In this episode, we have Gary Polk, Sr. from The Polk Institute.  

We have a conversation about the Polk Institute Foundation, a set of social entrepreneurship companies that are purpose-driven and represent the passion of the founder, whatever their ethnicity. These endeavours focus on People, Planet and Profit (Triple Bottom Line) and the belief that behaving ethically and generating profits are not conflicting concepts. 

Gary Polk, Sr. shares their journey with you so you can start yours today! 

Make sure you check out their links down below and share with a friend if you enjoyed the episode. 

Always Remember to Invest In Yourself

Phil Better

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Their podcast: https://www.facebook.com/PolkInstitute

Their Website: https://polkinstitute.org/

Their Facebook Page: https://www.instagram.com/polkinstitute

Their Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/polkinstitute

Their Twitter: https://twitter.com/polkinstitute

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As a Black businessman, CEO, business consultant, university professor and author, Polk is passionate about entrepreneurs…and why they succeed or fail.

His initial book, "Why Entrepreneurs Fail (to Win)," is widely used as a textbook in college entrepreneurship programs. "Why Black and Brown Entrepreneurs Fail (To Win)" is for entrepreneurs and those who want to be.

His third book, "Why Women Entrepreneurs Fail (To Win)," recently published.

He’s also a proponent of social entrepreneurship and launched the Polk Institute of Social Entrepreneurship, https://polkinstitute.org a 501(c) (3) on January 15, 2021. 

PI’s FIVE overarching goals are:

• To create a welfare withdrawal paradigm.

• To teach them how to fish.

• To teach them what they do not know about business.

• To create Fundable CEOs who are ethical and possess great character.

• To create Leaders who believe that People, Plan, and Profit is not zero sum.

Focused on the triple bottom line, “People, Planet, Profit,” Gary believes they align to drive success for everyone involved.

PI’s first academy training, Entrepreneurship for Everyone, started February 1, 2021, as Black History month began.

Active in numerous organizations, Gary was selected by the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurships (NFTE) as their 2020 National Individual Volunteer of the Year.

For the second year in a row, in 2022, Gary is among a select group honored by the Los Angeles Times in its December 19 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility magazine as “an inspirational and diverse leader” exhibiting achievement in this arena.

And Polk received the 2022 Los Angeles Business Journal’s Non-Profit Executive of The Year, Operating Budget of Less Than $1M, Award.

Professionally, once upon a time, Gary served as a banker, friends called him “Mr. B of A.” Starting as a teller, upon graduation from LMU, Gary went on to spend 10 years at the old Bank of America. His positions ranged from teller to Branch Manager to Area Credit Administration and Marketing Coordinator. After banking, Gary spent 14 years in insurance sales and district management at CSU, Northridge. Gary has taught as an Adjunct Professor since 1991, and at CSU, Dominguez Hills, since 2003. 2021 marked his 34th year as an Adjunct Professor & 19th year at CSUDH as a Lecturer and Adjunct Professor of Business Management, Ethics, & Entrepreneurship. Ethics is his most recent area of scholarly research.

In between CSUN and DH, he also taught at Cerritos College, Santa Monica College and DeVry University. He also worked as a corporate trainer while at Allstate and Farmers Insurance companies.

Educationally, Gary earned his Master of Science in Administration (MS) at CSUDH. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Loyola Marymount University, L.A. Gary spent his first two years at Azusa Pacific University and played JV basketball for the legendary small college coach Cliff Hamlow at Azusa Pacific.

Personally, Gary has five grandkids, three adult kids, two dogs, and is married to his second wife, Claudine Pacheco Polk. He resides in the South Bay of Los Angeles County.  His hobbies include reading both nonfiction and novels. In 1995, he founded a co-ed book club that still thrives today. Historical fiction is his favorite genre. The Traveler's Gift by Andy Andrews is one of his all-time favorites. Also, The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto was an amazing read, he says. 

Finally, Gary is a true Los Angeles sports fanatic, not just a fan! He loves the Lakers, the Dodgers, USC Football, UCLA Basketball and the L.A. Rams.  

Learn more at https://www.polkinstitute.org.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Invest In Yourself: the Digital Entrepreneur Podcast is the podcast for Business Owners, Entrepreneurs, Solopreneurs, Freelancers, and CEOs that want to have the chance to listen to leaders in their respected industries sharing their stories as well as lessons they learned along the way and how you can use it in your life or business. 

Your host, Phil Better, has guests from different parts of the internet that have either created a fully functioning digital business or are just starting on their digital entrepreneur journey while having conversations with them to learn how they did it, or some lessons they learned to help them become successful!

Join him in his journey to learn from some of the individuals who created the life he always wanted to have from his youth, on this amazing Podcast! 

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Investinyourselfpod/

Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/investinyourselfpodgroup/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/investinyourselfpod

Twitter: https://twitter.com/investinpod

Newsletter: https://sendfox.com/lp/1jye2e

Podcast: https://podcasts.bcast.fm/invest-in-yourself-the-digital-entrepreneur-podcast

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/InvestInYourselfPod

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcMA-c8vd45kSa5oZwDTrNQ

Website: www.investinyourselfpod.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This podcast contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission. 

For the best VPN protection go with NordVPN: https://go.nordvpn.net/SH32M

.