2010 Town Hall – Secrets to Success: Passion, Purpose, Persistence

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By Suzy Richardson

Attendees converged at the 2010 Town Hall Thursday afternoon in hopes of unlocking key secrets to success in a business world still struggling to survive a hurting economy. They listened closely as a handful of high-profile, business-savvy panelists shared their colorful stories of success, many having unfolded in the face of adversity. But the group of MBA professionals and students walked away with more than tips and techniques on achieving success in today's business culture; they walked away inspired to do more – for themselves and for the people around them.

This year's town hall was again moderated by award-winning journalist Roland S. Martin. By his side was co-moderator Debra Langford, Vice President of Inclusion and Business Diversity at NBC Universal. "Hard work, dedication, not giving up – that's what the audience wants to hear about, that's the theme," Langford said, kicking off the discussion. "People want to know how they apply that hard work and dedication. How do they decide not to give up?"

Martin laid the foundation for the discussion by talking success. "Do you really believe that the average person is willing to do what it takes to get that piece of success?" he asked the panelists – Glinda Bridgforth, nationally renowned speaker, author and consultant; Gale King, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for Nationwide; Janice Bryant Howroyd, entrepreneur and founder of Act I Group; Dr. Randal Pinkett, Co-founder, Chairman and CEO of BCT Partners; and , in a crowd-pleasing late addition, actor Idris Elba.

"There is no average person today," responded Howroyd, who added that she was one of 11 children in a family that taught a success mentality and stressed that education equals freedom. "Success is not a place you arrive at; it is a journey. It's how you're enjoying that journey and hopefully, how you are assisting and enabling others."

In talking about that journey, and how to take it successfully, three themes emerged: passion, purpose and persistence.

Passion: It's essential

Pinkett, known for his successful stint on the TV show "The Apprentice," told the audience that passion is an essential ingredient in the journey to success. "At the end of the day, you've got to be passionate about what you do," he stressed. "I find that a lot of times, people are doing things simply because they are being told to do them – instead of the things they are passionate about."

King echoed the sentiment. "Following your passion is very important – as long as you keep your eye on the prize," she said. "Early on, I had to make some other choices and do some other work until I could get to that place. But it's about doing what you need to do to survive at the moment, and staying focused."

Bridgforth recalls having an 'A-ha!' moment in the middle of working a lucrative corporate position that ultimately led to job burnout. "Very often, if you allow yourself to burnout, it's to your own detriment," she said, explaining that she decided to leave that position in pursuit of her giftings, her true passions. "So to me, that burnout led to me changing careers – that's when I decided to look at what exactly my giftings were. I believe in taking the good parts and leaving the bad ones."

Bridgforth's decision to search out her giftings and her passions led her to start her own business. "I have been on "The Oprah Show," "The Today Show," I've written a book. Had I not been asked to do the job of three people, I would have never left," she explained.

The panelists each agreed that there is a level of risk that comes with following your passion; chasing your dreams. But they also agreed that the risk should be a calculated one and that in pursuing your passion, you must understand your purpose – so, why do you want to do what you are passionate about? What is the meaning of it all?

Purpose: It's your compass
"How many have ever been a Black face in a white room?" asked Pinkett, who recently authored the book, Black Faces in White Places. "You can never confuse who you are with what you do ... It all comes back to identity and purpose – why you exist. Identity grounds you and purpose guides you. Identity is an anchor and purpose is the compass. If you have both of those and a little bit of faith, you can do anything."

The UK-born Elba says he left his life behind in another country because he was pursuing more than money and fame; instead, he was propelled by wanting to change the face of the entertainment industry. Simply put, he was propelled by a sense of purpose. "I made a decision at 26 to take myself out of my culture, out of my comfort zone," he said. "I didn't see enough faces like mine on the screen and I wanted to change that. When I got here, I went through four years of no work. However, I didn't give up."

"I took the long route," he added. "But I never took my eyes off the ultimate prize."

Alba added that without persistence, passion and purpose will not get you far. The third, and critical key, is persistence. Without it, you hinder the journey.

Persistence: It pays off
Elba gave an actor's perspective on an industry where success is most times fleeting – and he says what differentiated him was his unshakable persistence. Most people don't know that it took him 15 years to get where he is today. His journey to stardom was, by no means, an overnight one.

"Many actors are very disillusioned as to what it takes to get to my level of success," he said. "They don't understand some of the walls they have to climb before they get there. The average person watches a movie and he wants to be an actor, but he doesn't understand the 15,000 steps it takes to get to the screen."

In answering an audience member's texted-in question – "Have any of you ever been fired? How did you recover?" – Pinkett said that failure – losing that contract or being fired from that job – does not mean you stop what you are doing; it simply means moving forward and getting closer to the goal. Failure should propel persistence since failure reveals valuable information on the journey to success. "I've lost contracts before," he said. "But for me, failure is a form of feedback."

For Martin, persistence is about never giving up and always believing in who you are and what you do. "I've been fired," he admitted. "But I'm a firm believer in being fully aware of all of your surroundings. You do not allow being fired to make you leave your vision, because if you allow those moments to stop you and you say, 'I'm less than this,' you will never really get to your goal."

The audience speaks: Culture, passion and vision
This year's Town Hall was set up in an interactive forum, with the audience responding to a series of question posed by Martin. From their seats, audience members weighed in on each question. And within just 10 seconds, the results were in. While the panelists honed in on passion, purpose and persistence, the audience revealed what was most important to them on their journey to success: company culture, passion and vision.

What is the most important factor for you when selecting an organization?
A - Location: 17%
B - Compensation: 12%
C - Company Culture: 32%
D - Area of Expertise (passion, interests): 22%
E - Career Advancement: 17%

What reason compelled you (or would compel you) to change career/employer?
A - Promotion/Compensation: 25%
B - Corporate Culture: 7%
C - Following my Passion: 52%
D - Life Changes (marriage, children): 12%
E - Economic Factors: 4%

What do you think is the most critical trait for success as a leader?
A - Values: 34%
B - Political Savvy: 3%
C - Strategic Vision: 37%
D - Education: 0%
E - Good Communication: 26%

Above all else, passion emerged as the no. 1 priority for both the audience and the panelists. The bottom line is: Do what you love. And remember that passion leads to purpose. And persistence makes it happen.

The 2010 Town Hall was sponsored by Nationwide, which partners with NBMBAA because "we believe that the quality of interesting and passionate and valuable people who care about others are inherent in both brands," said Jim Lyski, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Nationwide.

"This is a great Town Hall to talk about managing your own brand," he added. "You have an opportunity to keep getting better and better. I encourage you to take full advantage of this Conference. Come by our booth. We're making offers; we already got one acceptance today."

To learn more about Nationwide's career opportunities, visit nationwide.com/careers and see them at the Career Fair at booth 2231.

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