Tom Black is an American entrepreneur and wine collector.
Early life
editBlack was born in Nickerson, Kansas in 1959 in a converted train boxcar.[1] Black attended Southwest Missouri State Teachers College where he sold books door-to-door during summer breaks for booksellers Southwestern Company of Nashville, Tennessee.[2]
Business ventures and writing
editBlack became sales manager of Southwestern Company of Nashville, Tennessee, then National Sales Manager for FISI[2] In 1990, Black founded and was the CEO of accounts receivable company, Private Business, Inc.[3][2] The company went public in 1999. That same year, Black co-founded bank mission-critical equipment and maintenance company, Tecniflex, then its sister company, Imagic Corporation.[3]
In 2007, Black published an autobiography, The Boxcar Millionaire, which describes his impoverished childhood and his subsequent business success.[4] In 2020, Black published "Doing Business at the Table: The Guide to Presenting an Exemplary Professional and Social Presence While Hosting a Successful Business Lunch Or Dinner Meeting" through the Tom Black Center for Excellence. [5] Black has written columns for The Tennessean newspaper.[6]
Black is also a motivational speaker, giving seminars on ethical sales techniques.[1] In 2008, Black partnered with Chicken Soup for the Soul author, Mark Victor Hansen, to give a series of one-day seminars on sales.[7]
Wine
editBlack is a wine collector, with a wine cellar containing more than 30,000 bottles,[8] one of the largest personal collections in the United States.[9][10][11]
References
edit- ^ a b Bryant, Linda. "The 'practical' art of the sale". Nashville Business Journal. American City Business Journals. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ^ a b c "Tom Black". eSpeakers. eSpeakers. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ^ a b Fox, David. "Taking a public look at Private Business Inc". Nashville Post. Nashville Post. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ^ Cox, James. "Small Press Bookwatch". Midwest Book Review. Midwest Book Review. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ^ Black, Tom (30 December 2020). Doing Business at the Table. ISBN 9781735477909. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
- ^ "Tom Black". The Tennessean. USA Today. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ^ "Tom Black Biography". Premiere Motivational Speakers Bureau. Premiere Motivational Speakers Bureau. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ^ Chamberlain, Chris. "Wine Wednesday: Wine Pairing? There's an App For That...And It's Local". Nashville Scene. CityPress Communications. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ^ "Tom Black". EyesOnSales. EyesOnSales. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ^ Goldberg, Howard. "Tom Black". Decanter. Decanter. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ^ Meltzer, Peter. "A Life of Wine Lessons". Wine Spectator. Wine Spectator. Retrieved 30 March 2016.