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Available NOW at Amazon.com                              See What Celebrities Are Saying About Mind Hustle Book:                                        “Essential Resource to learn the Artistry of                                                        Entrepreneurship.”                                                  Waliyy “Main Event” Dixon                                                   StreetBall Legend & 2014                                             Hip Hop Honoree Award Recipient                                                     Forward By Cookin’ Ty                                           The Official Hip Hop Chef to the Stars                                                 To Book Swan please contact                                                 [email protected] www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com
Visionary Entrepreneur and Global Business Leader. She’s excelled as a MillionDollar Producer in the Payments Industry, an Independent TV & Music Producer,Award Winning Writer and Author of the Bestselling book, Mind Hustle. Sheis the CEO of Swan Simpson Media Group of Companies and the Publisher ofMoguls Magazine.A long time Pioneer of Black & Latino media inclusion, she founded FusionNetwork TV a few years back. A Business Leader who’s been consistentlyrecognized by Who’s Who as an International Executive whose run GlobalOrganizations like Ziami, Inc.In 2006, she received Special Congressional Recognition by CongresswomanCynthia McKinney for her work in International Relations. And she presentlyserves as the Chairperson of RAM Technology, the Nation’s only Minority ownedTablet & Mobile Technology Manufacturing Company.                                                         www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com 3
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FromThe                                                           Del Editor yPublisher & CEO Director GeneralwhO Am ITalkingTo? OMS estoyhablando?Somebody is listening to us. Just like David from the             Alguien nos está escuchando . Al igual que David de lasscriptures, we got a little rock and a slingshot and it’s aiming  Escrituras , que nos dieron un poco de rock y una hondaat those big media giants who are controlling what we see         y es el objetivo en los grandes gigantes de los mediosand hear of ourselves. we are only on issue #2 and Moguls         que están controlando lo que vemos y oímos a nosotrosMagazine has blown up all over the place. Our website www.        mismos . Nosotros sólo estamos en el número 2 yBlackMogulsMagazine.com has been so slammed on certain            mogoles revista ha volado por todo el lugar . Nuestrodays that servers have gone down. we are trending on Social       sitio web www . BlackMogulsMagazine.com ha sido tanMedia and our supporters and following is steadily growing;       criticado en ciertos días de que los servidores han ba-and so is the size of ourmagazine. For all that this continues    jado . Estamos en tendencia en las redes sociales y queto become, “we give thanks in advance to the SOUrCe.” I was       nos apoyan y que sigue es cada vez mayor ; y así es elgiven a vision for local that has grown into global overnight     tamaño de ourmagazine . Por todo lo que esto continúathrough the power of digital. I am so thankful for those who      para convertirse , “ damos gracias por adelantado a lahave supported this grassroots movement of media for and          fuente . “ Se me dio una visión de local que ha crecidoabout Black and Latino entrepreneurs. Our goal will always be     hasta convertirse en una noche mundial a través delto give voice to the least of these and to promote a standard of  poder de la tecnología digital . Estoy muy agradecido aexcellence within our community.                                  los que han apoyado este movimiento de base de los                                                                  medios de comunicación para y sobre los latinos yIn this quarterly issue #2, we celebrate astandard of excellence  empresarios Negro . Nuestro objetivo siempre será el dethat we recognize to be OUr TrUTH. And that is the “immutable     dar voz a los más pequeños de éstos y para promover unpower” of Black & Latino women in America. Moguls Magazine        estándar de excelencia dentro de nuestra comunidad .is proud to recognize The 20 Most Powerful women In Urban         En esta edición trimestral # 2 , celebramos astandard deAmerica. Some of these women you may have never heard             excelencia que nos reconocemos como nuestra verdad .of, but their accomplishments, dedication and achievements        Y ese es el “poder inmutable “ de Black & Latino Mujeresare certainly to be lauded and celebrated. we then round out      en América. Moguls revista se enorgullece de reconocerthis issue with our “not so typical”woman of The Year. Our        Las 20 mujeres más poderosas de América urbana .chosen woman of the Yearis further proof that we are not little   Algunas de estas mujeres puede que nunca han oídoyes people seeking to be accepted, sanctioned or approved         hablar de , pero su logros , dedicación y logros sonby anyone. Our 1st ever woman of the Year truly balances          ciertamente ser elogiado y celebrado . Entonces Com-the scales of fire and ice, Ms.Terri J. Vaughn. read all about    plementamos este tema con nuestro “ no tan típica “her in our cover story as well as so many other women of          mujer del año . Nuestra mujer elegida de la prueba másPower throughout the pages of this Fall 2014 Issue of Moguls      Yearis que no somos gente pequeña yes buscando serMagazine. I am certain that you too will agree, that we have      aceptado , sancionado o aprobado por cualquierfound some of the “baddest” sisters in this Nation and putthem    persona. Nuestra primera vez la mujer del año equilibrafront and center. So, it’s only proper that our woman of The      verdaderamente las escalas de fuego y hielo , Ms.Terri J.Year be icing on this delicious red velvet cake.                  Vaughn . Leer todo sobre ella en nuestra historia de                                                                  portada , así como tantas otras mujeres de Poder en lasFinally, help us spread our message by sharing this issue of      páginas de este otoño 2014 Emisión de MogulsMoguls Magazine with your following and tweet me your             Magazine.thoughts and comments onTwitter @swansimpson and @BlackMogulsMagInstagram BlackMogulsMagFacebook BlackMogulsMagazine52 www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com
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Power Plays                    Celebrities like Diddy, Justin Timberlake, Ludacris, and                               others either have purchased stock or have given their                               names to endorsing various brands of alcoholic beverages.$3.7 Million… It is apparent that with the right brand, the return on the                                                                            investment can be astronomical to say the least.I’ll DrinkTo                   Alcohol brands have started taking notice that Hip Hop                               and Urban Music blend quite well with martinis and                               cocktails. Take this case in point; before Diddy attached                               his name to Ciroc, the top end of sales were approximatelyThat!                          50,000 cases annually. After Diddy endorsed the brand,                               sales drove upwards of 2 million cases annually. That is an                               amazing return on the Urban influence. But these brands                               are still affordable to most regular folks and people with                               jobs and careers.                               But in recent years a new brand has hit the market and                               there is no faking the funk with this one. The world-                               renowned Leon Verres Luxury Group announced the                               sale of “Le Billionaire”and turned up the heat. Just as                               the name suggests, pretty much a brand of vodka that                               ONLY a billionaire can happily partake. One 5-liter bottle                               of Le Billionaire costs a breathtaking and astounding $3.7                               MILLION DOLLARS! How many bottles can they push                               with a Cash Money or Nicki Manaj endorsement? Imagine                               if you owned stock in this company, “can ya say hella                               wealthy!”                               I’m sure you are wondering what makes this brand of                               vodka worthy of such a hefty price tag? First, let’s start                               with the bottle. The bottle itself has an estimated 3,000                               diamonds and Swarovski crystals. Secondly, is the vodka                               inside of saidbottle. Unlike other vodkas that undergo                               simple distillation procedures, Le Billionaire vodka is also                               poured through pure diamonds as part of an additional                               distillation process. This one is definitely for the Mogul                               that has reached an elite status.                               It’s time to turn your game up and reach for that next level                               of success. So, when you plan that holiday gathering or                               that movie or record release party with your friends and                               family, place a couple of bottles of Le Billionaire on your                               tables with the price tag showing and just sit and wait                               for everyone’s expressions. That’s the definition of a true                               Baller; the one that has reached the height of definitive                               Mogul status.                               Happy Tasting!                               Andre Thomas is blogger and new media Producer. He is                               also the Producer of the award winning tv show College                               Talk. You can follow his blog at www.AndreJThomas.com6 www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com
PRODUCTIVITY 101Incorporating Simple Changesthat are both easyto doAND easy notto do.De-Cluttering Your Life Increases Your Productivity & ProfitDuring the everyday shuffle of life from balancing checks,                             	Ex. A clear shoe box sized container labeledbusinesses, and family our lives can become disorganized and                                quarterly and insert envelopes for eachcluttered. Valuable seconds are lost due to the misplacement of                             category. Business related categories couldkeys, important contracts being lost amongst a pile of disarray,                            include: Travel, Uniform, Business Meetings,or simple errors are made simply due to disorganization that may                            etc.have cost you a potential client or income. Here are a few tipsto assist you with de-cluttering your workspace and hopefully                    c.	 Discard calendars, phone books, business cardsincreasing your productivity as well as your profit:                                   There are several phone apps that a client                                                                                       can download that will scan business cards     1.	 There is a space and time for everything.                                     and important documents. My personal           a.	 Designate a space for your office and important                         recommendation is www.dropbox.com.                paperwork.           b.	 Invest in storage and shelving equipment and                      d.	 Purchase a dry erase or magnetic board to display                properly label each.                                                   all important dates, information or paperwork.           c.	 Allocate a specific time each day to tackle your                        “Your mind cannot remember, what your eyes can                work related tasks.                                                    not see.”           d.	 Delegate tasks to family members, hire assistance,                or outsource if needed.                                KeAndea “Kema” Williams is the CEO of A Luxurious Life                                                                       Boutique Agency based in Memphis, TN with offices     2.	 Loose the clutter                                             throughout the Southeast. She was recently nominated by          a.	 Junk mail should be discarded after two weeks.           the Tri-State Defender at the Best in Black Awards for Best          b.	 Create a receipt filing system for all business related  Event Planner and Best Concert/Party Promoter of 2013.                expenses                                               Her company works with high profile individuals offering                                                                       professional services including Concierge, Promotions, Virtual                                                                       Personal Assistants and more. Visit her website at http://www.                                                                       aluxuriouslifeboutique.com for a complete menu of offerings.                                                                       www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com 7
PBroawnedring                               Why Women Have an                               Unfair Advantage Over                               Men In Business8 www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com
randingMale entrepreneurs who read this headline may feel some          relationships and as a result long term business growth.type of way, so let’s start with the numbers and the facts,shall we?                                                        Men entrepreneurs have a tendency to be more                                                                 focused on the bottom line and could sometimes carewhy do I want to start with numbers before sharing my            less how someone feels. This is usually because men3 ways women have an unfair advantage over men in                are more results driven and like to keep emotion andbusiness?                                                        feelings out of the picture along the way.well, it’s actually quite simple…                                3. women are willing to be more transparent than men.                                                                    when you’re willing to share your story of struggleBusiness Mogul Jay-Z said it best,“Men Lie, women Lie, but          and setbacks throughout your life to show that you’reNUMBerS Don’t!”                                                     a real person, more people will be willing to let their                                                                    guard down and do business with you because theyBased on detailed information conducted by the Center               can relate to you.for Women Business Research, women own 10.6 millionbusinesses in the United States, they employ 19.1 million           Men sometimes have a hard time publicly sharing ourworkers(that’s one in every seven employees) andtheir               losses and struggles. Sometimes it’s the things thatbusinesses account for $2.5 trillion in sales.                      we have gone through growing up that holds us back                                                                    and keeps us from allowing ourselves to connect withNow this article isn’t to argue who has the most businesses,        more people who may have been willing to do busi-who creates the most jobs or who accounts for the most              ness with us.sales between female and male entrepreneurs.This articleis to expose, “Why Women Have an Unfair Advantage Over              here’s an example…Men In Business.”                                                                    Billionaire, Oprah winfrey, was molested by a relativeOf course I could share several ways that women have an             as a little girl and by her sharing her story, she’s been“Unfair Advantage” over male entrepreneurs, but for the             able to impact millions of lives across the globe.sake of time, let’s dive into the top three….                                                                    From Oprah’s willingness to share her story, Billionaire1. Now I’ve been blessed to work with, coach and train              Tyler Perry, said he was more open to sharing his story   entrepreneurs from all over the globe with all different         of being abused and molested as a child. Now look at   types of backgrounds and something that I’ve noticed             the empire he’s been able to build by being more   is that women are more open minded to personal                   transparent. Take note.   growth and are more coachable minus the eGO.                                                                    If you’re a female entrepreneur reading this and you   Here’s what I mean…                                              haven’t fully recognized the power you possess in                                                                    having these 3 “Unfair Advantages” I highly encourage   A lot of times, as men, we get stuck in our ways and when        you to start embracing this power today. And if you’re   it comes to us following the instruction of another male         a maleentrepreneur reading this…   or female our egos kick in and our minds shut down.   Many times we forget that to be great leaders, we have        I highly encourage you to embrace the traits of our female   to be great students.                                         Entrepreneurs because these 3 traits will have a BIG of                                                                 an impact on both your business and your income.   women are wired differently and have this down to a   science and show more willingness to grow into the            Marquel Russell is a World Renowned Business and Per-   person they have to become in order to be successful.         sonal Transformation Strategist. Marquel has helped   women are also willing to accept instruction and course       countless amount of Entrepreneurs from across the   correction a.k.a “construction criticism”.                    U.S., Australia, Canada, Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, The                                                                 United Kingdom, Singapore and Malaysia build highly2. women are naturally nurturers so when it comes to             profitable business empires. To learn more about Mar-   building teams, working with employees etc. they are more     quel visit www.MarquelRussell.com   empathetic. This type of attitude creates long term business                                                                 www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com 9
CROWDFUNDING                                         Made Simple                                         Yolanda Williams3TIPCFSURONDWIDNG                        Crowdfunding; where lots of people                                         contribute small amounts of moneyHave you heard? You can get your         to help fund a start-up, a project, orbusiness started, your project funded,   a social cause. The crowdfundingand your dream advanced all without a    industry is global. There arebank loan, a government grant, or a tin  literally millions of projects beingcup. Want to know more?                  successfully funded as you read this                                         article. What about you?                                         In 2014 crowdfunding is expected to                                         finish off the year nearing $10 billion                                         in online funding.                                         To me that sounds like opportunity                                         knocking. There are a number of                                         crowdfunding platforms to choose                                         from. In fact within the USA alone                                         there are over 450 crowdfunding                                         platforms. While Kickstarter.com                                         and Indegogo.com are the largest                                         today, Atlanta has its own female                                         entrepreneur who launched                                         Kenectit.com in December 2013.                                         Kenectit’s niche is supporting                                         start-ups, creative projects, and                                         social causes that have community                                         impact. They offer guidance and                                         support services from beginning to                                         end to help with the planning and                                         technology used to run a successful                                         campaign.                                         www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com 11
1 Tell a great storyThe most effective way to do this is via telling a great story – either about yourself, the story of your project       or company, or the story of your customers; the people who your project will truly impact. The story should       include a text description of 500 words or less and a compelling, well-executed video (90 seconds to 3 minutes max).    2Get Family/Friends to helpHave people set and ready to start funding the launch of the campaign on day one. You will need what we                             call ‘advocates’ to help you do that. Your family and friends should be your first source for this support. Their                             credible endorsement will go a long way to ensuring your success. You should know that campaigns that                      accelerate more rapidly early on and attain a significant percentage of their funding goal in a short span of time                      often attract more attention as a whole over the life of the campaign.3Do the Pre-work       Let me dispel a myth…the crowd-funding platform you select is far less important a decision than most       Successful crowdfunding campaign owners put in tens to hundreds of hours on the creative marketing and       planning side of their campaign before launching. They then also have a plan for several “pushes” in their marketing to launch, fund, and push to close funding at or above their goal. This makes perfect sense. Think about it. Garbage in…garbage out. You may not have to do a full out business plan, but you do have to put time in to craft and share your message effectively.Yolanda Williams has Consulted with Fortune 100 companies & others including;GE, Abbott Labs, Ford Motor Company, Home Depot, SunTrust, Wendy’s/Arby’sGroup, Teradata, United Rentals, The Gap, Sears Holding Company, and E*TradeFinancial. She is the CEO of KenectIT where she plans to enable the start-up of1000 new businesses.12 www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com
GTHHeIVAeIrNTGOF                                             of us have defined this more as an individual or personal                                                             obligation of good will. You give of yourself throughwhy philanthropy and Giving Back Are A Must!                 volunteerism and donations, but we don’t consider theseAs entrepreneurs and business owners many of us may          contributions as acts of philanthropy. Often times we con-not have a million dollars in the bank, and may sometimes    sider philanthropist as people that have wealth and canstruggle to keep our business afloat. Some of us may in-     give large sums of money to nonprofit organizations and/deed have thriving business with money in the bank and       or causes that they are passionate about. we think of in-planning to expand and/or start a new endeavor. whatever     dividuals such as Oprah winfrey, warren Buffet, Bill Gatesyour business finances tend to be the question is are you    and other famous or wealthy individuals who have madegiving back to thecommunity? what is your philanthrop-       a name for themselves through their work, fame andic practice? How are you leveraging your donations and       charitable giving practices. But how often do we con-contributions? Is it all going to one place such as church   sider Mother Peterson, who volunteers everyday down ator a religious organization? Or are you dividing it amongst  the homeless shelter, Brother Marcus who mentors at riskother organizations that help the entire community as a      youth 3 days a week at the recreation Center, Mrs. Sheilawhole?                                                       who advocates for students and parents in the educationRedefining the idea of philanthropy:                         system, or even the mom and pop small restaurant thatwe all have given many hours of our time and donations       provides free dinners on Fridays to the families in histo many individuals and organizations. However, most         community. Aren’t they philanthropist, aren’t they giving                                                             back to their community?                                                             According to the webster’s dictionary philanthropy is                                                             defined as the practice of giving money and time to help                                                             make life better for other people. By this simple definition,                                                             we all are philanthropist in one way or another, if you are                                                             www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com 13
helping others through unpaid time, providing services,           of helping community if done right. And it can help usexpertise, donating supplies or materials or making a             build our brand and our reputation with our customers,financial contribution to help others, that is philanthropy.      as well as the organizations we support. This is a strategicPhilanthropy is not defined by the amount of money we             form of philanthropy.have or give. we have to change our way of thinking about         It is never too late to start.our philosophy of giving. we all have a heart to give,sometimes we may not have time to volunteer or feel like          with 2014 nearly coming to an end, many of us arewe are not giving enough financially. But there are simple        preparing for our annual taxes and fiscal accounting,more practical ways that you can practice philanthropy            and many nonprofits are gearing up for their charitablethat will provide a mutual benefit for our business and           giving campaigns and are depending on us to supportthose wecan help in our community. In business the                their efforts. Contributing your time, money expertise,saying goes “time is money and money is time”. According          in-kind donations, helps nonprofits tremendously. If youto Independent Sector online, “The estimated value of             already have a plan in place great, re-evaluate your currentvolunteer time for the year 2013 was valued at $22.55 per         practices to see if you can improve them. If you have nothour”.                                                            created a philanthropic practice here are few tips on howSo what does this all matter and mean to you?                     to start.Only a small percentage of the population was born witha silver spoon or inherited wealth. The rest of us have               •	 Do	your	research,	find	a	cause	or	an	organization	actually put in the work to obtain the“American Dream”by                   that you are passionate about and want to support.pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. And sometimeswe forget that our brothers and sisters and neighbors                 •	 Begin	 to	 build	 a	 relationship	 with	 them	 by	and friends need us. So, we don’t volunteer our time and                   volunteering, sitting on the boards and attendingresources. Neither do we give to organizations outside of                  meetings.church. But we must do better. Our survival depends on it.In the midst of maintaining the quality of life we want and           •	 Provide	financial	support	and/or	in-kind	gifts	such	supporting our own families, we must also consider how                     as Goods, Services and your expertise.we can support the local community where we reside. Anddetermine how to help others less fortunate, remembering              •	 Use	your	“tithe”	wisely	by	giving	to	BOTH	religious	that we all at one point benefited from some level of                      and community organizations.assistance (student loans) and support (family, mentorsand friends) to get where we are today. whether it was            with any of these options, you not only build a relation-financial, personal or professional support; we all received      ship with an organization that serves the community, butsomething to help us move forward. It’s not about giving          you can build a solid businessreputation reflecting yourpeople a handout, it’s about helping with a hand up. If           values with potential customers. And with the exceptionwe did more of this in our community, the Government              of volunteer time, you can get a tax break on the monetarywould have to do less. remember that giving benefits the          expenses or contributions that you make. This eliminatesboth Giver as well as the receiver. And business owners           the excuses for not doing so.can receive added benefit through tax incentives for thegiving that you do. So, why aren’t we giving more?                Finally, be sure to quantify your business’ philanthropicwhat Now.                                                         contributions by sharing them in your advertisementsAs business owners and entrepreneurs, we need to re-              and business marketing materials. This is especially trueifevaluate our giving and redefine our thinking about               it’s an organization that you intend to support long term.philanthropy and its long term impact on the community            Most importantly consider expanding on how you are giv-as a whole. we must create strategies that will allow us          ing back today!to leverage our philanthropic practices and incorporateit into our business philosophy and infrastructure. Most          There are several websites available to help you withpeople don’t define their giving as a business transaction        understanding the benefits of giving outside of churchor contribution, but why not? Incorporating both our              and back into the community as a whole:personal passion to help others with our business                 Independent sector:practicescan be beneficial and rewarding. It’s killing two        https://www.independentsector.org/volunteer_timebirds with one stone. It will fulfill the personal gratification  IrS.Gov: http://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/                                                                  Charitable-Organizations/Charitable-Contribution-                                                                  Deductions                                                                  Fidelity Charitable: http://www.fidelitycharitable.org/                                                                  about-us/news/11-12-2010.shtml14 www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com
SMheanloenfedea   EIsnttheerpCrEisOeof SISTAS     (Sistas Initiating StrategiesTo     Achieve Success)      Born and raised in Northeast      Portland, Ms. Menefee both      understands and actively      participates to empower and      support her community.      Understanding that the      disenfranchised community in      Portland, Oregon needs a stronger      voice, Ms. Menefee has built      strong partnerships with a variety      of organizations over the past      several years which has helped      bring attention to these important      issues. She has served as a board      member on several Multnomah      County Boards such as: the Citizen      Involvement Committee, Citizen      Budget Advisory Board for Human      Services, the Commission on      Children Family and Communities      and the CFCC Poverty Action      Council as well as several grassroots      nonprofits within her community.      Additionally Ms. Menefee is      committed to empowering women      and youth in her community to      realize their own potential, and has      developed programs, curriculum,      and workshops to help provide      strategies and empowerment skills      for those whom desire the extra      support.                       www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com 15
MWILoLemNNaIAnLTisha Deshields, Owner and Founder of Original Belly worksInterview By Moguls Magazine Stylecorrespondent, Alicia edwardsI met Tisha a few years ago and I could not help but beimpressed with her transparent personality, her businesssavvy and her ability to balance everything she does.A former college athlete, Tisha Deshields, is as striking in  approachable and defies any negative stereotypes thather favorite sneakers as she is in 4 1/2” heels. She is the   reality TV continuously perpetrates about Black women.mother of 4, but doesn’t look a day over 35. Tisha is the     Moguls Magazine: What did you enjoy the most aboutfounder and owner of Original Belly works (OBw). OBw          being pregnant?offers a belly casting kit to those mothers to be, and aprefabricated fiberglass sculpture for those who becomemothers through non-traditional methods like surrogacy,foster care and adoption. Original Belly works is a premierbelly casting company offering fiberglass sculptures. Acreative and business genius, Tisha currently holds 5patents. while Tisha is certainly as beautiful, poised andpolished as you would expect from a woman with her evergrowing list of accomplishments, she remains humble,                                                              Tisha from OBW: I enjoyed all 4 of my pregnancies. I felt like                                                              I was the most beautiful woman in the world. Fortunately                                                              for me, I did not experience the unpleasant aspects of be-                                                              ing pregnant. I did not have any morning sickness, severe                                                              weight gain, swollen ankles/feet, or traumatic deliveries.                                                              So it was after 4 blissful pregnancies that you conceived                                                              Original Belly Works? Actually it was when I was carrying                                                              my 4th that I was awestruck by the beauty and promise                                                              of a pregnant woman’s form. I realized that no gift could                                                              be more poignant than providing the expectant mother a                                                              way to preserve the splendor of pregnancy. I began to re-                                                              search the possibility of producing a copy of my pregnant                                                              form.                                                              You have always been athletic and in amazing physical                                                              shape... when you were expecting did you have a hard                                                              time adjusting to your expanding shape? No, I reveled in                                                              the change and I continued exercising in moderation, of                                                              course. I always had a healthy diet before pregnancy so I                                                              didn’t gain much weight at all. with my first son, I gained                                                              the most weight, 21 lbs, very much within the doctor’s16 www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com
recommendation range for expectant mothers.                      are some very distinguishing lettering.Is the belly casting something that can be done at a baby        We of course like to showcase some of our work on ourshower? Or can it be a bonding experience for the mother         website and so we may select your finished belly designand father? The beauty of our Original Belly Works do            for promotional use but neither or your likeness with theit yourself kit, is that it can be ALL THAT and MORE. You        belly cast. All of the artwork completed by the Originalcan truly make your casting experience…yours. Some               Belly Work design team belongs to Original Belly Works.pregnant women may very well want to share the casting           For those women that are artists themselves, can theyexperience with their shower guests. Some more private           decorate their own cast? Once your plastered your bellymothers may simply want to share it with their immediate         and you have sent it back to us to fiber glassed, we canfamily and close friends. Then you have some mothers             either send the fiber glassed belly back to you, primed,who wish to share the experience with their Husband              and ready for you to express your inner artist or you canor Significant Other. Ultimately, it is up to the expectant      have one of our very talented OBW designers help youmother.                                                          create the finished artwork.How far along should the expectant mother be to capture          The cast is just a “non traditional” blank canvas. It is justthe best cast? We encourage all of our expecting mothers         like any other canvas but it’s simply shaped differently.to plaster their pregnant tummy in the last trimester as         Whatever art medium that you can use on a traditionalto have the largest canvas. I highly recommend having it         canvas, you can use to create your one-of-kind finisheddone in the 8th month of pregnancy.                              design.How do people find out Original Belly Works? People can          Do you partner with maternity and children’s boutiques?find out about Original Belly Works from their Friends and       We have not partnered with any maternity or kids boutiqueFamilies, in select Doctors’offices. Our presence can be seen    as of yet, however that is part of our plan when we launchon the internet. Our website is www.originalbellywork.           our National Marketing Campaign.comHow do you maintain a balance of privacy in the eraof constant oversharing? I have a both a personal andbusiness presence on-line and because they are bothpublic, I am strategic about I post. I know that I am anexample to my children and young women in general so Ikeep that in mind.What is the biggest misconception about the entire bellycasting process? There is a perception that the processis hard or complicated and in reality it is very easy. WhenI was pregnant with my 4th child, my 14 year old sisterplastered my pregnant belly. If you follow the step-by stepinstructions, it’s as easy as 1,2,3 and it should only take youabout 30 minutes to complete the plastering. You don’thave to possess any artistic skills.What if the mother has sensitive skin? All of the productsthat we use are medical grade and are used in hospitalsacross America.I see that your website showcases many pictures ofbeautiful casts? If you have a super high profile client, howdo you balance their desire for privacy with your desire toshowcase their artwork?We actually have many celebrity clients that currentlyhave their bellies are on our site, and for the most part, it’shard to determine who’s belly belongs to who unless there                                                                 www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com 17
How can one give this as a gift? It is easy to purchase one  excited about their pregnancy. They are eager to captureof our Original Belly Works Kit. Simply go to the website:   and savor EACH & EVERY moment.www.originalbellyworks.com, place your order, and you        What would you consider is your biggest business successshould receive the kit in the mail with 3-5 business days.   to date? With every belly that we complete, I consider itAs the age of first time motherhood creeps upward...do       a success. There is a lot of work that goes into finishingyou find that women crave more mementos?                     a customized belly sculpture. We want our clients , inAbsolutely! Some women have selected to wait, for            regards to the final design, to be as involved in the decisionvarious reasons, to start their families and they are very   making process as possible so when we have helped them                                                             see their vision on the belly canvas, then we are successful.18 www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com
Did you seek out mentors when you first launched your         Monica is in charge of Business Development andbusiness?                                                     Marketing for Original Belly Works. She & I both prospectWithout a shadow of a doubt, ABSOLUTELY! Let me just say      for new clients by networking, making cold calls, advertisethat I was a“Domestic Engineer”. Now that’s a $40 word for    or other means of generating interest from potentialHOUSEWIFE. I was simply going about my life as a wife and     clients.mother when I got my“GOD IDEA”. That’s the only way I can     Monica has a thorough knowledge of the market, thedescribe Original Belly Works. God simply planted a “seed”,   solutions and services that Original BellyWorks can provide,an idea. I knew absolutely NOTHING about sculpting, let       and of the company’s competitors. Strategic planning isalone belly sculpting. With God as my Pilot and I, the co-    key and it is her responsibility to develop the pipeline ofpilot, we have been navigating this business together. I      new business coming in to the company. Monica helpsseek Him in prayer constantly that He will connect me         grow and retain existing accounts by presenting newwith other visionaries and like minded individuals that can   solutions and services to clients.help facilitate His Vision. And ultimately, I had to take a   I primarily preside over the organization’s day-to-dayfew courses in Entrepreneurship and Business. I attended      operations. I am the visionary and ultimately I set theseveral Leadership and Business Networking events to          direction in which Original Belly Works should go. Therefurther my education and by stretching myself in those        are so many roles that I must fill and it is my responsibilityunfamiliar territories, I have met some remarkable and        as a Director, Leader, Decision Maker, Manager, Motivatorextraordinary people who have been very passionate            and Executor to make sure things operate effectively andabout mentorship and sharing their resources.                 efficiently.Mogul is a term that can be overused much like “diva” or      There have only been a couple of times when Monica and“guru”. What is your definition of Mogul and why?             I have had a disagreement and it was so long ago that IIn my opinion a Mogul is powerful person who controls         can’t even remember. I really respect what she brings toany media enterprise, either through personal ownership       the company: her insight and direction.or a dominant position. Many have the misconception           Our personalities are similar in many ways, however; wethat because you are a POPULAR & have a successful            can be very different at times. When we are strategizingbusiness or several businesses that, that alone will make     and coming up with creative ways to pitch the productyou a MOGUL.                                                  and attracting clients we are very much alike, howeverFor example, The Olsen Twins, as much as I love them,         when there are conflicts within the company that requireas much as I respect them for their craft and their ability   attention, we tend to handle them quite differently.to brand themselves and become these savvy business           Monica is great at resolving conflicts and I am perfectlywomen, I would not necessarily call them moguls. They are     content allowing her to handle them. . The fact that wevery accomplished. Now Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, J.P.      have been able to balance the good with the bad andMorgan, John D. Rockefeller and Cornelius Vanderbilt, on      respect each other’s “voice” in regards to Original Bellythe other hand, I would call them Moguls.                     Works, this has allowed us to work together well andLast question I promise, since this is our First Annual       remain friends throughout. So, the Reality TV images areWomen’s Issue of Moguls magazine, I wanted to get your        not always true of Black women as a whole.take on Reality TV’s depiction of women of color. Reality TV  We at Moguls Magazine agree with you wholeheartedly.shows of women of color that are seemingly accomplished,      The perceptions of Black Women and women of color inbut can’t seem to get along with other women. You and         traditional media, must be challenged with truth. We wishyour Business Partner, Monica, have great relationship,       you all of the best in your business endeavors.how do you maintain that without all the drama?At the end of the day, the reason we have so many reality     Follow Original BellyWorks  @origbellyworksshows is that they have become popular due to the DRAMA       @OriginalBellyWorksthat ensues on those shows. Reality TV gives a false gaugeof what’s REAL and what’s considered REALITY. It’s simplysensationalism at best. My business manager, MonicaPolo and I have great working relationship. She is actuala more Type A personality than me. But even in the mostconfrontational situations she handles them with swiftlyand professionally.                                                                                          www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com 19
Located Inside LAFitness Snellville.Fitness andNutrition underone roof.                                Stone Mountain                                5295 Stone Mountain Hwy,                                Stone Mountain, GA 30087                                Phone (770) 465-8423                                Snellville                                2279 Pinehurst Road,                                Snellville, GA 30078                                Phone (770)982-176520 www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com
BUSINeSS TrAVeL  Cruises are one of the common modes of transportation usedIDeAS cRUISeS:   to travel around the world. This amazingly popular way of travelheRe ARe SOMe    can also be very good for your business. Be sure to talk withThINGS yOU       your Accountant about writing off your cruise for businessShOULD kNOw.     purposes. writing off your “vacation” is one of the many perks                 of having your own business and being an entrepreneur. And                 cruses are a very popular for both business and pleasure.                 According to www.skift.com, 21.3 million people took a cruise                 in 2013. Most of those cruises were to the Caribbean. Here I                 just want to share some important tips for making the most of                 a first time cruise you may be taking whether it is for business                 or pleasure.                 #1- Arrive the day before your date of departure: Many people                 arrive the day of the cruise. It would be best to arrive the day or                 night before to avoid missing your ship. The day of departure                 is uncertain to weather, flight delay andany other unexpected                 situation.                 #2- Leave dieting at home: Cruises are great for having a vari-                 ety of different foods and many restaurants. You can also order                 breakfast in your cabin, eat at the snack bar or have a midnight                 bite. enjoy the different foods and expand your taste buds. Of                 course, please inform your cruise specialist of any food aller-                 gies and health restrictions before the date of your trip.                 #3- Time limits at different ports: each cruise, depending on                 length of cruise, hasspecific time allotment at each port. some                 cruises port for 6-8 hours; a few port overnight which would                 be good to give you a better feel of the island. Cruising into                 different ports allows you to experience many different places                 and countries in the shortest amount of time. It is absolutely                 the best travel value by far. And if you enjoyed yourself for the                 short while you are at a port, you can book anothertrip in the                 future and stay longer. Be sure to carry and hand out some                 business cards just to keep things in perspective (wink).                 #4-Bring tip money: Unlike some all-inclusive hotels that have                    a no tip policy, cruises have a “please tip policy”. remember                    to save money not only for souvenirs, but tips for the waiter                    and the head waiter at the different restaurants andthe                             cabin steward who cleans your cabin. This will show                               the entire staff your appreciation and gratitude                                 for all of their service on your cruise. And as a                                   general rule of thumb, tips are collected the                                    night before returning back to port of call. So,                                      remember all of those good deeds along the                                      way. And be prepared to say your thank you(s)                                       by appropriately tipping everyon that served                                       you.                                       You are now prepared take your first cruise or                                       your next cruise. And if you are looking for a                                      great getaway for both business and pleasure                                    visit www.awesomeadventuresinc.com; then                                   pack your bags and get ready to board. enjoy!                                rosi Corney is a Certified Travel Consultant and the                              CeO of Awesome Adventures.                 www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com 21
“BLpeeRTB’OSefTTIATTLSeKRwrTIehLSLAIDANULwAwLAA”GySeS:22 www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com  By: calvin Lunsford, II.                                Growing up I was taught like every child, go to                                school, get good grades, go to college, graduate get a                                good job and that was the blueprint to success. After                                following those steps, I quickly came to learn that it                                was something missing. while listening to Jim rohn,                                a light bulb went off in my head once I heard his fam-                                ous quote “Profits are better than wages. wages will                                make you a living; profits can make you a fortune.”                                It blew me away once I realized that this was true,                                because most people who become financially                                successful are people who get on the profit side of                                business rather than the wage side. On the profit side,                                you own and can reinvest your money to create                                more money, but on the wage side in order to                                make money you have to trade time. Time away                                from your family, hobbies, and building your own                                dreams. Most people choose the wage side because                                its low risk, but what people don’t realize is that it is                                low re-ward. No one becomes wealthy from the                                wages side. On the other hand, when you look at                                every single person on the Forbes List there is one                                thing in common, they are all on the profits side. You                                are probably like I was once I found this out, won-                                dering how to get on the profit side. Getting on the                                profits side is simple, all you have to do is start or                                own your own business.                                when it comes to starting a business most people get                                scared because they do not know what to do or they                                lack the capital to start up. I know the feeling I felt the                                same way, until I found a way to get on the profit                                side. which was a home based business that                                caught my attention because it was low start up                                with the benefits of commissions, bonuses, and                                residual income. Knowing what I knew about resid-                                ual income, which means doing the work once and                                getting paid a lifetime made to much sense. Be-ing                                able to get paid residual income like a Hollywood                                Movie Star or Grammy winning recording Artist with                                royalties and syndication was an eye opener. I knew                                by getting paid on work that was done once, over and                                over was a way to put generations of my family on the                                profits side. So if you ever really wanted to build                                true wealth for generations to come I suggest you                                look on getting on the profits side.                                For more information on how I did it                                visit www.theblueprinttowealth.com
fOOD 101onciergeTerlane Bolden became a vegan after her teenage           to create a service that will do all of the leg work todaughter was diagnosed with a deadly and rare form        ensure that vegans and non-committed vegans alikeof cancer. She lost her daughter in the battle, but the   can have a true vegan dining experience when diningfight to change how people of color eat helps her         out across the country.carry out her daughter’s memory with passion.             Since 2004, The Vegan Concierge has travelled aroundIt is without a doubt that the change in their diet was   the U.S. looking for places that holistically embracea major factor in prolonging her daughter’s young         vegan lifestyles. Through this journey of discovery,life. This was the beginning of her crusade to change     Terlane Bolden, creator of The Vegan Concierge, hasthe eating habits of her entire family and friends.       amassed a strong knowledge of restaurants andMeatless does not have to be boring. In fact,             hotels that cater to vegan eating.vegetarians and vegans enjoy a healthy variety of         The Vegan Concierge has taken all of the guessworkfoods, beverages and even libations. How can one          out of dining out. Terlane has spent years identifyingtake the road to experiencing the vegan lifestyle         ingredients, speaking with Chefs and has put togetherwithout all of the hassle of trying to figure things out  a full bank of information and resources to help herall by oneself?                                                                                          clients have an awesomeThe Vegan concierge comes To                                                              dining experience close toThe Rescue                                                                                home as well as when travel-                                                                                          ing. This dining experienceThe simplest way to try                                                                   is for the vegan and thevegan food is to locate a                                                                 vegan curious.good vegan restaurant in                                                                  “Dream your experience andyour city. The challenge                                                                  we can make it happen. Thisis finding restaurants                                                                    could be a good chance tothat will you serve more                                                                  impress a vegan date or ve-than so called “rabbit                                                                    gan friend with catering tofood” consisting of a                                                                     their special vegan needs.salad and perhaps some                                                                    Just know you don’t havetype of so called“veggie”                                                                 to navigate all the inform-burger which can be                                                                       ation by yourself, we areloaded with chemicals                                                                     here to help.” She says.and toxic food by                                         You can follow The Vegan Concierge onproducts. Just because one makes a burger without         twitter @conciergeveganmeat doesn’t make it “vegan”.To make this process easier for more people toexperience healthy vegan food, Terlane decided                                                          www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com 23
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UNDer 30 CeOWHY WE MUSTBECOMEENTREPRENEURSSISTAHS WE CANDO IT!when you think of the word entrepreneur, what comes to mind?         women of color entrepreneurs has grown at a rate of 113% overIs it someone who’s in their 40s, possibly even retired, white, and  a time period between 1997-2007.male? Usually that is the image a person gets when discussingentrepreneurs. A young, 20-something black female is probably        Since this increase of black female entrepreneurs, there is also ansomeone that was last to come to mind, but think again.              increase in support for those of us who wish to go our own way.                                                                     From websites geared towards black females, such as walker’sGrowing up as a black female, I was blessed to have a first          Legacy, to grants from private and public sectors, even to awardshand account of entrepreneurship, as my family own and               for best minority start-up, such as the Blacks in Technologyoperated their own printing company. During that time, I             Business competition ran at SXSw. with more options thanwitness struggles and setbacks, along with great success and         before, right now is the perfect time to start working for youself.recognition. My family went into to work for themselves, over20 years ago because they knew they had to support a large           with all of the hype about huge success stories like Oprahfamily, and everything else was not sufficient. Two decades later,   and Tracy reese, some may be intimidated about owningthat mindset is coming back, and in the minds of young, black        their own business or running their own company. However,females.                                                             you, myself, and every other black female, young or old, can                                                                     become entrepreneurs. All it takes is an idea, will power, andBeing an entrepreneur and starting a business was once always        the confidence within us. It may be hard, and a lot of work, butseen as something young women of color was unable to do, or          having the freedom of being your own boss, and deciding yourmaybe even uninterested in doing. Society has constantly told        fate, is all worth it. Now that’s Freedom.us that the business world is no place for a female, much less afemale of color. while the economy is doing better, it is still not  *Casserly, Meghan. “Minority women entrepreneurs: Go-Get-good enough for many people, especially with most minimum            ters without resources.” Forbes. (http://www.forbes.com/sites/wage jobs are barely enough to support a single person, much         meghancasserly/2013/08/28/minority-women-entrepreneurs-less a family of any size.                                           go-getters-without-resources/ ) (accessed August 5, 2014).As women of color, we face many challenges when it comes             rachel wilson is a Freelance writer and Special Contributor to theto success in the workplace, which makes entrepreneurship            Moguls Magazine Brands. She is a native and current resident ofvery appealing to us, especially those of us in our 20s-30s. By      Cleveland, Ohio; and holds a BA in english and a M.ed in Adultbecoming our boss, we have control over our life. we can make        Learning from Cleveland State University. when not writing,our own hours, create our own workspaces, set our own salaries,      she can be found volunteering in the community or makingand even find the perfect life-work balance. All of that is very     something yummy in the kitchen.enticing, which is why, according to a 2013 Forbes article,                                                                     www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com 25
yISOyUORUhRewAeLTAhLThKNOwING wHeN ANDHOw TO STreTCHDo you know when and how to stretch? Or do you even stretch            some Static Stretching. This helps to get the muscles back to theirat all? Most people understand the concept of stretching so they       normal form. If you do not stretch after a workout, the musclesalways revert back to the type of stretching they did in a P.E. Class  will likely tighten up on you and put you in a world of discomfort.when they were younger.                                                So make sure you are stretching your muscles properly beforeWhat I’ve found to be the greatest challenge to a solid workout        and afterto help prevent injury and keep you flexible.is that there is a large group of people that absolutely avoids        Alonzo “Zo” Arnold is a Certified Personal Trainer who isstretching altogether. But knowing the correct ways of stretching      passionate about Fitness. He studied at the National Personalcan help you ensure that you are getting the most out of your          Training Institute (NPTI) in McDonough, GA and has been aworkouts and avoid certain injury.                                     Professional Personal Trainer for 6 years. He helps his clientsBefore I go any further let me just say that I understand everyone     achieve their fitness goals with proper exercise, nutrition andis different; and what works for one person may not work for           personal accountability.another. But no one can argue stretching, no matter the type,          Email: [email protected] a key component to a good workout. Having said that, let’s          www.alonzoa.bodybyvi.comlook at the two common types of stretching one could use in theirroutine.Static StretchStatic Stretching is comprised of various techniques that graduallylengthen a muscle to an elongated position (to the point ofdiscomfort) and hold that position for at least 30 seconds and upto two minutes. Some examples of static stretching are:1. Reaching for your toes2. Bending backwards or pulling the heel of your sneakers up to    your butt.Whichever one you may have been doing, you should probablystop.Instead you should begin your workout with DynamicStretching.Dynamic StretchDynamic Stretching is used to enhance rather than restrictperformance. With Dynamic Stretching, you can achieve a greaterrange of motion, blood flow as well as oxygen in to the soft tissuebefore you work the muscles to exertion. So, jogging in place,marching in place, air swimming, light kicking and punching areall forms of doing a Dynamic Stretching. Performing these typesof stretches before each workout will help you go through yourworkouts feeling good.Once you have finished your workout you can now end it with26 www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com
n                                                                           Moguls Magazine                                                                                  presents                                                                               The 20 Most                                                                            powerful women                                                                            In Urban America                                                                                    2014IN URBAN AMeRIcA 2014                                                       La La Vazquez-Anthony                                                                                Shonda rhimesMy team and I have searched the country to find 20 women who fit the              Sonia Bookercriteria that we were looking for in this issue. The 20 women found on           Corvida raventhese pages are making small splashes and in some cases, big waves ofdifference in our community. Some are doing things quietly in the local      Dr.Lisa robbins, M.D.community and some are on the global front. I thought it was import-             Swan Simpsonant that we salute women from all walks of life that deserve to be               Angela Bentonrecognized as “powerful” by Black Media. The majority media spendsan enormous amount of time promoting poor images and even false                Marquita Thomasimages of today’s Black and Latina women, therefore; Moguls Magazine         rickie Byars Beckwithwas compelled to deliver our audience a well-rounded, thoughtful andcompelling annual list that shows our true colors (no pun intended). There         Lisa Cortesis an outright assault on the image of women of color. Our evolvement            Orenda watersas women has been stifled by trash singing r & B. Demoralized in video           emelyn Stuartby sexist rappers and poorly portrayed on so called reality TV. There is        Aisha & Daniellea thin line between entertainment and insult. And one of the best ways            Moodie-Millsto manage what people see and hear about you is to control the mes-              Dalila Ali rajahsage.                                                                           Keri washingtonMoguls Magazine delivers you an alternative to the mainstream media              Alfre woodardand the typical so called Black Media. we are and will always remain in         Dr. Barbara Kingfull control of our message.                                                      Dana OwensThe women who made our annual list are just as diverse as the areas of           Janelle Monaebusiness and industry that they each represent. The women who made          Dr. Helene Gayle, M.D.our list come from entertainment and Media, Health Care and Ministry,Technology and Community Service as well as other Professions and             www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com 27beyond.we believe that there is nothing more POwerFUL than a woman of col-or who rises against all odds and comes into her own. with that beingsaid, we honor and recognize the following 20 women who made thelist for our 1st Annual 20 Most Power women In Urban America 2014.They are not listed in any particular order. Ladies, Moguls Magazine isproud of all of the work that each one of you is doing and we recognizeand properly salute you for it. Namaste!
20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMerica20 Most Powerful woMen inLaLaVazquez-Anthony urban aMerica20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericaMother, DJ, VJ, Actress, Author, entertainer, married to NBA Star Carmelo Anthony.                                                            Started working at the campus radio station at Howard University and went on to                                                            launch her professional career at MTV and eventually her cosmetic line for women of20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericacolor and her own realityTV series. La La is a strong proponent for the inclusion of                                                            Black Latinas in media.20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMerica     Shonda Rhimes          Prestigious Peabody Award winning Screenwriter, Director, Showrunner and exec-20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericautiveProducer.AgraduateofDartmouthCollegeandagraduateoftheUSCSchool          of Cinema-Television, rhimes was an unemployed screenwriter struggling in Hollywood.          To make ends meet, she took a variety of odd jobs including being a Counselor for          homeless people struggling with mental illness. She got her first big break working20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericaon the award winning documentary Hank Aaron: Chasing The Dream. She is best          known as the Creator, Head writer, and executive Producer of the medical drama          television series Grey’s Anatomy, its spin-off Private Practice and political thriller20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericaseriesScandal.SheisthefirstBlackwomantoachievesuchanaccomplishment.20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMerica20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericaSoniaBooker                                                            real estate Investor, Award winning Author, wealth Coach. At the age of 24, Sonia20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericasold her Allstate Insurance Agency and became a real estate Investor. And now for                                                            nearly two decades, she has carved out a successful niche in real estate Investing                                                            with her Partner, Mentor and Friend, Herman J. russell, Founder of H.J. russell &                                                            Company. Sonia is the Creator of iBuild wealth expo and The everything real estate20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericaConference and expo.These are two events where she teaches others how to build                                                            wealth and to create a legacy.20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericaCorvidaRaven          The Founder of SheGeeks.net an award winning tech blog that delivers tech news          in plain english. Corvida has been Named by essence Magazine as a Power Player20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMerica(2011)andMSNBC’stheGrioasoneof100HistoryMakersintheMaking(2012).She          ranks as one of the 20 Most Influential People in Social Media, 50 Most Influential          women in Tech and a Social Media Curator to watch. She was also named by Glamour          Magazine as one of their 21 Amazing Young women of 2011 and Time Magazine’s20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericaTechlandBlogasoneof25FacebookProfilesYouShouldSubscribeTo.20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMerica     28 www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com
20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMerica20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericaDr.LisaRobbins,M.D.                                                            Dr. Lisa C. robbins takes her patients and her practice to heart. She is an Internal                                                            Medicine doctor who is also board certified in Holistic Medicine, Nutrition, and Medical                                                            Thermography. She completed her medical education in Texas and her residency in                                                            Virginia. She has practiced medicine for over 15 years. She received her certification20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericain medical acupuncture from UCLA which is one of her true passions. Her additional                                                            certifications include Bio-identical Hormone replacement, the Silva Method, and raw                                                            Foods instructor. She’s made television appearances on the “Monique” Show and has                                                            received numerous honors and awards including Patients Choice Award (2008, 2010-2200 MMoosstt PPoowweerrffuull wwooMMeenn iinn uurrbbaann aaMMeerriiccaa2013)andtheCompassionateDoctorrecognition(2012-2013).      Swan Simpson20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericaShe’s received Special Congressional recognition from Congresswoman Cynthia          McKinney (2006). recognized by who’s who In Black Atlanta (2010). Stanford’s          who who in American Business (2011) and (2013). She is the Publisher of Moguls          Magazine and the CeO of Swan Simpson Media Group of Companies. Her company20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericais involved in the overall development of all things urban and media; this includes          serving as the Chairperson of rAM Technology Partners, the Nation’s only Black          owned manufacturer of tablet computers and Mobile entertainment. Her company          Co-Sponsors an annual event with the Hip Hop Community to help alleviate hunger20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericainAtlanta.20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericaAngelaBenton                                                            In May 2010, Benton held a private summit called NewMe Conference in washington                                                            DC that included Black and Latino entrepreneurs, private equity investors, and20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericatop government officials. The event, similar to a think tank, focused on gathering                                                            information from its attendees on how to make minority tech entrepreneurs more                                                            successful. Since that time, she has set the tech world on fire.                                                            She is the Founder & CeO of New Me Accelerator. New Me has helped hundreds of20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericaentrepreneurs launch businesses and raise funding from investors, most notably                                                            several companies from their equity portfolio have raised over $16MM in funding                                                            since its launch in 2011. Fast Company named Benton one of their Most Influential                                                            women in Technology in 2010. Business Insider named her as one of the “25 Most2200 MMoosstt PPoowweerrffuull wwooMMeenn iinn uurrbbaann aaMMeerriiccaaInfluentialAfrican-AmericansinTechnology.”      Marquita Thomas20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericaMarquita is a Los Angeles-based activist and marketing strategist who formed “Out          & About events for women” in 2002. As the leader of Out & About, Ms. Thomas          produces an eclectic array of social, business networking and activist events.          She is the current President of the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce,20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericawhich strives to increase economic strength for LGBT businesses, professionals &20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericaalliesthroughbusinessdevelopment,visibility,leadershipandadvocacy.                                                                                                                    www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com 29
20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMerica20 Most PowerRficukile woMen inByarsBeckwith urban aMerica20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericaAka “rickie BB”, is a New Thought Movement Musician, recording Artist, Director                                                            of the 200 person Agape International Choir and married to Dr. Michael Bernard                                                            Beckwith, the Founder of The Agape International Spiritual Center, in Los Angeles.                                                            rickie’s extensive music catalogue can be heard on the radio, movie soundtracks20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericaas well as television. Her songs of unconditional love and spiritual transformation                                                            are the highlight of consciousness raising events throughout the world. She has                                                            performed in five sessions with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. And at countless Peace                                                            Concerts that promote unity and the principles of non-violence.20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMerica20LMisaoCosrttesPowerful woMen in urban aMerica          A former Music Industry executive who launched the Def Jam brand and served          as CeO at rush Artists Management. Lisa has returned to her first love, film and          storytelling. She now serves as the CFO of Lee Daniels entertainment where also20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericaserved as executive Producer of the Academy Award winning Film, Precious. Lisa20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericarecentlystartedherowncompany,CortesFilms,whereshesitsasCeO.20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericaOrendaWaters                                                            Stylist, Actress, Life Coach and CeO/Owner of O My Hair Studio in Los Angeles.                                                            recognized by KTLA TV as one of the area’s Top Stylists, her list of clients include20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericaCelebrities as well as working class and Professional women of color. She treats all                                                            of her clients with the same amount of VIP attention. She is very passionate when it                                                            comes to hair and image and sees her craft as part of her life’s calling.20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericaOrendaisatransformationexpertandtakesawholisticapproachtohairandbeauty.20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericaNewclientshaveoftencometohercluelessastowhattheywanttodowiththeirhair.                                                            But like an Artist to their canvass, she creates healthy, classy styles with movement                                                            and flair. Orenda is very involved with helping women raise their self-esteem by                                                            recognizing and bringing forth the beauty they already possess.20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMerica     Emelyn Stuart20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericaCeO of Stuart Films, a boutique Production Company that’sbuilding a new industry20 Most Pwithout glass ceilings, for emerging cast & crew in theater, film & television.          She is the Producer of the film “Heads or Tails” that went from the festival circuit          straight to Network TV.          emelyn also Produced a widely successful webseries called“12 Steps To recovery”. The          series won her a Best Producer’s Award at the LAwebfest. The “12 Steps To recovery”owerful woMen in urban aMericawentviralandcannowbeseenin35millionhomesoncablenetworkPunchTV.     30 www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com
20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMerica20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericaAisha & Danielle Moodie-Mills                                                            Owners of D.C. based Politini Media and the combined Hosts of Politini, a politics and20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericapopcultureradioshowairingonblis.fm. AishaandDanielleCo-Authorthepopular                                                            Blog, Living, Loving, and Laboring OUT Loud. The couple gained notoriety when they                                                            became strong advocates to help bring marriage equality to our Nation’s Capitol                                                            and have been married since 2010. Their wedding was the first LGBT wedding to be                                                            featured in essence Magazine.                                                            The dynamic duo also launched FIre (Fighting Injustice to reach equality), a policy                                                            initiative at the Center for American Progress, which works to eliminate the social,2200 MMoosstt PPoowweerrffuull wwooMMeenn iinn uurrbbaann aaMMeerriiccaaeconomic,andhealthdisparitiesexperiencedbyLGBTpeopleofcolor.      Dalila Ali Rajah20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericaActress, Activist, Talk Show Host, executive Producer and writer. She is the CeO of          Fyre Faerie Pictures. Dalilais also Co-Creator and executive Producer of the successful          late night talk show, Cherry Bomb, which originally aired on MTV’s After ellen webtv          network. She is active in numerous community based organizations including the20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericaScreen Actors Guild Diversity Committee and is deeply involved in diversity and20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericaequalityintheentertainmentIndustry.20 Most Powerful woMenKerryWashington in urban aMerica                                                            Primetime emmy Nominated Actress best known for her ground-breaking role as                                                            Olivia Pope in the television drama, Scandal. Kerry became the 2nd Black woman in                                                            American History to land a Leading Network TV series role since 1974 (“Get Christie                                                            Love” was the first). She’s received numerous NAACP Image Awards for Best Actress20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericaandBestSeriesandtheNAACPPresident’sAward.                                                            She was appointed by President Barack Obama to the President’s Committee of the                                                            Arts and Humanities in 2009.20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericaShealsostarredintheAcademyAwardwinningfilm,“ray”,TylerPerry’s“ForColored20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericaGirls”andSpikeLee’s“SheHateMe”.KerryisacommunityActivistsupportingcauses                                                            to bring awareness and an end to violence against women. In 2014, she was named                                                            by Time Magazineas one of the 100 Most Influential People in the world.20AMlfroeWsotodPaordwerful woMen in urban aMerica          Actress, Producer, Mother, Political Activist and star of the new fall Network TV          political drama, “State of Affairs”. Alfre will play the first woman President of the          United States. In the early years when she first moved to Los Angeles, she was told20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericathere were no film roles for Black Actresses. She’s been quoted as saying, ”I’m not a          fool. I know that. But I was always confident that I knew my craft”.          This critically acclaimed actress has since made emmy history in 2013 for 17 Prime-          time emmy Nominations for 16 different roles. She has been nominated once for an20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericaAcademyAwardandGrammyAward,18totaltimesforanemmyAward(winningfour),          and has also won a Golden Globe Award and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.          She is very active in the Democratic Party and serves as a Board Member. She is a big20 Most Powerful woMen in urban aMericasupporterofMarriageequalityandLGBTrightsandHumanrightsacrosstheboard.                                                                                                                    www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com 31
20 Most Powerful Women in Urban America                                 Dr. Barbara King                                                            Author, Minister and Founder of the New Thought Church, Hillside International20 Most Powerful Women in Urban AmericaTruth Center, in Atlanta, GA and friend of Oprah Winfrey. Former Faculty at Atlanta                                                            University and Dean of Students at Spelman College, she started the church in 1974                                                            and was faced with mounting personal attacks. Dr. Barbara was persecuted for being                                                            a woman in Ministry and her church was called a cult. Blazing a trail for women20 Most Powerful Women in Urban Americain Ministry, she continued to prevail against all the obvious odds. Preaching her                                                            message of faith in God, belief in self, and the power of positive thinking, her church                                                            membership has grown to 5000 mostly young adults. And she eventually became20 Most Powerful Women in Urban AmericathefirstfemaleChaplainfortheAtlantaPoliceDepartment.20 Most Powerful Women in Urban AmericaThe Hillside International Truth Center also has satellite congregations throughout                                                            the United States, and has established a church in South Africa.                                                            The list of prominent Guest Speakers who have come to the church includes Oprah                                                            Winfrey, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, Tavis Smiley and many others.20 Most Powerful Women in Urban AmericaShehassinceestablishedtheB.L.KingScholarshipFundandtheBarbaraKingSchool                                                            of Ministry to train new Leaders in compassionate Ministry.20DManoaOswtePnsowerful Women in Urban America          Aka Queen Latifah is a Rap Artist, Activist, Record and TV Producer, Actress, Singer,          Songwriter, Talk Show Host and CEO of Flavor Unit. The Hip Hop Pioneer, Feminist20 Most Powerful Women in Urban Americahas earned a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two NAACP          Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy          Award nomination and an Academy Award nomination. She has her own cosmetic20 Most Powerful Women in Urban AmericalineforwomenofcolorwithCoverGirlcalled“QueenCollection”.20 Most Powerful Women in Urban AmericaJanelleMonae                                                            Singer, Composer, Producer. The sexy tuxedo clad female arch-android with her                                                            signature perfectly coiffed hair hit the music scene as the Prodigy of OutKast’s Big20 Most Powerful Women in Urban AmericaBoi. TheQueenofPsychedelicSoul,sheisthepictureperfectexampleofstyleand20 Most Powerful Women in Urban Americaandrogyny. JanelleisaneclecticArtistthatencouragesherfanstobeindividuals.                                                            A winner of an NAACP Image Award and nominated for numerous Grammys and                                                            BET Awards, she has prevailed as a female Artist that can keep her clothes on and still                                                            remain highly appealing and successful.20 Most Powerful Women in Urban America     Dr. Helene Gayle          Dr. Helen Gayle, M.D.,M.P.H., President and CEO of Care USA, a leading international          humanitarian organization with approximately 10,000 staff whose poverty fighting20 Most Powerful Women in Urban Americaprogramshavereached82millionpeoplein87countries.ShehasaB.A.inpsychology          from Barnard College, an M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.P.H. from          Johns Hopkins University.          Gayle previously directed the HIV, TB, andReproductive Health Program at the Bill20 Most Powerful Women in Urban America& Melinda Gates Foundation and spent 20 years at the Centers for Disease Control          and Prevention (CDC), focusing primarily on HIV/AIDS. She also served as chair of          the Obama Administration’sPresidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. She has been          called one of the top female Leaders and Global Thinkers in the world. As of 2014, she20 Most Powerful Women in Urban Americaislistedasthe78thmostpowerfulwomanintheworldbyForbesMagazine.     32 www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com
arMs.Terri J.Vaughn                                  How is my favorite Actress doing today?” SheLyrics by Swan Simpson,                            gave me a big smile and a warm hug hello as IPublisher                                          properly introduced myself.                                                   we actually spent some time chatting for a littleI met Terri back in 2013 when me and the cast      while about her “invitation only character actingof a web-series that I was Producing were          class.” I wanted to know how I could be downusing the stage to rehearse at The Green room      and get some professional coaching from theActor’s Lounge. This was a little spot that Terri  lady herself. She told me that I had to earn theopened and it was tucked away in Atlanta’s         right by taking the beginner’s class. And thatposh section of the city known as Buckhead.        I had to excel in THAT CLASS FIrST in order                                                   to be recommended to take the one that sheI’ve always been a huge fan.                       actually taught. My exact words were, “Terri,with me always being in the mix around that is too much work lady and ain’t nobodyAtlanta, I would oftentimes see her having got that kind of time”. I was serious and wedinner or at some premier. we never had needed to resolve this issue today, like rightthe opportunity to speak or chat. So, when now over a smoothie at her vintage lounge. Ishe walked in that day, I looked up and said,” even offered to buy Her one lol.                                                   www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com 33
Needless to say, Terri is just as funny, quick acumen by opening the Green room Actor’switted, down to earth and homegirl next door Lounge in Atlanta a few years back; bringingcool as many of her characters.                     a little slice of her native San Francisco to thewe’ve watched her go from the very country area.Lovita Alize’ Jenkins-robinson (whew!) on Terri’s business, The Green room, has sincethe Steve Harvey Show; where she won three closed its doors in 2014. But just as one doorNAACP Image Awards. To her role as a Teacher closes, the Universe will open many more.on will Smith’s All of Us. And then there was And for Terri, life has seemingly become evenher groundbreaking role as a lesbian character more rock-bottomly good.named eva Holly on “Soul Food”. who could           She has since given birth to her 3rd child atforget that long passionate kiss between eva        dawn of turning 45. And she’s Produced theand Byrd (Malinda williams).                        Original Television Movie, “Girlfriend Get-That kiss helped earn Terri a nomination for aways”, for TV One. And her Take wingsan NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Foundation provides Mentoring and Scholar-Supporting Actress in a Drama series. Her ships to young girls from the inner city andstellar performance demonstrated her range the Foster Care system.and depth for diversity as an Actress. we“Soul      Not too bad for the around the way girl whoFood” junkies could not wait to see what was        grew up in the projects in Hunter’s Point ingoing to happen next.                               San Francisco.And of course let’s not forget Terri’s most recent  It is this kind of tenacity, barrier breaking, de-sitcom role as the sexy, sassy, always schem-       termination, and giving back, that makes using Nurse named renee on Tyler Perry’s Meet         proud to name Actress, and now Producer,The Browns. The funniest episodes always con-       Terri J. Vaughn the first ever, Moguls Magazine,tained a scene with renee because she loves         2014 woman of the Year!to cut people in their “thokes”.                                                          Let’s all tweet congratulations toTerri’s character even had an “HIV scare”           @TerriJVaughn as we honor and celebratereminding us as a community to get tested           this beautiful Black woman who has goneand take better steps to protect ourselves.         against the odds, pushed passed theTerri J. Vaughn has graced us with her talent barriers, walked to the edge andfor more than two decades. That is a very achieved what some would think to belong time to be in Hollywood and still remain impossible. And be sure to follow usgrounded.                                           @BlackMogulsMag and meShe has ventured out and done other televi- @SwanSimpson                                                    cONGRATULATIONS TeRRI!!!sion related work, entered into a 2nd marriage,and starred in stage plays. She’s also shown Thank you for inspiring women of color                                                    everywhere!!us another side of her business34 www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com
LEARN the Mechanics of             CrowdFunding                 Now Funding for the 47%!          Monthly Workshops Classes Coaching     LEARN From An Industry Expert                    Set Up Your Campaign                Quickly Using Our Platform.      Visit our website for details : www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com                                                                                                              www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com 35
GwONhBeeALcTADOUcONkS?Swan Simpson, the Publisher of Moguls Magazine, was the               not seek their own freedom in masses. It was a process that    Guest Speaker at a recent Black Friday. Black Friday is a weekly  would lead to the “control” of the human will by dehumanizing,event held at the Opportunity Hub in Atlanta and organized            humiliating and rendering dumbed-down, African Slaves ergoby Black eCON. Black Friday is where entrepreneurs gather             so called “nig**rs”.to exchange ideas and information. entrepreneurs can get              willie Lynch’s “technique” was instituted on Plantations andmentorship and assistance with ideas, planning and execution.         eventually took effect quite immediately. The details of the                                                                      letter are shocking because it is the picture perfect condition ofBlack econ is a movement whose aim is to revolutionize Black          today’s Black community.economics. Founded by a group of Millennials who wanted to            The letter is detailed and graphic. You can read the letter in rossi’smake a lasting impact, this movement is gaining momentum              book or view it online (http://www.freemaninstitute.com/lynch.with Black Friday events happening all across the country.            htm) from pitting the darker complexioned Slaves against the                                                                      lighter ones, to public beatings and murder, to rape and incestFounding Member, Andre Amos says,“Black people don’t take to          to controlling language to cross breeding to distrust. everythingBlack Leadership. It is not within our culture to seek Mentorship.”   in between is perfectly described in this document. Because itSo, Black eCON was started to foster this type of thinking.           is so detailed, some question its authenticity, but NONe have                                                                      been able to factually dispute it.Founding Member, rossi eason, has written a book called,              rossi says the effects of willie Lynch’s process were to lastrestore Black America, and in it he outlines a 6 Step Action Plan     for generations. The time period would have included thefor massive change to take place over the next 100 years. eason       unexpected interruption by the emancipation Proclamation.got the inspiration for the book after getting his hands on the       rossi estimates that the overall time frame for willie Lynch’sactual, infamous, willie Lynch Letter.                                effects to have been fully worn off after Slavery was the year                                                                      2013.The willie Lynch Syndrome                                             So, while speaking at Black Friday, Swan Simpson begs the                                                                      question, “what Us Gone Do?”The willie Lynch “letter” is more of a speech that Lynch delivered    In my talk to the standing room only crowd, I spoke about Livingon the banks of the James river in 1712 to his fellow slave           Your Dreams NOw! It is important that you no longer delay theowners. Lynch was a British slave owner in the west Indies.           life that the Universe intended for you.He was invited to share his “wisdom” with slave owners in theColonies. The speech outlines physical abuses and psychological       Is ThAT Jesus ever coming Back?tactics and trickery that were designed to keep African Slaves inpersonal, mental, psychological and emotional turmoil for up to       Black folks have been waiting on one thing or the other to make300 years. The term “lynching” was derived from his name.The creation of nig*ersLynch’s process would be the means by which Slaves would36 www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com
the decision to live in FreeDOM. From waiting on Jesus (which            that are niche based like Moguls Magazine. Niche basedwas actually the name of the 1st British slave ship to reach the         magazines are highly targeted. But I strongly suggest youAmericas owned by Sir John Hawkins. An actual ship that Slaves           advertise in Moguls digital space.would quietly sing about on the Plantations, hoping it would          •	 No	email	address.	No	smartphone.	No	website.	No	computer	eventually come back to return them to their homeland. It was            or mobile device, you are already on the short yellow bus.not a gospel song. (http://www.nairaland.com/241597/first-            •	 Flashy websites	with	bells	and	whistles	but	no	substance.	Any-britsh-slave-ship-reach).                                                one with a flash intro on their website should remove it now.                                                                         Apple, does not allow flash to be read on any of their devicesI believe the wait is over!                                              to date. This means people with iphones and ipads will not                                                                         be able to quickly load your website from their smartphoneIn my talk, I outlined how the Internet is the great equalizer and       or tablet. And will move on to the next.that the revolution has already started, but yet Black America is     •	 No	“mobile”	website.	If	you	have	a	website	and	it	is	not	mo-still asleep at the keyboard using facebook and twitter to spread        bile	 ready, just shut it down because it will be difficult to readgossip instead of making money.                                          on Apple, Android and Amazon devices. People who have to                                                                         pinch and pull to read things, in many cases will abandonI used examples of how I’ve taken small amounts of money,                your site and move on.huge amounts of faith and the Internet to start businesses for        •	 Not	 taking	 advantage	 of	 all	 the	 freebies	 that	 Google	 offers	less than $100.                                                          you to run a business online. It’s in excusable. It’s 99% free                                                                         and very useful in today’s small business climate.Like always the emotions ran high and there was thunderous            •	 “Waiting”	 for	 Investors.	 Black	 Econ	 has	 a	 group	 of	 people	applause. But the belief that I was accurate had not reached the         ready to give you money for the right ideas.masses. I could tell this by the questions people were coming up      •	 Kenectit	(ad is in this issue of Moguls Magazine) has	createdand asking me. Or the discussions I had with some over lunch             a	crowdfunding	Platform	specifically	to	aid Black and Latinoafter the event.                                                         Businesses to find capital online. And crowdfunding in gen-                                                                         eral (Indiegogo, Kickstarter and the like) where total strangersPeople were still “waiting” on the perfect moment and “waiting”          will give you money in exchange for promotional items likeon the right Investors (massa) to save them.                             photos and t shirts. One Kickstarter campaign has raised over                                                                         $8 million to date for a goofy looking cooler to hold drinks orexercise your Mind hustle                                                beer.The Internet or Information Super-Highway is an intellectual eco      Get off of the plantation mindset and come into the 21stsystem. It costs you nothing more than your own creativity and        Century. Stop being fearful of being free. If your first idea doesthe cost of an internet connection to go online. And in some          not take off, try another and another. But give your ideas timecases, you can even do that for free.                                 to cultivate. rome was not built in a day, but with the Internet,                                                                      it can be built in 1-2 years or sooner. Finally, purchase a copy ofwillie Lynch’s system of dumbing down African Slaves and              my book, Mind Hustle, at http://www.amazon.com to help youeventually modern day Black people, is creating road kill on          get mentally unstuck. Invest in a Mind Hustle seminar to dive inthe information super-highway. we are getting left behind in          deeper. It will change your perspective and your life. Peace,massive numbers.                                                      blessings and caviar dreams!                                                                      www.SwanSimpsonMediaGroup.comThe world has already changed and is continuously changing            @SwanSimpson follow me on twitterever more, we cannot afford to be lost this particular timearound.Lheogwa“cwy aiting”Is costing you yourIf you own a business and do not come into the 21st Centurywith your marketing and your ideas, you will be road kill. Hereare some tips to answer the question, “what Us Gone Do?” I takea deeper dive in my workshops and seminars, but here are somebasics.•	 Business	Cards	are	lame.	This	is	why	in	most	cases	they	are	so	   cheap. A website is the new business card and brochure all   combined into one.•	 Freebie	websites	do	nothing	for	your	business	and	you	do	not	   own the domain name (which is an important piece of online   “real estate”). Buy your own domain. Pay for a hosted website.   Freebie sites advertise the name of the hosting service not   you.•	 Traditional	Advertising	is	fool’s	gold.	It’s	a	complete	waste	of	   money for small businesses. SeO/SeM (internet advertising is   what drives traffic to your website (your new business card/   brochure). The only exception to this rule is print magazines                                                                      www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com 37
Food 101-                                                            2014 and 2015. The“Official                                                         Growing up in New York, Where Moguls Magazine                                                      did you get your passion for food? Cheesecake” Comes From                                                           I began assisting my Mother and Grandmother with Thanks- J’s Specialty                                                        giving dinners at the early age of 6 or 7. My interest grew, and Cheesecakes                                                          I began experimenting at home. At the age of 16, I worked at                                                                      McDonald’s after school. Then I went to work at Red Lobster andI ran into Chef J Leon shortly after he got his business license and  some other restaurants that helped me to develop some skillsopened shop at a community kitchen in Atlanta. We decided             which would eventually lead me to Culinary Arts School. Into set aside some time to meet and talk shop. I invited him to        2005, I graduated from Culinary Arts School.meet me at Hibu Atlanta’s Headquarters. Two weeks later, wesat down to talk about his masterfully crafted cheesecakes that       Why Cheesecake?come in a number of flavors including a “vegan” version.Being mostly vegan, I was skeptical about his “vegan” version.        As a youngster, my Father used to bring home the best Pizza’sMost of the so called vegan cheesecake I had tasted at this           and Cheesecakes. All of my life I’ve loved desserts; mainlypoint was cheaply made and absolutely disgusting. So, I asked         Cheesecake. When I relocated from NY to GA I couldn’t findthe Chef to bring me some “samples” so that I could put my            Cheesecake to fit my standard of taste. I came across a recipediscerning palate and his product to the test.                        which I had been holding on to for years, and tried it; it was great!We greeted each other in the lobby. Chef had the biggest smileon his face and as promised, cheesecake in hand. We sat down          I heard you use to work at a hospital bakingand talked about how he got started as a Chef, his passion for        cheesecakes for co-workers and friends.making cheesecake, and his marketing strategy for the rest of                                                                      I use to work for Southern Regional Health Systems. And I took                                                                      some cheesecakes to the hospital during the Holidays. I had no                                                                      intention of selling them. My Cheesecake was so appealing, that38 www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com
people started encouraging me to sell them. I gave it a test run,it went well, I decided to make it official.So, that’s how J’s Specialty cheesecakeswas born?Yes. I opened an online bakery with delivery in the Atlanta onNovember 25, 2013.what’s your current MarketingStrategy?I use the website to help me get my menu in front of as many       It was close to 9 o’clock in the morning and I was about to samplepeople as possible. Because my product is fresh, we only deliver   cheesecake. This better be some kind of good.in metro Atlanta. But I’ve expanded online ordering so that I can  Chef had everything on dry ice for me because his product issafely ship fresh product to consumers in certain markets as       freshly made without preservatives and will spoil if not refriger-well. everywhere I go we give out samples. And we are in talks     ated soon. I took my first bite of the lemon and fell in love. I waswith the people at wholefoods Market.                              like wow! So creamy, delicious, flavorful and full of nothing that                                                                   would set my allergies off. I had become the Chef’s unofficialThat is some exciting stuff. I’m glad that we                      praise Ambassador. This was the best cheesecake hands downwill be able to help you with your growth.                         period! regardless of it being vegan or not.But Vegan cheesecake….really chef?VeGAN chocolate carob Dream cream                                  J’s Speciality Cheesecakes offers a variety of traditional style-cake to be exact Ms.Swan. Got you                                  cheesecakes for folks who like the actual cheese and dairy in theirsome samples right here. There isvanilla, lemon and of course the famouschocolate carob dream cream which ismy signature vegan item.                                                                   cheesecake; along with specialties for Vegans and other people                                                                   with special diets like Gluten Free and Diabetic. His cheesecakes                                                                   come in flavors like Strawberry Kiwi Lime, Chocolate Chip,                                                                   Carrot, The Hawaiian, red Velvet, Pineapple Upside Down and                                                                   many others you can view on his website. He delivers directly to                                                                   those in the Atlanta Metro Area with old fashioned white glove                                                                   service. And he has the ability to ship anywhere in the country.                                                                   Chef J Leon is a powerful man of tremendous faith and is                                                                   passionate about using his gift to serve others.                                                                   Order his award winning cheese cake online at                                                                   www.JsSpecialtycheesecakes.com                                                                                                    www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com 39
Auto Star has a complete line of Luxury vehicles                                and other reliable brands such as Toyota, Infinity,                                Honda and Nissan in stock.                                Low Pressure easy going staff of Professionals                                ready to serve your automotive buying needs.                                Flexible credit terms, on-site service center &                                affordable payments for Business Owners in                                Georgia.                                       4 Convenient Atlanta Metro Locations                                      http://www.autostarone.com                                For Sales/Fin7an7ce0C-o4n8ta5ct-C4o8rn4e0lius or Larry                                   and mention Moguls Magazine for this special                                   financing offer.40 www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com
ompany                                                        Mama Fanta is more like a Dance Coach taking in the                                                              individual talents of each of her students and pushingI stopped by the studio of rakaba to check out the            them towards excellence and appreciation for culture….rehearsals for this season’s coming Kwanza celebration.       their culture.when I walked into the room, the Drummers had the place       rakaba is all about dance. African, Hip-Hop, Modern,on fire! I’d arrived in the middle of a dance class being     Acrobatics, Choreography, Liturgical and Ballet. There aretaught by Instructor/Owner Fanta Mawusi Ma’ at Turay.         classes for both the Beginner and the Intermediate stu-I stood quietly in the back and got a head bobble going       dent. There is also an Adult class called “For Sisters Only”.to the beat of the music. One of the drummers invited me      This class offers movement for the grown folks.to sit down and join them. I told him that I did not want     rakaba welcomes children of all ages including toddlers. Yes,to mess up their rhythm so I would have to decline. He        even the babies. The different classes have varying tuitionlaughed.                                                      and in many instancesa child is not turned away becauserakaba is the non-profit brainchild of a woman who            of the parent’s inability to pay. Check out their websitehas put in years of passion for teaching dance; and who       www.rakabaDance.com for both class schedules and toabsolutely loves our children.                                purchase tickets to their Annual Kwanza Celebration.Ms. Fanta has earned the reputation for being seriousabout the students who walk in her door. watching her islike seeing a mother hen taking all of her little chicks un-der one big wing. This is probably why some affectionatelycall her “Mama Fanta”. She is both fun and firm whenmanaging a room full of varying personalities and ages.                                                              www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com 41
OvercomeYour ChallengesToWeight Loss andOptimal HealthNow!                                                                                    Cassandra Jackson, MPHI’ve talked to hundreds of peopleabout losing weight and creatinghealth in their lives, and onething I hear often is that changeis too difficult.They tried. They failed. And nowthey feel so discouraged thatthey are reluctant to try again.Some people have even gonethrough this cycle four or fivetimes. They started a diet orpicked up a workout DVD. Atfirst, change seemed possible.They started to lose weight andfeel better, but eventually theyslid back into their old habits,perhaps ending up worse thanwhen they started.This is called “yo-yo dieting”, butis actually a pattern that we caneliminate. It’s incredibly common,largely due to the increasingnumber of fad diets and celebrityworkout routines. Since theseapproaches rarely address thereal problem—our behaviors andthe habits that reinforce them—any positive progress is short-lived.Creating health in your life is a                                   if you have a practical plan and include a passionate communityprocess. Although the individual                                    to support your new behaviors.For caring, professional personalsteps may be simple, you can still expect to have challenges        coaching to overcome your weight and health challenges, emailalong the way. In simple terms, there are two types of challenges:  me at [email protected] Challenges and Long-Term Challenges.Daily challenges are your immediate obstacles, like choosing         Cassandra Jackson, MPH is a career Behavioralthe stairs instead of the elevator or drinking water instead of      Health Professional and Certified Health Coachsoda. Long-term challenges often result from the accumulation        who guides, supports and teaches you howyou canof many daily challenges. For example, obesity can be a              gain control over unhealthy habits so you cansafelyconsequence of failing to overcome the challenge of maintaining      lose weight quickly and eliminate Type II Diabetes,a healthy amount of activity. Similarly, diabetes often results      High Blood Pressure and High Cholesterol for good.from a lifetime of unhealthy food choices.                           www.CoachCassandra.tsfl.com/exploreI use the word “challenge” because we all recognize that makingchoices can be difficult. However, change is possible, especially42 www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com
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NET-WORK                        we are developing a powerful network of Black andBUILDS YOUR                     Latino women entrepreneurs who want to buildNET-WORTH                       bridges to wealth and prosperity. I am looking forWHO IS                          women who are business owners, thinkers, disrupters,SISTERCEO?                      pioneers, trend setters, top sellers, change agents                                and CeOs of their own growing company, start up or                                home based business. SisterCeO is for women who                                understand our power and who value our communit-                                ies. we will network, exchange information, share,                                respect and support the growth of each woman                                owned company represented within our organiza-                                tion. we are creating the ultimate Millionaire and Bil-                                lionaire Girls Club. This is a ground-floor opportunity                                for Black women and Latinas to combine our efforts                                and establish open dialog; creating life long bonds,                                friendships and business opportunities. Membership                                is free and open for now, but is reserved exclusively                                for serious professionals. There are currently 45 mem-                                bers of SisterCeO in the Atlanta area. To learn more                                visit http://www.meetup. com/Sister-ceO44 www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com
“Do not bring people in your       Member Spotlightlife who weigh you down. Andtrust your instincts ... good re-   personal Biolationships feel good. They feel    My name is Lydia Hypolite. I have aright. They don’t hurt. They’re     Bachelors Degree in Finance and Businessnot painful. That’s not just with   and Masters in economics. My professionalsomebody you want to marry,         background includes several positionsbut it’s with the friends that      as Finance executive for a various largeyou choose. It’s with the people    corporations. I am currently venturing outyou surround yourselves with.”-     to establish my own company, readimaidsFirst Lady Michelle Obama           Cleaning Service.                                   Business Info                                   readimaids Cleaning Services is an organic cleaning                                   company that serves residential and commercial clients.                                   we brand ourselves as “The Smart Cleaning Company”.                                   Not only are all our cleaning products certified organic,                                   we also incorporate technology into all aspects of our                                   business. Customers can book service online via desk top,                                   laptop and on-the go with smart phones. we are in pro-                                   cess of incorporating an app that will allow customers to                                   communicate with us from any location, with the click of                                   a button.                                   we use our unique chemical free and highly effective,                                   steam technology to kill germs and bacteria from vulner-                                   able areas such as kitchens and bathrooms.                                   I decided to get into the janitorial/cleaning industry be-                                   cause it is very customer centric, and you are able to de-                                   liver instant value and gratification to your clients. what’s                                   more fulfilling than providing your clients with a clean,                                   fresh environment that they can enjoy instantly? And add                                   to that the most enthusiastic cleaning technicians, and tech-                                   nology to facilitate the process for our customers to book                                   services. readimaids is definitely not your average janit-                                   orial company. To learn more or to book an appointment                                   visit us at                                   web - www.readimaids.com                                   https://www.Facebook.com/redimaids                                   www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com 45
tlantaSeveral years ago, I blew money on office spaces and overhead          Ohub (Marietta Street) sits at the center of Atlanta’s cultural,that could have gone towards the mission critical needs of my          economic and innovative Downtown/west Midtown eco-sphere.old company. The two fulltime offices we had on opposite sides         It’s central to all major points of interest in the downtown area.of town made no sense. So, I tried the virtual office route. Virtu-    For example, Centennial Olympic Park (with its popular wind-al offices limited my use of their space so it too failed to deliver   down wednesdays Jazz) is just a few blocks away. And there arethe flexibility I needed. I guess I was not looking for the com-       plenty of eateries for client meetings and team lunches.mitment or the price tag of a fulltime office. And the virtual office  Don’t worry about getting stuck in Atlanta’s infamous trafficwasn’t giving me enough and charged extra for everything in-           trying to get on the freeway to your next destination. Ohub iscluding tap water and breathing. when will someone come up             approximately 7 minutes from both the 75/85 freeways givingwith something better? Thus, enters the co-working disruption.         you easy on and easy off access by way of williams Street.Co-working is “officing” the way you want and when you need it         The new location is the perfect mix of industrial authenticityat prices less than my daily Arden’s Garden fresh juice. ($2.99).      and solid concrete columns and floors, exposed brick walls,The co-working phenomena hit Atlanta a few years back, but             high ceilings,and thousands of square feet of adaptable use fordid not give me the same feel of the spaces I had experienced          about 100 companies of all industries and sizes. It is perfectlyin Los Angeles and Philadelphia. People were opening up                situated at the corner of Marietta and Ivan Allen Boulevard, inspaces trying to capitalize off of this growing trend, but were        the heart of the booming Midtown west neighborhood and ad-not delivering the business. One space I joined had a “board           jacent to Downtown.room”, but no conference room phone to use for such a meet-            In addition to work space and offices, Ohub offers membersing. Then the “church chairs” they used around the conference          complimentary wi-fi, mentoring services, networking opportunit-room table, were extremely uncomfortable not to mention the            ies, classes and events. word is spreading about Ohub’s startupvery bright white walls that made me feel like I was in an insane      friendly environment. It’s an environment that is fostering ideasasylum. After I paid my money, I was given a book of rules (this       from some of the best and brightest minds. Most recently awas going down hill already). The place felt more like a morgue        group of Black Googlers held an event for Black businessmixed with the Principal’s office and parlayed inside of a library     owners at the downtown space. And the Shark Tank reality TVwhere no one was “allowed” to talk above a whisper. Glad it was        Series often scouts entrepreneurs from the Ohub community toa month to month situation. Perfect timing for my newest love          appear on the show.Opportunity Hub.                                                       Membership starts at a dirt cheap $200 per month. AdditionalThere are currently 3 Atlanta locations (200 Peachtree Street and      amenities such as mail service, parking, answering service, and426 Marietta Street and now the Loft at Castleberry Hill). Let me      dedicated spaces are additional so start small then grow big!start by telling you that I am infatuated with The Opportunity         An initiative called Invest Georgia exemption (IGe), is givingHub’s newest location on Marietta Street. The Opportunity Hub          individuals an opportunity to invest in companies likeor Ohub is taking co-working in Atlanta to a whole new level.          Ohubthrough recently implemented crowdfunding laws. OnlySpaces designed with the look and feel that young Founders             Georgia residents can invest and must certify and verify thatfind motivating. environments conducive to collaborating. en-          they are residents.ergy that says I am here to help you realize your dreams.              To learn more about available space and events happening atIts Founders, rodney S. Sampson (Author of the best seller             Ohub visit www.OHUB200.com“Kingonomics”), earl Coleman, Jr., Brandon rickman and Bradley         words by Swan Simpson, CeO of Swan Simpson Media GroupKirkland collectively stepped out with a vision to create an en-       www.SwanSimpsonMediaGroup.comtire “eco system” where entrepreneurs could survive and thrive.46 www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com
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exceLLeNce IN BLAck             In the noisy world of reality TV, MusicMEET DELTA AIRLINES’            and entertainment, it sometimes seems                                difficult to separate fact from fiction.(ASA DELTA CONNECTION)          Cable TV has risen in ratings thanks to a                                number of Black women appearing oni                               reality TV Shows creating drama and  c                             looking a hot mess. Some of these shows   k                            have given the American people and                                the world plenty of material by which to48 www.BlackMogulsMagazine.com  judge all Black women.                                Likewise if you watch music videos and                                listen to the lyrics of many r & B songs                                and rap Music, you will find Black women                                being demoralized and treated as useless                                sex objects strictly to the satisfaction of                                ones over inflated ego. This is why more                                powerful and more realistic images of                                Black and Latino women are important in                                the world of business. we may very well                                be kittens in the bedroom, but we also                                bring much juice to the Boardroom.                                when I first heard about Delta’s historical                                all female and all Black Atlanta based flight                                crew, I beamed with pride. Black women                                are no strangers to hard work, dedication                                and achievement. It has been our drive and                                our unwillingness to be broken, that has                                kept the entire community afloat amidst                                chaos and calamity.                                ASA Flights 5202 and 5106 became the                                first commercial flights to be operated                                by an all Black, all female crew on                                February 12, 2009. This made not only                                Black History, but American History.                                Both flights are under the command                                of Captain rachelle Jones, 1st Officer                                Stephanie Brown Grant, Flight Attendant                                robin rogers and Flight Attendant Diana                                Galloway. “Fate may have a little bit to do                                with it, but for everyone that will look at                                us as role models or look to aspire to be                                what we are today, they need to know                                that it was hard work and dedication to                                get here,” Grant says. Captain Jones, was                                once a Customer Service agent for Delta,                                had never thought of becoming a Pilot                                until a friend suggested it. “Young girls                                need to see that yes, they can be flight                                attendants, and yes, they can be pilots,                                and the sky is the limit.”
                                
                                
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