Adlanta Magazine Final Layout Issue 1

SYLEENA 

JOHNSON 

Singer 

Songwriter 

Actress 

TV Host 

RHAYVNN 

DRUMMER 

Prestigious 

Business 

Professionals 

+ 

A Taste of 

ATLANTA 

THE 

City’s 

best 

Restaurants

MODEL : DONDRIA NICOLE 

DESIGNER : SAINT CJ 

GLOVES : ALEXANDER WANG 

PANTS : ALEXANDER WANG 

UNDERWEAR : SAINT CJ COLLECTION 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TONY TYUS 

1saintcj.com 

www.adlantamagazine.com 


2

3 www.adlantamagazine.com 


4

WWW.KSTARRMGMT.COM 



6

ANTHONYTYUS.COM 

INFO@ANTHONYTYUS.COM 



8

Volume 1* Issue 1 

EDITOR IN CHIEF 

Ashley Love-Mills | 407.451.1960 

ASSISTANT EDITOR 

Ashley Love-Mills | 407. 451-1960 

THENEWDENIM 

Atlanta 

BUSINESS EDITOR 

Michel Valbrun | 407. 451-1960 

PUBLISHER 

Tamera Revis | 407. 451-1960 

PUBLIC RELATIONS 

Manisha Holiday | 407. 451-1960 

directory 

OPERATIONS 

Jayson Gilliam | 407. 451-1960 

PHOTOGRAPHY 

Tony Tyus | 407. 451-1960 

ART DIRECTOR 

Tony Tyus | 407. 451-1960 

VIDEOGRAPHY DIR 

Elton Mattis | 407. 451-1960 

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE 


ADVERTISING 


WARDROBE DIRECTOR 

Lakeisha Green | 407. 451-1960 

MAKEUP DIRECTOR 

Yasmin Lozada | 407. 451-1960 

FEATURES 

15 RACHAEL 

Contact: 404.606.0538 

TRAVELS 

info@ADlantamagazine.com 

23 MARK BLOCK 

29 SYLEENA JOHNSON 

43 RHAVYNN DRUMMER 

45 LISA NICOLE CLOUD 

57 TASTE OF ATLANTA 

www.ADlantamagazine.com 



10

www.exclusiveband.com 

Smooth skin. 

There’s no such 

thing as having 

too much makeup. 

A Natural Look. 

It’s not a 

statement, it’s the 

closest to being 

myself. 



12

Welcome to our first issue ever! It’s been a long time coming after months and months of hard 

work and planning. I’m so pleased that you picked up a copy and felt it worthy of a read. First 

let me take a moment to talk about our dual cover—isn’t it just amazing?! Lisa Nicole Cloud 

and Slyeena Johnson are both just absolutely fabulous. Both women were such a pleasure to 

work with. Not to mention easy on the eyes and ever so stunning as models. It was exciting to 

watch them work the camera, and we were very honored to have them as our first ever cover 

models. Many thanks to them both. You all are going to love reading their stories. 

This issue is about recognizing and celebrating some of the most influential people here in 

Atlanta. These powerful women and men are experts in their own right at their craft, and 

ADlanta felt it best to highlight them as well as their accomplishments. There is no time 

like the present, and despite all the bad we might see and experience in the world, these 

individuals have dominated in their industries and have changed so many lives for the better. 

Atlanta IS the new Hollywood of the South with so 

many Television and Film opportunities. 

This city has so much to offer including many unique 

restaurants along with a fun city life full of interesting 

things that you should explore this summer. I’m excited 

to share stories of some of Atlanta’s most influential 

people as well as showcase what this beautiful city has 

to offer the world….so happy reading. 

MILK, 

Welcome to ADlanta…. and enjoy! 

LOOKS GOOD ON 

~ Ashley 

YOU. 

P.S. and don’t forget to check us out online 

at www.adlantamagazine.com. Many more 

write ups and stories for us to share with you all. 

Essential nutrients for my one 

essential body! 



14

A girl who left corporate America 

to enjoy a life in wanderlust. 

Rachel is a travel blogger, online influencer, and change agent on a 

mission to help shift the perception and narrative of what it is… 

seems…and feels to be as a Black Traveler. After battling with 

anxiety disorder and depression, she “retired” from corporate America, 

turning down a six figure income position, at the age of 27 years old to live 

in her purpose and fully indulge in her wanderlust. 

She’s traveled to a vast number of countries including Cuba, Mongolia, 

Thailand, and Tanzania. Rachel shares her valuable insights on Racheltravels.com, 

a travel blog, dedicated to educating and inspiring Millennials and 

Black Americans to explore the world and push past their comfort zones, all 

while encouraging the idea that world travel does not have to be expensive. 

In addition to being a well-seasoned traveler, Rachel partners with global 

brands to add travelers of color all while simultaneously providing consulting 

to other online influencers to create an authentic and profitable brand. 

In this interview, we discuss her transition into entrepreneurship, how to 

travel on a budget, the importance of traveling with a significant other, and 

how international travel can help expand your worldview. 

By Michel Valbrun 

BANGKOK, THAILAND 



16

Michel: Thank you for your time and 

being in the country as well! 

Rachel: Well, thank you. 

Michel: Just wanted to you to share 

with the people about what you do 

and your experiences. I did a little 

bit of social media stalking and loved 

your message and your perspective 

on traveling. I also wanted you to 

share how someone else can do that 

on a budget. But before we talk about 

that, could you tell the folks about 

yourself? 

Rachel: My name is Rachel, and 

I’m the founder of Racheltravels. 

com. My mission is to bridge the gap 

between black American travelers 

and unique destinations around the 

world. So I’ve had the opportunity to 

partner with brands and create content 

around traveling to places like 

Estonia, Waterloo, Latvia and create 

awareness about what it is to be a 

black traveler around the world. 

Michel: I was looking at your blog, 

and I noticed that you shared how 

you got to this point of traveling. I 

know you were working a corporate 

job and had some issues while you 

were there. Do you mind sharing a 

little bit about that journey and what 

brought you here? 

Rachel: I had the typical life that 

you’re supposed to have. You go to 

school, you get a really good job, start 

a family and then you work that good 

job for you know the next 30-35-40 

years and you just kind of retire. And 

I did all those things. I got this very 

great corporate lucrative job making 

six figures; I lived in New York, I 

lived in Philadelphia. But then I realized 

I was suffering from anxiety disorder 

and depression. So after going 

to therapy every Wednesday which 

no one kne, I decided to recreate my 

St. George’s, Grenada 

life. And what it looked like for me 

was leaving this very promising career 

to travel solo in Asia for like the next 

three months. I started my blog to 

tell my journey. From there, I realized 

there was an opportunity for me to 

share that story. 

Michel: That’s incredible! 

Rachel: Thank you. 

Michel: I have a list of questions for 

you using the letters T.R.A.V.E.L. So 

starting off with the first letter [T], 

traveling on the budget. Let’s say you 

have someone who doesn’t have a 

high paying job and they want to do 

some cool traveling for like under a 

thousand dollars. Do you have any 

suggestions and places that they can 

go? 

Rachel: I think a lot of times when 

people think travel they automatically 

assume international travel. And 

the amazing is there’s a lot of things 

that you can see here in the United 

States. Right now we’re sitting here 

in Atlanta. They’re pyramids one 

hour north of Atlanta that most 

people don’t know about. So that’s 

something to see. You can go to 

Utah and experience Salt Flats. You 

can go to Arizona and hike canyons. 

You can go to Montreal which I call 

the cheat code, and it’s almost like 

being in Paris. But you’re not flying 

all the way to France. So travel 

doesn’t have to be expensive, and 

it doesn’t have to be somewhere 

foreign. I would say explore your 

immediate area get comfortable with traveling and just 

being exposed to different people, cultures, and food. 

Michel: Wow! Very cool. I did not know about those 

pyramids, I’ll have to check that out. So moving on to 

[R] in T.R.A.V.E.L., relationships. I’m a newlywed. My 

wife and I love to travel. After a vacation, we tend to 

feel a little bit closer to each other. What’s the significance 

of a “baecation” and traveling with your significant 

other? 

Rachel: I think traveling with your significant other is 

important because you get an opportunity to experience 

each other outside of your comfort zone. So this is your 

chance to see how they treat other people and how they 

assimilate with cultures, how they manage their finances, 

and the things that you may not think about especially if 

you’re traveling on a budget. Traveling with your significant 

other allows you to get outside of your comfort 

zones. For instance, getting out and doing a hike 

together with each other. Putting yourself in different 

environments to see them in a way that you normally 

wouldn’t. 

Michel: Cool! For the [A] letter in T.R.A.V.E.L., what 

have been some of your favorite adventures? 

Rachel: One of my favorite countries is South Africa 

because when I go into the continent, I feel connected. 

I love Thailand as well as Thai food. I love the beaches, 

and I’m a certified scuba diver. I like Thailand for the 

Banana Pancakes topped with coconut compote 

diving, and then I just returned from Guadeloupe which 

is the super small French Caribbean islands. That was 

amazing. 

Michel: Very cool. Moving on to the [V] segment, 

views. How has travel changed your views about the 

world and the importance of traveling? 

Rachel: I believe travel has helped me expand my perspective 

and the way I look at social economics, religion, 

and politics. Here in the States, we have a very one-sided 

view of how politics look and then with our current 

administration. So there’s traveling to other places and 

seeing how we’re viewed on the outside or even the type 

of propaganda or what they’re being shown has allowed 

me to be a lot more tolerant. That’s another reason why 

I encourage travel so that you can create your own opinions 

based off of you know having more of a 360 view 

versus what we see on TV every day. 

Michel: Very cool. Since leaving your corporate job and 

being an entrepreneur, I assume you have multiple 

streams. Can you share with the people the importance 

of [E]ntrepreneurship? 

Rachel: Well, I think now more than ever it’s really easy 

to be an entrepreneur because often you can build a 

business online and not have a brick-and-mortar type of 

business like our parents or grandparents. I believe the 

biggest importance of entrepreneurship is the fact that 

you have access to it today, as long as you have internet 

you can kind of figure out some different strains. It’s not 

for everyone to do full-time, but there is an opportunity 

for people to at least do a little bit as a side hustle or just 

another way to you know make money. 

Michel: Very good. To close with the final letter, [L], 

what kind of legacy do you want to leave behind? 

Rachel: When it comes down, I have a degree in marketing. 

So I’m all about numbers and analytics. But 

we spend [we as in black American travelers] spend 56 

billion dollars in travel, but it’s mostly concentrated in 

cruises Mexico and the Caribbean. And so there’s just a 

lot of world for us to see and experience especially with 

the way that people view us or the way that they think 

that they view us because you know right now the perception 

of black America is the Obamas or Jay-z and Beyonce. 

And these are very extreme on the spectrum, and 

there’s a lot of us in the middle. So how can we bridge 

that gap between regular everyday people and then what 



18 

Place: Ubud, Bali

the world season experiences? So that’s what I want to 

be remembered for -- exposing us to the world whether 

it’s to show you how to do it or building up other people 

who can show you the same way. 

Michel: That’s amazing... 

Rachel: Thank you. 

Michel: And then the last question. How can the people 

connect with you and learn about projects you are 

currently working on? 

Rachel: You can connect with me at Racheltravels.com, 

and I love Instagram so follow me @Rachaeltravels. As 

far as projects I’m working on, I work for a major airline. 

So curating content for them and I’m also building up 

other influences of color. I’m excited about that project 

just to help people do what I’m doing. How can I help 

us still get that awareness for our audiences? 

Michel: Well, thank you so much for your time. We 

appreciate you sharing it your insights. 

Rachel: Thank you for having me! 

BOTTOM: PHUKET, THAILAND 

TOP: NARI, FINLAND 



20

BEAUTY 

“A flower does not think 

of competing with the 

flower next to it. It just 

blooms.” 

BEAUTÉ 

Photographs by TONY TYUS 

Model: AMELIA 

MAKEUP ARTIST: PATRICE STORY 

HAIR STYLIST: APRIL LANE 

“They call us dreamers 

but we’re the ones who 

don’t sleep.” 



22

As a New Jersey native, Mark traveled down to South 

Florida to attend the University of Miami. He graduated 

with a degree in Broadcasting and Sociology. With initial 

intentions of pursuing a career in Television Broadcasting, 

he somehow found himself in Philadelphia back in school 

getting a law degree from Temple University where he 

graduated 2nd in his class. From there, he began working 

as a successful attorney, focused on corporate litigation 

under the nationally renowned law firm of Drinker, Biddle 

& Reath. He decided to change career paths after a visit to 

Nashville, TN, and there The Block Agency was birthed. 

His clients are a force to be reckoned by dominating the 

market. He’s had talent working on shows like Netflix’s 

House Of Cards and Ozark, CMT’s Nashville and the 

CWs The Vampire Diaries to name just a few. His clients 

have also been featured in Vogue Magazine and have 

booked national campaigns for brands like Fruit of the 

Loom. 

Having known Mark for a few years now, he’s clearly a 

man of many talents. I realized I’d never actually had 

the chance to sit down with him and dive more into his 

story. So when I finally did, I learned more about how 

his interesting journey into the world of Entertainment 

and Sports began after he left abruptly to pursue a new 

business endeavor as a talent and soon thereafter sports 

agent. 

THE GUY WHO 

FLEW BY THE SEAT 

OF HIS PANTS 

Mark Block 

Founder/Owner of The Block Agency (Nashville, TN) 

Elite Athletic Management, Director of Marketing & 

Business Development/ NFL Agent ( Arizona) 

By EIC 

So what was your initial plan when you started school? 

[Laughs] I had high hopes of pursing a career in Television 

Broadcasting. At the time, going to law school or 

becoming a talent/sports agent was no where in my site. 

As graduation approached, I thought more about what I 

really wanted to do at the time and eventually I made the 

decision to move up north and go to Law School. 

So did you like it being an attorney? 

It was good but I learned it wasn’t my passion and that 

it was actually really boring. It was a lot of work—you 

know, not what you would imagine it to be. I would 

of preferred doing something in sports entertainment 

instead of corporate law. 

What sparked the idea of opening ‘The Block Agency? 

I was headed to California and on my way, I stopped in 

Nashville to visit some friends, and I guess I never made 

it out west. I ended up really liking Nashville, so I stayed 

and by way of some mutual friends I began to explore the 

business. I saw a need for a new agency in the market as I 

felt no one was doing it quite right. The city was booming 

and had a lot going on and the rest is really history! 

“Don’t be afraid 

to take risks. 

You have to try 

otherwise you’ll 

never really know 

what you can 

accomplish” 

You’re an entrepreneur/business owner…..how does 

one go about starting a business? 

I wouldn’t take my advice [laughs again]... because I didn’t 

really know what I was doing at the time. I basically did 

research online. Figured out what needed to be filed and 

got the ball rolling from there. 

So once you got the business up and running, how did 

you market the agency to actually get the talent? 

I just started networking. Meeting people in town. I had 

a lot of friends who were sort of plugged in and to be 

honest, that’s what really helped me. 

Ok so lets switch gears a bit… You’re an NFL Agent for 

Elite Athlete Management in Arizona. Tell me about 

that. 

Tough! But I love working with the players. Growing the 

relationships and you know you naturally just grow to care 

about them as well as their families and of course, their 

careers. I also work on NFL contracts. I spend a lot of 

time creating endorsement and marketing opportunities 

for the players too. 

I know you also travel a lot as well... 

My work trips often involve networking and socializing 

with clients too. 

Do you feel like you’ve peeked? 

You know, I never really set goals. I just always want to 

grow more and do better. That’s it really. 

How do you feel about Nashville and what it has to 

offer in the world of Entertainment? 

It’s definitely a growing city but of course, it’ll never be as 

big as the other markets [like LA or New York]—which 

actually takes away the stress of the job because the talent 

are really able to enjoy what they do. 

What’s something our readers can take away from this? 

Don’t be afraid to take risks. You have to try otherwise 

you’ll never really know what you can accomplish. 



24

Photography By Tony Tyus 

Makeup By Yasmin Lozada 

Hair by Ashley Alexis 

Model : Ashley Love-Mills 

www.adlantamagazine.com 26

Photography By Cat Harper 

Makeup By Yasmin Lozada 

Hair by Ashley Alexis 

Model : Ashley Love-Mills 

Male Model : Tony Tyus 

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Cover Story 

PHOTOGAPHY BY TONY TYUS 

Hair by rikya taylor 

makeup by yasmin lozada 

wardrobe by lakesha green 

THE 

MUSIC 

MOGUL 

THAT DOES IT ALL 

S/ Y/ L/ E/ E/ N/ 

A 

JOHNSON 

By Brittany Miller 

29 

www.adlantamagazine.com

MODEL : SYLEENA JOHNSON 

HAIR : RIKYA TAYLOR 

MAKEUP : YASMIN LOZADA 

STYLIST : LAKESHA GREEN 

PHOTOGRAPHER : TONY TYUS 

Singer, songwriter, model, actress and now talk-show host, Syleena Johnson, is the 

definition of major goals and paving a legacy of true black woman excellence, and she’s 

making it her business to take as many people with her as she can. Through this exclusive 

interview, Syleena expresses her love and passion for music as well as, her purpose in using 

her voice to connect and speak to different women. She talks about her newest projects; 

her latest album, Rebirth of Soul, and the Sister Circle, which airs live, daily, on TV One. 

Syleena discusses personal challenges regarding the weights and pressures of the industry, 

as well as some of her methods of overcoming it all, and just living her best life. 

Not only does Syleena Johnson represent black music culture with a style that reflects 

original jazz and soul, but she also carries the dignified duty of serving humanity by 

using her talents and platform to resonate with people of all walks, that can relate to her 

experiences. 

It’s no surprise that the daughter of legendary blues and soul artist, Syl Johnson, would 

blossom to become a legend herself, however, this is no hand-me-down success story, 

or piggy-back glory moment because of relation or association. Syleena Johnson has 

“been hustling for a very long time, at a very rapid rate,” as she mentioned during our 

interview; and the passion and authentic quality that goes into her work is undeniable. 

She is here now in Atlanta, working simultaneously on multiple projects, as she continues 

to broaden the horizon of her career, and prepare for even greater success. As a mother, 

business woman, and true friend to so many, Syleena is owning her purpose, per usual, 

and exemplifying a real matriarch of soul and entertainment, amongst women. 



32

“If you are not strong in your beliefs and your 

morals, and in who you are as a person, you can be 

easily swayed into negative concepts, facets, and 

situations that can mentally take you out” 

What inspired you to get into the music industry? My Dad played an 

instrumental part in getting me involved in music—mainly because he’s 

an R&B/blues singer from the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. My entire father’s 

side of the family is very musical. My Uncle Jimmy is a blues artist and 

most of the women on that side of the family all sang. My Dad had 17 

brothers and sisters, and they all either sang or played an instrument. 

So, I think that my father is probably my biggest influence, and I 

always knew I had a musical talent, but it was my Dad, along with local 

teachers and music teachers that really helped to bring that talent out. 

What was it like growing up in Chicago? Chicago is a city of soul, 

actually. It’s a city of blues, it’s a city of house music—a very soulful 

city, a city that’s very full of LIFE! Chicago is so full of culture, and I 

love it because it’s a conglomerate of all the different places I’ve been 

in my life. I always feel like Chicago is that down-home, piece of 

everywhere you’ve been. It’s the nucleus of cities in my opinion—if you 

can imagine what New York is and LA is—that combo is Chicago. 

Growing up in Chicago was probably like any other childhood that any 

other African American person would have in an urban area, but it’s 

just such a beautiful city; full of culture, with music being the staple of 

the city. 

What was the inspiration behind your newest album, Rebirth of 

Soul? wRebirth of Soul, was constructed by my Dad. It was kind of 

his idea because he was tired of the industry having a very inauthentic 

approach to music. It was very auto-tuned, very automatic, and my 

Dad just really wanted an artist from the millennial to be able to 

bring back that original sound where music comes from, with live 

instrumentation, and really paying homage to the R&B and soul artists 

that paved the way. So, Rebirth of Soul is a “rebirth” of all the sounds 

that we are used to hearing as children, but in the most authentic form. 

What are some of the most memorable moments of your career? 

There are so many memorable moments! One of my most favorite 

moments, which I don’t really talk about with many people, because 

they probably wouldn’t care; but it was a really cool moment for me. I 

was signed to Jive Records, I think I was 

working on my third album (Chapter 

3: The Flesh) and a group from France, 

named “I Am” was like the “Wu Tang 

Clan” of France. They were a huge 

hip-hop artist group, and they were 

putting together a compilation CD. 

They had artists like Missy, Beyonce, 

Busta Rhymes, Timberland, lots of huge 

artists; and they wanted me to be on it as 

well! They flew to New York, and I had 

to come into the studio to do my part. 

I had to write in English, to their rap in 

French. Then, I had to sing it in English. 

I asked, “Well, what is the song about; 

because I don’t know what you’re talking 

about?” …and he said, it’s a song about 

women in the urban cities that don’t 

respect themselves. So, I had to write 

lyrics: 

“To be young… 

To be wise… 

To be old… 

To be liked… 

These are the fairytales, 

Of Daddy’s baby girls…” 

That’s what I wrote to, not knowing what 

they were talking about. All I know is 

that they liked it; but till this day, I still 

don’t know what they were talking 

about, but I do know that the hook 

worked, and it did make the album! 

I just always loved that moment— 

being able to collaborate with a 

completely different culture, and not 

even being able to fully understand 

each other. They were in the studio 

speaking French, and I’m sure they 

likely weren’t great with English; but 

just to be able to work with them, it 

let me know that music is universal 

and that it brings people together, 

no matter what the language is. 

That was a really big moment in my 

career, for ME. I mean, the album 

went quadruple platinum in France 

and that was fun; but to me, just the 

collaboration of working with an 

artist who speaks a different dialect, 

was just amazing. 

Syleena mentioned, of course, that her 

collaboration on “All Falls Down” with 

Kanye West was amazing and that she 

had many memorable collaborations 

with lots of artists—but this one was 

just “career-changing” for her. 

What’s your experience like, 

hosting on Sister Circle? How did 

you get involved with the Show? 

Sister Circle kind of found me. I 

did not see myself as a talk-show 

host—it wasn’t like I was someone 

who was focused on getting into the 

talk-show game. I was minding my 

own business, and my sister had a 

meeting with a young lady that was 

part of the creation of the show. She 

was flying to Atlanta to move here to 

help the executive producer, Helen 

Swensen, create the show. My sister 

told her if she’s going out to Atlanta 

to do this show than she should call 

Syleena Johnson (of course she’s 

going to push me because I’m her 

client, she’s going to push me for any 

opportunity that there is). When I had the meeting with Helen about her 

vision, I was really drawn to the vision. I’ve written all of my records, and for 

many years I have spoken to women through music, and I felt like this was 

the next progression for me. I felt like God was really saying something in 

that moment. I felt like he was saying – I’ve used your voice as a vehicle to 

grab the attention of people so that they can hear what it is that you have to 

say. So now, you’re just going to get talking. I was very, very excited about 

the opportunity. From the moment that I had my interview, I knew that it 

would be what you see it is today. 

What inspired your book, The Weight is Over? People probably think 

it’s about weight, and although weight-loss is part of it, it’s not the central 

part of it. The weight is the load of the pressure, being in the industry and 

the fact that we have to look a certain way—we have to look perfect, we 

have to be perfect. The weight of having to fit into a mold, the weight of 

having to sing the right notes, sing the right songs, be connected to the 

right people… that’s what the weight is. When you go through that kind of 

progression, you can lose yourself as well as your self esteem in the process. 

That is what happened, and it took me into a backwards spiral, as opposed 

to growing and getting better. – And Yes! We go through things in our lives 

that strengthen us, but mentally for me, I felt like I was going backwards. I 

just felt like I was getting worse and I was getting sadder and angrier. I was 

becoming more unhappy. 

The Weight is Over, is a statement that is synonymous to finally coming to 

that place in my life where I realize that you’re the person that is has to drop 

the weight. You’re the person that is supposed to own up to what has been 

happening and take back what it is that you feel has been taken from you. 

I think that we are the people that are in control of our destiny and what it 

is that our lives are supposed to become. So, the Weight is Over is saying, 

“Yes, you’ve been through these things, but whenever you decide that it’s 

going to be over is when it is going to be over.” 

The book actually sort of chronicles my life, and since childhood there 

are small seeds of negativity that are being planted in our brain, our spirit 

and our hearts; and when we become women, whatever man that we come 

into or whatever friends that we befriend, however we allow them to treat 

“The Weight is Over is a book that 

talks about women’s growth, and all 

of the seeds that are planted, how 

they became heavy and how I had to 

drop them off” 



34

us; those seeds begin to harvest. If you were told that you were ugly, even if 

you didn’t believe it when you were nine or ten, now that as a 25 year old 

woman, you know that you are ugly. Because of the watering of other people 

saying things about you, it just grows and grows. So that’s kind of how I talk 

in the book about different things about weight, my skin, my height, being 

5’10” in the industry! 

What female singer you know, that’s 5’10”? Even though I ended up modeling 

for Wilhelmina for six years, that was cool. I also modeled as a child, but I 

came into the game as an athlete; I played basketball. So, to me this body 

is college ready! I don’t know what these people are talking about? – But 

when I come through the doors of 

Jive Records, its like wow, you can’t 

deny the voice, but she needs to get 

skinnier, or she needs to do this, or 

she needs to do that, or we need 

to make her neo-soul or whatever, 

because they couldn’t classify me as 

something they’re used to. I’m not 

the stereotypical 5’1”, skinny, size 

zero, little girl. I came in the door 

like a Naomi Camble with a booty 

and thighs! 

The Weight is Over is a book that 

talks about women’s growth, and all 

of the seeds that are planted, how 

they became heavy and how I had 

to drop them off. 

What would be some advice you 

would give to someone looking to 

get into the music industry? 

I would say if you are going to 

come into any type of industry, any 

type of facet in the entertainment 

industry, you gotta get “God’d Up!” 

You gotta get your foundation, you 

gotta get your God on! 

You have to get God’d Up! 

So, basically what that means is 

you have to get a strong spiritual 

foundation before you decide to 

come into any type of situation in 

the entertainment industry because 

it is very influential. If you are not 

strong in your beliefs and your 

morals, and in who you are as a 

person, you can be easily swayed 

into negative concepts, facets, and 

situations that can mentally take 

you out. You have to be very strong, 

you have to come in prayed up. You 

cannot be weak—it is not for the 

weak. 

It is okay, especially for women, 

to speak your truth, to be forceful 

about what you want, and not care if people think that you’re a diva, or a bitch, or whatever the case may be. You have 

to fight for your rights and you have to stand up for what you believe in, or no one will believe in you. You have to 

believe in you, more than anybody else. I don’t care how good you sing, how bad you sing, or whatever it is that you 

do—you have to know that you’re the shit before you come in the room! And you have to know that in the room, as 

well as when you leave, or you’re not going to last. You might make it, but you won’t last. 

How do you manage wearing so many hats, as a mom, a singer, a TV personnel, etc? 

Chile, look here. I do not know! There’s no real answer to this question because I really don’t know. People ask me this 

question all the time. How do you balance this many hats? Girl! Any given day could be different. I do it by the grace 

of God. Again, with that spiritual foundation, obviously, I know that God’s not going to put anything in front of me 

that I can’t handle. So, with knowing that, I just keep movin’ and groovin’. I just keep rolling with the punches. We 

can’t control the things that are put into our lives, the things that happen to us; but we can control how we react to 

them. We can control how we feel about them. So, I spend most of my time just trying to not attach my emotions to 

everything. Obviously, I’m human so I’m going to feel a way on any given day about anything, so it’s going to vary; 

but for the most part I have to stay out of my feelings about most of my responsibilities, and most things that happen 

to me, because I won’t get anything done. I don’t have time; I don’t have a lot of leisure time to have a bad time in life! 

I really don’t. 

Like even if I want to have a really sad day and go watch Lifetime, you know, for a whole Sunday; maybe I can do 

that, but really, life is just going! So, I think making a conscious decision to handle it, is how I handle it. I just make 

the choice that I’m going to get it done, and if one day I don’t get everything done, that’s okay too. – And to just keep 

trying. That’s about it; but there’s no real formula. I can’t just say, “Well, what you have to do is, when you wake up in 

the morning… etc.,” because especially with having children, you don’t know what could happen. You could lose your 

job tomorrow…you just don’t know. You have to be ready to be ready for anything. 

If you had to project yourself in your mind, where would you want to see yourself in five years? 

I’ll still be a talk-show host on Sister Circle, except it will be a much bigger platform, and I’ll probably be behind the 

camera a lot more, doing things that are more creative from a production standpoint. I’m going to be very rich in five 

years, it’s going to be very crazy! 

I’m going to be extremely rich, because I like bags. (laughter) I’m going to be going for them, as usual. (laughter) 

So even if you don’t think that, you gotta say that! 

I do think that I am going to be very rich in five years, but I think that at some point I am going to calm down. I have 

been hustling for a very long time, at a very rapid rate. In the next five years my goal is to be working smarter, not 

harder, but richer! 

At this stage in the game, I’ll be hoping that each seed that has been planted throughout the course of my career will 

now harvest. I’ll be able to chill, be a mom, and be with my children. My son is 11 years old, so in five years he’ll be 

sixteen, and ready to make college choices. My other son will be 12. He’ll be getting ready for high school. I would 

want to be in their lives a lot stronger than I am now—not saying that I’m not because I am very, very hands-on with 

my children, but I would really want to be there. 

The Sister Circle might be all that I do on a consistent basis, and then everything else is just my health and fitness 

company getting bags–just accumulating cheese, you know! (laughter) Books, just accumulating, all kinds of “eat 

while you sleep” concepts, just turnt! (laughter) 

In five years I’m just making all kinds of bags… (laughter) but I’m chillin’. That is my goal. 



36

As I encouraged Syleena on her 

future success of achieving those 

goals, she said, “Oh, it’s going 

down! I just spoke it here today!” 

The faith this woman has, is 

contagious and it’s no secret. 

Her energy is refreshing, and the 

knowledge being dropped here, 

is essential to any soul looking 

to find their purpose. 

What do you want your life and 

legacy to represent? 

Service. I don’t want to be the type 

of person where everything that I’ve 

accomplished has only benefit me. I 

want to be the type of person that is 

remembered by my works, and how 

it has made people progress. I want to 

be what God put us all here for, and 

that is for service—and to make an 

impact by changing lives. I don’t want 

to be the type of person that is onesided 

that is just here for me. I want 

my kids to be able to live off a clean, 

strong legacy, and their kids as well. 

I want to leave behind a legacy that 

is strong enough to survive for many, 

many, many years after I’m gone. 

Is there anything else that you would 

like our readers to know? 

Watch Sister Circle, of course; it’s 

5 days a week on TV One at noon, 

WATL at 9am, it’s a live talk-show for 

women of color, which is huge. We are 

the first African American talk show 

with four African American hosts. We 

are the first one’s that have ever done 

it, so it’s black history; Wakanda! - 

(laughter) 

Also, follow me on all social media 

outlets, and of course, syleenamusic. 

com, but be sure to connect with 

me on social media because there 

you can really get involved with all 

things Syleena. You’d be abreast of 

all my health and fitness, my yoga, 

Sister Circle, my music, my book; 

everything that I do and all that’s to 

come. 



38

“Bold yet elegant designs coupled with technical knowledge and supreme quality. Her collection is all hand-made and composed of 

italian acetates in vibrant colors fused together with the highest grade of stainless steel and high quality UV protection lens.

PEOPLE TO SEE 

PLACES TO GO 

THINGS TO EAT 

By Lauren Spiridigliozzi 

THINGS TO DO2018 

Atlanta is full of amazing 

things to experience this 

summer. We have great 

attractions enjoyed by tourists 

and locals. The variety of 

summer experiences has 

something for everyone. If you 

love being outdoors there are 

nature, music and sporting 

events to enjoy. There’s also 

plenty of indoor activities, 

too, when you need some 

relief from the summer heat. 

Here is a list of the top things 

to do in our city this summer. 

Enjoy! 

The World of Coca Cola 

After your visit with the under water creatures, head 

next door to the World of Coca Cola. Learn how the 

soft drink was developed in Atlanta and see how the 

drink is bottled. Guest can also sample Coca Cola 

products that are sold all over the world. 

www.worldofcoca-cola.com 

CNN Studio Tour 

Want to go behind the scenes at CNN to see how 

a news is written and reported? Located in CNN 

Center in downtown, Atlanta visitors can where its 

all done and also shop the CNN store and have a bite 

to eat before or after their tour. 

www.tours.cnn.com 

The Georgia Aquarium 

The Georgia Aquarium in downtown Atlanta is one 

of the largest aquariums in the United States. Visitors 

can learn about many different types of marine life 

and their habitats. Guests can also purchase a ticket to 

experience an animal encounter. Dolphins, sea otters, 

penguins, beluga wales and seals eagerly await a visit 

with you! www.georgiaaquarium.org 



42

Zoo Atlanta 

Check out animals from around the world 

and a number of great animal related events 

at Zoo Atlanta. The zoo is located a few 

minutes east of downtown Atlanta. Check 

out the panda cam before and during your 

visit! www.zooatlanta.org 

Summer Concerts 

Outdoor concert season is in full swing in Atlanta 

already started in April and runs through 

October. Check out the schedule of bands and 

artists performing at local venues such as Verizon 

Amphitheater and Cellairis Amphitheater 

Lakewood on www.ticketmaster.com 

Stone Mountain 

Park 

Enjoy the park’s outdoor attractions such as 

Farm Yard and Geyser Towers and take in the laser 

show after dark. Visitors can also hike trails and 

picnic at the park. There is also an area of the park 

for camping for those who really do love being 

outdoors. 

www.stonemountainpark.com 

Learn About the Civil War in Atlanta 

Atlanta during the Civil War has been depicted in movies and 

television programs. These depictions of Atlanta and the southern 

United States only tell part of the real story of the war. Explore 

this era of Atlanta history at the Atlanta History Center. 

Another place to learn about the civil war in Atlanta is Oakland 

Cemetery. Three thousand civil war soldiers are buried here as 

well as “Gone With the Wind” Margaret Mitchell. 

www.atlantahistorycenter.com 

Summer Festivals 

One of the great things about the warm 

summer months is the number of outdoor 

festivals that happen all over the city. 

Explore new foods, music and art throughout 

June, July and August. Some of this 

summers lineup includes Atlanta’s Summer 

Beer Fest, the Food and Wine Festival, the 

Street Food and Music Festival, the National 

Black Arts Festival and Bronzelens 

Film Festival. www.atlanta.net 

Explore the Hollywood of the South 

Atlanta Movie Tours gives visitors a behind the scenes 

look at the television and film projects being produced 

in Atlanta. To get a overall tour of the production sites 

purchase the Best of Atlanta tour. There are also more 

specialized tours such as the Gone With The Wind 

tour. www.atlantamovietours.com 

AMC’s The Walking 

Dead Tour 

Consider traveling to Senoia, Georgia, for the ultimate 

Walking Dead tour. Fans of the show take a 

walking tour to see the locations in the town where Walking 

Dead is filmed and produced. Visitors may also see the 

show as it is filmed. The tour will also take guests to filming 

locations for other local productions such as Fried Green 

Tomatoes. 

www.atlantamovietours.com 

Sporting Events 

Catch an Atlanta Braves baseball game at Sun Trust 

Park or a Atlanta United FC soccer game at Mercedes 

Benz Stadium. 

www.mlb.com/braves www.atlutd.com 



44

SHE CAME for THE SUMMER & NEVER LEFT 

Our first issue is of course focused 

on Women and Business. I 

started to scan through my mental 

rolodex of women I knew who 

had amazing stories I felt needed 

to be shared. Rhavynn Drummer 

popped in my head almost 

immediately. She is literally the 

poster child of true success in the 

world of Entertainment Business 

and Entrepreneurship. As a New 

Jersey native, Rhavynn graduated 

from University of Virginia in 

Charlottesville. She first started 

off as a pre-med major but 

eventually came to graduate as 

a double major in Theatre and 

American Studies. She is widely 

known in Atlanta for being head 

of casting at Tyler Perry Studios. 

Having worked on many of TPS’ 

blockbuster films and TV shows 

which can currently be seen on 

OWN, she’s also ventured out 

and works as a freelance Casting 

Director as well. She wears 

many hats that don’t just fall into 

the realm of casting. So far she’s written, directed and 

produced two original tv shows. She has also directed 

and produced stage plays. Rhavynn IS a jack of all trades 

in entertainment, and I couldn’t wait to learn more about 

how this all came to be— how SHE came to be. Get 

ready to have your mind rocked. 

Ok so lets get right into it—tell me how you came to 

work at Tyler Perry Studios. How did you find your 

way into ATL? How did you get into casting? 

Honestly, I had no idea what I was going to do with 

degrees in Theatre and American Studies. I heard about 

an internship at TPS so I came down for the summer in 

2007 and 11 years later, I’m still here [laughs]. I initially 

planned on going back to New Jersey to get a job in New 

York. 

…… So at the time you did know if you were set on 

having a career in Show Business? 

RHAVYNN DRUMMER 

Casting Director 

By EIC 

You know, 

honestly I didn’t know 

what else there was to 

do in this business other 

than being an actor. I 

literally knew nothing. 

I didn’t know there 

were other jobs like 

being a casting director, 

producer or associate 

producer. I was super 

green, and there I was 

introduced to the a 

casting department. I 

started working under a 

producer named Roger 

Bobb as well as Reuben 

Cannon(The Color 

Purple). I think working 

with them got me more 

interested in directing 

and producing. I also 

worked as a casting 

intern for Alpha 

Tyler on Mondays 

and Fridays and then 

switched to working as 

Reuben’s assistant middle of the week. I literally jumped 

back and forth between offices for a year. I transitioned 

into being head Casting Director in June 2011. This will 

make actually make seven years in the position. I was a 

casting assistant for about 4 years before that. 

What is it as a Casting Director that you look for? 

I’m looking to feel something when I watch an audition. 

I want to feel like an audience member. I actually had a 

situation recently where I cried while watching this girls 

audition. It tore me up. If you make me feel like I’m 

watching a movie in your two to three minute audition, 

I know there is something special about that actor. The 

actors that are the most honest are the ones that I connect 

to. Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t have to necessarily be 

an audition where they cry. It can be something funny. 

When you make me laugh, or break my heart or make me 

angry thats when I know that the same thing will happen 

for the audience or the director or the writer. 

What is it like for you watching so many auditions? 

Does it get overwhelming? 

Absolutely! It does gets overwhelming. Casting is a lot 

of information at once—a lot of tapes, submissions, in 

person reads, phone calls, emails, texts and DMs. And 

when you do find somebody that makes you “wake up,” 

it feels so against the information because it means I’ve 

found that one person I’ve been looking for. It’s like 

they’ve risen to the top. So overwhelming it is, but I also 

understand that this is part of my job because I also have 

a big responsibility—which is to open up the door to 

somebodies dream. I can’t make your walk through it but 

I can crack it open. 

What do you love most about working in the business? 

What are the things you like least about it? 

You know I was literally thinking about that today. 

Someone asked me what would I do if I never got paid 

for it. I love being in rehearsal. I love the space of 

creation. So whether that’s rehearsing a scene on set or 

rehearsing for a play, I just love it. I guess thats because 

that really is us trying to find a way to make things work 

or work through all the obstacles of what we’re doing. I 

think my favorite thing is watching other actors rehearse 

and directing. There is something really beautiful about 

rehearsing. I love it all. 

The thing I hate the most…[guess you could say this is the 

good and bad thing about the business] this might even 

be sort of selfish of me but here it goes; I long that that 

there was a step by step process to get to your end goal. 

What I mean by that is, because I was initially a pre-med 

major, I have friends that I started out with in school that 

are now doctors. A part of me envies them because they 

have to go to school and get good grades. And then again, 

go to medical school and get good grades. They apply for 

internships and different residencies and boom—they 

have now become a doctor. They had this step by step 

formula to make them what they are right now. Working 

in our industry, it’s not like that. There are no rules, no 

formula, no guide for getting this right. It’s really just a 

bunch of hitting and missing and then maybe landing. 

Then that might bring you a step up but then once the 

job is wrapped, you’re really back to square one until you 

land that one gig that might change your life. But you 

know this really all is a faith walk and you hope to just 

make moves in the right direction. You don’t even really 

find out until you get to the end result. 

Do you consider yourself an entrepreneur? Or a 

business woman? 

I’d say that I wish I’d considered myself an entrepreneur 

earlier in my career. I definitely see myself as that now. 

But when I was a Casting Assistant, I wish I would have 

seen myself as one back then. Like for instance, I just got 

my LLC last year, and I asked myself why did it take me 

ten years working in the business before I decided to get 

it. I think it was partly fear but also not knowing. I do 

consider myself a business now especially because I am 

creating my own projects and casting in more than just 

in one place. 

Since we’re talking about projects — I’ve always 

wanted to ask you about your projects Good Girls TV 

and Brooklyn. Blue. Sky. 

So Good Girls was really my first project that I, wrote, 

directed and produced on my own. I started writing it 

in 2013. I just felt the need to write stories that reflected 

me and my friends. So I ended up writing 30 episodes of 

that show. I didn’t quite know what was going to happen 

with it, and I told a friend who helped me produce it. I 

thought I could film all 30 episodes, but I actually only 

had a budget to film five. So I saved money and we did the 

five. I’m really proud of it because I directed, produced, 

was head of wardrobe and also acted in it. I really wore 

many hats in that project. It was really the project where 

I got all the lessons in learning how to create. I learned 

that I could do a lot but that honestly one person can’t do 

everything. I learned how to delegate. 

With Brooklyn. Blue. Sky., it was a project that I created 

with my friend Dui Jarrod. It was a web series as well 

as my first 

project that 

was actually 

profitable. 

With this 

project, I felt 

like I learned 

the business 

on a higher 

level because 

we did sell it to BET. It was featured at many different 

film festivals as well. It was filmed in its entirety (cast, 

crew and produced) in New York. This was our first taste 

of what it was like to work as a larger entity to actually 

license our work to a network. 

…So I’m a writer as well, and I often stop and take 

long breaks and put things down when I sometimes 

don’t feel that inspired. So where do you start? How 

do you start your writing process? 

I still feel like I’m figuring out the whole writing process 



46

as well. But when I wrote Good Girls, I felt divinely 

inspired. I felt like the story and the words were always 

there. I remembering working during the day for 10 or 12 

hours and then I’d come home and write until midnight. 

But now I’m the space where I still love and enjoy writing, 

but I have to stop waiting for inspiration to hit me. I’m 

learning how to write even when I don’t feel like writing. 

That has literally been something I’ve had to practice and 

sometimes it means I have to allow myself to be a bad 

writer. Sometimes when I get to the computer, I fear that 

what I write is going to crap. But I have to allow myself 

to write crap because it’s going to lead to me writing the 

good stuff. Sometimes it’’ be brilliant and sometimes it 

wont be but I have to keep writing no matter what. I 

give myself a do list. Like I’ll say instead of focusing on 

trying to get an episode done, I’ll say just write for twenty 

minutes. Maybe you finish a scene. Maybe you don’t. 

Maybe I only got five words out but thats better than no 

words at all. But be disciplined. 

I know you travel a lot and host workshops. What do 

you talk about in your workshops? How can readers 

take part if they are interested? 

My workshops are mainly focused on auditioning, 

techniques, principle do’s and don’ts. What I’ve found 

in the Southeast market is that a lot of actors don’t have 

the opportunity to audition in person that much. Mostly 

just taped submissions and they’re not sure what to 

do or they’re being done incorrectly. Or they’re doing 

in person auditions, and they’re dealing with all the 

uncomfortable weirdness of doing the audition live. So 

I do a powerpoint presentation where I go through the 

process from beginning to end. I tell actors often that 

Casting Directors can feel when actors are not enjoying 

the process. They show fear in the face and body language 

that says I can’t wait to get out of this room. I just want to 

get this over with and as a Casting Director, we can feel 

all of that. 

I also provide them with sides and we’ll run through cold 

reads. Sometimes they have ten minutes to prepare and 

then other times they’ll have the sides over night and 

perform the next day, and I’ll give them feedback. 

I have two coming up soon actually. The next workshop 

will be on May 24th at Get Scene Studios. I’m doing 

another (with SAG) on June 2nd from 9-11am. I post 

everything on social media so people can find out how to 

register there. 

What is something that most people don’t know about 

you that they would be surprised to learn? 

Oh gosh [laughs]. I am a very nice person, but according 

to my assistants I’m not the most sympathetic person. 

And what I mean by that is that I can be kind and friendly, 

but I am — there is a part of me that is also very matter of 

fact. My assistants will sometimes talk to me and sort of 

have an emotional moment, and I’m just sort of staring at 

them with a poker face and they say to me that I just don’t 

care. But that’s not true at all. 

Do you see yourself exploring other avenues in 

Hollywood? Will Atlanta always be home? 

I am very inspired by someone like a Donald Glover 

or Debbie Allen. You know they’re actors one day and 

directors on another, rappers and singers or whatever. So 

there is a big part of me that wants to explore all of that. I 

recently went back to my Alma Mater in Virginia, and my 

teacher gave me the biggest compliment. She said, “I love 

that you’re still curious.” That has never left me. I realized 

thats a quality that I want to keep. So for me, I really 

want transition into directing, producing and writing full 

time. 

Also, I really love Atlanta for everything that it doesn’t 

have. I love that we don’t have all these training programs 

and schools where in the city yet. What a great place to 

bring all those things to. These are the things that LA is 

so inundated with so what a great opportunity and time 

to bring those things here. I would love to be apart of 

building a business here while Atlanta continues to grow 

in this business. And you know I love LA, and I have 

family in Jersey so I’m already close to New York but I 

have no real desire to move or to be anywhere else. Of 

course, if an amazing job opportunity comes up I’ll leave 

but this is home for me. So I am really hoping to build 

something great here. 

…my mom asked about why I decided to become 

Editor in Chief of this magazine. I told her that I’d 

made myself a promise that I wanted to learn as much 

as I could and to sort of grow my intelligence as much 

as possible before I die. You seem just as curious as me 

and very unapologetic for exploring other things that 

really are outside of your craft. 

You know its funny because I really think that you being 

Editor in Chief is actually going to make you a better 

actor. You know people put so much weight into one 

thing that sometimes the pressure gets in the way of them 

actually achieving their dream by saying to themselves 

likes “this has to work”. It will work. But you have to 

give yourself the permission and opportunity to be in a 

space where you can explore other things. It makes acting 

more fun. It makes it more playful and really does take 

away the stress and the nerves of actually booking. And 

that’s when you actually do book! 

What are your thoughts on social media and how 

its been driving this industry? Do you check actors 

handles before hiring them? Do number of followers 

really matter? 

I get that question a lot. Actors will ask the numbers really 

do matter in terms of followers. For me, I personally look 

at social media as a business tool [I hope actors look at 

it the same] but Im not looking at an actors numbers to 

determine if I cast them. It is 100% a none factor to 

me. I want to see artist first, and then let artist use social 

media to promote their art. At the same time, I’ve been in 

situations where actors were cast because they have a lot 

of followers. I will say of all the roles I’ve auditioned in 

the last year, less than 10% were chosen because of their 

social media. Most were cast based off their talent and 

talent alone. 

Unless social media really is your “gift,” I don’t think 

that people should put out content specially just to get 

more followers and to become more popular. That does 

concern me. I mean if you’re going to do it, do it because 

you love it and present something thats honest and not 

just because you trying to get the attention of certain 

people so that someone can book you for a project. Do 

it for the art. Be true to your authentic self. Run social 

media. Don’t let it run you. 

Take Will Smith for example, he is someone who built 

his career on talent and just six months ago started an 

Instagram page and he uses his page in spread whatever 

messages he wants. He’s a great example of someone who 

I feel is using social media in the best way. Its so easy to 

let it take over your life. Think to yourself, is what you 

want to be known for — Social media versus your talent. 

What advice would you give to people either trying to 

break into the business on the acting side or on the 

casting (directing, producing) side? 

I think the best way to break in is to really start by offering 

your services for free. I feel like the hardest part is literally 

getting your foot in the door. For instance, when I was 

an intern, it was ending and I had no idea what the next 

step was. I figured I’d just go back home. So I stopped 

by Reuben Cannon’s office and let his assistant know that 

my internship was ending and I told her to let me know if 

they needed help with anything. She asked could I come 

in on Monday. That was on the Friday before when I 

asked and the rest is history. It wasn’t paid but she needed 

help, and I agreed. From then on, I was there everyday. 

For actors, be careful with doing work behind the scenes. 

I understand the approach but be aware of getting stuck 

because now people think of them as crew, or behind the 

scenes versus what they really want. Find other ways to 

get Casting Directors to see your work. Invite them to 

plays or tag them in a clip your post from a scene you 

might have been in on television. This is one thing about 

social media that I do like actors doing. Don’t flood 

my inbox. This is how you can use your social media 

as a business tool. Do your research. If social media is 

used the right way… it can make all the difference. If 

I’m watching something on TV I really like, I watch the 

credits to find the actor and keep them in mind for future 

projects. 

If you do your research then you know who should 

actually be seeing your work. So many people want to 

send things directly to Tyler Perry or to Oprah and fail to 

realize that its the producer that no one knows about that 

will put you on. 

So how do you feel about networking? 

Networking, I do think is important so that you can meet 

people and ask questions. But it shouldn’t be about trying 

to sort of get in with people. I love with Issa Rae said, 

“People don’t ever really network across, they’re always 

trying to network up.” I think more should consider that 

the person next to you is going to be able to help you do 

something. Work with people who are like minded and 

use the resources that are closest to you. 

There is always something about LA that will make you 

fell like you’re working for someone else. I’ve been told 

that the only reason people go to LA is for validation. 

Atlanta shouldn’t be a place where you only search for 

opportunities. People should think more along the lines 

of what can I add to Atlanta. You know you should come 

here to create opportunities and to build something. Don’t 

think what can Atlanta do for me, but rather can I do for 

Atlanta. This is a smaller market that is growing and you 

have a great chance to thrive and really be successful. 

“ 

The actors that are most 

honest are the ones that 

I connect with.” 



48

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50

SELF 

MADE 

MILLIONAIRE 

The quiet storm who built an empire. 

By EIC 

Hair by Tayanna J 

Make-up by Yasmin Lozada 

Designer: Lisa Nicole Collection 

Styled by Lakesha Green 

Photography by Tony Tyus 

Lisa Nicole Cloud is truly the epitome of what many little girls dream to one day become. She 

is an entrepreneur and business woman who literally built her career from the ground up and 

shows no signs of slowing down. She graduated from Emory University as a Psychology/Pred- 

Med major. She went on to complete her graduate studies at Johns Hopkins University where 

she successfully carried out their Leadership Development Program. Soon thereafter, it seemed 

as if she’d gone to have a successful career in Pharmaceutical sales. But Lisa wasn’t satisfied, 

and it was then that her journey to becoming a self-made millionaire began. 

Following her departure from Bravo’s Married To Medicine, Lisa has taken her career to a whole 

new level. Her Elevation Collection also received rave reviews at the 2018 New York Fashion 

Week. She is also the owner of several other businesses not to mention, the founder of the 

Women’s Empowerment Network. I was eager to sit down with her and learn more about her 

journey not only to becoming a business mogul but also to better understand her path to financial 

freedom. So many people want to own a business yet have no clue where to start. A quiet 

yet strong presence she has—I knew the moment she spoke she’d have much wisdom and 

knowledge to share once we sat down to talk. I’ve now had the chance on a few occasions to get 

to know Lisa, and I’m truly in awe of her story and how she has built her empire. It’s even more 

amazing as to how open she is in helping others reach the same level of success. 



52

So you are basically a business 

mogul….I’ve read a lot of the info 

on your site explaining who you 

are so…for all of our readers out 

there… lets just start by having 

YOU tell them who you are in your 

own words. 

First, I woman of God. Everything I 

do in my life is ordered from above. 

I started off in direct sales, because I 

really am an entrepreneur at heart. I 

just love entrepreneurship. I made a 

lot of money in direct sales, and then 

I took the money I made from direct 

sales and invested it in my clothing line, 

invested in women’s empowerment 

network and invested in our media 

company. So I would definitely 

say that I’m a serial entrepreneur. 

I love starting businesses, building 

brands and watching them grow into 

empires. But I am also a mommy and 

a wife. Those are the most important 

titles I carry. But I do love business, 

entrepreneurship, and I love helping 

other people become successful 

entrepreneurs. That is my passion. 

So you have 3 different lines… 

Lisa Nicole Collection, Lisa Nicole 

Diamond Collection and Lisa 

Nicole Signature Collection. So 

whats the difference between the 

three? 

Lisa Nicole Collection is a ready to 

wear collection. It was my very first 

collection. It was that every day piece 

that you wanted to make a statement 

in—very on trend while keeping 

the business woman in mind. We 

used fabrics that were easier to 

travel with and very forgiving in 

our problem areas. Then, I started 

getting approached by high end 

boutiques that wanted to carry more 

than just ready to wear pieces—you 

know fabrics like crepes, laces etc. 

So I started to enhance my fabric 

selection, and thats what started the 

Lisa Diamond Collection. I began 

to get calls with people asking me to 

style them for the red carpet. That’s 

when we developed the Lisa Nicole 

Signature collection. You know we 

can take you from the board room to 

the ball room. I’m super excited about 

our new collection called BOSS. It’s 

more moderately priced for a young 

professional who may not have $200 

to spend on a suit but still wants to be 

classy and make a statement. 

The other thing I love about BOSS is 

that it really embodies who I am. It is 

a program designed to teach people 

who have a desire to be in the fashion 

industry—stylists, entrepreneurs, or 

everyday people who just like stylish 

clothes—we teach them how to 

pretty much start their own mobile 

boutique. They buy a certain volume 

of pieces, but they buy wholesale. 

What always happens when you wear 

something everybody likes? They 

say, “Oh my God! I love that! Where 

can I get it?” We have websites for 

every brand ambassador to purchase 

pieces they are wearing. It’s exciting 

because it takes my background in 

direct sales and bringing it into the 

world of fashion. But remember what 

I said first. I am a woman of God and 

BOSS. That stands for Believer of 

Supernatural Success. 

What inspired you to become a 

designer—because clearly you 

know fashion! 

It’s funny how we end up doing 

the things that we do. I always 

taught women with the Women’s 

Empowerment Network that you 

must dress for success. Don’t dress for 

the position that you hold. Dress for 

the position that you want. It was an 

evolution of who I was as a business 

woman to not only teach women 

the importance of how they present 

themselves but also to wear the 

clothing that is right for their body 

types with options. So I knew I’d 

always wanted to start a clothing line. 

But there was one thing that tragically 

happened that pushed me into the 

world of fashion. I was speaking at 

Madison Square Garden—talking 

with Russel Simmons. I was looking 

good and even spent a couple grand 

on my outfit. I walked in and all of 

the air was sucked out of the room. 

A person who was sitting on the 

panel with me had on the exact same 

dress! Russel made a joke asking if 

we planned it—totally rubbing it in. 

I swore THAT would never happen 

again! 

When you buy off the rack, there is a 

risk. So I started designing my own 

pieces and took them to someone 

to sew them because I didn’t know 

how. I’ve always had a very keen 

sense of fashion—what’s on trend, 

what women are wearing and what 

they want. Women would say, “Oh 

my God I love that! What are you 

wearing?” My reply, “Me! Lisa Nicole” 

and hence the Lisa Nicole collection 

was born. 

So do have you still have your 

boutique in Atlanta? 

I have a show room. I had a store in 

Bulkhead but with everything I do 

and all the traveling, it was hard to run 

a brick and mortar and be there every 

day. No one runs your business like 

you run your business! I went back to 

what I did in the beginning, which 

is wholesale. We sell to boutiques 

that carry the line. Our showroom 

is in the Norcross area. Our private 

clients come there to have us design 

pieces for them. We also have a 

stylist pull studio. There, stylist can 

pull pieces for their clients and rent 

them. We also have a work room 

and warehouse as well. Meetings are 

by appointment only. 

You have been dubbed a self-made 

millionaire. What advice would 

you give to those looking to also 

take control of their careers and 

financial destiny by becoming an 

entrepreneur? 

When I talk to people who say they 

want to start a business but aren’t 

sure about what to do or I how to 

start, I tell them to chase their passion. 

If you chase a passion and not 

a paycheck the money will come. 

Think about what you do that you 

just love doing that you would do 

even if people didn’t pay you. That 

is where you will find your passion. 

Then, you can learn how to strategically 

develop products so that you 

can monetize your passion. 

That is one of the things we really 

focus on with any marketing strategy 

in order to really help entrepreneurs 

build brands—Looking at 

their social media, looking at their 

website, looking at their marketing 

collaterals, looking at how they’re 

presenting themselves with magazines 

and different media opportunities. 

When we do our “Master 

Mind Days,” we bring in entrepreneurs 

who are smaller businesses 

and really help them build that 

million dollar brand. 

So what type entrepreneurs are 

you currently working with? 

We work with a lot of coaches, 

authors, speakers—also businesses 

that need brand strategy. A lot of 

businesses are good at their skill 

but they don’t know how to brand 

and market what they do. Those 

kinds of businesses get a lot of use 

out of what we provide. 

I work in entertainment and everything 

that you’re saying I think 

would even benefit me. [laughs] 

As an entertainer, you are the talent. 

Talent can’t manage all their 

social media pages. You can’t manage 

can’t keep your website updated 

with everything that you are doing. 

You can’t develop your marketing 

materials that you are posting. 

You have to have a team of people 

to help you focus on building. If 

you do, you’ll far exceed the other 

talent out there. Entrepreneur’s 

makes mistakes by trying to do 

it all. They try to wear the hat of 

CEO and Chief Marketing Officer, 

Chief Operations Officer 

and Chief Sales Officer. They’re 

not really accomplishing what 

they need to accomplish. In this 

day and time where it’s so easy 

to outsource things, you must be 

resourceful and invest money. You 

can really invest a small amount. 

It will take more time for you to 

utilize your hours than it would 

take for you to pay somebody to 

do it quickly for you. 

“Married to Medicine”. How did 

you and your husband come to 

be on the show? Whats the experience 

been like? 

The show is about doctors and 

doctors’ wives. I’m married to a 

doctor. What is unique about me 

is that even though I’m married 

to a doctor, I made more money 

than the doctor. I was very different 

from the other wives on the 

show. Based on my success and 

lifestyle, it was just a natural fit. I 

loved the time I was on the show. 

I think it was a great platform for 

the clothing line and the Women’s 

Empowerment Network. It was 

even an amazing platform for my 

direct sales business. They always 

tried to throw shade, and I would 

always use it as an opportunity to 

talk about the business. I’ve helped 

twenty-six people become documented 

millionaires in the past 15 

years from direct sales. 

What are some business do’s and 

don’ts? Name your top 3 of each. 

Don’t try to do it all yourself. 

Do what it is you’re good at and 



54

master it. Hire a team to support 

you and budget for it. Don’t ever 

quit. Entrepreneurship is not easy 

but it is rewarding. Just beyond 

your comfort zone is the life of 

your dreams. It’s truly the way you 

choose to take over your financial 

destiny. Find a mentor. Success is 

not a secret. It’s really a system. You 

know when I started my clothing 

line I didn’t go to fashion school. I 

didn’t sew either but there was a lot 

of information out there on successful 

designers like Donna Karan 

and Ralph Lauren. I read through 

case studies. I really studied their 

models. If you notice Donna Karan 

had an entry-level brand which was 

DKNY—then Donna Karan and 

Donna Karan Runway. Success is 

very simple. You follow successful 

people and duplicate their strategies. 

Are you hands on with these people 

that you work with? 

Very much so. I just flew in from 

New Jersey because I was there 

speaking to about 3000 people. 

I believe there is no income like 

residual income. Most people make 

money from linear income. When 

they work, they get paid. While I 

was shooting a television show for 

five months my other business was 

generating a recurring residual 

check every month, whether I went 

and did a presentation or not. It’s 

residual income that allows me to 

start other businesses. 

You offer business workshops… 

what are some of the things you 

talk about? How can our readers 

attend? 

Where I have been very successful 

in direct sales is by keeping 

my finger on the pulse of what is 

the next wealth trend. I made my 

money from VOIP, Voice Over 

Internet Protocol—that was back in 

the day when there was no Skype 

or Whats app. When I first started 

telling people about VOIP, I told 

them they’d would be able to see 

the people they’re calling, and you 

could call all over the world. They 

looked at me like I was talking 

about something from The Jetsons. 

Because I was on the front side of it, 

I was able to deploy it to thousands 

and thousands of customers. I’ve 

been getting paid ever since. 

So now there are two more wealth 

trends that have hit. I’m now teaching 

people how to capitalize on 

them as well. One is IPTV, Internet 

Protocol Television—which means 

cable and satellite TV will eventually 

be a thing of the past. Now 

you can send high-definition video 

over the internet. It’s changing the 

whole landscape. People who get in 

now can make some serious money. 

The other thing that is very big now 

is the business of Cannabis. I teach 

people how to get in position for 

that because it’s very, very lucrative. 

I’m not talking about marijuana. 

Cannabis is inclusive of different 

types of products. CBD, which 

is legal in all 50 states, has all the 

medicinal benefits of marijuana. 

It’s a Cannabinoid. If you have a 

headache, you can take a few drops 

of that cream and your headache 

is gone in minutes. Any type of 

inflammation—it’s like a miracle 

product. Nobody knows about it 

right now because it was just legalized 

in all 50 states. 

We teach entrepreneurs how to 

capitalize on these types of wealth 

trends. With wealth trends you 

have to be on the front side of them 

before they explode. 

So for those who might want to 

attend what should they do? 

People who have an entrepreneurial 

spirit, and are looking to learn 

more about just starting a business 

in general, can go to www.moreincomeforme.com. 

Put in their information, 

and we will get in touch 

with them and invite them out to 

one of our information seminars. 

For people who are interested in 

CBD can actually get a free sample 

of it www.cbdforfree.info. People 

who are interested in our BOSS 

program can go to www.bosscollection.info. 

A designer, business mogul— lets 

talk more about the Women’s 

Empowerment Network. How did 

that come into fruition? 

It initially started off as a way of 

giving back. I would do a one day 

conference, which is now a three 

day conference, with women who 

are at the top of their game—million 

dollar earning business women. 

Women who have blazed trails, 

and I would have them come to 

the conference and speak to other 

women that are aspiring to achieve 

that same level of success. It was my 

way of connecting women who believe 

in sisterhood, who believe in 

collaboration, and are empowered 

and aspired to grow. It’s become 

this amazing conference of breakthrough. 

As women the one thing we don’t 

do enough of is putting ourselves in 

environments where we can release. 

We carry the weight of the world on 

our shoulders. We are taking care 

of everybody else. We take care of 

our kids, our spouses—the person 

we often time neglect is ourselves. 

WEN is really that weekend where 

you can get away and you get to 

be still, reflect on what your goals, 

surround yourself with people 

who encourage you and help you 

to achieve those goals. There are a 

lot of Mastermind Circles that are 

formed. I bring in some amazing 

women. We also recognize women at our WEN awards 

ceremony who are doing amazing things in their community 

and in their professions. 

The next WEN conference will take place June 8th 

through the 10th at the Evergreen Marriott Resort in 

Stone Mountain, Georgia. This is our seventh year. It’s 

an amazing weekend and, women often say it’s the one 

conference they attend that changed their life. Women 

come there and when they leave they are literally 

starting businesses, writing books, and birthing non 

profits. They are connecting with the people who can 

help them achieve real success. 

How are you able to balance your work life, running 

businesses, doing the show all while being a mom? 

When you do what you love it doesn’t feel like work. 

Everyday I get up and work on everyone one of my 

businesses. I have a great team of people that are tied 

to each of the businesses. I have daily contact with 

every executive team. I make sure we are moving 

forward with our objectives. We map out our one year, 

three year and five year plan. We know what we have 

to get done and make it happen. People often ask how 

I do so much? My husband says that everything I put 

my hands on turns to gold. When you do what you 

love you attract success. You attract who you are. I’ve 

spent a lot of time personally developing and investing 

in myself. I went to all kinds of workshops. I studied 

from some very successful people. Most entrepreneurs 

who are varied in their success they don’t one just one 

business— they own multiple businesses. 

Do you feel like you’ve done it all based on where 

your success is right now? 

I’ve done the things I’ve wanted to do, and I know 

there is still more in the future for me. There are a lot 

of projects on the horizon. There are TV opportunities 

that are presented to me on a regular basis. There are 

scripted TV opportunities that come to me. I just do 

what I love. If I stop enjoying doing something, I don’t 

do it anymore. There is a time and a season for everything. 

Sometimes, like in the case of Married to Medicine, 

I enjoyed what I was doing on that show. But that 

season came to an end for me because I needed to be 

very focused on my businesses. I gained what I needed 

to gain from that experience—my relationships, my 

contacts, my businesses were out there. When it turned 

toxic, I had to let it go. I don’t do the drama thing. I’m 

about positive energy—focusing on positive things. 

And since we’re talking about seasons and transitioning, 

where do you see yourself in five years? 

God is blowing my mind with opportunities that have 

come from the clothing line. I just got a call to go to 

Cannes Film Festival in France which is a very big 

deal. I will be at the Essence Festival on their fashion 

stage showing the Lisa Nicole collection. I will then fly 

to Bermuda for the Bermuda Fashion Festival. There 

is a TV show that is in discussion now surrounding 

the clothing line and all the businesses. It’s a lot, but I 

just take everything one day at a time. I’m very clear. I 

listen to God and let him order my steps. 

Anything else, maybe a few words of encouragement 

or advice that you want to leave with our readers? 

The thing that a lot people tell me is that they are afraid 

they will fail. A lot of times they don’t take chances. 

They are afraid to fail. If only you knew how many 

times I failed in the things I attempted to try. Failing 

is part of succeeding. You are going to make some 

mistakes trying to figure it out along the way. You just 

have to embrace it. In every failure and every set back, 

there is a lesson and a set up for the next comeback. 

I tell people let go of your fears and go for it. Live life 

like there is no tomorrow. The one thing you don’t 

want to do is live your life with regret. I can honestly 

say that I’m not afraid to take a risk. I take a lot of risks 

daily. I think there is a freedom in doing that. 

Where can people find you and follow you online? 

Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter Lisa 

Nicole Cloud. You can follow the collections on the 

same platforms. 



56

A Taste of Atlanta: 

A Tour Guide of the Cities Best Restaurants 

Local Cuisine 

Home Grown 

Wisteria 

South City Kitchen Midtown 

Fox Bros. BBQ 

Fat Matt’s Rib Shack 

Thumbs Up Diner 

Buttermilk Kitchen 

Mary Mac’s Tea Room 

Atlanta Breakfast Club 

West Egg Café 

Steakhouse 

Buttermilk Kitchen 

Seafood 

The Optimist 

C&S Seafood and Oyster Bar 

Steamhouse Lounge 

Atlanta Fish Market 

Lure 

Ray’s in the City 

Kyma 

Six Feet Under 

St. Cecilia 

Chops Lobster Bar 

Atlanta really does have a lot to offer. Plenty of things to do and places to go. But the one area 

that Atlanta can never fail in is food! Food! Food! Food! Everybody loves food. There is no 

shortage of food options here, and with its southern draw, no one could never get sick of eating 

in this city. We’ve complied a list of the best restaurants in the Atlanta by category. We would 

suggest you try as many as you can this summer. Not only that, one of our writers visited a local 

eatery. Flip to the next page to read all about his unique experience at Buttermilk Kitchen. 

Fine Dining 

Bone’s Restaurant 

The Capital Grille 

Canoe 

Nikolai’s Roof 

Chama Gaucha Brazilian 

Steakhouse 

La Grotta Ristorante Italiano 

Aria 

Nan Thai Fine Dining 

The Optimist 

Pricci 


Italian 

La Grotta Ristorante Italiano 

Babette’s Café 

Pricci 

La Tavola 

Sotto Sotto 

Ecco 

St. Cecilia 

Antico’s 

Pasta Da Pulcinella 

Antico Pizza Napoletana 

Max’s Coal Oven Pizzeria 

Fortune Cookie 

Chama Gaucha Brazilian Steakhouse 

Stoney River Steakhouse and Grill 

McKendrick’s Steak House 

Kevin Rathbun Steak 

Hal’s On Old Ivy 

Cuts Steakhouse 

Bone’s Restaurant 


Ruth’s Chris Steak House 

Fogo de Chao Brazilian Steakhouse 

Atlanta Fish Market 



58 

Stoney River 

Asian 

Hsu’s Gourmet 

Orient Express 

Fortune Cookie 

Canton Cooks 

Gu’s Dumplings 

La Mei Zi 

P.F. Chang’s 

Grand China Restaurant 

Ah-Ma’s Taiwanese Kitchen 

Bo Bo Garden Asian Cuisine 

BBQ 

Fox Bros. BBQ 

Fat Matt’s Rib Shack 

Heirloom Market 

Twin Smoker’s BBQ 

Daddy D’z 

Mexican 

Agave 

Nuevo Laredo Cantina 

Alma Cocina 

No Mas! Cantina 

Bartaco West Midtown 

No Mas! Cantina 

Bone Garden Cantina 

Raging Burrito and Taco 

Superica 

Sweet Auburn BBQ 

Tin Lizzy’s 

Escorpion 

Sweet Auburn BBQ 

Lovies BBQ 

Smoke Ring 

D.B.A. Barbeque 

Bullpen Rib House

Farm Deviled Eggs 

A Simple Touch 

Southern Cooking in the Heart of Atlanta 

By Jeremy Ball 

Just about anyone who has driven through Atlanta knows the city is known for one 

unmistakable negative trait: traffic. With endless bumper-to-bumper mayhem, 

many can begin to hear their stomachs rumble to where it can be heard over 

the horn-honking. When one feels that hungry itch, there are very few places to 

experience real unique southern cooking better than Buttermilk Kitchen. The 

simple setting on such a busy street can cause the restaurant to be hidden to the where many can pass by it. But 

I’m here to tell you, BK is definitely a rare gem in the heart of Atlanta. The ambiance gives any southerner a blissful 

nostalgic feel. 

To give more props to Buttermilk, Suzanne Vizethann, Executive Chef and Owner, was a winning participant on The 

Food Network’s Chopped. She’s been featured on the Today Show, Martha Stewart Living, Atlanta Magazine, Creative 

Loafing and the Atlanta Journal Constitution. 

Being a newcomer to the joint, I didn’t know what to expect. BK is a breakfast and brunch restaurant so they’re 

not usually open past two; three on the weekends. Taking a seat at the bar, I was thoroughly entertained through 

conversation with the waitress serving me. One thing that sets Buttermilk above the standard is the friendliness of the 

staff. I felt very welcomed, and my waitress helped me decide what to eat. 

One of the most popular menu items is the chicken biscuit. This entrée is served with a side of pimento cheese grits and 

house pickles. Pimento cheese is an ingredient that is very popular on the menu. This ingredient is also used in their 

famous pimento cheese omelet, which is also stuffed with Benton’s smoked bacon. They also serve a pimento cheese 

snack as an appetizer. Another popular choice is the B.E.L.T. That’s toast with bacon, egg, spinach, green and red 

tomatoes with mayo served on top. According to online reviews, this restaurant serves pancakes that are indescribably 

good. However, if one desires to attain a unique dish, pancakes may not be the desired route to choose. Though not 

served on the regular, the store has a fried chicken dinner that is served once every month. It’s encouraged for those to 

go at night if anyone is looking for a worthy southern-cooked dinner. 

Chicken Biscuit 

After a detailed look over the menu, I decided to go with the chicken 

biscuit. Though a bit pricier than most chicken biscuits, this is no 

ordinary chicken biscuit, and I believe any customer would get their 

monies worth. Tripling the size of a Chick-fil-A chicken biscuit—the 

chicken is cooked to perfection. Tender in the middle, brined in 

sweet tea and fried perfectly, giving the chicken a fantastic texture. 

The biscuit resembles one of the Red Lobster’s cheddar biscuits. To 

top it all off, the red pepper jelly that comes on it, gives the chicken 

biscuit a sweet, which in my opinion is crucial to giving the entrée, 

perfect finishing touch. I’m not a fan of pimento cheese, but the 

pimento cheese grits were quite satisfactory. The warmth found in every bite was almost good enough to light up your 

very soul. 

Overall, BK’s dining experience gave me a friendly, simple, and genuine environment that has enticed me to return 

again in the near future. If you have a craving for southern cooking, this restaurant will not disappoint. BK has 

impeccable service, delectable food and a setting that reminds any southerner of home. The seating was not the most 

comfortable [at the bar] but that wouldn’t stop me from going again. I would encourage anyone who is stressed out 

from the traffic in Atlanta to put their busy lives on hold and experience the majestic presence it has to offer. 



60

An Open Letter To The Mentally Ill 

....from someone who is also suffering.... 

By Casey Williams 

As a person who has suffered from ADHD, an anxiety disorder, and mild depression, some 

of it has been exacerbated by difficult circumstances while some of it is in fact genetic. 

Either way, it’s had a huge impact on my life in a neurotypical world. Even though I have 

had the financial support of my family, I’ve had to navigate most of my mental health journey 

and gather wisdom on my own through life experiences. 

Over time, I have improved with the help of God, therapy, books, and my wonderful friends. 

I have gained a great deal of wisdom over the years that I would like to share with you because 

I know that some need to hear this advice. So let me just say this before I get started—I’m no 

mental health expert, but I have found these things to be true. 

1 

If you have a mental illness, you could say that 

something ‘wrong’ with you. But don’t misinterupt 

this in a negtaive way. 

There is a real chemical imbalance in your brain. 

You’re not just making up to get attention no matter 

what anyone may say. It sounds ridiculous but the hardest 

truth I’ve had to face — getting myself to accept is that 

what I feel is real. There are so many people, in my family 

and friend group included, who do not understand and 

underestimate what I feel. Many people 

underestimate how difficult mental illness 

is to manage. 

As a result, I have spent a long time 

trying to convince myself that emotional 

suffering is suffering, too. I’m not 

exaggerating when I say that this doubt 

has tormented me for years. I have spent many hours 

praying, talking to my friends, talking to my therapist, 

and reading the Bible to make myself accept my problems 

are real. It’s only when you accept this truth that you can 

begin to fix your problems. 

2 

Having a mental illness does not make you a bad 

person who will automatically do bad things. 

Your mind and soul are unhealthy. That’s all. Being 

sick and being evil are two different things. One of 

the worst things anyone has ever said to me is that my 

depression and anger could make me a school shooter. I 

understand better now that she was trying to persuade me 

to repress my emotions, so I wouldn’t become dangerous. 

She wanted me to fear my feelings. She thought she was 

helping, but it was wrong to use. 

I hardly should have to explain why thinking like this 

is wrong. Firstly, it’s misleading. The mentally ill can be 

violent, but that doesn’t mean they will be. Secondly, it 

hurts how the mentally ill see themselves. It makes the 

non-neurotypical see themselves as a danger to society 

simply because of their illness. Thirdly, it’s alienating. It 

stigmatizes the mentally ill even further from others. It 

also pushes the mentally ill to repress their feelings and 

withdraw from society, so they won’t harm others instead 

of addressing their problems and getting the help they 

need. 

What you need to know is that people will think 

all these things about someone who might have a mental 

illness, but they’re wrong. You’re not a criminal for having 

problems in your head. Just about everyone deals with 

secret battles of the mind that they hide well from others. 

3 

There are people close to you who will probably 

never understand what you endure with your mental 

illness— but if there are people in your life who do, 

you can get through it. 

You don’t need to waste your time making people 

understand if you have others who do. 

I have people in my family and 

friends group who don’t understand 

my mental illness and probably 

never will. They think that I can 

sort of ‘will it’ to stop if I try hard 

enough or that taking medication is 

somehow wrong. Fortunately, many 

of these people are supportive even 

though they don’t understand. But there are others who 

deride me for feeling bad, and those who even think that 

I’m holding onto my emotions out of spite. 

The same will go for you. Our culture underestimates, 

or rather misinterprets, the pain of the mental ill, and 

there will be people close to you who do the same. They 

may support you which is great, but there are other people 

who will think that you’re holding onto your feelings to 

spite them or that you are simply not trying hard enough 

to act normal. 

However, as is the case with me, there are people who 

will understand what you’re going through and be there 

for you to talk to when you need it. These people will 

be your support system, and if you have them, you can 

endure without the support of the others. 

“Many people 

underestimate how 

difficult mental illness 

is to manage”. 

neu·ro·typ·i·cal 

/n(y)oorō’tipikl/ 

adjective 

not displaying or characterized by autistic or other neurologically atypical patterns 

of thought or behavior. 



62

4 

Struggling with emotional trauma doesn’t mean you 

are unforgiving—It means you are still hurt. 

Let me say this louder for the people in the back. 

Struggling with emotional scars from a dysfunctional 

relationship does not mean that you haven’t forgiven 

your perpetrator. There is a difference. I know this from 

personal experience. People have hurt me, and despite 

how difficult it has been, I’ve forgiven them and moved 

on with my life. However, that does not mean I’m not 

damaged from the experience and don’t have to deal with 

the scars. 

For many people who’ve made mistakes, it’s hard to 

understand. They have turned their lives around and 

want to move forward, so they expect you to be able to 

do the same. When they see that you’re still hurt by the 

experience, they take it as a sign that you’re still angry at 

them when usually that’s not the case. 

The scars in most cases have nothing to do with your 

feelings for the person you’ve forgiven. They are side effects 

of the negative experience you were forced to endure, and 

you must deal with them whether you like it or not. It 

took me years and a conversation with an understanding 

friend to know this to be true. 

To go back to my previous point, you may want this 

person to walk with you as you deal with the emotional 

trauma, but odds are that they can’t because for them it is 

too painful. If they want to, that’s great but if they’re not 

emotionally capable of doing so, you must accept it and 

move on. 

5 

There is no shame in going to therapy. Therapy 

helps you understand your problems and move on. I 

spent years foolishly thinking that I could ignore my 

emotional scars and deal with the issues on my own. I was 

wrong, and it took a difficult semester studying abroad 

in 2015 to finally accept the truth. Since I’ve started 

therapy, my mental health has improved and I’ve grown 

as a person. 

Odds are you need to do the same. You need help 

dealing with your scars. You can’t do it on your own. It’s 

impossible and will only make things worse. Trust me— 

Finding help is the only way you can help yourself move 

through your illness. 

I know that therapy can be expensive. I’ve been blessed 

to find a therapist within my church’s ministry who 

could give me discounts, but if you look hard enough, 

you can find something. I recommend looking at https:// 

www.7cups.com/. It’s a website for people with anxiety 

or depression who need someone to talk to. It does not 

replace the need for therapy, but it’s a good place to find 

support. 

In addition to therapy, I have been reading psychology 

books to help me understand my feelings. However, 

while these books have been incredibly helpful for me, I 

hesitate to recommend them since they are mostly written 

by Christian psychologists with a Christian worldview. 

I’m not sure how helpful non-believers would consider 

them to be despite the validity of their advice. All religion 

aside, my recommendation would be to find books that 

speak to you no matter your beliefs. 

Of these books, the most helpful one has been Happiness 

is a Choice: a Manual on the Symptoms, Causes, and 

Cures of Depression, written by Dr. Frank B. Minirth 

and Dr. Paul D. Meier in the late 19 70’s. Ironically, I 

have not finished reading the whole book since I salvaged 

it when my church nixed their library in high school, but 

what I have read has helped me understand the underlying 

reasons behind my anxiety and depression. Believers and 

non-believers can learn from them. Nevertheless, this 

book is very insightful when it comes to understanding 

the psychological reasons behind one’s own emotional 

troubles. 

I’ve also read The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck 

published in 1978. This book is well-known, but I didn’t 

read it until my good friend, then a British expat working 

in France, sent me the book as a Christmas present in 2015 

once I decided to seek help in my journey to psychological 

healing. This book played a heavy roll in finally getting 

my mind to accept that psychological problems were real 

issues that affected people. In addition, it opened my 

eyes to how neurotic I really am and what a problem it 

really is. The book outlines what it means to the author 

to be a fulfilled person in his experience as a person and 

a psychologist. As a believer, I did not agree with every 

piece of advice he gave, but I respect Peck for his wisdom 

and for treating religious beliefs respectfully as something 

that needs to be encouraged if they help and questioned 

if they hurt. That last bit means a great deal to me since 

I have dealt with well-meaning people who have tried 

to convince me that my religious beliefs, or that having 

religious beliefs period, was something insane that needed 

to be dropped to make me healthy, but I digress. 

The point is to take psychological books with a 

grain of salt. Even if they are written by wise, seasoned 

psychologists, their advice may not necessarily always 

be right for you. On the same token, you should read 

these books with an open mind, especially if you are as 

stubborn I am. These people are smart and know what 

they’re talking about. Psychology is a science, and even if 

their advice is not helpful for your situation, psychologists’ 

words about psychological conditions apply to everyone. 

Again, I’m no mental health expert. These are only 

things I have learned over time as I have navigated the 

world of mental illness mostly on my own. I hope I can 

give some of that desperately needed guidance to people 

like myself, so they don’t have to spend years wandering 

like I did. 

“ 

Our culture 

underestimates, or rather 

misinterprets, the pain of 

the mental ill...” 



64



66

RED 

HOT 

SUMMER 

2018 

Thing To Do 

SELF 

MADE 

MILLIONAIRE 

WHO BUILT 

AN EMPIRE 

LISA NICOLE CLOUD

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