Live the Empowered Life

It's an honor to present this Interview with one of my favorite writers Cassandra Mack. If you have on prior occasions had the opportunity to read Cass or C Mack, as I fondly call her at times, you would observe that she is a really brilliant writer on both personal relationship and business issues.

Many of us know of Cassandra Mack from Facebook or other online destinations. But now I delve a little deeper into what makes this insightful maven such a literary diva.

The Interview

Kamau: Hi Cassandra can you tell me the Name of your company and a little about what you do and why?

Cassandra: I am the founder and CEO of Strategies for Empowered Living Inc., a training and development company that offers workshops, keynotes, coaching programs and products designed to help people make life work and become more successful and productive in their personal and professional endeavors. I am a corporate trainer, life coach and author and publisher of 10 highly-successful books.

Kamau: Wow! Cassandra I knew you were a brilliant writer but your overall business bio sounds even more impressive.

Can you tell us a little bit about your background, like where you grew up and went to school?

See the Entire Interview

Legendary R&B Group the Delphonics and D Train Raise Money for Education

The Delphonics, D Train, and Roz Shepard through The Highgate Youth Leadership & Music Academy's Party W/A Purpose events are raising funds for this fine institution. They are working together to develop the leadership academy curriculum outlined below:

Grade & Intermediate School Students will be introduced to:

1. African American History (w/a Civil Rights Era component. We're working w/the NAACP to develop)

2. Financial Literacy

3. A Second language

4. Music Arts

High School Students:

We have a Dropout Prevention and GED to College Program.

All Students: Community Building

We are also working on Africa-America cultural exchange program with the UN.

Tickets are only $10 and can be purchased right now at Rozshepard.com

Your support of the academy is greatly appreciated.

CREATE AN EXCITING FIRST IMPRESSION FOR YOUR HOME WITH FOYER FLOORING By Tere Bresin,ASID

Whether you call the space inside of your front door an entryway or foyer one of the ways for the greatest impact to the entrance of your home is in the choice of your flooring. The flooring needs to coordinate with the lighting, furniture, wall treatment and color for the greatest impact. What are some of these flooring choices? Options can include: stone, tile or hardwood floors for an elegant look. The foyer is a well trafficked area of your home so careful consideration for durability should always be considered.

If you choose a hard surface such as marble, granite or stone the options are extensive. You can use marble in tile form. They are available in various sizes. Larger size tiles like 18x 18" can be used in areas with large volume. You can create interesting patterns by how you lay out the tiles. They can be laid on a diagonal with a field cut border of 6" by 18". You can combine two colors of marble like white Carrera and black Absolute in a checkerboard pattern layed straight or on a diagonal, with a border or without. I designed a small foyer in a NY apartment using 12"x12" black and white tiles on a diagonal with a 4" border and glazed the walls in rich red with a tone on tone stencil pattern over it. This simple floor treatment combined with rich color created quite a bit of drama.

Ceramic tiles are very practical and require less maintenance than marble. In many cases they are less expensive than the natural stones. Nowadays some of the Italian porcelain ceramics very nicely resemble natural stones like slate and travertine. I have used porcelain tiles in foyers. They are harder than the real stones and require little maintenance other than damp mopping.

Choosing your flooring is an investment that needs careful consideration. You need to choose something that you will enjoy for a long time.

Another material to consider is hardwood floors for your foyer. Hardwood floors create a warm and inviting feel. I have also created an interesting approach to a foyer by stenciling a design around the perimeter and center of a wood floor. But if you have animals, their nails could leave scratches on the wood floors.

Do not be afraid to use a hard surface like stone or ceramics in the foyer and have it open to hardwood floors on adjoining rooms. You can also soften the look of stone with an area rug. When choosing flooring materials it is a good idea to bring samples home so the you can see how the materials look in the light of your home.

THE BEDROOM RETREAT by Tere Bresin,ASID

Today’s bedrooms are not just for sleeping anymore! No matter what size your home or apartment is the bedroom of today can have several other functions. These new spaces may include a lounge area completed with a luxurious chaise, a space for breakfast or dining, or even a home office.

But no matter how many functions are packed into this one space, most yearn for a warm, romantic retreat that serves as a refuge from the increasing stresses of daily life. Achieving this takes some thoughtful planning of how all the required pieces will fit into the space. The size of the bed is of first consideration and this is compatible with your comfort needs and the size restraints of the room. Four poster beds look wonderful with large proportion rooms. Why not pamper yourself with one of my favorite types of beds-the sleigh bed? It can have an upholstered head board and base. The mattress can either sit on top of the frame or a box spring can sit into the frame. Think too about how you present your bed. Be adventurous and combine patterns and textures to create an exciting effect!

Wall to wall carpeting and can create a soft and larger feel to a room. Color can add warmth to a room. Accessories can create different moods in a room. Art adds interest and depth to the space.

A comfortable sitting area where you can read or just relax and put up your feet is a nice addition to a space. I often suggest a pair of chairs with an ottoman between them or a love seat with a tea table in front of it. I like the bedside tables to be large enough to accommodate a light, books or other necessities. Chests of drawers on either side of the bed can double as bedside tables.

Good lighting is essential for both ambiance and function. The most efficient lighting starts with a plan. This plan is one of the first things that I do after the room is laid out. Table lights should be properly positioned for reading. Strategically placed overhead lighting and wall sconces can add an interesting pattern of light to a room. When properly lit, a favorite piece of art can become a focal point of a room.

Guest bedrooms should be interesting and comfortable. A day bed can double as a sitting room when guests are not around. Add a desk and some functional lighting and you have another multi-functional bedroom!

BIO: Experience high-end expertise for your residential or business interior design needs when you acquire the professional services of Tere Bresin,ASID and Beret Design Group, Inc. Interior design Consultations available.

Robert Misseri Extends Support to US Marines

Robert's Cause, an animal rights organization, founded by Robert Misseri, a respected animal rescue advocate frequently seen on cable and network television, is also helping US Marines in Afghanistan. One of Misseri's staff volunteer Dylan Nassano has recently returned from Afghanistan, where his buddies from Alpha Company are fighting a tough fight, and finding the time to take care of animals in need.

Afghanistan. One of Misseri's staff volunteer Dylan Nassano has recently returned from Afghanistan, where his buddies from Alpha Company are fighting a tough fight, and finding the time to take care of animals in need.

Dylan has asked us to join his effort to send much needed supplies to the guys on the front lines. I'm pitching in, and ask all of you to join me in support our Marines and all they are doing for us.

Here's Dylan's letter and list:

Hey everyone,

I'm going to start putting together some packages to send to my old unit in Afghanistan. If you want to help out (or know people at work that want to) here is a list of idea's. In case your curious, this is an Infantry unit, these guy's aren't fortunate enough to stay at a large base where they can buy goodies from the PX. Read More

From Eating Twinkies to Owning a National Franchise

Montclair, New Jersey, Source: eINfoNews.com by Kamau Austin. Hudson Etienne went from working for 10 cents for every Twinkie consumed, to running a national franchise business.

Hudson is a small business visionary. He is one of the rare people I know who successfully created a franchised business. This isn't easy to do because you must have a documented money making system in place to do this before you can sell it to others.

Truly folks, this is an amazing achievement! Also interesting is Hudson is using technology to bring about innovation in his business.

From his personalized, secure, and cutting edge database of his clients to the professional videos which adorn his site, Hudson is on the move to use technological innovation to take his franchise business to the next level. Despite the busy tax season, I caught up with Hudson recently to ask him some interview questions. To see the entire interview click this link

Animal Rights Activist Robert Misseri Examines North Carolina's Shelter Policies

Montclair, NJ -- (eINfoNews.com - 04/04/10) - Robert Misseri, founder of Robert's Cause, has visited North Carolina recently to look into reports of Inhumane treatment of animals in shelters. Robert's Cause, is an Animal Rescue and welfare organization founded by Robert Misseri, a well known animal rights activist and proponent seen on cable television. Robert's Cause is a nonprofit organization and is both expanding and taking it's operations on the road.

Misseri reveals "I have created Robert's Cause so I can better communicate with the many incredible people throughout the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and South America I have become friends with, who have dedicated themselves to animal rescue and animal welfare."

Recently Robert has been driven to examine animal rights issues in the state of North Carolina. Responding to an outpouring of reports regarding inhumane euthanasia practices at the Robeson County, North Carolina animal shelter, Robert's Cause met on Monday, March 15th, with officials at the State Capitol in Raleigh.

In its role as a coordinating and facilitating animal advocacy organization, Robert Misseri and Bruce Feinberg in conjunction with the U.S. Animal Protection in a meeting chaired by Will Polk, Read More

2 Hour Delayed School Opening Due to Snowy Conditions

There will be a 2 hour delay in school openings due to snowy conditions in the townships of Montclair, Bloomfield, and Glen Ridge New Jersey. It's nice to get a couple of hours extra sleep. LOL! Kamau Austin, editor Montclair 411.com.