ENTREPRENEURSHIP
I have been fortunate enough to have employees, generate over millions in revenue by myself, raise significant venture capital, sit on numerous boards, and partner in a pro sports venture which is cool but incredibly difficult to navigate. I’ve also failed to make payroll and had to lay people off. I’ve been sued. I’ve had my technology product crash when I got my big chance to partner with Def Jam Records on the launch of Watch The Throne. I’ve curled up in a ball and wanted to die probably 20 or more times over the last 10 years. Nothing about this is for the faint of heart.
But I wouldn’t trade any of it. The failures are inevitable. But the effort, the planning, the heart, the autonomy… these things are magic, and I think they are only accessible to the average person through entrepreneurship. That’s why I’m so passionate about it.
I also believe there is a ton of bullshit out there about entrepreneurship. Because I learned by doing as an adult, I had to figure out the hard way what was real and what wasn’t. As an investor, mentor, advisor, partner, and now content creator, my take on entrepreneurship will be consistent and authentic with good intentions even if it’s hard to swallow. The game is hard enough, you don’t need bad guidance to make it any harder.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
I have been fortunate enough to have employees, generate over $1M in revenue by myself, raise significant venture capital, sit on numerous boards, and most recently partner in a pro sports venture which is incredibly cool but also incredibly difficult to navigate. I’ve also failed to make payroll and had to lay people off. I’ve been sued. I’ve had my technology product crash when I got my big chance to partner with Def Jam records on the launch of Watch The Throne. I’ve curled up in a ball and wanted to die probably 20 or more times over the last 10 years. Nothing about this is for the faint of heart.
But I wouldn’t trade any of it. The failures are inevitable. But the effort, the planning, the heart, the autonomy… these things are magic, and I think they are only accessible to the average person through entrepreneurship. That’s why I’m so passionate about it.
I also believe there is a ton of bullshit out there about entrepreneurship. Because I learned by doing as an adult, I had to figure out the hard way what was real and what wasn’t. As an investor, mentor, advisor, partner and now content creator, my take on entrepreneurship will be consistent and authentic with good intentions even if it’s hard to swallow. The game is hard enough, you don’t need bad guidance to make it any harder.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Embrace Pain to Avoid Suffering w/ Brian Bogert
Today’s guest on #MWL is Ollie Phillips, creator of Optimist Performance. We’ll discuss building contagious behaviors, developing high-performance teams, and his podcast, “Optimist Performance.”

Fueling Your Fire – Marcus Whitney LIVE with Ollie Phillips
Today’s guest on #MWL is Ollie Phillips, creator of Optimist Performance. We’ll discuss building contagious behaviors, developing high-performance teams, and his podcast, “Optimist Performance.”

Explore Your Truth – Marcus Whitney LIVE with Christy Pruitt-Haynes
Today’s guest on #MWL is Christy Pruitt-Haynes, CEO of Our Truths. We’ll talk about her company, why it’s needed, what it is and how it will inspire, enhance, and amplify Black women by providing resources, advocacy, and opportunities.

Connecting With Creatives – Marcus Whitney LIVE with Tiffany Hardin
Today’s guest on #MWL is Tiffany Hardin, CEO of Gild Creative Group. We discuss her career in influence marketing, as well as her upcoming workshop “Conscious Hustler.” Tiffany also talks about her podcast “In Between Series.”

Design During Uncertainty – Marcus Whitney LIVE with Marquise Stillwell
Today on #MWL is Marquise Stillwell, founder of Openbox. We discuss the role of design in times of epic change, his new creation Deem Journal, and how Openbox collaborates to create better urban futures.

The State of the Market – Marcus Whitney LIVE with Charles Winfrey
This episode’s guest on #MWL is Charles Winfrey, CEO of The Rollover Company. He rejoined me on the show to talk about the post-COVID-19 Environment in the Stock Market and Business. We’ll also talk about his book, “Rollover Mistakes Retirees Make.”

Marcus Whitney On Creative Entrepreneurship – This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast
When Marcus Whitney dropped out of college and started waiting tables, it was probably hard to imagine that would end up as an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker and bestselling author.

SPOS #734 – Marcus Whitney On Creative Entrepreneurship
Marcus Whitney sits down with Mitch Joel at the Six Pixels of Separation Podcast and discuss creative entrepreneurship. Marcus Whitney is a serial entrepreneur, innovator, speaker and bestselling author.

From Desperate to Mogul: Marcus Whitney Shares His Secrets on How to Rise to the Top – 207
Here’s a success story of an entrepreneur that spans such a range that I can only refer to it as cinematic. That is, if you could convince anyone to fund the picture. Most production companies would feel uncomfortable getting behind a story that reads like an entrepreneurial fairy-tale. At first glance, it doesn’t seem like a gritty e-commerce journey.

5by5 – Featured Change Maker: Marcus Whitney
When Marcus Whitney dropped out of college, moved to Nashville and started waiting tables, it was probably hard to imagine a path that would end up with him as an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker and bestselling author. And yet, through hard work, dedication and a little bit of luck, that is exactly where he ended up.

The Grind 91 Fin
Fin. Today is my birthday. I’m 44 now. A year ago today, I had no idea how much The Grind would change my life, or help others navigate theirs. There is something about The Grind that resonated with people. Of course, there’s the title. Many people believe that life is nothing more than a grind.…

The Grind 90 Mind, Body and Soul
Decide to transform I figured something out this year. I don’t know that anyone was lying to me. Still, somewhere along the line, I got the idea that money was the answer to most problems, and that making money always needed to be the priority. That was the mindset I had, and it seemed to…

The Grind 89 The Resistance
The first action the hero makes is the refusal of the call. The refusal is the signal of the significant fear one must overcome to start the process of transformation. The first and most important thing we do on the way to greatness is change our minds. No one constantly hurdles through life making brave…

The Grind 88 Let It Go
I can’t play small anymore It’s time to admit that I don’t want to let go. I found a groove, and it’s comfortable. I found it here, in this newsletter to you every week. This was the place that I put down the burden of my shadows and allowed them to find sunlight. This is…

The Grind 87 Nap Time
The realm of diminishing returns I took the first week of November off from work at Jumpstart / Health:Further to focus on one last editing pass on my book before I submitted it to my publisher for their edit. That went really well, and the book is off with the editors now getting a thorough…

The Grind 86 Renewal
what it feels like to be naturally happy Today marks one year and one day since the last time I drank alcohol. I’ve talked about quitting alcohol quite a bit. As this date drew closer, I’ve been feeling like it’s something I want to stop talking about so much. But with this milestone, it’s worth…

The Grind 85 White Belt Wonderland
The disorientation of being initiated Two weeks ago, I decided to start a new journey. Something I had been mulling over for a while. I started practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ). Four years ago, I began practicing Hapkido and a year ago earned my first degree Black Belt. I love Hapkido and intend to continue…

The Grind 84 Jedi Training
The arbitrage of not giving a damn Last week I took some time away from my standard work schedule to work on some creative projects and reflect. While doing so, I couldn’t help but see things in the context of next year. 2020 is looking like a great year for me. I spent a ton…

The Grind 83 – Imaginary Lines
The engine of happiness My father recently turned 82 years old. He has lived an incredible life. Quite frankly, I marvel at any African American who was born in the 30s or before who is still alive and well. The shifts in society they lived through are hard for me to imagine. The progress they…

The Grind 82 What Did You Expect?
Emotions don’t care about what’s fair It’s Fall. It’s getting darker, earlier. The temperature is dropping, and the holiday season is upon us. In conversations these days, we ask questions of ourselves and others that are both reflective and forecasting. “How has the year gone?” “What are we doing for the holidays?” “Any big plans…

The Grind 81 Decisions Vs Judgments
We’re not robots; we’re humans. Last week was a great week for me, work-wise. It was a week of long days working on a big vision with great people. The week wrapped up on Friday morning, and I went to see my hairstylist Ebonee to get my hair done. While sitting in Ebonee’s chair in…