CNY MARCH-APRIL 2021

SHE 

HUSTLES 

TALKS 

WOMEN 

ENTREPRENEURS 

Featuring: 

- - LAM HOANG MY 

“AMY” 

- RUMELLA CAMERON 

- KW FITNESS 

-A ROSE IS STILL A ROSE 

- DEWITT STYLING 

- MIND. BODY. META. 

- ANGELA TEWA 

-ALWAYS CHASING 

BETTER COACHING 

- SACRED GODDESS BOX 

AND MORE! 

Enjoy 

FASHION FORWARD 

WITH THE CHERRY PIT 

VOICES FOR IMPACT 

ASK DANIEL BALDWIN 

WARRIOR WELLNESS 

WITH ALEXIS TEARNEY 

Shaneika Marie Ford 

VISUAL ARTIST.PHOTOGRAPHER. 

ENTREPRENEUR.

COVER STORY 

16 SHANEIKA MARIE FORD 

mar/ap 

{ TABLE OF CONTENTS } 

16 

12 

40 

182 

242 

58

edition 

{ TABLE OF CONTENTS } 

87 

REGULARS 

66 WOMEN WHO INSPIRE 

Evangela “Van” Stanley 

62 ALL ACCESS 

178 UNSTOPPABLE WOMAN 

182 THE SAVVY ALLY 

194 I AM... 

58 ASK DANIEL BALDWIN 

50 WOMAN ON THE RISE 

Chloe Schnell 

304 TRACY IS TALKING 

308 IN HER OWN WORDS 

240 ANIMAL CARE SANCTUARY 

CORNER 

232 TEEN TALK 

182 AFTERNOON COCKTAIL 

178 VOICES FOR IMPACT 

276 B. MOR 

214 SAVON SPEAKS 

308 TRAVEL WITH AGNESS 

225 BUSINESS TALK 

270 THE LITTLE BLACK BUDDHA 

288 YOU MATTER 

REGULARS 

194 COACHING WITH KRISTIN B 

244 TAMMY’S TIDBITS 

188 TRAVEL WITH AGNESS 

SPECIAL FEATURES 

87 SHE HUSTLES TALKS 

Amy Houng 

KW Fitness 

A Rose Is Still A Rose 

Rumella Cameron 

Dewitt Styling 

Mind. Body. Meta. 

Angela Tewa 

Always Chasing Better 

Sacred Goddess Box 

FASHION & BEAUTY 

40 FASHION FORWARD 

The Cherry Pit 

HEALTH & WELLNESS 

256 SEXUALLY SPEAKING 

282 WELL TRAIL 

312 MENTALLY THINKING 

190 SCALP NY 

174 ASK THE DOCTOR 

204 WARRIOR WELLNESS 

236 ZESTFUL AGING 

262 DR J’S BEAUTY 

274 WELLNESS 360 

292 HIP HEMP 

298 LADIOLOGY 

62

{ FROM THE PUBLISHER } 

“Being powerful is like 

being a lady...if you have 

to tell people you are, your 

aren’t.” - Margaret Thatcher 

F 

or the “Women’s History” edition of Central NY 

Woman Online we are so excited to be able to bring 

you our latest cover woman, Shaneika Marie Ford. 

Visual Artist. Photographer. Entrepreneur. Mother 

and owner of S’Marie Photography in Syracuse 

NY. Read all about her inspiring story starting on 

page [16]. 

Plus, you won’t want to miss all of the incredible features, 

women entrepreneurHERS in our SHE Hustles Talks section, 

new columns including “Ask Daniel Baldwin” and more that 

is filling the pages of this edition! 

For the Central NY Woman Online’s SHE Hustles Talks cover 

woman this edition, we have the amazing founder of Golden 

World Magazine, Goldenl World Group llc, Golden World 

pageants and all around quintessential woman entrepreneur 

and hustler, Lam Hoang My, but we just call her Amy. Amy 

Hoang is an ambitious, successful businesswoman who is a 

passionate innovator in the fashion, beauty and entertainment 

industries. Read all about this fashionista starting on page 

[87]. Then don’t forget to keep reading because there are so 

many other amazing enrepreneurs also joining us this month 

to tell their stories of how they are hustlin. 

ON OUR COVER 

T T 

On the cover of our March/April edition of Central NY Woman Online, we have 

visual artist, photographer, entrepreneur, mother and so much more... Shaneika 

Marie Ford photographed by Rob Daniels photography. 

Thank you for joining us for another amazing issue. Stay 

tuned as we launch our sister publication Buffalo Woman 

Online coming in April 2021, atart back up with our Pop Ups 

in the CUSE on April 18th at the Craftsman Inn & Suites in 

Fayetteville. And you definitely won’t want to miss the launch 

of our She Hustles Talk Show on May 1st at OFC Creations 

featuring women from all over the country coming together 

to talk about business, how they are hustlin, and LOTS more. 

We will also be launching our semi-annual Influential Woman 

Online magazine where I will be sharing some of my story for 

the first time. 

This year is going to be amazing and filled with lots of new 

opportunities. Hope you will all join us for the ride! 

Kelly 

8 CENTRAL NY WOMAN ONLINE MARCH/APRIL EDITION 2021

{ A LOOK AT OUR TEAM } 

PUBLISHER 

TALENT & PROMOTIONS 

CREATIVE DIRECTOR/GRAPHIC DESIGN 

PHOTOGRAPHY 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

ADVERTISING SALES 

SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR 

WEB DESIGN & MANAGEMENT 

Kelly Breuer 

LS Jones 

Kelly Breuer 

Brody Wheeler 

KL Storyography 

Natalia Karpov 

S.Marie Photography 

Rob Daniels 

Sandy Arena 

Dr. Shanelle Benson Reid 

Kelli LaPage 

Dr. Pam Denton 

Angela Duncan 

Tammy Vreeland 

Tracy Simone 

Randy Agness 

Bonnie Floyd 

Savon Holt 

Rumella Cameron 

Jarrod Schoomaker 

Ellen Feldman 

Judi Swanson 

Ahlia Kitwana 

Dr Pebble Kranz 

Alexis Tearney 

Kirsten Soos 

Gabriella Rose Fiederlein 

Chloe Shnell 

Daniel Baldwin 

Christine Grandin 

Kristie Stumpf Rork 

Dr. Sarah F. Spiegelhoff 

Kelly Breuer 

Toni Natalie 

Network Rochester 

Devin Mack 

Devin Mack 

Kristin Bauer Gross 

Jeannie Gainsburg 

Rochester Woman ONLINE is the premier professional woman’s online publication in the greater Rochester area. Our feature articles address major topics that interest local 

women. Each issue includes articles on health, fashion, fitness, finance, dining, lifestyle and personal perspectives, as well as a spotlight on local area women. The electronic 

magazines are distributed freely through your favorite app store and will be in your inbox electronically by the first week of every month. The publication is available free of 

charge. Please feel free to contact publisher Kelly Breuer at 585.727.9120 or you can email us at networkrocqueen@gmail.com. Download our current media kit at www. 

rochesterwomanonline.com. 

The magazine is published 12 times a year by Rochester Woman ONLINE. Copyright © 2017 Rochester Woman ONLINE. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or 

republished without the consent of the publisher. Rochester Woman ONLINE is not responsible for unsolicited submissions, manuscripts, photos or artwork. All such submissions 

become the property of Rochester Woman ONLINE and will not be returned.

She Talks Law member perks: 

• Free legal education from award-winning 

attorneys on topics relevant to your business and 

life; 

• Industry leading panelists and presenters with 

special offers and opportunities to grow and 

succeed; 

• An exclusive forum to collaborate with the best 

women in the business; 

• Access to premier legal services for members of 

She Talks Law; 

• An opportunity to feature your business to other 

women, including being featured on Boylan 

Code’s social media and website; 

• And more! 

Powerful women empowering women 

in business and in life. 

She Talks Law Women’s Roundtable 

Join our Host and Attorney, Jennifer Aronson-Jovcevski, and a powerhouse group 

of women business owners, women entrepreneurs and women investors across all 

industries as we collaborate and empower one another. 

To join, RSVP by email to: 

jajovcevski@boylancode.com 

For a complete list of topics and real time 

information on presenters and upcoming 

roundtables, follow Jennifer on LinkedIn and 

SheTalksLaw on Facebook and Instagram. 

Boylancode.com 

Rochester | Newark | Canandaigua 

Attorney Advertising

{ FOR { { SHIFT+CONTROL COVER A GOOD STORY CAUSE } } 

} 

SHANEIKA YOU ARE MARIE ENOUGH. FORD 

BY KELLY BY BREUER NICOLE I HEROUX PHOTOS WILLIAMS BY ROB DANIELS I PHOTOS & S’MARIE BY NSP STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY 

Visual Artist.Photographer. Entrepreneur. 

Recently, Central NY Woman Online 

had the pleasure of doing a Q&A with 

Syracuse photographer Shaneika Marie 

Ford, otherwise know as, S’Marie. Known 

for her incredible portrait photography, 

we were excited to know more about 

our latest cover woman and talk about 

everything that makes her such an 

amazing entrepreneur. 

Tell us about 

yourself...Where are 

you from? Tell us 

about your family 

and your background. 

My name is Shaneika 

Marie Ford and I was 

born and raised in 

Syracuse, NY. I have 3 

children (all boys) and 

one furry son named 

Max (Maltipoo). In 

addition, to being a 

mom and entrepreneur, 

I currently work as 

an Executive Director 

at a local non-profit 

agency. I started as the 

part-time receptionist 

straight out of high school and worked 

my way up. Throughout my years of 

being employed I also attended college 

on and off until I received my Master’s 

Degree in 2015. 

Leadership and entrepreneurship was 

always a part of my being. Being the 

oldest of 6 prepared me for leadership. 

I always felt I needed to be a good 

example/role model for my siblings, so 

I strived to be a great example for them. 

I am almost always able to get people 

to follow my lead. 

Entrepreneurship was something I always 

wanted to engage in. I remember so 

vividly at the age of 9 saying I wanted 

to be an entrepreneur. I was attending 

a youth program and the coordinator 

asked the class what we wanted to be 

when we grew up and I said “I want 

to be an entrepreneur”. So at a young 

age I already knew what professional/ 

business journey I wanted to embark on. 

How and when did you start 

photography? Is it always something 

you wanted to do? 

Initially, photography started off as a 

hobby for me. It wasn’t something I 

wanted to do or even thought of. Back in 

2013, photography went from a hobby 

to an entrepreneurial endeavor when I 

received a lot of praise and recognition 

from some engagement photos I took 

of my sister. Once those pictures were 

released people were inboxing me for 

photo sessions. So a former business 

partner and I formed S&R Images. I 

am mainly self-taught, but I did take 

photography courses at OCM BOCES, 

Syracuse University Light Work and 

I attended and still do attend many 

online photography classes through 

various companies. 

How did you start S 

Marie Photography? 

S’Marie Photography 

came about in 2016 

when I decided to 

embark on my 

photography journey 

alone. S’Marie is 

actually just may 

name shortened 

(Shaneika Marie = 

S’Marie). I decided 

to brand my name. 

What is your 

favorite part of 

doing what you do? 

Capturing moments 

that will create a 

physical memory for families. I love 

to see the smile on people’s faces and 

the laughter they have while looking at 

their pictures. It also warms my heart 

when I see people share photos I took 

of their loved ones and even more so 

when they share photos I took of their 

loved ones that have passed away. I love 

that I was able to capture a moment in 

time for them that they can have and 

look at forever. When I realized how 

meaningful a physical memory was 


{ SHIFT+CONTROL } 

CENTRAL NY WOMAN ONLINE :: MARCH/APRIL EDITION 2021 17

18 CENTRAL NY WOMAN ONLINE MARCH/APRIL EDITION 2021 

{ SHIFT+CONTROL }


“Entrepreneurship was something 

I always wanted to engage in. I 

remember so vividly at the age 

of 9 saying I wanted to be an 

entrepreneur.” I was attending a 

youth program and the coordinator 

asked the class what we wanted 

to be when we grew up and I said 

“I want to be an entrepreneur”. 

So at a young age I already knew 

what professional/business journey I 

wanted to embark on.” 


{ { SHIFT+CONTROL COVER STORY }} 

“My biggest success personally was not succumbing to the statistics of teen moms. Being a 

teen mom presented some challenges but I prevailed.” 

that’s when my passion for photography 

turned into my purpose. 

Do you have any advice for other 

females wanting to jump in to the 

photography business and what the 

most important thing to remember is? 

Yes my advice would be: Don’t get 

discouraged about the saturated 

photography field. Everyone has their 

own lane and niche that will make them 

stand out from the rest. It doesn’t even 

have to be that you provide the highest 

quality images it could just be your 

personality that sets you apart. What 

God has for you is for you. 

Also, everyone is not your client! Never 

be offended or become discouraged if 

people do not like your work or prefer 

not to use your services. Some people 

will love it and some won’t- that’s life 

and its OK! I always say I prefer Aldi’s 

over Wegmans; Walmart over Target 

while others prefer Wegmans and Target 

(get where I’m going?). At the end they 

all have their preferred clientele and so 

will you! Thank goodness for options 

What has been your biggest challenge 

during the pandemic? 

The biggest challenge for me has been 

juggling work, homeschooling and 

making the tough decision to temporarily 

close my business. I closed for about 2 

months and then reopened on a limited 

and reduced basis. 

What has been your biggest success 

both personally and professionally 

and why? 

My biggest success personally was not 

succumbing to the statistics of teen 







{ SHIFT+CONTROL }

{ COVER STORY } { { WOMEN { SHIFT+CONTROL COVER WHO STORY ROC } 

} 

} 

“ S’Marie Photography came about in 2016 when I decided to embark on my 

photography journey alone.” 

moms. Being a teen mom presented 

some challenges but I prevailed. 

Professionally, Stepping out alone to 

start and grow my business. This was 

huge for me because I am the behind 

the scenes type of woman. Believe it or 

not I do not like attention . I’d rather 

be the mastermind behind the 

scenes . Stepping out on my 

own meant I had to come from 

the back to the front which took 

a lot of courage . 

Who has made the biggest impact 

on your life and why? 

Of course my children impact my 

life. It’s because of them that my 

strength, drive and determination 

to succeed is magnified. I value 

them and want to leave a good 

legacy for them. Additionally, 

I’d like to give recognition and 

credit to the environment I grew 

up in. My environment was a 

huge impact on my life. My 

environment (neighborhood, 

family dynamics, etc.) was one 

of such that I did not want to 

be like, live like, or live in! It was 

a huge motivator for me to stay 

focused and do what I needed to 

do to create a better life for me. 

What do you think is your 

strongest skill as a photographer? 

My ability to connect and build a rapport 

with my clients. This connection has 

led to referrals, returning clients and 

most important genuine friendships. I 

have met some beautiful souls whom are 

dear to my heart through photography. 

What do you know now that you didn’t 

know 10 years ago about yourself? 

How I will purposely find advantage in 

adversity. My life’s motto is “it is what 

it is” so with I always try to find some 

good and some opportunity in adversity. 

What was the biggest obstacle you 

faced in your life, and how did you 

overcome it? 

My biggest obstacle was presented in 

my teen years, when I found myself 

pregnant at 16. I just knew my life was 

“over”. When I say over I mean all the 

dreams and desires I had for myself were 

no longer obtainable. I was sure I would 

be everything I said I didn’t want to be 

and everything others around me said I 

would be because I was pregnant at such 

a young age (uneducated, on welfare, 

etc.). However!! As you can see I’m none 

of those! I always had confidence in 

myself. I always believed in me! I always 

bet on me! So no matter what I knew 

having a child wasn’t going 

to hinder me. My journey 

may have been altered by my 

vision was not. I graduated 

high school on time with my 

class. Class of 2000. I walked 

across that stage to where 

my baby was on the other 

side waiting for me. I went 

on to working full time and 

furthering my education. Now 

I presently sit in front of you 

as Ms. Shaneika Ford, MBA, 

Owner of S’Marie Photography 

and current Executive Director 

of a local non-profit which 

employs approximately 45 

employees and services 80 

individuals with intellectual/ 

developmental disabilities. 

Are there any resources or 

even advice that someone 

has given you that have really 

helped you on your journey? 

The good ol’ practice, practice, 

practice advice! You cannot 

improve if you don’t get out there and 

shoot! 

What has been your biggest 

accomplishment in your career thus far? 

My biggest accomplishment thus far is 

receiving 2 construction photography 

contracts with a well-known and 



{ SHIFT+CONTROL }


“Everyone has their own lane and niche that will make them stand out from the rest. ” 

prestigious company. My goal for 

S’Marie Photography in 2018 was to tap 

into larger revenue generating projects 

and this included receiving contracts. 

I put out a Facebook and Instagram 

New Year post and said I was looking 

for contracts of all sorts and lo and 

behold I received two not even a year 

apart . Construction photography 

also allowed me to venture into another 

form of photography. 

What is your favorite form of social 

media in 2021 and why? 

I tend to gravitate more towards Facebook. 

Facebook has been the most beneficial 

platform for me. It allows me to have 

my own business page, promote, sponsor 

to reach a larger audience, showcase my 

work, and so much more. I especially 

like that my clients can share the pictures 

that I took of them and I usually gain 

more followers and most importantly 

more clientele that way. 

Many people have unrealistic 

expectations and ideas about being a 

professional photographer and running 

their own business. How have you 

overcome these? 

I’m a realist so I wouldn’t say I had to 

overcome any unrealistic expectations. I 

didn’t have the unrealistic expectations 

that I would become a top photographer 

overnight or everyone would know my 

name nor did I expect that everyone 

would love my work. I knew it would/ 

will take time for me to become one of 

the best and to be known so I knew I 

had to get out and put the footwork in. 

#17 Where do you see yourself 1 year, 

3years, 5 years from now? 

I have been saying this for the last couple 

of years and now I’m manifesting that 

I retire at 40 and go full fledge into 

self-employment/entrepreneurship. 

Along with photography, I am exploring 

additional wealth generating opportunities 

to help me reach this goal. So to answer 

your question, I see myself retired from 

working for others and solely working 

for me. 

What has been your key to successfully 

being in business this long and makes 

you not just a great photographer, but 

a female entrepreneur? 

A few things have been key to me being 

successful. First, I would say being a 

woman that is confident and eager 

to learn and grow has been key to my 

success as a photographer and female 

entrepreneur. Additionally, being able 

to achieve balance in all aspects of my 

life has helped as well. Lastly, being 

professional, open-minded, and having 

a positive mindset keeps me going and 

thriving. 

What makes Women’s History month 

special for you? 

Women shine 24/7-365 so we should 

be recognized all day every day but it’s 

nice to have a month solely dedicated 

and putting focus to recognizing our 

historic and present contributions to 

the world. Women are amazing and do 

amazing things. Women are killin’ it!! 

As a business owner, what would you 

say are your top priorities for both 

yourself personally and in your business? 

One priority I would share is self-care. 

It is so important that we take care 

of ourselves. We are no good to our 

business or our self if we don’t indulge 

in self-care. 

How do you market your business 

during the pandemic, and which 

avenues have you found to be most 

successful? 

I’m grateful for word-of-mouth 

marketing. A lot of business during 

the pandemic came from client referrals. 

Additionally, my social media accounts 

remained active so people were able to 

find me and view my work that way. 

Tell us about one event that has 

happened in your life that has changed 

you and why. 

Having a child at a young age changed me. 

I already felt I knew about responsibilities 

because I am the oldest child and often 

helped my mom but having a child 

of your own is a whole other level to 

responsibility. I was a typical teenager 

that liked to hang out with friends and 

didn’t always make the best decisions. 

Living in the type of environment I 

grew up in it was easy to get caught up 

in the wrong crowd. Having my son 

forced me to make the right decisions 

for my life and his life despite what my 

surroundings showed me. It forced me 

to be responsible at a higher level. I truly 

believe had I not had a child that no 

matter how determined I was to not 

fall victim to my environment I could 

have. It gave my life more purpose and 

drive to succeed. 

I want to make it clear that I’m not 

condoning teen pregnancy at all! I 

encourage all teens to wait until they 

are an adult to experience parenthood. 

Don’t take away the years you need to 



“Leadership and entrepreneurship was always a part of my being. Being the oldest of 6 

prepared me for leadership.” 

experience and explore life. This is just 

an event in my life that changed me. 

This is the life plan that God has written 

for me to live. 

What have you found 

to be successful or a 

hindrance being in 

Central NY? 

A success and hindrance 

to being in Central 

NY is that it’s a small 

community. Everyone is 

connected to everyone 

in some shape or form. 

This is a good thing 

and bad. 

Do you think being a 

minority has helped 

or hindered you in 

business? 

I think it has both 

helped and hindered. 

The business as an 

entity may be eligible 

for several resources 

that are great even more 

so with having my 

MWBE Certification 

I’m afforded more 

opportunities but the 

hindering is being 

labeled a minority 

which does harm at 

times because of the 

bias and stereotypes 

that follow us within 

the system. 

Who has been your biggest influence or 

a mentor photographically and why? 

Again, photography was initially a 

hobby for me so I do not have a long 

standing history following photographers. 

However, I have been following the 

work of Shamayim. I also love the fact 

that photographer Polly Irungu created 

a space for black women photographers. 

Black women photographers is global 

community and directory where your 

work can be shared and featured for 

more exposure and recognition. 

Tell us about your most memorable 

photoshoot and why is stands out 

above others. 

My most memorable 

photo shoot was a 

maternity shoot that I 

shot at a local hiking trial. 

It stands out above others 

because the scenery was 

absolutely beautiful and 

the area the mother chose 

to stand held so much 

meaning. She choose to 

stand by a huge tree that 

roots were so visible. This 

tree, for her, represented 

the tree of life. Signifying 

strength, courage, new 

life and immortality. The 

roots were so prominent 

supporting this huge 

tree. For me it was very 

symbolic to a mother 

being the foundation, 

birthing, nurturing, 

raising, and forever 

supporting her child. 




COMMITTED TO PROVIDE CLEAN HEALTHY INDOOR ENVIRO 

(315) 516-0727 I VANDYKENOR

NMENTS FOR COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES 

RISCLEANING@GMAIL.COM



{ FASHION FORWARD } 

{ ANNA’S STORY }


{ FASHION FORWARD } 

CHERRY PIT 

BY KIRSTEN SOOS I PHOTOS BY NATALIA KARPOV 

Red is bold. Striking. The pigment of 

rich wines, or the color found in each 

dark, acidic bite from a cherry. 

In downtown Syracuse’s McCarthy 

Mercantile a new shop has 

found its home; the Cherry Pit 

Collective. The talented and 

creative minds of three local 

sellers have come together, 

making a splash in the 

underground shopping center. 

Despite the cool, industrial 

aura that encompasses the 

mercantile, the Cherry Pit 

caught my eye with its warm 

glow the moment I came 

down the stairs. Perhaps it 

was the cozy layout with a 

vintage room divider, carpets, 

and a record player. Or, the 

caring way each garment hung 

on the racks in harmony, 

echoing the cheerfulness of 

a rainbow. Maybe it was the 

seamless blend of three very 

distinct styles, ones that had 

me digging through the rows 

of outfits I adored and loved 

to mix and match. Whatever 

the reason, the eye for detail 

possessed by Abby Minicozzi, 

Michelle Pfaff, and Chloe 

Schnell has carved out an 

undeniable corner underneath 

the Wildflowers Armory. 

The three women met during 

their weekend popups and decided to 

take the plunge and open a shop. In 

addition to selling vintage pieces, each 

Cherry Pit designer is preparing to dive 

into upcycling, a realm of fashion in 

which they are all clearly capable. They 

have found a sense of togetherness in 

their goals, and this has translated to an 

overall approach toward their business 

model. Right away, the Cherry Pit 

has had its customers walking out the 

door with reusable tote bags, branded 

with a classy logo while promoting an 

ecological mindset. Not only that, but 

fifty percent of the proceeds for each bag 

are donated monthly to the Vera House, 

a foundation seeking to provide resources 

for victims of abuse, as well as education 

on its many forms. To give back to the 

community, and instill trust in their 

shoppers, the Cherry Pit 

girls will be posting these 

receipts monthly for full 

transparency. 

However, this emphasis 

on unity hasn’t stripped 

the personalities of Abby, 

Michelle, or Chloe away. 

Prior to this endeavor, 

each woman has 

dedicated themselves to 

their individual fashion 

brands. 

Michelle Pfaff is the 

founder of Fawnd 

Vintage. A tall, curlyhaired 

lady with a 

commanding presence, 

Michelle has always had 

ambition, and an interest 

in clothing, even at a 

young age. In high school 

she started a fashion club, 

winning a department 

award her senior year. 

Michelle went on to 

pursue an education at 

the Fashion Institute of 

Technology, graduating 

in 2018 with a Bachelor 

of Science Degree in 

Entrepreneurship and 

Ethics and Sustainability. Upon returning 

to Syracuse in 2020, Fawnd began, 

taking inspiration from Paris and 

Barcelona while integrating clothing 

from her own collection. Michelle 


{ SHIFT+CONTROL }

{ SHIFT+CONTROL }

{ { FASHION SHIFT+CONTROL FORWARD } } 

“Red is bold. Striking. The pigment of rich wines, or the color found in each dark, acidic 

bite from a cherry.” 

brings a romantic, bohemian style to 

the Cherry Pit, blending earth tones 

with feminine patterns and florals. 

This mesh of balanced colors and 

practical pieces doesn’t mean Michelle 

is afraid of the bright and the unique, 

however. Like her co-founders, she 

is a fan of red, her favorite shade 

being Persian. 

Abigail, Abby, Minicozzi is currently 

attending Syracuse University. Her 

love for clothing led her to collect 

more pieces than she knew what to 

do with. Abby has now launched a 

mini online business and fashion 

label within the Cherry Pit called 

Metamodernity. Drawn to movements 

from many different decades, Abby has 

always wanted to prioritize respect for 

tradition while gaining an instinct for 

what’s coming next. The very name 

of her brand encapsulates a style that 

renews bits and bobbles from the past 

while continuing to create and design 

outfits for an everchanging world. 

Pieces that are available for purchase 


{ COVER STORY } { { FASHION { WOMEN { SHIFT+CONTROL COVER WHO FORWARD STORY ROC } } 

} 

“ Despite the cool, industrial aura that encompasses the mercantile, the Cherry Pit caught 

my eye with its warm glow the moment I came down the stairs.” 

that are available for purchase through 

Abby’s line are great for a busy student, 

without sacrificing style or comfort. 

Imagine a satin long sleeve button-up 

with sixties-style flowers, but a modern, 

flattering cut; a retro, futuristic approach. 

Forward-thinking and enthusiastic, Abby’s 

youth has led to success in college and 

an optimism that is unlikely to slow, 

no matter what is thrown at her. Abby 

also has an affinity for red, though her 

preferred shade is maroon. 

Chloe Schnell has already had a 

substantial career in fashion, designing 

her first collection for a runway show at 

fourteen. Despite the ups and downs of 

the industry, Chloe has an unbreakable 

spirit that has at times dimmed but has 

never gone out. Her tastes, and her own 

contributions to the industry, can best 

be described as possessing a flair for the 

dramatic. Chloe has learned to thrive 

within unorthodox trends, without 

lacking knowledge on all the stylists 

that have come before her. Her favorite 

shade of red is scarlet. 

The Cherry Pit has had a very successful 

first month, and the founders only hope 

to continue growing, as well as providing 

opportunities for other artists. 

Photography by Natalia Karpov. @ 

TheNatLens 


{ WOMAN { SHIFT+CONTROL THE RISE } } 

YOU CHLOE ARE SCHNELL ENOUGH. 

BY NICOLE HEROUX WILLIAMS I PHOTOS BY NSP STUDIO 

In America alone, fashion is a multibillion 

dollar industry, as well as an 

artistic outlet for countless visionaries. 

However, it’s not all about the glitter. 

Clothing is first and foremost a 

necessity. Designers who 

want to survive within an 

ever-changing industry 

need to keep thinking 

about next steps. So, 

where do you find an 

artist who’s practical with 

textiles while daring to 

go against conventional 

trends? Look no further 

than Chloe Schnell. 

Ambitious, bright, and 

the personification of the 

avant-garde, Chloe Schnell 

has already had an eyeopening 

and successful 

start to her career; and, 

she’s only twenty-three. 

Schnell’s first step into 

the fashion world began 

at fourteen with her own 

runway show. Through 

this, she was introduced 

to Jennifer Diederich, a 

designer from Syracuse 

NY whose collections 

and time on Project 

Runway have earned her 

recognition. Through her 

experienced colleague’s 

support, Schnell ventured 

to New York City for an 

internship. Soon, she was knee-deep in 

fabric and garments, running errands, 

and even modeling in Diederich’s 

2012 collection, until her return to 

Syracuse. 

Schnell’s second collection was shown 

at a trunk show in Armory Square, 

consisting of six prom-style dresses, 

two of which sold right then and 

there. Her third collection, a tenpiece, 

all-white line, was showcased 

at the Oncenter in the winter of 

2013. Her love for vinyl fabrics 

and odd shapes began to play a role 

in her design approach. Two years 

later, the landmark theatre offered 

a first look at her EGG collection, 

utilizing spherical influences and a 

yellow, brown, and white palette. By 

eighteen, not only did she have six 

collections under her belt, 

they were all handmade 

and one-of-a-kind. 

Schnell has made it 

clear; “I work with single 

pieces. I have never massproduced 

my work. It feels 

more special that way.” 

After high school, where 

else would a young 

designer with clear talent 

and passion go than the 

Fashion Institute of 

Technology? This path was 

one Schnell had always 

dreamed of. With her 

body of work, it seemed 

she would be nothing 

shy of a shoo-in. Yet, 

Schnell’s excitement was 

soon crushed. FIT denied 

her application. 

However, Schnell’s 

optimistic flame was far 

from burning out. 

Moving to Brooklyn, she 

knew that the best thing 

she could do for herself 

was to continue working 

in any facet of fashion she 

could. Finding positions at vintage 

shops and artists’ markets kept her 

communication and sewing skills 

sharp. The disappointment following 

FIT’s rejection only made her work 



{ CNY INSPIRING WOMAN } 



{ SHIFT+CONTROL }


“Clothing is first and foremost a 

necessity. Designers who want to 

survive within an ever-changing 

industry need to keep thinking 

about next steps. So, where do you 

find an artist who’s practical with 

textiles while daring to go against 

conventional trends? Look no 

further than Chloe Schnell. ” 



{ SHIFT+CONTROL }


“Buy second hand, buy local. F*** fast fashion. Support your local designer.” 

harder. By Christmas, Schnell saw 

herself boldly posing in an advert 

displayed on New York’s L-train. 

The next opportunity she had to 

reapply, she did, and this time she 

received an acceptance letter from 

FIT. Schnell went on to design two 

more unique collections; 

the ZIG-ZAG in 2016, and 

the Teletubbies Collection 

in 2018. 

Unfortunately, despite the 

opportunities her dream 

school provided, Schnell’s 

time at FIT was not without 

its slew of challenges. 

Living in the city was 

expensive. Throwing 

herself into her work meant 

sacrifices. Coupled with 

the competitiveness of 

academia preparing her 

for an industry she was 

starting to lose faith in, 

Schnell was left feeling 

isolated and, at times, 

defeated. It was hard to 

find happiness in creating 

when the truth about the 

directions her career could 

take were laid out in front 

of her; “The ridiculous 

markups, the exploitation 

of workers, the praising of 

over-exaggerated egos. I 

spent a while processing the 

negative reactions from my professors, 

who I told I wanted to be ethical 

and sustainable. I came very close 

to giving up on fashion altogether.” 

Like many who want to make a 

difference, Schnell wanted to do 

what felt right in her heart. Yet, 

those who are most effective are not 

rule-breakers; they are instead those 

who learn the rules so they can make 

new ones. 

Chloe Schnell now has a new dream. 

She doesn’t just want to just sell 

her designs, she wants her business 

model to exemplify consideration as it 

confronts the established and orthodox 

approaches. Having always loved 

creating custom clothing, Schnell 

wants to someday open an in-house 

garment production store. A store 

that will have its own seamstresses, 

its own designers, its own team who, 

prior, “have been affected negatively 

by the garment production industry. 

I want to ensure a positive, 

safe, working environment 

where employees make a 

living wage.” 

Presently, Schnell is 

working with her clients 

to make custom clothing, 

continuing to shape this 

business model into a 

reality. Her mother, Pam 

Schnell, has a professional 

sewing service, whose 

first custom collection 

was designed by Chloe 

following her graduation 

from FIT. Idioms and 

Aphorisms 

was an eight-piece dress 

line, basing garments on 

phrases such as, all eyes on 

me, which is pictured here. 

While her love for fashion 

design has returned, and a 

renewed sense of optimism 

has been garnered, Schnell 

has one current request for 

designers and consumers; 

“Pay attention to tags. Where was it 

made? Whose hands participated in its 

construction? Is the price outrageously 

low? Buy second hand, buy local. 

F*** fast fashion. Support your local 

designer.” 


{ WOMAN { { SHE SHIFT+CONTROL HUSTLES ENTREPRENEUR TALKS }} 

} 


{ { WOMAN ASK { SHIFT+CONTROL DANIEL ENTREPRENEUR BALDWIN } } } 

ASK ME ANYTHING... 

BY DANIEL BALDWIN I PHOTOS BY BRODY WHEELER 

It’s interesting the process of being 

in a magazine. You sit down and do 

an interview, or sometimes multiple 

interviews, then there’s the photoshoot 

and the many things we talk about 

and learn about each other on that 

day. 

As a reader, you don’t see all of 

the “behind the scenes” that 

goes on especially between 

the subject and writer, and 

you certainly don’t get to ask 

any of the questions. After the 

article comes out, boom... 

thousands of inquiries and 

questions follow. 

Because I live my life in 

service, I approached Kelly 

Breuer and asked her, “Could 

I write an article for your 

magazine monthly”? I want to 

give my experience, strength 

and hope to those who may 

be able to benefit from it. 

Kelly said, “yes”, so here we 

go! Ask away...don’t be shy, I 

will answer anything. 

So here we go. #1 Does he 

still plan on opening a rehab 

facility on the north shore?! If 

so how can I help? - Jennafer 

Kelly 

Daniel: Jennifer, the North 

Shore Rehab idea is still on the table. 

The problem is getting people behind 

it that live near where the rehab 

center would be. 

What I get is, “We dont want a bunch 

of druggies living near us.” 

Well guess what people, the same 

kids that are robbing your homes 

and cars who live on your block are 

the kids I would help in the rehab. 

It’s a bad problem. Let’s strap our 

boots on and clean it up. 

#2 Why are they’re so few actor’s 

and actresses with disabilities in the 

entertainment industry? And can 

you get me his autograph lol. - Tom 

Turner 

Daniel: Hi Tom, I think there are 

more actors and famous people with 

disabilities than you may realize. I 

believe the problem lies more with 

why it is not more publicized that 

they are challenged. 

How inspirational it 

is to see an individual 

overcome their 

obstacles. 

Hers a list of some 

of those who have 

achieved greatness. 

Including: 

- personality disorders 

(Billie Eilish) 

- famous people in 

wheelchairs (Stephen 

Hawking) 

- famous people with 

learning disabilities 

(Tom Cruise) 

- celebrities with 

physical disabilities 

(Stevie Wonder) 

- famous people with 

learning disabilities 

(Chris Rock) 

- other successful 

people with disabilities 

(Franklin Delano 

Roosevelt) 

#3 As a multi-award 

winning screenwriter, I’m starting to 

look for either an agent or a manager. 

I was just nominated for the 12th 

time in only 3 years for Best Original 

Screenplay (this time at the Beverly 

Hills Film Festival for a comedy I 


{ ASK { SHIFT+CONTROL DANIEL BALDWIN } } 

“I want to give my experience, strength and hope to those who may be able to benefit from 

it. ” 

screenwriting awards in Burbank, LA and 

elsewhere. It’s time to find representation 

but I don’t know anyone. Can Daniel 

recommend someone? I am very serious 

about this as a professional move. - 

Bridgette Yaxley 

Daniel: Well Bridgette, congratulations 

on your success. It sounds like finding 

an agent shouldn’t be that hard for 

you at all. 

I can help you on your journey for 

sure. I’ll privately message you with 

an introduction or two if you like. 

Let me advise you and others on how 

you pick the right agent or manager. I 

think it starts like many relationships 

in life. Do you feel comfortable with 

this person? Do you like them? Can 

you communicate freely with them? 

Do they have the same vision and 

goals as you? Yes it sounds like dating 

a little bit but actually? 

This is an intense partnership that 

can often last for years and have a 

dramatic outcome on your career. 

You want someone who is going to 

say your name everyday. 

Ask Daniel at acemanhead@mac.com 





{ SHIFT+CONTROL }

{{ SHIFT+CONTROL ALL ACCESS } } 

WHO IS SHANELLE R. 

BENSON REID? 

BY DR SHANELLE BENSON REID 

THE WOMAN 

Dr. Shanelle R. Benson Reid, President 

and CEO of the ACCESS Global Family 

of Companies, Devoted Educator and 

Serial Entrepreneur has spent her adult life 

encouraging others, cultivating relationships 

and advocating for the underserved. 

THE STUDENT 

Dr. Benson Reid earned an Associate of 

Arts in Liberal Studies from San Bernardino 

Valley Community College, a Bachelor 

of Arts in Sociology from California State 

University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) 

and a Master of Arts in Education from 

CSUSB as well. Dr. Benson Reid earned 

her Doctorate in Organizational Leadership 

from the University of La Verne. 

Her academic achievements and life 

experiences, prepared her for a career in 

assessing, designing and implementing 

programs to address equity and social 

awareness in both public and private 

educational settings. 

THE ENTREPRENEUR 

However, her leadership extends beyond 

the schoolhouse to more recent feats of 

entrepreneurship as the President and CEO 

of ACCESS Global Group, where her 

mission remains grounded in relationship 

building and community service. 

ACCESS Global Group is a Consulting Firm 

that addresses organizational challenges in the 

areas of Management Consulting, Executive 

Coaching, Professional Development, Public 

Relations, Legal Analysis, Human Resources 

Compliance and Talent Acquisition. ACCESS 

Global Group specializes in meeting the needs 

of the organizations while simultaneously 

meeting the needs of the stakeholders. 

Possessing a fervent commitment to economic 

development, Dr. Benson Reid launched 

ACCESS Dental Laboratories with her 

husband, Mr. Todd R. Reid, Sr. ACCESS 

Dental Laboratories is a full-service dental 

laboratory that specializes in the design of 

crowns, bridges, partials, dentures, night 

guards, implants and veneers. 

THE CANDIDATE 

Dr. Benson Reid’s unique connection 

to the City of Syracuse and District 14 

enables her to build bridges and empower 

stakeholders while advocating for resources 

and representation. Likewise, her passion 

for people and commitment to community 

has prepared her for this new journey. 

With a desire to advance Children and 

Family Services, Access 

SHANELLE 

to Healthcare, Equity 

in Education, Employment Restoration 

/ Opportunities and Environmental 

Sustainability, Dr. Benson Reid is poised to 

represent District 14 of Onondaga County. 

THE PLATFORM 

Children and Family Service 

From medical testing and vaccines to 

therapy and counseling, Dr. Benson Reid 

believes there must be equitable access to 

exceptional, comprehensive children and 

family service across Onondaga County. 

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 

As a business owner, Dr. Benson Reid 

recognizes the benefit of economic 

development and realizes Onondaga County 

offers attractive incentives to local, regional 

and national businesses. However, she 

believes priority must be given to existing 

businesses. 

TAX INCENTIVES 

One of the many advantages of operating a 

business in Onondaga County is enormous 

tax incentives. As a business owner, Dr. 

Benson Reid recognizes the need for economic 

development but she also recognizes the 

need for a balanced economic plan that 

not only benefits corporations but also 

benefits constituents. Tax incentives should 

be contingent on the number of people 

hired with competitive salaries and benefit 

packages as well as the overall economic 

contribution to the community. 

ACCESS AND AVAILABILITY 

As it stands, there is a disconnect between 

the people who live in District 14 and the 

decisions that are being made on behalf of 

District 14. This must change. The citizens 

must have access to information that will 

undoubtedly impact their current and future 

well-being, as well as the representative who 

is charged with speaking on behalf of the 

citizens of District 14. Transparent access 

and availability is the minimum. 

GERRYMANDERING 

Redistricting has been and will continue to 

be an important discussion. Gerrymandering 

is typically used for gaining a competitive 

advantage. To avoid improprieties, 

redistricting should be in the hands of 

nonpartisan individuals, committees and 

/ or organizations. 

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY 

With open fields, distinctive wildlife and 

close-knit communities, Onondaga County 

is a great place to call home. Corporations 

that choose to do business in District 14 

must understand the need for environmental 

sustainability and commit to adhering to 

the highest environmental standards. 

THE TEAM 

Dr. Benson Reid is committed to serving the 

residence of District 14 as well as Onondaga 

County. Her personal motto is “inspire 

individuals to pursue self-discovery, empower 

them to be innovative, progressive and 

revolutionary in thought and motivate them 

to be global activists.” Dr. Benson Reid 

encourages self-analysis and self-assessment 

while promoting innovative and progressive 

designs for change and implementing 

strategies for sustained success. 

Looking to join the team? We would be 

honored to have you! 

From Door-to-Door Canvasing and Making 

Phone Calls to Candidate Meet and Greets 

and Campaign Fundraisers, Together, Let’s 

Make Our Next Day Our Best Day! 


SHANELLE

{ { WOMAN WOMEN FOR A GOOD WHO INSPIRES CAUSE } } 

EVANGELA “VAN” STANLEY 

BY KELLY BREUER I PHOTOS BY BRODY WHEELER 

In this month’s “women’s history” edition 

of Central NYWoman Online, we have an 

incredibly inspiring woman, also known 

by many as a true Rochester “staple”. She 

has been helping others in her community 

and giving back selflessly for over 20 

years. She is the People’s Choice Kitchen 

owner, a single mom, a true 

woman entrepreneur and 

well, all around empowering 

woman...please welcome 

Evangela Stanley, but you 

can call her Van. She is 

the epitome of a strong 

and giving woman and is 

always hustling to help others. 

I am so excited that we have 

such an all-around amazing 

woman in the local Rochester 

community for you to 

stop in when you come to 

town. I had the pleasure to 

sit down and talk with her 

and find out just who she 

is. Her big smile greeting 

me when I walked through 

her doors and she was so 

excited for her cover shoot. 

After all she was celebrating 

20 years in business and 

just received the key to the 

city from Mayor Lovely 

Warren. It was heartwarming 

to see some of her friends joining us 

to support her, including her son 

Egypt that I had the pleasure to meet. 

We barely scratched the surface of this 

incredible woman ‘s journey and story 

during our interview, but we hope you 

enjoy what she had to tell us. Make sure 

to stop by 507 Chili Ave and say hi and 

while you are there, don’t forget to order 

their award-winning jerk salad! Did I 

mention she has the best Jamaican food I 

have ever tasted? All I can say is I may be 

addicted now and stopping in every week! 

So, you are known as a “staple” in the 

Rochester community having started 

your business in 2001 in the heart of 

the city of Rochester. Tell our readers 

a little bit about Evangela “Van” 

Stanley and you how this all started. 

Thanks for the huge compliment from 

the community. Being called a “staple” 

is truly more than I could have ever 

hoped for. Evangela “Van” Stanley 

(me) is a single mother of a 20-yearold 

son Egypt, a business owner, a 

people’s peron. After graduating from 

East High School, I achieved went to 

Bryant & Straton College for two years. 

I have always had a love for customer 

service and people; I worked for UPS for 

five years, Strong Memorial 

Hospital for three years, and 

also worked for Xerox for 

another four years as well. 

All my major jobs were based 

in customer service for large 

corporations with high traffic. 

What made you decide 

to open the People’s 

Choice Kitchen? Where 

did you come up with the 

name for the restaurant? 

I decided to open up a 

Caribbean Restaurant after 

numerous requests and pleads 

after friends and family would 

see and taste my fiancé’s 

island food. My fiancé grew 

up watching and helping 

his mother in her restaurant 

back in sweet Jamaica. 

I still laugh about the story 

behind finding the name 

for the restaurant “People’s 

Choice Kitchen”. We were 

inspired after watching the movie “Shaft 

“. My fiancé loved the character Peoples 

Hernandez. So, that is where People’s 

choice came in. It just seemed to fit. 

Tell us about what it was like 

starting a business 20 years 

ago as a minority female. 

Starting a restaurant in 2001 was 




“I honestly don’t believe I 

would change anything 

about my career path. 

I have learned so much 

along the way and the 

good out weighs the 

bad.”

{ WOMAN WHO INSPIRES } 

“I still laugh about the story behind finding the name for the restaurant “People’s Choice 

Kitchen”. We were inspired after watching the movie “Shaft”. My fiancé loved the 

character Peoples Hernandez.” 

very exciting but also nerve racking 

because we were warned it was 

extremely hard work. I took a couple 

of business classes in college, but now 

I was going into uncharted territory. 

What has been your key to successfully 

being in business for two decades? 

I believe the key to my success 

was growing up in a house with 

a father that was a very hardworking 

man that instilled in 

us integrity, family values and 

dedication and a praying mother. 

What is your restaurant’s 

specialty? What are you known 

for? 

My specialty at “People’s Choice 

is my jerk chicken; however, 

my restaurant is also known 

for our famous “Jerk Chicken 

Salad. It also allows you to be 

bad and eat healthy at the same 

time. Many of my clients shared 

with me that our Jerk Chicken 

Salad tastes better here at the 

restaurant than back in the 

islands of Jamaica. We take 

each herb and spice seriously. 

What made you decide 

to focus on Jamaican 

food at the People’s Kitchen? 

This is a very easy question for me; 

I decided on Jamaican food because 

my fiancé was born and raised in 

sweet Jamaica. When he arrived in 

the United States, he brought along 

all of his mother’s secret recipes 

with him from her restaurant. 

As a business owner, what would 

you say are your top priorities for 

both your personally and business? 

Some of my top rituals and priorities for 

myself are to always be considerate of 

other people’s time; being punctual and 

reliable is a must for me. Consistency is 

also a must for a restaurant business and 

being friendly should come naturally. 

How have you marketed your business 

during the pandemic, and which avenues 

have you found to be most successful? 

Keeping my restaurant in the forefront 

in a competitive market keeps me in 

the lab while others are sleeping or 

traveling. I am continually re-investing 

back into the restaurant. I constantly 

try to come up with creative ways to 

give back to my community. I love 

the response from using different radio 

stations and social media to captivate 

different types of people’s attention. 

Tell us about one event that has 

happened in your life that has 

changed you and why. 

This question is a little more 

challenging and very personal to 

my clients, family and myself; I 

am a survivor of an armed robbery 

at my restaurant and now dealing 

with a very broken system. I hope 

no other business owner has to 

experience that violating feeling, 

which motivated me to give back 

even more. The outpour from the 

community was surreal. Since then, 

we had to change and upgrade 

our system to some state-of-theart 

equipment inside and out. 

If you had the chance to start your 

career over again, would you do 

anything differently and why? 

I honestly don’t believe I would 

change anything about my 

career path. I have learned so 

much along the way and the 

good out weighs the bad. I have 

overcome challenges that did not 

seem possible, but my strong 

faith and belief system carried me 

through many storms. I will never let 

me circumstance define my destiny. 

Who has been your greatest inspiration? 

This question brings a huge smile across 

my face because my greatest inspiration 

happens to be my beautiful and sweet 

mother. “My mother has taught me to 

walk by faith and not by sight.” 




{ SHIFT+CONTROL }

{ WOMAN { SHIFT+CONTROL WHO INSPIRES } } 

“My specialty at “People’s Choice is my jerk chicken; however, my restaurant is known for 

our famous “Jerk Chicken Salad, it also allows you to be bad and eat healthy at the same 

time.” 

What is one thing that 

you feel defines success? 

Success for me is knowing God is in 

the mix and allowing others to see 

and witness the same joy so they too 

can pass it forward to someone else. 

Success for me and my fiancé was to 

build a strong foundation for our son 

by leaving him a legacy. But it was also 

breaking strong generational holds by 

passing on health and wealth to 

the next generation to follow. 

Tell us about “Soccer Sam 

Fantauzzo” and how you were 

able to get your sauces into 

Rochester’s famous Salvatore’s 

Old Fashioned Pizzeria’s. 

I thank God, and I’m grateful 

for Soccer Sam listening to Bob 

Lonsberry live talk radio show. 

Once he heard Bob mention how 

excellent our famous jerk sauce 

taste on Bob’s show; Soccer Sam 

reached out to me and indicated 

that he strongly believed my 

jerk sauce would be great at his 

Salvatore Pizzeria’s, which brought 

music to my ears. I am so glad 

he was tuned into Bob’s show 

that day to hear about People’s 

Choice Kitchen. The rest is history! 

Where do you see your 

business 5 and 10 years from 

now? Any plans to franchise? 

My 5-year plan consists of me opening 

another restaurant on the East side of 

the city where I was born and raised. 

I would also love to add more stores 

to carry my jerk sauces. My 10-year 

plan is to successfully train my son 

for the full operation so that I can 

confidently transition the business to 

him. As far as franchising goes, I have 

mentioned it to my sister in Florida 

for many years. I would definitely 

continue to entertain those thoughts. 

Do you think being a minority has 

helped or hindered you in business? 

Being a minority business owner 

definitely has not hindered me all. I have 

successfully operated my restaurant for 

20 years in the inner city. My clientele 

comes from all types of backgrounds 

and we treat them all the same. 

What is one thing you have done that 

not many people know about you? 

I enjoy going into the malls to see 

who I could randomly bless that day. I 

generally look for teenagers that I would 

offer to pay their bill or tell them to 

pick out more items so I could pay for 

them; the look on their faces is priceless. 

What is one piece of advice 

you have been giving that has 

helped shape who you are? 

I received a lot of advice from my mother. 

We have a very close and strong bond 

together. I cherish all of her strong 

values and most importantly, 

her advice to us to always 

put God first and he will 

lead me down the right path. 

What would be one 

word to describe you? 

If I had one word to choose to 

describe myself; it would be 

“compassionate.” I truly love to 

encourage and see others happy. 

Has the pandemic helped 

or hindered your business? 

How have you had to pivot 

to keep business going? 

Like so many other businesses 

and especially restaurants, we 

took a hard hit too. We are still 

feeling the pandemic’s impact, 

but we are so grateful we did 

not lose any family members 

or customers to Covid-19. 

We are thankful for our loyal 

customers continuing to support my 

business and helping us keep the doors 

open so we can also bless others to pay 

what they can afford. 

What would be one bit of advice 

you would give to young women 

wanting to start their own restaurant 

business? 



{ SHIFT+CONTROL }



{ WOMAN WHO INSPIRES } 

“Success for me and my fiancé was to build a strong foundation for our son by leaving a 

legacy for Egypt and also by breaking generational strong holds by passing on health and 

wealth to the next generation to follow.” 

The advice I would share with a young 

woman would be to invest in their future 

and love what you do but most of all 

stay determined and focus. You have to 

be passionate about your business this 

might sound easy, but it is so important 

to be a people-person is just how it goes 

in order to succeed. 

What is the most favorite thing about 

what you do? 

My favorite thing I enjoy doing in my 

business is opening a customer’s tray in 

front of them and allowing the herbs and 

spices to speak for themselves. I love to 

witness the expressions and excitement 

of their face when they see their food. 

It brings great satisfaction to me 

What is the most favorite thing about 

what you do? 

My favorite thing I enjoy doing in my 

business is opening a customer’s tray in 

front of them and allowing the herbs and 

spices to speak for themselves. I love to 

witness the expressions and excitement 

of their face when they see their food. It 

brings great satisfaction to me. 

Other side notes... 

I forgot to mention that if it wasn’t for 

Soccer Sam, Palmer’s Market,, Bob 

Lonsberry, and Boss Sauce I wouldn’t 

have been able to feed 200 people for 

Thanksgiving for free. 

Plus, my Angel Tree during the holidays, 

we were able to provide over 200 toys 

to kids in need thanks to Soccer Sam 

and his generosity. 

I also do something called Sisters 

Giving Smiles. I reached out to several 

salon owners, to pamper women from 

Alternative for Battered Women and I 

catered the food. 

Van also works a lot with domestic 

violence organizations and victims. 

When I asked why, she said, “ My 

oldest sister Sandra Stanley whom has 

passed away. She suffered many years 

of abuse from her boyfriend. He once 

pushed her through a glass window at a 

hotel. Surgeons donated their services to 

reconstruct her face. That’s one reason I 

enjoyed giving back to battered women. 

I received several proclamations giving 

back for this cause and I will continue 

to do anything I can to help.”


{ SHIFT+CONTROL }

{ WOMAN { SHE SHIFT+CONTROL HUSTLES WHO TALKS INSPIRES }}} 

} 

WHO IS KRISTIE STUMPF 

RORK? 

BY KRISTIE STUMPF RORK 

She is a 50-year-old Writer, Curve 

model, and Social Media influencer 

who was diagnosed with Breast Cancer 

in November 2020. She moved from 

New Hampshire back her hometown 

of Cape Vincent, New York in the 

fall of 2019 to help care for family. 

She lives with her husband in a large 

farmhouse next door to her parent’s 

home and farmland. Together, they 

have two beautiful scientific 

miracles, one born by IVF 

and the other FET, as well as 

an adopted rescue dog, and 

three cats. 

“Cancer During COVID-19: 

This is My Fight Song.” 

“Like a small boat 

On the ocean 

Sending big waves 

Into motion 

Like how a single word 

Can make a heart open 

I might only have one match 

But I can make an explosion.” 

Early morning, November 

18th, I sat alone in an 

examination room at the 

Women’s Wellness and Breast 

Care Center in Watertown, New 

York. Months of mammograms, 

MRI’s and a biopsy had led to this 

moment. I told myself I was prepared 

for whatever the outcome. And then 

my doctor and her nurse walked into 

the room. 

My doctor wasted no time getting 

to the point of the appointment. I 

had cancer. 

I was wrong, I was not ready and felt 

myself slowly disappear inside my 

brain. As she discussed the type of 

cancer I had, the stage, the treatments, 

all I could think about was if someone 

were there with me, to hold my 

hand, to wrap me in their arms. As 

the tears streamed down my cheeks, 

my doctor asked her nurse to fetch 

me some tissues. She returned with 

a small box, hard, and cold in my 

hands, with crisp, starchy tissues. 

As I continued to try to make sense 

of what my doctor was telling me, 

I kept thinking of the box in my 

hands and how it was like the whole 

experience: cold, hard, crisp. That box 

of tissues provided me no comfort. 

For twelve months, individuals 

across the country have sat alone in 

examination rooms, like me, hearing 

the devastating news that they have 

cancer, while no loved one is there 

to hold their hand or wrap them in 

their arms. 

These cancer patients have been 

abandoned in the front of hospitals, 

as ordered by COVID restrictions 

to walk in alone where they will face 

life altering surgeries without their 

loving family and friends. Then no 

loved one is there to see them 

when they get out of surgery 

or sit with them as they recover 

in their hospital room. 

These cancer patients have been 

dropped off at their radiation 

and chemo appointments 

with a wave and well wishes 

like students in front of an 

elementary school; however, 

instead of a crowded school, it 

is more like a prison and their 

time there is spent in solitary. 

“And all those things I didn’t say 

Wrecking balls inside my brain 

I will scream them loud tonight 

Can you hear my voice this 

time?” 

Navigating this cancer journey 

through the COVID shackles 

since November has been difficult; 

however, when I think about the 

hundreds of thousands of cancer 

patients throughout the nation that 

have had to endure appointments, 

procedures, surgeries, and treatments 

alone and in isolation due to the 

Pandemic, it breaks my heart! 

Emotional and physical support are 

important components of recovering 

from cancer! I want the world to 

know that cancer patients NEED 


{ WOMAN { { SHE SHIFT+CONTROL HUSTLES WHO TALKS INSPIRES } 

} } 

“Emotional and physical support are important components of recovering from cancer! I 

want the world to know that cancer patients NEED emotional support!” 

emotional support! I want to shout 

it from rooftops, rattle the chains, 

stomp on the floorboards, and make 

some noise! It has become my FIGHT 

SONG! 

Emotional support is not just wanted 

during a cancer patient’s revelations, 

biopsies, surgeries, procedures, 

and treatments, it is a necessity! A 

fundamental component of a person’s 

well-being is their emotional, social 

support, and mental health. If a 

person’s emotional well-being is 

supported, that resilience and positive 

emotions help in the healing process. 

According to Cure.com, the initial 

reaction to a cancer diagnosis is often 

shock and disbelief, followed by a 

period of distress characterized by 

mixed symptoms of anxiety, anger 

and depression. Huh?! And for the 

past 12 months, cancer patients like 

me, have had no one to share that 

initial reaction with due to COVID 

restraints. Let alone the following 

months of appointments, surgeries, 

and treatments! 

I found it validating that the American 

Cancer Society agrees with me! In 

their article, “Nurture Your Emotional 

Health: Coping with Anxiety During 

the Coronavirus Outbreak, published 

at the cusp of the Pandemic, they 

stated that cancer patients “need to 

take care of their emotional and mental 

well-being.” They suggest “keeping a 

good outlook, getting plenty of sleep, 

and trying new recipes.” 

But…wait! 

Myself, as well as the other cancer 

warriors that I have been fighting 

alongside, are not and were not 

comforted by a good night sleep 

when we learned of our diagnosis or 

by trying a new recipe before being 

dropped off for treatments. The 

emotional support that we crave, and 

need is physical. It is the gentle touch 

on the shoulder letting us know that 

we are supported and loved, or the 

hand holding ours when we just do 

not want to feel so alone. 

“This is my fight song 

Take back my life song 

Prove I’m alright song 

My powers turned on 

Starting right now I’ll be strong 

I’ll play my fight song 

And I don’t really care if nobody else 

believes 

Cause I’ve still got a lot of fight left 

in me!” 

Like the lyrics to Rachel Platten’s 

“Fight Song” “I might only have one 

match, but I can make an explosion.” 

I have made it my mission to share 

my story and the story of all cancer 

patients during COVID. If enough 

people can hear our voice then we 

can make a difference, we can make 

a change, we can get the emotional 

support that is so necessary in the 

healing of our fellow warriors. 

“Can you hear my voice this time?” 

I am petitioning the CDC to 

CHANGE the COVID-19 Healthcare 

Plan and make an amendment for 

Cancer Patients that allows for either 

a person to accompany them to 

appointments and hospitalizations or 

the creation of a healthcare companion 

that would do the same, to maintain 

and support the emotional well-being 

of the patient which would ultimately 

improve their recovery. 

Sign the petition: http://chng.it/ 

X9BTVsddxV 




STARTING AT 

$199 

INFLUENTIALWOMANONLINE.COM

SPECIAL 

INSERT 

WOMEN 

OWNED 

BUSINESSES 

MEET 

Lam Hoang My ( Amy Hoang) 

FOUNDER OF GOLDEN 

WORLD GROUP, LLC

{ SHIFT+CONTROL }


I’M READY TO MAKE YOUR VISION COME TRUE!

{ SHE HUSTLES TALKS } 

LAM HOANG MY 

YOU ( AMY ARE HOANG) ENOUGH. 

BY NICOLE HEROUX WILLIAMS I PHOTOS BY NSP STUDIO 

Amy Hoang is the founder of Golden 

World Magazine and she holds multiple 

positions under the Golden World Group 

LLC, which includes the Golden Sea 

Corporation, Golden World Beauty 

Pageant, Golden Agarwood Jewelry, 

& Golden Health and Beauty Supply. 

She has been featured on the covers of 

Malvie Magazine and Gmaro Magazine. 

Also, she has been published in Vigour 

Magazine, Edith Magazine, Illumee 

Magazine, and many 

other publications 

in Vietnam. Amy 

Hoang is an 

ambitious, successful 

businesswoman who is 

a passionate innovator 

in the fashion, beauty 

and entertainment 

industries. She uses 

her artistic talent 

as a fashionista to 

promote luxurious 

couture, while 

leading a resplendent 

lifestyle exemplified by 

adventure, elegance, 

and altruism. 

Amy Hoang is a 

poised, graceful entrepreneur who 

is intelligent, empathetic, and openminded. 

She is an eloquent speaker who 

leverages her superb communication 

skills to build strong networks in the 

entertainment industry and to promote 

her philanthropic pursuits, especially 

during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Under Amy Hoang’s leadership, Golden 

Health Supply provided high-quality 

medical equipment to customers in the 

U.S. and internationally. Specifically, her 

company provided many antibacterial 

mask products to help protect people 

from COVID-19 spread. Furthermore, 

the Golden World group kicked off 2021 

by donating masks to people in the city 

of Stanton, Southern California. Her 

organization handed out over 25,000 

boxes of medical masks and hand sanitizer 

to people in need. 

Amy Hoang is a generous and 

compassionate humanitarian who donates 

to a variety of charitable causes. Several 

of these causes include: The Golden 

World Group Charity Foundation, 

Shriners Hospitals for Children, “Pray For 

Vietnam” initiative to help flood victims, 

American Cancer Society, environmental 

preservation of the oceans, and retired 

military veterans in Massachusetts. 

In addition, her organization focuses 

on helping vulnerable, impoverished 

women and children throughout the 

world. She constantly gives back to her 

Vietnamese community and artists. The 

Golden World Group will help bring 

the blockbuster, Vietnamese movie 

“Sam Hoi” to the U.S. to reach a larger 

audience. Moreover, Amy Hoang believes 

that it is important to celebrate diversity 

using her Golden World platforms to 

promote inclusion and cultural awareness. 

She is committed to embracing diversity 

in the entertainment world. As the 

CEO of the Golden 

World Beauty 

Pageants, she brings 

together creatives and 

contestants from 

various cultures and 

nationalities, such 

as the Ms. Golden 

World events from 

2017 to present and 

Ms. Golden Sea 

Pageant in 2019. 

As the first runnerup 

of Ms. Vietnam 

International 

Pageant 2015, she 

wanted to create an 

inclusive pageant that 

welcomes all men 

and women. Her 

pageant emphasizes the importance of 

individuals who have heart and passion 

for their communities. Amy Hoang’s 

radiant, cheerful personality inspires 

others to see their own beauty and to 

make a meaningful difference in the 

world. She believes that acknowledging 

and honoring cultural diversity will lead 

to the creation of global citizens who are 

dedicated to making positive changes in 

their communities and abroad. 





{ SHIFT+CONTROL }

“Amy Hoang is an 

ambitious, successful 

businesswoman who is 

a passionate innovator 

in the fashion, beauty 

and entertainment 

industries.”


{ SHIFT+CONTROL }


“Amy Hoang’s vision of inclusivity inspired the creation of the Golden World Magazine.” 

Amy Hoang’s vision of inclusivity 

inspired the creation of the Golden 

World Magazine. The magazine provides 

a unique opportunity for designers, 

photographers, models and artists 

from various cultural backgrounds to 

showcase their work to a larger audience. 

Additionally, this magazine will celebrate 

the creative teams and models who 

participated in the Golden World Beauty 

Pageants. It will commemorate the 

tremendous effort, time and diligence 

required to organize and to coordinate 

unforgettable beauty pageant events. Amy 

Hoang aims to inspire and to encourage 

other young talent organizations to 

submit their work for future publications 

in order to cultivate an international 

creative community. 

As a brilliant female CEO, Amy Hoang 

has successfully navigated the challenges 

of 2020 while changing business strategies 

to suit the times. She is optimistic that 

the future will be prosperous for the 

Golden World LLC with several major 

projects and collaborations currently 

under way. One of her company’s most 

important mottos is “Understanding 

- Loving - Caring – Sharing,” which 

continues to influence her progress 

into 2021. Amy Hoang is not only an 

immensely gifted businesswoman and 

trendsetter in fashion, but a selfless 

leader devoted to diversity, inclusion, 

and philanthropy. 

Tell our audience about yourself and 

where you are from. 

My name is My Lam Diem Hoang 

kwown as Lam Hoàng My. I was born 

in Vietname and and graduated from 


{ COVER STORY } { WOMAN { { WOMEN { SHIFT+CONTROL COVER WHO STORY INSPIRES ROC } } 

} } 

“ I love learning and sharing. I love to learn what I dont know and share what I do 

know .” 

the University of Tourism in VN.I moved 

too the US at the age of 20. I am the 

present CEO of Golden World Beauty 

/ CEO OF Golden Sea International 

/ chair women /Founder of Golden 

World Group Inc Charity foundation 

Co founder / owner of Golden 

Health Supply, the CEO at BOMOI 

Entertainment and the Owner of Beauty 

Times Salon and Spa. 

What got you into the pageant world? 

I love learning and 

sharing. I love to learn 

what I dont know and 

share what I do know . 

Promotion of a platform 

is a big one for me too. 

Being passionate about 

a cause and entering a 

pageant is a great way 

to share your platform 

and your enthusiasm 

for something that you 

strongly believe in. 

How did you become 

CEO of Golden World 

Group/ Founder of 

Miss Golden World 

/ Miss & Mr Golden 

Sea International? 

I love beauty and feeling beautiful. 

Making other confident in thier own 

skin. Beauty is from the inside out. 

Working on charity work , giving back 

to the society all helped me to become 

CEO. I am a good leader . I lead the 

company in the right direction . I help 

people reach their goals, and I am not 

afraid to hire people that are better 

than me, ass long as they are good for 

the company. I look out for others not 

just my own benefits. 

I love that the Golden World Group 

is about helping children in need, 

empowering women, understanding, 

caring and helping others. What made 

you start the organization with this 

mission? 

Children are our first priority. They 

are the future of the world. Being a 

minority woman, Ideaply understand 

the difficulties that women in Asia and 

in general arefacing. Racism, funding 

security, lack of capital, family, children 

and the list goes on.I can see myself in 

that world. So I am doing my best for 

myself and for others . Giving back is 

a beautiful action. The world needs it. 

Understanding, caring, loving and 

sharing is who I am. I just want to be 

able to help as many people as I can. 

It seems that you are really a true 

woman entrepreneur. Can you tell us 

about your other businesses? 

I loved doing business when I was a little 

girl. I helped my mom to manage her 

store after school. Growing up with that 

business mind, I can see opportunities 

everywhere. I Graduated from Bay Bath 

University for International Business and 

this was really the start of my crazy life. 

Long story short, our company has 

grown very large in different fields: 

like real estate, import/ export, sea food 

meat, the Entertainment 

industry :and more. We 

host two Pageants every 

year as well. I am also 

a special event planner. 

Plus, we help people 

in the fashion industry 

eith raising capital for 

investment. We Supply 

PPE products in big 

quantities. 

What gave you the 

courage to start your 

own businesses? 

I really dont know what 

one thing made me start 

my business ( insert laugh 

here). I born for this. 

My passion is working 

and making others happy. 

What is your current reigning status? 

How long have you been competing? 

I competed once 6 years a go and didn’t 

win, but I was a first runner up. I am 

short and petite, so maybe that was the 

reason why I couldn’t touch that crown. 

So, I said to myself, if I cant not win 

that crown for myself I will make myself 

the director of a pageant and lay it on 


{ SHIFT+CONTROL }

{ COVER STORY } { WOMAN { { WOMEN { SHIFT+CONTROL COVER WHO STORY INSPIRES ROC } } } } 

“ My favorite part of my job is seeing our contestants shine, gain confidence, lead them to 

other opportunities, and open their doors to the world.” 

others with special criteria for petite, 

but smart women like me to shine even 

if it was only once in their life. 

What is your favorite part 

about being in the pageants? 

What about coordinating 

the pageants? 

My favorite part of my job is 

seeing our contestants shine, 

gain confidence, lead them 

to other opportunities, and 

open their doors to the world. 

Coordinating a pageant is 

not easy, especially if it is an 

international one like Golden 

World Beauty Pageant. We 

welcome all races, ages, 

nationalities, different 

backgrounds , different level 

sof education, different shapes 

and sizes. We all unite on 

one platform to compte, to 

learn, to share, and to love 

each other. 

Who has been your biggest 

influence? 

Oprah Winfrey is my biggest 

influence. I read about her, 

listen to her, and my goal is to 

sit with her on her TV show 

one day. I want to talk and 

share everything with her. 

Who has been the biggest 

success story to come from 

the Golden World Pageants? 

On the younger side we have 

Jacqueline Paras, Miss Golden World 

2018 . She is from the Philippinesand 

she is now a great face in the NY fashion 

industry. She is a great model, singer 

and dancer. She goes a long with the 

Golden World Group in all of our 

charity works. 

For the more mature ladies, we have 

two that have had great success in their 

career.The first is Mrs Annie K Nguyễn 

who was crowned Mrs Golden Sea 

International in NY in 2018. She just 

successfuly singed a multi-millions 

dollar PPE contract for Golden Sea 

Corporation. Then, we have Mrs Golden 

World Entrepreneur 2019 

Ninh Nguyen who is very 

well known in Los Angeles, 

California for her chain 

PHO FILET. She is making 

million now in income and 

is very successful. Both of 

them are representatives for 

the Golden World Group 

501C3 charity foundation. 

What do you look for 

in contestants for the 

pageant? What about 

for the winners? 

We are more strict on 

contestants for Miss 

pageants then the others. 

They have to meet the 

requirements: beauty, 

education, community 

work , personally, height, 

weight, and even family 

background is checked. 

For Ms and Mrs contestants 

we look for the background, 

personally, education, 

and their passion. Most 

important is their goal 

in what do they want to 

achieve. 

For the winner of Miss 

they need to meet all the 

requirements to be the best. Ms/Mrs: is 

more about their great achievements in 

life, and something for others to learn 

and follow. 



{ SHIFT+CONTROL }




{ SHIFT+CONTROL }


{ SHIFT+CONTROL }

{ COVER STORY } { WOMAN { { WOMEN { SHIFT+CONTROL COVER WHO STORY INSPIRES ROC } } } } 

“ Yes, we got hit really hard with the pandamic. We had to make several changes in order 

to rescue our business.” 

Have you had to make any changes 

during the pandemic to how you 

run the pageants? 

Yes, we got hit really hard with the 

pandamic. We had to make several 

changes in order to 

rescue our business. 

We are making PPE 

products, doing virtual 

shows, zoom shows, and 

even got creative with 

a livestream talk show. 

Where did you get your 

education, and what 

did you major in? 

I was graduated in VN 

for my first 4 years 

degree in Tourism. Then 

I moved to the US and 

continued my education 

at Springfield Technical 

Community College 

and graduated from 

Bay Bath University 

in Longeadow, MA six 

years later. 

Who has been the most 

influential in helping 

your career? 

That would definitely 

be my mom. She is my 

best friend ever. 

What do you have 

planned for 2021? 

The coming back of 

the Miss Gokden Sea 

International 2021, 

Miss Golden World Beauty Pageant 

2021and the Golden Legendary 

special Award. 

What is the one thing you cannot 

live without when competing? 

You can’t do anything without 

confidence. 

Who has been your favorite designer 

to work with and why? 

KhangLe and Jacky Tai because 

they are so creative, have a unique 

fashion style and are so amazing to 

work with. 

What do you think is the one quality 

that makes you a lady boss? 

+ being a people person 

+ hard working 

+ willing to learn 

+ confident 

+ understanding 

If you could use one word 

to describe yourself what 

would it be? 

Sweet but tough. 

If you had one piece of 

advice to someone just 

starting out, what would 

it be? 

My best advise to everyone 

would be to be yourself, be 

passionate, start while you 

are still employed, don’t 

do it alone, get your clients 

and customers lined up, 

and most importantly have 

a business plan in place. 

Make sure to do your 

research before jumping 

in and get professional 

help. Have a dream, dream 

big and work hard and be 

patient because success 

never comes that easy. 



“Have a dream, dream big and work hard and be patient because success never comes 

that easy.” 






RUMELLA “LA DIVA” 

CAMERON 

PHOTOS BY CHRISTOPHER “GOODKNEWS” CARDWELL 

Please give a warm welcome to the 

latest She Hustles Talks cover woman, 

the “Diva” herself, Rumella Cameron. 

So you are a professional wrestler, a real 

estate agent, and a business owner of 

Conversance Business Solutions LLC. 

Plus, you are a mother. Tell our readers 

a little bit about Rumella “LaDiva” 

Cameron and your background. 

My name is Rumella 

Cameron. I am a mother of 

3, the CEO of Conversance 

Business Solutions, a real 

estate agent, and I am a 

community activist, where 

I served as the town leader 

in a political committee. 

Which of your 3 

professions came first? 

I actually started wresting 

in 2007. Two years out 

of high school, I began 

to pursue my wrestling 

career. I then started my 

business in 2015, and I 

became a licensed real estate 

agent last January 2020. 

Tell us about being a 

professional wrestler. How did you 

start? What made you want to do 

something like that? 

What got me interested in wrestling, my 

family and I would sit around the tv on 

Monday nights and watch it together. 

WWE, formally known as WWF during 

the Attitude Era was the best. I would 

see superstars such as the Rock, Lita 

& and the Hardy Boys, and Chyna. 

I thought it was cool. One day I was 

watching tv and saw a buddy of mines 

on a local channel wrestling. I called 

the network to get in touch with the 

promoter, and that’s how I got started. I 

signed up for training a few weeks later. 

Where did the wrestling name and 

persona “La Diva” come from? 

My wrestling persona is like my alter ego 

lol. She’s fierce and takes no mess from 

anyone. I have high standards, so LaDiva, 

which means The Diva transpired. In 

the ring, I am the heal, which in better 

terms, the villain. I love playing the bad 

girls. Brains, beauty, and brutality is my 

tagline. Being the only female wrestler in 

Upstate NY and becoming the women’s 

champion in just a few promotions on 

the east coast and in Canada, I was that 

chic. The majority of my opponents 

were men. So I had no issue going toe 

to toe with the guys. Hey, why not? 

What made you decide to start your 

own business and become a female 

entrepreneur in Real Estate and 

Conversance Business Solutions? 

I follow and a lot of 

successful entrepreneurs 

and business owners. 

Success millionaires say the 

key to success is to have 

seven streams of income. 

I whole-heartily believe in 

that. You can’t always rely 

on a basket, and you should 

never put all your eggs in 

one basket. But I do this 

strategically, of course. 

There’s only so much time 

in a day. But I was ready 

to go on my own and be 

on my boss. I founded 

Conversance in 2015, 

serving small to mid-sized 

businesses nationally, 

providing administrative 

support and business 

strategies. What got me 

into real estate, one of our clients was 

building their team, and we helped 

streamlined their processes and systems, 

and it just grew from there. Why not 

get into real estate. Real estate is the 

best way to make investments and build 

up your financial portfolio. 

What made you decide to start 

Conversance, and what is its mission?


{ SHIFT+CONTROL }




{ SHIFT+CONTROL }

{{ SHE SHIFT+CONTROL HUSTLES TALKS }} 

“ I love playing the bad girls. Brains, beauty, and brutality is my tagline. ” 

Our mission is to be the top virtual 

assistant firm in the US, providing 

administrative support and business 

services to small and medium businesses 

that are either starting up or expanding. 

Not too many entrepreneurs have the 

resources to hire a team, and we provide 

one at a fraction of the cost. We help 

with business planning, executing the 

plan, and building up your team to 

help you be successful in your business. 

As a business owner, what would you say 

are your top priorities for both yourself 

in the business and also for your clients? 

My top priorities are business 

development, sales, and client retention. 

I spend the majority of my time 

finding ways to be a resource to our 

clients and how we can help them 

grow their business. Their success is 

ours. Lead generation is a daily task. 

How do you market your 

business, and which tactics have 

you found to be most successful, 

especially during a pandemic? 

I market my business by networking 

with other businesses, introducing 

myself, setting up meetings, reaching out 

via social media, and cold calling. The 

most effective way we gain new clients is 

through reaching out on LinkedIn and 

following up with cold-calls and emails. 

Sometimes I would try snail mail, but 

that didn’t bring much success. The direct 

interactions have been very successful. 

What was your key driving force 

to become a real estate agent? 

The funny thing is, I love Millionaire 

Dollar Listing NY and I have been 

following Ryan Serhant for many years. 

Although the real estate market is not 

the same as it is in NYC or LA, I’ve 

learned so much that I have applied to 

my own real estate business. Another 

reason why I got into real estate is 

much bigger than me. Some people 

believe that they are not able to achieve 

buying a home, and I am changing 

that narrative. Everyone should be able 

to qualify for a home, understand the 

home buying process, and know there 

are grants and resources available to 

them. So I work with buyers and educate 

them on this. It makes me happy to 

get a buyer into their new or even first 

home. We are on the journey together. 

If you had the chance to start your 

career over again, would you do 

anything differently and why? 

No, every failure leads to success. 

In failing, you learn a lesson. My 

path is mine to take and made 

me into the person I am today. 

What would you say are the top 

three skills needed to be successful as 

both a professional female wrestler 

and a female business owner? 

Top 3 skills would be perseverance, 

determination, and patience. 

Who has been your greatest inspiration? 

My greatest inspiration has been the 

many women before me that went 

through struggles to carve a path for 

themselves and generations later. Mostly, 

my mother and grandmother. Strong 

black women who did everything on 

their own to provide and take care of 

their families. I wanted to prove to 

them that their hard work and the 

life they have provided weren’t in vain. 

How do you define success? 

Success means many things to many 

people. What success means to me 

and that I am surrounded by people 

who love and support me. Success 

to me is knowing that somehow I 

have inspired someone and/or made 

some type of impact on them. 

Do you spend more time lighting 

fires or putting them out? 

That’s a great question. I believe I 

am the fire. But I am really good 

at putting them out. What defines 

a person is how they can pressure. 

Tell our audience what 

makes you a hustler... 

Hustler is my middle name. What 

makes me a hustler is that no matter 

what life throws my way I always find a 

way to maneuver and get to my goals. 

Where do you see your businesses a 

year from now? What about 5 and 

10 years? Will you still be wrestling? 

In a year, I see my business with a 

huge team, helping businesses all 

over the world and providing jobs 

locally. I do plan on wrestling until 

my body tells me it’s time to stop. 



{ SHIFT+CONTROL }

{{ SHE SHIFT+CONTROL HUSTLES TALKS } } 

“We are changing the trajectory. Black women represent 42% of new women-owned 

businesses.” 

Do you walk your talk? 

Always! 

Do you think being a minority has 

helped or hindered you in business? 

I don’t make it an issue, but I know for 

sure there are systems in place to keep 

us down. I don’t always get the same 

opportunities as my other counterparts, 

so I make the opportunity. It 

honestly shouldn’t matter. I see more 

opportunities coming because I am 

a minority women-owned business. 

We are changing the trajectory. 

Black women represent 42% of 

new women-owned businesses. 

What is one thing you 

have done that not many 

people know about you? 

After attending Brockport, I was 

actually a Criminal Justice Major and 

Business Administration and Military 

Science. I was planning on going into 

the Army as an officer. I decided that 

wasn’t the best choice for my family. So 

I decided I can still serve and did the 

RPD test and passed. But of course, 

life doesn’t always go as planned. 

What is one piece of advice 

you have been giving that has 

helped shape who you are? 

When I was attending Genesee 

Community College, I had a professor 

that I went to get advice from, and 

she told me, “Your life begins the 

moment you step outside your comfort 

zone.” She was right. Each year I find 

a way to push myself to the next level. 

Of your 3 VERY different career choices, 

which has been your favorite and why? 



{ SHIFT+CONTROL }




“I really feel as though the pandemic has helped my business. With companies going 

virtual, we were able to shine during this time by providing virtual assistant services. ” 

Professional wrestling. When I am 

in that ring, I feel alive. I feel free. I 

feel at home. It’s my passion. But I 

know putting my body on the line like 

that is not good for my family. I have 

my babies I have to come home to. 

Has the pandemic 

helped or hindered 

your business? 

I really feel as though the 

pandemic has helped my 

business. With companies 

going virtual, we were 

able to shine during this 

time by providing virtual 

assistant services. We’ve 

been trying to show 

businesses for years 

the benefits of doing a 

majority of the workflow 

virtually and how it saves 

them time and money. 

The crazy thing is I started 

my real estate business 

right before the pandemic, 

it was slow at first, but I 

was able to get my first 

three sales before the 

end of the year. I wish 

I was able to do more, 

but hey, that’s what life 

threw my way. Have 

to make the most of it. 

Do you have any 

big business plans for 2021? 

Well, yes I do. We are going into 

year six, and we plan on doing a 

huge marketing push to increase 

awareness and reach more businesses. 

What would you say your clients 

think is your best quality? 

My interpersonal communication 

skills. I am to connect with my clients, 

and they like that. I understand their 

wants and needs and what they are 

looking to accomplish, whether 

they are a home buyer or a business 

owner looking to grow and expand. 

What does your family 

think about what you do, 

especially being a pro wrestler? 

My kids think I am a 

rock star. I don’t see it, 

but everyone always tells 

me how I inspire them. 

That makes me happy. I am 

just doing what I can and 

living to my full potential. 

What would be one bit of 

advice you would give to 

young women wanting to 

start their own business? 

START!!! Don’t let anyone 

tell you that you can’t, or 

talk you out of a decision. 

Keep your eyes on the prize, 

do what makes you happy 

and live your life. 

Make-up: Lamany 

Chanthavong 

Hair: Quanda Weaver 

Stylist: Latrice Brown 

Vyntage Junkie 

Skin care & Creative 

Director: Vaughan Pinckney 



MAKENNA 


{ SHE { SHIFT+CONTROL HUSTLES TALKS } } 

ANGELA TEWA 

My name is Angela Tewa, a 26-year-old 

New York City native currently living 

in Western New York. I have grown 

to be a woman of many hats. I am a 

proud boy mom of a precious oneyear-old 

son, associate’s and bachelors 

degree holder in Criminal Justice, 

and I graduate with my master’s 

degree in Social Work from the 

University at Buffalo this May 

of 2021. I also intern with the 

NYS Department of Parole. 

Throughout my entire graduate 

program, I have been working 

as a caseworker and skill builder 

in child welfare for at risk youth 

and families in the system. I have 

recently resigned to dedicate my 

undivided attention and focus 

in school while preparing for 

post graduation. 

I am incredibly ardent in 

my line of work in the field. 

That is one thing that I’m 

sure will never change is my 

human rights perspectives, 

my compassion for people, 

and my genuine heart to help. 

In 2016, I took up a modeling 

offer and had not stopped since. 

Many people have asked me, 

“Why didn’t you make it into 

a business earlier?” I’ve always 

loved being in front of the camera, 

but telling stories and creating art 

through my pictures is such a fulfilling 

and inspirational deed to me. I’ve 

always had full-time work, money 

was never a motive, and no matter 

how many paid gigs I get, it never 

will be. It is my passion, and it is my 

self-care. Of course, after leaving a 

full-time job, yeah, it was time to 

cut down on so many collaborative 

projects. After all, I think I got quite 

a few years of building my craft and 

gaining experience in so many different 

aspects of the industry to be able to 

take the following steps. Still, up to 

this day, I love being active in the 

community, helping others create, 

helping others get experience and 

genuinely networking and making 

friends with like-minded individuals. 

What started off as a hobby then 

became a serious passion and money 

maker. I have been blessed with 

many opportunities such as runway, 

modeling for local brands, freelance 

photography, music videos, and extra 

roles in popular series such 

as Orange Is The New Black 

and SVU: Law and Order. 

I have gotten questions 

about the possible conflict 

of modeling and my career 

in criminal justice/social 

work. Now, as I am about to 

graduate with my master’s, 

my goal is to use my platform 

to advocate for human rights 

and combine the two! 

The climate that we are in 

in this country is intense 

on all levels, especially 

with the black lives matter 

movement, racism, police 

brutality, LGBTQ+ justice, 

gender inequality and the 

list goes on. I think it would 

be pretty negligent of me as 

a young black woman and 

black mother of a black son, 

to just continue to take pretty 

pictures, and that’s it. I’m 

not just a pretty face. 

There’s purpose behind my choices 

as a creative. There are so many 

ways that I have utilized my “social 

media presence” and will continue 

to, to speak out against issues and 

speak for those who never got the 

chance to or who simply can’t. 

Signing petitions, sharing stories, 





“I’ve always had full-time work, money was never a motive, and no matter how many 

paid gigs I get, it never will be.” 

voting, getting involved in black lives 

matter campaigns, supporting black 

businesses, having those difficult 

conversations with others, simply 

telling someone, it is not enough to not 

just be racist, you have to be constantly 

anti-racist, so on and so forth. 

Be sure to check out and like, if you’re 

feeling generous, my modeling business 

page on Facebook, AngelaTewa, if 

you’d like to book me as a model 

for any commercial brands, creative 

portraits, videos, etc other modeling 

projects. You can also check me out 

on Instagram at @princesa_angiee 

to see all of my cool creations and 

also subscribe to my new YouTube 

channel that documents my modeling 

life, called “Off The Record”.

{{ SHE HUSTLES { SHE SHIFT+CONTROL HUSTLES ENTREPRENHERS TALKS }} 

}} 

MIND. BODY. META. 

BY MO SHANTY 

Tell us about yourself and what made 

you start Mind. Body. Meta... 

I began a different organic skincare 

business about 10 years ago in Auburn 

and I really fell in love with the holistic 

side of skincare then. I had taken 

schooling in Herbalism and Organic 

Chemistry in my training leading up 

to getting my Esthetics license. I started 

making my own skincare in 2013, 

taking all that I knew and fell in love. 

It was at that point that I realized that 

I didn’t want to work for anyone else 

in this arena. And it was all going very 

well. There was a point in my life where 

things were rock bottom. I could not 

figure how to right myself and I was 

emotionally damaged. I sought out 

a talk therapy approach and leaned 

very heavily into Cognitive Behavioral 

Therapy. It really helped me develop 

better coping skills and recognize 

the areas I still needed work. That 

pulled me in the direction of seeking 

my own certification in Cognitive 

Behavioral Therapy which I did in 

2018. Creating MindBodyMeta was 

a no-brainer to begin. If you’re truly 

setting out to help others take care 

of their own whole body and being, 

we’re really missing the point if we’re 

only coming part way. Skincare is my 

passion, emotional intelligence and 

stability is my passion and herbalism 

and aromatherapy are two things that 

helped me sustain myself through some 

of the most difficult times in my life. 

I’d be silly not to offer that amount of 

well-being to my clients. 

I know The Pali word Mettā means 

benevolence or goodwill and loving 

kindness. How did you decide on this 

as part of your business name? 

That’s so interesting! I’ve never known 

that! Ha! Actually, it’s just a shortened 

version of the word, Metaphysical. I’ve 

been a solitary practitioner of Herbalism, 

Tarot and Brujeria since I was about 

13. It’s been part of my life for over 30 

years and the marriage of Tarot and Talk 

Therapy was one the most wonderful 

assets to my growth. I wanted to be an 

educational resource in Metaphysics, 

addressing the many variations and 

ways people can be more spiritual. And 

spirituality is so individual, it’s important 

to understand what will work best for 

you in that journey. 

What made you decide to start your 

own business? 

Honestly, I didn’t like working for other 

people that weren’t truly invested in 

me. I really detest micromanaging. I do 

enough of that to myself, I don’t need it 

piled on. But the main reason is because 

I don’t think I’ll ever find a business or 

corporation as unique as mine where I 

would be happy. Marrying facial and 

bodycare with an herbal apothecary as 

well as a mental health talk therapy 

office seems like too much of an 

amalgamation, doesn’t it? But it works 

so well and seamless here. 

What is your favorite part of doing 

what you do? 

Wow, hmm, really all of it. I make 80 

out the 87 products that are sold on 

my shelves. That’s really the beauty 

of it. I get to put my energy, my hope 

and my expertise into everything that 

touches a client. I love Skincare and 

Histology and the Therapy. It’s so 

hard to choose. 

What types of services do you offer 

and what makes you different from 

other service providers? 

Firstly, we offer skincare services like 

waxing, facials and body treatments. 

All products used are made by me, 

so I can stand firmly behind them 

with the knowledge that they do 

what they say they’re going to as well 

as knowing each and every ingredient. 

I’ve also taken extensive continuing 

education in Oncology Esthetics and 

a heavy concentration on Melanated 

Skin, which is hard to come by in this 

area unfortunately. There are so many 

talented Estheticians of color. Seek them 

out. We offer Lash Services, especially 

for Sensitive Eyes, Cognitive Behavioral 


{{ SHE { HUSTLES SHE HUSTLES ENTREPRENHERS TALKS } }}


{ SHIFT+CONTROL }


“If you’re truly setting out to help others take care of their own whole body and being, 

we’re really missing the point if we’re only coming part way.” 

Therapy and a Women’s Educational and 

Healing Roundtable called Women& 

which focuses on healing through many 

of the issues Women face like Trauma, 

Stress, Sexuality and Societal Expectations. 

I love doing Tea and Tarot on Thursdays 

as well. I also run a Women in Horror 

night at the studio where women who 

love a good scary movie get to sit, watch, 

hang and eat some really great snacks. 

Another plate I spin is being a Horror 

Screenwriter so it’s let’s me flex that 

muscle and really enjoy it. 

What is mental health talk therapy? 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy especially 

is a problem-solving therapy. Most folks 

that do well in CBT are that feel stuck 

in distress or bad behavioral patterns 

that they adapted to, those behaviors 

turn into negative, harsh, and extreme 

thinking patterns. When we really 

dissect those patterns, we discover that 

there are inaccuracies or distortions. In 

CBT, I teach clients to identify their 

negative thoughts and how to replace 

them with more accurate, adaptive, 

and helpful ones. It’s especially helpful 

for panic attacks, social anxiety, trauma 

and narcissistic recovery, and those 

stuck in painful feelings or unhealthy 

relationship patterns. 

What would you say is the mission 

behind Mind. Body. Meta? 

To help serve the entire human being. 

Mentally, emotionally, and physically 

and I suppose spiritually. If you’re a 

personal success but a spiritual mess 

we’re your best place to achieve that. 

If you’re struggling emotionally, we’re 

here to help walk you through better 

coping mechanisms, if you’re struggling 

physically, mostly through image and 

skincare, we’ve got you covered to be on 

your way to honoring yourself. 

Has being an entrepreneur and owning 

your own business affected your family/ 

personal life? 

It’s been a tough balance for sure, but 

the rewards are well worth it. You think 

that owning your own business comes 

with a certain vein of independence: I 

can make my own hours and I go here 

and there. It’s a mix of being there for 

your clientele and working long hours 

to produce products, content, time for 

the people that seek you out and depend 

on your being there. My clients are such 

a driving force to be the best I can and 

my support at home is essential for my 

growth. I’m an incredibly independent 

person, to a fault actually, I have a need 

to do everything on my own. But it’s 

lovely to hear that I’m inspiring, I’m 

goal oriented and I’m nurturing from 

those that love me. A support system is 

important. Find those that champion you. 

What was your key driving force 

to become a female entrepreneur 

and opening a wellness center and 

combining mind and body? 

Really, my own experiences. I’m a 

bootstrap woman and fully grown latchkey 

kid. We learn to be self-reliant. But 

also, as a woman, it’s tough being given 

credit that you can build an empire on 

your own. Metaphysics and Therapy, 

Skincare and Herbalism, that’s all a part 

of me. It’s helped me grow and shape 

myself and when things weren’t going 

in the directions they needed to, all of 

that let me re-mold myself and go back 

to the drawing board. And I want my 

clients to know that when you step in 

here, feel free to be messy. To step in 

my studio unfinished, wondering, still 

figuring things out because that’s the 

beauty of women isn’t? We mold and 

shape and ignite and ember and bring 

the thunder and water new growth. 

We do all that AND build empires, all 

with two hands. 

Are there any services that are unique 

to your business? 

Our Herbal Pack Facial Massage utilizing 

plant extracts in a hot soak pack then 

massaged into the skin followed by a 

toxin drain. 

For Body, our Chakra Balancing Duo: 

it kicks up a LOT for people. We carry 

so much disharmony in the body when 

we’re stressed, it’s a real peek into what’s 

really going on inside. 

For Mind, our Women& Roundtable. 

It’s not your average support group. 

Women& is not your typical one and 

done meeting, nor is it a weekly venting 

session. Its learning how to successfully 

work THROUGH your issues. The 

work is pertinent. If you are in a place 

where enough is enough and you’ve had 

it with you own flip-flopping and you 

need that push to move forward to a 

more well-balanced life, than Women& 

is for you. It’s more of a workshop and 

it’s so necessary for women to know that 

there is a space to do that. Sometimes 

relying on your family and friends that 

are tired of hearing you vent isn’t helping 

you. You’ve got to move through it. I’m 

here to help you achieve that. 

For our Metaphysical, all of our herbal 



“Spirituality is so individual, it’s important to understand what will work best for you in 

that journey. ” 

herbal tincures, blends, candles, spell 

and healing kits. Such an amazing array 

addressing lots of spiritual needs. 

Do you believe there is some sort of 

pattern or formula to becoming a 

successful entrepreneur? 

Oh not at all. We’re all tripping forwards 

and anyone who tells you they’ve got it all 

figured out I’m wary of. There’s always a 

pitfall, a misstep, something that legitimately 

will nwever work in your business. 

The only success that is tried and true 

for me in knowing my “why”. I’m a 

“why, why, why” person. Down to brass 

tacks. It’s been essential in my movement 

through the parameters my life’s path 

has put me through. It also is adjacent 

to my authenticity. Am I showing up 

in the right ways for myself? Why not? 

Is this bringing me peace? Why not? 

I’m feeling some kind of way about 

this por this person, why? Know your 

“why”. Simon Sinek, who is one of 

my favorite motivational speakers says, 

“People don’t buy what you do, they buy 

why you do it.” Not that I need people 

to be frequent buyers, but understand 

why I do what I do and hopefully that 

will resonate with someone. 

What has been your most satisfying 

moment in business? 

Recently, we were entered into “Best in 

the Region – Esthetician”, it was really 

surprising considering we’ve only been 

open 7 months. It let me know that my 

community appreciates me. 

How do you build a successful customer 

base? 

We have customers all over the globe, 

literally. You can’t sell yourself short and 

just market to those that like what you 

have. Let people get to know you, people 

buy you, not just your products. My key 

to that has been letting people know 

what I do in circles that don’t involve 

business. Most of my online and global 

clientele has come from my friends and 

colleagues in the screenwriting industry. 

We’re all going through a lot of the same 

things, if you’re not tapping into the fact 

that you can be accessed online, you’re 

missing out. Some folks are shy about 

asking, be accessible, I mean ALL your 

stock. It’ll be tedious but it’s so worth 

it. Also markedly reaching out to your 

existing base with a purpose. I tried 

newsletters that never got read. Give 

them something that pertains to them, 

research what services and products they 

purchased. Are you making something 

new in extension of that or a service that 

pertains to that with a discount? Make 

it personal. 

Tell our audience one thing they may 

not know about you. 

I’ve been a screenwriter for 12 years and 

an EP on iTunes. 

“What is your ‘why? ‘” Why do you 

do what you do? 

As a woman, a woman of color at that, 

I don’t have the liberty of not being a 

social activist. MindBodyMeta will 

always fight against Racial Injustice, 

Domestic Violence, Global Inequality, 

LGBTQ+ Discrimination and we’ll always 

champion Gender Equality, Human 

Rights, Movements for Racial Justice and 

Change and Mental Health Awareness. 

It hasn’t made me the most popular, 

especially in a caustic environment but 

it’s essential to me. It’s so important to me 

that my client’s feel safe and unjudged 

when they walk through my door and 

that’s why it’s so important to take care 

of every facet of a human being. I do it 

because I want to feel safe when I walk 

into a well-being atmosphere. I’ve been in 

places that didn’t make me feel welcome 

in this industry, I don’t want anyone to 

every feel like that in my “house”. 

When starting your business, did you 

ever ask yourself “WILL CUSTOMERS 

‘WANT’ OR ‘NEED’ MY SERVICES?” 

No not really. I started it with the 

intention of education. If you make 

people aware of the resources that are 

available in your location, they will 

eventually see the value in that and seek 

you out. Getting that info out there is 

key. You simply cannot come from “if 

you build it they will come” attitude 

and expect the flood gates to open. 

Educate, educate, educate! 

What are your plans for 2021 and 

beyond? 

I’m a big believer in keeping your 

hard work protected. We’re currently 

developing new trademarked stress relief 

products for our customers. Adrenal 

fatigue is commonplace now that we’re 

in a flight or fight response all the time 

whilst living through this pandemic and 

we want to educate you on how that 

can affect your body, mind and spirit 

and hopefully help you calm that. 

If you could write a book about yourself 

what would it be titled? 



MAKENNA 



“I get to put my energy, my hope and my expertise into everything that touches a client.” 

Funny enough, I currently am. It’s 

called “Catch 42 and 7 Lies Little Girls 

Are Told”. 

What is the best piece of advise that 

you have been given that has helped 

you in your business? 

“Know that your power will intimidate 

the ones that don’t seek their own.” It’s 

very easy to get caught in the loop of 

wanting everyone to like you or for 

them to understanding what you do 

and or doing. As long as you do and 

understand yourself and your mission 

and can stand behind it, you have to 

believe that what others say or think about 

you is none of your business. Don’t let 

those who don’t fully support you, tell 

you your journey is wrong. And don’t 

ask for directions from someone who 

doesn’t care to go where you’re headed. 


...for whole body and being. 

MindBodyMeta 

100 Genesee Street, Ste. 11 Auburn, NY 13021 315-231-5065 www.mindbodymeta.com 

We offer these services with the purpose of 

challenging beliefs in reactivity and it's blockages 

Mind 

as well as trauma recovery to create a healthier 

mindset and trust in yourself. 

Women& - a safe space and educational roundtable 

discussion focusing on topics that women 

face. We cover stress, trauma and narcissistic 

recovery, grief, gender roles, & societal 

expectations. 

Chakra Balancing Duo - This body treatment 

focuses on blocked Chakra and clearing, deep 

relaxation and guided meditation. 

Guided Meditations - These can be sent to your 

email every week to set you on a better journey for 

health: Sleep Better, Stress Less, Reconnect, Align. 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, 

Master Herbalist, Women ' s 

Empowerment Counselor, Licensed 

Esthetician, Card Reader 

Mo Moshaty 

Mo has worked with several women's 

support groups across Western & 

Central NY as well as Eastern New 

Jersey. Her Therapy concentration is 

Trauma and Narcisstic Recovery, 

Mother Wound and Personal 

Empowerment. 

Esthetic Services, Herbal Education balance the body's central 

nervous system and integumentary system. Both carry means 

Body 

to detoxify the body to refresh and renew on a cellular level. 

Facials - Teen, Normal, Dry/Dehydrated, Sensitive, Againg, 

Hormonal, Hyperpigmented 

Body Treatments - Salt Glow, Mud Wrap, Chakra Balancing 

Herbs, Tea and Tinctures - Choose from 30 herbs and 

adaptogens in bulk. 

Lash Extensions - Perfect for anyone who loves length and 

fullness but no extra makeup. 

*Archetype Blends Adaptogen Tea coming in April* 

. 

Meta 

Metaphysical products and education for the 

purpose of expanding consciousness regarding 

our own spiritual path to remove blockages in the 

body, the spirit and relationships. 

Tarot & Oracle Card Readings - Perfect for anyone 

who feels a little lost, needs a boost or clarification 

on life, love, work and self. 

Dressing Oils, Herbs, Candles and Tinctures- 

Additions to your spiritual practice to enhance, 

calm, manifest and draw positives to you. 

Spiritual Counseling and Ritual Education- Learn 

more about your path and what you'd like to 

accomplish for yourself to live a more balanced 

life.


{ SHIFT+CONTROL }

{{ SHE HUSTLES { SHE HUSTLES ENTREPRENHERS TALKS } }} 

ALWAYS CHASING BETTER 

COACHING 

BY MICHELLE HORTON 

Tell us about yourself, your background, 

and how you started Always Chasing 

Better Coaching.. 

I was an educator for almost 25 years, 

a teacher and administrator and spent 

a good part of my career creating 

transformation in school programs to 

provide better learning opportunities for 

students and professionals alike. After 

going through a personal transformation, 

I decided that it was time to help other 

women have the audacity to do 

the same. 

What is the mission behind your 

business? 

My mission is to design unique, 

individualized transformational 

support for women through 

training and resources while creating 

a diverse and inclusive community. 

What, in your opinion, is the 

most important quality in your 

business and the services you 

provide to your clients? 

The most important quality in my 

business in integrity. Who I am as 

a person is reflected in my business 

and that boils down to integrity. 

I stand strong in who I am and 

what my business is for women. 



successful coach? 

I think the beauty of entrepreneurship 

is that there is no one path to anything. 

My experience in developing coaching 

programs for teachers and administrators 

was one route, but there are as many 

different paths to coaching as there 

are women have the imagination and 

audacity to create their own way! 

What makes you “hustle” both 

personally and professionally? 

I hustle personally and professionally 

because I am a passionate feminist. 

I believe it the power of women to 

accomplish anything we set our minds 

to, and I love being a part of the success 

of my sisters. 

What fascinates you about helping 

others be the best version of themselves? 

I am so profoundly impacted by the 

uniqueness of every single woman and 

her journey. We all have really important 

stories to tell, and I believe that each 

of the women I meet is meant for my 

personal path as well. 

Why did you choose this profession? 

I am a transformer by nature. I walk 

into a room and want to rearrange it or 

redecorate it. It’s just my nature. When I 

began my own personal transformation 

a few years ago, I championed through 

it with a woman who coached me 

every step of the way. Although our 

transformations are often lonely and 

solitary work, I experienced the impact 

of having someone alongside me equally 

devoted to my success. I want to be that 

for others. 

What is the best piece of advice 

that you have been given that has 

helped you in your business, or 

dealing with clients? 

The best piece of advice I have 

received is to take care of myself 

first so that I am best equipped to 

run a successful business and bring 

my full self to my relationships and 

day to day life. What this means to 

me is that I need to take good care 

of my body, mind, spirit and learn 

something new every day. 

As a business owner, what are 

your top three priorities? 

I try to stay focused on three things: 

love, success, and abundance. These 

are pretty broad but every day I 

reflect on those areas with these 

questions: 

In what ways did I show up today 

leading with love? 

What steps did I take today toward 

ensuring the success of my business? 

How did I experience abundance today 

and is there a way to share that with 

others?


{ SHIFT+CONTROL }

{ 

{ 

SHE 

SHIFT+CONTROL 

HUSTLES TALKS 

} 

} 

“My mission is to design unique, individualized transformational support for women 

through training and resources while creating a diverse and inclusive community.” 

Would you do business with yourself 

if you were a client and why? 

Hell yeah! I am laser focused on helping 

women cross their own personal finish 

lines and no one celebrates BIGGER 

than me when my clients win! 

Is there one phrase or statement that 

you always remember and share? 

“Have the audacity…..” I love the word 

audacity. It implies a boldness, a little bit 

of sass and I think women who want to 

reinvent, evolve, or pivot in their lives 

need to have audacity to go get it! 

Do you find it helpful or hard being 

a female owned business? 

It is an amazing time to be a woman 

entrepreneur! Women are collaborating 

and coming together like we have so many 

times in history to show our economic 

and political power in numbers. This 

movement is different though…much 

more inclusive and diverse. I recognize as 

a white woman that I have a responsibility 

to all of my sisters to take them by the 

hand when a door opens for me. In 

the past, we weren’t as willing to take 

others along when we achieved success. 

Today, that is changing and it’s exciting 

to be a part of that dynamic. Some of 

the most successful, powerful women 

I admire are women of color who are 

champions for themselves, their families, 

and entire communities. 

What is your ‘why? ‘” Why do you do 

what you do? 

I have always been moved to help the 

underserved in our world and women 

are so full of amazing energy that is 

tapped unnecessarily. The journey of 

healing and growing is one of hope 

and victory. We can overcome any 

circumstance and become the woman 

we see inside our dreams. Living a full 

life to our capacity is a gift to ourselves 

and everyone that loves us. I want that 

for everyone. 

Who were some of the mentors that 

encouraged or inspired you on this 

journey? 

I have a network of women who I turn 

to for encouragement and inspiration; 

however, my wife, Anne Montreal, 

hands down navigates her life in such 

a way that I come everyday to my own 

life ready to be the best possible person 

I can be – for myself, for her and for 

our family! 

Who is your ideal client? 

My ideal client is a woman who has 

finally said, “I’ve had enough and because 

I’ve tried to fix this myself and because 

it means so much to me, I am ready to 

ask for help!” 

What are your plans for your business 

for the future both personally and 

professionally? 

I am in the process of building an online 

learning portal where a lot of the skills 

and strategies I use with clients will 

be accessible to women who are more 

interested in a “self-help” approach rather 

than a personalized coaching experience. 

My wife is adding an education consulting 

branch of the business, so I’m involved 

in that as well. 

My goal is to have both businesses 

sustainable and profitable while we 

manage them from any beach on the 

planet! 



‘WANT’ OR ‘NEED’ MY SERVICE?” 

The challenge of a coaching business, 

especially life coaching, is that customers 

don’t know what it is, what it looks like 

or even if they would benefit from it. It’s 

exceedingly difficult for women to see 

that they don’t have to suffer and that 

coaching, quite different from therapy, 

is a doer’s way of improving your life in 

a relatively short period of time. 

Are you a born leader? Having a 

great idea is one thing. Being able to 

communicate that idea and convince 

others to jump on board is another. 

Do you feel you have what it takes to 

be successful? 

I’m the first-born child of four and 

always gravitate toward a leadership 

position. I believe that we all have what 

it takes to be successful, it’s whether or 

not we can outsmart our inner voice 

that’s trying desperately to keep us at 

our status quo. I am as successful as I 

let myself be! 

If you had the chance to start your career 

over again, would you do anything 

differently? 

If I had the knowledge that I’ve gained 

from my life’s experiences thus far, I would 

start my career over. At the same time, 

I am so grateful for the point at which 

I am in my life that to start over again 

would mean a lot of other things would 

be different too. I genuinely believe that 

I’m right where I’m supposed to be. 


EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR FULFILLING WORK, 

RELATIONSHIPS AND DAY TO DAY LIFE IS ALREADY 

RIGHT INSIDE OF YOU! I CAN COACH YOU TO AND 

THROUGH IT ALL! 

528 PLUM STREET #108 SYRACUSE, NY 13204 

ARCHEMYGROUP.COM/ALWAYS-CHASING-BETTER- 

COACHING 

(315) 440-2147 

MICHELLE@ALWAYSCHASING BETTER.COM


{ SHE HUSTLES TALKS }

{{ SHE SHE HUSTLES TALKS } } 

DEWITT STYLING 

Tell us about your background, and 

the history of Dewitt Styling Shop. 

I started working at DeWitt Styling 

Shop in 2005. It was shortly after 

Bob, my successor, became business 

partner with one of the original 

founders, Don. Don and Joe opened 

the shop in 1964. I had about 3 years 

of experience, mostly women’s styles, 

before I started there. 

#2 What makes you “hustle”? 

#3 What made you decide to 

become the owner of a barber 

shop that has over 50 years of 

history in CNY? 

#4 How do you stay abreast 

of the latest trends? 

#5 What is your signature 

and why? 

#6 What fascinates you about 

this line of work? 

#7 Why did you choose this 

profession of being a barber? 

#8 What is your most favorite 

service and why? 

#9 As a business owner now, what 

are your top three priorities? 

#10 Would you do business with 

yourself if you were a customer? 

#11 Do you walk your talk as a lady 

boss? 

#12 What changes can you make that 

would change everything? 

#13 “What is your ‘why? ‘” Why do 

you do what you do? 

#14 Who were the mentors that 

encouraged you? 

#15 What do you find is the best to 

promote your business? 

#16 What are your plans for the 

business for the future? 

#17 Do you find it hard or challenging 

to be a female boss in a male dominated 

field? 

#18 How do the other men treat you? 

#19 If you could time travel back to day 

one of your startup and have 15min 

with your former self to communicate 

any lessons you’ve acquired with the 

intention of saving yourself mistakes 

and heart ache, what would you tell 

yourself? 



{ SHIFT+CONTROL }

{ { IN { 

SHE 

SHIFT+CONTROL HER HUSTLES OWN WORDS TALKS 

} 

} } 

“My daughter makes me hustle. Knowing I have a toddler daughter looking up to me. 

I need her to know she can accomplish anything she puts her mind to as well as she can 

have anything she desires” 

What is your favorite fashion 

accessory and why? 

I could not just choose one favorite 

fashion. LOL. I love shoes and I love 

me a nice purse. Both set the tone 

for your outfit. #13 What is your 

main goal for 2021? My main goal 

for 2021 is to Pray, stay focused and 

watch all my manifestations come 

true. #14 What is your “must have” 

fashion item of the year? My must have 

fashion item of the year is outerwear. 

Must have a nice outerwear jacket/ 

coat. My favorite coat right now is 

the ‘’ Color me” coat on my website. 

Check it out at www.Miracleslabella. 

com. #15 Tell us one piece of advice 

you would give to someone starting 

their own business in 2021. 

Be yourself, do your research, don’t 

rush the process and never be afraid 

to ask for help if its needed and keep 

your faith. 





KW FITNESS 

BY MANDY WEBB 

Tell us about yourself, your background, 

and how you decided to open KW 

Fitness. 

I was born and raised in Syracuse, and 

graduated from CNS back in 2003. 

My background is in sales and marketing, 

and I’ve been an entrepreneur since I 

was 19! I moved down to Binghamton 

in 2009 to start a sales and recruiting 

business and successfully broke every 

record that territory previously held 

for that company. 

My husband Kevin is a Certified 

Personal Trainer, who graduated from 

the American Academy of Personal 

Training in Boston in 2011. He started 

privately training clients shortly after 

he graduated, and opened the doors 

to our first KW Fitness studio down 

in Vestal in March of 2014. 

When we were looking at our future 

together, we decided it would be best 

to close down the business I had at the 

time and work on growing KW Fitness 

together because it was more aligned 

with our objectives and family goals. 

What is the mission behind your private 

personal training and nutrition studio? 

Our mission is To Deliver Health and 

Fitness Results that Last a Lifetime. We 

do this by teaching people maintainable 

habits, with accountability and guidance. 

What, in your opinion, is the most 

important quality in your business 

and what you provide your clients? 

I would say our most important quality 

in our business is our culture. We are 

solely a Private Personal Training studio, 

so our clients like the comfortable, nonintimidating 

atmosphere. It’s not like 

a typical “gym” that packs classes and 

lacks support & accountability. 



successful entrepreneur male or female? 

I believe that it doesn’t matter someone’s 

background, upbringing, past, financial 

situation, or even education. 

To be a successful entrepreneur, the 

most common things that I’ve seen is 

having tenacity, drive, grit, persistence 

and resilience. 

What makes you “hustle” both 

personally and professionally? 

For me personally, I hustle because I know 

that the only person who can determine 

my future is me. I have the power to 

choose the effort that I put in every 

single day. Having an entrepreneurial 

spirit in corporate America or while 

working for someone else will only 

get me so far! 

What inspires you in doing what 

you do? 

I’m inspired by helping people to live 

longer, healthier, more fulfilling lives. 

I’m also inspired to lead by example for 

my children, to create a bright future 

for them, and to do Kingdom Work. 

I truly believe in what we do here at KW 

Fitness, so it makes it much easier to 

get out of bed in the morning! 

Why did you choose to open a 

private facility? You hold your clients 

accountable, but who does that for 

you? 

We chose to open a private facility 

because we want to be able to work 

with people on a personal level and 

help them achieve their goals hands on. 

Most of our clients are people who 

don’t like the “big gym” setting and 

want a more personal feel. 

For our own accountability, since 

day 1, we have always invested in a 

business coach. 

We believe that the only way to continue 

to grow, and to keep lifting our people 

up, is to keep growing ourselves. 

The most dangerous way to think is to 

think you know all there is to know as 

an entrepreneur. Surrounding yourself 

with people who have been there before 

and who can challenge your thinking is 

the way to continue improving! 




“When we were looking at our future together, we decided it would be best to close down 

the business I had at the time and work on growing KW Fitness together because it was 

more aligned with our objectives and family goals.” 

What is the best piece of advice that 

you have been given that has helped 

you in your business? 

“Don’t look beside you to see what 

everyone else is doing. Don’t look to 

see who is ‘setting the bar’. BE the bar. 

Look to outlast everyone else. The only 

business you should be competing against 

is the business you were yesterday.” 

I can’t remember what book I read that 

in, and it’s not word for word, but it really 

resonated with us and has helped us to 

stay level-headed, even during such an 

unpredictable year. 

As a business owner, what would you 

say are your top 3 priorities? 

Top 3 priorities: 

1) Profitability (so we can be around 

long term) 

2) Taking care of our team 

3) Taking care of our clients 

Is there one story of triumph and 

accomplishment that stands out from 

the rest either with yourself or a client? 

For us as a business, I’ll never forget a 

terrifying moment that we had back in 

March of 2017. We weren’t correctly 

projecting our cash flow and it looked 

as if we were going to be in the red 

within a few weeks. Like, to the point 

where we couldn’t pay our team or our 

bills. I literally couldn’t sleep that night. 

The next day, we got to work. We were 

going to do whatever it took to make 

it happen and to never look back. We 

created a new campaign, threw what 

little advertising dollars we had behind 

it on Facebook, and got 27 clients that 

month (our goal is usually around 9 net 

clients). We learned our lesson and like 

I said, we have never had a moment like 

that ever again! 

Is there one phrase or statement that 

you always remember and has inspired 

you or stuck with you? 

My favorite quote of all time, and honestly 

I think it’s been my life mantra, is the 

following quote from Charles Swindoll: 

“The longer I live, the more I realize the 

impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, 

is more important than facts. It is more 

important than the past, the education, 

the money, than circumstances, than 

failure, than successes, than what other 

people think or say or do. It is more 

important than appearance, giftedness or 

skill. It will make or break a company... a 

church... a home. The remarkable thing 

is we have a choice everyday regarding 

the attitude we will embrace for that 

day. We cannot change our past... we 

cannot change the fact that people will 

act in a certain way. We cannot change 

the inevitable. The only thing we can 

do is play on the one string we have, 

and that is our attitude. I am convinced 

that life is 10% what happens to me 

and 90% of how I react to it. And so 

it is with you... we are in charge of our 

Attitudes.” 

What services do you provide your 

customers that makes you a one stop 

shop for health and nutrition that is 

different from others? 

Personalized nutrition and exercise 

programs for our clients, customized 

to each individual. Not “cookie cutter”, 

one size fits all type-thing. 

“What is your ‘why? ‘” Why do you 

do what you do? 

My “why” is to make an impact on 

the world in whatever capacity that I 

can. I believe every person is here for 

a reason, and I personally believe that 

I’m here to help people live up to their 

full potential. As a person of faith, I 

do what I do as if I’m not working for 

myself. It’s not about me. 

Who were some of the mentors that 

encouraged or inspired you on this 

journey? 

My mom has always been an inspiration 

to me. She had me at a really young age 

and had to leave behind her dream of 

attending music school as a very young 

mom. She started out as a bank teller 

making minimum wage, to now being 

the Sr. Vice President of Retail Sales at 

Seneca Savings Bank. She has taught 

me the art of the hustle! Her leading by 

example has inspired me to not settle 

and always go after what you want :) 

What are your plans for your business 

for the near future and further out, 

let’s say 5 to 7 years? 

Our plans are to continue growing 

so we can create stable careers for our 

Personal Training staff. We’ll be starting 

the process of opening our 3rd location 

in about a year, and we want to continue 

helping our clients achieve their health 

& fitness goals! 



‘WANT’ OR ‘NEED’ MY SERVICES?” 

I personally have never thought about 

this, but when we started to really narrow 

down our “client avatar” (target market) 

is, the question of “WHY does this 



“We are solely a Private Personal Training studio, so our clients like the comfortable, nonintimidating 

atmosphere.” 

person need us” came up, and we started 

clarifying what our “Mrs. Jones” (ideal 

client) really looked like. 

Are you a born leader? Having a 

great idea is one thing. Being able to 

communicate that idea and convince 

others to jump on board is another. 

Do you feel you have what it takes to 

be successful? 

I’ve been told that I’m a natural leader, 

so I started to believe it and I’m ok with 

that :) I work hard at every endeavor 

I get myself into. If (God forbid) our 

business closed tomorrow, I would find 

another avenue to be successful. 

If you had the chance to start your career 

over again, would you do anything 

differently? 

If I had the chance to start my 

entrepreneurial career all over, I would 

tell myself to act as if I couldn’t fail, and 

not listen to my own head trash! I used 

to overthink and overanalyze way too 

much. I once heard from a mentor of 

mine “don’t think, just work!”, and it 

was super helpful in helping me to get 

out of my own head! 

What is the one word you clients would 

use to describe you? 

They would probably say that I’m 

optimistic! 


KW FITNESS 

Fayetteville's Premier Personal Training Studio 

PRIVATE. 

SAFE. 

EFFECTIVE. 

RESULTS. 

Personal Training and Nutrition Coaching. 

Call for a complimentary consultation: 

315-400-3252 

KWFitnessNY.com


{ SHIFT+CONTROL { HEIDI’S LAW } }

{{ SHE SHIFT+CONTROL { HEIDI’S HUSTLES LAW TALKS } }} 

SACRED GODDESS BOX 

BY TRACY DONALDSON 

Tell us a little bit about yourself and 

how you started the Sacred Goddess 

Box, LLC. 

Greetings Goddesses! My name is Tracy 

Donaldson and I am a woman who wears 

many hats. I am a Mother, Daughter, 

Sister, Friend, Nurse, Goddess Steam 

Practitioner, and Entrepreneur. Rochester, 

New York is where I was born, raised 

and of course reside. Coming from 

a family of a Jamaican decent - the 

importance of family, hard work, 

and dedication has been instilled in 

me from a very young age which I 

owe to my parents. However, I have 

to give credit to attending The first 

HBCU, Lincoln University, for 

instilling in me great core values, 

being a woman of integrity, as well 

as a leader. 

What exactly is the Sacred Goddess 

Box, LLC? 

Sacred Goddess Box, LLC’s is a 

holistic practice focusing on feminine 

wellness. The highlighted service 

provided is using hydrotherapy 

through Yoni (vaginal) Steaming. 

Yoni steaming also known as V-Steam 

is a non-invasive, self-care, holistic 

practice where women sit over a pot 

of warm organic herbal steam. The 

warm (never hot) steam permeates 

the exterior of the vagina and up 

into the womb. Women find this 

service to be very relaxing. The vagina 

is porous like a sponge and because it 

is so porous, it can easily absorb the 

medicinal properties and oils of the 

organic herbs that are used. I blend my 

herbs so they are tailored to my clients 

needs rather it’s for a refresher to if she’s 

trying to conceive to everything else 

in between. Yoni steaming has a range 

of physical, emotional, and spiritual 

benefits such as: 

• Reducing menstrual cramping and 

symptoms of PMS 

• Helps with odor 

• Decreases heavy menstrual flow 

• Regulates irregular or absent periods 

• Helps with postpartum healing and 

toning 

• Helps with those suffering from 

idiopathic infertility 

• Aids with uterine fibroids, ovarian 

cysts, and endometriosis 

• Help with strengthening the pelvic 

floor and tightens the vaginal canal 

• Helps to restore natural “good” bacteria 

and ph balance to aid in prevention 

of yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis 

and odor 

• Relieves symptoms of menopause such 

as dryness or pain during sex 

• Detoxifies the womb and body 

• Helps to release stored emotions & 

anxiety 

• Helps to activate feminine energy 

by allowing women to tap into 

their creativity 

• Relieves tension and induces 

relaxation 

• Helps with insomnia 

• Can help aid in healing from 

past sexual trauma 

Other services that are offered 

here at Sacred Goddess Box, LLC 

are Womb Stimulation, Womb 

Clay pack, Ionic Foot Detox, 

Ear Candling, and Post-Surgical 

Lymphatic Drainage as well as Body 

Contouring will be available soon. 

The entrepreneurial journey 

is not an easy one. It requires 

determination, time, hard work 

and leadership. What motives 

you and keeps you going? 

What motivates me are the women 

I have thus far encountered on 

this journey. Many women have 

entered my suite with the weight 

of the world on their shoulders. To see 

that weight lifted by the end of their 

session and to see the smiles on their 

faces as they are leaving let’s me know I 

am walking in my purpose. I love doing 

this. It never feels like a work. It’s like 

I get to hang out with my girlfriends 

every day! 



{ SHIFT+CONTROL }

{{ SHE SHIFT+CONTROL { HEIDI’S HUSTLES LAW TALKS } }} 

“ Sacred Goddess Box, LLC’s is a holistic practice focusing on feminine wellness.” 

How do you find new clients? What 

has been your biggest success? 

Finding new clients isn’t an easy task. 

There are several women to my knowledge 

in the Rochester area who offer these 

services. So there is definitely a selection 

to choose from. However, by word of 

mouth, client testimonials, awareness, 

educating, and advertising on social 

media, the word gets around to other 

women. The women who are meant for 

me find themselves at Sacred Goddess 

Box, LLC. 

What made you decide to get into such 

a unique business? 

I’ve always wanted to be a business 

owner. In 2018, I was out of work for 

approximately 5 months. I used that 

time to research different successful 

small businesses. I learned that feminine 

wellness was on the rise. I recalled visiting 

a friend in Atlanta where we had a Yoni 

Steam. I really enjoyed the experience 

and wished there was something similar 

offered in Rochester. So I figured, how 

hard could it be to throw herbs in a pot 

of boiling water? Unbeknownst to me, 

it was way more than that. Since I was 

unaware of any actual businesses who 

provided Yoni Steaming, I decided to 

try my hand. I found a certification 

program in Atlanta that taught the art 

of Yoni steaming. It was a three day 

program and by the end I became a 

Certified Goddess Steam Practitioner. 

I opened my business to begin in my 

home and have since opened a suite in 

October of 2020. 

Where do you see yourself in five years? 

In 5 years, I see my business expanding 

to a larger location where I am able to 

offer services to multiple clients at at time 

without disrupting the sacred experience 

that I now provide to my clients. 

What kind of person do you feel makes a 

successful female entrepreneur especially 

in 2021? 

In 2021, a successful female entrepreneur 

first and foremost has to believe in herself. 

She has to believe in what she is setting 

out to accomplish before anyone else 

believes in it. To know that she will be 

knocked down a multitude of times and 

it’s up to her to picker herself up, brush 

herself off and keep pushing forward. 

To have the mentality to not be afraid 

to ask for help. To know that there may 

be many women doing the same thing 

she is doing but she has to remember no 

one has the same recipe that she holds. 

And her only competitor should be 

herself! Because who God has for her 

is for HER and no one else. 

What makes you hustle? 

There are 3 things that make me hustle. 

One, if I want to eventually run my 

business full time I have to work hard. 

I cannot get to where I want to be if I 

don’t put the work in. So knowing my 

vision and where I want to eventually 

take Sacred Goddess Box, LLC keeps 

the hustle going. Two, the women I 

encounter. I have learned since doing 

this, there are so many women dealing 

with reproductive ailments, lack of vision, 

sexual traumas - to be able to talk with 

them, set goals, come up with a plan 

pertaining to whatever it is they are 

going through in life - to help them set 

their intentions and watch it manifest is 

truly rewarding for me. Getting positive 

results makes me want to go harder for 

our women. And three, I have people 

who look up to me. I have to set an 

example. Mom/Godmom/Auntie is 

not a quitter. I’m going to finish what 

i started. I’m paving the way to show 

them anything can be accomplished 

if you put your mind to it and put in 

the work. 

Who has been someone who has inspired 

you in your profession and why? 

Tracey Bryant-Swint, Alchemist and 

Queen of the V-Steam, has played a major 

role in inspiring me on my professional 

path. She’s who I gained my knowledge 

from. She is absolutely amazing and a 

go-getter! She’s so knowledgeable; always 

seeking to learn more to heighten her 

craft so she can come back and educate 

her mentees. Because of her, we’re always 

up to date on the latest and greatest 

when it comes to feminine wellness. 

Watching her makes me want to do 

more, learn more, and be greater. 

What do you think are the top 5 

qualities of a great female entrepreneur 

are? 

• Life-Learner 

• Integrity 

• Vision 

• Confidence 

• Courage 

• Respect. Sorry I had to throw in an extra 

What is your favorite part of your 

business and why? 

I love meeting the different women I 

have encountered. They come from 

many walks of life ranging 14 to 75 

years of age. I love hearing their stories. 

I love learning from them. And I am 

honored to have have been able to help 



{ HEIDI’S LAW } 


“Many women have entered my suite with the weight of the world on their shoulders. To 

see that weight lifted by the end of their session and to see the smiles on their faces as they 

are leaving let’s me know I am walking in my purpose.” 

What would you say are your strengths? 

My greatest strength is my ability to 

listen. Listening is to empathize. It gives 

the speaker a sense that I care about 

their well-being and I’m there to help. 

Listening is Power. 

If you could time travel back to day 

one of your startup and have 15min 

with your former self to communicate 

any lessons you’ve acquired with the 

intention of saving yourself mistakes 

and heart ache, what would you tell 

yourself? 

To not second guess 

myself. To tune out the 

naysayers and that my 

biggest supporters will be 

those I least expect. If I 

would have known this 

in the beginning, there 

would have been many 

thing I would not have 

taken personally. 

What would you say is 

your greatest professional 

accomplishment to date? 

My biggest accomplishment 

to date has been helping 4 

women who were told they would 

never have a baby, conceive and birthed 

beautiful beings. 

What’s the best advice you have received 

in business that you wish to pass on 

to our readers? 

All money isn’t good money. It’s okay 

to tell a potential client that you cannot 

service them. It’s important to protect 

your energy and your space. 

What did you do before opening the 

Sacred Goddess Box, LLC? 

Before opening my business I was and 

currently work as a Master prepared 

Registered Nurse for a local hospital 

here in Rochester as a coordinator for 

the Department of Surgery. 

How did you come up with the name 

for your company? 

In the art of Yoni Steaming, the word 

“Yoni” means “Sacred” space. A 

“Goddess” is a female deity. Goddesses 

have been linked with virtues such as 

beauty, love, sexuality, motherhood, 

and fertility. As women we must know 

and embrace that. So hence “Sacred 

Goddess” and then there is “Box”. It can 

mean one of two things: either a square 

object that can store items (in this case 

the throne or stool women sit over to 

steam) or woman’s vagina. And there 

you have it, Sacred Goddess Box, LLC. 

What’s your favorite thing to do in 

your free time? 

During my free time, I enjoy cooking, 

reading for knowledge as well as for 

entertainment, and I also enjoy traveling. 

Unfortunately, due to COVID traveling 

has been limited. 

What is Number One Business Goal 

you plan to accomplish over the next 

year? 

My number one goal is to begin 

gathering data for a research article 

on Yoni steaming. Where I am a firm 

believer and can testify on the benefits 

of Yoni steaming, unfortunately there is 

not a lot of research out there. 

Being a nurse educator, it is 

important for me to have the 

data to back what I preach. 

Tell our readers one thing 

they may not know about 

you. 

I am a woman who has 

experienced sexual trauma 

as a child. Childhood into 

my adulthood was extremely 

hard. I suffered from 

depression and insecurities. I 

made many poor decisions. 

But what saved me was being 

able to heal and release those 

demons that haunted me daily. Before I 

embarked on this business journey, I had 

to self reflect. I had to love myself again. 

I had to forgive my abuser knowing I 

would never get an explanation or an 

apology. There is no way I could provide 

my services to women if I didn’t address 

my personal issues first. I was able to 

accept what happened to me, forgive, 

and release. Once I came to a place 

of peace, everything fell into place. I 

had to heal first before being able to 

heal others. 





{{ SHE SHIFT+CONTROL HUSTLES TALKS }}


A ROSE IS STILL A ROSE 

Tell us about what A Rose Is Still A 

Rose Outreach... 

“A Rose Is Still A Rose”. (A.R.I.S.A.R.) 

is a non-profit organization created for 

young girls and women. We are made 

up of a group of committed women, 

injected with various community 

partners who are dedicated to the 

growth and development of young 

girls and women within the Rochester 

community. 

How did you start the non-profit 

and why? 

As a social worker 

I have worked with 

women and young 

girls for over 10 years’, 

experience advocating 

and serving historically 

underserved 

populations dealing 

with substance abuse, 

trauma, and mental 

health concerns. I 

worked for a great nonprofit 

organization 

which helped me to grow, but most 

of the organization had limitation on 

who they could serve and if they didn’t 

meet the criteria most was turned away. 

A Rose Is Still A Rose Outreach is 

designed to serve all young women from 

all walks of life. I started with a vision 

which help me move to planning. I 

enrolled into a Master’s program, Master 

of Science in Strategic Leadership at 

Roberts Wesleyan College. This gave 

me more understanding on how an 

organization is operated and as well 

helped me to identify what type of 

leader I am and strive to be. 

What challenges did you face when 

starting up a non-profit? Any advice 

for others in the same situation? 

There wear many challenges and still 

till this day. I’m finding out my vision 

is much bigger than I thought it was.. 

My advice would be to stay the course 

for this is a marathon not a sprint. Be 

patient for there is a time and season 

for everything. Always leave room to 

grow and learn. 

What is the mission behind A Rose 

Is Still A Rose? 

Mission 

A Rose is still a Rose is a non-profit 

organization created for young girls 

and women. Our focus is to support 

young women in finding an optimistic 

approach in life. Through positive 

encouragement and cultivation of their 

vision and purpose (life goals), we assist 

by providing the necessary resources 

to assist them with overcoming the 

obstacles of life. 

Vision 

A Rose is still A Rose will be a consistent 

blossoming sisterhood and garden of 

support for young women within 

the Rochester community. Through 

outreach, empowerment and growth, 

we will help every rose bloom where 

they are planted. 

What has your organization 

accomplished to date? 

Due to the pandemic my organization 

could not fully fulfill its obligation to 

serve in the magnitude of which it 

would have like to. But we still was 

able to raise money and help four 

families during the 

holidays, as well as 

make donations to 

women which help 

towards schooling, 

starting up a business, 

shelter, clothing, and 

council. 

Can you share one 

or two stories of 

individuals whose 

lives have been 

changed because of 

your organization? 

There is a young women who came to 

me and used the services of me being her 

life coach. We have been connected for 

over a year now. But she recently came 

to me because she was struggling in 

many areas and needed help on finding 

her own way and purpose. With our 

services I was able to see her growth 

and dedication. She is now an intern 

for ARISAR, and she is flourishing 

and setting goals for herself. 

There was also other young women 

who was starting her own hair salon 

business. ARISAR was able to provide 



“A Rose is still A Rose will be a consistent blossom 

women within the Rochester community. Through 

help every rose bloom wh 



ing sisterhood and garden of support for young 

Outreach, Empowerment and Growth, we will 

ere they are planted.” 


{ SHE SHIFT+CONTROL HUSTLES TALKS } } 

“ A Rose is still a Rose is a non-profit organization created for young girls and women. 

Our focus is to support young women in finding an optimistic approach in life.” 

resources as well as money and help 

go toward her business which is now 

up and running. 

What makes you hustle? 

Knowing that there is so much 

more to see and experience 

in life. I want myself and my 

family to be in a position to 

live the fulfillment of life 

without limitations. 

What are your organization’s 

goals this year? 

To encourage women to 

become a part of the ARISAR 

sisterhood by registering 

for a free membership 

on our website. www. 

stillaroseoutreach.com 

Once registered in our free 

program, each rose will be 

eligible to receive support 

in the following areas below 

and so much more. 

Services 

o Building positive 

relationships/Sisterhood 

o Weekly newsletters 

o Tutoring, Mentorships 

and life & social skills 

development 

o Self-love/Healthy 

relationships 

o Community service 

o Parenting support 

o Goal setting 

o Financial literacy 

o Career Exploration & Professional 

Development 

o Skill Building (i.e. facing insecurities, 

rejection, abuse and anger.) 

How can donors help other than 

making financial contributions? 

Donors can help by volunteering their 

time and knowledge. If donors have 

free space available to host different 

workshops that would be helpful as well. 

What is one thing you have done that 

you do not regret? 

The one thing I have done that I do not 

regret is investing in myself. Whether 

that be financial, further education, 

seeking counsel and ect. 

What is most important 

to you and why at this 

point in your life? 

What’s most important to 

me right now is financial 

wealth, not just for myself 

but my family and my 

community. I grew up with 

a poverty state of mind, 

and I now understand 

the important of breaking 

generational curses. 

What is your favorite part 

of doing what you do? 

Motivating women who are 

willing to overcome their 

current challenges and are 

continuously encouraged 

to strive for independence 

as they are inquest to reach 

their current life goals. By 

Supporting them to ensure 

that they have the tools 

to be successful in their 

endeavors and will continue 

to have the support 

necessary. Ultimately, 

becoming effective leaders 

and change-agents within 

the community in which 

they live. 

As a business owner, what 

are your top three priorities? 

1.To continue to think futuristic, 

meaning staying current on the changes 

that happening around the world. 




{{ SHE SHIFT+CONTROL HUSTLES TALKS } 

“My plan is to be transparent as possible so my reader can see not only am I educated in 

these subjects, but I had to walk them out as well to get to where I’m at today.” 

2. Networking and utilizing valuable 

resources. 

3.To stay focused on the 

purpose. 

Where do you see A Rose 

is Still A Rose in the next 

year? What about 3 years 

from now? 

In the next year I would like 

to see ARISAR moving in full 

gear. Workers and volunteers 

in place. Weekly and monthly 

workshops being provided to 

give support to the women 

that we what it means to 

be free. 

What provoked you to 

start this book? 

I saw a documentary 

from Michelle Obama 

called ‘Becoming’, In her 

documentary she quotes 

“what seem like nothing 

to you is your power” 

this touch me because I 

questioned myself about 

writing a book about my 

life. Asking myself who 

would want to read about 

me? Not knowing that 

each of us has a story that 

can save or Inspire someone 

else. Its important for me to 

live in my purpose. Being 

a Life Coach is what I’m 

inspired to do. Helping 

other walk out their traumas, fears, 

grief, unforgiveness, and give them 

skills on leadership development, 

purpose, selflove, which will allow 

them to see their power. 

What are your intention with putting 

this book out? 

My intention is to promote my brand. 

Allowing my reader to see why I am 

qualified to be a life coach on these 

subject matters. My plan is to be 

transparent as possible so my reader 

can see not only am I educated in 

these subjects, but I had to 

walk them out as well to get 

to where I’m at today. And 

that I’m still doing the work. 

What do you plan for the 

readers to take from this 

book? 

I want my readers to 

understand you don’t have to 

live within the circumstances 

you were given if it doesn’t 

align with your purpose and 

who you are today. Make the 

changes and do the work to 

be better each day. The most 

important thing is to live your 

purpose to your best ability, 

within your constraint. A lot 

of time we allow our past 

traumas to keep us feeling 

Anger, a shame, sad, hopeless, 

which cause Anxiety, fear, 

unforgiveness. But when you 

decide I want better for me, 

or I know longer want to be 

in this place that is the first 

step towards your freedom 

and healing. I want my readers 

to feel ready and confidence 

to take on this journey and 

face that thing that has held 

them back from living in 

peace, joy, love, prosperity, 

most of all their purpose. 




A Rose Is Still A Rose Outreach LL 

A.R.I.S.A.R 

Tiffany J. Anderson, MSL 

Director of Program 

(585) 363-3311 

E-mail: aroseissillarose101@gmail.com 

Website: www.stillaroseoutreach.com 

Speaker | Mentor | Life Coach | Consulti

C 

ANGELA TEWA 

ng

“MY GOAL 

IS TO MAKE 

EVERY 

CLIENT FEEL 

COMFORTABLE 

AND 

BEAUTIFUL.” 

LICENSED MAKEUP ARTIST AND ESTHETICIAN 

WWW.MONTIMAKEUP.COM I (315) 395-6793 

CEMONTI1@GMAIL.COM


{ UNSTOPPABLE { SHIFT+CONTROL WOMAN } }

{{ ASK SHIFT+CONTROL THE DOCTOR }} 

HOW CAN YOU OPTIMIZE 

YOUR WELLNESS? 

BY DR. SARAH F. SPIEGELHOFF 

As it has been over one year that we have 

been living through a pandemic, taking 

care of ourselves might be more important 

than ever. 

For the last 15 years as a psychotherapist, 

I have been drawn towards not only 

helping clients with mental health issues, 

but also empowering them to improve 

their overall wellness. My clinical work 

and research has shown me that we 

cannot only improve one area of our 

life if we want to see lasting lifestyle 

changes. Yet so many people do not 

fully understand the construct of 

wellness, rightfully so, because in 

today’s society wellness and self-care 

have become somewhat of a fad. 

Taking care of yourself should not 

simply be about buying the latest 

wellness supplements marketed on 

Instagram, expensive devices found 

on popular wellness blogs, and quick 

fixes that promise wellness with no 

lifestyle changes. Being well is a 

lifestyle. It involves finding harmony 

in life, rather than struggling and 

often not succeeding when trying 

to find balance in the everyday. 

Wellness is complex and dynamic, 

in that how we move through the 

world will always change. Some days we 

will feel great and ready to take on 

challenges, while other days we feel 

tired and may need to stay in bed a bit 

longer. Both are okay. It is necessary that 

we listen to our body and our mind to 

determine what is right for us. 

When I work with women, I help them 

explore how they understand their own 

personal wellness and how to create 

meaningful change. My approach is 

different from many other wellness 

practitioners because I do not only focus 

on the why, but more so the how. It is 

easy for blogs and wellness gurus to 

tell you why you need to improve your 

wellness - better health, better 

relationships, better strength, better 

performance, and so on. We all know 

why. The challenge that many people have 

is the how, especially when determining 

how to make lasting change. However, 

ask yourself the following two questions, 

“How do I understand my current state 

of wellness? How do I want to optimize 

my wellness?” These questions can be 

more difficult to answer, because it 

requires introspection and self-motivation. 

This is where my role as a holistic 

psychotherapist comes into play. 

Throughout years of scholarly research, 

I realized that overall wellness is robust. 

Many wellness experts speak about 

specific factors that affect wellness or 

specific habits that we should develop to 

improve our lives. Some only focus on 

diet and nutrition, some might include 

other aspects like mindfulness. Though 

these aspects for wellness are relevant, 

I have found that an element that is 

often missing from the discussion is 

identity. Identity is often overlooked in 

wellness models and wellness practices, 

but it is critical to how we understand 

our overall wellness and how we 

pursue lifestyle changes. 

As I continue to explore wellness 

and identity development, though 

my clinical work and research, I see 

that the two constructs intersect. 

I have seen this in several ways: 

1. How you think about yourself. 

First, how people think about 

themselves affects wellness. For 

example, if you are someone who 

wants to improve your physical 

health by exercising, it may be 

challenging for you if you are 

embarrassed by your weight and 

are ashamed to be seen exercising. 

Your perception of yourself will 

limit your ability to determine 

how you can make changes to that 

part of your life, which will ultimately 

improve your overall wellness. Again, it 

is easy for someone to tell you why you 

need to improve your physical health, 

but the how can be more complicated. 

2. How to make changes. It can also 

be difficult to understand how to make 

changes if you do not understand yourself. 

Today we hear about and read about 

so many examples of ways to improve 

our wellness. Case in point, blogs and 


{ ASK THE DOCTOR } 

“As you can see, wellness is more than just a fad and it more than just the why. Wellness 

is also more than just the treatment (e.g., medication, therapies, mindfulness, exercise, 

diet, etc.).” 

social media often write about new 

diets that will improves our lives. One 

blog might give support for a Keto diet, 

another might recommend fasting, and 

a third might be in favor of a vegan diet. 

How do you choose? If you struggle to 

understand your own needs, whether they 

are physical, emotional, or ethical, you 

might jump around from one fad diet to 

another. In such cases, it is important 

for your to explore what is important 

to you and what do you need. Perhaps 

you have a job that is demanding and 

only allows a brief 

period of time to eat during the day, 

making a fasting diet challenging. 

Or perhaps you morally choose not 

to include animal protein in your 

diet, making a Keto diet difficult as it 

eliminates many of the central foods in 

this diet (e.g., seafood, cheese, 

poultry, and eggs). Understanding 

what your lifestyle needs and sense of 

self are helps you determine how to 

make changes. 

How to make commitments. One critical 

part of identity development is making 

commitments. If one does not explore 

their interests, it might hard to make 

commitments, or at least commitments 

based on what you actually want in life. 

If one does not take the steps above to 

determine how to improve wellness, it 

will be difficult to commit to change. Let’s 

consider mindfulness practices, something 

that I often discuss with clients. Research 

shows that mindfulness practices have a 

significant impact on stress reduction, 

lowering anxiety, improving focus and 

memory, improving 

relationships, and even immune 

functioning. For many, when they 

think of mindfulness practices they 

think of meditating in silence for an 

hour. But what if this doesn’t work for 

your schedule? What if you hate sitting 

in silence? Rather than deciding to start a 

mindfulness practice based on whatever 

the latest fad tells you to do, it is more 

important to determine what you enjoy 

and how that will work for you. If you 

are short on time, maybe your practice 

will be a few minutes of deep breathing 

guided by your smart watch. Or if 

you like movement, your mindfulness 

practice might be determining which 

form of yoga you are most drawn to and 

whether or not you practice from home 

or in a studio. 

As you can see, wellness is more than 

just a fad and it more than just the 

why. Wellness is also more than just the 

treatment (e.g., medication, therapies, 

mindfulness, exercise, diet, etc.). Instead 

wellness is a lifestyle practice that 

includes understanding your identity 

and thoughtfully determining how to 

make changes. 

After many years of working with clients 

and exploring wellness and identity, I 

began developing a model of wellness 

called the Optimum Wellness Model. 

This model of wellness is comprised of 

five wellness identities - physical identity, 

emotional identity, spiritual identity, 

relational identity, and performance 

identity - all of which make up your 

core holistic wellness identity. The core 

identity is how you identify with and 

understand your holistic self. From a 

clinical perspective, this refers to your ego. 

When working with clients at my private 

practice, I help them navigate what 

changes they want to make, how they 

understand who they are as a person 

and what barriers they experience, and 

to empower them to determine how 

they can make changes. 

The outcome of our work together is 

success, not only defined by me, but 

also defined by my clients. Together 

we identify the why and explore the 

how. Through this process, we look at 

the foundation and formation of self 

that create emotional and behavioral 

problems. Through a client-centered 

approach, we also consider how we 

can improve the client’s overall sense 

of well-being. 

If you are engaging in a new wellness 

journey, I encourage you to ask yourself 

not only “Why do I need to improve 

my wellness?,” but also “How can I 

improve my wellness?” 

Dr. Sarah F. Spiegelhoff is a licensed mental 

health counselor in private practice at Dr. 

Spiegelhoff & Associates. She specializes in 

holistic wellness and integrative health, 

adolescent and young adult mental health, 

and family counseling. In addition to her 

work with clients, Dr. Spiegelhoff is also 

a part-time professor for the graduate 

counseling program at SUNY Oswego. If 

you are interested in learning more about 

the Optimum Wellness Method, by signing 

up for the Dose of Wellness newsletter, you 

will receive a free Introductory Optimum 

Wellness Plan. For more, visit drspiegelhoff. 

com or contact her at sarah@drspiegelhoff. 

com. 




{ UNSTOPPABLE WOMAN }

{ UNSTOPPABLE { SHIFT+CONTROL WOMAN } } 

FEMALE FORM OF 

LEADERSHIP 

BY DR. PAM DENTON I PHOTO BY KATRINA GRADY 

Why We Need the Female Form of 

Leadership to BE UNSTOPPABLE! 

You want to play bigger, be unstoppable 

and be a powerful woman! You want 

to embrace life, even with incredible 

challenges we are facing. You want more! 

What is the vehicle that will get you 

there? Leadership! But, I am not talking 

about “Old Guard” leadership, it is 

the Female Form of Leadership that 

will get you the success you deserve 

and desire. 

You may know that your leadership 

is the key to unlocking the door to 

success. And as you unlock the doors 

of change with leadership evolution, 

you can begin to move to the other 

side of where you are today and 

access what you want. 

Women have a contribution to 

make to leadership: the biggest 

contribution is in accepting and 

honoring that there can be a new 

way of approaching our leadership. In 

order for life and business to change 

and produce prosperity, we must 

invest in becoming powerful leaders. 

And reshape how we see modern-day 

leadership. 

In order to really change we have to face 

the reality of what is no longer working 

in leadership and make a choice to 

become the catalyst for change. 

This is where being UNSTOPPABLE 

comes in. We have to choose to break 

through past programming of leadership 

that is holding us stuck. This process 

takes an unstoppable attitude and inner 

strength. 

Women must choose a new 

paradigm of female leadership that is 

confident,courageous, successful, and 

prosperous. 

Once you have realized a new way of 

leading in the world is essential for success, 

then you can dive into releasing your 

stuck behaviors in a way that facilitates 

a new life that you desire. 

Ask yourself: 

Where am I today as a female leader? 

And where does the female form of 

leadership fit into your paradigm shift? 

Do you believe you can lead? 

These are important questions to answer 

in your journal because humans face 

some serious obstacles and in order to 

get through them we must reshape how 

we view leadership and begin to act in 

new ways. It begins with you! 

So let’s begin the process of reshaping 

your leadership so you can become 

super successful! 

The process starts with a reality check 

and a self exploration. 

Reality Check! Where are we 

today as leaders? And what is 

not working in leadership? 

In order to make fast changes 

that will reorganize healthier 

behaviors,we have to examine 

how we currently lead. Then 

we can understand where we 

need to go. 

Female Leadership has a specific 

form but it is rejected due to 

misunderstanding. 

In my trainings and coaching, 

women report: 

• Leadership is repulsive and 

not for her. 

• Leadership is aggressive and 

controlling. 

• They want nothing to do with 

leadership. 

• They have heard it all before about 

leadership. 

• Leadership is dry and boring. It is 

analytical. 

• Leadership is not for women. 

And, women tell me that they believe 

leaders of all kinds (and at all levels) 

have become aware that traditional 

leadership methodologies no longer 

serve us as humans. 


{ UNSTOPPABLE { SHIFT+CONTROL WOMAN } } 

“You want to play bigger, be unstoppable and be a powerful woman! You want to 

embrace life, even with incredible challenges we are facing. You want more! ” 

Below, these women define leadership. 

Let’s call those who embrace the following 

qualities and styles as the most important 

leadership qualities “The Old Guard.” 

It’s a system that is the Patriarchy and 

has been severely masculinized: 

• Headstrong 

• Intellectual 

• Analytical 

• Masculine 

• Hierarchical 

• Non-feeling 

• Non-emotional 

• Pain IS gain 

• Put your head down and go 

• Suit and tie 

• Division between masculine and 

feminine 

• Who do I know 

• It’s a big boy’s club 

• Domination 

• Control 

• Feminism acknowledged but woman 

NOT accepted 

When you read these definitions, you 

can easily see how the descriptions and 

styles do not correspond with modern 

leadership or modern thinking and ways 

of life. Women have not really had the 

chance to rise up and achieve success; 

we are still being held back and held 

down in an Old Guard world. In order 

to rise up and achieve success, we must 

bridge the gap between all leadership 

styles and accept that there are new 

ways of leading that must be honored 

and respected!. 

The old guard taught women to put up 

and show up no matter what sacrifices 

needed to happen. They taught us drive, 

aggression, and ambition over feeling 

love and life/work balance. They taught 

us to drive to the point of breaking and 

then be FIXED! Instead of taking care 

of yourself along the way and investing 

in your preventative healthcare and 

authentic leadership style. 

To reclaim your female form of leadership 

and embody the power your desire, the 

first step is to realize and release the 

stress cycle, break through this habitual 

patterning and program a new form of 

EMPOWERED leadership into our 

daily lives. 

The empowered leader driven by 

female consciousness, will take time 

and dedication to create. And ultimately 

this process begins with YOU! We need 

YOU as the Female Form of Leader! In 

order to reset to a more relaxed, creative 

flow of leadership you have to let go of 

old stressful habits holding you down. 

This is a process of reshaping yourself 

into a healthy, empowered leader and 

it takes a totally new paradigm shift. 

Are you ready?! 

Modern-day, success driven women want 

to be emotionally present, dynamic, 

heart centered, community based, 

collaborative, connected and intuitive. 

And these women want money to flow 

to their businesses and lives. Women 

want to have it all! 

Beyond bridging the gap discussed 

above, the Female Form of Leadership 

is necessary to inspire other people to 

change. When we change, others will 

be inspired to do so; it’s an exponential 

factor, a domino effect. 

As you let go of the worn-out, stress 

induced, clunky patterns of Old Guard 

leadership you will begin to gain the 

prosperity and abundance that you 

desire. You will begin to reclaim your 

power from the negativity and disruption 

caused by old forms of leadership that 

no longer fulfill us. No matter what, 

the female form of leadership the one 

that is emotional, creative, and intuitive, 

will provide you with the unstoppable 

success you truly want. 

Start today! Embrace that there is a 

new way to lead and it begins with you! 

Being a successful female leader means 

that you are good with the fact that you 

might just have a mission, a destiny, or 

a purpose. That you want to tap into 

the deeper resources inside of your 

healthy body to access your real and 

authentic form of leading. That you 

want to tune into your core and listen 

to your intuition. That you want to 

thrive instead of merely survive. By 

reprogramming your leadership into a 

new female form of Core Intelligence 

(CQ) you will be able to access all the 

things you want in your life. 

This is where manifestation gets real, 

with the Female Form of Leadership! 

Be Unstoppable and develop your true 

female leadership with CQ! 

Dr. Pam Denton coaches leaders and 

businesses in the new era of leadership. 

Driving new business success with Core 

Intelligence (CQ). Visit Dr. Pam for her 

business coaching at www.supercorefit. 

com/executive-coaching 





{ UNSTOPPABLE { SHIFT+CONTROL WOMAN } }

{ 

SHIFT+CONTROL 

THE SAVVY ALLY } 

LGBTQ+ ALLYSHIP 

BY JEANNIE GAINSBURG I PHOTOS BY ASIF ALI & BESS WATTS 

HOW TO MESS UP 

PROPERLY 

With LGBTQ+* terms, identities, and 

cultural norms constantly changing, it’s 

difficult for allies to keep up. We may 

feel intimidated by all the changes and 

silenced by the fear that we’ll accidentally 

say something that will offend someone. 

We probably will. We all do. 

People often think I’m joking when 

I say that being an ally is an ongoing 

journey of messing up, but it’s true. 

We mess up with somebody (for 

example, we might accidentally use 

the wrong pronoun). We make an 

appropriate apology (more on that 

in a moment). We forgive ourselves 

(not always as easy as it sounds). We 

put in the work to get it right the 

next time (savvy ally tips for that are 

coming up). We share what we know 

with others (non-judgmental ally-toally 

conversations are so important). 

Repeat (oops…we mess up again in 

some other way). 

I’ve been actively messing up as an 

ally to the LGBTQ+ communities for 

two decades now, so I’m an expert. 

Formerly the Education Director at the 

Out Alliance (Rochester’s LGBTQ+ 

center), I now run my own small business 

called Savvy Ally Action. My goal is to 

increase people’s confidence in having 

respectful conversations with each other 

and to jumpstart even the most tentative 

LGBTQ+ ally. 

So, let’s look more closely at the process 

of how to mess up properly, as this is key 

for being a great ally to any marginalized 

community. 

The Blunder: We may blunder by 

accidentally using an offensive, outdated 

term (for example, the “gay lifestyle”), 

making assumptions by using gendered 

language (for example, “Take this 

form home to mom and dad.”), or 

misgendering someone by using the 

wrong pronoun, as mentioned above. 

Since I recently made the pronoun 

blunder myself during an interaction 

at Starbucks, I’ll use this as my example 

as I walk through the process. 

The Apology: The first thing that needs 

to happen after I blunder is that I need 

to make an appropriate apology. The best 

way to do this is to imagine that I just 

bumped into the person on the street. I 

wouldn’t walk past the person without 

saying anything, because that’s rude. But 

I also wouldn’t make a huge deal out 

of it, begging them for forgiveness and 

sobbing on their shoes. I would simply 

say something like, “Oh, excuse me” or 

“I’m sorry.” When I misgender someone 

I feel terrible, and my tendency is to 

over-apologize. Here’s the problem with 

that. Even though apologizing profusely 

may make me feel better, it’s likely to 

make the person I messed up with feel 

worse. It will draw a lot of attention 

to my blunder. It can also pull 

the focus of the conversation 

on to me and how badly I feel. 

Then I can end up in situations 

where the person I messed up 

with is trying to make me feel 

better. Awkward! So, a quick 

and simple, “I’m sorry,” is best. 

Forgiving Yourself: Oh, it sounds 

so easy, doesn’t it? I find that I 

can beat myself up for weeks 

over an incident like the one I 

described above. What I try to 

do when I mess up is remind 

myself of three things. First, 

that I’m human. Second, that 

mistakes make me think about 

issues, make me more aware 

of my language, and help me 

become a better ally. And third, that my 

mess-ups help me connect with others 

when they make the same blunder. 

Getting It Right the Next Time: Here’s 

the big moment that separates the eagles 

from the slugs! (How’s that for getting 

creative with ungendered language ?) I 

can either forget all about this incident 

and write it off as “no big deal,” or I can 

do the work to get it right the next time. 

Here are a few tips that have helped me. 

1) Try again right away. If I’m still in a 

conversation with the person I messed 



{ THE SAVVY ALLY } 

“People often think I’m joking when I say that being an ally is an ongoing journey of 

messing up, but it’s true.” 

up with, I make a point of using the 

correct pronoun right away. This helps 

to cement it in my brain and shows 

the person that I’m actively working 

to get it right. 

2) Practice in my head. Running what 

I’m about to say through my head 

before it comes out of my mouth has 

proven a very successful strategy for 

fixing my errors. 

3) Write it down. When I write 

things down I’m more likely 

to remember them. So, for 

example, I might write, “Jo 

(they/them),” somewhere where 

I see it often. Adding people’s 

pronouns after their name in 

my phone contacts also helps. 

4) Practice on your pet: If 

you struggle with nonbinary 

pronouns, like singular they, 

you’re not alone. Lots of folks 

find these and other nonbinary 

pronouns difficult to master. 

One way you can become more 

proficient at using nonbinary 

pronouns is to use them when 

talking about your pet. Most pets don’t 

mind being referred to as they as long 

as you remember to feed them on time 

and occasionally scratch their heads. 

(Tip credit goes to my friend, Kayden.) 

5) Imagine a mouse. Another tip for 

getting singular they right is to imagine 

the person has a mouse in their pocket. 

“They are coming to dinner. Get out 

the mini cheese tray!” (Tip credit goes 

to my friend, Eridan.) 

Sharing What We Know: A great role 

for allies is to step in, with patience 

and kindness, when we hear someone 

blunder and share what we’ve learned. 

Members of marginalized communities 

should not have to be the ones always 

educating others. A great strategy for 

starting a conversation with someone 

who’s just blundered is to demonstrate 

your vulnerability by using a connecting 

statement like, “I used to use that word 

too” or “I also messed up their pronouns 

last week.” Then go on to share why 

you changed your language or tips that 

have helped you get pronouns correct. 

Blunder Again: Yup. It’s going to happen. 

Here’s an inspirational story to help you 

embrace the journey. 

Years ago, my friend Sean, who was 

assigned “female” at birth, began his 

transition to male. Early on in his 

transition he and I would often get called 

“ladies” at restaurants, and it would bum 

him out for hours. One day, Sean and I 

were at a racquetball club and we were 

asked by a staff member for our driver’s 

licenses, in order to borrow racquets. 

She looked at the licenses (probably 

noting Sean’s name and “M” gender 

marker), finished our paperwork, and 

then looked up and said, “Okay ladies! 

Let me show you the courts.” Her face 

immediately turned red, and she said, 

“Oh! I mean guys.” Then she looked even 

more embarrassed and said, “I mean… 

friends.” And then she put 

her head down and scurried 

off ahead of us to the courts, 

looking like she wanted to run 

out the nearest door. When 

we got to the court and the 

woman left us, Sean turned 

to me with a big smile on his 

face and said, “I love her for 

that. I love that she worked 

so hard to get it right.” 

* Lesbian, gay, bisexual, 

transgender, queer/ 

questioning, plus so much 

more! 

Jeannie Gainsburg is an awardwinning 

LGBTQ+ educator, consultant, 

and author. If you’re seeking more 

ally tips and information on how to 

create LGBTQ+ inclusive spaces, please 

check out her book, The Savvy Ally: A 

Guide for Becoming a Skilled LGBTQ+ 

Advocate, available on Amazon and 

through the Monroe County Library 

System. To schedule a workshop or to 

access free educational goodies, go to 

www.savvyallyaction.com. 





{ SHIFT+CONTROL }

{ TRAVEL { FINANCIALLY { WITH SHIFT+CONTROL AGNESS SPEAKING WINE } CELLARS } } 

AN AFTERNOON IN 

HAMMONDSPORT AND NAPLES 

BY RANDY AGNESS 

Every once in awhile I get to experience 

some amazing sights and meet the most 

friendly folks you could imagine. As a 

kid, me and brother and sisters would 

enjoy a few days in Vine Valley staying 

with my father’s parents summer cottage 

on the southern tip of Canandaigua 

Lake near the town of Naples New 

York. It was uncomplicated time 

where we would spend the morning 

either swimming in the shallows or 

attempting to gather minnows along 

the shoreline beach. 

If we had the luxury 

of having a little bit 

of loose change, then 

it meant we could 

venture into the 

penny candy store 

which was a short 

walk away where 

we could spend an 

amount of time 

staring at the options 

of ordering lengths of 

dot candy, stranges 

of thin licorich, a 

pockets full of gum 

balls, or jaw breakers 

to munch on or trade 

between ourselfs. 

When our grandfather saw us getting 

restless he would pack the five onto 

the motor boat for a tour of the lake 

front where we would wave at anyone 

hanging out on the summer afternoon 

before arriving back ahead of dusk 

to find long straight sticks to roast 

hot dogs over the oven pit fire under 

cooked to what seemed like perfection, 

but most likely more undercooked as 

soon as one of us felt their dog was 

ready we all decided to eat together 

smoothing the buns with ketchup and 

mustard along a plastic glasses filled 

from pitchure of ice cold kool aid or 

lemonaid and a helping of macroni or 

potato salad. It was a real treat to go 

into the town of Naples to the most 

favorite restaurant where we could all 

find individual stools at the counter 

to order a delicious cheese burger and 

French fries. There wasn’t much talking 

until the meals disappeared while my 

grandparents ate at a booth. It was 

a place where the summer residents 

pretty much knew each other after 

years of repetitions. 

I traveled down thru Naples and notice 

the Bob and Ruth’s sign and quickly 

decided to stop in reminisce about 

the days gone by and broke into a 

conversation with the owners while 

eating my favorite meal. I’m not sure 

if it was the chatting about the past 

or the quality of the Riesling, but I 

wanted to have this restaurant and the 

wonderful staff serve my wine. Either 

way they didn’t hestitate to buy a case 

and they showed me the lounge area 

called The Vineyard appropriately 

where I’m sure the locals would have 

con gengated on the weekend nights 

to soci alize. But everytime I pass thru 

it’s a must stop. 

This time it was closed for the season as 

my trip designation way focused was a 

business meeting at the Pleasant Valley 

Wine Company in Hammondsport 

NY located on the 

bottom of Keuka 

Lake. When first 

starting into 

winemaking I 

was hired by Mel 

Goldman at Keuke 

Lake Vineyard 

known at KLV. 

I was working 

thirteen hour days 

in the winery on 

weekends helping 

out prior to their 

bottling run. I 

would stay in the 

winemakers loft 

overnights and 

would complete all 

the duties in the winery preparing the 

batches of wine including transferring 

the wine between tanks “racking” and 

thoroughly cleaning the tanks before 

returning the wine. KLV received 

the first 90 point rating with Wine 

Spectator for their vintage of Dry 

Rieslings. When you visit be sure to 

spend a few minute longer to learn 

about the steep vineyard slopes of the 

property that create the wonderful 

grapes.. 


{ TRAVEL { WITH SHIFT+CONTROL AGNESS WINE } CELLARS } 

“Every once in awhile I get to experience some amazing sights and meet the most friendly 

folks you could imagine.” 

Pleasant Valley Wine Company is located 

a bit further south of the Hammondsport 

and is the oldest winery in the Finger 

Lakes as the first bonded winery in 

the nation in 1860. I had no idea 

about the storied history of Pleasant 

Valley and the American Champagnes 

brands produced on the campus of 

buildings including Gold Seal and 

Great Western among many others. I 

was escorted into the main office and 

up the stair to the gorgeously wooded 

conference room. 

Agness Wine 

Cellars arrived to 

discuss options of 

working together. 

It was simply me 

flanked by the 

Doyle’s Mike 

the President and 

his son Patrick, 

the sales director 

Matthew Healy. 

Mike Doyle was 

interested in 

Agness Riesling 

made in the 

Finger Lakes so 

I offered a sample 

of our Riesling to 

share at the meeting, after generous 

compliments, then the real discussions 

began in how we could work together 

on a new wine project. 

Once completed, I was offered a 

a real treat - a personal tour of the 

sprawling facility and interconnecting 

production areas over many floors, 

buildings by Matthew Healy. Along 

the way, I viewed the rows upon 

rows of absolutely huge winemaking 

tanks of various sizes. As we ventured 

further on the tour, I was simply 

amazed at each and every turn of 

winemaking spaces and architecture 

along the way over many levels. This 

is a must see tour and wine tasting 

which is able to support hundreds 

of visitors daily. Even the pictures 

stunning photos can’t portray the 

size emormany of the operations and 

the simply beautiful historic spaces 

where visitor are able to drink wine 

for special events supported by the 

numberous consecutive kitchens to 

needed for various events thoughout 

the year. Eight of the original Great 

Western buildings are actually listed 

on the National Registry of Historic 

Places. Their wine caves with bricked 

arched ceilings may have been all lost 

if it wasn’t for the efforts of Doyle 

Family when purchased and restored 

the winery and vineyards. Beyond 

the massive number of cases of 

Champagne finished annually, Sherry 

and its processing is a sight not to 

be missed by both the serious wine 

enthusiast and those wanting to see 

the working history of winemaking on 

a grand scale. When first started 100 

gallons of wine was produced, now 

having the capacity of 14 millions 

gallons with 500 vineyard acres. 

The name Great Western received its 

name from a pronouncement as “the 

Great Champagne 

of the Western 

World.” I could go 

on and on about 

the transitions of 

ownership which 

is now back under 

local control of the 

Dolye Family, but 

this is a destination 

requiring a 

personal visit to 

truly appreciate 

finishing in the 

Pleasant Valley 

visitor tasting room 

for some Great 

samples. 



AGNESS 


{ { SHE SHIFT+CONTROL SAVON HUSTLES SPEAKS TALKS }} 

} 

OVERPOWER FEAR 

BY SAVON HOLT 

Fearless: is the absence of fear. Are you 

allowing fear to stop your growth? If 

so, why? Fear is simply an emotion 

that can be controlled by changing 

your mindset, but many people let fear 

consume them. It can paralyze your 

body and stop you from becoming 

the best version of yourself. 

Imagine yourself living a fearless 

life, going after everything you 

dreamed. You’re setting goals 

and executing them one by one 

and setting realistic timeframes. 

Your boldness, brave heart, 

and courageous spirit set you 

apart from others. 

Life can throw us curve balls. 

Those unexpected circumstances 

can cause us to worry, stress, 

have anxiety or even depression. 

However, when we learn to 

be fearless on our journey, we 

overcome our fears. Facing 

our fears can be simple as 

confronting our concerns, the 

obvious, and or hidden demons. 

It includes facing those fears 

that are too embarrassing to 

confess (like the fallout from 

a dumb misunderstanding or 

the consequence of making bad 

choices) and those symptoms of 

fear that we may not understand 

(like change in our sleep 

patterns, eating habits, or panic 

attacks). However, the biggest 

downfall of fear is its hinderance to 

fulfilling our purpose. 

Have you ever heard the saying 

that one of the wealthiest places 

on earth is the cemetery? Well, it 

is true. Various studies have shown 

that 98% of people die with their 

dreams. Only two percent of people 

die with their dreams fulfilled. I can’t 

help but imagine that fear plays a 

huge factor in people dying with 

unfulfilled dreams. Just think of 

how many people die having these 

great ideas that they never pursued, 

it only made it to the idea stage. An 

idea with no action behind it is just 

a thought. They saw the vision but 

never created the reality. Imagine 

how many had dreams to be doctors, 

lawyers, teachers, dieticians, models, 

writers, or public speakers but feared 

they weren’t good enough, worried 

about what others would think, or 

didn’t have the money to pursue their 

dreams, etc. Don’t allow fear to stop 

you from serving your purpose. 

If you had told me five years 

ago, I would be an author and 

speaker I probably would have 

thought you were crazy. Heck, 

if you would have told me I 

would graduate college and 

become a columnist, I would 

have laughed. I always wanted 

to be a speaker, but I was too 

shy, lacked confidence, and told 

myself my vocabulary wasn’t big 

enough to become a speaker. I 

always wanted to write a book, 

I even started writing an urban 

book when I was younger, but 

fear discouraged me. I wrote 

between10–30-page papers that 

would be ripped apart by my 

professors in college, making 

me feel like I wasn’t a strong 

writer, but I graduated with a 

B average. 

Now I write monthly columns, 

and I am entering into grad 

school. I tell you this because if 

I had allowed fear to stop me, I 

wouldn’t be where I am today, 

inspiring others to do the same; be 

fearless. I could have given up, but 

where would that have gotten me? 

Being fearless is about perseverance 

and being ready to face anything 

that comes your way. Those little 


{ { SHE SAVON HUSTLES SPEAKS TALKS } 

} 

“We are brave, strong, limitless, courageous, bold and FEARLESS.” 

hiccups on your journey are just 

strength testers that show you how 

strong you are. 

The first step to any recovery process 

is admitting there is a problem (I am 

scared). The second step is identifying 

the issue (like I fear heights, but why 

do you fear heights?). Admitting 

your fears helps, it shows you are 

self-aware. Journaling helps a lot too. 

Write down the woman you would 

be or how life would look for you if 

you didn’t have fear in the way. Then, 

write down your goals (in black pen), 

after, write down what’s stopping you 

from achieving those goals (in red pen 

next to each goal), next write down 

(with a green pen) how you would 

accomplish those goals. 

For the first three days, review your 

goals and fears. On the fourth day, 

cross out everything you wrote in 

red pen, so now all you are focused 

on are your goals and how you will 

execute them. You should have a shift 

in your mindset. After that, nothing 

to it but to do it! After 21 days, this 

will become a habit. Remind yourself 

each day of your goals and how 

you will accomplish them. Nothing 

happens overnight, so take your time 

and embrace your journey. Fear will 

creep up and make you feel helpless 

and as if you’re not enough. Just 

know, you are enough and more 

than capable of becoming the woman 

you are destined to become. Work at 

your goals daily, stay persistent and 

consistent. Us women hold so much 

power. We are brave, strong, limitless, 

courageous, bold and FEARLESS.



{ AFTERNOON COCKTAIL } 

“DEMANDS AND DESIRES” 

BY AMANDA ASHLEY 

Too much to do and too little 

time…. always! It’s the story of 

our lives, because well... the more 

responsibilities we have, the more 

life demands of us. 

If you want to look at what’s 

demanding straight in the eyes, 

send me your address, and I will 

ship you a 42 inch, 42 pound four 

year old child and a 

bowl of candy for a 

weekend. 

I ASSURE YOU….. 

sweeter than the tooth 

of a child, are their 

will, dedication and 

relentless persistence 

to get what they desire. 

We all once were 

children ourselves, 

so what the hell 

happened? 

If you’re physically, 

emotionally and 

mentally exhausted 

by the end of your 

days, chances are your attack on 

your demands has become a little 

less intensified. Life becomes a 

big squeeze, and often the things 

we care most about suffer. 

Perhaps it’s time to re-route? 

What brings life fulfillment is not 

completing a daily checklist of 

to-dos. What we desire more of 

in our lives deserves to be tended 

to, and it’s time we make the time! 

Balancing, breathing and stretching 

are crucial to our personal and 

professional development. Without 

balance we have no stability, 

without stretching we are unable 

to see how limitless our potential 

is, and without taking a moment 

to breathe, we lose sight of who 

we are. 

Demand what’s right for you, by 

asking “What more do I want” 

and consider how the choices you 

make today will affect your future. 

Time and space are limited, so it’s 

wise to be conscious of how you 

delegate each of your precious 

moments, and let go of what no 

longer positively serves your life. 

Set loose that relentlessly persistent 

child within, and take steps towards 

pursuing the life you’ve always 

dreamed. 

Happiness and accomplishment 

await and YOUR happiness is 

forever WORTH 

demanding. 

- Amanda Ashley 

Live Videocast every 

M/W/F livestreamed 

and archived at 

w w w . 

afternooncocktail.show 

Subscribe to Afternoon 

Cocktail on Youtube! 

Available on Itunes, 

Spotify, I heart Radio, 

Stitcher, Amazon 

Music, Google Music, 

Alexa, etc, so catch up 

on your inspiration 

and keep spreading good energy 

to those around you! 



{ AFTERNOON COCKTAIL } 



{ SHIFT+CONTROL }

{ FINANCIALLY { { SHE SHIFT+CONTROL HUSTLES SPEAKING TALKS }} 

} 

TAKING CONTROL 

BY DONNA CATOR CFP®, CDFA®, AND MARGARET M. WHELEHAN, CDFA® 

OF THE FINANCIAL 

IMPACT OF DIVORCE 

Let’s face it, no one gets married to 

get divorced. It is the death of a 

dream. If you or someone you know 

is going through a divorce, it’s time 

to get prepared for emotional and 

financial challenges. 

Even the most amicable 

divorce brings major 

life changes. Having the 

guidance of a qualified 

team will put the odds in 

your favor to emerge from 

divorce in a financially 

stable place where both 

parties believe the divorce 

settlement was fair. There 

are three key professionals 

you may want on your 

divorce team – A therapist, 

divorce attorney and/or 

mediator, and financial 

planner who specializes in 

divorce planning, preferably 

one who is a Certified 

Divorce Financial Analyst® 

practitioner. 

A CDFA® practitioner is 

skilled at analyzing the 

financial issues of divorce. 

His/her role is to help the 

client and attorney understand how 

financial decisions made today will 

impact the client’s financial future. The 

process provides an objective view of 

settlement offers and counterproposals 

and may suggest a different way to 

negotiate vs. taking matters before 

a judge. 

What are the realities of divorce? 

• Plan to live on less income: Divorce 

often results in going from a twoperson 

income in one household to 

two households with one income each. 

It is important to understand what 

your household budget was while 

you were married and be prepared 

for what it will look like post-divorce. 

Your attorney and CDFA® practitioner 

work as a team to determine what 

income to each is fair and equitable. 

• Not all assets are equal: The taxation, 

liquidity, and future growth potential 

of an asset all need to be considered 

in the division of assets. One spouse 

generally wants to keep the family 

home. Think twice about that. The 

family home has upkeep/maintenance, 

property taxes and consumes cash 

flow for daily living. There may be 

a vacation home or cottage as well 

as pre-tax IRA or 401(k) accounts. 

Understand that different assets may 

be taxed differently. Take this into 

account when dividing assets. 

• Don’t let emotions rule: Be 

thoughtful about your financial future 

and that of your children, 

if applicable. Knowledge 

and rational thought are 

key to negotiating a fair 

and equitable settlement. 

By working with a CDFA® 

practitioner (a neutral 

third party), it becomes 

easier to treat your 

settlement in a thoughtful 

manner. 

• Wait, we had more assets 

than this! It is common 

for one spouse to try to 

hide assets. Gather at least 

three years of tax returns 

to look for differences 

compared to what is being 

disclosed today. A CDFA® 

practitioner is trained to 

take a deeper dive. 

• QDRO? What’s that? A 

QDRO (qualified domestic relations 

order) is a judicial order used to divide 

employer retirement plans in a taxfree 

manner. Be sure to confirm with 

the plan provider that QDROs are 

allowed. It is important that QDROs 

are transacted properly or taxes and 

penalties may apply. 


{ FINANCIALLY {{ SHE SHIFT+CONTROL HUSTLES SPEAKING TALKS }} 

} 

“Let’s face it, no one gets married to get divorced. It is the death of a dream.“ 

• Don’t rush to sign: It took years 

to accumulate your wealth. Take 

enough time to question if your final 

divorce decree is equitable (does not 

necessarily mean equal). 

• Make sure your interests are insured: 

If spousal and/or child support are 

being paid as part of the settlement, 

consider life and disability insurance as 

a requirement. This ensures payments 

will continue to be made in the event 

of pre-mature death or disability of 

the payer. 

The goal is to make informed 

decisions while going through the 

divorce process and yield the best 

financial outcome possible. As CDFA® 

practitioners, we are happy to meet 

with you (virtually or in person) to 

review your options. Please contact 

us today. 

*Securities and insurance products are offered 

through Cetera Investment Services LLC, 

member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services are 

offered through Cetera Investment Advisers LLC. 

Neither firm is affiliated with the financial 

institution where investment services are offered. 

1816 Penfield Rd, Penfield, NY 14526 

Investments are: *Not FDIC insured *May lose 

value *Not bank guaranteed *Not a deposit 

*Not insured by any federal government agency. 

Donna L. Cator, CFP®, CDFA®, is Vice 

President, Wealth Advisor, CNB Wealth 

Management, Canandaigua National Bank & 

Trust Company. She can be reached at (585) 

394-4260 x50623 or by email at DCator@ 

CNBank.com. Margaret M. Whelehan, 

CDFA®, is Vice President, Financial Advisor*, 

CNB Wealth Management, Canandaigua 

National Bank & Trust Company. She can 

be reached at(585) 394-4260 x42129 or by 

email at MWhelehan@cnbank.com. 



INVESTMENTS 

FINANCIAL PLANNING 

TRUST & ESTATE 

RETIREMENT 

INSTITUTIONAL 

PRIVATE BANKING 

FAMILY WEALTH 

Our people apply their unique expertise 

to meet your distinct goals. 

At CNB Wealth Management, we’ve assembled a team of experienced, 

noncommissioned, and highly credentialed professionals, working in your best 

interest to meet your needs. 

Everyone looks at wealth differently—each with their own goals and dreams. 

That’s why ourur CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professionals, trust and estate 

attorneys, investment advisors, and the region’s best trust officers work closely 

with you—and with each other across their areas of expertise—to develop a 

comprehensive wealth solution to achieve your goals now and for the long term. 

rochester 

600 East Avenue 

canandaigua 

72 South Main Street 

basin park 

1150 Pittsford-Victor Road 

And no matter the size of your relationship, you’ll receive concierge-level service, 

backed by our proprietary Pledge of Accountability*—our commitment to deliver 

the service and experience you deserve. 

CNBank.com/WealthManagement | (585) 419-0670 | Trust powers since 1919 

*To see the full version of our CNB Pledge of Accountability, visit CNBank.com/Pledge. Investments are not FDIC insured, not bank deposits, not obligations of, or guaranteed by, Canandaigua National 

Bank & Trust or any of its affiliates. Investments are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of principal amount invested. Investments and services may be offered through affiliate companies. 


APRIL 2021 TRAIN TO LEARN 

WITH EXPERT JEROD SCHOONMAK 

TRAINING INCLUDES: 

-CONCEPT OF SCALP MICROPIGMENTATION 

-SAFETY AND SANITATION PROCESSES 

-CONTRADICATIONS 

-DIFFERENT TYPES OF MACHINES 

-TATTOO NEEDLES 

-PRE-CARE AND AFTERCARE 

-PAIN MANAGEMENT 

-SKIN STRUCTURE AND DEPTH OF INSERTION 

-ASSESSING CLIENT SKIN TONES AND ETHNIC BACKGROUND 

-FITZPATRICK SCALE 

-NORWOOD SCALE 

-CHOOSING AND MIXING PIGMENTS 

-STRETCHING THE SKIN 

-FEMALE PATTERN BALDNESS 

– LUDWIG SCALE 

-SYMMETRY AND TOUCHUPS 

-DEPTH TECHNIQUES 

-BUILDING AND MATCHING DENSITY 

-BLENDING 

-THE CONSULTATION PROCESS 

-MANAGING EXPECTATIONS OF THE CLIENT 

-MARKETING TIPS AND TRICKS

SCALP MICROPIGMENTATION 

ER, OWNER OF SCALP INTERNATIONAL 

$3099 DENISTY ONLY COURSE FEES INCLUDE: 

1. ONLINE TRAINING PRE-REQUISITE 

2. 2-DAY PRACTICAL HANDS-ON CLASSROOM TRAINING WITH 

MULTIPLE LIVE MODELS WITH DIFFERENT HAIR LOSS CASES. 

3. FINANCING AVAILABLE 

**PLUS BONUS FOR THE FIRST 5 APPLICANTS:** 

1. 6 MONTHS OF MENTORSHIP FROM EXPERT JEROD SCHOONMAKER (VALUE 

OF OVER $1200) 

2. SOCIAL MEDIA PROMOTION + FULL PAGE AD IN ROCHESTER, CENTRAL NY 

OR BUFFALO WOMAN ONLINE MAGAZINES (VALUE OF $999) 

FOR INQUIRIES PLEASE EMAIL INFO@SCALPNY.COM



TETRA IMAGES, LLC / ALAMY


{ SCALP NY } 

RECEDING HAIRLINE IN 

FEMALE 

BY JAROD SCHOONMAKER 

CAUSES, PREVENTION 

AND TREATMENT 

You rarely see women getting bald unlike 

men. Although the data shows males 

have a higher percentage of hair loss 

(alopecia) compared to females, they 

do get them, even looking for solutions 

cosmetically like scalp micropigmentation 

services for ladies. 

The content of this article is to 

thoroughly discuss what every woman 

must know about receding hairline, 

its symptoms, causes, preventions, 

and treatment, to ensure healthy hair 

follicles keep growing in long term. 

In other words, here’s what you can 

do if you have uneven hairlines or 

hair loss. 

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS 

Losing hair is an everyday occurrence 

that happens as part of a normal 

conditions for most people; it is normal 

to lose approximately 100 hairs a day. 

The hair thinning slowly and gradually 

falls out, then new hair grows back 

again. But some circumstances may 

point to a possibility that receding 

hairline in women is problematic 

when it exceeds the normal count. 

Signs and symptoms of hair loss may 

include: 

Gradual thinning hair on top of head. 

This is the most common type of hair 

loss, affecting people as they age. In male 

pattern baldness, hair often begins to 

recede at the hairline on the forehead. 

Women typically have a broader thinning 

hair all over their head. 

Circular or patchy bald spots. Some 

men and women lose hair in circular 

or patchy bald spots on the scalp, beard 

or eyebrows. Your skin may become 

itchy or painful before the hair falls out. 

Sudden loosening of hair. A physical or 

emotional shock can start hair to loosen. 

Handfuls of hair may come out when 

combing or washing your hair or even 

after gentle tugging. This type of hair 

loss usually causes overall hair thinning 

but is temporary. 

Full-body hair loss. Some hair loss 

conditions and medical treatments, such 

as chemotherapy for cancer, can result 

in the loss of hair all over your body. 

The hair usually grows back. 

Patches of scaling that spread over the 

scalp. This is a sign of a ringworm. It 

may be accompanied by broken hair, 

redness, swelling and, at times, oozing. 

CAUSES AND TREATMENTS 

These are multiple causes of receding 

hairline or thinning hair in women and 

each condition are followed by their 

respective treatment. 

ANDROGENETIC ALOPECIA 

A very common cause of hair loss 

which is another term for male or 

female pattern baldness. Men tend 

to lose hair from the temples and 

center part of the head. In women, 

hair usually becomes thinner all over 

the head. If one has a family history 

of male and female pattern baldness, 

chances are high you have too.It is 

more likely to happen as a person 

ages but can start at any point after 

puberty. Many females who experience 

androgenetic alopecia develop it after 

going through the menopause. This 

means that hormones may have 

something to do with hair loss in 

women. 

Treatment: 

It is possible to treat this condition 

with a medication for hair growth, 

namely minoxidil twice every day. 

TELOGEN EFFLUVIUM 

Telogen Effluvium causes more hair to 

fall out, sometimes in handfuls, this is 

an estate where the hair remains in the 

natural shedding phase of the growth 

cycle. Usually, telogen effluvium is 

a temporary form that resolves over 

time, such as, surgery and childbirth. 

It is advisable to see a doctor to find 

out the cause. 


{ SHIFT+CONTROL { SCALP NY } } 

“This psychological toll affected the woman more that men, obviously. Female pattern hair 

loss may lead to depression, anxiety, and social phobia.” 

Treatment: 

A doctor will need to treat any underlying 

causes of telogen effluvium. If a physician 

suspects that specific medications are 

causing hair loss at any form, they may 

change them. 

ANAGEN EFFLUVIUM 

Anagen Effluvium causes large amounts 

of hair to fall out rapidly during the 

growth phase of the hair cycle. The 

condition may cause hair to fall out 

from the head, as well as from other 

parts of the body, including eyebrows 

and eyelashes, just like chemotherapy 

treatment. 

Treatment: 

Treatment for this condition depends 

on the cause but can include a topical 

solution of minoxidil. If a person has 

anagen effluvium as a result of undergoing 

chemotherapy, cooling the scalp during 

the procedure may help. Hair will often 

grow back 3–6 months after stopping 

chemotherapy. 

ALOPECIA AREATA 

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune 

condition that causes hair to fall out 

suddenly. The immune system attacks 

hair follicles, along with other healthy 

parts of the body. Hair from the scalp, 

as well as eyebrows and eyelashes, may 

fall out in small chunks. 

Treatment: 

If a person has this state of being, they 

should see a physician. A doctor may 

prescribe medication to help the hair 

grow back. 

TRACTION ALOPECIA 

A receding hairline due to hairs being 

pulled back into tight hairstyles. Traction 

alopecia causes it to break and come loose. 

Include: 

Tight buns or ponytails 

Braids 

If traction alopecia continues, a person 

may develop bald spots and thinning 

of the hair. 

Treatment: 

In terms of self-care, avoiding tight 

hairstyles will usually prevent further 

damage. 

MEDICATIONS 

Some medications have side effects that 

can start hair to fall out. Examples of 

such medications include: 

blood thinners, such as warfarin 

Accutane, to treat acne 

antidepressants, including Prozac and 

Zoloft 

beta-blockers 

cholesterol-lowering drugs, such as Lopid 

Treatment: 

If a person thinks hair loss may be due 

to a medication they are taking, they 

should consider seeing a physician for 

an assessment. The doctor might be 

able to reduce the dosage or switch the 

person to a different medication. 

FRONTAL FIBROSING ALOPECIA 

Frontal fibrosing alopecia typically occurs 

in a receding hairline pattern and may 

also result in hair loss in the eyebrows 

and underarms. Frontal fibrosing alopecia 

most commonly affects post menopausal 

women. 

Treatment: 

Certain medications can manage 

symptoms and stop the progression 

of the disease. The cause is unknown. 

Birth control pills 

Hair loss while using birth control 

pills may be a bad experience to some 

people. Others might suffer hair loss 

several weeks or months after they 

stop taking them. If people are taking 

birth control pills, they can choose one 

that has a low androgen index. This 

may help to lower the risk of hair loss. 

Other forms of birth control that give 

hormonal changes, such as implants and 

skin patches, may also cause hair loss. 

Treatment: 

The American Hair Loss Association 

recommends that people who have an 

increased risk of genetic hair loss opt for 

a non-hormonal type of birth control. 

RINGWORM 

Ringworm is a fungal infection that can 

start hair loss. Ringworm on the scalp, 

or tinea capitis, can cause temporary 

bald areas on the head, its symptoms 

include: itchy, red patches of skin, small 

spots that get bigger and many more. 

Treatment: 

If ringworm does not heal by itself, 

then a doctor may prescribe an 

antifungal medicine. Alternatively, 

they may prescribe an antibiotic, such 

as Griseofulvin. 

POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME 

(PCOS) 

A condition that affects a woman’s 

hormone levels. Women with PCOS 


{ SHIFT+CONTROL }


{ SHIFT+CONTROL }


{ SCALP NY } 

“Female pattern hair loss (FPHL) typically presents as a diffuse thinning of the hair across 

the entire head.” 

produce higher-than-normal amounts of 

male hormones. This hormone imbalance 

causes them to skip menstrual periods 

and makes it harder for them to get 

pregnant. Its symptoms include hair 

loss, depression, and acne. Its risk factors 

infertility, diabetes, and obesity. 

Treatment: 

There is no cure for PCOS, but you can 

manage the symptoms of PCOS with 

the help of your physician. 

REGROWING HAIRLINE 

There are a lot of ways to regrow 

hairlines from scalp massages to taking 

supplements, and eating a healthy diet. 

Here are the best and advance methods 

of the doesn’t require much patience: 

Hairline lowering/advance procedure 

The hairline lowering/advancement 

procedure is performed by your surgeon 

making a trichophytic incision along the 

natural hairline and then carefully moving 

the scalp forward and downwards on 

the forehead. The hair-bearing tissue is 

then moved forward and sutured into 

its new lower position. After suturing, 

the individual hair follicles may also be 

transplanted to fill in gaps and to ensure 

that the hairline is natural. 

HAIR TRANSPLANT 

The use of hair transplantation also 

works to normalize the shape of the 

new hairline and also to minimize 

the appearance of any scarring as hair 

growth manifests through and over the 

incision line. In most cases, after the 

hair transplants surgery, there are only a 

very minimal, barely visible scars at the 

hairline. This scar will eventually fade 

to become nearly invisible over time. 

PLASMA INJECTIONS 

Here’s one we hadn’t heard of before. 

Platelet-rich plasma injections (PRP) have 

been used in other fields of medicine 

for over a decade but have only reached 

dermatology within the last five years. 

Simply put, Blood is extracted from 

the person with hair loss and ‘growth 

factors’ are extracted from the blood, 

then injected back into the scalp in the 

area where hair loss is occurring. 

SCALP MICROPIGMENTATION 

During the scalp micropigmentation 

process (SMP), specialists apply an ink 

to a balding area with microneedles, 

which create micro impressions to 

give the illusion of hair. The ink helps 

replicate the appearance of thicker hair 

and each formula is mixed to match a 

person’s natural hair color as much as 

possible. The best people to ask, how 

scalp micropigmentation help hair loss 

is the Scalp International Hairlines, for 

they are the best professional to choose 

for your receding hairline problem and, 

every client that is treated will not leave 

the final session of treatment without 

being 100% satisfied – guaranteed! 

BOTTOM LINE 

In male pattern hair loss (MPHL), the 

hair loss typically presents itself as either 

a receding front hairline, loss of hair 

on the crown (vertex) of the head, or a 

combination of both. Female pattern 

hair loss (FPHL) typically presents as 

a diffuse thinning of the hair across the 

entire head. 

Either way, there is no doubt that hair 

loss or even receding hairline affects 

both men and women’s psyche. This 

psychological toll affected the woman 

more that men, obviously. Female pattern 

hair loss may lead to depression, anxiety, 

and social phobia. 

For more information about Scalp 

International Hairlines and how we 

can help both men and woman with 

hairloss, please visit our website www. 

scalpny.com. 



{ SHIFT+CONTROL }


HELPING MEN AND WOMEN 

WHO ARE SUFFERING 

FROM HAIR LOSS, 

SCARS, AND FORMS OF 

ALOPECIA BECOME BETTER 

VERSIONS OF THEMSELVES 

THROUGH SCALP 

MICROPIGMENTATION. 

2851 MILTON AVE SOLVAY, NY 13209 

(800) 236-6792 

WWW.SCALPNY.COM 




TETRA IMAGES, LLC / ALAMY

{ SHIFT+CONTROL { BEAUTY TALK } } 

LET’S TALK ABOUT EYEBROWS 

BY GABRIELLA ROSE FIEDERLEIN 

Let’s talk about eyebrows. The 

eyebrows main function is to prevent 

sweat, water, and other debris from 

falling down into the eye socket but 

they are also important to human 

connection and facial expression. 

Another function of eyebrows is to 

prevent moisture from flowing into 

the eye. Of course, so that we do 

not get chemicals into the eye that 

doesn’t belong there. In the beauty 

industry, the eyebrows are a huge 

part of the whole look! It is common 

for people to modify their eyebrows 

by means of hair removal 

and makeup. 

Fashion in eyebrow 

shape continues to 

change throughout the 

ages and eyebrows have 

always featured heavily 

in fashion often a part of 

cultural demands made 

on women about body 

hair. Did you know that 

eyebrows in different 

cultures and decades symbolized 

someone’s power? Japanese women 

and men from the eighth century 

practiced a look called “hikimayu” 

where shaving or plucking of the 

eyebrow hair was in and painting 

smudge like brows higher on the 

forehead happened. This practice is 

comparable to an era where women 

who shaved their eyebrows were 

symbolized as high class women. 

Starting in the 1970s are when doctors 

started injecting patients with botox 

to raise the brow instead of having 

them naturally sag as we age. Now 

during the 21st century, injections 

are the most popular trend as well as 

plastic surgery to prevent the look of 

aging, and stay looking younger! Who 

doesn’t want to stay looking young? 

I certainly would love to look young 

forever. Another few trends in the 

skincare and beauty industry today, to 

keep up a clean look with brows are 

now brow lamination, brow tinting, 

and microblading. Some people even 

permanently tattoo their eyebrows 

as a way to permanently achieve and 

maintain the color and shape. What 

are eyebrow lamination, brow tinting, 

and microblading? Eyebrow lamination 

is a relatively new procedure that 

focuses on creating shiny, smooth, 

and natural brows. Brow Lamination 

is also known as an eyebrow perm 

just like lash lifting is known as an 

eyelash perm. This service is great for 

people who want a more clean and 

shiny look to their brows. For people 

who have very messy brows, or thin 

brows and need more of a uniform 

look, this is great to schedule for 

yourself. Unlike microblading, needles 

and coloring are not involved unless 

you add a tint which is a temporary 

dye added to the brows that last up to 

eight weeks depending on the brand. 

Brow Lamination is temporary and 

lasts up to six weeks. 

The process of microblading, also 

called cosmetic tattooing, involves an 

eyebrow technician to use a machine to 

create small precise cuts that match the 

strokes of hair naturally. Microblading 

does involve needles, and goes down 

one to two layers underneath the skin, 

which is why it is not permanent. 

A permanent tattoo lasts forever 

because it goes much deeper into the 

layers of the skin. The brand that I 

use to microblade 

my clients lasts 1-2 

years. 

Microshading 

is a part of the 

microblading 

process where a 

tattooing technique 

occurs in which 

a small handheld 

tool made of several 

tiny needles is used 

to add semi-permanent pigment to the 

skin. Microblading itself is a tiny blade 

used to create similar texture brow 

strokes to add more hairs, definition, 

and shape. You might be asking, “well 

since it is a tattoo...does it hurt?” I 

apply a numbing cream on for ten 

minutes before starting the actual 

service which creates no pain. It is 

more of a sensation where you don’t 

feel much but you hear a sound that 

clients might not like. Microblading 

and Microshading is definitely worth 

the money for how long they last 

and the fact that you do not need 

to fill them in as much anymore! 


{ SHIFT+CONTROL { BEAUTY TALK } } 

“Did you know that eyebrows in different cultures and decades symbolized someone’s power?” 

There is a pre and post process for 

each microblading/shading service 

that you need to prepare yourself for 

which will be included during the 

consultation. Microblading isn’t only 

reserved for thin, sparse brows even 

if you’ve been blessed with naturally 

full ones, microblading can enhance 

what’s already there. But the results 

are especially remarkable on those 

with thin brows (and can be nearly 

life-changing for people who suffer 

from alopecia or cancer). 

Last but not least there is eyebrow 

tinting which is the application of 

a semi permanent eyebrow dye to 

enhance, shape, and more so define 

the brows. This service is great for 

anyone. The more you learn, the 

more questions you might have and 

the more interested you become in 

trying one of these amazing services. 

Well, you can. Contact and book 

with BeautifyMe today and you 

will get a discount off of your first 

service! Contact BeautifyMe so we 

can Beautify you. 

Instagram: @beautifyme247 

Email: gfrose12@gmail.com 





{ SHIFT+CONTROL }

{ UNAPOLOGETICALLY { SHE HUSTLES TALKS AUTHENTIC }} 

} 

REFLECTION 

BY CHRISTINE GRANDIN I PHOTOS BY MICHELE ASHLEE 

The relationship we have with 

money is a direct reflection of the 

relationship we have with ourselves. 

Being Unapologetically Authentic 

means valuing your time and energy. 

As we gain a higher value for ourselves, 

we become much more particular 

about what we spend our time and 

energy on. Everything in our life is a 

domino effect of the value we place 

on our time. It took me years to gain 

a strong, healthy relationship within 

myself. I would work extremely hard to 

spend my money 

on frivolous things, 

with no concern 

of saving or my 

credit. 

In my last column, 

I discussed the 

types of unhealthy 

relationships I had 

in my life, these 

behaviors being a 

direct reflection of 

the lack of value 

I placed on my 

time. Along your 

journey of becoming Unapologetically 

Authentic, you will begin to realize 

that certain people, places, and things 

are not worth your time. I cannot 

possibly value my time if I spend it 

around people who drain my energy 

or just do not simply add value to 

my life. 

Value comes in many forms, such as 

spiritual, emotional, mental, physical, 

and financial. I choose not to watch 

much television, as I feel it is not a 

good time spent. We all must do 

things that bring us peace, for some 

people, that is a television, and that 

is perfectly fine. Once I began to 

gain control of my life, I had to dig 

myself out of a hole. I was in debt, I 

had no savings, and I lost everything 

due to my work injury and poor 

choices. My credit score was in the 

400 range. 

Until this time, I never cared about my 

credit. I slowly started working to pay 

off debt and build my credit. In just 

one year, I was able to raise my credit 

score to over 700 points. I was able 

to accomplish this by changing the 

way I viewed money. Once I looked 

at how much I valued my time, I 

had to make a direct connection to 

how I spent my money. This allowed 

me to know the difference between 

spending my money and investing it. I 

began investing time and money into 

paying off debt, starting a business, 

mentoring, advertising, books/reading, 

classes, and more. 

With the learned and applied 

knowledge, my time became even 

more valuable. I do work a full-time 

job that is currently helping me grow 

my business until I can comfortably 

leap into full-time entrepreneurship. 

I had to correlate my time and what 

I find acceptable to be paid for my 

time and not settle for anything less. 

The goal is to consistently increase 

the value of my time by expanding 

my knowledge and skills. I am 38 

years old, I was never taught to value 

myself, let alone my time or money. 

However, it is never 

too late to turn 

your life around. 

I do not want my 

son to get caught in 

the cycle of living 

in debt. Statistics 

say that 80% of 

Americans live in 

debt. If I do not 

break the chains, 

the process will 

continue. 

You do not have to 

make an excessive 

amount of money to build wealth. You 

must have a good relationship with 

money and genuinely value your time. 

I will always be a work in progress, 

I just purchased containers and 

food for meal prep to save time and 

money when life gets busy, it’s easy 

to grab food on the go. Food is one 

is the most significant expenses per 

household, that about doubles when 

eating out often. Consistent small 

changes equal big results. 

I recently joined the YMCA. This is

{ UNAPOLOGETICALLY { { SHE SHIFT+CONTROL HUSTLES TALKS AUTHENTIC } } } 

“Being Unapologetically Authentic means valuing our time and energy. As we gain a 

higher value for self, we become much more particular as to what we spend out time and 

energy on.” 

an investment into the health and 

overall well-being of my son and me. 

Some people say investing in certain 

things is too expensive, but if you take 

a good look at what you truly spend 

your money on and adjust according 

to placing value on your time, you 

will see that you can afford much 

more than you think. If it does not 

help me grow and add value to my 

life, I do not have time for it. 

I am too busy growing, glowing, and 

living Unapologetically Authentic! 




{ SHAMELESS SHAWNY }

{ I AM... } 

I AM A WOMAN 

HEAR ME ROAR! 

BY LASHAWNDRA ASHFORD I PHOTOS BY KAMERON ASHFORD 

Women are fearless. Women are brave. 

Women are courageous. Women are 

superheroes. Women can wipe their 

tears with one hand and conquer 

the world with the other. Women 

are the matriarch of their family. A 

woman doesn’t have to say anything 

to hear her strength. A woman’s 

characteristics can be loud and clear 

by simply being a woman. Without 

women, how would the world exist? 

IMPOSSIBLE 

When you talk about history be sure 

to mention the part that some of 

the most influential change-makers 

were women. Looking back on where 

women started and where they are 

today leaves me in amazement thinking 

about all the phenomenal attributes 

the women in the past must have 

possessed to make such a change. 

Women went from not being able 

to: vote, be in political office, run a 

business, have a voice, get a credit card 

in our name, no paid maternity leave, 

take legal action against workplace 

sexual harassment, and the list 

continues. 

Fast forward to now, women are 

able to do all of the above and more. 

Today’s change allowed women to 

be Physicians, vote, run their own 

business, have a voice, First Vice 

President Kamala Harris in office, first 

woman’s NFL official, Photographers, 

Realtors, women with credit cards their 

name and property in their name. 

Do you understand your privilege? 

TRUTH TALE 

Women weren’t recognized beyond 

the stereotypical role of society. A 

women’s role was to cook, clean, 

and be a caregiver. Women were 

undervalued and unnoticed. Women 

were penalized for being a woman. 

Men didn’t need to obtain a title 

or document of ownership to have 

possession over women. Being a 

woman gave consent to inequality. 

How is this fair? Can you imagine 

the hurt and disappointment women 

experienced during this time? 

DETERMINED WOMEN CAN 

MAKE CHANGE 

Beyond March 

Celebrating women does not begin 

or end in March. Celebrating women 

deserves a lifestyle. We must let go 

of our very own biases to continue 

celebrating all women by addressing 

and acknowledging our unhealthy 

conditioned behaviors to demand 

cultural change. Understand your 

privilege, continue to bring awareness 

to the achievements of women because 

what we have become accustomed 

to; would not exist if it wasn’t for 

the women who fought for equality.


{ SHIFT+CONTROL }



{ I AM... } 

“Women are fearless. Women are brave. Women are courageous. Women are superheroes.” 

We are paving the way for the next 

generation. 

NOTHING IS GIVEN WITHOUT 

A FIGHT... HOLD ON... 

As Helen Reddy said, “I am woman, 

hear me roar, oh yes, I am wise but 

it’s wisdom born of pain yes, I paid 

the price, but look at how much I 

gained.” Our right was given with a 

fight, let’s make the fight meaningful 

by continuing to break barriers. 

International Women’s day celebrates 

EQUALITY!! We cannot celebrate 

the change in inequality if we do 

not change our perception. Equality 

is celebrating beyond the color of 

our skin, friendships, and our very 

own biases. Equality is diversity and 

inclusion! 

YOU HAVE IT IN YOU 

Women empowerment is beyond 

empowering the women within your 

circle. Women empowerment is no 

discrimination. I don’t need to know 

you to empower you. You shouldn’t 

need to know me or anyone else to 

empower them. This is mindset. 

YOU ARE EMPOWERED TO DO 

THE IMPOSSIBLE 

We are now in positions to empower 

one another, what will you do with 

your power? What will you do with 

your voice? What will you do to 

celebrate women’s equality outside 

of your race, social, and economic 

norms? 

I envision a world of International 

women shamelessly exemplifying 

diversity, inclusion, and empowerment 

celebrating beyond the color of our 

skin & comfort zone. It’s demonstrated 

we have endless opportunities because 

we are: 

WOMEN WITH SUPERPOWERS! 

WE ARE CHANGE! 

WE ARE DETERMINED! 

WE ARE BOLD! 

WE ARE FIERCE! 

WE ARE POWERFUL! 

WE ARE FULL OF FIRE! 

WE ARE BRAVE! 

WE ARE STRONG! 

WE ARE FEARLESS! 

WE ARE HISTORY! 

WE ARE SHAMELESS! 

WE ARE LIMITLESS! 

Let’s continue to celebrate social, 

economic, political, & CULTURAL 

achievements. 

Happy International Women’s Month!! 

Here’s to US!!! 

IG: I_am_shameless_shawny 

FB: Shawny Cox-Ashford 

Stay YOU, Stay TRUE, Stay SHAMELESS 

Own it, embrace it, Face it Shamelessly 

~ Shameless Shawny

{ COACHING WITH KRISTIN }

{ 

{ 

COACHING 

COACHING { SHIFT+CONTROL WITH 

WITH 

KRISTIN 

KRISTIN } B. 

} 

} 

PHOTOSHOOT 

PREPARATION 

BY KRISTIN BAUER-GROSS 

STRESS FREE GUIDE 

I’m standing in front of my closet 

panicked! 

What to wear? 

What to pack? 

How to style hair and make-up? 

I start to try on clothes. It quickly 

becomes overwhelming and time 

consuming, I’m not loving any of the 

looks. My favorite dress doesn’t fit. That 

pair of pants that fits perfect needs to be 

dry cleaned. The button came off that 

pretty blouse a year ago and still needs 

mending. I sift through a mountain 

of clothes and then consider perhaps 

I should buy totally new outfits. 

I decide to go work on something 

else and procrastinate this photoshoot 

preperation for later. 

Fast forward to the day of the 

photoshoot. I show up frazzled and 

unprepared and worse yet, I’m running 

late. End up picking out clothes last 

minute, the morning of the shoot and 

everything is disjointed. 

This ever happen to you? Can you relate? 

Today I show up relaxed and happy. 

But back then, I had no strategy around 

planning, preparing and packing for 

photoshoots. 

Hundreds of photoshoots later, 

I’ve developed a strategy and clear 

preparation plan and share with you 

here my step-by-step process. If one 

tip transforms how prepared you feel 

leading up to your next photoshoot, 

then my heart will sing. 

Let’s say, a photoshoot or life event 

you want to capture is coming up. 

This can be any type of photoshoot: 

engagement, maternity, wedding, 

graduation, holiday family photos, 

actor headshots, updating portfolio 

for your modeling agent, images for a 

re-branded business website, imagery 

for social media content. 

STEP #1: Get clear on the intention 

of the photoshoot: 

Getting clear on the purpose of the 

shoot and how the photos will be used, 

I’ve found truly helps with being happy 

with the outcome. Also it is helpful in 

determining what photographer to 

hire, what to wear and how to plan 

the shoot. 

Consider your goals for the shoot. 

Write out the goals down. 

Think about how the images will be 

used: online, websites, social media, 

e-commerce or actual tangible photos 

such as hanging on a wall, sending 

prints to family, cards, keepsakes for 

yourself or someone special, an album, 

or printed headshots. 

STEP #2: Research photographers: 

You wouldn’t call a podiatrist with 

questions about heart health, right? 

Photographers are the same way. Most 

photographers have a specialty or a 

few specialties. 

When researching photographers 

look carefully at their recent work 

and portfolio on their website, 

Instagram and/or Facebook. Look for 

a photographer who specializes in the 

type and style of photos you are seeking. 

Planning a wedding? Research wedding 

photographers. New baby? Infant and 

family photographer. Getting started 

as a commercial actor, a photographer 

whose niche is commercial acting 

headshots. 

I often see people disappointed when 

they hire someone for something outside 

of their niche or area of expertise. 

As a model and talent coach, I frequently 

see aspiring models or actors shoot 

with someone who does not specialize 

in the type of photos that are actually 

needed to be taken seriously by agents 

or that would get them booked on paid 

assignments. Finding a photographer 

who is an expert in their niche will get 

you leaps and bounds ahead and make 

you look like a million bucks. 

Have a conversation with the 

photographer and ask questions. 

• Discuss what will be included for the 

price point quoted? 

• Is editing included? 

• For how many images? 

• How are images delivered? 

• When will they be delivered? 

• Who provides make-up and hair? 

• Does the photographer direct you 

with moving and posing? 

• Do they assist with wardrobe? 

• How long is the shoot? 

• Inside or outside (on location)? 

STEP #3: Who is responsible for what 

on shoot day?

{ COACHING { SHIFT+CONTROL WITH KRISTIN } B. } 

“Hundreds of photoshoots later, I’ve developed a strategy and clear preparation plan and 

share with you here my step-by-step process.” 

After talking things through with the 

photographer, I like to make a list of 

what I’ll be responsible for on shoot day. 

I recommend outlining what needs to 

be done and approximately how long 

it will take to accomplish each task. 

For example, if purchasing a new outfit 

is necessary, think about the time it takes 

to shop, and when you’ll do that, be it 

virtually or in person. Consider when 

the items will arrive by and if they don’t 

fit or don’t work for the look you’re 

going for, what is the plan B? 

Think about other errands that might 

need to be done prior to a photoshoot, 

such as mani/pedi, waxing, setting up 

childcare, blocking off time in schedule 

for shopping, taking the shoot day off 

from work or getting a haircut. 

STEP #4: Preparing for photoshoot day: 

Make a list and check it twice! 

Make your own list or grab my FREE 

“Photoshoot Prep Checklist” 

Having a packing checklist makes 

preparing for photoshoots stress free! 

Grab my free checklist by visiting: 

https://linktr.ee/kristinbauergross 

STEP #5: Show up feeling your best: 

On the day of a photoshoot nothing 

can replace feeling refreshed, confident 

and prepared. 

• Pack the night prior – or sooner 

• Eat a healthy early meal the night before 

a photoshoot that is low in sodium and 

sugar. Sodium, sugar, alcohol or late 

night meals leave us feeling bloated, 

heavy, tired, swollen and lethargic the 

next day. 

• Bring water and pack snacks 

• If the shoot is outside think about 

the weather: sunscreen, umbrella, or 

winter gear 

• Try on all the clothes you bring. Yes 

try on everything. 

• I repeat, try on everything. This helps, 

knowing exactly what fits and what 

doesn’t and to attend to any mending 

or clothes that need to be cleaned or 

pressed. 

• Trying all wardrobe on also allows us 

to get to know which items work with 

what accessories, undergarments, socks 

and shoes. Sometimes we “think” we 

know what something will look like but 

once we arrive and realize oh wow the 

only bra packed looks all wrong with 

the blouse that was planned. Having 

tried on all wardrobe would alleviate 

these snafu’s. 

STEP #6: SHOOT DAY 

Have fun! All the hard work is done. 

When a shoot day arrives I try to focus 

on being present, in the moment and 

enjoying myself as much as possible. 

• Allow plenty of extra time for 

traffic, delays, bad weather, or other 

unforeseeable problems while traveling 

to the photoshoot location. 

• Being prepped early allows you to not 

arrive in a panic and instead enjoy every 

minute of your photoshoot 

• How the subject feels shows through on 

camera. If you feel relaxed and happy this 

is how the final photos will be reflected, 

if you are unprepared, arrive late, didn’t 

eat breakfast, missed your morning 

coffee, or whatever other mishap this 

too will show in the subject’s face. 

Make prepping for your next photoshoot 

a breeze with my free checklist! 

Snag the free photoshoot prep checklist 

here: 

https://linktr.ee/kristinbauergross 

Enjoy this article? Love to connect on 

Instagram. 

Follow 

@KristinBauerGross 

@KristinBCoaching 






{ { VOICES SHE { THE HUSTLES KEFI FOR WAY IMPACT TALKS } } } 

MARKETING IN 2021 

BY KATINA KARL I PHOTOS BY LYNEA D’APRIX PHOTOGRAPHY 

Spring signifies a renewal, new 

beginnings and growth. As we move 

into the next season of 2021, Voices 

For Impact podcast is dropping new 

episodes that center around this 

‘rebirth’ theme. The ladies behind 

EmPowered Nutrition and Always 

Chasing Better Coaching share 

empowerment tips and advice on 

living your best life in two of the 

new episodes to hit the podcast. 

I don’t know about you but January 

and February are the hardest months 

of the year for me to get through 

each year. The cloudy and short 

wintery days make life a bit more 

of a struggle but as soon as March 

hits — I am revitalized and the 

hope and excitement for the future 

kicks in. This could also be because 

March is also my birthday month. 

The first day of Spring (March 20) 

to be exact! My birthday always 

feels extra special because it is the 

first day of Spring. I feel like I am 

being reborn into a new year and 

a new season all at once. This year 

in particular, I feel this sense of 

excitement for a new beginning more 

than years past. Especially since last 

year, around March 20th was the 

when the pandemic hit America 

and so began the beginning of a 

shut down… but it does not do to 

dwell on the past, I think collectively 

we are all looking forward to this 

new year. 

Are you the type of person always 

looking to improve themselves? A 

life-long learner? Do you look for 

inspiration and motivation on how 

to begin the self-love journey? Do 

you want to start your own business 

but do not know where to begin? 

I am so excited to share all new 

episodes of Voices For Impact this 

year. At the start of 2021, Voices For 

Impact has already dropped some 

episodes with incredibly talented 

guests that are sharing their stories 

and advice, just for you. 

Spring is a great time to harness the 

energy of the season and allow your 

mindset to move away from dreary 

winter doldrums into the fresh new 

energy of spring. Life moves quickly, 

but spring can be a reminder that 

there’s always time to start a new 

beginning on our goals, plans, and 

dreams. The transitions between the 

seasons offer a great metaphor with 

which to view our lives, incredible 

change moves at a slow pace but 

with patience and persistence, our 

efforts will allow us to live the lives 

we seek. 

I hope you feel motivated to take on 

the day after reading this article and 

for more daily inspiration listen to 

Voices For Impact on Apple, Spotify, 

and iHeart Radio podcast platforms. 

Subscribe and stay connected on 

Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and 

LinkedIn @VoicesForImpact. 

DID YOU KNOW? Podcasts are 

really effective at selling, spreading 

awareness, and building good 

reputations for companies. It’s an 

intimate medium where listeners 

develop real relationships with hosts, 

so when hosts recommend products 

in their own voices, audiences are 

more likely to try their product. 

Voices For Impact has attractive 

demographics for advertisers, with 

listeners that are more of an affluent, 

educated consumer than average, 

according to Edison Research. My 

current list of sponsors include JAB 

Online Services, Kefi Marketing, 

EmPowered Nutrition, among others. 

Email voices4impactcuse@gmail. 

com if you would like to get your 

message out to a new audience by 

sponsoring an episode or sharing 

your story to help encourage people 

to find their passion and purpose. 

Danielle is a Nazareth College alum 

and is currently pursuing her MBA. 

Currently she works as the Senior 

Director of Development for a local 

nonprofit. In addition, she volunteers 

for several organizations in the 

community and is a Board Member 

for Association for Fundraising 

Professionals and a Central New 

York Business Journal’s 40 Under 

Forty honoree.

{ VOICES FOR IMPACT } 

“Spring signifies a renewal, new beginnings and growth. As we move into the next season 

of 2021, Voices For Impact podcast is dropping new episodes that center around this 

‘rebirth’ theme.” 


{ THE SHIFT+CONTROL ACS CORNER } } 

A REVOLUTIONARY 

INNOVATION 

BY JOHNNY WILLIAMS 

Revolutionary innovation has always 

been a key part of what makes Animal 

Care Sanctuary special. As one of 

the first no-kill shelters in the nation 

when we were founded over 50 years 

ago, being on the cutting edge of new 

ideas to save more lives is a part of 

our roots. 

We’ve carried that with us over the 

years by working hard to be 

on that forefront. Nearly 10 

years ago, we launched our 

own low cost community 

veterinary clinic, which 

has been a vital part of our 

operations and still relatively 

uncommon for an animal 

shelter. Additionally, our 

pre-vet intern program is 

one of extremely few in the 

country. 

And now, we’re looking to 

be on the cutting edge to 

save more lives once again. 

Over the last couple of years, 

our cattery began looking at 

FIV and FeLV positive cats 

more closely. FIV (feline 

immunodeficiency virus) 

and FeLV (feline leukemia 

virus) are similar retroviruses 

that only affect cats. In years past, a 

cat that tested positive for either of 

these viruses was essentially euthanized 

automatically – partly because many 

shelters generally don’t have the 

space to quarantine sick felines with 

contagious viruses. These viruses affect 

a feline’s immune system, making it 

easier for them to get sick – at least 

theoretically. 

Fortunately, ACS had the space in 

our then-recently renovated cattery, so 

we started taking in these supposedly 

ill cats and housing them in their 

own area. However, after months of 

caring for these cats, not only did our 

staff notice that the felines seemed 

perfectly healthy, they showed no 

symptoms of any illness at all. 

So we slowly started looking for 

adopters for these cats. Being as 

transparent with potential adopters as 

possible, we informed them honestly 

about their conditions – that the cat 

tested positive for FIV or FeLV and 

what that means. But because of the 

stigma surrounding these viruses, 

finding homes for these otherwise 

extremely sweet and adoptable felines 

was proving difficult. 

But more is being learned around 

the country about these viruses. And 

the biggest takeaway is how little is 

actually known about the viruses. A 

recent research article published by 

the Humane Society of the United 

States helped us confirm what we 

were already learning: that these 

viruses are not necessarily 

deadly, not exceptionally 

contagious, and infected cats 

are capable of living long, 

happy lives. In fact, even 

the testing process itself is 

not reliable in diagnosing 

these viruses. 

Armed with this new 

information, we’re setting 

out to battle the stigma 

that FIV and FeLV cats are 

deathly ill and unadoptable. 

In fact, the three FeLV 

felines that we’ve had up 

for adoption for months, 

have all found homes in 

February, including 10-yearold 

Pawdme and sevenyear-old 

Lando, the latter 

of which was with us since 

August of last year and even 

spent time as our office cat. 

So if you’re out looking for a new 

feline friend and come across a cat 

that is FIV or FeLV positive, don’t 

pass them by. In our experience, FIV 

and FeLV kitties have been some of 

the sweetest felines that have come 

through our doors. Give them a 

chance. 




{ THE ACS CORNER } 

“As one of the first no-kill shelters in the nation when we were founded over 50 years ago, 

being on the cutting edge of new ideas to save more lives is a part of our roots.”


{ SHE SHIFT+CONTROL HUSTLES TALKS }}

{ WARRIOR { SHE SHIFT+CONTROL HUSTLES WELLNESS TALKS }} 

“THE IMPORTANCE OF REST 

AND RECOVERY” 

BY ALEXIS TEARNEY KUHL 

If you’ve been exercising for a 

substantial amount of time, you know 

and value the importance of your 

routine. Have you given much thought 

to your recovery and rest? Many 

people think that the “work” is in 

the workout. And while 

that is true, the real 

growth and building of 

strength is in your rest 

and recovery time. If 

you haven’t built 

in enough time for 

recovery, you may 

end up burned out or 

injured. This is because 

your body isn’t getting 

adequate time to repair 

itself. 

Strength building is 

a repetitive process 

of breaking down 

muscles, and repairing 

them. Tiny micro tears 

occur, which is normal 

and healthy in building 

muscle. When balanced 

with sufficient time to 

rest and recover, the 

muscles then rebuild 

themselves to a stronger 

version of what they 

once were. 

So how much rest and recovery do 

you need? This may vary from one 

individual to the next. If we are 

discussing sleep, adults need an average 

of 7-8 hours per night. Athletes 

might need a little bit more. If we are 

talking about rest days, that depends 

on the person, their routine, their 

age, etc. 1-3 rest days per week is 

generally a good rule. This rest day 

might be a complete day of rest. For 

some people, it might include foam 

rolling. Others may benefit from a 

relaxing walk, gentle stretching, or 

yoga. 

For longtime athletes who are in a 

vigorous program, a complete week 

off once every 3-5 weeks might be 

necessary. For me personally, I greatly 

benefit from this. I usually spend 

this week doing plenty of yoga and 

Pilates. After my week off, I can 

return to my usual routine feeling 

excited and strong. 

What are the key signs that a rest 

recovery period are needed? Here 

are some signs: 

- an elevated resting heart rate. 

- difficulty sleeping. 

- feeling burned out, 

unmotivated (especially 

if this isn’t normal for 

you). 

- nagging muscle fatigue 

and soreness. 

Get in tune with your 

body and check in every 

once in awhile. Knowing 

what is normal for you 

will help you get the most 

out of your routine, while 

avoiding injury. This will 

set you up for long term 

success. And no, a week 

or two off will not derail 

your efforts. Stay well! 

Alexis Tearney Kuhl 

owns and operates 

Tearney’s Martial Arts. 

Since Covid-19, she 

has pivoted her karate 

and kickboxing classes to an online 

virtual format. 

She teaches both adults and children 

(ages 5 and up). Together with her 

husband Jordan, Alexis also owns the 

online vintage store Lhük Vintage. You 

can follow her in Instagram @ 

alexistearneykuhl. 


FOR 

ANN 

SAVE TH 

SEPTEMB 

HELP THE ONE IN SEVEN IN THE SYRACUS 

10AM-2PM VENDOR & FASHION SHOW AT THE CRAFTSMAN INN & SUITES I F 

CONTACT US TODAY FOR MORE INFORMATION AT 585.727.9120 I EMAIL N

E DATE 

ER 26, 2021 

THE 

UAL 

E REGION AT RISK FOR KIDNEY DISEASE. 

AYETTEVILLE, NY I SPONSORS/VENDORS/MODELS NOW BEING ACCEPTED 

ETWORKROCQUEEN@GMAIL.COM OR SHARON@HEALTHYKIDNEYS.ORG 

online


{ SHIFT+CONTROL }


WHEN YOU SAY “MEH” 

TO SEX 

BY DANIEL ROSEN, LCSW-R, CST 

For many women, and men, sex with 

a partner is less about exhileration 

and more about intimacy, partnership, 

role fulfillment, and perhaps even 

reducing anxiety about how they 

think they are supposed to want sex. 

Contrary to popular belief, these 

are PERFECTLY NORMAL ways 

of thinking about sex. Some may 

consider themselves to be demisexual 

(a sexual orientation in which one 

is attracted to only those to whom 

one feels close), or having responsive 

desire (feeling desire after feeling 

sexually aroused), and some may 

even identify as asexual (a sexual 

orientation in which people feel little 

or no attraction to others). 

Many people like all the “extras” from 

sex: closeness, intimacy, relaxation, 

release, security, comfort, relational 

satisfaction, and feeling good about 

nurturing and caring for their partner. 

If all goes well, a sexual experience that 

starts out from a place of willingness 

rather than wanting may end up with 

that sexual kick of sensation— but it 

is like the cherry on a sundae or extra 

pepperoni on pizza - it’s an option 

one might enjoy (perhaps really, really 

enjoy) but not the reason for sitting 

down to eat. 

You may have been taught that having 

an orgasm is the best thing in the 

universe. Or, that if you don’t crave 

sex, you are not normal. Maybe things 

started out the other way— you 

could not keep your hands out of 

your partner’s pants (or your own). 

Sex was exciting and desireable. 

You felt satisfied and you satisfied 

your partner. But now you feel like 

a rotary dial phone, a VHS player, 

a dried flower. 

You may be the person in a relationship 

who feels like this, or you may be in a 

relationship with someone who feels 

like this. Some “want to want” sex. 

Some are desperate to feel wanted. 

Some may be old enough to know 

the Cheap Trick song “I want you 

to want me” and believe this is the 

ONLY way to be in a relationship: 

everyone feeling equally wanted. 

I call this the “Tyranny of Reciprocity”. 

This is the idea that unless the balance 

is perfectly even at any given moment, 

the relationship is unfair or inadequate. 

When it comes to sex this manifests as: 

“I had an orgasm. Now you need one 

too.” Or “you had an orgasm, now I 

get one.” Or, “I wanted sex/initiated 

sex last time, now its your turn.” 

Let’s compare it to other domestic 

activities: Do your bodies sleep the 

same number of hours? If you had 

4 scoops of ice cream and I’m full 

after one, do I need to eat 3 more? 

I just sneezed and I feel great, now 

it’s your turn? 

Many couples have what we call 

“discrepant desire”— one partner 

wants more sex and the other wants 

less (or, at least, they want to not 

feel bad about wanting less.) Some 

couples feel that they get along in 

every way except sex. They try to 

be happy with this lack of sexual 

contact but they want more. This 

is common. For many couples, sex 

is like a vitamin: you need a certain 

amount for the relationship to be 

healthy and even if neither of you 

wants to take that vitamin, its still 

good for both of you in the long 

run. In a recent large study of the 

factors that contribute to relational 

satisfaction, sexual satisfaction was 

rated as one of the most influential. 

Some strategies people take to address 

this: 

● Compromise: Jane want sex 4 

times a month, Alex wants sex just 1 

time a month at a maximum, so they 

will try for every other week. (Hint, 

not going to work well). Unwanted 

sex is unwanted sex whether its with 

a husband, a wife, a stranger or a 

politician. 

● Give up on sex together and try 

other partners: This requires lots of 

conversation and consent and for 

some folks it might just work but 

for others it breaks what most people 

consider the primary agreement of a 

long term relationship— the two of 

us together forever. Feeling pushed 

into an agreement like this is rarely 

helpful. 

● Give up on sex altogether: Some 

couples will navigate a sexless marriage 

well, but many will find that sex is a 

key ‘vitamin’ and without it all the 

love, compassion, and emotional 

intimacy is not enough. All couples, 

no matter their age or health status, 

can create sex worth having. (A quick 

medical note especially for women: 

sex should never hurt. If sex is painful, 

medical interventions are available.) 


{ { SEXUALLY SHIFT+CONTROL SPEAKING } } 

“People looking to enhance their sexual relationships need skills, tasks, a mental attitude, 

and practice to have more satisfying sex (please note: we are not aiming for “more sex” — we 

are going for more satisfying sex.)” 

) ● Bully and demand your partner 

have more sex because that is 

the unspoken expectation of the 

relationship/marriage agreement: 

this never works. Meaning, while 

there may be sex, this is not the way 

to feel closer, get more intimate, 

or have each party be satisfied. If 

the goal is to make just one person 

happy, this may make for a peaceful 

kingdom. However, somewhere in 

there is pain and dissatisfaction, if 

not worse— trauma. 

There is hope and a better way. At the 

Rochester Center for Sexual Wellness 

(and other clinics around North 

America) there is a new therapy called 

Optimal Sexual Experience Groups. 

This is a research proven method 

for couples with desire discrepancy 

or with low/no sex relationships to 

improve their sexual relationship. The 

Optimal Sexual Experience method 

recognizes that everyone is OK just 

the way they are. People looking to 

enhance their sexual relationships 

need skills, tasks, a mental attitude, 

and practice to have more satisfying 

sex (please note: we are not aiming 

for “more sex” — we are going for 

more satisfying sex.) Bad sex leads to 

a mental attitude of expecting bad 

sex which — no surprise — leads 

to bad sex. 

“Great lovers are made not born.” 

Great lovers are similar to great 

chefs who learn through dedication, 

training, trial and error, and the 

addition of their own special sauce. 

Some people ARE born with a flair 

for flavors — but no great chefs are 

made without devoting significant 

time and dedication to the practice. 

What if you were able to interview 

people who felt that they had amazing, 

intimate sex and figure out how they 

did that? What if you could unleash a 

team of researchers to identify exactly 

what these folks had in common: 

how they talked about sex, felt about 

their bodies, experienced in their 

bodies, minds, and spirit, what skills 

they had, what they thought about 

during sex? 

Well, this study has been done and 

the findings are different from what 

you might expect. In Magnificent 

Sex, Peggy Kleinplatz and A. Dana 

Menard, along with their research 

team, decode the components, 

facilitators, and pathways to optimal 

sexual experiences for couples. Dr. 

Kleinplatz has trained teams of group 

leaders all over North America to 

deliver a carefully crafted group 

treatment. At the Rochester Center 

for Sexual Wellness, we are honored 

to be a part of this ongoing research 

into enhancing sexual relationships by 

offering Optimal Sexual Experiences 

Groups. The 8 session group for 

couples is private, confidential, and 

includes education, discussion, and 

instructions for homeplay. Rochester 

Center for Sexual Wellness’ first series 

of groups, led by Mr. Rosen and Dr. 

Kranz, concluded in December 2020, 

with great success. The 6 couples in 

the group emerged with new direction 

and hope for enhancing their sexual 

relationships. The next session is 

forming now, are you ready for more 

satisfying sex in your relationship? 

If you are interested in learning 

more about Optimal Sexual 

Experiences groups at the Rochester 

Center for Sexual Wellness, 

please visit our website at www. 

rochestercenterforsexualwellness.com 

or call (585) 865-3584 to arrange for 

an initial assessment to find out if the 

groups are right for you. You can find 

more information about the Optimal 

Sexual Experiences research team and 

other pairs of trained therapists at 

www.optimalsexualexperiences.com. 

Daniel Rosen is a licensed clinical 

social worker and an AASECT certified 

sex therapist. He is the Behavioral 

Medicine Director at the Rochester 

Center for Sexual Wellness where he 

sees individuals, couples, and provides 

group therapy as well as supervising 

sex therapists in training on their 

way to AASECT certification. He is 

a lifelong Rochesterian who nurtures 

plants, builds things, and is continually 

learning to play the guitar.. 


{ SHIFT+CONTROL }


{ SHIFT+CONTROL }

{ { SHIFT+CONTROL YOU MATTER } } 

VICARIOUS 

BY JUDI SWANSON 

Vicarious means to feel how someone 

else is feeling through our imaginations. 

In Sanskirt the word Muditā “means joy; 

especially sympathetic or vicarious joy, or 

the pleasure that comes from delighting 

in other people’s well-being” as defined 

by Wikipedia. 

As I was meandering along my life I was 

reflecting upon recent joys of people 

around me. On Friday, one of the students 

I counsel, with the assistance of her 

school counselor, applied for college. The 

background of this student is rough stuff. 

Tons of trauma, hardship, and hurdles to 

overcome. You would not know this if 

you met her. She comes to school every 

day with a smile on her face, does her 

work, and gives it her all. A few years 

ago she was not sure she would see this 

day as she had been suicidal. Her joy, 

her Sukha, was pure and heartfelt in this 

moment. I felt it and celebrated with her. 

“We’re stronger when we cheer each other 

one.” Serena Williams 

There have been times in my life, too 

many, where I did not fully embrace or 

experience someone else’s joy. Perhaps 

it was because they were experiencing 

something I wanted and my unhealthy 

envy kicked in, I did not feel they deserved 

whatever goodness was occurring (which 

reflected my insecurities and ego) or other 

reasons I did not totally understand. 

What I do know is as I worked on myself, 

became more whole and in love with 

who I am, I could celebrate someone 

else’s joy completely. Even when there 

were times I was feeling some envy or 

ego, I would cheer the other person on 

will all of my gusto. To my surprise, when 

I moved beyond my negative feelings 

to celebrate someone else, I felt better, 

happier, confident. 

“How you make others feel about themselves 

says a lot about you.” Kushandwizdom 

Lately I have been reading “Think Like 

A Monk” by Jay Shetty. In one part He 

talks about “Reverse Internal Energy”, 

how envy, and “Schadenfreude” which 

means “taking pleasure in the suffering 

of others”. Jay says “When we derive 

joy from other people’s failure, we’re 

building our houses and pride on the 

rocky foundation of someone else’s 

imperfection or bad luck.” Think of it 

this way as Jay states it “The more we 

define ourselves in relation to the people 

around us, the more lost we are.” 

You know what happens when you 

celebrate the joys and accomplishments of 

others? It is freeing, beautiful, connecting. 

Just imagine if we all began to acknowledge 

and support the joy of others with no 

negativity? We could have “joy flash 

mobs” where we are joyous because of 

the accomplishments of someone else. 

“When we seek to discover the best in 

others, we somehow bring out the best in 

ourselves.” William Arthur Ward 

Too often in our “comparison culture” 

today we rank ourselves by comparing 

to others. Relationships, grades, jobs, 

vacations, clothes, cars, homes and more. 

Guess what? This way of thinking is 

destructive to us. Our envy feelings 

don’t build us up. They bring us down. 

A Psychology Today article states “Envy 

has to do with feeling unhappy about 

the success of someone else, or about 

what they have and, at the same time, 

secretly feeling inferior yourself. Instead of 

finding success for yourself or improving 

yourself, you may be envious and want 

what another person has or find yourself 

wishing that the other person would 

lose that quality or possession in order 

to make things seem fair.” 

The way to feel better about ourselves 

will always be doing the work to like, 

and love, ourselves. To combat the voices 

of negativity in our heads with ones of 

strength and capability. Build on our 

confidence and strength. To work towards 

what we want to accomplish. To give a 

big WAHOO to celebrate the joys of 

others. When we expand our joyousness 

to beyond ourselves by feeling our Muditā 

for others, joy radiates into a world where 

more joy needs to be celebrated. 

We are not born with low sense of self 

and lack of confidence. How life comes 

at us, and how we are impacted by life 

events, affects us. The great news is we 

can change how we feel about ourselves. 

An article in Zen Habits states “I strongly 

believe that you can do things to increase 

your self-confidence. It is not genetic 

and you do NOT need to be reliant on 

others to increase your self-confidence. 

And if you believe that you are not very 

competent, not very smart, not very 

attractive, etc…that can be changed.” 

We all have the power and ability to 

change what we believe to be our truth 

if we are willing to do the work. We are 

worth the work. 

You and all of your amazing skills and 

talents matter. Let’s Muditā for others 

and create flash mobs of joy. Celebrate 

each other with gusto. To view others 

achievements as inspirations, because if 

they can accomplishment something it 

means you can too. To see the success of 

others as a moment in time to be joyous. 

That is the type of world I envision for 

all of us. 

May your Muditā be with you. 



{{ COMMUNITY ASK SHIFT+CONTROL THE DOCTOR ROCS }}}

{ SHIFT+CONTROL TAMMY’S TIDBITS } 

DANCE IN THE RAIN 

BY TAMMY VREELAND 

When was the last time you danced 

in the rain? Although it may sound 

a bit cliché - have you ever danced 

in the rain? Thrown caution to the 

wind? With April coming up and 

bringing showers, this could be your 

perfect opportunity! 

Most of us may see the rain as 

depressing. A grayness that envelopes 

us. A longing to see the sun and feel 

its warmth to re-energize us. 

We need and crave the sun, no doubt. 

But without our April showers, there 

could be no May flowers. Touché, 

right? Yes - without the rain, there 

is no true appreciation for the sun. 

So, instead of longing for what is 

coming. Embrace the now, knowing 

it will make the latter - that much 

sweeter! No one ever said we could 

not enjoy both sides of a yin and 

yang situation. 

Yin and yang, yet another cliché 

saying? Or is it? Is it, as the definition 

for cliché goes, a phrase that is overused 

and betrays a lack of original thought? 

I think not, for when you look at 

what yin and yang represent, it is far 

from not being original! It is a concept 

of opposites that complement each 

other. In this case, take our April 

showers that will complement our 

May flowers. 

No fooling, dancing in the rain can 

give you just as much enjoyment 

as skipping in the sun. Speaking of 

fooling, I’d be remiss in acknowledging 

another thing April is well known 

for... April Fool’s Day! April 1st is, 

of course, April Fool’s Day! A perfect 

excuse for tomfoolery, but what is it? 

Or should I say, who is it? The origin 

of tomfoolery seems to come from a 

man named Thomas Skelton. Around 

1600, he was a jester or a fool for the 

Pennington family at the Muncaster 

Castle in Britain. He was known 

as Tom Fool. It is said he was even 

possibly the model for the jester in 

William Shakespeare’s play, King 

Lear of 1606. 

Unfortunately, it seems he wasn’t a 

very pleasant man! Tales of him sitting 

under a tree by the side of the road 

with weary travelers asking him for 

directions. Depending on whether he 

liked you, he would either tell you 

one way or send you on a treacherous 

way to the marshes! 

Even though that origin seems to be 

the most well-known, Tom Fool is 

actually centuries older! He started 

appearing around in the 1300s as 

Thomas Fatuus. The first part, Thomas, 

a common name like what we use 

today with Tom, Dick or Harry. The 

Fatuus part means stupid or foolish. 

And yet, how could any of this possibly 

tie into our April Fool’s Day? Surely, 

April’s Fool Day is a fairly modern-day 

made-up celebration? Actually no, it’s 

not! Although its exact origins remain 

a mystery, some historians speculate 

it dates back to 1582. This was when 

France switched from a Julian calendar 

to the Gregorian calendar. 

People who were slow to get the 

news continued to celebrate the New 

Year during the last week of March 

to April 1st. They quickly became 

the butt of jokes and pranks for not 

knowing the calendar had changed. 

One prank was to put paper fish on 

their backs, for it meant they were 

“easily hooked” or as we may know 

as a “gullible” person. 

In 1700, English pranksters began 

popularizing it by playing practical 

jokes on each other. By the 18th 

century it had spread. In Scotland, 

it became a two-day event, starting 

with “hunting the gowk”. Gowk is a 

word for cuckoo bird or a symbol for 

the Fool. The first day, people were 

sent on phony errands. The next day, 

Tailie Day, involved pranks played by 

pinning fake tails on people’s backside. 

I suppose you could say a pre-cursor 

to the modern-day version we know 

as “kick me” signs! 

So, there you have it, the history 

of April Fool’s Day. But what is the 

future of April Fool’s Day? Some 

may think it’s not a good holiday 

to take part in. That it can be mean 

and even lead to bullying. And yet, 

isn’t something - what we make of it? 

My point is, of course, April Fool’s 

Day should NOT be about being 

mean or humiliating. Instead, it 

should be a fun day! I think the safest 

and most fun way of participating 

in April Fool’s Day is to not simply 

target one person. A day to make 

your co-workers and family smile. 


{ TAMMY’S SHIFT+CONTROL TIDBITS } 

“We need and crave the sun, no doubt. But without our April showers, there could be no 

May flowers. Touché, right? “ 

When planning a prank, always think 

about how you would like it if it was 

done to you. Would you laugh it off and 

enjoy it, or is it something you would 

take to heart and may upset you? 

Doesn’t have to be mean, it simply is a 

day to have fun and smile. Saying April 

Fool’s afterwards may seem foolish to 

say, but I guarantee 

you it brings a smile 

and reminiscence of 

when we were kids 

trying to fool ole 

mom and dad. 

Even one of my 

favorite writers, 

Mark Twain, said, 

“The first of April 

is the day we 

remember what we 

are the other 364 

days.” There you go, 

a perfect example. 

Sometimes laughing 

at ourselves is the 

best joke! Sure, old 

holidays may not be 

what we want for 

this day and age, but 

we can make them 

what we want. 

So, what’s it going to be this year 

for you? To be the fool or to play a 

fool? Whichever the case, it’s all in 

good fun! 

And now this brings us to our five 

random National April Holidays. A 

couple of days to put us in the mood 

for the month coming up: 


April 3rd - National Find A Rainbow 

Day - What better way to celebrate 

Spring than while dancing in the rain 

and look for our rainbow. Some of you 

may roll your eyes at the thought but 

seriously do you want to go through 

life never being able to say you danced 

in the rain? That you did not search 

for rainbows? Doesn’t matter what 

your age is, this is obtainable - go 

out and do it! 

April 12th - National Big Wind 

Day - Maybe a good day to go fly a 

kite? Yet another thing that has no 

age restriction. This is more fun than 

you may realize. Pack up and go to 

the park. Soar your kite high in the 

sky and soon your troubles will float 

away too. 

April 14th - National Look Up At 

The Sky Day - So yes, we definitely 

have a theme going on here. Whether 

it’s dancing in the rain, looking for 

rainbows, flying kites on a blustery day 

or simply staring up and making shapes 

out of the clouds. April suddenly 

becomes more than just a rainy month! 

April 24th - Arbor 

Day. Arbor Day is 

a special day that is 

set aside throughout 

the world to raise 

awareness of trees 

and the important 

role that they play 

in our environment. 

All fooling aside, 

we need to do our 

part so that the 

joke won’t be on 

our future! Do your 

part - go plant a tree 

or find an event that 

encourages this day 

to be celebrated! 

April 30th - 

National Honesty 

Day. Seriously, how 

funny is this? April 

you start out as a fool only to end 

up honest, you are a wild and crazy 

month!


{{ SHE SHIFT+CONTROL { { HUSTLES HIP B.MOR HEMP TALKS } } 

} 

THE FIRST SIGNS OF 

MENOPAUSE 

BY ANGELA DUNCAN, M.S. AND MARY JANE HAAKE, CPCP 

Perimenopause is referred to as the final 

cessation of your menstrual cycle and 

the time in which you will start the 

journey of menopause and menopausal 

symptoms. Mood swings, hot flashes, 

weight gain and vaginal dryness are just 

a few of the signs that you are heading 

towards the big change. 

Perimenopause is a different journey 

for every woman, but on average, it 

takes about a year to complete if you 

are heading into menopause naturally 

(not medically forced). The average age 

occurs between 45-55, after which time 

you are postmenopausal. 

Common signs and symptoms of 

perimenopausal include the following: 

• Missed Periods 

• Hot Flashes 

• Weight Gain 

• Sleep Deprivation 

• Mood Swings 

• Sore Breasts 

• Chronic Headaches 

• Night Sweats 

• Memory Problems 

• Changes to skin and hair (pH balance 

changes) 

• Incontinence 

As if these symptoms are not enough, 

there are a few others that I really want 

to focus on. 

Vaginal Dryness is an unfortunate 

and uncomfortable early warning sign 

of menopause. Estrogen is needed to 

keep moisture in the skin, hair, eyes 

and vagina. Vaginal dryness can cause 

uncomfortable and painful sex but 

can also lead to other issues such as 

vaginal atrophy, which is when there is 

thinning of the tissue and even shorting 

and tightening of the vaginal canal. It is 

important to deal with vaginal dryness 

right away. Sex should not be painful 

and there are options available to make 

sure it never is. 

Primary care doctors or gynecologist 

may prescribe a type of gel, prescription 

medication or a vaginal ring to help with 

dryness. Hormone replacement therapy 

(HRT) is another option but not all 

women can or want to add hormones 

back into their body. There are organic 

solutions available and it is important to 

do your research about those products. 

In The Pink moisture drops and intimate 

massage oils are estrogen free but work 

amazing at putting the moisture back 

into the vagina. 

Chronic Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) 

are a type of bladder issue that can 

affect women in perimenopause. UTI 

symptoms include urinating more 

frequently which can be painful, dark, or 

bloody. Hormone changes are the culprit 

to frequent UTIs during menopause. 

These changes can cause vaginal bacteria 

to change, which increases your risk of 

not only getting a bladder infection but 

also experiencing them on a chronic basis. 

Studies show that menopausal women 

tend to have a higher pH measurement, 

which can lead to the risk of developing 

UTIs. A UTI does not cause a higher 

vaginal pH but having a high pH can 

increase a person’s risk of developing a 

UTI. Reduced estrogen levels during 

perimenopause and menopause can 

put a person at risk of developing more 

infections. In The Pink’s vaginal moisture 

drops are designed to provide moisture 

which in return helps to keep the pH 

in balance. 

Decreased Sex Drive can be a symptom 

of perimenopause. Studies show that as 

women head towards the big change they 

often feel one of two extremes. Some feel 

sexually liberated now that they are no 

longer able to get pregnant, while others 

may become self-consciousness and 

feel undesirable. The sudden hormone 

changes can often lead to feelings of 

depression and anxiety as well. For 

women it often takes both physical 

and mental stimulation. If she is in a 

depressed state or lacking self-confidence 

because of menopause it can be difficult 

for her to become aroused. 

Experiencing vaginal dryness and 

tender breast can also have an impact 

on sexual desires. The idea of pain and 

not enjoyment from sex can keep a 

woman from being turned on and ready 

to go. Hip Hemp’s intimate massage oils 

are a great organic solution to vaginal 

dryness and pain during intercourse. 

With only a few ingredients these plantbased 

lubricants are estrogen free and 

packed with antioxidants and nutrients. 

Although these products are not designed 

to increase sex drive, a side effect from 

feeling more lubricated and not in 

pain can help bring back the desire to 

be intimate. 

Changes to Skin and Hair are a common 

side effect heading into menopause. The 

lack of estrogen will soon cause a loss 

to fatty tissue and collagen which will 

make skin drier and thinner and will 

affect the elasticity and lubrication of 


{{ SHE SHIFT+CONTROL { RECOVERX { HUSTLES B.MOR TALKS } } 

} 


{ SHIFT+CONTROL { HIP HEMP } } 

“Mood swings, hot flashes, weight gain and vaginal dryness are just a few of the signs that 

you are heading towards the big change.” 

the skin near your vagina and urinary 

tract. Hair can become brittle and may 

even start to fall out. During this time 

skin may be more prone to developing 

wrinkles as well as acne blemishes and 

eczema flare-ups. 

Hip Hemp’s In The Pink intimate 

massage oils are great to be used from 

head to toe and as a lubricant. Hemp 

Seed Oil is used as the base or the 

carrying oil of these massage oils. This 

anti-inflammatory, detoxifying oil and 

analgesic properties closely match skins 

lipids. Hemp Seed Oil is packed full of 

Omega 3 and Linoleic Acids which has 

been proven to help with skin elasticity. 

The essential oils that are added to the 

base oil offers their own benefits of 

moisturizing and calming along with 

many other satisfying results. 

Hip Hemp’s line of In The Pink products 

are all estrogen free, organic, and free of 

soy, nuts, dairy, fillers, gluten, chemicals 

or GMO’s. It is always important to speak 

with your doctor about any questions 

or concerns related to your health. It is 

also a good idea to keep track of your 

symptoms you may experience when 

you start the journey of menopause 

and make sure to communicate those 

with doctor as well. There are options 

available to help feel comfortable and 

confident during this journey of life.

{ SHIFT+CONTROL }

{ WOMAN {{ SHE SHIFT+CONTROL HUSTLES ENTREPRENEUR TALKS } 

} } 


{ { WOMAN { SHIFT+CONTROL ENTREPRENEUR THE RISE } 

} } 

TRICIA MIG LIORE KU NTZ 

Tell us about your business. What 

product or service do you provide and 

who is your target audience? 

My main business is called The Purple 

Painted Lady and it is a paint boutique. 

In other words, I own a paint shop that 

offers products along with support, 

advice and workshops. We have sold a 

couple of special high-end furniture and 

cabinetry paint lines for over 12 years 

here in western NY. We like to have fun. 

Life is short, so why not enjoy being 

at work! My target audience 

is anyone who has a piece of 

furniture that needs a facelift, or 

those who look at their kitchen 

cabinets and wish they could 

change their look. I can help 

these people make their home 

look beautiful, but on a budget. 

The Purple Painted Lady’s main 

store is in Macedon, NY. We 

have a showroom, and we also 

ship all online sales orders daily. 

We also have a second location 

of a satellite spot at the Shops 

on West Ridge in Greece. We 

sell online and, between our 

website and social media, have 

around 2,000,000 unique visitors 

monthly. I have a few products 

that are private labeled through our 

business also such as brushes. The 

Purple Painted Lady has taken on a 

life of its own. I play a role in it, but 

truly - I am part of a team of some 

amazing women that make it what it 

is, and I am very grateful....and lucky to 

have them because The Purple Painted 

Lady would not be what it is without 

all of us. My husband Steve is a key 

part of some of the technical support 

and all of the emotional support he 

gives. At The Purple Painted Lady we 

sell cabinet and furniture paint, host 

workshops and try to provide the best 

customer service possible. We carry 

a few fantastic paint lines, but it all 

started because of Chalk Paint® by Annie 

Sloan. It is a flat paint that adheres to 

virtually any surface without sanding or 

priming. Once painted and dried, we 

use a furniture wax or brush on top coat 

to seal it. I found this product about 

12 years ago and was so blown away 

with it after using, I quit my day job 

to open a shop...and the rest if history. 

Our target audience is anyone who wants 

to unify a room by painting a piece 

of furniture or is in need of updating 

their cabinets in their bath or kitchen. 

Besides having our shops - I am the 

promoter of the annual market called 

The Purple Painted Lady Festival. We 

host that the third weekend of September 

and have around 350 artist and vendors 

from architectural salvage, upcycled 

items and painted furniture. It attracts 

around 14,000 people and is a lot of fun! 

And then lastly- I am in the process of 

opening a wedding/event venue focused 

on agritourism in Wayne County. It is 

called Fig Hollow Barn and we hope 

to be formally launched by late 2021. 

When did the 

entrepreneur bug bite you? 

I have always been a 

fan of small businesses. 

Most of my careers since 

graduating college were for 

small businesses. I love the 

excitement of it - the ups 

and downs, the way to make 

it grow in unlimited ways 

compared to a traditional 

job where you work for 

someone else and need to 

get approval. Honestly, 

most of the businesses I have 

worked at in my past were 

more conservative. I have 

always had ideas on how to 

make a business better...now I 

get to have fun making things happen. 

How did you come up with the 

name “The Purple Painted Lady”? 

I remember when I started out after 

my daughter was born in 2005 - it was 

initially painting murals. It is funny 

how you start in one direction and 

then, things have a way of taking on a 

life of their own. But anyway- I needed 

a business name and I had wanted 



{ SHIFT+CONTROL }



{ { WOMAN { SHIFT+CONTROL ENTREPRENEUR THE RISE } } } 

“My main business is called The Purple Painted Lady and it is a paint boutique... 

in other words, I own a paint shop that offers products along with support, advice and 

workshops.” 

The Painted Lady because I live in this 

beautiful, colorful Victorian farmhouse 

and painted murals in the beginning. 

The previous owners of our home were 

fun and when we had moved in back in 

2003, it was already painted in shades of 

periwinkle and then - from a different 

angle, I paint for a living. However, the 

url was already taken. So, one late night 

around midnight my husband and I 

were just brainstorming names and 

he threw out, “The Purple Painted 

Lady.” At first, I wasn’t in love with 

it but now, I could not imagine the 

business be anything else. It is also 

a great name because if you Google 

it we are the only business with 

that name. Maybe that is because 

I ultimately trademarked it, or also 

because it is unique. A pretty big 

thing when starting a business is to 

make sure you choose a name that 

there are not already 1000 of. 

Are You Happy in what you do 

And What Would You Change if 

anything? 

I live, breathe and dream my business. 

Am I happy? Well, I know I may be 

a bit insane and sometimes I have a 

“love/hate” ralationship with it and 

it does get overwhelming. I find for 

me, my businesses become like another 

child in my life. But yes, I truly love 

what I do and there is not one thing I 

would change. 

Please tell us what being a business 

owner means to you and why you 

became an entrepreneur in the first 

place? 

Being a business owner for me is freedom. 

I had been in roles working for others 

throughout my life and have had ideas, 

but working for someone else, there was 

not total freedom to create, or to take 

chances. Being I am my own boss, the 

sky is the limit. Not one idea is too crazy 

for me to try if I believe in it. I love 

how also, being a business owner allows 

me to meet so many different people, 

to collaborate with other businesses, 

and also support them in helping make 

their dreams come true. I do quite a bit 

of coaching to other artists and small 

businesses. I often think about that 

saying, “rising tides raise all ships.” It 

is 100% true. Building relationships 

with people and other businesses is so 

important. I believe that in this world, 

you get, what you give. It ultimately 

comes full circle. 

What or who has been your greatest 

influence in business and why? 

This is going to sound silly but one time 

I was watching a tv show called Flipping 

Out on Bravo which is all about this 

guy named Jeff Lewis who is a designer. 

Back in 2004, I remember watching this 

one specific episode where Jeff, who is 

the focus of the reality show was having 

lunch with his dad. His father said to 

him something like, “find a business 

where you can make money when 

you’re sleeping.” That saying made an 

impact on me and I have considered 

that in choices and navigating my 

business. Being part of the online 

sales world was something I decided 

to do since in 2021. 

What would you say is your greatest 

professional accomplishment to date? 

Hmm, probably starting and 

coordinating our annual art festival and 

the way it allows us to help so many 

charities and volunteer organizations 

through it. Not to mention, creating 

a platform that brings people together 

with artists. And artist make this 

world a much better place to live in! 

What kind of person do you 

feel makes a successful female 

entrepreneur? 

This is just my opinion, but a person 

who has grit. A person who knows 

and believes above all other things, that 

their purpose is worthy and so are they 

and are willing to role up their sleeves 

and dig their heals in . Plus, work more 

hours than most people believe exist 

in a single day to make dreams into a 

reality. A person who is dedicated and 

understands that every decision they make 

should continuously direct them toward 


{ WOMAN { SHIFT+CONTROL ENTREPRENEUR } } 

TENDER LOVING 



{ SHIFT+CONTROL }

{ { { WOMAN SHIFT+CONTROL ENTREPRENEUR THE RISE } } } 

“A pretty big thing when starting a business is to make sure you choose a name that there 

are not already 1000 of.” 

a goal. A person who understands, that 

every new encounter with a new person 

may be an opportunity. That sounds 

like I am embellishing, or writing for 

some Hallmark movie, but at the end of 

the day, if a person doesn’t have what it 

takes to stay on path and keep the pace 

for days, months and years on end they 

will drop off. I always tell my daughter, 

and anyone I am business coaching, that 

there is nothing between you and success 

except for yourself. Guaranteed there 

will be obstacles, set backs, and mistakes 

but perserverence, the ability to pivot, 

be open to changes and to learn from 

all of that will only help you. 

I know you created a festival that has 

grown substantially over the years. 

Tell us about it, and what you think 

has been the key to making it a success 

year after year. 

Keeping it fresh and focusing ultimately 

- on the customer service experience 

that guests will have when they attend. 

We have artist and vendor meetings 

through the summer just so we can 

convey how important the interaction 

with guests attending is. Our artists and 

vendors - I believe are the best of the 

best. I recruit the artists and believe I 

am pretty selective. I have always said 

that I want people to leave thinking to 

themselves they need to save the date 

for the following year because it was so 

good they do not want to miss it. 

What’s the best advice you have received 

in business that you wish to pass on 

to our readers? 

Yikes, hard to pick just one thing. I 

would say, believe in yourself and don’t 

over analyze making decisions! Start 

small, don’t get in debt to launch a 

business. Whatever you choose to do 

- be the best at it! 

What are the 5 top qualities of being 

a successful woman entrepreneur? 

Hmm, this is interesting. I think these 

qualities are important no matter who 

you are, but I would say, being driven 

is a must. You need to be willing to put 

in the many, many hours of hard work 

seven days a week to grow your business. 

You need to be flexible and resilient 

because change and setbacks are going 

to happen. Being a female business 

owner can be tough. Believe it or not, 

people can have prejudices. 

Being positive and grateful is extremely 

important. 

And depending on the line of business you 

are in, being outgoing and friendly. My 

business has grown due to relationships 

I have built with people that I have met 

through the years. 

What has been the most effective 

marketing initiatives or programs you 

have used to promote your business? 

Basic old, free social media. The internet 

is an amazing thing and has built my 

business to where it is today. 

What would you say are your strengths 

as an entrepreneur? 

I think my instincts and being able 

to make smart business decisions and 

see my future and the growth for my 

business and not being afraid to make 

it happen. I am a people person. I 

love meeting people and networking. 

And, I am a risk taker. I like to make 

things happen. 

What meet ups, local entrepreneur 

events, and accelerators do you 

recommend that have helped you grow? 

Bad question for me - I do not do any of 

this. I have found the best mentors for 

me are found outside of these types of 

groups. I look to other business owners 

that I feel have “made it” and who I 

respect. Those are the people I like to 

learn from. Sometimes, organizations 

and events become a bit showy. I want 

to get right to the meat and potatoes. If 

you have a business idea. Look around 

your community or your industry 

and find someone who is slaying and 

watch how they run it. There is always 

something to be learned. 

What one thing have you learned as a 

small business owner that has served 

you well over the years? 

So, my response is from the perspective 

of a small business owner. Personally, 

I have never over extend my credit. I 

always paid for everything at the time 

I purchased versus taking terms with 

another business. I do not ever like 

owing money and only grew my business 

when financially, I could do it myself. 

This theory can differ among people, 

but it has served me well. 

#Are there any resources or tools you’d 

like to share with other small business 

owners that have helped you run your 

business? 

If yes, please describe (and include links 

if available). Let me introduce you to 

Facebook. LOL My 16 year old daughter 

jokes that she remembers when I was 



“I truly love what I do and there is not one thing I would change.” 

so excited for my business to hit 500 

followers. Now we are approaching 

70,000. 

Do you have any new projects coming 

up (or have you just completed a big 

project ~ reached a milestone, etc.)? 

If so, please tell us about it. Yes! I 

am starting a new 

business called Fig 

Hollow Barn. It 

is an old barn that 

we have renovated 

on 40 acres focused 

on agritourism here 

in NY and being a 

flexible event space. 

We will be hosting 

weddings in 2022 

and hosting various 

farmers markets. It 

is extremely exciting 

and so much fun 

launching this! 

What do you do 

for fun/relaxation? 

Making my dreams 

come true. Sorry, 

but that is true. But 

I also love to paint. 

I really love painting 

furniture! I love 

hosting gatherings 

and cookiing dinner 

at my home for 

friends and family. 

What do you do for encouragement 

or to be motivated ? 

I find networking with other business 

owners really encourages me and 

sparks a new fire. When I travel 

(or did travel prior to 2020- LOL) 

See a beautiful curated space is so 

inspirational! 

How do you balance your 

entreprenuer life with family/friends 

that don’t understand the challenges 

we experience? Honestly, I have 

weeded them out of my circle. Joking, 

not joking. But seriously, my business 

is my life. It is my heart. My small 

business is not a hobby. It supports 

my family and employs others and 

helps them support their families too. 

I find that my close circle of friends 

and family are very supportive. I 

am very grateful for them. If you 

have people in your life who are not, 

you might need to re-evaluate those 

relationship. (not joking) 

What is your Number One Business 

Goal you plan 

to accomplish 

in 2021? To up 

my social media 

game. 

Is there anything 

else you’d like to 

share with our 

readers? 

Just that 2019 and 

2020 have been 

hard, difficult 

years for so many. 

Grant some grace 

to others and .... 

be as supportive as 

you can for your 

local businesses. 

Yes, Amazon is 

convenient and 

quick, but if 

possible and it 

makes sense, try 

to support some 

of the shops and 

restaurants in your 

community. They 

need you! 




{ SHIFT+CONTROL }

{ SHIFT+CONTROL }



{ LADIOLOGY }

{ SHIFT+CONTROL { LADIOLOGY } } 

BECOMING INSULIN SENSITIVE 

BY DR. YASELLYN DIAZ- VEG A 

In this article, I will come back to a 

health topic that affect many people, 

including many women. I would like to 

talk about insulin, insulin resistance and 

how to become the opposite of insulin 

resistance which is much healthier, 

becoming Insulin sensitive. 

You probably have heard about insulin 

when spoken in regards to diabetes, 

pre-diabetes, etc. 

But insulin is a very important hormone. 

It is released by the pancreas, one of the 

organs involved in digestion but also is 

responsible in releasing this important 

hormone that allows glucose (sugar) to 

enter cells which then reduces blood 

glucose (blood sugar). 

I will try to explain it in a simple way. 

This is how the process goes: when we 

consume carbohydrates or any food (for 

example rice, pasta, starchy vegetables, 

etc.) our bodies break down these foods 

into its simple forms: glucose, proteins, 

fats, etc. Most of the mentioned foods, 

are high in carbohydrates and hence will 

be broken down into high amount of 

glucose, which is a simple sugar used for 

energy in our bodies. There are other 

types of simple-one molecule sugars such 

as: fructose, galactose and ribose. Once 

we have broken down these foods into 

simple forms of sugar, insulin is released 

by the pancreas in response to those 

carbohydrates consumed. Insulin then 

acts as a train and take the broken down 

and digested glucose from the blood 

stream and transports it to the liver and 

stimulates the making of glucogen in 

the liver. Glycogen is a molecule that 

stores glucose in the liver. Think of it like 

a group of glucose stored, now called 

glycogen- like big sugar bags. 

In states of insulin resistance, the same 

amount of insulin does not have the 

same effect on glucose transport and 

blood sugar levels. Therefore, blood sugar 

levels may appear high. This is caused 

when bodies either do not release the 

same amount of insulin to take away 

the extra-glucose in the blood or the 

process is not efficient enough. There are 

many causes of insulin resistance. Some 

risk factors for insulin resistance include 

obesity, little or no physical activity, family 

history of diabetes, low vitamin D levels, 

various health conditions, and certain 

medications. But also, insulin resistance 

could be a precursor for a person to 

develop diabetes. Insulin resistance- or 

the inability of insulin do its function 

has been link to many conditions such as 

PCOS, hormonal imbalances in women, 

infertility, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease 

and may increase the risk of cardiovascular 

conditions, cancer, arthritis, Alzheimer 

and other neurodegenerative diseases and 

Autism. Therefore, it is our best interest 

to find out more about it and how to 

do the opposite. The opposite is to help 

our body so that insulin becomes very 

efficient in taking the extra glucose from 

our blood stream and this will decrease 

our risk of diabetes and may improve 

our hormone levels. 

First, let’s explore signs and symptoms 

of insulin resistance. 

1. If our fasting glucose (blood sugar 

before eating anything in the morning 

or after not eating for 12 hrs.) is over 

95 mg/dL 

2. If our A1C levels are over 6. These levels 

are measured through a laboratory test 

in the blood and measures the average 

sugar in the blood in the past 3 months. 

3. If waist circumference (measure 

around your body at the level of your 

belly buttom) is bigger than hip/buttocks 

circumference (this is the measurement 

around your hips at the largest/widest 

part). 

4. If you are constantly feeling tired and 

need coffee, energy or sugary drinks to 

stay awake and feeling with brain fog 

and difficulty concentrating. 

5. If you consume a diet high in refine 

carbs, or foods with high glycemic 

index such as: rice, pasta, potatoes, 

cereals, breads, etc. In addition, if you 

consume little amounts of Omega 3, 

found in fish, nuts or consume high 

amounts of alcohol or nitrates (found 

in salmi, bologna, cheeses etc)- this can 

be another pre-disposing factor. 

6. If you have taken for an extended 

period of time steroid medications, you 

may be more prone to develop insulin 

resistance. 

In summary, if you have one or several of 

those signs and symptoms and suspect 

you may be insulin resistance, you should 

consult with your medical doctor or health 

provider to further explore these signs. 

Meanwhile, you should also consider 

implementing these recommendations 

that will improve the insulin response 

and may help to decrease the blood 

sugar levels, improve your hormonal and 

energy levels, and overall quality of life. 

First of all, let’s consider sleeping. 


{ LADIOLOGY } 

“You probably have heard about insulin when spoken in regards to diabetes, pre-diabetes, 

etc. But insulin is a very important hormone. ” 

Catching up with sleep will help insulin 

resistance, but meanwhile you work on 

getting your good nights of sleep, do 

not depend of caffeine. Instead, hydrate 

properly by first thing in the morning 

drink 12-16 onz. of water or “gel” water 

-soluble fibers (that is by juicing carrot 

juice, celery juice etc.) these will help 

with insulin response. 

Secondly consider adding a routine of 

regular exercise. When we exercise on 

regular basics this helps to move glucose to 

glycogen storage for energy and improve 

insulin sensitivity and response. According 

the Deborah Weatherspoon PhD. RN 

from the Medical News Today – when 

we exercise, our muscles become more 

sensitive to insulin therefore helping to 

possibly reverse insulin resistance by 

changing into a more active lifestyle. 

In addition, it is essential to reduce your 

stress levels and decrease or remove 

stressors. In a prior article, I mentioned 

the effects of stress in our bodies and 

how our bodies under chronic stress may 

increase the levels of cortisol, therefore 

further aggravating the insulin resistance. 

Cortisol is a hormone that acts exactly 

the opposite of insulin. In the presence 

of stress, we release cortisol, and will 

make sugar/glucose more available just 

in case we need to run or fight to save 

our lives. 

In our bodies, our response to stress 

will be the same, whether the stress is 

emotional (like a stressful relationship) 

or physical (running away from a lion), 

whether is it perceived or real, the body’s 

response is the same. In case of stress the 

heart rate will increase, glucose levels in 

the blood will also increase in case your 

body needs more energy to fight that 

lion or run away or if you need to think 

more rapidly to figure out a situation. 

Therefore, it is imperative to decrease 

those stressors and improve our response 

to those emotional, physical real and 

perceived stresses. Meditation, yoga, 

prayer, counseling, talking to a good 

friend and other forms of stress relievers 

will help to decrease cortisol levels and 

improve insulin response. Chiropractic 

care may help with decreasing your 

stress response and regulating your 

nervous system. 

Other ways to improve your insulin 

sensitivity would be to reduce sugar 

intake. Reduce added sugars, sugary 

drinks, process foods or boxed/canned 

foods that often contain preservatives 

and may be high in corn syrup. 

Consuming Omega 3 fatty acids found 

in fish and nuts will also help because 

these will decrease inflammation in the 

body and improve insulin response. 

Adding herbs and spices such as 

cinnamon, may help to decrease blood 

sugar levels, turmeric (curcumin), 

ginger and garlic that are powerful 

anti-inflammatories and may help reduce 

insulin resistance and improve function. 

Along with the already mentioned dietary 

changes, consuming fiber, eating plenty 

of fruits and vegetables and start juicing 

vegetables such as carrots, spinach and 

celery will help with the regulation of 

gut friendly bacteria which has proven 

to help with insulin function. 

In addition, if necessary, loose couple 

pounds – according to an article published 

in Medical News Today, loosing 5.7% 

of body weight (this is for a person that 

weights about 200lbs. losing about 

10-14 pounds – can reduce the risk 

of diabetes by 58% and may increase 

insulin sensitivity giving the individual 

a better function of insulin and less 

risks of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, 

hormonal problems etc. 

Lastly, there are several supplements that 

may also help with insulin sensitivity such 

as chromium. It is important to consult 

with a health provider before starting 

the use of this or any supplements. 

In conclusion, many of our body’s 

responses and hormones are dependent 

on how well we balance glucose and 

insulin responses, hence making the 

goal of becoming insulin sensitive is 

paramount in our quest for overall health. 

As always, have an amazing month and 

until the next one. 


{ SHIFT+CONTROL { LADIOLOGY } } 

LADIOLOGY 


{ RISE { ABOVE SHIFT+CONTROL YOUR STORY } } 

HAVE WE FORGOTTEN HOW 

TO TRULY LISTEN? 

BY SANDRA COOZE 

A conversation is happening between 

two parties: the speaker and the listener. 

Each one plays a very important part 

in this ‘dance’. If we truly listened, 

we would hear more than just the 

words of our opponent. We would 

hear what was not said. We would 

hear the true meaning behind the 

spoken words. 

Let me tell you a little story: a couple 

of weeks ago, my son came into our 

bedroom at night – it must have been 

around midnight. This was unusual. 

Normally, he would just go to the 

bathroom and then straight back to 

bed. Well, he did not say anything 

while standing next to me, then turned 

around and went to the bathroom 

and then back to sleep. Still, it was 

a bit strange. 

The next day, he did not remember 

the incident, as I had expected. That 

evening though, when my husband 

brought him to bed, he suddenly 

erupted into a panic. He started 

to cry and scream hysterically that 

he did not want to go to sleep and 

dream about him dying again. So he 

must have had a nightmare the night 

before about him being dead. My 

husband could not calm him down 

and our son called for me. 

Seeing my son in such distress was 

heartbreaking. Normally, I would 

have held him and hoped that his fear 

would disappear and that he would 

calm down, but I would probably not 

have been able to shift his mindset. 

I would not have known what to 

do in that moment. Well, thanks 

to my coaching education, I was 

trained for situations like this one. 

When I held my son in my arms, I 

instinctively went into ‘coach position’ 

and just listened. I heard him repeat: 

“I do not want to dream about dying 

anymore!” So, I asked: “Well, what 

do you want to dream about?” That 

was the million-dollar question. That 

was the question that moved him 

out of his terrified mindset almost 

instantly. He said: “I want to dream 

about something fun.” So I asked him 

to tell me about a time when he had 

fun and he started talking about the 

playground the other day, and the kids 

he played with and he laughed and 

was happy again. This happened in 

a matter of less than 3 minutes after 

I took him into my arms. 

He went to sleep happily that night, 

hopefully dreaming about his time 

on the playground. 

What happened here was, that I was 

solely focusing my attention on him. 

Generally, we focus our attention to 

the problem and try to find a solution, 

so focusing our attention within 

ourselves to find the answer. In this 

case, I did not focus on myself at all, 

I was just listening to my child and 

responded to what he was telling me. 

The thing with listening is that for the 

most part, we listen with an agenda. 

We listen to either reply, we listen to 

give advice, we listen to talk about 

ourselves. But we hardly ever listen 

just to listen. Which means that 

while the other person is talking, we 

are only half listening because in our 

mind we already work on the reply. 

Many people feel that they are being 

misunderstood or that people receive 

what was said in the wrong way. 

Well, as a speaker, we can bend over 

backwards all we want to get our 

message across. If a person comes with 

a specific mindset, they are bound to 

misunderstand since they are guided 

by their emotions, limiting beliefs, 

self-sabotaging behavior, or current 

state of mind. 

And yet most people are afraid to ask 

whether what they heard was truly 

what the speaker meant. And so we 

rather feel hurt – often for no reason 

at all, than having our fears confirmed 

that the person who talked said what 

we understood on purpose. 

So, what can we do to resolve 

a brooding dispute over spoken 

words before it can manifest itself in 

resentment? We have to overcome our 

fear and ask the speaker if what we 

understood is what he/she meant to 

say. In most cases, the answer will be 

no. Don’t assume that someone who 

tells you something is trying to hurt 

you. Most of the time, it is your own 

mind that creates this assumption. 

Our emotions can become a tricky 

part in conversations. Therefore, don’t 

focus on how you feel, but solely on 

what the other person is saying. Don’t 

shift your thoughts toward what you 

want to reply. You can do that after 

you heard every word. 

Truly listen to what is said. You will 

hear so much more! 




{ TRACY SHIFT+CONTROL IS TALKING } 

EMERGENCY 

PREPAREDNESS 

BY TRACY SIMONE 

What if you had to leave your house 

in a hurry? Would you be ready? 

So many people would not know 

what to do if the power were out 

for more than a few hours. 

Whether there is a 

major storm coming, a 

government lockdown, or 

even civil unrest, we need 

to always be prepared. We 

cannot afford to assume 

that something cannot 

happen where we live. 

Years ago, the police came 

through my neighborhood 

knocking on all the doors 

and making everyone 

evacuate because there 

was a gas leak in the area. 

In many areas all over 

the country, there are 

power lined that are above 

ground. This leaves them 

vulnerable to wind or 

ice storms, felled trees, 

vehicles hitting poles and 

transformers, and even 

damage from animals. 

When a storm is coming, 

you do not want to be in 

the crowd that rushes to the store. 

You want to already be ready for most 

things that could happen. 

Of course, we can never predict 

every possible type of incident, but 

each of us can have a basic level of 

preparedness. Most people have a 

couple of flashlights and extra batteries 

and candles. That, however, will 

not keep you warm if it is winter and 

there is a multi-day outage. Make 

sure at a minimum that you have 

a way to create electricity. This is 

especially important if you or someone 

in your household takes medication 

that requires refrigeration. 

In fact, food, water and any needed 

medicine are the must haves that you 

should make sure to keep on hand. 

We do not want to break the bank 

preparing, but it makes great sense 

to pick up a few extra cans of food 

and things for hygiene each time we 

go out. Before you know it, you will 

have built up a decent stockpile of 

required items. Water is the most 

important because you cannot live 

without it. You can last longer with 

water than with just food alone. 

Safety is also something to consider. 

This includes your 

environment. If your 

living area uses gas or 

electricity for heating and 

cooling and those sources 

of power are not available, 

what will you do? Every 

home should have some 

alternate way to power 

critical items. Consider 

getting a device that can 

heat part of your home in 

case the regular source is 

out for a while. Propane 

heaters can be found fairly 

inexpensively, but make 

sure to get something that 

is safe to run indoors. 

Generators can be pricey, 

but are invaluable in an 

emergency. These can 

be gas, propane or even 

solar powered. Shop 

around and save up for 

one if you need to. In a 

true emergency, you will 

be very glad that you did 

your research and now have a way 

to run a fan in the summer or can 

keep your refrigerator going without 

too much concern. 

Do you have a way to cook food? 

There are butane camping stoves that 

can be used indoors if handled safely. 




{ SHIFT+CONTROL }

{ { SHIFT+CONTROL DR J’S BEAUTY } } 

HAPPY WOMEN’S 

HERSTORY MONTH!!! 

BY DR. ANIKA SIMONE JOHNSON 

This is a great time to celebrate yourself 

and every milestone in your life. You 

are such a dynamic woman who 

deserves to be rewarded for all your 

accomplishments. I celebrate you in 

your personal and career achievements 

and I want to encourage you 

to always celebrate yourself. 

How you celebrate yourself 

will always be a reflection 

to how others celebrate 

you. Do it BIG!!! YOU 

DESERVE IT ALL! 

To celebrate yourself this 

month I would like you 

to step up your makeup 

routine. Who does not 

LOVE a polished flawless 

makeup look while on a 

zoom call and social distance 

dinner date? This is what 

you need: 1. Foundation 2. 

Concealer 3. Brow pencil 

or powder 4. Powder (loose 

or press) 5. Mascara 6. 

Blush and 7. Red lipstick. 

Many of us have not used 

our makeup in months 

due to the pandemic and 

requirements of wearing a 

mask. Therefore, check your 

makeup bag and toss out 

those old makeup products. 

How can you tell 

Use these easy tips to check your 

makeup cosmetics to make sure they 

have not expired. 

The makeup product may be stamped 

with a 6M or 12M on it or on the 

original packaging if you did not 

throw it away. All makeup expires 

eventually and other ways to tell if 

a product is expired is by smelling 

it. If the product has a peculiar odor 

or smells slightly off, texture and 

color has changed, it may be expired. 

Understanding the shelf life of makeup 

cosmetics will help you maintain 

healthy makeup habits including a 

flawless makeup look. 

When to throw it away 

Foundation and concealer (12-18 

months), Powder products (12-18 

months), Cream products (12-18 

months), Mascara (3-6 months), 

Lipstick/lip-gloss (18-24 months) 

and Liquid eyeliner (3-6 months). 

Now that you are ready to clear out 

your makeup bag remember if you 

do not know when you opened 

a product it is most likely 

expired but follow the ‘how 

can you tell tips.’ Take a deep 

breath, toss it out and plan a 

day to treat yourself to your 

favorite makeup replacements. 

You now have permission to 

just do it! 

It may be easier to purchase 

your makeup online so be 

sure to check out www. 

drjbeauty.com to repurchase 

your makeup favorites, use 

coupon code 15OFFMA at 

check out. If you need to get 

out the house visit your local 

makeup emporium. 

After you have all your makeup 

products, adorn yourself 

with a flawless makeup look. 

Share and tag your beautiful 

photos with me for repost 

on IG@allthingsdr.j.beauty 

#WHMflawlessmakeup 

#allthingsdrjbeauty 

Vibrate Higher 

All Things Dr. J. Beauty 



{ DR J’S BEAUTY } 

“This is a great time to celebrate yourself and every milestone in your life. You are such a 

dynamic woman who deserves to be rewarded for all your accomplishments.” 





{ CHILDREN AWAITING PARENTS } 

A CONVERSATION 

BY LAURI MCNIGHT I PHOTOS BY SANDY ARENA 

Between Lauri McKnight, Children 

Awaiting Parents’ Executive Director 

and Sandy Arena, Worth More Nation 

Founder 

In March, Children Waiting Parents 

(CAP) Executive Director Lauri 

McKnight was honored to be guest 

speaker at Worth More Nation’s (WMN) 

annual fundraising fashion show. 

As CAP and WMN have a strong, 

shared bond, Lauri and WMN 

Founder Sandy Arena had the 

following conversation about 

children—particularly the needs 

of girls—currently or formerly 

in foster care. 

LM: How was Worth More 

Nation founded, and what drew 

you to this mission/passion? 

SA: I founded Worth More 

Nation (WMN) in 2016 with 

the vision to empower girls 

and young women. The name 

came to me while praying and 

running on a treadmill at the 

Pittsford Y! I was a former faithbased 

dance studio owner and 

founder/director of a faith-based 

traveling ballet company working 

with thousands of girls over the 

years producing programs and 

shows with higher purpose. We 

transitioned the directorship of 

that organization to my oldest daughter 

Alexis, who since made it her own. While 

I was still involved in the organization— 

mentoring her as needed and serving 

as her professional photographer—I 

dearly missed working with children 

and young people and was ready again 

for something of my own. 

I then registered the name and created 

a template for a social media and online 

presence, and then let the name sit as 

I had no idea specifically what Worth 

More Nation would be, or how it would 

serve. All I knew was that I wanted to 

empower young ladies and girls to gain 

confidence and inner strength and to 

know their worth. 

It wasn’t until the following year in 

2017—through my personal involvement 

fostering children in our home, as well 

as working in the pageantry and fashion 

industries as a photographer and also 

“Momager” to my youngest daughter 

Annaliese—that WMN would become 

better defined as an organization that 

would help girls know their worth 

through fashion, pageantry and giving 

initiatives. 

LM: What drew you to this mission/ 

passion? 

SA: I was sexually abused as a child by 

my grandfather and suffered through 

moving to a new home or 

town at least every other 

year. I had lived in 25 homes 

by the time I graduated 

from high school, including 

four homes during the first 

year of my life. My father 

was an alcoholic and my 

parents divorced when I was 

a young teen. I knew from 

experience that early trauma 

had a way of whispering the 

lie that you don’t matter 

and that you are less than 

those around you. I became 

passionate about helping 

girls and young women 

rise out of traumatic times 

to live out their God-given 

destinies with the knowledge 

that they are ENOUGH 

and that they are Worth 

More. 

LM: Why is this so 

important for the 

participants? What kind 

of results are you seeing? 

SA: I had seen with my own daughter that 

participating in pageants, fashion shows 

and fashion shoots and wearing beautiful 

garments—if done compassionately and 

correctly —had a way of boosting her 

confidence and bringing her joy while 


{ { SHE CHILDREN HUSTLES { { SPECIAL SHIFT+CONTROL AWAITING ENTREPRENHERS FEATURE PARENTS } 

}} 

} 



{ SHIFT+CONTROL }




{ SHIFT+CONTROL }

{ CHILDREN { SHIFT+CONTROL AWAITING PARENTS } } 

“I see the power of these moments to transform girls where they would hold their head 

higher, smile more brightly, or walk with more confidence.” 

she made new friends and developed 

poise, presentation, public speaking and 

advocacy skills for a lifetime. I see the 

power of these moments to transform 

girls where they would hold their head 

higher, smile more brightly, or walk 

with more confidence. I see the power 

of a dress to transform and to set the 

stage for what could be. I see a shy 

demeanor turn to triumph when girls 

would gather the confidence to walk 

on a stage or speak in a microphone. I 

see them light up in the appreciation 

of applause, and in the glory of being 

seen and noticed. 

Through WMN’s initiatives and programs 

then, I wanted to provide girls in need 

of a boost and coming out of traumatic 

places that same opportunity regardless 

of their support systems or abilities to 

pay. I wanted to give girls that same 

healing balm. 

LM: Who can participate, and what 

is the process? 

SA: Specifically, WMN offers an annual 

Miss Worth More Nation Pageant 

where girls impacted by foster care 

or any kind of trauma are invited to 

participate at no charge. These include 

girls who are in foster care, girls who 

have been adopted through foster care, 

girls who have aged out of foster care, 

and girls who are siblings in families 

who foster. We also work with girls 

who join families through any kind of 

adoption circumstance. 

At the pageant, each girl receives a gown 

and a dress to wear in the pageant and 

take home, as well as a Miss Worth 

More Nation banner, crown and t-shirt. 

At the pageant, the girls are mentored 

by professional models and pageant 

girls as well as leaders in the foster care 

community. They are taught poise, public 

speaking and presentation skills, and 

the end of the program, they showcase 

the skills they learn on a beautiful stage 

in front of an audience. Because of the 

confidentiality and nature of foster care 

in some circumstances where girls are 

still in the system, our pageants are not 

open to the public and are attended by 

family and friends. 

LM: Where do you get your dresses? 

SA: We have a special occasion closet 

filled with hundreds of gorgeous, barely 

worn gowns and cocktail dresses that 

has been donated to us mostly through 

the national pageant community. As 

word spreads, more dresses show up 

at our doorstep, and our headquarters 

is filled to capacity with tulle, sequins 

and glitter! The girls and young ladies 

we serve are invited to take dresses 

for their own personal use for proms, 

adoption ceremonies, school concerts 

and events, and even just for fun. As 

quickly as they come in, we want them 

to go out again! We also use the gowns 

and dresses for our Miss Worth More 

Nation Pageant, as well as to showcase 

them on the runway at our Fashion 

Show Fundraisers featuring girls who 

have been in our Worth More Nation 

pageants, as well as professional models 

and pageant girls from other pageant 

systems. These fundraisers support the 

pageant so we can offer them for free. 

LM: What’s the biggest take-away? 

SA: My biggest take-away for our 

participants in our Miss Worth More 

Nation Pageant for Girls impacted 

by Foster Care and Trauma, or our 

empowerment fashion shows and photo 

shoots is that they would feel appreciated, 

confident and supported. We want 

them to see what could be and realize 

their potential. We want them to know 

their worth and value and to embrace 

the idea of a future without limit. We 

want them to dream bigger and to walk 

into those dreams with confidence. We 

want them to meet new friends, find new 

mentors and gather in a community of 

support. We want them to know they 

are loved and cherished and that they 

matter, and that there is a giant team of 

Worth More Nation volunteers behind 

them who cares. 

I am a woman of faith who believes that 

God created each person with a purpose, 

plan and destiny to bring them hope and 

a good future. When trauma enters into 

your life as a child—through no fault 

your own—the unconscious messages 

often are that it is your fault and that 

you are unworthy. It is so important 

to girls and young ladies experiencing 

hard circumstances to break out of those 

negative mindsets and to find inner 

value and purpose to break free to a 

new future. I know this from personal 

hardship and experience. 

LM: What kind of funding support 

do you receive? 

SA: We have been supported by the 

upstate New York and national pageant 

and fashion community who have 

embraced our idea of building confidence 



{ CHILDREN AWAITING PARENTS } 

“As CAP and WMN have a strong, shared bond, Lauri and WMN Founder Sandy 

Arena had the following conversation about children—particularly the needs of girls— 

currently or formerly in foster care.” 

and self-worth because they know from 

their own personal experiences that 

pageantry with purpose and fashion on 

the runway can be powerful. I always 

joke that if you want something done, 

ask a pageant girl and pageant mom. I 

have found these girls and women to be 

goal oriented, compassionate, and service 

oriented. They are the ones collecting 

and shipping us the dresses and gowns 

that our participants wear on stage and 

bring home. We also have received a 

tremendous amount of support from 

the foster care community, professional 

photographers, and from our local and 

school communities. All of our goals 

have been accomplished through inkind 

donations of gowns and dresses, 

and fundraising efforts. 

LM: What do you want the world to 

know about Worth More Nation? 

SA: I want the world to know that 

we are here to help all girls and young 

ladies in need of a boost to know and 

understand their worth, and that we do 

it through the power of pageantry with 

a purpose, fashion, advocacy, and giving. 

There are so many broken children and 

young people in this world, and it is 

within our power to come alongside to 

guide and offer our love, support and 

healing. Glitter is our gig and it is fun, 

happy and impactful! 

LM: What are your next goals? 

SA: To take Worth More Nation to a 

higher level, our next goal is to become 

a 501(c)(3) organization to open up 

new levels of funding to expand our 

programs. My goal is to have a Miss 

Worth More Nation Pageant in every 

state. I want to gather girls from across 

the country in the Finger Lakes area for 

an annual, national pageant to showcase 

on a national stage to help advocacy and 

to be connected to a community. We 

need funding support for legal fees for 

the 501(c)(3), and for event production 

fees. A crown, banner, and t-shirt package 

costs approximately $60 per girl, never 

mind the venue and production costs to 

produce a top notch pageant event. We 

only want the best for the girls we serve! 

Another goal is to beautify our Worth 

More Nation dress closet. To keep 

our expenses down, the dress closet 

is currently located in a spacious and 

separate apartment area in our home. Last 

year, we held a fashion show fundraiser 

to raise money to put down new flooring 

in the closet. The floors are currently 

crumbling and we have makeshift rugs 

to try to cover them. We ended up 

donating that money to support a local 

foster care family who had tragically 

lost one of their children that they had 

adopted through foster care. They were 

collecting money to give him the funeral 

service he deserved, and we felt that was 

more important to support than our 

flooring needs. Girls come to the closet 

for fittings for our pageants and fashion 

shows, and I would love for them to 

have a top notch boutique experience 

when trying on the dresses, because after 

all, that is part of the fun and joy in the 

confidence building journey! 

LM: Who has been involved behind 

the scenes, and how have they helped? 

SA: My entire family—including husband 

Sam, son Caleb, son-in-law John, and 

daughters Alexis and Annaliese have 

been deeply supportive of WMN. They 

do everything from moving dresses 

and show equipment from one place 

to another; hauling props and gowns 

to our empowerment photo shoots; 

working backstage as dressing room 

attendants or backstage managers; to 

performing dance productions on our 

stages. My oldest daughter Alexis has 

been so gracious in sharing her dance 

company at our shows. 

My youngest daughter Annaliese, 

however, has been the most involved 

in the administrative work behind the 

scenes, helping to keep the dress closet 

organized along with other local pageant 

volunteers, helping with all of the dress 

fittings, and, as a professional model 

and pageant titleholder for the past 

nine years, teaching and demonstrating 

staging and public speaking skills to 

our participants. She also serves as our 

emcee, as she is very comfortable in the 

spotlight and has excellent public speaking 

skills, learned through participating 

in pageants! Annaliese has held many 

pageant titles over the years and has 

walked in many fashion shows. She is 

the current Miss Guam High School 

America and will compete for the title 

of Miss High School America 2021 in 

June in Little Rock, Arkansas. Visit her 

LinkTree to connect with her online: 

https://linktr.ee/AnnalieseArena 

For more information about Worth More 

Nation, visit www.worthmorenation.org. 

Facebook: worthmorenation; Instagram: 

@worth_more_nation; Youtube: Worth 

More Nation. 



Help Us Find 

Forever Families 

for Children 

Waiting the 

Longest in 

Foster Care. 

At Children Awaiting Parents we provide: 

Pre- and post-adoption services 

Support services for youth aging out of foster care 

MAPP training for prospective adoptive parents 

Support groups 

childrenawaitingparents.org I 585-232-5110 or 888-835-8802 



{ SHIFT+CONTROL }

{ HER EDGE } 

CHANGE YOUR NAME 

BY ROBIN DEWIND 

I decided to take my name back. 

I never changed it professionally, but 

legally I did for eight years when I 

was no longer ‘De Wind’. 

I secretly worried if I was hit by a car 

and died suddenly, I did not want to 

be buried with the wrong last name. 

That would kill me. 

At the time I worked down the 

street from the Social Security 

Administration which I thought 

was the first stop on the journey 

back to my old self. 

You must show up in person and start 

the process of proving who you are all 

over again. It requires an application, 

and proof of who I used to be. 

Who was I? 

With the stroke of a pen, I had easily 

become someone else. 

Now I was in a long line on my lunch 

hour jumping through several hoops 

trying to prove my name. The SSA 

can easily compete with the DVM as 

a legal abyss to be avoided at all costs. 

I waited in line for well over my 

‘hour’ only to be told when they 

called my name that I did not have 

enough of the right documentation 

to prove I was me. 

My license, credit cards, bills, bank 

accounts all said otherwise. My birth 

certificate was a copy and not good 

enough for the woman on the other 

side of the glass who smiled and said 

“next”. 

I had nothing to prove who I used 

to be. 

After traveling to the Monroe County 

department of records to get a new 

birth certificate, I was back in business. 

I was also back in line again on yet 

another lunch break at the SSA. 

There was a new lady, but unfortunately 

the same old reaction; do not pass 

go, and head directly to the DMV, 

and you are certainly not collecting 

your name legally just yet. 

The Department of Motor Vehicles 

was happy to let me be ‘me’ again. 

After I waited in the fourth line on 

my journey, they took my picture 

and there I was. 

My, name address, and a check for 

$65 proved I was Robin Lea De Wind. 

Unfortunately, my new best friends 

at the Social Security office informed 

me, that I needed to check my divorce 

decree to see if it had given me 

permission to take my surname back. 

Permission? 

Are you kidding me? 

If my divorce decree did not give 

me the right to revert back to my 

maiden name, I would have to file 

with New York State to formally 

turn back time. 

When I returned home, I found 

my papers and on the very last page 

of the lengthy agreement, there it 

was; the permission I needed to feel 

whole again. 

I am convinced now, that my herculean 

effort was not about shedding my 

name but shaking off how I felt about 

myself for all those years. 

I was in my late thirties and had finally 

achieved my life goals. I had my dream 

job, a house, and a beautiful baby 

girl. But eventually the pressure of 

having it all left me feeling insecure 

and needing to be so in control, I was 

emotionally out of control. 

It felt easy and natural to start throwing 

out a few insults - at myself. 

All my name-calling left me feeling 

unworthy, limited, and guilty. 

Fat, bitch, and old topped my personal 

list. 

I feared that if I did not voice my 

imperfections out loud first, someone 

else would. I had given myself so 

many labels it did not matter what 

my real name was. I had already renamed 

myself. 

This is what I have learned since 

those days of having it all. 

Changing an unhappy life is a 

painful and lonely road but I highly 

recommend it. 

It took years but all my name-calling, 

ended up speaking some truth. 

I am finally through menopause so 

of course I have gained some weight, 

but I will never utter the “f” word 

again, it is so defeating.

{ SHIFT+CONTROL { HER EDGE } } 

“ I am secure in my abilities, and instead of having to be “in control” I have faith it will 

all be okay.” 

I certainly am a “bitch” but sometimes 

it is necessary. 

I am old(er) and grateful for the 

wisdom and perspective that comes 

with life experience. 

I am a mother, a daughter, and a 

business owner. I decided to use 

my real name as part of my business 

because it is my brand, it is who I 

am, and I am proud of the multiple 

trips it took to reclaim myself again. 

I am now in my late fifties and have 

finally achieved my life goals. I have 

a dream job, a new house, and my 

beautiful baby girl is now growing 

into a young woman. I am secure in 

my abilities, and instead of having 

to be “in control” I have faith it will 

all be okay. 

I now choose to call myself valuable, 

loved and forgiven. 

My new names are not listed on any 

formal document and I no longer 

need to ask permission or prove my 

identity to anyone. 



CONTACT ROBIN DE WIND TODAY! I ROBINDEWIND@G MAIL.COM 


{ { MENTALLY SHIFT+CONTROL THINKING } } 

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH 

BY BONNIE FLOYD 

March 1 marked the beginning of 

Women’s History Month. This annual 

celebration of women’s historical and 

contemporary achievements takes on 

special significance this year. Many 

of the 2020 events for the centennial 

celebrations of women’s suffrage needed 

to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 

pandemic. The theme for this year’s 

Women’s History Month is extended 

from the 2020 theme, “Valiant Women 

of the Vote: Refusing to be Silenced.” 

According to womenshistorymonth. 

gov, Women’s History Month has 

been designated as an opportunity to 

commemorate and encourage the study, 

observance, and contributions of women 

in American history. The contributions 

of women have an unappealing history 

of having been heavily overshadowed 

by the accomplishments of their male 

counterparts. 

Some may question the need for 

designating a Women’s History Month, 

as some may have formerly questioned 

the need for a Black History Month. 

As ongoing racially oriented discussions 

have proven, the needs and aspirations 

of the oppressed are often overshadowed 

by the voices of the dominant. 

Women’s History Month first traces its 

roots to March 8, 1857, when women 

from New York City factories banded 

together to protest poor working 

conditions. The first Women’s Day 

celebration was held in New York, 

in 1909. The United Nations first 

recognized International Women’s Day 

on March 8, 1975. Around that same 

time, historians developed the idea of 

selecting March as the celebration of 

women’s significant contributions to 

history. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter 

designated the first official National 

Women’s History Week, beginning on 

March 8 of thar year. Congress declared 

March 1987 as the first official Women’s 

History Month. These developers were 

acutely aware that women’s contributions 

to history have been seriously overlooked. 

Unfortunately, this remains true to 

varying degrees. 

Personally, I recall my educational 

experiences as being predominately 

marked by hailing the achievements 

of men, as opposed to those made by 

women. I remember my dismay in 

finding out the truth behind the discovery 

of the double helix shape of DNA. James 

Watson and Francis Crick are commonly 

believed to have been instrumental in 

this monumental discovery; however, 

Watson and Crick based their work on 

one of their colleagues’ research. In the 

early 1950s, Rosalind Franklin was the 

one whose images of DNA proteins 

revealed a helix shape. 

Despite these historical inequities, women 

have made remarkable strides in diverse 

types of careers. Women own about 

40% of U.S. businesses, a statistic which 

is up 114% in the last twenty years. 

According to the Association of American 

Medical Colleges, for the first time in 

2019, women comprised 50.5% of 

medical school students. In 2018, the 

American Bar Association stated that 

women comprised 52% of law school 

students. With respect to my career as 

a clinical psychologist, a 2017 statistic 

revealed that 75% of doctoral degrees 

in psychology were awarded to women. 

Unfortunately, women’s advances in 

traditionally male-dominated fields 

have not been matched by equal pay. 

By recognizing women’s contributions 

to history, young girls are awakened to 

a world of possibilities for their own 

futures. This realization was evident 

while watching television coverage of 

Vice-President Kamala Harris’ swearingin 

ceremony. Young girls everywhere, 

for the very first time, could imagine 

that they, too, could one day ascend 

to such a lofty position. Little girls of 

color could finally say that their vicepresident 

looked like them. 

The purpose of Women’s History Month 

was recently amplified by inequalities 

women have faced secondary to the 

COVID-19 pandemic. These inequalities 

include pay disparities; women still only 

make 77 cents for every dollar earned 

by men. In addition, one in every three 


{ SHIFT+CONTROL }

{ { RWO’S 

{ 

MENTALLY 

SHIFT+CONTROL 

MENTAL THINKING HEALTH 

} 

} } 

“Each of us as women has a responsibility to honor the sacrifices of women who have come 

before us, women who-often against all odds-have succeeded in accomplishing monumental 

tasks, without having received adequate recognition and respect for their efforts” 

women will face gender violence in her 

lifetime. Due to the pandemic, women 

have been disproportionately faced with 

homeschooling their children, while 

simultaneously attempting to work 

remotely. I truly applaud those women 

who have continued to balance workrelated 

Zoom calls while simultaneously 

assisting their children with online 

education. 

Each of us as women has a responsibility 

to honor the sacrifices of women who 

have come before us, women whooften 

against all odds-have succeeded 

in accomplishing monumental tasks, 

without having received adequate 

recognition and respect for their efforts. 

You might ask yourself how you can 

personally honor such women, past 

and present. There are several options 

for ways in which to celebrate Women’s 

History Month, even from the comfort 

of your own home. First, familiarize 

yourself with the diverse range of women’s 

issues. Read and share works written 

by female authors. Donate to charities 

devoted to women’s causes, including 

survivors of domestic violence. Watch 

television shows and movies produced 

and directed by women, including 

those of Shondra Rhimes, a producer, 

screenwriter, and author. 

Choose to celebrate the incredible women 

in your personal network of friends and 

family members. Decide to educate 

your daughters, granddaughters, nieces, 

sisters, and female cousins about the 

remarkable achievements that women 

have made throughout history. 

As Maya Angelou once said, “Each time 

a woman stands up for herself, without 

knowing it possibly, without claiming 

it, she stands up for all women.” 



Order Your Copy NOW On Amazon 


{ MANIFESTING { SHIFT+CONTROL YOUR TRUE PURPOSE } } 

FAILING CREATIVELY 

BY LISA WAGNER 

WHAT YOU ENVISIONED 

MAY NOT BE IDEAL 

We all hate to fail. I feel as though I once 

held the title for “Worst at Handling 

Flops.” Not something I wanted to do 

as a lifelong member. I’ve had to do 

an intensive, lifelong pursuit of how 

to not be good at something and then 

be okay with it. Especially when I am 

fully in the piece or moment, I am 

incredibly committed to getting it right 

and kicking butt in the process. Not 

always attainable, I know. But 

I have built a resilience to not 

always being great at everything 

I attempt while remembering to 

have fun along the way. 

In talking with other creators 

and entrepreneurs, it’s a common 

affliction. But why? I can only 

speak for myself and my own inner 

turmoil about my perfectionism. 

Is there anyone harder on ourselves 

then us? I am my worst critic. I 

stare at pieces either in the works 

or done years ago and can pick 

them apart if left to my own 

devices unchecked. It has led 

me down paths that left me feeling less 

than and as if I was the ultimate failure 

at all things I had ever attempted. Until 

I heard Eckhart Tolle once on Oprah 

talking about his inner dialogue and 

realizing it was his ego playing tricks on 

him. Making him feel as though there 

was no point in anything he had tried. 

So, what pulled him out of that mental 

health death spiral of self-talk? He took 

a step back and wondered who was 

that voice? What were its origins and 

why the continual tearing down of any 

confidence or joy he had felt? Once he 

tapped into the fact that it wasn’t truly 

him; that it was something that didn’t 

want the best for him, it allowed Eckhart 

to see that it was just his ego making 

life its own living hell. 

Separating ourselves from that voice 

and from expectations sanctions our 

deepest selves to allow for being just 

who we are. That it really stems from 

our misalignment with love. When 

we are able to see that we can actually 

fail and do so creatively, the world of 

possibilities to grow and build our spirit 

opens our hearts and minds. It also 

builds a beautiful elasticity to our not 

so perfect moments and/or creations. 

There is an allowance to just be and fully 

express what is in our hearts exactly as 

it is asking to be expressed. 

I look back at how I had hoped my 

work would end up looking like or 

what I thought would be ideal. Every 

time that I have chosen to put that 

type of expectation on my artwork or 

even in writing these articles, the work 

suffers and typically exasperates me to 

the point of complete frustration and 

unhappiness. So, what if I just started 

throwing paint at the canvas because 

it felt good and right? If it gave me joy 

just in the doing? Or just started to type 

and trust what came out on the page? 

It’s such a freeing process to let go, stop 

listening to my ego and at least try or 

to begin at all. 

I’m sure it certainly helps being 

in my 50’s to not care quite 

as much as I did in my early 

years. I desperately wanted to 

be satisfactory to whomever I 

thought cared or was looking. It 

kept me up at night and made 

me exceedingly unhappy. I never 

felt as if I was enough. That 

what I put out into the world 

wasn’t worthy of anyone’s time or 

attention. I ran after something 

I thought I had to do or be 

instead of finding joy in what 

was already there. 

Keep in mind that I don’t consider 

myself to have a particular secular 

leaning. My heart just bends towards 

something smarter and larger than me; 

like a sunflower leaning towards the light. 

Something that loves me unconditionally 

and resides inside of me, in the depths 

of my soul that I can’t particularly name, 

paint or describe. But what I know is 

that it is where my compass should have 

been pointed all along. How much pain 

and grief that would have eased for me?! 

How many years of feeling less than 




{ MANIFESTING YOUR TRUE PURPOSE } 

“Separating ourselves from that voice and from expectations sanctions our deepest selves to 

allow for being just who we are.” 

and not allowing gladness in my own 

existence? Entirely too many. Once 

we realign to our center; our central 

internal guidepost, we are given this 

shiny permission slip to continually 

try without feeling badly when things 

don’t go anywhere near what it is we 

planned. We can stand outside of it and 

see that the best laid plans we ourselves 

had devised weren’t ideal if we want to 

grow and become even better. That the 

greater good had one even more lovely 

and profound teed up and on deck for 

the taking? 

This lack mentality is what lets in ideas like 

preciousnes. If I screw up this painting, 

I am out tons of paint, a canvas and/or 

paper and time. Oh, and God forbid 

anyone sees the hot mess I just created. 

The snowball effect of feeling judged 

before anyone even lays eyes on your 

work or you as an imperfect human 

is debilitating and serves only your 

ego. It’s like feeding the dragon your 

heart. Shouldn’t we guard it much more 

lovingly? Don’t we deserve another shot 

or to just move on to something that 

serves us in a deep, holy way? You can 

become reborn into something more 

joyous, in the fullness of who you are 

truly meant to be. 

Having that handy permission slip to 

fail, you can do so with grace and an 

openness and willingness to see what it 

wants us to know or learn. This is where 

I have had my most profound shifts in 

my thinking and my self-compassion. An 

acceptance of where I need to concentrate 

in order to be my best self without going 

down a rabbit hole slows my heart and 

my mind. The creative ways in which 

I am failing and triumphing suddenly 

have become fertile ground for my 

soul’s expansion. 

By having this open-hearted way of 

being also puts us on the path of loving 

empathy and compassion for others. 

We can now envision a sacred space 

for those in pain or at a place we once 

found ourselves, in hopes that they too 

can find peace and grace. We become 

a light for them that permits them to 

proceed bravely and not feel judged 

in doing so. This is where some of 

the greatest works have derived from. 

When we have a profound knowing 

that we have the strength and incredible 

bravery within ourselves, we can take 

that frightening leap and feel supported 

and held. It gives you and them a soft 

place to fall. If we had always done what 

we deemed to be “ideal,” how could 

any of us be given the latitude to reach 

farther into the unknown? We certainly 

wouldn’t have made it to the moon or 

had Egyptian pyramids in our midst. 

I have watched people I love not know 

they were enough and the pain that not 

only brought them but also brought 

upon those who knew they were perfect 

and infinitely loved “as is.” That being 

okay with the thought of how we were 

created is beautifully enough. That our 

failures don’t define who we are unless 

we reside within them and ruminate 

for decades over what we “should have 

done” or “should have been.” It doesn’t 

serve anyone in a way that permits your 

light to shine. Our world is filled with 

fear that is holding us all back. Each 

time one more of us decides to get up 

and move towards what we are being 

called to embody, it opens up possibility 

for more love than fear to ripple out 

and be taken up by the next soul. We 

each begin to feel more joy than we do 

pain. It also brings about a healing for 

the human race as a whole. We are all in 

need of that kindness. Life gives us the 

gift of choice. Will you choose love or 

fear in this moment? Which will serve 

my heart and its expansion best? 

Building our resilience and seeing we can 

get back up after we fall with a humility 

enough to glean what it had to offer us, 

is a to step towards our goodness and 

creates tenderness in our being. We can 

try bigger things that once terrorized 

us and have a willingness to not get it 

totally right. We have all come here to 

this earthly plane to grow and become 

even brighter than we knew we could. 

It’s how we choose to fail creatively 

that counts. We got into the arena and 

pushed ourselves in a way that we never 

believed possible. How fun to surprise 

ourselves with our own greatness! You 

are continually loved and supported. 

Blessed you is cheered on by something 

that is only love. Love that is boundless 

and becomes even greater when we are 

settled into the knowing that we can 

be imperfect and that’s okay. It’s what 

makes us unique and interesting. But 

only if we can brush ourselves off and 

get back up again. To try another day. 

To pass on your bravery to those that 

are ready to try. There are great plans 

that are just waiting on you to say, 

“Yes!” It is time to let your light shine 

blindingly bright. 



{ { SHIFT+CONTROL BUSINESS TALK } } 

CELEBRATE WOMEN’S HISTORY 

MONTH 

BY RUMELLA CAMERON 

GROW YOUR BUSINESS 

This month is Women’s History Month 

and I thought it would be a great 

opportunity to celebrate women in 

business. Women-owned businesses 

make up a little over a third of the 

overall total, or 4 out of every 10 

businesses in the U.S. generating 

$1.8 trillion in revenue. According to 

a report done by American Express 

in 2019, women-owned businesses 

accounted 49% of all 

businesses with 21% of 

those owned by women 

of color. Women-owned 

businesses employ 9.4 

million people, which 

is 8% of the total private 

sector workforce. 

In celebration, we can 

pay homage to the 

first woman in history, 

Madam C.J. Walker, 

who taught us about 

entrepreneurship. She 

was the first self-made 

millionaire in the U.S, 

selling African-American hair care 

products in the early 1900s. Some of 

the lessons we can learn from Madam 

C.J. Walker in entrepreneurship is to 

be knowledgeable in your industry. 

Take time to learn and gain experience 

in your field so that you are viewed as 

an expert. Learn how to delegate and 

leverage your business by building a 

solid team. Know when it’s the right 

time to grow your business and relocate 

if necessary. Know your product and 

target market. Most importantly, learn 

how to sale. Having skills to sale is 

the solution to cash flow problems. 

Madam C.J. Walker made her business 

more than just about the product. It 

became a movement for empowering 

other women. She encouraged other 

women entrepreneurs to start a business 

and to go after their dreams. She 

motivated women to want to stand 

on their own two-feet. Over a century 

later, Walker’s lessons are still being 

taught and recongized today. How 

can you apply this to your business? 

What can we do to help celebrate and 

support other women in business? 

Let’s empower women to start that 

business they were thinking of. Grow 

your network by connecting with other 

powerful women in business. Send 

thank you notes, invite each other 

out to lunch, put a group together 

that meets every month to share the 

ups and downs, the successes and 

failures of being in business. Have a 

women-owned business support group 

to share your experiences with and get 

advice from. Take time to research 

women who are accomplished in your 

industry. Learn from their journeys 

and reflect on how they overcame 

the adversities and obstacles in their 

successes. Establish ways to show 

your value and how you overcame 

your challenges. 

This month is definitely the month 

to uplift and inspire other women 

in business, now more 

than ever. We have 

dealt with a year of 

challenges, hardship 

and uncertainty. 

Although things are 

looking brighter and 

promising, be a blessing 

to others. Offer support, 

advice and tips to other 

women entrepreneurs. 

Collaborate, motivate 

and inspire. 

Conversance Business 

Solutions is a fullservice 

administrative 

support, and consultancy firm, serving 

businesses from small to mid-size 

nationwide. Our team specializes in 

various virtual assistant services and 

onsite support tailored to meet each of 

our client’s needs. Whether we work as 

an extension of your team for one-time 

projects or long-term engagements, we 

bridge the gap between where you are 

and where you want to be. We hope 

these tips were helpful. Get in touch 

with us today at 585-484-0038 or 

visit us online at www.conversance. 

biz for your business needs. 


{ { SHIFT+CONTROL BUSINESS TALK } } 


{ THE { LITTLE SHIFT+CONTROL BLACK BUDDHA } } 

WHAT’S UP, PITCHES? 

BY AHLIA TILLMAN KITWANA 

YES, YOU DO NEED A 

PITCH! 

The Sweetest, Juiciest Pitch: How to 

Create Your Own---- 

What is a professional pitch? It’s an 

answer you give to the question, 

“So what do you do?” or, “Tell me 

about yourself.” A professional pitch 

is a short, sweet sales message so 

compelling that once you’ve finished 

whoever you’re talking to 

likes you enough to hire 

you, fund you, or connect 

you to a colleague. This is 

called your “ask,” and we 

will talk more about that 

later on. An elevator pitch 

is often part of the first 

impression people have of 

us and should reflect our 

personal brand. Yet the 

elevator pitch is often a 

place where we stumble and 

miss out on the impression 

we could be making. Make 

it real. 

Why you need a pitch 

The term “elevator pitch” 

is derived from the time it 

takes to complete an elevator ride. 

The idea is that you want to be able 

to complete your pitch in the time 

you can complete that elevator ride. 

You absolutely need a professional or 

personal pitch, especially if you are 

networking or doing job interviews. 

Whether interacting with people 

is a part of your daily job or not, 

and whether you are intentionally 

networking or not, you are going to 

meet new people. Chances are that 

the people you run into can either 

help you directly or indirectly in 

your career aspirations. And yes, 

you can totally get some meaningful 

networking in virtually! 

The book Back to Business states that 

recruiting and hiring managers will 

spend six seconds listening to you 

before they mentally check out. Six 

seconds—that’s all you get! Luckily 

for you, I just spent the last five 

minutes testing what can be said in 

6 seconds. On average, if you use a 

conversational cadence, you can say 

20 words in that time. If it’s a wellhoned 

and much-practiced sentence, 

you WILL be able to hold a person’s 

attention much longer. 

COMING UP WITH A PITCH 

Because I own a business and need 

to tell everyone I run into about it, I 

need a pitch of my own. I have spent 

well over a year writing and rewriting 

my pitch as the business itself has 

had to pivot (thanks, COVID). As 

the business has matured and my 

asks have changed, that changes the 

pitch slightly. Additionally, depending 

on the audience, the pitch changes 

slightly. 

Likewise, your professional pitch will 

shift depending on your ask(s), the 

audience, what you’re doing in your 

career, and what you aspire to 

do. To start, make sure your 

pitch is short, compelling, 

and sells what you bring to 

the table. 

KEEP IT SHORT 

• Bound the pitch by 

time, for instance, no more 

than 30-60 seconds (100-165 

words). 

• Challenge yourself to 

say it in a tweet—no more 

than 140 characters. Go for 

120 characters if you dare. 

• Brevity is your friend. 

Make it compelling and interesting 

enough to spark listeners’ interest in 

your idea or background. Identify 

one thing you want your audience to 

remember. Steve Jobs, famed Apple 

CEO, was a genius at this. He would 

tell people that the original iPod 

allowed you to carry “1,000 songs 

in your pocket.” 

Include your best skills, qualifications, 

and superpower(s) and why they add 





{ SHIFT+CONTROL }


{ THE LITTLE BLACK BUDDHA } 

“The term “elevator pitch” is derived from the time it takes to complete an elevator ride. 

The idea is that you want to be able to complete your pitch in the time you can complete 

that elevator ride.” 

Practice, practice, practice 

• Find a friend (or three) and practice 

your pitch in front of them. 

• Record it and review. 

• Practice in front of a mirror. 

For a basic pitch framework, check out 

Pitch Please, Your Professional Pitch 

at Little Black Buddha. 

Pitch 2.0: Getting creative with your 

pitch 

Here are some more creative pitch 

frameworks that you can start from. 

1. The Pixar pitch. 

The “Pixar pitch” is a result of a storytelling 

formula Pixar has perfected 

over time. You can learn more about 

Pixar’s story basics and rules from a 

series of tweets sent out in 2011 and 

summarized by David A. Price. 

Here is a template of how to construct 

this pitch: 

• Once upon a time, there was ___. 

• Every day, ___. 

• One day, ___. 

• Because of that, ___. 

• Because of that, ___. 

• Until finally, ___. 

Finding Nemo, Toy Story, etc. can 

all be summarized in six sentences. 

Likewise, you can introduce yourself 

and what you’re doing in six sentences 

using this format. 

2. Love, hate, create. 

• I love ______________. 

• I hate ________________. 

• That is why I create ______________. 

3. The one-word pitch. 

• Write a fifty-word pitch. 

• Reduce it to twenty-five words. 

• Then to six words. 

• One of the remaining half-dozen is 

almost certainly your one-word pitch. 

4. You can find several other pitch 

formats and possibilities here. They are 

also discussed further in Daniel Pink’s 

book To Sell is Human. In this book, 

he not only gives you the framework 

for several pitches, he also points out 

that regardless of your job title, chances 

are that a part of it is convincing other 

people to do something. Learning 

how to sell is a valuable tool to learn 

for your career. 

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, 

PRACTICE 

Make a note of what you want your 

listener to know, feel and do. Ask yourself 

if you think the “know, feel and do” 

is being communicated in your pitch. 

Keep editing until you feel as though 

you’ve accomplished this. Then try 

it out on some people and ask them 

what they what they know, feel, and 

will do as a result of your pitch. If you 

communicated what you had in mind, 

you’re golden. If not, keep editing. 

As always, practice, practice, practice. 

Keep the pitch up to date. Adjust it 

as the circumstances, audience and 

ask changes. 

THE ASK & OFFER 

This will be the (almost) close of your 

pitch. It may be a simple request 

to connect and exchange contact 

information. You may want this 

person to connect you to a colleague 

or recommend a course they took. In 

general, people want to help you and 

love to be asked for advice. I am not 

an expert in human behavior, but time 

and time again in my interactions with 

other humans, as long as the request 

or ask is reasonable, the person will 

help. In the cases where they don’t 

want to help, don’t take it personally 

and move on. 

Now, “Is there anything I can do for 

you?” This question should come at 

the close of a conversation, if the pitch 

advances to a deeper conversation. 

Yes, this makes the conversation a bit 

transactional, but if you can help the 

person in some small way, you are 

moving beyond networking and towards 

building a rapport and relationship. 

KEEP THE CONVERSATION 

GOING 

Be interested. Be more interested in 

them than you are in telling them about 

yourself. Ask them leading questions. 

Even if they only kind of remember 

your profession, they’ll remember 

the impression you made on them— 

someone who made them feel noticed 

and important. Being thought of as 

someone who boosts others’ confidence 

is a major boost for your personal brand 

and attracts people to your light. 

Follow up and connect. The usual 

way is via LinkedIn or another social 

media platform. Or follow up with a 

thank-you email where you reiterate 

your offer and possibly include an ask. 

Happy pitching! 


{ WELL TRAIL } 

THE BEST IS YET TO COME 

BY KELLI LAPAGE 

I recently sat down for a consultation 

with a client I have been working with 

for over 5 years. I have meetings like 

this weekly, but this one really stood out 

for me. Because before she stood on 

the body composition machine, before 

I took her pulse and blood pressure and 

before we opened her doctor’s portal to 

view her blood work results, she said 

she needed to talk to me. 

My first response was to be really 

concerned. She seemed very serious 

and I was worried that she had received 

bad new when she was at her doctor’s 

appointment the week earlier. I quickly 

tried to get myself in the right head 

space to support her through whatever 

this was going to be – especially since I 

knew we had both expected this to be 

an outstanding “check up”. She had 

consistently been working on herself/ for 

herself over the previous couple of years 

and had made great strides physically and 

personally and I just couldn’t imagine 

what had her so serious. 

But when she grabbed my hand across 

the table and I saw her eyes smile (boy, I 

miss seeing my client’s ACTUAL smiles 

behind those masks) I became excited 

for what she had to say. “Kelli,” she 

started “do you remember what I said to 

you the first time we met?” Ironically, 

I did, so I nodded yes as she continued. 

“I told you I was tired. I told you I 

wasn’t ready to be old. But I felt old. 

And worse, I felt defeated. And I felt 

trapped. Trapped by my body, trapped 

by my circumstances and trapped in 

my thoughts. And do you remember 

what YOU said to me?” Before I could 

answer she slapped her hand on the table 

and said, “You looked me straight in the 

eyes and told me ‘There is ALWAYS a 

way to make it better. You might not 

know how, but you just have to take 

a step. So what step are you going to 

take today?’” 

She was absolutely right. That was our 

very first conversation. 5 years earlier. 

As we continued to talk, she shared that 

I had been right, she didn’t know where 

to start, but the more we met, the more 

confident she started to feel that she 

could do something. And we started 

small. Hydration one month. Taking 

walks the next month. Focusing on clean 

eating and then more activity. And bit 

by bit I watched her transformation and 

I celebrated each of her milestones and 

“small” successes with her. 

But today her eyes smiled even bigger. 

And as she continued the tears in her 

eyes became contagious to my own. She 

said, “I need you to know something. 

I’m going to get on that body comp 

machine today – but today – for the first 

time I don’t need to know what it says. 

Because I already know the answer in 

my heart. I finally realized that today 

– I can tell you I feel better than I ever 

have. I love my body more than I ever 

have. I have more confidence. I can 

honestly say I am proud of what I can 

physically do and even more proud of 

what I did to get here. So, I don’t need 

that scale to tell me I did well…because 

I already know that for myself.” 

It was such a powerful moment, for 

I have been witness for much of her 

journey. I saw those small steps. I saw 

her succeed and I saw her struggle. And 

through it all I always told her to keep 

believing that it can be better. You can 

always find a way to be better than you 

were the day before. You just have to 

be willing to do something about it. 

And she was right. Yes, she had hit a 

milestone for her body fat, visceral fat 

and hydration levels. She had met her 

milestones for “clothing size”. She was 

participating in workout classes she was 

terrified of just a couple years ago. And 

for the first time her blood sugar and 

cholesterol were within healthy ranges 

without any meds. But what she was 

the most excited about was how she 

felt. She said even when she was in 

her twenties, she never had this level 

of energy, or the strength that she has 

now. And she shared further that her 

aches and pains and daily fatigue were 

gone. At 55 years old – she was in the 

best health – and state of mind- that 

she could ever recall. She embodies 

the phrase that our age is but a number. 

On my drive home hat evening the 

significance of that moment really 

struck me. Because I do start many of 

my conversations with clients who are 

frustrated and tired and just feeling, 

well…old, by telling them that there is 

always a way to feel better. But you have 

to be willing to do something about it. 

So today I ask you, what do you want 

to be better in your life? What areas 

of your health are holding you back? 

What roadblocks, real or perceived, 

have you been staring at in your path? 

Now what are you going to do about it? 

No matter where you are in life, no matter 

what the circumstances, remember that 


{ SHIFT+CONTROL { WELL TRAIL } } 

“But when she grabbed my hand across the table and I saw her eyes smile (boy, I miss 

seeing my client’s ACTUAL smiles behind those masks) I became excited for what she had 

to say.” 

YOU have the power to create change. 

It probably won’t happen all at once. 

Life s not a light switch. You have to 

be prepared to invest in yourself every 

day. Some days you will have more to 

invest than others and some days you 

may have to reassess and plan for future 

investments. But the key is to keep taking 

those steps and investing in yourself – no 

matter how small and trivial you think 

those steps are. Because each step gets 

you closer to a better tomorrow. The 

trick is to keep moving. 

And when you commit to do that for 

yourself, there will be a day in your 

journey where you will be able to stand 

on your mountain and look back at how 

far you have come – and be proud. Today 


was that day for someone. Tomorrow 

could be that day for you. 

WellTrail is accepting enrollment for our 

10th Anniversary of WHOLE U – an 

educational and motivational on demand 

program that supports your effort to identify 

meaningful goals for your health and wellbeing 

with medically, nutritionally and 

“wholistically” based support. YOU set 

your goal and WE support your solutions. 

WHOLE U includes: Habit Change, 

Identifying and Controlling Your Triggers, 

Nutrition Science for All with comprehensive 

strategies to apply that knowledge based 

on your goals and medical conditions or 

restrictions, and weaves the importance 

of movement, spirit and positive mental 

health strategies throughout. The program 

can be followed by a guided and supported 

30 day WHOLE U RESET – a self 

designed challenge to help you reach the 

goals that are important to you. Your 

unique, customized challenge is supported 

through access to on demand training, a 

customized health portal and one on one 

consulting. Contact us at info@welltrail. 

com today to learn more and sign up. 

Access to classes begins March 1 2021.

CNY MARCH-APRIL 2021

Transform your PDFs into Flipbooks and boost your revenue!

Delete template?

Save as template ?