Urban Trendsetters New Year 2012

Urban trendsetters More than a magazine. it’s a lifestyle • january 2012

Now is the time...

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The UTS Radio Show Un-Plugged is a weekly radio show hosted by Sharon S. Gordon, the founder of Urban Trendsetters. Un-Plugged informs listeners on the positive aspects of the community while addressing the issues and concerns of the urban community.

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TEAM UTS Publisher/CEO Sharon S. Gordon Contributing Writers Delois R. Wright Pierrette “Petee” Talley Dr. Erika Pryor A. Christina Dunlap Mykayla Bryant Tamara Fournier Distribution W. Cobre’ Gordon Photography Ron Cash W. Cobre” Gordon Creative Director Global Impact Media LLC globalimpactmediallc.com

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CHAMPIONS OF DIVERSITY BLACK HISTORY MONTH CAREER AND JOB FAIR February 22, 2012 • 10am-4pm Aladdin Shrine Temple www.championsofdiversity.com THE BLACK AGENDA-A CONVERSATION –Economic Empowerment ON B.E.A.T. (Be Entrepreneurs and Trendsetters) Networking Event following the Champions of Diversity Black History Month Career and Job Fair February 22, 2012 • 5pm-8pm Aladdin Shrine Temple Partners: www.urbantrendsetters.com / www.championsofdiversity. com / www.ncusolutions.com / www. spencerforhighermedia.com

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STATE OF THE CITY February 29, 2012 • 6pm The Ohio Theatre • 39 E. State Street www.200Columbus.com

Publisher’s Page May all of the good God has for you crowd you now!

Happy New Year Urban Trendsetters! Thank you to all of you that continue to read, advertise and support our publication. We have a lot of new and exciting things planned this year and we look forward to sharing and networking with you. Our focus for 2012 is “networking to create net wealth”.

For the past few years marketing experts have been predicting that black buying power was at about $913 billion with a projected increase to $1.2 trillion by 2013. Well it is 2012 and I don’t know how much buying power muscle we will exercise this year but “by 2013” means we are well on our way right now. Here are other wealth related finding for Blacks: With a buying power of nearly 1 trillion annually, if Blacks were a country, they’d be the 16th largest country in the world Blacks make more shopping trips than all other groups, but spend less money per trip.

Blacks in higher income brackets, also spend 300 percent more in higher end retail grocers more than any other high-income household.

There were 23.9 million active Black Internet users in July 2011--76 percent of whom visited a social networking/blog site.

Thirty-three percent of all Blacks own a smart phone.

Black Americans use more than double the amount of mobile phone voice minutes compared to whites--1,298 minutes a month vs. 606.

How and when do we begin to exercise our marketing muscle and power to benefit our community? As we are celebrating and honoring the legacy of Dr. King we cannot forget what the fight was for. We have come a long way, but we still have a lot of work to do. This is a “take it to the next level sho nuff” type year. Are you ready?

Our goal for 2012 and Urban Trendsetters is “NETWORK LIKE NEVER BEFORE!” Imagine the power of the Civil Rights Movement, the community organization and outreach combined with today’s technology and access to information. The problem is that we have become so technology savvy that we are networking with people within our city on social networks, but have never had the pleasure of meeting them face to face. We need to combine all that we have at our disposal and work together to re-build our communities, “gather” more for “handle our business sake”. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good party, but I seem to do it better when my pockets are full. Monthly themed parties are cool, but let’s get down to business.

February 7, 2012 marks the 9th Anniversary of Urban Trendsetters and we are launching The Cast Your Net Project a 90 Days of Networking Empowerment Series. You don’t want to miss our upcoming launch. For more information log onto www.urbantrendsetters. com. Let’s focus on our community and our businesses by networking to create netwealth.

Looking forward to networking with you soon,

Sharon S. Gordon

january 2012 | www.urbantrendsetters.com

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Community News Mayor Coleman Salutes Employees and Residents for a Successful 2011

Columbus made enormous progress as a city in 2011, and Mayor Coleman today credited the hard work and dedication of city’s employees as well as character and ingenuity of residents for the successes of past year.

the the its this

“Thanks to the hard work of our employees and our residents over these past 12 months, our people are better off, our business climate is stronger and we are being recognized by more and more people around the country as one of the best cities in America to live, work and raise a family,” Mayor Coleman said. “Our successes in 2011 set the stage for 2012, when we will celebrate our 200 years of history, take pride in how far we’ve come and set the stage for an even greater future.”

The city’s 2011 accomplishments include the following: - The creation of more than 1,500 jobs through economic development initiatives, earning Columbus recognition from both the Milken Institute and New Geography as the best major city in the Midwest for economic growth and from several other sources as one of the best cities in America for college graduates and young professionals.

- A 13 percent reduction in the

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january 2012 | www.urbantrendsetters.com

number of Columbus homicides due to effective and strategic enforcement from Columbus police officers and numerous youth intervention initiatives.

- Passage of the city’s first comprehensive curbside recycling program, which will be phased in throughout the city starting in late spring.

- The opening of the awardwinning Scioto Mile and Columbus Commons parks which attracted thousands of new visitors to Downtown Columbus.

- Retention of a Triple-A credit rating from all three major rating agencies, making Columbus the only city of its size in the nation with such a distinction.

- A multijurisdictional agreement signed by Mayor Coleman and the mayors or city managers of nine Franklin suburbs to curb job poaching within Franklin County and explore services that can be shared across jurisdictional lines.

- Implementation of the 10-Year Reform and Efficiencies Plan, through which steps have been taken to save more than $200 million in pension and health care costs through 2019, exceeding the city’s original promise.

- Creation of APPS—Applications for Purpose, Pride and Success— which impacted 2,700 teens and young adults by bringing them off continued on page 18

State News New Programs Geared to Help Veterans Find Jobs Department of Labor partners with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to operate these job centers in each county; while the job centers are open to all residents, they also contain veteran counselors.

The end of the war in Iraq has focused renewed attention on the necessity of employing returning veterans. The federal government has launched new initiatives through the “Gold Card” and the National Resource Directory to help veterans do just that.

The “Gold Card” is a special service for veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) that provides additional assistance to help these veterans find employment.

“Gold Card” service is available at county job centers. The U.S.

The way it works, is that the “Gold Card” essentially puts OEF/OIF veterans at the head of the line for services, and provides them counseling, information, referral to job openings and follow-up assistance. The web site for the “Gold Card” also contains a resource to help translate military to civilian experience.

In November, the National Resource Directory rolled out a veterans job bank of vacancies nationwide for use by both veterans and employers who are seeking veterans to hire.The effort is part of the “Joining Forces” initiative sponsored by First Lady Michelle Obama.

In other federal developments, last month President Barack Obama signed the Vow to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 into law. The act passed both houses

of Congress with bipartisan support.

The new law provides tax credits to companies that hire veterans and job training through the G.I. Bill for pre-9/11 veterans.

Finally, it’s important for all veterans to remember that, no matter what type of employment one is looking for, there are common-sense tips to take note of and be prepared

Job assistance from the State of Ohio is also available for veterans. The Ohio National Guard has partnered with AMVETS to create a site, “Ohio Vets Can,” which has job postings in the state available for veterans.

Have a current resume; use available online tools to translate military experience to civilian needs, and emphasize common skills such as personal discipline, dependability, ability to accomplish assigned tasks on time and to standard, and adaptability to learn new tasks quickly.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, in addition to its work at county job centers, also provides a site for veterans,“Ohio Means Veteran Jobs.”

This site contains resources to help translate a veteran’s military experience into words that civilian employers can understand. The site also includes links to veteran-friendly employers as well as other resources, such as resume assistance.

Veterans interested in applying for federal jobs can refer to www.fedshirevets.gov

MORE. BIGGER. BETTER.

Have a cover letter geared to the type of job being looked for.

“Dress for success” at either a job fair or an interview and present a professional appearance, e.g., suit and tie, or dress/ skirt or pantsuit.

Finding employment can be a challenge for veterans, but tools are available to help the process result in a successful outcome.

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Global Trends South Africa Shows Joy and Sadness As Nelson Mandela’s Party Turns 100

By The Associated Press

BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa (January 10, 2012) -- Tens of thousands of chanting and dancing revelers waved the green and gold colors of the African National Congress as Africa’s oldest liberation movement celebrated its 100th anniversary Sunday, though many South Africans say the party hasn’t delivered on its promises since taking power in 1994.

A dozen African leaders and more former heads of state along with African kings and chieftains attended a midnight ceremony where

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President Jacob Zuma lit a flame, expected to stay alight the entire year, at the red brick, tin-roofed Wesleyan church where black intellectuals and activists founded the party in 1912.

Absent because of his frailty was Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first black president who is just six years younger than his movement. The world icon was jailed for 27 years by the racist white government and his organization was formerly declared a terrorist group by the United States.

Joy at the ANC’s leading role in ending white minority rule in 1994 was tinged with sadness over its

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failure to bring a better life to most South Africans, and corruption scandals that have embroiled its members in recent years.

“It means a lot to be alive when the ANC is celebrating 100 years of its existence,” Mayor Tulani Sebego of Bergville told Associated Press Television News.

He said the party had gained strength along with challenges, “but it has managed to come through it to today, it is here, 100 years and I want to believe it will reach 200 years.”

Outreach Trends

Urban Trendsetters and Spencer 4Higher Media host the 2nd Chance Opportu2ty and Job Fair for Restored Citizens educational institutions, the media and county, city and state departments in the community,” continued Huff.

The 2nd Chance Opportunity & Career Fair will also publish a complete resource guide titled “A F.R.E.E. Me” for people in attendance and will be made available on line for those who can not attend.

The 2nd Chance Opportunity & Job Fair is being presented by The Columbus Neighborhood House, Urban Trendsetters Media and

For the very 1st time in Central Ohio’s History a 2nd Chance Opportunity & Job Fair will be held exclusively for Ex-Offenders and Restored Citizens! The first Opportunity & Job Fair will be held on Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at the Columbus Neighborhood House/ Sawyer Recreation Center.The initial January 11th date has been pushed back to April 11, 2012 to allow for more time to gain community support & participation.

“The 2nd Chance Opportunity and Job Fair” is designed to help eliminate the barriers to employment for exoffenders, re-entry and restored citizens by providing employment, job search skills, resume’ and interviewing skills, resources for housing, educational resources, voting rights, re-establishing credit, How to start a Business and many other services. Special guest speaker will be Walter Smith host of Radio One weekly “Street Solider” program. Mr. Smith spent more than 11 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Since Mr. Smith’s release he has successfully turned his life around and will share his experience on how to over come being labeled as an ex-offender and move forward with a productive life.

With over 9 million Ex-offenders

Spencer 4Higher Media. Media sponsors for the event include Radio One Columbus, Outlook Magazine, Bounce23 TV and Busted Newspaper.

The press is invited to attend a Press Conference to be held prior to the first event on Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at 10 a.m. For more information on the 2nd Chance Opportunity & Job Fair and how you can be a part of this history making event send your request to spencer4highermedia@ aol.com or call 614-348-2667.

being released from prison each year plus the thousands of ex offenders & restored citizens already trying to find employment in our community is even more of a reason to host this type of event. The 2nd Chance Job Fair will not only assist people looking for employment but will help our overall communities health, safety and well being.

The 2nd Chance Opportunity Fair was also designed to aid in Company’s Recruitment and Re-Investment efforts while assisting individuals receive what all of us deserves, a 2nd Chance to be a productive member our community and to their families.

The 2nd Chance Opportunity & Job Fair’s will be held on the following dates throughout 2012: April 11th, July 11th and October 10th. Each event will be held at a different location in Central Ohio.

“We are proud to partner with Urban Trendsetters Media and Spencer 4Higher Media for The 2nd Chance Opportunity and Job Fair.

We are expecting over 500+ people in attendance and over 50 vendors, exhibitors, sponsor booths and break-out sessions,” said Alan Huff, of the Columbus Neighborhood House. “In order to have a successful event, we need assistance from local companies, non-profit organizations, january 2012 | www.urbantrendsetters.com

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Trendsetter Speaks MSNBC Suspends Pat Buchanan, but Needs to Fire Him Too basically, by white folks.”

Griffin seems concerned about two of the chapters in Buchanan’s book, one of them titled “The End of White America,” and the other called “The Death of Christian America.”

The MSNBC president is quoted in the AP as saying “Because of the content of the book, I didn’t think it should be part of the national dialogue, much less part of the dialogue on MSNBC.” Dr. Boyce Watkins *MSNBC has suspended conservative commentator Pat Buchanan, according to Phil Griffin, the network’s president. The suspension comes from words in Buchanan’s book, “Suicide of a Superpower.”

Buchanan has stated that President Obama arrived to the White House as a result of Affirmative Action and that the country “has been built,

I’ve only met MSNBC President Phil Griffin one time. He and I were on a panel together at the National Action Network Conference, hosted by Rev. Al Sharpton. Griffin seems like a nice enough guy, and we haven’t spoken since. But if we were to have another conversation, I’d ask him one simple question: How in the holy hayell is a man like Pat Buchanan still on your payroll?

I remember Columbia University Professor Marc Lamont Hill being fired from Fox News after one very quick, dirty and misleading smear campaign. I recall Rev. Jesse Jackson being fired from CNN because he had a child out of wedlock. Yet, Pat Buchanan has spent the last 40 years speaking and acting in ways that would put David Duke to shame, and the network continues to treat him like he’s just a regular guy.

In spite of how hard Buchanan has worked to prove to MSNBC that he is a bigot in analyst’s clothing, they have continued to reward him with a high salary, limousine rides and a national platform for his racially inflammatory remarks.

This is another example of the same white privilege that allows Don Imus to continue making good money after referring to a group of black women as “nappy headed hoes.”

almost none of the issues that matter to our community. Over the last two months, when MSNBC celebrated reduced unemployment as a victory for the Obama Administration, they failed to make note of the fact that black unemployment has gone up over the same period of time. Our agenda only matters when it happens to be their agenda; but I argue that it’s time to speak clearly about the black agenda.

Not only does MSNBC need to fire Pat Buchanan, they need to ask themselves why they didn’t get rid of him long ago. Is it because so many millions of Americans think the way he does? Is it because they simply don’t care what he says? Or perhaps it’s the obvious – that disrespecting black people is at the bottom of the political priority list for most major organizations.

While I am not entitled to tell anyone how to react to Pat Buchanan, MSNBC or anyone else, I encourage people of color to honestly ask themselves whether our friends or our enemies have very much respect for our community. If this were the court of law and we were reviewing the evidence, I argue that the verdict would be abundantly clear. Firing Pat Buchanan is the least this network can do and the firing should be followed by an apology to us all.

Buchanan brings few redeeming qualities to MSNBC, and President Griffin knows this.

The saddest truth in the world for black people is that even our friends have a hard time respecting us. We end up stuck between Republicans who want to kill us and starve our kids, and Democrats who care about

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january 2012 | www.urbantrendsetters.com

The Journey

Gospel Artists Raise Voices, and Stroke Awareness, In Nationwide Competition

competition, because it shines a light on stroke,” Williams said. “This is very important to me because my father had a stroke in 2005 due to smoking, diabetes and an unhealthy lifestyle. His stroke left him debilitated, robbing him of his ability to talk and walk. The very next year, my grandmother suffered from stroke and I’m sad to say that she is no longer with us. My father and grandmother’s strokes have devastated my family,” Williams stressed the importance of awareness. “I want people to know that stroke can happen to anyone, at any time,” she said. “My father was only in his 50s when he suffered from stroke.

It is largely preventable. We have to take care of ourselves…the first step is knowledge.”

Dr. Rani Whitfield, a family practitioner in Baton Rouge, La., and an American Stroke Association spokesman, noted that stroke is a serious issue in the African-American community.

The Most Powerful Voices singing competition begins a new nationwide search for gospel performers who are eager to showcase their talents, compete for performing and recording opportunities – and help us save lives.

The American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association, GMC TV, Roland Corporation and Light Records announced the start of the annual online competition today. It’s open to independent artists, groups and choirs who sing gospel, praise, worship and holy hip-hop.

Signing up is easy. Just go to power. watchgmctv.com and upload a video or MP3 file between now and Jan. 27.

(Participants must be at least 18 years old.) Artists have until Feb. 24 to get people to vote for them. When people register to compete or vote, they will

receive lifesaving stroke information.

• $2,500 from Light Records

The top 10 finalists will be judged by gospel music industry leaders such as former Destiny’s Child singer Michelle Williams and James Robinson, the vice president of Entertainment One Gospel and president of A&R, Light Records.

• $2,500 travel stipend for the trip to New York

The winner will be announced March 5 and will receive: • The opportunity to perform at the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Power Weekend at a prominent New York venue (One lucky voter in the contest also will win a trip to New York for Power Weekend.)

• $5,000 worth of music equipment from Roland, which manufactures and distributes electronic musical instruments

•A digital single produced and distributed

by Light Records • Personal coaching session with a renowned Light Records artist • National recognition on GMC TV Most Powerful Voices is an initiative of the American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association’s Power To End Stroke cause campaign. Power To End Stroke reaches African-Americans with stroke messages because of their disproportionate stroke risks compared to other ethnic groups.

“I am honored to be involved with the Most Powerful Voices gospel singing

“It is a leading cause of severe, long-term disability and death for all Americans, and African-Americans are at increased risk due to higher prevalence of risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes and previous heart attack and/ or stroke,” he said. “More than 100,000 African-Americans will suffer a new or reoccurring stroke this year. That’s why it’s an important requirement of this competition to register people to receive stroke information. We need to reach as many people as possible to help them to reduce their risk and to know what to do in a stroke emergency to help improve stroke outcomes.”

Power To End Stroke is nationally sponsored by the Bristol-Myers Squibb/ Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership. For more information and to register for the contest, visit power.watchgmctv.com.

Evangelizing the World & Edifying the Believer • www.praisereporter.com january 2012 | www.urbantrendsetters.com

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The Journey

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Family Trends

Ex-offenders face significant challenges in weak job market

By Shartia Brantley professionals with college degrees having a difficult time finding work, but imagine how much more difficult it is to find a job when you have a criminal record?

The Center for Economic and Policy Research estimates the U.S. economy lost the equivalent of 1.5 million to 1.7 million workers or roughly a 0.8 to 0.9 percent reduction in the overall employment rate, according to their report entitled “Ex-offenders and the Labor Market,” which analyzes data from 2008. The group estimates the lost economic input from ex-offender unemployment is between $57 billion and $65 billion.

The weak job market presents challenges for all job seekers, but even greater challenges for one group: exoffenders. CNBC producer Shartia Brantley reports on some unique efforts to address the issue.

over the past few years to say the least.

Although the national unemployment rate dipped to 8.6 percent in November, there are still 13.3 million Americans without a job, according to the Labor Department.

The job market has been challenging

There

are

countless

stories

of

William Rodgers, professor of public policy at Rutgers University and former chief economist at the U.S. Labor Department, emphasizes the impact on the local communities where exoffenders reside.

says. “In many of the cases where many of the ex-offenders reside or return to you’re talking about unemployment rates that are double digit -- 15 to 20 percent.” He adds that under employed and discouraged workers may lead to an unemployment rate of 25 percent or 40 percent for some these local areas.

The wage losses the formerly incarcerated face can be daunting.Cornell William Brooks, President and CEO of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, estimates a male with a criminal record can expect to lose $100,000 in income across the prime earning years of their 20s to early 50s. “Ex-offenders have a loan with an exorbitant interest rate they pay again and again throughout their life,” Brooks says.

“It’s an economic issue. It’s hard for the community to thrive if the people can’t work,” Brooks warns.

“The official unemployment rate might be 9 percent...10 percent,” Rodgers

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Young & Trendy

The Fearless Five: A Thrilling Picture Book Series About A Team of Five Young, Black Kids Turned Superheroes potential in creative play.

“We are excited to be contributing to such an important subject as developing a positive self image in children, particularly our young, Black children,” said Mr. Johnson.

“Enhancing the positive self concept of our children is critically important, given the fact that children in our community are bombarded early in life with imagery that effectively devalues their self concept at a critical stage.”

-- See what a group of young, black kids come up with when left to explore their own potential instead of sitting in front of a TV or video game?

What adventures will Nathan, Joshua, Hannah, Daia and Chai uncover next?

-Steven Johnson, Chief Development

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Officer of HNK Concepts, a product development company, has collaborated with author, Siphriah Davidson, to create the child superhero concept, Fearless Five(TM).

The Fearless Five concept is based on a team of young, black children spending their free time using their imaginations to explore their own

The impetus for the creation of the concept revolved around the lack of product choice in the marketplace that offers positive self-imagery for young, Black children. Johnson and Davidson teamed up with graphic arts firm, Massive Brain, to come out with the first product from this concept, a five-book series, targeting

january 2012 | www.urbantrendsetters.com

pre-K to 3rd grade children. The book series offers world-class artwork and exciting storylines coupled with positive themes around teamwork, determination, selfesteem, caring for others and caring for the environment. Each book has a dedicated topic such as: using imagination and self-esteem (episode 1), dealing with ‘strangers’ (episode 2), conserving natural resources such as water (episode 3), being energy conscious (episode 4) and handling bullying situations (episode 5). In each episode, the team must overcome the initial self-defeating views they have of their potential while battling an imagined team of villains, the Swarm, constantly challenging them. In the end, they come to discover their true potential, which sets them on a path to success. continued on page 15

Education Trends Be Inspired To Get Your Degree With “Who Says You Can’t Go To College?” - The Premiere Resource For Students Pursuing a College Education through the entire collegiate experience - from applications to graduation.

Written by education-extraordinaire Tanya Knight - a woman nationallyrecognized as “America’s Education Coach” - this 160-page book, available in print or as an e-book, is guaranteed to get you into the school of your dreams.

Intended to inspire students of all ages to fulfill their educational goals, Who Says You Can’t Go To College? is the #1 tool to guide parents, professionals, struggling high-school students and adult learners

In today’s struggling economy, many students don’t know how they’re going to pay for college. Even worse, more than 60% of students graduate from high school unprepared for the college experience, and seek remedial classes upon matriculation. Learn how to handle these education issues and more with Knight’s premiere educational resource - Who Says You Can’t Go To College?

- created to give students, parents and adult learners interested in pursuing a college degree the preparation necessary to achieve their educational goals.

Ignoring prior education or demographics, this book covers a variety of topics every student needs to know

- from degree types and coursework to interview tips and job placement - and ultimately encourages students and their parents, namely those who have struggled through the academic process, to see their college experience through to graduation. But this resource doesn’t just prepare you to get in; it takes you, step-by-step, through the entire process - providing insight on funding, scholarships, colleges that offer free tuition, tuition reimbursement, and various other tools to help you along the way.Who Says You Can’t Go To College? is not only designed to get you into the best schools - but rather, the best school for you.

For just $14.95,Who Says You Can’t Go To College? will help students of all ages get into the private, public, community, technical, trade or online institution that fits their educational goals. The book is available for purchase online at Amazon. com, BarnesandNoble.com and the official website at www.TanyaKnight. com

About The Author: Nationally-recognized as “America’s Education Coach,” Tanya Knight uses her flagship organization, Tanya Knight International, to aid students of all ages through the higher education process.

Besides being a regular contributor for Education.com, Jacksonville.com, The College World Reporter Magazine and Hope For Women Magazine, she was named one of “17 Distance Learning Experts Worth Knowing About” by The Knowledge Maven.

Having completed 100% of her degrees online, Knight is a product of hard work and dedication, and understands the obstacles students need to overcome to reach their full potential. She specializes in working with struggling academic students and “adult learners” - parents, soldiers, teachers, executives and working professionals in pursuit of higher education.

Superheroes continued from 14

The ultimate goal of the Fearless Five concept is to support parents, teachers and loved-ones of pre-K to 3rd graders in raising up the next generation of confident, caring, and conscientious global citizens. “As parents ourselves, we desire to see children, in general, and young, Black children, in particular, grow up believing that they are powerful and full of potential, instead of feeling they are helpless and hopeless,” stated Mr. Johnson. “We want to see them believing in themselves, and this effort is our way of contributing to this goal.”

All five of the books in the series are distributed by HNK Concepts and are now available for $4.99 each and can be ordered directly through the website: www.fearlessfive.com/ bookseries.html.Wholesale purchase for retailers, universities, libraries and other organizations is also

available through HNK Concepts: please email info@hnkconcepts.com for purchase.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ thefearlessfive Twitter: www.twitter.com/ thefearlessfive About HNK Concepts: HNK Concepts seeks to be a preeminent product development company focusing on the consumer products opportunities presented within the niche of young, Black children ages three to seven years old and will be a driving force in bringing innovative, high-quality products that offer the children positive imagery within the targeted categories of apparel, video, toys and games, software and print media product lines. january 2012 | www.urbantrendsetters.com

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If Doctor King Were Here Today *Whenever I even consider the notion, I think of Oprah. The woman would have practically adopted him as kin, in the reverential, obsequious fashion in which she has embraced Maya Angelou. infrey would have had him on her TV show for as many appearances as he would have agreed to. And you can believe she’d have seen to it that for as long as he lived, he wouldn’t have a material care in the world.

Not that the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would have needed it.

If he were still with us on January 15th, 2012, at age 83, he’d most likely be a multi-millionaire. With any luck, he’d be in accommodating mental and physical health and people would pay him to give speeches or simply show up at an event.

By the 21st century, Dr. King would have been awarded nearly every official accolade on the planet. He was presented plenty while he was here, including the Nobel Peace Prize. He even has a Grammy, posthumously awarded in 1971 the Best Spoken Word Album trophy for the 1967 recording of his speech, “Why I Oppose the War in Vietnam.”

The Academy certainly would have found a way to give him an Oscar.

Dr. King would have written many best-selling books and important papers and given talks around the globe on the state of the world, humanity, the nation, American politics and Black America.

He’d have embraced the so-called Green trend; would have encouraged the Occupy movement to march on but advise it to clarify its official platform. He would have publicly chastised the Tea Party’s subtle, disdainful double-talk as disturbing language that he is all too familiar with.

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I imagine Dr. King’s relationship with President Obama would be, well, complicated. Dr. King would have liked Presidential candidate Obama– in the senator, King would no doubt have glimpsed a measure of the zeal and tenacity that drove his own elevated and seemingly impossible ambitions decades earlier.

However, King’s endorsement of Obama’s campaign might have come reluctantly (and only at Obama’s delicate, private entreatment), not because King didn’t believe, but out of concern for undermining Obama’s support among potential voters, both white and black, suspicious that the candidate of Hope was furtively connected to America’s bothersome past.

Indeed, old fashioned and out of step with the present is how I believe Dr. King would be viewed if he were here today. Like traditional soul music and basic etiquette, he’d be seen by many as the gentle ambassador to a portal of time and frame of mind considered ancient history.

I understand your skepticism. In the wake of the national holiday, corresponding media events, the proud, towering monuments, the parades and commemorative retail clothes, furniture and car sales, it is extremely difficult to buy the idea that if he were alive, Dr. King could be seen as outmoded.

But simply look at where things Dr. King fought for (and against) now stand in America’s consciousness.

Along with education, race and gender often still ultimately determines the quality of life and opportunity in the

United States.

There are places in this country–and not only at that Ohio swimming pool recently in national headlines–where, even if the “White Only” signs have come down, the mentality remains.

One need only look at the bold arrogance of a collective of politicians on Capitol Hill serving under a black president to see what I mean.

I meet people all the time–decent and thoughtful, some in their 20s, others middle-aged–who, in the course of casual conversation, insist to me that the days of racism in America are over. I can fathom whites having this misguided view; I am mystified to hear blacks say the same thing.

King would be particularly saddened and frustrated that young black Americans, in their stark ignorance of American history, seem to think what happened in this country “back in the day” is behind us, that everything is different now. He’d shake his head at that hip hop and other popular entertainment which systematically demeans and caters to society’s varied dysfunction.

Every MLK Day, well-meaning white folk jubilantly wish me “Happy Martin Luther King Day!” as if the holiday is only for black Americans. They seem oblivious to the fact that the civil rights movement to which Dr. King helped give a voice served all Americans.

Too many of us don’t grasp the idea that no society thrives when a segment of its population, no matter who they are, suffer at the hands of segregation, prejudice and

january 2012 | www.urbantrendsetters.com

inequality. To this end, King would probably wonder what happened to the feminist movement that served to empower women before losing its steam and identity.

The reverend would be angered that for every woefully uninformed young adult, there are two older ones who slacked on the job of teaching younger generations the unvarnished truth: that the struggle is anything but over, that in many ways the more things change, the more they stay the same.

And so, while a living Dr. King would be treated a little better than surviving lions from the Civil Rights movement are regarded today–with a placid respect bordering on polite indifference–his ongoing message, though cliché, would be true: yes, America has come a long way in its treatment of people of color, women, disabled and the poor, but it has so very far to go.

I can visualize a rickety Dr. King sitting on stage with Oprah telling her audience this, and us all tearing up and feeling the love. We’d sustain the vibe for a couple of days before going back to how we were thinking before that show, eschewing our troubled yet valiant past and taking for granted an uncertain future.

Steven Ivory, journalist and author of the essay collection Fool In Love (Simon & Schuster), has covered popular culture for magazines, newspapers, radio and TV for more than 30 years. Respond to him via STEVRIVORY@AOL.COM

Urban Trendsetters

Top 20 Quotes of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I Am A MAN

One who breaks an unjust law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law.

“Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can’t ride you unless your back is bent.

Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.

Discrimination is a hellhound that gnaws at Negroes in every waking moment of their lives to remind them that the lie of their inferiority is accepted as truth in the society dominating them. “

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.

A right delayed is a right denied.

Philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary.

“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.”

Take the first step in faith.You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.

A riot is the language of the unheard.

Science investigates religion interprets.

Science gives man knowledge which is power religion gives man wisdom which is control.

Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better.

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.

Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and halfbaked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.

Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.

History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.

I am not interested in power for power’s sake, but I’m interested in power that is moral, that is right and that is good.

Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.

january 2012 | www.urbantrendsetters.com

Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over.

And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people will get to the promised land.

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Happy New Year LADIES ARE YOU PREPARED FOR YOUR BEST YEAR EVER IN 2012?

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The State of the city from page 6 the streets and into our rec centers where they were provided with mentoring and other needed services in a safe and positive environment.

- Connecting more than 2,000 of youth and adults with employment through COWIC’s summer jobs initiative, SOAR—Summer Opportunities to Achieve and Reconnect—and Hire 1000.

Implementation of the neighborhood safety camera pilot program, which is already working to prevent crime and catch criminals in the five neighborhoods where the program is underway.

- Launch of major neighborhood revitalization efforts in Franklinton, American Addition and the South Side while breaking ground on successful revitalization initiatives in the King Lincoln District and Weinland Park.

- Investment of an unprecedented

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$30 million in Capital Improvement Projects funds to resurface more than 100 Columbus streets and $4 million in pedestrian safety projects, including more than 9 miles of sidewalks.

- Honor by 100 Best Fleets for having the greenest Division of Fleet Management on the continent among the 3,800 fleets in North America.

- Completion of a deal with the State of Ohio, Franklin County and the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority to ensure the vitality and productivity of the Arena District, protecting the thousands of jobs there.

- Annexation of the Hollywood Casino, which will result in nearly 3,500 construction jobs and 2,000 permanent jobs into the City of Columbus.

- Commencement of a 843-acre, $129-million water reservoir to

ensure the security and quality of future water supplies.

- Adoption of the Darby Accord Town Center Master Plan with Franklin County, and Brown and Prairie Townships, ensuring protection of the environmental health of the Big Darby Watershed, the preservation of open spaces, and the establishment of responsible growth in the region.

- Creation of the Coalition for a Nonviolent Columbus which distributed $47,000 in neighborhood seed grants to 56 different community organizations to fund efforts to strengthen communities and prevent crime.

- Patching of more than 20,000 potholes during an intensified twoweek repair initiative in March after inviting residents to report potholes through 311 and social media.

- Opening of new bike trails along

january 2012 | www.urbantrendsetters.com

Alum Creek and the Scioto River including the new McKinley Avenue Bridge.

- Initiation of the Columbus Ecological Restoration Program, which was successful in clearing almost 13 acres of parkland and 1,333 yards of shoreline of honeysuckle, which was then chipped into more than 176 cubic yards of mulch for playgrounds throughout the city - Creation of City Readers, which attracted 157 young men and boys in a summer youth reading program.

Education Directory

january 2012 | www.urbantrendsetters.com

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Beauty Trends

Blacks On A Mission To Open Beauty Supply Stores home materials that covers store layout, obtaining funding, selecting a location and more. Classes include “Avoiding Industry Pitfalls”, “Determining Start-Up Costs”, and “Getting Distributor Accounts.”

Michelle Simons, owner of Desired Beauty Supplies in Hampton Virginia, attended the conference in 2011 and said, “I was skeptical to work with Beauty Supply Institute because there are a lot of scams out there, but attending the conference was the best investment we ever made! My husband and I attended with little knowledge or funding but after the conference was able to open our store within three months of attending.”

Devin Robinson, founder of the Beauty Supply Institute, teaches during a recent class Atlanta, GA (January 4, 2012) -- Beauty Supply Institute is hosting the 2012 Beauty Supply Entrepreneurship Winter Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada on February 18, 2012.

For the past 2 years,Beauty Supply Institute held the Beauty Supply Entrepreneurship Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Now, it expands the annual conference into Las Vegas, Nevada. The conference has led to multiple black store owners within months of attending, despite not having the capital or direction to open. The conference consists of 6 classes, take-

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The Atlanta conference has attracted attendees from all across the United States and Canada. Devin Robinson founded Beauty Supply Institute after opening and running his own successful stores, writing the book How to Become a Successful Beauty Supply Store Owner and making multiple appearances on nationally syndicated Michael Baisden radio show and other media platforms

Robinson comments, “This industry has plenty of pitfalls and secrets that make it difficult for African-Americans to succeed.

We level the playing and give everyone an equal economic shot. I’ve always viewed the problems in this industry as an economic hate crime against blacks, so we simply get stores opened properly and make existing ones better.”

The beauty supply market is a $15 billion market where blacks spend 96% of the money, but own only 3% of the stores.

The conference will take place at Circus Circus Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on February 18, 2012. Conference and room package are available at a special conference discounted rate. Seats are limited. Registration includes conference admission,lunch and materials.Registration closes on January 31, 2012 or when capacity has been reached. To register, visit www.beautysupplyconference.com or call 202-684-6699.

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and publications.

january 2012 | www.urbantrendsetters.com

Health and Wellness

Ringing in the New Year: Tips to Help You Quit Smoking.

By Laura Atkinson - M.A., PhD, abd, President/CEO

Every year at this time, we all think about or make New Year’s resolutions.

Some of us stick with them some don’t.

When it comes to sticking with your New Year’s resolution to quit smoking, planning, dispelling myths and social support provide you with the best tools to quit and stay quit.

First, let’s dispel some of those myths associated with smoking and trying to quit: Myth #1: My uncle, grandfather or some other relative smoked and lived to be 95, 99, and 100.

Truth: While there may be the occasional individual that defies the odds, statistically they are the exception to the rule. Smoking beyond 50 years of age significantly increases your risk from dying of cancer, heart disease, upper respiratory disease and others associated with smoking. Smokers have more than 3 times the risk of death due to smoking relating illnesses than that of non-smokers.

Myth#2: It is just a habit, I could quit if I wanted.

Truth:This is actually 2 myths rolled into one. While a very small percentage of people do quit cold turkey, roughly 3%, there are better ways to quit.

This is because nicotine is a highly addictive substance that not only causes changes in your brain chemistry to make you crave cigarettes, but also rewires our thought patterns due to craving and withdrawal. Some people mistake this for a habit because they have been smoking for a long time and don’t realize that triggers such as seeing some one else smoke or even just smelling smoke can cue your brain to crave a cigarette.

Because nicotine indirectly releases dopamine, the feel good chemical in the brain, each time in between cigarettes the brain craves more nicotine thus reinforcing the need to smoke.

Myth#3: I have been smoking so long, I don’t think I could quit.

Truth: While it will take a lot of commitment and support to quit the longer you have been smoking, it is not

by any means impossible. Thousands of people successfully quit each year.Those who have the most success are those who use a combination of working with a tobacco cessation counselor and medications to help alleviate withdrawal symptoms. Even if you relapse, each time you learn more about where you slipped up and what can help move you forward to successfully quitting.

So we have dispelled a few myths about smoking, now here are some tips to help you keep that New Year’s resolution to quit smoking: You are 4 times more likely to succeed if you work with a tobacco cessation counselor who can help identify your triggers, deal with withdrawal, and help choose the correct nicotine replacement medication.

Those who combine counseling with medication have success rates between 50-65%. While those who use medication alone between 20-40%.

If you are trying to quit avoid situations and people who may trigger you to smoke, for example, going to bars, as drinking and smoking often go together.

Instead of going out with your co-worker for a cigarette break, go for a walk, talk to one of your support people, encourage your co-worker to join you in a tobacco cessation program.

To alleviate weight gain when quitting smoking, begin walking, enrolling in a fitness class. Talk to a nutritionist or your tobacco cessation counselor about healthy foods to substitute when you are having a craving and ask about resources for fitness programs.

Have a plan to deal with withdrawal symptoms, and relapse. Your tobacco cessation counselor can help you with this.

Find resources to help you deal with stress since, stress is the number 1 trigger for relapse. A tobacco cessation counselor can help you with this as well.

When you are ready to quit let your family, friends, co-workers know you are trying to quit. Be specific with them regarding how they can help. Some times they may think they are helping by constantly getting on you to quit but, you

find it annoying. Tell them something like this: You could really help me during this time by helping out around the house.

Or if you have spouse, house mate that smokes, ask if they could smoke outside or in a designated area.

Prepare yourself for the physical and mental withdrawal of quitting, i.e. irritability, anxiety, restlessness. Let friends, family know that this is a difficult time for you and to be patient and understanding.

Quitting is not easy, but definitely possible. The rewards of quitting are life saving and life changing: Benefits of Quitting: 20 minutes after quitting: Blood pressure lowers, Pulse rate drops, Body temperature of hands and feet increases due to better circulation 8 hours: - Carbon Monoxide levels return to normal - Oxygen levels in blood returns to

normal 24 Hours:– Chance of heart attack decreases 48 hours - Nerve endings start regrowing - Ability to smell and taste improves 2 weeks to 3 months: - Circulation improves - Walking becomes easier - Lung function increases 1 to 9 months: Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, shortness of breath decreases 1 year: - Risk of Heart disease cut in half of that of smoker Best wishes for a Happy New Year. For more information on how you can find help to quit with ourTobacco Free for Life Program, Contact: Crystal or Carlotta: 614-414-0249, or email: crystalcvetan@ totalwellnessconcepts.biz. www.twcpharmacywellness.com.

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AUGUST 11, 2012 The objective of the Annual African-American Male and Family Wellness Walk is to bring awareness to the fact that Africa-American men are dying at an alarming rate from many conditions that are preventable. Join us for the Walk!

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january 2012 | www.urbantrendsetters.com

Nyesha Arrington, ‘Top Chef’ Contestant, At Sunday Dinner

Trendy Palette

Bacon Green Beans With Orange Zest

2 pounds green beans, blanched 3 shallots peeled, sliced 1 cup bacon, chopped 4 oz Bacon Vinagrette 1 tsp blend oil 1 tsp butter 1 orange It’s business as usual back at the Wilshire Restaurant where Nyesha Arrington staked her claim as one of the most promising chefs to watch in 2011. After a run on Season 9 of Bravo’s “Top Chef” (where’s she’s still battling for a comeback in the show’s new “Last Chance Kitchen” challenge), she’s been refining menus and shopping the Los Angeles farmers’ market for ingredients like black radishes -- a nice add-on to smoked salmon, she says -- black kale and purple Brussels sprouts.

“I go to the farmers’ market and get stopped and it’s weird. I’m just a chef, you know? So it’s funny when people know my whole story,” Arrington says.

WATCH: Nyesha battles it out for a chance to return to the “Top Chef” competition.

Aside from the props she’s been getting on the professional level and the shout-outs she’s adjusting to on routine shopping trips, Arrington’s new-found celebrity hasn’t changed much in the way of her day-to-day life.

Bacon Vinaigrette 1 tbl Dijon mustard 1 tbl honey 3 tbl sherry vinegar 4 oz bacon fat 1 tsp crushed black pepper How-To

Heat a sauté pan until smoking. Add oil and green beans to the pan, then add shallots and continue to cook. Toss in Bacon Vinagrette and chopped Bacon.

Zest fresh orange over the top.

It also hasn’t changed the way she spends her one day off each week.

“I try to really decompress on my days off, because generally it’s one day,” she says.

Though snowboarding would normally be

her pastime of choice this time of year, an activity Arrington says she adores and did avidly during a stint as a personal chef in Aspen, Colo., California’s mild weather lends itself to different kinds of outdoor pursuits. continued on page 30

Urban Chefs, BBQlicious products are available online.

Check out the company’s website at www.its-soulicious.com

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Restaurant & Lounge Directory We’re Back!

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january 2012 | www.urbantrendsetters.com

Arts and Entertainment

Oprah’s 2012 Resolution

Oprah Winfrey Devoted to Rescuing OWN in 2012 ended her talk show after 25 years and turned her attention to the channel.

“I realized the reason people have this tone is they’re reading all the press (about OWN), so you see me and wonder if I can still walk. … I am a determined and committed woman. I don’t give up. I’m just getting started,” she said in a recent interview.

One bonus of being Oprah: She has received pep talks from other media movers and shakers.

*The AP sat down with Oprah Winfrey to discuss the rocky road surrounding the launch of her cable channel OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network.

“Yes, some mistakes were made. Who hasn’t made mistakes? The real beauty is you can say, ‘I learned from that,’ ” Winfrey said of her network’s disappointing first year. “I don’t worry about failure. I worry about, ‘Did I do all I could do?’”

The cable channel, which marks its first year Jan. 1, is trying for a fresh start after executive turnover and missteps that proved OWN lacked a solid foundation on which to build, this despite a Discovery Communications investment of a reported $250 million and counting.

Viewers snubbed the lineup that skimped on programming and, surprisingly, what should have been OWN’s unique weapon of choice: Winfrey herself, whose limited on-air presence will be boosted Sunday with a new weekly series, “Oprah’s Next Chapter.”OWN has failed to improve on, or in some instances even match, the modest ratings and small audience earned by the low-profile Discovery Health channel it replaced.

“I would absolutely say it is and was not where I want it to be for year one,” Winfrey said. “My focus up until (last) May was doing what I do best, which is ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show,’ and giving that my full attention” until its conclusion. But Winfrey, who said management team errors in planning and execution could serve as a cautionary tale (“I was never interested in writing a book. … THIS could be a book”), rejects the idea that a single year’s performance will determine OWN’s ultimate fate. Or hers.

“Somebody was talking to me in that kind of saddened,‘How are you?’ tone, and I was thinking, ‘I’m fine,’ ” said Winfrey, 57, who ruled as the queen of daytime TV until she

“Everybody has told me — Ted Turner has told me, Barry Diller has told me, Lorne Michaels has told me, David Geffen has told me — anybody who’s ever worked with a channel, who’s ever done anything, has said it takes three to five years,” she said, adding, “You have to do the work. …

You do not have to pay attention to the criticism.”

Year two for OWN will reflect executive changes made last July, when Winfrey expanded her role at the channel by adding the roles of chief executive and chief creative officer to her position as chairman. Discovery Communications COO Peter Liguori had filled in as interim head after OWN CEO Christina Norman was dismissed in the wake of poor ratings.

Although the channel’s ownership is split evenly between Discovery and Winfrey’s Chicago-based production company, Harpo Inc., it is Discovery’s money that’s on the line.

With more scheduling consistency, movies, original series with and without Winfrey, and “a lot more Oprah in general,” Discovery is “a lot more confident that we’re heading in the right direction,” said company spokesman David Leavy.

Sheri Salata and Erik Logan, two veteran Harpo executives, were brought on board to share the title of OWN president, with Logan moving from Chicago to OWN’s Los Angeles headquarters.

Logan said he clearly understands the hard work in establishing any cable channel, and this one in particular.

“One of the greatest gifts and challenges is to have her name on the door,” Logan said of his top boss.“Everything you do garners a high level of scrutiny and attention. …

We don’t run from that.”

The initially slight programming lineup is being beefed up, most notably with “Oprah’s Next Chapter.” The weekly

series debuts 9 p.m.-11 p.m. EST Sunday with Winfrey’s visit to the New Hampshire home of Steven Tyler.

“Next Chapter” turns the once studiobound Winfrey into a globe-trotting interviewer who drops into the home of a Hasidic Jewish family in New York, George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch in California and cook Paula Deen’s Georgia estate. There is also a trip with Sean Penn to Haiti, firewalking with Tony Robbins and a planned India trip with Deepak Chopra.

The injection of Winfrey on-screen, not just in the executive suite, is sorely needed, suggested one industry analyst.

“The biggest mistake they made is, if it’s the Oprah Winfrey Network, where’s Oprah?” said Bill Carroll of media buying firm Katz Media.

He compared OWN’s Winfrey vacuum to programming the Court TV channel without courtroom shows or the Major League Baseball channel without games: “After a while, viewers stop going,” Carroll said.

OWN has averaged about 136,000 viewers a day, a drop of 8 percent from what Discovery Health drew in 2010, although it’s up slightly in total viewers in prime time and has seen an 8 percent increase among women ages 25 to 54, part of the channel’s hoped-for demographic.

Popular shows include “The Judds,” which ran for six episodes in April and May;“Our America With Lisa Ling”; and the reality series “Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s,” which attracted a strong African-American audience (prompting media reports that OWN intended to skew toward black viewers, an assertion that Discovery and Winfrey deny.“It doesn’t mean we’re going to turn into the ‘Roots’ channel,” Winfrey said, wryly.)

Winfrey also is on-air with “Oprah’s Lifeclass,” which draws on her talk-show archives, and “Oprah’s Master Class,” a series of high-achiever biography specials.

But, she said, she never “was supposed to carry the channel on my back, and it never was supposed to be about me being on the air as much as possible.” Instead, O magazine, with Winfrey as monthly cover girl and articles reflecting her better-life philosophy, is the intended model.

She attributes the channel’s rough start to a more basic error: The lack of a “library” of programming for the many hours of airtime not filled by original shows, compounded by overconfidence about her market value in general.

january 2012 | www.urbantrendsetters.com

“I don’t understand what anybody was thinking. You’re going on the air, you’ve got four shows. What do you think you’re going to do by Tuesday? Did they think people were going to turn on the channel just because it had my name on it?” she said, sounding almost eager to cast doubt on her drawing power.

“People didn’t turn on ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ because my name was on it. It was absolutely topic driven every day,” she said.

Such modest expressions aside, Winfrey’s involvement clearly is key to the channel’s success. She’s glad to make the commitment, she said. As her longtime boyfriend Stedman Graham told her, she’d be bored silly today if she’d taken any lengthy break after ending her daytime show.

Discovery is also in it for “the long term,” said spokesman Leavy, citing the three to five years that other cable channels have needed to develop audience-grabbing hits and firmly establish themselves.

He declined to specify what Discovery has spent so far on the venture, calling media estimates high. But he pointed to longterm advertising contracts with major companies including Procter & Gamble, and hopes of new carriage fees from cable providers that have been airing the channel for free.

Viewership that has been lower than expected, however, has meant “make goods” in ad time for sponsors.

Winfrey, who describes herself as obsessed by ratings for the first time in her career, said she’s giving OWN “everything I’ve got.

I’ve spent more energy doing this than anything I’ve ever done in my whole life.”

With good reason. “I walked in today (to OWN’s offices) and felt uplifted to see my name on the door, Oprah Winfrey Network,” she said. “Just to … be able to sit in a room with a team of people presenting you with ideas — what a gift that is.”

It has also made OWN her ultimate responsibility.“Every third week, someone new was in charge, and now she’s in charge. From where I sit, this is going to be her success or her failure,” said analyst Carroll.Winfrey claims to have an unlikely sounding Plan B if the channel falls short.

“If this doesn’t work out, I’m going to go into organic farming in Maui. And I’m not kidding.”

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Business and Finance

Tips from the CEO Coach: Five Things Entrepreneurs Can Do to Prepare for 2012 Here are some of my tips:

to either rewrite the statement or to change your business model back into compliance.

Create a Strategic Plan. All successful entrepreneurs are working off a five-year strategic plan and take the time every year to assess where they are in that plan.This comprehensive planning takes an outside professional facilitator to administer and the outcome should be an actionable list of high-impact initiatives designed to move closer to that five-year picture.

If you are not working from a five-year strategic plan, the real question is should you be?

Look at your marketing plan and goals.The end of the year is a good time to review your marketing plan, discuss if it met your goals, and if it was effective. Whether its word-of-mouth, advertising or public relations, you should evaluate last year’s strategies and decide if you need to do something different for 2012. You also need to study your audience and see if their habits and needs have changed. If so, you may need to adjust your marketing plan accordingly.

Review your mission statement.A mission statement is your strategic direction for the company and should be reviewed annually. A professionally-written mission statement will address the following: who you are, what you do, who you serve, how you serve them and, most importantly, what you do that sets you apart from your competition. If, in review, you learn that your company is no longer complying with one or several elements of your mission statement, then it is time

Set a new sales goal. When you are looking at projections for 2012, you also need to be able to decide how to measure those goals. You need to know if you want to see a 25 percent or 50 percent increase in sales. Setting goals is a great way to measure how well your sales team is doing. However, you need to have feedback from the sales team when creating the new goals. Setting an unrealistic goal can lead to a lot of burned out and frustrated employees.

strategy for 2012 now is the time.

by Yolanda Mason, CEO Coach January marks the beginning of the New Year and the time of year that entrepreneurs start thinking about how they will address their business concerns.

If you do not have a business plan or

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Review your product and look for growth areas. What does 2012 mean for your product. Is it going to see increased demand, or is there going to be a lull in demand? Your product may be in danger of being phased out, and that might mean you have to look at branching out into a different area. Alternatively, there may be accessories that can be sold alongside your product, for example, laptop bags to go with a laptop computer. Even if your company decides not to make the accessories, you can partner with a firm that makes those accessories and share in the profits. A good brainstorming session around your product line can lead to new revenue streams.

Many businesses slow down for the end of the year/holiday season. Now would be a good time for entrepreneurs to do some reflection and brainstorming, so they can hit the ground running in 2012. Yolanda Mason is a CEO Coach for Estrada Strategies. For more information send emails to ymason@estradstrategies. com.

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Travel Trends

In Praise of the Emerald Isle

• Lovers of nautical history and movie trivia may set a course for the “Remembering the Titanic” event in Belfast.

• Runners may want to participate in The Great Ireland Run, Ireland’s fastest-growing 10-km running event, in Phoenix Park, Dublin.

• Those who appreciate fine stitching may want to attend the first annual International Quilt Festival of Ireland, located in a special Quilter’s Village on the banks of the River Corrib.

(NAPSI)—It’s not unusual for people to recommend a vacation destination, but when Queen Elizabeth II and President Barack Obama honored Ireland with their presence, travelers took note.

Visits by these dignitaries helped boost the number of tourists visiting Ireland by 15 percent, according to a recent Reuters article. Both visits took place within a matter of days, with the U.S. president commenting on his distant Irish ancestry and the queen being the first British regent to visit in a century.

House Restaurant in Killarney, and the Irish Classic tour includes a visit to Giant’s Causeway, with its astounding 60 million-year-old volcanic formed columns.

Several events on the calendar for 2012 will also draw visitors to Ireland.

When deciding on a tour, consider the benefits of all-inclusive travel.

Read the fine print to see what is included in the tour price so you don’t face daily sales pitches for meals and special events or attractions.

CIE Tours’ $550+ Advantage means everything is included, so you will not encounter unexpected costs for “extras.”

For more information, visit www. cietours.com/emeraldisle or call (800) 243-8687.

Tourists figured these world travelers must know just how much Ireland has to offer.

There is so much to see on the Emerald Isle that many visitors prefer taking a coach tour so they won’t miss any of Ireland’s wild natural beauty, quaint villages or rich historical legacy.

CIE Tours International will feature three of more than 40 tours in 2012: the seven-day Southern Gems, the eight- or nine-day Irish Gold, and the 12- or 13-day Irish Classic, which all include a horse-drawn car ride through Killarney’s National Park; a traditional Irish evening of song, dance and perhaps a pint of Guinness; as well as breathtaking views from the top of the Cliffs of Moher.

Additionally, the Southern Gems tour includes a visit to the National Stud, where you will see prizewinning racehorses. The Irish Gold includes a dinner at the renowned Killeen

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Chef continued from page 30

For Arrington it’s surfing, cooking for friends and hanging with her black lab, Samson, that make for a perfect weekend day.

“Me and my buddies try to get together and cook a family meal for everyone in the neighborhood. That’s definitely why I live in Venice -- it’s a very communal area.

We have community gardens and a lot of my friends belong to that, so they’ll bring

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over fruits and vegetables. It’s a good relationship -- they bring stuff and I cook it,” she says.

Arrington’s family-style dinners have grown from roughly six people to an allout neighborhood affair. “We try to do different themes every week, like ravioli day or different gratins,” she says. “It’s the way food is supposed to be enjoyed -- with friends and family in a beautiful

setting.”

On this week’s menu, Arrington’s whipping up freshly baked bread, bacon green beans with orange zest, a roasted beet salad fresh from the farmers’ market, her signature Wilshire burger and a dish of thinly sliced marinated beef called bulgogi, a nod to her family’s Korean heritage.

january 2012 | www.urbantrendsetters.com

The dishes define Arrington’s “rustic elegant” approach to food and the style she hopes to be known for one day.

“Properly executed food that is delicious.

I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel. I just want to make sure that if it’s going to be something basic, that everything is at peak season and that it’s the best quality.

That’s where my cooking style is going.”

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