As most new dads do, I spend my evenings watching movies and changing diapers. One of the movies delivered to my home by my entertainment “pimps” at Netflix was Talk to Me. This is one the best movies I have see all year. It starred Don Cheadle and told the story of famous Washington DC disk jockey Petey Green. This movie contained one the most delightful mixtures of drama and comedy I had ever scene in a movie and I highly recommend it to everyone.
One of the lines that Petey kept repeating to everyone (and what made him famous I might add) was that “Petey Green always speaks the truth!” And he did. There was a scene when Petey finally made it to the tonight show. The thing that he thrived on was his authenticity and if that authenticity was in any way tainted, he would just not show up. The curtains open up and he looked at the crowd and said that that “they just wanted to hear some n*&$@ jokes” and he walked off the stage. Needless to say that the crowd was shocked but it WAS the truth. Petey had become one of the most influential black comedians in history setting the stage for other black comics. That was something unheard of in the mainstream and everyone was interested to see what all the buzz was about. But Petey had a keen sense of himself and the motivation of others. Here’s what I discovered:
Lesson: Know thyself and make every attempt to be who you are. Many brands today constantly make failed attempts trying to be the next Nike or the next 7 Jeans just to make a temporary splash in the marketplace for a temporary gain. The brands that stand the test of time are the ones that are uncompromisingly authentic. “Just do It” is who Nike is not just a tagline. It’s calling LeBron James the next Michael Jordan, which is one the greatest self-invented brands in history. There was only one Michael Jordan and he didn’t spin his wheels trying to be like Dr. J. So be true to yourself and always “speak the truth”.
Petey showed many that not being ashamed of who you are and where you have been is a good thing. Authenticity always adds credibility no mater how bad or good your story is.
