There are not many people who change the course of your life irrevocably. For me, Grant Kitchen is one of those people.
We first met at acting school in Sydney, Australia. The open and unspoken secret at acting school is that hardly anyone becomes a successful actor following graduation and most don’t even really pursue it as a career at all. So it was with Grant and I. But unlike me, Grant was absolutely determined to find a way to make a living and a life out of his passion for performing and inspiring others, even if it wasn’t as an actor per se.
So as I left acting school and returned to university to finish my economics degree and then find a corporate job, Grant was exploring alternative paths. This is something you will learn about Grant in The Dream. He treads his own path.
I remember the day he told me he wanted to become a motivational speaker. Motivational speaker?! ‘What is Grant talking about?’ I thought to myself. ‘Is a motivational speaker even a thing?’ There I was, working in management consulting, earning what I thought was good money and with good career prospects ahead of me. I was walking a sensible path. And meanwhile Grant was off pursuing some seemingly hare-brained idea. But Grant seemed excited and motivated. I was feeling unfulfilled and unenergised.
Grant could see this. So he pushed me to attend an NSAA (National Speakers’ Association of Australia) meeting. I resisted. He persisted. And eventually I relented. That night would change my life forever. I listened as two professional motivational speakers (yes, it was indeed a real job!) spoke about their businesses and their craft. It was as if the clouds parted and the angels’ choir began to sing. For the first time in my life I could feel (but not yet fully see) a career path ahead of me that truly inspired me. I said to Grant: ‘This is unbelievable. I can’t believe this is a job!’ Grant gave me a knowing look.
These days, I feel fully free. I feel like I am treading my own path and creating a future for myself and my family that I am truly excited by. I have my own business as a speaker and trainer working internationally with executives and leaders of some of the world’s great companies. I am making more money, having more fun and feel more meaning than I ever dreamed I possibly could have in a career. It truly is a dream.
In this book Grant shares of himself and his journey so that you can benefit. In person Grant is uninterested in small talk. He always wants to talk about what is most important in your life and wastes no time in engaging you on life’s big questions. So it is with his book.
If you have an open mind and the courage to reflect on yourself, your own life and your own career, I am sure that The Dream could be a meaningful step forward in finding your own path: one that truly inspires you and makes a difference in the lives of others.
Shaun Kenny
Founder and Director of People of Influence
www.peopleofinfluence.com.au