Black Genius Network

T.C. Coleman, Esq. is a dynamic lawyerpreneur and business coach who has spent nearly a decade as a corporate attorney and business advisor for multi-national public and private companies, entrepreneurs and non-profit organizations. T.C. is known as a “Magnetic Branding Maven” and eMarketing expert who shows practicing professionals how to increase their visibility, attract more clients and generate more revenue.

She is the CEO of UpwardAction® and founder of LawyersLaunchpad.com.   T.C. is also the creator and facilitator of the Mogul Moxie Mastermind, which helps new entrepreneurs develop the business moxie (moxie = savvy, know how, courage and energy) necessary to build sustainable and thriving businesses that use on-line technology to attract pre-qualified clients.   Sign up for this powerful mastermind training program at http://www.mogulmoxie.com

You can find T.C. every Saturday morning at 10:00 AM (EST) on www.UpwardActionRadio.com as she hosts the UpwardAction Presents Branding Talk Radio show.  Follow her at www.twitter.com/upwardaction for insightful tips about business development, branding and eMarketing.

T.C.’s Success Tips

1. Relationships are key and must be maintained, Stay in communication
2. Stay true to your core. Why did you go to law school and what did you hope to accomplish
3. Find ways to integrate your core interests to your career. Do pro-bono work, work with a non profit.

Enjoy this interview with T.C. Coleman

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It’s been two months since our re-launch of the Black genius Network and for the most part we’ve reached our goal. Every week we have featured an entrepreneurial or some other success story, a Black Genius and I am proud of that. Since January, we have interviewed black men and women that (in many cases) overcome all sorts of odds to be successful. Each interview is a monument to struggle and success of adversity.

My name is Dwight Miller and I am the guy you hear in the interviews. I started the Black genius Network a year ago and this year repurposed it to feature African American and Black success stories. I believe that the story of black success needs (MUST) be told. For us, our children and the rest of the world.

The Black Genius Network is my attempt to tell those stories. Not just of very famous (ok, haven’t done any so far) but the not so famous. I want the story told in your voice and saved here as a permanent record of your success.

To the people that I’ve interview many heartfelt thanks and appreciated, to the people that have listened to interviews I only pray that one of these people have provided some inspiration and hope ot you despite the apparent “hard times”

Anyway, I need your help. I need it in three ways.

1. I need you to tell me how we’ve done. Are the interviews useful, are there additional questions, are they the right length etc. I’ve attached a poll to collect that info and feel free to email me with any additional suggestions.
2. I need you to tell others about the Black Genius Network. Share the stories with young people so they are inspired, tell your friends so we can grow.
3. Tell the world your success story, we want to hear it. If you want to be interviewed, if you want your story preserved that complete the form at this link and it would be my pleasure to talk to you about your success.

Thanks again to all that have helped grow so far. I am humbled by your help and selflessness and willingness to share. Help us grow and build the largest repository of African American and Black success stories.
Dedicated to your success

Dwight Miller

P.S.  Thanks for completing the poll.

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The reception has been wonderful. I’ve interviewed or will interview some successful black entrepreneurs and the stories and lessons are phenomenal. Just interviewing these successful people has taught me so much (one of the benefits to me) and I’m certain when you hear these stories you will learn alot too.

Each stories is an inspiration, emotional and filled with valuable lessons. I only hope I get better as an interviewer.

Our goal is to tell and celebrate the story of black success. Not just the Jayz ridiculously rich story but the I’m striving story. The story of the person that is moving towards a dream, overcome a hurdle, fought thru some struggles, those stories are important as deserved to be told.

I’m asking for your support, your help, your encouragement in this effort. Share your story, tell us about your success, share your success and yes your failures and lets grow together.

Look for our first interview with John Lawson, a phenomenal Ebay entrepreneur  who has been in business 8 years. Discover how he has survived and thrived over these years.

We will then have interviews with some friends including Tynisha Thompson, David Bullock and some surprise interviews. We will tell them all, reveal their success and all grow together.

Subscribe so you don’t miss an interview, tell us what you like and yes even what you don’t like. Look for the our interview with John Lawson, New Years Day and then tell your Black Genius Story.

Dedicated to your success

Dwight Miller

P.S. Tell us your story. Click here to learn how

Black Business, Black History, Uncategorized Acheivement

I recently received this Youtube video in an email. The video is of a young autistic by Jason McElway that has been the manager of his high schools basketball team. Jason has done everything the team needed as a manager, he has been the water boy, the cheerleader and the gofer.

His enthusiasm and exuberance has been so vivid he Dad is often afraid that Jason will get a technical foul and cost the team a game. Jason is a gamer. After a long season, Jason coach, Jim Johnson allowed Jason to suit up for a game and finally Jim called Jason’s number and Jason was in the game.

When Jason entered the game he tried a couple of shots and they where all air balls, but the next shot was a 3 pointer. Jason ended up scoring a total of 20 point total. Jason created his own success and you can to.

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Today is February 29, 2008, the last day of Black History Month in a leap year and I wanted to write a note about Black History Month and it’s impact. Black History Month was created in 1976 as an extension of what was then known as Negro History Week. Negro History Week was created by Carter Woodson in 1926.

Actually, the idea of Black History Month is somewhat controversial, many people believe that celebrating the history of one race for a month is wrong. To me it doesn’t really matter because I look a Black History Month as somewhat of a waste, the media trots out some black historical videos and never tells anyone and by then the month is over.

The purpose of this post isn’t to debunk Black History Month but to remind us that history is written today by people like you and me. Certainly Barack Obama is writing history by his unprecedented campaign for the presidency, he knows and we know he is writing history on a major scale.

But history is written everyday in much smaller ways by people like you and me. For example, I’m trying to write history by encouraging and fighting for entrepreneurship and financial education for all of us. So my question today, is What are you doing to write history? What are you doing to write history in YOUR family?

As Black History Month ends, link about next year (It’s coming no matter what you do), think about how you can write your own history, so next Black History Month isn’t Black History Month but My-Story Month. That way we can truly celebrate BLACK HISTORY. Thats my goal for next year. Join me

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My last post talked about sub prime mortgages and the fact that “The erosion of wealth is staggering”. So, I’ve decided to talk a little bit about wealth, wealth thinking and how you can develop what I call a wealth ethic.

The question is “What is wealth?” According to Webster, wealth is defined as “abundance of valuable material possessions or resources or,abundant supply or all property that has a money value or an exchangeable value” but reading this definition doesn’t provide clarity. So again “What is wealth”?

If you go Google “What is wealth?”, you get a slew of results but no answers. So lets agree on a definition, lets agree that wealth is determined by how long you can maintain your lifestyle without you having to work. In other words wealth means for the sake of this blog that you can live the way you live without having to create any more income.

Which takes us to the next question, “What is Income?”. Income is the money that you generate from your effort or the efforts of others under your control. In other words income is the money you generate from work. Income is not wealth, income is money you receive from your efforts personally or from your business.

Over the next few days, think about ways to create wealth and income. It is possible to do both.

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I got a bunch of email asking about why I stopped posting and the simple answer is life. Like many of you I’m facing some challenges in my family including children (my daughter is very ill) and siblings and frankly haven’t been able to focus on posting. Of course there have been tons of topics to post about. The presidential campaign provides material like nowhere else and I gues will continue to provide material. I must admit while I am excited that there is a Black man running for president, todays problems outstrip my excitement.

There is also all of the economic news going on in the US and the world. Theres the sub-prime mortgage mess which I know is causing many people challenges (I will be writing about that this week) and there gas prices, food prices the credit crunch and more. Basically it seems as if the worlds economy is having the flu and if thats the case we are getting pneumonia.

So start your education, find a mentor, learn to invest in assets that throw off cash. I know some great mentors that are teaching real estate investors (checkout Chrles Petty http://visionarypropertyinvestments.com/). Charles is an expert real estate investor and his systems have worked for many people.

I’ll be posting again soon.

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The more I think about it you should be pissed. At least I am from the prospective of business ownership, I am pissed. The black hair care industry is a 1.7 billion dollar industry that is controlled by Koreans.

The question is “How to do we carve a share of that market, identify the market and the customers and finally put a fence around the customers so they can’t or won’t buy from another vendor.

One strategy is to create a continuity income stream, create a mechansim where consumers of hair care products essentially get the same products over and over again. for want of a term, a subscription for hair care products.

That is one of many strategies to get our share of te black hair care market

Uncategorized Business, Startup, Strategy, Women Entrepreneurs

I’ve decided to give this a shot because I want to generate thinking about how we can protect our business opportunities. These post are not anti-Korean, they are pro African American business, what I mean is that I respect the Kireans for seeing a marketin, defining the customer and effectively marketing to that customer, we should do the same.

The challenge is how do we build and maintain business in the same market. Over the next few post I have  suggestions both for consumers and business owners. In this post suggestions for consumers:

• Tell your stylist that you want products created by black manufacturer’s. This is important becasue black hair care manufacturer’s create jobs for other African Americans but thats not the only reason. Making stuff is the backbone of business, creating products, services etc creates a foundation for building. So demand hair care products frmo black hair care manufacturers. To help we will create a list of them here, lets support them.
• Be beautiful and support stylist that use our products.
• It’s your hair, products sold and made by blacks are just as good as other products and in some ways may be better

Here’s the reality, black women are a hug market if you support black stylist that use products made by black manufacturer’s even the Koreans will be forced to level the playing field. So demand products made by your own. Take no shorts

Dedicated to your success

Black Business, Personal Development, Uncategorized Business, Business Startup, Startup, Strategy, Women Entrepreneurs

I recently fixed some problems on this blog and what I didn’t realize is that their where a bunch of messages stacked up. Those messages where sent all at one time and that was an error. Most of them where old posts. So I apologize for any inconvenience my error caused and will do my best to not have that happen again.

Once again please accept my apologies, I am truly appreciative of your permission to email and will not abuse it.

Thanks for your understanding.

Dwight Miller

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