How did you become the founder of Hustle University?
“Hustle University” was created on the heels of the success of the book that we are celebrating tonight, “The Hustler’s 10 Commandments.” The book became so popular, it led to me being asked to do presentations based off the ten principles. The more I did presentations, the more I saw people’s response to it. In Reno, Nevada, I met Lisa Nichols. This was before she became popular, but Lisa Nichols was in the audience during my first presentation “The Hustler’s 10 Commandments” and she and also a well-known writer named Omar Tyree who was an Essence best selling author at the time, we’re both commenting on how they liked what I was presenting and the impact it had on them. Lisa and other speakers we’re commenting on how they were taking notes and how they were going to use it in future presentations. Omar Tyree said, “You need to write a book.” After hearing their responses and out of my respect for them, it led to me writing a book. I honestly didn’t think the book would do anything, I just wanted to protect my intellectual property. Because of the success of the book and the presentations, it led me to create “Hustle University” as a formal organization where I can deliver those types of presentations and a lot more.
What does this current publication mean and who has contributed?
The 2016 version of “The Hustler’s 10 commandments” is what we call “The New Testament.” The original 2006 version is “The Old Testament.” This one being the new testament represents 10 years of personal growth and growth on the caliber of business owners I’m currently working with at this point. It’s more focused on business as opposed to the original version, which was business and holistic personal development. This one is more focused on business and the level of contributing authors. Each of the authors makes above 6 figures, the wisdom is more concise.
What does your brand name mean?
“Hustle University” is an institution of learning for hardcore entrepreneurs. The secret source behind Hustle University is that, it is a personal brand. Although the name may sound catchy, it really represents elements that make me unique and special. I am the hustler, I am the teacher, so “Hustle University” just represents elements of myself that I’ve been able to put together and be authentic in who I am. I tell people all the time, I’m not just the president of “Hustle University,” I am “Hustle University.” It’s within that idea that we teach a specific brand of entrepreneurs known as “authentic entrepreneurship” which is the ability to build business based around your authentic identity. We call that branding your swag and B.Y.O.B. which stands for “Be Your Own Business.”
What is your mission?
My mission can really be heard more in my official title which is “Business Abolitionist.” My mission is to free people from mental slavery and their own self-induced restraints through entrepreneurship. Much like Harriet Tubman, Fredrick Douglass, Sojourner Truth and the rest of the abolitionist in the past, I’m walking in that space but focusing on entrepreneurship as the key to freedom. Harriet Tubman to this day is quoted “I freed thousands of slaves and I would have freed many more, if only they knew they we’re slaves. I feel the same way. I’m very proud of what Hustle University is doing, and I feel we can do a whole lot more if only people knew how enslaved they were. That’s my mission.
Name three important business principles.
I can name 10, they are called “The Hustler’s 10 Commandments.” Outside of that, some of the great lessons I’ve learned is that “success and wealth” are not a matter of how much we have but are more determined by “what we do with what we got” that’s a principle, that a lot of people do not appreciate because they are so focused on “what they don’t have” that they approach life with a deficient outlook. When they understand that success and wealth is determined more by “what you do with what you got” then you start focused on better utilizing the resources you do have to get what you want. Another great principle I’ve learned is that, much of our success is determined by our mindset and with the right mentality, there is nothing that can stop you, but with the wrong mentality, there is nothing that can save you. Even God can’t save, the person with the incorrect mentality because what they’re doing is receiving God’s words and messages in a way that leads to further disfunction and that’s the reason that we all know people that attend church and can quote the bible all day but their lives are miserable because they suffer from the wrong mentality. The third one is get the “Hustler’s 10 commandments.”
How do you use technology for your brand?
Contrary to conventional wisdom, I don’t use a lot of social media for my business. I find social media to be more “hype.” Social Media is good for getting supporters but it’s not an effective medium for developing soldiers. This is what I feel about social media; we’ve become so social that we forgot how to build relationships. These people that we call friends, are not really friends. Technology does give us an opportunity to create systems that are scalable. I love technology to that extent to where I can scale my business. I can do can something once and get paid forever because it’s now captured in a pdf, mp3 and mp4, that’s really where technology has been helpful for my business.
What two business apps do you recommend and why?
“Square” for collecting payments and “Hootsuite” for aggregating social media.
Why should our community be in business?
We need to stop thinking like customers and start thinking like hustlers meaning all of us are consumers but you don’t have to be a “customer.” You have to find a way as a consumer to balance your scale and become a producer of something as well. Unfortunately in African-American communities, we tend to be not just consumers, but customers. A customer is a ”sucker” and they are misled by other people, consistently. That’s what we fight against as “business abolitionists” fighting against the customer mentality where you buy whatever you see on TV or whatever you see celebrities buying. Get into business and say “you know what Tommy Hilfiger has nice shirts, but since I have power myself, I’m going to create my own label and rap about my own clothes, and make money from that because I’m a hustler, not just a customer.”
