BE Modern Man: Jeff Shuford
Nationally syndicated columnist; 32; President, Tech From Vets
Twitter: @vets_22
I have been blessed to become one of the youngest nationally syndicated columnists in the nation and one of the youngest African American nationally syndicated columnists of all time.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF IN LIFE?
I am proud of my accomplishments in the journalism industry as a syndicated columnist and I am also proud that my grandfather is a Grammy Hall of Fame inductee (Jim Freeman of The Five Satins).
HOW HAVE YOU TURNED STRUGGLE INTO SUCCESS?
Being a black man in journalism has been an eye-opening experience. Being a syndicated columnist to 44 regional business publications has brought great attention and also hate from white publishers in the industry. Overcoming the fact that I don’t have a formal education in the industry that I am dominating is also tough.
WHO WAS YOUR GREATEST MALE ROLE MODEL AND WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM HIM?
My grandfather Jim Freeman and my father Lawrence Shuford Sr. I learned how to properly care for a family, how to manage success, and also how to keep striving for greatness from both of those black men in my life.
HOW DO YOU DEFINE MANHOOD?
Manhood is a term that I believe comes with the responsibility of being empathetic to women and sensitive to cultural differences. Manhood is more than just being capable of producing children, it’s about building a legacy for future generations.
WHAT’S THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?
Perfection equals paralysis.
HOW ARE YOU PAYING IT FORWARD TO SUPPORT OTHER BLACK MALES?
As a syndicated columnist and media personality, showing a positive example of black men in media and entertainment is one way I pay it forward. I also mentor young black men and provide actionable guidance and motivation so that they can accomplish the impossible.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT BEING A BLACK MAN?
I like that people view us as uneducated, un-intellectual, and un-groomed people. When I speak or write a groundbreaking article that helps them learn something new about business, their perception of us changes for the better. Being able to change the narrative is great!
BE Modern Man is an online and social media campaign designed to celebrate black men making valuable contributions in every profession, industry, community, and area of endeavor. Each year, we solicit nominations in order to select men of color for inclusion in the 100 Black Enterprise Modern Men of Distinction. Our goal is to recognize men who epitomize the BEMM credo “Extraordinary is our normal” in their day-to-day lives, presenting authentic examples of the typical black man rarely seen in mainstream media. The BE Modern Men of Distinction are celebrated annually at Black Men XCEL (www.blackenterprise.com/blackmenxcel/). Click this link to submit a nomination for BE Modern Man: https://blackenterprise.com/nominate/. Follow BE Modern Man on Twitter: @bemodernman and Instagram: @be_modernman.