Meet the man behind Black Men Golf, who is full of passion and purpose
FMM: Tell us about yourself!
RF: I was born in Memphis Tennessee and raised in the Bay Area of Northern California. I’m a Southern Boy at heart. I was a troubled teen that lacked confidence and struggled to find a place to fit in. I leveraged my athleticism in sports, in particular baseball and football, to build confidence. The battles between my brothers Mollo and Eddie drove that competitive spirit in me that lives strong in my heart to this very day.
My younger brother Eddie is who I most admire in my life. There is an unspoken bond that could never be broken and I could not be more proud of the man, husband and father he has become.
I entered into the workforce in my twenties where I spent 20 years in telecommunications, 12 of those years in Leadership. There, I was fortunate enough to have some great leaders that supported, encouraged and inspired me to become the best leader I could possibly be.
Understanding the difference between a Leader and a Boss, I applied the lessons I learned to my personal life and it was life-changing. Marty Robinson, Dennis Jones, Joshua Simes, and Virgil King are a few of the leaders that either encouraged me, gave me opportunities or provided feedback that allowed me to grow as a leader.
There were also many others that became learning experiences of how I did not want to show up and those learning experiences were just as valuable. Monique Allen, Founder and CEO of MA’AT, has simply been the catalyst and a true inspiration. My mentor, Andre Farr, founder and CEO of Farr’s Best, has been instrumental in helping me transition into entrepreneurship. The gratitude I have for the time I spend with these individuals, on and off the Golf Course, cannot be measured.
FMM: What makes you a formidable man?
RF: My focus on being an amazing father to my two kids, Cheyenne and Dominic. I move with integrity and have an unwavering desire to grow and get better each day. I have a sense of community and an ability to empathize with others. Accordingly, I pay it forward everyday and will always find opportunity in any situation to give back.
Sometimes that may just be having the tough, sincere conversation with an individual–be it my children or an employee–with information that can set them up for success in school, business and in life. I am a beast about what I am passionate about and stand strong in my convictions and purpose. These are what make me a formidable man.
FMM: We hear you have a passion for Golf and advocate of black men in the sport. Tell us about your journey and what led you to make this choice.
RF: Most know I created BlackMenGolf LLC because I’m passionate about playing the game of golf. When I am out on the course, I become my own muse focused on letting a tiny ball develop my confidence and plant the seeds of greatness I am so anxious to water. With so many parallels between golf and life, I want other black men and boys to leverage this same experience to build their confidence and help create and maintain synergy amongst a brotherhood of greatness and productive sons, husbands and fathers.
FMM: Why are you passionate about transformation leadership?
RF: I was blessed with the ability to develop, inspire and lead others. Leadership transformation has been an area that I have been able to leverage this gift instilled in me and pay it forward. I believe that Iron sharpens iron and I have been fortunate to study under many great leaders. These individuals poured into me and inspired me to live my life throughout the gift I was given.
My desire to connect with others and help them reach their potential has always been my purpose and that’s why 11Eleven Consulting was created; to give back, inspire, develop and uplift others. You don’t know what you don’t know and there are many individuals out there that don’t know just how impactful they can be as leaders. My focus is to make sure they understand just how impactful they can be.
FMM: How can one leverage golf to become a better leader?
RF: The game of golf Golf mirrors life. There are so many lessons that can be taken from the game and applied to leadership. For example, put in the work and the results will come, Golf is not a game that can be mastered but to get really good you must work hard off the course to develop your skills and be successful on the course.
The same goes for leadership. Make sure you are investing in your own development as a leader. Understand your strengths, on and off the course, while understanding the correct mindset is key to success.
Next, what you think about most generally happens. We can inadvertently manifest a reality we actually feared. In golf, if I worry about hitting the ball in the water, I will often times do just that, hit the ball in the water. When I focus on fairways and greens, I often times find myself on fairways and greens. In leadership, focusing on positive results is important in reaching the goal set for you and your team so make sure the processes you are using are going to yield the results you are looking for and always believe in yourself.
Last but not least, golf allows you to build relationships with complete strangers and there are so many positive things that come from these experience. In leadership people must be open to building relationships with others. Future opportunities will often times come from the relationships built on and off the course.
FMM: You have had a successful career in Operations Management and Leadership. What would you like to share about it with men coming behind you—Especially minority and marginalized populations?
RF: Great question! While I am passionate about golf, its definitely not my purpose. Transformational leadership is what inspired me to create 11Eleven Consulting LLC. Tee times are priceless minutes spent analyzing and understanding who this man is swinging the club.
As I understand more about my strengths and opportunities, I am able to apply those lessons to the other areas of my life. I understand I have a desire to drive culture and empower others. My aura is different because I know my purpose and I am comfortable knowing that everyone will not understand.
If I could share anything with those coming behind me, it would be to KNOW YOUR PURPOSE and be true to that. People will tell you you aren’t a right fit and you will fail. You will have bosses that won’t take the time to understand your greatness and support you the correct way and you will fail again. You will have employees that you aren’t able to connect with, and you will fail again.
Keep learning, put your ego aside and get a mentor surrounding yourself with individuals that inspire and support you as you learn from them. Fail often and fail forward as it is the journey and work you put in that brings the most reward and satisfaction.
FMM: What are you most proud of in your journey? What’s next for you?
RF: I am most proud of the individuals that I inspired to be great. Their success is my success and I often sit back and admire the leaders they have become and take pride in knowing I was a positive part of their journey.
As for what’s next for me? That’s a great question. I will continue to support and be a part of FARR’S Best and build out both 11Eleven Consulting and BlackMenGolf. I will continue to learn from the experiences both on and off there golf course, with an attitude of gratitude for those experiences.
The sky is the limit for me as I am just getting started. I promise you I will continue to move with a focus on inspiring, supporting and celebrating others paying it forward honoring my purpose.
