Cool Soror with Rashan Ali

Keena Stephens also known as “Keena Be” joins the podcast today.  This Cool Soror of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. calls herself a “nurse-prenuer” who jump started her love for the medical field in high school. 

Years into helping others heal, she realized she was not practicing the very same thing she shared with her patients. That routine came to a screeching halt when Keena was 25-years-old (9:41)

Facing constant migraines,  symptoms related to stress and a grapefruit sized cyst on one of her ovaries, Keena realized that she had to make drastic changes. She decided to take the natural route instead of surgery. 

She became an empowered patient (12:00), longing to see what she could do to heal herself without medicine.  The first thing she did was change her job, but the most important thing she did was change her mind. 

Keena admitted, “I did all of this to myself.” Taking this route, Keena’s cyst shrank completely within six months (13:41).

With all of the additional knowledge she was able to gain, she became equipped to be a better teacher to her patients through integrative treatment. 

Keena discusses three of the nine herbs that are essential for busy professionals, including maca root, turmeric & milk thistle (19:30).  She also talks about her thoughts on the the healing agents of medical marijuana (28:00).

This genius has now wrapped up her love for her patients and her time as a patient into her company, Organosmart and her R.E.S.T. programs (31:40).

Keena has had several moments of “Rediscovery” in her life that have realigned her focus.  She is grateful for every step of the process. 

Being the patient and the practitioner has made her that much better and every patient is thankful that she has experienced the other side.

Facebook, Twitter, Periscope @keenabesays ; IG: @KeenaBE

www.keenabe.com

Ash Brown joins the podcast today and in this emotional episode, this #coolsoror of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. takes us on a journey of finding out the enormity of her strength through much trial. 

This blogger, voice over talent, red carpet correspondent and event emcee became the total caregiver for her sister, grandfather and mother before she was even able to figure out her own “why” (7:30). 

Shortly after her grandfather transitioned, her sister lost mobility in both of her hips and her mother became even more ill (9:11).

This brought her to the point where she needed to find out who she was. 

She enlisted in the Army and dropped nearly 100 pounds (11:15).  At the time, she thought the move would give her a sense of self.  Leading up to her departure for basic training, her mother become gravely ill.  Even with her mother’s health declining, she decided to keep going. 

What would happen a day into her basic training would drastically change her life forever (12:33).

Ash goes in depth about her mother and how she fought so hard for her to be here (28:30).  She knows that life is a “Constant Reminder” of what God is capable of doing and that you have to keep going, no matter the circumstance.

As with anything, life continues even with extreme pain.

 

God gave her the platform, “Ash Said It” and she has been thriving ever since. This beautifully spirited woman, is not taking “no” for an answer any longer. 

Ash Brown is truly a gift to her family and the media industry. 

She embraces opportunities that many people would never dare to touch or attempt. 

Thankfully, she is doing it like only she can. She is continuing the plight of life with resilience and not only are we aying it, but “Ash Said It” and that’s all that really matters.

All Social Media: @1loveash

www.ashsaidit.com

Former NFL Quarterback and current television and radio personality, DJ Shockley joins the Cool Soror Podcast as our Cool Bruh Feature of the week. 

This brother of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. has been able to navigate life quite well after he hung up his cleats.

A native of Atlanta, Georgia, DJ came out of high school ranked as the #2 high school quarterback in the nation. 

He signed a scholarship to play with Coach Mark Richt and the University of Georgia Bulldogs.  This self proclaimed “Mama’s Boy” got a rude awakening when he stepped foot on the campus nestled in Athens.

Vying for the job as the starting quarterback, he found himself playing back up to David Greene after a foot injury left him sidelined.  David Greene went on to have major success, leaving DJ as the back up (12:30).

This made him reevaluate his purpose and why he was chosen to be in this position.  He asked himself, “Do you want to be the guy who runs away when things aren’t going right?” (14:43)  He vowed to remain loyal and his faithfulness paid off.  He found out more about himself.

A chance meeting with the team chaplain allowed him to apply the word to his life.  The chaplain asked him to study John 3: 30 which declares, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (18:30).  He used it as motivation to become the leader God knew He could be. The Bulldogs had a spectacular year under his leadership.

DJ Shockley also fulfilled a lifelong dream by being drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the 7th round (23:00).  He talks candidly about being star-struck while in meetings with Michael Vick.  He also talks about being Vick’s teammate during his legal troubles (27.25)

DJ Shockley is a husband, father, son, friend and advocate for his  two brothers with special needs.  His story gives us an inside glimpse into the lives of professional athletes and their journeys after the game. 

The “Shock Value” in each of our lives is determined by the weight we put on the unexpected.  DJ has mastered the enormity of life and how it presents itself as easy as a perfectly thrown pass and an equally executed route.

He continues to put points on the board in life.

Twitter: @DJShockley3

IG: @shock3

Dr. Ajala is a #CoolSoror of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and is an internal medical doctor.  But her life is so much more than that.  She did know however, that at a very young age that helping others with their health would be part of the journey.

As a native of Baltimore, MD she learned about the story of Charles Drew, a renowned doctor who passed away from the very thing he perfected.  His life and his demise inspired her to want to help people in any way possible (6:30). 

A graduate of Tennessee State University, has found a way to blend her love of hip hop, deejaying and medical profession to create her own nonprofit, Heartbeats and Hip Hop.  Her mother was a direct influence for her love of not only hip hop music, but its rich culture.  So much so that she would use lyrics and verses to help her memorize medical terminology while she was in medical school (10:10). 

She talks deeply about the health disparities in many communities as well as the lack of trust among people of color within the medical community (12:30). Heartbeats and Hip Hop seeks to build a report with people in the community through their programming (21:30). 

Dr.  Ajala says, “The issue with the inferiority complex that has hovered over the Black community has trickled into our health.”  She speaks to breaking the barriers of trying to convince people of color that they are worthy of receiving the best treatment (23:19).

Her plight to connect with millennials involves incorporating hip hop artists and the fight that many of them have had with their health.  The college tours have been eye-opening to so many students by giving them real life situations that they can relate to (27:00).

The Doctor and The DJ is navigating her way through this life,  on her own terms.  She’s doing it through the cadence of the beat: on the turntables and through the hearts.

www.heartbeatshiphop.org

Ardre Orie is the epitome of what it means to be a “go-getter.”  This Alpha Kappa Alpha women received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Special Education from Florida State University, but always knew she wanted more.  While teaching in Florida, she implemented an educational etiquette program for parents and students to close the gap of continuous miscommunication among parents, teachers and administration. 

The success of the program led her to start her own foundation in 2009- The Pink Wish Foundation.  She has continued this program in Chicago, Illinois and launched I Love Me Cosmetics as a social enterprise for her participants to raise money for programming. 

Ardre is continuing to share her gift of teaching as an accomplished playwright and film director.  Currently touring with her “Traces of her Lipstick” play, which  exposes the thoughts, anguish and lust from the hearts of unfaithful women. 

Her desire to affirm girls and women comes from surviving household domestic violence as a child.  By the grace of God, she has broken that generational curse. 

Ardre Orie is a woman who no longer lives her life in a safe place.  And there is comfort there, because of her willingness to dare.

 

Tarryn Sampson, a CoolSoror of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. joins the podcast today. 

The owner and CEO of TS Tax & Accounting Services from Bronx, NY made her way to the south after being “tricked” into moving to become the roommate of her cousin.  She decided to stay and landed in a corporate accounting position in which she worked for several years. (8:00)

By chance, but more by God’s blessing, she heard about a tax preparation  course and decided to go for it!  At the time, she was not prepared to leave her full time job. 

Instead, she opted to do part time tax prep for friends and family (9:47)  She did this until the company’s structure started changing.  It came to a point that she felt like she wasn’t being appreciated and on August 15, 2014, God told her it was time to go.  She knows when she hears God’s voice, it is very clear (11:00).

Tarryn did not know what her next  move would be, she just knew it wasn’t where she was.  A very hurtful and emotional departure, found her being resented by a family friend within the company. 

Thinking back on why the journey took that particular turn, she said God told her that “I needed you to move faster.”  (13:10)

And move faster she did. 

She opened TS Tax & Accounting Services a few months later. 

Her skills have afforded her the opportunity to minister to other people through her business (15:46).  She also goes on to share how she “finds church” wherever she goes and does not rely on the actual building to connect with God (19:32). 

Tarryn Sampson’s journey is a prime example that if we let God just do what He does, we will all be better for it. 

She is living in that truth and if you take even a small glimpse you will be able to see that her “blessings are accounted for.”

www.tstaxserviceatl.com

FB: Tarryn TheTaxLady

This episode is a special “holiday” episode. 

Our host, Rashan Ali recaps some of the most important things she’s learned in 2016.  She recently “hung up her microphone” from her sideline reporting gig, but the choice to do that did not come easy. 

In retrospect, the decision gave her space to receive God’s new purpose for her life: The Cool Soror Podcast.  She goes in depth about the very moment God gave her the idea and the name. 

This moving confirmation of purpose will challenge you to walk in yours as well.

After you hear from Rashan Ali, Alpha Kappa Alpha Cool Soror Jacquelyn Rodgers shares her story of filling a void in the market place. 

While shopping for wrapping paper for her son, she noticed that finding a Santa Claus of color became a daunting task. 

To fix the problem, she set out on a path to create a line of products that her son could identify with.  Her corporate marketing knowledge helped her to be a step ahead of most start ups. 

This former Miss Clark Atlanta University, is truly beautiful inside and out.  If your spirit is depleted, Jacquelyn Rodgers will definitely fill that void. 

Get ready for the holidays with Green Top Gifts!

@RashanAli on FB, Twitter, IG, Snapchat

coolsoror.com

sportygirlsinc.org

pipersky.com

Jacquelyn Rodgers

www.greentopgifts.com

C. Denise Hendricks is a Senior Producer for HLN’s Morning Express with Robin Meade and a Cool Soror of Delta Sigma Theta, Sorority, Inc. 

This Florida A&M University graduate has had a very successful career in television including The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, The Mo’Nique Show on BET, ABC, NBC, FOX & CBS.  Interestingly enough, she wanted to be a print journalist in the beginning of her career. 

After a few internship opportunities, she knew that production was her calling (3:30).   She wanted to have some sense of control of the content.

Denise has experienced extreme highs and extreme lows in her life that have only motivated her to carry on in a way that very few are able to do. 

She goes in depth about losing both of her parents during her senior year of college while having to be there for her brother who was a collegiate sophomore (8:00).  Her father’s view on death and her familial support allowed her to grieve and use their transitions as a source of strength. 

When asked how she was able to make it through, she simply answered, “Nothing..but God.” (10:10)

Not everyone gets to work with Oprah Winfrey, but people who are as talented and driven as Denise Hendricks do.

Her experience with the media mogul taught her many things, but the most important thing was to be intentional (23:11)  She now carries this attitude of intentionality in her everyday life.

Denise was open enough to talk about the latest and likely one of the most important times of her life: adopting her son Luke (37:25). 

Once she accepted that her idea of family was not going to mirror what she had growing up, she was able to carry out her dreams of having a child to call her own.  She believes that being transparent about her adoption process would encourage other people to at least explore the option.

C. Denise Hendricks continues to rise in the life she has been given, with a beautiful smile and spirit to match.  She knows that she is blessed and believes wholeheartedly in the word of God.

“My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:26)

Twitter: @denisehendricks

Instagram: @denise390

FB: Denise Hendricks

LinkedIn: Denise Hendricks

Dr. William A. Cooper is a “Cool Bruh” of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.  Today, on the 105th Founders Day (November 17, 1911), we thought it was appropriate to feature one of their prominent members.  Recorded right after the election results, Dr. Coop mentions moving on despite our country’s leadership.

Affectionately called, “Coop,” this renowned heart surgeon is the founding Medical Director of Cardiovascular Surgery at WellStar Health Systems in Marietta, Georgia.  After losing his mother when he was 14-years-old to pancreatic cancer, he knew that we wanted to do something to fix it (6:26).  A year later, he began to vocalize his dream of becoming a doctor to his teacher, who immediately told him what he COULD NOT do.  He used it as motivation to keep going (8:30).

Dr. Cooper has found solace in meditation, which gives him his true center to be able to handle his very demanding schedule (16:30). 

Part of the demand of his journey has led him to be at the forefront of eradicating heart disease and bringing more awareness to its detriment (27:00).  He also talks about the disparities in heart disease between women and men and across color lines (32:15).

“Coop” is now the author of “Heart Attack - Truth. Tragedy. Triump” - a book he wanted to write to let readers know that there are people behind the statistics.  As one of 8 children, he has witnessed the death of many of his siblings: two to heart attacks, one to diabetes and one to AIDS.  He shares those stories and the perils other people who have faced similar tragedies, knowing that there is triumph in the end (36:30). 

Doc also discusses “The 30 Day Challenge” (49:00).

He explains simple ways to drop pounds in 30 days.

Dr. Cooper shares so many “pivotal moments” that have molded him into the man, husband, father and doctor he is today.  Without them, the pivotal moment to hear his profound story would not exist.

Social Media Handles: @DrCoopMD on Twitter, Instagram & FaceBook

Website: www.DrCoopMD.com

Today’s episode takes us into the life of veteran journalist JaQuitta Williams who is Cool Soror of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. 

This faith-filled woman has the type of self-assurance that people dream of achieving.  It came after a trial that she never saw coming.

Starting her career off running the teleprompter (4:30), she dreamed of landing a local reporter / anchor job alongside television veteran, Monica (Kaufman) Pearson on WSB (Atlanta). 

Her drive and ambition led her to the chance opportunity to be in the “double box” with her.  She was able to check that off the list (5:26).

Her life was interrupted in 2007 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer (7:00). 

Being vulnerable, she willingly shared her road to recovery with her WSB viewers.  She later realized that giving herself permission to share with others left her empty and depressed.  In the abyss of this moment, she realized she longer wanted to live for other people. 

JaQuitta started to grasp life with a tighter grip (13:30).

Her relationship with God is beautifully profound.  She goes into detail about unbelievable experiences with God that have allowed her faith to remain steadfast, when most people would have given up. 

She continues to share her journalistic brilliance on shows like For My Man, Snapped, Snapped Killer Couples, Fatal Attraction and Justice By Any Means (27:30) .  She keeps moving forward, Cancer Free, one single day at a time.  JaQuitta says, “Every day when I open my eyes, I realize it’s another opportunity to fulfill God’s purpose for my life.”  She is walking through it, uninterrupted.

Instagram: @jaquittaw