Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dujuan Austin Jr. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Dujuan , 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 would say I got my self esteem and confidence from my grandparents and parents. They all have always embraced that I be myself and be great at whatever I do! Also, I would say boxing played a huge part in my confidence. When I was young boy I grew up in a pretty rough neighborhood. It wasn’t the worst to me because I had some friends but I also had some enemies. My enemies despised me for the very reason everyone else loved me. I had a self awareness of myself and a confidence that irked them to the fact they would try to bully me. They would follow me to school taunting me and calling bad names as they walked behind me. They never got physical because although I was scared of them, I never showed them that I was so they didn’t really know how to take me. One day I had gotten really fed up with feeling nervous whenever I’d see them so I went home and got on YouTube and started looking at how to throw a correct punch for a beginner in boxing. That video led me to a lot of Floyd Mayweathe Jr’s videos as well as other greats like Muhammad Ali, Roy Jones, Mike Tyson, and Sugar Ray Leonard just to name a few. Within two weeks of those videos I asked my dad could I start boxing and there I started at the Harvey Boxing Club. My confidence shot from 100 to 500 after I knew I could be myself and defend myself if need be and I carry that same level of confidence till this very day.
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?
I’m an overall artist. I act, sing, dance, draw, play drums ,write, cut hair, and martial arts as well. But acting is my bread and butter. I love how expressive this form of art allows me to be..I’m currently studying and getting prepared for whatever is next on this journey.I have a lot of scripts that I will be bringing to life very soon!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I would say staying consistent, persistent and having patience were the most impactful during my journey. I would advise anyone in any field to keep those three qualities. If you do the work the universe has nothing but good offering in return. Like Denzel said” If you hang around a barbershop long enough, eventually you’ll get a haircut.”
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
A book that has played an essential role in my development is Curtis “50cent” Jackson’s “Hustle Harder Hustle Smarter” as well as Will Smith’s book “Will”. Both books share lessons and gems. Will’s is an autobiography and a great one at that. I relate a lot to Will Smith so some of his story hit me right in the heart! 50 cents book helped me to dig deeper in myself knowing that one can overcome and make anything happen that they really want.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: dujuanjr
Image Credits
Dacario Austin Stanislav Tabirta Mikha’el Amin Lucian Films
