The Power of Ownership
Ownership
Previously we looked at some of the roots of systemic issues of cultural appropriation within ownership. This week, we will be diving deeper into the power of ownership. In our first blog, we briefly go over ownership and why it is a pillar of our organization. To quote ourselves, “The word ownership is defined as the act, state, or right of possessing something. So while we are an organization that purposefully focuses on education reform and social justice, our bottom line is ownership.”
We look at ownership in a more significant way - beyond personal accountability, we want you to take action and transmute your dreams into economic power for yourself and your legacy. We are in a time where you get to monetize your skills and co-create a world for future generations can be proud of. And since no one can do it quite like you, you are all we are waiting on.
Ownership’s Power
We would like to consider that the scariest thing about ownership is one aspect- Autonomy. Autonomy means freedom, self-government, independence, and it also means it is all on you. But, ownership’s most challenging thing is also its greatest power. Autonomy also means you only answer to yourself. You get a fuse your gifts with what is required of you to create a successful business. What we as humans are great at is seeing gaps that need to be filled. What sets owners apart from consumers is that they see these gaps as an opportunity for autonomy (aka freedom). Culturally, we are at an advantage because there are so many gaps that need to be filled. There are voices that need to be heard and so many services that need to be provided. Whether through fashion design, words that have been unsaid, or processes that have yet to be created. We innately know what is missing because we have gone too long searching for what we have been without. The root word of ownership is own, which means to belong to oneself. We suggest that the very things you have been searching for already belong to you. The power of ownership is not only knowing you belong to yourself, but it is the freedom of designing your life. So don’t worry about everything being on you because what is on the other side is unimaginable freedom. Your ideas cannot truly live without you, and we can only hope to co-create with you on the other side of your freedom.
For the Owner in You
Notably, in minority communities, society has taught us that if you work hard, you will be successful. What they leave out is that the hard work would be for someone else’s benefit. With that in mind, others will always benefit from your labor and ideas as long as you only work for someone else. Mind You, this is not a push to say you can only be an owner if you own a business because that is not true. This is more of a seed planting. What kind of life can you create for yourself and others if you are the boss? Would you go back to your community and pour into it? Would you create a healthy employee experience? Would you generate a legacy for your children or relatives? We simply ask you to consider the owner in you who knows what they would do and begin to do it.
So what are the benefits of being an owner or entrepreneur? Here are a few:
Autonomy: You are in control of your destiny, you can go at your own pace, and you can be as creative as you like. This can be an additional revenue stream or a main source of income. Design it how you would like.
Selectiveness: You get to decide how and who you work with.
Passion: You are able to do what you love every day.
High Rewards: Once you manage the risk, the rewards are much higher. You are betting on yourself.
Learning opportunities: You get to bet on yourself and constantly move towards improvement.
Satisfaction: You can see how much you have grown and create a foundation for personal freedom.
Generational wealth: No explanation necessary.
Drawbacks from being an owner/entrepreneur:
Hours vary: There can be long hours at times. You are just relying on yourself most of the time.
The investment is real: It may take time to see a return on your investment.
Growth is not linear: Sometimes business is booming, other times not so much. You have to be open to revisiting the drawing board.
Consumerism: While the customer may not always be right, they influence your success to a degree.
We are not necessarily saying you have to be the next Rihanna, Jay-Z, Jessica Dupart, or Rashad Bilal. And if you hear them speak about themselves, you may hear them say that they never saw their lives at this level of success. They just knew that they had something to offer. Each of them took action steps towards that one dream then began to see that those steps were only the beginning. Their next steps were to reach beyond their goals and solve gaps in entertainment, equity, hair care, and fashion. To run it back to our day one post, “Owning YOUR dream and keeping your word to it is only the beginning.” We advocate hard for ownership is because we know you have so much to offer the world, and we believe you should be the one who benefits from it the most.
We can bet on you all day long, but there is nothing like you betting on you.
Sometimes you have to create your House of Dereon to get to your Ivy Park - The homie.