If I can’t be me, then just let me be.
Being me is not about arrogance — it’s about awareness. It’s about learning through the stupid things I’ve done and the stupid people I’ve had to overcome.
The thing about being stupid is being stuck. Stupidity is knowing the right thing to do and not doing it. Ignorance is making mistakes out of not knowing. Being smart is knowing what to do but not being able to do it. Intelligence is both knowing and doing.
Humility, for me, is the bridge. Humility is not thinking less of myself, but thinking of others more than myself. Arrogance is overconfidence — a prideful illusion. Confidence, on the other hand, is rooted in facts, not feelings.
I’ve discovered that the only way to get unstuck is to humble myself.
Humility is my way through. From being stupid and stuck, I’ve learned to struggle — making mistakes out of ignorance while trying to be successful. And through that struggle, I’ve faced slumps. Slumps that are either setbacks or setups. From those slumps, I’ve reached success.
Success is the achievement of the goal. But I refuse to stop there — because real living begins when success becomes significance. Significance is using your success to serve others.
When I show up, I show up as me — shaped by what I’ve lived through, what I worry about, what I dream about, what I cry about, and what brings me joy. Too many times, I’ve been asked to suppress me to make others comfortable. But the truth is simple: you can either accept me as I am, or just leave me be. Call me when you need me.
- What I Worry About
I worry about eternity. About being in the presence of the Lord, knowing that I completed the work He put me here to do — not for my name’s sake, but for His. My worry isn’t about success on earth; it’s about obedience in eternity.
- What I Dream About
I dream about being one of the greatest coaches to ever live — not just in baseball, but in life. Because being alive and living are not the same thing. To be alive is to breathe; to live is to move with purpose and passion.
The Latin word for passion means to suffer. What we suffer through reveals what we were sent to do. My suffering has given me purpose, and that purpose keeps me alive.
- What I Cry About
I cry when I see oppressed people being oppressed. There’s nothing more diabolical and demonic than the act of oppressing the already oppressed. That pain hits home for me — because I’ve lived it, and I’ve dedicated my life to breaking it.
- What Brings Me Joy
What brings me joy is being coached and coaching.
Coaching is cultivating growth, creating opportunities, advancing progress, building confidence, and harmonizing a shared journey of learning. Coaching is my ministry. Coaching is my joy.
- Where I Come From
I was born and raised in Atlanta — the city that birthed the civil rights movement, yet two-thirds of its Black children live in concentrated poverty. I used to be one of them.
If you’re born into poverty in Atlanta, you have a 4% chance of making it out. Four percent. In the same city that calls itself “world-class.”
Atlanta ranks number one in America for income inequality by race.
In Buckhead (30305), affluence and opportunity.
In Bankhead (30318), poverty and pain.
Same city. Same zip code. Two different worlds.
But I’ve seen what’s possible when bridges are built. Through LEAD Center For Youth, we’ve created change in Bankhead, in Buckhead, and even in Bartow County. Urban, suburban, rural — all “B’s.” All bridges. All building something better together.
How I Show Up
When I show up, I bring all of that with me — my story, my scars, my standards, and my spirit. I show up with conviction, not apology.
So before you invite me to your table, know this: I’m not coming to conform. I’m coming to contribute.
If you can’t handle that, it’s okay. Just let me be.
But if you can — if you can see significance in struggle, success in service, and strength in sincerity — then we can build something that lasts beyond us.