05/22/2026
Today I celebrate 15 years of sobriety! 15 years ago I lost everything, I was going to end up dead or in jail. If it was not for my close friends and family, I would have never made it this far.
Becoming a father has not been easy, I lost my father mostly in part to his own addiction. My father had the biggest heart in the world, trying to be the best of my father while not becoming the worst of him is difficult. Being in recovery is not easy, a lot of my addiction was due to self medicating. I fight mental demons every day, depression and bipolar disorder being some of them. It is not easy on my wife, her patience, love, and support means the world to me. I am still growing as a man, a husband, a father, and a recovering addict.
I missed out on a lot because for a third of my life I was chasing the wrong things. I’m still not where I want to be in life, but part of sobriety is remembering where you were headed in respect to where you are now. Being self employed keeps me focused and on track, it provides me goals and motivation. It is not easy and not always fruitful but I have taken tremendous strides in both my business and brand as a content creator this year.
Having a son has changed everything for me, it has motivated me to work harder, becoming the best version of myself is important for my son, my wife, my friends, and my family.
Most people do not understand the energy it takes everyday to fight my own inner demons. To do that while being a business owner, a father, a husband, a son, a brother, an uncle, and a friend is simply not easy.
Everyday I am reminded of my failures in life, and it’s impossible to escape that. But I am reminded of these failures because of the things I am grateful for. It is my wife, my son, my family, my friends, and my career that inspire me. I want to give up on everything more than I’d like to admit, but I am dedicated to people that I love. These people have invested in me, they rely on me to believe in myself.
To my wife, I love you with all my heart, and I will continue to fight everyday for you and our son. To Ma Dukes, without you none of this would be possible, you have always been everything a son could need in this world, and more.
Cheers to another year! I always share this moment in case it can help someone else. Just know you’re not alone, there’s plenty of us out here fighting the good fight and living to tell our story.