anything in life you want if you put your mind to it.” It wasn’t un-

Mother: Margaret Shirley-Myers Daughters: (from left to right) Valarie Calhoun, Veronica Stoudemire, Adriana Shirley My mother is not perfect. She has flaws.

She’s made mistakes and didn’t always understand us; yet, my mother gave and still gives us the best gifts: unlimited life and love, a world of possibilities, and a ‘can do’ attitude. She taught us about financial security and the importance of education. She sacrificed her needs to put ours first and gave us what she didn’t have growing up so we never went without. My mother pushed us because she never wanted our excuses to get in the way of our success. I thank her for her unwavering strength, constant faith, and everlasting love for my sisters and me.

On this day and every day, I want her to know that she is appreciated and loved beyond measure! We love and thank you for being our mother!

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Mother: Thelma “Jean” Forde Son: Jason Forde I owe all that I am to my mother, Thelma “Jean” Forde. The level of sacrifice, dedication and structure she provided during my childhood was invaluable.

My mother was a West Indian immigrant raising a boy as a single mother. Surrounded by the shadows of the projects in Far Rockaway, a section of Queens during the crack era of the 1980s, my mother embodied the pursuit of the American Dream. She taught me to believe that I am never just a product of my environment, but of my choices, and to know that through hard work and belief in myself, I can live a happy purposeful life.

As I reflect on what I’ve accomplished to date, my mother’s influence is very apparent. I graduated from Wesleyan University with a B.S. in Mathematics. I have had a successful consulting career and founded and developed ProScholars Athletics, INC., my own sportsbased college preparatory program servicing “at-risk” young men in the NY Tri-State Area. ProScholars Athletics, INC., is all owed to fact that I was blessed to have Thelma Forde as my mother.

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Happy Mother’s Day, Mum. I love you.

Mother: Sharon Oliver, CEO Publisher Kids: Braxton Monroe, Robert Oliver Jr., & Lauren Oliver Braxton: My mother inspires me in different ways, but I think what has influenced me most is her willingness to keep trying no matter how many times

CEO MAGAZINE she fails. I think that’s largely the reason for her success today. Watching my mother over the years has shown me that sometimes to get to where you want to be in life you have to take a couple of wrong roads, before you find the right one.

RJ: My mom inspires me because she is always nice to me and she always shows me love. She also inspires me by how she works hard in the daycare with the kids just for us to have Christmas.

She also buys me things like when dad says no. She also tries to make good things happen for me.

Lauren: My mom inspires me to be an entrepreneur because she takes her businesses seriously. When I grow up I want to be just like her and have my own businesses and get my own money. You rock mom!

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Mother: Romeeda Mohammed Daughter: Shakira Dhamorathan My mother has inspired me ever since I can remember. She was one of ten who emigrated from Trinidad at 18 years old and was at the top of her class, receiving straight A’s on her university entrance exams. She left the island and headed to the Bronx, an area she described as a cold concrete jungle plagued with poverty; however, she saw this as a place of opportunity to fulfill her dreams and went from working on 34th Street in a belt factory to pursuing a degree at CUNY as a single mom.

She always preached the value of hard work and education. I remember falling

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asleep while I studied and my mother would carry me to the bed we shared.

“Morning time to study,” she would say as she handed me a cup of warm tea, the following morning. I graduated from school with honors and went on to become a family doctor. I truly believe that my push in life has been my mother’s voice. Whenever I feel like I am going to give up, fail or just can’t go on, my mom is always by my side, rooting for me. I recently became a mother, and as I cuddle with my boys, I only hope that one day I can be everything to them that she has been and continues to be for me.

answer phones at her business when I was 10.

I stayed up late when she was volunteering at school phone-a-thons to raise money.

I would run pledge sheets and envelopes up and down the aisle while all of the ladies would sit at their phones chatting and laughing. I loved going to her meetings.

She taught me to assert myself, to ask for what I wanted and not to be afraid when the answer was “No.”

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Mother: In Suk Lee Daughter: Praise C. Lee Norris My father loves making people laugh.

His jokes are typical of dads everywhere—corny. My brother and I find him really annoying, but my mother?

She loves it. She laughs, genuinely, at every detail of his account. She laughs so hard that she goes silent, clutching her stomach, wiping away her tears.

It’s infectious. In the last decade, she’s gone through two brain surgeries. Yet, when I teased her about her feeding lettuce to the dog today, she cracked up. She said, “Keep teasing me, daughter, and you might squeeze another lifetime out of me!” That’s why my mother inspires me. She won’t stop laughing

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Mother: Sue Collinson Daughter: Ellie Collinson I was the kid who tagged along with my mom to meetings.I learned how to 12

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Ellie Collinson is the Chief Administrative Officer at the Washington D.C. - based public affairs firm, The Raben Group, LLC.

Mother: Monica Heretick Daughter: Ashlee Heretick My mom inspired me to never give up, even if everyone else wanted me to.

She taught me to learn from the mistakes I make no matter how bad they were because everyone makes mistakes but deserves a second chance.

She was always there for me, day or night, even if I wasn’t making the right decision. Last year I lost my mom to a house fire, which was ironic because at the time, I was a 7-year volunteer firefighter and I moved out just a month before this tragedy. Still, my mom is the one who pushes me to move on.

My mom made life better. She was my best friend. I am determined to make her proud here on out, as she watches over me as my guardian angel.

Queen Katie’s Courage: Mom Helps Daughter Brave through Cancer

by Chaya Braxton

“When Chloe was first diagnosed, I decided that we were going to put on our running shoes and our boxing gloves and we were going to fight,” says Katie Gochenour, 29, of Luray, VA.

“I told her that in our bodies there are good guys and bad guys and that right now the bad guys are winning and the medicines are super powers that will help beat them up.”

On August 4, two days after celebrating her marriage to farmer, Brandon Gochenour, Katie and her family received news that her 5-year-old daughter, Chloe Fuller, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). 6,000 cases are reported in the United States every year.

ALL is a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow that affects white blood cells. It is the most common type of childhood cancer and often affects children from ages 2-5.

Next Katie began to research the ALL condition, its symptoms and treatment.

When she discovered there is a 90% survival rate for children under 15, she became more hopeful.

“The hardest day I had to look in the mirror and say over and over to myself: ‘My child has cancer, ’” says Katie. “I never thought I would be given the title of a Cancer Mom.” After the initial shock of the news wore off, Katie and her family began to create a plan to manage their new life. Her first course of action was to explain leukemia to Chloe.

“Chloe asked me if she was going to die and I told her: ‘Everyone is going to die. You will die one day, but it won’t be from this.’” The fight has still been hard.

Katie has seen her daughter poked with needles. She has had to catch her when she fell asleep from sedation. Katie has taught Chloe how to swallow pills, given her chemo and held Chloe’s hair while she vomited from the side effects of her medicine. Katie has had to change her daughter’s clothes at 3 a.m. from night sweats and has driven many miles back and forth to the hospital; she has had many sleepless nights.

Katie is brave, but Chloe is too. The spunky, newly turned 6-year-old gets

CEO MAGAZINE straight to the point when she is explaining things. When Chloe began to lose her hair, and her mom was trying to prepare her to shave her head, Chloe put one hand on her hip and declared to her mom and grandma: “Babies are bald, and people love babies, so people will love me.”

Chloe’s personality is large and she knows what she wants. She is the girlie, glittery, glamorous, Disney-inspired princess who prefers fresh, uncooked vegetables and fruit.

Chloe lives on a 200 acre farm nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains with her mom, stepfather, and 2-year-old stepsister Aleigha. She owns two cows, Fiddles and Rosa, that she feeds every morning.

Chloe is unable to attend school and cannot join many playdates in order to protect her immune system from being compromised any further. Usually she can be found driving a gray and black four wheeler that her stepfather bought for her.

Chloe’s family plays an integral part in her will to fight. “Brandon is so important in Chloe’s journey. He is the balance that keeps everyone grounded and on a normal routine,” says Katie. For the majority of Chloe’s life, Katie was a single mom until she met her husband. He attends major doctor’s appointments and sits through bone marrow tests while stepsister, Aleigha, visits Chloe during clinic days and keeps her company when she is receiving treatment.

Chloe is not confined to her farmland kingdom. She has managed to inspire a local-turned national-movement. When her mom asked her if she wanted a toy drive for the kids at the children’s hospital for her 6th birthday, she said no. They were in her room when she saw a nurse pass by carrying blood. Afterwards Chloe came up with the idea to ask family and friends to participate in a blood drive for her upcoming birthday. Several organizations including Virginia Blood Services partnered with Chloe and her family to manage the event. When people in her town began to learn of Chloe’s request, the support started to roll in. Town residents, church members and friends sent meals and cards and helped run errands.

Today, they wear prayer bracelets and purple and orange ‘Team Chloe’ shirts to show support. Chloe even received over 1500 letters and cards of encouragement from people around the country.

The 6-year-old also participates in cancer walks to help raise awareness and sponsors other blood drives.

These days, Chloe is in her last round of treatment before she enters her maintenance phase. She is excited about start-

ing the first grade in September.

“One of the best days with Chloe was when she saw me after I finished getting my hair cut at her head shaving party.”

Chloe made her mom promise that she would cut her hair off when Chloe began to lose her own after chemo. Her two aunts followed suit. She grabbed her mom’s face, looked up at her, and said: “Mom, I love you.” Katie kissed Chloe on the forehead.

In her online journal, Katie concludes in a February 3 entry from this year: “I say it proudly when I say, ‘Leukemia has messed with the wrong chick.”’

The Queen of Hearts has spoken; she has made the decree over the life of

her child. Pretty soon we will see Princess Chloe emerge from these hard times with more sass, strength, and a spirit of giving to help more people.

The Fuller/Gochenour family has started a GoFundMe account to help with the costs associated with maintaining the upkeep of their house and traveling to Charlottesville for Chloe’s treatment. Donations are being accepted online through www.gofundme.com/helpingchloe Virginia Blood Services is also accepting donations in Chloe’s honor. Give code: #teamchloe 9379 You can read a blog of Chloe and Katie’s journey at www.caringbridge.org/ visit/chloefuller2 13

3 Amazing Ways to Relax

MIND BODY

& SPIRIT

After spending hours each day commuting, young professionals need a nest to recharge and reconnect. What better therapy than a remodeled master bedroom suite with a new steam shower, wet bar, and bedside fireplace?

THERESA A.C. DORLINI, CID, ASID DESIGN PARTNER

THE Drop-Off

by Ebony Speakes-Hall MDIV, MSSA, LSW

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I kiss my son goodbye and scurry out of the daycare facility. I think to myself…I have 30 minutes until I have to be at work.

Flustered, overwhelmed and preoccupied by having to complete my to-do list, I grab my cell phone while maneuvering out of the daycare parking lot. I call my favorite girlfriend to recap the episode of “Scandal” from the previous night. I tell her to hold on as I pull up to Starbucks to order my tall Vanilla Latte extra sweet, you know with the two extra pumps of vanilla with whipped cream and a Cheese Danish. With my

phone pressed to my cheek, I manage to grab my debit card and complete my transaction and finish my prediction of the story line of “Scandal.” My girlfriend insists she must go to finish getting ready for work.

I insert my Jay-Z CD on full blast as I drive down I-675 rapping the lyrics of “Already Home.” I arrive at work and immediately become aware that my 30 minutes of me time is now over.

I am a mental health therapist, an adjunct professor and minister. I am a wife, a mother, and a dedicated daughter and aunt. If

I am not seeing a patient, I am teaching a class, giving a sermon, managing my parents’ healthcare, cooking dinner for my family or comforting my infant baby. I am always tired and have to fight to find a little me time. Don’t take for granted the time to relax between daycare drop-off and work.

Other places and times to relax can be the bathroom, a quick run to the post office or supermarket, before everyone in the house wakes up or after everyone is asleep. As women who do it all, we have to remember to carve out time and space for ourselves. If we don’t, WHO WILL? Yep, exactly.

CEO MAGAZINE

Breathing It’s For Everyone

By Jennifer M. Drummond

You don’t need cool turquoise waters gliding upon golden sands, splashing against your bare feet. Nor do you need soothing ethereal chimes lulling you into

a state of peace. Although this is an option, it’s not necessary. All you need is a space and a commitment to learn correct deep breathing or belly breathing

techniques. Traditionalists and alternative physicians recognize the health benefits of deep breathing. Many believe deep breathing has a positive impact on various systems of the body including the circulatory, digestive and respiratory, to name a few. However, most agree deep breathing can reduce stress and provide deeper relaxation which can translate into better health for the entire body. In addition, there are various types of deep breathing exercises for specific activities.

These activities can include running, high intensity sports, strength training, meditation, yoga, labor and delivery. Deep breathing could be that undiscovered medicine lacking from your physical medicine cabinet.

Here are some basic steps to help get you started: 1. Calm Your Mind 2. Improve Your Posture 3. Breathe In Through Your Nose 4. Breathe Out Through Your Mouth 5. Repeat Twice “How to Breathe with

by Cathy Wong, ND

Your

WWW.CARLACANNON.COM

Body”

Disclaimer: This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider.

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Dear Ms. Corrine, It all started at the Acura Dealership off Broad Street. I was called around 1pm to come down to help out with a down payment for my “girlfriend’s” new vehicle. She told me that she was $200 short of her $1000 down payment. Upon arriving I discovered that she was indeed short on the cash, AND the credit! The car salesman had already starting running my information before he even met me.

By the time I got into the office I was approved, financed, and had keys and tags all without my knowledge. I was highly upset but somehow I was convinced to sign the documents. I was Boo Boo the Fool. I came in to bring $200 dollars and walked out $30k in debt. I left in my 2001 Yukon, and she got into a brand new 2010 Acura. I wouldn’t see that car for another 6 months. While on a date with the same “girlfriend,” the car passed me and guess who was driving my 2010 Acura…another MAN. I got the guy’s attention and asked him to pull over. When he pulled over, I

inquired as to where he got the car. He indicated that it belonged to one of his friends. I pointed to my “girlfriend” sitting beside me and asked, “Would this be her?” He said yes, and I asked him to get out of my car. He obliged and I got into the Acura and handed her my keys to drive my Yukon back to her apartment.

Ms. Corrine, her new man asked me, ”How am I getting home?” I explained, “This is your problem…not mine.” I left him on the side of the road! As I started walking around her apartment and paying attention to details, I noticed that there were men’s items (jeans, deodorant, and shoes) conveniently out of sight. Needless to say, we broke up the next day. This moment of insanity cost me several car payments, and I spent an additional $275 dollars to hire a repo man to repossess my own car. I also had to sell the car for $17K and take out a $3K loan to pay the car off. Ms. Corrine, this ex still calls me today.

I don’t want to be Boo Boo the Fool for the second time.

Dear Boo Boo the Fool, Well, let’s get down to business young man. Love definitely got the best of you!

I must admit that you have good self control because you didn’t leave both of them on the side of the road. I can’t say that Ms. Corrine has that same self control. I might have been writing to you from cell block 8. In all Corrine seriousness, this is a matter of you failing to listen to your own instincts. Your instincts had to send all types of warning signs of “Don’t Do It!” When in love, we often fail to use good common sense. You never buy or co-sign for an expensive purchase for a person who you are not in a serious relationship with or married to.

Please don’t hold this hurt against another beautiful lady such as me. Not all women would do this to you.

Just a side note…I saw a new Lexus LS460 that we can pick up on Broad Street tomorrow since you are buying beautiful women new cars. Just hit me up on my beeper…

Love, Corrine – driving a new Lexus!

Disclaimer: The Dear Stupid.Me column is strictly for entertainment purposes. Ms. Corrine sincerely believes that all women are confident, smart, and applaud all women for being the Chief Executive of their lives. Ms. Corrine will be the first to admit that she is not a licensed or credentialed counselor, therapist or anything else, except a wise old woman with a strong opinion on just about everything. Ms. Corrine’s suggestions should only be used for a much needed laugh. Don’t take life too serious.

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