Pivotal Moment with Nikitta Foston

Chicago Sun-Times columnist and author, changing the game one story at a time

Danny Glover. Taraji P. Henson. Hill Harper. Will Packer. Muhammad Ali. Those are just a few of the names that award-winning journalist, author, and columnist, Maudlyne Ijehirika has interviewed over an illustrious career in media. But there’s still one person she hasn’t covered. Find out in our interview.

Named one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Chicago Journalism, Ijehirika pens “Chicago Chronicles,” a  long-form column on "people and places that make Chicago tick," with a focus on black and brown communities. She is the author of "Escape from Nigeria: a Memoir of Faith, Love, and War."

During an interview at the Chicago Sun-Times offices, Ijehirika opens up about her faith, fears and her background as an immigrant and refugee. She talks about her Pivotal Moment and shares a story she’s never told anyone else. Ijehirika is the president of the National Association of Black Journalists - Chicago and president of the Chicago Journalists Association. Ijehirika has appeared on CNN, FOX, ABC, CBS, and NPR among other outlets. She’s a frequent guest contributor on WTTW’s "Chicago Tonight: Week In Review" and FOX32’s "Good Day Chicago."

Learn more about Maudlyne at:
https://chicago.suntimes.com/authors/maudlyne-ihejirika

Follow: @Maudlynei on Twitter & IG

Celebrity makeup artist on beauty, branding and building an audience on YouTube

With more than 2.5M views on a recent YouTube video and nearly 50k subscribers, Chicago's Candice Childress is taking the beauty world by storm. Her signature style has been featured on broadcast networks like the OWN Network, ESPN and her artistry has graced the covers of magazines worldwide.

She talks to us about a pivotal moment involving Cover Girl cosmetics AND the experiences that gave her the courage to be bold, fierce and flawless. In creating the perfect style for clients, the Chicago beauty boss has worked with celebrated brands like Urban Decay, Pixie Beauty and Mented Cosmetics. In the future, she'd love to work with MAC, Fenty and her favorite, Sam Fine. 

Check out Candice's advice on building your brand on YouTube:

1. Stay ahead of the trend
2. Know your audience
3. Categorize your audience's interests
4. Meet your audience's needs
5. Integrate your message across platforms

Download Pivotal Moment for more tips and learn more at www.eyecandycandicemakeup.com. Also find us on YouTube, Spotify, iTunes and Google Play Music. 

Northern Trust announces Chicago executive to head private capital for North America

"It's rewarding to help other people fulfill their dreams about their business and help their businesses grow," says Kimberly Evans Killion, who took a unique off-the-beaten-path into financial services.

In a newly-created global role, Killion was named Head of Private Capital Administration, North America, for Northern Trust. In this capacity, she will focus on Northern Trust’s global capabilities on a segment of the alternatives market experiencing rapid asset growth and increased demands for transparency.

On Pivotal Moment, the Chicago native shares the amazing story of how her humble beginnings set the stage for her quest for excellence and her trajectory in the field. At the heart of the story, she reveals a moment in a grocery store with her mother and siblings when she was just six-years-old, that would forever guide her path. 

Killion also shares how one important mentor helped propel her from struggle and uncertainty -- to triumph. Today, she speaks at schools, colleges, seminars, and panels regarding her journey and how financial services can be both a viable and lucrative career choice.

If you are the boss or plan to become one, listen to Killion's journey and the surprising stops along the way to the top.

Chicago author's book, 'Empire: The House that John H. Johnson Built,' debuts at top of charts

For more than two decades, Dr. Margena Christian met with John H. Johnson to share the hottest stories of the day as a member of the Jet magazine team.  Johnson, the founder of Johnson Publishing Company, created an international empire, including Ebony, Jet and Fashion Fair Cosmetics. In 1982, Johnson was the first African-American on Forbes magazine's list of the 400 wealthiest Americans. 

In "Empire: The House that John H. Johnson Built," Dr. Christian reveals personal insights on Johnson's passion, personality, and vision for his company.  With a foreword by Jesse L. Jackson Sr., rave reviews and a spot at the top of the charts, could a movie deal be in the works?? Download to find out here. 

Dr. Christain says she wrote the book to preserve our history, to document our legacy, and to make sure that Mr. Johnson's legacy survives. "We need gatekeepers who look like us to tell our stories. We must speak in our name. We have power."

"Empire: The House that John H. Johnson Built," is available on Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, via Kindle, via Nook, and on Dr. Christian's website at www.margenachristian.com.

 

She's got GAME! Retired female QB has a message for Trump

Move over Tom Brady; there's a new QB in town. And her name is Sami Grisafe. But the retired female QB of The Chicago Force Women's Football team does more than win football championships across the globe. Spoiler alert. Voted MVP, Grisafe led her team to two international football victories and one national championship. Still, as impressive as her performance is on the field, so is her performance on the stage including her ukulele rendition of the national anthem. Yes, ukulele. What better? In addition to national anthem performances for the Chicago Cubs and White Sox teams, Grisafe has flexed her anthem skills on the mic before the start of several Chicago Force games, including the team's international championships.

At the request of then-governor Patt Quinn, Governor sang the national anthem at the signing of the Marriage Equality Act. Known for her sultry sounds and rock vocals, Grisafe's first album, Atlantis, earned six pre-Grammy nods. Her upcoming album, which will debut next year, will serve as the soundtrack for the soon-to-be-released documentary on the singer-athlete's life, A Football Story. Wait, there's more. This month, she'll be inducted into the Semi-pro Hall of Fame. Yep. 

In the interim, check out Grisafe's song, 'It's All Un-American' here. It's a message for Donald Trump.

 

Miami model-maker on creating space on the runway for girls and women of color

At just 5' tall, she's a giant above the rest.

Miami model-maker Sunnie Morrison is revolutionizing the runway and making space for girls and women of color in the process. Her Miss Runway Competition offers has helped hundreds of girls to be powerful, to be beautiful --and to be fearless. From 4-years-old to over 18, Sunnie's girls are dominating, ON and OFF the runway. For the winner? A trip to New York’s Fashion Week, a photo shoot in Times Square and Central Park, $1,000  and a year as the spokesperson for an issue affecting our nations.

Miss Runway enters it’s 11th season this year. Stay tuned at the end of the show as Sunnie Morrison provides daily tips for beauty every day of the week.

Netflix deal for ‘All the Queen’s Horses,' created by Chicago professor and CPA

Rita Crundwell stole $53 million and no one knew. It’s the largest case of municipal fraud in American history. But how could this happen and no one notice? "All the Queen’s Horses," now on Netflix, answers that question. The documentary reveals how the comptroller in the quiet town of Dixon, Illinois, single-handedly stole a fortune to live lavishly and to build one of the nation’s largest quarter horse breeding empires. Created by DePaul professor and CPA, Dr. Kelly Richmond Pope, the documentary follows the global money trail and the award-winning horses Crundwell left behind.

 Check out the trailer to All the Queen's Horses 

Boxing our way out: Crushers Club offers a pathway out of Englewood

Sally Hazelgrove is making a difference in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood. Her after-school boxing program, The Crushers Club, takes kids off the streets, and trains them to box, teaches them to lead, and pays them - YES, PAYS THEM, in the process. The Englewood club has employed hundreds of Chicago youth.  Crushers Club also offers a music education program, and this month, a new YouTube talk show, JoJo TV. Hazelgrove talks to Pivotal Moment about what happened at just 10-years-old and how it guides her today. She tells us about the impact she’s made in Englewood - and around the world.  

Crusher's Mission:
"Our mission is to be the strongest alternative to gangs. We arm young people with the support and skills they need to restore their lives and improve their neighborhood. Crushers Club is rooted if four ideals - respect, discipline, ownership, and love - that give our members a fighting chance."--Sally Hazelgrove, Founder

For more information, visit Crushers Club.

If you're a female MC, you take the shot, then dominate the stage and the game.

Rapper Chi Candi, known for her smooth sounds and dope curves, continues her rise on the charts with sold out shows in the U.S. and Dubai, marking her claim to fame and leaving fans calling out for more. She talks to Pivotal Moment about being the only female rapper on the national stage for BET’s One Shot and how she had to impress judges like T.I., DJ Khaled,  RZA, Tech9, Mike Smith -- and yes, Twista.

And despite Chicago's reputation for violence, Chi Candi says, "Chicago is not just one thing. We are many things. I'm who I am and where I am because of this town." 

Check out her sizzling single and video, I'm Hott, and listen to excerpts throughout the show. 

It's NOT about you, it's about solving a problem, says ESPN's Rob King

Running ESPN, or most of it anyway, isn't easy. But Rob King has a plan, a mission and a playbook that continues to lead ESPN to bigger, better and greater. "We're judged on how well we do, by how well others do." 

If you're interested in a dream job, or your next role, listen to King's insight on positioning yourself as the solution to the problem that the hiring manager is trying to solve. King talks about a candidate for ESPN, whose approach that he considered GENIUS!

Tune in for King's pivotal moments and his career tips that can make the difference from where you are to where you want to be. 

• The degree to which you listen and communicate is the degree to which opportunities open up. 
• Produce where you consume. 
• If you're in a position to help someone succeed, do it. 
• When you're authentically yourself, that's when you've arrived. 

Listen to the full episode for more career advice and the pivotal moments that led King to ESPN and continue to define his approach to the industry.