Justin Guarini thanked me for reading his book. He called one of my questions beautiful. Later he gave me a scoop and told me it was the first time he had said it out loud. Just another great conversation.
His book is Center Stage Confidence: How to Own Your Story and Command Any Room. Who told him to stay small? Justin took us to a school day, a new sweatshirt and a classmate. “Do you still hear them?”
He pointed at a stage at six years old and said, I want to do that. When did he first say it out loud? What did it feel like the first time? He took me back to a hot Atlanta summer.
Then The Lion King. He made the final round and did not book it. How did overcoming that adversity change him? We also got into the word itself. How has his perception of the word confidence changed?
The Rockin’ 8 starts in a CNN newsroom. Favorite thing about the CNN newsroom when you were five? He has a story about a graphic that pops up next to people’s heads on the news. How many Lil’ Sweet Funkos do you own? He had a number. Then came a lifeguard stand, a steak, a lazy day, a road trip snack, the nickname only his mom uses and a talent only his friends know about.
He posted about people who choose spite. Which scar still hurts today? He called his answer a scoop. From his book. “Speak from the scar, not the wound.” Which story is he still telling from the wound? Powerful stuff from Justin.
His dad’s foreword in the book ends with words his own grandfather gave him. What’s the biggest thing his dad told him other than that, and what has he passed on to his kids? How have his two sons, 13 and 15, changed him forever? Did he tell his dad about the letter saying he wasn’t invited back to music school? What does his mom mean to him now?
Who do you want to be when the spotlight isn’t on you? Who is the Justin we don’t know? You’ll find out more when you read “Center Stage Confidence: How to Own Your Story and Command Any Room” by Justin Guarini and hear the full conversation on Beyond the Mic.
Listen to more Beyond the Mic conversations with musical artists here.
Check out Justin’s website here.
Discover more from Beyond the Mic with Sean Dillon | Celebrity Podcast
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
