Substantial Man of the Issue – Joshua Burney

Joshua Burney; A product of his environment…”I believe we all have the capacity to be successful.”

Name: Joshua Burney
Age: 23
Hometown: Winston-Salem, NC
Occupation: Student/ Business owner
Education: BS English, East Carolina University

SM: Who is Joshua Burney?

Joshua: I am a young man from Winston-Salem, NC. I like to say I am a product of my environment. Everyone usually assumes that’s a bad thing but it is all about perception. One thing about me is that I am trying to change the world and not just be in it, so I work every moment of the day to not just be a better person but to help others be good people. My motto is simple: Live and do what’s right. Life is meant to be taken seriously and be serious at the same time and gaining balance in that thought and every point of my life is where I am now. I am working to be a family man and this business is helping me get there.

SM: What motivated/sparked you to want to start your own business?

Joshua: It started with a conversation with my mother who has owned businesses over the years. We were sitting at home she said “Josh, you should get into this type of business. There will always be a need for foodservice items and there is a lot of opportunities available.” “Why not?!” I thought to myself. Secretly, ever since I was little I wanted to own my own business. I wanted to be my own boss and this was an opportunity for me to do it.

SM: Tell us a little bit about your business?

Joshua: I am a wholesale/distribution company that focuses on the whole-sale of cutlery kits, paper, and plastic products, disposable foodservice items like aprons, gloves, cleaning supplies, food products such as condiments and baked goods such as loaves of bread, all types of buns and pastries. My target area is governmental entities such as schools, military bases, and prisons.

SM: Do you think it’s harder as a young African American male entrepreneur?

Joshua: Simply, no it is not. I believe we all have the capacity to be successful. If I say that it is harder for me to be a young African American business owner, then, to me, I am saying that I have already started at a disadvantage than others and I am nowhere near disadvantaged. We are all equal just at different stages. I will say it is harder being a young entrepreneur, solely because I attend school and other things pulling me, so finding the time to complete business work becomes a challenge at times. Also, going into meetings with potential clients, who are older, I am given the look of “what is this young kid doing here?” But I embrace the challenge and prove that I can grow, survive, and thrive in this ever-changing business world. At the end of the day, we are all trying to live, whether you are African American, Caucasian, Latino, Italian, etc.

SM: Who are some of your mentors/people that inspire you?

Joshua: My mother, Evelyn Burney, is one. Not only because she is my mother, but because of her strength, knowledge, and wisdom as a human being and her efforts to impart those same attributes into me daily. Another is Eric Barnes, owner of Young Vision Barbershop, who just moved to a new building on Evans Street. Issac Blount, the owner of Enriched Taxes and other businesses. Bishop TC Daniels, Bishop of Power of His Presence Ministries on the corner of 11th and Forbes. All three of these men have shown me the possibilities of reaching your dreams and more. They are an example of hard work, maturity, family, and the idea of “keeping life simple.”

SM: What advice would you give to other young minorities that look to become entrepreneurs?

Joshua: Just do it! The concept is simple. As I continue to learn, there is nothing in this world that I cannot do. And given, as we all know there will be big and small challenges along the way, don’t stress them, stay focused, they are meant to try to distract you and test you. If God gives you an idea, run with it, for it will work out. You are already given everything you need to reach your goals and overcome every challenge along the way; you just have to believe that you do. While understanding that the road is long, be patient. You will lose sleep, miss meals, but you must continue to ask yourself, “How bad do you want it?” “Do you believe in what you are dreaming of?” Let it become your magnificent obsession, for then you will never quit. And on the way to the top, be true and honest in ALL dealings and be intentional.

SM: What is your perspective on Success?

Joshua: Success is a personal idea that creates happiness. For example, a woman who owns her own house may believe she is successful because when she was younger her family was homeless. Or the skinny boy who wants to be a starter on the high school football team so he works out every day for two hours, lifting weights and doing drills and gets the starting position. Success, in some instances, is the desired quota.

SM: If there was one thing you could change about our younger generations’ perception on success what would it be?

Joshua: That success has nothing to do with money. For some reason, we place a correlation between the amount of money one has and how successful one is. But that is not true. If a young girl gets pregnant in high school, drops out, and then goes back to school, gets her diploma, and then goes to college, is she unsuccessful because she does not have tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in her bank account? She worked at what she believed in was best for her and put her heart into. Joshua where do you see yourself and your company in the next 5-10 years? I would like to have contracts with a university and a hospital and have employed at least 10 people. Everything else, I’m keeping a secret.