Stedman Graham

Biography

Stedman Graham is an American author, businessman, educator, entrepreneur, and speaker. He has been the partner of media star Oprah Winfrey for a long time.

Stedman Graham Jr. was born on 6th March 1951 in Whitesboro, New Jersey, the United States to Mary Jacobs Graham(Mother) and Stedman Graham, Sr.(Father). He was raised in Whitesboro, New Jersey with 5 other siblings, 2 of which are disabled brothers.

Education

• High School: Stedman studied at 'Middle Township High School' a public school in Cape May County, New Jersey.  Famous people like Megan Compain (Olympic basketball player), Joe Fala (soccer player) LaMarr Greer (basketball player), and Anthony Maher(Soccer player) are among the alumni of the school.
• Bachelor of Social Work(B.S.W): Stedman went to Hardin–Simmons University, a Baptist university in Abilene, Texas for his graduate degree in Social Work in 1974. 
• Master's Degree: Stedman went to Ball State University(BSU) for his master's degree in Education, which he completed in 1979.

Basketball

Graham is 6 feet 6 inches tall, he played basketball as a youth and excelled in it. He played basketball at the Hardin–Simmons University. He also played basketball in the European league, he was consistently among the top 3 scorers.

[Stedman Graham playing basketball in his youth]

Family- Relationships

Glenda Graham

Stedman married Glenda Graham in 1974, the couple had a daughter named Wendy Graham in 1975, Glenda and Stedman are divorced. Glenda later married Paul Lusk and lived in Lancaster, Texas.

Wendy Graham-Daughter

Wendy Graham, The only daughter of Stedman Graham married an engineer from Trinidad named Bradley Kerwin Greene in the March of 2015 in Chicago. The couple has a baby girl named Cadence Greene born in May 2015.

[Wendy Graham, Stedman Graham's daughter]

Robin Robinson

Stedman had a romantic relationship with the TV anchor and reporter Robin Robinson, from 1982 to 1985.  Stedman was working as a tennis instructor at Denver Country Club at the time of his meeting Robin Robinson, she was working at the KMGH-TV as an anchor at that time.

Robin Carolle Robinson was born (as Robin Carolle Brantley) on August 4th, 1957 in Chicago, Illinois as the daughter of Louie Robinson and Mati Robinson. She has worked at WFLD-TV, WBBM-TV, KMGH-TV, KGTV-TV among others.

When she was asked about Stedman on the  Anderson Cooper show she said "Nicest man in the world..." about Stedman, she apparently broke it off because she was in her early 30s and wanted to have kids soon, and he was a "step-by-step kind of patient guy" [3]

[Robin Robinson, news anchor, Stedman's ex-girlfriend]

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah and Graham have been in a relationship since 1986.

Stedman and Oprah Engagement: Stedman first came to the limelight for his relationship with an already popular star Oprah Winfrey. The couple got engaged in November 1992 but the marriage never happened, the couple settled for what they termed "Spiritual Union" rather than a ceremony.

They have been the content of numerous articles on tabloids and newspapers. They have many residences from Hawaii to New Jersey.

[Stedman Graham with Oprah Winfrey]

The Oprah Winfrey Show: Stedman has been on the Oprah Show a total of 3 times.

Stedman and Oprah Children: Stedman has a daughter from his previous marriage, but Oprah and Stedman do not have any children, but they do have lots of pets. They had three dogs named- Sadie, Sunny & Lauren at one time

Oprah for president: Stedman has been encouraging Oprah to seriously consider running for the US president

Career

Public Relations

Stedman moved to High Point, North Carolina after his education for a job in public relations.

B & C Associates: Stedman worked in High Point, North Carolina with the B & C Associates on black causes, h has worked with popular activists and authors such as Maya Angelou (author) and Winnie Mandela (South African activist, wife of Nelson Mandela). He has fought for various black causes.

S Graham & Associates: Stedman is the CEO & Chairman of the Chicago-based marketing, consulting & management company founded in 1988, it focuses on educational marketing, consulting, and corporate markets.  Some of the clients of Stedman include- CVS Pharmacy, Deloitte, Gulfstream Aerospace, Lenovo, Microsoft, Wells Fargo, and others.

Non-Profit Organization

AAD: Stedman established the non-profit organization- "Athletes against Drugs" (AAD) association in 1985 to fight substance abuse among youth and athletes. The organization has provided scholarships in excess of $1.5 million in aid to youth. The organization arranges for popular sportspeople to raise awareness among children about drug abuse.

Prison system: Stedman worked in the prison system for 5 years to make prisons a better place for people.

Educator

He has worked as an adjunct professor at 'Full Sail University', where he taught motivational classes.

Online Courses: Stedman offers various online courses on his website on topics ranging from self-help to business and management.

He has served as a guest lecturer at universities like- Northwestern University, Harvard University, Wharton University, Chicago University, National University, University of Illinois-Chicago, and others.

Public speaking

Graham is a motivational speaker, he has been invited to speak at private institutions and public places. His lectures around the world are attended by large audiences.

Stedman has conducted workshops in countries such as Aruba, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, China, Germany, Netherlands, South Africa, UK, and others

Author

Stedman has authored numerous books on self-help, business, management, and marketing. Some of his books are: 

1. The Ultimate Guide to Sport Event Management and Marketing (1995)- First book
2. You Can Make It Happen: A Nine-Step Plan for Success (1997)- a theoretical 9 step process for success
3. You Can Make It Happen Every Day (1998)
4. Teens Can Make It Happen: Nine Steps for Success (2000)
5. Teens Can Make It Happen Workbook (2001)
6. The Ultimate Guide to Sports Marketing (2001)
7. Build Your Own Life Brand!: A Powerful Strategy to Maximize Your Potential and Enhance Your Value for Ultimate Achievement (2002)
8. Move Without the Ball: Put Your Skills and Your Magic to Work for You (2004)
9. Who Are You? (2005)
10. Diversity: Leaders Not Labels: A New Plan for the 21st Century (2006)
11. Identity: Your Passport to Success (2012)- became a Wall Street Journal Bestseller
12. Identity Leadership: To Lead Others, You Must First Lead Yourself (2019)

Facts & Trivia

• 9-step success process: Stedman theorized a system for a better living process.
  1. Check your identity
  2. Create your vision
  3. Develop your travel plan
  4. Master the rules of the road
  5. Step into the outer limits
  6. Pilot the seasons of change
  7. Build your dream team
  8. Win by a decision
  9. Commit to your vision
• Huffingtonpost Columns: Stedman has been writing personal columns in the Huffington Post.
• US Army: He served in the US army after college for some time in Europe.
• TV Appearances: Stedman has appeared on many TV shows including the Oscars, Golden Globe Awards, Charlie Rose Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Bridging the gap: The Joe Dulin Story, Larry king live, Emmy Awards
• Honorary Doctorate: Stedman has a doctorate in Humanities from Coker College
• Indiana Broadcasting Hall of Fame: He is one of the members of the 'Indiana Broadcasting Hall of Fame'. It recognizes individuals that have directly or indirectly contributed significantly to the broadcasting industry in the Indian state.

Awards

Some of the awards Stedman Graham has received:

• President's Award for Excellence from Lincoln University
• Franklin Covey Humanitarian Service Award
• National Urban League Community Service Award,
• American Advertising Federation Industry Influential
• H. Naylor Fitzhugh Award of Relevance
• Honorary degree: Notre Dame de Namur University of Belmont, California conferred a honorary degree award to Stedman Graham on May 4th, 2019 at the University's 167th commencement ceremony.

Quotes

• We have been in a relationship for a long time, we want each other to succeed, I want her to be as successful as she can be.
• It is not an easy thing when you are in a relationship with a powerful woman, I'm not threatened by her fame, success, or money. That is who she is, it doesn't have anything to do with how I see myself.
• Most people are stuck in the box and they are doing the same thing every day.
• There are 6 billion people who don't know who they are, they are not organized.
• Everybody has the same 24 hours, that's what makes us equals, the question is how you organize those 24 hours around you.
• You are socially constructed to think your family, religion, relationships, cars are who you are. You have an identity different from a socially constructed box.
• Preparation means opportunity.
• I'm a right-brain, so right means emotional, it means vision. I had to force myself into the structure which is the left brain.
• Progress begins one step at a time, the first step is understanding who you are.
• I discovered after a long time that it is not about race.
• Only the strong survive, nobody cares about the weak and the average.
• The world sees you as you see yourself, when you raise your standards, people change the way of looking at you
• Branding is how deep to the core of yourself you can go to build the value.
• Love is your key to believing in yourself.
• Love is organizing things that you are passionate about.
• The education system prepares you to remember lines day in and day out, education should prepare you for your purpose in life.
• Write down what you love, write down what you want to do, and build a life around that.
• We are taught to look at life in the reverse.
• Freedom is work, freedom takes a long time, it takes belief in yourself.
• I knew I wanted to be somebody who helps other people with self-development, and self-importance.
• People who consider themselves victims of their circumstances will always remain victims unless they develop a greater vision for their lives.
• A primary purpose for setting goals is to get you moving in the right direction. When you set goals, you have to keep them always in mind.
• Don't let yourself be boxed in. [2]
• Define yourself. Take control of yourself and your development. Don't have schools define you, teachers define you, even parents define you. Find your own identity and create possibilities based on the talents and skills that you have. [2]
• [On Oprah] Oprah does a great job at what she does, She understands who she is, and she understands what she wants to do in her life, and she's committed to doing what she's doing. And so am I. We want everybody to feel that way. [2]
• Most people don't know who they are. Most people don't have a sense of self, They need a structure, a process they can follow. [2]
• You're not your circumstances. You're your possibilities. Look at the 24 hours you have every single day. What can you do in those 24 hours? [2]
• You ingest all the external problems, the fears, which become a part of who you are -- as opposed to eliminating those things that are not relevant to your strength. It's all about your strength, not your weakness. [2]

Sources

• Stedman Graham on Wikipedia
• Stedman Graham coverage in Orlando Sentinel
• Robin Robinson on her ex Stedman Graham
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