Who I Serve
Mission-Driven Organizations Building Purpose-Driven People
- •HBCUs (Morehouse, Xavier, and beyond)
- •Community colleges
- •First-gen student programs
- •Student leadership development
- •Campus ministries & DEI offices
- •Career services & student success teams
What participants get:
- A framework for navigating identity when you're the first in your family to attend college
- Tools to separate self-worth from GPA, major, or career path
- Clarity on purpose vs. passion (especially when the degree doesn't lead to the dream job)
- •Youth development organizations (Big Brothers Big Sisters, YearUp)
- •Educational equity orgs (UNCF, scholarship programs)
- •Faith-based nonprofits
- •Community development programs
- •Workforce development initiatives
What participants get:
- A diagnostic framework that addresses root causes (low self-worth) instead of symptoms
- Tools for building identity separate from circumstances
- Shared language for talking about purpose, courage, and legacy
- •Reentry programs for formerly incarcerated individuals
- •Addiction recovery programs
- •Job training and workforce reintegration
- •Mentorship programs for at-risk youth
- •Community resilience initiatives
What participants get:
- A framework for rebuilding identity after incarceration, addiction, or trauma
- Tools to separate WHO you are from WHAT you've done
- Practical steps for building self-worth when society says you don't have value
- •Church leadership development
- •Young adult discipleship programs
- •Ministry teams navigating burnout
- •Faith-based mentorship programs
- •Mission-driven organizations
What participants get:
- A framework rooted in universal principles (that happen to align with faith values)
- Tools for living purpose daily, not just finding it
- Clarity on calling vs. career (and how to navigate the tension)
Why This Work Matters
I've Been Where They Are
I grew up in spaces where college wasn't expected. Where homelessness at seventeen with a job was just how life went sometimes. Where your mother having you at sixteen wasn't unusual.
I was the kid with the 3.87 GPA who got accepted to a private college—then watched it all fall apart. I dropped out. Not because I couldn't do the work, but because I was surviving.
And for years, I carried the shame of not finishing. The fear that I didn't belong in the rooms I was entering. The imposter syndrome that followed me into a Fortune 10 boardroom.
I created the 5 Pillars at 21—not from theory, but from necessity.
To honor a teacher who saw me when I felt invisible. To give back to students navigating the same identity struggles I faced.
And over the last decade, I've watched this framework transform lives:
- First-gen students who thought their worth was tied to their GPA
- Incarcerated individuals rebuilding identity after release
- Young professionals stuck between passion and paycheck
- Ministry leaders burning out because they confused their calling with their identity
This work is personal. And it's proven.
Topics
What I Speak On
The 5 Pillars of Purpose
For: Universities, student leadership programs, DEI offices
- The 5 Pillars diagnostic framework (Self-Worth, Influence, Courage, Identity, Legacy)
- How to build identity separate from grades, major, or career path
- Why purpose isn't about WHAT you do—it's about HOW you show up
"Your value isn't determined by your GPA, your major, or your first job. It's determined by who you are when the credential doesn't come."
First-Gen Identity
For: First-generation student programs, HBCUs, community colleges
- How to navigate spaces you weren't supposed to be in
- Why imposter syndrome happens (and how to overcome it)
- How to build confidence without the 'right' credentials or connections
"You're not an imposter. You're a pioneer. And the spaces that weren't built for you will be better because you're in them."
Purpose vs. Passion
For: Career services, young adult programs, workforce development
- The difference between purpose and passion
- How to find fulfillment even when the degree doesn't lead to the dream job
- Three paths to integration (infuse purpose into current role, pursue passion on the side, make a strategic leap)
"Purpose isn't something you find. It's something you build—one decision at a time."
Rebuilding After the Fall
For: Reentry programs, recovery programs, community resilience initiatives
- How to rebuild identity after incarceration, addiction, or trauma
- How to separate WHO you are from WHAT you've done
- The 5 Pillars applied to reentry and recovery
"Your past doesn't define you. Your purpose does. And you get to build that starting today."
Faith, Calling & Purpose
For: Campus ministries, faith-based nonprofits, church leadership programs
- How to discern calling vs. career (and navigate the tension)
- Why ministry leaders burn out (and how to prevent it)
- How to live purpose daily, not just preach it
"Your calling isn't just WHAT you do. It's WHO you are and HOW you show up—in ministry, at work, and in life."
Formats & Pricing
Flexible Options for Mission-Driven Budgets
Single Keynote
45-90 minutes | Virtual or In-Person
Perfect for:
- Student leadership conferences
- First-gen student orientations
- Campus-wide events
- Nonprofit annual gatherings
- Community program kickoffs
Investment:
$2,500 - $5,000
(education/nonprofit pricing)
Workshop Series
Half-day or Full-day | Single or Multi-Session
Perfect for:
- Student success programs
- Leadership development cohorts
- Reentry program curriculum
- Ministry team retreats
- Volunteer training
What's included:
- Deep-dive into the 5 Pillars
- Interactive exercises and small group discussions
- Digital workbooks for participants
- Follow-up resources
Investment:
$3,500 - $7,500
(based on scope and duration)
Semester/Program Partnership
8-16 weeks | Ongoing facilitation
Perfect for:
- First-gen student cohorts
- Reentry program curriculum integration
- Leadership development programs
- Campus ministry discipleship tracks
What's included:
- Custom curriculum tailored to your program
- Weekly or bi-weekly facilitation
- Assessment tools and progress tracking
- Train-the-trainer option for staff
Investment:
Custom pricing
(starting at $10,000)
Trusted By
Mission-Driven Organizations
Education
- • Morehouse College
- • Xavier University
- • University of Minnesota
- • UT Dallas
- • Santa Monica Community College
- • 10+ additional colleges and universities
Nonprofit & Community
- • UNCF (United Negro College Fund)
- • Big Brothers Big Sisters
- • YearUp
- • NPR
- • WCCO
Faith-Based & International
- • Campus ministries across 15+ universities
- • Church leadership programs
- • Faith-based community organizations
- • Workshop delivered in Spain
Impact Stories
What Students & Participants Say
"The Five Pillars of Purpose hit home in a way I didn't expect. I've been tying my worth to my GPA for years, and Jay's framework helped me see that my value exists independent of my grades. This changed how I show up—not just in school, but in life."
— First-Gen College Student
UT Dallas
"Jay delivered profound wisdom in his session. As someone navigating career alignment after graduation, the Purpose vs. Passion framework gave me clarity I've been searching for. I finally understand that I don't have to wait for the 'perfect' job to live with purpose."
— Carissa Okoro
Cloud Engineer (Former Student Attendee)
"Working with formerly incarcerated individuals, I've seen how identity rebuilding is the hardest part of reentry. Jay's 5 Pillars framework gave our participants language and tools to separate who they are from what they've done. This is exactly what reentry programs need."
— Reentry Program Director
Bulk Orders
Bring the Framework to Your Entire Cohort
Book: Planned Purpose: Discovering Who You Are When the Title Is Gone
Many universities, nonprofits, and community programs order bulk copies of the book for:
- First-year experience programs
- Leadership development cohorts
- Reentry program participants
- Campus ministry small groups
- Student success initiatives
Bulk Pricing
✨ Bonus: Bulk orders of 50+ copies include a virtual Q&A session with Jay for your cohort.
Free Resources
Take the First Step
The 5 Pillars Self-Assessment
A 5-minute diagnostic that helps students and participants identify their strongest pillar—and their biggest growth area.
Perfect for: First-gen students navigating identity, young adults stuck between passion and paycheck, reentry participants rebuilding after incarceration