For those of my readers who haven’t heard about Kirk Nugent, he is one of the most motivational and passionate speakers you will EVER meet in your lifetime. I kid you not.

I’ve had the recent pleasure of interviewing him and wanted to post the interview here so that everybody could benefit from it.

I first got acquainted with his work through youtube with one of his poems called “Pursue your Passion”. After I saw that, I found his interview of how he got started.

Here are his videos below in order to get better acquainted with who he is and what he’s all about.

First, "Pursue Your Passion":

The Interview

Interview Q and A

When did your love for poetry begin? How did it all start?

In 1997 I saw a poet competing on Showtime at the Apollo. She won five times in a row (a record for spoken word at the time) I was already writing poetry and she inspired me to go after my dreams.

How did you know poetry was your passion?

I didn’t know initially, but once I did my first performance at a Brooklyn Poetry CafĂ© I was hooked. Even though I read from the paper and shook like a leaf in a violent thunder storm, I loved the rush of the stage. The more I performed, the better I became. The better I became, the more I wanted to perform.

Have you always mixed motivation with poetry or was this something that happened later on?

The motivation came about two years later. Initially all I wrote about was political and social issues. I detested injustice and I wrote about hypocrisy wherever I saw it.

What is it about poetry that gets you so fired up?

Poetry gives me the ability to catch my audience ‘off guard’ if you will. They’re expecting a ‘speaker’ not a poet or in some cases they’re expecting a poet, not a ‘speaker’ The ability to flow in and out of poetry makes me unique on the stage. Also most people when they think of ‘poetry’ are not thinking about what I am bringing to the stage, they’re thinking about their grandfather’s poetry so again, it gives me an edge.

Your poetry is definitely unique. That's for sure.

Now to expand on your interview a bit; Can you describe that exact moment where you made the decision to quit your job and to pursue your passion of poetry? Can you take us through the exact thought process? What was going through your mind when you made the decision?

I was twenty six years old and have been consciously searching for the secret of success for the past eight years. I wasn’t happy with my life. I was making money to pay the bills and save a little, but I didn’t feel as though I was on track to live the life that I thought I was destined for. I looked around and saw everyone basically spinning their wheels, going nowhere. I figure I had nothing to lose, I’d already survived sickle cell anemia, might as well live on my terms.

For those readers who are unfamiliar with sickle cell anemia, what exactly is sickle cell anemia and how were you able to survive it?

Sickle cell anemia is that causes the red bloods cells to be deformed and severely handicap their ability to transport oxygen throughout the body. It causes extreme pain in the joint and over a period of time usually destroys every major organ in the body.

Treatment for the disease has drastically improved, but coming from a third world country in the 1970’s my life expectancy was about 13 years.

There was nothing that I did consciously (at first) to ensure my survival, but around the age of 18 yrs old, I started reading about the power of the mind and decided that Sickle Cell Anemia no longer serve me and I would not longer allow myself to get sick.

Great idea, but it didn’t happen over night, I would still have ‘crisis’ but they would not be as severe. I was told by the doctors that I could not work more than a couple hours per week and they would place me on permanent disability. I continued working 75 hours per week in retail sales and refused their offer to be taken care of by the state.

I usually say in the speeches, “The doctor told me I would be dead at 13. Today I’m twice that, plus tax and as gorgeous as I want to be.

That’s truly inspiring to hear! (Talk about mind over body.)

It also sounded like there were tough times after you made the decision. Your 10 grand bedroom furniture sold for 200 dollars. Money was tight. There were bills that needed to be paid. Many people fear that this exact situation will manifest if they quit their jobs. How did you manage deal with this?

Brian, in your book, ‘The Hidden Secret in Think and Grow Rich’ you wrote about the importance of Consistent Daily Action. I wasn’t aware of that fact back then. Had I known then, what I know now it would’ve cut five or six years off my learning curve.

The key to moving forward is knowing where you want to go and EVERYDAY do some thing/things that will move you closer to your objective. As you move towards your goals, they will move towards you, but you have to be consistent.

How did you figure out how to make money pursuing your passion?

I kept believing and knocking on doors. I kept rehearsing my speech and my poetry. (Preparation is the greatest form of faith) I kept praying, “God, I don’t know how we’re going to do this, but I know we can.” Eventually people started asking for copies of the poems I would recite, so I went to Staples and typed 10 poems and stapled them together and sold those for $5 each. I was in the club performing and a college talent agent approached me, in a matter of months I went earning $300 per week to $1,200 per hour.

You mentioned a lot of popular self improvement books in your interview. How did you first start on your journey of personal growth and self improvement? What prompted you to read those types of books in the first place?

Brian, I was always searching. I wanted more out of life than to be average. One day I was watching PBS and Les Brown was speaking and he mentioned some books in his speech, so I went out and bought them. As I read one, I would return to the book store and buy another and it was the messages in those books that gave me the idea of infinite possibilities. I must become that which I say I am, so I started declaring and claiming my greatness.

I also see you’ve written a book called “Unpopular Truths” – can you give us a little background on what made you write this book and some examples of some Unpopular Truths?

Initially, I wrote almost exclusively about socially and political issues. I was always aware of police brutality so I wrote about it. My pen wasn’t partial, I attacked both sides of the fence, in one poem I would write about the devastating effects racism has on black America and in the next poem I would write about how some blacks tend to use their skin as an excuse or a crutch for not achieving.

I also understand you had Les Brown mentor you. How did that come about? How did you two meet?

I was always a fan of Les Brown, I believed that he had a powerful life changing message and I wanted to learn from the best. Les was giving a speech in Ft. Lauderdale and I was speaking in Indiana the night before, so I drove twenty hours all through the night in order to meet him in Ft. Lauderdale. He had a speaker training program and immediately I signed up.

What would you say are some key points that you’ve learned from Les Brown when it comes to speaking?

Know your audience and practice more than you perform.

For those who haven’t found their passion yet, what kind of advice would you give them on how they can go about doing so?

I found my passion by failing my way to success. If I was employed on a job and it didn’t bring me joy I would leave and find something else. I kept searching, no need to stay on a job that you don’t like for twenty years just to pay some bills. Keep on searching, keep on asking yourself, “If I could do anything in the world, what would I do?” Don’t worry about how you are going to make money from doing it, just figure out what ‘it’ is.

Brian's Note: For more help on finding your passion, pick up a copy of my second book: How to FINALLY Find What You Love to Do: The DEFINITIVE Guide For Finding and Successfully Pursuing Your Passion

For those who have found their passion, but are afraid to take the leap, what kind of advice would you give to them?

Have faith in your dreams. If it was placed in your heart, then trust that you have the ability to be great at it. You don’t have to be great to get started, but you have to get started in order to be great. Start moving in the direction of your passion today.

I love that quote – “You don’t have to be great to get started, but you have to get started in order to be great. ”

I know some of my readers are college students. What kind of advice would you like to give them as well?

Listen to your heart, trust your inner voice and pursue your passion. Prayer is you calling God, intuition (the little voice within) is God calling back. Pick up the phone.

If they want to see you speak at their university, how can they go about doing so? Who should they contact?

Email me Kirk@kirknugent.com Or they can call the office (866) 220-7171

How’s your life right now compared to before (when you were not pursuing your passion)? (I understand you just went to the Caribbean to speak.)

Before pursuing my passion I was enslaved. I was chained to a paycheck, detained by a desk, handcuffed by a HMO. Today I’m free, I’m healthier, happier and sexier. There is nothing like living life on your terms, it makes you say, “Thank God it’s Monday!” If I come back and there is a pink slip on my desk, it’s because I left it there.

Any last words of encouragement or advice you would like to give before we wrap things up?

Be persistent, be courageous and believe in your dreams. Don’t be afraid to dream big dreams. Feed your mind nourishing food, turn off the TV and open a book. In life you will suffer one of two pains, either you will suffer from the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The pain of discipline weighs an ounce, the pain of regret weighs a ton.

Thank you for this interview Kirk, I really appreciate it.

Thank you Brian. It was a pleasure.

About Kirk Nugent

For almost ten years Kirk Nugent has served as a catalyst for change, challenging preconceived notions about success and self-actualization. Kirk started public speaking in poetry venues where he displayed a keen understanding of social and political issues delivered with his signature brand of infectious wit and frenetic energy. Early audiences crowned him “The People’s Poet,” and the stage was set for Kirk to widen his speaking base to include college campuses, key note addresses for Fortune 500 companies, church ministries and empowerment workshops. He has spoken at venues across the United States, Canada, Europe and the Caribbean. Kirk continues to impact the lives of people from around the world with public speaking engagements, and live appearances, as well as with his book, The Unpopular Truth and CD’s The Unpopular Truth, and I want to Testify, as well as with his highly anticipated guide to self-actualization, Ripple.

Kirk celebrates his Jamaican heritage which has fostered in him the global perspective of “Out of Many One People. “ This perspective is a relentless endorsement of the idea that no matter where you are in the world, the innate right to chase your dreams unites all individuals. This is the philosophy which guides Kirk’s speaking engagements, and inspired Les Brown to proclaim, “Kirk is a poignant speaker who challenges us to step out in faith towards our dreams.”

If you want to learn more about Kirk Nugent, you can visit his site at http://www.kirknugent.com.

You can also visit his myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/kirknugent