Erika Nicole Kendall, founder of Black Girls' Guide to Weight Loss

• Blog: Black Girl’s Guide to Weight Loss
• Niche: Health/Wellness
• Founder: Erika Nicole Kendall
• Twitter: @bgg2wl

Lately, the Web has been abuzz with conversation surrounding the health issues facing African American women caused in part by obesity and lack of exercise. Erika Nicole Kendall has been a catalyst in those conversations since losing a significant amount of weight and taking control of her health.  She is now empowering others to do the same via her award-winning blog, Black Girls’ Guide to Weight Loss.

What started out as a chronicle of Kendall’s weight loss goals, has blossomed into a destination spot for healthy lifestyle inspiration. Her candid and sincere personality has resonated with readers and in 2011 she won three Black Weblog Awards. BGG2WL has also been featured in such notable media outlets as Essence, Huffington Post, Woman’s Day and Yahoo! Health. For her contributions to Web and mission of promoting healthy living for women of color, BlackEnterprise.com recognizes Kendall as part of Black Blogger Month.

I started blogging…

Simply as a way of keeping me accountable for the things I’d learned in my journey. At that time, I’d lost about 90 pounds, and I had a fear of backsliding into the habits that caused me to be over 300lbs in the first place. I figured, if I’d blog about it, I could never tell myself that I didn’t “know” something. It’s like, “Yeah, not only did you know it, but you wrote a thousand words about it. Stop playing yourself.”

It’s important to have a mentor because…

I’m a firm believer in having a guide and a mentor in everything I do in life. It just helps to have people who’ve been there in your corner supporting you coming through the way they have. That being said, when it comes to blogging I have to show love to Patrice [Yursik], founder of Afrobella, who has shown me immense love, support and guidance in regards to growing my blog and becoming more streamlined in my daily operations.

BGG2WL stands out from others in my space because…

My blog [chronicles] my successes, my failures, my emotional epiphanies; the battles I’ve fought against my old self and how I’ve won them. It’s something that a lot of Black women can relate to. It’s helpful for women because it helps them navigate this new space of focusing on themselves instead of everyone and everything else around them. And, although their problems are not my problems, it’s helpful to hear how someone else is coming through. It reminds you that “coming through” is possible.

The biggest mistake I ever made in business was…

Waiting so late to monetize my site. Blogging—writing in general, really—is such a time consuming thing. So, if you’re genuinely putting out quality content, you shouldn’t be afraid to be compensated for your time.

What I learned from that mistake was…

To do my best to partner up with ad networks which reflect my principles as well as value the integrity of my site and my person as much as I do. If you run a sports site, don’t join a beauty network. Not only will it annoy your readers, you also won’t make any money.

You also have to make sure that if you stand for something, make sure that the way in which you monetize your site doesn’t compromise your integrity. If I’m constantly blogging about the perils of processed food; do my readers want to see a Kraft ad at the top of my site? Probably not.

Click here to continue reading…

Networking is important in the digital space because…

Networking is how you find out just how far you can take “this blogging thing.” If you go from your blog to a book to a TV show, it’s highly likely that someone you’ve met along the way will be the one to help you get there or realize you should go for it.

The best piece of business advice I ever got was…

Use what you’ve got, to get what you want. Don’t compromise your person, which is the one thing that sets you apart as a blogger, in the hopes that you’ll benefit financially from it. You’d be changing the one reason your readers consistently come to you. Stay true to who you are and find ways to make money with that.

How I measure success is…

By the amount of media outlets reaching out to me. It’s one thing to have an amazing bunch of readers. It’s another thing to have someone who thinks a spotlight should be shone on you.

If I wasn’t blogging today I’d probably be…

Going back to school to get my Ph.D. in ethnomusicology. Music history is my first love. I kind of just accidentally fell into the fitness arena.

My advice for anyone who wants to follow in my footsteps is…

Go into this because this is what you believe in, and never stray from your original goal. Keeping your focus will attract more people than you would if you simply followed every trend you could get your hands on or took every opportunity that came your way.

It’s important for women of color to be healthy because…

So often, we find ourselves as the heads of our households; we are ones passing down our unfiltered habits to our children. If you’ve got an emotional eating habit, you’re probably passing the idea of coping with stress through food to your children. If you eat when you’re bored, you’re teaching your child that this is how you handle boredom. If you’re a couch potato, you’re teaching your children that this is acceptable. People are always wondering how to “fix childhood obesity,” but I’ve always said that if you change the parents’ habits, you change the children by default.

The biggest misconception about being healthy is…

That it’s simply being skinny or that being healthy can be measured by your dress size. Now, mind you, there are extremes on either side, but what we fail to acknowledge is that there’s this glorious middle ground where many of us can rest comfortably in a non-size 4 dress and a clean bill of health… but if you just want to look different, ain’t nothing wrong with that either.

The most common excuse I hear is people don’t have…

Time. As someone who used to spend a good six-to-eight hours in an uncomfortable salon and at least three-to-four hours each evening watching my favorite TV shows, I’m familiar with the idea “we make time for what we want.” When you want it bad enough, very little else will matter.

Be sure to check out the rest of the digital thought leaders as they’re revealed each day by logging on to BlackEnterprise.com/BlackBloggerMonth.

Yoli Ouiya of Yoli's Green Living (Image: Xavier Veal)

• Blog: Yoli’s Green Living
• Niche: Green/Eco-Friendly
• Founder: Yoli Ouiya
• Twitter: @YoliOuiya

Ask green living blogger, Yoli Ouiya what her ultimate career goal is and she’ll say,  “To be the Queen of Green.”  Well, she is certainly on her way to donning the crown as her blog, Yoli’s Green Living, provides thousands of monthly visitors tips and discounts on all things eco, including nutrition, food, fitness and fashion.

Ouiya is determined to debunk the common belief that living a green and healthy lifestyle is complicated and expensive. Her expertise is in demand as she speaks at various green/wellness events, hosts weekly women’s health Twitter chats (#wmnhealth) and records regular podcasts.  Along with fielding numerous brand ambassador opportunities each year she is also a board member of the New York Coalition for Healthy School Food.

After speaking with Ouiya about her knowledge of green and healthy living, it’s clear her passion and blogging savvy made her a perfect choice for BlackEnterprise.com’s second annual Black Blogger Month.

I started blogging because…

As a woman, I found expressing myself in a digital medium empowering. I started a digital magazine around 2005 focused on fashion, sample sales, and upcoming designers because I wanted to talk about clothes and share my enthusiasm for paying less for more. The website ended two years later, after accepting it was a full-time job to maintain and I didn’t have the time. In 2009, I started my initial site discussing healthy eating and green living. My goal was to show people that healthy living and eating is not expensive if you know how to shop and make simple adjustments.

Yoli’s Green Living stands is unique because…

Initially, living green and being health and wellness-oriented appeared to be intimidating, expensive, complicated, for “tree-huggers” and generally foreign to me. Through trial and error, I’ve found ways of making it convenient, cost effective and achievable at every income level.

My site provides market insights, accessibility and knowledge of brands, events and people who have integrity in the space. From a sustainable and environmentally responsible perspective, I focus on aspects of everyday living including seasonal and local eating, shopping at farmers markets, producing home remedies, travel and technology.

People trust my brand because…

I’ve been steadily growing in this capacity for over a decade. I’m constantly looking for ways to make living green easier. Between Twitter, Facebook and my site, I share daily insights as they come to me and provide leading research from other trusted sources.

The best piece of business advice I ever got was…

Have an exit plan. If you don’t plan the death of your business, a competitor will. [My good friend] Jamal Lucas told me that. He’s the person that’s always there to remind me of what I promised myself I need to have.

The biggest mistake I ever made in business was…

Not starting [the blog] earlier. Don’t procrastinate on making personal and professional improvements. There is always a time and space to grow from and into.

Click here to continue reading and to watch Ouiya’s video interview…

Networking in the digital space is…

Extremely important. You are whom you associate with.

The biggest lesson I learned about branding in the digital space was…

Organic growth leads to sustainable rewards.

I measure success by…

The amount of time I spend everyday doing exactly what I want to do moment to moment.

None of my success would be possible if not for…

Committing to being honest with myself and surrounding myself with people who are honest with me. I’m an artist; I have to work from inspiration.

My passion for healthy living comes from…

My grandparents, who passed away way too early from preventable conditions and diseases. I want to have healthy children and be a healthy grandparent, if the opportunity presents itself.

The biggest misconception about being green is…

That it isn’t worth the initial investment in time and expense.

The secret to making a green lifestyle easy is…

Remembering the benefits of being careful and the repercussions of being careless. Don’t be afraid to embrace seemingly small changes—going for a walk, not overeating and getting proper rest—all have long-term benefits.

In business you should never be afraid to…

Ask for what I’m worth.

If you weren’t in the digital space today I’d probably be…

Figuring out how to get into the digital space, which I love. I still review technology [trends] and design my own materials. I’ve also designed for Erykah Badu, Wu Tang, and other companies.

Next on the horizon for me is…

Finishing a series of green living books with Karama Horne of Savvy Brown Blog, as well as producing green events and expanding my podcast series.

My advice for anyone who wants to follow in my footsteps is…

Find your passion, surround yourself with honest people who will challenge your authenticity and put yourself into the world. The Internet is global. The possibilities are endless.

Be sure to check out the rest of the digital thought leaders as they’re revealed each day by logging on to BlackEnterprise.com/BlackBloggerMonth.

Watch below as Ouiya reveals the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of Yoli’s Green Living’s’ success.

Video shot and edited by Brain Food Film. Shot on location at the 40/40 Club New York.

In a neighborhood where bodegas and fast-food spots are mainstays, the author of New American Table is proud to have assisted in establishing a farmer’s market in his historic community. The movement has gone beyond the confines of the community and spread virally through Samuelsson’s food culture website Food Republic and MarcusSamuelsson.com, as well as his social media platforms. The Harlem resident’s social media footprint is sizzling—his verified Twitter account boasts over 51,000 followers; Facebook fan page has nearly 35,000 likes and he engages with a YouTube audience of 127,340 on MarcusCooksTV.

Samuelsson advises those looking to further their brand via social media to focus on quality, not quantity; in addition, to familiarize themselves with the space. “Know your space. Own that one space and be really, really good at it,” advises the Chopped judge. “The people will come to you. Today it’s not a matter of [the] people who are going to come to you, it’s a matter of how you draw them in.”

The Chopped: All Stars winner is set to draw a crowd, taking the stage at the 2012 Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference + Expo hosted by Nationwide on May 24 at 12:30pm. The exclusive one-on-one conversation with Black Enterprise’s Sonia Alleyne is happening at the Hilton Chicago Hotel in Chicago, IL.

Follow the hashtag #BEEC2012 on Twitter for the latest updates on conference speakers and sessions. Expect innovative sessions, high-powered speakers, and an early peek at the products, trends, and services you’ll need to stay ahead of the curve. To register and find out more, visitwww.blackenterprise.com/ec/

Don't let your fear of this guy get you killed.

Cancer. The word alone is enough to strike fear. For men, the words “prostate cancer” are even more frightening. Yes, you can die from prostate cancer. But the thought of surviving it and facing incontinence and erectile dysfunction can be even scarier than death. And that’s not to mention the anxieties associated with treatment options, cures that often seem worse than the disease, including strength sapping radiation or nerve-threatening surgery.

This is why Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett’s announcement last Tuesday that he’d been diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer (which followed a similar announcement from actor Ryan O’Neal) was such big news. It’s also why Buffett made the effort to reassure his company’s shareholders that his condition was “not remotely life-threatening.” There is nothing like fear when it comes to shaking up the financial markets. And while it is natural to feel and acknowledge such fears, it’s critical for both the health of those markets and, more important, the fight to treat and survive the disease, to not be ruled by fear.

These are not mere hypothetical musings for me. I am a prostate cancer survivor. With April now designated as National Minority Health Month by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m here to tell you that the ability of prostate cancer to kill you depends largely on whether you allow fear to keep you from acting to protect yourself.

The most important words to focus on in Buffett’s announcement are “early stage.” These words are the difference between prostate cancer being a survivable, though serious, condition or a life-threatening, quality-of-life destroying health crisis. And that’s why it’s important that we address and stand up to our fears about prostate cancer, especially us Black men. Our fear keeps too many of us from catching the disease in its early stages. Fear of doctors. Fear of digital rectal exams, where doctors literally feel for signs of an enlarged or misshapen prostate gland. Fear of prostate specific antigen (PSA) tests and what they might reveal. Fear of how the mere thought of erectile dysfunction might jinx our mojo in bed. Even fear of the lifestyle changes—including diet, exercise and medication—that preventing, fighting or recovering from prostate cancer might require.

If prostate cancer is a murderous home invasion, fear is what allows the disease to bypass security systems to break in and terrorize us. When it comes to my health, I decided 20 years ago that the time to deal with a home invasion is before it takes place, not once it’s inside. I was 32, when I decided to reject my lifelong fear and distrust of doctors and commit to finding a personal physician and getting annual physical exams. My turning point: an episode of a television news magazine show following the lives of three men who suffered disability, the collapse of a small business, bankruptcy and premature death by simply avoiding doctor visits as if they were the plague. All it took was one look at my two older daughters (ages 9 and 3 at the time) and my infant son, and the story of one of the subjects of the TV program who sentenced himself to death from a totally treatable disease, who would never see his children graduate from college, get married or give him grandchildren. Within two weeks, I found a physician, Dr. Bruce Yaffe, and scheduled my first annual physical since high school.

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My commitment to getting my blood tested for prostate specific antigens was key to catching prostate cancer at an early stage. (Image: Thinkstock)

My newfound commitment to taking personal responsibility for my health was as serious as a heart attack. When the subject of blood tests came up, I told my doctor to “give me every test available, including a pregnancy test.” That included the PSA test, even though conventional wisdom was that men didn’t need to begin getting PSA tests until age 50, and even Black men, who are at higher risk, could wait to age 40. Fortunately, my doctor granted my request (which is why he’s still my doctor today), testing for my PSA levels every year since.

Nearly 18 years later, that decision would be the key to saving my life. I was 49 when my PSA levels, which had been stable for more than 15 years, had a small uptick, just as it did with Buffett. That led to me to see a specialist, urologist Dr. Jonathan Vapnek, who conducted additional PSA tests, and ultimately a biopsy, that confirmed that I had early-stage prostate cancer. Discovering the disease at such an early stage gave me a number of advantages, the main one being the luxury of time. Instead of having to choose a treatment option in panic and desperation, I could afford to start with a strategy of “watchful waiting,” monitoring my condition with quarterly PSA tests for a year while I explored and considered treatment options. With the recommendation of Dr. Vapnek, I ultimately chose to have my prostate removed via robotic prostatectomy, performed by Dr. David Samadi, the world-renowned surgeon who developed the Samadi Modified Advanced Robotic Technique (SMART), which, among other advantages, spares the nerves critical to continence and healthy sexual function (both are at greater risk with both traditional surgery and radiation). Had my prostate cancer gone undetected until a later stage, or if I did not have the time to explore treatment alternatives, this option might not have been open to me.

I knew that as a Black man, my prostate cancer risk was increased. (It’s not lost on me that Buffet is more than 30 years older than I was when I was diagnosed.) I also knew that genetics and family history are major risk factors. However, I knew next to nothing about my family health history. My father was not a part of my life growing up and my maternal grandfather died when I was an infant. I’ve since learned that my father, now in his late 70s, is a prostate cancer survivor, as was his father, who lived to the age of 98 before succumbing to the disease. My doctor—who has always credited my passion for exercise, fitness, vitamin supplementation and nutrition with protecting me from disease—once bluntly told me that when it comes to prostate cancer, the question is not “if,” but “when.” His directness was further motivation to stay vigilant as I got older.

It is important to note that I have never experienced any of the symptoms—enlarged prostate, difficulty with urination, erectile dysfunction—commonly associated with prostate cancer, either before or since my surgery more than a year ago. (In fact, today it often seems as if my prostate cancer diagnosis and surgery never happened.) To wait for prostate cancer to announce its presence via symptoms, instead of seeking it out via early and regular digital rectal exams and PSA tests, and other means as they become available, is literally playing Russian roulette. As each of my doctors told me, if you wait until you’ve got symptoms, you’ve waited too long.

Men, make an annual physical non-negotiable. If you’re over the age of 30, make annual PSA tests a part of your preventive health regimen, not because you’re likely to get prostate cancer that early (you’re not), but because the sooner you can establish a baseline for your PSA levels, the easier it will be to detect a threat if it inexplicably spikes. Prostate cancer can be a deadly killer—all the more reason not to turn your back on it. The earlier you engage this invader, the more power you have to repel it before it can kill you or damage your quality of life.

In his book “An XL Life” popular West Coast radio host ‘Big Boy’ shares his experience after receiving duodenal switch surgery. This weight loss surgery changed his life completely starting with a drop in weight of about 250 pounds. Delve into the struggles that he faced after the surgery and how he was able to overcome while still living a BIG life without the size.

An XL Life is among the first works published by Cash Money Content; the publishing company started in 2011 by Cash Money Record founders Bryan “Birdman” Williams and Ronald “Slim” Williams.

For your chance to win an autographed copy of An XL Life visit our BE Rewarded site now!

Nestled among depressing updates

In a new study published in the big-deal American Journal of Public Health, UNC Chapel Hill professor and researcher Wizdom Powell Hammond, Ph.D. found that brothers who openly discuss their everyday struggles with racial discrimination are less likely to suffer depression than those who keep their feelings inside.

This is no small thing given that suicide is the third most common cause of death for Black boys and men ages 15 to 24 and that Black men are five times more likely to kill themselves than Black women. And note that these stats don’t include less dramatic forms of self-destruction like skipping preventative health screenings.

To get into the minds of Black men, Hammond and her team surveyed nearly 700 Black men ages 18 and up, mostly at high-traffic barbershops in four regions throughout the country. To ensure full and attentive participation, survey-takers received a $25 gift certificate toward a free cut. Genius.

Here, Hammond, who is also a White House Fellow, explains why her study deals with everyday racism, how fantasies of the strong silent type can be soul-killing for Black men, and what Black women can do to help our brothers and lovers fend off depression.—Written for Ebony.com by Akiba Solomon

Continue reading at Ebony.com

A team of researchers from the University of Rochester, the University of Essex, England, and the University of California in Santa Barbara will publish the result of their study on the role parenting and sexual orientation play in homophobic attitudes, hostility toward homosexuals, and the endorsement of anti-gay policies in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Essentially what they found, through a series of psychological tests, is people who hold same sex attractions, though they self identify as heterosexual, and grew up in households with controlling parents that frowned upon homosexuality are more inclined to be resentful or bigoted towards gay and lesbian people.

As the lead author of the study, Netta Weinstein of University of Essex, explained to Science Daily, “Individuals who identify as straight but in psychological tests show a strong attraction to the same sex may be threatened by gays and lesbians because homosexuals remind them of similar tendencies within themselves.” It’s a form of self-hate projected on others.

This comes as no surprise to those attuned to the struggle for equal rights in the LBGT community.—Written by Mychal Denzel Smith for Ebony.com

Read more at Ebony.com

On your mark, get set... (Image: Thinkstock) Black Enterprise magazine and UnitedHealthcare are working together to promote and encourage healthy habits among BE readers. We’re looking for businesses that truly take good health to heart.

Submit your story to our Healthy Challenge Contest. Tell us how you and your employees are creating or maintaining an environment of wellness in the workplace. Submit your story now through May 28, 2012 at

www.uhctogether.com/behealthy. Readers will have a chance to vote online starting June 1.

The story with the most votes wins the grand prize: complimentary travel and registration to the 2013 Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference next May. Plus, the winning company will be featured in a UnitedHealthacre ad appearing in the November 2012 edition of Black Enterprise.

UnitedHealthcare’s Generations of Wellness® provides innovative tools and resources to help your employees live healthier lives. Submit your story today at www.uhctogether.com/behealthy!

New research presented Sunday shows that black women are at a higher risk of contracting and dying from cervical cancer than white women. In addition, the study revealed black women have a much harder time getting rid of HPV than their white counterparts, according to researchers at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. All 326 white and 113 black students were given Pap tests and HPV exams every six months throughout their years in school.

Until now, many doctors thought less access to screenings and follow-up health care were the reasons why there was such a racial disparity in surviving the disease. However, the study involving young college-age women suggests that the reason might be biological.

If additional research supporting this finding is revealed, it would make the HPV vaccine even more important for black women, said prevention specialist at the National Cancer Institute Worta McCaskill-Stevens. The vaccine is recommended for all girls starting at age 11.

The study was presented at an American Association for Cancer Research conference in Chicago.