The following column was written by Don Henninger, publisher of the Phoenix Business Journal, and appeared in the April 9, 2010 issue.
I gave a talk a few days ago to a group of about 400 homeless people gathered for breakfast at St. Vincent de Paul’s dining room in downtown Phoenix.
Don Henninger
I give my fair share of speeches these days, mostly to business or civic leaders, fellow executives or employee groups. I’m used to getting up in front of crowds and talking about the issues of the day.
So when Jimmy Walker invited me to join him to say a few words of encouragement to the homeless, I accepted without hesitation.
Walker is best-known as an estate and financial adviser to star athletes and the founder of the Celebrity Fight Night charity event, which has channeled millions of dollars to worthy needs in our community. I have always had a deep respect for him. So I wasn’t surprised to learn he visits with the homeless group every Monday morning in a program he calls “Never Give Up.” He looks for ways to inspire the group and usually invites a friend to go with him to say a few words.
I didn’t think it would be all that tough to prepare a 20-minute talk for the group. I’d just turn to topics I’ve leaned on in the past and chisel a little something out for the presentation.
I went back to look at my last couple of talks on the economy, sharing feedback from the front lines of business on how companies are working their way through difficult times.
There were a lot of notes on leadership. Everyone wants to improve on that. There were speeches on teamwork and ways that, by collaborating, you can reach new heights. Talks on how to overcome economic challenges and move your business forward. Ways to motivate people. Communication strategies. Tips to find a balanced life.
Nothing fit. Nothing spoke to the very heart of people who are lost and in need. In the crowd that day were college graduates, people who had worked all their lives but were caught unprepared by the recession or some other uncontrollable force. Former business owners, I’d bet.
These are people we too often forget about.
People who face challenges we can’t relate to day in and day out. We don’t see them very often. But they’re there, and in numbers that continue to grow.
This was not going to be an easy assignment. There wasn’t a CEO or a judge or a governor or a president of anything in the room that day. Just citizens of our community who have been dealt a lousy hand in life and are struggling every day just to get by.
I came up with a message for the men and women in the room at St. Vincent de Paul that morning. And in compiling it, I had to stop and remember all the good things I have going on in life, personally and professionally. I don’t take the time to do that very often.
I don’t know if the message I delivered helped anyone at St. Vincent that morning. I hope so. I do know one thing: It sure helped me.
