Can I Be Frank?

Read time: 3 minutes

The other day, I was watching King Richard.

The film about Venus and Serena Williams.

AND....

The relentless, visionary, wildly committed brilliance of their father and coach, Richard Williams.

There’s this one scene that stuck with me.

A Tennis coach shows up, eager to convince Richard to hire him. He leans in and says:

And without missing a beat, Richard fires back:

Now, most people probably chuckled and moved on.

But if you know me well?

You know that one line stopped me.

Because so much of the work I do—so much of what I speak and live and coach—is about BEING.

• Who we are being in the world.

• The place we come from.

• The energy we bring.

And in that moment, I didn’t just hear a joke—I saw a principle.

One that so often hides in plain sight:

When we ask, “Can I be frank?” … we’re not just asking if we can be honest.

We’re stepping into it.

We’re trying on a new identity—one that’s more real, more raw, more us.

And the wild part?

Just by asking the question… we’ve already started being that version of ourselves.

That’s the power of BEING.

You don’t have to wait for permission. You can just step into it.

Confidence. Presence. Leadership. Love. Play. Power.

Fill in the blank.

And watch what shifts.

That little question carries big energy.

Which brings me to something I’ve been sitting with more deeply this week:

I’ve heard that quote before.

But when I re-heard it this week... I FELT it.

See, my coach works 1-on-1 with Steve Hardison—also known as “The Ultimate Coach.” The man doesn’t do Zoom calls. No courses. No public curriculum.

If you want to work with him, you fly out to Phoenix, Arizona and meet him in person. That’s it.

And here’s what my coach recently shared:

When he first hired Steve, a part of him believed there had to be a secret.

I mean, if people were flying from all over the world and investing six figures to spend time with this man… surely there was a formula. A code. A set of teachings.

But guess what???

THERE WAS NO SECRET!

The real shift didn’t come from any single insight.

It came from immersion.

From being with Steve’s BEING.

From witnessing a man who doesn’t just speak about Love, integrity, and commitment—but lives it like it’s the air he breathes.

It was never about HOW. It was always about WHO.

That’s when it hit me:

Transformation doesn’t come from information. It comes from embodiment.

From becoming the message. From living the lesson. From walking into the room and being the standard—not selling it.

And that’s what’s been stretching me lately.

Not the books I’m reading.

Not even the things I’m teaching.

But the spaces I’m choosing.

The people I’m surrounding myself with.

The integrity I hold myself to—even when no one’s watching.

BEING is not something you memorize. It’s something you practice. And most days? It starts awkward.

Like putting on someone else’s suit.

• The sleeves too long.

• The shoes too tight.

• The voice unfamiliar.

Yes, presence might feel unnatural.

Speaking the truth might feel like stepping on stage with your fly down.

AND that’s the point!!

Because over time, you will grow into it.

You adjust. You align. You fill it.

You find yourself standing a little taller.

And then, you stop waiting to feel confident and start choosing to be it.

So my friends, today, I’ll leave you with this question:

If it’s totally fine to say, “Can I be frank?”

Then what else (or who else!) are you willing to be?

Can you be bold?

Can you be kind?

Can you be powerful… even if it feels uncomfortable at first?

Because just like Richard Williams said…

You can be whoever the hell you want to BE.

Much Love,

Julian

PS. My coach recently shared his powerful reflections from working with Steve Hardison—about BEING, walking the talk, and what real integrity actually looks like when lived.

If you want the replay of that session (& I highly recommend it), reply to this email with “FRANK” and I’ll send it your way—as long as you promise to actually watch it!!!