Company Men: A Wellness Guide for Black Men in Corporate America

Book excerpt: Corporate America brings with it many advantages that make it an attractive career path. Six-figure salaries, generous health benefits, and a path to retirement, if you’re fortunate enough to go the distance. But building a lasting and rewarding career in corporate America is difficult no matter what your racial or gender background happens to be. From navigating office politics to dealing with difficult bosses and co-workers, while managing the anxiety-inducing realities of layoffs and reorgs—all while working to secure your financial future—corporate life is not for the faint of heart. While there are over 20 million books sold yearly on how to manage corporate life, Company Men: A Wellness Guide for Black Men in Corporate America, is one of the few to speak directly to Black professional men in addressing the unique challenges they face in maintaining their well-being across various spectrums (mental, physical, social, and financial). Company Men offers the help and tools Black men need to extract the benefits of working in corporate America while minimizing the physical and psychological effects of the challenges that come from being a person of color in these spaces. This is why Company Men is such a critical read for Black men who want to succeed in corporate America, especially those with C-suite ambitions. Its focus isn’t just about how to make the most money or land the biggest job. Company Men is about equipping Black men with insights to help them achieve physical, mental, and professional wellness while working in the pressurized world of corporate America during what should be our peak earning years.