James Andrews, founder and CEO of Social People, a boutique social media marketing agency, offers the following tips to help you improve your chances of being found online and to provide a greater sense of who you are to hiring managers.

Include keywords. Because social media content lives everywhere on the Web, posts on your profiles are crucial for getting noticed by hiring managers. Within the content, you should find opportunities to reference your job title, skills, and industry-related keywords that hiring managers might be searching for. This applies to your Facebook updates, Twitter posts, blogs, bios, and Web content. For instance, your Twitter “bio” is actually your profile descriptor, and an important way to be found that is often overlooked.

Take advantage of Twitter lists. Twitter is great for fast access to job postings and career tips. It’s a lot easier, though, to follow and respond to tweets from recruiters and the human resources staff of companies you’re interested in if they’re all in one place. Lists group people based on a criterion: location, subject, industry, etc. Additionally, creating Twitter lists is another way to bring attention to your profile and get noticed by companies on the lookout for talent. Andrews recommends Listorious.com, a searchable directory of Twitter lists.

Find out who’s “talking” about you. Get on Social Mention.com, a search engine that allows for an intensive scan of user-generated social content such as Twitter updates, Facebook posts, blogs, comments, bookmarks, events, news, and videos across the globe. You can subscribe and choose to have mentions go directly to your e-mail or smartphone. You can also sign up for Google Alerts to see when your name is popping up in the news or on the Web.

• Use Google Alerts to receive immediate information about topics and issues of interest and to find out what’s being said about your industry or specific company. You can set specific search parameters and terms, and Google will post alerts whenever there’s news or information about it to your e-mail or smartphone. Keeping abreast of important industry information and reporting or commenting on it keeps you relevant and current with what’s trending.
• Optimize your Facebook fan page as effective real estate on which to produce and promote written and video content, including a tab for live Web-streaming video. This could include your speaking events and other professional presentations. Andrews says, “Think about this as your own channel and curate it as such. If it were a magazine you would have to strategize, organize, and manage it the way an editor would.”
• Practice smart listening. “Just setting up a profile to say you have one is not enough,” Andrews stresses. “You need a strategy. Interaction doesn’t require a lot of time, but it does require a system of listening and responding. Listening is just as important as posting. Having a two-way conversation is essential to success in social media and is a valuable way of keeping your finger on the pulse.” Just as important is discernment: knowing which conversations one should listen to and become part of. Know what the market is saying about what’s happening in the industry, and how it relates to your business and expertise.

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1. The phone interview with a recruiter
Just because the interviewer can’t see you doesn’t mean you get to assume a casual attitude. Jamie Bertone, TalentSearch Leader at Progressive Insurance, suggests being fully present in a quiet location where you can focus. “You should be able to listen to the questions and take time to respond thoughtfully,” she advises. Use a landline not a cell phone. She suggests practicing with a friend and soliciting constructive feedback. Allow your personality, passion, and enthusiasm to shine through. The interviewer can’t see you, but they can perceive your smile and hear inflections in your voice.”

Bertone encourages candidates to highlight their experiences that illustrate why they’re best suited for the job. They should illustrate how they’ve successfully handled problems or worked out solutions.

“Google the CEO. Look at the company’s products and services as well as the latest news and information. Nail down the attributes the company is seeking for this position.”

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2. Video Interview
This format, enabled by technology such as Skype or Google Chat, is becoming increasingly popular. Bertone cautions, “Don’t watch yourself on camera, fix your hair, or appear distracted. Focus on the interviewer’s questions. For good sound quality and to reduce audio interference, it’s best to use a headset or Bluetooth.” Additionally, dress professionally and assume a demeanor to match. Situate yourself in an appropriate environment—the poster of you rocking out at your favorite band’s concert may need to be stuffed in the closet during the interview.

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3. Panel Interview
Maintain eye contact and focus on the interviewer asking the question, but be mindful to engage the entire group. Also take a few moments to consider questions before answering, even if it means having a question repeated. Bertone says, “I am impressed with candidates who think through their responses, rather than ramble on. This says a lot about who they are and the way they think and organize their thoughts. It’s honest and reflects the way people really work in business.”

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4. One-On-One interview
Treat it like a conversation, with you interviewing the hiring manager or recruiter as much as he or she is interviewing you. You bring to the table an array of skill sets, knowledge, and expertise, but you’re also trying to ascertain whether or not this is the right work culture for you, one in which you can maximize your career potential. She also advises, “Smile, even if the interviewer isn’t smiling. Create a space of comfort for yourself.”

Also, be conscious of etiquette. Embrace the advice, “Never let them see you sweat.” Aside from no-brainers such as being punctual and dressing appropriately, Bertone cautions, “Don’t betray your nervousness by twirling a pen or fidgeting. Be confident and inquisitive.”

For all interviews, Bertone insists, always have questions prepared. She suggests contacting current employees to find out more about the role, the company culture, and the company’s priorities. “Use this insider knowledge to highlight important aspects about your skills that will help the hiring manger envision you in the role.”

“Your résumé should say, ‘You would be hard pressed to find someone better qualified than me,’” says Patrina M. Clark, former chief human capital officer of the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Here HR professionals offer some insight into what makes a candidate attractive:

Create vibrant testimonials. “Testimonials provide a snapshot of your experience and what you could offer a company,” offers Rodney H. Scaife, vice president of human resources for Aerotek, an aerospace and defense industry recruitment and staffing firm. He suggests that, “applicants include a brief executive summary along with key core competencies, to begin the résumé.”

Show them you meet the requirements. “Human resources must get a strong sense that you understand the organization and the job to which you are applying. The key is to structure your résumé so that it targets and responds to the specifics of the announcement,” says Clark. This is especially true when applying for federal positions. Clark points out that the screening mechanism for federal jobs is impervious to clever formatting, and general experience.  “Structure and tailor your résumé so that it answers those requirements and it clearly and compellingly makes the case that you are among the best qualified,” Clark explains. “Highlight accomplishments in a way that stands out to someone who doesn’t know you. Make it easy for recruiters to connect the dots between job performance, what you’ve studied and know, and how they directly support your qualifications.” This includes volunteer activities, professional groups, and affiliations.

Focus on the skills. Kevin J. Carrington, president of the Washington, D.C. chapter of the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources and vice president and federal practice leader of HR and benefits consulting firm The Segal Co., says, “It’s essential that you indicate in written communications how your skills and experience are transferable in the environment even if the title is lower. What jumps out are applicants whose materials show value-added skills and ways they can apply them in the new spot and how [they] can hit the ground running.”

Follow online best practices. It is important to understand how to post and submit résumés to social media and company sites, which Scaife says is becoming a more popular request from companies. “As you draft your résumé, focus on key words and search terms to insure that your résumé will surface when recruiters are establishing search queries,” Scaife says, stressing that candidates’ failure to understand how recruiters search for résumés online is a major reason most résumés don’t surface for a position.

The application process for business school is notoriously rigorous and competitive, requiring a substantial amount of time, money, and preparation. The standard application package includes GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) scores, a major component in the selection process that’s used to assess an applicant’s ability to succeed academically through verbal, mathematical, and analytical writing skills. Also weighed are transcripts, letters of recommendation, in-person interviews, and personal essays.

David Ingber, faculty manager at Knewton, an online learning company that offers preparation courses for the GMAT and other standardized tests, says, “Business school admissions counselors want to know what your weaknesses are, and how you were able to overcome them.”
Ingber suggests the following strategies to make your best showing during the application process:

Strengthen your online status. One of the most dramatic differences Ingber notes is the attention given to a candidate’s online presence. Admissions boards no longer focus solely on the paper version of the application package. Now your online history is a factor. This includes Facebook, LinkedIn, online forums, and other social networking structures. Ingber stresses, “Your entire public-facing self should be a strong representation of who you are.”

Create a well-rounded story. Prepare a personal narrative that explains your unique career trajectory. Speak expansively about goals and challenges—how you’ve achieved them, what you’ve learned, and how you’ve managed successfully through obstacles. “If you started in one area then branched off into another, Ingber explains, “combine skill sets and bridge the gaps to make yourself a stronger candidate.”

Be prepared for the new GMAT format. Effective in June 2012, GMAT will add an integrated reasoning section that focuses heavily on data interpretation. Another important factor will be the GMAT’s math questions around data sufficiency. Ingber explains, “Test takers don’t have to actually solve the question; instead they have to determine if there is sufficient data to solve the question and how to break it down into its logical elements.” These questions evaluate how an applicant thinks. “CEOs have to determine which problems need to be solved. This is what business schools are looking for.” That’s why, Ingber cautions, “it’s critically important to look through questions and see what’s being asked of you.”

After several years living in Europe, Burgos returned to the U.S. when her marriage ended in 2002. To help lift left her out of her emotional doldrums, a friend gave Burgos $600 to purchase art supplies and urged her to try her hand at painting. Her passion reignited, Burgos began to work on commission and by inspiration. “There was a part of me that wanted to express myself through art,” she says. She received validation when her first piece, a 3-foot image of a powerful woman against the shadowy backdrop of a bar scene, sold for $250. “I was elated!” she remembers.

Burgos chose to work with acrylic paint because of its ease of use, then began adding different textures such as varnish and heavy oils. She paints on cardboard, wood, or linen canvas, but says, “Anything that inspires me can be my canvas, even baskets and lampshades.” The use of texture such as paper, sand, and glitter is central to her work, and she often pares down or reconstructs elemental pieces. She sources materials and inspiration from anywhere she can, including travel, thrift shops, flea markets, and her daily environment. “I discover and use what already exists and make it my own.”

In 2009 Burgos’ art career received a boost when she was invited to contribute to an exhibit in Harlem celebrating the birthday of Barack Obama. Several pieces from that exhibition were included in another series titled “From Slavery to Presidency,” at the Melville Gallery in New York City’s South Street Seaport Museum. More recently, Burgos’ work is currently showing at the Adam Clayton Powell State Building in Harlem commemorating Oprah Winfrey’s 25th anniversary in television. Portraits of Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday, and Etta Jones are her most recent work for a jazz series currently showing at the Rye Arts Center in Rye, New York.

To date Burgos has had seven gallery exhibits in addition to fundraising events for the Boys and Girls Club. She also hopes to open an art gallery that exposes community children to various creative art forms. “I still love working with children, but my painting feeds my passion for art. This feels like a spiritual calling and a connection to something outside myself. It’s a different satisfaction from what I get from my day job.”

It’s where Michael Harris has found a lucrative opportunity. With a career that spans 12 years, including positions in New York’s North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System and Bellevue Hospital, Harris is a standard-bearer in an area that sees few men and even fewer African Americans. Presently, Harris is the coding supervisor at Preferred Health Partners in New York. In addition to overseeing a staff of coders and billers, he educates physicians about proper documentation of procedures and services to make sure they’re in compliance with government regulations. This also helps to avoid audits.

Understanding the earning potential in the field, Harris leapt when opportunities presented themselves, taking a free coding course and earning the highest score. “Through networking and events you can meet a lot of people within the industry and build relationships with physicians to help you improve,” he says. “The field is wide open.” Since becoming certified, Harris has tripled his salary, does speaking engagements, and plans to eventually open a coding school and begin consulting on a national basis.

Medical billing and coding, the practice of submitting claims to health insurance companies and Medicare or Medicaid in order to receive payment for medical services provided by a health professional, is one of the fastest growing disciplines in healthcare, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. With specialized knowledge in high demand, certified professionals can secure work in almost any environment nationwide.

Billers and coders perform a wide range of functions including daily billing procedures, submitting insurance claims for reimbursement, documenting medical services performed using correct medical terminology, and adhering to insurance carrier’s policies and procedures. They work in a variety of settings including hospitals, physician’s offices, nursing homes, and law and accounting firms. Some billers and coders work independently from home while others with years of expertise can opt to work as consultants, troubleshooting and problem solving for a range of facilities.

Medical billers and coders are integral to the medical framework that supports and facilitates the healthcare landscape. Every service and procedure performed by a physician generates a code. No matter the ailment, treatment, or procedure, there is a corresponding code that describes it. The code is then submitted for payment to the patient’s insurance company, Medicaid, or Medicare. Medical billing is fundamental to a doctor’s practice and ensures that they are accountable—and paid—for the services they provide. Coders extract information from the documentation physicians provide in a patient’s chart and convert it to what is known as a CPT4 code, a five-digit number developed by the American Medical Association. The codes are then submitted for payment. Accuracy and a keen eye for detail are essential to the job. Coders also ensure that physicians are in compliance with current guidelines and regulations.

Why Medical Billing and Coding Is Important
With a career that encompasses knowledge of finance, accounting, and the business of medicine, it’s no small wonder that Stan Eason’s career trajectory has led to his current position running the financial operations of a hospital. As CFO of the Allentown, Pennsylvania-based Westfield Hospital, Eason is responsible for the facility’s financial planning, reporting, analysis and record keeping. He is part of the senior management team that establishes policies that ensure the hospital delivers quality healthcare while maintaining the bottom line—no small feat in these days of hospital closings, bankruptcies, and massive layoffs.

In an environment of rising healthcare costs Eason notes that commercial and government payors of healthcare services to hospitals and doctors, has declined considerably.  Because of decreasing revenue, more physicians are joining hospital systems to contain overhead costs and expand their bottom line. This presents mutually beneficial opportunities for physicians and hospitals. But there are other business factors to consider. In an attempt to clamp down on fraud and abuse, inaccurate billing and overpayment of claims, the federal government has increased regulatory scrutiny. In 2005, the government created and implemented the Recovery Audit Contractor program to detect improper past payments on healthcare claims for services to Medicare beneficiaries. To date, RAC auditors have recouped more than $10 billion in improper Medicare payouts. With the increased need to be in compliance, physicians and healthcare facilities must ensure that payment submissions and the corresponding documentation accurately reflect the services provided.

The RAC reviews and other government regulations have affected hospital hiring practices and resulted in the need for more streamlined procedures, Eason says. “Now we must be concerned with issues like, Did the provider use proper coding conventions for reimbursement? Are mistakes intentional or out of ignorance? To be in compliance we need coders and billers who understand the ins and outs of coding conventions and regulations and who know how to apply them accurately and appropriately.” Now, says Eason, hospital hiring practices are geared toward these new concerns.

Education and Career Requirements
Entry into this career field requires completion of a medical billing and coding program at an accredited school. Classes include anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, and medical documentation evaluation. Tuition cost and program duration vary by school. Programs are offered through continuing education programs at local colleges or through accredited vocational or professional training schools. The average starting salary for medical coders is $30,000. Individuals with long career experience or a specialty can earn $75,000 or more depending on geographical location and facility size. Certification is required in most institutions.

Numerous organizations offer certification. Two major certifying bodies are the American Health Information Management Association and the American Academy of Professional Coders. AHIMA offers the designations of Certified Coding Specialist (CCS), and Certified Coding Specialist – Physician-based (CCS-P). Among the designations the AAPC offers is Certified Professional Coder (CPC), Certified Professional Coder – Payer (CPC-P) and Certified Professional Coder – Hospital (CPC-H).

Professionals must maintain their certification by accruing continuing education credits annually and keeping up with compliance rules and regulations.

Trends and Opportunities
Experienced billers and coders can work independently from home through electronic billing technology. Other options include insurance specialist or consultant, hiring or working with independent contractors that troubleshoot and provide revenue-driven guidance to major healthcare facilities. Billers and coders can also work as auditors, a lucrative option given that they receive a percentage of any monies recovered. One of the most significant areas of specialization: cancer registrars.

Registrars review patient records and pathology reports as well as assign codes for diagnosis, treatment, and procedures.
The field of medical billing and coding provides enviable earning potential, job stability, and lucrative job opportunities, and will play a vital role in rejuvenating the nation’s economy.

If you, like Shumate, plan to make a big purchase in the near future, it’s important to understand all the factors that affect your credit score. You also need to be able to separate fact from fiction. Below are a few common myths about credit and debt management.

Myth: If you have a good credit score, you don’t have to pay attention to what’s in your credit report.
Reality: Read and understand what’s in your credit report. A mistake could cost you the best rate on a loan or cause you to be denied. It could also make you a target for identity theft. Look at the accounts carefully and make sure they’re yours,” says Liz Weston, personal finance columnist for MSN Money and author of Your Credit Score, Your Money & What’s at Stake: How to Improve the 3-Digit Number That Shapes Your Financial Future (FT Press; $18.99). If you see an account that is not yours, dispute it. “Ask for validation to prove the debt is yours. If they can’t prove it, they have to remove it. If you’re ignored, see a lawyer with knowledge of credit card laws,” says Weston.

Myth: Credit inquiries will ruin your score.
Reality: “Credit inquiries don’t matter as much as rumored,” says Weston. “Your score is impacted by about five points, but then it fades quickly in a few months.” A “hard inquiry,” which remains on your credit report for two years, occurs when you apply for credit or a car loan or open a bank account. A hard inquiry will lower your score, but only for the first year that it’s on your report. A “soft inquiry” occurs when you yourself, a prospective employer, or a lender with whom you have an existing relationship checks your credit report.

Myth: Bankruptcy will solve all your credit problems.
Reality: “Bankruptcy is the single worst thing you can do to your credit, so call [creditors] about a solution first,” says Weston. Chapter 7 bankruptcy remains on your report for 10 years and Chapter 13 for seven years. Your credit score can drop by as much as 300 points.

Myth: You’re safe as long as you pay the minimum.
Reality: Credit utilization is important. FICO credit scores look at balances reported and available credit. The higher one’s percentage of credit used, the more damage it does to his or her score. “Paying the minimum may put you in good stead with the credit card company, but there’s still an unpaid balance over time, which affects your score,” says Barry Paperno, consumer operations manager for myFICO.com. Experts advise using as low a percentage of your available credit as possible, but the ideal percentage is below 10%.

There is a broad and increasing list of sites, including BlinkList, YouTube, Delicious, Flickr, Tumblr, BlogMarks.net, and the triumvirate of major sites: Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. These social destinations have become to business professionals and entrepreneurs what golf is to C-suite powerbrokers—an opportunity to strategically network and close deals based on shared interests and personal engagement. But these sites do more, by offering users valuable real estate to advertise products or services, create and expand brand recognition, solicit feedback, build relationships, and create community forums. Users also have unprecedented access to consumers, hiring managers, prospective clients, industry experts, and opportunities.

Moreover, social media levels the playing field by allowing anyone access without restrictions on time, location, or social status.

The most diligent and creative players are reaping huge benefits. According to a report from Forrester Research, 55.6 million U.S. adults—just shy of one-third of the population—visited social networks at least monthly in 2009, an increase from 18% in 2008. Recent Nielsen research says Americans spend nearly 25% of their time online on social networks and blogs, up from nearly 16% a year ago.

The initial foray into social media can be daunting and bewildering. Newcomers to the space might wonder: Who’s reading? Will I be heard or noticed? Isn’t it all just fun and games? Isn’t it invasive? Making the effort worthwhile requires time, patience, and a work-smart-not-hard strategy. Whether you’re an entrepreneur or a corporate professional, the success of marketing your products, businesses, or your personal brand will be determined by how well you engage interest on the varying platforms. In part one of a series on social media strategies, Black Enterprise offers some tips to get you connected.

What Business Owners Should Know
Finding out who your customers are and how they like to be served is essential for the success of any business. Questions and surveys offered on social media platforms can help business owners quickly access that information. Jason Burton, social media strategist and marketing director of Lab 5702, a boutique marketing solutions firm in Kansas City, Missouri, says such data can help you position your product to broader groups outside your initial base of contacts. “Put your product in front of the trendsetters or the next level of users,” he suggests. “Targeted searches let you drill down beneath the surface to find followers and potential influencers that can use or promote your product or service.”

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Location-based social mapping services such as Foursquare, Google Latitude, Loopt, Facebook Places, and MyTown allow consumers to benefit from their influence. For example, if you visit your favorite flower shop in Tucson and tweet it to your followers, you get $2 off your purchase. The greater the network and influence, the bigger the discount. These services also enable users to find friends and events; share locations, updates, tips, photos, and comments; and share across online social networks and blogs. Loopt has more than 4 million registered users and partnerships with every major U.S. mobile phone carrier and is available on more than 100 smartphones, including the iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android. Google Latitude and Foursquare boast more than 3 million users each. Greater social media interactivity has been facilitated by mobile apps such as ÜberTwitter, MobileLinked IM, and Nimbuzz. According to a Juniper Research report, the number of downloads from mobile application stores is expected to rise from fewer than 2.6 billion per year in 2009 to more than 25 billion in 2015.

What Corporate Professionals Should Know
Carmen Hudson, CEO of Tweetajob in Seattle, oversaw employer branding campaigns when she was senior manager of talent acquisition for Yahoo and has witnessed the shift in recruitment practices. “Companies are cultivating and marketing a brand that attracts and is attractive to certain types of candidates,” she explains. For companies such as Yahoo, Starbucks, Apple, and Microsoft, social media is increasingly at the forefront of that strategy. Recruiters will, for instance, use LinkedIn to create a search stream of attributes to find precisely the type of candidates hiring managers are looking for with minimal time and fuss. Moreover, Hudson adds, “They’re also looking at how many followers you have. Do you have a strong network? If you’re an expert, friends and/or follower numbers are strong indicators of that.”

A Jump Start Social Media survey of hiring managers indicates that 66% go to LinkedIn to find candidates for openings, 23% go to Facebook, and 16% to Twitter. “Job seekers who frequently post and update profiles are nimble and often get to job opportunities first,” Hudson says.

“Recruitment officers can execute a well-rounded and more diverse search, through a search stream of attributes because they now can meet candidates where they play,” says Hudson. At the same time, companies can promote the brand and the company message, which gives the job seeker a more informed perspective on the companies as potential employers.

How to Maximize Social Media Marketing to Promote Your Brand or Business
• A blogging platform such as WordPress or Blogspot, is essential, advises Warren Laidler, webmaster and creative director of DeLite Multimedia in New York City. Blogs have greater potential for organic leads because their content-rich nature makes them more search engine friendly. Search engines love content-driven platforms and rank them higher than static websites. “Think of your blog as a launch pad or hub for your enterprise. Your social media efforts should lead back to your blog or website, which should be dynamic and informative, providing content and information that encourages visitors not only to return, but to distribute your content to their network.”

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• Blogs or websites should contain SEO, or search engine optimized, keywords and phrases that help visitors find the business when they search via Google, Yahoo, Bing, and others. Laidler also suggests pulling in RSS feeds and useful links into your blog. “RSS feeds allow you to import content from outside sources and are a great way to share information that visitors find interesting.”

• Work on engagement and consistency. For example, your Twitter timeline should be a combination of original updates, retweets, or shares from other sources, replies from connections, inspirational quotes, and trending topics. A standard formula is two to four tweets per day. Positive activity can also blossom quickly and create buzz that reaches well beyond a business’ core audience. In the virtual world, consumers and job seekers can become influencers and trendsetters by persuading their network to take action or buy a product or service. Laidler suggests using tools like Klout or Twittergrader.com to measure your social media influence and find out the reach of your Twitter posts.

• Choose a picture for your social media avatar, rather than a logo, advises Joel Comm, social media expert and New York Times best-selling author of Twitter Power. “People like faces associated with companies. Customize your Twitter background. Use photos, links, contact information, RSS feeds, etc. to individualize and promote your brand.”

• Choose a third-party application or service, such as TweetDeck or Hoote Suite, SocialOomph, and Twaitter, which allows quick, easy distribution of posts and other content among multiple social media sites. “You can incorporate plug-ins or apps on the sidebar of your blog page that allows visitors to easily access all your social media,” says Laidler. “All social media sites have plug-ins or widgets that allow fast, easy updates with one click.”

• Don’t follow everyone who follows you on Twitter. Conduct targeted keyword searches for individuals, companies, and other industry players who are important to you or who you want to have as a client.

• Show off your expertise. If you’re in business, you’re already an expert with valuable information people want to know, Comm says. Use your talents, passion, ability, and personality to your advantage.

Minott and his brother Chester operate Minott Services, the largest waste disposal and janitorial services company in Jamaica, with branches nationwide. After their father’s passing, the brothers took over the company, expanding what their father created into three separate companies with a focus on labor management and chemical manufacturing with a workforce of more than 1,300.

Although Minott began studying piano at age 6, his father insisted that his children pursue professional careers. “He grew up poor and wanted us to have everything he didn’t,” Minott says. After receiving his law degree, Minott moved to New York in hopes of beginning a songwriting career, but when no opportunities materialized, he returned to the family business. Although his demo tape attracted the attention of Augustus Clarke, a respected Jamaican music producer who contracted him to write songs for popular local artists, including Freddie McGregor and Gregory Isaacs, most of the attempts at selling his songs were disappointing. The family business was flourishing, but his passion for music still haunted him.

Obama’s victory encouraged Minott to again shop “Lest We Forget,” which pays homage to the struggle for human rights. In 15 years, Minott was unable to interest anyone in the song. “Artists were more interested in singing about relationships than in black pride,” he offers. This time, however, the music industry also seemed more inspired, and the song Minott performed was enthusiastically received and began playing on the radio.

“When people know you as a business person, then you say you want to be an artist, you get strange looks,” says Minott of his dual duties. His brother and partner in business, however, has been his biggest supporter. “He gave me space to pursue my dream, and I couldn’t have accomplished this without him. These songs are my vision. “I have the opportunity to produce exactly the kind of music I love.”