Believe In Yourself

2 mins read

Today, I was caught in a moment that took me aback, way aback. My senior team and I were sat on a panel as we interviewed the new generation of mentors to get us ready to navigate our second (or third) wind as an organisation.

During the interview, we included a group activity which is a star of the show. At this time, I enter the fray similar to Sir Alan Sugar to take my place at the long table yet, without the decedent glass doors, Claude and Baroness Karen.

As I started the group interview, I share with the room of desirous applicants our illustrious company history, some of the highlights, what we have achieved so far and my personal journey as a mentor. Today for some reason, it was more poignant than others. I feel we are at the dawn of something great which life has prepared us for. As I shared, I reflected on the start of my journey which started with a personal crisis and the promise of a child who is now my twenty year old daughter Saffron.

At twenty five years old, I took a bold risk, I started again. I surrendered my previous eight year career as a recording artist who was a critically acclaimed ghetto celebrity who graced regional, national and international radio, MTV, stages with the biggest artist in the world at that time and visited recording labels in Manhattan, New York such as MCA, Island, Motown and Violator (Def Jam). It may seem ludicrous but I surrendered the possibilites of stardom to start again. To be a student to study Counselling. This was a risk and an half as I was five years from thirty without anything to show for it but, a dream to be a worldwide artist, which I was now giving up, to become a mentor a volunteer mentor to be exact.

I'm not sure how to explain it but, I was sure I did not want to do what I did before even though I was not totally sure of what studying counselling and being a mentor would entail. Some of the people around me at the time thought, I had lost the plot however, I felt direction in my gut which I followed. I am glad that I did. From getting my start in the game of mentoring, I started to work with some of the most bright students who had lost their way in the school system, they were also confronted by stark statistics that were not favourable. Some were going to be excluded if they did not change their ways and I didn't have much time to convince them of the benefits of the change, however something happened to them and they changed. From being a freshman volunteer mentor, I started to get traction, build social capital and track record for my new found area of work.

Whilst still insecure, as the change was still very fresh my life started to change as I discovered a newfound personal faith, a new sense of purpose, a new lady who believed in me even while I was riding a mountain bike and lacked any evidence of being materially successful. Yet, I found a new place of passion to put my all into, my relentless work ethic, learnt from the bedroom in my Mum's house in Handsworth Birmingham as a prolific writer. I had something new to stick my teeth into however, I could not see five years down the road yet nineteen which is where I am looking back from at this time - in one of our two offices in this interview as the Founder and CEO on the panel with my Lead Mentor to my right and our Business Development Manager to the left who is also an ex-Head teacher, this has taken me aback.

Where I am now is unrecognisable atleast it would be to the volunteer mentor who was just trying to find his way, after sacrificing all that he knew in exchange for a strange world. Nineteen years later, I am the Leader of the UK's leading mentoring organisation, an author, TEDx speaker, Advisory board member for Enactus, Chair of Governors (see picture above) and Chair for PTI Young People Programmes for the West Midlands. I have been the Lead Mentor for my City, worked in Dubai, spoken to Government representatives, had my work praised by one of the previous Education Secretary's, stayed at St Georges House, Windsor Castle. I was the MBCC finalist for Role model of the Year 2019 and have been voted SMBN Mentor of the Year 2020 amongst other things. All of the above from a standing start at the age of twenty five.

It was a risk, infact a huge risk however, I had no choice but to take it. Now, happily married with two more daughters who would not exist if I stayed in my comfort zone of music, as I met my wife Donna (their mother) at my counselling course.

Back in the room facing a group of prospective mentors who want to join the movement, I am strangely choked up and I am wondering if anyone else noticed but they didn't, I controlled it as much as I could. As they the mentors comment with amazement at what we are planning next, I have came back into a present from a past that could not see this moment.

Believe in yourself, whereever you are and however you feel, everything you need is on the inside of you in seed form. It will take courage, risk, intuition, faith, tenacity and girt for any journey worth taking will always demand from you more than you are willing to pay from the outset, yet as you get drawn into your dreams and the possibility, little by little you will pay more and more. For your destiny is inextricably intwined with your now efforts.

I am excited as I look at these new mentors who are experienced in different walks of life who want to grow with us in this world, to me there is no better place to learn about how to become a youth mentor and I would say that. However, you can google it as others have which I am not ashamed to say, for this has cost me everything, blood sweat and tears but, I am seeing the rewards for my labours.

Overnight success for me has taken twenty seven years if you include my musis career as a part of my pursuit for purpose and meaning. I am not sure of your journey but one thing I can say is trust what is inside, go beyond your fears and nerves and discover yourself as someone shared today outside of your comfort zone is where you grow.

All the best,

Herman

P.S We will be having a celebratory event for all that we have done and to share our next steps, those who have helped, supported, believed in us, look out for the invite.