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Looking at me you’d see a 34-year-old Black man. But through my experiences and hard work I chose to define myself by how I wanted to be seen, versus how society would see me. To date, I’ve earned the professional titles of Entrepreneur, Creative Director and Producer.

I’m an entrepreneur who unifies the fashion, art, medical and tech industries. It’s rare for these career sectors to come together, but I’m proof that it’s not only possible, but it’s also needed. Being creative and disruptive is important in any field. It gives the hard work you put in every day a purpose. This motivates a being to constantly reinvent the way they deliver their day-to-day tasks.

I believe you are the most creative version of yourself when you go against the grain, try multiple things and step outside of your comfort zone. This has been proven with icons like Jay Z, Diddy and Master P. They all started off with music, mastered it and then dominated other industries, like fashion, alcohol and wine, and even film. Much like them, for me it was important to master one task, learn another and then master that. Being great in many different fields gives any successful person an advantage — and it’s what has given me leverage in multiple careers.

Through my creative work and research, I founded my 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Back to Healing (BTH) in 2016. The mission of my organization is to improve the quality of life of individuals affected by scoliosis through mental health, empowerment, education and awareness. By focusing on the artistic beauty of the unique physical impact spinal curvatures have on the human body, I have reached more than 6 million people through impactful projects, programs and campaigns, all while breaking both the physical and mental health stigmas associated with scoliosis in our society.

Before my journey in entrepreneurship, I was working at an Apple store inside of the Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta. Though I started my fashion career in Atlanta, I moved to New York City to further pursue my dreams. In doing so, my work ranges from marketing and branding campaigns, editorials, look books and runway shows. You name it and I likely did it.

My day-to-day responsibilities as a Creative Director and Producer require a lot from me mentally, but so does my nonprofit, where I create artistic empowerment campaigns for patients alongside some of the world’s most prestigious orthopedists and neurosurgeons specializing in the spine. In addition to my nonprofit work, I work with musicians and actors, design puzzles and collaborate with renowned filmmakers, painters and sculptors to conceptualize their pieces based on my ideas and vision.

Behind every move I make, I'm driven to help and empower people all over the world. I truly believe it is critical to motivate people to understand the importance of ownership and mastering multiple careers. As they say, “one must always diversify their portfolio.” My motivation for my hard work stems from creating a legacy for myself that people of color can be inspired by. I want to encourage and empower minorities to think outside the box so they understand that we are a major asset to huge corporations and startups.

People will constantly try to limit you to one thing. It’s about time we stop breaking ourselves down into bite-sized pieces and start thinking of ourselves as talented, qualified, wide-ranging, gifted individuals.

Marcus John

Writing since January 2022 · 1 story contributed