Give People Their Flowers Before They Die (Feat. Derek "DY" Young)

The Nick Hiter Show — Give People Their Flowers Before They Die (Feat. Derek Young)

In this one, I sit down with Derek Young — DY — for one of the most honest, layered conversations we've had on the show. Derek's a leadership and executive coach who's guided well over a thousand leaders, and he brings a rare mix of wisdom, faith, and hard-earned perspective. We get into his concept of "honest positivity" — how the way you speak to yourself literally reshapes your outcomes — and why insecurity quietly kills creativity, productivity, and growth. Derek opens up about raising his daughter Kristianna, who has Down syndrome, and how she reshaped his worldview, his leadership, and his sense of purpose. We talk about treating everyone like they have special needs, leadership as service instead of status, the "Joseph season" where hardship forges you for what's next, and the mantra that's stuck with me — give people their flowers before they die.

Key Takeaways:
- Honest positivity: what you think, frame, say, and hear, you plant — so speak to yourself in the affirmative.
- Insecurity kills creativity, productivity, and growth — in you and in the people you lead.
- Don't let labels — yours or anyone else's — limit who you can become.
- Treat everyone like they have special needs, because everyone is carrying something.
- Leadership isn't about your title or status; it's about what the people become.
- Hardship is a "Joseph season" — it forges you for responsibility you aren't ready for yet.
- Give people their flowers before they die: make appreciation specific, intentional, and on time.
- If it doesn't come to you naturally, schedule it until it becomes muscle memory.

Chapters:
00:00 Opening Reflections and Personal Presence
02:50 "Do It Now" and Acting With Urgency
06:11 Insecurity and How It Blocks Growth
08:02 Honest Positivity Explained
15:35 Kristianna's Diagnosis and Its Impact
18:57 The Perspective Shift on Down Syndrome
31:25 The Joseph Story: Hardship as Preparation
37:44 "What Doesn't Kill You Might Just Kill You"
42:03 "I May Not Be Cute, But I'm Compassionate and Confidential"
44:29 "Give People Their Flowers Before They Die"

About Derek Young:
Derek Young — known as DY — is a motivational speaker and culture and career strategist who helps individuals, keynote audiences, and C-suite leaders rapidly transform their culture with real, practical solutions. His insight is born from decades in serious work situations: he conducted systems, financial, and operational audits for the Federal Reserve System in the mid-'80s, helped establish communication protocols for the collections division at Sprint's global headquarters, and strengthened the first diversity pipelines for Fortune 1000 companies in Middle Tennessee through INROADS. He went on to serve as Dollar General's first head of corporate social responsibility and first head of continuous process improvement, and as Cracker Barrel's first leader of diversity, inclusion, and community outreach. Raised by his mother and grandmother in the Blumeyer housing project in St. Louis, DY entered high school at 12, college at 16, and corporate America at 20. Above everything, he leads with his faith and his family — he and his wife Allyson are the proud parents of Kayla, Kelton, Kendall, and Kristianna — guided by his life motto: "God First, Others Second, Dreams Third."

Follow and contact:
Derek Young (DY): @dyspeaks | derekyoungspeaks.com

Instagram: @nickhiter
Nickhiter.com

Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/NickHiter
Follow and Rate us on Spotify: https://spotify.com/NickHiter
Follow and Rate us on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/NickHiter
Follow and Rate us on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/NickHiter