BIG MEECH & SOUTHWEST T COULD’VE BEEN MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN JEFF BEZOS IF IT WASN’T FOR SYSTEMATIC AND INSTITUTIONAL RACISM: WHY DRUG DEALERS ARE THE BEST ENTREPRENEURS
Disclaimer: I do not advocate illegally dealing drugs. You should comply with your country’s law.
The lessons learned from these illegal acts, however, are valuable when applied to the formal world of business. That’s why I stand by my claim that drug-dealers are the best entrepreneurs ever.
There are many articles on the internet, that agree with and explain my statement above. Instead of just learning from drug-dealers, I want you to view them in a different light. We are not excusing their crimes, but as lot of dealers turn to this crime through bad circumstances. We should try to use their skills for good, rather than letting them carry on causing harm.
Besides, some of the most successful entrepreneurs were once drug-dealers. You have the obvious examples – due to the culture around their art – such as 50 Cent, Master P, and Jay Z. More surprising to some are Tim Allen, Mark Wahlberg, and Idris Elba.
Quick history for those who aren’t familiar with Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory and Terry “Southwest T” Flenory. They began selling $50 bags of cocaine on the streets of Detroit during their high school years in the late 1980s. By 2000, the Flenory brothers had established a large organization overseeing multi-kilogram cocaine distribution sales in numerous U.S. states including Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, and Tennessee. A two-year federal investigation of the Flenory organization estimated its nationwide membership as over 500.
Around 2003, the organization experienced a schism when the Flenory brothers began to feud, with Terry Flenory moving to Los Angeles to head his own organization, while Demetrius Flenory remained at the main distribution center in Atlanta. By 2003, the two had been involved in a major falling out and rarely spoke to one another. In a conversation with his brothers caught by the DEA on wiretap, Terry discussed his worries that his brother Demetrius was bringing the wrong type of attention to their business with his excessive partying. By the time charges were filed against the Flenorys, the government had 900 pages of typed transcripts of wiretapped conversations from Terry’s phone in a 5-month period. In 2005, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) indicted members of the Black Mafia Family, ultimately securing convictions by targeting the Flenory brothers under the Continuing Criminal Enterprise Statute, and both were sentenced to 30 years imprisonment. Prosecutors alleged the Black Mafia Family made over $270 million in the course of their operations.
The takeaway from this tale is what could’ve been of the two brothers with their entrepreneurial spirits and enterprising brains if they had been afforded opportunities that weren’t available to black men in the poverty-stricken and crime-riddle 1980s Detroit. What would be of the brothers if they graduated from Princeton University and worked on Wall Street in the 80s like Jeff Bezos?
For more on the brothers real-life tale you can catch BMF on STARZ Based on the true-life story of Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory and Terry “Southwest T” Flenory, the popular series explores the brothers’ complex relationships with both their parents and each other as they fight to expand their narcotics business and continue their pursuit of the American dream.
The second season premiered Friday, January 6 2023 on Starz, but you can stream the first episode of the new season (“Family Dinner”) right now on Starz.com and the Starz app. If you’re not a current subscriber, both Hulu and Amazon offer free trials, and Starz is offering a special deal for the first month of service.
If you a want direct street-to-CEO story, look at Coss Marte who founded ConBody. After serving time in prison for dealing, he used his experience working out in prison – due to the threat of high cholesterol killing him – to open his own studio. He now hires ex-offenders to teach his fitness classes in his studio.
I am not advocating their actions, but consider the talent missed if you turned down some of these people on the sole basis of them being convicted for drug dealing. There are plenty of student drug-dealers out there at the moment, who are as talented as those prementioned, that could really shine if given the proper opportunity.
Let’s look through some of the reasons that drug-dealers are the best entrepreneurs
- No advertising
Drug-dealers can’t run a paid ad on Facebook. Even just posting “Anyone want any drugs?” on social media is extremely risky, never mind it being solid evidence for the authorities. They are stuck in this paradox where they have to advertise privately.
There are sites on the Dark Web that let you advertise products such as drugs, but these sites have been reported to be scams. Nevertheless, the intricate detail and effort to conceal identity and protect yourself on these sites is far more than a legal business would ever need to.
A drug-dealer operates predominately through networking. Trust is a huge factor when dealing drugs due to the high risk, and therefore, you need to develop trust with customers really quickly. These dealers are great at connecting with people and securing a deal.
2. Product first
In the world of drugs, product is the most vital aspect of the business. If it ain’t good enough, your customer ain’t coming back. It is as simple as that. That’s why they spend time sourcing suppliers that are trustworthy and can produce quality.
Again, this is all about networking. In a vastly competitive world (see next point!), you want to be the first and, where possible, the only person getting the best product on the market. This requires building rapport and delivering results for your suppliers.
This also requires huge insight into the customer’s demand. Whilst you may believe your product is the best, it may not be what consumers want. Dealers need to be informed and study trends, otherwise they will go out of business very quickly.
3. Competition is a bit tougher
Competitors for any business is a pain in the neck. They step on your toes and you get so riled that you just wish they never existed so your life was easier. In the drug world, this actually happens. Step on someone else’s turf, steal someone’s customer, and you may end up dead.
There’s two ways you can find out about your competition:
- You use your network to find out about them and where they operate
2. They let you know who they are and make sure you don’t step on their turf.
This doesn’t mean that dealers adhere to the competitor’s will. To act against them, they make a calculated judgement based on the data in front of them. They do their research and decide what is the best way for them to move forward for their business – even if that includes some risk.
4. Risk-takers
It’s been mentioned throughout this article, but this is really important to drive home: dealers take life-changing (sometimes life-ending) risks to see them succeed. One wrong move and they could find themselves dead or behind bars for life.
Often dealers take these risks because they have no other choice. There are no other options for them. Whilst the level of these risks may seem extraordinarily high for the business world, it demonstrates the bravery and courage they have to execute these decisions. Even if their only option available is one they utterly despise, they take it in hope for a better future.
That is why I believe, drug-dealers are the best entrepreneurs ever.
So, let’s learn from these risk-takers and maybe even consider helping one use their talents for good, rather than for bad. I would much rather more business on our streets than dangerous drugs.
As quoted by renowned Kingpin Freeway Rick Ross, “If you can sell drugs, you can run a business.”
