Thanks to The CASHFLOW for this link about a recent Black Enterprise article showcasing the 40 African American Titans who Shaped Modern Black Business. The Titans cover every industry and include the famous and the not-so-famous along with recent, big-ballers and historical tycoons. This is an impressive list of men and women who are examples of why The Hustletown Chronicle is so committed to black entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial education.

Tina Wells has spent half her life building a business and she’s only 30 years old. Her clients include multi-national media conglomerates and her staff includes over 9,000 marketers. From a core group of less than 10 paid employees, she exerts an influence over millions of advertising dollars and provide her clients with demographic insights that they can’t get anywhere else.

Read more about how this published author and honor’s graduate is truly making her hustle happen.

Cathy Hughes

“Black radio is as critical a communications vehicle now as it has ever been. Katrina hit. Haiti, the earthquake, hit. My phones were so jammed that you couldn’t get a call through. Black radio was there [when all those crises in our community happened]. People may have had CNN on, but the TV volumes were turned down, so they could listen to black radio stations. [Black radio] provides the same type of social relationship with its listening audience that the black church does, only without the religious aspect.”

Visit the Atlanta Post for her full interview on how this self made mogul started in radio and more.

The 100 “Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America” honorees are touted as extraordinary professionals and entrepreneurs that serve as role models to inspire future leaders. Wilkins was selected due to his contributions to the telecommunications industry and commitment to the community where he lives and works.

As CEO of Diversified Businesses for AT&T, Wilkins is responsible for overseeing the AT&T’s international investments, Sterling Commerce subsidiary and AT&T Advertising Solutions and Customer Information Services units.

Hustletown readers: Our staff is dedicated to profiling examples of African American success in business and entrepreneurship to further inspire the community. If you know of someone personally who is making all the right moves in their business, please contact us for review consideration on the Hustletown site!

Statistics from MarketingProfs provides several encouraging assessments:

The drive to open a new business comes from within: Nearly two-thirds (66%) of entrepreneurs say they were inspired to start a business by innate desire, not by education or training.

People most likely to be involved in entrepreneurial activities are adults age 55-64, while younger adults (age 20-24) are the least likely to be involved in such activities. Meanwhile, 39 is the average age of US-born technology entrepreneurs at the time they started their companies.

Read the full post here.

Hustletown readers: What was the key factor that led you to start your own business? What is driving your success despite the recession?  Please share your experiences below!

Businesses That Grew From Little-Known to World-Famous TAP | Atlanta Post.

Heres a bit of inspiration from The Atlanta Post for all of our Hustletown readers who are wondering if their hard will ever pay off. These are five big businesses that had their beginnings as small businesses once upon a time. Keep the faith and you will live the dream.

1. Follow the Muse. People recognize inspired ideas. During her graduate studies, Cooper took a beginning beading class for a change of pace. “I started wearing it, and people liked it,” she recalls. Soon enough people started paying for her creativity, and a business was born.
2. Stick to the Plan. Cooper stresses organization as a critical component to her success. “A lot of people say ‘I want to be an entrepreneur,’ they really throw that word around,” Cooper says. “But you have to have that business sense behind it, you have to know how to balance books, whether you need inventory, how to get the best deals.”
3. Seek a Mentor. A huge part of Unique Kreation’s success is the year Cooper worked under a professional jeweler to better learn her craft, and the daily ins and outs of the business. “A mentor is important in life, but especially as a young black entrepreneur,” she says. “Find someone who is touchable, not someone who is way out there like Warren Buffett. Find someone on a local level within reach who you can actually talk to.”
4. Focus on Your Passion. Remember what you are in business for. “My God-given purpose is to work with teenagers,” Cooper says. Her future plans involve opening an urban boarding school that can provide structure, love and support to pre-teens and teens in need. Unique Kreations frees her time and provides the capital for Cooper to pursue what drives her.

This year holds promising developments for Cooper as she continues to expand her line to boutiques, salons, and galleries. Visit www.myuniquekreations.com for a glimpse of a Black entrepreneur bringing quality and creativity back to “American-made.”

Contributed by DaVaun Sanders

Zane is currently creating a line of cosmetics, and is also hard at work on several movie and television scripts. “In addition to that, I’ll be starting a Zane-branded music label, because music has always been an important part of my life,” she says. “I like to do things I’m passionate about.”

After Gladwell’s riveting speech, Rachman provided a key takeaway:

So how does Gladwell do it? Afterwards, I broke through the autograph-hunters surrounding him and asked him how he managed to time his talk so beautifully – so that it ended bang on 45 minutes, without ever looking at his watch. He answered – “I know it may not look like this. But it’s all scripted. I write down every word and then I learn it off by heart. I do that with all my talks and I’ve got lots of them.”

Memorizing a presentation allows freedom to roam around the podium, and may be just the technique to really connect with your audience. Read Rachman’s post for more insight on Gladwell’s approach.

Photo By Freddie Rankin

Three years ago, Teesha Borum felt directionless and discouraged about her progress.  Instead of giving up on her goals, or settling into a 9-5 trance for a decade or two… she did something drastic. She packed up her belongings, said goodbye to Phoenix, and moved to Atlanta for a fresh start.

Now she is 2010′s America’s Next Natural Model, and continues to add impressive credits to her resume–including a Bronner Brothers national print ad campaign and extra work in Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns. She is closer to her dreams, now more than ever.

Is it time for you to leap and grow some wings? Check out Borum’s thoughts below–your future may thank you.

1.   Seek Out Good Vibes. “I felt stagnant, like there was no creative energy,” Borum recalls of her months before the move.  This is a serious red flag for any entrepreneur to change up the surroundings.  The opportunities Borum heard of in Atlanta made the city number one on her target list.

2.  Just DO IT. “There was definitely a sense of urgency,” she says. “Time was running out.” Delays and excuses will stall your goals for decades instead of months–leaving you with the dreaded question: What If? “When your spirit calls you to do something, you owe it to yourself to listen and follow,” Borum says. “The twist and turns that you experience will all lead to something great.”

3.  Manage Your Finances. Save as much as possible before your departure. For Borum, a nine to five job was not an option. Casting calls and modeling opportunities required an extremely flexible schedule. Whatever your entrepreneurial goals, at least three to five months of saved income will help ease the transition to a new locale.

Photo By T-Smart Photography

4.  Hustle the Network. Borum overcame the initial challenges of being a new face through several platforms, such as Facebook and LinkedIn. Borum also checked craigslist.org regularly for work, set up a profile with Model Mayhem, and even did some video blogging to maximize her online presence.

5.  Stoke the Flame. “Do what you love and love what you do. If you don’t know what that is, love the journey in finding out”. Borum’s motto continues to sustain her whenever frustrating times arise. Don’t sway from your desire, and you will reach it–and probably have some fun along the way too.

Borum plans to continue her acting and modeling – one aspiration on her lengthy checklist is to appear in Coca-Cola commercials. “To be honest, I am not nearly where I would like to be in life, but I am a few steps closer to making [my dreams] a reality,” she says. “I choose to enjoy the journey and leave the destination in God’s hands.”

Hear more from Teesha Borum at www.teeshaborum.com.