Prentiss native and well-known Mississippi businessman, J.L. Holloway, has come a long way from humble beginnings. Growing up, he had few resources and even fewer paths to success, but he was determined to improve his station in life.
Over the course of his career, Holloway founded and oversaw several business ventures that proved to be enormously profitable. Holloway has used the benefits he earned to support his community, generously sharing his financial rewards with many others, including the University of Mississippi.
Holloway discussed his journey and his 2023 memoir, Nothing to Lose: A Story of Poverty, Resilience, and Gratitude, on Sept. 5 as a featured speaker in the Robert C. Khayat Lecture Series, a program of the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy. He shared his story in conversation with Neil White, his publisher at Nautilus Publishing, at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts in Oxford.
“My childhood was very difficult,” said Holloway, who lives primarily in Nashville, Tennessee, and maintains a home in Ridgeland. “Consequently, when I started writing my memoir, it was very difficult for me to delve so deeply into those painful years. But my wife, Diane, was a big source of encouragement. She was with me as I started the book, and she remained there to help me persevere through the process.”
Karen Moore, outgoing president of the Ole Miss Alumni Association and a member of the Women’s Council, recognized how Nothing to Lose reflects the purpose of the Khayat Lecture Series: to bring cross-cultural leaders, entrepreneurs and philanthropists to the community to share their stories and inspire students and others to become caring and ethical leaders.
“J.L. truly is a leader, entrepreneur and philanthropist—all in one,” said Moore. “When I read the first couple of chapters, I had tears in my eyes. Yet, I also saw the grit and determination J.L. had to have to overcome how he grew up.
