Game Changers: The Conscious Culture Men With Vision 2020 Edition | Page 23

We all have something that holds us
back and keeps us from fulfilling our
potential. Maybe it’s a teacher who said
you’d never amount to anything, so you
grew up thinking you’re not good
enough, or a parent who told you not to
chase your dreams and to get a ‘real
job’, so you limit yourself to a sheltered
life. These narratives can prevent us
from living a life we deserve, and affect
how much action we take in life, and
ultimately our results. Knowing your story
is the first step towards conquering it.
When it comes to your story, What would
you say is holding you back?
In the past, I have had the tendency to
procrastinate. Procrastination and doing
things at the last minute can definitely hold
you back.
So, at the end of the day I think
that, the only thing that has held me back
was myself. And procrastination has been a
a huge aspect of the things that have held
me back and cause me to not accomplish
certain goals.
In general, women want men to be
leaders. They want someone tall,
masculine, intelligent, and decisive. They
want him to be a passionate captain of
industry —   a man who can hold a room
with his charisma, tell a story that makes
your sides split, and can bring home the
bacon as well.  That alpha male is very
attractive and most women are
attracted to him. The glitch is that this
man is not looking for a woman who’s
just like him. That tends to be the big
blind spot for many intelligent,
successful women. What would you say
are the most Important Qualities/Traits
you  value in a woman?
And that goes back to self-reflection
because you need to know the kind of
individual that you are. Who are you
truly? You have to internally find out
what your pros are, what your cons are.
Find out what you like and dislike. Take
time to discover who you are in order to
find out what you truly need. Because a
woman who is an alpha woman, saying
they want an alpha male may actually
be misguided, because those individuals
won’t fit.
What they may need is
someone that will bring balance, and
that may not be an alpha male.
By now you’ve had a vast amount of
experience in each aspect of your life. You
have had the opportunity to explore what
you want in your career, with partners,
where you want to live, what you want to
spend your time doing and what makes
you feel alive. Marriage is something most
people won’t even question, however high
achievers tend to be the ones who
question it. With all that you have
experienced, Do you believe marriage is
for you and why or why not?
Marriage is definitely for me, at minimum
companionship. I think we were put on this
earth to be with someone and I think
marriage for me, as a Christian male, is the
cornerstone in building my own family. So,
that is what I would love to have. I think
finding someone that could be a definite
support system, not necessarily financially,
but supportive of you and believing in you
and you believe in that individual. I think
that is the key to happiness and the key to
success. When all the money goes away, all
the fame goes away, the cameras stop
flashing, and you are sitting on the porch
with a glass of tea that is who is going to
They would have to be ambitious, outgoing,
down to earth, trustworthy and supportive.
Also being conscious of their health. But
overall, being someone that is able to look
into the mirror and like who they see looking
be beside you. And I don’t think anybody
wants to do that alone. Well not me.
As a successful businessman, what
was the most difficult obstacle that you
had to overcome in order to be where
you are today?
That’s easy. As an alpha male/
dominant male of a large physical
stature, I had to overcome stereotypical
thinking. I was an athlete, so
being referred to as a dumb jock, those
thinking I wasn't smart enough to take
this class, not smart enough to get into
law school, not smart enough to pass
the bar. I graduated from law school
and looked a certain way. When it came
to interviews for jobs, I think as a black
male, there was a racial stigma and a
lot of stereotypes associated with who I
was before I even opened my mouth.
Obviously, I have long locs right now
and people still look at me and say, “I
wouldn’t hire an attorney with locs”.
There are times I walk into a
courtroom and people will look at me
and ask me “Where is your attorney?”
I
have faced numerous obstacles but I
think the stereotypes, especially being a
black male of a certain physical stature,
a certain look, as it relates to hair or
otherwise,
I think those are some of the
obstacles that I have faced and
continue to face.
According to this campaign, Men
With Vision are visionaries that have
influenced their community, impacted
their culture and somehow changed
the game. In your own words, What
does it mean to be a Man with Vision?
A man with vision is cognitive of what
goes on in society and the world they
live in. All the way from the high end of
the presidency to the what is going on
outside your very door. An individual
who is willing and able to make an
What is your personal definition of success?
How did you know when you achieved it?
impact wherever they can or that they
have any type of influence in as it
relates to our culture, business,
back. I think that sometimes self-reflection is
the key to progression and a lot of times Obviously, success is subjective as you education. A man with vision can listen
individuals need to self-reflect, especially as relate it to each individual. I think that to all sides of an issue and assist in
it relates to relationships. So, those are some success, for me, is a stepping stone type some way, shape, or form when they
of the key traits that I would want in a process. More so like a pyramid. I have have the ability to do so. We are here to
woman. achieved many goals, but I also have many help each other. At the end of the day,
goals I still want to achieve. Therefore, being an impact on someone else’s life
I believe it is true that alpha male doesn’t someone on the outside looking in, they can to the extent that even when you’re not
necessarily want someone with the exact say I am successful, but I can say I have around, they can remember you and the
same traits because they will bump heads. In more steps to go and I don’t know if I will things you taught them and the way you
a relationship, the two are supposed to fit ever reach the top in my mind. I think I am helped them.
together like Lego pieces and you build on the type of individual that once I reach a have a long lasting effect which can
that. I'm not saying they can't have some of certain goal, I will continue to strive to also cause someone to positively impact
the same traits or qualities, but they may find achieve more and go higher. I think as it someone else.
it challenging if they have the same traits in relates to success, in business, once you legacy that will live forever through
the same areas. You can both be strong accomplish your first set of goals, then your other people even when you are no
willed. You can both be ambitious.  You can second set comes into play, and so on. Also, longer here because of what you did
both be all of those things individually, but you can show others how to be successful when when you were.
when it comes to the relationship, it is and help better build their business. Again, important to balance each-other out. So that Success is subjective. And it’s incredibly may mean understanding that you may need centric to happiness. So if you are happy, to fall back in certain categories and vice you are successful.
That positive impact can
So you can create a
versa.
GAME CHANGERS MAGAZINE    |    23