PUBLISHER'S COLUMN

TOUGH TIMES NEVER LAST, BUT TOUGH PEOPLE DO!

SECOND ACT

Steve prophetically wrote in his final Executive Publisher’s Column that “Tough Times Never Last But Tough People Do”. Who knew that I would be one of those people he was writing about?! Since Steve died of a heart attack in his sleep in August of last year, it has been a struggle for me to get SBT Magazine back on track. It has been a great learning curve in replicating everything Steve did without him leaving me instructions. A special note to those of you who work with your spouse or business partner: Make sure you have your systems and procedures written down about what each of you does and then make sure to give each other a copy!!! To add insult to injury, our website was repeatedly attacked and eventually breached but our IT Team eventually won the battle. Please be patient as I work with them in updating everything on the website pages. If you notice a screw up, just let me know and I will do my best to fix it. Starting with this Winter 2022 Edition, Small Business Today will be published quarterly. If you are interested in being a columnist, an advertiser, or participating in some other capacity, please feel free to email me at SBTMagazineInfo@gmail.com.

I wish to give special thanks to this edition’s Cover Honorees - Rhonda and Charlie Williford, Profiles – Bitcoin of America/ Sonny Meraban, Lenovo/Emily Ketchen, Unc B’s Seasonings/Bryanal Davis, and RELEVE Brand (formerly Be Pure Naturals)/Wendy Williams for their patience and understanding during this most difficult time in my life and business. More thanks go out to our new, talented Graphic Design Agency, CODEYEA Creative Design Agency, who has been a blessing for helping me rebuild the magazine from scratch, Amira Mannai, publisher of The Princess Magazine, who graciously referred CODEYEA to me, our brilliant, go-to writer who gets me - Mary J. West, our award-winning and very patient photographer, Gwen Juarez, and our terrific, dedicated IT Team - K Business Solutions/ Zahra & Amir Rangwala for going above and beyond the call of duty in saving our website from evil hackers! I can’t leave out thanking James McInvale, Jr. for allowing us to stage some photos for our Cover Story in the lovely showrooms at Gallery Furniture Galleria. Last but not least, I’m sending hugs, kisses, and lots of thanks for all the support I received from my great friends (too innumerable to mention) and my family - Gina & Brad Dennen, Jerome Davis, Tracey Levine, and “adopted” family - John & Shon Cruise.

Steve and I were married for 22 years, and most of that time we worked together in our various publications. We complemented each other in our strengths and each of us did our share of what we excelled in the best. Steve was the detail guy. He was extraordinarily regimented in keeping everything on track and handling the communications between the clients, the contributing writers, the photographer, the graphic designer, and the IT staff. He handled the sales contracts, the billing and collections, and scheduled the appointments. I edited every written article going into the magazine, interviewed the Cover Honorees and Profile Subjects, worked with our writer, Mary J. West, on the title for the articles and the intro paragraphs, and did the creative staging with our photographer, Gwen Juarez, on all the wonderful photos used for the Cover Honorees and Profiles.

I am as tough as they come; I may be down but I will never be out! I have been widowed twice. I was married 22 years to my first husband, Steven Davis, when a drunk driver killed him and I was so critically injured that I was declared brain dead! At that time, we owned Celebrity/24 Hour Travel and were extremely successful. I reinvented myself before, and I am doing it once again; so, you might say this is my “Second Act”. Any help you care to offer, especially suggesting advertisers and potential Cover Honorees, will be gratefully appreciated! I give commissions to anyone who refers business to me once the transaction has been completed.

In addition to our in-it-for-the-long-haul, entrepreneurs extraordinaire Cover Honorees, Rhonda and Charlie Williford, who are great partners in life and business (much like my husband Steve and I were), this issue features Profiles on several companies that were started by entrepreneurs with that “can do”, never quit spirit. Bitcoin of America, a company started by Sonny Meraban, is taking the US by storm and is growing like gangbusters with their BTMs (like ATMs but for Bitcoin)!

Lenovo has quickly risen to become the largest PC company in the world and one of the largest IT companies. Their focus and solutions are helping businesses stay afloat in these trying times. Emily Ketchen is one of the contributing writers and is a brilliant, dynamic leader at Lenovo.

On a smaller scale but gaining a lot of traction are two great, Houston-based companies: Unc B’s Seasonings and RELEVE Brands (formerly Be Pure Naturals):

Two-term Veteran, Bryanal Davis’s all natural Unc B’s Seasonings makes anything you cook become a culinary masterpiece! Whenever I go out to eat, I take packets of Unc B’s General Purpose Seasoning to flavor my food because it is low in salt and free of chemicals and sugar.

Last but not least, is Houston’s own Wendy Williams, a single mom and the visionary behind RELEVE Brands (formerly Be Pure Naturals), a company that specializes in great all-natural products for aches & pains, dry skin, insect repellant, and hair growth. My favorite product of hers is the Healing Balm. I use a little bit on my hands and they stay smooth and soft all week.

After you have read all of the inspiring stories of our Cover Honorees and Profiles featured in this issue, I hope you will show your support by using their products, services, referring them to others, and even dropping them a line that you read about them in Small Business Today Magazine.

Good Reading, Good Sales, & Success to You -

Barbara Davis-Levine

Publisher

SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE