Category Archives: Personal Empowerment

When Erik Cole was elected to council in Nashville in 2003, predatory lending was already a hot issue in his district, which included parts of East Nashville.

My district had a corridor that still has a significant number of pawn shops and payday loan stores, says Cole, who also encountered predatory loan cases in his job as executive director of the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services. In 2003 when I ran, the biggest comment I heard was, can we not have any more of that in our neighborhood. That was from rich, poor, black, white.

Cole worked with other council members to pass zoning legislation to restrict new pawn shops, payday lender storefronts, adult bookstores and some other unsavory businesses, he says, on that corridor. Unfortunately, Tennessee Quick Cash, a payday lender with one storefront already on the corridor and plans to open a second, successfully sued the city to lift the restrictions. Since then, the city has passed new measures, which payday lenders continue to try to circumvent.

In 2013, Cole left council and became the first director of the citys Office of Financial Empowerment. In his new capacity, Cole led Nashvilles adoption of the Financial Empowerment Centers (FEC) model, originally pioneered in New York City. The results of that work were published today by the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE), the Bloomberg Philanthropies-funded initiative that supports the expansion of the FEC model to other cities.

The centers provide free, professional, one-on-one financial counseling for clients as a public service. Cities bring a local university onboard to train counselors from nonprofits. Nashville partnered with Belmont University and United Way. Counselors are typically embedded, full-time or part-time, at a site where other public services are provided, like welfare or food stamps or community health clinics.

CFEs newly released findings cover the period from 2013 to 2015. In Nashville, out of 1,708 FEC clients over that period who returned for at least a second visit (allowing the program to track outcomes), 302 clients reduced their debt, 231 increased their credit score, 220 increased their savings, and 175 clients opened or transitioned to a conventional bank account over that period.

Philadelphia, Denver, Lansing and San Antonio also adopted the model. Overall, 5,305 FEC clients across the five cities recorded 14,493 outcomes over the 30-month evaluation period, adding up to a reduction of $22.5 million in cumulative personal debt and an increase of $2.7 million in cumulative saving.

We found our best integrations were in workforce development and job placement sites, domestic violence shelters, and prison reentry programs, says Cole.

One of Nashvilles part-time FEC sites was at the Tony Sudekum and J.C. Napier public housing communities, in partnership with a Jobs Plus program site (HUDs onsite workforce development program that provides a springboard to new careers for public housing residents).

When NYC pioneered the FEC model, it started with just one site, in the Bronx, with private philanthropic support from the insurance industry, including AIG. This was back in 2008, when the company was at the epicenter of the financial crisis. Demand for services was high, which prompted the program to expand to three other NYC sites in 2009, still with only philanthropic funding. After there was evidence of sufficient demand and sufficient quality of services in terms of outcomes for clients, in 2011 the city picked up the bill and scaled up the program, which is now offered at 22 sites around NYC.

The national replications are following suit, with 100 percent private funding for the centers in the first three years. Of 48 cities that expressed interest in the model, five were chosen based on an evaluation of each citys relationships with local partners and other assets.

The biggest thing was, who wanted us, what agencies had already identified financial coaching and counseling was an element that could drive good outcomes for them, says Cole. NYCs model was great because we knew where to start, places where benefits were provided, places where case management services happen, where domestic violence intake happens.

Each city tweaked the model. In Nashville, Cole explains, they had to account for a larger base of homeowners compared to NYC, where a majority of households rent, especially low-income households. They also tracked the household impact of payday lending, which is outlawed in New York state.

In terms of reach, across the five-city replication, the median monthly income of FEC clients was $1,535, 70.6 percent were women, 62.1 percent had children, and 42 percent were employed full-time (14 percent were employed part-time).

In terms of housing, 53.5 percent of FEC clients were renters, 21.8 percent were homeowners, 12.8 percent reported living with family or friends, 3.4 percent lived in public housing, and 6.5 percent reported being homeless. Nearly 47 percent of FEC clients across the five cities were black, 26.2 percent were Latino, and 17.5 percent were white. Ninety-three percent of clients were U.S. citizens.

Similar to NYC, since CFEs funding ended, cities have picked up the programs and funded them, in full or in part. Cole still oversees the Nashville effort in his new position as the citys chief resilience officer. Its a natural connection to me to think about what is a persons personal financial resilience and what is the impact of that on the community, he says.

The period in which these FEC replications took place has also been a transformative time for the financial empowerment field. New insights and data coming out of the U.S. Financial Diaries Project, especially the publication of The Financial Diaries earlier this year, have dramatically shifted perspectives on how to do this work. Among other insights, the financial diaries research found that for about five months a year, households earned incomes that were either 25 percent higher or lower than their yearly average income.

Other researchers are taking note. Income volatility is the new reality for a majority of American households, according to a Pew study this year that took inspiration from the financial diaries work.

It is truly transformative for our industry, says Jonathan Mintz, founding president of CFE. Its that granular of a reimagining and understanding of what people are going through and how they really think about getting through not their year, not their month, but their week.

Mintz, who led the creation and expansion of FECs in NYC as commissioner of the Department of Consumer Affairs under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, gives an example of somebody who has to replace a broken muffler within the next two weeks before the neighbors start complaining. So they save $200 over the next two weeks, but because they had to spend those savings within the same month for a new muffler, the FEC counselor wasnt capturing that data on monthly or yearly snapshots.

One of the things that we heard from counselors and that we learned from the financial diaries is, if you take a monthly or yearly snapshot on how somebody builds savings, youre missing all the energy in between that came and went, says Mintz.

CFE is now supporting a pilot on top of existing FEC replications in Philadelphia and Nashville to learn what happens when they start to document and support shorter-term savings goals.

Were now starting to measure what are your shorter-term savings goals, what are your shorter-term savings successes, and were measuring whether were capturing a lot of the information were missing of effort and success, says Mintz.

Through the existing FEC client surveys, which also ask questions like how much control do clients feel they have over their own finances, CFE is also trying to measure whether acknowledging the more granular efforts and successes make FEC clients feel more control over their finances.

In other words, if somebody is feeling like these shorter-term victories are being called out and acknowledged, does that make them feel empowered sooner, and does that make them start investing in these energies more, says Mintz.

Maybe FEC clients know more about financial literacy than most people give them credit for. Maybe what they need isnt more information, but more support.

Its not that literacy doesnt matter, its that when people are in trouble they need help, they dont need information, Mintz adds. This should not be a box that should be checked off so easily.

More help is coming. Also today, CFE announced it has opened the application process to replicate the FEC program in 12 more cities or counties.

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Here's What Financial Empowerment Centers Accomplished in 5 ... - Next City

Director-General National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Segun Runsewe has reiterated his pledge to unbundle the huge potential in culture sector to strategically drive the process of economic diversification in line with the government policy thrust.

Speaking in Abuja on the update for this years edition of African Arts and Crafts Expo, Runsewe recalled that on assumption of office some months ago, he made commitment to all Nigerians to reposition the Arts and Culture sector as a key player in the nations economy with the capacity to generate wealth and employment as well as contribute significantly to the nations Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

According to him, this informed the theme of this years edition of the expo; Our Culture: The Untapped Treasure, which he noted was carefully selected to draw attention to the vast opportunities in the sector, and mobilize Nigerians to take advantage of the opportunities therein for personal empowerment and the economic development of Nigeria. This years African Arts and Craft Expo, which promises to be the largest of its kind in Africa, holds between August 27th and September 17th at Abuja.

Runsewe disclosed that the council has embarked on wide and extensive consultations with stakeholders and key players in the industry, with a view to aggregating, harmonizing and mainstreaming all shades of opinions aimed at rebranding the Expo while also carrying out aggressive communication and marketing campaigns to raise national and international awareness for the event.

He noted that the responses so far were quite overwhelming saying, this has greatly encouraged us and further fueled our determination to expand the scope of the event and make the edition truly the best amongst its peers in Africa, in line with our leadership role in the continent.

On my assumption of office about three months ago, I made a firm commitment to all Nigerians to reposition the Arts and Culture sector as a key player in the nations economy with the capacity to generate wealth and employment as well as contribute significantly to the nations Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Accordingly, the new vision of the Council under my leadership is encapsulated in the statement culture: the new revenue base for Nigeria.

This vision statement is far from being a mere slogan. It is borne out of our firm conviction that there are abounding opportunities in the Arts and Culture Sector that could be harnessed and channeled towards reinventing our economy.

He assured that he alongside his management was leaving no stone unturned in making this years exposition a unique one featuring unprecedented and memorable events especially in packaging and delivery.

He stated that the massive construction and renovation works ongoing at the site affirming the essence was to give practical expression to the determination of elevating the exposition to an international standard that Nigeria and the whole of Africa would be proud of.

In his words, before this time, the expo had been held here on a bare, dusty and uneven ground. We have now graded and tarred the main bowl of the exhibition arena, measuring about 1.5 hectares. We plan to also do landscaping and beautification.

On issues of security, he said that we now have a police post within the premises of the village for 24-hour security cover. For the first time, we have illuminated the entire village with flood lights. We are also constructing and renovating environment-friendly public utilities to make the arena a conducive social environment for our exhibitors, delegates and clients.

Innovations expected at AFAC 2017 include, skill acquisition programme in order to build or enhance the capacity of our creative artists in various areas, Chefs will be invited to teach Nigerians and non-Nigerians alike the rudiments of Nigerian cuisines, experts would also be available to teach interested participants the simple ways of communicating in our major indigenous languages, there will be hosting of Cultural Attaches in Nigeria to a Pre-AFAC Dinner including an Investment Round-Table during the main event amongst others.

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Runsewe repackages AFAC - The Nation Newspaper

By Gabriel Olawale

The Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Segun Runsewe has re-iterated his pledge to unbundle the huge potentials in the culture sector to strategically drive the process of economic diversification in line with the policy thrust of the present administration.

Speaking ahead of the forthcoming African Arts and Craft Expo, AFAC slated for August 27th to September 17th in Abuja, Runsewe said the theme of this years edition of African Arts and Crafts Expo; Our Culture: The Untapped Treasure, was carefully selected.

The theme was carefully selected to draw attention to the vast opportunities in the sector, and mobilize Nigerians to take advantage of the opportunities therein for personal empowerment and the economic development of Nigeria, he said.

While seeking the support of the mass media in a bid to ensure maximum media coverage of the event, Runsewe said; On my assumption of office about three months ago, I made a firm commitment to all Nigerians to reposition the Arts and Culture sector as a key player in the nations economy with the capacity to generate wealth and employment as well as contribute significantly to the nations Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Accordingly, the new vision of the Council under my leadership is encapsulated in the statement culture: the new revenue base for Nigeria.

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NCAC boss solicits support for African Expo - Vanguard

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Willie Barney, right, of the Empowerment Network hugs Carole Woods Harris as they attend Gospel Fest on Aug. 2, 2017 at Salem Baptist Church in Omaha.

Wearing his standard uniform of suit coat and slacks, Willie Barney held open a college lecture hall door, greeting the teenagers streaming out.

Looking good, man. Good morning. Good morning. Looking good, looking good, Willie said to the 14- and 15-year-olds who had, as instructed, come dressed for the occasion: a career fair.

Willie had incorporated this career fair into a summer jobs program he helped launch almost a decade ago. And the days event at the University of Nebraska at Omaha offered an important firsthand look at the possibilities that awaited these youths, mostly low-income African-American teenagers. Plus it was the youths first real test at trying out the firm handshake, the confident Hi-my-name-is introduction and a dressier look.

Ezekiel Griggsby, 15, and other students work on removing the door and panel during a class at the Career Center at TAC in Omaha on June 20, 2017.

Quietly, Willie pointed out the kid with gang ties, who everyone thought would be out by day two but is still coming on day nine. Then that tall kid he hardly recognized after teaching him in a grade-school program hed taught called Boys to Men.

Then a third youth, whod shown up late. Willie told me how he was about to lay into him

about punctuality when the youth explained that hed walked from his home near 42nd Street and Ames Avenue to 67th and Pine Streets. Thats over 5 miles.

It almost dropped me to think he woke up and walked himself here so he wouldnt miss this, Willie said.

Willies community-betterment organization the Empowerment Network, publicly launched in 2007 has been in the trenches tackling poverty, crime, educational gaps and other social ills since the fall of 2006, just before this newspaper reported on dismally high rates of black poverty, black child poverty and the income gap between black and white Omahans. The special report prompted a response from white philanthropists and civic leaders and, largely through the Empowerment Network, the black community.

The most recent figures show that Omahas black poverty rate has inched down. The black-white gap has narrowed slightly. And measures in graduation rates, unemployment and shootings are, respectively, up, down and way down, all hopeful signs that the quality of life for black Omahans is getting better.

Willie Barney of the Empowerment Network attends Gospel Fest on Aug. 2, 2017 at Salem Baptist Church in Omaha.

Many Omahans say Willie and his group should get some credit. Drawing from Tavis Smileys 2006 book, The Covenant With Black America, Willie tried to create solutions from the ground up, with black Omahans leading the way. Hes also brought national networking expert George C. Fraser, author of Success Runs in Our Race, to Omaha multiple times.

He stuck with it despite some pushback within the black community from those who see the network as too friendly with existing power structures and too slow in creating visible, lasting change.

We havent always agreed on everything that was happening within the community, said Jannette Taylor, who previously ran a gang intervention program, Impact One, and worked with Willie. Throughout all of that, I never had to guess what his purpose was, where he saw the community growing or what his vision was for the city. ... He always invited everyone to the table even when some people wanted to flip the table over.

Count Precious McKesson among early skeptics. She had watched programs start and stop in north Omaha. She was especially guarded because she lives in north Omaha and has a family member who was nearly killed in a shooting. She wondered about motives.

Who are these people? shed ask about the network.

But she kept going to network meetings, and now I understand and I see the vision of what theyre trying to do.

The Empowerment Network has grown from an ad hoc volunteer group to a nearly $1.5 million entity with a storefront office, four staff members, and a youth summer jobs program called Step-Up Omaha. Willie, who had done this work for free from 2006 to 2010, now earns about $90,000 a year to head the group.

But Willie stresses hes merely a facilitator. He listed a dozen other people who have worked hard to make the network grow, and singled out his staff and Omaha City Councilman Ben Gray and Michael Maroney, director of the Omaha Economic Development Corp., who were architects and supporters of Step-Up. He says the Empowerment Network is first a network of thousands of people and hundreds of organizations and nothing would be possible without collaboration.

Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer speculated that Willies discomfort with taking credit or talking about himself made him that much more attractive to others.

Maybe thats why everyone follows him, said Schmaderer, who often attends the weekly anti-crime meetings Willie holds.

Sheila Jackson, left, Dr. DJ Moore, second from left, Avalee Edwards and Willie Barney, right, attend Gospel Fest on Aug. 2, 2017 at Salem Baptist Church in Omaha.

Willie is constantly on the move, driving his nearly 20-year-old Honda Civic around Omaha for meetings, classes, prayer walks and more meetings.

His personal network runs from Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert to teenagers trying to exit street life.

Schmaderer credits Barney and the Empowerment Network for improving police-community relations, which the chief says has contributed to reductions in shootings and a boost in the homicide clearance rate.

Volunteers, including Willie Barney, left, in tie, pray before distributing Omaha 360 resource bags in the Miller Park neighborhood on June 27, 2017, in Omaha.

Theres nothing better than addressing the root causes of crime: poverty, educational gaps, the breakdown of the family, Schmaderer said. I do believe other cities can look at the Empowerment Network.

Schmaderer described Willie as a very strong bridge. Willie is constantly bridging Omahas dividing lines of geography, race and social class. He owns a house in west Omaha but works, shops, eats, worships and otherwise lives in north Omaha. That suit hes wearing?

Styles of Evolution, he said, promoting a North 24th Street clothier, which he says represents one of his personal commitments to buy locally.

Douglas County Treasurer John Ewing, who serves on the networks board, sees the group as vital and Barney as the change-maker who made it happen.

Willie is one of the most significant leaders in Omaha, period, Ewing said. He had a vision (for north Omaha) that was different than anything I had seen before.

Omaha Public Schools Superintendent Mark Evans said he talks with Willie at least once a month. Evans attends the monthly Saturday Network meetings at Omaha North High. He seeks Willies input on OPS decisions.

We see Willie as a critical partner in helping us move the needle, said Evans of OPS, where nearly three out of four students come from families with incomes low enough to qualify for free or reduced-price lunches.

Rev. Bruce Williams, left, with the Hope of Glory Church, and Willie Barney, right, talk with north Omahans.

OPS board member Yolanda Williams said Willie works tirelessly to connect the community to organizations and resources.

Willie does have an agenda: one great Omaha, a mantra of the Empowerment Network. This involves a mission of improving life for everyone, though with a specific focus on the north Omaha ZIP codes 68111, 68110 and 68104. Within that mission are numerous specific steps and plans that involve personal responsibility, neighborhood revitalization, job training and jobs, youth development, justice system reform and health and education improvements.

Barney uses words like rise up and rebuild the village.

By that he means that people look out for each other, and he quickly adds: Its not something I read about. Its personal experience. Personal.

Willie is one of the most significant leaders in Omaha, period. Douglas County Treasurer John Ewing.

Willie was born to teen parents in rural Mississippi, and spent his early years in his grandmothers care while his mother went to college in Iowa. After she earned a social work degree, Willies mother brought him to Mount Pleasant, a small town in the southeastern corner of the state.

I went from a 99.9 percent African-American community to a 99 percent-something white community, he said.

That transition was, at times, tough, he said. But coaches and teachers reached out and became my village. He said his mother and stepfather were examples of how to help others. He graduated from St. Ambrose, a Catholic liberal arts university in Davenport, Iowa. An internship at the Davenport-based Lee Enterprises gave him exposure to how business executives work and led to jobs at Lee and later at The World-Herald, where Willie worked from 1999 to 2004 as circulation marketing manager.

Being a transplant shaped Willies view of the city. At first he and his wife, Yolanda Barney, saw Omaha as a gold mine, with low unemployment, strong public schools and a vibrant downtown. But where were all the black people? Not leading corporations. Not very prevalent in civic leadership. Not even present in his neighborhood, near 120th and Cuming Streets.

As he looked more closely at the city, he began to see what had been hidden. Omaha might have a low jobless rate overall, but black unemployment was in the double digits. The public housing projects didnt look as bad as in other cities, but the poverty was deep. Plus the geographic separation was stark and Willie was now a father. (His children are ages 15 and 10.)

Left:Willie Barney of the Empowerment Network attends Gospel Fest on Aug. 2, 2017 at Salem Baptist Church in Omaha. Right:Aung Mya, 14, keeps stirring the Bchamel sauce on the burner, but watches for the rest of the ingredients during a class at the Career Center at TAC in Omaha on June 20, 2017. Credit: Sarah Hoffman and Matt Miller/The World-Herald

Willie wanted to do something about this. He went to work at his church, Salem Baptist at 31st and Lake Streets, then quit that to do consulting work and began meeting with as many African-Americans as he could to discuss what to do.

In 2007 I watched him tell an audience that the Empowerment Networks goal was to transform the city of Omaha.

Not yet, said Willie, who is 49. There is still work to do. Like get the youths from job fairs to jobs to careers. He seems to be getting buy-in from many, including Jasyn Howard, a 14-year-old who took two buses to Step-Up and called it an experience that transported him out of his everyday life. He sees Willie as a caring adult who has done a lot.

At the job fair, as Willie held the classroom door open, he nodded approvingly.

All right, gentlemen, he said. Represent us.

One young man turned around and grinned.

We got you, Mr. Barney.

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Willie Barney, one of Omaha's 'most significant leaders,' is constantly bridging the city's dividing lines of ... - Omaha World-Herald

Zafigo.com is a platform which gathers a community of women travellers, said Marina the founder of the women travel website. EBBY SAIFUL/The Star.

What is apparently the first empowerment and travel event dedicated to women in Asia will take place from Aug 29 to 31 in Penang.

ZafigoX is exclusively for women who share a passion for travelling, said Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir (pic) at the media launch in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.

ZafigoX is the brainchild of Marina, who is also the founder of Zafigo.com.

I believe that travel is an indirect but very powerful way of empowering women to be more self-confident and independent.

As we venture out of our geographic boundaries, especially alone, we also open our minds to going beyond societal and mental boundaries too.

It is this awakening that empowers us to choose the lives we truly want to live. From this belief, both Zafigo.com and ZafigoX have sprung, said Marina.

Founded in 2014, Zafigo.com is a platform for women to share safety tips, guides and stories of their travels so other women could learn and be inspired by them.

Marina said it would be a safe haven for women travellers to discuss personal challenges and exchange invaluable knowledge and experiences.

She added that it was aimed at enlightening women about the practical things they should take note of when they travel alone.

Under the umbrella of ZafigoX, there will be various activities in store, namely talks and workshops conducted by international and local women speakers.

The panels will be mediated by Marina, Travel & BE founder Anita Ahmad, Vbuzz executive producer Sumitra Selvaraj and Kudsia+Co co-founder and chief executive officer Kudsia Kahar.

Among the speakers will be Manal al-Sharif, who led a right to drive campaign in Saudi Arabia, South Korean Jin Jeong who cycled solo over 63,000km around the world for six years, and Malaysias Petrina Thong who hitchhiked from Sweden to Malaysia.

The workshops include one on self-defence by Malaysian MMA fighter Ann Osman and a travel photography masterclass from multi-award winning photographer Brendan O Se.

A public bazaar at the event will give local women artisans an opportunity to showcase their products and facilitate business networking.

We are happy and proud to be the first to bring an event like ZafigoX to Asia and use this opportunity to inspire and empower women.

We feel that this event will benefit women who want to try something new by providing them with insights on travelling to different countries, said Marina.

Zafigo.com strategy and development officer James Chong said: Although there are limited slots for participants, most of the panels and workshop sessions will be recorded and released on Zafigo.com.

That way, the spirit and beliefs of Zafigo.com could be nurtured and reach more aspiring women travellers.

ZafigoX, which is set to host 300 women participants, will be held at the Royale Chulan Penang Hotel in conjunction with George Town Festival 2017. For details, visit http://www.zafigo.com/zafigox.

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Empowerment and travel event for women - The Star Online

Jill Johnson is a three-time cancer survivor with a lifelong passion for helping others through fine jewelry. She relied on her 27 years as a sought-after importer, manufacturer and wholesaler to the jewelry trade to design a beautiful, meaningful jewelry collection that could also empowerand unitea larger community. Johnsons Minneapolis-based fine jewelry company, Jilco Inc., has been giving back to organizations like the Fistula Foundation (in partnership with Oprah Winfrey) and the Children's Cancer Research Fund since 1989.

How has your life experience made you the leader you are today?

My life experience has taught me to be resilient, a lesson I learned from a very early age. I was diagnosed with cancer at eleven years old, the first of three cancer occurrences. Facing your own mortality as a child is maturing and formative but also empowering in that you are more willing to take risks in order to pursue your dreams. These experiences taught me to be a decisive, bold, and hardworking leader and gave me an appetite for entrepreneurship.

How has your previous employment experience aided your tenure at AWE?

I spent the last 28 years running Jilco, the jewelry manufacturing and wholesale business I founded in my early 20s. This experience combined with my cancer survivorship is what enabled me to recognize a gap in the marketplace: survivors lack a meaningful and enduring gift that is unifying and commemorative of their triumph over adversity. In designing AWEs inaugural collection, I leveraged both my creative expertise and industry contacts to create a medallion that both symbolizes the resilience of survivors and is crafted to last a lifetime.

What have the highlights and challenges been during your tenure at AWE?

AWE is built around our mission of gifting and giving back. We create meaningful gifts that honor, unite, and celebrate the triumphs of survivors, and donate 20% of each sale to one of our four charity partners. Our mission-driven, luxury-goods business model is largely new to the market, which has been a challenge, and necessitates a certain level of market education.

However, creating a community that unites and empowers survivors who have turned adversity into opportunity has been one of the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences of my life! The fact that we have been able to connect those in need with those who have triumphed is a signal to me that this is something the world needs. The organic community response to our mission has been deeply moving.

What advice can you offer to women who want a career in your industry?

The jewelry industry has evolved dramatically since I started 35 years ago. Back then bridal jewelry encapsulated the industry. Nowadays modern, empowered women are purchasing jewelry for themselves and others, and there is a growing appreciation for craft, design and meaning as millennials chose brands that are a true reflection of their lifestyle and values. In addition, e-commerce is completely disrupting the jewelry purchasing experience.

My advice to young professionals interested in the jewelry industry:

What is the most important lesson youve learned in your career to date?

Know what you're good at. My expertise is in jewelry sales and manufacturing: I understand the manufacturing process, supply chain, design trends, and pricing strategy. Now through AWE Im using this skill-set to accomplish my goal of giving back. Its important to remind yourself of your accomplishments and push yourself to grow further in the professional areas youre passionate about.

How do you maintain a work/life balance?

I believe finding balance is about dedication, consistency and accepting that its not an easy process! My time is currently split between my two businesses: the one I've run for 28 years and my startup AWE. Additionally, its always been important for me to dedicate time with my sons, my greatest sources of joy and inspiration.

To accomplish this I physically schedule out my time--including the things I need to do and want to do--on an elaborate system of post-its, and I stick to it! I've learned to prioritize my physical and mental health by incorporating them into my daily routine. I go to gyrotonic three times a week and schedule my mornings around it. I meditate before work for greater mental clarity.

What do you think is the biggest issue for women in the workplace?

Women face a number of issues in the workplace today (from combatting biases to gender inequality), and often lack support in dealing with them. On top of that women are searching for ways to have it all: a successful career, a healthy and stable family, physical and mental well-being, and some semblance of a social life. Often somethings gotta give, which is unfair because its not usually that way for men.

When adversity like illness or trauma takes women off their course, it can be especially devastating, which is why it is central to AWEs mission to elevate stories of empowerment and support organizations that provide immediate aid to those in need.

My advice to women is to support one another in the workplace when it comes to both personal and professional goals! In doing this we become united, and that can only make us stronger.

How has mentorship made a difference in your professional and personal life?

My late uncle was my most stable guiding figure through the early years of my career. When I turned 18 I moved from St. Paul, Minnesota to New York City and worked multiple jobs on 47th Street in the Diamond District to pay for my education. My uncle, who owned a dozen womens retail clothing stores in Minnesota, would take me along to his Market Week appointments in NYC, educating me on buying and negotiation. We would attend these meetings throughout the day and Broadway shows at night, a ritual I continue to this day with my son who lives in New York.

My uncle encouraged me to take all I learned from the New York jewelry industry back to Minneapolis and start Jilco. He instilled in me a strong sense of self, a confidence to go after what I want, and a compassionate leadership style.

Which other female leaders do you admire and why?

Michelle Obama inspires me with her grace, intelligence, and drive. She leveraged her position of power to make unprecedented impact in areas like health education and promotion of the arts. Moreover she effected change through compassionate and respectful rhetoric, reminding me to be the kindest leader I can be.

Ive always been fascinated by Frida Khalo. Her life was tumultuous to say the least, but she turned her hardships into inspiration. She broke gender barriers in the art world and explored the concept of gender through her paintings in a way that was uniquely feminine. I admire her fierce individualism and sense of personal style.

What do you want AWE to accomplish in the next year?

If we succeed in our mission, AWE will change the conversation around survivorship to one that is more empowering and inclusive, build a platform and community for inspiration, and directly impact the lives of survivors in need through our meaningful donations.

We hope that people will choose AWE as a lifelong symbol of strength, hope and resilience, which is everlasting and powerful by design. This next year we are focused on building out the respective areas of our business so we can maximize our impact in a scalable and sustainable way.

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Women in Business Q&A: Jill Johnson, Founder, Jilco Inc - HuffPost

An art exhibit by Dorothy Netherland opens Thursday at The Southern, 2 Carlson Ct., exploring issues of identity, transformation and personal power from the context of being a mother of a teenage daughter.

Netherland's art coalesces photographs of her daughter's face with bodies from fashion magazines and then overloads imagery. These creations are inspired by the complexities and contradictions involved in crafting an identity in the modern age.

Inspirations include constantly shifting perceptions, seeking validation through online self-documentation and both the empowerment and anxiety involved in this self-documentation.

My daughter is in a time of life which is so open to possibility, and her ideas about her identity as separate from her parents is still forming," says Netherland. "Identity is complex and multi-faceted, and social media allows us to try out multiple personas. Girls today are aware of it as a power tool and means of self-expression.

But, like fashion, which constantly changes, its a challenge to stay relevant and fresh ... Im interested in the mixed messages of girl power and the way female strength and empowerment can resemble branding. In a personal way, my work contemplates the current culture, and my daughters growing involvement in it.

The opening reception takes place from 6-8 p.m. Thursday.

Reach Kalyn Oyerat 843-371-4469. Follow her on Twitter @sound_wavves.

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FanGirl opens at The Southern, exploring issues of identity, transformation and personal power - Charleston Post Courier

The memorial service for Daniel C. Marshall, 61, of High Forest Township, will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 4, at the United Methodist Church in Stewartville, with the Rev. Wane Souhrada officiating. Burial will follow at High Forest Cemetery in High Forest.

Mr. Marshall died unexpectedly on Sunday, July 30, 2017, of natural causes, in rural High Forest Township.

Daniel Collins Marshall was born on Oct. 15, 1955, in Stewartville to Roy and Betty Jo (Collins) Marshall. He grew up in rural High Forest Township and attended Stewartville schools, graduating from Stewartville High School in 1973. He enlisted into the Army serving for four years. Following his honorable discharge in 1978, he returned to Minnesota and attended Thief River Vocational School receiving his certificate in welding. Dan returned to High Forest and made his home on the Marshall family homestead.

He was employed with his Uncle Duane and sons at Collins Masonry for 10 years. Dan was then employed at Hormel Co. in Austin for 28 years until his retirement in 2014.

Dan was married on Sept. 11, 2010, in High Forest to Jo Lynn "Jody" Stuber (Street). The couple have made their home on the Marshall family homestead. Jody was employed as a nurse at Mayo Clinic in Rochester for 34 years until her retirement. She is currently employed as an equine specialist at H.O.P.E. (Horses Offer Personal Empowerment) in Rochester.

Dan was a member of the UFCWU Local 9 (United Food and Commercial Workers Union). He enjoyed the outdoors and was an avid deer hunter, fisherman, and liked gardening, canning ,cutting wood, mowing the yard and land conservation. He was serious about raising chickens, his pickles, Nascar and #3. He loved time spent with friends and family, especially his wife, Jody and his stepchildren.

Dan is survived by his wife, Jody Marshall; one stepson, Anthony Street of Rochester; two stepdaughters, Corey Street (Sam Benson) of Minneapolis and Ericka Street of Rochester; his mother, Betty Jo Marshall; and two sisters, Cindy Grundmeier and Debra Marshall (Doug Erickson) all of Hines, Minn.; and one brother, Bruce Marshall of Colville, Wash.

He was preceded in death by his father, Roy; and a brother, Tom Marshall.

A time of visitation will take place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 3, at Griffin-Gray Funeral Home in Stewartville and one hour prior to the service Friday at the United Methodist Church.

Arrangements are with Griffin-Gray Funeral Home in Stewartville. http://www.griffin-gray.com.

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Daniel C. Marshall -- High Forest Township - Post-Bulletin

National No Makeup Day occurred late April 2017 where many women left the MAC foundations behind, put the Maybelline mascaras aside, and made a statement about feeling comfortable in their own beautiful skin.

Several celebrities sparked the movement by showing their bare faces on social media with no makeup selfies. Alicia Keys has lead the pack, and publicly stated in a letter titled Time to Uncover that she will no longer use any makeup in her professional or personal life. This is the singer-songwriters way of truly being herself, without covering up her true self.

Soon this movement gained national support, not only from celebrities, but from numerous women nationwide. #NoMakeupMondays with unfiltered faces emphasized the importance and beauty of going au naturel in an increasingly aesthetic society.

For some women, choosing not to wear makeup may just be a way to save morning time and effort, but for others its a life changing journey. The choice to forego makeup may be simple, but the next step may be more difficult: feeling confident. Recently, women have called attention to the No Makeup Movement by encouraging other women to drop the makeup and change their daily routine so women can go outside feeling happy, confident, and most importantly - themselves!

In honor of the No Makeup Movement, were sharing 5 reasons to ditch the lipstick and eyelash curler in favor of your own natural beauty.

Keep the trend going if you started on No Makeup Day or use this summer to kickstart your natural look. Feel confident and appreciate your beauty, and dont forget to take a #NoMakeupSelfie. Imperfect is the new perfect!

Sharon Schweitzer, J.D., is a cross-cultural trainer, modern manners expert, and the founder of Access to Culture (formerly Protocol & Etiquette Worldwide). In addition to her accreditation in intercultural management from the HOFSTEDE centre, she serves as a Chinese Ceremonial Dining Etiquette Specialist in the documentary series Confucius was a Foodie, on Nat Geo People. She is the resident etiquette expert on two popular lifestyle shows: ABC Tampa Bays Morning Blend and CBS Austins We Are Austin. She is regularly quoted by BBC Capital, Investors Business Daily, Fortune, and the National Business Journals. Her Amazon #1 Best Selling book in International Business, Access to Asia: Your Multicultural Business Guide, now in its third printing, was named to Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2015. Shes a winner of the British Airways International Trade Award at the 2016 Greater Austin Business Awards.

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Ditch the Makeup: Sans Powder for Women's Empowerment - HuffPost

BEACON Hudson River Sloop Clearwater welcomed 12 participants onboard this July for a two-day program aimed at empowering and educating the Hudson Valleys LGBTQ community.

Clearwaterfirst launched this groundbreaking environmental education and leadership training program for youth who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Allies in 2009.

This year participants were involved in a wide range of physical and academic activities in small groups and as a team. Under the supervision of Clearwater educators, the group set sail, deployed fish nets, re-wrote sea shanties, and camped overnight beside the river in Ulster County. The group also examined development of environmental and LGBTQ movements, and explored how to be a leader in both. The group exchanged personal stories about their lives in the LGBTQ community and offered encouragement and guidance to one another.

Many ofClearwatersformer crew who identify as members of the LGBTQ community returned to talk about their experiences as sailors and in other professions.Queerwater is an amazing program that I participated in as a crew member in the past, said Captain Aleythea Dolstad. This year, it was so gratifying to be able to sail with the Hudson Valley LGBTQ community as their captain.

Kristen Lovell was the special guest speaker, talking to the participants about community leadership, personal challenges, and the opportunities available to them today.

This August, Clearwater will gear up to host two more youth empowerment programs: Young Women at the Helm and Young Men at the Helm.Young Women and Young Men at the Helm introduce Hudson Valley youth to the river through an intensive three day leadership training program. Annually, 20-25 young women and young men are accepted to these programs and participate in various on-board and shore basedactivities. Hudson River Sloop Clearwater offers a variety of ecology-based experiences to thousands of youth and adults each year. Clearwater makes it a priority to reach out to urban and rural areas and minorities who are often underserved in this capacity.

Clearwaters youth empowerment programs are free to participants and sponsored through contributions made to Clearwater.

Visitwww.clearwater.orgfor more information.

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Clearwater Hosts Onboard LGBTQ + Allies Youth Empowerment Program - Hudson Valley News Network