We were lucky to catch up with Kenneth Miles recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kenneth, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.

I created the Trenton Journal almost two years ago to address the information gaps within the city. I also wanted to highlight some of the positive voices in the community who were doing great work, but whose stories weren’t getting told in legacy media outlets. Although Trenton, New Jersey is the capital city of New Jersey it is designated as both a food and news desert. I want my Trenton Journal newsletter and magazine to be a part of the solution.

Kenneth, 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?

I started out writing professionally at 15-years-old for my hometown newspaper, The Jersey Journal. It was then I realized the importance of documenting your story. After writing my column for The Jersey Journal for a few years, I freelanced for several magazines such as Vibe, Black Enterprise, and Interview magazines. After the publishing industry started to decline and more people started to consume news on the internet , I decided to go back to college in the 2000’s to finish my degree in broadcast journalism. So much in the industry had changed and I wanted to make sure that I could adapt with the times. It’s important to always be open to learning, because that is the only way you’re going to learn. What I want people to know about the Trenton Journal is that I’m totally independent. I’m also writing and covering stories about a community that I live in. I’m a father, a serial entrepreneur, and also a student. I went back to school for my masters at West Virginia University to study media solutions and innovation. I am most proud of the collaborations that I forged over the two years in Trenton, because I believe collaboration is key. Over the past two years the Trenton Journal has teamed up with the Trenton Chapter NAACP to increase voter engagement in the city. We held a series of candidate forums and voter registration drives for the 2022 general election. I am also proud of the “Telling Your Trenton Story,” where we trained high school students in writing, researching, and editing to tell their stories. I also have to mention a group of senior citizens I helped to advocate for better living conditions in their building. I trained them on how to file an OPRA request with their city to find out reported violations and complaints from their building owner. That was a big win for me and a story that I didn’t publish, because the advocacy was more important than the story for me.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

One of the biggest lessons that I have learned in life and I apply it to my personal life as well, is that not everyone will understand your vision. It’s your dream, not theirs. Don’t let anyone stop you from achieving your dream. If one door doesn’t open, go to another one. Sometimes, I get the “big ideas,” and I may reach out to someone for a potential partnership or sponsorship, because I may think things may be a great fit, but then I may not hear back from someone after a meeting. Sometimes I feel like I’ve been led on, because I wasn’t told, “No, this won’t work, because…” In business and in life, the only way things will work if the feeling is mutual and you’re not the only one pursuing the business. It has to be reciprocal. My mentor told me, it’s like a Marvin Gaye song, “I want you, but I want you to want me too.” I think about that when I feel like I’ve given my all and need to move on to another door or go it alone.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Stop being so secretive about how I operate my business. I think by telling sharing your wins and losses will help to inspire others. Also, I find it’s easier to collaborate than it is starting from scratch. I also think it’s important to do good work and not to be apologetic about your fees or your value. Your price is your price. There are a lot of things that I deal with that people don’t see just by virtue of me being an African-American business owner, such as imposter syndrome. At the end of the day you have to decide what voice you’re going to listen to in your head, the negative voice that says you “can’t” or the positive one that says, “Yes, you can! Look how far you’ve come.”

Contact Info:

• Website: trentonjournal.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trenton_journal/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/njcharters
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenneth-miles/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/home
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@trentonjournal5627

Image Credits
Kenneth Miles