On September 9, 2009, Morrow police were called to the Cracker Barrel Restaurant on Southlake Plaza Drive at 7:30 p.m. It was reported that a woman had been savagely beaten by a man, 6′2″, 215 pounds.

Her seven-year-old daughter had chosen the Cracker Barrel Restaurant as a place for them to go and have a nice meal, but as most of us now know, they never even had a chance to sit down.

Edmund Burke once said, “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing!”

Anthony ‘Spark Plug’ Thomas, a local motivational speaker, and publisher of People You Need to Know, decided to do something and launch what he calls a day of Joy & Pampering for the mother and daughter. After hearing about this in the media, he believed that the metro Atlanta business community would want to do something collectively to reach out to Ms. Hill and her young daughter, who was also traumatized.

So, he contacted several local businesses and most were eager to donate their services because they wanted to show, especially the daughter, that she still lives in a world where strangers care.

Ms. Shamone Green, sales manager at MTI Limo & Shuttle Services didn’t hesitate to donate two days of limousine transportation for Ms. Hill and her daughter as well as offer additional assistance. Sweet Success Salon volunteered to style their hair, and Mary Kay Beauty Consultant, Atrice Baker will give the mother a complimentary facial and make-over. Spa Sydell in Buckhead donated a manicure and pedicure for them and the Atlanta Marriott Marquis has given them a night of luxurious accommodations at their hotel.

The Fernbank Museum of Natural History is giving them tickets to their IMAX® Theatre as well as two free passes to the Museum. Houston’s Midtown restaurant on Peachtree is providing complimentary lunch or dinner for the mother and daughter. Additionally, the Midtown Mediterranean Diner is offering breakfast, lunch or dinner. Mr. Patel with Bruster’s Real Ice Cream in Morrow, Georgia, is giving them a gift card for free ice cream.

Spark Plug says, “I’m getting tired of seeing crimes being committed against women in our country and around the world. They give birth to us all and spend most of their time nurturing us in our formative years, literally holding up the world without getting the credit they so richly deserve. As men, we need to do a better job of protecting them and not hurting them. Without women, where would this world be?”

“I hope this day of Joy & Pampering gives Ms. Hill and her daughter something more positive to focus on for a long time.”

Aurelia Flores founded PowerfulLatinas.com in 2007 as a company that would gather together Latina women to learn from and share with one another. In particular, she was interested in successful Latina women who have overcome obstacles to provide inspiration to others and remind them that anything is possible.

PowerfulLatinas.com launched its first project, an interview series, to compile a storehouse of wisdom from Latinas who have reached successful peaks in their lives. The project is an exciting one and geared to provide inspiration, personal growth and motivation for Latinas and others nationwide.

The goal is to motivate and inspire women – young, old, and everything in between– to learn from others’ life lessons.

Her own life story being one of inspiration, Aurelia understands what it means to overcome obstacles. After becoming pregnant at 15, she graduated from high school a year early and went immediately to college where she received her B.A. in Sociology. She received her law degree from Stanford Law School and then was awarded a post-graduate Fulbright Fellowship to study in Mexico City.

Aurelia has been practicing corporate law for the past ten years, first at a prominent law firm and now for a Fortune 300 company where she specializes in intellectual property.

As a young woman, Aurelia personally found a lack of positive role models in her life. The scope of possibilities and opportunities that were known to her was very narrow.

During the course of her own academic and professional life she found the lack of guidance and experience a hindrance to her at various points in her life. She believes it would have been great to have had role models to look up to.

Aurelia wants to offer a learning opportunity to other women who might find themselves in similar shoes. She strongly believes women can learn from other women, no matter where they are in their career or life path.

Aurelia volunteers for various non-profit organizations, and sits on the Board of the San Diego Museum of Art. She is a proud mother and her son now attends Georgetown University.

Tune in below to listen to Ms. Aurelia Flores. She will be sharing some benefits about her life-changing organization, PowerfulLatinas.com. Her office can be reached at (858) 569-0710.

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What do you call a woman who owns the world records (women’s T44 classification) in the 100m, 200m and 400m dashes and runs her own non-profit organization for people with physical disabilities? U.S. Paralympian April Holmes. Tune in to hear her live; 7/31/09 9:00 am EST on our new Grow Through It & Lead inspirational/motivational radio show.

Since her career in Paralympic track & field began in 2002, Holmes has continued to succeed, improving each and every step of the way. Her latest feats include breaking her own world records in the 100m and 200m dashes at the 2006 U.S. Paralympics Track & Field National Championships in Atlanta, GA. She then led a strong US delegation to the IPC World Championships in Assen, Netherlands where she excited the crowd with commanding gold winning performances in the 100 and 200 meter races.

It wasn’t until 2001 when Holmes was involved in a train accident that resulted in the loss her left leg below the knee. While she lay in her hospital bed, a doctor told her about the Paralympic Games and a new goal was firmly implanted in her mind.

Off the track, Holmes runs the April Holmes Foundation, a non-profit organization tasked with assisting people with physical and developmental disabilities in every day life. Having recently completed her MBA in Marketing, Holmes plans to use her education to improve the awareness of persons with disabilities while eventually testing her entrepreneurial skills in event planning.

For over 20 years, Melana Plains has assisted many people from all walks of life in overcoming their fears and has helped them learn how to love themselves ~ body, mind and spirit.

As a ‘voice’ for the organic evolution of our human expression, she has committed her life to sharing the powerful, healing truth of loving yourself with the world.

A lover of love, Melana is driven and destined to understand everything and all things related to this powerful and magnificent energy called love. Melana says, “I love human beings more than I can bear most times, and yet, it is that very love that touches my heart and moves my feet to continue on this path of healing and sharing love with the world.”

A spiritual leader and ‘keeper of the flame’ for The Path: A Journey Into the Light, a belief system and structure that teaches and supports the truth about love, from self-love to unconditional love for all human beings, Melana is dedicated to helping people understand how loving their body impacts their total health, mind, body and spirit.

Loving yourself will definitely give your entire life a brand new meaning and set your feet on a path which will open new doors and provide more opportunities for you to grow.

Tune in an be inspired by her insightful and heartfelt interview.

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Yesterday, I happened to see an inspirational and uplifting interview on my local PBS station about Mr. Bob Williamson, a man who reminded me about the triumph of the human spirit. Mr. Williamson is the Founder/Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Horizon Software International, LLC in Atlanta. You can read his powerful story here.

Not too long ago, on the north side of town, unlike Mr. Williamson, a businessman lost all hope. This young, once very successful developer, who could no longer deal with the downturn in the real estate market, went into an empty home in one of his struggling, brand new, subdivisions and sadly, he took his own life.

Without a doubt, these are trying times for many, and I’m sure you have your own stories about those who have lost hope. I know that people are suffering emotionally, financially, and psychologically. There are multitudes coming back from the war who are dealing with severe physical and even mental challenges, which are wreaking havoc upon their lives and the lives of their families.

These are issues that cannot and will not be resolved with an inspirational band-aid. The pain is real, the stress is real, and my heart goes out to those who are dealing with so much disappointment.

If there’s someone who will comfort you during your time of loss and hardship, you’re very fortunate. If you have friends and family members who will love and encourage you regardless of what you own, what you drive or where you shop, you’re rich indeed.

Just remember, you are strong and you are resilient, just as those who came before us were. You can make it through anything that comes your way. And most of all, you must always believe in the triumph of the human spirit, knowing deep in your heart that you have what it takes to still prevail.

September 11th will mark six months of blogging for me and I have enjoyed every single minute. I hope you have gained some inspiration and insight from many of my posts which highlight some of the People You Need to Know in metro Atlanta. I know how powerful images can be so I’ve tried my best to give our professionals the representation they richly deserve.

I’ll be taking the next few days off to reflect and ponder which direction I’ll be moving this “labor of love”…from this point.

Thus far, every blog I’ve encountered has offered something which I have been able to take with me and some have even added a whole new dimension to my life. A few of them which have given me some inspiration and motivation along the way are…

• Atniz
• She Lives
• ShAe-ShAe’s Blog
• Black Tennis Pro’s
• Random Ramblings
• Black Woman Thinks
• Health Nut Wannabee Mom
• From A Little Yellow House In England…

You have all made this journey educational, inspirational, entertaining and enjoyable.

Thanks to the tens of thousands of people from the U.S. as well as those from all around the world, including Japan, China, United Kingdom, Bulgaria, France, Israel, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, The Russian Federation, Switzerland, Sweden, Nigeria, and many others…I am humbled that you stopped by, read my posts, listened to audios or left comments. I hope to hear from you all again during my next six-month sprint.

Peace…I’ll be back soon,

- Jacqueline

Though born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, through coaching and planning for an exciting career, Donna moved to New York City in 1985. She is a graduate of the New York Society for the Deaf School in New York City and the Interpreter Training Program at the College of Staten Island.

Working on Wall Street for 13 years, climbing the corporate ladder from her job as a secretary, Donna eventually moved her way up to Citigroup’s Vice President position in Compliance. But after experiencing 9/11 firsthand, nervously fumbling down 36 flights of stairs in the dark, witnessing the second plane crash into the second tower and watching people jump out of the tower windows, she knew her life would never be the same.

“It was too much to comprehend; New York City was like a huge crematory. The unforgettable smell of death lingered for over a year,” Donna recalls. Seeking more balance in her life, she decided to move to Cobb County in Atlanta in October 2005.

As a top realtor with Metro Brokers GMAC/Real Estate, Donna says, “Putting my clients first includes keeping myself accessible, being an excellent listener as well as a fine communicator, and responding quickly to their needs. In addition, there are qualities that go into being an outstanding real estate professional; integrity, in-depth community and market awareness, marketing savvy, effective negotiation skills and a high-quality professional network, all of which are hallmarks of how I work.”

Duplicating the same success she had in New York as a realtor, Donna provides premier service to executives, athletes, business owners, investors, as well as people who are looking to buy their first home. Donna specializes in Elegant Homes, Investment Properties, New Homes and Commercial Sales.

She uses her intrepid negotiation skills to represent both buyers and sellers. Being a woman who knows how to get things done, Donna was chosen out of hundreds of real estate candidates nationally to be in RISMedia Magazine as this year’s crop of 50 Realtors on the Rise who reflect a sizeable showing of quality and premier service to their clients.

When not assisting clients, Donna enjoys reading, traveling, entertaining, hiking with her two dogs and volunteering for a worthy cause.

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Lisa Nicole Cloud, CEO of Elite Marketing Strategies, has greatly influenced the industry of Direct Sales and Professional Networking. She received her undergraduate education in Atlanta, Georgia, at Emory University where she was a Psychology/Pre-med major. She did her graduate work at Johns Hopkins University and successfully completed their prestigious Leadership Development Program.

Over the last several years, Lisa has conducted several hundred high-energy leadership speeches and sales seminars throughout the US and abroad in which she impacted and trained thousands of representatives in areas of Direct Sales, Personal Development and Professional Networking. She has provided consulting services in the area of Marketing Strategy development and implementation and Organizational development for companies in various business sectors such as Healthcare, Sports Entertainment, Information Systems, Pharmaceuticals, and Telecommunications, just to name a few.

Don’t let her small stature fool you, Lisa is a Little Dynamo. Dynamic, Captivating, Charismatic, Passionate, and Genuine, are often terms that have been used to describe her.

Lisa’s mission in life is to help people identify their God given talents so they can do more, be more, achieve more and impact their community in a positive way. She motivates and inspires her audiences by consistently bringing real life experiences to her presentations and trainings. Lisa shows audiences the power of dreams and reveals the simple keys to turning them into realities. Her message is simple, “Your Attitude in Life, determines your Altitude in life” - period.

Listen to Lisa’s inspirational interview and discover how she became a woman of purpose, passion and vision!

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Genetically, a person who comes from a family where most have lived to old age is also likely to enjoy longevity. This genetic heritage can also determine the aspects of good health such as a healthy heart, healthy brain, good circulation, good eyesight and hearing.

Even people who do not come from a heritage of longevity can live to old age if they look after themselves and avoid the risk factors that cause poor physical and mental health, thus accelerating the aging process. Following a healthy diet, regular exercise, drinking in moderation, cutting out smoking, and following safe practices can all help to increase potential life span.

As we age, there are certain processes which cannot be avoided. This is particularly so of cell aging. As our body cells age, we are more likely to contract certain conditions because of the decline in strength and resistance to infection. Our bodies also begin to show signs of ‘wear and tear’. The skin loses its elasticity, thus resulting in the wrinkling we associate with old age.

As our body’s cells wear out, they are replaced by a process of cell division. The only cells which don’t replicate are those in the brain which cease to divide after birth.

It has been a philosophy that if you look after your body, particularly your body cells, then anti-aging should be smooth sailing. How? By nutrition - a balanced diet with associated exercise. The right and optimum balance of antioxidants and minerals daily is a great start.

Anti-aging health shouldn’t be something you decide is a good idea when it’s too late. Your body cells are constantly bombarded by those little attack armies called free radicals and if left unchecked, without the daily optimum replenishment of antioxidants and minerals, over time, they will kick-start a degeneration process that more often than not, can’t be reversed.

The good news is that this process usually occurs over an extended period of time. Antioxidants, like little body commandos, will seek out these free radicals and neutralize them. But, you need to keep them coming on a daily basis.

Healthy body cells means you are one step ahead of the anti-aging health game. So set the pace, and make sure you don’t slip back and become another aging statistic.

Contributing Writer: Dr. Nedra Dodds - a top anti-aging physician in metro Atlanta, and president of Opulence Aesthetic Medicine. For newspaper, radio or television interviews, contact People You Need to Know at atlanta.mecca@gmail.com.

When we first started this inspirational blog, our goal was to proudly salute successful business owners and professionals in metro Atlanta, by highlighting their achievements via interviews, audio introductions, biographical information and colorful ads.

After 100 posts, we’re still honored to salute people like Dr. Danielle Wilson, developer of Kissable toothpaste. She has already gone above and beyond, in serving her community and leaving a legacy.

Dr. Danielle Wilson’s achievements have been great, yet she has remained humble. Born in Queens, New York, Dr. Wilson knew she wanted to become a dentist at the age of six years old. She says, “I was always interested in science and helping other people. I persevered and it became a reality for me.”

Dr. Wilson received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees in physics from Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland. She also graduated from the University of Maryland Dental School. In addition, she spent 10 months studying in New Zealand at the University of Waikato, as a Fulbright Scholar. On becoming a Fulbright Scholar, she reflects, “It was very competitive. We had to have a certain grade point average, write an essay, choose a country we’d like to visit and then compete with all the other students who were interested in that particular country.”

“I wrote my essay on a topic pertaining to science education,” she recalls. Her scholastic achievements and award-winning essay won her an opportunity to study at the University of Waikato. Dr. Wilson’s educational excellence didn’t stop there; she also received a NASA Fellowship to attend Morgan State University.

As a volunteer, Dr. Wilson lived for three weeks on an Indian Reservation making dentures for Native Americans. She has also provided dental screenings via a Colgate van for children who otherwise would not receive proper dental care. This diverse experience has helped her connect with her patients even more.

Dr. Wilson decided to move to Atlanta because she had heard it was the land of opportunity - where people could come and be successful. As far as she is concerned, all that she heard has definitely been true.

After being unhappy with the brand of toothpaste she was providing in her practice, Dr. Wilson decided to develop her own. Her popular, flavorful and successful new line of toothpaste is called, Kissable. It contains healthy ingredients, which promote a bright smile, fresh breath and healthy gums.

Her advice to women in business is,“Stay focused on your ultimate goal.” She continued, “There will always be others who will try to sidetrack you. You must stay focused.”

For newspaper, radio or television interviews, contact People You Need to Know at atlanta.mecca@gmail.com.

Our vision at The P3 Group is that…”Every woman lives a life of power, passion and dreams come true.” Our mission is to reach 1,000,000 women to nurture their spiritual, emotional and physical selves by enhancing their personal and professional lives. - Lisa Thomas

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We often get on our little treadmill of life, wrap ourselves up in some of our miniature problems, and forget how big the world really is.

Well, it’s BIG! And problems never come to last, they come to pass. The beautiful thing about our BIG world is that it’s never stagnant, but always flowing with power and unlimited possibilities. Sometimes, in order for us to move forward, we’ve got to take a step back and reflect…

“This life is yours. Take the power to choose what you want to do and do it well. Take the power to love what you want in life and love it honestly. Take the power to walk in the forest and be a part of nature. Take the power to make your life happy.” - Susan Polis Schutz

In these uncertain times, people need hope for a better day. And even though we may be facing some challenges right now, we must embrace them as gifts that are given to us for our growth.

In this book, “The Spark Plug” encourages us to not only go through our challenges, but to GROW through them - molding character, and developing skills along the way so that when the storm is over, we are in a position to LEAD.

To take a peek inside this book, click here.

Lisa Nicole Cloud took time out of her busy schedule to share her inspirational journey with us.

Growing up with her mother, she learned what it takes to stay in the race and what to do when the market changes, seemingly overnight.

Lisa is the CEO of Elite Marketing Strategies. Her drive, tenacity and entrepreneurial spirit will definitely inspire you to make yourself your best investment, reach higher, and dream bigger dreams!

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Losing her mother at 28 years old was the lowest point in Dr. Danielle Wilson’s life. She shares her story of hope and inspiration that gives others the courage to continue to dream and achieve their goals.

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As a top Realtor with Metro Brokers GMAC Realty in metro Atlanta, Donna N. Hogan says, “Putting my clients first includes keeping myself accessible, being an excellent listener as well as a fine communicator, and responding quickly to their needs.” Listen as Donna shares her inspirational journey with us. Look for her on the cover of the 2008 issue of People You Need to Know! Still have questions about real estate? Give Ms. Hogan a call. (404) 787-6599.

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Hear the inspiring and uplifting story of our celebrated, community-minded Atlanta Attorney, Donald P. Edwards, a native of Buffalo, New York. He has been faithful to the Atlanta community for 35 years. Attorney Edwards’ commitment has been recognized with many awards and citations for leadership and service including the 2004 Inductee to the Gate City Bar Association’s “Hall of Fame”. He was recently re-elected as Chair of the Fulton County Board of Ethics. This is his third consecutive year as Chairperson. The Fulton County Board of Ethics is charged with the responsibility to enforce the Fulton County Code of Ethics as it applies to the work and duties of Fulton County officers and employees.

A graduate of Morehouse College and Boston University School of Law, we’re honored to share his personal story of family, dedication and success with you.

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Dr. Nedra Dodds is in the business of connecting body and soul. She is the owner and Medical Director of Opulence Aesthetic Medicine. As one of the most well-respected physicians in cosmetic aesthetic enhancements, specializing in ethnically-focused body contouring, she believes “Health is your first wealth.” Not only is Dr. Dodds gifted with talent, beauty, intelligence, and creativity, she also has a warm and genuine personality. Be inspired as you listen to her personal story of success.

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