You need Jefferson Fisher in your life!

Personally, I think Jefferson’s best seller book ‘The next conversation’ should be mandatory reading in every home and workplace.

A Texas lawyer, Jefferson has a YouTube channel in which he shares valuable, effective communication tips for all situations. I share many of these with those I coach Growing Talent.

On a podcast with his friend Damon West. Was insightful.

Damon served 7.5 years of a 65 year prison term and will be on parole until 2073! Like many of us who have faced life changing adversity, Damon channelled this experience into being of service to others – coaching them to be where they wanted. Damon now travels the world as a motivational life coach speaker.

We can learn so much from others if we are willing to listen to their message – even if they are not someone in our circles.

In short Damon’s summary experience was following a great upbringing, close family, good education, becoming a college quarterback – he got injured, fell into drugs, fell into crime and received 65 years for leading a gang of burglars. No one was hurt but their personal safety and sanctuary of their home was shattered. A life sentence in America starts at 60 years. He was the only inmate in state prison with his charmed start in life.

Lesson: your charmed life can change in the blink of an eye.

Waiting for the bus to prison, Damon sat with Mohammed, an experienced inmate waiting for transfer. Mohammed said, prison is like boiling water. You can choose how you go into it:

⚡ As a carrot – go in hard, come out soft

⚡ As an egg – go in soft on the inside, come out hard

⚡ As a coffee bean – the only thing that changes the environment

Mohammed’s parting words – be the coffee bean.

Lesson: We will all face those boiling water environments during our lives. We have choices how we deal with these.

Damon listened to his fellow inmates. He learnt they all wanted to be useful when they got out. Lead a meaningful life. So, Damon taught many to read and write. He coached them through their basic education certificate so on release they could be useful.

Lesson: when we consider how we can be of service to others, we change ourselves as well as them – and the change is lifelong. I see this as a coach.

Damon won parole early because of his service to the inmates. He decided this was his passion. He wanted to reach out to college footballers to give them life lessons and choices when injury strikes.

For 14 months he practised his presentation skills in front of a mirror – every day.

Lesson: if you want to become great at something – continually practice it.

A friend invited him to the College Football Coaches Awards where 8 of the top coaches were nominated. Armed with his pitch, he got 7 straight ‘nos’. The negative chatter in his head grew louder. 

Instead of listening to his inner voice and going home, Damon started talking to it. Reminding himself of all the adversity he had conquered, ‘go and make the last pitch, then go home’.

Damon did. The 8^th coach took his business card. Four months he called Damon and arranged for him to speak with his team. He then got a lot more work from other coaches.

Lesson:  Don’t listen to your inner voice. Talk to it! Persistence pays off.

Damon’s book 6 Dimes and a Nickle (American prison slang for 65 years) is released August 7^th – I’ve ordered mine!