One of my heroine and favorite person to read about is Madam C.J. Walker. she was an American businesswoman, hair care entrepreneur, tycoon and philanthropist. Who made a way out of no way to accomplish what many man and woman, black or white only dreamed about during her time.

According to The Guinness Book of Records, Madam CJ Walker was the first female millionaire. She made a fortune by developing and selling beauty and hair products for black women.

Born Louisiana, the first member of her family to be born free. Her parents had been slaves. She was widowed by the age of 20. Once working for $1.50 as a laundress, she joined St. Paul’s African Methodist Episcopal Church, which helped develop her speaking, interpersonal and organizational skills.

During the 1900’s the lack of indoor plumbing, electricity and central heating contributed to improper hair care, which lead to severe dandruff and scalp disease. She lose her hair but found a desire to develop a helpful product.

In 1905, Madam Walker moved to Denver, Colorado, where she worked as a sales agent for Annie Malone, another black woman entrepreneur who manufactured hair care products. She consulted with a Denver pharmacist, who analyzed her mentors formula and helped her formulate her own products. She often told reporters that the ingredients for her “Wonderful Hair Grower” had come to her in a dream.

In 1906 she married for the fourth time to Charles Joseph Walker, a St. Louis newspaperman, and changed her name to “Madam C.J. Walker”. She founded the Madam C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company to sell hair care products and cosmetics. Madam Walker divorced Walker in 1910 and moved her growing manufacturing operations from St. Louis to a new industrial complex in Indianapolis. By 1917 she had the largest business in the United States owned by a black person.

Her story not only inspires because of her business sense but also for your desire to better her people. She used her company to build wealth and as a means to promote economic opportunities for others, especially black people. Her pride and joy was in profitable employment, now thousands of black women were not only limited to domestic labor, they worked for her as commissioned sales agents and could earn from $5 to $15 per day.

A businesswoman and philanthropist, she left two-thirds of her estate to educational institutions and charities, including the NAACP, the Tuskegee Institute and Bethune-Cookman College. In 1919, her $5,000 pledge to the NAACP’s anti-lynching campaign was the largest gift the organization had ever received.

Ms. Walker was inducted into the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 1992. A true American success story…

When we began to make $10 a day, [my ex-husband] thought that was enough, thought I ought to be satisfied. But I was convinced that my hair preparation would fill a long-felt want. And when we found it impossible to agree, due to his narrowness of vision, I embarked on business for myself. – Madam CJ Walker.

Wikipedia

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Do you wake up in the morning dreading going to work? With the rising unemployment rates, offshore outsourcing of jobs and inflation, it’s a good thing to have a steady source of income. But if when you rise in the mornings, you aren’t enthused about starting your day than you’re not doing what you want to do. You’re just you living for the weekend or your day off!

Many want to and even dream about escaping the daily grind of working for someone else. Most even dream of this while at work, the dilemma for many comes from timing. Even if your finances are stable being able to quit your current job, with the obligations to family life, is very difficult. The ability to juggle, late nights, early mornings, family outings with just getting dinner ready, can be overbearing, if not impossible for even the best of them.

I’ve learned the mindset is probably the most important factor in escaping the rat race. You will have to think differently than you do for an employer, you are the owner and if you don’t work everything shuts down. My first experience with this was exhilarating and scary one all at the same time; it was the beginning of my 3rd tax season and my system crushed, I mean the green light wouldn’t even come on. Now my first thought was hippy I get to go home, because when I was in corporate america that’s what would happened. When the system wasn’t working we couldn’t work. But this time there was no IT Dept to call and yell at, to get the system working. It was all up to me to fix it, there was no running away from the problem, it was get it fixed now and there is no more work, ever. It was really Do or Die!

This kind of shift in your thinking process must be in place, not only to be successful, but to survive and it will not occur over night!

So to get to doing what you want to do you must:

1. Weigh your pros and cons. This will help decide if the time is right to break free or if you need to do more planning before stepping out. But for those that’s forever a planner and never take action – you may need to jump out of the boat and learn to swim! ( That’s me)

2. Look for alternative ways to support your lifestyle. If you’re use to a six figure income, it may not come fast or easy but it will come with determination. Look into home based business ventures – avoid the scams! Also play with your talents and interests to determine if any are marketable. Maybe search your family for secret recipes that’s
been handed down from generation to generation.

3. Surround yourself with like minded people, those going places and doing things will always motivate you beyond belief, to go another day. Success stories will get you over the hurdles that will come while trying to break free. Of course, avoid the naysayers. It’s not that they’re trying to kill your dreams, they’re just looking at it from a different mindset, that you can only live if someone else gives you a check state of mind. You know the one you just got away from. They may say, I wouldn’t do that if I where you. How will you live? What about your responsibilities? Many times, these people also want to escape the rat race but are not willing or able to take that leap. So face the fact that you will probably be in this alone and will need to motivate yourself for a while. Having a team of “real” support to help you when you can’t, will be priceless if possible.

4. Try to save some of your own money first. Financial obstacles are usually the mountain that we must overcome in making that initial decision to leave the rat race. If you have a little nest egg socked away it takes some of that edge off the decision and give you a little more freedom to make moves.

5. Streamline your lifestyle. If leaving the rat race isn’t your ultimate goal, maybe you just want to enjoy retirement sooner than evaluate where you can cut back and those cut backs become savings. Turn those savings into investment that will grow and as they grow your days, months and years in the rat race become smaller and small until they are none!

What ever your goal is in escaping the rat race, I am sure, that with a little repositioning, patience, dedication, and hard work – you can achieve your end results! One of my fave mottos is: “Don’t work for your money, make your money work for you”

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One half of the world famous ATL duo “Outkast” is more than a rapper, actor and businessman, he’s also a philanthropist. His charity, Big Kidz Foundation, is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing socially conscious youth. And according to his site, the vision of Big Kidz Foundation, is to positively affect literacy, mathematics, public speaking, and artistic inclination through use of humanities.

The organization offers three specialized programs that Big Boi feels are extremely important to the future of our youth.

The Big Voices Program, is dedicated to empowering youth ages’ 12-18 to have a voice. Youth are encouraged to “stand up and speak up” by giving them a platform to speak and the tools to effectively communicate.

Debate/public speaking Clubs- As a part of the Big Voices Programs, Public Speaking clubs, similar to Toast Masters, are sponsored in local schools. The goal of the Big Voices Clubs is to help our youth:

. Communicate more effectively
. Become better listeners
. Improve presentation skills
. Increase leadership potential
. Increase self-confidence

Oratorical Competition- The Big Voices Program hosts and annually speaking competition where youth throughout the state can compete in for scholarship.

Teen Summit -The Big Voice Program hosts is an open forum for youth to have a discussion about politics, life challenges, their future and the world issues. The forum is facilitated by youths with the support of business and community leaders, mentors and peers.

The Big Moves Program provides youth with an opportunity to travel locally, statewide, nationally and internationally. Through this program participants will be exposed to culturally diverse experiences that are designed to expand their horizons.

Travel Experience “Heritage Tour” October 25, 2009

Submit a 1 page essay on “Georgia Heritage” by midnight October 2, 2009

And The Big Talent Program provides youth with a platform to showcase there talent as well as opportunities to sharpen their craft. Throughout the year, selected individuals and groups are given chances to perform at various Big Kidz Foundation events.

This is an awesome effort to provide a much needed outlet to our youth and with rappers consistently under attack are leading kids down the wrong path, Big Boi with his organization clearly shows that artist do give back and are concerned with our kids and the direction of their lives. To help check out Big Kids Foundation and donate.

“It is my hope that the children in these undeserved communities officially become part of this national conversation that we have been left out of for years”. “The efforts within this program will not only stress education, but will stress exposure to culture,” Big Boi.

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Many may know this young lady from her numerous acting gigs, such as The Bernie Mac Show, Greys Anatomy, ER and currently The Secret Life of an American Teenager. But Camille Winbush, is also a very successful teenpreneur, at the age of 14, the actress opened her own ice cream parlor Baked Ice.

Located in Pasadena, California, Baked Ice celebrated its 1st anniversary with revenue of $120,000. With the help of her mother and aunt, this ice cream parlor also sells her family recipes of cookies that’s baked fresh each morning.

This busy young lady even works the counter, getting the full experience of running and maintaining a business. Black Enterprise awarded her Teenpreneur of the Year in 2004, a prestigious award given annually for outstanding business leadership. And just like most people that catch the entrepreneur bug, Camille began franchising her business and plans to open another bakery here in Atlanta.

Along with being an entrepreneur, she’s an award winning actress and singer, motivating numerous teen girls around the globe.

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Kicking off her 24th season today with “the most anticipated music interview of the decade,”. Ms. Winfrey is undeniably a women of achievement.

Oprah was born to a teen mother in a small Mississippi town, but through trial and tribulation (raised very poor, divorced parents, lived from place to place with various relatives, molested as a child, drugs and lost a baby born prematurely), she has become one of Americas most wealthy and successful women.

Her influence is undeniable, check out the Oprah effect on CNBC, because she is confident enough to share and has continued to use her fame and wealth to positively make a difference in the lives of people in need.

After studying at Tennessee State University she vividly heard her father’s encouragements and requiring high standards of success for her. Her grandmother was adamant about reading, and this she has said caused her to imagine and dream big dreams, because she know there was more than her surroundings and she was anxious to explore.

Her achievements are massive: She was the first black African American woman television news anchor to work in Nashville on the WTVF-TV station at the young age of 19.

In 1984 she host “AM Chicago”, an early morning talk show. It went on to become the number one ranked talk show shortly after she started and was renamed “The Oprah Winfrey Show”, than was syndicated nationally in 1986.

The Oprah Winfrey Show has become one of the most successful and highest ranked television talk show programs in history, viewed by more than 20 million Americans (USA) every week and broadcast Internationally to more than one hundred countries worldwide.

In 1993, Winfrey hosted a rare prime-time interview with Michael Jackson which became the fourth most watched event in American television history as well as the most watched interview ever, with an audience of one hundred million.

In 1996, she started, “Oprah’s Book Club”, where books she consider great reads are endorsed and immediately become #1 best sellers.

I think the most memorable show for me has been the car giveaway, “You Get A Car”, “You Get A Car”, “Everybody Gets A Car”, Oprah gave away 276 new G6 sedan, totally free.

She was nominated for an Academy Award in 1986 for Mrs. Sophia in The Color Purple and in 2005 brought the movie to Broadway as a producer starring American Idol Winner, Fantasia. for Best Supporting Actress. I can’t wait to see the show this weekend.

In October 1998, one of her most public disappointments was the not so well received production of Beloved, based upon Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel. Beloved opened to poor box-office results, losing approximately $30 million.

Also that same year, she began Oprah’s Angel Network, a nonprofit organization, that encouraging people around the world to make a difference in the lives of underprivileged others. Of course she gives beyond belief, Oprah’s Angel Network has raised more than $51,000,000. Winfrey personally covers all administrative costs associated with the charity, so 100% of all funds raised go to charity programs.

But outside of her own charity she has been named the first black person listed by Business Week as one of America’s top 50 most generous philanthropists, having given an estimated $303 million. We all remember her in the wake of hurricane Katrina, where she rebuilt homes in four states before the one year anniversary. And closer to home here in Atlanta, she has assisted more than 250 males get an education at Morehouse.

She began to publish her own magazine in 2002 and now has two: O, The Oprah Magazine and O at Home. According to Fortune O, the Oprah Magazine the most successful start-up ever in the industry.

The satellite Radio deal to me was one of the most impressive. A three-year, $55 million contract with XM to establish the channel, Oprah & Friends, was a big deal. Now only did she get paid as she always does, but she brought along her friends to have shows as well. The channel broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week on channel 156.

She has co-authored five books and it has been said she received the largest advanced fee just over the record holder former President Bill Clinton for his autobiography.

She’s involved with several popular shows, such as Rachel Ray, Dr. Phil and the much anticipated Dr. Oz show soon to come. Even hand picking, then Senator Barack Obama to run for president, one analysis estimates she delivered over a million votes in the close 2008 Democratic primary race.

And believe me these achievements are just the tip of the iceberg, get the rest of her achievements at Wikipedia

“What material success does is provide you with the ability to concentrate on other things that really matter. And that is being able to make a difference, not only in your own life, but in other people’s lives.” Oprah Winfrey

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There are massive articles on how to start a business, so many that deciding which to read is a job within itself. So I thought narrowing things down a bit could be somewhat helpful. Check out six business that are so easy to start that you may want to reconsidered getting into them for that simple reason.

1. Restaurants. We all know someone, most likely Big Mama or Nana that can cook so good, it’s a pure travesty that not everybody in the US can endulge at least one of her meals. But being able to cook a great meal and operating a booming restaurant business for some reason don’t go hand and hand. Yes many American eat out daily even in this time of recession but according entrepreneur.com 60% of restaurants close in the first three years. Simply due to the management skills required to operate during seasonal fluctuations, employee behavior and budgeting for utilities and product supplies. Most great cooks are patient and enjoy the feeling food gives so being able to micro manage and run a tight ship goes against what they are.

2. Direct Sales. I know working from home sounds good and being in control of your time is great . But are you really a salesperson? Being able to sell water to a well isn’t easy. And just because the company say it can be done because another did it, doesn’t mean it’s possible for you. Diligence is the key! And according to a SCORE rep, Ken Yancey, money is made mostly be recruiting new reps into the organization and getting bonuses or a cut of their recruits’ commissions. The new reps then have a much harder job because they need to recruit more people on top of selling product even though the number of reps out there is increasing. The result, Yancey says: “Most of them wind up with a bunch of jewelry or kitchen equipment sitting in their basement that they can’t sell.”

3. Online Retail. This just may be the easiest business to start, selling items through online marketplaces such as eBay or Amazon. But what has happened is the same thing that always happen when things are thought to be easy, the competition comes. There are so many established vendors and hundreds more joining by the day, it’s very difficult to carve your niche and stand out among the masses.

4. High-End Retail. OMG, don’t you just love fashion, it’s a dream industry, everything looks so glamorous and fabulous. But it’s the same for most girls and EVERYBODY dreams of opening a spa or boutique, simply because the market is huge. But with times so difficult, buyers are having to cut back on spending and luxuries are the first to go.

5. Independent Consulting. Everybody could was a little guidance right? And believe me as a business owners you need more that the average person. One problem is startup companies who really need it can’t afford consultants and or don’t understand how important consultants are. It seems the hardest thing is the struggle with time management problems, spending so much time scouting work that it’s very difficult to earn steady income. “The difficulty many face is they go through peaks and valleys of having work,” says Prof. Ceru. “When the engagement ends, they are frantically looking for work,” which may take weeks or months.

6. Franchise Ownership. I heavily weighted this option when I first got started than quickly ruled it out when I found out how much they cost. It’s true that everything is laid out for you but there are restrictions and contractual obligations that must be followed. So research is very important and if you have to research, grow your client base and all the things a regular business has to do, you might as well not fork over a percentage of your profit just to use a stable business name.

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Who doesn’t like jewelry? Well there are some people that don’t but I think, those that do heavily outweigth those that don’t. So if you have a passion for creating nice, timeless pieces why not sell them to the millions of people that love to where jewelry.

Beading seems to be a hot new trend these days, there are several boutiques here in Atlanta that offer classes to teach you how to bead or help you fine tune your skills. Check out The Southern Flamesor Brina’s Bead.

Step #1 – You can purchase your material at affordable stores such as Walmart, Hobby Lobby, or online.

Step #2 – Create quality products, I hate to get dressed and an accessorized only to look down and realize my necklace is gone, broke and lost in the wind somewhere.

Step #3 – Get equally chic packaging for your items, a sandwich bag won’t cut it.

Step #4 – Get advertising material, i.e. business card and fliers with your contact information and pictures of your custom designs on the back.

Once you get your jewelry ready to sale, roll out the marketing wheel with all your might, get a free website, myspace, facebook, twitter account among other social media sites, tell all your great friends, coworkers, join trade associations and attend as many vendor booths as possible.

Get started at The Beading Circle

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The true #1 DIVA is back at it, and since September is Women Achievement Month, there’s no reason my woman of influence for this week shouldn’t be Ms. Whitney Houston.

With a new #1 album, out yesterday, and a much anticipated interview with another woman of achievement, Oprah Winfrey for her 24th season premiere, Whitney is ready for a new beginning.

I was surprised to find out she had broken so many records throughout her career, check them out below:

After starting as a backup singer for many accomplished singers, such as her mother, Cissy Houston, cousin, Dionne Warwick and Godmother Aretha Franklin just to name a few, she released her first album, Whitney Houston, was released in 1985. To date the album is an international success, certified 13x Platinum (diamond) in the United States and selling 24 million worldwide.

With her second album Whitney, released in 1987, she became the first female artist in music history to debut at #1 on the US and UK album chart while also hitting number-one in several other countries around the world. From this album at least four singles peaked at #1, Whitney is certified 9x Platinum.

Of course she toured and was one of the top 10 highest earning entertainers according to Forbes Magazine. She was the highest earning African-American woman and the second highest entertainer after Bill Cosby.

In 1989, Houston formed The Whitney Houston Foundation For Children, a non-profit organization that has raised funds for the needs of children around the world. The organization cares for homelessness, children with cancer and AIDS, and other issues of self-empowerment.

She was constantly scouted for movies but decided to star in The Bodyguard in 1992, The film was a mega hit, grossing more than $121 million in the U.S. and $410 million worldwide.

The film’s soundtrack was just as successful, it was certified 17x platinum in the United States with worldwide sales of 42 million. Whit, won three Grammys, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year.

Earning from The Bodyguard and another tour, catapulted her to the third highest earning female entertainer of 1993-1994, just behind Oprah Winfrey and Barbra Streisand.

After four studio albums, she renewed her contract with Arista in 2001 for an unbelievable $100 million.

Whitney Houston is undeniably one of the world’s best-selling artists and a woman of many achievements, having sold over 140 million albums and 50 million singles, worldwide.

She is ranked as the fourth best-selling female artist in the United States by RIIA, titled “The Voice”, she has been listed by Rolling Stone magazine as one of The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.

Check out Everything Whitney, All of Whitney
Source

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Caught up in the rapture of the night, I felt brave and tried an unusual entree of Chocolate Wings, the owner told me they were an aphrodisiac, so how could I not try it, the taste was different and I enjoyed them. The menu is an infusion of Caribbean and Latin, and with soft jazz from a live musician playing in the background, you won’t be disappointed. I wasn’t. Love, love Circa!!!

Here’s a description from their site:

We welcome you to Café Circa, Downtown Atlanta’s chic and swanky place to SAVOR, INDULGE and BE. We offer you a casually sophisticated environment that uniquely merges classic style and modern elements with scrumptious signature menu items and a premium bar offering a list of specialty drinks, creative cocktails, and martinis for every taste. Come relax in our ultra lounge atmosphere where an eclectic menu with exotic international flavors awaits you.

Café Circa prepares light, fresh and deliciously seasoned food with a Caribbean Latin twist to surely satisfy your palate – empanadas, an array of crisp hearty salads, sautéed and spicy seafood, and an assortment of delectable desserts just to name a few of the various appetizing selections. Listen to our live music, sip on a drink, enjoy a tasty bite to eat during lunchtime, after work, or late at night. We invite you to experience Café Circa… SAVOR. INDULGE. BE.

Check them out for a elegant, relaxing night in town.

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In honor of labor day, Are you in love with the labor you give or what would you like to do that would give you the ultimate satisfaction?

Ever wonder why we celebrate labor day? I mean just what brought about enough recognition to garner a day of no working, a National Holiday? It seems New York city was the first to implement the idea of takign time off from hard work to relax and enjoy yourself, back in the 19th century. To honor hard work with a day of fun, food and family. According to About.com the day is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country.

Someone must have been overly ecstatic with their job or so unhappy with it that they need a day away, to come up with an idea of celebration for labor. So which are you, ecstatic or over It? Channel your inner most happy thoughts and see if you love your daily labor? This quiz will help too:

1. Do I love it or hate it? When you think about your job, what is your gut reaction? Do you dread going to work or look forward to it? How do you feel about your duties, your colleagues, your managers, the location, the office culture?

2. What aspects of the job do I enjoy? In most cases, not everything is black and white. There are bound to be parts of your job that you like and others, well, not so much. Identify those aspects that invigorate you and think of ways to increase those responsibilities.

3. Why do I do what I do? What is your motivation? Do you find your job challenging? Do you do it for the compliments? Because it is easy? Because nobody else will do it? Take an honest look at your inspiration.

4. What am I good at? What are your most impressive skills? This can be a tricky question because being good at something doesn’t necessarily justify doing it. The task may be boring or no longer challenging. Is your preoccupation with this task eating up your time on the job? Are there assignments holding you back from reaching the next level in your career? If so, it might be time to delegate.

5. Where am I replenished on the job? What aspects of your job do you find fulfilling, challenging, or exciting? Where do you get the positive energy to move forward? Are there projects or assignments you’d like to try, but haven’t?

6. How can I replace the tasks I loathe with those I like? What can you move or delegate? Are there opportunities for you to swap with colleagues? The practice of “switching” tasks can breathe new life into a team, but it can also be unsettling to some of your peers. Work with your team, department, and managers to clearly define roles and encourage an open communication about job expectations.

7. Do I prefer to work alone or as part of a team? What works for you? Are you a loner, a team player, or a combination of both? And what are the circumstances you are in every day?

8. Are there groups of people I enjoy working with, and those I don’t? Look for ways to increase your interaction with the “good” folks and reduce your time with the drainers.

9. Is it possible to make these changes? When you do this brutal assessment of your job, be honest with yourself. What is holding you back? Is it you, management, your responsibilities? Are you able to effect the changes you need to be truly happy in this job at this organization? If not, it may be time to leave.

10. As a manager, how can these changes support the organization? This quiz is about you, but not everything is about you. How do your career goals mesh with the company’s mission statement? How can your newly designed job and responsibilities benefit the organization? Once you have determined the advantages to the company, lobby senior leadership for their support. If people who report to you took this quiz, how would they fare? Would the organization be able to support positive changes for them?

If you are 50% happy with your job today, work to increase those numbers to 75% or higher by putting a plan in place to affect change. Reference
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