October 14th 2023.
This past week, some of the country’s most successful Black businesspeople and CEOS gathered at the BLACK ENTERPRISE XCEL Lunch, which was part of this year’s Black Men XCEL Summit. At the summit, the panelists shared their wisdom about the industry and how they maintain their companies through leadership and excellence.
On Oct. 12, BE facilitated A Masterclass on C-Suite Leadership, which was moderated by none other than BE’s own CEO, Butch Graves Jr., the son of the company’s late founder, Earl Graves, Sr. Industry leaders Chris Womack, the President and CEO of Southern Company, and David Grain, the founder and CEO of Grain Management, LLC, also spoke at the event.
The panelists discussed what it takes to get to the C-Suite and how to excel once you get there. They shared gems for aspiring business owners so that they too can find their niche. The three men agreed that having a good support system is an integral part of launching a business, as it is not an easy task and requires sacrifice.
Chris Womack was born in South Alabama and grew up in the midst of Jim Crow. Despite the racism, his family always encouraged him to reach for his goals.
“I grew up with my grandmother and my mother,” he said. “I would hunt in the morning. I’d shoot squirrels and my grandmother would prepare them before I went to school and I would fish in the afternoons. I mean, I grew up on the land, but I also grew up doing.”
“My grandmother always said to me that I could be whatever I wanted to be and that I had to work hard,” Womack continued. “I had to study. I had to get it. I had to get an education. And I had to work well with others. But it’s essentially I had to collaborate because she always said you know, ‘You can’t do anything by yourself.’”
David Grain’s success was heavily inspired by his parents and family. The youngest of seven children, Grain was fortunate enough to have both parents and they were married for 54 years.
“I was really the product of my parents and my family,” he said. “My dad was born in Newburn, North Carolina in 1908. He was 54 when I was born, so a little bit older, and he moved to New York when he was 12 with his 10-year-old brother in 1920.”
Grain’s father worked a series of odd jobs to make it, picking up work for the Prohibition Department and later the U.S. Post office. Grain was very impressed by his father’s hard work and determination.
Grain was also inspired by his mother and grandmother. His mother was part of the Black Power movement and encouraged him to embrace his identity as a Black man. Meanwhile, his grandmother taught him to turn to spirituality as a source of strength.
The panelists shared how they came to be business giants, what it was like getting started, and the work it takes to be a true leader. Through their stories, the three men shared their insights on how to be successful in the business world.
Check out the full panel discussion below to learn more.
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