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Amy DuBois Barnett exudes confidence. So, it’s hard to believe that at one time she doubted herself, or that she (like so many of us), was insecure. Having lost her mother at a young age, Barnett quickly realized that she couldn’t waste time feeling sorry for herself. She decided instead to take advantage of everything that life had to offer by getting a great education. Barnett received a bachelor’s degree at Brown University, a master’s degree in creative writing from Columbia University and went on to study at Parsons School for Design.

Shortly after graduation, Barnett became the editor of Honey magazine and later went on to become the first African American editor of Teen People magazine. Although Barnett was proud of what she was able to accomplish professionally in a short period of time, it was the personal connection with readers that was most fulfilling. “I used to write a monthly column, and in it I would talk a lot about my personal experiences, obstacles I overcame, a lot of the drama that was in my life, and my embarrassing stories. ... I got hundreds of e-mails from readers on how much my words changed them and how it touched them,” she says.

Now, deputy editor in chief of Harper’s Bazaar, and newly published author of Get Yours! The Girlfriends’ Guide to Having Everything You Ever Dreamed of and More, Barnett hopes to inspire other women to take control of their own destinies.

“There are so few accessible role models for women of color ... for me, it was really important to share my experience. Whatever you put out in the universe you are going to get back. So if you expect to achieve your goals, knowing that you are a person of value, then you will get that mirrored back to you,” she says. -adrienne gadling and roz edward

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