OnPointt.com ! I HEADLINES II I Celebrating Movers And Shakers

To be successful in your city, in your town, as a Business Owner, it is beneficial to be true to your niche. With every fiber you have going for yourself, you need to be FOCUSED on your clients, advertisers, supporters, the community and your line of business. Stay abreast of trends, technology, and competitors. When it comes to the community, make sure you give back in a way that will help people. Give from the heart, anything less will show. Integrity is key. Deliver on the services you provide, communication should always be clear, concise and keep it Professional. You and your business are one.

Supporters, and adversaries will always watch to see what it is you are doing.

KEYS TO SURVIVAL
Not everyone is going to support your business, not everyone is not going to say 'yes' to being your client or advertise with you. Once you know this, you won't feel those negative feelings of disappointment when you hear the word 'no'. Every business is not for everyone. When you have mastered rejection, you will go far. It won't stagnate you. You will move forward and that is what it is all about. Whether you are in business for yourself or for another, ONPOINTT ONLINE MAGAZINE CELEBRATES YOU. Continue to be that Professional Mover And Shaker.

*BE SHOWCASED HERE AT ONPOINTT.COM! We INVOLVE you in the showcase process.
*Select your favorite music for your showcase and remember, we welcome your input!
*If you know of someone who would like to be showcased at HEADLINES, contact us today!

Elena Feliciano is a native New Yorker born May 26, 1964. OnPointt Online Magazine featured some of Feliciano's work at our Fashion Feature 'Nnude Online'. Feliciano has been painting since childhood. Raised on the lower east side of Manhattan she was inspired by the music and fashions of the 70's and 80's. As her love of art continued from childhood to young adulthood, Elena Feliciano attended New York's FAMED FASHION INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (FIT), studying fashion design & illustration.

Not to be contained, Feliciano left FIT to paint FULL-TIME. Painting whatever she felt gave her a sense of complete freedom and control. Artist can relate to this because there is no beauty in an 'Artist Contained'. An artist must be able to express themselves completely. Having the need to express herself in as many ways as the human has emotions, Elena Feliciano refuses to be recognized by one particular style. Who would want to be expressed in such a way? Certainly not Feliciano.

There arer no forgone conclusions regarding this artist.
You will find her art to take those same unpredictable turns.
Art Imitates Life, Life Imitates Art...

Elena Feliciano continues today with self-education in the studies of different techniques in mixed mediums. One must never stop learning, growing, and soaring!
Feliciano's work sells Internationally, including a large array of subjects including florals, animals, landscapes and portraits in different styles such as abstract, impressionist, surrealism and much more.

We are proud to showcase some of the beautiful works of the artist, Elena Feliciano.

QUOTE: We are not born knowing how to live, as we are born with the gifted ability in learning how to. ~ELENA FELICIANO

Robin Shakir is an 'artist' in every sense of the word. Tragic artist? Hardly! Trailblazer? Totally!
Photographer, Poet, Writer, Visionary is Robin. HEADLINES PRESENTS... Robin 'Bird' Shakir!
Robin is our friend whom we met at MYSPACE. She is doing positive things in the Charlotte Community. Empowering Women, presenting workshops, much needed in the QC!
Although our Publisher was unable to make the last event as a speaker, whatever we can do to make sure this positive flow continues, we will do just that! Enjoy the interview!
LOCATION: CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

-The Bio Begins...
Robin was born and raised in middle classed Queens New York. She is the middle child of educated parents, and she is a proud army brat exposed to many cultures. Shakir attended great schools (grade school to college). In her own words regarding her parents;

"My sisters and I were pushed to be great!"

"I was married with one child by the age of twenty-five. When I turned twenty-seven,
my family moved to Fort Washington Maryland." "This is where I continued to pursue my dreams of becoming a registered nurse."

THE WINDS OF CHANGE BLOWS...
"I wanted to become a dollmaker!" "I would stand on the highways, sold my dolls and the revenue I produced was enough to buy my first new car!" "When I turned thirty, I was divorcee' with two children. Entreprenuership was no longer a dream, a want, but a need."

OP: WOULD YOU SAY YOU WERE REBELLIOUS?
SHAKIR: I was rebellious, a feminist at an early age.

At the age of forty-two, Shakir moved to Charlotte North Carolina. It was here that she began her journey with the Lord. "Two lucrative jobs were taken from me, and I was shown the gifts, I always had. The ability to write and envision beauty." "For the past eight months I have financially sustained my family as a photographer/writer. The need to give back, pay it forward, each one teach one became a reality. My goal has been such ever since."

WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT WORKSHOP
Publisher, BL Davis accepted the invitation to be one of many speakers at the Women's Empowerment Workshop in Charlotte August 2008 ( see Chic Charlotte Feature for info ).

OP goes one on one with the founder of this event, Robin Shakir.
OP: What type of response have you received overall for the Women's Empowerment Workshop? Overall responses have been as follows: We have thus far 15 motivational speakers, several musical artist, thirty vendors from all over the country and many poets.
The responses have been great. We have reached out to over three thousand women.

OP: Who will be some of the persons contributing to this great event? OnPointt.com, GoldVault1021Ž Talk Show, Creative Loafing, Charlotte Observer, SOTAC Magazine, Talkofnc.com, Goodpeoples.com, Diamond and Pearls Entertainment, DV8 Charlotte,
Clear Channel and more. The number of contributors increase daily.

OP: What are the long term plans for this Women's Empowerment Workshop?
To grow, to become a well rounded organization. This is a stepping stone for bigger things to come. The Women's Empowerment Showcase will bring women together, and importantly bring forth the body, spirit and power of all female enterprenuers. This type of showcase can encourage women to become mentors and leaders. This type of encouragement will affect many persons in a positive way.

OP: What is your take on women today in terms of knowing their worth? We are so busy caring for our families, putting our families first that sometimes self worth is lost. The need to be valued is third or fourth on some of our list. If we can teach ourselves to increase the value we have placed on ourselves as women, we can almost guarantee that women of the future will have their value in place.

What do you think are the first steps to inspire our young women of today, who get caught up in the videos, the porn, men, drugs and media hype that causes many to devalue themselves? First increase their confidence level, second give them small goals which are obtainable, praise, encourage them, teach by example, support thier dreams and monitor their youth.

When you are on downtime, how do you unwind? I write my poetry.

What advice can you give those wanting to do their part as an advocate for positive change but still holding it down a regular job, raising a family etc.? Encourage a child, young lady, woman or a senior because positive change is never too late. Try your dreams, live your dreams, even if it's small scale.