CNY Woman Online's Jan/Feb 2021 Edition

SHE HUSTLES TALKS

WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

Featuring: - LA SHAUN “LS” JONES - VAN DYKE NORRIS CLEANING

Enjoy

- MIRACLES LABELLA BOUTIQUE

FASHION FORWARD WITH GYPSY FREEDOM

-FACE FORWARD

VOICES FOR IMPACT

- E’TIANA LARKIN

- THE PACE OF GRACE - DIVINE WHIFFS - AND MORE!

SYRACUSE DAV VTN MY NEXT BEST DAY WITH DR SHANELLE BENSON REID

Daniel Baldwin WHY NOT?

COVER STORY 18

DANIEL BALDWIN: WHY NOT?

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REGULARS 38

WOMEN WHO INSPIRE Racqui B.

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LOCAL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT Aqua Spa Float Center

REGULARS 194

COACHING WITH KRISTIN B

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TAMMY’S TIDBITS

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HEIDI’S LAW

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MOVING BEYOND OUR YOUNGER YEARS

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ALL ACCESS

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UNSTOPPABLE WOMAN

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DISHING WITH THE DIVA Scalp Micropigmentation

SPECIAL FEATURES

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I AM...

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MY NEXT BEST DAY

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TRUTH TEA WITH TALENA SKYE

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TRACY IS TALKING

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IN HER OWN WORDS

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ANIMAL CARE SANCTUARY CORNER

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TRAVEL WITH AGNESS

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SHE HUSTLES TALKS LS Jones & Co. Van Dyke Norris E’Tiana Larkin Miracles LaBella Boutique Christine Grandin Syracuse Meta Wellness Face Forward Bougee Boos Luxury The Pace of Grace

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SUSAN B. ANTHONY

FASHION & BEAUTY 52

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FASHION FORWARD Gypsy FreedoM

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TEEN TALK

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AFTERNOON COCKTAIL

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VOICES FOR IMPACT

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SEXUALLY SPEAKING

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B. MOR

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WELL TRAIL

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THE KEFI WAY

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MENTALLY THINKING

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SAVON SPEAKS

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SCALP NY

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TRAVEL WITH AGNESS

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NEW YEAR NEW YOUR

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WARRIOR WELLNESS

FOR A GOOD CAUSE Syracuse DAV

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ZESTFUL AGING

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BUSINESS TALK

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DR J’S BEAUTY

270

THE LITTLE BLACK BUDDHA

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WELLNESS 360

288

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HIP HEMP

YOU MATTER

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

298 LADIOLOGY

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{ FROM THE PUBLISHER }

“The only time your should ever look back is to see how far you have come.”

F

or our very first edition featuring a man on the cover of our woman’s magazine, we truly couldn’t have asked for anyone better then actor, dorector, producer, single father, and one of the “infamous” bad boy Baldwin brothers...please welcome Daniel Baldwin to the Central NY Woman Online team!

When I asked Daniel about what he thought about being on the cover of a woman’s magazine he said, “Why not? We are all half our mother and half our father.” I am sure you will enjoy his cover story just as much as I enjoyed interviewing him and writing it. He is amazing, and has so much coming so stay tuned, and read all about him and the things you may not know about him, starting on page [18].

Plus, we have some great new women entrepreneurs to highlight this month that are truly hustlin in 2021 including our She Hustles Talks cover woman, the fabulous La Shaun “LS” Jones. You don’t want to miss her incredible come up starting on page [89]. Then be sure to keep reading, because there are 8 other amazing ladies and their inspiring stories you don’t want to miss.

T T

ON OUR COVER

On the cover of our New Year New You January/February edition of Central NY Woman Online, we have our first ever man...Why not have Daniel Baldwin on the cover of a woman’s magazine? We shot on location at the Craftsman Inn & Suites in Fayetteville with photographer Brody Wheeler. A special thank you to coordinator LS Jones & Co, stylist Chloe Schnell and makeup artist Christy Monti.

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CENTRAL NY WOMAN ONLINE : JANUARY/FEBRUARY EDITION 2021

It’s a new year thank god), and I know for many of us who own our own businesses, we are really excited about the new opportunities 2021 will bring. Especially since 2020 was well lets just say, a s&^% show. So, lets all try and work together, build our community of strong and amazing women, and push each other this year.

Do you have an amazing story to tell? Do you own your own business or know someone that does? Well we want you to join the areas premiere women’s online magazine. Feel free to contact me at networkrocqueen@gmail.com and let us help you reach our amazing audience! And, stay tuned because the best is yet to come!

{ A LOOK AT OUR TEAM }

PUBLISHER TALENT & PROMOTIONS CREATIVE DIRECTOR/GRAPHIC DESIGN PHOTOGRAPHY

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Kelly Breuer LS Jones Kelly Breuer Brody Wheeler - LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER KL Storyography Michal Lepore S.Marie Photography Kameron Ashford Chris Johnson Shanelle Benson Reid Kelli LaPage Dr. Pam Denton Angela Duncan Tammy Vreeland Tracy Simone Randy Agness Bonnie Floyd Savon Holt Edward Rogers Beth Parry Rumella Cameron Jarrod Schoomaker Ellen Feldman Gabby Koenig Nicole Christina Bre Morris Kelli LaPage Lisa Wagner Judi Swanson Heidi LaDuca Ahlia Kitwana Dr Pebble Kranz

ADVERTISING SALES

Kelly Breuer

SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR

Toni Natalie

WEB DESIGN & MANAGEMENT

Winchester Hopkins Ltarri Meeks LS Jones Amanda Ashley Cindy Scribani Talena Skye Gabrielle Marie Katina Karl Stephanie Foresster Christine Grandin E’Tiana Larkin Letitia Torres Caeresa Richardson Heidi LaDuca Ahlia Kitwana

Network Rochester

Rochester Woman ONLINE is the premier professional woman’s online publication in the greater Rochester area. Our feature articles address major topics that interest local women. Each issue includes articles on health, fashion, fitness, finance, dining, lifestyle and personal perspectives, as well as a spotlight on local area women. The electronic magazines are distributed freely through your favorite app store and will be in your inbox electronically by the first week of every month. The publication is available free of charge. Please feel free to contact publisher Kelly Breuer at 585.727.9120 or you can email us at networkrocqueen@gmail.com. Download our current media kit at www. rochesterwomanonline.com.

The magazine is published 12 times a year by Rochester Woman ONLINE. Copyright © 2017 Rochester Woman ONLINE. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or republished without the consent of the publisher. Rochester Woman ONLINE is not responsible for unsolicited submissions, manuscripts, photos or artwork. All such submissions become the property of Rochester Woman ONLINE and will not be returned.

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YOU AREBALDWIN ENOUGH. DANIEL

BY NICOLE HEROUX WILLIAMS I PHOTOS

BY NSP STUDIO

BY KELLY BREUER I PHOTOS

BY BRODY WHEELER

“WE ARE ALL HALF OUR MOM AND HALF OUR DAD.” This is what actor, director, producer, single father and well as you may know, one of the famous “Baldwin Brothers”, Daniel Baldwin said when I asked him why he agreed to being on the cover of Central NY Woman Online magazine’s latest edition as the first ever man on the cover. He also said he was excited. He likes things that are not stereotypical and not the standard.

As we were up in the suite getting ready, he called his brother Billy on facetime and we were all chuckling as he asked, “Why did they pick you for the cover of a woman’s magazine?” His reply was. “Well someone has gotto do it.” as he laughs. Daniel also said, “Why not have a woman on the cover of a men’s magazine?” He’s done a lot of work, along with his brothers and sisters for breast cancer in his mother’s name with the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund.

At 91 years young, his mom is still a very strong precense and role model, (frankly a saint) especially raising the Baldwin brothers. He said, “Yup mom is a tigress.” In the late 80’s she developed breast cancer, had a double mastectomy 18

and announced 2 years later that she was starting a breast cancer research organization and she was going to use her son’s celebrity status to help her find a cure. Daniel says, “She was a maverick.

Right up there with Susan Koman.”

As we got to spend the day together during his photoshoot at the Craftsman Inn & Suites in Fayetteville, I got to talk to Daniel more in depth about so

many different things. We discussed what it was like growing up with such an amazing and strong mother and how he is raising his two young daughters with the values he was raised with. His daughters joined us for the shoot and watching them interact, and the love and respect they have for their father was truly heartwarming. Especially in this day and age. But, one of the greatest things I took away from our interview was how much he is all about family.

CENTRAL NY WOMAN ONLINE : JANUARY/FEBRUARY EDITION 2021

Some condier him the bad boy of the Baldwin bunch. Getting to know him now, I think he is just a big teddy bear at heart.

He hit a big milestone this year turning 60, and decided that it was time for some changes. Eating better, excersizing and losing 60lbs in 6 months is helping him to live his best life.

There is so much more to tell about Daniel Baldwin.

Where do we start?

Well, how about a little question and answer with Central NY Woman Online.

What was it like growing up with such a big family in CNY? Growing up on Long Island and then in Syracuse was really the best of both worlds. The island was so close to NYC that I was influenced by its global media forces. At the same time I would be in Syracuse seeing family under the protective cover of high family values and morals that nurtured and shaped us as children.

Some fun facts...Daniel’s parents met while attending Syracuse University. Carol Baldwins father was a football coach at SU back in the day and played for the original 1923 Buffalo Bills.. Daniel was telling us how the Baldwin’s have

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“Love. Love is the most important thing to teach them. It doesn’t matter what they do, the fact that they know that I unequivocally love them and that there is nothing that they can’t say to me.”

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COVER STORY } } { {SHIFT+CONTROL “Wow, where do I begin? Can I lay down to answer this one?

Did you say the “Whole magazine was about me? LOL”

the longest legacy at SU with the most graduates in the history of the school. He said it is over 70 family members. But none, of the kids went there. Daniel was a graduate of Ball State University with a degree in Psychology. He says being an actor and majoring in [psychology has helped him create the different personas he has to portray in his films.

What do you think your biggest strength is and why?

I think my biggest strength is my passion.

When I’m passionate about something

or someone I am an all or nothing , “All in” type of person. I am loyal to them, I live it and breath it.

had no uncles or GOD parents who were in the business. So 4 knuckleheads making a living at this was quite rare.

What has been the the best and worst thing about growing up as a “Baldwin Brother”?

Wow, where do I begin? Can I lay down to answer this one? Did you say the “Whole magazine was about me”? LOL Ok, seriously, being one of four who have had some success in the acting world has been fun. Please remember that our father was a school teacher. We

I think the hardest part is that we are always lumped into the same bin. When one of us got in trouble we all were judged, and trust me I was many times the source of the attention.

The good thing has been how much of a positive influence we have been able to be for charity. Particularly, the Carol M Baldwin breast cancer research fund

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“I promised PJ that if he got clean for 2 years I would take him to run with the bulls in Pamplona Spain. He got his two 2 years, in fact he got 3. Sadly PJ relapsed and overdosed before I could take him to run.”

The four of us brothers, as well as my two sisters have raised a lot of money and helped many people. I’m proud of that.

What is the best and worst thing about being considered a celebrity, and how has that affected your children?

I think the hardest things about the fame game is managing expectations.

So many people need help, want you, your time, or name, appearances, money, etc. You want to help as many as possible. All of these causes are just and worthy, but I have children and a life of my own so choosing who and when has been quite hard at times. That’s what’s nice about having 4 of us though.

As Daniel was doing his photoshoot, I decided to ask him some questions about his documentary, “My Promise To PJ”.

Who exactly was PJ? What was his promise? He began by telling us about how PJ’s dad was the first guy to kiss his sister when living in Massapequa, Long Island. Everyone started joking about how the PJ’s got around and we were all laughing before getting to see clips from the documentary, which by the way were not at all what I expected.

You can watch it at https://www.imdb. com/title/tt13502594/ 24

Tell us about “your Promise To PJ” and how it got started. What did it mean to you to be able to fullfil this promise?

My documentary “My Promise to PJ” was exactly that. It started as a promise that I made to a young man who’s parents I knew since I was 5 years old. I was helping him get sober off of a terrible

heroin addiction and I promised PJ that if he got clean for 2 years I would take him to run with the bulls in Pamplona Spain. He got his two and in fact he got 3. Sadly PJ relapsed and overdosed before I could take him to run. Two years after his death I was still suffering from his loss, so I decided to keep my promise and go run with the bulls for him. I dieted and trained for 5 months. I lost 57 pounds and I took my tired old butt

CENTRAL NY WOMAN ONLINE : JANUARY/FEBRUARY EDITION 2021

and flew to Spain with PJ’s ashes and ran with the bulls. The documentary chronicles the journey I took. It gives a voice to his family. It is the first film or television project that has all four of us Baldwin brothers in it.

It allowed me to fullfil my promise in an attempt to move on from this loss.

Along the way I learned some valuable lessons, which you can watch the documentary to find out more.

You won’t be disappointed.

We then talked about being a single Dad. Raising two young girls, one of which turned 13 just a few days after the shoot and he joked saying, “Is there a book I can read. One about being both a mom and a dad.” I asked him what the most important thing he could instill in these young ladies was.

His answer was just one word, “Love.”

“Love is the most important thing to teach them. It doesn’t matter what they do, the fact that they know that I unequivocally love them and that there is nothing that they can’t say to me.”

They have a very healthy fear of there dad.

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“ I think the hardest things about the fame game is managing expectations. So many people need help, want you, your time, or name, appearances, money. You want to help as many as possible.”

“They know they have consequences to their actions if they have done something wrong. But they feel safe to to tell daddy if they have a dark secret,” he says. They trust him enough to come to him for anything.

The pandemic has definitely raised some issues for any parent. Daniel say’s , “It has been very challenging for me in many respects being a single parent during this time. Trying to juggle family, career, my girls needs and virtual schooling.”

But, judging from what I saw spending the day with all of them, he is doing a pretty amazing job!

What would the girls say is their most favorite thing about growing up with you as their dad?

I think my daughters would have to say that there favorite thing about me as a dad is how safe they feel. They know that daddy is their friend, but more importantly that daddy protects them. I am a single father without very much help. My girls see how hard I work for them. Now that was my answer for BJB!!!!

You know how we look at time as BC and AD. Well, in my family we have an additional reference, it’s BJB.

That’s Before Justin Bieber. Now if you asked my girls what’s their favorite thing about their daddy?

Ask after I get them backstage for JB’s concert. :) How have you changed in the past 20 years?

I have lots of goals and desires. I’d like to keep making films that make

a social statement. I would like to finish raising my girls, get them to college, and then maybe focus on some of the things I have had to sacrifice in order to raise them. It would be nice to meet someone to share all of this with. Someone who knows The LORD and wants to hold my hand, and lastly I would not rule out politics at some level. I have had a checkered past, but I’ve also come

out the other side pretty well. Let’s see what happens next.

Why do you decide to stay in Central NY all these years?

I raise my kids here because of the values here and because of the community here. I have a lot of family here and when I first came here I thought I would see them so much.

I have learned that they have their own lives that they live.

My mom and sisters are here so I get to see them much more than I did when I lived on the West Coast.

Not so much my cousi’s and nieces, but my family has expanded beyond my blood living in CNY. Do you plan on acting again in the near future?

What about producing or directing?

I am scheduled to work on multiple films in 2021. Now, if we could just figure out this whole COVID-19 thing and get back to work already!!!!

I have a secret project I’m trying to shoot in February and March right here in Syracuse but I’m not sure we can pull it off. Stay tuned.

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COVER STORY } } { {SHIFT+CONTROL “Wow, where do I begin? Can I lay down to answer this one? Did you say the “Whole magazine was about me? LOL”

I can honestly say that I think we made a bold choice for a man on the cover of Central NY Woman Online, but wasn’t he the perfect one?

Hope we were able to show you that Daniel Baldwin is an not just an American actor, director and producer.and the second oldest of the four notiorious 30

Baldwin brothers. He is a single father, a son of a strong woman, and doing his part to help his community and beyond be a better place. Whether it is fundraising for the Carol M Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund, or talking and helping others on their recovery journey, he is always more then accomodating to lend a hand and his ear.

CENTRAL NY WOMAN ONLINE : JANUARY/FEBRUARY EDITION 2021

“This is just the beginning. I have a lot more to come.” Tune in as we go live on February 3rd from the Craftsman Inn and Suites and talk more with Daniel about some of his future plans and more about his weightloss journey and beyond.

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{ {SHIFT+CONTROL COVER STORY } } “You know how we look at time as BC and AD. Well in my family we have an additional reference. It’s BJB. That’s Before Justin Bieber.”

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“I have had a checkered past but I’ve also come out the other side pretty well. Let’s see what happens next.”

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{ WOMEN WHO INSPIRE }

RACQUI B.

BY KELLY BREUER I PHOTOS BY CHRIS JOHNSON

In December of 2020, Rochester Woman Online had the chance to interview ROC Award Winning Host & Radio Personality for The Beat 105.5 FM, “the girl with big dreams”, Racquie B. for the cover of our January 2021 New Year New You edition.

the love and support I receive here is sometimes surreal. But I pride myself on being genuine, authentic, and self-made, and I guess that has won over the hearts and respect of

It all began with me just doing a friend a favor by cohosting her radio segment, and from there my love affair with being on-air developed. This really came naturally to me. It was fate. It was destined.

We have had so much fungoing back and forth, from promoting the 2021cover, to selecting photos from her amazing photoshoot with cover photographer Chris Johnson, to the crazy 2020 and more.

What made you pick the Newhouse School of Syracuse University for Broadcast Journalism?

We hope you enjoy what she had to tell us, and learn a little bit about this radio “queen” and why we know all her dreams will come true!

Who is Racqui B? Tell us a little about yourself and where you are from.

I’m just a girl from a small Caribbean island that had big dreams. I was born on the island of St. Lucia, and raised on the island of St. Croix. I came to Rochester in 2005 to attend the University of Rochester. I later graduated with a BA in English Lit, and made Rochester my second home. Most people are stunned when they learn that I’m not originally from Rochester, because 38

Entertainment and media have always been passions of mine. Naturally I have a huge personality, and I enjoy performing for crowds, so a career in this field made sense.

However, radio was never in my plan; it basically fell into my lap.

this community. I worked hard to be respected for my talent, and I refuse to apologize for that.

When did you know you wanted to be a radio personality and why?

CENTRAL NY WOMAN ONLINE : JANUARY/FEBRUARY EDITION 2021

The Newhouse reputation supersedes anything I can say about my decision.

If you want to be the best, you go where the best go; not to mention it is literally right down the street. Applying to Newhouse was me testing my purpose and skill. I made a pact with my God. Something like, “If this is my purpose then get me in.” Not only did I get in, but I must have been like top five in my class.

What is your favorite part of doing what you do?

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{ WOMEN WHO INSPIRE } “Most people are stunned when they learn that I’m not originally from Rochester, because the love and support I receive here is sometimes surreal.”

I get to be myself. This industry is now rewarding people for being themselves.

Every time I turn on that mic there’s no façade there’s no fraudulence, it’s Racqui being Racqui. And when I hear that positive feedback from my listeners, it motivates me to be my BEST self every time.

What about your biggest success and why?

My biggest success is that I never settled. I refuse to get complacent in my career. I’m always hungry for more. This mindset has earned

Do you have any advice for other females wanting to jump in to the world of broadcasting?

Did you have any ‘a-ha!’ moments that made you rethink your being a radio personality?

The one thing I’ve learned about this industry is: if it’s not innate it will translate.

Some things can be taught, other things, like being a media personality, is best served with a side of purpose.

So with that being said, just make sure this is your heart’s desire, because the road to notoriety in this industry is long and often unfair. Once you fall in love with it don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Networking, branding, practicing and creating your own opportunities are essential parts of this business.

I’ve never questioned my decision to be a radio personality.

However, I have questioned my time in radio. Do I want to be in radio forever? Would I rather do TV? Am I ready to venture into a bigger market?

These questions and decisions still haunt me till this day.

What do you know now that you didn’t know three years ago?

What has been your biggest challenge in 2020?

Balancing all aspects of my life continues to be a challenge for me, but I’m getting better. Starting a career, trying to be a great mother and girlfriend, finding time for friends and family, it’s a juggling act that sometimes ends with me dropping a ball or two, but I’m trying.

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someone that uses their popularity and platform for the betterment of themselves and everyone else around them. For the most part, I try to use my platform to inspire and empower by my actions. If I can inspire just one person with my journey, then my job is done.

me multiple awards, some college degrees, and opportunities I couldn’t even fathom.

Some consider you a social media influencer...why do you think that is?

In my opinion, an influencer is

CENTRAL NY WOMAN ONLINE : JANUARY/FEBRUARY EDITION 2021

Having your city behind you is the first step to success. When your hometown believes in you and supports you, that will propel you forward faster than you could even imagine.

Rochester’s support has given me opportunities in other cities, and continues to push me forward.

What was the biggest obstacle you faced, and how did you overcome it?

My biggest obstacle was probably proving to my mother that this was the right career choice for me. My

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{ WOMEN WHO INSPIRE { SHIFT+CONTROL } } “Entertainment and media have always been passions of mine. Naturally I have a huge personality, and I enjoy performing for crowds, so a career in this field made sense.”

mom’s opinion means so much to me, and her desire is for me to be stable in all areas of my life. She wanted me to be an engineer. I still laugh about that to this day. She couldn’t understand my love for broadcasting and reporting, because success doesn’t come overnight in this field. So I brought her to the radio station with me one day, and when she saw me in action it all began to make sense to her; and she has been supportive ever since.

that has been in my life thus far, or came into my life during this stage, were exactly who and what I needed.

All the advice and resources I’ve acquired on my journey have always reassured me of one thing: that I am

What do you think your unique skill(s) is that has helped you become successful?

My personality, my authenticity, and my integrity. You can’t buy any of those things, and they can’t be duplicated.

Those three qualities have opened so many doors for me, and made me stand out in a city where everyone wants to shine.

OFCOURSE!! Rochester is a great foundation, but I envision myself being bigger and better. I also believe that everything happens when it is supposed to. My time will come when the higher powers see fit. Until then I will continue mastering what I can now, and trust the process.

You ever heard the saying God puts people in your life for a reason and/ or a season? It seems like everyone

What has been your biggest accomplishment in your career thus far?

This one is easy; getting my masters degree.

The sacrifices I made to accomplish that goal were unbearable at first, but in the end were all worth it.

You seem so much bigger then Rochester. NY...Do you have any plans of ever working in a bigger city?

Are there any resources or even advice that have really helped you on your journey?

and everything will begin to fall into place.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

who I say I am, and I am where I’m supposed to be. Everyone’s journey is customized. The worse thing you can do is compare your progress with others. Focus on your task,

The last time I answered a question like this it all came to fruition…so here I go again. In five years I see myself moving my family to a bigger city to further a successful TV and radio career in a larger market. Possibly another baby.

I just want to go as far as I can in this industry.

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{ SHIFT+CONTROL } all began witha me just d “It all began with me just“Itdoing a friend favor by cohosting favor by cohosting her radio segment, and her radi love affair w from there my love affairfrom withthere beingmy on-air developed.” developed.”

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doing a friend a io segment, and with being on-air ”

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{ WOMEN WHO INSPIRE } “My biggest success is that I never settled. I refuse to get complacent in my career.”

{ WOMEN WHO INSPIRE } “Rochester is a great foundation, but I envision myself being bigger and better. I also believe that everything happens when it is supposed to.”

like this it all came to fruition… so here I go again. In five years I see myself moving my family to a bigger city to further a successful TV and radio career in a larger market.

Possibly another baby. I just want to go as far as I can in this industry.

What is one thing our readers may not know about you?

I use to be the biggest tomboy growing up. I played basketball in High School so I was most comfortable in baggy clothes and sneakers. It still amazes me how much of a 360 I did as far as my

image. But, even though my style has changed, my tomboy spirit is still very much alive. I can sip martinis with the girls and turn around and chug beers with the guys. They also say former tomboys make the best girlfriends.

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GYPSY FREEDOM

BY CAERESA RICHARDSON I PHOTOS BY ERIN COVEY

I started Gypsy Freedom with a mission of creating a community of free spirited women whose style reflects their values.

During my engineering career, I saw firsthand the damaging effects of traditional manufacturing processes.

This sparked a personal effort to be a more conscious consumer. As a part of this effort, I started searching for more ethical apparel. Often, I found it difficult to find ethically produced clothing that was fashion forward. Gypsy Freedom was born in an effort to show that style and sustainability are not mutually exclusive.

During my corporate career I always imagined a retirement that included opening a fashion boutique. As much as I dreamed of owning a fashion boutique I thought that doing what I loved was a thing of the future and the idea of starting a business seemed as if it was decades away.

In 2019, during the fifteenth year of my corporate engineering career, I found myself lost in a cycle of stress and monotony. With the support of my husband, I decided that I grew as much as I could in my corporate career and was ready to step out into the large and unknown landscape of entrepreneurship.

I built a plan that included starting small and testing the market as a pop-up

shop. Using skills that I’d implemented throughout all of my years working for global corporations I developed a strategy that I felt confident in launching.

I initially operated Gypsy Freedom out of my home. I sought out opportunities to set up pop-up shops in other brick and mortar locations. These pop-up

shops helped me to adjust the parts of my business plan that required more marketing and financial input.

As I made traction with my pop-up shops my momentum was eventually halted in 2020 as businesses started to close their doors; many of them for good.

With locations closing and limiting their capacity, I was no longer able to get in front of customers to introduce and grow Gypsy Freedom.

Discouraged, I considered pausing my plans for Gypsy Freedom until the uncertainty of the pandemic was past us. However, the customer base that I obtained as an online boutique continued to grow, forcing me to realize that the need for Gypsy Freedom still existed.

I brainstormed ideas to translate my pop up shop model into the new virtual reality that we were forced into as the global pandemic threatened the rest of 2020. I started with an experimental live shopping event which has become our month Sip & Shop. The concept was simple, over cocktails and guest speakers I would showcase and discuss new arrivals with a virtual audience.

The sip and shops were meant to be an opportunity to continue the work that I started to introduce Gypsy Freedom and sustainable fashion concepts to women in upstate and central NY. What happened next both surprised and scared me. Women from all over the country were learning about Gypsy Freedom through the reach of our recorded sip and shops.

Local women became loyal clients who were searching for opportunities to easily find brands that aligned with their values. With growing interest in my curated collections, I decided that it

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was time to set my fear of the unknown aside and open a brick and mortar to further accommodate the growth of Gypsy Freedom.

In August, 2020, the Gypsy Freedom showroom was open to the public. I decided to open in downtown Syracuse since the pop ups that I previously held there were the most successful.

In addition, as a Syracuse University graduate and dedicated member of the Syracuse, NY community I have a special connection with Syracuse and feel a responsibility to contribute to the 56

economic growth of our city.

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused Gypsy Freedom’s first year to be a little different than anticipated.

In the midst of all of the change and pivoting throughout the pandemic, my goals have remained the same: To promote fashion as an artform, to spread awareness on the importance of sustainable clothing for people and the planet, and to cultivate a community of supportive women who feel free to express their truest selves.

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I know that my future will always be a blank page for me to write. However, if 2020 has taught me anything, it was to learn how to roll with the punches even while afraid and to ultimately stay innovative. Playful and experimental innovation requires the humility and confidence in knowing that your ideas will not always work. Some of your ideas and “pivots” will flop and you will learn from them, iterate, and try again in a different way. The key is to remember why you started this cycle in the first place and to use that energy to fuel you into your next playful idea.

Gypsy Freedom

Modern & stylish sustainable fashions 312 S. Salina Street Syracuse, NY 13202

shopgypsyfreedom.com

@shopgypsyfreedom

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THE SUSAN B. ANTHONY YOU ARE ENOUGH. HOUSE NICOLEBY HEROUX WILLIAMS

BY IBYPHOTOS MICHELE ASHLEE I PHOTOS BY NSP STUDIO

Last year at this time, the National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House was at the start of an historic year, with the celebration of three anniversaries: the centennial of the 19th Amendment; the bicentennial of Susan B. Anthony’s birth, and the Anthony Museum’s 75th year. The myriad events of the year were going to be the culmination of years of planning.

2020 started with great promise, with representatives from the Anthony Museum marching with the 19th Amendment Centennial float in the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena. February brought Susan B, Anthony’s 200th birthday celebration, with record-breaking attendance at a dinner at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center which featured author and activist Tena Clark. Weeks later, Anthony Museum president and CEO, Deborah L. Hughes, was invited by the group Faith In Politics to march with John Lewis and other luminaries over the Pettis Bridge in Selma, Alabama.

But as Deborah Hughes recently reflected, “This wasn’t the 2020 we had planned for, but it certainly proved to be an historic year.” In March, the brakes were put on all events as New York State shut down 58

because of the COVID-19. From the end of March to July, only an as-needed crew kept an eye on the campus of historically significant homes, while the rest of the staff worked remotely, as did much of the state’s workforce.

Online lectures and events took the place of in-person, and although everyone missed the face-to-face interactions,

online events were available to reach a wider audience.

When the Anthony Museum was reopened to the public at the beginning of July, new protocols were put into practice for the safety of visitors and of staff. Much of the guided tour of the National Landmark home and Visitor Center takes place outside, regardless of

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weather. Tour sizes are carefully regulated, and advance online registration has become the norm.

As the months went on and there was no end to the COVID pandemic in sight, it became clear that the 2021 Susan B. Anthony Birthday was not going to be an in-person dinner. Reaching out to partners in the community, the Anthony Museum developed an innovative take on the event.

T h e Bi r t h d a y Celebration would go from an eveninglong dinner with keynote, to a half hour show, broadcast on television.

The volunteers working on the event showed their mental agility and fortitude by pivoting and adopting a completely new model for the event.

This year’s Susan B. Anthony Birthday Gala will be broadcast on Wednesday, February 10 at 7:00 pm on WROC-TV. The half hour show features Susan Zirinsky, acclaimed journalist and groundbreaking producer, now president and senior executive producer of CBS News. Like Anthony, she is described as “legendary” and “trailblazing.”

With Anthony and Zirinsky in mind, and knowing that Zirinsky’s nickname

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{{ SPECIAL FEATURE }} SHIFT+CONTROL “This wasn’t the 2020 we had planned for, but it certainly proved to be an historic year.”

in the newsroom is “Z,” the theme of the Birthday Gala became A2Z, saluting the intersection between Susan B. Anthony as a public relations maven, author, and newspaper editor, and Susan Zirinsky, broadcast media icon.

These two women understand the power and influence of the press.

They never let a glass ceiling limit their work, their ascendance, or their impact as they open the world for others.

The Gala broadcast presenting sponsor is Kitty Van Bortel and the Van Bortel group of car dealerships.

As in the past, the Gala serves as the major fundraising event for the Anthony Museum. Financial support for the Anthony Museum is all the more important at this time of reduced tourism and limited public access to this National Historic Landmark.

Deborah Hughes, Anthony Museum

trustees, and staff all hope that you will tune in on February 10th for an inspiring program that will be both memorable and entertaining. We all can use a healthy dose of inspiration these days!

Sidebar: Deborah L. Hughes – Her Roundabout Route to Madison Street Although Deborah Hughes spent part of her childhood in Rochester NY, her family moved to Oregon

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“Since Hughes began her tenure as president in 2007, the Anthony Museum has completed a major phase of restoration, secured its Absolute Charter as a Museum, and dramatically grown attendance while staying true to its mission and vision.”

she received a Masters of Divinity from Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, with a focus on the Bible and Ancient Languages.

Hughes became an ordained minister, and went on to serve on the pastoral staff of three urban churches in Michigan and New York.

But in 2007, Hughes felt a calling in a different direction. Her interest in urban neighborhoods and building viable businesses in those neighborhoods brought her to apply for the position of president and CEO of the Anthony 64

Museum. She reasoned that through strengthening the presence of the Museum in this urban neighborhood, it would make the neighborhood stronger and more stable.

Since Hughes began her tenure as president in 2007, the Anthony Museum has completed a major phase of restoration, secured its Absolute Charter as a Museum, and dramatically grown attendance while staying true to its mission and vision. Hughes has spearheaded innovative programming and events such as the award-winning “VoteTilla,” a weeklong event featuring

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scholars and re-enactors who traveled in packet boats on the canal from Seneca Falls to Rochester for New York State’s Suffrage Centennial.

Through it all, Hughes has been a strong advocate for human rights and equal opportunities for all, especially those who suffer discrimination based on gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or economic circumstances.

This advocacy meshes with the mission of the Anthony Museum to use the life and work of Susan B. Anthony as an inspiration and as a challenge for positive change.

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AQUA SPA FLOAT CENTER WITH PASSION AND P U R P O S E, LO C A L WOMAN FORGES THE PATH FOR A MODERN APPROACH TO HOLISTIC WELLNESS Tammy Wilkinson calls the Aqua Spa Float Center a passion project with her life partner Terry LeRoi, and has spent countless hours developing the Aqua Spa experience with her team of Wellness Ambassadors.

When asked how she came across float therapy, Wilkinson says it was by chance. She buys her partner Terry (also an owner) a gift certificate for their first couple’s float experience at a local float center. Twenty minutes into an incredible first float and they were hooked from a wellness perspective, and equally intrigued as entrepreneurs!

According to Wilkinson, despite the fact that the Float Industry and concept of “floating” was introduced in the 1950s, the wellness concept and innovation behind the terms float tank or float pod is still new to many.

A float tank or pod is a tub that contains a saturated solution of Epsom salt, provides a light and sound reduced environment, and is kept at skin temperature. This

environment allows a person to float effortlessly without external stimuli for many purposes, including meditation, relaxation, and physical therapy.

According to Wilkinson, float tanks are the perfect bathtub, and while they vary in sizes, the typical tank is 8’ long and 5’ wide. The tanks hold about

a foot of water, then saturated with approximately 1500 lbs. of Epsom salt, creating a solution and density similar to the Dead Sea, allowing a person to float on the surface half-in and half-out of the solution. The salt water is filtered and sanitized with ozone, UV light and hydrogen peroxide. Between each float the client has the option to keep the door open or closed for personal comfort.

“It’s truly an environment unlike any other,” said Wilkinson. “In its purest

form, it is absent from light, sound and the perception of gravity.”

The benefits of float therapy extend to stress and pain relief to improved mental health, physical recovery from injuries or training, enhanced creativity, and addiction.

“Having been diagnosed with Lupus in 2008 I had experienced severe inflammation and pain in my body most days,” Wilkinson said. “I am of a natural mindset when it comes to my health and wellness and seek out ways to give myself relief beyond the traditional western medicine path.

Floatation therapy gives me 3-5 days pain free each time I float, so the proof is in the pudding (or the water) for me and I wouldn’t be without it.”

As successful business owners already, Tammy and Terry’s entrepreneurial mindset and wheels also began to spin after their float, imagining how they could introduce a float center and a fresh, new wellness perspective to the Oswego community.

Wilkinson wanted the Aqua Spa experience to be as unique as the concept and really honed into the marketing and experience side of the business. She

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{ SHIFT+CONTROL } { LOCAL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT } “According to Wilkinson, despite the fact that the Float Industry and concept of “floating” was introduced in the 1950s, the wellness concept and innovation behind the terms float tank or float pod is still new to many.”

carefully selected a team of Wellness Ambassadors who would deliver a world-class experience and trained them to reflect her grand vision.

The experience, Wilkinson explains, is the soul of the Aqua Spa Float center and it goes like this: From start to finish, a Wellness Ambassador guides you along your journey. They greet you at the door, welcome you in and begin the check in process. Plus, the same Wellness Ambassador will welcome you back from your session and show you to your 72

next service! This further personalizes your experience at the Aqua Spa. Every step of the way, each modality is thoroughly explained and you have every chance to ask any questions. Wilkinson explains that people typically ask things like “What if I’m pregnant? What if I fall asleep while floating? What do I wear? Can floating really help me with my anxiety?”

dedicate themselves to their personal physical and mental well-being. She feels Aqua Spa Float Center is a stepping stone for people to unlock themselves and find relief from whatever challenges they face outside the wellness sanctuary.

From floating to massage therapy, Aqua Spa Float Center’s multimodality approach to holistic wellness features something for everyone looking for relief or relaxation.

Wilkinson says all of that and more can be found right on the Aqua Spa Float Center website. She also explains that 2020 was a year where people began to

In addition to float therapy, Aqua Spa Float Center offers cryotherapy, infrared sauna, salt therapy, oxygen bar and massage therapy. Plus, it features a post-

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{ SHIFT+CONTROL } { LOCAL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT } “It’s truly an environment unlike any other,” said Wilkinson. “In its purest form, it is absent from light, sound and the perception of gravity.”

service Primp Room and Whisper Room with tea service to prepare yourself to re-emerge into the outside world.

Tammy’s creativity and marketing talents come from her background in television.

In college, she studied journalism at SUNY Morrisville then communication at SUNY Oswego. Following college, Wilkinson landed at Fox News as a national sales assistant. Later, she continued her career at Channel 6 as a local sales assistant. She was soon promoted to a marketing leadership role. This, she says, is where she fell in love with marketing and creative writing. “ Wo r k i n g o n national campaigns and large brands gave me a voice.

My creative flair and voice truly began to shine,” she said.

Tammy defines high-energy, compassion, and outright fun. An ever-smiling approach to life, Tammy believes floating is pure bliss, and that personal wellness should be part of each and every individual journey.

AQUA SPA MISSION & VISION It is our mission to provide a wellness sanctuary that allows the body, mind and spirit to rest, relax, and rejuvenate.

Our vision is to nurture and enhance 74

wellness, balance and harmony through a multi-modality-centered facility. We aspire to empower sustained, positive change, well-being, and self-awareness; and educate to the benefits of natural health, holistic wellness, and life balance.

Our inclusive spa location and waterfront setting in Oswego, New York (a name derived from the Iroquoian Indian

Team Aqua Spa says: “For us, it’s a way of life… and something we want to share with everyone… everyday! Our life principles and dedication to healthy living and self-improvement have become the foundation for Aqua Spa and how we each work with visitors and clients.

word osh-we-geh, meaning “pouringout place”) further captures the sacred vision and relevance of our float center and wellness boutique.

relationship.”

TEAM AQUA SPA Aqua Spa’s team of float and wellness ambassadors each share a unique and individual passion for health and wellness.

It’s a life perspective and commitment that provides every visitor with a shared vision for this sanctuary’s experience.

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“At Aqua Spa, we recognize that each client is unique, so we want their experience to be unique as well! It’s truly a personalized approach to wellness. While our backgrounds are diverse, we are all similar in our commitment to wellness, and those parallels and commonalities are what drive each of us to nurture the customer

For additional information on Aqua Spa Float Center & Wellness Boutique visit their website at www.aquaspafloatcenter. com, facebook.com/aquaspafloatcenter, Instagram @aquaspafloatcenter, or call (315) 207-2080. Aqua Spa Float Center is an accredited member of Float Tank Association and the Salt Therapy Association, two highly regarded organizations in the floatation and salt therapy industry.

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My Aqua Spa… My Sanctuary. ™

“It’s truly an amazing place– the perfect pause and reset.”

Katie Mahaffey, Oswego, NY #MYAQUASPA #MYSANCTUARY

120 East First Street | Oswego, NY 13126 315-207-2080 | aquaspafloatcenter.com Float Therapy | Cryotherapy | Infrared Sauna | Salt Therapy | Oxygen Bar | Massage CENTRAL NY WOMAN ONLINE :: JANUARY/FEBRUARY EDITION 2021

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SHAMELESS SHAWNY

BY LASHAWNDRA ASHFORD I PHOTOS BY KAMERON ASHFORD

If you would’ve told me sixteen years ago, I’d be married to my high school sweetheart, two degrees, two children, a dog, a Social Worker, Podcaster, Mentor, Radio Personality, and Brand Ambassador, I probably would’ve looked at you like you were crazy and completely ignored the words that parted your mouth.

See, sixteen years ago is when my life ended and began with purpose. Sixteen years ago, I was a junior in high school and discovered I was pregnant. How can I be pregnant? I was just a young girl in love with this boy who swept me right off my feet. You know- like in the fairytales growing up, the girl who falls in love with her prince. I didn’t consider the risky behaviors I participated in because I was somewhere in the clouds exploring and having fun.

Having parents who were Believers, just about everything other than eating Ramen noodles was considered forbidden in the eyes of an exploring teenager. I felt like I couldn’t do anything, which led my curiosity to explore risky behaviors.

Culturally, I couldn’t have a boyfriend because they were a distraction. However, I wasn’t educated on how to prevent them from being a distraction. Typically, what is interesting to sixteen-year-olds?

Despite how committed my parents were in Christ, I wasn’t. Yet some Believers cultural norms believed I wasn’t supposed to be a Black, 16-year-old pregnant in high school.

Contrary, there I was, a sixteen-year-old, an Honor roll student, exploring colleges, and the “perfect child” according to

my daddy, pregnant. How could my boyfriend at the time (husband now) and I be so surprised when we knew what we were doing? Our next choices were, when are we going to tell our parents.

Afraid to inform my parents, not only am I pregnant, but I was having sex.

Oh my! My heart raced faster than a plane at taking off.

We allowed months to bypass before telling them. There were times I would run the water so they couldn’t hear me vomiting in the bathroom. I was a tomboy, so the Lakers jersey was worn just about daily until we could no longer hide it. There we were, telling our parents their babies were expecting a baby. I watched their look of disappointment on their face as if I was watching the ping pong game. Left-right-left-right.

Disappointment (left), hurt (right), responsibilities (left), accountability (right), guilt (left), shame (right), repeated again and again.

As my belly grew, the shame grew.

People would look at me with disgust.

I recall being on an elevator a Black woman asked me how far along I was.

I responded to her I am seven months.

She replied, wow, you just threw your life away. Not only did I have anxiety about being a child bringing another child into this world, but it also wasn’t until then, I began to question how I can achieve goals. According to generational and cultural norms, I was a statistic. I threw my life away. I was going to be on the system. I was going to have multiple “baby dads” and be a “dropout.”

I lost hope. It was my mother who

said; you are going to take care of this baby. You will finish high school, she added. I never knew how having fun and being in love can drastically change your life. It wasn’t until after we birthed our daughter on August 17th, 2005 I realized she was what I needed. I felt a love I never thought I could ever feel.

As I birthed her, she birthed purpose in me. I spent the next years proving to society that I wasn’t going to be that girl. Unfortunately, I was taught not to become a statistic but not educated on overcoming the barriers as a statistic.

I recall starting my senior year homeschooled. When I returned to high school, my senior year of life became real.

I had to prepare bottles, pack clothes, drop off our infant before school, do homework, work part-time, say the least, and repeat daily. I didn’t have time for myself. I needed to accomplish a goal. At that time, my only goal was to receive my high school diploma. I recall telling my sister, all I want is my high school diploma.

My senior year was extremely challenging.

The support from my family allowed me to receive my high school diploma in 2006. I recall exiting the stage, clapping my hands while walking to our daughter.

I hugged her tightly and told my family, that’s it, I’m done. I didn’t want to pursue anything else. I did what they didn’t think I was going to do.

Life began. I recall bringing my daughter to appointments or the store with me.

People would stop and say, Omg! She’s so beautiful, how old is she? I will tell them her age; their response, oh sweetie,

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{ SHIFT+CONTROL } { I AM... } “According to generational and cultural norms, I was a statistic. I threw my life away.

I was going to be on the system. I was going to have multiple “baby dads” and be a “dropout.”

you look too young to be having a baby. Ashamed, I never knew how to respond; I would lie about my age. I was too young, but why did they have to continue reminding me. Therefore, I continued my lie. I continued lying about my age and the age I had her.

For some reason, abusing my pride and dignity felt better than telling them the truth. It was a disgusting feeling I felt inside after admitting to strangers the obvious. Most of that feeling was the remembrance of the shame. Like why people refused to accept it and move on? It wasn’t as if I was seeking support from them.

Why did they force the shame on me? Why did they have to ask the question?

In 2009, my daughter’s father and I got married. Soon after, we were pregnant with our boy. The joy and support were overwhelming. I guess the major difference is that we were older and we were married. Somewhat close to the “right” way, I guess. Believers accepted pregnancy after marriage, so the love we felt was indescribable, at the same time for me, hurtful. Why couldn’t I have received this during my first experience? I understood the decisions we made, but why did it feel like a nine monthly punishment instead of celebrating life?

I recall my sister telling me she was going to Monroe Community College.

She attempted to encourage me to attend college with her. I told her she was crazy. We’re two years apart and do everything together, but this one, absolutely not. I reminded her, 80

“I did what they thought I wasn’t going to do. I have a high school diploma. I’m done.”

A year passed. I worked as a Home Health Aide, CNA, & Direct Support Staff. I was missing something. I wasn’t fulfilled. My sister encouraged me to attend Monroe Community College with her again for the Spring.

Of course, I was hesitant. Well, she convinced me well enough to start and finish. I received my Associates in Human Service and began working with Youth. I urged a passion to give back. I wanted to be the adult I wish I had as a teenager. As I expanded with the Youth I served, I told myself.

I need to do more. What I want to do requires more education, and I will do it. I returned to school for my Bachelors in Social Work. I began to feel unstoppable. It was as if my life made sense. I felt a sense of belonging.

I recall not wanting to go further than my high school diploma. On the other hand, I was pursuing my Bachelors in Social Work. I became confident with who I was. I began telling my story over and over again by being honest about my experiences. I repeated time and time I was a teenage parent. I was no longer ashamed and accepted my life experiences. I became accountable for my actions.

My story inspired my Mentees and influenced them on their journey as well. I spent time working closely with them to own their experiences.

I believe, when you allow the world to apply shame and pressure, you

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force yourself into a box. You become limited. The perception of individuals in the world is limited. You have the power and control to become limitless.

The whole time I thought I was captivated by my thoughts and curses, but it wasn’t until I received my first degree when the puzzles began to piece together. I was supposed to make every decision I made. If I didn’t make those decisions, how can I be where I am now? How can I influence others to be shameless? What purpose will I have? My husband, daughter, and son were supposed to be alongside me and witness everything. My family was supposed to witness their relative overcome the challenges of a Black girl, labeled as a statistic. My family was apart of my journey and served my purpose. I don’t blame anyone. The timing is impeccable. My experiences and my life is intentional.

I am the first one in my family that was a teenage parent to receive their Bachelor’s degree. I was supposed to break the generational curse and live to share my story to inspire others who may have been captivated.

I am Shameless Shawny.

I am the one to tell you, release the shackles and FREE yourself.

I am here to continue walking in my purpose shamelessly because I AM LIMITLESS.

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ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES

BY SHANELLE BENSON REID

LIFE HAPPENS I was never the type of person who believed I could have it all. Growing up, I remember wanting to get a good job and I decided being a pediatrician would be good enough. However, I did not know any pediatrician personally.

But life has a way of happening and I was thrown off-course. If I am being honest I can say, when I entered college, I was undecided. I was probably unsure of my future until entering my senior year. I decided to pursue a degree in sociology because it seemed general. Eventually, I realized I loved sociology and from that point decided to go to graduate school. But like I said, life has a way of happening and my son started having academic problems.

That was when I decided to become a teacher. I love education and all of success is due to education. Earning a bachelor’s degree, a teaching credential, a master’s degree and a doctorate, convinced me that I could accomplish anything. So I decided to become a Consultant, Coach, Author and Professional Speaker with an expertise in areas of Education, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Cultural Competency, Social Awareness, Equity and Community / Individual Empowerment. I considered my wildest dreams and I brought them to fruition.

ACCESS GLOBAL GROUP I created ACCESS Global Group to operate as the parent company of ACCESS Coaching and Consulting.

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is a consulting group that focuses on cultural competency, social awareness and equity in education and employment.

GLOBAL SAGE WELLNESS I formed Global SAGE Wellness to serve as the parent company of my Health and Wellness Enterprise. The Ethereal Yoga Parlour offers a wide array of yoga classes, guided mediations and reiki sessions, while Elaborate: The Body Shoppe features, adornments, candles, lotions and potions from local artisans and Euphoria: The Jazz and Java Bistro

THE BLYSS DEVELOPMENT GROUP In collaboration with four-successful entrepreneurs (LaTerese R. Matthew, President of Van Dyke Norris Cleaning Services, Youlanda Johnson, Owner of Cocoa’s Candles, and Shaneika M. Ford, President of S. Marie Photography), I formed the BLYSS Development Group. At BLYSS, we know through land acquisition and neighborhood development we cannot only transform communities, but we can also transform lives! We Are Four Like-Minded Women, Walking Together, Working Together, Building Together.

GAME CHANGER Lastly, spending the last few years looking at politics from the sidelines, I recently made the decision to get into the game. I’m running for Onondaga County Legislature, District 14. I’ve spent a great deal of my life advocating for youth. Now I will be advocating for people, families, neighborhoods and towns.

serves plant-based cuisine options and offers plant-based nutritional programs and coaching.

ACCESS DENTAL LABORATORIES With assistance from my husband, Mr. Todd R. Reid, I established ACCESS Global Enterprises to serve as the parent company of ACCESS Dental Laboratories. ACCESS Dental Laboratories is a full-service dental laboratory that specializes in the design of crowns, bridges, partials, dentures, night guards, implants and veneers.

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WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE Contemplating my early years, I do not remember setting goals. I remember wanting to get good grades and working for them. Likewise, I remember wanting to be in the starting lineup for basketball and I practiced daily. I could never fathom the notion of having it all because I grew up experiencing lack. As an adult, I’ve come to learn, I may not have it all but what I know for sure is everything is possible and my next day is my best day.

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Meet La Shaun “LS” Jones HUSTLIN WITH LS JONES & CO.

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LS JONES & CO.

BY LASHAUN JONES I PHOTOS BY MICHAL LEPORE

Tell our audience a little bit about yourself. Who is La Shaun Jones and where are you from?

Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY/ Long Island, I go by “LS”, LS is an accomplished Event planner/producer who has built a name for herself and her company LS JONES & Co. -The Event & Talent Specialist. LS has over twenty years’ experience, and has worked in all aspect of the Fashion/ Entertainment industry. LS is not only a business owner, she also the Chair/Festival Director of the Syracuse International Film Festival. She’s been on the board since 2015 bringing celebrities like Grace Jones, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Daniel Baldwin, Giancarlo Esposito and so many more.

She is also the Public Relations spokesperson for the Golden World Group-Miss & Ms. Golden World Pageant.

What made you decide to start your own business and become a female entrepreneur?

My passion for events, people, coordinating lead me to start my own company. Prior to devoting myself to my business full-time, I’ve worked, volunteered, planned other people events whose budget couldn’t afford one, so I would donate my time and talent to help others grow! I’ve noticed as there are many talented monitories in the communities and I wanted to be that avenue to get their talent in front of others.

How did you get into promoting events and talent management?

I had some connection from my time as a teacher at Barbizon modeling school.

When I retired from there, I was a solo woman coordinating Fashion shows for individuals store and churches fundraisers, State fairs. Whomever wants a fashion show, I would provide the models, location, designers or boutique got the show. I would go out and promote myself

and get the word out this is what I do and my services. Once that happened it grew from there and I started get more clients and bigger gigs to coordinate!

Who have been some of your favorite people to work with?

I love working with any talented

passionate about their craft type of people. Those are my favorite type of people to be around and work with. I love working with volunteers when I do my events without them some of the events I’ve done would of be harder to get through!

How do you market your business, and which tactics have been most successful, especially during a pandemic?

I’ve marketed my business by posting all over Social media.

My logo and my services regularly. I would look out for people advertising looking for entrepreneur guest on their Podcast or Instagram LIVE. So, I’ve been on a few of those discussing my business. And word of mouth has fair well for me, people that I’ve work with have always referred me to other potential clients.

What was your key driving force to become a female entrepreneur and starting this type of business?

I went to college for Business Management. So, I always knew I wanted to have my own business just at that time I didn’t know what it would be. When I first moved to Syracuse, NY I knew pretty much anyone. So, I joined Barbizon modeling school as a student to meet people at first. But after a few weeks the instructor saw more in me and thought I would be good as a modeling instructor because I had the natural skills already in her eyes, I was very shocked. I grew

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ver again, tly.�

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SHIFT+CONTROL {{ SHE HUSTLES TALKS} } “My greatest inspiration is seeing other black successful women in business. It shows me, it is something I can accomplish.”

up as a tomboy and all about sports.

But that gave me the motivation to start my own business based on that because I absolutely loved it.

If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?

If I had a chance to start my career over again, I wouldn’t do anything differently. Everything that happened to me along my business journey was meant to happen in order for me to learn and grow even more. I am more aware of this because of pass mistakes

with things and people. But from those mistakes I’ve learned do more research before I take an event on or deal with a client. I want to know their background because I would like to be more aware of who I will be working with.

What would you say are the top three skills needed to be successful in your business?

The top three things to be successful in my business are: 1. Communication, I need to get all details from my client what is their vision for the event and budget. Those type of things have to be

up front and center. Talk about it first before you move on to start planning.

What is their vision and budget? Then proceed on with coordinating.

2. Drive- You have to be a Go-Getter, no one is going to invest more in you than YOU! Step out and introduce yourself to people, go to networking events, pass out your business card and discuss your services. Don’t be afraid to talk about you to others and access if they may need your services.

3. Keep ten toes down- Stay grounded

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SHIFT+CONTROL { { SHE HUSTLES TALKS}} “I went to college for Business Management. So, I always knew I wanted to have my own business just at that time I didn’t know what it would be.”

on your talent, strength and principles.

You will hit many barriers as you try and grow your business, you will be tested and challenged on certain things.

As long as you know what your goals, mission and vision is for yourself and your company. Your clients will see your passion.

is making sure my clients and talents are happy at the end of the day. And want to do business with me again!

Your home base is in Central NY, but where do you tend to work the most?

I am home based in CNY, but I travel!

Who has been your greatest inspiration?

I find inspiration in a variety of people and things. My greatest inspiration is seeing other black successful women in business.

It shows me, it is something I can accomplish. I can build my empire brick by brick. Just stay focus! As I watch women that look like me reach their goals, that gives me the boost I need to KEEP GOING! Until my empire is complete.

If you were to write a book about yourself, how would you name it?

My book would be named: “LS is ME”- How I Built My Empire Brick by Brick How do you define success?

I define success by the projects, I have to completed for a client.

People go-to for success is to be rich and famous, which is what majority of us want! But my success is merely based on the outcome or turn out of an event that I’ve planned. My focus is always on the now, what am I doing now to be that successful person society has defined as having lots of money or property. My personal success, 98

I do a lot of work in NYC and L.A. are my two main cities. I’ve also done work in Fl. and ATL. I am looking to continue to work in those cities and many more! Anywhere client’s needs me, I am there!

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Where do you see yourself in 2021?

2021 is the year to gain more clients, get my business name out there and my services! Help talent shine on a stage or a runway. I want the world to too know “I am the Plug that will Keep You Connected” to all the wonderful talents in the world, that perfect location for your event or cast that perfect model/actor for your project! I want to be that go to person, that people know “She’ll get the job done” Tell our audience what makes you a hustler and an incredible lady boss...

What makes me a Hustler is my absolutely love for what I do! I will do anything that will help my business grow in a positive light. I started as a modeling student, to a modeling instructor, to starting my own business in the Modeling/Acting world!

Now that is a hustler! I am an incredible lady boss because I have a big heart and passion for what I do! I’ve strived on showing others respect as I would want in return. I am a very kind, open arms type of person who will listen to your vision and it’s my job to make it come true. I am confident in myself that I know you will have a successful event or get the right talent you need for project!

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{{{ SHE HUSTLES SHE HUSTLES TALKS TALKS}}} SHIFT+CONTROL “What makes me a Hustler is my absolutely love for what I do!”

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I’M READY TO MAKE YOUR VISION COME TRUE! ð&#x;’œEVENT PLANNER/COORDINATOR- I CAN PLAN OR COORDINATE ANY EVENT AND/OR FIND YOU THE PERFECT LOCATION. ð&#x;’œCASTING DIRECTOR FASHION SHOWS/FILMS- I WILL COORDINATE CASTINGS FOR ANYONE LOOKING FOR MODELS OR ACTORS FOR YOUR PROJECT! ð&#x;’œTALENT ORGANIZER- IF YOU NEED A CERTAIN TALENT FOR YOUR PROJECT-MUA, HAIRSTYLISTS, SINGERS, DANCERS, STYLISTS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, DESIGNERS, SPEAKERS ETC. ANY TALENT YOU WOULD NEED, I WILL PROVIDE. IF YOU REQUIRE ANY OF MY SERVICES, PLEASE REACH OUT VIA EMAIL LSJONESCO@GMAIL.COM IG: LSISME

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VAN DYKE NORRIS Tell Central NY Woman a little bit about yourself and your business.

I am an only child, born and raised in Albany NY by a single mother, Linda Norris, who worked at Niagara Mohawk. At the age of 2 years old my mother developed breast cancer in her left breast and beat it! Then again, when I was at the age of 9 years, cancer returned to her right breast which she also overcame by having a mastectomy and plastic surgery.

and say, “Oh my God LaTerese it smells so good in here and everything looks so nice”. This made me feel so good and I knew I was helping her recovery in a way no one else could – not even the doctors.

In 1995 Niagara Mohawk closed their Albany, NY office and my mother had options to relocate to the Buffalo, NY area or to Syracuse, NY. We moved to

My mother had the will to live and fight. During this latest recovery period I became her sole caretaker and all the duties of taking care of a household became my responsibility. She taught me how to clean – because she could not tolerate a dirty, messy house; in addition, she also taught me how to drive, in case of emergencies.

Yes, I was driving at the age of 9 because we had no other choice!! I was a big girl, very mature for my age and she had the confidence in me that I could do it.

I was always a very nervous kid, biting my nails a lot and the only thing that calmed my nerves was cleaning - I never knew if I’d come home from school and my mother would be dead. I remember my mother would be laying in her bed sick from her chemotherapy treatments, I would bring her tea with mint to coat her stomach, I would close her door and then I would clean and “talk” to my imaginary little brother for hours. When times came that she could get out of her bed, she would get up to check on me and come down the stairs

Syracuse, NY because it was closer to her mother (my Grandmother) and sisters who lived in Elmira NY, whom she loved dearly. The year we moved to Syracuse my mother developed ovarian cancer, had a full hysterectomy with minimal chemotherapy treatment. I again became her sole caretaker, driving her to her appointments, cleaning and very minimal cooking.

However, by this time I was a teenager

and would steal the car to go see my friends - I begged them not to tell her because I needed to get out of the house / escape. Also, we lived outside of the city and a bus was not an option or on my time. Again in 1996 my mother was diagnosed with colon cancer and she died 8 months after her diagnosis; I was 15 years old.

Since then, I have gotten married, have 3 children – all boys, and carry with me daily my childhood and all that my mother instilled in me. Cleanliness was a demand with her – Cleaning became therapeutic for me. Cleaning also became a gift that I could give others. My cleaning puts a smile on their faces – takes a burden from their shoulders. I did it for my mother why not help others.

That’s what Van Dyke Norris Cleaning is about, providing a service that can help others, residential and commercial, with pride and respect.

Can you describe/outline your typical day?

Along with being an Entrepreneur I have a full-time job with the Syracuse City School District. My day always starts out with a grateful heart. I make sure that I have all my supplies together for that day’s particular client(s), respond to emails and messages, make sure my sons’ needs are attended to and check their agenda for the day.

What is your favorite part of doing what you do?

Meeting and connecting with new

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SHIFT+CONTROL {{ SHE HUSTLES TALKS} } “Being an Entrepreneur and having a family is definitely a daily struggle to find balance.”

and knowing that the services I provide are appreciated, needed and well done. When you love what you do it shows!

Tell us a little about your business, Van Dyke Norris Cleaning, and how you came up with such a unique name.

The name “Van Dyke Norris” came from my father and mother, Richard Van Dyke and Linda Norris. I wanted to pay homage to both my parents because of them it’s who I am today.

Both names are very dominate, Van Dyke is my maiden name.

How has being an entrepreneur affected your family life, especially during Covid-19?

Being an Entrepreneur and having a family is definitely a daily struggle to find balance. I manage all of my clients’ appointments around my children’s sport schedules, but since COVID-19 all sports were cancelled.

It has been bitter-sweet, however, it has given me more time to spend with my sons and to teach them the importance of having a Plan A, B, and C in life, to re-think their direction for college and their careers.

We became closer as a family, I sat them down and talked with them about looking into trades, and the importance of having an emergency fund and a savings account.

6. How do you build a successful customer base and what do you look for in a customer?

I have built my customer base by word-of-mouth. That is the best 108

marketing tool out there. I have been very fortunate to provide services for really great people who have become like family. The outpouring of trust and support from my customers allow me to sustain and build my business I would not be where I am without them!

What was your key driving force to become a female entrepreneur?

My key driving force for becoming an Entrepreneur was my father. He has been pushing me since I was young, in my early 20’s. The thought of having my own business was farfetched to me.

What motivates you?

My motivation is Failure!! I’ve done that once, been at the bottom, and I don’t like that feeling. I remind myself everyday who I am doing this for. I am now setting an example for my sons that poverty does not have to be acceptable within the black family – I am doing this for generations after me.

How do you generate new ideas?

Ideas come to me naturally. I see a need and challenge myself for a resolution then I research how to do it. I’m up late, like most entrepreneurs our brains never turn off.

What is your greatest fear, and how do you manage fear?

My greatest fear is not leaving my children a legacy. Again, I want my children to see that hard work, dedication and accountability will pay off. So, I hustle hard and live up to

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my parents’ name, expectations and everything my parents stand for. I manage it by being the best woman I can be and taking accountability.

Who has been your greatest inspiration?

I am fortunate to have Dr. Shanelle Benson Reid as a friend - she is the sister I never had. She has inspired me that there is no limit to what I can accomplish with hard work and dedication. She has encouraged me, given me advice and direction. Her leadership, her focus on wellness and her support for women is phenomenal.

Where do you see yourself in 2021?

What about your 3-year goal?

In 2021 I see myself growing my business and expanding the services that I can provide for commercial and residential clients. My 3-year goal is to grow my employee base and collaborate with other women-owned businesses to provide opportunities that will help and serve others in the community.

Tell our audience one thing they may not know about you.

I went completely broke. Filed for bankruptcy and still persevered. If it’s in you and you want to succeed, you will find a way and just do it. I did it scared. I did it broke. Whatever you want to do just do it. You will learn a lot along the way. Don’t give up.

Surround yourself with winners, the right people and you will succeed!!

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E’TIANA LARKIN PHOTOS BY KAMERON ASHFORD

Who is E’Tiana Larkin? Tell us a little about yourself, where you are from, and your background.

Wow thats’ a loaded question. But E’Tiana Larkin is a mother of 2- daughter E’Lasia (19) and son Na’Sean (14). I was born and raised in Rochester, NY and I now reside in the Beechwood area. My undergraduate and graduate degrees are in Business Administration and I am finishing up a second Masters in Educational Leadership and Supervision.

Professionally, I am the Director of Bethany House, a homeless shelter for women and children. I am also a co-host on the radio show called the 5eight5 Report on 100.9 WXIR FM, where we interview business owners and discuss what’s going on around Rochester through constructive conversations.

It’s a fun show where I get to let my hair down a little bit.

How did the idea for your business come about?

For years I have been helping others with their businesses or projects, helping their dreams to come to fruition. People would call on me because of my strong work ethic and my reliability. I decided in 2020 that I was not going to take on any more projects unless they were my own. Then I decided if I was going to help someone with a project that I wanted to be compensated for my time.

Initially, Client-Centered Consulting was supposed to be a partnership, but my partner didn’t have the time to dedicate to the business which is totally understandable. Although I

and I expressed that I wanted to start a consulting business but I didn’t want to do it alone. My hairdresser convinced me at that moment to make it happen.

Ranya told me that there was a huge need for my business in our community and it would be great to see a person of color at the helm.

What was your key driving force to become an entrepreneur?

I love helping people. All of the positions that I have held professionally have involved helping others. ClientCentered Consulting is no different. I want to help people start their business, present a professional credible image and help them to generate more revenue.

How did you come up with the name for your company?

I want my clients to know that when they enter a contract with me, the focus is centered on them. By modeling this, in turn they will learn to provide better customer service to their clients.

was discouraged, I didn’t completely give up on the idea. One day over the summer getting my hair done, my hairdresser, Ranya and I started talking about her journey to entrepreneurship

Do you have any advice for other females wanting to jump into being a female entrepreneur?

Take your time. Don’t rush into a business venture just to be labeled an entrepreneur. Make sure all your business paperwork is complete, if not come see me (shameless plug). Also, make sure

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{ SHE HUSTLES TALKS } “I am also a co-host on the radio show called the 5eight5 Report on 100.9 WXIR FM, where we interview business owners and discuss what’s going on around Rochester through constructive conversations.”

the image you’re presenting to the world is something you’re proud of.

I don’t think I would have even cared about pursuing a higher education.

What has been your biggest challenge in 2020?

Taking the leap into business on my own has been my biggest challenge of 2020. I really desired to go into business with a partner but life had very different plans for me. I went back and forth creating fears that I’ve never had when starting a new endeavor. I began talking myself out of pursuing it, instead of hyping myself up to start the business. Once I decided to move forward, I made January my launch date and I announced it on my radio show which made it even more real. Once I announced my launch date, all the challenges and fears went to the back burner and I began to move quickly in the process.

How do you generate new ideas?

I generate new ideas by reading books, following people who are influential in the consulting field on social media

What motivates you?

I’m very self-motivated. If I want to accomplish something and I feel passionate enough about it, I am going to do it.

Also, my children have been a big source of motivation for me. As a teenage mother who had two children by 21, I knew I couldn’t make excuses for the poor decisions I was making. I then decided to go back to college to provide a better life for them and when I obtained my first degree, I then went on to get my masters. If it were not for my children,

There were things that my name was attached to that I knew moving forward, I couldn’t be a part of because of my business. When deciding to start a business, I also had to make sure my radio show content aligned with the image I want to portray to my potential clients.

What do you know now that you didn’t know a year ago?

The actual amount of money involved in starting a business.

There are lots of fees that are involved in building a business and a substantial amount of money that you have to put into advertising and promotion but I believe everything that I have invested in is well worth it.

platforms, bouncing ideas off of my friends and family members and also listening to the needs of business owners.

Did you have any ‘a-ha!’ moments that made you rethink your being a business owner?

What was the biggest obstacle you faced, and how did you overcome it?

I was my biggest obstacle. My first thought was about the support of people that mean the most to me. But I quickly overcame it. My business is not for individuals that don’t have faith in me or support me. It’s for the individuals who have a great idea but aren’t sure of how to execute the process.

What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

- Confidence because there will be some people who may only know the old you, pre-entrepreneurship. They haven’t met

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{{ SHE HUSTLES TALKS} } SHIFT+CONTROL “I want my clients to know that when they enter a contract with me, the focus is centered on them.”

the person that felt brave and confident enough to pursue entrepreneurship and sometimes you have to respectfully flex on those individuals.

- Professionalism because with some customers you have only one opportunity to make a great impression.

- Impeccable customer service- News of good customer service travels fast, but news of bad customer service travels faster and often goes viral. That’s why it’s important to go above the call of duty and in turn you’ll receive good reviews and retain your customers.

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Are there any resources or even advice that have really helped you on your journey?

The time I spent there has molded me into a very strong leader and added so much to my leadership toolbelt.

Social media specifically- instagram, youtube have been great tools that have helped to generate ideas. Also people close to me have been great sounding boards and have provided me with useful feedback during my journey.

Where do you see yourself in 1 year, 3 years and 5 years from now?

1 year- having the need to hire additional employees

What do you think your unique skill(s) is that has helped you become successful?

I am new to having my own business but what I believe will help me to be successful and maintain longevity is my 15 years I spent working for Wegmans.

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3 years- working with individuals in different states 5 years- being recognized for the work that is being done on behalf of small business owners and taking on clients in mid-size and large business.

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MIRACLES LABELLA BOUTIQUE Tell us about Miracles Labella Boutique and how it got started.

Launched in 2021, Miracle’s La Bella Boutique flourished from the youngest face of the company, my daughter Miss Miracle Marie, and as we call her, “La Bella” meaning beautiful representing her Italian genetics.

How did the idea for your business come about?

I have always wanted to be a business owner and own a clothing store or boutique.

As a teenager my mother and her ex-boyfriend had a local urban store called “Cuse fashions.”So, I guess you can say it is in my blood.

I was just a baby. My grandmother and Grandfather owned a car wash “Fayette Auto Wash” in Syracuse, NY which now my Great Uncle John owns and operates. So truthfully being an entrepreneur is in my DNA. What makes you “hustle”?

My daughter makes me hustle.

knowing storms do not last forever.

What is most important to you and why at this point in your life?

I will be 34 soon and leaving generational wealth for my daughter, or my future children is important to me. Tomorrow is not promised, so I try to make every day count.

At this age I am more focused than ever.

What keeps you up at night?

Researching, and the eagerness of learning new information and when my creative juices are flowing it is hard for me to halt my thoughts. So, that’s what keeps me up at night.

What is your favorite part of doing what you do?

Shopping, I love shopping.

Putting together looks and just being able to be creative with my own ideas.

How has being an entrepreneur affected your family life?

Right now, just trying to stay focused on building my brand and a stable foundation for my family sometimes requires sleepless nights. But, I cannot say its affected us to much just yet.

Knowing I have a toddler daughter looking up to me, I need her to know she can accomplish anything she puts her mind to as well as she can have anything she desires.

What was your key driving force to become a female entrepreneur?

My key driven force is coming from a family of entrepreneurs. My great grandmother owned a neighborhood convenience store called “Woods Street Market” in Muskegon Michigan when

How do you push through your worst times?

I pray, I cry, and call and vent to my mother. She is my best friend. But when I look at my daughter I realize losing, or failure is not an option and then I push through those moments

What are the daily challenges you face as a female entrepreneur, and black woman owned business?

I am not a competitive individual, but there are people who may be intimated by my presence, or the way that I can blend within any environment. It then brings about uncomfortable challenges. Another challenge is some people may not take me seriously, so I have to stand firm on my words and confidence.

How do you defy social expectations, especially during the pandemic?

For me social expectations during the pandemic are being active and positively engaging. Building relationships and networking on social media like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc.

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HUSTLES TALKS } } } { {IN HER OWN WORDS { SHE SHIFT+CONTROL “My daughter makes me hustle. Knowing I have a toddler daughter looking up to me.

I need her to know she can accomplish anything she puts her mind to as well as she can have anything she desires”

What is your favorite fashion accessory and why?

I could not just choose one favorite fashion. LOL. I love shoes and I love me a nice purse. Both set the tone for your outfit. #13 What is your main goal for 2021? My main goal for 2021 is to Pray, stay focused and watch all my manifestations come

true. #14 What is your “must have” fashion item of the year? My must have fashion item of the year is outerwear.

Must have a nice outerwear jacket/ coat. My favorite coat right now is the ‘’ Color me” coat on my website.

Check it out at www.Miracleslabella. com. #15 Tell us one piece of advice you would give to someone starting

their own business in 2021.

Be yourself, do your research, don’t rush the process and never be afraid to ask for help if its needed and keep your faith.

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“I have always wanted to be a business owner and own a clothing store or boutique. As a teenager my mother and her ex-boyfriend had a local urban store called “Cuse fashions.”

{{ { SHE HUSTLES SHE HUSTLES TALKS TALKS }}} SHIFT+CONTROL “Researching, the eagerness of learning new information and when my creative juices are flowing it is hard for me to halt my thoughts so that’s what keeps me up at night.“

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BRINGING YOUR VI TO LIFE!

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ISIONS

* BALLOON DECOR FOR ANY OCCASION (BIRTHDAYS, GRAND OPENING, EVENTS, GENDER REVEALS WEDDINGS AND MORE!) * CUSTOMIZED ITEMS & DECOR WITH YOUR LOGO * YOU THINK IT, WE CAN CUSTOMIZE IT

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CHRISTINE GRANDIN PHOTOS BY MICHELE ASHLEE

My name is Christine Grandin and I am the founder, creator and owner of Creations by Cutting Corners and Unapologetically Authentic.

Our mission is to empower others by providing a platform for self-expression through creativity. I absolutely love bringing our customers visions to life! We provide customization to a wide variety of products, including but not limited to, business branding, apparel, custom balloons and event décor.

power of positivity. My mother was not taught these things, and the cycle continued. She was a single mother of four children and she did the best she knew how for the place she was at in

There is no such thing as a perfect mother, perfection is merely an illusion. However, I do the best I know how and hope that my son will take the things I instill in him and become a better man in the future.

When I started this business, my goal was to empower as many people as possible and I created the Unapologetically Authentic clothing line to do just that. I want to inspire others to break toxic generational cycles, to heal from any trauma they may have endured, and to stand up for what they believe. Even if they are standing alone... they can be unapologetically authentic!

I myself spent far too many years of my life living in the shadows of the opinion of others, not being true to myself. This caused me to be at war within myself, never being able to find inner peace.

It is crucial that we are taught to practice self-love, the importance of good mental and emotional heath, the importance of inner peace, and the 132

For years I held on to anger toward my mother. It wasn’t until I realized that she too was not at peace within herself and was fighting her own demons that I gained a level of acceptance for things that took place. It wasn’t until I became pregnant with my now 10-year-old son, that I knew I needed to begin the healing process.

her life. I made a lot of poor choices in my life as an adult, which stemmed from my childhood trauma.

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One thing I teach my son of great importance is to never maintain relationships out of obligation. Over the past couple years I have removed people from my life that meant the world to me, but the relationships were filled with toxicity. When it comes to unhealthy relationships, we cannot make excuses nor exceptions because someone is family, we have a history, or even because we love them. I stayed in a toxic relationship with my son’s father because I loved him and wanted to provide a family for my son.

I completely lost myself in the process of loving him. I knew I was unhappy, but I felt that I owed it to my son to try and make it work, even through years of him being

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{{{ SHE HUSTLES SHIFT+CONTROL SHE HUSTLES TALKS TALKS} }} “When I started this business, my goal was to empower as many people as possible, I created an Unapologetically Authentic clothing line to do just that.”

incarcerated. One day I had enough of feeling alone in his presence, of settling for unhappiness, of being put in a position to love him or love myself because both were not an option. I chose myself and it was the best thing I could have done.

I grew up without a father and I had a misconception that my son having his parents together was the most important thing. I was wrong, my son seeing his mother happy and loving herself is far more important. I made several mistakes maintaining unhealthy relationships 136

with my spouse, friends and family. I cannot be the best version of myself for my son and I if I am entertaining relationships that cost me my peace.

I literally lost everything by investing myself into the wrong relationship. I was already recovering from a shoulder injury that cost me my job,. I crashed my truck because I was in such a dark place. I lost my home because I made poor financial decisions instead of investing my dream because this man didn’t believe in my vision nor to support me. I loved him when I ended the

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relationship, but I no longer had any respect for him. I was heartbroken from spending years of my life in a position that deep down I knew I could never bring me happiness. I was even more heartbroken because my poor choices caused my son to suffer from pain. I realized during my healing process that our relationship was based on co-dependency. Two hurt people in desperate need of recovering from trauma and needing to learn how to truly love themselves. I do not hold anger toward anyone, we are all dealing with our own issues. I wish peace

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{{{ SHE HUSTLES SHE HUSTLES TALKS TALKS} }} SHIFT+CONTROL “I became an entrepreneur for two reasons, to empower others, and to provide a better life for my son. He is my motivation, my greatest accomplishment, my pride and joy! ”

and healing on everyone I removed from my life.

Gaining inner peace and becoming Unapologetically Authentic has been a long, hard road for me. But, I am finally here living for myself, having true inner peace, fully loving myself and embracing each season as it comes.

I became an entrepreneur for two reasons: to empower others, and to provide a better life for my son. He is my motivation, my greatest accomplishment, my pride and joy!

Not only do I want to secure a better financial future for him, but he is coming on this journey with me. He has seen me care for my grandmother, work as a nursing assistant, provide home care, and now he sees me pursuing my dream of helping empower others. He is so very compassionate, has such a huge heart, and he tells me that it is because of me. Throughout all the pain and sacrifice I endured in my life, watching him grow into such an amazing young man makes everything worth it!

I have shared a piece of my story in hopes to encourage others to begin their journey of becoming Unapologetically Authentic. I restarted my life, I have a new place, new job, new connections with amazing people, except this time I fully love myself, know my worth, and I am pursing my dream of empowering

monthly Unapologetically Authentic column here in Rochester Woman Online.

I will be discussing a wide range of topics all based on empowerment and evolution. This is just the beginning of the journey for Creations by Cutting Corners!

You can also catch me with my Unapologetically Authentic fashions rocking the runway at the RWO’s Ultimate Women Entrepreneurs Expo & Fashion show being held on Saturday, April 24th 2021 at the Greece Ridge Mall in Rochester, NY. I am so excited to have my designs shown for the first time ever and be absolutely Unapologetically Authentic! Hope you will come check us out.

others! Regardless of what you have been through or what position you may currently be in, it is never too late to build a beautiful life and follow your dreams!

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BE YOURSELF. NURTURE YOUR S BE UNAPOLOGETICALLY AUTHE

CONTACT CHRISTINE GRANDIN AT CREATIONSBYCUTTINGCORNERS@GMAIL.COM 585-481-9865 142

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* ONE OF A

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SOUL. ENTIC!

KIND CUSTOM OUTFITS AND ACCESSORIES FOR WOMEN, MEN & CHILDREN * SHOP THE PERFECT LOOK JUST FOR YOU CENTRAL NY WOMAN ONLINE :: JANUARY/FEBRUARY EDITION 2021

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DIVINE WHIFFS

BY LTARRI MEEKS

Tell our audience a little bit about yourself. Where are you from?

My name is Tarri Meeks, pronounced Tarry. I am 30 years old. I was born and raised in Rochester N.Y in March of 1990. I am a true Pisces. I am Compassionate, Thoughtful and creative.

I am an entrepreneur and soon to be nurse. Above all things I am a Mother to my beautiful girl Khimora. I am the youngest of 5 siblings. My favorite color is purple and my favorite things to do is spend time with my daughter, read and watch true crime television.

hang of things. I don’t recommend anyone to do that by the way because I ended up spending a lot of money on the wrong materials lol but it was all a learning process for me.

Over the course of the next couple weeks, I started making candles for myself. Soon after I started gifting

When did you start your business and why?

Divine Whiffs is a home based and online Candle Company which started in July of 2019. It was started off as a hobby to make my own candles to gift to family and friends, but then turned into a business. I decided to turn Divine Whiffs into a business to help make extra money while in nursing school.

How did you come up with the idea and how did you start your business?

It started one day when I was in Walmart walking in down the candle isle browsing the candles. I was getting ready to purchase some of the yankee candles and instantly the idea popped in my head that I could make my own. I wasted no time and soon as I got home, I watched a couple videos on YouTube and make a big order of supplies. It happened so fast because when I put my mind to something, I go all in even without full knowledge because I know ill eventually get the

that what the start of Divine Whiffs.

What made you become a female entrepreneur?

I wanted to become a female entrepreneur to be able to set my own rules. I wanted to be flexible and have the freedom to work on my own schedule while making money doing things I love. I later realized it was important to give my daughter something to look up so one day she could be her own boss if that is what she desires.

What do you feel are 3 things that make you hustle?

I hustle to have financial freedom to be able to afford things I want and need. I hustle so I can pay off debt and build generational wealth for my daughter and children to come and I hustle because I love not asking people for a handout.

candles to family and friends. Once I started getting good feedback, I decided to start posting about them on my social media. When that happened, I had people reaching out to me to purchases candles. I said to myself, if more people start inquiring about candles I’m going to turn this hobby into a business. That happened quite quickly so I decided to get my dba and candle insurance and

Who are your target customers?

My target customers are women because they have a higher percentage for purchasing candles. These women would be over the age of 30, because they are normally in their own apartments or houses, who love buying candles to keep their homes smelling good. They are mother daughter, sister and friend because they like to gift other candles.

How do you market your business, and which tactics have been most successful, especially during a pandemic?

I have targeted my business utilizing paid

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{{ SHE SHIFT+CONTROL HUSTLES TALKS} } “Divine Whiffs is a home based and online Candle Company which started in July of 2019.”

ads on Facebook, Instagram, influencers and google. I found using social media especially, sharing my work was a great way to get attention to my business. When I post and others shares my helps gets my business name out there even more.

It’s helpful to post constantly and ask others to share because everyone have different followings and are in different locations which is beneficial. These tactics worked great for me especially during the pandemic because more people are home and just browsing the internet.

What do you love about what you do?

I love that I can put a smile on my customers face just with the whiff of my candles. It is always a rewarding feeling when a customer tells me how much they love my products and repeat shop with me. Its heart warming to know that they can shop anywhere else but decide to support my business. I also love interactions I get with everyone. Iv met so many great people since I started and created great relations because of my products.

If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?

Honestly feel like I am just getting started in my career. Iv had many jobs that I was unhappy at and becoming a nurse and entrepreneur is all I ever wanted to do. This will be a great question for me to respond to in about a year.

Who has been your greatest inspiration?

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My greatest inspiration comes from many different people, friends, brothers, uncles and cousins, but I would say the one who has inspired me the most is my older sister. I have watched her from a young age work hard and take on the responsibility to care for me even at her young age. I have watched her come out of some tuff situations with her head held high and remain positive and inspirational. It is her positive outlook on life that helps me to see the light at the end of the tunnel and I am forever grateful for her love and support in all things that I do.

If you were to write a book about yourself, how would you name it?

If I were to write a book I would title is “Her Moments of Silent Introspection” I think that title would explain perfectly how i had to look inside myself to gain the confidence I have today. Growing up shy and introverted I was always unsure of myself and my feelings. I never was sure what I wanted to do or how I would to do. I lacked confidence in myself and I was never able to reach my full potential in anything I did because of it. One day I decided I would allow myself some alone time to sit down and write in my journal.

I start by reflecting on myself and my feelings. I would write questions or say to myself how or what can I do differently tomorrow? I also incorporated meditation because it is so relaxing and healthy for the soul. This self-reflection journey did not happen overnight it’s taken me

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years and I’m still doing it, but it has helped me be a better me and to achieve my goals, which I couldn’t have done without doing it.

What do you think others would say makes you a lady boss?

I think others would say I am a boss lady because I get stuff done. I do not make excuses or complain. I am always looking and finding new ways to get to the bag. They would say she is independent, ambitious and works hard every day.

Where do you see yourself in 2021?

In 2021 I see myself continuing my grind and making major moves. I see myself growing in my nursing career and growing as a businesswoman. I hope to move up to the next level with my business and open a physical location. Overall, I see myself in better in position finically, mentally, emotionally and physically.

DIVINE WHIFFS HAND POURED CANDLES

20% Off Online

Candles, Refresh Spray, Melts, & Incense

www.divinewhiffs.com

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FACE FORWARD

BY JODI SHAFFER

FACE FORWARD WITH WELLNESS YOU CAN WEAR! Many of the usual aspirations of New Year resolutions were left unwritten; the significance of the tradition outweighed by feelings of uncertainty. As we move forward, change has never been more important, or felt more difficult. 2020 made all of us reevaluate what truly mattered, but this year we are more prepared than ever for what the future holds in store.

“I was inspired by ways people came together while the World seemed to be falling apart.” Jodi Shaffer, owner of FaceForward LLC, passionately reflects on her decision to take action as she prepares to launch a unique line of wellness-enhancing apparel.

She encourages others to remain hopeful by emphasizing: “Right now is the time to go big! We are already at home!”

This local Entrepreneur openly shares her personal struggle to accept making the decision to quit her full-time job to care for her two year old daughter, Olivia during the first months of the Pandemic. As the year progressed; stress began piling up faster than the laundry, “Too many people were met with the dilemma of choosing between money, health, or family. I suddenly realized how consumed I had become with my daily responsibilities,” she comments.

Jodi acknowledged that being raised by

parents in the Education system greatly contributed to her independent way of thinking. She always naturally excelled academically and musically, but admitted that she often felt misunderstood because of her inability to commit to a specific direction. However, with failure becoming an inevitable experience, the consequences of taking a risk were small compared to the dangers many people were willing to face in order to help others. After

years of putting pressure on herself to follow the correct steps to success, Jodi found herself starting her own business; motivated by the fact that perfection was no longer mandated. “I refuse to pay the cost of living with my life!”

Finding new ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle can be overwhelming with many popular wellness products unavailable, fitness centers closing, and doctors visits being limited. Jodi mentions her surprise

upon finding that many people in her life were unaware of the natural remedies that she had been taught from childhood when she began sharing her knowledge of natural herbs that can be effective to prevent sickness and strengthen the Immune system. She also began to sew masks out of extra fabric as the mask supply became more limited.

She described the discomfort of working in high temperatures as the face masks would collect debris from the air and mix with sweat causing her to repeatedly lose eyelashes and eyebrows. Referred to in their family as “itchy mermaid skin,” Jodi describes adjusting to living with Ichthyosis Vulgaris; the genetic skin condition her daughter was born with. This condition affects the skins’ ability to shed its outer layers; causing inflammation and discomfort by forming large patches of dry- flaking skin.

Managing her daughter’s s y m p t o m s re q u i re s maintaining a dedicated skin care regimen that includes regular application of a prescription Corticosteroid cream. “I tried every product on the market searching for anything that would help, but nothing seemed to make a difference. It took a year of trial and error before she was even diagnosed by a Dermatologist.”

Even with quick integration of extra safety precautions, she expressed growing frustration at the lack of attention being

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{{ SHE SHE HUSTLES HUSTLES TALKS TALKS }} “A dream without a plan is just a wish! A lifestyle change takes time, consistency, and daily practice for lasting results.”

given to the long term effects that could result. “There were so many people around me losing everything, that care was becoming a luxury that nobody could afford.”

Less than a year after making the decision to change her life, Jodi proudly introduces the concept of “wellness you can wear;” a creative line of sustainable clothing made from a natural fabric blend containing Active Seaweed and the mineral Zinc. By applying modern advances in Science,

Medicine, and Technology, she delivers a simple way to soothe skin, prevent odor, reduce Bacteria, block free radicals, and even provide Sun protection! She smiles, recalling her unusual methods for breaking into what she now realizes to be extremely competitive and involved industries. “I called manufacturing companies in different countries and asked questions until I managed to acquire a complete supply chain for production.”

When changing clothes becomes too much to manage, changing the world will have to wait. Are you are ready to empower yourself with a simple way to face forward? Increase health. Inspire care. Improve the Planet.

Learn more about the upcoming launch of Wellness you can wear at www. faceforwardllc.com.

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BOUJEE BOOS LUXURY Who is “BlacDiva”...Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Majestic Dismute, I am a 28 year old black female entrepreneur, who loves fashion. I have four children two boys and two girls. I have been married to my best friend Nicholas Dismute for four years. I lived in Warren, Ar. Best known as “Lumberjack Town”. But, I, grew up in Johnsville, Ar. Many people call it the sticks. Im just a small time country girl who grew up on a farm, calling the cows back in the pasture with my mawmaw. My parents are Wayne and Hajime White. I have five sisters I am the oldest.

It’s six of us in all. Many know us as The White Sisters or some may say there go Them Singing Girls. Lol But in all I’m just a fun, loving, four wheeler riding country girl.

What made you decide to start BoujeeBoos Luxury?

I have a friend her name is Shanae Ware, she actually gave me the name Boujee Boo. Whenever I would get my hair done and lashes did she would say look at you Boujee Boo. So she was actually my inspiration behind the name. Not only was she my inspiration, I also wanted to bring something different to the table. I have always been in love fashion and I finally found the opportunity to dive right in. My passion has been wanting to find clothing for plus size women. Especially luxury items.

You will always see small and medium size women with nice clothes and never a plus size woman with luxury items.

So my dream has always been wanting

to have a boutique were I can serve all types of women.

What is your favorite part of doing what you do?

I would say my favorite part is seeing a smile on someone’s face. Even though my items are inspired I still love to see someone smile just knowing that they

How do you market your business, and which tactics have been most successful, especially during a pandemic?

So how I market my business, I go onto different social media. Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and my website www. boujeeboosluxuryllc.com. I would have to say with me marketing on Facebook it has actually worked for me. I actually got my first two sales from Facebook, which I was very excited about. As far as the pandemic it has actually blessed me to were I can sit down and think about my business and my plans for my business.

Has being an entrepreneur and owning your own business affected your family/personal life?

No it has actually improved me and my family life. My husband helped me to launch my business which I am forever grateful for. I can’t thank him enough for helping and investing in me. Because if it wasn’t for him I probably wouldn’t have been able to launch so early.

purchase something with great quality.

Tell us a little about your business.

My business consist of inspired handbags, clothing of all sorts of styles. I even have some beautiful shoes. Such as Louis Vuitton, Prada, Chanel, etc. We also have eyelashes, lipgloss, and soon to have lipsticks of all shades. I want my boutique to be a one stop shop.

What was your key driving force to become a female entrepreneur?

My children I want them to have something when I leave this earth. I don’t want them to struggle for nothing.

I don’t want them to have to ever ask for anything. I want to show them that they can have a business of their own without being told they can’t. Like my mom said “if you think you can’t then you can’t. But if you have that mindset of you can then you can.”

How do you define success?

Success is when you can tell your family

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“My passion has been wanting to find clothing for plus size women. Especially luxury items. You will always see small and medium size women with nice clothes and never a plus size woman with luxury items.�

{{{ SHE HUSTLES SHIFT+CONTROL SHE HUSTLES TALKS TALKS} }} “Whenever I would get my hair done and lashes did she would say look at you Boujee Boo. So she was actually my inspiration behind the name.”

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we are going to be alright. Success is telling your husband you can quit your job we will be okay. Success is telling your mom and dad here is you a plane ticket you can go anywhere you desire it’s on me. That is success to me.

What has been your most satisfying moment in business?

Getting my first order and talking to other women on how they became successful and just having motivating people in my life.

Do you believe there is some sort of pattern or formula to becoming a successful entrepreneur?

I believe if you are determined, motivated and driven you will be successful. You are the formula and the pattern.

How do you build a successful customer base?

I talk with my customers I like to get their point of view of what type of fashion they are looking for, I love to listen. Once you tell me I will deliver.

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I want you to have trust within me.

Tell our audience one thing they may not know about you.

You may not believe it but I use to work in an all male prison. So imagine this 5’2 person not afraid of anything. And you have these men that are 6’0 and over. Literally looking down at you. I would tell them all the time “ David wasn’t never scared of Goliath.”

Shop her at boujeeboosluxuryllc.com

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THE PACE OF GRACE

R

BY TETIA TORRES

FROM WEEPING TO WALKING Thus says the LORD: “Refrain your voice from weeping, And your eyes from tears; For your work shall be rewarded, says the LORD, And they shall come back from the land of the enemy.

Purpose takes us from lost to aligned with God’s purpose and vision for our lives. When we have no purpose, we tend to wander through life setting empty goals that produce very little fulfillment.

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We must be ready to do the things that are required of us when it comes to hitting the bullseye of purpose. We must be willing to submit to God, serve others, and have an open heart to receive his promises.

God has a plan and purpose for each of us the moment we are conceived. He created each of us to accomplish his ultimate mission. When we come to this revelation, He turns our sadness into laughter, our pain into joy, and our failure into victory. We go from weeping to walking.

In my early years of mentoring, I quickly learned that a lot of young women, and people in general, haven’t discovered their true purpose. I was most surprised by the number of women who were moving through life with intent, yet still unsure of their purpose. Not only that, I learned that some who knew their purpose had not yet uncovered the calling on their lives. A few knew both their purpose and calling, but were still trying to figure out what it all meant.

I’ve come to understand that navigating life with intent leads to a discovery process which I call “the unfolding of purpose,” which then leads us to everything meaningful in life. Purpose is not something you find or stumble upon. It’s an unveiling of God’s truth, a revealing of the gifts that He has equipped you with from the time of conception. It’s a moment of clarity that makes sense of your life and more importantly, explains why you’re here.

It’s God’s way of revealing your journey towards destiny.

the goal. The goal lacked substance.

Without purpose, we set superficial goals that produce a temporary high or state of happiness that in the end, leaves us feeling emptier than before.

Why? Simply put: because there was absolutely no defined purpose behind

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Essentially, your purpose is what you were created to do.

It’s the reason you’re here. It’s an explanation as to why God created you. Jeremiah reminds us that God has a plan for our lives; His plans include giving us hope and a future, a plan to prosper, and to cause us no harm.

Discovering purpose is like seeing yourself, the real you, for the first time. It’s a discovery process that takes us on a lifelong journey.

Perhaps my friend Ashali summed it up best: “Purpose is knowing and understanding where my piece of the puzzle fits into the big picture. We each have our piece, and when we put all the pieces together, it creates a beautiful product.

On the other hand, if a puzzle piece is placed upside down or in the wrong spot, it yields an incomplete work of art. The puzzle can end up with too

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SHIFT+CONTROL {{SHE HUSTLES TALKS }} “I was most surprised by the number of women who were moving through life with intent, yet still unsure of their purpose.”

many pieces in some places or pieces that are scattered all over the place. But if we put each piece where it belongs and understand where and how our piece fits into the bigger picture--- when done correctly, we create a masterpiece.”

That’s what purpose is. It’s your place in the world in terms of what you were created to do.

One of a kind, and designed to shine.

Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we are His masterpiece , a work of outstanding artistry and workmanship. Not only are we His masterpiece, but He also created us in His image, and we’re fearfully and wonderfully made. If you look up the word “fearfully,” one of the many definitions is “exceptional.” So, when we say we are fearfully made, it means we are an exceptional creation. Every detail – from your hair color, your complexion, the texture of your hair, and even the sound of your voice – was meticulously designed, which means you are exceptional and extraordinary in every area! Whatever insecurities may be holding you back from becoming all that you were designed to be, know this: you already have everything you need on the inside to reach your purpose.

You are enough.

“Wonderfully” is defined as “in a way that inspires delight or admiration; extremely well.” Perhaps this suggests that you were created to be the light of the world—created to inspire and designed to shine! You are the apple of your Father’s eye. A created being that makes Him admire His work and say to Himself, “It is well, this is good.” We must not forget that we serve a God 168

who is detailed in everything He does.

Everything on earth was created with a purpose. He has meticulously designed your traits to reflect Him and His glory.

He is the ultimate creator, and we are His creation. He knew us before the foundations of the earth, before we entered our mother’s womb.

He is the potter and you are the clay— You are His masterpiece, Psalm 139:14 Me2U Coaching: Discovering Purpose The pandemic has caused many of us to get still and reflect on many aspects of our lives. Life as we knew it would

you answer it without using your name, gender, age, marital/parental status, or occupation? Answering this question allows us to get to the core of who we truly are and our true identity.

What’s your story?

Pay attention to the cycles in your life.

Everyone’s life has a pattern and is found in your life’s story. Take some time and write your story. Reflect on the moments that changed you, caused you to tap into your inner strengths, and taught you some of your most valuable lessons.

What are you passionate about?

What is your “why” in life?

What do you dream about?

What ignites you?

What inspires you?

Your passions ignite your ‘why’; your purpose gives it meaning. Your passion is the spark that inspires you to get going; your purpose fans the fire and keeps it burning through the night.

pause, allowing some to rediscover passions and thrust some of us into our purpose. However, this would not happen for everyone- and I found myself having several conversations on purpose and how we discover it.

So let’s have a brief coaching session.

Over the next few days, ask yourself the following self-discovery questions and record them in a journal.

Who are you?

If I were to ask you this question, could

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These are the questions we must ask ourselves if we want to discover our purpose in life. Finding our purpose is a life-long journey and a never-ending process. As we grow and evolve in life, so will our purpose.

We each have our path in life, and if we allow God to lead us, He will never take us to a place where there is no grace. As we lean into our process, we find our stride in life. We understand our place in the world and how we contribute to life’s greater purpose. We come into a space of understanding and tap into authentic power as we walk at The Pace of Grace.

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If you have the desire to live a life of intentionality I highly recommend you get this workbook. Life is too short to be a part of the walking dead. This guide assist you in finding your purpose so you can LIVE! ~Vonceial JesstinaDallas, TX

COMING SOON! The Pace of Grace Vision Planning & Goal Mapping is a self-discovery workbook that was created to inspire individuals to discover their purpose & higher self; to understand their calling & to walk into their destiny.

This workbook is to serve as a self-discovery coaching tool and resource. To walk you through a journey of faith and discovery.

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OUR FOCUS IS ON FINE ART INTIMATE PORTRAIT LEPOREDESIGNS.COM I SA

PHOTOGRAPHY THAT IS OPEN TO ALL GENDERS. ALES@LEPOREDESIGNS.COM

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“PROSPERING IN THE PANDEMIC”

BY TALENA SKYE

Hello, I pray the new year brought good health and love to you! Welcome to the first edition of “Truth Tea.” Are you an entrepreneur trying to flourish in a dark and dis‐ mal environment?

Does feelings of doubt and unbelief in your dreams seem to plague your every thought? Have you worked hard on your goals and businesses only to have your efforts trampled upon by the elephants of the unknown?

Don’t despair because with God you can succeed! With the recent events plaguing our world today, businesses closing, and people losing jobs at enormous rates, you may wonder how can I survive and keep my faith through it all?

God’s word tells us to sow in famine.

Sounds crazy? The Word of God explains in Luke 6:38 that when you give it will be given unto you by good measure. How much more significant when you don’t have much and still decide on being a giver? If you take what you have that’s little and help another in need, your sowing in famine which will in turn cause you spiritually to receive God’s blessing in return. God honors giving on any level.

A pandemic is a famine. Famine means being void of an essential or essentials to sustain life. Many people who built their businesses and companies on seeds of hope and faith are now searching for answers to what’s next? We must keep our faith no matter what the outcome.

The enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy. He uses situations to discourage us and weaken our faith in God when things happen that we can’t explain. The one thing I’ve learned from my own experiences is that the quickest way to change your current situation is by getting your mind off yourself and thinking about how you can be a blessing to someone else. God can bless you even during a time when it looks like there could be no possible way to be blessed!

However, giving doesn’t always mean money. It could be anything that you have that may help another especially in your “own” time of need.

I emphasize own because when we operate in this way, we are operating in love instead of selfishness which sets the spiritual course of a harvest coming back to you. It’s the spiritual law of sowing and reaping. You never know how God will bless you when you operate selflessly. We live in a very selfish world today where people only

think of themselves and not others.

They often make decisions based on how it will benefit them but not really giving with an attitude of a giver from the heart. God sees the hidden motives of the heart. Our harvest will be given by the conditions of our hearts whether pure or impure.

Why not challenge yourself today, and reach within your heart to see how you can bless someone regardless of your own situ‐ ation and watch how God shows up and shows out for you!

Many times we say to ourselves “I have a lot on my plate, don’t have time to worry about anyone else!”

Listen, no one is saying to worry about anything. God is saying take me at my Word. In Mark 12:4144 talks about the widow’s mite. A story of a genuine heart of love and respect for your fellow man. A man of God came to visit the woman who was starving and was scarce of food. She had only a small portion to share with her child and she knew that after eating that last meal there would be nothing left.

She was a kind woman who began to offer her last meal for her guest, because she had nothing else to offer.

She knew that she and her child needed to eat and was tremendously hungry and could not afford to give away what little she had left. Instead, she gave it to her guest and because she chose to honor someone else in her time of gigantic need, God blessed her abundantly in return and she

{ TRUTH TEA WITH TALENA }SKYE } { SHIFT+CONTROL “The one thing I’ve learned from my own experiences is that the quickest way to change your current situation is by getting your mind off yourself and thinking about how you can be a blessing to someone else.”

and her child never starved again.

I truly love that story; it blesses me every time I hear it. Which is why I am sharing with you to encourage yourself to always be a cheerful giver from the heart. What would have happened if she gave grudgingly? Just doing it because she felt obligated, hating the fact that she gave what she needed for herself?

She wouldn’t have received the same harvest. Instead she humbly gave even though it was hard, and was blessed in return. God loves a cheerful giver-2 Corinthians 9:7. Sharing a bit of my testimony, I have had to apply the same principle in my life during the midst of the pandemic. When news hit that we would be on lockdown due to the Covid 19 situation, many concerns grew as I had to close my business and work from home.

That was a very hard decision to accept.

I just received a new partnership at a new location to help bring new children and families to a current business which was a wonderful opportunity for me as a early childhood teacher. Having to work from home providing kids classes online has been a challenge waiting for enrollment due to the uncertainty of the virtual class experience.

I prayed and asked God to show me what to do during this time of drought happening and waited patiently for His reply. During that time, a situation presented itself that needed my financial assistance and 174

without knowing what was around the corner financially for me, I was prompted to make a difference in that situation.

Now void of a significant amount of my savings I desperately needed, I remembered the widow’s mite.

Well, I knew the story but how many times we hear a message and when it’s staring us in the face to act on it, you start to question your motives and whether you heard from God. That questioning comes from the uncertainty of your future. You will know when you hear from God because whatever he tells you to do will align with His Word.

We should never allow ourselves to get in a place where we are giving place to anxiety, doubt or unbelief which are cousins of fear. I prayed and kept my mind on God’s Word and trusted Him in this situation because His Word says in Phillipians 4:19...”My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus” which helped to remove the uncertainty I felt. He showed me His goodness in that situation by opening the door to a wonderful opportunity to continue teaching online among many others during my time of great need.

When my mom died 4 years ago, I wrote a song as a tribute to her going home to be with the Lord. The song is titled “Mama” featuring my beautiful sister in Christ Bernadette “Be Cleare Allen ‘’ who lost her mom a year later and a day before mine.

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Discussing the mission for the song with “Be”, I remember us sharing our personal stories of grief and how we were affected by losing our moms. Realizing how God kept us and strengthened us through our struggle we found it in our hearts to help others with our story. The grief of believing someone will be with you for a time and having that snatched away unexpectedly can really mess you up if you don’t trust God for strength!

I remember her mentioning how she didn’t feel like singing as much when her mom passed and I had similar feelings of not going forward in my endeavors because I...we...were devastated by grief to say the least. I am so grateful for this project because it gave us new life and resurrected our fire to pursue the gifts God put in each of us.

I received a call recently that my song “Mama” that I submitted a year ago to a music campaign was selected and from that call, opened the door to com‐ plete the video for the song as well as another video, and an upcoming interview and magazine feature for my project.

Who’s shooting music videos in a pandemic? Lol!! I am so thankful for God’s goodness and mercy. God can do amazing things for you if you trust His Word to provide.

Don’t be discouraged by the recent world events. God will keep you in His care if you just hold on to your faith in Him.

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{ TRUTH TEA WITH TALENA }SKYE } { SHIFT+CONTROL “With the recent events plaguing our world today, businesses closing, and people losing jobs at enormous rates, you may wonder how can I survive and keep my faith through it all? ”

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Be Cleare Allen is doing some amazing things and has a new podcast and music project. Please check out my feature on her recent podcast “Episode 9” as I discuss the making of “Mama”.

Her new song titled “Her” is available now where music is sold. One of my favorite songs that will leave you teary eyed as well as encouraged, is “Midnight” many times I felt down that song lifted my spirit.

beautiful ministry and journey at www.becleareallen.com also check her out on Instagram @beclearallen

You can learn more about her

Looking for virtual infant music classes?

To learn more about my music journey, visit: www.talenaskye.org and follow me on Instagram @talenaskye Learn about my community literacy club and enrichment classes: www. reesiereaderandbookie.org

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Visit: www.cherese.kindermusik.com *Official Video-Mama-Talena Skye feat Be Cleare Allen video available now on YouTube filmed by Stephen Council @stephencouncil -Instagram Talena Skye photos by Eugene Hardin @35mmsee-Instgram

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VISIT: WWW.CHERESE.KINDERMUSIK.COM

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{ VOICES FOR IMPACT }

THE YEAR WE THRIVE

BY DANIELLE MENSING

With a new year brings new episodes of Voices For Impact. I write this article as we approach the New Year, and as I reflect on 2020 I think we can all agree that we have learned a lot about ourselves, our community and how we handle situations when faced with adversity. I started the Voices For Impact podcast in April and as I reflect back, the months have seemingly flown by even though the days passed slowly.

I have grown so much through this journey and it has only just begun. If I were to choose a 2020 theme that sums up all the episodes and conversations I had on Voices For Impact so far, the theme comes down to one word: Gratitude.

even the smallest things have helped me practice gratitude.

2020 helped many of us uncover grit we didn’t know we had and build resiliency where it was lacking. Businesses had to adapt quickly to this crisis in order to

Some have called 2020 a wash but I cannot look back on 2020 as just one awful year with nothing good coming out of it. If we learned something new, helped a stranger or a friend, achieved a goal, spend more time with family, live in the moment, and recognize that, we win. The pandemic has stolen months of our lives and ruined plans, but despite that, what has gone right for you?

Many thought leaders I have had on the Voices For Impact podcast have mentioned how they implement gratitude into their everyday lives. Whether that be setting positive affirmations each day or taking the time to be present.

Keeping a journal to write down the good things that happen each day, 178

2020 taught us how to rise like a phoenix from the ashes and make the most of a rough situation. Over the past year, many of us discovered strengths and dependencies we didn’t know we had.

When you think about it, turning from one year to another is just moving from one day to the next. 2020 is the year we survived, 2021 will be the year we thrive. The thought leaders that have joined my podcast have taught me that applying a growth mindset can positively alter the way we navigate the ups and downs of life. 2021 will chart its own course, and there is no doubt that it will bring twists and turns but remaining grateful will help us thrive.

I hope you feel motivated to take on the day after reading this article and for more daily inspiration listen to Voices For Impact on Apple, Spotify, and iHeart Radio podcast platforms. Subscribe and stay connected on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn @VoicesForImpact.

survive. Every entrepreneur or business owner I had on my podcast mentioned the ways they had to pivot their businesses —embracing innovation and creativity in order to keep their doors open.

Individually and collectively, we had to meet new challenges and connect with others in a physically distanced world.

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DID YOU KNOW? Podcasts are really effective at selling, spreading awareness, and building good reputations for companies. It’s an intimate medium where listeners develop real relationships with hosts, so when hosts recommend products in their own voices, audiences are more likely to try their product. Voices For Impact has attractive demographics for advertisers, with listeners that are more

{ VOICES FOR IMPACT }

{ VOICES FOR IMPACT } “When you think about it, turning from one year to another is just moving from one day to the next. 2020 is the year we survived, 2021 will be the year we thrive. “

\likely to try their product. Voices For Impact has attractive demographics for advertisers, with listeners that are more of an affluent, educated consumer than average, according to Edison Research.

My current list of sponsors include JAB Online Services, Kefi Marketing, EmPowered Nutrition, among others.

Email voices4impactcuse@gmail.com 180

if you would like to get your message out to a new audience by sponsoring an episode or sharing your story to help encourage people to find their passion and purpose.

Danielle is a Nazareth College alum and is currently pursuing her MBA. Currently she works as the Senior Director of Development for a local nonprofit.

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In addition, she volunteers for several organizations in the community and is a Board Member for Association for Fundraising Professionals and a Central New York Business Journal’s 40 Under Forty honoree.

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GET CHARGED UP

BY AMANDA ASHLEY I PHOTOS BY JEFF GEREW

Everyone right about now just wants to kick this year down to the ground, and I’m with you!

With 2021 within our reach, that eagerness of starting fresh feels more real than ever. However, the hope that things will resume somewhat like how they used to be, in many ways feels like a dream.

are wiser.

You are stronger.

You are ready.

You know what you want.

You know what you need to get by.

You know who you love, and who

These are ALL incredible accomplishments and feats to overcome. SO, congratulations and cheers to US! Now it’s up to all of us to do this next year right.

Now more than ever we need to support one another as we all try to keep innovative and pushing forward throughout such turbulent times. Every little bit helps, and we promise to to do our part in helping draw more attention to each business. We wish you continued success on your venture forward, and hope to see you in life again soon.

Realism will tell you that we still have a few more hurdles, and a long road ahead of us. Optimism will tell you that help is on the way, and that we are ready to strong hold and continue to push our way forward.

Go ahead and get charged up! Hope and expectation are exactly the motivation we need to pull us up from the mud right now.

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more in touch with you and your emotions.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

We are all dirty, pissed and exhausted and ready to kick this next year’s ass. WHY? Because this last one was a difficult one on every level, and YOU Survived! No matter what, we’ve already proven ourselves in every possible way because:

loves you.

You know who is there.

Not only did you survive, but you

And because of all this... you are

Amanda Ashley Writer/Host/Producer

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w w w . afternooncocktail.show amandaashleymusic@

gmail.com 585.469.6436

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SCALP MICROPIGMENTATION

BY KELLY BREUER & JEROD SCHOONMAKER

Scalp micropigmentation for women is a rapidly-growing service. Most of us will not look at a bald man twice if he passes us in the street unless he is “The Rock.” If it was a woman, then it becomes a damn near spectacle.

Globally, and in the US, hair loss is widely accepted in men, even though women account for 40% of all hair loss victims in the latter. According to Harvard Medical School, about a third of hair loss in women experience hair loss (alopecia) at some point in their lives; for postmenopausal women, as many as two-thirds suffer from thinning hair or bald spots.

Almost thirty million in the United States are going through some form of hair loss. Indubitably, hair loss in women has a more considerable impact than in men because it’s not a socially acceptable occurrence. Female hair loss can be detrimental to a woman’s emotional health and subsequent quality of life.

So, I decided to contact Jerod Schoonmaker, owner of Scalp NY and Scalp International for some advice and recommedations on my thinning hair due to over the top stress levels, hormones and being in a pre menopausal time in my life. Jerod recommended doing a 3 step process called scalp micropigmentation density procedure.

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Right from the very first procedure, the result was amazing, and made me feel so much more confident about myself. It took about 2.5 hours for the first round, and was actually not as bad as I thought it would be. A couple tender areas made me cringe a little bit, but overall it was alot less painful then getting a tattoo.

Besides, Jerod made me feel completely comfortable answering all of my questions and concerns and telling me what was going on every step of the way. He may

have told a few jokes here and there to keep me entertained as well.

Female hair loss, as in men, arises from androgenetic alopecia, or female (or male) pattern hair loss. In women, androgenetic alopecia initiates with slow thinning hair at the part line, pursued by widespread hair loss from the crown.

That said, women rarely have receding

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hairlines, and they hardly go bald.

This density technique not only makes it look like my hair is thicker and darker, but covers the “grey” areas at my root so it fools the eye into thinking its not time for that root touch up so quickly.

This is a huge deal for me as I have to go get my hair colored every 2.5 to 3 weeks because underneath the beautiful color from Salon Bella Vita, my hair is actually totally grey. Not a pretty salt and pepper like some, but a very see through grey that ages me 40years.

Scientifically, clinicians d e p l oy t h e Lu d w i g Classification to lend a description to female pattern hair loss. Type I is minimal thinning hair that hairstyling techniques can disguise.

Type II causes diminished volume and a noticeable expansion of the mid-line part. Type III causes diffused thinning hair, with a seethrough countenance of the crown. Hair loss in women can be because of medical conditions (alopecia areata and alopecia totalis), medications, and physical or emotional stress. Should you notice atypical hair loss of any kind, make sure to consult your primary caregiver or a dermatologist to determine the cause and hair loss treatment. While hair loss in women is frustrating, neoteric years have seen an increase in resources for dealing with the difficulties. One such resource is scalp micropigmentation (SMP) or

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{ DISHING WITH THE DIVA { SHIFT+CONTROL } } “It makes it look like you have a full head of hair, like microblading for womens eyebrows.”

Scalp micropigmentation is a procedure that deploys a stippling pattern tattoo that imitates hair follicles cut close to the scalp. As a relatively novel technique, scalp micropigmentation can substantially address the cosmetic issues that arise from the hair loss conditions mentioned at the outset. The tattoo industry has undergone a cultural augmentation since 2008, which made scalp micropigmentation (SMP) an increasingly socially acceptable hair loss solution for tackling apropos scalp and hair challenges.

Scalp micropigmentation treatment uses microneedles that add a layer of pigment dots on your scalp like getting a tattoo. The procedures customarily happen over three sessions. That said, there is some variation that is dependent on your hair loss severity, the style you desire, and other elements that come into play. You should know, a scalp micro pigment is a small inked orifice made by the electronic needles.

The technicality of micropigmentation

Some of the benefits include: - It makes it look like you have a full head of hair, like microblading for womens eyebrows -Excellent natural-looking side photo profiles of your hairline -It camouflages alopecia symptoms in perpetuity, whether they are severe or recurrent -It covers scars from a hair transplant or FUE surgery -It helps in concealing birthmarks or burn or accident-related scars - It combines well with a hair transplant to offer additional density - Lifestyle change- increase in confidence and positive life choices 186

treatments means that it must be performed by specially and highly trained technicians.

During the procedure, the skin gets a small wound when each ink dot forms.

The formed scab eventually will fall away, which reduces some of the original pigment in your head. And no doubt, your immune system will attack the pigments, causing them to shrink and fade over time. Notably, this gradual disappearing of micropigmentation on scalp sections is different for each

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person. Still, it does necessitate the need for more treatments to achieve the required shade of the head. Depending on your head, treatment sessions will involve different pigmentation shades while paying attention to hair color.

Undoubtedly, distinct shades are necessary for your head to make some pigment shades to stand out from other groups.

Usually, lighter pigments are the first to be applied, while the follow-up sessions deposit darker shades to create the impression of a full head of hair.

I honestly couln’t recommend Jerod more highly. He is extremely professional, incredibly talented and an expert in his field. You are in good hands with him. The best part is not only do you feel amazing and more self confident after even the first treatment, but once you are done with your 3 part treatment series, you probably won’t have to come back for 5-7 years for a touch up!

Feel free to contact his at www.scalpny. com to learn more about everything he offers for both men and women and set up your free consultation to see if this is the right fit for you.

Plus, you can check out our LIVE feeds on facebook at Rochester Woman Online to see Jerod in action doing scalp micropigmentation on me.

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TRAIN TO LEARN SCALP

WITH EXPERT JEROD SCHOONMAKE

TRAINING INCLUDES: -CONCEPT OF SCALP MICROPIGMENTATION -SAFETY AND SANITATION PROCESSES -CONTRADICATIONS -DIFFERENT TYPES OF MACHINES -TATTOO NEEDLES -PRE-CARE AND AFTERCARE -PAIN MANAGEMENT -SKIN STRUCTURE AND DEPTH OF INSERTION -ASSESSING CLIENT SKIN TONES AND ETHNIC BACKGROUND -FITZPATRICK SCALE -NORWOOD SCALE -CHOOSING AND MIXING PIGMENTS -STRETCHING THE SKIN -FEMALE PATTERN BALDNESS – LUDWIG SCALE -SYMMETRY AND TOUCHUPS -DEPTH TECHNIQUES -BUILDING AND MATCHING DENSITY -BLENDING -THE CONSULTATION PROCESS -MANAGING EXPECTATIONS OF THE CLIENT -MARKETING TIPS AND TRICKS

P MICROPIGMENTATION

ER, OWNER OF SCALP INTERNATIONAL

$3100 DENISTY ONLY COURSE FEES INCLUDE:

1. ONLINE TRAINING PRE-REQUISITE 2. 2-DAY PRACTICAL HANDS-ON CLASSROOM TRAINING WITH MULTIPLE LIVE MODELS WITH DIFFERENT HAIR LOSS CASES. 3. FINANCING AVAILABLE FOR INQUIRIES PLEASE EMAIL INFO@SCALPNY.COM CLASSES BEGIN FEBRUARY 2021 AND SPACE IS LIMITED

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TETRA IMAGES, LLC /ONLINE ALAMY 190 CENTRAL NY WOMAN : JANUARY/FEBRUARY EDITION 2021

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ALOPECIA

BY JAROD SCHOONMAKER

DOES SCALP MICROPIGMENTATION WORK? When you’ve got unseen little patches on your scalp as a result of hair loss, such a condition is described as Alopecia Areata. Often, people find it very difficult to notice or find these patches because they sprout so close to one another and become hard to spot, resulting in hair loss. Ever wondered why anyone should have to deal with this?

and ends up mistaking viable cells for foreign intruders to the body. Since it is the job of the immune system to stay active on guard against foreign substances, it sometimes can’t tell the good guys from the bad.

When a person is diagnosed with Alopecia, it means the immune system had a ‘no mercy’ combat on their hair

Medical Treatments Applying medications into the fallout areas on your scalp is an easy-going treatment method suggested to many.

We’d list out a few medications that help maintain your hair growth both OTC and from prescription by specialists:

What Is Alopecia Areata?

Well, the condition becomes a great deal when a person’s immune system fights their hair follicles, which results in potential hair loss. In men and women, pattern baldness occurs on their scalp, sometimes eyelashes, eyebrows, and face. Interestingly, this condition has high tendencies of reoccurring after a few years down the line. An individual suffering from this condition is prone to having total hair loss.

Another hair pigmentation is commonly known as Alopecia Universalis. When the condition progresses to this stage, it becomes almost impossible for grown hair to remain on the scalp. Even after the hair grows, they end up falling out again.

The degree of hair loss or the extent of growth is different among all persons.

Causes Of Alopecia Areata You should know that this hair loss condition is autoimmune; it is an involuntary action of the immune system against healthy cells. Sometimes, our immune system becomes hyperactive

Different Treatment Options For Alopecia Sadly, there is currently no known cure or perfect fix for Alopecia Areata.

However, over the decades, medical researchers and traditional experts have figured out ways to help the hair regain its strength. When these remedies are applied, they help the head of hair recover quickly and stops potential hair loss by the individual. Let’s look through the various treatment options for Alopecia.

• Anthralin (Dritho-scalp) simply helps you boost your hair growth while irritating the skin cells.

follicles. Hair follicles are part of the human scalp structured for hair growth.

A direct impact of the immune system on these tender follicles results in them shrinking, hence, stops producing hair.

Further research has helped us believed that persons with a genetic history of Rheumatoid Arthritis or Type I diabetes often have this condition.

• Minoxidil is a popular over-thecounter medication to be applied directly to the scalp, beard, and eyebrows two times every day. Feedback shows that the medication is incredibly safe but could take up to a year to get the desired results.

• Topical Immunotherapy is a lasting treatment method used in bringing back to life your hair growth. In this process, active chemicals like diphencyprone are rubbed directly to the skin to ignite an itchy rash. In the space of six months, you can expect regrowth with the condition that you always apply the treatment.

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{ SCALP NY } } { SHIFT+CONTROL “When a person is diagnosed with Alopecia, it means the immune system had a ‘no mercy’ combat on their hair follicles.”

Oral Treatments Nowadays, we have trusted oral treatments like Cortisone tablets used in treating chronic Alopecia. However, you might want to get a doctor’s appointment scheduled to be informed of its side effects and prescription. Other alternatives like Cyclosporine and methotrexate are options available to persons looking to maintain Alopecia. These medications help to suppress the response of the immune system against your hair follicles.

However, they should not be ingested over a long period due to side effects like lymphoma, increased blood pressure, and kidney damage. Also, in men, male pattern baldness results in permanent hair loss in all ages.

• Probiotics Scalp Micropigmentation Treatment The above treatment options and method could cost you a fortune to achieve good results. However, unlike the others that aren’t so reliable, scalp micropigmentation offers men, women, and children suffering from areata alopecia a guaranteed, pocket-friendly, and safe treatment method. Just like tattooing your skin, the scalp micropigmentation for alopecia procedure involves the injection of pigmented dots to the scalp.

Scalp micropigmentation helps cover

Conclusion Scalp micropigmentation has always been the perfect solution for people with alopecia symptoms and also self-esteem issues. With the scalp micropigmentation treatment option, they are guaranteed to keep on with their day-to-day activities without thinking about their hair loss.

Natural Treatments Before the discovery of the above medical and oral treatment methods, our forefathers had alternative therapies in battling Alopecia. Let’s take a quick run through them. Shall we?

• Ingesting topical gels and aloe vera drinks • Microneedling • Engaging in Low-level laser therapy • Aromatherapy • Frequent use of vitamins like biotin and zinc • Acupuncture • Applying onion juice directly to the scalp • Rubbing oils like peppermint, tea tree, lavender, and rosemary on your scalp • Subscribing to an anti-inflammatory diet which allows you to feed majorly on vegetables and meats.

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Benefits Of Scalp Micropigmentation For People With Alopecia We’d try looking at how scalp micropigmentation for Alopecia can help people suffering from all types of Alopecia. At this stage, it would be best to note that scalp micropigmentation isn’t a direct fix for alopecia areata.

However, it only acts as an illusion to its symptoms. This is enough reasons to choose scalp micropigmentation when treating your alopecia symptoms.

With scalp micropigmentation, your symptoms do not disappear at the very instant; they are only concealed.

the hair loss with the standard skin color caused by alopecia totalis and androgenic Alopecia, which mostly results in male pattern baldness. This scalp micropigmentation for alopecia procedure helps create a replica as though the hair had been recently shaved from your scalp.

Alopecia scalp micropigmentation is one of the best options, if not the best, in treating all cases of Alopecia, including androgenic Alopecia.

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Since the scalp micropigmentation method covers the entire scalp, the effect of alopecia areata isn’t as evident as it used to be anymore.

All traces of hair loss as a result of the affected hair follicles are concealed with the scalp micropigmentation treatment.

Frequently Asked Questions What do Dermatologists do For Alopecia?

Dermatologists may recommend corticosteroids injections or scalp micropigmentation to promote natural hair growth for patients suffering from Alopecia.

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HELPING MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE SUFFERING FROM HAIR LOSS, SCARS, AND FORMS OF ALOPECIA BECOME BETTER VERSIONS OF THEMSELVES THROUGH SCALP MICROPIGMENTATION.

2851 MILTON AVE SOLVAY, NY 13209 (800) 236-6792 WWW.SCALPNY.COM

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BADASS IN SHAPE

BY DR PAM DENTON

2021 It’s Time to Get Your Badass Self in Shape with a 10 Day Reset!

No matter how much I tell you that your health matters you have to make the intrinsically motivated decision to change your life and do something new! Step outside of the behaviors and habits you are used to and begin to create a new path with a renewed body.

hardship?

Has struggle changed your motivation?

As we enter the New Year 2021, the same old pending thoughts sneaks up on most women, “How am I going to make time for myself ”? “How am I going to make

Decide to RESET! Consider yourself a badass getting ready to claim your space in the world.

Haven’t you had enough?

Of the feelings of powerlessness over your health and body.

Well, you deserve more!

State to yourself right now “I deserve!”

“I am worthy!”

Make it real and authentic.

Can you feel deserving?

Or are you numbed out by pain and 196

I felt as if I had a balloon in my belly. I was fatigued and exhausted.

But I always have faith that the right product, system or program can appear!

Funny thing is I was not sure where I would find the answers!

Yet, they were right in front of me!

It was my business collaborator, Abby, who had the answer.

We had teamed up to build a conference together, but found ourselves on hold in the pandemic and teaching leadership online. Abby had tried to invite me prior to a Covid-19 to a Seacret team gathering and I declined. It was not until I suffered a serious burn on my hand that I woke up to the power of Seacret Direct products!

Knowledge is power and diving into this article you may feel inspired to get your badass self in shape, take this year to lock in your power!

I am here to tell you….YOU deserve more.

found myself lost in my own body, my hormones were out of control, my gym workouts had come to a screeching halt, and I found myself slipping into a body I didn’t want or desire. I needed a solution fast!

this my year for reclaiming my body”?

Well, here it is!

It’s time to RESET and say “I have neglected myself enough! Time for ME”!!

I have been where you are. In fact, 2020 was increasingly hard! Hitting 50 in the midst of the pandemic I

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Abby said, “I will send you the cuticle oil for your burn. The minerals from the Dead Sea will help you.”

For weeks, still suffering with my weight and fatigue, I sat at the computer and used the cuticle oil on my burned hand. It was that small product that opened me up. I was hooked!

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“Knowledge is power and diving into this article you may feel inspired to get your badass self in shape, take this year to lock in your power! ”

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And the solution to my weight was right there with it. AND it isn’t a traditional weight loss plan of restricted calories and strict meals.

The program completely supports what we teach in our transformational SuperCORE Fit program. Remove toxins and support the foundational elements of the body and you will receive results. I have been on the Life by Seacret wellness product for 7 months and I feel like with our new program SuperCORE Fit Coaching we have quite a program. Easy to follow, classes done from a computer at home, and accessible for anyone at any level. Our foundational wellness system is a power packed way to recover your health, power up your energy, and burn through fat!

So how does it work?

If you want to reclaim your health let’s start with RESET! STEP 1: RECOVERY (Hint: You get a free bottle of Recovery -R with yoru Reset pack!)

For most of us we have lost control of our health. Recovery does just as it says it recovers your health from the effects of stress, tension and toxins.

The gentle formula of molecular hydrogen is amazing for reclaiming your health by eliminating the bad guys, a powerful antioxidant!

STEP 2: OXYGEN Greens, the formula we all need! The greens are designed to give you the 200

dark green nutrients that are packed with oxygen and vitally important for energy and health. Pump up your power like Popeye! The greens are the vital life force you need to supercharge your health!

STEP 3: ALKALIZE Alkalinity is key. Fat is more prominent in an acidic environment. The more acidic your body the harder it becomes to sleep, rest and maintain good health plus, lose weight. The Booster- B capsules help alkalize the body for optimum function.

you will begin to feel amazing!!

Give your body what it needs and your body will respond with positive results!

I am 8 months into the Life By Seacret system and I am so excited to share it with you! We have the 10 Day Reset Program designed for you PLUS online SuperCORE Fit classes Mon-Fri all from your home and strats in a chair. We meet you where you are, right now!

Build a more alkaline system!

Join us for Free Wellness Calls every Tuesday 5pm EST www.supercorefit. com/fitness-classes

STEP 4: PLANT PROTEIN SHAKES

Or contact Dr. Pam Denton for a Wellness Consultation www. supercorefit.com

Grab a protein shake and make sure you are absorbing the right nutrients to support fat loss and detoxification.

Plant protein is easy to absorb and low in calories.

STEP 5: CURB THE CRAVINGS By supporting the body with superfoods and energy you will quickly eliminate craving low nutrient foods.

Your body knows! Once the vital life force is on you will want to naturally reach for better foods.

So here it is, simple products with a simple system to reset your health!

Time, dedication, support and movement will get you supercharged.

And with the 10 Day Reset Program

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Join us as a business builder and become a SuperCORE Coach 2021!

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FEEDING THE POSITIVE, STARVING THE NEGATIVE

BY ALEXIS TEARNEY KUHL

With the new year upon us, many of us are focused on bettering our mindsets. It goes without saying, 2020 brought us many challenges. Keeping a positive and healthy mindset can have a huge impact on our mental and physical health.

I’d like to discuss how to feed and nurture our positive voice. As human beings, we all have two voices that compete to occupy our headspace. One of these is positive and optimistic. The other is quite the opposite: negative and full of fear, uncertainty, and doubt. The one that we nurture and feed the most tends to be the one that we hear the loudest. Most of us are naturally predisposed to reside on one end of the scale, or the other. Even if you are a natural borne pessimist, there is a lot that you can do to retrain your thoughts and behavioral patterns.

The negative voice is the easiest one to feed. The negative voice thrives on feelings of sadness, self doubt, pessimism, and overall misery. The negative voice tends to get more powerful if we engage in unhealthy behaviors. These include lack of exercise, eating too much junk food, not getting sufficient rest,

watching too much news, listening to other people’s negative opinions, and engaging in gossip. This voice does NOT serve us in any kind of good way. It pulls us down, holds us back, and destroys any feelings

an overall ability to see the good in everything and everyone. When we surround ourselves with people who have a strong positive inner voice, we naturally are motivated, uplifted, and hopeful. Feeding your positive voice requires regular exercise (releasing natural, feel good hormones like endorphins), eating a nutrient dense diet, getting regular restful sleep, reading personal development books, listening to motivational podcasts, and limiting our time with negative activities and people.

Feeding our positive inner voice will not only make us HAPPIER, but it will make us HEALTHIER and more SUCCESSFUL.

of motivation and ambition. NOT GOOD. The other voice that resides in all of us is the positive voice. This one takes a lot of effort on our part to feed. This voice thrives on feelings of hope, faith, resilience, tenacity, and

Keeping ourselves strong physically and mentally is a lifelong habit, but it takes daily work. This consistency, over time, can really impact our lives in meaningful ways. Not only can it help us become more successful, but also healthier (mentally and physically). In addition, as a mom myself, I know that my children are constantly watching me and learning from me. Children are best taught by example. Show them and demonstrate these healthy behaviors, and watch them imitate you. Happy New Year! Stay well.

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WELLNESS {{ IN HER OWN WORDS} }} {WARRIOR SHIFT+CONTROL “Having had the experience of growing up in the family business, it was only natural that I would train, compete, and eventually teach and learn the business. I had my moments of wanting to be like a “normal family”.”

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SYRACUSE DAV VOLUNTEER TRANSPORTATION NETWORK

BY EDWARD ROGERS

What is Syracuse DAV? The DAV stands for Disabled American Veterans. It is a nonprofit charity that provides a lifetime of support for veterans of all generations and their families, helping more than 1 million veterans in positive, life-changing ways each year.

The Volunteer Transportation Network (VTN) is the program I oversee at the Syracuse VA medical center. We pick up Veterans at their home, or designated area, and bring them to their VAapproved medical appointments and provide a return trip once they are finished. We maintain 40 vans and transport an average of 2000 Veterans a month to their appointments; In 2019, we traversed nearly 700,000 miles doing this.

other services besides transportation does DAV offer?

Outside of the transportation network, the DAV works with Veterans, through local chapters, to help with legal services, disability claims, employment by hosting job fairs, comradery, and a plethora of other resources.

How many volunteers do you currently

When and how did you get started?

I started driving for the program in 2012 after my military-related injuries no longer allowed me to work. I needed something to occupy the empty time and saw a small ad with the recruiter Bill Gleason stating the need for volunteers to drive.

After a short absence following a car accident in 2016, I returned in 2017 as the hospital service coordinator (HSC) which oversees the program.

What is the mission of Syracuse DAV? Comprised of volunteers, driving donated vans; we are dedicated to providing free transportation to any Veteran wishing to reach their VA-approved medical appointments.

Since this is a non-profit with people generously volunteering their time, what 210

have? If someone wanted to volunteer, who can they reach out to?

Between coordinators, office workers, and drivers, we have approximately 210 volunteers covering the 14-county catchment area. Our volunteers are men, women, college students, retired, and working people. There is a simple background check and orientation for volunteers. For drivers, we add a basic physical and no special license required.

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is this program only offered in Syracuse?

This is a nationwide program. However, for the Syracuse VAMC, we cover 14 counties spanning from Broome County North up I-81 to Jefferson County, heading West into Cayuga and Oswego Counties and to the East with Herkimer, Lewis, and ending in St. Lawrence County.

What are some of the things you are currently in need of?

Our needs are many. Mostly, we are always seeking volunteers to drive. We are very flexible with the volunteer’s availability since we know that commitments, even for retired people are time consuming.

Most drivers drive once a week, or two to three times a month.

Another thing that we are always looking for is donations. Our vans are purchased using donated funds. With the rising cost of vans currently averaging $25,000, it is not easy purchase them regularly.

The average mileage on our vans is well into the 100,000-mile range.

We do keep them well maintain and road-ready, but they cannot last forever. Another use for our donations is apparel for the drivers to unify the team, office supplies, and small incentives for the volunteers.

How has Covid affected your mission in 2020-2021?

When COVID started, we had to ask our drivers 65 and above to stay at home because of the risk. Since we are mainly volunteers with an average age of 72, this decreased our drivers to approximately 1/5 of our roster. The VA had also decreased

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{ FOR A GOOD CAUSE { SHIFT+CONTROL } } “The DAV stands for Disabled American Veterans. It is a nonprofit charity that provides a lifetime of support for veterans of all generations and their families, helping more than 1 million veterans in positive, life-changing ways each year.�

the number of appointments for the Veterans and fortunately we did not have to turn anyone away in the early stages of COVID. Once the pandemic seemed to slow down, we allowed any driver that was comfortable with driving to return. Things I had implemented for driving were: 1. Everyone in the van had to wear a mask.

further protect everyone riding.

The biggest impact was it shut down our onboarding process for bringing new volunteers into the network. We are still taking names and hope to restart the onboarding as soon as possible.

Tell us about what you enjoy most about working with this program?

When I left the Marines, in the beginning, I did not have a vehicle and missed

2. The van is stocked with hand sanitizer, disinfectant spray, sanitizing wipes, paper towels, a thermometer, and tissues.

3. Every Veteran picked up was asked if they were exhibiting any conditions, had contact with anyone positive, or had traveled.

4. We limited the number of Veterans allowed for each transport and the temperature was taken prior to the Veteran getting a ride.

5. After each transport, the van was to be sprayed in the areas where the Veterans were.

6. At the end of each day, the van was wiped down.

7. Currently, there are vinyl infectious disease barriers being placed in the vans behind the driver and passenger seat to 212

difference in the lives of so many they do not know. It really makes me proud to a part of this team working together to leave no Veteran behind .

Is there anything our readers should know about Syracuse DAV or the program and services in general?

- If you are a Veteran and need a ride to you VA-approved medical appointment, call us if you are in the Syracuse VAMC catchment area. In Syracuse, you can call 315-425-4352.

If you are outside of Syracuse, you can still call Syracuse, and we will give you the number of the person that can schedule a ride for you.

- If you want to learn more about it, we have social media or you can call me at 315425-4353, please leave a message and I will get back to you as quickly as I can.

several appointments. So many years later I found out about this program and decided I would do what I could to make sure that does not happen to others. Hearing the stories from others about their time in the military, sharing with the Veterans and most of all, the volunteers. You do not have to be a Veteran to volunteer with us, so that makes it even more special. As a Veteran, serving is just what we do. For those that never served to step and help make a

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- If you want to know more about what the DAV can do you for in any other way, go to https://www.dav.org/ and look up your local area chapter, then reach out to them. I am a member of Coonley-Nojaim Memorial Chapter 30 in Syracuse. Our number is 315430-2769. h t t p s : / / w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / DAVVolunteerTransportNetwork https://twitter.com/DavVtn

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Veterans need you!

FOR A GOOD CAUSE

The DAV Volunteer Transportation Network (DAV VTN) provides free rides for all Veterans heading to a VA Medical appointment for Syracuse VA Medical Center and it’s clinics. Using our vans, the volunteer driver picks the Veteran up and returns them following the appointment Monday through Friday (exceptions applicable).

If you are retired, have some free time, seasonal worker, or even a seasonal resident and are looking for a way to give back. This is a great opportunity to help make sure our nation’s Veterans are getting the care they need.

Call us to hear more about how you can help!

Volunteer recruiting office in Syracuse at 315.425.4343 * please leave a message and we will get back to you as quickly as possible.

Social Media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DAVVolunteerTransportNetwork/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavVtn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vettransport/

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SELF R.E.S.P.E.C.T

BY SAVON HOLT

Find Out What It Means to YOU! Many people believe respect is earned, not given. But what about in terms of respecting and loving ourselves? When you think of the word respect, what comes to mind? When I think of respect, I think of trust, safety, wellbeing, acceptance, attentiveness, consideration, esteem, love, and admiration.

These components should be demonstrated in romantic relationships, friendships, family relationships and in some cases with coworkers and colleagues.

attacks over and over, which made me feel like I couldn’t accomplish anything or that others were better than me. Low self-esteem and no self-love, over the years, cost me hundreds of thousands of dollars but more importantly cost me my dreams. I struggled to get out of bed. I dreaded going to work so much that if I worked over three days, I would

For example, you love someone who does not love you back, don’t love you in the way you need to be loved or who mistreats you but instead of moving on you make excuses for them and convince yourself to stay. However, you know that the situation is toxic, but you stay, continuing to hurt yourself. Even in our careers, we can lack self-respect.

Many people have a “successful” career that makes them unhappy, working for companies that doubt their abilities, overworking them, and underpaying them. Another prominent example is thinking the lives others lead is better than your own.

We focus too much on making others happy, so we forget about ourselves. That is right. We neglect our self-respect and self-love. There is even a saying that goes, love without respect is dangerous. I happen to believe that statement.

I lost my self-respect at the lowest point of my life. I was so depressed that death seemed like the only healer. I allowed those vampires around me to suck the life out of me. There I was, at rock bottom, thinking the worst of myself.

The ghost of my past, and those limiting beliefs had gotten the best of me.

I lost respect and love for myself. I had low standards and lacked self-worth. I allowed people to treat me and talk to me disrespectfully and I accepted it. I made others a priority, but I was second to them. I had no pride, my feeling of weakness and desperation made me act out of character. I replayed the verbal 214

comes naturally. However, what about individuals who have been stripped of their self-love and respect? Life has a way of knocking you to your knees and picking you back up again. Many aspects of life, lure people away from love and respect. No matter how much they would like to treat themselves respectably, limiting beliefs from outside influences get in the way.

get sick because I would rather be in bed. I had pity and sorrow for myself but no love.

These are a few reasons someone might struggle with self-respect.

This can happen to anyone. Some things are uncontrollable. You can’t control what others think, feel and say about you, but you can control your reactions and who you allow in your life. Your self-respect should be a priority.

Many may think self-respect is easy to come by, but it would be unfair for me to doubt that for some people, self-love

Remember, it is okay to have standards.

Respecting yourself is never settling for less than you deserve. We all deserve the

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“Your transformation to self-love and respect will be a process so don’t get discouraged along the journey. Letting go of the past can be difficult, but to respect who you are now, you must let go of who you were in the past.”

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SAVON SPEAKS SHIFT+CONTROL { {{SHE HUSTLES TALKS}}} “Self-respect is loving yourself first and foremost. Love who you are and fall in love with who you are becoming.”

whole meal. We deserve quality people in our lives, purposeful careers, pure and honest love, happiness, and success.

Don’t settle.

those who respect themselves forgive themselves. Understand, yesterday is gone, we can never go back; we can move forward.

You must know what you want. Get in touch with yourself and what matters to you. Find out who you are. When you know who you are and what you will and won’t tolerate, you become a beautiful, surfaced gem. Your focus becomes different. The activities you indulge in change, and the people you surround yourself with are aligned with your new life. When you have a new mindset, every encounter with people becomes intentional. The people in your new circle encourage you to respect yourself.

Your transformation to self-love and respect will be a process so don’t get discouraged along the journey. Letting go of the past can be difficult, but to respect who you are now, you must let go of who you were in the past. You can’t make new decisions operating from your old mindset. Allow your new values to direct you. Do whatever you can to forgive yourself for the mistakes you’ve made. No one is perfect. We’ve all made them. It’s part of life — but 218

love with who you are becoming. No one will have your back like you have your back, so learn to trust yourself. Feel safe and secure within your own space before you start allowing people into your world.

Your wellbeing and selfcare are a must. Accept who you are and who you are destined to be. Don’t run from your purpose, be attentive to the resources right in front of you. As women, I think it is natural to consider everyone else’s feelings and forget about our own.

We can lose ourselves and our self-esteem easily. For example, one negative thought about our bodies, and we think the world is coming to an end. But I want you to fall in love with yourself so hard that every day when you look in the mirror, you admire yourself internally and externally. We protect the things that we love, right? So, learn to love yourself unconditionally so you can protect your heart, your mind and your soul. In 2021, I want you to promise to love yourself FIRST!

Self-respect is loving yourself first and foremost. Love who you are and fall in

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GOODBYE 2020, AND HELLOOOO 2021!!!

BY RUMELLA CAMERON

Phew...what a ride it has been for many of us especially our small business owners.

We made it through the year and now we have a fresh start for new opportunities and possibilities to look forward to. Last year, many businesses had to move online to reach their customers due to social distancing guidelines and shutdowns.

If you were able to make it this far congratulations to you. By now you have figured out a way to pivot and operate your business during these unprecedented times. Although we can’t predict what the future will look like, what we can do is bring in the new year making smart business decisions.

2. FRESHEN UP YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE Your online presence is essential to your business especially now more than ever.

This could be your website or social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram to name a few.

An online presence is the sum of all the identities you’ve created and the interactions they have established online.

When built successfully it can spread

So, this year we’re going to provide you with some ideas for strong business New Year’s resolutions as a first step. Here are 12 New Year’s Resolutions to build stronger businesses and have a prosperous 2021.

1. SET 30, 60, 90 DAY GOALS A 30-60-90 day plan helps you articulate your goals for the first 90 days of the year. It lists your top priorities and helps you get clear on what you want to accomplish. Take a moment to think about what is most important to you and your business. Brainstorm your goals and write them down. This will help you focus on your high-level goals and put some actionable steps in place.

brand awareness. Take time to build a solid platform by setting a clear message, providing consistent, valuable content, and engage with your followers.

3. BUILD OR IMPROVE YOUR WEBSITE We are living in a digital age. Almost everything we do is online. Whether you’re scheduling an appointment, shopping, or doing some research, you

know how important it is to have a website. If you don’t have one it’s time that you get started right away. There are so many resources out there to help you either build a website yourself with drag and drop features or you can hire someone to help. With a website, you can reach people anytime and anywhere.

Prioritize your web content, have a clever consistent message and a call to action.

4.

O N L I N E NETWORKING Because of social distancing, many businesses have been forced to move their operations virtually.

As a business owner, you understand the importance of networking. There aren’t many in-person events going on right now so the best way to network is online. Look for opportunities such as online events, networking groups, webinars, reach out to your sphere of influence through social media, and ask for referrals. Engage yourself in online communities. Write comments, give your opinion, and introduce yourself.

5. BUILD YOUR PIPELINE If you spent any time in sales you may have heard the term ‘Sales Pipeline’. A sales pipeline can help you measure and track your sales process. It’s an organized, visual way of tracking multiple potential clients as they progress through different

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stages of the sale. It’s a way of illustrating where prospects are in the journey from lead to customer. Because your pipeline is so important you will need to make sure you have specific information such as names, contact info, their company if you’re ideal client is a business owner, and how they can contact you. There are many programs out there that can help organize and manage this information.

6. IMPROVE YOUR EMAIL MARKETING Email is ranked as the single most effective tactic for increasing your brand awareness, client acquisition, sales conversion, and client retention. 72% of consumers say email is their favorite way to communicate with companies they do business with. Spend time building your email list and start connecting with more customers. There are programs out there such as MailChimp, ActiveCampaign, and Constant Contact that are free or low-cost for small businesses. You don’t have to start big. Send out promotional emails, newsletters, and content your customers will find valuable.

7. RESEARCH MARKET TRENDS & INNOVATION Marketing trends are always changing.

What may have worked for you 6 months ago may not work for you today. Stay up-to-date with marketing innovations by doing research. The way you build traffic and promote 226

your business is likely to transform as industries and digital landscapes change.

As your business grows there are new approaches to reaching customers like your social media presence, your email list, advertising, and running a blog.

8. POSITION YOURSELF AS A THOUGHT LEADER

a lot of time checking in with their numbers. Hey, I am guilty of it too.

Financial goals for a small business may include achieving an attractive profit margin or a specific number you want to hit monthly, or quarterly. Your goals should be specific and measurable. Sit down each week to look over invoices, income, and expenses.

10. GET FEEDBACK FROM YOUR CUSTOMERS It’s pretty simple but we always find a reason not to reach out to our customers and ask them for their feedback. Reach out to your customers and ask them to leave a review on Facebook or Google.

It’s ok that you don’t know everything but I am sure you’re very familiar with your industry. Create content that speaks in your voice. Your experience and expertise are what people thrive for.

Educate your customers by sharing tips and giving advice that brings value to them. Start a blog, write an article, and participate in online groups and events.

Partner up with a publication that will help build your brand awareness and impact your company.

9. CHECK-IN WITH YOUR MONEY WEEKLY Many business owners don’t spend

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11. GIVE BACK TO YOUR COMMUNITY 2020 was a hard year for many. Some have lost their jobs to covid or struggled significantly in their business. Give back to your community by making a donation to a non-profit organization, participate in a go-fund-me event, or offer your services for a discount.

12. TAKE A MOMENT FOR YOURSELF Breathe. Sit back and just breathe. You made it to a new year and hopefully, 2021 will be a great year for you. Don’t forget to take a moment for yourself. If you don’t take care of yourself how can you be a benefit to others?

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THE 5 WAYS TO INFLUENCE CHANGE

BY DR. PAM DENTON I PHOTOS BY KATRINA GRADY

EMBODY YOUR POWER IN 2021 Hey there unstoppable woman it’s 2021, we made it!

The one obstacle that women who are unstoppable influencers face in life, especially right now?

For years women have had to put up and shut up to make it as women in this world. We have had to play by the rules of the patriarchy and do business the “He way” instead of the “She way.”

This has to change, right now we have to say ENOUGH! The old systems of leadership are

Feeling drained and run down.

How can you be a positive influence when you are facing challenges that no leaders have faced before in human history? When it feels like you have given and given until you have nothing left to give?

Women are the unstoppable power and shift we need right now to make this change a reality! The more women lead and own HER leadership and that show that SHE MEANS BUSINESS the more the world will change. To get there we have to make some immediate shifts and SuperCORE our power system from the inside out!

In order for women to keep going and be the power and leaders of positive change: 1. We have to understand our power. Know your power, own your power and learn how to take it back from being a victim, stuck and polarized. With energy there is power and with power there is productivity and abundance!

Take your power back!

You are putting up a positive front and you’re doing your best every day, but underneath it all you are burned out, exhausted, anxious, unable to sleep, and constantly worrying.

You’re so used to pushing through fatigue and obstacles that you may not even realize how exhausted and burned out you really are. You try and try to figure out how to make things better so you can make the impact you want, but this leaves your mind spinning and saps your energy even further.

This is why 2021 is about dedicating yourself to EMBODIED LEADERSHIP, the space of deep satisfaction. And to get there it’s an INSIDER job. To move forward and embody POW-er in your unstoppable leadership, it is essential to gain the inner strength, health, and energy you will need to drive the new era of leadership.

us a “fix” when we run out of steam instead of teaching us how to drive our own energy and heal ourselves.

crumbling and with 2020 you may have been feeling the change. All you need to do is look around at what is happening in the world and it is obvious – the “old guard” form of hierarchical leadership is no longer working. Old guard leadership has us living counter to what makes us healthy and powerful, instead of tuning in and connecting to ourselves first. Old guard leadership gives

2. Women must learn to take a seat at the decision making table and run with the big dogs. In order to do this you need badass energy and strength. This is the process of embodying your core power and the reason why I have created the Insider Leadership Program 2021.

3. Women must find time to reset our health and empower our cellular body with energy and lifeforce. The 10 Day Reset can help you build the essential health you need right now to motor forward in your life. With a burned out engine you have no power, but with a

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{ SHIFT+CONTROL } } { UNSTOPPABLE WOMAN “Female power is a good thing! The current leadership model tells us that our personal health and well-being come last, after the needs of our clients, our family, and our community.”

well lubed system you are roaring and ready to go!

4. Women must sleep well! I hear many women struggling with sleep.

With breathwork and SuperCORE Fit workouts, all online and start from your chair, we help you find the deep relaxation you deserve! Add in the alkaline booster and you have a full system for getting the welldeserved sleep! In our deep sleep we are able to heal, lose weight (yes this is where we burn fat!) and repair our soul. It is imperative to sleep!

5. Women must make money! Stop the LACK! Money must flow through the businesses of women in order to influence change.

Without prosperous business leadership women are not able to influence massive shifts in how we do business. Women must take a stand and break through lack and limitations.

The Insider Leadership Program is a quarterly system that will address the lack of abundance women struggle with and help you make immediate change. Or join our FREE MONEY ONLY support group on Wednesdays at 12:30pm EST. 230

Change at a leadership level requires intention and commitment. And knowing and owning our power must be a priority.

time off when we are too sick to get out of bed.

This has to change and we need you to help!

Female power is a good thing! The current leadership model tells us that our personal health and well-being come last, after the needs of our clients, our family, and our community. We

It’s time to change this model and make your mental and physical health your priority! This is not an option but a mandate. You cannot be an influential leader if you are overwhelmed, tired, weak, stressed, or sick! Unstoppable women practices are most effective when practiced d a i l y. T h e Su p e r C O R E Leadership techniques build in effectiveness over time. It is essential to commit yourself to this practice and make your health your priority!

are accustomed to working through fatigue, working when we are sick, and generally working ourselves ragged in service to others. Stress becomes our worst enemy, depleting our immune and emotional systems and causing a variety of ailments. We push ourselves to the limit over and over, only taking

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Join Dr. Pam Denton with her global mission to change leadership and create a new model of embodied leadership driven by unstoppable supercharged women! www.supercorefit.com/coach-training

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WELLNESS CHALLENGES LEADERSHIP TRAINING MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKING AND SO MUCH MORE!

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PERFECTION

BY GABRIELLE EDEN

Perfection, what is it? Is it something that changes every five seconds? Is it something that someone wants to model themselves after, only to realize another perfect tears them apart? What I notice in teenage girls is that they become so depressed over what “perfection” is on Social Media that they don’t see the good inside them that makes them perfect the way they are. I notice that they dress and act a certain way because they want to be “perfect” just like their favorite Social Media celebrities. Again, they don’t see the good in themselves and become depressed over what they are not. Today, I will be talking about perfection that teens think is most important: their image based on Social Media.

Me? I have no problem like that. Am I the one who worries about what perfect is on Social Media? Am I afraid that if I don’t look or act a certain way like everyone else does, I’m not perfect? My answer: no. I go solo on my own boat and I could care less about perfection. What I find is that imperfections are perfections. What do I mean? Let me give you an example.

Say I have a gap in my teeth or I have a vivid birthmark. Because everyone else doesn’t have whatever it is that I have, should I be afraid or what they will think of me? Will I not meet the perfection lines they expect me to be? Then I remember how many 232

actors and models have some kind of imperfection. If you take a look in movies, fashion shows, basically whatever, some of the real famous actors and models have some kind of imperfection that makes them stand out of the crowd. Can you imagine how many times they were told that they were called ugly? Can you imagine all of the times they were told that they would never get an acting or a modeling job? But

they rose above the hate and look at them now.

In my last article, I explained about being different. Imperfections are the same thing, they are a good difference we need in this world.

You may act and look different than everyone else, but it doesn’t mean that

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you aren’t perfect. But Social Media forces teens to look at themselves in a harmful way. I recently watched a documentary that Social Media has increased depression in teens (mostly girls) because they are not like the images they see. I’m not picking on girls when I say that, but that is what studies have shown. Here’s my theory: half of those pictures of sexy girls are photoshopped or they do things to themselves that harm them. I’m not saying stop using Social Media, but teens don’t need to worry about what they look like based on Social Media. I personally am not big into Social Media.

I only use it for my job as an actress and all of the other stuff I do and that is pretty much it.

I am just so sad to learn, and see in school that they try to be that “perfect” Social Media wants them to be. But there is the truth: we all have our strange perfections. It really doesn’t matter what you look like on the outside, it’s the inside that matters. Yes, we all heard that saying over and over again, but it is an important one too.

I have come across many kinds of people in my life, and not one of them are the same. I met people who work for this article and they are all different. I believe they all see “perfection” in different ways. I see perfection not in looks, but how a person is on the inside.

I believe if people are good, then it really doesn’t matter what they look like. That’s just me thinking out loud. Look, deep down we all

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{ TEEN TALK } } { SHIFT+CONTROL “What I notice in teenage girls is that they become so depressed over what “perfection” is on Social Media that they don’t see the good inside them that makes them perfect the way they are.”

still believe in certain perfections, I get that. Maybe it’s in piano, your art, your...anything. You really don’t need to hurt yourself just to be what someone else is. I would rather just have my body in one piece rather than tear myself apart over perfection. So 234

hear me out when I say imperfections are perfections. You never know how many different people and diversities you come across in your lifetime.

Please follow me on FaceBook (Link: https://www.facebook.com/edengabby

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) and Instagram (Link https://www. instagram.com/gabrielleeden01/ ) for all of my writing, acting, and singing posts.

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WHAT IS ZESTFUL AGING?

BY NICOLE CHRISTINA

THE ANSWER MAY SURPRISE YOU What does it mean to be a “zestful ager”?

How can we bring more optimism and adventure to our lives and age with maximum health and happiness? I’m the host of Zestful Aging Podcast, and I’ve interviewed more than 200 experts around the world on healthy aging. I’m also a psychotherapist specializing in food and body issues. Here’s what I’ve learned. The answers might surprise you.

Fighting our aging is a full time job, especially in American culture. Just take a walk down the cosmetics aisle and you will see an assault on aging, as if it’s a dreaded disease. The Maybelline line “Age rewind” is my favorite fantasy. But even as we purchase these products, we know the harsh reality: Fighting aging is futile. It’s an energy and time suck that ultimately leaves us feeling like failures. It’s the worst kind of set up.

But it’s challenging to find peace with our aging bodies when we see the wrinkles, crepey skin, and experience declining eyesight. One way is to challenge ourselves to a mindset shift. We can stop fighting reality and use our time and energy to focus on what is deeply meaningful and satisfying in the time we have left. We can focus on what we have, rather than what we’re losing. These shifts can make a tremendous difference in our mental

and emotional health. Anti-ageist activist Ashton Applewhite is fond of saying, “ageism is discrimination against your future self.” And the painful truth is that if we can’t even accept our own aging bodies, how can we accept others? Self criticism has a nasty way of influencing how we see others.

The pursuit of healthy habits can become a kind of prison we build for ourselves. One of my clients told me a

story that she thought was funny, but I found heartbreaking. After a long and exhausting international flight she finally got to her hotel room and found that -- gasp!--she hadn’t reached her 10k steps. So she walked in circles around her hotel room until she reached her fitbit milestone. Never mind that 10k steps is an arbitrary number and was originally chosen by marketers who thought it had a nice ring to it. That’s not health--it’s a form of torture.

So how can we go from seeing ourselves as has-beens to feeling valuable and vital? I’ve had an incredible opportunity to interview more than 200 guests on my Podcast, Zestful Aging. Many of my guests are the world’s experts on health and wellness. You might expect that they focus on what to eat and how many steps to take, but that’s not the case. Instead, attitude and relationships are the main topics. Eating a rainbow is great. Exercise is beneficial. But the best way to be healthy is by loving and feeling loved.

And feeling purposeful will contribute more to your health than any Keto diet.

Answering questions like: What feels fulfilling to me?

What brings meaning to my life? Or as one of my guests asked, “what blows your hair back?”. These are important questions in creating a positive relationship with our aging selves. Old fashioned gratitude does wonders for our health as well as our outlook.

Approaching aging with balance, acceptance and a positive spirit requires a deliberate shift in our thinking.

The secret to aging well is accepting our aging and focusing on the gifts it brings; freedom, experience and confidence are some of the gifts my guests celebrate.

One of my favorite examples of a gold star zestful ager is a past podcast guest, Sandy Fish. You may know her from the cult Netflix series “Sense8”. This series has so many fans that there are podcasts about the Show. Sandy Fish has the opportunity to party with celebrities. But

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ZESTFUL AGING }} {{ SHIFT+CONTROL “Fighting our aging is a full time job, especially in American culture. Just take a walk down the cosmetics aisle and you will see an assault on aging, as if it’s a dreaded disease.”

what gives her more joy is to volunteer at San Quentin Penitentiary teaching inmates how to provide hospice to their dying cellmates. She says that being at San Quentin gives her a deep sense of satisfaction that she can’t get anywhere else. She’s leaving her legacy, which is shown to help us age with a sense of meaning. And she is contributing to a better world. Science shows us that this kind of behavior--called generativity-promotes health and happiness.

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So before you institute a new “anti-aging” regime, ask yourself these questions: Does this behavior feel replenishing?

Nurturing? Do I feel more free or more limited? Am I doing it out of kindness and respect to my body or is it a punishment for “being bad.”? Being a “zestful ager” requires us to know what is our real source of joy and fulfillment. Some of us, after a lifetime of taking care of our families and careers, have never had the chance to ask. Now is the perfect time to discover what we want to do with the

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years we have left. And join the leagues of Zestful Agers.

--Nicole Christina is a psychotherapist of 30 years in Upstate New York, and the creator and host of the Zestful Aging Podcast, which is heard in 92 countries. Find it on all major podcast platforms. She’s writing a book called “Not Just Chatting: How to Become a Master Podcast Interviewer”.

Find her at ZestfulAging.com.

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THE YEAR 2020

BY JOHNNY WILLIAMS

The year 2020 revealed the power of sanctuary. Whether it was the sanctuaries in our minds to escape the craziness of the year or the sanctuaries of our homes to protect ourselves from the coronavirus, our idea of what a “sanctuary” is took on whole new meanings.

desperately needed as the kennel had been operating out of same outdated building since the 1980s, and the clinic was being run out of cramped trailer. Both of these new facilities improve how we can treat our canines and other animals to ensure they find their

At Animal Care Sanctuary, in both East Smithfield and Wellsboro, Pa., this power was experienced at a level that has never been before in our five-plus decades of existence.

For example, not only did we find forever homes for over 1,000 cats and dogs from the first time ever, we shattered our previous annual adoption record by finding homes for well over 1,200 animals – despite being closed for six weeks due to COVID-19.

Additionally, despite also being closed for six weeks, our low-cost community clinic performed over 3,100 spay and neuter surgeries in 2020 – another record that will reduce the homelessness of animals across our region.

We also opened our brand-new community clinic and dog kennel after years of fundraising, planning and building. These facilities were 240

forever homes healthy and happy.

Continuing our partnership with Humane Society International and Humane Society of the United States this year, we accepted 20 dogs that were rescued from dog meat farms in South Korea, as well as further developed our partnership with other transportation agencies

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to rescue animals from high-kill shelters in the southern U.S. The aforementioned 20 dogs were all spayed, neutered and examined by our veterinary teams and just about all of them have been adopted or are in foster care.

Our Wellsboro location saw its own growth this year with the opening of its own gift shop as well as the introduction of hiking trails on the dozens of acres of woods and fields thanks to a grant awarded by Dominion Energy. The year 2020 also saw the Wellsboro dog park expand its membership as residents looked to safely leave their homes with their furry friends during the pandemic.

While 2020 has been an extremely difficult year for many, we’re so encouraged by the compassion that thousands of people and families have shown to animals as well as ACS and all the other shelters that rescue and support animals in need. We’re looking to keep this mission moving forward in 2021 and continue to find many more animals their forever homes and promote animal care and wellbeing across our communities.

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{{ THE ACS CORNER } } SHIFT+CONTROL “Additionally, despite also being closed for six weeks, our low-cost community clinic performed over 3,100 spay and neuter surgeries in 2020 – another record that will reduce the homelessness of animals across our region.”

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LOVING MONTH AHEAD

BY TAMMY VREELAND

With the month of resolutions almost behind us, I am looking forward to a month full of love coming up! Is that not what February brings to mind?

With a cute little cherub shooting his arrows of love?

But what do we know of this mythical baby? Believe it or not, the cherub, or Cupid as we know him, started out as a man like God. A heartthrob, that was very powerful and... dangerous!

We can trace him back to 700 BCE with the name Eros which is a Greek name for desire. He was the son of Aphrodite and Eros would use his power to play with mortal hearts.

Eros was feared to make people fall in love only to cause tragedy! A far cry from the little boy represented as a cherub of true love we know today!

So, what changed?

The social status of women changed.

They realized that Eros was linked to his mother, which in turn controlled his every move. This gave mortals less to fear, since Eros would only act on his mother’s wishes.

By the time the Romans became involved, Eros began to be seen as a cute little kid. They are the ones that began calling him Cupid. Setting the stage for a cute little boy causing people to simply fall in love. Abandoning the idea of him using love as a tragedy... although some may still think it is. Lol. Centuries later, Cupid was depicted in Renaissance paintings. By 18th century and turn of 19th century

Valentine’s Day was becoming popular with Cupid linked to it, for his power of making people fall in love.

But what caused Valentine’s Day? It is believed to be commemorating a Saint. However, there were 3 different Saint Valentine, and no one knows for sure which one it was intended for, for all 3 died as martyrs. In each case, a defender of love.

One of the Saints, an imprisoned Valentine, sent his love a letter right before his death signing it “From your Valentine”. An expression we use to this day.

Some think the date of Valentine’s Day falls on the anniversary of his death. While others theorize the Christian Church used this date to Christianize the Pagan fertility holiday, Lupercalia.

A rather crude and bloody festival where they would sacrifice a goat for fertility and a dog for purification.

Strip their hides, slapping women and crops with the bloody hides!

Later in the day, women would put their names in urns and the village bachelors would choose a name.

Pairing up with the woman for a year which eventually lead to marriage.

Hmmm... puts a whole new meaning to “My Bloody Valentine” don’t you think?

Valentine’s Day picked up over the years, starting with simple greetings, to elaborate poems expressing one’s love. Did you know that before 1840

it was expensive to send your Valentine a card or poem?

However, after a reduction in postal rates, after the invention of the postage stamp, the number of Valentine’s cards increased. It was easier to send anonymously, but also less personal.

With the need of Valentine’s cards, over 3,000 women were employed in manufacturing them. Charles Dickens termed it as “Cupid’s Manufactory”.

Ester A. Howland began selling the first mass-produced Valentine’s cards.

She is known as the “Mother of the Valentine”. Making elaborate creations known as “scrap” with colorful pictures, real lace and ribbons. Eventually, as time went by, we added trinkets, flowers and candy.

What I like today is how we’ve embraced Valentines into a full month of love! Showing love not only to a significant other, but to others as well.

You can see this in some of our National Holidays for the month of February as I list a couple examples for you below...

February 5th - Shower With A Friend Day - Who of us do not LOVE the idea of saving water? Lol. What a perfect way to celebrate the day while “showering” a friend with some love by the love of - saving water! Makes perfect and logical sense to me!

February 13th - Galentine Day - I have to admit, I had never heard of this one, but I do love the concept! A day designed to show our gal friends

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{ TAMMY’S TIDBITS } “Love is in the air and if it is not ... put it there! No one ever said love would be easy.”

a little extra love. While shopping for our significant other, why not pick up something for the ones who listen ...when things with our significant other is less than perfect! Do they not need to be shown love for dealing with you while in love?

February 14th – Valentine’s Day - A special shout out to my husband, Paul.

Cherub hit us with his arrow 17 years ago, and we’ve never looked back. Know that my candle is strong enough to help keep yours lit, keep fighting the fight - I love you too much for you not to.

February 15th - Single Awareness Day - I would be remiss in not mentioning 246

this day. To some, this may feel as a cruel joke. While others - embrace the day, enjoying their independence!

As long as there is a YOU, there is ALWAYS someone LOVING YOU. Love yourself! Be kind to yourself! Treat yourself to a special dinner, some flowers, even some chocolates! Point is ... the relationship you have with yourself is just as important (and tough) as a relationship with someone else!

February 20th National Love Your Pet Day - When they give us so much unconditional love, why not find more days to celebrate their love? I’m all about having an excuse to give my babies extra lovings. They may not have a clue to

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why there may be extra attention this day, but they’ll absolutely love it!

Love is in the air and if it is not ... put it there! No one ever said love would be easy.

No one ever said Cupid’s arrow wouldn’t hurt. But what we must remember is ... love makes you feel alive! Love for our significant other, love for our friends, love for our animals and more important love for ourselves! Not every day will love for just one be the reason, but love for all. Love is what gets us out of bed in the morning and the motivation to celebrate each day. The month of love may be coming upon us, but in reality, it is always with us. Continue to love the loving!

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FINAL AFFAIRS.

BY HEIDI LADUCA, ESQ.

FINAL AFFAIRS. A Simple Guide to Wills, Health Care Proxies, Power of Attorney and Living Wills.

What do I need to do to put my affairs in order and why do I need to do it now?

Do I really need an attorney to help me prepare these documents?

As an attorney practicing law here in the Rochester area for 26 years, I am often approached with questions regarding what basic documents are needed to put someone’s “affairs in order”? I am providing this simple guide which will hopefully help you and/or your family members navigate through what I would consider the most basic documents necessary to plan for the future.

Please keep in mind that everyone’s personal family situation is unique and that the information being provided is general in nature. There are additionally more complex estate situations that would require additional planning and additional documents to effectuate the appropriate estate planning.

As a general rule, I would recommend that everyone, even young adults, should have at a minimum, both a Last Will and Testament and a Health Care Proxy.

A basic Last Will and Testament or a “Will” for short, is a fairly simple document that states what a person’s wishes are with respect the distribution of

their property after death. People often share with me that they don’t feel they have much or ‘enough’ to leave behind in a Will. My recommendation and my experience has taught me that truly, everyone owns something, whether it be a vehicle, a bank account, stocks or bonds, or simply personal property.

These are all items, that if you wish to leave to a certain person or organization, you can and should have a Will reflecting those wishes.

A basic Will, in addition to stating to whom you would leave money and/ or property, can additionally include language with respect to leaving money or property to a minor child/children/ young adult and at what age you would prefer a minor or young adult to inherit.

In this case, a Will would normally also include language indicating that funds are to be held in trust until the child or young adult are of the age designated and appoint a Trustee to oversee how

those funds are handled or invested.

I generally recommend both naming a Trustee and an alternate Trustee if possible.

In the unlikely event that both you and your spouse or partner (or both of a minor child’s parents) pass away leaving minor children, your Will can and should designate who you would wish to act as Guardian over the minor child or children.

Once again, it is prudent to appoint both a Guardian and an alternate Guardian if possible. I generally advise my clients to try to avoid appointing a “couple” as Guardians, but instead only one person, along with an alternate Guardian in the event that a couple should become divorced or one spouse predeceases the other.

Finally, your Will should appoint an Executor (or Executrix).

This is the person who you would choose to handle filing your Will with the Court in the County in which you reside and also to see that your wishes with respect to your property are carried out. Often when I am preparing Wills for married couples they will appoint each other as Executor/Executrix and then an alternate Executor as well.

A Health Care Proxy, by definition, is a document in which you choose someone to make health care decisions on your

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behalf in the event that you are unable to make those decisions on your own. The difference between a Health Care Proxy and a Living Will (not to be confused with a Last Will and Testament) is that a Living Will is a document or “advance directive” that states your wishes with respect to end of life treatment and care. A Living Will can and should include language with respect to your wishes as to palliative care (to minimize pain and suffering) and additionally with respect to the withholding of “extraordinary measures” such as CPR and other life-sustaining treatments. I personally normally recommend a document to my clients that combines the living will language or directives in the health care proxy itself. I find that this simplifies the process a bit and my clients are able to appoint their proxy and give the advance directives to that person in one document. It does not have to be done this way but is perfectly acceptable to combine these two related documents into the same form. It is important to note that these documents will in fact be valid in the event that you should become incapacitated and in fact, this will likely be when they are the most necessary.

The last and possibly the most complex 250

of these very basic planning documents, is the Power of Attorney. This is a document in which you appoint someone to act on your behalf, during your lifetime, in many cases having the same authority as if they were you. This document is an extremely powerful document and the person (or persons) who are appointed to act should in fact be persons who you would trust implicitly. There

are many potential and in some cases recommended modifications to this document most of which I choose to explain in person to my clients and address the questions that they may have.

As a general rule, an Agent appointed to act under a Power of Attorney must act according to the instructions of the Principal and where there are no instructions, in their best interest. It is important to note that the Power of Attorney can be limited or unlimited and can contain gifting authority which can also be limited or unlimited. It is also important to note that an Agent

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under the Power of Attorney (or POA for short) does not have authority to make health care decisions. This is something that only the Health Care Proxy has. Finally, this document will remain valid and enforceable after the principal becomes incapacitated and will ultimately end upon someone’s death.

I have watched the laws regarding this particular document change drastically over the years and for good reason, that being ultimately to protect the principal from an agent having the ability to act fraudulently under the authority of the POA. Finally, it is important to note that Governor Cuomo has recently enacted a law which yet again, changes the Power of Attorney process beginning in June of 2021.

I hope that this brief description of these very important planning documents is helpful and I’d like to invite anyone with questions to contact me at any time. My office telephone number is 585-217-9390 and my email address is heidiladuca@gmail.com. I also respond to Facebook message via my Law Office page at https://www.facebook.com/ HeidiELaDuca. I truly treasure the opportunity to assist and guide families through this very important planning process.

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NEW YEAR NEW VOICE

BY KATINA KARL

“ W H AT ’ S Y O U R BUSINESS’S VOICE?” What does it sound like?” “Is the voice being heard, right?” This is an important question I ask my new client’s so that I can learn more about their voice and vision of their business. Why? Because ultimately your business’s voice and image represents the brand. Every business should have a voice and your marketing platforms should be expressing it properly. But you

may be asking how?

If you were to take a look at your current marketing and social platforms, does it represent your business? Your content is an extension of your business giving it a “voice.”

It’s important to make sure your marketing campaign aligns with your business’s voice, image and goals. If this is something you haven’t analyzed before, we’ll it’s the perfect time to do so! Maybe you need a refresh or it’s time to change marketing

direction. Take the time to plan out your content, the same way you plan your goals and make sure it represents you well. If you realize you don’t know how, you don’t have the time or you’re unsure or unhappy with your current “voice,” reach out to a professional like us at Kefi Marketing to help have your voice heard by the right customers!

We specialize in helping create the right “voice” for our customers.

Happy New Year!

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THE POWER OF THOUGHTFUL SEXUAL EXPLORATION

BY JERSSICA JANIK

As we finally close the book on 2020, a year full of uncertainty, fear, and grief, we turn our attention to the new year ahead. Even as the challenges of COVID-19 persist, we look with hope towards 2021.

feel more connected with ourselves and our partners. They provide a sense of confidence and empowerment. They allow us the space to be playful and bold. These are tools that can help us cope when life gets difficult.

The expectations surrounding the start of a new year can be overwhelming.

We often view January 1st as an opportunity to change our narrative.

It is when we start on our journey to become better, smarter, more fit- whatever we feel like we need to become. In a time when all of us are struggling with the impacts of a pandemic, I would like to invite you to release yourself from this expectation of personal reinvention.

What if we took this opportunity to turn inwards- to uncover the parts of ourselves that have remained untouched and unexplored, to gain a better understanding of our most intimate inner workings?

In general, sexual satisfaction, whether experienced by yourself or with a partner, is an important aspect of our overall happiness and well-being.

Thoughtful Exploration

Why is sexuality important?

Our sexuality is often viewed and treated as a luxury rather than a priority. When I use the term “sexuality,” I am not just referring to your sexual orientation. I am talking about your desires, your fantasies, what turns you on, what feels good to you. You might be asking yourself- why is my sexuality important in a time of crisis when so many other aspects of life could take precedence? Understanding your sexuality can lead to more fulfilling sexual experiences. Fulfilling sexual experiences bring forth feelings of pleasure and relaxation. They help us

● What are some things I already know that I like?

So, how can you explore what is out there? There are many ways to go about this task, but here are a few suggestions. ● Let your mind run wild with new fantasies- perhaps things you are curious to explore ● Ask your partner to describe their fantasies to you- be mindful of your partner’s boundaries!

Many people go their whole lives without intentionally thinking about or exploring their sexuality. The topic of sexuality is uncomfortable for many people to approach. If you are feeling unsure of where to start in your exploration, you can begin by asking yourself these questions.

● Watch female pleasure centered erotic films- try ErikaLust.com or xoAfterglow.com

● What are some of the messages I received around sex and sexuality growing up?

● Listen to a sex related podcast

● What I am curious about? ● What aspects of previous pleasurable experiences did I find most exciting or enjoyable?

Sexuality is expansive and it is okay to feel uncertain of what you might like because you don’t know what is out there. Even if you do have an idea of what you like, you might be surprised by your reaction to new ideas or experiences.

● Read or listen to erotica ● Read a book written by experts in the field of sexology

● Talk to your friends about their interests and experiences During your exploration, variety is important. You may come across things that ignite a spark of passion and excitement in you. You may also come across things that may never be your cup of tea. Every person is different.

AUTHENTIC EXPRESSION It is one thing to identify and recognize our desires, but it is something completely different to engage in real life. A good place to start is with yourself. Once you have pinpointed an area of interest, you may need to do additional research. For example,

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{ SEXUALLY SPEAKING} } { SHIFT+CONTROL “The expectations surrounding the start of a new year can be overwhelming. We often view January 1st as an opportunity to change our narrative”

if one is interested in exploring anal play, they might want to look up the best anal plugs for beginners, the recommended types of lubrication, and listen to a podcast that includes other’s experiences and tips for anal play. When you are ready to have your own experience, set aside all of the preconceived notions about what this experience will be like. Instead, focus on asking yourself “do I like this?” and “does this feel good?”. You might be pleasantly surprised!

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aspects or topics, and you may feel discomfort or fear trying new things.

Your partner may not share your same interests, or you may struggle to communicate your needs during sexual experiences. Many people experience sexual function concerns, for example, pain with penetration, difficulty with orgasm, or difficulty maintaining an erection. All of these concerns are very common!. If you are feeling like you need extra support

When including a partner in explorative play, make sure to communicate with them first. Make sure that they understand and consent to the experience you would like to create.

Bring them into the planning process with you! It can make you feel more like a team who is taking on something new together. First times can be messy, and they often do not go as planned.

Patience, compassion, and even a good laugh in these moments can be a major aspect of success.

and guidance, a sex therapist or sexual medicine doctor can become a part of your process. Please reach out to us, we are here to help!

Sexuality is unique and imperfect As you embark on this journey, you may encounter some bumps in the road. You may feel a sense of shame or guilt surrounding certain

Thoughtful sexual exploration and authentic sexual expression are lifelong processes that require intention and effort, but trust me, it is worth it!

There is a profound sense of freedom

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and fulfillment to be found when we give ourselves the permission to pursue pleasure in a way that is genuine to our being.

On behalf of everyone at the Rochester Center for Sexual Wellness, Happy New Year! May this next year be filled with good health, joy, and pleasure!

Janie Kleinberg is a Master of Social Work student at Syracuse University and the Office Administrator at Rochester Center for Sexual Wellness. She believes that sexual wellness deserves a place of importance and priority in all of our lives.

The experience of sexual satisfaction is one we all deserve! If you would like to make an appointment with a provider at the Rochester Center for Sexual Wellness, give us a call at 585-8653584 or send us an email at info@ rochestercenterforsexualwellness.com.

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SEX* *NOW THAT WE HAVE YOUR ATTENTION...

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Introducing the Rochester Center for Sexual Wellness where sexual medicine specialists and certified sex therapists offer a holistic approach to sexual and relationship wellness.

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CALL US AT 585-865-3584 FIND OUT MORE AT WWW.ROCHESTERCENTERFORSEXUALWELLNESS.COM

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BEAUTY FROM THE INSIDE OUT

BY DR. ANIKA SIMONE JOHNSON

Happy 2021 Beautiful Queens!!! We are still celebrating this new year and all the amazing opportunities that will catapult your business for optimal revenue and success. Additionally, I believe it is always a great time to focus our energy towards exuding our beauty from the inside out.

steps to support your beauty from the inside out.

The five steps include taking a daily probiotic, multivitamin, aloe, omega-3 and digestive enzymes. Probiotics* support a healthy urinary tract and

Many people believe our outer beauty is important and although it is significant as we are judged and even attended to by how polished we look - this is not at all what I am referring to. I have personally taken time to focus on my beauty from the inside out to always show up as my highest self for myself, my family, clients and friends. It has been absolutely phenomenal and I challenge you to do the same.

What does this look like taking care of your beauty from the inside out? Let’s take a deeper dive into how you could begin implementing this concept into your daily lifestyle. It is really simple.

Are you giving your body what it needs to stay healthy?

If so, it will show on the outside and if not, it will still show on the outside in an unflattering way. And I am not referring to a colorful salad with a light dressing and your daily amount of water.

Although feeding your body healthy, nutritious superfoods can boost your immune system, there are additional

support the body’s normal resistance to yeast. Multivitamins* supports a strong immune system, supplements dietary deficiencies and contains vitamins and minerals that support the body’s ability to metabolize fats and carbohydrates and support a healthy body weight.

Aloe* supports a healthy digestive tract, promotes normal healing, supports a strong immune system and promotes digestive comfort.

Omega-3* fish oil promotes a healthy complexion and helps enhance mood. Digestive enzymes* provide good bacteria that promote the absorption of nutrients and support a healthy digestive tract and immune system. Market America Web. 1 January 2021 <https://www.shop. com/shopbox/6270063>.

These vitamins and supplements will give your body what it needs to stay healthy as you glow with energy from the inside and out.

I have incorporated these vitamins and supplements consistently since the beginning of COVID-19 and very grateful to have avoided sickness during 2020. Many of my clients and relatives have gradually added a few of the five steps to their daily routine and quickly noticed a positive difference in their health. I cannot leave out their skin is also more radiant and smooth. I encourage you to invest in your health today.

Clear out your cabinets, locate your vitamins and supplements and if they are not expired, begin taking them on a daily basis to support your overall health.

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{ {SHIFT+CONTROL DR J’S BEAUTY } } “I have personally taken time to focus on my beauty from the inside out to always show up as my highest self for myself, my family, clients and friends. It has been absolutely phenomenal and I challenge you to do the same.”

If you need to purchase your vitamins and supplements, visit your local health food store or shop quality ingredient products https://www.drjbeauty. com/beautyfromtheinsideout. We want to hear from you so after you have incorporated these vitamins and supplements in your daily routine, 264

email us to let us know how you are looking and feeling via info@ drjbeauty.com.

Vibrate higher, All Things Dr. J. Beauty IG@dranikasimonejohnson

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*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product(s) is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

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CONSIDER A DIFFERENT SOLUTION

BY DR SHANELLE BENSON REID

“We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.” J.K. Rowling, Doing work in Diversity, Inclusion and Equity affords me the opportunity to work with people from all walks of life. I love my work because I love connecting with people. Recently, I met with a group educators and stakeholders for a roundtable discussion on private schools, public schools (suburban and urban), and homeschooling.

We talked about how urban school districts are failing our communities and our students. We talked about how families are leaving these areas because of limited opportunities. It was a lively discussion with no real solution other than government programs and increased involvement and oversight. It’s unfortunate how people seldom consider systems that are in place to keep schools underfunded and underperforming.

Likewise, I am always amazed when people suggest government assistance for correcting school failure.

Please understand, I am not saying the government has not contributed to many of the ills that plague urban communities, however, what I am saying is looking to government agency (local and / or national) to correct or solve these problems is preposterous.

The government cannot transform school systems, communities transform school systems. We are the solution.

We are the answer. We are the cure.

We must uplift our communities

in order to transforms our schools.

Let’s consider a different solution: Homeschooling, suburban schools and private schools are all viable options, but what about the students who will be left behind? What about the student who has to attend a traditional public school? As a community, what is our obligation to that student? Like many of you, I want to see urban schools thrive and flourish. That being said, I decided that one child, one community, one life abandoned is too many. It is time to be the revolution our communities need. “I know if you move further away, it will not impact you, if you choose better schools, it will not effect you and if you pretend that it is not happening, you can continue to live your life, but honestly, everything that occurs in our greater community, influences our well-being. As a community, we need to stand up. Change starts with us. The days of waiting for someone else are long gone. Collectively, let’s decide to work together. This is not about being more diverse or inclusive.

This is about being compassionate and building relationships.

- Listen to the stories of others.

- Volunteer with youth organizations.

- Buy local when possible.

- Support budding entrepreneurs.

- Mentor students from underserved communities - Be open to having new cultural experiences.

- Engage people with differences and learn from their experiences.

Conclusion: We are responsible for our surroundings and the state of certain communities, confirms no one else will shoulder this responsibility.

We can longer look to local, state, or federal entities to revitalize and / or develop our neighborhoods; this obligation is ours. It starts with us deciding change is possible and that we are fully capable of designing our unified destiny.

This is about lending a hand and not offering judgment. What can you do today to impact someone else’s tomorrow?

Here are some suggestions: - Seek to understand.

- Do not make assumptions.

- Assume positive intent - Be friendly and make connections.

- Tell your story.

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LOOK BACK TO MOVE FORWARD

BY AHLIA TILLMAN KITWANA

PERFORM A PERSONAL YEAR-END REVIEW Performing a year-end review is important to help you gain perspective as you stride into 2021. Reflection is still worth it, especially if very little went your way this year. In a year when nothing went as planned or expected, you can still reflect on what went well and what didn’t. I encourage you to do a personal year-end review. Yes, a boat-load of unexpected circumstances arose. A lot of what we experienced this year was disappointing, depressing and traumatic. AND there were also some really amazing moments and wins --- good things did happen in 2020, you just have to be open to that side of the coin too. Some of the good that occurred may have been the result of strategic, intentional and deliberate planning and pivoting. Some of it may be well timed serendipity.

There were other moments that were a result of the universe reminding of its all-encompassing goodness and creative energy.

We can still look back at our lives in 2020 objectively IF we are willing to take ownership of how we proceed.

This is part perspective, part intention and part objective honesty. Assuming responsibility for the problems that exist in our lives and accepting reality as it is are choices. How we proceed once we’ve assumed responsibility is also a choice. I wholeheartedly agree, 270

that the options and choices we have right now are far from perfect or ideal.

However, if you have time to read this post, you likely have the freedom and privilege of choice.

YEAR END REVIEW It is quite likely that next year, 2021 will be similar to this year in that there will still be a pandemic that will impact the way we live. The biggest difference between 2020 and 2021 is that you will

REFLECT ON THE PAST YEAR To start your year-end review, look at each month and identify your Wins & Learning Opportunities for each month.

Look through your planner, journal, photos, social media — wherever it may be that you captured snapshots and moments of the past year… Reflect, look back to see where you are going.

This review is a little different than the 2019 year-end review, this year, we are adding in gratitude. Pull out a notebook or journal and get started.

What are you grateful for? L e a r n i n g opportunities WHAT TO CONSIDER

have a better idea of what to expect. It is quite likely that the choices we will have will be far from ideal, but they will be our choices to make. For now, let’s just do a quick review of 2020 • What went well, or better than expected?

• What didn’t go well or as planned?

• What we can learn from our experiences?

• How can we improve our outcomes moving forward?

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• Did you notice any patterns that pop up?

• Did you notice certain people around/ involved with good choices or bad decisions?

• Any activities that showed up over and over again?

Why? • Were there any changes in your relationships?

• Big travel? If you traveled, how did it differ from previous years?

• Were any plans thwarted? How did you adapt or pivot your plans? Or did you just let them go?

• Did you learn new skills?

• Where did you draw the most inspiration from?

• What was your biggest challenge?

• What was your biggest accomplishment?

• What did you do to adapt to live through a pandemic? How will you

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{ THE{ LITTLE BLACK BUDDHA } SHIFT+CONTROL } “How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours.” -Wayne Dyer

Describe this past year in one word.

YOUR 2020 GOALS & INTENTIONS For each goal you made this year, rank on a scale of 1-10 how well you did with “1” being a non-starter to “10” being a goal you crushed. Reflect on how the goal played out, what worked, what didn’t? What were your barriers?

What can you do to remove those barriers in the future?

• What relationships grew this year?

• What relationships need more attention?

• When was someone a true friend to you this year?

• Did you show up for someone else when they needed your presence? How did this feel (fed your soul or burdensome)?

• Are there any relationships that no longer serve you that you need to let go of?

For a more in-depth review of the past year, check out, How To Perform An In Depth Year End Review.

“How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours.” -Wayne Dyer Now more than ever, it is evident that the relationships and connections that are most important to you have to be nurtured. If it weren’t for my family, friends and the communities that I am a part of, I would have been truly lost during this pandemic. As human beings, I think our relationships and connections are bound in our ability to survive. Here are some prompts you can use to reflect on your relationships.

• Who are you most grateful for right now?

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COMPASSION & GRACE “Skip the religion and politics, head straight to the compassion. Everything else is a distraction.” -Talib Kweli This year, I have found over and over that granting generous amount of grace to everyone I encountered and interacted with, including myself. I think that we can all agree that we are all experiencing challenges in one way or another, everyone

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is going through something right now.

It seems disingenuous to continue and go on as if everything is “Ok” because it clearly is not. Keeping in mind that we are all living in this extraordinary moment that can allow for much more compassion and patience.

• Did anything happen that you regret this year?

• Write yourself a note (or letter) forgiving yourself.

• Try to let go and move on.

• What are you holding onto that you’d like to let go of in the upcoming year?

• Are there people in your life that you need to forgive?

How can you begin that process?

REACH OUT, LEARN MORE For deeper insights on how to build a well lived life, change careers or figure out what your superpowers are, contact Little Black Buddha today. Learn more about our services. If you are really ready to level-up and are ready to commit to serious change in your life. We are opening a new cohort of Your Next Chapter, you will evolve to the next best version of you if you invest in yourself.

Don’t do it alone.

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STAYING WELL THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

BY BETH PARRY

For some, the holidays are the “most wonderful time of the year.” For others, it is a time full of anxiety, overeating, and stress.

Throw in a pandemic, and it intensifies the feelings of isolation, depression, and anxiety.

Living a healthy lifestyle and keeping your immunity strong through the holidays can be tricky with high social contact levels, elevated stress levels, poor eating choices, and lack of time. Living healthy through the seasons can be achievable by taking a few tips from the Wellness professionals.

sickness, chronic fatigue, and anxiety. Your sleep cycle influences your daily hormone release, controlling your hunger and satiety throughout the day. Holiday stress can decrease your quality of sleep. Restless sleep can lead to a negative feedback loop creating more daily stress. It is essential to use good sleep hygiene, and adopt stress reduction techniques throughout your day to improve your sleep patterns, improve your immunity and mood during this holiday season.

TIP #1: EXERCISE I know that fitting exercise into your already overloaded schedule can seem impossible. If you choose to neglect your exercise regimen, you are doing yourself a huge miss service.

Taking that time to destress and unwind can be the most productive time on your schedule. The benefits of exercise far surpass the benefits of last-minute shopping, latenight cocktails, or extra hours at work.

Exercise can Decrease your stress - Promote healthy weight - Improve your energy - Aid in healthy sleep cycles All of which will improve your immunity, mood, and stress levels during the season.

Busy schedule? You do not have to work out an hour a day to get these great benefits.

Moderate intensity exercise in as little as 25 min a day will still get you the recommended minutes per week. Cardiovascular workouts are great to burn those extra calories, however strengthening exercise will build muscle, tone your body, improve posture, and build stronger, healthier bones. The stronger your muscles, the more calories your body will burn at rest. So, keep your workouts on your schedule; your body and mind will thank you.

TIP #3: ADOPT MINDFUL HABITS Adopting mindful habits will allow you to not only survive but thrive this holiday season. Mindful practices bring conscious awareness to your day, choosing to take time

TIP #2: GET YOUR REST Studies show that even one night of latenight hours can significantly decrease your immunity and encourage weight gain. Add on that extra glass of holiday cheer, and you have the perfect storm for 274

TIP #4 EAT ON PURPOSE The holidays are full of cookies, pies, and alcohol of plenty. We tend to eat more mindless when the cookies and candies are all around. Mindful eating comes down to honoring your hunger, not your urges. It is bringing awareness to why you are eating, hungry, bored, stressed, etc. Mindful eating is about eating on purpose, eating for fuel, and eating without stressful distractions. It is ok to eat the cookies, pies, and treats, just in moderation and on purpose. Permitting ourselves to splurge on the holidays can lead to overall discomfort and long-term health complications. Weight gain, even temporary, can lead to joint pain, digestive issues, and an overall feeling of malaise.

Here are some great tips for eating over the holidays.

TIP #1 Eat your carbs with some fiber and healthy fats. This keeps your blood sugar levels stable, making you less likely to binge on sugar.

TIP #2: Put some club soda or seltzer in your cocktail. This decreases the amount of alcohol consumption, and you are less likely to fill your glass with sugary mixers.

for yourself, reflect on your surroundings, and be grateful for your blessings. Start with practicing gratitude and celebrate friends and family this year. Even with disappointments or setbacks, there are still plenty of things to be grateful for in life.

Meditate, take a few minutes to breathe, on purpose. Take 5-10 minutes every day and sit, focus on your breath, and recharge that battery. Finally, practice acceptance.

Trying to control the actions of others will lead to resentment and disappointment.

Accepting people for who they are and not what the “should be” will allow you to enjoy all of your dynamic family personalities.

These simple habits will allow you to enjoy the holiday storms with peace and rest.

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TIP #3: Get adequate sleep. This will support your hormones that control your metabolism, hunger, and satiety.

You can stay healthy and happy during the holiday season. Wellness is not about perfection; it’s about making conscious decisions to better your state of wellbeing.

Wellness 360 works to educate you and support your individual health needs. We use our physical therapy background to provide you with evidence-based exercises and education for your optimum health.

We aim to manage, prevent, or reverse your disease diagnosis through exercise and lifestyle modifications. You can learn more through www.wellness360fitness. com. Until then, have a safe and healthy holiday season!

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SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDS

BY BRE MORRIS

FOUR OF THE HOTTEST 2021 SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDS AND HOW YOU CAN GET YOUR BRAND ON BOARD! Let’s start the year by covering all of the marketing trends that researchers say will most likely flourish in 2021. As the number of social media users grows every day, it’s more important than ever for brands to stay ahead of trends to keep up with the increasing competition.

Based on experts’ analysis of the ever-evolving social media advertising tactics last year, here are some trending marketing opportunities you and your business should take advantage of this year.

Content platform apps such as TikTok have seen such great success in short content that other popular apps like Instagram and Facebook have made updates to provide the means to create specifically short video content on their platforms as well. The average social media user does not have the attention span to watch an advertisement for over 5 minutes, in fact, studies have shown

1.) SHORT-FORM VIDEOS New research shows that when it comes to your video marketing, less is more. According to a recent study by the video creation platform, Animoto, over 76% of small businesses have measured a marked result from the video content they’ve created.

Fast and easily consumable content is becoming increasingly popular because these types of advertisements provide high engagement. Due to continuing safety concerns from the global pandemic, stay-at-home orders have influenced more and more people to create and post short-form video content.

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that audiences respond most to videos that are 90 seconds or less. When it comes to social media advertising, snackable content is the sweet spot for getting the message across to your audience. However, when the message cannot be summed up in such a short time span, businesses have found it helpful to upload a teaser video (typically around 30 seconds to one minute) on their social platforms and then include

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a link to their Youtube channel for the actual long-form video.

2.) LIVE VIDEOS FOR BUSINESSTO-BUSINESS MARKETING LIVE video streaming is the act of broadcasting a video in real-time, usually via webcam or mobile device, allowing businesses to directly interact with their audience. Although the LIVE feature is not a new trend, companies have recently started utilizing it for business matters instead of just advertising to clients. By hosting an interactive interview with your company’s experts and opinion leaders, live video streaming helps businesses converse and strategize instantaneously.

Even the PR world is utilizing live video feed for virtual press conferences because they can answer questions in real time and it’s an easy capture for news sources to snag the live video content for reference.

In response to the demand, a variety of social media platforms have added this aspect, including LinkedIn which recently launched their live video feature that allows companies to answer frequently asked client questions, share company updates, and provide advice for their industry. They allow B2B

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{ SHIFT+CONTROL } { B.MOR } “Although the LIVE feature is not a new trend, companies have recently started utilizing it for business matters instead of just advertising to clients.”

companies the potential to reach over 600 million professionals with instant engagement. Live video streaming is an inexpensive means of educating and inspiring an existing audience and allows the opportunity to reach out to new people who may not know much about the brand.

This approach works so well that according to Livestream for Marketing, 80% of audiences would rather watch live video from a brand than read their blog posts and 73% of B2B companies using live video have reported positive results to their ROI. Social media managers can also monitor audience reactions in real time with the live comments that correspond with the live video feed.

Businesses have been using the B2B live stream marketing tactic to share project updates, grow their audience, and present product features. Researchers have found that the best practices for B2B livestreaming have been to stream regularly, promote video streams in advance to increase audience numbers, and encourage users to save the live videos to their business profile in order to catch up on what they missed.

3.) Socially Conscious Related Content Businesses have begun to include awareness about controversial social issues into their marketing strategy.

Rather than staying silent (like in the past), brands are speaking up. Users like to form relationships with brands, and recent studies have shown they are more likely to stick with brands that take a stance on divisive issues. In this time of social unrest consumers want 280

to see authenticity and companies are putting this into practice by investing in perspectives from outside experts to maintain the thoughtfulness and sincerity of their messaging. Regardless of the approach, companies should proceed with care when commenting on current events, especially when they involve polarizing topics. In this digital age, consumers can easily comb through a company’s messaging to check which brands are being hypocritical and which ones genuinely care. The past year has proven that inauthenticity drives away audience members. For example, Amazon released a seemingly heartfelt commercial thanking its “heroic” employees and described the company’s dedication to health and safety but received immediate backlash when consumers found out about the employee strikes over workplace safety concerns. Authenticity can easily dissolve into just lip service that businesses hope will make them look like a positive influence without actually having to do anything. To prevent this, marketing teams should use outside sources and collect target audience data to learn what they want to hear when discussing topics like global health and social injustice. When a mistake is made, do not underestimate the power of a sincere apology no matter how long ago the wrongdoing occurred.

4.) E-Commerce will Thrive People are rethinking the way they shop, and due to broader market impacts, consumers are more likely than ever to make cost-effective purchases. As a result, they will rely more on peer reviews for products. Increasingly powerful

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social media apps such as Facebook and Instagram have turned to more explicit styles of a “Shop Now” user-interface which will take the consumer social media experience to a whole new level this year. It will become easier for brands to form relationships with social users and allow consumers to share products on the same channel(s) they converse. It’s very important for businesses to enable their ratings and review settings on their Facebook Business Page(s) to allow customers to express their thoughts on a business’ product or service. A study

by Absolunet has shown that 87% of e-commerce shoppers believe social media helps them make a shopping decision.

As word-of-mouth is the most effective tool for advertisement, potential new audience reach is more likely to increase when they’re able to examine peer insights.

Brands need to focus on optimizing their digital experiences across these various e-commerce channel options in order to keep up with strong competition that have already developed a strong foothold in social media e-commerce advertising.

These are just a few of the 2021 social media trends to look out for— there’s plenty more but, we believe these take the cake! In summary, be sure to embrace and produce short form videos for you customers, go LIVE on your social feeds on a regular basis, take a genuine stance on a socially conscious related issue, and be sure your social platforms are setup for e-commerce success!

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NEW YEAR’S SOLUTIONS 2.0 X 2.1

BY KELLI LAPAGE

By now you have likely realized that 12:01am on January 1, 2021 did not include a magical reset button. The world did not return to normalcy against the backdrop of fireworks ringing in the New Year. And we did not awake on January 1st on a pillow of fairy dust and glitter to a world with no worries where all of our dreams had come true. Alas, we all awoke to find January 1st, 2021 was… well… the start of another day.

That’s what makes it so special. It is another day to start fresh. Another day to realize the beauty around us and be grateful for all that we have.

But for many of us, that one moment on this one day, when the clock strikes midnight and the ball drops represents the proverbial reset button, our one chance to start fresh. “Out with the old and in with the new”. We set up that moment this year, as we have for each year before, as a chance to rethink, reform, regroup and reprioritize how we will shape our lives for the better in the year to come. We hyped ourselves up to enter this new year as a “new you”. We set resolutions and made vision boards, we ordered that Peloton or signed up for the gym membership. We unpacked the new kitchen gadgets, cleaned out the pantry and stocked it full of fresh food. And we declared “This year will be better. This year I will ________ ( fill in the blank)”. We were enthusiastic.

We were prepared. And this year was going to be different.

Is it? By the time you are reading this some time has passed since that MOMENT. Whether you are still on track with the resolutions you made, or

have already found yourself reverting to old patterns of thought or behavior?

Research shows that over 90% of New Year’s “resolutions” have been broken by the end of January. So how can we do better?

Its time to upgrade your mindset to Resolutions 2.1: Solutions vs. Resolutions This is a concept I remind my clients of every year. The old belief of sweeping change and overnight transformation is not realistic or sustainable. We must remember that in order for a new way of being to occur, and ultimately for our new goals and intentions to become sustained reality, we must consistently and mindfully push that proverbial reset button each and every day – sometimes even multiple times each day. Because change occurs with small, meaningful, deliberately made choices. And you can make a choice now… and now… and in 2 hours… and tomorrow… and next week. And when we realize that is all that is needed for change, we can focus on the moment, and what we can do NOW, without feeling overwhelmed by a year ( or even months) worth of planning and commitments.

Our circumstances are changing daily.

Trusting yourself to make choices that move you closer to your goals – that is the solution.

In order to find a solution you must clearly understand the problem A resolution is arbitrary, and not grounded in the root of our problems. It is often a band aid, a cover up, for the true issues that lay deeper, below the surface. In order to find a solution, you must look at the root cause of the behavior. That

is the harder course of action. We don’t want to address why we are overweight, why we are tired all the time, or why we are unhappy. We just want a quick fix. It is easier to state “I WILL LOSE weight this year” than to say, “I will stop putting myself last on my list of priorities, thereby giving myself permission to take care of myself by taking time to work out every day and make the appropriate eating choices.” It is easier to say, “I will stop drinking this year” or “I will quit smoking this year” than to say, “I will address the issues that make me unhappy and unsatisfied in my life, and find positive coping mechanisms that will make me feel good about myself.” And on and on. Resolutions allow us to ignore the root cause of our “issues”. Solutions FORCE us to look them smack in the face… stare them down… and overcome them.

By facing our goals head on, with a plan, not just a whim, we set ourselves up for success. We must always answer these three questions honestly: What SHOULD I do? What CAN I DO? And What AM I WILLING TO DO? Do not set your goals because someone else wants you to. Don’t set a goal out of guilt or embarrassment. Set a goal because you are ready to change, and because it is important to you, and YOU are important enough to invest in.

My wish for each and every one of us this New Year: The strength to look with an honest mind and an open heart at WHY we are where we are?

Why do we struggle with our weight?

Why we are always tired? Why do we drink? Why do we smoke? Why do

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{ SHIFT+CONTROL { WELL TRAIL } } “A resolution is arbitrary, and not grounded in the root of our problems. It is often a band aid, a cover up, for the true issues that lay deeper, below the surface.”

we yell at our loved ones? And then, find solutions that will reduce or resolve those behaviors. We cannot control everything in our lives. We can’t control our bosses, our families, our friends. We can’t control the economy, politics or the weather. But we CAN control our reactions, our behaviors and our state of mind. That is what New Year’s Solutions are all about. And you do not need a special day, or moment to start this process of self improvement. Because every moment is another opportunity to begin anew. So take that first step now, and another one in a moment.

And before you know it you will be 284

walking into a whole new you!!

Happy New Year—and may this be the year you make your own solutions.

WellTrail is accepting enrollment for our 10th Anniversary of WHOLE U – an educational and motivational on demand program that supports your effort to identify meaningful goals for your health and well-being with medically, nutritionally and “wholistically” based support. YOU set your goal and WE support your solutions. WHOLE U includes: Habit Change, Identifying and Controlling Your Triggers, Nutrition Science for All with comprehensive strategies to apply that knowledge based

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on your goals and medical conditions or restrictions, and weaves the importance of movement, spirit and positive mental health strategies throughout. The program can be followed by a guided and supported 30 day WHOLE U RESET – a self designed challenge to help you reach the goals that are important to you.

Your unique, customized challenge is supported through access to on demand training, a customized health portal and one on one consulting. Contact us at info@welltrail.com today to learn more and sign up. Access to classes begins 1-21-21.

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THE SECRET TO HAPPINESS IS HELPING OTHERS

BY JUDI SWANSON

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”

Desmond Tutu When areas experience a disaster such as a flood, fire, tornado, hurricane, earthquake, car accident, or ice storm a plethora of people from everywhere will jump to action to help where they can, doing what they can. Right now during this COVID19 pandemic we are experiencing a mental health, emotional crisis of epic proportions.

People are hurting and not doing well. Some of the people who are hurting and struggling emotionally are people who typically were in healthy emotional places.

In physical disasters there are visual reminders of what occurred. Houses are destroyed by high winds, forests gone due to fires, cars twisted and crushed. Emotional hurts are invisible, sometimes hidden under a smile or dismissed for a variety of reasons.

Yet just like all other disasters they are real, present, and causing pain.

Here is a refresher about me and what I do. I head up Kindness Champions while working full time as a social worker and substance abuse counselor in a high school. In addition I have a part-time private therapy practice.

When school resumed in the fall, students were coming to school on a hybrid model where they attend classes two days a week in person and the remainder online. We have about 1400 students in the high school I work at. A teenage boy that I have worked with for a few years came to see me one day. His

concern was for others. He told me students in the school were too quiet, including the students who are usually outgoing and positive.

He told me they needed help. All of them. This teenage boy is dealing with significant challenges outside of school (and I mean significant), yet his concern was for others. He was seeking input into what he could do to help.

A few days ago I met for the first time with a student who broke down crying in a class. This student was feeling overwhelmed and stressed. She had missed some school because her parents had COVID, she was helping with her siblings, and she was missing her friends as they came to school on the days she was learning from home. As we talked it became clear that she had been feeling depressed and anxious for a long time. When I asked her if she had shared it with anyone her answer was no. Why not I asked? She did not want to bother anyone. She did not want to upset anyone because she knew everyone is dealing with so much stress. I then asked her if she would want to know if someone she cares about was struggling emotionally. She said ‘yes’ because she would want to help them.

It helped give her an aha moment that for starters we needed to talk to her parents because they would want to know.

There are many stories like this for adults too as this is not just a kid issue. Some that I work with, some that I counsel in my private practice, and some that are friends, neighbors, hair dresser, random person at the grocery store. There are stories like

this everywhere for many of us.

Sometimes people are unsure of what to do when someone is struggling emotionally. No one wants to say or do the “wrong” thing. I am here to tell you that showing you care in the ways you show you care is always the right thing. Saying you care makes a difference. I am a trained mental health professional. I do not have a perfect package of words to pick from. I don’t. What I do have is a lot of care and love in my heart. What I do have is the willingness, even in my personal life, when I see someone struggling, even though it might feel uncomfortable, to do something. So if you see something, say something.

“Never underestimate the difference you can make in the lives of others.

Step forward, reach out, and help.

Reach out to someone that might need a lift.” Pablo An article in Time Magazine by Jenny Santi “The Secret to Happiness is Helping Others” says “And so we learn early: It is better to give than to receive.

The venerable aphorism is drummed into our heads from our first slice of a shared birthday cake. But is there a deeper truth behind the truism? The resounding answer is yes. Scientific research provides compelling data to support the anecdotal evidence that giving is a powerful pathway to personal growth and lasting happiness.

Through fMRI technology, we now know that giving activates the same parts of the brain that are stimulated by food and sex. Experiments show evidence that altruism is hardwired in the brain—and it’s pleasurable.

Helping others may just be the secret

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{ YOU MATTER } “Never underestimate the difference you can make in the lives of others. Step forward, reach out, and help. Reach out to someone that might need a lift.”

to living a life that is not only happier but also healthier, wealthier, more productive, and meaningful.”

Here are some tips for your helper self: 1. Start with you. Yep you. If you are struggling emotionally and not telling anyone because you don’t want to “bother” them tell someone. It could be your partner, brother, sister, best friend, someone you are dating, your Doctor. People want to know when we are struggling, just like we want to know when they are struggling.

Get help and support for you.

2. Take care of you. Eat healthy, get some exercise, make sure you get your zzzz’s and some down time. I can feel when I am not at my helping best and depleted. When that happens I make sure to do some things I love to do to. This fills up my energy so I am emotionally present in all areas of my life, professional and personal.

3. Reach out to people in your life.

Check in on your peeps. If something does not seem right with a person near and dear to your heart trust your gut. Take an action that says I care about you for others. Send a card, a text, or call. If money allows make a care package just because.

There does not need to be an event that happens to show you care and appreciate another human being.

Be the event that shows care and brings joy.

4. When you are out and about look up and say hello. Give someone a 290

face mask smile (our eyes do light up when we smile). Be helpful. Hold the door for someone. If you physically can park farther away from the store so others can park closer. In traffic let other cars in ahead of you. If you can pay for the car behind you. Do something.

5. Help in your community. You can volunteer in many ways from writing letters or calling seniors, stocking food pantries, walking dogs in shelters and building houses, and delivering food to people. If you have the finances give money or food items. Help your neighbor. Do something.

6. Safety experts tells us to pay attention to our surroundings when we are out and about. I use that model in my daily living. I pay attention to the people I came in contact with in my surroundings. Even those times I am at the grocery store feeling rushed, and a stranger wants to tell me a story about their life I will take the time to listen. I have learned that when I don’t take the time to hear someone out I feel crappy after. I have time.

You do too. Am I perfect at this.

Nope. Yet I really try my best to do my best. When Ronald Reagan said “We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone” he was spot on.

So amazing helpers our hurting world needs your helper. By doing more for others it will help you feel better in all areas of your life. Recently in Minnesota when a man at the drive thru paid for the meal of the car behind him it ended up that over 900 cars bought meals for others. One

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person began a ripple of kindness that impacted many people who continued that ripple. Start your ripple in your surroundings. We all have helper ability within us. Your helper self can make a difference.

I have committed to upping my helper self, to creating more joychains of good. To do my little bit of good where I am. Want to join me?

May your helper be with you.

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DON’T LET ANXIETY STOP YOU

BY ANGELA DUNCAN, PSY.M I PHOTOS BY LAURA DOMELA AND SOPHIE GUENTHER

I was raised to apply myself and do my best to all that life requests from me. My family always encouraged me to look past the stigmas that women will not succeed in a man’s world. I worked hard and soon was climbing the corporate ladder, I quickly learned I faced additional hurdles as a woman and a lesbian in business. The challenge was often stressful which led to the uncertainty of what my future held. My drive was so intense to make it to the top that no matter the obstacles, stopping was not an option. Until my journey with severe anxiety started in 2005.

My first major setback was losing my mom to a heart attack, she was 49 years old and I was only 25. This brought a lot of devastation in my heart. I took a week off from work to grieve and returned with a renewed vigor. Recommitting myself to my work not only helped put my mind at ease, but it also fulfilled a sense of purpose. Shortly after returning to work I was offered a General Manager position with my own restaurant.

My life became beautifully stressful with the responsibilities of managing a restaurant with over 50 crew members.

I decided it was time to be my authentic self by “coming out of the closet”. Not only did I crave to live my true life, but my son deserved a happy and honest life as well. I felt like the pieces were finally coming together and I was ready for what the future held.

Until a new kind of stress happened in June of 2005.

I was the passenger in a stopped vehicle 292

on the freeway when suddenly we were hit from behind by a semi-truck going over 65mph. The witnesses said he never hit the brakes. After striking my car, the truck proceeded another 100 yards hitting 7 other cars, coming to a stop on the side of the freeway and blowing up in front of us. I remember feeling like I was on the set of a movie being filmed, this experience was surreal.

Everyone escaped with their life, but the physical and mental ramifications were yet to come.

I started noticing a pattern of sweating, heavy breathing, heart racing, shaking, and multiple bathroom trips. What in the world is wrong with me?!? Every time I stepped out my front door, I had a sense of doom. I found myself calling in sick, showing up late, and or leaving early for work. Obviously, this “sickness” had begun to affect not only myself but the people who relied on me.

It became so prevalent I physically could not leave my home because of these challenges. My body and mind were suffering, I had no idea how to cope with these new health issues. Multiple doctors’ appointments led to few answers of my physical illness. My coping mechanisms included a combination of sleeping pills, alcohol, and comfort food. My life had turned upside down.

In January of 2007 I called my boss and quit my job.

The day I was told I was suffering from severe anxiety was a bittersweet moment.

I felt a sense of relief that my physical and mental symptoms had a name, but also sad. Having never struggled with anxiety before I thought my health

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would be like this forever. I could not help but think of the stigmas about mental illness and how this will affect my future.

For the next decade I was in a constant battle with myself. I continued with doctor and therapy appointments, working hard to overcome pain and the fear of leaving my home. It took every bit of energy I had to focus on my autistic son and learn how to lead him through his journey of life. I look back and often wonder how I was able to guide another human in life when I felt I had no control over mine.

Although my battle continued, I had a strong support system. I was slowly able to regain a sense of control over this illness and my confidence started to rise. I had a new desire to be the one in charge of my body, and the knowledge of what I was experiencing gave me a sense of power. I decided to join an online schooling environment attempting to learn all I could about anxiety and mental illness.

Through this phase, I was often tested.

I was able to recognize when anxiety started to take over and was able to use the resources my support system had given me. Accomplishing these small tasks helped me to prepare for the next big event that happened in our life.

In 2011 my wife was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer, she was 29.

We now entered a battle for her life.

Being a caregiver was difficult because my anxiety started to rear its ugly head again. I knew I could not allow this to

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{ SHIFT+CONTROL { HIP HEMP } } â&#x20AC;&#x153;My journeys have helped me to be confident in sharing my experiences with others.â&#x20AC;?

happen. I reached out to local nonprofit organizations and utilized their support during the challenges that we were facing. One thing anxiety taught me is to take advantage of all resources available. I could be tired at the end of the day with the weight of all our stressors on my shoulders, or I could lean on others and have time to relax before getting up and battling life all over again.

Once my wife was in remission, we knew we needed to give back to the community and help support others. In 2013 I joined a non-profit organization whose focus is to support cancer survivors, fund new research and educate the community about the importance of preventive screening.

Joining this group of volunteers pushed me out of the comfort zone that anxiety had trapped me in.

Helping people gave me a sense of purpose.

Over the next few years of volunteering, I continued to grow and take on more responsibilities becoming the Portland event lead. My own personal journey was tested often. I continued to work on my self-esteem by pushing myself to be in uncomfortable situations for the greater good of fighting cancer.

Little did I know this would lead me to new heights. Angela Duncan, 2019 Local News Interview It was about this time, Mary Jane Haake the president of Hip Hemp came into my life. I was so impressed with this talented powerful woman who chose her path of tattooing breast 296

cancer survivors over their scars to aid in their sense of normalcy. The day Mary Jane called me asking if I would become a part of the Hip Hemp team, which would be helping women, I jumped on that chance.

The excitement quickly became scary and I found myself sliding into self-doubt. I worried that I would disappoint her and a community of women needing our help. I could not let these fears stop me.

successful for us. Our goal is to help others, but in fact we are also helping ourselves.

Mary Jane never gave up on me and continued to push me beyond my comfort level. She saw a passion in me that I had lost years before. I started with Hip Hemp during the infant stages of the business and I have grown right along with this company.

My story may be like others suffering from anxiety disorders. I decided it was time to share managing my challenges, often still threatened with anxiety. My hope is that others with similar mental/emotional disorders will see that you really can forge ahead in your journeys.

Hip Hemp is designed for those in need of moisturizing, calming and soothing. These products are made from organic materials with antiinflammatory detoxifying analgesic properties. After several years of research, we have found a natural product that helps those of all ages in need of relief. Hip Hemp also offers several blogs with helpful information at www.hiphemp.com.

I am now the Area Training Leader for the Oregon and Southwest Washington chapter of The American Cancer Society, I am the Director of Operations for Hip Hemp, I am a wife, I am a mom, and I will continue to beat my anxiety.

My journeys have helped me to be confident in sharing my experiences with others. My business partner, Dante Haruna and I have started a show on YouTube called Armchair Chats. We take this time to discuss different challenges we have faced or continue to face and the type of coping mechanisms that have been

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Looking back and embracing my growth I am learning why I landed where I did. It took failures tied to my deep anxiety to lead me into healthier and more successful relationships. I am very thankful that along the way specific people taught me the value of a positive attitude - and yes, to laugh.

How are you doing?

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THE WAR BEYOND WRITING

BY DR. YASELLYN DIAZ-VEGA I PHOTOS BY MARISA NICODEMUS

I think we can all agree to the fact that this past year has been very unusual. Yet many of these things have happened with a deeper purpose. This column was created to bring a sense of community, health, empowerment, family and wisdom about our bodies.

After experiencing 2020, I will like to share 5 things that helped me survive physically, emotionally, spiritually and in business world.

First of all, Fear….It is an unpleasant feeling triggered by the perception of danger real or imagined. If it becomes something chronic, it can lead to anxiety and other mental health problems. During these past 9 months, many have constantly lived in a state of fear. Fear to get sick, fear to lose loved ones, fear to lose their jobs or means to survive financially, fear to lose their freedom, fear to be secluded or discriminated, etc.

These are all very valid reasons to be worried, but we have to understand that fear is a feeling, should not be a state. If you decide to stay in that state of fear, you will become paralyzed and unable to move forward to live your live with the passion and purpose that you were created for.

It is very important to be very cautious, but many people found themselves watching the news and social media that bombarded us with constant statistics related to the virus. Every hour, day by day we knew exactly how many positive cases there were, yet, very little investigation was done and worse yet, very little information was given about what science already

knew as tools or recommendations on how to improve our own health and minimize the negative effect in case you came sick with the virus.

I feel we were trapped in this doom cloud, divided by our political and social believes like never before. Our communities and country were left in the wilderness of despair. Only those that dared to think a bit different, that wanted to look for more answers, those that wanted to move forward, were the ones asking questions and daring to get out of fear and look toward to the hope, that things will get better at some point.

We don’t always have to win, it’s ok to “loose” and/or have set back to a situation, but we should never let the fear be the winner. We should never give up, stop hoping, stop working for our dreams or simply stop living because of fear. As a Christian, I had to anchor myself to the higher hope that God offers everyone that believe, I had to depend even more on my faith in Jesus. I found myself many times reading bible scriptures that will give me the hope, faith, preparation, wisdom and courage to continue to move forward.

Secondly, I understood that community and collaboration in times like this, gives you meaning and strengthens people. Instead of retracting and constricting, I looked for ways to meet new people. Now more than ever before, people had the time and availability to sit and talk through a phone call or zoom conversations. I found many other small business owners and mothers like

me that were seeking that connection.

It has been a wonderful experience, despite the sadness that we may have experienced knowing that many people were sick and others passed away.

Thirdly, I researched information and continued with my supplementation to support my body. I am not giving any medical advice, nor am I trying to treat any infection with these supplements but there is scientific evidence that these substances may help our bodies and immune system to do what they are supposed to do.

These are: Vitamin C, Vitamin B complex, Zinc, Vitamin D, Selenium, and the use of Elderberry, garlic, echinacea, curcumin, gluthathione, N-Acetyl-L-cysteine and others. I urge you to consult with a health provider before using these.

In addition, the past 10 months have solidified my believe that our health is our most important asset and we must care for it. The time has come when we have to place our health as a priority. We simply cannot and should not depend only on external sources to keep us healthy or to restore our health. Our creator has made a wonderful, amazing body and we all should care for it diligently and consistently.

Lastly, this term has been resonating with me for a long time and it has shown to be very important during this past year. Adaptability. This term describes the capacity or ability to adjust, modify or change ourselves to new conditions.

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{ LADIOLOGY } â&#x20AC;&#x153;Regardless of what this new year of 2021 bring us, I invite you to be courageous and ditch the fear. Anchor your hope and faith, solidify your roots with your community, care for your health and adapt to evolve in order to thrive.â&#x20AC;?

It is a key quality we have as humans.

It has allowed our specie live through so many different times in the history of earth and has allowed us to thrive. In order to be adaptable, we have to learn how to use our skills, relationships and environment to survive and succeed. We have to be curious, creative, tenacious and unstoppable. Adaptability requires a desire to thrive with the same intensity that we want to live. When we are 300

adaptable, we can work in and with the new environment. During the adaptability phase, often we see that adversity brings new opportunities.

The year 2020, brought to us many new conditions, many challenges, many stones in the road. Yet, many learned how to use those to adapt, evolve, develop and thrive.

Regardless of what this new year of 2021 bring us, I invite you to be

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courageous and ditch the fear. Anchor your hope and faith, solidify your roots with your community, care for your health and adapt to evolve in order to thrive.

I am looking forward to experience a healthier, prosperous and strongbonded community. Until the next time. Happy New Year!

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{ MOVING BEYOND YOUR YOUNGER { FINANCIALLY SPEAKING } YEARS }

MY FIRST CHRISTMAS WITHOUT HER ...

BY CINDY SCRIBANI

If you read in my most recent column, you already know my Thanksgiving crept out of the room without anyone noticing.

How to share what my first Christmas was like without being ridiculously sad?

To be brutaly honest.. exposing my raw feelings regarding this first Christmas and many of you have lost someone incredibly significant in your life already, my prayer is this.. These words express and bless your soul with comfort. Because someone we love is in Heaven, we have a little bit of Heaven in our home.

the smile on her soft, porcelain-like face as she spoke of the amazing odor of our so soft, living pine tree.

Christmas togetherness.

I found the need to find my own alone time, sobbing for my mom.. wanting her back. To feel the warmth of her hug. to breathe in her scent. to hear her voice reassuring me of her love. and feeling very, very small in a world that suddenly feels like it was going to swallow me up.

Remembering my panic of needing her as she was vanishing before my eyes on

Despite being surrounded with my own little family, i’m still conjuring up memories so devastating I would begin to wonder how i was still breathing. you see, to understand what my first Christmas was like without my mom, I must lead your understanding to what my Christmas was like while she was here.

My Mom. she carried the heart of our 6-children –family of 8– legacy. we all circled around the light she so lovingly eluded. You see, Mom loved Christmas. it was a season of warmth by the fireplace, breathtakingly beautiful nativity garnishing it’s mantle, and cool elegance adorning our living room dazzling with vintage blue lights and unique blue-glass teardrop ornaments from our tree she so intricately decorated. I often wondered of her heart-felt thoughts as she carefully and perfectly placed each ornament one-by-one recalling her own Christmas traditions in her heart filled with sweet memories of Christmases past. In all my days I will never see anything more beautiful than

that Thanksgiving day.

My mind still races to all the thoughts .. my grandchildren who will never know what this season feels like with my mom in it; they don’t know how our house used to smell with my mom cooking all her own unique recipe’s and holiday homemade baking. They’ve never had her holiday punch with rainbow sherbet. They’ll never know her mom’s recipe for the most delicious, mouthwatering cinnamon bread. or witness just how she could host an enormous number of guests in a way that made it so easy and joyful. They’ll never know how amazing she was at creating a sense

of “home”. it was pure magic for me.

It was entirely representative of my mom and her unique ability to make everyone feel so welcome and at home. things that were once bright and exciting .. I can’t quite enjoy them the way I’d like to. the pain of missing my mom feels so intense, I can’t look straight at it. like the sun, I can look around it but if I stared straight at it, I couldn’t bear the pain..

So I try not to look. when someone I love so deeply isn’t here anymore to fill her place at our holiday table. my traditions have been linked to my mom for the past 31+ years. how can I ever feel right again? for me, my holidays were my mom. From all the fancy trimmings, cooking, baking and her elegant holiday place settings, she created the magic when she made all our holidays feel like we came back home.

My mom loved Christmas and my kids are still creating their own special memories and traditions for their children. And I remind myself that my mom and I both have enjoyed an integral portion of creating that. so I try to enjoy it all. for them. for her.

And when i’m ready to look up again at the sun; when that tiny little girl within me is crying for her mom, the warmth of that sunshine will remind me of all my Christmases past with her. she’s in my heart as close to me as she can be. forever.

And one day, perhaps I will be okay with it.

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{{ TRACY SHIFT+CONTROL IS TALKING }}

AHH 2020.

BY TRACY SIMONE

The year that was. So many could not wait until those particular 52 weeks were over. It was a year of total change, of realizations, of challenge, patience, disbelief, and fear. There were medical, professional, social, economic, political, and life changing components to it. It was truly a year of revelation. A year to remember and hopefully, a time to rethink what must change in our lives.

It was certainly one for the history books, one we will never forget, and whether we realize it or not, one that will shape our collective future.

We are spiritual beings having a human experience and each of our souls is at a different level of development. As a result, we have different motivations, different needs, and vastly different perspectives. We are here together in this classroom called Earth to learn as much as we can, to expand our consciousness, experience all that is possible, and to advance our soul journeys.

Depending on your perspective and prior knowledge, you may have seen 2020 as the end of one age and the beginning of another. For those in some circles, it was actually the year 2012 and as such, Dec. 21st was the day that the new eon began, just as predicted in the Mayan calendar.

There were astrological, biblical, and numerological aspects to 2020 but again, only if you had the eyes to 304

see. The experience was fascinating for some and maddening for others.

Two people can look at the same thing and have completely different perspectives. Some people cannot see the things you do because they simply may not be ready to see. Some people will never see things that you do or in the way that you do. That is fine. What is not fine is the violent

response and harsh reaction that so easily follows for some. We all have unique beliefs. What is the gospel to one person is a joke to the next. If you believe something to be true, then it is. Either way, we must learn to work together and respectfully disagree.

2020 was a year of great patriotism and also great disrespect to our nation and in some cases, each other. It was everything and yet nothing all at

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once. It was a time of lost freedom accompanied by everchanging rules and government overreach. Depending on where you lived, it was a vastly different experience.

It was a time to go deep within as individuals and hopefully find ways to reinvent ourselves. It was a time of renewed faith or heightened fear. As we spent this altered time, we experienced things that we had not seen in our lifetime. Some of us will forever be obedient and blindly do whatever we are told. No questions asked. We saw something on TV, so then it must be true, right? Uh no, but for some, yes, yes, yes. Others of us endlessly continued to dig and uncover information to hopefully answer that big question, “Why?” If we could step outside of our physical bodies, we would remember that each of us is a beam of light…..no one is brighter than or dimmer than any other. Each of our lights is equally important. When we see our inner selves, our light beings, we forget about gender, race, age, class, and other potentially divisive categories.

Instead, we tend to mentally stay inside of our vessels and then stop speaking or fight to the death over things that really are perhaps not even important and, in some cases, not even true.

There was and still is plenty of cognitive dissonance and even willful blindness

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{ {SHIFT+CONTROL TRACY TALKS } } “The world we knew before 2020 is no more. We all have adjustments to make and some healing to do.”

to go around. Depending on who and what we were plugged in to, we experienced and thought very different things. We saw people take to the streets. We fiercely argued our own points or remained silent in fear of retribution from others who did not share our views. What exactly was it that we were seeing and hearing? Will 2020 be ‘the year that was’ or will it be the gift that keeps on giving? Will we soften our approaches with each other as we disagree in the future or did we let the high energy of the year damage 306

some of our relationships?

It is perfectly fine to have your own opinion. It is never fine, though, to attack other people who have differing views. The trick to living in peace is to know things for yourself and to pick your battles. Instead of digging in your heels and standing your ground, do some research and try to see the other person’s point of view.

The world we knew before 2020 is no more. We all have adjustments to make

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and some healing to do. When we deal with one another, we need to not be low vibrational. We will always have differences, but we must learn to have tolerance and to agree to disagree. Your views may be controversial to others in your circle, but you still have the right to be able to voice your opinion and not have to fear a backlash or later play chicken with an apology.

Hindsight is 2020.

{ SHIFT+CONTROL }

ALZ

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{ IN HER OWN WORDS }

LIVING IN HOPE.

BY STEPHANIE LYNNTALYA FORRESTER

Living in recovery from substance use disorder was not what you would expect from a girl adopted by a loving family at the age of 14 months living in the small, suburban, middle-class neighborhood of Fairport, NY and with every possible opportunity imaginable, but- I still never felt like I fit in. That loneliness led me to experiment with drugs and alcohol at the young age of 15.

Of course we learned in health class that drugs are bad and not to do them, but peer pressure and fitting in is a huge part of being a teen.

We never think that trying something one time will lead to anything that bad, I mean it’s just one time, or just on the weekends. We didn’t learn about the WHY though. We didn’t learn the reality of where drugs and alcohol could lead us. We weren’t taught that that one time changes someone’s brain chemistry that has a genetic predisposition for substance use disorder.

My substance use didn’t really get out of hand until 2009 when my mother passed away from ovarian cancer.

She was my best friend. Although I was no stranger to grief, losing my daughter only 8 hours after she was born, getting divorced, but losing my mom was when my world started to spin out of control. My mom was prescribed an array of opiates which I found and started taking regularly, 308

and before I knew it, I was addicted. I kept numbing my pain but continued to live. It was during this time that I reconnected and remarried my husband and father to our son. My husband Justin, who also struggled with substance use disorder.

My use led me to things I never thought I would do. Everything from stealing,

robbing, prostituting, being homeless in and out of shelters and neglecting my children. What should have been what people like to call “my rock bottom” happened In April 2015, it was then that my husband and I were arrested on multiple charges and cps removed our children from our custody and placed them with my father. I continued using with many attempts at detoxes, inpatients and outpatients until I finally hit what I have found

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was my point of motivation to make different choices.

On October 9, 2016 I went into detox after leaving my husband and fought for myself and my recovery.

After successfully completing detox and inpatient that is when the real work began. Dealing with the traumas that lead me to abusing drugs and the ones I incurred well in active addiction.

As I began learning how to live life in recovery, to start facing my past, my world came crashing down again. On January 12,2017 I got a phone call saying that my husband of 14 years passed away from an overdose. My “normal” response to this would be to pick up a substance to numb the pain, the grief, the emptiness, however I knew that wasn’t an option for me, I wouldn’t survive another recurrence. This time I decided to find purpose with my pain, I let it motivate me and I started an organization called Hope Dealers BTC. I didn’t want my husband to become just another statistic, I didn’t want him to be forgotten. Hope Dealers primary purpose was to offer support to those affected with substance use disorder. We did clean up which involved picking up needles and drug paraphernalia, sweeping abandoned housing being used as shooting galleries, we did outreach in the most impacted areas of our community offering personal

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SHIFT+CONTROL { IN{ HER OWN WORDS}} “My hopes in sharing this with you is that if you are struggling or know someone who is struggling that there is hope on the other side of that fear you may be feeling.

There is life outside of addiction and it’s beautiful.”

care items, food, clothing, and Narcan (overdose reversal drug) which in turn gave people in active addiction hope. We ran a 24 hour hope line and provided people with assistance for treatment and support to them and their family members and in turn helped over 100 people find recovery. In 2019 Hope Dealers BTC was nominated and won nonprofit of the year and this past May I won the 2020 Thomas Jefferson award.

they are at. We will be providing clothing, personal care items and a full scale harm reduction program.

Recovery All Ways will be training a team to answer our 24 hour all ways recovery and support line.

It’s going to take a lot of hard work, sweat equity and team-work to make this happen. But we have a large group of driven individuals, committed

In December 2020, due to circumstances beyond my control, I felt it was necessary to resign my position as CEO and President of Hope Dealers BTC. Even though I had resigned my position from this organization, I had not resigned myself from the mission I have always been dedicated to.

I am excited to share that immediately following this I and a team of my dedicated volunteers decided to create a new organization Recovery All Ways so we can uphold the mission we were determined to honor. Recovery All Ways is in the beginning phases of becoming a 501(c)3 in New York. We are so excited to start doing clean up and outreach operations focused on support and meeting people where 310

and passionate to bring change to our community!

A lot of people have already helped us so much, and we appreciate it from the bottom of our hearts.

Others have been asking what else they can do to help us in our mission.

Attached is a list of items that we

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will need to get started and our email address to contact for more info is printed on the bottom of the image.

You can locate our wishlist here; https://amzn.to/3mPk2vK You can locate our GoFundMe here; https://gofund.me/2aa2891e You can locate our website here; https://recoveryallways.org We truly couldn’t do this without the love and support from our amazing community!

My hopes in sharing this with you is t h a t i f yo u are struggling or know someone who is struggling that there is hope on the other side of that fear you may be feeling. There is life outside of addiction and it’s beautiful.

If you or someone you know is in need of support please reach out to us!

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{ MENTALLY THINKING }

SUCCESSFUL NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

BY BONNIE FLOYD

It’s that time of year again. We’re finally nearing the end of 2020, a year that has been marked by a global pandemic, a contested presidential election, and racial protests.

Many of us are eagerly anticipating the start of 2021. It offers a fresh start, a clean slate. We often are tempted to make resolutions at the beginning of a new year. After the pandemic fatigue that almost everyone is experiencing, it probably seems more overwhelming than usual to make new year’s resolutions that stick.

slow, steady progress that eventually leads to successfully reaching a large goal. Suppose you want to lose forty pounds. It’s unrealistic to think that you’ll accomplish this in eight weeks.

It’s realistic to have a weight loss goal of one pound per week.

Another reason why new year’s resolutions fail is that we doubt

May I ask what happened to the resolutions that you made for 2020? There’s a high probability that you didn’t adhere to them, long-term.

Successfully changing our behavior is difficult to do.

If it were easy, we wouldn’t need to keep making the same resolutions, such as losing weight, year after year.

I’ve recently been thinking about the most important reasons for why our new year’s resolutions fail. Perhaps you can relate to some, or many, of the following reasons.

One of the most common reasons why resolutions fail is that we expect too much too soon. It takes time to see the results of changing our behavior.

Many of us quickly become impatient with slow progress toward our goals.

However, it’s the consistency of having 312

ourselves. Maybe you’ve had the same resolution, year after year. You might find yourself doubting if next year will be any different. This mindset only sets you up for failure, however. A new year offers the chance to begin anew. Don’t let doubt get in the way of reaching your goals.

Yet another reason why new year’s resolutions fail is that we think too

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much, and do too little, to reach our goals. What good is it to have countless books on the benefits of exercise if we only read about exercise, rather than doing it? Knowledge has to be accompanied with action.

Sometimes, we need to get out of our heads, so to speak, and simply take action.

Sometimes, we fail to achieve our new year’s resolutions because we’re trying to change our behavior on our own.

Having an accountability partner goes a long way in achieving our goals. It keeps us honest with ourselves.

Facebook is full of groups that offer support for a wide range of goals. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you can exhibit lasting behavioral changes all by yourself. We all benefit from having adequate social support. Given the restrictions imposed by COVID-19, this support may need to be virtual.

New year’s resolutions can fail if we excessively deprive ourselves of pleasure. For example, it’s unrealistic to completely eliminate sweets from your entire diet. Doing so is likely to set you up for binging on sweets. Instead of having an all or nothing mentality, allow yourself to occasionally have a treat. A long as you continue to make healthy food choices the majority of the time, an occasional indulgence need not be sacrificed.

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{ {RWO’S MENTALLY MENTAL THINKING HEALTH} } “Sometimes, we fail to achieve our new year’s resolutions because we’re trying to change our behavior on our own.”

If we fail to track our progress toward our goals, we’re more unlikely to reach them. Improving your performance on a regular basis will provide positive feedback. In turn, this will provide additional motivation to keep working toward your goals. Always remember that slow, steady progress toward your goals is far preferable to initial, but short-lived success. Keeping a food diary is an excellent way to be honest with yourself about the types of things that you’re consuming, as well as their amounts. You might want to list the emotions that you’re experiencing 314

when you overeat, so as to establish a relationship between your moods and your excessive consumption.

When we’re impatient about reaching our goals, new year’s resolutions will fail. Maybe your resolution is to lose weight. It’s so important to remember that it took time to gain the weight, so it’s going to take time to lose it.

This is a difficult mindset to adopt in our age of instant gratification.

If our goals were quick and easy to reach, more people would successfully meet them.

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Feeling overwhelmed about a new year’s resolution leads to less success in achieving it. Changing your diet for an entire year is a daunting objective, whereas changing your diet for the next week is much more manageable.

Try to set small, manageable goals.

You’ll have a much more realistic chance of meeting them. A string of successfully meeting small goals eventually becomes the satisfaction of reaching a large goal.

You can do it!

Order Your Copy NOW On Amazon

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{ TRAVEL WITH { SHIFT+CONTROL AGNESS WINE }CELLARS } { FINANCIALLY SPEAKING }

CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT

BY RANDY AGNESS

A white Christmas is defined as 1” of snow on the ground in the morning of December 25th. It doesn’t have to be snowing on Christmas. The best chance of a white Christmas is in the New England due to the recent Northeast that blanketed the region. I’ve never been to New England for Christmas even when I lived in Long Island it was always a trip back to Upstate New York hopscotching between Utica and Rochester. The venture to Connecticut isn’t longer or shorter than the run to Destination Thanksgiving, but the chance of winter weather is a higher risk. head of the trip, I have been watching a number of Christmas movies including Christmas in Connecticut filmed in 1945 about a columnist who was supposedly an famous expert on marriage, who is aked by her publisher to host a national hero for Christmas Dinner at her Connecticut home, but must scramble to keep the secret she is single and can’t cook along with not own a home. She falls in Love with her guest – a romantic comedy. , yet the Like with most people preparation and planning is part of the holiday season with first thing first. The selection of Christmas card and gathering of the address list for those I intend to

mail out with a reserve for unexpected arrivals. My sequence next includes the making of Christmas cookies and over the years I ’ve paired the ten different varieties to just a few, but always frosted cut-outs is a must using my mom’s recipe handed down. Trying to find the perfect presents for me begins over the summer. This year was more difficult due to the cancellation of the festivals

and other annual events gain strides early.

I have to rely on the previous options which means food – I like to buy local and craft items to personalize the gift.

Again, I try to avoid the latest trendy purchase as they go from high attention to on the shelf gathering dust from neglect. My family knows they what to expect as a baseline of Finger Lakes

Riesling and home-made apple sauce plus some specific presents targeted to what I think they might like (that’s the tricky ones taking deeper thought and investigation). As a winemaker and wine writer, the gift of wine is a great idea.

We had announced 50% savings on the shipping cost of our wine to all the states where allowed by New York State and twenty-four countries around the world. The Direct to Consumer wine market has increased dramatically to a significant not previous anticipated as you can shocooking, and p at home and delivered without issue.

So again, like Thanksgiving, families will be distanced due to travel restrictions.

Christmas Eve is the time of celebration and we’ll be visiting friends and her adult children that I have previously met. My friend moved back to Rochester last year so she does miss West Hartford and hadn’t returned as yet. Her kids are great living independently with a good job and career in the military as well continuing their education in college and graduate school respectively. We’re staying at a Hilton Garden Inn where I maintain an Honor program made a reservation before Halloween to not have worry about

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{ TRAVEL WITH AGNESS WINE }CELLARS } { SHIFT+CONTROL “So I’m exploring a Connecticut antique store where I’m certainly going to find a hidden gem or two. On the Connecticut Antique Trail where there’s 60 antique shops, add to the trip some time to discover treasures.”

a place to sleep without concern. Over Christmas week, holiday travelers will try to make last minute arrangements when many people are doing the same thing. When my friend’s son came to Rochester last Christmas, he did had difficulty trying to securing a Hotel or Bed and Breakfast, yet lucked out with a cancellation from December 23rd to the 26th period. Are her kids excited?

I definitely think they are anticipating the visit as much as she is as not being able to see them with a Covid 19 travel restrictions.

Christmas Eve has always begin a festive time of celebration for me being with family and preparing a variety of tasty options to delight everyone’s palate 318

and more than pleaty for seconds and leftovers. Something that I really enjoy attending midnight mass since my kids were old enough to come along as well.

Being out of town, trying to get to mass isn’t possible with the distancing and number of those who due to the capacity, but applied for Christmas Day mass and received confirmation ahead of time.

My meal plans will include serving modified version of seven fishes so currently steamed lobster and clam chowder along with other delicious seaford like scallop and shrimp – yes all great food pairings with Riesling.

I remember a Christmas Eve in the ‘70’s which was looking like a green

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Christmas. I stayed up late wishing for snow and awoke to lake effect snow of more than 2 feet. While in Connecticut, I’ll be staying at the Hilton Garden Inn in Windsor, CT and visiting the town of Granby outside Hartford to the Maple View Farm & Brewery, the Cambridge House Brew Pub and the Salmon Brook Antique shop. I’m told that the craft beers in Connecticut are quite delicious. So I’m exploring a Connecticut antique store where I’m certainly going to find a hidden gem or two. On the Connecticut Antique Trail where there’s 60 antique shops, add to the trip some time to discover treasures.

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AGNESS

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{ { THE { PERFECT SHIFT+CONTROL SCORE CLUB } }} FINANCIALLY SPEAKING

GETTING THE PERFECT SCORE

BY WINCHESTER HOPKINS

I want to share with you a great trick to use if you have charge cards. 30% of your score has to deal with something call credit utilization. This is your total revolving debt balances compared with your revolving limits. A quick example, let’s say you have two cards with total balances $250 and your total limit is $500. That will give you a credit utilization of 50%, $250 balances/$500 total balance. It’s recommended to have your utilization between 0-6%. The smaller that percentage the better though.

good overall credit. Some lenders have their own ways of calculating credit scores, so keeping your overall financial system in good shape is one way to ensure that you are in good shape in all lenders’ eyes.

A quick way to give your score a boost is to make a line increase request to your current card providers. Let’s use our previous example for better explanation. If you requested a line increase with each card provider and they both increased your line by just $500, that will significantly lower your credit utilization ratio. Your balances stay the same, but your limits increase $1,000 total, thus giving you at utilization of 16%. Because $250 divided by $1,500 equals 16%. A credit utilization this low is great! And what’s better is, you didn’t have to pay any of your balances at all.

1) Serious delinquency in repaying accounts or bills.

By simply requesting a line increase with your current card providers can do wonders to your score. If you been with your card provider for at least 6 months, I highly recommend that you try this strategy.

Lenders will often look at not only your credit score but at other financial indicators, such as your income, employment record, and savings. Keeping these things in order can complement your credit score and can help you get

Be aware that when lender asks to see your credit score, the credit bureaus send not only your credit score but also the top four reasons why your credit score is lowered. The most common reasons for lowered credit scores are:

2) The public record of bankruptcy, civil judgment, or report to a collection agency 3) Recent unpaid or late paid debts or accounts 4) Short-term credit record 5) Lots of new accounts 6) Many accounts have late payments, defaults, or non-payments 7) Large debts or amounts owed.

Knowing that your lender sees these possible problems can help you see the need to develop the best possible face to present to a lender. Lenders who look at your entire credit report may get a more positive picture of you than lenders who see only a number and four reasons for a lower score.

or creating an investment portfolio, having assets can help improve your credit score by allowing you to take out secured credit or credit in which your assets are used as collateral.

When you take out secured credit (such as a mortgage) you enjoy lower interest rates and easier approval. As you repay your secured debt, your credit score will improve. Even better, lenders do look at the types of credit you have. If you have a mix of secured and unsecured credit, you will enjoy better risk rating scores as it will indicate that you have the means to repay your debts.

Building assets and capital is also a way of building financial stability which can help protect your credit score. If you have assets such as savings or investments, then you have a way of generating income or repaying debts in case of an emergency.

You also have ready money you can use in case of unexpected medical bills or other problems.

Winchester Hopkins Perfect Score Club Inc CEO As seen on Fox NBC CBS Ny Weekly Chicago Journal US News American Reporter and much more... perfectscoreclub@outlook.com perfectscore1.org 1 877 428 4827

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