As the founder of Sporty Marketing Group, Rashaad Lambert is a strategist, educator, and philanthropist. Born in West Philadelphia, Rashaad has always had a deep commitment to his hometown. As a result, Rashaad has received acknowledgment for his community work which includes an NAACP Image Award, a Congressional Proclamation, and a U.S. Senate Resolution.
Recently, Rashaad has worked on Wawa’s, “Welcome America” Festival to curate a stage of Philadelphia based artists. In addition, he also worked on the nation’s largest urban health and music festival, “BeWhole Health Fest.” The BeWhole Health Fest featured artists such as T.I., Dru Hill, Estelle, and SWV.
In this episode of our Take Ownership Podcast, Rashaad talks to us about pouring into the community, determining the companies he works with, and For(bes) The Culture.
Pouring Into The Community...
“My mother is one of the most giving people I know,” says Rashaad. “That’s just how she is. I learned everything that I know from her.” When Rashaad was younger, his mother use to take him to feed the homeless. One lesson that Rashaad learned while growing up is not to spend money in places that do not give back to the community. “If I’m going to spend my money someplace and they are not giving anything back to the community, I’m going to find an alternative,” says Rashaad.
Determining The Companies He Works With...
“I don’t like to deal with people I don’t like,” says Rashaad. “I want the freedom to only deal with the people I like.” When Rashaad left his last job in corporate America, he promised himself that he would never put himself in a position where he is forced to work with anyone. “If I feel like I don’t want to do it, I’m not going to be forced to do it,” says Rashaad. “When I had my job, I didn’t have that freedom.”
Now, Rashaad selects his clients based on belief. “If I don’t believe in what it is you’re doing, selling, or saying, how can I create a plan for you to market?” says Rashaad. “My creativity won’t even start because you don’t even believe this. There’s something in me that makes me not want to do a job unless I’m really passionate about it. If I haven’t worked with you, it’s not because you don’t have enough money, it’s probably because I don’t like you.”
For(bes) The Culture...
Having served on the committee of Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit, Rashaad has been to more than his fair share of conferences. Outside of the Forbes Summit, Rashaad started to notice that every conference that he went to had congregations of Asian people, Caucasian people, Jewish people, etc. “There was never any organized congregation of black people,” says Rashaad. “My summation was that it was fear. People want to call the cops on us because it looks like something bad might happen.” Consequently, Rashaad decided to host a dinner that went from 25 RSVP’s to 200 plus attendees. “My agenda was to get Forbes Summit attendees from all over the world together to discuss the issues that affect our communities,” says Rashaad. As a result, For(bes) The Culture was born.
“My goal is to continue to bring together the people who have made the mindset shift in an effort to help others make the same mindset shift,” says Rashaad. “My mission is to have these discussions and then take what we’re discussing back to our individual communities and spread the culture.”
Be sure to check out the full-episode HERE and CONNECT with us on social!
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(Uh • Kway • Us) Aquaus Kelley is a forward-thinking brand strategist, curator, and educator. As the Founder of A Lovers Ambition Lifestyle Group, he is extremely passionate about bridging the gap and building value between brands, communities, and culture. His ultimate mission is to use his influence to project positivity across the globe and invest in the collective future of society through the arts, education, entertainment, and leadership.
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