Meet Gbenga Ogunjimi, a 'chief storyteller' with a new documentary about Anacostia businesses
What started as a coaching effort became, for Gbenga Ogunjimi, a documentary about seven Anacostia businesses. He tells us about the experience - and his role as “chief storyteller”.
Source: Full story available on Washington Business Journal
Mayor Bowser Proclaims February 21, 2021‘Business Story Day’
(WASHINGTON, DC) – Mayor Muriel Bowser proclaims Sunday, February 21, 2021, “Business Story Day” in Washington, DC.
In celebration of this day, GO Global is holding a virtual event for the members of the press and the public on February 21, 2021, at 3 PM EST. The event will feature community business leaders sharing their business stories and will also provide ideas on how businesses in the district can use their own stories as a tool for building a strong inclusive local economy.
To arrange for an interview or to learn more, please contact Gbenga Ogunjimi at 202-496-9220 or email at go@globalgoinc.com. To RSVP for the event, please visit http://businessstoryday.eventbrite.com
The Official Proclamation is below:
ANACOSTIA BUSINESS OWNERS CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH WITH DOCUMENTARY ON AMAZON PRIME
Brand Story Expert, Gbenga Ogunjimi, follows the origin and success stories of entrepreneurs in Washington D.C.’s wards 7 and 8
WASHINGTON DC - (December 30, 2020) – Good to Great Stories: A Small Business Documentary chronicles the entrepreneurial journeys of seven business owners in Anacostia, one of the District’s most historic neighborhoods.
The documentary shows how these entrepreneurs are changing the narrative of Anacostia from struggle and scarcity to that of opportunity and growth through their stories. It offers a blueprint for other small businesses to harness the power of their stories.
“Storytelling is one of the untapped assets in businesses. As entrepreneurs, particularly those in the communities of color, we often discount our personal stories. However, it is when we tell our stories that we unlock their power to elevate our businesses from good to great,” said Gbenga Ogunjimi, Good to Great Stories Creator.
Anacostia is one of the most underserved parts of the nation’s capital. DCist reports that there are only three grocery stores in Wards 7 and 8, where more than 160,000 residents live. In contrast, Ward 1 has nine grocery stores for about 90,000 residents. Beyond food access, this disparity extends to health, education, and jobs. The House DC reports per capita income in this area is just over half of the per capita income for the District as a whole. Similarly, the unemployment rate in Anacostia is 12.1% compared to 6% for all of DC. The men and women featured in the documentary have helped to economically empower residents in their community while embracing their own struggle to thrive against these odds. Good to Great Stories recognizes their leadership and shows other business owners how to harness the power of their own stories despite locale and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Featured entrepreneurs have this to say about their work:
“We are the only bookstore in Anacostia for over 20 years. I don’t believe anyone should be in a position where they don’t have access to books.”
- Derrick Young, Founder Mahogany Books.
“We can have a health shift in our community if we have better options.”
- Amanda Stephenson, Founder Fresh Food Factory
Good to Great Stories Virtual Press and Partners Preview will take place on January 13, 2021. The documentary will also be made available to the public on Amazon Prime for free throughout the month of February.
Featured businesses are Nubian Hueman, Fresh Food Factory, DMV Black Restaurant Week, Luis Peralta Art Gallery, PJ’s Barbers & Stylists, Plum Good LLC, and Mahogany Books.
To arrange for an interview or to learn more, please contact LaWanda White at 202-497-8393 or email at lawanda@independentlypr.com. To RSVP for the private preview, please visit http://goodtogreatstories.eventbrite.com.
About GO Global
GO Global is a leadership coaching and consulting firm that provides professional training and coaching for businesses, non-profits, and thought leaders who wish to maximize their impact and outcomes. What separates GO Global from other business/career coaching services is that it specializes in the power of stories.
Storytelling in Pop Culture: The Breakfast Club, Rep. John Lewis, and Angela Stanton-King
I'm pleased to announce the launch of my new blog series, Storytelling in Pop Culture. In this series, I’ll be highlighting news in pop culture from a storytelling perspective. I'll further point out interesting moments that bring the power of storytelling to the forefront and give unique insights that we all can use for our professional and business endeavors. Just to be clear this is not about taking a personal stance, entertainment news, or gossip. Instead, this is about emphasizing moments in current affairs that have put the skill of storytelling to the test.
Sadly this series starts off with the death of a civil rights icon and American hero, Rep. John Lewis. As the country celebrates his heroic contributions towards civil rights and democracy, the Georgia voters must now consider their options for representation that are now void of such a big voice. One of those options is Angela Stanton-King, who was recently interviewed by Breakfast Club.
As a storyteller actively working with citizens returning from the criminal justice system, I was fascinated by the interview. While the interview explored several hot button topics (abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, and the Trump administration), Angela successfully navigated the storytelling world by making sure her story was forward-looking and not tied down by her past realities. As a story coach that has helped returning citizens change their narratives from one of pain to purpose, it was clear Angela deftly navigated this skill and, it allowed her to pivot the conversation her to message.
Here are two key takeaways from the interview from a storytelling perspective:
Every opportunity to introduce yourself is an opportunity to tell your story. Angela did not miss the chance to take advantage of this opportunity. Instead, she made the most of it. She did this by telling the story of her incarceration and how it led to her finding her purpose/calling as a writer, achieving financial freedom, and going into public service.
Use your story to stamp your credibility and expert status. I refer to this as establishing your points of credibility. Let's face it, Angela is relatively unknown in the political arena. However, by owning her experiences as someone previously marginalized, she referenced specific government policies that harmed her at her lows or helped her at her highs. By doing this, she was able to establish a certain level of credibility. Not only did it change the power dynamic during the conversation, but she left the audience with the impression that she truly has a shot and is a candidate to be reckoned with despite her relatively unknown status.
Check out the Breakfast Club interview here to see the powerful storytelling moments mentioned above.
How to Craft Your Personal Mission Statement (Using Your Story)
My job description as a story coach boils down to these two things, 1) helping leaders articulate their purpose and 2) helping them live out that purpose. However, very few leaders I serve can define their exact mission statement (otherwise known as a purpose statement). While they lead a successful life, and even anchor their life choices on certain uncompromising values, stating one’s mission is not something many leaders find easy to do at all.
As a result, I decided to create a simple process for anyone to articulate their personal mission statement:
1. Identity – If I were to relieve you of all your professional titles, what is one word you still find a sense of identity in? This is key because as leaders we attach our identity to our accomplishments and performance. The idea here is to have a change in perspective and grasp the idea that you are not what you do but instead, what you do is only an expression of who you are.
After identifying your one-word, think why this word is important to you.
2. Core values – What are your top three values? These are the guiding principles you live and pattern your life by. They are the overarching principles responsible for your life choices and decisions. Examples are - Integrity | Security | Creativity | Collaboration | Growth | Relationship | Service | Family | Freedom | Generosity | Spirituality | Wealth.
Which of these ranks the highest (this answer should be identical, or close, to question number 1)?
3. Story – Think about an experience that shaped or brought your core values to the forefront. This is called a defining moment: it is a life-changing or life-altering event that, after its occurrence, continues to have a lingering impact on your life. Authentic mission statements often come from our defining moments and allow us to discover the overarching purpose of our lives.
This story should have an identical theme to both questions 1 and 2.
4. Service – Identify a community or a demographic in your world that share the same need? Your mission statement should be service-oriented and not just self-serving. While life’s purposes do come from personal defining moments, their impact should be far-reaching and should connect with a real need in the world. That said, you must start from your immediate environment by identifying the needs closest to you. Over time there will be more opportunities to expand this scope of influence.
The community you identify with should connect to those [defining moments] in your story.
5. Introduction - After completing these steps, now go ahead with crafting your mission statement, and display it boldly in your home, bio/resume, website or place of work. Whenever you are called to introduce yourself, whether as a speaker or even at a job interview, start by boldly stating your personal mission statement – because this is your superpower.
Examples of popular mission statements include:
"To be a teacher. And to be known for inspiring my students to be more than they thought they could be." — Oprah Winfrey
"To have fun in [my] journey through life and learn from [my] mistakes."
— Sir Richard Branson
Examples of business mission statements include:
“Give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together.” — Facebook
“To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.” — Starbucks
Client Story Unveil: Filippo’s
We hear a lot of startup stories but stories of legacy businesses that outlive their founders aren’t one that we come by all the time. GO Global is proud to tell the story of Filippo’s Italian Specialties, a local food business that has been around for 60 years and a staple in the Wheaton community of Maryland. Filippo’s is proof that behind every successful business is a powerful story.
Filippo’s Italian Specialties – Our Story
Our story began in 1955 with a simple idea and purpose – to create a space that brings people together around good food and a positive, home-like environment. More than 60 years later, this idea is still very much alive when you walk through our doors. To us you are not just a customer, you are family.
Owner Leo Filippo came to the Wheaton area of Maryland as an immigrant from Sicily, Italy. He had the vision of creating an unconventional food establishment that provides a community-like experience. He got his start at a pizzeria where he learned the ins and out of running a successful food business. In 1989 he found the opportunity of making his vision a reality by becoming a partner with Frank Marchone of Marchone Place, a local deli run by his uncle which had become a staple in the Wheaton community. In November 2013, Leo Filippo became the sole owner of business. Since then, Marchone Place has been renamed the business Filippo's Italian Specialties and even with tremendous growth, Leo and his team have been able to maintain the family legacy of food and community.
At Filippo’s we believe local delis like ours remain as strong pillars in the community. We do this by providing a thriving space for connection, a family-like experience and obviously great food. From the beginning, Filippo’s set out to be a different kind of food establishment - our core asset is not our food but instead it is the people we serve. Today, more than 60 years since our doors first opened, we are proud to keep serving you - our customers, our family. And with every sub, cookie or cannoli, we will continue to do just that.
When saying the right words goes wrong (and can even cost you)
Last week I had the great honor of speaking at a conference at Johns Hopkins University. Before my talk was a power panel of social innovators leading companies that were working on services from health equity to financial inclusion. As my session approached, I felt more pressured and conflicted about how to proceed with my presentation. I felt pressured because international development used to be my world and I was invited to the conference in part due to this history. I felt conflicted because it was no longer what I do, my purpose is now in the business of storytelling.
Sadly, I yielded to the pressure and introduced myself as a fellow changemaker and not a storyteller. I proceeded to recount my experiences and impact in the field of social change. As you might expect, I was saying all the right things but I was also innately drifting away from my now true voice. The result was an average rapport at best with the audience. I captured the attention of a few while others reached for their phones or flowed in and out of the room for coffee.
Finally, I decided to come from the spirit and began to speak in my now true voice as a storyteller. Unexpectedly and almost instantaneously the response of the audience shifted and everyone's attention became intently focused on me and what I had to say. The reception was so strong that several people from the audience approached me afterward inviting me to speak to their organizations or to serve as a personal/corporate coach.
There were several opportunities in the room tied to me speaking in my true voice. Had I not shifted to this, those opportunities would have been lost and at best I would've been invited back to speak next year. Instead, I left with an unprecedented amount of new business leads. The moral of this story is this - never let who you used to be stand in the way of who you are becoming and never let the pressure of an environment hold you back from speaking in your true voice.