Business - BLK News

Edward and Barbara Blackmon Explore America’s Social Divisions Through Their Book

BLK News Staff on October 24, 2026

By: Kristine Kennedy

There is a phrase in the opening pages of Two Minds, One Rhythm that stops you. Mississippi gave Edward, Barbara Blackmon, and the generations before them, a vantage the rest of the nation is only now beginning to feel. What Americans are living through today is not a new reality improvised in real time. It is the same ancient machinery that has always been here.

That framing is not pessimistic. It is clarifying. And it comes from two people who have more right to say it than almost anyone currently publishing on the subject of American division.

Edward Blackmon Jr. was locked in a Canton jail as a teenager during the civil rights movement and decided in that cell that he would become a lawyer so the law could function as a shield rather than a weapon. Barbara Blackmon earned her undergraduate degree from Jackson State University at nineteen and went on to collect degrees from three of the nation’s most demanding institutions before becoming the first Black woman to represent a majority-white district in the Mississippi Senate. Together they built a law practice, raised a family, served in the legislature, and navigated a system designed, explicitly and by intention, to contain them.

What they built from inside that system is what gives this book its particular authority. Not the authority of observation, but of inhabitation.

The Vantage Nobody Wanted

The gift, if it can be called that, of growing up in Mississippi during the civil rights era is that you see the machinery clearly. The segregated schools. The voting maps drawn to dilute Black power. The courtrooms where justice was distributed unevenly, and the distribution was not accidental. None of that was improvised. All of it was designed. And what is happening in America today, the polarization, the erosion of democratic norms, the retreat into tribal certainty, follows patterns that anyone who lived through Mississippi in the sixties would recognize immediately.

Edward and Barbara are not surprised by what the rest of the country is experiencing. They have been watching its architecture for their entire lives. That is why the book is not written from a position of alarm. It is written from a position of hard-won, carefully examined clarity about what this is, where it comes from, and what it has always taken to move through it.

What Two Minds Actually Means

The title of the book is doing real work on multiple levels. It describes a marriage and a partnership, certainly: two formidable minds, each with its own voice, whose purpose has always been the same. But it also describes the book’s central argument about how a fractured nation heals.

Two minds moving in one rhythm, with neither mind disappearing, is the model the book is proposing. Not agreement about everything. Not the demand that one side surrender to the other. Something harder and more durable: the capacity to see the other side without surrendering your own, and to keep working toward goals that serve everyone.

Edward and Barbara have lived that shared purpose for decades, in their home, their law practice, and the legislature. The book is their argument that it scales.

The Path Forward That Doesn’t Pretend

What distinguishes Two Minds, One Rhythm from most books about American division is its refusal to offer comfort in place of truth. “The fractures can still be closed,” they write, but not if we wait until the rest of the world finishes watching us come apart.

That is an urgent statement from two people who have every right to have given up on America’s capacity for repair and haven’t. The path forward they describe runs through work, faith, education, and shared purpose. Not through any particular political alignment. Not through the victory of one side. Through the harder and more specific work of people who choose to show up for each other across the lines that seem most permanent.

Congressman Bennie Thompson, who served as Chairman of the January 6th Committee, said simply: “This is a must-read for the nation; it all begins in Mississippi.” He is right on both counts.

Two Minds, One Rhythm by Edward and Barbara Blackmon is available now! Order your autographed hardcover at twomindsonerhythm.com. You can also purchase the ebook or paperback on Amazon.

Madam C.J. Walker: How Sarah Breedlove Built a Hair Care Empire on a Network of Black Women Agents

BLK News Staff 2 on October 23, 2026

Madam C.J. Walker, born Sarah Breedlove in Delta, Louisiana, in 1867, built a hair care and beauty company for Black women in the early 1900s. From an Indianapolis base, she sold her products largely through personal sales agents, training several thousand Black women who found financial independence through her business.

Key Takeaways

Sarah Breedlove was born on December 23, 1867, in Delta, Louisiana, the first child in her family born into freedom after the Emancipation Proclamation.
She took the name Madam C.J. Walker after marrying Charles Joseph Walker in 1906.
In 1910 she moved her business to Indianapolis, setting up a laboratory and beauty school, and she incorporated her company in 1911.
By the time of her death, the company employed several thousand agents and had brought in more than half a million dollars in sales.
She died on May 25, 1919, at Villa Lewaro, her estate in Irvington-on-Hudson, New York.
Her daughter, A’Lelia Walker, became president of the company and a patron of the Harlem Renaissance.

Who Was Madam C.J. Walker Before the Business

Madam C.J. Walker’s early life offered few signs of what she would build. Born Sarah Breedlove on December 23, 1867, to Owen and Minerva Anderson Breedlove, she was the first child in her family born into freedom after the Emancipation Proclamation. She lost both parents by age seven, married at fourteen, gave birth to her only child at seventeen and was widowed at twenty.

As a young widow, she supported her daughter, Lelia, through hard physical labor. Those years shaped both her drive and the message she later carried to other Black women: that skilled, independent work could replace the low-paid labor that defined so many of their lives.

How Madam C.J. Walker Built Her Hair Care Business

In 1906, Sarah Breedlove married Charles Joseph Walker and began marketing herself and her products under the name Madam C.J. Walker. Her signature product, Madam C.J. Walker’s Wonderful Hair Grower, found early success, and she moved her operations as the business grew, first to Pittsburgh in 1908, where she opened the Lelia College of Beauty Culture, named for her daughter.

In 1910, Walker settled in Indianapolis, where she set up a laboratory and a beauty school and established the Madam C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company. She incorporated the company in September 1911, with Indianapolis remaining its hub even after she moved to New York.

The Walker Agents Were the Engine of the Company

Walker’s business model is what set it apart. Sales were made largely through personal agents rather than stores, with only a few wholesale distributors in large cities. Each agent was trained in the Walker method, which turned the sales force into a network of skilled beauty professionals.

In 1916, Walker began organizing her agents into state and local chapters, and in 1917 she hosted the first national convention of Walker “beauty culturists.” The convention honored agents who sold the most products and chapters that raised money for charitable and social causes, rewarding community giving alongside sales.

For Walker, the purpose was economic independence. Her business gave women a way, in her words, to “abandon the wash-tub for more pleasant and profitable occupation.”

Madam C.J. Walker’s Wealth, Philanthropy and Later Years

Walker’s annual sales grew between 1911 and her death, and by the end of her life the company had brought in more than half a million dollars in sales through several thousand agents. Records held by the Indiana Historical Society note that she was repeatedly described as a millionaire in her final years.

As her wealth grew, Walker gave increasing amounts to African American causes. Around 1916, she began living in New York, first at a Harlem townhouse, and in 1918 she moved into Villa Lewaro, a mansion in Irvington-on-Hudson designed by the Black architect Vertner Tandy. She died there on May 25, 1919, at age 51.

Madam C.J. Walker’s Daughter Carried the Legacy Forward

After Walker’s death, her daughter, A’Lelia Walker, became president of the company. She also became a patron of the Harlem Renaissance, hosting a cultural salon known as the Dark Tower at her Harlem townhouse during the 1920s. A’Lelia Walker died in 1931.

The family’s legacy remains visible in its buildings. The Madam Walker Legacy Center, built in 1927 as the Walker Theatre on property Walker purchased in downtown Indianapolis, stands as a tribute to her. Villa Lewaro is a national historic landmark and has been named a national treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

FAQs

Who is Madam C.J. Walker?

Madam C.J. Walker, born Sarah Breedlove in 1867, was a businesswoman who built a hair care and beauty company for Black women. Her company, based in Indianapolis, sold its products through several thousand trained sales agents.

Who was Madam C.J. Walker’s daughter?

Her daughter was A’Lelia Walker, born in 1885. After her mother’s death in 1919, she became president of the company and a patron of the Harlem Renaissance, and she died in 1931.

When did Madam C.J. Walker die?

Madam C.J. Walker died on May 25, 1919, at age 51. She died at Villa Lewaro, her estate in Irvington-on-Hudson, New York.

What is the Madam Walker Legacy Center?

The Madam Walker Legacy Center is a building in downtown Indianapolis, built in 1927 as the Walker Theatre. It stands on property Walker purchased and serves as a tribute to her legacy.

What did Madam C.J. Walker say about her business?

Walker described her business as a way for women to “abandon the wash-tub for more pleasant and profitable occupation.” She also said of her Indianapolis operation, “I have built my own factory on my own ground.”

How Global Author Publishing’s Children’s Book Writing Services Help Authors Tell the Stories Kids Need

BLK News Staff on October 4, 2026

A child who opens a book and finds a hero with their hair, their skin tone and their family traditions learns something that lasts: stories like theirs belong in books. Parents, teachers, pastors and community leaders across the country want to write those stories, and many are doing it with professional children’s book writing services. The goal is simple and powerful: more books where children see themselves at the center of the adventure.

Why Representation on the Page Matters

Literacy scholar Rudine Sims Bishop famously described children’s books as mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors. A mirror lets a child see their own life reflected with dignity. A window lets other children see into lives different from their own. The best picture books do both at once.

Authors who grew up without those mirrors often feel the gap most clearly. Many remember searching library shelves for characters who looked like them and coming up short. Writing a children’s book is one way to make sure the next generation has more to choose from.

What Children’s Book Writing Services Bring to the Story

Writing for children looks easy until you try it. A picture book may have only a few hundred words, and every one has to earn its place. Professional children’s book writing services help authors with:

Language that fits the reader’s age, from toddlers to early chapter books
Read-aloud rhythm that makes a story fun to share at bedtime or in the classroom
Page-turn pacing that builds anticipation
A message that lands without sounding like a lecture

The author’s voice and cultural knowledge stay at the heart of the book. A good writing partner listens first, then helps shape family memories, community history or a child’s everyday joy into a story young readers will ask for again. Authors who also want a companion guide for parents or educators can turn to professional eBook writing services for authors.

Bringing Characters to Life With Care

In a children’s book, the art carries as much meaning as the words. Children book illustration services should portray skin tones, hairstyles, clothing and homes with accuracy and warmth, because children notice every detail. Authors should expect to review character sketches and give feedback before final artwork begins.

Professional book cover design services then turn that art into a cover that stands out on a crowded shelf. Book formatting services arrange text and pictures across each spread so the story flows naturally from page to page.

Polishing and Publishing the Book

Before printing, professional book editing services check every line while respecting the author’s voice, including dialogue that sounds the way real families talk. Authors can then order copies for schools, churches, libraries and book fairs through online book printing services.

Ownership matters here. When choosing the best book publishing company, authors should ask directly who owns the rights and the final files. Comparing the best book publishers on that question protects both the story and the author’s legacy.

Reaching Families, Classrooms and Communities

A finished book needs a path to its readers. Book marketing services connect authors with parents, educators and local organizations. Book trailer services create short videos that bring characters to life on social media. Author website design services give families a place to find the book, and SEO content writing services help that site appear when parents search for diverse children’s books.

Audio opens another door. The best audiobook services can turn a picture book into a warm read-aloud recording for car rides, bedtime and young listeners who are still learning to read.

Your Story Can Be Someone’s Mirror

Every child deserves to open a book and recognize their own world. Children’s book writing services help authors turn that belief into a finished, beautifully illustrated book. Global Author Publishing, which offers children’s book publishing and illustration design, invites writers to start with a free author consultation.

Burt Pinnock and the Growing Role of Memorial Architecture in Preserving African American History Through Public Spaces

BLK News Staff on September 11, 2026

In recent times, memorial architecture within the United States has increasingly become an approach used to examine and analyze certain difficult aspects of the country’s past. In recent years, universities, towns, and cultural organizations have provided funding for projects that acknowledge the legacy of slavery and racism, and create places of memory through memorial architecture. Most of these projects have involved integrating architecture, archaeology, historiography, and the community instead of relying only on traditional approaches to memorial. This has emerged in recent years as organizations reevaluate the role played by history in public space. From this approach, the architect is more than a designer.

Burt Pinnock has become associated with several of these efforts through projects that combine architecture with cultural heritage and public history. Based in Richmond, Virginia, Pinnock has worked on memorials and preservation initiatives that examine African American history through the built environment. His work has frequently involved partnerships with local governments, universities, historians, archaeologists, descendant communities, and nonprofit organizations. Rather than treating memorials as isolated structures, many of these projects have developed through extended public consultation and historical research before architectural concepts were finalized. This collaborative approach has become a recurring feature of his professional practice.

One of the largest projects associated with Pinnock is the Shockoe Project in Richmond. Led by the City of Richmond, the initiative seeks to preserve and interpret one of the nation’s most significant sites connected to the domestic slave trade. The city states that the project includes improvements to the Richmond Slave Trail, the Shockoe Bottom African Burial Ground, Lumpkin’s Jail, Reconciliation Plaza, the planned Shockoe Institute, and recommendations for a National Slavery Museum experience. The city has allocated approximately $58 million for the initiative through municipal, state, and philanthropic funding, including support from the Mellon Foundation. Baskervill, led by Pinnock, serves as the design team for the overall project.

The Richmond Slave Trail represents another long-running preservation effort connected with Pinnock’s work. The trail links locations that illustrate Richmond’s role in the domestic slave trade while providing historical interpretation throughout the city. The next stages of the Shockoe Project have brought together the development of the memorial trail as a part of a greater strategy that involves connecting memorial landscapes, archaeology, educational opportunities, and gathering spaces. This approach to memorializing is described in the city’s master plans as creating an interconnected destination that fosters understanding of history in many places instead of focusing on a particular monument.

Pinnock has also worked on memorializing institutional history at universities. At William & Mary, he was the architect of record for the Hearth: Memorial to the Enslaved, which acknowledges almost 170 years of the presence of enslaved labor within the university. The memorial resulted from years of research and consultation with students, faculty members, descendants, and community members. This project is professionally acknowledged by receiving the National Organization of Minority Architects Honor Award. The university represents the memorial as part of a broader initiative to address its institutional history and relationships with slavery through a memorial public space.

At the University of Richmond, Pinnock’s work includes designing a Burying Ground Memorial after years of research and public consultation. The university-sponsored research revealed the location of a burial ground of the enslaved and previous disturbances that took place there during campus development. The memorialization committee was created in 2020 with the help of descendant representatives, historians, archaeologists, faculty members, and community representatives to make recommendations. With the help of ground-penetrating radar surveys and archaeological investigations, the plan to preserve the historic topography of the space and leave the sacred land undisturbed was developed. Construction started in 2024, and the memorial opened in 2025.

Another project associated with Pinnock’s portfolio is the Virginia Civil Rights Memorial Plaza in Richmond. According to AIA Virginia, his work has included planning and design contributions connected with the plaza alongside projects for the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia and the Richmond Slave Trail Commission. These commissions reflect a consistent focus on civic spaces that combine historical interpretation with contemporary public use. Rather than approaching preservation as the restoration of buildings alone, the projects frequently integrate landscape architecture, interpretive features, and community participation to strengthen public understanding of historical places.

The methods used across these projects share several common characteristics. Historical research is conducted alongside architectural planning. Archaeological investigations inform design decisions where appropriate. Descendant communities participate in workshops and consultations before concepts are finalized. Public institutions contribute historical records and educational resources. These processes demonstrate how memorial architecture has increasingly become a collaborative field involving multiple disciplines rather than architecture alone. Pinnock has discussed similar ideas in public lectures and his published essay A Modern Imperative, where he argues that architecture should respond to broader civic responsibilities instead of functioning solely as a design exercise.

Overall, these projects have helped contribute to larger conversations about how difficult histories have been remembered in the American built environment. There have been more instances of cities and universities recognizing the need for memorials, historic landscapes, and public sites to remember histories which have not received much public recognition in the past. As part of this larger trend, Burt Pinnock has worked on projects that have combined architecture, preservation, archaeology, and community involvement to help create places for memory, learning, and discussion. In contrast to the traditional use of a single monument, he has mostly focused on landscapes and public spaces that may help history remain part of civic discourse.

Multi-Location Businesses: Planning Expansion Financing Before You Need It

BLK News Staff on September 10, 2026

Opening a second, third, or fourth location raises financing questions that differ from those a single-location business typically faces. A business owner planning expansion benefits considerably from checking their standing well before the actual need becomes urgent, rather than scrambling once a lease is already signed.

Why Expansion Financing Deserves Advance Planning

A single-location business facing a routine cash flow gap can often address that need reactively, applying once the gap becomes apparent. Expansion is genuinely different: a new location typically involves a known timeline, a build-out or lease deposit with a specific due date, and a considerably larger capital requirement than routine working capital needs. This predictability creates a genuine opportunity to plan financing well in advance, rather than discovering qualification issues at the exact moment they’re most costly to address.

Checking Qualification Before the Lease Is Signed

Fundivi, a direct lender and hybrid funding platform, built its self-underwriting engine specifically to let a business owner check this kind of standing well before any commitment is made. A business owner considering a second location benefits enormously from running their current numbers through the tool before signing a lease, so they can clearly see whether their existing revenue, balance, and leverage position realistically supports the additional financing the expansion will likely require.

Why Leverage Matters Especially Heavily for Multi-Location Growth

A business already carrying financing tied to its original location needs to weigh that existing obligation carefully against any new expansion-related request. Fundivi’s engine treats leverage above 25% of revenue as a real constraint on how much new financing a business can access, so business owners should calculate their current leverage honestly before assuming expansion financing will be readily available on top of an existing obligation.

This matters because expansion revenue doesn’t materialize immediately. A new location typically takes time to reach the same revenue level as an established one, so the underwriting calculation at the time of opening reflects only the original location’s revenue, not the combined revenue a business might reasonably expect once expansion is complete.

Choosing the Right Product for Expansion

The funding product matcher becomes particularly useful for expansion planning, since a defined, one-time expansion cost, build-out, equipment, or a lease deposit, often points toward a term loan’s fixed structure rather than a more open-ended product built for ongoing operational needs. A business owner clear on the specific, one-time nature of expansion costs can use this clarity to guide a more informed product selection from the start.

Why Timing the Application Matters

Because expansion typically involves a known future date, a business owner benefits from timing their application to allow genuine buffer before that date arrives, rather than applying at the last possible moment. This buffer allows time to address any qualification gap the underwriting engine might reveal, whether that means paying down existing leverage or building a stronger cash position, before the actual expansion deadline arrives.

Why Multi-Location Businesses Face a Genuinely Different Risk Calculus

A single-location business considering financing weighs the request against one operating unit’s revenue and cash flow patterns. A multi-location business weighs the same decision against a considerably more complex picture, since the existing locations’ combined performance, not any single location in isolation, determines the overall qualification standing that any new expansion financing gets evaluated against. A business owner managing multiple locations should think of their qualification profile as a genuinely combined picture, one where a strong original location can support expansion financing even if a newer, still-developing location isn’t yet contributing meaningfully to revenue.

This combined view also means a business owner should pay attention to how each location’s performance affects the overall leverage and revenue calculations that feed into any qualification check. A struggling second location, even while a first location remains strong, can meaningfully drag down the combined numbers a lender or the underwriting engine actually evaluates, something a business owner should account for honestly rather than assuming their strongest location alone determines the outcome.

Sequencing Multiple Expansion Financing Needs

A business planning several locations over multiple years benefits from thinking through the sequencing of financing needs across that entire timeline, rather than treating each expansion as an entirely isolated decision. Because leverage accumulates across obligations, a business that takes on meaningful debt for a second location should factor in how that obligation affects its capacity to finance a third location on a similar timeline, potentially planning a longer gap between expansions or prioritizing faster repayment on earlier obligations to preserve genuine capacity for future growth.

Why a Struggling New Location Shouldn’t Derail Plans for Future Growth Entirely

A newer location underperforming expectations during its early months is a genuinely common pattern, not necessarily a signal that further expansion is unwise. Most new locations take meaningful time to reach the revenue level of an established one, and a business owner planning a third or fourth location should factor this typical ramp-up period into their overall timeline rather than assuming an early, softer performance at location two permanently rules out further growth. Checking the combined qualification picture periodically as a newer location matures gives a genuinely more accurate read than a single early snapshot ever could.

How the Hybrid Model Specifically Supports Multi-Location Growth

Fundivi’s broader hybrid structure, combining direct lending with a network of vetted partners, offers a particular advantage for multi-location businesses managing several rounds of financing over time. Rather than needing to separately search for a new lender each time a new location’s financing needs arise, a business owner can return to the same coordinated relationship, one that already has context on the business’s history and can evaluate each new request, whether directly or through a partner, against that established understanding.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far in advance should I check my qualification for expansion?

Checking several months before any lease commitment gives genuine time to address any gap the tool reveals, rather than discovering an issue only once the timeline has already become urgent.

Does existing financing on my first location automatically disqualify me for expansion financing?

Not automatically, though it does factor into your leverage calculation, which may size down how much new financing is realistically available depending on your current obligation load.

Should I wait until the new location is generating revenue to apply?

This depends on your specific timeline. Many expansion costs, like a lease deposit or initial build-out, must be covered before the new location can generate any revenue.

Does the underwriting engine account for projected revenue from a new location?

No. The tool evaluates your current numbers as they stand today, not projected future revenue from a location that hasn’t yet opened.

What if my expansion timeline changes after I’ve already checked my numbers?

Rechecking periodically as your timeline evolves keeps your understanding of your standing aligned with your actual plans.

Getting Started

Business owners planning expansion can check their current standing well before any commitment, confirm which product fits their specific expansion cost, and, once an offer arrives, use the cost calculator to confirm it’s genuinely sustainable alongside existing obligations. For more detail on financing multi-location growth, Fundivi’s resource library covers the specifics in plain language.

Disclaimer: This content is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional financial advice, investment advice, or any other type of advice. You should seek the advice of a qualified financial advisor or other professional before making any financial decisions.

Book Ghostwriting Services by Author Path Publishers

BLK News Staff on August 28, 2026

You have probably been carrying the idea for your book for a long time.

Maybe it started with conversations at conferences, lessons shared during client meetings, family stories repeated around the dinner table, or years of experience that you know should become a book. But when you finally sit down in front of a blank document, turning those ideas into a complete manuscript can feel overwhelming.

That space between having a story and creating a finished book is exactly where book ghostwriting services help.

A professional ghostwriter does not replace your ideas, experiences, or expertise. Instead, they work with you to organize your thoughts, develop your structure, and transform your knowledge into a manuscript that reflects your voice.

At Author Path Publishers, ghostwriting is a collaborative process designed to help authors move from an idea to a completed book while maintaining ownership, authenticity, and creative control.

What Book Ghostwriting Services Actually Include

A ghostwriter is a professional writing partner who helps transform your concepts, experiences, research, and stories into a complete manuscript.

The ideas belong to you. Your experiences, opinions, and expertise remain at the center of the book. The ghostwriter provides the writing skill, structure, organization, and discipline needed to bring those ideas together.

Unlike an editor who improves an existing manuscript, a ghostwriter works from the beginning of the creative process. They help shape the concept, create the chapter structure, conduct interviews, and develop the manuscript from your material.

A professional ghostwriter often works as:

• An interviewer who asks the right questions.

• An organizer who gathers scattered ideas and information.

• A storyteller who turns experiences into engaging chapters.

• A writing partner who helps complete the book.

The goal is not to make the book sound like someone else wrote it. The goal is to make it sound like you on your clearest and most confident day.

Who Should Hire a Ghostwriter?

Many people who hire ghostwriters are not struggling with ideas. They are usually people with valuable knowledge but limited time, writing experience, or resources to complete a book.

Book ghostwriting services are commonly used by:

Executives and Business Owners

Founders and leaders often have years of experience, strategies, and lessons that can become powerful books. A ghostwriter helps transform business knowledge into a structured manuscript that builds authority and credibility.

Coaches and Consultants

Professionals who teach, train, or advise others often use books to share their methods and establish their expertise in their industry.

Doctors, Lawyers, and Specialists

Experts in technical fields may have valuable information to share but may not have the time required for a complete writing project.

Retirees and Families

Life stories, memories, and personal experiences can be preserved through professionally written memoirs and biographies.

Authors With Unfinished Drafts

Sometimes writers have a strong concept or partial manuscript but need help creating structure, improving flow, and completing the project.

Hiring a ghostwriter is not about taking shortcuts. It is about using your time effectively while working with someone who understands professional storytelling.

How Ghostwriters Preserve Your Voice

One of the biggest concerns authors have is whether the finished book will still feel like them.

Voice preservation is an important part of the ghostwriting process.

A professional ghostwriter studies how you communicate through:

• Recorded interviews.

• Conversations and discussions.

• Existing articles, speeches, and written materials.

• Personal stories and examples.

They pay attention to:

• Your sentence style.

• Your preferred expressions.

• Your humor.

• Your way of explaining ideas.

• The experiences that matter most to you.

Before writing the complete manuscript, many ghostwriters create a sample chapter or writing sample based on your voice. This allows adjustments to be made early and ensures the manuscript reflects your personality.

Through collaboration and feedback, the final book becomes a natural extension of your own ideas.

The Book Ghostwriting Process

Every project is unique, but professional ghostwriting usually follows a structured process.

1. Discovery Consultation

The process begins with understanding your book idea, audience, goals, timeline, and overall vision.

2. Content Review and Research

Existing materials such as notes, articles, presentations, recordings, and documents are reviewed to gather important information.

3. Book Outline Development

A detailed chapter-by-chapter outline is created to organize the book’s structure before writing begins.

4. Author Interviews

Recorded interviews allow the ghostwriter to collect your stories, insights, experiences, and perspectives.

5. Sample Chapter Creation

A sample section is developed to ensure the writing style matches your voice.

6. Manuscript Writing

The complete manuscript is written in sections, allowing you to review progress and provide feedback throughout the process.

7. Revisions and Refinement

Feedback is incorporated through structured revision rounds to improve clarity, flow, and accuracy.

8. Final Manuscript Delivery

Once approved, the manuscript can move forward to editing, proofreading, formatting, cover design, and publishing.

Confidentiality, Credit, and Book Rights

Before beginning a ghostwriting project, authors should clearly understand confidentiality, credit, and ownership.

Confidentiality

A professional ghostwriting agreement should include confidentiality protection. This helps protect your ideas, interviews, personal information, and the existence of the project.

Credit

Authors should decide early how the writer will be acknowledged. Some ghostwriters remain completely anonymous, while others may receive credit as a contributor.

Rights and Royalties

The author should maintain ownership of the finished manuscript and retain book royalties according to the agreement.

A clear written contract helps ensure that everyone understands responsibilities, expectations, and ownership.

How Much Does a Ghostwriter Cost?

The cost of hiring a ghostwriter depends on several factors. Every book project is different, so pricing should be based on the scope and requirements.

Important factors include:

Book Length

A short business book requires a different level of work compared to a detailed memoir or research-based book.

Research Requirements

Projects requiring interviews, additional research, or fact-checking may require more time.

Available Material

Authors with detailed notes, recordings, or previous content may require less development work.

Timeline

A faster completion schedule may require additional resources and planning.

Subject Complexity

Technical, legal, medical, or specialized topics often require writers with relevant experience.

Revision Requirements

A clear revision process helps keep the project organized and efficient.

When comparing ghostwriting services, consider what is included:

• Interviews

• Outline creation

• Drafting

• Revisions

• Editing support

• Formatting and publishing assistance

How to Choose the Right Ghostwriter

Finding the right ghostwriter is an important decision.

Look for a professional who:

• Understands your goals.

• Can adapt to different writing styles.

• Asks thoughtful questions.

• Provides a clear process.

• Offers transparent communication.

• Uses written agreements.

Be cautious of providers who:

• Promise guaranteed bestseller results.

• Avoid discussing rights and ownership.

• Refuse confidentiality agreements.

• Provide unclear pricing.

• Pressure you to make quick decisions.

A strong ghostwriting partnership begins with trust, communication, and a shared understanding of your vision.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to ghostwrite a book?

Most nonfiction ghostwriting projects take several months from initial interviews to final manuscript approval. The timeline depends on book length, research requirements, feedback speed, and project complexity.

Will readers know I used a ghostwriter?

Ghostwriting is a common professional practice for memoirs, business books, and nonfiction projects. Whether you mention the collaboration is your personal choice.

Do I need a complete book idea before hiring a ghostwriter?

No. You do not need a finished manuscript. A clear topic, purpose, and audience are enough to begin developing the concept and structure.

What happens if I do not like the first draft?

Revision rounds are part of the professional process. Providing clear feedback helps the writer refine the manuscript until it matches your expectations.

What Working With Author Path Publishers Involves

Your ideas, experiences, and expertise deserve to become more than notes sitting in a folder.

With professional book ghostwriting services, Author Path Publishers helps transform your vision into a complete manuscript through interviews, structured planning, professional writing, and collaborative revisions.

You maintain ownership of your work while receiving support throughout the writing and publishing journey.

From ghostwriting and editing to formatting, cover design, and publishing assistance, our team helps guide your book from concept to completion.

Massachusetts Business Funding by the Numbers: What Fast Capital Actually Costs

BLK News Staff on August 23, 2026

Massachusetts business owners researching unsecured financing benefit from seeing actual numbers rather than general descriptions of how the process works. This walks through three realistic scenarios drawn from Massachusetts’s specific mix of Boston’s dense commercial economy, a strong healthcare and biotech sector, and manufacturing communities across the western part of the state, each illustrating a genuinely different reason a Massachusetts business might turn to unsecured financing.

Scenario One: A Boston Restaurant Covering a $20,000 Slow Winter Stretch

A Boston restaurant facing New England’s genuinely difficult winter tourism dip might need $20,000 to cover payroll and rent through the slowest months, when foot traffic drops considerably and outdoor seating options disappear entirely under snow and ice. A traditional Massachusetts bank would likely take six to eight weeks to process this request, an unworkable timeline for a need that’s already arrived and actively straining the business’s ability to meet its most basic obligations. An unsecured lender evaluating bank account performance could produce a decision within minutes and fund the same day, at a cost that reflects the speed and accessible qualification standard rather than the bank’s more conservative, collateral-focused pricing model.

Scenario Two: A Biotech Support Company Needing $50,000 for Rapid Growth

Massachusetts’s strong biotech and life sciences sector supports a considerable ecosystem of smaller companies providing lab services, logistics, and specialized equipment to the larger research institutions and pharmaceutical companies concentrated in the Boston area. A support company scaling to meet a new contract might need $50,000 quickly, a genuinely different timeline pressure than the restaurant’s seasonal gap but one that benefits equally from unsecured financing’s speed, since a delayed hire or equipment purchase could mean losing the underlying opportunity entirely to a faster-moving competitor.

Scenario Three: A Western Massachusetts Manufacturer Managing a $35,000 Raw Material Purchase

Manufacturing communities across western Massachusetts, from Springfield to the Berkshires, still support a meaningful base of smaller manufacturers who often need capital tied to raw material costs incurred well before customer payment arrives, sometimes months in advance depending on the specific product and customer relationship involved. This predictable, recurring timing gap represents exactly the kind of need unsecured working capital financing was built to address, regardless of whether the specific manufacturer is in Boston’s immediate orbit or a smaller western Massachusetts community with considerably less access to traditional banking infrastructure.

The Calculation That Matters Across All Three Scenarios

Regardless of which scenario most closely resembles your own Massachusetts business, the same discipline applies: convert every offer into total dollars owed for the identical amount and repayment timeline before making a decision, rather than comparing headline rates that may use different pricing conventions and mislead a business owner into thinking one offer is cheaper than it actually turns out to be. This single habit protects against being misled by whichever number happens to look smaller on the surface of an offer sheet.

Why Speed Carries Real Value in Massachusetts’s Market

Direct lenders such as fundivi have built their entire platform around this same-day expectation, combining direct funding with access to a wider network of lending partners so qualifying businesses can get a same-day answer even when a single lender’s own criteria don’t quite fit. This hybrid structure means a business isn’t limited to a single company’s underwriting model, since a referral to a suitable partner remains possible within the same application if the platform’s own direct product isn’t the closest fit. For any of the three Massachusetts scenarios above, the value of same-day access often outweighs a modest difference in financing cost, particularly when the underlying need is genuinely time-sensitive rather than something that could reasonably wait for a slower, cheaper process to run its full course.

Comparing These Numbers to a Traditional Bank Path

It’s worth stepping back and comparing what each of these three scenarios would have looked like through a traditional Massachusetts bank instead. In every case, the bank’s lower theoretical cost gets offset considerably by the four- to eight-week timeline, a delay that in the restaurant’s case would have meant the slow season was already over by the time funding arrived, and in the biotech and manufacturing cases would have meant the specific opportunity or need had already passed entirely.

What Massachusetts Business Owners Should Take Away

The specific dollar amounts in these three scenarios matter less than the underlying discipline they illustrate: understand your actual timeline, calculate the true total cost of any offer you’re considering, and weigh the value of speed honestly against any cost premium involved. This approach applies whether your business is a Boston restaurant, a biotech support company, or a western Massachusetts manufacturer, since the underlying math doesn’t change based on industry.

Worcester and Central Massachusetts’s Growing Business Base

Worcester and the broader central Massachusetts region have developed a genuinely diverse small business economy blending healthcare, education, and light manufacturing, distinct from both Boston’s dense commercial core and the state’s western manufacturing communities. Businesses in this region benefit from the same fast, accessible unsecured financing options available throughout Massachusetts, particularly valuable for newer businesses that haven’t yet built the kind of established banking relationship that Boston’s older, more established companies often maintain.

Cape Cod and the Islands: A Uniquely Seasonal Massachusetts Economy

Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket support a small business economy almost entirely defined by summer tourism, with the overwhelming majority of annual revenue for many local businesses concentrated into a few warm weather months before a considerably quieter off-season sets in. Businesses here benefit enormously from revenue-based repayment structures that scale automatically with the dramatic swings between peak summer revenue and the comparatively minimal activity during the winter months, a financing pattern more extreme than almost anywhere else in Massachusetts and one that a rigid, fixed payment obligation would struggle to accommodate fairly.

What Massachusetts Business Owners Should Do Next

Regardless of which of these three regions and scenarios most closely resembles your own Massachusetts business, the practical next step is the same: request soft prequalification from an unsecured lender to understand what your specific business actually qualifies for, then compare that offer against any bank alternative you might also be considering, converting both into total dollars owed for an identical amount before making a final decision.

A Final Word for Massachusetts Business Owners

Massachusetts’s genuinely varied economy, spanning Boston’s dense commercial core, a strong biotech and healthcare sector, and manufacturing communities across the western part of the state, means the specific financing story looks different depending on which industry and region a business calls home. What remains consistent across every scenario is the value of comparing real offers, understanding total cost clearly, and matching the financing structure to the specific timeline of the actual need, a discipline worth carrying into every future capital decision regardless of how urgent any single situation feels in the moment. Business owners who build this habit early tend to navigate Massachusetts’s genuinely competitive commercial environment with considerably more confidence than those who only think carefully about financing once a genuine emergency has already arrived.

How to Research and Choose the Right Commercial Lending Company

Finding the right commercial lender is less about landing on the first search result and more about building a habit of comparison before urgency sets in. Business owners who take the time to look at multiple lenders, rather than defaulting to whichever company appears first, tend to end up with better rates, clearer terms, and fewer surprises once the paperwork is signed.

A good starting point is looking at how a lender is actually rated by other business owners rather than relying on its own marketing copy. Resources such as businessloansiq.com bring together comparisons of top-rated business loan companies in one place, which makes it easier to see how different lenders stack up on speed, transparency, and overall customer experience before ever submitting an application.

From there, it helps to look past the advertised rate and understand the full cost of capital, including any origination fees, prepayment terms, and how repayment actually gets structured against day-to-day cash flow.

Side-by-side comparisons are especially useful at this stage of the process. A site like comparebusinessloansonline.com lets a business owner line up reliable business lenders against one another using the same criteria, so the comparison is grounded in real terms rather than a single company’s pitch.

Reputation and track record matter just as much as pricing, particularly for a business owner who may need to return to the same lender for future capital down the road.

Checking independent ratings, rather than only the testimonials posted on a lender’s own website, is one of the more reliable ways to spot a pattern of poor communication or hidden fees before it becomes your problem. Platforms including bestratedbusinessloans.com compile ratings across a range of business lenders, offering another useful reference point while narrowing down the list of who to actually call.

None of this needs to take more than an afternoon, and doing it before a cash flow gap actually arrives means a business owner is choosing from options they have already vetted, rather than scrambling to evaluate a lender for the first time under real pressure.

Building Long-Term Financial Preparedness

Business owners in this category who take the time to understand their financing options well before an urgent need actually arises consistently navigate genuine emergencies with considerably less stress than those researching options for the first time under pressure. This preparation costs nothing beyond a few minutes spent completing a soft prequalification, a process that typically doesn’t affect your credit score and provides a clear, concrete picture of what your specific business actually qualifies for right now. Knowing this information in advance, rather than discovering it for the first time during a genuine crisis, removes much of the scramble and uncertainty that otherwise accompanies an urgent capital need, whether that need arrives as an equipment failure, an unexpected opportunity, or a seasonal cash flow gap that caught the business off guard. The businesses that handle financing decisions most successfully over time are consistently the ones that treat this kind of preparation as an ongoing practice rather than a one-time event tied to a single specific crisis.

Frequently Asked Questions

What credit score is typically needed to qualify?

Requirements vary widely by lender, but many alternative and online lenders will consider applicants with credit scores in the 550 to 600 range, weighting recent bank account revenue and consistency more heavily than the credit score alone. A strong, growing revenue trend can often offset a credit score that would disqualify an applicant at a more traditional lender.

Will applying affect my personal credit score?

Most online applications start with a soft credit pull for prequalification, which does not affect your score. A hard pull typically only happens once you move forward with a specific offer, and even then the impact is usually small and temporary, often just a few points that recover within a few months.

Is a personal guarantee still required even without collateral?

It depends on the lender and the specific product. Some unsecured products still require a personal guarantee, meaning the business owner remains personally liable if the business cannot repay, while others limit liability to the business entity itself. This is worth confirming directly and reading in the actual agreement language before signing.

Reputation Is a Discipline, Not an Emergency With Royston G King of Quantum Scaling Partners on Preventive Work

BLK News Staff on August 13, 2026

Most organisations first think seriously about their online reputation on the worst possible day. A damaging article ranks on the first page of results. A cluster of negative reviews arrives in a short window. A former employee posts an account that spreads. At that point, options are limited, expensive, and slow.

Royston G King has described reputation management as a strategic discipline rather than a reactive exercise. A University of Southern California alumnus accepted into Columbia University and named to Forbes 30 Under 30 Monaco, he founded Master Scaling in 2018 and spun out Quantum Scaling Partners as its selective publishing arm, and the two firms have served more than 1,000 clients across over 100 industries. King reports a consistent pattern: the organisations that navigate a crisis well did the work before it arrived.

The organisations that navigate these moments well are almost always the ones that did the work beforehand. This is the central argument for treating reputation as an ongoing operational discipline rather than a service purchased under duress.

The reason is structural. Search results and AI-generated summaries both draw on material that already exists. Neither can be rewritten on demand. When a crisis arrives, the only available levers are producing new material, which takes time to gain traction, and pursuing removal of existing material, which succeeds only in specific circumstances. An organisation with a thin digital footprint has nothing for a negative item to compete against. An organisation with a deep, accurate, well-distributed footprint has considerable competition already in place.

Practical preventive work falls into a few categories.

Establish and maintain entity consistency. One canonical organisation name spelled identically across every property. One stable category description used on the website, professional profiles, directory listings, review platforms, and press materials. Consistent naming and titles for executives. Matching legal entity details wherever they appear publicly. This work is tedious and produces no visible short-term result, but it determines whether search and AI systems resolve an organisation as a single coherent entity or several fragmentary ones.

Build depth across owned and earned properties. A company that appears only on its own website has a single point of failure. One that appears across trade coverage, professional profiles, industry directories, review platforms, and legitimate media has redundancy. When something negative appears, it competes against a substantial existing body of accurate material rather than dominating a sparse landscape.

Establish review presence before it is needed. Organisations with a steady flow of genuine reviews absorb occasional negative feedback without much disruption. Organisations with four reviews find that a single critical one defines them. Building a consistent process for requesting feedback from satisfied clients is prevention work that costs almost nothing.

Monitor continuously rather than periodically. Knowing about a problem in its first days rather than its third month materially changes the available responses. Basic monitoring across search results, review platforms, and increasingly AI assistant responses is inexpensive relative to the cost of late discovery.

Document the record as it happens. Company milestones, client outcomes, executive commentary, and industry contributions are easiest to publish accurately at the time they occur. Reconstructing a track record retroactively during a crisis looks exactly like what it is.

When something does go wrong, the first days matter. The instinct to respond immediately and publicly is often wrong. Establishing the facts internally, determining whether the material is accurate, and deciding whether it warrants response at all should precede any public statement. Many negative items receive minimal attention unless the subject amplifies them. Others require prompt, direct acknowledgment. Distinguishing between the two requires judgment rather than a template.

What rarely works is attempting to manufacture volume rapidly. A sudden burst of similar promotional material published across many outlets in a short period is a recognisable pattern, and both search platforms and AI systems have grown better at discounting it. Worse, it can attract exactly the scrutiny an organisation was trying to avoid.

This is the pattern Master Scaling and Quantum Scaling Partners are built around: steady preventive work rather than emergency intervention. The uncomfortable truth is that effective reputation work is slow, boring, and largely invisible when it succeeds. It looks like consistent descriptions, steady legitimate coverage, accumulated genuine reviews, and a documented record built over years. No version of this can be compressed into a fortnight after something goes wrong.

There is no version of this, King argues, that compresses into a fortnight after something goes wrong. It is the reasoning behind the preventive model Quantum Scaling Partners and Master Scaling are built around.

To learn more about Royston G. King, visit his official website. You can also follow him on Instagram, connect with him on LinkedIn, and watch his content on YouTube.

How AE Tax Advisors Builds IRC-Cited Tax Plans That Hold Up to Scrutiny

BLK News Staff on August 7, 2026

The quality of a tax plan is significantly determined by whether it can survive examination. A plan that produces large theoretical savings but cannot be defended if questioned by the IRS is not a valuable plan; it is a future liability. The strategies that actually deliver value over time are the ones whose positions are clearly supported by the Internal Revenue Code, the Treasury Regulations, the IRS guidance, and the case law.

AE Tax Advisors has built its planning practice around producing tax plans that are explicitly grounded in the authority that supports each recommended position. Every strategic tax plan delivered by the Billings, Montana firm includes specific IRC citations for each strategy recommended, alongside the estimated dollar savings and the phased implementation timeline.

The reasoning behind this approach is structural.

The first reason is the audit defense posture. When a tax position is questioned by the IRS, the defense rests on the authority supporting the position. A plan that simply asserts “you can deduct this” without citing the underlying code section is fundamentally different from a plan that says “you can deduct this under IRC §X with supporting documentation Y.” The cited plan is defensible. The asserted plan is not. AE Tax Advisors clients receive defensible plans by design.

The second reason is the client’s understanding. A tax plan that the client cannot read or understand cannot be a basis for the client’s decisions. When the recommendations are cited to specific code sections and regulations, the client can evaluate the analysis themselves, ask informed questions, and make planning decisions with genuine understanding of what the positions actually rest on. This is meaningfully different from generic advice that the client must take on faith.

The third reason is the coordination with other professionals. The client’s attorneys, financial advisors, and other professionals need to understand the tax positions in order to integrate them into their own work. Cited tax plans support this coordination because each recommendation can be evaluated by the other professionals against the cited authority.

This is significantly more useful for multi-professional team coordination than uncited recommendations.

The fourth reason is the ongoing monitoring. Tax law changes through legislation, regulations, court decisions, and IRS guidance. When the original plan is built around specific cited authority, monitoring the changes becomes structured; the firm watches for changes affecting the specific provisions the plan relies on. Uncited plans cannot be monitored systematically because there is no defined authority to track.

The fifth reason is client trust. Sophisticated business owners and high-income professionals, the AE Tax Advisors client profile, typically expect that their advisors can defend recommendations with specific authority rather than asserting positions without support. The IRC-cited approach is what these clients expect from a serious advisory relationship.

The mechanics of the AE Tax Advisors plan structure involve several specific components.

Each strategy in the plan is described in plain language explaining what the strategy is and how it would work in the client’s specific situation. The plain-language description is followed by the specific Internal Revenue Code section, Treasury Regulation, Revenue Ruling, or other authority that supports the strategy. Where case law has been particularly influential in establishing the strategy’s validity, key cases are referenced.

Each strategy includes an estimated dollar savings amount calculated specifically for the client’s situation. The estimate is based on the client’s actual financial data, projected forward under reasonable assumptions, with the calculation methodology documented so the client can see how the estimate was derived. This is different from generic “potential savings up to $X” framings that don’t reflect the client’s specific situation.

Each strategy includes a phased implementation timeline showing when the work to execute the strategy should occur. Some strategies need to be implemented before the start of the tax year. Some need to be completed mid-year. Some are end-of-year actions. The timeline ensures the client understands when each piece of work needs to happen.

The plan as a whole is integrated across the strategies. Tax planning works because the strategies interact: entity structure affects retirement plan options, real estate strategy affects passive loss treatment, multi-state planning affects state tax, equity compensation timing affects bracket management. The integrated plan reflects these interactions rather than treating each strategy as isolated.

The plan also includes the documentation requirements for each strategy. Tax positions require documentation to support them, substantiation of expenses, contemporaneous records of activities, supporting analyses for valuations and reasonable compensation, and various other documentation depending on the specific strategy. The plan specifies what

documentation the client should maintain to support each position.

The annual $7,800 advisory engagement at AE Tax Advisors includes the complete strategic plan as one of the foundational deliverables. The plan is updated annually as the client’s situation evolves and as the tax law changes. The quarterly check-ins revisit specific components of the plan to ensure implementation is proceeding correctly. The mid-year projection identifies any adjustments needed based on actual year-to-date activity.

The firm’s team, IRS Enrolled Agents and licensed CPAs led by Christina Nortman, has built the IRC-cited plan approach into the firm’s operating standard. The work requires more analytical depth than uncited general advice, but the resulting plans are substantially more valuable to clients across the dimensions that matter: audit defense, ongoing coordination, client understanding, and long-term durability.

For business owners and high-income professionals who want tax plans they can actually understand and defend, the AE Tax Advisors approach represents one of the cleaner expressions of how serious tax planning should be structured. The work is technical. The plans are documented. And the team has the expertise to execute the approach across the breadth of strategies the firm operates.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational and promotional purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, accounting, or financial advice. Tax laws, regulations, administrative guidance, and court decisions may change, and their application depends on each taxpayer’s specific circumstances. References to potential tax savings, audit support, defensibility, or other outcomes are illustrative and do not guarantee results. Readers should consult a qualified tax professional, CPA, Enrolled Agent, or attorney before implementing any tax strategy. Any descriptions of AE Tax Advisors’ services, pricing, credentials, processes, or client outcomes are based on information provided by the firm and should be independently verified.

SPEAKERS Magazine Celebrates Black Business Month with Inspiring August Issue Debuting at the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival

BLK News Staff on August 4, 2026

Cover Story Honors MVAAFF Founders Stephanie and Floyd Rance While Spotlighting Black Leaders Driving Innovation, Influence, and Economic Empowerment

In celebration of Black Business Month, SPEAKERS Magazine, one of the top magazines for Black speakers, thought leaders, authors, and entrepreneurs, proudly unveils its August issue during the prestigious Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF).

The cover features Stephanie and Floyd Rance, the visionary founders of MVAAFF, whose festival celebrates 24 years of amplifying Black storytelling and cinematic excellence. What began as a bold vision has evolved into one of the nation’s premier cultural events and an Oscar-qualifying festival, bringing together filmmakers, executives, artists, entrepreneurs, and changemakers from around the world while blending culture, commerce, and community.

“Black Business Month is the perfect time to celebrate leaders who are building businesses, creating opportunities, and opening doors for others,” said Dr. Pam Perry, publisher of SPEAKERS Magazine. “This issue is filled with extraordinary individuals whose stories demonstrate that visibility, leadership, innovation, and service are the true foundations of lasting success.”

The August issue highlights a remarkable group of Black leaders making an impact across business, technology, media, finance, government, and entrepreneurship.

Among those featured are:

● Sharrarne Morton, CEO, SiriusXM host, and founder of the Black Door Society, who is cultivating an influential community of Black women leaders committed to wealth, leadership, collaboration, and legacy.

● Dr. Renay Butler, Business and AI Architect, entrepreneur, and technology strategist, who helps organizations harness artificial intelligence and strategic systems to accelerate growth while preparing the next generation through STEM education and entrepreneurship.

● Cheryl Monroe, CEO of CK Management and Consultant Group and a retired U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Five. Her current work includes helping businesses navigate government contracting, procurement, proposal preparation, and strategic business operations.

● Kristina Sicard, Founder and Managing Principal of DRACIS Inc., who equips entrepreneurs to become capital-ready through her proprietary Launchpad™ Framework, helping businesses build strong financial systems before seeking funding.

● Jawn Murray, an executive producer, journalist, and media strategist whose previous work includes serving as an executive producer of the daytime talk show Sherri and producing media projects focused on Black culture and entertainment.

● Jemele Hill, acclaimed journalist, author, producer, and podcast host whose fearless storytelling continues to inspire conversations around leadership, race, sports, business, and social impact.

The issue also features an insightful article by publisher Dr. Pam Perry titled “The Core Principles of Personal Branding,” which explores why visibility and credibility remain two of the most valuable assets professionals can develop. Through strategic media exposure, public speaking, thought leadership, and authentic storytelling, entrepreneurs can position themselves for greater influence, authority, and opportunity.

For nearly a decade, SPEAKERS Magazine has become the trusted publication showcasing Black experts, executives, speakers, coaches, authors, and entrepreneurs who are shaping industries and inspiring communities around the globe.

Copies of the August issue will be distributed throughout the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival, placing these powerful stories directly into the hands of filmmakers, producers, investors, media executives, corporate leaders, and influential decision-makers gathered for one of the country’s most celebrated cultural events.

As Black Business Month shines a spotlight on entrepreneurship, leadership, and economic empowerment, SPEAKERS Magazine continues its mission of amplifying the voices of Black visionaries whose expertise and leadership are transforming communities and creating lasting impact.

To subscribe, advertise, or learn more, visit www.SpeakersMagazine.com.

About SPEAKERS Magazine

SPEAKERS Magazine is one of the top magazines for Black speakers, thought leaders, authors, executives, coaches, and entrepreneurs. Founded by award-winning publicist Dr. Pam Perry, the publication celebrates experts who are building influence, driving innovation, and making a difference through business, leadership, media, education, technology, entertainment, and public service.