Black Entrepreneur Experience: Episode 520

Guest: Troy Vincent, Founder of The Engraving House & Former NFL Star

Host: Dr. Frances Richards

Date: September 17, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode features Troy Vincent, founder of The Engraving House and a former NFL star, who discusses his journey from corporate America and pro football to entrepreneurship in the monument and engraving industry. The conversation covers building a legacy business, the importance of mentorship, financial wisdom, the unique position of Black entrepreneurs in the funeral and monument sector, and lessons in resilience, community, and impact. Troy shares candid stories from his personal and professional life, offering actionable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Troy’s Path to Entrepreneurship

• Early Business Experience:

  • Started selling candy at school at age 12 (08:53), but didn’t frame it as entrepreneurship.
  • Family background in education and corporate roles; had to forge his own entrepreneurial path.

• Career Journey:

  • Worked in finance, felt unfulfilled and was fired from several jobs.
  • Shifted mindset from seeing job losses as setbacks to seeing them as opportunities to find his true purpose (08:53–11:26).
  • Final job loss became a catalyst:

    "If I'm going to get fired, it's going to be because my clients are going to fire me, my customers are going to fire me." (11:37)

• Starting The Engraving House:

  • Entered the engraving business in 2005 thanks to a mentor, started full-time in 2008.
  • Initially focused on keepsakes; pivoted toward monuments and headstones after acquiring a monument company in 2013.
  • Noted that 75–80% of business became memorial-related by 2022, especially during the pandemic (01:02).

Importance of Mentorship

• Being Intentional:

  "You have to be intentional about it. Find someone who you deem as successful in that industry." (02:50)

  • Advocates for multiple mentors, both personal and professional.
• Mentorship Experience:
  • His mentor, a white industry veteran, was candid about the lack of African Americans in the monument industry:

    "He said, I just wanted to ... see if you have the heart for this business. ... But the fact that there's not many African Americans, you have a natural niche." (03:48)

Black Representation in the Monument Business

• Very few African Americans in the industry, providing both unique challenges and opportunities for cultural connection and business growth.
• Community trust is critical, especially during emotionally charged transactions (03:37–04:51).

Navigating the Industry as a Consumer

• Key Advice:
  • Consumers have more rights than they realize; not obliged to purchase headstones from funeral homes or cemeteries.
  • Research and, when possible, pre-plan to make informed, financial decisions in times of grief.

    "When you're doing the business of death, you really can't grieve. ... relationships get damaged because we don't know how to handle navigating through situations that are special as this." (05:08)

• Pitfalls:
  • Emotional vulnerability can lead to rushed, costly decisions (05:08–07:35).

Lessons from the Pandemic

• Bittersweet Impact:
  • Pandemic increased business due to loss but also heightened the importance of connection and family (01:02, 07:40).

  • "Thank you Pandemic because ... you’ve pushed a lot of us into entrepreneurship." (07:40)

Financial Wisdom & Raising Capital

• Initial Funding:
  • Saved from corporate work, lived below means, and received investment from his brother (15:20).
• Advice on Business Finance:
  • Leverage grants and low-interest loans; use OPM (Other People’s Money) as you grow:

    "You want to use other people's money. You don't necessarily want to use your own ... just have to be resourceful." (16:48)

• Personal Savings:
  • Frugal habits from a banking background, saving for "tomorrow" without an explicit plan for business initially (15:58).

The Power of Mindset

• On Resilience:
  • Reframes failures as learning opportunities, not setbacks:

    "I don't look at them as worst moments. I look at them as great opportunities to correct." (13:52)

  • Vulnerability comes from caring deeply for others, sometimes leading to being taken advantage of (14:45).

Building Legacy & Purpose

• Vision of Legacy:

  "Life is built on what you acquire, but your legacy is built on what you leave behind." (17:49)

  • Desires to be known for lifting up others and spreading kindness.
• Family Influence:
  • Grandfather’s work ethic and quiet leadership were modeled and absorbed, even unconsciously (27:01).

Most Impactful Professional Story

• Martin Luther King, Jr. Monument in Carrollton, GA:
  • Created a monument for MLK in a racially divided community; the ceremony brought people of all generations and races together.

  • "I didn't realize the importance and significance of having this type of monument ... right near the courthouse. That was a huge, momentous moment for that city." (19:38)

Adversity & Turning Points

• Youth in New Orleans:
  • Nearly fell into a dangerous path; family moved him for his safety after a cousin’s murder (28:58–32:49).

  • "That was the first time I said, there's a purpose for my life. I don't know what it is at this point, but it wasn't my time to go." (29:03)

Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

• The Three Ds:
  1. Dream It: Visualize your goals.
  2. Diagram It: Write down specific plans.
  3. Do It: Take action, don’t get stuck planning forever (Ready, aim... then fire!).

  "We ready and we aim. But a lot of us stay just aiming." (33:23)

• Mentorship Circle:
  • Surround yourself with likeminded and successful people for support and accountability (36:50).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "If I'm going to get fired, it's going to be because my clients are going to fire me, my customers are going to fire me, but it won’t be because I'm just a casualty of business by something much greater than me." —Troy Vincent (11:26)
• "Life is built on what you acquire, but your legacy is built on what you can leave behind." —Troy Vincent (17:49)
• "I want people to say that I lived it. I walked the walk. I didn't just talk the talk." —Troy Vincent (17:49)
• "Dream it. Diagram it. Do it." —Troy Vincent (33:23)
• "For me, being great [means] understanding what my purpose is and knowing that I've walked in that purpose for the day." —Troy Vincent (22:08)
• On adversity:

  "There was a shift in mindset ... it no longer felt like what happened to me, but what happens for me." (08:53)

• On giving back:

  "Every day I'm writing my obituary." (17:49)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Business Origin & Industry Insights: [01:02–02:46]
• Finding and Working with a Mentor: [02:46–03:48]
• On Black Representation in Monuments: [03:48–04:51]
• Consumer Rights in Monument Purchases: [05:08–07:35]
• Pandemic’s Impact & Lessons: [07:35–08:44]
• Career Shifts & Entrepreneurship Mindset: [08:53–13:36]
• Vulnerability & Leadership: [14:45–15:15]
• Startup Funding & Financial Advice: [15:20–17:45]
• Legacy, Purpose, and Giving Back: [17:49–19:16]
• Most Impactful Monument Project (MLK, Carrollton, GA): [19:38–21:45]
• Advice: The Three Ds: [33:23–36:50]
• Significant Personal Adversity Story: [28:58–32:49]

Flow & Tone

Troy’s approach is candid, warm, and deeply reflective, blending practical business advice with heartfelt personal stories. Dr. Richards's questions keep the conversation engaging, supportive, and community-focused, emphasizing empowerment, generational learning, and actionable wisdom.

Connect With Troy Vincent

• Website: engravinghouse.com
• Twitter/Instagram/Facebook: @engravinghouse

This episode is a powerful blend of practical advice and inspiring storytelling, ideal for anyone seeking insight into entrepreneurship, legacy building, and making a meaningful impact in underrepresented industries.