Ross MBA · Brand Strategist · Global Operator

Justin Black
is a Strategist

"Not just a marketer. A student of culture."

Ross MBA candidate whose work spans global research, brand building, product development, and growth strategy. From studying economic development across four countries to scaling a national platform generating $700K+ in revenue, I am driven by a simple belief: the strongest brands create both business value and human value.

View Justin's Work Download Resume ↗

Ross School of Business·Forbes Next 1000·Redefining Normal·Global Research across 4 Countries

Justin Black

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$700K+ Revenue Generated
30+ States of Research
300+ Keynotes Delivered
What Justin Brings

Strategy. Story. Scale.

Brand & Product Storytelling

Turns complex ideas into clear narratives, campaigns, products, and experiences people can understand, trust, and act on. Built and scaled a national brand from a personal story.

Go-To-Market Execution

Builds from insight to launch — audience research, positioning, content testing, feedback loops, launch groups, and iteration. Launched 9 books and a full product ecosystem.

Partnership & Community Growth

Develops coalitions and cross-sector partnerships that create access, credibility, and distribution. Managed 200+ organizational partnerships per year across 30+ states.

Operator Mindset

Combines strategy with execution — systems, metrics, project ownership, and continuous improvement. Built and tracked everything from real estate ROI to speaking engagement conversion rates.

Selected Work

From idea to impact.

Brand Strategy · GTM
Brand Strategy · GTM

Redefining Normal

Founder, Brand Strategist & Chief Marketing Officer — March 2020 to Present

Build a brand so meaningful it changes how people understand themselves — then scale it into a $700K+ revenue platform operating across 30+ states.

Built full brand narrative, visual identity, and go-to-market from scratch. Developed 9 books including the 12-time award-winning flagship memoir. Created private launch groups, email campaigns, and content-testing feedback loops. Built partnership pipeline reaching 200+ organizations per year. Led 300+ keynotes across the US. Managed 5,000+ person email list and merchandise line.

35,000+ products sold 11,263 flagship books 300+ keynotes 50,000+ participants 200+ partnerships/yr 11 book awards Forbes Next 1000

Skills: Brand strategy · Product marketing · Go-to-market · Content testing · Community growth · Partnership development · Email marketing

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Operations · Finance
Operations · Finance

MI Black House Real Estate

Co-Founder & Operations Lead

Acquire, renovate, and reposition undervalued properties to generate investor returns.

Led acquisition, renovation, and asset management across a 4-property portfolio in West Michigan. Tracked performance against market comps and managed investor communications. Achieved average portfolio growth of +40% across all properties within 18–24 months.

+40% avg. portfolio growth 912 Lee Barton: +33% 1220 Baker: +52% 1420 Trimble: +48% 909 Lane: +26%

Skills: Operations · Financial analysis · Pricing strategy · Marketing execution · Stakeholder communication · Asset management

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Nonprofit Marketing
Nonprofit Marketing

National Association of Counsel for Children

Communications Assistant — Jan 2021 to May 2023

Amplify a national child welfare nonprofit's mission and grow its stakeholder community.

Managed and grew the email list to 5,000+ stakeholders. Executed digital and social media strategies amplifying the organization's mission. Expanded reach across diverse national audiences through targeted communications.

5,000+ email subscribers National reach Multi-platform strategy

Skills: Nonprofit marketing · Donor communications · Email marketing · Social media strategy

Brand & Creative Work

Design. Direction. Craft.

Beyond strategy and partnerships, Justin has served as creative director and designer across the Redefining Normal ecosystem — from logo design and book covers to newsletters, event marketing, and merchandise.

Logo Design

Logo Design Portfolio

Designed logos for 5 brands including Redefining Normal, ROSE, MI Black House, The Scholarship Expert, and Perfect College Student Planner.

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Book Covers

Book Cover Design

Creative directed and designed book covers across 9 titles including the flagship memoir and companion guides.

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Email Newsletter

Email Newsletter Design

Designed and produced multi-page branded newsletters for the Redefining Normal audience of 5,000+ subscribers.

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Event Marketing

Event & Marketing Flyers

Designed promotional materials for speaking events, webinars, and community programs across 30+ states.

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Social & Amazon

Amazon & Social Promotions

Created Amazon launch graphics, social media banners, and promotional assets for book launches generating 35,000+ sales.

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Brand Design

MI Black House Brand Design

Designed branded materials for MI Black House including guest-facing collateral and property marketing.

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The Approach

From idea to impact.

01

Insight

Identify the real need

02

Positioning

Frame the idea clearly

03

Product

Build the thing

04

Testing

Private groups, email feedback, sample chapters, cover testing

05

Distribution

Partnerships, speaking, schools, social media, press

06

Measurement

Monthly sales, survey feedback, partnership conversion, email growth

11 Book Awards
100+ Media Features
300+ Speaking Engagements
5,000+ Email Subscribers
96% Positive Survey Feedback
Experience

What I've built.

A decade of building — from a national social impact brand to real estate portfolios, nonprofit communications, and federal program evaluation.

Education

University of Michigan — Ross School of Business

MBA Candidate, graduating 2028

Western Michigan University

BA Public Relations & African American Studies, 2016–2020

Awards

  • Forbes Next 1000, 2021
  • NYC Big Book Award Distinguished Favorite
  • Gold Nonfiction Authors Association Award
  • 11 total book awards

Tools & Skills

Asana Slack Dubsado Salesforce Canva MailChimp Mailerlite Buffer Power BI MS Copilot
Download Resume ↗
Mar 2020— Present

Co-Founder & Chief Marketing and Communications Officer

Redefining Normal Current

Built and scaled national social impact brand to 35,000+ products sold and 200+ annual partnerships. Led all brand strategy, product marketing, content, and go-to-market. Delivered 300+ keynotes reaching 50,000+ participants. Earned Forbes Next 1000 recognition and 11 book awards. Kalamazoo, MI.

2022— Present

Co-Founder & Operations Lead

MI Black House Investment Group

Achieved average +40% property value growth across a 4-property portfolio within 18–24 months. Led acquisition, renovation, asset management, and investor communications. Kalamazoo, MI.

Jan 2021— May 2023

Communications Assistant

National Association of Counsel for Children

Managed 5,000+ stakeholder email list and executed digital and social media strategy to expand the organization's national reach. Remote.

Aug 2019— Aug 2023

Federal NYTD Reviewer Coach

JBS International

Conducted evaluations of state systems for 300+ organizations nationwide. Rockville, MD.

May 2018— Aug 2018

Communications Intern

The Fund for American Studies

Contributed to The State of the Black Child Report Card. Washington, DC.

About Justin

Building brands that shape how people see themselves.

I'm Justin Black. I turned a $10,000 wedding gift into a national brand generating more than $700,000 in revenue. As founder of Redefining Normal, I led product launches, built partnerships, analyzed consumer behavior, and conducted research across 30+ states to create meaningful growth through the power of story.

After studying economic development and consumer behavior across South Korea, Hong Kong, Rwanda, and Senegal, I became fascinated by a simple question: How do you build a brand so meaningful that it doesn't just change behavior, but changes the trajectory of people's lives?

I came to believe that people don't simply buy products. They buy identity, belonging, and possibility. The strongest brands don't just change behavior — they shape how people understand themselves and their place in the world.

Today I'm pursuing my MBA at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business to deepen my expertise in Brand Management, Product Marketing, and General Management. My goal is to help organizations build products, brands, and experiences that customers choose, trust, and advocate for — because the brands that create lasting growth are the ones that create lasting meaning.

Ross MBA Candidate Brand & Product Marketing Global Consumer Research Forbes Next 1000 $700K+ Revenue Built
Justin Black on TEDx stage

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In the Press

Recognition & media.

Forbes Next 1000

Recognized as one of Forbes' top entrepreneurs to watch — 2021

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TEDx Talk

The Story The Statistics Don't Tell

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AEI Podcast

National feature on foster care entrepreneurship

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Canvas Rebel

Building a brand from lived experience

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Encore Magazine

Creating a New Normal — Kalamazoo feature

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Connect Our Kids

Justin Black Rises Over Societal Expectations

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TreeHouse Foundation

Featured leader profile

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Reflct Media

Redefining Normal — brand and mission feature

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News Channel 3

WMU grads share journey of growing up in foster care

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Nsoro Foundation

Keynote helped raise $1M+ for foster youth at the Starfish Ball

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A Kid From Detroit

Personal blog and origin story

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Let's Connect

Open to the right
conversations.

If Justin's background aligns with your team's needs in marketing, brand, product, partnerships, strategy, or general management, he'd welcome the opportunity to connect.

Email Justin LinkedIn ↗ Download Resume ↗

justinblack4297@gmail.com  ·  313-743-1274  ·  Ann Arbor, MI