It’s 2021, and you’re looking for new and creative ways to thrive while staying focused on finding fulfillment every day.
You know it’s too easy to let your ambition get ahead of enjoying what you’ve created and loving the process. You’re also looking to have a positive impact in the lives of the people you love and leave a legacy that proves to you, it was all worth it in the end.
I, too, am on that journey, which has compelled me to give back through this publication, the content I’m producing on the various social media channels, and the different courses and investments I’m curating for 2021. This year is going to be big for us here at Brandon Green Chapter 2 Ventures. So, let’s get started.
In this newsletter, I share my recent interview with Jacqui McGovern, a licensed senior social worker who, earlier this year, became an entrepreneur and founded Mind Ed Training, an organization that provides businesses with interactive wellness workshop modules. I talked to her about what brought her to entrepreneurism, what the process of launching a business in 2020 has been like, and how it’s going so far with Mind Ed. The stress in our lives and in our companies is real, and she’s an excellent resource to bring to your team to learn some practical ways to focus on self-care.
For the first time in seven months, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported significant losses in the labor market, totaling 140,000 for the month of December. Most of the losses landed in the leisure and hospitality industry, which is likely a product of increased Covid safety measures as the pandemic worsened, such as the closing of bars and prohibiting indoor dining. Other industries at lower risk of pandemic-forced closure, however, made slight gains.
While the balance of jobs lost to jobs gained for the month was 140,000, an in-depth analysis done by the National Women’s Law Center paints a slightly more nuanced picture: Women lost 156,000 jobs in December, while men gained 16,000. In other words, women—specifically Black and Latina women—accounted for all of the month’s job losses. According to the NWLC’s analysis, the unemployment rate for Black women is now at 8.4%, and for Latina women, at 9.1%. By comparison, that number for women overall is 6.3%. The unemployment rate for white men remains at 5.8%.
The takeaways…
While certain industries are recovering somewhat steadily (if slowly), the industries and demographics hit worst by the pandemic are still the worst off, which is further entrenching inequalities that have long been in the workforce. The new federal stimulus package and acceleration of the vaccine rollout may provide some hope for a pick-up in economic recovery, but it will take considerable and deliberate measures on all fronts to recover the losses for women of color.
How many of you opted out of college?
We tend to put a lot of emphasis on the necessity of a college education to have a successful career. For some, that may be true. But when I graduated high school, I knew college wasn’t for me. I was restless to travel, so I went on tour with the musical troupe Up with People for two years instead. After that experience, I still didn’t want to go school. I moved to the East Coast and got a job, finding quickly that I was good with people—one skill that helped move my career forward without a degree. In the end, I never went to college, and my career turned out just fine. In fact, better than fine—it’s been fantastic.
As I told Dr. Trevor Blattner on a recent episode of his podcast, Redefining the Top 1%, not every path requires a college degree. Tune in to hear our discussion on finding success through persistence, not pedigree, as well as my current vision for helping aspiring entrepreneurs on their own paths to success.
Jacqui McGovern has been a friend of mine for a good long time. We had the pleasure of traveling together in the mid-90s with an international musical organization called Up with People and have stayed in touch ever since.
She’s recently transitioned from working as a clinical social worker in Ireland to founding and running a mental health training company, Mind Ed. So, I called her up to discuss the process of launching her own business, orienting herself to her passions, and figuring out how she create a new chapter in her life—all in 2020 no less. Watch or read our full interview here.
– January 2021 –
Over the course of my career, I’ve learned a few things about how to be a successful leader and entrepreneur. This year, I started to share those things more broadly, and there are 10 insights that really seemed to resonate with others. I hope you’ll find them helpful.
Here are 10 entrepreneurship and leadership insights for a better 2021:
It doesn’t matter where you start. Companies, decision-makers, and leaders value effort far more than they value the bullet points on your resume. If you’re talented and willing to put in the work, sooner or later, somebody will notice.
Great leaders don’t just seek the perspective of their teams—they value it. You have to be willing to both listen and endeavor to understand your team’s feedback.
We overvalue accolades. Success isn’t about how many gold stars you’ve collected. It’s about your ability to find opportunity and bounce back when things go sideways.
Find someone who can motivate you. In a mentor, a business partner, a teammate—whoever it is, if you have someone to inspire you and keep you going, the rest will fall into place.
Profit and loss statements are hugely useful tools. You can gain valuable insights to reduce expenses and increase your prosperity simply by reviewing your profit and loss statement every month.
You have to plant a lot of seeds. As much as it is about quality, it’s also about quantity and most people underestimate that. Plant a lot of seed, most won’t germinate, but those that do will most likely outperform and make it all worth it.
Leading successfully means finding balance. Ambition, teamwork, ego, and humility—we all have different ratios.
Take time for yourself. I’m serious about this. Your energy can’t be second to everything and everyone else if you and expect to be at your best.
Know when to back off. I heard a great saying recently, “Don’t just do something, sit there.” I like how that reminds us pushing is good but sometimes you need to let momentum kick in.
You are enough. Especially if you’re “your own worst enemy” consider giving yourself some more grace and kindness. It goes a long way to increasing happiness day to day.
I thought I’d share a few books from the essential, go-to list I keep behind me in my home office at all times. The list has changed over time, though there are a few that have been on there for years. Here are the 3 most timeless pieces in the lineup:
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. A classic on understanding how financial resources are created. It’s been on my list since I read it for the first time more than 10 years ago.
Life and Work Principles by Ray Dalio. This will take you forever to read, and it’s more of a course manual than a book. I keep it there as a constant reminder of the principles and as inspiration for writing my own book of principles someday.
For something deep and existential, I recommend Power vs. Force by David R. Hawkins to understand humanity at another level. Go big or go home on that one.
Wealth Building Intensive Built the net worth you’re proud of! (…and might brag about over a glass of red)
It’s overwhelming to tackle wealth building. And it was for me for many years before I started to take responsibility for my finances and learn how to grow my profitability for real. Since I learned, I’ve been obsessed with sharing that expertise with others, and in this new, 12-week wealth building intensive, I’ll work with a select group of highly committed individuals to help them get out of overwhelm, identify their issues, and get into action using a step-by-step process to build sustainable wealth.
Don’t sign up to play, sign up to work—and make 2021 your most financially successful year yet. The work begins in February.
Learn more and sign up here.
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