Genma Holmes featured in StyleBlue Print

Genma Holmes: FACES of Nashville

StyleBluePrint

Genma Holmes is her own force of nature. Her laugh alone can completely change the mood of anyone around her, as her enthusiasm is completely infectious! And in case you run into Genma, her name is pronounced Jon-ma. But she’ll answer to any pronunciation, with a smile and a laugh. Find out more about this writer, radio host, entrepreneur, actor, model, volunteer, mother, grandmother and more!

 Thank you Liza Graves for the great write up and thank you Ashley Hylbert for the beautiful photographs. See more of Ashley's work at ashleyhylbert.com.

Read the full story here!

Genma Stringer Holmes: IABC Connect 17 Speaker

The IABC Southern Region represents some of the finest business communicators in the world. Join us for limitless career conversations, networking and fun, at this year’s Connect17 Conference in Houston, Texas – The City with No Limits, October 25-27, 2017. 

This year, I will be a speaker! I am look forward to sharing how to connect with influencers and brands with award winning campaigns, creative visuals and great story telling.  

 

All About Me:

Genma Stringer Holmes is a serial entrepreneur. She is the owner of Holmes Pest Control, Executive Producer of Living Your Best Life Radio, and the Editor-in-Chief of GSH Publishing. She has created, managed and branded numerous award winning Social Media Campaigns for not-for profits and for-profit organizations. She has won several "Excellence in Communications" Awards and Merit Awards from IABC, International Association of Business Communicators, for her editorial work with several print publications and digital communications.

She has managed and created social media campaigns for The Ohio State University, MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Houston, Intercultural Cancer Council, University of Tennessee at Memphis, Meharry Medical College, The Links, Incorporated and the National Day of the American Cowboy to name a few.

Genma has also been recognized for her philanthropic endeavors by the Association of Fundraising Professionals as a Difference Maker Honoree on National Philanthropy Day for her work with military families in 2015. In 2017, she was a  Nashville Business Journal's Women of Influence Honoree. Genma has been recognized for her work as the founder of the Military Fund at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville, Tennessee. Genma has helped raised over $600K for military families during her annual Christmas #livingtogivenow social media campaign and with her fundraisers that benefit veterans.  

Genma has been featured in numerous publications including the Nashville Business Journal, The Tennesseean, Style Blue Print, Essence Magazine, Black Enterprise Magazine, and Huffington Post. She has been heard during the holidays on Tom Joyner Morning Show for nearly ten years. 

Photo credit: C-Suite Pics

Championing Diversity From the Inside Out

Having been raised by Mississippi Civil Rights foot soldiers (my grandparents, parents, and family) I was spoon feed diversity and inclusion. I knew first hand that 'isms" of all sorts existed in many Southern, rural communities. But raising my children in Tennessee taught me "isms" were not exclusive to rural communities of my youth. I, like the two generations before me, have always embraced everyone. My deep close personal friends in my private life backgrounds and racial makeup are as beautiful as the rainbow and are uniquely and wonderfully made as the boots I wear. My professional careers mirror my personal life. My customers from my pest control business look like the UN and my radio audience has grown to globally.

My multiculturalism-loving lifestyle was giving a wake-up call seven years ago when my son became a Marine. We were suddenly immersed in all things Marine morning, noon and night. We drastically shifted many of our focuses to support his desire to serve his county. We served along with other families and suddenly realized how small the world is when you become part of The Few, The Proud. At the exact same time, I started a radio program, Living Your Best Life with Genma Holmes, that gave voice to the veteran and active duty military communities and their families that grew listeners rather quickly.

Initially, many of the voices heard on the show were of WW II MontfordPoint Marines who were the first Black Marines in our country, women in the Marine Corps, and retiring Marines. I was booking guests that I knew well, Marines. The texters loved the stories and gave positive feedback back after each show. One day as I browsing through my text messages, I ran across a text that stated, "There are five branches of the military just in case you were not aware." That simple truthful text reminded me of the many times I have sat on planning committees and have had to remind the committee members of whatever event was being planned more voices than their personal friends who looked like them were needed. In many civic organizations, I have usually been the only woman or person of color and my disdain for the lack of "flavor" for any program is quickly known upfront. My observations at the lack of the diversity are often met with indifference, defensiveness, or "Can you contact the them for us?"

WW2 Veteran Mark H. McCann, Sr. welcome parade at Nia House Montessori School

After reading the text message, I became the defensive one. I mulled over the comment for days and explained the many reasons why there were only Marines on my program. Most of my points were valid and I truly was not trying to omit any other branch. I was booking my friends and who I knew. But to a member of the Army, Navy, Airforce or Coastguard who are much larger in numbers and were loyal followers of the show as well, none of my of excuses sounded reasonable. 

Taking a page out of my grandparents and parents book of life, I decided to be intentional about immersing myself in lives of them, the “other” military branches. I spent time with members of the military who did not say ‘ooh-rah’ until it was as natural for me to contact the Army or Navy as it was the Marines for great profiles. The benefit of being intentional not only grew my audience but my programs became rich with content that everyone could relate too not just The Few, The Proud, The Marines. 

Being diverse and inclusive are active ways to begin addressing race relations. Too often, good intentions start with awkward race relation initiatives before organizers or well meaning folks have tried one of the most effective means of breaking down barriers, being intentional in getting to know someone else, personally and professionally, first. We must be the change we want to see in the world.

(The Nashville Business Journal ran a special issue devoted to Diversity and Inclusion. An edited version of my thoughts from above were posted on Friday, September 9, 2016 titled Expand: I was a champion of diversity, until I wasn't.

Thanks NBJ!)

2013 Guide to Jewish Nashville is Hot Off the Press

Two years ago, I was given a copy of the Jewish Observer by a friend who read an article I had written in the another media outlet. Being a lover of diversity, the newspaper became one of my favorite papers to read.

I became so fond of the Jewish Observer that I decided I would advertise my companies in their publications. Beginning in June, my ads will run in every issue of the paper and next year's Guide to Jewish Nashville.


In the meantime, grab the current issue of the 2013 Guide to Jewish Nashville. Featured stories includes the works of artists Kaaren Kirschwith Engle, Kim Phillips, and Zev Goering, who embrace their Jewish heritage. You also find an intriguing story about a dresser that helps solves a 60 year old family mystery.

Interiors by Zev

The Jewish Guide is filled with a comprehensive listing of congregations, organizations, and educational opportunities.  It can serve as a handy reference all year long. The Jewish Observer, the only Jewish newspaper covering Middle Tennessee. It is published by the Jewish Federation of Nashville twice a month.

 Look for the Holmes Pest Control ad in the paper and Living Your Best Life ad on the website.

Genma Holmes Talks Pest Prevention on The Home Tool Show with Bob Gallese

Genma Holmes returned to the The Home Tool Show with host Bob Gallese to talk pest prevention during April, National Pest Control Month. She shared several tips to help the homeowner reduce seasonal pests in and around the home.

Here are five suggestions that are economical and great for the 'honey do' weekend list that Genma discussed with Bob's audience.

• Seal off all cracks, crevices and other openings; mouse and insects only new the tiniest of openings to enter.
• Replace any screens that are torn or broken.
• Lay crushed rock along the perimeter of the foundation to make pest entry more difficult.
• Trim trees and bushes back so they do not touch the side of the home.
• Empty containers with standing water. Standing water can cause of mosquito infestation.  

The Home Tool Show is heard every Saturday morning from 8:00-9:00am EST on WELW 1330 AM or on line at http://www.welw.com/

Genma Holmes is the owner of Holmes Pest Control, an environmental pest control company based in Tennessee. Genma Holmes is also the CEO of GSH Consulting, LLC.

Genma's social media musings can be found here:
Twitter
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About.me

How My 2013 Networking started off with Good Signs

I have long advocated for courses to be taught on networking  and relationship building. It should be mandatory for future business leaders, especially in the age of social medial. Social media can take the human factor out of getting to know a person long term. I have started three very different business without any experience in either field by networking with others to learn the ropes of each industry. For me, networking has always been about building relationships and relationship can not exist without getting to know people.

At this stage in my life, I have learned the value of my time. I try to focus on quality vs. quantity in every area of my life. I take meeting people seriously and have developed a few ways to eliminate time wasters and energy drainers. Meeting people is an art form that must be cherished.


Dependency on the Internet has diluted the value of meeting with individuals. In 2012, I spent most of the year growing Living Your Best Life Radio's audience. It was very different from working in the fashion industry, pest control, or writing for media outlets. As odd as those combinations of careers are for one person, I know them fairly well. Expertish even. But in the world of broadcasting, I was a newbie, a babe with a mic. While focusing on developing content for the show and learning the industry, I could not meet with my breakfast clubs.

Breakfast club meetings had become a steady diet of referrals for Holmes Pest Control. Business breakfast clubs are groups of small business owners who have gotten to know each other well and refer customers regularly. Meeting with individuals who were like minded two to three times a week had become my main source of new business for nearly two decades. I have learned over the years if I wanted to build an exclusive list of pest control customers, small clubs were a gold mine for building relationships with other business owners who only referred if they knew you well. No yellow page shopper types were allowed in this network of relationships-first-then-business individuals.

In 2013, I will start back meeting with my Brentwood breakfast clubs. But I also decided I needed to meet new people. Before taking the plunge, I called a friend, Dawn Rutledge, in December to ask her about a few recommendations that would make the most of my multiple networking needs. I told Dawn I had three requirements: small, no crazies, and no drama. I put emphasis on crazies and drama. Laughingly, she understood my emphasis. She gave me the names of several organizations to look into.

After researching the groups and their membership rosters I was given, I settled on two groups to visit. One of her recommendations,  IABC Nashville, peaked my curiosity because of it's January speaker, Kate Herman, President and Publisher of the Nashville Business Journal. I have long wanted to have a one on one conversation with her. Listening to someone speak and observing them with others is a great way to learn their world view. I made my reservation and jotted down a few notes on signs to look for if the group would be a mutual fit.

Arriving late from a volunteer outing, I entered the room as everyone was introducing themselves. The room was packed so I stood in the back waiting for an opportunity to find a seat. When asked to introduce myself, I hastily said "Genma Holmes of Holmes Pest Control."  Ms. Herman, not knowing she was the hook to my being there, offered me her seat. Hmm. Good sign, I thought quietly.

Shortly after giving me her seat, Ms. Herman began her presentation titled, The Changing Face of the Media and What PR Pros Need to know. Upon hearing the title, I nearly fell out my chair. This topic is one of my hot buttons. Not the PR PRO part but the Changing Face of the Media. I thought immediately, "Lord, when you deliver, you deliver!" Good sign. .

The presentation was chock full of stats, information on the business community, partnerships and events galore. She emphasized over and over the importance of relationships. I was in heaven. Heaven! I took pages of notes as if I was studying to become a new PMP (pest management professional). That's big for you non-bug industry people.

After her presentation, I could not stop myself from going up to her to add my unsolicited two cents about some of the statistics she gave. Instead of bristling, she agreed. The more we talked, the more I wanted to follow up. Kate Herman was engaging, informative, confident ("We really do not have competition."), and was not afraid to ask the lunch crowd for email addresses to stay in touch.  I asked her about a future appointment and she said, "Yes." Then she turned to make sure I had her business card. Good sign. Wait...great sign!

IABC Nashville's first meeting of the year was a good way to start my networking through relationship building in 2013. I called Dawn to thank her for her recommendations. I shared with her how impressed I was with Kate Herman, the presentation, and the group. We discussed the presentation and Nashville's business community, the printed and unprinted. We chatted about a few other things and promised to talk later.

The very next day, I got a call from someone who attended the meeting. She knew of Holmes Pest Control and wanted extermination service for her home and business. Yes ma'am, I will kill your bugs! An appointment was set. This was more than a good sign, this was a new customer in a New Year from a new group! I immediately thought, "I attended a meeting for communication professionals for lunch and managed to nab a pest control customer out of the deal." Manna. Networking, when done right, will net results. Excellent signs for 2013.  Now that's what I am talking about!

Photos: Genma Holmes

Small Business Roll Call

As a small business owner, I try to support other business owners not only by being a customer but by promoting others to do business with brick and mortars, online, and service based companies.

SBA Administrator Karen Mills, with Yuri Cunza, David Tiller, and Genma Holmes

According to the Small Businesses Administration:

•    Represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms.
•    Employ half of all private sector employees.
•    Pay 44 percent of total U.S. private payroll.
•    Generated 65 percent of net new jobs over the past 17 years.
•    Create more than half of the nonfarm private GDP.
•    Hire 43 percent of high tech workers ( scientists, engineers, computer programmers, and others).
•    Are 52 percent home-based and 2 percent franchises.
•    Made up 97.5 percent of all identified exporters and produced 31 percent of export value in FY 2008.
•    Produce 13 times more patents per employee than large patenting firms.

Saturday, November 24, 2012 is officially Small Business Sunday. For the third year, millions of Americans are being encouraged to shop small by purchasing goods and services from small business owners.

Small Business Saturday is an American shopping holiday held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving during one of the busiest shopping periods of the year. First celebrated on November 27, 2010, it is a counterpart to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which feature big box retail and e-commerce stores respectively. By contrast, Small Business Saturday encourages holiday shoppers to patronize brick and mortar businesses that are small and local.

In 2010 the holiday was conceived and promoted by American Express via a nationwide radio and television advertising campaign. That year Amex bought advertising inventory on Facebook, which it in turn gave to its small merchant account holders, and also gave rebates to new customers to promote the event.

 American Express publicized the initiative using social media, advertising, and public relations. At least 41 local politicians and many small business groups in the United States issued proclamations concerning the campaign, which generated more than one million Facebook "like" registrations and nearly 30,000 tweets under the Twitter hashtags #smallbusinesssaturday (which had existed since early 2010) and #smallbizsaturday.

I believe that small business owners must lead the charge by promoting and spending with each other first. To celebrate the spirit of entrepreneurship, Living Your Best Life will announce the business owners that leave their company info in the comment section beginning Saturday November 24, 2012 through December 31, 2012 on air to encourage their listeners to spend with small business during the holiday season. It is my way of showing my appreciation for the small business community and helps jump start my "Year of Living and Giving".

Happy Shopping !
Please share this link with others!

Richard Diggs and Tia Brewer-Footman Share How A Bleak Economy Did Not Stop their Determination to Succeed

The more the well paid television pundits feed us hype that the sky is falling, the more individuals are coming forward to inform us that the sky is really blue and does not have a ceiling! Join Genma Holmes on Living Your Best Life Radio Show as we continue to talk to entrepreneurs who are soaring in the big blue yonder and taking quite a number of individuals with them.

Meet savvy individuals whose walks of faith have lead them down the road to success and garnered national attention by being steady and determined when others said it could not or should not happen. They have taken their success and served their communities by teaching others with heart and soul. Listen to Richard Diggs, CEO of Alexandria Pest Services and Tia Brewer-Footman empower, inspired, and motivate you to live your best life. Saturday, from 10am-12pm on 880 AM, The Big Mouth, in the Nashville market with Genma Holmes and on Ustream.TV

Richard Diggs, CEO of Alexandria Pest Services
(On cover Genma Holmes, Richard Diggs, Lenny Carter, and Ka Tsu)


Richard Diggs is the owner of Alexandria Pest Services, Inc., a growing pest and termite control business located in Alexandria, Virginia. Mr. Diggs has been employed by the pest control industry for more than 25 years. Rising from an entry level field technician to owner of a business employing more than 30 individuals. He is an accomplished corporate strategist and marketer with extensive experience in commercial, construction, governmental and residential contracts for pest, turf, ornamental birds and wood destroying pest control services.

Mr. Diggs began his career at a major pest control company as a commercial and residential technician. He quickly rose up the ranks as a regional sales manager and technical adviser. His rapid accession to high sales closer did not go unnoticed, he won several awards as Sales Person of the Year. In December, 1993, he established Diggs Pest Control in Arlington, Virginia. From 1994 thru 1999, Diggs Pest Control grew from a single employee to a staff of more than 20. Without commercial advertising, Diggs Pest Control contracted with over 3100 residential and commercial clients. In December, 1999, Mr. Diggs sold Diggs Pest Control to a leading Fortune 500 Company. In 2000, Mr. Diggs, together with his son Richard Jr., formed Alexandria Pest Services, Inc. (APS). Today APS is a leader in the local industry with over 3800 residential, commercial, state & local, and Federal clients in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area. APS employs more than a dozen certified and registered technicians, on-staff entomologist, outstanding accountant and clerical staff. APS has achieved market share as well as recognition in a highly competitive industry. In 2009, Alexandria Pest Services spun off Asian Pest Services, a pest control company that services the undeserved Asian community on the East Coast. both companies have seen exponential growth within the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area as well as exploding into the national marketplace. Utilizing the latest technologies and research, the Mr. Diggs companies are well placed to make an impact not only in the local market, but nationally and international.

Mr. Diggs is a member of the National Pest Management Association Inc., co-founder of Minorities in Pest Management (MPM) Council, Chairman of MPM mentoring group in the U.S, a member of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, a member of the National Register's Who's Who, member of St. John Baptist Church Board of Trustee, Executive Committee, and the recipient of various community and industry awards. His ethical values form the cornerstone of his business practices. Mr. Diggs sponsors numerous events to train individuals interested careers in the pest control industry and entrepreneurship.

Mr. Diggs companies have ab "Outstanding" rating with the GSA. Mr. Diggs has been recognized nationally for his work with Minorities in Pest Management and has received numerous awards for his work in Fairfax County and Washington, DC inner cities. Read more about Alexdrian Pest Services here and Asian Pest Services



Tia Brewer-Footman has worked as an award winning journalist and television news anchor. Her community appeal and passion for her work helped to create one of the highest rated CBS-affiliated morning shows in the country. Her media experience spans across nearly 10 years in the industry as a former radio personality, reporter and television anchor for such affiliates as CBS, ABC and FOX.

After transitioning from television news, Tia and her husband Gerald
Footman founded Footman-Brewer Enterprises, LLC (FBE).This multicultural marketing consulting, publishing and special events firm produces a southeastern African American beauty and healthy living publication entitled “Hair Etc. Magazine.” Marketing consulting and special event coordination support has been provided to current and past clients such as McDonald’s, Johnson Products, Soft-Sheen Carson and Mizani (L’Oreal’s ethnic brands), American Heart Association (AHA), American Cancer Society (ACS), Clear Essence Cosmetics, the National Association of Black Female Executives in Music and Entertainment (NABFEME), the BET Foundation, University of South Carolina’s Center for Cancer Research (USC-CCCR), etc.

In addition to helping other companies succeed, specially created FBE initiatives such as the Beauty Barber Network, formerly the Shop Talk Movement was founded. This evidenced based initiative trains African American hairstylists and barbers on the latest in health and industry information in an effort to educate and save the lives of beauty professionals and their clients. The latest FBE project is the McDonald’s Choir Showcase Tour, a multicultural faith-based consumer relations program conducted in key southeastern US markets.

Aside from the work Tia produces under her company umbrella, she is no stranger to the camera or the stage as she has made guest appearances on the CW’s (formerly WB) “One Tree Hill”, featured in Walt Disney commercial print ads and videos, Steve Harvey national campaign ad, Mercedes Benz campaign ad, numerous commercials, infomercials, PSA’s, radio and online campaigns for corporate clients throughout the US.

As a State Finalist to the 2000 Miss Georgia USA Pageant and former Miss Savannah State University(1998), Tia’s love for pageantry is what prompted her to also own and direct both the Mrs. South Carolina United States and the Miss Black Teen Charleston Scholarship Pageant along with creating ”T-Time Girls”, a non-profit etiquette, leadership development and public speaking program for young ladies.

Tia is passionate about the community and has received numerous honors for her involvement. Tia was recently recognized by the Charleston Regional Business Journal as a 2011 Top 40 Under 40, Post & Courier's Newspaper’s Top Influential Woman under the Age of 40; the Bethune Leonard Section of the National Council of Negro Women’s Young Innovators under 35 Award and featured in the June 2008 edition of High Profiles within the Post & Courier. Also under her belt is a day named in her honor. Mayor Joe Riley proclaimed October 8, as "Tia Brewer Day" in the City of Charleston, South Carolina.

Tia is the founder of the Live 5 News Golden Apple Award and recipient of the Georgia State Department of Education’s School Bell Media Award for Best News Series on School Violence.Her community work spans from serving as the National Ambassador to the inaugural Power to End Stroke Campaign (American Stroke Association), Susan G. Komen’s Circle of Promise Ambassador, Member of the Medical University of South Carolina’s Center for Community Health Partnerships Board, University of South Carolina’s Health Disparities Research Network, Charleston’s Minority Business Development Advisory Board (appointed by Charleston Mayor Joseph Riley), Board of Directors for the North Charleston Housing Authority, Advisory Board Member to the Women’s & Children Shelter S.O.L.D. (appointed by North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey), former member of the Harbour Clubs’ Young Executive Council, Jr. League of Charleston, Charleston County Safe and Orderly Schools Advisory Board, YWCA Board of Directors, United Methodist Relief Center Board of Directors and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.

For more information about McDonald's Choir Show Case here
Read more about previous Hair and Health Expo here
Order Copy of Public Speaking Super Powers book featuring Tia Brewer-Footman here

Join 880 AM, 760 The Gospel and Harper's Resturant for Back 2 School Drive

Blogcaction is over!

Whew! My did the time fly. My blogcation was much needed. Every now and then, this blogger needs a lil 'cation. Family life, bugs, movies, launch of a new radio show, Life Beyond Cancer conference being planned for November and a TV show being "discussed" leave a girl with much to write about but so little time to post and tell you.

I am baaaack!

Genma!

House on A Hill Interviews Genma Stringer Holmes

House: Genma, you are beautiful inside and out. My grandmother used to tell us "Pretty is as pretty does". What lessons were you given to balance your overall disposition?

Don't read your press. Life is short and one must live it to the fullest. I am a hard worker by nature. I am learning to slow down...some. Getting up at 4:30am instead of 4:00 is not so bad after all! All kidding aside, I kill roaches for a living. The job is not glamorous at all, I just make it look that way!

House: You often speak of your family's influence on you growing up, what was your most important or memorable message from their battles and plights?

My grandfather was the most humble person I knew. But he was very proud as well. He was humble about being influential and well known but proud of being able to take care of his family and provide my mother and aunts and uncles with an education against all odds. He only had a third grade education but was the most intellectual person I knew. Those opposites taught me that your weakness can be your greatest strengths in life.

House: Entrepreneur, model, writer - I am interested in learning more about your passions! Madame C.J. Walker recipient, safe and effective pesticides, and socially conscious, please share with us your motivation.

I am motivated about being able to help and serve others. Deposit some good in someone's life and watch how it blooms in your back yard!

House: You are also a parent. Describe how you instill value of life and love into your little people.

My little people are not so little anymore. My oldest is 24. My baby boy is 20 and my daughter, the youngest, is 19. Now that my babies are not babies anymore, I am in a different phase of my life. Last year, was my first year not homeschooling and I literally was at a lost with myself because I was so use to that structure that teaching gave me. It took me a minute to find myself after the kids were gone. I realize that my babies are now teaching me more about life. I have taught my kids the exact same things that were instilled in me; hard work never killed anyone, accept no one 'no' to your dreams and goals, treat the 'little' people like kings because they are and it is the right thing to do, and always do what is right when no one is looking. I don't expect them to be perfect because no one is perfect but I feel strongly they were taught right from wrong. I talk less and listen more and pray intently for them. Wisdom does come with age, I must admit. By the time my youngest left home, I was a different mother for sure.

House:Genuine, smart and sassy, you never back down from a challenge - nor do you flinch when it is time to do or say what is right, how do you stand firm with courage?

I believe that speaking truthfully to power with respect. Recently, I share my perspective to a CEO about an event that had very few minorities in attendance. The room grew quite because I spoke up and shared that if you wanted more people of color to be his team would have made sure they were present. He did not take my observations or boldness very well. But what I noticed a few weeks later that the next event included more people of color in his marketing. Now, he is still pissed that I shared my point of view but when he starts to count his money, a year or two from now, he will be just find and thank for me for my honesty. I spoke to truth to power and in love. I didn't attack him or his company. The lesson here is sometimes you have to just say it. That boldness has been tempered with grace over the last few years. I did not always have grace with my courage.

House: What does Black History mean to you?

Black History is American History. Black History is everyone's history. We all reap from learning from individuals that have made this country great. I try not to regulate American History to one month out of the year. I believe in celebrating the contributions made thousands every day of the year. I teach my history, my Black History, which is American History every day. I speak often about my grandfather. He marched, he protested, he served, he gave...not in February but every day of his life until he took his last breath. When we don't know our history, we suffer as a people, a nation, as a country. The further we get away from our history; we are running from the lessons that were learned from that history. Lately our country is going in a direction that reminds me we are forgetting American History and substituting it for a type of history that all Americans know is not the country’s history. That is dangerous grounds for everyone to be walking on.

House: How does Genma move forward? What do you see for yourself and your projects in 6 months?

I have come full circle in my life. I am back working in the film industry behind the scenes. I have been working on a movie project for the last several months with good friend and film producer, Curt Hahn of Film House. I filmed all winter with him so that kept me busy. As for the pest control industry, I want to help take the hype out of the bedbug frenzy and making sure more education on prevention is what people are learning. There is too much fear and not enough education. That is high on my priority list list. And I am also working to give two minority scholarships to students interested in the pest control industry in 2011. Several of us who were very active in Minorities in Pest Management from 2005-2010 have gone back to the drawing board and looking to put the organization with a foundation that focuses on scholarships. I have also am startling a PAC as well. Politicians pay closer attention to issues when PCAs are addressing the issues. Sad but true. They serve you better for some reason!

I am blessed. God has been good to me. I want to make sure I am giving back. I want flowers blooming in my yard from the seeds I have planted in others!

(Thank you Houseonahill.org my Twitter Buddy)

Not Just Bed Bugs: Pests Plague the Homeless Community

I am frequently asked about pest control by various members of my community. In church, at restaurants while eating, even at weddings, I have been asked bug questions without hesitation. Often, I nod and smile and give answers as if we are talking about the weather. Because I earn a living as a pest management professional, it comes with the job title. No one wants to live with bugs so I am not surprised by the urgency behind the inquiries. Recently, I had an encounter that caught me off guard.

One evening after stopping to pick up a few items for dinner, I noticed a woman standing by my truck as I was leaving the grocery store. She seemed a little nervous as I approached her and my vehicle. As I slowed my step to better sum up the situation, she looked up and asked hurriedly, “Hello, are you Mrs. Holmes?” I nodded slowly, wondering what was next. The young woman began to tell me she had seen me around town and wanted to know what do about the bug bites on her children, whom she pointed to in the car next to my truck.

Putting my bags away, I turned my attention to the beautiful girls staring back at me. As I started examining her babies very obvious bites, the mom began to tell me her story. She had been displaced by Nashville’s May floods and had to move into temporary housing several times in the last few months. “I am practically homeless,” she blurted out in despair. “I am living in a shelter that is running over with bugs. My kids are being eaten alive.” As a mother of three, my heart went out to her immediately. This mom was homeless because of circumstances beyond her control and she was facing a situation that happens in the homeless community often: infested living quarters.

Pest control issues plague the homeless. Bedbugs are all the rage on the nightly news of late, but contact any advocate for the homeless and pest control issues are discussed often. How do you battle pests like roaches, rodents, lice, spiders and mosquitoes in crowded conditions with limited resources? Often the pest control budget is limited by a “What can we get for the cheapest price?” mindset. That line of thinking plus a lack of education on preventive measures equals trouble for all parties involved.

I took the young mom aside and gave her an impromptu pest control lesson right on the spot. I had a few pest identification books on hand and let her browse through them to see if she recognized any of the bugs that were traumatizing her living space. She pointed out several. As I continued looking at her daughter legs riddled with bumps, my mommy genes took over. I took her and her crew inside the store to buy some anti-itch cream, several plastic storage bins, and a plastic encasement cover for her mattress, as well as large Ziploc bags and retail line of the EcoSmart pesticide products that I use in my business every day.

She left armed with a plan, safe chemicals, and a peace of mind. I must say no one had ever camped out at my truck to try to get pest control problems solved before, but my conversation the next day with the shelter manager where she was living was typical. “We are under contract and we’re trying to deal with it,” she said defensively. I was not asking about a contract; I was asking management: were they being proactive by educating the residents about steps to keep pests at a minimum? Using a pest control company is one step in addressing pests in the homeless community. But engaging members of the homeless community is the key component to controlling the problems. Education on preventive measures must be part their everyday routine at shelters.

The young mom and I stayed in contact for several weeks while she continued to look for bug-free housing for her family. The mom did not want anything other than a safe place to lay her head without bugs until she could find a permanent place to live.

Last month, she called me to share the good news that she found an apartment near her workplace. I could not miss the joy in her voice and told her I would stop by to see her new place. I bought her the best housewarming present I could give her: a year of pest control service. Her smiling face told me I picked the perfect gift!

To purchase EcoSmart Products go to www.ecosmart.com

Article first published as Not Just Bedbugs: Pests Plague the Homeless Community on Blogcritics.