Today we’d like to introduce you to Cee Jay Besa.
Cee Jay, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born and raised in Zimbabwe to a single mom of four and we lived in the inner cities of Harare.
My parents were divorced and my father passed when I was eight. I struggled with the loss of my dad so much until one day when I confessed this to a church congregant I had never met or would ever see again. He said, “The only way to get over your own issues is to help someone else who has it worse than you.” He suggested I go to the Red Cross to volunteer and I did, there I encountered many great people who were also volunteering. They were from the UK, Canada, Australia and the USA. Through our friendship, I would learn how to become a global citizen and my dream came true. I moved to UK then USA. From then on, I realized something weird, everytime I served people I would receive much more back in return, I kept this formula as my recipe for success, to always choose to serve. I adopted a statement to always remind me of who I am – I aspire to be somebody who makes everybody feel like somebody.
In the USA, a lot of doors opened for me when I encountered Dr. Lance Walnau and began a personal growth program of his. As I did more research I found John Maxwell and he began to mentor me as part of his team doing coaching and leadership training, I began to build many relationships in Corporate America, Churches and Mentorship groups. When I saw how much I was impacting lives, I created my own online and offline mentorship group called Destiny Activation Mentorship. I recognized that many young people get lost between leaving high school or college and they have no plan for how they will grow, so they either get aligned with a group of people who steer them in one direction or they go to college with no idea why they are going, then end up in a job with a lot of debt and no real progress until they turn 30 or so then they start finding ways to grow, by then many of their peers who found mentorship will have surpassed them and can even employ them at that point. I thought how can I coach young people into deciding their Destiny and taking the steps necessary and this program was born.
Since then, I have helped many young people in the Tech industry, college, church, schools and all walks of life to take on life with a systematic growth plan that helps them to shape their purpose, goals and vision and a plan on how to get there. I have authored a book called Becoming the CEO of your life and have enjoyed increased sales since its launch in May 2019 but above all, it has impacted so many lives and many people are using it as a manual for their growth. In life we don’t rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our preparations. If you didn’t get that preparation from your parents, then it’s on you to choose it and I welcome you to join me in growth.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting from a third world country, you have to build a strong faith and belief in yourself that you can make it in the USA. Just the ticket alone to come to the USA was three times my mom’s annual salary, but I knew that if I focused on the possibilities, doors would open. It’s easy to spot Americans when in Africa, but due to language barriers many of my peers shyed away from interacting with them. I had to overcome my own limiting beliefs and engage them in a way that many would not do. I didnt look at myself as inferior but as an equal with a unique view point to share .
I would ask them many questions to understand their map of the world. In 1995 is when I first wrote in my journal that I will be in the USA by the year 2000. My vision was to impact lives and I knew if I could make it in the USA, I could take my message anywhere and Dec 2000 I entered the USA for the first time. When i started marching forward with my vision many people joined with me and helped me along and i met Devan Christopher, Author Thamar Blaise. TV Host & Stylist Katrina Lee-Jones, Missionary Lisa Mcqueen, Luther Estyl, Author Richard Richardson Khanyi Mpofu, Natswa Maseko, Bevan Makaka, Author Kyle Dendy, Jordan & Justin Storey and now VoyageMIA all of whom i would have never met if i hadnt started. Many people have a dream and they dont have the answer to how they will do it, so they stop pursuing it, i teach them that the “how” will come soon enough if the vision is crystal clear.
Inspire The World – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Inspire The World is about helping others to find their purpose by providing the tools necessary for personal and professional growth. We specialize in coaching, leadership training and mentorship. I am most proud of our ability to connect with leaders on high and low levels and serve them effectively.
What sets us apart is our story is unique and challenging but relatable enough to give hope and inspiration to others. We say that Rock bottom builds more champions than mountain top experiences ever will. What’s unique about us is we value the power of ideas so much that we invest a lot of time in banking and developing ideas. We desire above all to be the best at being great human beings, in that area there is great opportunity.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
During perhaps the lowest time in my life, I was invited to be a keynote speaker for the Boystomen Mentoring group supported by Pastor Daniel Ings. It was their anniversary and as I connected with them. I watched their faces brighten up with hope and my words give them light and wisdom. That was the moment that gave me power to carry on despite what was going on in my life at the time. I feel energized to serve young people and the opportunity to help someone see themselves differently is what I live for.
Pricing:
- Destiny Activation Mentorship Program is $99 a year or $9.99 a month
- Book – Becoming The CEO of Your life is $20 each on Amazon
Contact Info:
- Address: 740 Savory Place
Heathrow 32746 - Website: www.ceejaybesalive.com
- Phone: 9726933678
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: www.instagram/cjbesa
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/ceejaybesalive
- Twitter: www.destinyactivation.com
- Yelp: www.amazon.sg/Becoming-CEO-Your-Life-potential/dp/1070792993
- Other: https://g.co/kgs/rAxhfq
Image Credit:
Ralph Aviles Photography
Christian Rosario Photography
The Paris Photographer
Suggest a story: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
