Note: We use AI transcription so there may be some inaccuracies
Danielle Cobo: Welcome to the Unstoppable Grit podcast. Today, we have a very special guest. He is a former real estate agent, news anchor, voiceover artist, e learning developer, podcast host, but he's most known for RK3! Robert Kennedy III is so excited to have you on today.
Robert Kennedy III: Hey, Danielle. I am doggone excited to be here.
Danielle Cobo: Well, you and I met through the National Speakers Association, had the opportunity to hear you speak, and then I got to join Speakernomics podcast, and now you're here today. So I have been long awaited to have you on the podcast and excited for you to be here.
Robert Kennedy III: Yeah, it's gonna be a good time. Let's do
Danielle Cobo: it.
Okay, well, let's kind of dig in. You've got a unique story. first off, you've had a lot of different roles throughout your career, and they're very different and yet very similar. There seems to be a theme through them. Yeah. Tell us a little bit about your journey.
Robert Kennedy III: Wow. That's a big question. So my journey is like most people, not a straight line.
it's left, right, upside down, diagonal, all of the different things. I think one of the things about my journey that may be different than some people is that. As I look back now, I would say that I wasn't scared of taking some risks. Let me not say not scared. I took them anyway. And so there were some things that I did, even though they didn't fully make sense, but they were in my mind.
And so I said, Hey, let me try them. And so, yeah, I've gone through, I started out in the mental health space out of college, and then I was a news anchor for a radio station for a little bit, and then I went into teaching, and then I started a couple businesses while I was teaching, and after I did that, then I did real estate for five or six years.
And I was back in teaching online and did that for a couple of years and started a business after that. And so I started a development or e learning development company and then after that started to move into the training space. And so moving from training into officially being a professional speaker is the space where I sit today.
Danielle Cobo: Okay, now I'm curious, what was your favorite role that you've had, and why?
Robert Kennedy III: I would say being on radio was probably the, most fun thing, and I believe it's probably the same reason I enjoy being on stage. I get to use my voice. I love telling stories. I love connecting and sharing with people.
Preparing to get on stage is nerve wracking some days, but once I'm there, I enjoy it. I love radio now, which is why I love. podcast and doing live streams. I just enjoy, sharing in that way. So, yeah.
Danielle Cobo: Well, there you hear it from a seasoned professional speaker that even we get a little nervous before we get on stage.
Robert Kennedy III: Yeah. Well it's,even more than the nerves. and so I wouldn't say that I'm nervous, like, oh my gosh, this is going to suck. that's not kind of the nerves. it's the anxieties of, you know, did I prepare the right content for this particular audience? Am I going to make the impact that I want in the time that I have?
process of thinking in my brain and structuring it and putting it all down in the week of or the days upcoming, wanting to be prepared and not wing it. When I'm on stage, wanting to deliver the best that I can for that meeting planner or that event professional. Those are the things that go through my mind and lead or add to some of the feelings that I have that some might term nervousness.
would say there's, it's not so much nerves. It's more excitement about the culmination of the preparation.
Danielle Cobo: and that's exactly what. It takes to be a great speaker is it's less about us and it's more about are we making the impact that we want? On our audience. Are we there to just show up and speak or are we there to help transform lives? And that's at the end of the day, I feel like the biggest motivator when it comes to the people that want to speak professionally full time.
It's not about us. It's about transforming lives. when I'm always working with sales professionals, and I always kind of take that philosophy is. If you ever get nervous before a sales presentation, you ever get nervous before anything, it's reframing that mindset of instead of will I do it right?
Yes, there's value in preparation, but will I do it right? It's more, am I adding value? And what can I do to prepare to add value to the conversation at hand, whether it's a conversation with a, client, with a customer, or whether it's presenting in front of your colleagues, your peers, or from a big main stage.
Robert Kennedy III: Fantastic.
Danielle Cobo: Now you definitely had some risks in life and one of them, and I know that we've spoken, you've started businesses, but one of them you shared where you had moved your family a pretty long distance and then received some unexpected news. Can you walk us through that particular situation in your life?
Robert Kennedy III: Yeah, so we were in the state of Massachusetts and my wife and I had reached a place where we were getting ready to move to another state. We reached our usefulness, I would say, in the state where we were and wanted to explore some new things. And so she was working for a financial services company. She got a job here in Maryland with another company, a pretty large company.
I was working online at the time, so I was an online faculty for a university and we moved our family about eight and a half hour drive, about 400 plus miles from Massachusetts to the state of Maryland. So I had my online gig, I had my salary, and she had her job in Massachusetts, but then when she got this new job, she had a salary bump.
And so we said, oh my gosh, okay, we're coming, we're going to this new state, we've got X amount of dollars that we can count on. As we're traveling, as we're moving, we've got three kids at this point, below the age of five. My oldest, my daughter was about four and a half, my son was two, and then we had a five month old baby.
And so we move and we get to the state of Maryland and about 10 days after we get here, I get a call that my position is being eliminated, that I don't have a job anymore. Now, I've got, again, three kids below the age of five. My daughter, she's getting ready to start kindergarten shortly after that. And we're like, okay, holy smoke, do we do?
I start applying for jobs. I've been a teacher for a while, so I'm applying for teaching jobs. I'm applying for jobs in the, college or collegiate space. And I'm applying for a lot of different things. Nothing's happening. I'm not getting any calls back. I'm not getting any interviews. I'm not getting anything happening.
So, this happens for about five months. Five to six months. So, we move in about July up until November or December. I still didn't have anything. what happened was I started to do some stuff in the field of instructional design. I had a master's degree in instructional technology.
And so I came across someone who wanted me to, needed someone to redo their PowerPoint or their teaching materials and put them into an online accessible format, which I had some skill set in. So I did that. I got some money for it. Did it a few more times, got some more money for it, and then after a few times, I was like, Hey, wait a minute, I can make some money at this.
And so I officially launched a contracting company based on, or became a contractor based on that. And then ultimately formed a company, hired some other contractors to begin building courses for organizations.
Danielle Cobo: So it started off as a situation, you're excited, you're moving, you're going to an area where you've got dual incomes, and as you're driving, with three kids under the age of five, You find out you lose your job.
That has got to be devastating.
Robert Kennedy III: scary. Especially if, uh, you know, maybe I'm a traditionalist, but as the man in the household, I'm kind of like, yeah, there's some responsibility that I have, not just to contribute, but to lead my family and to do things, in a certain way.
Make sure that, be the protector, make sure that everybody's cool and okay. And so when I lose out on finances, I'm kind of like feeling. Oh, gosh. Okay. what's gonna happen here? This is not cool. This is not how I envisioned this transition taking place for my family.
Danielle Cobo: Well, I think you said it best.
Our life is not linear. When we envision our life one way and it doesn't go that specific direction, it can feel deflating, frustrating, but in the unexpected, there can be a lot of greatness that comes out of it. And it's just a matter of whether we're doing the pivot.
And that's exactly what it sounded like you did. You pivoted and you looked at Where can I be resourceful? What are the skill sets that I currently have that I could potentially find some work from? Yeah. While still applying a job, it ended up being a great business for you.
Robert Kennedy III: Yeah. You know what?
I think sometimes you frame it as a pivot and that seems purposeful. It seems like, okay, yep. I sat down on paper and I assessed the situation and I wrote all this stuff. I said, yes, I shall go this direction. it didn't feel like that in the moment. It was kind of like, ah, ah, it just felt like this.
was uncertain. okay. Yeah, let me do this thing Let me because i've got to contribute you're kind of at a space of almost desperation And you say I can't do nothing. I can't just sit here and be a vegetable I've got to contribute i've got to figure out What's next? I've got to figure out how to keep us afloat.
I've got to figure out how to keep us moving in the direction that we want. And so that was kind of what it was. And looking back, yeah, The pivot made sense. Yeah. it contributed to the direction that I ended up going, but man, in the middle of it while we were doing it, it didn't feel like it made sense at all.
Danielle Cobo: No. Do you kind of feel like you were just in survival mode is what it sounds like. Yeah.
Robert Kennedy III: Yeah. Yeah, I especially, I think part of it was being a teacher. Teaching jobs only come around during certain points of the year, not like other corporations where, you know, you can get hired in November, you could get hired in March or February or whenever, teaching, you're pretty much getting hired at the beginning of the semester or the beginning of the school year, and so.
it was kind of this additional layer of struggle for me. Like, Oh my gosh, the thing that I've been doing, the thing that I know how to do, the thing that I have a degree man, it's failing me right now. And so, being able to shift gears to another. perspective or another piece or another skill set that I had as well was interesting, scary, certainly not planned strategically, but, it ended up working out.
Danielle Cobo: It's interesting, my husband and I will reflect back on our life, and we look back at the different situations that we've had, and we felt like every single time we started to get ahead, we pay off we make these strides in Particular goals that we have and then all of a sudden BAM hits unexpected and we feel like we're getting to a setback, but maybe it's just a pause.
a pivot. a new direction. Like we said, it's not linear, but it's hard when you're going through it and you're in the midst of it. Cause you're feeling like, I feel like I finally had exactly what I wanted. Everything that I dreamed for, for you, it was in moving and. Both of you guys have these great jobs for us.
It's been, we're both dual income and being able to finally enjoy our life after making sacrifices for trying to pay everything off and student loans, but looking back, That's the area where you grow. Yeah. Not necessarily as easy.
Robert Kennedy III: Not easy. It's not supposed to be easy. it is, then you're not really experiencing growth.
It's like going to the gym and just lifting weights that you can handle. easily, if you do that, then you might maintain, but you're definitely not going to grow muscle, you're not going to get stronger. So in order to get stronger, you've got to lift stuff that actually tears the muscle fibers and creates the soreness and creates the pain so that it can make way for new, larger, longer fibers that are stronger.
Danielle Cobo: So for those that are listening, if you ever get a chance to jump on YouTube, you'll be able to see firsthand why RK3 is be able to speak. So candidly about this, because he is very strong, I can tell you work out. And so, yes, that's a great analogy when it comes to feeling it sometimes.
Now, What do you think were some of the steps that you took to find your way through that particular situation? Because we can go in two directions. We can go into this spiral down, everything's happening to me, or we can find a way to make something happen through it. Sometimes it takes longer than others, but were some of the steps that you took to get in the right mindset so that you could move forward after hearing that devastating news?
Robert Kennedy III: Wow. Well, I've always been a curious person. I've always been a questioner. Even when I was a kid, I used to read all the time. My mom told me that I would read so much that I read all of the storybooks in the house and started to grab her medical encyclopedias just to read. So, I've always read and always asked questions.
And so, as those situations were happening, I went back to what was natural. I started to ask questions. I started to connect with people. I didn't withdraw into myself, even though by my nature, I'm introvert, if we want to use labels, but I started to push against comfort zones and started to go out and go to events and start to ask people questions and start to connect and make calls to people who I didn't even think I had any business speaking to.
Just really began to try to get as much information and as many possibilities. I started to seek mentorship. there was a man who had a multi, multi million dollar business and he went to my church and I literally chased him for about two years to get a meeting. And wanted to get in the space of people who had a greater capacity or a greater vision than I did at the time.
Robert Kennedy III: And so as I did that, that helped me. And sometimes, one of the things I did and I couldn't even afford it at the time, but I also invested in coaching. hired a business coach. was helping me through that early growth stage in my business. And as a matter of fact, that business exploded.
It blew up. It didn't do well. up in a good way. It crashed and
Danielle Cobo: burned. Not a good way. I was thinking blow up in a good way. Nope.
Robert Kennedy III: Nope. It crashed and burned. But being with that business coach, one of the big things that he worked with me on wasn't so much business strategy. It was mindset.
And that transformed how I viewed things and the way that I operated. he introduced me to a lot of different books. Man, some of the great books that I read during my time with him, Stephen Pressfield, The Art of War. he introduced me to, The Soul of Money by Lynn Twist.
there were just so many things that introduced me to that really didn't focus on, okay, yeah. This is how you make a dollar. This is how you do this thing financially. It was really about, Hey, you've got to believe. That you can do it. You've got to believe that you are worth it. You've got to believe that the space that you're in right now is not your final space.
You've got to believe that everything that happens to you comes together to create the greatness or to create the success. if you decide that you are going to get depressed about it, or if you decide that you are going to get stuck in that space, then that's what you do. But if you decide.
That you're going to push through it if you decide that you want more. Then you do you step forward and you make steps and even if they're small steps. I think it's James clear that has the book atomic habits and talks about becoming 1 percent better. Oh, yeah every day right micro steps Right?
A lot of different books. We're talking about books. I go back to Darren Hardy's book, The Compound Effect, when it talks about would you take 3 million now, or would you take a penny compounded per day over 30 days? Right? And so, after 30 days, that penny compounded ends up being about 11 million dollars.
And so it's about taking what seems insignificant, what seems small, what seems 1%. And adding that over time consistently and getting better each day and then when you look back, you're like, holy smoke, my gosh, look how far I've come. Look, how all of those pain paths or those, obstacles, look how all of that's come together to create the space that I sit in right now.
Danielle Cobo: I'm so glad you mentioned mindset because I work with sales consultants in the medical tech industry. And. there are two kinds of situations they're in. One of them is they're in a situation where they just got let go, or they're looking for a job and they're feeling discouraged and frustrated.
and they're applying to jobs online and getting nowhere. And you've experienced that, no matter what industry It's not an easy process to even get the interview half the time. And then there's the other situation where I work with sales consultants and have a track record of success, but they haven't hit president's club. And even amongst both those two completely different situation, there's one common area And that is starting with the mindset. Because when we believe in ourselves. other people will believe in us.
And it's those small steps and believing in ourselves and having the right mindset and putting together goals and making strides, along the way And that's when we achieve success. I was just on a conversation with one of my clients the other day, she had shared with me that she had just earned president's club for the first time.
Nice. I've earned President's Club before. It's what the award that you get for top sales performance. You get to go on this lavish vacation. It's amazing. I do miss those vacations. They were quite nice. Everything's paid for. But to work with somebody and to see where they are right from the beginning where they're feeling like just stuck.
And then you start to work with them over a three month, six month period. And you to see the confidence that they build in themselves and how they believe that they can achieve what their goal is. And then they do. That is one of the most rewarding experiences
So what advice would you have for our listeners? You know, you talk about mindset, you talk about intentionality on investing in coaching, and you talk also about investing time into reading and personal development. Anything else you want to leave our listeners with?
Robert Kennedy III: I talk about reading.
I talk about coaching. I also lean back to Jim Rohn's statement about you are the average of the five people closest to you, your surroundings, your environment. Is critical to your makeup and who you become or how you show up each day. If you're in an environment where there is constant complaining, if you're in an environment where there's constant negativity, then you're just going to be a byproduct.
Of that environment. So you've got to figure out in your brain. Who do I want to be? How do I want to show up and then find the places where there are people that are showing up in that way that are that way. I used to wonder sometimes when celebrities. Got married. How come they got married to other celebrities, right?
How come they didn't just get married to regular people? And I finally realized years later that it's because that's who they're around. That's what they're around all the time. So if you're looking to create success, if you're looking to create a greater impact, if you're looking to be at the top of the game in any industry, in your speaking business, in your real estate business, in your sales, who are the people that have achieved or are driven to achieve that particular thing and where are they hanging out?
And how can you get in that space?
Danielle Cobo: Well said, and that is spot on. When I was in sales, I would always look at who were the top performers in the organization. And right after they walked off stage and earning their awards for top performance, congratulate them.
And Hey. Can I take you to coffee? Can I take you to dinner? Can I take you to lunch? would love to hear about your success. What are some of your challenges? What are some of the steps that you've taken overcoming? It's actually really what sparked this podcast because I love hearing people's stories we get to ask ourselves, who are we surrounding ourselves with?
What types of goals do we have, what types of success have they had? What can we learn from them? Yeah. Well, thank you so much for joining the podcast. I so appreciate your time and your wealth of experience and knowledge that you get to share with us.
Robert Kennedy III: You're welcome. It was a pleasure being here.
Thanks so much for having me.
Danielle Cobo: such wonderful advice from RK3 and you get to ask yourself, What type of mindset are you in? how are you approaching situations? Are you looking at it? What can I learn and grow? And then also who are the people that you're surrounding yourself with?
What type of success have they had? Are the people that you're surrounding yourself with the type of people that are growing with you or that have had success that you want to learn from? And then in what ways are you investing in yourself? Investing, whether it's reading books, whether it's investing in coaching for yourself, but in order to show up and be yourself to be unstoppable is to look at, do you have the right mindset?
Are you surrounding yourself with the right people? And are you investing in yourself? And I'll leave that with you. And until next week, be unstoppable.