Laili Ali

Laila Ali is known for her beauty and brawn. She’s reigned as the women’s super middle-weight boxing champ and strutted her stuff on Dancing with the Stars. Now the former champ has set her sights on a new foe: kidney disease.  On this weekend’s edition of Our World with Black Enterprise, host Marc Lamont Hill [@marclamonthill] talks with Ali about ‘Pair Up,’ her campaign with the National Kidney Fund to spread awareness and prevention of the devastating disease.

Plus, with this year’s Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit® hosted by State Farm just days away, Our World revisits three of the women who have made the summit a can’t-miss event.  Former Olympic athlete Marion Jones tells how she bounced back and reclaimed her power after a devastating doping scandal that resulted in six months of incarceration. Legacy Award winner Audrey Smaltz speaks to career longevity after a successful 55-year career in the fashion industry; and Bishop Barbara C. Harris inspires as the first ordained bishop in the Anglican Communion.

Our World with Black Enterprise airs on TV ONE this Sunday, February 5 at 10:00 a.m. and on local stations across the country all weekend. Check your local listings and visit www.blackenterprise.com/ourworld for additional time and station information.

(Image: Official White House Photo)

The January jobs report has Democrats celebrating. The national unemployment rate dropped for the fifth consecutive month to 8.3 %, the lowest in almost three years. The black unemployment rate was even more encouraging, dipping from 15.8% in December to 13.6%, its lowest since 2009.

At a Joint Economic Committee hearing held Friday, Rep. Elijah Cummings applauded the decline in African-American unemployment, but said that 13.6% “is still completely unacceptably high.” He issued a challenge to House and Senate lawmakers to “put aside their partisan rhetoric and strive toward one single unifying goal: the continued growth of the American economy.

Although the public sector trimmed 14,000 jobs, the private sector added 243,000 new jobs, which was much more than economists had predicted. In the last 23 months, the economy has added 3.7 million jobs, according to White House statistics.

“These numbers will go up and down in the coming months. And there are still far too many Americans who need a job or need a job that pays better than the one they have now. But the economy is growing stronger,” President Obama said Friday.

The president said in a speech delivered in Arlington, Va. that if the economy is to continue its recovery, the most important thing that Congress can do is extend the payroll tax cut and unemployment insurance programs through the end of the year. In December, lawmakers passed only a two-month extension that exposed rifts between House and Senate Republicans and between Speaker John Boehner and his Tea Party freshmen.

“I want to send a clear message to Congress,” Obama said. “Do not slow down the recovery that we’re on. Don’t muck it up. Keep it moving in the right direction.”

Built to lead (Image: Thinkstock)

One of the most appealing characteristics of professional sports is the idea that there’s a meritocracy in place—the best players get to play. But one thing you won’t see amidst the pageantry this weekend as the New York Giants face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI is an African American taking the snaps.

While both teams boast elite starting quarterbacks, this coveted position has often eluded many black athletes—particularly at the professional level. As the field generals of the team, a study indicates that racial stereotyping is playing a role. And this same stereotype is what results in so few African Americans at the upper echelons of the corporate hierarchy. Case in point, African Americans make up nearly 13% of the US population; but in 2009 only 1% of the CEOs of the largest 500 publicly traded companies were black.

In the study, published by the Academy of Management Journal, more than 600 sports news articles representing all 119 NCAA Division I colleges were analyzed. “We cast a fairly wide net and again what allowed us to do this was that, there are 80-plus white quarterbacks, there are 30-plus black quarterbacks, and so we really wanted to capture this phenomenon, and we wanted to do it at the highest level of college football,” says Ashleigh Shelby Rosette, a professor of organizational behavior at Duke University, and one of the two authors of “Explaining Bias Against Black Leaders: Integrating Theory on Information Processing and Goal-Based Stereotyping.”

Rosette adds that despite that the most recent Heisman Trophy winners, Robert Griffin and Cam Newton, are both African American quarterbacks. “We don’t believe this negates the aspect, because two superstars do not a trend make.”

(Image: ThinkStock)

The study concludes that black leaders are not evaluated comparably to their white counterparts, resulting in severe consequences for black organizational members and also finds that bias against black leaders is sustained because the way evaluators subscribe to stereotypes. In short, if a black quarterback leads his team successfully, he’s a gifted athlete, not a great leader. But if he fails, he’s a poor leader. “A problem I find in here, is regarding how African Americans are perceived,” says Rosette.

According to Rosette, this is an example of compensatory stereotypes, as they compensate for a negative stereotype, but does not conflict with that negative stereotype. So we looked at it in college football, and that compensatory stereotype would be athleticism.  So the African American quarterbacks, who are leaders on the field, and have led their team to victory, they have led successfully, are not described as good leaders, but instead are described in this compensatory term, which is athleticism, and there are several examples in terms of how this could move from the football field to the actual corporate environment.

According to the data, an African American who is placed in a leadership role as a quarterback must contend with certain perceptions that they’re going to have to overcome simply because they are not expected to be in that role, and secondly are not expected to do well in that role. While there’s currently an African American in the White House, Obama represents more of an aberration than a trend. “I think what would cause a change is, when the expectations of the race of our leaders changes,” says Rossette. “When you think, what’s going to be the race of our next president after Obama? I can probably guess, most people in general would say it’s probably going to be another white person.”

(Image: Getty)

With the National Retail Federation [NRF] estimating that $10.1 billion would be spent on Super Bowl XLVI (up from $8.87 billion in 2010) and companies saving a significant percentage of their yearly advertising budgets to allot for the $3.5 million they will spend on their 30-second commercial spots, to hotels in host cities increasing bringing in major profits from increased room rates, the financial impact of the Big Game is “super” indeed. Since the merger of the National Football League [NFL] and the American Football League in 1967, the Super Bowl (officially called such beginning in 1961) has emerged as not only the most watched broadcast in America each year, but also arguably the most highly anticipated sporting event in the country.

Though Indianapolis, Indiana is not new to hosting large events—being that it is the home of the largest single-day sporting event in the world, the Indianapolis 500—the city has been preparing for Super Bowl Sunday extensively and are ready to give their “Hoosier hospitality” to the influx of visitors. Reports show that since 2008, Indianapolis spent $3 billion on hospitality.

In addition to the fans with tickets to the game, on average another 50,000 people flock into host cities where the championship is being played, just to take part in the array of festivities sponsored by the NFL, the town, and other brands. Generally, the League hires 6,000 volunteers to help out with all of the local festivities associated with the event.

With the New York Giants set to face the New England Patriots this Sunday, February 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium, Super Bowl XLVI is estimated to draw in more viewers than the record-breaking average audience of 111 million viewers last year. With all the money pouring in and out of Indianapolis this weekend, BlackEnterprise.com Decodes the financial impact of the Super Bowl and what impact this yearly sporting event can have on the economy of a city.

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(Image: Getty)

THE HOST CITY WITH THE MOST

With thousands of people coming into a city during Super Bowl weekend—eating in restaurants and staying in hotels, adding up to about $5,000 per visitor—the assumption is that this activity would give a healthy boost to the respective city’s economy. However, there have been debates on the true financial impact of the Super Bowl for more than 20 years.

On one side, host committees who conduct studies surrounding the game report numbers between $200 and $500 million. On the other side are experts in sports economics, such as those in “Super Bowl or Super (Hyper)bole,” who claim that the average impact is closer to $92 million. These economists believe that the host committees and the NFL inflate the numbers in order to entice cities to build new stadiums and make their city more likely to win the bid to host future NFL championships.

Meanwhile, host committees state that the economists lack the necessary information to come up with numbers closer to the actual figures of the net economic gain. Though the economic gain of each city varies, according to the host committee, Green Bay saw the highest amount brought in at $500 million.

Lucas Oil Stadium, where this year’s Super Bowl XLVI will be held, was built three years ago and is valued at $720 million. The Colts contributed $100 million while the city of Indianapolis, the state of Indiana and Lucas Oil—who paid $122 million for naming rights over the next 20 years—contributed to the rest to the project.

The downtown area contains about 7,100 hotel rooms, but the Indianapolis host committee secured approximately 18,300 hotel rooms within a 45-mile radius for those attending Super Bowl festivities. Along with that citywide reservation comes stiffer prices. To put the increase in hotel rooms in perspective, as of January 24th a room at Super 8 Indianapolis on the Saturday before Super Bowl XLVI would cost $500 a night. Meanwhile the same room the following weekend would run for just $55 per night.

Even the parking at the stadium for game day can range from $55 to almost $1,000. These are only a few factors, nonetheless, restaurants, retailers and all local businesses may be happy for the extra foot traffic associated with the Super Bowl coming to town. The only downside is their usual customers generally avoid the stores during this weekend since they know they will be overcrowded.

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(Image: ThinkStock)

SUPER BOWL SIZED AD SALES

With rates of over $100,000 per second, companies spend a great amount of money and time—many up to a year in advance—planning concepts for the advertisements that will air on the “big day.” According to NBC spokesperson Christopher McCloskey, the average cost of a 30-second slot during the game this year is $3.5 million with some key spots being sold for as high as $4 million. The price is 17 percent higher than those sold to Fox last year.

When NBC broadcast the Super Bowl in 2009 the numbers were an average of $2.8 million each. Those prices didn’t include the pre-game, halftime and post-game spots, which are less expensive, since they’re not watched in as high density. While NBC reps could not disclose how much is made from advertising during the Super Bowl production, the network did sell 70 30-second slots.

The price of the spot depends on a number of variables, including whether or not the company does other business with NBC; how many spots they buy; the amount of time taken to purchase their spots (rates go up closer to the game), among other factors. According to McCloskey, though marketers usually put an emphasis on the “pod position” (the first commercial in or the last before the game comes back on), there is no added value on the timing of an advertisement. The viewership is usually about the same throughout the broadcast.

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(Image: Getty)

GEARING UP FOR PROFITS

Each year, Reebok, the NFL’s official apparel and uniform provider, delivers 300 world championship hats and T-shirts for each of the competing Super Bowl teams to the stadium. The losing team’s merchandise gets donated to a different pre-selected non-profit organization, usually outside of the United States.

Though it depends on the size of the winning team’s city, according to NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy, the average amount that retailers make on sales of merchandise is $100 million. The team that saw the highest profit was the Green Bay Packers, whose last year jersey sales reached the $130 million mark. They also held the previous record of $125 million, set in 1997. As the winners of the first two Super Bowls and a team with a history of having many fan favorites on its roster, the Packers will likely draw a huge amount of purchases from their dedicated fan base any year they win. Even with their large fan base, Green Bay comes in at a close second to the Steelers when it comes to overall best merchandise sellers.

As one of only five official on-site Super Bowl related merchandise retailers of the NFL, Sports Fan Marketing had 16 stores set up during last year’s game in Dallas. According to the company’s president Steve Sodell, set up for the 2011 competition between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers began in mid-November of 2010. Sodell shared that though he sells at several major sporting events year-round, the Super Bowl makes up about 60 percent of his annual income.

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(Image: Getty)

GAINING YARDAGE & PROFITS

In addition to the stadium, the NFL, the networks and retailers, several businesses, large and small, see major profit come Super Bowl Sunday. The book value of the 100% sterling silver Vince Lombardi trophy—which was named after the first coach to win the Super Bowl following his passing in 1970—is said to be worth well over $20,000. It’s produced by Tiffany & Co. each year and takes approximately four months to make.

Though Super Bowl performers are usually some of the most popular musicians and can receive over $100,000 for performing anywhere else, acts for the halftime show are actually not paid monetarily. With an estimated 111 million people watching, they couldn’t buy that kind of exposure. Further, artists are often called on to headline elite Super Bowl parties that take place during the course of the weekend. The parties, hosted by companies like ESPN, DIRECTV, and Maxim magazine, are the place to be for celebrities and VIP’s in town for the weekend’s events. This year, tickets to the hottest Super Bowl parties range from about $800 to $2,000 for “regular” admission.

In addition to the game, a big part of Super Bowl Sunday is the food. With loads of snacks and beverages on the menu, the big game often ranks as the second highest food consumption event after Thanksgiving, so supermarkets certainly cash in on this American “holiday.” Party retailers such as Party City and online sellers like Party411.com see one of their highest profit periods during this time of year as well. With party planners seeking to give their guests a unique experience, novelty stores carrying Super Bowl related decorations and specialty items, often see a large increase in sales and visibility as well

Actual tickets to the game range from a little over $2,000 for the nosebleed section to as much as $645,000 for a 35-seat suite along with full service, and amenities. On the more “affordable” end of the spectrum, diehard fans can watch the game on the big screen outside the stadium for $200.

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SOCIAL MEDIA SACKS

With the rise of the influence of social media on consumer practices over the last five years, brands can’t ignore the implications of what fans say online in relation to their products. Many companies use studies such as the ones done by MCL to influence their business practices. Though there were no social media outlets when the Super Bowl was first seen as a place that millions of viewers could be reached, it’s emergence certainly cannot be ignored.

Colle + McVoy did an analysis called Super Chatter that looked at how people shared their Super Bowl experiences across social media via tweets, Facebook updates, blog posts and more. They found the top 10 most posted topics and categories in social media and sold the data to companies that may want to alter their practices for more ad sentiment. Although there are no conclusive stats on how many people who tweet or fan a company actually go out and buy the product, brands are able to reach consumers via social media who may have not seen their traditional commercials.
One of interesting bits of information that came out of last year’s Super Chatter Experience during the Super Bowl was that although the Packers won more people talked about the losing Pittsburg Steelers on social media. In terms of advertising, Justin Bieber was talked about twice as much as Eminem (both artists had a role in major Super Bowl-premiered spots). As a result of the data, Super Chatter received coverage from several top publications and became the top organic search result on Google.

(Image: Thinkstock)

When many professionals think of public speaking, they think of politicians, authors or scholars in front of students or a major audience. But great public speaking skills can be used whether speaking to one or thousands. Many of the best leaders, no matter their stature or professional position, have used great communication skills to motivate teams, close deals, market their businesses or promote their personal brands.

Public speaking doesn’t have to bring on thoughts of nausea and debilitating nervousness. It can be a great skill to develop and strengthen, and can also turn into a lucrative side gig.

Madame Noire offers six quick steps to upgrade your public speaking skills and become a master at effective communication.

Read more at Madame Noire …

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater just kicked off their 2012 US Tour, which will entertain audiences in 27 North American cities from February 2 – May 27. What better way to celebrate Artistic Director Robert Battle’s inaugural season then to channel your inner dancer?

Visit our BE Rewarded site to enter for a chance to win two complimentary dance classes at Alvin Ailey.  The Extension classes offered to the public boast various techniques of dance for the novice to the advanced learner. The classes offered cover techniques such as: ballet, yoga, African dance, ballroom, and hip-hop.

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was founded over 50 years ago, and over that time has performed throughout the U.S. and internationally.

For a complete tour schedule or to purchase tickets, visit www.alvinailey.org/2012tour .

Catch power couple Pat & Gina Neely this weekend on Black Enterprise Business Report

In this week’s Wealth for Life segment, personal finance expert Dawn Brown goes through the steps you need to shed your debt. From balancing your budget to approaching creditors with confidence, we’ve got all the bases covered.

The recent economic slump hasn’t bugged Entrepreneur of the Week Robert Caldwell.  As president of Ohio-based Acme Exterminating, Caldwell has managed to keep his company thriving by cutting costs, keeping clients happy and utilizing Internet savvy marketing. Plus, Christopher Williams, one of the 75 Most Powerful Blacks on Wall Street, offers advice on managing mergers and acquisitions; and tech guru Mario Armstrong shows off the hottest and most helpful apps.

Black Enterprise Business Report airs every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. on TV ONE and in syndicated cities across the country.  Visit www.blackenterprise.com/bebr for local station and times.

Yandy Smith

The dictionary describes an entrepreneur as ‘A person who engages in business enterprise, usually with some personal financial risk.’

Under this definition, anyone who runs and owns his or her own business can be classified as an entrepreneur because they are taking a risk with their finances every day. But what are the qualities of a successful entrepreneur? Simply owning a business and having risks doesn’t mean that you have successfully accomplished your goal. The dictionary only scratches the surface of what it takes to be an entrepreneur in today’s competitive business world.  One must also take into account an individual’s personality, actions and behavioral patterns—which all contribute to a person’s ability to earn the title of a ‘successful entrepreneur.’

Although it may seem easy enough, becoming a successful entrepreneur is not rudimentary. You have to have a product or service that consumers really want, an organized form of sales and service, and quality marketing advertising. For many of us, the journey to earning the title begins with a burst of excitement about turning our passion into a business (followed by flashing lights of the word “success”). The experience of getting a new idea is wonderful, what follows can be the most exciting and emotional journey you will ever experience. But there is a long, hard road you must travel to take your idea from conception to reality.

I’ve been there. I traveled this road many times, I have had my share of light bulb moments, and I have learned some key points along the way that make the difference between a dreamer and a successful entrepreneur. I learned the old-fashioned way—trial and failure. But, for all my failures came a triumph that made every misstep more than worth it. Here are some helpful tips on how to avoid some of those mistakes I made, and that you take with you on your entrepreneurial adventure.

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Dream big (Image: Thinkstock)

Dream big: To achieve the kind of success that you want, you need to dream big. Every success story starts with big dreams. Have a clear and concise vision of what you want and where you want your idea to go. Actively visualize success in your mind so that it actually starts to become reality. Speak it into existence! Be the person now that you imagine yourself being when you reach your goal. Dress the part now, speak the language now, talk about the places your business will allow you to travel to, research them, tell your friends and family what’s going to happen. The more you speak, the more you’ll believe and the more inclined you’ll be to make things happen. People may look at you like you’re crazy, but imagine how they looked at the Wright brother’s when they thought of creating the first successful aircraft.

Be a leader. Leadership is one of the areas that many entrepreneurs tend to overlook, according to leadership coach John C. Maxwell, whose books include The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership (Thomas Nelson, 1998) and Developing the Leader Within You (Thomas Nelson, 1993). Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader, a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves.”  Becoming a great leader isn’t easy, it requires successfully maneuvering a team through the ups and downs and the major challenges that a new business faces.

To groom yourself to be a quality business leader:

• Envision yourself as a leader. You have to believe for others to believe.
• Recognize your best and worst qualities and evaluate them honestly.
• Create a plan that allows you to capitalize on your strengths.
• Build a team that assists you in areas that may be weaknesses, which will help you have a more well-balanced business.
• Be straightforward and keep it simple. The clearer your mission and direction, the stronger your team.

Hire shrewdly. Nothing is more important. Do extensive research and check references. You can’t rely solely on what’s said in résumés and cover letters. It’s best to ask everyone you respect for solid candidates. Then have a trial period for the new employee before you hire.

Fire fast. If quick efforts to remediate an inadequate employee do not work, fire the person respectfully. One bad employee can infect the success of the team.

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Yandy Smith: Dressed for success

Look good. Unfortunately, we live in a shallow, beauty-obsessed society. Although leaders are not expected to have Hollywood looks necessarily, it’s worth a bit of primping to look your best at all times. You can show off your own personal style while still having a polished look.

Prioritize decisiveness over inclusiveness. The best leaders know when to encourage team involvement in decision-making and when to act unilaterally. It’s not about making friends, it’s about making the best decisions for your business.

Work long hours. I’d rather disappoint you with the truth than anesthetize you with lies.

Motivation rises and falls upon success and setbacks. Being motivated despite the challenges of business is a skill that’s required in order to sail through the storms.  Tough times do not last, but tough people do. Stay motivated at the highest level.

Last but not least, when it comes to entrepreneurs, failure is an option!  Every entrepreneur faces times when winds do not blow in his or her direction. Stick to your boat and keep floating. Winds always change direction. Optimism is an essential requirement for being an entrepreneur. That new direction might land you on a beautiful island you had no idea existed. Embrace setbacks and look for the opportunity to expand and grow your business.