"Speak in such a way that others love to listen to you. Listen in such a way that others love to speak to you."
Player 1 Academy Inc.'s founder W. J. Powell is a New York best-selling author, Public Speaker, Youth Advocate, Filmmaker, Playwright, and Novelist. He has also worked successfully as a freelance Graphic Arts Designer and Television Producer. A member of Toastmasters International, William competed in a six-month-long International public speaking competition and was ranked as one of the Top Twenty best public speakers in the World by Toastmasters International.
He is also a member of Thinking Forward, a diverse troupe of professional speakers from various disciplines that catapult compelling, cutting-edge ideas onto the national and international stage.
William attributes much of his success to the tough lessons learned during his difficult childhood. His coarse and sometimes violent upbringing has molded him into a pragmatic storyteller, a passionate speaker, a compassionate community advocate, and a prolific writer. Literally homeless at the age of 16, William grew up in an impoverished neighborhood in the city of Rochester, New York; never raised by his mother or absent father. A traumatic, near-death experience, taught him the true value of his own life. He recognized his calling as a storyteller and writing became his priority, passion, and focus. Some of his struggles “up from absolutely nothing to something” can be glimpsed in the suspenseful tales of violence, drugs, deception, hope, and change of his semi-autobiographical urban street fiction novel DEAD FAITH, which catapulted his writing journey, and the sequel Bible Study. W.J currently resides in Rochester, New York, and is the Vice President of Generation Ignite's Executive Leadership Academy. A firm based in Charlotte North Carolina that specializes in developing people with the essential skills and mindset that they need to become their personal best selves while equipping them to become effective servant-leaders within their areas of influence.
When he is not public speaking, consulting businesses, or volunteering, he focuses his time working with communities across the country aiding in the development of mentoring programs for middle and high school at-risk youth through his We Are 1 and Player 1 Academy initiatives. William J. Powell is a man committed to using his plethora of life experiences for the betterment of humankind.
