About

 

The B Guide ~Style For Women Living Their Best Midlife

I’m Courtney Racquel Rhodes.

I’m a curious, creative, and authentic soul journeying through my life committed to being happy, fulfilled, and compassionate. Here, I blog about my journey as a 47- year old mom, entrepreneur, lover of life and style enthusiast. I share my personal style, spiritual unfolding, insights into mothering my adult daughter and lifestyle tidbits as a mature woman.

I’m a super proud and grateful girl mom to an incredibly smart, charming, and supportive special young lady, she answers to Jai. 

I have a zesty entrepreneurial spirit and I love expressing myself creatively. I nurture that energy at Courtney Racquel , Shop.TheBGuide and C & D | The Agency. On my better days, I’m a force to be reckoned with, and at my worst, I’m a hot mess.

I strive to fully express myself, discover and rediscover freedom and make a positive mark in the world.  I feel my path is a bit pre-destined for me.  So that combined with my curiosity about human nature, creative expression, personal power, and possibilities, makes me obligated to enjoy aging with grace. I’m incredibly committed to allowing life to unfold in its perfectly authentic and divine way.

I’ve always felt challenged to discover, embrace and protect my truest self, in hopes that that courage would feed my soul, and connect my soul tribe to me in genuine ways. 

I dress myself and design my life in way that expresses what resonates with me, emotions I’m experiencing and a celebration of life. I love expressing my personal style, designing beautiful jewelry and clothes and sharing those creations with collectors and customers that resonate with them.

I consider myself a lifetime student of the arts & humanity, conscious evolution, and the pursuit of happiness. Here at The Brandista aka The B Guide and it’s boutique Shop.TheBGuide,  I share my style, jewelry and lifestyle hacks that inspire and motivate me. I hope to do the same for you. 

My Life

  • I started in beauty pageants (at 5) and modeling (at 10) in local television commercials and print publications. That was my mom’s way of attempting to balance my tomboy nature. With over twenty pageant wins, and some dope modeling gigs, it’s still a work in progress.  : )
  • Professional internships have shaped + greatly influenced my career path. I interned at Nordstrom’s Fashion Office, Elite Models NYC, Girls Life Magazine, and Radio One in Baltimore. Most days, I believe the two degrees in Communications added a little academic confidence along the way. The undergraduate degree is from Morgan State University and the graduate, The University of Baltimore.
  • I was born in Baltimore, MD and grew up in Shulerville, SC. I’ve since lived in Baltimore, MD; New York, NY; Tampa, FL; Atlanta, GA, and Chicago, IL.
  • I was given the name The Brandista from a former client, friend, and now brother, Anthony Liggins. He starting referring to me as The Brandista years ago, and I accepted it.
  • My style & beauty heroes are my grandmother, mom, and both of my parents fly ass sisters, Lena Horne and Audrey Hepburn.
  • I love red lips, playing with makeup (I was once a licensed makeup artist), Christian Louboutin’s (I have narrow feet + a high arch), collecting and retooling vintage pieces and jewelry and vacationing. I’m masterful at mixing low to high-end, and I offer no apologies for wearing timeless pieces I love season after season.
  • My dad taught me that I could do anything the ‘boys’ (specifically my cousins) could do and I could do them better- and yup, I believed him.  So I played football with them, learned to mix metals and make jewelry, hunted (a few times), learned to race cars ( I was pretty good), help under the hood of cars, and enjoy good hearted shenanigans. 
  • I have a balanced mix of masculine and feminine energy which I consciously work to embrace and keep in balance.
  • Then there is the love affair with being in love (like-deep soul connection love), fabulous style, feeling free, creating nostalgic memories, the company of authentic peeps, traveling, taking care of my mind, body, soul and enjoying my tribe!

 

Thanks for sharing in this journey with me, as I have vulnerable moments, share my style sense, experience mothering an adult daughter, lifestyle hacks and aging gracefully.  Cheers to the places we may go, the people we’ll meet and the difference we’ll make!

 

XOXO,

 

Courtney Racquel Rhodes, @TheBrandista