Youth Manufacturing Conference successful
HOPE – Around 1,200 students from 15 schools packed Hempstead Hall for the first Youth Manufacturing Conference Tuesday.
The students, mostly eighth graders, but with one class of juniors, got the opportunity to meet and talk with industry leaders across Southwest Arkansas, where the learned what industry is looking for in employees, the kind of education the students would need and what would be expected from them as employees. Breakout sessions allowed the students to hear about the companies as well as see some of the products being made in the region.
The day began with motivational speaker Paul Vitale addressing the students, telling them the industry leaders were there for them, as are their teachers. He gave the students a solid piece of advice that could affect their future either for the better or worse – be careful of what they post on social media because today’s businesses check social media to see what applicants are saying and have said. These posts could make the difference in getting a good job or having to do something they don’t really want to do.
Vitale told the students they didn’t have to listen to him, as it was their choice and life is about choices. He also said they didn’t have to listen to those who tell them they aren’t good enough or smart enough to accomplish their dreams because they are. All they have to do is believe in themselves, be confident and work hard to reach their goals.
He urged the students to take advantage of the opportunity presented to them at the conference as they literally had the chance to collaborate with industry leaders and discuss their potential future. He pointed out the students made the choice to participate simply by attending the conference and it was up to them to get involved.
Vitale talked briefly about his online course, Peak Performance U, but focused on things the students would actually need in the world of work. Success is simple, he told them. First and foremost they need to show up on time for their jobs. This, he said, means showing up five minutes early. They also need to be willing to work late and do things others refuse as the higher ups take notice of such employees. They’ll need to collaborate with others and be willing to work together. First, though, he told them they need three plans – plan A, their primary goal and how to reach it; plan B, their secondary goal and how to reach it; and plan C.
“The habits you form now will last a lifetime. Being on time takes no talent.” The students were reminded they would soon be freshmen in high school and their worlds would be changing, as before they know it, they’d be juniors and seniors. He suggested they start planning their futures, with plans A-C, today.
Vitale challenged the students not to waste the opportunity they were being given with the conference and suggested they ask the industry leaders questions. “I want you to have ambition,” he said. “If you’re not sure where you want to go, you’re not alone, but don’t let anyone outwork you. Going the extra mile matters. What you post in social media matters. Grammar matters. Be confident, your resume and portfolio represent who you are.”
The afternoon speakers were Mike and Jamie Bangs. Their message was simple, where a person comes from doesn’t matter, it’s where they go and how hard they’re willing to work toward their goal that does. The two have built 40 companies in seven industries grossing more than $50 million, with Jamie being in the top 1 percent of female CEOs before the age of 30.
Jamie talked about growing up poor in Alabama, with divorced parents, and a mostly absent father and a mother who was an alcoholic and drug user. The school she graduated from had a class of 13. She told how she would wash her clothes on a scrub board and how local churches would help make sure the family had food, along with how neighbors would let her pick vegetables from their gardens to help out.
Bangs told the students she grew up in a single-wide trailer with no heat or air, but at an early age, she knew what she didn’t want – the life she was living. Instead she made a choice, work hard and get an education. “I made it a point to study and do my homework. I didn’t have any help, but I asked for it and never stopped trying to get better. You control your future. It’s time to choose if you want a life out of Arkansas, the best life in Arkansas or to continue the cycle you’re in.”
She told the students how she thought she’d made it when she got to college, but quit working hard and hung out with her friends. The end result was her getting kicked out after her first semester. She had to go home, but this turned out to be a good thing as it reminded her of what she didn’t want. She managed to get back in college on a parole basis, and worked hard. However, it wasn’t all a bed of roses as she found out she was pregnant during her last semester, and her life changed.
After graduation she got a job as a door-to-door salesman, but admitted she wasn’t a good one, and eventually hit bottom and found herself crying, curled up on a bag of dog food in a grocery store. Again, she realized she had to make a choice. She could keep crying, give up and live the life she didn’t want, or she could work to turn things around and improve her situation. “I chose to keep going. I didn’t want to be a small-town loser girl, so I took control. You don’t have to stay where you are. You have a choice and have the chance to be the best.”
Bangs told the students to always go for the hard things because if things are too easy, they aren’t trying.
Mike followed asking the students who had goals and who had no clue what they wanted to be. He pointed out a lot of the students didn’t have goals and don’t know how to plan for them, but the system is created to help, but having a goal is the key. “Believe in who you are, you can accomplish anything. How you handle adversity dictates your success in lift.”
He gave them a formula: Events+Perception+Reaction=Results. “You’re in control of your lift. You’re not a victim. Take responsibility because when you give responsibility away, you give away control. Have a winning attitude and look for opportunities. Never stop learning.”