Follow the Leader

From a young age, Beverly E. Smith has been a trailblazer. Integrating her grade school to now the national President and CEO of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. - one of the nation’s largest minority female-owned and operated public service non-profits - Smith has spent lifetime breaking boundaries and opening up education and the economy to others. She's been named 2020 Georgia Outstanding Indiv...

Andrea Wise-Brown is a Mental-Health Expert. She believes in order to be a leader, you must think like one and that includes taking care of your mental health. Andrea talks with us about breaking cycles, overcoming barriers and facing challenges in order to live the life you desire. Learn more about Andrea: https://www.awisebrown.com/ Learn more about Chanel Christoff Davis at www.ddhtax.com or on...

Haith Johnson is the President and CEO of Le'Host Hair and Wigs. Her company prides itself on integrity and high standards of service specializing in custom-made and luxury hair. Haith shares her story starting from nothing to now having a multi-million dollar beauty business! "I never wanted to be just the average hairdresser... It's been a journey!" - Haith Johnson Learn more about Haith at: leh...

ulie Smolyansky became the youngest female CEO of a publicly held firm when she took over Lifeway Foods at the age of 27 in 2002. Julie is Ukrainian- American and she shares her refugee story and how she is now living the American Dream. Her story is inspiring! Learn more about Julie at: https://lifewaykefir.com/leadership/ Learn more about Chanel Christoff Davis at www.ddhtax.com or on social med...

Phala Mire is the President and CEO at WBEC South Team. She talks to us about the power of women helping women succeed. Women's Business Enterprise Council South Team makes it their mission to advance and enhance business opportunities between corporations and women owned businesses through a reputable certification program, education and professional growth opportunities. Learn more about Phala M...

Andrea Wise-Brown is a Mental-Health Expert. She believes in order to be a leader, you must think like one and that includes taking care of your mental health. Andrea talks with us about breaking cycles, overcoming barriers and facing challenges in order to live the life you desire. Learn more about Andrea: https://www.awisebrown.com/ Learn more about Chanel Christoff Davis at www.ddhtax.com or on...

Julie Smolyansky became the youngest female CEO of a publicly held firm when she took over Lifeway Foods at the age of 27 in 2002. Julie is Ukrainian-American and she shares her refugee story and how she is now living the American Dream. Her story is inspiring! Learn more about Julie at: https://lifewaykefir.com/leadership/ Learn more about Chanel Christoff Davis at www.ddhtax.com or on social med...

Haith Johnson is the President and CEO of Le'Host Hair and Wigs. Her company prides itself on integrity and high standards of service specializing in custom-made and luxury hair. Haith shares her story starting from nothing to now having a multi-million dollar beauty business! "I never wanted to be just the average hairdresser... It's been a journey!" - Haith Johnson Learn more about Haith at: leh...

Julia Pimsleur is scaling coach, author, speaker and founder of Million Dollar Women. Julia loves helping women get and keep the big winning mindset going! She speaks on entrepreneurship, mindset and building mental resilience. "To go big, you need to get three things right, you need to have the right mindset, the right skillset, and the right network." - Julia Pimsleur Learn more about Julia at:...

Phala Mire is the President and CEO at WBEC South Team. She talks to us about the power of women helping women succeed. Women's Business Enterprise Council South Team makes it their mission to advance and enhance business opportunities between corporations and women owned businesses through a reputable certification program, education and professional growth opportunities. Learn more about Phala M...

Gina Charbonnet, is a true leader in the Arts industry. She takes us through the changes and challenges overcome during the pandemic in keeping the Black culture alive through film. Gina Charbonnet is the Founder and Principal of GeChar. It's a mission surrounding women's empowerment. Learn more about GeChar at gechar.com Learn more about Chanel Christoff Davis at www.ddhtax.com or on social media...

"Entrepreneurship is access to freedom..." The Cupcake Collection sums it all up in one sentence: "Our cupcakes taste homemade because they are homemade." And that homemade approach to business has served Mignon Francois well. Since starting in 2008, her business savvy has earned her the titles of “Woman of Legend and Merit” by Tennessee State University, “Emerging Business Leader of the Year” and...

The pandemic gave everyone a quick lesson on the power of video - whether that mean more Zoom meetings and fewer in person events, or how to spread your message via produced content. Carrie Martinez of CM Productions, Inc. says the importance of recorded content is understood now more than ever, even as we try to transition back to "normal" following the lockdowns of 2020. Carrie started CM Produc...

The world of chocolate is often dominated by Europeans, but Cindy Pedraza and her mother Andrea set out to break from that mold and lean into their Mexican heritage. What came from that is CocoAndré, an Oak Cliff-based shop that produces some of the finest hand-crafted chocolate delights in the world, selling the delectable treats from the quaint family-owned retail store to legions of fans and sc...

The year 2020 led to more change in business than perhaps any other time in recent memory, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. "Change expert" Sheryl Hardin says the coming months can be a time for your business to bloom. Sheryl is an author, speaker, and business consultant. She spent 30 years working with companies in the midst of change and growth to improve infrastructure, the flow of com...

Finding balance as an entrepreneur is difficult most of the time. Jolene Risch, president and founder of Risch Results, not only balances a career of helping companies find and recruit diverse talent and her private life - she has managed to also spend a large portion of her time giving back to the community with her philanthropy. Jolene founded Risch Results in 2007 after seeing local companies s...

Working her way from Central Florida to the White House, Jessica Yellin has documented pivotal moments in American history - the hanging chads in the 2000 election to the Obama White House. She is a Peabody, Gracie, and Emmy award-winning political journalist, reporting during her career for CNN, ABC, and MSNBC. Jessica is also a published author and the founder of the website News Not Noise, whic...

From a young age, Beverly E. Smith has been a trailblazer. Integrating her grade school to now the national President and CEO of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. - one of the nation’s largest minority female-owned and operated public service non-profits - Smith has spent lifetime breaking boundaries and opening up education and the economy to others. She's been named 2020 Georgia Outstanding Indiv...

"I had options at each of those vectors..." What is "black girl magic"? Avis Yates Rivers has been living it through all the different paths in her career. She's the President and CEO of Technology Concepts Group International, LLC. (TCGi), a global asset, expense, and procurement management firm. Avis started her first company in 1985, and prior to that enjoyed an 11-year career at Exxon Corporat...

An accidental influencer, Angelique Miles spent much of her professional life on top of the music business. Speaking to The Oprah Magazine, Angelique said, "Name a singer from the ‘90s and I probably signed them—Missy Elliot, Timbaland, Busta Rhymes. Back then, I was Angelique Miles, music publishing executive, creative, married to the president of Arista and Slack Music." But a combination of a d...

VR Small has dedicated her work to helping two groups she is passionate about - women and veterans. As a Navy veteran and a member of a military family, VR came back to the business world with a mission and a simple personal slogan of "changing the way we see the world and do business." To that end, VR started the Veteran Women's Enterprise Center. The WVEC aims to help veterans, active duty, rese...

Etiquette is not just a tool for the dinner table. It can be the key to the open the door to all sorts of success you didn't know you could achieve. Jacqueline M. Baker is the Principal Consultant and Founder of Scarlet Communications, which trains individuals and organizations to develop and refine important leadership and etiquette skills and embrace experiences that increase confidence and prov...

"When one of us is stronger, all of us become stronger. So let's share..." How do you stand out at a time when no one is out doing anything? Jennefer Witter has spent a career getting other people the attention they deserve. Social media is stronger than ever. However, with so much of it being "noise," what do you need to do to rise above it all? Jennefer never took a business class and never had...

Employers have been facing all new challenges since having to transition to a limited capacity at the office, or perhaps even all their employees working from home. How much should we permanently change in response to Covid-19? What is the "new normal"? Molly Sandlin, president of CAET Project Management Consultants, is capable of creating functional, efficient, cost effective and easy to follow s...

"It takes time. You have to build a relationship..." Getting noticed takes more than submitting a bid, and all the certifications in the world don't mean anything if people can't remember you. Adrienne Trimble, president of the National Minority Supplier Development Council, knows what it takes to build relationships that grow into repeat business. Trimble led the Toyota's Supplier Diversity initi...