| For me, the idea came full circle this week while talking business with comedian Roy Wood Jr. on The Enterprise Zone. If you’re not familiar with Wood Jr., he’s a CNN late-night host of the show Have I Got News For You and a former correspondent on The Daily Show. Do you want a quick laugh? When Wood Jr. was 17, having just graduated from high school in Birmingham, Alabama, he worked at a Subway franchise. Back then, they were growing in popularity and rapidly expanding throughout urban and rural America. Working as a shift leader, Wood Jr. calculated the franchise owner was bringing in about $300,000. After conducting further research, Wood Jr. estimated that he needed approximately $70,000 to start a franchise. That investment would have surely made him a millionaire in his twenties. However, his mother, Joyce, torched the idea. The funny thing is, years later, while hungry she casually asked him to go grab her a Subway sandwich. From the very same chain she vetoed. The irony? She didn’t just kill his shot at early millions—she made him go back and buy the dream… with extra pickles. The missed opportunity in franchising haunts Wood Jr. “It’s a family of bad investments,” he jokes. Additionally, Wood Jr. also discusses his two baseball documentaries. One features Major League Baseball. The other features HBCU baseball programs and follows the comedian visiting four schools to chat about the sport. I’m a huge baseball fan and advocate for increasing the number of Black youth participating in the sport. So, I’m intrigued to watch. However, I’m also a supporter of come-up stories. And Wood Jr. is that. Asked to describe his career, which started at age 19, in one word: “Grateful,” Wood Jr. says. Comedy, “is something I did to deal with depression – I just wanted to be funny enough to get on Showtime at the Apollo. That’s all I wanted. And I got the Apollo.” Be sure to watch the entire interview with Roy Wood Jr. You’ll laugh, maybe cry, but as always, walk away informed. Ending this week’s byline by requesting your help. Next week, I’ll be in New Orleans to host the Airport Minority Advisory Council (AMAC) 40th anniversary business conference. The annual gathering convenes top CEOs of major airports throughout the U.S., including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Denver International. My job will be to moderate a panel of five CEOs discussing the challenges of the aviation industry and their vision for the future. If you could question the CEO of a major airport, what would you ask? Email me at Jyoung@Forbes.com. I may work your question into the conversation – with credit, of course. My One Interesting Read: How Artificial Intelligence Is Learning To Escape Human Control, by The Wall Street Journal.
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