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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 7, 2020)
October 7, 2020 Minority & Small Business Week Mississippi Alberta North Portland Page 7 Vancouver East County Beaverton Jamaal and Christina Lane, the husband-and-wife team behind Portland’s Champions Barbershops and Champions Barbering Institute, have launched an Internet platform called ‘Be Great University,’ offering a curriculum and a supportive community to help others identify and cultivate their inner strengths and start successful professions. Creating a Platform for Success Virtual ‘Be Great University’ new resource for entrepreneurs Jamaal and Christina Lane are well known in Portland as the husband-and-wife team behind three successful barbershops and a barber institute. Now in response to the pandemic-enforced shutdown, they have taken lessons they’ve learned as Black business owners and launched a dig- ital platform called “Be Great University,” where they offer foundational curriculum paired with a supportive community for like-minded individuals striving for great- ness and successful professions. The Lanes virtually cut the ribbon on Be Great University earlier this month, building on their success with Champions Barbershops and Champions Barbering Institute and going beyond to share their wisdom, insight and guidance with others looking to pursue what Christina calls a “master’s in self.” “Through operating Champions Bar- bering Institute, we learned that we could bring out the best in students beyond teach- ing technical skills,” said Jamaal. “Barber- ing was the draw, but we realized students were looking up to us and trusting us to help with their transition to become profes- sionals. They were rebuilding and restruc- turing who they were and where they could go with confidence. We have seen the ap- preciation and the impact, and we want to share that same inspiration with others.” Be Great University’s core program, called Cultivating Greatness, focuses on personal development as an essential key to professional success. The initial five- week, self-led workshop delves into how to cultivate greatness from within using proven foundational methods. Dylan Cruz, one of the first participants, said the mentoring she received helped her focus on what she needed to change her work habits, but also on “How I view my perception and take steps toward my ver- sion of success. “I was able to write my book because of the accountability I received via the group. The Lanes have created a step by step process on how to find your inner pur- pose through growth and development,” she said. The Lanes believe the typical BU mem- ber might be a professional who is looking to pivot to a different model in response to the pandemic, someone who needs to get creative to make the necessary shift. Hav- ing the fortitude and optimism to make a necessary shift, even in the face of daunt- ing circumstances, has been Jamaal’s route to success throughout his professional life. He opened his first shop in 2008 on North- east Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. “We were operating under the belief that community builds champions, and that in- fluenced how we connected with the neigh- borhood as a business,” said Jamaal. “We understood that there would be no ‘Cham- pions’ without the community’s support. We stand up for them, and the community stands up for us.” Be Great University offers two levels of membership. Becoming a member of the BU online community costs $249 an- nually and offers a gathering place where like-minded people can come together and discuss structured topics. Enrolling in the Cultivating Greatness program, which in- cludes annual community membership, costs $699. “The idea is to empower people to use their unique talents and inner strength to overcome any obstacles they find in their way,” Christina said. “We are ready to coach up great people using the mental systems and methods that have proven to be a success in our personal and profes- sional endeavors.” Added Jamaal, “We want to tap into each person’s inner resolve to live life on their own terms; to find and define their pathway to success –– a pathway that starts within. We are on a mission to help 2,000 members empower themselves by 2021 with Cultivating Greatness.” For more information, visit www. BeGreat.life.