Stay connected with us for us via our website, www.aerobasoul.com,

email or social media!

Kecia, Kevin and the Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. team would like to thank everyone for congratulating and celebrating Kecia on Friday, February 11, 2022 on “Kecia Palmer-Cousins Day”! We enjoyed the phone calls, texts and emails recognizing this achievement. It takes a village. It was very heartwarming to have so many share pics of the sign and let us know how proud they are of her. We thank our family, friends, community partners and clients for your continued support as we work every day to help individuals and businesses “get well”. We love being wellness entrepreneurs and giving back to the communities in which we live, play and work! It was really cool to have our son Kyle, “what, you got a whole day named in your honor”? ,,,,then to proudly say with a smile, “Mom, Happy Kecia Palmer-Cousins Day”! It was priceless!

We hope that everyone is healthy and well, especially since The Black History Month 2022 theme is “Black Health and Wellness”. This theme explores “the legacy of not only Black scholars and medical practitioners in Western medicine, but also other ways of knowing (e.g. birthworkers, doulas, midwives, naturopaths, herbalists, wellness entrepreneurs, etc.) throughout the African Diaspora.

Many of our family members and ancestors actually celebrated their birthdays “twice” annually since many midwives reporting of their births differed from the dates listed on their birth certificates due to communication delays. The midwife who delivered Kecia’s maternal grandmother Loretta Palmer (Major) reported her birth as November 11, 1922. However, her birth certificate shows September 23, 1922. Documenting our history is extremely important to reflect who we are and were as a people.

Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Also known as African American History Month, the event grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating Black history.

Speaking of history, history was made when the National Football Conference (NFC) Champion Los Angeles Rams became the 2021 Super Bowl champion, defeating the American Football Conference (AFC) Champion Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 on Sunday, February 13, 2022.

Like millions of families and friends around the world, the Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. team enjoyed watching the Super Bowl. We hope that everyone’s team won! The half-time show was “lit!. We were in Hip-hop heaven watching headliners Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, and of course, Yonkers’ own, Queen of Hip-Hop, Mary J. Blige! Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc.’s Kevin also grew up in Yonkers. Kecia proudly served on The Mary J. Blige Center for Women Board for Years. She volunteered many hours facilitating career development workshops training women in soft skills training and self-esteem classes, helping change many of their lives. Surprise appearances was made by rappers 50 Cent, Anderson. Park. Deaf rappers Sean Forbes and Warren Snipe performed in American Sign Language during the show; this was the first time the American Sign Language was used during a halftime show at the Super Bowl. 

The Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. team was rooting For The Los Angeles Rams. We love the team’s camaraderie and positive attitude. Most importantly, LAR Aaron Donald

is our son Kendall’s favorite football player. Aaron focused on “the moment”, spending time hugging his kids so they could enjoy this historical moment with their dad. Family first! Kecia also loves her some Odell Beckham, Jr. after meeting his godmother at a Women’s Conference years ago. She spoke so highly of him, his strong work ethic, athleticism, community service, charitable contributions to so many worthy causes and her sisterly bond with his mother, her best friend. The women both competed in the Olympics years ago. Congratulations so LA Rams Wide Receiver Cooper Kupp named Super Bowl MVP, after finishing the game with eight receptions, 92 yards, and two touchdowns, including three receptions and the game-winning touchdown on the Rams’ final drive.

We can’t even fathom how emotional an achievement like winning the Super Bowl must be. The confetti, the cheering crowd — we can see it and hear it, but during Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald’s post-Super Bowl win interview, we got a glimpse of just how much this milestone means to the athlete. Donald teared up talking about how this win was for his daughter, and what he had to say nearly brought us to tears.

“I’m just so happy, I wanted this so bad,” Donald explained to one reporter, tears streaming down the athlete’s face. More than anything, Donald was ready to live “in the moment” and celebrate with his fellow teammates. But the athlete’s comments became even more emotional when he started to talk about his family. “My kids coming on the field; this is a promise I made to my daughter when she was five,” Donald said. “We’re going to play in the confetti for a minute, and just going to live in the moment.” You can see an excerpt from the interview below and watch the full clip HERE.

Gay Wheeler-Smith (Co-owner/CEO of G&K Sweet Foods, LLC), Kecia(Co-owner/COO of G&K Sweet Foods, LLC), Joh’vonni Smith (Gay’s daughter and Kecia and Kevin’s goddaughter), Kevin (Kecia’s husband) and Thalia Lindquist (Kecia’s brother’s Leroy’s girlfriend) served hundreds of G&K Sweet Foods, LLC’s sweet potato pies at the 2014 Super Bowl. It was fun-filled, celebrity event held at Met Life Stadium right before “The Big Game”! Gay and Kecia added their own secret ingredients to Gay’s Maternal Great Grandmother’s (Affectionately known As Momma) Sweet Potato Pie Recipe as well as ingredients from Kecia’s Maternal Grandmother (Affectionately known as Mother) Sweet Potato Pie Recipes to create their legacy “licious Grandma’s Momma’s Sweet Potato Pie Recipe. North Carolina (Gay’s maternal family) and South Carolina (Kecia’s paternal family) roots run deep in their pies. They are legacy “licious!

National Entrepreneurship Week is a non-partisan, congressionally chartered initiative founded in 2006 that takes place the third week of February annually. NatlEshipWeek is a congressionally chartered week dedicated to empowering entrepreneurship across the United States. The annual initiative was relaunched in 2017 at NatlEshipWeek to bring together a network of partners from Maui to Miami to educate, engage, and build equitable access to America's Entrepreneurship Ecosystem. Read the relaunch story HERE.

As we all navigate the cold weather, the increase in Covid-19 and Omicron Variant case, the Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. team sends our love, prayers and support to those who were affected by this Global Pandemic and lost loved ones to it as well. It is touching everyone’s life. Let’s continue to be there for each other. Please check on your loved ones and mask up. We are each other’s keeper!

All business owners, especially minority and women owned business owners need to focus on their health as well as

the health of their business.

Click on these helpful links to stay informed and up to date regarding this global pandemic. COVID-19 Vaccine (NYS) | About COVID-19 (CDC)

The federal government has announced every household can order four free at-home rapid antigen COVID-19 tests through a new website, www.covidtests.gov.

Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order #4 free at-⁠home COVID-⁠19 tests. Kecia and Kevin ordered their free tests. We encourage everyone to order yours today! The tests are completely free. Orders will usually ship in 7-12 days. Order your tests now so you have them when you need them. If you need a COVID-⁠19 test now, please see other testing resources for free testing locations in your area.

Westchester has added COVID-19 vaccine clinics in Yonkers on Mondays to help reduce the virus's spread, County Executive George Latimer said in a statement.

Appointments are encouraged but walk-ins are welcome, according to the county.

To schedule a test, go to www.westchestergov.com/health. New appointments will be added every three days, the county's statement said, as follows:

Book your appointment today with the Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. Team to get your business back on track in 2022! We provide business coaching, workforce development training and help MWBE’s get certified as they navigate the government and corporate procurement process! MWBE’s, Government Agencies and Non-Profits are our favorite clients!

Below are some networks and resources that Minority Women Owned Business Enterprises and small business owners can connect with to help them get through these challenging times. We’ve got your back!

Many minority and women business enterprise entrepreneurs use their local, County and State Agencies to stay current and tap into potential resources and procurement opportunities for their businesses and their communities. Getting MWBE Certified and procuring government contracts can help MWBEs build their businesses! Grants and loans are also parts of MWBEs portfolios to grow their businesses.

Calling all Westchester based MWBES. Westchester County has partnered this year with Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. to provide business coaching, workforce development training, help MWBE’s get certified and register on the Westchester County Minority and Women-Owned Business Program directory as they navigate the government and corporate procurement process!

MWBE’s, Government Agencies and Non-Profits are our favorite clients!

Book your appointment today with the Aero-Ba-Soul, Inc. Team to get your business back on track in 2022!

When it comes to small business, Westchester County is committed to creating a level playing field and helping everyone succeed.

The Minority and Women-Owned Business Program is an excellent resource for minority- and women-owned businesses, which may be just starting out or have long been established in the local economy. Reap the most benefits of this program, register today.

Looking to hire an MWBE? Search the two databases by clicking:

Attention: They have converted to a new system. Effective immediately all MWBEs who are NYS Certified will be required to fill out a short registration form. MWBEs who are NOT NYS Certified will be required to fill out a long registration form. If you registered your company before December 31, 2019 you will have a year to re-register.

By registering your minority or women-owned business, you'll receive:

Contact the Minority and Women-Owned Business Program office with your questions about the program.

Want to sell your product or service to government agencies? The Procurement Technical Assistance Center can help you understand the competitive bidding process and find opportunities appropriate for your company.

When you register your business as a minority and women-owned business, you're opening your firm to business opportunities you may not have otherwise known about.Benefits include e-mail notifications about timely workshops and training. Learn more

Upon registering as a minority- and women-owned business, your information will be entered into the Minority and Women-Owned Business Program database and will be accessible by county departments and the public. This database organizes companies into 10 distinct business categories. Learn more

WestWorks is a weekly synopsis of advertised contracts, bid opening results and awarded contract and agreements. This free publication is an additional source to locate business opportunities and access to weekly bid books released by the Board of Acquisition and Contract. Learn more

The county has a system for posting active business opportunities, such as requests for proposals (RFPs). All county business opportunities are categorized using the same 10 business category definitions, as for the MWOB database. Learn more

Ongoing workshops and trainings are available for registered minority- and women-owned businesses to build and enhance their skills. Workshops will be presented by content experts, economic development experts and other seasoned business professionals. Learn more

(4 week Construction Course) 

Register today for The City of Peekskill’s upcoming Trade Grade (4 week Construction Course). This “1” course provides “7” certifications. Don’t miss out! Sign up today!

If you want to learn more, please contact Emily Bender at (914) 862-5347 or ebender@cityofpeekskill.com.

The New York Women's Chamber of Commerce continues its commitment to helping small businesses who are suffering substantial economic hardships as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Your answers to these questions will help us in our effort to target and obtain financial and other resources to support the small business community.

Are you an M/WBE owned small business food entrepreneur? Looking for tips from food experts that can help you take your brand to the next level?

As part of its Black History Month programming, on Wednesday, February 16, 2022, FreshDirect, in partnership with the New York Women's Chamber of Commerce, is hosting a special session geared to assist M/WBE food entrepreneurs.

"Grow Through Grocery," is a virtual program where FreshDirect's food experts and the NYWCC's team will share best practices with M/WBE food owners on special topics geared to help budding foodies compete at a higher level. At this virtual event, experts from FreshDirect will share knowledge on topics including sourcing, merchandising, packaging, marketing, social media, customer service, and more!

Deadline to Register: 2/11/22

New York State's $800 million COVID-19 Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program was launched in June to provide grant assistance to small businesses in the State of New York who experienced economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The New York Women's Chamber of Commerce has been working with the State to assist applicants submitting their applications. 

Applications will only be accepted for as long as funds are available, and now the program has been running for several months. Funds are still available but if you have not applied for the Small Business Recovery Grant yet and you are interested in applying, we strongly recommend that you do so soon. Contact us for assistance before funds run out!

Please contact Steve Paguay at spaguay@nywcc.org for more information and how to apply.

Thrive on the challenges with the power inbound and connection outbound. Look forward to seeing you at the upcoming events in February.

 

Tue. 2/15/2022 1:00pm-2:00pm (SBA and Manhattan Chamber of Commerce)

Wed. 2/16/2022 9:30a-10:30am (SBA and York College SBDC)

Wed. 2/16/2022 3:00pm-4:00pm (SBA and Northeast Small Business Transportation Resource Center, U.S. Department of Transportation)

Thurs. 2/17/2022 9:30am-10:30am (SBA and LaGuardia Community College SBDC)

Fri. 2/18/2022 11:00am-12:00pm (SBA and Greater New York Chamber of Commerce)

Wed. 2/23/2022 10:00am-11:00am (SBA and Queens Chamber of Commerce)

Wed. 2/23/2022 12:00pm-1:00pm (Italy-America Chamber of Commerce)

Thurs. 2/24/2022 10:00am-11:00am (SBA and McNulty Veterans Business Center)

Thurs. 2/24/2022 1pm-2pm (SBA and Renaissance Economic Development Corp)

Thurs. 2/24/2022 2pm-3pm (SBA and Renaissance Economic Development Corp)

Contact: Man-Li Lin, Economic Development Specialist

District International Trade Officer

New York District Office, U.S. Small Business Administration

Have a safe and great week! Stay connected with us so you stay connected! Follow us on our social media! We will get through 2022 together! We thank each and everyone of you for your continued support and business!

Sincerely,