Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Davis.
Her life doesn’t start with a success story. It starts with failure and self-inflicted circumstances.
We often associate white-collar crime with high-level male executives, but Stephanie Davis doesn’t fit that description. On one fateful night, the authorities caught up with Stephanie, a educated single mother and what had been building for years, finally ended.
For a great portion of time, she had been moving money for foreign business executives, to the sum of nearly $1M. On that night, she went from Stephanie Davis, a respected professional mother to federal inmate number 2536566. The local community and those closest to her were shocked.
While she readily admits to the agony and remorse she still feels, she also says she wouldn’t take the experience back. The time she spent in a federal prison dramatically changed her life and the lives of many she influenced. In fact, a former BOP head of many women’s prisons said of Stephanie, “She used her time in prison so effectively she not only changed her life but left a legacy that has changed the lives of many other women since.”
Stephanie spent her time in federal prison learning, reading and writing. She completed courses on Stocks & Trades and began taking courses towards her Master’s degree.
Years after her release, her learning continued as she continued to pursue a higher education. She became an advocate for prisoner education, believing that, “When a woman leaves prison, she should be the best she can possibly be so she’s ready to face the world.” Stephanie now supports legislation efforts for prison reform and mass incarceration, especially for women. This advocacy and her insights into educating inmates have created a platform as an author, speaker, and advocate.
Stephanie honed her writing skills when she obtained an opportunity to correspond for a national comedy magazine. It was that experience that led her to start her own publication, Empower Magazine. “I want to change the conversation that surrounds people of color in today’s media world so it’s not so bias and stereotypical” Stephanie now publishes three award-winning magazines Empower, Hustle & Soul and Curve+ Magazines better known as “The Magazine Conglomerate”.
More often than not, that good fortune to right a wrong may not present itself. Stephanie Davis, an empowerment expert, strives to exhaust every ounce of passion within her through inspiring others. After being blessed with a second chance, Davis decided that she is going to live by her mission: Empowering others to fully embrace their power, honor their potential, and showcase excellence.
Davis enjoys delivering her motivational messages by using humor, genuine passion, and inspiration. Every audience that has heard and listened to Davis speak; has been moved to take action, provoke change, and pursue their purpose. Whether it be collectively coming together to shift their community or individually making a change within themselves; her contagious energy sparks passion in those that cross her path. Davis has a central focus, “let go of the things that no longer serve a purpose; maintain a mindset of growth, purpose, and opportunity”that she ensures every person she encounters receives.
David also wrote a book called “Behind the Wall of Grace” which served as therapy for her. Behind the Wall of Grace is a testament of spiritual recovery. A story of how she transformed her life, offering her spiritual journey as a guidebook for overcoming fear, changing perceptions, and creating a life you love to live for. Davis traded self-doubt, a struggle with rejection, self-esteem, and addictive behaviors for a reconnection with a personal, loving and forgiving Higher Power. Experiencing a profound life change from mental and emotional difficulty, hurts, and destructive conditions. How one continues in a progressive spiritual growth and stronger personal relationship with God. How to overcome a Jacob mentality through Jonah experiences.
She is the CEO and Principal Publicist of Empower Media Group. Davis is the Owner and Publisher of a conglomerate of editorials to include Empower Magazine, Curve+ Magazine, Hustle and Soul Magazine, SCORE.org Business Mentor and Founder of Empower Cares, an organization dedicated to social justice, educating, empowering and provoking individuals to pursue a greater purpose. She recently began “The Hustle Project”, a non-profit community-based initiative that collaborates mainly to strengthen the community through our impactful summits, charitable initiatives and to provide support to underserved students attending HBCUs.
Tenacity, perseverance, hard work and a relentless desire to rise above her past has allowed great success as an executive and entrepreneur. Believing that if she can, others can too, Davis now seeks to empower the masses; To help break those cycles and ceilings, to banish those “labels” and to pursue their divine purpose through God-centered leadership.
Has it been a smooth road?
It definitely was not and has not been a smooth road. The biggest roadblock to women’s success after prison may be the community itself and its willingness to forgive but forgiving yourself is more important than anything. I struggled with that for a long time..
I worked hard to earn a second chance, building up my résumé and rebuilding my reputation through several pro bono projects. I networked with people and eventually began to freelance.
Once I started Empower Magazine, things shifted for me. Finding ways to finance my vision was a challenge at first. But I became creative with ways to bring in revenue. While working in corporate America, I allowed my career to finance my vision.
When I started my business, there were very real risks. There was that uncertainty as to whether business would come in and projects would be sustained, but I knew God was leading me to it. He opened a way to do it that started me off with a small seed of faith and it only grew from there.
My sense of purpose has only strengthened through the years. I started my business with a vision to make a difference and work on projects that matter. I work with many who have a real heart and mission behind them. They affect lives through their work.
I’m not just living my passion; I’m also pursuing a greater purpose.
I was told that all I need to do is keep showing up like I always have. “Just do the best work you can on what is before you and don’t think too much about how to build a business. Just keep doing it like you have done it every day before, and it will grow.”
Tell us more about the business.
Empower Media Group is an independent, all-inclusive boutique public relations firm. Our firm has gained experience through a variety of industries; specializing in Luxury, Fashion, Editorials, Nonprofit, and Small Business markets as well as Media Relations and advertising design.
Our work is innovative, creative and results oriented. Our efforts are on-target and reach the audiences that matter, thanks to the long-term relationships we’ve established with others. We maintain a select client base to ensure the highest level of personalized service and attention. We’ll feel like a part of your brand, yet as an outside agency we maintain objectivity and perspective.
The Magazine Conglomerate (TMC) consist of four publications conjointly providing content to their subscribers. Empower Magazine, Hustle & Soul Magazine, Curve+ Magazine are released bi-monthly.
TMC is now the respected thought-leader in the industry and providing a barometer for the season’s latest culture trends and inspiration for the African American Culture. The words and images presented in each issue are intended to inform, educate, inspire, connect, provoke, empower & celebrate culture.
Our objective is to globally awaken every individual who comes across a TMC publication, igniting their confidence in our culture and invoking change in the way it’s perceived.
Additionally, I have my personal brand “The Real Stephanie” which is very dear to me. TRS is about living in your authenticity, self development, self care and self love. It’s an entrepreneurial ministry. My newest project “Let’s Talk Purpose”. This project will be an empirical journey that will help people embrace the process of pursuing their purpose. I have unequivocally created the blueprint on how to embrace authenticity and accept the call to a greater purpose. Through various seminars, speaking platforms and workshops, TRS events will leave you with a wealth of empowerment essentials. Thus creating the Empowered Version of You!
I realized that this is my mission field. I didn’t have a passion to just be the best publicist or to climb the corporate ladder, but to use the platform of media to share hope and faith with the world.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Yes, of course. Change is constant in the world we live in. I have my hands in different industries from public Relations to developing a luxury fashion brand for curvy women. Marketing is always necessary and as technology enhances, it puts marketing in a better space. The fashion industry is forever evolving! I’m excited to have partnered with an amazing team. So expect some great news really soon!
In regards to the magazine industry, a stronger emphasis on visual design is a continuing trend in the magazine industry. Television and computers have strongly influenced this trend. Journalists need to be able to think in terms of visual communication as well as written communication. Magazine art departments are growing larger in order to encompass online design as well as print design. They understand that a strong, effective design is increasingly crucial if they are to continue attracting readers.
With increased outlets to promote magazines and their advertisers, strong branding of a magazine is becoming increasingly important. Audiences need to recognize instantly a magazine’s masthead on various products, television shows, and the Internet, and they need to associate it with quality and integrity. All of this means that editors need to continue working closely with publishers and advertising departments to develop a strong marketing strategy.
Contact Info:
- Address: EMPOWER MEDIA GROUP
1201 West Peachtree Street
Atlanta, Georgia 30309 - Website: www.theempowermedia.com
- Phone: 4045857053
- Email: info@theempowermedia.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamstephanied_/
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/iamstephanied/
- Yelp: https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=bookmarks
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/empowerinc_/
Image Credit:
Nathan Pearcy, Antoinne Jones and K Smith
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