In this extra special episode of Business Edge, listen to Dayna Thomas’ keynote speech at Alpha Kappa Psi’s Elevate!
Dayna Thomas, Esq. [00:00:00] Don't limit yourself or wait for the time to feel right. Let me let you in on a little secret. It is never going to feel like the right time to do anything great. Your biggest breakthrough is in your discomfort, so don't be afraid of it. If your dream doesn't scare you, that means it's not big enough.
Finn Lambouris [00:00:23] You're listening to Business Edge, the podcast for professionals looking to excel in the workforce. In each episode, our guests take a deep dive into their personal and professional experiences to give you an edge in the marketplace. This podcast is brought to you by the Commonwealth Leadership® Alliance.
Finn Lambouris [00:00:37] Welcome back to Business Edge. We've got an extra special episode for you this week. On February 24th and 25th, Elevate 2023 took place in four locations across the country. Keynote speaker Dayna Thomas gave an incredibly inspirational presentation, and we've decided to share that with you today. M.C. Moore will get us started by telling us a little bit about Dayna.
M.C. Moore [00:00:58] Dayna Thomas, Esq. is a trusted and influential trademark and entrepreneurship attorney and author in the Atlanta area and nationwide. She thrives on helping people build their lives, careers and businesses with the support of the law, and focuses her practice on assisting entrepreneurs and entertainers in reaching their goals, protecting their businesses and building strong brands. Dayna's work has involved assisting entrepreneurs at every level to develop and protect their businesses and brands. She has served clients with their business needs from business entity formation, operating agreements and bylaws, investor relations and funding, trademark and brand protection, contract drafting and negotiation, intellectual property, business disputes and more. In addition, she's been involved in deals for television shows on major networks such as Love and Hip Hop, My Super Sweet 16, Love and Marriage Huntsville. Married at First Flight. WAGS, and MasterChef. She has negotiated deals for Grammy Award winning and multi-platinum recording artists, as well as platinum music producers, literary authors, screenplay writers and film producers. Without further ado, please welcome to the stage brother Dayna Thomas.
Dayna Thomas, Esq. [00:02:29] It is my extreme delight to be on this stage. As I stand before you, I see myself in your eyes. I feel your yearning to do well. To be successful, to make your family proud, to make an impact on your community, and to somehow make the world a better place. When I was in your shoes. A college student at Georgia State University. Shout out to Pi chapter. But I didn't know how I was going to do that. I knew that I didn't want to be average. I didn't want to be normal. To be honest, I always wanted to be a step above. I wanted to do more than what was required of me or expected of me. I wanted to be elite. So when I graduated college, I went on to law school at Emory. But while everyone else at Emory Law was preparing for associate positions at big law firms, I decided that I wasn't going to work for anyone and that I was going to start my law firm right out of law school. And despite all of the negativity and pessimism that I faced, I still did it. With no Plan B, I launched my law firm in 2016, just five months after I was sworn in as an attorney. Now desperate and motivated for my law firm to be successful, just days after I launched my firm, I took out three credit cards in the same night just to come up with $10,000 to pay for the Daymond John Launch Academy, which was a weekend business startup course. Surprisingly, Daymond John was not there, but the CEO of a multi-million dollar company who got a deal with Daymond John on Shark Tank, was scheduled to be the keynote speaker on the final day. I knew I had to get him to notice me. So the day before he was coming, I went to every single person that was on staff for Daymond John, every volunteer, whoever was working for him from the volunteers that showed us where lunch was, to the camera person, to the speakers on stag, everyone. I went to each person, got their name, thanked them for their service, introduced myself, and wrote their names down. That night, I bought cards for everyone and wrote every single person a customized handwritten note. Every single message to each person had a different note because I was kind of nervous that they would compare it and think that I wasn't being genuine. So it took quite a bit of time. And for the CEO, I wrote him a special note and taped my business card to his card so that he could have my contact information. Nervous, but ready, right? The next day, after his awesome motivating keynote speech, we were also fired up and excited about our businesses. He had to run because he had a flight to catch. So while everyone else sat in seats similar to how you're sitting right now, I ran out that door behind him and I flagged him down, introduced myself and gave him the card that I had given to him. He said, Thank you and off he went. Now. I stayed for the rest of the conference, but before I got home I had a voicemail on my office number and it was the CEO. He thanked me so much for the card and said that he wanted to partner with me on a new project and be my business partner. Mind blowing. I was 26 years old and this was literally days after starting my law firm. Mind blowing results like that are what you can experience if you implement what I'm going to teach you today. So since then, I've gone on to do amazing things at a young age. I built a six figure law firm by myself under two years, literally working at home in my pajamas. And now it's grown to a staff of eight. I launched an online school where I teach new lawyers how to start their own law firms and currently have 145 lawyers enrolled across the U.S.. I wrote a book that's now being used as the required text for the MBA program at Sarah University and also for a course at Howard University. I have a talk show called Launched and Legal on the Atlanta Small Business Network. And if that's not enough, I co-own a record label, bought two houses, have been honored by President Barack Obama, have the city of Atlanta as a client, and still make time to read a bedtime story to my son every night after a full day of being the entrepreneurship fairy godmother, the nickname given to me by my peers. But it did not start out so comfortable. Oh, no. Let me take you back to where it all started. This was me during my first two years in college. Confident, full of smiles, lots of friends and seemingly happy all around. But what you don't see in these photos is how terrified I was of anything business and professionalism related. I dreaded any occasion that required me to wear business attire. The skirts were always riding up. The pants were either too long or too short. The button up shirt always scrunched up by the wais,t and the blazers. Oh my gosh, the blazers. I always felt like I completely lost the use of my arms. And on campus interviews? Forget about it. I had over a 4.0 GPA and could never bring myself to participate in on campus interviews. The thought of being judged, having to think on my feet and stuttering while trying to answer a question was so terrifying for me. So I just didn't go. I hated it all. I would miss out on opportunities. And honestly, it was really sad and depressing for me because I knew that I should be doing more. But the fear completely paralyzed me. Until one day. I met Tito. Now, Tito is a super nice, great guy, right? But seemingly just about as close to unprofessional as you can absolutely get. He was the party guy, the daredevil, and just seemed to prioritize having fun. But when I met Tito at a party, he was telling me that he was a pledge for Alpha Kappa Psi professional business fraternity. But I had no idea what that was. So he told me that he was learning about professionalism, resume writing, interview training, public speaking, and so much more. I said to myself, that is exactly what I need, and that's how I got introduced to AKPsi. So fast forward a few months. Now I'm a pledge and the president of my pledge class. And although I was completely uncomfortable with anything professionalism and business related, what came naturally to me was leadership. I got 100 on every quiz. I killed every presentation. I aced every assignment. And I was always prepared. And that's because I took what I was learning seriously. I became a brother in spring 2010 during my junior year, and by the time I graduated from Georgia State, I was known for being business savvy and professional. I went on to coach and served literally thousands of entrepreneurs and help them build thriving businesses and brands. A big difference from how it all started. So what did I learn from all that? It doesn't matter where you start from. You can accomplish more than you even see for yourself right now. You can be known for and make a living off of your greatest weakness if you're dedicated to getting better. You just have to be intentional about the change that you want to make and the direction that you want to take your life. And I'm committed to helping you avoid that struggle. I'm committed to helping you build a life that you really want instead of the one that you merely think that you can have. I'm committed to helping you make a living from your skills and talents to help others. I'm committed to helping you live a more fulfilled and purposeful life. And how will I do that? By teaching you to be intentional and innovative in creating your future. Now, notice I didn't say stepping into your future, walking into your future, accepting your future, because you have the power to create your future. You have the power to design your future, whatever you want it to be. That's what I did. I am not special. Whatever I have, you have the ability to do that as well. So how can you be intentional and innovative in creating your future? Number one, decide, execute, and pivot when needed. Don't settle for safe or familiarity. Decide to go for what you really want. Not what you think you can have. So A. Decide. Make a decision on the path that you'll pursue. Right? So I know many times you've heard, "Oh, you have time. You have time. You have time, right?" People have said that. Yeah, you have time if you want to retire at 70 years old. Right? But if you want to accomplish more sooner. Decide on the path that you're going to pursue. Don't be afraid to decide. And guess what? You can always pivot and change directions. You cannot fail at whatever you do. The only way that you fail is if you quit. How will you know how to move if you don't even know where you're going? Decide. Don't be afraid to decide. B. Don't limit yourself or wait for the time to feel right. Let me let you in on a little secret. It is never going to feel like the right time to do anything great. You're always going to want to make more money first. You're always going to want to get more education. You're always going to want to have more connections. You're always going to want to have more experience, more this, more that. Right? You can say that for years and years and years and never move. Your biggest breakthrough is in your discomfort, so don't be afraid of it. If your dream doesn't scare you, that means it's not big enough. C. Be crazy enough to believe. You have to strengthen your mind. Your mind is your biggest asset. Feed your mind, feed it positivity, feed it inspiration. Feed it optimism. Learn from thought leaders across the whole world. Years ago, before the age of YouTube and social media, right? We could only really learn from our parents and our teachers and people that we actually can touch. And we know we don't have to do that anymore. I learned constantly from Oprah, from Jim Carrey, Steve Harvey, Lisa Nicole, so many other people that inspire me. And I talk to them and listen to them every single day, right? And because of that, I'm not the average 33 year old because I'm learning from these amazing thought leaders. You have access to that, too. How are you using your time? What are you doing in the car? Are you listening to music in the car? Right? That's valuable time that you could be pumping stuff into your brain to help you, to be more confident, to help you be more educated. Is it a podcast? Is it a video? I've been listening to podcasts and different videos online from the time that I started my law firm, I decided that I was going to write. I even do that now. I don't listen to music in the car. Utilize that great time and that will help you to really believe that you can do it because that's not something that you're just going to learn automatically, right? And it's probably not something that people around you really believe. I know that my parents didn't understand what I was doing, right? And so I really was on my own in terms of the mindset, right? So take responsibility of that. Next one, D. Plan your moves. Who do you need to meet or know to get there? What experience do you need to have under your belt? What skills do you need to sharpen? How are you actually going to do this amazing thing that you want to do? So during my first year of law school, I met an attorney named Shelly Cooper, and I really wanted to work for her. She had her own law firm, and she offered business and entertainment law services a combination that was so perfect for me. So when I got home, I stalked her online for a little bit, and I was even more impressed. At that point, I decided that I was going to work for her and get a law clerk position for the next summer. She just didn't know about it yet. So I emailed her, re-introduced myself, told her how we met, and a few other things. No response. Okay. A month later, I emailed her again to say hello. No response. Two months later, I emailed her again and this time I attached a business law article that I thought that she would be interested in. No response. For a year. I emailed Shelly Cooper. And for a year she never responded. Not even one time. So that summer I went to Las Vegas and I clerked for the Superior Court. And when the internship was ending, right, everyone who I met that worked at the court, they came up to me and said, "Hey, Dayna, so what are you going to do next?" And I would always confidently say, "Oh, I'm going to work for Shelly Cooper," right? And they were all so impressed that I had a job lined up. So at the end of the summer, when I arrived to Atlanta, back from Las Vegas. I emailed Shelly Cooper one more time. And I told her about my experience in Vegas and my clerkship and everything that I learned. And not to my surprise, because I already decided. Shelley wrote back in a tone as if she had known me for years. She said, "Oh, Dayna, it's so great to hear from you. Actually, I'm so happy that you reached out. Come with me to lunch on Friday because we have a new position and I think will be perfect for you. I want to see if you want it." Again, getting that job was a result of me deciding that that was next for me and being intentional. And a little stalker ish, right? About making it happen. Two. Realize that it all matters. The different areas in your life are all connected, which work together to create your experience in life. Now what does that mean? That means that the success of your career depends on more than just your job skills, your business savvy, your sales and marketing experience. In fact, the success of your career is determined by the person that you are overall, not just who you are at work and not just how well you do your job. So what exactly is it that matters? A. Your environment. That means being intentional about the people and the things that you allow around you. You're a seed that needs to be able to grow where you're planted. You cannot grow if the conditions around you are detrimental to your growth. You cannot grow if there's a there's an infestation of bugs and weeds. You can't grow if there isn't enough water and sunlight. You know what the bugs and weeds are? Toxic relationships. Unnecessary stress. Pessimistic and negative people around you. Constant arguing. You have to remove yourself from those environments. You know what the water and sunlight are? Books, videos and podcasts that feed your mind. A circle of friends that are supportive and ambitious. Prayer. Therapy. Adequate sleep. Education. You need more of that so that you can thrive in the environment that you're in. Remember this. Who you allow in your space matters, the types of conversations you have matters the places you choose to be matters. The level of peace in your home matters. It all matters. And you know what else matters? How you treat people. If you think that how you treat people has no effect on the success of your career, you are mistaken. Sometimes we think that one area of our lives has no effect on another area of our lives. That is a huge, huge misconception. It's all connected. How you treat people will have an effect on how the world treats you and what you get out of it. You need to be kind to people. Help people when you can be compassionate and understanding. Study and practice emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the capacity to be aware of control and express your emotions and to handle the emotions of others with empathy and good judgment. This is key. Your older sister may be so argumentative, so mean, always picking a fight. But guess what? She's the product of your mother and father's first attempt of being a parent. I'm sure they made lots of mistakes. Your sister may not have received as much love, as much hugs and kisses, right, as much grace, as much understanding or as many life lessons as you did when you came around. Your parents had already practiced with your sister and knew more about raising children, and you received the benefit of that. So instead of judging your sister for seemingly unruly behavior, emotional intelligence is understanding that her experience growing up may not have been as positive as yours. And perhaps that's what's driving her personality. It's responding to her with love and kindness, realizing that arguing back is just going to disrupt your peace and the environment that you are creating. It all matters. And remember this, too. If it's so hard to be kind to someone because that person is full of disrespect, stress and drama, then you might need a time out from that person. And in some cases permanent separation. And that's okay because everyone can't go where you are going. Number three. Do what others are not doing. One of my favorite ones. So many people want the same internship, want the same job, the same hot guy, the same hot girl, right. But what are you going to do to get noticed? What are you going to do that's different from what everyone else is doing? You have to think outside of the box. So I know that many of you want to reach out to potential mentors, coaches, employers, all that good stuff. Right? And the traditional way of doing that is by sending an email, introducing yourself, blah, blah, blah. But everybody does that. That's not going to get you noticed. Someone that I met shared this tip with me. And this is the definition of thinking outside the box. He said, If you go online and you buy a URL, URLs are so cheap, they're like $1.99, $7.99, buy the URL, your name dot com slash. Right? So if it's me doing it, I buy a URL. DaynaThomas.com/JohnSmith if John Smith is the person that I want to meet. And on that web page is a video of me introducing myself on camera to John Smith, telling him about myself, basically spitting my resume but on video and telling him how excited I am. I'm looking forward to meeting him and what I want to learn from him. Maybe 30, 60 seconds, 2 minutes and sending a URL to John Smith. How many people think that John Smith will probably respond to that? That's called thinking outside of the box. Is that going to cost you a little bit of money? Yeah, $2, $3. Right. Is that going to cost you some time? Yeah, maybe an hour or so to get the video just right. But you know what? John Smith is probably--not even probably--very likely to respond to you because he's never seen that before. Think outside the box. Be extra. I know some of you have heard before. "Oh, you're so extra." Right? As if it's something negative. That's okay. Be extra. So up a step above casual. If the attire is casual attire, a step above business casual. If business casual is the attire, stay late at the workshop to help break down tables and clean up. Do a PowerPoint or visual presentation if none is required, write a book. Start a blog. Whatever it is. Do more than what other people are doing. And you will get noticed, just like the CEO story that I started out with. C. Be of service to potential mentors and employers. Now, listen, this is something that I've always wanted to say. I'm going to say it right now. You're an adult. Okay? Stop sending emails to professionals who don't know you asking for lunch or coffee. You're grown. They don't owe you anything just because you're in school. And what other area of your life do you ask a perfect stranger for something so valuable without building a relationship first? So instead of asking for something, try this. Give. Serve. Be a value to that person that you want to be your mentor or employer one day, ask if there's anything that you can research or organize for them. Ask to create the flier or the Facebook event page for their annual Christmas party that's coming up. See if they need assistance, planning anything. Serve, serve, serve. And I promise you, you will be the first person that comes to their mind for any opportunity that you desire. It's the law of reciprocity. The more you give, the more that person is going to want to give to you. Give and serve without expecting anything in return. But don't be surprised if you get back better and more than you ever dreamed of. So to recap. Be intentional and be innovative in creating your future. Thank you. Because you have the power to create whatever future that you want. The future is not already created for you. You can have in this life, in this world, whatever you want to have, you just have to decide that that's what you're going to do and pivot when needed. Again, how are we going to do that? Decide, execute, pivot. Realize that it all matters and do what others are not doing. Last thing. Have faith and follow your intuition. Now, my second year of law school, in September, I wanted to secure something really prestigious for the following summer. If you know anything about law school, in the second summer, you have to really be doing something like mind blowing. So in September, before the summer, I applied for a clerkship with the American Bar Association. It was a huge opportunity. I applied in September with a stellar application. December comes by, I get a letter. "Sorry, but you weren't accepted for this opportunity. Try again next year. Blah, blah, blah." I was bummed. Right? But I spent the next few months looking for jobs, looking for clerkships, looking for opportunities. Right? I had a great GPA. Like, I'm smart. I can speak. I can do this. January went by. February went by. March, April. Now we're in May, and I have nothing lined up. Nothing is biting. And we're in finals time. So, sad about it, I went to church and it was time to give tithes and offering and I wasn't going to give anything because I didn't have a job. So 10% of zero is zero. Okay. But I kept hearing or feeling the number 25. So the first time I felt that, I said $25. Oh, no, I don't even have a job. I'm not giving $25. But I kept feeling that feeling. I literally almost could audibly hear it. And so I said, I'm not giving $25, but I have a five. So I pulled out the $5 bill, started to put it in that envelope, but I kept hearing 25, 25 and at this point I'm feeling hot. So I'm looking at everybody around me. I'm like, everybody's staring at me because I feel like there is just so much pressure on me with this number 25. So I actually had a checkbook on me, believe it or not. So I started writing the number 20, two zero. 25, 25, 25. I was just feeling it. So I scratched out the zero and turned the 20 to a 25. I gave in, then it all calmed down. Put the check in the envelope, gave it to the church. The next day I'm at Starbucks studying for my finals and I decide to take a break. Right? During that break, I said, "Well, I need to work somewhere for the summer." So I pulled up the online application for Express, the retail store. So I was going to apply to work for retail after I had already been through two years of law school because nothing was biting. So as I'm filling out the application online, I'm feeling all sad about it. During that exact time, I got a phone call from a number that I don't know. I answered the phone. "Hello?" "Hi. Is this Dayna Thomas?" "Yes. Who's this?" "Hi, this is so-and-so from the American Bar Association. I'm so sorry. We are reaching out because we actually made a mistake on your application. And we want to offer you the Las Vegas internship over the summer, and we want to pay you $6,000 to come." What? I was so excited. Yes! Thank you. I couldn't believe it. I don't know about you, but deep down, I believe in my heart and soul that following my intuition the day before and giving that $25 led the universe to open up doors of opportunity for me that I thought were shut. Something told me that I needed to give that $25, and deep down, you know what to do to. You can feel it. You know what you want. You know what you want your life to be like. You know what's important to you. I challenge you to follow that. I challenge you to pivot when needed. I challenge you to take control of the direction of your life. I challenge you to be extra. I challenge you to believe. I challenge you to decide. I challenge you to treat others kindly all the time. I challenge you to be bold. I challenge you to bet on yourself. And after doing all of that, when things in life are just beyond your control, and the stress and the fear keeps you up at night. Do this. Give it to God and go to sleep. Thank you.
Finn Lambouris [00:32:38] Thanks for listening to business Edge. If you have questions, comments or topic suggestions for us, email businessedge@akpsi.org.