John Hope Bryant, Entrepreneur, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Operation HOPE

In this episode, Willy welcomes John Hope Bryant. He is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Operation Hope, a nonprofit aiming to empower the youth and adults with financial literacy and economic education. He is the CEO of Bryant Group Ventures and The Promise Homes Company, the largest for-profit minority-owned single-family rental home operator in the United States. He retells his humble beginnings as an African-American entrepreneur in his bestselling books on economics and leadership, such as How the Poor Can Save Capitalism and Up from Nothing. Named the 2016 Innovator of the Year by American Banker magazine, he is currently the first entrepreneur scholar in residence at Clark Atlanta University. The podcast begins with John emphasizing the importance of energy and relationships in every aspect of our lives. He narrates his childhood of finding out his genius IQ score but never internalizing it as he continued to hustle his way to success. He attributes his self-esteem to his mom’s unwavering expression of love as he believes that achievements are not “so much about being smart but are about being resilient.” He shares a story about Mike Maples, Jr. to drive home the point of having a winning mentality. “You don’t create a business to sell to Disney, but to buy Disney,” Mike Maples, Sr. said. John also highlights the significance of creating an environment of positive role models for children. “Brilliance is transferable everywhere,” he says. After a period of working in the entertainment business, John proceeded to do banking and finance. He believes capitalism can be a force for transformational change. With the privilege of education and setting up a candy shop, John realized his entrepreneurial dream and desire to give back to his community. “The color should not be red, blue, black, or white – but how do we all get some green… My calling is to unleash the untapped potential of the bottom of the pyramid.” He points out that the solution to poverty isn’t to distribute wealth but to teach others how to create it. He calls for giving children the incentive to study by teaching business creation and computing and providing internships. In the Great Resignation, more small businesses emerged since 2004, and 38% were owned by Black women. John has mastered the art of developing long-standing relationships with his deep heart for people. “You’ve got to live with something larger and more important than yourself.” He has also tapped into his intuition in his decision-making process as he thinks it’s “God speaking to you through you.” He practices treating everyone equally and being open to different perspectives – be it Republican, Democratic, poverty, wealth, local, or global. Upon talking to his pastor, the notable piece of advice he received was, “Take your business skills… and build wealth and opportunity in our neighborhoods.” Greed predisposes most people to financial failure, and he urges companies to offer financial coaching to their employees. On his journey to becoming an inspirational leader, he credits it to his ability to manage failure. He calls out to the United States to focus on building rather than thinking of what divides us. Love should be prioritized above all else as it is “the only self-renewing energy on the planet.”
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