when my family moved to Houston Texas when I was about nine years old I felt
when I was about nine years old I felt
when I was about nine years old I felt like I saw opportunity everywhere and it
like I saw opportunity everywhere and it
like I saw opportunity everywhere and it that wasn’t really the case what I just
that wasn’t really the case what I just
that wasn’t really the case what I just saw was more successful people and I
saw was more successful people and I
saw was more successful people and I felt like that if you ask yourself the
felt like that if you ask yourself the
felt like that if you ask yourself the question you know what I really believe
question you know what I really believe
question you know what I really believe something is possible if I’ve never seen
something is possible if I’ve never seen
something is possible if I’ve never seen it with my own eyes that starts to get
it with my own eyes that starts to get
it with my own eyes that starts to get you thinking in the right direction
you thinking in the right direction
you thinking in the right direction there’s this quote that I like that goes
there’s this quote that I like that goes
there’s this quote that I like that goes success is the is where preparation and
success is the is where preparation and
success is the is where preparation and opportunity meet this sweet spot right
opportunity meet this sweet spot right
opportunity meet this sweet spot right here success because if you think about
here success because if you think about
here success because if you think about it nobody really starts out in life
it nobody really starts out in life
it nobody really starts out in life wanting to be successful if I point at
wanting to be successful if I point at
wanting to be successful if I point at you and say hey what’s your number-one
you and say hey what’s your number-one
you and say hey what’s your number-one goal in life and you kind of answer back
goal in life and you kind of answer back
goal in life and you kind of answer back with well I want to be really
with well I want to be really
with well I want to be really unsuccessful I know I’m getting trolled
unsuccessful I know I’m getting trolled
unsuccessful I know I’m getting trolled and my story is much more about
and my story is much more about
and my story is much more about recognizing opportunity for yourself and
recognizing opportunity for yourself and
recognizing opportunity for yourself and then for others that’s what I want I
then for others that’s what I want I
then for others that’s what I want I want most people to realize that
want most people to realize that
want most people to realize that everyone I meet is probably working hard
everyone I meet is probably working hard
everyone I meet is probably working hard to get better at it is I’m better at
to get better at it is I’m better at
to get better at it is I’m better at whatever it is that they do and so I’d
whatever it is that they do and so I’d
whatever it is that they do and so I’d like to suggest to you that you can play
like to suggest to you that you can play
like to suggest to you that you can play a part in the success of others if you
a part in the success of others if you
a part in the success of others if you can learn to spot opportunities for them
can learn to spot opportunities for them
can learn to spot opportunities for them that they might not otherwise see and I
that they might not otherwise see and I
that they might not otherwise see and I think it’s especially important to learn
think it’s especially important to learn
think it’s especially important to learn the skill of spotting opportunities for
the skill of spotting opportunities for
the skill of spotting opportunities for yourself and others because our life is
yourself and others because our life is
yourself and others because our life is just one series of opportunity after
just one series of opportunity after
just one series of opportunity after another you have the preparation you
another you have the preparation you
another you have the preparation you have the opportunity and then you have
have the opportunity and then you have
have the opportunity and then you have success or failure it’s just a cycle
success or failure it’s just a cycle
success or failure it’s just a cycle that keeps going on and on and I feel
that keeps going on and on and I feel
that keeps going on and on and I feel like that there’s always some way we can
like that there’s always some way we can
like that there’s always some way we can be better better prepared today than we
be better better prepared today than we
be better better prepared today than we were yesterday so in my professional
were yesterday so in my professional
were yesterday so in my professional life I get to go to a lot of incredibly
life I get to go to a lot of incredibly
life I get to go to a lot of incredibly cool events I spent the first part of
cool events I spent the first part of
cool events I spent the first part of this week in Los Angeles and an
this week in Los Angeles and an
this week in Los Angeles and an organization called ad killers about
organization called ad killers about
organization called ad killers about diversity and advertising I get to do
diversity and advertising I get to do
diversity and advertising I get to do have lunch with CEOs and as senior
have lunch with CEOs and as senior
have lunch with CEOs and as senior people with decades of insights that are
people with decades of insights that are
people with decades of insights that are especially helpful for someone starting
especially helpful for someone starting
especially helpful for someone starting their career maybe someone restarting
their career maybe someone restarting
their career maybe someone restarting their career or maybe someone who hasn’t
their career or maybe someone who hasn’t
their career or maybe someone who hasn’t even had a career yet so I had this idea
even had a career yet so I had this idea
even had a career yet so I had this idea to buy an extra ticket to a
to buy an extra ticket to a
to buy an extra ticket to a particular event series where we have
particular event series where we have
particular event series where we have lunch with CEOs so that I could bring
lunch with CEOs so that I could bring
lunch with CEOs so that I could bring the student I could find who would make
the student I could find who would make
the student I could find who would make the most of this opportunity this this
the most of this opportunity this this
the most of this opportunity this this small intimate gathering where you get
small intimate gathering where you get
small intimate gathering where you get to talk back and forth with the CEO of a
to talk back and forth with the CEO of a
to talk back and forth with the CEO of a really cool company and so I shared my
really cool company and so I shared my
really cool company and so I shared my idea with someone at the advertising
idea with someone at the advertising
idea with someone at the advertising agency who was hosting the event and he
agency who was hosting the event and he
agency who was hosting the event and he responded immediately and said that he
responded immediately and said that he
responded immediately and said that he knew the perfect person to bring and he
knew the perfect person to bring and he
knew the perfect person to bring and he wanted to do it which told me that this
wanted to do it which told me that this
wanted to do it which told me that this was this idea was simple it was
was this idea was simple it was
was this idea was simple it was repeatable and it was it was something
repeatable and it was it was something
repeatable and it was it was something that I could use to help infect other
that I could use to help infect other
that I could use to help infect other people with this idea of bringing
people with this idea of bringing
people with this idea of bringing someone else along for the ride so every
someone else along for the ride so every
someone else along for the ride so every time I get the chance to bring someone
time I get the chance to bring someone
time I get the chance to bring someone to one of these things that I get to go
to one of these things that I get to go
to one of these things that I get to go to I reach out to educators or reach out
to I reach out to educators or reach out
to I reach out to educators or reach out to youth mentors I reach out to young
to youth mentors I reach out to young
to youth mentors I reach out to young adults I reach out to professors and I
adults I reach out to professors and I
adults I reach out to professors and I try to find the person who is the most
try to find the person who is the most
try to find the person who is the most prepared person I can find and bring
prepared person I can find and bring
prepared person I can find and bring them along with me and the idea is to
them along with me and the idea is to
them along with me and the idea is to increase the chances of success for each
increase the chances of success for each
increase the chances of success for each person by giving them more opportunities
person by giving them more opportunities
person by giving them more opportunities and new experiences so one of my
and new experiences so one of my
and new experiences so one of my favorite favorite definitions of success
favorite favorite definitions of success
favorite favorite definitions of success is constant growth and I really like
is constant growth and I really like
is constant growth and I really like that definition because it talks about
that definition because it talks about
that definition because it talks about how you’re never done succeeding no
how you’re never done succeeding no
how you’re never done succeeding no matter what you do no matter who you are
matter what you do no matter who you are
matter what you do no matter who you are you’re never completely finished
you’re never completely finished
you’re never completely finished succeeding so this means that there is a
succeeding so this means that there is a
succeeding so this means that there is a constant cycle like I said before of
constant cycle like I said before of
constant cycle like I said before of preparation opportunity and either
preparation opportunity and either
preparation opportunity and either success or failure this sweet spot right
success or failure this sweet spot right
success or failure this sweet spot right here and I’d like to challenge each and
here and I’d like to challenge each and
here and I’d like to challenge each and every one of you to start thinking of
every one of you to start thinking of
every one of you to start thinking of yourselves as opportunity Scouts for
yourselves as opportunity Scouts for
yourselves as opportunity Scouts for other people so while you’re looking for
other people so while you’re looking for
other people so while you’re looking for yourself be thinking about bringing
yourself be thinking about bringing
yourself be thinking about bringing someone else along for the ride because
someone else along for the ride because
someone else along for the ride because just like my move from El Paso to
just like my move from El Paso to
just like my move from El Paso to Houston allowed me to see for myself in
Houston allowed me to see for myself in
Houston allowed me to see for myself in my own eyes what success meant and what
my own eyes what success meant and what
my own eyes what success meant and what opportunity looked like you two can help
opportunity looked like you two can help
opportunity looked like you two can help someone help someone else get us their
someone help someone else get us their
someone help someone else get us their seat at the table too and so I’d like to
seat at the table too and so I’d like to
seat at the table too and so I’d like to wish you all the best of luck
wish you all the best of luck
wish you all the best of luck your new roles as opportunity scouts
your new roles as opportunity scouts
your new roles as opportunity scouts thank you
thank you
thank you [Applause]
”
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