The Power of Choosing Your Crown: Morris the Connector

How a man who lost everything found his purpose and why he wants you to find yours

He walked onto the stage and asked for music.

“I could have done with some music. Serious, you know I love to dance, right?”

It was the kind of opening that makes you think you know where a story is going. A motivational speaker, here to lift the room, tell a few jokes, send everyone home feeling inspired. But Morris the Connector doesn’t do that kind of talk.

By the time he finished, there wasn’t a person in the room who hadn’t been asked a question they couldn’t answer quickly: Do you know who you are? Do you know who you want to become?

And the question beneath the question: Are you ready to wear your crown?

The Teacher Who Didn't Ask

Morris grew up with his mum and five siblings. His dad left when he was seven.

At school, he was an unruly kid. There’s many unruly kids now, he said. But the difference between then and now is that nobody asked him why.

“My teacher once said to me: ‘Morris, you’ll never be nothing in life.’

I wish that teacher would have been a real teacher. And said to me: ‘Morris, why are you so bad? Why don’t you concentrate? Why are you so disruptive?’ And I would have told him: I was having trouble at home.” Nobody asked. So Morris kept not being asked. And the story continued.

At 14, he lost his brother. Nineteen years old. Stabbed to death. He left school at 15. Got involved in drugs. Sold drugs. Had a gang here, in Northampton. He did that for 12 years.

The Losses That Break You And Find You

By the age of 20, his sister’s children, 18 months and 6 months old were murdered by their father. Morris was in a prison cell when he heard. He came out of jail. He continued doing what he was doing.

“Habits are formed when we’re young. I thought I had to be that person.”

But God wasn’t finished with him yet. He lost his son, Eighteen months old.

“When he died, I must have hugged him 10 or 15 times. Because I was out there drinking and smoking, thinking that was life. But when he went, I wanted to go too.”

From Fixed to Growth

His mum used to say, “Mo, come to church.” He said, “Mum, I ain’t got enough time to come to church.” But something shifted. Not a lightning bolt. Not a single moment of clarity. Just a slow, painful recognition that the way he was living wasn’t working. He started to go to church. From the darkness to the light. And he took baby steps. He started to work. Any job would do. Double glazing. Selling Kirbys. Opening a market stall in London. Opening a shop.

“I started to be consistent in what I was doing and who I was being. And I started to enjoy working.”

The Chauffeur Company That Drives Beyoncé

After seven years of consistency, he set up a chauffeur company. Today, that company has driven Justin Bieber, Beyoncé, Whitney Houston’. Two weeks before he stood on that stage in Northampton, he’d driven Lil Yachty and Tyler, the Creator.

“If he had told me I could be that person, I would have said: get the hell out of my face. How could I become a businessman? My mindset was fixed. But my mindset became a growth mindset.”

Try Me

But God wasn’t finished with him yet, In 2007, he lost his sister. She was 48, In 2010, he lost his mum. His queen, In 2011, he lost his dad. His king, In 2015, his wife took her own life, In 2018, he lost another son.

“I used to think and say: why me? Why me, God? In my darkest hours? But now I say: try me. I say: try me. Because I know it had to be me to find the real me inside of me.”

He paused. The room was silent.

“God was chipping away at me. He was scolding me. But he was also molding me. our life is like plastic, everyone. We get moulded all different ways. But when God molds you, he says: walk this way. I’m now walking side by side with God.”

Wear Your Crown

“Every one of you in this room are special. You have something special. What was here today? Everybody’s doing something different to make a difference.

We have a different handprint, fingerprint, footprint for a reason, for a reason. We can’t all be the same and do the same. But one thing we can do is spread our love to the youths.” He paused.

“I visualize myself as somebody of purpose. Now I’m wearing my crown. My company is called Wear Your Crown for a reason. We all have a crown to wear. You were born noble. You were born special. You are a child of the abundant universe and success is every one of your birthright.”