Today we’d like to introduce you to Nahjee Grant.
Hi Nahjee, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I failed the ninth grade at Lower Merion High School and was in danger of not graduating from my class.
My mom tried her best to get through to me and do better. “She said, ‘Do you want to be the cool smart kid or the cool dumb kid?’ My dad usually tried to have me think about the bigger picture and think about how I can’t have a bright future if I’m not focused on the present, and he encouraged me to stay focused. I was given an ultimatum by my principal that if I passed all of my classes in the first half of the school year, I would be allowed to continue the rest of the year in 10th grade. But if I failed another class, I’d have to remain in 9th.”
I learned that your actions and inaction have consequences and that to take full advantage of a second chance if you’re lucky enough to get one.
After high school, I studied part-time at Villanova University for Business Administration and for one-and-a-half years at Montgomery County Community College for Entrepreneurship and Communications. I worked at numerous jobs, including delivering pizza, cashier, detailing cars, and the late night shift at a 24/7 health club.
It was a story writing course when I was a senior in high school that was the sparkplug that propelled me to start writing children’s books to encourage kids to avoid the mistakes that almost derailed my own future.
Over the years I’ve published over 15 books and visited close to 100 schools/organizations speaking to audiences of all ages on the topics of perseverance, dreaming big, and creating the life you want.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The biggest obstacle throughout my journey has been my own mindset, which I have to constantly update and expand as I go along.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a children’s author for 10 years, having published a total of 20 books. “I decided to pursue becoming an author in 2009 because we need more people of color telling stories that not only represent their own background and culture but can appeal to other groups as well through universal messages.”
Outside of my books, I’m actually most known for my extensive community work with my nonprofit, World Was Made For You, Inc. Over the past 10 years the organization has donated over 300,000 books and 50,000 school supplies. Nothing sets me apart from others, which is what I share with audiences during my presentations, anyone can do what I do, with purpose, passion, and intention.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Keep going no matter the circumstances and learn to adjust. During the first lockdowns, I had to learn to adjust to online learning for the schools I teach our curriculum in.
In the Spring of 2021, I opened my first retail store, and in August of that year opened another storefront in the neighboring town.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nahjeegrant.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/nahjeegrant
- Facebook: facebook.com/iamnahjee
