This...I...Do...For...Me: Over 50, Black and Fabulous!

Episode 28 With Deneen L. Garrett

Deneen L. Garrett, a native of Detroit, Michigan has remained committed to living in this great city due to it being a fertile and supportive ground for her professional and personal growth. A graduate of Wayne State University and Central Michigan University (B.S. and M.S., respectively) Deneen has held a number of progressively responsible positions with AT&T. Known as a natural motivator and coach, she has worked closely with marginalized AT&T staff by helping them identify the areas of growth, promotion and development that they would like to see manifest in their lives. In April of 2020, Deneen launched a lively podcast entitled "An Intimate Conversation With Women of Color." Although she was hesitant to podcast and felt that she was not ready, Deneen (through the encouragement of her coach) moved past her hesitancies and launched a platform specifically designed for women of color. Her ability to recognize that all voices (Asian, African American, LatinX, LGBTQ) are heard has resulted in steady audience growth. Throughout her life, Deneen has felt compelled to be of service to others, and she is resolute that this has always been her mission. In January of 2021, Deneen moved to the talent development side of Equity and Inclusion and now leads The Women of Color Programming Experience. She recognizes that through podcasting she has cultivated a wide variety of skills, and she has now launched a new YouTube channel, along with hosting Facebook Live events – all of this is designed for the Sisterhood of a variety of women of color. Her diversity, equity and inclusion expertise has found another avenue through the vehicle of business writing. She has a business article in an anthology entitled "Upward: Leadership Lessons for Women on the Rise." Her article focuses on how to overcome challenges in the workplace and setting leadership goals. Deneen encourages all African American women age 50+ to put their energy into something they've always wanted to do and HAVE IT! Deneen can be found on Instagram @Deneenlgarrett; Facebook Group – An Intimate Conversation with Women of Color.

Episode 27 With Effua McGowan

1.   Effua has more than 24 years of senior corporate experience, including servicing as Vice President at JP Morgan Chase and other multi-million dollar business across the United States; she is the recipient of numerous awards and accolades; 2.   She is the author of The ABCs of Leadership:  The Uncommon Leader from the Bottom Up,  a work that has helped a number of people to reexamine their current path, and helps the reader to sharpen skills and talents that are already present; 3.   Effua was blessed to grow up in Liberia, and she has lived and worked in a number of other areas in Africa.  It is this type of exposure that has aided her in working with diverse groups of people from around the world.  It is her belief that although many of her       clients and seminar attendees are African, she still recognizes and respects the diversity inherent on the continent; she currently resides in Houston, Texas; 4.   As a member of a large family, she learned early the importance of the role of honoring the differences in others; 5.   As CEO of her business entitltled "Amazing You, Effua is dedicated to the development of Global Human Capital, and she trains businesses in recognizing the gem that their employees represent.  She states "they are not commodities". 6.   Effua is engaged in a number of business projects that require her to collaborate with universities and organizations globally, including several African countries.; 7.   She shares in this episode that several countries in African are open to African Americans reconnecting to the continent, along with bringing their skills to the table.  She says, "there is room at the table" for everyone in various fields — education, the medical       profession, food insecurity, etc.  African American women age 50+ can truly benefit from this because African society reveres maturing women and recognizes that they possess a unique blend of skill and understanding about life that makes for good       Business; 8.   Effua shares that she is always pleased once a client has completed her coaching/leadership development and diversity training; she notices a higher level of confidence and more clarity as it relates to the direction they need to take; 9.   She shares her how she was led spiritually to conceptualize the groundwork for her book The ABCs of Leadership, which made its debut in 2020.  She actually began the writing process for this project in 2013, and with all things spiritual, the book's       publishing date came during the time of the pandemic; 10. Effua is strongly committed to ensuring that children learn her principles around leadership and valuing diversity; it is with this group that a new paradigm can be created; 11. She also announced that she is excited about a new book that she is finalizing entitled The ABCs of Leadership for Kids; 12. Her words of wisdom for African American women age 50+ includes taking time to for self and from this clarity about your purpose and mission increases exponentially; 13. Effua can be contacted in multiple ways — effuamcgowan1@gmail.com; Facebook:  Effua McGowan; Instagram:  @effuamcgowan; Cell Phone:  713/562-8741

Episode 26 With Chery Wright-Lawson

Cheryl Lawson-Wright is what you would call a true Renaissance woman! Through her business Real Hope 4 Help, her principal products and services include educational consulting and services; mentoring, life coaching and support and comfort to cancer survivors and clean living; She is a former public school educator and private school director and HBCU (Edward Waters College) advocate; A prolific author, Cheryl has penned numerous articles and poems; she has also edited the works of others; As an entrepreneur, Cheryl has parlayed her skills in the arenas of fighting for the rights of all people, but especially for the disenfranchised and those victimized from systemic racism and a broken criminal justice system; An endeavor close to her heart is that of serving as an advocate for breast cancer survivors like herself; Cheryl shares for the first time on a public platform that she is a survivor in more ways than one – she is also a survivor of molestation, infidelity, family and church hurt and abuse, along with other ordeals that were meant to destroy. She acknowledges that God worked it all for her good, and she is no longer a survivor but a THRIVER! She has done extensive research on living a toxic-free life and has identified many discoveries that have assisted her on her clean living journey; In the words of Hippocrates, Cheryl now realizes that everyone has a doctor within himself or herself; food should be our medicine and medicine should be our food is her mantra; She emphasizes that every plant that God created has a miracle in it and stresses that with God and the Universe as her guide, she uses her knowledge and wisdom to lead her as she releases the past and boldly pursues a promising and prosperous future; Cheryl shares information about the fruits and vegetables that are considered "The Dirty Dozen". They are: strawberries, spinach, kale, nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery and potatoes; The clean 15 foods include avocado, sweet corn, pineapple, onion, sweet peas (frozen), cantaloupe, mushrooms, cabbage, kiwi, honey dew melon, broccoli and egg plant Cheryl also shares that California Proposition 65 Toxic Product Ingredients List. In the state of California by law, all products must list the chemical and toxic harm/side effects. Cheryl's contact information – Instagram-- @anointedgirl61; Twitter -- @Survivor1261; Email – realhope4help@yahoo.com; Cell – 904/203-9816

Episode 25 With Peggy Hill

Prior to starting her wellness business, Peggy spent over 30 years at Fortune 100 companies in various strategic and innovative roles including Engineering, Strategic Marketing, Process Improvement and Program Management; - An avid reader and a , Peggy is passionate about healthy cooking and eating, urban gardening and guiding others to a vibrant lifestyle; - In 2007, Peggy thought it was a good time to evaluate if she should start an entrepreneurial venture; - Her skills learned in the corporate setting were certainly transferable to the setting of owning her own business; - After conducting market research, examining her finances, she dedicated to hold off on the venture, and in 2017, Peggy revisited and committed to leaving her career to begin Yoga with Peggy H.; - She prides herself of designing and presenting Evidence-based workshops that are steeped in what produces results; - A life-long learner, Peggy has sought and achieved a number of certifications including - Peggy shares and explains exactly what is yoga and how it benefits its practitioner, which includes stress reduction,clarity of thought, and a greater sense of well-being; - Peggy states "it's more than just let's just move. She stresses that It's yoga in particular that makes the difference; - Peggy teaches the practice of Hatha Yoga; she does not use music during her classes so that students can focus on safety first then form, strength and balance;  - When asked what distinguishes her yoga business from that of her competition, Peggy states that the emphasis offering her services to a diverse group of people (e.g.race, body type, age, etc.); - Peggy was featured by AARP in their Success Stories Entitled "Work for Yourself at 50.   - She completed the "Work for Yourself at 50" program to fine tune her vision and approach to starting a wellness business;  - Peggy has a special affinity to older yoga students in that she can relate to the physical challenges that emerge during the aging process; - The words of counsel that Peggy offers to African American Women age 50+ include not being afraid to follow your dreams. - To join a class, arrange for a presentation or workshop, Peggy can be reached at    yogawithpeggyh.com

Episode 24 With Sheri Brazley

Sheri Brazley is a native Chicagoan. She attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and received a BA degree in Psychology. After graduation, she started a career working with Developmentally Disabled children for the State of Illinois and later went on to work for the City of Chicago for 25 years. During her tenure at the city, she wore many hats; she spent 10 years working in the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities where she was responsible for making sure that the city's public events would be accommodating to people with disabilities. Prior to retirement in 2015, Sheri spent 15 years in the City's Health Department as the Assistant to the Director of Public Information where she had an opportunity to create public messaging and marketing tools on health topics. Throughout her professional career, Sheri always had a love for cooking and has maintained a successful small catering business that is still thriving. When she retired from the city, she knew that she wanted to recreate herself, so she enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts with the primary aim of pursing a new career teaching people how to cook nutritious meals to maintain a healthy lifestyle. She completed all the coursework for the Certificate Program with a 4.0 GPA — all of this during her 50s. Upon completing Le Cordon Bleu, Sheri became aware of the organization Common Threads developed by famed chef Art Smith. It was from her LCB Instructor and mentor Chef Daniel John that she learned about the mission of Common Threads. Through Common Threads, Sheri now services three schools. Additionally, Sheri has created a very popular culinary program for seniors (age 60+) entitled Snacking Around the World. This cooking demo program allows seniors to experience the food, history and culture of countries like Mexico, Thailand, China, Italy, Spain and countless others. If you would like to connect with Sheri, she can be found on Instagram as Chef_braz.