About Me

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Allow me to [re] introduce myself, my name is…

Rodney S. Jones

South Side of Chicago made me; Ft. Hood/Killeen, Texas raised me. I was brought up by military parents. Studied vocal performance at the University of Texas. Trained to sing classical music in multiple languages. Pledged the oldest and coldest intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African American Men—Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Took custody of my two younger sisters while I was in college. Entered the financial industry with no degree or previous training. Entertained a few entrepreneurial endeavors. Had my first book published. I guess you could say, “Started from the bottom, now I’m here.” Statistically, I shouldn’t be, but God had other plans. I’m just glad I had the fortitude to carry them out. Now I use those lessons to help others get to the top of their mountain.

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Years Financial Planning
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Years of Public Speaking
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Years Mentoring
Spartan Races Completed
Perspective + Delivery

Why choose me

I believe in creating an experience that inspires behavioral change. My personal background and professional track record allow me to make an authentic connection with any audience.

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Customized

I put the power of choice in the hands of the attendees. They choose what they want to hear me speak on in real-time.

Get the Bag

At the end of each speaking engagement, one attendee will be awarded a Corporate Swagger® Scholarship. (certain restrictions apply)

Engaging

Live audience polling, crowd participation, the art of storytelling. People don’t just hear my message…they feel it.  

Coaching

Repetition is the mother of all teaching. Attendees can earn complimentary coaching sessions to reinforce and internalize key takeaways.

being broke made me rich

underdog origin

When you live on the South Side of Chicago your life is synonymous with low income, hustle mentality, and survival. At least that was my reality. My mom entered the military in pursuit of providing a better life. Unfortunately, it gets darkest before the light. In the years to follow I would learn how to redefine what it means to be rich and appreciate the small things. A lesson I would carry with me for the rest of my life.

A picture of me (on the left) at my fourth birthday party. I have no idea who those other kids are 🤔🤷🏾‍♂️❓

1979
find what you’re good at and crush it

hello confidence

Being a choir boy didn’t quite fit the narrative in a Texas military town where “Friday Night Lights” was a reality long before it was a movie. I was athletic and loved playing sports, but I thrived more at singing. Then I realized that I may not be the starting point guard on the basketball team, or the varsity quarterback on the football team, but on stage…I was a two-time All-State singer.

Killeen High School Club Allegro talent showcase. A young Rodney crooning his heart out.

1990
Two Roads diverge in a yellow wood…

decisions, decisions

Pledging Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. taught me (among other things) how to “meet with Triumph and Disaster… and treat those two impostors just the same.” Taking custody of my sisters showed me how to get comfortable with operating outside of my comfort zone. These two decisions and the many lessons learned from each developed in me a set of unmatched skills that were transferrable into the workplace. 

Three of my seven other line brothers during our probate ceremony. Underneath: The documents from the custody case involving my sisters.

1996 | 1998
a glitch in the matrix

spread the word

I entered the workforce with several disadvantages: no degree, no experience, no connections. Nevertheless, I had to find a way to provide for my two sisters. Through endless trial and error, I found that employers value soft skills just as much as they do a piece of paper. I never read about this “loophole” in any textbook; never heard it lectured in any class. Once I cracked The Da Vinci Code, it was all about helping others do the same thing.

My first speaking engagement at Midwestern State University speaking to a room of 200 students.

2010
what doesn’t kill you…

aroo! aroo! aroo!

When I tell people I run Spartan Races for fun, there’s usually an awkward silence that follows. Since when is self-inflicted torture fun? My affinity for these races has everything to do with the lessons you learn while trudging through mud, crawling under barbed wire, and jumping over fire. “Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger or faster man; but sooner or later the man who wins Is the man who thinks he can.”

Spartan “Sprint” Race: 3-5 miles; 22-25 obstacles. Finished the last three races as a family.

2019
he who laughs first…

hone your craft

In grade school I would get teased for being a choir boy. In college I was mocked for studying music. To them I was an alien: A 6’2” black man skilled in singing classical music who didn’t fit into their stereotype. They couldn’t process my existence in their world. I would leverage my knowledge of fine arts its many disciplines to set myself apart from my peers and gain access to spaces unknown to others with a similar upbringing.

Performing Handel’s Messiah in Jones Hall, Houston, TX with the Houston Symphony Chorus. We also performed with famed, Andrea Bocelli in the Toyota Center.

2022

Ready To Start Working With Rodney?

“If we are going to be part of the solution, we have to engage the problems.” — Majora Carter

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