Ep.545 ~ The 38th Richest Self-Made Woman ~ Janice Bryant Howroyd

I love incredibly successful people that still have the down-to-earth human touch. It is really enjoyable to talk with them and understand why they are who they are. Today’s guest is one of those people and yet so much more. Janice Bryant Howroyd is the founder The ActOne Group and she is the very first African-American female to found a billion dollar company, and yes you heard me right, a billion dollar company.

What is even more impressive about Janice is that speaking with her was like talking to an old friend. She is incredibly relatable and really a caring and authentic human being.

During the interview I noticed this and really wanted to get behind her story and what made her the amazing individual and entrepreneur she is today. We chat about her upbringing as an African-American in an extremely racial environment with a family of 11 children. We chat about he life philosophy, her habits and what she vales. We chat about how she maintains personal relationships while running a billion dollar company, the challenges of being a female entrepreneur, how us humans like to operate in tribes and some of her favorite books she recommends even though she has a 6000+ book library.

At the end of the podcast, we ask Janice about her philosophy on influence in today’s world and how she handles it responsibility.

“Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal!” JBH

02:44 Who is Janice Bryant Howroyd?

06:44 Growing Up in a Harsh Environment w/ a Rich Family Culture

16:15 Janice’s Definition of Success

17:14 Maintaining Personal Relationships While Running a Business

25:19 Worrying Does Not Pay Dividends

26:58 Should You Separate Work and Personal Life?

27:32 Janice's Advice for Women & Men

36:05 Humans Operating in Tribes

37:30 Janice’s Recommended Books

45:29 Janice on Influence and the ‘If’ poem