young (10)

Helping Youth at Risk and the Young at heart

I have been gone for awhile as I was concentrating on a new challenge.  We started with DJs Unique Sound & Entertainment which was established to help local artist brand themselves and gain exposure through social media.  We have expanded and are extremely excited to announce....DJs Unique Sound Charities.  DJs Unique Charities is a non profit in Phoenix, Arizona.  Our ultimate goal is to obtain a motor home and to convert it into a mobile recording studio. Our mission is to help youth by giving them a way to express themselves in a positive way through music and photography instead of negatively in the streets.  It has been a slow start, however, believe in what we are doing and we know our work will help build up self esteem and self worth.  If we can make a difference in one person's life, all the work is worth what we put into it.  We are always looking for suggestions/help.

Diana Jones

DJs Unique Sound Charities

DJsUniqueSound@aol.com

DJs Unique Sound Charities

Read more…

My gift to the young women of the world

10744063683?profile=originalIt's here, it’s done and I’m so excited. I’m sharing my excitement and sense of accomplishment to inspire, motivate and encourage each and everyone of you.

I’m excited because I’m sharing knowledge that has opened doors for me, knowledge that has put me before great leaders. Knowledge that has changed my life and now I’m given the opportunity to share this knowledge with young women around the world!
Other authors in the book include Sharon H. Hill, Phyllis Clark and Tracey M. Booker to name a few.

Excerpt from "A Guide for African American Girls:
Why Grace and Charm?
Getting along with family, friends, enjoying dates, doing well in school, preparing for the future – these are the things that matter most to young girls. Social skills are the foundation of today’s girls personal and career development. It is therefore important for girls to acquire and learn how to apply social living skills on their road to success.
Sugar and spice and everything nice, is that what little girls are made of? What an awesome time to be a girl! The possibilities are endless. A girl today can become the President of the United States, an astronaut or anything in between.
Today’s girls have so many pressures...they want to fit in, achieve, compete with boys and live up to societies expectations of what and who she should be. Pressures from the media can also hinder a girls self-perception, especially when she doesn’t feel she is pretty, popular, talented or socially accepted.


This chapter is designed to lay the foundations and ABC’s toward:


• A healthy, positive self-image that fills one’s life with confidence and develops one’s leadership skills


• Etiquette and social graces that ensures one’s continued success


• Self-esteem, academics, and positive behavior
You can learn how to make more friends, get along with family member AND be more attractive to others – all with The Power of Grace and Charm.

With proper etiquette and a polished image you can achieve anything you want in life – increased income, freedom, the lifestyle of your dreams, influence and the ability to persuade others.
Whatever it is you are inspiring to do, you can do it with ‘Grace and Charm.’
Pre-order your copy now @ www.pwnbooks.com and give a young girl the gift of ‘Grace and Charm.’ Encourage and empower her to know she is worth and deserving of the best. Available June 28, 2011.

Read more…

Teen Girls Need L.O.V.E.

S. Dodson

Rating: 5

 

This self help book provides insightful nuggets of information that teen girls from every age, race and background will be able to relate to. The book is written in a very relatable manner and covers everything from peer pressure, to bullying, to teenage pregnancy, to self love.

 

In a day and age where negative influences are in abundance, a book like this one is absolutely necessary. There are pressures that mount up on teens that if not handled could cause a daunting demise. A few years ago I was told about a young girl who had committed suicide because of things she was going through. She felt like she had no one to talk to an eventually took her life for that very reason. I wrote a book inspired behind that incident called “Sweet Dreams” and in reading this book it took me back to the emotions I felt during the time that I was writing that book. I really wished that that young woman had a chance to read this book. Had she done so then perhaps she would still be among the living and used her strength to tell her own story to other teens as to how she was able to overcome.

 

This is a book that I believe every parent of a young lady should own. Sometimes they just need to know that someone else has been there and done that in order for them to feel strong enough to talk about the pressures that they have to endure. Often adults think that children don’t have anything to worry about because they don’t have bills, they don’t have to worry about jobs, money, etc. Little do we know that there is so much more to being a teen now a days. In this book the teens learn how to empower, inspire and motivate themselves to get on the right path. There were some minor editing concerns, however all in all this is definitely a recommended read. For teens to it will allow them to find ways to over achieve. For parents, it will allow them to find ways to relate. There is nothing better than building a bridge to close the gap!

 

Reviewed by:

Nikkea Smithers

RWA Bookclub President

rwabookclub@yahoo.com

www.rwabookclub.com

Read more…

My gift to the young women of the world

10744063683?profile=originalIt's here, it’s done and I’m so excited. I’m sharing my excitement and sense of accomplishment to inspire, motivate and encourage each and everyone of you.

I’m excited because I’m sharing knowledge that has opened doors for me, knowledge that has put me before great leaders. Knowledge that has changed my life and now I’m given the opportunity to share this knowledge with young women around the world!
Other authors in the book include Sharon H. Hill, Phyllis Clark and Tracey M. Booker to name a few.

Excerpt from "A Guide for African American Girls:
Why Grace and Charm?
Getting along with family, friends, enjoying dates, doing well in school, preparing for the future – these are the things that matter most to young girls. Social skills are the foundation of today’s girls personal and career development. It is therefore important for girls to acquire and learn how to apply social living skills on their road to success.
Sugar and spice and everything nice, is that what little girls are made of? What an awesome time to be a girl! The possibilities are endless. A girl today can become the President of the United States, an astronaut or anything in between.
Today’s girls have so many pressures...they want to fit in, achieve, compete with boys and live up to societies expectations of what and who she should be. Pressures from the media can also hinder a girls self-perception, especially when she doesn’t feel she is pretty, popular, talented or socially accepted.


This chapter is designed to lay the foundations and ABC’s toward:


• A healthy, positive self-image that fills one’s life with confidence and develops one’s leadership skills


• Etiquette and social graces that ensures one’s continued success


• Self-esteem, academics, and positive behavior
You can learn how to make more friends, get along with family member AND be more attractive to others – all with The Power of Grace and Charm.

With proper etiquette and a polished image you can achieve anything you want in life – increased income, freedom, the lifestyle of your dreams, influence and the ability to persuade others.
Whatever it is you are inspiring to do, you can do it with ‘Grace and Charm.’
Pre-order your copy now @ www.pwnbooks.com and give a young girl the gift of ‘Grace and Charm.’ Encourage and empower her to know she is worth and deserving of the best. Available June 28, 2011.

Read more…

For teenagers and young adults coming up in today’s hip hop generation, You Got Next is a must read!

It deals with the teen related subjects of drugs, sex, peer pressure, goals and dreams, faith, surviving the streets and more! When itcomes to surviving the potholes and obstacles of the streets and growing up asan African American teenager, Kamal Imani knows what’s up and brings it to youwith real talk!

This is the perfect book to get the conversation started or to get you reflecting on your own life because You Got Next!

You Got Next also contains some of Kamal Imani’s poetic works.

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1460505

Read more…

Posted by Anita Moore http://www.girl-friends.ning.com

When should you give your kids a credit card? Should you wait until they're 18 and off to college? Or is younger better? This can be an explosive topic for parents, many of whom have very strong ideas about what's best for their teens when it comes to credit. A new ABC News poll found that 71 percent of parents are opposed to giving kids a credit card before the age of 18, even one that has a restricted balance and is linked to a parent's account."GMA" assembled a roundtable of moms and dads with children between 8 and 17, who were passionately divided about the topic. Some said children need to have access to credit to learn how to use it safely, while others were adamantly opposed to the idea. Most parents agree that kids should learn to save and budget and should earn their own money. But when adults are struggling with their own credit along with the increasing and complex material needs of children, it can be difficult to decide when to help them get plastic. What's the Appropriate Age? Mellody Hobson disagrees with the majority in the ABC News poll, and advises getting your child a credit card linked to your account at 16. She thinks 18 is too late because, at that point, you no longer have total control over your child's spending and credit habits. Parents should look at 16 as a milestone age, she says. We already equate turning 16 with getting a driver's license, 18 with the right to vote and 21 with the right to drink. Make 16 the age you start teaching your child about financial independence and responsibility. Benefits of Giving Your Teen a Card-You Can Monitor and Control Activity A credit card can give you some control over your child's spending and credit management skills, especially before they go off to college, Hobson says. You can discuss with them the proper way to use credit before they get a card of their own, kind of like credit with training wheels. You get to see all of your child's transactions in your monthly statement if they are an authorized user on your card, and you will be able to better recognize any impending issues and problems they might develop in the future. MY VIEWS: View the video and tell me what you think? Personally this has made me recognize that I can handle finances with my sixteen year old son differently. I’ve been holding a credit/debit card for him and when he gets paid, I would take a few dollars from him and match it and put it on his debit card for when he started college, but now I see that I need to give him the card so that he can learn how to handle his credit himself. Even though I still feel a child shouldn’t get a credit card until he has a job, this is a good eye opener. What’s your opinion? Kids Won't Have to Carry a Lot of Cash There's one other really big advantage to giving your 16-year-old a credit card, Hobson says. By giving your child a card, you're making sure they will not be carrying a ton of cash which can be very unsafe for them.

Read more…
There was a time when I used to be amazed at the number of seemingly grown men who were unwilling to be responsible for their own lives and for those of the families they made. Like everyone else, I’ve seen the increasing dismal statistics of fatherlessness in the American community. I would even go so far as to say there is pandemic manlessness as well. Men in our extended families are also becoming increasingly rare. What seems to be commonplace now are families with lots of women, young children, and old men. Young men are few and far between – and getting fewer all the time.Many women have rushed to blame the men for this. After all, ultimately it is their choice to leave; their choice to follow the examples, or the lack thereof, that preceded them. These are grown men and entirely accountable for their action and/or inaction – granted.However, I submit to you that many women – particularly many single mothers – are in the deepest denial about their contribution to this pandemic. In their zeal to raise good sons they have often neglected to raise responsible men who would actually be suitably productive husbands and fathers. So many single mothers, mothering from the own pains and issues, often deliberately or incidentally surrogate their children into “pseudo-spouses”. In the process, these children often receive severely mixed messages. On the one hand, they are constantly reminded of how much they resemble all the worst traits in their fathers. On the other, their mothers are quick to lay guilt trips on them if they dare to establish an independent identity or a different significant female relationship. These boys get angry and resentful, so the mother’s remedy is often to indulge them. They are rewarded with material things in return for their faithfulness to fulfilling their mother’s wishes.And so the cycle continues until the sex drive takes over. Now, these same young men start “mating and procreating” with no significant grasp of the level of responsibility that creates. However, thinking that they do, they often “try” to be there. That usually lasts until he gets overwhelmed and/or it’s not fun anymore. She wakes up one day without him; and grandma is raising babies once again. Why? Because we have spawned yet another generation of people who believe the universe exists solely to serve them. If it doesn’t, then there is clearly something wrong with the universe – it couldn’t possibly be something wrong with them. We’ve created yet another generation of perfect pimps and then we get mad at them when they behave accordingly. We often create the monsters that come back to kill us.How do we stop it? Here are three things we can do: 1) Put them out of their parents’ house by age 21 – sooner if they don’t go to college at 18; 2) stop letting them have sex in a home they don’t have a lease/mortgage on; and 3) stop letting them move their girlfriends into that same house.Brain surgery – it is not!Speaking the truth in love,Deidre
Read more…

LETS PLAY THE NAME GAME

How in the world do people come up with clever and catchy business names? For months now I have been trying to come up with a name for my new business. Next to doing my business plan (which I am still working on) this has got to be one of the most frustrating things to do. Well for me anyway. I thought this would be the easiest part of it all. But who was I kidding.I have tried different variations of things. I tried using my name (which just may be my best option) but it is not original enough, nor is it that catchy. I tried to think of some sort of catchy name that has to do with events and entertainment but everything that I can think of, is already being used. ; Anything that is worth using, anyway. And if it is not already being used, it has too many words and syllables in it. No one wants to say a mouthful just to say a business’s name. I tried to get some advice from friends and family members but they don’t take my business seriously enough to give me a name worth a second thought. What is a girl to do?I really can’t make any steps forward with out finalizing my name first. I cannot get incorporated. I can’t do a logo or a slogan. I can’t make flyers or build a website. I can’t build advertising banners or anything that needs to be done to make my business successful. I will not even be able to do something as simple as get business cards.Now I started using the name Black Dress Entertainment. The first time I said the name, immediately I thought of a funeral engagement. Other than that initial thought, I really do like the name. It has a classy feel to it but I am not sure if it is what I really want. When I Google the name I get a million responses. It’s only when I put quotation marks around it like “black dress entertainment” I get about 30 responses back. Which is good, right? Honestly this is the name that I am leaning towards but I want to be sure. I need to make sure of it before I have all my business cards and logo designed and decide not to use it again. That would be killer.I also looked at calling the company Word of Mouth Events, but that name or saying is in everyone’s mouth and they wouldn’t only be talking about my company. They would be talking about any and everything worth talking about. And that Google search brings up even more responses. HOLY COW! I want my name to stand out and only get about maybe 150 responses (still a lot but a whole lot better than a million).I just don’t know what to do. I want a name that when you hear it, you know exactly what we are about. But I also don’t want it to be to long or complicated where people get frustrated just saying it or try to make up their own acronyms for it. I want something that is happy and brings thoughts of joy and excitement to every ones minds. Not something that is dark and gloomy and may have you thinking about anything else but happy times. I look at all the businesses on my favorite sites, BBWO (black business women online) and SUN (start up nation), and just about everyone has a catchy business name that suites their company. The only ones that don’t are the ones named after the business owners.Everyone keeps saying just relax and let the name come to you. It has been months now and it hasn’t come to me yet. How long am I to wait for a name to come to me? Seven months, 12 months, 2 years, who knows? And what if it comes to me in a dream? Being that I am not the kind of person who remembers any of my dreams, that wouldn’t help me at all either.I am being patient though and considering all my options so that I can have the best possible name. Hopefully it will not be before long that I would have a company name…HOPEFULLY. Keep your fingers crossed!!!!Any suggestions?
Read more…
Does your product or service target women or the urban community? Do you need exposure at a affordable price?BBWO members because of your continued support we are offering 80% off of our advertising pricing and have $5, $10 & $15 advertising packages available for you. Why? Because it was through BBWO that we have met the most inspiring and helpful fellow small business owners who have truly stood behind Empress.Email advertising@empressmag.com for more info for your ad to be featured in our weekly newsletter reaching thousands of our readers and our online platforms, www.empressmag.com and www.empress-socialclub.com. (We also can design ads for as little as $10 if needed)LOVE + POWER + RESPECTEMPRESS MAGAZINE
Read more…
During the month of April, Alive Incorporated launched its Pay It Forward Program. The mission of this program is to assist aspiring entrepreneurs in making their dreams a reality, providing our clients with the tools necessary to earn the financial independence they always dreamed of.For a six month period, the team at Alive Incorporated will work with clients for 1 -2 hours a week. This is time will be used to advise clients on their business plan, marketing strategy, and goal development. Coaching is provided to clients as they complete the tasks necessary to achieve their goals.Our first client to take advantage of our new program is Courtney R. Franklin, CEO of Moving Young Ladies Forward (“MYLF”). The Alive Incorporated team will be working with Courtney to position her organization for continued success.To learn more about Moving Young Ladies Forward, visit http://guideourgirls.ning.com/.To learn more about our Pay It Forward Program, please email us at coach@aliveincorporated.com.
Read more…

Blog Topics by Tags

Monthly Archives