March 20, 2017
[Passion to Purpose]: Malcolm ‘MJ’ Harris Talks Empowerment and Fiscal Responsibility Through His New Media Brand
The concept of “empowerment” is easily thrown around these days, especially in the age of social media celebrities, self-published titles, and think-tank pieces. In reality, the idea of empowerment goes deeper than a quote from your favorite author; it’s about taking an enlightened path through life’s journey, through hard work, valued connections, and impactful intersections. Among all this static comprised of hollow proposals for personal empowerment, is the authentic, sincere voice of encouragement belonging to motivational speaker and financial management genius, Malcolm J. Harris.
As CEO of National Care Financial Group, one of America’s largest African American-owned financial services firms, Harris has managed to build a successful career primarily through assisting members of underserved populations to achieve their individual financial goals. He’s appeared on Oprah Winfrey’s The Life You Want Tour and has received national recognition from many esteemed publications, including BLACK ENTERPRISE, USA Today, Huffington Post, and Ebony. Thanks to a series of Wealth Class seminar videos, he’s also gained an even larger global following, as these videos continue to break records with millions of views.
It’s clear that Harris utilizes the life lessons he’s acquired over time to fuel his desire to empower others. After experiencing an unexpected vision while sitting in his dining room, what was initially expected to serve as a side hustle has since grown into a multimillion-dollar business with global reach. The motivational teacher recently launched MJ Harris OmniMedia L.L.C., a full-service media group that focuses on production, e-learning, print, and live events through content distribution. “[It] uses my ability to provide a platform for people looking to live a life reflective of their full potential,” he tells BE Modern Man.
The first product from Harris’ new company will be a how-to guide for effectively managing debt titled Stop Going Broke…Living Under Debt.“I always wanted to be an inspirational teacher. I would write quotes down in the back of my notebook, because I knew that words capture truths,” Harris says.
“My desire is not by accident—[rather, it’s] my responsibility to embrace that calling placed on my life,” he says. However, it was divine intervention that ignited the epiphany or ‘ah-ha’ moment which ultimately set him on the path to a career in media; Harris’ preexisting video content had been hugely successful in terms of engagement, drawing upwards of 10 million views monthly across multiple platforms.
“While doing a test shoot, a cameraman asked if I had ever considered a career in television. Surprisingly, one of the test videos took off like a rocket, garnering 250,000 hits in one week,” Harris says.
Harris’ vision for his media company was able to come to fruition, in part, because of a brilliant business decision. He sold off holdings from the securities business, National Care Wealth Management, which is a separate entity from National Care Financial Group.“The business counted for less than 20% of our domestic holdings, so selling off this unit enabled us to focus our energy and resources on the new venture,” he tells BE Modern Man. “It was a very strategic move. By not being in the securities sector, we can have more resources to reach our target audience.”
Harris will pass the reins over to buyer Daphne A. Wright. An African American woman with over 20 years of experience, Wright is a certified public accountant, certified financial planner, and LPL financial advisor from Wright Financial Services and Associates, who will continue to provide top-tier service to current and new clients.
Using his own experience to help others in their quest for financial responsibility is merely a snippet of Harris’ life journey. The launch of this new media group will not only provide him with the opportunity to integrate his love of motivational speaking and customer service, but it will ultimately create a lasting impact on those seeking a new direction in life.
“When people discover that I’m the head of one of the largest African American financial agencies in the U.S., they say, ‘I want his life.’ I have shaped my story, so others can know that they can reach their full potential, as well. I am not here to share my accomplishments, because we all have so much within us. This is about breaking through the secrecy and shame in our [community]—I use my life as a classroom,” he states.
BE Modern Man salutes Malcolm J. Harris for stepping out on faith, walking in his authenticity, and continuing to service others through the business of financial education and empowerment. We thank Harris for exemplifying the core characteristics of what it means to be a modern black man, and we look forward to observing his continued success, as he makes his foray into the media industry.
For more on Malcolm J. Harris, you can follow him on social media:
Instagram: @MJHarrisSpeaks
Twitter: @MJHarrisSpeaks
You may also visit the website www.MJHarrisBook.com.
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