Mark[00:00:00] Aric: this episode is brought to you by the new D nine Business Directory. Shot Greek owned brands from a variety of categories. And if you are Greek, author or business owner at your profile today at D nine business dot com Honoring those Trailblazers who preceded us Is Justus important as leaving a legacy for those who will follow us? Greek Lee speaking is about highlighting Greeks today who are creating positive change for tomorrow. We hope you enjoyed this episode. Hi. Welcome to Greek Lee speaking. I'm Eric and joining me for this episode is Mark Wiggins of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated. He was initiated in the Gamma Phi chapter in 1987. He's a motivational speaker and author and a speaking coach. He's also the CEO off the bench magazine Mark Man, how you doing today?

[00:01:02] Mark: I'm good, bro. Talk. I'm good. I'm good. Thank you for having me on.

[00:01:05] Aric: You got a deep list of credentials, man. You know, I'm going through all the stuff you guys said. You know, I don't have time to go through all of this. This this is just way too deep for me, man. I'm loving what I'm saying I'm loving the content, man. We connected because you recently joined the D nine Business directory, which is a source of entrepreneurs and authors and business owners that are members of the D nine Greek community. First of all, man, it's 2021 now. How do you feel about that

[00:01:32] Mark: bruh? It's 2020 with the spillover. ITT's going well, I can't complain, You know, you blessed to be able to still be here a, uh, to continue to move forward to some directions. Be and you know, just be think of what you have, which is what we about this achievement were by moving forward. Um, eso it's it's been a challenge in my day job. It was It's a retail operation. So it's definitely challenging to stay afloat, you know, makes decisions and adjustments that you'd never thought you'd have to make to try to keep the overall organization. Rome. They start looking for other things to do just in case. So it was it was a challenge, but, you know, 21 began. It just brings more opportunity and another chance Thio grow. So, yes, I'm all about it.

[00:02:17] Aric: It's definitely a year. The backup plan

[00:02:19] Mark: right. A redundancy plan. I think it's kind of a book. The redundancy plan.

[00:02:25] Aric: I'm serious, man. And gotta be able to evolve and pivot a little bit, man, but eso you know, for our listeners, man, where you from originally?

[00:02:34] Mark: Yeah, bro. Talk. I'm from originally from Maple Heights, Ohio suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. Shouts out to all things Ohio Cavaliers, Brown's Indians. I'm here for it. So Yes,

[00:02:46] Aric: Well, as a Chicago Cubs fan grew up on the south side, I just wanna thank you guys for that world, Siri's man. And, uh, let's just move on to the next topic

[00:02:55] Mark: quickly, because by the end, this whole conversation I

[00:02:58] Aric: love it, man. I love it. Hey, so you found interesting Kappa Alpha side. Did you have any Greek influences in your life coming up?

[00:03:06] Mark: You know what? That's really interesting. You look back on it. You think you did when you were growing up, but there were some influences, uh, in my neighborhood. You know, the influence of the time heavily was omega. Um, everybody want to step. Everybody was cool with the look and all of that for some strange reason why I was out there trying to line dancers and steps. My little neighborhood crew, uh, we're gonna be accused gonna be accused of like, yeah, markets being cute. I was like, I don't know, but my uncle, my favorite uncle, is in Omega, and he never really talked about it, so I didn't know much about it. So other influences weren't necessarily known to me. But it wasn't until I got to campus. Um e I went to University Alabama, Huntsville. I pledge to A and M, but I was at unh. So if you if we all old school, it would call a colony chapter. Um, we know our national don't recognize colony, So that's why it's Gamma Phi. But I was at U H. On basketball scholarship, so I got some exposure there, um, to to all the, you know, the Greek life there, Of course I am. And that was in one of our advisers was on campus. He had, like, influence on looking at Kappa differently. I actually remember coming on campus, and I think it has to do with our parents, raised us to be and look, you gotta have a suit and tie the briefcase because that's the sign of success, right? This is a briefcase and a tie. And I saw these brothers walking on campus, and, you know, they always always booted. Now, you know, across town, it was every either Wednesday or Friday would go suit today. But it was every day for these brothers. And I was like, Who is that? And I enquired, Checked him out and ranchers brother named Sonny give him all the credit. I was playing to too much. We have to be in the same room with particular female on campus that day and, uh, just coming through. And he asked me, you know, nothing about cap off aside, and I was like, Nah, so he said, I need you to read this. So I read the book and he starts talking about and that was my first introduction to officially into Kappa Tau. Understand what they were about and the mission and founding.

[00:05:07] Aric: And And I think that there's about five or six stories and what you just said, but we're gonna move on,

[00:05:13] Mark: E,

[00:05:16] Aric: How many people came through with you?

[00:05:20] Mark: It was Listen, there we go. The stories start off in 51 couldn't make it So we end up four. I was the number five. Tell dog Online was short Shouts out to Diamond Network seven. Uh, that we picked up a space from Georgia Tech. He's in his in his line. Will be. Didn't quite do too well, so he came on, hang out with us, and we adopt him as an ace. And so there's still five of us.

[00:05:46] Aric: Okay, so it was five minus one plus one. So it did you round up. I like this man. This this is deep. This is

[00:05:54] Mark: Somebody was looking at him was when he pledged there were just two of them online. And, you know, again, we just family that we just talking family talk And we sometimes the process wasn't always kind to those when we finished right. And and and they don't necessarily affiliate anymore. Um, and he was left without pretty much a line brother. So he came Thio Huntsville. We actually on the same. He came to play basketball with the team. I was already horn. He came to play with us a little while. And then next thing you know, we got friends and here's my sands. We got to be kicking. Hey, we need a because I need the line. Eso way we're still tied to this day Still tied to this day

[00:06:32] Aric: Hey, man, I love that you came through it fall It was a fall of spring 87

[00:06:37] Mark: 87 Spring

[00:06:38] Aric: 87 I came through fall 86. So I

[00:06:41] Mark: understand. E over

[00:06:45] Aric: of Alcorn State University Alpha Zeta chapter. Yeah, down in Mississippi on, uh, it was interesting that one of my line brother's roommate was was pledging Kappa at the same time. Man, I cannot tell you how many times we had to collaborate or some stuff in the process. It was also mad. So

[00:07:03] Mark: it was death

[00:07:06] Aric: to death. And I wanted to hear a little bit about your background. You mentioned that you were in Huntsville, and that's where you got that. That Greek bond, The concept of the brotherhood and everything, man. And I love that you had an opportunity to do some research. Somebody reached out and gave you some literature. Just kind of take in. What advice would you give someone who's thinking about going great?

[00:07:30] Mark: Wow. Uh, first of all, do your research. Um, under understand, that again, depending on where you are, we're talking. You know, undergrads. Let's be clear again. We speaking family, fax as we all struggle to survive as organizations, you know, Let's keep it riel. Um, uh, we have to make it through Just really do the research on what you want. Long term. What you see on campus is not totally representation. What happens after camps? I think the one thing Sonny told me online and, you know, before I got online, but I never forgot. Was that your only undergrad for four years or so, But your captain for the rest of your life. So what is it you want to do afterwards? And does this organization like this is him talking before I got in? Does the Rennick with what you want to see And as you see yourself? Long range. I'm sophomore, bro. I don't long range was after lunch, You know, we have to practice. So I needed toe. Really? Look at it. And I look long range. I said, Well, this kind of resonates with me, so I recommend anyone just like the bigger picture of work. Don't don't get caught up. A lot of the frills and France and whatever way, have our good times. But what kind of work do you resonate with? We all do Good work, just amount of the approach. So it resonates with you, then commit. And if you commit, please commit and stay committed. Don't get in and disappear. I think there was, Ah, Omega out in our county and he was hilarious to me. He's like, Man, I saw some of your friend. He's new in town. I was talking to him and asked was the financial? He said he wasn't financial, so I'm not gonna give you his name. I said, Dang is like that. He said, Man, you ain't financial. I ain't past because we need to get financial Told me he's going to get financial. And you know what? I received all of that. Not in your right, bro. If you're gonna commit to something for the rest of you, be financially minimum. So I would just say you're going to get to something. Look for a long range, be ready to commit and give your service in dollars and in physical work, because that's what's required.

[00:09:24] Aric: That is solid gold, because this is a lifetime commitment. And let's just say the pledge. It doesn't really start until after you go through, man, in my opinion, because that's when the work has to get put in. Man s o. Sounds like Capa has had a positive impact on your life. What you say?

[00:09:40] Mark: Absolutely, absolutely. Feel free to use whatever you need to use for the sound bite. Um, if I drop some gyms because I'll be shocking myself sometimes what I say that motivation, big guys stay on top of it. But, you know, it really is. I liken it to when you talk about the journey actually starts afterwards. I liken it to martial arts, right? So my son was taking taekwondo, my son and my daughter back in the day, and I got all way through the black belt and at the ceremony. Since I said the following type of thing, he said, Now that you achieve your black belt, the journey to become a master has begun. And I'm like, What was they doing before the red, brown and yellow, the orange? Those? But what he said was not, you've got the basic skills. Now the work begins to maintain a master share the mastery. So what you're saying is true? The pleasure is just the entry level. The work is what carries you forward and identifies you and brand you with your organization. But what we all are known for over these again these 100 plus years. So that's what you need to be signing up for. I understand.

[00:10:43] Aric: I really wish people would hear that more often. So they can be, You know, you know, there's a preparation process and everything, but I think you need to know, in general what type of commitment is going on. Man s. Oh, how do you guys feel about the past six months in your area? Have you seen mortgage organization of of the different organizations kind of coming together?

[00:11:05] Mark: I do see some galvinization, and I'm gonna speak for our county. Um, there's not a lot of blacks album. Loudon County. Eso We always kind of galvanized. It's almost like, you know, you know, it's like it's like being the divine nine on the white campus. That's it. There's my expect. My example. All we got is us E No. Our chapter has Dunmore collaborative work. Especially on you know fundraising events and pivoting to zoom in again. We did a lot of interaction trying to reach out partner. You know, Sigma chapter is out there were trying toe, you know, parting with them on some things I think we're going to understand. For real, for real, it's gonna take a true collaboration so we all can win. If we don't, we we can all be winning, but we won't be winners. We're not gonna win together and take control of our areas where we are not worried about d. C. I'm not worried about Maryland. I'm worried about Loudoun County, Virginia, because that's where I said what I'm saying. I want to know My county is being affected positively by the group and affiliates that I found affectionate attempt to divine nine and with our impact. And most of the most part are divine. Nine makes great impact on county.

[00:12:08] Aric: And speaking of making impacts, you mentioned the motivational speaking aspect of your brand. How did you get into that man? Tell us about

[00:12:16] Mark: that. So s so it goes back. It goes back to the church is always all things do. Getting up. You come home from ill boy with the early recitation of statements. But when I went to college and come and come back home for spring break, I always have to get up and tell everybody what was going on school so I could encourage other Children in the church. Mark, how is the college my dad like, don't Don't sound stupid. Don't sound stupid. So I had to get up and start toe, say things. And so at that point, people began to want to hear from. I didn't Let me be clear, bro. Bloodsucker. I didn't understand the impact that I was really having as a maturing growing blackmail in college. I didn't know what I was really doing for someone behind me. But as I got grown, I recognize that it meant a lot to see the example. Right. So we did that. I started speaking a little bit mawr, but it wasn't until I actually moved to the D. C area and open up a store. I have my own cookie operation back in the day where I got the opportunity to go to speak to a decade class, the business class at the high school, and I've done some gigs here and there. Whatever. And she asked me to come speak to the deck of class about business. Alright, My business owner. Cool. Um, I went in there talking about the S B a business plan, budgeting and breath talk. I left out of that joint board. I was bored myself. She said it was great. I was born, and so I was like, God, you know, if you don't have me up here talking to people, I need to have something more to say And that began the whole journey. Let's talk about the journey of success. Let's talk about recovery. Let's talk about what's going to take to get to your goals. And little did I know by next moves in life with Give me more content, you know, losing the business and going through divorce and all that kind of stuff in rebuilding that gave me content and a platform and to help other people. So that's how my speaking career began. And from there, you know, still speak and write books and do a whole bunch of stuff.

[00:14:10] Aric: I love it, man. I was asking about the off the bench magazine. What is that concept And how did you get that going?

[00:14:19] Mark: Every time you ask some, you know there's a story, right? There's a story to go with that. There's a set up set up. And then there's the action. The magazine came about literally a za conversation. I was in Philly riding in uber, going to a cigar bar to have the brush that was up there to speak. And I heard that we're doing, you know, we do, we go to town, we look for us or anybody, Uh, and who else got something going on and then we're gonna go check it out. So I went to Cigar Bar. I gotta write uber and the sister pulls up. She got to talking. She said she was a speaker. The training, whatever. I was like, Bet I'll follow you on the grand, blah, blah, blah, literally a year. One pass. And she hit me up and says, Hey, Mark, I started this digital magazine. I think you'd be great in to come on in, so I advertised my podcast. I put it in there. She hit me back s house. I don't like it's great. And then all of a sudden she's like you should have your own magazine. And I was like, Sorry, I'm not sure what you said. She said you should have your own magazine. I'm like, I don't want to write that much. She said, you know? No. And then it hit me like, Oh, okay. Okay. So I began to look as a as a platform push to give my clients that I trained and speaking and speaker development another area to get their message out, You know, as podcast that, you know, the speaker, if you speak, is about the opportunities about the reps, and that's how you're gonna get better, and then you get this exposure. So I created this to have a platform for my speakers to get my message out and to push the brand and mindset in the movement of getting off the bench. My original statement. I learned back in college, right. MT. XY is off the bench into the starting lineup of life. So the magazine was birth. Uh, November ish. I dropped it in December in, like, two weeks. Turned it up, get people in advertisers. And now it's a lifestyle brand motivation. Entrepreneur magazine. So that's how the magazine is coming up, and I didn't know I was gonna She's like, What you gonna I'll do? Quarterly? You know what? I want to stretch myself. She's like, Mark, it's not gonna work. I said, I can't I don't Its monthly. It's a monthly magazine. So that is the magazine. And I'm always looking to get the positive message out. So I write in it, Have my life coaches in their entrepreneurs, uh, youth preneurs, anybody that has a positive message, you know, looking to chair and get the message out. Authors podcast page as a resource. I'm looking for it.

[00:16:35] Aric: Oh, man, I love it. I'll definitely check it out as a somebody who's who's gotten into the I call myself a pandemic podcaster so, you know,

[00:16:45] Mark: way. Love it. How did you spend? But I follow, you know, Joe and all them. How did you spend up and jump out to To the podcast. And there's a great concept. By the way, how did you get up in here?

[00:16:54] Aric: Honestly, man, I was So, um, last spring, I was so I guess, deterred by all the negative content in the media. And I stopped watching the news over a decade ago. Really? You know, I like to choose what I consume, and it's just e, I think more so than the negative content. Um, I was frustrated with how easily people become addicted to it and and subject themselves to it. And I said, Hey, look, there's so much positive stuff going on, and I really want to put ah light on that man. We have brothers and sisters doing things, teaching things. And just and what I noticed in particular was here in the Dallas area where I am, uh, so many of the Greeks were just working together, man. I mean, it was crazy because if they didn't have on it, you couldn't tell what organization they were in unless they were wearing their their their letters. And I love that and and I don't think we really saw enough of that, you know? You know, being old school, you know, sometimes you get ah, lot of negative press, you know, um, from the Greek life, right, because one mess up, we all mess up. And but I saw a lot of positive efforts going on, and I wanted to be able to create a platform what we could. Hey, man, how did you do what you do? Hey, how can we help promote what you got going on on? Give the world another resource with something positive, man. So, um, that that's really where it came out of bumping heads and and and and learning. And, you know, it's been a challenge, but it's been fun, and I'm kind of a perfectionist. So this is therapy for me. I said, You know what? I'm gonna roll with all the imperfections until I get it worked out Because I want to sit back and look and say, Yeah, I remember what I had,

[00:18:43] Mark: right? Right now we'll

[00:18:45] Aric: see what we got, you know, because now you know, we got Brother Wiggins on, you

[00:18:49] Mark: know,

[00:18:49] Aric: remember that second guest,

[00:18:51] Mark: You know, now who

[00:18:53] Aric: we got, you know? So I love that man. So And if you got a platform that we can help promote, man, Hey, let's make it happen. Uh, because you know, the thing is podcast. That's an addictive concept. When you started listening to him, I was actually listening to them for a minute. Just because I got tired of the same stuff on the radio and I was like, Man, this is great. I never thought I would do it, but I would love thio to spread the word with with what you have going on, man. And in addition, Thio your platform, which I think is a great idea. By the way, it's one of the best ways to address any insecurities. You may have a Sfar a speaking just to go ahead and do it. You don't start doing it right. And and But the other thing you also have the m. Wayne designs, you know, How do you have time to do all this, man? Because I was on the site checking it out. I'm like, Oh, man, this is cool. Got some Greek gifts going on. So how did you get that started? Is that another story?

[00:19:48] Mark: You know, it is the first of all. I'm to commend you on the podcast and I'm getting started because that's you know how it moved out. I listened to podcasts and studied for months before I've been doing my far into my focus my fourth year now, Um and a lot of it happened when I was having my knee surgery replacement. So I was laid up, so I just start podcasting. But I watched and watched and watched and, you know, it was just one of those things where I can do this. And I was doing it all nice and quiet. Whatever I said, man, when you gonna just be you? Yeah. You know, that's why I am. So I gotta be this, right? Yeah. And it's a great, great medium, and surprisingly still you tell somebody have a podcast. They look at you like, Wow, Almost like when you tell them that you had a book. Is that that's the level of podcasting right now. They got a book you have. Really? I was, you know, driving uber. And I had a ride in this this lady and her daughter, and she was back to playing her thing. And what do you do? The usual conversation bomb? I got a podcast. She said you got a podcast with my family right now. I'm like, OK, who are you? And it's it's off the benchmark Wiggins, Go ahead. Yeah, And she goes, Oh, my God, He's right here. So cool. And she had to be 14. 15. I'm like. That's impressive. All right, let's go with it. So to answer your question into em, Wayne Designs and my designs or something I had in my head a long time ago. I've always had dabbled in the Greek like most folks get in, get out to see it. I started being Sigma Gamma Rho sisters. We partnered with him pretty heavy here in the D C area. And so you get to understand people. And I began to hear what they were saying again, to really look into their organization, let me tell you something. The actually roles in this area, their marketing plan needs to be studied. How about that? It's S o P. They do and liaison with chapters and have a sister connect. So, you know, when you become affiliated with them, I was Paul mark of our chapter, and I got to know that even Morris Okay, you know what? I started asking questions, and they're like, Well, you know, people don't make stuff up. They were too small. We don't shop Buffalo block. We'll do You all spend money because I know what they do. You all spend money and she said, Yeah, we spend money on quality blah, blah, blah, blah. OK, bad. So everybody had turned 100 except for them on. I was like, You know what? This is a three year plan. I said, Let me get in now. Uh, two years ago. Now to get in, get my feet wet, learn the game. I wasn't trying to roll out. Quickly navigate, Be ready, Ready? And then go. 22. Let's go in 22 with people knowing us who we were, what we do. So that has happened. I partner with another brother who makes ceramic tea sets uniquely totally different on the floor. Um, in fact, his mother, she was a k a. Nannies. Creations. Eureka. You've been You've seen her. You've seen this product is a platinum golden silver. She's 93 she's still active. So she's been around some 40 plus years with this particular product on Lee for a K. Because what she is she only good. Okay, so her son, my friend brother comes to me and brings his brand into SD role world. And here we set. So that's how I got into it. And you make these connections and we're doing you know, we're doing well until last March, Uh, got the rug snatched, and but you know what? The connection. Still good. We're still here, and we're gonna expand because now, as a business previous business owner of her own franchise, you understand? You gotta grow this thing slower, you get buried. It's great to have expansive growth. If you can't support it, you can't get the merch in. You don't have a revenue. Then I'm saying the name is mud and people don't want to deal with you. It's a real small community, You know this. So yeah,

[00:23:12] Aric: and, you know, negative press tends to fly faster. The positive press and my other show tech stage. We were talking about the same thing about scaling up and, you know, digital marketing. And what happens if you start doing something right? As far as marketing, you're you, you bring in consultants that held double the traffic. If you're not able to scale up its a negative experience that you create for customers, and then that's the start of your device s. Oh, I like that. You brought that up so it sounds like you've got that expertise. You got that experience you've been in it long enough to know what you don't know. And I love that you're you're willing toe. Seek that out first. What do I need to figure out? And then what's a smart way to go Get that insight. And I think that's what's gonna help keep you successful. And I hope you continue to share that with the next high school class you go to on Let him know I love it, man. What's your what's your baby right now? You know, if I say you could only do one thing

[00:24:06] Mark: What you going todo the baby right now is the magazine. And let me explain why it's the magazine because I think it is the synergy force needed for the rest of my platform. The great businesses, the great business. It's the hobby that is cool is gonna grow. Um, but what goes along with me? I'm an author, Speaker, coach First, I've been speaking for more years. I've done anything else at this point. So it's part of me. I don't feel I have to do a whole lot of extra. But what? I found difficulty over time as a solo shot. One man whatever was promoting myself. And I've been talking about this a lot lately. Too much to my speaking teams is when you pick something to do and you're lining your message out, right? All of a sudden, your brand you think comes out of your messaging or is your brand what you call it? You know what is it? You know, this is a line some behind me is. You see, on my platform you see the speaker, man Mark Wiggins, Right. I got the name speaking man from Ah, young sister at a high school in D. C. She had a question, You know, the kids ninth grader. Hey, Mr Speaker, man, I got what you call me speaking, man. Oh, that's funny. I'm taking it from right now. Fourth, I did this. I'm the speaker, man. They all hollered and the name stuck. Well, unfortunately, speaking man in a brand, it was my persona is my own stage alter egos. My street name because my line name. You got your name and you got your line name? You got your cross line name. You know what I'm saying? So that's what the speaker man had become. Well, if It was hard to promote that I was trying to promote a speaker, but I wanted to speak. So a subtle change to Mark Wiggins. The speaker man allowed the brand of Mark Wiggins to come forth. So the magazine has allowed me to do that and bring all of the speaking, the coaching the books into this thing called the magazine as I pushed that brand off the bench brand forward. So that's the number one baby at this point, but the rest of me it comes with it because you can't separate them. So I'm excited about it. It makes more sense to me now people, you know, people trying all of them. But I think some people over the years just missed simple switch. More importantly, I missed the simple switch because I grew with my message, and I think another thing for my speaker friends out there. It's okay for your message to mature. It's okay for your story to change. It's okay if you move from. I was just dealing with young people because when they put us, I deal with young people till until you too old to be your kids. Now that was cool. They're your cousins. Your now that your kids, they may or may not listen to your grandpa. They may or may not listen to you, but you appear to listening now, so you've got to move your message up a little bit and you know who you're speaking to know your market. So that's that's how I'm focusing on the magazine. That's when pushing on Brand this point.

[00:26:38] Aric: So talk to us. Where can we find out more about the magazine? Where can we reach out to you on that?

[00:26:44] Mark: Ah magazine is off the bench magazine dot com off the bench magazine dot com. Also OTB magazine on Instagram where you can find me right now.

[00:26:54] Aric: I love that play on the athletic perspective.

[00:26:57] Mark: It

[00:26:58] Aric: actually get into the starting lineup because I think that's what a lot of us entrepreneurs aspired to do. And, you know not only launched but be impactful and be relevant and long lasting

[00:27:10] Mark: because now of it, you take the college the transferable knowledge from what I did for my first business, Hi grew or cookie franchise from a concept that wasn't in the D C. Area to the number five franchise in the country with what I was doing here. So what I'm doing now, I know there's more to this thing, So when we do a platform, I can see off the bench. Speakers form response about the bench magazine. I got speakers. Hey, brother Tucker. I need to speakers in some office what you got and reach out to the community. And that's what that's what I'm trying to get to, like, You wanna reach to my community and bring everybody along with So we can all go out here and eat together because of the table is long and the buffet is big.

[00:27:47] Aric: So for our listeners that want to reach out to you directly because you got some good content, I think you're gonna have another set of fans here soon. Where can they catch up with you?

[00:27:55] Mark: You catch me up on instagram again? My personal Graham Speaker Man 87. Um, there You can also hit me on Facebook and speaking about 87 Mark Wiggins.

[00:28:05] Aric: Alright, Mark Wiggins off the bench Magazine Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity incorporated. Hey,
man, Thank you so much. Thank you for spendiing a few minutes with us here on Greek Lee speaking man and dropping that knowledge. Those gems, as you call them. And, man, we look forward to hearing more from you in the future. I know there's some good stuff coming. We can't wait to get into it until next time. We'll catch you later.

[00:28:28] Mark: Thank you, brother.