Chris Rainey - HR Leaders - a podcast by Anthony Trucks

In today's episode, our guest is Chris Rainey. He is the CEO and Co-Founder of HR Leaders, a cross-industry learning community powered by the world's most influential HR practitioners. He's also the host of the HR Leaders Podcast and HR Leaders Live. He will be sharing with us his experiences from bullying, being a dancer, entering into the Sales Industry. He talks about how he was earning double the amount of what a doctor is earning at just age of 18 and how learning more gets you to earn more.

[12:08] Why should we listen to you?

I would say because I'm a good listener. I have been a good leader, husband, and everything in life has been a good listener. A great conversation starts with more listening and talking hence, why I became a podcast host for that perspective.

[12:40]

I have a lot of good to give in terms of my heart. When you speak to people, there's always this hidden agenda. When I have a conversation, I always think about how I can add value. I've kind of learned over my career and even childhood of starting the conversation there. I think about how I can add value to this person's life. I feel like starting a conversation with that can lead to some incredible things.

[14:12] Giving value back to others

I get the most satisfaction out of actually improving other people's lives or giving value back to them.

[15:18] How did you get to that point of being the person you are?

I grew up in a single-parent household with four kids moving from hospitals and public housing around the UK, where there are five of us living in a room, basically, which is not easy. Surrounding the way we got there was a lot of drugs and violence in the household.

[16:08]

At the time, I thought that was a big weakness. But I discovered later on that that was my biggest strength coming from that place. I think that's where you have humility because of what it's like to have nothing.

[16:29]

That, for me, is one of the reasons why I take the time to know how I can help people that I know I can help from the position I'm in now. I'm lucky that I can do that. That's where I come from.

[17:00] People taking granted

If I give and the person just keeps taking, then it's really a kind of a one-way relationship where you're doing it for the wrong reasons. That relationship very quickly ends. But I'd always try and see the good in people and start off the conversation there.

[17:30] What are you doing in life?

I work with Chief HR officers from the world's leading global brands. These are companies with 100,000 plus employees. The policies, practices, culture, and the work they do is impacting millions of employees and their lives around the world. The practices that people take away from our podcasts and how they execute back in their business are impacting millions of people all over the world.

[19:32] What is the journey to your career?

I was just sick of being bullied. I remember having this conversation with myself that you either continue down this road, or you're going to do something about it.

[20:44]

All of the bullies were on the basketball team. I thought that if I can become an incredible basketball player, bearing in mind that I've never played a sport at this point, then they will leave me alone because I'll be on the team.

[22:23]

The moment where the bullies just left me alone because I became basically the best basketball player in school over the next year or so was the moment I realized that I'm in control of my life.

[22:41]

I realized that I could be really bad at something in a very short period of time with dedication and a process and being able to fail forward and understanding that that's okay. That's how this works. It changed my entire outlook on life.

[23:19]

In the entertainment industry, it doesn't always work like dancers. I can take the summer off and just chill, or I can learn something because at this point again, I was hungry. I've always wanted to try sales. I felt like there's always something about it and that because I was poor. The ability to pick up a phone with someone who has never spoken to you and generates revenue always fascinated me.

[28:47] From part-time to 14 years

I literally delve deep into anything I could get my hands on, like human psychology, learning people's micro-expressions on their faces to read out, and all sorts of crazy stuff, and it transformed my life.

[29:21]

I didn't think I'd be growing up working in human resources, running a business, traveling around the world, and working with these brands. I realized along the way that it wasn't about me. It's about doing some work that can impact millions of people.

[30:09] What are the key lessons you have from these moments that other people have either never learned or takes time to learn that you wish that people just knew?

[30:38]

 I'm not good at anything. No one is good at anything when they first try it for the first time. It's unlocking and giving yourself permission if it's not meaningfully given it to you right now. Take a chance. What's the worst thing that can happen?

[32:11]

You have to have a growth mindset. Without that, you're not going to get very far. That's something I took away from all of the sports that I played from having a growth mindset. I used the same application when it came to business.

[32:34]

The Internet exists, Google exists, and YouTube exists. There's no excuse. There's never been a better time ever to be alive if you want to grow and build something or learn something.

[33:35]

Seek discomfort. When I get comfortable, I think I'm not doing enough or I'm constantly seeking discomfort. Operate from discomfort, and you'll get used to it.

[34:29]

You gotta put yourself out. You've got to get out of your comfort zone. Nothing worth doing happens when you're in a comfortable position.

[35:30] What promise did God make to the world when He created you?

He made a promise that Chris will always be there to invest in those that want help.

[36:18] I was here to give back to people, which is why I started to show that you spend every day just trying to give back.

[36:46]

I realized that my vulnerability and my humility is my superpower because it allows people to unlock their best self by seeing that.

Key Quotes:

[13:34-13:37] "Most people in this world, they're always trying to get something from your brain."

[23:55-23:58] "I'm always going to have a job because something has to be sold."

[28:44-28:47] "The more you learn, the more you earn."

[31:12-31:17] "Fail forward. Try it. What's the worst that's going to happen? It's either that or liver of regret."

[31:53-31:57] "How not to do it is the best way to do it."

 Learn more about Chris Rainey on:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisraineyhr/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChrisRaineyHR

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChrisRaineyHR/

Company Website: https://hrleaders.co/

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