We were lucky to catch up with Frank Kitchen recently and have shared our conversation below.

Frank, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you share an important lesson you learned in a prior job that’s helped you in your career afterwards?

For 9 years I worked at Lakeland Community College in Kirtland, Ohio. I was the Assistant Director of Student Activities. I wore multiple hats including being responsible for Diversity Programming, New Student Orientation, and Advising Student Organziations. My main purpose was to help students learn and grow outside the classroom and provided the resources needed to earn the chosen academic degree or certificate.

My students often shared how I helped them live their personal and professional dreams. Then one day, they used my words on me. While preparing for graduation, one of my students, Damon Sams, shared words that changed my life. “Frank, you challenge us to live our dreams, what are you doing to live yours?”

My students knew I loved helping people cook up their personal and professional dreams. They believed in what I did so much, they reached out to a professional speaking agency and recommended they sign me to their roster of speakers.

This was the beginning of my professional speaking career.

The lesson learned…”If you’re afraid to share your dream, then you’re afraid to live it.”

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I want to be your go to authority on career advancement. I’ve been an Award Winning Retail Manager, Trainer, College Educator, Performer and Motivational Speaker. I was the 3rd African American on the planet to be recognized as a Fundraising Auctioneer.

Born in Bad Kreuznach, Germany, I spent over twenty years educating, energizing and empowering thousands of students and professionals on how to transform their personal and professional aspirations into reality. On Father’s Day weekend 2015, my world changed when I was fired by my employer. That weekend, as an expectant Father, I “Flipped my Mindset” and committed to cooking up the 5-Star Masterpiece I’d been dreaming about for years…to become a Professional Speaker.

After years spent sampling a variety of employment and volunteer opportunities, it was time for me to share my Live F.R.E.S.H. Mindset recipe for cooking up the professional dreams you hunger for with the world. The same recipe I have used to go from unemployed, to being recognized as one of the top Professional Speakers on the planet by the National Speakers Association in 2022.

Today I’m a highly sought after Motivational Speaker for Professional Associations who want to Fire Up the Careers and Profits of their members. All of my Interactive, “Kitchen inspired,” Learning Experiences on Mindset, Workplace Culture and Leadership demonstrate how to Flip Your Mindset and Cook Up and transform your loftiest career aspirations into reality!

I am a proud graduate of Lakeland Community College (A.A.) and David N. Myers University (B.S), I’m also the author of “Fresh from the Kitchen, 44 Tasty Techniques to Cook Up the Professional Dreams You Hunger For” and “52 Ways to Shine, Discovering Your Value and Leaving an Impact.

When I’m not speaking, I serve as a volunteer and Board Chair for the Non-Profit Organization Hustle PHX / Hustle USA. Their team of staff and volunteers provide aspiring entrepreneurs in underserved urban communities with the resources needed to start and operate thriving businesses.

I currently reside in Phoenix, Arizona with my Wife Kelly and our two children, Elijah and Olivia.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Clientele can’t hire you or work with you if they don’t know who you are. This begins with your network. Does you network of family and friends know what you do? Do they know who you work with? Do they know the problem you solve with your services?

If the people closest to you don’t know what you do, how can you expect your clientele to?

Educate your network on what you do and transform them into your sales team.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

You can’t sell a terrible tasting meal.

When it comes to building a 5-Star Reputation, provide a 5-star quality product or service. Too many people and businesses focus so much on marketing and promotions, they forget about the service or product their providing.

I’m known for providing a high quality service from the moment prospective clients contact me to the moment I complete my work with them. I love when other speakers contact me to ask, “what I did” for the client. Why do they ask this question? Because the client tells them they won’t work with them unless they, “Do what Frank Kitchen did.”

This is the highest compliment. Your reputation is just like cooking a great meal. When you have a great tasting meal, you tell everyone you know about it.

That’s what a great reputation is about. You want people to share with others how you solved their problem. A great reputation will drive more traffic to your product or services.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.frankkitchen.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frankkitchen/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frankckitchen
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankkitchen/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/frankkitchen
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/frankkitchen

Image Credits
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