Brandice Daniel grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. In Memphis, she discovered the importance of the civil rights movement and its impact on African American history inside the United States. While Brandice no longer lives in Memphis, she has taken what she learned and combined it with her passion for fashion. You can see this passion in every single design she releases. There is a definitive connection with the present designer movement and the history of black fashion. It is the bridge between these two worlds that will be celebrated during the Memphis Harlem Week festivities.

Expanding Her Wings

Brandice grew up and spent the majority of her young life in Memphis. While she loved the city and its connection with culture, she wanted to take advantage of an opportunity to move out and spread her wings. That is why she decided to move from Memphis to New York City and settle in Harlem.

Harlem proved to be the perfect landing spot for Brandice. During an interview for the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), she said there was just so much going on in Harlem back in 2005. There was new life, both for the city and for Harlem in general. She pounced on this creative feeling and used it to help craft a fashion bridge between Memphis and Harlem.

She wanted to design clothing specifically for black culture and black style. She wanted to draw from the bright, vibrant colors of her ancestors and the history of Africans moving into the United States. She used that inspiration and motivation to craft designer clothing that didn’t just pay homage to a previous time, but each piece of clothing became a statement and a story in and of itself.

Whether pulling inspiration from historical events that occurred hundreds of years ago or from artists and musicians of a previous decade, it is this connection that has helped Brandice become a head designer not just in Harlem (where she operates as the founder and CEO of Harlem’s Fashion Row), but in all of New York City, which is the design and fashion mecca of the United States.

Celebrating Memphis Designers Like Brandice

Memphis and Harlem Week is a beautiful way to pay tribute to some of the best and brightest designers, musicians, artists and other professionals who bridge the gap between the two historic destinations. During A New Century of Soul, the celebration will be put on full display.

Of course, Brandice will be more than a figurehead for the celebrations taking place in Memphis. She will also be a mainstay designer taking part in New York Fashion Week, which is one of the most important designer events in the world.

Plus, as the CEO of Harlem’s Fashion Row, she is always on the lookout for up-and-coming multicultural designers who want to bring their own take on design to a wider

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The taste of Memphis isn’t just a regional craving. It is a worldwide craving, and Eli Townsend wants to share his love for all this Memphis soul food with the world. That is exactly why Eli, who was born and raised in Memphis, has taken to learning and discovering the art of crafting delicious food and is now serving it in his hometown. While some of his travels have taken him away from Memphis, the city’s native son has returned to offer up his take on soul food to anyone hungry for old-meets-new soul food.

Discovering his food roots

Eli was born in Memphis and always had a love for food, but he took a round-about path to discovering it as his calling. At first, he took a job with Tower Center catering where he became the chef de cuisine and learned from several mentors as he started to experiment with his own love of food.

However, he eventually moved to Little Rock, Arkansas, where he attended Pulaski Tech, majoring in hospitality and tourism. While in school, he took a job at Community Bakery and learned about the world of baking. He has gone on record saying he was never a huge fan of baking because he found it to be more about science, whereas he wanted to be a creative chef artist.

He was exposed to a larger world of baking and eventually went on to become the program manager for Kaleidoscope Kitchen. In the kitchen, he and Olivia Haslop created a cooking curriculum for the local community that was based on foods brought in by the influx of immigrants to the area.

Through his training and tenure at a number of restaurants, he has returned to Memphis to open SAGE, a restaurant and lounge designed to give guests a relaxed yet high-end dining experience. He wanted to offer traditional Southern soul food with an artistic flair, which he found was missing in traditional Southern food.

SAGE has since turned into a go-to spot for young professionals looking for a cocktail after work or who want the perfect place for a dinner date, where the dining is full of delicious, well-prepared food while still being casual.

Soul for Harlem Week

Harlem Week is coming up, and while Eli Townsend is not from New York or Harlem, his food does offer A New Century of Soul. His soul food creations draw not only from Memphis soul food and what he learned in Arkansas but from around the country, including New York City. What often goes under the radar in New York is the city’s incredible and vibrant soul food. However, it is possible to enjoy A Taste of Memphis & Harlem by stopping by SAGE during the up-and-coming Memphis Harlem Week.

Featuring everything from soul waffles to vegetarian fried green tomatoes, there is something for everyone.

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“I wanted to see what else was out there, and I wanted to serve,” she said. 

Jaclyn, who studied theater and gender studies at Southwestern University, a small liberal arts college in Georgetown, Texas, approached the Peace Corps, the government-run organization that offers Americans opportunities to engage in social and economic development volunteer work around the world.

At that time, the Peace Corps was primarily focused on recruiting citizens with engineering and design backgrounds. However, they suggested to Jaclyn that her background made her a prime candidate for Teach for America, which harnesses the power of promising emerging leaders who commit to tackling educational inequity by teaching for a period in under-resourced public schools. 

“I really felt public education was the social justice issue of our time, and I wanted to  figure out how I could help,” Jaclyn said. 

In 2007, she arrived in Memphis after being accepted into Teach for America, whose presence in the Bluff City was still quite new at the time. She taught freshmen English and theater classes at Craigmont High School, located in the city’s Raleigh neighborhood. 

Jaclyn had arrived in Memphis as the start of the recession, when Overton Square was nearly vacant, corporate layoffs were rampant, and jobs were scarce. In 2009, when she finished her tenure with Teach for America, she attempted to reenter the job market. 

“I couldn’t get a job to save my life,” she said. “I only really had two years of work experience. So, I ended up being unemployed for about nine months, which was scary and gave me a lot of empathy for people who live paycheck to paycheck.”

Eventually, Jaclyn entered Memphis’ nonprofit sector, where she discovered a deep passion for community organizing around education. Her time with Stand for Children, an educational advocacy organization, afforded her the opportunity to learn about the unique culture and character of each of the city’s various neighborhoods, as well as how to effectively engage with residents in each community.  

“All parents want their kids to be happy and safe and have opportunities they didn’t have, whatever their race, class or neighborhood,” she said. “That’s a universal truth. But what I did see were the inequities between neighborhoods.”

In addition to serving as a community organizer at Stand for Children, Jaclyn worked in communications for other nonprofits, such as Seeding Success and the Alliance for Nonprofit Excellence (now Momentum Nonprofit Partners). 

But she truly found her calling at Shelby County Schools, where she now serves as  manager of Strategic Communications and Outreach, a role she describes as a hybrid of marketing and organizing. 

“I create campaigns to help tell our stories to individuals and groups, and brand the school system in a more strategic way to garner public support,” she said. “I also do a lot of internal advocacy, like helping our community understand the value of fine arts, and I run a group for teachers interested in learning more about communications. We’ve given them a role as public relations organizers, and train them in areas such as social media, document design and media relations.” 

The PRO program for teachers recently won an award from the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA), as did the SCS ArtsMatter campaign, which works to increase arts access for all SCS students. 

The vast majority of Jaclyn’s work with the city’s public school district now centers on its “SCS is 901” campaign, which uses both multimedia and grassroots strategies to tell the stories of SCS, whose success is tied to the economic and cultural vitality and future of the city. 

“It’s a way to create awareness about the good stuff happening in our schools, and to reach a broader spectrum of the community,” Jaclyn said. “It started with a logo, and our community was so excited about just that having visual, so we expanded on that.”

As part of the campaign, community members are also encouraged to take a pledge to support public schools. 

“I really wanted to build some commitment back to the school system,” Jaclyn said. “So we launched this 901 pledge, where people pledge to share positive information about the school system, volunteer their time and expertise to our students, and to be advocates for our schools.” 

Beyond her work in education advocacy, Jaclyn is a tour-de-force in the Memphis theater community, where she has acted and directed in numerous productions at venues such as Theatre Memphis and TheatreWorks. She has played roles in productions such as Lizzie Borden The Rock Musical, The Clean House, and Young Frankenstein. 

And when Jaclyn isn’t advocating for children or entertaining on stage, she enjoys cheering on the Grizzlies, spending time with her friends and her adopted felines, Giuseppe and Fern, and being a tremendous cheerleader for her adopted River City. 

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Sharing Their Joy With the Community

The real beauty of Belltower Artisans isn’t that everything is made by hand and sold at affordable prices. It’s that the college friends want to share their love for the art with the community. This is why Belltower Artisans don’t simply craft the pottery. They serve coffee inside the shop. They also provide ceramic studio lessons, so for anyone who has ever wanted to learn how to create a mug, use a clay wheel, or produce their own uniquely crafted dishes, it is possible to sign up for one of the classes offered inside the studio.

Your Caffeine Fix Served Within Works of Art

If there’s one thing that makes any cup of coffee better, it’s the ability to enjoy that cup of coffee within a work of art. It’s one of the reasons we have fallen in love with the Belltower Artisans. Every cup is served in a uniquely crafted mug. So even if you order the same cappuccino every day, you’ll have a different artistic experience.

At Belltower Artisans, there is an extensive coffee menu that includes espressos, cappuccinos, cortados and mochas. You can also try out a pour-over coffee, Americano, drip coffee and hot tea, if those are more your kind of beverages. Of course, there are also hot chocolates and chai lattes, and it wouldn’t be Memphis without a delicious sweet tea.

Discover Your Own Passion With Pottery Classes

If you’ve ever wondered about making your own ceramics, but just never had the chance, now is your opportunity. You can visit the Belltower Artisans website to see when upcoming classes are offered. During these classes, you’ll learn how to use the clay wheel and how to best form your own pottery creations.

There are also build-on classes. So instead of dropping into one of the individual class sessions (it is recommended to purchase your tickets ahead of time as space is significantly limited and wheels fill up fast), you can opt into one of the month-long classes. These classes are usually given twice a week on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Follow the Continued Ceramic Creations

One of the best ways to stay on top of everything the Belltower Artisans has going on is to follow their Instagram page.

Additional Reading

Greater Memphis Chamber

We Are Memphis

Belltowner Artisans YELP

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I want people to know that I’m a multiple-trick horse.”

Cover photo by Elly Hazlerig

It’s funny that Aaron James would say something like this because it’s certainly harder to fit him into any particular box these days. The Pennsylvania-born-and-bred, now Memphis-based singer-songwriter has proven time and again that he’s capable of and seemingly dead set on evolving — both as an artist and as a person. From the release of his 2016 EP Here Comes the Rain to today, Aaron has quickly solidified his position within the New Memphis creative scene as a classic storyteller, rooted in folk and rock but more than ready to experiment within other genres. In whatever context you happen to catch him, you can expect to learn quite a bit about him and maybe even something about yourself as well.

“I just spent a couple of weeks trying to figure out my life.”

Catching up with Aaron back in January, he had recently returned from a brief visit back to his hometown of Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, where he spent some wintery weeks in the company of family and friends while reacquainting himself with northern weather. As one might guess, his time at home would also include working on the writing portion of the creative cycle he’s established in recent years — his “hibernation.” In an attempt to help bridge the gap between himself and listeners, Aaron took to his Close Friends Story on Instagram while home to provide a more intimate look at his creative isolation in the PA winter.

Photo by Jessica Johnson

“I’m an observer, for sure. I don’t talk very much. In my everyday life, I’m taking in everything that’s around me and thinking a lot. Then, it’s in that time to myself that I can process all those things and usually filter that into music and my understanding of the world and myself.”

While he may not exactly think of himself as commanding conversation in larger social settings, it’s in these intimate moments — whether in private conversation or during a performance — that you see just how much of the world Aaron takes in, intentionally or not. After all, it’s a fundamental part of effective songwriting: to take in what you see happening in the world around you, reconcile those observations with your personal thoughts and experiences, then put it all back into the world for others to hear and take in for themselves. This cyclical give and take of relating to the general through the specific, then back the other way, is something that Aaron has utilized with purpose in his mission: to help others feel more like (and be more accepting of) themselves.

It’s this natural attraction to becoming comfortable with oneself, and a chance flag football encounter with producer and roommate-to-be Kid Maestro, that would introduce Aaron to the creative powerhouse that would grow to be Memphis’s Unapologetic collective. The group — a multi-faceted multimedia outfit of designers, musicians, visual artists, and entrepreneurs led by producer IMAKEMADBEATS — has become the place for creatives of all specialties to be themselves and use that authenticity as a catalyst for honest artistic development and output. Here, Aaron would come to know artists outside of his acoustic wheelhouse and, whether through his guitar work with mod fusion crooner Cameron Bethany or a foray into hip-hop behind NOLA-Memphis transplant Preauxx, foster a tight-knit camaraderie that runs on honesty and pure, unbridled work ethic.

“I think people look, and on the surface you’ll see [rapper] A Weirdo From Memphis has tattoos, wears bunny ears, and raps about ‘inappropriate’ topics. Then, Aaron James plays acoustic guitar and wanders in the woods, so how are these people even related? Even though each [individual] is very, very different, it’s that journey to be yourself that is the same with all of us. I can look at AWFM and say ‘We’re on the same journey.’”

After the late summer release of his Hibernate EP, Aaron (along with the rest of Unapologetic) expected 2018 to wind down with everyone lying low and cooking up their next respective projects. Of course, it’s hard to pass up a chance to do some good for not only yourself but the Memphis community. So, before the year’s end, the collective would find themselves collaborating with Ballet Memphis on a portion of the company’s 2018 Fall Mix while also curating and shutting down a live block party showcase for the Indie Memphis Film Festival. The ballet mix would feature a performance set to Hibernate’s lead single “Kauri Wood,” while the film festival would include a music video for the single, along with entries from Cameron Bethany and dynamic duo Weird Maestro.

“Ballet Memphis was one of the coolest things I’ve ever been a part of! Those sold out shows got us in front of a community that we never would’ve thought [we would] be in front of. It was amazing.”

With 2018 behind him and a new year in full swing, Aaron returns from his hibernation to the Bluff City with a different game plan than years past — “I’m doing a series of singles, which I was against at first… but now I see it as an opportunity to tell a story in a way I never have before.”

Using this as a transitional period for what’s looking to be a rather busy 2020, the young artist aims to experiment a bit beyond his more traditional outlook on project structure, forgoing the longer arc of something larger in exchange for a concise narrative that builds upon itself in pieces few and far between. The first installment, Good Friday release “My New Best Friend is Loneliness,” kicked off the series with the second and third expected around summer and fall, bringing this story to a close and the project to completion. In at least one of the tracks, Aaron says there are fewer metaphors and that things will be a bit more forward and direct, which makes him a bit nervous. Of course, vulnerability and transparency are two things at the forefront of his material, so this is very much on brand.

“Everyone goes through different iterations of themselves as time goes on, and I want to express that in my music. I think the big word I want to associate with me in 2019 is ‘Human.’ I want to deconstruct myself. Just me, as raw and vulnerable as humanly possible — to not listen to those moments where it’s like ‘I don’t want to understand this,’ even the times where it feels extremely difficult or you don’t want to go down this road. Let’s do it.”

Wherever these roads may take Aaron in 2019, there’s no doubt that the journey will be educational and enlightening — not only for the artist tasked with a longing for self-discovery and personal understanding, but also each person along for the ride.

You can catch Aaron James at almost any Unapologetic appearance, or one of his upcoming shows in Columbia (5/17) and Kansas City (5/18), Missouri. He’ll also be touring the east coast in June.

Hibernate and “My New Best Friend is Loneliness” are both available on Spotify and other streaming platforms.

You can find Aaron on Instagram at @aaronjms.

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Turning life’s pain into impactful poems

Carin Malone’s spoken word performances and poems draw directly from past life experiences. She has found that taking life’s pain and transforming it into impactful poems helps transform the pain into something not only more meaningful to her, but to her audience. It is her drive and goal to help others around her draw meaning from these past life events. Because, while pain affects everyone, it is how people react to the pain that proves so much more important.

Catching up with Writeous Soul

As a 10-time poetry slam champion, she finds herself rather busy traveling to give her spoken word performances. For those interested in experiencing her spoken word performances, either live or in person, there are a number of ways to locate her.

One of the best ways is through her Instagram page. Writeous Soul is her Instagram profile, and she’s constantly sharing posts from her time on the road and her performances along the way. She’s constantly on the lookout for inspiration, although her inspiration often finds her.

She can also be booked for events for those looking to bring in a talented, award-winning poet and spoken word performer. She can be booked through her Facebook page or by contacting her directly (contact options available on her Facebook page). Updates to events she will be taking part in are listed right on her Facebook page as well,

No topic is off-limits

Writeous Soul isn’t afraid to talk about what is important to her. Oftentimes, this centers around death and even tragic events in her background. However, she’ll dive into love, faith and other passions. If there’s inspiration to be found, she’ll draw from it and create poetry to share with the world. There are events throughout town that are put on for spoken word performers, so for those who are interested, it is possible to see some of her latest ideas performed right in Memphis. Her Facebook and Instagram pages will contain more information for those wanting to discover Writeous Soul firsthand.

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Being savage

As time passed, the need for an education forced him to choose to enter a community college. Limited resources prevented him from exercising his true potential in a more advanced learning environment. The lessons learned during this time showed him how to go after what he wanted at any cost. As his talents turned toward graphic arts and eventually to photography, his motivation to excel began to take shape. Living in Memphis, he had plenty of beautiful things to photograph. It was up to him to put his own unique spin on things to make them his own. He wanted to make them savage.

A view through a lens

Once he had his camera, photography and the art behind it became his true and undeniable obsession. Landscapes and architecture are where he chose to place his focus. It was his ultimate goal to bring out the beauty of some of Memphis’s most famous structures. Whether it is showing the beautiful interior of a church or a view of Memphis from several hundred feet in the air, Savage Artist always pushes his art to the absolute limit.

Savage Artist is making a name for himself in both the architectural realm as well as within the area of real estate. He can capture the essence and character of any building he shoots. He brings out the unique aspect of a building that may not be noticed by the naked eye. Whether you are looking for up-close and personal or a bird’s-eye view of the city of Memphis, Savage Artist offers exactly what you are looking for. Explore Memphis. Look at it through the eyes of a savage!

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What makes Memphis great are the people. It’s not the landscape or the architecture (although these help). It’s the people: the creative minds and souls who come to Memphis and leave a little bit of themselves in the city. Desiree Wallace is one of those people. The multi-talented lifestyle blogger brings her inspirational way of life to everyone who’s interested in listening. And with so many outreach methods, there’s always a way to catch Desiree in one form or another.

Self-Care

In this modern-day age, self-care is more important than ever before. Stress comes at you, and it comes at you fast. Whether turning on the news, logging on to social media or just walking down the street, we are all constantly bombarded with information. In many ways, it’s information overload, and it can hinder our own personal development. That is why self-care is so critical. It’s also what Desiree Wallace aims at helping her followers discover.

Desiree Wallace wants to help you discover your true self, and by doing so, put forward your true personality. However, she also doesn’t sugar-coat it. Sometimes, the most important truths are the hardest to hear, and she doesn’t pull any punches. She gives you no-nonsense, straight advice. But oftentimes, it’s this no-nonsense advice that is of critical importance and helps turn lives around. In many ways, the best way to discover yourself is to focus on your own flaws, and not on the faults of what’s around you.

Delivering Advice in Every Way Imaginable

Sometimes, you need a breath of fresh air, but it’s hard to come by. There are bloggers out there who put out great work, but there isn’t always time to stop and read the latest post. Desiree Wallace does run the Mocha Divas blog, but she also releases a podcast. This way, if you’re driving to work, sitting on the bus or even walking on the treadmill, you can take in advice from Desiree Wallace at any time.

The multi-talented lifestyle blogger is also a published author. She wrote the book “15 Days of Self-Care.” The book is a great way to discover yourself and to discover new ways to look at and improve yourself. She also runs a book club, in which new books are selected from all genres. From there, you can share your insights with other members of the club. Because, while self-care does rely on you, it is helpful to know there are others in the same boat.

This Memphis Resident Is Looking to Make the World a Better Place

Oftentimes, it’s all about baby steps. But as long as you’re moving forward, you’re not moving backward. Desiree Wallace and the Mocha Divas are looking to help with this.

Additional Reading:

Memphis Chamber of Commerce

We Are Memphis

Mocha Divas Instagram

Mocha Divas Blog

Desiree Wallace Picture

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Lisa Mills is not someone who likes to sit around and wait for life to come to her. She enjoys taking life by the horns and experiencing it to the fullest. It’s why she’s always traveling and exploring new destinations. When she’s not out in a new location, she’s back home in Memphis with her husband and furry little friend Reese.

She is a local Memphis fashion blogger, but unlike other writers, she doesn’t just focus on the latest trends and high-end fashion. It’s Lisa’s goal to make fashion more affordable and to share money saving tips with not only Memphis but the rest of the world. For Lisa, it doesn’t need to be expensive to be in style.

Affordable Fashion Trends

Just about anyone who has tried to stay on top of fashion trends knows just how expensive it can become. However, Lisa can help make this not the case. She highlights fantastic fashion finds at discount stores and chains like TJ Maxx, Free People and Nordstrom Rack, each of which offers high-end designer items at discounted prices.

Lisa also loves shopping at local boutiques throughout Memphis. This is where unique styles truly come to play. Local designers help blend Southern Memphis style with what’s currently trending to give a breath of fresh air into nearly every look. As a local fashion blogger, Lisa likes to bring in as many local styles as she can, while still highlighting what’s hip and affordable from around the world.

It’s More Than Just Fashion

Lisa’s blog, Boujee Bargains, is more than just a fashion blog. Here she showcases her latest travel exploits and what she loves to do in these different destinations. So, whether she’s visiting Louisiana or heading out of the country, she wants to make sure to share her travel adventures with the rest of the world. This way, if you enjoy her style, her taste in food, and what she likes to do, you can follow in her footsteps and take in many of the same restaurants, dance halls and activities.

Stay Up to Date With Lisa

Lisa wants to make it easy for you to stay up to date on what she’s doing. She’s constantly updating her blog, so for longer posts, it is possible to find everything right there on her website. However, her Instagram is the best stop for everything visual. She even highlights her latest fashion finds on Instagram, tracks down where they’re sold for the best price, and offers links to these items.

Looking to share your story with Memphis like Lisa Mills? Click here!

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We are Memphis: Let’s start off with your name.

Carolyn Michael-Banks: My name is Carolyn Michael-Banks and I am the owner of a company called A Tour of Possibilities. It is an African-American history towards Memphis.

We are Memphis: What would you say is your passion in life?

Carolyn Michael-Banks: My passion is to share things with people that I don’t think they would get without me. I enjoy giving people a sense of a place that they think they might know, but also giving them an opportunity to dig a little deeper and see things that aren’t right there on the surface.

Telling the story of the city here in Memphis about the role that African-Americans have played in the development and their contributions to the city, and this is not the first city I’ve done this in. I actually started in Washington DC, and then, I did tours in Savannah Georgia and then in Philadelphia Pennsylvania.

We are Memphis: How did you get your initial idea for your business? How did your business start and how did you cultivate your idea and to what it is today?

Carolyn Michael-Banks: Gotcha. I started when I was in college on summer break, and I went to school in Massachusetts but my sister lived in DC, and that’s where I chose to hang out one summer in my sophomore year. I’m sitting in her living room, and I say to her I am absolutely bored. And she said, “It is against the law to be bored in the nation’s capital, get out of my house and go downtown.” So, I did that. I went downtown and hopped on a tour and when I finished about two hours later or so, I’m like how do you get to do this because the guy seemed like he was having so much fun. He said was funny that you asked because the head of HR is right over there and he’s pointing towards the Washington Monument.

So, I looked at his name tag and kind of like pray all the way over that she’s in good standing with HR. And when I get to the lady, I said Jonathan asked me to come over and speak with you about possibly working with the company.” And she said, “Jonathan sent you?” So, of course, you know now, I’ve stopped breathing, and I’m like yes, and she said great let’s go down to the office and fill out an application, and that’s how my life and tours and started.

So I did that for the summer, absolutely loved it, came back the next summer, absolutely loved it, graduated from college thinking that now I’m somebody important. I was in social work. That’s what I thought I was on the planet for and very quickly found out that was not why I should have been on the planet because I was dealing with protective services so I was dealing with babies who were broken and burned and that’s not my spirit.

I moved back to DC and I remember sitting in Burger King talking to my cousin. I mean my sister’s wonderful, but I need work. She said to go back to doing tours, and I’m like I am now a college grad. I can’t go back to doing stuff that I did as an undergrad, and she says you do need to work. I said okay. I went back to the company I did when I was in college and thought I was going to go in there as a supervisor you know managerial because I had all this… No, that didn’t work either so I went back to being a tour guide and then, another company came in town to DC, and that was going to give me an opportunity not only to narrate the tours but to drive as well.

Long story short, I became a general manager of that company. And one of the things I thought I would be able to do because I now had this title and thought I had some authority, was to add African-American history into the script because it was utterly void, and here I am in what was known as chocolate city not talking about anybody who had a brown hue to them. So, I did all the research. I was excited about it trained all of my employees; they were excited about it, and then I got a call from the CEO who did not live in DC. And his thing to me was what’s happening in Washington, and I was like can you be a little more specific.

And he said, “What’s all this black stuff?” And I my first reaction was oh my God was there’s grease on the seat, gimme the person’s name, I’ll send them the email check. He said no, it’s not grease. And so I said oh you might be referring then to the African-American history tour or African-American history. I now included in our script, and he said I’m getting letters, I’m getting calls, people are just too uncomfortable with the information. And I said well ,you know I can understand being uncomfortable because some of the things are uncomfortable.

I said, but the bottom line is that its history and our tagline was “we really live history”, so we’re not doing that completely. He gives me the option to move to another city to start an operation there or leave the company. I’m like I’m ready to roll, so I moved to Savannah Georgia. I did all the research and got everybody trained. We were doing well, and then I get another call, and he’s said, “ I’m going to have somebody come to you so you can train them.” I said great this is what I do, but I have one question. I said am I training my replacement? He said yes. I said okay, send the guy and so I trained him, and then I get another call he goes, “well get ready to open up in Philly.”

I said oh going back to the northeast because I’m a Bronx girl. I forgot to tell you, but anyway, I’m a New Yorker and so I go to Philly, do the same thing, do all the research, write the script.  About seven months later, the other manager comes in on a Sunday which was highly unusual. And I said, “Why are you here on a Sunday? She said, “you know they finally made a decision about what they’re going to do with the Philly operation.” She said simply we decided that we’re going to downsize and I’m like oh no, who’s going. She said “you.”

I said oh me, me [laughs]. What appeared to be the worst day of my life because I had traveled around the country, did all this stuff, put my family life on hold and now, I’m out of a job but it was really an answer to a prayer. My prayer was I really want to be able to do this the way I want to do this. I really need to start my own company, and so as often, you get the answer that you want but not the way you want it, so I now had all the time in the world to start this company, and so I started A Tour of Possibilities Philadelphia and that’s kind of how that whole thing started.

We are Memphis: Nice. That’s quite a story. What do you love about owning your own business?

Carolyn Michael-Banks: he freedom to tell this story the way I want to tell it and the way I think it should be told more importantly. What happens with it is the responsibility that if it doesn’t get done, it’s on me. I mean it’s all on me, and that has been a journey, unlike any other journey I’ve been on.

I used to joke with my family because when I was in tourism even working for other people, I felt like I gave it everything. I mean I missed out on a lot of family events because I was that dedicated and involved in it. And I remember my mother telling me you have to give it all and you need to be do it for yourself.

So as much as I appreciate the ability to do the way I want to do it, there’s an immense responsibility that comes with it.

We are Memphis: What drives you to do what you do? What motivates you and how do you stay motivated?

Carolyn Michael-Banks: What motivates me is the reaction of my guests. I start with a hug which surprises many people. I pride myself on being able to give people something that you’re not going to get on the average everyday tour. It’s not just the African-American history, but there’s a thing I think that I can connect with people in a way that normally doesn’t happen. And one of the reasons I believe is the vehicle I chose to use. I use a 10-passenger vehicle so there are times and I will say that you will be uncomfortable, but that’s his history.

The way I connect with people gives them an opportunity to feel comfortable in an uncomfortable situation. Some people will ask me questions that I know they probably would not have asked if they were on a 56-passenger vehicle. I mean there have been times I’ve had conversations with people who will just say,  “you know I got to be honest with you, I lived in a bubble most of my life, and there’s so much that I don’t know” and they appreciate the fact that they were able to get some of it.

I mean it’s only two hours, and I can’t do it all. But that’s what keeps me motivated every time because I know that when people leave the tour, they’re leaving with definitely more than they got.

So that’s my motivation, that’s what keeps me going and learning continuing to learn because there’s so much. I’m not from Memphis originally, so I have to continually learn everyday events makes it even more exciting because as many people are aware, history is usually very cyclical, especially when we’re unaware of it.

We are Memphis: What are your biggest strengths? What do you excel at and how does it help you in your daily routine?

Carolyn Michael-Banks: I think one of my biggest strengths is my love of people as corny as that might sound.

I think it connects me to folk and people listen differently when they’re connected. I love the ability to meet people I’ve never met before and have that kind of connection. Here’s the crazy part. I’m really shy. I’m telling you yes, it’s crazy but what it does for me, it takes me out of the shy zone, it pushes me, but there’s something about that this is exciting.

Something happens when I get into the zone when I’m giving a tour, and there are often things that even come that hadn’t also been planned but depending on who I’m talking to or the questions that they ask me, I get to go to places sometimes in the tour that I may not even have thought about. So it’s always new, it’s still fresh, and I remember when I used to train guides and they it’s really easy to get into a rut. I mean when you’re doing the same thing every day, it’s really easy to act like you’ve been there 100 times because you have been.

But you know my thing is for most people who do this, they’ve never done it before, and I have to be on my game just because that’s what they deserve when they get on the vehicle. Just watching their faces and just getting the interaction. And to get to I guess the answer to your question, I think that’s my strength is that I do love connecting to folk and giving them a sense of something they just may not have gotten without that connection and then, some people would stay in contact. It’s so crazy, like on Facebook, they’re telling me about their kids’ birthday. It is so hysterical.

We are Memphis: [Laughs]. That’s awesome.

Carolyn Michael-Banks: Some of the relationships. Yeah, I mean from all over the world. Oh my gosh, it’s just it’s amazing.

We are Memphis: What would you say is your biggest weakness and what can you improve on the most?

Carolyn Michael-Banks: It’s the business side of all that I do. I mean I love doing tours, but that’s not all that I need to do. So when I say the business side, it’s making sure I know my numbers, it’s making sure I have systems in place, it’s making sure I hire enough people now as I’ve started to grow who can do what it is that I do the way I need for them to do it. It’s all of that that has to be handled, and that’s the thing. When I was doing this group, I was working with, and they were talking about the need to have three hats. You have to be the entrepreneur, and you have to keep thinking of ways to develop, and you have to be the managers.

You can handle it all, and then, you have to be the technician, and so it’s really for me the challenge is to work with those three hats and then to do them well, and you can’t not do any of those parts not well because it won’t work. So, it’s it for me is balancing how to handle those three people I have to be in one person and making it happen consistently and that’s so important to me. And in the world of as we know with social media, your off game one day that’s all it takes for you to be off your game one day and that’s why I presently have one employee, one part-time employee and one of the things I love so much about him is that he gets how important each moment is.

You can’t– this can’t be just a hit or miss. You’ve got to be that I know you’re human but you’ve got to be with them, for them, about them those two hours that you’re together so yeah, the hard part to me is to make sure I keep it all in balance and because if I’m not around, this doesn’t work. So yeah, making sure I understand the parts that are not second nature to me and doing budgets and doing marketing and doing all that is not second nature to me, so yeah.

We are Memphis: What does Bring Your Soul mean to you first personally and what do you think this means for the people of Memphis?

Carolyn Michael-Banks: I think it means for me to give whatever I have to those who come in contact with me. It means to be less superficial, it means to be perhaps a little uncomfortable with some stuff, but I get very philosophical sometimes, and it’s like you don’t know how much longer you have on the planet. So, it’s important for me to do all that I can so that you may have heard the expression, ‘What is your dash?’ Have you ever heard that? What is your dash, D-A-S-H?

So, the thing I gave it actually in my sister’s eulogy but anyway, there are important dates in history of course; the day you’re born, the day you die, those are important but what’s important is the dash, what you did in between. So, my thing is I want to make sure my dash was worth the air I breathe on the planet because my mother was like you’re here for a reason, you’re here not to suck air. That was one of her favorite things so to have some purpose, and to me, purpose and soul are interconnected.

For the city of Memphis, I think that it could mean an appreciation of a city that has so much more to offer than Elvis and barbecue. I think that there is a depth of this city that has gone unnoticed and untold. I think there are stories in this city that have not been told and I think that if we can truly, we as Memphians and always a native New Yorker. But that as we who live here grasp the richness of this city, we can start to see it differently because I think one of the missing links is that as much as we have all of these people come in from around the world on a daily basis, that’s great.

But if we can get Memphians to appreciate– and we’ve got some stuff going on I’m not ignoring it, but there’s so much else going on here that we can lift all boats if we all get the richness of the city. Everything else will start to move if people who live here start to go wow it’s a pretty cool place I mean you know and then the stuff that in the way, we can start to get out of the way once we recognize there’s something worth being proud of here.

There’s something we’re connecting to here, there’s something we’re not just going home and going to work or just going to school and come to work that’s something we can all work together to do because since we’re going to be here, we might as well make it the best place and I’m in my 60s now, I may not be going anywhere else. This might be it so I want it to be the best place that it can be since I’m planning on being here.

We are Memphis: That’s awesome.

The post Carolyn Michael-Banks appeared first on We Are Memphis.

We are Memphis: First off, what do you do and what industry are you in?

Alexandra Nicole: So, I’m in the fashion industry. I am a boutique owner, a published fashion stylist, and makeup artist as well as a blogger which I do more of lifestyle blogging. I also have a cosmetic line, but I’m also launching a fashion line.

We are Memphis: What your passion?

Alexandra Nicole:  I really enjoy business strategy. I like the fashion industry, and that’s kind of like the medium I’ve chosen to conduct business in. But really, I enjoy different business strategies and interacting with customers and that kind of thing.

We are Memphis: One of the things I liked about your blog is you included an entrepreneur section as well to help your audience– for people who wanted to go your route which I think is awesome.

Alexandra Nicole: Oh, thank you.

We are Memphis: Yeah.

Alexandra Nicole: I love to be able to help facilitate. I get a lot of questions on entrepreneurship so created that section because a lot of people were asking. So, I figured I might as well start writing about it because it’s clear the audience is interested in that.

We are Memphis: Sure. Yeah, I mean you go where the market goes, right?.

Alexandra Nicole: Yeah, absolutely.

We are Memphis: How did you get started and how did you pick up your passion in fashion?

Alexandra Nicole: I worked for International Paper for about six years, but knew I wanted to do my own thing. I went to school for business and learned a lot at International Paper, but just had more of that entrepreneurial spirit in my heart and so then I decided just to quit and go about opening my own store and then, I ended up– because I like business and business strategy so much, I ended up going back and get my Masters in 2016 just to learn more about the strategy behind it.

We are Memphis: What drives you to do what you do? And you know to go further than that, like what motivates you?

Alexandra Nicole: Well, I would probably have to say my kids because I’m a single parent. So it has to work, if doesn’t then, it’s one of those things. Before the kids though, it was more just was the whole passion for creating. More just wanting to create and having that creative mindset and then loving business strategy and the fashion industry. What keeps me not being as risky as I used are my kids.

We are Memphis: How do you stay motivated?

Alexandra Nicole: You don’t have a choice if you’re doing this as your full-time job. You have to stay in the game. There are times when you’re down, and it’s not always sunshine pretty much. I mean there are times where I want to try something. I tried, it doesn’t work, it costs money, we lose money. There are times that I try things that do work, and we’re profitable, there are highs and lows, but there’s no time for letting myself be down, and there’s no time for negative vibes. It happens, but my biggest thing is when I start to feel like unmotivated or that I’m stuck in a rut. I tell myself the more time I sit here in this place that’s not creative, the less time I am doing things that are positive for the business, and that can benefit my family. It’s kind of like autopilot so when I’m creating, most the time I’m excited, but I can’t let myself get low because if I do then the negativity starts coming in.  Being a business owner, you have to motivate continuously. You also have to like when you get in ruts; you have to like reading books or listening to podcasts of other people who have been profitable and successful. It helps you to generate more ideas and brainstorm. The more you’re thinking of new things and moving forward that way, your brain stays fresh, and you don’t get in the rut.

We are Memphis: Yeah. What are your biggest strengths?

Alexandra Nicole: I would say prioritizing huge.

We are Memphis: Super huge!

Alexandra Nicole: Yeah. I would say also being able to see the big picture and not getting hung up on the details. All the details are critical. But if you get hung up on them, you can lose the big picture. Most business people can do a day by day plan reasonably easy, but they can’t predict the big picture. For my industry in fashion, it can be what is going to be the next big trend that everybody’s going to come looking for. If you can’t predict it, if you can’t see it at market, and you can’t pinpoint it out based off of all of the things you see, you’ll miss out on the trend and ultimately, miss out on a decent amount of money seasonally.

Another strength is optimism. You don’t want to be unrealistically optimistic which I can say at times, I am. Because you want to be able to see when there’s a failure ahead or a bump in the road, but you can’t be pessimistic and be a business owner because it is not a job for the weary, the entrepreneur. There are times where it is, and then, there are times where you’re blocking the way. You have to have optimism even in adverse times.

We are Memphis: So like if a negative comment comes your way, let it roll off your shoulder and not getting hung up on it?

Alexandra Nicole: Yeah, you want to be able to open your heart to people’s opinions about your business.

We are Memphis: Right.

Alexandra Nicole: But you can’t be everything to everyone. I’d say that a lot of people that I consult with. You can’t be everything to everyone. People are going to have opinions that may not be your demographic. You want to humble yourself, and you want to consider those opinions.  You also don’t want to crumble at every negative comment. If I crumbled at every negative comment, I would have crumbled two months into my business you know [laughs]. Everyone has opinions, and everyone has something to say. The one thing to keep in your mind is you’re the one who took the risk, and that is actually doing it, so.

We are Memphis: That’s a good point.

Alexandra Nicole: Yeah.

We are Memphis: What are your biggest weaknesses and what can you improve on?

Alexandra Nicole: Details. I can see the details, and I sit and think about it. I have missed details before as well because I am such a big picture person that tends to be how entrepreneurs are.

We are Memphis: Right.

Alexandra Nicole: The more creative, the more big picture, versus people that are more in the statistics and numbers that aren’t as much as. I’ll say spontaneity. Well, that’s the whole reason I have this business in the first place. I have jumped at opportunities without thinking before. My business started that way, and it’s been great. We’ve been going for six years now. I’ve also had some big hiccups for being too spontaneous.

Alexandra Nicole: I would say those are the two biggest for me that caused me business stress [laughs] at some point in time.

We are Memphis: Would you say focusing more on quality is a big component of your success now?

Alexandra Nicole: Yes, absolutely. I would say also knowing the negative aspects of my character and being able to consider that when making decisions. When it’s negative aspects of the way your character is, it’s not easily fixed. You know, so you have to remember that and take that in consideration with all those decisions.

We are Memphis: What’s been your biggest win? Tell me a time where you felt like you finally made it in your business.

Alexandra Nicole: I would say expanding into over Overton Square has been the biggest for us. Yeah, we expanded after three years of being in business, and it was a big win and a really good move for us.

We are Memphis: Tell me a time where you felt like you failed. How did you overcome that?

Alexandra Nicole: Yeah, there’s a big one. We franchised, and we have five locations. It was good for a minute, but I grew way too fast. We went from one store to five stores in less than 12 months. There is such a thing as growing too fast. I learned a lot from that [laughs]. Basically, we can sum it up as growing too fast. It can be a very negative thing.

We are Memphis: That’s an interesting perspective for an entrepreneur to give. Like what would you recommend to counteract that?

Alexandra Nicole: I would recommend again, paying attention to the details. Like I said I’m a big picture seer. I thought I had the plan, but I didn’t see all the details and didn’t understand the way people work. I was so new to that. I had to manage people too much. And so, being able to be really good at motivating others.

We are Memphis: That’s great.

Alexandra Nicole: And because you really need others to make that ship sail. And so for me, it was not being able to see the details and not understanding that everyone works differently. So, I would say that if we’re going to talk about growing too fast, definitely paying attention to details and having a very detailed plan. I’m more of a roll with the punches kind of girl, and it did not work in this situation.

We are Memphis: Gotcha. Now that was great. That’s a different perspective that I’ve never heard anyone say. Thank you for your answer on that.

Alexandra Nicole: Of course.

We are Memphis: If you can travel back in time, what recommendation would you give yourself?

Alexandra Nicole: Not to overwork myself and not to be a yes person to everything. I’m learning not to be a yes person now but I’ve been six years in business for myself, and it’s still very hard at times. But yeah, I just said it earlier, you can’t be everything to everyone. You can’t say yes all the time. You need to be able to nurture yourself and take care of yourself because it will affect you healthwise and affect your relationships. So, if I were going to go back in time and change anything, it would be to be kinder to myself and be more stingy with my time I guess [laughs].

We are Memphis: Where do you see yourself in one year?.

Alexandra Nicole: Honestly, doing what I’m doing right now. I don’t plan on expanding any outside of my fashion line, that’s the newest thing on the horizon. I’m enjoying that I’ve scaled back a lot. I’m still working half the amount of time, bringing in the same amount of money, so it’s been great. I’m able to breathe. I’m able to enjoy my kids, my life. I don’t have any plans to rapidly expand like I did before I had children.

We are Memphis: Yeah.

Alexandra Nicole: I’m appreciating the days and the time and so, I see myself working in my shop three days a week, doing my blog too both full time and being a mom.

We are Memphis: Where do you see yourself in 5 years in your business and personal life? Still the same as the one year?

Alexandra Nicole: Not as a little different of a plan. I’d say probably closer to 10 years from now; maybe 5, 10 years. I got my Master’s because I want to teach entrepreneurial studies and so, I plan on going back to get my Ph.D. so that I can retire and be a college professor. So, I plan on in the next 10 years, selling and becoming a college professor.

We are Memphis: That’s awesome!

Alexandra Nicole: Yeah, I mean I’m already doing it a little bit. I teach kids, and I also take a lot of interns. So, I enjoy doing it, and I think eventually after I’ve done all I want to do in the business world, I might just kind of chill out and teach some other people how to do it and what not to do, what to do. I still feel like I need more life lessons, but I want to stick with this for a while. That’s definitely a plan.

We are Memphis: I know this is an interview for We are Memphis, but you’re teaching me, and I love like all the information you’re giving me so thank you for that.

Alexandra Nicole: Oh, thank you.

We are Memphis: It’ll be a nice transition, and I know you’ll help out teaching your students.

Alexandra Nicole: Of course, yeah. Well you know also, I started the retail Academy is called Your Retail Academy and I’ve been teaching people through that platform on how to open and store and run their business well there.

We are Memphis: You said it’s Your Retail Academy?

Alexandra Nicole: Yes,  Yourretailacademy.com.

We are Memphis: What advice would you give someone just starting out?

Alexandra Nicole: Definitely want to save some money. I would say research and spend at least two or three months researching your demographic. Know your demographic, your market and also research the job that you’re thinking about doing. A lot of my interns I get think they want to run a boutique, but then they get in here and do it with me for 3 or 4 months and are like oh now I do not want to do this.

We are Memphis: Right.

Alexandra Nicole: You don’t want to invest your life savings into something that you think you want to do. You have to be really open-minded to the negatives and the positives because no matter what, there’ll always be negatives within the industry. So yeah, that would be my best advice.

We are Memphis: Going back to your interns, they just didn’t know what went into it until they actually started working with you. Is that what I’m hearing?

Alexandra Nicole: Absolutely, yeah there’s a lot of– It sounds fun, and it is not horrible. Otherwise I wouldn’t be doing it, but it’s definitely hard, hard work and you don’t become a millionaire [laughs]. You know, like if you plan on being a millionaire, do not open a store unless you plan on opening like 10 and never having time for anything. [Laughing].

We are Memphis: How does Memphis inspire you and what about Memphis drives you to complete your goals?

Alexandra Nicole: I heard this on the news the other day, I think Memphis is in the top five for small business women owners in the United States. And the culture here is one of hustle for what you have and small business entrepreneurs. So, I love that about the city. It’s also the cost of living or the cost of starting a business. Well, it’s not cheap anywhere. You can do it at a young age. I was 26 when I did it so you can do it at a young age. So, I like that and the people. Really, the customers are great, people really want a more of a personal relationship with– I mean, of course, you have people still going to shop online and all of that, but we have a lot of women who like to go to the Southern social gatherings and not have the same thing that everybody else is wearing. So, our Southern ladies take value in their fashion, and they don’t want to shop online all the time. They’ll come in and chat with us and hang out and try on stuff. It’s almost like a social thing here.

We are Memphis: I like that community that you’re creating in your shop.

Alexandra Nicole: Memphis is huge on community. I mean it’s a big, small town. If you’ve been here for any amount of time and you’ve done any social thing here, you know everybody. So, that’s nice. It’s nice to know everybody, and it’s kind of like the big, small city thing feeling. I say big, but it’s not as big as Chicago, but you know what I mean. It’s not tiny either.

We are Memphis: What are some things that Memphis offers that keeps you on top of your game?

Alexandra Nicole: I don’t attend any groups right now, but I do have a junior week, I do have a BNI which is a business networking group. And then there’s just all kinds of random social events.

We are Memphis: Awesome.

Alexandra Nicole: But yeah, I don’t attend as much anymore, but we do have a fund at the fashion week, so that’s fun for the boutiques and the fashion industry that we have here. Yeah, just because I have kids now, so my life has changed a lot. With one I still was able to do some stuff now that I have two, it’s pretty almost impossible [laughs].

We are Memphis: What’s a place in Memphis where you go to unwind after work? Where are some places you go to have fun?

Alexandra Nicole: I like right here in Overton Square. Babalu’s is fun. I love their fresh guacamole, so that’s good. And then, Railgarten and Loflin Yard are a lot of fun as well. They have like a whole hang out outside atmosphere like you can bring your dog and bring your kids and they can play, and everybody hangs out there, and it’s got that fun family atmosphere.

We are Memphis: Where would you recommend people and visit in Memphis if they want to mimic your success or are there any specific places that you go to visit regularly or get inspiration?

Alexandra Nicole: Yeah, Broad Avenue is fun. Of course Overton Square and then South Main is a lot of fun.

We are Memphis: What’s your thought on the Memphis lifestyle blogger scene and how does it compare to other places in the U.S?

Alexandra Nicole: I love it! Everybody’s embracing it. We’ve got a lot of bloggers coming on the scene lately. In the beginning, everyone was doing it independently, but now, I feel like everybody recently has gotten to know each other and now there’s a lot of lifestyle blogging events around Memphis — I mean gosh, it feels like there’s one like pretty much every month or every other month.

I host one every month through my blog called ‘City Chic Social,’ and I invite the bloggers that I know that I think would be interested in the business that will want to partner with the business. Sometimes it’s a beauty business, or sometimes it’s a fashion business, sometimes it’s a cooking business. Like is different and whatever bloggers that fall into that niche, I invite them and I try to keep it to 10 bloggers.

I like to switch it up and get new people in there and new faces so and I’m not the only one doing it. There’s the Blogger Exchange out in Nashville. They’re doing stuff here. I mean it’s starting to grow, and I think it’s fabulous because we need more of that kind of thing. Because being in the south, it’s easy to get old school or stay old school. So I like the blogger fad is growing here, and I think people are jumping on board.

We are Memphis: What does Bring Your Soul mean to you?

Alexandra Nicole: When I think of soul, I think of you as a person, your personality, your inner being, your creativity, bringing it to this community that we have here and being a piece of it with all the different pieces of personality, creativity, different types of people.

We have an eclectic city with a huge mix of different types of people. If we can all come together and bring our soul, then we can just rise up and keep growing Memphis and make it an even better more amazing city than it already is.

We are Memphis: I like it. Thank you so much.

Alexandra Nicole: Of course.

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Style and Creativity

With his style and creativity, David Roseberry uses his subject’s unique lines and features to produce the most vivid and colorful photos. His use of filters allows him to bring out the most brilliant colors and create contrasts that push his subjects directly into the eye of the viewer. With much of his focus on bringing out color, he can capture the essence of almost any object he photographs.

Doing Things With Picture Machines

Part of Roseberry’s goal as a photographer is to capture the true heart and soul of Memphis and the people who call the city home. When he looks through the viewfinder of his “picture machine,” he is looking to find the perfect shot that will bring out his subject’s unique character. Whether it is a building, a person, a flower or the landscape, he wants the best vantage point possible.

David Roseberry‘s photography is a must-see if you are familiar with the beautiful landscapes and architecture of Memphis. Visit his Instagram account to see some of his most creative and awe-inspiring photos.

Looking to share your story with Memphis like David Roseberry? Click here!

The post David Roseberry appeared first on We Are Memphis.

Highlighting unique Memphis places

Connor Ryan enjoys showcasing some of the stand-out sites here in Memphis. Take his Halloween-themed photo tutorial in front of the Mallory-Neely House in the Victorian Village Historic District in downtown Memphis. The wealthiest people in the city lived here after it was built in 1852. The Italian villa-style mansion was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and became a museum in 1973.

Ryan also made a vlog about nature photography at Shelby Farms Park in Memphis. His goal was to take beautiful nature photos for his Instagram account while enlightening his fans about his methods for capturing the perfect shots amongst the trees. He ended up going on a long boarding adventure through the park, and he learned it’s a no-fly zone for drones. Luckily, he was still able to capture some stunning shots from the ground.

When was the last time you visited the Memphis College of Art in Overton Park? Like many of us, Ryan was disappointed to learn that it will soon be out of commission. New enrollment has drawn to a close, and while the precise wind-down time is still undetermined, college officials anticipate it will only last through May 2020.

To memorialize the location, Ryan decided to take a photo and edit it to incorporate moody lighting. 

Additional resources

• Connor Ryan on YouTube
• Connor Ryan on Instagram
• Mallory-Neely House
• Shelby Farms Park
• Memphis College of Art closing information

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More About Cara Greenstein

As foodies ourselves, we love following Cara Greenstein’s culinary adventures. But what inspired her to do what she does today? In her own words, she fell in love with cooking at the age of 12, when she saved up babysitting earnings and bat mitzvah gift certificates and splurged on a pastel yellow Kitchen Aid Mixer. From that moment on, she was hooked.

The passion for cooking continued (as did her sweet tooth), as she expanded her palate and her knowledge for culinary arts. This eventually culminated in her book “Caramelized,” which has since become an award-winning brand where she shares her thoughts on both the local food industry in Memphis and in the destinations her travels take her to.

Follow Cara Greenstein’s Behind the Scenes Experience

You can read up on Cara Greenstein’s latest culinary adventures at her blog. However, one of our personal favorite ways to stay on top of her latest activities is through her Instagram account. Here you’ll find everything from delicious-looking meals and sweet treats, all the way to pictures inside her personal life (including several of her pup who we adore).

So whether you’re looking for restaurant recommendations or just some ideas for how you can put on your own entertaining event (both large and small), Cara is the local blogger you need to follow.

Uncovering Memphis One Post at a Time

Memphis always has something new to share. Whether it’s from a corner of town you’re not always around or a brand new restaurant, you’ll discover the city is full of vibrancy you won’t find anywhere else. And for those days where you can’t get out to discover these new locations, you’ll always have Cara’s blog at your disposal.

Come Discover a New Culinary Experience

Cara Greenstein’s passion is to share her love of food with the world. As a Memphis resident, she’s in love with more than just the city. She’s in love with the unique culinary experience Memphis has to offer. No other city in the country has the same variety and merging of styles like what you’ll discover right here. So whether you’ve called Memphis home your entire life or you’re just beginning to set down roots here, Cara Greenstein has a few suggestions for where your next dining out experience should begin.

Looking to share your story with Memphis like Cara Greenstein? Click here!

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Aleks Antonio: I’m in the creative industry, photography specifically, industry.

We are Memphis: Awesome.

Aleks Antonio: Yeah.

We are Memphis: And what would you say is your passion?

Aleks Antonio: My passion is really to create and build the tales, stories with pictures in order to convey emotion or make tit somebody. That’s really what I really want to put out there.

We are Memphis: How did you get started and furthermore, how did you pick up this passion?

Aleks Antonio: Well, I’m from overseas, I’m from Panama, and when I moved to the United States, I realized I had nothing to show where I was from. I had no pictures other than stories but I had no pictures with me. So, I wanted to be able to capture things, so I could illustrate the story of my life; where I live, where I’ve been, where I’ve gone, things like that. So, photography was one of those things that to me, was the easiest thing to do where I can show what I do, what I enjoy, what I see and that’s what kind of got me to go from taking a picture of– I don’t know, vacations to finding the beauty on what I was doing so I could show a better image or where I was.

We are Memphis: That’s really good. I like how you used you know, your creative outlet to essentially tell the story to the people you’re trying to engage with. It’s pretty cool. What steps did you take to master your craft in photography?

Aleks Antonio: A lot of tutorials, a lot of YouTube.

We are Memphis: [Laughs] yeah.

Aleks Antonio: It’s one of those that I will go– Like I will see things that I like or I will have an idea and I will search on how to do it, how to bring it to life so it was– There was a lot of YouTube videos I’ve seen, there’s a lot of talking to people in the same field that act and kind of pick their brains as I trial and error, took so many horrible photos and done so many bad projects that I had to learn how to figure out what I really wanted to do or how to do that.

We are Memphis: That’s awesome: What drives you to do what you do and what motivates you?

Aleks Antonio: To do what I do, the fact that I like to share things [laughs]. Besides that, I like to travel or go places to see new things and new perspectives and things. That’s what really one of the things that motivate me to keep more for me besides, I have two small kids. So showing my kids where I have been and this or that is a big deal. If I need them to see the world’s bigger than your zip code.

We are Memphis: How do you stay motivated?

Aleks Antonio: Okay. To stay motivated, crazy enough is talking to my peers in Memphis that do the same thing. I here usually around wintertime I hear that- that creative block time that I don’t know what to shoot, I have no idea what’s going on, I don’t like the cold weather so I don’t want to get out. But I talk to my peers here, my other friends that do photography also and they kind of keep me on my toes. Say, hey I see you haven’t taken a picture in a while. What’s going on, what are you doing? You know, so they talk to me. They keep me humble.

We are Memphis: It’s good that you have that network to keep you in line so to speak and get you to where you want to go.

Aleks Antonio: Yeah.

We are Memphis: What are your biggest strengths and what do you excel at?

Aleks Antonio: My biggest strength. My biggest strength is honestly the way I feel to me is the fact that I want to learn more. I don’t feel good saying oh I’m awesome my XYZ because there’s always something that’s to learn. I do a lot of nighttime photography, and low exposure photography and I’m really good at it. I feel like I am but I know that there’s something there that I’m not doing right and I have to get better. You know?

We are Memphis: Yeah.

Aleks Antonio: So, it’s one of those things. My biggest strength would be that I like to learn more.

We are Memphis: Yeah, I think that’s a quality of any really amazing creative. They’re always striving to be the best. And I have seen your photos, your nighttime photography, it’s really good [laughs].

Aleks Antonio: Thank you.

We are Memphis: Yeah, but I have to ask you this too just for the contrast. What are your biggest weaknesses and what can you improve on?

Aleks Antonio: One of them is that I am my worst critic. For the most part, I don’t like half of the stuff I do. It’s not to put myself down it’s just because I know it could be better. The other thing is I get frustrated when I cannot get something. If I have something in my head and I cannot get it on the camera, I get so frustrated that I can’t think straight. I have to stop, leave, come back in 20 minutes, try this again you know it’s one of those things.

We are Memphis: Yeah. Again a trait of a creative. I think you yourself are your biggest critic, [laughs] right.

Aleks Antonio: Yeah, yeah oh.

We are Memphis: Yeah [laughs]. What has been your biggest win? And to go further on that, tell me the time where you play you finally made it.

Aleks Antonio: I did a show back in July. My very first show showing prints and actually selling prints. Everything was so surreal,  I was like I’m actually doing this, this is here. Then, I thought nobody’s going to buy my pictures. And when the very first person came through, I looked at him and he goes, okay, I like this picture but I want it in this size. And he placed an order with me that was a massive order at the end of the day, that’s when I felt like oh, I am doing something right you know because–

We are Memphis: Yeah.

Aleks Antonio: You know me liking my photos or my wife liking my photos is one thing but it’s kind of like she’s supposed to like it, she’s my wife. When a stranger here that he wants a large print for his office, he wants to post it because he does really like it. That’s when I felt like I made it. I called my Mom and told her I made it.

We are Memphis: That’s awesome man, again–

Aleks Antonio: At that point, yeah.

We are Memphis: Yeah, I mean to sell like your art as a creative, like that’s a win for anybody in the creative space.

Aleks Antonio: Yeah.

We are Memphis: How did this push you forward in your career?

Aleks Antonio: It definitely pushed me forward to want to create more, to want to get out more and shoot. I didn’t start shooting people until later in my career. I started with landscape and cityscapes. Yeah. It was cityscapes and abandoned buildings and landscapes and that’s what I sold. So when that happened, it got me through that frame of mind that I need to get out and shoot more within Memphis, but also to get out of Memphis and shoot other cities and you know kind of capture whatever I can as I go along.

We are Memphis: What’s your routine to get you through the day? And to go further on that, like what daily routines do you have that contribute to your success?

Aleks Antonio: I always look for inspiration outside of photography.

We are Memphis: I got you.

Aleks Antonio: Because I don’t want to copy somebody in order to gain my own fame or popularity or whatever it is.

We are Memphis: That’s awesome.

Aleks Antonio: Besides working on editing and all that stuff when I go on Instagram or YouTube looking for videos, it’s to see what other people are doing in other creative mediums with video, whether it’s a podcast, whether it’s whatever and outside of photography because I don’t want to compare myself to people because that would be– I used to do that a lot. Comparing myself to somebody else got me frustrated because I wasn’t as good as them or I felt like I could never reach their level and that was very toxic for me because I was like, if I’m not that good, I should stop.

We are Memphis: Sounds like you have a good remake strategy of the art and photography that you put out because you’re acknowledging that it’s good to get inspired by the people, but it’s not good to 100 percent copy them. I like how you’re taking inspiration from these creative individuals not necessarily photography and add that to your own arsenal in your photography.

We are Memphis: Where do you see yourself in one year in your business and in your personal life?

Aleks Antonio: In my business, honestly, I see myself doing more commercial work. I’ve done some clothing companies here locally and I really enjoy that work. I really enjoy the commercial part of it. Right now, I do a lot of wedding portraits and a lot of families also during the fall that’s why I like the fall colors.

Aleks Antonio: But I see myself doing more commercial work. I see myself working more with local companies, local organizations trying to promote the city that I live in and as far as personally with my family, I mean just being able to provide for them and be as a good father and husband to my wife and kids.

We are Memphis: Where do you see yourself in five years?

Aleks Antonio: Wow, five years. You wouldn’t go that far.

We are Memphis: [Laughs]. I’m going to go that far.

Aleks Antonio: Five years, I always thought of owning– I don’t have a studio so in my head, I always thought of owning a co-working studio. Like there’s a lot of co-work in the country you have something in Memphis. But there’s not a true photographers coworker place that you can go edit and you can go shoot and do things like that. That’s what I have in my head to actually work on is owning my own co-working spaces that I can– people can come in and collaborate, work together and grow and build each other. It’s about the community at the end of the day.

We are Memphis: Entrepreneurship in general in Memphis is booming and then owning its co-working space whether it be strictly business related or a creative working space since after pop up as well. I think that’s a good goal to have.

We are Memphis: What advice would you give someone just starting out in photography?

Aleks Antonio: Never, never stop shooting. Doesn’t matter if it looks mundane and dull, take a picture of it. Some of the pictures on my Instagram are photos I took about 5, 6 years ago that I went back to that gallery and go oh, I completely missed this!

We are Memphis: [Laughs].

Aleks Antonio: A bad photo can turn into a really good photo later on or it can teach you how to avoid doing something, so never stop shooting and surround yourself with people like you, people that want the same things who want to go forward same way, people that are willing to push themselves and push others to do better.

We are Memphis:      I like that. I like just referring back to your old work has. One, if it’s like on your Instagram or any social media outlet, it teaches you where you’ve come from and how far you had come but also, your audience sees the progress. It’s an upwards tick and they’re more likely to engage and follow you, so I like that a lot. How does Memphis inspire you? What about Memphis drives you to complete your goals and to become a better photographer?

We are Memphis:     What about Memphis drives you to complete your goals and to become a better photographer?

Aleks Antonio: This style of Memphis is changing. I’ve been in Memphis for 19 years. It seems like a crazy long time. It’s the longest time I’ve been anywhere at this point. I came from a Spanish country and Memphis has changed a lot. Memphis has grown from being horrible when it came to crime all that stuff to just brooming when it comes to new business, things to do around the city, how to embrace the city more. And inspires me besides that the city is changing and going the way it is to make me want to keep up with it you know, in a way. If Memphis is doing this, you present themselves to the rest of the country I say better city, I say renew city. Let me document that and show people that yes, Memphis is getting better, Memphis is for the making to come to even though I’m not from here originally, I love it here. It’s become home to me and it’s been great. So, the ever-changing thing that Memphis does is what kind of keeps me trying to keep up with it.

We are Memphis: Love it. Memphis is definitely a city of innovation. It’s a city that embraces creatives like yourself so I love that answer. Where is a place in Memphis where you go to unwind after work? At any place that fuels your creativity that you would recommend to budding photographers?

We are Memphis: Where is a place in Memphis where you go to unwind after work? Is any place that fuels your creativity that you would recommend to budding photographers?

Aleks Antonio: I go a lot down Main Street, Downtown Memphis. I would sit there and just to have a beer and watch people come through because you don’t have your typical tourists coming through there. You have your locals just like me that just want a beer and a burger and so, you have those people come through there. When I go out with some of my other friends shooting, we do a lot of walking around Main Street also just because it’s one of the areas that there’s a lot going on there. There’s music, there are small businesses that you can create a relationship with. So, I usually in that part of town just to decompress and relax from a busy day or wedding season or whatever it is.

We are Memphis: Where would you recommend people visit in Memphis if they wanted to mimic your success?

Aleks Antonio: It all depends on what they want to shoot. Let’s go with how I started. I started with landscapes. Downtown Memphis by the river, there are so many areas that you can get a beautiful photo of the skyline of Memphis. Crazy enough, you score over the bridge to Arkansas shooting back into Memphis, you can get a beautiful, beautiful photo. That’s one place that I will start with people. I have right now a young lady that I’m teaching photography and that’s one place we go a lot. We go down by the river by Front Street where you can see all the beautiful homes that align the Bluff. So that’s the part of the area I would recommend people to go to. There’s a little bit to play with in there, they’ve got the river, you’ve got the bridge, you have the pyramid, it has become a Memphis landmark. You know, you have done in the background you have that and then if you turn around, you have some of the old building that has been renovated like the Tennessee brewery that has been renovated and you have some of them that can make for an interesting photo.

We are Memphis: What are your thoughts on the Memphis photography scene and how does it compare to other places in the US?

Aleks Antonio: Memphis photograph scene right now is a very, very young scene. If I were to give an age, it’ll be like a teenager right now.

We are Memphis: That’s a good metaphor, I like that.

Aleks Antonio: I’ve met some as young as 17 years old to 45, 46 years old. But we are now kind of catching up to what other cities are doing photography. Memphis has really good photographers going up, doing great work but at the same time, we’re not at the top of the game when it comes to photography. I follow a lot of the New York photographs, what they’re doing, it’s completely different of what Memphis is doing but they are a little older on this. The photographs have been– they might be the same age as us in Memphis, but they have a larger playground so to speak that they can do more with. Memphis as big as you want to see it is still a fairly small city. So, you can in a way to run out of space to do things or because you always running to the same people in the same spot. So for me, Memphis, as I say, is a teenager in photography, we’re doing really good, we still have a lot of room to grow. I think we have amazing talent in this city for photos and videos and music and all that but it has a lot. We still have room to grow.

We are Memphis: What does Bring Your Soul mean to you personally and what does that mean for the people of Memphis?

Aleks Antonio: Bring Your Soul to me, it means showing why you’re proud of your city, where there is– In my case, showing off a beautiful photo of a sunset in Memphis or an event in Memphis. I mean showing why Memphis matters to be in the matter. The first time I heard it, it kind of made me think of how proud I am for a city that’s changing, the ups and downs. Memphis is a city that has a lot to give to the world. I will be bringing my soul and showing how I love this city and how great the city is to the rest of the world. For Memphians, Bring Your Soul should be that thing that when they go out of town, they can say yes, I’m from Memphis and I’m proud of this and this is why I’m proud of Memphis and name all the good things Memphis has done or is doing right now.

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Cassie & Michael have the ultimate 21st century romance story. They met on, yeah — you guessed it: Facebook. They both had a passion for film photography, but upon meeting each other Cassie then all but “demanded” that Michael teach her how to develop her own film, which he agreed to do, and he ended up marrying her. It was not that simple, though; to win the beautiful, enthusiastic artistic side of Cassie, Michael invited her to go hiking in Alabama on their first date. They must have known that this was meant to be when they both thought it was a great idea to go explore caves with a person they’d never met.

 

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The warmth around you

It was clear that the two were more compatible than they first thought on their cave-hunting escapades. They joined their photography business’ and created “The Warmth Around You” photography company to expand their shared passion for photography. There is truly no way to capture the warmth of love than two people who are in love themselves to capture your special moment. This couple has put their souls into their photography business, and it is evident in their uniquely captured moments, which are edited to sheer perfection.

What inspires their business?

Besides the obvious fact that these two are passionate about photography, this duo takes their business with the seriousness and consideration that it takes to successfully do many amazing and sentimental shoots in Memphis. This duo believes in a concept they simply refer to as “the meaningful ones.” Finding the quiet moments of wedding days and turning them into the big, meaningful moments. They are a real Memphis gem who go an extra mile to capture the beautiful moments that can never be recreated otherwise. Their belief is that each person deserves a special picture that uniquely and authentically reveals their story. To capture the soul in people’s stories takes a soul that can recognize the raw moments of passion in life.

 

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What to expect

Businesses take the shape that their owners curve them into. This Memphis photography business is able to give its clients a unique experience as opposed to other businesses because of its unique approach to photography. They believe that photography should feel authentic. The most beautiful pictures come to life when the people in them are most alive. This is their goal: to make their clients come alive with each picture they capture. This is evident in their beautifully curated collection of lovely pictures that make you want to get married if you haven’t already.

 

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What are their full services?

So, do I have to be in love or married to be featured in one of their shoots? Absolutely not. You can still ask for their services for your prom, to welcome a new baby, for family photo shoots and any other special moments you hope to capture in a unique way. They also recently added photobooth rentals for events, weddings, and parties.

Cassie & Michael are a couple with a beautiful story. Being around them will inspire ease, and that relaxation will make it very easy to capture real moments. This unique way of working with clients has set Cassie & Michael apart in a highly saturated market.

Check out their website here!

Looking to share your story with Memphis like Cassie & Michael? Click here!

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Looking to share your story with Memphis like Camilla Curran? Click here!

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The first lyrics heard from Daz Rinko on LIFTED, the Memphis emcee’s 2016 mixtape debut, could very well serve as the thesis statement for his career up to this point. Over the past few years, Daz has seen a steady rise in his musical opportunity while experiencing the trials that come with growing older and living in an ever-changing world. These, along with the unique pressure one is only able to place upon themselves, can present a challenge for young artists. Through it all, however, Daz has maintained a sharp focus on developing himself further both as a creator and performer.

“I knew there was only so far I could take it with jacking beats,” he says when talking about the move from LIFTED, a display of ability, to 2017’s Black Boy Joy EP, an exhibition in craft. While work on the mixtape consisted of Daz sifting through pre-existing instrumentals on SoundCloud, Black Boy Joy would find Daz seeking out and establishing creative relationships with producers such as Melbourne’s SPRILL. or Donato out of Connecticut, as well as the familiar face of Memphis’s own C Major. With their hands in production, Daz sought to craft his individual sound–his voice as an artist, which resulted in a form of unmistakably Southern optimism in the face of difficulty laid over a bounce that seemed to be from everywhere and nowhere all at once. Best exhibited on the EP’s opening title track and the closer, “Blessings from Above,” these qualities would be a driving force throughout Black Boy Joy as well as its 2018 follow-up.

“I wanted to make sure people didn’t think it was an album. When my debut album comes, it’s gonna be known: DAZ RINKO’S DEBUT ALBUM.”

When speaking about Black Boy Joy 2: The Bigger Picture, Daz makes certain to refer to it either specifically by name or simply as a “project” and never an “album.”

“I feel like an artist’s debut album is a big point in their career. I see a lot of artists who rush that, and they miss it.”

With that in mind, one can look at the Black Boy Joy sequel as a natural extension of the EP, further refining and reinforcing Daz’s overall message and sound but experimenting with what could be around the corner. Noticeably longer than its predecessor, The Bigger Picture takes time to revisit the optimistic themes and sonic bop Daz explored on Black Boy Joy while slipping in a slow jam like the Rahel-assisted “The Way,” along with features from Toronto-based singer Desiire and fellow Memphian She’Chinah. Altogether, the two projects stand as a bold, solid foundation showcasing the sheer quality of work Daz is capable of putting out and simultaneously setting the bar for what is to come.

In Memphis, you can catch Daz performing at intimate SoFar Sounds shows and City of Memphis events alike. Outside of the Bluff City, Daz has been extending his reach and performative exposure to other major musical hubs. In October, he attended and performed at Atlanta’s A3C Festival & Conference alongside fellow Memphis-based artists Coldway and Unapologetic’s Cameron Bethany and A Weirdo From Memphis. After that, it was time to hit the road for The Bigger Picture Tour, which would stretch into 2019 and take Daz to Toronto, Los Angeles, and Brooklyn. A cross-country performance on the west coast would cap off a successful 2018 for Daz, but it’s October’s stop in Toronto that takes a particularly special spot in his career: the artist’s first time leaving the United States and the first show he would headline himself–a milestone sure to bring with it a unique type of anxiety.

“The whole process of having to get people to actually buy tickets to come see you is nerve-wracking, so the fact that we had a good turnout was amazing. That’s been another payoff: being able to see people who’ve been waiting for me to get to that level, where I can come to their city.”

With Black Boy Joy 2 collaborators She’Chinah and hometown artist Desiire in tow, the Toronto stop on The Bigger Picture Tour proved to be not only a success but an excellent kick-off to the series of shows and Daz’s record as a headlining performer. When it comes to plans for 2019, Daz is more than ready to follow through on the momentum of Black Boy Joy 2 and The Bigger Picture Tour before taking the time to refocus his creative energy on the next big step: the debut album. He’ll continue to drop new music and visuals between the two projects, but his ultimate goal post-BBJ2 is simple: “get better.”

An artist like Daz, while at times dealing with the abstract, tends to base his material well within the reality of his own life and experiences–namely, his ongoing battle with mental health. On tracks such as Bigger Picture cut “Broke Lawrence,” Daz raps about how, even at his best, anxiety and self-doubt place immense pressure on him, whether warranted or not. His most recent project isn’t his first experience with these feelings, either.

“After LIFTED, it was kinda dark for a second. I put a lot of expectations on myself. I couldn’t create music that I felt was good. Black Boy Joy–I’m not gonna lie–it changed my life, and it’s just the beginning. That’s kinda where Black Boy Joy came from: just me being able to fight through depression and anxiety. I’m gonna be able to look back on this whole process.”

Using his music as a medium for getting this anxiety out in front of himself, where he can combat it with what is sure to become trademark charm and positivity, allows Daz Rinko to contextualize his own struggles in the bigger picture of those experienced and shared by others in the hope that, maybe, we can all confront it together.

“I just really want people to know that the music–what I’m saying and putting into it–is real. I want people to know I’m really the same as them.”

You can find Black Boy Joy 2: The Bigger Picture on iTunes and streaming platforms.

Looking to share your story with Memphis like Daz Rinko? Click here!

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Born and raised in Tennessee and formerly blogging under the name Diary of a Southern Belle, Candy Rachelle is a mother of three and a globally renowned blogger who loves writing about fashion and travel. She spent a few years in Oregon and Georgia before ultimately returning to the place she considers home: Memphis.

According to Candy, blogging is a creative outlet that gives her the chance to share her love for fashion, travel, beauty, food and home decor. Readers have taken a keen liking to her ideas because they are not only helpful and relatable but beautiful and affordable as well.

As Candy shares on her Facebook page, titled “Keeping Up With Candy,” her passion for blogging began about five years ago while living in Oregon. After spending time reading other blogs and becoming inspired to share her thoughts and ideas, she knew that blogging was something she would find enjoyable.

Unfortunately, Candy found herself in a long child custody battle and ended up having to reluctantly end her blogging just as it was starting to take off. After a three-year hiatus, she was able to return to what she loves most, which is when she started Keeping Up With Candy.

Frequently calling upon her love of statement pieces such as handbags, jewelry, and shoes, Candy gives down-to-earth advice and inspires her readers to incorporate trendy statement pieces into their own wardrobes.

In addition to applying her knack for fashion, Candy loves to travel, and she has used her blog to create content for underrated locations around the world. According to Candy, her desire to bring exposure to lesser-known destinations has led to some mind-blowing experiences as she travels the world.

Candy takes much pride in her accessible writing style and impressive photography skills, both of which have garnered her a following of thousands across 30+ countries. Most of all, Candy says she cherishes the genuine relationships she has built with her readers, as blogging and social media have allowed her to connect with people in ways she never dreamed possible.

Believing that every girl wants to look and feel beautiful without breaking the bank, Candy invites readers to follow her on several social media sites, including Instagram, Twitter, Bloglovin, and Pinterest.

Her desire is to be so relatable to other women, they end up thinking of her as just another girlfriend. Her goal is to inspire and encourage her readers through real-life, real-talk content.

Looking to share your story with Memphis like Candy? Click here!

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The award was announced and presented at TFA’s Grits and GRIND all-alumni brunch on Saturday, November 3, 2018 at the Halloran Centre.

Applicants included teachers, school leaders, social innovators, and coaches, and more. The region’s alumni leadership team, a diverse cross-functional group of eight staff members at every leadership level, narrowed down applicants to six finalists.

According to Teach For America Memphis Executive Director Athena Palmer, “The Barbara Rosser Hyde Alumni Leadership Award was established to honor an alumna/alumnus in Memphis who does innovative work to disrupt systems of inequality in Memphis. The award celebrates profound acts of leadership that ensure we are making progress to “One Day” for the students and communities we serve and that our students are globally competitive, socially aware, and have access to opportunities that develop their leadership potential. This year’s applications beautifully represent what leadership can look like at all levels in our city.”

Replinger, who joined The Soulsville Charter School in 2010, has been teaching in Memphis for 12 years and is one of Teach For America Memphis’s longest-serving classroom teachers. He first taught at Kingsbury High School, where he was the first teacher to have students pass an AP science exam. In 2015 he was named a Tennessee Charter School Teacher Of The Year and created https://www.positivephysics.org/, a physics-learning platform specifically designed to ensure equitable access to physics instruction for students from any background or previous science exposure. Over 6,000 students in 500 schools now use this platform across 34 countries.

Replinger says he will use the award to continue to develop positivephysics.org and help pay the tuition of a former student overcoming especially difficult circumstances to complete an engineering degree.

Click to see Teach for America video about Jack Replinger:

For more information about Teach for America – Memphis and their growing alumni network, please contact Jeff Hulett at jeff@keypublicstrategies.com.

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Ryann has always found joy in being a mother, and she blended this with her passion for writing to delight her audience with stories of love, fear and the many challenges that encompass parenthood.

 

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Anyone with children knows that having kids brings many changes to a family, especially in terms of time, money and energy. Ryann has managed to embrace the numerous demands of life as a wife and mother, and in sharing her stories about juggling these demands, she has managed to reach an audience of women who turn to her for advice on fashion, parenting and more.

Ryann’s writing deals with everything from toilet training to helping the kiddos with school projects, so it’s no surprise that she says she loves engaging with women just like her. Her goal is to share advice that helps all families achieve their best potentials. If things get a little crazy and life simply gets too overwhelming, Ryann shares those feelings with her readers as well, along with a solution: She takes a step back, takes a deep breath and unplugs.

 

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A passion for fashion is a common theme Ryann likes to touch on with her readers. Not only does she share stylish tips on staying trendy, but she also provides direct links to many of her favorite pieces, which makes it simple for interested shoppers to purchase the same outfits she wears. In particular, Ryann loves high-end fashion and wants to share her favorite deals with her audience.

Much of Ryann’s blog focuses on telling readers about everyday victories and struggles. As a mom, she has become an expert on giving advice on a variety of baby products, especially the ones that she knows other mothers will find to be of the utmost help, including diaper bags, cleaning products, essentials oils, makeup items and more. She says her goal is to help others juggle motherhood in a way that it makes their lives simpler, easier, healthier and happier.

Ryann is a delightful gem of a mom whose wonderful heart shines through her writing. She is inspiring and encouraging women all over the world, and she has become a delightful addition to the Memphis, TN, culture.

Looking to share your story with Memphis like Ryann Donahoe? Click here!

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Sick of the standard college fare, I had begun to cook more and more at home. Between watching online tutorials, binge-watching the Food Network and experimenting with flavors and techniques in my “test kitchen,” I developed a passion for food and began to cook for friends and family. But when they suggested that I should pursue cooking as a career, I initially shrugged off the idea.

Over the years, I kept in touch with a childhood friend and learned he had started a cooking competition team in Memphis. He raved about how much fun he was having, so I made the trip to join him at the Southern Hotwing Festival one weekend. After a long day of sampling delicious wings and watching how the teams interacted with each other, I knew this was something I wanted to do. I not only joined my friend’s team, the New Wing Order but began a Nashville chapter so we could more easily participate in competitions all over the state. This gave me the opportunity to go against some world-class “pitmasters” cooking a wide variety of Southern specialties. Over time, I refined our recipes until we landed the coveted Grand Championship at the Southern Hotwing Festival. In the past four years, we’ve placed no lower than third in this competition, which features more than 60 highly skilled teams.

While the competition cooking was going on, I also jumped headfirst into the restaurant industry in Nashville, my then-home. First, I worked with a start-up company that dealt with restaurants all over the city, which helped me learn both the best practices and the worst ways to work in a competitive market. Next, I became a chef-turned-general manager at a fast-casual sushi restaurant. This experience proved invaluable in encouraging me to become more creative with my food as well as teaching me the ins and outs of running a restaurant operation.

Then, an opportunity came up to help manage a startup food truck. I had been intrigued by the food truck industry for some time, and the thought of getting a brand-new operation off the ground was too good to pass up. In a market of 100-plus food trucks, my truck became known as one of the top 10 in the city within a year of my beginning to manage the operation.

These experiences led me to my next goal in life: to start my own food truck with menu items I developed. The next question: Where should I operate this food truck? For years, my wife Cindy and I had talked about moving back to Memphis. It’s where we met, where we I grew up and where we I wanted to raise our my daughter and soon-to-be-born son.

In recent years, Memphis has experienced a sort of culinary renaissance. No longer just a destination for world-class barbeque and soul food, Memphis is seeing new restaurants open constantly that focus on a wider range of fare—Jamaican, Venezuelan and Ethiopian, to name just a few. The food truck scene is also burgeoning, with new trucks rolling out every few months.

While these trucks offer an eclectic mix of specialties, one Memphis classic was sorely missing: hot wings. In Memphis, hot wing restaurants are just as prolific as barbeque restaurants, but no mobile operations were bringing the product directly to the consumer. In wings, I saw an opportunity to realize our dream of starting a new life in Memphis.

Looking to share your story with Memphis like Jesse McDonald? Click here!

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Myers Cobb has dedicated herself to her family and to her city, where she creates new culture every day through her fashion and lifestyle brand. Let’s get to know Brittany Myers Cobb and what she’s done for Memphis, TN.

Who is Brittany Myers Cobb?

After getting her start as a fashion blogger, Myers Cobb created a lifestyle brand that preaches empowerment and self-celebration. She has three children—Myers Atley, Jacks and Gates—with her husband, Marq.

In her daily work, Myers Cobb is an avid beauty blogger, fashion influencer, and social influencer who serves as a mentor in her community and seeks to elevate the work of women throughout Memphis. Myers Cobb recently participated in Memphis Fashion Week as a member of the support team, helping to promote self-expression through fashion.

When she’s not building her fashion brand or providing makeup tips online, Myers Cobb is creating and sharing recipes with her followers, as well as practicing yoga and tennis.

Giving her soul to Memphis, Tennessee

As part of her efforts to celebrate Memphis creatives and woman entrepreneurs, Myers Cobb partnered with CreativesCoOp to form a collaborative influencer group with the goal of encouraging small business and creative expression throughout Memphis.

Myers Cobb also showcases female entrepreneurship and empowerment through her daily work at Limelight by Alcone, where she serves as a senior director, certified mentor and founding beauty guide. Myers Cobb encourages young women to achieve their dreams through self-expression and goal-setting, leading by example for her more than 5400 Instagram followers.

She stated, “I often find myself repeating the same thing, I’m so grateful I’ve stumbled upon this company for many reasons but also for the new doors it has opened!”

Additional resources

• Who is Brittany Myers Cobb?
• Brittany Myers Cobb and the CreativesCoOp
• Check out Brittany Myers Cobb on Instagram!

Looking to share your story with Memphis like Brittany Myers Cobb? Click here!

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Angie & Ike Photography is a perfect example of a local Memphis business who feeds the economic, artistic and creative growth of the community. The company is owned by photographers Isaac and Angela Singleton, a detail-oriented married couple who make up the perfect dynamic business duo. The pair most often shoots weddings, but their combined professional experience of more than 15 years gives them the ability to immortalize any scenario on film with ease.

What makes this fun-loving and zesty photography couple different from others is their ability to encapsulate the most intricate and memorable details in a picture. Having that extra special photographer’s eye helps the pair capture a moment on camera and freeze it in time. When clients look back on pictures shot by Angie & Ike, they tend to experience a feeling of nostalgia, plenty of smiles and sometimes even tears. Delivering magnificence and happiness through clicks of their camera shutter. Angie & Ike pride themselves on customer satisfaction, from the actual photo shoot to the delivery of the final edited photo package.

From weddings and graduations to family photo sessions (and everything in between), the pair gives their best to each client. New York-raised Angie is all about the little details and natural moments that often go unnoticed. As a professional cameraman, Memphis-raised Ike is all about the right angles, lighting and backgrounds. Working in perfect harmony, the duo brings photography to life in a way that is modern, professional and exquisite in detail. We celebrate their union in love, their business, their dedication and hard work, and their keen knack for taking the perfect picture. Angie and Ike are Memphis soul.

Further reading:

http://angieandike.com/

https://memphischamber.com/

Looking to share your story with Memphis like Angie + Ike? Click here!

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DJ Mad EFX provides the music for some of the biggest and hottest happenings in Memphis and is also available to DJ private events. You can catch DJ Mad EFX every Sunday night at Club 152 on Beale St., which is one of the trendiest and most sought-after clubs to party at in Memphis. The tri-level club is elegant and classy, and the kitchen is open late. To take your night to the next level, head to The Shadows nightclub located on the third floor of Club 152 that features exclusive VIP areas and other amenities. It’s there that DJ EFX spins his exclusive mixes that encourage everyone present to tear up the dance floor and have fun!

DJ Mad EFX is a great example of living out your passions and doing what you enjoy while helping others do the same. It’s a known fact that music is therapeutic in nature and can relieve anxiety and stress, and dancing offers a physical release of pent-up negative energy. So, why not hit the dance floor while listening to some of the hottest hit music from your favorite artists, spun by the one and only DJ Mad EFX?

We celebrate DJ Mad EFX for delivering his Memphis soul through the power of music. Follow him on social media to keep up to date on his upcoming appearances or to book him for your next event.

Further reading:

• https://www.instagram.com/djmadefx/
• https://www.facebook.com/djmadefx1/
• https://www.memphistravel.com/dj-mad-efx

Looking to share your story with Memphis like DJ Mad EFX? Click here!

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This Memphis resident is a creative soul with an undying zeal for everything that is pink. She owns and operates a blog at MalloryCassady.com, where she delves into outfit ideas, affordable-yet-chic trends, party dress suggestions and much more.

Mallory’s blog reflects a sense of femininity with a minimalist theme and a beautifully designed logo on a baby-pink background. There’s no mistaking the fact that this is a personal space for the twenty-something college graduate to share her interests. Just a quick glance through the site is enough for you to learn that Mallory is a foodie, an avid traveler who loves exploring new places and an ardent follower of everything related to fashion and beauty.

Mallory’s blog features a variety of posts, including wedding-planning tips on how to select the right dress, find a wedding videographer and more.

Mallory also loves fashion photography—and she’s excellent at it. In fact, she has recently begun selling photography sessions for fashion bloggers, businesses and anyone else interested in her custom photography. Each session includes a personalized color palette selection, a photo shoot at an appropriate Memphis location and edited digital copies of the pictures. Session types range from a mini session that includes one outfit choice and lasts for 30 minutes to an ultimate session composed of three outfits and a 1.5-hour shoot. After each session, Mallory edits the photos using Adobe’s Creative Cloud Lightroom program.

Booking an online photography session with Mallory is easy: All you need to do is visit the photo pricing page here on her blog, then click the “Book Now” button. If you have any specific photo session requirements in mind, let her know ahead of time so she can cater to your needs.

Mallory’s journey as a blogger is inspiring for other young women who want to pursue their dreams and follow their hearts. With an aim to reach a large audience, Mallory started her website a year ago, and it has since grown into a full-fledged fashion blog. Her success is a testament to what Memphians can do when they put their creative passion to work!

Looking to share your story with Memphis like Mallory Cassady? Click here!

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Memphis is rich in culture and all about the soul, from music and art to fashion. Many people who grew up in these parts embody Memphis soul by living out their passions and dreams while working to build up the communities around them.

Bianca Gale is the epitome of Memphis soul. This Memphis-born-and bred curvy fashion blogger attended the University of Memphis and received her bachelor’s degree in 2014, after which she began working on her fashion blog, Curvaceously Bee.

Curvaceously Bee quickly became known as the go-to blog for the hottest plus-size fashion trends and styling tips. Bianca Gale presents her curvy girl audience with fashion tips for casual wear, upscale attire and everything in between, including seasonal wardrobe, and accessories. One great thing about the blog is that Bianca notes where she purchased everything she’s wearing for each featured look, which makes it seamless to locate the pieces you’re interested in.

Thanks to her blog, Bianca went from a local Memphis-based Southern girl charmer to an internationally known fashion icon in the plus-size community. Bianca’s audience follows her on her quest for amazing curvy girl fashion finds, healthy eating tips, workout regimens and travel recommendations. Curvaceously Bee provides much more than fashion tips and fun times, however—Bianca is adamant about sharing every aspect of her life, including both highs and lows. For instance, followers of Bianca’s blog  have lived her weight loss journey, including adapting to a ketogenic lifestyle and receiving gastric bypass surgery in 2017.

Through her blog, Bianca has presented herself as the Southern girl next door with a twist. She has shown the women and girls who look up to her that you can live your life to its fullest, transition to a healthier lifestyle and be your best self. Bianca even announced on her blog that she was pregnant! You can imagine the outpouring of love and joy she received! The blog’s audience can’t wait for baby Bee to come into the world as Bianca begins to share her maternity fashion finds and showcase her growing baby bump.

Bianca Gale lives her life to inspire those around her. Thanks to her Southern flair and zest for life, she has received some notable press ops, including features on Essence.com, Popsugar.com.au, The Curvy Fashionista, The Natural Fashionista, Bustle and many more. Bianca Gale is a living example of Memphis soul, and we honor her!

Further reading:

http://www.curvaceouslybee.com/

Looking to share your story with Memphis like Bianca Gale? Click here!

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Alexander has been a fashion blogger since 2015, inspiring Memphians of all ages to get their style on. But Alexander is more than just a fashion blogger—he is also a journalism scholar, a writer, a social media enthusiast and a lover of music.

Early life

From a young age, this 23-year-old Memphis native was inspired by his hometown’s innate grit and grind, along with the artistic flair and vibrancy that radiates from every corner of the city. Amid such inspiring surroundings, it’s no wonder Alexander developed an interest in photography, pop culture, writing, and fashion.

and diving deeper into what he loved to do. He ended up pursuing a degree in journalism at the University of Memphis, blending his passion for photography and writing in the process.

Keys to the Denz

As Alexander’s love of social media, music, and fashion continued to grow, he took a leap and developed his first blog, “Keys to the Denz,” which he used to express himself and hone his writing skills. He credits blogger Kelvin Davis (of NotoriouslyDapper) for inspiring him to explore the fun, style and adventure of the medium at a time when men’s fashion blogging was just beginning to explode.

Alexander has worked with multiple brands since then, and has inspired countless young Memphians to explore a new fashion identity and step out of their comfort zone.

Putting Memphis fashion on the national stage

With just a brief glance at Alexander’s blog, the work and dedication put into it is apparent. Alexander always dreams big and has ambitious goals, and his current aim is no exception: He seeks to work for GQ and promote Memphis fashion on a larger scale across the entire country.

When asked about his vision for the city itself, Alexander hopes Memphis will continue to grow in terms of creativity, attitude and perspective. After all, his love for Memphis and all it has to offer is what fuels him to promote fashion, music and lifestyle elements on his current blog, which features Alexander’s take on seasonal clothing, accessories, local Memphis clothing designers and more.

Notable pieces

Alexander may be young, but he’s already produced a body of standout work. From his recent lifestyle pieces on topics such as being minimalist in fashion to his fall clothing suggestions, men can use his insights to upgrade their wardrobes and begin to explore new elements of fashion. But it doesn’t stop there: Alexander also offers unique music suggestions via his weekly Music Monday posts.

Thanks to fashion enthusiasts like Denzel Alexander, the future of Memphis fashion and lifestyle looks bright.

Looking to share your story with Memphis like Denzel Alexander? Click here!

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Amazing Grace

As Baker explains, “Around the age of sixteen … I started writing for SB Nation’s Grizzly Bear Blues. From that moment on, I worked my way up the ladder to senior staff writer position.” She goes into more detail about her background on her website:

In the summer of 2016, I was hired as the blog’s gameday editor. I covered the Memphis Grizzlies for a full year as a media member. This included attending games and events, as well as interviewing players in locker rooms and attending press conferences. I wrote recaps for the games, as well as feature pieces and game previews. When I was at the games, I also ran the blog’s Twitter account.

Jumping into a Memphis Summer

Her Jumping into a Memphis Summer video serves to show off her love for Memphis, which is a lot of what her blog, “Words of Grace,” talks about. Her blog aims to feature the good in Memphis, as well as to tackle problems that many young adults face every day. She offers photography and videography sessions for any occasion, and some of her favorite places to shoot include Overton Park and Main Street. Words of Grace shines a spotlight on the 901 and those who make it great, as well as encourage others to chase their dreams and never settle by offering inspiring and practical advice in her weekly posts.

Making millennial moves in Memphis

According to Time magazine, the number of young adults in urban areas has steadily risen over the past decade. In 2018, millennials’ ages range from just-got-out-of-college (22) to having school-age children (37). Young families want to live in vibrant cities that offer culture and opportunity, which is why Memphis ranked fourth out of the top 25 urban areas millennials are calling home.

Memphis: A city for the young and young at heart

Baker is one of many young people shaping the future of our town. Although Memphis is a historic city, it’s also a place full of energy and opportunity. As just one example, the new construction you see in the downtown area may lead to $426 million in revenue, and another $2.5 billion in structures are currently in development!

Educational opportunities also abound in Memphis, and the Memphis Education Fund has made 2018 a target year for attracting quality teachers to Memphis and Shelby County Schools, with the group’s leader, Marcus Robinson, describing early literacy as “a huge focus.” Indeed, the University of Memphis continues to be a magnet for traditional students, older students and U.S. veterans.

It’s time to move to Memphis

Memphis is a great place to visit, but wouldn’t you rather live there? Baker might put it best when she says, “Time is like a train, and you are the conductor. You choose the speed, and you choose what stays on board with you. Regardless, you’re getting to your destination.” Isn’t it time for you to choose Memphis?

Looking to share your story with Memphis like Grace Baker? Click here!

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Artists like Jacqueline Fugatt recognize the role that art plays in moments great and small, and seek to show the subtle dynamics and emotional depth of the things we encounter every day. In her work as a photographer, Fugatt captures the essence of the moment and her subjects with tenderness and grace.

Fugatt hails from Chattanooga, but you’d never know from her camera work that she isn’t a born-and-bred Memphian. The natural beauty of Memphis forms more than a backdrop to her sessions—the flora and light become subjects in her work, and she treats them with as much care as her clients.

Wedding photography forms a significant part of Fugatt’s work, and her love for these special events is clear, with the delicate details of bridal gowns becoming a testament to the joy of the occasion under her artistic guidance. Her wedding packages include engagement photos and a day of both candid and posed shots, but you needn’t wait for a wedding to benefit from Fugatt’s expertise, as she also offers family and individual photo sessions that capture the emotional vulnerability of youth and the vibrancy of friendship.

While still-life painters don’t have to worry about fruit looking nervous, photographers do their best work when their subjects are comfortable. In that vein, Fugatt’s sweet, easygoing manner puts her subjects at ease, making candid photos a snap. Ultimately, the smiles on her subjects’ faces are an indication of both the joy of the event and their trust in their photographer.

Since her arrival in Memphis, Fugatt has built a strong reputation for professionalism and artistry, creating photographic essays that draw the viewer into not just the event but the hearts of her subjects. A picture is worth a thousand words, and with Fugatt behind the camera, those words become an ode to the occasion.

Looking to share your story with Memphis like Jacqueline Fugatt? Click here!

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Photo Credit: Brine & Line Photography Website

Capturing the motion of dance is similar to aquatic photography, and Ziggy excels at distilling the energy and sensuality of live performances into single images. His photo essay Candy II  is a study in contrasts: the curving bodies of the dancers pose against the hard, jagged lines of rubble, their filmy skirts all the more delicate against a backdrop of concrete and metal. As the dancers arch upward, the eye is drawn to the dilapidated condition of the surroundings in a testament to the impermanence of man-made items.

Photo Credit: Brine & Line Photography Website

Ultimately, Ziggy’s work sings with a love of color and contrast. Muted neutrals yield to a pop of bright color, and dancers’ warm tones and curves are juxtaposed against stark, cold backgrounds. Color always tells a story, and Ziggy ensures that the story is heard.

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Through his paintings and photography, Matthews has continuously presented visually appealing modern art infused with a touch of pop and urban elements. Ultimately, his works scream to one unified theme: what it’s like to be an African descendant living in America.

Early life

Lawrence Matthews III is no stranger to the art world. From a young age, he was exposed to and encouraged to engage in art, and his family ensured he had the freedom to explore his artistic interests in many different forms. By the time he graduated from Germantown High School in 2009, he had tried out multiple styles and influences as he worked to refine his message from the perspective of a young African American male.

Education and experiences

Matthews recently graduated from the University of Memphis as a Bachelor of Fine Arts, and cites his educational and social experiences as the impetus for his desire to express the journey of African Americans throughout history. Specifically, he seeks to unveil society’s minimal attempts to understand people of color.

Matthews’ work traces his increasing awareness of race and what it means, sometimes speaking specifically to the plight of the African American male who consistently encounters both social and economic prejudices. Drawing upon his background as a person of color raised in a predominantly white neighborhood, Matthews shines a personal light on many of the social issues depicted in his work.

Artwork

Matthews expresses himself in many different forms, using oil paintings, collages, photography and more—all the while infusing musical elements of hip-hop, electronic and alternative rock.

His photography has been highlighted in multiple exhibits and was named “Best of Show” at the University of Memphis’ 31st annual Juried Student Exhibition in 2014. Only two years later, Matthews received an Arts Accelerator Grant from Arts Memphis that allowed him to further explore painting, photography, sculpture and film.

Notable photography pieces

While Matthews’ artistic portfolio is wide-ranging, perhaps his most notable pieces are his photographs. Etched in black and white, the piece below draws attention to the deep economic and social considerations that come into play within African American culture. Is education the key to equality for this segment of the population?

Meanwhile, the below photograph of a young African American boy could be considered to represent a younger version of Matthews himself. What does the future truly hold for him?

There is no easy answer to the questions posed by Matthews’ work, but one thing is for sure: His creations inspire deep thought, reflection and an urge to change society for the better.

For more info on Matthew’s work, check this out!

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When Beth went to college with the intention of becoming an architect, she had no idea that she would end up creating bold, minimalist and deep-rooted abstract works. From captivating ink and acrylic prints that feature natural blends to striking canvas and panel works, Beth’s outstanding pieces capture the imagination.

Early journey

Although Beth initially wanted to study architecture at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, her family is full of creative flow. Specifically, her grandfather (a professional photographer) and her grandmother (a painter) set the stage for her mother becoming a seamstress and her brother becoming a musician. Though architecture is certainly an art form, it’s no wonder that Beth’s time studying the highly mathematical and mechanical field drove her to explore a freer and more open-ended method of expressing her creativity. She eventually obtained a fine arts degree in photography instead.

The switch to abstract art

Despite her degree, the increasingly digitized photography profession eventually became too structured for Beth’s creative passion. She found that she preferred a more hands-on approach to expressing herself, and began painting and creating abstract art pieces in her Memphis home studio. After clients expressed interest in purchasing her artwork, she launched her own small-scale art business and continued to experiment with infusing mathematical and creative concepts to create unique works like the piece below (as photographed by Ashleigh Coleman).

Beth’s works are careful and calculated, yet imbued with a feeling of freedom and open-endedness. “No. 6” (http://www.ebw-artwork.com/prints/), which features ink and acrylic components on a wood panel, is just one example of the unique Beth Winterburn creations featured at Memphis art exhibits such as the Young Collectors Contemporary.

Notable works

Beth has been at the forefront of elevating the artistic scene in Memphis, creating a widespread collection of canvas, panel and print works. Her “Awake. No. 2” canvas is an expression of bold and visually slicing elements that mix both light and dark shades, while “Box Me In” blends multiple elements for unique interpretations and the stunning “Ornament” panel is a joy to explore. Take a look at these works for yourself using the links below:

• No. 6
• Awake No. 2 
• Box Me In 
• Ornament

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Memphis roots

At the center of Unapologetic is IMAKEMADBEATS, the producer and guru behind a solid group of artists who lay down their funky styles at Dirty Socks recording studio. IMAKEMADBEATS is a native son returned from a journey that took him to the epicenter of East Coast hip-hop and back.

Growing up in Orange Mound, IMAKEMADBEATS—a.k.a. James Dukes—was exposed to a wide array of the ingredients that make Memphis so soulful. Although his father had an almost encyclopedic collection of records that spanned soul, blues and jazz, Dukes found himself most drawn to the inherent randomness of jazz and how order was created out of disorder. With just one listen to the music IMAKEMADBEATS produces, you can hear those influences clearly.

His father’s eclectic tastes were passed down to Dukes, whose musical favorites set him apart in high school. While he and his classmates were often found exclusively booming Three 6 Mafia, Dukes gravitated toward Wu-Tang Clan, A Tribe Called Quest and Gang Starr, with a dash of UK Techno.

“When I got on the Orange Mound Bus to go to school… I had to be playing Three 6, or nothing,” said IMAKEMADBEATS of his high school days. “If it ain’t that… You were weird.”

Finding that sound

Not long after high school, IMAKEMADBEATS moved to New York City to spread his musical wings. He landed a gig as an engineer at Quad Recording Studio in Manhattan, rubbing elbows with MCs like Talib Kweli, Common, Missy Elliott and Ludacris. In 2009, he recorded “The Transcontinental,” but before long, family ties pulled him back to Memphis.

Upon arriving home, Dukes holed up in his sound lab and honed his craft. Before long, he felt the tug to share his creations with the world, and Unapologetic was formed after he met kindred spirits in the Memphis hip-hop scene—artists like PreauXX, another core component of what Unapologetic is all about.

A triumphant return

“Better Left Unsaid” was IMAKEMADBEATS’ first EP on his new label, featuring his intricately layered and unmistakable instrumental hip-hop styles. Beyond IMAKEMADBEATS, Unapologetic has a whole stable of artists taking over the Memphis hip-hop scene. Cameron Bethany dropped his  “YOUMAKEMENERVOUS” EP in early 2017”. Cameron’s groundbreaking EP encompasses many styles and influences, a sound all its own that he has dubbed as Mod Fusion.

With those releases now in the rearview mirror, it’s clear Unapologetic has nothing to be sorry for as it continues its genre-bending journey.

Follow IMAKEMADBEATS on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Soundcloud for updates.

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The rebirth of Memphis would not be possible without artists who represent strong socioeconomic messages. Indeed, visual artists in Memphis are at the forefront in terms of raising social awareness of how our culture and economy affect diverse groups of people.

One such artist is Lester Julian Merriweather. Born in Memphis in 1978, Merriweather creates unique and visually appealing collages from the imagery used in advertising material.

His intention? To illuminate how advertisements portray racial prominence and inferiority, and to effect change regarding how people of color are represented in the media.

Early life and artistic inspirations

After receiving his Bachelor of Arts from Jackson State University, Merriweather pursued a Master of Fine Arts from the Memphis College of Art. He further refined his abilities at Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, as well as while serving as curatorial director of the Martha and Robert Fogelman Galleries at the University of Memphis. His works have been exhibited across the U.S., from New York to Houston—and, of course, they’re a common fixture in these parts.

To understand Merriweather’s artistic works, you must first acknowledge his motivation to illustrate how capitalism has shaped the way communities across the nation interact with each other through the lens of economic status, race, and wealth.

Although collage—the practice of combining or recombining pieces taken from one or more sources—is a common artistic application, few visual artists have been able to use it as effectively as Merriweather. Indeed, it is difficult to ignore his uncanny ability to select and use images of economically powerful jewelry, watches and other ornaments intertwined with pictures of celebrities and other well-known personalities. Here, Merriweather highlights the themes of wealth, race and how they relate to pop culture.

Recent works

In addition to curating the new Fogelman Galleries at the University of Memphis in 2013, Merriweather has held various solo exhibitions at the TOPS space along South Main in recent years.

Photo credit: Crosstown Arts

Standout pieces from his rich portfolio of work include “angry black man mythos,” an emotionally charged paper collage that combines paper, acrylic and canvas to illuminate how society perceives the black male, and his vanilla extract series of paper-cut collages that explore how people of color fit into the complex equation of capitalism.

Through his insightful collages, Lester Julian Merriweather continues to play an important role in drawing attention to the inequities often experienced by people of color while simultaneously contributing to the growth of the Memphis art scene.

Want to see more of the artist? Check out this video!

https://vimeo.com/102777420

New to Memphis? Check this out!

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Today’s artists have a different challenge—living up to Memphis’ storied past while blazing a trail all their own. This can be a difficult tightrope to walk, but Memphis-based Marcella & Her Lovers appear to be navigating it with ease.

A must-hear band in Memphis

Marcella & Her Lovers wasted no time making an impression in the crowded Memphis music scene. The band’s frontwoman, singer and primary songwriter Marcella René Simien, got her start playing house shows and dive bars back in 2009. Performing original songs as well as a diverse assortment of covers ranging from Nina Simone to the Velvet Underground, she quickly won over new fans with her powerhouse vocals and magnetic stage presence.

With the addition of Rory Mills Sullivan on drums, David Cousar on guitar and Dirk Kitterlin on bass, Marcella & Her Lovers was born in 2013. The band somehow manages to fuse seemingly every genre Memphis is known for—blues, soul, folk, funk, rock ‘n’ roll—to create a sound that the Memphis Music Hall of Fame describes as “subtle yet devastating.”

For a perfect example of what makes this band special, check out Marcella & Her Lovers’ Audubon Session, filmed by the Mike Curb Institute for Music inside Elvis Presley’s onetime Memphis home on Audubon Drive. Marcella delivers the traditional blues of “Baldheaded Woman” with the a cappella intensity of a field holler before sliding easily into the accordion-fueled slow burn of the original song “The Flame” and the loose-jointed R&B of Billy Bland’s “My Heart’s On Fire.” It’s really something to behold.

A new generation of Memphis soul

If Marcella René Simien sounds like she was born to play and sing, it’s because, in a way, she was. The daughter of two-time Grammy-winning Zydeco great Terrance Simien, Marcella grew up immersed in music and performance. From her upbringing in a musical household in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, to her time at the Memphis College of Art, it’s not hard to see the threads that come together in her music today.

It’s all there—the grit and grace of Memphis soul, the propulsive rhythms of New Orleans funk, the soft-spoken accordion melodies of Marcella’s Creole ancestors and a keen pop sensibility.

Marcella & Her Lovers released the debut EP “The Bronze Age” in 2014, and was named the best live band in Memphis by the “Memphis Flyer” right around the same time. The EP is an engaging slice of powerful modern soul music that finds Marcella’s unmistakable voice—fierce one moment and heart-rending the next—cutting like a knife through a gale of drums, guitars and horns. But by all indications, the best is yet to come, as the band has been hard at work on a full-length follow-up and has a full slate of live shows on the horizon.

Marcella & Her Lovers will be on tour across the country throughout the coming year. Check the band’s tour page for details, and keep an eye out at local Memphis mainstays like the Zebra Lounge and Lafayette’s Music Room.

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Despite all those accolades, however, Anderson considers her most important role that of being a mother to her children and a mentor to 5,000 Tennessee youngsters who are learning to let nothing stop them from being the best versions of themselves.

“I want to use my gifts to teach and inspire the next generation of artists,” said the Midtown native. “For over a decade, I’ve taught at more than 30 Shelby County Schools while traveling the world performing. I love my city. Memphis is me and I am Memphis!”

Anderson loves art, dance… and, of course, Jookin!

Jookin for soul with Memphis’ urban ballet

joo·kin
/’jo?ok?n/  noun  a street dance that originated in Memphis, Tennessee.
synonyms: Gangsta Walking, G-Walk, Buckin, Tickin, Choppin

From its prime location on the Mississippi River—which is arguably the most passionate and spiritual body of water in the U.S.—Memphis gave rise to what would become the official dance of the local underground music scene in the 1980s. Jookin is a one-two step with a rhythmic bounce combined with sliding, gliding, and tippy-toe spins and stalls.

Given that you can see Jookin in an array of TV commercials, music videos and live performances, all signs point to Jookin dance classes becoming the next urban artistry trend—and it all started in Memphis!

Memphis isn’t just the best place for soul, it’s the best place to live soul. We live it, work it, breathe it… and when we have to leave it, we take it with us wherever we travel. With that said, there’s nowhere quite like home, so if you’ll be in these parts this fall, head on over to experience Jookin and much more at the one-of-a-kind Memphis Music & Heritage Festival in September.

LaShonté Anderson: Representing the best of Memphis

It’s not “just” her music and art that make Anderson an ambassador of Memphis. It’s her work ethic and compassion for others that represent the people, the culture and the spirit of our city. To put it simply, she is who we are, and her Memphis fans are excited to see what comes next!

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Early life

Davis was born and raised in Memphis, and his love for photography developed (no pun intended) long before the age of digital cameras and Instagram. From an early age, Davis enjoyed taking photos of events, dogs, people and more. His interest persisted into adulthood, to the point that he would use his lunch break from his job as a production assistant to walk around with his Casio camera, taking pictures of interesting things.

Photography and more

The beauty and vibrancy of Memphis served as a muse for Davis, fueling his growth as a photographer and eventually prompting him to turn his passion into a profession.

Today, Memphis arts, education, music and travel are all part of Davis’ photography portfolio, which is both extensive and impressive. His photos blend black-and-white backdrops with colored pieces that highlight various locations around Memphis, serving as a showcase of the best that the city has to offer.

Although he is most widely known for his breathtaking works capturing the beauty that this city, its people and even its pets have to offer, Davis is more than just a photographer—he is also a blogger and entrepreneur. On his blog, he discusses topics that speak to his love for photography, scenery and travel, and also offers a free tutorial to help Memphians take into account lighting, framing and angles when taking pictures themselves.

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Since releasing their first recordings in 2009, the members of Ghost Town Blues Band have been blazing their own trail in the blues world, racking up awards, hitting the Billboard charts and garnering a devoted following thanks to their raucous live shows and unmistakable Southern influences. Through it all, they’ve called Memphis home.

A Memphis original

Like a lot of great artists, Ghost Town Blues Band’s reputation was solidified by explosive live shows that blend a dizzying array of influences into a unique, high-energy sound that draws from the past but belongs firmly in the present. Fans of Ghost Town Blues Band know exactly what they’re getting when they go to see the band live—and that’s a little bit of everything.

Wailing harmonicas, scorched-earth cigar-box guitar jams, soulful organs and funk-infused bass and drums… Ghost Town Blues Band has something to offer anyone with an appreciation for Southern music. Simply put, the band melds the North Mississippi Hill Country blues of R.L. Burnside with New Orleans-style brass and Allman Brothers-like improvisational blues-rock jams.

Ghost Town Blues Band combines all these influences and more into a sound that is distinctly its own and distinctly Memphis. Multi-instrumentalist and frontman Matt Isbell puts it best, telling Blues.Gr, “We definitely have a Memphis sound because we are from Memphis. It’s a very eclectic mix of cigar-box slide guitar, energized Hip-Hop Trombonist, Allman Bros. influenced twin guitar solos, rock ‘n’ roll drums [and] a horn section with pounding keys.” Although the band has toured nationally and become a festival favorite, it remains a mainstay of local Memphis venues like Newby’s and Blues City Cafe.

Additionally, Ghost Town Blues Band has acted as ambassadors of our great city by sharing our music from the Blues Tent at the Beale Street Music Festival to the main stage of the Montréal Jazz Festival in Montréal, QC Canada.

Big things on the horizon

Ghost Town Blues Band has been hitting the road hard for years now, and it’s clear that all the hard work is paying off. The band snagged a 2015 Blues Blast Music Award nomination for “Best Blues Band” and won the 2016 Independent Blues Award for “Best Contemporary Blues Song.”

Ghost Town Blues Band’s 2018 album, a take-no-prisoners live recording called “Backstage Pass,” hit No. 4 on the Billboard Blues Album Chart and was praised by American Blues Scene for its versatility and ingenuity. The publication wrote, “Anyone who’s ever walked into a random bar and wound up hearing an extraordinary band will love the energy of ‘Backstage Pass.’” And if you live in Memphis, there’s a good chance you could walk into such a bar on any given night.

Ghost Town Blues Band’s music is available to stream and download through Bandcamp or iTunes, and fans of live music can expect to see a lot of Isbell and the gang this year. But although they’ll be on tour across the country, you can always count on Ghost Town Blues Band to come back to Memphis sooner or later.

Know of a Memphis-based band or musician whose story deserves to be told? Click here!

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In addition to being a Memphis-raised professional, Simpson is also a mother and an active member of the Memphis community, and she brings each of these pieces to her role as a lifestyle blogger.

Early life

Long before Simpson became the creative director of The Honeybee’s Lifestyle, she was driven by the idea of building and executing her strategy behind the scenes, drawing inspiration from the motto, “When you build in silence, they don’t know what to attack.”

Although Simpson was born in Chicago, she was raised in Memphis and elected to stay in Tennessee for college, eventually earning a degree from Bethel University. By the time she got around to building The Honeybee’s Lifestyle, she had amassed a wealth of personal and professional experience in and around Memphis.

Professional highlights

Belinda earned her BA from then Memphis State University & her MBA from Bethel University. Over the course of her career, Simpson has worked at both for-profit and nonprofit ventures. By spending more than 20 years in the for-profit world—including stints at Accredo Health Group and Nike—she developed a solid understanding of how to assist businesses in maximizing their resources to achieve growth. Eventually, Simpson’s love for her community and commitment to the city she has long called home led her to switch gears and enter the nonprofit sector by becoming a director of community outreach. It was at this time that The Honeybee’s Lifestyle truly began to take off.

What is The Honeybee’s Lifestyle?

Simpson’s blog is composed of a wide range of posts, from pieces with a lifestyle focus to book reviews. As Belinda would put it, her blog focuses on living your best life no matter how many candles are on the birthday cake. In her lifestyle pieces, Simpson offers valuable advice on everything from developing a successful support system to pursuing professional growth opportunities, reaching people from all walks of life. Meanwhile, her writings on books and other media are enjoyed by readers in Memphis and beyond, whether she’s interviewing authors or sharing a list of her favorite podcasts. In a nutshell, Memphis is lucky to have Belinda Simpson on its side.

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Roll that all together and you’ve got a pretty good picture of Farris, the brains and beauty behind fashion and lifestyle blog According to Q. On the blog, Farris dishes on all three of her passions—sometimes more than one at a time. Whether at work, out on the town or relaxing at home with her family, Farris lives by Coco Chanel’s famous advice, “A girl must be two things: classy and fabulous.”

Indeed, it was class and fabulousness that led Farris to start According to Q in March 2014. She needed a creative outlet, and although she was initially concerned she didn’t have anything new to say to an already saturated blogosphere, she quickly found her niche talking about living a fashionable life in Memphis.

A creative outlet designed to inspire

For Farris, According to Q represents a little corner of the universe where she documents her day-to-day life, from days working at Family Physicians Group to evenings enjoying the Memphis nightlife.

Farris has pretty simple reasons for sharing her life online. Even though she is a working mother of two, she still finds time to enjoy the finer things in life, and she wants to inspire women in Memphis and further afield to do the same. Wherever she goes, she takes her fashion sense and her camera with her.

Best of all worlds

With just one look through the photos on According to Q, the beauty part of the beauty-and-brains equation is clear to see. As for the brains, Farris holds a BS in biology and nursing, as well as a master’s degree in nursing.

Caption: Courtesy of www.accordingtoq.com

Farris treats every day like a chance to walk down her own personal runway, and she refuses to put her fashion sense on hold no matter where she goes. In addition to providing on-the-job and off-the-clock fashion advice, Farris frequently touches upon motherhood—and with both a teenager and a newborn at home, she brings an authoritative voice on staying glamorous yet practical.

Whether Farris is sharing a book recommendation, chronicling a night on the town or reflecting on maternity leave, there’s a lot more to According to Q than advice on pairing yellow blazers and maxi skirts—although that’s important, too.

For more Memphis related stories, check this out!

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https://www.lifestyleinfocusblog.com/

Over the last decade, Memphis has made a name for itself as a haven for artists of all kinds. This is especially true for those who color outside the lines—including mother/daughter duo Jennie and Elizabeth, who took something they were both passionate about and found a way to share it beyond their family in the form of the lifestyle blog LifeStyleInFocus.

What is a lifestyle blog?

Blogs are typically associated with niche interests, but lifestyle blogs break the mold. Through lifestyle blogging, content creators who find it hard to confine their posts to just one topic can combine their varied interests and share these with their fans. For Jennie and Elizabeth, a passion for fashion collides with photography, travel and, of course, Memphis at large.

Distilling interests into action

Jennie’s no stranger to the fashion scene in Memphis, having started local fashion hot spot Kittie Kyle with her sisters right out of college. It wasn’t long before daughter Elizabeth was running around the shop, finding inspiration wherever she looked.

Despite Jennie’s business, it wasn’t just fashion being spoken about at the family dinner table. Thanks to her architect father, Elizabeth gained a keen eye for design and visual creation, and after a post-graduation dalliance with vocal performance, she decided photography was her true calling. Ultimately, she and Jennie found a way to distill all the things they felt strongly about into one passion project, and LifeStyleInFocus was born.

The website bears the fingerprints of both Memphis creatives all over it. Elizabeth’s eye for visual design results in some stunning shots that feature fashion handpicked by Jennie and the Bluff City as a canvas. With LifeStyleInFocus, you’ve got a truly Made by Memphis product on your hands.

Creating art

But don’t get it twisted: LifestyleInFocus is more than just shots of lovely clothes. As a lifestyle blog, it incorporates whatever the mother/daughter duo is into at the moment, although fashion is always on the periphery. Jennie and Elizabeth love to highlight Memphis, whether by breaking down their top five Valentine’s Day date spots or recommending beautiful staycation opportunities that allow you to escape reality while remaining close to Memphis.

Unsurprisingly, Jennie and Elizabeth’s shared passion for fashion and photography is ideal for the emerging medium of Instagram Stories. Using Memphis as a backdrop, the duo creates visually stunning photographs that prove a picture is worth a thousand words, while also including links for fans eager to buy what they see in the images.

With LifeStyleInFocus, Jennie and Elizabeth have conjured up a truly inspirational marriage of fashion, photography and healthy living ideas.

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Liz Brasher is a one-of-a-kind Southern music artist—one you can’t box into any single category. Indeed, her music is an intricate blend between church flavor, homely tunes and bar moods infused with guitar, singing and soul.

From a young age, Brasher was exposed to many music influences, beginning at her all-Spanish Baptist church near Charlotte. Ultimately, Brasher has been able to tie together her experiences and talent to become a premier recording artist in Memphis and beyond.

Early life

Born in Matthews, North Carolina, Brasher comes from a family of singers and performed at her local Baptist church from a young age. As a member of a first-generation family from the Dominican Republic, Brasher grew up speaking mostly Spanish, and this—along with her church background—would come to influence how she writes her music.

Letting the music flow

Brasher’s musical evolution was continuous throughout her early life and into high school and college, when she started to draw inspiration from blues artists such as Geeshie Wiley, Son House and Elvie Thomas.

After college, Brasher moved to Atlanta and began performing professionally in a trio composed of herself, Todd Kerstetter and Lee Corum. Upon moving to Memphis in 2017, she started work on her debut solo album with renowned Memphis producer Scott Bamer. As she describes it, she was seeking to create a recording “that was truly me, that didn’t mask anything.”

Brasher was drawn to Memphis by her love of vintage American music, along with the fact that the city is a hotbed for big-name record labels. Indeed, Memphis is where she unleashed her songwriting skills and eventually released her album, Painted Image.

Popular releases

The fusion of Brasher’s roots in American, Dominican and Italian traditions with her church background and experience as a professional musician is demonstrated in her single “Cold Baby.” Its breathtaking symphonies, guitar strings and piano keys underscore her intended message of feeling unappreciated in a relationship. “Painted Image” (the single) picks up from where “Cold Baby” left off, adding a more intricate symphony orchestra component into the mix.

The future

Liz Brasher’s future as a recording artist is bright, fueled by her diverse background and a deep appreciation for American music. Being immersed in the culture and soul of Memphis brings out the best in her songwriting and performance skills as she continues to redefine Southern music and make it truly her own.

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The artistic flair of Memphis extends beyond paintings, abstract art and sculpture. Indeed, Memphis is also a hot spot for fashion startups, one of which has Memphis artist Brittney Boyd Bullock at the helm. As the founder of the Memphis-based brand Don’t Blink, Boyd Bullock is a pioneer Memphis maker.

Boyd Bullock uses basic design principles to make functional leather goods for customers seeking something light, convenient and stylish. The items are instantly recognizable thanks to Boyd Bullock’s use of the color black, which she regards as powerful and symbolic.

About Brittney

It should come as no surprise that this visual artist, textile designer and leathersmith has been passionate about creating and designing from an early age. Inspired by various elements of art and pop, she enjoyed fusing the two styles together, which formed the foundation of her later work.

Photo Credit: www.dontblinkbb.com

Although Boyd Bullock intended to pursue nursing in college, she ultimately found that she couldn’t suppress her love for creating and switched to a degree in fine arts from the University of Memphis.

Don’t Blink

Don’t Blink was born of Boyd Bullock’s creative response to the fact that she couldn’t seem to find certain stylistic elements in a wearable form. She started by crafting bracelets and other jewelry before expanding to bags, pillows and towels.

Don’t Blink is becoming known as a business that produces top-quality, handmade, durable products, with all materials personally picked by Boyd Bullock and her team. Boyd Bullock takes obvious pride in her creations, and her personality is reflected by the organic process by which she works—an approach that can be seen in the fact that her items all vary in size, grain pattern, and overall texture.

What’s more, 90 percent of the materials used by Don’t Blink are sourced locally, meaning these products are truly made by Memphis. As a result, other Memphis businesses grow along with Don’t Blink—and because the company includes sales tax in the product cost, Memphians and others buying Boyd Bullock’s products can enjoy competitive pricing.

Social engagement

In addition to contributing to the growth of Memphis from an entrepreneurial perspective, Boyd Bullock is also committed to the local community. In 2015, she kick-started a community engagement project aimed at empowering young artists in Memphis. The project formed the foundation of Tribe, a more comprehensive platform for fostering young artists’ talent that is partially funded by a portion of the sales from Don’t Blink.

Between her creative works and her socially conscious initiatives, it’s safe to say Brittany Boyd Bullock is at the forefront of propelling modern-day Memphis toward greatness.

For more things Memphis, check this out

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I love photography. I love to run. I love to eat local at places like the Slider Inn, Super Submarine Sandwich Shop, Ching’s Hot Wings, Las Delicias and Loflin Yard. I love visiting areas like The Highland Strip, Cooper-Young, Overton Square, Downtown, the Broad Avenue Arts District, the South Main Arts District and, of course, Beale Street. I love all the amazing coffee shops in this city, particularly Avenue Coffee, Belltower Artisans, Otherlands Coffee Bar, City & State, Tamp & Tap and Java Cabana. I love this town’s brewing companies, including Wiseacre, Ghost River, Memphis Made, High Cotton and Crosstown. I love getting some fresh air at Shelby Farms Park, Overton Park, Tobey Park, Altown Skatepark and Tom Lee Park. I love that Memphis is the most philanthropic city in the U.S. I love just being here.

Memphis reminds me every day to bring my soul—and without Memphis, I don’t know if I would have ever found my soul in the first place.

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Photo Credit: Memphis Flyer

One such artist is Lester Julian Merriweather. Born in Memphis in 1978, Merriweather creates unique and visually appealing collages from the imagery used in advertising material.

His intention? To illuminate how advertisements portray racial prominence and inferiority, and to effect change regarding how people of color are represented in the media.

Early life and artistic inspirations

After receiving his Bachelor of Arts from Jackson State University, Merriweather pursued a Master of Fine Arts from the Memphis College of Art. He further refined his abilities at Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, as well as while serving as curatorial director of the Martha and Robert Fogelman Galleries at the University of Memphis. His works have been exhibited across the U.S., from New York to Houston—and, of course, they’re a common fixture in these parts.

To understand Merriweather’s artistic works, you must first acknowledge his motivation to illustrate how capitalism has shaped the way communities across the nation interact with each other through the lens of economic status, race, and wealth.

Although collage—the practice of combining or recombining pieces taken from one or more sources—is a common artistic application, few visual artists have been able to use it as effectively as Merriweather. Indeed, it is difficult to ignore his uncanny ability to select and use images of economically powerful jewelry, watches and other ornaments intertwined with pictures of celebrities and other well-known personalities. Here, Merriweather highlights the themes of wealth, race and how they relate to pop culture.

Recent works

In addition to curating the new Fogelman Galleries at the University of Memphis in 2013, Merriweather has held various solo exhibitions at the TOPS space along South Main in recent years.

Photo credit: Crosstown Arts

Standout pieces from his rich portfolio of work include “angry black man mythos,” an emotionally charged paper collage that combines paper, acrylic and canvas to illuminate how society perceives the black male, and his vanilla extract series of paper-cut collages that explore how people of color fit into the complex equation of capitalism.

Through his insightful collages, Lester Julian Merriweather continues to play an important role in drawing attention to the inequities often experienced by people of color while simultaneously contributing to the growth of the Memphis art scene.

Want to see more of the artist? Check out this video!

https://vimeo.com/102777420

New to Memphis? Check this out!

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Broadway’s enjoyment of the creative process is apparent the instant you look at one of his works. Vivid, lively and expressive—even when portraying darker subject matter—Broadway’s paintings leap off the canvas with life and color. The people, places and moments he captures are rooted in the landscape of the American South in general, and particularly the city of Memphis.

A unique Memphis artist

Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, Broadway grew up commuting back and forth to Memphis, the city he now calls home. Broadway graduated from high school in North Little Rock and credits his high school art teacher, Miss Poole, with encouraging him to develop his artistic talents. With high school in the rearview mirror, he moved to the Bluff City and earned a degree in fine arts from University of Memphis.

Although Danny’s art has been displayed all over the country, his earliest exhibitions were held at a gallery on Memphis’ famous Beale Street, where his vivid paintings brought together the street’s rich history and musical heritage. After graduating from U of M, Danny taught high school art classes while working to establish himself as an artist, and continues to share his love of art with local high school students even now that his career has taken off.

Via @DBroadwayStudio on Twitter

Finding inspiration

Broadway’s art draws upon the past as well as the present. Whether he’s depicting urban scenes or rural landscapes, people are consistently the centerpiece of his work—and one gets the impression that he knows his subjects well, using vivid colors and subtle brush strokes to reflect their inner lives.

When it comes to capturing the essence of his creations, he says it best himself: “I’m inspired by historical themes, family stories, current issues, people, music, sounds, moods, books I read—pretty much everything.”

Original art and limited-edition prints are available through Broadway’s website, and his works are frequently on display in Memphis and the surrounding areas—notably at Broadway Studios, his own studio, gallery and event space at 5179 Wheelis Avenue in Memphis. Be the first to know about the latest from this unique Memphis artist by keeping up with Danny Broadway on Facebook.

Photo Credit: Connecting Memphis

Looking for more stories related to Memphis? Check this out!

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The Covington native has always been passionate about music, looking up to female artists like Janet Jackson and Whitney Houston. Like many people in Memphis, Tonya grew up singing in the church, and it didn’t take long for adults to take note of her talent. Choir leaders encouraged her to sing in front of the congregation and teachers made her mixtapes of legends like Ella Fitzgerald. Music was a family affair, too: her aunts and uncles coached and encouraged her, backing her up with the soft sounds of a ukulele.

Despite her obvious talent and passion, when it came time to choose a major at the University of Memphis, she opted for something more secure: pre-med. It didn’t take long for her to realize she was an ill fit for medical practice (she’s squeamish and uncomfortable with blood) and began to switch things up. She transferred to LeMoyne-Owen College to study business management and marketing, where she sharpened her entrepreneurial skills and re-engaged with her love of music.

It was in 2007 that Tonya started her blog, promoting and creating events to celebrate, connect, and share that unique and soulful sound of Memphis. Originally a part of her senior capstone project, her blog, Neosoulville, represented exactly what it sounds like: the new school soul sound of Memphis.

“Soul music didn’t die with Stax and Hi Records,” she says. “There are so many artists creating original R&B and soul music here in Memphis that weren’t being focused on, so Neosoulville was a way for me to showcase that culture.”

Now a pillar in the Memphis arts scene, Tonya has continued creating events and connecting artists of different genres in the same way Stax and Hi Records used to, this time through the Memphis Slim House Collaboratory.

“The legacy of Memphis music has always been bringing different people and sounds together, and soul is no different,” she says. “Soul needs room to breathe, so we set up the Slim House Collaboratory to be a home that would bring country, rock, soul, and other artists together and give musicians the opportunity to work and collaborate.”

Originally the brainchild of Community Lift, LOC CDC, and the Memphis Music Magnet plan creators, the Slim House Collaboratory also works to engage the Soulsville neighborhood, offering access and exposure to the arts, events, and resources.

“It’s all about cultivating a family of artists that can work together and bringing back the spirit of collaboration that Memphis music was built on.”

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After four years of hard work and trying to jumpstart her career in PR, Dalisia put everything on hold to become a mother to her son, Braylon. Though thrilled to be a new mother, this time was filled with challenges and hardship that threatened to permanently halt her dreams. Dalisia had doors closed on her and experienced homelessness, all while navigating being a new mom – but that didn’t stop her from patiently persisting after her career aspirations.

It was in 2014 that things started to look up for Dalisia. She took a job as an Account Manager and worked her way up the corporate ladder to a position that often closed multi-million dollar accounts for big name companies including Target and Williams-Sonoma. In less than a year, she managed to completely turn her life around, eventually closing a 2.3-million-dollar deal with Nintendo and earning the accolades of holding one of the largest accounts in the company’s history. Two years later and now in a more stable position, Dalisia was ready to try and make her dreams a reality again – this time determined to succeed.

She left her corporate job in 2016 and started building up her name by freelancing for The New Tri-State Defender, an African-American newspaper column serving the Memphis community and surrounding areas. It was through this platform that Dalisia fell in love with Memphis again and was able to express her deep appreciation for the city’s culture in her own words.

“I love Memphis simply because it’s a diamond in the rough,” she says. “It’s a melting pot with an enriched heritage full of great people, music, and love.”

Working under the leadership of the late Publisher Bernal E. Smith and Associate Editor Dr. Karanja Ajanaku, Dalisia began refining her goals and became a prominent Memphis journalist. She then went on to build out her brand and business, Dollface PR, which strategically partners with CEOs, executives, and budding entrepreneurs to help grow their personal and professional identities – just as Dalisia had done for herself. Since then, her company has worked with high-end clients such as 2017 Memphis Fashion Week headliner, Sheila Jay, and the legendary Barkays guitarist, James Alexander. Dalisia’s story earned her national attention in Bauce Magazine, where she was noted as one of Memphis’ rising entrepreneurs for 2017.

Today, Dalisia is CEO and Marketing strategist for Dollface Public Relations and Image Brand Consulting firm, where she works to elevate brands and people around Memphis every day.

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I like to think that Memphis chose me. A few weeks after completing my associate’s degree in my hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, I decided to add the University of Memphis to my list of transfer-institutions that could complement my background in design. As fate would have it, Memphis was the first University from my list to say, “we accept.”

I had no idea at the time, but in just two years, I would graduate as a Tiger with more honors than I had ever seen in my entire academic career. I would meet my lifelong core friend group in a neighborhood on South Main. I would turn my design hobby into real work through local internships—internships that would pave the way for an art directing job in NYC immediately after graduating. Looking back, Memphis changed my life.

Around the same time that I decided that my time in The Big Apple was coming to an end, Memphis called. Well actually, my internship supervisor in Memphis called to let me know that my former gig as an intern had morphed into a full-time role as the Brand Liaison for Epicenter—Hub of the greater Memphis entrepreneurship movement. The way I see it, Memphis chose me yet again.

To be honest, I don’t know what it is about this city. Maybe it’s the southern hospitality and the hustle mentality. Maybe it’s the rich and soulful culture that bleeds into the city’s food, art, and music scenes. Maybe it’s my own personal belief that Memphis is slowly aligning itself for the rest of the world to see just how truly great it is.

Whatever it is, I’m just happy I’m here for the ride.

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The sibling duo co-founded SweetBio, a biotech company that makes membranes incorporated with Manuka honey for use in dental surgery to help regrow your gums. SweetBio was born out of the need for a better product, and the journey to bring it to life led Isaac from Virginia Commonwealth University, where he earned his doctor of philosophy in 2013, to the University of Memphis, where he helped set up a Tissue Engineering lab during his Postdoctoral Fellowship (2013-2015). Isaac’s Professor and Lab were approached by an oral surgeon who wanted an improvement on a very specific product for tooth removal and implant surgeries, and he continued to work on it and refine it until he had what they needed: a resorbable membrane unlike the plastics or metals that currently existed, and the first product for use after tooth loss or before implantation that used Medical Grade Manuka honey to protect bone growth and facilitate gum regeneration.

After sharing what he was working on with his sister, Kayla, the two knew they had an opportunity to collaborate and further develop the industry-changing product. Isaac, the scientist behind the product, and Kayla, an adept businesswoman working in San Francisco at the time, teamed up to put the product through an incubator program and build out their business model. Their product, an obvious feat, was accepted into two incubator programs, and the siblings had to choose between a Silicon Valley accelerator or a Memphis biotech accelerator. With Kayla already based in the San Francisco area and the widely-known appeal of Silicon Valley, the choice would seem like a no-brainer to many. But to Isaac and Kayla, the need for a city with a supportive medical community and plenty of opportunities to network made Memphis the ideal place to grow their business.

“As an entrepreneur, it is rare you are surrounded by most of the resources you need,” says Kayla. “Memphis is that rare gem and combines the forces of an experienced medical device industry, startup hustle connected by an entrepreneurial hub, and of course, Southern Hospitality. Layer on the cost of living and we were sold.”

Since Kayla’s relocation to Memphis and the continued success of SweetBio, they’ve attracted investors and raised $2 million to date. They were also the only team from Memphis chosen to participate in the state-wide Launch Tennessee The TENN Master Accelerator program. Alongside their own success, Isaac and Kayla remain involved in the Memphis Community and are active in Memphis’ own biomedical start-up scene:

“I’ve never lived in a city that puts so much effort into listening to the voice of young professionals,” says Isaac of Memphis’ young professionals’ scene. “We are involved with mentoring local start-ups and sitting on multiple boards including city and county mayors and local non-profits because Memphis has this culture of grit, grind, and giving, which is successfully contagious and fuels us every day.”

In 2018, the siblings will be submitting their FDA application to move their honey incorporated membrane to market. They’ve also begun exploring product opportunities outside of dentistry, including veterinary school partnerships so animals can benefit from the membrane as well as submission for a grant to apply different versions of their product to wound care. Visit their website to learn more about SweetBio.

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By day, students know Dr. Richardson as the Benjamin Rawlins professor of European Renaissance Art History at the University of Memphis. But to many people around Memphis, he’s better known as the co-founder of Crosstown Arts and Co-Leader of Crosstown Concourse: a 90-year old Sears Roebuck distribution center that sat dormant since 1993 and was reopened in August of 2017. Since 2010, he has co-led the effort to transform the historic, 1.5 million-square-foot Sears Crosstown building into a vertical urban village anchored in arts, education, and healthcare. And throughout the process, he has become a beacon of community, the arts, and history all at once.

Now known as Crosstown Concourse, the $210 million project is 96% leased and already has had a direct and indirect economic impact of $330 million. For the better part of seven years, Dr. Richardson became a champion of the massive undertaking that was resurrecting Crosstown, inspiring business leaders, community members, and most importantly, the surrounding neighborhood to embrace and rally behind the unfamiliar vision of a vertical urban village.

Today, Crosstown Concourse is a thriving community of artists, retailers, and organizations with overlapping missions and goals, all working in unison to create one of the most vibrant pockets in the city of Memphis. Guided by Dr. Richardson, the project has garnered local, national, and even international attention, being shortlisted as one of 15 finalists and the only United States finalist recognized as one of the most exciting adaptive reuse of space projects in the world by Architectural Review. Concourse also recently earned the distinction of being the largest LEED Platinum Certified historic Adaptive Reuse in the world, which celebrates its environmentally sustainable design.

A former Fulbright Scholar and Samuel H. Kress Fellow, Todd has lectured and published internationally on topics ranging from art and architecture to religion and politics. He currently serves on the board of directors for Crosstown High and remains an active example of the spirit of convergence, originality, and imagination in Memphis.

To learn more about how an artist, an academic, and a businessman came together to bring the project to life, watch his TEDx talk, “The Dilemma of Discovery“.

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The Atlanta native moved to Memphis after losing her job as a mentor recruiter for at-risk youth. Despite having an impressive resume and both a bachelor’s and master’s degree, she couldn’t find a job, and after a year of searching, she stepped out on a leap of faith and moved her life to Memphis. It was here that she joined the Memphis Urban League of Young Professionals and began putting her advocacy skills to work by helping small, minority-owned businesses gain social media exposure.

It was through this interaction with black-owned restaurants that she identified a common problem holding back minority-owned businesses: many of these business owners know how to cook and run their restaurant well, but few of them had the support or resources that marketing to all of Memphis demands. Inspired by the problems she had seen and using the connections she had made with professionals, leaders, and entrepreneurs around Memphis, Cynthia came up with a game-changing idea.

“My hope was to create awareness around black-owned restaurants the same way Italian Festival, Jewish Festival, and Latino Festival are celebrated and recognized in Memphis.”

The goal was simple: highlight black-owned restaurants in the community to drive profits and patronage, and boost publicity so Memphians are aware these businesses exist. Black Restaurant Week wasn’t intended to be profitable – it was simply a way of helping the business owners she’d been working with improve their marketing.  But the initiative ended up being so successful that around 3,000 restaurant-goers spent nearly $85,000 in sales during the week, meaning participating businesses at a minimum quadrupled their business. The lasting effect on the participating restaurants was also significant:

“After Memphis Black Restaurant Week, restaurant owners continued to gain new customers because they had discovered hidden jewels that they fell in love with,” Daniels says. “It also gained them a more diverse following and additional media attention. A few restaurants were able to reinvest profits into their businesses, purchasing catering vans, additional seating to accommodate new patrons, and even radio advertising.”

Through this process, Cynthia became a community figure, familiarizing herself even further with neighborhoods, non-profits, and people around Memphis. She used this momentum to launch her business, Cynthia Daniels & Co., which serves as one of the hottest event planning and consulting businesses in and outside of Memphis. Today, she remains connected to the community by working with institutions like the National Civil Rights Museum to create events that increase traffic and awareness. In September 2017, Cynthia Daniels & Co. launched a 5-week outdoor MLK Soul Series to engage the community and brought in thousands of first-time visitors. Cynthia continues to advocate on behalf of and represent Memphian business owners and is a recognizable leader in our community.

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