‘I’ll never make that mistake again.’ Stephen A. Smith shares wisdom at Black Professional Summit

Many people forget that Stephen A. Smith was fired from the Philadelphia Inquirer in 2009.

Granted, it’s a rather minor blip in a career that includes being the face of ESPN, a New York Times bestselling author and even a recurring character on “General Hospital.” And although Smith was eventually reinstated after a lengthy arbitration, the experience taught him a valuable lesson: the power of language.

“When you speak their language, whoever they are,” Smith said to the hundreds gathered inside the spacious ballroom in Hollywood, Florida, “they have no choice but to accept it because it’s a language they promote.”

And just who is they?

“Whoever the hell has the money,” he quipped.

Smith delivered the keynote address Friday afternoon during the ninth annual Black Professional Summit at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Held Nov. 9-12, the conference brings together the chapters of the Black Professional Network, a nonprofit that seeks to equip professionals of African descent with the tools and relationships necessary to build generational wealth. The theme of the 2023 symposium was “MVP: Mastery, Value, Performance,” a concept that Smith personified, according to BPN founder and CEO Kenasha Paul.

“Stephen A. embodies so much of the makeup of our members who hold several roles: they are professionals who own businesses and have different investment vehicles,” Paul told the Miami Herald. “He hit on so much of the things we want people to walk away with in that you do have to have that MVP mindset, but part of that is mastery, value, performance in your professional and personal lives.”

For nearly an hour, Smith wowed the crowd with words of wisdom that can only come from someone who has mastered their craft. The Queens native has spent more than 30 years in the field of sports journalism, after all.

“As a Black man growing up in the streets of New York City, I’m lucky to be here,” the “First Take” host said, praising his mother and four older sisters who surrounded him with “love regardless of the challenges that came our way.”

“I expected success but I’d be lying if I expected this.”

On the topic of work ethic, he was firm.

“You got to make sure that you produce for the people who are paying you first,” Smith said.

On the topic of negotiation, he was shrewd.

“Instead of bloviating about what I’m worth, I don’t have to say a word,” Smith said. “All I have to do is pull out the folder and show you the numbers.”

On the topic of ownership, he was infatuated – in part because it helped him become a better negotiator.

“Hire people that have access to data to give you the intel to bolster your knowledge about your business,” Smith said. “That’s why I love being an owner: because you don’t get to hide it as easily. Now you have to deal with the fact that I have more access to more intel than I ever had before.”

Part of what made Smith’s enthusiasm especially genuine was his revelation that his production company, Mr. SAS, Inc., will be opening its first studio in New Jersey by month’s end. The goal, he said, will be to produce content not just about sports but pop culture, politics and entertainment as well. As television viewership continues to decline amid the growth of streaming services and social media, Smith wants to stay ahead of the curve.

“I pay attention to the landscape,” Smith said. The Stephen A. Smith Show was Mr. SAS’s first offering prior to the release of his memoir “Straight Shooter; A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes.”

“What I wanted to do was show – not just as an executive producer but as a talent who’s an executive producer who’s also a small business owner – that I can do all of this on my own.”

And as far as his ’09 firing is concerned, it’s safe to say the ordeal likely fueled his foray into ownership.

“Don’t ever feel like you’ve arrived,” Smith said. “That was the mistake I made: believing that I was house money, I was good, I was straight and I had nothing to worry about. That was far from the truth. And I’ll never make that mistake again.”