#33 There’s Only One You. Take a Chance.

Find Your Voice, Change Your Life Podcast

Podcast Host: Dr. Doreen Downing

Free Guide to Fearless Speaking: Doreen7steps.com

 

Episode #33 Rob Howze

 

“There’s Only One You. Take a Chance.”

 

(00:35) Dr. Doreen Downing:

Hi, I’m Dr. Doreen Downing, I’m the host of Find Your Voice, Change Your Life podcast. What I do is invite people here to share their story, the story about whether or not they had a voice, if they lost it, how they found it, in any way that they feel like they can add value to the listeners here who do struggle with being more of who they can be. And I think a voice is what it takes to be more of who you can be in this world. Today, I get to introduce Rob Howze, and he’s a businessman, philanthropist, musician, podcaster, husband, and father that loves technology. Boy, technology, isn’t that something nowadays to love it? I want to say something, you sent a quote to me, Rob, so I’m going to read it out loud. This is what Rob believes: “Every day I wake up looking forward to being able to utilize all of my knowledge and experience to empower people to make decisions that will ultimately improve their businesses and their lives.” It feels like that’s a mission statement, Rob. But before we get into all the wonderful things you do for people, and what you provide, outlets and encouragement, let me just start with any kind of memories or anything that you can point back to where it feels like perhaps it was harder for you to speak up.

 

(02:13) Rob Howze:

You know, definitely, when it mattered, because it was—when you’re little, you know, it’s always kind of difficult. But when I really wanted to speak I remember in college, because I was always a musician, I could always get on the microphone and rap and sing. But then when it was time to talk, it was different. It was not as easy to articulate my thoughts as it was to articulate my thoughts through music. So, it wasn’t as easy to articulate my thoughts through speech. I noticed that, and so, –and I realized what it was I realized why that was the case. And I solved that problem pretty quickly out. When we tell you, I’ll tell you what it was…

 

(03:00) Dr. Doreen Downing:

Well, first, yeah, tell me more. So yeah, I do work with a lot of people who do have a performance, they don’t have performance anxiety, because they’re doing their instrument or they’re singing, but actually, when it comes to, you know, the intermission, or the time when they have to explain the song, and actually just speak to the audience, they feel nervous. Say just a little bit more about that experience for yourself.

 

(03:25) Rob Howze:

So it was actually in class, because I took a voice and diction class and the voice and diction class, you know, we were, we were told to speak, write a speech out and actually deliver it and that was the first time I’d actually had to do that. I could write a song, I could freestyle stuff right off my mind. Easy. But when it came down to actually speaking to people from that position, it was a challenge. It was a challenge because you’ve got your nerves, you have you know, it’s new, you’re unfamiliar– nerves and unfamiliarity is an interesting combination.

 

(04:06) Dr. Doreen Downing:

Well, that is such a story. This is brand new. I don’t think anybody so far on this podcast is ever really shared, having such ease, because I’ve listened to your freestyle rap, having such ease and allowing words to come up and flow and play with words. And yet, just sitting down or standing up in front of people and giving a talk felt really challenging for you.

 

(04:33) Rob Howze:

Yeah, yeah.

 

(04:36) Dr. Doreen Downing:

But you said there was something that you discovered. I wonder what that was?

 

(04:40) Rob Howze:

I discovered something about confidence. And confidence really comes from preparation. And I was just telling one of my mentees the other day, he’s actually in college right now, playing for the Charlotte 49ers and he’s just doing fantastic. He’s even on the NBA Draft board right now. And he still struggles with confidence. I asked him, I said, “How do you feel from one to 10?” He says, “I feel like a nine.” I said “what? Why, why not 10?” He said, “I don’t have much confidence.” So, I went in, and I remembered how my confidence came, and confidence came from preparation. So, I told him, I said, “you prepare for this, when you prepare that’s where your confidence comes from.” And the reason why I felt that angst when it was time for me to speak, I hadn’t necessarily prepared as much. See, I was relying on my ability just to free flow and do things like I always did it. But instead, I needed to actually recite, and prepare, and review, and understand the inflection points and all that. And once I did that, it didn’t take long, it took me like a very short period of time to figure it out. But that time was really, really interesting.

 

(05:48) Dr. Doreen Downing:

Yes, well, what a difference. And it’s funny what you just said about the person that you mentor is that he said, “nine.” that he was at a level of nine and a confidence. And you said “why not 10?” It seems like nine is really good for most people! So that’s, that’s the kind of person you are, is let’s just go for it. Let’s go for the fullness of, of what’s possible.

 

(06:15) Rob Howze:

Yes, exactly. Let’s go for it, let’s swing for the fence. You know, you shoot for the moon, you be amongst the stars, I think I heard that before. And it’s better to shoot high and miss than to shoot low and hit. Okay. Both of those are from Les Brown, by the way, those last two quotes.

 

(06:34) Dr. Doreen Downing:

Well, wherever they come from, there’s all sorts of wisdom in our world. And it takes people like you, I think, to pick them up and transmit them. And that’s what our voices do, you know, we hear something that wakes us up or touches our heart, and we want to be a channel that passes it on to others. And that’s, that’s what you do now in your speaking and in your freestyling.

 

(07:04) Rob Howze:

I try to, I try to.

 

(07:07) Dr. Doreen Downing:

Yeah, well, what you said in the quote I read today was empowering people to be ultimately, you know, having improved lies in not only their personal lives, but in their businesses. So, say just a little bit more about what we like– where you come from, what your belief is, what how you inspire people to go from that, you know, nine to 10.

 

(07:32) Rob Howze:

You know, by showing them one, what’s possible. And the other thing, like I said, showing them what’s possible, but then helping them to prepare. Like, when you prepare, again, it levels up your confidence when you get prepared, and you’re ready for what is to come. And then also getting really focused on what your goal is, what your “why” is, when you get focused on that, you get a little extra motivation, you get a little extra motivation. So, what I do is try to help people extract what that goal is, extract what that “why” is, have them prepare for it. And then the path is kind of set from there. Obviously, consistency is the mother of mastery. So once you have those first two components, you’re pretty much ready to go. And that’s what I do in life in and with business, my business leaders that I’m speaking with, if they have a business that you have some goals and trying to accomplish them, we have to clearly be able to clarify what those goals are, why you want to accomplish those goals. And then let’s put a plan together and add consistency to that.

 

(08:36) Dr. Doreen Downing:

Well, you just said another phrase consistency leads to mastery, something like that I heard and I just it just seems like whenever I’m with you, or whenever we talk, it’s just like, “Pow! There’s another one!”

 

(08:52) Rob Howze:

You know, consistency is the mother of mastery. I mean, it– masters only become masters because they were consistent. There’s nobody out here who’s become a master what they’re doing without being consistent. It just doesn’t go together. So, it’s good to know. So as time is rough and it’s getting tough and the road seems longer than you expected, just stay on it because it’s gonna pay off. Consistency always does.

 

(09:21) Dr. Doreen Downing:

I want to just stay on and continue to receive your inspiration. You mentioned why and that makes me think about myself like what is my why? You know like waking up in the morning and why what is the why something like what you love what say something about the “why”.

 

(09:41) Rob Howze:

So, your why is essentially your purpose for being here. That’s a deep why, but then you have your why for what why you’re doing what you’re doing. So essentially the purpose, the deep purpose for why you are doing what you’re doing. It’s like understanding clearly the purpose. Now I use that word, you know– I wrote a book like seven years ago called Purpose Search. So, it’s on Amazon, it’s quick little read. It’s like a dollar 99 or something. And the reason I wrote is because I found my purpose many years ago. And I just thought it was just so amazing how I found it. But then I realized that suddenly people are seeking for purpose. So, I said, Okay, let me share how I found mine. You know, and I did. And so, when you do that, when you get your purpose aligned with your actions, you just get more motivated. You like– you, it keeps you up late. It gets you up early, it keeps you fired up throughout the day, and it’s just essential for doing great work and feeling good about the work you’re doing. It’s essential for fulfillment, Dr. Doreen.

 

(10:49) Dr. Doreen Downing:

Yeah, I do. I do understand. And so just again, people, the– it’s called Purpose Search, and it’s on Amazon. Is that the name of it, Purpose Search?

 

(11:00) Rob Howze:

Yeah.

 

(11:01) Dr. Doreen Downing:

And so, I think it seems like what you’re talking about, the journey to find your purpose, is something like the journey to find your voice. And then once you tap into what your purpose is, it feels like what you say comes from that place. Your work comes from that place, your message must come from that place.

 

(11:25) Rob Howze:

Yes. Yes. Alignment, you hit it. I mean, because when you speak from that place, you speak your truth. And when you when you speak your truth, people can feel that. It resonates more with within. Truth, everything in his whole universe as it has a vibration, a vibrator frequency, everything that’s– computers, your words, your thoughts, everything vibrates. Truth vibrates at the highest frequency, the highest. So, when you are speaking from your truth, you are you are at the highest vibrator frequency possible. And you are also drawing others in because they are– energy is transmittable, as you said early. Now people are attracted to that and guess what they start doing? They start vibrating higher as well. So now because of your vibrator power, now you’re inspiring others. So speak your truth, for the for the vibrator purpose of what it does.

 

(12:25) Dr. Doreen Downing:

Oh, there you go again, just the profound words that come out of you. But it comes from what you just said, from a vibration that’s inside of us. And I was– some of my early work in overcoming my own fear, I got some feedback from somebody that said I was magnetic. And I love that phrase. And that seems to be going along with what you said. I’m not a dynamic speaker. You know, that might be like Les Brown or somebody who’s like, can really pound on stage but I’m more of a magnetic speaker which means I draw people, my energy is inviting, receptive.

 

(13:10) Rob Howze:

Yes, you do, you do. That’s accurate.

 

(13:14) Dr. Doreen Downing:

So that’s something about my purpose, I think, is opening up space and a listening for people to be more of who they are, a listening so that they listen to themselves. So, they listen to the voice within and find their purpose. Let me ask this one question. And just say quickly, Hey, Rob, what’s your purpose?

 

(13:38) Rob Howze:

To empower people to live healthier, more prosperous lives.

 

(13:43) Dr. Doreen Downing:

Yeah. Nice.

 

(13:46) Rob Howze:

And that’s it. I mean, that’s, that is it. I mean, and that can go across categories: in life, my family business, this young man walking behind me here, just empowering people to live their healthiest and prosperous lives. You know, let’s do it. We’re only here once, we think, as far as we know, you know, this is the only shot we got on this plane. And so, we got to make the most of it. This will you know, like I said, swing for the fence. Why not? Wayne Gretzky said, “you miss every shot you don’t take.”

 

(14:27) Dr. Doreen Downing:

Yeah

 

(14:28) Rob Howze:

So take the shot.

 

(14:30) Dr. Doreen Downing:

What is that that line from Hamilton? Isn’t there a song in Hamilton? The Broadway play?

 

(14:37) Rob Howze:

Yes. Yeah. “…my shot…” I don’t know why I can’t remember that right now!

 

(14:44) Dr. Doreen Downing:

You did it, you just did it. Yeah, “I’m gonna miss my shot.” Well, this the sense of listening to you and feeling your vibration. You’re right. There is something about when we do find our truth, our voice, that we there’s a resonance to it. And that resonance, I think, is what you’re calling is vibration. And I would say, alright, so my purpose is to, I like the word “empower”, you know, I was gonna say help, but I like empower. I like to the thought of empowering people to find their voice so that they can speak their truth. And that that, to me, feels like you and I are pretty well aligned along that as a purpose.

 

(15:26) Rob Howze:

Yeah, you know what, I call myself an empowerment artist. So I got two terms I’ve coined for myself, a humologists, which is, comes from the word homology, which is the integration of humans and technology, right, and a person who helps people understand the technology, but then an empowerment artist, and so through the artistry, through my artistry of living life, I empower people, whether that’s through music, through speech, through videos, through podcasts, or just through relationships. That’s my goal to be an empowerment artist.

 

(16:04) Dr. Doreen Downing:

Well, I feel like I am empowered every time I am with you. And even just our little conversations on LinkedIn, or when we post and we support each other. It comes through it comes through, you know, the voice comes through, not just in verbally, the voice comes through in writing, doesn’t it?

 

(16:24) Rob Howze:

Yeah, it does. It does. It comes through the way you channel it. Oh, my goodness, that’s good.

 

(16:32) Dr. Doreen Downing:

Yeah, well, I want to keep on going. I know you got a call pretty soon. Let me just dig a little bit more into something that people can take today with them. Let’s just say, because you are an empowerment artist, and you help people be more of who they can be. And, what would you say to people about how to find their voice? Let’s just say, “Hey, Rob, how do people find the voice that’s inside of them that’s their truth?”

 

(17:06) Rob Howze:

You know, I will say first that’s great question, Dr. Doreen, like a really, really good question. The number one thing I’ll say first is to get still, find stillness. We have 60 to 70,000 thoughts a day. Alright, so think about 60 to 70,000 cars, on the highway of your mind, alright. Some are blowing a horn, some are smoking a cigarette, some are yelling, explicit, some are just, it’s going. It’s crazy. It’s imagine that, that’s your mind every single day. So, you trying to find purpose in that could be difficult. Stillness clears all the cars off the highway. You can get to stillness by meditation by finding solitude, I find this by taking a walk, you don’t have to go to the top of the Himalayan Mountains. You can if you want to. But you can just take a walk, and just breathe. Get that solitude, that clarity of mind. It  goes deep breaths in. And just let that stillness come. And then you have space. Start thinking about the things that make you happy. Start thinking about the things that make you happy. Now we’re moving into heart and mind coherence, the heart and mind can actually get coherent and create a harmony, which then creates another type of vibrator thing inside of you, creates a wellbeing, opens your perspective. And the way you create that coherence is get the stillness. Take the deep breath in, five seconds into the nose. Five seconds out to the mouth. Now already, you’ve reset your nervous system. Now start thinking about the things that make you happy. The things that you desire. Who you want to be. Automatically when your mind does that, the mind has a vibrator frequency, so does the heart. And now also thinking about the love that you have for the people around you. Compassion, love, and support. So, you’re thinking about the things that make you happy. Your heart is now feeling for others. This is creating a coherence. It’s a practice. You’re in a whole other state of mind right now. Just by doing that. It’s literally scientifically proven. It’s moving. It’s moving you forward into this space where now, okay. I can start thinking about the things I desire, the things I want to do and how to speak my truth and then begin to speak from there. You start speaking from there. The other thing is writing things down looking at it and reviewing it. Put your truth on paper and review it. Put your truth on paper and then review it and recite it. That will give you the articulation and give you that we’ll call it the “vocabularic confidence.” You know there’s 14 words made up every single day, I looked it up, 14 new words every day are made up. I think I just made one up…

 

(20:02) Dr. Doreen Downing:

You just did it. I saw you do it in person, people, people who are listening, but people who are watching can see how you just, you just reached for it and it came to you.

 

(20:14) Rob Howze:

Yeah. Yes, yes. Yes. And you said it too: “Reach for it, and it will come.” There’s a lot of powerful quotes we heard, “knock in the door shall be answered,” “Ask and you shall receive,” “Reach for and it will come.” It may not come in the time that you want it to come, but just keep reaching, it’s on his way. And so, I would say that. Find stillness first, get that solitude, clear the mind, focus on the desires you want. Focus your heart on others, it’s important to focus on others, not just yourself. It’s a combination of think about what you want, but then have your heart for others, that combination with the breathing causes the coherence, and that’ll put you in a place, you’re better than you were before, you are better than you were before.

 

(21:04) Dr. Doreen Downing:

And it starts with just one breath. How easy, because that is free, and it’s available. We don’t have to pay any psychologist, we don’t have to pay any coaches, we just have to take a breath and find the inspiration inside. I think that’s one of the things I’m taking today from what you just said is, all the potential within us is available to us. And we spend so much time on the highway, you know, in the midst of busy in the midst of noise. And also, we keep looking at the billboards rather than stopping that car, pulling over, and stopping. And just taking that breath that you said, five in and five out, and getting quiet. And then, what I saw you do, it felt like there was a new energy that you reached into energetically. And then you talked about the mind and the heart and how the coherence…

 

(22:14) Rob Howze:

It is so powerful, it is. I’m very thankful for that for Dr. Joe Dispenza. I’m so thankful that I learned about the heart and mind coherence about five years ago, and it helped everything. I mean, it has helped everything. It’s really just a way of just centering and re-centering yourself so that you can be more productive, you can be more of yourself, because the external experiences are always there. They’re always there. When your cell phone, the computer, your kids, work, your responsibilities are always there. And they can be over flooding. And when you get a pause from that, I call it a power pause that whole space call it a “power pause” sometimes. Take your power pause, just, Ah, okay. Now I can start again.

 

(23:02) Dr. Doreen Downing:

Yeah. All right. Well, then, I think so much today, I could have said, “Hey, these are final words.” But we are close to the end here. Let’s do– give you a few—let’s give you the opportunity to have another final words.

 

(23:22) Rob Howze:

Okay. So, I would say this, you know, the world needs to hear you. Because there’s never been a you. And there will never be another you, ever. We are the most unique, you are the most unique, I am the most unique because there’s never going to be anyone like us. So, the person that is out there, whoever’s watching this, understand that you have something that no one else has. You can speak something that no one else can, because no one can be you. So just imagine how powerful it is when people go all in on them, and then speak it. Because I may have something great to say Dr. Doreen may have something great to say, but you have something great to say as well that we do not say. But if we are all saying and speaking our truths, what do you think this world’s gonna be? If everyone would speak their truth, I guarantee you we wouldn’t have 80% of people going into jobs that they hate in the United States of America. I’m not sure what how it is around the world. But people would not be going to the grave but the dream still inside of them. Speak your truth, let it out, and see what happens.

 

(24:35) Doreen Downing:

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. How do people find you, Rob?

 

(24:41) Rob Howze:

Well, you know, LinkedIn is my favorite spot. My favorite spot, if you’re not on there then you definitely should go, there are some wonderful people like Dr. Doreen I met here. I met 99.99% of the people that matter to me in my life right now on that platform. So, you can find me there. I do have a website Um, HOWZEMUSIC.COM, my last name music. I thought that was pretty cool. I never liked my last name for years. I’d like what is that? But then I was like, You know what? I’m gonna have fun with this thing. So I said, “Howze it going?” You know? Yeah, you know, that works. Then I get Howze Music. Okay, that works too. Here’s the other thing, Google. I am the number one Rob Howze on Google. Now there’s only like four of us but you know, so what!

 

(25:25) Dr. Doreen Downing:

Well, how do you spell your last name because people might not know that if they’re just listening.

 

(25:30) Rob Howze:

H-O-W-Z-E. Yeah, Howze, type that in and I will pop up. A whole bunch of me’s will pop up. So yeah, I would love for you to connect with me.

 

(25:43) Dr. Doreen Downing:

Good. And I will continue connecting with you because you inspire me every day. Thank you, Rob, for being here and sharing your wisdom.

 

(25:52) Rob Howze:

Thank you, Dr. Doreen, for doing what you do and having this wonderful platform.

(25:57) Dr. Doreen Downing:

Yes.