Q & A with Kwame
St Petersburg Times
Jackson was in town as a guest speaker at a leadership development conference for INROADS, a national minority internship program of which he is an alumnus...Before his speech, Kwame sat down with Times staff writer Jay Cridlin. Here are excerpts.
Q -- So how's life as Kwame Jackson these days?
I'm an entrepreneur first and foremost. But I've been on the speaking circuit internationally for a year and half. I've done over 100 engagements, from the Democratic National Convention to the London School of Economics, spreading the Kwame gospel.
Q -- And you're probably still recognized from the show.
Yeah. It's a simple law of math: 40-million people saw the finale, and there are 295-million Americans. I tell people, one out of 10 people knew who I am. (laughs) It's always positive. But I'm trying to do more than just be a celebrity. I'm trying to use it as a form of business capital, very similar to what you see Magic Johnson doing.
Q -- Trump said that one of the ideas he was toying with was to pit African-Americans against Caucasians. Using race as the dividing factor on The Apprentice - is that a good idea?
That would probably be great television. We all know what makes great television in America - class battles, race battles, sex battles. I do think there are distinct demarcations in terms of how different races interact in the corporate workplace, just because one tends to be more dominant than the other. If you look at corporate America, it's not a minority's playground. It's a microcosm of America itself. To be successful there, I think you have to learn to play the game. It doesn't mean necessarily that's who you are, but it means that when you go to work, you put your game face on. Nonminorities may not put as much of a game face on because it's a more natural environment.
Q -- Three seasons of The Apprentice, three white winners. How do you feel minorities have been portrayed on that show, and in reality TV in general?
People tend to hire and associate with people they feel more comfortable with. The people who have won so far are a lot like Trump himself for a lot of reasons, race being one of them, but probably personality as well. I don't have the whole "minorities have been poorly portrayed in reality TV" gripe that a lot of people try to stick on me or other people. I have this theory - I call it the Jack--- Footage Theory. If you act like a jack---, and all of a sudden you wind up like a jack--- on TV, the only person you have to blame is yourself. If you always remember that the cameras are rolling, if you always remember that people are watching 24-7, if you try to put your best foot forward, they can only splice and edit your best foot so much. But if you have that one scene where you're in the hot tub, you're drunk, you curse out everybody, you use racial epithets, guess what - that's gonna show up.
Q -- Have you ever thought about what it would be like if you won - not just for you, but for the show?
It would have been a good thing because it would have changed the perception of those questions you just asked me. Trump picks a young African-American guy, and it changes the perspective on how people view him, who's promoted in his organization, who America values as a successful businessperson. To pick somebody who America has always seen in that role is kind of a layup. It's a little harder to go to your left sometimes.
Q -- So is your future more in show biz or biz period?
You'll never escape being the guy from The Apprentice. And I don't have any problem with that. I always tell people, my goal is in five years, the headline for me is: Damn, he did all that from a reality show?
Questions and Answers from compiled sources:
Q -- How did appearing on The Apprentice change your life and/or career plans?
KJ -- The Apprentice provided a wonderful platform and unparalleled exposure to launch a number of business ventures. I am focused on going from being an employee to an employer, and the show provided the "gut check" and "sounding board" I needed to make this move.
Q -- What were the best and worst things about the experience?
KJ -- The best thing about the show was meeting great people like Troy and Katrina, and the wake up call that it provided for me. A realization that every career decision is not driven solely by the economic outcome, but rather by an innate desire to control one's own destiny.
The worst thing was the total lack of sleep. We were operating in constant fire drill mode with an extreme sense of urgency. No one's adrenaline can last that long.
Q -- Who, if anyone, from the show do you keep in contact with?
KJ -- I will never lose contact with Troy, he was my best friend on the show and continues to be a solid individual and close personal friend thereafter. Much respect Mr. McClain. I also keep in touch with Katrina, Ereka, and Amy, I enjoyed everyone's company on the show.
Q -- In your opinion, what three words best describe Donald Trump?
KJ -- Visionary, Confident, Decisive
Q -- What are you up to now?
KJ -- I have started a holding company called Legacy Holdings LLC along with two partners. We are currently pursuing various entrepreneurial projects in the Real Estate Development, TV/Film Production, and Retail Apparel (Executive Menswear) arenas.
We named the company Legacy because our goal is to leave a lasting Legacy of African-American Entrepreneurialism, Capital Accumulation, and Economic development with a focus on ownership vs. consumerism or simple participation in everything we do.
We are strong believers in enacting what we call the "second generation of the civil rights movement", a fundamental belief in the ownership of economic enterprises as the way to impact the greatest social change. It is not simply enough to "ride the bus” when you can own it.
Q -- What advice can you offer to the new Apprentice candidates?
KJ -- Always be yourself, be accountable, and conduct yourself with dignity and respect for others. In effect, it is truly not whether you win or lose the game, but how you play it that will matter in the end. You will be surprised at the lasting positive effects of taking the high road in business and beyond. Remember, the footage doesn't lie.
Q&A: Kam Williams in the Carribean Life News:
KW: Were you prepared for the celebrity that flowed from being on The Apprentice?
KJ: "I don't think there is any preparation that you can have for that. I'm flattered and humbled by it, but I'm not focused on being a celebrity, I'm a businessman who's using celebrity as a form of business capital."
KW: Did you have a game strategy?
KJ: "To be myself, be accountable, and to conduct myself with dignity. And to act like i had home training, like we say in The South."
KW: What was it like being in the Board Room with Trump?
KJ: "I was kind of nervous the first two or three times, but I spent the most time in the board room of anybody on the show. So, for me, it just became standard operating procedure. I focused on being accountable, looking Mr. Trump in the eye, not having fear, and telling the story of what actually happened. If I did, I said that I did good, and if I did bad, I said I did bad. I was always logical about why I made my decisions. I didn't try to create excuses, false stories or blame other people, because In the end, it was up to him, and I wanted to be able to hold my head high."
KW: Were the reports of you hitting on contestants at the Miss Universe Beauty Pageant true?
KJ: "That was inaccurate. I attended the pageant as a judge, one of the delegates recognized me from The Apprentice the day before the competition, and I said, 'Hello.' The security people freaked out, it was deemed interacting with the delegates and, therefore, I had to be dismissed. Where i come from, if someone says 'Hello' it's only polite to say 'Hello' back. But that's not interacting"
KW: I’m sure my female readership would like to know whether you're available?
KJ: "I'm single and I'm dating and I'm in New York City. But I'm really focused right now on business and taking things to a level people might not expect. All of my partners and I are serious business people. We've gone to all the right schools and worked for all the right companies. And now it's our turn to go from being employees to being employers. I hope people can appreciate that we're trying to be a part of business in its larger scale."
KW: So, tell me about your new billion-dollar project.
KJ: "Here's the background behind it. I started a holding company called Legacy Holdings as an outgrowth of being on The Apprentice. I used the show as a specific platform to launch business enterprises. It was never about reality TV, never about tabloids, but about using the platform to launch sustainable economic enterprises within the African-American community."
KW: Why are you naming the development Rosewood?
KJ: "We chose Rosewood because we wanted to honor the memory of the town in Florida that was burned to the ground in 1923 over a racial incident. We believe that the original Rosewood community would be just like what we're planning in D.C., had it been allowed to flourish."
KW: Do you think that you might be picking a name that's controversial, given the history?
KJ: "It could be perceived to be controversial in the way that anything that's touchy could be somewhat controversial. Our neighborhood is completely inclusive. We want all people to live there. But obviously, because it is a predominantly African-American county with a high wealth base, we wanted to honor that and cater to the residents."
KW: But isn't the plan to be more urban than suburban?
KJ: "It's for people who want urban amenities in a suburban setting. It's called 'New Urbanism,' a thriving combining of residential, commercial and retail."
KW: What type of housing units will it have?
KJ: "It'll have everything. Free-standing condos, some luxury homes, buildings with retail on the first level and apartments above. It's a city-center concept, similar to places like Celebration in Orlando and Reston Town Center [in Virginia].”
KW: Is there any significance to the name Legacy, like there is to Rosewood?
KJ: "We call it Legacy because we're building a legacy of African-American entrepreneurialism."
KW: What interested you in real estate?
KJ: "As an outgrowth of Legacy Holdings, we entered the real estate space because from my time on Wall Street dealing with high-net worth individuals, I realized that real estate is the cornerstone of any wealthy individual's portfolio, and a great opportunity to build long-term wealth."
KW: What made you choose Maryland as a site?
KJ: "We chose Prince George's County, specifically, because the county has the highest, per capita, African-American income in the nation. Plus, I'm a native of the District of Columbia and it has a great location, right outside of D.C., ten miles from the White House."
KW: What does Donald Trump think of his apprentice following in his footsteps so quickly and becoming a real estate magnate?
KJ: "I have focused on my enterprises and I really haven't corresponded with him in regards to this. We'd welcome his input, but we're moving ahead."
KW: Suppose you had won on The Apprentice. What would you be doing now, working for Trump or on this project?
KJ: "If I had won, I probably would have done the job, and used that time to plan my personal enterprises. But like I said, the show, for me, was always a launch pad for entrepreneurial activities, whether it happened right away, or in a year."
KW: What stage is Rosewood at right now?
KJ: "What we've announced was a partnership and a vision. We're not groundbreaking or cutting checks yet. The hard work's just beginning. We're still looking for institutional and high-net worth investors. And we direct potential partners to our website [ http://kwamejackson.com ]. But our target date for groundbreaking is 2006."
KW: What do you think has been your most valuable educational experience?
KJ: "Life. Hardship. I lost my Mom when I was 15. Just the mental hardship of knowing that you have to be self-sufficient Learning that if you want something in this world, you have to be motivated and ambitious. Perseverance has been number one."
KW: What advice do you have to anyone hoping to follow in your footsteps?
KJ: "I try to lead by example and do the best that I can. If people find that inspiring, then more power to them."
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