A conversation with Elliott Noble-Holt that will inspire and motivate you.
By Selena Haynes • Photos Provided by Elliott Noble-Holt
I first met Elliott in 2019 at an awards ceremony. Sure he’s bald and bearded, but the first thing I noticed was his kindness. He intrigued me and sometimes you just get a gut feeling about people. His answers in this Q&A speak to who he truly is and that’s important. Genuineness is hard to come by. One of the reasons for this magazine is to show the LGBTQ+ community what YOU’re capable of and Elliott is a great role model to have.
When did you first realize who you were/how you identify?
At the very young age of 6, I knew I liked boys. I would act on these impulses with a neighbor, another gay kid, who was around the same age. It wasn’t easy as it wasn’t the “norm”. I felt lonely, singled out and different. I did my best to act “straight” and not be noticed. For me, it didn’t get easy until I turned 18 and started hanging out with other people who were LGBTQ. I finally felt normal. I finally felt like I could take the restraints that I placed on myself off and be who I was meant to be.
How did you and your husband, Donte, meet?
Donte and I met on Facebook in 2015 through a mutual friend that neither one of us knew, lol. It all began via Facebook messenger. He lived in New York and I lived here in Nashville. It didn’t take long for us to begin to travel back and forth to see each other and eventually him moving from the “Big City” to the “It City” and marrying in December of 2016. He’s my backbone and keeps me grounded.
How was it raising a daughter? Did you encounter any negative situations? If so, how did you handle them?
I adopted my daughter when I was 23. She came home with me from the hospital when she was four days old. Raising her has been a highlight of my life. I’m attracted to growth both personally and professionally, so to see my child grow from an infant to a young woman is quite spectacular. Being a gay, white man, with a bi-racial daughter and raising her in the South, you most definitely experience negative situations. I’ve always been more of a “show you, better than I can tell you” type of person. My daughter was raised in a household where values, ethics, diversity and inclusivity, community and giving back were topics of discussion throughout her childhood and teenage years.
With my father passing away when I was only 17, I wanted to provide my daughter with all the necessary tools to be independent, confident, and strong but most importantly a good human. When Isa speaks, people listen. Over the years, when we’ve experienced racist comments or homophobia, we spoke from a place of reason, commanding respect with our actions while reminding others that we are all human before we’re anything else.
What’s a couple of your most favorite memories of your family life?
Wow! So the first thing that popped into my head was meeting Reba McEntire when I was 13. I slipped through the bathroom window to get to her trailer at Opryland. When she came out of her dressing room, I asked her for a picture, which she obliged. Still to this day, she’s one of my favorite artists, with her songs helping me grieve the loss of my father, the loss of my mother, breakups and heartache to empower me to be “me” with other songs.
My second favorite memory would have to be the first few years of getting my company MediCopy started and off the ground. I started with $50 and, with the help of my impeccable team, have turned this business into a $25m+ empire. I wouldn’t trade those years for anything. It has made me who I am today.
Your business is booming! I saw that you’re looking to hire 40 new employees.
We are! We hired 70 people during Covid in 2020 and grew the business by 39%. I was almost ashamed to say that out loud while so many other businesses and industries were failing but I’m proud that I’ve created a sustainable business, one that continues to thrive and shocks the hell out of me!
What sets you apart from the competition?
I believe what sets us apart is that MediCopy has a real personality. We aren’t just selling a product or a service. We’re real people trying to help other people. We have core values, which most businesses do but we live and breathe our core values and make every decision (both good and bad) based on them. If an employee, client or vendor are not aligned with our core values, we’ll address it and adjust accordingly.
What stokes that fire for you? What’s your motivation?
As I mentioned before, growth. I want to push myself to the limits and nothing will stop me. When my dad died in 1996, I barely made it out of high school but I did. I went to a local community college for 10 days before dropping out. As important as a college education is, I have proven you don’t need one to be a “success”. I’d rather hire someone who has drive, dedication, and determination and works like me than someone who has a degree but half-ass works.
Luckily, I’ve surrounded myself with team members who are smarter than me! Their drive to grow inspires me to be better. When I started MediCopy, banks turned me down for business loans. This only made me work harder and smarter. My mother signed up for AOL at Best Buy back in 2000 so that I could receive a $500 gift card to buy my first copy machine for MediCopy. That “free” gift card was an opportunity that I took advantage of in a positive way by investing in that Hewlett Packard copy machine. That little machine and small investment made me hundreds of thousands of dollars in the first few years of business. Writing this out makes me think that opposition stokes my fire. My plans are to always win and I will.
What can we expect to see from Medi-copy in the future?
MediCopy has already beat 2020’s numbers in the first six months of 2021. We’re on a roll! Technology and having a national presence is changing the landscape and the reach we have throughout the U.S. The sky is literally the limit. Our Q3 goal is to hire 40 new team members within 90 days!
You mentioned signing up for AOL to get that $500 gift card. How does it feel knowing that you no longer have to take that route for your business or even your personal life?
Listen, I still hustle like I did on day one of starting my business. It’s in my blood. My father, brother, uncles, and both grandfathers were entrepreneurs. Is it easier as our brand gets bigger and our reputation is shared with potential clients? Absolutely. I run this business lean, debt-free, with no investors or a board that I have to answer to, so that I can adjust and customize my leadership style when needed or workflows for clients when requested. Hard work, humility and gratitude have gotten me to where I am today. I’m thankful for my success but I’m just as thankful for the journey getting here. I never dreamed I’d be this successful! By the way, I’m not done yet!
Life isn’t always perfect though. How do you handle the downs?
I just talked about this today with one of my friends. I don’t operate in a negative space long. What I mean is, if something happens to me in a negative sense, I ask God and the Universe to show me how I contributed to this negative action. I want to immediately learn what I did wrong and grow from it.
There are times that as a human, something negative happens and we didn’t contribute or “ask for it”. During those times, I surrender to God and the Universe. I can’t preach to friends, family and co-workers about how blessed and successful I am when I surrender my day/thoughts/life to God and the Universe and then not recognize that I’m not too old to learn a lesson and have a “down” when there’ve been so many “ups”. I’m not too special to be taught a lesson.
What advice do you give for people trying to establish themselves in a career or a business of their own?
Establish your own core values. Never waiver from them when accepting a job offer or bringing on a new client. Limit taking on debt. Exhaust your resources before using someone else’s. This will prove to you how much you believe in your product or service!
Tell us about “Bald Bearded Boss.”
“Bald Bearded Boss” is a podcast dedicated to entrepreneurs and leaders who are wanting to grow personally and professionally while keeping their team open, honest, and accountable. As a father, husband, serial entrepreneur, author, 7x Inc. 5000 Honoree, I share my experiences growing a company and its culture. From straight talk on workplace culture, relationships, working with family and beyond. My goal is to help others manifest who they are meant to be!!
How did this podcast come about?
I was approached about writing a book and began that process once we started working remotely during quarantine. Preparing for the book brought up lots of memories and experiences that have helped mold me into the person I am personally and professionally but had “stored them in my head”. I wanted to share as many of these experiences with others who are trying to establish themselves or grow into a better leader, entrepreneur or C-suite.
Naturally, I wanted to use all platforms to get this message across. I turned to podcasts (since they took off during the pandemic) to see if it was something I’d be interested in doing. So, I started listening to a podcast called “Your Gay Cousins with Michael and Estevan” on my morning walks. I couldn’t get enough of it. It was real and casual. They both inspired me to give it a try. I created a studio, reached out to producers here in Nashville and the rest is history. I’ll begin recording season two in August with content from business leaders and entrepreneurs across the U.S.
What topics are you going to cover?
We’re covering topics such as workplace culture, accountability, working with family and friends, diversity and inclusion in the workplace, to name a few! This is real talk, no bullshit.
You can find and subscribe to Bald Bearded Boss on all streaming platforms — Apple, Spotify, Audible, etc. Elliott’s new book, “Bald Bearded Boss: Manifesting Who You Are Meant to Be,” will hit shelves Winter 2021.
Learn more about Elliott Noble-Holt and “Bald Bearded Boss” at baldbeardedboss.com.
