One on One with Gabrielle Dennis

Gabrielle Dennis has been on her grind! You’ve seen her as “Janay” on CW’s The Game, and she now stars with Christina Milian as Lina Cruz’s humorous and spunky  best friend, “Treyvonetta, in the  the popular teen film, Bring it On: Fight to the Finish. Gabrielle took a moment to kick it one on one with SIL’s Alia Williams about being on the set of her latest film, cheerleading, and acting.

Alia: What was it like growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio and how did you transition from there to Hollywood?

Gabrielle Dennis: Cincinnati is a very conservative city, so there’s not too much to do there. It’s a great place to raise kids though, so I felt like I had a good balance between right and wrong, in that I went to a performing arts high school and that kind of kept me busy with rehearsals and doing plays. My family is there too, but I didn’t realize how boring it was until I got to experience a real, major city.

Adjusting to Hollywood was fairly easy because right before that I lived in Washington, D.C., which I absolutely adore. I was debating between New York and Los Angeles to pursue my career full time, but L.A. won out because of the weather. Plus, I did the east coast thing and knew nobody in New York, so it kind of intimidated me.

Alia: How long have you been pursuing a career in acting, and what inspired you to start?

GD: I’ve always been a ham, actually. At my older cousins birthday parties or slumber parties, they would always have me singing or performing because I was so much younger. I wasn’t supposed to be there, but the only way that I could stay was if I performed for free [laughs]. I started out in the 4^th grade and I started dancing when I was four, so I was always introduced to that. My mom used to sing and was involved in local plays, so it was always around me. I had a lot of older cousins that went to the same performing arts high school I went to. Watching movies like the Wizard of Oz and The Wiz inspired me to do it. I thought Diana Ross was the BOMB in The Wiz, and I kind of looked up to those triple threats that could do everything; that’s how we were trained in my high school. Technically, as a full time career, I guess you could say that I’ve been pursuing being a professional actress for like four years, as long as I’ve been in Hollywood, but prior to that it was between being in school and trying to do it on the side. Now that’s all I do.

Alia: …and you like it.

GD: I love it! I mean it has its ups and downs, just like everything else that you would do, but whenever you have a passion for something, that’s really what it boils down to. Being able to work and do something that you love, it really doesn’t matter what it is. I feel blessed that I found something that I really like to do and can make a living out of it.

Alia: How did you enjoy working on the set of Bring it On: Fight to the Finish?

GD: Let me tell you, this was probably one of the more exciting experiences that I’ve had. It was all girls, so I got to be really girly. So many of us had birthdays within the same month. There were like four birthdays when we were shooting including myself, and Christina Milian. There were cute things that we would do like surprise each other, and decorate each other’s dressing rooms. We did a cheer for Christina for her birthday. We did all kinds of stuff, and it was great to be around a group of females who really supported each other. It was a really great mix of personalities where we all really liked each other and had a lot of fun together. It was like high school, in a sense, all over again and when I went to my performing arts high school. Then there was the dancing, and the amount of dancers that were on set. Dancers just have their own great energy and a great vibe. Everyone from the choreographer and the director was just really fun. I enjoyed that experience.

Alia: What made you choose the role of “Treyvonetta”?

GD: It was interesting because I was supposed to do another film before this one, but because I was doing CW’s The Game, there was a problem with my schedule and I couldn’t do this other film. This opportunity came along and it actually happened to work out where the shooting was between a break for The Game. I just like to stay busy and it was a good opportunity for me to do something different. I’ve never done a movie like this before, so I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to test a different side of my acting skills, as well as try to beef up my dancing that I haven’t done in a few years. I just wanted to challenge myself and I had a really great time. The character that I got to play was really fun and sassy. She was definitely a lot of fun to play.

Alia: Do you have any similarities to the character that you play in the movie?

GD: I would say that our closest similarity, I mean we’re nothing alike, but I would say that she’s very supportive and protective of her friends, and that would be me. If something were to go down, or if somebody needed my advice or needed my help with something, I would be there without question and without thinking about it twice to kind of help my friends. She loves her friends and would do pretty much anything for them and I think we definitely have that in common.

Alia: What made you choose the role of “Treyvonetta”?

GD: It was interesting because I was supposed to do another film before this one, but because I was doing CW’s The Game, there was a problem with my schedule and I couldn’t do this other film. This opportunity came along and it actually happened to work out where the shooting was between a break for The Game. I just like to stay busy and it was a good opportunity for me to do something different. I’ve never done a movie like this before, so I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to test a different side of my acting skills, as well as try to beef up my dancing that I haven’t done in a few years. I just wanted to challenge myself and I had a really great time. The character that I got to play was really fun and sassy. She was definitely a lot of fun to play.

Alia: Do you have any similarities to the character that you play in the movie?

GD: I would say that our closest similarity, I mean we’re nothing alike, but I would say that she’s very supportive and protective of her friends, and that would be me. If something were to go down, or if somebody needed my advice or needed my help with something, I would be there without question and without thinking about it twice to kind of help my friends. She loves her friends and would do pretty much anything for them and I think we definitely have that in common.

Alia: Have you ever been a cheerleader before?

GD: Yes! I was a cheerleader at Hughes High School, for the Hughes Big Red. I only cheered for about two years. We didn’t win very much, but it was fun. Not near the level of the experience, and talent, of the Bring it On franchise. The level of the different cheer teams that were in the movie, I mean these kids are amazing. The stunts they do, the energy that they had. I was just amazed by them. My school was just a little more downscale from that. We didn’t do a lot of stunts. I mean we cheered and some of us would do a few cartwheels, some round offs, and maybe a pyramid. In college I tried out and made it, but I didn’t have time to deal with that and school.

Alia: What kind of movies and actors did you look up to growing up, and what kind of actor do you aspire to become?

GD: Growing up I watched a lot of television and I liked over the top shows like Living Color and Martin, but then I’m a little bit of a dork and I love Little Mermaid. You know it’s funny, because a lot of actors who I looked up to were men. Jamie Fox because he did a little bit of everything that I’ve done, that I want to do, or that I kind of want to get better at because he’s done the whole sketch comedy thing, he’s done stand-up, blockbuster movies. His spectrum and his body of work is so diverse. He gets to sing, he has an album out, and he’s really good at everything that he’s done. The same with Will Smith, who started off with his music career and then had his own TV show, and then went on to being in blockbusters. I’ve done sketch shows and stand up comedies, but my goal is to have my own T.V. show and then from there start doing more movies and heavy roles, like documentary pieces. I would love to play Diana Ross or do something very interesting like that, and something that’s challenging and groundbreaking.

Alia: Would you do another movie similar to Bring it On, or would you branch off and do a different genre?

GD: I would like to keep my momentum going in as many different directions as possible so I don’t get typecast or pinned down. I try and go out and do different things in that it’s not the same exact type of character, or same type of energy and feel of this movie, just because it introduces you to different audiences and it introduces you, as an actor, to the different processes of getting that character and making that character believable. The same process and technique that I would use to make the “Treyvonetta” character in bring it on, would be a totally different process that I would do for maybe a very serious role in another type of film, depending on the director or the genre. I always like to challenge myself.

Alia: So will we be seeing you in any other movies this year?

GD: Ice Cube has a new movie coming out that I’m in called Janky Promoters, and I’m shooting a new show that will be coming out on Spike TV called Blue Mountain State. You can also catch me on The Game in syndication on BET.

Alia: Thanks for your time Gabrielle, and good luck to you.

GD: Thank you!

Trevor Scotland: Chief Operating Officer, NYC Media Group

By Brandon Hunter, age 12

Occupation: Chief Operating Officer
Company: NYC Media Group
Education/Training: MPA, Baruch College (National Urban Fellows Program) 1996 BA, Vassar College 1992, Xavier HS 1988
SIL: Did you always want to pursue a career in media? If not, what did you want to be before this career?

Trevor: No, initially I wanted to be a criminal defense attorney, and spent a couple years working for a criminal defense law firm as an investigator. I
then spent several years in a variety of positions in areas such as community and economic development, government and non‐pro9it management, and sales
and marketing before ending up in television.
SIL: What do your duties as the Chief Operating Officer of NYC Media Group include?
Trevor: I oversee all business development, sales and marketing activities and provide oversight and direction with respect to programming, content acquisition, distribution, and partnership development across all media assets. I have also created and continue to executive produce a variety of the shows on the network.
SIL: What made you pursue this career?
Trevor: I was interested in a media opportunity where I could pursue both creative and business development initiatives. As a New Yorker, I was also intrigued by the opportunity to create and distribute content that celebrates New York City’s eclectic and diverse character.

SIL – What steps did you take to get to where you are now?

Trevor: I went back to school and took courses to familiarize myself with media production and while I was in school I was fortunate enough to secure a position, in large part through networking, with CBS Sports as an Associate Director. I spent two  years working in live sports event production and then I sought out the opportunity with NYC Media Group, where I have been for 5 years, initially as Director of Business Development and Operations, and as Chief Operating Officer for the past year and a half.

SIL: When you were younger, were you into technology?
Trevor: I’ve always been fond of gadgets, so I guess I was fond of technology in my youth. My father really enjoyed photography and always had a new camera, and I inherited his fondness for picture taking which evolved into an interest in film and television production.
SIL – What were some of the challenges and obstacles, if any that you had to  overcome?
Trevor: Small budgets related to production and marketing have always been an issue, but it has forced us to be creative about allocation of production bandwidth and seek out promotional partnerships in order to raise the profile of the network and the many brands we control.
SIL – What are the highlights about your job and what do you love about it?
Trevor: I enjoy the process of developing content from an idea through its actual broadcast premier, and being able to share that idea with a sponsor who gets excited about supporting that content because it will help them reach a desired audience. I also enjoy being in the 9ield and actually getting my hands dirty with
live event and production.
SIL: What type of advice would you give to a young person about choosing a career or lifestyle?
Trevor: Always seek out opportunities that will challenge and extend you, and perhaps even take you out of your comfort zone, because these are the opportunities that will help you grow the most professionally and in life.   I don’t like the sidelines, I much prefer to be in the game making decisions and even mistakes. But that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with being a bench player. The important thing is to understand how you 9it into the team and focus on the things you do well, while not being afraid to accept new challenges when they are presented to you.

Meet Lamman Rucker: Actor, Educator and Entrepreneur

By Markia Banks, age 14 and Christe McDavid, age 14

Lamman Rucker is jack of all trades and master of many! An actor, educator and entrepreneur, this brother is definitely reaching beyond limitations and conquering it all. In addition to his acting accolades that include roles on All My Children, As the World Turns, as Mona’s boyfriend, Chase, on the UPN hip sitcom, Half-n-Half, and in the BET HIV/AIDS prevention film, Let’s Talk, Rucker’s talents extend far beyond the big screen. With a master’s degree in Education, he has put his skills to great use by educating young people inside the classroom and out through his work with non-profit organizations that cater to urban youth and community. So, how did he get here? Lamman breaks it down for SIL.

SIL: As a child, did you always want to become an actor or a teacher?
Lamman: No! [Laughs] When I was little, I wanted to build Lego sets, be a fireman, and I used to go to bed daydreaming about making the game winning
shot in the NBA finals. I used to be like, ‘5,4,3… Lamman Rucker gets the ball…he shoots…and the crowd goes wild.’ I had fantasies about everything, truthfully. I didn’t really have the ambition at that time, but I always liked doing creative things. I was always very confident, very social. Looking back, I realize that I was always given a lot of responsibility and always put in a position of leadership at a young age. That’s the kind of stuff that has really helped me understand what being an actor and being a teacher is really about. The same kind of leadership position is what being a leading man is about. Leading a classroom is using the same kind of skill.
SIL: How old were you when you found out that you had the ability to act?
Lamman: I did the “I Have a Dream” speech in fourth or fifth grade by memory. It was for the school’s Black History Month program. I remember really preparing for it and really being excited about doing it.
SIL: Your mother is a dancer and your father is a drummer. Did this influence you in the arts and in becoming an actor?
Lamman: Absolutely! My mother was dancing with me while she was pregnant and up until the time that she delivered me, so I definitely think that
just through osmosis and the fact that she was literally, physically carrying me and being very expressive, that I definitely inherited the talent and the capacity for that same level of creativity.
SIL: Can you talk about your schooling?
Lamman: The high school that I went to, Duke Ellington High School in Washington, D.C., was so good and so competitive that this is where, even still, the foundation from where a lot of my training still comes from. After high school, I started focusing more academically. I played basketball and football for a little while in college and then professionally for a couple of years. I got my Master’s degree in Education and then went back and jumped into acting after that, with both feet. With all of the different things that I did, I realized that they all had something in common; whether I was going to be a businessman or entrepreneur, an athlete or an educator.
SIL: What motivates you each and everyday to go on with your acting career or with teaching?
Lamman: That’s a good question. To be honest and without being corny, part of what motivates me is seeing young people like yourself and remembering how important it was when I was your age to have somebody like me, talking to you. To remember how encouraging it was to see somebody that I could look up to and whose accomplishments were obtainable. I also learned that I had all of these options, so I realized that I had choices. I try to encourage people by saying dyou’ve got all of these choices and these are all of the different things that you can do. God has gifted everyone with something and a responsibility. It’s just figuring out what that something and what that responsibility is. Once we figure it out, then I believe we’re kind of obligated to manifest it. What motivates me is that there is always something new coming in and you really have to take charge of your life and of yourself to make things happen. That can really be frustrating and challenging sometimes, but that’s what gets me going. I have beautiful people around me and in my life, so we all lift each other up everyday. Sometimes you need it, you know.
SIL: Who was your role model when you were younger?
Lamman: There were a lot of people. I really believe that I’m a result of that whole village concept. I don’t remember looking up to a whole bunch of celebrities that much when I was little. People like my extended family, people that I called aunt or uncle so in so, my elementary school basketball coach and gym teacher, for example. My babysitter, people that I remember even now, like my elementary school principal. To this day, I know where to find him. My grandparents
were influential, too.

Lamman talks to Markia and Christe

SIL: One of your quotes said, “Teaching is acting, and acting is teaching.” Can you explain what that means?
Lamman: I believe that good teaching is really about giving and about communicating and also facilitating learning. The most productive learning
environment comes through a teacher facilitating the process allowing the students and the learners to learn from each other. For me, acting and performing
and being onstage or in front of the camera is really the same thing. The audience is going to learn from the experience that they see me having on stage; from the character, from the role, or maybe from the history that’s being given in the play. They’ll also just learn about the love and passion that an actor has for what he’s doing, even if that’s all they learn.
SIL: You were also involved in the GEAR Up program. Can you tell us more about that?
Lamman: What GEAR Up really is means Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for U n d e r g r a d u a t e Programs. I actually did that here in New
York, through New York University. The purpose is really preparing middle school and high school students for the college transition. The program is basically about content enrichment. One of my strengths and interests is math. I’ve always been a strong academic student, so there was a need for math enrichment. Unfortunately, there was a shortage of males in the educational fields and since I was a man, that was a plus. Luckily, the program was in Harlem and the majority of students were students of color. It was a great fit and the school was creative, almost like an arts school.
SIL: How was it working with the cast and the crew on Half -n- Half?
Lamman: I liked everybody there. We actually had a lot of fun. I don’t want to mislead you though, the thing about it is that it was a very serious place, from the people at the network, from the people who run the show, like Yvette Lee Bowser in particular and Ellen Gittleson, our director. But, you should see our bleeper reels. You see us cracking up. When you love what you do, when you work with good people and people who are good at what they do and who like what they do for a living, it rubs off and it’s easy to have a good time. Half-n-Half was a great show and a great place to work. I liked it a lot.
SIL: How are the sets from the soaps different from sets like Half-n- Half?
Lamman: Acting wise, is that there are different styles. Daytime is typically a bit more dramatic. In soaps, I’ve typically been a bad guy. I liked playing a villain because I get to do stuff that I wouldn’t normally do. Soaps are much more time conscious in daytime because you do one episode in one day, or at least the equivalent to what would be that many scenes in one production day. Half-n-Half was very diverse, a very multicultural environment. The show was created and
produced by a black woman, and I love that. That’s one of the reasons why I was very excited to be on that show. The majority of the cast was also of color so, the situation, the culture of the show, as well as the content, and the things that we go through and they way that we talk, as well as the things that we talked about are things that I can relate to, as a contemporary person. But in the soaps, I typically play characters that are older, more mature, or more conservative and most of my friends are not people of color.
SIL: Explain the logo on your shirt?
Lamman: This is a shirt from some young sisters who started a company called Cool Smart (Coolsmartkids.com). It means exactly what it says, “Sorry! I Only Date Smart Girls!” If you don’t want to get your education – I ain’t got no time for you. There are so many things out there that are encouraging people to be stupid and to not develop their brain. Trust me; I’m not interested in that.
SIL: Besides being an actor, what do you do on your off days?
Lamman: I do stuff like this, like interviews and appearances. I do a lot of traveling. I try to take my music lessons and swimming lessons, my martial arts, I play ball, and I read. I like to visit family and I always try to stay active and involved in the community. I work with young people like your self in L.A. as well. I workout, I go to the theater, to the movies. I take full advantage, as best as I can, to all the things and resources that are around me. I work on some of my ideas, my invention ideas, business ideas, and other show ideas and feature film concepts that I want to develop. Want to see more of Lamman Rucker? Look out
for him in the upcoming new Tyler Perry television sitcom, “Meet the Browns” and in the romantic comedy, “The Inevitable Undoing of Jay Brooks”, coming soon in Spring ’07. To contact Lamman Rucker, send a shout out to Love4Lamman@aol.com.

For more info about Lamman Rucker check out his website: http://www.lammanrucker.com/

A Day at 529 Barbershop in Fort Greene, Brooklyn

By Robert Bartee and Keon Milkins

The atmosphere of 529 Barbershop in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, makes you feel like you’re sitting on your block.  The barbers are young and friendly, and they look real professional sporting one of a kind smocks. The smocks include little razors and clippers, everything a barber puts their hands on. They where playing music that was more close to date than any other barber shop. That’s what I call a modern day barbershop. People have a tendency to underestimate the knowledge and skills of young black barbers, which can be a big mistake. If you decide to cut your hair, 529 Dekalb is the place to go to feel comfortable and at home. SIL spoke to PG Reese co-owner of 529. PG runs the shop with her brother Titus Thomas.

SIL: What made you decide to start a barbershop?
PG Reese: Well actually I’ve been getting my hair cut in a barbershop for a long time. It’s something I always wanted to do. I had a lot of fun going to barbershops, so when this space became available we just went with it. We converted a bakery to a barbershop. Our plan was to create an atmosphere in the neighborhood that would be comfortable and attractive to both customers and new barbers. I think we’ve done that!
SIL: So people could get haircuts,groom their locks, and braids here?
PG: Yes, everything.
SIL: I heard you also work for the NBA?
PG: Yes, that’s my full-time job. I work for NBA Entertainment, the production and entertainment part of the NBA and WNBA. We handle and produce live games, events, commercials, weekly TV shows, websites and a 24-hour network called NBATV, all under one umbrella.
SIL: Are you hiring barbers now?
PG: Yes, we are definitely looking for more barbers, with clientele preferably, but it’s not necessary. We want anyone who is creative and serious about their craft, looking to come to a new shop and get their grind on. It is a business within a business, everything is set up here for you to operate your own business, establish
your clientele, and succeed.

Meet 529 Barbers, Mike Douglas, Kwame Fleary and Maria aka “Rie The Red Dred”.

Mike Douglas

SIL:  When did you become a barber?
I started when I was 15. A friend of mine asked me do I want to cut hair. I was like, I don’t know how to cut hair. He was like just practice, so, I kept on practicing and I started to like it. I started working at home charging five dollars a cut.

SIL: How many cuts do you have on an average day now?
On a slow day, 8 to 10 cuts, on a busy day it’s different, I could see 15 to 20 cuts. It’s a lot of work, like yesterday my legs were tired.

SIL: Do you have any advice to young people who may be working like you did from home?
You need dedication. If you are working from your own apartment or home, there are consequences behind it. It could get crowded, and it’s a lot of hair. I advise you to go to  school for the certificate. You can practice on your friends, but it’s best to go to school and get your certificate so you can work in a real barbershop.`

Kwame Fleary

SIL: What made you become a barber?
It makes people feel good. When you cut somebody’s hair, there is a certain demeanor that comes out of them. If you were having a stressful day, after you get
your haircut you become a different person.

SIL: What does it take to become a barber?
It depends on the individual. There are some people who want to cut but just don’t have that ability. I feel like if you have some type of creative edge, like drawing,
then you can be a good barber; you will be more precise.
SIL: Did you go to school for this?
Well, I was self-taught but I went to school just for legal procedures. I went to school in Manhattan on West 29th St.

SIL: How do you prevent or treat the bumps from forming on the back of ones head after getting a cut?
They have something called Skin Tighter that you can get from any beauty supply store. If it is severe, I suggest going to a dermatologist.

SIL: Where does it come from?

Dirty utensils. Some barbers may be slack. You have to brush the hair out of the clippers and disinfect it before you go on to the next head.

Maria aka “Rie The Red Dred”

SIL: How did you get started?
When I was young, I used to watch my uncle when he was cutting hair. I went to a school called Atlas Barber School which is located on 10th St. and 3rd Avenue. I did a course there for eight months.

SIL: What differentiates you from other barbers?
I think precision. By that I mean the line. I take my time and I see the cut whole heartedly, not just as a clean up but a whole cut. I’m excellent with afro’s and I’m proficient with my blade.

SIL: Is it competitive being a female barber?
I thrive off of competition. Right now I feel like I’m one of the best barbers in Brooklyn.

SIL: What’s the difference between a cut in Harlem and Brooklyn?
In my opinion, Harlem is more about the line. They make sure their line is sharp. The line means everything. You can have the best cut in the world and if the line doesn’t show the cut, it’s not a hair cut to them. You can have the suckiest cut and if the line is straight, they’ll love you. Brooklyn, they don’t play that. You have to have the cut down. They’re not so much into the line. They call it the pretty look and they’re not so much for that. As long as you can tell that they’ve had a hair cut, that’s what matters to them.

SIL: What’s your favorite cut?

I like doing caesars. Some people think it’s the easiest, but it’s not because you can cut someone’s Caesar and leave a bunch of spots. I also like doing dreds and I like to line up a dreds after.

SIL: What’s the most difficult part of your job?
My job gets difficult if I have to wait for the money. You have to have a lot of patience in this business. The money is to be made, but you have to have patience.
For more info about 529 Barbershop contact:
718-858-7592

Principal Clyde Cole

As the need for quality public education increases in New York City, Mr. Clyde Cole, principal, creates a unique opportunity for inner-city youth.
The Urban Assembly Academy of Business & Community Development (ABCD) is a new charter school in Bedford-Stuyvesant
for grades 6-12, with features such as college prep, mentors and business education programs. Clyde Cole tells us how he did it.
SIL: What exactly is the job of aprincipal?
Mr. Cole: We deal mainly with instruction. We have to help the teachers figure out how to
best serve their students. In a school like this, where you have students on many different
levels it’s important for the teacher not to just teach a few kids but to figure out how to teach all of the kids in the same room. We also deal with organizational duties. We do the scheduling, the budgeting and the purchasing of everything. We have to make sure that the schedule is balanced, that the students are getting enough English and math.
SIL: What was your early educational experience like?
Mr. Cole: I had co-ed education up until 8th grade and then I went to an all boy’s
high school in Manhattan called Regis High School. It was a great experience for me because it was a school that had high academic standards and it was a school that really promoted being men for others. This usually meant community service and always thinking about people who had less than you. Those are two things that I brought to this school; high academic standards
and community service.
SIL: What makes an all boys school different from co-ed?
Mr. Cole: An all boy school allows the young men to express themselves in a way where they feel safe. They don’t have to worry about what the girls might say about them or trying to impress girls. Middle school boys need the opportunity to know who they are as men and to grow into men. An all boy school gives them the opportunity to do just that.
SIL: Who were your role models?
Mr. Cole: I had some sports role models, Michael Jordan, Reggie Jackson, and I also
had some teachers. The only black male role model teachers that I had were in college. It’s
good for me to be involved with young men of color when they get to middle school so they
don’t have to wait until they get to college to actually have their first male role model who is
a teacher. I want to give them the experience that I did not have.
SIL: What steps did you take to get where you are?
Mr. Cole: I started a small catholic middle school with two priests back in 1991 and
worked there for six years. This was right after college one of my coaches in college invited
me to help start the school. I then started a small youth center in Crown Heights and
worked there with another priest for two years. Then I helped start a small middle school in
Connecticut with a bunch people from Yale Law School and I worked there for a year. I taught two years of high school after that in
Jersey City. I then went to New York University to get my Masters in Education Administration. After that, I went to the Leadership Academy, a training program for principals. I just graduated from that in August. The last three years have been focused on being a principal, two years in the masters program and one year in the Leadership Academy. I feel like I’ve been preparing my whole life for this moment.
SIL: What steps should someone take who wants to become a principal?
Mr. Cole: If you one day want to become a principal the first thing I would say is go to college and graduate. Make sure that you study something that you really like. Become a teacher and then teach something that you really like. It is very important that whatever it is that you teach to the kids that you really
love it because they will feel it whenever you talk to them or work on projects with them. After you’ve taught for a few years try to do something in the school that’s not only teaching in the classroom but other things to help out the principal. If you like helping out the principal and teaching then you’re on your way to becoming a principal. Next, get your masters degree and then you have to apply for the job.
Malon Lawson is a junior at BASE High School in Brooklyn, New York

Lisa Price Founder of Carol’s Daughter

Summer 2005 – Carol’s Daughter in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, is a very unique environment. Decorated with flowers, goddesses and wooden carvings, the store has a very calm and natural feel. A sweet and tasty blend of aromas makes you follow your nose to a broad array of products for your hair, face, and body. These products for men, woman and babies are all natural, made with herbs and flowers such as Rosemary, Lavender and Peppermint and a host of essential oils like Lemongrass and Sandalwood. Say It LOUD! had the opportunity to chat with the brainchild behind Carol’s Daughter, Lisa Price. Here is what she had to say…

Choosing a name: I named the company Carol’s Daughter because it is who I am. My mother’s name was Carol and I am Carol’s daughter. I was brainstorming for a name one day and made a list of things I was and things I wanted to become. Carol’s Daughter stuck.

Starting out: My business started out as a hobby. My start-up funds were $100 for my first craft sale. I let the business grow organically. I put back into it what it gave to me.

What school did you attend? I attended City College in New York for two years and was a pre-law major. My education taught me to fight for what I want and not do what others tell me to do.

What was your first product? My first product was a thick oil made with cocoa and shea butters. I was trying to make body butter and it took a long time to get it right.

How easy or difficult was it to actually get your own store?
It was not difficult because I let the universe bring it to me when it was time. My first store was my living room, so that was not difficult, except for having total strangers in and out of my house all the time. When I moved to my current location, the hardest part was taking that leap of faith that I could do it. Believing, this will work and the money will come. Then the next hardest part was keeping up with the demand.

Pros and cons of entrepreneurship? Balancing family life and work because work is so much a part of who you are when you are an entrepreneur. It is not a job that you leave at 5 PM, it is your life and sometimes I need to be reminded to turn off the phone and not answer e-mails.

How large is your staff? I actually have two companies now. The store has a staff of 8 including my husband and I. Then there is Carol’s Daughter Holdings, of which I am a Managing Partner with 23 employees. That company handles the manufacturing, distribution and other sales outside of the Brooklyn store, in New Jersey, DC/Baltimore, Detroit, Los Angeles and at www.carolsdaughter.com.

Any advice for teens who aspire to become entrepreneurs? Knowledge is power. Learn as much about the area that you are interested in before you jump into it. I am constantly learning and I’m almost 43. You will never know it all, ever. You must always be open to knowledge, information and change then you must be humble in order to accept it.

What is a major misconception about being an entrepreneur? That you have a lot of money, you don’t work hard because you work in a non-traditional way. Also, if what you are doing is not successful yet it is a joke and a waste of time and when you are successful, that it’s easy.

What methods do you use to focus on accomplishing goals and aspirations? I pray. I meditate. I read. I try to take time out for me. I look in the mirror and remind myself of who I am and what I’ve done. I can’t ignore that.

How do you see your business growing in years to come? Carol’s Daughter will become a household name. We will be the affordable luxury of choice. We will have stores across the country. We will re-define beauty for the African-American woman and hence for all women.

Rukiya Goddard is a student at the Collective Fellowship & Peace Academy.

Nolan Baynes: Director of Marketing MTV2

By Stefanee Hernandez

Before I entered the MTV Building which stands in the heart of Times Square, I envisioned flat screen TV’s playing MTV and MTV2, celebrity autographed items coloring the walls, similar to how the TRL studios looks on TV. But what I got was a bland building with tight security. I also expected Nolan Baynes, Director of Music Marketing for MTV2, to greet me in his office with a suit and tie. Instead, he was a welcoming and laid back Nolan who played videogames with a co-worker. My first thoughts were, “Wow, if I could get paid for chilling in my office and playing video games I want to work here, too.” But, later I found out that it was all for the job: They were selecting video games to market to their audiences.

Guyanese-born and Brooklyn-raised Nolan Baynes is a thirty-something year old hip-hop lover, former rapper, a family and businessman. His office is filled with photographs of his family, friends, and one huge beautiful signed poster of India Arie. Inspired by his multi-cultured Flatbush, Brooklyn neighborhood, music was always a part of Nolan’s life. His dad owned a record store in addition to two turntables at home. “I loved the whole concept of writing and creating. Music and all of the creative stuff attracted me,” he explains about venturing into the entertainment industry. At 17, Nolan was accidentally placed in a television program during his junior year in high school; he transformed that opportunity into an internship at Sleeping Bag Records leading to a career in entertainment. Read on and find out more about this MTV shot caller.

On the job: “My job is to make sure that MTV is still connected to music, off channel. If you are consuming music in record stores or at live shows I have to make sure that MTV is still there in someway, shape, or form. If tomorrow, the music trend changes and the new place to hear hot music is on the subway – I will be there and I will have some kind of MTV subway going on. I organize music tours, concerts, and festivals such as The Two Dollar Bill Concert Series, Pimp My Ride Tour, Sisters for Hip-Hop and Soul, TRL Tour.”

On a typical work day: “I may meet with a representative from a record label saying, ‘hey we have a new Fat Joe project, it’s off the hook, if your doing anything tour wise we want you to think of Joe.’

School Vs. The Real World: “In high school, I was exposed to the creative process. We were writing shows and shooting. I had no idea on how complex and intense the business of TV was. For me, television business was a cameraman or an editor. When I got to MTV though as a production assistant, that’s when I really saw how intense the business of it is.”

Behind The Scenes: “You don’t necessarily have to be Carson Daly to work in TV; there are so many more important positions for getting the actual show done. From producers, writers, advertising sales, and distribution to production, there are people on every single level making that machine roll.”

Showing Responsibility: “If I see a video that’s bananas, I have the right to go to the programming department and say, this is really wack, yall really gotta’ check that. It may not be in my job specs, but that’s my duty.”

Pro’s and Con’s of the Gig: “The best part is that MTV is a non-traditional corporate environment. I can just come in rocking a t-shirt and jeans if I wanted to. It’s a creative environment so they allow you to act as such. I can come up with the craziest concept and have the freedom to make it work. The worst part about it is that its not mine, I don’t own it regardless of all the sweat and pressure and the creative ideas that I come up with on a daily basis. But, this gives me the fuel to one day, work towards owning my own MTV. I don’t really have anything to complain about. I’m on the pinnacle of my business; for music TV it doesn’t get any bigger from where I am. Its like playing basketball, and I’m on the Heat right now.”

Get an internship: “They expose you to the inner workings of a company and convince you to investigate an area that you never thought about.”