It may be true that certain things get better for every generation. Right after I graduated from high school, the school got interactive white boards. Then, once I finished at UC Berkeley, the University broke ground on a new athletic facility. And now, kids (not to date myself) are fully equipped with laptops, iPhones and iPads. The recent increase in access to digital mediums is revolutionizing the way children learn.

Which brings me to, Arynetta Floyzelle Northcutt and her company, Girl Team Mobile. A Graduate of Hampton University, she pursued many interests after college, but truly fell in love with writing. In 2008, Northcutt came up with the idea for Big Hair, a children’s story that would explore one girl, Effie’s,  journey with her hair and self acceptance. Northcutt quickly partnered up with Illustrator Shawnte Hicks and together, they developed the pictures for her story. Faced with the expensive costs of self-publishing and eager to make the material easily accessible,  Big Hair was subsequently published for iOS platforms. The story gives children the option to read alone or be read to. As a by-product of this, she  founded Girl Team Mobile with the intention of creating empowering educational tools for girls. Northcutt is still a proponent of actually getting your hands on a cold, hard book, but sees the benefits of reaching the younger generation through digital means!

Thankfully, I got the chance to ask her a few questions…

Let me first say, this is incredible! How did your journey with Effie begin?  

Thank you!  I was actually at Barnes and Noble Cafe at the Grove treating myself to a latte and perusing books when I saw a beautiful little girl with what appeared to be her mother.  The little girl appeared to be multi-cultural.  In a flash a poem came to me about a little girl who is not comfortable with her hair because it’s different from her friends.  I pulled out a little yellow notepad and started writing, and in an hour I had the girl’s entire journey to loving that which makes her different.  That’s how my main character, ‘Effie’, and the Big Hair story was born.  

Growing up, I never had books with characters that looked like me.  I’m convinced that reading something like BIG HAIR  would have helped me develop a stronger sense of self. Was this your intent?

 Definitely.  I wanted to encourage African-American and multi-cultural girls to love their hair and start a movement of kids embracing that which makes them different.  I have no doubt that girls will relate to Effie; she’s such a fun, fabulous and inquisitive protagonist.  It is my goal that Big Hair entertains and uplifts as it educates.  

In writing Big Hair I remembered so many things about my own hair that used to frustrate me growing up.  I guess in many ways Big Hair pays homage to my younger self.  The funny thing is that at the same time I wrote Big Hair, I was transitioning away from getting relaxers (the creamy crack… it took me awhile to break it!  But that’s another blog post…) so many of the frustrations that Effie was going through in the book, I was experiencing again in re-learning the natural texture of my hair!  Relaxed or natural, the hair journey is certainly a personal one… in this sense I hope adult woman relate to the story of Effie, and that Big Hair encourages them to embrace their own individual fabulousness as well. 

How did your partnership with illustrator, Shawnte Hicks begin and who in the group had immediate knowledge of the digital world?

I met Shawnte at Melrose Trading Post.  She was displaying some of her incredible art work, and it pulled me in.  We struck up a conversation and I got her card.  She ended up donating a few pieces of art to some fundraisers I was involved with.  A year later, after I knew I wanted to turn my poem into a children’s book, Shawnte was the first artist that came to mind to bring Effie to life.  I was researching publishers to submit Big Hair to, and had learned that publishing houses preferred writers submit only text when wanting to contribute to picture books.  Though I wanted to be published, I so believed in Shawnte’s art, that I followed my gut and hired her to illustrate Big Hair.  

Because Shawnte is an artist and graphic designer, she had more knowledge of the digital world than I originally had, but we were both virgins when it came to iOS (Apple’s Mobile Operating System).  

 Thankfully, I found fabulous programmers. The team at Tien Wah Press, based out of Singapore, held my hand through the entire process.    

The biggest obstacle to starting a new business is often capital. Was this ever an issue for you and what was your game plan from the start?

Big Hair happened very organically, when one thing didn’t work, staying open-minded led to something that worked better.  When I learned publishers preferred to match authors with their own illustrators, immediately I thought, ‘well, let’s try self-publishing and get Big Hair out that way’.  When self-publishing was proving to be expensive, and I learned the printing house I was using had an e-book publishing department (responsible for iOS, Android, Nook, iBook, etc.) I said, ‘alright, let’s see about this’.  

That being said, one thing I did allow myself was time.  Big Hair was an entirely cash flow operation, and I let everyone I was working with know upfront that I preferred a payment plan option.  Things took their time… the poem was written in 2008, illustrations began in 2009, iOS programming started spring of 2011, and the Big Hair App was released November 16th. So, it was a three year plus journey… but step by step the Big Hair App was born.

The most crucial part to starting a new business is developing a mission statement, how did this evolve once you and Shawnte partnered?

With Big Hair I had the simple mission statement of ‘encouraging multi-cultural and African-American girls to love their hair, and to embolden all children to embrace diversity.’

Shawnte was on board and things took off from there!

What’s awesome about the Digital Platform is that it is world-wide.  That distribution has taken my mission global.  Big Hair has sold in Singapore, Russia, the U.K and I’m excited for it to continue to sell internationally.  Kids all over the world are experiencing and learning from Effie, which is a dream come true for me.

I imagine that BIG HAIR is only the beginning. What other stories do you have in the pipeline?

The idea of writing stories which entertain kids while they learn about diversity so motivated me, that I started Girl Team Mobile, an App Development Studio and Independent Publishing House whose goal is to educate while encouraging positive values, exploring diversity and inspiring confidence. 

In 2012 Big Hair will be available in hardcopy form.  Also, in 2012 Girl Team Mobile will release two new children’s e-book apps.  

What would you say to parents who are wary about introducing their children to the digital space?

Digital technology is so amazing and inspiring.  Introducing the interactive element into the storytelling process allows kids to participate in the learning experience which is awesome.  

That being said, I love hardcopy books, and don’t feel that they are going anywhere.  I think there is a place for both, but the Digital Space is the future.

What’s one piece of advice for those interested in being published?

Write, write, and write some more.  When you are happy with what you’ve written, go for it.  With mobile devices like Nook, iBooks, Kindle and Sony, the writer doesn’t have to wait for a publishing house to say ‘okay’ to get their stories out there.  Just make sure that it is your best, and something you would be proud for anybody to see.  Once you self-publish in the digital realm, it’s out there for every and anyone in the world to rate and review!

What are you thankful for?

I’m thankful for the opportunities to work toward and realize dreams.  Life is just so precious and can change at any moment, and to be with and share with those we love and support each other in living full, creative lives is an extraordinary blessing.  

Arynetta could have said, it’s too expensive to get published, or given in to the fact that she didn’t know about the iOS platform, but all of these potential obstacles were little more than speed bumps for her. Very cool!

If you or anyone you know has small children that may be interested in reading BIG HAIR…

You may purchase: HERE in the iTunes App Store!

Thank you Arynetta!

I hope that everyone runs into something or someone inspiring today!

~Thankful

Happy Monday! It’s a great day, there’s a lot to be done, and thankfully it’s the beginning of a new week!

Plenty of people say that they’re going to write a novel, very few do. Pierce Minor, a fellow Berkeley Grad, has recently completed his supernatural young adult novel, Twistir. In an effort to self publish, Pierce has created a Kickstarter Page. His goal is to reach $5,000 by January 25th. Please take a moment to check out his page!

Twistir Kickstarter

Aside from Twistir, Pierce has a couple of other novels in the works. It’s amazing to see someone complete such an ambitious goal!

I hope everyone is enjoying the start to their week~

~Thankful

In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, I scoured the internet looking for declarations of thankfulness. Of course I came across the standard Facebook and Twitter postings, which, I was delighted to see. Unfortunately, the number of these posts has decreased greatly. I completely understand that one may find tweeting something everyday to be excessive. However, some people who posted really lovely comments on Thanksgiving Eve have now replaced these thoughts with complaints about the weather, the Kardashians, their co-workers and even something as small has having to make dinner! All of this aside, one of the most amazing posts I came across on Thanksgiving Eve was a video created by 31 Bits (posted below, please check it out!)

I couldn’t help but click this video and, after watching a number of Ugandan women describe what they were thankful for, I was intrigued to find out more about this company. At a very basic level, 31 Bits designs and sells jewelry – but the company’s mandate, development and impact runs much deeper than this.

31 Bits was formed after Co-Founder Kallie Dovel, spent a Summer in Uganda. She returned to the United States with several pieces of paper-beaded jewelry created by local Ugandan woman. Kallie’s friends in the States were instantly drawn to the pieces. Having recognized that the women designing this jewelry had no immediate access to a buyers, Kallie saw this as a great opportunity to seize her friend’s and family’s demand for this jewelry in a positive way. She and a group of friends developed a business that would introduce Ugandan jewelry makers to a market, and provide them with educational tools to  keep this market sustainable.

At 31 Bits’ 2008 start, they chose 6 Ugandan women as designers. Now, they have over 100, each of whom now make a living how they otherwise would not have been able. All profits generated by 31 Bits goes back into development and a portion is used to provide financial, vocational and English training for each of the program’s participants.

Their jewelry is available at a number of stores across the country. And, it’s nice to know that purchasing from them  promotes something that goes beyond pure consumerism!

Thankfully, I was able to ask 31 Bits Team Member Alli Swanson a few questions:

I know that 31 Bits began as a small start-up. How have your goals evolved after 3 full years of operation?

Our tag line here at 31 Bits is “Using Fashion and Design to Empower Women to Rise Above Poverty”, and while that is a broad statement, it is also a broad goal. As we’ve expanded both in Uganda and in the US, our goals continue to expand. Ultimately, we want the ladies in Uganda to thrive. We also want our product to continue to improve and evolve. We are a socially minded business, and we believe business is one of the most powerful and sustainable approaches to alleviate poverty. Our business approach/goal is centered on two main components: the consumer and the creator. We believe in providing a product that identifies with our market, consisting of high quality materials, detailed construction, and fashion-forward design. Our jewelry is constantly being refined and transformed with current trends, giving costumers the opportunity to continue supporting our women in Uganda. 

How do you select new designers?

As far as selecting new designers, it varies. A lot of times our current designers will tell us about women they know in their village, extended family members, and friends that are in need of an income. Sometimes women will come to our compound looking for work… whatever the case, we spend time interviewing them, visiting their village, and assessing their need.

Some of your designers have used their profit, and 31 Bits financial education to create their own businesses. What are some of these?

Here’s a link to one of our designers, Hellen’s, story of her most recent business opportunity: http://31bits.com/2011/10/hellens-business-opportunity/

Has 31 Bits thought of expanding to other areas where groups may not know how to maximize their assets and talents to generate sustainable income?

We have! Not only do we hope to expand our programs in Uganda, but apply similar development programs in other parts of the world. We have some exciting ideas/opportunities for this coming year… stay tuned! 

For those who want to get involved, the company welcomes Volunteers and even has a program for College Reps. Additionally, they’re holding  holiday parties to celebrate their designers. If you’re interested in contributing, purchasing jewelry, or finding out more information…

You can check out their website at: 31 Bits

Follow them on Twitter: 31 Bits Twitter

Thank you Alli and 31 Bits!

~Thankful

Enjoy the Video!

Thanksgiving may be over, you may be back to skipping dessert (I’m not!), but there are still many things to be thankful for!

For starters, HAR Jewelry will be part of an event called The Heist. The Heist will include work by a number of other artists, Suzi’s Jewel Garden, Anne Walker Studio, Swindia & Karina, and more! The event will be complete with live music, complementary drinks, hors d’oeuvre, gift bags filled with jewels (like the one pictured below) and most importantly, all proceeds will go to CURE Childhood Cancer. This is a great cause put on by great artists, plus– there are free drinks! Who can argue with that? If you’re in the Atlanta area, please stop by. If you’re interested in joining the prominent list of sponsors for The Heist, please contact: Swindia at (646) 919-9600.

Also check out a few new pieces from HAR Jewelry…

HAR Secret Giveaway: Show up and you could get this!

New HAR Bangles

New HAR Earrings

The Heist Details:

Where:

Lila Boutique at Brookhaven Town Center

705 Town Blvd

Suite R-410

Atlanta, GA 30319

When:

Saturday, December 3, 2011 from 6-9pm (ET)

RSVP: http://theheist.eventbrite.com/

~Thankful

I’m thankful for (get ready the list is long):

Friends, family, my health and theirs, another day, beautiful weather, inspiration, laughter, adversity, encouragement and the over 2,000 readers that have consumed and contributed to Thankful For a Million this month!

Thank you and I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

xo

~Thankful

Holidays are the best! Since tomorrow is a BIG day, I thought I’d share my thoughts on making the perfect thanksgiving dinner plate. The following goes for any size plate…

1/3 Stuffing

1/3 Mac and Cheese

1/3 Green Veggies

1/3 Turkey

1/3 Gravy

1/10 Yams (not a big fan, but I’m forced to take them)

Now, you may be saying to yourself… Brook, you can’t add. Untrue! The secret to this blueprint are the layers. Gravy goes on top of the stuffing, turkey goes on top of the green veggies and the yams… well…I try as hard as I can to keep them from touching anything.

Oh and I forgot to mention my favorite thing…

SPARKLING APPLE CIDER!!

Also, many of you will be filling out your holiday cards soon. When you do, please consider mailing one to recovering soldiers at the address below:
Holiday Mail For Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

These soldiers won’t be able to have a traditional dinner, or time with family, because they’re in the hospital healing. **Update Here are a few guidelines…

Card Guidelines:
Every card received will be screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes and then reviewed by Red Cross volunteers working around the country.
Please observe the following guidelines to ensure a quick reviewing process:

• All cards being sent in for 2011 Holiday Mail For Heroes program should be postmarked no later than Friday, December 9, 2011.
• Ensure that all cards are signed.
• Use generic salutations such as “Dear Service Member.” Cards addressed to specific individuals can not be delivered through this program.
• Only cards are being accepted. Do not send letters.
• Do not include email or home addresses on the cards, as the program is not meant to foster pen pal relationships.
• Do not include inserts of any kind, including photos, as these items will be removed during the reviewing process.
• We encourage participants to mail as many cards as they are comfortable sending. If you are mailing a large quantity, please bundle the cards and place them in large mailing envelopes or use a flat rate box from the post office. Each card does not need its own envelope, as cards will be removed from all envelopes before distribution.
• Please refrain from sending holiday cards with glitter. Many of these cards will be delivered to military and veterans medical facilities and the glitter could interfere with a patient’s recovery

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday, the company of family and friends, and the brief reprieve from worrying about eating healthy. Now it’s time to get our grub on, give back and be Thankful!

~Thankful

You know those rare moments when you’re truly inspired? Sometimes it happens after hearing a speech, sometimes it’s after a dream or even a failure, but whenever it happens, it’s an indescribable feeling. Last week I had the opportunity to attend the DGA’s Student Film Awards. On this particular evening, the DGA recognized outstanding Direction among African-American, Latino, Asian and Women filmmakers. I was there in support of a friend, Gerard McMurray, who was being awarded for his short, Battle Buddy. Unfortunately, I missed an earlier screening but Gerard was kind enough to extend an invitation to this one. Fortunately for me, I not only got the chance to see his wonderful film, I also got to see the work of 3 other awardees. They included: Fatakra (Dir. Soham Mehta), Contra El Mar (Dir. Richard Parkin) and Tsuyako (Dir. Mistuyo Miyazaki). Anyone that sat next to me can testify to that fact that I cried through some of the screenings. The stories were amazing and I left the auditorium re-inspired. I was bursting with energy and eager to create!

These moments don’t come along all the time and, when they do, no matter if you’re involved in the arts, medicine, social work, technology, education etc., they serve as an important source of revitalization. Inspirational moments are a little reminder that, whatever you’re doing, however challenging it may be, whatever doubts may linger in your mind, you are on the right path and must move forward because you are in love with what you do.

I hope that everyone is fortunate enough to have inspirational moments in their life as frequently as needed!

As I said before, I will be doing a special Thanksgiving Day post. I’ve received several contributions but welcome more!

I recently read a wonderful quote on a friend’s website:

“If you woke up tomorrow morning, with only the things you gave thanks for today, what would you have?”

~Thankful