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April 8, 2022

JeVon McCormick: From Poverty to CEO of Scribe Media

JeVon McCormick: From Poverty to CEO of Scribe Media

JeVon McCormick is an author, speaker, and the CEO of Scribe Media. Scribe Media is a multi-million dollar publishing company that helps entrepreneurs, executives, and experts write, publish, and market their books. Things weren’t always so great for Jevon though–he was born the son of a Black pimp father and a white single mother on welfare.

Poverty, abuse, eviction, and discrimination were a daily part of his life. Jevon worked his way up through corporate at Countrywide Home Loans, but then lost everything when the housing bubble burst, and had to start over again. He met former POZcast guest and legendary writer Tucker Max at Scribe Media when he was looking to write his own autobiography, and the two clicked, eventually leading Jevon to taking over as CEO.

This Episode’s Heavy-hitter’s:

Jevon experienced the lowest of “American poverty” , a distinction that was important to him to make in our conversation. That means as a kid he had to line his hole-riddled shoes with plastic bags to keep the water and snow out, and was forced to resort to the garbage at times for a meal.

After working his way up through corporate with only a GED and a 5th-6th grade reading level, Jevon lost everything in the housing bubble collapse of 2008. He was more comfortable than one might have expected though, with confidence stemming from his experiences as a kid when he learned to survive from nothing.

One of the most important lessons learned from Tucker Max was when he told Jevon he was “the fastest learner he ever met.” Jevon justly considers Tucker a genius, who was Ivy League-educated, and with Jevon’s lack of education changed his perspective on his own ability and talent.

Scribe Media has a tougher hire rate than the acceptance rate at an Ivy League School. They also won’t work with clients who approach them trying to “write a New York Times Bestseller.” Those types of accolades have been and can be achieved, but they can’t be the primary goal. The foremost goal must always be the story told.

One of the most powerful tips Jevon gives to the people he mentors is to show up 30 minutes early, especially for interviews. That way they can stand out and show punctuality, without even touching on their experience level.

For more, please check out www.scribemedia.com

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1:33 - The Origin Story

3:38 - The past Trauma

4:36 - Earliest Childhood Memory of Dad

7:04 - Self Analysis

10:04 - Accountability

11:21 - Course of Action

11:58 - Role Model / Male Figure in Life

13:42 - Countrywide Mortgage

14:29 - Back in 2008 / Mortgage Crisis

17:00 - Bottom Up / Role as CEO

18:19 - Servant Leadership

19:24 - Approach to Hiring

21:12 - Pen on Paper / The Process

23:35 - Learned from Tucker

26:46 - Hire for Character/ Train for Success

29:35 - Being Inquisitive = Natural Problem Solver

30:04 - Culture Fit

33:29 - Letting someone go

35:48 - Books are still a huge part

36:42 - Who should not write a book

38:00 - The secret sauce

39:12 - Giving back

41:13 - What to tell your younger self

42:07 - Single Greatest piece of advice

43:40 - JeVon's North Star