Elijah Sommerz – The Man of Multiple Income Streams

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

With a net worth of between 1.4 – 2 million dollars, this week’s Classic Man is a definite read for anyone who is committed to establishing a long-lasting legacy.

This edition, our Classic Man demonstrates that making money does not have to be hard. If you dedicate yourself to work smart rather than hard, you can set yourself and your family up for a much better future. I am proud to introduce to you, the man of multiple income streams, Elijah Sommerz.

He is one of the first entrepreneurs and hip-hop artists to be published on MTV, as well as being featured in Source Magazine. He proudly represented Canada as the first Afrocentric Canadians to be elected independently to conduct convocation with the United Nations Group Experts.

“I don’t really sleep; there is a lot to do.”

I always find it interesting that the people who have had the most difficult beginnings seem to have the most powerful stories. During his early childhood, he was void of one of the most important relationships a child needs; the one you have with a mother. Unfortunately, his mother had succumbed to her own trauma. Her lifestyle had landed her in prison from the time he was born, until his adolescent years.

Robert Vernon (aka, Elijah Sommerz) was born on December 22^nd, 1991. Without his mother in his life, he was fortunate enough to have a patriarch role model in his father.

“Being an entrepreneur came first. It is a lifestyle. It is my spirit. My father is an entrepreneur. He owned a restaurant, and my grandfather was a super workaholic, with a strong professional background.

When I started my first business, I was trying a ting. My first venture was a t-shirt print business called Young and Fresh Design. At the time I was studying graphic design, so my friend and I thought, hey, why not! Let’s start something up and see what happens.”

This was the genesis of the business mogul we now know as Elijah Sommerz.

“I co-founded JSMG in 2014. Our goal is to help underprivileged youth across North America, especially youth in the GTA. We do so by providing scholarships funded by angel investors and private equity investors. Our support is offered for the youths and rising talents of today; the ones that have a history of trauma, are at an economic disadvantage. At least now they will have an opportunity to go to postgraduate school.”

His next venture was as the co-founder of Le Rues Chaitner & Co. It is a Toronto based independent Real Estate Location Investors Proposal Group. Here he works with a team to provide global real estate location investments.

“The team has grown from three to 30+ clients globally. We currently manage millions of investors’ assets across various hedge fund and mutual fund mandates internationally.” Elijah shares with me. “There are so many stages when it comes to developing your streams of income, and you have to continue to innovate.”

It was during his rise that he hit a wall. Elijah was incarcerated for six months, and during his time dealing with the Canadian justice system; he was witness to situations, which he explains as being un-human, and unconstitutional. Sometimes our darkest moments are what can spawn our enlightenment.

“I took time to learn the law, and after what I had seen, I wanted to do something. I put together different petitions. I wanted to advocate for the inmates. I reached out to media outlets, and the African Legal Clinic. They reached out to the United Nations.”

In 2016, Elijah Sommerz became the first Afrocentric Canadian elected to independently conduct convocation with the United Nations Group Experts. “Our community is like a recycling bin. There is a lot of systemic racism, and having experienced it, I knew that I had to advocate for some of my young brothers. It needed to be done.”

You would think that his brief incarceration would have slowed him down, but in the same year, Elijah raised the bar again when he became the C.E.O of J Stone Management Group & Co.

“I always knew I wanted to do something with music. I had that background.10 years later; I still had this passion for music. My given skill set is managing, and I remember when I first started learning things behind the scenes, putting things together, I realized that I really liked what I was doing.”

His team has grown from zero – 59+ clients globally in just four years. They work with some of the biggest Entertainment companies in the world including Apple Tv, and Roku Tv. They specialize in: talent development, talent management, tour Support, music distribution, Print Media – (Press Release And Press Publishing), and Paid Media (Paid Marketing Campaigns).

It is why his next move made sense. He is now the Acting-Vice Chairman & Chief Financial Officer at World Wide Entertainment. It is a global media platform that works with major, mainstream and underground artists in North America. WWE promotes and markets artists and helps them to build their personal brands.

“Getting back into the industry has allowed me to get a feel of what markets I want to tap into. What is the best genre for me to break into? Where can I make the most impact? I decided that if I am going to tap into music personally, hip-hop speaks more to my lifestyle, my pains, and my struggles.

I learned from being a manager to be frugal, I have seen a lot of people give up because they haven’t set a good foundation. If you don’t have a platform, you don’t have a voice. A lot of people are afraid to put their money where their mouths are, and I will tell you this; people will not invest in you, if you don’t invest in yourself. Do everything you need to do to get better.”

His advice to young artists and entrepreneurs, “You have to treat your passion like it is a job. If not, you will give up. It is important that you have other ventures; at all times you have to be able to invest back into yourself. Stay dedicated always. Stay committed. Don’t give up on yourself. Don’t listen to anyone who says you cannot accomplish what you have put your mind to.”

You can follow Elijah on Instagram: @jsmgthelabel, and @elijahsommerzpromo