Huami Magazine Chicago Nov./Dec. 2021 by Terry Watson

Provision And My Purpose

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

A Letter From The Editor

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

A Letter from the Editor

On any particular day, I can open the doors to my refrigerator and see a familiar sight. Nothing. I mean, there may be some of the usual players there, such as eggs, condiments, protiens, veggies, along with a few leftovers. Though it’s never full, and it makes sense not to be. I am a single man, and I only require the bare food essentials to survive, and if I overfill my icebox, a lot will go to waste.

A Letter from the Editor

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

Again, that doesn’t make any sense. But what does is how God has still made provisions for me by supplying my needs with a resource to store and maintain food items. He knows I must eat to survive, but He leaves it up to me to select what to eat and how much. Gratefully, I often eat as I go and don’t allow much room for waste. By acknowledging the hands of God working for me in this matter, I can comprehend His works in every area of my life.

I have experienced my share of hard times. Often I have felt as if mine were more challenging than anything in the world. Though I have once complained during my moments of lack, somehow I adjusted, and life continued. When there seemed as if there was no hope for tomorrow, and tomorrow still came, life continued. I realize that I didn’t succumb during all of this, even during the most sorrowful situations. As my faith has increased with my walk with God, I am learning the reasons why.

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

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

Crawley

God has a plan for my life. That is called purpose. To fulfill my purpose, He has gone before me to ensure that everything I need is in order and available. That is called provision. I have learned that God allowed me to experience heartache and suffering as a child just so that I would be equipped to handle and thrive through anguish and suffering as an adult. He has allowed me to fall, get back up and fall down again so that I don’t become too comfortable with success and forget what it feels like to struggle and work my way up from wretchedness. God allowed me to lose; even when it appeared, I didn’t have anything left in my stable. I know He allowed it to make room for something greater. That’s provision.

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

Terry L. Watson Editor/Founder

I am truly grateful that God doesn’t give me everything He has prepared for me all at once. I am blessed because I can’t see what is going to happen, and because I have faith in knowing that God will make it happen according to His will and purpose for my life. God has made provisions for each of us.

Terry L. Watson Editor/Founder

Terry L. Watson

mykelmedia@yahoo.com (336) 340-7844

HUAMI MAGAZINE is published quarterly by the Mykel Media Company. Any reproduction of any portion of this publication is prohibited without written permission from the publisher prior to doing so. Mykel Media doesn’t accept responsibility for statements made by individuals featured or advertisers. Comments concerning this publication may be submitted to the editor by E-mail at terrywatson@huamimagazine.com terry.editor@yahoo.com or to Mykel Media Company, LLC P.O. Box 20102 Greensboro, NC 27420 HUAMI MAGAZINE 2014 All Rights Reserved

The Cover

Beyoutiful Beauty Bar Parris Fitzpatrick

Demi and Randy Howell

This two have been doing it their way for a long time. Learn more about their story. Old Money, New Moves. Huntsville, AL

Featured

Lori and Hezekiah Poag

Do you have a sweet tooth? Do you want to have a candy party? They can help you.

Greensboro, NC

She is regarded as one of Detroit’s best and brightest business women.

Detroit, MI

Huami Magazine Cutest Baby Madison Naomi Jeffers

She is Determined LaShaunda Lofton

Sarge’s Famous Pickles Serreta Boson

M.A.D.E.

Keyon Smith

Lakina Fulks

BEYOUTIFUL BEAUTY BAR Parris Fitzpatrick

By Terry L. Watson

Photos Provided by Parris Fitzpatrick

When Parris Fitzpatrick of Chicago, IL sets her sight on something, she is determined to get it.

Parris is a mom of five, wife, and the youngest sibling of a family of four. She was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago and graduated from Chicago Public School. After high school, Parris attended Robert Morris College on a track scholarship. In her freshman year there, she became pregnant with her first child. Parris was faced with making a life decision; stay in school and further her education or become a mother. She chose motherhood.

Life continued to happen for Parris as she adjusted to her new life. Her focus revolved around caring for her child and finding her purpose in life. Parris shares that her mom embedded a strong work ethic within her. “She taught my brother and me to aim high, work hard, and value our relationships,” she says.

Parris would work in the cellphone industry for 14 years before eventually finding her purpose in life. She always was interested in skincare, mainly due to skin conditions such as eczema and atopic dermatitis that affected her and her daughter. “I didn’t know why and was also embarrassed by how my skin changed in different seasons. So, I began to try different products for us, though nothing seemed to work effectively. I then decided to educate myself on skincare and various ingredients for better skin regimens. Next, I made my own products such as bath bombs, body butters, scrubs, and more,” she says.

One day, Parris asked herself what would happen if she offered products to the public. She decided to share them with a local audience, and the response was remarkable. She had recently enrolled in esthetics school at Gskin Beauty in Naperville, IL, and the timing could have been more perfect.

Due to the response received, Parris was confident that her products could do even more. As a result, BEYOUTIFUL BATH AND BODY came to be, followed by BEYOUTIFUL BEAUTY BAR, the service side of the business.

While in esthetics school, Parris started to build her clientele. She also set up shop in a small storage room in the back of a hair salon. “I had convinced myself there was no plan B, so I had to give it my all,” she says. By the end of May of 2019, she walked away from a great paying corporate job and went full-time with her business. She celebrated her birthday and graduation from esthetics school on the same day in 2019 and passed the state board exam with a high passing percentage. Things were moving for Parris.

In March 2020, right before the Covid 19 pandemic, she signed a lease for her new location. “While I thought this was the worst decision I could’ve made, it was actually the best. Nobody seen the pandemic coming, but God knew what was in store,” she says. In the middle of the pandemic, BEYOUTIFUL BEAUTY BAR blossomed.

By the end of 2020, she was so booked that she couldn’t take any new clientele. She hired Michelle to serve as receptionist/office manager and says things are running smoothly because of her. She also hired another esthetician. By January 2021, she signed a new lease for a 2400 square foot store front location.

BEYOUTIFUL BEAUTY BAR offers a wide range of services such as facials, lashes, makeup, full body waxing, vsteam, chemical peels, nails, pedicures, and teeth whitening. With plans to increase the number of services offered, Parris says they pride themselves on their popular corrective skin treatments.

Parris finds inspiration in her family, including her mom Debra, husband Mike, children LeSean, NeSean, Little Mike, MaKyla and Micah, her brother Isaac, and sister Regina. “My husband taught me to control my tongue,” she shares. She’s inspired by her loyal friends who have always been available and never changed. She credits Meggan Riggins with guiding her spiritually and speaking life into her, my business, my family, and so much more. She is also inspired by her clients, who consistently support her business. Parris says she would be nothing with God.

To anyone who plans to follow in her footsteps, Parris encourages you to put 1,000% into everything you do. “Think outside of the box and do things that separate you from the rest. Focus on those that pour into you. Pray for discernment because you will have people around who appear as true friends but may not be. Some people want to see you do better, but not better than them,” she says.

Moving forward, Parris plans to open multiple locations across different states and to focus more on her products. She also plans to retire from the service side of her business by 2024.

To learn more about Parris Fitzpatrick, please visit her website.

Lori & Hezekiah Something BARowed Candy Bar Stations

By Ellen Richardson -

Now that events are back in full swing, are you and your family planning some of those occasions that were canceled last year? If you answered yes to this question, you have found the article to make these events memorable. Thanks to a dream born to inspiring area business owners Hezekiah and Lori Poag, any event that you hold this holiday season can be made a lot sweeter.

The owners of Something BARowed Candy Bar Stations Sweet Shop and Party Venue in Greensboro, NC began their family business in 2013 after searching for a fun addition to their wedding.

“When we got married, my husband and I wanted a candy bar station for the guests at our wedding,” said Lori. “Back then, this kind of thing was just coming onto the wedding scene, and it was something that we were both drawn to. Unfortunately, no one in the area offered this type of service in the wedding industry, so we had to go out and find candies that matched our wedding colors, jars to hold these candies, and seek the assistance of our friends to serve guest at our reception. It became a thorn in our side and the most stressful part of our wedding day.”

While most who undertake a taxing task on the happiest day of their lives would look back and think, ‘I never want to deal with something like that again’, this was not the case for the sweetest couple in Guilford County. “After our wedding day, we had a bunch of equipment and supplies at our disposal. Instead of getting rid of them, we decided to keep everything to someday start a business. Not long after starting our lives together, my husband and I started a side hustle for other couples like us who wanted something unique at their events,” said Lori. “It was cool because our career backgrounds, mine in PR, Marketing and Advertising and Hezekiah’s in Retail Management and Merchandising, gave aid to both the creative and sales side of this business.”

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Photos by Still Shots Photography - Styled by Diedra Pettiford - Hair and Makeup by Bella Bee Beauty Bar

After their new business and “fun date night activity” continued to take off, these sweethearts would decide to turn what was once a thorn into a beautiful rose. “It is funny because we started this business setting up candy stations at events and celebrations for family and friends,” said Lori. “Our first event was a baby shower for a friend, and this led to more referrals, which made us have to learn the whole logisitics and business side of sweets.” Thanks to an overarching goal to break into the same event scene that gave birth to their entrepreneurial spirits, it would not take long before Hezekiah and Lori became one of the hottest vendors in the Triad. “We started attending Triad Wedding Shows and before long found ourselves booking weddings as much as our other events,” said Lori. “I can remember going into labor on a weekend that we had a large out-of-town wedding, and despite laying in a hospital bed and giving birth, I was on the phone with my staff trying to ensure everything was covered.” Riding high from their newfound passion and miraculously completing 82 events, the Poag family, culminated the year of 2015 with a booming new business and the birth of a little boy.

While the Poag’s were riding high from success on the wedding scene, they began to get lots of inquiries from parents on doing childrens events. That activity sparked Lori and Hezekiah’s interest in offering their candy bar stations at children’s parties. “We found that kids love our candy bar stations, but trying to transport the candies and glass candy jars while keeping things from getting broken or going missing wasn’t easy. So our new goal was to find a storefront where we could store our materials and host children’s parties,” said Lori.

“We found that kids love our candy bar stations, but trying to transport the candies and glass candy jars while keeping things from getting broken or going missing wasn’t easy. So our new goal was to find a storefront where we could store our materials and host children’s parties.”

In 2017, this sweet dream came true as the Poag family moved their operation from a guest bedroom in their home into their new storefront in Downtown Greensboro. “The best part about moving into our new location on East Market Street is that we now have a party room where customers can come to us for all types of fun events like birthday parties, baby showers, girls’ night out, etc.,” said Lori. “This space became popular for lots of families in this area, that is until the pandemic hit and shut everything down,” said Hezekiah.

Despite coming close to having to see their new family dream come crashing down, the couple who follows where their passion leads found a new way to keep things popping –Popcorn. “Once events were taken away, in March of 2020, we knew that we might have to close our doors,” said Lori. “Fortunately, we started noticing what the restaurants were doing to survive. We recognized the success that restaurants were having with their take-out service during the pandemic, so we searched for a sutiable take-out item within our existing products. Believe it or not the answer was on our shelf, staring at us in our face the whole time. Gourmet popcorn!”

Beginning with six flavors and eventually increasing to more than thirty flavors of popcorn not only saved the Poag family business but made the king and queen of sweets the newest royalty in the popcorn kingdom. “It was funny because our popcorn sales started bypassing our prepandemic space rental numbers. We were even featured on Beyoncé’s website and received a $10,000 grant along with other black-owned businesses,” said Lori. “After this, orders started pouring in and we were fortunate to be asked to travel to Atlanta and create a custom popcorn bar for hip hop celebrities T.I. and Tiny Harris.”

Popcorn also opened a new side of sweet events. “We started created mini bags with customizable stickers that said things like ‘thanks for popping by,’ which allowed families to hand out favors during drive-thru celebrations and even to send to friends and families to let them know that they are thinking about them,” said Lori. “These became very popular and even helped us increase party bookings in our event space this year.”

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Today, the Poag family continues to have one of the most popular sweet shops and event addition companies in the Triad and has seen their relationship flourish alongside their family business. “We have learned each other’s strengths and weaknesses. This has helped us work well together,” said Lori. “Of course we have our arguments on the business side, and I am grateful that my husband has helped keep me grounded and tell me when to turn it off.”

“We have also had to stop and refocus on our relationship outside of this business to be sure that both can coexist,” said Hezekiah. “We have continued to remind each other that no matter what happens, our relationship and this family is most important and will always come first. Making this our firm foundation has made everything, including our business, thrive.

To find out more about Something BARowed and all this business’s sweet opportunities, please visit their website.

La’Shaunda Monique Beauty Brand LaShaunda

By Terry L. Watson

Photos Provided by LaShaunda Lofton

“I love the fact that I can think outside of the box and be creative while doing so.”

It all begins with how someone feels about themselves, both inside and out. The goal is for the La’Shaunda Monique Beauty Brand to ensure that happens.

Owned and operated by Durham, NC native LaShaunda Lofton, this up-and-coming product company produces products designed to promote healthy hair. She offers cleansing, styling, and finishing products. There is also lip gloss, hair bonnets, shears, and eye masks. “I offer top-shelf hair care products for all hair textures, using clean family-friendly formulas. I believe that open communication between the stylist and client is vitally important in achieving optimum results. I make sure my clients know their opinions are valued and heard,” LaShaunda says.

LaShaunda is the daughter of Sabrina Elliott, and Dwayne Lofton. She is the mother of Da’Shawn McCallum and Emari Parker’s God-mother. After graduating from Jordan High School, she enrolled as a Cosmetology student at Durham Beauty Academy and eventually graduated. Not only is LaShaunda a licensed Cosmetologist in both states of North Carolina and Georgia, but she is also the author of “Putting Emphasis on The Basics.

LaShaunda’s dream was realized as a child. “I began doing my own hair in 5th grade. However, I didn’t launch my beauty brand until the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic in 2020. The inspiration to start my company was birthed out of necessity. The beauty industry was shut down, and my clients needed something to use while not being serviced by me,” she says.

The beauty industry is constantly changing and appears to get better as time passes. LaShaunda shares she loves the opportunity to interact with several groups of people. “I love the fact that I can think outside of the box and be creative while doing so,” she says. “I’m inspired by being able to lead others and still live my life.”

As a mother, LaShaunda realizes that everything she does is to create better opportunities for her son to succeed. “My son has impacted my life and career a great deal. He has definitely changed my life for the better. He has help me to realize that its not about me alone. Being a teenage mom was a huge challenge in itself. However, we have been successful by being strategic and with proper planning and lots of prayer. He has his own business and is an Honor Roll student. I am very proud of him,” she says.

Her advice to others who may follow in her footsteps is to emphasize the basics. “You can go far with being your authentic, creative self, and by using the basic principles of professionalism.”

In the future, she plans to incorporate lots of family time into her schedule and start conducting educational classes on her beauty brand products. Please visit their website to learn more about LaShaunda Lofton and her company.

The Treasure Within

By Terry L. Watson

She is regarded as one of Detroit’s most successful women. Lakina Fulks believes in empowering people to reach their highest self.

The Detroit, MI native is a wife and mother of six children. She is also a serial entrepreneur, business and life coach, motivational speaker, and the owner and founder of The Treasure Within.

The Treasure Within is a non-profit organization dedicated to uplifting and empowering women to be leaders and innovators for their community. It includes a mentor program for young girls ages 8-19 and a transitional home for women aging out of the foster care system.

Lakina graduated with a Bachelor in Business and Masters in Social Justice. As if her plate wasn’t already full, she has found time to serve as a Realtor, Author, Motivational Speaker, and talk show host.

As an author, Lakina published works include “Why...a Young Girl’s Search for the Truth”, her very first book. She has co-authored “Dreamer on the Rise”, with a foreword by Les Brown, and “Gathering the Fragments, So Nothing will be Lost”, an anthology and Amazon bestseller. “ It took me some time to write my first book because it was about my personal life and the abuse I suffered as a child and young adult. Although the names in the book were changed to protect family members, it was rejected by some familiar and personally attached to them. I wrote the book to release myself from the secrets and trauma of my past, but I also wanted to help women who may have suffered sexual and domestic abuse like me,” she says. “It helped me to be a truthful, unapologetic author. Subject matters such as abuse and loss of life are not easy to read, but if I can help another person heal from trauma or hurt, I believe it is necessary for me to write honestly. My goal is to empower others to find their highest self.”.

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Photos by Lakina Fulks

“I believe that I wouldn’t be the person I am today without my faith. It is what pushes me to explore every talent and gift inside me. My faith will not allow for me to give up.”

Being a business requires for optimum time management. Like most entrepreneurs, Lakina has faced such challenges. “Making sure you set aside time for your family and yourself is important. When your stress is not handled correctly, you can become sick or overwhelmed. Therefore, I need to monitor my own stress to ensure I do not have a meltdown,” she shares.

Family is essential for Lakina. They inspire her to be the best version of herself, and she wants the be the best for them. “I want my daughters to know a woman can do anything she puts her mind to. Success is not age-specific. I want to empower my children to follow their own creativity and unique abilities and know they don’t have to wait to start a business and create wealth for themselves. They can do it now,” she says.

For the most part, Lakina credits her success to those who have positively impacted her life. “My grandmother was one of my greatest influences. Although she has passed away, she will always remain the voice that tells me to be strong. I have learned through the years that even the strongest women need to rest sometimes. My grandmother was the seed of resilience that was planted into my life early, and having that helps me in business and my personal life,” she says.

Lakina is also inspired by her faith in God. She shares how she desires to empower others as God has empowered her. “I believe that I wouldn’t be the person I am today without my faith. It is what pushes me to explore every talent and gift inside me. My faith will not allow for me to give up!”

While everything has been perfect for Lakina, there isn’t much that she would change about her journey. “Both the good or bad experiences have helped me. If I could change something in the world, I would change how we perceive each other’s differences. Learning to accept each other’s differences would bring more harmony to our communities and allow us to see the uniqueness of the human race. Our unique differences bring broader perspectives, open minds, and peaceful spaces to communicate,” she says.

In the future, Lakina plans to continue to create more housing for young women who have aged out of the foster system through her non-profit organization, The Treasure Within. She has a new book project underway called “Believe”. In her personal life, Lakina hopes to continue to create space for her husband and children, as she keeps the needs of her family at the top of her list of priorities. “Keeping harmony in my home helps me to stay structured and creative,” she shares.

Keyon Smith

Making A Difference Everyday

By Terry L. Watson

Keyon Smith is a native of Philadelphia, PA. He comes from humble beginnings, is the third born of a family of five, and was raised by a single mother in the project high rises of Raymond Rosen Housing projects in North Philadelphia. There were plenty of days and nights when he didn’t know where his next meal was coming from. “There were even moments when our house had no electricity or running water. I even remember as a kid fetching water from a driveway in an empty milk gallon jug.,” he says. Keyon recalls watching his mother become ill when he was 11 years old. She later died of cervical cancer in 1989, and his grandmother began to care for him and his siblings.

“The loss of my mother took a huge toll on me as a kid. My academics were affected. I endured another massive blow when my grandmother passed due to pharyngeal cancer six months later. My siblings and I then moved to live with our aunt, and we were finally on a stable path,” Keyon says.

Growing up in North Philadelphia, Keyon witnessed some pretty tough situations. “I’ve seen drug abuse, drug dealers, shootings, robberies, as well as homelessness.” He was voted class clown amongst his peers, and he soon gravitated towards entertainment. He would participate in plays at school, play the drums, and take gymnastics. Keyon was also a vocal youth and expressed his interests with speeches and mock trial competitions. After graduating from high school with honors, he took drama classes at the historical Freedom Theatre, pursued a career in film, and attended Philadelphia Community College. Life would happen, and Keyon left school and began working full-time but still pursued a career in acting. He has worked on several productions, including Cold Case, National Treasure, Annapolis, Invincible, Marley & Me, The Next Three Days, and Creed. He is currently the Assistant Director of the Independent Film Association of Philadelphia. He also received a BSBA from the University of Phoenix.

Photos Provided by Keyon Smith

Keyon is the founder and owner of M.A.D.E.Making A Difference Everyday. M.A.D.E. is an apparel and products company that makes and sells items suitable for all ages while bringing positive energy and liberation. Their product line includes t-shirts, hoodies, hats, mugs, tote bags, duffle bags, socks, and jackets. Portions of the proceeds and donations received by the program are given back to their community. Giving back to his community is very important to Keyon, and he has done a lot since the program’s launch. They’ve conducted a tech giveaway for middle school kids and supplied monitors and keyboards, and provided lunch boxes and masks for elementary school kids. They have donated to Y.E.S. (Youth Emergency Services) and recently provided a women’s and men’s shelter with toothbrushes, toothpaste, washcloths, bath towels, and sanitizer.

So why lauch an apparels company? For Keyon, the answer is connected to his roots. “I’ve always had a big heart as a kid and would give my last to help anyone in need. That is the primary reason I started M.A.D.E. Back in 2013, my cousin and I fooled around with t-shirt ideas. I wanted to create something that anyone could wear. My very first shirt was Dream Dreams. It was cool, but my second shirt idea was M.A.D.E., and it just took off and skyrocketed. I did not expect the demand, and I was forced to shut down because I could not keep up. I needed a plan and a team. I came back better than ever and relaunched in 2019,” he says.

With owning his company, Keyon says he loves the opportunities is offers him to connect with others. “I love being able to change the trajectory of someone’s life. If there are ten people in the room, I hope to change the life of at least one. That person may go on to change many.”

With the cause of his mothers, grandmothers, and even his aunt’s death due to cancer, Keyon uses those experiences as inspirations. The M.A.D.E. logo and colors represent them and the battles they fought., They all stepped up and showed me what family was all about. It’s the reason I need to keep paying it forward. A different decision by either of them and my life could be different. I live and give back through them,” he shares.

The future plans for Keyon and M.A.D.E. involve adding more products to their online store and giving back to it’s community. He plans to spread the word about M.A.D.E. and inspire others to become active in their community. Keyon often recites a quote by Audrey Hepburn that says, “As you get older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” To learn more about M.A.D.E., please visit their website.

Old Money, New Moves Randy & Demi

By Terry L. Watson

by Charles Beason

Demi and Randy Howell of Huntsville, AL, are rewriting the definition of the term “power couple”. Everything they do is at the highest level. Individually, they are a force to be reckoned with, but together, there isn’t much that can stand in their way.

Demi and Randy celebrated 20 years of marriage earlier this year. Their story illustrates their authentic love for each other. It also details their commitment to building a fulfilling and purposeful legacy for their family. Randy is the dreamer, while Demi is an effective strategist, a combination that has produced two beautiful daughters, several businesses, and an influential platform. They have always kept the needs of their family at the forefront and decided to homeschool their daughters to ensure they received the best opportunity to succeed.

Demi describes herself as a “Serial Strategist”. She is a native of Huntsville and was raised by her parents to live a life of integrity and decency and taught never to settle. Those principles were applied when Randy began to court her. He shares how she never led him on and that he had no clue how much Demi liked him. She kept him honest while determining what her final decision would be. Demi admits that it was a simple decision because Randy covered all of her bases and swept her off of her feet for the most part, which Randy continues to do now 21 years later.

Demi loved to style hair growing up and became very good, mainly because she was a student of her craft. “I was self-taught, so I decided not to enroll in beauty school. And after graduating from high school, I took an apprenticeship and received my professional license,” she says. Soon opportunities began to fall her way.

Randy is the kind of person who hates to lose. Like Demi, he is also a Huntsville native. While in college, he majored in Business Management and Marketing, with a minor in Mathematics. “I am a numbers guy,” he shares. After acquiring a Bachelor in Business Management degree from the University of Pheonix, Randy jumped into the corporate world. He later obtained his MBA in Marketing. Presently, he is working on a DBA in entrepreneurship.

Photos

While grateful for the corporate opportunities, Randy knew he should be doing something else. Being the master strategist she is, Demi knew it also and spoke some words that ultimately changed their lives. “My wife told me that our family would never succeed until I use my education and talents for our family,” he says. It was time for the Howell’s to level up, and the rest of the story is history.

Randy left his corporate job and began to support Demi’s dream. In 2004, they purchased a building that would eventually house their salon, Demi, named after their daughter, whose name is also Demi. In 2009, the Demiere Cosmetics line was launched, named after their other daughter, Dandilione. These two business ventures were only a glimpse of what the Howell’s would produce.

Randy began to immediately impact the salon with his business savviness and marketing skills. Demi was already established as a talented and seasoned stylist, and Randy complimented her vision. Their salon soon became one of the best in the country, and in 2010, was recognized as one of the top business practices under American Salon.

Demi also brings energy with her vision and direction of Demiere Cosmetics. The vibrant brand has grown in popularity and notoriety and was an official sponsor for a rooftop party at the BET Hip Hop Awards. It was also featured on several television productions, including BET’s 106 and Park, Love and Marriage Huntsville, and published in Essence Magazine. The Howell’s have leveled up once again.

In between working alongside Demi at the salon and helping with the cosmetics line, Randy got involved with rehabbing homes and property in and around Huntsville. This experience directed him to become a licensed real estate agent, adding another nugget to the Howell’s empire. Then out of nowhere, something began to happen at the salon that would allow Demi and Randy to share their lives with the world.

“I am a natural talker, and Randy is a talker too. He has a unique ability to listen to others’ problems and provide answers and solutions. These genuine qualities are evident whenever Randy speaks. He is a loving person and will help anyone in need,” Demi says.

While at the salon, Randy would often listen and talk to their clients and offer feedback. They also shared how much talking with Randy helped them. That’s when the “master strategist” Demi, realized the life coaching potential in Randy. She told Randy that he should coach others professionally and charge a fee for it. Demi got to work and began researching how he could become certified. Soon Randy was taking courses and eventually received his license.

Of course, nothing happens alone with the Howell’s, and Demi jumped into action. In 2018, the couple launched their talk show, A Seat At The Table, with Randy and Demi. “We are always together and wanted our own talk show. We wanted to give people a voice who may not have a voice,” Randy says. They use this platform to talk about parenting, religion, marriage, and more. Their video productions can be viewed on Youtube and social media.

“I am a Truth Coach. I encourage others to talk about their truths and help them deal with the issues they’ve yet to face,” he says. His style is working mainly because of the confidence he has in himself. “I put my coaching on the levels of Brendon Burchard and Eric Thomas. You have to put yourself where you want to be,” he says.

Randy is also known as Coach Chef, an opportunity that came about as a response of him catering to his wife, who has Celiac Disease. He had already been preparing her delicious, gluten-free meals and decided to use the talk show platform to showcase his talent. It was a huge success.

Randy has continued to level up with coaching. He has developed a program called the Sims Approach, and in 2020, the program was copyrighted. He currently has two female coaches studying under him and is putting the finishing touches on Truth University, an online program based on Truth Coaching. In December, he will launch a book called The Truth of Matter Is..., and host a coaching conference called Truth Fest in the Spring of 2022.

Leveling up and making power moves is nothing new to the Howell’s. Others have just begun to learn about them. “We were doing things before they became popular. We’ve been doing this; now, we are just doing it a different way. We used to work for money; now, we are working for purpose. The money is still coming. Now our money is working for us. It’s just old money, but new moves,” Demi says. h

Sarge’s Famous Pickles

By DorJea’ McClammey

Photos by Serreta Boson

Serreta Boson is the owner of Sarge’s Famous Pickles, a company based in Little Rock, AR founded on faith and a lot of hustle. Led by Serreta, she has taken a gourmet pickle recipe, a gift from her father, and turned it into a full-time business. Now, the word is out about how good her pickles really are.

“I named the business Sarge’s Famous Pickles to honor my father. He is a Vietnam veteran, and all his buddies called him Sarge, so of course, the name just stuck,” she says. “We are a company built on faith, family, and community. Our faith is what holds us together and allows us to move in excellence. We always use products from our community and strive to represent our home state of Arkansas well.”

Born in Benton, AR, the hustler idealogy was embedded into her mind at an early age. Along with her siblings, she was taught how to make a business out of anything, from lemonade stands to fireworks, all from the steps of their front porch. She could probably sell you a pair of dirty socks; she states that she was just that good.

Serreta recalls the period of time when her family was the only ones in her neighborhood that owned a VCR (video cassette recorder). They would charge kids around the neighborhood to watch movies on it; Fifty cents to watch a movie, plus twenty-five cents for drinks and snacks. Those were early indications that entrepreneurship would be a part of Serreta’s future.

“I just kept pushing, and I’m still pushing because I know God is going to do something great.”

Serreta’s journey has seen its share of ups and downs. Early on in life, she was diagnosed with epilepsy, and by 2010 the seizures associated with the disease started to worsen. Her doctors found a tumor on her brain, but it wasn’t cancerous. “That was a horrifying moment for me, but with the good news, I said got out of here. I had stuff to do, kids to raise, and not time to be sick,” she says. Yet, by 2016 the seizures had become uncontrollable, and she was required to have brain surgery to alleviate the problem. Serreta was then told she could no longer work because of the attacks. This was a significant setback for someone raised to hustle, but Serreta still held onto her faith.

Serreta’s father, Sylvester Boson, who is the original chef behind these amazing pickles, told his daughter to come home for a while. During her stay, he would teach her how to make his famous pickles. She always told him how he should make it a business, but he never got around to it. Things would change once she got her hands on his recipe. Once it was perfected, Serreta took the initiative of turning her father’s delicious pickles into a business. By December of 2018, Sarge’s Famous pickles came to life.

By January 1st, 2019, everything skyrocketed for Serreta and Sarge’s Famous Pickles. This is all happened in Nashville. She got her business license, her trademark, and went straight to work. She went to every barbeque, chicken, and fish restaurant, trying to sell her pickles. There were a few no’s along the way, and she became a little discouraged but still knew they were going to be a great success. Things changed when she made a stop in a bookstore. There, the owner tried one and became so amazed by her pickles, that they bought a case from her, right on the spot, and began selling them in their store. That experience gave Serreta the fire she needed to keep going.

From there, she would sell out at restaurants all over Arkansas, and she also got the opportunity to go to a couple of small businesses pop-ups. She was also invited to Williams Sonoma, and became amazed at how the customers were buying them by the cases. Sarge’s Famous Pickles had arrived.

Serreta has accomplished so much in her life, from being saved, becoming an ordained minister, and becoming a mother to her two blessings, Skott and Honnye. Sarge’s Famous Pickles has also afforded her great opportunities, allowing her to even buy a house. “I just kept pushing, and I’m still pushing because I know God is going to do something great,” she states. More than anything, Serreta wants to leave a legacy behind for her children and create generational wealth.

The main thing she loves most about her company is the family aspect of it all. “I love when it’s just my father and me spending time together, making pickles, sharing recipes, and trying new flavors. I love having the opportunity to let my creativity flow. I also enjoy being my own boss. It ensures I don’t overwork myself and offers adequate time for rest. I tell everyone, once you get a jar of my pickles, you’re family.”

Sarge’s Famous Pickles has also faced it share of challenges. Once Covid Hit, Serreta moved back home to Little Rock for good but kept her business going as usual. While things may have slowed a little, it also allowed her the opportunity to spend more time with dad, as he would begin to accompany her while she sold her pickles. “He was amazed at how fast I could get rid of everything. He must have forgotten about the hustle spirit he put into me as a child,” she says.

For now, Serreta’s main focus, other than making sure those pickles stay delicious, is to work towards her goal of owning her very own farm. “I want to watch pickles grow from a seed to the storehouse,” she shares. As for the future of Sarge’s Famous Pickles, Serreta didn’t want to share all her secrets but just know this pickle lady has some big things coming. Expect more products, more flavors, and who knows, maybe you’ll see a winery come to life. “There’s no limit to us. This is our season. The bible says so.”

You can learn more about Serreta Boson and Sarge’s Famous Pickles by visiting their website. h