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Unfortunately, Don Lemon was roasted on Twitter once again last night. He opened up a CNN newscast with two large cards in front of him; one with me Confederate flag the other with a sign that spelled “Nigger.” He asked if each one was offensive. He was trying to create shock value, based on a podcast that President Obama had done where he said the word “Nigger’ and the current controversy over the Confederate flag and what it means. Truth be told, the two are not synonymous in this instance. The segment was poorly executed and received. What was his point? A firestorm erupted but not in Don’s favor. The general consensus, was it is too soon after the Charleston shootings to play this game, this was just not the time.

It seems that Don is constantly trying to find himself on the worst possible platform, national TV. I feel bad for him, it makes one curious as to who is behind the curtain at CNN directing him, or worse is he directing himself? He seems to take pride in knowing that he offends people on both sides but one is left to wonder if that is just a response to yet another futile effort instead.

It’s very easy to feel sorry for Don, because underneath it all, it appears he is desperately seeking acceptance and attention. Worst yet, from places he may never get it. Television news is getting more and more dated as millennial’s rely on online methods to get their news and information. Times have drastically changed and you can see how commercial TV news is trying desperately to capture the audience by becoming more and more like Entertainment Tonight, or like Entertainment Tonight was, which is also dated. More and more people are tired of being depressed and sparked by sensationalism. The audience prefers comedy or opinion based news coming from the people who are actually passionate about it. Passion cannot be faked. I, like Don L Lemon, am a last generation baby boomer and even I hate watching TV for the same reasons.

Desperation is ugly and if once you become desperate it is best to pull out and rethink your strategy instead of humiliating yourself in front of everyone. How does this relate to entrepreneurs? Because it’s about passion, sales and marketing. There are some very valuable lessons to be learned from Don Lemon starting with…

Know your target

Knowing your target means that you’re not afraid to speak to them, eat with them, live with them, spend time with them, accept them, love them and get to know more of them. One of the worst things that you can do is tell people how to behave when you rarely have anything to do with them. (Click “NEXT” above or below)

Don’t fake the funk

Don is constantly talking about black issues and black people, but when you look at his social networks he is often surrounded by white and Latin men and women. Recently he’s been called “Uncle Tom” a lot. When this happens, it is always when a black person is playing both sides of the coin. It is painfully evident that Don is not connected to the black community but at the same time he’s making a futile effort to act like he is. You don’t make a sale this way because it does not go over well with the customer. It is no different than when an entrepreneur thinks of money first when starting a business. He or she will almost always fail. Passion wins, Money follows! When you are passionate about something people know it, when you are only trying to make money or fulfill an agenda people also know that.

Surround yourself with the right people

Without even being sure, I can almost guarantee you that Don Lemon is not surrounded by black people at CNN. It is evident with his on air delivery and antics. The best candidates win elections when they’re surrounded with the right team and understands the target! If CNN is asking him to go out and represent himself as a spokesperson for the black community, it would behoove him at best to ask for the right team?

Plan Strategies

It appears that a lot of Don’s strategies are not well thought out. This can be very costly. As a late Maya Angelou once pointed out, “People may forget what you said but they never forget how you make them feel.” In many instances you will not get a second chance to make a first impression. Don started out as a very straight forward news guy then CNN wanted to turn him into a controversial figure which is working, but not to Don’s advantage. It’s no different than the person who is friendly with all of his coworkers and all of a sudden gets promoted to their boss. If he’s a good boss, he will adapt to his new environment or he plays both sides which will lead to an inevitable overall loss. Once Don got into mainstream news, without question, he had to forego a lot of what he learned or knew as a black man in order to compete. Now he’s being asked to circle back and it’s too late. As entrepreneurs we should not adapt to a new environment our job is to create it!

Don’t try to be who you are not

There is an incredibly high price to pay on a platform like national TV when you are asked to change who you are to be a different person in the same arena. The audience has come to know you one way and now you are trying to become someone else in the same space. In a situation like this, it’s best to start over by creating another platform altogether. As entrepreneurs it’s okay to add an ancillary product but it’s not okay to completely change the entire business when your audience has come to know you in one way. Either Don Lemon is insecure or he’s very arrogant and it’s evident. In addition there is a thin line between insecurity and arrogance. It’s okay to be afraid, but only when you can the admit it, a sense of humor also helps. When you fake it, it comes off as arrogant. People are more sympathetic to those who admit shortcomings an/or can laugh at themselves.

Connect with the audience

When it comes to the black community, it is crucial not to hide in plain sight. People pay very close attention to social networks these days, beware of what you post on your social networks. When it is evident that you are not actually friends with the people you target or claim to be connected to on TV it doesn’t do much to serve your purpose. Contrary to the beliefs of other races, just because you’re black doesn’t mean you’re connected to the culture. When you act like you are, you look like and become a token which can result in being called an “Uncle Tom.”  You are basically saying I’m one thing on TV and another thing in my personal life as if people are so stupid they can’t make that connection. As entrepreneurs, we cannot allow other people to tell us who we are. That is why we are entrepreneurs, we already know that!

Capitalize on your strengths

If you want to be successful in business, you must capitalize on your strengths. Unfortunately Don’s greatest strength has become dated. He is intelligent and an excellent reporter on world news and issues but unfortunately he loses all of that when he tries to connect with the black community.  His years of training as a focused professional newsperson make him less personable when connecting with the black community.

Admit your shortcomings

If you’re not the right person for the job  admit it or stop doing it and give the right person the chance to do it before you are asked to leave. At that point what do you have left but a negative reputation? If Don we’re in business for himself, he callwould be broke at this point and forced to leave the business.

Unfortunately, Don Lemon was roasted on Twitter once again last night. He opened up a CNN newscast with two large cards in front of him; one with me Confederate flag the other with a sign that spelled “Nigger.” He asked if each one was offensive. He was trying to create shock value, based on a podcast that President Obama had done where he said the word “Nigger’ and the current controversy over the Confederate flag and what it means. Truth be told, the two are not synonymous in this instance. The segment was poorly executed and received. What was his point? A firestorm erupted but not in Don’s favor. The general consensus, was it is too soon after the Charleston shootings to play this game, this was just not the time.

It seems that Don is constantly trying to find himself on the worst possible platform, national TV. I feel bad for him, it makes one curious as to who is behind the curtain at CNN directing him, or worse is he directing himself? He seems to take pride in knowing that he offends people on both sides but one is left to wonder if that is just a response to yet another futile effort instead.

It’s very easy to feel sorry for Don, because underneath it all, it appears he is desperately seeking acceptance and attention. Worst yet, from places he may never get it. Television news is getting more and more dated as millennial’s rely on online methods to get their news and information. Times have drastically changed and you can see how commercial TV news is trying desperately to capture the audience by becoming more and more like Entertainment Tonight, or like Entertainment Tonight was, which is also dated. More and more people are tired of being depressed and sparked by sensationalism. The audience prefers comedy or opinion based news coming from the people who are actually passionate about it. Passion cannot be faked. I, like Don L Lemon, am a last generation baby boomer and even I hate watching TV for the same reasons.

Desperation is ugly and if once you become desperate it is best to pull out and rethink your strategy instead of humiliating yourself in front of everyone. How does this relate to black entrepreneurs? Because it’s about passion, sales and marketing. There are some very valuable lessons to be learned from Don Lemon starting with…

Know your target

Knowing your target means that you’re not afraid to speak to them, eat with them, live with them, spend time with them, accept them, love them and get to know more of them. One of the worst things that you can do is tell people how to behave when you rarely have anything to do with them. (Click “NEXT” above or below)
—————————–

Don’t fake the funk

Don is constantly talking about black issues and black people, but when you look at his social networks he is often surrounded by white and Latin men and women. Recently he’s been called “Uncle Tom” a lot. When this happens, it is always when a black person is playing both sides of the coin. It is painfully evident that Don is not connected to the black community but at the same time he’s making a futile effort to act like he is. You don’t make a sale this way because it does not go over well with the customer. It is no different than when an black entrepreneur thinks of money first when starting a business. He or she will almost always fail. Passion wins, Money follows! When you are passionate about something people know it, when you are only trying to make money or fulfill an agenda people also know that.
—————————–

Surround yourself with the right people

Without even being sure, I can almost guarantee you that Don Lemon is not surrounded by black people at CNN. It is evident with his on air delivery and antics. The best candidates win elections when they’re surrounded with the right team and understands the target! If CNN is asking him to go out and represent himself as a spokesperson for the black community, it would behoove him at best to ask for the right team?
—————————–

Plan Strategies

It appears that a lot of Don’s strategies are not well thought out. This can be very costly. As a late Maya Angelou once pointed out, “People may forget what you said but they never forget how you make them feel.” In many instances you will not get a second chance to make a first impression. Don started out as a very straight forward news guy then CNN wanted to turn him into a controversial figure which is working, but not to Don’s advantage. It’s no different than the person who is friendly with all of his coworkers and all of a sudden gets promoted to their boss. If he’s a good boss, he will adapt to his new environment or he plays both sides which will lead to an inevitable overall loss. Once Don got into mainstream news, without question, he had to forego a lot of what he learned or knew as a black man in order to compete. Now he’s being asked to circle back and it’s too late. As black entrepreneurs we should not adapt to a new environment our job is to create it!
—————————–

Don’t try to be who you are not

There is an incredibly high price to pay on a platform like national TV when you are asked to change who you are to be a different person in the same arena. The audience has come to know you one way and now you are trying to become someone else in the same space. In a situation like this, it’s best to start over by creating another platform altogether. As black entrepreneurs it’s okay to add an ancillary product but it’s not okay to completely change the entire business when your audience has come to know you in one way. Either Don Lemon is insecure or he’s very arrogant and it’s evident. In addition there is a thin line between insecurity and arrogance. It’s okay to be afraid, but only when you can the admit it, a sense of humor also helps. When you fake it, it comes off as arrogant. People are more sympathetic to those who admit shortcomings an/or can laugh at themselves.
—————————–

Connect with the audience

When it comes to the black community, it is crucial not to hide in plain sight. People pay very close attention to social networks these days, beware of what you post on your social networks. When it is evident that you are not actually friends with the people you target or claim to be connected to on TV it doesn’t do much to serve your purpose. Contrary to the beliefs of other races, just because you’re black doesn’t mean you’re connected to the culture. When you act like you are, you look like and become a token which can result in being called an “Uncle Tom.”  You are basically saying I’m one thing on TV and another thing in my personal life as if people are so stupid they can’t make that connection. As black entrepreneurs, we cannot allow other people to tell us who we are. That is why we are black entrepreneurs, we already know that!
—————————–

Capitalize on your strengths

If you want to be successful in business, you must capitalize on your strengths. Unfortunately Don’s greatest strength has become dated. He is intelligent and an excellent reporter on world news and issues but unfortunately he loses all of that when he tries to connect with the black community.  His years of training as a focused professional newsperson make him less personable when connecting with the black community.
—————————–

Admit your shortcomings

If you’re not the right person for the job  admit it or stop doing it and give the right person the chance to do it before you are asked to leave. At that point what do you have left but a negative reputation? If Don we’re in business for himself, he callwould be broke at this point and forced to leave the business.

Here are biztipper.com we love Damon John. We both have worked in the same music industry so we watched him from his early days in fashion to making some incredibly savvy business decisions that could have taken his business out many years ago long before he became the international Shark Tank star that he is today. Here he give great advice on short term goal setting via Capital One. (see video below)

The news that Detroit was filing for bankruptcy was probably the best thing that could have happened to the city. The news made international headlines and brought investors from all over the world to invest and rebuild the city. If that was the original plan, it was an ingenious effort. The city had previously been plagued by a huge scandal in the mayor’s office where funds had been misappropriated leaving the city in financial ruin.

Zana Smith was a tenant who, like many other business owners, had dominion over landlords who were desperate to rent properties for business owners in a dark economy.  As a result, some opted not to sign new leases and go month-to-month in case they decided to move and/or to have a better grip on the relationships with landlords. Spectacles, a shop that’s been at 230 East Grand River for over 30 years owned by Smith has been asked to vacate the premises. New owners have purchased the building and they are looking to remodel and re-rent the spaces. Unfortunately, the Smith’s are taking a double hit because they also live in the lofts above the store which they have also been asked to vacate. In this situation the landlord has full control. As a real estate agent, I would strongly advise that you consider signing a new lease if you don’t plan to move in a year or so. Depending on the market your rent could increase exponentially if the city allows it and a situation like this happens.  Why not protect yourself especially if you have been at the same location for a number of years.

Over the years I have been amazed at how some people think minority entrepreneurs live and work. Most people are very comfortable with the stability they have on a job they may hate but get paid every 2 weeks for. They look at the benefits, pay, vacation time etc. The first difference between Entrepreneurs and the 9 to 5 worker is we understand the benefits AND the limits of working for other people. Working in the music industry I always HATED politics, butt kissing and people literally getting screamed at when they don’t do their job. I have seen it time and again and I am not cut out to take that but I liked working in the industry so the ONLY way for me to do it was to own my own business. If you are thinking about making the switch to being a small business owner there are a few things you should know off the bat. Please consider these things BEFORE you make the leap. Click “NEXT” above or below for the next myth

We Make a lot of Money

Ideally, you can but not initially. You are learning how the operation works, hiring and firing, organizing, getting your taxes in order buying supplies, finding clients and getting everything in order. For the first two to five years unless you have a BRILLIANT idea and funding, you will probably struggle for a while but all is not lost. The benefit and the “high” of working for yourself is worth it if you can hang in there. Typically, the rules for minority entrepreneurs are different. We don’t often have a lot of financial resources and if we make the leap to being a small business owner the last thing we want are investors breathing down our necks but there are some ideas where you MUST get investors involved. As the old saying goes when you start-up use OTHER people’s money instead of your own or your family’s.

We Do Nothing all Day

Yeah, nothing all day but WORK. Don’t I wish. Eventually, you do get to a point where you learn the rhythm but I know many entrepreneurs that work 8 to 18 hour days.  The wise ones ALWAYS keep an eye on the bottom line even if they are able to work less and have people in place to watch over their businesses but we work and we work a LOT. Once again, the high of knowing the business belongs to you and the fact that you are doing what you really WANT to do makes the time go by VERY fast.

Anyone can be an entrepreneur

Not so. It takes a LOT of discipline, patience, creativity, flexibility, money shifting, savvy, selling, control, relationship building and determination. Few people can do all those things and still find a way to pay the bills when a client is  and will alway be a late pay.

You Set your Own Schedule

Yes and no, it all depends on what you do and how you do it. Eventually you can but not initially, the business sets your schedule for you.

You Only do One Job and Hire other People to do the other ones

In a perfect entrepreneur world… absolutely in the real world HELL NO. You do ALL the jobs for the first couple of years and there are certainly some things you are not going to be good at and hate but they have to get done. The first couple of years are the true test for the entrepreneur to see what you are made of. If you can do all the work and still reach your bottom line, you are where you need to be.

Great Entrepreneur Think of Ways to Make Money First

Nope, those are usually the ones who fail miserably. If you are the business of buying selling businesses then yes this will work. If you are in the business of keeping a business for at least 5 to 7 years (the realistic amount of time you should grow, maintain then sell a business to accumulate wealth) then no, thinking of money first won’t work. So what makes for a successful business?  The key is PASSION… plain and simple. You can’t make a great cheesecake and run a bakery if you don’t have a passion in baking. The end result will be a disgusting cheesecake. There is the old saying, do what you love and the money will come. Some people say, “Do what you love and find a way to make money with it.” I agree more with the first one. When you do what you love people will see and if they like it offer you money for it. If you are doing something right now and people are willing to pay you for it, you have a potential small business.

You Can Create a logo and you are an Entrepreneur

These kinds of people actually make it hard for legitimate entrepreneurs. It takes a LOT more than that. Getting an email with a gmail.com extention is NOT a foray into being an entrepreneur. A complete presentation is key and if you don’t take the time to get your presentation in order, you are not legitimate. If you are a beginner and you have a great idea and you are making money, every bit of that money, (and you may still have to work for someone else in the process) should go into building your business not new shoes or a new car. Getting a professional site done, registering on all the social networks, having a professional logo etc all add up to you having a successful business.

Some Entrepreneurs Fail

MOST do. They are not prepared for the amount of work that goes into it. They don’t plan, they don’t grow etc. The entrepreneurs who succeed are always in ahead of the 8-ball, learning new skills, technology and maintaining relationships with clients and/or customers. There are also those who “sustain” this is where they are neutral in their success but if they get sick or something happens to them the business could literally fold. They are the ones who never hire anyone to help and they keep every penny to themselves.

You eliminate Stress when you work for yourself

Yes and no. Depends on how you determine what Stress is. I think stress is doing what I don’t want to do for work and even owning my own business there are parts of it I don’t like doing but I realize they have to be done. Others may be stressed out because they can’t pay their rent on time if they work for themselves. Initially, that will happen.

Being an Entrepreneur is Always fun

It can be and it SHOULD BE but many of us take ourselves too seriously and we don’t enjoy the fruits of our labor. Time is very limited and if you are in a relationship or married it’s even more difficult to balance your time and energy but for the most part, yes it is fun because you are repeatedly investing in yourself sans permission, politics and BS. My best in business

KevRoss

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree (in a perfect world that is) BET Founder Bob Johnson’s son is also running his own business in the form of fashion for men. Taking time to hone in on his side business, (Brett is also a producer who worked as an executive producer on Lee Daniel’s The Butler) the entrepreneur travels to Italy more than seven times a year to make sure that his line is top-notch. Unlike many other designers, Johnson is targeting men of ALL ages with various appealing clothes  for everyday wear. We wish him the best.

Last Saturday, fashion designer/entrepreneur Brett Johnson showcased his Pre-Fall 2015 outerwear collection at Neiman Marcus at Mazza Gallerie in Washington, D.C. Throughout the day, various VIPs stopped in to view and purchase the Italian-made jackets, trench coats and bombers. Guests included Renee Brown (Chief of Basketball Operations and Player Relations, WNBA), menswear designer Everett Hall, attorney Mark Lefkowitz, WPGC/CBS Radio morning show producer Poet Taylor, Devon Pina (The Fashion Citizen), Donna Jones (DCW 50); Cheylin Parker (Everything Girls Love), Harley Morgan(ROE: The Agency), Sheila Johnson (Founder/CEO, Salamander Hotels & Resorts) and Bob Johnson (Founder/Chairman, RLJ Companies). The trunk show was a success, garnering double the sales of last year’s event. ATLANTA: Brett Johnson is hosting a trunk show at Neiman Marcus/Lenox Mall on Saturday, June 20 from 10am – 5pm. RSVP at [email protected] (invite below) For more information on the Brett Johnson Collection, visit https://brettjohnson.co/. Follow them at @BrettJohnsonCo. See more images of Brett’s line click “NEXT” above or below.

 

Brett Johnson BET Founder Bob Johnson’s son premieres clothing line in Atlanta

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree (in a perfect world that is) BET Founder Bob Johnson’s son, Brett Johnson, is also running his own business in the form of fashion for men. Taking time to hone in on his side business, (Brett is also a producer who worked as an executive producer on Lee Daniel’s The Butler) the black entrepreneur travels to Italy more than seven times a year to make sure that his line is top-notch. Unlike many other designers, Johnson is targeting men of ALL ages with various appealing clothes for everyday wear. We wish him the best.

Last Saturday, fashion designer/black entrepreneur Brett Johnson showcased his Pre-Fall 2015 outerwear collection at Neiman Marcus at Mazza Gallerie in Washington, D.C. Throughout the day, various VIPs stopped in to view and purchase the Italian-made jackets, trench coats, and bombers.

Guests included Renee Brown (Chief of Basketball Operations and Player Relations, WNBA), menswear designer Everett Hall, attorney Mark Lefkowitz, WPGC/CBS Radio morning show producer Poet Taylor, Devon Pina (The Fashion Citizen), Donna Jones (DCW 50); Cheylin Parker (Everything Girls Love), Harley Morgan(ROE: The Agency), Sheila Johnson (Founder/CEO, Salamander Hotels & Resorts) and Bob Johnson (Founder/Chairman, RLJ Companies). The trunk show was a success, garnering double the sales of last year’s event.

ATLANTA: Brett Johnson is hosting a trunk show at Neiman Marcus/Lenox Mall on Saturday, June 20 from 10am – 5pm. RSVP at [email protected] (invite below) For more information on the Brett Johnson Collection, visit https://brettjohnson.co/. Follow them at @BrettJohnsonCo.

Entrepreneurs and biz owners should certainly consider this… Shark Tank’s Mark Cuban makes some great points. Here is a way you can wipe your FaceBook posts clean.

Find Your Own Replacement in Times of Need

We get SO caught up in the day-to-day that we rarely consider what would happen if we could NOT work. I have literally seen businesses shut down when the owner got sick or was not able to work. I was talking to a minority black entrepreneur who does an entertainment site and he was telling me that he literally works 13 to 15 hour days. I asked him why and he said news keeps coming and he has to be there to post it (see Automate). I personally work 3 hours a day and for me THAT’s too much, this does not include my personal business like bills, accounting, errands, client needs, responding to email etc, when I combine everything, I work about 4.5 hours a day and I’m working on taking that to 3. I can’t imagine working like he does and we primarily do the same thing.  Here are a few tips to what I have done to help put your business on auto pilot. (Click NEXT above or below the post to see the next segment)
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Hone in on the employee that thinks and acts the most like you

Find Your Own Replacement in Times of Need

Almost ALWAYS the people who complain about not making enough money to hire someone are the same ones that don’t INVEST in their businesses when they CAN hire someone, even part time or per project, to help so that they CAN make more money. They are thinking in reverse order. In other words, if you want to make more money you HAVE to INVEST more money INTO your operation. Having someone act on your behalf will open the door for you to focus on marketing, client needs, up-selling, educating yourself on new trends and growing your business. You’re gonna have to pull some money from somewhere to do this but we ALL have unnecessary expenses like cable that we never watch or downgrading some of our other utilities or subscriptions which all add up each month. There’s also always the one employee that really comes through that can literally answer your questions in advance, take instructions AND implement very well and think just like you when you are not around. I am SO incredibly blessed to have a great person just like that. Sometimes when you do a niche business, it’s very difficult to find that person because they may not know your business but they can learn and they are GOLD. You MUST find that needle in the haystack and it may take you a while to do so but it truly frees you to do more for your business and it’s the ONLY way you are going to grow without killing yourself.
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Eliminate and Automate

Find Your Own Replacement in Times of Need

Checking your email repeatedly throughout the day, for example, is a wasted effort that will eat up a LOT of time and energy. Also watch phone calls to friends or family during working hours. You have to discipline yourself to get the most important work done early in the day and eliminate all distractions. I get it, as black entrepreneurs we are always looking for that magical email that says ‘LOOK, Here’s some Money!’ However, for those of us who are legitimate and have passion for what we do FIRST, we know that money will come so FOCUS on the brand or something else after your initial call to the client.  Kill the auto email, twitter, Facebook alerts on your phone unless you REALLY need them as they come out. As far as that magical email you are looking for… Have you ever noticed that you usually get the things you want in everyday life when you are NOT looking? I mentor several young black men and women and I tell them “The universe likes what’s moving and it turns that moving object into a magnet.” Think of a race, for example. a majority of people are on the sidelines, they don’t have a goal like the person running in the race. His goal is the finish line. The people on the sidelines are cheering him on and  giving him water ESPECIALLY when he is winning. While he is focused on the finish line he’s getting the added bonus of something he is not focused on support, adulation, admiration and assistance in helping him reach that goal. He’s not looking or focused on that support it’s an added bonus of his goal(s).

If you can wait until 11am to check your email IN THE OFFICE ONLY so that you can readily respond, you can get the most important stuff done right away and skip through the 95% of pure BS email that comes with it. Instead of the appetizer, you get the entire meal when you wait until 11am (also check around 4pm)

This is what I do. Instead of repeatedly checking email all day I only check it twice, when I am in the office. I don’t have email access on my phone anymore because it makes me feel like one of the zombies we all see every single day CONTANTLY checking their phones every chance they get.
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Make the most important aspects of your business mobile

Find Your Own Replacement in Times of Need

You can literally hire a small team of people to help you run your business for pennies on the dollar. Quickbooks, for example, has an EXCELLENT online system that charges a small fee monthly that automatically integrates with your bank account(s) to make managing your finances and spending SO much easier. In addition I LOVE their apps some of which offer services that can scan, label and attach your receipts for tax purposes. Set aside a certain day and time to handle this like Fridays or Sunday mornings whatever works best for you.  You can do this from anywhere. I do have one concern with the online system, you can’t back it up, so if you decide to cancel the service they have you trapped. I hear they are working on a solution for this but in the meantime I would suggest printing out your reports each month.
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Look OUTSIDE of family or friends

Find Your Own Replacement in Times of Need

One of the GREATEST mistakes you can make as a black entrepreneur is trying to take people where they don’t want to go, trying to help people who don’t want to be helped and babysitting people who feel entitled. Hire people you can FIRE if you need to sans the stress or family problems that result from a bad situation where you had good intentions. Believe me when I tell you I have seen families torn apart by hiring other family members. It’s just not worth it if they can’t do the job.
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Focus in on repeat clients…

Find Your Own Replacement in Times of Need

You must absolutely stop wasting time with clients that will NEVER support  you. and keep them informed when you go on Vacation or take some time off. Let them know who they can reach in your absence. I do find however, that talking to a person that you KNOW will rarely support you may open the door to some valuable information as to why they don’t support you more. I know people in my business who don’t support me because competitors have given my industry a bad name over the years. They ask for money based on tenure instead of good service and keeping up to date and I have to pay the price for their belly-aching and whining. In addition I have had potential clients who do indeed feel a sense of obligation to help people in my industry who have worked for many years and who live off tenure. They feel like if they do something with me the legitimate and up-to-date service, they will hear from competitors complaining as to why they are not supporting them (and they ALWAYS do). The clients don’t have the budgets to give them so they’d rather not advertise at all instead of telling them the truth and supporting those who do the work. It’s unfair but understandable from a black perspective. They want to help everyone but unfortunately, you can’t do that, still they don’t want to look like the bad guy.  Because of this, I have to continue to make my business more appealing to other clients (who still get bombarded by the same competitors) to keep the doors open.
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Take a Vacation to get Reenergized

Find Your Own Replacement in Times of Need

I’m ashamed to admit that I took my first official vacation to go on the Tom Joyner cruise this past April. It was the first vaction I have had in 20 years! You read that right. I was so busy trying to build my business that I was afraid to take too much time off. Sure I went to Buffalo to see family or to industry events in New York, Atlanta etc but NOTHING for myself that was not industry related. I LOVED it and plan to do a lot more traveling. You want to gain perspective? Take a vacation.
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To Grow your business

Find Your Own Replacement in Times of Need

Just because things are going well today, it’s not a promise for how things will be tomorrow. As changes in your industry take place, sometimes at a very rapid pace, you want to make sure you are on top and being innovative and productive. You cannot do everything yourself and expect to grow. It’s not going to happen.  You have to pull yourself away for a minute to see the operation from a distance.

Never tell anyone your plans, goals or dreams UNLESS they can help you

(excerpt from my new eBook “Mind Your Own Damn business: Hard Lessons Learned the WRONG Way!” available on Amazon July 1, 2015)

As black people, we have such a dire need for approval. Mostly because it drives not just us but our desires or more important need for acceptance and approval. We must realize that people will never see for you what they can never see for themselves. If a young awkward looking, tall thin black girl from the ghetto tells her family or friends that she wants to be a model, they may laugh at her and tell her it’s not going to happen and she may accept that they are right and forget about her dream even though she grows up to be outrageously beautiful and her dream could have very well been a reality but now she’s a cashier at Wal-Mart with 2 kids. A crab in the barrel victim. The people she depended on and trusted didn’t believe in THEMSELVES which caused her not to believe in herself. This is why black black entrepreneurs should never tell someone else they can’t do something because we learn through doing business that anything is possible and our confidence to have our own businesses skyrocket to a level we never thought possible. We are keenly aware of our uniqueness.

If the potential model pursued that goal without telling her family, they would have been the same people who would have said “Yes chile, I always saw something special in her, I knew she would be a star (can I borrow $20,00?).” My cousin used to tell me “Everybody Loves a Winner” and we want to be associated with them, even if we have nothing to do with their success. That’s our need for approval on the reverse. If we ASSOCIATE ourselves with successful people maybe some of it will rub off on us. It will and it’s NO different when we associate ourselves with NEGATIVE people. 

We often want to take responsibility for all that’s great and shy away from what is negative. That’s not just black people, that’s the human race. So in essence, it is best to pursue your dream and keep your mouth shut, especially if the people you want to tell have no understanding of what you are pursuing. I have to tell the truth about my people, we can be some of the most negative people when it comes to encouraging each other. We laugh at each other’s failures and we don’t compliment or encourage each other. This, of course, is where the “crabs in the barrel,” theory comes from. I learned a long time ago that the best kept secret is the one you never tell. If you want to break out of your current circumstances and there is nobody in your immediate circles who can relate SHUT UP. Find the people and the door to DO IT!

My best in business

KevRoss