Author: Deja

Mercedes Johnson Goes Viral for Ripping the Band-aid off of Salary Negotiation

What seemed like a simple learning ‘lesson’ on Facebook would turn into a worldwide uproar on social media for Mercedes Johnson. A simple post she made on her lunch break would change her entire life in only two hours. The post that originated on Facebook found its way onto Twitter, Reddit, and several social platforms—which opened up an explicit discussion on salary negotiation and the public’s sentiments about recruiters. 

Mercedes Johnson, who describes herself as a family-oriented, fun-loving faithfluencer, was offered a position in recruiting fresh out of high school and was able to work her way up fast through the ranks. The freelance recruiter would go on to work for some of the most prestigious corporations offering her expertise as a liaison within the hiring process.

The talent acquisition consultant that once lived a quiet life would soon garner the attention of the world with her controversial insight into salary negotiation. Her post (pictured left) would go on to explain how she gave a candidate what she offered versus what the budget allowed- which left a bad taste in the mouths of many. The post would go on to receive 35k+ retweets, 215k+ likes, and 2332K+ comments after the comment made its way from platform to platform and country to country. 

The conversation opened the door for various perspectives on the topic among those who were upset that she allegedly “lowballed” the candidate, while others felt that accountability shouldn’t have been solely based on Mercedes, and she should not be attacked for her opinionated social post. There were also plenty of stories told of those who were triggered by the situation. This backlash would cause the freelancer to be a social media outcast and lose various corporate contracts.

Mercedes Johnson, Corporate Talent Acquisition Consultant

Within a short period of time, she issued a statement in an attempt to provide clarification, but many still were not pleased. In the post, she states, “The purpose of that post was to empower others to not end up like this particular candidate. I want people to know their worth.” Since then, Mercedes has offered an exclusive interview via her YouTube Channel addressing the controversy. Her goal was to “shed light on the intent of the post, clean up inaccuracies, and  ultimately to clear the air.

The video has helped turn some of the chatter in a different direction, but there are individuals that are still not pleased that continue to brutalize Mercedes through commentary about her size, perceived lack of experience, and other irrelevant subjects. It is on record that one unhappy follower posted her home address, prompting hundreds of letters arriving at her door. 

For Mercedes, there is hope that everyone can learn and grow from the situation and that candidates have more insight into the hiring process so that they can advocate for themselves. She insists that she has taken all of the commentaries into account and is processing the experience as a learning experience through the rest of her twenties. 

View the full interview here: Mercedes Johnson Formally Addressing The viral Social Media Post!

Hot Coffee Brings New Taste to Coffee and Cryptocurrency Markets

Hot Coffee is the newest coffee brand bringing a new flavor with cryptocurrency. Atlanta’s very own community pillar, Katerina Taylor joined forces with serial entrepreneur and former corporate executive Brad Hill to develop the first “Coffee and Crypto” brand of its kind.

Headquartered in Grove Park, the double minority-owned retailer is dedicated to enhancing the daily coffee experience with their premium gourmet roasts. With a wide range of flavor options catering to every coffee lover, Hot Coffee is establishing itself as Atlanta’s home team choice for coffee.

Business is not new to the Hot Coffee duo as they both have many years in prestigious leadership roles. Over the last 20 years, Katerina gained experience in executive leadership and has a proven track record in the workforce and economic development sector. She previously served as VP with SunTrust Bank, now Truist; and is the former president of the DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce, in which she was the first female to hold that position. Complementary to Katerina’s leadership, Brad brings experience as both a compliance director and director of operations where he oversaw the Information Security Program for Federal contracts. With their commonality in leadership, travel, and coffee, they created their steaming imprint, Hot Coffee.

Founders Katerina Taylor and Brad Hill

Hot Coffee specializes in premium gourmet coffee from select growing regions of Africa and Central and South America. The simple yet innovative moniker, Hot Coffee, is a testament to the company’s mission of “gourmet simplified,” and is the way many describe the fuel that kick starts their day. Their seven times micro-roasted whole beans allow Hot Coffee to preserve the integrity and quality of every bean, creating the perfect brew, every time. The current line includes whole and ground beans in Decaf, Light, Medium, and Dark roasts.

Katerina and Brad’s business idea was fitting for the times—because as the global health crisis cases rose, so did the consumption of coffee. Katerina states, “I read that 166 million bags of coffee were sold during 2020 and 2021.” While coffee was definitely being roasted, sold, and consumed, emerging at the height of a global pandemic did pose challenges. The pair were unable to physically connect with coffee suppliers; however, the determined business partners were able to virtually conduct thorough research on coffee consumption habits, the morning beverage market, cryptocurrency phenomenon, and identifying suitable roasters.

With the future of purchasing power shifting, Hot Coffee decided to position itself ahead of the curve by incorporating a cryptocurrency component into its purchasing experience. By allowing customers to purchase Hot Coffee through the Coinbase e-commerce platform, they are taking the customer’s first approach and eliminating the proverbial middleman merchant. This initiative also makes Hot Coffee the first African American coffee brand to use cryptocurrency as its primary method of payment. While they are not experts, they understand being curious and staying updated on current trends will allow them to stay atop current financial trends and provide the best customer experience.

The Hot Coffee executives keep the pulse on consumer preferences as Brad states, “having others enjoy our product is rewarding because “their validation of the product quality aligns with our commitment to using the highest quality ingredients.”

Being a business with two owners, their different leadership styles create the perfect blend for their day-to-day operations.

With an official launch set for February 2022 in honor of Black History Month, coffee lovers can expect to get their hands on the anticipated brews. The Atlanta-based retailer is proud of its roots and wants to be synonymous with the city. They also hope to partner with some of Atlanta’s most respected brands including American Express, Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta Airport, cool local artists as well as retailers like Target, Savvy Provisions, Whole Foods, Microsoft, and more! With so many exciting things brewing, patrons have a lot to look forward to with Hot Coffee.

To keep up with Hot Coffee, follow @lovehotcoffee on social media. To connect with Hot Coffee for vendor opportunities and to learn more by visiting their website at www.lovehotcoffee.com and emailing them at [email protected]

First Class Learning Academy: Advancing the Community One Learner at a Time

Using her God-given talent, American educator Jessica Jones has been helping students excel in math since she was a teenager. Now, with over 5 years of experience, Jessica has helped aspiring learners go to war against one of the world’s most feared academic subjects,  mathematics. 

Since its inception in 2017, First Class Learning Academy has helped students with weaknesses in all core subjects.  2021’s data analysis shows Jessica’s students have shown drastic improvements academically–with some students catapulting whole letter grades in their desired subjects.  

Jones is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, and has always been passionate about education. She states, “I have been passionate about education for as long as I can remember.” The importance of education was instilled in Jessica by her loving parents. In her own academic journey, Jessica always excelled in mathematics. She was even offered the opportunity to advance grade levels twice during her formative school years.

She honed in on her passion by obtaining her degree in Business Administration, concentrating in management. Jessica’s postgraduate education includes a Master’s degree in Education specializing in Mathematics and Art and Teaching, specializing in Instructional Design and Technology. She is also certified in Youth Mentorship and Life Coaching for those ages 12-30.

Headquartered in California, First Class Learning Academy (FCLA) is a virtual Mathematics academy catering to students who need help in foundation-level mathematics concepts. Promoting a one-on-one environment, Jessica developed a curriculum focused on improving her students’ weaknesses and raising their current grades by one whole grade level. She also provides group learning sessions and creative learning plans. She has been acknowledged for her endeavors, receiving the Outstanding African-American Educators Award in 2019 and the Teachers Excellence Award in 2015.

The imprint was born from a vision while tutoring her peers in high school. Despite having a strong desire to open her academy, Jessica decided to teach in the traditional school system, which would later foreshadow Jessica’s future.

While in the school system, Jessica tried to birth her vision of a learning academy through the school. Unfortunately, the project did not go far as she says,trying to perform your vision under someone else’s organization is a challenge. They didn’t see the vision, so it became short-lived.” This sparked her entrepreneurial spirit stating, if I can get past the frustrations of the ‘no’ then I could do it for myself, but at least the vision is still there. After attending a vision board party in 2016, Jessica officially decided to stop fighting her calling and begin plans to launch First Class Learning Academy.

Jessica believes FCLA stands out from its competition because of the interpersonal skills built into the program. As both a virtual learner and educator, Jessica is well versed in online learning and can give insight into the ins and outs. Being a traditional educator and a virtual educator Jessica says the only difference is tactics; however, her expectations of her students are the same. Jessica finds virtual learning beneficial because she has one-on-one time with her students, eliminating any embarrassment they may feel and allowing flexibility as students can access their lessons anywhere.

With education being an ever-changing sector, Jessica tries to keep up with changes by participating in interviews. This allows her to see what questions are asked and what educational professionals are looking for. Jessica’s inspiration stems from wanting to change the community one learner at a time; and help others break past their stigmas. Jessica would tell other entrepreneurs and educators to “stick with it. It’s not easy, but it is worth the one person willing to connect with you.”

In the future, Jessica plans to create education consultation contracts for organizations and provide group tutoring for those organizations. She hopes to expand her staff at FCLA and expand her offerings. Client’s can expect new divisions such as the health and wellness division, which focuses on the mind, body, and soul, and a travel division. FCLA is also planning a summer boot camp and award ceremony to highlight their clients. With all of these fun projects in the works, Jessica’s clients will be sure to receive a first-class experience.

To keep up with First Class Academy, follow their social media @1stClass_Services and message Jessica on Linkedin HERE.

Keith C. Swift: How Fatal Attraction Became Babyface

Down to earth and multi-talented are just a couple of ways to describe the global figure and newly minted actor, Keith C. Swift. A Detroit native, this well-versed gentleman is debunking all the major misconceptions of exotic dancing through his personal experience and debut role on BET+. 

The Detroit native is known for his spicy role in the BET+ hit series, All the Queen’s Men alongside Eva Marcille, Skyh Alvester Black, and Candace Maxwell. Coming from humble beginnings, Keith describes Detroit as a tough city where many have a “crabs in a barrel” mentality.  However, he states through its ups and downs, “I wouldn’t want to have grown up anywhere else.” While in college, Keith was exposed to male exotic dancing which would foreshadow where he is today. In fact, on the show, women in dominant, HBIC roles is one of the points that drew him to the show. 

Being in a profession that many would criticize, Keith, better known in the industry as ‘Fatal Attraction’ was able to set himself apart from stereotypes and succeed. His career as an exotic dancer opened many doors via traveling and networking participating in different events, allowing Keith to grow his brand. This would also give way to his acting career. 

After a performance in California, he was recognized by a producer of All The Queen’s Men who asked if he would be interested in a role as a male exotic dancer for a show. Only after presenting his monologue and being selected for the part is when Keith realized that he would be playing a larger role than he first anticipated.

All the Queen’s Men is a show about a dominant businesswoman in the nightlife industry, and her trusted employees who want her to succeed, whose reign and survival will be tested. Coming from the world of exotic dancing, playing the role of Babyface is a breeze. Babyface is the oldest dancer in Club Eden who wonders how much longer his career will last and Keith states that his character is, “exactly how I was when I started out in the industry.”  He is transparent about his past,  describing his previous lifestyle as promiscuous and himself an a**hole.  With time and maturity, he grew into his current space. With nearly a 5-star Amazon rating, it’s safe to project that all of the actors, including Swift, are achieving the task of breathing life into the script.

Playing Babyface and recognizing parallels to his own life has refreshed Swift’s perspective on what living a  life of substance really is.  While no final decision has been made, he is considering saying goodbye to Fatal Attraction and exploring new opportunities.  Keith is on record saying that one thing he wanted others to know is male dancers are more than a piece of meat and can separate the club life from their personal lives. Professionalism, determination, and preparation are three things that Keith believes brought him this far in his career and continue to propel him through his future milestones. 

Because of Keith’s active lifestyle, working out and staying fit is an important part of his world. When asked about his routine and diet he states his only goal “is to maintain his current look.”

Outside of acting and dancing, Keith is a philanthropist and is always showing love to his community through Trunk or Treats for children, Purses With a Purpose dedicated to women in need, and helping those in need by donating food, clothes, and more. He also balances being a happy father to his daughter, K’Morah Swift, who taught him the value of life.

While Keith plans to explore other avenues, he makes it clear that acting is his main goal right now. He says, “acting is what I’m focused on and what I really want to hone on to.” And with many other things in the works, It’s safe to say that there will be plenty more of Keith to go around.

To keep up with Keith C. Swift, follow him on Instagram @giftedindiviual_

Catch Keith on All the Queen’s Men streaming now on BET+ and Amazon Prime Video.

Alaura Kimes: The Rise of the Baby Business Mogul

At only 16 years of age, the Baby Business Mogul is already a successful entrepreneur and is on her way to owning a booming beauty empire. Alaura Kimes is the daughter of successful physicians and tv personalities Dr. Heavenly Kimes and Dr. Damon Kimes. As the youngest of the Kimes clan, Alaura is already erupting out of her shell and making a name for herself.

Growing up in the public eye has been a great experience and taught her discretion stating, it’s been a very cool experience overall, and I think it has taught me how to keep my guard up and how to let certain things out and certain things in. Coming from a family of successful entrepreneurs ignited Alaura’s entrepreneurial spirit with the launch of her first imprint, AK Eyewear. The “far from average eyewear” company offers trendy on a budget eyeglass styles. Social media plays a big role in her brand development when looking for inspiration and staying up to date on current trends. She is also designing eyewear styles that she hopes to debut in the future.

Alaura Kimes for Heavenly Beauty Supply

With a lifelong love of beauty, Alaura co-owns Heavenly Beauty Supply with her mother, Dr. Heavenly Kimes, and plans to expand her empire with her namesake cosmetic line, Alaura K Cosmetics. The brand will cater to sensitive, dry, eczema, and problematic skin. While there is no set release date, it is currently in the works as she states, “I want to take my time with it,” because she understands the importance of skincare dealing with sensitive skin herself. The Baby Business Mogul does not plan to stop there as she has a passion for fashion and says she wants to tap into everything that she can. When it comes to collaborations, she doesn’t have a particular person in mind but, she loves what black-owned brands are doing and even names Rihanna as one of her favorite fashionistas and beauty gurus.

Alaura looks up to her parents who have instilled in her and her siblings the strength of confidence and resilience stating, “the way they go out into the world inspires me to do what I want to do and it shows me anything is possible especially as a young black girl.” Alaura’s two successful and loving older brothers also serve as great role models to the young mogul. She plans to follow in her family’s footsteps and become a doctor. She is currently deciding between dentistry and dermatology but says she is more attracted to dentistry.

We can expect the unexpected from the Baby Business Mogul in the future as she plans to explore more business ventures. To keep up with Alaura, you can follow her on Instagram @iamalaurak. To keep up with her businesses, follow @shopakeyewear and @alaurakcosmetics on Instagram.

Coming to America: The Kitchen Queen Spices Up Atlanta

Chef Claudia is a luxury chef who is dominating the Atlanta and metro areas with her American, Jamaican, and Asian cuisines. With over 20 years of experience, The Kitchen Queen has worked at every level in the food industry and knows how to serve clients with a tasty experience.

Originally from Jamaica, Claudia Dennis-Davis grew up in the kitchen which would foreshadow the future celebrity chef’s journey. Her professional journey was inspired by watching successful chefs on Food Network. She is on record as saying that “I wanted to get food to get a greater sense of sophistication.” She would go on to cook for the local community and church where she gained the confidence to become a full-time chef. Professionally, Claudia started out as a chef and consultant in a popular local restaurant. She later served as an executive consultation supervisor for a popular, national Jamaican restaurant franchise, where she oversaw 179 restaurants in over 9 states. 

After relocating to America in 2015, she expanded her luxury catering business and launched her first culinary business venture, Sophisticated Palate. Through her budding imprint, she offers meal planning, luxury chef services, exclusive recipes, and private culinary lessons for all ages. Her dishes have been praised by celebrities, professional athletes, and government officials. Looking to diversify the kitchen amidst the 2020 global health crisis, Claudia decided to debut her custom spices and seasonings line which includes: The Kitchen Queen all-purpose seasoning, Heavenly Herbs vegetable flavoring, Herbaceous Jerk Seasoning, and more. Her spices and seasonings have been raved about by top celebrity chefs including the chefs of Rickey Smiley and Steve Harvey.

The Kitchen Queen does not plan to slow time anytime soon as her spices have been selected as the staple flavor profile in several restaurants in the Atlanta area. With international reach, the company also ships spices & sauces to clients in Canada, The United Kingdom, Jamaica, and more!

In the future, Chef Claudia hopes to get her dishes onto the plates of more celebrities, fellow chefs, and culinary connoisseurs. 

To learn more about Chef Claudia and Sophisticated Palate, follow her colorful Instagram @sophisticatedpalate_

Living in Luxury with Jeremy Norman

Norman & Associates CEO, Jeremy Norman

Reality is the name of the game and this self-made mogul along with  200+ associates are taking the housing market by storm. Meet Jeremy Norman of Norman and Associates Real Estate who is a veteran in the real estate market and a staple person for luxury real estate and commercial property.

Norman is a native of Birmingham, Alabama who discovered his love for reality after taking a course in college. From there, he studied real estate at The University of Alabama at Birmingham as he decided reality would be his path to success. After immersing himself in his field and understanding the importance of equal opportunity for minorities he opened his namesake agency. 

Norman and Associates Real Estate Solutions is the largest minority-owned luxury real estate brokerage in the country. With their focus on luxury properties, they have accumulated over $150 million in sales volume.

 

Pictured: Some of Norman & Associates Realtors

 

In addition to property purchasing in management, his agency provides concierge and relocation services. Norman and Associates’ notable clients include Marvin Sapp, Marcell Darius, Rickey Smiley, and many more!

Fast forward to today and Norman and his team are controlling the luxury real estate market and media. Jeremy has been seen on CBS Atlanta Radio, RollingOut Magazine, USA TV’s Making of a Mogul, and more. One of Norman & Associates sales agents, Kira Oliver, also appears as a regular on the OWN Network as a real estate expert. The team’s hard work has led them to be awarded the 2021 Luxury Lifestyle Award in Atlanta. Jeremy has been recognized as Minority Entrepreneur of the Year and Top 40 under 40 in his hometown. Recently, Jeremy announced his partnership with Cadence Bank who will be providing mortgage services to his agency and the College Hall of Fame where he serves as brand ambassador. 

With influencers, celebrities, and high-profile individuals always looking for a home or commercial space, Jeremy and his team will continue to expand and broker more major property deals. 

To keep up with Norman and Associates future success, visit their website www.normanliving.com/ and follow their Instagram pages: @normanliving.atlanta and @normanliving.bham 

To follow Jeremy’s inspirational journey, follow @jeremy_realtor on Instagram.

TRR’s Top 10 Creatives to Watch For In 2022!

2021 was a year for growth for many creatives and many were able to find their groove. With 2022 on the horizon, it’s safe to say that these 10 creatives are coming with the force. From fashion to food to art and more, these creatives are ready to shake up their respective industries.

Dakoro Art (Instagram @DakoroArt)

Dakoro Edwards is an Atlanta based artist who creates intricate pieces using bold colors and heavy textures. Dakoro’s can create oil paintings, murals, TV and movie sets and more! He also hosts art exhibits, art classes and his annual Give More project, highlighting community leaders and innovators for their philanthropy every Sunday. In 2022, we can expect to see more of his infamous thought-provoking pieces.

 

 

 

Shawn Brown of Cheesecaked (Instagram @Cheesecaked)

Shawn Brown is a baking professional who uses popular desserts and turns them into unique and tasty cheesecake and milkshake creations at her imprint Cheesecaked Creamery and Cafe.  Her sweet treats have been raved about on Good Morning America, Food Network, Simply Buckhead Magazine and more! Cheesecaked is opening two NEW locations located in Underground Atlanta and Norcross, GA in November 2021…ensuring that 2022 is going to be even sweeter.

 

 

 

Makenzie Thomas (Instagram @itsmakenziet)

Makenzie Thomas is widely known as a finalist on Season 15 of NBC’s The Voice. She creates her own music and does beautiful covers of some of today’s most popular hits. With her angelic voice and diverse vocal range, Makenzie has plenty of tunes to share with her listeners. You can stream her music on Apple Music, Spotify, and SoundCloud.

 

 

 

Odunayo (Ayo) Ojo (Instagram @fashionroadman)

Odunayo has been dominating YouTube with his sought-after fashion reviews. The style guru covers all angles of fashion from news to fashion history and pointed runway analysis. Ojo recently launched his own publication, The Fashion Archive Mag, covering contemporary fashion creatives from around the world. With Ojo, we can expect the latest on all things clothes, jewelry and accessories in 2022

 

 

 

 

Mualesandro (Instagram @mualesandro)

Alesandro is a make-up artist known for his popular tutorials and product reviews on TikTok. He takes the guessing out of trying high-end and cost-effective makeup and tries viral makeup hacks. With the beauty industry constantly changing there is no doubt that Alesandro will keep us all up to date and looking our best! Muah to this MUA!

 

 

 

Mariah the Scientist (Instagram @MariahTheScientist)

Mariah Buckles a.k.a. Mariah the Scientist is an American Alternative R&B singer-songwriter from Atlanta. Her soothing voice and touching lyrics are what attracts listeners to her music. Her most recent project RY RY World is a 10 track album telling a story of love and its after affects. With recent performances at Made in America, Pitchfork Music Festival, and her upcoming Rolling Loud performance in December, it’s safe to say we will be hearing a lot more from this one-of-a-kind songstress.

 

 

 

Daley (Instagram @Daley)

Gareth Daley, aka Daley, is a British R&B musician with Republic Records. His career took off with his single Alone Together (featuring Marsha Ambrosius) from his debut EP Those Who Wait. With praise from music moguls such as Pharrell, Jill Scott and more plus his current tour, Daley will be sure to keep us wanting more in 2022.

 

 

 

Zone of Fwey (Instagram @wearefwey)

Fwey is a Haitian hip hop duo who’s known for their fresh style with his native influence. The Fwey imprint was created by brothers Zoe (Elie Jean) and Zone (Simon Jean) who got their start around the likes of the late pop icon, Prince while in Minneapolis. This year they released their single I’m Black Asf, receiving 516,219 (and counting) views on YouTube. We can expect to hear more from Fwey as they are touring and working to release a self-titled project soon.

 

 

Charlotte Dobre (Instagram @charlaychaplin)

Charlotte is a YouTube personality widely known for her reaction, comedy and lifestyle videos. She has accumulated 194,718,717 watch hours on YouTube with her most popular video reaching 1.3 million views. With her bubbly personality and hilarious content, Charlotte will be sure to keep us laughing in 2022.

 

 

 

 

India Batson (Instagram @indiabatson)

India is a content creator known for her beauty and lifestyle videos on Youtube. She covers everything from hair, self care, relationship and everything in between. India’s relatable content has  led her to a large fanbase on both Youtube and Instagram. In 2022, we can expect more amazing content from India.

 

Creating with Kheumani: Meet the Transformation Queen

Self-taught seamstress and social media influencer Kheumani Stevenson has been taking over social media with her DIY fashion creation for several years and is not letting up. She has made a variety of clothing and accessories which has landed her over 294,000 supporters on Youtube, 138,000 on Instagram, and 101,000 on TikTok.

Kheumani’s sewing journey began as a college freshman looking to stretch her thin budget. She states, “as a full-time student, full-time athlete, and part-time employee, I didn’t really have extra money to buy clothes; so I decided to buy a sewing machine and try to make my own clothes.”  Her most viral moment to date is her three-piece lounge set inspired by Kim Kardashians’ Skims brand. A set that would have cost an average of $250 only cost her $25 from a plush blanket purchased at Walmart. The experience was “overwhelming,” as many news outlets and blogs decided to cover her recreation.

From children’s clothing to camping tents, Kheumani has a creative eye allowing her to turn anything into another stylish creation in her wardrobe. When asked how she does it, Kheumani says, “I usually have things I want to recreate saved in my phone, then I’ll go to Walmart walking around thinking ‘what’s the weirdest thing I can use to make my creations?’” To date, her favorite creation is her pink bubble coat & matching hat set as her mini book

In addition to being a seamstress and influencer, Kheumani is also an entrepreneur with her imprint, Shop Kheumani– an online clothing store where consumers can purchase anything from clothing and accessories. Currently, she is rebranding to incorporate exclusive pieces into her brand. Kheumani wants the brand “to be more authentic to what she does and would like to design her clothing.” While there is no date on the relaunch, her supporters can expect unique merchandise.

(One of Kheumani Transformations. @Kheumani on Instagram)

In addition to being a seamstress and influencer, Kheumani is also an entrepreneur with her imprint, Shop Kheumani– an online clothing store where consumers can purchase anything from clothing and accessories. Currently, she is rebranding to incorporate exclusive pieces into her brand. Kheumani wants the brand “to be more authentic to what she does and would like to design her clothing.” While there is no date on the relaunch, her supporters can expect unique merchandise.

In 2020, Kheumani collaborated with a fellow YouTube personality, Glamazontay, for her birthday and she recently did a segment on Access Hollywood where she was tasked to turn a sleeping bag a pool float, a lawn chair, and leggings into fashionable pieces. While she has only had a few collaborations, she has enjoyed her current partnerships and is open to more in the future. Brands such as Target and Nike are on her wishlist, but say she is open to anyone that wants to work with her.

Kheumani is a “one-woman band” as she creates, records, and edits her content by herself. She says that her planner keeps her organized but is looking to expand her team so her process is more efficient. Her advice to beginners at sewing is to “invest in good supplies,” Kheumani says “you don’t have to invest in a good sewing machine, you can get $50 machines,” some of which she still uses. She also says YouTube and sewing books are great resources to use as a beginner.

In the future, Kheumani is looking to relaunch her brand and hopes to gain campaign partnerships with big companies. She also says she wouldn’t mind being on a show like Project Runway. One thing for sure is that Kheumani and her creations are here to stay. To keep up with Kheumani and her creations follow her on Instagram and Twitter @Kheumani, Youtube- Kheumani Stevenson, and TikTik @Kheumani0.

Beauty, Family, and Success with Dr. Heavenly

Being a successful reality TV star, cosmetic dentist, entrepreneur, wife, and supermom isn’t easy but Dr. Heavenly Kimes makes it work. With dentistry as her first passion, she has over 20 years in the Dentistry field. Smiles by Dr. Heavenly has continually thrived by performing aesthetically pleasing cosmetic services, separating her one-stop shop from other practices.

As Bravo Tv’s most popular dentist, she claims her success is “surreal.” She says, “you’d think reality TV would have a negative stigma but it has “given me a platform to show people what I can do and catapulted her business.” Married to Medicine has taught her about her strong personality, and how important family is stating “ I think that one thing I realize is you really love your family and when conflict comes towards you you can see who really has your back.”

Dr. Heavenly is an HBCU graduate from Florida A&M University and graduated at the top of her class with a Doctorate of Dental Surgery from Meharry Medical College. She is currently a member of both the American Academy of General Dentistry and the National Dentistry Association and the Georgia Dental Society.

In addition to being a household name and successful dentist, Dr. Heavenly is the author of multiple bestsellers: Dr. Heavenly’s Business Prescriptions: You Can Have it All!, The Business of Love Dr. Heavenly Kimes, and Dr. Heavenly’s Fitness Prescriptions: Get the BODY You Want. Kimes says the inspiration behind these books was to help others learn from her past triumphs and mistakes.

Dr. Heavenly is a serial entrepreneur with her multi-million dollar dentist corporation and her at-home teeth whitening system, Smile Changers. Kimes decided to dominate other areas of beauty with the opening of her Heavenly Beauty Supply store in Conyers, GA as a “challenge.” She wants to show her teenage daughter, Alaura Kimes, that “she can be successful in any industry.” With the help of her good friend, Lia Dias of Married to Medicine LA, she was able to get the tools needed to open the establishment. Heavenly Beauty Supply serves as a one-shop stop for hair, beauty, fashion, and other aesthetic needs. Patrons can also receive hair and makeup services on site.

(Dr. Heavenly Kimes and Alaura Kimes)

As a compassionate medical professional, Dr. Heavenly is always giving back. She and her husband, Dr. Damon Kimes, held a COVID-19 drive in 2020 during the peak of the pandemic. She also provides free dental makeover yearly, helping those who regain their confidence by giving them a Heavenly smile. One of her notable makeovers was on Miracle Boyd, an Instagram influencer with no teeth that speaks about self-confidence, and some of her celeb friends. During the grand opening of Heavenly Beauty Supply, two lucky women who were selected to win a new smile and a beauty makeover from Dr. Heavenly were revealed.

Her children are her biggest inspirations and motivate her to keep pushing. As a family with three children, who also aspire to be doctors, she and her husband want to be someone they admire. Also, they want to instill in them that they can do anything they put their minds to. She also notes that education is important since it is something that people can fall back on.

If Dr. Heavenly could offer one piece of advice to the younger generation, it is the value of working hard because working hard and consistency are the keys to success; because as the old saying goes, “nothing big comes easy.” When people look back at Dr. Heavenly’s legacy, she wants them to see that with God and the power of prayer, you can do any and everything.

To keep up with Dr. Heavenly and her business ventures, follow her on social media @dr_heavenly, @smilesbydrheavenly, and @heavenlybeautyatl.

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