Meet Ricky Kidd

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ricky Kidd. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Ricky, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
I would say my Resilience come from deep within my core. The thing about tapping into human resilience is being forced to. The journey isn’t a casual walk; it typically happens when we are pressed between difficulty & devastation. Wrongfully convicted for 23 years caused me to excavate deep into my core, for which I was able to bring back to the surface my Resilience.

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?
From underneath the rubble of a flawed criminal legal system, I emerged wounded but not broken. Such allowed me to spring into action, spreading awareness about the silent crisis of wrongful convictions in America. As I crossed the country doing so, my story of Resilience stuck the most with audiences of all kinds. In four short years, I’ve become established as a nationally recognized speaker with a mission to motivate individuals to discover their boundless potential and ignite their unwavering determination. I aim to help cultivate resilience in others while enriching their minds with inspiring insight.

This mission takes me inside prosecutor’s offices, where I now help train prosecutors on the pitfalls of their decisions—high schools, where young minds are unbuttoned and free to discover next-level thinking. I often graced the hallways of colleges, universities, and corporations, offering my seven signature keynote topics as a gateway into new perspectives. My leadership and pragmatic approach to challenges have earned me board positions with the Innocence Network Executive Board, the Local DA Advisory Board, and the New York Innocence Project Exoneree Policy Council.

Most people are just now discovering that I am a spoken word artist and a talented writer through the release of my book “Vivid Expressions: A Journey Inside The Mind Of The Innocent.” My latest book, “In The Face Of Injustice,” is currently in production, along with my documentary “Long Journey Home,” and my play recently completed, “Justice Where Are You?” all slated for release in 2024. Individuals will also be able to find our new merch line and Patreon subscription channel on our website, resiliencemode.com, in the coming spring of 2024.

Long-term, my wife (Dawn Kidd) & I are hoping to empower people in places across the globe in a way that elevates their lives, their communities, and the world they see and live in. Ultimately, when my time expires here on earth, my tombstone will read, “I Came, I Lived, I Mattered.” Not just in words but in reality.

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?
I would say that the three most impactful qualities that allowed me to excel along my journey would be 1. Discipline, 2. having the ability to see beyond where I was (vision) and 3. the ability to become pragmatic. Developing the ability to see a situation or problem then figure out the best way through or around it; has been an absolute game changer for me. I can recall always reminding myself. “It’s Not Where You Are Ricky, It’s Where You’re Going.” Knowing where I was going or where I wanted to be, became fuel to propel myself out of my tough battles. Though the chant didn’t have a magical affect where I suddenly wasn’t in my battle, it did make my battle more bearable; knowing it wouldn’t be permanent.

My advice to others is to feel free to use the recipe that worked for me. Cultivate your discipline early on; It pays a reward. Don’t just see the where you are (in battle), rather visiualize where you want to be in success. Do’t just fight against your battle, but understand the make up of that battle.. Fighting the problem and solving the problem are two different things.

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?
Across the board, my wife and business partner, Dawn Kidd. She understands the essentials of winning and the operational mechanics that an idea, event, or business needs to be successful. I will be counted among the best speakers, thought leaders, and change agents when I’m done on this journey. To say it is one thing, to help others see it…. that’s Dawn’s magic.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Dawn Kidd, Kinser Studios, Innocence Network, Amelia Green

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