-drum roll please- Ladies and gentleman introducing Marvin Ellison, CEO of Lowe’s Home Improvement. ***applause, applause, applause***
There are unlimited opportunities today for young men of color. Lately, in the news we have been hearing what’s wrong with this country. My job as the general manager of this co-op is to eliminate the negative and embrace the positive. Vision is viewing your life on what is possible. When you look at life through a negative lens you miss all of the good that’s right in front of you. Each and every young man usually begins his productive life as an employee. I hear many moans and groans about working lately. Getting a job has become a begrudging task. This is unproductive.
In the Blueprint section of this blogsite, I introduced the professional employee. Well, my fellow builders, Marvin Ellison, CEO of Lowe’s is a professional employee. He works for someone. What is that you say? He doesn’t count. Yes he does because if he doesn’t perform, he can be fired by his bosses. Oh yes, a corporation even at the top has a process of checks and balances. Yes, Mr. Ellison is the big boss over 300,000 employees. His boss is the board of the directors. A group of independent thinkers who make sure Mr. Ellison does his job to the best of his abilities and the company remains profitable. The same as you must do as an employee.
We want to celebrate Mr. Ellison because he worked hard throughout his career and made smart moves all the way to the top in business working for someone else. We also want to celebrate him because he manages one of my favorite places where I get construction supplies. He truly is a Master Builder in my mind and heart. I guess you can say it is man crush Monday. When I do a project now, I will try to choose Lowe’s over Home Depot because I want my spending to go directly to a Black businessman’s family wealth. In return investing in Lowe’s Home Improvement stock, (LOW) $207, will help me grow my family’s wealth. (LOW) is down 25% for the year, but up 240% since the pandemic started. I know this is far reaching, but this is how wealth is built in a community. Spend your dollars with your neighbors and associates first and then the rest of the city. This is the true spirit of a Master Builder. A mutual return of benefits in a relationship opening doors to build wealth for both men. Lastly, Mr. Ellison is a supreme example of what African American men can achieve in 2022. He is a trailblazer, follow his example. ***applause***