The month of May is a time for renewal and regrowth and to spring into the brand new of it all. Sister Spokesman is presenting the community with a panel of women who will help you do just that.
May’s Sister Spokesman is all about reinventing yourself. The panelist will include a holistic life coach, an image consultant and a licensed cosmetologist. These women have many years of combined experience, and are willing to share their knowledge with the Sister Spokesman community.
Dr. Sheronda Orridge has a Ph.D. in holistic life coaching. She is also a life coach trainer, writer, author, spoken word performer and community organizer. Orridge, a life coach since 2010, said she plans to talk about: “Self-esteem and how it is tied to everything that we do and how it manifests in every area of our life, as well.”
Orridge added, “It is important to love yourself first and foremost before loving other people. We, especially as Black women, feel like in order to show love to somebody, we have to suffer. That can be further from the truth.
“We are supposed to take care of ourselves, especially if we are the caregivers and the nurturers. We have to make sure we are okay before we can make sure someone else is okay. But for some reason, in our community, we do not go by that rule.”
Orridge said the most important thing is, “to know yourself and reach and do the work. We cannot have denial, we cannot be the victim, and you must be able to name what your barriers are and be willing to work through those barriers.” Orridge is owner of Loving Spirit Life Coaching Academy LLC.
Alice Flowers is the owner and operator of AF Image Group, a program that helps people define who they are through their image and wardrobe, and then help them develop a style that speaks for who they are. “I do wardrobe, personal shopping and one-on-one coaching,” said Flowers. “I really like to combine inner and outer beauty so that people have a harmony in their hearts and their heads [regarding] who they are and what they want others to see them as.”
Flowers has been a local model, a personal shopper for major department stores, and has taught at a local modeling school and now owns her own business.
At the upcoming Sister Spokesman event, “I want to help women [better] understand their image and style and what that means and how to incorporate that [into their life],” said Flowers. She wants women to learn to present themselves as they want other people to see them. She said it can start with something as simple as a hairstyle, a new hand bag, accessories, or new make-up.
Julie Gartrell, of Fierce Hair and Makeup Lounge, is a licensed cosmetologist that specializes in hair color, make-up and hair extensions. “I have a background in customer service and public relations. I have a salon in North Minneapolis and a mobile beauty salon that allows me to bring beauty to your door or place of business,” said Gartrell.
When it comes to reinventing yourself, she believes that although “beauty starts from the inside, there are topical cosmetic solutions that you can add to rebuild the spirit.” She plans to present to attendees ways to reinvent yourself affordably, hence her company tagline: “Beauty on a Budget.”
Gartrell wants women to know that “it does not take a lot of money to reinvent [yourself].” She works with clients on confidence and esteem building, and has been licensed for 21 years. She added, “I have always loved to do makeup. I do what I do because I love to help people make an informed decision and I love to be a part of the process. Not saying they are broken, but I like to help people reinvent themselves, with new hair, new make-up and a new attitude.”
If you are looking for simple solutions to improve your life and reinvent yourself, join Sister Spokesman’s “Reinventing Yourself” event Saturday, May 2 at Summit Academy OIC in North Minneapolis.
Brandi Phillips welcomes reader responses to bphillips@spokesman-recorder.com. Find more information about Sister Spokesman at https://www.facebook.com/SisterSpokesman.
