Recently, I had the pleasure of sitting down and talking to Walter Jones, Jr., a native of Winnsboro,
La. Immediately into the conversation, I quickly realized just how dedicated he is to his profession and
his family. There is no doubt that this dedication and commitment are the reasons for his successes.
Walter is the managing partner of a digital marketing brand called The Groovy Mango, and is also
managing partner OneHaven Sports Marketing and Branding, representing professional athletes. He,
along with best selling author, Lavaille Lavette, have blazed a path that has led to his success in the
digital marketing world. Lavaille recently authored books for Deshaun Watson (NFL QB), Coach Ed
Orgeron (LSU), Tillman Fertitta (Houston Rockets owner), Ebony: Covering Black America, 75th
Anniversary Edition and soon to be released, Viola Davis (actress), just to name a few, and The Groovy
Mango is the digital marketing arm and content provider for them all.
One of the most interesting questions I had for Mr. Jones was, how did he break into the spaces that
he operates in? His response to me was, “Patience, Prayer, and Persistence”. He told me that he utilizes
these three P’s in all aspects of his life. For him, patience means, taking your time while pursuing your
dreams because they won’t come to life overnight. Don’t rush it, but do put it out there to the world
and it will eventually come to life. Prayer is talking to God about it. It is important to remind him of the
desires of your heart. He is listening. And finally, there’s persistence. You must be ready, willing and
able to stay the course, even when it may seem impossible to reach the finish line. Don’t allow anyone
or anything to knock you off course. He described it as, “life’s adventure”, and he seemed to be enjoying
the journey.
I found Mr. Jones to be just a regular, down to earth kind of guy. Not only was it easy to talk to him,
but he was also a great listener. There were a couple of times where I found myself talking to him about
my ideals and plans for my future and my life, but I quickly got back on track, after he offered up
excellent advice.
My next question for Mr. Jones was, how does a guy from a small town in Louisiana get to the point
in life where he is a partner of a major company, and getting to work with guys like the quarterback of
the Dallas Cowboys, Dak Prescott? And boy, was I surprised by the answer.
It was about twenty one years ago when he got a knock on his door from a man named Ricky Green.
Some people may know him as Mean Green, a DJ and former resident of Monroe, La. Mean Green was
partly responsible for the rise of Master P and No Limit Records. Well, Master P started a sports agency
and Ricky Green was a part of the agency. In 1998, No Limit Sports signed former University of Texas,
and Heisman trophy winner, Ricky Williams to the agency and had their eyes on a couple of local
prospects at ULM, formerly Northeast Louisiana University. That’s when Mean Green came knocking,
soliciting Walter’s help in efforts of signing those players. How could he say no! And as they say in the
movies, the rest is history. That was the start of a relationship that created other opportunities and
introduced Walter to other influential people in, and out of the sports industry. He took advantage of
the opportunities and turned it into a business. To this day, he still has a business relationship, as well as
a strong friendship with Mean Green and many of the others that he crossed paths with along the way.
Walter worked with No Limit Sports for about 2 years and then went on to work for a prominent agent in
Los Angeles by the name of Ted Marchibroda (Marchibroda Sports) for the next 12 years. They
represented such players as Troy Polamalu, Tim Brown, Howie Long, Alan Ricard and Pat Dennis, just to
name a few. After the loss of his father in 2008, and his mother the following year, he decided that it
was time to take a break from sports and concentrate on his family. After a one year hiatus, he decided
to go back to work with Marchibroda Sports, only to realize that the travel back and forth to L.A. was
becoming too challenging, especially while raising two teenage daughters. In 2012, he had a difficult
decision to make, and that was to leave Marchibroda Sports. But, in 2013, upon his retirement from the
fire department, he accepted a position with a local sports agent. He worked with ProSource Sports for
the next 6 years, only to realize that his dream of owning his own sports marketing agency was being put
on the wayside. Walter’s dream was always to own and operate his own company and to be in charge of
his own destiny. In 2018, he left ProSource Sport to start his own agency and live out his dream. That
year, OneHaven Sports Marketing and Branding and The Groovy Mango were born. He hasn’t regretted
the decision to bet on himself and hasn’t looked back. He is forever grateful to all of those who believed
in him, encouraged and supported him on his journey to entrepreneurship.
Walter and The Groovy Mango have also created The Groovy Mango Production Company that
launched a joint venture with OneStreet Media Network. OneStreet Media owns a podcast network that
features about 12 podcasts of some well known celebrities, athletes, entertainers and people from every
walk of life and are broadcasted across several media platforms.
Walter is also a retired fire marshall after spending 29 years with the Monroe Fire Department,
located in Monroe, La. He is a father, husband, entrepreneur and a man of God and faith.
Walter Jones, Jr. has worn many hats, and he continues to wear them well. When asked what he
contributes his successes to, he quickly responded by saying, “ you can’t be afraid of losing if you want to
be a winner, and I’m not afraid to lose”. He went on to say that as long as he continues to keep God first,
treat all people the way he would want to be treated, and continues to rely on the 3 P’s (Patience,
Prayer and Persistence), he will always be a winner in his eyes!
By: Kingston Davis
