My Thoughts: Part 2

Every once in while, frustration sets in. I get aggravated with the fact that I don't really have that much money, bills are still coming in every month and that things are not happening at the speed that I would like. This feeling creeps up on me at least once every few months. I think that it's that voice that tells you, "This is going to take too long. You're better off giving it up and just working a regular job." The frustration is very real and can be detrimental to the entrepreneurs endeavors. The question is how do you stop it? 


Well maybe not stop it but at least counter and redirect the negative thoughts and turn them into a positive ones. I'm still looking for answers to this question but in the mean time, I came across an article on under30ceo.com. The author, Tito Phillips Jnr explains the 9 Ways How Not to Start a Business  and gives advice on the habits that will hinder you from reaching your goals. 


I have to continue to remind myself of my goals and why I am doing what I am doing. The hard work, perseverance, and dedication will eventually pay off, and probably sooner than I think. The risks that I'm taking might not be visible to others but I can see it as clear day. Keep yourself focused and remember, as my grandfather says, "If you believe it you can achieve it!"

Spotlight YBE: Ambassador of Care

As you all may know (or may not know), I love to work with youth. I feel that it is one of the most gratifying experiences you can have. I work in an all boys high school In North Philadelphia right now and I am getting a first-hand glimpse of how severely they need guidance and attention. I made a promise to myself that one day I am going to create a business or foundation that caters to youth. There are so many ideas that I have but one day soon I will fulfill them and provide kids with options and resources that some might not have had access to before.

As I was looking for my next career move, I came across an organization and an entrepreneur that is doing what I aspire to do: offer youth options to success. Mrs. Christine Carter-Davis is the CEO and President of The Against All Odds Foundation. This Newark-based company was designed to assist at-risk youth get to college and overcome daily challenges. In an article in the Essex Times, the 28 year-old married mother of two explained how her background made her passion to help children with similar dispositions even stronger. Her organization provides many services including family success center for parents and tutoring services for the students to ensure academic success.

Mrs. Carter-Davis' foundation is a testament to the determination and passion that can create businesses. Her experience as a young girl led to her organization's success and dedication to make sure that the fight for "educational inequality," will remain strong. This proves to me that my goal to become a social entrepreneur and create businesses that revolve around helping adolescents become successful. Mrs. Carter-Davis, I salute you for following your passion and making it a reality. Keep up the good work.

Stop Looking, Start Creating!

As I am preparing to take my entrepreneurial leap, I have noticed that the time in between the initial idea and accomplishing it is very critical.  Working with kids makes me richer everyday. The gratification is immeasurable. My job is basically paid community service, so I decided to do it more so for the experience than the pay. 

But that doesn't pay the bills. That is a big sacrifice because the lack of funds is definitely a reality.  So now the question remains: do I need to get another job? This really goes against the potential entrepreneur in me. It's been rattling my brain for the last couple of months but the reality of the hardships is very immediate. I have been looking for another job for a while but I have not found a part time or full-time job that would do, or have gotten the opportunity for.

But doesn't this lead back to the reason why I wanted to become an entrepreneur in the first place? Isn't the purpose of my journey to be in a position to CREATE jobs instead of LOOK for them? Steve Gerber wrote a book that focuses on young entrepreneurs creating business opportunities for themselves and never having to work a "real" job in their life. Here's a quote from the book about how Generation Y's mindset has to adapt to the changing climate:

“The ‘work hard, get good grades, and go to college to get a job’ mantra is dead.  If we don’t want Gen Y to become a lost generation, we must stop wasting time sending out resumes and, instead, start building real income-generating businesses that are capable of supporting us. It’s time for our generation to start creating our own jobs instead of begging others for them.”

Recently I have started my real estate investing quest and still have many other ideas in the works (mind has to stay working). The process is a lot slower, hours are longer and the work is more tedious but I'm excited to do it. It's what I want to do and I know the reward is going to be great. More importantly, I will be able to show others that they can reach their potential if they are equipped with the tools and determination to reach their dreams.I have to be persistent and patient. Like the great Sam Cooke said, " It's been a long time coming, but I know, A CHANGE GON' COME!"

My Thoughts: Part 1

So last week, I went to my first real estate class. Out of about 15 people there, I was the youngest and the only black male. It was cool though. The class was from 6:30-10:15 pm, and I was engaged like a 3 year old watching Elmo on Sesame Street for the entire time. Some of the other adults were falling asleep or texting. But all of my attention was given to the instructor. Mr. Haven (the instructor) was giving us some of his story and relating it to the real estate lessons that he was teaching and it made for great parallels. 

The best part was when he began to talk about investing. I really perked up then. The other students in the classroom looked a little confused or surprised that he was saying if Americans would stop watching idol then they would know and understand some of the methods that allowed him to build his wealth. They were amazed at the amount of money that he estimating he was making just off of his classes alone, not to mention investment deals, his brokerage firm, and other real estate deals. His emphasis on the business side of things was paramount in most of the class and throughout his life story. I am now boiling over with excitement to go to the next class and soak up as much knowledge as I possibly can. My ambition and confidence just went up 10 notches but so did my patience and resilience. 

The process of learning is ongoing and somehow, like fine wine, gets better with time. My energy level has even risen because listening to him last week just reassured me that my dream is definitely possible and probably a lot will come sooner and larger than expected. This is why I feel like a financial education should implemented in schools. If children were drilled like this in grade schools then a lot of the financial woes would not come to pass.

Pre-game Warm-up

Tomorrow is my first day embarking on my journey to become a real estate investor. Well, not my first day but more like the next step. I start my classes to get my real estate license and if you read the previous posts, you would see the method behind my madness. Hopefully the plan works but I guess we'll see. I'll update you soon after the first day. Wish me luck!

The Next Move

I mentioned before that I have many passions that I will pursue but until I become a mastermind at multitasking, serial entrepreneurship will have to wait until the first venture gets off the ground. My first goal is to be a successful real estate investor. Particularly in apartment buildings by college campuses. I just graduated, so I know how hard it is for college students to find affordable, safe and convenient housing for the their lifestyle. Now coming up with idea was the easy part. Getting started is definitely the hardest part. I have been battling with this starting point for the past 8 months. One thing that I continued to do was educate myself. I have read and studied almost any and everything that I could get my hands on to gain a better understanding about what real estate was and how the game of money worked.

On Wednesday, I'm starting a class so that I can get my real estate license. For those who wanted to know, you DON'T need your license to invest in real estate. This is just the path that I am taking. However, I'm doing this to become a great real estate agent, but more so for the experience, learning opportunities, and networking. Call it what you want but I'm going to call it strategy. They said life is like a chess game. This is my next move.

Anybody who is interested in real estate investing or just want to get some more knowledge on how money works can check out some of these links. I also want you all to leave comments and tell me what you think and please share any information that you have for the greater good. Thanks!

www.richdad.com -Robert Kiyosaki and his team can explain how money works in the most laymen terms.

www.biggerpockets.com -Real estate investing news

www.michaelmoore.com -Great film director and enthusiast for exposing the truth!

Any other suggestions that you have drop them in the comments section and keep educating yourself!

Fear: Part 2

Everyday we go out into the world to face our fears and each day we overcome some and gain new ones. This process is just a part of life. I have faced a few in my hiatus from writing but I have also conquered a few. For instance, I did not want to admit to myself that I already knew what I needed to do to take the first step in becoming a real estate investor. My fear was that I would get sucked into the facade of making money and forget what my focus was. My REAL fear was that I was scared of becoming a salesman because that's not something that comes natural to me.

I have begun to be honest with myself about why I won't take chances to do things that can help me become successful. The more I assess these issues, the more I'm starting to purposely put myself in these situations to learn new things. Realizing that learning from failure and mistakes makes successful people opened my eyes to all sorts of opportunities. It's like losing weight. You can research and plan the perfect workout plan and diet but until you eat right and exercise it just looks good on paper. Here are some simple steps that might help you take that leap:

1. Be Honest. Honesty is the best policy and the more you are honest with yourself, the better you can plan and execute ideas that better suit your path to success. 

2. Don't Follow the Leader. When it comes to your journey, it is YOUR journey! There's nothing wrong with studying those who have come before your or taking great advice but at the end of the day YOU have to sleep with your decision. Create your own path.

3. Take a Chance. You will never know if you can do something until you do it (notice that I didn't say try because you either do something or you don't). Do something new everyday, even if it's something small. Those small victories will help build your confidence and build your skills as an entrepreneur.

4. Be Consistent. The easiest way you learn how to do something is by doing it. Over and over again. Practice makes permanent so the more you do something, the more it becomes a habit.

5. Live. It's okay to take a break and give yourself time to rest. Your body can only take but so much and it needs to recharge so don't overwork yourself.

A great article about personal branding was written my friend and entrepreneur Sakita Holley called, The 10 Rules for Building a Successful Personal Brand

Make something happen today and continue to dream.

Over-Thinking

My apologies family. It has been another long hiatus between posts that I have taken again to reassess my journey. I am realizing that sometimes I can be over-analytical about a lot of things. It's a bad habit where I try to think of every single possible outcome of a decision or situation before assessing it again to psych myself into doubt. This happens over and over again until I reach the initial decision that I made in the first place. I'm really working on this because it allows other people's opinions and fear to take me away from what my goals are. Don't get me wrong, I love constructive criticism and positive suggestions but at the end of the day, the final decision is MINE!

Black Friday was birthday, an although everyone called me to see if I was going out to party, I really didn't do much. I still had a great time with my family and friends but it wasn't an extravagant celebration. It was more of a time for reflection to see where I came from, where I am, and where I want to go. I think that everyone needs to do this at least once a month just to make sure you are on track with your destiny. It is  great way to gauge your progress, track goals and reevaluate methods. Try it!

NYEW Discount!

Just received some more good news. The New York Entrepreneurship Week has just been discounted 75%, thanks to the folks at 85broads . Here is the direct link to the page: 

http://www.85broads.com/public/blogs/diana-sonis-cfa/articles/new-york-entrepreneur-week-nov-8-nov-12-2010 

They have been nice enough to provide everyone with this hefty favor. This definitely puts me in a better position to go to the event now. Go check it out and PLEASE take advantage of this opportunity! Thank you 85broads!

Grind Music

Everybody has their ideal work conditions. Some people like watching TV, while others like working in complete silence. I personally LOVE MY MUSIC! It puts me in such a relaxed mood and allows me to flow through almost any task I take on. Each task warrants different 'Mood Music'(plug for Joe Buddens). Different artists have certain vibes that can dictate pace and efficiency. For the most part, my grind music recently has been mostly J. Cole. His music just seems to speak determination and non complacency. I just zone out when I hear it. Here's is some of his stuff, as well as a few others that get me going:

J. Cole – I’m On It by Hypetrak

Wale - Mike Tomlin by Hypetrak

And then there is Pandora.com...The ultimate site that gives you an unlimited stream of music to fit whatever your grind desires. If you don't know, please get on it. It saves lives lol. Leave a comment and let me know what your grind music is. Peace.

Making Moves

During the summer, I was looking on one of my favorite sites Under30ceo.com and came across a company called the Hodara Group. It was the nation's first student run real estate group, incorporating a management company, real estate academy, consulting, and real estate agent services under one roof. It was started by Alex Hodara, a Boston University student, and a few of his friends. They also created a web series about their experiences during their journey towards building their business called 'Young Entrepreneur TV: Making Moves'. Check out the first episode for the new second season at
 under30ceo.com/young-entrepreneur-tv-making-moves-season-2-episode-1- 

Let me know what you think.

Event Alert! New York Entrepreneur Week

Lately I have been looking for some events that I can attend that cater to entrepreneurs. One event that really caught my eye was the New York Entrepreneur Week. This is almost like the teacher's convention of entrepreneurship!

It's an opportunity to learn, network, and socialize with other like-minded people who are in the business of not just making money, but changing the world. The price is kind of steep but I think it would be worth it. I might have to crack the piggy bank open for this one!Check a short video of what it's about.

What is Entrepreneur Week? from NYEW on Vimeo.

It was created by Gary Whitehill, the founder of the Relentless Foundation, a non-profit that strives to advocate entrepreneurial education around the world. This sounds like an excellent event to capitalize on some great opportunities. Let me know if you're interested in going. You can get more info on the event and tickets at nyew.org

Me Time

What's up people?!

I'm so sorry that I haven't been keeping you all up to date lately. I needed to take some time to myself and there was a lot going on. I had to take a little time and reflect on where I'm at, what I'm doing and where I want to go. There was a point when I got extremely frustrated because I wasn't exactly sure what direction I wanted to go in. So, I went back to the basics: I K.I.S.S.ed it(Kept it Simple Stupid). Once that happened, the ideas started to fall in place. 

Now things are slowly starting to come together. I'm getting positive feedback from the people I'm sharing my ideas with and the phone calls are slowly coming through. The guidance I was seeking is beginning to find me. The plans are still in the works, but they are becoming more clear everyday. I will definitely keep you all posted on the progress because I feel like some good things are going to start happening soon. Thanks for the support!

Sorry!

Sorry people! I know I have been slacking on the blogging but I promise I will bring you more updates about what's going on with my life soon. Stay tuned and thanks for keeping me on track!

Learning Patience

Patience is one of the hardest things to learn as a human being. In this generation, we tend to want things now. No wait, not a lot of hard work, not for the long term, but right now. I'm slowly learning that as each day comes and goes, my goals become more clear. I can almost touch my dreams every time I think about them. Almost like a hunger in my stomach. When I'm at work, all I can think about is what my next step is to further my business ideas. Is that weird? 

The most difficult part of it all is realizing that this is a process. A journey that takes time to go through, steps that have to be taken. I'm taking the necessary precautions but it just seems that it's taking too long. I have to keep reminding myself that I have to move with a sense of urgency, but realize that everything is going to take its time. On with the grind!

Ahahhhh!!

Guess what people? I think I have found my passion and my first three business adventures. And yes I said adventures. I am so excited about getting these  ideas off the ground because I think that communities will really be able to benefit from them. Two of them involve inner-city youth and the other is my real estate venture. The ideas hit me at the most random time. I decided to finally to do one thing: K.I.S.S. (Keep it Simple Stupid!). I think prior to last week, I was trying to over-think the creative process and come up with something that no one has ever done before. Now I've gone back to the bare necessities and figured out what I love to do most; help kids and the community. I'm going to sit down for the next couple of weeks and come up with business plans for all three ventures and continue from there. I can't wait to see what the future brings me. I will keep you all posted. Literally!

Event Alert!!!

I'm really trying to go to this event:

Great Article

I was supposed to start my market research today and hit a road block. I didn't take the time to set parameters for my search. Then after that, the frustration set in. Anyway, in the midst of relieving my stress, I came across a great article on one of my favorite sites, imkeepingup. Go check it out. It's about goal setting and rearranging your priorities. Hope you enjoy.

Funding "Outside the Box"

It took me forever and a day to find these resources, but I found them finally! One of the hardest things to do when starting a business is finding capital. I haven't even started yet and that's the number question on everybody's mind. Where are getting your financing from? This simple question keeps a lot of people in the beginning stages of starting their businesses. It can separate the men from the boys. 

But as my history professors taught me, you dig until you find the truth. Or the money in this case. There is a new form of lending called, crowd funding. It allows entrepreneurs to use social networking to gain capital for their ideas. The best part of this idea is that NONE of the money has to be paid back. Doesn't that sound great? It's just people donating money to an idea that they believe in. Here are just a few of the more interesting sites I found that can help me and you get our ideas off the ground:

www.sellaband.com A European-based company started by Michael Bogatzki, uses social networking to allow fans fund their favorite independent artists. The site let's the artists maintain complete ownership of their work and choose the incentives for the fans that contribute. They have the freedom to enter deals with different entities without having to pay the advances back. Musicians this one is for you.

www.kickstarter.com This is an "all or nothing" funding resource. That means that entrepreneurs set a financial goal and if it isn't met then no money gets exchanged. The concept behind their philosophy is that it creates less risk for both parties (investor and entrepreneur), motivation on the entrepreneur's part, and satisfaction of seeing a good idea spread.

www.indiegogo.com Democratizing lending was the foundation of IndieGoGo.com. On this site, you can keep 100% ownership of your idea, while sourcing funds for the project. And even if you don't raise all of the money, you still get to keep what was raised (after fees). It's international too!

invested.in Invested.in uses your established social networking presence to help finance any idea that you want. Once you raise the money, you can either withdraw it or move it to another project before you hit the set goal.

There are plenty more resources that we can use to fund our projects. The goal is to BE CREATIVE!! The more innovative we are, the more options we will have. Hope this helps because I will definitely be doing my research! Keep grinding!

And it Begins!

Today, I take another step in my journey. I'm going sit down, revisit my action plans, and start my market research this week. By the Friday, I should have compiled a decent collection of data that I can analyze and begin to make some decisions. Oh, I forgot to tell you what my first project is. Real estate investing. I've been studying it for a while and I think I'm ready to start the process. 

There will be many more ventures soon to come, and I will definitely let you know about them as they progress. Until then wish me luck and if you have any suggestions or advice just let me know. Leave a comment.

Trying Something New

Last week I was checking out one of my favorite sites, www.imkeepingup.com , and came across a post that she put up about her new "secret" to accomplishing some of her goals. Here were some of her tips:

1. Come up with one or two major goals and set an end goal for accomplishing them. 

2. Visualize what those goals will look like once accomplished. 

3. Visualize and come up with a plan on how to get to your end goal. 

4. Then it is time to go crazy!!!!!! Take those goals and place them in as many places as you can. It is time to tell and show the Universe what the heck you are trying to achieve. Write your goals on the walls, mirrors, facebook status, gchat status, tweet it, say it 10 times. Go dumb with it!!! 

5. Then you want to wake up every morning and pray about it! Ask God for the strength to achieve what you have decided to go after.

This seems like an interesting and in-your-face tactic to reminding yourself everyday that you have something to accomplish. I'm willing to try almost anything once, especially if it has anything to do with keeping me focused. So I'm going to take the Socialite up on her offer and try it out. You will see that plan in action very soon. Wish me luck!

Comfort Zone: Part 1

Today I had an interesting conversation with one of my students. He was so interested in finding out what life is like outside of Philly (Philadelphia, PA for those who didn't know). He's only in 9th grade but he understands that there is life outside of his thirty block radius. He was so fascinated to hear what possibilities were out there and the things that he could experience.

The one thing that I have noticed with my students is that most of them do not want to leave their comfort zone. They are very afraid to do things that would set them apart from everyone else. Most have been told to follow the norm because that's all that they're capable of achieving. What they need to understand is that leaving their comfort zone allows ultimate growth. They are never going to know what they are capable of until they try things they never have done before. Take risks, explore, discover. And the biggest learning curve of all: FAILURE. 

It is the one factor that is inevitable and if they can embrace it, it will make them successful beyond measure.

My students have been told that failure is always a bad thing, but not that it can help you accomplish your wildest dreams.

To be continued...

Entrepreneur 101

One of the most challenging obstacles that entrepreneurs face is the the unknown (but usually that's one of the most exciting things). Sometimes we wish that there was some type of school that catered to our needs. The Supercool School a.k.a. the Startup School might be the answer to those problems. Started by Bjorn Lasse Herrmann, the school is set up as a cross between a social network and traditional classrooms. Once you sign up, you can request a particular class for your specific interest. There are plenty of options and many more to choose from. It allows entrepreneurs to connect with each other and learn different lessons from each others experiences. Check it out at startup.supercoolschool.com and leave me a comment on what you think. Peace.

Breakthrough!!

Okay people,

For the past few years I have been researching real estate investing, but it has definitely been more intense since I graduated college. For the past few months, I've been trying to figure out what my next move is going to be. I've been trying to find a mentor to help me along the process. So far, no luck. But I think tonight I may have met my match. I don't want to get my hopes up but I think we found a winner. I'll keep you posted!

Spotlight YBE: "Miss Success"

"What's the formula for success? Well I studied for this test." One of my favorite lines from J. Cole's song 'Heartache'. One young woman in particular was given the nickname 'Miss Success', at a very young age. Sakita Holley has been on the path to greatness for a long time. She has always been an independent, innovative thinker, wanting to go outside the box whenever she could.

 

After graduating high school, she attended Howard University. On-campus she was very involved in organizations such as PRSSA and Capstone Communications (serving as President of the student-run firm), internship programs, the Women's Lacrosse team (where she was Captain); among other things. After graduating from HU, Sakita continued to pursue her dreams to be an entrepreneur. She started freelancing under the guise, House of Success in 2006, and has been looking to grow the business ever since.

 

One of most admirable traits that she possesses is her commitment to making sure that the people around her also do well. She has a mission to help people recognize and manifest their potential, and ultimately maximize their success. It is from this that she gets her  gratification. Sakita still lends her excellent PR skills to a multitude of clients and is an active member in many organizations. Don't just take my word for it, because her work speaks for itself.

 

Check her out at sakitaholley.com and www.hos-pr.com , where she's, "Always thinking, Always creating."

CrEaTiVe SpAcE

Now if anybody knows me well, they know how much I love cartoons. They are the one thing that no matter how old I get, I will always watch them. Call it what you want, but it helps me keep my sense of humor going and my imagination. For some of you "mature" people that don't watch cartoons...well, you have to do something to spark and maintain your imagination and creativity. Tonight, I was sitting at my computer and channel surfing, and came across a show on CNBC about the animation giant Pixar. Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, created Pixar.

The special that I saw told the story of the how the animators pushed Pixar to be the leader in computer animation. Their sole purpose was to create, and create at will. So in order to stimulate their creative process they had to have favorable conditions. This meant a unique workspace. It's amazing how a relaxed, fun environment can make it possible for people to create masterpieces. Even in the business world, your creativity is one of your most valuable assets. Set the right conditions to cultivate it and the results can be astounding! Here's a snippet of the film and at 1:27 you can get a sneak preview of what I'm talking about. For more on the film, you can go to

http://www.leslieiwerks.co/pixar.htm . and http://www.leslieiwerks.com/ . Enjoy, and try to figure out what your creative space looks like. You never know what can happen when your creative juices are flowing!

So...I'm in a position right now where I'm kind of stuck. I need to come up with a strategy. Planning is one of the most critical parts of doing almost everything in life. People who set out a plan and more importantly, EXECUTE it, usually become very successful. My issue is figuring out a clear,  concise plan. I'm taking one of my friend's advice (someone who is going to be part of "Spotlight YBE" later this week) and "dumping" my ideas out on paper. "Dumping" means writing your ideas down on paper or in a computer, without regard to structure or conscious thought. Just a continuous flow of thought. This process allows you to get your ideas out as raw as they are in your head. It helps you really see what your are thinking and help bridge the gap between the conscious and unconscious mind. When you are able to flow in and out of this conscientiousness at will, you can unlock your potential at an astounding rate. I am trying to make this connection but it is definitely a long process.Once I figure out my plan, then I can follow through and track my progress. In the mean time, I still have to move forward. Still researching, still writing, still creating. Everyday. If you have any suggestions, leave some comments and let me know. I LOVE the feedback! I'll keep you all updated on my status as it changes.Thanks for listening.

"The MisEducation"

I work at a high school in an urban area as a TA(teacher's assistant). I've only been at the school for a few weeks but I have already seen some issues that have rubbed me the wrong way. Outside of the obvious lack of resources, learning curve, and other issues, one sticks out to me in particular. Why is it that children in an urban area, if not in other areas, have entrepreneurship or finance as part of their curriculum? 

For finance, I'm not just talking about learning how just balance a check book or use a credit card (which by the way are important but not the only thing they need to know). I'm talking about cashflow, learning how to read financial statements, and what the different asset classes are and how they can attain them. Why do I pose this question you ask? 

The other day while I was in the school, I passed by a bulletin board that read, in big bold red letters 'GO TO SCHOOL, GET A JOB, AND BE HAPPY'. That really disturbed me. Most school systems are set up to have an academic and a professional(i.e. job training) component to their foundation. The two critical components that they lack are the ones that could eventually help some of these neighborhoods improve dramatically. FINANCIAL AND ENTREPRENEURIAL EDUCATION!! These two aspects of the learning process can greatly affect a child's future endeavors. 

Most schools teach children to WORK for a great company. Why not teach them how to OWN a great company that can employ a lot of people? This subject always gets me frustrated because I see what happens when the education of how money can work FOR you gets overlooked...I see that I'm going to have to make this a series when I can give more information...until next time, keep your heads up!

Good Company

There's an old saying that you are the company that you keep. Well if that's the case then I'm definitely going to be successful, a million times over. I just had some great conversations within the past couple of days with people that have some very interesting insight on how they see opportunity in the world. Talking with people who have unique viewpoints gives you a chance to think about things that you may not have considered before. They're against the status quo.

One conversation involved a person who is  in the midst of making a life-changing decision that will either make or break them. They simply said, "If I do this and it doesn't work out, I'm okay with that. As long as I know that I did it I'm okay with the consequences." Now most people wouldn't have been okay with failing at a given task as my friend is. Admittedly, she told me that there are people making more money than she is, enjoying benefits and vacations at her job, but hate coming to work everyday(as does she). Problem is they are content with this mundane lifestyle, as long as they can reap the financial rewards. My friend isn't. She knows that there is something bigger than herself left to accomplish and she is going to at least try if not succeed at it.

Another one of my friends gives me an opportunity to explore my creative side. He is a renaissance man when it comes to the arts. It's his release and avenue of expression. He always tells me to try something out because the reason why other people are going to tell me that I can't do something is they too scared to do it themselves. The things that he has done thus far have amazed me because he makes sure that he creates before criticizes. That way the idea gets out first, then tweaking or perfecting it comes later.

Both of my friends, including countless others all have one thing in common: they help bring out the best in me. 

 1. They help push me

 2. Challenge me

 3. And hold me accountable for the mistakes I make and help me correct them

People like that always add to your overall aura and help manifest the positivity in your life. I'm sure that most of you have some people like this around you. It's the reason why I keep this type of company. You are always learning, always laughing, and always moving forward in the direction to success because your support system is successful and they want to see the same for you. So if you're not going in the direction you want to, aside from checking yourself, look at your company. Maybe you need to make some cuts on your team.

Spotlight YBE: Yahzilla

I used to replay a song called 'Elevator Muisc' all the time. It talked about reaching for the highest level of success and some of the stops along the way. The best part was that one of my good friends Yahya Ismail, was the creator. He is one the many multi-faceted entrepreneurs that I know. His talents range from videographer, to audio engineer, to musician. He has been able to exercise his resources wisely and begin to make a name for himself in many different capacities. Recently, he just finished up an album set to be released soon, started an online tv series called "Supa TV," and has been shooting videos for The Source Magazine, Bilal, and OkayPlayer.com just to name a few. The 24 year-old is setting himself up to be a renaissance man and is also spreading his entrepreneurial wings. He has always went against the grain and took risks to do the things that he dreamed of accomplishing, But like I say about all the people I can personally vouch for, their work speaks for itself. Take a look at some of his work below. You can contact him at  yah0102@gmail.com and check his work out at  yahspov.blogspot.com/ and www.supatv.blogspot.com/  

 Enjoy!!

 

Caesar breaks new YaYa Song on Shade 45 with Pete Rock from Yahya Ismail on Vimeo.

Capture studios fashion show promo from Yahya Ismail on Vimeo.

supa tv webisode 7 from Yahya Ismail on Vimeo.

Best of Both Worlds

The October issue of  Forbes Magazine had a very interesting cover story:  Jay-Z, Buffett, and Forbes on Success and Giving Back

Yeah, I said the same thing. In this picture Jay-Z, Warren Buffett, and Steve Forbes sit down to have lunch at the Hollywood Diner in Omaha, Nebraska, the home state of Buffett. The initial interview was done later that day at Buffett's office and lasted about an hour long. Forbes wanted to incorporate both mogul's perspectives on wealth, success, and social obligation.This picture tells a thousand words and then some. Would you ever have imagined this group getting together for lunch? And the funny thing is if I showed this picture to the students I work with they wouldn't even have a clue to who Warren Buffett or Steve Forbes is. Or why Jay-z would be sitting down with them! I guess that's where my obligation to them comes to play. Anyway you can catch the article in the October issue of Forbes Magazine or click the link to read it now at

http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2010/1011/rich-list-10-

Enjoy!

The $6.7 Billion Man

The kingpin of the social empire Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, announced that he will be donating $100 million to the Newark, New Jersey public school system. According to ABC News, the 26 year-old entrepreneur said that he, New Jersey gov. Chris Christie, and Newark Mayor Cory Booker will be publicly announcing the donation on the "Oprah Winfrey Show" on Friday. Some people feel that this is just a PR stunt to boost the CEO's profile and movie, which will premiere next week. For all the PR professionals that I know, tell me what you think. Is he genuine or not? You be the judge.

Check out a clip from the movie "The Social Network"
Check out the full article at abcnews.go.com/Technology/zuckerbergs

Changin' Lanes

A few days ago, I had a very interesting conversation with a lovely, intelligent young woman last night. Ms. Patterson and I were in the hospital visiting someone when a nurse walked in to take the patient's vitals. Out of nowhere, she said, "I should have a been a nurse." Now this isn't the first time I've heard her say this but as the conversation continued, I noticed that this was something that she was passionate about. She said that she didn't pursue nursing earlier because someone had told her that she wouldn't make any money and she felt that the math might have been out of her league.

Now the crazy part is the nursing field fits her to a T, but nonetheless she went a different route.(Sidenote: she still loves the other path that she took and she's a light-weight beast). So my challenge to her was that if that is something that you feel you have a passion for than why not pursue that dream? She began to say, "You know what, I'm going to look into that and see what happens." That's what I'm talking about!

The beauty of being a human being is that we have the distinct ability to make choices. We're allowed to change our minds. We make decisions, then sometimes decide that its not the right path for RIGHT NOW, take step back then change lanes. Nobody ever said we can't switch lanes again but we are allowed to pursue different dreams. 

We know that we need money to survive but that should not dictate what you do to make your life fulfilling. That's when creativity comes into play, i.e. entrepreneurship. The issue comes when there is a lack of creativity,a lack of determination, or to encompass all of it, FEAR. I'll save that conversation for another day. Bottom line is to make sure that you learn how to exercise your right to change lanes, even if the other drivers are too scared to.

Fear: Part 1

Every human being has fell victim to the almighty factor that is always present: fear. This one emotion is responsible for countless wrong decisions or no decisions at all in many situations throughout history. The inability to be able to make decisions due to fear has cost many people jobs, relationships, in some cases lives. Although it is extremely difficult to shake fear, you can learn how to manage it. When I first heard this concept, I was confused but I soon learned what it meant. Managing your fears allows you to recognize them but not let them keep you from accomplishing your goals. These can also come in the form of excuses, which are very common. Here's an inspirational passages I never get tired of hearing by Marianne Williamson:

 “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

-Marianne Williamson

I'm working to manage my fears so that I can move forward with my journey. Believe me, this a lot easier said than done. Everyday I try to make a conscientious effort to address fears of mine, even if it's something small. Try to write some of your fears down and see if you can learn how to manage them. I will be coming back to this topic more often then not, so don't be surprised if it becomes a frequent post.

Spotlight YBE: "Brown Sugar"

Each week I'm going to profile a few young, black entrepreneurs that I think are on their way to success and can offer something to the general public. So why not start with the people that I know the best: my friends. I have plenty of close friends that are on their way to becoming successful entrepreneurs, from music to media. So here's the first.

Every so often I go online and get my fix of entertainment, music, and event news. I have many blogs that I will religiously go to that have reliable information, varying perspectives, and interesting events to attend. One of my favorite sites to go on is Girlmeetspr.com.

The creator, Melissa Patterson, has a very simplistic, genuine yet well written way of relaying information, with a perspective that is clearly her own. Her blog is dedicated to event planning, entertainment, and lifestyle news. Her articles are trendy, often exposing the public to unsigned artist or little known events that deserve the spotlight not given in the main stream blogs. She is also in the process of starting a public relations company and possibly an event planning company. Don't take my word for it, go check her out at www.girlmeetspr.com, and I'm sure you won't be dissappointed! You can also contact her at Girlmeetspr@live.com and follow her on twitter @GirlMeetsPR .

"So Much on my MindThat I Can't Recline..."

I've noticed that through all the start-up business advice that you can get...the most important work that you can do is on yourself. Most of the information that I have been reading and listening to has always gone back to one point: yourself. The self-analysis process seems to be the underlying message to all the advice that I have received thus far.

So my problem is not that I don't have any good ideas, it's just that I just that I can't decide which one I'm going to dedicate my time to. On the one hand, I don't want forget about all my good ideas but at the same time I need to commit to a task and see that it gets done. It's like one person having many tabs open on a computer; you might look you like you're being productive but really, nothing is getting anything accomplished. Right now, I need to sift through the many ideas and figure out which one I'm going to stick to. My passion. That is a difficult question to answer but it must be done.

Is This Thing On?

Mic check (taps mic). Hello world and welcome to the life of an up and coming young entrepreneur. It's taken me a few months to get the courage and the motivation to sit down and share my world with YOU, the people. In order to help me learn from my mistakes, I'm going to be sharing the mishaps, misfortunes, and triumphs of a young, black entrepreneur (hence the title of the blog). I figured that the best way to get started in this process to become financially free would be to take the first step. This blog will hopefully chronicle my journey, as well as others, on their path to become an entrepreneur at a time when most people are shoving their dreams in the trash can. Writing my experiences here will definitely help me but hopefully help YOU to take that leap of faith and like Nike, "just do it."