Honoring Milo Brown: Still Showing Us The Keys To A Successful Business

While doing research for this column, I ran across a LinkedIn article titled Black Business Boom's Tips for a Successful Black-Owned Business. In a nutshell, the article emphasized the keys to a successful Black business, including building a strong business plan, identifying and targeting a specific customer base, and building a network of supportive individuals and organizations. Next year marks 100 years since Milo Brown opened his funeral business in Grand Rapids, reminding us of his remarkable legacy and entrepreneurial journey. Newspaper articles and interviews from Milo himself indicate that he understood what the keys to success were very early on. According to the article, the first key to success is having a plan, and Mr. Brown certainly exemplified this principle. While working as a waiter at the Pantlind Hotel, he diligently saved his earnings to pursue his dream of attending Worsham College of Embalming in Chicago, now known as Worsham College of Mortuary Science. In 1921, he enrolled in the college, and by 1922, he had graduated at the top of his class. His exceptional performance in college can be attributed to his intellect, meticulous planning and unwavering determination to succeed.