Spotlight on Success: Darnell Obamwonyi
Meet Darnell Obamwonyi
Darnell Obamwonyi is a motivated marketer, public speaker and ambassador whose impact is far reaching and his future is shining brightly. I had a chance to discuss the past, present and future with Darnell Obamwonyi, astonished at his drive. As a young man he has already left such an impactful legacy in each institution he has been a part of. Coming from humble beginnings and seeing others turn down the wrong path, during high school Darnell found he needed to make his mark on the world and inspire others . “My close friend and I got together and started inspiring other students to dress professionally. We started a campaign called “Fly day Friday”. By starting Fly Day Fridays at East English Village, Darnell witnessed the positive impact he could influence on those around him. Through encouraging his peers to dress for success weekly, his school saw academic and attendance increases. Through the single decision to think and encourage positivity, Darnell was able to partner with organizations such as The Future Project in NYC and Toastmasters Detroit, that would create lifelong opportunities. (continued below)
"Introduce yourself, leave out your current projects. Have a meaningful conversation and make a genuine connection"
The seed of change Darnell planted in his teen-aged years blossomed into opportunities to work as a youth leader on a project to redesign the educational system, to work for many senators and congresspeople on campaigns, and earned a leadership scholarship to Madonna University. Although he started in Psychology, Darnell knew he wanted to go into marketing when he was able to get his student body engaged, excited and participating around their school. Using what he was learning in school at the time, Darnell was able to create, run and market a basketball tournament league, sell cars, technology, and even a house to support himself through school. Today Darnell has worked on many political campaigns and has used his marketing skills to support many businesses. Through his connections he has been invited to the Forbes under 30 summit, a gathering of some of the best under thirty year old business minds, and has been invited to speak all over the United States.
Even while looking for a new challenge, he still inspires
As Darnell looks for the perfect executive assistant role that would benefit from his knowledge of people, business experience, unique skills and incredible list of contacts, he gave me a few pointers, tips and a mantra to live by.
• When networking: Introduce yourself, leave out your current projects. Have a meaningful conversation and make a genuine connection.
• On career moves: Always know the reason why you are doing what you are doing. Visualize what comes next.
• Words to live by: Plant the seed and soon it will blossom.