Odell Bizzell
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Odell Bizzell S.O. What! Success Story

Doesn’t it feel good when you meet someone doing the same thing as you and they immediately cheer you on and offer real help? I met Odell Bizzell as part of the National Speakers Association a few years ago but really got to know him when…
Montorius Herron
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From Imprisoned to Inspiring: Montorius “GG” Herron S.O. What! Success Story

Recently, I saw a short documentary about someone I knew in high school. I remembered Montorius Herron, known as GG to me, very well. He was a few years older than I am and part of the “cool” clique.  I didn’t know what he did after…
Leshundra Robinson
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Leshundra Robinson S.O. What! Success Story

Many nonprofit organizations are born out of need and many are created from painful personal experiences. When I met Leshundra Robinson she asked me to speak at an anti-bullying conference she organized for the nonprofit she co-founded, UCAN…
Phillip Ashley Rix
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The Real Life Willy Wonka – Phillip Ashley Rix S.O. What! Success Story

When I began my journey as an entrepreneur, I met this big, “chocolate” guy (Phillip Ashley Rix) covered in tattoos.  Someone told me he was the chocolate man, and I soon learned that he was much more. Going from an ordinary college…
Coach Shirley McCray
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Coach Shirley McCray S.O. What! Success Story

The older I get the more I appreciate and want to know more about the history and the people who make an impact on it.  One of those people is Coach Shirley McCray - the first female coach of a men’s football team. A fellow University…
Len Hostetter
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From Custom Suits to College Hoodies: Len Hostetter S.O. What! Success Story

Never in a million years would I have thought that I would be able to call my boss’s boss’s boss my true friend. He (Len Hostetter) was my VP at FedEx with a manager and a director in between us. But after I published my memoir, Len Hostetter…
Staci Franklin
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Breast Cancer Survivor Staci Franklin S.O. What! Success Story

It seems like it was just yesterday that I was looking up to this (from my perspective) super experienced woman who had just been hired to work in Community Investments at the Memphis Grizzlies. I was 21, and she (Staci Franklin) was only in…
LeShane Greenhill
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Serial Entrepreneur LeShane Greenhill S.O. What! Success Story

When you leave home after high school on whatever path you choose, you have no idea who you’ll meet along that path. LeShane Greenhill was a fellow business major so I saw him in the business building often at the University of Memphis, and…
Charlie Caswell
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From Trauma to Triumph: Charlie Caswell S.O. What! Success Story

Although we met nearly 20 years ago, it has been in the last few years that I have grown to know and truly respect the work of Charlie Caswell. With a strong passion for his community, Charlie has used his life and all he’s learned and…