Why Being "Self Made" is Probably a Myth...
- R.E.A.C.H. Team
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
"When the student is ready, the teacher will appear."
— Zen Proverb
If there is one thing most people know about me, it's that Hip Hop is my life. I fell in love with Hip Hop from the moment we met in the 4th grade. I felt like Hip Hop was very instrumental in saving my life, so I was certain I could use it to impact the lives of other young people too. There was a time I really believed my raps could change the world! I had a lot of passion, I just needed help with the process part. That is where one of the most important people in my life came in. His name is Ivan Juzang and he is the founder and president of a company called MEE Productions.
At the time we met I was involved social norming campaign work on a local level in Columbus. He was doing similar work on a national and even international level. When I learned about his work and how his company leveraged Hip Hop culture to engage and activate young people, I was more than eager to become his student!
Ivan and I have what I consider the model mentor-mentee relationship. If mentorship goes the way it should, you go from being mentor and mentee, to colleagues in the same field, to collaborators in the same work. That’s exactly what happened with Ivan and me.
For the first three years we were connected, he poured into me and taught me how to add process to my passion. Now, more than twenty years later, we still partner on major projects here in the United States and around the world.
Being part of the meaningful work that MEE Productions does has sharpened my ability to create messages that are powerful, purposeful, and most importantly, impactful and sustainable. One of the projects I’m most proud of is the work we have done in communities that experience the highest levels of poverty, racism, systemic neglect, violence, and trauma.
I had the privilege of being part of two national research projects conducted by MEE. We went around the country and led listening sessions with young people and we found that among those who experienced the highest levels of poverty, racism, systemic neglect, violence, and trauma on a daily basis, about 15% were actually thriving and flourishing, even in the midst of their circumstances. So then we looked for consistent traits among them and discovered that more often than not, they had four things in common. They all seemed to have a significant connection to:
Somewhere…hope for the future and belief that things could get better.
Somehow…a plan to get from where they were now to where they aspired to be.
Something…a connection to a higher power, higher purpose, or higher calling.
and
Someone…a non-parental, non-judgmental caring adult who could help them discover their Somewhere, Somehow, and Something.
We found that if young people had a strong connection to those four things, their chances of thriving and flourishing increased dramatically.
If I had to pick the most important one to me, it would be having a significant connection to Someone. If you have someone on your side you can trust, that has your back, and can give you guidance, then the opportunities to accelerate increase tremendously.
If you are that someone for a young person right now, 4 of your top priorities should be helping them figure out:
1. How to regulate their emotions (keep a crisis from becoming a catastrophe)
2. How to develop wellness rituals (routines / activities that prevent and / or help us weather the storms)
3. How to create a plan for going from where you are to where you aspire to be (and a plan B)
4. How to navigate systems which often times feel like were set up for our failure (playing the game instead of the game playing you)
I’ve learned these concepts and so much more from Ivan. I'm still learning a lot, even after 20 plus years of collaboration, but one thing I do know is that as far as I’ve come both personally and professionally, I couldn’t have done it on my own. I needed a lot of help. But I actually think we all do. I often share with young people that I don’t believe there is any such thing as a “self-made” man or woman. I feel like a lot of people who claim to be "self-made" are either lying, forgetful, or inconsiderate.
I’m thankful for the village that I’ve surrounded myself with. The caring individuals that saw more in me than I often saw in myself and made the effort to pour into me. This is one of the many things that compels me to do the same for those coming behind me. Effective mentorship doesn't happen by accident, it happens on purpose. So we created a handbook that mentors and mentees can use to guide / frame the relationship in order to maximize the experience. Please download it, use it, and share it with other folks in your network.
And here's a quick news clip that featured MEE Productions this year during Black History Month.
I'm honored to continue doing meaningful work with a man whose legacy and impact goes far beyond the 28 days in February. Please watch and share.
And as always, thank you for the work you do, but most importantly for the person you are.
Also don't forget to share this to your socials!