The Atlanta Business League hosted its 40th annual Super Tuesday conference on Oct. 15, with a lineup of panels, seminars, fellowship, and networking opportunities celebrating Black female business owners across the metro Atlanta area. This year’s conference theme was “One Great Day: The Ballot, The Book and The Buck,” a phrase that examines the intersections between civic engagement, education, and economic empowerment.
The Atlanta Voice publisher Janis Ware was among the panelists who gave her insight into the importance of building a legacy and generational wealth. In a packed conference room, Ware was joined by Andrella Kenner, founder and CEO of CI² Aviation Inc., and Jason Halliburton, senior vice president of The Halliburton Group, to discuss building and maintaining financial security.
A quote by radio personality and finance expert Dave Ramsey seemed to be the sentiment that carried the room: “If you will live like no one else, later you can live like no one else.”
The panel was moderated by Naima Judge, the managing director and private bank market leader at Bank of America, and facilitated by Tiffanie Lewis, the vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion at H.J. Russell & Company.
The panelists shared valuable information and perspectives on building wealth as business owners. They emphasized the importance of actions such as letting go of liabilities, not procrastinating trust and estate planning no matter the amount of money you have, vetting financial advisors through referral and reputable companies, and ensuring the next generation is taken care of. From stories of assets being seized in probate court due to a lack of will or trust to developing programs that benefit employees in the future, Halliburton, Kenner, and Ware shared cautionary tales and personal anecdotes that made them the people they are today.
Among the various tips and tools that successful business owners provided on how to develop financial literacy, Ware specifically emphasized the role of sacrifice as a business owner but also the great need for balance.
“We have to decide what’s going to be important to us, how we intend to live our lives, and if there’s something to leave to the next generation,” Ware said. “I think you ought to have balance in your life. I think it’s important for you to have a work environment, but you’ve got to live. And unfortunately, sometimes we give up our lives to run a business, or we give up ourselves to have a family, and then we get to be 70, and you try to figure out what happened and what did I do? So enjoy whatever part of life you do have.
“But I still say manage your finances,” she ended with laughter from the crowd.
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