Tallahassee Mayor John Marks spoke at the Fall 2008 Industry Cluster. This is a meeting to help Florida A&M University develop strategies in strengthening relationships with FAMU’s corporate partners.
One of the main focuses of this meeting was his formula for success, P3+V3=Success.
The three P’s, according to Marks, are preparation, persona and people. Preparation begins with birth and continues to be a quality throughout life. Persona, or personality, helps people present themselves in a positive light.
“You got to have a passion and self-esteem to be successful,” Marks said.
He said the third p is people because no one can succeed alone and a person should surround themselves with the best people they can find.
Quoting Woodrow Wilson, Marks said, “Use your brains and all that you can borrow.”
The three v’s are values, value, and vision. He said a person has to have the right values. According to Marks, people who make the fewest mistakes are the ones who succeed. He also said people must bring value to whatever they do and make themselves indispensable and unique.
“FAMU wouldn’t exist if it didn’t bring value,” Marks said.
Vision, as Marks said, is different from dreams. Dreams are something people wish could happen, whereas visions can become a reality. He said most of our religious leaders are visionaries.
“If you follow this formula, you are guaranteed success,” said Marks. “I think success is a beacon of hope for everybody.”
Marks advised students to think about their future now because they will have to tweak it along the way. Marks said where there are challenges there are also opportunities.
After Marks spoke about his formula for success, he then talked about the election and how it will affect this country.
“No matter what happens on November 4th, history has been made,” said Marks. “We will either have a black president or a woman vice president.”
Marks said citizens must consider their roles in this election. A citizen’s duty is to help the new president succeed.
“We have to be prepared for what’s going to happen,” said Marks.
Marks repeatedly stated there will be big changes in the nation’s future.
“We have some challenges ahead of us,” he said. “Wars, economy, energy, education and the infrastructure of this nation [to] name a few.”
Confident in his words, Marks came to a close in his speech and stated “There will be a major paradigm shift in this nation.”