Black In Business

Many of us have heard the story of Farrah Gray. His success is an unbelievable example of having a gift, passion and a unrelenting drive for a better life. This young man knew in Jr high school he was gifted and wanted much success.
If you are not aware of his remarkable story, stop right now and follow his link to learn how to find riches.
Dr. Gray speaks of success and uses one of my main motivators as a example of self motivation when he shares this, “with three qualities of success that are logical thinking, analytical ability and never say die attitude, I believe positive thinking… if somebody else can do it, you can too is a powerful internal motivator.”
To find out more, GET RICH

We have less hope today than 20 years ago. There is an obvious rise in hatred toward black Americans and what is stunning; there is no shame in the game of the haters. It has become fashionable to be racist by nature. We see discrimination in housing, restaurants, employment and even catch hell driving to work.
This week we learned the wage gap between whites and blacks continue to grow. White female income grew substantiality while black men loss income. The angry white males held ground in income growth and their anger over programs meant to even the playing field has benefited their families as their wives, sisters and mother entered the work force and have seen meteoric rise to their incomes.
I am sharing a link to USA today, proclaiming a more pessimistic outlook of future for black Americans. There was a time we were glad to be able sit on the front row of the bus, live in a formally forbidden neighborhood and work next to Mr. Charlie. Some of us were excited to share the bed of Mr. Charlie’s woman and not fear getting lynched.
We want more and we want to share in the economic pie, we start behind with little or no family wealth passed on. All we ask is an opportunity to be treated as the constitution says, “All men are created equal,” That is prior to the point about being 3 fifths of a man.
Visit the link and review the survey but keep in mind, it is what it is.
We must find a way in an unfair and racist society to master our own destiny. We have success stories in our race; some have been reviewed in blackinbusiness. We have to find role models and inspiration to drive us to over come all odds. Think if one can make why not me, why not all. We are a powerful people. Our time has come. It is ok the understand the reality, as evidence by the pessimistic future polls, but we have an obligation to look for a way to win!! We can, let keep hope alive!

Aids are of interest to me because of my health care business background. Today we learned of 4 organ recipients have been confirmed as HIV positive. This is big and worrisome news for Doctors and patients both. Our nation’s blood supply has been protected since March of 1985 when the blood supply first started for the antibody HTLV-III. The current antibody test is for HIV.
We now have ability to test for the Virus as well as the antibody and our blood supply is extremely safe. However as the horrific news from Chicago points out, there is still risk. There is a lag time for the virus to rise and be detectable prior to the antibody to be measurable. If the donor just contacted the virus in the last weeks of his life, it is very possible his blood work would indicate negative to the antibody, and the virus had not risen as well.
Although this is not great news to receive as a recipient, perhaps the donated organ will still save and extend your life with proper medical intervention.
As black Americans, we now represent over 50 % of new aids cases even though we are only 13% of the population. Many of us engage in high risk life styles ; including but not limited to, multiple sex partners, down low sex, sex without protection, and drug abuse including shared needles. Way down on the list would be blood transfusions or organ recipients
There is a national quilt being made to honor people whom have died from complications involved in being stricken with the AIDS virus. Of the names being honored only 1% are black people. There is a movement to add more black names to the list. This is a worthy effort.
The purpose of this post is to bring attention to a medical situation that can be a source of opportunity for black business people or students. Science is an exciting field, and jobs exist for researchers, nurses, doctors social workers, laboratory workers, sales people, managers, business owners and for me recruiters. If you are considering a career that can put you in a position to help black people, and earn well, look at the options the science of AIDS can provide.

I have discovered this week about lean manufacturing and am engaged in a assignment to find 2 executives to lead a worldwide implementation of this program. I have further learned, a big portion of the vision surrounding lean manufacturing, includes a nurturing a culture of continuous improvement.
This is cool stuff, to learn something new, spend days speaking to experts about this manufacturing principle and to think about my business and yours and how can we benefit by using a piece of this stuff in our own business. I asked for debate yesterday and today will offer some items to contemplate as we discover our own methods for self improvement.
There was a time when this was easy for me. When I first became a salesman, I had to learn how to come out of my shell and how to develop confidence in my salesmanship.
I set a goal to get better everyday, to evaluate each and every call, what I did right and what I could do better. I had to know my weak areas in order to improve but as well had to understand my strengths to use even more effectively. When you suck at something, it is easier to set goals for improvement. But what about now, when you think you no longer suck. Is this it? Is this enough? Or should we all try to touch the sky?
Working by myself as a recruiter, I had a couple of areas in which I needed to improve and develop more confidence. So, I started to blog. I am technology limited and always have wonder about how effective my writing is. I have put out 225 posts in just over 1 year. I have learned to spell check, cut and paste, link to other post and do research on the internet. Yesterday I was sending correspondence to a client in which I was discussing several position candidates. It struck me, I was not freaked about my writing, I just did it. I think living in a racist society can cause black business owners to have self doubts and perhaps pressure ourselves too much to be perfect. We know if we misspell a word, it is because we are inferior in the eyes of the reader and not just a misspelling.
Those were examples in a couple of areas I felt self improvement in the past year. An exercise that will help you do things next year includes taking inventory of the following:
1 List your strong points
2 List your weak points
3 List the things you will continue to do in 08
4 List the things you will stop to do in 08
5List new things you will start to do in 08
Select a couple of weak points you can impact and set a strategy to implement methods to result in improvement,. Last year I picked writing and computer skills. I started to blog. If you are a business owner, shouldn’t you want to build a community of relationships with your customers? Think about it. This time is now to finish strong but also time to develop new business tactics. What do you think?

In my executive recruiting business I have a wonderful opportunity for a couple of manufacturing thought and execution leaders. I am searching on behalf of 10 billion dollar life science conglomerate. This is an aggressive company culture that has purchased many brands and has a couple of hundred manufacturing facilities around the world As a part of Process Improvement they are in the market for 2 director level manufacturing professionals to implement lean manufacturing procedures on a global scope..
I learned about lean manufacturing and have a few excellent and well experience executives I will present to my cilient.This is a well compensated opportunity that will bring high visibility to the successful canidate.
I am linking you to a lean manufacturing site. Companies look to improve total efficiencies as well as ending waste to enhance productivity gains. The firm should experience a gain in customer satisfaction, over all quality and profit growth..
My challenge to you it to discuss how these simple dimensions of manufacturing improvement gains could be used toward a more efficient you in the New Year. Wouldn’t that be great.