The Elevator Pitch
Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
If someone asked me who I am in an elevator, I think I’d freeze for a second. Not because I don’t have anything to say, but because that kind of question doesn’t really fit in a place like that. Everything about an elevator is short, transactional, and quiet. No one’s trying to unpack their identity between floors two and six.
Still, it’s a question that lives in my head sometimes. The classic “So, what do you do?” But what they’re really asking is, “How should I categorize you?” and lately, I don’t think I fit into any clean box. I’m finishing my degree, I’m working full-time, I’m building things most people don’t understand yet, and I’m showing up for myself in a way that doesn’t require a title or applause.
If I’m being honest, I used to have a whole answer ready. I’d run through what school I go to, what I’m majoring in, what I plan to do after graduation, and probably sprinkle in a few dreams to make it sound impressive. That was the college version of “elevator talk”, the highlight reel with no bloopers, no context, and no space to breathe.
These days, I don’t really care about sounding impressive. I care more about being consistent. I care more about how I carry myself when no one’s asking questions. If I’m in an elevator now and someone asks what I do, I might just say, “Working, going to school, trying to keep things in motion.” Which is true. It just doesn’t say everything.
Because the truth is, I’m a lot of things all at once. I’m the guy who wakes up early, mixes his supplements, and heads to work with a packed schedule already running through his head. I’m writing this blog, even when I don’t always feel like it, because something in me says to keep doing it. Not for an audience, but for myself. I’m working with kids, managing behaviors, being a presence, and most of them will never know the other stuff I’m building outside of that job. Simply Mr. McCoy in their eyes.
In all honesty, I’m someone who prays quietly in the morning, someone who thinks about legacy way more than I let on, and someone who’s learned that silence doesn’t mean you have nothing to say, it means you’re not rushing to be heard.
I’ve also realized that the people who really get it don’t need a speech. They pick up on the details. The way you walk into a room. How you handle small talk. Whether or not you’re always looking at your phone. The way you react when things go left. None of that can be summed up in a 20-second summary.
So no, I don’t have an elevator pitch. I’m not a startup or a project you need to invest in. I’m a man in motion, and most of what I value can’t be explained quickly anyway.
But if I had to say something, like really had to respond, I’d probably just look ahead and say:
“Still figuring it out. But I like where I’m headed.”
And then I’d step off on floor six. Without looking back.
