We’re bringing back gems to kick off Black Business Month…

James Whitner, Owner and Founder of the Whitaker Group, is a well accomplished entrepreneur, retail maven, and true visionary leader. A few months ago, he graced the A Ma Maniere location in Houston to drop jewels free of charge as a part of his “Free Game” series.

Whitner allowed attendees to ask questions for over two hours as he took his time to answer each question at great length, and share his experiences with the congregation and those streaming live via YouTube.

Of all the game distributed, here were our Top 5 takeaways:

Trust Your Team

“Set the Vision. Set the Strategy. Set the Purpose.”

Whitner is all about teamwork. He understands that all he has built and will build in the future hinges heavily upon the people around him. While surrounding himself with the right people is important, he says leaving them enough space to “work, shine, stumble, and grow” is paramount.

Give Grace to Culture

“When scaling, you can’t bring everything along at the same pace.”

Whitner went from a struggling Flava Factory brand to having multiple Social Status locations rapidly. However, he understands that the people are responsible for the culture and the culture is what moves the needle. With that in mind, Whitner advises budding entrepreneurs to move gracefully at a pace that makes sense. Push the envelope, if necessary, but allow the people, the difference makers, the ones who matter the opportunity to understand what is happening.

Purpose + Why = Brand

“It’s more important to stand firm in purpose and why.”

According to Whitner, many brands work in reverse to what is most beneficial. He said that an entrepreneur’s why and their purpose leads to the action that defines the brand. Let those three things define your brand as opposed to pushing the brand above all. Whitner believes that working with your purpose and why at the forefront allows the style and substance of your brand to work cohesively.

Own Your Ecosystem

“Exchange not transaction.”

Every encounter with a brand is an experience. With that being the case, each encounter is to be taken seriously and handled as an individual interaction, not a transaction. Whitner wants entrepreneurs, specifically in the retail and commerce industries, to focus on building community among the people and trust among customers. As he says it, “it’s not about a brand, it’s about a relationship”. People don’t buy from brands they can’t buy into.

Be Prepared 100% of the time.

“Don’t waste words by sharing big visions with small minds.”

We’ve all heard the adage that luck happens when opportunity and preparation meets. If this is indeed true, Whitner preaches being prepared at all times. As an entrepreneur, it’s hard to predict what moment will be THE moment. Staying prepared allows creatives to take full advance of said moment when it arrives.

Follow James Whitner on IG to keep up with his latest and greatest.

Event Recap: James Whitner's "Free Game" Q&A Session