Meet Michael Woods

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michael Woods. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michael below.

Michael, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
My optimism comes from the belief that hard work and pure intentions are rewarded. I know if I am exerting effort to be a blessing it will not be in vain. The true power comes the expectation of the reward while knowing it may not come from where you would think it would. This frees you putting expectation on any individual or group and moves the expectation of reward to where ever God sees fit.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am someone who truly believes in the power of ownership. Not just financial ownership but ownership of ones authentic self, accountability, and agency. I always knew that entrepreneurship would be how I access freedom and joy. While in college I began my journey of entrepreneurship by publishing my first book “I Will Never Kill A Black Man” and purchasing my first investment property. By 2015 I had published 4 books, owned 3 investment properties, and started a personal training fitness company. I was able to do these things by leveraging the power of a full time job. This job allowed me to build my credit, have tax returns, and other important things that made it easy to fund my dreams. In 2016 I began to have real success in my ventures. This made me want to share all that I had learned with others. I then co-founded an organization (with my friend Neal Richardson) that gives ownership and agency to youth.

Dream Builders 4 Equity (DB4E) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization working to create a world in which all communities have the courage to dream, the skills to build, and the resources to own their future. We believe that the foundation of thriving communities lies in equitable resources and opportunities for youth, residents, businesses, and real estate development. These areas make up the 4 pillars of our Equitable Development model, which aims to transform communities of color across the country through creating intersecting better outcomes for all four areas. Our youth-centered, hyper-local model will transform North St. Louis neighborhoods into economically sustainable and socially engaged communities.
We employ local minority youth and contractors, putting money and equity back in the pockets of people within the community, creating workforce development and scaling of minority-owned contracting businesses. While employed at DB4E, historically underserved youth develop skills needed to succeed academically and professionally. While working, youth retain ownership and equity in the revitalized properties in the form of scholarship funds. We ensure our development efforts protect against the displacement of current residents by providing renovations for seniors and grant support property tax increases that disproportionately affect minority residents.
Our goal is to tackle the vacant home epidemic plaguing St. Louis by doing large scale community-led development projects. By reinvesting in neighborhoods that have been neglected and divested in, we believe these communities can become thriving communities where residents have the opportunity to live out their full potential. In the next 5 years we will reinvest in the Hyde Park neighborhood, a north St. Louis area that’s been underserved for decades.
This isn’t just a solution for St. Louis — it’s a model that will be replicated across the country in cities with the greatest wealth disparities between minority and white neighborhoods. Rebuilding Hyde Park will fuel our ability to go into other underserved St. Louis neighborhoods and eventually equitably transform communities in other cities across the country.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Fearless Faith, Persistence and Love. It all starts with a vision. I believe visions are gifts from God. Once you have a vision you activate it by taking the first steps. Taking the first steps is proof of your faith. Most folks never start. They wait until they have it all figured out and by then folks who believed and took action has already failed, learned, and manifested their vision. Next you have to be persistent. The journey will be hard because the vision is big. You have to be willing to continue to fight for it daily. Most will quit. But the folks who persevere end. up spending so much time with the issues that they come up with solutions. They become the expert because of the proximity they have to the problem. Lastly do all things with love. My biggest breakthrough was learning that love is always the answer. This made every challenge simple. Folks would ask what should we do or how should we respond and my answer is always with love. Thinking about who to be a blessing and what would help other most is a key way to get ahead.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
I love books about stoicism and or love. So really anything from Ryan Holiday or Bell Hooks are my favorite. Stoicism teaches me to only worry about the things that I can control. Love teaches me selflessness and forgiveness.

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