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| Credits: Marvin Germain |
The Naz Experience
A guidance counselor recommended Nazareth College to Christian. Education at the college level was a challenge for him because of his learning disabilities. Prior to applying to Naz, Christian was denied acceptance into a 4-year degree program by 13 universities.
Christian was granted admission to Nazareth, and his favorite part about Naz was the faculty because they were kind, and they helped students succeed. Most importantly, they understood he had learning disabilities and that some things were challenging for him. Naz faculty did not treat him differently in supporting his educational successes, his professors were available during office hours to help him. He remembers Dr. Zappia and Dr. Leigh as great professors.
Christian is also grateful for 2 entry level core courses he took while at Naz: P1 and P2. He took a class called Exploring Religion P1. Then, he took it again, and as a result he was able to learn about the top 5 world religions. Those classes opened so many doors for Christian because they allowed him to understand other people, their cultures, and their social norms. These classes helped him get ready for the real world as he worked with consumers in retail, and he understood that people are different; they have different holidays and religions, and all are worthy of respect. He felt he had a competitive advantage from the rest because he went to Naz and took these classes that expanded his world view.
Internships were part of his program and were required for graduation. Fortunately, Christian was already working for Wegmans. He started this internship at the same time he started college, so it was a 4-year internship. While working at Wegmans, he was also required to study, so it was a win-win situation. What he learned at Naz and in his internship set him up for success and helped him move to the next level of life. There was an accountability factor between Naz studies and Wegmans employment: The things he was learning at school, especially from business classes, he was able to apply in real life at work.
Another aspect he loved about the Naz experience is the friendships he was able to build. He is appreciative of how his friends welcomed him when he transferred to Naz. In fact, he recently met with some Naz friends in New York City, and they are still as welcoming and supportive towards him.
“Success is always defined differently for each person. I define success as: am I happy? Am I loving what I do? As well as monetary, but money is not everything.”
Journey to Founding CHRISTIAN JORDAN
Because Christian started working at age 15, he believes he had a smooth transition from college to a full-time job as he had also been working while at Naz. Once he graduated, Wegmans offered him a position in Boston, Massachusetts. This set him up for success.
CHRISTIAN JORDAN was established in 2017 with the notion to bring people together. Christian realized as a young kid, and then as a grown adult, that he has a natural trait to bring people together. Despite people's differences in religion, race, or beliefs, he can find a common denominator. While living in Boston, he was trying to connect with young professionals, specifically of color. However, there were not that many at that time, and so he tried to connect with some different organizations, but that was not successful either. This motivated him to fund CHRISTIAN JORDAN, a brand that connects like-minded individuals together through events and activities. The brand also has a podcast called Bodega69, named in this way because he filmed it in his house (in Boston), which looked like a storefront – a “bodega” – and the 69 comes from his address. The podcast serves to connect people through conversation.
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| After work mixer. Credits: @wow_tatas |
“In a nutshell, CHRISTIAN JORDAN was really founded on connecting folks, providing resources to people, and really bringing people together because at the end of the day, we are better together. I live by the words: if I have access in my community, it is my responsibility to take care of my community.”
What he loves about this new venture is that he gets to work for himself. “It is glamorous, but it is not glamorous,” he said. “As you get to work for yourself, you may have a small team or just may be yourself at times, and it is a lot of work on you to do and to accomplish, so there comes the accountability part. Who is going to hold you accountable? Who is going to let you do this or that?,” he added. But, overall, what he loves the most about this new venture is that he is able to make an impact in the cities where he works. Whether that is through community service, providing great events and experiences for someone, or just really highlighting their work, he is able to be a positive light and provide resources and experiences to the people he works with.
What Inspired Him
While in Boston, he met some great people and that inspired him to start this brand. There were a couple of gentlemen who mentored him and asked him why he was there and what he thought he had. One of them asked, “What do you think you have, and could you offer that to other people?” Another one said, “Listen, people like you, and people listen to you.” Christian was also inspired by his mom’s work in the community of Rochester – being an advocate for the Latinx community. She was also doing community outreach at her church. The support of the Boston men he sought guidance from along with his mom’s dedication to her community were foundations that inspired him to continue his journey to founding CHRISTIAN JORDAN.
When asked where the brand is based, Christian said that the pandemic has taught him how to pivot and not to stay in one location. One thing he does with CHRISTIAN JORDAN, essentially, is design events and experiences, so even though he is currently based in New York City, he will travel to Boston and to Rochester to create some of these as well. Throughout the pandemic, he made a pivot to go virtual, and he created a successful global event. In the future, he hopes to buy a property and offer more events and experiences.
Overcoming Challenges
“I love challenges. I love all the obstacles. I wouldn’t change one thing about them. You define your obstacles; your obstacles don’t define you. You have to look towards a light, wherever that light may be for you, you have to move forward.”
As mentioned earlier, Christian has 5 learning disabilities: severe dyslexia, reading and writing challenges, a speech impediment, dysgraphia, and an audio disability. Growing up as a kid, doctors said he would not even be able to go to kindergarten; then, they said he would not be able to graduate middle school. So, for him, making it through every stage in life has been a success. As mentioned before, Christian was rejected by 13 universities. Then, he applied to Naz, and he was accepted and graduated from college. It all happened because of a great support group: his mother, his father, his brothers; and from an educational standpoint, one person at Naz, Elaine Missel, who worked in the student accessibility services office and helped him navigate Naz and understand certain things. “The man that is here today, would not be here without the support of the people who led the way for me,” he stated. All those challenges led to a great career and led Christian to have a fire in him to not quit and pursue other things.
Christian is 32 years old now, but with all the vast working experience he has had, he feels he is at retirement age! He started working when he was 15, became a manager at Dunkin Donuts at 17, and worked there for 5 years. Then, he worked at Wegmans for about 10 years, doing internships and holding manager positions. He then went to a startup company, and he was able to create several partnerships, provide resources, and give so much back to the community – the Black and Brown community. At present, he manages CHRISTIAN JORDAN and also has a full-time job.
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| Fireside chat event. Credits: @shotxmarv |
Involvement in his New York City and Boston communities
Christian moved to New York City seven months ago. As such, he has not been able to get as active in the community as he would like just yet. However, he has been able to meet a lot of great people and referred them to some great programs such as free mentorships.
Prior to moving to New York, he was involved in his community in the city of Boston. He was a mentor at an organization called Build. Build works with at-risk youth, high school students, and it is teaching them entrepreneurial skills. They build and grow a business from freshman year until senior year of high school, and through that business, they are able to sell physical products and essentially create revenue. They also learn to make a business and marketing plan, and the idea is to keep these students engaged until they graduate high school. Throughout the journey, they also go on college tours.
Outside of Build, he created a DEI program – with the help of others, for minorities in the city of Boston. He was able to get free office space for over 50 people of color to let them create their businesses and pursue their dreams. He also taught them how to create a business plan, how to create partnerships, and how to collaborate.
Advice for SBL Current and Incoming Students
“At the end of the day, money can never be the motive. The only motive you should have in life is to do something that you love, that you can wake up every morning and you can feel proud of doing something. To know that life is not easy, and when life gives you twists and turns, as it will, there is a silver lining in everything. As I said earlier, you define your obstacles, your obstacles do not define you. If you keep your passion and whatever you love as your north star, everything will fall into place. Hard work and dedication are needed. Nothing is given to you in this world, you better work for it, you better work hard for it, but keep that north star of doing what you love, and you should be okay.”
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