Meet Jimmy Hart | Author, Coach, Trainer, Speaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jimmy Hart and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jimmy, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I have always valued the idea of owning a business. I like the idea of providing a product or service that adds value or addresses a need in some way. Starting a business was something I picked up while in Junior high school. I recall riding the bus to and from school, and one of the stops was near a convenience store. What became clear is that my schoolmates liked candy. So, I decided to use my lunch money from home to buy candy when going to the store with my parents. Once I got to school, I would sell the candy I purchased to friends. I did not know it at the time, but I was applying the concept of supply and demand.

While in college, I started a software company with one of my professors. We created multicultural software back in the 90’s before such products became mainstream and before the internet became popular. We created our product because of the lack of access to information and information technology regarding people from diverse backgrounds and cultures. Back then you would have to go to a university library to find such information, so we created a product for schools so that students and educators would have the information at their fingertips.

My experience in elementary school, and in college, always stayed with me and I knew one day I would start a business that focused on enhancing how we as people interact with each other. My current business has come out of a necessity to add to how we interact with each other and add to the frameworks on how we implement and apply diversity work within organizations and schools. I realized, while serving as an education leader, I was already using the skills needed to coach and train others in building community and strengthening how we interact and have a good relationship with each other. Another reason for starting a business was to have a greater impact and help and serve more people.

What should our readers know about your business?
Having served in education and education leadership for the past 31 years, it has been a new, exciting, and at times, challenging learning experience working as a full-time business owner. From developing a professional website, to managing time, to creating content, and everything from A – Z that goes with pursuing an entrepreneurial passion. What helps in these initial stages of running a business is a focus on purpose. One of the big lessons I’ve learned is that running a business requires a team – whether it be having folks in your corner to motivate you, mentors, those willing to share time saving tips, and taking advantage of business development resources, it requires continued connections and collaboration. The key is to not go at it alone.

We are in our first year of full-time entrepreneurship and it is going well. Hart Global Industries slogan is “We do leadership and diversity training different.” We are an Author, Coach, Trainer, Speaker (A.C.T.S.) business. Our framework is international. How we implement our framework was requested reading by Nelson Mandela, the late Sandra Day O’ Connor, and used by Harvard College of Education. What makes our brand different is that we believe DEI work begins with R.A.I. – Respect, Affirmation, and Inclusion. We’ve seen and experienced people across our nation divide because of language discourse and lack of understanding, and in many cases, a lack of willingness to understand. Whether it be from past historical trauma, or fear of the unknown, or even fear of being vulnerable to the unknown, collectively, we’ve experienced and witnessed divisiveness. Because of it, we start with Respect, Affirmation, and Inclusion. If I want and believe I deserve these three words (respect, affirmation, inclusion), why would I not want the same for my friend, neighbor, colleague, children, and family? If you don’t believe me, talk with a few five-year-olds. They may not articulate the words, but they know when their teachers and adults respect them, affirm them, and include them. We encourage anyone wanting to learn more about our framework, our eight habits designed to live out R.A.I., and how R.A.I. can come to life in their organization and community, to please reach out and connect.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We are fortunate to have great weather and sunshine close to three hundred days out of the year. For our friends traveling from the North, Midwest, and East coast, there’s nothing like driving up to Mt. Lemmon this time of year, playing in the snow wearing big coats and gloves, and then driving back down to put on a pair of shorts and t-shirt. Tumamoc Hill is always a fun time especially when a few deer are nearby while you work your way to the top. We must go to Old Tucson to give our friends a taste of the old west, Mission San Xavier del Bac, and a visit to the University of Arizona to tour one of the newest museums – the African American Museum of Southern Arizona – it is a special place. We’d have to eat at Tumerico for some amazing veggie Mexican Food, Ken’s Harwood Barbeque, and dinner one night at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar. Of course, eegee’s, El Guero Canelo, and Chef Brian’s Comfort Kitchen will be on the menu. And if our friends are leaving on a Sunday evening, we’d make a stop at Rising Star Baptist Church for service.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First, my parents, wife, and family deserve the greatest shoutout. However, there is a book that I wrote titled, Equipped to Serve: Empowered People, Empower Others. In the book I highlight several individuals who have made an impact on me, whether over my lifetime, or in the last 10 years. Each person represents a characteristic in the word Equipped. I’d like to take time to highlight them: E = Empower Others – Desiree Cook of I Am You 360 represents the timeless principle of empowering others through her tireless work to support youth who have aged out of foster care; Q = Quality Time – my mother, Margaret Hart, recently celebrated 54 years of marriage with my father, is the epitome of quality time, she always made sure we sat down and ate dinner together; U = Unselfishness – Fred and Tiffany Lux of Arizona Titans Track Club has helped a thousand plus athletes; I = Inspire Others – Trehon Cockrell-Coleman of A Better Community exudes inspiration daily; P = Positivity – Sabrina Valles (Mejia) is the most positive person I’ve ever met, she serves as an administrative assistant in a Tucson school; P = People-Centered – my wife Regina Hart is a State Farm Insurance Agent who serves her clients with love and serves in the Tucson community, and my better half; E = Example – my father Dwight Hart is the best example of a father and man that I know. He has preached kindness all my life, and D = Develop Others – my mentor Clifton L. Taulbert, pushed me to write and is the creator of the framework and methodology I use to train others on building strong schools and business communities. The framework is R.A.I. (c) – Respect, Affirmation, and Inclusion. When you take time to think about it, our world will be a much better place if we all practiced getting better at respecting, affirming, and including others. It doesn’t matter if you are six, forty-six, or eight-six, we all want to be respected, affirmed, and included. Equipped to serve is in my DNA and Spreading R.A.I. (c) is a big part of why I started a business. Much of who I am and what I have become is highlighted in the timeless principles lived out by the people I mentioned above. Empowered People, Empower Others.

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