Huami Magazine Arizona March/April 2022 by Terry Watson

March/April 2022 Vol. 1 Issue 2

www.mykelmedia.com www.thisiswhoiam.libsyn.com

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It Matters Who We Are At Our Core

There Are No If, Ands,

A Letter From The Editor

A Letter from the Editor

Or Buts About It!

We have finally made it to the month of March. However, living in North Carolina, I learned not to get my hopes for warm weather too high due to the inconsistency in the weather patterns. All in the same day, it may feel like it’s Springtime, and before you know it, the temperature may rise, and it feels like Summer; By the evening, it’s Fall-like, and when midnight arrives, it’s Winter. That is just how it is in North Carolina.

What if tomorrow didn’t arrive? All of your plans, hopes and dreams wouldn’t have a street to park on. What if everything that you decided to put off until tomorrow never happened? There would be no reason to save for a rainy day, and you could spare someone the trouble of making promises. What if your last opportunity seemingly expired today? What would you do?

I am a warm-weather kind of guy. If it’s 70 degrees every day, that is fine with me. Though I’ve survived the Winter, I can do without it.

I’ve been told that I often seem like I do too much. Honestly, I feel like I am not doing enough and I’m a firm believer in knowing that God wouldn’t put anything on me that I couldn’t handle. I sometimes wonder how life would be if I chose to sit idle and accept what it presented to me. I have found that to be very boring. In my opinion, opportunity is a blessing that isn’t afforded to everyone. A challenge to me is an adventure. What is the worst that can happen? If I do nothing, I fail, and if I try I don’t, but instead learn something new about myself. Relinquish your pride and in return acquire life.

As a young kid, my mother would dress my brother and me in thick winter coats before allowing us to go outside and play in the cold. Underneath the coats, we wore sweaters, two t-shirts, thermals, and sometimes more t-shirts. She wanted to ensure we would not get too cold while out playing. We didn’t, and when it was time to come back inside, mom would peel our layers of clothing away, down to one shirt. Our inner core body temperature remained warm beneath everything, and our wellbeing remained intact. That experience reminds me of how God protects me for all seasons and situations.

Through prayer, fasting, reading God’s word, and application, a layer of protection is placed over my life. When I keep God at my core, He reveals Himself when the layers are peeled away. These layers can be fear, shame, depression, guilt, or anything the enemy may try to use to discourage me into believing I am less than what God created me to be.

The best advice ever given to me happened when someone told me to make my tomorrow happen today. In doing so I have pressed my way through doors with a key that only hope provided. I have also learned the difference between what God blesses me with and what life can burden me with as well. I compare it to knowing when to be confident and when to be quiet, because someone may get it confused with being arrogant.

I start each day with prayer and reading, and I seek God first; that is the first layer applied. When my faith is tested throughout the day, I speak life into my situation and rest on God’s promise. By doing this, another layer is applied, and I am warmed by what I expect to happen by faith. Before my day ends, I can only thank God for His grace yet once again for keeping me. We must keep God at the core of who we are.

Make you tomorrow happen today, but most importantly make it count. Life is but a whisper and we must put ourselves in a position to hear what it is telling us.

Terry L. Watson Editor/Founder

Terry

Terry L. Watson Editor/Founder

L. Watson

individuals featured or

Comments concerning this publication

be submitted to the editor by

at terrywatson@huamimagazine.com terry.editor@yahoo.com or to

Media Company, LLC P.O. Box 20102 Greensboro, NC 27420

FancythatGlo Beauty

Fenise Yancy

Aja Cavin

Learn more about how she used her gift of healing to lauch a massage practice. Chicago, IL

Learn more about the founder of The Legacy Foundation. Greensboro, NC 24

It has been said that she has magic in her fingers. Learn more about the face and founder of Creative Styles Salon. Pensacola, FL

Huami Magazine Cutest Baby Wynter Rose

Lolly Lolly Ceramics Lalese Stamps

Accounting & Tax Joy Adams

Back

His Community Victor Durrah Jr.

LaCrystal Davis

Santia Pace

FANCYthatGlo

By Terry L. Watson

The days of traditional dental care have changed. There are new players in the game, and they are offering bright and brilliant alternatives. Fenise Yancy of Phoenix, AZ has launched a business that offers teeth whitening and tooth gems. Her company is called FANCYthatGlo Beauty Beauty.

Fenise opened shop in the Summer of 2021. She has always whitened her teeth, ever since she was a child, using the proven method of baking soda and peroxide. Her desire to have white teeth would carry on throughout her life and eventually led to her business.

This is how it began. She says, “I purchased a whitening light and posted pictures on my Instagram stories. I received several replies from friends asking if it worked and if I provided the service. They also wanted to know how much is the cost of the product. So I decided to research the teeth whitening business. For four to five months, I randomly purchased products and began to offer my services, and the rest is history.”

Fenise best describes herself as a child of God who loves life. She is a mother of two, Dalen, a 19-year-old student-athlete at the University of Arizona) and Olivia, a six-year-old kindergarten dancer, athlete, and an inspiring entertainer. Fenise is a native of Fresno, CA, and later moved to Phoenix, AZ, in 1999 to follow her dad, who had returned to Arizona in 1998.

In addition to owning FANCYthatGlo Beauty Beauty, she is a self-help influencer for Domestic Violence, a compulsive Yogi, and an inspiring Fashion Influencer. She holds a B.S. in Healthcare Administration; and has over 20 years of experience in the healthcare field.

Photos Martin Lowenthal of ML Visions

Hair by Candy Currie of Queenz of PHX

Fenise appreciates being in a position to motivate others. Expounding on her mantra, “THINK GOODKarma!” she shares that she loves to smile. “When I smile, it makes me happy and energizes others. Why wouldn’t I want to share that with others? To be happy about your smile brings confidence, and confidence is self-love. You gain a little pep in your step, and it motivates you throughout your daily routine. More than anything, it simply makes you feel good,” she says.

Though FANCYthatGlo Beauty Beauty is a fairly new business, Fenise has faced some challenges. One she says is social media, and another one is time management. Social media, she says, is today’s biggest platform for marketing, and she struggles with the constant need to be on it. “There’s a difference between posting about my life and posting for business purposes; that can help or harm you. Posting for requires agile research to become affective,” she says.

Being a single mother poses its own share of challenges as well. Between traveling for her son’s games, daily meetings with prospective agents, assisting him with his business, and being present to meet her daughter’s needs, Fenise says things can get a little tricky.

In the future, Fenise plans to succeed by being consistent and disciplined. Within the next few months, she plans to launch new products such as home whitening kits, other home whitening products, and lip gloss. She also plans to hire a social media manager. That may be difficult because she is such a do-it-myself type of person. “My end goal is to have a Wellness Spa with teeth whitening, yoga and meditation classes, juice bar, and weekly counseling sessions,” she says.

Her advice to others who may follow in her footsteps is to be patient, trust the process, and only run your own race. Never look at others in your field as competition; instead, utilize them as motivation and learn from the experience.

By Terry L. Watson

JWA Accounting & Tax Services

Photos Provided by Katie Rae Photography

The income tax season has arrived. This time of year isn’t something to look forward to for some. Even the smallest details matter if you are an individual or business owner. Inaccuracies and oversights can sometimes lead to penalties and fines, and the lack of current laws can be disastrous. Fortunately, there is help available. Joy W. Adams and JWA Accounting & Tax Services are ready to meet her client’s needs.

JWA Accounting & Tax Service is a familyowned accounting firm dedicated to offering tax preparation with the highest level of integrity. In addition to taxes, they offer Bookkeeping, Payroll, Tax Planning, and Mobile Notary Services.

A native of Kansas City, KS, Joy is committed to providing the best and most professional financial insight to small business owners and individuals desiring stability and financial security. As an experienced accountant with an eye for detail, she possesses other meaningful attributes such as professionalism, commitment, integrity, and honesty. All of these ensure the best possible experience for current and potential clients.

Joy launched her business in 2018. “I was working a job that I had out grown. Even more, I always wanted to be an entrepreneur and felt my passion for serving people and my love for accounting would be my calling,” she shares. So with faith and determination, she walked into her purpose, and the rest is history.

“I was working a job that I had out grown. Even more, I always wanted to be an entrepreneur and felt my passion for serving people and my love for accounting would be my calling.”

Joy graduated from Park University with a bachelor’s in accounting, then pursued a Master’s degree in Human Resources from Webster University. With over 20 years of experience serving in a multitude of accounting and human resources roles, Joy is respected for being a versatile and well-rounded tax professional.

As an entrepreneur, Joy says she enjoys having the opportunity to serve her community and ensure people are educated in the area of taxes. She also appreciates the opportunity to assist business owners by taking on the burden of the accounting task, allowing them to focus on growing their small businesses. While Joy shares she has a genuine love for serving others, it truly her clients and their continued support that have made the biggest impact on her life and business.

“I have been blessed to be able to provide a meaningful service to the members of my community. I work very hard to ensure my business is recognized for being trustworthy. It’s definitely an honor when I am told that my services are highly recommended,” she says. “It takes a lot of trust to turn your financial affairs over to a stranger. I appreciate that my clients have trusted me to do right by them and know that I will continuously operate in honesty and integrity.”

Her advice to others who may follow in her footsteps is to be patient. She says, “Success does not come overnight. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else because this is your journey and you have to walk it out at your own pace. Also, don’t get discouraged by what may not happen today because tomorrow is a new day, full of new opportunities and possibilities.”

Moving forward, Joy says she plans to continue to grow her business to higher levels. She also plans to continue to educate herself and achieve her personal goal of becoming a CPA (Certified Public Accountant). Joy enjoys working out, reading a good book, spending time with her family and friends, and finding the perfect shoes in her free time.

To learn more about JWA Accounting & Tax Services, please visit their website. h

Lalese Stamps Lolly Lolly Ceramics

By Terry L. Watson

Provided By Loalese Stamps

Lolly Lolly Ceramics, the name itself, exudes excitement.

Founded in 2017 by Lalese Stamps, Lolly Lolly Ceramics is a Black-owned, womenrun small business in Milwaukee, WI. The brand focuses on objects that are functional, unique, and handmade.

In September of 2019, Lalese embarked on a 100 Day Project where she made 100 mugs with 100 different handles for 100 Days, bringing national recognition to the Lolly Lolly name. Today the Lolly team is made up of four people, but growing. The demand for Lolly Lolly Ceramics is high. Most recently, Lalese was invited to appear on the Daily Show with Trevor Noah to celebrate Women’s History Month. A collaboration was announced between the two, The Lolly Lolly Ceramics x The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Collection, and will feature three special-edition mug styles set.

Lolly Lolly Lolly originated in Columbus, OH. In July 2021, Lalese moved her operations to Milwaukee, which is also her hometown. “I’ve been a creative my entire life, but I didn’t begin to make ceramics until 2017. I studied graphic design at the Columbus College of Art and Design in Columbus. While studying for my undergrad, I noticed that I was always on my laptop and became afraid that I wasn’t using my hands to create as much, so I enrolled in a pottery class at my local community arts center. From there, I started selling ceramics at the local flea market to make a little extra money. One thing led to another, and now I’m selling direct-to-consumer on my own website, wholesaling, and even doing custom orders for brands such as Saine Heron and Solange and the MOMA Design Store,” she says.

Photos

“I always tell people to listen to their gut and just keep going. As you grow, there are going to be people who interject themselves onto your dreams and goals, but only you know you, and you’ve gotten yourself far for a reason.”

In September of 2019, Lalese designed and completed a 100 Day Project where she made 100 mugs for 100 days with 100 different handles. This project has been her sort of claim-to-fame experience. In addition to mugs, this year they hope to roll out more dinnerware pieces like bowls, and plates. With an abundance of plants in the studio, planters possibly will be a major alignment to the Lolly Lolly Ceramics brand.

Lalese says she is inspired by a lot of things. Recently she went to the Harley Museum for the first time in Milwaukee and was amazed at what she saw. “The museum itself is beautiful, but seeing the journey of another brand is so inspiring. They’ve saved everything from bank notes to invoices to initial motorcycle sketches. I hope I can grow my brand to be recognized on a global scale like Harley is.”

Like most businesses, Lolly Lolly Ceramics has seen its share of challenges. The biggest challenge has been handling the high demand of work. The growth of Lolly Lolly Ceramics happened very quickly. Navigating entrepreneurialism has suddenly become a wild ride for Lalese, but she says it’s also very empowering. “Scaling up our production has been a challenge within this challenge. We want to produce more work for our audience, but that has meant a lot of sacrifice and patience. We are so close to rolling out a new way to produce our pieces; we’re excited about it because it’ll mean new opportunities for products, workshops, new team members, and so much more,” Lalese says.

The journey for Lolly Lolly Ceramics has been enjoyable, says Lalese. She shares this isn’t much she would change about how things have happened. “I” ve learned along the way, and I’ve hired the right people to navigate areas that are unfamiliar to me.”

For others who may follow the same path as she has, Lalese shares some sound advice and encouragement. “I always tell people to listen to their gut and just keep going. As you grow, there are going to be people who interject themselves onto your dreams and goals, but only you know you, and you’ve gotten yourself far for a reason. Sometimes outside advice can be helpful, but it also can be very detrimental. You need to have the wherewithal to be able to take it all in, but know which things are important and which are not,” she says.

Brothers Restoring Urban Hope, Inc.

By Ellen Richardson

There are few powerfully inspiring stories like that of Victor Durrah, Jr. Victor is the President & Executive Director of B.R.U.H. Mentor (Brothers Restoring Urban Hope). This non-profit organization aims to restore urban communities across the Upstate of South Carolina through group mentorship, leadership training, and spiritual guidance, has turned his past into a prosperous future for the youth in his community.

“I grew up in a poor neighborhood in Cowpens, SC. While I was growing up, we had a community center that gave us a safe space to come and do homework, have a snack, play sports, and just receive any kind of support possible to all the kids in my apartment complex,” said Durrah. “The woman who operated this center, a woman we all called Mama Doris Anderson, was a real mentor. She even took us all on trips to Washington, DC. Everything that she did gave us hope for the future, and I just want to do the same for our future leaders.”

Before having the opportunity to achieve his goal, The 5-foot 11 athlete, who played guard in high school, would do the same at Spartanburg Methodist College. This opportunity would allow him to obtain his associate’s degree and transfer to the University of Southern Carolina Upstate to receive his bachelor’s degree in non-profit administration and management. “When I was given the opportunity to go to school, I originally planned to pursue teaching and coaching, but I felt like God was pointing me in a different direction, one that would allow me to impact my whole community more profoundly,” he said. That impact was through the B.R.U.H Mentor program.

While working at a local Boys & Girls Club, Durrah began to see a need for urban youth development and mentorship for young adults aged 16 to 18-years-old. “Once these impressionable students begin to age out of programs like this and others like it, I noticed that most were left to figure out how to become a successful adult without someone to show them what this looks like,” he said. “As a result, my fraternity brother Antonio Boyd and I began coming up with mentorship programming catered to underserved young adults between the ages of 16-24 that assisted them in discovering and developing their unique talents so that they could become thriving, productive, and engaged adults. It is funny because this started out as a class project that 17 years later has served over 20,000 young people throughout urban communities here in Spartanburg.”

Photos provided by Victor Durrah Jr.

While giving birth to this mission would stem from a successful class project, God would take Durrah on a bit of a journey before his dream to run this organization full-time would become a reality. This journey would begin at the Boy Scouts of America in Spartanburg as a district executive, director of multi-cultural markets, and ultimately senior district executive in less than a decade. Before long, this bornto-be mentor would return to the school that began his professional career as a director of professional development. “While I enjoyed this job, the position mostly centered around campus development,” said Durrah. “So, it wasn’t long before I realized that pursuing this kind of position was keeping me away from my passion, which was being out in the community helping our urban youth,” he said.

This desire would lead Durrah back towards a dream job at a remarkably familiar place. “I have always dreamed of being a CEO of a Fortune 500 non-profit organization. In February of 2020, I was given a chance to see this dream come true when I was offered the executive director position at the Boys & Girls Club of Transylvania County, in Bervard, NC,” he said. “While I accepted the position initially, something kept telling me – God kept telling me that I had unfinished business with my own non-profit organization right here in Spartanburg County. So, I returned home and began working full-time at Brothers Restoring Urban Hope, Inc.”

Thanks to following the lead of the Holy Spirit, Victor and his talented staff are celebrating 17 years of changing thousands of lives for the better in the community. “When I was in college and even when I was growing up, I was blessed to have mentors in my community that gave me hope to pursue a bright future. Knowing that my staff and I are becoming the same type of mentors who are now guiding future leaders right here in my community has meant everything to me,” he said. “We have even taken over the old community center that I spent many of my days growing up, where we now provide group mentorship, leadership and soft skills training, and spiritual guidance. We even offer free wi-fi and computers to both young adults and parents in our community who need to come by and set up professional profiles, pay bills, etc. About a month ago, during our 17-year anniversary, B.R.U.H. Mentor was awarded the first-ever Key to Spartanburg County, for our community development work, by Spartanburg County Councilman Monier Abusaft.”

Victor is surely following the purpose that God has given. To learn more about his program, please visit his website.

Creative Styles Salon Santia

By Terry L. Watson

Santia describes herself as a wife, mother, grandmother, sister-friend, and of course, a hairstylist. “I’m a woman who wears many hats, and I look good while doing it,” she says. Originally a native and resident of Washington, D.C., Santia moved to Pensacola eight years ago after her husband, Jonathan, job placed them there.

Natural Hair Care and making others feel beautiful about themselves is her expertise. “I truly care about the health of my clients’ scalp and hair. I listen to their concerns and offer solutions and treatments that will work best for them,” she says.

While enjoying the success of Creative Styles Salon Spa, Santia decided to change the dynamics of her business model. In 2017, she stepped out on faith and launched her own natural hair care product line that includes shampoos, conditioners, tonics, and lemongrass butter. The reviews have been stunning. One client shared, “I’ve always used hair tonic while sporting a short hairstyle. I decided in September 2019 to use Santia’s products because I wanted to let my hair grow. The results have been amazing, and some people are doing head turns, not thinking it’s me. My hair smells good, and it’s so soft. People often ask to touch it. I am so pleased with my hair growth.”

Photos by Cazualtee

“I’m a woman who wears many hats, and I look good while doing it.”

Santia’s products are available online and in various stores in Washington, D.C., Miami, Atlanta, and Pensacola.

What Santia loves most about styling hair she shares is connecting with new people and providing confidence and encouragement. She also credits her aunt, who recently passed away for impacting her life and career.

Like most business owners, Creative Styles Salon Spa has been affected by the Covid 19 pandemic. Santia says when the virus arrived in Pensacola, she had to close her salon. However, being the wise businesswoman that she is, she was able to offset her losses with the online sales of her hair products. She survived, proving that her brand is her to stay.

In the future, Santia says she plans to distribute her products to more stores and open other hair salons throughout the region. Her advice to others who may follow the same path she has is never to give up. “Obstacles will come, but you have to keep pushing,” she shares.

To learn more about Santia and Creative Styles Salon Spa, please visit either of their locations in Pensacola, Fl, or visit their website.

Rejuvenated Soul Massage and Wellness

By Terry L. Watson

Aja Cavin describes herself as a hardworking, dedicated, and devoted mother and entrepreneur. “I am a healer of the community and a child of God,” she says. Professionally, she is the lead Massage Therapist and Owner of Rejuvenated Soul Massage and Wellness. Their motto is “We Care About Self Care”. Aja says they strive to provide an amazing service while also educating their clients on various healthy self-care practices.

Located in Alsip, IL, Aja and her team provides relaxation, therapeutic, and clinical massage. “We cater to clients who need to escape and get a piece of mind through relaxation massage. We also cater to clients who need therapeutic work, which addresses the deeper muscles to help relieve pain. Additionally, our services help clients fix or correct their muscle deviation or range of motion,” she says.

The idea of Rejuvenated Soul appears to have happened on purpose. In 2017, Aja quit her corporate job as a Personal Banker for Chase Bank. She shares she wanted to pursue her dreams of becoming one of the best massage therapists in the world. In October of the same year, she enrolled in The Soma Institute in downtown Chicago and studied Clinical Massage. There she received in-depth studies on Pathology, Kinesiology, Anatomy, and Physiology. After the 11-month program concluded, Aja took her state licensing exam (MBLEX) and passed on her first try. “Once I received my license, I began taking individual clients and provided services at their homes or other locations. I showed them how to properly relax and helped them with their aches and pains. As time went on, my business grew to the point where I had needed help to meet the demand,” she says. In July 2021, Aja opened her very own practice and hasn’t looked back.

Aja’s toughness can be traced back to her upbringing. She grew up in a family of six and is the third sibling of four. “I was the rebel of the family. I always marched to the beat of my own drum and did things my way. I have a “can’t stop, won’t stop” mindset regarding achieving goals and getting things done. This mindset keeps me grounded and focused,” Aja says.

Rejuvenated Soul Massage and Wellness happened because of Aja’s love for helping people with aches and pains and as a means to create a safe space and job opportunity for other therapists. Her team now consists of three amazing therapists and a network of other independent massage therapists, including mobile therapists who can serve clients all over the Chicagoland area.

Photos Provided by Aja Cavin

In Aja’s line of work, there is never a dull moment. She often has the opportunity to meet and help many different people from all walks of life. She shares that is something she loves most about her business. “I love helping others get more in tune with their body while educating them on a variety of useful self-care practices. I also love building business relationships with my clients. That is so important because they trust me with the most important part of them; their body.”

Along the way, there have been some challenges that Aja has faced. She says, “Before going to massage school, I would massage people just because I had the skill to do it. I didn’t necessarily have the knowledge of the body. My mom then encouraged me to attend school to become more professional and knowledgeable about bodywork. That was very valuable advice because I learned that working with someone’s body can be very dangerous, especially if you don’t know if they are suffering from a certain condition.”

Gaining clientele and marketing was also a challenge Aja faced. She started working primarily with family and friends but realized she couldn’t grow her practice by those means alone. She had to think of strategic ways to get other clients, and one was (word of mouth) and building rapport with clients. She also promoted her services via social media and surrounded herself with other experienced therapists and business owners with the intention to learn how to be a better businesswoman and massage therapist. That strategy paid off.

Aja says she is inspired by her late grandmother Alma Jones. “She was my biggest supporter and influencer who kept me grounded to continue pursuing massage. Growing up and watching her as an entrepreneur (hairstylist) drove me to follow in her footsteps. While I took steps to pursue my dreams, my grandmother passed before seeing my business grow. I wanted to continue in her honor and show her that her little “A” will use the gift she always knew I had for helping others,” she shared.

As Aja continues her entrepreneurial journey, she promises to reach back and help anyone who may follow in her footsteps. Her advice to such individuals is to never give up and see things all the way through. “If you have a dream that keeps tugging on you to start, it’s tugging on you for a reason. It’s your purpose and God will keep drawing you near and aligning people until you take the steps. Understand that things will get tough but persevere and keep going.

Her future goals are to expand Rejuvenated Soul to other cities outside of Chicago and create more job opportunities for upcoming therapists. “I look forward to adding more modalities outside of massage and giving my community a variety of wellness options that will help them live a happier and healthier life,” she says.

To learn more about Rejuvenated Soul Massage and Wellness, please visit their website.

By Dorjae’ McClammey Phtos by Remona Taylor

Like most urban communities around the country, African American ownership of beauty supply stores was once nonexistent. Historically, the percentage in the consumption and purchases of beauty supplies greatly leans towards African Americans when compared to other races, rarely do they reap or benefit from their spending choices. Now, the landscape is changing, and a new color of ownership is emerging.

Cleveland, OH native Remona Taylor is the CEO of Hair & Stuff 216 Beauty Supply. Located in the heart of Cleveland, OH, the growing supply chain offers popular, trending, and reputable products such as Black Panther, Curls, Mielle, The Mane Choice, and The Doux. They also have natural beauty and hair care products inspired and handmade by small business owners like LaJAshley, Blossom Beauty Co, and Premier Ponytail Band. “Hair & Stuff 216 works with local and out-of-state small business owners to exclusively carry the unique trending products in our store,” Remona says.

For quite some time, Remona always wanted to be a business owner. While in Graduate school, she would constantly ask her husband, Raymell, if they could start a business. His reply was always, “when you finish school, we can talk about it.” So that’s what she did; she completed everything, and things began to move.

At first, her husband wanted her to think outside of the box. She gave him ideas for all types of businesses like daycares, home healthcare agencies, and more. Then one day, while traveling to the closest beauty supply store, which was 45 minutes away, Remona and her husband realized an opportunity to fill a void in their community. She said to her husband, “I have an idea; what about a beauty supply store?” Being the smarty pants he is, Remona says he responded, “I have a better idea, what about a beauty supply store?” This (make it happen, duo) hit the ground running from that conversation.

This was 2017. Even though Remona and Raymell both were working full-time jobs, they weren’t deterred. They contacted a friend who helped them get started by selling all types of hair bundles. It began with them selling bundles, purchasing business cards, and registering their business name. Remona and Raymell continued to work hard until they secured their lease for their initial brick and mortar retail location. During this time it took 4 months to create the store and open the doors January 13th, 2018. “Our shelves were bare, and we purchased the small amount

Pictured with Remona and Raymell are their children Malessa Raymell Jr.

of product we had with our own money. We were a little hesitant at first, but just like a kid on Christmas Day, I ripped the paper off and opened the doors, and Hair & Stuff 216 came to life,” she says.

At first, due to staffing issues, they could only have the store open for part-time hours. After one year, they hired their first employee, which helped them grow from their original 900-foot store into a 2400 square foot space.

Remona has built her business to serve the needs of her community and is fully committed to giving back to it. She accomplishes this by working with other entrepreneurs in Cleveland, such as the owner of Events on Ridge, Alisha Norris! Together they created Westside W.R.A.P (working relationships and positivity), a group for entrepreneurs who learn and help each others’ businesses grow.

Remona says what she loves most about her business is the relationships developed with her customers. She refers to them as Kings and Queens and knowing that she can give them a comfortable experience while shopping is essential to her. As for what inspires her, Remona stated, “Knowing that I’m doing the right thing at the right time and doing right by God, my family, myself, and aligning with my purpose. That inspires me more than anything else. My mom alway makes the statement to me “reach for the stars”; well I am now reaching beyond those stars and it’s time to touch the universe.”

While the journey has been challenging as an entrepreneur, Remona says it has been worth it. “God has made it, so it’s not an issue. Through it all, the long nights and hard times, my lights are on, the gas bill is paid, I’m able to manage and grow the inventory and pay my employees. Most of all, I’m still winning.”

In the future, Remona plans to bring more jobs to her community by hiring more employees and ultimately opening another store. She is a determined businesswoman who has changed how African Americans purchase beauty products. Her final message for those who may follow a path similar to her is, “Let your faith be bigger than your fears; trust it and stand on it.”

Please visit their website to learn more about Remona Taylor and Hair & Stuff 216.

LaCrystal Davis

Information And Photos

100% Stars accepted into college. 89% Golds completed their freshmen year of college. 28 college acceptance letters. $96,000 in scholarships, and 3 Honors Program offers, is what the young women in The Legacy Foundation’s achieved during The Legacy Foundation’s inaugural year, in the midst of Covid and in the midst of Founder & Executive Director’s LaCrystal Davis’ health challenges that began shortly after their launch in July 2020.

LaCrystal, a native of East Greensboro (Dudley Heights), first knew that she wanted to make a difference in the lives of young women when she was a junior at Dudley High School. There was a girl in middle school that she knew, whom was constantly making detrimental decisions. This pulled at LaCrystal’s heart to want to work with young women in helping shape the trajectory of their future. LaCrystal attended North Carolina A&T where she majored in Social Work.

Shortly after graduating college, she was afforded the opportunity to work for 14 years assisting high school students with their college goals, life skills, and basic needs. LaCrystal began working on The Legacy Foundation, Inc (TLF) in 2018. She wanted a name that represented the purpose of the organization, as well her heart in creating it. She prayed about it and one day out of the blue, God dropped in her spirit “Legacy”. When she heard “Legacy” she KNEW that was it! LaCrystal planned to launch TLF in 2021, but after feeling it was time for a shift, she left her job at the end of the 20192020 school year and launched TLF in July 2020.

The Legacy Foundation, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is designed to provide services to college-bound high school Senior young women and mentor them until they reach the age of 25. It was founded on the belief that young women, no matter their background, deserves an opportunity to become successfully in life and have financial means that will allow them to access elusive resources for their future family. TLF’s aim is to remove any barriers that will prevent their students from being able to graduate college and achieve their career goals.

The Legacy Foundation’s mission is to provide programs that will develop college, career, social, and financial readiness in the lives of the young women that they serve and vision is to empower their young women in creating a legacy of generational wealth. TLF serves their college young women through their Gold Program and their high school seniors through their Star Program. They navigate their Golds through college administrative challenges and Stars through the college application process.

At the very end of October 2020, just a few short months after TLF’s launch, LaCrystal was hospitalized. It was revealed during her hospitalization that she had fibroids and blood clots in her lungs. She took 5 weeks off from The Legacy Foundation to recuperate. Thankfully, most of the Stars had completed their college applications and financial aid. January

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2021, her results came back showing that the blood clots had dissolved and in February 2021, LaCrystal had surgery to have her fibroids. She took 8 weeks off, but was still available to her students when needed. After returning from surgery, her and her students she was able to pick up where she left off.

The Legacy Foundation is thankful to those that invest in the lives of their students. Through partnerships and donations, their young women receive school supplies, dorm room items, assistance with college associated fees, scholarships, guest speakers that host college prep, career development, and life skills workshops, and has future plans to expose their students to college tours, cultural experiences, and social events.

LaCrystal is most inspired by her late mother, Oneater Peele-Davis, who passed away when she was 11. She gives credit to her mother for being one of the reasons why she is passionate about young women receiving an education. Her mother was a stay- at-home mom that instilled in her the importance of having an education and what she didn’t know at the time is that she was planting a legacy in her that would one day give birth to The Legacy Foundation.

To learn more about The Legacy Foundation’s work, please follow them are on Instagram: thelegacyfoundationinc and Facebook: The Legacy Foundation, Inc. Their website is www. thelegacyfoundationinc.org