We recently connected with Dr. Roderick Heath and have shared our conversation below.
Dr. Roderick, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
Growing up in a single-parent home, I often sought help understanding how to navigate the world. Throughout my life, I repeatedly questioned why my support system wasn’t there life many of my peers. As I witnessed so many of my peers fall victim to the notion that we weren’t good enough to be better than our environment, I decided to reevaluate my life, establish goals, and do some soul-searching. After quitting college twice, my focus shifted, and I returned to college. When I returned to college at the age of 22, it was at North Carolina Central University that afforded me many opportunities to find my passion: to tell at-risk youth my personal story and create a nonprofit company that would allow me to develop life-changing interactions with people.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Growing up as a child, I was raised by my grandparents in the small town of Monroe, NC. I watched my grandparents raise their grandchild without a formal education but found ways to care for our family. During this time, I learned that helping people, networking, and leading by example will get you further in your personal life. The Higher Education Black Male Collective, LLC was established to support the needs of African American Males by helping them find their true purpose in life. The Higher Education Black Male Collective is a program established to foster a sense of unity, strength, leadership, and economic mobility for Black Males across the nation’s higher education spectrum. BMC’s mission is to support the academic, social, and intellectual evolution of African American Males looking to better their lives. The Black Male Collective fosters relationships among Black males nationwide and provides them with leadership skills to overcome societal barriers. In Addition, BMC creates a space for black men to take ownership of their current campus, personal life, and community.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
After dropping out of college three times, I faced many personal struggles that led to depression and a lack of self-worth. My life seemed to be crashing before my eyes; I had lost all hope and didn’t see a way out of the hopelessness. Being raised without parents caused me to engage in activities that could haved landed me in jail. I didn’t have a plan for my life, with led to several run-ins with the law. One day, a friend saw me spiraling out of control, and he suggested I try college. This conversation was held in the parking lot of a nightclub where I was engaging in a bar fight. My friend happened to be visiting our hometown during his Christmas break; therefore, I had no idea we would see each other that night. This pivotal moment helped change my outlook on life. The following day, I when to the public library and rented the SAT for Dummies booklet. Every night, I would study that test-taking book for three months after that conversation at the nightclub. In January 2003, North Carolina Central University accepted this 22-year-old into their university. This turning point in my life led me to become Dr. Roderick Heath years later.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
The most effective strategy for building my business was intentionally using messaging, imagery, and social media to share my story. Over the years, I have established myself as the nation’s leader within Higher Education as the student retention, engagement, and graduation coach. I travel the country consulting with companies, universities, and local businesses to create goals, objectives, and outcomes to help their companies reach their potential. Having practical networking skills that get you rooms will allow you to grow your business. My focus has been consistently providing services to clients with an end goal in mind, meaning each opportunity is a chance to meet people in their network, which will also expand my business. LinkedIn is a powerful platform to grow your business and meet new clients.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thehighereducationblackmalecollective.org/
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/ dr-roderick-t-heath-26749717
- Twitter: @HeathCeo
- Youtube: @dr.roderickheath1416
Image Credits
Photo Credits, Roderick Heath.