Photo by Brad ZweerinkJulie Higgins, CEO of I Pour Life, sites down with Jeff Houghton for Advice and Whiskey.
Leadership
Advice and Whiskey with Julie Higgins
Julie Higgins is the CEO of I Pour Life, an organization she created that works with at-risk and homeless youth in the area and also works to improve lives in Ethiopia.
By Jeff Houghton
Nov 2019
I Pour Life has recently received national recognition, and CEO Julie Higgins has been invited to the White House, to Facebook headquarters and to the United States Department of Health and Human Services. She sits down over milkshakes with Jeff Houghton to discuss what it takes to talk to officials at the national level and how to do it once you get there.
“If you passionately believe in something, you just don’t give up. I can tell you many days I have to give myself a pep talk in the mirror, ‘You get out there; you do it; you can do it.’”
“To me it doesn’t matter if I’m speaking to someone at an agency or someone across the street from our office, someone in Jefferson City, or D.C. I’m speaking on behalf of a population of people who need to be heard.”
“I used to work for John Q. Hammons, and he told me, ‘You’re persistent, but you’re pleasant.’ I always try to be pleasantly persistent.’”
“What’s my opportunity for today? Am I going to step back because I’m intimidated? Or am I going to step forward because there’s an opportunity?”
“I always say, ‘Give me 10 minutes, and after 10 minutes if you’re not captivated by the information I give you, you can kick me out of your office.’ I usually stay for an hour and a half because they’re so captivated.”
“Don’t let the insecurity of others prevent you from what you know you can do.”
“How much do you believe in your product or your mission to knock on any door? If you don’t believe in it enough that you have no inhibitions, you’re not there.”
“I take time like an athlete to get in the zone if I have to make a big call.”
“Some people are so competitive they can’t be happy for others, but I think we should celebrate each other’s successes.”
