Willie Jolley

Motivational Speaker and Author

A Special Introduction

Sometimes you come across people who somehow become life changing influencers.  The interviews that I’ve been able to conduct over the past two years for Geeks Gone Great have enabled me to share a space in time with highly intelligent, connected, accomplished and principled people.  The energy from those connections has been amazing and ever inspiring.

I remember an expression my mother used to say when admonishing me to stay with the “right crowd” in growing up - she would say: “Sheila, remember, you are known by the company you keep”.  Of course as a young adolescent, I had interpreted that saying sort of one dimensionally for most of my life.  But now, as I reflect back on experiences and relationships, I not only see the wisdom in that statement, but I understand the multifaceted benefits.

Having been able to meet so many dynamic people through our Blacks Gone Geek social network (thank you Milt),  I have recently begun to contemplate how I can share the insight and profiles of success stories who are not necessarily “technology geeks”.  Geeks Gone Great is after all, a forum to spotlight former geeks who have moved on to become accomplished powerhouses and trail blazers and high contributors in the IT field in corporate America or as technology industry entrepreneurs.

But what of the vast number of non-IT accomplished professionals and entrepreneurs who also have a legacy that we can benefit knowing of?  I would be remiss to not share these incredible stories to inspire the pathway to success for our BGG family! By mixing it up and featuring occasional success stories from various career paths, we share the wealth and enable us all to be that much more enlightened. To add, IT professionals should always maintain ways to enhance their general knowledge, EQ, and soft skills, to remain viable in today’s competitive job market.

And so, I am happy to feature our first honorary “Geek”,  to be featured at Geeks Gone Great; Mr. Willie Jolley.   I had the pleasure of meeting Willie Jolley at a recent  IT Senior Management Forum (ITSMF) Conference in Minneapolis, MN.  Willie Jolley is a personable, dynamic and energetic motivational speaker, author, singer, etc. etc.   Five minutes into his presentation at the conference, I had determined my intentions to adopt Mr. Jolley into the BGG fold!!   I hope you enjoy the thoughts he shared with me.

BGG:  You are the President of Willie Jolley World Wide with a very lengthy bio of accomplishments, appearances and contributions.  Tell us, Who is Willie Jolley?

WJ:  Well the answer to your question is two-fold: I would answer as though looking at myself objectively, and say Willie Jolley is an exuberant and high energy guy who has been blessed with the talents to speak, sing and write and is a guy who has a strong faith in God and is excited about life and by no means shy!  The other aspect of that answer is that even being confident, reasonable and very aware of my gifts, I am a very grateful man who does not take anything for granted. I have a sincere level of humility, because I know who my source is and who created the opportunities, so I always maintain an attitude of gratitude.

BGG:  As an accomplished author, satellite radio personality, and as a motivational speaker your list of corporate clients ranges from Verizon, Marriott, Coca Cola, etc., we’re talking the big league…. what prepared you for where you are today?

WJ: I was born and raised in Washington D.C. and my beginnings were humble. But my parents instilled in (my brother and) me two very strong principles to strive to maintain – character and education.  It was a mantra that I knew was my destiny, to be of good character and to have a good education.   There was peer pressure growing up of course and distractions, but I maintained a sense of my integrity and somewhere down the line fit it in my mind that leaders make decisions for tomorrow, not for today.  My success was something I truly believed I would ultimately grow into, and I had to remember to always be focused on the values my parents shared. As I like to say to audiences, “Don’t forget the bridge that brought you across!”

BGG:  Speaking of success, let’s speak about the inspiration that really launched your motivational speaking career.  You had been an entertainer, a nightclub singer, and you were fired from a job – you are quoted as being “replaced by a karaoke machine”. This resulted in your having a new perspective, yes?

WJ:  Yes, that’s right.  I knew that I had to have a change of attitude and my outlook on life. I made a conscious choice to change my life out of that circumstance. This was really a defining moment for me, the event that would change my life and way of thinking forever.

BGG:  This is really a key lesson here, because so many people are either driven or hindered by fear.  When the rubber meets the road, facing fear is something that becomes a moment of truth for us.  How would you advise people really deal with or get past the fear to accomplish their objectives?

WJ: The greatest antidote for fear is action.  If you keep moving toward (not away from) your fear, you will naturally find the solution you need to conquer the situation. When people don’t face fear head on, the fear is allowed to encompass the situation.  I recall a quote that says “ a success is nothing but a failure that has overcome fear”.  It’s all how people use that vision in looking at life and situations.  There’s looking with eyesight, which is what you can see in front of you.  This perspective is of course limiting – there’s only so much you can see.  Then there’s hindsight, which is looking back to the past – this of course keeps you from dealing with the here and the now, letting life and opportunity pass you by.  But then there’s looking with insight– this is being able to implement the perspective within, what many call “the voice within”; some call “mother wit”. Finally is foresight, which is to call forth those things that be not, as though they are!

You know, what often happens is that there are so many negative voices around us, and in the midst of the doom and gloom we experience, many of us turn down our inner voice and turn up the outer voices.  We listen to the wrong messages all around us and we internalize them, when in fact we need to turn down the outer voices and turn up our inner voice.  Not trusting our inner voice and listening to the outer voices keeps people locked in and hindered by fear and doubt.

 I am successful because I learned to listen to the voice within, and to constantly call things that are not, as if they are. I plan to live full, and die empty and give all I have each and every day…or as Frank Sinatra said, “Live everyday as if it is your last, because one day you will be right!” :-)

BGG:  The inspiration for your book “Turning Setbacks into Greenbacks”, is a resource that so many of us can appreciate in these most challenging times.  How did you come to write this most encouraging work?

WJ: I heard the news report about the man who lost his job in California and he was so depressed and filled with gloom and doom scenarios that they only thing he could think to do was to go home and take a gun and shoot his wife, his five children, then shoot himself.  I was so moved and disturbed that someone would find himself or herself in such a disparaging state to be driven to this solution.  I wanted to do something to enlighten people that they have a way out.  Taking the life of other or taking one’s own life is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.  The problems that we face are in most cases, temporary. People today are living in such desperation, and in my book, I wanted to shed light on how to actually live life and deal with setbacks and turn them into comebacks.  It’s really all about your attitude and perspective that determines how we deal with major upheaval in our life.  We all get weary, and we know that life is a series of challenges, but  I find that in my daily pursuits, maintaining an attitude of gratitude on a daily basis, in my profession doing what I love to do, I am able to maintain a positive outlook.

BGG:  Mr. Willie Jolley, this has been an awesome occasion to meet with you, and thank you for sharing some of your personal insight for a positive outlook that will help many appreciate the importance of a positive attitude; in our IT, corporate and entrepreneurial endeavors.  In parting, what would you like to share about your personal life and legacy?

WJ: I am celebrating 25 years of married life like a “newlywed”! My wife and I are together 24-7 and we don’t get on each others’ nerves!  I have great kids, a son and  daughter and a wonderful family life. This is what is important out of this world and maintains harmony.  If there is one thing that I aspire to do, is to reach billions of people with a message that they matter and that their dreams are actually possible. I want to live my life so that when I come to die, even the undertaker will be sad to see me go!  So I encourage every one who listens to this interview or reads the transcript to hear me clearly, that no matter where you are presently, that you can live your dreams, and that the best truly is yet to come!  God Bless You!

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For more information about Willie Jolley, and for free motivational and inspirational information, visit his website: www.williejolley.com or simply, www.wjspeaks.com.