100 Atlanta Coffees, 008: Hassan Smith
Moving different, with no caps
Senior Advisor & Manager, John Legend
Met at Breakfast at Barneys on Decatur Ave in SE Atlanta
As a refresher, I’m grabbing coffee with 100 good people in Atlanta and sharing inspiring takeaways.
It’s useful to focus on adding another zero to whatever you define as your success metric—money, status, impact on the world, or whatever. I am willing to take as much time as needed between projects to find my next thing. But I always want it to be a project that, if successful, will make the rest of my career look like a footnote.
- Sam Altman, from his 2019 blogpost ‘How to Be Successful’
No Caps
I’ve been reflecting on that Sam Altman quote as I contemplate what might be next for me in my professional journey and why. More than anyone I’ve met recently, Hassan Smith has clearly built his life unafraid of adding zeroes to his success metrics.
His parents were in consulting and academia, but Hassan knew from his early college years that he wanted to be outside of any mold, embracing an entrepreneurial lifestyle with no caps on money, experiences, or possibilities.
Building up from one-off personal security contracts during his freshman year, Hassan created a full executive security business where his primary clients were visiting foreign dignitaries, and later, entertainers. Executive security is primarily a logistics business. Hassan believes success is 90% about being organized and “seeing around the corner,” imagining and preventing eventualities. As he differentiated himself with meticulous preparation and stress-free execution, his opportunities grew.
Moving Different
Early mentors could tell that Hassan was “moving different” with an appetite to take on more responsibility, growth, and upside. When artist John Legend needed help bolstering his team, Hassan got the call, and they’ve been running ever since.
Hassan originally led road security for John, and now serves as a senior advisor managing private partnerships and branding. He built trust over a decade of helping execute successful tours and campaigns as the scope of their influence grew.
Success in his current role is about driving towards a revenue goal, but it’s also about forming impactful partnerships that promote John in the light he wants to be seen in and contribute to the social justice causes that are at the center of his advocacy and philanthropic work, including campaigns against mass incarceration, and others promoting the right to vote.
The finite resource is John’s time and attention. Hassan and his team advise John on what to prioritize, knowing they’ll turn down far more opportunities than they’ll say yes to.
Working with John is a global operation, even while John is based in LA and Hassan lives in Atlanta. Hassan used to travel 300+ days per year before he had kids, but has made efforts to scale that back to “150 or so” in order to prioritize time at home with his family, even if it means taking more red eyes and untraditional itineraries.
Don’t Miss It
Hassan has been around the world 40 times. He’s seen just about everything that money and fame can buy. Of the many highlights, one memory stands out: flying on Air Force One with Barack Obama.
Money might be able to get you a lot, but it can’t buy access, especially to unique spaces like the Oval Office or AF1. Hassan reminds himself to be fully present on the journey - he’s living out “stories for the grandkids.”
As he’s experienced success, Hassan is deliberate about trying to pay it forward. Justin Miller (featured in edition 003) introduced us, and the two know each other through membership in 100 Black Men of Atlanta. I asked Hassan about what he’s building more broadly and what constitutes success to him. He shared that his goal is to pave the way for younger Black people to experience joy and know they can become anything in the world. Moving different, with no caps.
Reflections & Questions for Discussion
Typecast into Archetypes
Hassan said people put him into a mental box as “John Legend’s bouncer” because he’s big and strong and he once did road security… when in reality, he’s a senior executive at an international business worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
I’ve recently had people jokingly (I guess?) say that I don’t present as someone writing about spirituality.
Have you ever sensed that others' perceptions have pigeonholed you into specific mental categories? Are there places where you might be limiting others by casting them as a certain archetype?
Moving Different
What does it mean for you to ‘move different’? How can we take Hassan’s mentality of abundance and redefining success to make a difference in our own lives and the lives of others?
About Breakfast at Barneys:
Hassan and I met at 11am on a Tuesday and he had to make sure we had reservations - that’s the kind of business that Breakfast at Barney’s does!
Honestly, their website description is pretty spot on:
Breakfast at Barneys is a part breakfast/brunch eatery and part daytime social club which offers decadent comfort food in a highly designed and stylish atmosphere that is at the same time welcoming with great vibes, music, atmosphere and the very best service in the city.
The valets were even ready for my e-bike. Sadly, no decaf.
About 100 Atlanta Coffees:
I decided to publish takeaways from having coffee with 100 Atlantans as a way to shine a light on some of the good souls, and local spots, in our city.
Hassan was introduced to me by Justin Miller who was featured in Edition 003. Thanks, Justin!
