Jevon Wooden

Absolutely. I like to start that I was born and raised in Rochester, New York for the audience. At that time, we were in the United States, like the third most impoverished city per capita. So we didn't have a lot of money. I actually grew up in a household where my mom was white number two, right? So we had to deal with that with her husband bouncing back and forth between homes.

Absolutely. I like to start that I was born and raised in Rochester, New York for the audience. At that time, we were in the United States, like the third most impoverished city per capita. So we didn't have a lot of money. I actually grew up in a household where my mom was white number two, right? So we had to deal with that with her husband bouncing back and forth between homes.

So I had to really understand value and love as I grew older because back then I didn't know it. I thought value was money. I thought it meant that you had to have something material or else people just didn't care about you because that's quite frankly what was shown to me. So I got into some trouble trying to become valuable, trying to get money.

So I had to really understand value and love as I grew older because back then I didn't know it. I thought value was money. I thought it meant that you had to have something material or else people just didn't care about you because that's quite frankly what was shown to me. So I got into some trouble trying to become valuable, trying to get money.

At 17, I got arrested, faced seven years in prison. Now, we'll talk about that a little bit more in depth, but that's important because it was one of the inflection points in my life where I sat in a jail cell awaiting trial, facing seven years in prison. They charged me as an adult and I just sat there and that was the first time I actually died. realized the power of empathy.

At 17, I got arrested, faced seven years in prison. Now, we'll talk about that a little bit more in depth, but that's important because it was one of the inflection points in my life where I sat in a jail cell awaiting trial, facing seven years in prison. They charged me as an adult and I just sat there and that was the first time I actually died. realized the power of empathy.

My mother and my sister had visited me and my mom told me, like, hey, I'm going to put up the house for you so you can get a lawyer because I don't want you to get a public defender. Because a public defender meant that I was probably going to serve that time because they didn't have time to look at the case. They didn't know that I was a good kid, that I was just with the wrong crowd that night.

My mother and my sister had visited me and my mom told me, like, hey, I'm going to put up the house for you so you can get a lawyer because I don't want you to get a public defender. Because a public defender meant that I was probably going to serve that time because they didn't have time to look at the case. They didn't know that I was a good kid, that I was just with the wrong crowd that night.

They didn't know anything about me. So she wanted to make sure that I had a fair shake, that the court seen me for who I was. So that night I went up and I prayed to God that he gave me another shot. And he did. Two weeks later, I was out and I was able to graduate high school. attempted to go to college, couldn't pay for that. So I went to the military.

They didn't know anything about me. So she wanted to make sure that I had a fair shake, that the court seen me for who I was. So that night I went up and I prayed to God that he gave me another shot. And he did. Two weeks later, I was out and I was able to graduate high school. attempted to go to college, couldn't pay for that. So I went to the military.

Military was another inflection point where I understood that I was so much more than I even knew. I had leadership capabilities. The fact that I actually was a genuine person and I was compassionate was my superpower.

Military was another inflection point where I understood that I was so much more than I even knew. I had leadership capabilities. The fact that I actually was a genuine person and I was compassionate was my superpower.

As I started leading other soldiers, I was able to see that and tap into that and unlock their potential by pouring into them the same way that some people poured into me to get to that point. And now I'm here in Houston, Texas. I was in the cybersecurity space, tech space for about 10 years, did 12 years in the Army and just realized like that wasn't for me.

As I started leading other soldiers, I was able to see that and tap into that and unlock their potential by pouring into them the same way that some people poured into me to get to that point. And now I'm here in Houston, Texas. I was in the cybersecurity space, tech space for about 10 years, did 12 years in the Army and just realized like that wasn't for me.

That wasn't the journey I had to take for the Army. I'm getting hurt. So my body, my mind, my emotions just couldn't handle any more of what comes with being in the Army, in the U.S. Army. Yeah, I'm here now.

That wasn't the journey I had to take for the Army. I'm getting hurt. So my body, my mind, my emotions just couldn't handle any more of what comes with being in the Army, in the U.S. Army. Yeah, I'm here now.

I have this company called Bright Mind Consulting Group, where we focus on leveraging the power of emotional intelligence, which we'll get into how I got there as well to just help other leaders and organizations improve performance.

I have this company called Bright Mind Consulting Group, where we focus on leveraging the power of emotional intelligence, which we'll get into how I got there as well to just help other leaders and organizations improve performance.

Absolutely. The big mistake was just being with the wrong people. On that night, I got arrested for an assault and robbery charge. So on that night, I ended up, I was supposed to go to the movies with someone I worked with at a grocery store. That did not happen.

Absolutely. The big mistake was just being with the wrong people. On that night, I got arrested for an assault and robbery charge. So on that night, I ended up, I was supposed to go to the movies with someone I worked with at a grocery store. That did not happen.