Imagine the fun and convenience of having your own personal interior decorator come to your home to take care of your challenging project – with talent, creative ideas, and an incredible array of brand names you love, all to fit your taste, your style and your budget.

Now serving East Point, College Park and Southwest Atlanta!

It’s my very great pleasure to introduce you to the world’s premier home furnishings company! Did you know that we’ve been decorating homes and businesses throughout the U.S. and Canada for over 40 years?

MY product assortment is huge! Window treatments, bedding ensembles, carpets, area rugs, wall covering, accessories, lighting, upholstered furniture and case good furniture – I literally have it all! In fact, with access to well over 100 top quality home furnishings manufacturers, I know that we’re sure to find YOUR perfect design solution!..

I enjoy keeping up with current design and product trends and regularly tour showrooms, factories, show houses and markets – both in High Point and Las Vegas.

If you’re looking for a decorator, who is easy to work with, works within your budget, decorates around your lifestyle, expands upon your ideas and makes decorating a fun experience, please give me a call.

I’m looking forward to your call. 404-921-3120

She says the key to finding a balance is knowing your priorities, and keeping them at the front of your mind. Once you know what’s important, you can maintain balance by reflecting on how your actions reflect your goals, and making the necessary adjustments. You also have to stay grounded during turmoil and triumph.

Nancy J. Lewis is president of Progressive Techniques, Inc., where the theme of her organization is “Developing a Better YOU.”

Ardra believes in that statement, not only in sharing her homemade sweets at her popular bakery, but also with her Taste of Love Foundation. The foundation provides birthday cakes and parties for children up to eighteen years of age whose parents are in shelters, deceased, or incarcerated. Ardra, whose own father was incarcerated when she was a young child, began the foundation as a way to bring to others what she did not have as a child – unconditional love.

“The foundation comes from personal pain and tears, but also from a place of promise,” she explains. “I want to give these children hope and show them that somebody cares – sometimes not the people we think should care – but at least somebody thinks they make a difference.”

Ardra has been baking since she was in the seventh grade and professionally for ten years. Three years ago she opened her bakery which offers cakes, cupcakes, cobblers, cookies, gourmet popcorn, brownies, and soft-serve ice cream.

Ardra has a passion for creating treats for people, believing that sweets make every day stresses in life more palatable. Cake Café Atlanta has quickly become a place for people to hang out, with Wi-Fi access, a small meeting room, and free monthly customer appreciation activities.

“I feel like I’m where I’m supposed to be, doing what I am supposed to be doing,” she says.

Ardra plans to expand her foundation. She also sponsors two local football teams, and would like to see others become more philanthropic in the community as well.

“People don’t need a lot of money or resources to help,” she says passionately. “They can impact a life by letting people know they care. We all need to help each other.”

Attorney Karen V. Mills, the Managing Member of the law firm, Mills Law Associates, believes in giving back. “It’s not all about me,” she says. “I want to be remembered as someone who cared about others, did things for others, and treated other people like I wanted to be treated.”

One way Karen tries to make a difference is by empowering young women to become leaders. As a first generation college student who became the second African-American female attorney elected to partnership at one of the oldest Atlanta-based law firms, and who then started her own law firm, Karen can offer practical advice and wisdom to those just starting out.

Recently, she became involved with the Coca-Cola/Spelman College Leadership Mentoring Program which helps transform young college students into global leaders. Karen also enjoys educating and helping others as a lawyer, especially in the area of entrepreneurship.

“People are so excited about starting their own business,” she explains. “I try to educate them to create a good legal and accounting foundation, be cautious, think things through, use common sense, and do it the right way. People get so focused on the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, they don’t think about some of the worst case scenarios.”

Whether it’s helping her clients avoid costly mistakes or giving advice to first generation college students, Karen believes she was put on this earth for a reason. “Years ago, I learned that it is not about me, but how I can help someone else.”

Also, law practice is essentially the same, since the legal systems of both Nigeria and the U.S. are based on the common law.

Uzo moved to America in 1996 to marry her husband, who was from Atlanta. She attended law school again, graduating from the University of Georgia in 2000.  The couple had two children, now ages six and seven.  Recently widowed, she says her biggest challenge is “moving forward with my children, finding a new groove for us.”

Although the prospect of raising two children and running a business alone is scary, Uzo is determined, not only to put her life back together, but also to excel and find joy in everything she does – whether it’s being a mother, an active member in her church, or enjoying her favorite hobby, cooking.

Her work as an immigration lawyer also brings satisfaction. “When everything is done and I see that I’ve helped make a difference for the better in my clients’ lives, that’s very rewarding,” she explains — adding she has expanded her practice to include family and business law in order to meet the needs of her clients.

Her children are the best medicine, making her laugh every day. “They are the funniest people I know,” she says.

Uzo keeps in her pocket the Bible verse stating that there is a time for everything, a time to be sad and a time to rejoice.  It is a motto this self-admittedly nice – but also determined – woman lives by.

Attorney Uzo Akpele’s office can be reached at 404-250-3295.

Her new song, “The Power of a Woman”, is an anthem for women. No matter what struggles they’re facing, women can play the song and think, “Yes, I have the power and the strength and I’m going to make it!”

She was inspired by incredible women she’s met who overcame obstacles to find success. In fact, Antonia is one of those women who struggled through a difficult time and found her own power again. This is what helped her get through the pain of a divorce and losing her home to foreclosure. Antonia felt angry, rejected, alone, and her self-worth was at an all-time low.

“The songs on my new CD are like a journal of my life during that time,” she notes. “I put to music the things I learned about life through my struggle. I came to understand God’s love and the value of allowing others to heal and to help me. I also realized that when we understand who we are and the abilities we’ve been given, there’s nothing we can’t do or overcome.”

Her song is part of a powerful new CD entitled, Authentic, which will be released in the spring of 2012. She hopes to challenge people to be real instead of pretending that everything’s okay or letting others define them.

“When people are authentic, that’s when they’re strong and can make a difference,” she says. “If people go through life putting on a show for others, they’ll be stuck and never grow or change.”

Antonia speaks from personal experience when she says, “Women have been given such strength to be authentic.”

The single, “The Power of a Woman” can be purchased or downloaded on her website AntoniaLawrence.com. People interested in booking an engagement can call 404-769-2003.

“Being exposed to the Girl Scouts was one of the best things my mother ever did for me,” she says. “The mission of the Girl Scouts provides a positive impact on our community as a whole, and provides opportunities for young girls they may otherwise not be afforded.  I wholeheartedly support them with both time and resources.”

Dr. Shoanmarie, a chiropractor and owner of Optimal Health Wellness Center, enjoys serving and helping others. As a chiropractor, she has blazed many trails in her profession; becoming the country’s first African American certified chiropractic sports physician is one of them.

“I love being able to educate and serve others while doing something I truly enjoy,”Dr. Shoanmarie admits. “I was created to help people get out of pain without drugs.”

On a personal note, this purpose-driven woman says she lost herself while taking care of others, by gaining almost 100 pounds over ten years of private practice.  Now almost 100 pounds lighter, she says, “I got ME back.  Weight loss has become a large part of my practice. I got big for a purpose. The experience has empowered me to help others lose weight.”

“I’m not going to let an opportunity pass,” she says, referring to herself as a cautious risk-taker and a visionary. “I see the plan, implement the plan, step out on faith, and make it happen.”

That attitude helped her start her own consulting firm dedicated to turning concepts into realities. Taunya uses her background, with a doctorate in General Human Services, to specialize in training human service providers on best practices in the field of mental health and addiction. She also uses her experience and can-do attitude to fight for equality of services for the deaf and mentally ill in the state of Georgia.

“I have a family member who is deaf and has mental illness issues as well,” she explains. “It has been a real challenge for her to receive services in the state of Georgia.”

There are only five states with specialized services for those who are deaf and mentally ill and Georgia is not one of them. Taunya has been working with other deaf advocates and is determined to bring parity of services for people with all disabilities.

Whatever your financial situation, Glennette “Cookie” Haynes, owner of Stephin Oubre Events and Interiors, believes everyone deserves to live in a beautiful environment. Not only does her clients include several professional athletes, but celebrity entertainers as well. In addition, her foundation works with wounded war veterans and single parent families.

In June of 2007, the Hills thought they were giving their sixteen year old son, Tyler, the opportunity of a lifetime. That dream turned into every parent’s nightmare. Vibrant, athletic, intelligent, tender-hearted, 6’ 2” and 215 pound Tyler died full of his future half a world away on a People to People Student Ambassador’s trip to Japan in 2007. His death was 100% preventable.