Claim OwnershipI Am Black Success®
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Tired of chasing someone else's dream? Ignite your own path to success with "I Am Black Success®," the podcast fueled by 230+ stories of #BlackExcellence.
Host Stephen A. Hart leads you on a deep dive into the journeys of bold Black trailblazers - founders, authors, creatives, and leaders who blazed their own trails.
Every episode is your free blueprint for success, packed with actionable strategies, insights, and tools you can use TODAY.
✅ Learn from icons like Dr. Dennis Kimbro, Janice Bryant Howroyd, John W. Rogers Jr., Minda Harts, Patrice Washington, and many many others.
✅ Discover cutting-edge tactics in entrepreneurship, leadership, wealth, and more.
✅ Join the thriving "Blazer Nation" community for support, inspiration, and connection.
Ready to claim your definition of success? Hit subscribe and let's ignite your path!
iamblacksuccess.com @BlackSuccessPod #IAmBlackSuccess #MissionFuel #BlackTrailblazers
247 Episodes
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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), and building infrastructure that lasts. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Podcast 00:48 Cele...
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, this episode shows how “upstream moves” can turn participation into power, without chasing trend...
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 lesson on standards, scalable systems, and sustainable growth, rooted in Black history. Chapter...
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 matters more than being seen everywhere. Chapters: IntroductionThe Setback That Became the PivotHarpo Pro...
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, and representation as business strategy. Chapters: IntroductionThe $500 Proof-of-Demand MoveF...
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 systems that last, this is your blueprint. Mission Fuel In This Episode: “Success leaves clues”, and Anni...
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, and proved why ownership and distribution create leverage that outlives attention. Primary keywords ...
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 talk about the realities behind the title, how to handle hyper-visibility, combat the loneliness of...
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 influencer in the areas of HIV and health equity. She is a primary care and HIV physician and the fou...
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/Founder of the Boreland Group. 🔥 Download transcripts and see our full archives: https://iamblacksucce...
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-reed-7b18564/ In celebration of Women’s History Month, Jennefer Witter, a past guest of the show, ...
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-year-old boutique public relations firm headquartered in New York City. Jennefer’s agency special...
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, hope-restoring coach, and conscious media personality, Patrice is committed to teaching a holisti...
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 expert on small business success. He's has started five companies and sold two of them and is a fi...
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 411' and talking with us about Leading Empathetically in an Increasingly Remote World. Follow us: Hacker Valley, I Am ...
"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 Now, as he tackles the income and asset gap and highlights ways to build Black wealth for a more inclusive ...
*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 jobIncreased my income and the number of income streams Got me accepted as one of the first 100- people into LinkedIn’s Creator Accelarator programAnd helped me create 50-live streams...
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 happened to me in this 3-year valley season and why I accepted an alternate route to keep me moving t...
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 get here. Today also marks the official reboot of the show and the beginning of #BlackHi...
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 your mind, your actions and the results you'll achieve over the next 365-days of this year! Our fea...
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i enjoy their podcast always dropping gems 💎
Truly enjoyed this episode and was a huge wake up call. Thank you for your time and what an AWESOME start to the work week hearing this GREAT story!