Blackstocks.com: In the Know

Cecil Williams, the founder of Glide Memorial Church and Will Smith

Cecil Williams, the founder of Glide Memorial Church,appeared in Will Smith's movie as the pastor of a church for the homeless. In real life, Williams has helped thousands through some tough times.

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Blackstocks.com take you inside Jet-A-Way

We take you inside Jet-A-Way, a recycling company as well as a transportation company for construction and demolition waste, commercial waste, and recycled paper. Darlene and her husband have been recognized by their community and by the nation for their achievements.

With over $10 million in sales and 50 employees, today Darlene Jeter is focusing on fast-growth; she plans to double in size. In operation since 1969, she has endured enormous setbacks -- the death of her husband who was also her business partner -- and major declines in the construction business in Boston.

It is a dusty, tough industry. There is a lot of heavy metal -- trucks, tractors, and front-end loaders.

Darlene not only survives, she thrives with grace and dignity.

Darlene Jeter has tenacity. No moaning, blubbering, sniveling, whimpering or whining; she gets the job done and then gives back to her community.

Click to visit Jea-A-Way video

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Be Confident and Bold

USA: One out of three businesses in this country is owned by a woman (approximately 9 million businesses); yet only one out of ten of those businesses does more than $1 million in annual sales (about 900,000 businesses). These two statistics prompted the production of this episode. When we researched women who do many millions in annual sales, we found most of their businesses to be in male-dominated industries.

Click to see one of a very few woman in the world who own a car dealership in her own right.- Video

There are many, many resources to help women start the right kind of business and to help grow them. Government agencies like the US SBA and their Small Business Development Centers have many programs. There are programs promoted by women-friendly banks, economic development offices, trade associations and industry groups, and women's associations in every state.

We will begin listing some of these resources by state and do a compilation of the best of these resources with links to those pages below. With so much help and information around, why do women so often migrate to tiny ideas? Do they need more inspiration? ... better role models? All of the women studied here on Small Business School are both inspirational and wonderful role models. One of these women asked rhetorically, "Why should I polish nails when I could be polishing steel?" Another, who has become a leader in the Hispanic advertising industry, reflected on her life and on women in general, and commented, "You've come a long way, baby!" All business owners can learn valuable lessons from these women.

They are the small minority who are making a huge difference in their industry and in their communities. By moving to the top of the game where there are mostly men, a woman's influence can make the greatest difference.

Technorati tags: Alton Perkins, www.blackstocks.com, Pamela Rodgers, leadership, management, success, wealth, African American, Cheverlot Dealership, video

Success the Team Approach

Meet Arnold Joseff and George Hill who started their business in their old burned out neighborhood. It's being transformed and so is manufacturing in the America through their innovations. There are 9 key lessons here.

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Technorati tags: Alton Perkins, www.blackstocks.com, Pamela Rodgers, leadership, management, success, wealth, African American, Chemical Company, small business, money, video

Pamela Rodgers of Rodgers Chevrolet Shows that when you fall down ..you can get up.

Woodhaven, MI: In this week's episode, we go inside an American icon -- the car dealership -- to witness a "can-do" attitude in action. We meet a woman whose love affair with the car is as real and palpable as any romance going. And at her Chevrolet dealership located in a very quiet Detroit suburb, driving people to act upon that passion is her business. Pamela Rodgers is the owner of Rodgers Chevrolet.

We learn that key to her repeat business success is service. From her originally designed, colorful waiting area featuring a speedway theme to a team of highly skilled service advisors, Rodgers Chevrolet is a company that never misfires when it comes to building long-term relationships with customers. This is a team that's as well trained in the mechanics of human dynamics as they are the electronics of today's automobile engine. Keeping that relationship running smoothly is a matter of individualized communications where customer satisfaction is not an optional service.

Click to see Video

Pamela's story is all the more unique in that she is one of the few women in the world to own a dealership in her own right. It wasn't passed on to her by her father or a husband, and she took a failing location and turned it around. Today, with a team of 85 employees Rodgers Chevrolet generates $73 million in revenue annually by selling nearly 200 and servicing as many as 1,200 cars per month. In an industry defined by steel, rubber and oil, Pamela Rodgers is a woman in a man's world where it's more common to see grease under the fingernails than a French manicure.

A nurturing place for young African American Musicians

Chandler Zolliecoffer lifts the viola to her chin and launches into Bach. The lanky 13-year-old plays with a modest sound, unsure pitch and unsteady rhythm, but she gets through the piece without stopping, and when she finishes, her teacher, LaTonya Woods Acosta, gets down to business.

"You made it all the way through, but there were no dynamics, and it's dance music -- so you have to dance," she says.

Acosta picks up her instrument and demonstrates, playing the first phrase with rhythmic pop and ripe volume, before whispering the second phrase for dramatic contrast. Teacher and student then play the piece in unison, Chandler's confidence and style growing stronger by the second.

It's noon on a recent Saturday at Wayne State University and Chandler is one of about 80 students in the Sphinx Preparatory Institute, a program that gives African-American and Latino musicians ages 11 to 18 a leg up through individual and group lessons, chamber music coaching and music history and theory.

According to the  'Free Press' the 10th annual Sphinx Competition in Detroit, which opens Wednesday, shines a spotlight on the lack of minorities in classical music.

Do You Have The Right Stuff?

Do You Have The Right Stuff?

Success and Leadership qualities on Success TV. Famed author Stephen Covey talks about success and leadership.

According to Covey leaders are not born or made, they are self made.

See leadership Video

See leadership Video

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Should you take that Risk?

Should you take that Risk?

Failure is not final. According to Author  of Soft Skills in hard Times, Ivory Dorsey talks about why risk and taking risk are important. She let's us know that every thing has been turned upside down. If you keep doing what you've always done; you'll keep getting what you've always gotten.

She also let us all know that failure isn't final on Blackstocks.com/Success TV.

Ivory Dorsey talks about taking risk and what it can lead to - video

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Cookie Dough$

Cookie Dough$

How do you go from making cookies for yourself to making millions.  The world famous Wally Amos shares how he did it twice on Blackstocks.com/Success TV.

Wally Amos Video

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