Issuu

Doors Will Open, and Doors Will Close

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

A Letter from the Editor

To say the year of 2020 has been overwhelming would be an understatement. For as long as I can remember, there has always been some mystique etched in my mind about the year 2020. What will happen? What won’t happen? By now, I believe that everyone has their own version of what the year has turned out to be. I am hoping that 2021 will have a much better outcome.

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?

With the onset of Covid 19, it’s my interpretation that many people may have taken the eventual pandemic for granted. All of a sudden, and out of nowhere, the way we go about our daily lives was interrupted. Can’t go to church because of the dangers associated with the virus. Schools are closed, businesses have been closed and in some cases, even shut down permanently. Everywhere I go, I must wear a mask or protective covering to ensure that I do get infected or possibly infect someone else. Then a new word was even invented as a result of our new way of living; social distancing. Oh, how things have changed.

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.

Even with all of the discourse and confusion, God has continued to show His might and power through it all. While some things have been taken away, He has replaced them with even greater ones. With the new normal, many business owners including myself have been forced to develop new ways of how we do business. As a result our businesses have flourished and become even more dynamic. All that I am left with to think is, but God.

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 excited about what God is preparing for everyone in 2021. While we are closing out the year, we must continue to be mindful of all of the things that God didn’t allow to happen, and appreciate what He has. What I continue to learn is when God takes some things away, He always replaces them with even greater things. When one door closes, another one will open. Knowing this, we must stay encouraged and continue to pursue our purpose. More than anything, we must always trust God.

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

Terry L. Watson

terry.editor@yahoo.com 336-340-7844

On The Cover

Coaching and Leading Coach William Huff

Beverly K. Johnson

You can get fit virtually with the programs offer by Fit Genesys. Huntsville, AL

Rock, AR

Huami Magazine Cutest Baby Russell (Russ) Pennix

Power Moves Rhonda Crowder

DKing Electrical Dmitri King The Neighborhood Store Yordi and Moses

Rhonda Aaron Meet the founder of Sister Friends United Inc. Little

Coach

By Terry L. Watson

William Huff, aka Coach William Huff is the co-founder of Speak Life Mentorship & Life Coaching. Along with his wife Promises, they focus on providing Total Life Coaching services that address concerns within individuals reaching their goals mentally, physically, financially, socially, and professionally. Their life coaching packages include services and products such as direct one-on-one coaching (via phone or virtually) sessions, personal Speak Life Journal, customized plans, copies of Speak Life Literature, gifted Speak Life Swag Bags, special discounts within programs, and certificates of completion.

The dynamic duo officially started Speak Life in March 2020. “I have been life coaching since 2004. As an educator and athletic coach, I found myself coaching young kids, both middle and high school, and some adults in making real life decisions for the best positive result possible,” he shares.

Speak Life Mentorship & Life Coaching host a number of influential in-house programs such as FIME (First Impressions Mean Everything) Business Marketing Solutions, a graphic designs and production program offering services such as customized logos, business cards, flyers, business plans/proposals, websites, book publishing, and more. They also offer We Are One (1) Investment Group, a financial coaching program offering services to build financial wealth portfolios. The portfolios include a confidential financial plan, education towards debt elimination, income protection, legal services, insurances, investments, real estate, and income opportunities. There is the My Health Matters, serves as an accountability program offering health tips, virtual workout groups, health coaching, and more.

Coach Huff first and foremost is a child of God. He is a devoted husband, father, son, brother, friend, and citizen. He is a reflection of amazing parenting that installed respect, humility, morals, and comedy. His mother, Phyllis Huff, and father, Charles Huff raised him to be a family man who is dedicated to leaving a legacy for future generations. He is an educator that aides and assists young coachable minds with maturing into their goals and dreams. His coaching arm has grown to that of athletics coach, a Certified Life, Business, Entrepreneurship, Financial, Marriage, and Family Coach.

Coach Huff is loyal, honest, humble, genuine, real, and a servant at heart. His love for people is paramount in his quest to answering his call. “I’m a Black King and a billionaire in the making. I choose to uplift and encourage my brothers to step into their kingship and live their destiny. I am who God says I am. I am Coach William Huff,” he says.

Photos by Maya Todd

What keeps the wheels turning in Coach Huffs’ life one might ask? He is quick to credit his wife and business partner, Promises. “My wife, hands down. I wish everyone could see what she means to my life. God blessed me with the perfect wife. She is truly my diamond, my jewel, and my rock, and I wouldn’t trade her for the world. She speaks life into the king in me and handles me as a King should be handled by his Queen. She is the best part of me. She is priceless. Without her, there is no telling where I would be,” he says. He also acknowledges his mother, Phyllis Huff for playing a huge role in his life. “She was my very first super hero. She taught me how to endure, stay humble, keep moving, and be clutch for my family and those around me,” he says. Currently, his mother isn’t in good health and a portion of their proceeds are going towards research in establishing a cure for Dementia and Alzheimer’s. His father he says, taught him to stand as his own man, and to protect and defend his wife and kids. “He taught me to stand up for what I believe in, and to always treat others with love, respect, and care. Through all the ups and downs of my life, whether we agreed or disagreed, he has always been a father to me and for me. I love you mom and dad,” he shares.

The opportunities that his career offers are very rewarding, Coach Huff says. He loves the fact that he’s stepping and operating in what God wanted and instructed him to do. “I’m able to witness clients’ transformations to living a better them. I enjoy the simplicity of our operations. We do not offer employment or job openings. Instead, we offer entrepreneurship and partnership opportunities. In this manner, as we assist others grow their business, our business grows as well,” he says.

“I’m a Black King and a billionaire in the making. I choose to uplift and encourage my brothers to step into their kingship and live their destiny. I am who God says I am. I am Coach William Huff.”

There are many great things that are happening in the future for Speak Life Mentorship and Life Coaching. They are launching a new virtual talk show to showcase new businesses today. The show is entitled “Whatcha GOT”. This platform will serve as a resource for new businesses to market, promote, and advertise their business as a guest on the show, an advertisement slots in their commercial segments, or both. It is a partnership to increase the awareness of their clients businesses, promote their growith, and as they grow, so will Speak Life. They are also producing another virtual talk show entitled “Let’s Talk Tuesdays”. This show serves as a platform for us adults to have real discussions about their everyday issues ranging in topics of dealing with procrastination, marriages built on true friendship, women, men, single mothers, single fathers, responsibilities, being black in America, and more. They also have a reality show in the making to be tied to their ‘My Health Matters’ program. The show will be an opportunity to build a community of people who struggle with weight loss, and who are willing to work together to hold each other accountable in order to build a more health cautious population. Lastly, Coach Huff has coauthored a book with his wife, “You Were Built For This”. His second book is scheduled to be released in early 2021.

Coach

William Huff

Sister Friends United Inc.

Stylist- Style Me Stephanie, MUA- Brianna Young

Rhonda Aaron of North Little Rock, AR has devoted her life to helping and serving others. She is the Founder of Sister Friends United Inc., a non-profit organization of minority women with a mission to support, uplift and empower its members to better serve the community.

Sister Friends United Inc. was founded and incorporated in the State of Arkansas in October 2007. With well over a decade of service to the Pulaski County community, they have provided $30,00 in scholarships to assist young minority women in pursuing their dreams of attaining a college degree. They’ve hosted an array of workshops, conferences and luncheons for women with topics ranging from finance management to health and fitness.

Rhonda’s story is quite interesting. She grew up in Dumas, a small town in southeast Arkansas. There she learned her work ethic, playing piano on Sunday’s for the New Light MBC youth choir at age 9. Growing up in church “I learned how to pray and lean on God. This foundation continues to carry me through life. I never would have imagined having my very own day in two cities, receiving awards, and being the subject of news features. I contribute my upbringing to the success I’ve achieved in life. I passionately believe in the importance of hard work and being kind to others,” she shares. She also credits her grandmother for being a good example of giving your time to serve others.

Rhonda says she’s learned through the years while working for Sister Friends United Inc. on how important it is to have a solid and consistent brand that people can trust. There are so many nonprofits that don’t survive but their formula has worked for over a decade. Rhonda states, “We are a group of black women who are impacting our community. Our motto says, “United We Stand, United We Make a Difference”.

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Information by Rhonda Aaron

Photos by Randall Lee-Contemporary Imaging

Sister Friends United initially started as a means to connect women and resources within the African American community to gain financial education, healthy living information sessions and empowerment conferences and workshops that would empower attendees to be stronger citizens of the community. A few of the inaugural year initiatives were to form a community partnership to focus on health and wealth. They connected with Baptist Health and Trainer Phyllis Hodges to teach healthy lifestyle habits. They also hosted a financial education workshop on budgeting, investing and retirement plans.

In 2008, the organization wanted to expand their community reach to support future minority women leaders. As a result, they created the Faith Scholarship. It was established for a female minority senior with a competitive GPA that plans to attend an Arkansas four-year college. They hosted the first formal banquet program to recognize the scholarship honorees in May 2008, at the Burns Park Hospitality House in North Little Rock, Arkansas.

“I passionately believe in the importance of hard work and being kind to others.”

Rhonda Aaron

As they began to gain momentum in the community by volunteering to work with and support other local nonprofit organizations, they wanted to grow their scholarship banquet to include honoring women in the community for their achievements and local community work. This idea birthed the inaugural Women of Excellence Awards and Faith Scholarship banquet. The purpose of the event was to provide a formal platform that would recognize the career achievements of African American women in their community, provide encouragement to the future leaders receiving the scholarships, and to inspire the event attendees. The honorees were recognized in five areas including Education, Media, Health/Social Service, Religion and Business. The first honorees were Dr. Katherine Mitchell (Education), Dr. Emma Kelly Rhodes (Religion), Annie Abrams (Social Service), Korto Momolu (Business) and Evangeline Parker (Media). Some of our most notable honorees included Dr. Jocelyn Elders and Honorable Lottie Shackelford.

May 12, 2018 was the 10th anniversary of the Women of Excellence Awards and Faith Scholarship, which represented honoring 50 women since inception and presenting our 28th scholarship. This event has been featured in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette as a High-Profile article titled, “Women Power” as well as being broadcast on Comcast Community local TV and many other magazine features, including STAND magazine and ML Community.

Sister Friends United Inc. is also committed to helping other nonprofit organizations. The Annual Hat Luncheon was created to bring awareness to and monetary support to other nonprofit

organizations as well as local African American business owners. This annual event has donated $2,500 to help support the mission of several local nonprofit organizations including Sisters Living with Alopecia, Arkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Sickle Cell Support Services, Timmons Art Foundation and Bearden Productions Art Studio, to name a few. The program includes local business spotlights and the notable hat contest.

Their Read, Write, Get Fit and Lead & Back to School Bash is a biennial program focused on supporting the needs of girls’ ages 12-18 and teaching key fundamentals that are important to their success as future leaders. There are breakout sessions and various speakers for each topic that stress the importance of education when it comes to reading, writing, self-care and responsibilities as a leader. The 2018 event was sponsored in partnership with a grant provided by Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield through their Blue & You Foundation. One hundred and ten girls have benefited from these free summer programs.

Each year, Sister Friends United Inc has provided a holiday meal and breakfast for a family in need as well as fulfilled the request of a child from the Salvation Army’s Angel tree. They have received names from and partnered with Second Baptist (John BarrowPastor Ivan Lambert) and volunteer annually with Power 92 to support the Watershed with a monetary donation and preparing food boxes to distribute to families in need.

Rhonda shares that she is inspired by women winning, and others who achieve success and live their dreams. “I understand that journey and it is inspirational to see the victory,” she says.

The future seems to be quite busy for the organization. They are preparing to expand outside of their home base in Little Rock, AR and opening national membership opportunities through their SFU Sister Circle, with a purpose to connect like-minded women through sisterhood and service through smaller chapters. They are also hosting their inaugural Girlfriend Conference in Orlando, Florida, on June 3-5, 2021. Its purpose is to bring together women from various walks of life to F.U.S.E “Fun, Uplift, Sisterhood and Empowerment”, They are combining a girlfriends trip with a powerful empowerment conference that will incorporate fun girlfriend activities, powerhouse motivational speakers. The three-day conference will end with a concert by Raheem DeVaughn.

Rhonda has a Bachelors of Arts in Mass Communication with an emphasis in Strategic communication from UA Little Rock. She is currently the Co-owner and Chief Operations Officer for Mid State Counseling and Recovery Service, a mental health agency located in North Little Rock, AR. She currently resides in North Little Rock with her husband of 26 years, Deon. They have one adult daughter, Brianna and a feisty four-year-old grandson, Chance. You can follow Sister Friends United Inc on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, You Tube, and their website.

By Terry L. Watson

It has been said that you can always judge a book by its cover. When it comes to Beverly K. Johnson, that is very accurate. On the outside, it can appear that she is soft and gentle creature, full of zest and finesse. She exudes elegance and beauty almost effortlessly. Though when her book opens up, Beverly can be quite surprising.

She is a beautiful soul with a wicked dry sense of humor. She can shift from being uber serious, to be hilariously funny, quoting lyrics to random songs. Whatever way you look at it, Beverly is in a space in her life where she’s found peace and happiness.

Beverly is a native of Mobile, AL and a graduate of Alabama A&M University. She is also a Army veteran. Presently she is a lifecoach and motivational speaker. She is the face and founder of Genesys Fitness, a community of women who recognize the need to reclaim their lives and are emotionally ready to do the work. “At GenFit, we believe self-care takes priority over caring for others because it is in caring for ourselves that we make the best caregivers. We believe that by helping women rediscover who they are after suffering a loss, she will be empowered to become her ideal self – physically, mentally and emotionally,” she shares.

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Photos by BK Johnson

“The Forgotten Woman is the person who makes sure her family eats, yet often takes the smallest plate. She’s the one who people know by name, but because she’s so tired and overwrought, she sometimes forgets her own.”

Beverly says that Genesys Fitness represents change for women who are ready for a shift. “My clients recognize that they are ready for more and need a roadmap to reach their goals. My client’s ages range from 35-65, and I use the phrase “the forgotten woman” to describe her. The Forgotten Woman is the person who makes sure her family eats, yet often takes the smallest plate. She’s the one who people know by name, but because she’s so tired and overwrought, she sometimes forgets her own. The Forgotten Woman is a beautiful and selfless spirit who, in everything she does, puts others needs ahead of her own. She often goes unappreciated, unloved, abused, and overworked. She often feels alone, tired, sick, depressed, ugly, and invisible. I’ve discovered that this is usually the season when you’ve become settled in your career, and have raised families and eventually become empty nesters. In some cases, my clients have assumed the role of caretaker for their parents. It’s during this time, you discover that you’ve taken care of everyone and you’re at the bottom of the list. They are looking to discover themselves,” she shares.

With Genesys Fitness, Beverly offers an 8-Week Personal Training regimen called the “60 Day Slay” Transformation Program. Through one-on-one sessions, personalized sessions, and mindset make overs, she partners with her clients to reclaim their identity through customized coaching, fitness training, and strategies to build sustainable changes.

Genesys Fitness began with a thought. Beverly shares how she believed that she could shift her experiences as a Zumba instructor to that as a personal trainer. During that transition of time, she was also enduring an emotionally and mentally exhausting divorce. As she healed from the divorce, she discovered her voice and realized that some new tools and insights that proved beneficial to her existing clients. “As I experienced my beginning, I wanted to inspire others to achieve theirs,” she says.

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Genesys Fitness takes off. “I was sitting on my couch one Sunday afternoon in 2015, and decided that I was ready to take the plunge. I had my business cards made and I posted information about it on Facebook. That was my official grand opening. I didn’t know anything about launches or social media engagement. I just jumped. I had no idea what to do next. My first client happened to be one of my sorority sisters. That vote of confidence from my Soror gave me the determination to keep pushing,” she says.

Today, Beverly is in full force with Genesys Fitness. Her focus is on providing a great experience and service to her clients, while impacting their lives. “I love it when my clients have their ‘aha’ moments. It’s that moment when she begins to see the results. I’ll receive the text message announcing they’ve lost a dress size or that they’ve started to receive compliments from friends. That’s when I know my program is working.’ Beverly says.

She also finds inspiration in her mother who she describes as someone who has a beautiful spirit and has taught Beverly and her siblings the importance of having a good work ethic, gratitude, and humor.

Beverly has also faced some challenges in business. “As a fitness professional, I’m faced with the challenge of providing my services in our current landscape with the Covid 19 pandemic. The safety of my clients is my utmost priority. With that being so, I’ve switched my practice to a virtual platform, and it’s proving to be a great option for my clients,” she says.

Moving forward, Beverly hopes to expand her online coaching business. Expanding her online business will allow her to provide Genesys Fitness services across the country. She also offers some advice to others who follow a similar journey as she has. “Decide on who you want to market to in your business. While it sounds good to cater to everyone, everyone won’t be a customer. Determine who you want your ideal client to be. From that point, it will be easier to create a solid business. Most importantly, don’t fear the unknown, it’s a part of the process.”

Bring Life Back To The Neighborhood

By Laci Ollison

After more than 20 years of absence, the Old Famous Shamberger Store’s American Flag, is back. The new owners, with the help of the Greensboro Fire Department and The Greensboro VFW on Elm-Eugene Street, roped a 70 foot tall flag pole and rose an 18 feet by 12 feet American Flag to commemorate the re-opening of the business, with a new name, The Neighborhood Store.

The new owners are Moses Wachira and Yordi Tesfay, making the local landmark a black-owned business once again.

Moses relocated to North Carolina from San Diego six years ago while Yordi moved from Maryland two years ago. The duo started working in convenience stores when they were young and in college. But now, they have evolved from working in a store to owning their very own establishment.

Moses has been a pilot for twenty years, flying food and medicine into war-torn countries for United Nations Relief Service as well as flying for other airlines. Yordi was a bartender in a famous black upscale restaurant in Washington, D.C., and that is where they met. They pay their loyalty to the convenience store jobs that they both had when young. Those jobs taught them customer service, hard work, and discipline. Today they work towards serving their newly adopted neighborhood of South Greensboro and are working diligently to improve the image of the neighborhood.

The original store was built my Mr. Shamberger almost 30 years ago on Elm Street. Being a former military serviceman, he built a 70 foot flagpole to show his patriotism. Residents say they would see the flag from downtown and surrounding areas. Mr. Shamberger was a community activist, sponsored little league sports, and helped poor families.

However, when the new owners purchased the store a few months back, the store was dilapidated. The previous owners had run the establishment into the ground. They duo have invested heavily in beautifying the store and the surrounding neighborhood. The building had old burglarproof bars, and dark windows. It was also boarded from the inside with soda coolers so that you could not see the inside of the store from outside nor could you see the outside when standing inside of the store.

Since purchasing the convenience store, they have removed the burglar-proof

“We do not treat anyone as criminals....There are lot more good people than bad. If you are going to bring us business, we will leave the door open for you. That is why we took away the burglar proof bars and removed the boarded windows.”

Moses Wachira

Photos by JLG Photography

bars and the dark boarded windows. They have also installed clear glass windows on all of the storefront. The store now looks bright and serves as a physical and metaphorical light in the community.

As owners, their new goal is to provide services to the community. “We do not treat anyone as criminals,” Moses says. “There are lot more good people than bad. If you are going to bring us business, we will leave the door open for you. That is why we took away the burglar proof bars and removed the boarded windows.”

They accept all major debit and credit cards as well as EBT. They also sell money orders, is able to process payroll checks, has an ATM machine, and also offers many convenience store essentials. The store also serves a variety of food items on various days including hot breakfast sandwiches, sausage dogs, Julie’s Famous Pork Chops, fried chicken, gizzards, mac and cheese, broccoli casserole, rice and chicken, and pasta with meat Sauce.

Moses and Yori have also added two new additions to the outside of the store: a barbeque smoker for spare ribs and chicken, and a separate area for customers to wash and detail their car. The new owners are hoping to become part of this community and have aspirations of helping to mentor young kids to become pilots and entrepreneurs.

A huge expression of appreciation goes to Nathaniel of VFW and Marcus of Greensboro Fire Department for helping hoist the Old Shambarger Store’s American Flag. Mr. Shambarger was a legend and the owner intends to carry on with the continued legacy of serving the community.

Making Power Moves

By Terry L. Watson

Todd Youngblood

Who is Rhonda G. Crowder? When asked that question, she describes herself as someone who keeps her focus on family and career. The single mother is vibrant, creative, jovial, and hard working. She is also determined, optimistic, and someone who puts God first.

“I am a mother of two wonderful children, Kaila and Jaydn. I am an alumnus of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. There, I majored in Journalism Mass Communications, with a concentration in Public Relations,” she says.

Rhonda is the CEO and Founder of Power Moves Education & Consulting, and Power Moves Performing Arts Academy. “I am driven by pulling the creative out of someone who never thought they would succeed. I enjoy expounding on the greatness inside of them, bringing it to flourish it,” she shares.

Power Moves Performing Arts Academy is set to personalize and develop, refine and showcase in dance, drama, musical theatre/theatre, photography, vocal and instrumental music and studio engineering while providing them with a rigorous academic curriculum. Everyone is welcomed to apply and all students must have a goal driven attitude. “We thrive on an HBCU level with creativity, allowing students to re-invent their creativity through arts,” she shares.

Power Moves Education & Consulting prepares, exposes, and broadens all student’s horizons for colleges, universities, and first-generation students in either a one on one, group sessions and/or speaking engagements while building and connecting education and striving for excellence.

Rhonda shares that her journalism and educational background have allotted her creativity to be cultivated in entrepreneurship. “Without God, and the vision He placed in me, none of this would be possible. GOD is my CEO!”

Rhonda says she enjoys educating and bringing out the creativity in others. She is also inspired by strong women who have a story of power and strength and are willing to share how they overcame. She also finds strength in single mothers, just as she is, who are pushing to succeed and become successful.

In the future, her goal is to own her own school, and have her own performing arts studio. The sky’s the limit, and Rhonda is proving that anything is possible with God.

For more information, please contact Rhonda Crowder

Photos

D KING ELECTRIC

By Dawn Cauthen Thornton - Photos by Dmitri King

The trajectory of your life is usually determined by the decisions you make for yourself and the odds that may be stacked against you despite those decisions. Unsurprisingly, black men tend to face these odds at a larger rate than any other ethnic category.

In high school, in Greensboro, NC, Dmitri King was traveling down the wrong path. He was hanging out with friends late at night, taking the family car without permission, and eventually ran into trouble that he couldn’t escape. After he graduated, not much changed. Things got worse even. He and his stepfather weren’t getting along due to his constant mischief and eventually he was kicked out of the house. A close friend and his family took him in and for years it seemed his life was turning around…until he got arrested and thrown in jail.

While spending time behind bars, King received a phone call from a close cousin that would change his life more than he could’ve ever imagined.

“My cousin came and bailed me out and asked me was I ready to leave Greensboro, NC now. I knew I couldn’t keep doing what I was doing. So not only did he pay my bail, but he paid to rent a moving truck, packed up all my stuff and brought me and my son down to Buford, GA put us up, and put me to work that week,” King explains. He is beyond grateful to his cousin and freely admits that he could never repay him for giving him the career he currently has and a new lease on life almost two decades ago. Perhaps he’s reimbursing him by following in his cousin’s footsteps and being a successful businessman.

King’s cousin owned an independent electrical business and taught him almost everything he knew at the time. The New Jersey native absorbed as much knowledge as he could and moved on to another company where he worked alongside seasoned electricians who poured into him. Years later he transitioned to another cousin’s business, expanding his knowledge base even further.

“I learned on three different levels and learned three different ways to run a business. They were all so smart and took their time to teach me everything about wiring and lighting and all of that,” says King.

In 2010 King felt he’d had enough hands on experience to branch out and start a business of his own. He became a Certified Electrician and opened DKing Electric, LLC under the parent company Metro Atlanta Electrical, LLC. It wasn’t easy for me, but it wasn’t that difficult because I had support.”

When one of his former employers changed directions to focus solely on commercial contracts, he referred two of his biggest residential clients to King because of his talent and the level of trust in his work.

King met several more loyal clients who gave excellent references so it wasn’t long before his clientele began to grow. Popular nightclub owners, restaurant owners, and new construction home builders all across the area came calling and then connected him with others. Soon he had more clients than he could handle. That push only made him work harder, hire more workers, and make more money.

The once troubled kid perfected his craft and is proud that he can wire an entire home by himself from ‘top to bottom’. Fortunately, he’s so busy with inspections, contracts, and clients that he doesn’t have time to do that anymore. He hires professionals whose work is just as thorough as his, so he can trust them to do a job when he’s not there. He’s currently training another cousin to one day take the rein or at the least, be his backup.

“You’re only as good as the people you hire so I make sure I employ smart people who know what they’re doing.”

A typical day for King consists of driving from city to city, managing projects and the variety of work that has to be done on each job. “The biggest part of my day, really, is going to a [home improvement] store several times! Easy. There isn’t a day when I’m not there at least twice. Sometimes five or six times in a day. So much that I should purchase stock!” he laughed.

As busy as it is and as intricate as it can be, King can’t imagine where he would be without DKing Electric, LLC. It’s like the heart of his family. His wife lends her time to the business by handling the bookkeeping and much of the paperwork and he manages the field. His 24 year old son helps out from time to time but has his sights set on entertainment for now. His bonus-daughter watches from afar.

The life-saving cousins King embarked on this journey with have now expanded to being builders and restaurant owners, and he is itching to do the same. Don’t be surprised to soon see Dmitri King’s name on something bigger and better around the Atlanta area. Whatever it is, it will be lit. Literally.

“You’re only as good as the people you hire so I make sure I employ smart people who know what they’re doing.”

By Laci Ollison

GlamHer Hair Addiction

Photos by LA Photographie

During the day, she has the responsibility of delivering packages and mail to local residents as a postal worker, but at night she is mixing, creating, and serving up natural haircare products to her male and female customers who are looking to grow and maintain their healthy locs and manes.

Thirty-three-year-old Jaquesa Finney is the proud owner of GlamHer Hair Addiction, which offers natural hair products for all hair types. She founded her company after gaining inspiration from her sister who was diagnosed with cancer and lost all of her hair.

“I wanted to help women who have lost their hair for different reasons to be able to grow their hair back out longer and thicker,” Finney said.

Her oldest daughter also has exzema in her hair which caused Finney to want to create a product that could be used on children’s hair as well. “I really wanted to create a natural product that would help women establish healthy hair habits for themselves,” said Finney. “Although many of my customers wear weave, I want them to understand that that’s okay, and they can still wear weave but their hair should be healthy underneath when the weave is removed.”

She shares that her best selling product is her hair juice which helps hair grow thicker and quicker. “This product is mainly for women experiencing some type of hair loss,” said Finney. “Women with alopecia, women that have been through chemotherapy, or even women who have hair loss from using any type of chemical treatment. It really helps thicken the hair and grow the hair out from where it has been lost or damaged.”

“I went to hair school, but I never wanted to actually do hair. I was always more interested in formulas and mixtures and creating products. I focused more on anatomy of hair than actually doing hair.”

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Customers have also used her natural products on baby’s who have experienced cradle cap and need moisture on their scalp and help with their hair growing back.

GlamHer also offers a variety of other haircare products for customers such as shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner, leave-in conditioner, and edge control. “My edge control works with all different types of hair,” said Finney. “I have a lot of customers who wear locs and they like to use the edge control to retwist their hair.”

The single mother of two said that she has always wanted to work for herself and to own her own business. And although she has always had a passion for hair, she says that she was never really interested in becoming a hair stylist. “I went to hair school, but I never wanted to actually do hair,” Finney said. “I was always more interested in formulas and mixtures and creating products. I focused more on anatomy than actually doing hair.”

Finney said that the science behind hair and hair products drew her more because she loves science. She also earned a degree from Baptist College of Health Sciences in Memphis.

The Memphis native said that she then learned how to make hair products by taking a class.

“I took a class on how to mix products together and I learned what mixes well,” Finney said. “Once I learned how to make products, then I added my own style to make something that would work for all hair types.”

Finney also said that when coming up with inspiration for her products, she had a specific type of hair and customer in mind. “My target was 4C hair because that’s the type of hair that one of my daughters has and it is the hardest type of hair to retain moisture,” she said. “But my family all has different types of hair. My other daughter has a mixture of hair types and I have 3C and 4A.”

She also shares how it was so important for her to create a product that would work perfectly on all of her family’s hair, no matter the texture. “It’s a very versatile product that we can all use and that works on all of our hair.”

As an entrepreneur, Finney says the hardest thing about managing a business has been the marketing.

“It’s hard, but I’m still learning. I’m still learning, and I try to make live videos about my products and the process to create them so that people can get a behind the scenes look at what I’m doing and how their products are being made.”

GLamHER Edges Control

Conditioner

But Finney says that being consistent and having good customer service is what has helped her be successful as a business owner. She also hopes to pass down the importance of entrepreneurship to her daughters. “I try to keep my daughters very involved in my business. Not only do they help me get my products together by helping with packaging, but they are also coowners of GlamHer Hair Addiction. I want to encourage and teach them that they don’t have to work for anyone else if they choose not to.”

The businessowner is now looking to start two lines of products specifically for kids and for men. “The men products will be for men who may have a receding hairline and are looking to grow their hair back out or who may just need a good moisturizer for their beard,” Finney said.

GlamHer Hair Addiction has been in business for over a year and you can also find the natural hair styling products on the shelves of Color Essential on Jefferson Street. All of the products that GlamHer offers are vegan friendly and have been approved by the FDA.