Louisiana Women in Business Issue 03

SPRING 2021

MUST HAVES For A Successful Daily Routine

10 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW About Networking

The LITTLE EXERCISES That COULD The Benefits of Kegels

Ask Amberleigh!

Is There Healing Power In Sound?

Lauren Daigle Woman of the Season

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WELCOME

PUBLISHER: Vilardo Media

SPRING HAS SPRUNG LADIES!

WOW! This is Issue # 3 of Louisiana Women in Business Magazine.

EDITOR: Amberleigh Carter Mary Fortier

FEATURE JOURNALIST:

Tabitha Vilardo

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Chrisha Rouse Laura Fuentes Dr. Amberleigh Carter Marielle Songy Valerie Kemper Simons Angela Bertone Dr. Erica Durlacher Victoria Tassin Jessica Evans Rebstock Holly Culpepper CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Addie’s Photos Sarah Alleman Photography Kaitlyn Gandy Photography Christopher Horne

ADVERTISING

SALES DIRECTOR: Melissa Portier GRAPHIC DESIGN Angela Blake Tabitha Vilardo MARKETING Chief Marketing Officer: Tabitha Vilardo, CEO Cornerstone Marketing Agency of Louisiana PRODUCTION/DESIGN Angela Blake Tabitha Vilardo A publication of Louisiana Women in Business Magazine Founder: Tabitha Vilardo Headquarters: 301 Main St., Ste 2200 Baton Rouge, LA 70801 info@lawomeninbusiness.com (225) 773-5402 Subscribe at: LaWomeninBusiness.com Connect with LA Women In Business!

Facebook and Instagram @lawomeninbusiness

Tabitha Vilardo

Holy Smokes ladies! The Hustle Is Real! This magazine has taken off and I am in awe of the growth that has happened. ‘Tis the season to bloom!

I’d like to thank my friend and mentor, Laura Fuentes for her guidance. I’d like to welcome one of the coolest chics in business, Dr. Amberleigh Carter to the magazine.

“Ask Amberleigh” will be a recurring column and it is starting INSIDE THIS ISSUE! I’m honored to have everyone that has taken their time to be a part of the magazine.

This publication was created to give us a space to recognize, empower, educate and inspire one another.

I see it happening!

As women in business, we share commonalities like our work ethic, drive, persistence, and patience. We also all face the same obstacles and challenges in our day to day grind. I am the owner of Cornerstone Marketing Agency Of Louisiana and Louisiana Women In Business Magazine. Running the agency and launching the magazine has been exhilarating and hard! With the Spring issue I wanted to focus on growth. Owning and operating two businesses has as many challenges as rewards for me and I know that I am not alone. I have found that success starts with self-care.

Growth is easier when we are rested, healthy, tuned in to ourselves and maintain a positive mindset. I hope the content helps each of you.

The mantra “Community Over Competition” in action is a force to be reckoned with.

So, I invite you to write in about where you are on your journey, ask a question, or give advice. Let’s help one another and greaux together!

Have I mentioned that I’m excited?! Let’s GREAUX LADIES! Hit us up on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, email, wherever you feel most inclined! @lawomeninbusiness @tabithavilardo.offcial Blessings, Tabitha Vilardo

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WHAT’S INSIDE Annual Exam 06

Reagan Charlston Thomas

The Little Exercise That Could 08

The owner of Reagan Charleston Jewelry shares her story, what inspires her, and gives great council for entrepreneurs.

Why Bother?

The Benefits of Kegels

4 Must-Haves 11

For a Successful Daily Routine

Ask Amberleigh 13 It’s Such a Good Vibration

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Reagan CharlestonThomas 20 New Orlean’s Sweetheart

Dr. Amberleigh Carter 22

Founder of Kinection Holistic Health

Dr. Kay Solar 24

Co-Host of Rock-It-Right Entertainment

Angela Bertone 26

Hard Work is Noble and Honest

10 Reasons Networking 28

Amberleigh Carter The owner of Kinection Holistic Health shares her journey and how her sessions can heal the mind, body, soul, and emotions.

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Is Important to Business Growth

Inspirational Young Ladies: 30 Spotlight on Lily Hewitt

Hello GorJess & All That 32 Jessica Rebstock

Uptown New Orleans 36

Women-Owned Spots You’ll Love

Dr. Kay Solar The Co-Host of Rock-It-Right Entertainment And founder of 3rd Street Songwriters Festival talks On current projects, her career and retirement.

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On the Cover:

Woman Of The Season — Lauren Daigle An EXCLUSIVE interview with our Woman Of The Season – Louisiana’s own Super Star shares insights on her foundation, The Price Fund, future plans and her latest single “Hold On To Me.” LOUISIANA WOMEN IN BUSINESS

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oticing changes in your vision is very common. In fact, the changes occur frequently enough that Optometrists typically recommend annual eye exams. The first thing many people think of when going to the eye doctor is the dreaded “Air Puff” test. This test is important to measure the pressure in your eyes which serves as a screening for glaucoma.

What exactly is glaucoma? It is a disease that will cause tunnel vision and blindness, if not caught early enough. Due to its non-painful and slow progressing nature, you most likely will not suspect that anything is wrong until it’s too late.

The second thing that people tend to stress over is “I am terrible at picking which is better: 1 or 2.” This part of the exam is where your glasses and/ or contact lenses prescription is found. Don’t worry if you choose the wrong number the first time, your Optometrist will double check you before writing the final prescription.

Lastly, the most important part of the exam is the health check which includes examining for cataracts, dry eye, and retinal conditions. Having retina photos taken or dilating the eyes allows your doctor to examine the retina. When your doctor looks at the retina, they are looking for blood vessel abnormality, glaucoma, macular degeneration, holes and tears, and even melanoma.

Annual Exam

The fun part of going to the optometrist is that you can get a new accessory!

Glasses come in all shapes and sizes, and you have the ability to customize the lenses to your visual needs. Lense types include single vision, bifocal, trifocals, progressive, and even anti-fatigue lenses. Lense coatings include UV protection, blue light filters, anti-glare, polarization, and photochromic. Glasses not your style? Contact lenses have a variety of options including daily lenses for comfort and monthly lenses for cost efficiency and are available in multifocal designs and colors!

It is important for your long term visual health to regularly have your eyes examined. While it is perfectly normal to have questions about your eyes or eye exams, your optometrist will be happy to address them with you!

Why Bother?

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The Little Exercise That Could - The Benefits of Kegels

By Chrisha Rouse

You should do your Kegel exercises. Really. Every day.

You’ve heard of them. If you’re like most women, you’ve probably even done them once or twice. However, because we can’t actually see the muscles that Kegels target and strengthen, we tend to forget about them. In reality, having a strong and healthy pelvic floor is way more important than having that firm booty!

To fully comprehend the significance of these exercises, you need to know a little about your body. There’s a muscle group, known as the pubococcygeus (PC) muscles, that forms your pelvic floor.

These muscles form a sling-like support system to hold your organs, including your uterus, bladder, vagina, rectum, and small bowel, in place.

Kegel exercises focus on and “work out” those PC muscles, helping you have a healthy pelvic floor. Not only does a strong pelvic floor have amazing benefits (like easier childbirth and enhancing orgasms!), but these muscles also help prevent a myriad of common problems in the future.

Did you know that approximately one in three women is affected by a pelvic floor disorder in their lifetime? And the likelihood increases to nearly 50% for women who give birth. This means that there’s a good chance that you or someone you know has or will be affected. And while there are different types of pelvic floor disorders, there are two that are more common: SUI (stress urinary incontinence) and POP (pelvic organ prolapse).

Many women are more familiar with SUI, when the bladder leaks urine. It’s so common that we’ve almost embraced it as normal, making jokes about having to cross our legs when we laugh, cough, sneeze, etc. However, for those that deal with it daily, it’s no laughing matter and can be quite embarrassing.

Pelvic organ prolapse can be much more frightening. This happens when the muscles in the pelvic area weaken to the point of not being able to support the organs that rest on them. In worse cases, these organs can fall out of your body. Yep. You heard that right your vagina could FALL OUT. Unfortunately, since it’s not discussed openly or often, many women don’t realize that they could’ve taken steps to prevent it and have no idea that it exists until they begin experiencing symptoms.

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ENTER KEGELS. Remember, you can’t SEE the muscle group that you’re targeting with Kegels, so you need to FEEL to ensure that you’re engaging the correct muscles. There are 2 ways that are effective and easy.

First, if you can stop yourself mid-stream while peeing, those are the muscles that you’re working on. Making it a habit to stop yourself two to three times each time you urinate is a great first step!

What if you can’t stop yourself mid-stream? That’s all the more reason for you to start doing your Kegels every single day! You can also find them by inserting a finger into your vagina and squeezing. The muscles you feel tighten up are your PC muscles!

Okay… I found them. Now what?

Start by lying on your back, feet on the floor, knees bent. Tighten the PC muscles and hold for 3 seconds. Release for 3 seconds.

Repeat. Be sure that you’re focusing on the PC muscles and not tightening your belly or booty.

These muscles can fatigue quite quickly, so start off slowly. Do it 3 - 4 times the first time, then slowly work your way up. Your first goal is to do them 3 times a day, with 10 repetitions each while lying down. Then, as the muscles get stronger, you’ll repeat this process while sitting, then standing. You can do them anywhere!

Like any exercise program, consistency is key. On average, with daily practice, most women can begin feeling the difference in about a month. Once you’ve mastered them enough that you can do them while walking, you may want to look into weighted balls designed to take it to the next level.

So, here’s to better orgasms and being able to laugh without peeing yourself... Both great ways to enjoy a better life!

What Makes Us Different?

Part 1: The Patient Relationship

As the Client Coordinator for Rejuvené MedSpa, I can tell you I hear feedback from clients regularly that ranges from ‘feeling like cattle’ or ‘being rushed’ to ‘it didn’t work’ and ‘I didn’t see a difference’.

thinning hair, lip lines, veins around the nose, hormonal brown patches, saggy jowls, pockets of ab and flank fat, darkness under eyes, hairy lips and chins, incontinence, being overweight, low energy, sunken cheeks, thin lips, fat chins, no to low sex drive, damaged skin anywhere on the body and don’t forget the post-partum stomach, the ultimate badge of honor!

Our consultation is patient and thoughtful, which sets the tone for a long and respectful relationship.

Any of these experiences would understandably compel someone to shop around for an elevated interface but all of them connect back to the fundamentals of building a relationship.

If someone feels rushed, unheard or unimportant or doesn’t understand what will happen in a treatment room and when to expect results, I’d say it’s because they haven’t tried us.

It is our best practice to engage in a conversation from the beginning that is based on a generous amount of consultation time. Our first step is to not just learn the client objective and blurt out a price, but to take the time to hear their history with the challenges they want to address. This dialogue is a deep dive into what has been done to solve issues in the past and always meanders into learning about a client’s personal philosophy, lifestyle and comfort zone.

We have acclimated to the ever-popular Zoom platform and have made it a standard for all initial inquiries. It makes such a difference to speak with and actually see a prospect before they come in. We have found this meet-and-greet a wonderful step in truly doing the work before someone swipes a card and jumps on the table.

So many people are doing skin, filler, botox or laser, it’s no wonder a consumer bounces from office to office, med spa to med spa, looking for the best experience and value they can find. Let’s ‘face’ it, if a client is getting a killer deal and the result is locked-on, why bounce?

Another distinguishing practice of ours is to verbally chart the entire laundry list of needs and wants to build a one-of-a-kind comprehensive plan that is usually implemented over a longer period of time and priced to be reasonable and sustainable.

When I say ‘comprehensive’ I mean, we want to hear everything:

On behalf of Dr. Reed and our Team, I’d love to invite LA Women in Business readers to experience our style! Please visit NOLAMedSpa.com to pick a day and time that works best for your private, complementary consultation.

VALERIE KEMPER SIMONS, ME, LE Client Care Coordinator for RejuvenéMedSpa.com info@rejuvenemedspa.com * 504 688 SKIN (7546)

504.688.7546 701 Poydras St, Suite 106, New Orleans rejuvenemedspa.com | nolamedspa.com

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FINALLY — A FAMILY-FRIENDLY PLAN TO DITCH PROCESSED FOODS AND SUGAR!

FAMILY KICKSTART PROGRAM Everything you need to eat whole foods for 30 days

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To make things worse, the lack of positive momentum was the very thing that made me feel like my dreams were fairy tales and my goals were slipping away.

So I decided to focus on the very thing I could control: ME. By accepting that life and the pandemic was in full swing around me and I could not control that -only how I reacted- I was able to let go of the shame I felt for not being “where I thought I should be by now.”

Every day I had 4 things on the ME to-do list and they are the 4 things I want to encourage you to focus on moving forward. They include: 1.SLEEP. I typically go to bed at the same time as my kids, by 9 pm most nights, and find myself waking up without feeling like a zombie between 6 and 6:30 am most mornings.

2.EXERCISE. Some days, it›s as simple as going for a walk in my pjs (bra optional) with my cup of coffee 30 minutes before the kids wake up while other days this happens mid-day during my lunch hour at work when it›s not blazing hot, and others after dinner where I tell my family to pick up the kitchen while I go around the block.

4 MUST-HAVES

For a Successful Daily Routine Written by: Laura Fuentes With a year under our belts maneuvering this post-pandemic life, many of us are wondering how exactly should one “pick up where we left off.”

The thing is, if I’m completely honest with myself, I don’t want to pick up where I left off. I want to think of this as an opportunity to set myself up for success -regardless of what’s happening around me.

One of my takeaways from the early pandemic days is that having no daily routine or structure to my day kept me in a state of “limbo” that left me mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted.

By the time mid-summer rolled out, I realized that by not doing the things I knew would make me better - like getting enough sleep, planning out my meals, physically moving my body, and focusing on the good things that were already around me- I was depriving myself of the benefits these positive activities provide.

My point with exercise is that physical movement is essential to building emotional momentum in our lives.

3.EAT WELL. Is this food going to make me feel good about myself after I eat it? If so, I’m eating well. It’s that simple.

By now, we all know the foods that trigger an emotional response -and if you don’t know, next time you eat a food that’s fried, sugary, or purchased from a drive-through, listen to your internal dialogue.

Of course, the easiest way to not feel bad about your choices is to create a weekly plan for your meals. A meal plan provides structure and structure is a path to success.

4.MINDSET. This is the area that knits the first three items in your “ME-list” together. By keeping the other items at the forefront of our day, it helps us keep our emotions at bay.

These are, in my opinion, the four areas that need the most structure in a daily routine. Scheduling your appointments, deadlines, and kid-activities in your calendar are not part of a successful daily routine, those are part of life.

A daily routine where you make sure your sleep, exercise, nutrition, and mindset are taken care of daily will provide positive momentum so you can achieve the things you want for yourself and your family.

For more tips and information on creating a successful daily routine, Google: Laura Fuentes daily routine or visit LauraFuentes.com.

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Ask Amberleigh It’s Such a Good Vibration!

Q: In reference to sound healing, can you explain how sounds in certain Hertz can help with healing and why certain frequencies affect certain things (Example: a higher Hertz number for sleeping and lower for energy)? Do you have to use them more than once to see/ feel a difference?

A: Great questions! Sound healing is such a fascinating topic to discuss because sound is the most accessible tool for health on the planet, which makes its capabilities endless!

Sound has many uses: as an art form in music, as a vibrational cutting tool in engineering, and even as intangible radio and internet signals.

But when it comes to healing with sound, it is commonly used in ultrasounds, lithotripsy treatments, and even the more “woo-woo” things like drum circles and crystal bowls. All of these uses are valid, but sound healing has always been a bit esoteric in its understanding because the nature of sound travels beyond the 5 main senses of human perception: you cannot taste, touch, smell, see, or even hear it, beyond the human spectrum of hearing. Therefore, I would like to share more of my knowledge on the subject to give you a deeper insight into the power of sound and its ability to change your body!

Before directly answering these questions, giving an overview of sound and its structure, uses, and components that make it a viable healing tool will help to give some context to the answers.

First of all, sound healing looks like many things, including rolling down your car windows, turning up the radio, and belting out your favorite song…or getting down to that funky high school marching band at Mardi Gras. It goes beyond singing Gregorian chants or hymns in church or meditating with binaural beats. It even goes beyond audible sound! That is correct. The

power of sound is not in the ability to hear it. Some of the most powerful and effective soundwaves are the ones that you cannot hear. Which brings me to the exciting part.

Sound healing also looks like…wait for it…having a cocktail with a friend!

This is because sound, from a quantum physics perspective, is a fundamental building block for all of our physical reality, which gives sound the unique power to create physical, chemical, emotional, and all different kinds of changes, especially in your health. Not only does science support this, but ancient religious texts, like the Bible, allude to sound being a structural constituent of our world, when it states, “…and God said, ‘Let there be light.’”

This is a clue for how the world is created: through sound and light. Quantum physics has only recently been able to support this by studying the subatomic realm of our world, looking at protons, neutrons, electrons, and photons. The orbital movement of these subatomic particles around the atom creates a vibration, and wherever there is vibration, there is sound (whether it is audible or not). Dogs, for example, can hear much beyond the human spectrum of hearing, so just because our ears cannot pick up the sound, does not mean that the sound does not exist. Furthermore, soundwaves LOUISIANA WOMEN IN BUSINESS

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contain information that is stored in light particles (photons), which are the most quantum level of our physical world.

These photonic, quantum packets of light get carried by the physical wave of sound. It is analogous to the intangible and imperceptible Wifi or Bluetooth signals that travel throughout our homes and carry a certain frequency of information to create physical effects that we can then interact with via phones, radios, and TVs. The human body operates in a similar way. Therefore, it can be said that humans are literal beings of sound and light, with our bodies being a type of consciousness technology. With that said, this is why sound can be used to create health, because you are working with the root of creation!

Now that we know that sound healing can work, how it works involves a bit of detail. Since sound is a carrier wave of information, when a wave of sound travels through air molecules, it pushes these molecules, simultaneously informing them. The molecules will only change their original expression if the frequency of the moving soundwave is in resonance with the energy of the molecules, meaning, if they are a mathematical match. How does math come into the equation?

Soundwaves are measured in Hertz. The varying Hertz numbers give information for the characteristics of the soundwave, like what tone it creates and what it will sound like when it is in harmony with other soundwaves calibrated at a different Hertz frequency. The best way to see this is through music. For instance, a musical note of “A” can register at the frequencies of 110 Hz, 220 Hz, 440 Hz, 880 Hz, and so forth. Even though these are different frequencies with varying tones, they are all considered to be the note “A” due to resonance, and resonance can then create harmony, overtones, and entire symphonies. This is a key component to how sound healing works because, similarly, the human body operates under the same principles of frequency and resonance. For instance, the healthy tissue of a liver resonates at 317.83 Hertz (as discovered by researcher Barbara Hero). Although we cannot hear the liver, this Hertz number represents the energy of the vital tissues. Therefore, if a person strikes a tuning fork attuned to the frequency of 317.83 Hertz and hovers it over the liver, the tissues of the liver can entrain with that healthy frequency and receive a “tune up”, but only 14

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if the tuning fork frequency is stronger than the current frequency of the liver. This is the essence of entrainment. Entrainment can be seen with pendulum clocks. The pendulum that oscillates the strongest in the room will entrain all of the other “weaker”, slowermoving pendulums in the room, causing them to speed up to eventually match the same pace as the strongest one.

Entrainment is the key to the effectiveness of resonance.

This means that in order for resonance to create change, entrainment must occur. Resonance can be seen with guitar strings, where if an “A” note is struck, all of the other guitar strings in the room attuned to the note “A” will start to vibrate, too. These are the fundamental principles for how sound works and how it can be used to heal the body.

With that preliminary information covered, to answer the first question, there are many sounds in our world that promote healing, and these sounds are attuned to a specific frequency range. The varying range of frequencies bring about different effects based on their resonance. A frequency of 528 Hertz is calibrated to the energy of love, and a frequency of 432 Hertz calibrates to the energy of health. The energy of vitamins and minerals are also effective at promoting health, like the energy of Magnesium, which calibrates to 75 Hertz. So, holding a vibrating tuning fork calibrated to 75 Hertz over a muscle can help alleviate muscle cramps, just as well as soaking in a Magnesium Epsom salt bath or ingesting a Magnesium supplement. However, you do NOT need to know the specific frequency in order to create an effect.

Fortunately, sound healing is not limited to tuning forks or even to the specific frequencies. Research has found that a person’s intention can override the frequency itself, which is an even more profound key to how sound healing works. This means that even though a healthy frequency registered at a specific Hertz carries information for health, the conscious intention is more effective than the specific frequency. The frequency, itself, serves as a carrier wave for the information infused in the intention. More profoundly, a person’s intention does NOT need to be spoken or heard.

It can be written, thought, or felt, as all of it is made up of sound and light. More importantly, feeling the intention or embodying it, intensifies the effects of the intention!

Since feelings and emotions involve the heart, which is an electromagnetic organ, the heart can amplify signals of information. So, if you add the powerful energy field of the heart (feeling) with the electrical power of the brain (thought), the effect is exponential.

Furthermore, the more people who feel and embody the same intention, the greater

the effect. This is why there is power in group prayer, meditation, or getting together with a friend. You are literally exchanging light, sound, and information with them, which is why having a cocktail with a friend can be healthier than you might think!

Cocktails, or any drinkable liquid, contain molecules of water. Molecules of water are “structured”, meaning, the molecules bind together and create shapes that, under a microscope, look like snowflake designs. The structures of the molecules change depending on a person’s intention.

For example, in a study done by researcher Masaru Emoto, research participants spoke, thought, and wrote intentions on a bottle of water. When “positive” intentions, like love and gratitude, were intended into the water, the shapes created were beautiful and perfectly symmetrical, like a snowflake. When “negative” intentions were transmitted into the water, the shapes created were malformed, disorganized clusters of molecules that resembled disease patterns, like cancer cells. Since the body is about 70% water, a person’s thoughts, feelings, emotions, and intentions can influence the structure, function, chemistry, and health of the body.

Therefore, embodying the feeling of fun and experiencing a heart-felt connection with a friend while drinking a cocktail can be transformative. Furthermore, setting an intention of love and gratitude in your drinks can structure the molecules in the cocktails and infuse a healing effect in them, transferring into your body’s cells and creating an elixir of sorts. It also brings in more levity and fun to your life, which is always healing, especially when talking positively with your friend. Positive and negative talk and self-talk is powerful. The way we think about ourselves, talk to ourselves, and emote are ways that we impact our health.

Positive thoughts and an uplifting inner dialogue can also be transformative.

Words, in general, are a physical carrier wave for our intention. On a larger scale, language is infused with the energetic signature of information to transfer from one being to another in our world. So, when speaking, it is important to be intentional, as the words can easily be imbued with frequencies. This can also be used as a healing tool when speaking with a loved one going through a hard time.

Embodying the feeling of compassion when speaking to them will translate on a deeper level, regardless of the words used. In addition, this can be a tool used for success in business! For example, if you tend to struggle with confidence in giving presentations, you can use imagery or

watch a video of a confident speaker to help you embody more confidence. As well, you can write a note on your water bottle or speak, “confidence”, into your water and drink it before a presentation for an added boost. You can even use your food as a tool for sound healing. Food contains water molecules that can store an intention and transfer into your cells when you eat it. Praying over your food can help structure it, just as you can with water. Fruits and vegetables, even without an intention, contain different shapes and colors, which are an energetic signature of sound, that gives us information for what type of effects it can create in the body. For instance, a papaya can aid in ovarian health and an avocado can support a woman’s uterus, as it mimics the shapes and functions of these organs. Therefore, food is much more than calories and much more than a macronutrient (i.e.; protein, carbohydrate, or fat).

It is essentially a packet of information, filled with water and light, that transfers information into your cells through sound. This is why repeatedly eating fresh foods will create a different physical body than repeatedly eating processed foods. So, to answer your final question, it only takes one time to work with a frequency to create a certain result, but repeatedly working with the same frequency or intention (or with the same foods, tuning forks, and other carriers of frequency) can further solidify the effects.

So, the next time you are singing and dancing at a concert, cooking food, or having a cocktail (or mocktail) with a friend, go ahead and set an intention, because sound is the vibration of creation, and YOU are sound!

For information on Sound Healing, you can tune in to the ‘Ask Amberleigh’ Podcast Episode 4 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. To have a private session with Dr. Amberleigh Carter, D.M., you can go to amberleighcarter. com. To have a chance to have your question answered and featured in the next issue, please email your question to askamberleigh@lawomeninbusiness.com.

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LaurenDaigle Louisiana’s Spring Woman Of The Season!

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no heartbeat and I wasn’t breathing.

My girlfriend was there and started praying. All that I remember is hearing the beginning of her (pointing at my t-shirt) song “Still Rolling Stones,” and I opened my eyes. It was amazing. It was a miracle.” Hearing stories like his makes me grateful for Lauren’s music and always puts me in awe of God and His love.

The incomparable Lauren Daigle has sold-out headlining concerts on three continents and has multiple gold-certified and platinum singles from her albums “How Can It Be” and “Look Up Child.”

Her triple-platinum song “You Say” broke records and is the longest-running #1 song on any Billboard chart. It’s currently at 135+ weeks! Lauren was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and raised in Lafayette, and she is Louisiana all the way! She loves her home state and is the face of Louisiana Travel.

As an artist, Lauren is a must-hear/ must-see, she has a soulful and powerful voice and a stage presence like only a Louisiana girl could! Along with two Grammy’s, she’s earned seven Billboard Music Awards, ten GMA Dove Awards, and four American Music Awards. The list is incredible, but Lauren says that getting to connect with fans and hear how much her music has impacted their lives, “That is the greatest reward.”

I have wanted to feature Lauren since the day this magazine launched.

Her success in the music industry is impressive, and her heart for people is so great. She is sweet, silly, and talking to her feels like you’re talking to a neighbor, honestly!

Over the last 2 1/2 years, she has helped so many people. Not just with her music but also in her actions that show how much she believes in giving back. Lauren doesn’t just talk about giving back and walking in love but leads by example. I am so grateful that Lauren was able to take time and do the interview with me. I’m excited about sharing with those of you who don’t know her yet about who she is and about this incredible MOVEMENT OF LOVE that we all have the chance to be a part of with our Woman Of The Season, Lauren Daigle!

I was at her Christmas concert in 2019 when I first learned about The Price fund, Lauren’s foundation named after

her late grandfather. She said, “it was created to help children, the elderly, and those in need around the world.” She told the audience of a conversation she had with a prisoner while visiting Statesville prison. She asked him, “what can we do to stop so many people from going to prison? Where do we intercept people in time?” His answer was to start with the youth.

Lauren said, “I thought if we could start with a city, maybe we could take on a city, maybe we can take on a state, maybe we can take on a nation, maybe we can take on the world where we can see these children have a vision of hope and a future. That’s what I care about.”

That night I witnessed kids walk down the isles of The Seanger Theatre and onto the stage, playing their instruments, and performing. That weekend, partnering with organizations in the city, The Price Fund gave over $270,000 for those children in New Orleans. The groups were The Ellis Marsalis Center, Young Audiences of Louisiana Charter School, Roots of Music, and Kid Smart. I was inspired. I would have never known that I’d launch LA Women In Business Magazine less than eight months later and be speaking to Lauren about the foundation.

“I was having a conversation with a friend yesterday, and I told him, ‘Awards and all these things, they’re so much fun to get to be a part of. But what is transformative is when you see tears fall down their cheeks because of what a song has meant to them or what words have meant to them in a really hard time.’”

As a Superfan, I’m often sporting LD merchandise. As a result, I have experienced what she is talking about.

I’ve heard stories from so many people about how Lauren’s music has changed their lives. I have come to expect it, and it’s incredible. On Easter this year, I met a guy who told me that he had experienced an overdose in 2020. He said, “The paramedics said that I had LOUISIANA WOMEN IN BUSINESS

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My first question: In the mission statement for The Price Fund, it says that supporting the foundation will provide for young and elderly around the world. That’s SO BIG! It’s incredible, and I understand the heart behind it. Can you explain how you choose the projects or partnerships that the donations go to?

“Growing up in such a close-knit community the, idea that we take care of each other was really instilled in me at an early age.

When I see others in need, I can’t help but try and find a way to help; it’s in my nature! Each year we try to focus on a theme. For instance, in 2019, we really tried to focus on music education and children’s organizations in New Orleans.” She went on to say, “all of the causes we support are so close to my heart and are things I am passionate about.”

I asked her what her ideal way to support the elderly would be and how people with that particular group on their heart could be encouraged to give. She answered, “My intention is really to serve communities that are often overlooked, and unfortunately, the elderly tend to fall in there. I just remember sitting with my own grandparents, learning from them and hearing their stories. That time is invaluable. It breaks my heart to think that there are people’s grandparents out there struggling when we can provide them with some quality time.”

That is so simple and so true. Give them your time.

I had become as involved as I could with The Price Fund each time new projects were announced.

The first after that show was a partnership with Bob Goff’s Love Does Foundation to build a school in Goma, a city in the Congo. The region has been in conflict and unstable since the Kivu conflict since 2004.

During our interview, I asked for an update on when the school would be open and how many children would be attending.

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She was genuinely excited as she told me, “The school is actually already open!

They were recently allowed to reopen with precautions in place. They currently have 243 students total, and I’m told that they are all doing great! It’s so wonderful knowing that these kids are having the opportunity to learn and nurture their talents to grow into incredible people!”

When I spoke with Lauren in mid-March, The Price Fund had recently given an incredible gift of $170,000 to NOCCA (New Orleans Center for Creative Arts.)

I asked LD how this project came to pass and how many kids or the length of time the 170K contribution will support the center.

“I’m such a firm believer in music education for kids in schools. While NOCCA has free tuition, they don’t cover the costs of supplies/equipment which, especially in the last year, has proven tough. We’re so happy that through this gift we’re able to help over 200 kids through the 2020-2021 school year. It is my hope to give as many kids as possible the opportunity to pursue their goals.”

Amazing!

LD’s website now has in-depth looks at these projects, so you can learn more by checking out The Price Fund link found on laurendaigle.com.

What’s next?

“With the release of “Hold On To Me” we

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are working with several organizations that relate to the music video. We really wanted to go with charities that focused on eradicating domestic violence, prison reform and wrongful convictions, music education, causes that help support the family unit, ending human trafficking and supporting survivors. There is a lot coming up that I am really excited about and I cannot wait to work with these organizations supporting their already incredible work!”

The work that Lauren Daigle and The Price Fund have already accomplished since 2017 is astounding. I’m no longer overwhelmed at how big the picture is!

If you would like to donate to The Price Fund, visit https://laurendaigle.com/theprice-fund/#donate.

Sometimes I think we forget that we are all just people who need love, human interaction, and others who can be someone for us to hold on to when things are hard. I know that this look into the world that I often push to the back of my mind has made me find ways to help and volunteer even though it has changed.

I hope this has inspired you to turn your attention to kindness and made you feel more connected to everyone around you.

Check out “Hold On To Me” and go visit your grandparents!

Lauren has concerts scheduled in Lafayette and New Orleans in October and November this year. I hope to see you all there!

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Reagan

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Like her beloved city, Reagan Charleston Thomas, Esq. is the perfect mix of heritage, literature, beauty, creativity, and art. I have deemed her New Orleans’ Sweetheart since she shares these commonalities with New Orleans AND is a Cocktail and Cooking Enthusiast! Thomas is the owner and designer of Reagan Charleston Jewelry, a collection of original statement pieces designed and handcrafted in her New Orleans area jewelry studio and sold to clients in over a dozen countries internationally.

She is also an attorney, currently practicing real estate law and conducting closings at Thomas Abstracting & Champion Title with her husband, Reece.

Reagan Charleston Jewelry is in its eighth year, and its first brick and mortar location in Canal Place will be celebrating its third anniversary this Fall. Each original piece of jewelry is designed by Reagan and inspired by something unique that is part of her own life, loves, and travels. Her pieces are handcrafted using ethically sourced materials and local artisans.

She is passionate about what she does, and it shows in each collection that she creates. Her designs are worn by those drawn to the sophisticated, bold, and timeless aesthetics found in them.

Reagan opened her business in 2013 after her second trip to Florence, Italy, where, five years before at 19 years old, she developed a profound attachment to the city, as she says there was a quality that reminded her of home. The beautiful lion head door knockers throughout the city reminded her of the stone lions atop the gates at her Grandparents’ art gallery at the Court of Two Lions on Toulouse Street in the French Quarter. To commemorate her time in Florence, she designed The Leone, her signature piece that launched her business!

In 2015 Reagan’s collections were picked up by Luisa Via Roma, a luxury retailer located on the famous Via Roma in Florence. It was then that she recognized her success. Of the moment, she says, “It became real.

I suddenly found my jewelry being sold amongst the world’s most heralded design houses – Gucci, Saint Laurent, Valentino…!”

Her business is a family business - her mother, a metalsmith, does her model making, and her younger sister, Reina, is also a metalsmith, manages their French Quarter store, and has recently begun designing. . As a child, Reagan watched her mother and grandparents sculpt copper in their art studios. Reginald V. and Amelia Coghlan held the world-famous Coghlan Art Gallery in the French quarter. There is a lot that I’d like to tell you about her grandparents, but go and research them! They accomplished so many inspiring things!

Reagan’s bloodline can be traced back to the 1700s, when the city was new. Her ancestor, Antoine Peychaud, an apothecary, invented what is now known as the world’s first cocktail, which is the official cocktail of Louisiana, the Sazerac! How cool is that?!

I loved speaking with Reagan and learning of her family’s history and how everything in her life has made her into the incredible mix of grace and talent that she is! Not only did she start a successful business at such a young age, but she also finished law school and graduated magna cum laude while running it. With the success she has earned, we asked her for advice for women wanting to start a business. “Happy to help,” she replied and gave us three key differentials: 1. JUST DO IT! The biggest downfall is becoming overwhelmed and being too afraid to begin. Start small, but by all means start! Just do it and share it with the world.

2. STAND UP FOR YOURSELF! There is a hardship that comes with being a woman in business; don’t be afraid to use your voice and be the biggest advocate for yourself and your work.

“Your business is an embodiment of who you are, what you do, and what you stand for, so know each and every facet of your business and market intimately so no one can take advantage of you.”

3. DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT! Reagan started her business during an economic downturn when the price of metal was very high, resulting in a market full of very small, dainty pieces, but she chose to stay true to herself and her bold, statement sized aesthetic. “Find your niche- it allows you to compete and stand out.”

Reagan is wonderful, such an inspiration, and she is as sweet as she is intelligent and talented.

Look for her Jardin Collection that will be released this month! And later in 2021, look for Baby #2! That’s right!

Reagan and her husband, Reece’s beautiful family, is growing. Congratulations to you two! I can’t wait to hear about what this next generation will conquer and create!

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Dr. Amberleigh Carter 22

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Dr. Amberleigh Carter is a Doctor of Metaphysics, an Alternative Medical Practitioner, and a Holistic Health Practitioner.

She is the founder and owner of Kinection Holistic Health, where she offers private sessions to clients around the world and works with local clients at her offices in Covington, New Orleans, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Additionally, Amberleigh is a podcast host for her podcast, “Ask Amberleigh”, where she travels around the country recording in unconventional spots (like Central Park!) to infuse the energy of certain environments into her episodes, to give her listeners a unique listening experience. Amberleigh is also an entrepreneur, owning multiple trademarks and even an apparel line, along with developing her Dr. Carter’s Thyroid Juice with Raw Republic Juice in New Orleans.

Yes, she is impressive! My hope is not to cloud her personality, good nature, and incredible sense of humor with all of her education. We will get to more of that, but I want to, first, give you an overview of my experience with Amberleigh.

I met Amberleigh over a zoom call, and she is so kind and personable.

She has written for every issue of the magazine, and this issue debuts her new column, “Ask Amberleigh”, where you, the reader, can email Amberleigh your questions about holistic health, metaphysics (which is the energy beyond the five main senses of perception that impacts your health and the physical body), or anything about improving your relationships, mental health, or lifestyle behaviors. In essence, Dr. Amberleigh holds sessions for people who need clarity, while providing her clients with a safe, loving, and supportive outlet. If you are having trouble implementing a healthier lifestyle or wanting to improve your health, enhance your relationships, or simply feel inspired to make a change of any sort, you may schedule an appointment to have your questions answered. Whatever brings you there, you will find a supportive system that provides a way for you to blossom.

Along with her credentials and ability to work with subtle frequencies of energy, Amberleigh also works with subtle beings of energy, as a psychic medium who hears from sources outside of our physical realm.

Making connection with your guides, she communicates the most loving message for guidance found in the highest frequencies. As Amberleigh describes it, she is proficient in reading the language of energy, which is you and your body. With that, your guides help her to read the energetic book of your life that you have placed in her hands to read back to you.

You are technically guiding the entire session, so these conversations that take place between your guides, Amberleigh, and you, are really about empowering and connecting you back to you! The advice you receive from Amberleigh and from your guides, leads to a better understanding of what is out of balance in your life and how to get back to who you truly are and what to do to move forward. She can do anything from logically analyze your bloodwork, to energetically channel specific exercises and foods that your body needs the most, to improve your health. She uses techniques like quantum sound healing, as well, and has witnessed many breakthroughs with her clients. Some of her most recent offerings include having fun, “vacation style” sessions outside of the office! Through her personal research, she has found that some of the most healing frequencies to work with are fun and joy. Combining that with movement, like playing pickleball or riding on a jet ski, has been found to catapult her clients forward, bypassing much of the typical hard work that comes with being on a healing journey.

After our interview, I booked an hour consultation session myself. One of the greatest things I found was that I could let down my guarded walls at the door (because I did feel very safe to be vulnerable and freely speak my thoughts and feelings). After our conversation, I was also able to gain clarity about what was going on in my body concerning my diabetes, and I now had the tools that I needed to step forward in areas of my life where I felt confused or discouraged.

The path to connecting back to ourselves again is magical. Perhaps that is why Amberleigh jokingly has referred to herself as a “Basic Witch”, where she is both “basic” and relatable, but also works unconventionally with energy you cannot see! This is a title that caught on after being said in jest on a podcast she did years ago, which led to the design and production of her Basic Witch apparel line and healing tour around the country. It became increasingly popular while co-hosting the sensational podcast, “Raw Talk with Sheena”, with Sheena Mannina.

All of that aside, she is more than a hilarious, blonde bombshell! Dr. Amberleigh Carter is a gifted and highly educated woman who, by some miracle, found her path that led to helping people through her podcasts, her articles, and her business.

She was chosen as a feature for this issue because of her accomplishments, her focus on empowerment and connection through her practice, and her gift. As a female business owner myself, starting this magazine, I had the hopes that it would be a place to feature and connect women.

A place to recognize, inspire, educate, and empower one another. I think that Amberleigh’s life and business encompass that 100%!

I have told you about her personality, profession, and my own experience, so now I will take a moment to recognize everything this featured CEO has earned before the age of 30!

In addition to Amberleigh being a Doctor of Metaphysics and a board certified Alternative Medical Practitioner and Holistic Health Practitioner, she has a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science with a double minor in Neuroscience and Psychology that she earned from Elon University in North Carolina. She is also a Reverend and holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Metaphysics, as well, from the University of Metaphysical Sciences. Amberleigh has been certified as an Exercise Physiologist from the American College of Sports Medicine, as a Corrective Holistic Exercise Kinesiologist from the CHEK Institute, and has attended numerous seminars and holds many certifications varying in functional medicine blood chemistry analysis, cellular nutrition, energy medicine, quantum physics health technologies, and techniques from both western and eastern practices of medicine and health.

She has a background in corporate wellness and an even stronger background in scientific research, having formerly served as Director of Brain Wellness and an Exercise Interventionist for an Alzheimer’s and Dementia unit of a worldrenowned biological research institute, studying the effects of exercise and food on cognition, memory, and brain health.

Yes, she is super smart! Her office doors are open for energy healing sessions and healthy lifestyle consultations, if you are looking for clarity or direction in your life for health, relationships, and more, and she offers phone sessions, too! We are lucky that she is here to answer our questions in her new ‘Ask Amberleigh’ Column in this magazine! Email her a question at askamberleigh@lawomeninbusiness.com and look for our next issue to see if your question was answered. You can read the answer to my question on sound frequencies and healing in this very issue.

Spoiler alert: it is awesome!

Listen to her podcast, “Ask Amberleigh”, on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, subscribe to her, “Ask Amberleigh” YouTube channel, follow her on Instagram @dr.amberleighcarter, and book your private session with her at amberleighcarter.com.

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Page 24: Dr. Kay Solar Feature Photo

Dr.

KaySolar

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Baton Rouge’s top OBGYN may be retired, but Dr. Kay Solar is still delivering in Baton Rouge!

After 27 years at Woman’s Hospital, Dr. Kay had to step out of the hospital with early retirement due to an injury and says that she would have never been ready to leave if it wasn’t for that push.

Dr. Kay says that she would have loved to have had a “planned retirement” so that she could have seen every one of her patients that “one last time”. Of course, that’s not what happened; however, since she’s a talker…well, she might not have ever finished her day. She says, “what I really miss about practicing is seeing those longterm patients and finding out how their kids and families are doing”! She recalls on her last day at the office one of her patients saying, “You know doc, one door has to close before another opens…and I’m sure there’s another door that needs opening”.

Dr. Kay is a firecracker with blonde hair, a gentle spirit, and always in a pair of cowboy boots! For almost three decades, she educated women in her field using platforms like medical segments aired on Baton Rouge’s popular News Channels and her wildly popular children’s book, “Where Do Babie’s Come From?”.

She has found a few things to keep her busy since retirement. Many of which she was already doing as her “day off ” projects. She currently runs the annual 3rd Street Songwriter’s Festival that she began in 2013 and she continues to record her show Rock It Right Entertainment with co-host, Betsy Barnes. Betsy is the current Press Secretary to Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser. Their show is in its 6th year running on Talk 107.3FM and, also, airs on KWLA radio. During Covid, it was picked up by Pelican Broadcasting which airs on TV in 22 parishes across the state. The hour long show covers a variety of topics including medical, politics, entertainment, and focuses on highlighting Louisiana businesses & people that are making a difference in our state. They are truly “two busy blondes on the Geaux showing off life in Louisiana” as their slogan says! For more about the show, www.rockitright.com I know that many of the readers in Baton Rouge and surrounding parishes were patients of Dr. Kay’s and I’m thankful to be sharing her message.

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Believe

And You Shall HAVE Written by Angela Bertone

Have you ever wondered why those that have abundance seem to get more and those who have lack seem to continually struggle and remain in lack? Did you know that only 5% of the population reaches success? Why? Can we decide to be in that 5%? If so, how? Why is it that many people work very hard and struggle to maintain, while others no matter what they do, they seem to prosper? A wise carpenter once said, “Whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him”.

I have come to understand by experience, observation and study that hard work alone will not make your dreams come true. On the contrary it is the way that we dream and imagine that determines what our work will create. It is in our dreams and imagination that our true beliefs are realized. As I began to look around at my hard work and compare it to my level of success, I realized something was missing. I was completely baffled. Then one day while “wondering”, letting my mind brainstorm and consider all possibilities, I remembered these laws, “as a man thinks, so is he and whatever you believe, you shall have. Still a bit baffled and continuing to think and wonder, I remembered, that which you fear SHALL overtake you. There it was. It had been staring me in the face all along.

It had been my constant companion- Fear. I was creating my fears and my reality was a testament to my fears.

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In my exhaustion, for a moment, I felt defeated, because after all, I was human and humans often fear and are worried. I wasn’t sure if I could overcome fear and if it was possible how could I do it? I had heard over the years that in order to overcome fear, I had to face my fears, but I wasn’t quite sure what my fears were. So that day, I started to look deep into my heart of hearts and ask God to help me overcome them, all of them, no matter what they were. At first it didn’t seem possible.

Now 25 years later, I can firmly attest that all things are possible to those who believe and love really does cause all fear to go away.

Today I want to share a secret with you. Hard work is noble and an honest endeavor. There is however, a more excellent way. I had to first know my own heart and admit that my fears were directing my thoughts and my thoughts my actions. It was however not my actions that were hindering me. I came to understand, it was my beliefs that were. I had to change them, but how? That is a long story for another time. For now, I will say this. Once my emotional heart brain believed what my logic held true about myself being loved, and I could feel in my heart my success, accompanied by genuine gratitude as though my dreams had already come to pass, I realized that not only had I stepped out of hard work to avoid lack, I had stepped into abundance that no matter what I do, I prosper and it just keeps growing. You too can change your heart brain emotional beliefs.

The carpenter was right, whatever I believe, I shall have.

Building Confidence

NATURAL HAIRLINES is owned by Johnette Marshall who started her hair restoration clinic in 1979.

At Natural Hairlines they take the time to educate about the facts of hair loss and how it is a common occurrence. Through continuing to educate not only clients but themselves as well. Jonette and her daughters have been able to successfully run a business with a different philosophy than most. The care, compassion, and dedication they have towards each other is portrayed through their services.

Specializing in non-surgical hair replacements, and offering services that let you go about your daily life with no limitations.

Natural Hairlines Hair Replacement is a name that says it all, but a name that has so much more meaning to this family and the quality services provided.

Kim Gray and Maggie Gilley, provide clients in Baton Rouge and the surrounding areas with a comfortable and relaxed environment while also managing a high level of skill and knowledge to provide their clients with the most natural look. This tight knit family has built a community of their own through lasting relationships with their clients.

Contact us for a FREE CONSULTATION:

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10 REASONS networking is important to business growth.

01) It gives you the ability to meet new people.

When you connect with new people you are broadening your audience and it is a fantastic way to take your career to the next level. In many cases; proper networking translates to an increase in visibility to a more focused clientele. With the right connection; you can grow as an individual and open the doors to a new professional landscape.

02) Networking equips you with the capacity to create

fruitful efforts and viable working partnerships. When you take nurturing your professional relationships seriously; you are able to reap the creative benefits of shared information, new resources, and the potential for cutting costs.

03) It allows you to be resourceful and creative.

Having a strong support network not only provides you with likeminded people to bounce ideas off of; but also, it can help you cut costs by bartering (exchanging (goods or services) for other goods or services with using money) with others. Other people often know where the good suppliers and can give you good referrals for the best services providers. It is not uncommon for people that collaborate to chip in for mutually beneficial ad campaigns, marketing expenses.

04) Networking will help you grow personally.

05) It provides you with new opportunities for growth

and learning. When you are able to build your circle; you gain knowledge from each person. A wide reach to a large audience gives you the ability to also pass what you’ve cultivated on to others as well.

06) Networking is an exercise in staying sharp and finetuning your innovative thinking.

07) It emboldens you to work on your social skills.

Although this isn’t always a natural craft for most; continue working at it and try to find others that help you feel comfortable. You can always find someone to practice what to say and how to read the room and act accordingly. Doing so with the right person can assist you with fine-tuning your social acuity.

08) Networking can help you attain a sense of

community and is an important component of community organizing. It requires diverse members of the public to build relationships and share resources with others. Being involved in the places around you provides society with many benefits.

09) It assists you with reaching your goals and could lead to meeting high-profile individuals. When you make the right connections, you open yourself to being introduced to people who can provide you with the most value. You never know who could have a significant and direct impact on your life and career.

10) Networking is free marketing. Word of mouth costs you nothing. It is your start, middle, and end to who you are, the value you provide, and the reason why you are passionate about it.

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Making the right connections in an industry that you’re passionate about gives you a platform to build your biggest dreams and cultivate the relationships that will help propel you into a successful tomorrow.

Female Distillery Trailblazer

Adrie

De Waal

Adrie De Wall one of 4 children raised by a successful electrician and her mother who did seamstress work on the side to help make ends meet. Her mother was exceptionally talented so that made it easier for her to bring in extra money.

In South Africa opportunities are few and far between for women to do much else except be mothers and raise their children. While Adrie agrees that motherhood is a wonderful, beautiful and hard job, this is not what she envisioned for herself. She wanted to travel the world and see new things.

Twenty years ago, she came to Louisiana as a nanny and fell in love with it. As an aspiring chef and Louisiana being known for its vast culture and delicious food helped influence this. After returning to South Africa, she attended the University of Stellenbosch where she got her degree in viticulture and oenology and moved on to get her masters in viticulture from the University of Adelaide in Australia.

Distilling was part of this education process. During her education she kept in touch with all the friends she made here. Her passion for wine and spirit making exceed her passion for food so it was a natural progression for her to return to Louisiana and help her friend build a distillery from the ground up in New Orleans.

Originally when she came to Louisiana, she conducted soil test and such to see if the area would be good for a winery. She concluded that Louisiana is not a good environment for this, so a distillery was born.

Which was only the 2nd distillery in Louisiana. Since then, there has been over 15 distilleries opened. Adrie has blazed the trail for not only women distillers but distilleries in general. Adrie is always thinking of new flavors and mixing her creations for original flavors of rum. From humble beginnings she never wants to waste any batches and often mixes some and has even created a fruit cake rum.

Coming up in the future Adrie has crafted a honey spirit and a honey liquor made from local honey. She also aspires to create a South African family cookbook.

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Inspirational Young Woman:

Lily Hewitt Lily Hewitt decides to serve her country instead of going pro this year!

Lily Hewitt, from Baton Rouge, has spent the last few years of her high school soccer career playing in Spain and was signed with FC Malagacity Femenino. When 2020 began, she was weighing the options of England and Spain for her first year in professional soccer.

After Covid broke out and the world seemed to shut down, Lily says that her perspective changed.

Six years ago, Lily was attending Baton Rouge International School and began playing soccer. She says she wasn’t gifted with a natural skillset but enjoyed playing, so she took the initiative to practice every day and spend all of her extra time on the soccer field.

It paid off, and Lily was standing 17 years old, looking into the beginning of a career in The National Women’s Soccer League. With the travel restrictions put into place in March 2020, Lily found herself out of school and living in Spain. We talked about the experiences she had with her classmates and friends that she had made there. “We all ate, breathed, and slept soccer. It was a fantastic experience, but my desire to become a doctor was growing stronger every day.”

Lily returned home to Baton Rouge at the end of last year and spent time with her family. At the beginning of 2021, she enrolled at Virginia Military Institute (VMI) and will attend full-time during the fall semester. She will play soccer as a pre-med student at the oldest state-supported military college in The United States. After graduation, Lily will serve in the United States Air Force and serve her country before attending medical school.

Even though she has accomplished so much, a changed perspective and a new outlook on life will lead her to become a more extraordinary role model and a leader among women. We’re proud to shine a spotlight on this inspirational young woman, Lily Hewitt!

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We’ll be rooting you for you, Kangaroo!

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Jessica Rebstock Insta @hellogorjess_

Jessica Rebstock, raised on Bayou Lafourche, had the dream of being an entrepreneur for as long as she can remember. In February of 2017, she took the leap and launched her blog Hello GorJess. Over the past four years, the blog has grown into a multi-faceted business and has provided her several opportunities to grow as a woman and work with people, specifically locally-owned women business owners.

Hello GorJess was originally created with the idea of being a home and lifestyle blog, but in the last two years, Jessica realized that one of her many passions are inspiring and promoting the personal develop of women. Jessica believes that her readers are women who are looking to level up in life and are on the journey to becoming the best version of themselves.

“I want my blog to be a resource for women to relate to and unapologetically be themselves because this is where I am at in my life,” she says. “The way my life has been mapped out gives me the opportunity to be an example, but instead I hope for women to come on this journey with me as we all grow together and become who we were meant to be.”

Recently, Jessica expanded her blog by launching a podcast called, Hello GorJess & All That. The goal for the podcast is for readers of the blog to able to make a deeper connection with the content by not only reading what Jessica has to say but hearing it. Hello GorJess’ sole purpose is to be an uplifting space for all women. Jessica says, “We all have dreams and goals and I am so happy to have created a community of women who are all rooting for one another and if you are reading this, I am rooting for you too!”

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A few women-owned spots in

Uptown New Orleans that you’re going to enjoy.

Century Girl Vintage centurygirlvintage.com 2023 Magazine St.

The Ruby Slipper Café therubyslippercafe.net 2802 Magazine St.

Owner of Century Girl Vintage; Leah Blake, spent her childhood visiting estate sales with her grandmother. After growing up and working in vintage boutiques throughout New Orleans; Blake decided to open her own store in 2014. Her shop offers some of the finest vintage clothing you will ever find and her collection brings you back to a time when attention to detail was an art. With everything from dresses to jewelry and everything in between; you’re sure to find a treasure that you will hold dear for a lifetime.

Jennifer Weishaupt and her husband, Erich, have been serving up delicious breakfast, brunch and lunch at The Ruby Slipper Café since 2008. One of my favorites, Chicken St. Charles, is a fried chicken breast served over a buttermilk biscuit, topped with two poached eggs, and finished with a pork Tasso cream sauce- decadent! The French Toast Bites are an excellent choice for a sweet snack. This little cozy restaurant also has delicious vegetarian options available.

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Bambi DeVille Vintage bambideville.com 3017 Magazine St. Bambi DeVille got her love of vintage chic from her grandmother Anna. The young DeVille frequently raided her grandmother’s closet and dressed herself; as well as her 5 sisters, in dresses, hats, purses, shoes, jewels and furs.

After moving to New York and teaching at the Barbizon Modeling School; she returned to New Orleans. Her love of Thirties and Forties radios inspired her affinity for Bakelite; a type of colorful and chunky jewelry from that era. This fondness also motivated Bambi to open her own boutique in the French Quarter and eventually her vintage shop on Magazine Street where she sells hats, coats, dresses, lingerie and much more.

Commander’s Palace commanderspalace.com 130 Washington Ave.

The Cupcake Collection thecupcakecollection.com 2917 Magazine St. If you’re in the mood for something sweet; Mignon Francois and The Cupcake Collection has you covered! She was a stay-at-home mom who spent $5 on ingredients and used her grandmother’s recipe to make her business a much bigger success than she ever imagined.

Francois founded The Cupcake Collection, a bakery specializing in cupcakes, birthday cakes, and other delectable desserts. Flavors such as red velvet, sweet potato and strawberry lemonade, leave you feeling joyful. Custom orders are welcome as well.

Co-proprietors Ti Adelaide Martin and Lally Brennan, members of the famed Brennan’s family, have created an exceptional restaurant where one can celebrate a special occasion, or just enjoy a simple lunch called Commander’s Palace. Chef Meg Bickford was named Commander Palace’s first female executive chef in late 2020. Bickford studied culinary arts with Chef John Folse at Nicholls State University, in Thibodaux, and she also completed a six-month internship in Lyon, France, at a restaurant owned by Chef Paul Bocuse. Bickford brings her expertise in Creole cooking to the Commander’s Palace menu. Choices such as Pecan Crusted Gulf Fish Prosecco, poached jumbo lump crab over roasted corn, spring asparagus, grilled kale and melted leeks with whiskey spiked crushed corn cream; are a wonderful testament to Martin and Brennan’s attention to detail and flavor. Personally, I would encourage you to try their famed Turtle Soup; complete with Sherry, of course.

JEWELRY

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Que Rico Cuban Café facebook.com/QueRicoCubanCafe 4200 Magazine St. Fleurty Girl fleurtygirl.net 3137 Magazine St. Lauren Leblanc Haydel used a $2,000 tax refund, an idea for charming tshirts, and created a gift empire. It took Haydel’s Fleurty Girl 12 years to become a “must shop” boutique for locals and visitors alike.

Whether it’s football or crawfish season, a laugh or smile; this store has something for everyone.

Windowsill Pies windowsillpiesnola.com 4714 Freret St. Owners Nicole Eiden and Marielle Dupré started their pie business in Eiden’s kitchen.

After years of selling their pies at farmer’s markets, pop ups and Whole Foods; these women finally opened their own brick and mortar pie shop, in late 2020. Their shop is the only one of its kind and serves both sweet and savory pies by the slice and in whole-pie form. Like all good things, the flavors vary with the season. For example; this Spring Windowsill Pies is offering Lazy Summer Strawberry Cream Pie, Bananas Foster Cream Pie, Croque Madame hand pies and much more.

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Iderlin and Richard Rivera’s, Que Rico Cuban Café, got its start in Slidell and now serves authentic Cuban food in New Orleans as well.

Traditional dishes; such as Ropa Vieja- shredded pork cooked in a light stew sauce and Fricase de Pollo- shredded chicken cooked in a light stew sauce, as well as delicious Cuban coffee are just some of the authentic items found on the menu. My personal favorite is the Cubano sandwich; which I like to get with a side of Que Rico’s delicious Maduros (sweet fried plantains).

Miette iheartmiette.com 2038 Magazine St. Miette owner, Angela Estevez, has curated a shop that’s one-part store and one-part museum. A place where you’re allowed to buy the cool and unusual items; as well as unique pieces like taxidermy and jewelry.

Estevez has created a space where artists can sell one-of-a-kind pieces in a place that is truly New Orleans. Miette also hosts over 200 independent artists; who Angela affectionally refers to as “my secret little garden”.

Gallery B. Fos beckyfos.com 2138 Magazine St. It’s easy to pick a piece of Becky Fos’ art out of a lineup: just look for the color.

When Fos is creating one of her iconic paintings; she spreads thick oil onto the canvas, giving whatever she paints an almost three-dimensional quality. The result is some of the most sought-after paintings in New Orleans. A B.Fos original can sell for up to $10,000. Other pieces include her book “Happy”, Note Cards, Coasters, and Koozies.

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Peaches Records peachesrecordsandtapes.com 4318 Magazine St .

Since 1975, Shirani Rea and her family, have owned Peaches Records. It is a store that has helped launch musicians’ careers and introduce new generations to the magic of vinyl and cassettes! At Peaches Records you will find wall to wall music of all genres. It’s the perfect spot to add to or start your record collection.

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