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Welcome<br />
Director of Business Development<br />
PUBLISHER, CEO<br />
ERIC JORDAN<br />
Ejordan@theconnectmagazine.com<br />
PARTNER<br />
DR. EDDIE D. HAMILTON, MD, FAAP<br />
DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT<br />
DAWN M. MASON<br />
Dmason@theconnectmagazine.com<br />
DAWN M. MASON, MBA<br />
Dawn brings far more than 20 years’ worth of experience in strategic<br />
planning, negotiating, and project management with an ability to weigh<br />
risk vs. reward to her role as Director of Business Development for <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Connect</strong> Magazine (TCM). She brings professionalism and leaders<strong>hi</strong>p, a<br />
mindset of service and advocacy, an exceptional business acumen, and a<br />
passion for empowering others to realize their purpose.<br />
As a strategic t<strong>hi</strong>nker with a client focus, Dawn’s contribution to the<br />
magazine aligns her personal goals with the core objective of TCM. With<br />
a focus on tactical alliances and business development, she will prospect<br />
and identify opportunities for partners<strong>hi</strong>p, assist in building new business<br />
relations<strong>hi</strong>ps, evaluate operational issues to determine effectiveness, and<br />
evaluate the competitive landscape to continually enhance TCM’s impact<br />
on its readers<strong>hi</strong>p.<br />
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Dawn graduated from Hampton<br />
University in VA. After moving to Nashville as a young adult, she pursued<br />
an MBA from Middle Tennessee State University and began a career in<br />
contract management. With a love for leaders<strong>hi</strong>p and managing people,<br />
she found her way into Supply Management where she has managed<br />
teams from 2 to 20 people throughout her career. She has spent more than<br />
20 years in supply management and has held positions such as adjunct<br />
professor, eComm erce Director and National Director of Purchasing. Now,<br />
as the Director of Diversity Business Development for a Nashville based<br />
organization, she ensu<strong>res</strong> small businesses are afforded the opportunity to<br />
compete with large corporations for substantial contracts.<br />
In addition to satisfying her love for writing as a contributing writer<br />
for <strong>The</strong> <strong>Connect</strong> Magazine, Dawn recently ventured into the world of<br />
blogging. Her Website, www.blendedwithboys.com, chronicles her<br />
and her husband William Mason Jr.’s journey into a blended family of<br />
seven. In early 2017, Dawn and William will launch an exciting new task<br />
management endeavor where they will offer small business development,<br />
back office management, <strong>res</strong>earch, business plan preparation, management,<br />
and similar services.<br />
Dawn leverages business relations<strong>hi</strong>ps and <strong>res</strong>ources through her<br />
avid support of a variety of professional organizations including: <strong>The</strong><br />
International Virtual Assistants Association, <strong>The</strong> Institute for Supply<br />
Management (ISM), <strong>The</strong> American Management Association (AMA),<br />
<strong>The</strong> Tristate Minority Supplier Development Council, Women’s Business<br />
Enterprises Council – South, <strong>The</strong> US Business Leaders<strong>hi</strong>p Network and<br />
<strong>The</strong> National Veteran Owned Business Association. She serves on the<br />
certification committee and is a co-facilitator for Centers of Excellence for<br />
<strong>The</strong> Tristate Minority Supplier Development Council. Dawn is a newlywed,<br />
a mom to Elijah and Jacob and a bonus mom to Tre, Miles, and Brennon.<br />
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF<br />
BRANDON HIRSCH<br />
B<strong>hi</strong>rsch@theconnectmagazine.com<br />
ASSOCIATE EDITOR<br />
KEELAH JACKSON<br />
Kjackson@theconnectmagazine.com<br />
SENIOR WRITER<br />
LACEY JOHNSON<br />
Ljohnson@theconnectmagazine.com<br />
CREATIVE DIRECTOR<br />
JESSICA COLEMAN<br />
Jcoleman@theconnectmagazine.com<br />
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY<br />
BARBARA POTTER<br />
Bpotter@theconnectmagazine.com<br />
WEDDING ACCOUNT COORDINATOR<br />
TEHKIA JORDAN<br />
Tjordan@theconnectmagazine.com<br />
DIRECTOR OF ONLINE COMMUNCIATION<br />
LAUREN H. DOWDLE<br />
Ldowdle@theconnectmagazine.com<br />
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT<br />
CAROLYN WALLER<br />
carolyn.waller@zeitlin.com<br />
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS<br />
BISHOP JERRY L. MAYNARD SR. DR. MING WANG, MD, PHD<br />
BRANDON HIRSCH KEELAH JACKSON<br />
LACEY JOHNSON RYAN HIRSCH<br />
SHAWN WHITSELL THOMAS C. SHEFFIELD<br />
VIVIAUNA BROWN<br />
DIRECTOR OF SALES<br />
ERIC JORDAN<br />
REGIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVES<br />
Help Wanted<br />
ALABAMA FLORIDA<br />
GEORGIA KENTUCKY<br />
LOUISIANA MISSISSIPPI<br />
TENNESSEE VIRGINIA<br />
ADVERTISING INQUIRIES<br />
advertise@theconnectmagazine.com<br />
If you would like to place an AD or write an article for our next issue,<br />
please contact ERIC JORDAN at info@theconnectmagazine.com<br />
“Putting your business in Clients’ Hands”<br />
4 | THECONNECTMAGAZINE.COM
RELIGION & VOTING<br />
Should Religion and Propaganda be considered before Voting?<br />
<strong>The</strong> religion of a leader can never exp<strong>res</strong>s<br />
<strong>hi</strong>s thoughts towards society or towards<br />
a particular community. <strong>The</strong> Bible says<br />
“righteousness exalteth a nation” (Proverbs<br />
14:34). For a nation to be righteous, the<br />
people of such nation must be righteous, and especially,<br />
the leaders. <strong>The</strong> righteousness of the citizens and the<br />
leaders make the righteousness of the whole nation. In t<strong>hi</strong>s<br />
manner, the leaders of the nation must be carefully selected<br />
or in another instance, be carefully voted into power.<br />
Leaders<strong>hi</strong>p has a lot of influence in the well-being of the<br />
people, as stated in Proverbs 29:2, “When the righteous<br />
are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked<br />
beareth rule, the people mourn”. In the p<strong>res</strong>ent world<br />
where leaders emerge through election, the voting process<br />
must be controlled to produce the best leader who is keen<br />
to move the nation forward and with great and unequaled<br />
leaders<strong>hi</strong>p qualities and skills.<br />
<strong>The</strong> process of voting nowadays is a complex one,<br />
with a lot of factors being put into consideration. It is<br />
now a practice that the majority of our politicians rely on<br />
propaganda to get votes from their people. Aspirants try to<br />
identify with their base to get their mandates. But looking at<br />
t<strong>hi</strong>s from a wider view, a quality candidate will not bank on<br />
propaganda or religious identity to win a referendum. <strong>The</strong><br />
credibility of an aspirant is put to test on a leveled playing<br />
ground, with their manifestos, p<strong>hi</strong>losop<strong>hi</strong>es, leaders<strong>hi</strong>p<br />
qualities and skills, and personalities are being put into<br />
consideration.<br />
<strong>The</strong> main aim of a political system is to provide allround<br />
growth in a society w<strong>hi</strong>ch in turn will lead to rise in<br />
status of each individual and providing a strong foundation<br />
for the nation. Hence, when voting, only an aspirant<br />
with such attribute should be considered. Voting with<br />
propaganda consideration will be biased and may produce<br />
an incompetent leader, w<strong>hi</strong>ch will consequently lead to an<br />
uneven growth in the nation. It may also lead to a rise in<br />
communal tension between different ethnic groups w<strong>hi</strong>ch<br />
can be a threat to the nation’s peace. Another negative<br />
effect of such practices is that it may cause loss to humanity<br />
and people may get discriminated on the basis of religion<br />
or ethnicity in the time of need. Moreover, such kind of<br />
politics is raised by only the weak political parties/aspirants<br />
whose first agenda is to meet their hunger for power and<br />
not in the improvement of society.<br />
On the above basis, I want to conclude that propaganda<br />
should not be mixed with politics. Intellectual youths and<br />
adults should understand that those politicians who demand<br />
votes in the name of rhetoric are simply fooling them and<br />
should discard them. Voting should only be on the basis<br />
of their thoughts and ideas towards the development of<br />
the nation. Let us unanimously cast an unbiased vote for<br />
th e right and credible leaders to assume offices, regardless<br />
of religious or ethnic background, to ensure growth and<br />
sustainability of our nation.<br />
Eric Jordan<br />
CEO/PUBLISHER<br />
THECONNECTMAGAZINE.COM | 5
38<br />
Contents<br />
<strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2016</strong><br />
Featu<strong>res</strong> 38<br />
22<br />
26<br />
34<br />
48<br />
Columns 12<br />
13<br />
14<br />
32<br />
Departments 16<br />
18<br />
30<br />
44<br />
COVER STORY<br />
PRINCE’S HOT CHICKEN CONTINUES<br />
LEGACY OF HOT CHICKEN<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Connect</strong> Magazine visits the original<br />
QUEEN OF HOT CHICKEN for a conversation<br />
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT of ARTS/<br />
ENTERTAINMENT<br />
Greg Mankis<br />
A PEOPLE PERSON<br />
Beverly K Carmichael gives us 3 KEYS to<br />
how you too,can BE A PEOPLE PERSON<br />
MAN TO MAN<br />
SHAN FOSTER<br />
SAVVY SUCCESS<br />
SUSAN VANDERBILT<br />
ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE<br />
THE MYTH OF MULTITASKING<br />
<strong>The</strong> BEGINNING OF THE END OF YOUR BRAIN<br />
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?<br />
Dr. Ming Wang offers words of wisdom for a<br />
POST-ELECTION AMERICA<br />
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE GREAT AMERICA<br />
OF OUR FOREFATHERS?<br />
Bishop Jerry L. Maynard Sr.<br />
SUSTAINABILITY<br />
HOT TOPIC<br />
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO NETWORKING<br />
WEDDING FEATURE<br />
22 26<br />
30<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Connect</strong> Magazine is a quarterly lifestyle publication committed to<br />
engaging our audience through inspirational stories of entrepreneurs, young<br />
professionals, and other individuals in the community committed to making<br />
a positive difference in their lives and in the lives of others. <strong>The</strong> tenets and<br />
principles associated with entrepreneurs<strong>hi</strong>p and the value of living with<br />
purpose transcend race, creed, and class, so from the corporate level, to the<br />
community, we seek to inform and inspire by exploring the hearts, minds,<br />
and stories beyond the bottom line.<br />
34 48 14<br />
6 | THECONNECTMAGAZINE.COM
Welcoming<br />
Diversity<br />
At Cracker Barrel Old Country Store ® , we t<strong>hi</strong>nk a key to our success<br />
is welcoming diversity in our company, our country sto<strong>res</strong>,<br />
our <strong>res</strong>taurants, and our communities.<br />
crackerbarrel.com • © <strong>2016</strong> CBOCS Properties, Inc.
THECONNECTMAGAZINE.COM | 9
BOOK CLUB<br />
From Darkness to Sight chronicles the remarkable life journey of Dr. Ming Wang,<br />
a world-renowned laser eye surgeon and p<strong>hi</strong>lanthropist.<br />
As a teenager, Ming fought valiantly to escape one of <strong>hi</strong>story’s darkest<br />
eras – C<strong>hi</strong>na’s Cultural Revolution – during w<strong>hi</strong>ch millions of innocent youth<br />
were deported to remote areas to face a life sentence of poverty and hard labor.<br />
Through <strong>hi</strong>s own tenacity and <strong>hi</strong>s parents’ tireless efforts to provide a chance of<br />
freedom for their son, Ming eventually made <strong>hi</strong>s way to America with $50 in <strong>hi</strong>s<br />
pocket and an American dream in <strong>hi</strong>s heart. It is in America where, against all<br />
odds Ming would earn a PhD in laser physics and graduate magna cum laude<br />
with the <strong>hi</strong>ghest honors from Harvard Medical School and MIT. He embraced <strong>hi</strong>s<br />
Christian faith and tackled one of the most important questions of our time – Are<br />
faith and science friends or foes? <strong>The</strong> contemplation of t<strong>hi</strong>s question led to <strong>hi</strong>s<br />
invention of a breakthrough biotechnology to <strong>res</strong>tore sight.<br />
To date, Dr. Wang has performed over 55,000 eye procedu<strong>res</strong> and has<br />
treated patients from nearly every state in the U.S. and from over 55 countries<br />
worldwide. He is considered the “doctor’s doctor,” as he has operated on over<br />
4,000 physicians. Dr. Wang has published 8 textbooks, holds several U.S.<br />
patents and performed the world’s first laser artificial cornea implantation. He<br />
established a non-profit foundation w<strong>hi</strong>ch provides sight <strong>res</strong>toration surgeries<br />
for indigent patients who otherwise would never have the opportunity to receive<br />
the complimentary procedu<strong>res</strong>.<br />
T<strong>hi</strong>s is a story of one man’s inspirational journey, of turning fear, poverty,<br />
persecution and prejudice into healing and love for others. It demonstrates how<br />
focus, determination, humility and profound faith can inspire a life that has<br />
beautifully impacted thecountless lives of others.<br />
“Dr. Wa ng is not only a dear friend and the very best eye surgeon, he is also<br />
one of the greatest people I have ever known.” -- Dolly Parton<br />
10 | THECONNECTMAGAZINE.COM
EMPOWERMENT<br />
HOW TO UNCOVER<br />
YOUR HIDDEN<br />
OPPORTUNITIES<br />
WRITTEN BY: RYAN W. HIRSCH<br />
“People who believe they deserve anyt<strong>hi</strong>ng more than an opportunity<br />
are ungrateful for what they already have.”<br />
During a recent pre-game speech, a Vanderbilt football<br />
player marched through the locker room, challenging<br />
teammates and coaches to reflect on t<strong>hi</strong>s message.<br />
“What will you do with your opportunity?” he shouted.<br />
T<strong>hi</strong>s prompted me to t<strong>hi</strong>nk about all the opportunities<br />
I have been blessed to receive. Did I seize those moments or make<br />
excuses for why I didn’t? In truth, I answered yes to both questions. I<br />
have seized opportunities and squandered them because... [insert any list<br />
of irrelevant excuses].<br />
At times, although opportunities were right in front of me, I believed<br />
I needed more <strong>res</strong>ources to capitalize on them. Sure, I was grateful for<br />
these opportunities (so I thought), but if I had more time, more money,<br />
more connections, more t<strong>hi</strong>s, more that; then I could really be in position<br />
to make the most of them.<br />
As I reflect on my past, I am confronted with the uncomfortable truth<br />
that I have not always been grateful for my opportunities because they<br />
weren’t packaged and p<strong>res</strong>ented to me the way I expected.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is a concept called locus of control that assesses how we perceive<br />
the factors that contribute to the events that have occurred or are<br />
occurring in our lives.<br />
Those with an external locus of control believe their successes and failu<strong>res</strong><br />
are determined by external factors such as their family background,<br />
the biases of the decision-makers around them, bad luck, etc. For example,<br />
individuals with t<strong>hi</strong>s mindset may attribute a promotion or demotion<br />
to their boss’ favoritism or prejudice toward them or others. Even if they<br />
arrived to work late every day, they would attribute a demotion to the<br />
belief that their boss is sexist, racist or simply incapable of recognizing<br />
talent. W<strong>hi</strong>le all of those t<strong>hi</strong>ngs may be true, an external locus of control<br />
may influence these individuals to remain in roles in w<strong>hi</strong>ch they are dissatisfied,<br />
and simply complain about the circumstances that hold them<br />
back in their careers. <strong>The</strong>y become jaded to the possibility that they can<br />
ac<strong>hi</strong>eve more in life. <strong>The</strong>y become victims of their circumstances and<br />
prisoners to their problems, rather than catalysts for change. <strong>The</strong>y become<br />
ungrateful for the opportunities that are available to them.<br />
Conversely, those with an internal locus of control believe internal<br />
factors determine their outcomes. <strong>The</strong>y believe they are <strong>res</strong>ponsible for<br />
both the successes and failu<strong>res</strong> in their lives. For example, individuals<br />
with t<strong>hi</strong>s mindset would attribute a job promotion or demotion to the<br />
quantity and quality of their performance (or lack there of). In fact, if<br />
these people believed they had earned a promotion, and were denied,<br />
they would not wait until someone decided to promote them, they would<br />
seek out other opportunities for advancement in other departments or<br />
other companies. <strong>The</strong>y might even choose to launch their own businesses.<br />
Earlier in my career, I expected opportunities to be p<strong>res</strong>ented in a<br />
positive and simplistic format, so I could easily recognize and capitalize<br />
on them. As I gained more experience, I realized that life-changing opportunities<br />
are often disguised as unpleasant or inconvenient cho<strong>res</strong>, and are,<br />
just as often, inconsistent with my existing plans. At that point, it became<br />
evident I was in need of a change. I needed to s<strong>hi</strong>ft my locus of control.<br />
<strong>The</strong> end of a relations<strong>hi</strong>p may be an opportunity. <strong>The</strong> loss of a job may<br />
be an opportunity. A physical or mental disability may be an opportunity.<br />
A failure in any part of your life can be an opportunity to refocus and position<br />
yourself in a way that helps you advance. Have you ever been fired<br />
or passed over for a promotion? Maybe that was an opportunity to start<br />
your own business. Perhaps you needed to remove the distraction of your<br />
job to have the freedom and courage to do somet<strong>hi</strong>ng greater.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se moments help create the unique stories that shape and define<br />
our personal brands, work et<strong>hi</strong>c and sources of motivation.<br />
As I reflect on the multitude of opportunities I have before me now,<br />
the words of that Vanderbilt football player echo in my head, “People<br />
who believe they deserve anyt<strong>hi</strong>ng more than an opportunity are ungrateful<br />
for what they already have.”<br />
To what extent are you grateful for the opportunities in your life? I<br />
challenge you to honestly assess your locus of control and find the opportunities<br />
embedded wit<strong>hi</strong>n your obstacles. You have the power to use life’s<br />
stumbling blocks as stepping stones and unleash your potential.<br />
12 | THECONNECTMAGAZINE.COM
EMPOWERMENT<br />
DISPELLING THE ELEVATED<br />
MYTHOS OF MULTITASKING<br />
Is t<strong>hi</strong>s you?...<br />
WRITTEN BY: KEELAH JACKSON<br />
“<strong>The</strong> c<strong>hi</strong>ldren need to go to soccer and basketball practice... check.<br />
I need to swing by the store and pick up juice and raspberries for a<br />
meeting in the morning... Yikes! I didn’t <strong>res</strong>pond to that email from<br />
my client. I really need to do that, but wait the light is green. Is that<br />
my phone ringing??? Errr, I’ll call her back after I pick up my p<strong>res</strong>criptions<br />
from the pharmacy. Where’s that list?”<br />
Does t<strong>hi</strong>s scenario sound familiar? T<strong>hi</strong>s illustration of<br />
scatter-brained “doing”, unfortunately, for many,<br />
has become the new normal. More tasks to complete<br />
than time to complete them, has become the script<br />
to w<strong>hi</strong>ch most of us now adhere. No longer just<br />
keeping up and keeping on, we’re attempting to mechanize our lives<br />
and “get ahead”. It’s like we’re robots programmed for increased<br />
production, and our self-worth and net worth are perilously cuffed<br />
to “getting it done”. What’s our <strong>res</strong>ponse? Multitasking! But does it<br />
work?<br />
<strong>The</strong>re was a time when there were not as many <strong>res</strong>ponsibilities as<br />
there are today. A person had the time, wit<strong>hi</strong>n the 24 hours allotted,<br />
to complete the tasks in front of them, and in many cases, even had<br />
time for themselves. As the pace of life has spiraled into warp speed,<br />
multitasking has become a go-to option for squeezing as much as<br />
can be accomplished into any given time-frame; however, science<br />
reports that t<strong>hi</strong>s glorified remedy is notnecessarily the super saver<br />
that many t<strong>hi</strong>nk it is.<br />
Multitasking initially afforded an evolutionary advantage, but<br />
as reported by Stanford Psychologist and author, Clifford Nass, it’s<br />
causing the human brain to struggle. <strong>The</strong> human brain is formed<br />
with its “executive system”, or the frontal lobe that deteriorates over<br />
time; it decreases in volume as a person ages. So as the skilled multitasker<br />
is able to swiftly check items off of <strong>hi</strong>s/her to-do list today,<br />
<strong>hi</strong>s/her brain mass is deteriorating in a fas<strong>hi</strong>on that will make<br />
completing tasks increasingly more difficult tomorrow. Frontal lobe<br />
degeneration only may be slowed with considerate p<strong>res</strong>ervation (or<br />
LACK of multitasking). Also, the reality is that the act is not even the<br />
completion of multiple tasks at once; it’s the ability to switch the<br />
limited attention from task to task in a fast manner... like juggling.<br />
Without question, human brains are exceptional, yet they have<br />
flaws. Much like a juggler, occasionally they drop t<strong>hi</strong>ngs. In <strong>hi</strong>s book,<br />
THE MAN WHO LIED TO HIS LAPTOP, Mr. Nass also sha<strong>res</strong> that<br />
multitasking actually kills concentration and creativity. It is a mortal<br />
foe to productivity as well! <strong>The</strong> social science p<strong>res</strong>ented wit<strong>hi</strong>n <strong>hi</strong>s<br />
studies shows that chronic multitaskers are terrible at cognitive tasks<br />
such as learning and retaining (AKA remembering) information, discernment<br />
of situations, and the application of “common sense”. In<br />
reflection, the next time you accuse the younger generation of having<br />
abbreviated attention spans and poor judgment, consider the fact<br />
that their behaviors may be attributed to overexposure to multitasking,<br />
and then ask yourself where they might have learned that “talent”?<br />
Let’s do better. Better organization, better time-management,<br />
and an improved sense of prioritization are all great places to start.<br />
SOURCES<br />
brainhealth.utdallas.edu<br />
http://www.npr.org/2013/05/10/182861382/the-myth-ofmultitasking<br />
THECONNECTMAGAZINE.COM | 13
NEWS & OPINION<br />
DR. MING WANG, MD, PHD<br />
Post-election America and Our Country’s Future<br />
T<strong>hi</strong>s election season is coming to an end. It has been one of<br />
the most contentious elections in recent U.S. <strong>hi</strong>story, characterized<br />
by an unprecedented number of negative ads and<br />
personal attacks. Now our nation needs to heal and move<br />
forward, beyond the candidates themselves, and refocus our<br />
attention on the issues that are important for our country. It may have been a<br />
messy election, but it p<strong>res</strong>ented a valuable opportunity for many Americans to<br />
exp<strong>res</strong>s views that they had not fully exp<strong>res</strong>sed previously. I believe America<br />
now has a great opportunity to turn the negative attitude of t<strong>hi</strong>s election into<br />
a positive one. We can do t<strong>hi</strong>s by examining, discussing and debating all the<br />
issues exposed and all the viewpoints exp<strong>res</strong>sed in t<strong>hi</strong>s election. T<strong>hi</strong>s will help<br />
us know where we stand and how we feel.<br />
Two t<strong>hi</strong>ngs happened in t<strong>hi</strong>s election that surprised most of us - the unexpected<br />
popularity of Donald Trump and similarly, that of Bernie Sanders as<br />
well. Even though they rep<strong>res</strong>ented two opposite ends of the political spectrum,<br />
they nonetheless shared one t<strong>hi</strong>ng in common - neither of them was<br />
expected to do as well as they did. Why did we believe they wouldn’t succeed?<br />
<strong>The</strong> answer is that most of us thought their viewpoints would not be<br />
popular. So why did they end up becoming so widely supported? It is because<br />
large sectors of our society do, in fact, share their viewpoints.<br />
Donald Trump wants to return our country to the America of the ‘50s<br />
and ‘60s, when our border was secure and our country was the undisputed,<br />
dominant power internationally, and there was much less cultural, racial and<br />
ethnic diversity domestically. Many people who voted for Trump are nostalgic<br />
about that period of time in our nation’s <strong>hi</strong>story. <strong>The</strong>y are fed-up with the<br />
current system of government and believe that it is rigged against the middle<br />
class. As debt soars, healthcare diminishes, incomes stay stagnant and jobs<br />
leave the U.S. Trump’s popularity shows that many of us, indeed, do not like<br />
the changes that have taken place in our country and in the world in the last<br />
several decades. But can the clock be turned back? If it cannot, how can we<br />
adjust to the changes? How can we help America maintain its leaders<strong>hi</strong>p in a<br />
world that has seen the rise of emerging economies and a s<strong>hi</strong>ft in the center<br />
of gravity away from the U.S.? Domestically, like it or not, America is no<br />
longer the country that she was in the ‘50s and ‘60s. We are now much more<br />
diverse, with Hispanic Americans, African Americans and Asian Americans<br />
accounting for 20%, 18% and 6% of our population, <strong>res</strong>pectively. In the next<br />
10-15 years, these three groups are projected to become the majority. So how<br />
can we harness strength from our increasing diversity and move our country<br />
forward?<br />
Bernie Sanders, on the other hand, wants to move our nation towards socialism.<br />
He has gained strong support, especially from the younger generation<br />
who have not experienced the disasters of communism in the last century.<br />
Bernie provides a voice to a generation that feels the government should do<br />
more for those of us who are less fortunate by imposing greater sacrifices for<br />
the wealthy. <strong>The</strong>y feel that America, as a society today, no longer ca<strong>res</strong> for the<br />
down-trodden and unfortunate. But how can we as a nation strike the proper<br />
balance between the emphasis of individual <strong>res</strong>ponsibility and the societal<br />
duty to help the poor? How can we maintain strong social programs to help<br />
those who are truly in need, w<strong>hi</strong>le still avoiding complacency, a sense of<br />
entitlement and a lack of motivation? How can we rekindle the hard-working<br />
spirit characterized by our forefathers who laid the foundation of t<strong>hi</strong>s great<br />
country? Let’s reignite curiosity and drive, especially in our youth, who often<br />
lack motivation because they are now living in a country with so much material<br />
abundance.<br />
Let’s look beyond the candidates and political parties! Let’s begin these<br />
positive and productive discussions of the important issues that were exposed<br />
during t<strong>hi</strong>s election season. Let’s start listening because better listening leads to<br />
better understanding, and better understanding leads to better solutions. We<br />
want to find solutions that will make our country stronger by embracing our<br />
diversity and improving the standard of living for all Americans.<br />
Dr. Ming Wang, MD, PhD is the director of Wang Vision 3D Cataract<br />
& LASIK Center, Nashville, TN, founder of Wang Foundation for Sight Restoration,<br />
co-founder of Tennessee Immigrant and Minority Business Group,<br />
p<strong>res</strong>ident of Tennessee C<strong>hi</strong>nese Chamber of Commerce and honorary p<strong>res</strong>ident<br />
of Tennessee American-C<strong>hi</strong>nese Chamber of Commerce. He can be<br />
reached at drwang@wangvisioninstitute.com<br />
14 | THECONNECTMAGAZINE.COM
THECONNECTMAGAZINE.COM | 15
SUSTAINABILITY<br />
SUSTAINABILITY<br />
THE CLIMATE CHANGE THREAT<br />
WRITTEN BY: THOMAS SHEFFIELD<br />
Climate change is real and many are still denying it or<br />
refuse to consider the evidence. Business is always at<br />
the forefront of social and economic change. We do<br />
not have to look too far into <strong>hi</strong>story to see t<strong>hi</strong>s fact. <strong>The</strong><br />
Montgomery Bus boycott in the late 1950’s and the lunch<br />
counter sit ins of the 1960’s show how the business community are aware<br />
of the changing conditions of the world. <strong>The</strong>y are now at the forefront of<br />
the climate change issue. So much so, the business community is seeing<br />
how to profit from the realm of sustainability. Companies are always<br />
looking for a sustainable competitive advantage. If they don’t, they won’t<br />
be in business for long. Business leaders are now employing sustainability<br />
consultants and creating sustainability departments in order to cut waste<br />
and mitigate risks. <strong>The</strong>y are now aware of the issue of climate change and<br />
looking for opportunities to be at the forefront to combat t<strong>hi</strong>s issue.<br />
<strong>The</strong> one constant for the planet earth is change. We are often faced<br />
with challenges dealing with the changes in weather patterns, winds,<br />
temperatu<strong>res</strong>, seasons, currents and tides. As the earth moves throughout<br />
space, orbits the sun and turns on its axis, conditions continue to change.<br />
<strong>The</strong> earth’s climate has always changed as well. In the last 650,000 years,<br />
there have been seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat. <strong>The</strong> last ice age<br />
ended about 7,000 years ago. So, yes, climate change is real and not just<br />
a figment of the imagination derived from scientist and political leaders.<br />
According to nasa.gov, 97 percent of climate scientists agree that climate<br />
warming trends over the past 100 years are very likely due to human<br />
activities.<br />
Yes the earth’s climate does change. However, we should not<br />
contribute to the acceleration or deceleration of the change. Let’s look at<br />
some evidence. Records show the earth has warmed overall since 1880.<br />
Most of the warming has occurred since 1981 with 10 of the warmest<br />
years occurring in the past 12 years. <strong>The</strong> global sea level rose about 6.7<br />
inches in the last century. <strong>The</strong> rate in the last decade is nearly double<br />
that. Data from NASA show Antarctica lost about 36 cubic miles of ice<br />
between 20<strong>02</strong> and 2005. <strong>The</strong> U.S. has witnessed increasing numbers of<br />
intense rainfall events. Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution,<br />
the acidity of the surface ocean waters has increased by 30 percent.<br />
<strong>The</strong> effects of global warming should be clear. <strong>The</strong>re have been<br />
stronger storms in many areas of the country. <strong>The</strong> northeastern parts of<br />
the country just had record setting snowfalls. Storms in cities like Buffalo<br />
and Boston have caused damage to property and have cost cities major<br />
parts of their budget to clean. Droughts are deeper and longer and have<br />
caused the state of California to ration water and require some creative<br />
ways to clean and reuse water. Wildfi<strong>res</strong> are larger and more wide spread<br />
and more severe w<strong>hi</strong>ch affectwildlife, homes and businesses. Floods in big<br />
cities like Houston are happening more often. <strong>The</strong>se disasters continue to<br />
cost more and take longer to recover from. <strong>The</strong> recovery is taking even<br />
longer for the old, young, and people of color. Ten years after Hurricane<br />
Katrina, New Orleans has yet to fully recover.<br />
Helping to combat climate change seems like a huge task. However,<br />
there are ways you can make a difference. It all is up to us to make better<br />
decisions. First, we should encourage our churches and schools to teach<br />
good environmental stewards<strong>hi</strong>p. Secondly, we can choose to support and<br />
make purchases from businesses that are environmentally friendly. If we<br />
put p<strong>res</strong>sure on the business community to become better stewards of<br />
the environment, change will happen faster. Next, we can encourage our<br />
friends and families to buy local products. Buying local is sustainable and<br />
helps to cut the carbon footprint. Transportation accounts for 26 percent<br />
of greenhouse gas emissions. Finally, we can choose to elect political<br />
leaders who acknowledge we have an effect on climate change. Exercising<br />
our right to vote is sustainable. Sustainability is based on the idea to create<br />
and maintain conditions under w<strong>hi</strong>ch humans and nature can exist in<br />
productive harmony for p<strong>res</strong>ent and future generations. We must elect<br />
political leaders that are the voice of the people and rep<strong>res</strong>ent our best<br />
inte<strong>res</strong>t.<br />
Please feel free to contact me thomsustainableconsulting@gmail.com.<br />
Or you can follow me on Twitter @tcsheff. I have also created a new<br />
facebook pa ge WordsactionChange Initiative. Please share and follow.<br />
#wordsactionchange<br />
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HOT TOPIC<br />
ARIEL<br />
CARRILLO<br />
B-Boy in Blue<br />
WRITTEN BY: LACEY JOHNSON<br />
Ariel Carrillo, 23 year-old Latino B-boy and Law<br />
Enforcement Officer in Lebanon, Tenn., has a relevant<br />
message for <strong>hi</strong>s community: Regardless of the occupation<br />
you choose, dare to do it authentically.<br />
So often we mentally place ourselves and others into<br />
boxes - experiencing discomfort when those boxes are outgrown. We<br />
carve one another into neatly-defined shapes, offering ourselves a reference<br />
point for the totality of what we can expect from them. But, t<strong>hi</strong>s mindset<br />
does a disservice to all parties because, the truth is, we do not become the<br />
greatest versions of ourselves until we permit our most beloved passions<br />
to authentically align with our professional <strong>res</strong>ponsibilities.<br />
Only then do we unlock the buried treasu<strong>res</strong> wit<strong>hi</strong>n ourselves and<br />
others. Only then do we lay a foundation for authentic connection.<br />
Carrillo is a glowing example of t<strong>hi</strong>s. In fact, he garnered headlines<br />
earlier t<strong>hi</strong>s year when a video of <strong>hi</strong>m breaking at an organized event -<br />
w<strong>hi</strong>le suited in uniform - rocketed to viral-status on the Internet.<br />
He perfectly explained <strong>hi</strong>s motivation for allowing <strong>hi</strong>mself to<br />
be caught in the act: “If I can use my love for <strong>hi</strong>p-hop to positively<br />
influence the people I serve and protect, then I’ll gladly put that on my<br />
duty belt.”<br />
Carrillo is relatively new to law enforcement, having stepped into<br />
such career mere months ago. From day one, however, he committed that<br />
he would never <strong>res</strong>ort to dancing in the shadows. He understands there is<br />
no permission slip needed to exist in the light of both worlds. In fact, he<br />
believes they are the same world, and looks forward to the day when the<br />
fictitious lines between them are blurred.<br />
Prior to every s<strong>hi</strong>ft, Carrillo zips <strong>hi</strong>mself into <strong>hi</strong>s uniform and prepa<strong>res</strong><br />
to risk <strong>hi</strong>s life for people he will never know. However, as important of<br />
a role as that is, t<strong>hi</strong>s impassioned B-boy-turned-cop understands he is<br />
not limited to being only one t<strong>hi</strong>ng. Through the example of <strong>hi</strong>s life, a<br />
<strong>res</strong>ounding message can be heard: Neither are you.<br />
Continue reading for an invitation to bring the best of yourself to your<br />
every endeavor...<br />
Carrillo’s love for breaking was born when he was a 15 year-old in<br />
the throes of a most discomforting low. Artistic, bright and capable, <strong>hi</strong>s<br />
potential was steadily wasting away by time spent on cheap thrills - until<br />
a pivotal moment in a park one afternoon. Carrillo was caught in the<br />
act of illegally tagging a bridge as <strong>hi</strong>s seven year-old brother observed<br />
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HOT TOPIC<br />
nearby. Riddled with shame and in need of a lifeboat - Carrillo was ac<strong>hi</strong>ng<br />
to come alive for somet<strong>hi</strong>ng w<strong>hi</strong>ch would offer a remedy for <strong>hi</strong>s lack of<br />
direction and sense of purpose.<br />
A lifeboat was approac<strong>hi</strong>ng, indeed - nearly cras<strong>hi</strong>ng into <strong>hi</strong>m as he<br />
rounded <strong>hi</strong>s next corner.<br />
“Not long after getting into trouble, a friend of mine told me about<br />
t<strong>hi</strong>s club in downtown Nashville called Rocketown. I thought little of it at<br />
the time, but agreed to join <strong>hi</strong>m.”<br />
Carrillo arrived at the door of the venue having no inclination that <strong>hi</strong>s<br />
life was about to take an unexpected turn - one w<strong>hi</strong>ch would serve as a<br />
<strong>res</strong>cue. Decisions w<strong>hi</strong>ch led to dead-end roads were no longer permitted,<br />
for <strong>hi</strong>s next turn would journey <strong>hi</strong>m to a newfound world of fulfillment.<br />
“I remember arriving at the door of the venue and hearing old school<br />
<strong>hi</strong>p-hop music playing. I could feel it vibrating under my feet as I was<br />
standing on the concrete outside of the venue. As I made my way down<br />
the stairs to the underground club, the music was pulling me to it like a<br />
magnet.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> hair on <strong>hi</strong>s neck stood at attention and saluted as <strong>hi</strong>s arms were<br />
overtaken with goosebumps. As Carrillo observed the B-boys spinning on<br />
their heads and dancing, he became entranced. That moment marked a<br />
new era of <strong>hi</strong>s life; one commanding that he divorce the poor decisions of<br />
<strong>hi</strong>s past and move into a realm of discovery and possibility.<br />
“My life was never the same after that night because, from that point<br />
on, breaking was all I wanted to do. It saved my life because, even though<br />
I had great parents, I didn’t have anyt<strong>hi</strong>ng positive to passionately direct<br />
my energy toward. B-boying gave me a training mindset.”<br />
I asked Carrillo what he would say if he were p<strong>res</strong>ented with the<br />
opportunity to stretch backward in time - to rewind to the days leading<br />
up to that night, look <strong>hi</strong>mself in the eye and speak truth and wisdom into<br />
<strong>hi</strong>s15 year-old naiveté. Or, perhaps, what would he say to a 15 year-old<br />
of today’s generation - one similarly aligned with <strong>hi</strong>s former attitude and<br />
mindset?<br />
He announced without hesitation, as though he had w<strong>res</strong>tled through<br />
the same question thousands of times: “Being known for drugs and<br />
violence is not a reputation you want. Instead, channel your energy into<br />
finding what makes you come alive, and then pursue it passionately.<br />
Stop investing your energy into rebelling against the system and, instead,<br />
consider being the change you want to see.”<br />
Carrillo loomed over t<strong>hi</strong>s topic for a moment, as if to exp<strong>res</strong>s that<br />
he was not yet ready to depart from it. After a thoughtful pause, he<br />
added, “I want my actions to convey that the false sense of belonging and<br />
brotherhood created w<strong>hi</strong>le existing in a culture of crime actually offers<br />
them no benefit at all. I’ve been on both sides, and I know the truth. I<br />
want kids to know that they can do anyt<strong>hi</strong>ng they choose - anyt<strong>hi</strong>ng they<br />
love - regardless of their background and <strong>hi</strong>story.”<br />
Carrillo is aware that, due to the immense number of misconceptions<br />
about B-boying, observers may not understand how its lifestyle saved <strong>hi</strong>m<br />
from sinking into further realms of trouble and, eventually, leading <strong>hi</strong>m<br />
to join law enforcement. He is eager to debunk every misconception,<br />
however.<br />
“Breaking is a part of <strong>hi</strong>p-hop culture, w<strong>hi</strong>ch is grossly misrep<strong>res</strong>ented<br />
by popular media outlets in general. Hip-hop actually originated in the<br />
early 1970s by gang members who wanted to leave the gangs and channel<br />
their energy toward somet<strong>hi</strong>ng better. Even the term itself originated<br />
from combining the words ‘knowledge’ and ‘movement’ together. It was<br />
a positive movement created by people who were not from a positive<br />
environment.<br />
What people don’t know is that true <strong>hi</strong>p-hop is not like what you see<br />
in the movies and rap videos. It does not promote a culture of crime and<br />
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HOT TOPIC<br />
violence. Rather, it was started to ‘move’ people from a negative mentality<br />
to a positive mentality.”<br />
Considering <strong>hi</strong>s zoomed-lense perspective of the contrasting sides<br />
of law enforcement, I exp<strong>res</strong>sed that the natural prog<strong>res</strong>sion of our<br />
conversation had led us to discussing the most common and stubbornly<br />
held misconceptions in regard to police officers.<br />
Carrillo c<strong>hi</strong>med in with vigor, <strong>res</strong>ponding, “That we are ticket writers,<br />
money-driven and corrupt - just to name a few. But, I t<strong>hi</strong>nk we should<br />
all ask ourselves: Should we generalize and package an entire profession<br />
based on a comparably small fraction of bad examples in it?<br />
It is common knowledge that cops do not make great money so, why<br />
then, do they become cops? <strong>The</strong> truth is that most cops do so because they<br />
truly care. We truly desire to have a positive impact on our communities.”<br />
When Carrillo was a teen, <strong>hi</strong>s aversion to cops was as staunch as <strong>hi</strong>s<br />
pride for being one would become. To say he disliked law enforcement<br />
was an understatement. But, as he entered <strong>hi</strong>s twenties, he shed such<br />
mindset and began to see the prodigious opportunities it p<strong>res</strong>ented to<br />
<strong>hi</strong>m. He now wears <strong>hi</strong>s uniform with an unwavering sense of honor and<br />
pride for <strong>hi</strong>s profession.<br />
“A couple of years ago, I began to see law enforcement as an outlet<br />
for making a positive difference wit<strong>hi</strong>n my community. I have the<br />
perspective of getting into trouble and then later coming to understand<br />
how detrimental it was to myself and others.”<br />
Carrillo’s future plans for continuing to marry <strong>hi</strong>s two passions are a<br />
long and winding list.<br />
I WILL CONTINUE GROWING<br />
WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AS WELL<br />
AS B-BOYING FOR AS LONG AS I’M<br />
PHYSICALLY ABLE. THIS FALL, A COUPLE<br />
OF OTHER OFFICERS AND I WILL BE<br />
VISITING LOCAL SCHOOLS. MY ROLE<br />
WILL BE TO PERFORM FOR THE KIDS. I<br />
DEFINITELY PLAN ON MANY OF THOSE<br />
TYPES OF ENGAGEMENTS.<br />
“I will continue growing with law enforcement as well as B-boying<br />
for as long as I’m physically able. T<strong>hi</strong>s fall, a couple of other officers and<br />
I will be visiting local schools. My role will be to perform for the kids. I<br />
definitely plan on many of those types of engagements.”<br />
With so much evidence in the media of law enforcement officers<br />
and members of communities being at odds, Carrillo offers a ref<strong>res</strong><strong>hi</strong>ng<br />
testimony that, although such instances are tragic and must be brought<br />
to light, there is also tremendous evidence to the contrary. It is clear that<br />
Carrillo wants to shatter the polarized perspective often held, and assist<br />
individuals in understanding that the law enforcement community is not<br />
one-dimensional.<br />
He explains, “Although entertaining people is not a part of my job,<br />
I feel that police officers often have to go the extra mile to show the<br />
community that we are one of them - that we care about them. I’m hoping<br />
to convey that message by doing what I love most.”<br />
As mentioned previously, <strong>hi</strong>s attempts have already earned <strong>hi</strong>m<br />
a memorable ac<strong>hi</strong>evement by way of an Internet-viral video - a video<br />
documenting <strong>hi</strong>s effortless knack for delighting onlookers with <strong>hi</strong>s<br />
bravery, fun-loving spirit and talent.<br />
As our conversation drew nearer to its conclusion, Carrillo openly<br />
contemplated the impact of the aforementioned experience. He likely had<br />
no idea, however, that <strong>hi</strong>s thoughts would linger in my mind for days -<br />
later gifting me with a glimmer of comfort and hope as I tearfully poured<br />
over media coverage of a candlelight vigil held in honor of Tyre King - the<br />
O<strong>hi</strong>o 13-year-old who was fatally shot by police officers mere days prior<br />
to the time of t<strong>hi</strong>s writing.<br />
“Hopefully people will begin to understand that just because pleasant<br />
interactions between cops and communities are not often documented on<br />
camera doesn’t mean they don’t happen every day. I hope my example<br />
will serve as proof of t<strong>hi</strong>s and play a role in creating further genuine<br />
connection between community and law enforcement.”<br />
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ART/ENTERTAINMENT<br />
A STROLL THROUGH THE MIND OF ARTIST,<br />
ENTREPRENEUR & INTERNET SENSATION GREG MANKIS<br />
WRITTEN BY: LACEY JOHNSON<br />
No human endeavor is without evidence of creativity.<br />
Whether a business concept, a marketing strategy, a<br />
musical composition or a screenplay, the lure to create<br />
is as primitive to humans as are our inclinations to<br />
inhale and exhale.<br />
But, if we forge only from the well of ourselves, we never contribute<br />
to the human prog<strong>res</strong>sion. Rather, we will only recycle, reclip and<br />
redesign the puzzle pieces already existing wit<strong>hi</strong>n us. So, instead, we<br />
must surrender to the possibility that we - the commissioned creators<br />
inhabiting t<strong>hi</strong>s earth - are instruments. We are the vessels by w<strong>hi</strong>ch the<br />
wonders of life flow through.<br />
Greg Mankis - Internet-viral artist and widely sought after ‘Artepreneur’<br />
based in Cleveland, O<strong>hi</strong>o, is convinced of t<strong>hi</strong>s. In fact, he has recently<br />
published a body of work - available for purchase as either an e-book or<br />
coffee table book - delivering captivating evidence of adhering to such<br />
concept.<br />
Nearly 20 years after completing <strong>hi</strong>s first piece of art at 23 years<br />
old, Mankis reflects fondly on the experience: “From the first line, I<br />
immediately knew that the curvature and direction of it came from<br />
somet<strong>hi</strong>ng beyond me - similar to how an athlete gets into a ‘zone’ where<br />
everyt<strong>hi</strong>ng flows perfectly.”<br />
Eleven years would pass before he would grasp the magnitude of<br />
tapping into such artistic ‘zone,’ however.<br />
AN ENCOUNTER OF A DIVINE NATURE<br />
<strong>The</strong> year was 2007. On a day most ordinary, Mankis was taken hostage<br />
by an encounter of a divine nature - forever altering <strong>hi</strong>s perspective as an<br />
artist.<br />
On t<strong>hi</strong>s day, he was approached by Laura, a friend of a friend. Laura’s<br />
son Ian, a bright and kind-spirited teen, had recently committed suicide<br />
after an exhaustive struggle of trying to keep <strong>hi</strong>s head above the dark<br />
waters of emotional and mental dist<strong>res</strong>s.<br />
Laura was grieving and, thus, sought comfort in Mankis’ artistic<br />
services. “She initially showed me a hundred pictu<strong>res</strong> of Ian, but I didn’t<br />
feel a pull to any of them,” said Mankis.<br />
Until the hands of fate revealed their almighty agenda.<br />
Among Laura’s stash was a handwritten card Ian had given to <strong>hi</strong>s<br />
mother on her birthday. For Mankis, the card began to take on a life of<br />
its own.<br />
“Without me consciously trying, that card was glowing at me - yelling<br />
my name. Suddenly, the handwritten letters in <strong>hi</strong>s card began rearranging<br />
themselves in my head. <strong>The</strong>y changed from ‘Happy Birthday Mom, Ian’<br />
to ‘I’m Happy Now Mom, Ian.’ <strong>The</strong>re was absolutely not<strong>hi</strong>ng I could do<br />
to stop it.”<br />
Mankis retreated home that evening, unable to <strong>res</strong>t until he fulfilled<br />
the task he was sure he had been assigned. He projected Ian’s words onto<br />
<strong>hi</strong>s canvas and proceeded to deliver - in the boy’s own handwriting - the<br />
message he had been shown. <strong>The</strong> finished product was somet<strong>hi</strong>ng even<br />
he - its creator - gazed in awe of.<br />
Not only did Laura now have a beautiful painting of her son, but she<br />
had been given an even more beautiful sentiment, perhaps from beyond.<br />
And, for free.<br />
Rather than gloat in <strong>hi</strong>s own generosity and greatness, Mankis felt<br />
he owed her for giving <strong>hi</strong>m t<strong>hi</strong>s once-in-a-lifetime experience. “I’m the<br />
lucky one here. I’m so blessed to be in t<strong>hi</strong>s position of using my gift to do<br />
nice t<strong>hi</strong>ngs for people.”<br />
T<strong>hi</strong>s event marked a new era in Mankis’ life. “That is when the lightbulb<br />
went off for me. I knew there was somet<strong>hi</strong>ng to t<strong>hi</strong>s - t<strong>hi</strong>s tapping into<br />
inspiration, creating art from it and giving it away to people.”<br />
WHAT IF THE PURSUIT OF INSPIRATION IS NO PURSUIT AT ALL?<br />
In the years that followed, the artist learned that <strong>hi</strong>s best work flowed<br />
from <strong>hi</strong>m only when he allowed each painting “to reveal itself.”<br />
In our hour-long discussion, Mankis and I exchanged stories about<br />
exploring the wonders and vagaries of creativity through our individual<br />
endeavors.<br />
Like Mankis, I am well-acquainted with the difference between<br />
straining to create a piece of work versus gliding along weightlessly in the<br />
arms of somet<strong>hi</strong>ng far more fruitful, magical and powerful than I am. I’ve<br />
come to wonder if there isn’t so much ‘talent’ as there is the reality that<br />
some of us are more finely-tuned and willing ‘receptors.’<br />
What if life is a dance of creativity, and humans are never meant to<br />
take the lead? Perhaps we most thrive when we quiet the chatter of our<br />
own ideas - when we put ourselves into a state of receiving so that we can<br />
hear when Inspiration asks, Would you like to dance?<br />
Upon p<strong>res</strong>enting my thoughts to Mankis, he <strong>res</strong>ponded by articulating<br />
most eloquently, “<strong>The</strong> best part of the work is the blank canvas - when<br />
I sit and wait for the ‘zone.’ And, when that miracle comes, I often look<br />
at my finished work as though I’m seeing it for the first time - the way a<br />
stranger would.”<br />
And, <strong>hi</strong>s art has proven to teach <strong>hi</strong>m valuable lessons about living a<br />
richer life in general.<br />
“Through my art, I’ve learned that the key to a successful life is not<br />
about working oneself to death; It’s working inspired. It’s about pausing<br />
and listening. T<strong>hi</strong>s is when life-changing inspiration comes.”<br />
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ART/ENTERTAINMENT<br />
THE REWARDS OF LISTENING TO INSPIRATION WILL COME, BUT NOT<br />
NECESSARILY ACCORDING TO YOUR WATCH; TRUST THE PROCESS<br />
When music icon Prince died in April <strong>2016</strong>, fans immersed themselves<br />
in celebration of <strong>hi</strong>s life. Mankis, although never an impassioned fan, felt<br />
inspired to participate by putting paint to canvas.<br />
“I had watched my friend Ricky Smith, who started the RAKE<br />
movement, perform random acts of kindness for people - anyt<strong>hi</strong>ng<br />
from free lunches to hugs. Ricky’s work was very instrumental in my<br />
next move, w<strong>hi</strong>ch was to make a painting of Prince for a fan who would<br />
appreciate it.”<br />
Once the final stroke was complete, Mankis snapped a picture of the<br />
work and shared it on <strong>hi</strong>s Facebook page, captioned with the announcement<br />
that he planned to give it away to a person of <strong>hi</strong>s spontaneous choosing.<br />
“Wit<strong>hi</strong>n one day, the post had over 10 million views and I was<br />
receiving tens of thousands of messages. It completely changed my life.”<br />
Prior to t<strong>hi</strong>s unexpected frenzy of exposure, Mankis had approximately<br />
1,000 Facebook followers. But, at the time of t<strong>hi</strong>s writing, he has an<br />
imp<strong>res</strong>sive 37,000. “It was funny because, not only did that experience<br />
invite inte<strong>res</strong>t in the Prince painting; I was suddenly receiving recognition<br />
for work that had gone unnoticed for years.”<br />
But, the artist soon learned that t<strong>hi</strong>ngs were only beginning to get<br />
inte<strong>res</strong>ting.<br />
Following the Prince w<strong>hi</strong>rlwind, Mankis launched a dog project. He<br />
painted a dog, then posted an image of such painting, along with an<br />
invitation for Facebook users to pitch their dog for <strong>hi</strong>m to paint.<br />
“I received about 10,000 emails of some of the most beautiful<br />
dogs imaginable,” said Mankis. “But, I was waiting for ‘the one’ w<strong>hi</strong>ch<br />
would call to me. I shuffled through many messages, but wasn’t getting<br />
anyt<strong>hi</strong>ng.”<br />
Until, lo and behold, a message from Kelley landed in <strong>hi</strong>s inbox.<br />
“When Kelley reached out, she only told me that her dog, Charlie,<br />
had passed away recently, and that her son, Evan - a boy of elementary<br />
school age, had considered the dog <strong>hi</strong>s best friend. I immediately knew<br />
t<strong>hi</strong>s project was the one I had been waiting for.”<br />
When Mankis reached out to Kelley, informing her that she had been<br />
chosen, he was gifted with a backstory w<strong>hi</strong>ch put even the most ar<strong>res</strong>ting<br />
Hollywood storylines to shame.<br />
“Charlie was a dog that Kelley and her husband <strong>res</strong>cued after struggling<br />
with infertility for years. Almost immediately after <strong>res</strong>cuing Charlie, the<br />
dog wouldn’t leave Kelley’s stomach area.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> couple was astonished to learn that, after years of unsuccessful<br />
attempts, Kelley was pregnant. But, t<strong>hi</strong>s story took an even more poignant<br />
turn.<br />
“After Evan was born, she and her husband realized he had minor<br />
developmental problems w<strong>hi</strong>ch affected <strong>hi</strong>s social interactions. Charlie<br />
was a godsend because their bond was so primal and unique. I could<br />
actually feel it through the images of them together.”<br />
With the emotional impact from the experience still evident in <strong>hi</strong>s<br />
voice, Mankis shared with me what happened next: “I mailed the painting<br />
to Kelley, and soon realized how life-changing it was for her family. She<br />
<strong>res</strong>ponded with a picture Evan had drawn for me, along with a tearjerking<br />
letter.”<br />
Playing a role in the story of Evan and Charlie has gone down in<br />
<strong>hi</strong>story as one of the most enjoyable and fulfilling experiences of Mankis’<br />
artistic life. But, again, <strong>hi</strong>s perspective is even more awe-inspiring than <strong>hi</strong>s<br />
talent is extraordinary.<br />
“Again, I’m the lucky one here. I don’t care what your race, religion,<br />
beliefs or dreams are. <strong>The</strong>re is not<strong>hi</strong>ng more rewarding than using your<br />
gifts to spread kindness.”<br />
WHEN WE LIGHT THE WAY FOR OTHERS, WE ARE ILLUMINATED<br />
BY IT, TOO<br />
As our interview began to conclude, I asked what was next for t<strong>hi</strong>s<br />
generous and talented human being.<br />
“I’ve just released my e-book and hardcover coffee table photo book,<br />
w<strong>hi</strong>ch are the same in terms of content. I see t<strong>hi</strong>s as being a powerful tool<br />
for years to come.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> books contain Mankis’ most compelling stories, various methods<br />
he uses to channel creativity as weIl as the sources of inspiration w<strong>hi</strong>ch<br />
have most impacted <strong>hi</strong>s artistry.<br />
“All of the proceeds will go directly to my mission, w<strong>hi</strong>ch is to<br />
continue listening to inspiration so that I can use my gift for the purpose<br />
of blessing others.”<br />
To learn more about Mankis’ noble mission, go to:<br />
http://gregmankis.design/<br />
24 | THECONNECTMAGAZINE.COM
THECONNECTMAGAZINE.COM | 25
BEVERLY CARMICHAEL<br />
WRITTEN BY: LACEY JOHNSON<br />
Beverly Carmichael is <strong>res</strong>ponsible for leading more than 72,000<br />
employees across the country every time her shadow darkens the<br />
door of her office located on the 98-acre campus headquarters<br />
of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. in Lebanon, Tenn. As<br />
C<strong>hi</strong>ef People Officer and Senior Vice P<strong>res</strong>ident of the organization<br />
since 2014, her career is comprised of 25 successful years serving as a leader<br />
in human <strong>res</strong>ources and as a labor and employment attorney.<br />
During our hour-long discussion, it became transparently clear<br />
that, w<strong>hi</strong>le Carmichael’s credentials may be extensive and scholastically<br />
imp<strong>res</strong>sive, she has mastered the art of somet<strong>hi</strong>ng quite simple, yet<br />
oftentimes elusive and unpredictable: Effectively connecting with people.<br />
As she spoke with fondness for her experiences, she organically brought<br />
forth tokens of wisdom from the vault of her career. I identified three<br />
fundamental principles - each crafted from the well of her most compelling<br />
trials and victories - and now thread through the fabric of her every undertaking.<br />
1 Be Authentic<br />
If she is preac<strong>hi</strong>ng the importance of it, she is well-acquainted with the<br />
value of it. In fact, she is already adhering to it.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> most essential trait in leaders<strong>hi</strong>p is being authentic,” said<br />
Carmichael. “You must lead by example if you wish to be effective. You’re<br />
not judged by what you say, you’re judged by what you do.”<br />
2 Never Be Too Busy to Make Time For People.<br />
Carmichael has spent the vast majority of her life rooted in an intimate<br />
understanding of t<strong>hi</strong>s concept. When she was seven years old, her mother<br />
died of a sudden illness - leaving be<strong>hi</strong>nd a grieving husband and three small<br />
c<strong>hi</strong>ldren. In the aftermath of such tragedy, she became schooled on the<br />
importance of people “showing up” for other people as demonstrated by<br />
the outpouring of support she and her family were shown.<br />
26 | THECONNECTMAGAZINE.COM
“A People Person”<br />
Having tucked such experience securely inside, Carmichael now draws<br />
upon it each time a fellow employee needs her. “One of the greatest gifts<br />
we can give to others is the gift of our time. By either doing so or not doing<br />
so, we communicate their value.”<br />
3 Empower People by Expanding<br />
<strong>The</strong>ir View of <strong>The</strong>mselves.<br />
Prior to joining Cracker Barrel, she spent ten years employed by<br />
Southwest Airlines - the first six serving as legal counsel. It was not until her<br />
boss mentioned the possibility of Carmichael as a possible successor to lead<br />
the human <strong>res</strong>ources department at Southwest that she began feeding and<br />
watering such idea. A seed was planted during that conversation and, when<br />
the ideal opportunity p<strong>res</strong>ented itself, she boldly stepped into that role in a<br />
YOU’RE NOT JUDGED BY WHAT<br />
YOU SAY, YOU’RE JUDGED BY WHAT<br />
YOU DO<br />
new profession, a profession in w<strong>hi</strong>ch she continues to flourish.<br />
She is now paying it forward - committed to expanding the vision of<br />
every individual who looks to her for guidance.<br />
“I never would have considered a career in human <strong>res</strong>ources had the<br />
idea not been p<strong>res</strong>ented to me. I pride myself on helping others consider<br />
opportunities they would not have considered on their own - by showing<br />
them strengths they are unable to identify in themselves. In doing so, new<br />
doors open and lives can be forever changed.”<br />
THECONNECTMAGAZINE.COM | 27
Welcoming<br />
Diversity<br />
At Cracker Barrel Old Country Store ® , we t<strong>hi</strong>nk a key to our success<br />
is welcoming diversity in our company, our country sto<strong>res</strong>,<br />
our <strong>res</strong>taurants, and our communities.<br />
crackerbarrel.com • ©<br />
2012 CBOCS Properties, Inc.
BUSINESS<br />
NETWORKING TKO<br />
Old School vs. New School<br />
WRITTEN BY: KEELAH JACKSON<br />
Get out there. Put yourself out there. Go on, and just jump out<br />
there... and network. You know you’ve heard t<strong>hi</strong>s advice<br />
before, and if you have been in any sort of professional<br />
or group based position, (secretly admit) you fully realize<br />
the significance of networking. <strong>The</strong> blatant truth is that in<br />
order to expand your circle and knowledge base... you have to do it.<br />
If you haven’t actively or consciously networked in aw<strong>hi</strong>le, you may<br />
be used to the traditional means of mixing it up at (hence the word)<br />
“mixers” or “get-together” functions, conventions, or other forms of<br />
networking where a person meets others and discusses information face-toface.<br />
T<strong>hi</strong>s conventional format of meeting others has now been seemingly<br />
steamrolled and ostensibly diminished by the onset and domination of<br />
the technological/digital platform of social media websites and forums.<br />
Personal profile pages, video chat services, email, interactive webinars, and<br />
telephone availability are all now a touchscreen tap away from the diligent<br />
and avid networker--w<strong>hi</strong>ch is amazingly magical for some, yet terrifyingly<br />
overwhelming to others. <strong>The</strong> battle between these two techniques has<br />
become the professional conundrum of the day. Is the old school mode of<br />
networking outdated, or is the new school option the only way to go from<br />
here? Let’s visit the pros and cons of networking, compare traditional means<br />
to newer options, and see w<strong>hi</strong>ch method packs the strongest punch overall!<br />
Contenders, to your corners, and let the battle begin!<br />
OLD SCHOOL<br />
PROS:<br />
• <strong>The</strong> personal connection of actually meeting someone is significant in<br />
helping the brain to retain a name and remember the relevance of a contact.<br />
Scientific <strong>res</strong>earch commissioned by Cornell University and the sales and<br />
business institute Maritz found that “stimuli from face-to-face meetings<br />
creates novelty w<strong>hi</strong>ch helps the memory form a stronger connection for<br />
retention.” Author of the <strong>res</strong>earch study’s analysis, Mary Beth McEuen,<br />
further contests that personal connection produces a “level of engagement<br />
needed to unlock the potential wit<strong>hi</strong>n [people].”<br />
• Face-to-face encounters help to nurture and improve universal social<br />
skills w<strong>hi</strong>ch are inevitably needed once a connection has been established.<br />
• Chemistry is real. Deals, partners<strong>hi</strong>ps, mentors<strong>hi</strong>ps, and even longterm<br />
business friends<strong>hi</strong>ps have all been formed over whether or not<br />
people have <strong>hi</strong>t it off (or not). Never unde<strong>res</strong>timate the power of scientific<br />
attraction and compatibility!<br />
• Trust may be built over a conversation. Intuition plays a major role<br />
in meeting and endorsing a contact. People tend to refer others to people<br />
whom they trust or have met in some sort of personal capacity.<br />
• Old school networking may actually produce faster <strong>res</strong>ults than<br />
waiting on forging an online connection. Face-to-face interaction does not<br />
have to contend with buffering, wait time, acceptance of contact request,<br />
or delayed feedback.<br />
• Free food.<br />
CONS:<br />
• Preparing for face-to-face functions can sometimes be time consuming...<br />
Adequate scheduling to accommodate the time spent is a must, and it is one<br />
more t<strong>hi</strong>ng to accomplish on the to-do list.<br />
• Unfortunately, professional image is everyt<strong>hi</strong>ng; attire, hygiene,<br />
disposition--overall appearance--should be <strong>hi</strong>gh priorities when networking<br />
at a function. <strong>The</strong> best foot better arrive first, or the other one will be<br />
remembered.<br />
• <strong>The</strong> face-to-face process of meeting others may sometimes be limited<br />
in scope and potential diversity if you have not taken the initiative to<br />
<strong>res</strong>earch and invite new contacts beforehand. Certain fields and areas of<br />
expertise are small and close-knit, so contact overlap is likely to happen.<br />
• <strong>The</strong>re is an art to meeting others. <strong>The</strong> great t<strong>hi</strong>ng is that the art may be<br />
taught and learned; the not-so-good t<strong>hi</strong>ng is that one has to be willing to<br />
practice in order to hone the skill.<br />
NEW SCHOOL<br />
PROS:<br />
• T<strong>hi</strong>s format is a solid support player. It is a fantastic tool to use in<br />
conjunction with face-to-face networking as a follow-up supplement.<br />
Reinforcement of the connection is how loyalty is established.<br />
• Although social networking can sometimes be a prevalent and everlooming<br />
force, it is an excellent platform for introverts!<br />
• Technology and its advancements have made networking more<br />
convenient and accessible to the masses despite time and location.<br />
• <strong>The</strong>re is a greater access to a larger range of initial connections. Internet<br />
searches allow most contact information to be located, and persistence can<br />
frequently ensure that the connection is eventually established.<br />
CONS:<br />
• <strong>The</strong> personal element of networking is lost in translation. W<strong>hi</strong>le video<br />
communications are becoming more common and most social media<br />
platforms now offer some capacity for video, they are void of the intimacy<br />
that comes from face-to-face interaction. Likewise, typed words lack the<br />
tone, emotion, and physical posturing wit<strong>hi</strong>n their delivery; networking is<br />
not the time to have an initial imp<strong>res</strong>sion misconstrued.<br />
• Social networking forums constantly foster competition instead of<br />
compatibility and conduct with “followers”, “friends”, and “likes”. <strong>The</strong>re’s<br />
already plenty of demand to perform in the actual work arena, and social<br />
networking formats may add a layer of unwanted additional p<strong>res</strong>sure to<br />
30 | THECONNECTMAGAZINE.COM
BUSINESS<br />
keep up with or exceed their peers’ contact counts across multiple platforms.<br />
• <strong>The</strong>re is a lack of privacy to being available to the open public at any<br />
time or place via constant connection to social forums and the influx of<br />
various notifications.<br />
PROFESSIONAL PICK<br />
<strong>The</strong> referee weighs in... old school networking wins! Virtual reality<br />
is just that--virtual--and not<strong>hi</strong>ng beats the real t<strong>hi</strong>ng. Networking expert,<br />
Sunny Bray, is a “<strong>Connect</strong>or” well-versed in the practice of effectively<br />
connecting individuals. As the Nashville Director for Network Under 40,<br />
Ms. Bray manages a wide variety of networking components everyday,<br />
and she admits that there are several pitfalls to solely relying upon new<br />
school methods of networking. <strong>The</strong> old school capacity of face-to-face<br />
networking is tried and true, and Ms. Bray attests to the fact that “It’s<br />
essential in everyone’s life.” According to Ms. Bray, the strength of the initial<br />
personal connection is vital in building relations<strong>hi</strong>ps, w<strong>hi</strong>ch ironically, are<br />
paramount for professional survival. It’s important to fortify your network<br />
by surrounding yourself with strong individuals. However, if old school<br />
networking is not your preference, there are a couple of practices that Ms.<br />
Bray suggests incorporating into your bag of face-to-face tricks. Use the<br />
buddy system to overcome nervousness during functions; take a friend or<br />
colleague to introduce to others. Introductions break the ice and are surefire<br />
ways of sparking conversation. Another practice is to make others feel<br />
comfortable as you attempt to comfort yourself. Kindness goes a long way,<br />
so engage others as you hope and wish others to engage you. <strong>The</strong> gloves are<br />
off, and ultimately, our referee definitively asserts that people shortchange<br />
themselves if they fail to integrate authentic, face-to-face networking.<br />
In step with the “work smarter, not harder” movement, allow your skills<br />
of networking to work for you. At the end of the day, there really should be<br />
no conflict of methods—in fact, it’s adv antageous to employ some mix of<br />
BOTH schools of thought. It’s up to you to successfully grow your <strong>res</strong>ources,<br />
and you are your best asset. So, mix; go forth, and mingle... and stow a<br />
breath mint in your pocket just in case you need it! Okay... You’ve got t<strong>hi</strong>s!<br />
SOURCES<br />
- http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/<strong>res</strong>earch/chr/pubs/<br />
perspective/20<strong>11</strong>.html<br />
- https://shacornell.edu/centers-institutes/chr/about/news/p<strong>res</strong>s/<br />
prdetails.html?id=796<br />
- smallbiztrends.com/20<strong>11</strong>/04/face-to-face-meetings-matter.html<br />
- forbes.com/2010/04/20/how-to-remember-names-entrepreneurshuman-<strong>res</strong>ources-remember-names.html<br />
THECONNECTMAGAZINE.COM | 31
RELIGION & OPINION<br />
BISHOP JERRY L. MAYNARD SR.<br />
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE GREAT AMERICA OF OUR FOREFATHERS?<br />
WRITTEN BY: BISHOP JERRY L. MAYNARD SR.<br />
T<strong>hi</strong>s question is one of utmost inte<strong>res</strong>t to me; in that it<br />
focuses on where we were, where we are, and where<br />
we will be ultimately. <strong>The</strong> Unites States of America is<br />
confronted with trying times. Most of our trials come<br />
from the political climate wherein we see ourselves<br />
today. Our greatness as a nation has not paled. We are strong in<br />
economics, military, education, refinement, engineering science,<br />
religious, commercial enterprise and industry. It has been stated by one<br />
of the individuals running for p<strong>res</strong>ident, “Let us make America great<br />
again.” That thought p<strong>res</strong>upposes that we are weak. Truth is, when we<br />
see the economy of other so called great nations, the position is not as<br />
great as ours. So the question arises, what happened to the great America<br />
of our forefathers? I submit again that those who have made politics<br />
their lifestyle and their method by w<strong>hi</strong>ch they ac<strong>hi</strong>eve their goals, have<br />
walked away from our core values, core beliefs, and core competencies.<br />
<strong>The</strong> t<strong>hi</strong>ngs that made us great are yet with us. <strong>The</strong> t<strong>hi</strong>ngs that make<br />
us weak are creeping into our mindset. We have a black p<strong>res</strong>ident<br />
who was elected by our diverse population. Unfortunately, we have a<br />
cong<strong>res</strong>s, predominately w<strong>hi</strong>te, that refuses to <strong>res</strong>pect and/or work with<br />
<strong>hi</strong>m. Bigotry, racism, gender discrimination, and economic deprivation<br />
have forced people to align themselves with those who have little or<br />
no regard for the truth that will free us and empower our nation to<br />
maintain its place in our world. We must return to the ways of the Holy<br />
Writ. We must honor and <strong>res</strong>pect our Constitution. We must adhere to<br />
the laws of our land and make sure that every segment of our society<br />
obeys and is willing to enforce the laws that we have.<br />
People are better today than they were eight years ago, yet there is<br />
tension in America. <strong>The</strong>re is some sense of uncertainty and there is a<br />
lack of community. Where we are now is not a great deal different than<br />
where we were when Governor Otto Kerner (Illinois) wrote about a<br />
country of two societies moving further apart; racial isolation in public<br />
schools and the disparate treatment of some of our citizens. Throughout<br />
the sixties to the p<strong>res</strong>ent, we rise in stature and we still rise, but we have<br />
these problems that we are unwilling to add<strong>res</strong>s and solve. We <strong>hi</strong>de our<br />
heads in the sand and pretend that problems don’t exist; they do. <strong>The</strong><br />
obvious question, then, is why? I believe that we have replaced God and<br />
the love for <strong>hi</strong>m with our social and sexual desi<strong>res</strong>. We have become<br />
a nation that our wors<strong>hi</strong>p on Sunday is in a stadium, arenas or field<br />
houses, w<strong>hi</strong>le we watch our favorite sports.<br />
I love sports, and enjoy going to games. I don’t believe that our love<br />
for anyt<strong>hi</strong>ng should ever replace and /or diminish our love for God.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is a scripture in 2 Chronicles 7:14 that informs us how to affect<br />
positive change. “If my people, w<strong>hi</strong>ch are called by my name, shall<br />
humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their<br />
wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin,<br />
and will heal their land.”<br />
America, we are great, but we can become greater. Our forefathers<br />
started it. Let us not end it; rather let us make it better for all people.<br />
With God in us and with our love for Him and His principles, we can<br />
go forward spiritually in a placement in t<strong>hi</strong>s world never reached before.<br />
Where is the great America we ask? It is in our Constitution; our<br />
laws; our industry; education; business; healthcare; arts; culture; etc.<br />
We need to invite the Lord into all facets of our nation; especially our<br />
churches. Let Him reign in our hearts, our churches, and in the areas of<br />
the aforementioned, and we will remain the America, the land of the<br />
free and the home of the brave.<br />
32 | THECONNECTMAGAZINE.COM
34 | THECONNECTMAGAZINE.COM
MAN TO<br />
MAN<br />
Shan Foster is<br />
Committed to<br />
Changing our<br />
Attitudes toward<br />
Women and<br />
Stopping the Violence<br />
Before It Starts.<br />
WRITTEN BY: BRANDON HIRSCH<br />
“Statistically across our country, 1 of every 4 women experience<br />
domestic violence in their lifetime, and 1 of every 5 experience sexual<br />
assault or rape before the age of 18. Three women die daily at the hands of<br />
a man who says he loves her and 15.5 million c<strong>hi</strong>ldren witness domestic<br />
violence in the United States.” www.mendusa.org.<br />
From the Vanderbilt rape trials and the recent convictions of<br />
ex-Stanford swimmer Brock Turner and ex-NFL player Darren<br />
Sharperto the controversy surrounding Nate Parker, the<br />
writer, director, and star of the <strong>2016</strong> Sundance Grand Jury<br />
Prize and Audience Award winner, <strong>The</strong> Birth of a Nation, the<br />
list of incidents involving or related to sexual assault goes on and on.<br />
Through it all, it has become glaringly apparent that society as a whole has<br />
neglected to add<strong>res</strong>s somet<strong>hi</strong>ng very important: our relations<strong>hi</strong>p to and<br />
our treatment of women.<br />
With that being said, one man is taking the initiative and making it <strong>hi</strong>s<br />
business to challenge us all to do better.<br />
Shan Foster, a former professional basketball player,2008 SEC Player<br />
of the Year, and all-time leading scorer at Vanderbilt University, chose to<br />
leave <strong>hi</strong>s playing days be<strong>hi</strong>nd in search of “purpose”, and found it in the<br />
spring of 2015. When he became the director of Mend, an organization<br />
whose name is a combination of the words “men” and “end”, the<br />
proverbial stars had aligned. With their objective being to combat the<br />
increasingly widespread epidemic of violence against women and girls<br />
by engaging and empowering their counterparts, young men and boys,<br />
to actively be a part of the solution. For Shan, t<strong>hi</strong>s was a mission close to<br />
<strong>hi</strong>s heart.<br />
Shan was raised by both <strong>hi</strong>s grandmotherand <strong>hi</strong>smother, a single<br />
THECONNECTMAGAZINE.COM | 35
woman, who for a period of time, went to school w<strong>hi</strong>le working two jobs<br />
to sustain <strong>hi</strong>m and <strong>hi</strong>s siblings. He watched <strong>hi</strong>s mom persevere, sacrifice,<br />
and even deal with abuse in her own life. Whether it was a life lesson or<br />
learning how to shoot hoops, a woman was there. From an early age, he<br />
has held women in the <strong>hi</strong>ghest regard.<br />
“We were not wealthy. We didn’t have a lot, but I had an opportunity<br />
to see my mother struggle, and I had the opportunity to share in that<br />
struggle, to help in that struggle and to grow up in that struggle.”<br />
Shan’s personal mission to increase awareness and accountability<br />
begins with challenging the cultural norms perpetuated in our society as<br />
well as the sometimes mixed, and often blatantly, misogynistic influences<br />
that permeate the media and popular culture. He suggests that part of<br />
the problem is that we live in a society where t<strong>hi</strong>s type of violence takes<br />
place, and most people stay quiet about it. <strong>The</strong>y continue to support the<br />
artists, buy the music, books, and art of those who perpetrate violence or<br />
participate in the wide range of behaviors that constitute abuse towards<br />
women; our culture supports it. Adamant about changing our t<strong>hi</strong>nking<br />
in these regards, Shan challenges us to ask ourselves why pornograp<strong>hi</strong>c<br />
content and in some cases suggestive or misogynistic videos may get over<br />
a million views on YouTube, but a conversation about ending violence<br />
and engaging men to teach our boys and sons differently is an inherently<br />
difficult topic.<br />
“We believe violence against girls cannot end unless men become a<br />
part of the solution.“<br />
Whether it’s accusations of failure to investigate rape allegations<br />
at Baylor University(www.espn.com), or the case of the University of<br />
Tennessee (Knoxville) football team accused of assaulting one of their<br />
own teammates for assisting an alleged rape victim in filing a complaint,<br />
Shan is deeply troubled. However, he knows the work he is doing with<br />
Mend will ultimately save lives.<br />
Mend has regular programming for young men of middle school and<br />
<strong>hi</strong>gh school ages. <strong>The</strong>y also recognize a specific need for engaging athletes<br />
of the same age, as all too often, locker room culture can be a dangerous<br />
breeding ground for cavalier attitudes towards women and could easily<br />
<strong>res</strong>ult in violence over time. However, with that, they know that if they<br />
can reach these imp<strong>res</strong>sionable young men at an early age, they can<br />
effectively educate them on their roles and <strong>res</strong>ponsibilities, producing a<br />
positive impact, and in effect, lead the charge for change.<br />
In t<strong>hi</strong>s way, Shan utilizes <strong>hi</strong>s skill and influence as a successful athlete<br />
to make a difference in the community, and extends the message of Mend<br />
to the young athletes he trains and coaches by constantly encouraging<br />
them to be successful both personally and professionally.<br />
“One t<strong>hi</strong>ng I always share with my kids is that a very small percentage<br />
of them have a chance of being professional athletes, but 100% of them<br />
have a chance to be good men.”<br />
As communities and companies become more aware of the gender<br />
inequalities existing in both private and professional settings, the call for<br />
a fundamental cultural s<strong>hi</strong>ft is increasingly necessary. Whether it’s the<br />
enforcement of employee conduct codes, such as sexual harassment, or<br />
add<strong>res</strong>sing wage disparities as they apply to gender, it’s important the next<br />
generation of male leaders be equipped with the sensitivity and courage to<br />
create a more just and equitable society alongside their female counterparts.<br />
Shan and Mend are radically changing the way boys and men view<br />
domestic violence and sexual assault against girls and women in our<br />
communities. For more information, please visit www.mendusa.org, and<br />
watch the Spoken Cinema.<br />
36 | THECONNECTMAGAZINE.COM
THECONNECTMAGAZINE.COM | 37
PRINCE’S CHICKEN<br />
WRITTEN BY: SHAWN WHITSELL<br />
A<br />
little girl colors and waits<br />
patiently for her food, w<strong>hi</strong>le<br />
the heavyset man beside her<br />
fights a losing battle with<br />
the sandman. He wakes up,<br />
mumbles somet<strong>hi</strong>ng to her, she nods and<br />
wit<strong>hi</strong>n seconds, he drifts back into <strong>hi</strong>s slumber.<br />
T<strong>hi</strong>s happens over and over again, like a ritual.<br />
Another man wipes sweat from <strong>hi</strong>s brow as<br />
he devours what looks to be c<strong>hi</strong>cken from the<br />
hotter end of the menu’s spectrum. <strong>The</strong>n there<br />
are two men (both from Austin, Texas) visiting<br />
Music City for the first time, one on business<br />
and the other for pleasure. <strong>The</strong>se two men don’t<br />
know each other but had both searched some<br />
variation of “best place to eat in Nashville” and<br />
Google lead them to East Nashville – 123 Ewing<br />
Dr. – Prince’s, the Mecca of hot c<strong>hi</strong>cken.<br />
Standing in Nashville’s <strong>hi</strong>storic Prince’s<br />
Hot C<strong>hi</strong>cken Shack, you can’t help but notice<br />
customers from all walks of life. <strong>The</strong>y are<br />
young, old, black, w<strong>hi</strong>te, Asian, Hispanic,<br />
neighborhood <strong>res</strong>idents and tourists. Some of<br />
them are first-timers and others stop in multiple<br />
times a week. <strong>The</strong>y’re different but one t<strong>hi</strong>ng<br />
they have in common is, they are hungry for<br />
some tasty, legendary hot c<strong>hi</strong>cken.<br />
<strong>The</strong> space is small. <strong>The</strong>re are more hungry<br />
customers than seats so some people are<br />
forcedto stand as they wait in anticipation. <strong>The</strong><br />
atmosphere is down home and familial. <strong>The</strong><br />
floor and tablecloths are checkered. <strong>The</strong>re are<br />
metal c<strong>hi</strong>ckens placed about the room. <strong>The</strong><br />
walls are adorned with a written <strong>hi</strong>story of<br />
the monumental establishment – publication<br />
38 | THECONNECTMAGAZINE.COM<br />
articles (the New York Times and the Nashville<br />
Scene), certificates (one for “Excellence,”<br />
bestowed upon the <strong>res</strong>taurant by Trip Advisor)<br />
and other accolades such as a banner from Steve<br />
Harvey’s 2009 Hoodie Awards.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are two black, flat screen televisions<br />
mounted on the wall. One of them is off and<br />
the other is playing CBS News. A segment on<br />
the dissolution of Brangelina plays but no one<br />
is paying attention. Four gray-haired, black<br />
women sit in a booth, too busy talking, laug<strong>hi</strong>ng<br />
and licking their fingers to be concerned with<br />
yet another Hollywood divorce. A teenage<br />
girl smiles into her Iphone, likely at a text or a<br />
video message she received on Snapchat from<br />
her bestie. It’s about 5:30 p.m. on a Tuesday<br />
evening and business is booming. Many of the<br />
customers seem to be stopping in after their<br />
s<strong>hi</strong>fts at their <strong>res</strong>pective jobs. <strong>The</strong>re’s a woman<br />
who appears to be a CNA, a construction<br />
worker, a Vanderbilt employee and a barber<br />
from a couple of doors down.<br />
A young man in <strong>hi</strong>s 20’s, d<strong>res</strong>sed in a w<strong>hi</strong>te<br />
T-s<strong>hi</strong>rt and a tan hat, comes out of the kitchen every<br />
few seconds and calls out the winning numbers.<br />
“T<strong>hi</strong>rty-eight,” he says. “Ticket number<br />
t<strong>hi</strong>rty-eight.” It’s like the lotto, only the prize<br />
is world-renowned hot c<strong>hi</strong>cken and everyone<br />
with a ticket in hand is a winner.<br />
I originally start my interview with owner<br />
Ms. André Prince Jeffries in the kitchen, sitting<br />
on two black milk crates in front of the ice<br />
mac<strong>hi</strong>ne, watc<strong>hi</strong>ng the magic happen. Above<br />
the ice mac<strong>hi</strong>ne is a collage of what looks to<br />
be old family photos, all covered with a t<strong>hi</strong>n<br />
layerof c<strong>hi</strong>cken grease that permeates the air.<br />
Before I get to my first question, Ms. André,<br />
a sweet, humble soul who has seen 70 years of<br />
life (almost 40 of w<strong>hi</strong>ch has been spent running<br />
Prince’s), asks about me. I tell her about my small<br />
town Kentucky upbringing and my undergraduate<br />
days as a Music Business-turned-Sociology student<br />
at Middle Tennessee State University.<br />
<strong>The</strong> sound of c<strong>hi</strong>cken frying, busy cooks<br />
bustling about and a cas<strong>hi</strong>er taking orders proved<br />
to be too much so we move the conversation<br />
into the customer seating area.<br />
Though quieter, the room is still filled with<br />
the sound of friends laug<strong>hi</strong>ng and strangers<br />
making small talk as they wait for their numbers<br />
to be called.<br />
“Number 45,” the young man calls out.<br />
Though the family name is Prince, Ms.<br />
André is the queen of hot c<strong>hi</strong>cken. Started by her<br />
great-uncle Thorton Prince over 80 years ago to<br />
supplement family income, the <strong>res</strong>taurant was<br />
originally called the Barbecue C<strong>hi</strong>cken Shack.<br />
It was open from 6 p.m. to midnight, after<br />
Thorton got off from <strong>hi</strong>s day job.<br />
As rumor or speculation would have it,<br />
Thorton had a girlfriend who was angry with<br />
<strong>hi</strong>m and put hot spices on <strong>hi</strong>s c<strong>hi</strong>cken to get<br />
back at <strong>hi</strong>m for <strong>hi</strong>s infidelity. <strong>The</strong> alleged<br />
intentions of a woman scorned backfired and<br />
proved to be just what the <strong>res</strong>taurant needed.<br />
Ms. André credits t<strong>hi</strong>s nameless woman for<br />
helping the <strong>res</strong>taurant find its niche.<br />
After Thorton’s passing, the business was<br />
passed around in the family for years before<br />
unexpectedly landing in Ms. André’s lap, at her
CONTINUES LEGACY OF HOT CHICKEN<br />
mother’s behest. “She wanted me to able to pay<br />
more than one bill,” she chuckles.<br />
At the time, Ms. André, who holds a degree<br />
in Biology from Tennessee State University,<br />
wasn’t looking to get into the family business,<br />
but she gave it a shot. She changed the name to<br />
Prince’s and kept up the tradition of opening<br />
it at 6 p.m. w<strong>hi</strong>le still working for Metro<br />
during the day. Maintaining both jobs became<br />
too overbearing, so Ms. André had to make a<br />
decision. Taste buds all over the world are<br />
grateful she chose hot c<strong>hi</strong>cken.<br />
When asked about the current hot c<strong>hi</strong>cken<br />
craze, Ms. André seems proud of the impact she<br />
and her family’s small business has had locally<br />
and globally. She’s been asked to open sto<strong>res</strong><br />
in Dubai, Europe, and Italy, “among other<br />
places”. Hot c<strong>hi</strong>cken <strong>res</strong>taurants like Hattie B’s<br />
and others before it have spread like wildfire.<br />
Even <strong>res</strong>taurant chains like KFC serve their own<br />
brands of hot c<strong>hi</strong>cken.<br />
Ms. An dré doesn’t appear to be at all<br />
threatened by the ever-increasing competition<br />
and seems to talk about them all with a sense<br />
of pride and appreciation. She welcomes hot<br />
c<strong>hi</strong>cken’s widespread popularity.<br />
<strong>The</strong> competition doesn’t seem to be<br />
affecting business.<br />
“<strong>The</strong>y might go and try it, but they’re<br />
coming back to the best,” she laughs. “We are<br />
the original.”<br />
And she’s not just saying that. According<br />
to Ms. André, there was a study conducted at<br />
Harvard that determined her family was the first<br />
in the country to sell hot c<strong>hi</strong>cken.<br />
She also doesn’t seem to be worried about<br />
gentrification, noting that mom-and-pops,<br />
w<strong>hi</strong>ch she refers to as “the foundation of<br />
America,” have always had it harder. Though<br />
she’s fully aware of how big business can<br />
swoop in and steal the life of a mom and pop,<br />
she isn’t concerned about the future of her<br />
establishment. Her objective was always to “pay<br />
at least one bill” and “keep somet<strong>hi</strong>ng in the<br />
family,” w<strong>hi</strong>ch she is still successfully doing.<br />
“Number 71,” calls out the young man<br />
from be<strong>hi</strong>nd the counter.<br />
“I t<strong>hi</strong>nk people like smaller places. It’s<br />
more intimate. When you start franc<strong>hi</strong>sing,<br />
somet<strong>hi</strong>ng is going to be left out of the recipe.<br />
It’s not going to be as passionate as it once was.<br />
It’s not as hands-on,” she says.<br />
When asked how she’s been able to sustain,<br />
she doesn’t take any credit. “Just Jesus,” she says<br />
with a smile, “Just Jesus and not me myself,<br />
because I stand on the shoulders of all those<br />
who have gone before me.”<br />
One t<strong>hi</strong>ng Ms. André credits herself for<br />
is adding variety to the hot c<strong>hi</strong>cken recipe to<br />
appeal to more people. When her uncle was<br />
running the business, the hot c<strong>hi</strong>cken only<br />
came one way, w<strong>hi</strong>ch is now known as the<br />
<strong>res</strong>taurant’s mild flavor. Now she also has Plain,<br />
Medium, Hot, XXHot and XXXHot.<br />
Although she prefers what she likes to calls<br />
her “pothole hot c<strong>hi</strong>cken shack,” business<br />
has recently expanded to include a second,<br />
larger location on the corner of Old Hickory<br />
Boulevard and Nolensville Road, w<strong>hi</strong>ch is run<br />
by her godson Mario Hambrick and her first<br />
cook Michael Alexander.<br />
She mentions that people come from all<br />
over the world, including Africa and Europe. A<br />
man who owns a <strong>res</strong>taurant in California flew<br />
<strong>hi</strong>s staff there to eat. Even after 40 years in the<br />
business, these t<strong>hi</strong>ngs still amaze her.<br />
“I had no idea I would be in it t<strong>hi</strong>s long. I<br />
didn’t even cook at home,” she later adds with<br />
a laugh. “I can’t believe I’m still here.”<br />
Ms. André says she’s noticed that more<br />
women tend to eat hot c<strong>hi</strong>cken than men, and<br />
pregnant woman who are overdue often use it<br />
to induce labor. She says these babies typically<br />
come the next day, if not wit<strong>hi</strong>n hours.<br />
She says her hot c<strong>hi</strong>cken is also used to clear<br />
up sinuses and as an aphrodisiac.<br />
“It affects people in different ways,” she<br />
says before adding, “I’ve got some very faithful<br />
customers. Some of them come everyday.”<br />
Ms. André gets to know many of her regulars<br />
and hears some rather inte<strong>res</strong>ting stories. <strong>The</strong>re’s<br />
the man who eats <strong>hi</strong>s hot c<strong>hi</strong>cken in a tub full<br />
of cold water, the woman who comes by nearly<br />
everyday to get hot c<strong>hi</strong>cken for her three dogs<br />
and claims it makes their coats s<strong>hi</strong>ny and pretty,<br />
or even the woman who has a car seat exclusively<br />
for her bag of c<strong>hi</strong>cken. She even buckles it up.<br />
With such popularity, the future seems bright<br />
for Prince’s and I don’t<br />
t<strong>hi</strong>nk she’s going have to<br />
worry about “trying to<br />
pay at least one bill.”<br />
MS. ANDRÉ<br />
THECONNECTMAGAZINE.COM | 39
THE AMERICAN DREAM<br />
BY: BRANDON HIRSCH<br />
Those of us born in the U.S. often marvel at stories of individuals<br />
who have travelled from far and wide to stake their claim<br />
in the “American Dream”. In many cases, immigrants to<br />
t<strong>hi</strong>s country have accepted and endured what many natives<br />
would consider unimaginable. From leaving their families<br />
be<strong>hi</strong>nd to surviving the often-cramped living quarters and eighty-hour<br />
workweeks they endure, immigrants are forced to explore many existential<br />
queries early in their passages. <strong>The</strong> knowledge and confidence acquired<br />
from surmounting these hards<strong>hi</strong>ps seemingly equip them with a viewpoint<br />
that benefits them in whatever endeavor they choose to engage.<br />
Abdul Qaiyum, CEO and Co-Owner of Merz Apothecary in C<strong>hi</strong>cago,<br />
Illinois, is a living testament to the opportunity that is America. Born in<br />
India in 1946, Abdul’s family moved to Pakistan when he was a young boy.<br />
He was a good student and after finis<strong>hi</strong>ng school there, he was permitted<br />
to continue <strong>hi</strong>s studies in the U.S. <strong>The</strong> day he departed was filled with<br />
uncertainty (as were many other days), as he so vividly recalls, “I had never<br />
been away from home. I lived a very sheltered life. I was a protected kid.”<br />
When he boarded the Alitalia airliner headed to <strong>hi</strong>s final destination of<br />
C<strong>hi</strong>cago, IL, he admits, it <strong>hi</strong>t <strong>hi</strong>m hard and still does to t<strong>hi</strong>s day. “On the<br />
plane, I’m crying. I’m missing my mom. I could cry right now. I was in<br />
tears. I’m going somewhere, I don’t know where.” Arriving in C<strong>hi</strong>cago, he<br />
was greeted by a place far different than any he had previously encountered.<br />
“I had never seen an escalator. I had never seen tall buildings. I had never<br />
seen revolving doors. I had never seen snow. I had never seen… I just<br />
never felt the cold that I was going to experience.” It was December 1965.<br />
“Life wasn’t that great, it was a trying time.”<br />
Prior to <strong>hi</strong>s departure, it had been agreed that <strong>hi</strong>s family would provide<br />
three months’ worth of living expenses, and so the proverbial clock was<br />
ticking. Having completed the journey and with school arrangements<br />
made, Abdul s<strong>hi</strong>fted <strong>hi</strong>s focus to how he would sustain <strong>hi</strong>mself at the<br />
end of the agreed upon period. He found a job that allowed <strong>hi</strong>m to work<br />
a few hours each week. However, upon arrival, Abdul discovered that<br />
<strong>hi</strong>s student status legally pro<strong>hi</strong>bited <strong>hi</strong>m from working. Unfortunately,<br />
for reasons unknown, one of <strong>hi</strong>s peers had reported <strong>hi</strong>m as “working”.<br />
He would need a letter from a student advisor to make <strong>hi</strong>m eligible to<br />
work. With three months coming to an end, he visited the immigration<br />
office with <strong>hi</strong>s letter in hand. <strong>The</strong>y stamped <strong>hi</strong>s passport and gave <strong>hi</strong>m<br />
ninety days to leave the country unless their stipulations were met.<br />
Ultimately, after acquiring additional documentation (including<br />
a letter from <strong>hi</strong>s father in w<strong>hi</strong>ch he committed to covering Abdul’s<br />
expenses for the <strong>res</strong>t of <strong>hi</strong>s education), Abdul was cleared to stay. He<br />
admits knowing <strong>hi</strong>s parents couldn’t afford the expenditure at the<br />
time, but he had to get the letter, and he did. <strong>The</strong> immigration office<br />
determined that he could remain and continue <strong>hi</strong>s schooling, but with<br />
work no longer being an option, t<strong>hi</strong>s period of <strong>hi</strong>s life was particularly<br />
demanding. “<strong>The</strong>re were nights when I didn’t eat. I had no food.” He<br />
admits that, at the time, he wasn’t sure how or if he would make it.<br />
Although, upon further reflection, he so wisely summarizes these trials,<br />
“Time flies. I don’t t<strong>hi</strong>nk I would ever change anyt<strong>hi</strong>ng.”<br />
Invariably, that first year passed; on the strength of <strong>hi</strong>s good grades,<br />
he was now permitted to work, and work he did. Abdul continues, “<strong>The</strong>y<br />
gave me permission to work up to twenty hours a week. T<strong>hi</strong>ngs became<br />
40 | THECONNECTMAGAZINE.COM
etter for me.” T<strong>hi</strong>s was only the beginning. As he was granted more<br />
and more liberty to work, he took full advantage of the opportunity,<br />
working as many as t<strong>hi</strong>rty hours a week on weekends w<strong>hi</strong>le going to<br />
school full time; he oftentimes worked two additional full-time jobs<br />
during the summer as well. “Yes, at times it seemed like it was going to<br />
kill me,” but he goes on, “I persevered.” <strong>The</strong> struggle gave <strong>hi</strong>m strength.<br />
By 1972, Abdul was a certified pharmacist and had come a long<br />
way from <strong>hi</strong>s humble beginnings. His hard work had afforded <strong>hi</strong>m a<br />
more comfortable lifestyle. He had met and married the love of <strong>hi</strong>s life,<br />
Rita, and they were planning to make additions to their family, but<br />
somet<strong>hi</strong>ng was missing. Abdul had grown weary and unfulfilled by the<br />
culture of traditional pharmaceuticals, as he stated in a 2013 interview<br />
with SmallFlowerTV, “All you ended up doing was pouring pills from a<br />
big bottle, putting them in a little bottle, and the talk was, when we got<br />
together with other pharmacists was, ‘How many ‘scripts’ can you fill in<br />
a day?’” Again, he was at a crossroads. He wanted out.<br />
ENTER MERZ APOTHECARY<br />
Founded in 1875, Merz Apothecary had earned a tremendous<br />
reputation for servicing the European community on C<strong>hi</strong>cago’s North<br />
Side. It was a charming neighborhood drug store, similar to those still<br />
common across the country at the time, almost all of w<strong>hi</strong>ch have now<br />
been replaced by chain sto<strong>res</strong> or national brands. Ralph Merz, the last<br />
in a line of Merzes to own the store since its inception, had reached<br />
retirement age with no family successors, and he was looking for a<br />
buyer. By now, Abdul had <strong>res</strong>olved to leave the pharmaceutical industry<br />
be<strong>hi</strong>nd, so t<strong>hi</strong>s business was of little inte<strong>res</strong>t; however, he reluctantly<br />
agreed to pay Mr. Merz a visit, out of <strong>res</strong>pect to an elder adviser.<br />
He recalls, “It was a majestic sight.”<br />
To <strong>hi</strong>s surprise, the apothecary was no ordinary drug store. It was<br />
extremely aromatic with herbs and tinctu<strong>res</strong> lining the walls. In the back,<br />
there were large drums where the herbs would be mixed. W<strong>hi</strong>le the<br />
store was a legitimate pharmacy where p<strong>res</strong>criptions were filled, they<br />
also espoused old world remedies, and for Abdul, t<strong>hi</strong>s was familiar and<br />
ref<strong>res</strong><strong>hi</strong>ng. As he toured the store, he saw many products he recognized<br />
from <strong>hi</strong>s c<strong>hi</strong>ldhood in Pakistan (a credit to <strong>hi</strong>s brother’s chemistry shop).<br />
He was also intimately familiar with the use of herbs to both soothe and<br />
cure maladies. “I was brought up with my mother giving us herbs.”<br />
W<strong>hi</strong>le business at the store was steady, Abdul was already making<br />
more money as a conventional pharmacist. On top of that, Mr. Merz<br />
told <strong>hi</strong>m that he could expect to lose as much as forty percent of <strong>hi</strong>s<br />
business by simply not being German, as many of their customers were<br />
of German descent and still only used the language. By most people’s<br />
logic, Abdul should have dealt <strong>hi</strong>mself out. However, as the story goes,<br />
approximately twenty minutes later, he had met with Merz’s accountant,<br />
and agreed to purchase both the business and the building. That was<br />
December, and he would take over the business in January.<br />
Mr. Merz stayed on the following year to train Abdul, and Abdul<br />
would take crash courses in German. By the end of the year, he estimates<br />
that they had done one hundred and fifty percent of what they had done<br />
the previous year. Abdul and Merz Apothecary never looked back.<br />
<strong>The</strong> flags<strong>hi</strong>p store, Merz Apothecary, is an experience in and of itself as<br />
many of the items Abdul describes upon entering that first day can still be<br />
found in the store. Over the years, however, the business has grown from<br />
two employees, to an estimated fifty at last count, and covers a range of<br />
brands and locations including: Merz Apothecary, Merz Downtown at <strong>The</strong><br />
Palmer House Hotel, Smallflower.com, and most recently Q Brothers. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
were even one of the first health and beauty merchants during the early<br />
days of Amazon, and their brand now offer a range of products on both<br />
Amazon Prime and Amazon Prime Now. <strong>The</strong>ir influence and service now<br />
reach around the world, but their commitment to personal service, quality<br />
products, and the complete wellbeing of their customers remains the same.<br />
He humbly admits that the business has blossomed far beyond anyt<strong>hi</strong>ng<br />
he could have imagined as a boy on that runway in Karac<strong>hi</strong>, or even on<br />
that fateful day in 1972, when he first visited Merz Apothecary. “People<br />
come here, spend so much money and then at the end, they thank me for<br />
being here and allowing them to have a place to shop. I have always told<br />
the boys, you have to work hard, but your intentions have to be good. You<br />
can’t just do it for the sake of money.” To t<strong>hi</strong>s day, t<strong>hi</strong>s advice holds true.<br />
WHAT’S THE WORST THAT COULD HAPPEN?<br />
“What keeps a lot of people from taking a leap of faith? Often people<br />
say, ‘I can’t do it.’ <strong>The</strong>y ask, ‘How am I going to pay health insurance?<br />
My job comes with health insurance.’ I always say, ‘My god, it doesn’t<br />
make sense because of the cost of health insurance for most people! Five<br />
hundred dollars a month? Six hundred dollars a month? A thousand<br />
dollars a month? Look at the upside. Look at how much you can make<br />
if you went into business for yourself! <strong>The</strong> sky is the limit!’ My favorite<br />
saying has been, ‘What’s the worst that could happen?’” T<strong>hi</strong>s is a question<br />
he continues to raise when in personal and business deliberations.<br />
Abdul has ac<strong>hi</strong>eved what many would consider to be the “American<br />
Dream”. To some, the prosperity of <strong>hi</strong>s family and success of <strong>hi</strong>s<br />
businesses may appear to be out of reach, but the trials and triumphs<br />
communicated here aren’t merely to exalt Mr. Qaiyum. He simply<br />
provides perspective as to how individuals (with odds so certainly<br />
stacked against them) may use a variety of experiences to catapult<br />
themselves to success (regardless of background or personal <strong>hi</strong>story).<br />
It’s arguable that the combined comfort and convenience afforded to<br />
us by being born in t<strong>hi</strong>s country is as much a <strong>hi</strong>ndrance as it is a propellant;<br />
Abdul’s story, the story of the Qaiyum family, and Merz Apothecary, are<br />
all reminders of the opportunity that lies wit<strong>hi</strong>n our borders, and what<br />
one can ac<strong>hi</strong>eve when their “willing” matches their “able”.<br />
For more information about the rich <strong>hi</strong>story of Merz Apothecary and it’s<br />
various brands, please visit www.merzapothecary.com to start your quest.<br />
THECONNECTMAGAZINE.COM | 41
42 | THECONNECTMAGAZINE.COM
THECONNECTMAGAZINE.COM | 43
SUSAN<br />
VANDERBILT:<br />
Savvy Success<br />
WRITTEN BY: VIVIAUNA BROWN
turkey sandwiches—I’ll never forget it!” After sitting down, her friend<br />
got a call. Her friend received a call from her engineer then-boyfriend<br />
(they’re married now) and he said, ‘We’re working on t<strong>hi</strong>s project called<br />
<strong>The</strong> Music City Center in Nashville, and we need somebody who is very<br />
organized.’ Susan laughed, recalling her friend’s reaction, “She was just<br />
looking across t<strong>hi</strong>s table, smiling at me, and I heard her say,‘I t<strong>hi</strong>nk I may<br />
have someone for you!’”<br />
BEING VERY CONNECTED WITH<br />
MY FAMILY THROUGHOUT MY LIFE<br />
HAS INFLUENCED HOW I CONNECT<br />
WITH PEOPLE NOW. BUSINESS IS ABOUT<br />
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS AND THAT’S<br />
WHAT I DO; I MAKE CONNECTIONS ALL<br />
DAY, IT’S A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF<br />
WHAT I DO.<br />
R<br />
esearch, done; interview questions, written; prepared<br />
for that energy—not even close! I opened with some<br />
general questions, and Susan’s zeal was evident from the<br />
beginning as she talked about her business, her love for<br />
her family, books, and hot yoga among other t<strong>hi</strong>ngs. I<br />
was told of her exuberance before making the call, nevertheless, not<strong>hi</strong>ng<br />
could have readied me for the powerhouse entrepreneur that is Susan<br />
Vanderbilt and her story of savvy success...<br />
Raised by a single mother (due to the passing of her father) Susan<br />
emphasized the fact that her family made sure she and her older brother<br />
stayed connected with their cousins and remained close as a “family<br />
unit.” It is no surprise that she has incorporated the idea of connectivity<br />
into her business development and diversity inclusion firm, Entrée Savvy.<br />
“Being very connected with my family throughout my life has influenced<br />
how I connect with people now. Business is about building relations<strong>hi</strong>ps<br />
and that’s what I do; I make connections all day, it’s a very important part<br />
of what I do.” Susan’s family life has also impacted the way she pushes her<br />
clients to be greater and to do greater t<strong>hi</strong>ngs; her mom—who put herself<br />
through Vanderbilt University twice, earning a Master’s Degree—clearly<br />
passed her determination on to Susan and her older brother: both of<br />
whom have degrees and are married with families of their own. Speaking<br />
about her mom, she told me “My mom pushed us to do everyt<strong>hi</strong>ng we<br />
could do, regardless of what that was. She pushed us to chase our dreams<br />
and I take that with me in working with other people; I just try to push<br />
them to help them get where they’re going.”<br />
When asked about how Entrée Savvy started, Susan explained that a<br />
simple dinner night with a friend led to her working on huge projects.<br />
“It’s kind of an inte<strong>res</strong>ting story” she started, describing how she had a<br />
degree in Speech and Hearing Science, but was feeling burned-out. “<strong>The</strong><br />
field of Speech Pathology is so broad and w<strong>hi</strong>le I was very inte<strong>res</strong>ted in<br />
Corporate Speech Pathology, I decide to take a break and refocus.” She<br />
went on to explain how she got involved in a major project soon after<br />
her decision. “I had a good friend who stopped by with Bar-B-Cutie and<br />
Susan went to interview for the position and imp<strong>res</strong>sed by her <strong>res</strong>ume,<br />
her experience as a Speech Pathologist, and her diverse skill set, they <strong>hi</strong>red<br />
her. Her new job was working on diversity inclusion at the Music City<br />
Center, and w<strong>hi</strong>le she’d never heard of “diversity inclusion”, she quickly<br />
made it her business to learn as much as she could. <strong>The</strong> project required<br />
20% participation, and she helped it to ac<strong>hi</strong>eve 30% diversity inclusion:<br />
somet<strong>hi</strong>ng that had never been done before in the city of Nashville.<br />
“Coming from a Speech Pathologist background and not a construction<br />
one, I didn’t realize how huge it was to ac<strong>hi</strong>eve that.”<br />
After working on the Music City Center project, people that knew of<br />
her success encouraged Susan to continue doing similar work for other<br />
businesses. Mentioning one of many, she recalled, “Kevin Keller—Bell<br />
Construction—said, ‘Just go do it!’ I said, “Okay Kevin. If I start t<strong>hi</strong>s<br />
business and you all get work... you better call on me, because t<strong>hi</strong>s is a big<br />
jump!” She did a massive amount of <strong>res</strong>earch and soon after, she officially<br />
launched Entrée Savvy: doing everyt<strong>hi</strong>ng from helping people who may<br />
not understand the aspects of a contract, finding employees who meet the<br />
minority requirements for certain jobs, guiding clients through various<br />
policies, and even giving free consultation on minor inquiries. As Susan’s<br />
own success has increased, so has her love of helping others to succeed. “I<br />
don’t need to charge you a gazillion dollars for providing you with a little<br />
information that you need to start t<strong>hi</strong>ngs off: in being t<strong>hi</strong>s way, I have<br />
gained several clients as a <strong>res</strong>ult.”<br />
When asked about her personal and professional growth, she described<br />
how it all goes hand in hand and how she has used her own experiences<br />
to better relate and be of service in assisting others with their journey to<br />
do the same. “You can’t do one without the other, they go hand in hand.<br />
I had a friend and she remembers me saying, ‘Don’t say the word ‘can’t’:<br />
If you say you can’t, you never will’ and she told me she’d never heard<br />
that before and that she applies that to her life in a huge way now.” Susan<br />
continued by saying, “Hearing t<strong>hi</strong>ngs like t<strong>hi</strong>s is what I call success. When<br />
I hear ‘Your words have really inspired me’ or a ‘Hey, I got the job!’, that<br />
is what I call success.”<br />
Equipped with extreme attention to detail, candid communication,<br />
and a tremendous zest for elevating others, it is easy to see why businesses<br />
flock to Entrée Savvy and why Susan is the go-to person when a client<br />
needs to know the real deal. Unapologetically genuine, Susan Vanderbilt<br />
is the epitome of savvy success.<br />
50 | THECONNECTMAGAZINE.COM