Who do you speak to and what do you speak about?
I speak to African American leaders – executive leaders, CEOs and the COOs of their companies. And I’m not trying to exclude anyone, so I also go to places that are not African American-led but that is my focus. What I talk about is how to harness the power of your mind as a tool to help you manage and reduce your stress.
What was happening or not happening in your business that made you seek out The Speaker Lab?
I wasn’t following my business. Covid redirected everything that I had planned.
And so I was at a point in my life where I was working as an admin, which is a skillset that I have, but it wasn’t where my heart was.
I initially reached out to The Speaker Lab a while back, I spoke with an Enrollment Adviser – we had a great conversation. He told me about Katherine Johnson, but I just wasn’t in the right mindset. About a year later, I told my wife, “I am not happy about what I’m doing…Remember when I had this conversation with The Speaker Lab? Let me get in touch with them again.”
I had another conversation with an EA, and the challenge for me then was the finances. But instead of letting that defeat me this time, I said, “Let me sit down and really look at my paycheck, look at my numbers, look at what’s happening with my money.” And I put together a plan.
I talked to them on Friday and was calling back Friday night asking, “Okay, how do I get started? We’re ready to go.”
I really wanted to get back into doing what I love, which is inspiring and equipping people to have more control and happiness in their life by harnessing their thoughts.
How did you overcome fears and apprehensions at the start?
I’ve been doing this for a long time – about 25 years. I’m an ordained minister, and have been a pastor, speaking in front of a crowd for a long time; it’s something I’ve done since I was in junior high school.
Coach Ravi asked, “Can you be coachable?” And that was really the question I had to ask myself. Can I be coachable? ’cause I can’t come in here and not receive the benefits of this because I think I know everything already.
What were some of your big aha moments and takeaways from the program?
I was not as prepared as I thought I was. So, I’m very grateful for the process. I wanted to grow my business, so I jumped in and was like, “Give me the list of the people I can speak with,” but I realized I wasn’t ready for that professional aspect of my business yet.
Yes, as a speaker I was pretty good, but even with regard to that, I learned how to be more engaging, to present my information more clearly, to remember that while I’m an expert at what I speak at, the people I’m communicating with are not experts. That’s why I’m speaking to them. It’s important to meet them where they’re at, not where I’m at.
I really loved the process because by the time The Speaker Lab finally shows you how to begin to grow your business and reach out to people, I realized, “I do appreciate the step-by-step way it was laid out because now I am better prepared and have a much better understanding of how to do the business.”
I think that was the hardest thing for me, this mindset of: “I know how to speak, I don’t need anyone to teach me about that.” But that’s not what The Speaker Lab is about. They teach you how to be successful with a speaking business.
What have been some of your results and highlights?
I think the beautiful thing is to be able to do what I love and bring my business to a bigger audience.
They encourage you to niche down, and I knew this audience of African American professional leaders aren’t being touched. I thought, “Well, if I went to white corporate America, I’m gonna get a lot more money, right?” That was my perception. But I arrived at, “If I do what’s in my heart, the money and all the other things will come to me, so I’m gonna step out and do this.”
I got my first gig before even being done with the program; I went to speak at the National African American Insurance Association’s leadership meeting and it was all the things you want. They flew me in, they put me up in a beautiful place. And I was able to collaborate with Omari, the Chief Executive Officer, using what I learned from Katherine.
I ended up using a book that Katherine told me about about a man who does mindfulness, and it was beautiful. People loved it. They were taking notes, and it was just really beautiful.
Then this week I’m doing another presentation for a company that wants to help their employees handle their stress so I’m getting to bring that message to corporate environments and I’m very happy about that.
How did it feel getting to be giving this talk to audiences?
It is very fabulous. In some ways I’m doing it in a different way. To be able to go to North Carolina, which is where the NAAIA was having their meeting, and see my PowerPoint going across the screen as they’re running it, to see my name on the agenda and to have someone trust their team to you, it was just a very powerful moment.
I’m now a full-time pastor. All this happened in the midst of this. All of a sudden, this great opportunity came around and I applied so many of the things that I learned from The Speaker. I thought, “I’ve been putting sermons together forever, so I don’t need anyone to tell me how to do that,” but again, that may be true in some way, but can I get better? Of course.
To be able to engage people using tools I use in my professional business, and then in ministry as well is just very wonderful.
What is your new normal now? How has your life changed since doing the program?
I would say the main thing is I understand even more the power in coaching, the power of being willing to trust the process. Many times I was like, “Just give me those leads. I know what I’m doing.” But no, trust the process.
There’s always a place that I can learn, and even as I bring my gifts, whether it’s at the church or at an event, I remember that I’m also the student. How can I be better? Where can I be more clear?
I’m speaking at the Minnesota Department of Revenue, and it’s virtual. This is something I learned with Ravi – it’s important to get everything together and organized, and working with the government agency, it’s even more forms and paperwork, SHEESH, but again, I gotta trust the process.
I understand that what I have to bring is important to helping people reduce their stress to improve their work, work-life integration, and be able to live a happier life. So if it means I have to do four things before I get there, paperwork, paperwork, paperwork, even if it seems like it’s nonstop sometimes, it’s worth it if it means you get to give your talk to people.
You’ve mentioned a couple different speaking engagements. Can you tell us more?
Doing the NAAIA was WOW, and that came from prospecting, going on Instagram, LinkedIn, and finding someone I connected with. I’m an AME minister, and the young man booking was also, and we’re both a part of the LGBTQ Community, so finding out those things that we have in common and then being able to speak there was great.
When I got the first part of my list, I set out to work those leads, and then this opportunity came to get hired at the church. And so I thought, “I wanna be a professional speaker. Now I get to do that every Sunday.” And of course, with being a pastor, there’s more to it than that.
This opportunity with the Department of Revenue in Minnesota I feel like came from my website that now gives me a professional appearance. With my site, I thought, “I’m good,” but Katherine asked, “Did you follow the checklist?” I hadn’t…So she encouraged me to do this, this, and this, this. That’s the thing that The Speaker Lab gave me – the right set of tools to present what I’m doing for the clients.
One of the things that The Speaker Lab tells you is: It’s not about you. There’s probably 800 people that speak on mindfulness in some sort of way, so how do I make myself stand out? Now, it’s because my tools are professional. Even down to the paperwork that I send to people, I’m going right to The Vault and pulling those forms right out. It’s exciting!
I’m growing more and looking for more ways to see how I can benefit the clients. I think that is another big thing that The Speaker Lab taught me. What is the benefit? And how can I help them make a difference?
Who would you recommend to The Speaker Lab? What would you say to someone that’s in a similar spot?
I would say you are worth the investment for your dreams to happen, and for you to have the business that you want.
If you read any professional person’s book, they’re gonna tell you someone coached them, they had a mentor, they followed a program or a paradigm. Speakers don’t just wake up one day and then say, “I wanna talk about apples and oranges,” and have people say, “Great! We’re gonna pay you millions of dollars to do that!” That’s not how it works.
It’s about understanding that this is a collaboration. If you can collaborate in your training, you open doors. I had to go without things because I had to set aside the certain amount of money to be able to make my payment every month. But it’s worth where I’m at now, doing the things that I love with the potential to continue to do that.
Anyone who feels like it’s too late, I’m in my sixties and I decided to do this “crazy” thing. It’s never too late. If you bet on yourself, you’ll never lose. So make the investment. You’re worth it. It’s never too late. And look for your resources.
Any way you wanna close this out here today?
I would say it’s really work. I’m a good student, so maybe that’s why it was easy for me, but it’s important to do the assignments, do the research, follow up, ask your questions, get your coaching. Katherine’s probably sick of me because regularly, I was like, “I’m ready for my coach!”
You have these great resources. You paid for them! You invested in them to use them. I’ll close with a story. I’m a mindfulness expert. I talk about mindfulness, I do mindfulness. I know all about mindfulness. One day Katherine asked me, “Do you know about Ellen Langer? She’s the mother of Mind of American Mindfulness.” I didn’t. Then she introduced me to Shirzad Chamine, who wrote Positive Intelligence. So by being open and coachable, I found a way to be able to help others with new tools I gained. Not everybody wants to breathe in and release. Some people just want some science. So now to them, I can give Langer. But you want the woo woo stuff? Here’s John Kabat Zinn. Something in the middle? There’s Positive Intelligence.
So again, the power of the coach! They’re someone who can bring extra information to you, to empower you and to help you.