We were lucky to catch up with Ron Godfrey recently and have shared our conversation below.
Ron, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
I get my resilience from my Mother. After her she divorced my father and before she married my stepfather, I watched my mother do what she had to do to get things done. For over 20 years, she worked a full-time job and in the midst of that, she picked up a part-time job. I watched her grind in order to make life good for both of us. She hardly ever complained about anything. There were times when she would go into work not feeling her best, but she went because she was on a mission and had goals in mind. As I grew up and began to experience life for myself, I always remembered how mom would grind and I knew I had to do the same thing. My resilience also comes from wanting to make a better life for my children. I have 4 children, 3 of which are adults. I had 5, but unfortunately I lost my 6 yr old son Jeremiah to brain cancer on November 1, 2022. Though he’s no longer with us, I remember his resilience in fighting through his condition. He continued to want to do things even though he didn’t have the full capacity of his little body to do it. He was never told that he couldn’t. He kept going until he couldn’t go anymore. I made a promise to my children that I was going to make it so that they wouldn’t have to wonder how they were going to make it from day to day. So ultimately, it is my duty to Grind & Conquer.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
My birth name is Ronald Lee Godfrey, but I go by Ron Godfrey. I’m originally from Stamford, Connecticut but now reside in Atlanta. I’m 53 years old and I’m the youngest of 6. I’m the father of 5 children, 1 of which is deceased but I still count him because he lives in my heart. I’m an Actor, Author, and small business owner. I’ve been acting for almost 11 years and I really enjoy it. I’ve been blessed to work with some big names and on some of the biggest platforms in the industry. I’m a recipient of many awards on the independent level and I have the Oscars in my view.
I have an autobiography out entitled, “Crying Out In The Dark.” It was released back in December of 2020 and it’s still doing quite well. I talk about different experiences in my life that caused depression which is something that most men are slow to speak about. It’s available for an autographed copy on my website which is www.rongodfrey.com or it can be purchased on Amazon (not autographed)
I have a clothing brand called, “Grind & Conquer” I launched it a week after my book was launched and it’s doing well. Many have asked how I came up with that name and I say, It’s simple. We’re all on a grind, out to conquer the goals we’ve set for ourselves. My logo consists of 2 eagles. Eagles don’t fly with any other fowl of the air. They fly with other eagles or they fly alone. When storms hit, birds seek shelter but eagles are able to spread their wings and fly above the storm. The only bird that challenges an eagle is the crow. the crow get on the back of the eagle and pecks at the eagles head. It is at that moment that the eagle flies high, causing the crow to become short of oxygen until it eventually falls off. So no matter what kind of challenge you’re faced with or no matter how severe the storm is, spread your wings and fly high so that you can continue to “Grind & Conquer.”
I am currently preparing for a few new movie projects and a stage production, all of which will be in production soon. I also have a non-profit that I started in memory of my deceased son called The Jeremiah L. Godfrey Brain Cancer Research Foundation. The foundation is designed to aide researchers in finding a cure for rare tumors such as the one my son had which was Difuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) Through the foundation, I also want to give some financial assistance to families with children with DIPG to help with the cost of some of the medications needed that are not covered by insurance.
The question was asked what’s exciting about what I do. I love entertaining. I love seeing the reaction of people when I perform. I also look at my acting career as an outlet sometimes. There are times when I have to play a character that’s going through some things that I’m actually going through, and so my performance is even more powerful and convincing because I’m able to relate to the character.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
One quality of mine is Determination. No matter what, once you have made up your mind on what you want to do, you must remain determined to finish. That also consists of being committed. Denzel Washington said, “Without commitment, you’ll never start; but more importantly without consistency, you’ll never finish. I live by that every day. I guess my determination can be the sum of everything because it takes determination to succeed in life. Being a good listener is also important because in order to be effective, you must be a good listener and you must be able to articulate so you can perform at the highest level. Practicing my craft was and is very impactful. The more you practice, the better and more effective you’ll become.
The advice that I would give to those who are early in their journey is to do research on what it is that you are aspiring to do. study and practice your craft and what’s real important is that you be able to take constructive criticism. You will face rejection along the way, but keep going. That “YES” will come. Stay on your grind and when you notice a storm coming, spread your wings and fly above it.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
There’s been more than one person that has helpful in my career and in my life. I have to begin with God. He is amazing in life. There were times when I felt like I wanted to throw in the towel. He would send a word of encouragement, or he would send help in some form or fashion. I trust Him in all things. You have my parents who kept in church and made sure I was active therein. My Mother was always the one that would speak life into me and make me feel that there was nothing I couldn’t accomplish. Her famous saying was and is, “just keep your hands in God’s hands.”
There are a number of producers and directors that I’ve worked with that would take the time to advise and encourage me. There’s a handful of celebrities that I’ve had the pleasure of coming in contact with and they would be so kind as to talk to me and give me words of wisdom. I have an awesome agent and business manager that has helped take my career to the next level. I definitely can not leave out my sister Pat. She sometimes reminds me of where she once was in her life and how she overcame different obstacles, letting me know that there’s nothing I can’t do as long as put my mind to it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rongodfrey.com
- Instagram: @iamrongodfrey
- Facebook: I AM RON GODFREY
- Linkedin: Ron Godfrey
Image Credits
Headshots & Studio Pictures by Michael Justice – Hollywood Headshots
