I had the question of how How am I gonna get where I am to where I truly want to be When the path is not clear?

How I know so many of you are wondering and asking the question how I have the degree You may even have the job, but the job necessarily isn't taking you exactly where you want to be.

So many of you are wondering how do you maximize what you've been given?

Do you know what you have on the inside?

The degree cannot quantify the power of who you really are.

Don't find your identity in the four years of what you've done here, you are who you are.

No matter what it says on your diploma, I need you to know that you have what it takes to make it.

You have the creativity, you have the power and you have the purpose.

But the question of how still remains how you're going to do it.

Yeah, yeah.

Here are four tips to be successful in business.

First and foremost.

You have to be crazy.

You have to be absolutely crazy that you're gonna achieve a dream that no one in this earth has ever achieved.

Turn to your neighbors.

Say, look in my eyes.

Do you see the determination in my eyes?

You gotta be crazy.

Come on.

I sat where you sat 19 years ago and I had a crazy dream to become a producer in Hollywood with my own deal And people said, Divine, it's not possible.

You're you're African American, your Christian.

There's no way you can find a place.

I said, Listen, don't put what hasn't happened in your life on me.

Because what's getting ready toe happen?

No.

What have seen in the earth?

You gotta be crazy.

Yes.

To your difference is your destiny.

Yeah, Your difference is your destiny.

Do not exchange what makes you different from what makes you common.

Stop trying to fit in.

Find comfort in standing out.

The path of your destiny is built on how unique and authentic you are.

There is a tendency to get out of this place and to say, Oh, well, I graduated from Marshall.

I'm just like every other graduate No, you're not.

Don't do yourself a disservice.

Marshall has never seen what's on the inside of you.

Neither has the world of business, so Oh, your difference.

Keep your edges sharp.

Don't sand them down.

Just fit into a company's limited idea of who you are and what you can do.

Your difference.

It's your destiny on and I stand before you.

You know, when I when I was graduating Marshall, I had I did an emphasis and entrepreneurship and for my entrepreneurship program Thesis project, I did a business plan for my production company that I wanted to start when I was 22.

Do you know nobody wanted to fund it?

Eso I had a question.

Do I just give up on the dream?

Or do I still own my difference and commit to the process?

E I committed to the process.

Do you know it took 16 years after graduating out of this institution toe Finally get the production company.

Do you know the third Tiki in order to be successful is you must carry a crown before you wear one.

Yeah, eso for me.

The crown was getting my own production company.

What was the third path service.

Even though in 22 I wanted the company, I was not ready.

I didn't have the integrity.

I didn't have the character.

I didn't have the experience.

How was I able to finally get the dream to manifest through service so you can serve your way to the top when you make your boss's life easier?

I guarantee you, you may have periods of unemployment, but you will never be without a job.

Service never goes out of style.

You may not have the job you want, but treated like it is the job you want.

And I guarantee you you will never see people say no.

We don't want you.

Your service is the key to often.

You want the throne and the crown.

But you don't want to serve somebody.

I got a news flash for you.

You gotta help somebody else carry their crown before you are fit.

Toe where?

Yours.

I don't know who I'm talking to, but somebody got to get the message of service today.

If you are with like how I waas.

19 years ago, you were downright scared.

How is it gonna happen?

Many of you while you're happy you're putting on a smiling face.

The reality is this your really aren't sure.

And underneath the smile underneath the yes, I'm excited.

There's a bit of emptiness I've been there.

See our entire lives up into this point has been broken down into quarters.

Midterm semesters, finals report cards in GPS and summer breaks.

Yet for the first time, for some of you, you will no longer have these parameters, and it's scary to think about what the next phase of life will hold.

Even the power and the prestige of this great institution is not enough to insulate you from the fear that some of you have about your future and the quiet questions that persist in your heart.

E Did I make the right decision?

Will I achieve the success I dream about?

Mhm.

Can I ever find peace too often?

This millennial generation, You want a microwave?

Your success?

When was the last time you had a good microwave meal?

It doesn't exist.

It's hot quick, and it goes away quick.

If you become successful quickly, you will lose it quickly.

I want that good in the oven baked success for you.

I don't care how long it takes.

But when it comes out, it's gonna smell like preparation.

Who am I talking to right now?

Don't rush the process.

Commit to it and it will take you everywhere you need to be.

Oh, the fourth and final tip.

In order to be successful in business, you have to find the old Town road.

Some of y'all know what I'm talking about.

For those that do not, I will just take a minute to explain the number one song in the country that has topped the Billboard 100 is called The Old Town Road is by an artist name Montero.

Lamar Hill, otherwise known as Little Nas X.

And he did a remix of this song featuring the country legend Billy Ray Cyrus.

Now, what was amazing about this song is that people said No, no, no Lil Nas X, Your two different.

You're African American, you're from Atlanta, you can't top the country charts And he said, Let me go get Billy Ray Cyrus to let you all know what's really going on.

My difference is my destiny.

But what was interesting is the song is so catchy.

You may miss what the old Town road is see Little Nas X had a dream that his parents did not share, that he could become successful in music and in country when no one else that looked like him had.

So he wrote a song about becoming successful.

The Old Town Road is the road to success, and the horse that he wants to ride is the path that's gonna take him there in the song and says, I wanna take my horse to the old town road and ride until I can't no more.

So I just want to talk to somebody right now.

You gotta take your horse.

Your horse called Your purpose.

Your horse called your destiny and you ride that thing all the way to success and can't nobody tell you nothing.

Your parents may not get it.

Your girlfriend may not get it.

Your boyfriend may not get it, but as long as you get it, you owe it to yourself to keep on riding until you get to that place that you see in your head that nobody else can see.

And once you get to your old town road, you can keep on writing.

You keep on fighting.

You keep on pushing.

Why?

Because you're gonna see yourself in a place that you never thought possible.

Truth be told, we live in a culture of fear, and there are too many that have chosen not to pursue their destiny because they were too afraid.

I don't want you to have fear be your obstacle not to pursue what's in your heart.

Too many have missed out on the fullness of life because they've allowed fear to push them in the opposite direction instead of facing it.

Head on.

Here's what I want you to know.

It's time to fight back against the culture of fear.

Anything you're afraid of, you must make it your to do list.

I repeat, anything you're afraid of, you must make it your to do list.

It's okay to be afraid, but you got to do it anyway.

But the question of how how are you gonna do?

It still persists.

I want you to do this.

I want you to ride on and put your two fingers in the air.

I want you to fight on.

May God bless you.

May God keep you as you right on to your old town road.