there, as he tells in his own words how his
journey began.
HimPower: Marion, we know there’s
always a story behind the story. What can
you tell us about yours?
Marion Brooks: My mother was a single
parent with three children. My father had 11
children by 10 different women. My grand-
parents took in my sisters, brother and me
and raised us. I remember one time, there
were some people over visiting and I over-
heard one of them ask about my parents.
When they told them whose child I was,
I heard them say, “Oh, he doesn’t have a
chance; he’ll never be anything.” I went into
another room and was crying. My grand-
mother came and asked me what I was
crying about. I told her I didn’t want to get
in trouble but I heard what they said about
me and I didn’t understand why they said
it. I asked if it was something I had done to
make them say that. My grandmother said,
‘You know, people will put their limitations
on you, but it only matters if you accept
them.’ She told me, ‘There are no limits on
anything you want to be. The only limits
are the ones you accept. I’m a black woman
born in 1915 and I went to college. You’re
going to go to college and far beyond”.
HimPower: If you had to pick one person
who has most influenced your life and the
man you have become, who would it be and
why?
Marion Brooks: My grandmother. She
supported and encouraged me in many
ways, and gave me my example of the value
of investing in people. You also have to
22 HimPower January/February 2019
invest in yourself.
HimPower: You have certainly proven
the naysayers wrong and live a remarkable
life. What have you done that gives you the
greatest sense of accomplishment?
Marion Brooks: When people ask me of
everything you have accomplished, what do
you consider to be the greatest things? My
response is, “I’m the father to four girls. My
sister was a single mom. I was sixteen when
my oldest niece was born. I became a father
to her three girls, and I have my biolog-
ical daughter. When my sister talks about
how much I’ve done for them, I tell her it’s
because she was my biggest supporter and
advocate when I was growing up.
HimPower: How do you manage to be
a good father to four girls with such a busy
schedule?
Marion Brooks: It’s an amazing journey.
My daughter is the youngest of the four and
she is so amazing about sharing her daddy
with her cousins because she saw how things
were. They’re like sisters. And she’s so benev-
olent. I was doing some executive coaching
and reflective coaching with her. I asked her
what she liked most and least about me as a
father. She said what she liked most was that
I treat the other girls just like I treat her.
She’s 21 and will be graduating this year.
She majored in business, but she is in love
with photography. So, I’m connecting her
with some people we know.
HimPower: You’ve built an amazing
career jet-setting all over the world, holding
positions not commonly held by African
Americans. Yet, you decided to give up the