Stedman Graham
S. Graham & Associates
San Diego, CA USA
"It’s not how the world defines you. The most important thing is how you define yourself."
Career Roadmap
Stedman's work combines: Business, Entrepreneurship, and Teaching / Mentoring
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Social Work
Hardin-Simmons University
Graduate Degree
Education
Ball State University
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Business Advisor, Chairman & CEO:
Bachelor's Degree: Social Work
Graduate Degree: Education
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
I grew up in Whitesboro, New Jersey.
2.
I played basketball growing up and went on to play in college—I initially thought that I would play basketball for a living.
3.
I earned my bachelor’s degree in social work from Hardin-Simmons University, followed by a master’s degree in education from Ball State University.
4.
After college, I moved to North Carolina and started my career in public relations at B&C Associates, a minority-owned public relations and consulting firm.
5.
In 1988, I founded my own marketing and consulting company, S. Graham & Associates, based in Chicago, Illinois, and specializing in identity leadership training for corporate and education markets.
6.
I’ve since dedicated my career to helping others understand identity and self-actualize their potential.
7.
I’ve developed a nine-step identity leadership program and written 12 books on identity and identity leadership.
8.
I also work in schools training parents, students, and teachers, as well as with clients and major corporations to customize programs around leadership development.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
I'm defined by my race. That's how the world sees me.
How I responded:
For a while, I thought that I was defined and limited by race. I eventually figured out that my own self-identity is what actually matters. It's not how you think the world defines you. The most important thing is how you define yourself. The world sees you as you see yourself. So work on yourself every day and develop a process of continuous improvement. Figure out how to understand, love, and care for yourself and then your service to the world will follow.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I grew up with two special needs brothers. No one tells you how to deal with that, so there were some pain points and trauma in my youth from that.