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Olympic gold medalist Gabrielle Douglas isn’t taking any time off. She has been on a hectic schedule since the Olympic Games in 2012. Besides all the interviews she published her memoirs. Now she has announced she is set to publish a second memoir—yes, part two.

Though not yet 18, she still has lots to talk about it seems, and her second memoir will hit the stores next month, according to publisher Zondervan (via Yahoo).

The 17-year-old, who was a gold medalist in both the team and individual all-around gymnastics competitions, will publish Raising the Bar, the follow-up to her 2012 best-selling memoir Grace, Gold & Glory: My Leap of Faith, on April 30. That book debuted at number four on The New York Times Young Adult Bestseller List.

This time around, she is taking readers behind-the-scenes look into her life, including color photos, personal stories, and details on the athlete’s present-day life — from walking red carpets and appearing on TV shows such as The Vampire Diaries while also juggling friends, family, and training.

Obviously, it’s not the life of the typical teen. But it will give some insight, says the publisher, into the dedication and responsibilities of an athlete of Douglas’s caliber. Douglas was recently named Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press.

Douglas began training at age six and made history last year when she became the first U.S. gymnast to take home a team and an individual gold medal in the same games. And she was first African-American to win the individual gold.

Gabby Douglas at the Empire State Building on Tuesday. Photo: AP

Wow, we are in Gabby Douglas’ business! Just yesterday, there were sources saying that the Olympic gold medalist was in the middle of a family brouhaha over the millions ($10 million now and $100 million over the course of many years, according to estimates from the National Enquirer (?)) that she’ll be making in endorsement deals.

Today, RadarOnline.com is reporting that actually there is no warring over money because it’s going into a trust.

“Any money she earns from future endorsements will go towards paying for her college education, as well as be put aside for when she’s finished her studies,” a “family insider” (publicist?) is now telling Radar, which, by the way, also picked up on the family feud story yesterday. That’ll teach you to report on things you see in The National Enquirer.

Let’s hope the latter is true.

You might be asking, “What exactly is a trust?” Good question. “Essentially, it is an arrangement whereby you give assets to a legal entity (the trust) created in a separate agreement to be administered by an individual or institutional trustee for a beneficiary, who may be yourself or some other person,” Kiplinger informs us. You can click on that link to learn more about the benefits of a trust and how to create one.

Separately but related, Douglas is getting a new ‘do from celebrity stylist Ted Gibson.

“Gibson’s pricey signature service offers clients like Jolie and Union a relaxing scalp and hand massage as well as upbeat conversation and the perk celebrities often value most: privacy,” The Daily Beast reports. According to his New York salon’s website, a haircut from Gibson’s hand costs $950. Douglas was on the couch on The Tonight Show last night and will be on Oprah’s Next Chapter  on August 26.

Image: AP

-Mitt Romney announced his choice for the VP slot on his ticket this weekend — Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan. Right away the Obama campaign began to spread its message about Ryan’s proposed budget, attacking the suggested changes it would make to programs like Medicare. Ryan will be campaigning on his own in Iowa today, the state where President Obama will start a campaign tour. A USA Today/Gallup poll shows that 42 percent of Americans consider Rep. Ryan to be only a “fair” or “poor” choice for VP. However, among Republicans, the poll shows that more than a third now say they’re more likely to vote for Romney.

-San Francisco is the latest city to try and institute a “soda tax,” a tax on sugary drinks. Thirty states already have a tax such as this, and then there’s New York Mayor Bloomberg’s proposed restriction on large-sized sugar-sweetened drinks, though there’s no tax involved with that proposal.

-The Spice Girls, Jesse J, Annie Lennox, and One Direction were among the many musical acts that took the stage at the London Olympics closing ceremony last night.

-Robert Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television and the investment business The RLJ Companies, is launching a “faith-friendly channel” on YouTube called “Alright TV.” TV and film producer Tracy Edmonds (Jumping the Broom) will lead the it. The channel will feature family programming focused on music, self-help, comedy, reality, and more.

-Motorola Mobility is going to cut 4,000 jobs and close one-third of the total 94 offices it has around the world. Google acquired Motorola Mobility in May. One-third of the jobs lost will be in the U.S. Motorola has fallen well behind the pack — Apple and Android — in the mobile phone space. Remember the Razr?

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Image: Hemera

-So maybe the economy is doing as poorly as we thought? It’s an emotional roller coaster! Now The Washington Post is saying there are indications that things are moving in a lasting, positive direction. New homes are being built and sold at a higher clip. Those jobs numbers improved with yesterday’s Labor Department numbers showing 361,000 fewer people filing for unemployment insurance. And U.S. exports were up. Experts question whether this will make a difference in the Presidential election.

-We talked about some of the trends in retail in this story yesterday. Today we have a story from The New York Times outlining the ways in which personalized shopping is heading to the supermarket as well. Grocers, using data collected on loyalty cards and apps, are reaching out to customers in a variety of ways with personalized coupons and offers.

-The Census Bureau has proposed an end of the use of the term Negro, leaving black and African American. The suggestion is one of a few that the Bureau has made following research it conducted during the 2010 census in which some questions, when worded differently, got better response rates. The other suggestions include a separate category for “Hispanic” and different ways of identifying Arab-Americans. Hispanics are concerned that changes will short-change the count. But other groups, including the National Urban League, are in support of the rewording.

-Couldn’t get an invite to join Pinterest? Now you don’t need one. And here’s our story with a few pointers for using Pinterest to grow your business and your personal brand.

-And in the final Olympics update of this year’s Games, Usain Bolt won gold in the 200-meter race, becoming the first to ever defend both the 100-meter and 200-meter titles in back-to-back Games. For many, the win earns him the title of “best sprinter in history.” He’s also competing in the 4X100 relay competition. Separately, Bolt took issues with comments US Olympian Carl Lewis has made, suggesting that Jamaica’s drug testing program needs to be strengthened.

Ashton Eaton became “the best athlete in the world” with his gold-medal win in the decathalon. Another American Trey Hardee took silver, the first time the U.S. took the top two spots since 1956.

And the U.S. women’s soccer team took gold for the third straight time, beating Japan. The game was a rematch of the 2011 World Cup in which Japan was the victor.

Image: iStockphoto

-Yesterday, we had word about the ways in which banks hadn’t changed their mortgage practices when dealing with homeowners in foreclosure. Now we have the infuriating news that banks are actually making a fortune on mortgages nowadays despite record-low percentage rates. Why? Because the rates could be even lower, but the banks want to drive up profits. The Mortgage Bankers Association argues that banks incur more fees on loans than they did in the past, but less competition and sales of bundled financial products are working in their favor.

-Accessories, and accessory designers, are hot right now.

-New housing units in Washington DC may drive down rent prices in that city. DC will have 6,000 new units by the end of the year. This doesn’t mean that rent will be cheap. The average rent in DC right now is $1,501. The national average is $1,081. The average rent in Atlanta is $868.

-The New York City Mayor’s Office shut down a Trojan event in which free vibrators were being given away from “Pleasure Carts” across Manhattan. “Bloomberg doesn’t want anyone to have fun. You can’t have a giant soda. You can’t have a vibrator,” said one unhappy bar owner, Melody Henry. It’s worth reading the New York Post article about the shutdown if only to see how many awkward plays on words they can get into one small story.

-And in Olympics news,  Allyson Felix took gold in the 200-meter race. American Carmelita Jeter took the bronze. (Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce took silver.) Also in track and field, Brittney Reese became the second American woman ever to take the top spot in the long jump and Aries Merritt won the 110-meter hurdles. Finally, the US took gold and silver in women’s beach volleyball. This was the third gold medal for Misty-May Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings, a first for the sport.

Image: IndyStar.com

All controversy aside, Gabby Douglas is a hot commodity. The first African American to win Olympic gold in the women’s all-around competition. A gold medalist with the Fab Five of team USA in these London games. A smile that lights up a room. And a charm that’s won everyone over. She’s got it all going on right now.

She’s also about to get a mountain of cash from endorsement deals.

“The gymnast is a multicultural marketing dream—with her roots in Virginia, and a brief Iowa upbringing. She’s the perfect endorser for family orientated products and brands with middle-American values,” BlackEnterprise.com reports.

Her appeal has spread to social media, with the Olympic star getting major buzz.

“She has captivated a global audience and viewers can’t ignore her steadfast drive. It’s evident that her years of hard work, sacrifice and sweat have ultimately paid off,” the article continues. Read more about the marketing success that awaits Douglas here.

Image: Gawker.com

-The Federal Trade Commission says it’s considering rules that would require digital advertisers, third-party Web sites and social networks to ask parent for permission before collecting information about users ages 12 and younger. The existing Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule, which went into effect in 1998, didn’t anticipate the Web as we know it today. With apps now aimed at users as young as two, the FTC has decided to take another look at the regulation and has opened up the issue for public comment. Online privacy has been a hot-button topic as marketers try to use the immense amount of online activity as a source for market research.

-NBC’s ratings went through the roof on Tuesday night, with 38.7 million viewers tuning in to watch the U.S. women’s gymnastics team win gold at the London Olympics. Gabby Douglas is a favorite in the women’s all-around competition, taking place today. On the men’s side, Danell Leyva shocked us with these photos (!!) and with a bronze medal in the all-around competition. And in your morning LOL, London’s Mayor Boris Johnson got stuck on a zip line holding two British flags during a stunt in Victoria Park. Now it’s a hilarious meme. Thanks Internet!

-Toyota is recalling 760,000 RAV4 vehicles and 18,000 Lexus HS 250h hybrid cars because of a suspension problem. The models in question were made between 2006 and 2011. If you’ve got one of these cars, get it checked!

-Restaurants and retailers fear the new healthcare law will cost them big-time. The law requires that those business owners with 50 or more employees provide insurance. Franchisees, who typically don’t offer health insurance, will have to now if they reach that employee threshold. Franchisees from companies like Subway and McDonald’s met with lawmakers in Washington last week and industry trade organizations are pushing for a softening of the Affordable Care Act through more specificity.

-Twitter reaches 500 million users. (You can follow us @MadameNoireBiz.)

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Source: layupmag.com

From thegrio.com

LONDON (AP) — Kobe Bryant’s barely broken a sweat. LeBron James hasn’t scored in double figures, and U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski has swapped lineups like he’s trading Olympic pins.

After two games of the men’s tournament, America’s superteam has started slowly and showed some real vulnerability.

Maybe the world has a chance after all.

Maybe not.

Getting a jump start from its second unit after a less-than-inspiring first half by the starters, the U.S. turned on the burners after halftime and rolled to a 110-63 win over Tunisia on Tuesday night to improve to 2-0 in preliminary play — just as expected.

Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Love scored 16 points apiece and Kevin Durant added 13 for the Americans, who led by only 13 at halftime before outscoring Tunisia (0-2) 64-30 in a second half that became another highlight loop of alley-oop lobs, dunks and crowd-pleasing passes.

Krzyzewski began the second half with his reserves and Anthony, Love, Deron Williams, Russell Westbrook and Andre Iguodala responded with a 21-3 run that made it 67-36 and seemed to satisfy their coach, who didn’t look all that happy with his team’s effort when he left the floor at halftime.

Read more at thegrio.com

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Image: AdAge.com

-The London Olympics roll on and so do the complaints across the Twitterverse. The hashtags #NBCfail and #NBCsucks have taken hold for viewer complaints about the network’s online streaming of the Games, and their various errors, including the airing of a TODAY show promo announcing Missy Franklin’s swimming gold medal even before they broadcast the race. Nevertheless, NBC is breaking records with the coverage and it has its defenders. (Our two cents, some of the complaints do seem a bit overblown.)

-The Grindstone shares a GlassDoor list of “the 25 companies with the most difficult job interviews.”

-Ricki Lake has a new TV show coming September 10 and a new social network to go with it. Ad Age proposes that this sort of initiative may be necessary for daytime TV, which has seen changing demographics and the fall of soap operas.

-Rather than using old-fashioned focus groups, more brands are turning to Facebook and other social networks to gauge interest in new product ideas. These apps and online surveys also provide companies with a way to reach a younger audience. Have you been giving your feedback?

-With Marissa Mayer taking the CEO spot at Yahoo, interim CEO Ross Levinsohn has decided to leave the company. Paperwork shows that his severance amounts to millions of dollars. A memo to the company says he’s leaving at the end of July, which would be today.

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Gabby Douglas Photo: NBC

-So, in case you haven’t heard, the London Olympics are happening. The main events so far have been the Opening Ceremony, which had everything from fire, to David Beckham, to a slew of umbrella-toting, flying Mary Poppinses (?!); the gymnastics competition, which saw teen phenom Gabby Douglas advance to the all-around competition while, surprisingly, world champ Jordyn Wieber did not; and swimming, where Michael Phelps did not medal in the 400-meter IM race (Ryan Lochte took gold). Phelps and Lochte both won silver for the 400-meter freestyle relay. And Lia Neal, a 17-year-old from New York, became only the second African-American female swimmer to win a medal in the Olympics. And finally, in men’s gymnastics, another New Yorker, John Orozco, is trying to take the U.S. team to gold.

-Word is that former President Bill Clinton will be speaking at the Democratic National Convention. Meanwhile, President Obama will be in New York today for a fundraiser.

-Mitt Romney is going to Poland today, the final leg of an international tour that started in England, where he insulted the British by questioning their preparedness for the Olympic Games, and continued in Israel, where he raised $1 million. While there, Romney give a speech in which he took a hard line against Iran’s nuclear aspirations.

-Joel Ewanick, General Motors’ chief marketing officer and the man responsible for cancelling the automaker’s Facebook advertising, is out. It’s unclear what exactly led to his unexpected departure; he had also planned on cancelling the company’s Super Bowl advertising and had rocky relationships with outside firms.

-Leaked pictures that are supposed to be images of the yet-to-be-released Apple iPhone 5 show a phone that looks remarkably like the iPhone 4S. Business Insider says Apple could be in trouble if these photos are the real deal. Would you buy it?