The Five Ws – Public Value

Good day, Friends! Thank you for being here. I am grateful for you. You are amazing. My topic today are the world famous 5Ws. The 5 Ws tell the whole story. They define me. They speak for you….when you are not in the same room. Without them, a story is not newsworthy.

My name is Leonard Casiple, founder of Public Value LLC. Today, my hope is that by finding your own 5Ws….You will sustain business success.

The 1^st W – WHO? As in Who am I?

This seems easy. First name, last name, nickname. But the answer depends on how I…..view myself. My WHO – can be FAKE, OLD (Stale), or……AUTHENTIC

A. Fake Who. I can be WHO you want me to be…just… to be accepted. But when FAKE, for WHO would I be?

B. I can also be the OLD,….stale WHO. The bullied child…called a LOSER. The failure. The HS Dropout. The cripple.

C. Or, I can be the authentic me. A checkered flag of a few successes and thousands of failures. Liberated by honoring, and not hating —-old experiences. No longer weighed down by the failures of yesterday. Who has earned the confidence to soar with other Eagles…..like you.

So, Who Am I? I am not a label.

I am energy, grit, perseverance….combined to give others hope.

2^nd W – What. As in What AM I?

In the past, I quit HS in shame. A quitter. A coward. I was also…. a HERO who earned this, the <1% of the 1%.

Later …medically retired. Downgraded. Admirable to Miserable. Hero to zero. I could not walk. I could not dream.

By being vulnerable, I asked for help. Surgeries. Counseling. Mentorship. I became an academic, an entrepreneur. I re-designed my reality.

So…WHAT am I? I am not this, or this, or the credentials after my name. I am not the skinned knees and scar tissue.

I AM…..human with hopes and dreams.

3^rd W– is When. As in When AM I?

When I blamed the past, I re-created drama. When I worried about the future, I manifested what could go wrong.

By focusing on what I could not control… I …. stayed lost. However, when I began living for today. I learned……and EARNED…. the greatest gift I can ever…. receive.

So…….WHEN AM I?

I am neither late, nor early. I am NOW. Now….is the very best version of myself…..I can ever be. Now is my greatest gift. I am alive. I have a purpose.

Now…is my eternity.

4^TH W – is Where. As in…WHERE AM I?

I could say that I am here, and that you….are there. But, I am also here….with you inside this amazing venue, within this amazing city. Together, we are building dreams.

With locations, please remember this cautionary tale. Our analytical minds can think negative thoughts. Our emotional hearts can reach for unhealthy desires. But if centered, we are where we are supposed to be.

Where is this place? Where is the foundation where I can manifest my business dreams?

My friends, by centering your heart and your thoughts……..You will find your soul. By staying grounded to the soul – that knows only love, kindness and understanding, your personal values and your business ethics align.

The QUALITY OF YOUR SOUL, Repels Negative Energy…. AND ATTRACTS success. By operating from the soul….you will always be enough, you will always have enough. You will always be abundant.

5^TH W – Why. As in WHY AM I?

Simon Sinek says…find your why…for it will sustain you.

This part escaped me. I wasted looking for “why” ……out there. How did it find it? I LOOKED within.

By knowing each facet, each detail… of the first 4 Ws, I learned to appreciate all of me. And in turn, I became grateful for my unique qualities.

When I appreciated my unique gifts, I no longer compared myself to others…because they too, had their own unique skills. I became authentic to myself….and genuine… towards others.

SO WHAT IS MY Why? My why is to shine as…..myself.

When I don’t copy anyone, when I stay true to myself…. I light my OWN way, and the way for thousands more.

In conclusion, whether you are broken, failed, incarcerated, divorced, disabled, bankrupt, disrespected, dismissed, shamed, blamed…Or whether you are…just starting out….or feel used up. Whatever religion, belief, culture, race, color, creed you are on the outside…..Know and accept your five Ws.

And from the inside….you shine. All of these candles give off the same light. The best thing? When you share your light, it is not diminished. Together, we make the business world brighter!

I wish you authenticity and the courage to shine as yourself.

Thank you!

The 1st W – WHO? As in Who am I?

2nd W – What. As in What AM I?

3rd W– is When. As in When AM I?

4TH W – is Where. As in…WHERE AM I?

5TH W – Why. As in WHY AM I?