Meet Ken Miller

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ken Miller. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ken below.

Ken, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
I developed my confidence and self-esteem through my study of self-esteem especially books by Nathaniel Branden. I began with small successes which led a bigger successes and I began to believe in my competency in my work field. I also increased my self worth by the individuals that I associated with and most importantly those that I entered into intimate relationships with. I also embrace positive accolades and did not try to diminish them or not accept them. I believe you can tell more about a person’s self-esteem by how they accept compliments.
I also allowed myself forgiveness that I would make mistakes in life, but that I could either fix them, learn from them or just move on if needed.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am the president of Denali FSP Fundraising & Grant Consultants, a nonprofit fundraising consultancy I founded in 2014 after a long career in fundraising development. I have worked with over 130 clients in the last 10 years and today my company predominately works with Tribal organizations to identify and procure large Federal Grants. My passion though is working with young men of color as a mentor. I teach workshops on effective mentorship and presently I am mentoring 20 men of color on a regular basis.
This year I am excited about my upcoming book “Surviving Ken, One Man’s Journey From the Ivy League to the Streets, the Penitentiary and Back” and speaking engagements that I have scheduled.

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?
1. Understanding and embracing Truth 2. Grace, allowance and forgiveness
3. Courage

1. Seek to identify what is real, facts and truth. Then understand the “why” behind those truths. Embrace facts, understand the role of emotions and base present and future decisions on what is real not just perceived. It is a learned trait and must be practiced in all areas of your journey.
2. Allow yourself grace to others, give them space, understand their “pain” and “why” for their actions, especially those that affect you adversely. Forgive often and quickly, allow individuals to have space and time.
3. Courage – the willingness to accept the possibility of pain. Understand the role of pain, accept the courage only states that there might be a possibility of pain, but to get to the other side, one must cross the road and understand that there might be pain in the crossing. Celebrate your courage and seek to “encourage” others.

What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?
I am a big proponent of going all in on strengths. If one has specific strengths, put the majority of your resources of time, money and thought into those areas. I truly believe you will be better for it. Also many times our strengths are areas that we either enjoy or take satisfaction in our accomplishments in those areas. Acknowledge your weaknesses, understand what they are and then either become just competent or hire someone to work in those areas.

Contact Info:

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Leadership Development
Empathy Unlocked: Understanding how to Develop Emotional Intelligence

“Empathy is the starting point for creating a community and taking action. It’s the impetus

Productivity
Where do you get your work ethic from?

We’ve all heard the phrase “work hard, play hard,” but where does our work ethic

Productivity
Boosting Productivity Through Self-Care

When you have a never-ending to-do list it can feel irresponsible to engage in self-care,