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February 2011 Inspire, Inform & Educate 48 Edition

Annie Malone: Businesswoman OriginalA history lesson on an early African American Entrepreneur.

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Women in it to Win It! 2011

Proud to be...

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

State Representative Ron Reynolds & MR. D-MARS

INSIDE

Little Known Black History “sayings”

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Funny, Fictional Moments in Black History.

Shirley C. TaylorSAC Creations

Kristi Smith2011 Ms. Pearland

Charles S. DuttonU.S. Dream Academy

Sandi JohnsonOperation Get Fit

Tanjian NormanHouston Colon Care Center

Wendi - Ann & Jacqui FrancisJamaica House

Clinette GaresMop’s Grill

www.february 2011 2.

Each year our country dedicates the month of February to celebrate the many accomplishments of African Americans and recognizing their extensive contributions to a diverse American society. Black History Month is a time to reflect on the advancements African Americans have made in this country and show respect to heroes of the past, while acknowledging the leaders of today who will guide our country to even greater heights. d-mars.com honors the countless successes and sacrifices that African Americans have made and continue to make to help this country remain the greatest country in the world.

Black History Month: because of… the countless African Americans who have helped build and sacrifice for this country so that we are able to live in the land of the free!

Thank you for your continued support of d-mars.com. When you support d-mars.com, you are supporting more than just our company; you are supporting the communities in which we live and work. Working together, we can succeed in making positive things happen.

Publisher’s Message

Keith J. Davis, Sr.

CONTENTS

D-MARS.com Business Journal

7322 Southwest Fwy, Suite 806Houston, Texas 77074713-272-9511 . Phone

713-272-6364 . Fax1-800-453-8752 . Toll Free

www.d-mars.com

MR. D-MARSTip of the Month

Ron E. Reynolds: Keeping the Community Informed…………………….....

Jamaican Chef to the Prime Minister opens restaurant in Galleria area…..

Mentorships help women advance their careers…………………………….

Writer’s poetry evokes tears of joy…………………………………………….

Redefining One’s Path……………………………………………………........

Think like the Rich…………………………………………………………........

Local Fitness Guru leading the way to wellness and delivering results…..

Texas Southern University Launching Urban Academic Village…………...

Broadway, TV and film star Charles S. Dutton………………………...........

3 Power Moves to Make Your Business Dreams Happen for 2011……....

The History of Black History........................................................................

Butter Cream Babies: The Sweet Lovers Delight……………………….......

Who can find virtuous women...In it to Win it?...........................................

Metlife Study: Secure the Future of Your Business………………………....

Annie Malone: Businesswoman Original…………………………………......

Black History Month: Because of…………………………………………......

Traits of Successful Business Women………………………………………..

Thunder Soul tells the true story……………………………………………....

Warning: Are you and your business becoming irrelevant?........................

Little Known Black History “sayings” ………………………………………...

Social Security: Get the most out of your benefits…………………............

Social Media: This thing is Bigger than you think! ……………………........


“When you are right you cannot be too

radical; when you are wrong, you cannot be

too conservative.”

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“d-mars.com is certified with SBE, HUB, DBE & Port of Houston SBDP.”

SR. PUBLISHERKeith J. Davis, Sr.

VICE PRESIDENTKevin Davis

JR. PUBLISHERKeith J. Davis, Jr.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFDIRECTOR OF OPERATIONSChristopher P. Kirksey EDITING CONSULTANTReShonda Tate-Billingsley

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MULTIMEDIA DIRECTORAndrea Hennekes LAYOUT & GRAPHIC DESIGNERSGhuzzala Malik (Faith)Myron Davis

DISTRIBUTIONBooker T. Davis, Jr.Johnny Ray Davis, Jr. CONTRIBUTING WRITERSChristina R. GrochettDanny McKinneyAshriel DunhamNoel PinnockCharles SwindellNikitia JohnsonNickcole Byrd

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Ron E. Reynolds:A Public Servant who truly Embodies Keeping the Community Informed

It’s Tuesday, January 11, 2011, at the Austin State Capitol on inaugura-tion day, Ron E. Reynolds (D-Texas) was officially sworn in as State Repre-sentative of Fort Bend County House District 27.

“I’m ready to serve the citizens of Fort Bend in this official capacity and look forward to representing the voice of my constituents,” said Reynolds. ”Texas may face a $27 billion shortfall. I look forward to working across the aisle to find ways to lower the deficit that won’t compromise our children’s education and Texas’ global competitive advantage.”

Reynolds, attorney and Fort Bend County’s State Representative, is a long time resident of Fort Bend County

who grew up in Missouri City. He is a product of Fort Bend County public schools, Blue Ridge Elementary and Quail Valley Middle School. He went on to attend Texas Southern University and received a B.S. degree in Public Af-fairs, “magna cum laude”. Ron received a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Texas Tech University School of Law.

Reynolds is a successful small busi-ness owner of a title company and is a name partner in the Brown, Brown & Reynolds, P.C., law firm. He is a former Associate Municipal Judge for The City of Houston and TSU Adjunct Professor (College of Public Affairs).

Reynolds has written numerous ar-ticles relative to Consumer Rights, Civil Rights, Civic Engagement, and Em-ployment Law because he embodies an

inherent responsibility for keeping the com-munity abreast of cur-rent issues that impact their lives.

Reynolds believes that by investing in the community, he has made a positive impact on the business and economic base in Fort Bend County. Com-mensurate with the be-lief, to whom much is

given, much is required; Reynolds has devoted his life to serving the commu-nity. Some of his civic and other affilia-tions include but are not limited to the following:

• President, NAACP Missouri City & Ft. Bend Vicinity Branch

• Vice President, Fort Bend Demo-crats

• Parliamentarian, Sienna Demo-crats

• Brookhollow Baptist Church, Legal Ministry Chair

• Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class 2007

• Past President, Houston Lawyer’s Association

• 100 Black Men of America – Houston Chapter• Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.• Mason, Prince Hall Ever Ready Lodge• Board member, Houston Citizen’s Chamber of Com-merce• Board member, Tri-County Black Chamber of Com-merce• Board member,

Jazz Education, Inc.• Constable Ruben Davis Advisory

Council• Co-Chair Fort Bend International

Festival and Mayor’s Jazz Brunch• Fort Bend ISD Bond Advisory

Committee• Fort Bend County Democratic

Party, sustaining member• Houston Area Urban League• Member of Fort Bend Democratic

Club and Black Dems• Legal Counsel for Houston Black

Expo and a non-profit organiza-tion benefiting sickle-cell research

• Texas Parkway Alliance• Vietnamese American Chamber of

Commerce

Reynolds has won and been recognized

for numerous honors and awards:

• Recipient of the Missouri City Juneteenth Community Service Award

• Ever Ready Lodge 2007 Trailblaz-er’s Award

• Named “Houston’s Top Attorney” by H Texas Magazine

• American Red Cross Humanitarian Award

• YMCA Minority Achievers Award

• MLK Drum Major For Justice Award

• NAACP ALEX Award for Legal Excellence

• 2 time HCCC Busi-ness Pinnacle Award winner

• Named Houston’s Top 40 Leaders Under 40

• EEOC Civil Rights All-Star Award• Senator Rodney Ellis Texas Leader

of the Future Award• Who’s Who in Law and Who’s

Who in Black Houston

(Cutline) Reynolds with wife Dr. Jonita Wallace Reynolds and daughter, Lacey Ronee.

“As State Representative of Dis-trict 27, I serve the residents and busi-ness owners in Fort Bend County by advocating for high-quality education, affordable health care, and economic empowerment in our community.”

Above all his ac-complishments Reyn-olds is most proud and grateful for his family. He is married to Dr. Jonita Wallace Reynolds and has one daughter, Lacey Ronee Reynolds.

“I’m proud to be

the first African American State Rep-resentative in Fort Bend County since Reconstruction. I represent House Dis-trict 27 which covers the Fort Bend part of the City of Houston, parts of Mis-souri City, Sugar Land, Stafford, Rich-

mond, Rosenberg, Fresno and Arcola. I have one of the most diverse districts in Texas., said Reynolds.

Reynolds say he is very blessed to have been elected to serve his commu-nity. “I realize that as a Public Servant that I’m here to serve my community and speak out for those that often don’t have a voice -- the least, the last and the lost.” Reynolds says his main goal is to serve the residents and business own-ers in Fort Bend County by advocating for high-quality education for their chil-dren, affordable health care, and eco-nomic empowerment for small business owners and minorities.



(left to right)

Jamaican Chef to the Prime Minister opens restaurant in Galleria area

Come taste the suc-culent dishes of Ja-maica right here in Houston at Jamaica House Restaurant. This restaurant is a

cultural café located in the Galleria, area bringing the best of gourmet Caribbean cuisine and culture.

Enjoy succulent dishes flavored with Jamaican traditions of jerk, curry, and other spices. Dine to the rhythms of classic reggae and island tunes and be sure to check out their selection of imported hand-crafted items in the gift display.

Jacqui Francis, a native of Kingston,

Jamaica proudly boasts twenty three years of catering to International Dig-nitaries, Heads of States, and recording artists and has now brought the flavors of her country to Houston. Francis served as the head chef at the Jamaica House (the Office of the Prime Min-ister). Francis has prepared and served meals for the Queen of England, many Presidents and several world dignitar-ies: just to name a few, such as singer Joe, Shaggy, Kenny Rogers, and Randy Crawford. She has also prepared meals

for Johnny Cochran, Cuban President Fidel Castro and Her Royal Highness, Princess Anne. Jamaica House has also been featured on Great Day Houston with Debra Duncan and the 2010 I-fest featuring the Caribbean.

The island atmosphere, friendly service, cuisine, and cultural additions make this a distinctive experience. Ja-maica is noted for producing the best coffee and guests can explore the taste and aromas of their freshly brewed Blue Mountain coffee. The restaurant boasts many sodas from the island, which are delicious. You must try their flavored teas, Jamaican Ginger beer and the San-gria, called Sorrel.

Wendi-Ann Francis-Walker, daugh-ter of Francis, also a native of Jamaica, joins her mother in this venture. Walk-er says their desire was to, “Replicate the island experience for those curious about the island culture.” She, too has a rich history in the Jamaican food in-dustry; her desire was to introduce the gourmet side of Jamaica’s cuisine to Houstonians and the diverse interna-tional community.

Jamaica House motto is “Our House is Your House” and the menu is a true representation of Jamaica’s cultural diversity. Walker says you can “take your taste buds on a tropical voyage with our eclectic gourmet dishes.” In addition to tasty dishes, allow the rhythms of the island to sway you on Friday and Satur-day nights between 8-10pm when live music is featured. Stop by for spoken word on Monday nights 7-9pm to hear local poets recite their lines.

Jamaica House is located at 6357 Westheimer Rd., Houston, TX 77057-5103. For more information call 713-339-1004 or visit www.myja-maicahouse.com. Check them out on Facebook (Jamaica House) and Twitter (JamaicaHouseTX).

Wendi-Ann Francis-Walker & Jacqui Francis / Owner


Mentorships Help Women Advance Their Careers

By Christina Robinson Grochett,University of Phoenix – Houston Vice President

Jamaican Chef to the Prime Minister opens restaurant in Galleria area

The top 500 companies with the best record of promoting women outperformed their competitors by 41 to 116 percent in the

last two decades, according to a study last year from Pepperdine University. As more women earn advanced degrees and begin their corporate ladder climb, many turn to other female profession-als who can act as a coach and enhance their communication, management and problem-solving abilities. These rela-tionships are helping women to success-fully navigate their careers and secure high-profile management positions.

Mentoring relationships often pair a seasoned professional with someone new to the career or the organization. However, mentoring relationships can also benefit seasoned employees by ex-posing them to different perspectives. The purpose of the relationship is to provide guidance and support, and share challenges, solutions and experi-ences. Whether this is through a formal mentorship program or simply an in-formal friendship, the relationship ul-timately helps both individuals mature and grow as professionals.

Studies have shown that those in mentoring programs advance their ca-reer at an accelerated rate. For example, University of Pennsylvania recently studied more than 1,000 employees at a large technology company over five years and found that those enrolled in mentoring programs (as both men-tors and mentees) were promoted at six times the rate of those who were not. In addition, the retention rates of these employees were 72 percent on average, compared with 49 percent for those not

in the program.Regardless of the format, mentors

are role models who can help women balance full-time careers with their per-sonal lives. When choosing a mentor, individuals should consider professional aspirations, personal learning styles and rapport.

As the South Texas Vice President for University of Phoenix, I have per-sonally mentored more than 100 staff members and encourage all of our em-ployees to build mentoring relation-ships. Many of these mentees have been promoted into management roles at the campus or other University locations. Our campuses encourage staff mem-bers to develop professional roadmaps and we provide tools and offer flexible schedules to support mentoring efforts.

Elements of a Positive Mentoring Relationship

• Create a big-picture plan together that includes a clear path to ad-vancement and potential barriers

• Identify patterns and trends in the company and industry

• Honor priorities and work through issues together

• Anticipate challenges as the learning process begins

• Predict outcomes and create alterna-tives to fall back upon

• Develop and be accountable for a schedule to ensure strategic goals are met

• Provide ongoing encouragement and support

• Share real-life experiences and ex-amples

• Maintain confidentiality to build a trusting relationship

• Spend more time listening than talk-ing

• Present information and new skills in small amounts to avoid “over-load”

• Network with managers and peers

I have found mentoring relation-ships have positive effects not only for employees, but also for myself. Through both formal and informal mentorships, I feel our staff members have taught me as much as I have taught them. Togeth-er, we have grown as professionals and have learned more about the value of integrity, collaboration, tenacity, chal-lenging the status quo and having fun.

Christina Robinson Grochett is the State Vice President/ Director of South Texas for University of Phoenix. An accomplished leader and champion of higher learning, she was selected as one of the 2010 Women of Influence by Houston Woman Magazine and one of the Top 10 business women by the American Business Women’s Association in 2008. Under her leadership, the Houston campuses were selected as a 2009 Best Place

to Work by The Houston Business Journal and were awarded with the 2010, 2009 and 2008 Alfred P. Sloan Awards from the City of Houston for Workplace Flexibility and Innovation.


Writer’s poetry evokes tears of joy

SSAC Creations Personalized Poetry began in 2001. After years of writing poems for others, people would have such a strong emotional re-

sponse to her writing. She often heared from friends and family that her writ-ing was a true gift. Her words have been described as “anointed,” “healing,” and “inspiring.” Her writing has been known to invoke tears of joy.

Shirley Crews Taylor has been writ-ing since the third grade and in 1993 published a book of poetry entitled “Let Love Live.” It was a collection of poems that were written for others. The book’s title, “Let Love Live” embodies a poem that Taylor wrote for a friend. Taylor says, “My friend Teresa had just broken up with her boyfriend. I wrote the poem based on our conversation and I could tell how strongly she felt about him. She gave the poem to him and they got back together. I have always had a strong empathy for feelings of others and have been coined, “the Heart-Reader.”

Taylor says after much encourage-ment and prayer she decided to do some research to see if there was a need for this service. “One day I mentioned to my hair dresser who suggested I go by this local black art store. I went by and the owner and I were into a lengthy con-versation when the phone rang. It was someone on the phone looking for a person to write a personal poem to give to her sister for their first anniversary. The owner gave me the phone, we ex-changed numbers. I spoke with her by phone later to get details about what she wanted to say to her sister. I ended up writing her a poem and meeting her at Bellaire and 59 South the next day. She

was very pleased,” said Taylor.This was Taylor’s sign -- and from

that day, the calls from friends and re-ferrals started. “Each of them needing a poem for this or that and willing to pay for the work,” Taylor says before she knew it, she was very busy writ-ing poems and creating plaques and framed documents. “But I was torn and felt this wasn’t a professional job and I needed to get a “day” job using my Business Management and Masters in Industrial Psychology knowledge. I had gained extensive experience in Human Resources and Career Counseling and later that year, I received a full-time job with benefits so I abandoned the busi-ness of writing poetry for benefits. This was part of my journey to get to where I am today,” says Taylor. “This was a turning point for me because I thought I could not use all of my gifts. There was such an internal struggle because I knew I wasn’t fully doing what my heart was telling me to do.”

Today, Taylor owns a local profes-sional development firm, TCT Enter-prises, LLC and SAC Creations (SACC) is now a division. Through her coaching and consulting services, she incorpo-rates inspirational writing.

“With SACC, I work with indi-viduals, corporations, wedding/event planners as well as churches and funeral homes, says Taylor. Taylor writes cus-tom poetry for all occasions.

A few examples:

Congratulations! (To a couple getting married)

Congratulations...It seems like just yesterday that you two fell so hard, so fast;I wish you only the best and with God’s help, your love will last.You both have so much in common--you’re off beat sense of humor,your love for Purple and a Star Trek fan;It seems you two get each other like no one else can.You two have a love that’s very complex, and for years ran deep;May you make many happy memories, and there be only joy and love in your heart as into matrimony you leap…

I Love You and I Do! (To a couple getting married)

Al, before all these witnesses I vow to take you as my partner, my sweetie, my king,You are my joy, my inspiration, my love, and it will be a pleasure to wear your ring.You call me your angel, your beautiful black queen, and your love has truly captured my heart,I’ve never been one to believe in love at first sight, but it happened like you said from the start.

My first example was for Mothers Day to a grandmother coming from her new grandson. She would keep the baby and always joke him about FedEx’s him back to his mom for smiling so much.

Happy 80th BirthdayTo our mother Mrs. Lucille Williams

Born the third oldest child on October 1st in 1922,God truly made something special the day he created you.You were saved at the age of 14, and still serves God faithfully today,You have always been quiet, very seri-ous, fun and loving in your own way.You loved all your brothers, but had only one sister to whom you were really tight.And for 53 years you were married to

Mr. R. T. Williams, our father and your “Mr. Right”.

Taylor says: Why I write:

“Although I strayed away from writing poetry for others, I now respect my gift and want to use all my talents to help others to heal and grow. I am here to communicate the message of hope and encouragement to be the channel to help others express their feelings when they might not know how. Today SACC has created unique poems and custom gifts for others. S A C plans to grow the business based on a reputation for top-notch creative, individualized poetic gifts.” Taylor plans to release her book entitled “Let love Live” this year.

Taylor’s process:

The first step is to meet with clients by phone or person and conduct an interview and listen to what they would like to do. The Book:

Taylor says what Clients get:

“I know that clients can go to Hall-mark or some card store and find a poetic message. What I provide is a very personal, unique message from the heart using the client’s words. We can also provide a finished gift, whether it’s a plaque or a frame and we can do very custom gifts in a format of their choice; a personal keepsake that can be trea-sured for a lifetime.”

Shirley Crews Taylor

Shirley Crews TaylorWhen you want it to be unique…When you want it to be special…When you want it to be personal…

www.sacpoems.com | [email protected]

10701 Corporate Drive, Suite 190 Stafford, TX 77477

832.288.5631


www.sacpoems.com | [email protected]


Redefining

By Tanjian NormanOwner of Houston Colon Care CenterCertified Colon Hydrotherapist

1. THE START – Something Got to ChangeIn Feb 2009, by all accounts I had accomplished the American dream and my professional and personal life reflected my successes - I was a manager at a major consulting firm, was considered a “expert” in my field, had 17 plus years of corporate experience and all of the fancy mate-rial stuff that goes along with it. But, this one day I was sensing incom-pleteness --- I was unhappy, stressed and the passion and self of purpose was gone. I literally wanted to es-cape the life I worked so hard for. After much reflection on that day I knew it was time to reset my path.

The first step is ac-knowledging and embracing the call to step back and analyze one’s current and future path.

2. Do You – Going Natural

I always wanted to have chemical-free hair but was hesitant because of my job has a consultant. As part of my path reset-ting process, I decid-ed to go natural and yes I got the quizzical looks and questions. But, overall the ben-efits and the experi-ence far out-weighed any negative com-ments. Today, am I nurturing baby locks and enjoying what

God has naturally given me. Find something you always wanted to do and Do IT!

3. You are Not Alone -- St. John’s United Methodist Downtown

In June 2009, I started attending services at St John’s and realized I was not alone on my journey. Each service strengthened my faith and encouraged me to go into my prayer closet and seek God’s strength, wis-dom and discernment on my life. It was in these times of soul searching and worship I started to reflect on my passions and how they could be incorporated into my life’s mission. Taking a journey without a clear destination is disconcerting, I did not know what I wanted to do, but I definitely did not want to continue on my existing path.

Trust and believe that you are not alone. While on your journey, sur-round yourself with mentors, trust-worthy friends and faith.

4. Blessing In Disguise – Being Laid Off

In April of 2009, as a result of hear-ing layoff rumors I proactively start-ed a technology consulting firm. In April of 2010, I was laid off along with 120 others. This was a great opportunity to work in my compa-ny full-time. This experience was a good foray into entrepreneurship.

Make Lemonade from Lemons.

5. Time Out - Take a Vacation

In June 2010 I took a cruise with my family; on the trip my sister (a suc-cessful business owner in Tulsa, OK) stressed the importance of working a business that you have passion for. Upon my return I carefully reflected

on this and started to gain a clearer picture of my path.

Taking time out to rejuvenate the soul and spend time with close fam-ily and friends helps to gain new per-spectives.

6. I can See the Path - Body Wellness

Since 2007, as a result of a medical crisis I became interested in health and wellness; and taking the advice from my sister I started to seriously consider entering the health and wellness field. After many months of soul searching, analyzing and re-analyzing and researching different business markets this felt right and the vision was firmly elucidated on my mind.

Now that I had firm goals and a newly defined path it was time to ex-ecute. So, I followed my passion for body wellness and opened the Hous-ton Colon Care Center.

The journey of redefining my path took some time and it wasn’t easy with a few bumps and roadblocks along the way. However, I look for-ward to this new path with renewed commitment to health and well-ness, faith and determination that all things are possible.

One’s Path

As I embrace 2011, I re-flect on my life’s journey over the past 2 years and marvel at how much has changed in my personal

and professional life. Over a span of two years I have redefined my life’s path with 6 Take Action Steps.






In order to become rich, you have to think like the rich. These ideas and concepts were not taught in my community growing up as a child.

I believe it all begins with your relation-ship and beliefs that you have about money and wealth. This single factor alone, will determine whether you are rich or poor in life, whether money flows to you or away from you.

If your mental relationship with money is not healthy, you will make decisions that will ultimately sabotage any desire you have to be rich.

So first and foremost, we should proba-bly start with the definition of “Wealth”? What does it mean to be “Rich”?

To some, “rich” may be a monetary number, to others, it might be the abil-ity to retire, to others it may just be as simple as being able to pay your bills; I have a different definition of what it means to “be rich”- being rich is being able to own your own time.

Even though you may make a lot of money, which is coming from various businesses you owned and had to run or different jobs you worked, is your money working for you? In most cases the more money your businesses made, the more you had to work, and the less happy your became. You are working for you money, but your money is not working for you. We all suffer from this as business owners.

That’s why it is important to turn you active income -- the money you work for -- into passive income. --money that

comes in automatically from cash-generating assets; not a business you operated. That might take one hour of your time to manage per month.

Because the single most valuable as-set of all, is the one thing you can’t

buy, and that you can’t get more of -- your time.

So my definition of “rich” is this:

It’s, “the ability to create your dreams into reality without financial con-straints.”

The greatest achievement in life is to have the ability to create the world around you, so that it matches the dreams in your mind. This is how the most advanced city in the world sprung from the des-ert sands of Dubai in less than 10 years. This is how Bugatti built the 253 mph Veyron. This is how Steve Jobs created the iPhone and how Paul Allen and Burt Rutan built Spaceship 1.

Whatever those dreams may be in your mind, make them come true; whether it’s unlimited time with your family, a new dress, the chance to work full-time for your favorite char-ity, or your dream home.

Having the financial means and the ability to say, “yes, I can make this real if I want,” is the ultimate expression of wealth that someone can experience.

With your active income replaced with passive income, (providing you with an infinite amount of free time), you can work and create simply because you want to, not because you have to. That is being rich. That is wealth.

So, let’s dive into your relationship with money, and the mindset you’ll need to unlock in order to become truly wealthy.

I will begin with step one out of five and the rest will follow in the next issue.

Step #1: Forget The Past, And For-get The Present.

Your past and present circumstances have nothing to do with your future. The first thing you need to realize is that whether you were rich or poor growing up doesn’t matter. No one within my family tree has ever been what I con-sider wealthy, and all of the rich kids I envied back in high school are living u n i n s p i r e d lives of finan-

cial me-

diocrity, or even poverty today.

I filled out my first job application and started sacking groceries when I turned 14. It doesn’t matter if you were an av-erage student in high school; even if you didn’t do well in college, or even if you have started failing businesses, or bounced from one corporate job to an-other in order to pay the rent.

Even if the only furniture in your apart-ment consisted of a bed, a desk, and a small TV perched upon a food tray; or even if the entire living room has noth-ing but bare carpet; even if you do your laundry at the local Laundromat and your diet consist of frozen vegetables

mixed into Ramen soup, or $.99 cent boxes of Kraft macaroni and cheese.

Living like this would make you feel like nothing; but deep inside your core, most of you have an unwavering belief that you would be a millionaire and that you will change the world for the better.

Despite your situation at this time, and despite the fact that no one in my fam-ily had ever achieved that kind of wealth before, you believed that you deserved to be rich and that nothing could stop you.

One day, some of us made a conscious decision that wealth was in my future,

and from that moment on you were rich. It simply meant taking reality time to catch up to that decisive moment.

The reality you live in today is simply the physical mani-festation of the

thoughts and beliefs you’ve

held for the past years. Your real-

ity five years from now will be a result of the

new thoughts and beliefs

you decide to adopt today.

So Step #1: to ac-quiring wealth is to

make the conscious decision right now, to let go of your past

and let go of your present. It doesn’t matter if you came from money or not, and it doesn’t matter if you’re poor at this very moment. Accept the belief that you deserve to be wealthy, and that you will become wealthy, even if you’re not sure how it will happen just yet.

This will set your subconscious on a mission to create your new reality. You’ll start to make different choices, and bet-ter decisions that will lead you toward your goal.

An incredible book on this topic that will help you make this transition is Pyscho-Cybernetics by Dr. Maxwell Matlz,

STAY INFORMED.

By Danny McKinney, J.D., Contributing WriterThink Like the Rich



Local Fitness Guru leading the way to wellness and delivering results

Texas Southern University Launching Urban Academic Village with $2.74 Million Funding from Houston Endowment

Houston Endowment has awarded a $2.74 million grant to Texas Southern University (TSU) to con-

duct a pilot study of the University’s new Urban Academic Village, a freshman and sophomore enhancement program to improve retention and increase gradu-ation rates.

“We are particularly grateful to Houston Endowment for their endorse-ment of this important program and of the changes that have taken place at Texas Southern over the past 3 years,” Rudley said.

“Houston Endowment is glad to assist Texas Southern University as it commits to improve the academic suc-cess of its undergraduate students,” said Houston Endowment President Larry R. Faulkner. “President Rudley has chosen an ambitious, thoughtful approach toward this central concern

of any university.”To prepare Texas Southern freshmen

to pursue their degree plan to graduation, the University’s new Urban Academic Village is a holistic, student-centered, 24/7 academic community approach concerned with the academic perfor-mance, mental well-being, emotional stability and personal growth of fresh-men and sophomore students on cam-pus. Research has shown that students are most vulnerable to dropping out of college in the first and second years with 75 percent of college dropouts occurring between the freshman and sophomore years. This national data has proved true at Texas Southern which currently sees nearly a third of all freshmen leaving at the end of the first year.

In addition to providing students with enhanced academic services, the Urban Academic Village will provide an array of activities intended to amplify

student engagement. Programs that improve student engagement with their peers, faculty and the broader university community have been shown to have a positive effect on academic success and degree completion.

The pilot program will renovate an existing residence hall to provide 24/7 academic support, institute new inter-vention and evaluation programs, and develop additional tutoring, mentoring and extra-curricular programming to better integrate freshmen into campus life. The plan calls for redesigning an existing residence hall to add expanded common areas, computer labs, and fac-ulty and counselor apartments providing 24/7 faculty and staff support for 400 in-coming freshmen. During spring 2011 the university will review best retention and student success practices from across the country to develop the full enhance-ment program that will launch in Au-

gust 2011.Dr. Sunny Ohia, TSU Provost and

Vice President for Academic Affairs and Research, is overseeing the project. The grant will cover $1 million in renova-tions for the residence hall and $1.74 million to develop and implement the academic enhancement and evaluation programs. All students participating in the pilot will be full-time students who meet the basic admissions requirements to attend Texas Southern. The students will commit to continuing as full-time students and to participating in all en-hancement and outreach activities throughout the two years of the study. A total of 800 students will participate in the pilot program and their progress will be tracked through their sophomore year. Their grades, retention and persis-tence data will be monitored and com-pared to the rest of the 2011 and 2012 freshman classes.

Physical, mental, spiritual and emo-tional wellness are the key components to maintaining a balanced life and over-all well-being.

Regular exercise and healthy nu-trition are the first steps in achieving a healthy body and sound mind. Sandi Johnson at Operation Get Fit will pro-vide you with the support, the moti-vation, and the education you need to achieve your fitness goals. You will reach levels of excellence that you never thought possible.

Sandi JohnsonSandi’s love for fitness began with

track as she took the Edmond Memo-

rial Bulldogs girls track team to state in two events. Sandi went on to Langston University where she became a Univer-sity cheerleader and began her fitness ca-reer by becoming a University Aerobics instructor. With 19 years in the health and fitness industry, Sandi’s passion for fitness led her to start Operation Get Fit, a fitness and nutrition company that offers youth, adults and seniors pro-gramming. Operation Get Fit serves the community by providing fitness and nu-trition programs in HISD after-school programs, Houston Public Libraries, City of Houston Multi-Service Centers, local community centers and at various local parks.

Sandi’s contagious enthusiasm and energy motivates and encourages her cli-ents to stick to a nutrition and exercise regime to meet their goals and change their lives. Sandi is a trainer, speaker and life coach who addresses good nutrition and healthy eating habits, weight loss, and exercise and fitness. Sandi focuses on health concerns that continue to plague our community such as: child-hood obesity, high blood pressure, dia-betes, and heart disease. Sandi’s practical approach to fitness and nutrition in-spires and educates clients and audiences to takes action to make lifestyle changes to achieve and maintain health and over-

all wellness.Sandi has a Bachelors of Science

from the University of Central Okla-homa. She is a Certified Personal Trainer and Boot Camp Instructor. Her certifi-cations also include Aquatic Instructor, Arthritis Foundation, American Heart Association, Heart saver CPR & AED, and American Safety & Health Institute. Sandi delivers results.

Adult Boot CampOperation Get Fit Boot Camp is

intense and challenging! Using support-ive and motivational routines, our team of expert certified personal trainers will lead you through an intense eight-week outdoor fitness program. The program is designed to put you in the best shape of your life. You’ll be surrounded by other team members who, just like you, want to make dramatic changes in their physi-cal and mental well-being. We will chal-lenge you to push yourself to reach new fitness levels. The workouts are safe and effective leaving you feeling fit, toned, strong and motivated. Our trainers stress proper form, proper breathing and good technique and safety. Our expert staff puts your health and fitness first and will be happy to modify your workouts so that any modification to workout may be made do pre-existing injuries. Change

the way you look and improve the way you feel. Eight weeks to a new you!

Youth Fitness for KidsYouth Fitness addresses the need

for physical activities necessary to live a healthy lifestyle and in helping to com-bat the current youth obesity epidemic. This program provides fitness training, nutritional information, and dance! The workouts are designed to increase self-esteem, decrease body fat, increase strength and endurance, improve agility, balance and coordination. We encourage teamwork through partner and group exercises. Our workouts are self-paced, individually challenging and a lot of fun! Each workout begins with a five min-ute stretch and warm up followed by 40 minutes of fitness activities, 10 minutes of dance and five minutes of stretch and cool down. All under the guidance and supervision of certified personal train-ers and qualified fitness professionals. Operation Get Fit Youth Fitness is a fun environment where kids can exercise, build relationships, gain nutritional in-formation, and learn strategies to live an overall healthy lifestyle.

For more information or to contact Sandi call 832-419-9598 or [email protected]

Sandi Johnson


Broadway, TV and film star Charles S. Dutton Kicks off U.S. Dream Academy 10 City Tour in Houston to Benefit At Risk Youth

Charles S. Dutton’s journey through life, from the streets of East Baltimore to becoming an Emmy Award-winning ac-

tor, director and Broadway star, is an unusual story of inspiration. He defied low expectations, incarceration and pur-sued his dream against all odds, which is the basis of Dutton’s powerful one-man show, “From Jail to Yale: Serving Time on Stage.” Dutton will kick off a 10-city tour of his show on February 26, 2011 at 6:45 p.m. at the University of Hous-ton’s Cullen Performance Hall (4800 Calhoun Road, Houston, TX 77204). The show will be presented by the U.S. Dream Academy, in partnership with the University of Houston’s Department of African American Studies.

Dutton’s life lessons and passion to inspire troubled youth is at the core

of this tour. Not only is he sharing his incredible story, he is also donating all proceeds from his performances to the U.S. Dream Academy’s critical programs to empower children who are at-risk of future incarceration and maximize their potential by providing them with academics, social and values enrichment through supportive mentoring and the use of technology.

The U.S. Dream Academy and the University of Houston African Ameri-can Studies program have partnered to bring Dutton to Cullen Performance Hall for a one-night-only performance at 6:45 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2011. Dutton will also participate in a mod-erated conversation with university stu-dents from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 25, in the Honors College lounge in the M.D. Anderson Library.

“This program will provide a struc-tural analysis of culture, race, class, and

gender,” said Dr. James Conyers, chair of the African American Studies pro-gram. “Charles Dutton has a history of developing committed art with an em-phasis on Africana life and customs.”

“We are very pleased for this op-portunity to partner with the University of Houston’s Department of African American Studies to bring this rivet-ing stage presentation to campus,” said Wintley Phipps, founder and chief ex-ecutive officer of the U.S. Dream Acad-emy. “Charles Dutton is a consummate master of acting and we are grateful for his willingness to share his time and tal-ent to raise much needed funds for our after school program in Houston.”

The theater event is a fundraiser benefitting U.S. Dream Academy, a national after school and mentoring program that motivates children with relatives in prison to break the cycle of incarceration in their families. The

program, founded by renowned gos-pel singer Wintley Phipps, is currently operating in 10 cities nationwide. Its research-based initiatives challenge nearly 800 young people daily and en-gage them in active learning through one-to-one mentoring, strong academ-ics, and technology-driven activities and curricula. Visit our website at www.us-dreamacademy.org.

The Houston Dream Academy Learning Center is located at Foster El-ementary School at the intersection of Yellowstone and Scott Streets. It serves more than 60 students daily between the ages of 8–13 through skill-building, character-building and dream-building activities, including cultivating their ap-preciation for the arts.

For more information or to pur-chase tickets go to www.usdreamacad-emy.org or call (800)USDREAM (800-873-0326)

Sign up on our online mailing list @ d-mars.com.

713.272.9511

3 Power Moves to Make Your Business Dreams Happen for 2011

By Nickcole Byrd, MBALife and Business Coach

Each New Year, many entrepreneurs re-solve to make goals and resolutions that most of them find that at the end of the year they did not accomplish and for a big part, they never even attempted.

The New Developments in and Direc-tions for Goal-Setting Research Psycholo-gy Journal states: Between 40% to 50% of American adults make New Year’s res-olutions. Of those, 77% will keep their commitment for one week, 55% for one month, 40% for six months, and only 19% for two years.

These statistics tell us that there are some underlying challenges as to why we struggle with making our passions hap-pen. With those challenges, there are some strategies we can put in place to beat the odds when it comes to reaching success.

Power Move #1

Be Bold! Let go of all the reservations about your past failures and move for-ward in the new! Try something new do something new, visit the museum in your area, get inspired go to that weekly networking event, getting out of your comfort zone takes practice so be bold

and get moving in it!

Power Move #2

Get into the know. Many dreams per-ish before they even get started simply for a lack of understanding and clarity about where it is you are trying to go. Start by reading books and magazines in your industry. You can join a mas-ter mind group to help generate ideas and get information for planning. Each of these are great motivators to get you excited and knowledgeable about your business area and shed light on where exactly you want to go in your success

Power Move #3

Be aggressive! When you try some-thing new in your business or your life and you see it not working as expected try it again, try it in a different way, push harder, ask somebody for help! A simple internet search will help those creative juices flowing. Hustle, Hustle, Hustle,

anything worth going after should cause you to be aggressive in the way you think and the action steps you take.

There you have it, three strategies for making your dreams in happen in 2011!

Nickcole Byrd is a business and market-ing professor and life and business coach with over ten plus years experience in en-trepreneurship and business processes. She has a passion for empowering and inspir-ing women leaders to making their dreams happen. Nickcole is also the author of both the Powerupbusinesstraining.com blog and nickcolebbyrd.com and the book The Purple Book of Success.


Broadway, TV and film star Charles S. Dutton Kicks off U.S. Dream Academy 10 City Tour in Houston to Benefit At Risk Youth

3 Power Moves to Make Your Business Dreams Happen for 2011


The History of Black HistoryA

mericans have recog-nized black history annually since 1926, first as “Negro His-tory Week” and later as Black History Month.

What you might not know is that black history had barely begun to be studied-or even documented-when the tradition originated. Although blacks have been in America at least as far back as colonial times, it was not until the 20th century that they gained a respectable presence in the history books.

In 2009, the NAACP marked its 100th anniversary. Spurred by grow-ing racial violence in the early twentieth century, and particularly by race riots in Springfield Illinois, a group of Afri-can American leaders joined together to form a new permanent civil rights organization, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). There are several interesting

Black history facts.We owe the celebration of Black

History Month as Black awareness, and more importantly, the study of black history, to Dr. Carter G. Wood-son. Born to parents who were former slaves, he spent his childhood working in the Kentucky coal mines and en-rolled in high school at age twenty. He graduated within two years and later went on to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard. The scholar was disturbed to find in his studies that history books largely ig-nored the black American population-and when blacks did figure into the picture, it was generally in ways that re-flected the inferior social position they were assigned at the time.

Woodson, always one to act on his ambitions, decided to take on the chal-lenge of writing black Americans into the nation’s history. He established the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (now called the Association

for the Study of Afro-American Life and History) in 1915, and a year later founded the widely respected Journal of Negro History. In 1926, he launched Negro History Week as an initiative to

bring national attention to the contri-butions of black people throughout American history.

Woodson chose the second week of February for Negro History Week be-cause it marks the birthdays of two men who greatly influenced the black Ameri-can population, Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. However, February has much more than Douglass and Lin-coln to show for its significance in black American history.

Black History Month symbolizes the more than three hundred years of suffering, anguish, pain and struggle, our descendants of Africa endured, while adding to the prosperity of this country in all of its grandeur and elegance to-day; a grandeur and elegance brought about from the enslavement, hatred and abuses placed upon the backs of our descendants years back, that we must never forget or take for granted. In so much as Black History Month reminds us of events past and present, so does, the color of our skin, remind us that there is still much iniquity and pain to overcome; there is also hope and much being done on a positive scope that al-lows us to appreciate the significance of Black History-in and of itself.

To be a race of people who have been oppressed and looked down upon for hundreds of years, we must pride ourselves with the great achievement of having exceeded all expectations, even today; thus, these accomplishments and acknowledgements are a huge part of

our reason for celebrating Black History Month. We must in doing so, acknowl-edge our Lord and Savior for bringing us this far and leading us into the next phase of opportunities, blessings and human-rights that are given to us by God and not by man

Today we can be proud and hon-ored to see the many races of people coming together as God would have it-in all manner of his glory. We are com-ing together from all walks of life and from places around the globe, uniting as one voice; this is done, mostly in part by the prayers, hard work and sacrifices of people long past & present-people like Nelson Mandela, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey and Thurgood Marshall. Etc. We must not forget that because of these people and

many others people of color and candor, we have gained and not lost through the years. The desegregation of public schools and polices like affirmative ac-tion have opened doors for us, as well as many other people of color in every shade of the rainbow, like never before.

Black History Month is thereby, not only a reminder for Black Ameri-can’s who are the descendents of African slaves, but a reminder for all races all over the world. It is far and foremost, a huge part of American History. A history that will never stop affecting a people destined to rise above any con-sequence of circumstance. President, Barack Obama, although a child of few advantages, continues to hold strong and study and is still amazingly fighting a good fight under a careful eye of bla-tant racism. The disruption and greed of a few will and can ultimately destroy us all, if we are not conscious of what is taking place before us. We must work together, realizing that we are a family and as a family, we must begin the road in reaching back and paving the way to victory, as those before us did for us many moons ago. No longer can we af-ford to let others make the important choices and decisions for our own. Let’s encourage our children to pick up a book and read so that they will develop a Pandora’s Box of knowledge that will ultimately set them free to explore, not only their history, but the history of people from all walks of life and from places around the globe.



Butter Cream Babies: The Sweet Lovers DelightBy Ashriel Dunham, Operations Intern

If you have a weakness for sweets, then there is no doubt, after you try Butter Cream Ba-bies, it will have a special place in your heart.

As soon as you step through the doors you will feel just like a kid in a candy store; and if you bring your kids along, they will be in heaven.

Butter Cream Babies is the cutest little bakery shop you have ever seen. The sweet aroma of the butter cream will take you away; and the atmosphere will make you so comfortable, you will never want to leave.

Butter Cream Babies features some of your favorite desserts -- including baby cakes, cupcakes, cupcake babies and couture cookies.

Butter Cream baby cakes are avail-able in a variety of flavors with lots of butter cream.

Couture Cookies, baked to order, are ideal for any occasion. These little

treats make great wedding and party favors. At Butter Cream Babies, you choose a design, color, and color scheme that fits your event or wedding and they will bring your idea to life.

At Butter Cream Babies, their spe-cialty is the unique Mason Jar desserts. Mason Jar Desserts come in fresh Straw-berry Shortcake and Banana Cream and are made to order.

Don’t be discouraged by the idea of sweet cakes and cookies just because you are trying to watch your figure. Cupcake Babies are small wonders in all flavors for those of you who are count-ing calories.

In addition to daily sales of great tasting cupcakes, Butter Cream Ba-bies is the perfect bakery idea for any event. They have fun theme parties for every occasion (i.e. baby showers, wed-ding showers, birthday parties, day care events, public school and charter school field trips.) They also offer a cookie and

cup cake decorating classes in store. These are unique and a fun way to make your next event memorable.

Are you in charge of the next busi-ness event? Get Butter Cream Babies to cater it for you. There is nothing that would impress your boss or employ-ees more then indulging them in their guilty pleasures of sweets.

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, a sweet baby cake from But-ter Cream Babies is the perfect way to let your sweet baby know how much you love them.

Gift boxes are available for that spe-cial one this Valentine’s Day. You can even personalize your messages to make your loved one feel extra special.

Butter Cream Babies offers a sweet little experience for kids of all ages.

And as owner of Butter Cream Ba-bies, Amy Scott says, “Always remember to eat your dessert first.” Then promise not to tell your mother.

Mop’s Grill: Home of the famous Catfish Burger Serving up Home style Cooking with a Lotta Love

Mop’s Grill is a mother-daughter owned and operated restaurant that of-fers the best southern home cooking in Texas. Located near the Reliant Stadi-um, just off Loop 610 @ Buffalo Speed-way near Discount Tires, this amazing restaurant is a must visit.

Sugar Land resident Clinette Garc-es, owner of the grill, named the restau-rant after a nickname given her mother and offers menu items originated in her own kitchen.

The eatery, described as “Home of the Mahi Mahi Burger”- made from the famous Hawaiian fish offers a wide range of Southern-style seafood dishes.

Menu Items include: Burma Jean’s

Clinette Gares

Catfish, Chicken George Wings and Tumps Grilled Chicken sandwiches, just to name a few. (Most of the en-trees are named after the owner’s fam-ily members). Please do not overlook the awesome specialty burgers…Turkey, Catfish, Veggie and Shrimp; all come with this amazing sauce. But wait… the buns are homemade from a special recipe of Clinette’s. And please don’t forget to ask for the sweet potato fries… to die for. These fan favorite entrees are sure to satisfy your taste buds.

Mop’s Grill is sure to please you with its hearty and nicely seasoned gumbo that is an absolute delight ac-companied with its house, spinach and grilled shrimp salads.

You dare not let you leave without tasting the absolute best homemade des-serts.

Mop’s bright red and green walls are warm, inviting and welcoming to all its patrons. The laid-back environment is one that most will find comfortable and pleasant. Its central location (inside the loop) and kid-friendly atmosphere will appeal to the surrounding neighbor-hoods as a place to call home away from home. The kitchen staff and servers wait on the patrons with alacrity and is the reason Mop’s Grill is known for its out-standing customer service.

Thirty-eight-year-old Garces never planned on operating a food estab-

lishment and describes her decision to open the restaurant as a step of faith. Mop’s Grill was founded in 2007 by a dream that God gave to Garces during a women’s conference here in Houston. “I stepped out on faith and have been con-tinuing to pursue my dream ever since,” said Garces.

Mop’s Grill has been featured on Great Day Houston and has been high-lighted on B4UEat.com as well as Liv-ing Social. The restaurant is open Mon-day through Thursdays, 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. The restaurant offers a casual din-ing atmosphere with menu items priced from $8 to $16.

Everyone who enters and leaves will never forget there’s a lotta’ love in Mop’s cookin’!

Mop’s Grill is located at 9882 Buf-falo Speedway, Houston, Texas 77025. Please stop by or call 713-667 6677 (MOPS) for more information.

Some of Mops’ Grill Reviews…..

MY REVIEW: We hosted my sister’s birthday party at Mop’s Grill. We had the gumbo (man it was off the hook, must try). The fried fish was perfectly seasoned and the service was great. The owner was most gracious to open on her normal day off, so this tells you what type of a considerate person she is. So I

highly recommend you try this wonder-ful restaurant. I will surely be returning.

MY REVIEW: I had the famous Mahi Mahi grilled burger for lunch and it was great. The rest of the menu looks inter-esting. I will be back.

MY REVIEW: The fried catfish is su-perb. It actually melts in your mouth. I am originally from Louisiana and must admit that this is by far the best food I have ever eaten. The sweet potato fries are good too! I will definitely return again and again after that! Great food, quick & polite service, and nice atmo-sphere!

MY REVIEW: My husband is always on the look-out for something new and I am very skeptical. One day he decided to try Mop’s and I was hungry and not in the mood to argue. I truly enjoyed the catfish and have been back for it a number of times. The sweet potato fries are excellent also. Of course my hus-band loves all of the different foods he has ordered. Delicioso!

MY REVIEW: This restaurant has the best catfish I have ever had. They give you alot of food and they are so nice in there. My husband and I have been crav-ing the catfish! I am so glad this place is open and please keep the gospel music!






Let me re-introduce the vir-tuous woman who is in it to win it in 2011. She is the same yesterday as she is today. In D-mars January

2010 publication, I wrote:“The expression “virtuous woman”

is from the Hebrew ishshah chayil and literally means one of power either in mind or body, or both. As one source comments, ‘She is the perfect housewife, the chaste helpmate of her husband, upright, God-fearing, economical, and wise’ (The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 9, pg. 597).”

There is very little deviation from this level of virtuosity. Seasons may change and years may come and go but at the heart of women in it to win it rests an unyielding desire to:

− nurture and comfort− demonstrate compassion &

wisdom− give life and live it to the fullest

That is the great thing about wom-en; God has equipped them with these unequivocal attributes and undergirds them with strong commitment to prayer and worship. They fill our homes with the sweet aroma of love and are vital to the enlargement of our territory and without them none of us would ex-ist. The author of Proverbs chapter 31 describes her as a wife, mother, sister, auntie, grandmother, manufacturer, merchant, CEO, lawyer, pharmacist, astronaut, doctor, legislator, pharmacist, engineer, homemaker, teacher, profes-sor, entertainer, counselor, preacher, and provider. This is not an exhaustive list but you get my drift. Women’s history demands a global perspective. There’s far more to it than Queen Elizabeth I or Su-

san B. Anthony. Max Dashu once wrote:“We need to refocus our historical

attention from the school of “famous women” (often royal females) to encom-pass broader groupings of women with power. Women in it to win it are not only virtuous but also are also strong, ones who openly display power, knowl-edge, and skill, receiving public recogni-tion and honor. They manage to wield power in societies that try to limit it or decree female submission; where their leadership is stigmatized and their cre-ativity disdained. These women resist and overthrow oppressive traditions and regimes. They break the rules in defiance of unjust legal and religious “authori-ties” and pursue their vision in spite of the personal cost.”

Who is that woman in your life that demonstrates these qualities? In my life it would be my wife, Tiffany, and mother, Debbie. In my last year article, I celebrated my wife’s resilience and dedication to excellence and com-mitment to her family. Therefore, in keeping with tradition, I reflect on the power and compassion of my mother because she also epitomizes and embod-ies these value-added qualities. Virtually working against all odds, she prepared her children; she refers to as “five rea-sons,” for the rigors of life and career. After raising her five boys, she returned to the workforce and obtained a degree and became on the first among her 12 brothers and sisters to obtain a degree of higher learning. With little to no sup-port, she has managed to overcome the emotional and psychological difficulties of a divorce; after 30 years of marriage, a home arson, and re-activating her career pursuits while learning to manage ev-erything by herself. If this is not enough to break most people, then I don’t know what else can. I celebrate her because at the end of the day, top of the morning, she is my hero. Yes…I know…mother’s day is more than four months out but it is my belief that we don’t need a holi-day to recognize the women in our lives who are in it to win it because we should make it a standard operating procedure and be committed to doing it every day.

Remember, the woman who choos-es to win focuses on her spirituality and divine purpose as well as embraces her femininity while placing a strategic emphasis on the future in order to il-luminate a formidable pathway to vic-tory. Who can find a virtuous woman? For her worth exceeds the value of sil-ver or gold.

By Author Noel Pinnock, B.S., M.P.A., C.A., CCCContributing Writer

Who Can Find Virtuous Women…In it to Win it?

Clinette GarcesMop’s Grill

Wendi - Ann Francis - Walker & Jacqui Francis / Jamaica House

Sandi JohnsonOperation Get Fit

Tanjian NormanHouston Colon Care Center


THE EXPERT NETWORK


MetLife Study: Secure the Future of Your Business

By Charles Swindell, Financial Services RepresentativeMetLife Bayou City TX AgencyContributing Writer

When it comes to your business, hoping for the best won’t ensure its future. Take Jack Stanton for exam-ple. Jack spent thirty years building a manufacturing giant, Stanton Solutions Corporation. However, due to the rig-ors of maintaining his company, he had little time for any personal financial and estate planning. Then, Jack died unex-pectedly in a boating accident. All of a sudden, Stanton Solutions, a multi-million dollar manufacturing empire was facing an uncertain future caused by the loss of its owner and upper-most key executive.

What would happen to your busi-ness and your family should you be-come disabled or die unexpectedly? Do you have key employees for family members who could step in and run the company in your absence?

Business Continuation BasicsIt is essential to the future of your

business and your family to have a suc-cession strategy in place. In order for your business to maintain continuity, you need to implement a succession strategy that coincides with your goals and objectives. Your strategy should be flexible enough to handle changes with-in the company and its related industry (ies). However, one of the keys to a suc-cession strategy is determining who or whom your successor(s) will be.

Deciding on, and preparing a suc-cessor may require years to familiarize him or her with the finer points of the business. Thus, it is important to se-lect a replacement as soon as possible in order to maximize the possibility of a successful transition. In smaller busi-nesses, it is not uncommon for one or

more family members to be at the top of the list of potential successors.

If you wish to pass your business on to future generations, you will need to make an honest assessment of the re-spective needs of your family and busi-ness, the qualifications of any interested family members, and whether the fam-ily and business would be best served by a continued relationship. Communica-tion with family members is extremely important in order to better ascertain overall interest or concern.

You can prepare yourself by honestly evaluating and reflecting on the necessary components of a well-thought-out suc-cession strategy. Here are some points that may require further elaboration:

• a thorough job description of each position, including details regard-ing areas of responsibility and del-egation of duties;

• a management/organizational plan;

• Assuring the availability of cash to meet the demands of federal and/or state estate taxes;

• a list of potential successors to your ownership, taking every candi-date’s job experience and academic background into consideration; and

• a mechanism to ensure exten-sive on-the-job training for the successor(s).

Other ConsiderationsA succession strategy may also in-

clude a buy-sell agreement funded by life insurance. More than likely, your successor may not have the cash, or the ability, to borrow at the time of succes-sorship. Under such an agreement, the death benefit proceeds of the life insur-ance can be used to provide the cash necessary for a successor to purchase an owner’s share of stock in the event of his or her untimely death.

In addition, it may be prudent to explore how your unexpected disabil-ity could affect not only your plans for successorship, but also your financial well-being. Under a disability buyout arrangement, a disability buyout policy provides a successor with cash to pur-chase shares in the event of the owner’s untimely disability.

You should consult with your in-surance, legal and tax professionals to devise a plan of action that provides se-curity for your business and your family. With proper planning, your objectives for business succession and securing your family’s future can be met.

This article is for general informa-tion only and is not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. You should consult with your advisor, attorney or accountant with regard to your individual situation.

Pursuant to IRS Circular 230, MetLife is providing you with the fol-lowing notification:

The information contained in this document is not intended to (and can-not) be used by anyone to avoid IRS penalties. This document supports the promotion and marketing of insurance products. You should seek advice based

on your particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor.

This article appears courtesy of Charles Swindell. Charles is a Registered Represen-tative offering securities through MetLife Securities, Inc. (MSI) (member FINRA/SIPC). Metropolitan Life Insurance Com-pany (MLIC), New York, NY, 10166. He focuses on meeting the individual insur-ance and financial services needs of people in the African-American market. You can reach Charles at the office at 10333 Rich-mond Ave Suite 1050, Houston, TX 77042 and 832-251-5493. MSI and MLIC are MetLife companies.


ANNIE MALONE: Businesswoman Original

Annie Turnbo Malone (1869-1957) was an African American entrepreneur and philanthro-pist during the early 20th cen-tury. She manufactured a line of beauty products for black women and created a unique distribu-tion system that helped thousands of black women gain self-respect and economic independence. However, her contributions to Af-rican American culture are often overlooked because her business empire collapsed from misman-agement. One of her students, Madame C.J. Walker, created a similar enterprise and is largely credited with originating the black beauty business, a feat that

rightly belongs to Malone.

Malone was born Annie Minerva Turnbo born on Au-gust 9, 1869, in Me-tropolis, Illinois. She was the tenth of 11 children of Robert Turnbo, a poor farm-er, and Isabella Cook Turnbo. Her parents died when Malone was young and an older sister raised her in nearby Peoria. Although she did attend school, fre-quent illness caused her to withdraw be-fore completing high school. As a young girl, Malone enjoyed fashioning her own and her sisters’ hair. She became aware of differences in hair

texture and sought a way to straight-en hair.

Started Hair-Care BusinessDuring the late 19th century,

African American women used soap, goose fat, and heavy oils to straight-en their hair. Chemical straighteners often damaged the scalp and hair follicles. While living in Lovejoy, Il-linois, around the turn of the cen-tury, Malone developed a chemical product that straightened African American hair without damage. She claimed to have studied chemistry and to have been influenced by an aunt who was trained as an herbal doctor. She expanded her hair care line to include other beauty prod-ucts, including her popular Wonder-

ful Hair Grower. Some historians also credit Malone with developing the pressing iron and comb around this time. Malone sold her products locally.

In 1902, Malone moved her business to St. Louis, Missouri, where she hired and trained three as-sistants. As black women, they were denied access to traditional distribu-tion systems, so they sold the prod-ucts door-to-door and provided free demonstrations. In 1903, Malone married a Mr.Pope, but she divorced him after a short time because he tried to interfere with her business.

During the 1904 World’s Fair, Malone opened a retail outlet. Visi-tors to St. Louis responded favorably to her products, prompting her to embark on an innovative market-ing campaign aimed at distributing the product nationally. In addition to going door-to-door, she and her trained assistants traveled to black churches and community centers, providing free hair and scalp treat-ments. She held press conferences and advertised in black newspapers. Malone traveled throughout the South at a time of racial discrimina-tion and violence, giving demonstra-tions in black churches and women’s clubs. Everywhere she went; she hired and trained women to serve as local sales agents. They, in turn, re-cruited others. By 1910, distribution had expanded nationally.

One of her Malone’s recruits was Madame C.J. Walker, a former wash-erwoman who eventually founded her own company with similar beau-

ty products and distribution. She is widely regarded as the most success-ful black entrepreneur of the early 20th century and founder of the black beauty business in the United

States. However, historians credit Malone with having developed her products and distribution system first. Walker sold her own “Wonder-ful Hair Straightener,” which Malo-ne called a fraudulent imitation. As a result, Malone trademarked Poro, a new name for her product and mer-chandising systems in 1906. (Poro is a West African word for an organi-zation dedicated to disciplining and enhancing the body spiritually and physically.)

In 1914, Malone married Aaron Eugene Malone, an ex-teacher and Bible salesman. Her husband be-came the company’s chief manager and president. The young couple did more than just manufacture beauty products. They also provided a way for African American women to im-prove themselves on many levels. At a time when few career opportunities were available, Poro offered them a chance at economic independence. Malone believed that if African American women improved their physical appearance, they would gain greater self-respect and achieve success in other areas of their lives.

Committed to Black Community

Malone was committed to com-munity building and social welfare. To that end she built Poro College in 1918, a complex that included

Before Oprah Winfrey and Madame C.J. Walker, there was Annie Turnbo Malone (aka Annie Minerva Turnbo Pope Malone and Annie Minerva Turnbo Malone), an African American entrepreneur and philanthropist during the early 20th century. Malone is re-portedly U.S.’s first black millionaire based on reports of $14 million in assets held in 1920 from her beauty and cosmetic enterprises.


her business’s office, manufacturing operation, and training center as well as facilities for civic, religious, and social functions. The campus was located in St. Louis’s upper-middle-class black n e i g h b o r h o o d and served as a gathering place for the city’s Af-rican Americans, who were denied access to other en-tertainment and hospitality ven-ues. The complex, which was valued at more than $1 million, included classrooms, barber shops, laboratories, an auditorium, dining facilities, a theater, gymnasi-um, chapel, and a roof garden. Many local and national organizations, in-cluding the National Negro Business League, were housed in the facility or used it for business functions. The training center provided cosmetolo-gy and sales training for women interested in joining the Poro agent network. It also taught students how to walk, talk, and behave in social situations. During the early 20th centu-ry, race improvement and positive self-image were seen as a way to increase social mobility. By teach-ing deportment, Malone believed she was helping African American women improve their standing in the community.

By 1926, the college employed 175 people. Franchised outlets in North and South America, Af-rica, and the Philippines employed some 75,000 women. Malone had become a wealthy woman. It is be-lieved that she was worth $14 mil-lion at one point during the 1920s. Her 1924 income tax totaled near-ly $40,000. However, despite her wealth, Malone lived conservatively and gave away much of her fortune to help other African Americans. She is one of America’s first major black philanthropists. Malone do-nated large sums to countless chari-ties. At one time, it is believed that she was supporting two full-time students in every black land-grant college in the United States. She gave $25,000 to the Howard Uni-versity Medical School during the 1920s that, at the time, was the larg-est gift the school had ever received from an African American. She also contributed to the Tuskegee Insti-tute. Malone was also generous with

family and employees. She educated many of her nieces and nephews and bought homes for her brothers and sisters. She awarded employees

with lavish gifts for attendance, punc-tuality, service an-niversaries, and as rewards for invest-ing in real estate.

A $25,000 do-nation from Malo-ne helped build the St. Louis Col-ored YWCA. She also contributed to several orphan-ages and donated the site for the St. Louis Colored Orphans’ Home.

She raised most of the orphanage’s construction costs and served on the home’s executive board from 1919 to 1943. The home was renamed the Annie Malone Children’s Home in 1946. Malone also gave generously of her time in the community. She was president of the Colored Wom-

en’s Federated Clubs of St. Louis, an executive committee member of the National Negro Business League and the Commission on Interracial Cooperation, an honorary member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, a member of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and a lifelong Republican.

Business FailureMalone’s generosity raised her

stature in the community but con-tributed to the financial decline of her business. While she was spending time on civic affairs and distributing her wealth to various organizations, she left the day-to-day affairs of the business in the hands of managers, including her husband. Some of these managers were inexperienced or dishonest, eventually leading to the dismantling of her business em-pire.

For the six years leading up to 1927, Annie and Aaron Malone be-came embroiled in a power struggle over control of the Poro business. The struggle was kept quiet until 1927, when Aaron Malone filed for divorce and demanded half the busi-

ness. He claimed that Poro’s success was due to contacts he brought to the company. He court-ed black leaders and politicians who sided with him in the highly publicized divorce. An-nie Malone’s devotion to black women and charitable institutions led Poro workers and church leaders to sup-port her. She also had the support of the press and Mary McLeod Bet-hune, president of the National Association of Colored Women. Having the support of so powerful a woman helped Annie Malone prevail in the dispute and allowed her to keep her business. She nego-tiated a settlement of $200,000.

In 1930, Malone moved her business to

Chicago, where its location became known as the Poro block. Her financial trouble continued when she became the target of lawsuits, includ-ing one by a former employee who claimed credit for her success. When the suit was settled in 1937, she was forced to sell the St. Louis property. Malone’s business was further crippled by enormous debt to the government for unpaid real estate and excise taxes. (The federal

government required a 20 percent tax on luxu-ries, including hair-care products during the 1920s.) In 1943, she owed almost $100,000. The government was constantly taking her to court and by 1951, it took control of Poro. Most of the property was sold to pay the taxes.

Malone’s business failure tarnished her image. Her former em-ployee, Madame C.J. Walker, often overshad-ows Malone because Walker’s business re-mained successful and more widely known. Walker is often cred-ited as the originator of the black beauty and cosmetics business and the direct distribution and sales agent system that Malone developed. Many historians believe Malone deserves more

credit for her devotion to helping African Americans gain financial in-dependence and her generous dona-tions to educational, civic, and social causes.

Annie Turnbo Malone died of a stroke on May 10, 1957, in Chi-cago, Illinois. She was 87. By the time of her death, Malone had lost her national visibility and most of her money. Having no children, her estate, valued at $100,000, was left to her nieces and nephews.


Black History Month: Because of... B

lack History Month is a remembrance of impor-tant people and events in the history of the African diaspora. Since 1976, it is

celebrated annually in the United States of America and Canada in February and the United Kingdom in the month of October. In the U.S., Black History Month is also referred to as African-American History Month.

Black History Month actually started as Negro History Week in 1926. The goal of Black History Week was to educate Blacks about their cultural background, and instill in them a sense of pride in their race.

Black History Month sparks an annual debate about the continued usefulness of a month dedicated to the history of one race. Some critics contend that

Black History Month undermines the contention that African American his-tory is simply American history.

Black History Month actually started as Negro History Week in 1926 by Dr. Carter G. Woodson. We owe the cel-ebration of Black History Month, and more importantly, the study of black history, to Dr. Woodson. Woodson was born to parents who were former slaves; he spent his childhood working in the Kentucky coal mines and enrolled in high school at age twenty. He graduated within two years and later went on to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard. The schol-ar was disturbed to find in his studies that history books largely ignored the black American population-and when blacks did figure into the picture, it was generally in ways that reflected the in-ferior social position they were assigned at the time.

The goal of Black History Week was to educate Blacks about their cultural background, and instill in them a sense of pride in their race. What you might not know is that black history had bare-ly begun to be studied-or even docu-mented-when the tradition originated. Although blacks have been in America at least as far back as colonial times, it was not until the 20th century that they gained a respectable presence in the his-tory books. African Americans in the United States celebrate that month…..

Because of Mark Dean (1957 - ) along

with his co-inventor Dennis Moelle cre-ated a microcomputer system with bus control means for peripheral processing devices. This invention allows the use of computer plug-ins like disk drives, speakers, scanners, etc... We can blog.

Because of Thomas J. Martin patented a fire extinguisher in 1872 our kitchen want burn down.

Because of Joseph Winters invented a fire escape ladder in 1878 we have a way to escape a burning building.

Because of Lonnie G. Johnson (1949 - ), an engineer who performed space-craft system design for NASA, invented the Super Soaker water gun - the num-ber one selling toy in America in 1991 -- we can win those summertime water fights!

Because of John Love invented the pen-cil sharpener in 1897 we were provided with a tool for learning.

Because of music composer and pro-ducer, Quincy Jones is the most Gram-my-nominated artist in the history of the awards with 76 nominations and 26 awards -- we heard some good music.

And because of the 2.4 million black military veterans in the United States -the highest of any minority group (Ac-cording to the American Community Survey, in 2005) we are able to live in the land of the free!

Advertise today in D-MARS Business Journal

Call US TODAY! 713.272.9511


THE EXPERT NETWORKBlack History Month: Because of...


Traits of Successful Business Women

Are there some common traits of successful business women? What do many of these women have in common? While there is probably no magic formula, there do appear to be some characteristics that many successful women share. Let’s take a look at some of these traits.

Self-Confidence:Do you believe in yourself and your abilities? People (i.e. pros-pects) are attracted to confidence (confidence, not arrogance). Con-fidence will help you get through the learning curves and bumps in the road along the way. You need confidence to sell yourself and your company. Trust your own ideas and instincts. Desire and passion will start you on your journey, but you must believe in yourself to keep going and get there.

Focus:Plan your work and work your plan. Set long-term and short-term goals and take consistent action in moving toward them. Even your thoughts should be focused. Be sure your thoughts regarding your

business are positive. Your mental attitude can be very powerful.

Resourcefulness:Successful business women take advantage of resources such as mentoring, training and coaching. Building a strong base of educa-tion, training and experience can help lead to success.

Good Writing Skills:Whether you are using blogs, ar-ticles, newspaper ads, social media, or fliers to market your business, it is imperative that your writing skills be up-to-par. Nothing will kill your credibility quicker than poor grammar and misspelled words. Proofread and have someone else proofread your work. Read your material out loud and don’t depend too much on “spell check.”

These traits of successful business women are not difficult to attain. Believe in yourself, focus on your goals, brush up on your writing skills, and be sure to take advan-tage of available training, mentor-ing and coaching.


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THE EXPERT NETWORK


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THE EXPERT NETWORK


THUNDER SOUL tells the true story of Conrad O. Johnson and Houston’s legendary Kashmere High School Stage Band

It was afros and pleated shirts; James Brown and Bootsy Collins. It was the ’70s, and an inner-city Houston high school was about to make his-tory. Charismatic band leader,

Conrad “Prof” Johnson would turn the school’s mediocre jazz band (Kashmere High School) into a legendary funk powerhouse.

A documentary film has been made about the Kashmere Stage Band and their legendary band leader Conrad “Prof” Johnson. The film Thunder Soul is directed by Mark Landsman, and pre-miered at SXSW in Austin TX, March 13, 2010.

Thunder Soul follows the extraordi-nary reunion of alumni from Houston’s storied Kashmere High School Stage Band, who returns to their school for the first time in 35 years to pay tribute to their beloved leader - the 92 year-old “Prof” - who transformed the school’s mediocre jazz band into a world-class funk powerhouse in the late 60s and early 70s. Conrad Johnson passed away in 2008, only a few days after this re-union.

Conrad O. John-son, bandleader of the Kashmere High School Stage Band from 1968-1978 and owner of Kram Re-cords, the label that issued the Band’s leg-endary eight albums and three 7” singles of Texas jazz, funk and soul music.

He received one hell of a sendoff. The Kashmere Stage Band reunited for a performance at the High School’s auditorium. Filmmaker Mark Lands-

man, who produced and directing the documen-tary on the Band, worked with Johnson’s founda-tion and Kashmere High School to set off the event for his crew’s cameras. But the reason that the Band’s members, many of whom left the music field after their departure from Kashmere High, reunited and rehearsed, daily, for a month prior to the con-cert, was to give Johnson the respect he deserved and had fought for, for so long.

Johnson, known by those close to him simply as “Prof” took the reins of the Band in the late 1960s and worked with his charges to perfect the idiom that they under-stood most: funk. Heavy funk at that. By the time that the band

recorded their third al-bum, “Thunder Soul,” they were funking like mini-JBs. And, by the time they won “Best Stage Band in the Na-tion” in 1972, they were funking as hard as the JBs themselves.

Roadside Attrac-tions, the U.S. theatri-cal distributor of Chris Rock’s Good Hair and The Cove (2009 Oscar winner for Best Docu-

mentary), will be releasing Thunder Soul in North America! Look for the movie coming soon to a theater near you in 2011!


THE EXPERT NETWORK

www.february 2011

WARNING: Are You and Your Business Becoming Irrelevant?Secrets to Making Your

Business More Relevant and Instantly Putting You on the Fast Track to

HUGE Profits in 2011!General Eric Shinseki was once

quoted as saying, “If you don’t like change, you are going to like irrel-evance.” Change is a natural part of life and business. Change is also, next to death, life’s most con-stant variable.

Relevant businesses are cut-ting-edge, progressive, and must embrace change. So why do we so violently oppose change in search of the comfortable status quo?

Contrapreneurs™ buck the trends, go contrary to the status quo, and embrace change. They seek change, recognizing that with change comes opportunity. There are countless examples of one-time corporate giants that were reduced to mediocrity (irrelevance) by ig-noring change.

Let’s look at Encyclopedia Bri-tannica.

Now, if you are 20 years old or younger, you’re probably thinking, “Encycl what?” Well, the encyclo-pedia, at one point, was arguably the number one source of informa-tion. Think of it as a hard copy of the internet.

I remember that when I was younger, about once a year, we’d get that knock on the door. You know the knock I’m talking about: The Encyclopedia Salesman. He’d wear that slick polyester or double knit suit, a pair of cheap shoes and a mega-watt smile! Every house in my neighborhood had a set of encyclopedias. We sure did. If you had a question about anything from your body to reptiles to the solar system, where was the first place you’d look? The encyclope-dia! They’d always try to sell us on the latest edition. Even though we already had the previous edition (which took up two whole rows on our bookshelf), my parents would

always buy a new set to make sure that we had the latest information.

Imagine if Encyclopedia Bri-tannica had been a bit more for-ward thinking. Imagine if they’d embraced the change of the inter-net. What if, in the mid to early-nineties, they had registered and properly marketed encyclopedia.com? It would have been a natural progression for the millions of peo-ple across the world to throw away those old, obsolete, big, bulky ency-clopedias and log on to encyclope-dia.com. Had they made the proper adjustment, would there even be a Google or a Bing? Encyclopedia.com would be the most visited site on the web, hands down. Encyclo-pedia Britannica, though still prof-itable, would have been a monster force in the world of information, just as Google is today. Yet because they ran from change instead of embracing it, they are now virtu-ally irrelevant.

Now let’s be real. Everyone de-sires to be significant, and no one likes irrelevance. We don’t desire irrelevance, yet we love comfort. We crave consistency and strive for predictability, yet both are dia-metrically opposed to change. It has been said that the worst enemy of a great new business idea is a great old business idea. People are reluctant to change if something has worked in the past. Far too often, we settle for good, not real-izing that by changing, we could be great!

My challenge to you is this: stop fighting the inevitable. Change will happen, so deal with it. When it comes, just ask, “How can I use this to better myself and my business?”

Maybe your business can go to the next level by changing, but be-cause you like comfort, you’re not taking that next step. You’re like the Encyclopedia Britannica peo-ple – simply waiting for the time when you’ll be irrelevant. Guess

what? You can no longer af-ford to react to the world. Contrapreneurs™ like you and I are paving the way for new tech-nology, new innovations and new inventions. There are no limits, and quite honestly, there are no more excuses.

So the real question for you today is this: “Do you like irrele-vance?” If not, do something about it. SEE business differently, and most importantly, DO business dif-ferently. The ball, as we say, is now in your court.

If you are serious about change and doing business differently in 2011 while making a ton of cash in the shortest amount of time, be sure to get the FREE REPORT:

“7 Strategies for New Business Owners that Put Your Business on the FAST Track to HUGE Profit and Beat the Pants Off Your Com-petition!” This powerful report is available at www.texasblackexpo.com/freereports.

41.


Little Known Black History “sayings”

One of the most hilarious things we’ve seen on the internet in ages is Brokey McPoverty’s “Little Known Black History Facts.”

The site pokes fun at fictional moments in black history in a way that only we can appreciate. Where else would you find out who in-vented “Hide and Go Get It” or who the first person was to put a utility bill in their child’s name?

All of us are probably guilty of at least one thing on this site, so don’t get offended! Smile, laugh, and keep putting that bacon grease in the coffee can at the back of your stove.

Compliments of: www.lit-tleknownblackhistoryfacts.com.

1Charles “Sweet Mac” FarnsleyFirst to call someone else a jive turkey.

2TORNETTE PITTS: First to warp

the time-space continuum by slap-ping somebody into next week.

3Jerrin “Pooty” SmithFirst to steal a shopping cart from a grocery store and use it as a go-cart. 4RITA RODRICKS: First person to

use the phrase “I will cut you” in an argument.

5Sequoia BrimleyFirst person to go straight to church on Sunday after leaving the club earlier that morning.

6Walker BirminghamFirst to serve fried hot dogs and bo-logna for breakfast.

7LOUISE PERKINS: First person

to attempt to climb into a casket at a funeral.

8Antnee HarrisFirst to wear socks with shower shoes outside the house.

9Roland D. Miller, Jr.First to look at somebody like he was short.

10Rodney “Hot Rod” McKenzieFirst to tell someone that they play too much.

11SHERRAYA BARNES: Writer and composer of such songs as “Down Down Baby,” “Twee Lee Lee,” and “Miss Mary Mack.”

12Wilford StillwellFirst to note that the devil is a liar.

13De’Montrose AllenFirst to use a milk crate as a basket-ball hoop.

14FLORA LOU GILES: First to place

a new model TV on top of an old, non-functioning floor model.

15Tamika BunsenFirst to begin a sentence with the phrase “my myself personally…”

16THADDEUS COLLINS: First per-

son to wear a shower cap outside.

17 CEEPHUS MCCOY: First to ask for change back from a church col

lection plate.

18George WatleyFirst person to sneak an entire din-ner into a movie theatre.

19THE KENT FAMILY: First black

family to take an Olan Mills pho-tograph.

20Janice ScottFirst grown person to sell M&Ms on a bus/subway/train.

21Amelia WootenFirst to start a soul train line at a family reunion.

22 SAMUEL HINKLEY, JR.: First

person to take a picture in front of an airbrushed backdrop featur-ing symbols of wealth (i.e. - cars, champagne, stacks of money, etc.).

23Tamla GreenFirst to call someone bourgie.

24Mamie WoolridgeFirst to comment that the dead at a funeral looked “like he (was) layin’ there sleep

25


ELROY DUNCAN: First to pro-

claim that he looked “like new money.”

26 Carmen BluittFirst to tell someone to pick his face up.

27Benita MitchellFirst to make spaghetti with Ramen Noodles.

28

TOINE FULLER: First du-rag model.

29MAVIS BLACKWELL: First to

use the phrase “the illustrious” to describe her pastor (i.e. - “I am a member of 1st Corinthian Leather Baptist Church where the illustri-

ous P.J. Jones is the Pastor”).

30RONETTA BARSLEY: First pe-son to purposefully walk pigeon-toed because she thought it was cute.

31TROY BOOKER: First to refer to a

flavor of Kool-Aid as “red.”


SOCIAL SECURITYGet the most out of your benefitsBy Nikitia Johnson, Social Security Public Affairs Specialist

MEDICARE: GENERAL ENROLLMENT AND GENERAL INFORMATION

Need Medicare Part B? If you’re

eligible, now is the time to sign up. The general enrollment period for Medicare Part B runs from January 1 through March 31. Before you make a decision about general enrollment, let us fill you in on some general information.

Medicare is a medical insurance program for retired and disabled people. Some people are covered only by one type of Medicare; others opt to pay ex-tra for more coverage. Understanding Medicare can save you money; here are the facts.

There are four parts to Medicare: Parts A, B, C and D. Part A helps pay for inpatient hospital care, skilled nurs-ing care, hospice care, and other services. Part B helps pay for doctors’ fees, out-patient hospital visits, and other medi-cal services and supplies not covered by Part A. Part C allows you to choose to receive all of your health care services through a provider organization. These plans, known as Medicare Advantage Plans, may help lower your costs of re-ceiving medical services, or you may get extra benefits for an additional monthly fee. You must have both Parts A and B to enroll in Part C. And Part D is the Medicare Prescription Drug Program.

Most people first become eligible for Medicare at age 65, and there is a monthly premium for Medicare Part B. In 2011, the standard premium is $115.40. Some high-income individu-als pay more than the standard premi-um. Your Part B premium also can be higher if you do not enroll during your initial enrollment period, or when you first become eligible.

There are exceptions to this rule. For example, you can delay your Medi-care Part B enrollment without having to pay higher premiums if you are cov-ered under a group health plan based on your own current employment or the current employment of any family member. If this situation applies to you, you can sign up for Medicare Part B without paying higher premiums:

• Any month you are under a group health plan based on your own cur-rent employment or the current em-ployment of any family member; or

• Within eight months after your em-

ployment or group health plan cov-erage ends, whichever comes first.

If you are disabled and working (or you have coverage from a working fam-ily member), the same rules apply.

Remember: Most people are auto-matically enrolled in Medicare Part B when they become eligible. If you don’t enroll in Medicare Part B when you first become eligible to apply and you don’t fit into one of the above catego-ries, you’ll have to wait until the general enrollment period, which is January 1 through March 31 of each year. At that time, you may have to pay a higher Medicare Part B premium.

For more information about Medi-care Parts A, B, C, and D, visit the Cen-ters for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) website at www.medicare.gov. Or read our publication on Medicare at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10043.html.

CLAIM THOSE TAX DEDUCTIONS: SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS FOR KIDS

There’s good news for tax filers in 2011. The due date for your 2010 Federal income tax returns is Mon-day, April 18, 2011, instead of the usual date of April 15. As you prepare your tax documents, don’t forget you’ll need Social Security numbers for your children if you want to claim them as dependents on your return.

In most cases, parents request a Social Security number for their child when applying for a birth certificate. The state agency that issues birth certifi-cates shares the child’s information with us and we mail the Social Security card to you. However, if you didn’t apply for a number at the hospital, you must ap-ply at a Social Security office or by mail. To do so you will need :

• A completed Application For A So-cial Security Card (Form SS-5);

• Original documents proving your child’s:

o U.S. citizenship;

o Age; and

o Identity; and

• Original documents proving your identity.After you apply, we will verify the

child’s birth record and mail your child’s Social Security card to you. If you do not get a Social Security number for your child before the April 18 tax filing deadline but you still need to claim the child as a deduction on your tax return, you can:

• File your income tax return without claiming the child and then file an amended income tax return when the child has a Social Security num-ber; or

• File with the Internal Revenue Ser-vice to extend the deadline for filing your tax return.

Parents can claim their adopted child for tax purposes while the adop-tion process is still pending. You will need to contact the Internal Revenue Service for Form W-7A, Application for Taxpayer Identification Number for Pending U.S. Adoptions. We can assign your adopted child a Social Security number before the adoption is com-plete, but you may want to wait. Then, you can apply for the number using your child’s new name, with your name as parent.

Remember, a Social Security num-ber is not just for taxes. Your child also may need a Social Security number for government benefits or other reasons, such as opening a bank account or ob-taining medical coverage.

If you need to apply for your child’s Social Security card and number, now’s the time.

To learn more, read our online pub-lication, Social Security Numbers For Children, at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10023.html.

BUSINESSES: FILE YOUR W-2s ONLINE

If you own a business and have em-ployees, you know the law requires you to file W-2 forms each year for them.

Depending on the size of your business and amount of time you have, that could leave you feeling like you’re drowning in paperwork. But Social Se-curity offers more than a life preserver — we offer you a way to file your W-2s without any paper at all! File your W-2s the fast, convenient, and paperless way — online.

Filing your W-2s electronically is free, fast, and secure! And there’s an

added bonus: when you file electroni-cally, you receive an extra month to file because electronically filed W-2s aren’t due until March 31st. You’ll also receive an electronic acknowledgement receipt. And when you file electronically, you can print out your W-2s for your em-ployees.

Social Security’s free electronic fil-ing option is available for any small business. It allows you to prepare and submit up to 20 W-2s (per report) over a secure Internet service. When you register to file electronically, here’s what you get:

• Freedom from buying paper forms;

• W-2s for your employees and for your records;

• Electronic receipts you can use as proof that you filed on time; and

• Extension to March 31 to file.

You can register now to get started on your 2010 W-2s. Just take these sev-en simple steps:

1. Go to www.socialsecurity.gov/em-ployer;

2. Select “Business Services Online” (BSO);

3. Select the “Register” button;

4. Complete the registration form,

5. Select your own password;

6. Select “Request access to BSO Ser-vices;” and

7. Complete the wizard for selecting the applications you want to ac-cess in BSO.

To learn more, visit Social Secu-rity’s Business Services Online at www.socialsecurity.gov/bso.

You also may want to review the 2010 Electronic W-2 Filing Handbook, available online at www.socialsecurity.gov/employer/bsohbnew.htm.


THE EXPERT NETWORK

www.february 2011

By Nickcole ByrdContributing Writer

This thing is BIGGER than you think!

This article has been written for all you Social Media skeptics. It is for those of you have decided to ploas ahead with your business goals without integrating some type of social media marketing strategy. This is not some ploy to get you to be a part of some fly-by-night fad, but to get you inspired and motivated to stop leaving thousands of dollars on the table because you refused to tap into a well oiled machine called the Internet. For those of you who are moved by numbers let’s take a look at some rivet-ing stats from econsultancy.com:

Social networks and blogs are the 4th most popular online activities on-line, including beating personal email. 67% of global users visit member com-munities and 10% of all time spent on the internet is on social media sites.

It’s been suggested that YouTube is likely to serve over 75 billion video streams to around 375 million unique visitors during this year.

The online bookmarking service, Delicious, has more than five mil-lion users and over 150 million unique bookmarked URLs.

Wikipedia (yes this is the site own-er that published governmental secrets) currently has more than 13 million ar-ticles in more than 260 different lan-guages. The site attracts over 60 million unique users a month and it’s often hot-ly debated that the information it con-tains is more reliable than any printed Encyclopaedia.

Your business success depends on you being a part of some type of digital community. What you do online for 2011 can put your business on a path more quickly than most entrepreneurs can only imagine. Social Media can cre-ate business opportunities that are both lucrative but also provide your company with the ability to build a brand that will keep your customers screaming for more if you do it right. So without fur-ther delay, here are the basics you should have, SOCIAL MEDIA 101, to get your business, your products or service a part

of the Social Media movement.

First, define your goals for your social media strategy.

• Are you trying to create awareness about your new product or service?

• Are you simply trying to build a brand for your company or a per-sonal brand for yourself?

• Are you trying to establish cred-ibility in an industry, or become a sought out expert?

Next, you need to explore what social venue your customer base resides.

Who’s on Facebook?The fastest growing age group on

Facebook is users 26-34. The number of women outnumber men in every age group on Facebook. And teenagers now make up about 12% of the overall Face-book audience.

Who’s on Twitter?Most Twitter users are between the

ages of 18 and 49, are Caucasian, and have no kids.

Once you have your goals and de-mographics in place you can do some-thing like this:

1.Set up a company blog or website.

Your blog is your business hub. It is where you house all your value added content; it is where your readers get to know you as a company. This is your house of engagement. Check out Word-press.com to get this going.

2. Secondly, set up a company Facebook Fan Page.

Your fan page can be used to let your prospects know about company hap-penings, share insightful information, and direct them to your blog to check out your offers. The goal is to convert readers to buyers.

3. Then, set-up a Twitter account.

Use your Twitter account to share short, relevant and value added content to your prospects. Both your Facebook fan page and your Twitter account can be used simultaneously to drive traffic back to your company blog or website.

These three steps will ignite your boring marketing plan into a sure fire action plan of unlimited possibilities for your company and a strategic approach to making your business success goals happen for 2011.

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THE EXPERT NETWORK

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