An Interview With Eden Gold
Strong Core Belief in Self — Resilience is key. Find, define, and refine your inner strength and confidence. Believing in yourself and your vision is essential, especially when faced with challenges and setbacks. A strong core belief in yourself will help you stay motivated and persistent on your entrepreneurial journey.
The entrepreneurial landscape is more vibrant and challenging than ever, with young entrepreneurs at the forefront, driving innovation and redefining the boundaries of success in the business world. These dynamic individuals are not only creating new products and services but also building sustainable business models that thrive in today’s fast-paced, technology-driven environment. Their journeys are filled with lessons of resilience, strategic innovation, and the relentless pursuit of growth. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Marlon Gray.
Dr. Marlon Gray is a social entrepreneur and conscious capitalist who is the founder and CEO of Empower U., a New Jersey based behavioral health firm that serves children, families, and adults affected by challenges ranging from mental health to intellectual/developmental disabilities, Autism, and behavior disorders. With an integrative approach that considers the well-being of the whole person and care provider in mind, Dr. Gray creates an ecosystem that empowers the individuals who seek to empower those in need of care — adding the concept of cultural and experiential relatability while doing so. (Source: Medium)
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion about cultural sensitivity, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
I would say a career highlight has been having Empower U. accepted into EY’s Entrepreneurs’ Access Network, an accelerator program for diverse business owners that teaches the drivers of growth and essentially prepares them for larger conversations that bring about growth. This program has helped me work on my networking skills. It has given me the confidence to dream even bigger and articulate the how and why to organizations that can help me expand our program’s outreach, like social impact funds from private equity firms. In the first year, Empower U. was able to earn an invitation to EY’s Strategic Growth Forum where we engaged with firms who are interested in investing in our next stages of growth.
With a larger realm of possibility now introduced, we are more excited than ever to continue to innovate and let the world know who we are and why these conversations about behavioral health are so pivotal. I never imagined a kid from Queens would have the journey that I’ve had and be able to soar into this space. I never imagined that I would be in many of the rooms that I’m now in and having the conversations that I now have with the people that I am having them with. I perceive it as hard work paying the dividend of the world that you reach out to replying and telling you something that you’ve longed to hear — that you matter and what you do matters as well.
You are a successful individual. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
- Authenticity — I am real with my people. I hold firm on the belief that the best leaders are flat leaders. Boots on the ground and able to navigate with their team as they traverse the terrain with them. In that role, you can demonstrate the desirable behavior that makes up your organization’s culture. I am honest about my strengths and weaknesses, and I share and celebrate wins. I own and strategize better paths forward in failure. Most importantly, I know how to ask for help.
- Collaborative Spirit — I seek opportunities to collaborate as often as possible. Whether it is empowering an internal member to partner on a new initiative that we sponsor, or we work externally with strategic partners to create a larger and cleaner program offering to our stakeholders. Collaboration offers two critical things — new perspectives and increased opportunity for all involved when handled correctly. Instead of having to decide on buy versus build strategies constantly, we love to incorporate option number 3 — combine and conquer. To date, this spirit has served our organization well.
- Discipline — I make a conscious effort to stick to the things that keep me stable. I try not to let things knock me too far off my chosen path or my goal in progress. I am aware of my biases and emotions, which allow me to navigate more tumultuous waters as they come. I continuously work on this discipline. I also work on my own time and self-management discipline which includes carving time for physical activity, downtime, isolation time to be uninterrupted in my creative space, etc.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview about young entrepreneurs’ secrets to rapid growth and success. To start, how would you define success?
Success, to me, is not a destination or endpoint, but rather a beautiful journey through a world that continuously expands and evolves as you do. Achieving success involves arriving at a deep sense of fulfillment through realization of your unique dreams, potential, and sense of purpose. In our case, Empower U. started with a dream of who we could be, how we would impact people’s lives from a 360-degree perspective, and where we believed we could go in terms of spreading both our message and impact. Success largely includes capitalizing on opportunities, but as a leader the view should not just be on the opportunities for success that you receive, but also the opportunities that you offer.
What unconventional strategy did you employ that significantly contributed to your startup’s growth, and why do you think it was so effective?
There is a little secret sauce on this one for us, so I’ll do something I rarely do here — keep it short. Our focus at the beginning was training others to become mental health practitioners. We provided trainees with the latest resources and developed safe learning and practice environments where we trained them in how to be leaders. We grew organically, and boot strapped our way to where we are now.
Can you share a critical pivot point in your startup’s journey and how you navigated the decision-making process?
The rise in hybrid working environments and new technologies post-COVID was a pivotal moment in our business. The pandemic unveiled a groundbreaking insight for our business: people loved telehealth. People didn’t have to go and drive from client to client and get on calls. We saw that we could generate fee for service revenue and optimize day and earnings from the comfort of their homes, making telehealth much easier. Today, we continue to strategize around emerging pain points.
Now, we are turning our gaze toward AI and we’re training our employees to utilize it. We’re constantly considering the ethical implications and educating ourselves on how to utilize it and supervise its use.
How do you balance the need for rapid growth with maintaining a sustainable and healthy company culture?
Balancing the need for rapid growth with maintaining a sustainable and healthy company culture is crucial for long-term success. Our company culture is not just a set of values that we communicate at onboarding, but a strategic asset that we continuously build and support with understand as it drives engagement, innovation, and retention.
To integrate culture with our growth strategy, we prioritize clear and transparent communication to manage expectations and alleviate anxieties. This involves regular updates on progress, challenges, and the rationale behind decisions. I believe my leadership team, who perhaps question the methods to my madness, really saw the value across the organization during our navigation of the pandemic and how it was approached. We not only retained our people, but they also told others and we saw a spike in applications.
We also invest in leadership development to ensure our leaders are equipped to support their teams through change. By fostering an environment where feedback is encouraged and valued, we can adapt and grow without compromising the well-being and morale of our people.
In what ways has your personal definition of success evolved since the inception of your startup?
At inception, we dreamt of a holistic state where a series of connected individuals not only attained societal symbols of success, such as financial stability, career achievements, or social status, but did so with autonomy and in ways that align with their own personal values, passions, growth needs, life goals and purpose.
I would say my own evolution is the realization that this definition, and even measure of success, is that success is an experience ever-constant in its evolution, tethered to capacity to dream, validated in acknowledgement and celebration of what you can do, and accessible to all in their own way and in their own right.
5 Key aspects of my definition of success include:
1. Alignment with Personal Values: How well do your actions and achievements resonate with your core beliefs and values. For instance, an individual, like me who values creativity might find success in expressing themselves through their works, regardless of whether it brings fame or fortune.
2. Embracing Uniqueness of Dreams: Understand that it’s perfectly OK if your dreams differ, slightly or significantly, from conventional standards. As it’s on us to define who we are, it’s within our agency to self to continuously find ways to identify and pursue our own dreams. Success could mean starting a small business that supports a niche community, rather than climbing the corporate ladder. It wasn’t my parents dream for me, but it was mine for myself and guess what — they are still proud, nonetheless.
3. Holistic Well-being: Success, to me, encompasses mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. It includes striving for, dare I say, successful integration between work and life where personal and professional activities support each other rather than compete.
4. Embrace for Impact: It’s not all about you. Success often involves making a positive impact on others or the world. This could be through community service, mentoring, or creating something that improves people’s lives. Look for opportunities and embrace them.
5. Constant Elevation: For me, success is found in the ongoing journey of growth, learning, and self-improvement, rather than a static endpoint.
Success is an experience that is, and should be, deeply personal and meaningful. This has been instrumental for me as a founder as it also has influence on the culture of the organization and the individuals within.
Based on your experience and research, can you please share “5 Things You Need to Succeed as a Young Person in Business?”
1. Child-like Curiosity — While we tend to find comfort in what is known, leaders are trusted to navigate the unknown. As an entrepreneur, you have to develop a strong foundation of what you do know and believe, but also remain comfortable with not knowing and have the courage to ask questions and experiment as a means of strengthening that foundation. Remain curious and open to new possibilities.
2. A Strong, yet Flexible Vision — A clear vision is crucial for any entrepreneur, but it’s equally important to stay flexible and adapt to changing circumstances. The business landscape is dynamic, and being able to pivot and adjust your vision, when necessary, can be the difference between success and failure. While your vision serves as your NorthStar, on the ground, the route is not linear. It is likely to include bumps and require pivots that you need to be accepting of and resilient toward.
3. A Knack for Optimization — Entrepreneurs must continually seek ways to improve and optimize their operations. This involves analyzing processes, identifying inefficiencies, and implementing solutions to enhance productivity and growth. A keen sense for optimization ensures that your business remains competitive and agile. It’s important also to integrate tech enablement into the process of optimization as a means of decreasing human error and making the undesirable outcomes harder while enhancing the probability of desired results.
4. Strong Network of Trusted Allies and Advisors — Fostering a strong network is paramount to success. EY’s Entrepreneurs Access Network (EAN) has been instrumental in my journey toward building these meaningful relationships. As a cohort member, I have access to valuable resources, coaches, and other successful entrepreneurs who offer counsel on ways to build a sustainable business and drive business growth. Through this program, I’ve been able to expand my network and develop the skills needed to effectively articulate to organizations why they should help me expand our program’s outreach.
5. Strong Core Belief in Self — Resilience is key. Find, define, and refine your inner strength and confidence. Believing in yourself and your vision is essential, especially when faced with challenges and setbacks. A strong core belief in yourself will help you stay motivated and persistent on your entrepreneurial journey.
How can our readers further follow you online?
Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
About The Interviewer: Eden Gold, is a youth speaker, keynote speaker, founder of the online program Life After High School, and host of the Real Life Adulting Podcast. Being America’s rising force for positive change, Eden is a catalyst for change in shaping the future of education. With a lifelong mission of impacting the lives of 1 billion young adults, Eden serves as a practical guide, aiding young adults in honing their self-confidence, challenging societal conventions, and crafting a strategic roadmap towards the fulfilling lives they envision.
Do you need a dynamic speaker, or want to learn more about Eden’s programs? Click here: https://bit.ly/EdenGold
Startup Savvy: Young Entrepreneur Marlon Gray Shares Their Secrets For Rapid Growth and Success was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.