Bedford, OH. - The Women Outreach Ministry recently held its annual celebratory event, The Exceptional Woman of Excellence Awards. The power-packed event was held at the Ellenwood Center in Bedford, OH. The organization not only recognized women from Cuyahoga County, OH; they also honored Shontel Greene of Baltimore, Maryland.
From American "Trap Queen" Gangster Episode on BET to Cleveland, OH.
Seen on BET and HBO, Shontel Greene is a professional woman who beat the odds to become one of America's most successful business owners. Featured in the National Forbes Magazine, IMPACT, FOX 45, Black Enterprise, and other media, Greene explains how her mother's opioid addiction contributed to her path from a straight-A student to a feared morphine dealer. "Regardless of the streets and how I grew up - I never missed school. I never received less than an A. By 17, I was driving a Mercedes Benz and making two million dollars a month," stated Greene.
With a business officially ranked in the "Black Enterprise Top 100 Biggest Companies", her motto is to strive to achieve excellence, and the numbers will fall in place.
Recently, Brown on Cleveland had the opportunity to have a one-on-one with Shontel Greene. Greene was born and raised in the city of West Baltimore. Like the average teenager, Greene made many bad decisions and took a wrong turn. "I watched my mom die from AIDS. My mom was a nurse. We believe that she got the disease from intravenous drug use. This is one of the main reasons I turned my life around," stated Greene. Greene's life spiraled out of the norm following her mom's death. "I had a grandmother who thought that I could do no wrong. I have been shot and stabbed. I did jail time for people because I never revealed the source. I stayed in the streets and hustled to survive. Due to my loyalty, I garnered street credit. I never had to become a lady of the night. I sat on the throne and made millions every month at a very early age," stated Greene.
Everything that Goes Up Must Come Down
As Greene felt the pressures of her closing life end, she landed in court facing a sentence of 15 years. With the representation of an attorney, Greene could have someone else tell her story to the jurors and the judge. "The judge was an old caucasian man. I believe he had a heart. When he discovered that I had been a straight-A student all my life, the judge challenged me. I never got a "B," only A's; he sentenced me to three days in jail and four days in school. The judge sentenced me to get my college degree with no less than A's. That was my sentence, and I succeeded the judge's expectations," said Greene.
Greene tells Brown on Cleveland that the money was good. She made it clear that she was not thirsty or hungry. "I believe in second chances. The judge gave a second chance for a lifetime," commented Greene. We asked for clarification. "I continued my education and became a nurse." She received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland and a Master's degree in Chemistry and Nursing from Frostburg State University.
Greene reports that corporate America frowned upon her because of whence she came, so she decided to build her own corporate America and provide healthcare not based on numbers but the continuity of care. "Because catering to the elderly and ill population is my passion, I opened several businesses to serve this population. I am the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of "Nurses R Us," commented Greene. According to her website, Greene also owns an Adult Daycare facility and provides staffing and consulting to over 40 Healthcare organizations. Greene states that she has approximately 1000 employees. "I hire the folks who are not employable to some organizations. Why, because second chances matter," says Greene.
Shontel Greene Comes to Bedford, OH.
Several months ago, Dana D Anderson, the founder and CEO of The Women Outreach Ministry, saw Shontel's story on the American "Trap Queen" Gangster. Anderson tells Brown on Cleveland that she was immediately impressed with Greene's story. "I watched the story. My heart was heavy. I felt her pain and understood her struggle. How she succeeded is impressive. I mean, she went through a lot and has overcome many obstacles. I reached out to her via email, and a month later, she responded. Of course, I told her who I was and asked if she would come to Cleveland for our Annual Women of Excellence Awards, and she said yes," Anderson humbly stated.
During the awards ceremony, Anderson and her team honored Greene and other recipients: Alisha Blackmon, Archelle Bloodworth, Alforniece Chambliss, Ruth Coates, Nichelle Daniels, Dr. Cherrica Davis, Rasa Drane, Christine Harrell, Frances Jones, Sonja Mays, and Terris A. Moore.
The honored women left the audience with several mantras: Chambliss says, "we work better together." "We should never feel comfortable until we meet the needs of everyone," stated Coates. "We are structured to think that we can't change, but we can, and we do. We must learn to accept ourselves and press forward when all odds are against us. I did it and will always encourage others to do the same, especially our young people," echoed Greene.
Annually, the Women's Outreach Ministry holds its Women of Excellence Awards ceremony to acknowledge women in Cuyahoga County who are making a difference.
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