We recently had the chance to connect with Taikyokills and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Taikyokills, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
You guy’s are grilling me right off the back huh? This is a tough one, for what is energy without the intellect to channel it? What is intellect without the energy to execute? I say integrity is the most important of the three here. You do not have to be the most intelligent or energetic however, having integrity the courage to do the right thing even when no ones looking is the bravest thing one can do.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
What? You all don’t know me by now haha, I kid… The names Michael, If you all have heard of anything I do, it’s likely under the name “Taikyokills”. I started out as a content creator which quickly blossomed and branched off into many things primarily as a Fashion Stylist which led me to work with many major brands and celebrities such as Tyler, The Creator, Dion Lee, Sperry’s, and many more with the most recent being with my favorite brand, Prada. I found the styling life to become a bit unfulfilling after while. Even though I was helping people look their best I felt I had much more to offer people. After all, one can put on their Sunday’s best but if they do not feel confident it WILL transfer into the clothing and become very apparent.
This is where my new company comes into play. Phoenix Image Consulting where my motto is “Your Image Reborn” (that’s trademarked by the way aha). As an image consultant my job is to make one not only look the part but truly be the part. Let’s face it… As humans we are superficial creatures. Though how much varies from person to person it is an anthropological fact. So much information rather true or untrue is conveyed via visual contact. Let’s say you are responsible for hiring a new employee. Let’s say it’s come down to two promising candidates both virtually equal in skill. However, one candidate shows up in sweat pants and a polo, while the other has on slacks with a tucked in button down shirt. I can guarantee the candidate with the button down will get chosen 98% of the time. Not because the shirt was nice but because the individual took the time to make themselves presentable while the other looks a bit too casual. This is Image.
If you are a person who is seeking to reach the pinnacle of what it is you do, you will at some point have to take your image into consideration. This is where I come into play. Not only do I help individuals look better I help them develop the skills necessary to walk the walk. From etiquette, grooming, fitness, and professional development. These are all MAJOR players in how a person is perceived.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
Joining the United States Marine Corps. directly after high school really shaped my current view of the world. I traveled the world. Learned about so many different customs and cultures. I would not necessarily call myself close minded prior to joining but ignorant as a young kid who grew up in Missouri. One of my biggest strengths is I was able to take a bit from each culture I encountered and implement their teachings into my life positively.
However, this is the Marines we’re talking about. Things were far from just enlightening in a positive manner. I saw the darkest corners of the human psyche. I saw what we as humans are ALL capable of given certain circumstances. This though not fun, was enlightening in it’s own way. I came to understand just how integral light and darkness are to us as a society.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
This is a great question. Suffering has been the most profound teacher throughout my life. With suffering, I learned resilience. Things tend to not go as planned throughout life that tends to be a bit discouraging especially when things happen in rapid succession. However, being able to process this suffering no matter the situation will only serve to further you as a person. We are human… I am NOT saying “get over it”. I am saying process these feelings and channel them into your ambitions. This is were suffering is the grand teacher. Success can also be a great teacher however, if everything always goes as planned and you never go through suffering you will be wholly ill equipped to handle said suffering when it inevitably comes your way. You will likely not be resilient enough to pull yourself through it and will allow the suffering to beat you into submission.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
That’s an easy one, my ambitions. So many will tell you why you won’t make it, why you shouldn’t make it. Very little will ever wish you the best in your endeavors and honestly, it’s not their job to. This in my opinion can come from two things. One… they simply care about you and want the best. Being a business owner is not the “traditional” route with that comes a lot of uncertainty and someone who cares for you should diligently relay that to you however, they should not seek to impede what it is your passionate about which brings me to the second thing. Most people will seek to impede your path based on envy alone. Coming face to face with a person willing to pursue their ambitions against all odds is likely a stark reminder to them how they did not do the same.
I only really share my ambitions with like minded people also pursuing what it is that they want in life because of this. Steel sharpens steel that whole thing, I have more or less achieved mostly what I have set out to. I however have much grander ambitions that I am currently working on that while they will take some time they are slowly coming to fruition.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
I feel it’s a bit pretentious to think this, but whatever aha. I feel most people don’t deeply understand just how connected we ALL are. We as humans focus so much on our differences that we forget we ALL started out as mostly unicellular organisms. I mean… you share a part of your genetic make up with a BANANA for god’s sake! Societal as well as cultural nuances are one of the primary things that separate us. It’s a bit idealistic, but I believe if we focused on these differences and found a way to elevate each other we would be far better off. I say “idealistic” as I understand the human ego. We instead use these differences to impose superiority over one another instead of help. The ego is an evolutionary trait originally designed to aid us in survival however, has now gotten unstably out of control.
Honestly, I wrack my brain over this daily. I have yet to find a suitable solution… Is it just too late for us as a species?
Contact Info:
- Website: https://phoeniximageco.com/
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/Taikyokills
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/Taikyokills
- Youtube: Facebook.com/Taikyokills
Image Credits
Instagram: carlosmtrillocks
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