Luxe Life Magazine Special Edition: The Queen Of Government Contracting - Dr. Kizzy Parks

LUXE LIFE

The Queen of Government Contracting

DR. KIZZY PARKS

C O NTENTS

Candice Bar is a multi-media mogul, speaker, mentor, tv personality and female entrepreneur advocate. Candice is the Founder and CEO of Luxe Enterprise which includes

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Luxe Wear and Luxe Life with Candice Bar Podcast.

Candice's show Luxe Life is currently on several major platforms all over the world.

“I was inspired to create the magazine for female entrepreneurs, so we could provide proper advice to all of our readers and followers who are experts in their industry. Knowledgeable advice is invaluable. It’s time for the ladies to get some recognition.”

Founder & CEO Candice Bar

The Queen of Government Contracting

Interview with

Dr. Kizzy Parks

Candice Bar: Why is entrepreneurship something we should earn?

Kizzy Parks: I believe we should earn everything. I don’t believe that there’s anything in life that should just be given to us. I think that sort of mentality comes from a place of ego. What’s really important is: one you’re building humility, and two, you’re loving the process. People think, “Entrepreneurship is something I should be given, it should just happen. I have this idea, why aren’t people going with it? Why aren’t I on a yacht?” When that isn’t true at all; this is a whole process. You have to put in the reps, you have to put in the time, and you have to cut things out of your life. Entrepreneurship is something you really have to earn. That is why so few entrepreneurs are actually successful; or that they’re profitable. They are able to be in business for long period of time. So many people get caught up in their ego and expect, “Hey!This should be given to me!” They give up way too soon, or they grossly underestimate the time, energy, and psychological resources that it takes to be an entrepreneur.

CB: Can you share a personal example of how you’ve earned something that you are proud of?

KP: I’ll give you two! I have a Guinness World Record Title for most skips of a rope in sixty seconds in flip flops. The record set is 182; which is more than 3 skips a second. I worked not only hard, but I actually had foot surgery beforehand and couldn’t walk for 3 weeks. While I healed, my goal to set a world record. I was really inspired by David Goggins, because he had a Guinness World Record at one

Dr. Kizzy Parks

time. I worked really hard at jumping, but also jumping in flip flops - like the really cheap flat flip flops that you know are going to break at the beach. I had to have special flip flops that had to be approved. The jump rope had to be approved, I also had to have 5 people there as witness. With Guinness vetting everything, recording it in slow-mo, and also open to the public to watch. An actual Guinness evaluator was there, complete with the jacket. While they couldn’t be there due to the pandemic, he and his wife had to watch the video slow-mo five times; that’s how fast I was going. I’m so proud that I set a record.

The second thing that I’m really proud of is, I took what is called an 8A Certification. It’s this government certification that allows you to get the benefits of sole source contracts for 1 million dollars. It really narrows the applicant pool for when you compete on different work. People look at it like it’s a golden ticket, so a lot of companies; thousands will apply for it. When they actually do receive the certification, they don’t do anything with it. I’m really proud of the fact that when I achieved it within a few months. I really expanded my business as a result, and was often used as an example by the Small Business Administration.

CB: Do you believe some people achieve success, without getting their hands dirty?

KP: I do believe this; for two main reasons. Some people don’t like to show you the kitchen; what’s behind the curtain. They don’t want you to see potential chicken in a container, not refrigerated – open containers of seasonings, etc. They want you to just view the positive, “You own a chain of restaurants and the food is fantastic; every time I go in here, you’re fully booked!” They only want you to see the front of the restaurant; the marquee. There are many out there who put on this facade that, “What I have came so easily, you don’t have to work all that hard.” The other half of this, is the explosion of social media. That adds another layer on top of the facade. Social media really allows people of all backgrounds to frame a certain point of view. It makes it seem like, “How is my neighbor able to go on this trip? They now have another business, how is this even possible?” This is why you’ll look at what’s on the different social media platforms and start to think, “This is easy, we deserve it, we don’t have to do much for it. We just sprinkle some water on some things and, bam! The money tree is going to grow."

CB: What do you believe are the pitfalls of the Law Of Attraction? Can it tip into the realms of being passive, and not taking action?

KP: I think the pitfalls are at a personality and a self awareness level. There are 5 different personality types, and one of the types is neuroticism. If a person is neurotic, and maybe they’re not self aware; they are expecting these things are just going to magically happen. I think it’s the person, not necessarily the Law Of Attraction - I love the Law Of Attraction, I love manifesting. I think it’s

“

You have to put in the reps, you have to put in the time, and you have to cut things out of your life. Entrepreneurship is something you really have to earn. That is why so few entrepreneurs are actually successful; or that they’re profitable.

Dr. Kizzy Parks

extremely powerful, but there’s definitely a, “However…” you’re going to have to put in the work. There are people whose disposition is, “I’m never going to put in the work,” or from day one they didn’t put in the work. There are people who put in a little bit, but they don’t want to keep at it. It’s really at this individual personality level of whether the theory is going to come about.

CB: When you have been awarded a significant federal grant, how much of that is down to your everyday actions and choices? Would this echo the premise that in most things in life, we have to earn them, rather than it landing in our laps?

KP: I would say at least 99% comes down to it. I firmly believe at least 1%, but probably way more than 1%, is God is involved. The other 99% is putting in the work. It’s showing up and doing what we said we would do when we work with the government. That’s number one. Number two is we’re really big on making lives easier. So it’s about making the life of all clients easier, the life of my team easier. And so then what happens is they are wanting to work with you more. If something happens, for instance, we had an agency who was waiting for funding and as a result they couldn’t pay us for six months. Instead of us complaining and going to the news or talking about it on Instagram, we said, “That’s alright, it’s okay”. After that, you know what happened? They ended up being awarding an almost two million dollar contract with us. It’s you putting in, and putting in, and showing up all of the time. Not just when everybody is looking, or when it’s time to spend because it’s the 4th quarter. You’re doing it all the time because you’re keeping their best interests in mind, your team’s best interests in mind, and that’s the priority, period. You had to have faith in belief, because I have never in my 10 plus years, have ever been stiffed by the federal government. I knew at some point in time they’re going to get their money.

CB: You love self leadership. As we bring this interview to an end, can you share your top self leadership tips for helping each of us to maximize and earn success?

KP: My top self leadership tip is: you must prioritize your wellness! Physical, mental health, nutrition, everything. Without you having good health, energy, and clear mindedness; it is extremely difficult to grow and blossom into an even more successful leader. It becomes increasingly challenging. That’s priority number one, especially as we go through 2023; is to take note of that. I know I’ve been in those situations, where in the beginning I put everyone first, I would never prioritize myself. I would feel guilt any time I would, but thankfully that has changed. It’s also important that I focus on all aspects of me, where I didn’t before. I thought I was, because I worked out and maybe I weighed a little less. But in reality, I really wasn’t. I was just going through the motions. Now I’m going deeper and doing the real work. That is the key going through this year, and making a real change. t

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My top self leadership tip is: you must prioritize your wellness! Physical, mental health, nutrition, everything. Without you having good health, energy, and clear mindedness; it is extremely difficult to grow and blossom into an even more successful leader. ”

New Year New Standards Start Fresh

Is It Time to End That Friendship in the New Year?

by CORINNE CAVANAUGH

TThere is no real protocol for cutting off a friendship—which can lead to a whole lot of confusion. It is strange that friendships, which nourish and sustain and often provide deep connection, lack the sort of standards that are routine in romantic relationships. For instance if your significant other stops calling, makes impossible demands, treats you horribly, you deal with it BUT eventually you find out where you stand. Not so with friends. I had this friend I met in my early 40s and shared many of life’s essentials with— hairdressers, phobias (snakes & airplanes), health scares, worries over our kids and insomnia caused by husbands who snore. We were friends for nine years. Towards the later part of our friendship, I was becoming more and more aware of a tightness in my chest whenever she would call or text, and more often than not (thanks to caller ID), I wouldn’t pick up the phone. I felt guilty but that was preferable to spending hours listening to her talk only about herself, her kids, her day. I realized it was time to cut ties with a friend that was not reciprocating the same energy; who was becoming more and more toxic to me. Maintaining good friendships is a crucial form of self-care, providing comfort and encouragement that can boost your mental well-being. But for friendships to improve your life, they have to be good. Good friends do the following: be each other’s cheerleader; encourage healthy habits; share information, give each other good energy; show solidarity (have each other’s backs)— be the one who sings your praises behind your back. If a friendship no longer has these qualities, you might need to gently close this chapter of your story.

How to End a Friendship

Can you lovingly end a friendship?

It may help to consider that ‘love’ and ‘friendship breakups’ can coexist.

You might try giving yourself permission to:

• understand it’s OK and even natural for friend ships to end

• let go of sadness, anger or lack of ‘closure’ over lost companionship

• pursue new projects and friends.

But (and here’s the but) how do you actually know when the meter has run out on your friendship? How do you know it’s actually time to let go? Below are 5 steps that helped me release my friendship.

Try not to take it personally

No one is to blame. No matter who initiates the breakup, it may help to remind yourself that many friendships end.

Allow yourself time to grieve

I mourned the loss of my friendship. There were some amazing times we shared; however, I had to find some ways to safely release those feelings such as exercising; journalling; discovering new hobbies. If need be, vent to a trusted counsellor.

You can create some kind of closure

Closure gives many people clarity to move own - but that does not mean having the last word or them admitting they did or didn’t do something. Paths for seeking closure can be drifting away slowly; face to face conversation; a definitive break; a goodbye letter for your eyes only; figure out what you would say if you ran into your friend again.

You can concentrate on something new

Develop new interests— improving skills by taking a new class; cultivating new friendships; reconnecting with your values.

Lastly, it’s possible to love them from afar

Letting go does not mean forgetting your friend or holding grudges. You might even consider wishing them well.

Many friendships dissolve naturally over time as you grow up and grow apart. Sometimes letting go of a friend who is no longer a good fit for you can actually improve your quality of life. So if this is something you have been thinking about especially with the New Year approaching, I encourage you to soul search. New Year. New Standards. Fresh Start. t

2023 HOROSCOPES by

Tiffany

Powers

As we look to the future and the year 2023 here are some of my psychic predictions:

One major event that could take place in 2023 is a major breakthrough in the field of artificial intelligence. We are already seeing major advancements in this field and many experts believe that by 2023, AI will be able to do things that were once thought impossible. This could lead to major changes in the way we live our lives and could have a huge impact on the global economy.

Another major event that could take place in 2023 is a breakthrough in the field of renewable energy. We are already seeing major advancements in this field and many experts believe that by 2023, renewable energy sources will be able to provide a significant portion of our energy needs. This could lead to a major shift in the way we produce and use energy and could have a huge impact on the environment.

A third major event that could take place in 2023 is a major breakthrough

in the field of space exploration. We are already seeing major advancements in this field and many experts believe that by 2023, we will have the technology to explore space in a much more efficient and cost-effective way. This could lead to major changes in the way we view and explore the universe and could have a huge impact on the way we view our place in the universe.

Finally, a fourth major event that could take place in 2023 is a major breakthrough in the field of medical science. We are already seeing major advancements in this field and many experts believe that by 2023, we will have the technology to cure some of the most devastating diseases. This could lead to major changes in the way we approach health and could have a huge impact on the global population.

These are just a few of the major world events that I see taking place in 2023. t

Capricorn

For Capricorn, 2023 will be a year of hard work and setting achievable goals. Take advantage of opportunities that come your way and put in the effort to make your dreams a reality. Focus on the important things in life, and have faith in yourself and your abilities to succeed. Stay in tune with your emotions and use them to fuel your endeavors. 2023 will bring new experiences and challenges, but with hard work and dedication, you will be able to reach great heights.

Aquarius

For Aquarius, 2023 will bring great changes, as well as many opportunities for growth and advancement. With hard work and dedication, you can make the most out of these positive moments. Take time to relax and reflect on your experiences and use them to fuel your journey to success. 2023 will bring new experiences and adventures, so be willing to take risks and embrace new opportunities. Have faith in yourself and your abilities, and you can achieve great things.

Pisces

For Pisces in 2023, you can expect a year of positive change, creative expression, and abundant blessings. This is a great time for Pisces to explore new ideas and experiment with different ways of expressing themselves. You may experience several moments of self-discovery and growth during this year, so don't be afraid to take risks and break out of your comfort zone. There are plenty of opportunities to manifest your dreams and reach your goals, so take advantage of them. You can use this time to make lasting changes in your life and set yourself up for success.

Aries

For Aries in 2023, there is a wealth of potential and opportunity waiting for you. This is a great year to stay open-minded and explore new paths and ideas. You may experience a surge of creativity and mental clarity, allowing you to make well-informed decisions about your future. Focus on self-improvement and keep an eye out for new job opportunities or further education options. There is a lot of potential for personal growth and success this year, so take full advantage of the abundance of resources available.

Taurus

2023 will be a year of significant growth and change for Taurus. There is potential to build strong foundations this year, both professionally and personally.

Consider taking risks and exploring new avenues as there are plenty of chances for success. Harness your natural determination and be persistent and disciplined in achieving your goals. You may find yourself rediscovering your passions or exploring new skills and hobbies, so take the time to invest in yourself and make time for self-care.

Gemini 2023 will be an exciting and inspiring year for Gemini. Positive changes are on the horizon and you are likely to experience some major life revelations. Take advantage of the influx of energy and use your natural enthusiasm and creativity to explore new ideas and projects. Communication is highlighted for Gemini this year, so make sure to stay connected with those around you. It's also a great time for learning new things and sharpening your skills, as well as taking risks and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.

Cancer

2023 will be an encouraging year for Cancer, with plenty of opportunity for growth and success. It's a great time to establish yourself and expand your network, as well as put yourself out there and take on new challenges. You are likely to feel more confident in your abilities, so use it to try something you've always wanted to do. There may be a few obstacles along the way, but don't let them stop you from reaching your full potential. Stay connected with those around you, focus on your goals, and trust your intuition.

Leo

2023 will be a good year for Leo, with many opportunities for personal growth and development. You may need to be more assertive in certain situations and trust your own judgement, as well as the guidance of others. Happiness and creativity are likely to come your way, so don't hesitate to express yourself in your various projects. With the help of others, you will be able to find success in whatever endeavors you take on. This is also a time to invest more time and energy into your relationships - celebrate the people that bring joy to your life and make sure they know how much they're appreciated.

Virgo

2023 will be an exciting year for Virgo. You can expect new beginnings, as rules and boundaries start to slowly disappear. Your strong sense of order will be challenged and it is important to approach changes with an open mind. Creative endeavors such as writing or art are likely to bring you joy this year, so

don’t hesitate to explore your passions. Connections with friends and family will bring happiness into your life, and it is also a great time to invest in yourself and your wellbeing. Be mindful of your inner voice and believe that you are capable of anything. With dedication and patience, you will find great success.

Libra

2023 promises to be an exciting year for Libras. This is a great time to think about what you want from life and to start manifesting your dreams. It is likely that you will explore new ideas and relationships. You will find a focus on your personal growth, where you will discover yourself in unexpected ways. Be open to giving and receiving love and look for opportunities to expand your knowledge. You will have plenty of opportunities to express yourself creatively, so embrace it. Spend time with friends, family and loved ones and nurture those relationships. With determination, dedication and belief in yourself, success is within reach!

Scorpio

2023 promises to be an exciting year for Scorpios. You will have many opportunities to further your career or explore new directions. This is a great time to set goals, to stay committed and take action. Your determination and hard-work will lead you to success, but remember to seek help when you need it. You will also find yourself opening up more and making deeper connections with those around you. Be open to new experiences and don't be afraid to take risks. With a combination of optimism and creativity, it is likely that you will achieve many of your longterm goals. Believe in yourself and take advantage of the opportunities that come your way.

Sagittarius

2023 promises to be a year of growth and self-discovery for Sagittarius. You will have many opportunities to learn new skills, expand your knowledge, and explore new ideas. Make sure to take time out of your day for yourself, as this will help you stay motivated and on track with your goals. This is a great time for exploring travel, having meaningful conversations, and taking up creative pursuits. Your ability to find joy in the little things will open you up to new experiences and relationships. The more you open yourself up, the more opportunities will come your way. With a mix of hard work and luck, you can make progress towards achieving your long-term goals. t