April 2018 Spring Edition

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Pr o m Dr e s s Do 's & Do n 't s

Ter r ance Dean

THE PASSION BEHIND INNOVATIVE ART

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT FEATURING

DJ CURDY THE BEST SUMMER CAMPS

IN DALLAS

WHAT IT'S LIKE BEING A THEATER KID

STAYI NG TRUE TO YOUR ARTI STRY ENTREPRENEURCORNER: ~MARK ETI NG 1 ON 1~ "B U Y I N G T H E B L O CK B A CK "

Fou n der / CEO/ Pu blish er

Ashley McNeal Ph ot ogr aph er s Patrick Crowe Camera Magic By Devore Ashley Nicole

Wr it er Gelina B Calvin Brown Ashley Nicole A'Kyler Minyon Geek Plus Magazine & Geek Plus Brand Email:geekplusmagazine@gmail.com 4693216170 GEEK PL U S

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CON TEN T Arti st Spotli ght DJ Curdy

Empowered Women, Empoweri ng Women

Arti st Exposed: Poli shed by Ausha

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Publ isher

Wor ds f r om our

Photographer/Radio Personality Ashl ey Nicol e

T h e Fo c u s

of each project

big or small has brought us to this very point. All tasks being different and definitely out of my comfort zone, teaching me that life continues to change, with or without our approval. Every level prepares and molds the most strenuous situation, trust the process. Doubt can neutralize the very thought from improvement, neglecting the influence that we carry daily.

Geek Plus escapes that pattern and fights to encourage each and every individual it touches to continue the undeniable power we all carry. I acknowledge the writers and photographers of this magazine with the effortless spirit of each one with an obligated passion. You can observe the words profound and meek along the pens artistry and continue to preserve the reader's attention time and time again. As we all continue to grow, reflect on the lessons from the past. We will strive to obtain higher levels and offer a contrasting and transparent pleasure for our readers.

Geek Plus serves the community willingly with intent to obtain knowledge that will benefit our future. I applaud the generation that takes the torch of hard times and consistently lights the way of our youth. To whom is given, much is required.

We all need each other. The difference of each strength from each individual will always continue to flourish as we nurture ourselves. A good leader GEEK PL U S

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is built off of the lessons of life and changed behavior of situations. A leader teaches the missed chances, while using resources of his peers, always recognizes the strength and consistent attempt to reach for excellence. I remember the first time I was able to work for myself. I was lost, I did not understand what was happening. Also, I was excited, driven with my own fear. I was not only potentially ready to fail but ready to jump into an open door with opportunity beyond success that I could not control. There was a lot of emotions that I could not explain. Feelings that I had to bury for a time until I learned how to project my art meaningfully. Only then did I learn that expressing myself through art about how I felt was how I would get through my new transition. Accountability has taken me to only a common place. I knew all so well. I have always loved the fact of taking care of my business. Growing and becoming an adult was a condition that we become accustomed too.

Being taught how to think and not what to think has become an everyday ritual and daily meditation. We all have a calling and purpose.

I knew from having my first child that I was called to serve. In that aspect of life, is where I found myself drowning so many years. Trying to find the correct beat and balance to life.

Geek Plus allows me to balance myself and give just enough attention to each project. I never feel forced but always inspired from those close to me. Enjoying each journey with each artist. Different outcomes with learned lessons refresh my soul. Stay encouraged.

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L ights,Camera, A ction Ter r a n c e Dea n The Black A cademy of A r t s and Let t er s h as sh aped h u n dr eds, if n ot th ou san ds, of k ids in becom in g tr u e ar tists. Ter r an ce Dean h as becom e on e of th ose ar tists. En ter in g h is sen ior year at Book er T. W ash in gton H igh Sch ool for Th e Per for m in g an d Visu al Ar ts, h e displ ays con fiden t in n ovation with h is ar tistr y on ever y stage h e gr aces. A TBAAL m em ber sin ce th e age of 8, h e h as been tr ain ed by th e best in DISD, in str u ctor s in DISD, in cl u din g TBAAL fou n der Cu r tis Kin g. H e con tin u es to m ak e h is voice h ear d by h ostin g m an y even ts at TBAAL an d DISD with u n abash ed con fiden ce. If th er e an y dou bts abou t th e dir ection of today?s you th with gu n viol en ce an d r acism con tin u in g in ou r dail y l ives, Ter r an ce is an exam pl e of th ose l ook in g to l ive

beyon d th ose topics. Leadin g ou r you th in a diver se dir ection with l ove an d con fiden ce, Ter r an ce is a gifted or ator with th e passion to spar k ch an ge. TBAAL pr odu ction s of ?Kwan zaa Con cer t?, ?M ar tin Lu th er Kin g Con cer t?, ?Ties an d Tu x?, ?Jazz Festival ?an d th e ?You th Su m m er Pr ogr am ?ar e exam pl es wh er e th ese ch ar acter istics sh in e br igh tl y in Ter r an ce an d DFW you th . W e l ook for war d to witn essin g th e gr owth of Ter r an ce Dean an d th e l egacy of excel l en ce h e is cr aftin g at su ch a you n g age. Th e fu tu r e of Th e Ar ts depen ds on th ose l ik e Ter r an ce wh ose cr eativity an d con fiden ce sh in e a beacon of h ope for ou r you th . Keep sh in in g, Ter r an ce. Keep sh in in g.

W r itten by P. Cr owe

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current bucket list is Cuba, Belize, Egypt and Italy.

Who are some of your hero's?

Need Travel

with luxury accommodation? Book with Iris Royal with Royal VIP Travel. When we here at Geek Plus think about a getaway, we think about freedom from our everyday lives and the tedious task we face daily. To be free from those are a requirement when booking a vacation! We met up with the owner of Royal VIP Travel to get a peak of what it takes for her to provide the best experience possible.

I do not have a particular hero. I just look at the accomplishments and admire from others and emulate what they do. I wanted to be a business owner. I watched other women who became successful business owners and copied what they did into my own business. For every client, I strive to provide better than my last client.

What keeps you innovative?

I wanted to be the best as a Travel Consultant business owner and I wanted to give my customers the very best quality of their travel experience.

I hope to enlighten my clients to be ready to see the world.

What is the secret behind your career?

I am smart and I enjoy exposing people to traveling to new places.

My passion is to travel to other countries and seeing how people live. I enjoy trying new foods and actually talking to the locals and learning about their culture. My

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Ads 4 SALE Would you like to advertise with us in our next issue of Geek PLUS Magazine?

Ar t /Fashion/Lov e/Inspir at ion

Contact US today f or rates and adv erti si ng opportuni ty. geek pl u sm agazin e@ gm ail .com

she feels y oung ladies should be wear ing to

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pr om.

Pr o m Dr e s s Do 's & Do n 't s

One of the most exciting events of the y ear is on its w ay . Pr om. Ever y y ear thousands of gir ls have the har dest time finding a pr om dr ess. Why ?? Society has painted such a pictur e w ith standar ds that may seem unr eal. We spoke w ith Entr epr eneur mom, Gelina B. of Tr uly G, about w hat

"I love when a young ladies dress reflects her personality. There is a certain way a girl lights up when she is in a dress that fits her body, style, and personality. I feel like there is too much emphasis on the dress and not the young lady wearing it. There are some AMAZINGdresses that I have seen.

Ultimately, we are in an era of "doing it for the gram" I just wish more girls would just "do it for themselves"

There are also some highly inappropriate dresses and I feel the schools should interject with dress codes. I think that the standard will continue to change with the times.

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Wr it t en by Ash ley Nicole & Gelin a B

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Fro L ife

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Dallas Ar t is t t o W a t c h

Donnell Isaac, a singer, songwriter, father and husband.

Born in Portsmouth, Virginia and was a church boy. With his beautiful voice he had been going up in the music business.

He started at the age of sixteen.

Singing in the church choir and in different groups in his community. He grew up in a Pentecostal church were he expressed his voice. As he sung you could tell he had a great passion for music. Going more into his career he got married and had 5 beautiful children.

They're youngest is 3 and oldest is 22. He makes his career but he always remembers his kids come first.His wife is his manager and

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his business partner. They started working together in 2000 when his wife went back to school to get her Masters degree in music business.

His talent got him noticed by Kingdom Records in 2010. His stage name was Donnie C. His first major hit was "Shelter from the storm" which dominated the charts for more than 16 weeks.

After that his did a remake of "I won't complain" from Rev Paul Jones. Donnell has a very unique sound. That's what sets him apart from other artists. He brings authenticity and there is a clear soulful message in his music. He loves very rich cultural artists/music. Like Missy Elliot, Wanda Sykes or Ruth Brown. As the future comes Donnell's goal is to collaborate with Angie Stone and Anthony Hamilton. When trying to be an artist Donnell wants you to know to educate yourself and learn your business. Apply the knowledge and stay HUMBLE. You don't have to start out big be independent first. Be patient and work hard for what you want. And tune out negativity. @geekplusmagazine

Ar t icle: Websit e

Polished by Ausha isa nail polish brand created in 2017 by two friends that bonded over women empowerment. Together we created a toxin free and vegan friendly line called Polished by Ausha. With our namescombined the brand Ausha was developed, which means "to wish". The name influenced the mission of our brand: Our wish isthat every woman ispolished with confidence, when wearing Polished by Ausha.

Polished by Ausha offersan array of chemical free colors. Whether you are a chic stay at home mom or a classy CEO we have a color to match your style.

From vibrant pinks to neutral tans, you?re sure to find the shade or collection that showcases your personality. Each polish is10- Free ensuring each bottle isfree of TPHP, Lead, Camphor, Parabens, Xylene, Formaldehyde, Foremaldehye Resin, Toulene, Dibutyl phthalate, and Ethyl tosylamide. Our polishes are high quality, long lasting, and pigmented. We want our polish to make a statement for every woman who wears it.

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W

h

e r e

in

l a D

l

? s a they do there.

One of the most influential landmarks in Dallas is still not known, in Dallas. Being in the heart of Dallas may still be too centered to find. Tbaal better known as The Black Academy of Arts and letters, was founded in 1977 by founder Curtis King. Inspiring young artist to enhance and obtain the cultural history to create effective representations of theater arts. Many people that are from Dallas, still to this day, ask what is it and what do GEEK PL U S

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According to the website: The Black Academy of Arts and Letters, Inc., is a multi-discipline arts institution whose mission is to create and enhance an awareness and understanding of artistic, cultural and aesthetic differences utilizing the framework of African, African American and Caribbean Arts and Letters.

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Additionally, it's purpose is to promote, cultivate, foster, preserve and perpetuate the African, African American and Caribbean Arts and letters in the Fine, Literary, Visual, Performing and Cinematic Arts.

Going into the 42nd season, the academy has successfully achieved its 2nd annual Jazz festival. 34 seasons of Annual Summer Program. 24 Annual Christmas concerts and 35 Cival rights movement concerts, which won the academy its first Emmy in 2018.

academy" said, 2nd time make

up winner from the summer program., A'Kyler McNeal.

Dallas is the birthplace of Tbaal and Grammy Award-Winning Erykah Badu.

Badu has been the face of The Riverfront Jazz Festival.

Going into its 3rd year of remarkable jazz and blues artist, Dallas looks forward to the extrodinary event. Now if you get some extra time, go by the black academy and explore the

" Tbaal isa wonderful place to be, because it has alot of art. If you are looking into the black arts, you should definatly go check out the black GEEK PL U S

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r A S

P

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t s ti

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G I L

T H

Nobody w ill ever get th e party started like th e D.J. W h en you th in k of th e h ottest DJ's in th e city of Dallas, DJ Curdy sh ould defin itely com e to m in d. DJ Curdy's style h as edge an d flavor from start to fin ish in every w ay possible.

Ch eck h im out on Tuesday's from 4pm to 6pm on Th e Afterparty Radio!

SUMMER CAMPS

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ENTREPRENEURCORNER: ~MARK ETI NG 1 ON 1~

"B U Y I N G T H E B L O CK B A CK " Dallas

has become one of the

fastest developing areas in Texas for small business ownership. In 2017 Texas ranked number 2 in Forbes as the "Best States for Business List" But how many are blacked owned? Can you name 5 black owned business in your local neighborhood? Although the growth is clear and shows in number the registration of a black owned "name"How many black owned businesses can you step foot in? Black owned and operated. We sat down with Dallas's own Calvin Brown CEO of GME (Get Moe Entertainment) to discuss what we need to do in order to have more black owned establishments.

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"The sad part is most of us do not support our community until we are gone and that is not a bad thing...most people have to experience something better to appreciate what they had... I feel like we should target the local business owners to start a great foundation of networking...our communities are so divided...if all business owners helped each other grow...we would be so far ahead...other cultures do it...why do you think once one establish a profit in our communities they all fall in line.

We should start with us...any success we get should give some game back to our communities. We only do what we know...as an entrepreneur i know exchanging knowledge is essential to growing a business COMMUNITY. We need to own our own communities...take charge and do it respectfully. " ~ Calvin B. CEO of GME

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The Anthony Lawrence brand was started by De'fron Fobb in 2006, with the name of his late father, Anthony Lawrence. It has evolved to be a classy, urban graphic-tee shirt company.

De'fron's creativity has proved to be classic, timeless and have unique quality in all his pieces.

When he first started he wanted to create all around universe attire. Seeing his work evolve over the years has proved do so.

He started his business with a life long dream to be accomplished. He also had an amazing sense of style to be added to the fashion industry.

HBCU colleges are a source of accomplishment for the African American community. The Anthony Lawrence leans towards HBCU colleges when making their tees. They make many unique graphic-tee shirts for them.

The Anthony Lawrence Company sets apart from many GEEK PL U S

other tee shirt companies. They focus on uniqueness and doing their shirts differently. Their company is a movement not fashion. They have more of an urban sensibility when creating their tees.

With his skilled etiquette, De'fron shows us that anything is possible. He has conquered his dreams with every coming day. He has not given up and has grown to the top. He lets us know to stay true to ourselves and don't let a day go by that you don't win.

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Po w e r

Up!

Empowered Woman Empowering Women

October 2018 w e w i l l l aunch our Pow er up seri es!

Empow eri ng w omen i n entrepreneursh i p h as become a demand i n our cul tural . Women i n busi ness h as ex ceeded ov er th e years, push i ng th rough th e barri ers of our soci ety and cov ers a di v ersi ty of cul ture!

Encourage a w oman today!

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Ads 4 SALE Would you like to advertise with us in our next issue of Geek PLUS Magazine?

Ar t /Fashion/Lov e/Inspir at ion

Contact US today f or rates and adv erti si ng opportuni ty. geek pl u sm agazin e@ gm ail .com

Kr yst al D Br ow n Agent 240 N Hampton Road Desoto, TX 75115-4914 Bus 972 274 CARE (2273) krystal.brown.wpgt@statefarm.com www.krystalbrown.net Let us care for you and your family.

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