My Story

         It was early 2019, and I was working for Amazon (printing shirts) while living in Grand Prairie, TX. I self-published the first of a few books. I have started to travel to different book festivals, getting my feet wet in the book world and learning everything I could possibly learn. I wanted to get better and have a better understanding of the business side of it. In April, I took a leave of absence. I didn’t have enough savings to take off for a month! I wanted to give myself an opportunity to promote my book. I activated my faith and went for it. I also put together a book signing. My brother flew in to support me. My blood brother also came through for me. It meant a lot to me. Having them there made it great! From my brother’s post, someone posted a link about a book festival on his page. It had Zane as the guest speaker. I was like, really!! Okay!!!!! I’ll tell you more about that in a few.

         Having a speech impediment is hard at times, especially around people I don’t know. Not to mention how I struggled with reading, writing, and spelling while growing up. I still do in some cases. Despite this, I went door to door selling my book. I would ride a bike through neighborhoods, knocking on doors, passing out flyers, and putting them inside people’s mailboxes. I found out I couldn’t continue doing that, so I stopped immediately. I came across amazing people from different backgrounds and walks of life. I fell in love with the process and didn’t want to stop. 

         Regardless of what I didn’t have, I was happy. I was doing something I loved, and it gave me joy! I knew I wanted to inspire others through my love for writing and creativity. I was listening to Eric Thomas heavily at the time. I remembered him talking about the grind. You must grind it out. He even made a motivated track about grinding each day of the week. I’m naturally motivated, but that track had me on another level. I made a video to the track and took it down after I found out more about YouTube copywriting laws. Maybe one day, I will find a way to share it. One day I was out in Desoto, TX, riding my bike through the neighborhood! Doing what I love to do. LOL. While out riding, I was thinking about a shirt I could sell. Something that described my journey, everything I was up against and striving for. It had to be rich and powerful! Plus, it had to have meaning and purpose behind it. So I came up with “All I Have Is My Faith, My Heart, & My Hustle.”

          It resonated with me! Everything I was about and stood was in that shirt! I fully developed the concept and got it created. That was the birth of Victory Reigns. No matter how bad things get, I will never lose my faith in God. I won’t give up on myself. I will remain standing whether I have to stand alone or with others. I will always trust my Hustle! I have a work ethic that is out of this world. Hurting or not, I’m going to make it happen. I will not make excuses for myself and will always push myself to be the best version of me.

          Moving forward. I went back to work and was selling the shirt, but I wanted to market the shirt to a boarder audience. I didn’t know anything about running ads. I had a nice website that I started with Weebly. I started with what I knew at the time. Meanwhile, I had to get ready for the book conference. The one with Zane as the keynote speaker! The book conference was sponsored by James Thibodeaux. He’s a realtor that owns and operates a construction company in Houston, TX. Once again, I only had the money to get there and back. I was going regardless. I had to get to the information. The book conference was more than what I thought it could be. I was engaged and asked questions. Toward the end of Zane’s presentation/speech, she’s offering a class. I was like, I don’t have the money in my head. James Thibodeaux offered to pay for the class for me. I’m going to give you two jewels. 1) Had I not had the courage to put a book signing together, I would never know about the book conference. 2) Had I not gone to Houston because of what I lacked, I wouldn’t have met Zane or James.

          I received so much knowledge from a four-day class. I believe it was two hours one day a week. Zane tested us every week. She also poured into us with so much passion. She is a very sweet, loving, passionate, and straight-to-the-point woman. Wonderful spirit! I wrote a book from her class within a few weeks, I believe. I will release it soon. When people pour or sow into me, I don’t take it for granted. I will always work harder because of that. I will honor what James did for me. As long I continue striving, those who have sown into me will see their seeds yield fruit. I went to a few more book festivals after that. I felt like I needed to move. I needed a change of scenery. I Graduated from DeVry University, and I have been in Texas for 17 years. I so much love Texas, but I was born in the boot (Louisiana) and raised in Oakland/Alameda, California! I’m just saying yawl! Something about that ocean breeze and that coast.

          I was aiming for ATL. This was right when COVID had announced “itself” on the scene. I think I had like ninety products on my website. I was so involved in building my business, but I lacked the foundation/structure. It’s hard to grow with a weak foundation. Plus, my direction wasn’t quite clear. I had patience, but my excitement had me all over the place. At the time, I didn’t understand marketing and business longevity like I do now. I was trying to put everything that came to mind on the website. I was so wrong! At this point, COVID had shut everything down! I couldn’t get any merch! I didn’t see many jobs posted online in Atlanta. I decided to leave Amazon for good and ended up moving to Colorado! My brother and cousins were there, plus jobs were everywhere. So it was an easy decision to make. I left on April 13, 2020, two days after my King Day. I knew I would be moving away from all my resources to get merch and products. Instead of taking a four-hour drive home to Louisiana, I would have figured out how to fly and drive. I wasn’t really thinking about all that. I figured I’ll be back in no time. I wanted a change and to get away and refresh myself. I didn’t have any clue I would be driving in the snow. CRAZY! Thank God I Made It.

          I got here and immediately started working two jobs. I wanted to save up money so I could get a place. My plan was to sit still for three months and focus on the vision. Everything was going very well. I believe by the end of July I will have my own place. A very, very nice place! A week later, I found myself in a relationship. Oh, Lord! What are you doing? I didn’t give myself time to plan anything. I rushed into taking that decision. I had no idea of what was headed my way! It was the turning point against everything I was working so hard to do. It took a very emotional, mental, and physical toll on me. I saw red flags very early, but my heart got in the way. I made decisions based on my emotions instead of the reality of the situation, which I should have never done. I was still working two jobs. Despite the good moments we had, it was too much to continue. I was losing who I was because of the relationship. I was still thriving to learn new things about ecommerce, marketing, and so much more. I came across GOD IS DOPE YouTube videos. The videos open my eyes to see things clearer. I was already moving in the right direction. I needed some guidance. At that time, I couldn’t get any shirts made because I wasn’t in Texas. And I didn’t have the finances.

           I found one shop here locally that is up to speed with everything. I was trying to figure out how to do what I love with what I had. Years ago, I remembered my Aunt Tammy telling me about making greeting cards. It stuck with me for this long. I started doing my research and found out there are very cost-efficient, and I can print them off at home. This was when I came up with Peaceful Greetings & Peaceful Greetings Outstretched Hands. I knew if I could give people a little taste of my words on a card and I could grow an audience. A small percentage of them could potentially be book buyers also. I would be on my way. Great idea but still no foundation to build on. With so much weighing on me, I managed to get the right printer and everything I needed. I rushed the process because I was trying to get out of so much. Get a chance to breathe. It didn’t fall through as I desired.

          We moved to another apartment, and that’s when everything ended. It got to the point I didn’t have peace at all. I felt like I was fighting to lose. That’s not me. I wouldn’t want anyone to feel that way. She was such a sweet, caring, compassionate, and loving woman. She was too broken from past trauma to be with. It is 12:01 a.m. January 9, 2023. I really wanted to help her see more of what she didn’t understand, what she didn’t realize she had. I was hurting too much to help her. I had no other choice but to let go. Around the same time last year, I was getting out of a relationship. I was working for Coca-Cola, behind on basically everything, hurt, tired, worn out, exhausted, overly stressed, and needed a break.

        Before I came to Colorado, I had stopped occasionally drinking and quit smoking. I found myself back doing both within the relationship. It was the relationship and everything else I was dealing with all together. I don’t blame her or anyone. I said yes, so that’s something I accepted. It drove me to a place I didn’t like to be. I grew from it. I learned so much from the experience. As time passed on, I started to find peace again. Despite everything, I stayed determined to get back to where I was before COVID took place. My brother and I teamed up! We became roommates. It was still hard. We grew even closer doing this time. Both of us were dealing with a lot. The more we saw each other go through things and keep pushing, we were pushing one another. His kids came for the summer, and that was an added blessing. We played tagged team to make sure they were good. He’s the greatest Dad they could ever ask for. Despite what he goes through, his kids come first. That’s enough in itself.

         A week before they returned to school, I started working a second job. I had to find a way to heal while not having a real break. My dreams give me peace when I can’t find peace. My dreams give me life when all hell is breaking loose in my life. My body is going through It at this point. Bodying aching. My back had been hurting for years. I have worked two jobs since I graduated college. More on than off. By now, I’m feeling it. I can’t stop, though. I won’t stop. I found a way to dig deep enough to keep pushing. I knew then if I stay focus, I can get back on track. Some things will have to wait. But for the most part, I will succeed. That was my mindset. I know my dreams aren’t selfish dreams. They are about everyone besides me. That mindset kept me getting up day after day. Things were getting very good.

         October is when the financial break finally came. The whole time I was working two jobs, I was gathering information from YouTube, books, articles, courses, and everything that made sense to the vision. Back home in Louisiana, Mom is in and out of the hospital. It got bad at one point. The situation wouldn’t allow me to go see her. That pain alone has been extremely hard. I would go back home to see my family often. I haven’t been able to go home since I left Texas. Around this time, I was finally able to invest in myself. I knew by doing so, I will change the narrative. I can change what’s going on around me. I can see my family when I desire. From everything I was learning, I knew I needed to rebrand myself. I had grown in so many areas. I’m not the same person I was three years ago. It’s a must I switch it up. I started taking down certain videos, pics and posts. The vision was basically clear at this point. Once I purchased Dontez Arkam course, all the pieces came together! Everything I was searching for, I received from his course. It changed everything for me. Everything that I had ideas to do. The course was the source of the resources I needed.

         Although things have been working out in my favor, recently, I have been surrounded by many deaths, from friends’ family, relatives’ family to my own. My 1st cousin passed on November 28, 2022! My Grandfather of 92 years passed on January 2, 2023! He was the anchor of the family! He pastored for over 60 years if I’m correct! His shoes could never be filled. It hurts because I can’t make the funeral. I know he understands. My Father told me not to worry myself. Although it hurts, I will continue pushing. I know the best is yet to come.

In the end, despite the odds that are against me, I shall not quit. God put something in me he didn’t put in someone else. I’m not going to run from it. I will continue to embrace it while trusting HIM throughout the process. No, I’m not perfect! I will never act like I am. I know where I come from and where I stand. I have flaws, go through hardships, have family issues at times, and have fought through and felt every emotion that could’ve stopped me. But I’m still here! I have a purpose! It’s not about me. It’s bigger than me! It’s about you, your families, your community, and the world around us. Honestly, I probably would’ve quit a long time ago. I’m only here to be an example for others to see the  diamond process.