We had the good fortune of connecting with Evan Wesley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Evan, what principle do you value most?
Service. The rent we pay here on Earth. Service comes without obligation because we’re not getting paid for it. Service is one of life’s greatest teachers. It’s one that feeds and fuels perspective. Service is ultimately where people of success often find themselves finishing the race if you will… starting foundations, giving back, doing good, giving their money away. If that’s so many successful peoples ultimate end goal, why isn’t it our goal now?

I think service and elevating other people groups, cultures, and communities has been and will continue to be one of the most important things we can do as a group of people.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Evan knew at the age of 12 he would spend his life working alongside, learning from, and leading young people.

His first REAL job (after babysitting) was working as a Kids Club attendant at the local YMCA. Since then, Evan has held every job you can imagine working with young people (Camp Counselor, Coach, Recreation Director, After School Coordinator, and more). He’s most recently served as the VP of Education at one NGO and now Co-Founder and Chief Program Officer of another youth based organization.

With 20 years of experience working with young people in every possible way, Evan is now a leading expert in Youth Leadership and Development space. The idea is simple, young people’s apathy is tied to identity. When students view themselves as more, they do more. As Evan has led, mentored, and inspired over 100,000+ students at every level (Elementary, Middle, High School, University, Graduate), he takes his 20 years of youth experience to inspire student and adult audiences with a message that’s different.
In 2018, after years of working with students, teachers, and schools, Evan got some of his closest colleagues together to dream up what the future of student leadership could be. After years of meetings, data analysis, consultation, dreaming, and vision casting, Evan co-founded Legacy Youth Leadership, a Non-Profit built to help young people become better versions of themselves, so they can make the world a better place.

Evan has built Legacy Youth Leadership into an international impact-driven youth leadership organization, having worked with 50,000+ students in over 20 countries to help young people develop service initiatives to solve some of the world’s biggest problems.

Through his work with Legacy, Evan is most proud of what he has helped students accomplish in their lives, including

Speak at Google HQ as a Keynote Speaker
Lead sessions at the United Nations
Be recognized as Forbes 30 under 30 leaders
Raise over $5 million dollars for charity
Meet with members of Parliament in eSwatini
Create a Scholarship fund for students in Afghanistan

Lessons:
Perspective changes everything. The lense by with which you look at the world is incredible powerful.
Young people are not the future, they are the present. It’s time we start empowering them in that way.
Our brand is simple: students are the most powerful generation the world has ever seen, they aren’t the next generation they’re the now generation and the world can’t afford for us to wait.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Here in Nashville TN, and I’d definitely take them a few places…

Eat: Country Boy in Leipers Fork, Five Daughters Bakery and Mojo Tacos at the Factory, Puckett’s Restaurant, The Hampton Social

Drinks: This Bar – Morgan Wallen’s Bar off Broadway. Red Phone Booth Speakeasy in Nashville, Game Terminal (Pinball Arcade) in Nashville

Fun: House of Cards Magic Club, Ryman Auditorium to see a classic country show, Radnor Lake to explore the best of nature in the area, Tee Line Curling Center to try their hand at something new, Broadway Line Dancing for one night, to experience what people think Nashville truly is, Opryland Resort to get a taste of tourism and luxury all in one place.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shoutout to my CoFounder, Seth Maxwell, who took a chance on me 10 years ago and we haven’t looked back. Shoutout to all of our students, the young people, who believe what we believe, and strive to live by it every single day. Most importantly shoutout to my wife, who makes all of this possible with her hard work at home with our amazing kids.

Website: evantwesley.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evan_t_wesley/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-wesley-81934887/

Image Credits
Not Applicable

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