January - February 2019

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CHANEL WILLIAMS CO-FOUNDER AND CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER OF ‘PARENTS IN MOTION’

CHRIS MATTHEWS FOUNDER OF LITERACY IN THE H.O.O.D.

NATOYA WALKER MINOR CHIEF OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS FOR THE CITY OF CLEVELAND

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Beletu (Bele') Wondwossen Founder / Publisher Shelley M. Shockley Managing Editor Writers Shelley M. Shockley Kimberly Smith-Woodford Marsha Walker Eastwood Brittany Garrett

Creative Bele’ Wondwossen

Cover Story: Shelley M. Shockley Photo: Jason Garrett Contributing Writers Marianna Marron Letitia Nall Rhonda Crowder Michelle Phillips Fay Stephanie Phelps

Advertising Sales ads@phenomenalwoman.me 216.702.0845 Phenomenal Woman Magazine A subsidiary of Atlantic Creative Productions 5247 Wilson Mills Road #141 Cleveland, OH 44143 Women To Inspiring

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All rights reserved ISSN 2330-2534 (Print) ISSN 2330-2550 (Online) Material may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form of this publication without prior permission from the publisher. Produced and printed in OHIO, USA.

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From the Editor: Shelley M. Shockley

It's never too late to dream

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e are well into a new year and many resolutions and visions are sitting in a corner gathering dust. You started with such promise and energy and then life happened. You needed to pick up more hours at work to do this or that. The weather has kept you inside feeling listless and blue. The list goes on and on with the same result – you are repeating 2018 all over again.

Today, I want you to get up, yes stand up right now and affirm, “I Can Achieve Anything I Set My Mind to Do!” Don't just say it, but own it and believe it. Somewhere along the way you have stopped dreaming because you are only looking at the right now. You see the bills, the needs of the children or the family, the constraints at work, yet the one thing you don't see is you.

You don't take the time to just sit with yourself and ponder the things that bring you joy. I know, you are happiest when you give joy to others – nope, that's not true. I know this from personal experience and at times I'm still guilty, but the difference my friends is that I am committed to living a life filled with joy. Joy comes in many shapes and sizes but most importantly you must celebrate the little things. Many little accomplishments equal a joyful day or experience.

Think back to your youth, did you have someone in your corner cheering you on and telling you to dream, and dream big? I pray you did because the memories of that encouragement can help you through your toughest days.

Throughout my life my mother was always my biggest cheerleader followed closely behind her was my dad. They assured me that if I wanted to do something all I had to do was go out and work hard to achieve it. They are both no longer with me in the flesh, but their spirits walk with me daily and that is the strength I have used to begin to dream again.

To achieve these dreams, I must plan and record them knowing that if I get into a slump I can go back to that book where it is written and begin again. As the saying goes, “If at first you don't succeed try, try again.” So, my challenge to you is to dream and dream big and remember that each day you are given is an opportunity to begin again.

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More inspiration is offered in this issue as we look at a career public servant who had a dream she pursued and despite a few bumps along the way, she took the lessons from each situation and constructed a new opportunity only to find that all of knowledge she gained along the way was part of a pre-determined pattern. Today she is the Chief of Public Affairs for Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson, and our cover feature so read more inside about Natoya Walker Minor.

When others don't share your vision, do not let it deter you from achieving your goal. If you're not sure you can do that, then our feature on Chanel Williams is a must read.

First, you must remember her name because the level of tenacity this young lady has, will take her far and she will accomplish so much more as she completes her education. She is an up-and-coming IT professional with a heart for others and a work ethic that will lead to big things. Check out her story.

Another woman with a heart for others is Chris Matthews the founder of 'Literacy in the H.O.O.D. (Helping Out Our Disenfranchised), an organization with the goal of improving literacy and promoting a culture for reading in our homes. Matthews understands the correlation between literacy and homelessness, crime and poverty and she wants to be a part of the change. Definitely a woman you will be hearing more from in the future.

While I challenged you to dream again, columnist Deonna Moore Taylor is helping you to take your life and purpose to the #NextLevel. In a powerful, thought provoking tone, the award-winning speaker lays it all out for you. Join her in taking your journey to the Next Level.

As you plan for the next level, columnist Marsha Eastwood is offering some familiar yet jarring examples of what happens when we put off until tomorrow what we really need to do today because we want to save a few pennies.

She instead encourages you to begin to plan for emergencies and life ahead of time so that you're not caught with your proverbial pants down. For more specifics please check out her column.

As always, we seek to offer you a look into the lives of others with the goal of helping you to improve yours. I pray that these features spark an interest or just make you smile to see women making moves in life and business.

Until next time, dream and dream often!

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COVER

CONTENTS

18 WHY AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION IS THE BEST FINANCIAL INVESTMENT

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By Marsha Walker Eastwood

NATOYA WALKER MINOR

CHRIS MATTHEWS

Chief of Public Affairs - City of Cleveland

FOUNDER OF LITERACY IN THE H.O.O.D. (HELPING OUT OUR DISENFRANCHISED)

8 CHANEL WILLIAMS

10 SIX DESIGN APPROACHES TO EXPLORE IN 2019

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CO-FOUNDER AND CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER OF ‘PARENTS IN MOTION’

NEXT LEVEL 2019 IT'S EARLY 2019, WHAT HAVE YOU ACCOMPLISHED? YWCA GREATER CLEVELAND PARTNERS WITH URSULINE COLLEGE TO LAUNCH A JOINT LEADERSHIP CERTIFICATION

12 24 14 DELICIOUS RECIPES 30 www.PHENOMENALWOMAN.me ▒ 5

Why An Ounce Of Prevention Is The Best Financial Investment

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n ounce of p r e ve n t i o n i s worth a pound of cure is one of Benjamin Franklin's most often quoted axioms, and is as applicable today as By: Marsha Walker Eastwood, it was the day he wrote B.S.Ed, MSHSVC PWM Contributing Writer it. According to u s h i s t o r y. o r g , t h e Franklin quote appeared in the February 4, 1735 issue of The Pennsylvania Gazette, Franklin sent an anonymous letter to his own newspaper entitled “Protection of Towns from Fire.” Writing as an "old citizen" he admonished: “In the first Place, as an Ounce of Prevention is worth a Pound of Cure, I would advise 'em to take care how they suffer living Coals in a full Shovel, to be carried out of one Room into another, or up or down Stairs, unless in a Warmingpan shut; for Scraps of Fire may fall into Chinks and make no Appearance until Midnight; when your Stairs being in Flames, you may be forced, (as I once was) to leap out of your Windows, and hazard your Necks to avoid being oven-roasted.”

Franklin's quote resulted not only in the formation of the Philadelphia Fire Department but an entire fire safety program for the citizens as well. That investment in prevention saved countless lives which is the goal of any prevention program, and the biggest problem in selling a prevention program is the irrational push back from those who could benefit the most. This is especially true when it is packaged as an investment, because we have all become so accustomed to the term being used as a revenue generating system that will create or enhance a portfolio. Not only is that type of thinking extremely flawed in its shortsightedness, but it is also a design for failure on many levels as outlined in the following scenarios: Scenario #1: Tom landed a great job. It was the perfect fit for his skill set, except the location mandated that he have a reliable car. Tom plunked down a sizeable chunk of cash and bought a great running used car. All seemed right in Tom's world, but underneath the surface disaster loomed. Tom ignored all the mailings to have the oil changed. He also ignored the mailings for other routine preventive maintenance procedures. Tom's great running car was no longer running so great, and as the problems mounted Tom began missing days from work while the car was in the shop. Tom also had to take a short-term loan to pay for the repairs and eventually he had paid more for repairs than the car was worth. If Tom had invested a much smaller amount in routine oil changes, wheel alignments and tire rotations his great running car would have served him well for who knows how long.

Scenario #2: Emily was an amateur photographer who made a decent living selling her pictures at local art shows.

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When the home of her dreams in the neighborhood she had dreamed of living in since she was a child became available for sale, she bought it without hesitation. The well-appointed rooms gave her a panoramic view of the lake and mountains and provided countless opportunities for some amazing photo opportunities. As her first winter in the house approached, she began receiving door hangers and phone calls from a local heating and cooling establishment offering a full furnace check-up for $99.

Since the furnace seemed to be working well, she politely asked the company to stop contacting her. Her uber frugal father always drilled home his point that if something wasn't broken, it was best to leave it alone, and for the most part she considered his admonition as words of wisdom. One evening as a winter storm approached, Emily noticed that her house seemed very cool and attempted to adjust the thermostat. The house got colder as the outside temperature dropped. She knew something was terribly wrong and decided to call the furnace company.

After what seemed to be an endless wait, she was told the earliest appointment would be three days away. The furnace needed several small but costly repairs, and after waiting additional days for a part to arrive, that previous offer of $99 haunted her for weeks. If she had just done the preventive check-up, she would not have to live in a cold house for over a week.

Scenario#3: Janet Baxter always remarked to her family and friends that she would rather walk on hot coals than go to the dentist. The sheer thought of the sound of the dental drill or the scraping sound of that annoying little metal thing picking at the plaque buildup on her teeth was something she didn't want to deal with. Even when a local dental franchise offered free exams and cleanings at her job, she opted out. A few weeks later she developed a headache that never seemed to really go away. Over the counter medication offered a little temporary relief. After going through an entire bottle of pain relievers, her mother suggested that perhaps her teeth were the cause of her headaches. She relented and made a dental appointment where she learned that a raging infection had almost become life-threatening, and she was admitted to the hospital for massive doses of antibiotics to clear the infection.

Scenario#4: Like many men William Jefferson rails against going to the doctor.

His oftentimes colorful description of the medical industry as being a money sucking machine that trains people to sit like robots who don't really listen to anything patients say, has completely undermined his faith in that profession. Even as a young man he attributed any ache or pain to the normal aging process, and that visiting the family doctor would just be a waste of good money. The one-time heavy smoker quit 25 years ago and as far as he was concerned the chances of developing lung cancer or any other smoking related disease was no longer a worry.

Amanda Jefferson was just the opposite of her husband.

She was meticulous about preventive screenings and maintained a journal of her visits and results. In addition to her annual mammogram, PAP test, vision and dental screenings, she was constantly scouring the internet for any other health screenings. She would be the first to admit that she was not medically savvy, but she felt that if the technology was available, why not take advantage of it. As she made her appointment for some newly discovered preventive vascular screenings that could even look at her abdominal aorta, whatever that was, and blood screenings that her doctor never mentioned she thought how much William needed them but would never get them. She knew he had high blood pressure and she also knew that he would check it at Walmart and then blame the high numbers on the inaccuracy of the store machine.

Not long after Amanda made her appointment William became suddenly ill and was taken to the emergency room where he was diagnosed has having suffered a dissection of his abdominal aorta due to an aneurysm. The man who refused to “plunk down” a couple hundred dollars for preventive healthcare was now dead.

These scenarios have demonstrated two things – the importance of an ounce of prevention and the long-term benefits of the attendant financial investment strategy.

Due to his refusal to take advantage of routine automotive maintenance at a reasonable cost, Tom ended up spending a lot more money, had to deal with several instances of inconvenience and could have very well lost his job.

Emily's belief in her father's admonition could have turned

deadly living in a house during a winter storm with no heat. In hindsight she no doubt realized that the $99 would have been a small investment compared to the costly repairs she incurred later.

Janet's impatience and irrational disdain for dental exams could have had a very different ending had she not acquiesced and paid the dentist a visit. Sadly, William Jefferson died without realizing the importance of making that financial investment in life-saving preventive healthcare screenings. The saving grace per se is that Amanda make it a point to keep her annual healthcare screenings and took the initiative to seek out others that could give her peace of mind and enhance her quality of life.

Financial investment strategies go far and above the idea of stock purchases, mutual funds and the like. By mapping out a financial investment strategy for preventive measures, an individual or family can reap the kind of returns that educate – creating one's ability to pay for college rather than taking on the burden of student loans, enhance the quality of life – meaningful travel opportunities rather than being housebound during retirement….or worse yet, forced to take on a low-paying job at a time of life when the enjoyment of lifelong work should have been a well-deserved reward, and finally….increase the opportunity for longevity that comes from the personal satisfaction of a financial life well-lived, or as Mr. Spock would say, “Live long and prosper!” www.PHENOMENALWOMAN.me ▒ 7

Chris Matthews: Ensuring 'Life is better with books' served for four years providing financial literacy, workforce development, and job readiness to Cleveland residents. She used various outlets such as Passages, Ohio Guidestone, Y-Haven, CNP, Jobs Plus, and Seeds of Literacy to meet her purpose.

Recently, Matthews graduated from the Jack, Joseph, & Morton Mandel Foundation Neighborhood Leadership Development Program Cohort X, a foundation committed to investing in people with the values, ability and passion to change the world.

With a clear objective to help every family create a culture in which reading, writing, thinking, and speaking are prioritized in the home, she established 'Literacy in the H.O.O.D. (Helping Out Our Disenfranchised).' Her organization explains to parents and caregivers that children must get ready to read years before they start school. She stressed that lower income families and innercity children suffer the most due to lack of attention and provision of opportunities.

Chrishawndra Matthews with her son Derrick

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tudies reveal there is a direct correlation between illiteracy and poverty and improving literacy levels has potentially larger social benefits, such as increased life expectancy, reduced child mortality and improved health. Literacy is also a key ingredient for a country's economic growth. Hence, helping someone to read and write not only benefits the person, it improves the future of everyone in the community and society.

Over the years, nations have made sustained efforts to enhance their literacy levels, nonetheless, over seven hundred eighty million adults are still illiterate globally. In the US alone, fourteen percent of the population or thirtytwo million people can't read. In Cuyahoga County, two out of three families have no books in the home and more than sixty percent of Cleveland's adults are functionally illiterate. While these low levels of literacy can't be acceptable by all measures, the disproportionately low literacy levels in inner cities compared to suburban areas is a greater concern seeking urgent attention.

Against this backdrop, one woman tries to shed light and play her part in tackling these challenges. Meet Chrishawndra (Chris) Matthews, a Cleveland native who understands that life is better with books, works tirelessly to address the problem. Chris entered the field of literacy as a member of the AmeriCorps NEO Skills where she 8 ▒ JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2019

On the key factors that motivated her to establish her organization, she said, “My work with the Corps and having a son at age 38 exposed me to the differences between the quality of resources in the inner-city versus the same services that are available in suburban areas.

After learning how these differences contributed to the word and reading gap that impacts children in low-income areas, I knew something needed to be done so I started an organization called Literacy in the H.O.O.D. Helping Out Our Disenfranchised.”

Her findings are in line with research conducted by psychologists Betty Hart and Todd Risley, which showed that children from lower-income families hear a staggering 30 million fewer words than children from higher-income families by the time they are 4 years old.

Thanks to the generous support she received last year from; the Cleveland Kids' Book Bank, Scholastic, Scripps Howard and other grants, Literacy in the H.O.O.D. gave away more than 10,000 books, bookshelves and literacy kits for newborns! For the current year, Chris has partnered with Cleveland Kids' Book Bank, WKYC Channel 3, Scripps Howard, Cleveland Police Department, The Urban Barber Association, Breakthrough Schools, and Cleveland Metropolitan School District's wraparound program and she hopes this will ensure an even greater reach and thus contribute to enhancing readership skills.

The role that education plays in transforming people's lives is widely undisputable. On this, Matthews says, “Education reduces poverty, boosts economic growth and increases income. It enhances a child's chances of having a healthy life, reduces maternal deaths, and combats diseases. In our community, education is one of the most important investments to be made for its people and their future.”

She is convinced that reading books and getting an education do change lives. While she currently operates Literacy in the H.O.O.D. part-time, once she secures enough funding, she plans to do it full-time and fulfill her mission.

She said, “I am determined to change the mindset of parents and help them to understand the importance of reading with a child every day. Reading inspires children to dream big and enables them to achieve their full potential.”

Photos from various events where Literacy In The H.O.O.D participated.

For Matthews, promoting childhood literacy is an important foundation for success and she stresses that more efforts need to be taken in inner cities to assist our children. To help this cause, she said, “We need to insert some books into those inner-city homes and instill a culture of reading, stat.

Research shows that the academic performance of children growing up in homes with no books lags an average of three years behind kids raised in homes with lots of books.”

She believes mentors influence who you are and what you're committed to in your work and life. In this regard, she is deeply grateful to her mentor, Margaret Bernstein, WKYC's director of advocacy and community initiatives whom she met at a street corner as they were heading into a literacy event at a barbershop. She spoke highly of her and said “Margaret not only uses her platform at WKYC to promote family literacy, she even writes storybooks that strengthen the bond between parent and child.” Adding, “she connects me to resources and publicity and she even helped my 7year-old son launch his own book movement, Boys Do Read.” Chris is short of words to thank Margaret, “I could not have been blessed with a better mentor at this time in my life.”

The commitment of Matthews to our community is further demonstrated by her active participation in numerous organizations. She serves on the Cuyahoga County Accountable Health Communities Advisory Board. She partners with WKYC's Little Free Library Neighborhoods family literacy initiative; and with Literacy Cooperative 2Gen Summit; Cuyahoga County Clerk of Courts – Court in the Community; The Urban Barber Association; and CMSD: Breakthrough Schools.

With a view to further expand her works, she will soon launch #BuckeyeReads, an effort that will promote reading and building relationships within the Buckeye-WoodlandShaker Community. The new initiative has been crafted to help the community gain access to free books and tools needed to create a culture of reading, learning, thinking, and speaking in their home. Further the movement, Boys Do Read will be providing #BooksNCuts; and will present various events catered to boys as well as give them access to free haircuts in their schools or at LaBarberia Barber College.

The good works of Chris Matthews and her family continue to shine in our communities. Her core message to parents is “you are your child's first teacher.” She continued, “Our children need us to stop each day for 15-20 minutes to read with them. It will change their lives.”

For more information on how to support the great works of “Literacy in the H.O.O.D.” please contact Chris Matthews at ctmatthews123@gmail.com www.PHENOMENALWOMAN.me ▒ 9

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Next Level 2019 It's early 2019, what have you accomplished?

By Deonna Moore Taylor

I

know what you are thinking... "This woman can't be for real?" I just recovered from the holidays!!! Well, unfortunately that is the song that many are singing right now. They wanted to use the month of January to get through the hustle and bustle of the holidays and hit the reset button on February 1st. Others have already thrown in the towel. They experienced one failure. One "NO." One setback. Now they are ready to toss their goals to the sideline... into the sea of forgetfulness.

OR... Maybe you are the go-getting, goal digging sister I am looking for. You are making #LEADERSTYLE moves, slaying with your eyes wide open, and ready to take on the next level! If this is you, this article is for you!

I want to make it abundantly clear, 2019 is NOT for play for me. Last fall, I was given the words "Next Level" as how I was to approach the upcoming new year. 2018 was the year of new beginnings for me. I started a new position with a healthcare organization, established a nonprofit organization, co-authored two bestselling books, and my biggest accomplishment was saying goodbye to my turbulent 30's and busting the door to my 40's wide open.

The things accomplished last year were putting me into position to go even higher this year.

Last month, I hosted the biggest event of my life. I figured this would be a one-time deal and I would move on with

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life. The things that have transpired as a result of this event have been mind-blowing! The lives that were changed, even saved have now birthed into a ministry. So much so, Sister2Sister is now registered through The LeaderStyle Lifestyle Movement as our program. This is a dedicated program and give-back to the community. As my nonprofit celebrates our first year in service, we have accomplished a lot, with a long list of things to come. It is great to see the significant accomplishments of women in leadership, and we are seeing a significant increase of women entering high-level positions, from K-Street, to the House of Representatives, to Wall Street. Moreover, the number of women establishing their own businesses continues to grow. It's definitely a win-win for the women's movement full-circle. However, we still have a lot of work to do in terms of helping more women and young girls realize their potential as it relates to being an influential leader, mover and shaker.

Now is the time to think about the impact you would like to make in 2019, be it in your home, professional life, and/or in the community. You, my sister, are wanted and we need you to step up and LEAD from where you are. With the way the world is going, we do not have the time to sit on the sidelines and wait for someone to get the job done. We must be the catalyst. #NEXTLEVEL is for us to move forward and upward, in every area of our lives. This year should be majestic, and the impact we make must be bigger and deeper than ever before. Our next generation is looking - and they need us to step it up.

What are your goals sister? What do you need to do? What fire is burning deep in your loins waiting to be released?

Let it go and get it done in 2019!

Deonna Moore Taylor is an award-winning speaker and bestselling author. She is a contributing writer for several publications and blogs. To contact Deonna, please email her at deonna@deonnamooretaylor.com or visit her website www.deonnamooretaylor.com

TEN POWERFUL QUOTES ON LEADERSHIP: 1.

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

-John Quincy Adams

2.

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”

-Steve Jobs, Apple co-founder

3.

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

4.

“The true mark of a leader is the willingness to stick with a bold course of action — an unconventional business strategy, a unique product-development roadmap, a controversial marketing campaign — even as the rest of the world wonders why you're not marching in step with the status quo. In other words, real leaders are happy to zig while others zag. They understand that in an era of hyper-competition and non-stop disruption, the only way to stand out from the crowd is to stand for something special.”

-Bill Taylor, from article “Do You Pass the Leadership Test?”

5.

“Leaders instill in their people a hope for success and a belief in themselves. Positive leaders empower people to accomplish their goals.” -Unknown

6.

“The very essence of leadership is that you have to have vision. You can't blow an uncertain trumpet.”

-Theodore M. Hesburgh

7.

“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” -John F. Kennedy

8.

“A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better.” -Jim Rohn

9.

“The single biggest way to impact an organization is to focus on leadership development. There is almost no limit to the potential of an organization that recruits good people, raises them up as leaders and continually develops them.”

-John Maxwell

GIVE THE GIFT OF EDUCATION Donate to UNCF

10. “The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.” -John Maxwell SOURCE: www.qualtrics.com www.PHENOMENALWOMAN.me ▒ 13

YWCA Momentum participants

YWCA Greater Cleveland announces new partnership with Ursuline College Organizations plan to launch a joint leadership certification YWCA Greater Cleveland and Ursuline College announce a new partnership to offer a joint leadership certification to professional women looking to further develop their careers.

This certification will become an additional offering of YWCA's Women's Leadership Institute.

For eight years, YWCA Greater Cleveland has offered the Momentum leadership development program, a transformative learning opportunity for women in mid- to upper-management roles who aspire or are new to executive leadership.

The YWCA Ursuline Leadership Certification will create even more access to leadership development for the students of Ursuline College and the Northeast Ohio community. For the first time, Momentum participants have the option of earning one, two or three graduate workshop credits. Those who earn three credits may then enroll in two additional courses at Ursuline and earn the YWCA Ursuline Leadership Certification. Further, they will be eligible for a Momentum Scholarship, which would allow them a 33% tuition reduction for any graduate or certificate program at Ursuline.

Further information is available at https://www. ywcaofcleveland.org/what-we-do/womens-leadershipinstitute 14 ▒ JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2019

The partnership comes at a time when YWCA Greater Cleveland is in the midst of providing 150 years of service to the Cleveland community and just as Ursuline College is approaching its 150th anniversary in 2021.

Women's empowerment has been part of YWCA's mission since its founding in 1868.The current Women's Leadership Institute was launched in 2004 and has more than 1,000 women graduates from Northeast Ohio's publically traded corporations, small to large private business, and leading nonprofit organizations.

“This is an exciting partnership for women and organizations who turn to us for leadership development.

This is a new important tool for the war on talent—by ensuring top talent is being developed,” says Margaret Mitchell, President & CEO of YWCA Greater Cleveland.

Ursuline College has been educating and empowering women since 1871.“We at Ursuline are delighted to be able to help mid-career professional women advance in their fields as ethical, confident, and enterprising leaders,” said Ursuline President Sister Christine De Vinne, OSU, PhD.“With our shared mission of promoting women's leadership, YWCA Greater Cleveland and Ursuline College are poised to offer women tremendous opportunities for personal and professional growth.

HOW TO BECOME YOUR BEST SELF Ask yourself … are you truly who you want to be? Is this the life you really want? Are you living each day as your best self? What can you change today?

How would you answer those questions? Think about your daily life. Are you thriving, or going through the motions?

Are your days full of work, relationships and activities that are true to your authentic self or do you feel trapped on a treadmill of responsibility? If you dream of a better life, now is the time to turn your dream into reality.

The tools you need to design a life that is fulfilling on the deepest levels are within your grasp. Written by Mike Bayer, known to the thousands of clients whose lives he has changed as Coach Mike, “Best Self” can show you how.

Bayer has helped everyone from pop stars to business executives to people just like you discover the freedom to be their best selves. By asking them and leading them to ask themselves a series of important but tough questions, such as “What are your core values?,” “Do you go to bed each day more knowledgeable than when you woke up?” and “Am I neglecting some aspect of my physical health out of fear or denial?,” he helps them see what their Best Selves and Anti-Selves really look like. As a mental health specialist, a personal development coach and an allaround change agent, Bayer has seen the amazing ways in which lives can improve with honesty and clarity. He understands the daily struggles people face intimately, because he's faced – and overcome – his own, and he knows that change is possible.

By working through each of the Seven SPHERES of Life – Social, Personal, Health, Education, Relationships, Employment and Spiritual Development – “Best Self” is an accessible and interactive book that distills all of Bayer's wisdom into a compact, focused guide that can ignite your desire for change.

The Seven SPHERES of Life: Social Take a look at your social life in terms of your communication skills and dive into how you feel in your own skin when interacting with others.

Personal In attempting to be your personal best self, work to have an abundance of respect and compassion for yourself.

Take care of yourself by nurturing an authentic, positive self-image to see benefits reach other spheres of your life.

Health If you're unhealthy, it's difficult to be your best self in other areas. The goal should be to act in your own best interests when it comes to your physical health in order to feel your best and be at your best.

Education Even if you didn't enjoy school or believe you simply don't like the process of taking in new information, you may still be thirsty for knowledge in areas that interest you on a deeper level. Find what quenches your unique interests and explore the best methods to learn in those areas.

Relationships From time to time, relationships can get out of balance.

However, you can be proactive about doing your part to get them back to equilibrium by determining ways to control your authenticity and what you can do when those around you aren't reflecting their own.

Employment Determine whether you're acting as your best self at work just as you are at home. If you can't be yourself at work, you may be wasting valuable time. Don't lose yourself in a fear of trying to be something you aren't while on the job.

Spiritual Development The place within you from which goodness radiates can be described as your spiritual self. It's where you form integrity, values and treatment of other people, so focus on aligning those traits with your vision of your best self.

Learn more about how to become your best self and take a self-assessment quiz at coachmikebayer.com/book. www.PHENOMENALWOMAN.me ▒ 15

Chanel Williams

Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Parents in Motion could end up saving you because it may be the only YOU that may survive rough circumstances. HOLD FAST.”

T

here is a growing consensus on the positive role Information Technology (IT) plays in improving our lives. IT applications create smart solutions that are vital for efficient service delivery. The resulting time and resources savings could be used for other equally important activities. IT driven companies also perform better than their peers making them more competitive in their respective industries.

In an effort to help others, and with a mission “to create a safety net in the community where all families have opportunities to meet their children's needs no matter what their transportation issues,” Chanel Williams cofounded, a tech-driven company called “Parents in Motion (PIM).”

Parents in Motion provides well planned transportation network “with extensive vetting and security features including trip tracking, pick-up confirmations, first aid, and more,” with the main purpose of enabling parents to rest at ease.

Williams wears many hats. In addition to her work as PIM's co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, she works as an apprentice at a large corporation, studies at a university and participates in initiatives to assist communities, particularly disadvantaged groups.

Recently, Williams took some time from her busy schedule to talk about her journey to success and the challenges and adversities she faced along the way.

Young Chanel didn't have the happiest beginnings growing up. She said “I grew up in a chaotic and depressive environment that didn't nurture who I really was. I was an introverted kid that liked to stay in her own world and be my own person.” Nonetheless, “I knew who I was, what I wanted, and I was determined to not compromise on it.”

Her household challenges never deterred Chanel from fulfilling her enormous potential. Reflecting back, she admits those setbacks served as ingredients to shape her into who she is today. She noted, “hold on tightly to the things that you FEEL are RIGHT and that define you, it 16 ▒ JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2019

As a student at Case Western Reserve University, she initially found the situation exciting but encountered troubling conditions. Chanel said, “I experienced racism and isolation, but had to keep focused on my goals and use whatever means available to make them happen and to be unapologetic about it.”

Chanel has not been a traditional student in that she had to support herself, her education and her business. She noted, “I have had to work in the hospitality industry for a number of years, long hours, long days, multiple shifts, and I can say the insight I received from it has been invaluable.”

In addition to undertaking her IT studies at CWRU, Williams works as an apprentice at Sherwin-Williams Company. Founded one hundred fifty-three years ago and headquartered in Cleveland, Sherwin-Williams Company is a Fortune 500 company in the general building materials industry. The company employees thousands and its products are available worldwide.

As an apprentice, Chanel not only learns from the company's enormous knowledge base, but utilizes her skills to contribute to the needs of the IT team. Very excited with the opportunity she has to work with some the finest IT professionals at Sherwin-Williams, Chanel said, “I am able to learn, ask questions, create value, and most importantly have autonomy in my work and my own projects.” Adding, “I really value that I work in a place that actually cares about your personal and professional development.”

As an IT professional, Chanel personally believes that technology is a tool that should help make life and processes efficient and cost effective. She said, “I was looking for a challenge that would take me out of my comfort zone and I wanted to help others, so Parents in Motion helped me do that and its mission really resonated with me.” Together with her business partner and cofounder Charisma Curry, they plan to grow their company and help families gain opportunities to meet their children's needs no matter what their transportation issues are.

Explaining the complimentary responsibilities, the two partners offer, Chanel said “Charisma brings a mother's perspective to this business that keeps parents in mind, and both me and her coming from a community with less resources and time, we bring that perspective as well. I like to bring the current technologies in the marketplace and put our spin on them to help benefit these perspectives as much as I can.”

I am still trying to figure out how to do that while making sure I do all I can to make PIM a success.”

Charisma Curry Co-Founder Parents In Motion

Expanding and growing businesses without adequate IT support is becoming difficult. While larger companies/corporations have advanced IT systems to run their day to day operations and ensure their readiness to meet future demands, several small businesses do lack these systems hindering their growth and negatively impacting the overall economy. In this aspect, Chanel's IT background will no doubt take Parents in Motion to another level.

The delivery of great results by Parents in Motion has not been left unnoticed. So far it has won the city's GiveBackHack social innovation competition twice, placed in a national competition as one of the best tech student startups in the country and has gained traction with partnerships in the community.

Given the multitude tasks Chanel undertakes, her challenge remains trying to find the right balance with her work, school and self care schedule. She said “It is so important to take care of yourself FIRST, because you are no use in any other part of your life if you are run down. So,

Although Chanel's different responsibilities doesn't provide her enough time to mentor others to be successful, she continues to explore ways to help her community. Currently, she is a part of the black women entrepreneurial group and looks to help and add value especially with technology.

Chanel's journey to success overcoming challenges has taught her a few lessons. She stressed, “Quality of work life is vitally important and we should try and do whatever we have to do to work in an industry that gives us life.” She continued, “People don't leave bad jobs, they leave bad work environments and people.” She also encourages everyone to “have a backup fund to fall back on and to look after your well being.”

Her message to the community and in particular to African-American women who wish to do more despite everyday challenges, “Understand you are not alone, you are worth more than what your environment and struggles suggest, and it is going to take hard work but know that YOU are worth ALL of your blood, sweat, and years, no matter what.”

Chanel Williams' journey to success is a clear testament to what one individual can accomplish despite facing insurmountable challenges and troubling conditions.

Given this phenomenal woman's young age and dynamism, it is safe to assume more amazing results are definitely on the way. Stay tuned! www.PHENOMENALWOMAN.me ▒ 17

Natoya Walker Minor, a cheerleader for Cleveland

Photo Credit: Pages 18-22 Jason Garrett

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atoya Walker Minor, Chief of Public Affairs for Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson was born during the height of the civil rights era in Cleveland, Ohio a city that would serve as a hotbed of that movement. When you look back on her birth and the early years of her life, one could say just as the blood of her parents flows through her veins, social justice and public service is in her DNA.

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As she prepared for the next phase of her life, she penned a college essay entitled, “Reweaving the social fabric of communities,” something she now says she probably had no true understanding of what that meant. Whatever it meant at the time, it served her well. The tiny sprouts of that seedling began to take root as she headed to the University of Toledo where she earned a bachelor of arts degree in Political Science.

On a chilly Saturday, Walker recently rushed into a local coffeehouse to discuss her journey from Cleveland's southeast Lee-Harvard-Seville community to City Hall.

Slightly winded, but wearing her characteristic smile, she sat down and readily shared the ups and downs of her career path.

With degree in hand, she returned home to Cleveland during what she says was the mayoral “race of a lifetime – George Forbes versus Michael White or as many called it, The Mentor versus the Mentee.” What better way for a recent political science graduate's sprouts to germinate than by working on the campaign trail of an exciting mayoral contest. Over the years she had been involved in the 21st Congressional District Caucus with her Mom, so she jumped on the campaign trail. The experience she recalls as, “exhilarating.”

As the elders say, “í he devil is in the details,” and that is true with Walker Minor. She was raised in what is now Cleveland's Ward 1 to parents who were actively engaged in their community and grassroots efforts. She recalls, “I was born in 1966, a Civil Rights baby. My parents were involved in the movement as young adults so this is what I saw, what I knew. Carl Stokes was Mayor; Black Power was in Cleveland and this was my normal.”

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As she and her sister were growing up, her mother ensured they were “educated and well trained,” while her Dad kept them apprised of the issues and the importance of “our rights.” Fondly she recalls her Dad's mantra being the popular Nina Simone song, “Young, gifted and black…that's where it's at.”

When she wasn't campaigning, Walker Minor began her first job as a college graduate with the Cuyahoga County Office of Justice Affairs. This position would ultimately serve as a catalyst for her career trajectory.

She speaks glowingly of her first boss, Daryl Novak, describing her as a phenomenal woman engaged in the community. Her community engagement led Novak to appoint Walker Minor to serve on various committees within the community. Not only did she give her a seat at the table but she gave her some priceless advice.

She recalled, “She said to young people like me, this can't be it for you. You've got to do so much more, you can't isolate your career to this job.”

You always have to have additional skills. You can't be too big to do something.

Fast forward to the 1970's and a young Natoya was introduced to the political process. She recounts, “My earliest memory of politics is when Arnold Pinkney was campaigning for either Mayor or School Board.”

The impressionable pre-teen, “loved the energy of campaigns.” She put that energy to work and as a pre-teen, she passed out literature for Councilman John Barnes. A few years later, as a high school student Walker Minor would challenge thenCouncilman Barnes about cuts in programming at Kerruish Park. This query led to Barnes planting a seed into the mind of this young student.

She said his response, “it was the budget, reduction of allocations, fiscal,” was foreign to her. Yet she continued, “At 15, I knew enough to reflect on the fact that something was missing from our community and I didn't understand how the decisions are made. Coupled with my being in the first class of busing were enough for me to declaratively state I wanted to work in public service. I wanted to make sure communities had what they needed.”

That seed deep in the soil receiving all the nutrients it needs to grow as Walker Minor went on to have a great tenure as a John F. Kennedy Eagle. She was a cheerleader and voted Miss JFK before she traded in her pom-poms for a cap and gown and bid farewell to her high school years.

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That advice and her appointment to former Mayor Michael R. White's Black on Black Crime Committee would put it to the test. Walker Minor recounts how this one appointment led to introductions to many of Cleveland's powerful community leaders of the time. She had the opportunity to work with Michael Walker and Claire Freeman during this time. One of her roles she said was to serve as a mediator in the community when violent events occurred.

Looking back, she said, “I must have been about 23, when a kid had been killed in the Garden Valley Housing Projects which are a part of the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) and it just happened to be my turn to go out.” She had no idea this tragic event would have such a profound impact on her life. She recalls going to the meeting seeing faces familiar to her and meeting a black woman who was the CEO of CMHA, but she had no real understanding what a CEO was. After speaking to the audience gathered, Freeman approached and began to ask her where she worked and told the young Walker Minor “Come see me next week.”

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Natoya Walker Minor speaking with colleagues

When she took Freeman up and met with her the following week, Walker Minor was astonished when she was offered a job. She recalls the conversation went something like, “I want you to come work for me and I said oh no I love my job. She said, no seriously. How much do you make?” Here again her youth and naivete showed up because she told Freeman what she made and was in awe of the fact that without hesitation she was offered almost $10,000 more than what she was currently making.

This was her first true glimpse at a woman with this type of power. After speaking with Novak about the offer, Walker Minor left the county and headed to CMHA. In this position, she was really seeing much of what she had heard in lectures and read in textbooks at work. It would prove to be a foundation for the work she would do for years to come.

At the time the young college graduate joined the administrative staff at CMHA, the organization was going into receivership and Freeman and her team were working to steer the turnaround. Walker Minor said of the work, “That was my first exposure to a broken system and being a part of a turnaround team. This offered insight on how people go about understanding what they're doing. I'm sitting there as a 22-year-old looking at and wondering how are we navigating this.”

She found that much of what she had read theoretically was now happening in front of her eyes, from learning about the influence the chair of a congressional subcommittee had and what it means to their community as shown when the late Congressman Louis Stokes headed the HUD VA subcommittee.

Not only did she see the impact from federal to local, but in her position, she met many local leaders including then City Councilman Frank Jackson who was working to 20 ▒ JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2019

turnaround his Ward, home of the largest concentration of public housing in Cleveland. Walker Minor said, “I met Councilman Jackson and had a lot of interaction with his office from the local level because we were leveraging dollars, so I'm really implementing all of this theory in real life.”

Walker Minor worked for the housing authority as the nation was in the midst of the crack cocaine epidemic and all of the challenges that came with it. Timing is everything and because of the times, the team in place and their ability to think out of the box, she was privy to the conceptualization and implementation of programs she describes as, “linking public housing, public health, public education and public workforces.” The programs were Miracle Village and Recovery Village, trailblazing ideas that grabbed the attention of former President Bill Clinton and his administration.

She also realizes now that seedlings were being planted along the way to be nurtured at a later time. With all of the connections and practical information gathered in her short career, Walker Minor set her sights on graduate school. The path she chose was the National Urban Fellows Program, and her work had been impressive enough for her then-boss Claire Freeman to pen a letter of recommendation as well as then Councilman Jackson.

With these letters, her experience and tenacity in place, she was selected to be a National Urban Fellow.

The National Urban Fellows program melds the classroom with on the job training and at that time they were operating in about twenty-five markets. The diversity of locales afforded Walker Minor with a taste of the workforce in Boston, New York and Washington DC. The fellow is given the choice of placement and she chose Local Initiatives Support Corporations (LISC).

She described LISC as, “a national community development intermediary.” Further she explained that they blend many of the processes taking place on the local level – connecting housing and people. This realization took her back to Cleveland's Ward 1 where she penned that essay on “reweaving the social fabric of community.”

Maneuvering through the program working in the public policy office, she saw how all of the systems were working, but says, “they're not really connected so the question becomes how can people really take advantage of all of this if it is not integrated.”

Asking the question led her to focus her energies on how do we integrate housing. She queried, “if you are in low income or subsidized housing, how do you connect to the education system, and how do you connect to the public transit system.” Walker Minor found the answer was rather simple, “we need to link these systems as partners.” Soon after, she graduated from the program and returned to Cleveland.

Returning to Cleveland, equipped with a Master of Public Administration from The City University of New York full of promises and ideas, decisions had to be made and the most important was determining where she would utilize all of her newfound vision and energy. She had two options, return to the housing authority or begin a new chapter with the City of Cleveland. She chose to join the administration of former Mayor Michael White leading his Constituency Affairs Department.

Reflecting on that time she says, “It was a great experience, but a tough environment.” While she continued to make connections during an active time in Cleveland, it was not fulfilling her goals to promote innovation, push for change even she says “not realizing how change happens.” Her heart wasn't in the position so with two years in, she came in one day and said, “I'm out.” Personally, her life was in transition as well. A marriage never happened and the relationship ended. With all of the tumultuousness, Walker Minor decided to relocate to Washington, DC., a move she admits was illadvised and hasty.

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LeTITIA NALL Heads Outbound Operations For Amazon

MARIA DAVILA Northeast Ohio Regional Outreach Manager, ODOT

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Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland

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KATIE SCHUERGER Making a Difference in the Ohio Construction Industry

This time, her timing was totally off. She moved to the east coast with a month's worth of savings and a room in the home of a distant older cousin and no job. The climate on the East Coast was not one with many opportunities so after many rejections, she began working for Temporary Employment Agencies. Walker Minor said this is a message I want others to get, “You always have to have additional skills. You can't be too big to do something.” Her proficiency with typing created an opportunity.

After temping on about six or seven jobs, her bubbly personality led to shared knowledge by veterans who explained that legal temps were paid up to seven dollars more than regular temps.

SurvivinÖ on the east coast calls for an increase in income and Walker Minor landed a job working on a case involving the tobacco industry. The case was the tarÖeting of youth in advertising and promotion which was something she had first-hand knowledge of having worked as a “Salem Girl” when she was employed with the county right after graduating from college. That experience was in hindsight embarrassing, but an asset with this new position.

After about six months she landed a job with an organization called Health Management Resources, a Minority Business Enterprise contracting with the federal Health and Human Services Agency.

The contract she received to serve as project coordinator was called Public Housing Primary Healthcare. This position exhibits, “the pattern of my life, which has always blended these things public housing and public health and the real issue was the social determinants of health.”

ESTHER C. KRAFT Helping Hispanic Students Succeed at Tri-C

HIGHLIGHTS, 3rd Annual Financial Literacy & Business Opportunities Conference

Dr. ELLEN BURTS-COOPER Senior Managing Partner & Chief Improvement Officer Improve Consulting and Training Group

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CHIOMA ONUKWUIRE An Engineer & Entrepreneur

BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS Bowling For Kids’ Sake

Life Insurance: Smart Investment?

CATHY BELK, President, JumpStart Inc. Envisions Economic Transformation in Cleveland Communities

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She worked for six years and decided it was time to come home for a number of reasons including the passing of both her grandfathers and coming to the realization that while she brought home a good salary, she would never be able to stake roots on the East Coast.

Returning home, she returned to work at CMHA utilizing skills she had used ten years prior, yet as she describes it, “I was much humbler and more confident in my skills.”

With that confidence she reached out to George Phillips and although he did not know her, the pitch she offered landed her a position helping them get through the maze of auditing. After three years with the housing authority, she left to join the inaugural administration of Mayor Frank Jackson.

Councilman Jackson had now become Mayor Jackson and he offered her a job as the Chief of his Public Affairs. She explained that it is not “Public Affairs as communication, but public affairs in terms of those systems that link back to the connectivity to people.”

solely a health challenge to one that is much more complex. It cannot be isolated to a single definition.

When she is not being the Chief of Public Affairs, Walker Minor spends time with her family and is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and mentoring young people. Her advice to these female mentees is to “stay focused, be brilliant, beautiful and blessed. It is not enough to be beautiful, you have to be brilliant. To be brilliant you have to constantly invest in yourself, keep your eyes open and learn it. You have to do that because from society's standpoint we have a double negative – you're a woman and a woman of color. To survive and navigate you have to have the answer in a way that is not threatening. Keep that sharp edge.” Additionally, she is pursuing her doctorate degree in executive leadership at University of Charleston, West Virginia.

Ultimately, she says, “I'm still a cheerleader, cheering for different reasons.” When she's not cheering, you will find her getting in a run or cycling around town.

Of her path she says it's not been without hiccups, but “when I look back over my life, I can see the patterns now, but I could not see the patterns for years.”

Walker Minor met her husband, Bishop Tony Minor, during her first stint with CMHA but had never dated until shortly before they were married. She said of the courtship, “we are married because of Barack Obama.” In explanation, she said that in 2008 the Mayor's office received tickets for Senator Obama's visit to Public Hall and she went with her Mom and ran into Tony whom she had not seen in years, and they caught up and talked about plans to volunteer on the campaign. At the time she was not thinking of him as a suitor, he was her former supervisor and she knew that he was a widower. They decided to get together the following week, and she says “It just happened. He and I just started hanging out and we are now coming up on ten years.”

The blended family they have created is counted as her most significant accomplishment. She said, “I have no natural children, and Tony brought to the marriage two sons, a daughter and grandson while I brought my dog.

Another thing was I never wanted to be a preacher's wife.

Those were big doors for me to walk through.” In the last five years she has become comfortable with being a preacher's wife. As the base for their marriage, they focused on Proverbs 27:17, “Iron sharpens iron,” and the result has been, “we created this tapestry of family that is beautiful and extensive. It is extensive because my husband has developed a bond with his former wife's family to keep them engaged and for our youngest son it is important to me that he knows all of who he is.”

Professionally her most significant accomplishments include; leading efforts on restructuring the Office of Equal Opportunity, spearheading Community Benefit Agreement in Cleveland, project management for Phase I of the African American Cultural Garden, and building the Homeless Continuum in Cleveland.

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Bachelor's degree in Political Science University of Toledo Master’s degree in Public Administration Baruch College - The City University of New York Executive Leadership Certificate, Nonprofit Management Georgetown University Executive Leadership Certificate, Senior Executives in Local and State Government John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University Member of Board of Directors, United Way of Greater Cleveland Member, Monte Ahuja College of Business Diversity Council Cleveland State University Alumnus of the American Marshall Memorial Fellow Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Order of Eastern Star

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YWCA Momentum participants

3 Ways to Make Your Heart Healthier Did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States? One in four people die from it each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and millions more have it or are at risk of developing the disease. Smoking, being overweight or having diabetes, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure or a family history of heart disease all increase your chances of getting the disease.

The good news is that you can do something about it.

“It's never too late – or too early – to lower your risk for heart disease,” said Josephine Boyington, Ph.D., a nurse, licensed nutritionist and program director in the Division of Cardiovascular Health at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health.

“Heart disease is a general term for a variety of conditions, such as clogged arteries, that make it difficult for your heart to pump blood properly,” she said. “Adopting small changes, like moving more and following a heart-healthy eating plan, can make a big difference. Research has shown that making healthy lifestyle changes that last can be a lot easier when you have friends or family doing it with you.”

To mark American Heart Month, the NHLBI – the nation's leader in research on the prevention and treatment of heart, lung, blood and sleep disorders – is encouraging that kind of group support. It is celebrating “Our Hearts,” a national effort to motivate Americans to join each other in adopting heart-healthy behaviors throughout the year and beyond.

Ready to start? Here are three tried-and-true ways you and your friends and family can help each other give your hearts a boost.

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1. Adopt a healthy eating plan. Try NHLBI's Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan. It's free and, when compared to a typical American diet, has been scientifically proven to lower blood pressure and improve blood cholesterol levels. The DASH eating plan features fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, beans, nuts and lean meats, and it limits foods that are high in saturated fats, sugars and sodium. Have fun with menus by inviting friends to join you for a heart-healthy dinner party or start a lunch club at work and trade creative recipe ideas with your colleagues.

2. Move more and #MoveWithHeart. One of the major risk factors for heart disease is inactivity. Getting up and moving helps lower that risk – and you don't need to put in hours at a time to see results. Breaking up your daily activity into small chunks, such as 10-minute increments three times a day for five days a week, can begin to make a difference. To stay motivated, find a walking buddy or make a standing date to walk with a friend or neighbor, dance at home with your kids or play a pickup soccer or basketball game with colleagues. The bottom line: just move.

3. Quit smoking. It can be hard to stop, but the benefits to your lungs and heart are huge. For inspiration and to keep you motivated, consider a support group. You can find resources and connect with a trained counselor by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW or visiting smokefree.gov.

For more information about heart health, and to discover what activities are going on in your community, visit nhlbi.nih.gov/ourhearts. Use #OurHearts on social media to share how you and your friends and family are keeping your hearts healthy.

J

ust when you were getting the hang of having a baby at home, it's time to go back to work. Beyond the expected changes such as picking work tasks back up and catching up on things you've missed, your priorities have most likely shifted now that you're a parent.

It's normal for parents to feel anxious about transitioning back to work after having a baby, but they don't have to do it alone. Most new parents have built-in support systems of friends and family, but if their child will be attending daycare, that structure can provide additional help through the transition.

Transitioning Back to Work After Baby

To help make the transition back to work as seamless as possible, consider these tips from infant teachers at KinderCare, which has been caring for children for almost 50 years.

1. Choose a daycare near work.

A parent's first instinct might be to choose a daycare that's close to home, but once you return to work you may appreciate having your baby nearby – whether to breastfeed or just get some mid-day snuggles.

“We have an open-door policy,” said Regina Campisi, a nine-year KinderCare infant teacher. “Come in during your lunch break, feed your baby, have lunch with us and get to know your child's teachers. Be a part of the educational process. It's important to bridge that gap between work and school.”

2. Feel comfortable with your child care provider.

Parents know their babies best. Most daycare centers are willing to work with parents to answer questions and create a positive experience for both parents and children.

Campisi recommends visiting your daycare of choice at least once before and once after your baby is born.

“Before you have your baby, you're going to have all these questions,” Campisi said. “After you have your baby, you're going to have different questions. You're going to want to show your daycare provider what your baby needs.”

Above all else, parents should feel completely at ease when their baby is at daycare. If parents feel comfortable and safe and know that their baby is in the right hands, it can make going back to work easier.

3. Take care of yourself.

When parents are on leave, sleepless nights are one thing.

However, once parents have to get up at a certain time for work again and get their baby ready for daycare, they can find they're operating on a whole new level of sleep deprivation.

“Going back to work is a very fast-paced time for working parents,” said infant teacher Megan Martina, who has worked with KinderCare for seven years. “That's why it's important to rest and take care of yourself. Make sure you're eating and that you have someone to help you.”

“I always say, 'Don't pour from an empty cup,'” Campisi said. “If you have a day off, let me take care of your baby.

Go to the grocery store; take a long shower; take a lunch break; get a new book; do something for you.”

Going back to work after having a baby is a huge step to take, but it's not impossible. For more tips to make the transition easier, visit KinderCare.com. www.PHENOMENALWOMAN.me ▒ 27

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GOING THE DISTANCE

FOR OUR

COMMUNITIES. At Dominion East Ohio, going the distance for our customers means more than just delivering safe, affordable natural gas. It means being a positive force in the communities we serve. Our EnergyShareÂŽ program has raised $6.8 million and helped more than 70,000 people in Ohio alone. These resources, combined with more than 6,300 volunteer hours from our employees, have benefited organizations as diverse as the American Red Cross, the Boy Scouts of America and the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition.