174. Wil Shelton. The Silent Agreement.
Wil Shelton
July 29, 2021
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“Black executives inadvertently make silent agreements to be content with less, to not fight for what they deserve, and to fully support the demands of the corporate administration even when those demands conflict with their own community, culture, and conscious. Those who comply with these unwritten contracts with corporate America almost always find out the hard way that the other side hasn’t signed.”
– Wil Shelton, The Silent Agreement: An Illusion of Inclusion in Black Corporate America: HOW to FIGHT with CONVICTION and AVOID BROKEN PROMISES (2021)
Wil Shelton is the founder of Wil Power Integrated Marketing, a global marketing agency that leverages the unique culture of salons and barbershops to build a bridge between today’s brands and hard-to-reach multiracial consumers. He is also the author of the just released book, The Silent Agreement: An Illusion of Inclusion in Black Corporate America: HOW to FIGHT with CONVICTION and AVOID BROKEN PROMISES
Today we’re speaking to Wil Shelton about his book, how boxing provides an instructive metaphor for the challenges that black executives face and concrete actions black executives and their allies can take to combat the day-to-day racism found in corporate America.
Topics include:
How to recognize when a ‘silent agreement’ and how to avoid getting tangled up in one.
The ways to keep your focus on your fight for success and not have it devolve into a fight for survival.
Why getting a higher degree might not be as important to your career as finding a mentor and building a professional network.
How to assess promotion opportunities and avoid being put onto the ‘black track’.
Why taking the leap into entrepreneurship could add years to your life.
Wil Shelton is the driving force behind his company’s full range of traditional and digital marketing services, including business development and creative strategy.
Under his direction, the agency designs and executes targeted campaigns to authentically connect emerging and global brands to the beauty industry to reach highly targeted, multicultural audiences.
He was led to develop his unique approach as a result of his own experiences as a salon owner and hairstylist. He recognized the cultural importance of salons and the untapped opportunity they presented.
Today, Wil boasts a vast network of over 100,000 African-American salons and barbershops nationwide, giving his clients the ability to reach over 100 million consumers annually. As more and more brands set up multicultural departments, Shelton is able to provide them with a proven roadmap for success.
Click here to purchase the book.
Learn more about Wil Shelton & Wil Power Integrated Marketing: