Meet James Richardson Jr. | Veteran & Executive Director

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

Hi James, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
The framework of the idea to serve formerly incarcerated men and women grew from my first-hand accounting of witnessing my brother’s struggle with reintegration. After my 30 year career serving in the United States Army, I wanted to find a way to continue to give back to my community in a meaningful way. The skills that I had honed in leadership, personal development, and mentorship were great skills to assist people as they transitioned from prison and jail. I knew that my skills alone would not be enough so I became a certified John Maxwell Leadership Team coach, speaker, and trainer. After gaining that certification, I looked for others with specific skill sets to help me bring my vision to life. I found three men with a wide variety of backgrounds. Their areas of competency and expertise include, among other areas, organizational leadership, mental health, case management, education, social work, and personal development. With this team we began to flesh out the day to day operations of our organization.

What should our readers know about your business?
We are a 501 c3 nonprofit dedicated to helping both men and women transition from prisons and jails back into their communities smoothly. Specifically, we assist them in resource procurement by connecting them to organizations that can meet specific needs such as healthcare, employment, and housing, and then we offer free executive level coaching and mentoring so that each person can meet their specific goals. Additionally, we offer training in conflict resolution, personal development, communication, career assessments, and other important life skills designed to shorten the reintegration process. What sets us apart from others is our approach. Many organizations that assist this subset population has a religious or government agency component to their assistance. We discovered that many people in need do not want either and we wanted to be an inviting agency dedicated to anyone in need 17-70. We recently streamlined our programs in order to create a more unique experience and in doing so revamped every aspect of our programs. This allows us to reach the incarcerated, formerly incarcerated, their friends and families, and donors that help everything we do come to fruition. Our journey was multiple years of thinking, planning, discovering, and then executing. The hardest part in the beginning was trying to find the money to fund the dream. Being told repeatedly that the idea was sound but that I did not have data to back it up was infuriating. After a year of closed doors I decided to offer the help with only in house funding. That second year we helped 72 clients. The two biggest lessons I have learned is that the way “civilians” do things is overly time consuming and I have to stay patient. The other thing I have learned is that I have to stay focused on growth and not just goals. We have done more with less since our inception. If I only focused on goals we would still be looking for that unicorn donor that may not exist.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
As a newly proclaimed Georgian, I love to get out and explore it all. I am a resident of Stonecrest. My week itinerary would include: Hiking the Arabia Mountain Trail, a Segway tour of Atlanta, College Football Hall of Fame, Alma Cocina, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Philly Gs, Ponce City Market, Krog Street Market, Treetop Quest. I love the pulse of Atlanta and how neighborhoods are so interconnected with all walks of life and incomes. Most of what I do for fun is with a small group but enjoying the outdoors.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
American Corporate Partners is a mentoring program specifically designed to assist veterans transition back into civilian life. After a 30 year career, I knew that I was marketable but did not have a clue how to put my talents to use in a way that accentuated my gifts and talents. All I knew was that I only wanted to work in a field that would bring me joy and do something based on what I was good at. A friend of mine recommended that I look into them and I was glad that I did. They place people into a mentoring relationship that is one on one based on your stated goals and the mentor they found for me was the right pick. His name is Mark Griffin. He helped me navigate the choices between for profit and nonprofit work and then helped me develop a plan that led us to where we are today. Without ACP, I would not have met Mark or enjoyed the value of his wisdom at no cost to me.

Website: https://4horsemenservices.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/4horsemenservices/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/33195381/admin/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/4HorsemenServ_

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/4horsemenservices