Cool Soror with Rashan Ali

Adjusting - with Letoya Luckett-Walker

We always love to love on COOL PEOPLE on the show and today we definitely have a cool woman.  Singer and songwriter, wife and mother, LeToya Luckett-Walker joins us. Our host, Rashan Ali, had a chance to interview her live on IG and wanted to share this deeply beautiful and personal conversation with this audience as well.

In the episode, she discusses “ADJUSTING” to her new normal during this pandemic.  She also recently shared the news that she and her husband are expecting their first son together.  The couple already shares two daughters.  We chat about dealing with the grief of your spouse upon losing a parent.

LeToya’s gorgeous spirit radiates during this interview and you too will understand why we all must pivot to make the best of each moment.

Follow LeToya on IG at @letoyaluckett.

When the Parent Becomes the Teacher

We are elated to welcome back Ty Lewis, Founder of Educationally Speaking and a Cool Soror of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. This time, we jump into the much-needed conversation about parents now becoming their children’s teachers in the wake of COVID-19.

Ty breaks down the following:

*Finding joy in the journey of homeschool

*Grades, retention, and equity

*Scheduling

*Resources to assist your child in gaining access to the curriculum

*What "school" looks like for students with disabilities

Find valuable information by following Ty Lewis and Educationally Speaking at @educationallyspeaking on IG and Facebook as well as at www.educationallyspeaking.net and www.educationallyspeaking.blog.

If You Can Look Up, You Can Get Up

Adia May joins the Cool Soror Podcast today representing Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. This Entertainment Attorney has known her life would be in law since she was nine-years-old.  Having first majored in Engineering at Howard University, nothing can change destiny, but the one who is in the driver seat.  God drove and Adia sat patiently in the passenger seat.  Her patience and perseverance led her to now being the Lead Attorney and first Black, Female attorney for the Commercials Group at WME (William Morris Entertainment) in the company’s Beverly Hills, California office.

A native of Chicago, Illinois and the notable Whitney Young High School, she knew the HBCU experience would be one she would have to live out.  She did just that at Howard finishing with her BBA in Finance.  She would go on to get a JD at the University of Iowa College of Law and an MBA at the school’s Tipple School of Business.

In 2003, she took a huge leap of faith and left a big law firm to move to Los Angeles to pursue what she calls “a crazy dream of becoming an entertainment lawyer.”  Adia says, “This was basically me jumping off a proverbial cliff.  It was extremely scary, but my mustard seed faith reinforced to me that the net would appear.  My vision was crystal clear in my mind.  Many did not understand and also were extremely negative during this time.  But it wasn’t for them to understand this.”

Two years later, she would land a job at the Screen Actors Guild and the rest is the journey of Adia.  Her journey includes being raised by a mother who suffered from mental illness. She would later help to facilitate her healing.

It’s a beautiful testimony from an equally beautiful woman who understands that “joy” is the greatest living feeling.  To know joy, one has to not know it. As she eloquently states, “If you can look up, you can get up.”  The beauty in it all is knowing the difference and being able to ascend to it. Therein lies the canvas of life.

Stay connected with Adia May by following her on IG and FB @azmesq.

“Reconstructed Purpose” with Chrishon Lampley - LoveCorkScrew

Chrishon Lampley is a Cool Soror of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. who she has taken the wine industry by storm!  Having developed her sales skills in the fashion industry with over 20 years of experience, she used those same skills to develop and curate the LoveCorkScrew movement.

Chrishon is a negociant, wine enthusiast and founder of LCS Entertainment, LLC that features Love Cork Screw wines. Love Cork Screw is a lifestyle brand that launched six varietals in the fourth quarter of 2013. Since its inception, the LCS brand has acquired over 50 locations including, Target, Mariano’s, Binny’s, Whole Foods and other Chicago land area stores, restaurants and bars.

Becoming this truly successful business woman, did not come without much sacrifice.  Having grown up in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, Chrishon often faced criticism for being too Black and not Black enough in various circles throughout her youth.  That would soon change as she began to understand the value of the journey.

At Western Illinois University, she embraced herself as the awesomely brilliant being she knew she had always been. She would later receive her B.S. in Consumer Science with a concentration in Fashion Merchandising.  

After a highly successful fashion industry career, Chrishon became a promising business owner of an art gallery in Chicago.  Having had it all, she lost it all.  Hear her incredibly inspiring story on starting LoveCorkScrew that will make you rethink your purpose.

Find Chrishon Lampley at the following:
@lovecorkscrew / IG, TW
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lcsmusings
LinkedIn: Chrishon Lampley
www.lovecorkscrew.com

The Black Man Can

This COOL PEOPLE episode showcases a super cool person in Brandon Frame.  HE the Founder of The Black Man Can, which is an award-winning 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to celebrate, educate, & inspire boys and men of color. Launching in 2010 The Black Man Can curates, collects and distributes content promoting positive images and  inspiring stories about Black men, boys and black families.  He's also the new Deputy Director of Social-Emotional Learning at the Urban Assembly, Inc. in NYC.
 
As a sophomore at Morehouse College, he noticed African-American men were being portrayed negatively in the media. Though he grew up in a single parent home, he was a young black man pursuing higher education with an incredible support system that included black men.  He decided to launch his own media platform recognizing black men doing great things in the community. Sparked by Trayvon Martin’s untimely death, Brandon launched The Black Man Can Institute: a youth conference targeting 10 cities.. They have impacted over 5000 boys in 48 institutes across the country 
 
Brandon has been featured in the Boston Globe, CBS, MSNBC and NBC among others. He has also received the Martin Luther King, Jr. Drum Major Award, Hartford Business Journal’s 40 under 40 Changemaker of the Year Award and BET’s Next in Class in the field of Education.

In summer 2018, Brandon and The Black Man Can hosted its first ever The Black Man Can Awards in Atlanta, Georgia.  Our host, Rashan Ali, was the recipient of The Black Woman Can honor.  

Brandon Frame is changing the world, one young person of color at a time.  He is the true essence of why, 
“the black man can.”

Social Media:
www.theblackmancan.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

ExceptionALLY II with Rayford Davis

We are excited to have Rayford Davis join the Cool Soror Podcast for the second time.  A Cool Bruh of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Rayford is one of the masterminds behind ExceptionALLY.  This innovative tool was developed by parents, lawyers, and education specialists. ExceptionALLY is a parent's personal digital expert. This "parent-tech" innovation gives personalized expertise, organizes paperwork and takes many IEP and 504 tasks off of a parent's plate -- empowering them to be their child’s #1 advocate in special education. 

Since the last time we chatted with Rayford, so many life changes have occurred.  His company is now a part of an incubator program in Silicon Valley.  This is an extreme high for the entire team.  Personally, however, Rayford has experienced two losses: the passing of his father and line brother.  He has used his grief to gain greater perspective on life and how to live in the now.

Rayford and his team have kindly offered our listeners a special discount for parents whose children have learning exceptionalities! Use promo code: COOLSOROR50 at checkout to receive 50% off!  For more information on the exceptional work they are doing, please visit www.growexceptionally.com. 

The Big 3 with Dr. Katina

Dr. Katina-Davis Kennedy believes that good health is the foundation of life.

Serving as a health practitioner, fitness advocate and health educator for the last 15 years, she has worked to inform others about having a healthy mind, body, and lifestyle in order to live a high-quality life.

This Cool Soror of Delta Sigma Theta, and alumna of FAMU, has received the high distinction of being named one of the 25 Most Influential Black Women in Business and Industry.

Check out this encouraging interview with Dr. Katina & Rashan Ali and find out what she considers to be ‘The Big 3’ in her life.

Take Yourself on Vacation with Rashan Ali

A simple, but clear message that everyone needs to hear.

Take yourself on vacation.

Special Episode: Florida A&M Alumna - Rashan Ali - The HBCU Podcast

Our host Rashan Ali was featured on the HBCU Podcast.

From the show notes:

On this episode, we speak with Rashan Ali. She’s a graduate of Florida A & M University. Rashan is a media maven having worked in all facets of media including radio, television, and podcasting. She’s currently the host of the very popular Cool Soror podcast and a co-host on TVOne’s hit Daytime Talkshow Sister Circle.

During the episode, we discuss her HBCU experience, her career in entertainment and she blesses us with endless words of wisdom.

Love Letters To My Sorors with Kishshana Palmer

We are excited to share the story of Kishshana Palmer. A Cool Soror of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Kishshana is a New York native raised by hard-working Jamaican parents. She learned early the power of hard work, but more importantly, she learned the power of service which would be the catalyst for her life.

In her own words, she said, “It all started for me in junior high school. I volunteered at a tutoring center and I wanted to raise money for more books and supplies for the elementary school kids I tutored. I got all my friends together and we raised a ton of money to help younger kids in OUR neighborhood. How’d I do it? Well by 13, my mom had drilled it into my brain that helping people was a gift. So I was fearless and wouldn’t take no for an answer. I told my friends that despite being from the ‘hood, we were able to get a good education because we were smart and we had books! Other kids needed that too. Helping people and getting others to do the same stuck with me all the way through college. I even received a service scholarship!”

With this same spirit, Kishshana now leads her own company, Kishshana & Co. where she serves as the founder and CEO. She takes tremendous pride in helping non-profit organizations get funding and helps to develop board of directors through highly efficient best practices.
Her latest project is “Love Letter To My Sorors” which is a platform for women in all Black Greek Lettered Organizations to express their love for their sorors or sister greeks in their own words.

Kishshana has such a vibrant and loving spirit. Her zest for life is truly admirable. She takes it one day at a time: helping one person at a time. We absolutely love her for it.

Social Media:
www.fabulouslyfundraising.com
http://kishshanaco.com/

@FundDiva (everywhere)