It starts with one. One decision, one mentor, one home, or one event that will change your life forever.
I'm born and raised in New Orleans — a 90s baby, coming up in what was the murder capital of the world back then. My dad was in prison for most of my childhood, I don't know my mom, and my grandmother raised me.
Growing up, I didn't have a role model. I had examples of everything I did not want to be — situations I didn't want to be in, people I didn't want to be like. And I promised myself that once I had a family, we would never live like that again.
Then Hurricane Katrina hit while I was in high school, and a recruiter came through with a deal: join the military, they'll pay for college. I was sold — I knew I was never going back to that life. So I joined the Army at 17, straight out of high school.
I went overseas twice; I was in Afghanistan by 21. I bought my first house at 21 and just kept buying. On my second deployment, a squad leader told me about tax deeds — how people lose their homes over unpaid property taxes and you can pick them up for pennies. My first thought? "That's a scam." But I got home and dove in.
The Army had put me through medic school and then nursing school, so I came home working long shifts as a nurse — building somebody else's dream, sitting in the parking lot dreading every shift. I knew there had to be more. There was. I retired from nursing at 29 and went all-in on tax deeds. Over the last seven years that became an 8-figure business — and a life with my wife and four daughters I couldn't have imagined back in New Orleans. Here's what I need you to hear: if I could do it coming from where I came from, there's no excuse. If you have a brain, you can do this. The only time you lose is when you quit.
