Meet Durale Harper | Motivational Speaker & Life Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Durale Harper and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Durale, let’s talk legacy – what do you want yours to be?
The legacy that I want to leave behind is that I gave 100% in everything that I did and in every aspect of my life. When people talk about me, I want it to be a reflection of how I lived my life. Life is bigger than me and always will be, but I believe that we are here not for ourselves, but to positively Impact the lives of others. I live my life on 8 principles that are very important to my success today. Be Great Daily, What’s The Outcome, Character Counts, Dare To Be Different, Don’t Be Afraid, Accountability Is Key, Assume The Goodness of Intentions, and Always Seek To Impact The Lives Of Others. If people can look at my life and say that I lived my life by those 8 principles and not only lived it, but shared it with others, than I will consider God’s Purpose for my life, fulfilled. We all were created for something Great, my ultimate goal in life, before I leave this Earth, is to help as many people as I can understand that they are not alone in their journey! Straight Up!!
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I never thought that I would be speaking or would ever be a life coach. All I knew was that I wanted to help people and give them hope. I got to this phase of my life, by taking risks and not being afraid to jump in scary situations. Speaking came about as a High School football coach came up to me and asked me to speak to his team. I paused for a second, because at that point I had never spoke in front of a group of people. After the pause, I told him I would be honored and the rest is history. Life coaching is a way to walk with people through their life journey, to help them recognize what their true passion is. The goal there is to show them that they are not alone and someone cares for you and wants to walk with you. There is always challenges in everything you do, a great quote that I love is, “Without struggle, there is no progress.” How can we learn, get better, and grow if we aren’t going through a few challenges? We can’t, but learning how to push through adversity, face my fears, keep going, not matter what, and being relentless in pursuit of being Great Daily is driving me to success. I live by the phrase Straight up, which is also in the title of my book, “Fell Down to Straight Up.” Who we are as a company and what we stand for is all about being Straight Up! Straight Up means a lot of things to a lot of people, that phrase has been around for generations, but to us it means so much more. Straight Up is not about you, it’s about Impacting the lives of others, it’s about being who you truly are and who you have been called to be. It’s being Authentic. It’s A Way Of Life! Straight Up!!
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my friend was coming into town, we would definitely go to Medieval Times. One of my favorite places to go in the world. I’m a big Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, and Texas Rangers fan, so we would definitely have to check out one of the games. I love to hike in Fort Worth at one of the trails there, nice fresh air, quiet, and a great place to clear your head. Also, the obstacle courses at Trinity Forest Adventure in Dallas, TX is amazing. Lastly, Mio Nonno’s in Allen, TX, is one of my favorite restaurants in the area.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I truly want to thank one of my best friends and mentors Juan Paul Latimore. He has always been there for me, pushed me, showed me other points of views and options, but truly just walked with me through my life’s journey. I would also like to thank my business partner and good friend Jeff Marcel. This journey of our business D&J Empowerment Group and our nonprofit Straight Up Nation has been a tough road, but Jeff has been along side me pushing to Impact people’s lives for the better. I can’t leave out my amazing wife Janet. She has been there for me through thick and thin. She has supported me and my audacious dreams! Thank you for your unwavering love and support. Finally, all of the sponsors, supporters, and volunteers who support and believes in us in everything we do. There is no us without you guys! Thank you! All of these people and a list of others have encouraged me, pushed me, challenged me, and walked with me to help be the best version of myself that I can be. For that I’m truly thankful!
Website: www.djempowerment.com
Instagram: @djempowerment
Twitter: @djempowerment
Facebook: @djempowerment
Other: www.straightupnation.org
Image Credits
Ouida Baley Middle School Eric Thomas Jeff Marcel Trinity Forest Adventure Park