Meet Donald Jones | Author | Publisher | Book Builder

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

Hi Donald, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
Whenever I have the opportunity to speak to young people, I always end the talk with the importance of five key words: Use Wisely Your Power Of Choice. I explain how every action we take – every day – is a result of conscious choices we make. From the mundane – whether to put on your right shoe first, or your left. To the consequential – whether we choose to look at our phone while driving or whether we choose not to procrastinate and do the tough thing that may not be easy, but is right. All of the choices we make are within the power that only we control. Using that power wisely will go a long way to determining whether we meet the goals we have set for ourselves. Those five key words have helped to keep me on track many times over the years.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

The most important quality I’ve come to appreciate in my professional and business career is undoubtedly the power of goal setting. There are times when the goal of the moment may seem like a hill too high to climb.This is not true. All goals are achievable once you understand that any goal can be distilled to the daily tasks and activities that, when performed faithfully, will result in the accomplishment of the goal. This is where one’s personal commitment and discipline come into play because, invariably, those simple daily tasks are not only easy to do, they are easy not to do. The key to achieving any goal setting is in direct proportion to your commitment and discipline to the process.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I am hosting my best friend, and particularly if I haven’t seen them for a while, I’d plan a couple of things. First, I’d like to spend a lot of time just catching up. With best friends, it’s funny how you can not see someone for years and years and when you do reconnect, the time just melts away and you revert to the familiarity that marked your relationship in the past. It just points out how the essence of people doesn’t change and what you loved about them then, you’ll still love about them now.

I’d also spend some time introducing them to some of my friends and acquaintances. We would go to a couple of the cultural centers around town, maybe catch a live performance. And we would definitely go to some of my favorite sushi restaurants. Fortunately, there is a lot of everything to do in Atlanta.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a nod to my parents. They were born during the Great Depression and, as African Americans growing up during that time, endured both subtle and overt repercussions of Jim Crow segregation. In spite of obstacles, they both survived and even thrived and it was through their example that I observed the template for the maxim that hard work pays off.

When we founded Alchemy Media Publishing Company, we did so understanding that we, that is my generation, are now the elders. And it is not lost on me that too many lives and their stories — stories of leadership, inspiration, and wisdom — go untold, unappreciated, and lost to the ravages of time. We are the ones who will inform, counsel and share past legacies with those who come next. Of course, this is as it should be. Each generation passes the torch. The river continues to flow. With this understanding, I have dedicated this season of my life to promoting the importance of storytelling.

Website: alchemymediapublishing.com