Keith Lilek is a Lifetime Mentee.

Yes, he listens. Well, mostly, not at first...but he eventually comes around after a few bumps and bruises.

Right out of college, Keith had the benefit of being involved in one of the best direct sales organizations in the US and received mentoring from top, multimillion-dollar producers interested in building wealth. He had quick success and was promoted early at a youthful twenty-six when the average age was forty. He survived, mostly because those top mentors took him under their wings. By all standards it was a series of successful mentoring relationships that led to Keith eventually starting and maintaining his own successful businesses and employing hundreds of people.

Before Keith found his author’s pen, he was prominently known as having the title of the current reigning “National Three Stooges Trivia Contest WINNER”—a talent that found its way into his public speaking events over the years, much to the entertainment of his audiences. But these were not Keith’s only goals in life once his family started to grow. He needed more. So, he got involved in his church and various men’s groups . . . and more church organizations . . . and self-improvement classes . . . and seminars . . . and retreats . . . and you name it. Keith’s soul was on fire. He got so involved with all that he learned that he was named his church’s “Star of the Year”!

Keith’s early writings came from observing the confusion parents had around coaching kids in the Catholic (Christian) setting. Keith wrote and developed the CHRIST ATHLETICS program, which was introduced to the many teams Keith coached as a young parent. CHRIST was the acronym for Catholic prayers and lessons, Honoring the opponents; Respecting the officials; Integrity of the game; Self; and Team. This complete outline became an instructional guideline for the Archdiocesan CYO Leadership to instruct parents on how to faithfully coach their children. The mantra “Coaching is a ministry” was used to inspire the belief in parents that coaching should be looked at as time with your children ahead of the sport itself.

When Keith decided to go into business for himself after a successful sales career, he obtained a local and national reputation for success and was awarded “Top 25 Under 25” in Kansas City; was nominated three years in a row for the prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year; won the Champions of Business award multiple years; and was among the INC 5000 three years in a row. This national reputation garnered many investors, resulting in the successful sale of three of his companies. Keith’s mentoring philosophy created an environment where all employees would circle up and start every day in prayer, even video conferencing in those who were out of town.

Keith claimed that any business run by him was doomed to fail, so he invoked Christ into his daily work life to garner success. Keith was a founding member and eventual president of the Johnson County Serra Club, the largest chapter club in the world by membership for promoting vocations to the priesthood and religious life. In addition to his vocation work, he has spent many hours volunteering at the local food kitchen, feeding the homeless via the “Food for Hope” program, or spending time with his employees’ time at the local Ronald McDonald House. Through applied humor and his overall forty years of involvement in many organizations, Keith has been blessed as a willing mentee to those men and women who molded and shaped him to the benefit of his family and friends.