Today we’d like to introduce you to Brentton Mackenzie Ford.
Hi Brentton, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
Born and raised in Palm Beach County, Florida, for the first 11 years of my life, a family move allowed me to grow up between Bryan County, Georgia, and Chatham County, Georgia. As the eldest son, I lived with my mother, my father, and my little sister during that time (my little brother was born much later).
After graduating from high school, I moved to Northwest Washington D.C., where I attended Howard University and finished with two degrees, one in English and the other in Sociology.
During the COVID-19 Pandemic, I moved to Houston, Texas, to begin law school at Texas Southern University-Thurgood Marshall School of Law, where I served in many leadership positions, including the inaugural Student Bar Association Director of Digital Media.
After graduating from law school, I moved back to South Florida to extend my business and legal ventures back to the community where I began.
For more detail into my experiences and thoughts during the first 27 years of my life, you can be sure to find them in my upcoming memoir:
“NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE OF BRENTTON MACKENZIE FORD: A 21ST CENTURY BLACK AMERICAN MAN” to be published tentatively in Spring 2025.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No road is smooth, and I am not an exception.
Don’t get it twisted; I am extremely blessed to have a major support system (namely my mom, dad, grandmother, sister Carrie Elizabeth, and great friends like Alayah Hightower, Ayana Gordon, Robert Gant Esq., Leah Boston Esq., Laisha Harris Esq., Di’Vine Davenport, Lauryn Galloway, Uchechi Onoha, and so many more who understand that I can’t name everyone lol) who–despite my many faults–have always stood by my side, supported, and encouraged me one way or another.
As for a specific struggle, one thing that tends to creep up on me psychologically is the ability to keep a reasonable perspective on my achievements.
With what I expect from myself, it is hard to accept less than exceptional.
Building a multinational legal business and a global multi-media platform from scratch is simply something to be proud of–yet because of the grind, it’s hard to keep that perspective.
I, like so many others of this generation, tend to “want it all now.” I have to constantly remind myself that my purpose is for much more than the present. I’m in the process of building something with the intention that it will perpetuate itself into eternity. That simply takes time. The pyramids were not built overnight. They were built brick by brick.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Everything that I am doing, both business-wise and legally, is being done with the sole intention of preserving and perpetuating the wealth of the community I come out of.
It is no secret that African communities globally have been pillaged for their tangible and intangible resources. As a Black American born just before the turn of the century, many of the overt social barriers designed to restrain my people’s progress have loosened a tad to allow for some semblance of liberation; however, too many barriers have simply evolved with the technology and social climate to become stronger and more devastating long-term. With this reality, I believe a return to old practices and mores combined with the super-charged technological capabilities of our time will help not only myself and my community but the larger society as a whole.
Entrepreneurship: Southern Esquire Apparel LLC
During law school, my friend and I created an “apparel plus” company—Southern Esquire Apparel LLC produces and provides luxury apparel, goods, and services to our constituency.
While my business partner Robert N. Gant, Esq. and I began by playing the role of “glorified middleman,” we have taken steps to become true producers and recently had the opportunity to acquire a top-of-the-line Brother embroidery machine, an industry standard when manufacturing woven goods. The ultimate goal of our production capabilities is to bring back the entire manufacturing process to the United States (preferably Texas) to create a sustainable Black American-owned goods and services company, starting with the cotton used in our apparel.
Legal: Wealth Preservation
Once licensed to practice law, I plan to open my own law firm and specialize in “wealth preservation”–the protection and perpetuation of tangible and intangible properties. For so long, Black Americans have been at a disadvantage, to say the least—from initially being considered property itself to a de facto 100 years of being legally unable to truly enforce ownership rights over property, Black people need to understand that the concept of property is what generates all of the wealth of this country. Black American intellectual property has been pillaged in the same way that our tangible property has, and as we progress into the depths of the digital and meta-era of technology, intellectual properties have only grown exponentially in value. I want to be a part of the generation that creates a precedent in my community to retain ownership, utility, and value of our ideas and properties.
Other: Artistry
I run a photography business as well as a digital magazine called “Southern Esquire”—passion projects that have the potential to be lucrative in untold ways. Each falls under the umbrella of Global Stalwart Enterprises LLC, a global multi-media corporation that I founded in 2022. I have so much in store for 2024!
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
HAVE SOMETHING OF VALUE TO OFFER–AND DON’T FOLD
Finding a mentor can be tricky, especially when doing something people generally find unique. In today’s landscape, people speak convincingly about being more than happy to invest in others through mentorship, moral support, or even financial support in both professional and non-professional settings–if they feel they will receive an ample return on that investment. In the professional world, nobody is giving out the keys to the game for free, and if they say they are they are lying. The best thing for anyone looking for a mentor to do is to understand YOUR GIFTS AND TALENTS and BE PREPARED TO PRESENT THEM FOR WHAT THEY ARE WORTH.
One of the most difficult obstacles in networking today is the hyper-commodification of the mentor-mentee relationship. In one way or another, the relationship will be quid pro quo. Take the adage: If you are the smartest in the room, you are in the wrong room. This holds true when dealing with real game-changers and power players; they do not want to be in rooms with those who are not going to elevate them in one way or another. You have to have something to offer in exchange for mentorship.
Whether through social or actual capital, a mentor is going to expect a return on investment. And understand that not everyone claiming to be a mentor is an actual mentor. Many are predators disguised as mentors out to give as little as possible and gain as much as they can. The trap to avoid is being preyed upon by these types of people.
Now, it may seem a little callous, but most successful people DO NOT want to be associated with those who are less successful than themselves. And they undoubtedly do not want to be associated with a person asking for something they can get on their own with a little attitude and effort.
What has worked for me might not be what works for everyone. I always set my value high and held the line on my morals and integrity when it came to mentorship. Doing so definitely had numerous doors slammed in my face by some very significant people who could’ve helped me progress to certain statuses faster. My integrity and self-worth are worth the rejection. I would encourage others to do the same. Beggers can’t be choosers, and I always want to have a choice in my affairs.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/southernesquireapparel
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/?trk=404_page
- Other: instagram.com/wrongkindablack
Image Credits
PriceLESS Photography
Global Stalwart Enterprises LLC
