by Sean McManus
Staff Writer
Personal image consultant Timothy Rose saysthere are four pieces to the perfect image: body language, dress, etiquette and exercise. These are the pieces that have to coalesce in order for his clients — some of the biggest hitters in Jacksonville — to create their image.
Now, Rose wants to take what he knows about personal image consulting and apply it to a city — Jacksonville in general and the Northwest quadrant in particular — and that’s a makeover project that would make even Oprah proud.
When Rose and his partner Reynard Griffin founded Onége (Nigerian for “mirror images” ) in Atlanta in 1990, he knew that city was about to undergo a renaissance.
“If you remember, the Super Bowl was in Atlanta in 1992,” said Rose. “People came, they liked the climate and the culture, and so they stayed. Next they hosted the Olympics. The same kind of thing is about to happen here. We just have to make sure we’re ready.”
Rose, 36, moved back to his hometown of Jacksonville a little over two years ago and opened Onége at the Landing. He was recently named president of the Northwest Area Council, one of seven divisions within the Chamber of Commerce that connect local businesses with the community. The post was vacated by Mia Jones, the director of Minority Business Affairs for the Duval County Public Schools, who now is the overall Area Council chair.
“The Northwest Council has traditionally suffered from a lack of support from the business community,” said Rose, who projects that his own company will hit over $2.5 million in revenues over the next two years. “The other problem is getting area businesses excited about education.”
Bridging the gap between area schools and area businesses will be the primary challenge that Rose faces as president, and will mark the beginning of his reinvention of the Northwest quadrant. Out of the 32 schools in Duval County that don’t meet state academic requirements, 28 of are in the Northwest quadrant.
“I heard a great story in church,” said Rose. “Jimmie Johnson, the chairman of the school board, is personally knocking on the doors of families whose kids have missed more than 100 days of school. That’s what I want to do with local businesses who haven’t signed up to work with our schools. I want to knock on their doors and ask them, ‘What will it take for us to work together?’ “
A strong ally in his efforts will be Jones. In her capacity at the School Board, she already works with minority-owned businesses to make sure they are considered fairly when it comes to School Board contracts.
“Part of it will be just finding the most appropriate channels to allocate monies from the Northwest Trust Fund,” said Jones, referring to the City’s set-aside program, which is designed to help local businesses in depressed areas.
“Sometimes it’s as simple as having a local sign company donate a new sign to a high school or companies offering area kids summer jobs or internships,” said Jones. “In return, area businesses generate a quality workforce and a thriving business environment.”
Rose said he will be calling on his client base at Onége as initial contacts to ensure a robust year.
“The Northwest quadrant and Jacksonville in general needs to attract companies with a national reputation,” he said. “Southside is tapped. It’s time to move north.”
He also said that incentives need to be in place to ensure that when companies decide to relocate or expand to Jacksonville that they know the Northwest is a vibrant, healthy option.
“I will work with the City to see that we fit into the matrix of Jacksonville’s overall expansion efforts,” he said.
Just like the way he might reinvent a young attorney’s image, Rose’s vision for the Northwest is broken down into four parts: infrastructure, marketing, expansion and monitoring.
“We want to help businesses get off the ground, help get their message out to the community, help them grow and then keep track of their progress,” said Rose.
Monitoring local businesses is part of Rose’s Quarterly Action Plan, which will amount to quarterly progress reports on area businesses to see how they are working within the context of the community.
“There are lots of smart people who try to start things and then get discouraged because they don’t have the appropriate help,” said Rose. “I will call 15-20 businesses a week and visit them personally to ask their needs. We will then survey their responses to see what systems work best.”
Rose knows that a lot needs to happen before the Northwest becomes a booming shopping and entertainment district. As part of a group called Men of Vision, Rose and other young black business leaders are trying to enhance the cultural offerings of the city.
Rose and two friends, Derrick Bryant, a senior account manager at Winn-Dixie, and Eric Ellis, director of information systems at PSS, have started the Progressive Network Entertainment Group, which Rose described as “a wonderful vehicle for professional support of young, minority executives.”
The group meets on Sunday night at the Atlantic Restaurant and Bar in Jacksonville Beach to relax and talk business.
Rose, Bryant and Ellis recently parlayed the social network into a business that they hope will not only provide revenue, but will enhance the level of cultural attractions locally, ushering in an entertainment renaissance.
Progressive will target businesses of all sizes to organize special events and entertainment for corporate parties. The trio is currently looking for office space downtown and are even working with the Rouse Group to begin identifying spots where they may be able to build an upscale nightclub as a logical extension of their company.
“Jacksonville needs more attractive places to go and socialize,” said Rose. “Especially if we want to be in a position to take advantage of the tourism that will be generated as part of the Super Bowl. Image is everything.”