The Chicago Journal

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RTC’s Climb Up the Steps of Stardom, Making an Impact and Creating Timeless Music

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a step, and taking that step determines the trajectory of that journey. Respect True Color, also known as RTC, took the big step in his life journey early enough and has found ways to adapt, evolve, learn, build, create and grow over the years. He has put himself through the process and built a name in the entertainment industry as a rapper, music producer, engineer and vocalist.

RTC’s foray into music started with his interest in music, and the immense support he got from family and friends spurred him to take the big step, which made him start making sounds and melodies on his phone on GarageBand. Staying consistent and constantly working connected him to the right people and things started falling in place. This birthed the beginning of a vision towards success and stardom, and he hasn’t looked back since.

As an up-and-coming artist and producer, RTC draws influence and inspiration from many iconic people in the music industry like Travis Scott, Kanye West and many others. He started with music production and did a little bit of rap before taking a break to learn more about music production with mentorship from Mike Dean, Travis Scott and many other established acts in the music industry.

Through the years, RTC’s music career has grown alongside his music catalog, with over 600,000 streams to his name across streaming platforms. He has also featured in hundreds of playlists over the years while working with notable entertainment personalities like RIAA-certified platinum producer Ramyonthebeat, the late Young Dolph, Gunna, Don Toliver and Travis Scott. He released a song titled “Uncut Genres” on February 18, 2022, inspired by Adam Sandler’s film of the same title and produced certified platinum producer and artist Pyrex who has amassed millions of streams on his projects across all digital streaming platforms. In his music catalog, RTC has songs like “Costa Rica,” which he produced for Jcole’s Revenge of The Dreamers III project and a slew of songs he helped create with his artist, Mercvry.

RTC and his team are focused on creating music that ministers to young adults and inspires them to be a better version of themselves. He understands the challenges young people generally face when navigating life, and he hopes to play a part in easing those challenges with quality music. Many of his musical creations draw inspiration from nostalgic elements from back in the days, like games from the 90s. “My music is focused more on the quality, not quantity. There are many artists nowadays who are only concerned about putting out many musical projects to increase their catalog, but I’m the type of artist to wait a few months or even a year to release one song just so I can have the best quality and please the fans,” he explained.

RTC takes pride in being authentic and knowing what he wants for himself, his team and his career as a whole. Music is his way of impacting the world; thus, he makes sure he makes quality music capable of influencing the upcoming generation to do better and be better for the world. His vision for the next few years is continued growth for himself and his company. He plans to work with more producers and put out more projects for his artist, Mercvry. Part of his plans also includes executive-producing a short film to register his interest and presence in the film world.

Serial Entrepreneur Edwin Carrion Making an Impact in People’s Lives by Leading Them to Success

Only a truly successful person recognizes the path to success and can help other people toe that path. Edwin Carrion has done it all from building a company from scratch, scaling the company, replicating the same with other companies and becoming a trusted authority figure in the real estate development business.

Edwin Carrion has built a name in the business world as a successful and respected businessman, and for over 20 years, he has left a trail of successful companies in his wake. His business journey started with E&D Development in 2002 after his military career in the United States Marines. The company developed and sold more than $30 million in real estate. After the real estate meltdown, and going bankrupt, he proceeded to establish Countrywide Gold Buyers, turned it into a franchise, and sold it. Right after that, his other companies Eco-Modern Custom Homes, MDC Transport, Technical Trading team, and  Upscale Development Group LLC, came to life.

As a well-versed businessman, Edwin’s roles have traversed multiple positions, including Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, President and Vice President of many significant privately owned companies. He’s also a certified expert in the operational management of startups, development, design, financial services, marketing services, capital financing, organization and strategic negotiation with client and vendor partners. These have made him notable in the business world and are evident in four of his most notable companies, which he built from scratch into companies making annual revenues of over $15 million.

Edwin Carrion is not just a successful businessman. His life trajectory has a defined path that got him there with his Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Construction Management from Florida International University (FIU) and his multiple state licenses like Certified General Contractor license, Mortgage Broker license, and Property and Casualty license from the State of Florida. The experience he has garnered over the years has helped him build successful businesses and helped other small businesses get off the ground. As a person passionate about education and mentorship, he’s playing an active role in building the next generation of successful business owners.

The forty-three-year-old entrepreneur spends his time teaching and motivating other entrepreneurs his success secrets and strategies. He wants as many people as possible to achieve financial freedom and live life to the fullest; he has committed his time and resources to help as many people as possible achieve that. His targets include entrepreneurs, people who want to live life to the fullest, and people looking for a second chance in life and want to get their finances right.

Edwin Carrion does not stop his work at mentorship; he also provides funding to budding entrepreneurs to kickstart their ideas. 

“I believe what I teach is real, and if you apply them to your business, there is no option of failure. I transform lives,” he said.

Over the next few years, his goal is to go around the world, speak and motivate thousands of individuals, and teach them how to live life to the fullest.

Off the Rails Restaurant Promotes Ludlow’s Local Scene to the World by Chef Andrew Molen

Off the Rails Restaurant is a new bar-restaurant located in Ludlow, Vermont. It is already known for its mouthwatering selections of all-time American favorites, like pizza and chicken wings, and some creative and fun bar bites.  It has become people’s go-to spot when they want to experience top-notch food, live music and performances, and a good ambiance.

Off the Rails Restaurant is currently pulling out all the stops to elevate the food and beverage scene of Ludlow, Vermont. Having witnessed a lack of late-night hangout spots in the town, the brilliant team behind this emerging enterprise thought it best to establish a restaurant and bar that cater to the needs of both the locals and tourists in the area. “We felt that Ludlow was missing a late local hangout,” shared the restaurant’s founder, Andrew Molen. “And we thought that by opening this, we would allow the locals and visitors to have a place to come and have fun. We want them to enjoy some good food and a welcoming atmosphere,” he added.

As Vermont is known to be a ski hot spot, thousands of tourists come to visit the state to experience the thrill. Seeing this as an opportunity to put the town on the map as an all-year destination, Off the Rails has made it its mission to provide the perfect place for delicious food, good vibes, and great music. It has partnered with a craft brewery company called Mount Holly to offer high-quality drinks for high-quality food made in a high-quality community.

Andrew Molen and Troy Curaso have high hopes for this bar and restaurant in Ludlow. Andrew has worked for high-quality restaurants in New York, including Insieme (Michelangelo Hotel), Chez Josephine, Southgate Restaurant (Jumeirah Essex House), The Plaza Food Hall (The Plaza Hotel), Sunset Beach (AB Hotels), Restaurant Gordon Ramsay (The London Hotel) Topping Rose House (Jean Georges), and Todd English Enterprises. 

Now, he is conquering the food scene in Ludlow, by bringing the dining experience to a whole other level. With his experience and extensive knowledge, he has married service, atmosphere, and food to create a once-of-a-kind bar and restaurant that caters to everyone who steps foot in the establishment.

“Our vision behind this venture is to bring some good and fun food so locals can listen to live music. We want them to enjoy good music and relax after a long ski day,” said the brilliant chef. 

Widely known in the industry as an innovator with excellent training and development skills, Andrew is continuing to improve and innovate the dining experience.

Elvis Gjeci Inspires People through Calisthenics and Workout Routines

Being called one of the greatest Italian calisthenics athletes is no easy feat. So for multiple gymnastic championship holder, Elvis Gjeci, to approach this milestone, one can be sure that he is a star worth noting. 

Three World Guinness records and a career as a professional performer are just some of the many achievements of Elvis. He has also started to create personalized and comprehensive courses that are tailor-made for their clients. Their courses are a mixture of artistic gymnastics and guided preparations for various skills like verticalism to planche, from muscle up to the study of isometric exercises. 

Elvis Gjeci was born in Albania in 1994; he is an artistic gymnastics athlete of the Italian National Olympic Committee of Tirrenia. He became passionate about this discipline at the age of 9 at the gymnasium of the fire brigade in Arezzo, where he began to compete after the first year, obtaining excellent results. At the age of 12, he was noticed and contacted by the Olympic training center in Tirrenia, where the best athletes from Italy were called. 

He has moved to Tirrenia, where he trains eight hours a day, six days a week for the last five years; here, he receives complete training possible from the best coaches and collects an incredible victory in national and international competitions. He contacted Jury Chechi, Igor Cassina, and Matteo Morandi during this period. 

In 2011, he left the center of Tirrenia and dedicated himself to private teaching at various gyms and began to embark on his artistic and performative journey. He began his collaboration with the Lux Arcana show company, with which he performed long show tours in Italy and Europe. In 2017, Elvis received a call from Hollywood to participate in the Netflix TV series Ultimate Beastmaster. Today, Gjeci is a career artist and a personal trainer that holds specialization courses throughout the peninsula.

The multitalented athlete has held more than 200 fitness training courses in Italy in the last few years and has collaborated with pharmaceutical companies and sports companies, such as Nike, Puma, Adidas, Diadora, and much more. He was also able to collaborate with car manufacturers such as Porsche, Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Maserati, etc. 

Elvis Gjeci is looking to more groups, mainly the fitness world. People who are eager to train and improve their lifestyle through workouts. He is also looking at people interested in using these unique skills to do shows, entertainment, and other acrobatic shows. 

“Not all have been in the Italian national gymnastics team and have been part of the Olympic committee. However, in these years of gymnastic career, I have learned the best techniques, and I have trained with the best allantori present in Italy and abroad,” said the world-class athlete and performer.

Elvis Gjeci has won national and international competitions. He is the owner of world-class records and is an athlete for a television series directed by Sylvester Stallone. Through his workout routines and fitness advice, Elvis Gjeci is motivated by seeing others improve their lives. That makes him want to help more and more people in difficulty in everything related to their lifestyle. 

A few years from now, Elvis Gjeci wants to reach a higher level and create one of the largest training communities in the world. The brilliant athlete dreams of one day becoming a go-to and credible source for the field of training and a healthy lifestyle. 

To know more about Elvis Gjeci, you can check out his website

Erika Schlick Finds Healing in Glutathione, the Master Antioxidant

Erika Schlick is a health coach certified by the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. She gained much of her knowledge through experience as she collaborated with the best doctors in the San Francisco Bay area to find remission from Lyme Disease, Autoimmune Diseases, food allergies, toxic mold exposure, heavy metal poisoning, and leaky gut. A key element in her healing process was learning about the benefits of antioxidants. 

Antioxidants are produced naturally by the body and found in many healthy foods. They prevent cell damage caused by “free radicals”, protect people from cancer, fight inflammation, and cure chronic disease. 

There are several antioxidants, but the one Schlick says everyone should know is glutathione. “Glutathione is the mother of all antioxidants,” she explains. “It has the unique capacity to enhance the way we use other antioxidants.”

 Glutathione is composed of three amino acids: 

  • Glutamine
  • Glycine
  • Cysteine 

Glutathione boosts the body’s immune system

Glutathione maintains a robust immune system ready to fight infection. The antioxidant accomplishes this in two ways. 

First, glutathione assists your T-cells to function properly and multiply,” Schlik remarks. “T-cells are your immune system’s frontline soldiers. Secondly, it stimulates the production of your immune system’s natural killer cells.” 

Glutathione reduces inflammation

Chronic health issues can cause constant inflammation as the body fights perceived infection. At these times, the body continues to battle invaders even when none are present. 

“This inflammatory response causes cells to secrete cytokines,” says Schlick. “Luckily, glutathione blocks the production of most inflammatory cytokines.”

Glutathione promotes detoxification

Glutathione is an essential component of the body’s detoxification process. Liver disease develops when that organ is faced with too much oxidative stress. Sufficient glutathione is able to neutralize this stress. 

“Glutathione’s mercury-binding abilities enable it to carry toxins to the urine for elimination,” says Schlick. “In a nutshell, without glutathione, we would not be able to neutralize toxins effectively.”

Glutathione promotes anti-aging

Glutathione is proven to slow down the aging process. This powerful antioxidant prevents rampaging free radicals from oxidizing cells by neutralizing them before they cause damage. 

“Have you ever squeezed lemon juice over your fruit to prevent it from turning brown?” Schlick asks. “Glutathione does for our cells what the lemon juice does for an apple. It prevents free radicals from ‘browning’, or oxidizing, our cells.” The longer we can prevent browning, the slower our cells will age.”

Glutathione enhances physical wellness 

“Glutathione benefits the whole body,” Schlick says. “It boosts athletic performance and assists us as we recover from workouts. It supports brain health and prevents the onset of diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. It even encourages gut health by promoting the growth of healthy gut lining.” 

Glutathione supports overall wellness throughout the mind and body. Its ability to deliver physical and psychological health leaves no doubt regarding its status as the master antioxidant.

How to ensure the body has enough glutathione

The body naturally produces glutathione, but levels decrease with age, poor diet, infection, and chronic stress. Fortunately, increasing glutathione levels is possible through diet and supplements.

Several foods naturally contain glutathione or glutathione-boosting nutrients; however, cooking can reduce glutathione content by up to 60 percent. Some foods that will boost levels of this antioxidant include: 

  • Leafy green vegetables 
  • Alpha-lipoic acid-rich foods such as beef and organ meats 
  • Selenium-rich foods such as seafood, eggs, and whole grains 

“You can take glutathione as a supplement,” remarks Schlick, “but it is generally not metabolized well by the body.” 

In place of glutathione supplements, Schlik recommends N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC). NAC is easily absorbed and assists in the body’s natural production of glutathione. Glutathione truly is the master antioxidant. It strengthens the immune system, reduces inflammation, supports healthy liver function, slows down the aging process, and promotes overall physical and mental wellness. For further information on antioxidants and other holistic wellness tips, readers can visit Schlik’s blog, The Trail to Health.