Business

19-Year Old Black Biz Expert Gets Big Buy

Published

11 years ago

May 30, 2015

By Princess Hayes
Special to the NNPA via The Atlanta Daily World

Earlier this year, while still just a freshmen in college, 19-year old Sherron A. Stevens released his first-ever book, entitled Undercover Customer: 100 Ways to Fix Your Broken Customer Service. This book provides 100 ways to deliver great customer service. Stevens, although a rookie in the industry, took his own front-line customer experiences from working at Chick-fil-a and put them into an easy-to-read guide.

The release of the book led to tons of publicity for Stevens, and even led to a major career opportunity for him. Stevens was recruited as a summer intern by Root Inc., an Ohio-based strategy execution consulting company, to work with the organization’s “Customers for Life” team. They were so impressed him and his book, that they have decided to buy more than 100 copies for each of their employees to have a personal copy.

“I am overwhelmed at the support of everyone around me including family, friends and co-workers. When you find a passion, EVERY single door will open. I never thought that Customer Service would be something I would be doing for the rest of my life,” Stevens.

Stevens, who has just completed his freshmen year of college, is working towards his Associates of Business degree from a local community college in Ohio. Upon completion, he is planning to transfer to Ohio University to get a Bachelor of Applied Human and Consumer Sciences (Customer Service).

He is a first generation college student who is letting nothing get in his way of success, and is hoping to take all of his experiences along with his college degree and start his own customer service consulting and training company. “I want to be an innovator in the Customer Service Business and connect people daily,” he says.

Here’s what others are saying about Undercover Customer:

“Sherron Stevens is passionate about everything he does including serving guests and working hard. He is always ready to laugh and brighten someones day.” — Karen Bolumen (Owner/Operator for Chick-fil-a)

“Customers and Service providers – young and old alike – will benefit from this book, and from this new author who surely will make great and welcome contributions to our world.” — Ron Kaufman (Author and Founder of UP! Your Service)

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Oakland Post: Week of March 18 – 24, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 18 – 24, 2026

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2 weeks ago

March 22, 2026

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Advice

Financial Wellness and Mental Health: Managing Money Stress in College 

While everyone’s financial situation is unique, several common sources of stress have the potential to strain your financial health. These include financial and economic uncertainty, existing debts, unexpected expenses, and mental or physical health changes. Financial stress may differ from situation to situation, but understanding the factors contributing to yours may help you begin to craft a plan for your unique circumstances.

Published

3 weeks ago

March 17, 2026

Oakland Post

Sponsored by JPMorganChase

As a college student, managing financial responsibilities can be stressful.

If you’ve found yourself staying up late thinking about your finances or just feeling anxious overall about your financial future, you’re not alone. In one survey, 78% of college students who reported financial stress had negative impacts on their mental health, and 59% considered dropping out. While finances can impact overall stress, taking steps to manage your finances can support your mental, emotional and physical well-being.

When it comes to money, the sources of stress may look different for each student, but identifying the underlying causes and setting goals accordingly may help you feel more confident about your financial future.

Consider these strategies to help improve your financial wellness and reduce stress.

Understand what causes financial stress

2. Determine your financial priorities

Start by reflecting on your financial priorities. For students this often includes paying for school or paying off student loans, studying abroad, saving for spring break, building an emergency fund, paying down credit card debt or buying a car. Name the milestones that are most important to you, and plan accordingly.

3. Create a plan and stick to it

While setting actionable goals starts you on the journey to better financial health, it’s essential to craft a plan to follow through. Identifying and committing to a savings plan may give you a greater sense of control over your finances, which may help reduce your stress. Creating and sticking to a budget allows you to better track where your money is going so you may spend less and save more.

4. Pay down debt

Many students have some form of debt and want to make progress toward reducing their debt obligations. One option is the debt avalanche method, which focuses on paying off your debt with the highest interest rate first, then moving on to the debt with the next-highest interest rate. Another is the debt snowball method, which builds momentum by paying off your smallest debt balance, and then working your way up to the largest amounts.

5. Build your financial resilience

Some financial stress may be inevitable, but building financial resilience may allow you to overcome obstacles more easily. The more you learn about managing your money, for instance, the more prepared you’ll feel if the unexpected happens. Growing your emergency savings also may increase resilience since you’ll be more financially prepared to cover unexpected expenses or pay your living expenses.

6. Seek help and support

Many colleges have resources to help students experiencing financial stress, like financial literacy courses or funds that provide some assistance for students in need. Talk to your admissions counselor or advisor about your concerns, and they can direct you to sources of support. Your school’s counseling center can also be a great resource for mental health assistance if you’re struggling with financial stress.

The bottom line

Financial stress can affect college students’ health and wellbeing, but it doesn’t have to derail your dreams. Setting smart financial goals and developing simple plans to achieve them may help ease your stress. Revisit and adjust your plan as needed to ensure it continues to work for you, and seek additional support on campus as needed to help keep you on track.

 JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC