Speak Your Truth, Shine a Light, Pay It Forward

In this series, professionals thank those who helped them reach where they are today. Read the posts here, then write your own. Use #ThankYourMentor and @mention your mentor when sharing.

Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present.  -  Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

Speak Your Truth

As a child growing up on the Southside of Chicago, I am thankful to know that my family, my teachers, my coaches and my friends have all served as an oasis of hope. They compelled me to leverage my weapons of reason as I eagerly marched toward my dream of becoming a designer for the world-renowned Jordan Brand. I am thankful that they have all stayed by my side, through my

failures and through my successes. Simply put, I am thankful for my mentors…but one in particular stands above the rest, and her name is Ms. Gina Warren.

Our journey began in the fall of 2003 when my close friend, product maven and former roommate, William Scott introduced me to a Nike executive that he had formed a relationship with through his ability to seamlessly navigate “the matrix” of Nike’s complex internal structure. I was an awkward art school kid who had a deep love for Manga, sneakers, mathematics and poorly executed ‘70s martial art films. In short, I was not very confident in my ability to articulate my dreams and artistic worth to the Gods and Goddesses of Mt. Nike. When I was introduced to Gina, I meticulously crafted my talking points, blending in random musings of Daniel Pink and the RZA. I hoped  to impress Gina with my knowledge and confidence, but the reality of my introduction was less impressive than the intended plan.

I bumbled through my thoughts, completely misquoted Daniel Pink and ultimately made a fool of myself as I pretended to be someone I was not. However, Gina saw through the veneer of my youthful impersonation of success. She saw me and respected me for who I was, not who I was pretending to be. In her zen-like way, she calmed me down with a slight, reassuring smile on her face and asked me to start over. She encouraged me to “be myself” and to “speak my truth.” She allowed me to feel seen and respected in a world that made me feel as if the idea of “acceptance” was illusive for someone with my background. My entire life, I raced against the shadows of the distorted perception of Black males from the inner city but for that brief moment I was free.

Shine a Light

By the fall of 2007, my career had taken off as a result of Gina’s  mentorship and support. She knew that true leaders groomed their successors openly and honestly and that they should not hide behind the wall of their power but rather leverage it to shine a light on those who needed an opportunity to tell their truth. My truth had led me to being promoted to Senior Designer in Jordan brand while feverishly preparing to pursue a Master’s degree in Business; a dream inspired by my father’s desire to pursue an advanced degree in his youth. I worked 20 hours a day, seven days a week and as a result, my health was beginning to decline. My fear of wasting an opportunity had compelled me to work to the point of exhaustion. I was forced to make the hardest decision of my life: I decided not to pursue my Master’s degree.

The morning after making my decision, I continued my daily routine of gathering my gear to head to the gym, reading my daily word and going through my schedule for the day, when an email from Gina arose from the mass of emails that had been sitting in my inbox from the day before. The note with “Stanford” in the subject line stood out because it was so unique among the other subjects in my inbox.

Gina, in her uniquely perceptive way, started the email by saying, “I know that this may sound weird, but you were on my mind all last night. Have you ever considered going to business school?” I stood speechless in my kitchen, frozen in the moment. Drowning in the grandness of the divine message that was being sent by and through my mentor. I had not spoken a word to anyone at Nike about my interest in pursuing a MBA out of fear of losing my job. I had convinced myself that if they knew that I was going to potentially leave that they would take opportunities away from me out of concern for the well-being of my projects and the company. I knew I was in a highly coveted role and leaving at this moment would surely cause a stir. I was afraid. “How did she know?!” I thought to myself. Gina had once again found a way to understand who I was, even when I did not know how to articulate my truth.

When I arrived at my desk, I began to respond to her email. My hands shook and my heart raced as I typed an honest response to her question. “Yes. I actually have. I currently have a tutor and I am taking the GMAT soon. I have been in touch with several HBS alums and I am being coached on what to write in my personal essays,” I wrote. Moments later my phone rang and it was Gina. She, too, was taken aback by the timing of her query and for a moment we both shared our silence with one another. A silence that was only broken by the laughter of a nervous, ambitious designer who had just been given a glimpse of his future. We continued our conversation about my interest in graduate school and upon concluding our conversation, she promised to be an advocate on my behalf to the CEO himself. She believed that I was capable and worthy of not only going to Stanford but potentially being sponsored by Nike to attend. Because of her belief, I subsequently was accepted to the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where I successfully earned a Master’s in General Management along with a certificate in Social Innovation as a prestigious Sloan Fellow.

Paying It Forward

Gina’s presence in my life has compelled me to expand my perspective on the well-being of young Black and Latino males to include social, emotional and cognitive health. At the Stanford d.School, I am currently in the process of creating a modern mentorship program that draws inspiration from the Boy Scouts —  project that I have affectionately, entitled “The Tribe.” The mission of The Tribe is simple: provide mentorship and guidance to boys who were just like me. I want to immortalize the teachings of Gina and countless others by creating a model that allows those who don’t have a voice to feel loved and seen. Much like the way that I felt upon exiting my first conversation with Gina.

I have never forgotten the lessons that I have learned from her example. They have and will continue to be the catalyst for my life of service.