According to the American Foundation For Suicide Prevention, over 40,000 Americans commit suicide each year. An American dies by suicide every 12.95 minutes. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States and the 2nd leading cause of death for ages 10-24. Suicide is the 5th leading cause of death for ages 45-59. 19 year-old Louisville rapper – Stefon Fletcher (Fonn the General) – was confronted with the harsh reality of suicide when his pregnant girlfriend took her life in 2014. He and his girlfriend were a young couple that were seemingly eager about expecting the birth of their first child when tragedy struck.

“LAST JANUARY SHE WAS PREGNANT WITH MY DAUGHTER AND SHE SAID THAT SHE GOT OVERWHELMED AND ULTIMATELY TOOK HER LIFE… SHE WAS 18… SHE CALLED ME WHILE SHE WAS DOING IT… SHE HUNG HERSELF… SHE CALLED ME AND THEN DROPPED HER PHONE… SHE WAS ON LIFE SUPPORT FOR SEVEN DAYS… SHE HAD THE BABY BUT THE BABY LIVED FOR A MONTH AND THEN DIED.” – FONN THE GENERAL

The entire ordeal was extremely difficult for both families to overcome – so being a musician – Fonn’s outlet for pain came in the form of music. The then 18 year-old, immediately went into the recording studio with his brother – Travon- and penned a song entitled – Ridah – in dedication to his lost love and child. The sincerity and raw emotion of the song was a key factor in helping both families heal faster. In honor of Fonn’s lost girlfriend – the brothers sponsor an annual event each September called ‘Jass World’ to raise money for “Suicide Awareness” organizations. They believe that depression among young people – which can possibly lead to suicide – is an overlooked issue in popular culture today. The first event was held in September of 2014, at Vissing Park  in Jeffersonville, IN – which is his girlfriend’s hometown.

“I STARTED THIS CAMPAIGN, IT’S CALLED ‘JASS WORLD’… ONCE A YEAR WE DO A FUNDRAISER AND WE DONATE ALL THE FUNDS TO SUICIDE AWARENESS GROUPS… WE’LL GET TOGETHER ONCE A YEAR AND HOLD A BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT AND ALL THE MONEY WE MAKE OFF THE TOURNAMENT, WE DONATE IT TO SUICIDE AWARENESS GROUPS.” – FONN THE GENERAL

Fonn the General and his 23 year-old brother Travon Fletcher are members of the rap group T.T.U. (Too Turnt Up) as well as co-owners of a record label of the same name. The brothers have rapped individually since 2009, but officially became a group in 2012. Travon’s older cousins were local rappers and he grew up watching them write and record songs. Influenced by the craft – as a teen – he began writing lyrics in his personal notepads but only as a hobby. At the time he was unaware of his natural ability to write meaningful music but that all changed once his cousins discovered his notepad.

“I HAD A BOOK FULL OF NOTHING BUT RAPS I WOULD WRITE… THEY FOUND MY BOOK ONE DAY WHILE I WAS AT SCHOOL AND WHEN I CAME HOME THEY ASKED ME TO GET IN THE STUDIO WITH THEM.” – TRAVON

Over the past few years their music careers have been rapidly escalating. The brothers have collaborated with each other on group projects as well as producing solo efforts. The duo have performed shows in Nashville Tn, Chicago, Elkhart & South Bend In, Radcliff, Ky as well as their hometown of Louisville. Recently the group remixed a song by Rowdy Rebel ft Bobby Shmurda called Computers. The original version with Bobby Shmurda became a YouTube sensation and spawned remixes by Fetty Wap, Safaree, Montana of 300, The Migos and many other nationally recognized rappers. In the spirit of competition T.T.U. recorded their version of the song which quickly rose to over 11,000 YouTube views in the first few weeks and was included on HipWiki’s list of the best remixes of that song.

THE COMPUTERS REMIX… “IT’S ORIGINALLY BOBBY SHMURDA’S SONG AND I JUST KEPT SEEING PEOPLE REMAKING IT AND I FELT LIKE I COULD DO THAT AND BODY THAT BEAT… MY HOMEBOY, YATES, ASKED ME IF HE COULD HOP ON THE TRACK, SO WE COLLABED AND WE DROPPED THE VIDEO… IT’S CURRENTLY AT 11,000 VIEWS AND THE NUMBERS GO UP EVERY DAY.” – FONN THE GENERAL

T.T.U. released their first mixtape in June 2014. Fonn the General followed up with the release of Fonn vs. Everybody in May 2015. Future projects include I am Travon – coming in November 2015 – and Fonn vs. Everybody 2 which currently doesn’t have an official release date. T.T.U. can be reached for bookings and CD purchasing by contacting Too Turnt Up Entertainment at 502-994-6478, or by email at ttuent365@gmail.com. Follow Fonn the General and Travon Fletcher on Facebook as well as @TooTurntUpEnt365 on Instagram and @TurnUp365 on Twitter. Below is T.T.U.’s video of Ridah – Dedicated to the memory of Fonn’s lost girlfriend.    

Trials and tribulations are two words that Darnell Ferguson knows all too well. The 28 year-old has struggled with incarceration, homelessness and a lack of self-control throughout his short span as an adult. His life was spiraling out of control quickly and just when things seemed to be at their worst – he made a last-ditch effort and walked into a local church – changing his life forever. Ferguson was born in Philadelphia but his family relocated to Columbus, OH when he was young. He was raised by his mom and step-dad and credits them for providing him with a very good life. Despite having great parents – Ferguson struggled throughout high school and was on the verge of failing out. During his junior year he decided to transfer to a vocational high school in the Columbus area that offered courses in Culinary Arts.

“I was failing out of high school, then I ended up switching high schools to a vocational school. So I went to vocational school for culinary arts and thought that if I don’t like it, at least I’ll be able to eat good… That was also at the time when Emeril [TV celebrity chef] was huge and I liked what he was doing, so that was one thing that really caught my eye… I liked the uniforms, the professionalism, I liked everything that wasn’t like what I was used to.” – Darnell Ferguson

Ferguson had finally found his niche. He graduated from vocational school and was recruited by Sullivan University in Louisville KY in 2005. He arrived on campus eager to pursue his dream of becoming a world-class chef but was quickly disappointed after discovering that he was only eligible for partial academic funding. Due to his lack of income – he could only afford to enroll in a few evening courses – which was frustrating – and he considered dropping out. Deciding to ‘tough it out’ – Ferguson eventually transferred to courses during the day and excelled in Sullivan’s Culinary Arts program. His diligence led to him being chosen to be a part of the 2008 Olympic Team in Beijing China. Ferguson was ecstatic by the selection and honored upon discovering that out of the thousands that applied – 22 amateur chefs were selected – and only two of those were African-American. Ferguson was prospering in college but like most students – he experienced financial hardship. Having not yet found himself – he made the poor decision to start selling drugs to support himself throughout school. Luckily he graduated from Sullivan University with an Associate degree in Culinary Arts without drawing the attention of law enforcement. However – after graduation he continued selling drugs instead of pursing a career as a chef and his luck suddenly ran out. Ferguson was arrested eight times in a three-month period. Subsequently, he lost everything that he owned and his landlord evicted him – leaving him homeless.

“The last time getting locked up, I remembered being in class and them talking about being a statistic and how once you get in the system you can’t get out… I started thinking that now I’m the guy that I didn’t want to be… That’s when I told myself that I was going to get serious about something I know that I can do, which is cooking…” – Darnell Ferguson

Ferguson began working as a chef in different restaurants throughout Louisville. Eventually he was approached by the owner of a seafood restaurant who asked him to come and work for him as a short-order cook. Initially, he was hesitant based on the position being less prestigious than a chef but the owner offered him $3 more per hour than he was currently earning. Ferguson accepted the job and the experience turned out to be horrible. He decided that this would be the last time that he ever left anything he loved for money. Although he wasn’t involved in illegal activities anymore – there were still areas in his life that he needed help with. He had a bad temper which resulted in severe arguments with his co-workers at his new job. One day an argument became so volatile between him and his boss that the situation almost became physical. Ferguson was completely stressed out and knew that he needed to make a change.

“I had anger issues… The big issue was that I was controlled by it… You could say one little thing to me and I would snap because I didn’t have control over myself… So therefore we would get into it all the time… I became so tired that I asked someone if there was a church around here that I could go to… I went to Southeast Christian and ever since then everything changed for me. I started going to church, starting reading about God because for me, I didn’t know God was real… So that for me was a shock… I wish I would have known this a long time ago but I wouldn’t have listened then, even if you told me… That’s just the truth about it.” – Darnell Ferguson

Things didn’t immediately get better but Ferguson decided that he was going to put his trust in God and let him handle the rest. During his first service at Southeast Christian he heard a sermon about forgiveness and decided to apologize to his boss. He returned to work intending to apologize but was fired before he could get the apology out. He apologized anyway and then went out to his car and cried. Typically he would resolve this situation with violence but that wasn’t an option for him anymore. He went home and prayed and told God that he trusts him now.

He remained unemployed for the next year. He immersed himself heavily in church and focused on opening his own restaurant. After a year of planning he found two investors that were interested in forming a partnership with him. Everything was starting to work out. Plans were made and an opening date was set but at the last-minute one of the investors disappeared before Ferguson was able to secure his investment capital. Frustrated and embarrassed once again – he didn’t know what he was going to do. A few months later he bumped into an acquaintance that was a restaurant owner who heard about his bad luck. The owner’s restaurant only operated for lunch and dinner so he offered to let Ferguson lease the space during breakfast hours and independently run his own restaurant. This concept is known as a “Pop-Up” in the restaurant business. Throughout his cooking career and during the Beijing Olympics – Ferguson was often dubbed as a “Super-Chef” for his culinary greatness – so it was a no-brainer that the “Pop-Up” was named SuperChefs. Business took off fast and within a couple of months – several other restaurant owners approached Ferguson about opening a “Pop-Up” in their locations. Ironically, one of the restaurant owners was the boss that fired him a year ago. Being a man of God now – Ferguson accepted the offer and eventually increased his “Pop-Up” locations to three. Ferguson was finally living out his dream. He’d overcome being homeless and several other adversities to owning three successful restaurant “Pop-Ups”. Despite being successful – Ferguson began to realize that he lacked full control over his destiny by operating for limited hours in restaurants owned by anyone other than himself. In early 2015 – he initiated plans to convert the “Pop-Ups” into his own full-service restaurant. After securing an investor and partnering with a friend from college – Rodney White – a full-service SuperChefs restaurant opened on July 9, 2015. The restaurant features “high-end” food at affordable prices. Everything is art driven – for example – on the breakfast menu is a “Juggernaut” – which consists of 2 (Red) Waffle Sandwiches W/ Fried Chicken, Over Medium Eggs, and Pepperjack Cheese Topped W/ Honey Drizzle. The menu items are centered around comic book themes to provide a casual environment combined with luxury.

“Our food can sometimes seem ‘high end’ based our plating. I wanted to tie in a fun creative food theme and provide a place where people can come in for lunch and dinner without getting dressed up… Make it kid friendly without making it look like a toy store.” – Darnell Ferguson

Ferguson is enjoying success but never forgets where he comes from. He keeps God in everything that he does and gives motivational speeches to young people in his spare time. He often brings kids from the West End of Louisville into the restaurant and gives them a tour because he understands the importance of exposing others to success.

“That’s a huge thing because I get people that come in here all the time that always think I’m the server.” – Darnell Ferguson

SuperChefs is located in St. Mathews at 106 Fairfax Ave, Louisville, KY 40207. (502) 333-0620 Hours of operation are: (Mon- Thurs 9am-9pm) (Fri & Sat 7am- 10:30pm) (Sun 7am-4pm) Access the menu by clicking the link eatsuperchefs.com Darnell’s Words of Wisdom – “The journey is the success. Most people think the destination is the success. Don’t let today be taken for granted… Enjoy the journey… Everyone is so focused on the destination… You have to enjoy what’s happening because the growth is the best part.”            

They say that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree and 20 year-old Chelsea Ellis is a prime example of that. Ellis is the daughter of Sam and Sandra Ellis. Her father owns Jim Reynolds Asphalt company and has been an entrepreneur for over 30 years and her mother has been a professional hair-stylist since she was 18 years-old.

Ellis was born in the West End of Louisville but was primarily raised in the East End. She has aspired to be an entrepreneur since she was young. She was so motivated as a youth that she started a lawn care service while attending Eastern High School.

“I like cutting grass… It was funny because I advertised it on Craigslist… That was one of those businesses where I didn’t know what I wanted to do but I knew I wanted to own a business… I made business cards off of Vista Print and I put my name on Craigslist to get some customers… I also cut grass for my mom as well as my father… I just knew that I wanted to make money. It didn’t last too long but it was the beginning of me knowing that I wanted to own my own business.” – Chelsea Ellis

High school graduation was quickly approaching and Ellis was undecided about what she wanted to do with her life. She contemplated going to college but wasn’t particularly interested in any specific field. All she knew was that she didn’t want to work in any profession that she didn’t enjoy. After graduation she decided to get a job and embark on a path of trying to figure out what really made her happy.

Ellis began working at a UPS store but quickly became bored with her job duties. She spent most of her shift sitting idle and felt as though the position wasn’t challenging enough. During dinner one evening she expressed to her father that she was unhappy with her current employment status.To her surprise – he offered her the vice-president position at his asphalt company. She was reluctant at first due to her lack of experience but ultimately decided to take advantage of the opportunity.

Her father began mentoring her and forced her to step up to the plate. He treated her like any other employee and didn’t accept any excuses. Ellis didn’t waste this opportunity. She quickly learned the business and being that she had entrepreneurial dreams herself – she used the experience as training for her future business endeavors.

A short time later Ellis began developing her own brand. She started giving motivational speeches and mentoring the youth at local high schools as well as volunteering at Louisville area Boys & Girls Clubs. In addition she produces motivational videos and provides online marketing services – teaching others how to create their own businesses.

“After joining that [asphalt] business I knew that I had to do more… I had to teach others how to own businesses… I knew that I couldn’t keep that secret to myself because so many young people want to do it, they just don’t know it’s possible.” –  Chelsea Ellis

Ellis’s motivational speeches inspired her to write a book. After speaking with several young people she realized that many aren’t reaching their full potential due to lack of proper instruction and positive role-models. She feels that a book is the best way to spread her message to a mass amount of people all across the globe simultaneously.

Her book is entitled “Fail to Success” and the Kindle version was released on Amazon in September 2015. The Kindle version was an Amazon #1 Best seller in three different categories on its release day.

“The topic of my book came from me wondering how two people who come from the same neighborhood can take different paths… One winds up successful and the other person is not successful… What is it that stopped that one person or made that other person go harder? I realized that some people let failure stop them from reaching their goals… After realizing that, I knew it was something that I had to share with people. If they know that failure isn’t the final destination, but it’s just the journey, there would be so many more people reaching success because they won’t stop… They’ll keep going, knowing that’s just a part of the journey.” – Chelsea Ellis

The release date for the hard copy version of the book was September 27, 2015, and Ellis held an elegant book signing event at Louis’s “The Ton” to commemorate the occasion. “Fail To Success” is available on Amazon for $14.99 (hard copy) and the Kindle version is $5.99Watch Full Movie Online Streaming Online and Download

Ellis is working on organizing a book tour involving local and national universities as well as concentrating on growing her motivational brand. Her goal is to create 100 financially independent individuals before the age of 30 and she says, “I won’t stop until I do it!”

Her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is:

“Self knowledge… Learn something new everyday and find a good mentor… Keep learning and implement. After you learn, implement and do something with it.” – Chelsea Ellis –

Author, Marketer, Speaker, and Entrepreneur.

As Louisville attempts to make its presence felt on the national hip-hop radar – one local label seems to be thriving on its own oil soil. Shark Livin’ Ent is a Louisville based hip-hop label – owned and operated by rappers “Tha Homie Jai” and E- Tha Turflord. Shark Livin’ Ent officially became a label in May 2012. Jai and “E” are both Pisces so the name is based off that connection. Searching for something more aggressive that fit their personalities – they decided on the name Shark Livin’ and created a definition for the term.

“SHARK LIVIN’ IS BASED OFF THE ASTROLOGY SIGN PISCES WHICH IS A CARP, SO INSTEAD OF BEING CARPS WE DECIDED TO CALL OURSELVES SHARKS… I WANTED TO MAKE IT STAND FOR SOMETHING AND PUT AN ACTUAL DEFINITION BEHIND IT SO THEREFORE THOSE WHO REP IT ARE NOT REPPIN’ A SIGN…YOU’RE REPPIN’ SOMETHING THAT HAS A DEFINITION TO IT… OUR SLOGAN IS: BITE DOWN OR GET BIT WHICH ESSENTIALLY MEANS, “WIN OR LOSE”. – THA HOMIE JAI

Initially – E tha Turflord was the only artist on the label – while Tha Homie Jai handled the business aspects of the company. As music released and the label began to have an impact in the streets as well as online – other artists grew interested in joining the roster. In February 2014, Tha Homie Jai officially became an artist on the label as well. In a short span of time the label has managed to amass an impressive catalog. Shark Livin’ is now home to nine (9) artists in Kentucky and Minnesota and is currently engaged in negotiations with two other artists that are considering joining the camp. In an era where rappers record music in their living rooms and upload the content to the internet directly – most have no interest in signing with a label. It speaks volumes that Shark Livin’ has no shortage of artists interested in joining their team. That suggests that their movement carries a lot of weight in the streets.

“It’s okay to follow, you just have to make sure that you’re following the right person. We are all followers. I looked up to people… I idolized people coming up…To this day, I take notes on certain people that I respect. It’s okay.” – Tha Homie Jai

Branding uniqueness is often something that stands out when promoting a product and Shark Livin’ has mastered that technique. The artists on the label have a distinct sound that is much different from the Pop style rap music that is popular with the today’s youth. SharkLivin’s sound is very reminiscent of the Bay area hip-hop music of the 90s that they were raised on. Refusing to compromise their style by making the type of music that attracts major record label executives – Jai & “E” focus on remaining independent and producing the type of music that they love. Remaining true to themselves has allowed them to build a loyal and solid fanbase that spans throughout the Midwest. Their music is currently supported by fans in Louisville Ky, Akron and Youngstown OH, certain parts of Columbus and Canton OH, Kansas City, and Minnesota. The label contributes a great amount of its success to producing quality music and heavy promotion. Since 2012, “E” has consistently dropped full-length projects that many consider local classics. With “E” initially being the only artist signed to the label – Jai spent a great deal of time promoting their product and organizing performance dates. Since Jai has now become a rapper himself – one would think that his promotion would decrease – but instead it has actually increased. In a little over a year – Jai has managed to learn how to write songs, “ride a beat” and count musical bars.  – This is in addition to performing his executive duties at the label. This persistent work ethic is what has catapulted Shark Livin’ Ent to the ranks of Louisville’s elite hip-hop labels.

“It’s not that I’m the hottest dude skill-wise, I became the hottest dude activity-wise… Because I believe that in order to stay relevant, you have to stay busy.” – Tha Homie Jai

On September 26, 2015 – Shark Livin’ Ent promoted the “Positivity over Poison” show at Club Pinky’s in Louisville. The concept originated from a hashtag that Jai would often post on social media sites. The term essentially means “Positive Over Negative”. Most of the artists signed to SharkLivin’ Ent create explicit street music. However – one of their artists named Beanz Nation raps about positivity. Realizing that positive rappers rarely have an outlet to perform in the city – Shark Livin’ Ent decided to provide a platform for six positive rappers to display their talents on stage. Each artists was given ten minutes of performance time and the label also provided a professional photo shoot for the performers. Shark Livin Ent plans to grow by sticking to their already proven formula of producing quality music and constant promotion. Tha Homie Jai offers these words of advice to anyone interested in entering the entertainment business:

“Stay open minded. Don’t be naive and don’t be hesitant to ask questions. Utilize social media… Twitter, Instagram, Facebook… It’s free promotion. It’s a way to reach the world at the palm of your hand while still maintaining your day to day activities…. Treat yourself like the product… Push yourself… Utilize the social media but do more of the media, less of the social… Promote… Promote… Promote… Don’t ever go a day without promoting… Support yourself because if you don’t support yourself they are not going to support you.” – Tha Homie Jai

There are several Shark Livin’ Ent projects available for purchase as well as upcoming projects on the way soon. Tha Homie Jai & E- Tha Turflord also are involved in a collaboration deal with Shoboat of Mactown Ent. For more information follow Tha Homie Jai & E-Tha Turflord on Facebook and @thahomiejai & @ethaturflord1 on Instagram. Click the link to access the Let It Go video.                  

Charlie Chaplin once said, “A day without laughter is a day wasted.” With that being said, Big Mike’s Comedy Blast intends to make each 2nd Sunday of the month in Louisville, Ky as funny and productive as possible. Michael Martin (Big Mike) is a native of Indianapolis but has lived in Louisville for the past 5 years due to his employment at Ford Motor Company. His cousin, Isaac Daniel, operates MobileNetwork1, which is an entertainment company based out of Indianapolis. Daniel has experienced an overwhelming amount of success with the comedy shows he promotes in Indianapolis, so a little over a year ago he decided to expand the brand to surrounding cities.

Being that Martin is currently living in Louisville, Daniel reached out to him about possibly promoting comedy shows in Kentucky. After researching the market and selecting a target demographic, the cousins decided to form a partnership that would provide the city of Louisville with a permanent Urban comedy scene.

“Ike [Isaac Daniel] approached me about doing comedy shows down here to bring the comedy scene back up to where it used to be… And so with the Improv closing, I saw an opportunity because there wasn’t a venue in town that was doing Urban comedy on a regular basis.” – Big Mike

Big Mike Entertainment in association with MobileNetwork1 held its first show entitled Big Mike’s Comedy Blast at the Laughing Derby in Louisville on July 14, 2014. Since that date, the duo have consistently brought nationally recognized comedians to the Laughing Derby on the 2nd Sunday of each month.

Over the past year, comedians such as: Guy Tory, Alex Ortiz, Ms. Pat (“Last Comic Standing” and the Bob & Tom Show), Maurice G (writer for Nephew Tommy of the Steve Harvey Morning Show), Marcus Comb (comedian on Tom Joyner’s “Fantastic Voyage” cruise) and many others have all headlined a show at Big Mike’s Comedy Blast. Tickets to each show typically range from $15-$20 each.

“Normally the headliner of my show has show credits. They’ve either been on Comedy Central, Comic View, Saturday Night Live or some comedy production like Nick Cannon’s Wild ~N~ Out and the list goes on… So we’ll have at least one of those on each show.” – Big Mike

Martin’s shows typically consist of one host, three comedians and a guest DJ. The usual lineup begins with a guest spot, a feature comedian and a headliner. To show support for local talent, he often enlists up-and-coming Louisville based comedians that have established a name for themselves, to fill the host and guest spots.

“I like to reach out to everybody and I like to support local comedians… I’ve had Justin Tabb, I’ve got Austin Rich coming up, I’ve had Stress, I’ve had Tara Crush, and Meech Dog, who is also hosting this upcoming show.” –Big Mike

(Comedian Justin Tabb performing at “Big Mike’s Comedy Blast”) Big Mike’s Comedy Blast is currently holding its fifteenth show at the Laughing Derby (formerly the Comedy Caravan) on Sunday, October 11, 2015. The show is headlined by Sean Larkin (Comic View, Who’s Got Jokes). Guests comedians are Austin Rich (Louisville), and Troy Davis. Louisville’s own Meech Dog is hosting the show and music is provided by DJ KnockOut. Doors open at 7pm and the show starts at 8pm. The Laughing Derby is located at the Mid City Mall, 1250 Bardstown Rd, Louisville KY 40204. (502) 459-0022. Tickets are $15 each or two for $20. For more info or to purchase tickets call (317) 250-6487 or visit www.laughingderby.com Big Mike’s Comedy Blast is held every 2nd Sunday of each month at the Laughing Derby and is currently seeking short and long-term sponsors for upcoming events. Sponsorship packages can be customized to fit the needs of advertisers. For sponsorship packages call (317) 250-6487 or leave a message on the Big Mike’s Comedy Blast Facebook page. Big Mike Entertainment is also available for corporate events, retirement parties as well as private events. (Prior Big Mike’s Comedy Blast shows listed below)            

  “Game Changer” are two words that best describe Chea Kymberli Woolfolk. The Louisville, Ky native is currently the owner of Kymberli Shoe Designs LLC, a licensed cosmetologist and also specializes in sales and marketing for small businesses. Woolfolk has practically been an entrepreneur since the age of fifteen. It all started when she asked her mother to purchase her a ticket to a hip-hop concert. Since Woolfolk was a creative child and had been making her own costume jewelry, her mother urged her to start a jewelry business to raise money for the ticket.

“I told my mother that I wanted to go to the MC Hammer concert and she wouldn’t buy me a ticket. Instead my mother goes and buys me the supplies to make jewelry with… She put me in the car and drove me all around Louisville to all these boutiques… I had to go in there by myself, pitch my product and negotiate the price… It was my very first pitch into being an entrepreneur.” – Chea K. Woolfolk

She continued manufacturing jewelry throughout her teens and developed an excellent rapport with the owners of several boutiques throughout the city of Louisville. This experience provided Woolfolk with the marketing and negotiation skills that she would implement throughout her future business endeavors. Woolfolk is a product of Louisville’s Newburg community and attended Southern High School. In the mid 1990s, she earned a degree in marketing from Sullivan University and also earned a cosmetology license from a local beauty college. Constantly keeping her hand on the pulse of society’s wants and demands, Woolfolk later began manufacturing unique health and beauty products that she felt were absent from the market. This eventually led to an offer and buyout from the multinational consumer goods company, Proctor & Gamble.

“I owned Pure Divinity, a company that manufactured Bath and Body products such as: handmade soaps, lotions, bath gels, scrubs, bath bombs, salts and more. I received an offer for the name and a few other legal items from Proctor and Gamble which I accepted after negotiations. After the sale I re-branded my product line and company to ErrinRose Luxury Spa Products.” – Chea K. Woolfolk

Moving on from the Proctor & Gamble sale, Woolfolk decided to turn a longtime hobby of hers into a business. For years she has custom designed shoes for personal clients as a therapeutic form of release but in 2015, she decided to create Kymberli Shoe Designs LLC. The business specializes in customizing shoes and other garments for women, men and children. The customization process begins with a customer supplying a new or used pair of shoes in which they seek to be redesigned. On some occasions the customer may have a specific idea in mind for the customization and other times they may ask Woolfolk to use her own creativity.

“I’ve had women bring me shoes and want me to do a divorce redo… They brought their wedding shoes to me and said, ‘make this look like something new’… So I took the crystals that were on the wedding shoe and put them on the sole. The client asked why I did that and I told her that she is now stepping on her past.” – Chea K. Woolfolk

In addition to operating Kymberli Shoe Designs LLC, Woolfolk stays busy these days by using her marketing skills to increase the customer base of local businesses. For the last couple of years she has been involved with the beverage industry and is currently head of marketing for Paradise Island Tea LLC, which is locally owned by CEO Tamra Means. Woolfolk also has a marketing agreement with the Louisville based entertainment company, The SoulLounge Louisville KY, which is owned by Julius and Sondra Wilkerson. The SoulLounge specializes in providing R&B, Jazz, Poetry, and Spoken Word events for Louisville’s “Grown & Sexy” crowd. Marketing is more than just an occupation to Woolfolk, it also fuels her passion to create a better society. She will only attach herself to brands that exercise and promote positive goods and services.

“My goals in marketing is to work with brands that will not only positively impact our community but can create change for the better to our global community. I believe that how you get your success is how you will keep it or lose it, so my goal is to always try to work towards building productive business relationships and sowing seeds that help grow positive brands.” – Chea K. Woolfolk

Woolfolk currently sits on several community boards in Louisville Metro Council District 5, headed by Councilperson Cheri Bryant Hamilton. She currently has political aspirations and considers Hamilton to be one of her political mentors. They both share the passion of positively impacting their district as well as the entire city of Louisville. Woolfolk also has a goal to be on a political ballot within the next 5-7 years and serve in public office. Kymberli Shoe Designs LLC can be contacted at (502)219-2432 or by direct message on the Kymberli Shoe Designs LLC Facebook page. She can also be contacted at the same number for marketing, brand development and strategic business planning for small businesses. The motto of this Louisville entrepreneur is “The Game Changer” and she plans on incorporating that philosophy throughout every business venture that she becomes involved with. Her business plan is to always avoid mediocrity and in turn, find ways to positively promote and expand any brand that she’s attached to.

“I plan to ‘Change the Game’, not only in my community by making it a better place but I want my brand to mean something positive as well. When people hear my name, no matter what I’m doing, they’re going to know that there’s quality with it and there’s something in it to help someone.” – Chea K. Woolfolk

  Louisville Ky native, Ricka Claycomb, originally followed the same traditional path to success that many other Americans have historically taken. She graduated from Eastern High School in Louisville and immediately enrolled at the University of Kentucky (UK) in Lexington. Initially, Claycomb was an aspiring electrical engineer but her major quickly changed after she discovered her love of accounting.

“I actually went to UK as an electrical engineering major and had to take accounting as a prerequisite. I had an awesome accounting teacher… It was an African-American teacher which is still a mentor of mine today… As I took accounting, I loved it and switched my major my sophomore year to accounting.” – Ricka Claycomb

Prior to attending UK, Claycomb worked as a teenager at a McDonald’s restaurant in Louisville. Being the forward thinker that she is, once she switched her major to accounting, she became the bookkeeper for a McDonald’s restaurant in Lexington. Following earning an Associates degree in Business Management from UK and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration/Accounting from Midway College, Claycomb became employed for a Lexington based firm as a staff accountant. She later relocated back to Louisville after her husband experienced a job transfer and continued working as an accountant in corporate America. She thoroughly enjoyed her work and in 1998, also began preparing tax returns on the side for a small group of clients she acquired. After several years of being employed in corporate America, Claycomb assumed that all was good in the world but her life was shaken upside down a few years later when she was suddenly laid off. Not being one to sit around and twiddle her thumbs waiting on another job in corporate America to become available, Claycomb quickly put a plan into action to expand the tax preparation business that she had been operating on the side. In 2000, Claycomb Accounting & Tax Services officially became her first business venture.

“I was actually laid off from a corporate accounting job. I had been doing tax returns on the side anyway, probably since 1998. I had a small group of clients so once I was laid off I needed some type of income, so I decided to step out on faith and go that route… Claycomb Accounting Services was started in 2000, but it was made a LLC in 2009.” – Ricka Claycomb

Claycomb Accounting & Tax Services has experienced a significant amount of growth over the past 15 years. Claycomb attributes the company’s growth to her being thorough, efficient and honest with her clients. In return for her excellent service, clients have referred several of their colleagues and peers to her business for their accounting, tax and payroll needs.

“One thing that I can say about Claycomb Accounting is that I didn’t do much advertising. A majority of my business comes from referrals… I can say that one year I actually doubled in clients, just from referrals.” – Ricka Claycomb

In 2014, in an effort to expand her tax preparation services, Claycomb purchased a franchise from Liberty Tax Service and became the owner of her second business. She is hoping to open a second Liberty Tax Service location as well as expand Claycomb Accounting & Tax Services in the near future. She professes that although she enjoyed the years she spent working in corporate America, she never wants to go back. She prefers interacting with the public, rather than working from a cubicle in a secluded office. Of course there are pros and cons to being a small business owner but Claycomb insists that she wouldn’t trade being her own boss for anything in the world.

“I never want to go to corporate America again… Not necessarily because of the structure… It’s that I like interacting with people. I like the public accounting side. The downside of entrepreneurship is that there’s not that secured paycheck that you get by working 40 hours per week but I enjoy the flexibility… One of the other reasons I like accounting is because I knew that I wanted a large family… I have four children and I wanted to be active in their lives and the activities that they do… So accounting also allows me to do a lot of what I do from home.” – Ricka Claycomb

Claycomb is passionate about helping those in need and providing honest and dependable accounting services is her way of giving back to the community. She often goes above and beyond the normal scale of her job description to ensure that her clients are presented with the best possible options to choose from when it comes to their accounting needs.

“If I was in another life I would be a doctor or a nurse but I don’t think that I could deal with that type of profession so my way of being able to help people is through accounting.” – Ricka Claycomb

Being that small business owners account for a large percentage of her clients, Claycomb has seen her fair share of business owners that fail to adequately maintain regular bookkeeping practices that may benefit their business as opposed to possibly hurting it. She recommends that all business owners visit their accountants on a regular basis but if that is not an option, she offers the following advice.

“Make sure you have an envelope in the house, the office and the car… So that as you’re doing these runs and you have all these receipts, at least you can keep track of them and at the end of the year you can put all of this together… Unfortunately your accountant is not going to be very happy with you at the end of the year but at least you will have everything that you are supposed to have.” – Ricka Claycomb

Claycomb Accounting & Tax Services LLC is currently seeking clients in need of tax preparation, payroll, bookkeeping and notary services. Potential clients can reach Ricka Claycomb at 502-267-4555 or access the website www.claycombenterprises.com. The office is located at 10521 Watterson Trail, Suite #5 Louisville, Ky 40299. Also, “Like” the Claycomb Accounting & Tax Services Facebook page. Claycomb’s Liberty Tax Service office is located at 3831 Ruckriegal Parkway Suite #101 Louisville, Ky 40299. Phone: 502-267-4555 Liberty Tax Service is currently offering free tax preparation courses. Students will need to purchase coursework materials for $139. For more information access the Claycomb Enterprises website at  www.claycombenterprises.com. Additionally, Claycomb Accounting & Tax Services will be participating in the Jeffersontown Gaslight Festival Parade on September 17, 2015. A booth will be located in front of the office at 10521 Watterson Trail. Claycomb will be available to answer any questions regarding accounting and tax preparation as well as providing other useful information about the services her businesses offers.

It is no secret that impoverished urban communities across America have recently been plagued with crime and violence. A Louisville, Ky performing arts project called Roots & Wings is fighting back by introducing expressive arts into these communities as a form of healthy expression. Roots & Wings is a project that was established in October 2014, after the current members performed individually and collectively at Louisville’s Smoketown Poetry Opera. That event is an artistic portrayal of the social, cultural and racial experiences of residents from Louisville’s Smoketown neighborhood.

SMOKETOWN POETRY OPERA

What makes this project more interesting is that the Smoketown Poetry Opera is based on a film created by independent Louisville filmmaker Lavel White. In 2011, the Sheppard Square housing project, located within the Smoketown community, was torn down as part of the federal HOPE VI project which focuses on neighborhood revitalization. Before the residents were relocated, White (who is also a former resident) interviewed several longtime members of the Smoketown community. White later transformed those interviews into a film entitled More than Bricks and Mortar: The Sheppard Square Story. The Smoketown Poetry Opera was later developed as an artistic expression based on that film. The performers used spoken word, poetry, dance and music as a conduit to express the sentiments of the residents from the Smoketown neighborhood. The response from the community was overwhelming and organizers immediately began a conversation about expanding these performances to different communities throughout the city of Louisville. In October 2014, The Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, IDEAS 40203, Bridge Kids International, The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts and Metro Louisville Government Office of Safe & Healthy Neighborhoods collaborated to create Roots & Wings. The project is officially described as “a new theatre project integrating art and performance as catalysts for restoration of self and community in Louisville’s “Zones of Hope” neighborhoods.”  According to the LouisvilleKy.gov: Safe & Healthy Neighborhoods website, the “Zones of Hope” are organized, organic, grassroots efforts to reduce violence and provide hope. Louisville’s five “Zones of Hope” are the Newburg, Russell, Parkland, Shawnee and California Communities. Community leaders and neighbors in each zone come together each month to provide hope and reduce violence in their “zones” neighborhoods.

ROOTS & WINGS

There are ten performing artists of Roots & Wings and three members of its administrative support team. The performing artists are: (poets) Robin ‘G’, Lance G. Newman II, Brandon “B Shatter” Harrison, Hannah Drake, (Dj & scholar) Jerron “Dj Nerdboi Jones, (muscians) Vay Davis & Kiara Antionette Watts (of Nzuri Music), (artist/author/scholar/educator) Tytianna Wells Smith, (dancer) Antonio “Da’ Provic” Burroughs, and (ballerina) Cynthia Brown. The administrative support team members are: (executive director) Stacy Bailey-Ndiaye who is also the founder of Bridge Kids International and Theo Edmonds & Joshua Miller who are both co-founders of IDEAS. Roots & Wings recently received a $280,000 National Artplace America Grant to help further integrate arts and culture throughout communities within Louisville. Out of a pool of nearly 1,300, only 38 recipients nationwide were awarded grants from Artplace in 2015.  Roots & Wings plans to use these funds to link Appalachian, West African and urban arts in Louisville’s “Zones of Hope”.

“Roots & Wings will be mixing West African and Appalachian culture together. Part of that has sort of created a new narrative about what it is to be Black in Kentucky, especially here in Louisville but we’re really looking at the entire state of Kentucky.” – Stacy Bailey-Ndiaye

The group is already familiar with Appalachian culture in Kentucky. In May 2015, Roots & Wings performed at the West End Poetry Opera which was their first main stage production as a collective group. In preparation for the performance the group participated in a culture exchange program with performance artists from Harlan County (located in Ky’s Appalachian region). The group members quickly discovered that despite racial and cultural differences, many of the social issues that affect impoverished black communities mirror those of impoverished white communities. Currently Roots & Wings is a 18 month program in which its ten performance artists will split into two members teams and simultaneously work from community centers located within the five “Zones of Hope”. The goal is to work with the residents of these communities and infuse expressive arts as a means to reduce crime and violence while educating at the same time. The target demographic for the program is 15-25 years of age.

“We know that there is a lot of violence in those particular areas and we want to help to eliminate that violence and prevent it from happening so we want to work with young people who are between the ages of 15-25 and provide them an opportunity to talk about their experiences in the neighborhood and really reflect on some of the issues that happen in the neighborhood and how to prevent those issues from happening. So we’re talking about injustices, we’re talking about the police brutality that we see, the homicides, the gun violence that we see, the disrespect… Just the idea of the neighborhood being policed in a way.” – Tytianna Wells Smith

Roots & Wings will hold weekly meetings at community centers located within the five “Zones of Hope”. After six months the two members assigned to each community will assist residents in creating their own performance arts production which will be held in that neighborhood’s community center. Poet Robin G’ feels as though a healthy outlet for artist expression is essential for the young people in these communities. As a youth, expressive arts weren’t the norm in her neighborhood therefore; she was often reluctant to practice poetry in the presence of her peers for fear of being ridiculed.

“Writing poetry has always been my outlet… Writing poetry has always been my way to be the person that I saw myself as… I’ve been writing since I was 12. I grew up in the projects and nobody wrote poetry… Nobody read books. I used to sit in my closet and write… I was even afraid for my siblings to find out. That’s why this is so important because I want to be the reflective image to a child like me.” – Robin G’

At the end of the 18 month program Roots & Wings will sponsor a huge production at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts. The production will essentially reintroduce the neighborhood participants of the program to themselves. The Roots & Wings performers will express the experiences they learned while working with the neighborhood participants through performance art. The most interesting part will be that the community participants will be part of the audience. For more information about Roots & Wings, access the official website at www.rootsandwingsart.org  and “Like” the Roots & Wings Art Facebook page. Additionally, Roots & Wings will be performing at the African Heritage Festival on September 11, 2015, (7 pm -9 pm). The event will take place at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage located at 1701 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd. This is a FREE event that is open to the public. The African Heritage Festival is a celebration of unity, culture, art and history across the African Diaspora. It is a two-day event for the whole family with food, music, dance, sports, fashion, cultural demonstrations, children’s activities, resources for healthy living and much more. This event is a celebration of African, African-American, and Caribbean cultures. This is a FREE event that is open to the public. For more information, visit the African Heritage Festival website at http://www.bridge-kids.org/african-heritage-festival.html

Bottled water with a purpose is the business model that Misty Washington has structured her company around. Misty Ribbon of Awareness is a bottled water company based out of Louisville, Ky that produces “Misty Artesian Water.” The uniquely ribbon shaped bottles are designed to bring awareness to illnesses such as cancer, lupus, Aids/HIV amongst others. The bottles representing each individual illness are produced in different colors to specify the particular cause. A portion of all sales will be donated to financing treatment for each cause as well as provide funding for additional research. Washington, like many other Americans, was an aspiring entrepreneur in search of financial freedom but wanted her potential business to help others as well. After researching several business opportunities; Washington founded Misty Ribbon of Awareness  in 2014.

“I started thinking, what can I do to be able to donate to a cause and give back at the same time while starting a business of my own? So I started researching water and decided to design my bottle like a ribbon and that way I could support each awareness.” -Misty Washington

Being a perfectionist, Washington reached out to several bottle manufacturing companies for samples to ensure that her signature ribbon shaped bottle would be constructed of only the highest quality materials. Once that task was complete, she embarked on a quest to find a domestic supplier for her water. Since Ribbon of Awareness is representing disease awareness, Washington was in search of the purest water available. After months of research she decided that Artesian water was a perfect fit for her business model. An Artesian aquifer is technically a “confined natural underground reservoir containing water under positive pressure”. These aquifers are often found deep beneath the Earth’s surface and are considered by many experts to contain the finest and purest water. Water extracted from these aquifers is commonly referred to as “Artesian” water. Initially, Washington purchased 50,000 bottles and tops from the bottle manufacturing company and arranged to have them shipped directly to the water supplier. Once the product was complete she began marketing “Misty Artesian Water” to local supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants and liquor stores. In addition she opened an online store and began selling the water on her website (http://mistyartesianwater.com/) as well. Growth is the main objective for Washington at this particular moment. It is her position that the more water she sells, the more people she will be able to help.

“Hopefully the water becomes distributed worldwide and we’ll be able to support and raise awareness for different causes. The cost for treatment at certain institutions across the country is often too expensive for some people to afford so hopefully the donations from our water sales will help some people out financially.” – Misty Washington

Sales are doing well considering that the company is only a year old but Washington is striving for more. Within the next 12 months she hopes to have “Misty Artesian Water” on the shelves of every grocery store in the metro Louisville area. After that goal is accomplished she will focus on taking the product national. She also hopes to eventually find a celebrity or public figure to endorse her product, in exchange for a possible stake in the company, which will help take it to the next level. Recently, Washington has been in talks with executives from the Steve Harvey Show. They are interested in featuring her on an episode of the show as a guest. In addition to interviewing her and displaying her product, they would like Washington to help a cancer patient that is now in remission, reveal the wonderful news to their family. Washington would like any cancer patient that is in remission but is having difficulty discussing this matter with their family to contact her. An appearance on the Steve Harvey Show can possibly make the conversation easier as well as result in counseling provided for the entire family. The future looks bright for Misty Washington. She began on a journey a little over a year ago as a woman with a dream and now she has made that dream a reality. Future plans include introducing “Misty Artesian Water” in a ribbon shaped sports bottle. For information regarding supplying your establishment with ‘Misty Artesian Water” please contact Misty Washington at http://mistyartesianwater.com/, or on the Facebook page Misty Artesian Water. “Misty Artesian Water” is currently the house brand of water at Krush Restaurant Lounge & Billards in Louisville, Ky., located at 5011 Poplar Level Rd.