Meet Lamont Jones | Co-founder/CEO of Furthering Fathering

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

Hi Lamont, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My thought process behind starting Furthering Fathering was conversations that my best friend Jeremy Maynard and I would have on a daily basis about our role as fathers and husbands that we found to have similar paths traveled although he had his father in the home growing up and I grew up without my dad involved in my life where we both felt the void of an involved father. We spend plenty of time having these conversations after our small group meetings at the International Christian Brotherhood also known as ICB which is the men’s ministry of Christian Cultural Center founded by AR Bernard and Directed by Dr. Onorio Chaparro who we affectionately called Brother Minister.

Jeremy and I would talk about gaps in our upbringing that we would intentionally fill as an involved father and we found that those gaps of not having a father involved in our lives was also shared by the men within our small group that we were blessed to lead those conversations and the brotherhood of men provided support to each other.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Furthering Fathering has been in existence a little over a decade, but we’ve ramped up over the last year and a half where we are intentional to impact families to give children the best opportunity to thrive with the loving support of their parents and we do this by focusing on empowering and equipping fathers with the tools to provide emotional support, best parenting practices and contribute to the success of their children’s education by intentionally applying simple tips from fathers and father-figures that produce positive educational outcomes. Our connection to fathers and father-figures in the community, in the prison and connected to the schools sets us apart to reach fathers right where they are and help build their capacity to finish what they started with their child, and to remind the child that they are their biggest cheerleader.

This has not been easy and it was been a tall task, however we have overcome a lot of those challenges by partnering with credible community organizations and individuals who are like-minded to place serving the community and the needs of our fathers over serving their own needs and egos. We have a motto, “we grow at the speed of quality relationships” and that is a lesson well learned; it’s the relationships that we’ve created over a period of time that aligns with our mission and vision and are passionate to serve the family.

I want the world to know that Furthering Fathering is all about serving the family and we do this by focusing on the fathers and father-figures. I don’t do this work alone, I have an amazing core team which are my brothers, Frank, Chaz and Ron here in Atlanta that helped advance our vision into the community. We know that when the fathers are functioning in a healthy and holistic mindset and focused on his family, not only does the family does so much better but the community at large and his immediate sphere of influence is impacted in a positive way and generations benefits through his legacy mindset. I grew up without my father actively involved in my life at the age of 9 years old and had this unexplainable hole in my heart that I could not express but as I grew older I understood the term abandonment. Through the pain of rejection, one day in my adult life I heard a small voice saying, “I’m going to heal you so that you can heal others”. Still not understanding it all, but after talking with Jeremy, we created Furthering Fathering with the understanding that the conversations we were having, would bless other fathers. We filed our papers and the State of NY confirmed our existence dated March 4th, which I was reminded to go out and to heal others that grew up feeling that abandonment and rejection.

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.
If my best friend was coming to town
Monday – I would have to take him to an NBA basketball game to see the Atlanta Hawks and NY Knicks.
Tuesday next morning we would have breakfast at 2 Eggs and then hit the Beltline for a bike ride and cap it off with some wings and cigars at Life N Times Cigar Lounge.
Wednesday – Take him to visit our Furthering Fathering families in Rockdale, Atlanta and Cobb
Thursday – Visit MLK Downtown Atlanta, walk through Morehouse, Clark Atlanta, eat some catfish at Paschal’s Restaurant.
Friday – BBQ at the house
Saturday – Downtown Atlanta always has a street fair, then eat at Busy Bee Cafe
Sunday – visit CCC Atlanta and eat good soul food at Break N Bread and have a cigar at PD Cigar in Stockbridge.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Having the support of my best friend Jeremy Maynard, I was able to have a brother that I could share my journey of fatherhood with, have a brother that would pray for and with me to help increase my faith walk and help me to become a better man, husband and father. During the time at ICB, I was introduced to a book by one of our big brothers called, “The Blessing”, by John Trent and Gary Smalley. That book opened my eyes on being intentional to speak a blessing over my children and encourage them with reminders of, “I love you, I’m proud of you and words of affirmation”. Last but not least, I have to acknowledge my wife Wendy Jones who patiently watched me as a young man trying to figure out life and grow into this intentional loving husband who is in tune with her gifts, dreams and desires and have supported me through the good and the bad as we celebrate 30 years of marriage.

Website: https://www.furtheringfathering.org

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lamont-jones-b5609360/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFurtheringFatheringCorporation