Throughout my life, I’ve had many dreams—politician, marriage, fatherhood, even world peace. One has remained above them all: becoming a true professional.​

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I want to leave every person happier than I found them, every place cleaner than I found it, and every project more productive than when I stepped in.

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My “why” has always been children. Their need for love is not always loud, but it’s there for those who care enough to see it. In every country I visit, they’re the ones who touch my heart the most.

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My Mamaw has been my north star. Her fearless spirit was a guiding light for me. She did what she wanted, and she didn’t care if others thought she was unconventional. She once told me, “When you see a problem in the world, you can either do nothing, or you can do something.” And I already tried nothing.

 

The night before I graduated high school, I watched a Stanford EDX lecture on business and realized that the only difference between me and them was that they actually took the risk to be an entrepreneur.​

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My journey is an example that it doesn't matter where you start, only where you finish. I had an idea that people rolled their eyes at, but I built it anyway. I wanted a role no one thought I was ready for, but I took it on anyway. I felt like an imposter in rooms that I had earned my way into, but I spoke up anyway. I messed up, fell short, and second-guessed everything, but I kept going always.​​

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Over the years, I have learned that you don't need to have a perfect plan. You just have to decide that where you are right now doesn’t have to become your tomorrow.

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I write this today to let you know that I didn’t get here by following the crowd. I was the outlier. The one they called crazy, obsessed, and weird. I had to believe in myself even when no one else did. And that is why I succeeded.

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I hope this message shows you that chasing your dreams is worth it, no matter how big or impossible they may seem.​

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Love,