Kevin Brown, author of The Hero Effect™, will deliver the keynote address at this morning’s Opening General Session.
Following a business career spanning three decades, Brown retired from the corporate world to pursue his passion for bringing “The Hero Effect” philosophy to as many people and organizations as possible. In his motivational message, Brown shares his ideas, strategies, and principles geared to inspire water professionals to recognize and embrace being everyday heroes, giving their best when it matters most.
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Q: Can you summarize what you mean by “The Hero Effect” and how it differs from the conventional understanding of being a hero?
A: “The Hero Effect” is a shift in the conventional way of thinking about heroes. Traditional thinking suggests that heroes are ordinary people who do extraordinary things. What I have discovered on this journey is that heroes and high performers are anything but ordinary. Ordinary is a learned behavior. Think about this: if heroes are ordinary people doing extraordinary things, then by default we give ourselves permission to be ordinary most of the time with only the occasional burst of extraordinary. “The Hero Effect” is about what happens when extraordinary people choose not to be ordinary.
Q: What is your background and how does it relate to you becoming a hero?
A: I grew up in Muskegon, Mich., where my blue-collar roots taught me the value of hard work and determination. My resume includes an eclectic mix of career stops that ultimately led me to the purchase of a franchise at the age of seventeen. With a lot of help from mentors and friends, I was able to work my way from the front lines in business to the executive boardroom. For nearly two decades I was a sales and marketing executive that helped grow a little-known family business [SERVPRO (Gallatin, Tenn.), a cleanup and restoration company] into the number one brand in the industry with annual revenues reaching $2 billion.
I wouldn’t be here today if not for the heroes who poured themselves unselfishly into my life, moving me from a place of desperation to a place of inspiration. My gift back to them is becoming the best version of myself and bringing that to the people I live and work with every day. That is everyone’s responsibility in life.
Q: Are there famous examples that you would say are good representations of a hero, as you would define it?
A: Our military men and women. First responders. The world changers like Mandela, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Mother Teresa. You can look around and see examples in every area of endeavor: business, entertainment, communities, and families. It’s the people and organizations that we pull out of the pile and separate from everyone else. We deem them as different — special in fact. When they show up to do what they do, they operate at a level most people don’t even aspire to. They show up every time with their best stuff and pour it into the lives of others.
Q: Why do you think it’s important for those involved in the water sector to understand “The Hero Effect”?
A: Because if they don’t bring their best when it matters the most, bad things happen. The communities and people they serve get hurt. Every living thing on the face of this earth depends on their ability to execute at a high level; to create, innovate, and find solutions to problems that impact our most precious and powerful resource.
Q: What do you hope attendees at WEFTEC take away from your talk?
A: My most sincere desire is that they will see the heroes around them and develop the one within themselves.
Kevin brown will give the ketnote address at the Opening General Session,
Monday, Oct. 1, 8:30 – 9:30 a.m., Great Hall A.
