The editorial team has a special attachment to our new series, The Trailblazers: Rewriting the Narrative, because so many of us feel that media portrayals of women have been too one dimensional. Today, women are doing incredible things in all fields – from science and technology to finance, law, business, athletics and more. With the Trailblazers series, we hope to highlight and celebrate female role models, encourage more equal and just representation in the media, and help foster a more tight-knit community locally helping women find mentors, business partners, friends and more.
Below, you’ll find some incredible trailblazers from in and around Marietta that we hope you will check out, follow and support.
Kristen Hartnagel
In March of 2012, I had a life-changing experience. My family and I were on the beach in Playa Del Carmen. It was Spring Break for our two sons. My husband, Jeff, and I and several families were together on vacation. Sitting in the sunshine, I was suddenly overcome with a wash of emotion. It was as if a beam of unconditional love enveloped me and muted everything else from my senses and awareness. Read more>>
Ebony Green and Deborah Jones
Where does the name Elena come from? It was our mother/grandmother’s middle name, Geraldine “Elena” Herbert. With her passing in 2015, we needed a way to keep her awesome spirit alive. She is the reason behind the creation of this business. Ms. Elena and Deborah, her daughter, loved to sew. They took an adult sewing class when Deborah was only six years old. Read more>>
Jaylesa Bentley
My love for lashes actually began around three years ago when I started getting individual extensions done for myself. I’ve always been interested in entering the beauty industry, where I felt I could implement my creative talents and fell in love with the concept of doing lash extensions. I’ve been providing this service for roughly two years now and I enjoy making other women feel how I feel every time I get my lashes done. Read more>>
Tiffiney Poole
After having a child and going through some struggle with my own weight, as well as recognizing the health issues that ran in my family, I took an interest in creating a healthy lifestyle as opposed to chasing fad diets. This led me to seek my health coaching certification several years ago, and more recently, my Fitness Nutrition Specialist certification through ACE Fitness. Read more>>
Muriam Cinevert
I am a mother of one and Regional Vice President of Fiducia Financial Group, serving predominately the immigrant community with guidance on immigration, Insurance Planning, Retirement Planning, and Credit Counseling. I am an entrepreneur, author, motivational speaker, and the founder of True Self Magazine for the voluptuous woman. Read more>>
Alison Briard
My dream had become a reality and I was so excited! Since 2015 I have gone from making 2 or 3 cakes a month to about 5 to 6 cakes per weekend! I am proud to say I have turned a hobby into a profitable business. I enjoy being able to stay home with my daughter and work to create my own schedule. I am truly blessed to be able to do what I love each day. Read more>>
Talesha Austin
I started my online Vintage store, Divaxpress Vintage seven years ago. I stepped out on faith and decided to pursue my passion with thrifting and finding fabulous pieces to sell online. It has done exceptionally well over the last seven years, and I am very thankful I stopped out on faith to pursue my dream. Read more>>
Sara Westover
I was always an artistic child. Any chance I got, I would turn to art for school projects, reports, homework, and free time. One of my first memories of creating art was painting the cover of a book I had read for a book report in 2nd grade. Through the years, my love for art only grew through cartoons, movies, and illustrations in books. Read more>>
Latoya Palmer-Addy
In the words of Hillary Clinton, “… never doubt that you are valuable and powerful, and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams,” If you desire to cultivate strength and courage while developing your inner grace, then join the MIA Girls. And please remember this… EVERYTHING you need exists inside of you. Read more>>
Kelly Limes
Suffice it to say that I’ve had quite an interesting life! I believe, however, that existing in the highs and lows of each of these (and many more) experiences have allowed me the unique perspective that I offer as an advisor. My spiritual, educational, and personal backgrounds very much inform my perspective, which in turn informs my work as an advisor. Read more>>
Nena Gilmore
I had been searching for a way to be able to write for a living. It is what I love to do and always brings me great joy. For years (18 to be exact), I kept speaking in terms of “one day”. “One day, I’ll leave the medical field and work on that novel that is rolling around inside of me”, or “One day, I am going to be more consistent with my blog.” Read more>>
Angela Hales
I’m a Virginia native. I grew up in the rural center of that state, and my early childhood was largely focused on competitive acrobatic gymnastics, in which I participated until age 15. Though I enjoyed the sport, the environment was unhealthy and I have related chronic pain, which yoga now helps to address. Read more>>
Jerrika Brown
I got started with writing when I was 12 years old. I used journals to write anything and everything that came to mind. Music and literature have always been a way to express my self when there was just no way for me to communicate my emotions and feelings. I stand firm today because, with my story in my book Confessions Of A Boss. Read more>>
