On Wednesday, June 1, 2016 at MenzFit’s 9th Annual Monte Carlo Night at Union League of Philadelphia, I had the pleasure of being a Service Provider for a MenzFit Client, Emir Taylor.

I was introduced by the Founder of MenzFit, Rhonda Willingham who gave me a great introduction to the attendees by speaking about my recently published book.  That could have been a great opportunity for me to ramble about how great I think my book is and how I believe it will have a positive impact on many lives globally for young professionals – but I didn’t.

Okay, okay I spoke about it a little bit but I spoke more about Emir.  Emir and I met in March of 2016 at MenzFit’s Open House.  We were introduced by another client of MenzFit, Vernon Ray, Founder of Creative Minds Productions.  Vernon told me about Emir and asked if I could speak with him because he has a budding future in Information Technology.  I agreed to meet and speak with Emir.  Our initial conversation was learning about each other and discovering he has similar passions and aspirations for things I’ve accomplished (oh look – a mentoring opportunity for me).

Emir is finishing up his education this month in a program in Philadelphia called IT Works.  He is looking for an opportunity to be one of the world’s rising stars in Information Technology.  This young man has a great spirit and mindset that shines just as bright as his smile.  I believe his technical abilities will have a great impact on any organization that hires him.  He is willing to help anyone in any situation to have a positive outcome.  Emir proved that one Saturday in February, 2016 when his friend called him and ask if he could help MenzFit move into their new location.  It was a no questions asked situation for Emir until he realized he was helping move men’s business attire into a building.

At that point, Emir became curious about what MenzFit offers.  He found out MenzFit provides business attire for men who are underemployed along with seminars to prepare their clients for the workforce so they can provide for themselves and their families.  MenzFit changes live, families, and communities.   Emir asked a few more questions and said he wanted to be a part of something that is greater than him that helps men become and feel better about themselves.

One thing we all must remember: We Are All Service Providers.  We are here to help each other grow, learn, and succeed in life.  We all have a story to tell.  Well all have experiences to share.  We all have the ability to impact the lives of many who need a helping hand along the way.  We all must pay it forward because we did not get to where we are on our own.  We all had someone help us get some where.  It could be by way of recommendations, having the right connections, knowing something someone else doesn’t know, being in the right place at the right time, and simply just helping others advance out of the kindness of our own hearts (we need more of that).  Last but not least, we all can mentor someone no matter your background.  If you have experience in life guess what, you have the credentials to be a mentor.

I urge you all to be a service provider for as many people as possible.  You never know when you to will need the help of someone else.  So go out and plant those good seeds so you can harvest in your time of need.