Day: November 2, 2022

Pretty Women Making Pretty Moves in 2022: Meet Michelle P. Jones

Posted in Making Pretty Moves 2022Tagged , , , , , Leave a comment

To be a woman who makes “Pretty” moves you must first understand the gift you hold within and next understand how to utilize it.

Michelle P. Jones is “The Writer’s Coach” and helps writers birth their literary masterpiece, which brings their story to life through the Authorpreneur Academy’s course offerings, personalized strategic plan & coaching services and offers publishing services through her company, Bledsoe Publishing Company, LLC.

As an Amazon international bestselling author, literary award-winning author, ordained minister, writing and copywriting strategist, confidence consultant, workshop/seminar facilitator, podcast executive producer/host, blogger, and inspirational/motivational speaker, Michelle is uniquely positioned to ensure you offer an exceptional literary masterpiece to the marketplace. It is her belief that her life’s purpose is to use her skills, talents, and abilities in service unto God, with mankind being the direct beneficiary.

Michelle is the Founder/CEO of the Authorpreneur Academy, and Bledsoe Publishing Company LLC, an independent publisher who offers professional services, through inspiring, empowering, and equipping
entrepreneurial creatives, authors, and professional writers to structure and view their writing as a business set for exponential growth while introducing an exceptional literary masterpiece to the marketplace. As a
published author, Michelle has self-published two (2) books for national distribution: Grasping Your Success: Six Steps to Starting and Legitimizing Your Business (published 2017), Walking on Water in My
Stilettos: How God Strengthened My Faithwalk (published 2018), and published 2021 ABF Best Book Awards Finalist in Christianity Desperate Housewives of Biblical Proportions (November 2020) with Enhanced DNA Publishing, and is a contributing author in the anthology As for Me and My House: Stories to Help Onboard Households for Entrepreneurship (published December 2019).

Michelle is a writer’s writer and believes in sharing her gift with the world through her monthly First Friday blog, Purposeful in
Stilettos, Brown Girlz Readz Book Club on Clubhouse, and the bi-monthly writing clinics she facilitates.

Michelle is also the executive producer and host of a weekly podcast, the Unapologetically Michelle Show, where she discusses real, relevant, raw and life-changing topics that can positively influence its listeners’
choices and decision-making process positively. Michelle believes life is a series of life-happening moments, and it isn’t about the fact that you went through them, but that you overcame each of them and
stepped back into your community to share intentionally, unapologetically, and purposefully those learned life lessons with others to help them traverse their journey called life. Michelle enjoys reading, writing, listening to good music, and watching action-packed and Sci-Fi movies.
Michelle believes that information is power and she can be found sharing the information she holds with others to empower them to live their truth, their purpose, and their life OUT LOUD and in living color. Michelle currently lives in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Outside of entrepreneurship and writing, Who is Michelle Jones in five words? 

A service-minded Kingdom Entrepreneur

What inspired your start in writing and sharing stories? 

I have always loved reading and writing since childhood. It began with me sharing business tips and tools with my clients and others. To write about my life, being an entrepreneur, and introducing readers to the Bible in a relatable way. Writing has always been my way to express myself and my feelings. I just now have the opportunity to share it with the world.

You have crossed over into the journal-making industry, what has been the most rewarding part of creating different journals to impact people? I believe that knowledge is power and that when we know better we can do better. Journals are a way to introduce information and for the reader to interact with the information immediately to affect change in their life intentionally. What most people don’t realize is that trauma can be healed through our writing. It gives the person an outlet to put on paper what is informing their decisions and choices. Once on paper, it loses its power and its ability to negatively impact the author’s life.

Tell us about your company’s NEW Journal Line the Unapologetically Blacknificient Intentional Living Journal. 

This journal is all that and a bag of chips. The journal first and foremost celebrates the richness and beauty of the African American culture. The reader will find historical facts, the celebration of our culture and journey to freedom, and relative information that can change their life. The journal has 3 sections: How Am I Living, Intentional Living, and Journal Pages. In the How Am I Living section, the reader will take an honest look at where they are in life. They will share their deepest fears, hardest struggles, biggest dreams, etc. In the Intentional Living section, the reader uses the 31-day journal to intentionally live each day when utilizing the guides provided. They will write out their daily affirmation, share what they are grateful for, who they need to forgive, and objectives (goals) they want to accomplish, etc. All of these are designed to help the reader use the tools they learn to develop the skills they will use to intentionally and unapologetically live a happy, healthy and whole life. This is accomplished by them choosing themselves daily. The journal pages section is where the reader will chronicle their journey by sharing their experiences as they apply what they learn each day while completing the Intentional living section. A link to an introduction video will accompany each journal to ensure the reader understands how to best use the journal. It is our desire for people to have the best possible experience with the journal. We have created a separate journal for men and one for women, and the reader can select between two different covers when ordering.

Can you share your 2022 journey with us? 

2022 started off with me starting my publishing company, Bledsoe Publishing Company LLL and ghostwriting a client’s book and associated workbooks. I have since published his book and workbooks, published another client’s book, began creating book covers for clients, created the journal, and am ramping up to begin designing an Unapologetically Black Coloring Book. I am also putting a call out for contributing authors for our Morning Glory anthology (which will be published in 2023). As a socially conscious business, Bledsoe Publishing created the Bledsoe Family Legacy Foundation with their first order of business to provide scholarships to graduating seniors who show a need and meet our criteria. Applications will be released for consideration in the fall of 2023 with notification of awardees being announced in the spring of 2024. As if that isn’t enough, currently, we are writing gender-specific programming for nonprofits to use as their specialized internal programming and teaching them how to structure it to be an additional stream of income for their organization.

How did your business excel, what major moves are you proud of?

 2022 has been a year of transformative change and growth for both myself and my company. I am truly aligning my faith with my business and using Bible principles to serve mankind with services, programming, and/or products that equips, inspires, and empowers mankind to intentionally live a life of purpose unapologetically. This year we are kicking off our Unapologetically Write a program with two writing clinics per month. One will be virtual and the other will be in person. The program is designed to ensure its participants will have the necessary information to introduce literary masterpieces to the marketplace while understanding that presentation does matter. As previously mentioned, I am excited about the foundation, the work we are doing with nonprofits, and creating the Reformation Project which is also a part of the foundation. For me personally, my greatest accomplishment is when I invited God to be the CEO of my business. I check in with Him daily to see what’s on my to-do list for the day and what action steps I need to take that honor Him and keep my businesses growing.

 What is next for you in 2023?

 In 2023, the kick-off of the scholarship program, the publication of the Morning Glory anthology, the introduction of the Grief Journal anthology, finishing up the Restoration Project (re-entry program to help to return citizens re-acclimate in society with the tools needed to intentionally live a life of purpose based upon the transformative change process), and publishing books for clients. We are currently accepting new authors interested in publishing a book. Bledsoe Publishing is equipped to take an author from concept to publication while the literary award-winning and international best-selling author and coach, Michelle Jones coaches them through the process. It doesn’t matter where an author is in the process, Bledsoe Publishing has the right publishing package to meet their needs.

What is your definition of a Pretty Woman Who Hustles? 

Growing up I was always told that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. I no longer believe that statement as it was taught. I believe beauty is an outward expression of the inner condition of an individual’s heart. It is a reflection of who they are and who they see themselves being. With that being said, a Pretty Woman Who Hustles is a woman who knows who she is, knows her worth, and has realized she is not in competition with anyone other than herself as she strives to be a better person today than she was on yesterday. She doesn’t have it all together and that’s ok with her because she is growing into who she is created, destined, and purposed to be intentionally and unapologetically. She is the woman I look at in the mirror every day and whom I encourage to keep going especially on those days when nothing seems to be going right. She is ME and every other woman who refuses to give up, give in and not live life to the fullest. She is the sister-friend I collaborate with and check in on to make sure she’s ok, and whose successes I celebrate. And, whose tears I wipe when she’s experiencing the growing pains from failure. She’s not every woman, she’s the woman who has decided to see each new day as an opportunity to accomplish her objectives (goals) and be of service to someone else.

Social media handles:

 Facebook: @MzMichelleJ ; @BledsoePublishing ; @MzMichellePJones

Twitter: @BledsoePublish

   IG: @MichellePharesa

Website: www.BledsoePublishing.com

If you have any questions and/or to obtain additional information, please contact them via email at info@BledsoePublishing.com.

Join us daily as we feature 22 Women Making Major Moves in 2022, Read Part 1 of The Special Edition issue here:

What Does it Take to be a Successful Social Media Influencer with Ja’Kyia Horn 

Posted in Pretty and Ambitious, Pretty Cover StoriesLeave a comment

Ja’Kyia Horn embarked on her journey when she was only 16 years old. She started off strong by expressing her charismatic personality with her fashion across several social media platforms. Naturally, brands began contacting her to offer a multitude of brand ambassador opportunities sparking the take-off of her own personal branding and rise of following. Horn took advantage of the given opportunity to become a registered dental assistant in order to gain experience for her later created teeth whitening and cosmetics business, Luxury Smiles, in Northport, Alabama.

When did your passion for fashion begin? 

I started young! When I was about 5 years old, anytime I went out to the store with my mom or family they knew where to find me in the cloth aisle! I never was a big fan of toys. It was always clothes, shoes, and just anything dealing with fashion. I LOVED IT !!! And until this day it stands. 

You have over 11K followers on your social media platforms and have a multitude of brand ambassador opportunities. How do you keep your content fresh and followers engaged? 

I try to stay very social and give as much content as I can when it comes to that. It’s like the internet/social media is used every day so I want to give them something every day even if it’s something small just to show I’m active. 

How would you describe your fashion style? 

My fashion style is almost a direct derivative of my personality. Vintage, Dramatic, Edgy. I try to give a bit of everything when dressing and coming up with any outfit I’m wearing for the day. I want to always give a statement.

Which brands are you working with today? Who would you like to work with? 

I’m working with a lot of different brands locally from where I’m from or close to me. I’m very interested in working with PrettyLittleThing, Fashion Nova & Shein just a lot of different globally known companies and businesses.

You are an advocate for mental health. Tell us why this is important to you and share your initiatives.  

It’s a situation I feel as if everyone should take more seriously! It’s very important because so many people are dealing with it and don’t really know what route to take to get help or help themselves or the people around them who may be dealing with it. I just want everyone to know, especially if they are dealing with a hard situation that it gets BETTER! You can overcome it and life will get easier. I’m here. I’ll always be here to help in anyway that I can. I truly mean that and want them to know that. 

What does it take to be a successful social media influencer?

A LOT .. lol but seriously it takes being a people person, showing your versatility to everyone that’s watching you, and definitely giving them what they want as far as content, fashion…etc. Being a social media influencer is amazing though I love it, especially because my intentions are PURE and I want to be a great role model to the younger generation or anyone who’s watching me.

Tell us about Luxury Smiles. 

Luxury Smiles is my baby! It’s really a part of me. I started my business when I was 20 years old and have been going hard at it since! My granny was definitely the root and reason why I became interested in the dental industry. I promised myself I would make sure I gave it my all so that everyone could have a good experience with dental visits. I know so many people that are afraid, nervous, and scared and it’s like that’s not okay. I want everyone to feel confident coming and leaving my workspace.

What’s next for you?

I’m still working on my upcoming novel that I’ll be releasing next year 2023. Many more brand opportunities & deals! This time around next year I’ll be super BIG!!!! I’m claiming that!!

Instagram: thejakyiahorn 

Snapchat: thejakyiahorn

Facebook: Ja’Kyia Horn

TikTok: thejakyiahorn

Photo Credit: InFocus Photography based out of Tuscaloosa, Alabama 
Photo Credit: InFocus Photography based out of Tuscaloosa, Alabama 

Angel C. Wright CEO/Founder of Speak Up Sis®

Posted in Pretty and Black OwnedTagged , , , , , , , Leave a comment

3x published, award nominated, author of Speak with Chic: One woman. Ten truths., God, I’ve Got Questions, and When I Met Him. Angel has over twenty years of experience teaching, mentoring, and advocating for underserved and diverse populations. As an educator and advocate, she has worked within state, federal, and international arenas. However, forty years of life experiences and lessons lived and learned as a daughter, mother, wife, sister and friend have bettered prepared her for her life’s purpose – to empower women to acknowledge, own, and embrace truth and to create spaces for them to share their stories to inspire the stories of others.

Angel created Speak Up Sis out of her own need for conversation and connection. At the core of her philosophy, she believes conversations help to build resiliency. Many women suffer in silence because they don’t have an outlet that’s safe and protective in which to share the hard stuff of life. Transparent, honest, vulnerable conversations bring about understanding and healing.

You have over twenty years’ experience teaching, mentoring, and advocating for underserved and diverse populations. Share your background. 

I earned a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education with an emphasis in English from Georgia Southern University in May 2000 at 22 years old. I often tell people I was born a teacher. I didn’t just decide to teach because there wasn’t anything else for me to do with myself; I love teaching.

I was hired by the school/county in which I did my student teaching, Burke County High School in Waynesboro, GA and had my first high school class at 23 years old. I earned a Master of Education in Counseling & Psychology from Troy State University in 2005 and continued to teach within Georgia counties until 2010 when I accepted an opportunity to coach and mentor teachers internationally as a Consultant Partnership Teacher in English in Abu Dhabi, UAE. 

Once I returned to the states, I accepted a teaching position with the Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) and had the pleasure of teaching military children on both Fort Campbell and Fort Knox until I was offered the honor of working with our country’s most severely wounded, ill, and injured service members with the Department of Defense as an Army Wounded Warrior (AW2) Advocate in Washington state. While in Washington, I missed teaching, so I worked as an adjunct professor at a local college in Portland, OR for a semester. 

Now, I no longer work within the traditional education arena. I use my skills, talents, education, and experiences to teach women how to shift the trajectory of their lives to live the life they desire and deserve.

“The creative in me wanted to somehow merge creativity, conversation, and community to help women build resilience, heal and grow.” Explain. 

Not only am I a born educator but also a creative person, albeit I didn’t think of myself as a creative when I was younger.  I was just the little girl in school who wore the colorful outfits that didn’t really match but somehow looked good on her, lol. I grew up on the poorer side of the tracks, so I was accustomed to accepting hand-me-downs and mixing and matching to make things “work.” Therefore, it should not have been a surprise to me when I started repurposing materials to create hand-made, statement earrings as an adult. 

This was my first bout with entrepreneurship while I was still traditionally employed. Speak with Chic, LLC was the first company I started. I designed and created statement earrings to encourage women to notice, stop and speak to other women. Creating these earrings with my hands helped lead me to write my first book – Speak with Chic: One woman. Ten truths. in January 2018. Once I started Speak Up Sis® in August 2018. 

I have lived through poverty, childhood sexual abuse and much more, and I realized as a young woman that I could choose to narrate my own story. I cannot change the past, but I can change how I view it and use it. Through Speak Up Sis, I am able to use the art of writing to facilitate authentic conversations with women who are on the verge of “throwing in the towel” or who just feel “stuck” and unfruitful in their lives due to many of the things I have survived. 

The very first Speak Up Sis Experience was held on September 9, 2018, at a woman-owned restaurant named The Grill Reign which is owned by Ms. Pamela Hall, in a small town called Graniteville, SC. The theme was “Writing to Heal.”  I call it the Speak Up Sis Experience because that is exactly what it is; it’s not an event, per se. I decided to name it, not for what it is, but for what happens in the room. Women experience love, support, and solidarity in the space which, for many in attendance, is the beginning of a new journey of resilience, healing, and growth.

Tell us about what Speak Up Sis® offers. 

We offer spaces and opportunities for women and men to acknowledge, own and share their stories to inspire the stories of others. Currently, we offer free and paid opportunities for people to be guests and share on Speak Up Sis Podcast. For Christian, self-published, and independent authors we have Speak Up Sis Bookshelf, an online bookstore to help authors increase visibility and tap into a new, viable community of readers. Conversations That Connect is a Speak Up Sis Talk show; it is the companion to the bookshelf where we give authors the opportunity to be interviewed. Our women-only spaces are the Krysàlis Community, Speak Up Sis Workshops and Life Strategy and Life Story Life Coaching with Angel Charmaine.

What can we find on the Speak Up Sis® Podcast?

We share the stories of everyday people on the Speak Up Sis Podcast. There is value in the lived experiences of the people we see every day, so the podcast is a platform for them to share their triumphs and lessons learned. You can expect to listen to personal and professional stories, roundtable discussions about various personal and professional topics and get encouragement and advice for entrepreneurs. 

Speak Up Sis Podcast is a hybrid-styled podcast with a live video broadcast on Monday nights at 8pm EST and a recorded broadcast on audio-only platforms on Tuesday mornings. 

Share with us the mission and resources offered in the KrysàlisTM Community.

Middle-aged and seasoned women have unique challenges in life that are often overlooked or minimized by them and by others.  The mission of Krysàlis is to provide a community for “mature” women that serves as a place to help them to transform their mind, body, and soul at this stage of their lives within a protective and supportive environment of other women who “get it” because they are on similar journeys. 

We provide courses within the online Speak Up Sis Learning University (SUSLU), access to virtual and in-person Speak Up Sis Workshops geared towards both personal and professional growth, and an online resource center with curated content from across the web that makes it easy for our members to find answers, solutions, advice to common issues in one location. Members also have access to a private group with community challenges, opportunities to network and to establish authentic connection and camaraderie with like-minded women. 

What are your current events/projects that you are working on? 

Our flagship space, the Speak Up Sis Experience, will be held on Saturday, September 24, 2022, in Graniteville, SC at 3pm EST. It is the first post-pandemic, in-person Speak Up Sis Experience, so we’re really excited about it.  

We are also planning a Domestic Violence Awareness event on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, in Augusta, GA at 6pm EST. We will sponsoring a couple smaller not-for-profit organizations for the holidays to support their charitable missions as we prepare for the Speak Up Sis Experience scheduled for January 7, 2023 and the 4th Speak Up Sis Everyday Woman Series in March 2023.

Photo Credit: Ellie McGuire

www.Speakupsis.com

Facebook.com/speakupsis

Facebook.com/speakupsispodcast

Facebook.com/speakupsisbookshelf

Instagram

@speakupsisllc

@speakupsispodcast

@speakupsisbookshelf

Youtube

Youtube.com/speakupsis

Twitter

@speakupsis

Non-Profits in November

Posted in New OnlineTagged Leave a comment

What is a Nonprofit Organization?

A nonprofit organization, also known as “not-for-profit” is a type of organization which is committed to helping and or supporting a social cause or opinion. Many churches and hospitals are non-profit organizations. There are many diverse types of nonprofit organizations, which can be identified by a certain code, such as 501(c)3 for tax recording purposes.

Here are a few more examples of nonprofits:

*LALA Nonprofit Org’= Leave A Legacy Always. Is a nonprofit company which helps others improve their quality of life through financial education. They help others learn how to manage money and how to pass money to the next generation to create generational wealth.

*SPCA= Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. This nonprofit company helps to shelter and protect animals that have been abused or to help prevent abuse of animals.

*United Way, is a nonprofit company that helps fund other nonprofits. United Way also helps people in their local community with various needs.

All nonprofits’ can and do make a profit in business. Often, in the beginning they do not make a profit as quickly and this is expected, for a short while. Nonprofit organizations rely on other companies, individuals, sales and providing services to help fund their cause and or gain a profit.

There are multi-million dollar revenue generating, non-profit organization in existence today! Don’t get it twisted! Non-profit organizations, earn a profit doing business or they would not be able to remain in business. The term ‘non-profit’ comes from the IRS (internal revenue service) because of tax reasons. Nonprofits are exempt from paying certain taxes because of the public service the organization provides to help others, to help the environment or help society in a certain way.

To learn more about nonprofit organizations visit the web site:  https://www.irs.gov/charities-and-nonprofits Regardless, if you are employed by a profit or nonprofit company, or if your business is profit or nonprofit, you always want your financial totals to be in the black. Until next time, keep your mind on your money.

L.A.L.A. Nonprofit Org.
www.lalanonprofit.org
Dedra Porter