A Word With Louis: Building A Better You for Tomorrow

by Deion Clifton

“I am a powerful, passionate, vulnerable, disciplined leader.” When presented with the question, who is Louis? this was his response.

Louis believes in a plan of action, that you must provide a plan for yourself to reach the person you want to be. If you can create a sustainable daily plan for yourself, then you’ll come to find joy in your journey to becoming a better you.

A day in the life of Louis consists of a set of beliefs and behaviors that he calls “non-negotiables.” They include waking up at 3:00 am each day, reading, journaling, and working out in the morning. These behaviors help him to stay focused on his mindset. And focusing relentlessly on a positive attitude helps him give people the best version of himself.

A closer look at Louis’ non-negotiables:

• Waking up at 3:00 a.m. to allow time for his daily routine without having to rush.
• Reading at least 10 pages or more of a personal development/self-help book for at least a half hour per day to prepare his mind.
• Journaling his wins & losses from the day before. Daily reflections allow him to remain cognizant of his actions and choices. He’ll often look back on these entries over the weekend to identify and correct any bad habits. The goal is to stack W’s and win the day every day. He also writes about a specific leadership characteristic he wants to embody that day.

• Moving – Do something physical every day, whether that’s running, walking, lifting, or yoga.
  • Round 1 of exercise: Louis often arrives at HAC between 4:30 and 4:45 am for his daily workout, where he performs a six-day push/pull/legs routine for an average of one hour and 15 minutes, with hot yoga on Sundays.
  • Round 2 of exercise: Run HAC on Monday and Wednesday evenings.
• Make whatever environment he’s in better.

He credits the lifestyle he lives to his time in the Navy. “If I wouldn’t have served in the military, I wouldn’t be who I am today.”

The camaraderie and leadership skills acquired during his four years of service are Louis’ two most important takeaways. “It doesn’t matter where you live or what you do; you’re in a bit of a bubble. When you join the military, that bubble gets burst,” he recalls. The military brings people from all different walks of life together and teaches them to work as one cohesive unit. “All your differences don’t matter. You HAVE to come together to fulfill the mission and be very purposeful about your mission. And that was really amazing.”

It was serving under an array of good and bad leaders and witnessing their range of styles that drove Louis to return to school. “I sought out my master’s degree in organizational leadership because of some of the great leaders I served under in the military,” he says. “I was like, ‘I want to emulate those guys.'” After witnessing first-hand, the positive impacts of strong leadership, he realized that’s exactly what he wanted to become.

If I wouldn’t have served in the military, I wouldn’t be who I am today.

Louis works in business transformation, organizational development, and change. His main focus areas are leadership, team effectiveness, creating organizational culture, team building, and executive coaching. In this role, he leads teams of many sizes, ranging from small cohorts to groups hundreds of members strong. Louis applies what he learned in the military to the workplace. His first objective is to ensure he knows everyone on the team and that everyone knows one another as well. Building camaraderie and trust is one of his most important objectives. According to Louis, “A leader’s main goal is the culture and the environment of the team. Because the team’s going to get the work done. Your job as a leader is to create the culture and the environment and work on camaraderie.”

A leader’s main goal is the culture and the environment of the team. Because the team’s going to get the work done. Your job as a leader is to create the culture and the environment and work on camaraderie.

He also has his own program that involves helping people identify their personal vision and purpose. The program grants participants with one-on-one and group coaching to improve their fitness habits, mindset, and nutrition. Through a series of activities, participants develop a plan of action to begin living their desired lives.

As a leader, seeing others succeed drives Louis; it’s what pushes him to continue waking up early to complete those non-negotiables every day, even during weekends and vacations. “Seeing people who’ve come through a lot of adversity [motivates me]. Because we all go through adversity, and we don’t share adversity with people.” The progression and growth that people experience as a result of hardship is what Louis strives to see. “People come out of their shells, push themselves further than they ever thought they could. The growth of people. That excites me.” His goal is to see staff, mentees, or even clients succeed him.

HAC Run Club coaches Jen Besten, Andrea Bradley, and Renee Paoli are another source of inspiration and impact in Louis’ life. Though he played soccer growing up, Louis has never considered himself a runner. But by inserting himself into that uncomfortable environment, doing something he’d never thought he would find joy in, he would come to value the Run Club, adding it to his list of non-negotiables twice per week. “There’s such a value in your mind when you put yourself in uncomfortable situations and accomplish new goals,” he says. “I had to get over that limiting belief [saying], ‘I’m not a runner.’”

No matter how Louis felt physically or mentally, reminding himself of the benefits he could gain motivated him to keep attending group runs every Monday and Wednesday evening. “I told myself, ‘I need to improve my flexibility; I need to stretch more.’ If I join this run club, I must stretch to be a successful runner. And if I stretch, it’s going to make my lifting better; everything’s going to be better for me.” He follows up graciously, “Jen, Andrea, and Renee have been fantastic! I don’t even think they know how much they’ve helped me navigate this journey. Their positive energy and the entire Run Club. They’re all great people.”

Running has helped Louis work through injuries and stiffness, as well as strengthen his growth mindset. “I stressed about how well I would run, and now I’m running sub-eight-minute miles. So, challenge yourself through those limiting beliefs and self-doubt, and you’re going to get past it.”

Louis looks to great teams for inspiration, like the Navy SEALs. One of many Navy SEAL mantras that define Navy culture is, “get comfortable being uncomfortable.” This seems to be the approach to life that Louis has taken on as he continues to challenge himself physically and mentally to become the man he wants to be.

Lately, Louis has taken to social media to document his growth and development journey in hopes of inspiring someone. He posts consistently, sharing his walks to HAC’s front doors upon opening, his workout routine, healthy meals, and other motivational content. Needless to say, he’s caught the attention of members and staff around the club.

Louis dreams of using his leadership qualities and knowledge to further spread inspiration through his actions and words. “I think every one of us is special,” he says. “Everyone has greatness and a gift to give to the world. But the problem is, things have happened where we have covered that up, and we just go around about our day. So, if I can help one person uncover their greatness and share that with the world, then hey, that is a win, and I’m stoked!”

I think every one of us is special. Everyone has greatness and a gift to give to the world… If I can help one person uncover their greatness and share that with the world, then hey, that is a win, and I’m stoked!

He implores everyone to create a vision for themselves. A vision for who you want to be will help you find your purpose and shape your life. That same vision forms beliefs and behaviors that help to mold you into the person you admire.

However, Louis believes the work is never done. If not for yourself, you should strive to grow into the best version of yourself for those around you. “As you get older, your life changes. My wife needs a different version of me in 10 years than she does today, and so will my family, myself, and the people I work with,” he explains. “But that’s why the journey never stops. Because if it does stop, then you become complacent, your growth stops, the world keeps moving, and you stop growing.”

Louis believes a lot more people will find happiness when they stop looking at life as a long road of suffering to reach a destination. The journey will continue for as long as you exist, so learn to find the value in that. “The journey is the fun part,” he says. “The worth is in the work.”

Louis’s daily messages, enthusiasm, and dedication to fitness have impacted club members. We collected testimonials from a few members who have come in contact with him and his content: