Who's Your Kam?

What happens when a chance encounter at a restaurant transforms into a mentorship moment?

LISTEN ON SPOTIFY, YOUTUBE, or RUMBLE

I was a bit nervous about my recent trip to Tampa and St. Petersburg FL, given the recent storms that devastated parts of the state, as well as the Eastern seaboard.  Even though I delayed my trip by a couple of weeks, I was still wondering what I would see when I arrived there to do a two-day training for a major health insurance group.

Like you, I watched on television as Hurricane Milton struck Florida with a vengeance, spawning 19 tornados, along with massive wind and flooding. The end result was millions were left without power and hundreds of homes were ravaged by wind and water.  Roadways and bridges were damaged or destroyed, and multiple fatalities were recorded.  

I stared out the window of my plane as we approached the airport.  You could see some areas where the damage was quite evident, but much of the city looked as it always had. I picked up my rental car and drove from the airport to St. Petersburg.  One of the first things I saw as I crossed the bridge into St. Pete was the roofless Tropicana Field which served as a visual reminder of the power of this storm.

I checked into the hotel and did my last-minute preparations for training on Tuesday.  I drove downtown, and with time to kill before I started my afternoon training session, I went to the historic Pier Park to take in the Bay, get a quick walk in, and grab a bite of lunch.

As I walked the Pier, I kept passing Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grill.  Squirrels were scampering up and down the trees and brown pelicans plucked fish from the water.  The aroma of grilled burgers and chicken floated through the air, a not-so-subtle invitation to come and eat. I entered the restaurant and was seated at a window overlooking the Bay.

My waiter, a young man named Kam, approached and asked what I’d like to drink. I told him I wanted an Arnold Palmer.  He smiled and then asked if I preferred it with sweet tea or unsweet tea. I jokingly replied that I wasn’t sure you could make a “real” Arnold Palmer with anything other than sweet tea.

Kam returned a few minutes later with an Arnold Palmer in hand.  As he sat the drink on my table, he kept staring at the Black Belt Leadership shirt I was wearing.  After taking my food order, Kam asked if I was a martial arts instructor, or if the shirt meant something else. I shared a bit of my background with him and his smile grew even bigger.

After entering my order with the kitchen, Kam returned to my table with a copy of the book, “Extreme Ownership”, written by former Navy Seal Jocko Willink.  He asked me if I had read this book yet, and began to share what he was learning from the text. It was very evident this was a young man who was passionate about personal growth.

While my food was cooking, Kam kept returning to my table to continue the conversation.  I asked him about his plans for the future, and where he envisioned himself in a few years, and he shared his passion for helping people and his ongoing efforts to pursue a career in the financial services industry.

After my food was ready, Kam continued to check in, making sure my glass of Arnold Palmer never went empty, and asking more personal growth questions each time.   I also observed him as he served the other patrons in the restaurant.  He was engaging, personable, and diligent in making sure each table he served was receiving personal attention. 

It was apparent Kam valued his job, as well as the patrons who dined there, and he had a great rapport with his coworkers.  Not a single customer was ignored, slighted, or overlooked. Kam told me how he would share what he was learning with his coworkers and they moved back and forth serving in their respective areas. 

As I finished my meal, Kam followed up one last time to ask about my experience at Doc Ford’s, and (of course) ask another couple of leadership and personal growth questions. I answered his questions, shared my observations of his attitude and work ethic, and gave him my credit card to pay for my food.

I thought about my decision to come to Doc Ford’s for lunch, along with my chance encounter with a young man who was not only hungry to learn, grow, and improve but was applying what he was learning, I was grateful for the opportunity to meet Kam, hear his story, witness his passion for growth, and I wanted to do something to help him continue his journey.  As I signed my check, and included a nice tip, I asked Kam if it would be okay if I could do something special for him to help him in his quest for self-improvement.

Kam’s smile broadened even more.

I told Kam if he would visit my website and use the Contact link to reach out and send me his mailing address, I would send him a signed copy of one of my books. I told him while he was there, he could also subscribe to my Black Belt Leadership Podcast and check out several of my training videos.

You would have thought I offered him a million dollars.  Kam thanked me repeatedly, letting me know how much he appreciated the time we had spent talking about personal growth and leadership,  He thanked me for coming in, and he promised me he’d email me his address so I could send him a book.

I hadn’t even gotten back to my car before my phone notified me of an email from Kam with his mailing address.  As soon as I got home from Tampa a couple of days later, the first thing I did in my office was sign a copy of my book, “Black Belt Leadership 101” and put it in the mail to Kam. 

I thought about this chance encounter on the flight home, even sharing it with a couple of guys who sat in my row on the plane.  As I shared with them, I believe that we are put on earth on purpose, for a purpose, and my purpose that day was to be at Doc Ford’s for lunch to encourage a young man to keep pursuing Black Belt Excellence in personal growth.

So here’s my question to you…

Who’s your Kam?

If you and I have been put on earth on purpose, for a purpose, then we have to be intentional about looking for opportunities to live out that purpose.   A logoed polo shirt led to a conversation (while eating a grilled chicken sandwich) that helped reaffirm a young man’s belief in himself and encouraged him to keep developing his Black Belt Leader Within.

When you’re in a restaurant, being helped in a store, or standing in line next to someone you don’t know, this could be your Kam moment. It could be an opportunity for you to speak a word of encouragement, enlightenment, affirmation, or inspiration into the life of someone who needs that right now.

A simple conversation could be the catalyst that moves someone from where they are to take that first uncomfortable step toward where they truly want to be.  I believe that conversation at Doc Jone’s not only affirmed in Kam that he’s on the right track as he’s pursuing personal growth, but I believe it also inspired Kam to revisit getting his insurance license so he can help people enjoy a more comfortable, financially secure future.

It was a meaningful mentorship moment, and I was grateful I chose to frequent Doc Jone’s on a Tuesday morning not only for great food but great conversation with a young man whom I believe is going places and changing lives.

So here’s my question again…

Who’s your Kam?

Who is that individual serving you at a restaurant, taking your coffee order at Starbucks, or assisting you at a department store that could benefit from a conversation with you?  Are you open and looking for those chance encounters (and even those intentional ones) that could lead to an insightful, inspiring conversation that motivates and encourages others?

After my encounter with Kam, I traveled a few blocks to my destination and spent the next three hours teaching sales strategies and human behavioral insights to 26 hungry sales professionals. They too were hungry to learn, and after my formal training time concluded, I had several more “Kam Moments” with some of those who were in the room.

Here’s what I can tell you…

Kam Moments are everywhere.  They could happen much more frequently than they do. But, it requires that we, as Black Belt Leaders, be open and sensitive to those moments when they reveal themselves. It may require that you eat a little slower, stay at a restaurant, a coffee shop, a department store, or at an event a bit longer than you planned. 

If you’re willing to be inconvenienced,  these moments can happen anywhere.

And when they do happen, they are amazing.

The reason they don’t happen more often than they do is we don’t make ourselves open and available for those Kam Moments to happen.  We get so focused on doing what needs to be done that we lose sight of the opportunities around us to be an encourager, a mentor, or a coach, to someone who wants (or needs) our help.

I’ve heard Dr. John Maxwell encourage me many times to walk slowly through the crowd. When we do that, it gives people time to connect with us, engage with us, and allow those amazing, inspiring, motivating, uplifting Kam Moments to happen.  And when they do, not only does our Kam walk away encouraged, inspired, and changed, but we do too.

Kam Moments are everywhere. Be open and available to make the most of those moments.