We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Khari Sekou I a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Khari, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

As fate would have it, my new book, “111 Timeless Truths”, is the most meaningful project to me. It represents my transformation. I’ve always been a creative writer/artist/performer and I’ve always created some level of positive content but the new book shows my growth into the man I am now. I went through a dark period in my life and I often felt like it would never end. I had to reprogram my mind, change my habits, develop new relationships, heal my past traumas, and face my demons.

To get through the darkness I soaked up as much positivity as I could find. I listened to (and still do) Les Brown, Jim Rohn, ET the Hip Hop Preacher, Bob Proctor and other motivators. I read great books like Og Mandino’s, “The Greatest Salesman in the World”, for inspiration, direction, and motivation. I also surrounded myself with positive people like my martial arts brotherhood and sisterhood, SWAM & Fannul Harb. My family has always believed in me. My mother and sister encouraged me to pursue my dreams. Having positive support groups and positive references helped me get through.

I always liked powerful quotes and wise sayings so I started writing my own. That’s how 111 Timeless Truths was born.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I began writing at an early age as a recording artist. My childhood dream was to be a platinum hip-hop artist that not only had “bars” but spoke the truth.

I’ve written for other artists that have been featured on television shows like True Blood, movies like the Gardener, and video games like Sleeping Dogs. I toured with the AND-1 basketball team to Barbados to perform live. I was featured in several magazines and had several deals and sponsorships. I’ve also walked away from deals because they weren’t the right move for me at that time.

I later realized that I didn’t want to just be another “rapper”. In the “golden era” of hip-hop, the popular music was much more positive and inspirational. Now it’s common for rappers to represent violence, death, murder, infidelity, drug addiction, extreme materialism, and all the low life qualities. For some it’s their reality but some are exploiting the culture for the check.

I decided to continue to do my music because that’s what I love to do but to expand my thinking and my hustle. I founded my own entertainment company, 100 Trillion Entertainment and started producing music for other artists and audio engineering projects. I signed licensing deals with publishing companies to get more placements. I started a clothing line called Warrior Wardrobe that is targeting the martial arts, yoga, and meditation demographic. I also recently founded a plant based food brand called Winner Winner Vegan.

On a personal level, I train, practice, and study martial sciences regularly. This gives me discipline, power, strength, focus, energy, skills, and a positive peer group.

I have a lot going on and it can be somewhat intense but I love being creative and pushing the limits. When I create a product, project, song, book, or design that inspires people I feel that my work has been done. When things get difficult I remember that I can make a positive impact on this world.

Dr. Jordan Peterson said that on average every person knows 1,000 people in their lifetime so when you positively influence them, you create a ripple effect on those thousand people they know. If I can impact the lives of just 2 people, I’ve actually touched a million (1,000 X 1,000). Small things can make a difference exponentially.

This is why I smile when I stand in the accountability mirror every day. Because I know that I stand for something bigger than myself. I’ve had “opportunities” to sell my people out but I turned them down. I stayed true to my true self and true to my vision.

Know that I bring this mindset to all that I do. I strive to share wisdom and add value with my new book, 111 Timeless Truths. My music will always be genuine and inspirational. You get a free copy of my motivational music project, “Invincible Warrior”, when you buy the book. Go to 111timelesstruths.com for more info. The clothing line, Warrior Wardobe (warriorwardrobe.com) will always represent the high ideals of the Warrior. The food brand, Winner Winner Vegan (winnerwinnervegan.com), will use only the best ingredients/superfoods (organic whenever possible) and deliver quality products.

Some wise Soul once said, “how you do one thing is how you do everything”. I strive to do everything with a standard of excellence. This doesn’t mean that I don’t make mistakes or that I feel that I’m superior to anyone in any way. It means that I want the best out of life. I have to give my best to get the best.

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

There were times when business slowed down and I had to be creative and innovative to stay afloat. Most of my funding came from my real estate investments. When the market collapsed in 2008 my funding also collapsed. I was in high interest rate loans on some investments with a plan to refi later but no lender would refinance me as a self employed real estate professional at that time. I ended up getting my real estate agency license and working with traditional buyers and investors to stay in business(es). My mom suggested that I get back into my music so I got a small studio and went back in. I continued to push forward making the best decision I could at that time and eventually things got better. Much better.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

The book, “Traction” by Gino Wickman is a game changer. It teaches you how to run a successful company with an Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS). They take small “mom and pop” businesses and help them scale to become middle to large size businesses. It comes with access to their free EOS toolkit with some great resources.

Most people that I know that have businesses think because they’re great at their profession that it will translate to them running a great business. That is usually not the case. Just because you’re a great chef doesn’t mean that you can operate a great restaurant. EOS or something like it will help you get to the next level and beyond. I’m implementing their tools and strategies on all of my companies.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.111timelesstruths.com
• Instagram: @kharisekoui
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khari-cummings-multifamily-advisor-atlanta-87954475/
• Other: https://www.warriorwardrobe.com https://www.100trill.com https://www.swamwarriors.com https://www.winnerwinnervegan.com

Image Credits
Photos by Kason Carter Media and AZU Studios.