Retiree Fulfills Business Dreams, Owns 17 Beauty Salons in Walmart
by Nancy E Williams

March 15, 2022

Retiree Fulfills Business Dreams, Owns 17 Beauty Salons in Walmart

Steve Ojeshina worked for 28 years in the automotive industry. In1989 he started at Nissan and moved to General Motors in 1995. While working as a mechanical engineer, Ojeshina lived all over the world in places like Japan, China, and Australia. Upon returning to the U.S. in 2004, Ojeshina settled in Michigan and worked for 13 more years until retiring in 2017.

Like many retired Americans, Ojeshina decided to move to South Florida and quickly became bored. Ojeshina wanted to do more with his life. When he was younger, he dreamed of owning his own business to impact the lives of others and pass it down to his children. With that idea in mind, Ojeshina explored franchising. He opened his first SmartStyle franchise in 2018, which quickly grew to 17 locations by 2019.

“I have a total of 17 beauty salons; they are all located inside Walmart,” Ojeshina told BLACK ENTERPRISE.

Ojeshina at his first StretchLab location in Wesely Chapel, FL

“I took over the first six salons in April 2018, and I expanded by acquiring 11 more salons in September 2019. The Franchisor is Regis Corporation,” Ojeshina shared.

“Our locations are in the Tampa and Orlando markets and have good cash flow and revenues.”

The Power of the Franchise Model

Ojeshina was drawn to franchising and SmartStyle because it is an established business with a great reputation, excellent customer base, good brand awareness, and excellent management support.

“Franchises are proven concepts with most, if not all, their systems in place. In the case of SmartStyle, I had the freedom and ability to run the business as if it was an independent business with little to no restrictions—which was very attractive to me.”

With his success at SmartStyle, Ojeshina decided to diversify and invest in a different industry. He felt a strong passion for helping others live happy and healthy lifestyles. Ojeshina opened his first StretchLab Studio franchise in Wesley Chapel in November 2021. He opened a second location in March 2022. His third location is scheduled to open in July 2022 in Tampa, followed by two more. While there are several boutique fitness franchise opportunities, Ojeshina chose a one-on-one assisted stretching franchise because he saw it as a fresh wellness concept that didn’t exist in his community.

Generational Wealth

Ojeshina plans to pass his businesses to his son, daughter, and grandchildren. His advice for prospective business owners is to pick a business they love and are very passionate about, have a purpose and drive to help others, and be sure to research the viability of your chosen industry. Ojeshina also advises business owners to pay very close attention to profit and loss statements like revenue, expenses, and cash flow (which is your bottom line). He says it is important to create robust business and financial plans that include funding, marketing, and advertising funds.

“Study the local, state, and federal regulations, and if you’re investing in an established franchise, visit several locations in your area and talk with current owners to seek knowledge and advice.”

Steve Ojeshina: Multi-Unit Franchise Owner

“Starting my own businesses has been an excellent way to pursue my dreams of becoming an entrepreneur while passing my legacy —  skills, work ethics, knowledge, wisdom, and businesses to the next generation. It also keeps my mind active by learning new ideas from other businessmen and businesswomen that I am very fortunate to interact with. It helps to fulfill my social life.”

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

March 15, 2022

Colin Kaepernick Heads to Twitter to Recruit Receivers to Work Out With to Enhance Chances to Return to NFL

Former and aspiring NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick has not given up on his dream of becoming a player in the NFL once again.

The activist, who has been absent from the league for the last six years, took to his Twitter account to show he still has it and invited other players willing to help him with his workouts to join him.

Kaepernick initially posted a video showing off his legwork and throwing strength last week.

He has reminded people that he has always been and is still ready to contribute to any NFL team that will take a chance on him.

After asking if anyone is up to work with him, he did get several offers and has taken advantage of the opportunities. One of those players was Seattle Seahawks wide receiver, Tyler Lockett. He offered to meet up with Kaepernick along with his brother.

Lockett met up with Kaepernick and filmed the session on his Instagram Live.

After that workout, another offer came in from Rischad “Footwork King” Whitfield.

So, now that arrangement should be in the works.

Last month, ESPN Films announced that award-winning director Spike Lee would be directing a documentary on the controversial former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick for ESPN. Lee has started production on the previously reported multi-part documentary on Kaepernick. The film will be a part of The Walt Disney Co’s overall first-look deal with the production company owned by Kaepernick, Ra Vision Media.

Arizona Bank Calls Police on Black Man Trying to Cash Check Received From Boat Sale
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

March 15, 2022

Arizona Bank Calls Police on Black Man Trying to Cash Check Received From Boat Sale

A Black man who tried to cash a check after selling his boat got more than money from the bank where he attempted to make a transaction.

According to 12 News, an Arizona Black man, Almond Brewer, went to Pinal County Federal Credit Union in Apache Junction back in October to cash a check for $3,200 he received from a woman who bought his boat.

While at the bank, Brewer presented the check to the teller, but instead of exchanging cash with him, the manager doubted the check was real.

Brewer sold a boat to a woman on Facebook Marketplace. She paid for the item with a check. His bank recommended that he take the check to the woman’s bank to have the funds quicker.

But as Brewer waited to receive his money, the bank manager called the police and told them that the check presented by Brewer was fake. Body camera footage shows the interaction.

The Pinal County Federal Credit Union stated that the bank manager called 911 shortly after running the check. After the bank ran the check through the third-party verification system, it came out inconclusive.

The manager contacted the customer who gave Brewer the check and was able to verify the check as the police officers were on their way to the credit union.

Bodycams on the police officers revealed that they weren’t aware or told that the customer verified the check for about 10 minutes.

“It was just, ‘oh, you know, Black guy locks in his hair, tattoos came on a Harley, you know, let’s assume the worst,’” Brewer said. “Why embarrass somebody like that? Why, you know, make them feel less than a man?”

The Pinal County Federal Credit Union told 12 News that the check Brewer handed them had “red flags.” They claimed the check bore an old credit union logo and a routing and account number that didn’t match the check writer’s information.

Amy Marshall, president/CEO of the Pinal County Federal Credit Union, released a statement regarding the incident.

“At no time did the staff feel threatened or feel Mr. Brewer was trying to rob the credit union. As authorities were en route, the manager was able to get ahold of the member to obtain verbal verification she had written the check. Once the Manager was able to validate the check, they apologized to the local authorities as well as Mr. Brewer for the inconvenience. Even with the member’s verification of authenticity, because of the type of check presented and the fact that Mr. Brewer was not a current member, we were unable to proceed with the transaction request.”

Ursula Burns, The First Black Female Fortune 500 CEO Says ‘Being In The Minority Can Be A Career Advantage’
by Derek Major

March 15, 2022

Ursula Burns, The First Black Female Fortune 500 CEO Says ‘Being In The Minority Can Be A Career Advantage’

When Ursula Burns became the CEO of Xerox in 2009, she didn’t consider it a milestone achievement; then, she began receiving calls from Magic Johnson, Al Sharpton, and others.

It wasn’t long before she realized she was the first Black female CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Although Burns felt a bit overwhelmed, her work ethic, drive, and the fact that she was comfortable being the only Black person and woman in the room kept her in the position for six years.

Burns told CNBC she never minded being the only Black woman in the room and considered it an advantage.

“If I raised my hand in any meeting, almost surely, it was called on,” Burns said.

“You’re so different that, at least in open spaces, they can’t ignore you.”

Burns was born in Panama and moved to the U.S. when she was two. According to the former CEO, she and her two siblings were raised by their mother, who cleaned offices and did childcare work. She also taught her three children to go out and make things happen for them, often telling Burns and her two siblings, ‘where you are is not who you are.’

Her mother’s advice led Burns to Columbia University and a career where she knew she’d be one of a few in the room. Even when there were Black people in a room, it was mostly men, but again, being one of the few in the room never bothered Burns. Rather it drove her to stand out.

“My natural comfort is being the only or the few in a room — I was always a little bit of a loner, so it didn’t bother me,” Burns said. I became very good at playing in that space.”

Burns was truly in a space by herself while she was the CEO of Xerox.

Today, women make up less than 10% of Fortune 500 CEOs, and women of color make up less than two percent of CEOs. There are currently two Black female CEOs in the U.S., Rosalind Brewer, the CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance, and Thasunda Brown Duckett, the CEO of TIAA.

Three things that Burns said helped her get to a CEO position were a strong work ethic, a desire to solve almost any problem, and being a minority, which she felt was more of an advantage than a disadvantage.

“If I had an idea, people would listen. They may not always comprehend it or agree, but being the minority turned out — at least, at Xerox — to be an advantage,” Burns said.

Unique Historical Database, The Black Male Archives, Chronicles the Success of Black Men
by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

March 15, 2022

Unique Historical Database, The Black Male Archives, Chronicles the Success of Black Men

Reminisce Preservation is proud to invite everyone to delve into the world of outstanding Black men with its Black Male Archives.

The archive was launched on Oct. 1, 2021, and is home to a repository of photos, collections, dissertations, statistical data and comprehensive news article citations from 2000 to the present.

The Black Males Archives is a compilation of all the successes and continuous strives of Black men across all industries and houses them in one place. In a time when the Black man is frequently vilified, marginalized and experiences a lack of support, the index is a welcome breath of fresh air.

The database is wholly virtual and is bolstered by a vibrant website complemented by an easily navigated user interface. The online catalog includes historical exhibits, the Local History Index and videos.

This crucial curation was conceptualized by the passionate and multifaceted Rodney Freeman, a proud father, brother, son, librarian, author, self-proclaimed nerd and hip-hop extraordinaire. Recognizing the overwhelmingly negative portrayal of Black men over the past few years, he began to wonder if he was seen in the same light as portrayed by the media. Becoming concerned that misrepresentation would also affect other Black men in his life, such as his father and brother, he decided to rewrite the script. Hence, the Black Male Archives was established.

At its core, Reminisce Preservation’s platform epitomizes the importance of representation. It highlights Black men around the globe in a positive, progressive light, ultimately affirming burgeoning young men that they are not limited to or by the status quo.

But don’t be fooled into thinking that the Black Male Archives is just a knowledge bank of Black male excellence. It’s much more than that. In a bid to be a practical tool, the website also hosts a resource center in the form of a Black business directory. The directory consists of a robust compilation of barbershops, locating the trendiest and most up-to-date fashion, mentoring programs and conference locators. If you’re not looking to patronize a Black business just yet, the directory also allows you to immerse yourself in the Black Male Archives Podcast.

No more will Black men be tarnished by a skewed purview. Instead, their individual experiences and journeys have been preserved in one place so they can be the guiding light for every little Black boy.

This article first appeared on Blacknews.com. 

NFL Player-Turned-Bestselling Author Tony ‘The Closer’ Robinson Launches Television Network for African American Entrepreneurs
by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

March 15, 2022

NFL Player-Turned-Bestselling Author Tony ‘The Closer’ Robinson Launches Television Network for African American Entrepreneurs

Former NFL player turned best-selling author, real estate mogul, philanthropist, and social media personality Tony “The Closer” Robinson launches a first-of-kind television network, The Closer TV Network.

Unhappy with other media platforms, Tony decided to remove all of his educational content and Youtube and create a platform where this content could live.

The Closer TV Network is committed to promoting black curators and talent content. The network is bringing educational, wealth, and lifestyle programming to the masses while educating production teams on making investments that curate collateral for their projects, according to a release provided to BLACK ENTERPRISE.

The Closer Network is founded on the principle that creators are compensated and can control their work.

After going through the struggles of Hollywood prejudices, Tony quickly realized the space and avenue for Black-owned networks.

According to the New York Times, of the Trillion-Dollar film industry, only about 7% is owned by black America. Hollywood loses roughly $10 Billion a year due to the lack of diversity in Hollywood. Tony hopes to capitalize on those losses.

As part of the new network launch, Tony “The Closer” and his significant other, CEO, author, creative director and fashion mogul Nichole Lynel, will also be relaunching their famous “Tony and Nichole It’s Our Love” on the podcast this spring. The podcast will consist of conversations about various topics such as investments, generational wealth, family, relationships and more.

In celebration of the launch of The Closer TV Network, Tony is giving one lucky person $5000 by simply subscribing to the network. At just $20 a month for a subscription, viewers will have access to all of Tony’s educational courses as well as other exclusive content, including live streams, real estate training and more.

The Closer TV Network is available on Roku, FireTV, Apple TV, Android TV and other streaming platforms worldwide. For more information and to sign up to The Closer TV Network, please visit https://tonytheclosertv.com/.

Phoenix Suns’ Bismack Biyombo Will Donate His 2021-2022 Salary To Build A Hospital In Congo
by Atiya Jordan

March 15, 2022

Phoenix Suns’ Bismack Biyombo Will Donate His 2021-2022 Salary To Build A Hospital In Congo

Dubbed as Time’s Next Generation Leader last year, NBA player Bismack Biyombo is proving that his efforts to support his home country of the Democratic Republic of Congo are not only from the heart but unstoppable.

According to CBS Sports, in his latest endeavor, the Phoenix Suns center will be donating his entire $13 million salary from the 2021-2022 basketball season to build a hospital in Congo and pay tribute to his late father.

Biyombo made the heartwarming announcement in a video from his charity, the Bismack Biyombo Foundation. He has donated his own money and raised funds to build schools and sports facilities, provide scholarships, and improve healthcare in Congo.

For most, making the NBA is the end goal. But for Biyombo, it’s just the beginning of multiplying the opportunities he’s received and paying it forward. In the video, he proclaims what he intends to do.

“What I told my agent was my salary for this year would be going to the construction of a hospital back home to give hope to the hopeless,” said Biyombo, who grew up in Lubumbashi, a mining city in the south.

 “And those individuals who can not take their family members out and want to be able to give them better conditions, so that they can somewhat have hope that their loved ones would be able to live and see another day.”

Taking action is no hard task for the former Hornets player.

As BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported, the 6 feet, 8 inches athlete donated $1 million worth of personal protective equipment and medical supplies at the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, including 10,000 face masks and 780 hazmat suits.

According to Bleacher Report, Biyombo opted to sit out at the beginning of this season as he mourned his father, Francois Biyombo, who died in August from complications after he contracted COVID-19.

During the battle to recover, Biyombo gathered opinions from doctors in different countries and eventually had his father flown to Turkey to receive better care.

“My dad was everything to me,” he told Andscape in February.

“My whole career, I always get a text message from my dad before the game. Sometimes it would be 3 a.m. over there, 4 a.m. in the Congo. And I’m like, ‘Dad, what are you doing up at this time?’ He was always checking on my game.”

Report: African Americans Distrust Social Media as Source for COVID-19 Vaccine Information
by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

March 15, 2022

Report: African Americans Distrust Social Media as Source for COVID-19 Vaccine Information

A new nationwide questionnaire reveals that a majority of African American adults believe that social media is the No. 1 source of misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines and that false information intentionally targets the Black community.

The insights, released by The Center for Black Health & Equity (The Center), a national nonprofit organization that facilitates public health programs and services to benefit communities and people of African descent, reviewed responses by 791 African American adults between the ages of 18 and 54, and discovered:

– The top five most-frequented sources for COVID-19 vaccine information are: the news (48 percent), internet (43 percent), social media (39 percent), family and friends (35 percent) and doctors (35 percent).

(Image: TheTruthCheck.org)

– When it comes to feeling confident that they are getting accurate information about the COVID-19 vaccine, 33 percent of the African Americans questioned say they completely trust their doctors to provide the information, and 18 percent completely trust their family and friends. Social media ranked last of the choices, with only 6 percent of participants saying they trust online platforms completely to provide accurate information.

– The top three sources believed to be primarily responsible for sharing misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine targeted to the Black community are: social media (27 percent), the news (25 percent) and internet (15 percent).

– Nearly seven-out-of-ten (69 percent) believe that targeting all Americans with misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine is somewhat to very intentional.

– 60 percent admitted they have shared information they learned on social media with family and friends, and about a third (35 percent) re-shared it on their own social media platforms.

“This practice of receiving and sharing misinformation amplifies health disparities and harms the Black community, which is already dying from COVID-19 at disproportionate rates,” said Delmonte Jefferson, executive director for The Center.

“Truth Check aims to correct this contagious spread of inaccurate and false narratives.”

The Center has launched TheTruthCheck.org, an online resource to provide African Americans with social media literacy and fact-checking skills needed to avoid the influence of misinformation regarding the COVID-19 vaccine, according to a press release. To learn more about the campaign and how to spot misinformation on social media, visit TheTruthCheck.org.

Funding for the initiative was made possible through a sub-award from the CDC Foundation and is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) financial assistance award totaling $25,660,048 with 100 percent funding from CDC/HHS.

The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, CDC/HHS or the U.S. Government.

Kassidy Parnell, A Louisiana High School Student, Receives $4.5 Million In College Scholarships
by Atiya Jordan

March 15, 2022

Kassidy Parnell, A Louisiana High School Student, Receives $4.5 Million In College Scholarships

With more than 100 college acceptances under her belt, this Louisiana high school student is bright and well-deserving.

Kassidy Parnell is currently attending Tara High School in Baton Rouge, where she stands victoriously at the top of her class with a 4.1 GPA. She is also dual-enrolled in computer classes at Baton Rouge Community College, in addition to her high school course load. Parnell enjoys English, reading, listening to music, and studying cybersecurity.

To date, Parnell has various schools vying to be her choice for higher education. From full-ride scholarships to 13 Presidential Scholarships and several academic and merit scholarships, the star student has received $4.5 million worth in offers, WKBN 27 reports.

Parnell’s proud father, Lorenzo Bynum, has maintained records of each scholarship amount and school in a comprehensive spreadsheet to keep organized for decision-making.

“This girl is a hard worker, loyal friend, organized, witty, and makes good decisions,” said Bynum, as per the news outlet. “She loves to learn new things. If she doesn’t know something, she will look it up and remember everything about it. She is not afraid to explore new horizons and takes pride in her school and the work she does for IBM. She really makes our job easy as parents.”

Among her acceptances, Parnell has received word from 106 schools, including Southern University, Saint Louis University, Butler, Oklahoma State, Marquette, Seton Hall University, Loyola University Chicago, University of Kansas, and Kent State University. The list goes on.

Anticipated to graduate on May 18, Parnell and her family are narrowing choices down every weekend with college tours. The decision may not be easy but considering her impressive track record, congratulations are unquestionably in order for this shining star.

Attorneys for Jussie Smollett Request Release Due to Threats, COVID-19 and Mental Health Concerns
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

March 15, 2022

Attorneys for Jussie Smollett Request Release Due to Threats, COVID-19 and Mental Health Concerns

Attorneys for Jussie Smollett were back in court Monday to try another maneuver to spring their client from jail.

According to TMZ, lawyers for the former Empire actor filed an emergency motion Monday asking a judge to release Smollett from jail while awaiting his appeal.

They claim several factors should be considered in releasing him, including threats sent to his family, and they cite that it affects his mental health.

The lawyers claim Smollett is in harm’s way if he must complete his sentence. They fear that other inmates will target and hurt him, evidenced by a voice call they allegedly received.

The recording includes someone stating that they hope Smollett is abused while in jail. The family says they have received similar calls and messages demonstrating hatred toward Smollett.

His representatives have submitted an affidavit from a doctor who states that Smollett has a higher risk to contract COVID-19 while he is in prison because he has a compromised immune system. In the document, he cites the high rate of cases in the prison system as the cause of concern for Smollett’s health.

His attorneys also argue that placing the actor in protective custody can affect his mental health. They liken him being in protective custody akin to being in solitary confinement.

They also feel that he has already been punished, which amounts to unconstitutional double jeopardy.

Last week, Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in jail, 30 months of felony probation, and ordered to pay restitution of more than $120,000. Smollett was also charged a $25,000 fine for lying on police reports in a fake hate crime hoax.

Smollett’s brother, Jocqui, has also stated on Instagram that his brother has been placed in a psych ward at Cook County Jail but denies that he has suicidal ideations. Jocqui shared that they are concerned because a note was attached to his paperwork and placed on the front of his cell saying that he’s at risk of self-harm.

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