TELLING OUR STORY Atlanta Business League Podcasts

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This episode of ABL DUOs actually aired during one of the Atlanta Business League's signature events, the Super Tuesday conference, in 2021.  The event is the largest gathering of Black business and professionals in the United States. It is an all day conference that has several segments and this Q&A session ran as a 45 minute broadcast.  

The two women who are a part of today's podcast are mold breaking icons in Atlanta, GA.   Monica Pearson is the first African American woman to anchor an evening newscast for a local network affiliate television station.   Leah Ward Sears is the first Black woman in the United States to hold the position of  a state Chief  Supreme Court Justice. 

Monica retired from her television news on air position and Justice Sears is now in private practice.    But both women share their life stories, both professionally and personally, with passion and honesty. 

This is broadcast is presented in honor of Women's History Month. 

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Karen I. Duckett founded , one of Atlanta’s most respected architecture, planning and interior design firms in the metro area, Duckett Design Group.   Her company has executed  projects totaling more than $1.8 billion in construction costs creating  3 million square feet of space. 

She was the joint venture partner for the design of the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, a 1.2 million sq. ft., $1.3 billion project.  Her contract for that project was  the largest awarded to an African American woman owned design firm in the world. 

In addition to blazing trails in her chosen field,  she further enhanced her skills by earning a Juris Doctor of Law degree from Woodrow Wilson College of Law.  She also holds a Masters in Urban Studies from Yale University/Occidental College and a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Ohio University. Her registrations include Designer-Georgia, AIA- Associate, IBD, CCID and IIDA. She is married, the mother of three and a grandmother. 

But beyond all of the accomplishments is the story of a woman who wouldn't give up on her dream career even though she was ahead of her time in her choice of occupations.  This is a story about the type of determination it takes to succeed. 

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Atlanta Business League Duos interviews two African American professionals from Atlanta, GA about one topic.  

This  episode for the series talks to Daryll Harris Griffin and her son, Michael Griffin, Jr.  Their story as Black business entrepreneurs starts with Daryll's grandfather, J.E. Jordan, born in 1888.  This podcast introduces Jordan's accomplishments  and those of Jordan's daughter, Narvie,  nicknamed the Black  School Superintendent of DeKalb County, GA.
  
Daryll also tells her own story of entrepreneurial success. She explains how she left corporate America and started a promotional products company, while her husband left a corporate position to start a plastics company.  

Their son concludes the family's business narrative  with tales of his personal success that loop through the world of collegiate sports.  He leaves college in the Midwest, comes back to Atlanta, Ga and graduates from  one of  the most prestigious Black male private colleges in the United States. 

He is now a father of two sons and his interview ends talking about his hopes for their future.  

This is the second of twelve podcast episodes showcasing Black business owners in Atlanta, GA where two people share perspectives on one topic.  This series is a part of the Atlanta Business League's official 90th anniversary celebration. 

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Thomas W. Dortch, Jr. spends 30 minutes explaining how his leadership as a student at a Georgia HBCU launched his career into politics.   His political experiences ultimately helped him become a successful businessman.  Dortch also provides an unique perspective on how his life was impacted by the  municipal power dynamics shaped through race relations in his home town of Toccoa, GA.

Thomas W. Dortch, Jr. is the founder of TWD-Inc. which is the umbrella company for six separate firms based in Atlanta, GA.  He has been a successful entrepreneur for 29 years.   He has chaired the Atlanta Business League on three separate occasions and has spent more than ten years leading the 100 Black Men of America, Inc. 

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In this episode of ABL DUOs husband and wife, Dave and Karla Moody talk about topics you don't normally hear on a program about African American business ownership.  

Dave owns a construction company, based in Atlanta, GA,  that has generated $3 billion in projects. He bluntly  explains the obstacles he and his wife faced when they started his firm out of necessity.  But he also  has talks about  the  30 years he spent  fighting debilitating anxiety attacks triggered by one single incident.  He discusses how he first ignored, then hid and finally acknowledged the impact his personal struggles had on his business.   

Karla, a retired hospice nurse, has been married to Dave for more than 40 years.   She tells the story  of her husband's success from the perspective of a family member who understands how hard it is to run a business and fight mental illness.    She shares an amazing story about how  contributions of healing and support made a big difference in the bottom line and growth of the family business. 

This couple is dynamic, informative, surprising and very frank.  

This is the first of twelve stories from Black business duos and is exclusively part of the Atlanta Business League's 90th Anniversary celebration.