Today is the Day!

Alright Ladies, it's 5:13 am and I am so excited about The Plus Academy CHARLOTTE's Open House.  Let's light the Queen City up today at Spirit Square! Be there by 3pm.  Dress up those curves, paint on your MAC lip glass, and slide on your favorite pair of shoes.  Go ahead, show your thinner counterparts why they want to be you!

I Wish I Was a Plus Size Model

If we were to be transparent just for the next few moments, we might agree that at some time in our lives we looked in a magazine, saw a show, or even another woman and thought, "Man, life would be so much easier if I looked like that.  If I was just smaller, thinner, taller" and on and on and on.  We've all done it at some point (maybe not today, not even last month, but some time in our far and distant pasts we dreamed of less of this and more of that).  

For some women, full-figured especially, these thoughts were nearly a chronic condition and tormenting for that matter.  Constantly seeing beauty portrayed in size 4, 36-24-36's, 5'11", shop anywhere, where anything, go braless, whatever!  A never-ending reminder of how supposedly unattractive or rather unwanted by American standards they were.  But, today is a new day! It's everywhere.  It's all around us.  Plus Size. Plus Size. Plus Size.  The latest trend.  The newest fad.  The "we've been here, representing over 70% of the U.S. for, um, years."  Opportunities to be a part of this target market and for retailers, take advantage of this target market are becoming more and more plentiful.  It's a most appropriate time for the tables to be turned with all this fashion, media, and retail attention we've garnered.  Give it a few more months, maybe one full year and our thinner counterparts may begin sharing this sentiment...

  

On the Air Today with BJ Murphy 103.3 WGIV!

Have you ever been in that deep, good old fashioned snugly sleep?  Well, that's what I was in the middle of when I received a call from my colleague, Tiffany Fant.  She had tried calling me several times but my phone kept reading "Private Number" and I said to myself, "Self, there isn't even a number, so back to nighty-night." (Sidebar: I am so not one of those folks that ignores calls because the number is not stored in my phone.  I run businesses.  My numbers are all over the Internet.  I answer the phone every time it rings. Ya' heard?)  Okay, so back to my delightfully interrupted sleep...

Finally, T. Fant texts me with these words, "Pick up the phone! I'm calling from work." Feeling reprimanded, I began reminiscing on my obedience to my Mom when she couldn't get me to return her calls when she would page me. Yes, I'm reflecting on transparent blue Motorola pagers.  Lol!  I call T. Fant and she passionately instructs me to get up and get ready to head down to WGIV radio station in Pineville (I live nearly 30 minutes away) and be there before noon (it was 10 am and I needed to put my face on, too)! Nathan Smalls had just posted on Facebook:

"TODAY IS RECORD DAY AT WGIV 103.3 FM. BRING YOUR CD WITH PICTURE AND BIO TO THE RADIO STATION 12PM -2PM ONLY AND WE WILL REVIEW YOUR MATERIAL FOR OUR ARTIST SPOTLIGHT. 9349 CHINA GROVE CHURCH ROAD, PINVILLE, NC 28134 ATTN. "NATHAN SMALLS."

ELIAH, my client at the The Consulting Studio definitely needed to take advantage of this opportunity.  So I packed up his demo, bio, and images filed them in a leather folder, stuck on my heels, beat my face, styled my hair (ha!), and left for South Charlotte.  When I arrived I was greeted by an unassuming gentleman who asked what I did.  Who knew it was the owner and general manager of the station, Mr. Frank Neely? We chatted for a few moments and then he introduced me to Nathan and BJ Murphy. Aware of the greatness of the opportunity, I could not fathom the fullness that God had planned.  As I introduced them to my artist, ELIAH, The Consulting Studio, and The Plus Academy CHARLOTTE, they each recognized the immediacy of PA Charlotte's Open House.  As Mr. Neely bounced around generous opportunities for my future endeavors (stay tuned for updates on that...), the star of The BJ Murphy Show asked if I was in a rush.  Of course I wasn't.  T. Fant only awakened me 2 hours ago.  My day wasn't due to start until ummm...6pm for the Celebrity Power Mixer at the Harvey Gantt Center. :) At that very moment, I heard God say to me, "Ask, seek, knock.  You did." In the next few seconds, Mr. Murphy asked if I would like to be on his show today at 3:30pm.  Without doing the dance of joy from the 1980's show, Perfect Strangers, I simply confirmed my availability coupled with sincere thankfulness.  

So today at 3:30 pm, The Plus Academy CHARLOTTE & your girl, Tip Jones will be ON THE AIR at Charlotte's oldest African-American owned radio station, WGIV 103.3FM.  I thank God for the opportunity.  

Love Ya'll!