Happy Friday Ladybrillers! I hope you had a great week.I wanted to close out our week together with the wonderful story and celebration of former Ladybrille writer Toya Boudy (nee Thomas) aka ‘A Poet Named TChurch.’ For long time readers, you probably recall the wonderful poetry, beauty and Ladybrille Woman of the Month articles Toya wrote for us.
I met Toya in New Orleans many years ago when I was celebrating my birthday with one of my good friends who is five days apart from me. I had gone shopping and Toya was the one who waited on me at the boutique I shopped at. We struck up a conversation and I was so impressed by her. New Orleans had just been hit with Hurricane Katrina a few years prior to, and it needless to say, had an impact on Toya. Toya was a young single mother who had returned after Hurricane Katrina to put her life back together and was trying to find clarity and direction. She told me she loved fashion and was looking for an opportunity to express both her love for fashion and poetry with others. I offered her an opportunity at Ladybrille. This was back in 2008.
She was quite impressive and her poetry was particularly impactful for many of our readers. Fast forward six years later, Toya who is now married and a mother of two children, is a Ladybrille Woman making serious boss moves.
Here is an update on her progress.
“I teach cooking classes and also offer personal lessons on cooking and family meal planning. My Husband created my website cookingwithtoyaboudy.com we are working hard. On branding and spreading the word, I eventually would like to have a show on television or a web cast which ever one is in God’s will.I still spread the word of God through poetry and speaking around the city. I overall want to empower African American women to be well rounded and spiritually sound,” said Toya.
She adds, “I remember the time I didn’t want to complete the assignment you gave me and you didn’t let me quit! If you only knew how that affected me, it forced me to complete the assignment and that one encounter pushed the bar up for me to always finish what I started. You were a tool that moment, God has been the same way with me since that day, not letting me stop no matter the obstacle . But he wouldn’t have that freedom in me if you didn’t open the door for that type of correction to come in to form a new great pattern. Thank you so much for believing in me.”
I am so excited for and very proud of Toya and I hope you all are too and will continue to support our community of brilliant women, their stories and their businesses. Please visit www.cookingwithtoyaboudy.com to learn more about her recipes, her cooking classes and of course patronize her business.
Have a great weekend.
-Uduak Oduok
Photo description: First and last photo, Toya on assignment for Ladybrille in 2008 | Photos by Jerome Holmes Photography.
Food photo credits: Toya Boudy
Founded in 2007, Ladybrille® Magazine is a California based pioneer digital publication demystifying the image of Africans in the west through contemporary African fashion and celebrating the brilliant woman in business and leadership, with an emphasis on the African woman in the diaspora. Our coverage includes stories on capital, access to markets, expertise, hiring and retention, sales, marketing, and promotions.
