I was born in Chesapeake, Virginia but I grew up in Durham, North Carolina a.k.a “Bull City.” In middle school, my dream was to become an NBA Basketball Player. I was 6’1 with size 14 shoes in 8^th grade, however by the 9th grade I stopped growing and I quickly realized it was not meant to be. So, I decided to become a businessman instead. In 2006, my life changed forever. I brought a rolling suitcase to school filled with individual 20-ounce Gatorades and sold them for $1 each. I eventually switched to selling sodas and hired 8 salespeople due to the increasing demand. I made over $100 a day selling sodas. After my soda empire crumbled under the threat of suspension and a legal battle with Coke, I bought Ralph Lauren Polos. I ordered them wholesale in China for $7 a piece and sold them for $20. I entered college on a mission to be an entrepreneur.

In the fall of 2007, I started my Freshmen year at North Carolina A&T State University. During my sophomore year, I received my first internship with General Electric (GE). That summer, Julian Love and I decided to use our internship money to start a company called Join Me Entertainment. This single decision led to us grossing over $100,000 throughout the following four years of hosting school supplies and increasing voter engagement over 300% due to our “Join Me at the Polls” initiative. However, it also led me to drop out of school. In 2011, I lost over $20,000 in 1 night, effectively ending Join Me Entertainment. I was homeless in 2012 and went from being a Senior student with a 3.56 GPA in 2010 to a late (or “delayed”) college graduate in the spring of 2013.

After graduating in 2013, I began my career for my 3rd fortune 500 company as a financial analyst. I enjoyed my time working in Corporate America but I wanted some more aligned with my gift. So in 2014 after 1 year on the job, I quit. I wrote a book, launched the Minority Trailblazer Podcast and started my career as a motivational speaker. Since then I have written 2 books and the podcast has reached close to half a million downloads. I also travel across the country speaking to youth and adults alike motivating, encouraging and empowering. All the while consulting aspiring speakers, authors, and podcasters.

Who know’s what the future may bring. I do know I plan on building out my own platform to lead the next and current generation of leaders with Trailblazers University. I also plan on eventually pursuing my doctoral degree. However, as much as I like thinking about the future I enjoy living in the present even more. Thanks for taking the time to read a little about my journey, I pray it encourages you to shine your light brighter to the world.