We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sharod Brown a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Sharod, thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
One of the main ideas that lead me to coming up with a business idea that I currently have now is the lack of resources and accessibility to skill development in the area of basketball that is underfunded in my community, and the lack of a safe environment, and a place where kids could be empowered to not just be better athletes but better people in the area that I grew up in in Lorain county. It’s not too many kids, whose dreams come true, and I take it personal to give back and give the knowledge and tools that I have to help others obtain those dreams that they may have.
Sharod, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
One of the things that led me to get into the industry that I am in now is really giving back to my community and providing the service that’s quality is unmatched. When it comes to the discipline that I’ve grown into over the years and that my business displays as reflected in my daily life, and as well as in the athletes, that I interact and train with as well without the correct and proper discipline, you’ll never be able to maintain anything for a long time and it’s a really important aspect to install an athlete at an early age. And areas of basketball skill development one of our models is it’s just work. This implements, the lifestyle and daily disciplines that come with anything you do in life but something that comes with when you have a common goal and you want to reach and obtain a certain thing that it is possible and it is obtainable with the proper work and discipline so whatever you want to achieve at life whatever you want to achieve at life as you continue to work at it, it will become possible. The space that we train out of in Elyria is a representation of the hard work ingredients that comes with being a product of a basketball player and a person that is raised in Lorain county. It’s not a big fancy facility with all the bells and whistle’s but it gives you what you need and when you use what you have to the best of your ability you’ll be able to obtain more because you appreciate what you have when you work with less and you obtain more than you ever could imagine. I believe we serve a solution and our community as a way out basketball isn’t just a fun activity, but for some people it’s a way out as away from their daily problems it’s a way out of what they could be going through at home, and their minds for some people as an escape. Some of the main things that I am proud of and when we have kids who are consistent with our programs and the things that we implement and they’re able to go on and obtain college scholarships, we’ve been able to produce five and continue to continue to train over six collegiate athletes that are consistently in our program. We have recently also instituted a summer and fall basketball league for the youth in our community to bring back the nature of competitive basketball, and to give them opportunities to display their abilities on a local and social scale. One of the main thing that I want people to get from my business and the things that I do any of the services I provide for my community that anything that you do on life is not easy, but with the correct, work, discipline and determination that whatever you wanna do in life that it is obtainable and possible nobody ever thought growing up that I would all my own business that I would affect and empower my community in the way that I do but when God is behind you and he’s giving you a plan and a vision is nothing there anybody on earth can do to stop what he’s giving you except for you.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
A story that shows my resilience is really when I first opened up my business . I really couldn’t see the vision and how it was going to work out for me especially with the timeframe that I had to open up my business on my head really at three month gap to clean up the facility got it all transform the floors get a basketball floor in there and get the turf floor in there and it was certain things that really didn’t lineup to me but I really just kept at it I just kept my determination towards the goal that I had and eventually I was able to see what I envisioned, and it became tangible before my eyes. So a lot of times, we may have things in her head that we really can’t see or we don’t see ourselves doing or can’t see ourselves doing but when you put. Your face to the ground sometimes and just work at it and keep going you’ll be able to see it eventually..
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
A lesson that I had to learn and business is that it’s OK for other people to help you due to some things that I have experience in life with my childhood, and just knowing how people are or can be in the community when it comes to certain things, especially in the area that I live in is kind of like a crabs in a barrel type mentality sometimes but having to really see the true nature in some peoples hearts, and that some people really aren’t out to use you or use your name or use your brand for their benefit but some people really do just want to help and give back and sometimes it’s OK to let people help you. That’s one of the lessons that I really had to unlearn is that I don’t have to do it all by myself or I don’t have to feel like it’s all on my shoulders, but there are certain people that are around me that do want to help and I have the right heart and have the right nature to the same mission that I have and that really want to see my best interest without selfish game, so just learning to trust people and learning to put down my wall sometimes.
Contact Info:
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