d-mars.com Business Journal 79

Business Journal Special Edition

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PROUD TO BE...

By Cynthia Nevels

According to a recent study, small business owners are optimistic about the economy but remain conservative about risks their...

PAGE 14

Greater Houston Partnership Hosts Annual Meeting

The Greater Houston Partnership hosted the organization’s 2014 Annual Meeting, which was...

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MR. D-MARS and Andre E. Horn, President of Industrial Welding Academy

Proud to Be an Entrepreneur and Small Business and Empowerment Coach!

By Kachelle Kelly

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Industrial Welding Academy Provides Opportunities for Careers and Better Lives

This month as we celebrate Black History Month, I love having the opportunity to share why I am...

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Halls Buy Martin Luther King, Jr. Statue for Houston

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Reflections: Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Houston

Following your heart’s desire will lead you in the direction your spirit wants to go.

-Oprah Winfrey

Journal Behind The

Special Edition

3.

Publisher’s Message

Keith J. Davis, Sr.

SR. PUBLISHER Keith J. Davis, Sr.

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Kevin Davis

VICE PRESIDENT Kim Floyd

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Valerie Jones

ACCOUNTING MANAGER Eugenie Doualla

Administrative Assistant Angelle Gillum

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

The theme for this issue of the Business Journal is “Proud To Be.” As I reflect on my journey as a business professional, I can honestly say I share this same sentiment. I am not just a business owner, but a black business owner. I have had to overcome many obstacles – both personal and professional – to get to where I am today. But for every test there is a testimony. Mine is the creation of d-mars.com and this year marks our 15th year anniversary of being in business. I am extremely proud of our accomplishments throughout these 15 years of operation. There are others in our community, like myself, who are proud to be a respected black business professional. You can read many of their stories in this issue. Enjoy!

CONTENTS Industrial Welding Academy Provides Opportunities for Careers and Better Lives...................................................................... 4 Halls Buy Martin Luther King, Jr. Statue for Houston ............................................................................................................................ 6 Reflections: Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Houston .................................................................................................................... 6

Johnny Ray Davis, Jr. C.T. Foster Eric D. Goodwine Tiffany Black

Old Folks Saying….............................................................................................................................................................................................10

PHOTOGRAPHY

‘R’ You Ready for Greatness?........................................................................................................................................................................ 12

Did You Know?...................................................................................................................................................................................................10

L.C. Poullard Grady Carter Tony Gaines

METRO Small Business Job Order Contract Outreach............................................................................................................................ 13

MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR Andrea Hennekes

5 Marketing Tips for Small Businesses from the Kanye West School of Marketing..................................................................... 14 Greater Houston Partnership Hosts Annual Meeting............................................................................................................................16

LAYOUT & GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Motivational Moment w/ JW – Proud to be a Black Entrepreneur.....................................................................................................16

Kevin Wright

I Am Proud to Be a Community Conscious Lawyer................................................................................................................................18

DISTRIBUTION

Meet the Primes................................................................................................................................................................................................18

Booker T. Davis, Jr. Rockie Hayden

Turning That Mess into a Message: Proud to Be a Professional Speaker...................................................................................... 22

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Valerie Jones Noel Pinnock Cynthia Nevels Jarrod Wilkins J. Thomas Smith Thecia Jenkins Mikal Powers Kachelle Kelly Lonnie Mathews

Proud to Be a Service Member..................................................................................................................................................................... 22 Proud to Be an Entrepreneur and Small Business and Empowerment and Coach!.................................................................... 24 Are You Sabotaging Your Own Financial Success? Part 1....................................................................................................................26

Are you Ready to Take Your Business to the Next Level?

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The Business Owner: • The ability to stimulate money in our communities • Publicity at an affordable price • The professionalism it provides to black-owned businesses

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Special Edition

Industrial Welding Academy Provides Opportunities for Careers and Better Lives

“...I left the country with a dream that I wanted something a little more than what I left.”

“You are equal when it comes to the welding industry. You can only elaborate on your resume and application to a certain degree. Eventually, you are going to have to show somebody what you can do. That’s what’s going to give a lot of minorities an opportunity. We work hard and we take pride in what we do, but it’s just being given that one opportunity to show you can do it. And that’s where the welding industry, the Industrial Welding Academy, is helping minorities to step their game up.”

– Andre Horn, President of Industrial Welding Academy

By Valerie Jones

T

Contributing Writer

he Industrial Welding Academy, located in a small business complex in industrial east Houston, looks like a regular building on the outside.

But inside…the school’s staff is changing lives.

Ambitious and Hungry

Andre E. Horn is the President of the Industrial Welding Academy. But before that, he was a young man from Jasper, Texas – the youngest of 16 children.

“I wore hand-me-down everything. I was 16 years old before I ever even went to Walmart,” Horn said.

His mother was a stay-at-home mom and his father worked at the local wood chip mill. Horn’s first job was at age 13 laying grass for a community center. He made $3.35 an hour.

“Coming from where I’m from, I left

the country hungry. It made me ambitious. I left the country with a dream that I wanted something a little more than what I left.”

Horn was introduced to welding in high school by Mr. Bruce Gutley, whom Horn said “changed his life forever.”

Horn attended Texas State Technical College in Waco for one year before a company offered him a job opportunity.

“I just never looked back,” he said.

Beginning a Career in the Natural Oil and Gas Industry

Horn’s first welding job was for Holman Boiler Works in Dallas, Texas where he made $16 an hour. Once Horn began to mature in the industry, he found that there was a lot of money to be made with natural oil and gas. Eventually, he began to branch out and purchased a boat storage in Channelview, Texas. After Hurricane Katrina ripped through and damaged the boat storage, Horn recovered, and jumped back out into the industry.

“I made some money and started investing my money in myself,” he said.

“I opened up a place in Pasadena, a

1,500-square-foot building, and trained 120 people a day out of there.”

Horn’s wife Miranda said she saw many years ago that her husband had the gift of teaching.

“I didn’t know if it would be children or adults, but I knew that he had that gift and I always wanted to see him succeed in whatever his dreams were,” she said.

“That meant if I had to put some things on the back burner, I was willing to make that sacrifice so that he could fulfill that dream.”

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Industrial Welding Academy That gift and Horn’s vision to help others – much like his former teacher Bruce Gutley inspired him to explore welding – came to fruition in 2007 when Horn founded the Industrial Welding Academy (IWA). Miranda serves as director.

Pasted on the walls inside of the building are inspirational quotes and Bible verses.

“That’s the foundation of my strength.

I am a spiritual person. I live by example and I’m very passionate about my faith and I’m passionate about my people,” Horn said. “I can say that all day long, but it means nothing if I can’t show it. To each individual, IWA stands for ‘I Will Achieve.’ That’s where the spiritual quotes

do 15:1,” he said. “We didn’t go half with 20:1. We went further with 15:1 to ensure our students are getting the attention they deserve.”

Horn also implemented real-life experiences rather than using simulations. Students at IWA weld using the exact same things they would out in the industry.

“We have students welding in jack stands. We’ve got students doing restricted welding with 180 degree coupons in place,” he said. “There’s nothing to hide here. It’s straight to the bread and butter.

We have a saying here: ‘You either weld or go home.’”

Diamond in the Rough One of Horn’s favorite things to tell students at IWA is “Man Up.” And though the natural oil and gas industry is a maledominated field, there are several women who have been successful students at IWA. “Women in the industry is by a far a diamond in the rough. I found over the years, that when I did see a woman in the industry or at a company, she was cherished. They didn’t show favoritism, but it looks good from the perspective of an image for the company to employ a woman,” Horn said. “Often times, women come out to be some of the better welders because they can articulate, they are

MR. D-MARS takes a shot at welding under the supervision of Industrial Welding Academy President Andre Horn.

come in – to open the students’ minds so they can focus on their target goals: shortterm, mid-term, and long-term.”

IWA is able to accommodate 60 students three times a day with each student being able to work at their own welding station. Students use pre-fabricated pieces, rather than having to cut their own, which allows for a more efficient use of students’ class time.

One hour each day is spent in the classroom where instructors help students apply the understanding of welding. Students are taught about safety, quality and productivity – the three ways to make money in welding.

“One of the things that makes our program stand apart from other programs is that I traveled around and visited other training centers, just to see what areas they were weak in,” Horn said. “When you are strong where everybody else is weak, it’s a great advantage.”

Horn noticed that other training centers were weak in the areas of safety as well as student per instructor ratio.

“Other places had a student per instructor ratio of 40:1. So we decided to

very precise in what they do, and they’re passionate about what they do. They can see things from multiple perspectives. So having a woman in the industry is an essential variable.”

Currently, IWA has eight women in its program, one of them being Brittany, a single mother of two.

Brittany has a strong background in the medical field, but never reached a place she wanted to be financially in the industry. As she searched for something more financially suitable for her situation, she was led to work in construction.

“I worked in construction as a firewatch/pipefitter helper, which has its perks because I was able to work handson with many welders who showed me how to operate and the vast income potential,” she said. “My mind was opened to a new world of possibilities and growth for my family and myself as the idea of becoming a welder became more real.”

Some of the welders Brittany worked with encouraged her to enroll at IWA and she began in October 2013.

“The first day of class I was very nervous and unsure of myself because I had no

previous welding experience, but the instructors were very welcoming and quickly demonstrated that they were 100% committed to my success, which instantly boosted my confidence.”

In six weeks, Brittany learned safety processes, proper positioning, welding stringer beads and the skills to pass a 1G, 2G, 3G and 4G weld test.

“The process is not easy, but I feel that I have grown a lot because of the instructors and their will to keep pressing for greatness,” she said. “I strive so hard to be the best at this because of my goal: seeing my babies not having to struggle financially, being independent, and being proud to work just as well or if not better as a woman in an profession that people often stereotype as exclusively for men.”

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signing your name,” he said. “Nobody is going to sign your name like you sign your name. That breaks every man down to the least common denominator.”

Growth and Expansion Horn was able to make his dream a reality when he opened the Industrial Welding Academy in 2007, but he doesn’t want to stop there. He wants to expand.

Having already finished talks with leaders in other states, Horn said he plans to take IWA global, opening up multiple locations in the United States and beyond.

“Industrial Welding Academy is going to become International Welding Academy,” he said. “We’re going to take it one city at a time, one state at a time and we’re going to become national, then interna-

Changing Lives Many of the students that enroll at IWA have had difficult pasts. Welding, for them, serves as a way out or a second chance career to help them provide for their families.

“Welding for us is not just a craft. It’s about changing lives because we do work with ex-offenders. We work with all kinds of people who come to us that are broken,” said Sharon Watson, assistant director for IWA. “These people need to feed their children, they need to take care

Students of Industrial Welding Academy spend one hour each day in the classroom in which they learn about theory and safety.

of their families, and one of Mr. Horn’s philosophies is to change lives. Students come and learn a trade, and when they succeed at it, they’re lives change.”

Horn mentioned one success story that really impacted him – Mr. Santos Ozuna, who came and enrolled in the IWA program the same day he got out of jail.

“His sister was standing beside him and she was dressed in her military uniform getting ready to be deployed to Iraq. She told me ‘my brother’s going to get killed on these streets if you can’t help him,’” Horn said. “I told her I could help him as long as he wants to be helped. She said her brother just needed a sense of direction or a mentor. I told her I didn’t have a problem being that figure if he wanted to be helped.”

Now Ozuna is making well over $200,000 a year and he’s only 22 years old.

Horn said that’s what’s great about IWA and welding. It doesn’t matter where you come from, all that matters is how you perform.

“Welding is a field where no one can speak for you. When you weld, it’s like

tional.”

Horn noted that the percentage of African Americans in the welding industry is very low, but not because of a lack of skill.

“Everybody is not college material and for an individual that does not have a GED or high school diploma, you’re only good for Walmart or McDonald’s, which are the two top employers among our people,” he said. “This is where we can help. IWA allows them an opportunity to pass a test where they can still enter the workforce without a high school diploma or GED. It helps to break down one of those barriers for minorities when it comes to education and job placement.”

Horn said the industry is short more than 280,000 welders.

“We do have the manpower. It’s just getting the individuals to step up and use some of the talent they didn’t know they had,” he said. “I think the world is full of talented people with unused talents.

Instead of importing labor in from other countries, we can train the ones we have in our country. I think that’s the answer to a lot of our problems.”

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Halls Buy Martin Luther King, Jr. Statue for Houston "Saundra and I are honored to have been allowed to help with this great project. We are pleased that a beautiful bronze statue of Dr. King will stand tall in the park for all to see," said Ben Hall.

B

en and Saundra Hall donated $65,000 to buy a permanent Martin Luther King, Jr. statue for the City of Houston. The gift was given by the Halls to ensure that The Black Heritage Society—the group heading up the development of the MLK Plaza in McGregor Park—would have artistic control over how the statue of Dr. King would look and best resemble the civil rights leader. After much discussion with public officials, questions were left as to how the statue would look if public tax dollars were used. Given restrictions on the use of public dollars, The Black Heritage Society feared the statue would not ably represent Dr. King if such funds were used. That is when The Black Heritage Society sought out private donors so that they could retain artistic control over how the statue would look.

In stepped the Halls. They generously donated the entire purchase price.

"Saundra and I are honored to have been allowed to help with this great project. We are pleased that a beautiful bronze statue of Dr. King will stand tall in the park for all to see," said Ben Hall.

With the Hall's gift, Houston will forever have a bronze likeness of Dr. King as the crowning piece in the MLK monument plaza at McGregor Park.

An official unveiling of the monument will occur in early April.

Reflections: Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Houston

As Told by The Black Heritage Society

“The history behind the vision and the making of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Plaza Memorial is all due to the sweat and hard work by the Black Heritage Society and through the voice, vision and persistence of Mr. Ovide Duncantell,” said Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.

T

he MLK, Jr. Plaza project did not become viable without a set of struggles surrounding construction of the rail line going toward the University of Houston and Martin Luther King Street. One major issue was the location of the tree planted at the suggestion of Daddy King by his nephew Derek King in 1983 to honor his son Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and to advocate for the naming of MLK Street.

The voice and leadership behind the historical planting of the tree was the Black Heritage Society and one of the leading Civil Rights advocates in Houston, Ovide Duncantell. Most people did not know the history behind the tree, but it was Duncantell who brought

Daddy King to Houston to ensure Houston was a part of the national story and a part of history. It was around this time that it was determined the tree would have to be cut down in order to build a rail on the prescribed path. After days of committed protests by Duncantell and discussions with the City of Houston and METRO, it was finally agreed that the tree would move to a new site in McGregor Park. The agreement stipulated that if something were to happen to the tree during and after the move for a 12-month period, the city and METRO would be responsible for replacing it.

The tree was now 30 years old, had been transplanted to a new location and faced the drought of 2012, which took a toll on its health along with the stress from

uprooting it from its birth place. The old oak tree was dying due to neglect of watering its core properly as prescribed during this drought and its leaves were falling everywhere.

“I knew we had a major issue and this was not just a tree. It was the MLK Jr. ‘Tree of Life.’ It was an emotional attachment to history and served as a reminder of a time when things were not always fair and now we had the tree planted at the suggestion of Daddy King dying due to neglect. You cannot imagine the many things running through my mind and for sure the mind of Mr. Duncantell. He and I got involved immediately with the Houston Parks Department and Houston METRO to develop and press them for an

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“I knew we had a major issue and this was not just a tree. It was the MLK Jr. ‘Tree of Life.’ It was an emotional attachment to history and served as a reminder of a time when things were not always fair and now we had the tree planted at the suggestion of Daddy King dying due to neglect. You cannot imagine the many things running through my mind and for sure the mind of Mr. Duncantell."

- Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee answer and to find common ground on how this tree would be saved and how to deal with the issue of it not being irrigated properly after the transplant. We had a crisis and something had to be done. So, we called for several meetings on the site and it was determined not to let that tree die. Not on our watch!” Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee said.

After several meetings and deliberations, the Black Heritage Society and Duncantell, along with Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, convinced Houston METRO to commit to the Black Heritage Society and the community that METRO would do what was necessary to save the tree. METRO committed to the finances necessary to save the tree and to secure the best experts in the industry who understood the tree species and could take away seedlings for replanting it, if necessary. In the end, the seedlings were not needed. The tree was fully restored and today it stands with grandeur – its branches spread out like wings of freedom at its final destination.

Duncantell was able to garner lots of support and Congresswoman Jackson Lee did not hesitate to come on board to join him, along with other leaders, including Sylvester Brown to preserve the tree. They went through a long, rigorous back-and-forth process before reaching a final agreement with METRO and the City of Houston.

“I specifically remember calling back and forth to the Mayor’s office, taking over documents, emphasizing the involvement of the community in any decisions that were to be made, and watching to make sure that was the case with any community persons or groups who were stakeholders in this community. The real key to the success of this project was the replanting of the tree, monitoring of the tree during its poor health, and allocating money to build the MLK, Jr. Plaza proposed by the Black Heritage Society and Ovide Duncantell,” said Congresswoman Jackson Lee. As the Congresswoman for the area, Jackson Lee contacted the Secretary of Transportation to get him to affirm and approve the need for Houston METRO to use a portion of the funding to build the MLK, Jr. Plaza project as a part of the overall rail project. Under this scenario, the Black Heritage Society nor the City of Houston would have to find funding, but could use federal dollars. Jackson Lee specifically handled this request herself. It was raised by the community and she saw it as a personal charge and directive from the community to make this work for the entire project. Using

the federal status of the Secretary of Transportation and the established friendship they had, the willingness was there for the project to move forward. Congresswoman Jackson Lee presented the proposal to allocate funds for the MLK, Jr. Plaza project to the METRO executive leadership – in essence, helping make this happen. She asked the board for a million dollars and ultimately, even with some opposition, the project ended up with between $700,000 and $800,000.

Her constant advocacy did not stop there. She coordinated several meetings with the Black Heritage Society to ensure their visions and dreams were involved and in place. Meetings convened so the landscape architects and designers could meet with the Black Heritage Society and the Black Heritage Society as constituents and representatives of this vision would be happy with the outcome of the project.

Just when it was thought the entire project was finalized with definitive agreements, it turned out that Houston METRO used the money allocated for the MLK, Jr. Plaza to pay for the preservation of the tree. It was never

discussed or agreed to use project dollars for any portion of the tree preservation cost because the situation was not the fault of the community or the Black Heritage Society. It was the responsibility of the City of Houston and METRO to pay for the cost incurred because they neglected to carry out their agreed responsibility to properly care for the tree.

Advocates found it disappointing, after spending many hours meeting with community and civic leaders to convince them about this plan and to get their support for the agreed building of the project. They had a solid plan which included minority participation in the construction of this project. After many discussions,

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METRO was willing and eager to make this right for the community and make this an asset for the 18th congressional district and for the city. They went back and accepted their arguments that the money should be restored for the MLK, Jr. Plaza and not be diminished because of the this unfortunate incident with the tree, which was not the fault of the community. Those monies were restored and we now have the beginnings of the construction of the Plaza.

Congresswoman Jackson Lee worked with METRO and helped the Black Heritage Society to be a part of choosing the stone used on the MLK, Jr. Plaza.

Duncantell and the group altered the stone choice and METRO coordinated travel for Brown and Duncantell to go to the stone site near Austin so that they could be a full partner in deciding which material to use for construction of the project. All along, Congresswoman Jackson Lee nurtured the call of her constituents.

She said, “Mr. Duncatell provided the vision for which I expanded and facilitated. I don’t tell this story for anything other than the truth of history, the importance of the work of Mr. Duncantell and the Black Heritage Society, the importance of that area – Old Spanish Trail and McGregor Park – and the importance of the history that is there, including the Zina Garrison Tennis Center which existed because of my advocacy on the Houston City Council and the continued work that comes from the County.”

More progress will come to the park and it will be because we worked together with the Friends of McGregor Park. We should thank them for their years of leadership because we are going to be building on the growth of their organization in order to make sure that McGregor Park is a jewel with national recognition honoring an outstanding man of peace with a Memorial Park Statue.

We will continue to work and Congresswoman Jackson Lee states she will continue to seek broad base support of corporate leadership to recognize that parks in all of our communities must be parks that generate the joy, the history, and the grandness of Houston, Texas.

Background

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee has been working on the establishment of light rail public transportation for longer than the time she has served in public office.

As a member of the Houston City Council, she traveled to Washington, D.C. in 1990 with then Mayor Kathy Whitmire to meet with the late Senator Lloyd Bentson to advocate for the idea of a light rail in Houston – an issue for which he advocated and championed. The technology proposed at that time was the Monorail and the idea was never pursued. As a result, the pursuit of

a light rail became her long-term advocacy on behalf of the community and public transportation light rail advocates who wanted a light rail in the City of Houston and Harris County.

When she had the distinct honor of being elected to the United States Congress representing the 18th Congressional district; representing her constituents who could benefit from public transportation, every year in spite of opposition from some, she continued to fight for additions to the overall project. She placed numerous statements into the record about the need for light rail in Houston and worked closely with the Clinton Administration, in particular his Secretary of

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Transportation and the Secretaries of Transportation under President George W. Bush, advocating over and over again for full funding of the light rail. That took many years because of constant opposition and division coming from and within the city government of Houston – even though the population and citizens of Houston wanted the light rail.

The Clinton Administration put a placeholder for one million dollars for an environmental study in order to keep the light rail project going. When President Obama was elected, Congresswoman Jackson Lee invited the Secretary of Transportation at the State of the Union who was just confirmed by the Senate, was a colleague and friend, and who had watched her efforts fighting for the light rail on the floor of the United States House of Representatives over the years to visit Houston as one of the first places he would come as the new Secretary of Transportation. He accepted her invitation and he was provided a full day of sharing with the voices of local citizens from college students to business persons, engineers to health professionals, and persons who advocated for public transportation.

The University of Houston hosted the Secretary. Houstonians and Harris County supporters were ready to show the Secretary how important the light rail was to the future growth of Houston and Harris County. He was provided a visit to the Texas Medical Center where he met with the CEO of the Texas Children’s

Hospital, who emphasized the vital role that the 7.5 miles of rail built under the leadership of Mayor Lee Brown with both private and city resources, was for the citizens of Houston.

The Secretary saw the vast amount of support throughout the Houston community which caused him to push for submission of funding in the President’s 2010 federal budget for almost one billion dollars for Houston METRO. This was the first time in Houston’s history for it to be placed into the President’s budget for transportation dollars for a light rail. That was an amazing accomplishment and it was something that gave the community great joy as well as Congresswoman Jackson Lee great joy to be an instrumental part of persisting and pushing – not giving up on the future of Houston and its people. The leaders of the City of Houston and METRO contributed to helping this funding come to fruition by providing the technical assistance and materials needed by the Department of Transportation.

After the funding was approved and during deliberations about the project, Congresswoman Jackson Lee emphasized it was imperative that funds be utilized to increase the capacity of minority and small businesses by encouraging partnerships during the bidding of light rail contracts.

Some strides were made ensuring contract diversity and the implementation of an outreach component as the result of a number of community issues involving construction on the northeast and

southeast lines. Congresswoman Jackson Lee raised and continues to raise funds for this project and looks forward to the big unveiling with a national celebrity in the very near future.

Congresswoman Jackson Lee is on two

Congressional Committees: she is a senior member of the House Committees on the Judiciary and Homeland Security. She is also a Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee for Maritime and Border Security.

How to Get Involved: Pavers [Identifies Company Name and Family Name] Donor Wall For more information, visit www.houstonmlkjrmemorial.org

It’s your moment.

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Its your future D-Mars Spring 2014 .indd 1 Experience Our World of Advertising Marketing, Media and Communication

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Special Edition

Black Heritage Society and its community partners welcomes the “Spirit” of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Black Heritage Society and its community partners welcomes the “Spirit” of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Join us for the official unveiling of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, April 4 - April 6 Aprilofficial 4 , 2014 Join us for- the unveiling of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, April 4 - April 6 6 PM: Candlelight Vigil

7 PM: Gala Reception Americas - Houston) - April(Hilton 4 , 2014 -

8 PM: MLK, Jr. Candlelight MountaintopVigil Awards Gala 6 PM:

National(Hilton SpecialAmericas Guest - Houston) 7 PM: Gala Reception

8 PM: MLK, Jr. Mountaintop Awards Gala - April 5, 2014 National Special Guest 9 AM: Parade (Starts at Griggs Rd & Beekman Rd) 11 AM: Official Unveiling at MacGregor Park - April 5, 2014 -

1 PM: Community Festival 9 AM: Parade (Starts at Griggs Rd & Beekman Rd) 7 PM: Concert (National Artists) Location 11 Benefit AM: Official Unveiling at MacGregor Park TBA 1 PM: Community Festival

Stay Informed: 7 PM: Benefit Concert (National Artists) Location TBA HoustonMLKJrMemorial.org Follow Us on Twitter, @MLKParadeUSA. Stay Informed: BlackHeritageSociety.org HoustonMLKJrMemorial.org 1730 Jefferson Suite 230 Houston, TX 77003 Follow Us onSt.Twitter, @MLKParadeUSA. (713) 236 - 1700 BlackHeritageSociety.org 1730 Jefferson St. Suite 230 Houston, TX 77003 (713) 236 - 1700

Official Unveiling - Chairperson U.S. Representative Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee *18th Congressional District of Texas Official Unveiling - Chairperson U.S. Representative Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee *18th Congressional District of Texas

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Did You Know?

“If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.”

Meaning

B

If you are not doing your best to try and come up with a solution to a problem, even if you did not create the problem, then you are not being helpful.

So, in essence, you are part of the problem.

arbara Jordan was not only a lawyer, educator and politician, but she will also be remembered as a hometown hero. Jordan grew up in the historical Fifth Ward of Houston and managed to overcome obstacles early on in her life. Rather than become a statistic, under the encouragement of her mother and father, she focused her academic pursuits. She excelled in debate and speaking. She graduated from Texas Southern University in 1956 and went on to attend law school at Boston University.

In 1966, Jordan became a part of history when she became the first black woman to land a seat on the Texas Legislature. She won an election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1972. Jordan accepted a job as professor for the University of Texas at Austin and began to focus on being an educator. Though her health began to decline in her later years, Jordan was still extremely significant in the political realm, chairing the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform up until her death in 1996.

To this day, Barbara Jordan is still remembered for her contributions to politics, the Civil Rights movement, and society as a whole.

While preparing for a big event at work, Harold is in charge of securing the venue.

However, due to a miscommunication, the venue is not available for the date of the event and the date cannot be changed. Harold’s coworkers each try to brainstorm alternate locations, making calls and visits to potential venues.

However, one coworker, Cynthia, did not offer to help. She told Harold it wasn’t her problem there was a miscommunication and she didn’t feel as though she was responsible for scouting other locations. By not being a team player and helping her coworker find a solution, Cynthia then became part of the problem.

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‘R’ You Ready for Greatness?

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By Noel Pinnock Contributing Writer

he ancient Egyptians built pyramids as tombs for the pharaohs and their queens. There are about 80 pyramids known today from ancient Egypt. The three largest and bestpreserved of these were built at Giza at the beginning of the Old Kingdom. For thousands of years, the largest structures on earth were pyramids. The most wellknown of these pyramids was built for the pharaoh Khufu. It is known as the 'Great Pyramid;’ however, these pyramids cannot be rebuilt despite our technological advances and sophisticated software application because the blueprints could never be found. If the architects of one the world’s most prized wonders would have left the blueprints for their magnum opus, then we would be able to duplicate them exactly as they were constructed in the past.

Mark Twain once stated, “The trouble

with the world is not that people know too little, but they know so much STUFF that ain’t so!” This is true in today’s society, especially as it relates to building our future. It appears that we have lost the thread that was woven in the tapestry of sustaining and cultivating communities that work for the betterment of its residing constituents. I can remember when mentoring and encouraging others was a cultural norm rather than a special event.

Neighbors looked after one another and lessons from yester-years were shared openly and candidly. In the November d-mars.com Business Journal issue, I wrote: The African proverbial phrase “it takes a village to raise a child” is certainly applicable at levels of our life, and is not limited to young children, teens, or young adolescents, and is by no means exclusive to a specific gender, class, or ethnic group.

It originated from the Nigerian Igbo culture and proverb "Ora na azu nwa," which means it takes the community/village to raise a child. The Igbo's also name their children "Nwa ora" which means child of the community.

You see, the blueprint of our existence was established on this village philosophy; whereby, everyone in the village played an integral role in the lives of everyone in the village despite gender, class, and other demographical differences. Encouragement was a cultural norm and direction and guidance was unbiased and non-selective.

Nowadays, it appears that this blueprint of building our communities has become a faded image on the easel. People really just do not care about each other anymore.

Many people possess the ‘it’sall-about-me’ mentality and assisting others to reach their goals, break through the glass ceiling, or even change a flat tire becomes a distant second or sloppy thirds.

We need to re-engage the people in our communities because our villages continue to expand every day. Take the time out to mentor a young person in your community and encourage him/her to mentor someone else in the community and continue this process until everyone in the community has a person in their network. With the advent of social media mediums like Facebook and LinkedIn, as well as wireless apps, connecting with

people could not be easier. It doesn’t really take a lot of time to send a message of encouragement or offer a suggestion on an education/career decision. All it takes is an unyielding desire to sincerely care about someone else’s future. Malcolm Gladwell in the Tipping Point described the conditions of creating an epidemic and identified three major factors that contribute to epidemics: 1. Change doesn’t happen gradually, but dramatically.

2.

You have to have something contagious.

3. Small things have big effects.

So, I submit to you that these conditions can be applied to creating an epidemic of hope in our struggling communities. We don’t have to re-invent the wheel, and if we borrow the blueprints from our forefathers and mothers, then, unlike those who tried to reconstruct the pyramids, we will not only be able to duplicate what they did, but do it even better; especially, if we want to see tangible and significant advancements for our future and our children’s future…because it was the smallest encounters in our lives that have had the most profound effect on us! Wouldn’t you agree? If you do, then ask the question, are you ready? And if you are, then… #getatit www.noelpinnock.com

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METRO Small Business Job Order Contract Outreach

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5 Marketing Tips for Small Businesses from the Kanye West School of Marketing

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By Cynthia Nevels Contributing Writer

ccording to a recent study, small business owners are optimistic about the economy but remain conservative about risks their businesses may face in 2014. The Hartford 2013 Small Business Success Study, which surveyed 2,000 small business owners, revealed that small business owners may be taking a more conservative approach to running their businesses. Many small business owners say they have not taken more risks over the past six months.

No risk? As marketers and entrepreneurs, we know “no risk = no reward.” If you are thinking about your marketing strategy for the New Year and working on a master plan to beat your competition, increase market share, and expand into new areas, conservative thinking does not seem to fit here.

No, Kanye West has not launched a new business school, but he is a small business owner who seems to get a few things right. If you have followed West’s career and antics with the media over the years, you know he is far from conservative and his marketing tactics leave some consumers writhing in contempt. Albeit, a large percentage of the nation wants to give West the boot; the other percentage is singing a different tune—to the tune of millions of dollars in album sales, endorsements and sold out concert ticket sales. This $20 million dollar self-made millionaire and small business owner could teach us a thing or two about marketing.

Consider these marketing tips for your small business: Marketing Tip #1: Walk Before You Crawl While some folks believe you should crawl before you walk, serious entrepreneurs who are on a mission to generate revenue, understand that your effort to reach your audience can sometimes be a matter of life or death for your business.

The world of marketing has changed with the introduction of social media marketing tools, tactics, and strategies. Businesses do not have the luxury of crawling in this race. If you are still crawling and straddling the fence when it comes to implementing a marketing strategy, you can expect to get left behind. If you sell products or services to the individual consumer (B2C), you have to be social, you have to be quick, and you have to be nimble to reap the rewards and generate

photo provided by: Tyler Curtis

the type of income you are expecting.

Sharing, engaging, and informing your target audience keeps you in the spotlight and fresh on the minds of the people you want to impress the most. According to the 2013 State of Digital Marketing Report, 54 percent of B2B marketers and 60 percent of B2C marketers said they have generated leads from social media. Social media can have an impact on the bottom line. As you evaluate your current marketing efforts and develop new ideas for 2014, consider boosting your social media presence and integrating some quick and easy ways to entice people to sit up and pay attention to what you have to offer. West's controversial hip-hop album, released this summer, entitled “Yeezus,” managed to move over 325,000 copies in a week to reach the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart without a traditional album rollout. Surprisingly, there was no single for radio play, no video for MTV or YouTube, and a limited press run, yet West was still able to catapult to the #1 spot the first week.

Marketing Tip #2: Say it First, Think Later There are plenty of “oopsie daisy” moments we can remember this year in which entrepreneurs just couldn’t seem to keep their foot out of their mouths.

Remember, there is no such thing as bad press. Conservative activities lead to slow, steady, and hopeful results. As a small business owner who has taken on full responsibility and risk of the organization, you are fully aware that it is your derrière that is on the line if an employee, manager, or contractor says something in public that doesn’t necessarily represent your views, or perhaps just wasn’t data for public consumption. We can think of a few who have called on the PR power rangers to rescue their companies from the pitfalls of fumbled publicity. Mr. West is no stranger to ‘opening mouth and inserting foot’ moments. However, the fallout is heightened awareness, Twitter trends, and boosts in sales. Booz Allen and Lululemon have battled their own public shame to spin it for good. Next time, they will think about who they hire and control the message a bit more tightly, or maybe not.

Marketing Tip #3: Claim Superiority over Your Competition Hip-hop artists do this well. They are not shy and they are certainly confident they have the skills to battle any competitor on the open market. What’s the

harm in staking claim in your territory or drawing a line in the sand when it comes to your product or service’s value to your customer? We see it every day on television commercials where company A makes a claim that their product can beat their competition (company B) or is preferred 2-to-1 over the leading brand.

Are small businesses afraid to confidently shout from the roof tops their gadgets will beat your gadgets in a public battle?

Identifying the weakness in your competition is a vital exercise when you are evaluating what you do well, what areas you can improve in, and comparing what you offer to your competition. It’s what you do when you write your business plan or create your marketing strategy. If you have not conducted a SWOT analysis, it is high time you do so. While you are at it, pay a little bit extra to have your product tested in a lab or studied to provide real analytical or statistical data to use when you stand on the stage to exclaim your product walks on water and the others don’t. If you can back it up, go for it.

Marketing Tip #4: Shock your Customers There is a fine line between pleasing your customers and annoying them. You have to remember what is important to your customers and understand why they buy from you. If you cannot answer the question, “what do my customers want?” how can you give it to them the way they want it, when they want it and how they want it to meet and exceed their expectations? Consumers have become accustomed to poor treatment and poor service from places like restaurants with rude wait staff, the automated customer service line where you can never reach a human being, and long lines at the DMV when it is time to renew your license.

We’ve been desensitized to poor service.

However, when we are treated well and you exceed our lowered expectations we will follow you home, rub your feet, and tell our friends all about you.

As a business owner, it is your job to know what the customer wants. You have to manage the process of delivering what the customer wants. If you are great at what you do or your product truly meets the customer’s needs, the integration of the two can be a powerful combination for success. If you have done well, ask your clients to become your advocate to share their pleasure with others. You don’t have to beat them over the head with how great you are when your customers’ problems are solved and you make their lives a little bit easier or brighter. They will do

the work for you.

Marketing Tip #5: Display Your Passion Publicly Passionate people are infectious. However, confident people are not loud or boisterous, and they certainly don’t throw temper tantrums in public. Well, maybe some do, but the proper way to demonstrate your belief in the product or service you offer is to be strategically vocal. If a customer cannot see your passion or your belief in your service, they will question your authenticity and the value you bring to the table. Use your voice to educate the audience, to promote awareness, to fill the audience’s knowledge gap, and to weave in your call to action. What would you have the audience do for you?

Create talking points for your company and/or products/services. Host presentations online or in-person to help educate the audience because online videos work well to help answer questions and shorten the sales cycle. You can use a site like Fiverr.com to find experts to design and create useful video marketing collateral to use online for your business.

If you have experienced a slowdown in sales over the past few months and you are not sure of the root cause, it is probably that your marketing has not penetrated the audience and you’ve not given them a reason to remember you. Don’t let the slowdown in sales get the best of you.

You could create an internal environment that reeks of desperation. Being in a position of desperation makes you do crazy things. Identify and remember why you started the business, what your core business is, and build a platform to help you convey that message using mediums that will help you reach a larger percentage of the market within your budget. If nothing else, just be relevant in your industry and market.

If you are optimistic about the future, but uncertain about the investment needed to sustain your operation, do not let conservative thinking impact your marketing strategy. The words ‘conservative’ and ‘marketing’ are two words that should never be intertwined in the same sentence for small business owners. Investment in your marketing efforts and budget for 2014 should reflect your projected expectations. Take it from the most loved and hated guy on the planet, conservative gets you second place. You want your customers, your potential targets, and your competition to remember who you are and to buy into your passion. It is the only way your small business can create opportunities today to help you reach your future goals.

Cynthia Nevels is known as “The Go-To Lady” in business management consulting, marketing strategies and technology integration. She is the Senior Editor of Disruptive View and host of Disrupt Radio. Follow her on Twitter @cynthianevels and Facebook @ meetcynthianevels.

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Port Arthur

TEXAS

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Greater Houston Partnership Hosts Annual Meeting The Greater Houston Partnership hosted the organization’s 2014 Annual Meeting, which was also its 25th year anniversary of working to make Houston one of the world’s best places to live, work, and build a business. With a look back at 25 years of

accomplishments and the leaders who helped make that happen, the Greater Houston Partnership is able to see where they’ve been and plan for the future.

Motivational Moment w/ JW Proud to be a Black Entrepreneur

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By Jarrod Wilkins Contributing Writer

am proud to be a Black Entrepreneur because of the sacrifices that have been made for us by past generations. All the fearless men and women who fought slavery, marched during the Civil Rights movement alongside Dr. King, and even paid the ultimate price by giving their very lives. Sacrifices that have given us the freedom to own businesses create career opportunities and leave lasting legacies for the advancement of future generations.

When I look at the contributions that

have been made to society by African American entrepreneurs, it is awe inspiring. The reality; however, is that the masses of people are not aware of the role, impact and intrinsic value African American entrepreneurs have brought to the market place.

Long before there was a Jay-Z who cofounded Roc-A-Fella Records and the Urban clothing line Rocawear, or a Sean "P. Diddy," Combs who is best known for founding Bad Boy Records and The Sean John Clothing line, there were entrepreneurs like Madam C.J. Walker who is regarded as the first female self-made Millionaire in America. She made her fortune by developing and marketing a successful line of beauty and hair products. John H. Johnson, who borrowed $500 and founded Johnson Publishing Co., Home of Ebony and Jet magazines, was placed on the Forbes 400 list of the nation’s wealthiest citizens, and David L. Steward, founder of World Wide Technology, Inc. – which is the nation’s largest black-owned busi-

ness, had revenues topping $2.5 billion.

The list goes on. We have so many resumes of successful African American entrepreneurs that we could wallpaper the inside and outside of the White House 100 times over. Whatever platform African Americans have been given the opportunity to participate in, we dominate.

Athletics, Music, Entertainment, Politics, Film and even Business – that’s just what we do. It’s who we are as a people – we’re resilient – and that’s something in which we all must take pride.

It humbles my spirit whenever someone comes to me after one of my seminars and tells me the impact I've made in their life, or when a coaching client says something I've said has completely transformed their belief system. One thing is for sure: iron sharpens Iron, so no matter if they are African American, Caucasian, Asian, Latino or any other nationality; I’m grateful because I know I didn't get here by myself, I stand on the shoulders of Giants.

My grandmother use to always say to

me “baby, when you see a turtle on the top of a fence post just know that it didn't get there on its own.” What an ocean of truth! That’s the pride, commitment and resolve I take with me to the market place knowing that every day I wake up I have a responsibility to be yet another example for up-and-coming entrepreneurs – a light full of what’s possible with sheer hard work and dedication.

There is a big difference in taking pride in what you do and being prideful. The Scripture teaches us that pride comes before a fall. I often share that pride is a private escort to your defeat, so we must be ambidextrous with our approach in business; never forgetting where we came from, while still advancing as a people.

In this post-modern generation, our status quo should not be proud to be a successful black entrepreneur, that’s already been accomplished. Instead we should strive to be successful entrepreneurs who happen to be black. Time to create our own new normal.

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I Am Proud to Be a Community Conscious Lawyer Meet the Primes and ethical legal assistance. I am proud that we have earned an A+ Better Business Bureau rating in our service to the community. We look forward with pride to doing more community outreach and providing more quality legal services to more families in 2014.

T

By J. Thomas Smith Contributing Writer

here are many things that make me have a sense of pride as I look at the accomplishments of others in our community. But this month, I have been asked to look at what I am proud of as it relates to my service to the community.

Besides the volunteer work that I do, I am “proud to be” a radio broadcaster, a mental health consultant, and attorney and counselor at law – a lawyer. Often, these roles coalesce. However, as a lawyer, my role is to help people resolve their legal problems. When someone calls on me for a consultation, whether it is related to a contract, bankruptcy, immigration or a tax problem that needs resolving, I give the highest priority to giving sound, ethical, cost-efficient advice, whether I am ultimately retained or not. We always try to give more value than one expects. In that spirit, I offer you the truth on a frequently heard untruthful advertising claim.

For many months, I have cringed each time that I heard the phrase “pennies on the dollar” and wondered how many people have “drank the Kool-Aid.” It is tax time again. And we are hearing a lot of messages geared toward people who owe money to the IRS. As much as one hears the phrase “pennies on the dollar,” by now you probably wonder what it means. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has what it calls the Offer in Compromise (OIC) program, which will allow tax debtors to pay less than they owe the IRS to eliminate their tax obligation, IF they qualify.

In radio and television commercials, marketing companies consistently say they can settle your tax debt for “pennies on the dollar.” In these ads, they are trying sell you on the Offer in Compromise program. On the company’s websites, you may find a calculator where you put in the amount you owe and it will suggest the very “small fraction” of your debt you “may” be allowed to pay.

As a lawyer, what bothers me about this is that the IRS made a determination years ago that these “pennies on the dollar” campaigns are a form of deceptive advertising. As such, they explicitly instruct attorneys and other licensed practitioners that the use of the phrase is a violation of U.S. Treasury regulations (Circular

230) for working with the IRS. But, most “pennies on the dollar” campaigns are run by marketing firms that are governed by The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, rather than the IRS. The IRS has no power to stop them from making these bogus claims. On the other hand, the FTC seems to have merely issued specific warnings against these “pennies on the dollar” hawkers.

The deceptive marketing practices used in those ads, on web sites, and by sales people calling you on the phone try to convince you that you can settle for a “fixed percentage” of what you owe the IRS. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The tax code makes no such provision. It never has and it is unlikely the Congress will ever establish such a rule.

The truth is your OIC settlement is calculated using a very strict formula as outlined in IRS publication 656B. Simply put, if your assets exceed your tax debt, you do not qualify for an OIC. Most people will have equity in their home, cars, rental properties, guns, art, coins, or similar assets. If these items, individually or collectively, are worth more than your tax debt, you do not qualify for the OIC program and you cannot settle for “pennies on the dollar.” Also, if you earn a high income, you are an unlikely candidate for the OIC program. The reason for this is that “eligible expenses” for housing, cars, food, and the like are limited according to the National Standard expenses. Any income over the National Standard is multiplied by either 48 or 60. That amount goes into your offer amount.

In a situation like this, you could qualify, for a period of up to 12 months, to make a “lifestyle adjustment.” During this period, you can reduce your living expenses so they are more in line with the National Standard. However, you must be mindful that the IRS tax lien will cover all of these items, so all proceeds from the sale of these items will likely be paid to the IRS. A good tax practitioner can be invaluable in assisting you with structuring these sales so that you AND the IRS benefit.

Listen closely to radio and television ads of people and companies promising that your tax obligation can be settled for “pennies on the dollar” or any fixed percentage of your debt. It does not work that way. If they make such a promise to you, gather your papers and look for ethical assistance elsewhere. You deserve good

J Thomas Smith is an attorney, mental health consultant, author and host of “Sunday Morning Live” on KMJQ/ Majic 102.1 (9-11 am). His book, “The Secret to a New Life,” is available through your favorite bookseller or online at www.

TheSecrettoaNewLife.com.

The public was invited to meet with prime contractors who are planning to bid on the last package for the expansion project at Houston Hobby Airport. It was an evening of networking with prime contractors in the areas of mechanical/plumbing, electrical, and fire protection.

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2014

Signature Events

INSPIRE, INFORM & EDUCATE

Now Accepting Nominations e-mail your nominations to operations@d-mars.com

Top 50 Black Professionals & Entrepreneurs

Accepting Nominations for 2015

Top 50 Black Attorneys

Nomination Deadline: 3/31/2014 Event Date: 5/29/2014

Top 25 Prime Contractors for Diversity and Supplier Diversity Champions

Nomination Deadline: 5/16/2014 Event Date: 7/30/2014

Top 50 Black Health, Medical & Wellness Professionals

Nomination Deadline: 7/31/2014 Event Date: 9/25/2014

Top 30 Influential Women of Houston

2014

Nomination Deadline: 4/1/2014 Event Date: 10/2014

Top 50 Black Models/ Celebration of the Year

Nomination Deadline: 9/5/2014 Event Date: 10/25/2014

To advertise in any of the above Signature Events, please e-mail operations@d-mars.com Experience Our World of Advertising Marketing, Media and Communication

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Turning That Mess into a Message: Proud to Be a Professional Speaker

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By Thecia Jenkins Contributing Writer

tanding at the edge of the stage preparing to give my award-winning speech “The Fire Inside,” I surveyed the audience and prayed a silent prayer that my message would ignite life for the person I was sent to inspire. You see, I had realized that I wasn’t just a speaker, I am a messenger.

The message “The Fire Inside” was birthed out of the following messes in my life: molestation at the age of seven, attempted suicide at the age of seven and 12, an abusive marriage, and two divorces. However, it was the mess in my life that served as a catalyst for a spirit of tenacity and a strong belief (faith) that that which does not kill us came to usher us into purpose. As a keynote speaker, per-

sonal development coach and advocate for victims of domestic and sexual violence, today I realize the power of sharing your mess(age).

So my question to you is “what mess have you survived and thrived?” Then you have a message and there is a market for your story; there is a potential client, patient, student or subscriber who is sitting on the fence of greatness waiting to hear

your message – that what they see right now in front of them is not their final destination, the message that this could be the turning point in their career if they just take the leap and bring their best to the interview; the message that they are the perfect candidate for a new test drug on the market. You hold the key with your message – as a speaker, salesperson or company representative.

As a messenger, you are using the mess that life threw at you and turning it into a message of hope, empowerment and decision-making ability for the masses. Here are three steps to create your signature message and motivate your audiences, customers, clients and patients to see the bigger story of their life and choose to engage with you in a business relationship.

Step 1: Write down the events of your life in chronological order, both the challenges and the victories.

Step 2: Review these events and ask what lesson you learned during the times of challenge which moved you toward the moments of victory.

Step 3: Take the lessons learned and release the events; and then weave your story that will now benefit your audience to which you have been called.

Don’t bury your mess, dig it up and find the message of hope in it so you can speak and set people free to live in abundance!

Your mess is meant to be a message.

Speaker | Workshop Facilitator www.theciajenkins.com thecia@theciajenkins.com 281.740.0912

Proud to Be a Service Member

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By Mikal Powers Contributing Writer

mong all of the things I am most proud of, military service is probably one of the greatest. Being able to serve our country is a great honor and for that reason alone, military service is at the top of my list. I am, however, equally as proud to be an educator and work for and graduated from a university that supports many people, including military veterans and working adults, looking to reach the next level in their career.

University of Phoenix was created for the working adult and is geared for those who are balancing work, family and other responsibilities, and need flexibility in their schedules to attend classes and complete coursework. It is extremely important for service members to have a transition plan in place prior to returning to civilian life. According to a University of Phoenix survey, only one-third (33 percent) of service members report hav-

ing made a transition plan for returning to civilian life after separating from the military. To help in this transition, service members need to develop a transition checklist at least two years before they detach from the military. This provides ample time to assess their current experience and education, and determine what skills and courses they need to follow for their chosen career path.

Service members and veterans gain valuable skills and knowledge during the time they serve. However, understanding how the skills gained in the military translate to civilian jobs isn’t always easy. According to the same University of Phoenix survey, eight-in-10 active-duty service members face substantial challenges in looking for jobs and managing their careers. Survey participants specifically report needing help with interviewing (43 percent), networking with other professionals (38 percent), career planning (36 percent), finding available positions (34 percent), connecting with employers (33 percent) and developing resumes and/or cover letters (30 percent).

Therefore, to help transitioning service members, University of Phoenix offers tools through the University’s Phoenix Career Guidance System that are unique to service members. In addition to the Career Interest Profiler that helps career seekers identify their interests and those interests translate into career opportuni-

ties, transitioning service members can use the Military Skills Translator Tool to understand how your job in the military translates to jobs in the civilian sector.

More information can be found at www. phoenix.edu/careergps.

Throughout my educational experience, I was able to connect the dots and put together a plan that compliments my strengths as an individual and a team player.While I am proud of everything I have accomplished during my military service, I am also proud to be an educator at University of Phoenix helping students – including service members and veterans – connect their education to their careers.

Mikal Powers is campus director at University of Phoenix Houston Campus overseeing campus operations. Powers earned a bachelor’s degree in business management and a master’s degree in business administration from University of Phoenix. He spent five years as a Helicopter Search and Rescue Swimmer and Operations Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy. After earning his degree, Powers attended the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and became a reserve officer for South Texas where he is committed to keeping communities safe and assisting residents in need.

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Proud to Be an Entrepreneur and Small Business and Empowerment Coach!

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By Kachelle Kelly Contributing Writer

his month as we celebrate Black History Month, I love having the opportunity to share why I am proud to be a black business owner – especially a small business and empowerment coach – and as an author and speaker to expose my message in a big way. These are amazing times for entrepreneurs. With a wealth of knowledge and support available, one can return to their dreams and go for them like never before. I am so proud for the opportunity to do what I love and what I believe is my gift to this world as my profession. As entrepreneurs, we are able to create, innovate and explore ways to not only make our lives better, but for our family and those whom we service.

I am excited each day by the creative freedom I have to grow my business and to truly leave a legacy in this world. My greatest joys as an entrepreneur is my contribution in helping everyday people tap into their greatness to build profitable businesses that matter – to provide them with the resources, strategies and support to live out loud and make money while they do so! There are so many amazing success stories of entrepreneurs that continue to empower me to continue on my journey. The mere fact these successes began with an idea and belief in one’s self is an incredible stride, especially in the African American culture – a culture where we are mainly taught to go to school (college, at best) and set out for a job. And if we followed this plan, in some cases we were considered above average.

We now have the opportunity to make more money than our parents’ combined!

But it is an achievement that first begins with a mindset shift, in the way we see ourselves, others and our potential. To think, not too many years ago, equality was our biggest hurdle. Now, we are able to use life as a canvas to create endless possibilities.

African Americans continue to raise the bar in business, but are not celebrated enough. Sadly, we have transformed into a culture that praises the reality TV star and those whose troubles play out in the media. We know the names of these celebrities, their kids’ names and relatives.

So in closing, I would like to pay homage in this article to the top 20 African American CEOs in which we should celebrate for their amazing achievements.

These are the names we should familiarize ourselves with as entrepreneurs in which we can gain inspiration from as African

Americans.

1. Jan Adams, JMA Solutions Adams founded JMA in 2005 following 24 years of service in the United States Air Force. Her vision has fueled JMA's growth into the #125 ranking in the 2012 Inc. Magazine 5000, including the #1 ranking in Washington, D.C. The company provides financial management, IT services, systems and concept engineering and program management to the federal government.

2. Joseph B. Anderson, TAG Holdings, LLC A former General Motors executive, Anderson is the CEO of the Troy, Mich.based TAG Holdings, whose subsidiaries include Korean and Chinese plumbing ceramics makers, automobile wheel-assembly suppliers and warehouse services.

2010 revenues were over $700 million.

3. William Bailey, Rapier Solutions William Bailey is a former veteran who founded Rapier in 2002. The IT Company is based in Matthews, N.C. and landed a spot at #139 in the 2012 Inc. Magazine 5000 rankings. 2011 revenues were $3.6 million.

4. Oprah Winfrey, Oprah Winfrey Network This list wouldn't be complete without television's greatest female personality, Oprah Winfrey. Once told that she would never be fit for a presence on TV, Oprah has created a niche in the daily lives of millions of people and has spun gold from her success. She currently sits as the CEO of the Oprah Winfrey Network, a joint venture between her former Harpo Productions and Discovery Communications.

With a personal estimated net worth of $2.8 billion, Oprah finds herself at #168 in the richest people in the United States, #151 on the Forbes 500, #2 in the Celebrity 100 and #1 in TV/Radio. Oprah Winfrey also landed herself on the cover of Forbes magazine in September 2012 with Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.

5. Ulysses Bridgeman, Bridgeman Foods Inc. The former NBA 12-year veteran heads up the $500 million Manna Inc. and ERJ Inc., which combine to form one of the largest restaurateurs in the nation. Bridgeman manages more than 320 restaurants, including 163 Wendy’s and 120 Chili's, the latter operated by Brinker International.

6. Ursula M. Burns, Xerox Corporation The document management giant Xerox is run by Ursula Burns, who became the first woman to head a Fortune 500 company in 2009.

7. Kenneth I. Chenault, American Express Chenault has been the CEO of American Express since 2001. The Long Island

native has led the Fortune 500 (#95) corporation through unprecedented growth, with 2012 revenues totaling $33.80 billion. Chenault heads over 63,000 employees.

8. Roger W. Ferguson, Jr., TIAACREF The former Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Ferguson is a Washington, D.C. native who took over as CEO of retirement provider TIAA-CREF in 2008.

TIAA-CREF is ranked #88 in the Fortune 500.

9. Kenneth C. Frazier, Merck & Co., Inc. The Philadelphia native became the head of pharmaceutical giant Merck in 2011. That year, revenues totaled $48 billion for Merck, which possesses a #57 ranking in the Fortune 500 and employs 86,000 people.

10. Ronald Hall, Sr., Bridgewater Interiors Bridgewater has been one of the nation's leading auto parts suppliers since its 1998 inception. The Detroit-bred CEO of the company, Ronald Hall, Sr., has led its growth, which included $1.6 billion in revenues in 2011. Its leading customers include General Motors and Ford.

11. Janice Bryant Howroyd, ACT-1 Group The North Carolina-native runs a billion dollar enterprise in ACT-1, which is now the nation's largest woman- and minority-owned employment services company in the US. ACT-1 is a specialized staffing company.

12. Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Magic Johnson Enterprises Highlighted by his recent $50 million stake in the purchase of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Johnson's eponymous enterprise owns a series of movie theaters, restaurants and health clubs across the country. More recently, the company has gotten involved in real estate development. The company's 2012 worth totaled $700 million.

13. Robert L. Johnson, The RLJ Companies Johnson was the former head of Black Entertainment Television (BET) before it was swallowed up by Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB). Johnson's kept plenty of skin in the game, however, founding the RLJ Companies, an asset management firm with an inkling for discovering undiscovered or undeserved markets. Johnson's private equity real funds have over $2 billion in combined assets and nearly $4 billion in additional purchasing power.

14. Kamoru Lawal, CAMAC Lawal runs the Houston-based CAMAC Energy, a major oil and gas company involved in exploration, development and production, founded in 1986. The Nigerian-born, American-raised CEO of CAMAC has operations in Nigeria and

China. The company's annual revenue in 2010 totaled $1.5 billion.

15. Alex & Feysan Lodde, MV Transportation, Inc. The Fairfield, Calif.-based company led by the husband-and-wife team of Alex and Feysan Lodde is the nation's largest privately held passenger transportation contracting firm. Established in 1975, the company's revenue crossed the $700 million mark in 2010.

16. Harold F. Mills, ZeroChaos ZeroChaos is a contractor for employers, offering professional pay-rolling, risk management and private label sourcing, among other services. Led by Harold Mills, the Orlando-based company raked in annual sales of $700 million in 2010. Mills was previously an executive at Ameritech.

17. Clarence Otis, Jr., Darden Restaurants, Inc. Darden Restaurants (NYSE: DRI) is one of the nation's largest restaurateurs and Clarence Otis is its CEO. With a rank of #342 in the Fortune 500 and 2012 revenues of $7.6 billion, the Otisled company owns Olive Garden, Red Lobster, LongHorn Steakhouse and other chains, employing over 178,000 people as of 2011.

18. Jim Reynolds, Loop Capital Reynolds is one of the biggest AfricanAmericans in investment management today. His Chicago-based international investment banking and brokerage firm, Loop Capital, has grown by leaps and bounds, becoming the sixth largest municipal underwriter in the country.

19. David L. Steward, World Wide Technology Inc. The Stewart-led World Wide Technology Inc. offers a variety of technology products and financial services. Founded in 1990, the Maryland Heights, Mo.based firm reached revenues of $3.2 billion in 2010.

20. Don Thompson, McDonald's A Chicago native, Thompson became the CEO of McDonald's in 2012. He is a former electric engineer who first started at the fast-food giant designing robotic equipment and control circuits for transport and cooking. He was previously a fighter jet maker at Northrop Grumman. In 2012, McDonald's revenues were $27.5 billion and the company was ranked #107 in the Fortune 500.

(Resource: (c) 2014 Benzinga.com.)

There are so many other private companies that comprise of thriving entrepreneurs. I encourage you to research these companies this month and continue to allow them to be your compass for growth in your respective field. I salute these shining examples for their strides in business!

If you too would like to be proud of your business, please contact Kachelle Kelly at kk@kachellekelly.com for coaching services.

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Are You Sabotaging Your Own Financial Success? Part 1

A

By Lonnie Mathews Contributing Writer

quote reads: “Your thoughts become your words; your words become your actions; your actions become your habits; your habits become your character and your character determines your success.” As I read this quote for the umpteenth time, I cannot help but to think about how this simple quote sums up the financial lives of most people.

You see I have determined that your financial success or failure today is the result of the financial decisions you made in the past and the habits that you have developed thus far. I know that may sound a little selfrighteous, but it is true. While I may consider myself an expert in matters of personal finance today, I have not always made good financial decisions. What I can say is that most people want to be successful in every aspect of their lives—especially financially. Let’s face it. No one ever says that they would like to someday be to the point where they are deep in debt and living from paycheck to paycheck, but it happens more times than not.

So how does the tragedy that plagues most American families happen? What is the root cause of the epidemic of bankruptcy and financial failure that is so rampant in our society? Is it the current system that is in place? My

answer is no. As you can tell by the title of this article, I believe that most people are the blame for their own current and their future financial success. So my question is: are you sabotaging your own future financial success; are you keeping yourself from being the best that you can be financially; or are you somehow the victim of a system that is not designed to allow you to get ahead?

When it comes to achieving financial success, the habits that you have developed are why you are where you

are today. I often share during one of my financial classes a memory that I have of my grandfather and me sitting on his front porch. I was telling him about how I was going to buy this item and buy that item, and how I was going to use a credit card to get the things that I wanted.

Papa (my grandfather) turned to me and said, “listen, what you need to remember is that you should always set a little money aside whenever you get money because you never know what’s going to happen.” In other words, I need to make sure that I saved money whenever I get money.

What a novel idea! You mean that I should not spend every dime that I make? You mean I should exercise some discipline with my money and I should not spend money that I do not have? It was such simple advice, which could not be the key to financial success. After all, you are supposed to use other people’s money (OPM) to get ahead, so I thought. Today my views have changed, and they are now in line with what Papa was trying to tell me so many years ago. That is why I am asking the question, do you have a habit of saving? The simple act of setting a small portion of any money you receive aside puts a hedge between you and life.

During any given day we make several financial decisions; the result of these decisions takes us either closer to financial success or further away from it. The key is to make more decisions that take you closer to success and make less of the decisions that do not. By making the decision to save a portion of your income, you are setting yourself up for financial success. By not saving, you are sabotaging your financial future. Having a savings account with money in it empowers you to make better decisions when you are faced with a financial crisis.

I think I will stop there and allow you some time to think about what I have written. Next month, in part two of this article I will share with you some specific ways that most people are sabotaging their own financial success with some of the decisions that they make every day. Until then, spend some time looking at the current financial habits that you have developed over the years.

Lonnie R. Mathews wrote this article for the Who’s Minding Your Money blog. Lonnie is an author and speaker in the area of personal finance. To learn more about Lonnie or to contact him visit http://www.lonniemathews.com

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To register for whole series or individual workshops go to WWW.MARSHALLYOURMONEY.COM - Ph.(832)740-4148

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