Best selling author and inspirational speaker Dwight Taylor Sr.'s roots are planted firmly in the Bay Area.
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KCBS Radio's Amani Grant-Pate spoke to Taylor to understand how he achieved success as a writer and renowned inspirational speaker. Among Taylor's many career highlights, he's been a Ted Talk speaker, recipient of the Walmart "Community Playmaker" award, and named Sacramento King Jr. NBA Coach of the Year.
"It took a lot of family support for me to get where I am today," Taylor told KCBS Radio's "Bay Current" on Monday. "I told myself I am going to do everything I can to put myself in the best position to succeed, and that’s how it’s been for the last 17 years of what I've been doing."
Taylor emphasized that it was crucial for him to be versatile in the work he was pursuing.
"I need to be doing everything I can do to be the best version of myself to be fulfilled," he added. "Being versatile is a part of who I was meant to be."
Taylor’s mantra is "dominate your day," which he noted is his personal motivation to exert all of his energy into his work. Taylor, who has been mentoring young people in his community, noted that he was inspired by his family to help people.
"It's not saying that you have to be perfect, but it’s saying to put all of your effort into what you’re doing," Taylor added. "My grandfather worked at San Francisco County Juvenile Hall for 25 years mentoring the young people inside the juvenile hall. He became a coach of mine in sports, and how he connected with young people, inspired me to do that."
Taylor emphasized that representation and amplifying Black voices is crucial in showing people from the community that they can achieve success.
"Representation matters, we need more people being represented who look like us," Taylor said.
"I want to be a voice so other people can see that we can do it. We need more people who have experienced something similar to what I have experienced."
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