Posted by Kala Mujibha on March 27, 2008 at 9:40pm
Cathy Hughes’ advice to Black Women in Business-by Bro. BedfordMeet one of the greatest entrepreneurs of all time!Cathy Hughes is the founder and chairperson of Radio One, Inc.,the largest African American owned and operatedbroadcast-company in the nation. Radio One is the first AfricanAmerican company in radio history to dominate several majormarkets simultaneously and possesses the first woman-ownedradio station to rank #1 in any major market.Cathy Hughes knows what it takes to overcome major hurdles inthe male dominated arena of business and entrepreneurship.I recently interviewed Ms. Hughes for her perspective on blackentrepreneurship and specifically asked her to give her adviceto black women considering business.Bro. Bedford: What advice would you give Black Womenabout going into business?Cathy Hughes: The most important aspect of a woman going intobusiness I think is really identifying and forming a supportgroup. So often people who love us feel a need to protect usand they sometimes over protect us and make us squeamish andafraid to be adventurous.You have to be BOLD and ADVENTUROUS if you are a woman goinginto business. Even though more and more women are going intobusiness, it is still a male dominated game.In my case it was my mother, I can’t tell you…my mother wouldcry, she would beg me, “Please get a government job, you’re inWashington D.C. You’re smart and people like you, Give Up!You’re sleeping on a floor in a sleeping bag. Cathy, peoplethink you’ve lost your mind; they think you’ve had a nervousbreakdown, what’s wrong with you. Go get a good Government joband stop trying…”My mother was not trying to stop me from being a successfulEntrepreneur, she was worried about me, and she was scared forme. I had lost everything to try to hold on to this businessand she was ready for me to throw in the towel out of love andprotection. But guess what? It was also so discouraging.So I started lying to my mother. When she would call and askhave you turned it around?I would say, “Oh yeah momma things are just great!”Guess what? In lying to my mother about my business turningaround and doing great, I started to believe it myself. Andonce I started to believe it myself, guess what? It started tohappen! (Laugh)I tell women so often, your husbands, your brothers, yoursisters, your mothers, your fathers, your neighbors, sometimeseven your financial advisors and your lawyers are the first towant to protect you.There is still this thing…its so interesting because BlackWomen don’t get a lot of help, but we get a lot of protection“allegedly”. A lot of advice on what we should be doing, whichdiscourages us, because Black women are full of PASSION andEMOTION. So if someone tells us we’re making a mistake most ofus, unless we’re just knuckleheads, we stop and analyze it.Am I really acting crazy…I am sleeping in a sleeping bag andcooking on a hot plate like my momma said. Maybe I am notreally realizing…So you have to put on blinders you have to be myopic, you haveto keep your eye on the prize you cannot sometimes share withpeople; you’ve got to lie.When people say how’s it going? They may be getting ready toforeclose on your underwear, but you’ve got to say, “I can’ttell you, today was just Fabulous!” (Laugh)Bro. Bedford: Best day I’ve hadCathy Hughes: Best day I’ve had since I’ve been in business(Both Laugh)You say it enough the first person that you’re going toconvince is yourself, because who is hearing it more thananybody else, YOU!Your attitude really does determine your altitude.With women we normally can’t get a lot of financial or otherhelp. Sometimes you don’t need the finance you just needsomeone to give you a helping hand. But Lord have mercy dopeople give us advise under the guise of I’m just trying toprotect you; I’m just trying to look out for you.Well if you’re trying to look out for me loan me that $10,000 Ineed to make payroll. (Laugh) I don’t need you discouraging me.It’s funny because people want to be politically correct, theydon’t say to you point blank you shouldn’t be doing this.They’ll say, “Do you think it’s really worth it? Do you thinkthat maybe you’re sacrificing too much? What about you? Whatabout your personal life?” I’m trying to build a businessright now. My business is my personal life.So I tell women don’t get discouraged and try to find somebodyin a comparable situation if not maybe the same situation, buta comparable situation.People are amazed, Entrepreneurs call me frequently and they’relike, “you took my call”. Yeah, because I can’t tell you howlonely it was for me when no one would take my call. It mayhave taken me a few weeks and sometimes if I get backloggedmaybe a couple of months.I’ve called people back and they’re like, “I forgot I calledyou Ms. Hughes”, I will return your call you’ve just got to bepatient because sometimes its just a word of encouragement thatwe need to get over the hump.================================================For the full interview with Cathy Hughes and other BlackMillionaire EntrepreneursLog onto http://www.conversationswithblackmillionaires.comBro. Bedford is founder of http://howtobeablackentrepreneur.coma free e-zine dedicated to making Black Entrepreneurs.About the AuthorBro. Bedford is Author of My Conversations with Black Millionaire Entrepreneurs available at www.conversationswithblackmillionaires.com. He is the founder of How To Be A Black Entrepreneur.com a free e-zine with over 2,000 subscribers worldwide that is dedicated to making Black Entrepreneurs. Subscribe at www.howtobeablackentrepreneur.com
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