We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Bivian Lee a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Bivian, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Son of a Saint is a 501c3 youth development nonprofit dedicated to transforming the lives of fatherless boys throughout Greater New Orleans through mentorship, education, and life skills enrichment. The mission and purpose of the organization stem from my personal story. I was just 3 years old when my father, Bivian Lee, Jr., who played cornerback for the New Orleans Saints in the 70s, died of a heart attack at age 36. Growing up without my father, I remember just kind of being lost many times during my adolescence. I was able to eventually attend an all-Black, all-boys, private high school in New Orleans where I found a lot of male bonding experience. This led me to find ways to continue those connections both in my personal and professional life, but the absence of my father and the input from a core father figure remained.

In 2011, I witnessed a news story about a young man murdering another man on the streets of New Orleans. This led to one boy losing his life and another receiving a life sentence. This was an instance of seeing two lives destroyed irrevocably. Coincidentally, neither young man involved in the incident has a present father in their upbringing. A lightbulb went off in my head that this is a need that could not be ignored. At that moment, I chose to get started by taking action and I founded the Son of a Saint starting with just $100. I thought that if I could create a model and a space for young men growing up without a father to be heard, find positive and productive outlets, and cultivate meaningful mentor relationships, I could provide preventative and transformational support to future generations and help to create better widespread outcomes. The Son of a Saint experience takes our young men through middle school, high school, and beyond. The goal is to provide them with stable relationships and male role models. The relationship makes the difference — having a personal connection to at least one adult man who believes in them and helps them reach their full potential.

Bivian, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Son of a Saint was established and launched in 2011 to address the burgeoning problem of fatherless boys in the New Orleans area. Over the past 13 years and counting, our 501(c)(3) organization has remained dedicated to the mission of transforming the lives of young males through mentorship, emotional support, development of life skills, exposure to constructive experiences, and formation of positive, lasting peer-to-peer relationships. The young men in our program join what we like to call the Son of a Saint Family between the ages of 10 and 12, but they remain with us until age 21 or into early adulthood. Each young man has a case team and a personal mentor through middle school, high school, and beyond. The mentees of Son of a Saint also have around 40 to 50 diverse activities and events to attend a month and sustain their dynamic organizational involvement. The goal is to provide them with stable relationships and male role models. The relationship makes the difference — having a personal connection to at least one adult man who believes in them and helps them reach their full potential.

For example, I’ve seen that 12, 13, or 14-year-old kid that may not have the most self-confidence yet, or be shy or doubtful about himself in their earliest years being in the program. Our goal, through effort, intention, and impact is for that same young man to develop that confidence to move forward and not miss out on all life could be ready to offer him.

Since I was very fortunate through my experiences leading up to that point. So I decided I wanted to give back in a meaningful way, on the preventative side for boys that are growing up without their fathers.

What we are doing is working, and we are seeing the results in real-time, all the time. Today, we are serving more than 350 youth through our work and we continue to strategically and intentionally grow. We have 100 percent of our mentees graduating highschool successfully and moving forward. This includes 80 percent going to a college or university education system, and 20 percent joining the workforce or engaging in another skilled trade.

For more information or to get involved, visit www.sonofasaint.org.

Any advice for managing a team?

When it comes to managing a team and keeping morale high, I think it’s important to remember that high morale is crucial for an effective team and a high standard of successful work. One of the first things I focus on is creating an environment where feedback is encouraged. This means allowing team members to share their thoughts not only with leadership but also with each other. It builds trust and helps everyone feel valued and heard.

It’s also essential to pick which areas to focus on. Not every battle is winnable or even worth fighting. By prioritizing key areas that align with our team’s strengths and goals, we can channel our efforts where they’ll have the most impact. Along the way, I always try to explain my reasoning and rationale for decisions, whether they’re detailed or more overarching. Transparency in decision-making helps everyone understand the bigger picture and feel more connected to our mission.

Another component I emphasize is autonomy. I make space for autonomy with managers and supervisors, empowering them to make decisions and take ownership of their work. This boosts motivation and commitment across the board.

Celebrating achievements is also crucial. Giving shoutouts and acknowledgments and creating moments for connection, like team-building activities, can healthily strengthen relationships and lift spirits.

It’s important to be impactful, so I do my best to support the team in overcoming barriers, within reason. Showing that I’m invested in their success and well-being goes a long way.

Flexibility is another key aspect. I try to maintain flexibility and freedom in how tasks are approached, which often leads to innovative solutions and a more satisfied team.

Finally, I make sure that managers and teams are equipped with the tools they need to perform to a high standard, stay creative, and succeed. This includes access to training, technology, and any other resources that support their work.

By implementing these strategies, I aim to create a positive work environment that encourages high performance and fosters a strong sense of team spirit.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Absolutely, I can share a story about a pivotal moment we experienced at Son of a Saint. In the mid-2010s, we faced a significant challenge when we attempted to purchase a headquarters space for the organization. At that time, Son of a Saint was still growing and evolving, and we weren’t yet in the financial position to make that vision a reality. The owners of the property wanted a certain price point, which was beyond our reach.

Initially, this felt like a significant setback. However, these types of pivots or redirects can be a blessing in disguise. That situation taught us the importance of stepping back, reconfiguring our plans, and determining the best lessons to learn and apply to future situations. It was an opportunity to recommit and pursue a new path.

In hindsight, it was all meant to be. Things happen in their own time. What seemed like a setback, at that time, later became a defining moment for us. It reminded us that perseverance and flexibility can lead to better opportunities down the road. This experience helped us grow and prepare for future challenges, ensuring that we were ready when the right opportunity eventually came along.

The time to reemerge and bring that vision to fruition happened in 2020, believe it or not. One week before the COVID-19 pandemic was official, Son of a Saint signed a real estate contract to acquire a different building that would become our headquarters space or, as we affectionately and intentionally call it, the Home For Our Boys. We had to take a beat and a breath and wait until it was our season to strike and pursue the opportunity at hand. All the while, during that time of pivoting and waiting, we stuck to our mission and we continued the high standard of work for which we are known and that we know is working for our boys. That setback in those prior years set us up for a stronger comeback and, without that experience, we would not be where we are today.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sonofasaint.org
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/sonofasaintorg
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/sonofasaintorg
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/son-of-a-saint/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/sonofasaintorg
• Other: https://vimeo.com/sonofasaint

Image Credits

All images can be credited to: Son of a Saint