The Sisterhood April 2017 | Page 8

Young visionary churning out ‘Sweet Butter success’ LexiKaye Photography fuses creativity and passion MILLENNIALS STAFF REPORT Sometimes a person’s talent shows up when they’re least expecting it. Such is the case with local photographer, Alexandra Kaye Harris, CEO of LexiKaye Photography. The statuesque beauty, a graduate of Michael L. Krop senior high and the University of South Florida, picked up a camera a few years ago, and the rest, well you know the saying. Since then she has photographed some of the biggest names in the music industry (Toni Braxton, Max- well, Erykah Badu, Sheila E., and others) and had her work pub- lished in the South Florida Times. She is quickly becoming the “go- to” photographer for creative fam- ily portraits, classy maternity shoots and creative shots for couples. The Sisterhood caught up with Harris to find out her plans for her company and her thoughts on sis- terhood and dealing with fear. When did you begin your photography biz? Photogra phy began a few years ago when I purchased my first camera and instantly fell in love with taking pictures. I had already done a few events and a maternity shoot, before I started taking photos for a local newspaper. With the newspaper, I was able to attend and experience things I wouldn’t have gotten the op- portunity to on my own. My love for photography led me to start my own business, Lexi Kaye Photography. The Lexi is a play on my first name (Alexandra) and Kaye 8 IN MOTION By MICHELLE HOLLINGER is my middle name. I wanted to cap- ture special moments. I have a creative eye and I express that in my photos.  If ever a millennial is in motion, it is Ernisha Randolph. Known for pushing others to stand in their truth and pursue their dreams, the upbeat wife and mother is now taking her own sage advice. What are some of your favorite photos? Some of my favorite photos are from a secret marriage proposal shoot. The man had con- jured up an elaborate way to pop the question, and I was there hiding behind a tree to capture the special moments. She had no clue I was there and I was able to capture all of the emo- tions involved during the moment.  Randolph, 32, is steadily build- ing a culinary empire in South Florida that will ultimately have a national presence. She is CEO of Juanita’s Kitchen, a popular ca- tering company that is virtually a household name in South Florida. And she recently launched a bril- liant marketing strategy for what will become her first restaurant, Sweet Butter. Where do you see yourself and your biz five years from now? 10 years from now? Five years from now I see myself with some continu- ous contracted jobs, more published work and wedding shoots under my belt. In ten years I expect to be the num- ber 1 photography option in South Florida. I will continue to grow and hone my craft, so much so I will arrive at a place where I don’t go looking for customers, they come looking for me.  To introduce the dining concept, which fuses a multicourse meal with an electrifying stage show, Ran- dolph has created the Sweet Butter Pop-up Experience. The event includes her company’s delectable food, which patrons enjoy while taking in a live per- formance. Currently held at the Overtown Performing Arts Center, Randolph plans to open a bricks and mortar restaurant by the same name in 2018. What three words best describe you? Creative, intelligent and a perfectionist How do you deal with fear? Take it one step at a time. Fear of the unknown is some- thing I deal with on a regular basis. Optimism is a won- derful thing. I speak positivity into my life. How can I make any progress if I’m constantly being negative and doubting myself? Yes, things don’t always go as planned, but I learn from those things and grow. Don’t make the same mistake twice.  How do you define sisterhood? When I think of sisterhood, I think of a society of women lifting each other up. Supporting one another. Promoting positivity. Helping each other grow. Pushing each other to be the best they can be.  THE SISTER HOOD | A PR IL 2017 Her entry into the food and hospitality in- dustry unfolded amid profound grief and is born from familial love. PHOTOS BY THIERRY DEJEAN MAKE-UP BY RORY LEE AND FAITH ELIBERT “When I started, it was really because of my grandmother. My mom and my great-grandmother were sick at the same time,” she shared, “and my grandmother was taking care of both of them.” Sad- ly, the women died within two months of each other. Randolph, who was 21 when her mother passed away, thought start- ing a catering company would “help her (grandmother) find a purpose,” after the matriarch lost her daughter and her moth- er. Randolph said her grandmother’s re- sponse to her suggestion was, “I’m retir- ing. You can start a catering business and I’ll help you for as long as you need me to.” hospitality industry, and she’ll like- ly have “some type of mega food corporation” as well as ownership of the Sweet Butter brand, her ten- year plan will have her vacationing on somebody’s island,” in a decade. “I definitely see myself being re- tired,” she added. They did, and “Three years later, we got our first contract with the government. We had multiple clients, had outgrown our home…and had to move into a facility,” she explained. Since then, the company has catered events for the Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce; Bill Diggs, presi- dent of the Mourning Family Foundation; the City of Miami Gardens; the Miami Beach Women’s Exhibit and Miami Beach Mayor Matti Herrera; Wingspan; Circle of One Marketing and many others. Despite knowing that she’s living her passion, Randolph said, “fear does peek its little ugly head up…when it’s anoth- er level that I prayed for; (a goal) that I wanted to get to.” She navigates the po- tential obstacle with self-talk, self-moti- vation and writing down “confessions.” Her ability to quash fear is important be- cause she has big plans. In the next five years, Randolph expects Sweet Butter to be a national franchise that allows oth- er to purchase into the brand. She’s so serious about it that she’s already begun “learning about the franchise business and how to structure now, in the begin- ning stages.” Although Randolph loves the food and IF YOU GO: WHAT: SWEET BUTTER POP UP EXPERIENCE WHEN: Two show times available over 2 days: April 7th & 8th - 5:30pm & 9pm WHERE: Overtown Performing Arts Center, 1074 NW 3 rd Ave., Overtown COST: From $55 to $125; Advance reservations required CONTACT: RSVP to SweetButterMiami. EventBrite.com Discover YOUR Answers To YOUR Work Life Balance Issues - ment issues, to realizing that work is a vehicle for the Spiritual development of all humans, and that aside from our physical survival, it can actually ground us in our real selves. Work is a Olivia Benson FIND REAL ANSWERS TO WORK LIFE BALANCE ISSUES • Change begins with understanding God • Change requires undoing old beliefs • Change is recognizing your place in this age of spiritual evolution Amazon and the Universal Truth Center's books tore, 21310 NW 37th Ave, Miami Gardens THE SISTER HOOD | A PR IL 2017 9