Often, the story of an entrepreneur is focused on exceptional individuals. But every entrepreneur knows that they can’t do it alone. We all need a helping hand to reach our true potential. That’s especially true for those from underserved communities. So how do we empower entrepreneurs? What can we give them, and what do they have to do for themselves?
To find out, we spoke with John Hope Bryant, an exceptional individual himself. John’s been called “The Conscience of Capitalism,” advising three sitting U.S. presidents, and was named one of Time Magazine’s “50 Leaders for the Future.” His nonprofit, Operation HOPE, is the largest nonprofit provider of financial literacy, inclusion, and economic empowerment tools in the United States.
An entrepreneur himself, John knows the barriers that minority business owners face. So on this episode, we hear what John has learned from his journey, the challenges and opportunities of minority entrepreneurship and Operation HOPE’s “One Million Black Businesses” initiative. We’ll cover how to build networks, capital, and belief in budding entrepreneurs.
Listen in to hear how our powerhouse guest empowers entrepreneurs with hope.
Highlights:
- Introduction to Operation HOPE (1:47)
- How entrepreneurship changed John’s life (3:59)
- Enterprise can create generational wealth (5:48)
- John’s first business at 10 years old (7:21)
- How the Rodney King riots changed John’s perspective (10:06)
- The origins of Operation HOPE (11:15)
- Barriers to entrepreneurship (12:28)
- Never give up (12:51)
- Empowering entrepreneurs with belief (14:28)
- Helping an entrepreneur build their network (16:20)
- One Million Black Businesses (19:30)
- How entrepreneurs can empower themselves (21:47)
- “Just do something” (23:20)
- The 3rd Reconstruction (24:45)
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If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producers, sheena.cochran@cadencebank.com or danielle.kernell@cadencebank.com.
What is In Good Companies?
Starting and running a business or managing one isn’t for the faint of heart. You’re balancing internal and external forces in a continually changing landscape. You’re building strategies, and banking on the future – no matter what it holds. This is where Cadence Bank’s In Good Companies comes in. We share our wealth of knowledge, and insights from noted industry experts, to guide you through the forces shaping business today.
We’re back for Season 6, and this time, we’re setting our sights on the future of work. We’re asking the big questions, like:
What will your career look like in 2030? Or 2050, even?
How is ESG shaping the future of companies?
And how can we leverage AI to our advantage?
We bring together experts from across the board, from Silicon Valley to multinationals like EY, to help you stay on the cutting edge of business. And we get to know those who are building the future of our companies; because at Cadence Bank, we want to hear the human side of every success story.
Hosting our stellar range of guests this season is our new host, Ari Marin. He is a Cadence Bank Senior Vice President and family enterprise advisor, whose specialty is consulting with family-owned and small businesses. Ari’s idea of “good company” is being around creative, insightful people with unique and inspirational stories. For Season 6, he brings in his curiosity and ambition to In Good Companies, to lead discussions with our guests, and bring listeners across the U.S. all the information they need, in one place, in under 30 minutes.
Ready to launch into the future? Then join us!