I’m super excited to present this fantastic conversation with Dr. Cheryl Wood. I learned so much from her! 

We talked about the process of turning your story of hardships into triumph. I am always inspired by my guest but this conversation was different. The words that she spoke on and off camera really touched me.

Dr. Cheryl Wood is a leader worth following! 

Dr. Cheryl Wood is an International Empowerment Speaker, 2x TEDx Speaker, 17x Best-Selling Author, and Master Speaker Development Coach. She specializes in equipping men and women with the tools to unleash the power of their voice, transform lives with their story, and monetize their subject matter expertise. Dr. Wood has trained countless entrepreneurs and leaders across the United States and abroad in South Africa, India, France, United Kingdom, Canada, Jamaica and The Bahamas. She empowers individuals to get out of their comfort zone, take calculated risks, pursue their big dreams, and become the best version of themselves.

Dr. Wood is also the Founder & Visionary of SpeakerCon, the annual premier conference, convention and awards gala for speakers, entrepreneurs, coaches, and a diverse array of verbal communication experts to learn, connect, grow and celebrate positively "transforming the world one word at a time."

Dr. Wood has been featured on ABC, Radio One, Forbes Magazine, Huffington Post, ESSENCE, Black Enterprise, Rolling Out, Sheen Magazine, Good Morning Washington, Fox 5 News, Fox 45 News, The Washington Informer, The Baltimore Times, Afro-American Newspaper and numerous other media outlets. She has delivered riveting keynote presentations for NASA, Verizon, Capital One, The United Nations, The FBI, United States Department of Defense, United States Department of Agriculture, National Association of Legal Professionals, Federally Employed Women, Blacks In Government and the Congressional Black Caucus, to name a few. Dr. Wood is committed to empowering leaders globally to make their unique fingerprint count and to create their legacy starting today!

#speaker #keynote #motivationalspeaker #coach 

Check out this episode with my good friend Deleon Brooks. Deleon is the co-owner of Cash Oasis and Media Drive. I met Deleon a few months ago. I’m really impressed by his business acumen but most of all heart. He is a leader. From the moment he and I met, he was dropping gems. We learn from each other. I walk away from every conversation wishing it had been recorded. You’re in for a treat! After a work event, we decided to sit down and have our first recorded conversation. Notice I said first because there will be many.

We talked about almost everything. The key topics included leadership and entrepreneurship. Deleon went deep. He told me exactly where I was lacking and how to fix it. *hint* If you don’t have friends that do this, you need to find a new group. You’re going to have to tune in to see exactly what we talked about.

Let me know what you think about this episode!

 Oh yeah, if you want more amazing content from Deleon then check out his Linktree where you can find all his social media channels.

 **https://linktr.ee/DayLeeOwn1

#entrepreneurship #leadership #finance #wastate #washington #thurstoncounty #olympiawa #laceywa

Ray Leonard Jr needs no introduction. Speaking with him was such an amazing experience. I learned so much from Ray Jr. I'm very grateful to him for taking the time to speak to our community. 

I will never forget seeing him with his dad, hall of fame boxer Sugar Ray Leonard in the1970s popular 7 Up commercial. As a kid, I remember saying, "look at that dude he has it made."

 It had nothing to do with who his dad was but more of the fact that he had a dad in his life. Being a black male growing up where I'm from almost none of my friends had their dad in their lives.

During our discussion, Ray discussed his amazing childhood where he had been in rooms where history was being made. Ray also talked about some of the many death threats that his family encountered. I loved learning about how his family went from being poor to one of the most powerful families in the world. 

Ray Leonard Jr, now all-grown-up is a former two-sport division one collegiate athlete and former sports agent for some of the biggest names in sports credit his father’s talk with him about opportunities.

Ray says, "I’ve always remembered the words from my father that remain with me today". He would say, "within our dreams and aspirations, we find our opportunities." 

Ray Jr. is a legend in his own right! He is a powerful speaker and straight-up boss!!

He is passionate about instilling the virtues of leadership, discipline, awareness, and control, Ray is a sought-after speaker who has traveled extensively, giving talks to various businesses, organizations, and the military.

The Maryland native resides in California and is a graduate of Ohio University with a BS in Sports Management and a BA in Business Administration.

Check out his amazing episode!

Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking and Finding Your Voice

Welcome back to my entrepreneurial journey, where I share my experiences and insights from talking to top founders across many disciplines. In this episode, I'll be sharing my personal journey of overcoming a fear of public speaking and finding my voice.

For a very long time, I had a secret shame: I was terrified of speaking in front of people. I would sweat and pray for a fire alarm to go off just so I could avoid speaking in front of a group. It was a physical and emotional reaction that held me back from living my purpose.

But a few years ago, I made the decision to confront my fear and start using my voice to help others. I began privately coaching professionals to master their own fear of public speaking, using the same strategies that helped me overcome my own. And the rewards have been endless.

I'm passionate about helping people find their purpose and use their voice to make a difference in the world. More than ever, the world needs to hear your voice, no matter how scared you may be.

In this episode of Leaders Lead, I'll be sharing simple strategies that have helped me along the way. If you're struggling with a fear of public speaking, or just want to find your voice and make a bigger impact, I'd love to help you. Send me a message and let's start the conversation.

Don't let a fear of public speaking hold you back from living your purpose. There are simple strategies you can use to overcome your fear and find your voice. And I'd love to be a part of your journey. So don't hesitate to reach out and let me know how I can help.

Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review to let me know what you think of the show. Your feedback is always appreciated and helps us get better. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your friends and colleagues. Let's inspire more people to find their voice and make a difference.

I’m excited to welcome you to join in on a conversation with my friend & best-selling author, Walter McKinley. We talked about his childhood, prior military service, and the amazing things he is doing now.

Walter is making a difference in the lives of others that are going through the pain he endured. Walter was abused as a child. He moved 14 times in 16 years and suffered tortuous abuse at the hands of every adult he came into contact with.

Walt says," your history does not define your legacy."

Life was hard for Walter but he refused to give up! 

In tears, at the age of 16, he sat on the witness stand testifying against his father which was one of the many abusers that stole his childhood. Walt McKinley found the strength to fight for himself for the first time. In that life-changing moment, he made a promise to himself.

He promised he would do whatever it took to become a warrior of his abuse and break the generational cycle forever. 

During our one-hour conversation, sh*t got real! It was extremely hard to hold back the tears. His bravery moved me. I cannot believe he was able to push through so much adversity. Walt is a warrior!

He is a retired Naval Intelligence Officer and former Fortune 500 Corporate Executive who's told his story in front of large crowds for over 25 years. His empowering and people-first leadership approach built high-performing organizations that achieved record results around the world.

Walter says, “We are in challenging times and need strong voices who can teach people to unlock their full potential using real experiences.”

Walt uses his journey of extreme trauma, fourteen childhood moves, homelessness, and attempted teen suicide, culminating with testifying in court against his father at 16.

His comeback story reminds us that life is limitless. 

This conversation is powerful and life-changing! 

Enjoy. 

Don't forget to subscribe to the show and leave and leave a review.

Click the link below to purchase Monsters In My House by Walter Mckinley.

https://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/0578358603/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_viewopt_sr?ie=UTF8&filterByStar=all_stars&reviewerType=all_reviews&sortBy=recent&pageNumber=1#reviews-filter-bar

This audio is from a live stream that I conducted on Linkedin sometime in August. I woke up and needed to get in some reps. In case you didn’t know, I had a fear of speaking in public. I have since mastered my fear. Going live was one of the methods that helped me get comfortable with delivering my message. During the stream, I discussed looking at Mondays as opportunities instead of hardships. 

If you’re doing what you love then you’re obsessed with the work. At least I know I’m obsessed with my work. I love serving.

 I also talked about my upcoming interview with Anthony Trucks. Anthony is a well-known international speaker and coach. I still have not released his segment. It was so good! I have not posted this interview to the podcast. 

I feel bad because I’ve been holding on to some very resourceful information. I believe that Anthony is teaching some tools that would be very beneficial regarding making some much-needed changes in your life. He is a phenomenal teacher. Make sure you subscribe so that you can be notified as soon as his episode drops. 

Also, I have not made this public but I am now helping other people overcome their fears of public speaking. This experience is like non-other. If you want help with overcoming your fear please feel free to reach out to me by following this link. Sign up and I will personally reach out to you 

Click here to apply for SPEAK UNIVERSITY: https://vocl24.sociamonials.com/speak-university/c17041/

Do you suffer from not being liked by everyone? I've always battled this issue but due to life's circumstances, I discovered that I needed to love myself first. I still have this issue but by doing the work the pain fades away. Check out this bonus episode and let me know your thoughts.

*Live Episode* Find your purpose with Tony in 5 easy steps.

His stories from the battlefield are sobering. His service is honorable.

In a very short time, Jake has become one of my favorite people. I am impressed by his leadership. During our time together in DC, I noticed Jake was keen on a particular trait. Jake is a servant through and through. When he is not training our future leaders to withstand attacks at schools, he volunteers his time by giving to the brothers and sisters that have served in the Armed forces of the United States of America. Jake is the real deal!

Jake started his professional career in 2003 as a Combat Engineer in the United States Marine Corps. He served in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and more specifically Operation Phantom Fury (Second Battle of Fallujah) in 2004 with 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines. He served with the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines in 2005 during OIF. He was honorably discharged as a Sergeant from the Marine Corps Reserves in 2009. In 2010, Jake was hired as a Contingency Skills Instructor to help support requirements for military troops deploying to hostile/austere environments. In 2012, he transitioned to another training command and within one year rose to the ranks of Assistant Chief Instructor (filling an O-3 billet). There his training supported military advisors deploying to over 140 countries. The main course he supported was a rigorous six-week course that helped military advisors prepare for the challenges of language, region, culture, and field-craft skills needed to thrive in uncertain and hostile environments with limited support. Also, he was the lead instructor for active shooter/insider threat training for armed and unarmed deploying students. This was a vital position due to the green-on-blue threat with our host nation allies.

Check out this episode!

I HOPE THIS HELPS! 

This week’s podcast segment does not feature any of my amazing guests. It’s just me. Can I be real with you? I'm going to assume you said yes.

I create content so that others can benefit from the lessons that I have learned throughout life.

“Your pain can be someone else’s blueprint.”

If you've been following my journey you know some of the things that I've overcome.

If you're new to my feed here is a shortlist.

• I grew up without a dad in my life but vowed to be the best dad on the planet.
• I had low self-esteem but always put myself into situations where I had no choice but to succeed.
• I conquered my fear of public speaking by raising my hand and speaking.
• I conquered my fear of driving on the highway by saying, "I love driving on the highway", over and over for 20 hours while driving from my first Marine Corps duty station back home
• I was homeless at one point but I believe it was one of the best things to ever happen to me.
• I was a divorced single dad but then met the love of my life, Jenny.
• I accomplished my goal of reaching the top position in my career field only to quit after having a quiet meltdown in my office. I'm so grateful that my wife believed in me enough to tell me to pack up, come home and so that we can start walking towards your purpose.

A very critical step in gaining the strength needed to endure your current situation is to think about the trials and tribulations you've previously conquered.

Celebrate your wins and learn from your losses. I've learned a lot these past few years.

I don’t care who you are, if you're ambitious you’re going to get weary. There will be obstacles but it's up to you to manifest a positive outcome and work towards turning those obstacles into opportunities.

Some of the people that I love the most have been going through some tough times. Sometimes It weighs on me. I would love nothing more than for the people in my life to live in complete joy. It hurts when my people are hurting. Last week I became weary and needed a pick me up.

Nothing I read, watched, or heard was working. I went through my phone and downloaded some of my old recordings. I got really inspired and decided that it was time for me to start publicly unpacking some of the mountains I have climbed. I have overcome some serious odds and vow to continue to help others do the same by using this medium. If you're not a subscriber please subscribe now. I would love to be a part of your community.