Meet Hotep | Educational Media Mogul

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hotep and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hotep, let’s talk legacy – what do you want yours to be?
All of my business ventures are a bi=product of me being: 1. Open 2. Observant and 3. Obedient. So when it came to starting my anime brand, Black Lion and Cubs, I was receptive to the idea. I noticed my children liked anime-styled cartoons. And I recognized the need for a family-friendly anime with Black heroes.

I don’t think people are aware of how protective anime fans are of their favorites. It reminds me of Hip-Hop culture in many ways.

No risk. No reward. But I only make beds that I can lay in. Meaning…I will only risk what I can afford to lose.

Having the confidence to trust myself and my decision-making ability is everything! The single most important decision I’ve made was marrying my wife.

The most important factors behind my success is confidence, optimism and thinking outside of the box.

The most difficult decision I’ve made recently has been to officially release my previous brand, Hustle University (which I had been most known for for almost 20 years), so I could rebrand myself as an Educational Media Mogul in the fight to “build strong children”.

Work-Life Balance is extremely important to me; especially now that I am a father. It’s honestly something I struggle alot with because I’m on the road alot. And I when I am, I’m missing valuable time with my boys. I’m constantly working on finding the right balance.

My favorite quote comes from Frederick Douglass who said, “It’s easier to build strong children, than repair broken men”. It is such a powerful and true statement. I know for a fact, that we can resolve most of the mental health issues among teens and adults by doing a better job with our young children.

I believe in a specific type of entrepreneurship that I call, “Authentic Entrepreneurship”. I’ve always been a creative visionary. It’s simply who I am. So choosing a career in the creative arts wasn’t really a choice. It was just me monetizing myself.

I want people to remember as a Black Man and Father who represented the best of us and committed his life to building strong children.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I was born in NYC in the 70s, so I benefitted from the progress Black Americans made during the civil rights movements, the birth of Hip-Hop music, and the prominence of Pro Black/ African consciousness in American culture. So I’m very aware of the power of the various forms of media and how they can be used to both empower or mislead people.

Therefore, I decided to develop Black Lion and Cubs as a brand that uses popular media formats to excite, educate and expose all people to the greatness of our culture.

I decided to go the indie route to maintain creative control. I simply couldn’t allow myself to be in a position where I needed to seek other people’s permission to make my visions a reality. In this world, it’s either ownership…or slaveship.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live in Atlanta. But I don’t do much here outside of spending time with my wife and sons. Home is where I vacate. However, there are 2 places we go to unwind as a family. They are Serenbe and Chateau Elan.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to shout out: my wife, my sons: Salahdin and Osaro, my heroes: Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X and Marcus Garvey, and my parents.

Website: https://www.blacklionandcubs.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blacklionandcubs