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

Episode 23 With Trevy McDonald

Even as a teenager, Trevy McDonald was determined to use her God given talents and gifts to uplift, inspire and empower others in order to bring them joy? How has she done that throughout her life? Once thinking that she wanted to become a physician, Trevy learned early that profession was not her calling. Learning the periodic element chart was just too boring to her. Instead, she took notice of a rising African American journalist based in Chicago named Marlene McClinton. She made such an impact with her style of reporting and delivery that Trevy immediately knew that she wanted a journalistic career. At the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Trevy earned her B.A. in Radio/TV/Film. After experiencing too many cold winters, she then headed South to Chapel Hill, North Carolina where she received her M.A. in Radio, Television and Motion Pictures and a Ph.D in Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina. She was only 25 years years old when she earned her Ph.D from one of the top journalism programs in the country. After receiving her Ph.D, Trevy found herself unemployed and therefore asked herself what she could do to make herself more marketable. Trevy immediately built the groundwork for a publishing company, which she started in 1999. She is currently the owner of Reyomi Publishing, LLC, a successful independent book publishing and consulting company based in Durham, N.C. Trevy is also an author of the novels Round 'Bout Midnight and Time Will Tell. She is also the co-editor of two scholarly anthologies, Nature of a Sistuh: Black Women's Lived Experiences in Contemporary Culture and Building Diverse Communities: Applications of Communication Research. Trevy has also authored an inspirational anthology entitled How We Got Over: Testimonies of Faith, Hope and Courage. She has contributed to numerous other anthologies and publications, and she has also co-authored a reference book on starting your own publishing house called How to Win The Publishing Game. Through her experience starting and running her own publishing company, she learned her most valuable lesson -- if one is committed and steps out on faith to pursue their dream, then they will also beblessed with the resources to be able to carry out their dream. She simply states this lesson inthe form of a haiku: Commit to your dream And the desired resourcesAre provided now!

Episode 22 With Stephanie C. Williams

Stephanie Williams grew up in Chicago in a family that pushed education, achievement and finding purpose.  She states that traveling — both domestically and internationally — helped her to see how vast the world really is and how she fits in it.   Stephanie is an accomplished public speaker, who has addressed corporate/business audiences, spiritual leaders and seekers, along with younger audiences.  The latter has allowed her to work specifically with teens, who are usually enthusiastic and an open vessel for becoming attuned to their life purpose.  The primary way in which she has done this is through providing courses in Business Etiquette to youth emphasizing that becoming familiar with business protocols can make the difference in landing and maintaining positions.   As a person who has always used prayer and meditation as a conduit to connect with God and her purpose, Stephanie learned early (through the guidance of her parents) that in order to fulfill your purpose, you must spend time in quiet to get the clarity on the direction one should take.  She simply states "Ask God what you should be doing, and He will show you."  Stephanie has designed a number of workshops for Fortune 100 and 500 companies like Gillette, Rebok and Coco Cola.  These workshops centered around business practices, inner transformation, goal setting and finding passion. Additionally, she has developed a plethora off workshops in Leadership Development, Marketing Consulting, Executive Coaching, Business Consulting, Health Insurance and Social Media Marketing. Business owners have come to rely on her to cull out their individual and organizational genius.  She has also had a career in media as the host of the  radio program NOW.   The programming for NOW focused on living a life that is rewarding and purpose-filled, along with building a Kingdom mindset — allowing them to make a marked difference in the marketplace.  As an instructor at the Joseph Business School (a business enterprise that emanates from Living Word Ministries in Forest Park, Illinois), Stephanie has played a key role in educating Christians on how to become successful and impactful entrepreneurs.  She has received a number of rave reviews from alumni of the school, and they have all gone on to fulfill their dreams. These former students point out that it is her ethical approach to business, her integrity, knowledge of sound business principles and her years of experience and application of what she teaches that makes her an effective communicator and instructor.  Stephanie is a proud graduate of The University of Kansas holding a degree in Broadcast Journalist.   She is also a long time member of Alpha Kappa Alphas Sorority, Inc. To connect with Stephanie, she can be reached at swc777@hotmail.com

Episode 21 With Monica Wisdom

Monica's adventurous spirit has taken her in many different directions and avenues including cosmetology, writing and the music industry. After graduating cosmetology school with honors, she ascended to advanced academies and studied with innovators who shaped the hair care industry that we know today. This included the likes of Vivenne Mackinder, Geri Cosenza, Irvine Rusk, Horst Rechelbacher, Darren Brokaw and Robert Labetta. After mastering her craft, Monica joined the prestigious team of educators at Sebastian International. This dream-come true position not only helped her to blossom as a hairstylist, but she also became a world-class instructor. Her gift as a hair colorist led her to work with German hair color company Schwarzkopf where she taught for four years. She later became the Director of Education for Salon Resources, the distributor for Sebastian International. Here she designed classes, workshops and product launches. As a freelance artist and consultant, Monica has worked with celebrities and companies including The Isley Brothers, Lela Rochon, Kevin Mayes, Nina Gancy, Loretta Devine, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lisa Sylvester, Carole's Daughter, Atlantic Records, Lengths Hair Extensions, and DreamWorks Records (the record company owned by Steven Spielberg). Monica has also been featured on ABC, NBC, CBS, Clear Channel and Fox Networks. Other highlights of Monica's transcendent career includes her time as Director of Operations for 'In' magazine and 'Today in Church' magazine. She and magazine publisher David Holmon worked to create the monthly publications that inspired its readers and reached critical acclaim. In that role, Monica interviewed celebrities about their spiritual life and personal journeys. She interviewed such notables as Kirk Whalum, Princess Zulu, Eric Roberson, Vonetta Flowers, Evander Holyfield and Isaac Bruce. Her features stood strong next to other contributors that included Joyce Meyers, TD Jakes and Joel Olsten. Monica's most rewarding work was as the Vice President of the global music label Yoruba Records, which allowed her to work alongside Osunlade. This is when the global brand and movement was being built. In the midst of it all, Monica was called to go on a spiritual sojourn, and she knew it was time to excavate and heal her traumatic childhood and generational wounds. Sharing her shadows was the next step to enable her to be all that she was born to be. Through the coaching program of Phoenix 2000, Monica learned that her pain could be used to heal others which led her into a deep spiritual examination and study of the Divine Feminine. She did this under the teachings of Dr. Caroline 'Isis' Fuqua and Bettie Spruill. She is also an initiate of Transcendental Meditation and is a student of Yogini Nithyananda. In 2018, Monical birthed Black Amplified. From all over the globe, we convene on our vibrant Facebook page. We have just opened our Women opened our Black Women Amplified Private Membership Club and our podcast will be released in June 2020. We are an Empowerment Company transforming the lives of women through the power system that Monica created called 'Rebuild." It incorporates storytelling, narrative shifting, vision boarding, online masterclasses and one-on-one consulting. Monica believes it is her time to live life beyond the ordinary.

Episode 20 With La Tanya Jackson

La Tanya L. Jackson is 55 years old and the true organic, undisputed definition of a woman over 50, Black and Fabulous! A single mother of two college educated adult children and three grandchildren, LaTanya has defied all limitations of "it's too late," or "I'm too old" to achieve strongly desired goals. She returned to school to get a college degree at age 42 after being out of the academic arena for 25 years. She started by obtaining her Associates Degree in Liberal Arts one month prior to her daughter getting her degree. Rather than get bogged down with problems, she does the opposite – La Tanya immediately turns to her Bucket List, which allows her to direct her energies in a different direction other than the problem. La Tanya has a big habit of keeping a smile on her face. La Tanya says, "whenever I attend a neighborhood or family event, the first thing people say is where are you traveling to next, or I saw you on Facebook – how are you doing so many amazing things?" She responds by saying "don't see me, see God" then I share my travel tips. La Tanya has created a guide entitled "Living Your Best Life on a Budget." As her 50th birthday approached in 2015, La Tanya decided to go full steam ahead by organizing a Family Vacation to Paris, France. Going to Disneyland-Paris was truly a dream come true. The following are just some of the exciting things that have been on her Bucket List – Hiked The Brooklyn Bridge (2016); Hiked Behind the Falls in Niagara Falls (2016); Hiked the Hollywood Sign in Hollywood Hills, California (2017); Hiked the North Pacific Rim at Grand Canyon (2017); Hiked the Red Rocks in Sedona (2017); ziplined in Costa Rica (2018); Hiked All Mountains Over Colorado (2018); Ran in the Rock & Roll Marathon Night 10k; Ran in St. Jude Hero's 5K in Las Vegas (2018); visited the Wendy Williams Show and was chosen to ask her a question (2019). Some other first time destinations that La Tanya put on her list and achieved include – Puna Cana, Dominican Republic in 2014; New York City in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019 (she is obsessed with New York); Los Angeles, San Diego, Coronado Island and Malibu (2015-2017); Guanacaste; Buena Vista and Coco Beach in 2018 Seattle, Washington (was determined to see the Space Needle for her 55th birthday) in 2019; NYE Time Square Ball Drop Countdown in 2020. When a new opportunity and challenge arises, La Tanya tends to ask herself "well, why not?" She also relies heavily on her faith and "goes boldly to God's Throne. There have been times when she did not even know where the money was coming from for a desired adventure, but due to her positive attitude, amazing things have always manifested. In this episode, La Tanya shares how certain life events played a role in her maintaining an optimistic attitude. Additionally, she talks about some of the most exhilarating activities she has been involved in, along with what actually goes through her mind as she is tackling a goal on her bucket list. If you would like information about any of La Tanya's past or upcoming adventures, she can be contacted on lljack64@gmail.com; she is La Tanya Lynn on Facebook; @divalt64 on Instagram

Episode 19 With Marvinetta Penn

Today's guest is Marvinetta Penn, Executive Director of Global Girls, Inc. This is a 20 year old non-profit organization based on the boarder of the communities of South Shore and South Chicago. Through rigorous theatre and dance training, girls ages 5-18 develop essential life skills including self-awareness, resilience, tenacity and grit – all skills that help these girls succeed on the stage and in life. Marvinetta has worked with youth for nearly 40 years – 19 of those years were as a Chicago Public School English and Theatre instructor and 19 have been with Global Girls, Inc. as Executive Director. Marvinetta felt the urge to work with these girls in this way due to the positive and embracing way her mother and father encouraged her to explore her gifts and talents. Healthily feeding the imagination was strongly encouraged by her parents, and they found a way to support her throughout her formative years. Marvinetta has traveled extensive to countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. Marvinetta has also had a career in broadcast journalism, and she has had extensive gigs as a Voice Over Artist. She has voiced for American Airlines, Payless Shoes, McDonalds, the Discovery Channel Century Tile, Walgreens and Berman's Infiniti/Nissan/Subaru. Because of being blessed to travel widely, Marvinetta has made it a priority to expose the participants in Global Girls, Inc. to international travel. As a result, they have traveled to India, Ghana and England. While there, the girls had the opportunity to work with girls their age from those countries; this made for a rich learning experience on both sides and the ability to learn about each group's cultural norms and their desires to create newness in their countries. Marvinetta is extremely proud of the fact that the alumna of Global Girls, Inc. have gone on to be successful in their endeavors following their program participation. They have entered a variety of fields where they have been able to implement and utilize the leadership skills they developed as students in the program. They have secured advanced degrees and have entered careers where they are making an impact. Renowned actress Lena Dunham, crator and staf of the HBO series "Girls" selected Global Girls Inc., in 2017 as one of her chosen charities to support and to help advance. Additionally, the cast from Hamilton connected with the organization and conducted Master classes for the girls at the Global Girls, Inc. studio. Marvinetta's Global Girls, Inc. can be found on www.globalgirlsinc.org on Instagram @globalgirlsinc and Facebook. If you would like to make a contribution to the awesome work that Marvinetta is doing with Global Girls, Inc., please contact her on the website listed above.