Pull Back To Push Up: Mentorship and Leadership With Ken Daniel

My disadvantage was actually my advantage. That's the line Ken Daniel used to become the youngest digital marketing manager in Stellantis history. This is the story behind it.I sat down with Ken Daniel, Digital Marketing Manager for the Mid Atlantic region at Stellantis, to talk about mentorship, leadership, and the framework he uses to keep giving back to the community that built him. Ken is a Detroit native, Cass Tech grad, University of Michigan Ross School of Business alum, and currently sits on the board of Transforming Youths into Adults (TYIA) in Baltimore. The conversation centers on the two mentors who told him to follow his passion, the Connecticut dealer test that taught him "I don't know" is a leadership move, and the pull back to push up philosophy that drives everything he does.In this episode you will learn:Why "I don't know" is the most powerful 3 word leadership move you can make in any roomThe pull back to push up mentorship philosophy, why every interaction should be mutually beneficialDon't chase the dollar, chase the passion, the line every young professional needs to hearPlus the two mentor conversation that reframed Ken's entire career trajectory at 23, why the Wagoneer Preakness setup at 2am taught him about going into the weeds with your team, the Transforming Youths into Adults nonprofit model that prepares foster youth to buy their first home by 25, the six jobs in college that built the skillset Ken uses at Stellantis today, and the fail forward calculus story that turned an E grade into a career pivot.Support Transforming Youths into Adults. The Baltimore nonprofit prepares foster youth aging out of the system to become first time homeowners by age 25. Learn more or donate at TYIA.org.Get the free Communication Playbook: https://ctcpodcast.media/free-playbookOutside the mic: I also built RecoveryMRR, a tool that helps subscription businesses automatically recover failed Stripe payments. If that is your world, check it out at recoverymrr.comCONNECT WITH CTC:Website: https://ctcpodcast.mediaApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conversations-that-count/id1890348796Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3J6lZ10GvK07qCv3aQxnkRLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/davidshaftLinktree: https://linktr.ee/davidshaftFOLLOW KEN DANIEL:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethldanieljr/Follow Conversations That Count on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. (00:00) - Hook (00:24) - Welcome and intro (00:45) - Meet Ken Daniel, the youngest digital marketing manager in Stellantis history (02:41) - The two mentors who said follow your passion (04:54) - Disadvantage as advantage, the Connecticut Chrysler story (07:31) - The dealer trust moment, "I don't know" as a leadership move (12:53) - Pull back to push up, the mentorship philosophy (15:41) - Wagoneer at the Preakness, getting in the weeds (19:25) - Transforming Youths into Adults, the foster care nonprofit (22:28) - From Skillman Foundation to Detroit Public Schools, the nonprofit roots (26:44) - How adults make friends without resources (28:46) - Six jobs in college, building the skillset before you need it (30:15) - Don't chase the dollar, chase the passion (33:37) - Fail forward, the calculus story (37:12) - Failure is a pivot, the C grade reframe (44:37) - Where to find Ken and TYIA (45:51) - Close