Face Front! Friday! Thank you, Keith Hunt

Earlier this week, I asked you about something special that somebody saw in you… before you saw it yourself.

In my case, someone told someone else who told me that I was “disarmingly wry.”

I’ve never forgotten this compliment.

A small moment with a large impact.

Here’s a much, much, larger moment with a life-altering impact.

When my academic career was at its lowest point, Professor Keith Hunt stepped in and saved the day.

He took me seriously before I even believed I deserved it.

He gave me a way to see myself differently.

But this kind of moment only works if you’re open to it.

I could have dismissed it. Been my usual self-deprecating self and ignored it.

Instead, I held onto Keith’s words, his mentoring, even before I fully believed them.

And that made all the difference.

What do you do with this?

1. Be open to being seen
When someone sees something in you, don’t deflect it. Be receptive.

2. Let it shape your next move
Belief is only useful if you act on it. Even small steps count.

3. Understand the responsibility
If someone invests in you, that’s not the finish line, it’s just the beginning.

4. Pay it forward, often and intentionally
You don’t need a title to change someone’s trajectory. If you see something in someone, say it. You might be the voice they hear when they need it most.

That’s what Keith Hunt did for me.

Thank you Keith, for your essential role in my origin story and in my life.

Rest in peace.