We were lucky to catch up with Rev. Cameron Kuykindall recently and have shared our conversation below.
Cameron, we’ve been so fortunate to work with so many incredible folks and one common thread we have seen is that those who have built amazing lives for themselves are also often the folks who are most generous. Where do you think your generosity comes from?
My generosity comes from service. Whether that be through leadership positions I’ve held in various organizations or mainly when I’ve interacted with children, youth, elderly, and other specific demographics of our community, I have a passion for serving. I believe that serving is the best thing we can do as people. Although it’s nice to receive, it’s even nicer to give. That’s why I love to give back my time, talents, and money to ensure those who are less fortunate than me still feel special and feel like they belong. I’ve done this especially the past three years but even before then.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am the President of the CamKuy Group. This group compromises Cameron Kuykindall Ministries and the Weather Geeks of Memphis.
Cameron Kuykindall Ministries seeks to empower disciples of all ages to be God’s light of the world! We do this by holding relevant bible studies geared towards teens, preaching and teaching at various churches, and advocating for children and youth ministries to properly engage and nurture all kids.
The Weather Geeks of Memphis, founded in 2017, provides everyday forecasts and necessary traffic coverage on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. With over 2,500+ proud supporters in the Memphis & Mid-South area, we pride ourselves in being the Mid-South’s Weather and Traffic Authority. Additionally, for the past three years, we’ve hosted the Weather Geeks of Memphis Toy Drive, benefiting Youth Villages. Together, we’ve donated 500 toys and $5,000 since the drive’s inception. (Look forward to us doing our Toy Drive again, starting November 2023!)
At first, these two groups were separate but this year, I combined them, while keeping them separate, through the CamKuy Group, whose overall goal is to put UNITY in the Community through any act of service we do. We are continuing to build out this managing group, so stay tuned for more!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The three most impactful skills and qualities from my journey were these:
-Find and know your purpose
Whenever you do anything, it sometimes gets hard. What helps us make sure we don’t give up or give in when this happens? By finding and knowing our purpose. It guides us and tells us why we do what we do.
-To whom much is given, much is required
This is a no-brainer but I’ve noticed, especially with my generation, that people want insta-gratification and insta-clout and insta-fame and insta-fortune. You have to work to be in these high places and that work doesn’t start at 20 or 30 years old but even now as a teenager or kid.
-Plant seeds, even if you don’t see the harvest
Many times, going back to the insta-gratification, we want to see the fruits of our labors ASAP. However, some seeds we plant, we will never get to see the harvest, and that’s okay. As long as you know that you planted the seed, that’s all that matters. Sometimes you will see the harvest and other times, the harvest will be beyond your imagination but you’ll never see it.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
I feel overwhelmed a lot of the time, honestly. In life, we have so many people we serve, (at least in my context.) I serve my school, church, workplace, NAACP, various clubs and organizations, and family. Sometimes, when too much attention is given to one, the others feel neglected and vice-versa.
When I’m overwhelmed, I try to step back, take a deep breath, organize my thoughts and responsibilities, and pivot. Pivoting is one of the best leadership traits to have. You must know how to pivot. There have been times when I was stressed and didn’t know what to do until I pivoted. I said, let’s look at this a different way, or let me try this, or let me give this task to someone else.
9 times out of 10, doing this will help solve a problem and help alleviate your overwhelming feelings.
Contact Info:
- Website: camkuyministries.org
- Instagram: @thecamkuy; @camkuyministries; @wxgeeksofmem
- Facebook: Cameron Kuykindall; Cameron Kuykindall Ministries; Weather Geeks of Memphis
- Twitter: @thecamkuy; @camkuymin; @wxgeeksofmem
- Youtube: Cameron Kuykindall Ministries; Weather Geeks of Memphis
- Other: Threads: @thecamkuy TikTok: @thecamkuy_
Image Credits
Youth Villages
