20 minute read
Author Spotlight-Allenia Renee
Author’ s Spotlight
ALLENIA RENEE
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Please introduce and tell the readers a little about yourself. I am a Christian wife, mother & bonus mother of three young adult children. Along the way I happen to become an author, speaker, life coach, and podcast host. I have truly found my passion and purpose over the last 3 years that focuses on impacting women to shift their thinking to transform areas in their life that mean most to them. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work & Psychology, a Master’s in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resource Management, and I am a Certified Master Life Coach in the areas of life purpose, happiness, personal and professional goal setting; and mindset transformation. Oh, and lastly, I enjoy roller skating, Almond Snickers, the color red, sunflowers, and breakfast for dinner just so that people know that I am human.
What inspired you to start writing and become an Author? After 17 years as a Human Resources Professional working for fortune 500 companies coaching employees in different stages of their career. I started feeling STUCK and needed a place to get unSTUCK, so I started Allenia Renee.com as a Part-Time Women’s Empowerment Blog. This blog kept me sane while I was healing during my hysterectomy. There were always funny insightful stories that I would share with my sister-girls over chocolate chip cookies and wine, but when you’re going through something personally and need to just work through it, writing became my outlet. See, my sister-girl who I call Middle Sister had always told me to just write for years. Actually, after each daily conversation we would have she would say, “ Have you started writing yet.” Of, course my response would be No. Until, I was forced to slow down, or you could just say stopped and left completely with my thoughts and feelings. So you could say my first book was inspired by my colorful candid conversations, appreciation for my sister-girls who listened, laughed, and cried with me. I dare not forget my husband who provides a peaceful calm to my level ten personality, and God for slowing me down (there were so many wins that came from having a hysterectomy.
Tell the readers about your book, “A Conversation With Your Big Sister: The Slow No Strategy”? This book isn’t just a self-help book but is also a personal development resource. A resource to change patterns of behavior. We all have that thing that we struggle with, yet saying no seems to be a universal struggle for women. Our consistency to set realistic boundaries in our lives impact so many things. It seems that without these boundaries being unbalanced, frustrated, angry, disorganized, procrastinating more often, experiencing low productivity, and having no peace, joy or happiness will have a front row seat to our hurt. Yet, we still continue to allow what others think and feel to overshadow our own personal feelings. A Conversation with Your Big Sister: The SLOW No Strategy is a funny reminder that acknowledging that you may uncomfortable about saying which may bring on feelings of guilty is important to know. And using a simple frame work will have you gain confidence quickly. The SLOW No Strategy will help to align you to do the best for you instead of others consistently.
Where can our readers purchase your book? A Conversation with Your Big Sister: The SLOW No Strategy can be purchased from my website at https://bit.ly/3cs6y72
You are the Founder & CEO at Allenia Renee, tell us about your company and what services you offer clients? The Joy Nook NetWORK, LLC was created to be a hub of resources for women who are looking to discover how to get unstuck personally and professionally. We currently employ 4 employees and have 4 divisions which are Allenia Renee.com, SHIfT to Better Learning System, JNN Productions, and the Joy Nook Book Club Podcast. We are passionate about supporting women in developing sustainable habits that inspire mindful transform so they can diminish the feeling of frustration, defeat, and overwhelm in their life to achieve their personal or professional goals. We have created virtual resources for women to stay aligned with their core values through our private Facebook Group The Joy Nook CLUB, YouTube channel Allenia Renee, private coaching programs, group coaching sessions and courses in our signature SHIfT to Better Learning System, The Joy Nook Book Club Podcast, and through books like A Conversation with Your Big Sister: The SLOW NO Strategy.
As a Master Life Coach who assist in getting clients Unstuck professionally and personally. How would you help someone who is experiencing a difficult time
advancing in their business, career, or life in general? My motto is that when people are stuck, they need to align or re-align themselves with their WHY. This WHY is asking and knowing the vision you have for your life or career. “What is the vision you have for your life?” see this important question helps an individual see four deeper questions: 1. Is this vision yours or what others have told you should be the vision for your life? 2. Are realistic and honest expectations driving you? 3. Do you have the knowledge, skills, experience, time, behaviors to keep you moving forward and if you don’t how can you get them? 4. Who are you connected with that can hold you accountable, give you honest feedback, cheer you on when you get discouraged, or inform you as to what is needed to get you where you want to go? This simple question of what is the vision you have for your life requires you to doing more than just write a list, but it forces you to stop and acknowledge something is going on, listen to your thoughts, observe how you’re feeling when you have those thoughts, and then wait intentionally to know when to respond or just start doing.
If someone is interested in learning more about your services, where can they view information about your company? They can go directly to https://alleniarenee.com to schedule a conversation with me.
Give us some words to educate, inspire, and encourage women and all of our readers of Growth Women’s Business Networks
Magazine. Ladies understanding and knowing what you want to be known for will help you stay aligned to your core values because you will speak and behave in a manner that meets that expectation. So if you want to be impactful say and do impactful things. If you want to be known as an innovator, say and do innovative things. If you want to be known as a resource, say and provide resources. I think you get my point. When you don’t you will keep getting stuck in the emotional and circumstantial obligations of others even when you know that isn’t beneficial for your life or business. It’s okay to say no to others to ensure you stay aligned and set boundaries so that you can consistently be the CEO of your life or business and profit from your joy.
WEBSITE: www.alleniarenee.com | EMAIL: info@alleniarenee.com | YOUTUBE: Allenia Renee FB Group: The Joy Nook Club | INSTAGRAM: @allenia_renee Book Purchase: https://bit.ly/3cs6y72
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love Rolanda T Pyle the Lord, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” ~ Romans 8:28 (NKJV) Contributing Writer This scripture has significant value to me because I learned through my life that even when we can’t see it, even when we can’t feel it, God is working it out. I’ve learned to put things I can’t understand into my “all things” basket. When I was a little girl, I was raised by my father and his mother. My paternal grandmother stepped in to help my father with his three children. She was the nurturer while my father was the provider and disciplinarian.
I remember crying many days, wondering why I couldn’t have a mother in the home like all of my friends. I remember many times being embarrassed when my grandmother walked me to public school and my classmates asked, “Where is your mother? Why does your grandmother bring you to school?” It wasn’t until years after my grandmother passed that I really appreciated her sacrifice. I am grateful to her and to my father for all they did for me as a child. Growing up, I somehow thought being cared for by my grandmother was one of the worst things that could have happened. It was not natural. It was not the way it was supposed to be. Little did I know that many years down the road, what I thought was the worst thing in my life would turn out to be the best thing in my life.
After graduating from high school, I went on to college, knowing that the profession I wanted was to help people. My career took me down many paths from working in foster care to preventive services where I would help families at risk of losing their children to the system. I assumed the responsibility of recruiting and training seniors to become role models for at-risk families. I loved this job because I got to work with both seniors and children. Years later, one of my friends who knew of my work with seniors, offered me a job at his place of employment -- an agency that had just received funds to start a program for grandparents raising their grandchildren. The program grew, and eventually I was asked by the city to come and head their Grandparent Resource Center at the Department for the Aging. So I helped grandparent caregivers across the city. This program has grown to become a national model. I have won many awards and been asked to speak across the country at conferences. In 1994, the New York Daily News named me, “One of the Hundred Women’ who make NYC work.” Years later, I went to work for the Brookdale Foundation’s RAPP (Relatives as Parents Program), where we offered grants, guidance and technical assistance to programs across the country to assist relative caregivers. I went full circle from helping grandparent and other caregivers locally to the city level to the national level. How did I know about grandparents raising their grandchildren? Where did I get this passion to help and assist these families? How do I know what they feel and what they need? Why has this become my mission in life? I lived it.
Years ago, when I thought it was the worst thing in my life, I did not know that the Lord was working it “all things” out for my good. I had no clue that there was a plan being worked out for my life. I never dreamed that I would stand before Commissioners, Mayors and prominent folks to let them know the needs and services of grandparents. I never thought that I would be interviewed on radio or television, or have newspaper articles written about me. It was not a desire of my heart nor was it anything I imagined. What I thought was the worst thing, turned out to be a good thing because, “all things work together for good to those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.” And that my friends, is a blessing.
And that is why I have learned to put everything in the “all things” basket. ~ Rolanda Pyle ©
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rorosrainbow/ Twitter: @RolandaPyle LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rolanda-pyle-b91ba314 Website: http://www.rorosrainbowcommunications.com/
Dr. Christie Black-Murrell
Dr. Christie Black-Murrell was born and raised in Columbus, GA just 100 miles south of the big city of Atlanta, GA. All her life she has used writing as an avenue to express her feelings and creative imagination. She has several publications beginning in 2009 with Random Thoughts of Perplexed, Relaxed Soul (a collection of poetry). “Soul Cries”(audio book of poetry), 2014 “Show Me Love” (collection of Poetry), and then in (2020) her very first interactive Children's book, “Do You Know...powerful praise from parents to child” was birthed. This publication led to her pairing it with a “Coloring Book of Positivity” and “35-day journal of positivity”. Following all the craziness of 2020 and being such an avid believer in journaling Dr Murrell released a journal entitled, “2020 the year that blew up my life”. Most recently, Dr. Murrell released a Children’s short story focused on a poignant issue in our country, diversity and inclusion titled, “True Friendship is Sweet.”
Dr. Christie Black-Murrell is a devoted wife and enthusiastic mom of two adventurous little girls. Dr. Murrell has worked as a counselor in a variety of settings for the last 18 years but most recently as a School Counselor. She is a big kid who loves to read stories aloud and make characters come to life with puppets and animated voices. She desires daily to show children that there is still good in the world and that they can be the “good” in the world. Christie loves the written and spoken word which she uses as an avenue to "Speak Life and Promote Love" to all that she engages. This is shown in her writing, her speaking engagements, spoken word, and her counseling. She believes that writing and speaking life is a part of her purpose and gives her all in everything that she writes. Lastly, you can most often find Dr. Murrell spending time with her family, worshipping God, writing, or reading a good book.
www.cblackexpressions.com
www.facebook.com/christieblackmurrell
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Financial Literacy
Get More Accuracy in Your Tax Forecasts
With ever-changing tax laws, forecasting your tax obligation is now extremely difficult to do. To make matters worse, this uncertainty can create the need to write a large payment to the IRS and pay penalties to boot! Here are some suggestions to help you manage this for you and your family.
The basics of forecasting: The objectives of an accurate tax forecast are to avoid IRS penalties and eliminate surprises. No penalties, please! To avoid IRS underpayment penalties, your estimated tax payments must be large enough to satisfy these thresholds:
1.) 90% of your current year tax liability, or 2.) 100% of your prior year tax liability (110% if your adjusted gross income is more than $150,000). So if you want to avoid any penalties you must calculate and pay estimated taxes throughout the year to satisfy the IRS.
Avoiding a tax surprise. Most taxpayers want as much clarity as possible about next year’s potential tax bill way before April 15th arrives. Very few of us have a pile of cash sitting around to pay to Uncle Sam on tax day. So a tax surprise can quickly turn into a nightmare if you do not have the funds available to pay the tax. The only way to avoid the surprise is to know about it as early in the year as possible.
Better tax forecasting Here are some suggestions for making your tax forecasts as accurate as possible. Make tax planning a year-round endeavor. Your initial tax forecast will naturally flow from your recently-filed tax return. But the best forecasting method reviews your situation at least once per quarter, about two weeks before quarterly estimated tax payments are due. So mark your calendar for April, June, September and January following the end of the year. If you make tax planning a year-round endeavor, you can continuously recalculate your tax liability to account for the increases and decreases in estimated income and expenses.
Use a rolling average for pass through entities. If you’re a limited partner in a partnership or a shareholder of an S corporation, consider using a 3- or 5-year rolling average of previous dollar amounts reported on past Form K-1 tax forms. This approach won’t always yield an accurate number, but using a rolling average can help eliminate some of the year-to-year volatility.
Keep great books. Don’t wait until December to balance your books. This holds true for both individuals and small businesses. Create periodic income statements and project what the full year will look like. Then look at your projected cash balance. Remember, you will need to accumulate enough cash to make required estimated tax payments or face the consequences of late payment penalties.
Get help! Preparing an accurate tax forecast can sometimes be very time consuming and complex. Please call if you have questions about preparing your own accurate tax forecast.
Our Drive Thru is Now Open 803-419-1001
Address: 7171 Two Notch Road Columbia, SC 29223 Phone: (803) 419-1001 www.javistax.com | 1040@javstax.com
GOOD RE ADS
Before I became a published author I was a reader. A real-life breathing, take my time and fully enjoy the book that I was investing time in reader. I spent my free time in bookstores. I would spend hours in the African-American Literature section of any well visited bookstore. Borders Books was my favorite place to take such excursions. You could find me sitting in a big, cozy, faux leather chair reading in plain sight for hours upon hours. When you love the smell and feel of a new book purchased in your hands, you’re a serious reader. Nothing makes me happier than a brand-new book. One of the blessings of quarantine was all the time I could spend getting lost in books. I did that. I read Classic African-American Literature, Memoirs, Self-Help, Fantasy, Poetry, Mystery and many other genres. I don’t buy into the seasonal reader jargon. No, I’m a reader, reader. I don’t require a season to motivate me to do what my soul craves. Summer or Winter are not my preferred months of reading. Every single waking day lived in between those months I’m reading. We’re coming out of quarantine restrictions are being lifted, and states are opening up businesses. Summer is on the horizon and we will all be able to get back to doing the things that are so very familiar to us. I must introduce you to my all-time favorite Quarantine Reads before we return to rushing through life. These reads should all be added to your personal libraries. These books more than left their impact on your heart, they spoke to your soul. 1. C. Miller: Phantasmagoria Poetic Translations, It’s Worth Work, The Husband, The Wife & Their God, 2. Juntu Ahjee: Ebonology I, Ebonology II, Papa’s Boys, The Legend of Sister Hattie Harris 3. Sharika K. Forde: I Dream in Color 4. LaMia Michelle Pierce: She Writes from The Heart 5. Melanie Johnson: Womanly Wisdom 6. Lisa Tomey: Heart Beats Anthology of Poetry 7. Vee Nelly Visions of Prosetry 8. Winnifred TaTaw: The God’s Scion Book 3 from the Lone Star Child Fantasy Series. We’re coming out of the bondage of Quarantine for some. Admittedly I take a sigh with the return of normal living. With normalcy we don’t make time to watch our favorite movies, read our favorite books. We don’t listen to our favorite music. When we’re released from Quarantine don’t return to the hustle and bustle of forgetting to actually deeply inhale the fragrance of the roses. The blessing of Quarantine was we actually had time to slow down and just breathe. We savored the fragrance of the roses.
Photo provided by Abdulmajid Sanusi
Contributing Writer-Chyrel J. Jackson
Dr. Kimberly Sierra Dr. Kimberly Sierra
Reverend Dr. Kimberly Sierra was born in Englewood, New Jersey and she was raised in St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands. Dr. Sierra’s life experiences as an educator and a minister have birthed in her a spiritual commitment to the call and plan of God on her life. She is committed to helping those who seek answers that will help them find meaning and hope in their daily life’s challenges.
Reverend Dr. Kimberly Sierra received her Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Florida A & M University in 1990. She returned to the Virgin Islands where she became an Elementary teacher. It is her belief that every child is capable of learning. It is the responsibility of every teacher to meet every child’s needs through different avenues of learning.
In 2008, Rev. Dr. Kimberly Sierra was nominated as the United States Virgin Islands State Teacher of the Year. She represented the Virgin Islands throughout the United States. She even traveled to the White House where she met former President George W. Bush. During her travels, she was able to share her passion and love for teaching with other educators. In this same year, she became ordained and served Word of Faith International Christian Center St. Thomas.
In December 2019, Rev. Dr. Kimberly Sierra received her Doctorate in Education. This achievement was a life -time goal for her because growing up she struggled in school. It was two educators, the late Mrs. Louise Brady and late Mr. Jose Corrillo, who believed in her and taught her how to believe and motivate herself.
Rev. Dr. Sierra considers her faith and family to be most important to her. If she isn’t spending time with her family and students, you can almost always find her volunteering in her community. “The Still Small Voice That Follows Me” is Rev. Dr. Kimberly Sierra’s first Christian children’s book of many to come.
“The Still Small Voice That Follows Me” is a Christian children book about a little boy by the name of Justin. Justin faces many challenges at school, often times feeling bullied and singled out. Justin is only able to overcome these issues with the help of the still, small voice he thinks he is imagining. He soon learns that the calm; reassuring voice is Jesus, letting him know that everything will be just fine. This book reinforces spiritual validation, addresses adolescent social issues, fosters parental relationships, it is relevant for all ages, and it stimulates pertinent conversations.
Website: www.newlife-beginnings.com Facebook: Kimberly Sierra Instagram: www.instagram.com/authorkimberlysierra
This book can be found on Amazon and Barnes & Nobles. It can also be found in local bookstores in Florida. ●Bartow Christian Books & Gifts ●Kathryn’s Christian Books – Gifts Coffee Ice Cream and More ●FIT Books
Broken Vessels Podcast is an intimate and transparent space for men and women of God to share their testimonies of hope, redemption, and restoration. We provide a platform for men and women of God to share their writing abilities and testimonies of faith that exalt, edify, and motivate other believers of the faith. Broken Vessels was released on July 23, 2020, there have been countless testimonies from readers. Many have expressed how each poem changed their perspective and brought hope in the midst of dead situations. Latoya was encouraged by the feedback from each reader and was led to create Broken Vessels blog and video podcast. She hopes to provide a platform for other believers to share their testimony of hope, redemption and restoration!
www.brokenvesselspodcast.com www.rhemacreationz.com
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