SCC Blog

A simple life lesson from a sports business legend

In this installment of the new “guest blog” format, we are excited to feature one of my favorite people, Mr. Howard “H” White.   “H” is a seasoned industry vet with an amazing track record of success at Nike, Inc. and Jordan Brand.  In addition to all his accomplishments in business and in life, “H” has mentored and inspired many people over the years (myself included).  To hear more of his stories (and he has a lot of them), I highly recommend picking up a copy of his book, “Believe to Achieve:  See the Invisible, Do the Impossible”. Click here to read a review on amazon.com.

A Simple Life Lesson

By Howard “H” White, Vice President, Jordan Brand

I’m the Vice President for Brand Jordan which is a division of Nike Inc. and a graduate of the University of Maryland where I played basketball.  I’m from Hampton, Virginia and was an All-American in High School even though I didn’t start playing basketball until the 9th grade.  That was when I switched schools to attend a pretty much all white junior high school.  I’d left an all black school to attend it.  I was following a girl there and it was the only reason that I went to the school.  That in itself isn’t a big deal but will give you some context as to why I’ve become the person that I’ve become.  There are a lot of people that fancy the idea of becoming an executive at a major company.  Being a VP at Nike and Brand Jordan has been the experience of a life time.  I was always a decent student.  People always ask me what I studied in school.  What direction should they take to get to my position or a position like mine?  Most people want to be a big wig or a big shot at a fun company.  I’ve spent a lot of time over the years with famous athletes that most think are great.  I’ve mentored the likes of Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Deion Sanders, Moses Malone, Cynthia Cooper, Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong and many others.  I’m not sure why I’ve been put in the position that I’m in.  But, in this blog post, I’ll give you a glimpse of why I believe I’m here.

First of all I had to get the school thing right.  That’s not even a topic for discussion.  Would I go to the school that paid me the most or would I go to the school that I picked because they met my goals?  It was a lot of money at that time…maybe a couple of hundred thousand or so and also the cars to go with it.   So, they’re decisions that people have to make.  I’ll leave that one for you to answer after you read this blog.   Maybe the biggest thing that ever happened to me was walking down the street with my mother one Saturday morning and we passed by one of the older men in the neighborhood.  His name was Mr. Lee and he walked with a huge limp.  We passed by him early one Saturday morning.  My mother and Mr. Lee spoke as they passed each other.  I simply walked by and was throwing rocks at the stop sign trying to bulls eye the “0” in the stop sign.  I knew if I could hit that dead in the middle the cow would jump over the moon.  I was very much aware of Mr. Lee but figured I could see him at anytime.  When we got pass Mr. Lee my mother stopped me and said “you let that be the last time you walk by someone and not open your mouth to speak, because even a dog can wag its tale when it passes you on the street“.  That lesson has stuck with me my entire life.  It wasn’t just the words of a mother to a 10 year old.  It was the words that I’ve chosen to live by.

I think everything that I’ve been able to accomplish in life comes back to those simple words.  Our lives are what we choose to make them.  We’re each directing our own movie.  We’re the stars in it as well as the director and the producer.  It often seems like what happens to us isn’t up to us but up to someone else that holds our future in their hands.  So, we often give others the credit for our failure or our success.  You can’t do something a few times and think that I did it that time and it didn’t work.  It’s a way of life, it’s not something that you do once or twice and judge your failure or success on it working or not.  I can’t tell you how to make your life work.  I can only tell you what’s worked for me.

One of the guys that was on my basketball team told me once that he always told my story to his class (Richard is a teacher now in high school).  We were in Junior high together and than went to high school together.  In the ninth grade I transferred from an all black school to an all white school.  I was really following a girl to that school.  She never showed up.  So, I was in the school by myself and I didn’t know anyone.  That was the first year that I played basketball.  I really couldn’t play but that was my start.  Richard was on the team with me.  We later went to high school together and it was less than 1% black.  I became an All-American in basketball but also became the senior class president.  Richard told me that he tells his class that I was the best basketball player that he’s ever seen.  But, he tells them, the senior class didn’t vote for me as president because I played basketball.  They voted me because of the person that I was.

At that junior high school, I was also voted the most popular person in the school.  It all started with that walk down the street when we passed by Mr. Lee.

This story may not be giving you the “spice” that you’re looking for, I know.  However, I’m not a very spicy person.  I’m a very simple person that has had the opportunity to walk with millionaires and billionaires, the rich and the poor.  I’d like to think that I treat them all the same.  I may be a Vice President in title but I’m that same little boy that walked down the street with my mother and passed by Mr. Lee and didn’t speak.  I now make it a habit to speak to everyone I pass.  I don’t care who they are.  It might be a janitor or it might be a CEO, it doesn’t make a difference who they are or what line of work they’re in.  All people deserve to be acknowledged.

You may be looking for some secret to how I’ve gotten to where ever you feel that is.  I don’t really have any secrets.  Education and having as much schooling as you can get should be the icing on the cake.  Having a great work ethic should be second nature.  You have to dot all the I’s and cross all the t’s but that’s just the beginning.  People still make the world go around.  My life has been story book by a lot of standards.  But, my standards have always been high.  I’ve held myself to a very high standard.  I trust that you will do the same with yourself.

I wrote a book that’s been published and the title is “Believe to Achieve, See the Invisible and Do the Impossible.”  The inspiration for writing the book came from when I transferred schools and went to the new school.  My ninth grade English teacher told me that I was a good writer.  She told me she’d take my writing home and read them to her mother.  I never forgot that.  When I decided to write a book, I did so because Nancy Knewstep told me I was a great writer.  I played basketball because the first person to see my play was the person who became my high school coach.  He told me one day that if I listened to everything he told me I could be just like the Big “O” (for those of you who don’t know, The Big “O” was Oscar Robertson who is the only player in the NBA to ever average a triple double for a season).  I went on to become an All-American and it paid my way to college and I got drafted by the pros.  Those words rang in my ears, “If you listen”.  Are you listening?  If you’re nice enough and listen who knows where you may end up!

About today’s guest blogger, Howard “H” White:

Howard “H” White was a star basketball player in high school and a standout point guard for the University of Maryland.  He was an NBA draft pick until knee injuries put a stop to his basketball career.  Undaunted, “H” put his skills to other use, eventually finding his way to Nike, Inc.  Now vice president of the Jordan Brand, he has been with the company for twenty-five years.  With Nike’s support, he founded the “Believe to Achieve” program, an innovative traveling seminar designed to encourage youth to believe in themselves and adults to mentor them.  A tremendous, charismatic public speaker, White’s passion and excitement for live moves adults and children alike.

*** Questions for Self Assessment ***

1. What inspires you?

2. What can you learn from Mr. White’s story?

3. Mr. White often tells stories of how others may see things in you that you cannot or have not seen in yourself, much like his 9th grade English teacher and high school basketball coach.  Do you think that might be the case with you?

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