Interviews
Meet Nehemiah Davis, He’s Helping Philly Step Into Greatness One Entrepreneur at a Time
Meet Nehemiah Davis, He’s Helping Philly Step Into Greatness One Entrepreneur at a Time
When you think motivational speakers figures such as the cerebral Tony Robbins, the straight talking Gary Vaynerchuk or the soulful advice of Eric Thomas. However, in the trenches of the rough and tumble streets of West Philadelphia one name continues to emerge. With many of the same parallels of the internationally known names such as being a philanthropist, author and community warrior, Nehemiah Davis is the next in succession. A self-made serial entrepreneur, Nehemiah has been busy motivating his city as well as laying out the blueprint for like minded individuals looking to chase their dreams.
We caught up with Nehemiah Davis at his brand new facility The FouNDation in West Philly as he was holding court for his monthly Small Business Saturdays event. Comprising of local start-ups and aspiring moguls, the collective of talent created a buzz and energy that could be felt as soon as you walked through the door. As Nehemiah made his rounds from table to table engaging with the small bizz owners, you couldn’t help but recognize this was what he was born to do. “The Small Business Saturdays was created solely to get entrepreneurs out here, to get them started. If they’re new to business or if they’re seasoned in business to keep them going. I just want to encourage and inspire people to be great and literally start,” a passionate Nehemiah states. Comprising of everything from home made candles to hand crafted bowties to apparel and more, the display of merchandise and services literally transformed the room into a multi-faceted bazaar full of dreams and aspirations.
As a serial entrepreneur with several businesses, Nehemiah knows first hand just how unforgiving the process is. While most people envision becoming their own boss for the freedom to create their own hours, they fail to understand that there’s much more to it. “It’s hard. I tell that to people right from the beginning. Entrepreneurship it’s great, you do get freedom but it’s not all about freedom. You’re to be broke. Some days it’s going to be hard work and you’re going to want to quit. The important thing is that you don’t quit because if it was easy everyone would be doing it,” Nehemiah plainly explains. This message is one that he looks to drive home to every person drafting a business plan.
If there was anyone in this room that understood just how tumultuous the road is to financial freedom and breaking the bondage of a 9 to 5, it’s Nehemiah. Having been kicked out of school for disciplinary reasons and fired from countless jobs, Nehemiah knew he was destined for more but struggled to find his purpose. With the encouragement from his mother and a the will power to change his fortune, he forged a mini-empire from literally nothing. Starting off with small businesses then eventually forming LLC’s, Nehemiah has become well versed in the process.
While we continued to discuss his background story and plans to assist aspiring business owners, Nehemiah Davis had his own booth set up. Aside from just verbally cheerleading his mentees to achieve their goals, he has also written a book entitled “Step Into Greatness.” It has become a vital tool to everyone who’s purchased it. As we listened to testimonial after testimonial of local entrepreneurs attesting to the the book’s influence in their lives, it didn’t take long to figure out that Nehemiah is poised to share his message on a grander scale. In fact comedian/actor/host Steve Harvey has taken notice of Nehemiah’s accomplishments and dedication to improving the quality of life in his community. Not only was Nehemiah nominated but he also beat out thousands of candidates to win the Steve Harvey’s Good Neighbor Award presented by State Farm. It hasn’t just been the wide-eyed dreamers that Nehemiah has been impacting but also the the everyday folks that call Philadelphia home. Whether it’s feeding the homeless, providing fresh water to Flint, Michigan or back to school drives providing school essentials to disenfranchised kids, Nehemiah knows it’s more than just paying it forward, it’s also about reaching back.
As our interview came to a close the sweet smells of the local favorite jerk chicken stand that was parked outside permeated through the doors. As we walked outside with Nehemiah and continued our banter regarding community outreach, I took a minute to really take in the neighborhood. Looking around the always bustling Lancaster Ave., the pristine facade and welcoming welcoming glass doors of Nehemiah’s FouNDation facility starkly stood-out from the rest of the block. It was only fitting because he was always meant to stand-out
If You’d Like to Donate to the Nehemiah Foundation Click the Link Below
