Today we’d like to introduce you to J.Lynda Blake.
J.Lynda, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started in publishing in 2005 I was inspired by my eldest daughter to venture in to this world when she asked me to help her put an urban dance magazine together. Fast forward a few years and we expanded the focus of the magazine to embrace millennials, and the culture that has become a force for progress in this country. As a Mother and a Grandmother… (My daughter is now married with children of her own, and I have another daughter in college and a son about to graduate high school in a few years) I felt it was important to give access to a clear voice and positive focus to this monumental demographic. I am also a licensed General Contractor and a real estate Investor/Developer. I’ve been in the industry for over 20 years, and I love that I can be a part of building this city and seeing things of importance go from inception to reality. I call myself a serial entrepreneur. My journey has allowed me to meet heads of state, celebrities, and to help many in my community achieve their dreams of having a beautiful home. My motto in life is “be a transformational leader” meaning: it is important to inspire those around you to become leaders so that the future is left in capable hands.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I have faced many obstacles because success is not a straight line, life has its up and downs. We all have challenges and frustrations and have to face fears. I try to be consistent and embrace my passion for life, it helps me reap the rewards of my hard work and also I keep good people around me. I feel you have to have a love for what you do in times when you don’t necessarily get the financial rewards. That is the difficulty of being your own boss but, that freedom you get is priceless. Above all don’t listen to detractors and haters, you just have to keep moving, have faith, and be okay with standing alone sometimes. Everyone may not see what you see and you have to be okay with that, the key is never to give up. Hold on for that one moment when you break through because each setback is preparation for a comeback. I’ve been through many negative things in my life but I decided to keep going.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with High Soaring Millennials Magazine (HSM Magazine) – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I’m the CEO and Publisher of High Soaring Millennials Magazine (HSM). We focus on the millennial lifestyle, art, culture, fashion, technology, beauty and travel, the greatest joy in this position is that 75% of the team is millennials, and being afforded the opportunity to mentor them into the leaders of the future is a big part of who I am. I call this my give back. I believe in accountability, and empowerment, we have to encourage and share our own experiences and persevere to help the next generations reflect their own excellence. We specialize in thinking outside the box. HSM magazine hits a nerve with our core demographic because we listen, and offer opportunity digitally and through social media and print for the masses to be heard. We bring together talented writers, artists, marketing specialists, IT and sales professionals and work as a team to build something great as a collective. Our goal is to make every issue better than the last, and we love when someone discovers how good we are at what we do!
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I have so much in my head it is hard to say but, I know part of my plans are to expand my real estate investment and construction businesses. It is important that people are afforded the ability to live in safe environments. I currently am on the board for Roxbury Neighborhood Council and our goal is to find ways to minimize displacement and the negative effects of gentrification. I believe in using my various platforms and abilities for the improvement of my community.
Pricing:
- High Soaring Millennials Magazine (HSM) is free in digital format and only $15.00 in print
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hsmmag.com
- Phone: 857.309.4433
- Email: sales@hsmmag.com
- Instagram: hsm_mag
- Facebook: hsmmag4life
- Twitter: hsmmag
Image Credit:
All images owned by High Soaring Millennials Magazine Inc.
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