Answering The Call of Success

"If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, would you still come to work?"

That was the question posed by my former colleague Bryan Edwards when I was struggling to choose between continuing my career in engineering or embracing life as a creative. My answer to him was no, and I wouldn’t even bother calling out sick to the aerospace company we were working at together. But If I were working at the radio station, where I’d just been offered a contract, I would go in and have the best last show ever. Bryan responded before I even had the chance to process what I’d said: “Then you shouldn’t be here.”

I didn’t realise how powerful a question that was. Since then, I have kept coming back to his question any time I’ve needed to make an important choice. Life is simply too precious to be spending it doing something you are not passionate about. Think about what you spend most of your time doing. If you didn’t have to face it tomorrow, would you still be there? I’ll give you a minute with that thought.

I had the chance to share this insight with the School of Social Sciences at Birkbeck University last year for their series, “Black Question Time, The Call of Success.” It was a conversation about inspiring, informing, supporting, and transforming students of colour in their quest for success and wisdom.

For Black History Month 2022, I thought it would revisit some of the key takeaways from that interview which apply to a wider audience. We are in a period of hyperawareness about racial injustice and inequality in the UK and globally. It has never been more important to think about how we, as Black people and those who are allies, can make a difference in shaping the world more equitably around us. It starts with making sure we are living out our own full potential. Your gift, talent or superpower (depending on which belief system you’re familiar with) is the vital tool. So here are a few thoughts about answering your Call of Succes:

1. Know your passion. How can you pursue your passion if you don’t know what it is? Your passion is the thing you always come back to, the things people ask about: “Hey are you still doing X?” For example: Are you still baking, are you still singing, are you still racing your BMX bikes, or building rockets? That’s your passion! It might not be your job, though.
2. If you’re passionate about it, you’ll turn it into a living. There is a quote attributed to either Confucius or Mark Twain (whoever it is, it's a good one). ‘Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.' If what you love is your passion, how can you pay your bills with something you would wake up excited about? There are tons of resources out there to help you do this. Try a quick Google search.?
3. Find solace in your passion. Especially when confronting diversity. I have always found solace in my passions. No matter what the ethnic makeup is of the room I’m in, if we're talking about music, radio, production, or just general creativity, then race is the last thing on my mind. It might be on other people’s minds, but I’m here to make the best darn audio of any genre. Not just for Black History Month. Sharing your passion will help transcend the differences.?
4. Following your gut instinct. Your gut tells you what your mind doesn't want you to know. Your gut is your authentic self, and you need to trust it. Be mindful that you don’t share a gut with anyone else. What might seem obvious to you could be a challenge for your client, colleagues, or your competition. There will be times when you appear to be out of step with everyone… and that’s alright.
5. Draw on authenticity to reach your goals. This is about making peace with whom you are and all of who you are. Recognise your identity and bring that to the table. I am 6’4’’ and fully melanated. In many parts of the UK media industry, I literally cannot blend in. So I own who I am. If you are still figuring out what that means, get your near circle to give you feedback on who you are. Sometimes your friends can see you better than you can see yourself.?
6. Think differently. What makes you stand out is thinking differently. That means being yourself and always showing up as yourself. How you think is as unique as your fingerprint. This is the scary part. The expectation to conform and fear failure is exactly what we are taught to do. Literally. School is all about identical uniforms and passing the next set of tests. Perhaps now is the time to try out the other thoughts. At least the ones that won’t get you arrested. At least bring a different perspective to the table.?
7. Allyship is the best way to level up. A lot of conversations about diversity in our industry seek to point out the limitations, i.e. discrimination, the glass ceiling, and so forth — or can be quite exclusive: “This is a Black issue. It’s an LGBTQ+ experience.” It focuses on and creates exclusivity when what we want is inclusivity. Don’t be afraid to be an ally. Network. Meet people. Talk to people. Enrol them in your cause. That’s the only way forward. And if you don’t know, just ask respectfully. Most people will know when you’re being genuine.

One more thing from the interview that is more important to me now than ever before is this: Don’t just focus on the past. Focus on the now. In marking Black History this month, it’s easy to look back, see what’s happened, and then move on in November. That’s why we need to be talking about our contemporary history and activists for a better future; those within the current context of UK history and society.?BBC Radio 1Xtra's Future Figures campaign is a perfect example.

It's often just a focus on the 'Black' rather than the 'History' of the story that gets brands into trouble. Take our sports documentary, Coming in from the Cold. We discovered during the making of the series that many of the legendary football players we featured had never been interviewed about their careers outside the context of racial discrimination.

Black History Month is a time of reflection, but it’s also a chance for celebration. Celebrate creatives who are doing the big stuff. Celebrate yourself for being you. And remember: if you were to die tomorrow, make sure you’re doing today what you would want to spend your last day doing.

To see my full interview with Birbeck, watch the recording here.?

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