I am going to be quick because I am trying out this new thing, “don’t do anything that will make you dislike yourself.” Let’s cut to the chase: Life with Ken as of this article has made no money. In fact I’m in the hole if you think about it. Now, let’s move on to something more interesting, likeability.
In other business reviews I have taken the time to paint a picture of a scenario. That scenario revolves around the reason I do this work and my struggles with profitability. You can read any previous business review if you would like those details in depth. I’m not inclined right now to re-hash what is one of the more glaring issues with my brand. I’m a black man. I’m a straight black man. I’m a straight black man with no support. I am a straight black man with no support who is also a christian. For one reason or another certain individuals don’t like me. The problem with certain individuals not liking me is, i’d randomly guess, 3 out of 5 people seem to be akin to those certain individuals and those certain individuals tend to occupy a place of privilege where they could help me if they wanted to, they just don’t want to, because i’m a straight black man with no support, who is a christian who can sometimes come off as intimidating and who likes it that way.
Since I’ve moved to Austin I can tell you about how when I was working for a company and they flew me to Las Vegas but I almost didn’t make it because I was late to the airport and went in the wrong line, and when I asked if I could cut this white man at the front of the line he didn’t want to help me. But, he had the nerve to tell me that I didn’t have to take my belt off for the TSA. I could tell you about my landlord who looked me in the eye and said that she has helped a white woman stay in her apartment when she was late a couple months but she is unwilling to extend the same courtesy to me, even though I am standing right in front of her with my back rent in my hand. I could tell you about how at this same job as before, I go on vacation, come back, and find out my co-worker got a promotion which is fine and dandy, but when I ask about what is required for me to get a promotion all of a sudden my managers don’t speak english and are unsure about how the promotion structure works. I could tell you about this other employer who let me go because I wanted Juneteenth off, a federal holiday.
They had the nerve to tell me that they don’t take holidays because they are an essential business, but we were just off two weeks ago for memorial day and as a wage worker I wanted the business to be essential that day because if I don’t work I don’t get paid. And most recently Get Your Mind Right, which is celebrating its one year anniversary at the time of publishing this article, was snubbed in a book contest, making it to the final round not once, not twice, but basically six times, and losing in the final round because of nuance. What nuance? I can tell you about how I basically went bankrupt running around in the streets of New York trying to become a financial planner on commission only. I maxed out two credit cards. All of this is likeability. I haven’t succeeded because for one reason or another there is some gatekeeper somewhere standing in between me and some money saying well if you were white or somehow less offensive then maybe I would do business with you.
I’ve arrived at the point in the article where if I keep going I will begin to dislike myself so here we go with the good news: I am happy with the trajectory Life with Ken is currently on. I am going to work on my likability in a way that makes sense because it’s a stupid barometer. At the end of the day likability is subjective and I don’t want to compete with subjectivity. I would rather be true to myself than to be someone else. You see, I’ve tried being someone else and it didn’t work. The first time I tried being someone else/someone i’m not, was with my family. We don’t like each other (these feelings don’t fully apply to my whole family). I feel like I love them more than is reciprocated, but regardless, they were the first people not to like me. And if your family doesn’t like you how can you expect other people to do so? So I’m up shits creek. If my future depends on someone deciding they like me enough to give me a chance I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’m tired of praying, that’s for sure. Okay, I’m not in a good place so this article is done.
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