Falling in Love is Easy, Staying in Love is a Challenge

Photo Credit: http://www.inc.com/michael-gerber/fall-in-love-with-your-business-again.html

Do you remember the first time you met your first love? Do you remember how it made you feel? You get those butterflies in your stomach when your eyes meet. Those moments were endless.

I remember when I first met mine. I was in the fourth grade at Givhans Elementary School. My teacher, Mrs. Burgess said, “Crystal, you’re a great writer. Would you like to join the newsletter staff?”

I agreed. I was a staff writer of my first publication. It was only four pages, but I loved it. I was a reporter. I wrote about events and interviewed teachers. I was in love with writing, and I felt like it shared the same type of love in return.

I always knew it was going to be a part of my life in some way shape or form. However, as I got older, I had to realize that although my love for writing was great and we shared many wonderful memories together, I needed to focus on some other ventures. After spending years after college working different jobs, I found myself back where I started like a teenage girl seeing her crush for the first time. My writing and I developed into a deeper relationship. Not only was I writing articles, but I was writing press releases and blogging. I was PHREA. My writing understood me even when nobody else did. Just when I think I had it all figured out, the biggest curve ball got thrown and hit me hard. It has changed my entire focus.

Photo Credit: www.goodreads.com

Now I feel like I’m back in the same position where I was after graduation, changing focus because of the roles and responsibilities of a grown up. I can feel myself losing my relationship again, but I don’t want to. However, the times I should be spending writing, researching, or planning, I am job searching or updating my resume.

So as a way to continue to write and stay in love with my purpose, I decided to balance my focus on writing and job searching. I created a personal challenge to keep me on track to my purpose, my passion, and my love for writing. It’s called the #31DaystoPHREAdom on Always PHREA. It will still include the PHREAdom Leaders, but I also want to feature information that relates closely to my audience.

I need your help in order to accomplish the challenge. I want to hear from you. Have you found your purpose? What do you do to stay focused on it when life throws you adversities?

<3 Starkey

PHREAdom Leaders: Brittany Yates

Brittany Yates, Executive Director &
Founder of Endless Dreams Foundation
http://www.endlessdreamsfoundation.org

Brittany Yates always wanted to start her own non-profit organization. Yates accomplished that goal in 2011, when she officially incorporated Endless Dreams Foundation while working on her Bachelor’s degree from Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C.

“It was just in me,” the young entrepreneur said. “I love helping people.”

She is able to do so through Endless Dreams Foundation.

Endless Dreams Foundation’s mission is “to encourage the youth to set, pursue, and complete their goals.” The organization incorporates this mission by offering programs and services including mentoring, tutoring, and various workshops to help build a lasting relationship within the community.

The youth organization is based in both Charlotte and Washington, D.C. Yates lives in Washington, D.C. where she works full-time in the finance department at the Children’s National Medical Center. However, she travels often to Charlotte, N.C. She has a full team of interns, board of directors, and committee members who help with the operation of the organization.

Endless Dreams Foundation will expand its Academic Dreams program by the end of the year. The Academic Dreams will kick off in the Charlotte area to offer college tours, mentoring and tutoring year round, and parent workshops to help educate them about FAFSA and scholarships for their future college student. It will eventually expand to the Washington, D.C. area. However, both areas are currently looking for volunteers to serve as mentors and tutors.

What is Beauty

This past summer, Girl You Crazy and Endless Dreams Foundation teamed up to host the What is Beauty Campaign. The campaign featured a two month long discussion on discovering the true meaning and essence of beauty.

Yates said she started looking at statistics and realized that only one in every two girls felt like they were beautiful.

It was established to focus on self-esteem and build women empowerment as a unit and sisterhood.

During the campaign, the two organizations hosted a Women’s Empowerment Brunch which brought all women together to discuss beauty and self-esteem.

“Everyone’s definition of beauty was different,” Yates said. “It was good to see the different views.”

The Value of Time

The 23-year-old has a busy schedule, but her motto is that “everything can be done” with time management. Between Endless Dreams and working full-time, Yates is also working on her Master’s in Business Administration from Trinity College to become a well-rounded business woman. She blocks off time in her schedule to make sure she is able to accomplish everything she needs to do on a daily basis including her social life.

Passion to Serve

Yates is passionate about serving in different aspects of life. She loves serving her community and helping people out in general. She explained that if she meets someone or one of her friends are working on a new venture or project, she is always willing to lend a hand. 

"I always want to help," she insisted. 

Hope to Inspire

The business woman hopes to inspire other aspiring entrepreneurs by reading her story as an entrepreneur, leader and Endless Dreams.

She wants them to realize that they can do the same thing, she said. "I want to change the lives of others."

Respect in the Non-Profit

For anyone familiar with non-profit organization, they receive the majority of their funding through donations, sponsors, and mostly grants. However, Yates explained for non-profits you have to earn respect from the community in order to secure any funding especially grants. 

"You have to prove yourself," Yates said. "Nobody will give you money if they don't know you or respect you."

Most people are aware of the larger names like United Way and the American Red Cross versus smaller non-profits, she said. 

Endless Dreams works to build respect by consistently reaching out to the community and schools. They are making their presence known in both the Charlotte and Washington, D.C. areas.

Empowered to Do More

"When I get to see other people succeeding, it empowers me to do more," Yates said. The success of the others instills a self-empowerment for her to keep pushing and keep doing more.

One of her friends is a journalist, it empowered her to consider the idea of writing as well, she explained. Although her schedule is quite busy, she doesn't feel like she is doing as much. She feels like she can always do more. 

Ambition to Fulfill Goals and Dreams

Endless Dreams Foundation focus on helping the youth achieve their goals, therefore, it is quite fitting for the executive director to have similar ambitions. While Yates is ambitious about the community and helping people especially those who want to help themselves, setting and achieving goals and dreams are just as important. 

Yates' vision board sits above her desk at work so that she is able to look at the goals and vision as well as look at what she already accomplished. 

The vision board has two sides, she said. Goals and vision on one side, and what was accomplished on the other side. 

"I work towards it every day," Yates said. 

She always leaves room for another venture to add onto her vision board. 

"I wasn't planning on getting my MBA," she explained, but she added it to her board once the decision was made.

Yates is a true definition of an entrepreneur. She takes risks. She sets goals and work towards achieving everything she wants to do. 

For more information about Endless Dreams Foundation, you can visit their Web site here, follow them on Instagram at Endless Dreams Foundation or Twitter at @NoEnd2Dreaming, and like them on Facebook here. 

PHREAdom Leaders: Shantelle Igiozee

Greetings all!

This week’s PHREAdom Leader profile is focused on Shantelle Igiozee, a May 2013 college graduate of Winthrop University. I chose Igiozee because of her experience during college as a McNair Scholar and role as a reservist in the Army National Guard. I hope you all enjoy!

While many recent college graduates are probably thinking about their next move, Igiozee,23, already knew her next step immediately after she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science – graduate school. She wants to work as a physical therapist.

Originally from Columbia, S.C., she will begin graduate school at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences where she will be obtaining a doctoral degree in physical therapy.

“This university has great facilities, wonderful faculty and is an accelerated program,” Igiozee said. “I will be able to receive my doctorate degree in about two and a half years, which is comparable to the average three or three and a half year physical therapy programs.”

Although physical therapy wasn’t her first career choice, she knew she wanted to do something that related to her love for science.

“Entering college, I wanted to study pharmacy, which derived from my love for science. I was not truly passionate about the field,” she said. “When I discovered the field of physical therapy, I quickly fell in love and this field became my new direction.”

She believes in the power of exercise and educates her peers and family about it.

“I am firm believer of exercise as a prescription over medication depending on the situation. I educate my peers and family on the medicinal effects of exercise, which has no side effects like medication,” she said.

Education is Key

The importance of education is a strong belief of her parents. Igiozee’s family serves a great support system in her life.

Igiozee served as a McNair Scholar where she conducted summer research, travel to research conferences, presented at conferences, and many more activities.

“This program prepared me for doctoral studies through involvement in research and other scholarly activities,” she said. “I conducted two years of summer research which provided me with skills including data management, statistical analysis, formulating a manuscript, oral presentation, and designing methodology that will be used in my professional career.”

Igiozee’s research as a McNair Scholar focused on food desserts and the effect of food retailer placement in disadvantage communities. She has traveled to SEACSM and SAEOPP McNair Conferences in Atlanta, G.A., Jacksonville, Fla. And Greenville, S.C. to present her research and allow her to network with people across different disciplines. She was able to learn different methods of how she could use her expertise in assisting people through rehabilitation.

Therefore, her future research will focus on the rehabilitation of soldiers and children due to her experience as a reservist.

PHREA to Igiozee

Individuals have their own perceptions and ideas of PHREA. He or she may look at passion, hope, respect, empowerment, and ambition differently depending on where they are in life. For Igiozee, those words overall share a common goal to keep pushing, don’t give up, and stay learning.

Passion – Motivating yourself to achieve highest dream and not stopping until you achieve it because are doing it because you love it.

Hope- Never allowing anyone or anything to deviate you from your dreams because you have confidence in yourself.

Respect- Always having respect for yourself by setting high standards and never allowing anyone to lower them. In addition, one must be respectful to your peers and elders because maturity comes in time, not when you hit a certain age.

Empowerment- Taking your knowledge and experiences to educate and mentor the youth of today. Individual journeys should be shared because it could help others going through a similar situation. Life is stressful enough sometimes. Therefore, being an asset in someone’s life could help them progress or even save a life.

Ambition- Having the determination to become successful without letting any obstacles obstruct your vision.

Thank you Shantelle for joining the PHREAdom Leaders train and allowing me to share a little bit about you! Good luck in graduate school!

<3 Starkey

It's been a long time...

I can't believe this is my first official post on my own blog, Always PHREA! It's been a long time coming, but I'm so excited about the endless possibilities of this journey that I am about to embark on as I rediscover and fall back in love with PHREA. I'm sure all of my Twitter followers wonder what is PHREA? It's actually pronounced free. It's an acronym which means Passion, Hope, Respect, Empowerment and Ambition. I actually detailed my journey in the About PHREA tab for those who want to know more about it.

This past week, I've experienced changes and opportunities in my life that will shape and mold my future to something beyond amazing. I knew those changes and opportunities came from God. I felt that it was His way of telling me to take that leap of faith and follow my purpose which is PHREA. So on this early Thursday morning, I'm doing just that. I'm letting you all into my world of PHREA. I want to encourage you to become a PHREAdom member and follow my blog. I pray that while reading about my endless possibilities, you will in return be able to do the same. Discover your endless possibility.

I want to thank my PHREAdom believers. You all kept pushing and encouraging me to get back to my PURPOSE of writing. I'm so thankful to have individuals like you in my life. Therefore, this is for you, you and especially YOU!