Producer 10 - Defined from Steed Media Group on Vimeo.

Ford Motor Company and Steed Media Group embarked on a rewarding journey to create a resource for black men to gain insight into the essentials of being successful in today’s modern society. Their journey led them to create Producer 10, an impressive collection of innovators and thought leaders from across the country.

Dwyane Wade from Steed Media Group on Vimeo.

Dwyane Wade stands as the most unlikely superstar in the NBA. He never received national media attention during his high school career like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. And he didn’t lead his college team to a NCAA championship like Carmelo Anthony. While basketball pundits anointed Kobe, LeBron and Carmelo as future legends of the sport before they ever stepped onto an NBA court, Wade snatched respect and forced the world to pay attention.

Who could forget the 2006 NBA Finals when he outpaced his teammate and future NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal to lead the Miami Heat to a championship?

His one-man takeover performance in six games assured the NBA and basketball fans that there was indeed life after Michael Jordan.

More recently in the 2010 NBA All-Star game, Wade proved his Hall of Fame worth in front of a crowd of over 100,000 people at Cowboys Stadium by outplaying LeBron, Carmelo and Dwight Howard to capture the game’s coveted MVP award.

These achievements belong to a guy who didn’t make his high school’s varsity basketball team until his junior year and had to sit out his first year in college. “There was a time when I wasn’t one of the top names mentioned in basketball,” Wade recalls. “When I was in high school, I thought that I was ready to start on varsity [as a sophomore]. But our coach told me that I wasn’t ready. It took me two years to make the varsity team. When my opportunity came, I burst on the scene and never looked back.”

An NBA championship ring, All-Star MVP Award and a lucrative contract are strong components that could induce amnesia. However, Wade continues to train as if he’s that teenager from Chicago who nobody knows.

“The same hard work that I put in [when I was younger] is the same work that I must put in now,” Wade shares. “You feel more fulfilled when you work for something than when it’s just given to you. To get over the hump, you have to think the game and do things others won’t think about doing. That takes you from being an average player and helps you to reach another level on the court. You have to be smart with decisions and think things through. Patience is important. In life, everything happens for a reason.”

Hill Harper from Steed Media Group on Vimeo.

A mutual trait which distinguishes men who we admire and hold in higher esteem from those who we casually recognize for more mundane pursuits is their relentless drive to contribute, professionally and personally, to making a difference at every turn. Actor and author Hill Harper is an extraordinary example of that type of dedication and the adage that asserts that a man is only as good as what he does. Harper is leading the charge to positively impact the lives of millions. From having been heavily
involved in Barack Obama’s presidential campaign to his charitable foundation, which serves African American youth to authoring three non-fiction books, the Ivy League actor remains on the forefront of the fight for social change. “I come from a family where my grandfathers were individuals who gave back. What’s the purpose of what we’re doing? What’s the purpose of any kind of success unless you’re going to actually do something with it? I’ve been fortunate and blessed with a lot of different opportunities, and I want to use whatever platform I have—whether it is in the form of money, business, production or entertainment—to give back.”
As indicated in the title of his first book, Letters to a Young Brother: Manifest Your Destiny, as well as his organization’s name, Manifest Your Destiny Foundation, Harper is an outspoken advocate for creating one’s own destiny and utilizing everything available to bring one’s dreams to fruition. “In my first book [I talked] about living your own true life to be unreasonably happy. Not often do you talk to young brothers or brothers of any age that you hear them talk about happiness. They talk about ‘I’m gonna get it, get mine, get there.’ What are you getting? But, you don’t hear ‘I’m gonna be happy. I’m gonna love other people and love my life.’ So, before you start talking about making it you have to think about what you want to make. Do you want to make a life where just having a diamond-face Rolex is it or do you want a life where you say, ‘I want to be reasonably happy in my life and what would that life look like for me personally. What type of choices and decisions would I be making?’”
In a similar vein, Harper’s MYD Foundation, which provides financial resources and practical experience to support the academic and professional pursuits of African American youth, has proven to be an invaluable vehicle for encouraging young African American men to design and realize their destinies. “That’s really the focus of my foundation. What are your dreams? What are your goals? And how can we all work together to help you accomplish those things? Maybe in so doing [it] helps others to achieve theirs. I believe that there is that reciprocal quality to helping people to manifest their destiny. Take someone like President Obama. I am fortunate enough to have known him; we were friends at Harvard Law School. I was able to see and support his potential and the fact that he could win the presidential election. When you see someone who is as intelligent and as driven and really has his heart in the right place to make a difference, you want to support them and help them achieve their goals and their visions.”
Harper doesn’t leave any room for misinterpretations or misunderstandings when he discusses his stance on Black men and their responsibility to family. “[We have to] say what are we about. Are we about maintaining community? Are we about maintaining family? [If so] we have to stop giving other brothers passes. Too many of us let other brothers go on and do their thing and say ‘Oh, that’s just his thing.’ We can’t do that. That’s probably the reason that I wrote my latest book, The Conversation, because we have to begin having that honest conversation with ourselves and with each other. The conversation for me happens on three levels. First, it’s with yourself and taking an honest look in the mirror. Second, it’s with your partners or your potential partners. Third, it’s with community and family. We have to have that honest conversation. It’s got to start there to change anything.”
Harper cites alarming statistics when he talks about his motivation to pen his book, The Conversation. “I wrote it because at this very moment—and I hate to say it, but it’s very real—we are bearing witness to the destruction of the African American family. In 1966, 84 percent of African Americans were being raised in two-parent households. Forty years later in 2006, that number had fallen from 84 percent to 31 percent. I believe that the vast majority of problems that we see emanating from our community can be traced back to the destruction of Black families, the lack of two parents in the household and the lack of a positive male role model in the household. It affects young women and it affects young men. We are seeing the results of that generationally. If we continue to see that type of decline, we are going to basically bear witness to the destruction of the African American family form. We as men have to stand up and man up,” he says without compromise.

Stephen A. Smith from Steed Media Group on Vimeo.

Stephen A. Smith is as subtle as a firecracker in an elevator. With his alarm-clock voice and his high-octane, 0 to 60 second delivery explaining why you are moral droppings for having the audacity to utter a single non-factual statement in his presence, Smith has carved out a national sports fan base.

But he’s also pitbull fearless. Do you know how many people would have walked away willingly from the Mount Everest of reporting sports, ESPN, to avoid being compartmentalized and “limited”? Zero. Smith also is unafraid to unholster his tongue and riddle opponents’ arguments full of holes, using a professorial vocabulary mixed with a bombastic personality that inspires equal admiration and hatred.
But can you believe that this word wizard was held back in the third grade because, as he admits, he had a “first-grade reading level”? Yes, the sports columnist for one of the largest newspapers in the country, the Philadelphia Inquirer, was held back—not once, but twice.
“That was approximately 35 years ago. And I swear to you and to anybody else there that I remember that day. It’s as clear as if it was yesterday. The sun was shining outside. I was in my backyard where I grew up in Hollis, Queens, in New York City. And I was sitting there crying because, out front, all my friends were laughing at me,” he recalls. “None of them had been left back. They all got promoted ahead of me. They were laughing and they were ridiculing me. I know their names and where they lived. I know who they are. I have never forgotten them. And I never will. Because of that day, no one will ever laugh at me again. And I approach things from that perspective.”
That’s why Smith studies facts and figures as if the defense of the nation depended on it. He protects his integrity better than a bank vault. And he delivers the facts with machine-gun quickness—and some would say shotgun ferocity. But, as Smith says, “You may not agree with what I say. You may not agree with the harshness with how I express it. You may not like my occasional demonstrative or bombastic ways. But the one thing that has never been said is that I’m ignorant. Nobody says that about me. It was a goal that I set in the 4th grade and it’s a goal that I still hold near and dear to my heart.”
So, whatever your position is on any issue, please, PLEASE do your research, unless you want an ice-pack on the way out in order to ice down your bruised and battered ego.
“First of all, there’s no degree of intelligence without research. There’s no degree of intelligence without the business of going after information. I don’t care if it’s a library or a newspaper or a magazine,” he says. “There are many [sources] of information. And to just talk off the cuff and not put yourself to where you have some idea of what the facts are, it’s just laziness and it’s inexcusable and it’s something that I don’t have much of a tolerance for.”

Drive & Determination from Steed Media Group on Vimeo.

1. Knowledge is recognizing reason and purpose, which are housed in the fundamentals of experiences. It is the beauty of learning who we are and it is the foundation required to achieve our goals and dreams. The individuals featured in this magazine provide a basis for interpreting our experiences and help us to determine who we are and what we will become.
2. Sanctuary: The individuals featured in Producer 10 have a place inside that’s very special. It’s this kind of refuge that allows us to create, transform and mature, and prepares us to take our proper places in the world. This is where we can retreat to re-examine and re-energize when we are fatigued or in the throes of a dilemma. It is a place of reflection. Peace and serenity keep us intact while we rejuvenate our spirits. It is here that we can recognize and embrace our passions.
3. Transformation: The spirit of change and the quest for greatness have allowed the individuals featured here to receive recognition. They aren’t permanently stationed where they were when they came to this earth. Transformation is the essence of change that is communicated through human example so that others can follow suit to effect it and make a difference. What ultimately manifests is beyond our expectations.
4. Vision: The future is ripe with possibilities and that proverbial prosperity is just around the corner. Vision is foreseeing the championships that will be won and the plays it will take to win. It’s the paradigm shift that allows you to understand that the only tragedy is not being and doing your best. It is walking in faith and hearing the voice of one’s ancestors beating the drums of victory before the race has begun. Vision is the driving force and the wellspring of great men.
5. Blueprint: The journey is not without distinction. The path has to be taken. The destination is marked but the obstacles along the way may be many. The lines that intersect to form the union of a life’s mission and passion are the directions to living a full and fruitful life and to creating a path for others to follow. X marks the spot where careers converge and chart new courses of achievement. The blueprint is a map for living an extraordinary life, constructed on a foundation of commitment to the pursuit of one’s goals.
6. Admiration: Onlookers praise the good works of activists; it’s awe-inspiring. Admiration denotes respect and accomplishment and a sense of worthiness. It is available to everyone who is waiting for that moment in the sun and to experience profound appreciation. These men have experienced that uncommon glory and they serve as reminders that we must strive to do the same.
7. Intuition is an an innate understanding of physical and psychological components and all of the possible interactions and outcomes. Perhaps the environment and the terrain on which we tread should be traversed with caution, with each step and action calculated, so we will not be surprised or encounter unanticipated circumstances. It is the bastion of strength that serves as the pillar in the person who can gauge and analyze without external assistance and who has a sense of security, or of impending peril. It’s a natural, albeit advanced state of thought that allows us to hear and transmit inaudible messages that protect and preserve our dignity and integrity.
8. Tenacity: Life must be lived to the fullest without stopping short of greatness. There is very little to be achieved by those who use the word “can’t.” The men who you will read about in these pages stand and deliver, confident that victory is at hand. When others have concluded that failure is imminent, they defy the odds and the naysayers and press on. That is the course of champions and winners, whether they are in pursuit of a Grammy or an MVP ranking. They carry on relentlessly in the tradition of heroes and great men who consistently do more with less.
9. Vigor: The intense emotion that exhilarates us, causing us to yearn internally  for change and to have a zest for life. The stamina embodied by the concept precludes us from pausing–becoming frozen and motionless. It implies an urgency to engage ourselves and forge ahead toward new meaning with lively determination. It is that point inside you that smashes all barriers and convinces others that they can, too. It is what has made the difference in the lives and careers of these driven and accomplished men.
10. Appeal: The magnetism that can be felt, the adulation that can be shared, the crowd showing appreciation for you and the desire to be in your presence are the effects of appeal. It leads to others wanting to take your photo and emulate your personal brand. People are energized by your expressions and constantly crave to flatter you. With appeal comes an outpouring of recognition.

Kenny Burns from Steed Media Group on Vimeo.

As the music blares from the loudspeakers in a midtown Atlanta photographer’s studio, the front door swings open, and in walks a ball of energy. That’s precisely how entertainment personality Kenny Burns views himself. Once inside, his energetic spirit—which we could label as infectious—makes its way through the room and lifted the spirits of the entire crew. Perhaps that’s why Burns is widely considered one of the nation’s most in-demand show hosts. Or maybe it’s his unique perspective on life, which he shared in a very telling interview.

Like many celebrities, you possess an unknown quality that plays a large part in your success. How would you define your X-factor?

I truly believe that I have a gift from God, because I can see things before they come. For example, when fights were about to happen in the club, or when my boss was coming [my way] when I had a job, I could sense those things. So intuition plays a heavy part in who I am as a man, because it helps lead me as an entrepreneur. Everything that I do is about the moment. If I can’t really take advantage of the moment, then I’m pretty much behind the 8-ball. It’s very crucial to my existence to have foresight. Listen, I’m from Washington, D.C., and that city has the biggest crab-in-the-barrel mentality, so I had to have it to survive against those that didn’t want me to succeed.

How did you overcome that environment?

It was hard, and I almost got caught up in the city life. I found myself going out in the streets, looking for what I didn’t have at home. What changed was that my cousin went to Morehouse in Atlanta, and he invited me down for Freaknik. As crazy as it sounds, Freaknik changed my life. It changed my life because I had never seen so many Black people from all over the country in one place. So just experiencing that, and experiencing Black culture in this new way really opened my eyes, and that’s when I started really living.

But has your perception of Black America changed since those days?

Black America is totally different now than when I was 19 years old. Back then, it felt like an uprising of culture—we were more opinionated because we wanted to be heard and we had all of this aggression as a result. Back then, all we wanted to do was be heard. Now that the world has progressed, and we have more opportunities, you don’t see that same aggression, or that same passion for expression anymore.

What is your philosophy on happiness?

You should know what you want out of life while you’re here on earth. Every morning when I look in the mirror, I know that I am comfortable with who I’m seeing and with who I am. That’s what makes me happy. I wish people would really pay attention to what really makes them happy because money doesn’t make you happy—success doesn’t either.

Does your personal style define you in any way?

Absolutely! My personal style is very in the moment, and I do what feels right for me. I don’t think people should do things for the attention, and that’s what I see a lot of. In my opinion, fashion and style are very important because they define you as a person. In fashion and in life, you shouldn’t have to do things that you are not comfortable with.

What is the one thing that continues to drive you in your field?

There’s not just one thing. I love people. I love to entertain. I love to inspire people; and I love to share what I know with people. I also love the energy that I get back from people. For me, living a fulfilling life has nothing to do with success. It’s about the people who are around you, and the effort that you put into it. I sincerely believe that you get out of life what you put into it.

As the photo shoot concluded and Burns made his way to the car, an interesting observation was made. Although he was no longer in the room, his energy was still very present. In fact, there were crew members still mentioning Burns’ larger than life presence several days later. Maybe that’s the reason he’s one of the most in-demand hosts in the nation—you just can’t teach that.

Sharpton’s indomitable fighting spirit emanates from his upbringing. His razor-sharp wit and enviable connection with something otherworldly compel the victims of and witnesses to racial inequities to increasingly look to Sharpton for answers or at least a consideration of the issues. The more pressing or oppressing are met with a swiftness and astonishing precision under Sharpton’s able leadership. He embraces challenge and that is the stick he wields in effecting what is essentially a paradigm shift. He is a force for world change.

His long passion for social and economic equality is marked not only for its staying power, but for its message. With his sharp tongue and quick wit, he manages to stay in step with the times. It’s a mixture of that down-home, mother wit style and street savvy that is consistently marked with a strong spiritual overtone that keeps us mezmerized. If he gets into a fight with a bear, pray for the bear.

His comportment conveys an almost enviable confidence, the type that comes from deep faith and knowing God’s word. Contrary to what many may think, Sharpton’s push to uplift African Americans and improve their quality of life is as much a political agenda as it is a sprititual and heartfelt mission.

He is a man of the cloth. He has no qualms about voicing his disdain for zealots, but he is a soldier working for the greater good and protecting his flock.

He does not shirk responsibility or shy away from controversy and confrontation. He is a soldier for the cause of unalienable rights, as the Declaration of Independence states, pressing on for systemic change. Those words are the source of the minister’s strength and committment—he takes “unalienable rights under God” to heart.

“My message to people hoping to make a change is, first, that they should choose something that they’re passionate about. The only way you’re going to make something count is if you’re willing and ready to do the extra work or make the extra effort. There’s no career and no life situation that is going to be stress-free and obstacle-free. Whatever you choose, there’s going to be a side to it you do not like and a side to it that is going to be difficult for you. The only thing that’s going to make you persevere enough to make a point beyond that is if it’s something you’re really passionate about and do no matter what.” And that fact is “irrefutable,” Rev. Sharpton says.

“I signed my first record deal at age 15. I knew who I was and where I wanted to go,” he says of his early entry into the music business. “I lost my mom seven years ago. When I lost her, there were a lot of things I didn’t understand, as far as what God had set for me. When I lost her, He said I was gonna be one of the most successful songwriters in the world.”

Garrett was no stranger to the voice of God. He shares, “I had a crazy belief in God as a seven-year-old kid. I kept that energy. My mom taught me to love God first. I embraced that. When I lost her, I didn’t know what I was gonna do. All I could do was listen to His voice and see her in that casket and hear her talk to me and hear Him talk. She told me what I was gonna be wasn’t about the material gain, but it was really about the responsibility I would have on my shoulders. From that time, my road has been Him, not me.”

The messages conveyed to him prepped him to become one of the most respected and prolific writers and producers of today. His profound grasp of the female perspective helps him to convey messages that reverberate like no other. “I love women, not just being with them, but  women’s strength, their whole being. The Bible says a woman is second and came from a rib. I like to make women happy with my music. I communicate for them and to them. Beyoncé is 70% of the women in the world. She’s one vehicle and I think women can appreciate music through her. [With her singles] ‘Ring the Alarm’ and ‘Upgrade U,’ she’s leading. The diva makes a woman feel strong.”

In creating the chart-topping songs Garrett has made his name with, he has largely been led by a profound sense of intuition.

“I’m a Pisces, the most intuitive sign in the Zodiac. I can look into a person’s eyes to see if they love or hate, if their emotions are real or if they’re living a lie. So I break artists down like that. Some of the artists I deal with are plastic and some of the artists I deal with will live on forever, and that’s not a positive or negative thing, it just is what it is. So I’m faced with the idea of putting the artist into perspective. Sometimes I give plastic ideas to artists, ’cause they like living a fantasy and other times I deal with real scenarios for artists. There’s a good side and a bad side to life and sometimes the truth doesn’t work. We don’t always like to hear what’s real, but that’s why it’s my job to do what I feel.”

Trusting his feelings has apparently been the best route he could’ve taken. His incredible accomplishments have validated what he felt was a very difficult journey. “There were times I used to come home and my family used to make jokes and say I was an outcast and I really didn’t belong with them. My swag wasn’t like theirs. I hung out with White people, but that built up a real strength within me and when we’d go back to Germany, I’d realize I was alone. I had my parents, but I was alone. I have a brother, but I was alone. So what it taught me was an inner strength and the ability to mentally defeat any opposition that I would get in the physical. I love first and hate last. You gotta boss up and show people, no, not me, gotta leave a legacy of love. Don’t have to be in front of camera, but you feel me and you love me.”

Releford treats his practice more like a ministry than a treatment facility. The objective is to cast a larger net rather than apply Band-Aids and write prescriptions. His is a mission devoted to eradicating diabetes and its related ills in the African American community. “I have made helping my people a part of my personal or professional ministry. As a ministry, you need to propagate your message and inspire people to do better by seeing the greatness in them that they may not appreciate in themselves. Looking at [health] in the form of a ministry let’s people know how serious you are about what you’re doing,” he explains.

Releford attributes his wisdom beyond his years to learning the life lessons so many elders along his path shared with him. As a child, he says he understood, thanks to the strong work ethic of his parents and grandparents, that fulfilling a destiny was the most powerful thing that a person can endeavor to do. He had the presence of mind and the sanctity of spirit to, without reservation, listen and absorb that mother wit from some of his older patients, whom he credits with encouraging him to fervently pursue his passion for healing. “The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you discover why you were born,” he says, attributing the quote to his senior mentors.

Releford has for the most part been given to embracing causes larger than his personal interests and has wisely enlisted the help of another profession to elevate the health care dialogue, especially as it relates to diabetes—he’s formed a collaboration with barbers. The Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program utilizes the African American tradition of barbershop debate to inform and educate patrons about the prevention and treatment of diabetes and high blood pressure. “We use an existing infrastructure that is already in the community. Barbers can be partners in delivering that message. There’s nothing more frustrating than to have knowledge and not have an outlet for that knowledge, so I have chosen elements to develop a national program where we go to barbershops throughout the country to discuss healthcare,” explains Releford.

Releford counsels that there’s a predefined hierarchy that dictates valuing people first. “I’ve been knocked down and gotten back up a whole lot of times. The best measure of a person’s ability is not their IQ, it’s AQ, or the Adversity Quotient. It’s critical that you get back up and take care. Sometimes we get knocked down so much we forget,” concludes Releford.

“Intelligence can sort of be this double-edged sword. What’s really allowed me to thrive was the revelation that intelligence is not just about what you’re born with, it’s about what you do and the hard work you put in. It’s about developing mastery over time, by practicing the tasks and the skills you need to succeed. I think, in sum, the transition has allowed me to go from kind of a kid to a middle-aged, but successful student [who] realizes that it’s not just about being born with a gift, it’s really about intelligence coming from effort,” he finishes.

The Kenyan-born Wasow, who helped establish the Brooklyn Excelsior Charter School, is devoted to nurturing the minds and intellects of younger African Americans. He is deeply involved with recruiting African Americans from all social and economic backgrounds to participate in doctoral programs in a broad range of disciplines. “I think one of the things about being Black in this era is that there’s so much variety within the Black community. There’s a writer, Trey Ellis, who talked about the new Black aesthetic in the ’90s and how once upon a time, pretty much everybody in the community came from a pretty narrow set of experiences. You know, we are the post-civil rights generation; there’s been this sort of like marvelous flourishing of experiences,” says Wasow, who left his lucrative online venture to return to school. “I knew in my heart of hearts what I was doing and I really needed some new challenges, so it was kind of following that passion and that dream to walk away from that good life to one that’s been better for me. And there are other transformations that still await,” he concludes.