Author Archives: Khooppres

Dream It, Achieve It!

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I’m sure that by now you’ve heard of the passing of Steve Jobs, Co-founder and CEO of Apple, Inc.  If you haven’t become familiar with his story, I urge you to “Google” him to learn more about his life’s journey.  Recently, a close friend mentioned the commencement speech he gave at Stanford University in 2005.  In his speech, he outlines things that he attributed to his success.  When you get an opportunity, listen to his speech; it’s time well spent.

You might be wondering what Steve Jobs has to do with bridging the wealth gap in the African American community.  While he was an extremely wealthy man, my intent is not to discuss the wealth he accumulated through his business ventures, but more so to discuss his will to achieve against the odds.  Unless you’re familiar with his story, most people would not assume that a first year college drop-out would be as accomplished as he was.

Often times, we have dreams or ideas that we’d like to pursue, but somehow life gets in the way.  Many of us may not have the liberty to pursue our entrepreneurial dream without working a full time job as well.  So how can you keep your “mojo” while navigating life’s twists and turns?  Please note that I am not professing to have all the answers, but I will offer up some lessons that I’ve learned from others that have achieved success in this area.  These are also the characteristics that I am embracing along my own journey.  The following are three key traits that will place you on the path to success:

1.       Be clear on what you want; get laser focused – There will always be competing priorities.  In the spirit of transparency, this is an area I’ve struggled in the most.  As soon as you think you’re set on a path, life will throw you a curve ball that can divert your focus.  People who are successful in pursuing their dreams are somewhat dogmatic when it comes to being laser focused in spite of life’s interruptions.  T. Harv Eker, author of Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, says it best, “The number one reason most people don’t get what they want is that they don’t know what they want.”

2.     Don’t underestimate life’s lessons – Your life will speak to you if you choose to listen.  We are often quick to observe and value someone else’s life lessons, but choose to devalue or minimize our own.  Steve Jobs referred to this as “connecting the dots.”  Take a moment and spend some time recalling your own journey – the successes and failures.  I guarantee you that in the midst of your track down memory lane, a common thread will exist and link you back to your purpose or that dream that once was a flame but may now resemble a flicker of light.  Make no mistake, there’s a lot that we can learn from observing others, but don’t stop there.  Your own life will speak the loudest if you listen.

3.     Simplify your life – Many times we stay stuck in the “rat race” because we are so busy trying to ‘keep up with the Joneses.’  If you really want to pursue your dream, you will be forced to make tough choices.  You may have to wait on the material possessions that you see others acquiring.  Don’t compare yourself to others.  A key to wealth accumulation is maintaining a high credit score, minimizing debt, and investing in assets.  It takes money to pursue most business endeavors, and in the beginning, you may have to invest in yourself before others will invest in your venture.  If you are overextended, you may not be able to see your vision come to fruition.  

Success is often accomplished by travelling the road less travelled.  It requires a confidence in self and a willingness to take risks.  Many of us work very hard in our chosen careers, but can become lukewarm when it comes to pursuing our own personal endeavors.  I have decided that I will no longer stand on the sidelines of life and admire others and their success; I will give my all to my own.  Won’t you join me?

Life’s Woes… Gateway to Success

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At the beginning of the year I posted the article, A New Year, A New Beginning.  It seems like yesterday, but it was more than six months ago.  Where has the time gone?  Has this year been what you expected?  In the spirit of transparency, I’ll confess that I’ve had my own share of unexpected setbacks.  That’s the interesting thing about life, it seems as soon as you decide to pursue your dreams life has a way of bringing you to your knees.

A famous quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson states, “Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.”  While I believe in the essence of this quote, I also think ‘all hell breaks loose’ in your life too.  Why is that?  I’ve had some time to ponder this question and I think the primary reason is preparation. 

As human beings, we often grow the most during life struggles and failures.  When we decide to pursue our dreams, it requires us to change.  In many instances, we haven’t developed the skills that will help us achieve success at the next level.  Consider the following:

Relationship Troubles – Trials in your relationships help you to:

  • Identify what’s important
  • Establish proper boundaries
  • ‘Weed-out’ relationships that are no longer mutually beneficial

A word of caution is required here; relationship troubles can be ‘sticky’ because only those people closest to you have the ability to hurt you.  That being said, your family and friends may not embrace your change.  You will have to be strong enough to move pass this if you really want to pursue your goals.  It’s also important to recognize that you may experience some ‘battle’ wounds along the way.  Additionally, there are some relationships that are indispensable.  Define why the relationship is important to you and do what you can to sustain it.  It may take some time, but it’s worth it.  No matter what you do or where you go, relationships are essential to your success.  The struggle that you’re experiencing may be the preparation you need for the next level.

Financial Difficulties – Perhaps you’ve been downsized or experienced an unexpected financial setback.  Financial woes force you to focus on money management and establish priorities.  Additionally, if you aspire to become an entrepreneur, financial stewardship should be an essential part of your plan.  I’ve heard that God won’t bless you with more until you prove that you can handle what you have.  It’s amazing how creative we can be during a time of lack.  We find ways to ‘stretch’ everything! 

Health Concerns – I’m sure that we can all do a better job of taking care of ourselves.  It’s a shame that it takes a health scare to make us wake up and pay attention.  Change is hard but necessary.  We all have our own opinions on Health Care Reform.  While I do believe that no one should be turned away or denied coverage because of their socioeconomic level, I foresee that individuals with predisposed health conditions may be required to pay more for medical insurance.  Years ago, you were never asked whether or not you used tobacco products.  Questions were initially added to life insurance applications, and now they also appear on medical insurance applications.  Today, if you apply for life insurance, you may be required to take a physical.  If you’re overweight, have high blood pressure, or other medical conditions, you may be denied or required to pay a higher premium.  I believe those same questions will become a standard part of all health insurance applications in the near future.  This change will significantly impact the African American community.  According to a study performed by the Office of Minority Health, about four of five African American women are overweight or obese.  African American women also have the highest rate of obesity in the U.S.  Our lifestyles have to change.  I am talking to myself too!

Michael Jordan once said, “If you’re trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I’ve had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”  The lesson that has been invaluable for me this year is to continue moving.  Setbacks can often cause you to become stuck.  If you become stuck, you can’t change your situation.  Life will not stop for you.  I know that this is easier said than done, but don’t focus on the problem, identify the lesson.

Unemployed? You’re the Answer

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The May Jobs Report was very disappointing.  The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 9.1%, but the most alarming bit of news related to the drop in the number of new jobs created.  According to an article in USA Today, employers only added 54,000 jobs, which represents the smallest gain in eight months.  Many economists predicted an addition of 175,000 jobs during the month of May.  

For African-Americans, the bad news doesn’t stop there.  During the month of May, the unemployment rate for African-Americans rose to 16.1%.  While the unemployment rate for African-Americans has always been higher than the national rate, paired with the recession and the housing crisis, wealth creation is clearly not at the “top of minds”, survival is.  Survival is nothing more than maintaining with less.  If you’ve mastered survival, it’s now time to step up and out of your comfort zone to develop a strategy / plan to recover.

As you develop your strategy, consider the following questions:

1.       Are you doing everything you can to position yourself to compete in today’s job market?  In February, I developed the Aim to Win in This Economy series.  Two of the posts within the three-part series focused on personal branding and education.  When you’re unemployed, your “job” is to find a job.  Don’t waste your time by exploring opportunities half-heartedly – make sure you are giving your all to the job search.  If you’ve been beaten down by rejection after rejection, make a concerted effort to recover your swagger.  While I’m not a fan of the saying, “fake it till you make it,” it is a necessity during your job search.  Employers want to hire people who are confident in their abilities.  If you can’t convey confidence during the interview process, you will not get the job.  As you pursue opportunities, “clothe” yourself in the confidence that you are the best person for the job – have faith in you.

2.       Is it Time to Broaden Your Horizon?  In order to see the beauty of a rose-bush, the bush has to be pruned, and the flowers in the field need rain to grow.  I will stop with my poetic moment, but my point is that we grow the most as a result of our failures and setbacks.  If you have been beating the pavement, but coming up empty-handed, perhaps you should consider relocation – seek opportunities in other cities.  This is definitely a move that will take you out of your comfort zone, but you’ll never know what may await you if you don’t try.  The Huffington Post recently posted an article entitled The 10 Cities With The Most Job Postings: Indeed.com.  Factual information posted on job search sites may assist you in targeting cities.  However, keep in mind that the number of job postings does not always correlate with actual hires.  While job postings are an indicator of a city’s economic health, sometimes companies post openings but defer fulfilling them due to market shake-ups (e.g., May’s Job Market Report).   If you’ve considered exploring opportunities in another city, there’s no time like the present, but be realistic about your expectations.

3.       Is There an Entrepreneur in You?  The final entry in the Aim to Win in This Economy series was What’s Your Passion?  If you are talented and have always dreamed of creating your own business, now is the time.  Some of us are self-starters – if we aspire to do something, we simply do it.  There are others that have to run out of the “comfortable” options (i.e., steady job, difficult boss, health scare, etc.) before taking a leap of faith to pursue the dream.  While there aren’t many businesses that you can start without some money in hand, there are programs available to assist you with funding.  Earlier this week, the Obama administration partnered with Rutgers Business School to host the first Urban Entrepreneurship Summit.  The primary objective of the Summit was to explore ways to build new public-private partnerships to ignite urban job creation.  Based on the speaker line-up for the conference, there was a clear emphasis on African-American entrepreneurship.  In addition to initiatives like this, the Small Business Administration (SBA) recently rolled out two new programs that are designed to assist small business owners with capital needs.  The Small Loan Advantage and the Community Advantage initiatives offer a streamlined application process for SBA(7) loans.  Key benefits include loan amounts up to $250,000, shorter application process, and a 5 to 10 day approval process.  As you can see, the federal government has a vested interest in your success as a small business owner.  Do your homework and get to work.

Although the May Jobs Report may have fallen short of expectations, don’t allow historical data to predict your future.  History does not have to repeat itself.

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