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Missed our last issue check it out NOW!
2008 Studio A
You can now view
Studio A at your leisure.
Click here to view our NEW Archive web page, for all our past issues in 08'. Bookmark it to your favorites for easy retrieval. 
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August 1-3
ANIKA! @
Bronner Brothers
Atlanta, GA
August 1-3
Black
Women's Expo
Chicago, IL
August 15-17
ANIKA @
Arifest 2008
Minneapolis, MN
August 29-31
Detroit
Jazz Festival
Detrioit, MI
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Get This Look!
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by Anika International
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Don't Miss a Single issue.
Be in the Know!
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Hangin' w/ ANIKA!
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Crimson Bride
courtesy of ANIKA!
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 Sassy Clairol
models, makeup by
ANIKA! & Friends premier, Orlando
 ANIKA! w/Wella
models, Premiere Orlando, FL
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How Well Do You Communicate?
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Be Impeccable with your word...Miguel Ruiz,
Author, ''The Four Agreements"
Do you ever find
yourself 'lost in translation' even though you're both speaking in English? Do
you ever send emails and get a response that doesn't really address the
questions raised in your email? Have you ever played 'telephone tag'?
It's amazing how
in our amazing era of technology and increased access to information, we still
aren't getting through to each other.
As I continue to
build my business, I've learned a lot about communication, THE ART OF
COMMUNICATION.
Be an Active Listener.
This requires 'action'. In this case, the least amount of 'action' of
the jaws, body language, etc, the better. It only requires your ears and your
intellect. Being an active listener
means sitting calmly, LISTENING intently and processing the information without
judgment or RESPONSE until the speaker has completed their thought. No butting,
no interjections, Nothing.
Take your TIME to read emails or letters, etc. Don't
be rushed to get to the end. Take your time and read it THOROUGHLY and process
what you're reading. Think twice before you hit 'send'.
Remove EMOTION. OMG!! This has to be the
single-most difficult thing sometimes! The buzz word for emotion is 'passion'....and
I have lots of it! Try not to infuse your personal feelings or thoughts into
the communication. DONT ASSUME ANYTHING!!! Stick to the facts and focus on
solutions. Don't let your perceptions or pride get in the way.
THINK before you speak!Yes indeed.
Don't be so quick to respond. Go into your zone and weigh all the options-take
your time, ask for time-there's no rule saying you have to respond NOW.
You have the right to take your time to choose your thoughts and your words
carefully.
Follow Through. If someone reaches out to you,
respond! It is plum rude...and annoying when numerous phone calls or emails go
unanswered. It is also poor business etiquette.
If you can't
respond right away, send a text message, email or leave a message if just to set
a time TO follow through. If you're not interested in communicating at all, SAY
THAT! People need closure....and so do you!
In the case of
deadlines, if you know you can't meet the deadline, SAY THAT! Give the people
you're working with the option and time to plan accordingly. To do otherwise is
selfish and unprofessional. Deadlines are missed all the time, it's not the end
of the world (usually). But, if you plan ahead and create alternate solutions
EARLY, you can avert 'disaster'.
Be Impeccable with your words. This really should be first. If you are initiating conversation, take the time to apply all of the above before you
even begin! Think about what you want to say, visualize the conversation,
troubleshoot different scenarios-BEFOREHAND. Be clear in YOUR objectives, your
desired end-result, and be clear in your written or verbal statements. This
should minimize miscommunications in the first place.
Ask questions. If the response you get is either
not clear to you or....unnerves you to no end, ask for clarification; repeat
back what you think you heard. This will buy you time to shape your DIPLOMATIC
response!
Be considerate. Words can be gifts...or they can be
poison. I don't think anyone THINKS they're sending poison when they do, but
words can kill or heal. What effect do you want to have and why? What's your end goal? And in those cases
when you want to show someone who's boss? Is that your end goal...what happens
after that? Now that you've defended your little cubicle, your square foot of
space on the 10th floor of the office building along the highway in your part
of town, in your state, in your part of the world within the universe.....NOW
WHAT??
All we have is
our word. Our masterful use of it can breed love, life and understanding.
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The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention. A loving silence often has far more power to heal and to connect than the most well-intentioned words.
--Rachel Naomi Remen |
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in Spanish!
'Habla Espanol?'
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Studio A is now available in Spanish!
Update your profile
by clicking on the "update profile" link at the
bottom of this email
to receive your Spanish version today or click here to view it NOW!
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You Deserve to Eat Well!
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 Have fun giving your body the nutrients it needs
Have you ever
sunk your teeth into what seems like 'heaven on earth'?
And it was actually
good for you?
Eating is one of
my favorite sports! I love trying new and exotic dishes from around the world,
and when you luck upon the occasional 'flavor explosion'....it's nearly
orgasmic!
We all love to
eat, we love food. Each of us has a different relationship with food and how we
view it. Some eat to live, others live to eat! Ultimately, we should strive for
a healthy balance between what tastes
good and what feels good. If you're
open, you CAN have both!
Explore your options.
Some are only used to eating certain types of food. This is often based on how we were raised and
what you're exposed to. There's nothing wrong with that, but sometimes methods
of preparation and certain ingredients may not be the best. Obviously, lard,
heavily battered or salted foods are not the best...on an ongoing basis. Also,
by only eating certain types of food all the time, you may not be getting the
range of nutrients needed that can be found in a wider range of foods.
Evaluate your relationship
with food. Food is
not just delicious, it's comforting! We all have our comfort foods and it
usually involves a ton of sugar or lots of carbs! In evaluating your
relationship with food, track what you eat at different times of the day, of
the month. Explore how you feel at the time. If you reach for junk each time you're
emotional, you are creating a trigger within yourself and eventually a habit.
Some women have described trying to 'stuff down' the pain. It's almost like
punishment or trying to numb your feelings. The best approach is to address
your feelings, ask for help, and remember to love yourself enough to feed
yourself with what you really need.
Healthy eating isn't a chore. As above, if you view healthy
eating as a chore or a goal, that sends a message that it's not something you
really want for yourself and it sends the message that it's only temporary. We
may have conditioned ourselves to believe that healthy eating is bland or
'uneventful'. This is not true, healthy eating can be fun and delicious
especially if you know your seasonings!
Build your spice rack! And I don't mean LAWRY'S!! The
difference between flavorful food and bland food is just that: FLAVOR! Educate
yourself on the different natural seasonings out there. Basil, thyme, curry,
parsley, fennel are all just a sample of the many natural seasonings available.
You can even make a hobby of growing your own. Experiment with different
combinations until you discover some that you like.
Choose wisely. Remember, your body is your temple.
That means you treat it with respect. You wouldn't intentionally walk into fire
or eat 'real garbage' but often we do just that. We know when certain foods
aren't the best but we say 'it tastes good'....and eat it anyway. Just because
we don't die on the spot (kinda like smoking) doesn't mean we aren't killing
ourselves slowly by eating the wrong food. No one wants to be saddled with
hospital bills from colon cancer, high cholesterol or blood pressure because of
a few simple bad decisions earlier in life.
If you find
yourself reaching for the bad stuff, ask yourself why. Don't you believe you
deserve better? If you wouldn't let anyone treat you poorly, why would you feel
it's okay to treat yourself to less than you deserve? Too Deep? No, not
really...
I'm sure you already know: YOU ARE
WHAT YOU EAT!! A.
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ANIKA Intl' Sponsors Afrifest 08'
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Annual festival celebrates diverse African
cultures
MINNEAPOLIS, MN -
ANIKA International Cosmetics is a proud sponsor of Afrifest 2008 held August
15th-17th in Minneapolis. The festival includes art and cultural exhibits, business
expo and fashion show and more.
The 3rd annual event is produced by Nathan
White of Nexlevel Entertainment. "The festival highlights and celebrates
African culture and our heritage and beauty." he says. "We are also
raising awareness of the plight of children of war-ravaged countries as well as
raising funds for AIDS awareness".
Show highlights include acclaimed African
performers such as AWILO. It also includes a performance by R&B
recording sensation, AKON. BET's Michael Blackson will host the
fashion show Friday night at Epic event center.
The fashion show is co-produced by Anika
Robbins of ANIKA INTERNATIONAL COSMETICS in partnership with Judy Cooper Lyle
of Phyllis Productions. It will feature an array of African and
African-inspired fashions and more.
'"We are excited to participate in
Afrifest this year!" says, Robbins. " This is a wonderful opportunity
for the community to get a glimpse into African culture today and the diversity
and beauty of African people."
The fashion show is Friday, August 15th @ Epic
Concert Center, downtown Minneapolis. Doors open at 8 PM.
For more information on Afrifest, click here to visit their website.
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Designed by RTR Designs and ANIKA, The Urban Maven.
For more information, comments, etc. Email: anika@anikainternational.com
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