Agape Muzic (Photo by Perfect Lenz Photography)

Many years ago, a musical gift was realized in Antron “Tru Keyz” Heggie. Originally from Oxford, N.C., he graduated From J. F. Webb High School in 1996. Along with John Joyner and Kelvin Parker, Agape Muzic was formed in 2009. Their original goal was to be a musician only jazz band, but after prayer for direction and vision they realized they needed vocalists. Heggie plays the piano, leads the musicians and provides the hip hop portion to Agape. “I took piano lessons from age 10 to 18. I played the piano for my home church from the ninth grade until I graduated from high school,” he says. He then attended North Carolina A & T State University and met his wife Keisha, a bond that produced their beautiful daughter, Nyla. “She is the reason that I am striving to build a legacy,” says Heggie.

“I play because music is in my DNA. When I wake up every morning I pray then I turn on the music,” says Heggie. Music has been the soundtrack of his life. He also takes on the role of producer, creating hip hop, R&B and digital jazz. “With all the music that’s in me I have to play. I would lose my mind if I couldn’t get this music out of me,” he says.

Antonio J. Scott is a native of High Point, N.C. and graduated from Southwest Guilford High School Class in 2003. Currently he is a student at Winston Salem State University, majoring in interdisciplinary studies with a concentration in biology. He describes himself is a lyricist and poet, he is the hype man for Agape Muzic. He says he is blessed to be in the company of such an amazing group of God-fearing individuals that share messages of love, and hope through good music. He says that he inspired by God, and his life has been impacted by the values and morals that his parents have set before him. “Music is life, rhythm, and melodic tones. It motivates me,” he says.

Drummer Jared (Jay) Brandon Jones is a native of New Jersey. He moved to Greensboro in 1998 and attended Southern Guilford High School and joined the band. He says he became intrigued by the percussion section. After he graduated from high school in 2008, Jones began to play for his church, Gospel Feast Tabernacle, under the leadership of Bishop Brandon Thompson in Greensboro. “Playing for the church has been a blessing. I enjoy every minute of it, from the slow contemporary music to the fast music,” he says. His biggest inspirations are Chris Coleman, Calvin Napper, Calvin Rodgers and Aaron Spears.

Vocalist Tasha Crews is a native of Greensboro, N.C. She attended Carolina Beauty School in 1997 and earned her professional styling licenses in 1998. Soon afterwards, she attended North Carolina A &T State University and earned a bachelor’s in business administration. A mother of two beautiful children, Azana and Ameen, she has been singing for more than half her life in church. She lead her first song at age nine with her family group “Faith of Victory” consisting of her grandmother, mother and younger sister and Agape member, Crystal. “My instrument is my voice. Singing is a gift from God. So he has anointed me to sing and by singing to Him daily has made my voice stronger,” she says. “I sing because it makes God smile and brings Him glory. I have come to know through experience, that singing heals broken hearts and delivers souls. Singing calms and makes a heart happy and sends a message. Singing allows me to express myself freely.”

Crystal Simmons is a native of Greensboro, N.C., and a graduate of Walter Hines Page High School, she prides herself on being a great mom to her daughter Olivia. She says she strives everyday to be a better person. With a lot of prayer, she says she is able to still stand. “I can honestly say that the greatest achievement that I have ever made was being a loving mother. Growing up I always vision myself on stage singing in front of thousands of people and God has really blessed me by putting me with amazing people that love God and music as much as I do,” she says.
The Sound Engineer for Agape Muzic is Kelvin Parker. A native of Greensboro, N.C., he graduated from James B. Dudley High School.

Instructed by other sound professionals Arthur “Ottie” Harris, Ken Knoble Stanton Gilmore and Ricky Ellis, and he is also a founding member of Agape Muzic. He has a natural love for music, but more specifically he identifies with the way music makes him feel. “Music is uplifting and joyful in every aspect. Agape means – Unconditional Love,” he says. Moving forward says that he plans to own and manage a sound company one day. “I would love to be a part of Agape Muzic and express my love for God with this wonderful group of people forever,” says Parker.

John R. Joyner Jr. was raised in North Carolina and Brooklyn N.Y. He attended Albany State University in Georgia and has been a member of Agape for two years. As the band’s bass guitarist, he says he loves everything about music, including how a song can touch your soul when you are feeling happy or sad. He says his inspirations are everyday people who go through hard times but never give up. He accredits his mother for instilling her strong will and spiritually minded qualities in him. Joyner says Agape means love. As a member of the band it has allowed him to help change lives in a way that it pleases God. “I’m forever grateful to God for making and molding me into a better man, father, husband and friend,” he says.

Vocalist Kolika Cutler was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and was raised on the eastern shore of Virginia. She attended Virginia Commonwealth University and later transferred to North Carolina A&T State University. The middle child of three, she is the mother of an eight year old son. She says she has been singing all of her life. “I don’t come from a family of singers, but I have always been in love with singing,” she says. Her motto is “Music is my therapy”. If she’s singing or just listening to it, she says its universal language seems to take her to another place. Her musical inspiration is Anita Baker.

Arnetta Edwards (Photos by Howard Gaither)

Arnetta Edwards was born one of 14 children. The South Carolina native knows a thing or two about dealing with children, working together, business management and patience. Growing up in a large family, she was constantly surrounded with others. It was something that prepared her to work in her purpose. She absolutely knows, without a shadow of a doubt her purpose–its childcare. To clarify, she is not interested in just simply “watching” children; rather she is absolutely adamant about engaging, teaching and preparing children. Her theory and process is due to her own life experiences and education. Edwards is the owner, operator and lead teacher of Arnetta’s Childcare.

After graduating from her South Carolina high school, Edwards decided a move was in order and transitioned to Greensboro. She worked in the childcare industry and it wasn’t a big departure for her because she had been doing it all her life. She says, it just wasn’t called working in an industry—it was taking care of family. She says she often took care of her brothers and sisters as well as her nieces and nephews and as a result developed a passion for working with children.

Edwards has worked at several childcare centers and has substituted and performed many positions in-between teaching. There has not been any regrets and she embraces it all because she says, “they actually pushed me to my place of purpose.” After garnering a lifetime of wisdom, by faith, she stepped out on her own and in 1999 became licensed by the state of North Carolina. On January 3, 2000, she began operating her very own childcare facility. She started that first day with only two familiar faces – her grandchildren. Nonetheless, those two faces quickly grew into the maximum amount of children the state allowed. Not only did the enrollment increase, but also it has remained at a consistently high level.
“I’ve never had a problem getting children or keeping children,” she says. “I’ve been blessed not to have a large turnover. Usually the children I get at six weeks remain here until it’s time for them to go to school [kindergarten] and many for after school care.” She admits she doesn’t even advertise because she doesn’t have to. At one point, she was blessed to open a second facility, however after two years of dealing with the unstable economy and the introduction of four year olds into the school system she was forced to close that facility. Nevertheless, her drive and passion for children never faltered, she simply put more energy and resources into the original center.

Typically Arnetta’s Childcare days begin at 6:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. In the early days, the center even offered Saturday care, but she quickly realized that it didn’t leave enough time to properly manage or care for the operations aspect of the center or prepare for the upcoming week. One of the many unique aspects about Arnetta’s childcare is that the facility is completely certified and licensed for 2nd and 3rd shift care, which is extremely rare. She works extremely hard to maintain a “five star facility.” Her desire and goal everyday is to meet and enhance the educational needs of each child. The center is equipped to care for children six weeks to 12 years old, including infant, toddler, preschool and after school care. With such a wide range of age groups, she believes it is imperative to develop and maintain a consistent schedule. Each age group has its own daily schedule which includes the implementation of curriculum and themes. “We have a curriculum just like the public schools. I use the Active Learning System,” she says. “We incorporate different themes. It’s something that I want to do. It’s not required by the state. I don’t want their transition to school to be difficult. I want our four year olds to be learning what kindergarteners are learning now. We actually use some of the kindergarten lessons now with them. Usually when they get to kindergarten it’s a carry-over. Many of my four year olds are ahead.” Edwards says she has even had principals contact her and praise what she has done with the kids and even inquire about her tactics because of the advanced level of the kids.

Edwards received stellar education from Bennett College and Guilford Technical Community College. She has also attended numerous workshops, seminars, conferences and other training sessions, all to continue to be educated as well as stay up-to-date with the latest information and teaching techniques. She wants to increase her own knowledge but she relishes in the opportunity to teach and mold little lives and open their eyes to a world of knowledge and exploration.

Edwards and Arnetta’s Childcare is always looking for opportunities to grow. There are even plans to expand the current facility. She acknowledges it’s not about how big or important she can become personally, rather it’s about embracing the community and providing a service to accommodate working parents. She says she hopes to provide the services and information parents need to help them as they strive to offer an even better lifestyle for their families.

Carina Cole (Photos by CharlesMedia Photography)

The Triad is full of talented, driven and successful business people. Carina Cole is an Image Consultant, founder and CEO of Legacy Couture, an online women’s accessory boutique that specializes in unique jewelry and other accessories for today’s woman.

What are your three favorite spring trends?
Anything color blocked. Statement pieces. It could be a bold print skirt with bright color or a huge chunky necklace that makes a simple outfit stand out or that stiletto/heel that stops you dead in your tracks. Bright, Bright Colors. Cobalt Blue (my favorite right now), orange, hot pinks and bright greens.

Which of the these do you wear most & why?
Oh wow, that’s hard. I would say the bright colors such as cobalt blue. I wear it because I love the color and how it transforms even your mood. It looks fabulous on many skin tones. Just a fun color! Spring fashion tip for men? Keep it crisp. You can never go wrong with a freshly pressed white button down shirt or even a white V-neck tee paired with dark slacks or dark denim jeans!

Is it better to appear polished or pulled together without a lot of fuss over an outfit?
Make sure that your clothes are fitted (not tight) but fitted it will make you look neater and pulled together and also Black/white colors always create a polished look for men and women.

Stephanie Sanders (Photos by Howard Gaither)

The first time Stephanie Sanders attempted to design and bake a custom cake it was, in her own exact words, “horrible!” Nevertheless, it was enough to spark an interest she says. Never one to be defeated by mistakes, she got herself together, took to the kitchen and determined within herself to not only figure it out, but to master it. She not only figured it out, she went far beyond and the rest is sweet history filled with delicious goodies sure to please the most refined sweet tooth around.

In August 2010 the husband and wife duo, Milton and Stephanie Sanders began filling orders for homemade cakes, pies and general desserts. After several months of orders pouring in, the couple officially launched Delicious Deliveries in January 2011. Although the business was doing well and holding its own, it was never something either Sanders previously dreamed or planned. In fact, it was a business they were practically pushed into and probably would have never started had it not been for the country’s economic downturn.

Originally, they started the business to supplement their income after Milton Sanders lost his job to layoffs. However, within a year of that traumatic event, Stephanie was served a slice from that same pie and after 15 years working in the insurance industry she was also laid off. Nevertheless the enterprising couple didn’t take those seemingly stressful moments as detrimental; rather they embraced them as part of God’s master plan for their lives.

“I feel like it was God that took us off our jobs,” says Stephanie. “I feel like God forced me into a blessing.” Fast forward to the present and Stephanie doesn’t just “feel like” she was given a blessing; she absolutely knows it.

The Greensboro native graduated from North Carolina A&T State University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Education with a concentration in Information Technology – arguably the furthest in profession from cooking, cuisine or any form of the culinary arts. Amazingly, Stephanie says she has never had a cooking lesson or taken a cooking class. She says she always “cooked,” but it wasn’t until recently that a baking giant was unleashed within.

Sanders partially attributes her craft to her husband. “My husband is a sweet connoisseur; he loves sweets. He sparked an interest in me to bake,” she says. “When I started baking I realized I was just as good at baking as I was at cooking. I enjoy it so much. It’s a passion I didn’t even know that I had. It was a hidden talent.” Everything is self-taught. She says ninety-nine percent is from experimenting and troubleshooting.

People have always encouraged Stephanie to open her own business. She was always winning various cook-offs and bake-offs, so Delicious Deliveries was the natural next step. The company is quickly gaining a solid customer base and following. Customers are awed by the vast of array of delights to choose from. Delicious Deliveries has expanded significantly from just offering pound cakes and cookies in the early days to just about any type of pallet-pleasing dessert including muffins and pies to candy truffles to highly specialized, custom cakes for any event. Delicious Deliveries offers it all.

The company now offers dessert and candy buffets. So for all those customers who simply can’t pick just one treat, they can potentially choose them all; and Delicious Deliveries will even stick around to serve it all up. Just as the name states all orders are delivered directly to the customer. They are guaranteed to receive fresh delights to order.

Amazingly, every item is sculpted and designed (because they are like works of art) by Stephanie. The custom and specialty cakes are absolutely edible masterpieces. So, what design options are available? The possibilities are literally unlimited. From an upright, three-dimensional, Spongebob Square Pants, children’s cake to an outstandingly realistic Coach purse cake. Sanders definitely has an eye for detail. Ironically, it was her artistic eye that she initially thought would provide her the ability to pursue another passion-interior design.

“It’s sort of strange how God combined the two,” she says. “Decorating cakes you have to have that visual eye just like with interior design.” Stephanie says each order is personalized and customized for each client. No two orders will ever be exactly the same. Every custom dessert order will be tailored to fit the personality of the client or group.

The company’s dedication to detail and customer satisfaction is what drives Stephanie and keeps people coming back for more. More is exactly what the Sanders intend on doing. They will simply continue to push the boundaries and offer delicious goodies. Although Stephanie says she and her husband would eventually like to open a storefront at some point, but they are presently concentrating on meeting the needs of customers and allowing God to lead them and the business. “I trust God fully and want Him to lead me and I’ll follow His lead. So whenever He tells me to move, that’s when I’ll move, I’ll just wait on His Guidance.”

Terry Watson - Editor

Give it your best. Your best and nothing less. We have all heard it at one point or another. When we truly believe that we have given our best, it’s comforting and withdraws all doubt. Your best makes you smile on the inside and solicits the praises of others. Your best isn’t just a condition, but also a continuous journey.

Our best is better than what we delivered yesterday. It is a result of a different kind of commitment. It is derived from a new determination. It feeds on a desire to accomplish greater goals and reach higher plateaus. It encourages you to awake an hour earlier and conclude hours later. Our best is identical to none and outlined in our existence.

Our best allows us to give more and take less, and endure more and cry less. It demands that we listen and not be judgemental of those who are at fault. We must pray more and listen for God to speak so that we can interpret His idea of what is best for us. Our best requires us to sacrifice somethings for the benefit of others. We must acknowledge when we’re wrong, and be not prideful when we have lost. Doing these things will only allow us to be a better person.

When we strive for the best it pushes us to be better parents, better siblings, better neighbors, better friends, and better spouses. At our best, we are more valuable to our employers and secure in our futures. If you want to change our world, you must have the best intention of doing so. Your best is like Kryptonite to fear. God is love and He expects the best from us, because that’s what He gives to us. I live my life appreciating the idea that life is a gift from God, and that with each test and trial, I must always give them my very best to ensure even the smallest chance of winning!

Erica Motley (Photo by Howard Gaither)

Her story began at the moment of acceptance. She knew her weight was an issue, and could possibly lead to other health problems. She wanted to lose weight but didn’t have a clear idea on how to do it. As fate would have it, in late 2009, she was invited to a Zumba fitness class by a friend. From that moment, Greensboro native Erica Motley knew she loved it. The more she attended the classes, the more she began to see her weight disappear. It appeared that she had developed an addiction to become physically fit.

After that experience, Motley says she wanted everyone to come with her to see how much fun Zumba was. With her chosen career in health care, she has always had a passion for helping others. “I’ve always loved helping people. If someone wanted to go walking, if they called me they knew I would be willing to come along,” she says. Before she knew it, she had many of her friends working out with her. One of them she says, expressed to her how much she had impacted their life by encouraging them and leading by example. She says her friend was exercising for the first time in years, and had started to lose and couldn’t get over how much fun she was having while doing so. This was confirmation for Motley.
“I liked the fact I was able to help someone just by going with them, so why not have my own class? I wanted everyone to know what Zumba had done for me,” says Motley. “I think Zumba is the perfect exercise for those that love to dance or want to start working out but just don’t want to be in the gym atmosphere.” After careful planning and prayer, she decided to start her own fitness class, EM’s Creative Fitness.

“I wanted to catch the attention of those who had a problem working out,” she says. “I have the solution for those that are not quite motivated or think they can’t”. Her motto is “INSIDE FIX-OUTSIDE PARTY”. Her explanation is, “When working out you start with the inside first”. “Every time you work out, exercise sets in motion of events in your body that collaborate to help you lose weight and get healthier. When you exercise—whether it’s Zumba, walking, biking or lifting weights, you are improving cholesterol and fat levels and reducing inflammation in the arteries. If you have heart disease, it helps to control blood pressure and releases stress”.

“I make 60 minutes of sweating go by so fast and before you know it, class is over,” says Motley. “I love to interact with my classes and I always pick music that they can really feel and get into”. Song requests are welcomed for cool downs and stretching at the end of class. She also states there isn’t a shortage of individuals wishing to participate in her class. “I dont have to go and get folks, when they walk in the door I already know why they are there and what they want,” she says. “We keep each other motivated by posting or emailing healthy recipes, before and after pictures, tips from each other, and workout sessions outside of Zumba”.

Whenever time allows she says she loves to workout, practice Zumba or call a friend and find a boot camp class. She says she sustains a relationship with God and continuously confers with Him about her dreams and goals. In the near future, she wants to have a fitness center that will be affordable for everyone and with a complete different type of vibe.

Governor Beverly Perdue at the UNCF luncheon (Photo by Alana Allen)

United Negro College Fund (UNCF) is an educational assistance organization that provides college tuition for 39 historically black colleges and universities. Founded on April 25, 1944, UNCF is still providing funding for students today.

UNCF is enabling more than 60,000 students to attend college this year. North Carolina has five UNCF member institutions: Bennett College, Johnson C. Smith University, Livingstone College, Shaw University and St. Augustine’s College.

Governor Beverly Perdue was the keynote speaker at the 2012 United Negro College Luncheon on Friday March 23, 2012. The purpose of the luncheon was to reach out to those who would help fund the North Carolina UNCF. Governor Perdue delivered a heart-warming speech that encouraged and praises young students who will have the opportunity to receive funding from UNCF. “It’s a fundamental truth: education is the great equalizer; education is the great difference maker.

That’s what makes the support and sponsorship of UNCF so important” she says. Due to UNCF efforts, students will be able to graduate from prestigious schools and will acquire jobs in every profession. Many students will be leaders in our communities and on the national stage, and many only reach that potential because of UNCF. Governor Perdue concluded in saying, “I believe education is about nothing less than the future we want for all our children, and as long as the work of UNCF goes on, the tide of equality will continue to rise.”

Delrisha White, a journalism and mass communications major at Bennett College delivered an empowering message to future donors and fundraisers. She spoke about her challenges of paying for a college education. A California native and raised in foster care, she wanted to attend a historically black college or university, and the state of Calif. didn’t have any. Her college dream soon turned into a reality of financial aid distress during her freshmen year when she found herself in a $5,000 deficit after applying for $10,000 in loans.

That year, she received an emergency UNCF scholarship to help and by her junior year of college, she was able to apply for more support from UNCF that covered her tuition, student housing, transportation and the opportunity to travel abroad to Shanghai, China. She says if it wasn’t for UNCF, she would had faced withdrawing from school and returning to California.

Stories like Delrisha White are very common and UNCF tries to support students with emergency funds to prevent the last resort of leaving school. It is important to support students who are striving to have a college education; even in 2012 there are students who are the first ones to attend college. Like the famous UNCF motto says, “A Mind is A Terrible Thing to Waste”, and this national organization lives by it purpose.
To donate to the United Negro College Fund or learn about its impact in North Carolina visit www.uncf.org.

JaQuel Richmond (Photos by Charles Media Photography)

At the young age of 17, JaQuel Richmond is a gifted and talented basketball player. His skill set is remarkable and has caught the attention of several big names schools across the nation including UNC-Charlotte, Oklahoma State, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Georgetown, and Tennessee, all of which has offered him scholarships. Additionally he has received serious interest from Duke, Syracuse, UCLA and Kansas.

Richmond is a point guard that plays for NBA superstar guard, Chris Paul and his CP3 All Stars AAU Team. He has been handling that orange sphere since the tender age of four. Yet he says there is still so much for him to accomplish on and off the basketball court. He is the type of guard that can break any defender down and get to the basket at will. “I have developed a three point shot just in case my defender is backing up, I’m pulling up for the jump shot,” says Paul. “But if he’s playing me tight one move and I’m going to the hole”.

Richmond has received a double portion of basketball blessing from both of his parents. His mother Keisha Mail and father Bennie Richmond both played basketball for James B. Dudley High School in Greensboro. He also attended Dudley as a freshman, but later transferred to Wesleyan Christian Academy in High Point where its basketball program is lead by Keith Gatlin (former University of Maryland guard). He now maintains a 3.500 GPA at Wesleyan and has manage the transition very well.

Richmond says his biggest goal is prepare himself to play basketball at the next level. His father says he allows him to be a “Gym Rat” but he requires JaQuel to hit his books first. As a member of CP3 he travels around the country to mentor other youth who are following in his footsteps. His travels generally consume any breaks that he has from school, including the summer.

He understands that success requires a lot of hard work. The death of his uncle Kenyon Mial in 2009, he says was the biggest challenged he’s had to face. “He was my number one fan. When I lost him, it was like a part of me left. It took months for me to get myself together. I knew I needed to regroup because that’s not what he would have wanted,” he says.

His parents and younger sisters are his biggest inspiration. Looking at their faces when I’m playing on the court as they cheer inspires me to work hard on and off the court and in the classroom,” he says. “I always tell them they are going to retire real early”. He also says seeing some of his friends who are either in college playing or on their way to college, makes him strive harder. “Chris Paul has impacted my life a lot because he plays the point guard position. Learning directly from him makes me feel like I can’t go wrong. He teaches me the ins and out about the game of basketball,” say Richmond.

With the dream to possibly play in the NBA one day, Richmond declares that nobody can stop him but myself. His plan is to finish strong in high school, excel in college, and play professionally. “One day I’m going to tell my kids how my dream came true. Life is what you make it and basketball is mine,” he says.

Lystra John (Photo by Lystra John)

Brooklyn, New York native Lystra John is the founder of LEAP4STARS, an image consulting company whose focus is to help women work on the visible and invisible image they have of themselves. In addition her goal is to provide women everywhere with encouraging information on how to live a healthier and more beautiful lifestyle.

LEAP4STARS works with the mother, daughter, grandmother, and aunt with issues on how to dress, what to wear, and when to wear it. In addition other topics such as How to speak, when to speak, and who to speak to. John says she also addresses health concerns such as how to end usage of prescription medicine, lose weight, and raise happy and healthy children. Most importantly John says she instructs her clients on how to live in purpose.

As a mother of four beautiful children, she says they are her biggest inspiration and why she does what she do. “Children do as you do not as you say. If I want my children to be successful, healthy and happy it is my moral obligation to make sure I am doing the same thing,” says John.
Some of the product and services provided by John are One on One consultations, Health Assessments, Group Workshops, Job Fairs. She also offers advice on how to transform and update your current look, and works with youth groups and womens groups on entrepreneurship and how to work from home. “I teach my clients on how to balance life and work. I help those who want to prepare for the next level in life. I believe that simple lifestyle changes can add years to someone’s life,” says John.

She says her father taught her the importance of being a business owner and money management. When she was eight, he died, but she says his impression continues to live within her.

Master Kutz Barbershop Team (Photo by Perfect Lenz Photography)

When it was time for Greensboro native, Shawn Walden to choose a career path, he honestly admits he didn’t have a clue as to what he wanted to do. After graduation from Southeast Guilford High School, he says his outlook on life was just like that of most other teenagers. He had played football but wasn’t sure about attending college. Joking, he says his parents encouraged him to make up his mind. He wanted to engage in a necessary profession and so he did. With prayer, his sights were set on becoming a professional barber.

Growing up, Walden would set up shop in his back yard and cut his younger brother Steven’s hair, and anyone else that was brave enough to allow him to practice. After being inspired by his mother, he says those experiences eventually persuaded him to enroll at Winston-Salem Barber School. After graduating in 1994, he began his apprenticeship under the direction of Horace Harris. He says it was Harris who taught him how to respect the business and present himself professionally; even when he thinks that none of his clients are looking. As time passed on, he says he pondered the idea of owning his own shop. “I talked with my dad about the idea, and he told me go for it. I was scared but also inspired by my father’s confidence in my ability.” Unfortunately, his father died just three months before he opened the doors of Master Kutz Barbershop. He says he is reminded of his father’s words each time he enters his shop. “This is my dream and my passion, and what my father wanted me to do,” he states.

Even as he faces challenges, he continues to strive because of his connection to a higher power. “My relationship with God has produced a road map for my life. God is first because He has blessed me with talent and ability, and also a great staff,” he says. Meeting new people, becoming a successful entrepreneur, and inspiring others is what he enjoys about his job. Moving forward, he hopes to increase Master Kutz presence in his community and possibly open another location.

Brian Davis describes himself as a professional, productive and creative barber. He began styling hair nearly six years ago after graduating from Pyramid Institute of Barbering in Winston-Salem, N.C. He is a native of Raeford, N.C. but has lived in Greensboro for the greater portion of his life. He graduated from Northeast High School and attended Guilford Technical Community College. He is also an active member of the NAACP. Initially he says his aspirations were to work in the medical field. However something pulled him to into the field of barbering. He accredits his wife Dacia with providing him with constant encouragement and support. “Without God, I have realized that I am nothing,” he says.

Ricky Dove is a native of Trenton, N.C. After graduating from Jones Senior High School, he attended Harris Barber College in Raleigh, N.C. He eventually obtained his professional barbering license and moved to Greensboro where he began his apprenticeship at Love Barbershop. With over 30 years of barbering experience, he specializes in temper tapers, fades and regular cuts. He says he is driven to make his clients look good. “Satisfying my customers and ensuring that when they walk out of my shop, is the same goal I had when I first began my career as a barber,” he says.

Antonio Boyd was born in Roanoke Rapids, N.C. He graduated from Northwest Halifax High School and then moved to Greensboro in 1996. He later enrolled at Guilford Technical Community College to study the craft of welding. While at GTCC, he says he decided to try something different. Since the age of 15, he says he always wanted to be a professional barber. In 2011, he enrolled at Winston-Salem Barber School. After obtaining his license he was offered his first opportunity to barber at Master Kutz. According to him, it all about customer satisfaction in the profession of barbering; it is what separates the good barbers from the great ones. “I love to see the satisfaction on my clients face after seeing the job I have done,” he says. Razor Lines, Tapers and Designs are all weapons in his styling arsenal.

Marcus Watlington is a native of Burlington, N.C. and was raised in Cherry Grove, N.C. He graduated from Bartlett Yancey High School and later enrolled in Winston-Salem Barber School. As a child, he says his father would cut his hair. “He would always mess it up. I didn’t like the way it was and so I asked him to give me the clippers so I could do it myself,” he says. Pleased with his results, he decided to take his new skill to another level. The versatility of clients and the challenge of accommodating each of their needs is what he says he loves most about his career.