Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Eddie Connor.
Dr. Eddie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’m reminded of a quote by Dr. Myles Munroe who affirmed, “Vision is purpose in pictures.” For much of my life, I’ve known my purpose but the visionary picture always seemed to be blurry. As a son of parents who are ministers, I was raised to love God and express love to people. Grappling with their divorce and the absence of my father, I battled with how to become a man when I didn’t interact with one. How do I play the role without the script? To make matters worse, in high school, I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.
For almost two years, I received chemotherapy and radiation to eradicate an aggressive form of cancer. Battling that disease brought about the dis-ease of depression, dismay, and mental discombobulation. Many people didn’t think I was going to make it, but God healed me and I persevered. I found the CAN in cancer. The battles did not stop there. I was told by my guidance counselor that I would never go to college. However, from being told I would never go to college to serving as a professor at a college is one of my victories. Servant leadership is near and dear to me, which is why I developed the organization “Boys 2 Books.” It’s an after school program that provides an opportunity to give back as a mentor and empower young males via literacy, leadership, and life skills enrichment.
2020 highlights 20 years of me being cancer-free and the recent release of my 10th book, “20/20 Vision.” The book is written from the premise of how to see beyond what you see and transform your reality. I have taken my vision a step further to impact lives via education and entrepreneurship, which will be unveiled through our “Vision Summit” experience on July 31st and August 1st, 2020.
Has it been a smooth road?
My life is starkly connected to the poignant and poetic words of Langston Hughes that “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.” The pain of struggle came early and often in my life. Struggle came early, as my best friend died of cancer when we were both seven years old. Years later, I found myself fighting for my life after being diagnosed with cancer. Struggle came early, as I missed my entire sophomore year of high school because I was too sick to attend. Struggle came early when my parents divorced and I had to cope with the absence of my father. So, I pondered about how can I be what I don’t see? How can I live through dying places?
There’s a lot of pain in the poetry and overcoming obstacles has been what I live by philosophically. Behind my journey and story, God gets all the glory. From being the least likely, to being used by God mightily is nothing short of a testimony.
I was able to get there from here, remembering that I’ve come this far by faith. My perseverance and faith is a gateway through the power of vision, to see beyond what I see and arrive at a place of destiny.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I believe that your job is what you’re paid to do, but your vision is what you’re created to do. Forsaking the familiar and overcoming fear are transformative actions to enhance our success. When we look at our communities, we have a 1.3 trillion dollar buying power but only 1% of our resources are used with people who look like us. If we raised that from 1% to 10%, we could create 1 million new jobs. We must put a premium on education and entrepreneurship to build a bridge from civil rights to silver rights.
Out of these ideas, a vision was developed within to empower people to develop their purpose, thrive as entrepreneurs, and not just network up but network across with people who are successful in their craft. Vision Summit provides a platform to empower leaders via seminars and workshops. Vision Summit curates a unique conference experience that will take place on July 31st and August 1st, 2020. We will empower hundreds of leaders to transform their vision into action through education and entrepreneurship. For more information and registration, visit www.TheVisionSummit.org
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Undoubtedly, Atlanta is a mecca for minorities to make major moves. The city provides a transformative bridge between strained history and the opportunity to step into the strength of one’s destiny. We’re even seeing a reverse migration, where people are moving from the North to the South. Atlanta has become an archetype and prototype for exemplary ventures, where people are shifting from competing to collaborating. If you’re a big thinker, business developer, or burgeoning influencer in any field, then this is a great city where you can aspire higher.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.EddieConnor.com
- Email: info@EddieConnor.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EddieConnorJr/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EddieConnorJr/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/EddieConnorJr
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/Eddie-Connor/e/B004M3HW5M/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
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