Photography by Jackie Hicks

A first impression is truly a lasting impression. Today with the onset of  the Social Media phenomenon a profile photo can make the difference in you sealing the deal.

Get your professional headshot by award winning Jackie Hicks and makeup by Erica Wilson. 

Conference Special Only $125 make-up included!  

Jacqueline Hicks is a multi-awarded portrait photographer whose technical mastery and vision allows her to produce images that are simply amazing. Her images have appeared in numerous publications and industry periodicals such as Essence Magazine, as well as Professional Photographers of America Loan Collection. Her subjects are varied, ranging from entertainers to professional athletes, film directors to writers, or entire families to individuals. Employing her signature techniques, she is able to explore the very heart of her subjects, ultimately producing extraordinary images.

In 1997 Jackie created Fond Memories Photography, specializing in portraits, weddings and fine art. In establishing her business, she won both national and international acclaim as a passionate, gifted artist fully committed to her clients. Accordingly, she regularly works throughout North America, Europe and the Caribbean.

As Jackie’s reputation grew, she successfully competed in numerous photographic/portrait competitions. In 2000, she had the rare distinction and privilege of having an image, “Men in Black”, featured in the prestigious Professional Photographers of America (PPA) Traveling Loan Collection. In 2003 and 2004, she was awarded the Fujifilm Masterpiece Award for Photographic Excellence. In 2003, her image “Bronze Beaute” won a Meyer Rivkin Award for Portrait of the Year. In 2004 she won three Excellence Awards in the Wedding and Portrait International Photographers Competition, held in Las Vegas, Nevada. In January 2005, she was honored with the esteemed Kodak Gallery Award. Making history, Jackie earned the distinction of becoming the first African-American woman to win Maryland State Portrait Photographer of the Year. Additionally, her image, “Deserted”, was featured in Professional Photographers of America screensaver collection for the United States Congress. She also served as an honorary judge in the 2005 Miss Black USA Pageant.

In 2005, Jackie was awarded a Master of Photography Degree by the Professional Photographers of America. In addition, she is an active member in numerous professional trade associations including: Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI), Professional Photographers of America (PPA), and Maryland Professional Photographers Association (MDPPA). She is also a sought-after lecturer and instructor conducting workshops throughout the United States.

Every Fond Memory captured is assured the highest quality as well as Jackie’s very personal touch. Photography is more than a business, it’s her passion. With every image, she strives to achieve a visual impact that seizes the gaze of the viewer, as it recreates the moment. As her many clients will attest, she accepts nothing less than perfection.

Visit www.jhicks2-fondmemories.com/gallery.html

Photography by Jackie Hicks

Madam CJ Walker the first  American Self-Made Woman Millionaire! Madam CJ lived her life on purpose. She left a tremendous legacy not only for women of color, but for mankind.

Deborah Hardnett International is committed to continuing the legacy of Madam CJ Walker, through its platforms, The Professional Black Woman™ , The Winner’s Summit Conference and Expo™ , and Wealthy Sistas® Media Group. Each division serves a distinct and unique purpose that develops, inspires, and empowers women to become successful entrepreneurs.

 Featured below is the powerful story of Madam CJ Walker.

Born Sarah Breedlove on December 23, 1867 on a Delta, Louisiana plantation, this daughter of former slaves transformed herself from an uneducated farm laborer and laundress into one of the twentieth century’s most successful, self-made women entrepreneurs.

Orphaned at age seven, she often said, “I got my start by giving myself a start.” She and her older sister, Louvenia, survived by working in the cotton fields of Delta and nearby Vicksburg, Mississippi. At 14, she married Moses McWilliams to escape abuse from her cruel brother-in-law, Jesse Powell.

Her only daughter, Lelia (later known as A’Lelia Walker) was born on June 6, 1885. When her husband died two years later, she moved to St. Louis to join her four brothers who had established themselves as barbers. Working for as little as $1.50 a day, she managed to save enough money to educate her daughter in the city’s public schools. Friendships with other black women who were members of St. Paul A.M.E. Church and the National Association of Colored Women exposed her to a new way of viewing the world.

During the 1890s, Sarah began to suffer from a scalp ailment that caused her to lose most of her hair. She experimented with many homemade remedies and store-bought products, including those made by Annie Malone, another black woman entrepreneur. In 1905 Sarah moved to Denver as a sales agent for Malone, then married her third husband, Charles Joseph Walker, a St. Louis newspaperman. After changing her name to “Madam” C. J. Walker, she founded her own business and began selling Madam Walker’s Wonderful Hair Grower, a scalp conditioning and healing formula, which she claimed had been revealed to her in a dream. Madam Walker, by the way, did NOT invent the straightening comb or chemical perms, though many people incorrectly believe that to be true.

To promote her products, the new “Madam C.J. Walker” traveled for a year and a half on a dizzying crusade throughout the heavily black South and Southeast, selling her products door to door, demonstrating her scalp treatments in churches and lodges, and devising sales and marketing strategies. In 1908, she temporarily moved her base to Pittsburgh where she opened Lelia College to train Walker “hair culturists.”

By early 1910, she had settled in Indianapolis, then the nation’s largest inland manufacturing center, where she built a factory, hair and manicure salon and another training school. Less than a year after her arrival, Walker grabbed national headlines in the black press when she contributed $1,000 to the building fund of the “colored” YMCA in Indianapolis.

In 1913, while Walker traveled to Central America and the Caribbean to expand her business, her daughter A’Lelia, moved into a fabulous new Harlem townhouse and Walker Salon, designed by black architect, Vertner Tandy. “There is nothing to equal it,” she wrote to her attorney, F.B. Ransom. “Not even on Fifth Avenue.”

Walker herself moved to New York in 1916, leaving the day-to-day operations of the Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company in Indianapolis to Ransom and Alice Kelly, her factory forelady and a former school teacher. She continued to oversee the business and to work in the New York office. Once in Harlem, she quickly became involved in Harlem’s social and political life, taking special interest in the NAACP’s anti-lynching movement to which she contributed $5,000.

In July 1917, when a white mob murdered more than three dozen blacks in East St. Louis, Illinois, Walker joined a group of Harlem leaders who visited the White House to present a petition advocating federal anti-lynching legislation.

As her business continued to grow, Walker organized her agents into local and state clubs. Her Madam C. J. Walker Hair Culturists Union of America convention in Philadelphia in 1917 must have been one of the first national meetings of businesswomen in the country. Walker used the gathering not only to reward her agents for their business success, but to encourage their political activism as well. “This is the greatest country under the sun,” she told them. “But we must not let our love of country, our patriotic loyalty cause us to abate one whit in our protest against wrong and injustice. We should protest until the American sense of justice is so aroused that such affairs as the East St. Louis riot be forever impossible.”

By the time she died at her estate, Villa Lewaro, in Irvington-on-Hudson, New York, she had helped create the role of the 20th Century, self-made American businesswoman; established herself as a pioneer of the modern black hair-care and cosmetics industry; and set standards in the African-American community for corporate and community giving.

Tenacity and perseverance, faith in herself and in God, quality products and “honest business dealings” were the elements and strategies she prescribed for aspiring entrepreneurs who requested the secret to her rags-to-riches ascent. “There is no royal flower-strewn path to success,” she once commented. “And if there is, I have not found it for if I have accomplished anything in life it is because I have been willing to work hard.”

References: www.madamcjwalker.com

My name is Vernon Mabry, and I am a massage therapist. I am a graduate of Potomac Massage Training Institute (PMTI) with mastery in Swedish and Deep Tissue massage. I am also trained in Myofascial Release Therapy, Myoskeletal Alignment Techniques, and Swe-Thai massage. I am nationally certified and licensed to practice in Maryland (M03790), and Washington, D.C (MT1077). I
am a member of the American Massage Therapy Association and National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork.
My company is Bodies and Backs Therapeutic Massage Services. At Bodies and Backs offering quality massage therapy to my clients is something we are very passionate about. Therapeutic massage continues to be proven by medical and scientific research as

www.bodiesandbacks.com

something everyone should embrace for a healthier lifestyle.

Massage helps the body and mind stay balanced and healthy. Each massage is focused on the needs and well being of the clients. Our services include Swedish massage (which focuses on skin and superficial muscles by using stoking, kneading, applying light pressure and stretching) and deep tissue massage (which targets the deeper layers of muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the body).
Although I am experienced in Swedish and deep tissue massage, much of my work incorporates myofascial release, myoskeletal alignment techniques, stretching, and Swe-Thai movements. Each session is uniquely
tailored to you and your body.
Are you ready to Relax the Mind, Renew the Body, and Revive the Soul?
Wishing You Much Health, Happiness, and Success.

This is an email I had to share! Author Andre Taylor had this to say about our game plan for creating wealth.

Enjoy!

Mr. Andre Taylor…

Succeeding financially requires a completely different mindset than most of us are taught growing up. You have probably heard it before, but your money psychology is the biggest factor in achieving financial independence and building wealth. 

There are many elements to your money psychology but I want to give you an overview of the key things you must change mentally to improve your financial circumstances. I call it my QUICK COURSE ON MONEY.

Here it is…

 1. It’s available!

The first step is understanding that there is PLENTY of money in the world. I know there’s been all of this talk about recession and depression but this is a collective state of mind. There are still billions of dollars out there that could make your life quite nice no matter what the current fixation. Don’t become confused by the facts. Don’t focus on what’s lacking in your pocket or in the world. Focus on what EXISTS and I can tell you RICHES exist. You just have to connect MENTALLY with the wealth that is already around you. Tell yourself over and over, THERE IS PLENTY FOR ME.

 2. I deserve it!

Successful people never question whether or not they deserve the best. They gravitate to the best stores, restaurants, products, and services because they see the wealth and abundance in the world as being for them. If you are afraid to buy certain things, go certain places, or entertain certain levels you must convince yourself that you deserve the best just like everyone who experiences the best. You may have been taught subtly that riches are for someone else — THOSE PEOPLE. It’s time for you to become one of THOSE PEOPLE.  What do you want? Tell yourself over and over, I DESERVE THE BEST. 

3. It’s up to me!

This is where the “rubber meets the road.” Successful people take full responsibility for their success. They are not looking for POWER-BALL, LOTTO, or luck to make it happen, they focus on making their own luck. They network but they don’t fixate on connections making it happen. They love the marketplace, but they’re not bound by market conditions. So a bias toward action is imperative. What actions do you have planned? Tell yourself over and over again, I’M AN ACTION PERSON.

4. I’m doing it!

After you have planned your actions you must get going and keep going. People with money focus on making money. Did you read that? You must FOCUS on making money. You must become active in building, pitching, proposing, creating, and transacting. You must shed your “consumer, employee, paycheck mentality,” focused on payday, depleting all that you’ve earned as an escape, to sooth your emotions and then continuing to work as a wage slave.

You must develop and maintain an entrepreneur’s mentality, focused on providing extraordinary value in exchange for extraordinary money. Tell yourself over and over again, I’M A CREATIVE MONEYMAKER.

 5. I’m growing!

The number one focus of an active wealth-builder is making their wealth grow. So once you get going you must be innovative about making everything you do become bigger and more successful. You must EXPAND your network, the people you serve, and your offerings. You must get others to work with you and build a team.The more successful you become – meaning the more people and companies you serve, the greater your insulation from bumps in the road. Tell yourself over and over again, I’M EXPANDING. 

So there it is…my quick course on money.

I know if you do these five things, in time you’ll see incredible changes in your life and career. 

It’s time for you to have some MONEY!

Andre Taylor is the author of  You Can Still Win! Breakthrough Bounce Back Come From Behind And Flourish

Visit his site www.andretaylor.com  join his mailing list and become inspired to Win and flourish!

1. We already are!

- We run most of the homes. Whether we are single, single parents, or have partners we make 85% of the purchasing decisions. In most cases we manage everyone’s schedule in the household, etc.
- We run the offices… yes the ratio of leadership positions in corporate America are still not equal but in those offices the majority of administrative and clerical support are women. Everybody knows a leader is only as good as their support.
- We run the churches and other civic organizations. Church population is generally 80% women. Women who make up the committees that are responsible for the daily and weekly operations.

2. To develop more financial security. Even if we run a business part-time while we continue to work fulltime. The extra income can give us more flexibility in the market place.

3. To have greater flexibility and more time with our children. There is no secret that our children need us. This is not to in any way to discount the powerful need of fathers too. But this is to highlight the roles mothers have played for centuries. It would be great to have the time our grandmothers had with our mothers. Just to have more time to prepare our children’s breakfast-how about a hot one. Not a pop tart or, fast food, or the sterile school cafeteria. Our children are sicker, heavier, and many times it is due to the over processed, sodium packed, non-nutrient diets. It is so serious that even First Lady, Mrs. Michelle Obama, has began to lead a charge to educate and bring awareness to childhood obesity. It’s no wonder when we don’t have time to prepare anything from scratch or fresh, (which I might add is not as hard as it sounds )  due to our work schedules and fast paced lifestyles, that we see more cases of younger people being diagnosed with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and even diabetes. Another problem we face is if our child gets sick, the dilemma of sending them to school anyway because we can’t risk losing more time from work. This is why we need to be entrepreneurs.

4. We out live our partners, spouses, and we retire the poorest. Deborah Owens, Author of A Purse of Your Own, and a special guest on Wealthy Sistas® Radio Show says, “It is important for women to build wealth because 40% of women depend on Social Security which is only $800 a month.”

5. Finally, because we simply can’t wait on someone to pay us what we are worth!  We have been given the power and dominion over our own lives. It is left up to us to create the lives we desire.

So you are in limbo trying to decide should I or shouldn’t I. Your finances, time off, kids, and all the other obligations are great reasons to say I just can’t go. Some might be thinking I need to make some money first and then I will attend one of those events. Well we put together a collective TOP TEN as to why you should make the commitment, sacrifice, and/or decision to attend The Winner’s Summit, an event designed with you in mind.
1. To network and build solid powerful, productive and profitable partnerships – Men do it all the time, major corporations are merging to continue to thrive in our new economy. We must follow suit to increase our bottom lines as well.
2. To be educated, updated, and informed on the latest in technology, best business practices, etc.

3. The Winner’s Summit is designed to show you how to create your own stimulus package. Note our slogan “Savvy Advice * Practical Application for Winning Women!”™
4. We are your “Ambassadors of Quan”– Remember in the movie Jerry McGuire… Rod Tidwell played by Cuba Gooding, Jr. labeled his agent Jerry McGuire as his “Ambassador of Quan (money).  At the end of the movie Jerry did just that, by securing the best football deal Rod ever had. The Winner’s Summit can do the same for you. There are some of the most powerful and influential women in business who are not only speaking but will be in the audience. Who too are looking to connect with other women who are hungry for success. What a great place to learn and thrive!

5. To become energized – Are you drained from all of the negativity , the news, your friends, co-workers, even some family. You need The Winner’s Summit. It  has been declared an all positive environment. In fact no negativity will be allowed. And the Positive Police will be on site to arrest the negativity.

6. To contribute to a worthy cause. Part of the proceeds from The Winner’s Summit will be given in the honor of the founder’s Sister who recently made her transition,  to The Sisters Network – The onlyAfrican American Breast Cancer Survivorship Organization. Here is an alarming fact -African American women ages 35 to 44 have a death rate from breast cancer twice that of white women the same age. By contributing to the Sisters Network we can offer immediate support to the too many that are affected. www.sistersnetworkinc.org
7. To be surrounded by positive progressive thinkers-  “I am excited about the conference because it gives me the opportunity to meet and network with like-minded women.  Sometimes as business women we feel alone while on this journey,  When in reality there are so many who have already gone down the path we are travelling.  I believe that The Winner’s Summit Conference and Expo™ will stir up the gifts that God has already deposited in me and allow me to move closer to my destiny as a full time entrepreneur headed for great things.” Jacqueline Glass

8. To increase your productivity – Learn time saving processes and strategies that help alleviate that “gerbil on the treadmill syndrome” of always feeling behind schedule and never enough time.

9. To become a part of history – never before has there been an event of this magnitude that focuses on entrepreneurial ship for women of color. Where all the speakers are business women who are documented in their field.  “The reason why I MUST attend this event is because “success leaves clues!”  I have always aspired to become an influential entrepreneur and there is no other place to look for advice, guidance, counseling, and encouragement than within those people who are far ahead on the marathon of success.  The Winner’s Summit Conference and Expo™ is a place where people who look like me, think like me, have a similar background as myself, and experienced similar challenges as me will all be in the same location at one time!  More importantly, these people have  overcome enormous challenges and made it to great heights in their spiritual, financial, and physical well-beings.  I’M PUMPED, I’M EXCITED, AND I’M SO READY TO LEARN FROM ALL OF THESE INFLUENTIAL LEADERS!!!” Selena Brown

 
10. A lot of BANG for your BUCK!  2 Days Power Packed Days – a live concert with Tony Terry, Fashion Show, Giveaways, 7 Dynamic Speakers, SBA, and more all under one roof for $159. The information shared is valued in the thousands. Do a search of  professional events and/or conferences. Just think of it like this… you know when we see a pair of shoes that are normally $280 and we might not have had the intentions of buying them, but because they were on sale for $100 … there is no way we are leaving them there! “What a find!” Your experience will be the same at The Winner’s Summit Conference and Expo™.

11. To bring clarity to your vision and purpose

12. To finally get your professional head shot done. Award winning photographer Jackie Hicks, whose work has been published in books, on magazine covers, and more. Will be present to take your professional photo. At a special Winner’s Summit price too.

Oh yeah we said the Top 10 Reasons right…oops we listed 12.  There are so many great reasons to attend. Take advantage of this life changing experience. Ok one more let’s call this one your bonus…

Bonus: To Take A Break!

Come and have fun. A quick getaway. The Hyatt Regency Hotel is located in the heart of Baltimore’s Harbor. It is a fabulous hotel with all the great amenities to add to your great experience. In addition, there is so much to do in the Baltimore Harbor, shopping, fine dining, museums and more! Not to mention the opportunity to interact with Winners all weekend!

We are proud to announce Heart & Soul Magazine, the world’s premiere publication to being healthy, wealthy, and wise is an official sponsor of The Winner’s Summit Conference and Expo™.

Heart & Soul Enterprises LLC (HSE) is the pre-eminent brand to promote the physical, mental, spiritual and financial well-being of black women and their families.A trusted source, Heart & Soul directly impacts its target audience by serving as an essential guide to healthy living. It uses the highest standards, best resources and top experts in delivering cutting-edge information and service to capture the heart & soul of every woman!

The HSE family of companies and licensing ventures includes:

 HEART & SOUL MAGAZINE

HSE publishes HEART & SOUL, the preeminent health and fitness magazine for today’s African-American woman. The publication has a bi-monthly circulation of 300,000 and a readership of more than 1.5 million. In 2003, HEART & SOUL ranked seventh on MPA’s list of largest African American circulated magazines.

HSE created an online presence with the 2006 launch of the Web site, www.heartandsoul.com. Centered on the theme of healthy, wealthy, and wise, guests can find the latest information on diet and exercise, money matters and self improvement as well as information about HSE special events. www.heartandsoul.com. is a place where visitors can meet to share ideas and discuss topics that are important to them.

Why is Jacqueline attending The Winner’s Summit?

“I am excited about the conference because it gives me the opportunity to meet and network with like-minded women.  Sometimes as business women we feel alone while on this journey,  When in reality there are so many who have already gone down the path we are travelling.  I believe that The Winner’s Summit Conference and Expo™ will stir up the gifts that God has already deposited in me and allow me to move closer to my destiny as a full time entrepreneur headed for great things.”

The Winner’s Summit first Outstanding Business Woman of the Year!

Owner and CEO
Full-Time Career Woman
Blogger
Social Networker
College Student
Wife and Mother of 3

Cheryl is a business woman who leads a fast-paced life that most would find difficult to manage as she also balances being a full-time working mother of three, wife, social networker, blogger, and student.

She is the proud Owner and CEO of Moms R The Best, an apparel company offering a unique line of fashionable ladies tees that celebrate womanhood and motherhood. Comical, sassy, and sentimental slogans such as, “A Woman’s Work Is Never Done,” “I’m A Busy Mom I Need A Clone,” and “Diva Mom” are just a few of the popular slogans she has created to empower women to say what’s really on their minds and to celebrate their unparalleled value as mothers, wives, educators, career women, entrepreneurs, caretakers, and active members of society. Cheryl chose to tap into her entrepreneurial spirit after many years in the legal industry in order to pursue her passion of empowering mothers and women of all backgrounds. As an entrepreneur, Cheryl knows she is setting a bold example for her children to pursue their passion in life and to control their own destiny.

The inception of Moms R The Best is one of many testaments to Cheryl’s ambition, drive, determination, and motivation as a business woman working to fulfill her goals despite the many other hats she wears. Moreover, the founding of Moms R The Best ultimately led Cheryl to start her own blog whereby she shares her personal experiences as an empowered woman entrepreneur working to continually grow her business. Her blog also explores daily triumphs, joys, goals, challenges, and struggles she faces in trying to balance her many responsibilities. In utilizing her social networking skills Cheryl has rapidly gained a sizable number of followers for Moms R The Best on her blog and various social networking sites.

Cheryl serves as an inspiration to other aspiring women entrepreneurs. She uses her people skills and enthusiasm for her business to drive her to success.

http://www.momsrthebest.com
http://www.momsrthebest.net
http://www.linkedin.com/in/momsrthebest
http://twitter.com/MomsRTheBest
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Moms-R-The-Best/123330634895?ref=ts

This is an age old question. It also applies to a lot of questions in nature. 

We sometimes use that same principle when it comes to giving. “When I make money I am going to tithe to my church, or I will give to this charity, or friend or family member.”  Sometimes we all ( including me of course) must remember the life’s  simple and fundamental truths. 

The truth is we must see it first. Then we act on it, began doing it. Then it manifest. Now how long it takes to manifest. I don’t know. I wish I did… trust me. It is probably a good thing that I am not in control of the time. Because everything would peak before it’s ripe season. LOL! 

This is also a fundamental principle for success. We have to be in the environment first. Waiting on the big break to come before we stretch ourselves does not prepare us for the many great things to come. We have to see it first, visualize ourselves doing and becoming the very person we desire. We have to smell it, surround ourselves with those who are already doing what we want to do in greater ways. There are things that happen not only practically but spiritually when we connect in an environment where everyone is focused, positive, and has a deep desire to WIN! 

The Winner’s Summit Conference and Expo™ is that place. If you are serious about learning, growing, leading, and/or taking your life and/or business to another level. You want to be there.  This will be a spectacular time. It is designed with you in mind. The price does not even began to equate to the value one will gain from it. 

Imagine this… you come you have a great time. You meet some dynamic and powerful sisters and you learn how to go from making $35,000 a year to $350,000 in the next 2 years. Perhaps that might be too much. What if it increased to $85,000? Would it be worth it? Make the investment in yourself. People pay hundreds and thousands of dollars for what you are guaranteed to get at  The Winner’s Summit Conference and Expo™. 2 Power Packed Days, 7 Dynamic Speakers, R & B Recording Artist Tony Terry, Fashion Show, 3 Day Cruise to the Bahamas for 2 and More! Register Today – The New Year Special of $119 Ends Friday, January 15, 2010. Use Discount Code: new year.

The Mid Registration Rate is $159.00. We even have special payment plan options available. Click Here to Register Today.