I'm 42 now, but growing up, I was a rebel. I got locked up young and was on my own since I was 14, bouncing around in the system. When I got out at 18, I started working entry-level jobs — one of them was at a print shop as a helper. But even then, I was still getting into trouble.

In 2005, during one of those wild phases, I got shot. That moment changed everything. I knew I had to shift my mindset, especially with a kid on the way.

I started an online business out of my friend’s garage that same year. It was wild — I taught myself Google marketing, built a website, and even changed my voice on the phone to sound like a “shipping department” when customers called. I was screen printing corrugated plastic signs and shipping them nationwide.

Things were growing fast, but I made mistakes. I hired friends, partied too much, and spent money like I was rich. Orders fell behind, and it eventually collapsed. I had to shut it all down.

But I didn’t stop. I pivoted and got into the granite business with my old sales guy from the sign days — the one who stuck with me even after the fallout. We started a countertop business together, and we’re still running it to this day.

I still remember having to borrow his credit card to order supplies so we could finish jobs and make money. Our very first customer came from nothing but a website, some business cards, and a bucket of granite samples. He went in and closed the deal for $1,200 without a showroom or even a real business voice. The rest is history.

That success gave me the freedom to chase other ideas. I started a vehicle wrapping and sign business next door — probably because I still missed the printing hustle. I've always loved technology and the power of creating something from nothing.

Everything I've built started as just an idea — with no formal education, no business background — just grit, hustle, and a team of guys crazy enough to believe in the vision and start something in a garage, pretending we were already a big company.