Have you ever tried to grow something? When I moved to
Portland in 2011 my life was a bit turned upside down with a new job, a new
city, new relationships, new digs and for the first time my very own lawn – of
dirt. In a very figurative and literal way I was ready to get growing! Raised
in a rural area I had an odd enjoyment in doing yard work and mowing lawns,
which turned out to be a good way to earn a few bucks as a young kid, work on
my farmers tan and see how things grow. With my new patch of dirt I spent
countless weekends bouncing back and forth to Home Depot, tilling the ground,
leveling the ground, checking the weather, purchasing fertilizer and getting my
hands dirty. The weeks after completing the planting process went from moments
of anxiety as I wondered if anything would actually grow (did I water it too
much? did I remove all the rocks?) to a period of giddy (yeah I said giddy)
excitement as small sprouts of green broke through the dirt. I have since moved
from that place, but to this day when I drive by I look at the grass and
remember the growth I experienced during that patch of my life.
In this second installment of “Raise Your Standards” I interview
someone who knows firsthand the power of growth in the different fields of life:
Joey Jenkins. After earning his M.B.A. while managing recreational programs at
Oregon State University and co-founding a thriving non-profit serving orphans
in Haiti, Joey went on to be a certified personal trainer and begin a career as
a professional success coach. In one of his latest projects Joey co-founded Kidstarter, a crowd sourced platform
connecting entrepreneurial youth with mentors to engage kids in addressing
social issues while developing life skills to be leaders in future society. With
a track record of focusing on the development and growth of others, what
motivates him to focus his energies in this direction? When asked, Joey quickly
remembers the powerful influence he had from a 5th grade teacher and
college mentor. “My 5th grade teacher really spoke into me and made
me believe I could be a leader and planted the seed. In college when I was challenged
I remembered that belief and was blessed to have a mentor in Troy Snow to
further develop me and help me continue my growth. It was like one mentor
planted the leadership seed and the other watered it”. Over time Joey began
being placed in multiple leadership roles and had the opportunity to develop
the seed of leadership in others. In fact I have personally benefitted from
this as I feel in a lot of ways what Troy was to Joey during his early to mid
20’s is what Joey was to me. So next time a good friend is “giving you shit”,
ponder for a second that it may just be fertilizer for you to become a better
person J.
All kidding aside, Kidstarter
is an exciting organization when one considers the environment kids grow up
in nowadays. Regardless of your political, or religious affiliation I feel the
vast majority of us can agree kids are growing up in a screen saturated, “sex
still sells” and selfie filled society that prefers short term over long term
fulfillment. Joey describes Kidstarter
as a wedge to fill the leadership gap in kids’ lives and provide an alternative
type of input at this formidable stage of their lives, “kids have a great
willingness, desire and network to give back…being able to engage them at a
young age with people who believe in them can really optimize this potential”.
Good seed needs good soil and good people to care for it; Kidstarter is a great way to give the youth in your community a
strong start as they prepare for future seasons of growth in their life.
Speaking of seasons, the growth of a person spans decades
and a variety of contexts; not too different when compared to my original
example of planting a lawn. The babysitter who makes sure kids eat their
vegetables and get enough sleep can be likened to a gardener giving a lawn the
right amount of water and fertilizer. A parent setting boundaries by enforcing
a curfew can be compared to not letting the first weeds of spring gain a
foothold. The ultimate example is that of the Great Gardener (yes, the Big Guy
upstairs) who made us from dust, gives us our daily bread through His son Jesus
and from time to time needs to prune us for our own good. I have a wheelbarrow
of examples, but I think you understand the root of what I am getting at J.
I encourage you to reflect on who has helped you grow in the
different seasons of your life and look around you to see how you can nurture
those seeds of potential around you as well. In fact, Kidstarter is always looking for new mentors to work with some
amazing kids with just this type of potential; take a look at what I mean by
watching this short clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GRXjGRHa0NE
Raise Your Standards,
Miles
Fun
Questions
- How would you say you have raised your standards in your life?
- “I always want to challenge the status quo, surround myself with people who challenge me, spend time with people who make me feel uncomfortable where I am at. I also feel the higher you raise the bar for yourself the harder it is to keep it there. You can’t always surround yourself with amazing people 100% of the time, but what I have found helps is surrounding myself with good books, video and content. Specifically, I was inspired watching the movie “Selma” and reflecting on the life of MLK. It was a great inspiration and I felt an immediate positive impact in my day.”
- What do you want to be when you grow up and why?
- “I want to be a great husband and father when I grow up. I think out of everything I do in life those are my two most important roles. The ripple effect of a strong family is worth fighting hard for.”
- Who is your Valentine?
- “I have two: my wife Stephanie and daughter Lucy; those are my girls. My son Josh is left by himself, but I think his grandma is available so he should be covered.”
