Oprah's beau Stedman Graham grants interview to Black Press
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(BlackPressMagazine.com) - Offering a slice of his own life as an example, Chicago-based business guru Stedman Graham, 56, taught attendees of his "You can make it happen in business" workshop the importance of maintaining a good reputation and living their values.
The workshop was held at the Melrose Hotel in the Georgetown section of Washington, DC on October 18, 2007 as part of the Global Walks of Life Career Fair.
Using his own life with his long-time girlfriend and media mogul Oprah Winfrey as a backdrop, Graham taught attendees how to stay in control of themselves at all times.
"I had to go into my own life and find out why I react the way I do. We get stuck in the illusion. It's real easy to do, especially in my world. Man, in Oprah's world you can get stuck thinking that you're somebody because you're around it. So you'll be walking thinking that you're somebody," Graham said. "I was raised in fear and I had to find a way to get rid of it and find peace. You've got to practice, practice, practice in order to change the habit. Do I go off once in a while? Of course, but it's rare though. This has saved my life so many times because my environment is volatile. You have people in your face trying to provoke, but I have to be cool," he said.
Graham also stressed instituting values and principles from their personal life into their business practices.
"I don't want to see my name in the paper the next day saying, "I don't hang out in bars because they be throwing people out of windows," he said. "I don't want them saying, 'Oh, Stedman was hanging out in bars' because I'm in the public eye. I want to have a certain value associated with what I do. I want my supporters to trust me," said Graham.
"Business is about relationships," Graham said. "If you don't know how to develop relationships you are not real you're just acting like you're somebody. Word of mouth catches up with you because it's either positive or goes way beyond where you wanted it to go."
Graham also counseled attendees to listen more than they talk.
"Nobody wants to hear about you, they want to hear about themselves," Graham said. "If you make them feel good about themselves and give them some room to celebrate them, they will love you. They will want you around," Graham said.
"If you're comfortable with who you are then you make everyone feel comfortable," he said. "If you're not comfortable about yourself nobody will want you around because you'll be like a time-bomb and everyone will be nervous around you waiting for the bomb to go off," he said. "Whatever you focus on expands."
Graham also participated in a book signing session with students.
During an exclusive interview with Black Press Magazine, Graham said, "I liked this, it was nice and intimate," he said. "Positive attitude is everything."
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Black Press Magazine has also interviewed Carl West for the State of Hip Hop: The Podcast and filmmaker Camille Holder Brown, a former Spike Lee intern who recently won the Paul Robeson Award and Janaya Black who was one of the original members of BET's Teen Summit Posse as part of its series on hip hop film and entertainment.
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