Back in 2017, I got a call that changed everything.

My boy Millz was at his company’s top-of-the-year sales kickoff event. These events typically feature strategy sessions, business reviews that go over end-of-year numbers, new goals for the coming year, and a keynote speaker to get everyone motivated and inspired. That year’s speaker was Inky Johnson.

Inky Johnson’s story is nothing short of extraordinary. A former college football player, Inky’s promising career was cut short by a life-threatening injury that left his right arm paralyzed. Despite this setback, he transformed his tragedy into a powerful message of perseverance and resilience. His delivery is magnetic, and his story is so captivating that it had everyone in the room in tears.

The Call

After Inky’s talk, Millz called me up and said, “Ferg, bro, I just saw this speaker named Inky. His story is crazy. He’s you, bro. Have you ever thought of motivational speaking?” That’s all it took. I can’t make this up. Seriously… just the day before Millz called, I had told someone in my office I was thinking about motivational speaking. The very next day, Millz calls me to ask if I’d ever considered it. Coinkidink? I think not.

You Better Listen

My mom used to say, “When God whispers, you better listen.” I was ready to listen. This phone call inspired me to take action. Millz was also so inspired that he wanted to help me in any way he could, which was great because at the time I had NO CLUE what I was doing. Millz and I got right to work. We’d meet twice a week and grind in my living room. We spent hours upon hours working through my story, dissecting my thought process, mindset (both good and bad), and polishing my takeaways so I could add value to people’s lives and help folks, at all levels, change the way they think in order to get the results they want.

From there, we began door knocking at every high school in the city. We’d meet with principals and coaches, offering to speak for FREE. At first, I couldn’t even speak for free; nobody was interested. It was crazy. But over time, we learned how to communicate our mission more effectively and before we knew it, we were doing two to three speaking engagements a WEEK. It didn’t matter if there were 5 people in a cafeteria or 500 kids in an assembly; if there was somebody willing to listen and a mic, I was there pouring my heart out.

The Leap

I took that leap 7 years ago. Since then, I’ve done some pretty amazing stuff—from gracing the TEDx stage to keynote speaking for Cisco Systems and PearVC. I’ve been blessed to speak on some AMAZING stages, all because I pulled the trigger and got to work.

How About You?

Is there something you’ve said lately like… “I’m thinking about _____________.”

What’s holding you back?

For me, getting started involved:

• Having the courage to take the leap, even though I had NO CLUE what the hell I was doing or if I would succeed. I call this “Getting Hit” (success is a contact sport).
• Finding small but significant ways to experiment and then making necessary changes along the way to polish and improve.
• Pursuing it with someone else, someone that believed in me and shared the same vision (Thanks again, Millz! Couldn’t have done it without you!).

What big things are you feeling called to do? Why not get started?

Listen, I’ve been there. I know the feeling, but… there’s no better time than the present.

If you’re wanting to uncover your passion, lean into your purpose, or find another gear to take your career to the next level… Tap in with me and let’s get to work.

Click here to schedule a complimentary coaching session… and let’s explore your “calling” together!