379 | You’re in Business to Win with Dr. John E. Harmon
What if the true key to both business growth and transformational community impact lies in the power of partnerships and a relentless focus on excellence?
These are just a few of the provocative questions we explored with Dr. John E. Harmon on the latest Awarepreneurs podcast episode, hosted by our very own Paul Zelizer.
Bio: John E. Harmon, Sr. is the Founder, President, and CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey (AACCNJ), the state’s leading organization advocating for Black-owned businesses and economic empowerment. A former chairman of the National Black Chamber of Commerce and a current board member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Harmon has spent more than 27 years building bridges between government, corporate leaders, and entrepreneurs to advance equity and opportunity. He is the host of the award-winning Pathway to Success TV show and The Empowerment Hour radio program, and author of Power Moves: The Life and Legacy of a Black Chamber Executive.
This episode is sponsored by the coaching company of the host, Paul Zelizer. Consider a Strategy Session if you can use support growing your impact business.
Resources mentioned in this episode include:
Transcript of African American Chamber of Commerce Interview with Dr. John E. Harmon
NOTE: While it’s not perfect, we offer this transcript and the below summaries by Castmagic for those who are hearing impaired or who don’t find listening to a podcast enjoyable or possible.
Read the transcript of this episode here.
Key Takeaways in African American Chamber of Commerce Interview with Dr. John E. Harmon
Partnerships and Data-Driven Growth Are Essential for Social Impact
Dr. John E. Harmon emphasizes that social entrepreneurs must be intentional about forming partnerships and consistently analyze their own strengths, weaknesses, and gaps to maximize impact. He highlights how following the data—not just good intentions—led him to expand from a local to a statewide Black Chamber of Commerce, serving broader needs and creating greater opportunities.
"You must always realize that you can't be all things to all people and you're definitely not the best at everything and find those folks that could contribute or hitch to your wagon to make it more effective... If you don't have the data to support it, you must always realize... pay attention to what's going on and not responding accordingly when you see or anticipate that things may be getting off course."
2. Building for Excellence and Value, Not Just Emotion
Harmon advocates for setting aside emotion and focusing on excellence, value, and mutual benefit in business and advocacy. He explains that Black businesses must strategically position themselves as value creators, and that diversity, equity, and inclusion should be understood as a “value imperative” rather than simply a moral appeal.
"For us, diversity, equity and inclusion is about a value imperative... You talk about Elon Musk today who's sending spacecraft up all over the place. He could not, nor could NASA send spacecraft up without the calculation of Katherine Johnson. So sometimes we have to come to these conversations, anticipating adverse perception and push back on them with a solution, with a level of innovation, a level of creativity that's going to be transformational. There's always room... for someone at the table that offers value. Emotion will get you in the room, but it will not retain your seat for long."
3. Integrity, Resilience, and Effective Networking as Keys to Long-Term Success
Throughout his journey, Harmon stresses the necessity of resilient leadership in the face of setbacks, the power of consistently acting with integrity, and the effectiveness of intentional relationship-building. He shares practical advice for networking—like purposefully panning out at events and always following up—to foster connections that drive lasting social and economic change.
"I can't overemphasize networking effectively... Your strategy should be that you pan out four corners of the room and you all gather notes or cards and then you come back together and then you discuss who you met with and cross pollinate or exchange information... And lastly, you got to operate with integrity because at the end of the day, your name is all you got and people will grow and respect you for being a man or woman of your word and your willingness to admit where you might have made a mistake, a step or just wrong. I think people will respect you more in the end."