Kelvin Broadus

There is an old saying that addresses the idea of remaining true to your "roots," or your heritage. It is often used to address when people have grown up in a particular area or city, grow up and move away, and then return acting as though there is nothing familiar anymore or as if they are now "too good" for the people they grew up with. In truth, it is important to remember your heritage, or background, even if you have exceeded by learning better ways in your current stage of life. Likewise, in terms of business, it is also very important to remember your past, as this is what will continue to open doors for your future.

In fact, the business world is much more like an elephant than the personal world in many cases, as in professionally, nothing is ever forgotten. If you have ever been fired or reprimanded on a previous job, you can rest assure that 9 times out of 10, it will or can be discovered. If you have had any credit issues, your new employers will normally check your credit and discover it. And, if you have ever quit a position, this will also be determined for any significant job. Therefore, don't forget where you came from, because your new potential employers, partners, clients, etc., surely will remember.

Having had mistakes, however, is not necessarily the worst that can happen. The worse that can happen is to appear as though you have forgotten, or are hiding "where you come from." In this digital age, almost anything can be found on anybody. With just a few keystrokes a person's personal information can be pried into, especially for business associates/employers that have the monetary resources to pay for these services. Because of this, there is a certain level of transparency that is necessary.

Though you don't have to go into a business meeting with a new partner/client or a job interview, discussing everything you've ever done wrong like a broken faucet, you do need to be prepared to explain any negative marks on your "public profile" that may possibly be questioned. One thing to learn from all of the high profile controversial cases you see on television is that the worst mistake that most of them have made was trying to cover the issues up. Instead, take ownership for all of the mistakes and apply the lessons you've learned to your life. If you can address any mistake by applying and explaining the lesson learned, and/or indicating the validation in the reason (if there is a valid reason), then you are doing everything possible to clean it up. Most importantly, you are demonstrating integrity. Any decent business person understands that mistakes happen, but also understand that the most important part to any mistake is the lesson learned from it. This is why practically all of the most successful business people can attest to having had hardships, bankruptcies, etc., along with their mass success, and continue to remain successful and respected. It's not what you have done, but how you responded to what you have done that is most important. With that point, don't forget where you come from, but rather remember, and allow the lesson from it to take you further than ever imagined before!

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For more information about changing your perception, contact us today for coaching opportunities. Kelvin Broadus is an Inspirational Speaker and Prophetic Life Empowerment Coach, dedicated to helping people understand and achieve their personal best.