Big Sean shares business advice in student program: What he said about entrepreneurship

There's a quote that Big Sean uses when it comes to advice: "Another day above ground is a win already."

That's the attitude the Detroit rapper wants today's young adults to share −especially when it comes to starting a business and getting ahead.

"You always have to keep the mindset that anything above that is just sprinkles on top, you know what I mean? Anything above that is a win," said Big Sean, who spoke recently to 60 students from historically Black colleges and universities at Moguls in the Making, a pitch competition sponsored by Ally Financial in partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

The program has been hosted in virtually, in Detroit, and in Charlotte, which is where it was held this year from Sept. 6-10. This year North Carolina A&T State University took home the win of the competition, with each student winning a $20,000 scholarship, a paid internship at Ally and more prizes. Every student leaves the program with at least a $1,000 scholarship.

The program helped Andre Wilkes figure out what he wanted to do with his career. Wilkes, who is a Detroit native, a graduate of Howard University and a master's student at the University of Southern California, originally wanted to be a lawyer. Now he’s studying business.

“It really did redirect my career path because it showed me this aspect of using the private sector through a social lens or for a social good for a community to produce community aid,” said Wilkes.

Here are few questions with Big Sean about the program and his future plans, edited for brevity:

Question: It’s the fifth year of the Moguls in the Making program. What do you feel is the impact of this program so far?

Answer: I mean the impact of it is pretty prevalent and evident. And every year, I just feel like − when I see and get a chance to be face-to-face with these students who just − they really are looking to just be excellent. And to see them go forward. It's really been a pleasure seeing the ones who have graduated, and done the program and what they continue to do on and carry on ideas of the pillars of what moguls in the making really is, which is entrepreneurship, thinking on the leading edge of development and teamwork. And also just not following the script, you know what I'm saying. Like writing their own script, on their own path, their own way. So, there's been a lot of highlights over the last five years and a lot of great things. And I'm just excited to keep it going because I know how much it means, not just to them, but it just means to me. Just ancestral. I feel like my ancestors are proud of us, so it’s just important to keep that spirit and that love in there.

Q. As an entrepreneur yourself, what is the most important thing that you have learned during your business journey?

A. Not to be attached to any outcome. And just know that you already won just the fact that you get to do something, just that, you know what I mean? ...

I saw this quote the other day, and it was talking about − we forget that another day above ground is a win already. And it really is. So the fact that we get to create something, right, which is, to me, the most spiritual thing, the most productive thing you could do is just to create, and to come up with the idea and execute something. ...

So I think that's one of the mindsets that we get confused about with the unrealistic expectations of society, is like, you're already winning. First and foremost, you're just winning by being here. So I think that when we keep that in mind and take the comparisons away, to me, that has been one of the biggest lessons I learned in my journey as just a man, a businessman, an entertainer, is that you’re on your own path and you’re your own person. You’re the best at being you. That’s one of the main themes of my new album – is just encouraging to be yourself.

Q: So you were just in Detroit for DON Weekend, you won your first Emmy for your work with the Pistons, and now you’re visiting students in this program. What’s next in Big Sean’s world?

A: Man, just me put my new album together, like putting the final touches on that. And I'm also working on a couple other projects that I'm just really excited about, as well. So I'm definitely going to be making some major offerings to my fans, to the world, to my haters, to any and everybody.

But above the music, just other ways to help uplift, to help inspire, to help lay down the lessons that I've learned and things that I've gone through. And just maybe help the next person out, or maybe help people out who are trying to figure out the next phase of their life, they feel like they're at all or they're at a ceiling, and how to break through that − or at least how I broke through mine. So just giving people like tips and tools of how to be their highest self. So that's one of my next missions and things for the next year.

And also just being a dad, too. I've been really taking the time off to enjoy that because it goes so fast. It's like, you see him like develop every day, my son, so you can't really miss out on that either. So I've been really, really enjoying him being a little baby and just like, growing up, it's crazy to watch. And it’s beautiful.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Big Sean shares advice to students about entrepreneurship