Lesson 10: Community
“Raised by Women” by Kelly Norman Ellis is a poem that speaks to my experience growing up with my mom, grandmother and big sister. These Black women built up my confidence in both my intelligence and my ability to lead. Community is about both receiving support and giving back. Having people, like the women who raised me, is important because they teach you to walk upright in this world.
The Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition community has already begun to support me on this journey. I found a group of Black and Latinx MBA students interested in ETA, and I asked someone in this group for advice on how to explain to an investor my idea for acquiring a business. She shared an example of an investment thesis to pitch an industry for investment. I was reminded of the power of asking for help. Piece by piece, my community prepares me to acquire a business.
As the great philosopher Nipsey Hussle once said, “How long ‘til opportunity meets preparation?” As I prepare for the opportunities ahead, my community offers me resources, coaching, counsel, and encouragement. Seeking support has always been my secret sauce for success. No one becomes successful on their own, so I appreciate the role my community plays in my success.
Community is not just about receiving support, but also about giving back. My vision is to leverage my influence as a Black business leader to pursue economic justice. Economic justice involves opening doors for wealth creation in marginalized communities. The construction industry will need 546,000 additional men and women to meet forecasted demand. The Black community can benefit from this demand with proper training and access to these jobs. However, economic empowerment requires more than jobs in skilled trade; it also involves becoming business owners, investors and other roles of influence. Access to these positions helps build a community that enables me to pursue economic justice. The women who raised me instilled the importance of giving back to my community, and ETA is one way I plan to do so.
Community is Lesson 10. Next week, I will share Lesson 11: Learning.
