Paying it FORWARD

As 2022 draws to a close, I’m thinking about legacy – something we leave behind for future generations. It could be a house, cash, jewelry, stocks and bonds, et cetera. Legacy needn’t be a noun or a thing; it could also be something that we leave behind that could and should enrich future generations, such as providing counsel and/or advice to others. There’s the old adage, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” I love this quote because it inspires helping others acquire skills that translate into nourishment and sustainability. Isn’t that what we want for our community?

Imagine if you could go back in time and speak to yourself at 30 years old. What advice would you give? What mistakes would you try to avoid or fix?

One of my favorite questions when I’m listening to speakers and panelists relates to giving advice to your younger self. The answers are always so revealing and interesting.

If I go back 25 years during the same period of time when our founders organized the 100 Black Men of Greater Cleveland, I would give a young Chris the following advice:

1. Acquire as many certifications and licenses

as possible related to your career

2. Join professional & personal organizations

3. Find a Sponsor, Advocate or Mentor (S.A.M.)

Acquire as many certifications & licenses as possible in your career

Before I started my journey as a business owner and an entrepreneur, I worked for several Fortune 500 companies initially as a Systems’ Analyst and later as a Business Analyst. My job, in part, was to work with the company’s leadership team to successfully manage projects and make sure that the projects met predefined budgets and guidelines. During this period, I had the opportunity to attend many conferences and attain some professional certifications. I could have done a lot more! Fast forward to the present day. It is vital and important to invest in myself and my staff. It encourages employees to work harder knowing that they are appreciated and valued. Those skills that they learn are valuable to my company but even more valuable as they grow in their own professions. As you increase your professional work experience and begin your entrepreneurial journey, you will increase your value inside the company, while enhancing your skillset. This will directly result in higher wages and salaries, promotions, consulting fees at your current employer, and with your future customers.

Join professional & personal organizations

I have always been very civically engaged even as a kid. My parents made sure that we volunteered and helped those less fortunate than ourselves. We served dinners to the homeless in church and in our Boy Scout Troop, we helped seniors at assisted living homes. We donated to shelters, foster and adoption agencies and gave whenever we could. As a young man, my service waned. I convinced myself that as I was building my business all that other stuff would have to wait. Nothing was more important than work. Boy was I wrong. As I became more experienced in my professional life, I’ve changed my mindset, and my life changed as well. As I started to pick up the pace and become more involved, I started to mentor young people by reading and volunteering in several schools and was involved in several informal mentor-protégé programs. The beauty of joining professional and personal organizations such as the 100 Black Men is you start meeting like-minded people.

A Fortune 500 company executive approached my company and asked if we were able to work with them on a national and global basis after we had worked on several projects locally. That question had me pondering “How could my company provide that service to their other locations?” The answer was simple: partnering through strategic alliances. As a member of several national organizations, I discovered and eventually partnered with other similarly yoked and like-minded business owners. Those business owners had the same aspirations to scale their companies. Joining other organizations has not only helped my business but has allowed me to help others more intentionally. “If you want a blessing, be a blessing!”

Find A Sponsor, Advocate or Mentor (S.A.M.)

As a sponsor, advocate or mentor, you have a unique opportunity to take someone of the next generation and help guide them on their path. We can do this by seeing the potential in others and being willing to vouch for them in rooms or meetings where they may not have access. As an advocate, you could act as an ambassador, a friend, a mentor, a partner, a strategist, and a trusted advisor. Help lead others down a successful path – because we’re in this race together.

A mentor can be an established person in your company, in your network, in your region that relates to you personally and is willing to give you advice, counsel, and strategies to help you grow both personally and professionally. Whereas a sponsor accepts a similar role, but they also speak up for you, and advocate for you when you’re not in the room. Basically, someone that vouches for you.

In many cases this person is one in the same. That’s what I love about being a member of the 100 Black Men; there are so many other members who are in different stages of their career. We glean from each other because “iron sharpens iron”!

Building on the Legacy

In the end, I’m thankful for the foresight and forward thinking that our founders had when The 100 Black Men of Greater Cleveland was launched 25 years ago. As we move into new waters and create and strengthen our communities, we should never forget our reason for being: encouraging young people to build upon the legacy. How do we meld the energy of our youth with the wisdom and history of the founders? What can we pour into our young, energetic and up and coming youth?

All I know is that it’s tough to do it alone. That’s why I advocate for us all to partner and create strategic alliances, joint ventures and partnering opportunities. There’s a saying that goes, “If you want to go fast go alone, but if you want to go far, go with a group.” We all have skills that differentiate us from others. Partnering adds a level of completeness that will lift us all. No matter if you’re new in your career, new to your company or anywhere in between you have the unique opportunity to affect change as a S.A.M. Because what they see is what they will be!

So, what’s stopping you? What’s stopping us? Absolutely nothing. Technology has afforded us a unique opportunity to allow us to connect and grow together. There is no perfect path to success. There are many roads, but the path starts with reaching back and helping others such as our founders did for us, and their forefathers did for them. Lift as you climb will change the ecosystem of our communities for generations to come.

I would tell young Chris that “We stand on the shoulders of those before us!” So do your part today and Pay it Forward!

Chris is president of Howse Solutions, LLC, and has spent a career solving critical business processes. Read more at www.howsebytes.com