kerry washington

How Folks Headline the Main Event: By Getting the Most Out of Their Careers Even When It Means Changing the Game

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Doc Cunningham

The college homecoming season is the place to be! It’s when alums return to their alma mater to reminisce on their experience. It’s usually built around the big football game between rivals. That was the case recently in Jackson Mississippi and the JSU squad with Deion ‘Coach Prime’ Sanders.

But there’s another kinda homecoming with the Netflix release of “The School for Good and Evil” starring Kerry Washington and Charlize Theron. The story is about a school that produces heroes and villains, depending on their social track and pedigree. Washington plays the Dean of the School of Good.

Deion ‘Coach Prime’ Sanders

Since becoming head coach, Sanders has been generating major buzz and team play. Companies have come calling to support the program. High School recruits are giving HBCU’s a second look. The team has raised its game as fans get turned-up where the recent homecoming was a blockbuster sellout.

It’s like Sanders could be thought of as ‘Dean of Prime Athletics’ by how he’s impacted the gridiron space. Plus, he and Washington, are no strangers to making social impact. In between movie promo stops, she’s also helping to get the word out on the upcoming midterm elections. It’s that important to democracy.

From early days, Sanders knew how to get the headlines. His flashy style and breakout play often made the highlight reel. Now he’s about to create a major first, as ESPN’s GameDay Crew’s live broadcast will happen on the JSU campus. They’ve both been getting the most out of their careers by how they:

  • Learn the Game:- Sanders knows it’s not just about doing drills and mastering game skills. It’s also about those transferrable skills no matter where they take their mojo on the field of dreams.   
  • Flip the Rules:- Usually, ESPN’s College GameDay broadcast happens on a Power-5 conference school campus. But Sanders has his team balling and sports media folks talking.  
  • Perform the Sell:- Washington took a different type role than we’re used to from her days on Scandal. But she connects the film’s entertainment value with her market value as an actress.    
  • Bring the Sizzle:- The idea behind the School for Good & Evil isn’t just about life’s choices. It reminds us of how to balance our yin and yang, our old-school and new-school to bring the sizzle.    
Kerry Washington

Washington says she enjoyed shooting the movie because her kids were there to admire the costumes. The chemistry between her and co-star Theron was an instant connect. They made the most of the project as a career move by ‘breaking the mold’ to play a role somewhat outside of their comfort zone.

Sanders has been breaking news with a recent appearance on CBS 60 Minutes. The team will prob headline coverage and analysis on ESPN’s Saturday line-up. If a homecoming sellout didn’t get your attention, then chances are you think it’s just certain schools that can create the next generation of pros.

Talkback: Is ‘Prime Vision’ something just for JSU or will it catch on elsewhere?

Tip: Be a headliner by how you maximize a second chance, cause folks to give you a second look and be amazing.

Tracks: Mary J. Blige – Amazing – https://youtu.be/CRZig-WX_U8

El DeBarge – Second Chance – https://youtu.be/CBhw5FUBHY8

Kobe Bryant Brought ‘Mamba Flava,’ Kerry Washington brings Acting Chops with Their Talent on the Big Stage

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That never-ending question of who’s the greatest ever NBA player has surfaced again. This time it’s because of a TV commercial featuring Michael Jordan. In it he sets the stage for an NFL matchup between Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. Of course folks thought Jordan was hinting at something else.

Often the question of the greatest ever basketball player brings up the name of Lebron James. But there’re times another name gets thrown in, that of Kobe Bryant. He went on to be known as one who brought the ‘Mamba Mentality.’ He says it’s a matter of ‘building your process and working your craft.’

Bryant has moved on from the player-roster but his name is still relevant. So is Kerry Washington who’s moved on from ‘Scandal’ on network TV to a new production on Broadway. Bryant brought his mamba flava while Washington brings her own acting chops in how talent rises on the big stage.

Sometimes people debate who is the greatest. Other times they debate a trend that’s the latest. What these two celebs know and show is how talent is to your it-factor as ‘hustle love’ is to your hit-factor. Bryant explains this by sharing that he worked at the small things so he could perform the big plays.

kerry-washington2

When you peal back the player in Bryant and the layer in Washington you get to some core aspects of their success and greatness. Some of what they do can apply to the work court and career-you. Whether it’s to start-over on the daily grind or start-up a new journey in the real world they push their talent for:

  1. A goal

Washington who grew up in the Bronx has returned to New York to perform on stage. It’s something she’s familiar with as a child. She says she was a busy-body teenager when she caught the acting bug because her mom put her in extra-curricular activities. Her goal is to improve her ‘live performance’ roles.

  1. The game

Bryant says he worked at his skill and at his game. There’s the skill in how he shot the ball or how he made a pass. But there’s also the game in how he made talent become more than his it-factor. He would try to understand all aspects of the game (the detail) to deliver his hit-factor.

  1. Some guts

There’re times you see an athlete make a play that commentators say was a gutsy move. That simply means not everyone with talent might have been able to pull that off. Bryant and Washington from their career might say ‘gutsy’ happens when we commit to growing in the game personally and professionally.

  1. Pure glory

The ones who experience a measure of greatness are those who are remembered not just for their play but for their story. Washington has made her commitment to social justice a part of her story. Bryant is turning his champion experience into life-notes for trailblazers. Oftentimes the story is the road to glory.

Washington hopes to pass-on her childhood experiences while working in NY. She’s taking museum trips and other adventures with her kids. Bryant hopes to inspire the next class of great players. They know that regular folks and those with startup dreams reach the mountaintop by turning it-factor into hit-factor.

Tip: The road to glory might start-off with talent as your it-factor. But it moves from the valley to the mountaintop because of your hit-factor.

Talkback: Was that Michael Jordan commercial a tease or a throwback?

Tracks: Sia – The Greatest – https://youtu.be/GKSRyLdjsPA

Juice Wrld – Lucid Dreams – https://youtu.be/mzB1VGEGcSU