JAMAL GOODMAN
By Ciana Bowers
“Try to focus on what you want to do as early as possible. You can realize where you want to be if you focus on who you want to be early on. I’m 27 now, I started at 25 and if I would’ve started my business at 19 I could’ve had a 6 year head start on myself. Especially if your majors are in the fine arts find your path early.” - Jamal Goodman
Jamal Goodman studied finance but changed his major to communication broadcasting and graduated widener in 2016. While at widener Goodman was a part of the football team, was on the E board for black student union and black men united, he was also a pride mentor. Goodman enjoyed his time at Widener; he appreciated how close and connected everyone was.
When he graduated Widener he worked at Northwestern ritual to work in finance but then went to work at ruby Tuesday full time at a place he worked while he was studying at widener. It angered Goodman that he had a college degree and worked at Ruby Tuesdays. “I have a college degree and I shouldn’t be a server.” Goodman then left his job and went to a construction company but left due to racism. The first two years out of college he did a lot of moving around until he worked for a small enterprise and got a mentor where he met his partner Joshua and got his business up and running.
Goodman always wanted to start a business. He was trying to figure out what kind of business to start that he struggled with. “I always wanted to get into the workforce to see if i can be a corporate American guy. I was into television and movies so I switched my major to communications because I wanted to do a production company like filming etc.” He didn’t have much experience with broadcasting outside of the classroom and like Tim Scepansky told him it takes a time to make money in production. His experience working with his uncle in construction allowed him to fulfill the dream of him having a business while allowing him to do something that he already knows how to do.
What interested him the most in starting his business was working for himself and not working for anybody else. He enjoys the freedom he has as a young black person and he likes that he can help his family with jobs in his business.
Grid iron remodeling and construction was started with a guy he met through his mentor. They became really close after meeting once. Joshua worked as a real estate agent and Goodman was coming in as a construction guy. They worked together to connect with people and network with others to get him the business he has today. Grid iron is located in Baltimore Maryland but they do branch out to other parts of Maryland.
During the pandemic the Goodmans business went through good and bad times. The pandemic forced people to take a look at their homes while being stuck in quarantine. He would have people call them to do a job but then they couldn’t afford him. But he also had a lot of investors. “There was a lot of unknown.” Goodman said with the short supply of materials and extended timelines for projects. The pandemic helped and hurt his business in a lot of ways.
Goodman enjoys making a lot of money in a short period of time and being in the field learning his business. In the beginning of his business it was just him doing everything, waking up early and coming home late to finish jobs but now he has people that work for him he can manage his business and have the freedom to expand his business.
In the future Goodman hopes to expand his business by owning rental properties and flipping houses.
