Havilah Malone
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Havilah Malone S.O. What! Success Story

When I made the decision to become a professional speaker, I was excited that I qualified to become a member of the National Speakers Association (NSA). One of the most amazing connections I made through NSA was with this woman with a speaking…
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Living to 100: My Grandmother’s Roaring 20’s Birthday Party

Living to 100 is an incredible feat especially if you make it there healthy, happy, and in your right mind. On March 10, 2022 Agnes Idella "Dorothy" Jones Owens celebrated her 100th birthday. I was honored to be with her at midnight, and…
Dr. Shirley Raines
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An Uncommon Journey: Dr. Shirley Raines S.O. What! Success Story

When I entered college in 1997, I quickly got involved in various organizations including the Student Ambassador Board. This is where I interacted with the university president, Dr. Shirley Raines. Surprisingly, I didn’t pay much attention…
Deborah Clubb
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Sharing the Storyteller’s Story: Deborah Clubb S.O. What! Success Story

When I published my memoir in 2010, I had no idea the opportunities (and challenges) it would bring to my life. One of the first was when I received the Women of Achievement Heroism Award. That’s when I met one of the founders of Women of…
Phillip Ashley Rix
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The Real Life Willy Wonka – Phillip Ashley Rix S.O. What! Success Story

When I began my journey as an entrepreneur, I met this big, “chocolate” guy (Phillip Ashley Rix) covered in tattoos.  Someone told me he was the chocolate man, and I soon learned that he was much more. Going from an ordinary college…
Dr. Beverly Bond
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Dr. Beverly Bond S.O. What! Success Story

No, I did not get excited when I signed up for an 8 am history class every Tuesday and Thursday morning.  I was not a morning person nor a history-lover. Although Dr. Beverly Bond did not make it easy for me to get up early, she did make…
Coach Shirley McCray
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Coach Shirley McCray S.O. What! Success Story

The older I get the more I appreciate and want to know more about the history and the people who make an impact on it.  One of those people is Coach Shirley McCray - the first female coach of a men’s football team. A fellow University…
Deandre Brown
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Prisoner to Pastor, DeAndre Brown S.O. What! Success Story

Several years ago I was asked to join the board of directors for a new non-profit charter school that wanted to come to Memphis, Pathways in Education. We had a small board of only three, and when one of our board members had to leave the board…
Joann Massey
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Joann Massey S.O. What! Success Story

People don’t have to support you.  That was very apparent to me as a young mother and even more apparent when it really got tough raising a teenager. But it also became painfully apparent when I became an entrepreneur. Then, someone,…