Publisher's Note/Blog

Publisher's Note Oct/Nov 2k8

2008-10-20T13:23:00.009-04:00

THIS DID NOT HAVE TO HAPPEN

As we go to press with this issue the winds of havoc are devastating the once stalwart Wall Street landscape. First Bear Stearns goes under and now Lehman Brothers. What is so crazy about this is that you had an institution that has been around more that 150 years vanish in one single weekend. Honestly, it did not have to happen. Next up was another great pillar of Wall Street, Merrill Lynch, but Bank of America saved it for a reported $44 billion. What Merrill Lynch did, literally, was save itself from the same exact fate that fell upon Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers. The crazy thing about all of this is that it did not have to happen.

Most of these companies stock value were wiped out by something called “short selling.” Short selling is an advanced investing technique that allows you to make money as a stock loses its value. In July 2007 the Securities Exchange Commission eliminated a rule that would have helped to prevent the sharp downward momentum of a stock. If this simple rule had still been in place it would have prevented a 158-year-old company from being wiped out in two days. Make no mistake, there are some people out there that became very rich from the demise of Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns and thousands of jobs.

Now don’t get me wrong, these companies definitely played a role in their demise and for over 100 years these companies have made hundreds of millions of dollars trading everything from slaves to wheat to loans. Even still, over the years they had evolved to become great businesses and financial staples in this great country of ours. It was sad to see them go and the jobs that have gone along with them.

I recently spoke with a good friend of mine who was living the high life just two years ago. He had his own office in New York and a three-bedroom condo, as well as, a beautiful one-bedroom condo on the beach in Miami. During our conversation he confided in me that his condo in Miami was worth just a little more than half of what he paid for it. He fits the perfect profile of many young, successful, urban professionals. Yet, he is now deciding if he should just stop paying the mortgage on that property, let it foreclose and rebuild his credit from there.

It is the scenario that I just described (and many others like it) why our federal government just became the nation’s largest insurer by purchasing a 79.9% stake in AIG for $85 billion. While many are upset about using our tax dollars to bail out Wall Street firms we had to save AIG. It insures so many things that matter in our day-to-day life that its failure would have been felt by many from far and wide. In the end, no one knows where the bottom to this financial mess is, but we are all in this together. After all, this is our dream, our land, our America, where anything we want to accomplish, achieve and overcome is possible!

SINGLE URBAN PROFESSIONAL ISSUE

Each year we take a look at being a single urban professional, finding the ying to our professional yang. We hope you enjoy our roundtable discussion of urban professionals such as yourselves who are both looking for love and success! As always, a big thank you to you for supporting NV, our advertisers and to the creator of all things. May each of you be blessed.

Publisher's Note Aug/Sept 2k7

2007-08-23T15:14:00.000-04:00

NUMBER 50

As I reflect back over the past eight years and 50 issues of NV I cannot help but to be proud and thankful. I am proud of the fact that I have been able to make a living doing something positive for my community, helping to uplift, educate and inspire. I am thankful for the great individuals that I have had the honor to meet and work with throughout the years. Several of whom I am proud to call my friends.

In particular, I am thankful that God has sent people my way whose talent and loyalty have helped me create and shape the magazine into the publication it is today. Mr. Christopher Chaney is one of those people. He has been with NV before the first issue was even printed and stood steadfast with the vision from the very first issue to this one. Now I cannot say by any stretch of the imagination that this has been easy, but you have to hold to your vision and never give up. I remember once joking with a friend about how I see the light at the end of the tunnel, but someone had put a hole in my tunnel and it was starting to fill up with water. We laugh and they (knowing me the way that they do) said, “Kyle, if you have to swim to the light I know you will get there.”

MY DARKEST MOMENT

My darkest moment with NV was in the publication’s first year of publication in which my whole staff (with the exception of Mr. Chaney and Mr. Darryl Brown) left. They left NV because I decided not to do a financing deal in which I would no longer have majority ownership. Potential investors wanted to make an equity deal without giving me any cash and the cash infusion they would make to the business would be in periodic installments. So basically, they would control the company and I would have to come to them for a check and would not have any cash to litigate should something go awry. They did come in promising my staff nice salaries and one of the investors was a famous, former NFL player, which added to the anticipation of closing the deal. When I decided it was a bad deal my staff decided to go. I will never forget after proofreading the next issue, my former editor in chief wrote “NV lives” on a post-it note and placed it on the proofing copy of the magazine. He actually thought that NV would fold, but in no way was I having any of that. Failure was simply not an option.

I am sharing this very personal story with you because that is simply what NV is all about. It is about New Vision! The ideology, that you can do and achieve anything, regardless of the obstacles as long as you hold to your vision. Things will always happen, but it is how you handle what happens which is most important. Will you fold during your darkest moment, or will you allow the sun to beam your way? Will you put a hold on your vision or your career just because someone said, “no, no, no and no?” Will you give up at that fourth “no” or will you go and find your “yes?” We all know that it is not easy, for there is nothing worth its salt that is, but as long as you can evolve your thinking you can always come up with a New Vision.

MY BRIGHTEST MOMEMT

Well, I don’t think that has happened yet, but I do think that it is right around the corner. I will tell you that a reoccurring one is each time we do the NV Awards, our salute to urban professionals in business. We present awards to some of the best and brightest in business. We award them not for how well they act in a movie, nor how fast they run with a ball, but instead for their minds, their courage and will to succeed in business. The room is always filled with fine, young, urban professionals in business, creating an outstandingly bright moment.

I must thank the creator of all things for giving me the talent and wisdom and vision to get to number 50. To Chris, who greatly made this possible, and to my advertisers, readers and subscribers, this could not be done without you.

Publisher's Note Feb/Mar 2k7

2007-02-26T20:41:00.001-05:00

IF I HAVE TO WORK THAT HARD

The lights in the movie had just turned on and nearly everyone in the theater was applauding. I was applauding because I love watching movies that are based on true stories. In particular I love true stories about someone overcoming all of the odds and obstacles to become successful, in whichever way that person defines success. What could be better motivation or a blueprint for us than witnessing those who have the vision and will to succeed against all odds? In the past I have truly been inspired by such stories as “Something the Lord Has Made” (story of the first open heart surgery), to “Why Should White Guys Have All The Fun” (The Reginald Lewis Story). I have even been inspired by the VH-1 show “Driven” which documents various personalities triumphs against the odds.

On this particular day, the movie that I was watching was based on the true life story of Chris Gardner and entitled “The Pursuit Of Happyness.” Mr. Gardner went from being homeless and sleeping in shelters with his young son to becoming a multi-millionaire. The film depicted many hardships that he had to overcome, some of which seemed insurmountable. In the end he succeeded and beat all of the odds, proving again that anything is possible. As I started to put on my coat I notice in the row in front of me two young couples who appeared to no be more than 19-years-old. As one of the gentlemen put on his coat he said aloud that “If I have to work that hard I don’t want it.”

There are no words that I could write to express my disappointment in what this young brother had just said aloud. What has gotten into those who don’t want to work hard to achieve great things? Do the youth today believe that things will just be given to them and they will not have to work “that” hard for it? Since that day, I at times have felt guilty for not having a conversation with the young man. I in no way wanted to put him on the spot in front of his date and friends. I do however feel that each of us, who are able, have an obligation to help one another. Perhaps I failed that day to properly communicate to him that is ok to work “that” hard. That he should be honored that those before us gave their lives so that we could work “that” hard and succeed. I hope that young man and those like him read this and learn from the information that NV provides and from the people that we profile. It is clear that those within these pages and those like them know that you have to work “that” hard to succeed and to make a difference.

JOHN HOPE BRYANT

One of those people is John Hope Bryant of Operation Hope. Mr. Bryant founded Operation Hope which is the first non-profit investment banking organization in America. Mr. Bryant’s story and accomplishments are nothing short of amazing. He is truly someone that works “that” hard and makes a difference. It is extremely rare that I place someone else’s quote in my Publisher’s Note, but in the words of Mr. John Bryant “...you never discount the vision and the power of a person when they decide that they want to make a difference in the world..”

It is my hope that we each decide to be that person. In closing I would like to thank all of those who came before me and paved the way to make all that I envision possible. At times it is hard to believe that we were just given the right to vote just 42 years ago. But today, we can become whatever it is we wish to become, and if I have to work “that” hard for my visions to manifest ... I will!

As always, thank you to the creator of all things, our subscribers, advertisers and everyone who has made NV possible.