Create Your Own Opportunities - Transforming Challenges into Success | Career Chat with Javon Wooden

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Creating and seizing opportunities is essential for career growth, as emphasized by Javon Wooden's inspiring journey from adversity. By recognizing available resources and embracing self-advocacy, listeners can transform their aspirations into reality.

• Discusses the quote “Opportunities don’t happen; you create them” 
• Javon shares his personal story of overcoming challenges 
• Highlights the importance of self-inventory and recognizing personal strengths 
• Explores the difference between scarcity and abundance mindsets 
• Encouragement to take actionable steps for career growth 
• Emphasizes intentionality in pursuing personal and professional development

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
Hello and welcome back to another Career Chat,
bite Size Inspiration segment onthe Transparent Nature podcast.
For today's chat we have noneother than Javon Wooden.
He is the CEO and founder ofBright Mind Consulting Group.
So as we dive into today'sepisode, javon just say hello.

(00:33):
What's up to the people, what'sgoing on?

Speaker 2 (00:36):
everyone.
Hey, honored to be here, prince.

Speaker 1 (00:39):
I'm super excited man , man, thank you so much, hey,
so let's get into the chat.
I believe that this careerquote that I have today is
really going to help ourlisteners just to really think
about their career journey evenfurther.
The quote says thisopportunities don't happen, you

(01:01):
create them.
By Chris Grosser.
What do you think about that,javon?

Speaker 2 (01:05):
Love that quote.
First and foremost,opportunities don't happen, you
create them, and that resonatesdeeply with me.
Just a little bit of my journey.
Like, I'm from Rochester, newYork, grew up in poverty.
Middle child of five, every byall rights, all the cars were
stacked up against me.
I actually was facing sevenyears in prison.
At 17 years old God gave me asecond opportunity and with that

(01:29):
I created opportunity.
Right, I didn't reallyunderstand what skill sets I had
until I took inventory.
I sat and I was like, hey, youknow what?
I don't have a lot of money,but what do I have?
I have intelligence, I have aheart, I care, right, I really
put my all into everything.
So what can I do?
Join the military.
The rest is history.
You see the man that I am today.
So I really really, with thatopportunity, I believe that you

(01:53):
know, as long as you do not stopmovement and stop motion,
intentional motion that thingswill happen for you for you, man
, I believe that as well.

Speaker 1 (02:09):
For me, I had to create opportunities to get me
to where I am today, and what Imean by that is just starting
off, you know, graduating highschool and not really having a
plan.
But in the state of Tennesseewe have this program that
started, tennessee Achieves, andbasically we was able to go to
school for free, the communitycollege for free, and I took

(02:32):
that opportunity right.
Well, let me say this thatopportunity was created, but
after that I really had to go inwith the mindset that you know
what I'm going to go to collegeand I he kind of helps me, lead
me, guide me to opportunitieswhere I'll be successful.

(03:13):
So, for those that arelistening today, you want to
take those opportunities thatyou have.
There are opportunities, butyou have to take the first step
to say you know what I'm goingto make this and take full
advantage of opportunities outthere If you're, you know, in a
position where you're trying toget promoted.

(03:34):
I think we've all been in thatplace, right, javon?
You know we want promotion, weseek promotion, or you know just
greater job opportunities,promotion or you know just
greater job opportunities.
Look, you got to say I'm goingto start with updating my resume
right, and even thoughsometimes we're in a place where
it's like, oh, I got to startthis thing all over again, but

(03:59):
you got to start somewhere andyou have to take it one step at
a time, yeah, absolutely, and Ilove that you say you didn't
really have a plan, because manyof us we don't know what we
don't know, but the fact thatyou were willing to go out there
and identify what was possiblefor you, that really is the
spark.

Speaker 2 (04:18):
And the sermon was about how abundance can be
provided in scarcity, and whatthe pastor was saying when he
was talking about this wasoftentimes we see what we do not

(04:38):
have, but we don't reallyunderstand that anything, no
matter how low you are, the factthat you can be risen just
because God decided to reach hishand down and touch you, can
change your whole dynamic.
So we have to continue to moveforward, not pay attention to
what we don't have, butunderstand that it is still
possible for us.
I mean, like I said, I sat in ajail cell.

(05:00):
I sat in there for monthswaiting for the state to decide
my fate, and my mom like when Iwas there I had a visit from her
and my older sister and I wascalled this, like it was today.
I went to that visitation room,went through the degrading
search and all that other stuffthat happens when you're in
prison, cause you really not theproperty of yourself, and it

(05:21):
even tells you on the back ofthe shirt that you wear property
.
And I sat down and she told me.
She said you know what?
I'm going to put the house upfor you so you get a lawyer.
Now, I didn't think about thisthen, but as I grew up and went
into adulthood, I looked back atthat and I said you know what
if I, if anything would havewent wrong?

(05:42):
My whole family would have beenhomeless.
But for some reason, god put iton her heart to say you know
what this child, my child, isworth?
This and that gave me value.
That showed me that I was worthmore than whatever dollar
somebody could place on my life,and that money is not what sets
our value, and nor should itset our goals.

Speaker 1 (06:02):
Yeah, yeah, man, that is powerful, I think, for many
people.
Powerful.
I think for many people they'rein a place you mentioned.
You see what you don't have,right?
But I think a lot of peoplelook at that and say you know, I

(06:22):
don't have a car, I don't havea home, or I don't own my home,
or I don't have X, Y and Z.
And as we think about thisquote, right, you create
opportunities because it won'tbe created Like.
You have to take it into therealization that I have to
advocate for me, right, I haveto think of ways, think of ideas
, think of opportunities.

(06:42):
That's going to move me to thegoals, the dreams, the
aspirations that I have formyself.
So, Javon, thank you so much forthis quick career chat.
I want to encourage ourlisteners be intentional about
your career growth, Beintentional about where you want

(07:04):
to be, where you want to go andhow you want to grow.
That's it for today's CareerChat, Thank you so much, and
tune in and listen in on thefull episode with Javon.
He's going to give us somereally great insights.
So, thank you so much.
Y'all have a good one.
Today's episode is brought toyou by Halo Vision Media, a

(07:42):
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