#1 Encouragement Speaker Derrick Hayes gives a DERRICK Interview by asking 7 questions through each letter of his first name to give you an insightful perspective from other experts, entrepreneurs, celebrities and up and coming super stars.
Today’s DERRICK Interview is with Victor Sosa who is a 14 year radio pro who has spent the last 9 years as a DJ at New York’s #1 rated radio station, Victor is also a Certified Professional Life Coach and Energy Leadership Master Practitioner dedicated to helping people get crystal clear about what they want. He does this by working with you to clarify your personal or professional goals, develop strategies to achieve them, or learn to do what he struggled with for so long, which is to separate who you are from what you do.
D is for Dream. What is your dream, goals or what have you achieved?
From the time I was very young, I wanted to be on the radio. Growing up in New York City and listening to people like the late, great Frankie Crocker was such an inspiration to me. He was captivating and brought the entertainment and fun everywhere he went. In cutting my own path through the industry, I’ve gotten to travel to different parts of the country, do everything from being a DJ to running 3 different radio stations and prayerfully, entertain the millions of people who’ve heard my voice over the last 14 years. Recently, I’ve begun to realize a new dream that I believe bears some similarity to radio. Being a life coach enables to me to connect with people in a very personal way, just like good radio does.
But coaching goes even deeper because I have a hand in helping people create lasting change in their lives. I help you step out of the prison of your past, where regrets and guilt reside because they’ve been wreaking havoc on your thoughts and your life for too long already! As you step into the present, I’m there to help you take the wisdom gained from your past and apply it towards the creation of the life you want and deserve.
I’m still on the air in New York City; I love radio and it will always be a part of me. But coaching is the most spiritually and emotionally satisfying thing I’ve ever done.
E is for Encourage. What encourages you?
Every single day (or night, since my current radio job is overnight) that I open my eyes. I am so grateful and encouraged by the fact that the Good Lord saw fit to give me the opportunity of life! Life is an opportunity every day in every way; waking up and realizing I’ve been given another opportunity to make the most of it is too big a blessing to take for granted.
R is for Resource. What resources do you bring to the table that makes you unique or stand out?
My life! Everyplace I’ve been, everything I’ve done, all I’ve seen, heard, learned (and continue to learn daily) make up the kind of resources nobody else can or ever will acquire, because they’re mine. I’ve been a career obsessed, self absorbed loner concerned only with how best to go about having my way with the world….and am moving more and more each day towards someone who has goals but gets more satisfaction over what the journey offers than the goal itself. Someone who values the people around me and understands that while we are all unique, we are also all one; to harm others is to harm ourselves. True love of self isn’t selfish; it’s the thing that enables you to give love to others freely. I think what I’m really getting at here is that I see my greatest resource as having been on both sides of the coin; I’m on the journey from selfish to selfless. Because of that, as a coach….well, not just as a coach, but as a human being I can relate to where you’re at right now and where you want to be.
R is for Ready. When did you realize you were ready for what you are doing now?
When I knew I couldn’t keep what I was learning and the changes I was making in my life to myself. As I mentioned above, I was obsessed with my career. Radio wasn’t just what I did, it was who I was; there was no separation as I saw it. Because of that, I was hell bent on “success” as I saw it. So if I wasn’t where I wanted to be, that equated to failure in my mind, which must mean I was a failure. There are so many moving parts, people and extenuating circumstances in life, that to put that kind of pressure on yourself is a recipe for disaster. And a disaster it was. I was forever unhappy, always feeling “stuck” in one job, eyeing the next one because that would bring success….except when I got that next job, it was the job after that which would truly make me successful. The need for validation, the self doubt, the assumptions and beliefs I carried that I allowed to limit me left me feeling like a victim. I felt powerless to keep all these horrible things from happening to me. I didn’t know it at the time, but the only reason I felt powerless to change my situation was because I was GIVING MY POWER AWAY to those circumstances, beliefs and other people whom I unwittingly allowed to control my life.
I lived that way for the majority of my radio career, until a few years ago when my mom passed away and the relationship I was in ended within a couple of months of each other. At that point, I had major decisions to make about my life and where it was headed. When I made the decision to stop trying to live life without the direction and guidance of God, He began turning things around immediately. I immersed myself in positive books, speakers and other materials. I decided to try to adopt some of the beliefs and techniques I was reading about, and saw even more things change in my life for the better. As my energy shifted from negative to positive, I knew I couldn’t remain silent. In the radio industry alone, I knew tons of people who were at least as miserable as I had been. Once I understood that things could change, I was overwhelmed with the desire to share that knowledge with everyone! Your life doesn’t have to remain the same if that’s not what you want. That’s when I knew I was ready to find an avenue to get that message out, and training to become a coach was the next natural step.
I is for Individual. Name at least one person that you know that you feel others should learn about and why?
Wow. I could run off a dozen gurus and “experts” of the coaching game, and they’re all great. But I’d be honored if you spent some time learning about my friend Kesha Monk.
Kesha is one of my radio mentors, and a supremely talented personality who’s entertained millions of people in LA, Chicago and New York. For reasons I don’t know and probably wouldn’t understand, she hasn’t found another radio gig since her last one came to an end in 2008, and more than that, she’s currently battling stage 4 colon cancer. The reason I believe you’d benefit from spending time with Kesha is because of the attitude and spirit she maintains in spite of the challenge in front of her now. She’s created a website to document the ups and downs of her fight against cancer, and when you visit it, you’ll see why she is such a dynamic person and radio personality. The best radio DJ’s aren’t playing a role; they establish meaningful connections with people by baring a part of their soul on a daily basis. Kesha’s done that on the air her entire career and she’s doing it now on her website. You don’t just feel like you know Kesha Monk; you DO know Kesha Monk. And she’s worth the time it takes to get to know her.
C is for Continue. When you fail, things look bleak or are not optimistic what makes you want to continue?
You know, I looked at that question and realized that a few years ago, the answer would’ve been, “I don’t want to continue.” That was kinda deep. I needed a minute to take that in and realize how lucky and grateful I am before I could move on and actually answer you!
Actually, those sentences have the answer within them. I know what it’s like to not want to continue for another hour, let alone another day. And I know just how quickly it can all turn around. When things don’t look good, I understand that they are where they are for a reason, and it doesn’t matter if I know why or not. I know that when I place my trust in God, He’ll create the situation and opportunity that leaves me in perfect position to do my part to maneuver things into my favor. He’s done it once, He’ll do it again, and He’ll never stop doing it. But I know He won’t do it until He knows I’m ready for that opportunity. I know if I remain faithful and move forward, a door WILL open.
K is for Key. What keys to success can you leave for upcoming entrepreneurs and leaders?
Most people who tell you that you can’t are people who won’t.
Funny thing is that sometimes they actually mean well; they don’t want to see you hurt or see you fail. But even if they think they’re doing you a favor, don’t place yourself in the proverbial box just because they’ve never come out of theirs.
Is there anything that we did not touch on that you would like to inspire others with?
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
I said it earlier, but it bears repeating; I felt powerless to change my situation for years but the truth was that I had been giving my power away because I believed I had none. Once I understood that I did have the power to change my life and I exercised that power, things turned on a dime. The old Victor passed away, and a new one arrived! Things can change! If I could do it, then you can do it! So if you feel like a victim; like bad things are always happening to you and that you’re trapped by the circumstances of your situation, let me ask you this: how much longer are you willing to go on with things as they are?
For more information, please visit Hi Def Life Coaching.
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Change and Transform Through Encouragement 