ATLANTA DIGITAL MAGAZINE
FEATURING: ANIA BARTELMUS
HL Magazine
Digital Magazine
PUBLISHED BY : ARLENE RODRIGUEZ
04 - MARCUS BOYD 08- CARLOS RODRIGUEZ 10- KRISTINE ROBINSON 12- ANIA BARTELMUS 16- GRADY BABY COMP. & APPAREL 18- BARBARA JOY 22- LAWRENCE CHEN
INTERVIEWS WITH REAL PEOPLE ABOUT REAL LIFE STRUGGLES. ATLANTA HUMANS SHARE THEIR STORIES.
ATLANTA
HUMAN LITERATURE
Marcus Boyd
Tell us about your childhood and the kind of environment you grew up in. I was born on January 31st 1983 with Autism and I didn't start speaking until I was 13 or years old. The level I was speaking was not at my age level and when I was 11 years old doctors told my grandma that I will never function on a normal level due to my brain functions. I was told I would need a care giver for the rest of my life I would never know how to cook, clean, put my clothes on or do anything by myself for the rest of my life. However, my grandma and foster parents didn't believe that, so my sisters and grandma took a lot of time, tears and years to make sure I knew how to read, say words and know the meaning of each word. I learned how to cook, clean and put my own clothes on while I was having emotional behaviors but my family and friends never gave up on me!
What advice would you give based on your past experiences? Create your own, don't wait for someone else to give you an opportunity make your own. Don't listen to negative speaking we all have a past and we all come from somewhere, if you put God first and have faith then all things are possible. If you want to be a music producer or composer make sure you copyright and trademark every beat and make sure you sign up for BMI or ASCAP. Sound check, make sure you have your BDS and your UPC, ISRC, IRSW codes for each beat and please please make sure you clear all samples and don't post any beat on social media without getting them cleared.
Autism Activist
Q&A
Websitehttps://www.facebook.com/AutismActivistMarcusBoyd/ Social Media Accounts@autismactivistmarcusboyd
What has been the number one struggle in your current position? Well to be honest for me is not showing enough people my story or the awareness of Autism. I believe the world should know more about Autism and the effects of it. What the signs are and how to deal with it and the language of it. I strive to let my voice be heard and let the world know more about my story. Tell us about yourself, passions, accomplishments, goals etc. I am a 2x Billboard award winner, 2x ASAP music award winner, 7x Grammy nominee. I am a platinum music producer and composer, also a 2x ATL Hottest award winner. I am a host/ interviewer for Power 347 Radio. I am also a professional DJ. I am a gospel Rapper.
What advice would you give based on your past experiences? Create your own, don't wait for someone else to give you an opportunity make your own. Don't listen to negative speaking we all have a past and we all come from somewhere, if you put God first and have faith then all things are possible. If you want to be a music producer or composer make sure you copyright and trademark every beat and make sure you sign up for BMI or ASCAP. Sound check, make sure you have your BDS and your UPC, ISRC, IRSW codes for each beat and please please make sure you clear all samples and don't post any beat on social media without getting them cleared. Is there anything else you would like to add, future projects or other personal events? Look out for more events and speaking OPPORTUNITIES coming from me and if anybody want to get a hold of me. Then please contact Mrs. White at LTM Management at 214 400 8855 and God bless.
What advice would you give based on your past experiences? My advice would be, do not fear or hesitate to do something you have a passion for, and if you're already doing it, do not stop. All the time and effort you have invested in it will go to complete waste.
Tell us about your childhood and the kind of environment you grew up in. I grew up in a low-class home. I never really had much growing up just whatever my parents were able to get me. I was never in a really big struggle because my parents always tried their best to keep me out of it. Just the place I grew up in wasn't a terrible place it just depended on what area you would be in. What has been the number one struggle in your current position? My main struggle is just trying to make a living for myself. I am currently trying to turn music into a career but, it takes time. There's no such thing as overnight success so I know I need to work hard on what I want my career to be.
Tell us about yourself, passions, accomplishments, goals etc. I'm a 19-year-old artist. My main passion is making music. I sit in front of my little work station all day and just make music. I love it, my dad also loved making music and his uncles did too. Music is just in my blood. I aspire to just become a well-known artist and make music that people would enjoy and find helpful. I can relate to what I'm saying because music helped me. It really made me who I am now. I adopted what's known as the hip-hop culture and it turns into a lifestyle.
CARLOS RODRIGUEZ
Music Producer , Writer
Tell us about your childhood and the kind of environment you grew up in. My childhood was AMAZING! I never really wanted for anything, my parents weren't together, but I am very close with BOTH of my bonus parents. My mom got married when I was 3, and my dad when I was 5. All of my parents are so important to me, and have all taught me so many different things. My family is the epitome of a blended family. My step dad has 3 kids from previous marriages, who are all older than me... I am my mother's only biological child... then my dad & step mom had my brother & sister who are both younger than me. Growing up, I can remember us always taking trips, and having super nice things. My parents made everything look so easy. I literally strive to be this type of parent. I never want my child to know struggle. Especially not at a young age.
Tell us about yourself, passions, accomplishments, goals etc. I like to say that my greatest accomplishment to date is my beautiful daughter, Ava. Ava just recently turned 2. Anyone who knew me prior to Ava, knew a different me. Someone who was lost and didn't have much purpose. Now, I have seen myself grow as a woman. I feel like God gave me a second chance with Ava. My daily goal is to just be an overall better person. I am extremely passionate about giving. I love to give back to people. My heart is so big, sometimes I stress myself about things that I cannot control. A lot of the time, I wish that I could save the world.
What has been the number one struggle in your current position? Number one struggle in my current position is really just awareness. I put Momtourage together because I felt like there was NOT a market for moms. All these conferences and brunches are being put together, but none focus solely on the mother. While I am a woman, sometimes I just need to speak to a MOM. Someone who gets it. Momtourage gives mothers the safe space to do that. I find it difficult to bring awareness to my brand, because there are so many brands with more money, more resources, etc. But I never let that bother me. It's a struggle, but it never bothers me. I know that my time is coming, and when your heart and intentions are pure, you'll always win.
Kristine Robinson
What advice would you give based on your past experiences? Never give up! Learn yourself, and stand firm in who you are. Is there anything else you would like to add, future projects or other personal events? I would like to invite all moms out to Momtourage Official's next event, the 2nd Annual Momtourage Tea Party. Please follow @momtourageofficial for updates and tickets
Tell us about yourself, passions, accomplishments, goals etc. I´ve always known I wanted to be an artist but it wasn't always clear to me in what discipline until I saw flamenco for the first time. The dance is the perfect combination of challenge, expression, and release. Flamenco is magical. I love that moment when I am on stage and I get so engulfed with music that I feel it with every part of my body. In that moment I achieve the strongest connection with the audience and they feel my emotions the most. This deep feeling and that personal connection doesn't always happen but is the greatest reward. That's when I feel accomplished and one with the audience. My goals for the future are to continue to travel to Spain to further develop as a dancer and keep sharing the art of flamenco with the people who may not be aware of this art form.
Ania Bartelmus
What advice would you give based on your past experiences? Don't be afraid to take risks. The only way to change something in your life is to get out of your comfort zone. At first, take smaller risks and smaller changes to get yourself more and more comfortable and eventually you will be ready to go for something you have always dreamed of.
Tell us about your childhood and the kind of environment you grew up in. I was born and raised in Poland and my childhood was amazing. I remember the endless summers spent playing outside and discovering new corners in my neighborhood with my friends. Inside the house, I spent hours coming up with musical plays, teaching my cousins their roles and acting and dancing in front of our family. My mom was always very supportive and encouraged me to find myself and my passion as she believed it was very important. She took me to any classes that were available including theater, dance, gymnastics, painting, horse riding, and piano. She was also the one who took me to a flamenco concert and exposed me to this previously unknown art. What has been the number one struggle in your current position? The number one struggle is managing every aspect of my business by myself. All I want to do is dance, create, learn, discover, share and inspire. Instead, I spend most of my time marketing, managing, networking and following up with clients.
Is there anything else you would like to add, future projects or other personal events? I have several projects that I am excited about. The biggest one is the organization of the flamenco show to benefit the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. I'm eager to be part of it because we will perform for an amazing cause and secondly because we showcase our first theatrical performance called "A Dos Guitarras". I will dance accompanied by two flamenco guitarists, and in the show, we explore the idea to present an authentic flamenco show with only two guitars and without other elements of flamenco such as song or percussion. The show will take place on June 9th at the Clarkston Community Center. Another project I am excited about is to be included in the team of artists sharing their skills with the community thanks to The Home Depot Foundation. As of April 25th, I will teach free community flamenco lessons at The Home Depot Backyard at Mercedes Benz Stadium. I'm happy to reach more people with flamenco, especially those who wouldn't be able to experience it otherwise.
Grady Baby Company and Apparel
Tell us about your childhood and the kind of environment you grew up in. I am a native of Atlanta and grew up in 4 Season and the Thomasville Heights community. Being a Grady Baby, I am Atlanta to my core. It's a part of my DNA. What has been the number one struggle in your current position? The genesis of this company was born out of an opportunity to teach my children about entrepreneurship. There ages are 22, 9, and 8. The challenge is being able to help them bring their ideas to life and monetizing them. Keeping them engage is not a problem, but helping them understand they run a business is a constant focus.
Tell us about yourself, passions, accomplishments, goals etc. The goal for Grady Baby is to be a multi-generational company. We are committed to making an impact in Atlanta and the surrounding cities. We want to show that entrepreneurship is not about an age, it's about taking advantage of an opportunity when its presented and allowing children to lead. It's all about empowering our youth. Children are the messages we send to the future. What advice would you give based on your past experiences? Remember your "why". Remember why you started because when the difficult season comes, it prevents you from quitting. Also, do not try to be a long ranger, even he needed Tonto. Collaboration is important.
Barbara Joy
What has been the number one struggle in your current position? Work life balance! Physician burn-out and suicide is increasing. I care deeply for my patients. A small amount of time which is most critical is the face to face interaction with my patients. But after they leave, I have extensive documentation, lab review, imaging review, specialist report reviews and studying to keep up with evidence-based medicine. But in order to be the best for my patients, I have to take care of myself. I work hard to eat well, exercise 2-3x week, take strategic vacations to relax with loved ones. Both are very important. With time I’m learning to keep my tank filled so that my patients get the best me.
Tell us about your childhood and the kind of environment you grew up in. Born into a military family, I moved seven times during my childhood. My mother is from Thailand and my father is from upstate New York. My three siblings and I are close in age. My childhood was enjoyable because our parents placed us in sports, church and clubs. Being of mixed race and the new kid on the block every move, I constantly fought to fit in. The one area I exceeded in that made me feel accepted by everyone was sports. I ran track and played basketball and made friends easily with teammates. I was a shy tomboy early on but as I grew older, I came out of my shell and was pretty gregarious. I entered college on a full basketball scholarship, participated in beauty pageants and was always on the Dean’s List for excellent grades.
What advice would you give based on your past experiences? Don’t forget to smell the roses and enjoy the journey. 99% of your time is spent in the journey, 1% of your time is spent at the destination (graduation ceremony, being a printed author, wedding day). So, enjoy the 99% of time. Revel in each day’s blessings. Also, no one is EVER ready! There will never be the perfect time to take the plunge into your dreams. So, you just have to jump into it head first and learn on the go. There may be no one like you; there may not be a paved path to the place you are trying to go. If that’s the case, create the path yourself. If you have a dream, willpower and fire to act, nothing can stop you. Lastly, do not underestimate the power of a strong network. I did not get to my current state in life without the help of others. I spend huge amounts of time cultivating relationships with family, friends and colleagues. I was never afraid to reach out for help. I am successful due to my village of encouragers and supporters.
Tell us about yourself, passions, accomplishments, goals etc. I am family medicine board certified. Uniquely, I am proficient in Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment. I explain OMT to be components of massage/chiropractic/physical therapy all in one. I am passionate about patient education. Self-care is the best healthcare. I spend extra time with patients talking about nutrition, supplementation and exercise; also, the intimate connection between emotional/mental health with overall physical health. I currently serve as Vice Chief of Primary Care for Gwinnett Health System. You can also catch me on HLN or CNN on weekend mornings a couple times per month as a Medical Health Expert. I discuss new current events in health and wellness. Modeling is also a passion; I model in runway shows and print; mainly for bridal shows and eco-friendly designers.
Lawrence Chen
Tell me about yourself, what are your goals and accomplishments. I aim to help build clearer pictures for people with uncertainty in life. Essentially, guiding individuals through observation, genuine understanding of their character, and through storytelling which is a backdoor gateway to their subconscious. My goal is to relieve anxiety and depression. I am a frequent reader and I am usually found somewhere captivated by the design of things or simply the aesthetic of an environment. I've naturally settled into the fields of marketing, psychology, design, and creative media because of the influence that can be generated from combining them. I find them to be my practical superpower. One of my higher goals is to gain enough influence to allow me to operate through life more freely. For example, the freedom to switch careers, choose the project I care about most, provide guidance and help on a more credible level. As always, I wish to become better than I was yesterday and to provide a hand in on making the world a better place. The world is full of differences which is beautiful because if we were all the same, life would be mundane. There exists a lot of chaos due to peoples' lack of patience to understand each other’s culture. We resort to destroying each other on the extreme scale; instead of educating each other on why we operate the way we do. I would like to be patient while sharing that at the end of the day we are all humans. "Love always wins" and "Your memories are your life" so create great ones. I am currently working on building up an innovative production studio called Salt Creative House based in Atlanta. "We don't have clients. We have a community" is one of our core values we strive for. We work together out of genuine friendship and commitment to tell the right stories to the right audiences. SCH has been invited to New York Fashion Week for two consecutive years by Elbert Ivory Model Management where we had the opportunity to shoot with Alessandro Trincone who was Young Thug's designer for his album "Jeffery." We've been blessed with many opportunities and continue to push the creative frontier here in Atlanta. My other venture is Observe which I've been wrapping my head around for 4 years now which is a social growth and awareness network for individuals to gain insight on the work life / culture of job professionals. There exist is a direct correlation between work and life fulfillment. The happier you are work, the happier you are overall in life. We live to learn to work and then work to live. There is a large majority of people who chase the money; however, they do not realize it really requires a personality and genuine interest to even tolerate work minimally. It goes further when you approach a company’s work culture. It really requires a specific set of values to be able to settle in and be content. My mission with Observe is to reduce time and money waste from students switching their majors or being sucked into the trap of pursuing a major that doesn't truly resonate with them; however, they are so deep in the hole due to time and money commitment... "I might as well finish." Observe has gained honorable recognition from the Director of Google Cardboard winning first place at KnightHacks Hackathon at UCF. We have also won 1st Place at Georgia State's Business Model Competition and "The Schulze Entrepreneurship Challenge, an undergraduate entrepreneurship competition that attracted 149 top teams from 110 schools of business and entrepreneurship across North America. The top 25 finalists were invited to Minneapolis (all-expenses paid) for the Schulze Entrepreneurship Challenge." Observe has reached checkpoints and there are so many more to achieve.
Tell us about your childhood, what was it like? Right off the bat. I would like to express my utmost gratitude towards my upbringing. I can't be grateful or thankful enough that I was blessed to grow up in the environment that I did. I was surrounded by genuine love and care. My parents are both immigrants who came to America for opportunity and from my eyes, I see they've earned their successful living through hard work, persistence, and wisdom. I grew up in North Georgia alongside my 3 older brothers at the time (I have a younger brother now and he’s a great kid). Being the youngest, I was always fighting for my spot which I believe fueled my competitive nature. I remember I was a pretty wild child full of energy. I told my brothers "When I grow up, I'll become successful and I'll also be able to beat you guys up." The latter point, I like to tell myself is true. Some of my personal interest growing up was design, computers, team strategy games, and adventuring around North Georgia's great outdoors as a skater kid. I messed around in Paint in Elementary school and then picked up Photoshop in middle school from which I got contracted on a game called "Counter Strike 1.6" to design 3D block models. In school, my electives usually consisted of advanced art, band, video production, and computer classes. I share the classes I was associated with because I realized I'm still along the same path I was as a child. So, to sum it up, I was obsessively playing countless hours of strictly online games, designing, making videos, and living life in North Georgia as a minority. (I didn't find offline story games fun because there was no real competition; other than against myself.)
How did you get where you are today? Extending beyond my internal family structure and surface level youth upbringing, I was a minority in almost every situation growing up and the fact I was the youngest of four brothers, it made me feel a little more unique. I had big drawn out pictures of what life was like out in the real world. I thought the world was huge and there was so much to achieve and accomplish. I had big dreams (and I still do). I would like to consider myself a dream chaser because I'm always chasing the bigger picture. Personally, pushing boundaries, jumping curves, and seeing growth excites me! Fast forward, now I have to choose a major as I am expected to obtain a college degree (blessed). I got accepted into San Francisco State for Graphic Design. I was sure it's what I wanted. I had a one-way ticket and I was in route to my grandmas which is in San Francisco. However, my gut kept telling me 'Graphic design' isn't prestigious enough, nor does it make enough money... "Go pursue Computer Science... it's high paying and prestigious." So, I did. I flew back to Georgia and took my offer from Georgia State University and the next thing you know I was loving it. I loved Computer Science. It was exciting and innovative. It's literally always pushing innovation and I have no regrets that I made that major life decision. I was happy with my major, but what I realized was no one else really was, nor did they know what they major even pertained. Day-to-day as I interacted with my friends, I was hearing "I'm unsure what I'm studying" or "I chose this for the money" which started making me question what I "truly" wanted to do. E. St. John, who received his M.S. and Ph.D. from Harvard, said, “There is, perhaps, no college decision that is more thought-provoking, gut wrenching and rest-of-your-life oriented — or disoriented — than the choice of a major." From here, I took an idea I had and executed it at a hackathon. That idea was Observe. From here I've become obsessed with education reform and helping people essentially find their "why" and "what." I started falling out of love with Computer Science and my design side caught up and kicked Computer Science out the door. What also fueled my transition was a phenomenal student organization called "PantherHackers" which I was Chief Marketing Officer for and grew the organization to become the fastest growing student organization on campus. This is when I found a love for marketing and branding. Nonetheless, I believe studying CS was an extreme benefit and I have a general tech understanding from graduating with a Bachelor’s of Science in Computer Science. I finished college and the saying "Your dreams die after college" somewhat came true. I said to myself "now what? Is this it? Now we just work?" sparking even more desire to deliver Observe. Now, I'm knees deep in creative media and marketing as well as still executing Observe.
What advice would you give, based on your own experiences? In regards to choosing your focus, I advise conducting Warren Buffet's 5/25 exercise where you write out a list of 25 goals you wish to accomplish. Once you've done this, reiterate through the list and concise it down to a narrow 5 goals. Now, ignore the other 20 you wrote. Put all of your focus and energy into the 5 you have chosen until you feel like you've accomplished it from a mastery level. Alongside this, I do a bi-annual smart planning / envisioning exercise where I lay out everything I hope to become in detail. I lay out what I want to accomplish, my aspirations, and my general interests so I have clearer picture of which direction to move in "A goal without a plan is just a wish" and “If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.” At the end of the day, you will move in the direction that you please and most likely that direction is of interest. If you can't let go any of your goals, consider the goal to never be deleted. It's just postponed. Life is about discipline and habits. Be reasonable. In regards to the hardship entrepreneurs have to bear, my advice is to cherish your supporters. Hold them close. Be persistent and have a clear picture of your goals. Think smart and be realistic. Lastly, be willing to be misunderstood. Not everyone will understand your approach on life or your career, so be patient and explain to them with reasoning. If they still do not understand or you find too much stress in communicating to them why and what you are doing, take into account their comments sparingly. The real ones are there to support you and help you grow. The real ones are also the ones who will tell you straight up how they feel and if they are willing to share their views. You should acknowledge their concerns and doubts, but don't take any of it to heart. At the end of the day, what is there really to lose? As Steve Jobs says, “Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”