http://www.thebusinewschannel.com

C O L U M N I S T S

5 EDITOR’S LETTER

19 SHINE ON SISTA!

24 LIPSTICK CHRONICLES

FA M I LYPassing the baton

Patient, prayerfulperseverance.

ISSUE 8 MAY 2012

F E A T U R E S

H E A LT HMay is StrokeAwareness Month10B U S I N E S SMeet the Authorsof Nine Rubies17P R I VA C YProtect your onlinephotos and videos22

ISSUE 8 MAY 2012

©2012 Lioness Magazine is thefirst online magazine gearedtoward female entrepreneurs. Wedeliver sharp and compelling infor-mation on a variety of topics thatare relevant to female entrepre-neurs and professionals. Our mis-sion is to elevate, educate and sup-port female professionals.

We celebrate the unique challengesand achievements of women inbusiness. We believe women aremulti-dimensional creations whoflourish, personally and profes-sionally, when they take time tonurture their spirits.

Editor-in-ChiefNatasha Clark

Copy EditorJean Wroblewski

Art DirectorLeonardo Pilares

Director of PhotographyDenise Smith

ColumnistsCrystal Senter Brown

Brenda’s ChildErin CorriveauDawn Leaks

Katelyn Gendron

Contributing WritersTony Gaskins, Jr.Lamara Hunter

I am never going to be like my mother! Isn’t that what we all said in a snarky tone as teenagers when we weren’t within an earshot ofher? But years have a way of maturing our attitudes and outlooks, and we often find ourselves reflecting the very same woman’s attrib-utes we thought we were shielding.

People often ask me how I find time to do all of the things I am interested in. Easy – my mother, Joan. Even though I didn’t realize Iwas getting a lesson at the time, my mother was teaching me not how to be all things to all people, but to make time for the thingsthat are important to me. My mother has always had remarkable hustle. She was a mid-wife and later a nurse by profession. However,she was also my hairdresser, housekeeper, cook, pastor, travel agent and everythingelse in between.

She was a hardcore advocate for social etiquette. According to Joan’s Laws, always:• Eat with your knife and fork.• Have a splash of your favorite fragrance.• Own a nice piece of jewelry.• Step out of your home looking tidy.• Say please and thank you.• Be the first to say Good Morning and Good Night.• Pray daily.• Keep your voice low when in public.• Make sure your home is neat because you never know who may stop by.

And this is a short list! As mothers we are designed to unconsciously Pass theBaton. We are our children’s first role models; and all of our behaviors and actions, both good and bad, are up forinterpretation by our children – the next generation of our family. What has your mother passed to you? This month Alysia CuttingCosby tells us what her mother, Carol, has passed on to her and encourages all of our readers who are mothers to gear up to preparethe next generation.

Want to share your Pass the Baton story? Send it to us at lionessmagazine@gmail.com.

Unleash the Lioness Within,

Natasha

LIONESS MAY 2012 5

editor’sletter

Natasha Clark

Passing the Baton is a Tradition

6 MAY 2012 LIONESS

other’s Day2012 has comeand gone, how-ever the impact of

m o t h e r h o o dremains forever: felt long after candy is con-sumed, flowers wither, balloons deflate and senti-mental cards are neatly tucked away in keepsakeboxes. To have a mother that is a powerful moti-vating force in one's personal life is a blessing, butto also have a mother as a professional role modelis a wonderful bonus. I can say this about mymother, Carol Moore Cutting, President andCEO of Cutting Edge BroadcastingIncorporated, founder of New England’s ONLYfull-time “smooth jazz” radio station, WEIB106.3 Smooth FM.

Known as “the hat lady” for her stylish hats, mymother passed me a proverbial “baton”, thatincludes many lessons that I have carried intoboth my personal and professional life. Surfacecomparisons may be quickly recognizable: shegraduated from historic Tuskegee Institute in1969 with a degree in Secondary Education, Igraduated from Tuskegee University with aMechanical Engineering degree in 1996 thentaught in the Springfield school system for over10 years. She has supported her husband’s careerwhile balancing professional goals and raising afamily, just like I do. As a former sponsor of HalJackson’s Talented Teens Pageant, she has a heartfor fostering a love of education and talent in ouryouth, like me. She is a member of Alpha KappaAlpha Sorority Incorporated, as am I. But thedeeper thread above all surface similarities are theprinciples she models, of “patient, prayerful perse-verance”. Principles that have grounded me inmy own faith walk and ministry.

Many repeat the refrain, “patience is a virtue”, butmy mother taught me that when you believe in avision, you must be patient for the long haul, andin HER case, even if it takes 30 years to manifest!She had to exercise serious patience over thecourse of DECADES just to put her “vision” ofan independent radio station on the air, a stationthat would fill a musical void in the Western New

England region and beyond. Truly, it was no easytask to broadcast on air, It required patience andfortitude to deal with the multiple challenges thatappeared, but for each obstacle presented beforeher, she stepped patiently closer to her dreams:day by day, month by month, even year by yearuntil those dreams became a firm reality.

While some listeners may remember when WEIB106.3 Smooth FM first went on air 11 years ago,the VERY first song aired, “God’s Got My Back”,or the handful of songs on repeat, only a fewknow patience required to get there. As a youth,I remember taking trips to Washington, D.C.,where little did I know then, my mother was busytestifying before the Federal CommunicationsCommittee pleading a case to be granted a con-struction permit. The arduous process of applyingfor an FCC license and construction permit wasseriously complicated because an existing broad-caster, who also wanted the frequency, used the

full bounty of his extensive resources to challengeher every step of the way with lengthy and costlylegal battles.

Picture it: a sharecropper's daughter of humblebackground and means, raised in segregated ruralAlabama, moved to Massachusetts with a simpledream to serve the community and reflect itsdiversity via the public airwaves. Contrast this toa heavily financed broadcasting giant looking foranother corporate acquisition to add to his roster;willing to tie up the process, hoping my motherwould be financially overwhelmed into submis-sion and surrender. In an almost a modern day“David versus Goliath” standoff, and after eightyears of litigation, my mom was victorious overher “Goliath” and got her construction permitapproved. After seven more years of delays to leaseantenna space and find the right tower, WEIB106.3 Smooth FM was FINALLY on air!

As a young person, there is absolutely no way Icould look at all of that and NOT learn thatpatience IS a virtue; I have carried that with meeven as I’ve patiently navigated my own personaland professional goals, knowing that ultimatelydreams can become realities. Because I marriedand began raising a family while in college, I oftentook children to my Math and Engineering class-es, and even graduated (8) months pregnant withour third child; I know what it means to sacrificepersonal time. Even after we moved back toWestern Massachusetts, as a mother of four, Ispent subsequent years sacrificing my own desiresof a career in media and as a writer to do what wasin the best interest of the family. In being patientthen, I am now beginning to walk in the careerthat I envisioned for myself now.

In reflecting on her times of patient sacrifice to getWEIB FM on the air, my mother has said she hasno regrets, and that she “grew during the process.”She states, “my challenges helped me to growemotionally, spiritually and professionally. It’sbeen the biggest education of my life”. I com-pletely agree and cosign her sentiments, as I haveborn the fruit of patience working in my own life.I wholeheartedly agree with poet, Samuel

Patient, prayerful perseverance

PASSING THE BATON–

By Alysia Cutting Cosby

Continued on page 9

CAROL MOORE CUTTING

“ I continue a legacy of“ patient, prayerful perseverance”

Johnson, that “Great works are performed not bystrength, but by perseverance”. I have learnedthat when things are hard and situations difficult,perseverance indeed makes one stronger.According to my mom, “It was a part of my his-tory of being able to hang in there”. Consideringthe journey of her life, I take her at her word,knowing that she had faith and conviction thatGod would sustain her through all of these obsta-cles. The same “patient, prayerful perseverance”keeps me focused as I travel through my life andministry.

She modeled prayerful perseverance throughouttremendous struggles to be one of the firstwomen, and the first African-American woman inMassachusetts to apply for and receive an FCClicense to operate a radio station. Because of per-severance, WEIB FM continues to be the onlyindependently owned and locally operated com-mercial FM radio station in the area while othersare governed by out of state conglomerates. At atime of format flipping, WEIB FM remains theonly full-time commercial FM “smooth jazz” sta-tion on the East coast from New England toFlorida!

According to Booker T. Washington, founder ofour beloved alma mater, Tuskegee University:“Success is to be measured not so much by theposition that one has reached in life as by theobstacles which he has overcome.” He also said,“Every person who has grown to any degree ofusefulness, every person who has grown to dis-tinction, almost without exception, has been aperson who has risen by overcoming obstacles, byremoving difficulties, by resolving that when hehas met discouragement, he would not give up.”My own personal convictions are to persevere andlive life as a positive learning experience, as anopportunity to inspire others and BE inspired aswell; all while maintaining a vested interest inbuilding my family and the greater “family” of thecommunity.

Ever since I’VE known her, my mom has beeninvolved in the community, and now coupledwith WEIB FM, we have even MORE opportu-nity to give back to the community as a mediasponsor for a variety of worthy causes. She is amember of many a local Chamber of Commerce,has served on many committees and boards likeFood Bank of Western Massachusetts, WGBY,UMASS Amherst Fine Arts Center, AmericanHeart Association, and National Association ofBlack Owned Broadcasters, where she is itsNortheastern Regional Representative.

But she has also been recognized for this commu-nity service and her entrepreneurial spirit withmany “Woman of the Year”, “Businesswoman ofthe Year”, “Woman of Distinction”, and othercommunity service awards. Last year, WesternMass Women Magazine named me one of the“Top 25 Women to Watch in 2011-2012” as“Top Woman in Radio”, and this June I will beproud recipient of a WBOA “Top Women inBusiness in the Pioneer Valley” award. I continuea legacy of “patient, prayerful perseverance” asnew opportunities open up for me as well, so Imay be a role model for MY two daughters, twosons, and others I come in contact with.

My mom got her pioneering spirithonestly...HER mother sacrificed safety to furtherher education. After finishing a teaching job,three days a week, she drove 140 mi on darkAlabama roads to take classes...I imagine as aBlack woman traveling alone in the deep south,she echoed my mantra, “you do what you have todo...NO EXCUSES!” As we reflect on Mother’sDay, I challenge us ALL to “receive the baton”from our experienced elders, as my motherlearned from HER mother and I learned frommine. So whether a mother by BIRTH or a moth-er in DEED, I implore you to “pass the baton” toyounger generations...your wisdom is invaluableand we need you!

LIONESS MAY 2012 9

patient, prayerful perseverance

ALYSIA CUTTING COSBY

10 MAY 2012 LIONESS

he Center for Disease Control andPrevention recently dropped stroke fromthe No. 3 leading cause of death in theU.S. to No. 4. This is the first decline in50 years. And although death rates are

down, people living with stroke have increased.Furthermore, studies have shown that of the795,000 Americans having a new or recurrentstroke each year, 55,000 are more women thanmen.Since May is Stroke Awareness Month, I decidedto focus on American Heart Association &American Stroke Association’s collaborative initia-tive, The Power To End Stroke (PTES) campaign.Power To End Stroke is an education and aware-ness campaign that embraces and celebrates theculture, energy, creativity and lifestyles ofAmericans. It unites people to help make animpact on the high incidence of stroke withintheir communities. Through this national initia-tive, the many are able to learn and be aware of thehealth disparity of Stroke and the high rate in theAfrican American population.Women are leading in all areas of business and areheading many organizations. Many with kids intow, most with years of experience and degrees,but regardless of the 'who', 'what', 'when', 'where','why' and 'how'; the bottom line is it is a stressfullifestyle that we lead and we should be mindfulthat we need to take time out for ourselves. It isvital to the very lives we lead and it’s very benefi-cial, not just for us, but for our families as well.Stress can lead to many health issues such as heartdisease, diabetes and stroke. Although some stroke risk factors are hereditaryand include history of prior stroke or heart attack,age, family history, gender or race; other risk fac-tors can be eliminated or controlled. These factorsinclude high blood pressure, smoking, high bloodcholesterol, poor diet and physical inactivity. TheAmerican Heart Association has long been con-nected with comprehensive programs to combat

heart disease among a diverse set of populationsand added a division dedicated to stroke aware-ness. Their mission is to build healthier lives, freeof cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Two suchexisting initiatives are the Go Red for Womencampaign and Power to End Stroke. These areyear-round and comprehensive initiatives withincreased visibility in February and May which areHeart Month and Stroke Month, respectively.Nikki Burnett, New England Regional VicePresident of Health Equity for the American HeartAssociation and American Stroke Association, isone such woman that is leading the way to healthycommunities by making education & awarenessinitiatives readily available. She contributes thesuccess to having a strong team of individuals suchas Mary Ann Burns (Director ofCommunications), Traci Heath (Corporate EventsDirector) and Carrie McMahon (ExecutiveDirector) as well as many others that are dedicatedto the cause. She noted, “I am blessed to be able tobe part of a team that works on our missionthrough community education, advocacy, researchand fundraising. There is so much work to done,but it is my personal goal to bring our communi-ties into action to become active advocates of theirown health. I want to help to equip them with theknowledge of their risks, what they can do about itand how to work with their medical providers.”

Nikki works to bridge the understanding betweenmedical providers and to the community they areserving. “It is absolutely correct that a physicianshould prescribe a healthy diet and exercise to allpatients. However, access of fresh fruits and veg-etables and safe/green space for exercise is notavailable to all. There must be equal and appro-priate access for all communities to ensure every-one has a fair and equitable stake in their ownhealth.” She has been successful in spearheadingmany initiatives in the community to include theFaith-Based Health Alliance which encourages

parishioners, church members and staffs to take onthe issues that contribute to poor health and helpeducate each other.

I asked her, what makes for a successful career?She noted, “Passion. I truly love what I do and itis my passion that keeps me going.” What successmeans for her is, “ I can keep going when I getweary… we all fall under pressures of doublebooked calendars and tight deadlines, no matterwhat type of work we do. But I truly get excitedabout my work.”

What’s important is that she is able to take timeout to spend with her 11-year old daughter,Brionne, and also contribute to the various min-istries in her church, Progressive CommunityBaptist Church.

“I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to bringeducation and resources to the communities withthe most disparate risk of heart disease and stroke,”Nikki shared.

Nikki is no stranger to the effects of heart diseaseand stroke. “Three years ago my brother suffered astroke at the age of 40. I found myself thrust intothe role of advocate and caregiver,” she recalled.“One of our strongest weapons against our num-ber one and number three killers is education andthe power to advocate for ourselves.” She has beenwith the AHA/ASA for eight years and is stillgoing strong. She motivates and encourages indi-viduals to want to live healthier lifestyles by meet-ing them where they and guiding change.

Born in Springfield, Massachusetts, Nikki receivedher A.S. in Arts and Science from HolyokeCommunity College and went on to complete herB.S. in Biology at American International Collegein Springfield, Mass. Previous to coming to theAHA, Nikki worked in the Cardiopulmonary

T

Continued on next page

[ NIKKI BURNETT ]Heading the trend in health with the American Heart Association

& American Stroke Association

Division at Baystate Medical Center for 11 years.For five of those 11 years she was a volunteer forthe AHA and helped raise over $50,000 for sever-al Heart Walks and Heart Galas. During her timeat BMC she worked in many different capacities,ranging from EKG, non-invasive cardiology andcardiac rehab. For her last 3 years of employ atBMC, she was the Education Coordinator ofCardiopulmonary Services and Assistant to theChief of Cardiology.

“My diverse experience in cardiology has been aninvaluable tool in education our communities andexplaining things so they don’t seem so daunting,”she said.

Nikki has been heading the New England region-al area by providing them with up-to-minuteinformation; hosting workshops and creating pro-grams that cater to the needs of the communityand just being an all around great business leader.

She encourages our community to be their ownadvocates to state legislature and, to petition themto help put appropriate policies in place to makesure that monies continue to flow to the areas ofneed in regards to our health.

“This month has so many awareness and fundrais-ing activities going on throughout our region andour country. As we are all doing our part in ourpersonal lifestyle modifications and bringingawareness within our networks, we want to makesure that our legislatures are doing their part. It iscrucial that we have appropriate policies that alignwith our work so that our communities and envi-ronment are conducive and compliment our hearthealth,” she said.

Nationally as well as locally, there are many eventsplanned. The Pioneer Valley Heart Walk will takeplace on May 19 in Forest Park in Springfield,Mass.

Nikki is truly at the heart of the matter and is outthere everyday looking for ways to improve thehealth in our communities. She has many years ofsuccess and truly loves what she does. She con-tributes this success to having a passion, living ahealthy lifestyle and having a strong family sup-port system. Most importantly, she is thankful forher daughter who gives her the motivation to edu-cate and effect change in the world.

“My family plays a very important role in my over-all success. I couldn’t do what I do without them.My daughter is my hero. She is such a strong,intelligent and compassionate little girl,” Nikkibeamed with pride. “I live and breathe for her. Myparents are great. They play a large part in caringfor my daughter when I cannot be there. My fam-ily is very proud of the work I do and that meansso much to me. I love them so much and am grate-ful to have a job that I love that allows me to pro-vide for them.”

• Blacks have almost twice the risk of first-ever strokes compared to whites.• Blacks have higher death rates for stroke compared to whites. • The prevalence of high blood pressure in African Americans in the United States is the highestin the world. • Among non-Hispanic blacks age 20 and older, 62.9 percent of men and 77.2 percent of women areoverweight or obese.• In 2001, 27.7 percent of black or African-Americans only, used any tobacco product. Heavy cigarettesmoking approximately doubles a person's risk for stroke when compared to light smokers.• Black women have higher prevalence rates of high blood pressure, obesity, physical inactivity and dia-betes than white women.

Unlike a stroke, when a TIA occurs, the blood clot resolves itself and there's no permanent injury. Whena stroke occurs and part of your brain dies from lack of blood flow, the part of the body it controls isaffected. Strokes can cause paralysis, affect language and vision, and cause other problems.

For more information on the t Power to End Stroke movement or for more info on upcoming eventswhere you can be apart, you may contact your local AHA Affiliate Office by visiting their website at:www.heart.org or http://powertoendstroke.org.

nikki burnett

LIONESS MAY 2012 11

Mara Hunter, 32, is a multi-talented individual with the gift to create expressive pieces.This single mother of three is a native of Springfield, MA via Jacksonville, FL. She’s aFreelance Writer, Staff Music Journalist for Total Eclipse Magazine, Contributing Writerfor Lioness Magazine, as well as a poet and dancer. Visit www.MaraHunter.blogspot.com.

The fact of the matteris heart disease and

strokes are major healthrisks for all people. But

African Americans are atparticularly high risk.

Consider this:

12 MAY 2012 LIONESS

Entreprenuer aims to uplift through glamourLime Light Fashion launches crowd funding campaign

eattle-based costume and accessoriesdesigner, Angelique Ashton of LimeLight Fashion is turning to the Internetto raise start-up capital to open a gown

and costume warehouse superstore that brings theexperience of walking the runway to shoppers inneed of a pick-me-up.

Ashton is seeking to raise $17,000 in the next 30days through crowd funding site IndieGoGo.com.It’s a creative approach that integrates social mediaand brings together potential future customersfrom the interconnected pageant, performing arts,and fashion communities to fund the store'slaunch. View the funding campaign athttp://www.IndieGoGo.com/LimeLightFashion .

“Our main mission is to promote self-esteem inwomen and teens,” says Ashton. “In our store cus-tomers could put on something sparkly and walkthe runway, and be encouraged to feel accepted,confident and gorgeous in their own skin.” Ms.Ashton plans to leverage experience gained work-ing on the production side of Art and Fashionshows as well as several years of business manage-ment to successfully operate Lime Light Fashion

House, planned to open in Seattle in January of2013 if the funding campaign is successful.

“I believe this is an idea for our time,” says Ashton

“it will help to attract other retailers to Seattle'sSoDo district where we plan to locate the store, itwill provide a one-stop-shop for stage performanceand pageant needs as well as a fun and excitingvenue for fashion industry events, and it allow usto do good in the world.”

About IndieGoGo.com. IndieGoGo is a collabo-rative way to fund ideas. Founded on the princi-ples of opportunity, transparency, choice, andaction, IndieGoGo launched in 2008 to provideany idea (creative, cause or entrepreneurial) thetools and process to raise money, offer perks andkeep 100% ownership. IndieGoGo is in over 120countries with over 5,000 projects. It has been fea-tured in top-tier media including BBC, AP,Reuters, Filmmaker Magazine and Techcrunch,and conferences like the Sundance Film Festival.IndieGoGo is headquartered in Berkeley, CA.

About Lime Light Fashion. Lime Light Fashion iscurrently an online boutique specializing in pag-eant and stage jewelry and accessories and thehome of Angelique Ashton Designs original cre-ations. Learn more athttp://www.LimeLightFashion.com.

S

ANGELIQUE ASHTON

LIONESS MAY 2012 13

LIONESS MAY 2012 15

New to motherhood?There's an app for that.

(Family Features)

All moms need more time to handle their busyschedules - that's a universal truth - but it couldbe argued that no one feels that cataclysmic timeshift more than a first-time mother. Suddenly,there is little room for showering and sleeping,let alone for making grocery lists, keeping upwith workout routines, planning weekly meals,or managing a household budget. The goodnews is that help is just a download away.

Smart moms use smart phones

According to "Dr. Mom Study 3," conducted byBabyCenter, smartphone ownership is higheramong moms than the general population andmoms spend an average of 6.1 hours a day withtheir smartphones. Having the right apps readyto assist is just one way to save time, money andsanity while moms focus on their new role.

New moms should consider the following appsas they gear up to bring an infant home or focuson those first few months with their little one.All of the apps are free, user-friendly and readyto make motherhood easier:

• Similac StrongMoms Baby Journal app - Goneare the days of juggling notebooks to jot downfeedings and diaper changes or booting up thelaptop to enter sleeping schedules. This appallows moms who breastfeed, formula-feed andpump to easily track feedings, diapering,growth and sleeping patterns - and creategraphs to help monitor them - anywhere, any-time. Moms can even email reports to family,friends or the pediatrician. Read more aboutthe features of this app athttp://similac.com/app.

• Grocery iQ - No more racking your brain tojot down a grocery list. With Grocery iQ, sim-ply scan the barcodes of products in thekitchen that need to be replenished and they'reautomatically added to the list. You can alsosearch for millions of items independently.Once complete, the list can be synchronizedwith other devices, so when mom is home withbaby, dad can feel confident he's picking upthe right stuff. To read more, visit www.gro-ceryiq.com.

• Calorie Counter by My Net Diary - Newmoms should ease into any kind of physical

activity, but many are eager to reinvest in theirphysique. Calorie Counter avoids fad dietingand helps tailor a diet to mom's personal pref-erences, giving her a better chance for long-term success. With an expansive food database,automatic recent history, recipes, customfoods, an emphasis on key nutrients and acommunity to help with morale; this is an all-in-one diet app. Check out this app atwww.mynetdiary.com.

• AllRecipes.com Dinner Spinner - Dinner stillneeds to get on the table, even when the fridgeis low on food and mom's brain is even loweron sleep. With the AllRecipes Dinner Spinnerapp, simply plug in the ingredients available onhand and a variety of recipes will appear to takethe guesswork out of mealtime. Visit www.all-recipes.com to check it out.

Stocking up on these apps before baby arrives, ordownloading them once baby comes home, canalleviate some of mom's stress as she adjusts tothe wonderful chaos that her infant will bringand what better time to start than the verybeginning?

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

16 MAY 2012 LIONESS

Women InBusiness

Name: Adrienne Connolly

City, State: Springfield, MA

Title and/or specialty: Co-Founder/Creative Director

Company/Organization Name:StinkyCakes.com

History: Stinky Cakes was founded in 2009.After having our second son we wanted andneeded diapers. Some of our family and friendschose to give us flowers, fruit baskets and otherbaby items. Our sons are seventeen monthsapart, and we had so many things unused fromthe first pregnancy that some of these gifts werenot practical for us and the flowers and fruit justwithered away. Being entrepreneurial we saw anopportunity to creatively make diaper givingfun. We went from that silly idea to shippingour baby gifts nationally.

What you do: I create the majority of our dia-per arrangements. I work hand in hand with myhusband to create some of the craziest "cakes".We've done things from a three foot tall Dr.Suess theme cake to a Japanese theme cakecomplete with Diaper Sushi.

The dynamic of a family: Working with fami-ly comes with its pros and cons. The difficultthing is "turning it off". One time we were on

a family trip and around hour two of the trip Ilooked at Myke and said,"Let's leave StinkyCakes back in Springfield for the next fewdays". (That lasted for about 45 minutes). Thebest part about it is I get to work with my hus-band on something we came up with together.It's still heartwarming to read an email,Facebook or twitter post from a satisfied cus-tomer and think back to the "if we build it theywill come" days when we first started our busi-ness.

Making your mark: Family is the most impor-tant thing me. Maintaining a healthyfamily/business life balance was always mynumber one goal. I feel empowered because,even though difficult, while running the busi-ness I've been able to be a wife, mother andbusiness woman.

My direction: Stinky Cakes is a cool and a veryfun family-oriented business to be involved inand I want to see it grow and be as successful aswe've imagined. That success can be in the formof franchising or selling it to a larger companythat can take it to another level. My numberone passion is helping foster children and seeingthem live happy lives, in happy homes. Inpreparation of future endeavors I'm currentlytaking classes at Elms College to acquire myBachelors Degree in social work. I have plans onusing my entrepreneurial skills to better thelives of children in foster care.

LIONESS MAY 2012 17

Talking to the authors of Nine Rubies

Precious JewelsBy Crystal Senter Brown

n most homes, the kitchen table is the hub.Everything happens there: meals, home-work assignments, bill paying, etc. But forauthors Mahru Ghashghaei and Susan

Snyder, the kitchen table became a launchingpad for something that would ultimately changetheir lives as well as the lives of readers aroundthe world: they wrote the novel Nine Rubiestogether.

When Sue and Mahru began the process of writ-ing Nine Rubies in 1990, Sue was an AmericanJewish educator and Mahru was an IranianMuslim nurse and counselor. What started as aconversation soon became the outline for a bookas Mahru began to share her story and Sue beganto write it down. As the story began to unfold,Mahru talked about how her Iranian Azarigrandfather was able to escape the RussianRevolution in 1917 and built a comfortable lifefor his wife and children in Northern Iran. Afterthe early death of his first wife, Mahru’s grandfa-ther married a much younger woman, whichcaused him to become estranged from his chil-dren. In today’s society, we hear so much aboutdivorce, but we often don’t think about how thedeath of a spouse can change the family dynam-ic both immediately and for generations tocome.

Nine Rubies also focuses heavily on Mahru’smother, whose communist husband placed herin perjury, threatening the security she desper-ately wanted for her daughters. On hisdeathbed, Mahru’s grandfather predicted hisgranddaughters (including Mahru,) would givetheir mother “nine rubies” (hence the title of thebook.) As I read, I couldn’t help but wonderwhat would have happened if Mahru’s grandfa-ther’s first wife had not died? Would Mahru’smother’s life have been any easier?

Nine Rubies flows like a conversation, as itexplains the rich history of Mahru’s family. Ienjoyed learning about Mahru’s family (especial-ly her mother), and the book sparked an interestwithin me to learn more about my own history.I had the pleasure of interviewing the authorsrecently to find out what inspired them to writeNine Rubies, their individual writing processes,

and what books influenced their lives.

Crystal:What inspired you to writeNine Rubies?

Sue: We started visiting with one anothermany years ago. We were professional women,Mahru a nurse and counselor, Susan an educatorand author. Although our lives were busy, oursons were friends so we found ourselves visitingoften. As Mahru shared the stories of her child-hood and early adulthood, they were uniquelyengaging and powerful. Susan started writingthem down; Mahru had an explosion of storiesto tell. Only years later did we realize that thiscollection of stories could be inspiring and use-ful to others, and shed light on women’s issues;provide a more nuanced view of Iranian life andculture; and invite others to open their heartsand minds to others.

Crystal: What is your writing process?

Sue: Our process was that Mahru talked, andSusan listened, asking questions to clarify. Eachstory unlocked another memory, and we justkept writing. Susan tried to listen from a veryopen place, but sometimes imposed her ownperspectives, so we often had to revisit an ideaseveral times to be sure the text matchedMahru’s intent. We found many common expe-riences, passions and life questions.

After we had collected stories for years, we wentback and put them in order. We revised timeand again, adding detail and poetry, balancingand interweaving hardships with triumphs,intensity with peaceful release. Finally, weworked with an editor, and had several readersprovide constructive criticism.

The hardest thing was to stop, because there ismuch more to tell.

Crystal: Do you remember what first sparkedyour interest in writing?

Mahru: I always wrote, it was always myrelease. I have books of poems and stories. Ilove writing.

I

Continued on page 19

LIONESS MAY 2012 19

Susan: I came to love words and print some-time during college, and started documentingmy extraordinary teaching experiences throughprofessional writing as well as musical composi-tion. As an author for McGraw-Hill, I wrotetextbooks filled with magic, and then started asmall educational publishing company to docu-ment the integrated arts initiatives that werepowerful school change agents. As an adult, Ifound a passion for photography, and then dis-covered how poetry could become a rich tool forexploring visual and auditory metaphors.

The memoir/oral history genre of Nine Rubiesis new.

Crystal: What book are you reading rightnow?

Mahru: The Shah, by Dr. Milani.

Susan: The Flat World and Education, byLinda Darling-Hammond. The Element, byKen Robinson.

Crystal: Is there a book that influencedyour life?

Mahru: Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo;Savushun, by Simin Daneshvar

Susan: So many books. Teaching as aPerforming Art, by Seymour Sarason is afavorite; The Velveteen Rabbit, by MargeryWilliams.

Crystal: Are you working on another book? Ifso, what is it about?

Sue: We are ready to start the sequel to NineRubies. It is already written in Mahru’s mind,and we just need time to get it written down.

Crystal: What writing advice would you giveother writers?

Sue: There is no guarantee that your writing isgoing to become what you want it to be, or that

it will become known by anyone but yourself.The reason for writing is to make you a richerand deeper person. And if you write with some-one else, it is a way of making a friendship growand deepen.

Just start. Be faithful to making time for writ-ing, and then get lost in it. Write whatevercomes to mind every day – write it, write it,write it without any personal censor – the funnythings and the things that make you cry. Thewords follow the heart, and if emotion is there,the words are not an exact mirror, but can helpus explore the meaning of the emotion. Therewill be time for revision, pruning, and elabora-tion. Writing and words are just the tools toshare ideas, and we all do the best we can.

Nine Rubies by Mahru Ghashghaei and SusanSnyder is available at bookstores nationwide aswell as on Nook and Kindle. Learn more aboutthe book by visitingwww.ninerubiesthebook.com.

precious jewels

Crystal Senter Brown has appeared in Essence Magazine, Vibe Magazine andRedbook Magazine and has released three music cd’s and three books, most recently“The Rhythm in Blue” (www.therhythminblue.com.) But the role she is most proud ofis being Adonte’s mother and Corey’s wife. Learn more about Crystal atwww.crystalsenterbrown.com.

Shine On Sista!

20 MAY 2012 LIONESS

Women InBusiness

Name: Rosa Santaniello

City, State: Agawam, MA

Title and/or specialty: Co-Owner

Company/Organization Name:Capri Pizzeria & Catering

History: Capri first opened their doors in1966 on Jackson Street in Holyoke. In 1973,Capri moved to the place we all know now, 18Cabot Street. In 1988, Fiore and Rosa boughtthe building next to Capri and opened upCapri Restaurant. In 2000, Fiore gave CapriPizzeria a major facelift. He had closed downthe restaurant, renovated the pizzeria, whichtripled its seating space, offered catering, andgave it the look you see today. Today, Rosa isin charge of all catering efforts and acts asHead Chef. She brings traditional italiancooking mixed with her personal recipes tocreate unique dishes.

What you do: Rosa is in charge of all aspectsof Catering for Capri Pizza. Between shop-ping for food to use, to preparing and deliver-ing the food. Although she does still work in

the pizza shop, all catering efforts are done byRosa and helped by her son Gennaro.

The dynamic of a family: Capri is and alwayshas been family owned. Currently, Capri isrun and owned by Fiore Santaniello (hus-band). They also have two of the three sonsworking alongside with them, Salvatore andGennaro. While Rosa is in charge of all cater-ing efforts, Fiore runs the business with theassisting managers Salvatore and Gennaro.This isn’t a 9 to 5 job, so they are all together24/7. They live and work together and havegotten to know eachother very well.

Making your mark: All recipes in catering areher own or passed down from family. Rosaenjoys taking chances with food and creatingdishes that suits the party she caters for. She isalways learning and trying out new foods withher family to determine if it something thatthe public will like. She is not shy when itcomes to trying new techniques.

My direction: In the next few years, we hopeto really push the catering business of CapriPizza. We hope to bring our unique, tastydishes to corporate events, as well as familyevents and gatherings.

http://www.swansonmeetings.com

22 MAY 2012 LIONESS

Five things to consider beforesharing photos and videos online(ARA) - More people are sharing photos andvideos online with friends and family, as well asthose they've never met. Consider this: One hourof video is uploaded to YouTube every second.Pinterest, which lets people collect and share dig-ital images, has grown to about 12 million userssince launching in 2010.The growth of these and other websites makes iteasier for videos and images to be shared andreshared online - or at least end up in placesbeyond where they were originally posted. "With the advances in smartphones, digital cam-eras and social websites, more people are becom-ing interested in photography and videography,and they're able to share their work broadly andquickly with others," says Bill Robbins, an award-winning advertising photographer, commercial

film director and current program chair of profes-sional photography at Brooks Institute, a leadingprovider of higher education for film, graphicdesign, and photography. "But no matter if you'rea professional, amateur or simply enjoy takingand sharing pictures or videos, it's important toconsider how and when to protect your work. It'ssomething that we teach our aspiring profession-als and something that others may benefit fromlearning." Take well-known "mommy blogger" DanielleSmith for example: Smith, her family and herblog, ExtraordinaryMommy.com, made interna-tional headlines when a family photo - one usedfor their Christmas card - was taken from one ofher sites and used in an advertisement in theCzech Republic.

Continued on next page

LIONESS MAY 2012 23

Whether you are an aspiring professional photog-rapher, videographer or just someone who wantsto share your unique content with others whilestill getting credit for it, here are five thingsRobbins suggests you consider before sharingyour work online:* Know what you're getting into. Read the Termsand Conditions on photo- and video-sharing siteslike Flickr, SmugMug, Picasa and Photobucket tomake sure you fully understand and agree to theterms. Notice if the site has a designated copyrightagent, displays a take-down procedure and has aclear copyright policy.* Obtain a Creative Commons license and shareyour original content on sites that honor thoselicenses, like Flickr, Pinterest and YouTube.

Creative Commons licenses - www.creativecom-mons.org - help creators retain copyright whileallowing others to copy, distribute, and make cer-tain uses of their work. Every Creative Commonslicense also ensures licensors get the credit fortheir work they deserve.* Keywording is key. "Keywording a photo isalmost as important as the photo itself to drivepeople to your image online," says Robbins."Think of keywording as drilling for oil. You startwith the obvious word and then keep drillingdown until there is nowhere else to drill." Forexample, if your image features a sumo wrestler,start by tagging your photos with words you thinkpeople will use to search for your particular image,like "sumo," then use words that are more con-

ceptual to the image, like "big," "strong," "power-ful" and "wide body."* Consider your audience before you share. Arethey trustworthy? Will they give credit wherecredit is due? Use programs that allow you to havecontrol over your audience, and that let you selectyour own privacy settings to ensure you have fullcontrol over how and with whom your content isshared.* Make it your own. Consider developing yourown website or blog to post your original contentso that it's always tied back to your personalbrand. Include a copyright disclaimer on yoursite. Then spread links back to your site throughyour social channels.

five things to consider...

LIKELioness@

Arbonne's Cooling Foot Creme is a moisturizing, non-greasy crèmethat hydrates rough, dry skin, and soothes, cools and comforts tired feet.A great Mother's Day gift! (4 fl. oz) A $22 value!

and enter towin now!

24 MAY 2012 LIONESS

KRISTINA CHAPELL is a single gal in her thirties making her way in the world.Passionate, savvy, and stylish; Kristina is a social relationship builder. You can often find heron Facebook and Twitter keeping up with the latest news and always supporting causes she ispassionate about such as the Alzheimer’s Association, Link to Libraries, andThe Businews Channel.

The Lipstick Chronicles

To be a couple, do you have toput yourself on a shelf?

By Kristina Chapell

hen most of us enter into rela-tionships we are so enthralledwith spending time with thisperson, sometimes we forget to

take time for ourselves. I mean, you’re in loveright? You spend as much time with this personas you possibly can; going to dinner, spendingquiet evenings at home, maybe even planningout your weekends in advance. Heaven forbidyou tell them you need some time to yourself! Even if a relationship isn’t so new we still canfind ourselves getting caught up in our day today lives and the needs of our relationship weforget all about our needs. And this ladies, iswhere it can start to become dreadfully redun-dant. When we don’t take time for ourselves,“me time” as I call it, we find our relationship in

a state of flux, something that can either lead toa disaster or at least one of you being veryunhappy.As a new relationship blossoms we are so happyand care-free; it feels good to be with this personand it almost seems as if the two of you areinseparable. But, and I mean BUT, you have toremember to take time for yourself and allowthem to have their “me time” too. Even if you’vebeen together for years it’s important to remem-ber the things that you want to do. For some reason a lot of people get together andforget they had a life before meeting theman/woman of their dreams. You shouldn’t getangry at each other or feel left out when hewants to go out with the guys or if you have agirl’s night. Just because you enjoy doing thingstogether as a couple doesn’t mean all the thingsyou used to do should be thrown to the way side.

It’s all about life balance. If the two of you don’thave “me time”, the fresh, new feeling that start-ed out can now become a feeling of anger andcontempt. Besides, if you spend too much timetogether what could you possibly have left totalk about? Mix it up a little, and don’t just thinkabout work as your “me time,” it isn’t. Makeplans with friends, go shopping for a day, read anew book, take a drive; don’t stop doing thingsyou once loved to. No matter what, “me time” is necessary in anyrelationship in order to keep your sanity. Neverlet a relationship get to the place where it seemsyou spend so much together that you both seemto always be irritated, meaning more argumentsover little things. Remember, taking some time for yourself is welldeserved and beneficial for both of you!

W

LIONESS MAY 2012 25

Prospero Foundation supportssocial entrepreneurship in GhanaThe Prospero Foundation, founded by UlrikDeBo of DeBondo Capital, is proud toannounce that funds have been donated toGYWSE (Ghana Young Women SocialEntrepreneurs).GYWSE is a social enterprise with a mission ded-icated to advancing a culture of social entrepre-neurship whereby women lead innovative grass-roots change, sustained by their own communityand activities.Despite the emphasis on the importance of socialventures across Ghana, women in this sectorwidely share challenges of capacity building, lackof strategy, good management, self-confidence,

role models, funding, lower education and more. The program connects, trains, and supports 20young women as social entrepreneurs in Ghana.They are charged with developing sustainable,high impact and scalable social innovations via a12-month period of incubation & intensivetraining.Prospero chose this project because of its long-term goals: to advance a culture of social entre-preneurship whereby women lead innovativegrassroots change, sustained by their own com-munity and activities. In the future, six socialventures will be launched in Ghana, annually.Learn more at www.gywse.org.

26 MAY 2012 LIONESS

By Liz Roller

ike many mothers trying to work fromhome, I could feel the walls closing inaround me as I juggled freelance workand caring for young children. That

claustrophobic feeling forced me to seek a solu-tion - one I never dreamed would become abooming business. That solution was hiddenbeds.

My tiny guest bedroom/office used to heavewith work paraphernalia and toys – my chil-dren would inevitably play wherever I worked.Grandparents also wanted to visit often andsometimes it was a nightmare to locate the bed!I decided I needed a solution. And fast. That’swhen I stumbled across Wallbeds.

Beds hidden in the wall were something I asso-ciated with Seinfeld; Manhattan apartmentcontraptions, notorious for trapping people inthem. As I shopped around, I realized they pro-

vided the one thing furniture gobbles up - morefloor space. It solved my home office/guestbedroom dilemma and after installing a secondWallbed in my son’s room so he could set upLego on the floor, I was hooked.

Being a marketer, I felt they needed to bebrought into the twenty-first century in termsof style but I knew if I struggled with space, sowere others.

With encouragement from my Father, I openedthe first Wallbeds ‘n’ More store in Dublin, sell-ing unique, custom-designed MurphyWallbeds. Space was no longer an issue, buttime was my other concern. My husband, as afire fighter, was gone three days a week; I hadthe kids full time those days yet couldn’t affordto hire somebody to work in the store.It proved to be a wonderful problem to solve -customers would have to make an appointmentso I could manage my time. Everybody won:my children saw me and customers felt like

they were getting special service, having thestore open just for them. It was a risky retailmodel-turning away foot traffic ̶ but it worked.In the first year I sold a record number ofWallbeds.

As word spread, so did the need for morestores. Since opening in 2004, Wallbeds “n”More has grown every year, with 12 showroomsacross California and Arizona. Now we’re offer-ing franchise opportunities nationwide and I’m

encouraging women tojoin in on our success.

These days, I neverpanic when grandpar-ents come to stay andI’m really thankful mychildren’s needs fostereda great business idea.

L

My dilemma turns into my success

http://www.denisesmithphotography.com