At the ForbesBLK Summit, understanding arrives

A revelation and important reminder comes at my final business conference of 2023.

I met my friend Jabari Young 10 years ago.

We both were NBA reporters back then. Jabari has graduated to bigger and better things. He’s now a senior writer at Forbes and the editorial lead for ForbesBLK.

When our paths crossed, however, Jabari was covering the San Antonio Spurs for the San Antonio Express-News. I still was in Oklahoma City, covering the Thunder for The Oklahoman.

We became co-workers four years later at The Athletic. I had moved to Chicago to stay connected to my daughter Parker and cover the Bulls. Jabari remained in San Antonio, gaining more autonomy to chronicle the Spurs.

We overlapped at The Athletic for only 14 months before Jabari’s career path took a sharp turn in 2019.

He became a sports business writer for CNBC that October. There, he began to stretch as a reporter. He turned his focus from basketball to the boardroom, from dunks to deals.

I didn’t fully grasp his shift. I still was in full-blown basketball mode. But he was branching out. Jabari worked at CNBC for two years and nine months. Yet I probably can count on one hand how many of his stories I read.

On the morning I published my debut Money Talks column, a buddy sent me a link to an article. It was about a former NBA player who also started teaching his daughter about investing when she was 8. It was from CNBC. It was written by Jabari.

I felt awful. Worse, his article was published on my birthday in 2019. It was as if signs were all around me, and I missed every one.

Even when Forbes came after him early last year, I still didn’t understand Jabari’s transition. We had private conversations about the opportunity before he accepted the position, and I tried to support him with words of encouragement as best I could. It was the biggest decision of his career. Understandably, he was pensive due to the weight of the decision and what it could mean for his future.

But now I get it. Suddenly, it all makes sense.

Standing with longtime friend Jabari Young, Forbes senior writer and editorial lead of ForbesBLK, at the first-ever ForbesBLK Summit in Atlanta on Nov. 6.

I’ve watched Jabari thrive since he joined Forbes. He’s landed interviews, and in some cases cover stories, with superstars such as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Megan Thee Stallion and Stephen Curry, among others.

But we’ve long been accustomed to interviewing celebrities. That’s not what’s impressive.

I didn’t truly understand what was happening in my friend’s life until I watched Jabari become the center of attention at the first-ever ForbesBLK Summit in Atlanta this week. He’s much too humble to agree with that classification and will be the first to tell you the event was not about him.

But it was Jabari’s baby. And it’s impossible to not be proud of my boy after watching heavyweights from Basketball Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas to entrepreneur John Hope Bryant take turns lavishing praise on him from the stage for his efforts as the chief organizer.

I had to be in Atlanta this week. I wasn’t impacted only by the information presented by a who’s who of panelists, much like I didn’t benefit simply from being among 2,000 like-minded Black people. The knowledge and networking opportunities offered at the event are worth the price of admission for the general public.

But I traveled to Atlanta under different circumstances. Perhaps more than anyone else in attendance, I carried important context.

The ForbesBLK Summit on Nov. 6 marked the second time in three weeks that our family’s company was on a credential. I can get used to this.

I’ve walked in Jabari’s shoes as a sports writer. We’re pretty much the same age. We’re both girl dads. His daughter turned 10 in August. Mine turns 10 next month. We’re even both card-carrying members of the Bald Brotha Club. We couldn’t be closer to the same stage in life.

Yet we’re both striving for more. To be the best men we can be personally and professionally. To build our family’s legacies brick by brick and make a lasting impact on our communities and those who come behind us.

I’ve talked Jabari through some of his career transitions and trepidations. He never saw himself at Forbes or commanding a stage in a money green suit Monday. But he did so well he made it look easy.

By the time the basketball legend Thomas popped a bottle of his own champagne and toasted with Jabari on stage, pushing my friend to the brink of tears, I figured out exactly what I was witnessing. I was experiencing Jabari’s inspirational transformation.

He left his comfort zone four short years ago, and by taking a leap of faith he’s landed a life-changing role. His name now reaches a whole new audience. His impact can be made on a much larger scale. His professional future is unclear, but Jabari knows the days ahead will be better and brighter.

I just entered year two of my unforeseen transformation. Most still underestimate my evolution and don’t comprehend my emphasis on Money Talks. It’s fine. In time, our mission will become clear.

I’ve made a point to meet people, promote Money Talks and learn ways to make the product better. The ForbesBLK Summit was the fourth business conference I attended this year, all since late August. I’m conferenced-out, frankly. But I believe my presence and persistence will pay off.

I view the financial commitment as a small sacrifice. My total for my two-day trip to Atlanta was just shy of $800. The hotel, at $374.73, was my biggest expense. I spent $118.19 for Ubers, $111.01 on food & drink and $26.44 on miscellaneous products.

I purchased my flight using airline points and got complimentary admission to the event. It’s good to have friends in high places. But my ticket to the Vikings game Sunday cost $167.02, which I do not regret.

All in all, it was another investment into my personal development. This one held added significance.

I went to Atlanta to continue crafting the life I see in my future. Then a longtime friend popped on stage in a money green suit and showed me life’s possibilities as he stepped into his.