DeLores Pressley, Motivational Speaker and Confidence Expert, is one of the most respected and sought-after experts on confidence, motivation and personal power. She is an international keynote speaker, author, coach and the Founder of the Born Successful Institute and DeLores Pressley Worldwide. She helps individuals increase confidence, use personal power to live their ideal life and leverage the power of asking.

Ms. Pressley’s story has been touted in Glamour, Washington Post, Black Enterprise, Success, Essence, New York Daily News, Ebony and Marie Claire. She is a frequent media guest and has been interviewed on every major network: (ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX) including America’s top rated shows; OPRAH and Entertainment Tonight.

DeLores has spoken to 107,000 people in over 65 major cities and countries. She is the author of Oh, Yes You Can, Clean Out the Closet of Your Life and Believe in the Power of You. She has received many awards and recognitions for her work. She produces Speak to Grow Your Business, an educational program teaching entrepreneurs, speakers and coaches how to speak and grow their business. DeLores is the Co-Host of radio show; “Wriggling in the Middle on WHBC 1480am.

People You Need to Know Magazine is proud to shine the spotlight on Ms. DeLores Pressley!

Julia Rosien is the Director of Communications at Natura and Owner/Editor/Chief Girlfriend at GoGirlfriend.com. A Social Marketing Strategist, Julia is also a buzz-builder, information junkie and avid blogger who is adept at straddling multiple mediums to nurture community and communicate the brand message.

As a team leader, Julia understands the importance of communication across new and changing mediums and teaching teams smart strategies for using them. She has extensive experience managing a large satellite staff as well as in-house direct and indirect reports. Julia works closely with advertisers, designers, IT, usability consultants and SEO/SEM specialists, while continually assessing work flow within company objectives.

Approaching everything with a no-nonsense, honest attitude that fosters team building, online community development and product life cycle marketing strategies that have gusto, just happens to be Julia’s style of leadership. She’s especially proud of her ability to understand the rules and then jump the gate to deliver on deadline. Multitasking in fast-paced environments while smiling is part of her native culture.

An energetic speaker, Julia presents regularly at industry events to help retailers integrate new media into their traditional marketing mix.

People You Need to Know Magazine is proud to shine the spotlight on Julia Rosien. Visit Julia’s website at www.juliarosien.com or Email catchme@juliarosien.com to reach out to her.

Nobody recommends a bad movie, a bad restaurant or a bad accountant. Since 2001, over 90 percent of my new clients are referrals. People are recommending me, so I guess that means I’m doing something right.

I have diverse analytical skills, proven business sense and an innate ability to maximize an organization’s performance. I’m a skilled facilitator and financial consultant, and a multifaceted resource for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and women in the workplace. But my clients really appreciate the fact that I can explain the books in PLAIN ENGLISH! That plays an integral part in the operational success of my clients’ organizations.

Many people think I’m strange because I like accounting so much. I’ve always loved numbers and have always been very analytical. Growing up, I’ve always struggled with the objective subjects. One thing I like about Accounting is there’s only one answer! Although, I have a creative flair, in my industry…. creativity can send you to jail. I am a honors graduate of Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, earning a bachelor’s degree in Accounting. While at Cheyney I played on the Women’s Basketball Team, was a peer tutor and resident advisor.

I completed my MBA at the Keller Graduate School of Management. I am a certified QuickBooks training specialist and a part-time adjunct Accounting professor.

Prior to launching By The Book Accounting, I worked for public and private organizations to increase profitability and financial accuracy. I’ve supervised large and small accounting departments and have extensive experience in managing payables and receivables, cost accounting, corporate and individual tax preparation, and fiscal management strategies. One of my most notable accomplishments includes spearheading the restructuring of county government’s accounts payable department that resulted in the diversion of a potential 8.5 million dollar loss.

I brand my accounting practice – and myself as a speaker – as being different. Not only am I a good accountant, but I’m a good accountant with a personality and sense of humor. My colleagues tend to be so stiff and rigid that when I tell a joke, they don’t get it. Don’t get me wrong, I have square tendencies and my analytical side shines when it comes to business but, I have what I call ’rounded edges.’

I love building relationships with my clients so I can get to know them as an individual and them as business owners. By making sure my clients are more than just a folder or a tax return, I can advise them year round on business and accounting practices that can improve their bottom line and their tax returns.

Next to accounting, I love speaking and holding workshops. Part of that ‘personality’ is that I’m a ham and always have been. When I get the attention of an audience, I am in business. Speaking engagements and workshops are my opportunity to distinguish myself from all the other accountants in the phone book. It also addresses a third passion, which is teaching. When I see that “AHA” on a person’s face it’s golden for me. When I held my first workshop in 2003, there were three people in attendance and two of those were relatives. But that one other person is still my client today.

People You Need to Know Magazine proudly welcomes Ms. Wendy Williams-Lovejoy to the Network. Ms. Lovejoy joins other successful women who are making things happen in metro Atlanta. Look for her in our Business Superstars Edition.

Wendy Williams-Lovejoy is a native of Durban, South Africa. Lovejoy was born to a Zulu father and a mother of Zulu, as well as East Indian descent, in the midst of apartheid. The setting of her upbringing was Brooklyn, New York, where she fostered a love of fashion and merchandise. Lovejoy’s personal experiences eventually lead her down a difficult and lonely road.

Using her personal experiences, Lovejoy founded a ministry catering to the needs of women entitled, Durban’s Daughters. The mission of this endeavor is to increase the awareness of possessing a successful lifestyle among women around the world through ministry, counseling and coaching on financial principles that will lead to a favorable business direction as she as done for herself.

Lovejoy is also a successful author and her book, Money Answers All, teaches each reader through a step-by-step approach, the manner in which to take control of one’s finances. Her sophomore literary work entitled, From the Journals of Wendy Lovejoy – the Story of Lola, expresses her life story, in which Ralph Tresvant wrote a song called, “Yesterday is Gone”.

Aside from writing, Lovejoy is an entrepreneur with a collection of businesses, including an International Telecommunications Company. As a motivational speaker, she has spoken in Holland, Spain and other various countries, touching many lives along the way.

Her greatest love is her aforementioned Durban’s Daughters ministry – the focus of teaching women to go from where they are to living the best life possible by making better choices. Through her life and testimony, she truly is the epitome of such a mission.

To reach out to Ms. Lovejoy, call 770-621-2678 or Email: ownhomes03@yahoo.com. You can also visit her websites at www.moneyanswersallnow.com, and www.5linx.net/joycomm.

Share

Dori Thomas Peaple is a Georgia native and has lived in England with her husband since March 2006. When Dori was growing up in the South, she probably never thought she’d someday be living eighty miles west of London, in the countryside, in a county called Wiltshire.

Writing and photography have both been Dori’s lifelong passions along with many other creative outlets such as watercolor painting and playing the flute. Blogging, she admits, is a much newer love. As a matter of fact, it was through Dori’s blog, that I met her.

When I first encountered Dori’s blog, her writing-style made me feel as if I had been transported back in time to my grandmother’s house in rural Alabama. I felt like kicking off my shoes and staying awhile, as I sipped ice-cold lemonade from a mason jar on her tree-shaded front porch. It was cool, relaxing and entertaining, all at the same time. Dori has a way of writing that can put you right in midst of whatever she sees, feels or touches. Whether she’s writing about a peaceful park, a trip to the market, walking in the snow or the magnificent edifices in England, Dori’s strength as a writer and photographer are always evident.

Blogging since March 4th, 2008, Dori says she picked this day specifically because of the power she personally finds in this particular day. To her, the date of March 4th means to ‘march forth’ to whatever you desire, so she took it as a personal mantra as she began blogging.

The genesis of Dori’s blog came from a need to document her experiences of living in another land and to share whatever knowledge she could with others embarking on such a journey, as well as providing a window for people just to see what her personal experience is like. She’s had a number of expats who have thanked her for helping them to begin navigating the waters of living abroad. Dori says, “I’m very pleased to have helped. That is what I always want to do with my life … help whenever I can.”

Blogging has already presented Dori with many rewards, including being named as one of the 2010 Alive Magazine Women of the Year. You’ll find that her expat experience often permeates her writing and photography at her blog, From a Yellow House in England; however, she also writes about things that have nothing to do with being an expat. Sometimes you’ll find a recipe and her latest culinary attempt documented in full color, alongside an account of her adventures in London.

Recently, Dori completed the Freelance and Feature Writing course at The London School of Journalism, and received a Diploma with Distinction. She has contributed articles to the e-zine, Tango Echo, which have highlighted some of the architectural history and cultural history of England. Dori has placed twice within the top 100 winners of the Writer’s Digest Writing Competition, which annually attracts thousands of entries. She has had poetry published online and in anthologies also.

Dori’s beautiful photography is ever present on her blog, but she’s also had her breathtaking photographs featured in her well-written articles for Tango Echo. She has had a photo of the Great West Door at St. Paul’s Cathedral featured in the London city guide at Schmap Guides, which is a new generation virtual guidebook of sorts. She’s also had a number of photographs featured on BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) television as well as having photographs featured on the BBC radio website and in the regional newspaper, The Swindon Advertiser. Dori’s photography can also be seen on the website for the Alfred Williams Heritage Society, which highlights the works of Alfred Williams, who was an English poet of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Dori is currently working towards her fiction writing aspirations. She has two ideas for novels that she’s working on, one which is contemporary fiction and the other is a piece of fiction that pays homage to the ancestors … hers, and ours collectively. In the meantime, Dori is currently open to whatever further writing and photography opportunities that come her way.

To reach out to Dori, visit her website at http://fromayellowhouse.blogspot.com or
Email: dori@fromayellowhouse.com. You can also reach Dori on Twitter: @ayellowhouse

Meet the newest member of the People You Need to Know Network, Sylvia (Secret) Mikell, Atlanta’s Superstar Image Consultant.

Sylvia (Secret) Mikell sets the pace for the theme of Total Image “Funky Sophisticated” — sophistication with an edge of spice. This young beauty innovator is not only a master cosmetologist, but also a fashion guru and professional makeup artist.

Secret has worked for several of Atlanta’s top hair salons for the past seven years where she specialized in hair extensions, hair coloring and hair cutting. Within the past four years, Secret has also added makeup and image consulting to her service list, which started the formulation of Total Image Consulting Services, Inc.

Total Image is the only premiere head-to-toe makeover service provider in the Atlanta metro area. The services that are offered at Total Image ensure that YOU, as a total package, are well put together.

Secret has been a businesswoman since the tender age of thirteen. She recalls, “When my stylist said that she couldn’t style my hair the way I asked her to, I left disappointed. After I arrived home, I shampooed my hair and styled it the way that I originally wanted it to be. I began styling my mother’s hair, then adding my cousins and friends to my long list of clients. I remember being in my parents’ kitchen charging $10 for hairstyles. I also began modeling and took sewing classes by the age of 13.”

So what’s her secret?

Ms. Mikell says, “I’m dedicated to my clients and they appreciate my total commitment. I believe in pampering them and creating an outstanding experience whenever I see them for whatever the occasion. I love every aspect of my career and it shows.”

Total Image is a compilation of over 10 years of continuing education and experience within the evolving beauty industry. Secret has built Total Image from the ground up through hard work and dedication. Being an avid learner of beauty, fashion and business, she has taken everything that she has learned and applied it to branding Total Image.

Secret has done head-to-toe makeovers for dozens of clients, from business owners that want to upgrade their style or define their image, to stay-at-home mothers who are trying to get in the swing of being a stylish mommy. She has orchestrated numerous fashion shows and special events for corporate clients and has trained under several international educators for hair cutting, hair coloring, Phyto products, MAC Cosmetics, and has a degree in Fashion Merchandising.

Ready for your makeover? Call Sylvia (Secret) Mikell at 678-849-8072 or visit her website.

Stormy Wellington has strategically built and trained an organization of over 7,500 independent distributors, and provided them with the necessary skills to move through the ranks of President, Director, Manager, Coordinator and Advisor. Wellington’s organization is worldwide and has become one of the most powerful organizations in Ardyss International.

She is considered by her peers to be a quiet storm. But for those who know and love her realize she is an awesome force in the multi-level marketing industry that has changed the lives and zip codes of women and men across the country.

A single mother raised this Jamaican-born powerhouse in New York.  Soon after, the family moved to Miami when Stormy became a mother at 15 and again at 18. Motherhood changed her life and also gave her a new zest for life. Being a young mother taught Stormy that failure was not an option. She moved her family to Atlanta, Georgia, and excelled at corporations such as Sprint and Dun and Bradstreet. After which, she ventured into entrepreneurship, opening a very successful boutique until the economy dictated otherwise.

Stormy Wellington was introduced to Ardyss International, October 2008, and her life and her destiny changed forever. While the past year could be remembered as the worst economic downturn our nation has ever experienced, Wellington is accustomed to always rising above the tide.

After the second quarter of 2009, she generated over five-million dollars of revenue for Ardyss International, while earning over a half of a million dollars in personal income for herself. Now debt free, Wellington has now become a Millionairess … not bad for a 29-year-old powerhouse with a G.E.D.

Ardyss is a movement; Stormy calls it, “a progressive movement. My goal is to get every woman, every person that I know, to use the products and/or become a distributor. Just look at how the products are changing people’s lives, zip codes and incomes. Look at the effect they can have. I am passionate about Ardyss. I encourage everybody to get up, take a stand, and say yes to changing your life, your family’s life and create generational wealth for your family.”

Stormy Wellington currently spends her time traveling all over the country as a dynamic motivational speaker, training hundreds of new distributors and impacting the lives of many with her story of prayer, hope, and drive to assure them that if she can do it, so can you. She believes faith is power!

Look for Stormy Wellington in the next issue of People You Need to Know Magazine – Business Superstars Edition.

Share

Today we’re highlighting one of Atlanta’s Business Superstars in the People You Need to Know Network, Ms. Lori A. Manns.

Ms. Manns has been a marketing and sales professional for over 20 years. The company was formed after Ms. Manns recognized a strong need for an agency that understood the sensitive needs for small to mid-size businesses looking to expand their footprint in the marketplace, no matter the industry.

Prior to founding Quality Media Consultant Group, she was Senior Account Manager for CBS Radio-Atlanta for 13 years. Ms. Manns also has career sales and marketing experience with Cox Radio-Atlanta, WYHY Radio-Nashville, Superior Cable, The Women’s Yellow Pages and The Democratic National Convention.

Ms. Manns is an expert at developing multi-media marketing and advertising campaigns designed to produce a profitable return on investment. She is an accomplished and skilled sales professional known for building key strategic partnerships both locally and nationally.

Ms. Manns has extensive experience developing key strategic marketing and advertising campaigns for Fortune 100 Companies. Her experience in selling radio, print, events, internet and cable TV provides her a wealth of knowledge in various mediums. In addition, she also has freelance media buying experience for small and large businesses in the top 100 U.S. markets.

Currently, Ms. Manns is working on a project that’s near and dear to her heart … Live Healthy and Thrive Expo.

Live Healthy and Thrive Expo is a healthy living total wellness green event designed to educate, activate and motivate people to live a healthier and more balanced lifestyle. Live Healthy and Thrive Expo is the premiere consumer family oriented event for individuals who love eating healthy, cooking, entertaining, exercising and enjoying an active lifestyle at the highest form of wellness; all while saving our environment and protecting the community in which we live.

The event on the 26th and 27th of June features up to 100 exhibitors, corporate sponsors, live cooking demonstrations, celebrity showcase, a youth summit, restaurant row with free samples, workshops, health screenings and panel discussions. There will be specialty pavilions including: Green/Eco-Friendly, Mind, Body & Spirit and Organic.

Live Healthy and Thrive is a life-changing event. Save the dates!

Kathy Garland is known as the Make it Happen Business Coach. She has worked with and spoken to thousands of women to help them discover the pearls, or undiscovered assets, in their businesses and careers that can bring them success and increased income.

Her approach is to bring those pearls of genius, or assets that the business or the individual has to the surface and polish them through coaching and consulting. In other words, she looks for the talents, opportunities and directions that aren’t being used or maximized in the business and helps the business owner plan and implement new strategies for growth.

In addition to her practice, Kathy is a popular speaker, national radio host and columnist. She has spoken to organizations including eWomenNetwork, General Electric Women’s Network, Texas Business Women, Women of Visionary Influence, Metro Area Professional Saleswomen, National Association of Women Business Owners, Business and Professional Women, WorldWIT International Conference and IABC and PRSA, on branding and leadership topics. Kathy creates unique experiences for women at all levels to ignite their imaginations to envision a new future.

Before starting her business, Kathy developed a track record of generating innovation and results. While Vice President of a nationally known design firm in Minneapolis, she led sales, marketing and the development of new markets and services for the company, resulting in nearly 1000% revenue growth. Kathy’s keen understanding of branding and market trends as well as her ability to develop new markets and services contributed to her success in leading company growth.

She supervised the account team that served the leading cruise line Royal Caribbean International, bringing ideas and strategies to them to manage their brand. Kathy also worked with the 3M identity team to strengthen the 3M brand and consulted with Northwest Airlines to build their reputation in the Pacific and the U. S.

Kathy offers pro-bono brand consulting to one non-profit per year. Her professional affiliations include the World Future Society, American Society of Training and Development, eWomenNetwork and Speaker Coop.

Whenever she is not working or spending time with her family and friends, Kathy takes Haidong Gumdo lessons, a Korean sword art. She is currently developing a speech on taking a big leap in business and life by using lessons she’s learned from Haidong Gumdo.

Take a moment to read Kathy Garland’s insightful article on Personal Branding and how it can bring you success!

Dr. Lynette T. Dandridge and Darrell, her husband of 18 years, are the owners of Thompson Dandridge Solutions, Inc., where the focus is always on YOU! Their expertise is in assisting you in how to further define and enhance what’s already within you.

The late William James wrote, “Compared to what we ought to be, we are only half awake.” At Thompson Dandridge Solutions, Inc., their purpose for existing is to help you through mentorship, counseling, and pointing you in the right direction, so you will ‘wake up’ and live life with a sense of meaning, purpose and fulfillment.

Dr. Dandridge has more than 20 years of experience in corporate America where she has worked for The Coca Cola Company, American Airlines, and New York Life Insurance Company. She is a former School Principal, University Dean, a former Youth Pastor and Minister of Christian Education.

Dr. Dandridge says, “Everybody can use a mentor to assist them in their journey. Hank Aaron had a coach, Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey both have advisors; let us mentor you. Our number one goal is to help YOU become better. Thompson Dandridge Solutions, Inc. addresses the issues that may be hindering your progress. Our services are tailor-made just for you.”

In 2009, Dr. Dandridge was presented with the “Women of Power & Prestige” Award in the city of Snellville, Georgia. She also has been recognized as one of “Atlanta’s Unsung Heroes” by a popular news network in Atlanta for her outstanding work with the local youth. Both Dr. Dandridge and her husband believe impacting and changing lives enhances the quality of life for their sons, Christian and Louis.

Dr. Lynette T. Dandridge can be reached at 678-531-2799.

Share