The Disruptors Blog by Paul Wilson Jr. - PAULWILSONJR.COM

Amazing African-American Entrepreneurs Who Disrupted Industries and Made History

2/15/2018

From the inception of this country, black Americans have struggled to make a way out of no way. Confronted with incredible obstacles such as slavery, violent oppression, racism, discrimination, and unethical laws, resourceful and African Americans have repeatedly been able to overcome these injustices to launch successful business enterprises. In honor of Black History Month, here’s a look at some of the earliest — and most industrious — black entrepreneurs, posted in an article at TheRoot.com. Many of these entrepreneurs, who might be unfamiliar to most Americans, but they have major impacts and disrupted several industries, such as...

Anthony Johnson
Paul Cuffee
Christiana Carteaux Bannister
William Leidesdorff
Clara Brown
George Thomas Downing

Haven't heard of these amazing individuals? Then I highly encourage you to take some time to get to know these unfamiliar yet extremely influential entrepreneurs. You might be surprised what you learn and how they are still impact lives today!

Read the full article: https://www.theroot.com/great-african-american-entrepreneurs-who-made-history-1790868437

The Disruptors Episode 10: Disrupting Generational Poverty

2/9/2018

In this episode of The Disruptors Bible study I discuss how the prophet Elisha used an unconventional strategy to break the cycle of poverty for a single mother and her sons. Enjoy!

You can watch it here or listen to the audio of The Disruptors Podcast in my mobile app. I also encourage you to join us for our next live broadcast next Monday at 8:30 PM est.

Eliminating 5 Enemies of Perseverance in Community Development Work

1/23/2018

Community development is hard work. And unfortunately too many people who set out on the path of pursuing community transformation, often looking for the “magic bullet” that will allow them to achieve their desires with minimal effort. Truth be told there is no magic bullet, but there are some important principles that must be acknowledged and applied. And developing perseverance is absolutely one of them.

Perseverance is a non-negotiable ingredient of accomplishing community transformation. This work is not for those who expect overnight success, because inevitably there are going to be obstacles that will slow down (and sometimes completely stop) your progress. John Maxwell wrote an article a few years ago that is still very relevant today entitled, Going Beyond Talent: Eliminating Five Enemies of Perseverance. Those enemies were:

1. A lifestyle of giving up
2. A wrong belief that life should be easy
3. A wrong belief that success is a destination
4. A lack of resiliency
5. A lack of vision

These principles can apply to almost any goal you’re attempting to achieve, and they are definitely relevant in community development work. It requires much more than talent to overcome the road blocks that will try to stifle your progress and perseverance. However, if you can develop strategies to overcome these enemies you will exponentially increase your ability to achieve your goals and see lives changed.

Click here for the full article:
http://www.johnmaxwell.com/blog/going-beyond-talent-eliminating-5-enemies-of-perseverance

The Disruptors Bible Study Episode 1 - Jesus the Disruptor

11/21/2017

In Matthew 10:34 Jesus said, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Jesus came to DISRUPT the status quo of the world. Likewise you are called to disrupt the status quo, i.e. things that shouldn’t be accepted as normal. So what are you called to disrupt? Poverty? Homelessness? Illiteracy? Sex trafficking? Injustice? Hopelessness? Fear? Something else?

If you believe you’re called to be a DISRUPTOR then I invite you to watch this video as I share some Biblical insights, perspectives and encouragement to help you identify and walk confidently in your purpose.

I also encourage you to join us for the nextlive broadcast next Monday at 8:30 PM est. You can also listen to the podcast in my mobile app. Enjoy!

Seeing Humanity in the Community

8/7/2017

Gang Intervention Specialist and Juvenile Justice Advocate, Amy "Hope Dealer" Williams, will share how true community and healing begins when we experience the power of story, intentional listening and genuine compassion. Williams' Tedx Talk, "Putting the Human Back in Humanity," provides a powerful reminder of the unfortunate shortcomings of judging people based on lazily-contrived labels. By validating one’s humanity, we create authentic relationships that can change the world. Enjoy!

Poverty Isn't a Lack of Character, It's a Lack of Cash

7/21/2017

"Ideas can and do change the world," says historian Rutger Bregman, sharing his case for a provocative one: guaranteed basic income. Learn more about the idea's 500-year history and a forgotten modern experiment where it actually worked -- and imagine how much energy and talent we would unleash if we got rid of poverty once and for all.

One of the things I appreciated the most about Mr. Bregman's presentation was how he highlighted the fact that many people think those in poverty need to be "fixed" because of what outsiders see as poor decision making due to a lack of knowledge, character, or both. Now it's true that studies have shown that the poor tend to make decisions that often compound their situations. However, what is often overlooked or misunderstood is that their decisions are not necessarily due to a lack of intelligence or poor worth ethic. Their decisions are often driven by oppressive circumstances that push them into modes of survival more than sustainability. So one could argue that very likely that most people put in the same circumstances, regardless of their level of intelligence or character, would make the same decisions.

Having the right perspective on how to fix poverty comes from having the right perspective on the true causes of poverty. In the past the wrong perspective of the causes of poverty have repeatedly resulted in failed solutions. I was excited to hear about Mr. Bregman's research because it reinforces the case that I lay out in Jobs, Justice & Jesus that we have to focus more on empowering the poor through economic strategies.

God is concerned about poverty and we can definitely make a major dent in this issue if we would rely on His wisdom.

He Cares About Social Conditions and So Should We (Interview Part 1)

6/13/2017

Check out my part 1 of my interview on "Mornings with Morris" hosted by my good friend, actor, and nutritionist Morris Austin. We discussed various topics, but one thing we focused on was why God is concerned about the social ills of people and why Christians should be concerned too, and some of the things we can actually do about it. Enjoy!

Interesting Research Findings of Teens Who Founded Their Own Startups

12/7/2016

I am extremely excited and encouraged as I hear more stories of successful businesses started by teens becoming more frequent. In fact a recent article in Harvard Business Review, Meet the Teenagers Who Found Their Own Startups, highlighted research of the characteristics of teens who had started their own successful companies.

If we want these instances to be become more frequent, we definitely need to understand what it takes for this current group of exceptional teens to excel. The article stated that...

"According to the influential GEM (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor), although the average age of an entrepreneur is between 25 to 45 years old, people are starting businesses at younger and younger ages... Despite the difficulties they face, what struck us about these teenpreneurs was that they are smart, have a sense of humor and an appetite for risk, and most importantly, have developed capabilities to meet the challenges."

This is why at Kinsman Community we're excited about working with at- risk teens to help them build successful businesses. Entrepreneurship training is an incredible vehicle to help them build their future, break generational cycles of poverty, and transform their communities. Sometimes all a teen needs is exposure to the right opportunity and you will see them flourish.

The more we understand what is required for teenagers to build a successful business, the more we can integrate these principles across the board no matter what kind of community a teenager may come from.

Click here to learn more abou how we help at-risk teens start profitable businesses.

An Incredible New Resource for Youth Workers and Community Change Agents

11/22/2016

I'm very excited about the release of my upcoming book: "When Kings Dream: A Business as Mission Strategy to Spark Hope and Opportunity in At-Risk Youth." This revolutionary book presents a Kingdom-driven, Gospel-centered entrepreneurship strategy with the goal of providing powerfully viable alternatives to poverty, unemployment, and other harsh financial realities faced by millions of youth in urban communities. This book is for youth workers, urban ministry leaders, youth organizations, non-profits, churches, entrepreneurs, and any other change agents who care about the young people in your community and are invested in helping them create a promising future.

Just go to www.paulwilsonjr.com/books to pre-order your copy today for ONLY $5! You will receive your copy in the mail by Christmas.

I am committed to impacting the next generation through entrepreneurship strategies. Your purchase will help support the youth empowerment programs of Kinsman Community Ministries, Inc.

3 Significant Ways a Mission Driven Business Can Impact Communities

10/20/2016

Although big businesses get most of the media coverage, the truth is in the United States, small businesses are the engines of job growth and economic growth. Let’s look at a few statistic about small businesses according to most recent date [1]:

The share of U.S. businesses with less than 20 workers was 97.9%
Produced nearly 50% of non-farm GDP
Represent 99.7% of all employer firms.
Employ half of all private sector employees.
Pay 42% of total U.S. private payroll.
Generated 63% of net new jobs over the past 17 years.
Produce 16 times more patents per employee than large patenting firms.

In light of these statistics, what are the major implications for mission driven entrepreneurs? I believe they are at least 3-fold: financial, social, and spiritual.

Financial: mission driven entrepreneurs have the opportunity to create jobs that bring immediate, tangible financial support to families and those they support.
Social: You have the opportunity to positively leverage your influence for the benefit of your target community through your business relationships, including customers, employees, suppliers, partners, and the broader community in which you operate.
Spiritual: As you grow and are able to hire additional employees, you can create an atmosphere of discipleship whereby people receive a daily impact of a spiritually-empowering and development environment.

The most critical factor that will allow your business to be sustained in the place God has called you to is obedience to God’s directives. When your vision and operating activities incorporate all three of these aspects, you will not be consumed by the thought of money and will have a healthy approach in your decision-making.

So if God called you into business, He wants your business to make a major impact in the world. Just seek His direction for the specifics and watch your business do more than all you could ask, think, or imagine.
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[1] Sources: http://sbecouncil.org/about-us/facts-and-data/ and https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/FAQ_March_2014_0.pdf