Life is About The Give Back

It’s all about the give back -Geno Evans

I spent Saturday morning as a master painter (self proclaimed since 10am) cleaning up graffiti as part of Comcast Cares day. I didn’t even plan on posting this but I thought about Geno Evans, a Memphis hair stylist and legend in his own right, and felt compelled to share. 

I met Geno during my internship at James Davis in Laurelwood (circa 2012? 2013?). He was shopping in the men’s department talking to Zebelum Rushing, a wardrobe consultant at the company.  As an intern, I worked the entire store often interacting with clients, whether they were shopping in the women’s, men’s or jewelry department. 

During Geno’s visit, I spoke to him and learned of his background. He had been a hairstylist long before I was born, working for major labels such as Mizani, Revlon, Calvin Klein, etc. His resume was the real deal and he even had pictures to prove it. We had a great discussion about his life and work. He knew that I was interested in pursuing a career in fashion and offered tis on networking and motivation to succeed. But through it all, he wanted to drive home one point: Life is about the give back.

I know you’re reading this and wondering, “the give back”? Don’t you mean giving back? Yes, yes he did. But, “the give back” has a ring to it, right? Right.

The Give Back is about remembering where you come from. The Give Back is about pouring into others, the same way that someone poured into you. The Give Back is to show that we are not alone: we are not an island. If you’re in a position to help another person by providing wisdom and time, do it. You never know what effect you will have on people by simply giving back.

His message came full circle for me on Saturday. I’m not from Detroit, but I live here. I consume energy and space in Detroit. As a citizen of this city, it’s my duty to help and give when I’m able. Yes, it might seem inconveniencing at times, but has anyone ever thought about the people who are inconvenienced daily because they live in poverty? I live a privileged life, and I’m grateful for that. As I end this post, I’ll leave you with this one thought.

On your quest for success, don’t forget to help others in any capacity that you can.

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