The Swirl World

Celebrating and Elevating Black Women - mind, body, soul and spirit!


The Taxman Cometh!

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The Taxman Cometh!

Um, no – he’s here.

Today is April 15, a day dreaded by millions in the United States.

It’s tax day, and hopefully you have your act together and you’ve already filed.

Most people fall into two camps come April 15: The Prepared and The Unprepared.

(I’m happy to report I’m on #TeamPrepared. *Pats self on back*)

For the others of you who are prepared, well done!

As for the rest of you . . . .

a sad mature woman

I’m giving you The Stank Eye The Look.

Thankfully, there’s a remedy for both The Prepared AND The Unprepared:

Taxation Specialist and Financial Consultant Tia Delano!

TiaDelano

Here’s some info on Tia from her “About” page:

I am a taxation specialist, and I create customized financial plans so that my clients can reduce their liabilities, increase their net worth and create their ideal quality of life. I especially love to work with professional women that are eager to use their money to create a quality lifestyle now, as well as prepare for their futures.

In addition to educational degrees, Tia has almost 15 years’ experience in the financial world, including holding the coveted Enrolled Agent license – the highest professional credential awarded by IRS.

Run, don’t walk, over to Tia’s website at TiaDelano.com, where she’s dropping lots of knowledge to help all of us get our financial life.

To learn about the Freebies you can enjoy on Tax Day, read her post entitled “Tax Day Is Two Days Away: Freebies For All!”

Woot!

Follow Tia on Twitter @TiaTheTaxPro. To “Like” the Tia Delano Facebook page, click here.

Copyright ©2015 Michelle Matthews Calloway, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, The Swirl World Podcast™, The Swirl World Inspiration Daily™, Swirl Nation™, All rights reserved. Photo of Tia Delano obtained from TiaDelano.com, Copyright ©2015 Tia Delano, All Rights Reserved.

 

 

Write For The Swirl World!

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shareasimageWrite4TSW

The Swirl World wants YOU . . . to write for The Swirl World!

That’s right – we want you to write for us!

For the first time since the inception of the blog, The Swirl World is issuing a call for writers.

We are seeking writers with a strong voice who enjoy articulating their views and sharing their passion.

We are open to articles on a variety of subjects: relationships, parenting, careers, entrepreneurship, education, fashion, travel, hair and makeup, politics and current events, pop culture and hobbies – if the subject interests you, we have readers who also are interested.

Our target audience is Black women and the diverse men who love them.

You will receive a byline and publishing credit, plus in-post links to your blog, social media and Facebook pages. We’re very active on social media and are happy to promote you and your work.

If you are interested in flexing your writing muscles by writing for The Swirl World, send an email to aswirlgirl@theswirlworld.com and we’ll contact you with details and guidelines.

Thanks!

We look forward to hearing from you.

Happy New Year!

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shareasimageHappyNewYear

Happy Thanksgiving!

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 From Our Family To Yours . . . .

Wishing you life’s bounty . . . today, tomorrow and always . . .

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from The Swirl World!

 

Copyright © 2014  Michelle Matthews Calloway, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, The Swirl World Podcast™,  All rights reserved.

Get Ready For Season 2!

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The Swirl World Team is going on holiday – but only for one week.

We’ll be back September 8 with Season 2 of our podcast.

We have new shows, new guests, and LOTS of surprises in store.

Stay tuned!

In the meantime, use this time wisely – catch up on the shows you may have missed.

You can find us on iTunes, Stitcher, Sound Cloud and Podomatic.

You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

 

Want to be a guest on the podcast, or know someone who should? Send an email to Podcast@TheSwirlWorld.com.

Copyright © 2014  Michelle Matthews Calloway, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, The Swirl World Podcast™,  All rights reserved. 

 

 

 

 

“I Love Black Women!”

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Mark Custard 3Adrienne and I enjoyed a great conversation with Mark Custard, a White guy who proudly proclaims, “I love Black women!”

Mark’s a native of Buffalo, NY and has dated Black women almost exclusively since 9th grade.

He makes some interesting observations – namely, that in his first interracial relationship he didn’t care or pay any attention to the ethnicity of his girlfriend – what he enjoyed was all about how much fun they had and how she made him feel.

Give the podcast a listen.

 

Good news:

Mark is joining The Swirl World team with a new column, “On Another Note.” He’s also going to join us on some upcoming podcast episodes. Woot! Woot!

To send Mark a friend request on Facebook, click here.

Want to be a guest on the podcast, or know someone who should? Send an email to Podcast@TheSwirlWorld.com.

Be sure to “Like” The Swirl World on Facebook and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes. You can also follow us on Sound Cloud or listen to us on Stitcher!

Copyright © 2014  Michelle Matthews Calloway, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, The Swirl World Podcast™,  All rights reserved. Photos used with permission.

BIG, HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT: The Swirl World Podcast Is LIVE!

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The-Swirl-Word-Podcast (2)

Woot Woot!

The Podcast is here! The podcast is here!

That’s right:

The FIRST iTunes podcast based in the United States devoted strictly and completely to Black women involved in interracial and intercultural relationships!!!

And before we proceed, we want to give a major shout out to interracial married couple Clove and Sherley aka CHO & NILLA of Montreal, Quebec. They’ve been blogging and podcasting  from Canada for years, and to our knowledge THEY are the FIRST EVER to do an interracial podcast anywhere, and The Swirl World is the first in the United States. Be sure to go check them out and subscribe to their podcast. We plan to contact them to try to get them on our show. Woot! Woot!

Whew . . . !

OK, let me calm down and fill you in on the launch of The Swirl World Podcast:

The Back Story

Adrienne and I talked about in early 2013, and then decided to make launching a podcast one of our goals for 2014.

Adrienne, Patrick and I have been busy little beavers behind the scenes: Trying to figure podcasting out, inviting guests, recording shows, learning how to edit – you name it, we worked it.

After lots of Skype calls, dropped calls, technical snafus, learning how to work equipment, scheduling issues and changing of our launch dates, we finally got it together.

Whew! *Wipes brow*

The Purpose Of The Podcast

So, why a podcast? We’re glad you asked!

The Swirl World is extremely blessed to have legions of fans on Facebook, Twitter and here on the blog. We’re passionate about everyone – and Black women in particular – living their best life and achieving the happiness and security in relationships they desire. We believe that in order to do this, Black women must expand their dating and marriage options and open their lives up to quality men of all races and ethnicities.

And because we’re so passionate about our cause, we believe a podcast can serve well as an extension of the mediums we already use to promote our message. We want you to hear the passion in our voices and we want to develop deeper relationships with our audience.

With the podcast, our goal is to entertain, inform, educate and inspire you to live your best life. Why? Because Swirling Rocks, that’s why!

Who’s Going To Be On The Show?

We’re going to bring you a broad range of guests – both men and women – to discuss topics of interest to Swirlers.  Through interesting, exciting (and often hilarious) conversations, we’re going to engage our guests in subjects concerning:

  • Dating
  • Vetting
  • Marriage
  • Parenting
  • Careers
  • Education
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Beauty and Fashion
  • Lifestyle interests
  • Physical Health and Wellness
  • Mental Health

Upcoming guests include Swirl couples, authors, business owners, counselors, well-known interracial bloggers, and educators.

As an added bonus: We’re also going to bring you conversations with Swirling couples who are  in the military.

How Do I Access The Podcast?

Run, don’t walk, over to iTunes and SUBSCRIBE!

Here are the steps from Apple on how to find and subscribe to a podcast:

  1. Open iTunes. If you do not have iTunes, download the latest version of iTunes, free.
  2. In the upper-right corner of iTunes, click iTunes Store in the navigation bar.
  3. Click Podcasts in the navigation bar.
  4. In the “Search Store” field, enter “The Swirl World Podcast.” We should pop right up.
  5. When you find us, you can:
    • Stream the FREE podcast directly from the store by double-clicking an episode.
    • Download a specific episode to your iTunes library by clicking the Free button next to an individual episode.
    • Subscribe to the podcast by selecting Subscribe below the cover art on the left of the podcast page. We want you to subscribe because we don’t want you to miss an episode!

To listen to episodes you have downloaded to your iTunes library:

  1. Navigate to Library on the right side of the navigation bar in iTunes.
  2. Select Podcasts from the Library pop-up menu.
  3. Click The Swirl World to see all the episodes.
  4. Double-click an episode to play it.

If you’d prefer to watch a video outlining the steps, here’s one from Hubspot. Just make sure to insert The Swirl World Podcast in your searches.

A link to the podcast on iTunes will also be available in every post and in the sidebar.

Hey! I Wanna Be On The Show – Or I Know Somebody Who Should!

We’re always on the lookout for great people to feature on the podcast. If you have a product, business, skill or a good story to tell, contact us at Podcast@TheSwirlWorld.com.  We read and respond to every email.

Put A Face With A Voice

Many of you already know us from Facebook, but just in case you don’t have Facebook, let me introduce The Swirl World Team so you can put a face with the voices you’ll be hearing.

MMC TLK

 

Michelle Matthews Calloway – Lafayette, LA & Dallas, TX

I’m all over the place. If you see a woman with her fingers in a lot of pies, that would be me. Check out the About page to learn more.

 

 

Adrienne L LAdrienne London Leach – Bridgeport, West Virginia

Adrienne is co-host of the podcast, manager of The Swirl World’s Facebook page and my partner in crime!

 

 

 

 

Patrick iMix Studio 2Patrick J. Browne – Dublin, Ireland

You’ll hear Patrick’s voice introducing each podcast episode. Patrick is our audio editing guru and technology master. He’s a sweetheart and we love him to pieces.

 

 

 

Mark Custard 2

 

Mark Custard – Buffalo, NY

Mark will soon launch a new column on the blog entitled, “And On Another Note.” His column (and occasional videos!) will reflect his thoughts, musings and advice on dating Black women gleaned from his personal experiences. A father of two, he’ll also share his thoughts on parenting.

 

 

Jeff Lyons 2

 

Jeff Lyons – Oxnard, CA

Jeff is also launching a new column on The Swirl World. His column, “Just Ask Jeff,” is designed to answer Black women’s questions about dating, mating and relating to White men. Inbox your questions to us on Facebook or send an email to aswirlgirl@theswirlworld.com.

 

 

MIKE M - TOMichael Miocevich – Perth, Australia

Mike holds the distinction of being the most tenured of the guys on the team. His “Mondays With Mike” column garners LOTS of readers and attention both here and in Australia, his homeland – so much so that he appeared as a guest on a national television show! Mike is extremely prolific and publishes an amazing literary website, 500and50.com.

Follow Mike on Twitter @500and50 and read his blog at 500and50.com, or message him on his 500and50 Facebook page.

Click here to view Mike’s recent appearance on an Australian national television show.

Be Social – Subscribe, Subscribe, Subscribe!

To go to the iTunes podcast, view episodes and subscribe, click here.

Here’s The First Episode – Head Over To iTunes For More!

If you prefer, you can also catch the podcast on Sound Cloud!

Thanks so much for your continued support. We can’t do this without YOU!
Keep Swirling, and remember: Life Is Better – In The Swirl World!™

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To “Like” us on Facebook, click here

To follow Michelle on Twitter, click here

To follow Michelle on Instagram, click here

To network with Michelle on LinkedIn, click here

Copyright © 2014 Michelle Matthews Calloway, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, The Swirl World Podcast™, All rights reserved. Photos used with permission.

 

How To Change Your Life – And End Up On a National Television Show!

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Good grief! We’ve been on pins and needles – sitting on this news for about a month now and biting our nails in anticipation of sharing it:

Guess what???

Our man Mike In Australia (Michael Miocevich) was on a national television show – talking about SWIRLING!!!

*Jumping up and down*

We were certainly excited that Mike – OUR Mike – received this national coverage and attention.

Seems the producer planned to do a show on Swirling In Australia (later entitled “Dating Race”). She conducted some online searches to find men in Australia who preferred Black women.

Well, we’ve been doing “Monday’s With Mike” for some months now, so guess who she found???

Yeppers!

Out of ALL the men in Australia, she found OUR Mike.

OUR. Mike!

Woot Woot!

One of the things we strive to do in The Swirl World is build relationships. We practice good blogging netiquette and we believe in crediting our sources, both here and on our Facebook page.

We don’t bash –preferring instead to uplift and support.

Particularly special to us is the fact that in some small way, we are making a difference and changing lives – one person at a time.

But enough of the self-congratulations. We’ll let Mike tell you about his experience.

This excerpt is Part 1 – we have more to come!

Mike says:

“So, about a month ago I get a message from Elise Potaka, producer for SBS TV Australia (one of two public national broadcasters, which is bigger than you might think here in Oz), to talk to her about interracial dating, my history of it, ideas and opinions, etc.

Not a problem, I thought; I am more than happy to help anyone who is interested.

Turns out they were looking to do a TV show about it, and got all kinds of information from me about the Swirling community and my life as a Swirler.

Then came the hard question: They wanted to fly me out to the show to be in the audience!

Now this is the part that shocked me. I’ve never been given any kind of opportunity like this before.

To be flown across the country and put up at a hotel and then be on a national TV show?

Unimaginable. So I was nervous. And very hesitant.

You see, for a lot of my life I’ve felt like an outsider – to friends, family, people I meet.

I often don’t feel comfortable around them. I was very much worried about how I might come across for the show.

But then I had to follow the logic of the situation.

I had been invited on because I have been making steps towards a better life. I had taken the chance when I first contacted The Swirl World via Facebook.

I’d done so again when they got me to do a bit of a write-up about myself. Then again when they had me do “Monday’s with Mike,” and again when encouraging me to start my own writing blog.

After that much love and encouragement, I couldn’t let them down.

I couldn’t let myself down.

So I took the chance. And I am so thankful I did! I now feel more comfortable about who I am in my life than I ever have. I stood up for who I am and what I believe – and I felt stronger for it.

I have a lot of big plans I want to make happen, and a lot of changes I want to make in my life before I get to where I want to be, Taking this step has brought a lot of that closer.

So if I have one piece of advice to offer it’s this – If you see an opportunity and you’re hesitant because you worry what others might think or say, don’t be.

Take the leap of faith and go for it, because the rewards in confidence and self-esteem will likely outweigh any physical things you get from it.

Each step you take in the right direction will open new doors and new opportunities. Trust in yourself and step through them. When you look back, you’ll be amazed at the difference it has made!

Cheers,

Mike

 

To watch the show (and gain an interesting perspective on interracial dating in Australia – plus some delicious accents) – click here.

Mike networked with some of the people on the show and we hope to have some future posts featuring the other guests.

Whew! We can’t wait to see what happens with Mike’s continuing metamorphosis.

Stay tuned for more!

MIKE M - THIS ONEGot a question for Michael Miocevich? Send it to us via inbox on The Swirl World’s Facebook page or by email to ASwirlGirl@TheSwirlWorld.com.

Follow Mike on Twitter @500and50 and read his blog at 500and50.com, or message him on his 500and50 Facebook page.

Copyright © 2014 Michelle Matthews Calloway, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, All rights reserved.

 

How To Meet Your Prince/Princess Without Kissing A Lot Of Frogs

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We’ve all heard the saying: “You have to kiss a lot of frogs in order to find your Prince/Princess.”

FROG

While that saying may hold true for some and may even be the story of your life to this point, we in The Swirl World want you to take heart and ponder these questions:

What if finding true love didn’t have to be so hard?? What if there really ARE some good men and women out there who would make wonderful mate – and how in the world can I meet him/her?

Our Facebook page is On Fire with lots of great single men and women who have heard the same tired proverb, and are asking themselves the very same questions.

They’re attractive, smart, well-adjusted and possess many good character traits.

They’re not loony and they’re not cray-cray.

Insane man in a straitjacket

Stalking? They’re not about that life.

They’re also not lazy, trifling, good-for-nothing or looking for a free ride.

Their intent is to “do no harm” and give 100% to a relationship.

They want to do someone good, and not evil, all the days of his/her life.

They want to be in a relationship for the long haul. 

If you’re interested in a booty call, cat-fishing or a fly-by-night relationship, YOU’VE GOT THE WRONG ONE, BABY.

attractive caucasian man shot in studio

 

They simply want a chance to love – and be loved.

If this sounds like you, then The Swirl World is where you need to be.

Starting tomorrow, we’re going to present some Swirling “Princes and Princesses” who may just be the person who qualifies as “Your Last First Kiss.” 

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If we profile someone you take a fancy to and you connect with them, will you still have to vet him/her??

OF. COURSE. YOU. WILL!

OF. COURSE. YOU. WILL!

OF. COURSE. YOU. WILL!

(And just in case you didn’t know it, OF. COURSE. YOU. WILL!)

This is Adrienne and Me - giving you major side eye.

This is Adrienne and Me – giving you major side eye.

Yes, YOU will still have to get to know a person, Yes, YOU will still have to vet, vet, vet – and VET AGAIN.

Presenting people is on us – VETTING IS  ON YOU.

This bears repeating:

Yes, YOU will still have to get to know a person, Yes, YOU will still have to vet, vet, vet – and VET AGAIN.

Presenting people is on us – VETTING IS ON YOU. 

And just in case you need a crash course on vetting, we very happily refer you to the Queen of Vetting herself, Mrs. Eugenia Berg, a.k.a. “Married Girl In A Weird World.” 

(We’re happy to report that Mrs. Berg and her loving hubby are now expecting TWINS! Woot Woot!)  

Mrs. Berg was kind enough to supply free coaching information on vetting on her blog.

Whether you believe you know how to properly vet or not, If you have any brains at all, you will thank the good Lord for Eugenia’s free advice and give a listen here, here and here.   

So now, on the subject of vetting: Have we made ourselves perfectly clear?

Ok; by the look on your face, we have made ourselves PERFECTLY clear.

Ok; by the look on your face, we have made ourselves PERFECTLY clear.

 If we have, stay tuned. Our first “Swirling Single” will be presented tomorrow!

Till then, Swirl On.

Join in the Fray: Are you a Prince/Princess – or a Frog?

Want to be profiled here on the blog and on our Facebook page? Contact us via inbox on Facebook or send an email to Profiles@TheSwirlWorld.com.

 Copyright © 2013 Michelle Matthews Calloway, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, All rights reserved.

 

Will You Be Their Valentine? Meet Brandon And Brooklynn!

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Here in The Swirl World we’ve been fortunate to have a number of men reach out to us. We receive nice emails and in boxes on our Facebook page from “Rainbeaus” and “Other Brothers” who kindly share their appreciation for our page and for lovely Black Women.

Navy man Brandon Welch, a divorced Dad who’s raising his little girl, is one of those gentlemen.

The Back Story

We first heard from Brandon in November 2012 when he shared a photo of him and his little daughter Brooklynn.

Brandon and Brooklynn 1

Now, Brooklynn is the bees-knees and puts the “A” in ADORABLE and the “C” in CUTENESS, and needless to say everyone fell in love with her at first sight.

(Her Dad is pretty gorgeous too, we might add. Just sayin’.)

Pictures of Brandon and Brooklynn quickly went viral on our Facebook page and other Swirl pages, and they became recurring favorites.

Brandon and Brooklynn 2

We’re so happy that Brandon, who gets deployed from time to time, checks in with us when he’s in port.

He’s extremely patient and very kindly answers our numerous questions.

He’s also a good sport, because he agreed to let us profile him on the blog and on our Facebook page – just in time for Valentine’s Day!

Some Info On Brandon:

Age: 24

Height: 6’1”

Military Branch: Navy

Marital status: Divorced

Brooklynn’s age: 2

Brandon’s parents take care of Brooklynn when he is away.

November 2013 Update

When we heard back from him in late November 2013, he said,

“I have been busy for the most part. We went on deployment a couple of months ago and I’m still not home as of yet. I’m still single and live in Florida. Brooklynn (my daughter) is two now and has been getting spoiled by her grandparents since I have been gone. Not too much has changed for me besides seeing the other side of the world, but it was definitely one for the books. Hope all is well!”

Brandon sent us these photographs of his return and reunion with his daughter. They rank as some of the most popular we’ve ever shared!

Brandon and Brooklynn 5

Oh, The Cuteness and The Sweetness!

Brandon and Brooklynn 6

January 2014 Update 

In January we asked Brandon to give us an update. He said:

“My past year has been full of ups and downs. Getting adjusted to raising my daughter with the help of my parents was something I had to get used to. Brooklynn stayed with them while I was on deployment, and I knew she would be taken care of without worry.

In 2014 I’m planning on spending mostly with Brooklynn since most of 2013 was spent with me being away. I missed seeing her personality and mind develop while I was gone. She’s very opinionated and working on becoming independent even though I tell her she’s not allowed to grow up anymore. Lol!”

Movie Night with Brandon & Brooklynn

Movie Night with Brandon & Brooklynn

Valentine’s Day Update

I’m still single. I would like to date; I’ve always wanted a family . . . .

So this year I definitely want to keep my daughter close and possibly find someone to start a relationship with. Brooklynn is my heart and the only thing I am scared of in this world is something happening to her. She’s my angel . . . .”

Stop The Presses!

Ladies, not only is Brandon single – he’s ready to start dating!

Brandon and Brooklynn 8

Woot Woot!

Of course, you have to know that we stepped up and told Brandon that we’d be happy to help him with his search because, well, we’re just good like that.

Cough, cough.

And of course, you have to know that we’re going to be his big sisters and try to screen the women who show an interest because, well, we’re just super protective like that.

Just sayin’.

We’re excited at the prospect of Brandon finding love and we’re going to do whatever we can to assist him in any way.

Which leads us to . . . .

A Big Announcement!

Remember we told you that we were going to start pod-casting? Well, Brandon has agreed to join us on the podcast!

He’ll be giving us updates on Brooklynn raising him raising Brooklynn, military life and life as a Swirler who is trying to find love.

Woot to the woot, woot, WOOT!

We haven’t hammered out all the details and logistics, so stay tuned.

If you haven’t subscribed to the blog, make sure you do so you don’t miss any updates or announcements concerning the start of the podcast.

*Whispering . . . Just so you know, Brandon has a deep, baritone voice . . . .*

Brandon and Brooklynn 4

Join in the Fray: So, will you be Brandon – and Brooklynn’s – Valentine?

All rights reserved. Copyright © 2014 Michelle Matthews Calloway, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, Dallas, TX, USA. Photos used with permission.

ASG 191 x 200 ASwirlGirlWant to be profiled here on the blog and on our Facebook page? Contact us via inbox on Facebook or send an email to ASwirlGirl@TheSwirlWorld.com.