Vision & Purpose LifeStyle Magazine | February 2022 Special Edition

VISION & PURPOSE FEBRUARY SPECIAL EDITION 2022

LifeStyle Magazine and Media

Special Edition WHO

IS

DAVANTE

WILLIAMS?

Remembering Carl Judie Page 30

NC FEATURE

Tyesha Terrell LaShona Patton -Jones Page 34

Every Day Is Sweeter Dessert Shop Carmenita Frazier & Patrice Drone Page 8

HarmonyDevoe National Recording Artist/Songwriter

Page 16

River Road Hats Shonda M. Kelly Page 40

Who Is....

DaVante Williams Page 22

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Vision & Purpose LifeStyle Magazine and Media Innovation. Transformation. Collaboration. www.vandpmagazine.com

VISION & PURPOSE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE AND MEDIA

CONTENTS

15 Black Woman's Renaissance

34 NC Feature

38 BookTalk

42 Your Finance

2 Editor's Note 6 L.E.A.D Lucky, Losing, Learning, Leading 8 Business Spotlight Everyday Is Sweeter The Oaks Bed & Breakfast BLUE by Enzo 16 Lights, Camera, Action The Sultry Sound of Harmony Devoe Meet Ron Godfrey 26 EducationFIRST Meet Mr. Rashaad Pitt 30 In the Community Remembering Carl Judie 40 Women Who LEAD Shonda M. Kelly, CEO, River Road Hats

22 DaVante Williams More than an Uber Driver...

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FEBRUARY 2022 Special Edition

Editor-In-Chief

Dr. Sharon H. Porter Greetings V&P LifeStyle Magazine readers.

Welcome to the February 2022 Special Edition.

PUBLISHER Perfect Time SHP Publishing

In this issue, we speak with DaVante Williams, the Washington, D.C. native whose compassionate heart made a difference for a Virginia teenager stranded in a snowstorm.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Dr. Sharon H. Porter Layout & Graphic Design SHP Media & Graphics

We appreciate your readership and continued support.

Director of Sales Michelle B. Hauser Photographer James Adéll Photography

The purpose and mission of V&P LifeStyle Magazine is to promote excellence in all aspects of leadership.

Innovation. Transformation. Collaboration.

Contact www.vandpmagazine.com info@vandpmagazine.com sales@vandpmagazine.com

FEBRUARY 2022 SPECIAL EDITION

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@vandpmagazine

VISION & PURPOSE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE AND MEDIA

CONTRIBUTORS Sharon H. Porter, Ed.D. President of SHP Enterprise, CEO of Perfect Time SHP, LLC, Owner and Editor-In-Chief of Vision & Purpose LifeStyle Magazine, LLC

Pia L. Scott, Ed.D. CEO , P L. Scott Group, LLC Licensed Professional Counselor, Speaker, Author, and Consultant.

David Franklin, Ed.D.

Latinia M. Shell, Ed.D. CEO, Diversity Works, LLC Licensed Professional Counselor, Counselor Educator, and Author.

Zuri Hunter

Founder, The Principal's Desk, Award winning School Administrator, Professor, and Presenter.

Dr. Violet T. Adams Founder, Black Woman's Renaissance Educator, Visual Artist, Speaker, and Podcast Host

Software Engineer

Tammy Taylor Co-Founder, Create and Educate, LLC Elementary School Principal, Author, and Speaker.

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VISION & PURPOSE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE AND MEDIA

CONTRIBUTORS

Michelle B. Hauser

Shelley Anderson

CEO & Owner, Sidez Catering Author

Middle School Principal

Shirley P. Auguste, Ed.D. Tywauna Wilson CEO, Trendy Elite Coaching and Consulting.

Speaker, Author, Podcast Host, and Mentor.

CEO of Jasaron Learning Institute.

Educator, Author, and Speaker.

Sheka Houston, Ed.D.

Sharnessa Fenner, Ed.D. Elementary School Principal Adjunct Professor, and Writer

Co-founder Create and Educate, LLC. Educator, Author, and Speaker.

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VISION & PURPOSE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE AND MEDIA

CONTRIBUTORS

Essie Mckoy, Ed.D. CEO and Founder o f Dr. Essie Speaks, LLC. Award winning educator and Six times best-selling author.

Theresa A. Moseley, Ph.D. CEO and owner, TAM Creating Ambassadors of Peace, LLC. Educator, Speaker, and Author.

Pamela Sams President, Jackson Sams Wealth Strategies Financial Advisor.

Jocelyn McDonald, Ed.D. Educator Technologist, Podcaster, Blogger and Technology Consultant.

Jarita Hagans, M.D. Board Certified Family Physician and owner of Zion Family Practice.

Chanay Robinson CEO, The Professional Credit Diva, LLC Financial Literacy Coach.

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L. E. A. D.

Learn. Excel. Achieve. Develop.

Lucky, Losing, Learning, Leading

By Dr. Sharon H. Porter

One of my all-time favorite leadership books is The Learning Leader: How to Focus School Improvement for Better Results by Doug Reeves. The book's target audience is educational leaders, but I always say, effective leadership is effective leadership, no matter the industry. Reeves helps leaders go beyond excuses and emphasizes making the most of their strengths. This is also a key component in Gallup's Strengths...Focusing on strengths to maximize leadership.

Reeves introduces the Leadership for Learning Framework, which challenges leaders to examine student achievement as more than test scores. In business, I would parallel student achievement to business growth and test scores to profit.

There are four quadrants in the framework: Lucky Quadrant - High results and low understanding of antecedents ---Replication of success is unlikely.

Losing Quadrant- Low results and low understanding of antecedents. Replication of failure is likely.

Learning Quadrant- Low results, high understanding of antecedents. Replication of success is likely.

Leading Quadrant- High results and high understanding of antecedents. Replication of success is likely.

As a leader, you want to always find yourself in the Learning or Leading quadrant. The Learning Leader goes on to examine The Seven Dimensions of Leadership: Visionary Leadership, Relational Leadership, Systems Leadership, Reflective Leadership, Collaborative Leadership, Analytical Leaders, and Communicative Leadership.

"Leaders need not, indeed they cannot be, every dimension themselves, but they can and must ensure that every leadership dimension is provided by some member of the leadership team."- Doug Reeves We will explore each of the dimensions in upcoming issues of Vision & Purpose LifeStyle Magazine.

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EVERY DAY IS SWEETER

It's All

Business Spotlight

MH: Share with us how you became business partners and how your business began?

Q&A With

Carmenita Frazier & Patrice Drone

By Michelle Hauser

EDIS: Becoming business partners naturally flowed. We are best friends, prayer partners, and members of the same church. We often share ideas with each other. So, when I (Carmenita) shared my idea with Patrice about my desire to make and sell freshsqueezed lemonade and sweet treats she was all in!

She stepped in with all of the advertisement and design ideas as well. But before we started to move on to the desire and ideas, we took time in prayer and fasting. Proverbs 19:21, “There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.”

We made sure that we were moving in God first and not ourselves because starting a business is not something that either of us wanted to do apart from the release and wisdom of God. So, we took the first few months of 2020, during the pandemic to pray, fast, and research. We learned how to bake by watching YouTube and using great recipes from family and food bloggers. We bought kitchen aids mixers, we bought cricket machines and heat presses, light fixtures to advertise and take great pictures!

We met every Tuesday and prayed together.

We turned Patrice’s spare room into an office/workshop, we had baking sessions with my mom, and Patrice’s grandmother gave us another KitchenAid mixer as well as baking utensils. My mom and others bought supplies and invested money to help get things that were needed! On July 4, 2020, Every Day Is Sweeter was launched and we have been going strong ever since!

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MH: How did you come up with the name for your business?

EDIS: Every Day is Sweeter was not the original name for the business, it was going to be “Old Skool Sweets”. Because I (Carmenita) wanted to bake those good ole back home desserts that would remind you of home with every bite!

But God had a different plan! I do not remember exactly but I called Patrice and I just said, “Every Day Is Sweeter” and it was as if it just stirred in her because she was like, “Oooo yeah, that’s it!” And then Psalm 34:8, “Oh taste and see that the LORD is good, blessed is the man that trusts in Him.”, is an invitation to taste and see that Every Day is Sweeter with the Lord Jesus, and hey, come taste the gifts that He has allowed to make room for us while you’re at it!

MH: What is unique about your business?

EDIS: Everything about our business is unique because it is not just a business it is a ministry. Every Day is Sweeter is all about not only sharing sweet treats and great tasting lemonade, but it is also about sharing the love of Jesus with every sip and bite! Food has a way of bringing warmth and comfort, memories and joy so when we bake and make our fresh-squeezed goodness, we proclaim the blessings and peace of Jesus over every cake, cookie, pie, and cup or gallon of lemonade.

We have had times when people have come to purchase our products, but we ended up in prayer or having moments of encouragement because that’s what they needed at that time, and then when they tasted the lemonade, WOW, the response was nothing but GOD!

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MH: What is most rewarding about the service you offer?

EDIS: We would have to say the most rewarding thing about the service we offer is the response from those who enjoy what we are offering. Even if we never encounter those persons again in the moment of the first taste, their response is unforgettable!

MH: What is your vision for the future?

EDIS: Our vision for the future is to have our own storefront and food truck, as well as expand in online sales and distribution. We have already gone from being outside under a tent to a small booth, to now being in a twobooth space in Cooks Flea Market in Winston, Salem, NC, all within a year’s time. So, we are believing God for even more increase!

Carmenita “Nodia” Frazier is originally from Lancaster, South Carolina, but has lived in the North Carolina Triad Area for most of her life. She attended schools in the Winston-Salem Forsyth County School system and obtained her general education diploma (G.E.D.) from Forsyth Technical Community College. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Liberty University, majoring in Psychology and specializing in Christian Counseling. Apart from being a small business owner and full-time mother to her 18 yr old son, Kabari, and Auntie-Mom to her seven-year-old niece Demariona.

Carmenita’s primary focus and greatest joy is seeing God at work in all that she does and hopes to do. Helping people experience the intimacy that God desires to have with all of His children is truly her life’s purpose and passion. Her personal encounters with the heart of God ignite and fuel her passionate desire to preach, teach, and share the love of God with all who will listen. One of her favorite scriptures is Jeremiah 31:3, “The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” So rather it is through her business or day-to-day encounters sharing the lovingkindness that God has shown to her is one of her greatest joys in life.

Patrice Drone is originally from Richlands, North Carolina, and is a graduate of the Onslow County School System. Upon graduation, she attended Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) in Winston-Salem, NC to pursue a degree in Computer Science. After leaving WSSU, she remained in the area and currently works as the Transportation Technology Technician with the Winston-Salem/ Forsyth County School System. Outside of being a Technology Technician and a small business owner, Patrice enjoys being able to help others.

She finds pure joy in how God has allowed her to listen to someone’s vision and together with collaboration from the person and the Holy Spirit seeing that vision come to life is simply amazing.

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BECOME A CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR

in an upcoming release of a Women Who Lead Book Collaboration REAL ESTATE TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION BUSINESS FINANCE MEDICINE AVIATION POLITICS SPORTS MEDIA LAW

www.womenwholeadanthology.com

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BLUE

BY ENZO

By Dr. Sharon H. Porter Photographs Courtesy of Enzo Mason

Enzo Mason is eight (8) years old and hails from Richmond, Virginia. He likes to draw, write comics and read. He is currently taking gymnastics and learning to play the viola and speak Spanish. He considers himself an artist, environmentalist, activist, and kind person.

About two years ago, he created BLUE because he saw that there were plenty of stores for girls, ( i.e. Claire’s, Justice, and PINK) but there was nothing that was just geared towards boys. He is finally able to launch BLUE to the world. He says this space is to help young boys feel like they belong and they can do anything no matter their age.

Enzo wanted to protest during the height of Black Lives Matter (BLM), but because of the violence, his parents felt it was unsafe. So what did Enzo do? He planned his own Kids for BLM March It took place at the Historic Arthur Ashe Monument in Richmond, Virginia.

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By Dr. Violet Adams

Crystal Kelly Black Woman Renaissance will honor Ms. Crystal Kelly.

Crystal, is among other things, an advocate of inspiration and change. This multi talented woman as the founder of the I Am Beautiful Award that honors formerly abused women who are now victorious, she is A talented health and welfare consultant, a certified Life coach, a licensed life and health insurance agent, and is currently a licenced Real Estate Agent.

Crystal directed the ‘Face-2-Face’ mentoring group for junior and high school seniors located in Norfolk, Virginia. She is a motivational speaker, contributing author in the Women Who Lead Anthology, and has written several articles for Huami magazine, published by Mykel Media in North Carolina.

She is the founder of Make-it-Happen Entertainment, where she launched her own recurring event, Floetic Expressions Open Mic Night. This event opened the door for local musicians and poets to positively express themselves through the arts. She currently Resides in metro Atlanta, Georgia, and has recently written a book entitled, “I Am Purposely Made!”

Scan the QR Code below to listen to the podcast interview:

Crystal Kelly, the woman with two first names, is passionate about making a difference in other’s lives. She once said, “I love to be involved and put action towards change – not just speak on it – you have to move on it.”

Crystal’s Mantra is “Your current situation does not define your final destination” This is the philosophy Crystal lives by, And this is why we honor the talented, beautiful, and compassionate Crystal Kelly as our Black Woman of Renaissance!

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SultrySound of HarmonyDevoe The

By Dr. Sharon H. Porter

Detroit Native Harmony Devoe introduces a luscious, seductive blend of R&B defined as FLOETICIZM ™ A passionate lyricist with a unique blend of melodic sounds merged with metaphoric rhymes.

Harmony’s poetic songwriting style provides the perfect recipe for soothing the body, mind, and soul.

Harmony is definitely “Lyricism in Motion,” and she is destined to enrich the lives of many throughout the world with her remarkable brand of music.

Harmony cultivated her aspirations in music at an early age.

As an emerging singer and former pianist in her church, she was approached by her Minister of Music, to be a part of a female Gospel group. That moment marked the beginning of her maturation process, as she began to write songs of inspiration, that would reveal her exceptional gifts.

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Harmony relocated to Tampa, Florida and collaborated with Jazz Artist, Nathan L. Mitchell, resulting in the release of her debut single, “Your Piano.” This musical arrangement entailed a kiss on the ebonies and ivories, the exquisite strum of the bass, and Harmony’s sultry alto sound and seductive lyrics, resulting in an explosion of indescribable “floetic” symmetry. “Your Piano (remix) was later released and has since become extremely popular amongst the R&B and smooth jazz communities.

In 2017, Harmony Devoe released her exquisite R&B EP, “Chronicles of a Lyricist.”

Simultaneously, she released her Neo-Soul Gospel single, “Lord Ur Love,” which took Harmony back to her Gospel roots. This track is smooth, catchy, up lifting, and inspirational, reaching both listeners of secular and Gospel music. Harmony describes herself as a multi-faceted lyrical creator, who can enhance any musical composition of any genre.

In 2019, she displayed her Detroit rapper roots with her “club banging, bass bumping” single, “Never Low.” In 2020, Harmony blasted the airways with several additional singles, “The Friend Zone,” and America So Strong,” in support of the US Military, essential workers and families impacted by the pandemic. Harmony’s floeticizm continued, releasing her seductive R&B single, “The View,” with a steamy music video on her YouTube channel.

In May 2021, she released a dope-a licious DJ favorite, “Friend Zone (Remix)” ft. Darius J. Harmony’s latest chart topping single, “When U Fall Outta Luv,” ft. JaKeith, is the COVID-19 break up ballad of the century! This duet speaks to the real, gutter raw situations in the home, honing in on the torturous emotional fallout of a broken relationship, while quarantined during our generation’s most devastating pandemic.

Harmony’s collation of melody, metaphoric wordplay, and poetic lyricism showcases precisely why she is “Lyricism in Motion” ™

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Meet Mr. Ron Godfrey Actor. Author. Producer.

Ron Godfrey is an American actor

who began his career in 2013 at the age of 42 in Canton, Georgia.

He debuted as "Attorney Porter Milgrim" for the stage play entitled, "Deathtrap."

Since that time, Ron has gone on to work with some well-known people in the industry such as Robert Townsend, Tyler Perry, Tray Chaney, just to name a few.

Ron has appeared on Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Funeral, BET's American Soul, Ton'e Brown's Kitchen Talk, and Brandon Bias's The Bridge which can be seen on Prime Video. On October 14, 2021, a brand new series entitled, “COVENANT” premiered on the ALLBLK network and it features Ron as the primary Doctor to the main character who happens to be the creator of the series, Ms. Kaye Singleton.

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Ron recently filmed a limited series for HBO MAX and HULU, both will be premiering soon. Ron can also be seen in a new biopic that was released on Prime Video in January of 2022 by Mr. Mike Rae Anderson entitled, “A Polished Soul.”

In December of 2020, Ron released his Autobiography entitled. "Crying Out In The Dark," which tells his true story of events that took place in his life that caused depression and anxiety. While completing the book, he was going through yet another storm in his life, but was determined to complete the book. In the end, not only did Ron complete his book, but 2 weeks after launching his book he also launched Grind & Conquer Activewear, his very own line. Ron plans to release his second book in 2022 entitled, “Crying Out In The Dark 2: Surviving The Storm” Ron's book can be found on Amazon and his website www.rongodfrey.com For an autographed copy of his book and his activewear can also be found on his website.

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DaVante Williams FEBRUARY 2022 SPECIAL EDITION V&P MAGAZINE

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Who Is DaVante Williams?

For many people, the name DaVante Williams has always been associated with kind-hearted, giving, and someone with a big heart. The world recently had the opportunity to experience all that is Mr. DaVante Williams.

DaVante is a full-time realtor and property manager and drives Uber occasionally, parttime. In early January (2022), a snowstorm hit the Washington D.C. metropolitan (DMV) area, and he made the decision to pick up passengers. DaVante was unaware that the storm had caused a 50-mile-long backup on the Interstate when he agreed to drive a passenger from Union Station in Washington, DC to Williamsburg, Virginia, a two-and-a-half-hour drive. The backup left many motorists stranded for over 24 hours.

He arrived at Union Station about 2 a.m. on Tuesday, January 4, 2022, to pick up his passenger (a teenage girl), after the train, she was traveling had been canceled due to the inclement weather.

Twenty miles into the trip, he realized there was a major problem. He made an attempt to take an alternate route but was directed back onto I-95 by law enforcement due to road closures. He found himself back on I95. The original 2-and-a-half hour trip is now being updated by the GPS for a total of four hours.

He eventually was able to turn around and head back to DC. He offered to pay for a hotel room for the girl. Her parents were reluctant (like many would have been), but they realized it was what was best.

“They don't know me, I don't know them, and I get it..."

He offered to take her home once the roads cleared, but a family friend was able to take her home later that day. She notified DaVante about 8:30 Tuesday night that she was safe. Both the passenger and her parents were grateful for his acts of kindness.

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I followed up with DaVante a few weeks after his ordeal, hoping the interviews calmed down a little. Giving him a little time to breathe. He stated, "it has calmed down a little, just a little". I asked him about his initial thoughts when he realized what was happening. "Oh my God, is this a movie?" He said, after an hour or two of just sitting on the interstate, he was thinking, "this can't be real". He was on a video chat with his mom and sister from the time he picked up his passenger until the time he dropped her off.

DaVante was commenting on other people's Twitter posts that were also stranded. He commented that he too was stranded along with his Uber passenger. He began getting inbox messages from different media outlets for him to share the details on what was happening. DaVante has interviewed with CNN, NewsNation, the Washington Post, WJLA, the Black News Channel (BNC) and so many others. His story has been shared by Fox5NY, FoxBaltimore, Inside Edition, Meaww.com, Newsweek, Black Enterprise, People.com, Daily Mail UK, Inspiremore.com, The Grio, USA Today, just to name a few.

DaVante turns 33 on February 1, 2022, the same day this issue is released. (Happy birthday, DaVante Williams!) He is a native Washingtonian. He attended Duke Ellington School of the Arts where he studied vocal music. He is an active member of the United House of Prayer For All People, where he serves in many different capacities. He is the assistant choir director, president of another auxiliary, as well as another choir.

I asked DaVante, why did he feel his story spread so quickly? He responded " We are living in a time that all we see is so much negativity. We see so much with COVID, so much with high murder rates, that when we got this big snow on January 4 and this Uber Driver did the unthinkable act, something that an average Uber driver would not have done.

Finally, there was a piece of light that the world could just look at and embark on. People were just intrigued that a person like me, still exits."

“

Finally, there was a piece of light that the world could just look at and embark on"

”

DaVante states, what he did was genuine and was never intended for any kind of recognition. This experience has pushed him to do more. For his birthday, he is cooking to serve 100 meals for unhoused individuals throughout Washington, DC.

He is working on something special with someone special. He will be able to share the details sometime in February. We will be waiting to hear the news!

Best wishes on all your future endeavors.

Building high-performance entrepreneurs, authors, and career professionals, who are prepared for life's unexpected curveballs.

Contact us at www.thewhatnowmovement.com info@thewhatnowmovement.com

Meet Rashaad Pitt Father. Educator. Author.

By Dr. Sharon H. Porter

Mr. Rashaad Pitt began his career in 2006 as a secondary history teacher in Petersburg, VA. He has also served as a teacher at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School in Richmond Public Schools and the Department of Juvenile Justice. He has experience serving as a Middle School Success Coordinator and Dean of Students in Chesterfield Public Schools. Mr. Pitt has also served as the Academy Principal at Hampton High School.

Pitt earned his bachelor’s degree from Virginia State University, a master’s degree in education from Walden University, and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Regent University. He is a proud father of three beautiful children Talia-13, Jayla-11, and Elijah-10.

I have had the opportunity to meet Rashaad as well as engage in dialogue with him about education. I find him to be a passionate educator with a lot of heart. He has a strong commitment to educate young black males.

Favorite Book: Cry Like A Man by Jason Wilson Favorite Quote: "If you haven't confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life. With confidence, you have won even before you have started."

-Marcus Garvey Favorite Movie: Any Given Sunday Favorite Genre of Music: Hip Hop Favorite Pastime: Watching documentaries Favorite Color: Blue

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Pitt is one of the contributing authors in Next In Line to Lead: The Voice of the Assistant Principal Volume 2 along with nine other assistant principals from across the United States: Eboni Broadus, Dr. Sabreen Mutawally, Lauren Smith, Robert L. Stevens, II, Dr. Kimbria Jackson, Dr. Brian Cunningham, Ayesha Fountain, Latrese D. Younger, and Dr. Julie Padilla.

LEADING BY CONNECTING We asked Rashaad what advice would he give someone going into school leadership for the first time?

He responded, "to study your principal and administrative team, create a journal of reflection and just brain dump different things you have done throughout the school year and attach them to a leadership standard with an artifact or a timestamp of the activity. For an example, "We partnered with a local faith based organization to do a community feeding, I took pictures and started a Facebook live broadcasting the event. I also set up monthly social distanced outings with members of the departments I supervise. We met at a local restaurant which allowed us the opportunity for rapport building, and also allowed teachers to see me as a human and not as an evaluator, while still maintaining professional appropriate boundaries.

I look forward to watching this educational leader continue to develop his skills and touch the lives of many scholars and educators for years to come.

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Mid-Atlantic Region Virginia, District of Columbia, Maryland, Kentucky, and West Virginia 571-213-8040

Remembering Carl Judie July 12, 1957-February 14, 2021

Carl & Sharon Judie

HUSBAND. FATHER. FRIEND. ACTOR.

By Dr. Sharon H. Porter

"Just because you're here today, doesn't mean you're here tomorrow." - Carl Judie Like the many millions of viewers of Dhar Mann Studio videos, I was shocked and saddened when Carl Judie passed last year (2021) due to complications of COVID-19. I distinctly remember the request Dhar Mann made to his followers, "Pray for a miracle". Carl had been in a coma for some time and his doctors said he wasn't going to make it. Carl regained consciousness long enough to see his loving wife, Sharon Judie, over Zoom. She sang to him and read some of the many comments left for him by fans, friends, and followers.

I didn't know Carl personally and I've never met him, but I felt connected to him through his work as an actor. Carl was best known for his role as GrandPa in A True Menstrual Show and as one of the Dhar Mann Studio actors. Carl played in over 70 episodes of the short, motivational videos focused on life, business, and relationships. The stories depict real-life situations that teach important life lessons, inspired by /Dhar Mann's personal experiences of success and failure (IMBD.com).

Carl found his true passion for acting after serving 20 years in the Air Force. His Facebook videos all went viral (most garnering more than 1 million views) due to the relatable and relevant storylines.

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On November 24, 2021, Dhar Man revealed a beautiful mural of Carl to honor his memory and made a $25,000 donation under his family's name.

Carl's final Dhar Mann video was also released, "Barber Gives Free Haircuts to Homeless."--- The lesson, "The Kindness You Put Out Into The World Comes Back To You." Carl seemed to always play the role of the "good guy". As his wife shared, he wasn't "acting" in those roles.

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Carl loved his family and undoubtedly his family loved him. On August 14, 2021, in a Facebook post, Sharon Judie summed up how she was feeling exactly six months after Carl's passing My life turned upside down and inside out February 14, 2021.

It’s August 14, 2021, and It’s hard for me to believe it’s been six months since my honey passed away. It seems like yesterday yet, it also seems like a lifetime ago. I was in a fog the first few months and I wondered how or if I would survive without him. Yet, I am still here six months later, and I’m making it, moment by moment. Thanks be to God. Truthfully, every day has been different. My emotions waffle back and forth (all day) between smiles and tears and joy and sadness, but I’m still standing!

Our love was extraordinary and special. To know us, was to aspire to be like us - flaws and all. We were friends, lovers, cheerleaders to one another, and very protective of one another. He was quick to come to my defense against someone giving me a hard time (sometimes I’d confess to him later that I was as wrong as two left shoes, but it didn’t matter. He proudly stood up for me anyway). I would often tell him that if he ever got into a scuffle with anyone while we were out, the offender would have to take me on, too, because we were a team. Thankfully, that never happened, but he knew I had his back.

We weren’t perfect - and we never tried to be, nor did we ever pretend we were - but we were perfect for one another.

Couples and singles often sought us out for advice on love and commitment and we didn’t sugarcoat what it took to stay together. We told the truth and nothing but the truth about relationships. Over the years, our MisLeading Lady cast members spent a great deal of time with us (collectively and individually) and we poured everything into them to help them succeed in love. We told them if they weren’t happy with themselves or didn’t love themselves first, they wouldn’t be happy with anyone else.

I could be myself with him from the day we met (September 11, 1999), but when my ‘tude or mouth got out of control, he would calmly, but firmly say, “ok, baby, that’s enough,” and that immediately got my attention and I’d stop talking stuff.

But, please know I still had the last word as I walked away and mumbled under my breath so he couldn’t hear me!

Carl never “demanded” respect from me or from anyone else, but his firm, gentle, kind, and humble ways earned respect from everyone. I have always said, “greatness doesn’t walk in the room and announce, ‘look at me, I’m great,’ but you always know when you’re in the company of greatness. You don’t have to brag about who you are or what you’ve accomplished. Your life and legacy will boast about you and for you, without you ever having to say a word about yourself.” Carl lived I Corinthians 13:4 - Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not conceited.

Someone recently asked me what my future plans were and I simply said, “to fulfill every dream I shared with Carl because that’s what he would want and expect me to do.” Keep praying for me as I set out to fulfill all my dreams and visions.

Although I’m sad for what I lost, today (in this moment), I choose to focus more on what we had.

Love never dies… #TeamJudie established May 10, 2002. *** "So You See"... Carl will be remembered for his easy smile, gentle spirit, and kind personality.

He will forever be missed by his family, friends, and fans from all over the world.

May his beautiful soul Rest In Peace.

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NCFeature Elizabeth City, NC

Tyesha Terrell Tyesha Terrell, 35, from Elizabeth City, NC, currently residing in our Nation's Capitol. Tyesha is the owner of Sewfiercetyecated and is a graduate of Elizabeth City State University, a Historically Black College/University (HBCU)…..VIKING PRIDE. She is a proud mother to Madison Terrell, owner of Treasured Styles.

Tyesha moved to Washington, DC in 2011. She found the love of fashion in college, where she was a member of Vike Nu Models Inc. She initially started learning the craft of sewing in 2011. Busy with life and motherhood, she found herself not sewing less and less. Then the pandemic hit…

In the Fall of 2020, she picked sewing back up and started sewing classes. Everything just took off from there. She's been creating everything from apparel designs, duffle bags, to accessories. Sewing is her happy place. I n 2020, Tyesha became a part of the Sewrority Sisterhood. She is currently on the journey of creating and launching her very own pattern….stay tuned for more to come from this fierce black woman!

Elizabeth City- “The Harbor of Hospitality” IG: @sewfiercetyecated | Website: www.sewfiercetyecated.com

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NCFeature Charlotte, NC

LaShona Patton-Jones LaShona Patton-Jones is a native of Charlotte, NC, and currently resides in Baltimore, MD. She is a wife and mother to six children. LaShona holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music from Bennett College for Women, a Master’s of Science in Human Resources Organizational Development from Walden University and currently pursuing a doctorate in Business Administration. Ms. Patton-Jones moved to Maryland in 2006 and her impact in the community was felt immediately. She cultivated a career in workforce development and held leadership positions at America Works, ARDX, and University of the District of Columbia Workforce Development.

LaShona transferred her skillset to the Human Resources field in 2014 after completing her master’s degree. LaShona was recently hired as an Expert with Peace Corps and will begin her federal service this month.

She is owner and operator of a full-service professional services firm L. Jones and Associates wherein she caters to organizations, companies in the areas of professional development, career navigation, and coaching.

She is also a licensed Non-Public Arbitrator for FINRA and uses her past experience as a licensed Financial Representative to educate the community on wealth building. She also finds time to run a catering business and is a chef in her own right.

LaShona volunteers at various schools in the Baltimore community in the Cherry Hill neighborhood. She works with 7th and 8th graders with Seasoned Women Ministries as a mentor. She cultivates trust and teaches a curriculum called Choices which assists students with developing self-esteem, hygiene, and better life choices. Her volunteerism doesn’t stop there but extends with her work with women and girls of color as a member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women. LaShona Patton-Jones is now an author with her new releases of her first books- Learning to Cook for My Man Romance through Food and North Carolina Girl Living in a Maryland World. Ms. Patton- Jones' domestic violence platform was cultivated in her contribution to North Carolina Girl Living in a Maryland World book. She speaks of her trials and triumphs of overcoming physical, emotional and mental abuse.

Since writing the book she works with young women to build self worth and self esteem through various community programs through the Boys and Girls Club of America.

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www.TheHeroBookSeries.com/Books

BOOKTALK Grit, Grind & Grace ACTIVATE IT!

by Towanda Livingstone

You Don't Know Our Stories From Trials to Triumph Volume 2

by Michelle B. Hauser

Grit, Grind, & Grace is a compilation of raw thoughts, intimate experiences, and wellearned wisdom (Towandisasms) that offers inspiration that activates your divine purpose.

You Don't Know Our Stories Volume 2 is a collection of stories as told by five authors detailing their trials faced and how they overcame them.

Publishing

Young Ladies Who L.E.A.D. Um'Bria Adams, Kaylee Mayhew, Sydney N. Porter, Lauren Baldwin, Tahjai Ward, Alesha Wilson Young Ladies Who L.E.A.D. shares the stories of six young ladies residing in South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland, and New York who have demonstrated perseverance and determination as they Learn, Exel, Achieve and Dare yo be great!

North Carolina Girls Living In A Maryland World

LaShona P. Jones, Tami Dabney, Marian Wilkins, Simené Walden, Cynthia d. Martin, and Dr. Sharon H. Porter Six North Carolina Girls share their experience of growing up in North Carolina and relocating to the state of Maryland.

They reflect on their childhood, college experience, and experiences as adults in a new state.

Perfect Time SHP Publishing | www.perfecttimeshppublishing.com

Strengthen culturally diverse Black communities at the nation’s #2-ranked HBCU. Concentrate indirect or macro practice.

Shonda M. Kelly WOMEN WHO LEAD

I Am Not My Hair!

By Sharon H. Porter. Ed. D.

RRH by SK™

To know Shonda Kelly is to love her. Shonda is a native of Fayetteville, North Carolina and is a graduate of Winston Salem State University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree. She is also an alumnus of the University of Maryland Global Campus, earning a Master of Information Technology degree.

Currently, Shonda works for the federal government as a Software Engineer. During administrative leave from her job with the federal government, she birthed River Road Hats as a result of alopecia.

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River Road Hats (RRH) is a homage to Shonda’s family and circle of friends. Each hat is carefully crafted to represent her loved ones as she perceives them in color.

RRH’s goal is to donate a percentage of proceeds to diabetes research and partnering with an organization to inspire young black women to live beyond their hair.

Shonda is committed to representing the family and friends with the utmost respect and to allow their legacy to live forever and of course, to infuse the love of fashion with the culture.

18 Cohost, Dawn M. Bornheimer asked Shonda about her give-back component of River Road Hats. Shonda explained that she has Type 1 Diabetes and her family battles with Diabetes. "Because this is such a hard disease, I feel like I have an opportunity to give back to research and hopefully, one day there will be a cure for it." In addition, Shonda wants to be able to align herself with an alopecia organization or create one herself. There are 21 million women who currently suffer from some form of alopecia. Nearly fifty percent of black women experience some form of hair loss.

Actress Jada Pinkett and U.S. Representative, Ayanna Pressley have both recently gone public with their hair loss challenges.

Shonda's hair began to fall out in 2011. She initially attributed to her having locs and getting her hair retwisted more than she should have. She cut her locs, but her hair continued to fall out. She would wake up to patches of hair missing on her head. It affected her self-esteem. She would come home and feel extremely sad, she would cry and simply felt devasted. One day she just said to herself, "I'm not doing this anymore."

She woke up the next day and cut all of her hair. "I need to be free." Her aunt had told her six years prior to that to "cut it off and be done with it, just live in it."

Shonda wishes she would have listened then because she feels she would have been able to impact many young girls struggling with hair loss.

Congratulations to River Road Hats and Shonda Kelly, a Woman Who Leads!

During a recent interview on the Women Who Lead In Business Interview and Talk Show, cohost, Maisha B. Hoye asked if anyone has become upset because they haven't become a hat yet? Shonda stated, "Absolutely not, because I am going to represent everyone that is connected to me. Every family member, every friend, will have a hat."

River Road Hats was birthed because Shonda's hair began to fall out due to alopecia. For many years she didn't know why and would try to hide the fact that she was losing her hair. She would get weaves and the "puff ups" in the front of her head. She continued by saying this practice became "extremely overburdened and expensive."

She then developed a fetish for hats. She was speaking to one of her friends and he told her that people really associate her with hats. At the same time, they both said, she needed to do a hat business.

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TWELVE ESSENTIALS INSIGHTS FOR BUILDING WEALTH

BY GORDON J. BERNHARDT Guest Contributor

YOUR FINANCE There are certain basic principles of investment and investor psychology that guide our investment and wealth management work with clients of Bernhardt Wealth Management. The following summary includes twelve key factors that we work to instill in our approach to managing clients' investment portfolios. We also try to educate our clients on the importance of these underlying principles as foundational to long-term investing success.

You, the Market, and the Prices You Pay--Understanding group intelligence and its effect on efficient market pricing is a first step toward more consistently buying low and selling high in free capital markets.

Ignoring the Siren Song of Daily Market Pricing--Rather than trying to react to ever-changing conditions and cut-throat competition, invest your life savings according to factors over which you can expect to have some control.

Financial Gurus and Other Fantastic Creatures--Avoid paying costly, speculative "experts" to pinch-hit your market moves for you. The evidence indicates that their ability to persistently beat the market is more likely to be fleeting than fantastic.

The "Full-Meal Deal" of Diversification-- In place of speculative investing, diversification is among your most important allies.

To begin with, spreading your assets around dampers unnecessary risks while potentially improving overall expected returns.

Managing the Market's Risky Business--All risks are not created equal. Unrewarded "concentrated risks" )picking individuals stocks) can and should be avoided by diversifying away from it. "Market-related risks" (holding swaths of the market) are expected to deliver long-term returns. Diversification helps manage the necessary risks involved.

Get Along, Little Market--Diversification can also create a smoother ride through bumpy markets, which helps you stay on track toward your personal goals.

The Business of Investing--At their essence, market returns are compensation for providing the financial capital that feeds the human enterprise going on all around us.

The Essence of Evidence-Based Investing--What separates solid evidence from flakey findings? Evidence-based insights demand scholarly rigor, including an objective outlook, robust peer review, and the ability to reproduce similar analyses under varying conditions.

Factors That Figure in Your Evidence-Based Portfolio--Following where nearly 70 years of robust evidence-based inquiry has taken us so far, three key stock market factors (equity, value, and small-cap) plus a couple more for bonds (term and credit) have formed a backbone for evidence-based portfolio construction.

What Has Evidence-Based Investing Done for Me Lately?--Building on our understanding of which market factors seem to matter the most, we continue to heed unfolding evidence on best investment practices.

The Human Factor in Evidence-Based Investing--The most significant factor for investors may be in the human factor.

Behavioral finance helps us understand that our own, instinctive reactions to market events can overtake any other market challenges we face.

Behavioral Biases--What Makes Your Brain Trick (You)?--Continuing our exploration of behavioral finance, we share a halfdozen deep-seated instincts that can trick you into making significant money-management mistakes. Here, perhaps more than anywhere else, an objective, professional, fiduciary advisor can help you avoid mishaps that your own myopic vision might miss.

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