This speech is dedicated to the late Fred Williams III and was delivered to the Harvard Faculty Club‘s Business Expert Forum.
Claim Your Stage:
There are two types of people in the world, those who wander aimlessly and then the very, very, very small percentage that choose and commit to living a BOLD vision.
My first BOLD Vision
The first bold vision I set out to achieve was in music. I wanted to be a professional rock star. Who wouldn’t want to be a rock star with the flashing lights, the booming bass and the adoring fans?
I found a passion in music throughout my youth and I made some progress in my music career. I recorded and sold original music, met some of the biggest performers in rock-and-roll and played an official after party for a Metallica concert.
Despite loving music, I always kept one foot in the “safe zone”, going to school while working a job. I was never “all in”.
Encountering those who are are “All In”
While playing in bands I met a lot of interesting characters, including the musician who influenced me the most, a singer named Fred Williams III. He was a rock star personified. He talked the talk, he walked the walk and he even had our band name tattooed on his neck! Fred may have a tough exterior, but inside he was all heart.
I’ll never forget one of the things Fred told me that had a deep impact on me. We were backstage at the Hard Rock Cafe in Atlanta and I asked him “Fred, do you have a backup plan in case this whole music thing doesn’t work out?” He looked at me with his soulful green eyes and said, “Kenny, This is my dream and I am living it. I don’t need a backup plan.” Fred followed his dream with all of his heart. He was “all in”. I really admired that about him.
In the following years, life happened and Fred and I fell out of contact. A little over a year ago, out of the blue, Fred dropped me a line on Facebook suggesting that we get together to catch up. But I was too busy to even respond. A few months later, Fred popped up in my mind and I felt an urgency to reach out to him. So I contacted him on Facebook and said “Hey there Fred. Hope all is well. Life is keeping me busy. Let’s get together soon. You know, it’s a still life without you.” A Still Life Without You was one of the songs we recorded together in the studio. The next day I checked on Facebook to see if he replied but instead of seeing a reply, I saw a bunch of goodbyes.
Fred passed away that evening. Time had passed and I missed my opportunity to reconnect. That hurt.
Fred and I were the same age. This guy that I admired, that lived his passion was gone way too soon.
It took two weeks for the shock to even start to fade and then BAM it hit me! This was a wake up call. What I realized was that I still wasn’t living a bold vision. I still had one foot in the safe zone. Right then and there, I decided that wasn’t good enough for me. I once wanted to be a professional rock star, now I strive to be a rockstar professional in marketing, because that is what I do.
Deciding what your Passion & Purpose is and going “All In”
At that point, my partners and I at Rock My Image decided it was time to be “all in” and we set out on a mission to define our bold vision and we outlined the plan to becoming true rockstar professionals. We even wrote a book on it.
Now we help other driven professionals like us become the go-to experts in their industries.
Right now I’m going to share with you the three simple steps you need to take to get started:
- Define Your Bold Vision – Clearly define a vision that challenges you, energizes you and makes a difference in your life and the life of others.
- Craft Your Story – Identify what makes you unique and what value you, and you alone, can provide.
- Share Your Message with the World – Ensure you have a personal brand that clearly communicates who you are, what you’re about and the purpose you serve.
Right now you are in the performance of your lifetime, it’s called your life. Make it count.
What is your BOLD Vision? What will you commit Your Life to achieving?
