New Orleans Saints TE Jimmy Graham

Most of the public is only recently becoming aware of the story of Jimmy Graham. I find this very unfortunate, but true. Graham is a tight end for the New Orleans Saints football team. As of this writing, he is the leading tight end in the NFL in terms of receptions and touchdowns. But most importantly, he is proving to be a true “baller” in the game of life!

Born and raised in Greensboro, North Carolina, this 24-year-old has scored big both on and off the field. Just imagine, at the age of 11, being put in a parent’s car and then being dropped off at an orphanage.

Well, unfortunately for Graham, he doesn’t have to imagine—this was his life. Graham recounts the story of him being in the backseat of a van with his housemates from the orphanage and being beaten until his eyes were swollen shut. He called his mother and asked her to pick him up and she simply hung up the phone. Ouch!

After bouncing around from house to house, he was eventually taken into the home of his future adoptive mother, Becky Vinson during his high school years.

According to Graham, he and his biological mother are “slowly rebuilding a relationship, but it’s moving very slowly… I told her that I forgive her, but I won’t forget.”

Graham is a better man than me. I’m very impressed with the way he presents himself on TV. But, his attitude towards his mother goes to the type of character he has. Isn’t it a shame that more people are aware of Beyoncé’s pregnancy than Graham’s story?

Graham, who now stands 6’6” and 260 pounds, earned a basketball scholarship to attend the University of Miami (commonly referred to as “The U”). He played football in his last year of school (along with four years of basketball) and graduated in 2009 with a double major in marketing and management. He then enrolled in graduate school so he could play one year of football. During the 2010 NFL draft, Graham was picked by the New Orleans Saints in the third round (95th overall pick) and signed to a four year, $ 2.5 million contract.

There’s a lot more to this story, but because of space constraints, there is not enough room to write about everything; but just Google his name and you can read all the details of this fascinating person (or watch ESPN’s profile below). So, the next time you hear or read a negative story about a professional athlete, just think about Michael Vick or Jimmy Graham. Most professional athletes are good, upstanding citizens. Don’t allow the media to cloud your views because of a few bad apples.

Jimmy Graham’s story makes you cry, makes you angry, and makes you joyful. You can’t help but cry when you think of the traumatic experience he suffered at the age of 11. You can’t help but be angry at how an adult and a mother could subject her own child to such a life-altering situation. But, you can’t help but be joyful about how an 11-year-old, traumatized kid could develop into such a wonderful, marvelous person!

This story is not about sports, it’s about life. We all have faced or will face our own traumatic situation(s) in our life. How we respond will determine the quality of our life.
There are not many people who I really want to meet in life, but Jimmy Graham is definitely one. I want to know how he went from failing grades, to a basketball scholarship to a very prominent university (with a double major in marketing and management), finished in four years, then enrolled in graduate school so he could play one year of football, and then to excel on the professional level in the sport. All this while overcoming the trauma of his youth.

Jimmy Graham, your life is truly a touchdown. Whether you know it or not, you have already won the Super Bowl of life!

Watch ESPN’s profile of Jimmy Graham below:

Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a D.C.-public relations/government affairs firm. He is also a contributing editor for ExcellStyle Magazine,  Freedom’s Journal Magazine and U.S. Africa Magazine.

Two Women of Power: Sage Steele & Marion Jones

• One-On-One with ESPN’s Sage Steele

Check out BlackEnterprise.com host Tai Beauchamp as she get’s the scoop from ESPN’s Sage Steele about her interview with Olympic track and field star turned WNBA guard, Marion Jones. Visit blackenterprise.com/wps/videos/ for the exclusive interview.

• Matchmaker Paul Brunson from One Degree From Me at 2011 Women of Power Summit

What good is being successful in your career if you can’t share the fruits of your labor with someone? BlackEnterprise.com host Tai Beauchamp picked the brain of professional matchmaker to find out what’s the No. 1 roadblock for Women of Power when it comes to romantic relationships and why a little work goes a long way, even in love. Visit blackenterprise.com/wps/videos/ to watch the one-on-one interview.

• Live from the Women of Power BE Digital Lounge

BlackEnterprise.com host Tai Beauchamp talks with Women of Power panelists Tina Wells, founder and chief-executive-officer of Buzz Marketing Group, and Dr. Janet Taylor, a consumer health strategist and certified life coach, at BE Digital Lounge hosted by AT&T on how vital the conference is to our community, its impact and why they keep coming back each year. Visit blackenterprise.com/wps/videos for the exclusive interview.

• Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie Shares An Insightful Message at Keynote Breakfast

Day 3 of Black Enterprise’s Women of Power Summit began with very profound and inspirational words from none other than Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. “Your brilliance may be diminished by racism, sexism and classism,” said McKenzie, at the motivational keynote breakfast. “Don’t use that as your excuse, but your motivation.” What a way to start off the day. Next on the day’s agenda was leadership sessions on reinvention, reclaiming your power, image control and putting your emotions in check at the office.

• Want to be up to speed on what’s taking place in Orlando? Visit UPDATE: Day 2 – Women of Power 2011.
• Have a question for someone appearing at the conference? Just log on to blackenterprise.com/wps and we’ll be sure to answer the question live!

Aaron Arnold used skills learned while an intern at Bad Boy Records to start his own music company. (Source: Aaron Arnold)

Following a passion and turning it into a lucrative career can be quite daunting for many, especially in an economic environment where the choice stands between joblessness and simply earning a paycheck to survive.

However, there are some who are brave enough to step out on faith and take the risk of forfeiting an immediate means of survival to pursue a dream.

Aaron Arnold, 30, founder and CEO of Music Is My Business, made that decision, leaving a high-paying job as a public relations executive to take an unpaid internship working under one of the hardest-working men in show business – Bad Boy Records founder and entertainment industry powerhouse Sean “Diddy” Combs.

After the life-changing experience (and living off credit cards and a prayer), Arnold’s Atlanta-based music company now boasts a client list that includes ESPN, Heineken, and the United Nations’ World Food Program (WFP). He’s also worked with Grammy-award winning songwriter Bryan Michael Cox and platinum-selling artists Danity Kane.

He talked with BlackEnterprise.com about finding the courage to pursue his dream, being inspired by Combs, and the lessons in learning as you go.

BlackEnterprise.com: You transitioned from working in public relations to becoming the CEO of a music company. How did you become interested in the music industry?

Aaron Arnold: Although I had a great job for a great company, I wasn’t happy anymore. My ambition had outgrown what I was currently doing. I closed my eyes and asked myself, “If I could do something for free, what would it be?”

Shockingly to me, it was music, but it made sense too, [since] my mother performed opera and my dad was a jazz musician and music professor. I was even in concert choir during high school. I basically followed my heart.

How did working for Sean “Diddy” Combs inspire you to branch out on your own?

My work with Mr. Combs was an amazing experience, and every day was different and intense. I came to him with the goal of being the next generation of executives to influence music and business. All I asked of him was to mentor and groom me, and in return I’d work a year for free if he saw fit. At the first meeting I ever attended with him, I was so inspired by his work ethic, energy, and knowledge of various industries. I went home that night and launched the concept of Music Is My Business.

What was your involvement with the U.N.’s World Food Program (WFP) and the inspiration behind it?

In 2007, we took part in creating a public service announcement for the WFP. I brought five-time Grammy-winning songwriter Bryan Michael Cox to the table, and we scored the PSA which ran on news networks all over.

In 2008, the WFP launched the Red Cup campaign [to raise awareness on hunger], which they debuted on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Upon seeing that, I decided I wanted to do something for the kids and pitched the idea of doing an animated musical for the same campaign. They approved it, and we went to work. It took us 12 months as we conceptualized via our brand-management team, animated via our TV, film, and animation team, and scored via our music team’s producer and artist. We’re hoping to debut this on Oprah later this year.

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced in pursuing your success?

Of course, you have people who do not believe in you or aim to take advantage of you because of your youth and [your] being new to the business, but the main one for me is when I first started Music Is My Business, I had a team that was too large. So we weren’t efficient, and that was due to me not knowing what I was doing. In addition, I had a vision but not the know-how in which to execute that vision. I learned that things don’t happen overnight and that ideas are just ideas unless they are backed up by results.

How did you overcome those challenges?

I overcame those challenges by just knowing what I (and Music Is My Business) was destined to become. Eventually my team became a lot smaller, and I had to walk away from several situations that weren’t conducive to the long-term growth of Music Is My Business. I also had to figure out what would drive Music Is My Business revenue-wise, build that component first, and then integrate everything else from there. Most importantly, learning from my failures and mistakes really helped me and humbled me.

What would you say are the three keys to success that have directly been used in your life and business?

Keep dreaming, even when you are awake, and then act on that vision. Sometimes inspiration can come in the form of many things, but always have those outlets. It keeps you creative.

Find peers and mentors who have like energy, ambition, and visions. These are the people who you will grow with and who will support you on those bad days and who you will also make money with. I am only successful because of the wonderful team that supports me as I support them.

Keep your vision intact. As long as you stay the course regarding your vision, you will somehow get there. It’s not about being the smartest person; it’s about being the person who wants it most. Persevere.