MEET Charmone & Joi Adams

In the fall of 2008, Charmone and Joi crossed paths as alumni attending Central State University Homecoming. Not only was Joi c/o 2006 Homecoming Queen, but she was also a dancing belle for The Invincible Marching Marauder. That year she came back to perform halftime with her dancing belle sisters. During one of the parties, Charmone and Joi saw each other and Joi struck up a conversation. From the moment they started to converse they had immediate intellectual chemistry. At the time Joi was finishing up another degree in California, while Charmone was completing his Masters in Ohio. The distance relationship and bond they were establishing solidified everything for them. They knew they were meant to be together. Upon Joi’s completion of schooling in California, she packed her bags and moved to Ohio, and from there, the rest has been history.

Charmone knew Joi was his wife when he saw how passionate and caring she was. He knew by how she carried herself and had a relationship with God. Joi knew Charmone was her husband because she had prayed for him. This was before the Ciara prayer. Months before meeting him, she had prayed to God that the next person she would be in a relationship with had to be her husband. She wanted someone equally yoked.

At the time Joi was working as an Assistant Buyer at Lane Bryant Headquarters in Columbus, OH. That day she was putting away sample garments from a previous meeting she just attended. Downstairs at the security desk, Charmone had paged Joi’s boss and explained his plans to propose to her. Her boss began to gather colleagues to witness Charmone’s proposal. While Joi was steadily putting clothing back on the racks in the sample closet, she heard her name being called. She thought she was losing her mind because she thought she heard Charmone calling her name. So she walked out to make sure and saw him on one knee. It took her by such a surprise that she almost jumped back into the sample closet. As Charmone was professing his love, a large crowd of cheering colleagues started to gather outside the sample closet. Joi dropped to her knees hugged him and said yes. He put the ring on her finger and showed her with beautiful flowers. He then told her he had made reservations for lunch. Her boss was so overjoyed, she allowed her to take the rest of the day off. The head buyers thought the proposal was beautiful they had a mass email go out company-wide congratulating us, it was the first in Lane Bryant’s history.