Huami Magazine for Indianapolis Jan./Feb. 2021

INDIANAPOLIS

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Jan./Feb. 2021 Volume 1 Issue 2 FREE

Heaven Scent Cleaning Company Indianapolis - Jan./Feb. 2021

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There Are No If, Ands, Or Buts About It!

Make 2021 Your Best Year Yet!

There Are No If, Ands, Or Buts About It! A Letter from Editor A Letter From Thethe Editor

Well, we can finally put the year of 2020 to rest. I am grateful for what A Letter from theEvery Editortest and each challenge served its purpose in last year presented.

What if tomorrow didn’t arrive? All of your plans, hopes my life.

and dreams wouldn’t have a street to park on. What if that youof decided to put bible, off until tomorrow never Whatinif the tomorrow didn’t All of your plans, As everything it states book Psalmsarrive? in the chapter 119: ithopes was happened?

There would be no reason to save for a rainy and dreams wouldn’t have a street to park on.

What if good that I was afflicted. I will add to that message and share that my day, have and you could spare someone the trouble of making everything that youappreciate decided tobeing put off until tomorrow never afflictions made me alive in 2021. promises. What your last happened?

Thereif would be opportunity no reason toseemingly save for aexpired rainy today? would you do? day, and you could someone the trouble of making I would likeWhat to take thisspare opportunity to encourage every listener to What if your last Let opportunity seemingly expired makepromises. this year your best one yet. go of the baggage that you have I’ve been told that I often seem like I do too much. would been today? carryingWhat around for allyou toodo? long. Unnecessary baggage has the I feel like our I amfutures. not doing enough andin I’m a firm fresh abilityHonestly, to adversely affect What is the use starting and new, if we continue to share our lives with things that don’t add believer in knowing that God wouldn’t put anything on me I’ve been told that I often seem like I do too much. value,Honestly, things that depress the things that want tolife remind of who that I couldn’t handle. sometimes wonder how would I feel like Ius, amIand not doing enough and I’m a firm we used to be and who we are trying to move away from.

This may be if I chose to sit idle and accept what it presented to me. believer in knowing that God wouldn’t put anything on me I involve people, material and even some about ourselves have that tothings, be very boring.

In myparts opinion, opportunity that I found couldn’t handle.

I sometimes wonder how life would that you instinctively know doesn’t belong.

It is not a part of is a blessing that isn’t afforded to everyone.

A challenge be if I chose to sit idle and accept what it presented towho me.we I are becoming. to mefound is an adventure.

What is the In worst that can opportunity happen? have that to be very boring. my opinion, If I do nothing, I fail, and if I try I don’t, but instead learn is a blessing that isn’t afforded to everyone. A challenge In this new year, let’s do the unthinkable. If you have been setting on something new about myself. yourcan pride and in to me is an adventure.

What is Relinquish the worst that happen? a dream, why not give that dream some life and work towards making it return acquire life.

If I do nothing, I fail, and if I try I don’t, but instead learn become more than just a dream. Bring it to life. something new about myself. Relinquish your pride and in The best advice given to me return acquire life.Inever Clean up your mess. my home, one ofhappened the ugliestwhen sightssomeone for me told me make my tomorrow happen soin is a sink full ofto dirty dishes.

God expects for his today. children In to doing operate I have pressed my way through doors with a key that only The best advice ever given to me happened when someone excellence. If you have any unfinished business, try cleaning it up. For me hopeme provided.

Imy have learned the difference between told to make tomorrow happen today.

In doing so all in personally,, I am not going to also attempt to try and clean my mess up what God blesses me with and what life can burden me with I have pressed my way through doors with a key that only one day. I know It will take some time. I also understand that it will never as well.

I compare it an toalso knowing when to be confident and hope provided.

I have learned the difference between become complete without effort on my part. whenlife tocan be quiet, what God blesses me with and what burdenbecause me with someone may it confused Finally, in this new yearitI to have decided to forgive.

It get starts with as well.

I compare knowing when to be confident and forgiving myself for all of my self inflicted problems.

Instead of blaming with being when to bearrogant. quiet, because others, I have decided to hold my own self accountable.

“Terry, I someone may get it confused am sorry. I should have known better. with I promise toarrogant. love myself Make you tomorrow being unconditionally and without reservations happen today, but most for theimportantly rest of my life.”

I owe it to myself make it count.

Make you tomorrow to do so.

Life is but a whisper and happen today, but most we must putmake ourselves in a importantly it count.

I willposition also forgive others who have to hear what it Life is but a whisper andis been a problem for me in my life. telling us.put ourselves in a we must Allowing their infractions to occupy position to hear what it is space in my life will only rob me of the tellingto us.live. Letting go of the opportunity

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www.huamimagazine.com Editor In Chief

Terry L. Watson www.huamimagazine.com Alana Allen - Deputy Editor Editor In Chief www.huamimagazine.com

TerryWriters L. Watson Alana Allen Editor Tonya Dixon Publisher Terry L. Watson - Deputy Terry L. Watson Writers Alana Allen Dawn C. Thornton Writer Tonya JeuronDixon Dove Terry L. Watson WatsonWriter Terry L. Alana Allen Laci Ollison Photographers Writer Jeuron Dove Writer Perfect Lenz Photography Tonya Dixon Shaw Photography Group Tamara Smith Photographers Still Shots Photography Perfect Lenz Photography Who Shotya Photography Ashleigh Crawley Photographer Shaw Photography Group JLG Photography Photographer Still ShotsLayout Photography Michael Who Duncan Photographer Photography MykelShotya Media Company Nick F. Nelson

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Photo by Shaw Photography Group It’s 2021 andEditor/Founder there is a whole world to Want To Advertise?

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CONTENTS

Prestige Barber College

Gene Blackmon

On The Cover

Heaven Scent Cleaning Company Tasha Ratcliffe

JAN./FEB. 2021

INDIANAPOLIS

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Brick To Brick

Mary Dowdell

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Coach, Author, Trainer, Speaker

Sophia Casey

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AEB Talent Agency

Akayshia Estee

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Also Featured Hampton Roads, VA

Fin: A Story of Love and Hope Gamal Williams

Dallas/Fort Worth

BF Configurations Brian Flewellen

The Triad

Say Yes Guilford Wendy Poteat

Huntsville

Timothy M. Joe Fine Art Timothy M. Joe

Charlotte

2 Dope Therapists With A Podcast Darnita Samuels and Nzinga Cates

42 Tyneka Howard

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Meet the founder of Lead(H)er Raleigh, NC

46 Cutest Baby Photo

She is a real cutey.

Introducing Zora Doctor

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Indianapolis - Jan./Feb. 2021

Heaven Scent Cleaning Company

By Terry L. Watson Photos by Timothy M. Joe One of the first steps to a new start, is to start from a clean plate.

Tasha Renee Ratcliffe of Indianapolis, IN is the owner of Heaven Scent Cleaning company. Launched in 2019, she offers various services that include Basic Cleaning, Covid-19 Cleaning, Deep Cleaning, and Eco-Friendly Cleaning (using all-Natural Products). She also offers specials to her clients who are senior citizens.

Tasha is a daughter, sister, and friend to many. She describes herself as an overcomer. She is also a strong, and motivated woman who is a devout lover of God who willingly opens her heart to others.

Professionally, Tasha is the CEO of her company, as well as a Life Coach, Mentor, Community Leader, and Minister.

“From Trauma To Triumph. I say this often because it gives me so much motivation. No matter what I’ve gone through in life, I know I can make it because God has a plan for me,” she says.

It’s obvious Tasha gets her strength by way of her relationship with God! “I strive to be my very best every day, even when obstacles hit home,” she says. One of those such obstacles happened nearly two years ago with the passing of her late husband, Robert Lee Ratcliffe Jr. “Losing my husband was very tragic, scary, and it was unexpected. I felt hurt, traumatized, left out, unsure, and sad. I was hopeless. How could God only give me three years with such a loving, faithful, educated, and Godfearing man? How could I begin to start over? This question hunted me down daily.

I prayed every day that God would provide for me, and that He would give me strength to press forth in life,” she shares.

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Tasha’s circumstances changed; she says the moment when she decided to go to grief therapy. “My therapist saved my life!

Getting in a positive headspace blessed me.

From that point, I knew it was time to start over, finally,” she says.

Though that period of her life was difficult, Tasha found a new joy in life as a brand ambassador and CEO of several companies she launched. These are Heaven Scent Cleaning Company, the Be You Movement, Pressed Youth Center, and Legacy Boutique that is scheduled to launch in Spring of 2021.

“I’ve always loved cleaning, so I thought why not get paid for it.

By doing so I would be able to supply jobs for others, and grow into a multimillion-dollar company.”

The foundation of Heaven Scent Cleaning Company began from a Vision Book that Tasha and her late husband created. “I’ve always loved cleaning, so I thought why not get paid for it. By doing so I would be able to supply jobs for others, and grow into a multimillion-dollar company,” she says. Her business grew from small residential clients to large commercial and Small Business, and even religious arenas.

Being a business owner provides Tasha with some benefits. “I like the flexibility and the freedom of creating new ideas. I am also grateful that I can supply jobs for others, she says. “Though every part of this process isn’t easy. I am faced with various challenges such as finding quality staffing and funding through small business loans.

The is the blessing that God has given me, and I will not complain. I am inspired by my late husband and I am determined to succeed.”

heavenscentcleaning2@yahoo.com 317-939-3032 8

As the future unravels, Tasha points to her five-year goal. “I want to expand and create more jobs within my company. I also hope to take part in more training so that I can provide more products and services. h

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Timothy M. Joe I Love Art......Really

By Terry L. Watson Photos by Timothy M. Joe How does he do it? When artist Timothy M. Joe begins working on a blank canvas, that’s exactly what it is. A blank canvas. However, when he puts his tools down for the last time, the results are breath taking. It might can make someone to believe there is magic in his hands, or something magical happening with his brushes.

Timothy is a self-taught artist who raised in the rural town of Greensboro, Alabama. He is also a third-generation black angus farmer. He also holds a mechanical engineer degree of which he obtained from the University of Alabama.

“People are intrigued that I am both a professional artist and an engineer,” he says. He now lives in Huntsville, Alabama with his wife and two children.

Officially, the name of his business is Timothy M. Joe Fine Art. “I produce Original artwork in oil, soft pastels, and watercolor,” he says. “I am Online Art Instructor, and I also sell commissioned art.”

Timothy shares that art is more than a hobby for him, it’s his calling. “I see beauty in common places. Everyday things that usually would not get a second glance can become beautiful works of art. There is a message in every scene, whether it is a location, personal belonging, or building. I like to capture these scenes and put them on canvas. I paint to show my appreciation of what God created and share what He put in my heart. I am compelled to create art that has a soul. The soul holds our emotions and memories.,” he says.

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For Timothy, art is what gives him purpose and provides an outlet to express himself. “There are so many beautiful subjects that should have a place on my canvas or any other painting surface. My mission is to capture these hidden treasures before time erases them completely. I am compelled to show the younger generation of how life was and raise appreciation of what is often overlooked,” he says.

“There are so many beautiful subjects that should have a place on my canvas or any other painting surface. My mission is to capture these hidden treasures before time erases them completely.”

Timothy’s love for art started when he was just four years old. He would sit in his families living room with crayons all over the floor, coloring on brown paper grocery bags. It wasn’t until his first-grade teacher saw his picture when someone else realized that he was quite the artist. Those words started him on a journey that has lasted a lifetime.

Naturally, Timothy has a love for art.

“I love listening to the testimonies of my clients on what a painting means to them. I also love the commissioned art I receive. Commission is usually for a parent or memorial for a loved one.

One example of a commission I did was for a painting of a white flower in the afternoon sunlight. My client picked this particular flower with her grandmother until her passing. Those are the paintings that stick with me for many years,” he says.

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Timothy can see art in almost anything.

He says that he is mostly inspired by the narrative in every scene that he paints. “Whether it comes in the form of an abandoned home that’s falling apart, family heirlooms, or landscape, I am able to make a connection. My role is to remain receptive and be ready to take a quick reference picture or sketch it in my art journal,” he says. “I love learning the history about my subject and gain the appreciation that helps me create meaningful art. Creating a beautiful painting is nice but painting the same scene with an understanding of the history is what I am after. I believe the backstory of my subject is just as important as the color I choose to paint.”

Understandably, art itself has impacted Timothy’s career as well. “The reception at my first solo art exhibit had the biggest impact to my art career. I created a body of work of historical landmarks near my hometown. Hearing all the backstories from the town people was amazing.

These are the kind of experiences that keep me energized to make more art,” he says.

For other artists, or anyone who is headed on a similar journey that Timothy has, he offers some advice to you. “Find your artistic voice. There is an art style unique to every artist and there is a corresponding audience your work is meant for. Paint only what moves you, and always make that your top propriety, not money. You should also be visible.

Don’t let fear stop you from making appearances at art shows. Trades shows offer a unique and greatly beneficial experience and discussing your art with strangers is a tremendous way to grow in your craft,” he says.

Though the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way artist maneuver in the art world, Timothy has pivoted and found new ways to stay relevant and busy. One way is conducting more online workshops. “I am at the point in my career where I have accumulated enough knowledge to share with artist of all skill levels. I want to help them avoid some mistakes I made and coach them to be the best artist they can be,” he shares.

Timothy M. Joe Fine Art www.timothymjoe.com

To learn more about Timothy M. Joe, h please visit his website.

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SPEAKER + COACH + TRAINER + AUTHOR

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Photos and Information Provided by Sophia Casey

Many people offer solutions, few deliver results. As a certified coach, authorpreneur and corporate trainer for several leaders, Sophia Casey does so much more than support individual and corporate clients with problem solving.

Sophia helps leaders of all caliber get transformative results that literally catapult their businesses and organizations to the next level. Having served as Director of First Impressions for a task force for the former Vice President of the United States, her innate ability for excellence, execution and acceleration allows her to meet individuals right where they are—then help them soar!

Featured in SUCCESS magazine, on CBS, NBC, Fox News, and SiriusXM radio, for more than 30 years, Sophia has served as an agent of change for followers around the world.

As a featured voice on Amazon Alexa, it’s no surprise that Sophia has successfully served on various levels of leadership.

Having started her journey as Director of an education center, Sophia has been fortunate to serve as head of several training organizations in the federal government, including her tenure as Director of Enterprise-wide Training for more than 10,000 engineers, attorneys, and analysts.

A Professional Certified Coach through the International Coach Federation (ICF), her love for mentoring and coaching soon blossomed into her signature leadership development model: Leadership, Ownership, and Accountability (LOA ®).

Her studies at UCLA and Johns Hopkins University taught her the importance of higher education and the value of relating to everyone as a leader. Having grown up and taught in some of the toughest neighborhoods in the nation, Sophia is forever committed to empowering leaders to transform their professional and personal lives, despite external circumstances, and to do so with ease and flow. This commitment led Sophia to create the Ease & Flow Leadership Academy, an online learning school for individuals and corporations.

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Realizing that this is much more of a calling than simply a career, Sophia stands firmly on her faith and her commitment to transform communities worldwide. Yet building a legacy for her children, and her children’s children, Sophia authored both an eBook entitled, K.I.M. – Keep It Movin’: 10 Steps to Let Go and Fly, as well as Ease & Flow: A 31-Day Journal to Get Clear, Connected, and Courageous About Life.

In addition to the release of her first novel, Fierce Vulnerability: A Colored Girl’s Truths, Trials, and Triumphs, in August of 2020, Sophia continues her commitment to supporting women’s global empowerment. A featured speaker for the Women’s Economic Forum, a conference where over 1,500 women from 110 countries attended, her stories of hope and healing leave a distinct mark on the hearts and minds of others that cannot easily be erased.

As a young professional, who was once told that she was too young, too black, or not smart enough, Sophia has not only shattered glass ceilings; those ceilings have now become her floor.

Using her perfectly imperfect gifts to catapult herself to great success—and help others do the same—Sophia was selected to host the upcoming Sophia Casey TV Show. Far from your average life coach or basic business mentor, she will not stop until she supports you with winning in business and life. h

For interviews or booking, email sophia@sophiacasey.net , or visit www.sophiacasey.net 18 18

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NEW RELEASE & BOOKS: ABOUT FIERCE VULNERABILITY Fierce Vulnerability – A Colored Girl’s Truths, Trials and Triumphs, is the story of four powerful women, Jean-Marie, Ava, Vanessa and Simone, living the dream of Black affluence in Washington DC. Each woman, in her own time, begins a dark journey to the underbelly of this dream. Ava is a ball busting powerhouse in the political sphere. Hers is a constant battle to prove her self-worth. Vanessa does her best to keep up her perfect appearances while catering to her own demons in silence. Simone shows us the cost of being superwoman and what becomes possible when we lean on our communities and our roots to lift us up. Jean-Marie struggles with vulnerability and the personal power it brings through personal losses and challenges. We come to know them each through their own distinct voices.

We come to see them more fully through the eyes of their sisters. It is through their collective perspective, friendship and sisterhood that we learn who they are and develop a sense of what it takes to claim freedom, power, and fierce vulnerability for ourselves.

ABOUT THE EASE & FLOW JOURNAL Research shows that daily practices of getting thoughts down on paper and getting present to what you are grateful for, can reduce stress and overwhelm.

We created this 31 day journal to support you in doing just that releasing all the clutter of your thoughts and exchanging them for empowered ones. We've even included daily structures to help you focus on your most important tasks, move your goals forward, and a space to capture things you are grateful for.

As a bonus, if you get stuck with what to journal about, we included over 50 journal prompts to inspire you to let your thoughts and dreams pour onto the pages with ease and flow. We can’t wait for you to experience it.

REVIEWS “Coach Sophia is so full of positive energy and effective solutions! This is actively helping me move and I love it. You need this in your life.”

- K. GIFFIN Relationship Coach “I had the pleasure of meeting Sophia and buying her book at a networking event. I’m so glad I did. It’s so much more than a journal. I look forward to writing in it daily to express my moods, to reflect on my goals, and plan my day! Buy one for yourself and all your friends.”

- PAMELA HART VINES Filmaker/Videographer

SOPHIACASEY.NET

Say Yes Guilford 20

By Tonya Dixon Photos by JLG Photography Ask Wendy Poteat what Say Yes Guilford is about, and she can quickly recite the mission and purpose of the community-centered, educational nonprofit - Say Yes Guilford is committed to providing access to support services and scholarships designed to prepare Guilford County Schools’ students for success in college, career, and life.

Moreover, as president and chief executive officer of Say Yes Guilford (SYG), she has a focused passion to not only see the organization flourish, but more importantly, to see Guilford County students and even those of the entire State of North Carolina flourish educationally and ultimately professionally.

“I know that we are Say Yes Guilford, but I believe what we are building in Guilford County would be of such benefit to the smaller counties that surround us I would love for us to be able to extend outreach in different counties,” said Poteat. “I think something like this is so needed especially in rural areas where students graduate and don’t have the opportunity or resources to go to college.”

“I would love to see us working in that direction, talking to those municipalities and being able to help smaller areas create industry. It is clear that workforce development is predicated on a foundation of education.”

Say Yes Guilford is an individual non-profit. It was established in Guilford County in 2015 – one of the first Say Yes organizations in the Southeast United States. All others are in the northern region of the country.

In order to be chosen as a Say Yes community, Guilford County directors had to spend significant time and energy fundraising to establish the endowment that would be used for student development and scholarships.

Through continued community support, the program will be able to continue serving students and extend its annual distribution amount.

While SYG is growing and looking toward eventual expansion, Poteat and staff are doing the necessary work to make sure the organization flourishes and has the ability to help the most students possible.

Currently, SYG partners with every public college and university in North Carolina and more than 100 private institutions around the country to offer scholarships to Guilford County Schools’ graduates. The organization’s endowment has provided for numerous students and, with continued support will impact the primary, secondary and post-secondary education of many more.

From 2016-2020 SYG has awarded $7,396,600 in tuition awards, $1,953,317 in Choice Grants, and $845,550 in Opportunity Grants for a total of $10,195,467 paid directly to GCS students. Through private compact scholarships, $18,326,076 has been awarded to GCS students whose household income is less than $75,000 per year. The total leverage from 20162020 is $28,521,543.

SYG utilizes numerous equitable wrap-around student support services that embrace differences and eliminate barriers to educational opportunities.

While it is known for scholarship distribution, the organization ultimately provides resources that equip students from Kindergarten to career and every stage in between including early literacy skills training, book giveaways, free SAT and ACT prep classes and community engagement opportunities.

Poteat says making sure to properly serve the organization’s community was the first matter she addressed when she started working with the program in 2019. Equity was a major factor.

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“When I first began, one of the first things that I looked at were the different components of the program, including scholarship and support services,” she said. “I realized the schools we partnered with were Title I schools. It was evident that we had to be intentional about the support services we were offering and make sure that we were offering what kids needed, had adequate access and ensured they met eligibility requirements.”

Leading the organization was a naturally progressive step for Poteat, who has proven expertise in public policy, politics and education. It was a position she didn’t seek, but it was a role she knew was perfect to take. Her journey to Say Yes is impressive, but not one she ever envisioned she would take.

“My passion has always been education. Growing up I knew I would go to college. I wanted to be a lawyer. I knew this was where I wanted to be, but my journey to get here was unconventional,” she said.

A native of Sweet Gum – a very small town in Caswell County, North Carolina – Poteat initially studied economics at North Carolina A&T State University. She was a Chancellor’s Scholar and held a full scholarship.

However, despite her opportunity and desire for education, many unforeseen obstacles and tragedy derailed her efforts.

“I lost my parents in a murder-suicide my freshman year in college. Then my sophomore year I had a child. I eventually completed three years at A&T, but then I didn’t have the money to continue,” she said. “I wasn’t focused.

Really, I was just broken. I needed to heal and figure my life out.”

Poteat spent the next several years working in the restaurant industry, but she knew she had to finish her degree. Not only was it imperative for her professional growth, but she believed she had to set an example for her children.

“I knew I couldn’t push them to go to college and finish, if I didn’t finish college...... I didn’t want to be that parent that was telling my kids to do something that I wasn’t able to do.”

“I knew I couldn’t push them to go to college and finish, if I didn’t finish college,” she said. “I didn’t want to be that parent that was telling my kids to do something that I wasn’t able to do. So, I quit my job and went back to school. I graduated from Guilford College in 2010. I originally started college in 1991. It took me that long to finally finish and obtain my degree.”

Her path may have been unorthodox, but it turned out to be the best route for her to take. After graduating, she took a coordinator-level position with Greensboro Partnership which is now the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce. Between 2006 and 2010 she consistently moved through the ranks and ultimately became manager of government affairs. That position provided her the opportunity to become a registered lobbyist, making way for continued opportunities.

“Being registered as a lobbyist with that position really pushed me into lobbying work. I went from that role to a private organization health and human services agency in Raleigh. I gained corporate and foundation work at the same time.” Said Poteat. “It wasn’t just another opportunity. I always say I have been on God’s journey. There’s no way that I could have formulated this myself.”

She eventually accepted a position with the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce as director of government Affairs. Again, her lobbying experience was significantly vital to the role.

“I remember one of my mentors told me, ‘you’ll know it’s time to do something different when the things that you are not lobbying for are the things that keep you up at night,’” said Poteat. “At the time, the city of Charlotte was adopting the HB2 Law, better known as the “Bathroom Bill.

It was controversial and it was keeping me up at night because my brother is part of the LGBTQ+ community and I felt so terrible that I couldn’t do something with my platform to help him. That’s when I switched jobs. I went to the United Way. I was actually doing work similar to what I’m doing now.”

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Before she knew it, another opportunity was presented. It was Say Yes Guilford, but it wasn’t a move that she was terribly interested in pursuing. Unfortunately, the organization’s reputation was in need of repair. However, the position would provide the opportunity for Poteat to work in a community where she lived.

“My youngest son told me it would be cool if I could help the kids that he went to school with. It means a lot to me because I live in this community and I’m able to help these students,” she said. “I was in the nail salon and a little girl walked up to me. She said, ‘you’re the Say Yes lady. You guys gave me $2,500 to go to school last year.’ It means a lot to me that I can impact the people and place where I actually live.”

Poteat says in addition to helping students in her own community, she sees the hard and diligent work of her co-workers and knows they are just as committed to the success of the organization and students.

“The staff are truly the boots on the ground. They take the strategic plans and turn them into tangible work for our students and families.

The work is tedious and requires a lot of dedicated people to make it happen, but it’s tremendously rewarding,” she said. We receive a great deal of support from committee and board members and community advocates giving constructive feedback and cheers.

Community support and participation is a key element to SYG’s success. Poteat says there is a message and request for philanthropic support, but it’s not eclipsed by the need for the community to understand, support and utilize the variety of support services provided.

“I see us being able to build out what we’re doing in a way that we’re serving all students. We have on average 5,000 students in a senior class every year. Statistically, only about 55% of the students that graduate will end up enrolled in college in the fall immediately after high school. I want us to be able to impact every senior class in some way. Even if they don’t get scholarship money from Say Yes, I want them to take the SAT prep class. I want them to gain some sort of educational weapon. I want us to be able to say that every kid that graduated from Guilford County Schools had access to something that Say Yes was offering and were positively touched by the program,” said Poteat.

“I really feel like we have built a sellable product. When I came, there were some things that Say Yes was still trying to figure out. We had to go out and build relationships and gain credibility as the organization that did the things that we said we were going to do.”

With the onset of COVID-19, the SYG staff and organization were able to pivot to virtual options still making over 7,000 interactions with students and families during the first year of county-wide support service offerings, which was almost a 200 percent increase over the previous year.

The overarching goal is to ensure that students that need the most are offered the most support. Philanthropic supporters and donors are critical to the success of Say Yes Guilford and the organization’s ability to fulfill its mission, create equitable opportunities for the next generation of leaders and build an educated workforce for Guilford County and beyond. h

Wendy Poteat President and CEO

(336) 814-2233 wpoteat@sayyesguilford.org www.sayyesguilford.org PO Box 309 - Jamestown, NC 27282 23

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Life Success by Dowdell

By Laci Ollison Photos by Still Shots Photography A lover of God, people, and history, Mary McLean Dowdell has dedicated her life to making sure that the untold stories of her family are now being made available for the world to read.

Mary, a resident of Greensboro, is the author of Brick to Brick: Building a Black Family in America. The inspiration behind the book came from her own family history and experiences.

“I wrote the book to give the history of my family,” said Mary. “My father and mother graduated from Hampton in 1935. They went to New York, got married, and were then hired by the American Missionary Association.”

After her parents, Neil and Iva McLean, were married, they returned to a small town in Eastern North Carolina called Brick. “The AMA had already established life centers where black people or freed slaves could learn how to achieve and maintain self-sufficiency.

My parents were sent to gather people and assume leadership of the center that was in Brick,” Mary said.

Once her parents took over the center, they worked to teach black people basic skills to improve their everyday lives. “One of the things they taught them was farming,” Mary said. “Although they knew how to take care of a farm, they didn’t know about the decisions when it came to selling produce. My parents taught them about leadership and the economics of the farm. They also taught them about owning property, home management, and home economics.”

The life center also had a school where both adults and children received their education.

Although Mary’s parents contributed much to the black community in the area, no one has taken the time to write their history or even include it in currently published history books.

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“They were there 19 years,” Mary recounted.

“There have been three publications on the history of that area, but my parents were not included, their history has not been told. Once the school was sold to a church, the church organization had someone do the history of the school and its past leadership. However, the writer of the history book chose not to include my father. Although they spoke with people who worked closely with my him, he was not contacted to tell his history and the work that he contributed to the community,” she shares.

This situation is why Mary thought it was necessary to tell the history of her parents.

“There were pieces of their story told, but not the totality of it. I believe black people should tell their history. There are all kinds of books about what other people do but not a lot about what we do or have done,” Mary said.

Mary also made sure to include artifacts and other important information in the back of the book.

“I told the story not as a daughter but as a researcher who could tell the history. I also put artifacts in the back of the book. I wanted to make sure that I could back up anything that I said.”

The book also recounts how the duo maintained a personal life while assisting the community.

“It transitions from historical point to how they built a family while working in the community,” said Mary. “My father eventually left the center and went into public education.

He was a principle at the elementary and high schools. He also sat on the local community college board and started the first credit union in the area. Her mother was the first postmaster. They did all of that while raising six children.”

The second part of the book tells the story of Mary herself as well as her siblings, as a product of her parents. “I wanted to include what happened to my parent’s children. So, I have my oldest brother write something and I gave all my siblings the opportunity to write something. I even have something in the book about my siblings who have died. I wanted to be sure to put their history in the book as well,” she said.

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“One of the major things is to be aware of your attitude....If you are hopeful and positive and one of the people who believes in the possibility of life and the potentials that are in you then nothing will be impossible with you.”

Mary is also an Evangelist Missionary and serves at Evangel Fellowship Church of God in Christ. She is a recent PhD graduate at the age of 73, and the mother of three adult children and the grandmother of five children. She enjoys writing, evangelism, and motivational speaking.

The evangelist says that one thing fellow entrepreneurs should be aware of is their outlook on life and their situation. “One of the major things is to be aware of your attitude,” Mary said. “If you are hopeful and positive and one of the people who believes in the possibility of life and the potentials that are in you then nothing will be impossible with you.”

Mary says that it is important to keep a positive outlook on life. “If you allow people and life to rob you of that positive viewpoint then you won’t go very far. I want people to know that anything is possible if they work hard. Make sure you are not allowing circumstances and situations to shape you into a person who doesn’t believe who you are. No matter what you want, the skies the limit. I don’t believe there’s anything you can be kept from doing.”

Mary believes that despite who you are or what you look like, the possibilities are endless. She also does not believe in limitations of age. “Look at who you are. Look at what your world view is and what your self-view is. You see testimonies every day of people doing great things. We are all born empty slates and have the same potential to achieve something amazing,” she states.

Mary McLean Dowdell, MPA, PhD www.lifesuccessbydowdell.com 336-987-6642

For Mary, it appears that life will always be a forever developing story. She is always seeking the next opportunity to serve and to express her ideas and gifts. Although she quite often kept busy with writing, marketing of her current book, and evangelism, she is already thinking about getting started on her second publication. So be on the lookout for what is coming next.

To purchase a copy of Brick To Brick, Building A Black Family In America, please contact Mary directly or visit her website. h Indianapolis - Jan./Feb. 2021

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By Laci Ollison Photos by Michael Duncan

Building and establishing a legacy is something that many strive to do. It is also something that Brian Flewellen is extremely familiar with. Not just in persevering his own legacy but being able to live out the legacy of his late grandmother as well.

A native of Dallas, Texas, Brian is the founder and owner of BF Configurations.

The company specializes in TV mounting, home theater setups, picture hanging, equipment relocation, and computer repair.

“We’ve been in business a little over seven years,” said Brian. “We currently operate in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, Houston, Texas, Atlanta, Georgia, and we’re branching out to San Antonio soon.”

Although Brian is now a successful entrepreneur, he actually gained the inspiration to start the business from a manager at one of his previous job.

“When I worked for another company as a corporate sales trainer, I was installing security systems for employees.

One day my director at the time said, ‘man you should start your own business.’”

Brian disagreed and felt that starting a business was not the right decision for him.

“I said no. I will never start my own business.

I’m making money as a corporate trainer. I’m not about to leave what I’m doing to go start a business.” But his manager gave him advice that stuck with him.

“He told me to remember that I’m black and I’m always replaceable in corporate America.” Brian still wasn’t convinced that he had a need to start a business. “I said they’ll never let me go. I’m black and the only sales trainer in the building.

However, one year later, Brian was let go from his job. His manager, who was also let go from the company, offered Brian a job at a new company and gave him the opportunity to work on his skillset and perfect his craft.

“The second company that I worked for does the exact same thing that I do; they specialize in TV mounting and home theater setup. He put me in a position to really perfect my craft. And once I perfected my craft, he pretty much pushed me over the edge and said go swim.”

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That was when Brian took the leap into entrepreneurship.

From there he jumped out and ran and never looked back.

Now, BF Configurations has grown and Brian has been able to scale to multiple cities in multiple states.

“While at the first company, I trained a guy that lived in Atlanta. About a year and a half after I got laid off, he got laid off. He reached out to me and asked if I had any work because he heard that I was starting a business. He asked did I have any work in Atlanta,” Brian says.

At this time, Brian had not considered expanding to Atlanta. “I said I didn’t really have anything. But I always knew that my Grandmother, my Aunt, and my Dad had a connection in Atlanta. So, I had a good resource there so I kind of ran with that.”

But the expansion into a new market was not an easy process. “In the midst of going to Atlanta, there were a few times where I considered closing the doors because it was hard. I was managing Dallas and then trying to manage Atlanta. But I had to let go and I had to trust and know that Rodney was going to run the location,” he shared.

And now, BF Configurations is celebrating three years of operating in the Atlanta area. Brian says that most of his clientele come from social media. They pull about 60% of their clients from social media, and 30% are from referrals.

His goal for 2021 is to improve the relationship he has with his current clients by checking in and performing customer satisfaction surveys. “In 2021, we’re really going to focus on putting the client first. We’re going to be making phone calls to our clients, to learn if there is anything that we could have done better, what can we improve on, so we can learn and grow tenfold,” he says.

Brian shared that the hardest part of entrepreneurship has been the fear of failure. “The fear of failure involves not knowing if I’m going to get a phone call today, or if the lights are still going to be cut on tomorrow,” he says.

In order to overcome his fears, Brian said there were some things that he had to sacrifice. “I motivate myself. But as a business owner, what you put in is what you’re going to get out of it. When I’m working, I’m working 110%. I’m giving it my all,” he shared.

Those sacrifices, however, have paid off and are evident in the success of his business. It has also allowed him to reinvest back into his business. “My biggest accomplishment has been purchasing three trucks in one year,” Brian said.

The business owner wants to encourage other entrepreneurs to not be afraid to fail. “Les Brown said something like when you fall, and it’s not a matter of if you fall because you will fall. But when you fall, fall on your back because you can look up. And when you look up, you can get up. And when you get up you can look around and see the mistakes you made and understand how to not make those same mistakes again,” Brian said.

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Mission Statement

Our Mission is to service customers with such a focus and desire that our services will make the home improvement and installation process enjoyable, exciting, and most importantly successful for everyone

Core Values

C- Continuous Improvement P- Professionalism R- Reliable C- Customer Focus S- Safety I- Integrity

Yet, Brian also pushes business owners to go after what they want. His biggest jewel that he shares with anyone is to follow your dream, and to not stop until it is fulfilled. As he has pursued his own dreams, Brian owes much of his success to his late grandmother, Mary Flewellen. “My grandmother opened a beauty salon 51 years ago, Flewellen’s Hair Salon. It was the first black beauty salon south of Dallas.

She told me coming up as a kid, if I don’t go to college, go get a trade,” he says. His grandmother’s dream was for him to be a barber, just like his father was. But Brian refused. He told her there was no way he would be a barber but promised her to figure things out.

Brian shares how he learned from his father the importance of preserving legacy. “My dad told me when I was a kid to protect my last name, because my last name has value. But me being a kid, I didn’t really understand the name Flewellen and the value of Flewellen. But after I started my business, I realized how much weight the name held. I have encountered people who trust me because of my last name, and because they knew my Grandmother and knew that she did good business. My business is now flourishing because of the relationships that my grandmother and father created,” he says.

If you are in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and in need of tv mounting services, please contact Brian Flewellen and BF Configurations, and allow his team to serve you. h

325 N. Saint Paul St. - Ste 3100 Dallas, TX 75201 (866) 573-5753 www.bfconfigurations.com 35

Gene

Blackmon Prestige Barber College

By Terry L. Watson Photos by Still Shots Photography

He has made it a priority of keeping his business in the same neighborhood that he grew up in near the Phillips Avenue area.

Gene Blackmon is the owner and director of Prestige Barber College in Greensboro, NC. Founded in 2011, Prestige provides an opportunity to aspiring professional barbers.

Gene brings several decades of knowledge and experience to Prestige. Upon graduating from barber school, himself, he spent some time as an apprentice and eventually progressed to opening his own barbershop in Greensboro. He did not stop there. Soon he would be the owner of several shops, and the co-owner of others.

Being a business owner isn’t the only thing that matters to Gene. As a son, father, coach, and community activist, he is actively involved in the affairs that matter in his community.

He has spear headed several campaigns that have addressed the needs of others, including transforming Prestige Barber College into a drop off location for supplies and resources for those who were affected by a tornado that ravished the eastern part of Greensboro in April 2018. Prestige Barber College often provides free haircuts for citizens, as well as partnering with other organizations for back-to-school events and more. They have also provided Covid-19 testing on site.

Giving back and being involved is especially important to Gene. “I offer hope and opportunity. With Prestige I am giving our students an opportunity to become entrepreneurs through the industry of barbering. We funnel many of our student to the barbershops that we own in Greensboro,” he says. Now with an enrollment of 30 students, Gene has obtained ownership of the building and remolded it as well.

Gene shares that he wanted to ensure that he would bring something positive to his community. “I am a firm believer that in order to increase the value in our community, we must keep our businesses in our community. It was an honor to open a school in the neighborhood that I grew up in,” he says.

Gene also wanted to emphasize the importance of what a trade program, such as barbering is. “A trade can instantly make someone an entrepreneur. Trades have been just as, or even more valuable as a four-year degree. Trade programs have a minimum cost as compared to a four-year degree program,” he shares.

As things move forward, Gene plans to empower everyone he encounters knowledge, encouragement, and education. He also plans to increase enrollment at Prestige Barber College. “Our opportunities are available to everyone who is serious about making barbering a career choice,” he says. To learn more about Prestige Barber College, please visit their location, or contact the school directly. h

Many of the goals for Prestige is to increase enrollment and grow their scholarship fund to assist others. They also offer in house financing, which enables them to meet the needs of almost who is interested in attending. “Prestige is for the community.

We are a resource that offers hope. We offer haircuts and mentorship, but also work vigorously to meet the needs of our community,” Gene says.

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Prestige Barber College 2006 Phillips Avenue Greensboro, NC 27405 336-398-7537 www.prestigebarbercollege.org

Peyton Zora Doctor

MAGAZINE

Cutest Baby

The daughter of Terence and Joni Robinson Doctor

To submit photographs to be placed in the Huami Magazine Cutest Baby feature, please send a detailed email to huami.cutestbaby@gmail.com

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Akayshia Estee AEB Talent Agency Making Your Dream a Reality

By Terry L. Watson - Photos by AEB Talent Agency Akayshia Estee of Huntsville, AL is the face and founder of AEB Talent Agency. AEB Talent Agency provides a platform to create various avenues for talented individuals who want guidance on building his or her career. Whether it’s acting, singing, dancing, or a fashion model, this trendsetting entity can make it happen. From fashion shows, productions, commercials, photo shoots and video shoots, you name it, AEB stands firm and are determined to meeting and exceeding their client’s expectations. To sum it up, Akayshia states. “We get it done!”

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Two of the key ingredients to running a successful business is a strong foundation and determination. For Akayshia, she has a good serving of them both. “I am first and foremost a mother. I love my family and everything that I do is for them. My children are my motivation and always will be. They know what their mom does for a living, and they can enjoy the experience as well when they are able to tag along. It’s positive exposure to something that may possibly open their eyes to something greater. My second love is the business.

I am a self-driven and a strong-willed person of many talents, and because of this quitting is never an option for me. I love guiding others and giving them the push to do better. I give 110 percent in any and everything that I do. I am constantly striving for perfection, and that is a must. I also understand that nothing comes easy and that is the reason why I go so hard,” she says.

AEB Talent Agency started blooming in 2018. Akayshia began by working with different talents in the Huntsville area. There, they were able to present its first fashion show on December 2, 2018. The business has changed a little. Now AEB is more focused on cultivating and guiding the careers of their contracted clients.

With more businesses, AEB has also faced its share of challenges. “Some of the challenges I face in business is making sure I am connected with other business minded people. We have to realize we are not in competition with each other and be willing to work together to build up one another without ulterior motives,” she says. To ensure that AEB remains relevant, Akayshia has implemented several goals. One of the goals of AEB Talent Agency is to provide a nurturing environment for their clients. They also work diligently to book opportunities and provide access and exposure.

Akayshia says that her brand and name are always on the table. Yet, she makes it look easy simply because she is so passionate about building up others. “I love the fact that I am able to utilize my talents to help others move forward. My intention is Instill perseverance, determination, and focus into my clients. If you don’t believe in yourself, how do you expect the spectators too,” she says. “My advice to anyone who may follow in my footsteps is whatever you do on your journey, do not stop. Do not give up or give in and stay focused.

If it isn’t beneficial, consider it a distraction. You are in control of how successful you are in life,” she says. h

Facebook: AEB Talent Agency Instagram: @aebtalent @akayshia_estee (818) 934-3530 40

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Gamal Williams Fin: A Story of Love and Hope

By Dr. Marrissa Dick - Photos by Gwendolyn Wilson Becoming an author can be a massive undertaking but it is certainly worth the effort if you want to achieve creative fulfillment while touching the emotions, hearts, and minds of others through writing. Some people feel the unction more readily than others to express their emotions and thoughts openly while others may be more introverted with their emotions and thoughts and could quite possibly replaying scenes over in their mind. How creative is that? If you believe there’s a story inside of you then you should let it out.

Meet Gamal C. Williams, a native of Brooklyn, New York, a father of four, and a retired 20-year Naval Senior Chief Officer hailing from Hampton Rhodes, Virginia. On November 29, 2020 Gamal released his first novel entitled, Fin: A Story of Love and Hope.

Remember we spoke earlier about scenes being replayed over in their mind? Well Gamal’s novel was created through dreaming.

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According to Gamal, “First, let me explain how I came up with the name, Fin. Fin is actually short for Finely. One thing we do in the military is shorten last names. For example, my last name is Williams, but everybody calls me, Will. So, this whole thing started because of a dream I kept having. I had this same dream four or five times a week for about three or four weeks. In this dream I am working in a convenience store and as I’m taking the trash out in the back somebody comes in and tries to rob the store. The cops intervene and somehow, I accidently get shot. Each time I had this dream I would wake up in a panic. After a while I realized I was dreaming.

Then finally one night I woke up at two o’clock in the morning and I grabbed my laptop and just started writing. I wrote the first ten or twelve pages of the book and sent it to my publisher, Sasha Ridley.

After she read it, she encouraged me to finish this story. So, I started thinking if I’m going to finish this story then I am going to have to figure out how did this person get here, and how do I write this scene, so it was the dream that actually got me into writing. I never grew up saying I wanted to be an author it was never anything like that. I didn’t know I wanted to be a writer until I started writing Fin. I loved it immediately. I enjoyed seeing the characters come to life.

Every waking moment I had I would be thinking about this story.”

Talking about making your dreams come true. Gamal literally wrote his dream into existence. How many of you have dreams and you don’t know why it continues to reoccur? Who knows perhaps your dreams are speaking to warn you or they could be speaking to you to create a novel. Either way, your dreams can be looked at as gifts and we already understand that your ‘gifts will make room for you’ - - Gamal’s did.

When writing your book an author should have a particular audience in mind because having a base to connect with is important.

For Gamal’s target audience are adolescent black males, specifically.

He shares, “The main group would be young adolescent black males because they need help with learning how to communicate with one another and they need to learn how to show love and affection toward one another without negativity being associated with their actions. Today there’s not as much condemnation associated with telling another black male who is your close friend that you love him, but when I was growing up that’s not something we did outside of the family. I grew up in Brooklyn and saying those words to another man is something that was frowned upon. You were looked at as being soft or weak. You couldn’t show any other type of emotions other than being tough or being street wise. So, this is a good seaway to the three main characters in Fin: A Story of Love and Hope. There’s Fin, the protagonist, and he’s the son of Command Master Chief. Then there’s a guy, Justin, who is the son of a former police officer, and the other guy is Chris, who goes by the name, Stacks, well, Stacks father is really a gangster. So, these guys from three completely different worlds end up becoming friends and they find out that they have way more in common than they thought they did. And even though they don’t overtly say ‘I love you’ it’s apparent through their actions the love they have for one another.”

As a black male, Gamal understands the social anxieties and depressions that both pre-adolescent and post-teens experience.

Some of his experiences can be found in Fin. He shares, “You know as a young male nobody teaches you how to deal with anxiety and depression or even how to deal with your anger. Those things just aren’t discussed in the black community.

Instead of talking about it openly we are more likely to go to church

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and pray it away. I am not saying that there is anything wrong with church. What I am saying is that sometimes you need to go to somebody and talk about your feelings and say hey I need help.

Communication is important and that is also apparent in the book.

All three characters have their fathers in their lives, but their level of communication just isn’t where it needs to be.” Communication is simply the act of transferring information from one place, person or group to another. It is Gamal’s earnest desire for his readers to pick up golden nuggets while reading his novel and implement those nuggets in their lives.

Though the book is fiction there are some elements of truth imbedded in the fabric of the story line. “There are elements in the book that do pull from my life. I think you can say this of any author who is writing a book that there are certain elements to the characters that they get from within themselves or people around you. There has to be some point of reference to understand what anger looks like or what a loving person looks like. There are definitely influences from my family and friends and people I have served with, but I wouldn’t say that there is any one character that’s a specific person. No, there isn’t.”

It took Gamal the better part of five weeks to type out his first rough draft. Along the way he would send chapters to his publisher who would provide him motivation to continue forward. He says, “I just got the raw version of the story out. I didn’t think about spelling, punctuations, sentence structure or grammar. All I did was write and send pieces of it to Sasha to read and she motivated me to keep going. Once I got the full story out then I went back and started doing rewrites and expanding on the story, the characters, and the scenes. So, from beginning to end I would say it took me six months to finish the book.”

Gamal is aware that the pandemic has caused a huge disruption in the world, but he has been able to make good use of this time by bonding with his children and working on his next book Jump which has been coauthored by his 12-year-old son, Gabriel. According to Gamal, “I created Jump just for him. He would say, ‘daddy what if he did this or that’ and I would give it some thought so I told him when I do the rewrite, I’m going to put that in there and add his name to the book as my coauthor and he just smiled.” See what our children can help us do when we communicate.

Support is always important in our endeavors and Gamal is grateful for Rae Legacy Publishing. He admits, “I like Sasha’s company because it’s small enough to where I can have that personal touch.

She and my cousin Brian helped me a lot with editing. Sasha has really been a champion for this book, and she has also gotten me interviews and set up all my social media platforms. I believe in her and I like the fact that I can pick up my telephone and just call my publisher and talk to her about what my thoughts are or simply about what’s going on in my life. Rae Legacy Publishing is really the driving force behind getting the book out there so, no, I don’t have any regrets with going with her company at all” Many of you could be asking yourselves why you should go out and purchase this book. Gamal explains it this way, “The book is a great story. It’s a gripping tale of three young boys who form an unlikely friendship and soon discover that despite their differences, they have more in common than they realized. When 14-year-old Fin meets Stacks and Justin, he never thought their union would be bonded in love, friendship, joy, and pain. When an unexpected tragedy occurs, the young men’s bond is put to the test. A test of friendship, loyalty, family, and love. For one of them, their choices

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“You know as a young male nobody teaches you how to deal with anxiety and depression or even how to deal with your anger. Those things just aren’t discussed in the black community. Instead of talking about it openly we are more likely to go to church and pray it away. I am not saying that there is anything wrong with church.

What I am saying is that sometimes you need to go to somebody and talk about your feelings and say hey I need help.”

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Gamal Williams

would shape his life, mold him into the man he had to become, and pushes him to the edge of death itself. The book has been heralded as “evocative,” “thought-provoking,” “heart-warming,” and “gut-wrenching.” Fin never allows you a moment to catch your breath. You’ll think you know everything, then Fin spins you in a direction you never saw coming.”

The book also shows the complexities of love on multiple levels. For instance, there is a romantic love between Fin and his girlfriend Cory; there is the love between his grandparents; and there is the love that father and son show one another.

Fin: A Story of Love and Hope is a book that transcends nationalities and genders; it is relatable enough to spark the interest of everyone who reads it.

Gamal shares, “I hope the book sparks conversations that families need to have when it comes to sharing information. There is a generational divide where the older generations don’t share with the younger generation what they’ve experienced in their lives or even thigs about their health. If they would share those struggles the youth could gain so much from their grandparents, parents, aunts or uncles experiences. I’ve been guilty of it too - - not sharing information with my daughter or sons that could have prevented them from messing up. Again, it’s been my experience that we just don’t share information until it’s too late. We should have these difficult conversations early. I hope this book can spark that level of conversation so adolescents can begin to make better decisions.

I hope this book sparks life changing conversations and deliberate actions of correction. You know I was at my local library doing the photo shoot for this book and the director came out and asked where she could purchase the book so it could be displayed in the local author section. I happily gave them the copy I had. When I was growing up on my way home from school me and my friends would stop at the library every day to do our homework then we would read for hours. To know that some young man will be able to go into the library and see a book that looks like him on the shelf and be able to resonate with the emotions going on in the book is so rewarding for me. If a young kid can see themselves in one of those characters, then I am happy. That’s a blessing right there. I just hope people would give it a chance and pick it up and enjoy it.”

You can purchase this newly released book on amazon.com in both paperback, and in Kindle and Nook. You can also visit Gamal h William’s website at www.authorgamalilliams.com which will usher you to all the links to purchase this new and inspiring novel.

Gamal Williams www.authorgamalwilliams.com www.amazon.com 757-642-7595 45

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Tyneka Howard Faith, Fitness, Relationships, & Career

By Dawn Cauthen Thornton Photos by Nick F. Nelson Instagram @Brandpreneur

Tyneka Howard started her military career at 19, and last fall, retired after 20 years of service in the U.S. Air Force. During her tenure, she spent most of her time guiding, mentoring, directing, and leading airmen, both men and women. In the last few years of her military career, she would meet young female soldiers who looked at her as a mentor and someone they aspired to be – confident, assertive, and successful. The majority of women felt misplaced and unsure if they had made the right decision in joining the armed forces. Navigating within a maledominated organization was oftentimes quite challenging so Howard would ‘adopt’ several ladies and mentor them on how to effectively adapt to military life.

“I knew exactly what they were going through because I started at the same place they did. I knew they felt displaced and were trying to find themselves. Many also struggled with how to carry themselves as a lady. Because, uniform aside, we’re ladies first,” Howard confirms.

The veteran grew up a preacher’s kid, a lifestyle that presented her with a strong foundation and an environment that others may not always experience; Not better, but different. I’ve heard testaments that children of the clergy are usually raised at the hands of solid God-fearing parents and they must answer to everyone in the church. A few stray from the path, like anyone else, and others grow to be strong, faith-filled servants with direction and purpose.

Howard proved to be the latter. And her peers apparently saw that leadership quality in her. As she approached the last five years of her military tenure she began mentoring high school students, mainly girls, who were facing real challenges that she was unaware of.

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“I would just go in with a servant heart and want to work with people. It didn’t matter who it was, it was just where I was supposed to be.”

A lightbulb went off in Howard’s head with the realization that there was a huge void in the community and help was needed to guide the younger generation. Howard looks youthful and she feels that contributed to young women seeking her out for advice. She attests that her youthful look is achieved by living a stress free life.

Last year, the Martinsville , VA native sought to start her organization, Lead(H)er under her parent company H2G Leadership Group, which stands for Howard 2nd Generation. Lead(H) er focuses on Faith, Fitness, Relationships, and Career. This summer she plans to host more workshops and social media live events for her clients and those she hopes to attract. She’s also planning to increase her website and blog posts to grow her following and reach more people.

“For ladies, the leadership will come after the knowledge and education. But I also like to focus on communication and how people are receiving your message. Are you just talking or are you communicating? There is a difference.

You have to be able to articulate what you want and not be shy about it.”

With Covid-19 affecting all of us in different ways, Howard crafted a previous workshop entitled “Covid is making me crazy”. The attendees log into a video conference platform with a code and simply talk and help each other work through their thoughts. They attempt to uncover their dilemmas and help fill each other’s voids. It’s no surprise that many are having a tough time with the lack of social interaction and physical touch. Howard aims to help them work through their feelings.

“There was a huge void in the community and help was needed to guide the younger generation.”

The ladies Howard mentors tend to be between 14 year to 25 years of age. “The biggest issue I’m seeing is the lack of direction and foundation in the home. And because homelife and it’s makeup looks a lot different, children are exposed to certain topics and conversations much sooner than they should be.

This year Howard plans to also incorporate families into her organizations structure.

Focusing on communication within the family unit can aid in building the foundation that the younger members need. Within her own family unit, her 13 year old son has taught her how much different boys and girls tend to communicate. “My son is quiet and calm. I can tell him something and he’s okay. He’s easy with lots of patience.” Studies show that girls tend to have more words in their vocabulary by a certain age and tend to react to news differently.

Continued on page 10

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“My five year plan is to create a camp-style Lead(H)er lock-in at different locations to serve my community in Raleigh, NC. Think 4-H camps.�

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“My five year plan is to create a camp-style Lead(H)er lock-in at different locations to serve her community in Raleigh, NC. Think 4-H camps,” she says. The unfortunate introduction of our current pandemic forced Howard to tap into her ideas sooner than she expected and take a look at her business plans to see how she should operate. Instead of opening in June, H2G was introduced in April. “God works in such a way and I became restless enough to start working on and refining my idea. I was able to meditate and have such a clear headspace of where I wanted to see my business.

She simultaneously started the corporate side of her business that handles communications and marketing for companies and how they can better communicate with their employees and clients.

Continuing her quest to bridge the gap and network with other ladies to bring the second generation along and add value to their lives is at the forefront of Howards mind. At the rate she’s moving, it seems that she’ll accomplish that goal in no time. h

Tyneka Howard H2G Leadership Group

Lead(H)er – Faith, Fitness, Relationships, & Career 202-709-6447 www.h2gleadher.net Email: tyneka@h2gleadher.net Instagram/Facebook: @leadher10 LinkedIn: Tyneka Howard 51

&

With A Podcast

By Laci Ollison - Photos by Todd Youngblood

During a time where the world was shut down due to the Coronavirus pandemic, two women found themselves collaborating over their mutual love for black people and therapy.

Nzinga Cates and Darnita Samuels of Charlotte, N.C., are both licensed therapists in the state of North Carolina. After forming a friendship, the duo decided to create a podcast to answer questions from clients, friends, and listeners about mental health, life, and other various topics.

Born in Detroit, MI, Darnita is an auntie to several nieces and nephews. She comes from a large family that is rooted in southern traditions.

Darnita says the primary focus of her practice is to provide a safe space that will encourage open dialogue to help her clients reach their goals and create a toolbox to use on their journey of this thing called life. Though Darnita embraces her season of singleness, she spends her time traveling internationally and domestically. These voyages often involve exploring new cultures. “I am a history buff and I like winery’s, vineyards, and good food,” she shares.

Nzinga, who is a native of Erie, PA, provides a wide array of services that cater to individuals, couples, marital relationships, and teens. She has a specialty in helping individuals who have been victimized by narcissists, as well as helping individuals discover narcissistic traits within themselves.

She is also the owner of Cates Counseling, and author of What Happens In This House: A Memoir of Strength, and shares her story of being raised with the struggles of a narcissistic mother and how she prevailed to become who she is today despite being abused.

Life has come full circle for Nzinga. She acknowledges that her family has played a huge part in her success as an entrepreneur and businesswoman. She also notes that she wouldn’t be as successful without the support of her husband of 17 years, and her three beautiful children.

“I actually referred someone to Nzinga,” Darnita said. “We hit it off from the first conversation. But it actually took us over a year to finally meet. Nzinga kept saying ‘let’s get coffee together,’ and one day the stars finally aligned, and we were able to get lunch.” The rest was history.

One day as the two therapists were sitting in the garage of Nzinga’s home over the pandemic, they decided they needed to start a podcast together. After a bit of discussion and planning, they released their first episode of Theralit on August 25th.

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“The podcast is mostly based off of anonymous questions,” said Darnita. “We’re not providing therapy but if a person needs therapy then we will provide resources on how to select a therapist.”

Darnita says that the two like giving information, breaking down the stigma, and normalizing the conversation around mental health as well.

“The beauty of the podcast is that there is no particular subject,” said Nzinga. “We don’t know what we’re going to answer until a week sometimes days before we record. So, it’s fresh. It’s ideas that come from our clients, sometimes from conversations that we have with our friends when they ask questions. It’s a wide variety of questions that we take great joy in answering. And not only that, but we add our personal touch to it. It’s not just therapeutic, but there’s never a dull moment.”

Nzinga says that they answer from their hearts, but they also answer from their own experiences. These experiences were also the driving force for both of the ladies to begin a career in mental health.

“I honestly didn’t like people. I just wanted to program. I wanted to be an IT person, make a lot of money, have a great house, and live a great life,” Darnita says. But unfortunately, life didn’t pan out how Darnita expected. “Moving to North Carolina actually helped me a lot because I was in a relationship and I was about to get married. But when the relationship fell apart, I was devastated. I went into a deep state of depression and I was highly dysfunctional.” Darnita ended up seeing her primary care physician who referred her to a mental health professional.

Darnita shares, “Thank God for a great primary care physician that saw me. She referred me to a therapist, and I went that day. I left my primary care physician’s office and went straight to the therapist’s office. The therapist worked with me to help me heal wounds. They also helped me understand who I was and the role that I played and help me get over things that were so deeply held that were not good beliefs.”

After going through therapy, Darnita decided to attend Pfeiffer University to begin her career as a therapist. “When I went to Pfeiffer I went through further therapy because that was part of their program.

They say how can you have someone else in your chair if you don’t know what it feels like to be in a chair.”

Darnita says that the student therapist that she worked with, helped her break down some issues even more. “It has really been a growth opportunity for me, and as a result of this, my private practice is definitely expanding.”

For Nzinga, therapy was something she realized somewhat early on that she wanted to do. “I was 19 when I went to therapy for the first time and I loved it,” Nzinga said. “I knew that based on the things I was going through in my life that there was a greater calling on my life to help people.”

Initially Nzinga did not know exactly what that calling was but after she met her first therapist, she realized that was what she wanted to do. “I had already been in college,” said Nzinga. “I believe I was an English major or something like that. But I changed my major and my career and that was it. I started off in social work and got my master’s in counseling.”

One of the goals the two have for the podcast is to eventually take it on the road. “We want people to see that we’re normal people,” Darnita said. “We want people to come and meet us and be able to ask us questions on the air.”

She also shares it’s important for people to see their faces too.

“Representation matters,” she said. “Here’s two black female therapists that are operating their own businesses who are successful and who are gaining a foothold in the podcast industry. They also hope to break down the stigma in the African American community that therapy is not necessary.

“For people who think therapy is not for us, why is it not?” Darnita asks. “We have access to every other thing, why not therapy?” Darnita says that this is a question that they get asked often. “You get a physical every year. You get a colonoscopy every year. You get checkups to make sure that your body is running right. Part of your body is your mind. Why not check on that?”

Darnita wants people to know that there is help out there. “You don’t have to suffer in silence. There’s a lot of mental anguish that happens and it has a direct effect on how your body reacts to certain things.

That’s why we ask when is the last time you had a physical and what came back. Because we see the tolls that hurt, and pain are causing.”

Nzinga says that part of being a therapist is learning when to listen.

“If someone comes up to me and asks me why they need it, that tells me that they’re reaching out,” she said. “A lot of being a therapist is having a listening ear to hear what people are saying and what they are saying with their heart. And that comes out in the podcast. When we answer we answer based on what we have been through because as therapists we have both been through a lot. We give answers from the heart.”

Darnita says that the two try to be as relatable as possible on the podcast as well. “We try to keep it real,” said Darnita. “We don’t try to speak so therapeutically that people don’t understand. We try to be normal, even down to the way we dress.”

Nzinga and Darnita both operate their own private practices and offer the ability to see their clients virtually. h

Nzinga Cates MA, NCC, LCMHC Cates Counseling & Consulting PLLC 704-412-9684 Nzingacates@gmail.com

Darnita D. Samuels MSA MA LMFT darnitasamuelsmft@outlook.com 919-807-1692

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