The biggest challenge for African American men today is not having mentorship from strong and seasoned men. The fatherless epidemic bereft these men of an inspiring figure in their growing years – sometimes pushing them into a life of substance abuse. With the right framework and guiding light, these men can still lead a life of purpose and strong character and with the right leadership skills, these individuals can help others do the same. It will create a cycle of development that has a multi-generational impact on men.

Ian Watts is an entrepreneur and a life coach. Having drawn to the purpose of serving others, he has served in the Evangel Ministry, helping rehabilitate those going through substance abuse. He also took the reins of EMERG as a director, overseeing a ministry team of 30 people through which he helped pull over 2500 people from the claws of drug abuse through intervention, referrals, counseling, job training, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship training. Ian watts has also helped raise millions in capital and trained many business owners in over 40 states and many countries worldwide, including China, Hong Kong, The UK, Canada, Australia, and Saudi Arabia. As a small business coach, he is the executive director of Lumin Wellness, whose mission is to show the light of the lord to guide those who want to see hope, good health, and healing from substance abuse disorders.

The Pain of Lack Drove Ian Watts to Start Small Business Coaching Initiatives

Ian Watts’s early years were ones that many are familiar with across the United States. Growing up on the east side of Detroit, Ian Watts was raised alongside his older brother by a single mother. Their father was imprisoned, so they had to make do on welfare. With a meager $580 per month, their mother made sure that the boys never went hungry.

But that didn’t mean the pain of lack didn’t bother Ian Watts. The lack of utilities and increasing encounters with broken promises drove Ian Watts to make a promise to himself – that his life would be better.

It pushed him into entrepreneurship. Thankfully, the lack of a father figure in his life was made up by the presence of his uncles. They instilled in him a great sense of duty and inspired him to rise from the life of mediocrity.

Inspired by them, Ian Watts decided to go beyond just entrepreneurship. His faith moved him to help those who suffered the same and even worse than he did during his growing-up years, and he started small business coaching initiatives. Even after losing it all during the 2008 recession, and nearly losing what mattered most – his wife and then, unborn baby.

Ian Watt now aims to complete his purpose-driven mission of building “businesses that bless the world” to ensure that youth today can become leaders capable of creating a cycle of development in which all the developed help others achieve the same.

The Right Mindset, The Right Environment, and The Ability to Overcome Boredom – Ian Watts’s Three Elements of Success

Even if you didn’t grow up in the right environment, surrounding yourself with better people today will help you develop the right mindset. Because with success is  80% mindset, it’s what must change first to make the comeback strong than the setback.

But it can only happen if you persist long enough to achieve your goals- that’s where your ability to overcome boredom will come into play.

Ian Watts leveraged small business coaching to create a cycle of positive development for men. You can too. All you need to do is focus on valuing those around you so they are inspired to do the same for those around them.