I Am Black Success®

Rihanna built Fenty Beauty by fixing ignored demand. In this episode of I Am Black Success® , Stephen A. Hart breaks down how Rihanna didn’t just leverage influence—she built ownership by solving an inclusive beauty problem the industry had largely ignored. You’ll learn the real business strategy behind Fenty: identifying an unmet market , setting a new standard (starting with 40 foundation shades...

How did Aliko Dangote build wealth through manufacturing power? In Day 6 of our Black Trailblazers series, we break down Aliko Dangote’s deliberate strategy for becoming Africa’s richest—by moving from trading into manufacturing , controlling the value chain , and building the kinds of businesses nations rely on. If you’re an entrepreneur or business owner looking for real business scaling lessons...

Berry Gordy’s standards built Motown-level business excellence. In this episode, we break down how Berry Gordy Jr. turned raw talent into consistent, repeatable excellence by building a system, not just signing artists. If you’re a solopreneur or builder trying to scale, you’ll learn how Motown’s “quality control” mindset applies to your content, delivery, and brand reputation. This is a business...

Oprah Winfrey’s real lesson: visibility without ownership breaks. In this episode of the I Am Black Success® Podcast , Stephen A. Hart breaks down Oprah Winfrey’s rise—not as a celebrity story, but as a blueprint for ownership , platform control , and trust in business . You’ll learn how Oprah turned early setbacks into leverage by building Harpo Productions and why building your own platform matt...

How John H. Johnson built Black media starting with $500. Before social media and influencers, Black America still needed to see itself and John H. Johnson built the platform to make that possible.  In this episode, we break down how he turned a $500 idea into Johnson Publishing Company, launching Negro Digest and later Ebony Magazine, and what modern founders can learn about proof, positioning, a...

Most people know Madam C. J. Walker. This episode spotlights the mentor and architect behind Walker's framework: Annie Malone .  You’ll hear how she built the Poro Company into more than products—training, schools, agents, and infrastructure that scaled opportunity for thousands of Black women. If you care about Black business trailblazers , real entrepreneurship, and building business system...

Madam C.J. Walker didn’t complain—she built ownership. In this 10-year anniversary kickoff episode (Feb 1, 2026), Stephen A. Hart launches “28 Days of Black Trailblazers” by breaking down the Madam C.J. Walker story as a real-world entrepreneurship playbook —not a highlight reel. You’ll hear how she turned a personal problem into a product, built a distribution system through the Walker Agents , a...

When you’re one of the few, or the only Black man in the room, leadership comes with a unique mix of visibility and isolation. Every achievement is on display. Every mistake is magnified. And the pressure to be “twice as good” can feel relentless. In this special episode, our host Stephen A. Hart sits down with Alfred Edmond Jr., Senior VP & Executive Editor-at-Large at Black Enterprise, to ta...

We are not short on horror stories of racial disparities in medicine. We saw this most recently during the early days of the pandemic, when Black and brown communities were absolutely devastated by Covid-19. And even beyond the pandemic, health disparities and inequity for people of color persist. Our guest today is Dr. Oni Blackstock . Dr. Oni Blackstock is recognized as a thought leader and infl...

Change can be scary, and when your pivot concerns your professional life, it can become even scarier ... especially for Black Women and other women of color! Our guest is Cecilia Nelson-Hurt , a Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. In celebration of Women’s History Month, we have Jennefer Witter , a past guest of the show, taking over hosting duties for the podcast for March. Jennefer is CEO/Fou...

There is an ongoing myth that there are very few Black Women in executive and/or senior leadership positions. Like the pipeline is nearly empty. It’s NOT. Our guest for this episode is Ebony Reed . Ebony is the Chief Strategy Officer for the Marshall Project, a non-profit that produces journalism about the criminal justice system. Connect with Ebony on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ebony-r...

Are you a Unicorn? Have you been called a unicorn? Unicorn is a popular term used when there is an “only” or a “few” and it often means – according to Wikipedia – “a very rare find”. In celebration of Women’s History Month, I’m turning over my hosting duties, all month long, to a dear friend and a past guest of the show, Jennefer Witter . Jennefer is the CEO and founder of The Boreland Group, a 20...

Ready to discover the 4 truths on why we actually struggle chasing PURPOSE? Don’t miss “What’s The 411?” with our guest Patrice C Washington. In 2020, SUCCESS Magazine named Patrice Washington one of 12 Inspiring Black Voices in Personal Development and she continues to be consistently called on for her expertise by national media. As an award-winning intuitive author, transformational speaker, ho...

How Can You Grow Your Solo Business? Join me as I share in conversation with the one and only Ramon Ray, who is going to share some key tips and insights NOT for building a billion-dollar brand but JUST getting to over $100k in revenue-building a great business that generates a few hundred thousand dollars in revenue! In case you hadn’t heard about Ramon until now ... Ramon Ray is an in-demand exp...

Empathy is so very important in today's remote work environment, and helps leaders understand their team's perspectives, emotions, and experiences, which leads to better communication and connection. Our featured guest for this episode is Chris Cochran, CEO & Executive Producer of Hacker Valley Media. Chris will be sharing a new segment we've created called 'What's the...

"If the racial wealth divide is left unaddressed ... median Black household wealth is on a path to hit zero by 2053—about 10 years after it is projected that racial minorities will comprise the majority of the nation’s population. Median Latino household wealth is projected to hit zero twenty years later, or by 2073." The Road To Zero Wealth . --- Join Gary Cunningham, CEO of Prosperity...

*Today is our 7th birthday as a podcast (wooo hooo). This is the 3rd part of a 3-part Reboot mini series. All three episodes are live right now (episodes 228-230).* The mantra and approach I'll share in today's episode, became the underlying driver that later helped me get: Promoted twice in 6-months at my job Increased my income and the number of income streams  Got me accepted as one o...

When you're navigating somewhere using Google Maps and you've got an accident on your route, Google will typically offer you to accept a different route... and that’s what I did in this valley season of my life. I accepted the alternate route. This is the 2nd part of a 3-part Reboot mini series. All three episodes are live right now (episodes 228-230).* In this episode, I share:  What ha...

What’s good fam? Wah gwan? How tings? How ya’ll doing?  Listen, this episode is being published on February 1 2023 and today marks the 7th anniversary since we launched the Trailblazers. FM podcast.  That’s right ... it’s our 7th birthday as a podcast and community ... I’m so incredibly grateful as I reflect on all the amazing accomplishments we’ve achieved and also the challenges we’ve endured to...

It’s New Year’s Day and a dear friend of the podcast, Mignon Francois, opens up the year for Trailblazers. FM with this bold statement and challenge to each and everyone of YOU in our BlazerNation community: Throw The Whole Resolution Away... 😮 Say what?? Listen, you DO NOT want to miss out on the most inspiring 21-minutes that will help you get your year off on the right footing and position you...

"God will make us strong, before he makes us happy!" -- Please help us by SHARING this podcast with others. We believe that these inspiring stories are going to move other aspiring Black trailblazers to make significant changes that have generational impact for many others, both now and well into the future.  Blazer Nation, join our community at iamblacksuccess.com   And connect with hos...

How do you build, grow and scale your black-owned business?  Today’s guest is Samia Gore.  Samia Gore is the first Black female founder of Body Complete Rx, who’s been able to break significant ground in the male-dominated, nutritional supplement industry. She’s since gone on to generate over $10m in the past 4 years in her business. -- Please help us by SHARING this podcast with others. We believ...

There is a past version of you that is so proud of how far you have come!   I recently shared an emotional memory of a place, a valley I was in back in December 2013, that I wanted to never go back to again. Thank God, I’ve never been back there. And that Stephen from December 15, 2013 is soooo very proud of where I am today. - Now that brings me to the point I wanted to make today and it’s this ....

Our episode guest is Stephen Powell , the chief programs and partnerships officer of the National CARES Mentoring Movement, founded by Essence Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Emeritus Susan L. Taylor; he leads and oversees the organization’s affiliate network, program expansion, partnership development, training, and technical assistance efforts.  Some of Stephen’s most notable honors include GQ Magazi...

Life has a way of throwing you and I some tough blows during different seasons of our lives. Whether you and I must endure a day, a week or a year of hardships, the challenge is to continue to put yourself out there (like it or not), continue to get up and show up anyway. If you’re unclear about how to lead during your present or next season of uncertainty, you should join this conversation. Our g...