Intro Video

“Success to me is simply being happy with myself and doing more good than evil along the way. Although we all have various lofty professional and personal goals, in the end, what matters is being pleased with the man in the mirror. When it's all said and done, I would hope that success for me includes a feeling of true self-actualization and fulfillment accompanied by the financial freedom, soundness of body and mind, and personal wisdom to control my daily destiny.”
-- Kwame Jackson 2004

Topics:

• Diversity, When to take a Risk (career planning), The Black Male Question,
• The Graduate School Process, Fortune 500's, Entrepreneurship,
• Motivation, Internships to Employment, Managing your Manager, Accountability,
• Overcoming life's obstacles (dealing with tragedy)
• Inside Wall St. , Investing/Global Financial Markets, Consumer Products Industry
• Surviving and Thriving in Corporate America (avoiding layoffs)
• Climbing the Corporate ladder
• Working for Trump -- What's it like?
• Giving Back (being involved in our communities)

Programs:

• Lessons from the Boardroom
• Team Building -- "Working and playing well with others"
• The Power of Diversity
• Keys to Success -- "Believing in yourself"
• Inside Wall St. – “Surviving Boot Camp”

Affiliations/Experience:

• Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
• Inroads (National Minority Internship Program)
• Procter & Gamble
• Goldman Sachs & Co.
• 2 Startup Dotcoms
• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Harvard Business School
• National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD): Series 7, 3, 66
• TEAK Fellowship (Mentor)
• Posse Scholars Program (Advisor)

Special Focus Area/Audiences:

• Overcoming Minority issues in Corporate America
• Motivation for: Interns, Students, Employees
• For Senior Executives: How to understand your minority employees/colleagues

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Example Outline

Introduction:

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I. My story

How did I get to this podium today?

Family, College, Career, Show background

II. Why "Lessons from the Boardroom"
-Explanation of metaphor and theme. Relevance to professionals.

10 Lessons:

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1. NO FEAR
    - Look him in his eyes

2. BE ACCOUNTABLE
    - Don't twist the truth

3. NEVER FORGET THE TEAM
    - Business, Family, Friends...know who got you here
    - Back people up and spread the credit, not the blame

4. TAKE CALCULATED RISK - "Wait for your pitch!"
    - Decision process for leaving comfortable Wall St. for the Show
    - Go with your gut, and have logic train to back it up
    - "Get busy living or Get busy Dying"
    - "Ships are meant for Sailing"
    - Career/life planning, Don't be afraid to go for what you want!

5. STRAIGHT TALK - "CANDID DIPLOMACY"
    - Call them like you see them!

6. BE YOURSELF
    - I hate fake people!
    - Do what's important to you, not anyone else
    - Prove things to yourself, not anyone else

7. LEADERS ARE NOT ALWAYS OUT IN FRONT
    - Under the Radar?
    - Play your position..identify your strengths and weaknesses and act accordingly
    - NC Fellows Program to HBS transformation...From College to Career

8. KNOW WHEN TO SHUT UP
    - Two ears and one mouth, use them in proportion
    - NC Fellows Program to HBS transformation...From College to Career (continued)
    - Listen, Observe, Process, Act

9. PLAN YOUR WORK & WORK YOUR PLAN
    - Have a road map
    - Get smart people, smarter than you, put them in the right place, and get the hell out of the way
    - Know what you want out of life
    - Definition of your Dream "What you would do every morning if no one paid you"

10. STAY POSITIVE & PERSEVERE
    - Life is not what happens to you but how you react
    - Overcoming tragedy     -     - Mother's Death
    - Overcoming the men's losing streak to stay focused
    - Where God closes a door, he opens a window, just look for the draft


Q&A