COVER STORIES

PHOTOS BY TELLIER STUDIOS

City of Syracuse Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens’s story leading up to her lifelong journey as a public servant begins with how she was raised. She had a mother who believed that when God blesses you, you have to give back. Her mother also believed that one has to give to return on their blessings which can be considered an investment. One has to decide and strive to really be all in and be the best person that they can be for the people around them.Continue reading

PHOTOS BY CHARLENE MANN PHOTOGRAPHY

Last fall, Rochester native Toni Natalie published her memoir, The Program: Inside the Mind of Keith Raniere and the Rise and Fall of NXIVM. In it, she shared her harrowing story of living with and – the relentless pursuit from the man that the world would one day come to know as Vanguard, the leader of the sex cult, NXIVM.Continue reading

PHOTOS BY MARISA NICODEMUS

Sherry Hale has been an innovator from the start. Her father, and his father before him, were both businessmen and entrepreneurs. Sherry found that she had that same, innate capability that would eventually drive her to excel and succeed in the business realm herself. From the onset of adolescence, she was motivated to learn how to use a computer, so she taught herself. She also felt a magnetic pull to the beauty industry, completing her cosmetology license after high school.
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PHOTOS BY CHARLENE MANN PHOTOGRAPHY

Rochester Woman Online recently had the pleasure of sitting down for a question and answer session with the truly beautiful and inspiring Jennifer Johnson. Here is what she had to say, and boy was it amazing.Continue reading

PHOTOS BY CHRISTOPHER “GOODKNEWS” CARDWELL

Hey, Sis! As I peruse my mind in hopes of writing something inspirational, relatable, and worthy of your time, I have decided to share an inspiration talk that I shared at my First Annual “Mai’ Musings” Symposium. The title of this publication is “Something for the Sisters.” I conclude that the term “Sisters” is alluding to black women specifically and we as black women endure some experiences that are highly prevalent, specifically to us.Continue reading

PHOTOS BY CHARLENE MANN PHOTOGRAPHY

Elected in 2011, Sandra Doorley is the first female District Attorney in Monroe County history. In 2015, Doorley was re-elected to her second four year term. Prior to assuming office, Doorley served the District Attorney’s Office with distinction for nearly twenty years, successfully prosecuting thousands of high profile criminal cases and compiling an impressive record of victories. Continue reading

PHOTOS BY DANIEL BALDWIN & MICHELLE DIBERNARDO

Please tell our readers about Robin Hertz?

Robin: I am a 52 year old woman, A mother of 2, Daniel Baldwin’s other half, a medical intuitive and a child of GOD.

A medical intuitive?

Robin: Yes, since about the age of 6, but it wasn’t until I was 32 years old that I figured out why I was and what my true purpose in life was to be. It was in a hotel room in Nashville that my grandfather came to visit me. I remember hearing his unmistakable voice, “Robin, in your prayers you’ve been asking what your ultimate purpose in life is. It’s that you are a messenger”. It was in my grandfathers words that early morning that I had my moment of clarity.Continue reading

PHOTOS BY CHARLENE MANN PHOTOGRAPHY

Some of us freeze in front of a camera. We might get dry mouth or not know what to do with our hands. But for a few, that’s home. The set, the stage, the shoot become a place of expression and development, personal and professional.

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PHOTOS BY CHARLENE MANN FORD

Not many of us can say we scored our dream job and career fresh out of college. It usually takes gaining years of experiences in the field. Ashley King, however, did just that. She got her first “big girl” job coming fresh out of SUNY Geneseo and is kicking ash ever since! She had a lot of things to consider at the time, as her boyfriend lived in Long Island. She did an internship in NYC, but her heart was here in Rochester because her grandparents live here. It all started from a conversation Ashley experienced with “Soccer Sam”. He was impressed with something she said, and he told her, “Hey, your pretty smart, when you graduate from college come here and I’ll hire you!”Continue reading

PHOTOS BY CHARLENE MANN FORD

Sheila Young is no stranger to Rochester Woman. You were first introduced to Sheila in the January 2019 edition, when she became a new writer for Something for the Sisters. You may also recognize Sheila as a plus-sized model. She has modeled for RWO in runway and print, in past editions. Sheila is also a cosmetologist. Her articles each month share with you, her experiences in modeling and as a hairdresser. Continue reading