Helped Rekindle Aspects of a ‘Make it Happen’ Success Plan during Pandemic
“I was astonished, thrilled and terrified all at once.” This was Kevin Guest’s initial response to an unusual and unexpected invitation from Collin Raye. Kevin is the CEO of USANA Health Science, author of the bestselling book All the Right Reasons: 12 Timeless principles for Living a Life in Harmony, and has played the piano since he was a child. “After inviting country music superstar Collin Raye to perform at our company’s annual convention, I was invited by Collin himself to perform with his band…” says Guest. “Collin said he saw my passion for music and wanted me to tour with his band part-time.”
That experience reminded USANA’s full-time chairman and CEO of three aspects that are especially important to all of us that are currently going through the global pandemic: passion, hard work, and actual performance.
He talks glowingly about his childhood dreams of becoming a rock star, playing in front of audiences, and being heard on the radio. “I had a passion for music from an early age. Creating, composing and performing music was my passion. I daydreamed for hours, imagining myself on stage in front of tens of thousands of screaming admirers who loved my music. That dream was a driving force in my life, so performing with Collin Raye was a dream come true.”
Guest tells a story of his parents love for music. When he was a child his father bought a piano before he bought a car. His father would ride a bicycle to work and carry his mother on the back of the bike on trips to the grocery store. The young Kevin Guest learned an important lesson from these experiences which told him, ‘when you really want something, make it happen.’ In his book, he dubs this, ‘The Piano Principle’.
“I really wanted to make this happen, so I worked my heart out to be flawless because it was Collin’s career and product I was presenting on stage,” says Guest. “I spent hours learning the music and honing my skills. Although I love to play music, that was hard work, and I honestly wondered if I had bitten off more than I could chew. So, instead of relaxing after working a full day at USANA, I learned how to play every one of Collin Raye’s songs.”
Far more important to achievement than natural talent, according to psychology professor Angela Duckworth, writes Guest, extraordinary success is a combination of passion, perseverance, and grit. These are a much better predictor of success than nearly any other measurement or quality in a person.
“The next step is to perform, to get on stage and take your best shot, whether that be to your boss, your team or to larger audiences,” says Guest. “That act alone makes the preparation real and helps a person improve. Working with Collin Raye has allowed me to play with and meet some of the finest musicians on the planet in some of the most famous settings in the music world.
“I’ve performed with Collin when we shared the stage with Brooks and Dunn, Keith Urban, Diamond Rio and many others, even playing at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry more than once, something that would’ve never happened had I not taken these steps.”
Guest’s words of advice to you and me, with the pandemic still influencing our lives at work and home for months to come, are to pursue your passion, work hard to improve your skills, and perform in front of others for accountability. “When you combine those three steps, you’ll find your work not only becomes more enjoyable, but you get better at doing the things you’re passionate about,” says Guest. “In these times, that may be the best way to find harmony and balance in a less-than normal daily schedule.”
All the Right Reasons: 12 Timeless Principles for Living a Life in Harmony is available on Amazon. All proceeds feed hungry children, with each book purchase providing 40 meals.
