Meet Marques Ogden

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Marques Ogden. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Marques, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
At 27, Marques founded Kayden Premier Enterprises, and in 2010, Marques won The African American Subcontractor of the Year Award in the state of Maryland. He soon went bankrupt, losing almost 2 million dollars on one project in 90 days.

During his darkest hours, Marques pulled himself together, got a part-time job as a custodian, and with hard work and determination, making $8.25/hr, he became an inspirational keynote speaker, executive coach, best-selling author, and marketing leader, helping to build the success of others. I was passionate about helping others succeed where I failed.

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?
Marques Ogden is, a former NFL player, now an inspirational keynote speaker. He’s also the founder and CEO of Ogden Ventures LLC, a three-time best-selling author (Sleepless Nights; The Success Cycle), business coach and consultant, and the podcast host of Get Authentic With Marques Ogden; although his journey didn’t come easy or without unrelenting adversity. After retiring from football, Marques pursued a career in construction and contracting. At 27, he founded a fast-growing construction company but eventually went bankrupt, losing almost two million dollars on one project in 90 days. He pulled himself together during his darkest hours and got a part-time job as a custodian.
Marques rose to the top again with hard work and determination, using his struggles to inspire his trail forward. Now, he shares his powerful story to help others learn how to fail forward and achieve success in their lives. Marques’ story and insights as a thought leader have been featured in top publications such as Black Enterprise, USA Today, Forbes, Cheddar News, and Authority Magazine. As a speaker, he’s landed jobs with over 40 Fortune 500 companies and over 15 Fortune 100 companies like Amazon, Goldman Sachs, Intel, JPMorgan Chase, and Home Depot. As a podcast host, he’s interviewed iconic guests such as Michael Strahan, Joe Namath, and Willie Parker Jr.
Marques hopes to continue reaching new levels in his professional career and positively impacting as many people’s lives as possible through doing what he loves; speaking on stage and sharing his experiences and knowledge with others.

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?
Accountability: Stop blaming others and start looking at yourself. Change begins with you.

Perseverance: Use “No” as a “next opportunity,” not as a roadblock.

Adaptability/Constructive Feedback: be willing to be open to improvements and allow others to use their strengths in place of your weaknesses

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
My business partner Dawn Wiener!

Dawn has been in my life since 2017, and she is without a doubt one of my best friends, biggest supporters and she is so amazing in so many aspects in my life! She has helped me develop self-confidence, she has helped me focus much better, be more disciplined and she has been a huge positive impact in my business and my personal life…

I am so grateful to have her in my life, as she has been a huge reason for our brands success and my personal growth and development in my life as well…

In the words of Tina Turner “she’s simply the best!”

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Carson Group / Florida Reality / Dawn Wiener

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Beating Burnout

Often the key to having massive impact is the ability to keep going when others

Where does your generosity come from?

Over the years, we have consistently been blown away by the examples of generosity we’ve

From Burnout to Balance: The Role of Self-Care

Burning out is one of the primary risks you face as you work towards your