Archive of ‘branding’ category

From Pain to Pastry: How Kenya Pickens Baked Her Way to a Better Life

By Chanda Temple

Kenya Pickens graduated from culinary school in 2007 with dreams of dishing out delicious dinners.

But after working at a country club for only a few months, she lost her job. Devastated, she thumbed through the Yellow Pages, calling businesses and asking, “Are you hiring?”

More than a week later, those calls led to two job offers: being a server at a steakhouse and working at a bakery. She took both. Although Kenya had not studied baking, she settled in to learn a new skill.

Eventually, she became so good at baking, that she stepped out on faith and left the bakery in 2008 to sell her own desserts. She made five cakes a week and sold slices at barber shops, beauty shops and a discount meat market. In 2015, she started selling at Birmingham-area farmers markets while she still worked full-time jobs in various industries. Her days were long and her weekends were longer. But she knew that one day, her dedication would pay off.

Kenya Pickens opened Velvet Kake bakery in 2021 in Clay, AL, selling cakes, cookies and more. She’s grown her following to include fans of traditional and vegan desserts. (Photo Source: Kenya Pickens)

On Dec. 1, 2021, she moved into her own storefront, Velvet Kake, in Clay, Ala. and became a full-time baker. (She got the name because she sells so many red velvet cakes. Her mother, Evelyn Sherard, works in the bakery with her.)

Today, Kenya sells about 30 cakes a week.

“I should have given up a long time ago, but I kept going because I had something to prove,” said Kenya, 38.

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Emily Hall: How One Woman Turned a Breakup into a Cookie Sensation

By Chanda Temple

There’s something about biting into a chocolate chip cookie that just soothes the soul.

It’s ooey. It’s gooey. And just oh, so good.

And if you are Emily Hall, a chocolate chip cookie is not only comfort food but also a recipe for new beginnings.

The Breakup Cookie is made with three types of chocolate, which gives it its decadent flavor. (Photo courtesy of The Breakup Cookie company.)

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Your gifts will make room for you

By Chanda Temple 

Have you ever received news so good that it eft you weak in the knees? That happened to me today after receiving a text from a friend.

Her text: “I just saw this. Very cool to see you guys on this list.” She was referring to Birmingham News photojournalist Tamika Moore and me making the “50 Black Southern Belles in Lifestyle: African American Tastemakers of the South.”  After reading  her message, I was like, “Wait! What! Really?”

Untitled design (8)

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Motivation Monday: Birmingham artist offers African-American themed Christmas wrapping paper

Curly Contessa wrapping paper was created by Birmingham graphic artist Kristin Farmer. It features watercolor images of five women with natural hair. Farmer created the images. (Photo credit: Special)

Curly Contessa wrapping paper was created by Birmingham graphic artist Kristin Farmer. It features watercolor images of five women with natural hair. Farmer created the images. (Photo credit: Special)

By Chanda Temple

Birmingham graphic designer and watercolor artist Kristin Farmer has launched a holiday wrapping paper line that embraces girls with curls.

Known as Curly Contessa, the wrapping paper features five watercolor images of African-American women with natural hair. Farmer, who’s natural, painted the women. She included herself in one of the images.

Farmer rolled out the wrapping paper this month. And already, consumer interest has been rolling in for her.

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Motivation Monday: Don’t be better. Be the best.

Martell and Melody S. Holt of Holt and Holt Entrepreneurship (Photo by: Chanda Temple)

Martell and Melody S. Holt of Holt and Holt Entrepreneurship in Huntsville, Ala.  (Photo by: Chanda Temple)

 

 

By Chanda Temple 

How good are you at what you do? Are you so good that if a consumer approached one of your competitors, the competition would send them your way because they knew you were the best?

It may seem like a far-fetched concept but there’s nothing wrong in wanting this for your business. It only helps you grow, according to Melody S. Holt of Holt and Holt Entrepreneurship, which she runs with her husband, Martell, in Huntsville, Ala.

Such advice is what she shared this weekend as one of the speakers at the Sixth Annual Hair and Health Expo in Birmingham. She opened up her speech with “Are you hungry for success?” Turns out people were. Here are six nuggets she served piping hot  …

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How Coca-Cola is helping women get in the game of running a successful business

Eyvon Austin

Coca-Cola knows a lot of its consumers are entrepreneurs, which is why it started an online program in 2011 to give female business owners resources to help them break through barriers in business. Coca-Cola rep Eyvon Austin was in Birmingham today to discuss the program, which has a goal is to empower 5 million women around the globe by 2020.  (Photo: Chanda Temple)

 

 

 

By Chanda Temple 

In between a DJ cranking out beats and hair stylists creating coiffures at the Sixth Annual Natural Hair and Health Expo today, several hundred attendees were getting down to business – the business of being in business for themselves.

“If you are not at the top of your game in business, find someone who is,” said Eyvon Austin, programs director of supplier diversity for Coca-Cola North America. She was one of several speakers present to discuss how to be better in business. One way of doing that, Austin says, is to check out Coca-Cola’s STEP program (Supplier Training and Empowerment Program). It offers free, online training and resources to help women business owners with leadership, financial management, advocacy and more. The plan is part of the company’s bigger initiative, the 5 by 20 campaign, which aims to empower 5 million women around the globe by 2020.

“We hope that by providing these free tools and resources, it will give the next entrepreneur an opportunity to say,  ‘Hey, I can make this. I can do this,’ ” Austin said. “And then that empowers them to give that same level of empowerment to others.”

During part of her presentation, Austin discussed six ways women can transform their leadership in business. A main point: It comes from within.

Coca-Cola was one of the sponsors for the Sixth Annual Hair and Health Expo at the BJCC on March 11. (Photo by: Chanda Temple)

Coca-Cola was one of the sponsors for the Sixth Annual Hair and Health Expo at the BJCC on March 11. (Photo by: Chanda Temple)

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Coca-Cola’s STEP program gives female entrepreneurs a leg up in business

Coca-Cola's 5by20 program is a global initiative focused on bringing economic empowerment to 5 million women by 2020. The program focuses on business skills training, loans and financial services, and building peer networks and mentoring. (Image: Special)

Coca-Cola’s 5by20 program is a global initiative focused on bringing economic empowerment to 5 million women by 2020. The program focuses on business skills training, loans and financial services, and building peer networks and mentoring. (Image: Special)

 

By Chanda Temple

I’ve always loved Coca-Cola. It’s refreshing, bubbly and goes great with a good burger.

But after learning that the company offers a global program focused on helping new female entrepreneurs address barriers in business, my love for the red and white soda brand just deepened.

Cue the crush music.

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Birmingham’s Best Bites cookbook is the perfect wedding gift

While out running errands in August, I saw the Birmingham's Best Bites cookbook on a table set up for a wedding reception. I thought, "Hmmm. That's interesting." Turns out the couple had planned to use it as their guest book. If you get folks to sign a keeper of a book like this, you will have one of the best wedding gifts, ever!. Love this idea. If you haven't gotten your copy of the cookbook, which has 80 recipes from 60 restaurants in and around Birmingham, what's stopping you? It's a pretty tasty guide to the city's food scene.

While out running errands in August, I saw the Birmingham’s Best Bites cookbook on a table set up for a wedding reception. I thought, “Hmmm. That’s interesting.” Turns out the couple had planned to use it as their guest book. If you get folks to sign a keeper of a book like this, you will have one of the best wedding gifts, ever!. Love this idea. If you haven’t gotten your copy of the cookbook, which has 80 recipes from 60 restaurants in and around Birmingham, what’s stopping you? It’s a pretty tasty guide to the city’s food scene.

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