Three Tips Before You Buy a Franchise
* What am I willing to put into a franchise? Don’t be seduced by a compelling franchise concept and forget to consider how much time, money and energy you have or are willing to invest in the enterprise and for how long. Seek franchise opportunities that are in line with your lifestyle and budget.
* What are my business strengths? Carefully assess your skills from sales and marketing to management and information technology. Then compare your strengths with the skills the franchise requires and the type and depth of training the franchisor provides. Keep searching for other opportunities if you are weak in an area that the franchisor doesn’t teach comprehensively.
* Will I follow the franchisor’s blueprint? The best franchisees accept the constraints of the franchise agreement and commit themselves to the franchisor’s system. Free spirits and people who are prone to challenge authority may be better suited to launching a business outside of the franchise system.
–Maya Payne Smart
2008 Cover Model Contest Winner Sonya Lowery
Next in Heart & Soul Magazine
In the February -March 2009 issue of Heart & Soul
You’ll love the love stories in our February/March issue. We’ve got
love-at-first-sight love, love-the-second-time-around love, love across
the ages, love on the job and even presidential love. Also learn the
moves to the best total-body workout and the steps to take to protect
your identity. Find out common myths about depression and the good news
about heart disease. Get back on track financially and getaway to a
romantic inn…all in the February/March issue of Heart & Soul, on
newsstands now!
The Aftermath of War
By Clem Richardson
Albert Ross put to each other. “I ask him, ‘Baby, am I worth losing a
leg for?’ And he says, ‘Yes,’” Spinks says. “Then he asks me, ‘Honey,
would you get burned up for me again?’ and I say, ‘Yes I would!’ And I
would, because I love him.”
Army specialists who met three years ago at the Brooke Army Medical
Center at Fort Houston in San Antonio, Texas, while being treated for
traumatic injuries suffered in the Iraq War.
was on patrol in Baghdad. Spinks suffered a bevy of injuries that would
take 20 surgeries to mend: a crushed right ankle, left leg ripped with
shrapnel, two broken fingers on her left hand and second and third
degree burns on her face, hands and wrists, injuries suffered after the
Humvee she was riding in was attacked by a suicide bomber on October
13, 2004–the day after her 22nd birthday.
says. “It was part of God’s plan that we got injured so we could meet.”
even as medical advances in field hospitals across the Iraqi battle
zone are credited with saving more limbs and lives like Spinks and
Ross, many experts say the military isn’t doing nearly as well by
soldiers who suffer mental injuries. This has particular significance
for African Americans, who have historically seen military service as
an avenue for career training or to get money to buy a home or attend
college. And it has taken on added importance for African-American
women, who have entered the service in advanced numbers since the 1990s
Desert Storm.
came into being, largely playing a supporting role in our nation’s
conflicts, serving as clerks, nurses and other non-combatant roles. But
a change in federal legislation meant that after January 1990, women
could do any job in the military except active combat. That’s why more
than 33,000 servicewomen were deployed in Operations Desert Shield and
Desert Storm that year. During that conflict, 13 servicewomen were
killed and two taken prisoner.
and other countries, say Pentagon officials. More than 8,000
African-American women are deployed in the same areas. Though still
prohibited from participating in active combat duties, the guerrilla
tactics of the Iraqi insurgency, including the routine use of roadside
bombs, suicide bombers and anti-personnel rockets, turned the entire
country in
to a war zone. No one and nowhere was safe.
violent combat can inflict on soldiers and civilians alike is often
more than some GIs can handle. Many are haunted by those images to the
point where they can’t eat, sleep or interact with families or friends
when they return home. Once called “shell shocked,” these vets are now
diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The Veteran’s
Administation estimates more than 3,800 women–among 27,000 returning
veterans–were treated for PTSD in 2006, a slightly higher rate among
women than men.
returning from Iraq found 16.6 percent met the criteria for PTSD. That
number jumped to 32 percent of those injured or wounded in the
conflict. Mental health officials say many career servicemen and women
won’t seek help for PTSD, fearful a notation on their service records
that they received mental health counseling will cost them promotions.
Those who seek counseling find an overburdened system. According to a
2007 story by Washington Post writers Dana Priest and Anne Hull, 100
psychologists left military service during one 12-month period. The
Defense Department’s Mental Health Task Force warned the remaining
system offered “inadequately trained” workers and was not “sufficiently
accessible” to servicemen.
became the first African-American woman to be held as a prisoner of war
in Iraq. “I pictured myself with a husband, a couple more children,
doing 20 years in the military,” Johnson, 35, says from her El Paso,
Texas, home. Instead, she says, “sometimes I feel I am barely getting
by.”
2003, when her supply convoy got lost in Nasiriya. A videotape of her
interrogation by Iraqi captors was broadcast around the world. Marines
rescued Johnson and five other POWs 22 days later. They returned to the
U.S. to great fanfare; on New Year’s Eve, 2003, she pulled the switch
to drop the ball in Times Square.
she returned and her 10-year-old daughter, Jenelle, told Johnson’s
parents that “Mommy was sad and crying all the time.” She still has
“massive mood swings” and finds herself reacting to mental “triggers”
about the war. “They’re everywhere,” she says. “”It’s hard to avoid
them when the conflict is ongoing. They’re even putting them in music
videos! I wonder if they know what that does to people to see those
things.”
veterans have sought treatment for “military sexual trauma,” a
pseudonym for rape by a fellow American soldier or officer. “I see a
lot of women who have been raped in the service,” says Barry Campbell,
a New York City benefits counselor with the Veteran’s Administration
Hospital. “They get attacked by superior officers or guys in the ranks.”
was one of 10 women among 300 men stationed in Egypt with the 101st
Airborne in support of the first Desert Storm. “I went to the guy’s
tent to borrow a tape, because he had a big collection of CDs and
movies,” she says. “He attacked me.” Afterward, nobody believed her. “I
told my sergeant, and he took it to the first sergeant.”
followed her when she was deployed at King Faud Airport in Iraq in
1991. “When I got to Iraq, there was a lot of what I called ‘mental ass
whipping,’” she says. “They called me Dead Beat Durant. Nothing I did
was good enough.”
left infertile when an Army surgeon removed one of her fallopian tubes
during an ectopic pregnancy. “I went into the Army to get money for college,” says Durant, who now lives in Brooklyn, New York. “If I
could go back, I would never have joined.”
prescribe drugs to treat PTSD–drugs that mask, but don’t solve, mental
health issues. Spinks recalls a doctor at one of her counseling
sessions asking if she was having bad dreams or trouble sleeping. “When
I said yes, he said he could give me this drug for that, and this drug
for that,” she says. “He asked ten questions and was ready to give me
four different drugs to take.”
though she still sometimes uses sleeping pills. Single, she’s also had
trouble developing relationships. “Civilian men, once I tell them who I
am and what I went through, you don’t hear from them again,” she says.
“Military men are coming back from Iraq and have their own issues.”
She now lives in her late mother’s house, surviving on 50 percent
disability pay of $728 a month, and takes care of her 10-year-old
adopted sister. She takes four different drugs daily to deal with
migraines, depression, panic attacks and gynecological issues. “I can’t
hold a job,” she says, ”because some days I can’t get out of bed.”
and her husband. She speaks with her pastor “about anything, even my
scars,” while she and her husband “witness and minister to each other.”
service at Kirkut Regional Air Base in Northern Iraq. “I was more
sensitive to God’s voice while I was in Iraq than I had ever been
before or since,” says McNair, 31, now a Realtor in Largo, Maryland. In
Iraq she organized church services and sang in gospel choirs to
maintain her faith. “I used to have conversations with God,” she says.
“He would tell me which way to go and not to go.”
during captivity, and I still lean on it. I’m not perfect. I make
mistakes. But I try to do the right thing every day.”
Kendra Lee, Executive Editor
Kendra Lee, Heart & Soul’s executive editor, has been a professional editor and writer for two decades. An award-winning writer and editor, Lee has provided editorial services on a wide variety of printed materials for clients such as the AFL-CIO, National Medical Association, Black Entertainment Television, LEXIS, the Health Resources Services Administration and the Office of Minority Health. She has been both a staff editor (Heart & Soul, YSB and Urbane magazines) and a contributing editor (The Crisis, Upscale and Soul of Virginia magazines).
In addition, her writing has appeared in national and regional magazines and web sites, as well as in association publications. Lee is also an accomplished business writer, having produced collateral materials for clients such as Choice Hotels International, the National Coalition Building Institute and the American Lung Association. She has been a public affairs officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, where she coordinated the
Agency’s radio network on a number of national disasters.
Lee is a contributing writer to four books (Like a Natural Woman, One Hand in My Pocket, Dr. Ro’s Ten Secrets to Livin’ Healthy, Tomorrow Begins Today: African American Women As We Age), and she is currently at work on a young adult novel and a book about surviving heartbreak.
A Historic Moment for Black Moms
The Mocha Manual
I don’t know what did it for you but I was perfectly content doing my
happy dance in my living room on Election night until I saw the image
of the Obama family walking out onto the stage of Grant Park. That’s
when I lost it and the waterworks came swiftly into town. That regal
image–which none of us will soon forget–said something and did
something so profound that words can’t do it justice.
Lately, we’ve been having a honest and robust conversation in our Mocha Manual Movement emails about the negative stereotypes and misconceptions about Black moms. We’ve lamented our seeming invisibleness
and not being understood as intentional, nurturing mothers who simply
want the best for their children. We’ve debated how we can change our
perception and be seen for who we truly are as Black mothers.
Ladies, in the image of our First Family I saw that hope. In Michelle
Obama I saw that hope. When she declares that her most important job
will be Mommy-in-Chief, gives her man a pound, a hug, and that real
‘I-got-your-back’-kiss (not that mechanical crap John McCain liked to
pull!), we know that the world won’t look at the Black family in the
same way ever again.
The world has been forced to see who we really are, and see our
children in a new light. When President-elect Obama said Michelle was
the “rock of the family” and “his best friend,” I got goose bumps. He
declared to the world what we’ve known about our role in our families
and communities for generations. He told the world that our
relationships are more than baby mama drama.
Years ago, Claire Huxtable was our role model. We
glued our eyes to the TV on Thursday nights dreaming about our
high-powered career, our brownstone or other dream house, our man that
rubbed our feet even though he too had a long day at work. She was the
original strong black woman with a professional career, beautiful kids
and a successful man who adored her. We looked to fictional characters
on the television to remind us that we could have what white women had
been enjoying for years. Now, we can look to the White House. Now we
can look to our First Family.
This has given me new faith. And just when perhaps our own hope in
Black men, the future of Black families, and our ability to “have it
all” as women seemed in question, our own faith in ourselves and our
dreams is reaffirmed. Our faith in the power and steadfastness of love
is reaffirmed. My faith in myself as a Black mother, especially one
raising a Black male against incredible odds, is reaffirmed. And it is
to that, I said, Yes We Can! And it is to that, I say to all Black
mothers, I know we will!
In motherhood,
Kimberly
Miami Shine
Tracy Wilson Mourning, the wife former NBA star Alonzo Mourning, is no superficial player’s wife, even if she does wear impressive footwear and tools around town in a drop-top Bentley. Her Honey Shine charity, started in 2002, is serious about its stated mission, which is working with disadvantaged girls in the Miami area.
To that end, Mourning has bi-weekly workshops throughout the year and Camp Honey Shine during the summer. “Our young girls are going through tough stuff,” Mourning says. “Images are being portrayed to our young girls that education isn’t a priority. We want to change that.” Honey Shine has a simple application process that allows any interested girl from 8 to 18 to participate. “It’s about girls lifting each other up and really empowering each other,” Mourning says. Visit www.honeyshine.org for more info on applications and volunteer opportunities.
Tracy’s Guide to Miami:
Mayda Cisneros Couture Collection — 305-264-2601
Studio LX — 305 666 0748 (clothing)
Hand and Foot Company “best pedicure and manicure in Miami” thehandandfootcompany.com
Mandarin Oriental Spa (part of Miami’s Spa Month promotion) www.mandarinoriental.com
Prana Yoga www.pranayogamiami.com
Table 8 - www.table8la.com
Nikki Beach www.nikkibeach.com (restaurant/club)
Literary Café and Poetry Lounge — 786-234-7638
Miami Children’s Museum - www.miamichildrensmuseum.org
Tours:
Food Tours and Tours of Black Miami (Little Haiti, Overtown, Liberty City, historic Cocoanut Grove) Robbie gives a fantastic tour of Black Miami and does food tours as well:
Dragonfly Expeditions/Robbie Bell
Robbie@GoToRobbieBell.Info.
Eats:
Garcia’s - best oysters in town
305-375-0765
Santo’s Restaurant (Lincoln Road)
www.santomiamibeach.com
Wednesday nights : Miami Live hip-hop and R&B, great tapas-style menu
La Marea - Tides Hotel http://www.tidessouthbeach.
Hotels:
Anglers
www.theanglersresort.com
A cool, modern hotel close to the beach but not on it near the South Beach strip. The lobby restaurant and deejay make for a fun, party atmosphere, but if you want to go to20bed early, ask for one of the rear rooms away from the front. If you do want to party, this hotel will make you feel as thought you’ve stumbled onto a hot friendly group of friend who’ve invited you along for the ride.
The Setai
www.setai.com
One of the most exclusive hotels in Miami with the city’s highest room rate, the Setai is strictly for those who want to and can afford to hang with Jay-Z and Beyonce, who’ve been spotted by its pool. But given the price of the rooms (and for some a bathtub in the middle of the room is a bit much) taking in the spa, which is part of the Spa Month promotion, or the hotel’s luxurious bar and restaurants is worth forgoing pool access. (P.S., You still might get catch a celeb, as the spa overlooks the pool area.)
–Tonya Pendleton
Men on Fragrance
took to the streets to find out which scents made the guys swoon and which just
made then yawn. The clear winner? Sean
John Unforgivable Woman. The guys all
seemed intrigued by the elegant floral scent. Philip Oliver, an administrator for a Washington, D.C.-based
non-profit o
rganization, sums it up, ” Wow! Now that’s a classy scent! It’s a nice floral but it isn’t
overpowering.”
The Beat, a sparkling floral, garnered
attention for being an energetic scent. “It’s a first date perfume,” Oliver
laughs.
Yves Saint Laurent Elle and Bond
No. 9 Andy Warhol Lexington Ave. were
continually
singled out as sophisticated smells, Calvin Klein Secret
Obsession was racking up comments great,
good and not so good as a seduction scent. The woody oriental was a bit much on a 90-degree day, but
most of the men conceded it had potential.
T. Kirby, a salesman for a tony menswear boutique in New York City comments,
“The perfume has inviting, c’mon, baby, get closer vibe that’s kinda
nice!”
response was a simple, “Yeah, but did it make you want to get close enough to
buy me a bottle?”
of the perfumes mentioned are possible Christmas gifts, according to the men,
but as one unnamed brother put it, “The real deal is to smell like Junior’s
cheesecake. Now that’s delicious!”
M. Raines
Heart & Soul Celebrates 15th Anniversary
Heart & Soul magazine is celebrating its 15th anniversary! As a gift to our readers, you can sign up for a 2-year subscription for $15. See how you can take part in this on-going celebration of health, wealth and wellness!!
a.) Get your very own subscription!
b.) Get a subscription for the women in your life!! (They make great holiday gifts!!)
c.) Forward this email to every woman you know!!!
Go to www.heartandsoul.com and enter this special promotions code: HS15. Happy reading!!!
Bounce Back From a Bad Review
Annual review season could make you feel like a kid again: unsure
what kind of grades you’ll receive on your report card. While this is a
typical reaction, human resources expert Carl C. Jefferson, president
of the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources and
a vice president at Wachovia, says the review process is a positive
experience that really creates a chance for employees to do well.
the future with it,” Jefferson explains. Below, the five steps he
believes employees should take after a less-than-desirable review.
- Assess your feelings.Take inventory of how you’re feeling after
receiving a bad review. Are you angry? Confused? Sad? These are the
questions Jefferson says you should ask yourself. During this step,
assess whether you can still do the job, and determine if anything has
changed since you took the position. Are there fewer resources
available, did a work team decrease in size or did the velocity of your
work increase and you were not ready, able or capable of doing the
work? This is the period where you are determining what may have
contributed to the negative review. - Analyze differences you and your supervisor(s) have about your
job performance. Write down any discrepancies between how you thought
you=2
0were performing and what’s expressed in the review. It is important to
close the gap between what your employer thinks and what you believe
about your work performance. Be completely honest with yourself. The
two of you could not jibe over something such as punctuality or meeting
deadlines. - Consider your options. Now that you’ve completed a
self-assessment of your feelings and outlined the performance gaps,
it’s time to determine what you’re prepared to do in response to the
review. Do whatever helps you prepare for a time of reflection–whether
it’s meditating, sitting alone or re-reading the review. “It’s not
about the job; it’s about you. It may take a few hours (to figure this
out); it may take a day,” Jefferson says. During this stage weigh your options and “come up with a whole
laundry list of things you need to consider.” This is where you should
ask yourself whether you find a mentor, coach or sponsor, or consider
additional education to help you perform better at work, or if you need
to look for a new job. You may even decide your current line of work
isn’t fulfilling your life’s purpose and opt to switch to a new
industry. Be honest with yourself and trust your spirit. Don’t allow
fear to keep you imprisoned in your current position if your spirit is
pointing in another direction. - Create an action plan to impro
ve your performance or plan to make an exit. “What action are you
willing to take?” Jefferson asks. If you had trouble meeting deadlines,
get clarity from your manager on when projects are due. If punctuality
is an issue, the action plan would say you’re going to arrive 10
minutes earlier for work. If you are planning to resign from your
position, take the proper steps to find new employment or income stream. - Commit to improving. This is for two people: yourself and your
supervisor. “It’s a decision to surrender to the decision to make a
commitment to improve,” Jefferson says. “If you made a commitment to
leave, you need to commit to your decision. If you’re going to stay,
put all of your actions into your improvement.”
