After a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic, lifestyle retailer DTLR is set to make a grand comeback with its highly anticipated fashion show, the 2023 Fall Fashion Showcase: EXCEL. Taking place on Sunday, June 11, 2023, this promises to be a celebration of fashion, music, and the brand’s remarkable 40-year journey in the industry.
DTLR has established itself as a prominent player in the fashion world, and this year’s theme, “EXCEL,” reflects the brand’s continued success and growth. The emphasis on the letters “XL” signifies the transition into bigger and better things, while also paying homage to the milestone of forty years in the industry. Notably, “XL” is also the Roman numeral for forty, further emphasizing the significance of this anniversary.
As part of the 40th-anniversary celebrations, DTLR will incorporate rubies, the appropriate gemstone for this milestone, into the show. These rich red gems perfectly align with DTLR’s iconic company colors that have represented the brand throughout its illustrious history.
The 2023 Fall Fashion Showcase: EXCEL will captivate attendees with a series of scenes, each paying tribute to renowned brands and select trends that have made an indelible impact over the decades. NIKE, JORDAN, NEW BALANCE, JAVI, and GOORIN are among the brands that will be honored during the event. These brands have not only shaped the fashion industry, but have also become synonymous with style, innovation, and cultural influence.
We had the chance to speak with the DTLR executives Apprelle Norton who is the Region Vision Manager of the South, along with David Storey who serves as the District Manager in Northern Florida and Savannah. Listen to their full interview below.
“Do it Differently. Never Follow Someone else’s Path. Make your own. And Most of All, Do it all like no one else.”
– Mohd Imran
Serial entrepreneur, Mohd Imran, is the creator and CEO of BIZBoost and Btweeps, which has created meaningful and personalized Digital Media experiences, Globally, Human to Human, since 2009. Mohd, affectionately known as Imran, is also the Creator of BIZBoost Magazine & Co-Host and Creator of Digital Media Insights Podcast.
With 10+ Years of experience running a successful digital business, we had the opportunity to speak with him and get some insight on his entrepreneurial background, what drives him, and more.
Tell us how you got started in your field
Thank you for asking 🙂 I started my journey as a “Passion to Explore, Connect & Network” with people globally. It was 2009 when I started using Twitter, which soon became a never-ending path of exploration. I started investing my time in creating my own network of diverse communities where I gained a lot of knowledge, experience and exposure. I observed & embraced the core of Global Culture with the People who truly connect human to human. I loved the process inside out. Connecting the dots further on the path to progress, I created @BIZBoost as a Brand in 2010. When I started BIZBoost I knew it’s a Calling. It was THEN, & THIS is NOW, with over 11yrs of digital transformation constantly moving above & beyond.
What are some things you do to stay motivated as an entrepreneur?
What a great question!! It’s extremely important to stay motivated as a creator & innovator. The motivation doesn’t really come from anywhere outside, or else it would be just an influence from external forces. True Motivation comes from inside. To stay motivated, I track my daily flow & progress. Through this “Tracking” I manage to gain a better understanding about What’s Happening, What’s Coming & What’s Next! The ideal purpose of this ritual is to always stay consciously aware of the PRESENT. It’s a crucial part of everyday hustle. And when you have a better grip on your PRESENT, you can take a leap of faith anywhere UP.
Do you feel you are living out your purpose? Why?
Yes, Definitely! It’s a process practiced overtime. It’s always been in my base. Whatever i have to do, i ask myself if it has a connected “Purpose”, more often it must be meaningful, beyond my own realities & dimensions. When you have Purpose handy, you gain “Clarity” on your path, you gain the motivation to navigate your inner-drive in the most appropriate directions. In case you didn’t know, I’m a professional life purpose coach (https://book.emu.one) too. It’s rather easy for me because I have always worked on my purpose like a daily ritual. It’s my breather for everything I do in life. Being a creator is kind of a responsibility, because it’s not about me. I’m Process-Oriented & Purpose-Driven. I strongly believe in “Being of Service, Serving my Being.”
Since creating your first business in 2009 you’ve created two additional businesses, one in 2016 and one in 2021. What in your first business inspired you to build on your impact? What sparked these new ideas?
Wow, That’s deep!! LEVEL UP!! That’s what it is all about. Constant & Never ending improvements. All of these developments & gear ups are Fueled by Purpose & Passion to Create Meaningful & Personalized Digital Media Growth Experiences for Everyone, Globally, Human to Human. While Creating BIZBoost as a Brand, Business, Platform & Solution in the early years of my ventures, I truly made sure this was LIMITLESS with INFINITE Possibilities & Opportunities to branch out, EXPAND & SCALE UP. That CORE THRILLS my creative soul everyday, channels my motivation & puts me on this purpose driven path to keep on keeping on…
With your target content being entertainment, media, business, fashion, tech, and events, what area of content do you desire to see more of in your magazine?
I would like to see more of Art, Films, Health & Fitness, Meaningful Brands & Music. Each genre of content has its own value & place to connect with our global audience. We accept & embrace diversity of content with global standards.
What does your everyday work schedule consist of?
REAL-TIME Digital Media Remote Life.. 😉 A decent part of our flow goes into Brand Management, Targeting & Managing the Audience, Executing Growth Management Ops, Creating Predictable Growth Strategies for What’s Next, Social Listening, Content Flow & Analysis of What’s Happening. Everyday is a new story with everything evolving constantly. The Digital Media Industry moves pretty fast and it’s our responsibility to take care of it, be on top of things and on top of our minds. We have to keep up with What’s happening on different layers of the Internet to align & contribute to make it a better place to be. We work with multiple time zones so there is no FIXED time or routine of operations. Part of our job is to stay flexible, that includes staying connected even after dark 0000am. I’ve done meetings @ 0400am my time, so no worries 😉 No Clock work. Just art work. For the People.
How did you decide how you wanted to market yourself within your business?
We observed the digital media industry and created our own unique ways to market ourselves meaningfully. We don’t exactly promote or market ourselves. Most brands & businesses believe in “Aggressive Marketing” where they Practice & Preach to “Dominate the Market”. We are completely opposite of that. Instead we create brand stories & personalized digital media experiences to showcase in front of the world. Our Purpose of Existence is to Educate, Enlighten, Empower, Entertain and it is through these explorations, the people we work with and the digital journey to get there that takes shape in the things we Create and Embrace! Connecting you with your Ideal Audience, 1:1, Human to Human.
What advice would you give someone going into this field?
I would encourage them to take a leap of faith, create something awesome for themselves & for everyone. Digital Media is all about Creating Great Experience for the Viewers, Fans & Consumers. People don’t buy products or services, they buy great experiences. If you can tap into this art, you got something awesome for everyone since you stay flexible & create something new every time. Go for Community over Competition.
When starting this business, did you create an end goal? Have you reached this goal? How did you ensure it’d be achieved?
First, I’m not Goal-Oriented. In place of that, I have my “Vision” & “Targets” to achieve, where both evolve at each Level up, since it demands a fresh new approach at each step. And there is no end to it, just evolution.
Yes, I did reach most of my targets which I envisioned a few years back. It was all just a dream, which has been manifested in these diverse realities & with creative souls I’m connected with. It’s not just business to me, it’s what I love to do. I stood Consistent, Disciplined & Dedicated to make good things happen. My journey has always been about Creating and Building platforms for the People, Powered by Purpose & Passion.
Are there any upcoming business plans/ideas that you would like to share?
BIZBoost as a Platform, BTweeps as a Tool (for Twitter), & BeingEMU as a Growth Companion. That’s PRESENT.
Now What’s Next: Consider these as Self-Affirmations that I plan to execute my new podcast shows DMI (Digital Media Insights) & LIDS (Lost in Digital Space). I started these just as a pilot project. I believe & confirm that these shows are going to represent the true core of BIZBoost ventures & the digital media industry soon.
Another Self-Affirmation i would like to add is about BIZBoost Talks LIVE sessions that we are conducting through BIZBoost Magazine ventures, for the people. It has just begun & we are already killin’ it!!
Lastly, as an avid writer and aspiring author, I affirm that I’m going to release a book on Life Purpose, including Thesis on Life, titled as /root which will come right off my everyday journals. I have an abundance of content that is ready to guide, direct, motivate & lift everyone!
What piece of advice would you leave for aspiring and current entrepreneurs?
For Aspiring Entrepreneurs, I would say, “Do it Differently. Never Follow Someone else’s Path. Make your own. And Most of All, Do it all like no one else.”
For Current Entrepreneurs, I would say, “You guys make the world go around, & upside down. BRAVO!! Never stop creating. You got this! Let’s connect sometime.”
“Some of us want to see the whole plan before we take one step. Just in faith, take a step. Move in that direction. Don’t be scared, just step on out.”
With the release of his new book ”Off The Grid: The Journey Back to Destiny,” Kwame Kilpatrick proves that, your past doesn’t determine your future. After serving more than seven years in prison before his release in January 2021, former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is determined not to let his past mistakes define him. Along with his wife Laticia, whom he credits for being his rock through hard times, they have started a new ministry and other ventures to inspire others.
Listen to our full interview with Kwame and Laticia Kilpatrick below. Interviewed by Yimara McCartney-Ross
Television personality, Comedian, and now Author Kiana Dancie, wants women and men around the world to know the power of releasing the baggage of your past and moving forward with your life. Having experienced her own share of trauma and setbacks, the “Bye Bye Bags” author knows the power of letting go of what was, and focusing on the what is. Listen to our full interview with her below, as she discussed all this and more.
About Kiana
Having always been the life of the party with a dynamic personality with a glowing smile, The Kiana Dancie has shared several dynamic and colorful life experiences on her sold out “Single in the City” comedy tour across the country. She is a powerhouse comedian, speaker, media personality, actress & entrepreneur on and off stage. Kiana was featured on the hit TV ONE show “Whose Got Jokes? with Bill Bellamy where she destroyed the stage. She starred on Bounce TV’s second season of “Off the Chain” where the host, Rodney Perry introduced her as a beast! She’s a former co-host of TV ONE’s nationally syndicated talk show, “Sister Circle Live.” After taping an amazing set on Kevin Hart LOL stage at the Montreal Comedy Festival, she was casted in two movies: “One Crazy Christmas” a BET & SHOWTIME Feature and “SEXTUPLETS” with Maron Wayans for Netflix. Her new book “Bye Bags Bags – Laughing To Lighten The Load” discusses healing yourself whole, is now available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Deeply Rooted 07′ Clothing is a conscious based clothing line, founded by Chicago, IL native Monique Atkins, while she was still in college at Jackson State University. Throughout the years, the company has evolved from just an online website, to its own flagship store loated in Chicago.The company also just signed on Tik Tok influencer Hxllywood, as their brand ambassador, to help tell the Deeply Rooted story and impact the masses. We did an exclusive interview with Monique to learn more about the company and the new collection just released, in our December 2021 magazine issue.
“When you’re an entrepreneur, you really have to be able to get out there and hustle, and recognize that every second of your day has to go towards building your business”
– Ivan Thomas
Over the last decade, Ivan Thomas has emerged as a powerful force within business, lifestyle and entertainment, elevating the public images of celebrities and big companies, as well as catapulting unknown entrepreneurs from obscurity into the spotlight.
He is often found on a red carpet somewhere, or at a TV or radio station with a client. However, the Atlanta-based celebrity publicist and rising mogul, known as “Mr. Defy Gravity”, or simply “Ivan the Great”, has now taken his talents into another lane – as an international motivational speaker, and author of the book Defy Gravity: Unleashing Your Greatness Within.
We recently spoke with Ivan to learn more about his muliple business ventures, and and how he is helping other people to Defy Gravity
“As a descendant of Native Americans, I just am so aware of how denigrated and how diminished and how devalued Native American culture is, in this society. The legacy of my history as a descendant of Native Americans, is another part of why I really wanted to bring MasterPeace to the forefront. No matter where you study Native American culture or history, you will see that they for the most part, were very peaceful people, They fought to protect themselves and they fight for their culture.”
-Iyanla Vanzant
For the past few years, New York Times bestselling author and spiritual life coach, Iyanla Vanzant, has been continuing her late daughters legacy, of crafting all natural body products that impact the mind, body and soul. As a new addition to the MasterPeace Body Therapy LIne, she introduces her Luxury Bath Bars, which all come with an affirmation from the spiritual coach herself. With ingredients such as shea butter, purifyingcharcoal, and natural botanical extracts, these luxury body bars are said to “help you clear away toxic energy and help restore your body to balance.”
The entire MasterPeace Body Therapy line consists of body washes, body butters and scrubs, that are are made with pure plant extracts and natural mineral ingredients. These products, along with the new Luxuxy Bath Bars are sure to help you take your self care and bathing routines to a new level. When asked about her own defintion of self-care, Vanzant stated, “Self care, to me is the conscious awareness of Mind Body Spirit, moment to moment to moment to moment to moment, and then taking the actions or engaging in the practices that support you, and having the highest energetic vibration possible.”
About Iyanla: Iyanla Vanzant is the premier African American teacher, writer and speaker, on the subjects of spirituality, personal development and loving relationships. The author of 15 titles, which include five New York Times best sellers, Iyanla has touched the minds and hearts of more than 8 million readers in 23 languages. She is also the founder and Executive Director of the Inner Visions Institute for Spiritual Development conducts workshops and classes around the United States, throughout Africa and the United Kingdom sharing her brand of practical spiritual and personal growth tools and skills.
As the relationship expert, spiritual healer and star of the #1 rated OWN show and three-time NAACP award winning, Iyanla, Fix My Life, she has helped countless individuals and families on their paths to healing. Authoring books and producing television is not all that Iyanla has been able to master or accomplish. She is also a master herbalist—a craft she learned from her Native American grandmother. It is this gift and knowledge that she relied on to create and launch, MasterPeace, her line of exquisite bath and body products.
“I made myself beautiful on social media because I didn’t feel beautiful. I wanted people to call me beautiful, so that it could start to reflect to me that hey, you are beautiful. It was something that I was doing for my own personal subconscious. But when that didn’t work, I said, okay, beautiful isn’t working, because I still don’t feel beautiful. I’m still not achieving the goals. So I changed my name to Bawse Lady” – Sharmeeka “Bawse Lady” Brooks.
From the streets of Philadelphia all the way to Miami, FL, serial entrepreneur Sharmeeka “Bawse Lady” Brooks, is proof that it doesn’t matter how many times you fail, but how you pick yourself up and keep going. We spoke with Sharmeeka to learn more about her journey and how she was able to overcome low self-esteem and poverty, to building her million dollar empire, full of confidence and gratitude.
Listen to the full interview below. Follow her on Instagram @bawselady_
David M. Walker, ESQ is a Detroit native who never imagined his life would be what it is today. Not only is he an entrepreneur, but he is also small business attorney. Working exclusively with start-up and small business owners to help them establish businesses, he has a passion for equipping entrepreneurs with the tools that are needed to establish capital and assert themselves in the modern business world.
Through his hard work and drive, he has had a burning passion to work with entrepreneurs since 1998. This is what he had to say during an interview on Historically Black Since, “Before I became a business attorney, I graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan. David is also the owner of Positivity Alkaline Water. He stated “Ever since I walked into my first bottled water plant, I have been on a mission to build an efficient bottled water production and recycling facility for black communities.”
You can never have enough facts, but there are five secret tips every business owner should know when they are first starting out :
Tip 1 :Shift your mindset from employee to business owner
3-8% people Americans get their money solely from their business. Meaning they don’t get a check from anyone or anything else , but their business. There is risk involved in it. You have to take risks to be a business owner. Most people don’t know about the stats. People know about many things that don’t have to do much with business. You have to think differently. You can’t think the same way you did as an employee, while being a business owner. You have to always be thinking of innovative ways to bring more money into the business , and not always worried about have them expenses. Focus on driving more revenue into the business, and let the expenses fall where they may
Tip 2: Learn how to manage your time
As an entrepreneur you are in control of your time. Although it may seem easier said then done, what many people fail to realize is that managing your time as an entrepreneur can be harder then when working for someone else. As an entrepreneur, starting off, it can take you 12 to 16 hours per day to generate money, and get your business going how you need it, versus being an employee and only working for 8 hours. You may find you are constantly working overtime to bring money into the business. You don’t have weekends, holidays, or a a set time when you are off. Being an entrepreneur is a 24/7 lifestyle.
Tip 3: Focus on your strengths and Hire your weakness
As a a business owner, you can’t do everything on your own. Just because you know how to do something doesn’t mean you should. Focus only on your strengths and income generating activities. Don’t be afraid to delegate.
Tip 4: Networking
Spend more time around other business owners to help grow your business. Don’t be afraid to meet new people, but pick with who and where you allocate a lot of your time
Tip 5: Securing Money
There will come a point in your business where you will want to seek outside funding. You will have to get more money, whether it be from investors, the bank, or friends and family. This can easily be achieved if you can answer the following four questions.
• What do you do?
• Why are you good at it?
• How much money do you need?
• What does an investor get for it?
If you can answer all these questions, and you can gather money from anyone and from any source. Trigger the greed factor. Be prepared to answer all the questions that an investor is going to ask.
To Learn more about Attorney David M. Walker, ESQ visit: http://davidmwalkeresq.com/
To learn more about StarWalker Industries visit the link below
Born and raised in New Jersey, Ifueko Igbinovia was determined to compose a platform that assisted creatives in being organic and allows them to embrace their eccentricity. Commencing her YouTube channel in March 2018 as a innovatie content creator, Ifueko wanted her message of individuality to be apparent through her platform. Previously, Ifueko worked for Universal Motown Records where she ventured into the entertainment world studying public relations for a vast quantity of celebrities. While at Universal, Ifueko converted into a radio personality for Clubzone FM.
Ifueko has interviewed vast celebrities Yemi Alade, Jim Jones, celebrity stylist Ty Hunter, Safaree, Mack Wilds, Musiq SoulChild, NBA Player Eric Williams, Love & Hip hop Mariah Lynn, rapper Maino, actor River Mason Eromosele, Safaree of Love & Hip Hop, among others. As a seasoned celebrity publicist and journalist she began acquiring her own clients and thriving in brand and media building. Ifueko builds solid influential relationships through the entertainment industry. Being completely transparent and relatable she built her viewership through her talent. Ifueko’s background sets the tone for who she is today and with her eccentric and witty personality.
We had the pleasure of speaking with Ifueko about her new journey as a Youtuber and talk show host. Listen to the full interview below
