How do some Black junior faculty manage to successfully negotiate academic life? The author observed that they tend to have several things in common. This document describes the following commonalities: (1) highly successful Black junior faculty learn the expectations for promotion; (2) they learn how to say "no" early and often and protect their time for research by getting the most manageable teaching load possible; (3) highly successful Black junior faculty actively work to improve their teaching and ensure that several forms of assessment are used to evaluate their instruction; (4) highly successful Black junior faculty hunt down good advice from senior and junior colleagues; (5) highly successful Black junior faculty develop a pattern of research productivity by keeping up with the literature and keeping their work IN THE MAIL; (6) they negotiate hard on contracts. They get salary information and set themselves up for success by having specifies about teaching loads, preparations, conference travel, moving expenses, research funds, summer stipends and course releases as part of their contracts; and (7) they see professional success as one part of their lives. They are resilient and stay forward looking, not allowing themselves to be bogged down by past missteps in strategy.