BOOTSTRAPS

My guest Nick Lopezzo, Director of Marketing for Gatorade, offers a master class on marketing, aka brand building. His most recent work includes a marketing campaign that's an homage to Serena Williams, narrated by Beyonce, that has been critically acclaimed worldwide.  Because many people don't have a background in marketing, they wrongly think marketing is just advertising, and they launch their company with no marketing at all. Then once they're down the road a ways and they're having a hard time scaling their business, they discover that they need marketing; and they've needed it for a while. Marketing, done right, is the revenue driver for the business. It identifies strategic opportunities for growth, and the most efficient way to go get it. Put another way, launching a company without marketing is throwing spaghetti against the wall and hoping something will stick. And hope is not a strategy. 

As an entrepreneur, you're the captain of the ship. And as such, it's up to you to chart the course for the crew, so the speak, by crafting a vision that both outlines success and also inspires action. I can tell you from first-hand experience, the top performing team isn't always the best funded or stacked with the most talent. Instead, top performing teams are clear about WHY their work is important, and they're motivated to help the team achieve success. The reason “quiet quitting” is a trending topic in work world is because workers don't know what the company's vision is, or they've stopped believing in it. As a result, a large portion of the work force is only doing enough to not get fired. As an entrepreneur, a key contributing factor to your success lies in the quality and authenticity of your vision.

Guest: Tisha Sampson If you want to be a leader, you must serve others. Far too often, we think leading is about having others serve us, but it's the exact opposite. As an entrepreneur, if you want your venture to be successful you will need employees, contractors, and agencies to rally around your vision and set of goals. Success will require day in and day out dedication, and that comes when your team believes you are genuinely invested in their best interest, not just what you can get from them. Your level of concern for your team members will directly reflect their level of commitment. If they perceive you, the leader, as only looking out for yourself, they will begin to only look out for themself. They won't go above and beyond in their effort and it will immediately show up in the quality of what your company creates. If you do, however, commit to serving your team as a leader--to ensuring they have clarity in their role and all that they need to succeed--they will outperform expectations regularly. And that's how you succeed as a leader of people. 

Guests: Jason Brown, BJ Jacobs. As Aniefre has stepped away from corporate America to launch his own company 30FIRST, he sits down with fellow entrepreneurs Jason Brown of PGP Advisors, and BJ Jacobs of Goshen Park Capital, to discuss what it's like to take the entrepreneurial leap, and steps you can take to set yourself up for success. “Playing it safe” with a job isn't always safe. If you have the skills, you have to put up or shut up. Having an advisory circle helps mitigate risk.

From Far Rockaway to far away places, both physically and mentally. Hear the inspiring story and acquired professional wisdom of Kareem Edwards, whose worked for esteemed companies such as Lehman Brothers, Kraft, and Google before opening his own Chick-fil-A restaurant in Chicago.

Julius Bryant is an ideal combination of curiosity and ambition. Being curious is an important trait in life, and it's vital as a business leader. It's been said that as soon as we open our mouths, we stop learning. So it's important to want to ask questions and observe instead of jumping to conclusions because you will understand the topic at hand to a greater degree. That's the reward of curiosity! And if you couple curiosity with ambition, you will be able to act on what you discover to get ahead in this world.

Independent musicians, especially those with staying power, are entrepreneurs in every way and have a lot to teach us. A perfect example of this is found in Detroit's finest Mr. Marv Won, a battle rap icon, amazing producer, and brilliant business man.

We can learn a lot from studying great business strategies, and some of the best business strategies of the past 20 years have come from Hip Hop. Enter Dan Runcie, the founder of Trapital, a hot new media company and consultancy dedicated to the “business of Hip Hop.” Learn from Dan's extensive experience, having had interviewed the likes of Master P and Steve Stout, and having broken down the marketing strategies of Beyoncé and Cardi B.

Fortune favors the prepared. In this episode you’ll learn about the importance of perseverance and grit, taking advantage of all the resources at your disposal, and the importance of aligning your resources today with your desired outcome for tomorrow. Related topics: Marketing CPG NFL Seattle Seahawks Baltimore Ravens Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars NCAA Football UC Berkeley Notre Dame University Audio Engineer: Dakare Dixon-Essien

“Mentality is 9/10 of the law.” Kevin Hamilton embraces this mantra as part of his decision to not lose. Whether it was overcoming poverty as a youth, becoming an All-American track athlete at the University of Texas, or turning Avocados for Mexico into a standout Super Bowl advertiser, Kevin operates with a strong will to win. Kevin’s journey is perfectly captured by one of his favorite quotes: “Luck finds those that work hard.”

What does it mean to be a Black man with a true sense of self? One of the many benefits is you are able to navigate different environments en route to success, and along the way when you inevitably encounter dog whistle racism or overt racism, you will be able to maintain a sense of peace. No matter what room you walk in, whether it’s your first day of Law School or your first day as the Brand Manager for Fiat, you’re comfortable in your beautiful Black skin.

How do you help Black boys overcome crime, poverty, and racism? I can tell you now, cliches won’t do it! Most times, when people think about addressing the systemic oppression of Black boys, they either over-simplify the solution. Or, on the other hand, they recognize how daunting the problem is and they just ignore the issue. Only the few try and tackle the issue of helping Black boys achieve head on, and it’s only the truly chosen who figure out how to do it successfully. In this episode, you hear CJ Stewart share his wisdom gained from making it to Major League Baseball, not realizing his potential as a player, but then ultimately transferring that experience into the L.E.A.D. program that’s helping at-risk Black boys thrive.

On September 17th, in partnership with the University of Michigan Alumni Association, I hosted a round table featuring some the brightest Black minds in Corporate America. Our discussion addressed racial bias, systemic racism, and the ways in which they impact the lives of Black professionals. This episode is loaded with deep insight into the impact of racial bias, as well as ways to address the problem. Equally important, it has great advice for young Black folks starting their careers out.

Tom Hanks, in his iconic role as Forest Gump, famously said, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” You can plan all that you want, but some moments you just can’t plan for; moments like being in the winner circle of a NASCAR race because the driver you sponsored won on the day you attended the race. And you definitely can’t plan taking the Director of Marketing job with the Kansas City Chiefs, then having Patrick Mahomes mature into a generational QB that leads the team to win a Super Bowl; for which you get a very massive Super Bowl ring! Check out the amazing BOOTSTRAPS story of Joe Sargent, and share it with your friends.

The world can be as big as you want it to be, or as small as you make it. It’s common to want to be the star athlete, but what can you do if you’re not lucky enough to make it? How can someone take their love of sports and translate it into running Adidas’ Baseball Division, where you get to work with some of the biggest athletes on the planet? The key is to always invest in your growth. And in the case of Aaron Seabron, a serious hooper who had D1 skills and ambitions, he was able to pivot when he suffered a serious injury just before his senior year of high school. As much time as he had invested in hoop, he also invested in academics and other extracurricular activities. Because he loved ball, but he knew enough to not put all of his eggs in one basket.

Why do we grind? What’s the point of our achieving? Is it simply to buy the fly car? David Campbell blessed us with his story on #BootstrapsPodcast , which includes clarity about why he grinds: it’s to have a positive impact in this world, whether it’s his family and friends, his clients, or broader society. Having attended NYU for law school, then subsequently working in Silicon Valley for the past 20+ years, David has built an amazing family and career. And with all of his personal success, he is clear that life is not all about him. Instead, he’s focused on how to help serve those he comes in contact with to produce the most beneficial outcome.

“Game Ready” is a term that all athletes can deeply identify with, and it’s one that I believe is deeply relevant to all walks of life. When you’re on the big stage, i.e. in the game not practice, everything is magnified. The competition is more fierce, the speed of the game is faster, and the impact of how well prepared you are for the moment are on the display for the whole world to see. As a Black man navigating his way out of inner city LA, Aaron Dean had to live as if most days were a game. The stakes were too high for him to squander great opportunities that came his way. And thankfully, he was able to level up at each inflection point, building himself into Marketing executive at one of the largest gaming companies in the world.

What would you choose: purpose or profit? We often like to theorize about having both, but the reality is life is a series of trade offs. If we choose to do one thing, there’s the opportunity cost of several other things we have to forsake. So when AJ Watson had to choose between pursuing six figures straight out of Business School, and lending his brilliance to the purpose of helping mentor Black and Brown boys into thriving men, he chose purpose. From the isolation of growing up Black in a Minneapolis suburb, to finding himself as a Howard University undergrad, this exceptional brotha has left his mark everywhere he has gone.

What are you worth? In all areas of your life, from romance to the workplace, you should have clear understanding of the answer to that question. And if you don’t, I’d respectfully recommend that you spend some time figuring it out. Ted McElroy, CFO and COO of Phusion Projects, took time out of his busy schedule to lace us with the game that has landed him in the C Suite before the age of 40. His natural abilities, work ethic, but also his self awareness has empowered him to take his professional destiny into his own hands. And when a manager tried to offer him less than he had earned, he recognized it for what it was: an inflection point in the relationship. Either the company was going to do right by him, or he was going to move on to a company that was willing to pay what his skill, integrity, business acumen was actually worth.

No matter where you go, there you are. That old cliché speaks to the plain truth that the answers to what you’re looking for can be found within yourself. Do you have the courage to set sail to try new things? Do you have what it takes to get back up after falling short? Do know, like truly know, that you’re dope? If you can answer yes to all of those questions, then you’ve likely faced down similar situations to this episode’s guest, Adler Merveille. Learn about a man born to Haitian immigrants in Montreal, Canada, raised in upstate New York, now living in LA and all the complexities that come with finding your way as a Black man in America.

Kevin Williams was born and raised in inner-City LA, and in the mid-80s and 90s, the city was as advertised; full of trouble that knew how to find you. Facing down that trouble gives you an edge. “Escaping” that trouble to private schools in nicer neighborhoods gives you more of an edge because you’re different. But having an edge can be an amazing resource if you know how to wield it. This episode gives you a glimpse into a man that has done the hard work of going from the West Coast to West Point, and beyond.

“If Diversity is being invited to the party, and Inclusion is being asked to dance, then Belonging is feeling safe to dance like no one is watching.” Courtney Schroeder is a Diversity and Inclusion Manager at General Mills that brings a unique and robust set of skills to the table. He’s a former CPA having worked for Deloitte, and landed at General Mills helping to lead some of their most iconic brands. But it was his work with their African-American Employee Resource Group, and his 20 year history of being involved in social justice work, that compelled him to make his move from Marketing to Diversity and Inclusion. This brotha is a force of nature, and in this episode you get a glimpse into his true brilliance, as it’s applied to this fight against the systemic oppression of Black folks.

“How can we help?” The murder of George Floyd (RIP) was the match that sparked protests all across the world. It laid bare the ongoing systemic oppression of Black folks, and has inspired folks to make change. Police murdering and brutalizing Black people isn’t news to us, but something about this murder has landed differently for our White allies. And that has manifested itself in mass outpouring of texts, emails, and phone calls from White folks to their Black friends wanting to know how to help. This episode offers tangible, meaningful ways for White folks to help end systemic racism.

Lemu Coker is that dude that knows everyone. And of everyone that knows Lemu, no one has a bad word to say about him. It’s not surprising to know that he has a deep love of movies, given he has lived his life like he’s acting out the part of the most interesting man in the world; long before the corny Dos Equis cat. From the North End of Hartford, Connecticut, to Hollywood, Silicon Valley, and back to Bed Stuy Brooklyn, Lemu has blazed a trail that we all can learn from. There’s the family and community that you have, and the goals you want to achieve. Everything else is just background noise as you write the script of your life.

Michael Essien is a complex thinker that’s on a mission to serve. His ministry happens to be Education. Born just two years after his family arrived in LA from the sticks of Arkansas, he lived his life between two worlds; one world being the South LA streets he played in, and the Southern Baptist roof he lived under. In part 2 of our conversation with Michael, we explore his approach to Community Schooling, and how he leads to create positive outcomes for students, parents, and faculty.

Michael Essien is a complex thinker that’s on a mission to serve. His ministry happens to be Education. Born just two years after his family arrived in LA from the sticks of Arkansas, he lived his life between two worlds; one world being the South LA streets he played in, and the Southern Baptist roof he lived under. In part 1 of my conversation with Michael, we explore the “making of the man.”

Husband. Father. Christian. NFL Player. Super Bowl Champion. Marketing Executive. Friend. These are all part of a long list of achievements in Martin Nance’s life; and he takes none of them for granted. Since a little kid, he has had an amazing work ethic, instilled in him by his parents, reinforced by his sisters, and refined both in the classroom and on the playing field. This work ethic, this will to win, carried Martin to Miami of Ohio to play college ball, then later to the NFL. And when his playing career was cut short, he was able to pivot and earn his MBA from the University of Michigan. With all that life experience, he now helps run the iconic Gatorade brand.

BJ’s story is an account of figuring out where you want to go, realizing there isn’t a beaten path for you to follow, then taking what you have to go over, under, or through whatever is standing in your way. His story stresses the importance of realizing that when you do step up to the next level in anything, like attending Yale University, you are going to have to work harder than you did at the previous level. Growth happens beyond your comfort zone.

As a marketing executive for CLIF Bar, having previously worked major corporations like Clorox and Starbucks, I’ve had a lot of success in my career. But as a Black man, I’ve had to fight harder than most. So I’m here to introduce BOOTSTRAPS, a new series that highlights journeys of successful Black men, in their own words, to give hope to other brothas out there trying to thrive.