Fred Hammond - Success and Reinventing Yourself

Today’s episode will be like music to your ears.

We have Fred Hammond a gifted vocalist, songwriter, musician, producer, and arranger.

He has sold over 8 million albums and is a mainstay on Billboards Gospel Chart top 10.

His previous release, Pages of Life Chapters I & II, exceeded Double Platinum status and held number one position on the Billboard Gospel Chart for over 15 weeks.

He is CEO of Face to Face productions and has served as a producer on more than 100 album projects, racking up numerous awards and nominations including Grammy, BET, NAACP, Image, Stellar, Dove, and GMWA Excellence Awards.

Fred took his creative savvy a notch higher with the movie The Gospel and co-wrote and directed the smash hit musical drama Been There Done That. Today, we talk about success and reinventing yourself.

[00:05:46] Fred Gets Personal About How He Almost Didn’t Get Born  

From an early age, Fred felt a divine connection and eventually received a calling to bring a message of love to people who feel unwanted and unimportant.

[00:12:02] Nobody Can Abort What the Most High Is Giving Birth to  

Sometimes people get discouraged and abort their dreams because they feel inadequate or inferior. If the people around you suck positive energy out of you, get away from them and find the people that will help you. You also need to beware that often when you are close to achieving your goal, the enemy will put up a big struggle to stop you. 

[00:18:46] Work on Your Self-Belief  

Self-doubt can hold you back, like the 10 spies in Numbers 13 who thought the Israelites were as insignificant as grasshoppers.  Press forward and choose to keep your mind focused on the possibilities. If one method doesn’t work, try something else but don’t be quick to give up.

[00:22:32] Be Prepared for Rejection and Don’t Take It Personally  

In searching for credit to buy a tour bus, Fred heard the word “no” 200 times. With each “no” he took the feedback as an opportunity to improve on his proposal and be better prepared the next time. When people say no, it’s not about them not liking you, it’s about you not being prepared. Humble yourself and keep working hard.    

[00:32:00] Remain Committed and Consistent Even When You Don’t Feel like It  

Make up your mind that you have a purpose to achieve. Let your purpose drive you in identifying your vision and a plan for how to get there. This might mean walking by faith when you are filled with fear. The song I Will Trust was birthed during a time when Fred was afraid, and The Most High seemed to be silent.

[00:47:27] Perseverance and Tenacity

When you are clear about your vision, you don’t need people’s approval to move forward. Sometimes they are just uncomfortable with the fact that you are evolving; don’t let another person’s drama bring you down.  When Fred was working on a love-song album, it made some people in his circle uncomfortable, but he did it anyway and received 10,000 likes on iTunes.

[00:53:35] The Genesis of the Song No Weapon  

As he was listening to a pastor deliver a message of hope and promise to someone, with the organ playing in the background, Fred was inspired to compose No Weapon. It happened so spontaneously that he believes it was divinely written.

[00:58:37] What Fred Is Currently Working on  

Fred is working on new episodes of That’s My Reality. He is also working on two films, a play, Festival of Praise 2018, and the Fred Hammond app. He plans to release a new track every month in 2018 on Spotify and other digital platforms.  

[01:02:23] Finding Success, Reinventing Yourself and Being Persistent  

Know your purpose. Believe that you’re here on earth for a purpose and not just to exist, no matter where you are right now.  Identify your purpose, educate yourself on how to achieve it and figure out your platform of how to get it done.