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Attention All Moms - This Mothers Day let us help you protect your children under 18 with our exclusive Safeguard for Minors Progam visit

legalshieldassociate.com/idt/ccoggins

for details.

PS: Your never married children up to the age of 26 who live at home with you may also be entitled to certain benefits when combined with our other plans.

Good dads change your diaper when it’s messy.

Good dads buy you a basketball or football even before you’re six months old.

Good dads pick you up from your first day of kindergarten.

Good dads take off of work to see your first-grade Thanksgiving play.

Good dads read your favorite story to you, even though you’ve heard it 77 times before.

Good dads coach your soccer team even if he doesn’t   like soccer.

Good dads give you chicken-noodle soup when you’re sick.

Good dads spank your butt when you mouth-off to your mother.

Good dads help you with your homework, even if they don’t quite understand.

Good dads are patient.

Good dads always want the best for you.

Good dads never give up on you.

Good dads get up early to take you to your first job.

Good dads have talks with your teachers or coaches when they don’t treat you fairly.

Good dads tell their sons how to respect women.

Good dads tell their daughters to be careful of whom they trust.

Good dads teach their children to respect their elders.

Good dads teach their children to respect themselves.

Good dads tell you when you screw up.

Good dads teach you how to drive.

Good dads tell you to be careful.

Good dads show you how to change a flat tire.

Good dads come out in the rain at 2:00 o’clock in the morning to change your flat tire.

Good dads don’t seek your adulation or praise.  Taking care of you is their responsibility.

Good dads don’t always give you what you want, but always provide what you need.

Good dads tell you stories about your grandparents and your aunts and uncles.

Good dads explain that all blessings come from the Master Father.

Good dads always put their children first.

Good dads love their children unconditionally.

Good dads encourage their children to develop their mind, body, and spirit.

Good dads always love and respect the mother of their children.

Share with someone who needs to know.

“What Good Dads Do” video at SoulVisionTV.com

 I am so excited to share the first People Who Prosper Entrepreneur of 2013, Monique Muhammad. Her story is absolutely amazing and so moving. This woman has been through a lot but through it all has risen above it all. She is the owner of Code Pink Productions, a nonprofit  that is committed to helping community through the development of youth, low-income parents and raising funds for medical research. Her interview tells it all.  Enjoy reading about her journey to being a CEO.

1.Tell me your story. What were you doing before you started your own business?

I was working at the High School that I graduated from (Thornwood High School in South Holland, IL) as an In-School Suspension Supervisor, Substitute Algebra Teacher, Girls Basketball & Track Coach. While also working part-time in a Beauty Salon and having a home office Income Tax Preparation Business during income tax season. I also was a single foster parent to 2 girls 13 & 15 years old.

2. What made you want to start a business and what is your mission?

I became fed up with the politics that I was dealing with at the High School because I was so young, my Track team had received State Championships and my Basketball Team had made school and district history as being the first of the school and first Girls team of the district to make it down state so in my opinion a lot of why I was at the job had been done and even though I was there to help the children my spirit was being torn down by the system and it was no longer worth it. I had been there for 7 years, touched and helped many children and it was now time for me to put the businesses and skills that I had put in the background in the foreground. I opened my own Beauty Salon and took the Income Tax Preparation business to an outside office.  My mission was to provide all the things I felt was missing in these two industries, which was reliable, quality and professional service with integrity.

I was tired of women getting mistreated in Beauty Salons by going to stylist who did not respect their time and their environment who felt that because they provided good styling it was okay to have women waiting in a salon 4 or more hours for service that shouldn’t take more than 2 hours. Getting serviced in atmospheres where many times they did not feel safe because the owners did not ensure their rules were enforced.  The income tax preparation business was starting to be flooded with “Big Name” companies who could care less about the consumer they were only looking for customers they did not care if they were providing preparers who were knowledgeable and honest and they were charging sometimes 3 times the amount that I was providing the loans on the income tax payers own refund. I wanted to make sure that since I was also of this community I was treating my customer the way I wanted to be treated, I wanted to provide quality, educated, professional and ethical services at a fair price. I knew I may not reach millions quite as fast but I had my integrity and faith that I may crawl to get there but when I did arrive my conscience would be clear because I focused on ethics first before prosperity.

My Non-Profit organization was started at first to show that women could get along and accomplish something. It then took on a life of its own with my being a Breast Cancer Survivor, former educator and foster parent. Since I did not any longer work at the schools but knew how much I loved being an impact in the lives of young girls, I knew that this was also my passion. And since I did not want to go back into the school system I needed to do something to provide the same services to the girls as well as help as many low-income parents as I could. Being a foster parent I saw that many children were in the system because the parents didn’t have the tools or motivation to make a better life for themselves and their children.  I feel that if you help the parent you help the child and if you happen to get to the child after the fact we must teach them that they are only a product of their circumstances if they choose to be and you can choose to complain about the hand you are dealt or play it the best way possible. I have always chosen to play mine the best way possible.

Being a Breast Cancer Survivor I felt it would only make sense for my organization to also do things to raise funds for Cancer research amongst other illnesses that have taken the lives of those loved ones of the people in our organization or health issues that they are currently dealing with. Some people are just blessed with that fighter spirit and some have to be taught how to find it within them and that is what Code Pink Productions, Inc and the ladies involved are committed to doing.

3. What inspires you? What keeps you motivated daily to keep growing your business?

The fact that this young Black woman, raised by a single mother in one of the worse neighborhoods on the south side of Chicago could have graduated from High School received a Bachelor's degree, Cosmetology License, become an adoptive parent of 2 girls then have a biological child at 31, become a single parent, become diagnosed with Breast Cancer at 32, mom diagnosed with Colon Cancer just 1 week later, both go through Chemotherapy & Radiation while being Self-Employed and raising 3 Children, lose my mother 6 years later, receive my Masters Degree in Accounting 1 year after that and am now raising a 10-year-old daughter and God continues to wake me up daily to continue what I plan to do.

This all inspires me because as I approached each thing I had faith that if God gave me the goal he would also provide me with what I needed to accomplish it. As long as I didn't give up on him or myself.  I pray daily and ask him to continue to give me the strength to pursue my dreams and to wrap his arms around my businesses and keep them and me safe. Every idea I wake up with I act on and in doing that I continue to get confirmation that I am on the right path. I make sure that I take time for myself and my daughter to keep my mind and ideas fresh while always pushing 100% toward achieving my goals and building an empire that I can leave my daughter & granddaughter. That I am ensuring through their education that they are prepared to run and continue to grow in my absence.

4. Do you have a mentor? Who is it and why? Do you believe it's important to have one?

I had my mother up until age 39 because she has always been an entrepreneur just never accomplished all that I knew she could and now that she is gone I actually just make sure I watch and listen to Oprah's Life Class as well as all those successful African-Americans who are or have gained success in the way that I want. That is for the long-term and making sure that you help others as you help yourself. I always say you can tell if financial security is a Blessing or Curse by whether or not it brings out the Best or Worse in you. I know God has blessed me with a good heart and spirit I want that to continue on even once I gain the financial comfort I am striving for which is I why I listen to those who I feel have accomplished that in the same way. "What does it profit you to gain the Whole World and lose your Soul?" I believe is it important to have one because none of us know everything and for me having older people who I can gain knowledge based on experience is a factor that keeps me pushing.

5. What would you tell someone who wants to get involved in your line of business  but doesn't know how to get started?

Well right now I am currently a Cosmetologist with a Salon Suite in Texas (The Yeshe' Salon), an Accountant with an Income Tax Prep business (JPTS Tax Pros), President of an Non-Profit Organization (Code Pink Productions, Inc.) and lastly just became a partner in a Luxury Virgin Human Hair line(Ziye' Luxury Human Hair Extensions). So with all that being said I would say have a passion for the things that you aspire to do. If you have a passion you will never give up and that eventually means the money will come. Passion also ensures that you will love the fight for achieving success in something that you are truly passionate about.  Once the passion is there, do research, consult others in that industry and in business as a whole, never think you know it all because you can always learn from someone and once you know what it is you want to accomplish never give up until you do. I am just blessed to be passionate and talented in 3 areas and because of that I push to be successful in all of those areas. I know I may reach each one at a time but I know because I am passionate about them all success is guaranteed no matter how long it may take because the will and desire exist.

6. What advice would you give to someone with an entrepreneurial spirit?

Believe in yourself and your God gifted talent and desire He has given you, Once that is done you will know that you have the ability to accomplish any and everything you set out to accomplish as long as even when obstacles come in your way you know that they are nothing but Challenges for a Champion! How strong we are is determined by how much we had to go through or fight to achieve all that you set out to. I get discouraged often but I also know that with my life I was put here to allow my test to be testimonies to the strength that God blesses us with to survive and accomplish any and everything that we desire.

7. How can people get involved to help your non-profit?

By donating monetary amounts on our Facebook Page www.facebook.com/codepinkproductions  email codepinkproductions@gmail.com and if you are in the Dallas area we are looking for professional women all professions or women with a story of turning tragedy into triumph to volunteer to help us with our mentoring programs for at risk girls, young girls and low-income single women.  Monetary amounts will help us with many of our mentoring programs through sports, workshops and our annual Breast Cancer Research fundraiser in honor of myself and my mother.

Thank you Monique for sharing your story of faith, courage and success. Please support Monique’s nonprofit and Breast Cancer patients everywhere.

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Be someone’s motivation and tell us your story! To be featured on PeopleWhoProsper.com email Tamara@garrisonprosperitysolutions.com. Put PEOPLEWHOPROSPER in the subject line and share a little about yourself.

People Who Prosper is pleased to announce our new segment, A Day in the Life of... Series.  In addition to featuring successful business persons, we will be featuring work-from-home business owners, chronicling a typical day in their life. This segment is to help those CURIOUS and perhaps INTERESTED in a career change. 

Our first A Day in the Life of… feature entrepreneur is Shakirah Karim. She is a Seacret Agent by day..and by night. Shakirah is a successful distributor with Seacret Direct. Seacret Direct started about two years ago, branching off of their kiosks in malls. Shakirah and her partner Felipe have jumped right in and are steadily moving up the ranks. 007 couldn’t touch her as she rises to the top in this company.  So, watch your back as you read A Day in the Life of…Shakirah Karim, Seacret Agent. 

1. What do you do and how long have you been self-employed ?

My background is in public relations/Marketing and I'm currently a partner in a few small businesses. I've been self-employed as a network marketer for 6 years and for the past 2 years my main focus has been as a SEACRET Agent, an independent partner within the community of Seacret: an established retail brand now converted into a network business model. 

2. How did you find your business and what made you decide to become self-employed?

I was introduced to SEACRET by a few close friends. They had been inspired by products and had come up with a new concept that would redefine the Seacret brand. They developed a system where instead of chasing people at the mall through high pressured kiosk sales, they could WOW them in the comforts of their own home. Today, with still less than 30,000 agents within the entire company (US, Canada, Mexico, South Korea) and more international capabilities there is so much more growth we're going to experience and those that take action and position themselves  now while we're doing less than $5 million a month will be reaping the many rewards once we reach $100 million mark! 

3. What are your daily success, productive, personal development and/or family routines? Explain a day in your life: Morning. Afternoon. Evening.

My daily routine consists of waking up, walking my dog, reading a few pages of the Bible. Then I spend 30-45 minutes doing personal development, I just finished reading Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude by Napolean Hill and I've just started reading The Leader Within by John C Maxwell. I try to make it to the gym at least 4 times in the week. I make sure I start my day off right and continue to working on myself inside and out. Creating good habits like these help you develop in business and in other areas of your life. The remainder of my day consists of a mixture of sharing the products with new people and helping new agents launch their business and helping them with their WOW parties.  I work Seacret on a full-time basis so I will have 1-2 WOW parties a day. The majority of people who work with us are on a part-time basis, doing maybe 1 WOW party a week. I'm on a leadership hunt, we're less than 25,000 agents, the top money earners coming out of Seacret haven't even heard of this opportunity yet. 

4. What are the biggest challenges in your business operations?

The biggest challenge that I face would have to be MINDSET. It's something that we all struggle with not only in business, in our faith, in our life. What's interesting, is it’s also the only thing we have control over. I can't control what others are going to do or not do. But I can control how I feel, how I react and what action I take. I continue to work on keeping a positive forward thinking mindset. For the first time I've found a passion and purpose in what I’m doing and I’m confident on where it will take me and my family. Never forgetting where I've come from, I'm focused on where I'm going and how many people I can take with me. 

5. What keeps you motivated to work from home or stay self-employed and not get an everyday J.O.B.?

I'm motivated by the future of this company. Seacret was a $800 Million powerhouse and to be a part of that moving over to the relationship marketing space has been amazing. What motivates me is that fact that we have WOW products that shows results, it's sold in over 40 countries, and has only been open for less than 2 years. The timing of the company has made me want to work even harder. There's no other industry that can provide me unlimited income potential and time freedom. And with Seacret I've been able to help other people realize their goals and dreams as well, because it's not just what you do in your life but how many other people you can effect as well.

6. What advice would you give to someone looking to be self-employed?

What I love about this business is that it's meant to be built part-time. You should be working full-time on your job and part-time on your fortune (your business). I think self-employment is the key to freedom. Having a part-time home based business that pays can give the average person choices. If you find the right venture and follow a proven system that part-time business could do anything from cover the bills to pay for that vacation or even completely transform your life financially. Once the income from your part-time business outweighs your full-time income you have reached freedom. Then you are in a position to choose where you want to spend your time. When deciding to start/open a business do your research, find something that will give you exponential return. With respect to network marketing if you want to build true leverage invest in a venture where there's still an opportunity for growth and not in a company that has an already well established distribution. Mark Twain once said that success was simple: "Find out where everyone is going and then get there first."

Website: www.seacretdirect.com/deadsea
Email: kirahjoy@hotmail.com

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If you would be interested in being feature in our A Day in the Life of.... Series, please email Tamara@garrisonprosperitysolutions.com with a synopsis of your journey to working at home.

Happy Monday,  I am finishing up the seven (7) day challenge and I am focused and ignited to walk this thing out.  I am propped up in my bed foot in a boot with 3 pillows under and working to get through this transition more effectively and effciently..

Mrs Henry...has been significant force in helping me when everything is aching, motivating me when I think Im Tooo OLD or Tooo Tired, She sets the standard that lets us all know that if you get enough information and combine a focused work-ethic, you can obtain goal of success via the internet... 

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Have you had that feeling of "envy" rearing it's jealous head when you come across a friend, peer or colleague who has accomplished something you have LONGED desired? What is so different about them than you? How come they have been able to make it happen and you haven't? What is their secret?

I attempt to answer this question in this video...the answer may surprise you

I WAS THAT GIRL...THE ONE WHO THOUGHT SHE HAD TO FIX EVERYTHING, CONTROL EVERY OUTCOME AND JUST BE IN CONTROL ALL THE TIME. Until I had a revelation...FEAR is a manmade myth and that when I learn to LET GO I gain control...enjoy the blog post below where I share my insight into my revelation and how you can uncover the same journey for yourself. ~Katrina

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I started my day as normal, clear focused intentions, meditation time and time to give thanks. I’m ready to hit my day swinging focusing on my W.I.N. and making things happen because that’s what creatives do. Then it hit me….my video camera battery was completely out and the video I needed to record early this morning to send to my list for registration to my 21 Day challenge was already 3 hours late. My kids were in full fledge “mommy! mommy!” mode and I felt the twinge of “ugh” reach my belly – an all to familiar feeling of…”FEAR”

I know the signs…frustration, annoyance “why didn’t I charge the camera up last night!!!” and even the feeling of putting off my objective for today for another day (procrastination). ALL the ugly signs of FEAR that in the past would mean I would find myself “fighting” to get through the day, needing to make sacrifices instead of choices. I wasn’t having it…afterall I wrote the book on learning to “let go” and Embrace the real journey of your life. No way I was going to start tripping today.

Instead I did what I have learned to do…I told FEAR to buzz off…in my Martin Lawrence voice I told it to “Get to Steppin’” because I know now that FEAR isn’t real. It’s a manufactured emotion we’ve created when the perception of the world doesn’t happen the way we “think” it should. In other words…I ignored the fear and instead found courage to make a different choice.

Why is Fear a Myth?

It would take me an entire book to explain how I have come and am still evolving to learn that FEAR is a big ole nasty myth that we’ve all purchased, but to put it in few words. Fear is a myth because all that there is is LOVE and ABUNDANCE. We’ve been conditioned to accept fear because we have also been conditioned that we cannot control but should fight to control everything.  You know…the client that doesn’t respond to the email fast enough or even the partner that doesn’t seem to “get” your point of view in business or maybe the product launch that isn’t selling. We feel as though we have to fight every battle in life…with only a few worth fighting. All those creepy thoughts that love to remind you that ‘fear” is a constant thing we must FIGHT-{a daily battle of external manifestations that don’t add up to our PERCEPTION of the world}. The constant reminder of Fear that we’re not good enough, smart enough, have enough money, our kids don’t do enough or fear that we’re not working hard enough to push past generational curses that we are determined not to repeat. So we MUST fight.

Continue to read the full Blog post here...

Cheryl Garrison

http://www.topleaderstraining.com/

http://www.mytopleaders.com

In honor of Mother’s Day on May 13, 2012, I would like to dedicate this post to my mother, Cheryl Garrison. In my interviews to business owners for PeopleWhoProsper.com, one of the questions I ask is, “Do you have a mentor? Who is it and why?” Commonly, the answer is the entrepreneur’s mother OR they will definitely mention their mother as an inspiration and/or help in their business; someone they can call on for advice.

Fortunately for myself, my mother is actually a business woman herself.  Therefore, I am able to confide in my mom on a personal and professional level. She is truly my inspiration, mentor and accountability partner to keep me on my toes. It is very rare that I make a business decision without consulting my mom.  I mean, why wouldn’t I? She has been in business for HERSELF for over 25 years JUST to take care of my siblings and me when we started school. I truly admire her for that. Even now, she continues to build successful businesses; mentoring women and helping people live a healthier life. I hope to make my child as proud of me as I am of my mom. She has made so many sacrifices in her life for her kids and sometimes we just need to recognize our mothers for that. That’s why I love Mother’s Day. It’s a chance to really thank your mother for all that she has done (whether living or in heaven). So, as we approach this day, I want to encourage you to continue to ask your mom for her advice and take it. Most times, it’s the best advice you will get!

"A  mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon   us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice   with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still   will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to   dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our   hearts."

~ Washington   Irving

Tamara Garrison-Thomas

 www.garrisonprosperitysolutions.com

 www.busy925.com

On March 8 of every year the world comes together to celebrate women's economic, political and social achievements. March is also Women's History Month. As you go through the day, take time to remember all the women that came before you and made it possible for us to own businesses. Think of the women that made it possible for us to go to work. Many strides have been made for women and it wasn't that long ago. A lot still has to be done but we are definitely on a roll. So, today remember those women and keep striving towards making your mark on the world. How are you going to do that? What are you doing today in your business to make your mark?

Women are leaders everywhere you look--from the CEO who runs a Fortune 500 company to the housewife who raises her children and heads her household. Our country was built by strong women and we will continue to break down walls and defy stereotypes. ~Nancy Pelosi

Tamara Garrison-Thomas

www.garrisonprosperitysolutions.com

www.busy925.com

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