Brothers in Arkansas are Winning

When you’re a VP at Google and you walk into the Black Men’s Xcel conference in Miami, something incredible happens.

A spotlight from the ceiling shines down on you, and the rest of the room gets completely dark.

The conference organizer gives you a trophy right away, and the roaming waiters rush to you alone with orders to make sure you get your top choice of barbecued sausage bites and jumbo breaded shrimp with scampi sauce.

The hotel owner is told, and he runs down to shake your hand.

If you want, he offers you an upgrade to the penthouse suite on the top floor, which is only for Google employees.

He then scolds the bellboys for not helping you immediately take off your sport coat, lightly press it for you, and hang it up.

The men in the room stand up and give you a standing ovation.

They stop what they're talking about and clap loudly to thank you for being in their lives that day.

This is a joke, of course, but fun to imagine.

Plus, I’ve had many clients from Google over the years who are great guys, intelligent, kind, money-driven, impact-focused, and truly open to helping other Black men win in life.

But with tech jobs drying up because of overhiring during the pandemic boom, Google and Amazon laying off staff, and rumors of more to come, we have to think about the choices made by the silent majority of brothers in Arkansas who work in boring industries and have fewer than 500 LinkedIn connections.

Well, not just Arkansas, but the US South.

Brothers in Arkansas and the South often work for non-sexy businesses but can still do very well for themselves once they reach executive-level roles.

I know, for some brothers, the South is a no-go zone.

However, the reality is, that the majority of Black men still work and live in the South.

According to the Pew Research Center, 56% of Black men live in the South. 17% of Black men live in the Midwest and Northeast, while only 10% of Black men live in the West.

Westside!

I'm from California, I couldn't resist.

While we rarely hear about the brother making over $500,000 in total compensation for his SVP role at a non-sexy company based in Arkansas, he definitely exists.

Non-sexy industries include food retail, chemical engineering, materials, oil and gas, and more.

Sexy industries often include tech, media, sports, entertainment, and even biopharma these days. 

So while these brothers in non-sexy industries may not get the reverential deep head nod of achievement as the SVP of Marketing at Celanese, Lubrizol, or Avery Dennison chemical companies, this man is actually a heavy hitter in the room.

These are the hidden gems in the Black men’s corporate arena who are rarely spoken about, highlighted, published in the media, or sought out for admiration by up-and-coming Black men.

In short, their careers appear boring.

But these are the unsung heroes, family men, and brothers who buy not only rental properties but also acreage, take care of their extended families financially, set up trusts to protect their assets, and will be remembered by their great, great, great-grandchildren for their stability and foresight when they die.

The reality is that there are high-paying, amazing opportunities in non-sexy industries that are open to Black men right now.

However, you may have to adjust.

The majority of companies in the South are going to have White male leadership from the South.

Conversations about racial justice might not be welcome or even be met with hostility by the company culture or its employees.

They may not have a Black ERG and might not be particularly concerned about how the recent murder of a Black man by the police or by White or Black vigilantes, for that matter, impacts your mental health.

That might be somewhere you need to go to therapy, or to your coach, or to your family or friend circle to find the internal support you need to stay balanced and perform at 110%.

However, many of these companies are also changing.

But if you can put these concerns to the side or find a 3rd party professional to help you address them, and you can become a company man who is comfortable hobnobbing with mainly White southern men in white collar professional settings, then you can absolutely find success and advancement in these industries as well.

And shoutout to my brothers in Arkansas!

If you are ready to take your career to the next level, contact me today for a free consultation at www.blackexecutivemen.com.

Jewel Edward Love, Jr

Founder & Executive Coach

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Executive Coaching

Executive coaching is the number one tool for Black men in senior leadership seeking to take their salary, seniority, and job satisfaction to the next level. I am direct and will be on your like a hawk to make sure you reach your next level of professional success. This one-on-one service is only for Black men who are serious professionals and this investment starts at $10,000. If you are ready to take your career to the next level, contact me today for a free consultation at www.blackexecutivemen.com.

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Corporate Speaking

Pepsi has contracted me to speak to over 300 African-American staff members from senior leadership on down for three separate events this year to support them in reaching their next level of success. This is a private event for Pepsi staff only. 

The EmERGE conference has contracted me to give an action-focused talk on the importance of culturally attuned mental health resources for employee resource groups. This event is open to the public.

Amazon and myself are in talks to provide my Black Men's Leadership Training to 100 of their midlevel Black male employees to help them to reach their next level of seniority. This would be a private event for Amazon staff only.

If you want to ensure that Black men thrive at your organization, contact me today at www.blackexecutivemen.com.

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Corporate Recruiters

I have partnered with the following companies to ensure my coaching clients have direct access to externally posted roles, internally posted roles, and opportunistic hiring opportunities: Kellogg, Autodesk, Owens Corning, Columbia, BD, Nvidia, FHLBSF, Booking & Priceline, and Recroom.

If you are a recruiter who wants access to executive-level Black male talent for your organization, contact me today at www.blackexecutivemen.com.