Web wonders. (book bytes: SistaPower).

In 2000, Lorraine Phillips and Jacqueline Cornelius created an online inspirational magazine for black women. The Atlanta-based founders feature cultural and literary information on their website and are hoping to expand its content. BIBR talked to Phillips about what inspired her to create Sista Power.com.

BIBR: What is your background? Does it involve the Internet?

Phillips: I was born in London, England, and moved to the United States ten years ago to attend Jackson State University, where I acquired my B.S. degree in computer science and my masters of business administration. Throughout college I owned and operated my own music-recording studio, Signature Sound. I wrote jingles for national and international radio stations, and also produced and managed local rap, jazz and R&B artists. I moved to Atlanta to pursue my music career, but grew tired of being a "starving musician," and landed a job as a computer consultant.

After a short while, my need to be creative crept back, so I decided to embark on Web design as a way to combine my love for computers with my yearning to be creative.

BIBR: How was SistaPower.com created? And what inspired you to create it?

Phillips: The idea for SistaPower.com came from receiving inspirational e-mails from friends. I wanted a way to share those inspirational messages with more than just the 20 or so people on my e-mail list. I thoroughly researched multimedia and Web design and taught myself all the necessary skills to create and maintain a dynamic website. I'd work 9 to 5 to pay the bills, and then 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. for myself, doing what I love. I refuse to let corporate America steal my dreams, even if it means I do not get much sleep at night.

Later I appointed a team of dedicated women to add some variety to the site. I was very lucky to acquire the group of ladies that I did. If I didn't do anything else, I picked a great team. We all work very well together and complement each other. Everyone has their own forte. I didn't even have to look far for them. The Lord put each one in my life at the right time, all I had to do was sell them on the idea of SistaPower, and thank goodness they bought it.

BIBR: How do you select your daily affirmations?

Phillips: I search high and low to find ones that I think are appropriate affirmations for our audience. I am going through the struggle myself, so of course, I can identify. But I also try to imagine situations that I am not currently facing and try to find affirmations to suit those as well. You never know what somebody else is going through. Basically, the affirmations I select have to move, inspire or teach me something. That's my criteria.

BIBR: How do you choose your books for the "Good Reads" section?

Phillips: Aleidra Seals, our "Good Reads" editor, is an avid reader. She makes an effort to cover a variety of topics for our audience. Some of the books she selects personally, and others are recommended by friends or by the SistaPower audience. She also likes to discover the works of unknown authors and give them their due exposure too.

BIBR: Define a "shero".

Phillips: A shero is a female hero, a woman successful in her own right who exudes SistaPower. Her success is not measured by wealth, fame, beauty or status but by her strength, determination and resilience. We honor these women because they are the unsung heroes. You won't find these women on magazine covers or on TV, because they are too busy out handling their business. That's what we call a shero. I was proud to be able to give my mother the honor of being our first shero.

BIBR: How do you feel your website can contribute to the daily lives of African-American women?

Phillips: We hope that SistaPower inspires women to reach for their goals. It offers a network that lets sistas know they are not alone in the struggle. There're plenty of us out there fighting for the things our parents worked so hard for, fighting so we, in turn, can offer our children a better tomorrow. It's a place of hope, understanding, encouragement, and most of all, togetherness. It's a celebration of women, all we have accomplished and are yet to accomplish.

BIBR: Is SistaPower.com a full-time venture?

Phillips: No, it is not. We all work full-time jobs, have children and families. This is our way of giving back. We realize there are so many other places in life that we could be right now, but are fortunate enough not to be. We are just ordinary folks who have managed to get far enough in life where we remember what it took to get where we are, and recognize our responsibility to reach back and help somebody else. My aunt is ultimately the reason that I am compelled to give back. She made the sacrifice in order to send me to school here in the U.S. for seven years. Her one act of kindness changed my life forever, and I can never forget that. I can never forget the power that one individual can have to drastically change another's life for the better. I'm living proof.

BIBR: Tell me about the online newsletter.

Phillips: The newsletter is used to inform our readers of any developments or changes to the site. It gives our subscribers information about behind-the-scenes activities, and lets us be able to talk to our audience one-on-one. We often get great feedback about our newsletter, and our main goal is to "keep it real."

BIBR: How do you see SistaPower.com evolving in the future?

Phillips: The name SistaPower is about living and achieving your dreams. It's about living life on your own terms and making your own rules. It's about setting your goals and reaching them. Just like our readers, we are also trying to achieve our goals. Because we have a site called SistaPower, does not mean we are where we want to be. We are trying to achieve just like everybody else. I will say that we definitely have big plans for SistaPower, and we are currently in the planning phase of our venture. We are going to use 2002 to plan, but watch out for us in 2003.

BIBR: Words of advice?

Phillips: Don't be scared to be the person the Lord has prepared you to be. Work hard at it, daily. Work for a greater purpose, other than yourself. Try to do your bit to make the world a better place no matter how small your contribution. If all of us put a little positive energy out there, what a better place this would be.

My aunt, who is my role model, once told me, "Whatever the mind can conceive, you can achieve."

The SistaPower team:

Lorraine Phillips - Cofounder/Webmaster/Affirmations editor Jacqueline Cornelius - Cofounder/Shero editor Candice Baker - Internet consultant/Events editor Paula Baldwin - Ask Lakeysha editor Karen Cotter - Scoop editor Aleidra Seals - Good Reads editor

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