Pa Joof

Pa Joof: Global Catalyst For Empowerment If life is a marathon, Pa’s has demonstrated that focus and pacing yourself is the key! Picture yourself growing up in a very, very small and remote place in the world. Somewhere in West Africa. Somewhere beautiful, but people rarely know. Somewhere like The Gambia. Imagine knowing deep in your heart that there is a better life out there for you, but having no physical evidence of this. Just a yearning in your heart and a belief that you are the one who is responsible for fulfilling this hope — for running this marathon. That’s how Pa’s journey began. With a little more than hope in his heart and an innate understanding that hope alone couldn’t be the fuel to power his success. It makes sense when you consider that Pa had already had the experience of how unfair life can be, even when all you have it a hope and a prayer. “At a young age, I found myself torn between two worlds." Between the limiting world that people called his reality as a child born to illegal immigrants who were living in constant paranoia that they would be deported and forced to leave the UK permanently, and the world that he knew was filled with unlimited possibilities. “The day finally came,” says Pa Joof. “I was filled with both relief and a deep sadness. What would life in The Gambia entail for someone who knew that there was so much more out there in the world?” Life was challenging. Pa constantly juggled retaining what was left of his childhood with his duties in an often cramped, uncomfortable and uninhabitable situation while living in a makeshift single bedroom house. Tired of living like someone who didn’t know any better, at the age oF 17, Pa came to a life-changing decision. “I decided, then and there, that I was going to leave forever. Not just to exercise my newfound freedom as a young adult, but to really make a better life for my family and for myself.” Like a contagion, Pa’s hope had now been transferred to his family, giving him the boost in confidence that he needed, in order for him to show up and run his life’s marathon well. He knew once-and-for-all that failure was not an option. This made him extremely focused and by developing a practice that allowed him to teach his mental muscles and physical muscles to work in harmony so that he wouldn’t tire easily in what seemed like a ceaseless journey. Finally, his breakthrough came when he graduated from University. Again, he found that the habits that he had developed and honed while working tirelessly in University were exactly what he needed to work his way up in the European Fortune 500 company that he had become part of. After a long journey, he had made it. Pa became ‘Head of Banking’. Habits alone did not get him there, and he knew that — remarkable though it was, Pa knew that the philosophies that had shaped his extremely modest upbringing the exact reason why a virtual “nobody” was now responsible for assets worth more than $1 billion. Pa had accomplished the impossible. Instead of settling for his lot in life and being happy with the cards that he was dealt with, Pa traded his in for another suite. He decided that he didn’t like how the game was being played, but that he wouldn’t bow out. He changed that game to suit his mindset, or rather, his mindset changed the game to match what he already knew — that life had unlimited possibilities. That if you run your race with all your mental and physical might, you could accomplish the impossible. His naturally entrepreneurial nature, grounded by the philosophies that raised him had led to him overseeing sales growth at world-renowned blue-chip companies, yet be that as it may, the story does not end here. From the very beginning of his journey, knowing just how much people can accomplish if they correctly applied their minds, he felt that he couldn’t live a fulfilled life if his story couldn’t at least inspire one more person to change the course of their own journey and re-direct their energy into making real changes happen in their lives. Pa understands one key about ‘motivation’. It’s not enough to tell yourself that you want to make a change, you have to physically bend the world to your will. He believes that motivation is something that everyone has inside of them, it’s not an outward phenomenon, but something that stirs up from within. Understanding this simple, yet life-altering concept is actually the first step towards proper personal development. That is exactly what he does! As a catalyst, Pa empowers everyone who he comes in contact with, and with his upbeat persona, infectious laugh and charisma, he nudges them in the right direction by first winning over their hearts and then their will! There aren’t that many professionals in this world with a story like Pa’s, but using his story, Pa is able to demonstrate to them that it’s truly possible to win your own race. It’s also why Pa is one of the most sought-after speaker and leadership trainer in the world. He’s been in their world, and he’s won the race.