Huami Magazine Hampton Roads Jan./Feb. 2022

My Expectations and The Truth

A Letter From The Editor

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

I would have to say that I grew up poor by world standards. I never felt like it because my mother constantly poured unconditional love into my other siblings and me. Her love wouldn’t allow me to focus on what I didn’t have or anything I could be missing. However, as life happened, I realized that when compared to others, my experiences were more complex. Even still, I had the opportunity to overcome them.

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?

One of the most important things I learned from my upbringing is that the truth will always override my expectations. The very first car that I owned, I purchased for myself. It wasn’t a new vehicle, but it was mine. It had a few dents, and the tires didn’t match either. The heat or air conditioning didn’t work, and the exhaust pipe would shake like a leaf when I started the car, probably because it was being held in place by the wiring of a close hanger. With all of its imperfections, my car was a beauty in my sight, and I was very appreciative to own it.

Though it seemed like I drove that car for all eternity, it only survived one year with me. I didn’t keep gas in the fuel tank, and I never changed the oil either. I drove it fast, and on cold mornings I didn’t allow it to warm up. Rarely did I bathe it or even provide it with routine or preventative maintenance, and before I knew it, my first and only method of transportation slowed down and shut off in the middle of the road.

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.

www.huamimagazine.com

Terry L. Watson Publisher

Terry L. Watson Writer

Arielle Kilgore Writer

Dorjea’ McClammey Writer

Ellen Richardson Writer

Still Shots Photography Photographer

Tamara Smith

Todd Youngblood Photographer

Santana B Photography Photographer

Todd Youngblood Photography

Howard Gaither Photography

huami.greenville@gmail.com

See, I expected my car to run forever, but the truth is I never did anything to ensure that it would. I expected my car to go when I needed it to but never considered my thoughtless and erratic treatment’s impact on it. I expected to ride forever, but the truth is I never invested in my cars’ future.

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.

I’m saying that we will only get out of life what we put into it. How will we ever expect to know God if we never spend time with Him? My goal in life is to win. For this to happen, I must be willing to do what is necessary to win and align myself with what is true, which is God’s expectations.

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

Terry L. Watson Editor/Founder

Brian K. McNeill

Debbie Leverette

She has a passion for helping and serving others. Meet the founder of She Got Game League.

Memphis, TN

He is known as the Confidence Coach. Learn more about what he has to offer. Charlotte, NC

Meet the face and founder of Debbie’s Got The Tea. She has natural methods to help with common ailments. Greenville, SC

Monica Montgomery

The Happy Pen Creative Writing Services

For Monica Montgomery, her life has happened by way of the right opportunities.

Writing is something that Monica realized a love for early in life. The East Saint Louis, MO native was raised by a single mother and is the youngest in the family of four. She grew up and still resides in East St. Louis and shares she was blessed to be exposed to the greatness that East St. Louis is known for.

“I come from a creative family, so writing was a natural path for me. I love reading stories about mysterious people and magical places. However, it wasn’t until I wrote my first short story for the Young Author’s contest in the 5th grade that I believed I could create those people and places. The entire class was asked to write a story for the contest. I complained to my sister that I didn’t know what to write about. Annoyed, she said the most random thing she could think of. “Write about The Backwards City

Monica received a scholarship to Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. She completed her Bachelor’s of Arts, English Literature, and music minor at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, and received her MFA, Fiction Writing from Lindenwood University, St. Charles. In 2020 she was selected to participate in the East St. Louis Urban Education Teaching Residency Program. The program was an intense ten-month accelerated Master’s degree program and helped Monica earn a Master’s in Elementary Education from National Louis University.

Today, Monica works as a first-grade teacher at Wyvetter Younge School of Excellence in East St. Louis. Professionally, she has written, directed, and produced several Christian plays and skits for her church’s youth group and spent the last fifteen years volunteering and mentoring youth in dramatic arts.

Her first short story was published in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, “Chicken Soup for the African of opens, and they are breathing for the first time. It’s amazing to watch,” she says.

Like anyone else, Monica says she could spend hours talking about her wounds, woes, and regrets, but it wouldn’t change anything. Ultimately, it has been her trust in God that has carried her throughout her life. She shares, “In my late twenties, I was diagnosed with cancer. I have been in remission for fourteen years now, but it was a wake-up call. I could no longer wait for the life I wanted.

author and a teacher. When I entered the Young Author’s had heard the story before and accused me of cheating.

have no children of my own, but I realized that my words

your child isn’t good enough is painful, to say the least. To my surprise and excitement, readers are my writings, and I

about her journey in life would be publishing an essay back

have gained the experience that I think contributed to the person I am today? Destinations are great, but life is in the journey,” she says. h

Drink 2 Shrink with Coach LaKesha

45 pounds, and I look and feel amazing.”

Drink 2 Shrink sounds almost unheard, yet the concept is a reality for Coach Lekesha Spencer. The fitness enthusiast has transformed her life simply by addressing her health needs head-on.

The Detroit, MI native, says her company, Drink 2 Shrink with Coach LaKesha, was born in 2020 through her millionaire mentor, Stanecia Graham. LaKesha says Stanecia was the movement’s visionary, which allowed each partner to personalize and brand themselves in business. The concept is much like a franchise, minus the million-dollar startup cost.

“It all began when I went to the doctor for a routine physical. My doctor prescribed me four medications to go along with the six prescriptions I already had. As a nurse, I knew the effects of drugs and the side effects. I had to make a change, so I got my mind right and lost 45 lbs. The rest was history. To this day, all 10 of those prescribed medications have been discontinued,” LaKesha says.

For the most part, LaKesha shares her life is one of resilience. After several failed marriages, she learned how to bounce back and become the person she always knew she was. “After committing myself to better my health, I changed my mindset around food and unhealthy behaviors. As a result, I have released 45 pounds, and I look and feel amazing. I now walk with conviction about the products I offer. My ultimate goal is to help others who are serious about losing weight and becoming healthier,” she says.

LaKesha describes herself as a devout woman of God and a beacon of light to her family and friends. She was reared as an only child by her loving mother, whom she describes as her best friend. Growing up, LaKesha shares she was taught she needed to go to college to get a good education to become a teacher, doctor, lawyer, or nurse. So that’s what she did. She studied hard, and I obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. After three years of working as a nurse, she knew that it wasn’t for her. “I often questioned if it was even my calling at all,” she says. That doubt led her to dabble in entrepreneurship. “April 2020, I had an emergency surgery. During that time off work, I realized that my Drink 2 Shrink business was more than a hobby, it really pays. After 28 years of nursing, I relinquished my safety net and became a full-time entrepreneur.”

LaKesha shares that entrepreneurship has afforded her the freedom and flexibility to do exactly what she wants. It also provides her with a chance to take care of her parents. “We have the opportunity to travel the world and enjoy one another,”

She shares what she loves most about her business: the results her clients obtain when they follow the designed regime she provides. “I love knowing their results put them in a happier place where they feel so much better about themselves. There is nothing like a girl being able to fit into her favorite pair of skinny jeans again, or her going into the backside of her closet and grabbing her favorite dress that she refused to give up after many years.”

In addition to the positive results from her clients, LaKesha says their testimonies of overall improved health inspire her to keep pushing. “I am inspired because I am a product of the product, and I know firsthand the feelings I have from my transformation. I know that I am transforming lives, not just selling a product,” she says.

As a coach, she offers this advice to anyone who wants to achieve their goal in life and in health. “Be very persistent and never give up on your goals and dreams. Be yourself and know that you can fulfill your heart’s desire if you don’t give up.”

Her plans for 2022 are to stay consistent and build upon the double digits of the year with the expectation of doubling the number of clients that she can help. She also plans to double her income which she says will allow for her to help her family and people in her community.

To learn more about Drink 2 Shrink with Coach LaKesha, please visit their website. www.healthylivingwithcoach.squarespace.com Coach

communicating with almost anyone at an early age. He shares, “I entered the wonderful world of professional selling at the age of 23. That was 31 years ago. I soon came across some books about selling. After reading the first book, my interest

Some additional products include personalized and on-demand/self-paced sales

service-based entrepreneurs, Coaches and Consultants, Insurance and Financial Services Professionals, Attorneys, Accountants, and Bookkeepers.

Lynique Browning is known as the Mad Diva. This multi-talented entrepreneur represents her home of Los Angeles, CA, fashionably. She is a licensed esthetician, certified makeup artist, certified bartender, and event coordinator. Her brands are the MAD Diva Concierge, MAD Diva Travels & Vacations, MAD Diva Media, MAD Diva Mixology, MAD Diva Makeup & Esthetics, and MAD Diva Meals.

Originally from Ladera Heights, Lynique comes from a very large family; she has one sister and one brother, but she is the youngest of them all. She has always been

Lynique says she loves being able to network and meet people. She is also thankful for her opportunity to build an international brand while she travels across the globe. She says she

grow and reach their best potential.

Her plans moving forward are to eventually partner with a marketing company that can better promote her brand. She also plans to make the Mad Diva concept a household name.

website to learn more about Lynique Browning

many depend on.

Currently, Celia heads the She Got Game League, an organization dedicated to empowering women in the world

“I wanted to

give female basketball players the opportunity to not only play competitively but also provide them with a platform to gain exposure, play overseas, and acquire professional contracts.”

Celia has a strong background in athletics. She was a high school standout with the 2005

give back to my community by helping others become the best version of themselves. The women athletes in the SGG league inspire me with their stories of triumph. That alone motivates me to continue to give them the platform and

but I wasn’t interested in making cakes and treats full-time. My focus changed, and I enrolled in school to become a licensed massage therapist. I was running from my calling. I was scared. Scared of failure and scared of not being accepted. I was also scared of not knowing what to do. I had these emotions even after winning third place in the state of Florida VICA Commercial Baking and Pastries Competition. However, things changed one day when I heard God say, “I gave you a talent, so what are you going to do with it?” I told God if He’s pushing me out here, I know I have no choice but to move with His plan, and so I did,” she

On February 11, 2015, her company opened for business. Tarolyn says she was referred by her classmate, Shirley Johnson,

For those who may be considering starting a business like Tarolyn, she offers the following advice. “Be confident in yourself and know your worth from the beginning. Even in knowing your worth, remain humble and learn something from every avenue of your life.”

To learn more about Delectable Delights by Tarolyn, please visit

Kelvena Benson

Kelvena Benson, also known as Kelvy B, wears many hats. She is a wife, mother of two beautiful children, a Professional Admin at a Fortune 500 Company, CEO of KB Management, and an author.

KB Management Brand Operations, LLC is the official name of Kelvena’s company. She provides small business owners who are looking to fill the digital gap in brand operations and strategies with brand management. She offers a wide range of services such as creative digital content, website construction, business development, custom printing, and more. Her book, A Creative Path, is a mentor-styled guided workbook for creatives and entrepreneurs that shows them how to trust the process and adapt to change while going through their creative journey.

Kelvena was born and raised in Milwaukee, WI. She shares, “I was raised in a very traditional environment, where checking the boxes was the norm. I was blessed to be surrounded by a hard-working, educated Christian family. As I began to have my own family and figure out what kind of life I wanted to build for myself, the way I knew wasn’t fulfilling.”

Growing up in Milwaukee, Kelvena admits, was tough. When the chance arose to see something different, she was all for

Fast forward to 2021, KB Management Brand motivations are my children and my husband. My children are so talented, and leading by example with their Dad means the world to me. My husband and I have been together since high school and the fact he saw me for

By Ellen Richardson

she says.

Growing up in a family that preferred using natural remedies, Debbie was accustomed to using such products to address any personal needs or health problems. She weighed the

“After seeing how the all-natural products improved my overall wellbeing, the first thing that I wanted to do was help others, especially women like me, to find their way to a better way of living as well.”

“Debbie’s Got The Tea is much more than amazing healthy tea blends. I have created a signature blend of herbs and flowers that provide my clients with a plant-based option, which is a better option for our bodies. I and many others are thriving because of not only what I make, but how I make it,” she says.

Debbie said when she started her business, she was on many medications and going through a tough time in her life. This involved surviving a domestic violence situation which caused trauma and PTSD. “After seeing how the all-natural products improved my overall well-being, the first thing that I wanted to do was help others, especially women like me, to find their way to a better way of living,” she says.

The desire to help others also led her back to school. She would soon obtain a degree in human services and even launched a campaign for county council in the community of Anderson County, SC. “I have always been told that if you want to see a change, you have to be the change that you want to see,” she said. Although she hasn’t been elected into office, Debbie knows God has a plan to continue to use her to make a difference, whether in the political realm, as an entrepreneur, or even as a famous talk show host.

www.debbiesgotthetea.com

www.mykelmedia.com www.thisiswhoiam.libsyn.com