Other Consultants with Art Powell Life Coach, LLC

 

 

Taj Lands (Assistant Director/Life Skills Coach)

Taj Lands Bio
There are no shortcuts to any place worth going. – Beverly Sills.  Growing up in South Central Los Angeles was certainly a journey.  Taj Lands was exposed to a life of violence, hardships and loss of friends and family due to gang violence at very young age. At the tender age of 9 Taj began his fixation with smoking marijuana, shortly after that at the age of 11 he was introduced to his first drink of alcohol.  At the age of 12 Taj took on the alias of “Baby Ace” and started running with the first crew he came across.  During this time Taj became familiar with the Neighborhood Crips and felt the enjoyment of being adopted in the family.  He didn’t take long to stand out of the crowd with his leadership and charisma.  Becoming a front man for his crew Taj began to develop a reputation for being hostile and extremely violent.  By the time he entered High School Taj had made his presence to a large extent known around the town.  Learning a great deal of the lifestyle from his uncles who were are members of the Piru blood gang Taj set out to own up to the same terrifying stories.  By the age of 18 he had his mind fixed on being known for his violent actions and gang affiliation.
After talking with his Father he was convinced that the life he was partaking in Los Angeles would have a quick and fatal ending and decided to move with his Uncle in Atlanta, Ga in March of 2005.  Upon his arrival it dawned on him that his Uncle was a Pastor and that his way of present living was getting ready to change.  Taj began discovering new life while observing an after school program that took place within the ministry and the new peers that he had quickly became surrounded with.  In 2007 Taj set out on a new course and enrolled in Atlanta Metro State College where he completed his Associates of Science Degree in Criminal Justice. Afterwards he was accepted into the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University where he completed his Bachelors of Science Degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology.  Taj Lands is a licensed and ordained Minister and serves as the Campus Minister at Atlanta Metropolitan State College.  Taj works closely with his mentor Arthur Powell and serves as the Assistant Director to EGRESS Consultants and Services, LLC and Art Powell Life Coach, LLC. Taj has a passion to lay a better foundation for today’s youth and is willing to go any distant to see a change take place in their lives.
For more information on Taj Lands call: (4040 574-3252 or email him at: tbrelim@gmail.com.       

 

Latonya Buford (Parent Advocate/Life Skills Coach)

 

For as long as I can remember I have been passionate about the quality of care we provide children and families.  My background in communications and education led me to parent education in.  Since then I have been leading parenting courses and workshops and have learned as much from parents (guardians); as I have taught them.  Out of my 9 years of doing this work I believe what qualifies me the most, is raising my own three sons, and one bonus-daughter.  I often tell my audiences that I was the best parent, before I had kids because I had all the answers.  Once I had them, I realized I did not have all the answers. 
As an avid athlete and overactive child I did love my coaches along the way; “Coach” pushed you to your limits, dared you to be better, and made you believe in yourself.  As a life coach I help you to clarify who you are, what your needs are, and what's blocking you from moving forward.
A coach is not a counselor in that the focus is not on the problem, but on the solution. Coaches also contribute their own expertise and knowledge around a variety of topics. Frustrated with the lack of family engagement as a teacher, and on the advice of my school Principal, I began advocating for parents in 2004 and have never looked back.   It’s an honor to work with parents helping them to succeed at the most important job they’ll ever have.  I am a graduate of Clark Atlanta University and the proud mother of three teenage sons who are 18, 16, and 15.  After living in Africa and The Middle East for years, we now reside in Atlanta Georgia.
I believe in YOU, it's time you start believing in YOU too!
Tonya Winters-Buford 
Life Coach/Parent Coach 
info@lbwintersconsultating.com 
(678) 266-2852

 

Eshia Taylor (Life Skills Coach) 











Eshia was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. She came from a single parent home, with one sister. Her mother was a complacent and absent parent that left Eshia with the responsibility to raise her sister. She grew up in Vice Lords territory and even though she was a lifeguard, tutor, park district kid and volunteer; the streets still managed to grasp her. Being a victim to bullying, she eventually became a bully and joined a street gang. Looking for attention and love in all the wrong places, her name and the fear she caused, became apparent. Eshia was holding on to pain that carried throughout her adult life. When she became a parent that was not enough to slow her down. After engaging in crimes to feed her children, she was dragged to federal prison, where she learned quickly the realty of consequences.

As a parent behind bars, Eshia realized that all her life, she had the option to chose, but the only thing she could not chose were the consequences. Because of her decision to join a street gang, it landed her in a place where she had no control over her freedom. Before being released, GOD spoke to her and gave her a vision of using her story to make a difference in the lives of young people.

She learned, when you are a parent, you have no control of your own children or family members situations. Because she made a decision to walk the wrong path, it landed her in a place where she had no control over her own body and mind. Before being released GOD spoke to her and assured her of her purpose. She has many things in common with the youth, she wants them to lend her their ears and listen to a serious testimony that will let the youth know, they are not alone and she wants to save her community and others. She said, “I will do it by myself, if I have too!”



Genne’e Harris (Life Skills Coach)              











Genne’e Harris, is a former gang member from South Central Los Angeles, CA. She was born and raised into a gang. Both her mother and father were active gang members (Original Gangsters) who started gang banging in the 50’s, her mother was jumped into the Slausonettes, then into the Gladiators in the 60’s where she ran with her brother’s father and then the Rebel Risers with her dad. Out of these gangs (Gladiators) her Parents were under Raymond (Ray Ray) Washington, founder and co-founder Stanley (Tookie) Williams of the Crips. Her parent’s were involved in many activities in LA. Genne’es brother was born in 1964, and he grew up to be a very high rank member of a gang called 74 Hoover Crips. He ranked to second lieutenant. Being six years younger than him, she felt she had to step up to impress her brother along with other OG’s and peers.

In the early 1980’s, Genne’e began to step up doing all kinds of small activities. She started getting involved in criminal activity to impress her brother, soon after that, a rival gang killed their half-sister. The killing caused Genne’e to become more aggressive, determined to move up in rank. Soon after her brother was shot the first time, it slowed her down for a minute, until he was violently killed in 1982. The murder sent her on a warpath for many years. She has been stabbed twice and shot at many times. Even though she had her first child at 14, she continued to put herself and her child in harm’s way. Genne’e lost many friends and family members to gangs. It wasn’t until 1994, when she was charged with attempted murder, and facing 12 years behind bars she found God. She began her spiritual journey while working with her mother’s organization “Mothers Against Gang Wars”, where she started volunteering in 1992. Although her great grandmother always installed good morals in her, she chose to take the wrong path. Her journey took 10 years to come out of the drug and gang world that she was involved in. She is extremely passionate about our youth and wants them to be the best they can be in this world by reaching their highest potential in life.





Derrick Sanders (Life Skills Coach)



Derrick was born in Atlanta, GA and is the youngest of three children of his parents, who were active in the church. Derrick’s father was a preacher and so there were expectations placed on him and his siblings. At the age of sixteen, Derrick rebelled against his parents and moved out the house and he also stop going to church. Derrick was infatuated with street life and went against the wishes of his parents. 


Derrick transformed into a hardcore criminal, by committing robberies on drug dealers. He imposed fear on all who knew him, but eventually his spree would come to an end. In 1989, Derrick was incarcerated for Armed Robbery and Aggravated Assault and convicted of those charges in 1990. Derrick was incarcerated for 24 years and knew he wanted to do something different, once he released back into society. Derrick started rehabilitating himself, by getting his G.E.D. and taking self-help classes on life skills; he also mentored the younger inmates.

Since Derrick’s release in 2013, he has been working as a Life Skills Coach for Art Powell Life Coach, LLC and EGRESS Consultants and Services, LLC for 2 years. During that time, Derrick has worked with Roanoke City Schools in Roanoke, AL and Clayton County Public Schools in Clayton County, GA. He has also worked with the Youth against Violence program in Douglasville, GA. He is getting ready to work with Art Powell, Anti-Violence Specialist/Life Skills Coach in Dekalb County Juvenile Court in the Era of New Leaders program, through Program Administrator Michael Carter.

Derrick is being featured in the upcoming documentary, “Prison Ink” with the Discovery Channel. He is currently in the process of publishing his first of a series of books called, “Equation.” He is also co-owner of EGRESS Staffing Services, LLC; a temp service company that gives convicted felons an opportunity to establish a full time job. He hopes in sharing his life story with youth, he will convince them to make better decisions and choices and also look at the possibilities of becoming an entrepreneur.

For information please contact Derrick “Big Dee” Sanders at (404) 603-6653 or email unkdee74@gmail.com and go to www.artpowelllifecoach.com


Carlos Benifield (Life Skills Coach)




Carlos Gary Benifield is the youngest boy of 11 kids. His father had 3 children and his mother had 8 children. He experienced the adversity that many of our “at-risk” youth witness: abuse, crime, and incarcerated family members who he looked up to. He joined the “Insane Vice Lords” at a young age. He was not a stranger to gang violence as a youth. Being raised in a gang is totally different than being part of a gang. 

Carlos moved from Chicago to Atlanta, because he didn’t want to keep gang banging and selling drugs, and he didn’t want to be a statistic. He has a beautiful wife and two great kids. They were his inspiration to work with the youth. Carlos is reminded of how, a young man like himself, made mistakes in the streets of Chicago, Illinois.

Carlos has committed his life to helping at-risk youth make better choices in life. What wants to help the youth stay away from gangs and judicial court system.While working for Egress Consultants, Carlos was shown how to work with the youth, and started his own mentoring program called C.U.Z.O`S (Curriculum, Unknown, Zip, Organization). We help the youth make better decisions in life
For more information you can contact Carlos at (678)-362-3757 or e-mail Carlos at cuzos8918@yahoo.com

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