
Today we’d like to introduce you to Desmond Antonio Blackburn.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Desmond Antonio. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was raised in Brooklyn, New York by two immigrant parents from Panama we moved to Oxnard, CA in 1982. I attended California State Northridge and graduated with a degree in broadcast journalism. My dream was to become a nationally syndicated radio personality which is ironic because I had a severe stammering problem as a child.
After graduation, I spent the next six-years jumping from radio station to radio station. I would eventually leave radio and go into politics spending two-years with the city of Compton and two-years with the California State Assembly as a policy aide to a local assemblyman. After that, I got involved in telecom and gps technology and for the next 15-years, I would travel around the US and to countries like India and the Philippines training and doing sales coaching. In a weird way my topsy-turvy career path prepared me for my latest career as a “Professional Clarity, Strategy and Accountability coach. It took me 50-years but I finally know what I want to do when I grow up. This profession is by far the most rewarding career that I have ever had. My day starts at 4:30 a.m. and doesn’t end until 11 p.m. and I love it. I specialize in coaching female professionals over 40 who are asking the question, “I know what I can do, I know what I should do, I just don’t know why I’m not doing it.?”This group recognizes that they’ve spent a lifetime putting others first and now are ready to make themselves a priority again.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
You tell me, a speech impediment, two failed attempts as an entrepreneur in the past. three layoffs, two firings and a partridge in a pair tree. Don’t get me wrong, while none of these experiences were enjoyable the lessons learned and the resilience that I found was utterly priceless. Going back, I wouldn’t change a thing.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
IgniteU Peak Performance Coaching specializes in working with female professionals over 40 who are asking the question, “I know what I can do, I know what I should do, I just don’t know why I’m not doing it? It’s a scary thing waking up and realizing that you’ve worked 20-30 years working to support others and realize that you have no vision of your own. This group of women understands that they are in the 3rd quarter of their lives and are determined to make their mark. Coaching allows to get clear on what they want, strategy maps out the path and accountability insures that this time they don’t abandon their vision.
What were you like growing up?
Interesting enough, I was quite the loner. I was the only male in a family full of women. My dad worked all of the time and my best friend was 80’s television sitcoms. Since I stammered so badly people assumed that I was the quiet shy type. I wasn’t. I poured my interest into TV and radio and impersonated my favorite radio personalities working hard to one day sound like them.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.layoffproof.com
- Phone: 562-686-1540
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: desmondablackburn
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/desmond.blackburn.14

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