UP and UP

Yesterday I watched a little BET and it amazed me that the artists featured on 106 & Park and the videos are all artists that our magazine has featured. We just did a cover story on video director Chris Robinson. Before that I had no clue who he was. I am really out of sync with the music and entertainment industry. It boggles me that I am now a part of it.

Two weeks ago I met up with a Cash Money rapper named Currency at his hotel. I was assigned to do a story about him but I had no idea who he was. Yesterday I saw him on BET with Lil Wayne and I even saw an article about him in VIBE magazine. Did I really meet a future celebrity? I didn’t FEEL like he was a celebrity. I thought I would feel differently but celebrities are regular people. Currency’s story is supposed to run in next week’s magazine but I haven’t written it yet. I’ll get to that tonight.

On Friday morning I got to work and my editor called my name.

“Tee, the interview is set for Wednesday at 11am.”

“Interview with who?”

“Juanita Bynum. You’re writing her cover story.”

“WHAT?”

“Juanita Bynum. You are writing her cover story. I’m emailing you her contact info so that you can set up a time to get some pictures.”

“WHAT?”

I could barely contain myself. I ran outside and called Mimi to tell her the good news.

When I stepped back inside my office I asked my editor, “Is this really a JOB?”

She laughed and said, “That’s how you know you have stepped into your destiny. Work isn’t supposed to feel like work. When you’re in your destiny, you LOVE what you do. That’s a characteristic that I’ve noticed with all of the successful leaders out there. They have so much passion for what they are doing.”

I woke up at 3:30 this morning and was out the door by 4am in order to attend Juanita Bynum’s 5am service in Duluth. She was..like…right there. Just like a regular preacher.

I have two days to prepare for the interview. If anyone has any questions that they’d like for me to ask her, feel free to drop me an email or leave your question in the comments section and I’ll be sure to pass along her responses.

What do you want to know about Juanita Bynum? How has she affected your life?