For A. Wayne Gill, becoming an attorney was a childhood dream. His grandparents were merchants who ran several businesses; Gill often accompanied his grandfather on business calls.
“I was about 6 or 7 years old,” Gill, born in Jamaica, reminisced, “and we were visiting with one of his vendors. I kept piping up about everything. I wanted to know what they were doing, how they were doing it; I questioned everything.

“My grandfather then said, ‘you’re so picky about everything, you should become my lawyer.’ From that day forward, it stuck in my head. That became my ambition; the only thing I really wanted to do.”

With a focus on becoming a trial lawyer, Gill attended George Washington University Law School, graduating with honors in trial advocacy. He began his career as a commercial trial lawyer in West Palm Beach.

“My grandfather did not get to see me become an attorney,” said Gill.

Now 44, Gill, after founding Gill & Associates, serves as an equity partner in Adorno & Yoss, the largest certified minority-owned firm in the US and the only law firm member of the National Minority Supplier Diversity Council’s Corporate Plus program. It is the most diverse law firm in the country.

After meeting with Adorno & Yoss, Gill said that he soon discovered that their direction and philosophy was very similar. “That’s when, as Gill & Associates, I merged all of my interest with them.”

Gill quickly realized that professional services were lagging behind in getting contract money.  He then became involved with the Florida Regional Minority Business Council and began advocating for the MBEs.

“During the 10-year stretch I worked with the Council, I was able to see the corporate side,” Gill said of the motivation for his book, Tales My Grandma Told Me: A Business Diversity Fable.

“I wanted to give each side a voice without bashing the other. A balanced dialogue about what was important. I just sat down and began writing with a goal to educate, begin dialogue, and to challenge and encourage the corporations to think broadly about doing business with MBEs.

“I also wanted to encourage MBEs to grow and take it to the next level; partner up if they have to—come together and grow so they can gain large contracts.”

Gill shared that he chose the book’s format, a three-part book infused with fable and corporate lessons, because he “wanted it to be an enjoyable read; different from the average business book.  I tried to follow that model because I realize that one of the best ways people can learn is through storytelling.

“If my grandmother was in the boardroom to hear what the people were saying or not saying,” Gill continued, “what I have written would be her responses. My memory of her is interwoven within the book, along with my own experiences in growing a business. Things I learned the hard way.”

The book, Gill said, was also written to inspire the next generation. “I want to blaze the trail for my own three children and ultimately, other youth like them.”
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Cynthia Roby

Cynthia A Roby is president and CEO of Bluestocking Ink, Limited, a copywriting, editing and author services firm based in Fort Lauderdale.