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• Archived Blog Post

  Date / Time: 6/4/2009 9:32 PM UTC

  Meet Larry Jemison, Jr. and Kekla Magoon
  

  Larry Jemison: Larry Jemison is a powerful consultant, author, and motivational speaker.  He is president of The Jemison Group, LLC, based just outside of Atlanta, Georgia, where the primary focus is “to enhance your social and business acumen, which ensures that success becomes your only option.”  Larry earned a master’s degree in business from Babson College, which is often noted as the number-one program in America for Entrepreneurial Studies (U.S. News & World Report). Prior to this, Larry earned a marketing degree from Tuskegee University, where he graduated with honors from the esteemed historic institution that produced the likes of Tom Joyner, Lionel Richie, and the Tuskegee Airmen. He is a member of the Atlanta Urban League Young Professionals, member of the National Sales Network, founder of the Atlanta Dream Makers Networking Group, and a member of the Hotlanta Hackers Golf Club. He has spent over twelve years in the corporate sector as a leader in the areas of finance, training, and marketing and sales with companies such as FedEx, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, and Lucent Technologies.  Larry's efforts are to help mold, define, and polish the company's most prized asset, you! This in turn creates people who understand diversity, possess adequate leadership qualities, and consistently improve the company’s bottom line. Larry conducts keynote speeches and seminars covering leadership, diversity, customer service, and personal motivation. Larry customizes his presentations to reflect the current market place so that your organization receives the most real time, accurate, information, as it pertains to the success of your business. More about Larry Larry graduated from Lucent Technologies Financial Leadership Development Program and was recognized by the CFO as an Outstanding Achiever". In addition to this, Larry was recognized as the "Highest Achiever" by the Lanier Worldwide training department and was then honored for creating the award winning diversity training video. This award came just before being recognized by the VP of Sales for leading his Lanier sales team in revenue attainment. You may have seen Larry yourself in motion pictures such as The Fighting Temptations, starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and Beyonce Knowles, and Motives, starring Shemar Moore and Vivica Fox. He has also done multiple commercials for The Weather Channel and been interviewed on XM Satellite Radio’s Warren Ballentine Show, as well as V103’s Frank Ski Morning Show. The Georgia Secretary of State recently honored Larry for his role in supporting prostate cancer awareness.  Check out Larry's new book "How to Make it in a World that Wasn't Made for You", as it is truly the common person's guide to success.   Larry feels that one day he will have fewer tomorrows than yesterdays, so he lives his life to the fullest, while always attempting to add value to the lives of others. Larry Jemison, Arthur Blank (Co-founder of Home Depot and Owner of the Atlanta Falcons) and Larry Jemison, Sr. at the Georgia World Congress Center Larry featured as one of Lucent’s Graduating Financial Leadership Development Program (28 fast track managers who combined the power of a master’s education with on the job experience) Larry resides in Lawrenceville, GA where he works with a number of civic and non-profit organizations to keep his skill sets sharp and constantly strive to make the impossible possible. Larry missed being on Season 2 of hit television show “The Apprentice” where he was not selected from the semi-finalists to appear on the program, but Larry’s take is nothing ventured, nothing gained. Today is the tomorrow that we talked about yesterday, and with each new day comes another opportunity.

  NOW Meet Kekla Magoon..................http://www.whatsakekla.com/
  
  

  Most people start their biographies at the beginning - when they were born. But Kekla likes to think outside the box. She lives in New York City, an exciting, wonderful and inspiring place, where she is surrounded by fascinating people of many different backgrounds. "What's a kekla?" people sometimes ask when they meet her.
   
  Kekla loves reading and writing (are you surprised?) and she likes to play with words. Her favorite game is Boggle, and she almost always wins. (If you have never played Boggle, you should!) 
  
  Even for a word lover, it takes a lot of practice to become a good writer. Kekla went to graduate school at Vermont College of Fine Arts, where she got to practice a lot. She earned a Master of Fine Arts in Writing degree, and made lots of good friends who are children's writers, just like she is. It is a very special gift to have people in your life who understand even the strangest and most unique things about you (for instance, why you are willing to spend all day every day at your computer typing up stories about imaginary people.)

  Kekla in NYC

  Kekla moved to New York City in 2001 after finishing college. At the time, she didn't know what she wanted to do with her life (she hadn't yet decided to be a writer), but she knew that whatever she decided to do, New York City would probably be a place she could do it. It seemed like a city where anything is possible!
  
  As a college student at Northwestern University, Kekla studied History, which has always been one of her favorite subjects to read and write about. Many amazing, talented, brave and creative people have gone before us. Hearing their stories helps Kekla understand how the world got to be the way it is today.

  Kekla's 15th Birthday

  Kekla wrote her first novel when she was in high school. She should have known then that she was destined to be a writer! But she just thought it was a fun thing to do in her spare time. That story was never published, and probably never will be published, but it was very much fun to write.
  
  Kekla always liked telling stories, even when she was in elementary school. Her dad took her out to breakfast every Saturday, just so that she could tell him stories about her week. Her mom read lots of books to her and took her to the library so she could read and read and read. Kekla grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Her family moved there when she was five, and her parents still live there, so she gets to go home and visit her old childhood hot spots.

  Kekla, age 9

  Kekla is biracial - her mom is white and her dad is black. Her mom grew up in the U.S., but her ancestors came from Holland, Scotland and maybe elsewhere in Europe. Her dad grew up in Cameroon, a country in western Africa.
  
  When Kekla was very young, she lived with her parents in Cameroon for several years. Getting to have experiences like that makes it great to be biracial! 

  Kekla, age 2, in Cameroon

  
  Kekla was born in Michigan, in the summer of 1980. She was born early in the morning, so her parents named her after the sunrise. "Kekla" means "morning star" in a west African language called Bassa, which her dad speaks.
  
  So, now you know what a Kekla is!

  
  
  • Tags:
  • young adult
  • writers
  • motivational speaker
  • authors
  • novelist
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