And in this cowardly judgement, I must confess, I have missed one of the most radiant personalities on television today: and her name is Rasheeda Frost. A woman who is kind, funny, brutally honest and openly vulnerable. Who knows she’s limitless, can persevere through anything and finds her greatest joy in lifting other women up. Hell, she’s even addicted to warm Toll House cookies — what’s there not to like?

Click the Cover to read her story in iTunes or Google Play

Unfortunately for her, that’s a positive lead buried under other more gripping headlines from VH1’s most controversial and beloved show Love & Hip Hop. Since 2011, the network’s three-series show filmed in Atlanta, New York and Hollywood, that has five different spin offs, over 230 episodes with 150 cast members — which includes Rasheeda in Atlanta. It’s a massive production, known for it’s very high level drama and a polarizing debate over representation within the black community.

But for this midwestern born rapper turned fashion designer, you’d be mistaken to let a little bad press keep you away from understanding this enterprising lady. She’s not just a person who’s looking for 15 minutes of fame. She’s the real deal — a boss chick through and through. And getting on her positivity train now might be something your on-demand fingers and future aspirations have been itching for.

Here are five fun facts that she exclusively shared with us at HER magazine.

She can do backflips around you, literally

Hold onto your seats — she used to train with Béla Karolyi in his Texas school of World Gymnastics. When she was younger, this Mary Lou Retton wanna-be considered herself an all around athlete who played basketball, danced, swam and cheerleader. But her first love, was gymnastics.

“I stayed down there for the whole summer camp. That was what I wanted more than anything. Of course it was expensive, and my mom was like, ‘Okay you really want this — let’s make sure your grades are on point. And I’ll send you to Houston this summer to train with him.’ She knew in my mind at that point in time, I wanted to be an olympic gymnast.

And yes, I can still do back flips and frontflips and all that, to this day. Don’t get it twisted! I still got a little athletic in my bones!”

Not only was it an opportunity of a lifetime, that had her geeking out in the same tights and shoes of her gymnastics idol, but it was an experience that stayed with her throughout her lifetime. When working with coach Karolyi personally, Frost remembers:

“The one thing I remember him saying to me was, ‘You. You can be very powerful gymnast. Very powerful.’ And that’s what I remember. That’s what stuck with me. I remember that and maybe that stuck with me as I continue to grow. It was a moment.”

Her Mother Is Her Girl Boss Idol And Bestie

“She was a boss chick back then — she owned a hair salon in the town that we lived in. I learned a lot from my mom,” she says when we talk about her upbringing, crediting her as one of the most influential people in her life.

“She was mom, she was dad, she was strong, supportive, she was making sure that she held everything down to the best of her capability at all times. And even when she was like, ‘Okay I don’t see you growing here, it’s time to move to Atlanta,’ even when she decided to make that transition, and sacrifice and leave her successful business making lots of money — she stepped out on faith. And THAT took strength. You know?”

It’s a strength that often comes back up in funnier ways, when raising sons of her own in Atlanta.

“Especially when I’m fussin’ at my kids. Especially when I’m like, going off on my teenage son. He’ll even say ‘You sound like granny, ma. You sound like granny.’ It’s a great feeling. She is my homegirl. It’s mom. That irreplaceable woman. Just a person who … I don’t even know how to explain it… it’s just an unconditional relationship.”

Raising Awareness about Postpartum

After the birth of her son Karter in 2013, Frost experienced suffered from postpartum depression. It was the last thing the starlet expected from her highly active, and fitness focused lifestyle.

“What’s crazy about pregnancy, is that you don’t know what you’re getting. Each pregnancy is different for me, and I know, for a lot of other women that I speak to. It’s unfortunate that your body and your mind can get to a place, where you honestly don’t know what the hell is going on. And that’s scary!

Like, when it came to postpartum, I didn’t really occur to me what was going on with me at first. I was just feeling like a down, lost soul for a while. I was just like, I’m sad as hell. I love my kids. I love my baby. But, I’m just… I don’t have the energy. For a minute I didn’t feel like waking up. I didn’t feel like doing stuff.”

The surprise postpartum, she admits, left the former athlete weighing in at two hundred pounds and feeling lonelier than ever before.

“There were days where I would tell (her husband), ‘Listen, you gotta take care of Karter. I would just lay around and be in some type of weird state.  And growing up at home, I didn’t see a breakdown of my mom at all. She just always seemed like she was just strong all the time.

I remember seeing her cry one time and that was when her dad passed. And so it just seems like, the surface was just like a strong surface. And I inherited that — that strong surface, and wanting to keep it , you know, keep it crispy. Never let them see you sweat. Stay on point!”

But staying strong and on point, she admits might not have been the best remedy for her healing.

“One day I woke up and was like, you know what, I’m digging myself into a hole! I And who’s gonna get me out of me — me.  But, I never talked to anyone about it. I didn’t talk to any of my friends or anything. I just played things off like, ‘okay, I’m cool, I’m fine. I’mma stay home. Even back then, (talking about it) might have been a good thing. To actually kinda help heal, and to help heal others, it is better to speak upon things.”

Her Business Thrives Because She Knows Her Why

Almost every CEO that shares their story with us has the same philosophy when it comes to their business: you have to know your why. It’s not enough to combine your passion with an income. Without a clear reason why this brings you joy, your business is highly likely to struggle.

Rasheeda’s is simple: yes she’s always had a flair for looking cute. But when she started interacting with other women in her PressedATL store, a clothing and accessories boutique in Atlanta, her passion for fashion took on a new meaning.

“Being self-confident is the best accessory. I love fashion. I always have. I’m an accessory junkie. If I’m able to create a business out of something that I love, that’s the best thing you can do. And the reason why I love having a store, is because I love for women to come in and be like ‘Can you take me out of my comfort zone?” I love to make them feel good. Put them in things that they wouldn’t pick up for themselves. Make them feel sexy make them feel amazing. And I get a sense of gratification from that.

Regardless of people being like ‘You’re Rasheeda, and you’re on this and that,” I’m like — I’m a business owner and I’m a person trying to make another woman feel good. And when you can do that through fashion – that’s like a common language, girl. We can talk fashion all day. And I love that.”

She’s Not Phased By The Rumors

Remember when I said that her lead is buried under more dramatic headlines? It wasn’t an exaggeration. The night before I interviewed her, Twitter was exploding with speculation over an affair her husband may have had (which resulted in the woman having a child.) Is it true? Is she talking about it? And is it even our business?

According to this loyal Gemini, it really isn’t our business or her business what the media says about her. Knowing who your are, and what you stand for is the only truth that will get you through the best of the times and the hardest.

“I’ve gotten really good with my fingers scrolled up past a lot of things. Cause now a days, what’s news now is old in like … later in the day. So I just try to keep it moving. Rumors — they don’t define me and who I am. But you know, I feel like I’ve been built up to learn how to facilitate the things that come to me in my life.

At the end of the day — I gotta be strong for my family. I’m not going to let some people who think they know me off of one or two or three minutes break me down. I’m not gonna do it. At the end of the day, it comes with the territory and I realize it is what it is. And if they talkin bout your ass, then evidently you poppin!”

Watch our exclusive video interview with her below.

The post Meet The Real Rasheeda Frost appeared first on HER Magazine ™.

There are so many articles out there encouraging us to spend less time on social, and more time with people in real life. Okay, I get it. I agree on a philosophical level. But if you’re running a business? SM has to be part of your strategy.

I wrote a recent articles for Forbes talking about generating real business value from social media. There is so much confusion about the powerful business tools at our disposal, which is why we’ve focused some of our attention in the June issue of HER Magazine to DIY social media tips and other online marketing tactics like email automation.

I don’t claim to have all the answers for you, but what I do know is with major retailers closing their doors due to the rise of e-commerce and more millennial entrepreneurs crushing it online than people who’ve been in brick and mortar for ten, twenty years – times are changing.

Either you’re going to adapt or be left behind, and as I was driving down a busy road the other day noticing all the storefronts – I couldn’t help but to think about whether or not these business owners solely relied on word of mouth and referrals.

I realize that’s how many companies are built. But to scale? To reach the masses? You’ll have to explore new strategies, and the first stop you should make? Online.

I hear a lot of people say Facebook ads don’t work for them, or they’ve tried posting this and that – they aren’t generating results. You’ve got to take a look at why. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, to admit that you don’t know! It’s the only way you grow.

This month we’re diving into some pretty deep topics like e-mail automation and social media like I mentioned – don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions. There’s never one single article that will answer everything, but it can at the very least get you pointed in the right direction.

Also in this issue, is Rasheeda Frost on the cover. She’s most famously known for her role on Atlanta’s Love & Hip Hop but as she’s evolving from hip hop star to business woman – she wanted to share an important message with women about motherhood and the journey to the top.

Click the cover to read the story in our monthly magazine. To access the June issue, download the issue in iTunes or Google Play.

How did she build an empire? The short answer: perseverance. 

If it’s anyone who knows how to smash social media, it’s her. Take notes, she’s highly engaged with her audience and knows how to leverage her assets to get more people through the doors of her clothing store, Pressed.

Here’s a short clip from our video interview in Atlanta.

The post How to Build a Business Empire appeared first on HER Magazine ™.