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Hidden Gems: Meet Acie McMillan of The Elite Standard

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Today we’d like to introduce you to Acie McMillan.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born and raised on the west side of Detroit. I grew up in a single parent home and was the oldest of three. I watched my mother work multiple jobs just to try and provide for us. Like many other kids growing up in urban communities across the country, I had to deal with many of life’s hardships. After becoming homeless, my family and I moved to Trenton, New Jersey. I was a smart kid but it didn’t take long for me to become a product of my environment. Before long, I started gang banging. That led to me selling drugs and eventually being incarcerated. After a while, I realized that if I didn’t get my act together, I probably wouldn’t live very long. I finished high school and then went on to attend Michigan State University. Once I got to Michigan State, it didn’t take long for me to realize that I wasn’t as prepared as some of the other students. I also knew that I couldn’t use it as a crutch. I had to work hard my whole life and this time was no different.

As I went on the journey of my collegiate career, things started looking brighter. I learned and grew a lot. My academic success made me popular in my neighborhood. People started to tell me how much I motivated them to do better. I have always believed in giving back so that’s exactly what I started to do. A short time later, I was doing speaking events telling my story and trying to motivate people to better themselves. I loved speaking to people and I loved helping people. As natural as it was for me it was still just something I did. After four years at Michigan State, I graduated with my business degree in Supply Chain Management. For the next six years, I worked in the supply chain. I became really good at it. It took me no time to rise through the ranks of many fortune 100 companies. As much as I crushed it in supply chain, it wasn’t my passion. I had a passion for leadership and helping others. I missed speaking. In December of 2019, I finally decided to stop playing with the thought in my mind and do something about it. I started the personal/professional development company now known as The Elite Standard and I couldn’t be happier that I did.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth road at all. There were and still are many growing pains. Right as I started to gain traction, Covid struck and pretty much everything just took a pause. The world started to social distance so no one was having or allowing gatherings. Deals that I had been working on started to fall through. At times I struggled internally, contemplating if I should keep going or not. I was putting money into a company that was at a standstill. There is also always this thought of “am I good enough?” Posting a video that doesn’t get many shares or likes can shatter a person’s confidence. Then what about the other speakers? There are phenomenal speakers across the world with huge followings that are more “successful” than I am and have been at it a lot longer. Why would someone listen to me over one of them? As competitive as I am, I had to remind myself that the ultimate goal is to help people. Once I re-focused, there was no turning back. Watch out because The Elite Standard is becoming a household name and we’re here to stay!

We’ve been impressed with The Elite Standard, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Elite Standard is a dynamic personal/professional development organization designed to help people become ELITE. The company is two-fold. One end focuses on motivational speaking (personal) while the other end focuses on leadership development (professional). What sets The Elite Standard apart from others is authenticity. Whether I’m talking to juveniles in a detention center or leaders in a corporate setting, I speak from experience. It’s hard to take advice from someone that has never been through the situations they are advising on. Because of my upbringing, I can reach additional audiences that many others cannot. Above all else the goal is helping people. I love receiving thank you messages from people I’ve helped. I am extremely proud of the work being done and the growth experienced in such a short time. Book The Elite Standard at your next event. It’s time to become ELITE!

How do you think about luck?
I don’t really believe in luck. I do, however, believe in timing and karma. I have been in the wrong place at the wrong time before and I have been in the right place at the right time as well. You get what you put into the universe. Everyone goes through trials and tribulations but if you are genuinely a good person and do good things, I believe good things will happen to you.

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