Meet Niki Watson of Future Successors

Today we’d like to introduce you to Niki Watson.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Niki. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
The power of the business world always intrigued me, but I quickly noticed the lack of people that looked like me especially in powerful leadership roles. This didn’t sit right with my soul. Why are people of color not represented at Fortune 500 companies or dominating the business world in lofty numbers? These questions forever repeated in my mind throughout my journey in the corporate sector.

Ultimately, I wanted to see more people like me win than lose. When we are not winning, we are hurting. Our community is hurting and not growing. I wanted to change the narrative and showcase wins within my community because I often dealt with challenges that did not put me in positions to win such as living in single-parent household, fighting dyslexia, and witnessing the lucrative street pharmacists lifestyle. These challenges were not the blueprint to success. It was an excuse to fall short and I didn’t want that for myself or others that looked like me. Snoop Dogg said, “It ain’t no fun if my homies can’t have none.”

Currently, my focus is to empower our youth and motivate them to create and/or be within any career industry of their choosing. They can be the next CEO of Coca-Cola or the CEO of their own Fortune 500 company. I believe it is important to showcase wins to young scholars so they can envision their future wins. As a result, this will change the cycle for them to be successful.

Frederick Douglass states, “It is easier to raise strong children than repair broken men.” This quotes continues to inspire my daily actions and directly speaks to the mission and vision of my organization.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Smooth road, ha! However, I am always up for a challenge! The most difficult part is getting support and seeking the right guidance. Support is given in multiple ways. Moral support and financial support are the two biggest components needed. One thing to remember is “why” behind your purpose. My “why” is to continue to raise funds for young scholars so they may experience business settings and environments that they would not necessary be exposed to in their daily lives. Also, remember that support can come from where you least expect it! When promoting your business, especially to friends and family, you may have high hopes that at least 50% will support your vision, however, you may be disappointed majority of the time. You will learn that the lack of support will come from people that you constantly support, but the gift of thanks will come from absolute strangers. Don’t be discouraged! This is the gift that will keep you pushing!

Please tell us about Future Successors.
Future Successors encourage young scholars to find their passion and to live out their purpose by equipping them with entrepreneurship and leadership skills. Our mission is to put them on the road to success by covering our pillars which are communications, explore, respect, believe, and discovery.

One of our endeavors that encompasses our pillars is our web podcast called Business Minds Kids. We communicate with today’s business leaders to learn about the barriers that can stop them from becoming tomorrow’s business leaders.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I’m a very positive person and I always see the silver lining in many situations. You will get what you put out. I wouldn’t call it luck, I would call it blessings.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.futuresuccessors.org
• Phone: 7069510274
• Email: contact@futuresuccessors.org
• Instagram: @future_successors

Image Credit:
We took a picture with Roland Martin. We took a picture on Georgetown and Georgia Tech Campuses.

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