Charting a Course Beyond the Narrative

In a world of constant noise and conflicting information, it’s easy to get lost in the day-to-day grind and lose sight of the bigger picture. We believe that to go Beyond The Grind, you must develop a deeper understanding of the systems you operate in both in business and in life. This means looking beyond the headlines and navigating strategically, even when the path is not clear.

We started this episode with a question we feel people don’t truly understand: "Do tariffs really affect everybody equally?" The answer is no, because the consumer ultimately pays for it. We look at it from a business perspective: if a company has to pay an extra 25 cents in tariffs on a product they’re selling for a dollar, they’re going to pass that cost on to you, the consumer. That’s how inflation happens.

This same principle of unintended consequences applies to immigration policy. We talk about how people don’t understand how so many things impact each other. The reason we’re able to have a certain level of price stability in things like housing and agriculture is due to an adequate labor supply, often provided by undocumented workers. If you wipe out that supply, the demand for labor goes up, and so do the wages. You're trying to save money, but you’re actually making everything more expensive. It’s crazy.

This leads us to the most powerful and, we believe, misunderstood conversation of the episode: DEI, or Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

It’s a topic that feels personal to us as minority men. We feel like minority-owned businesses need more qualifications and more expertise to even be considered in the room. I almost died a little bit when a new client came to me after being stuck with a previous CPA for six years who never filed their taxes. I knew I would never be able to get away with a tenth of what that other person did to the client. The fact that I’m a Nigerian, a Black man, means I have to be beyond reproach. This is something we feel many people don’t understand about the minority experience in business.

The prevailing narrative is that DEI gives minorities a "leg up," but we feel that's not the reality. We talk about how statistically, white women and veterans have benefited from it the most. We see DEI as a measure that was invented to prevent discrimination, not to provide preferential treatment. Most Black people in these roles are the best of the best; they work hard and have earned their position.

The NFL’s Rooney Rule is a perfect example of this. The rule requires teams to interview minority candidates for head coaching jobs, but it often becomes a way to just check a box, without any real consideration. This creates a situation where you feel like you have to ask yourself, "did I really earn this job?". We feel like it’s a culture where you have to get someone who looks a certain way, even when the talent is there.

A different perspective on hiring is: If I had a Black person and a white person with the same level of expertise, I’d be more likely to give the job to the Black person. My rationale? Because I know they're not going to get the same opportunity somewhere else. We also discuss how while some people call it a "culture fit," sometimes it's about giving the audience what they need, not just what they want.

To truly be successful, you have to find a way to get a seat at the table. We talk about how our networks are our net worth, and sometimes you need to find an advocate who can vouch for you and help you get in the room. My first CPA firm client said to me, “man, you’re young”. The previous owner of the firm was the one who vouched for me, which gave me a chance to show them my way of doing things, and they ended up liking it.

The path to success is not always linear. It's about being strategic, understanding the nuances of the game, and having the courage to be the best you can be, no matter what narratives or stereotypes are thrown your way.

Watch the full episode at https://youtu.be/AiMHVZr4N0g