My parents had me when dad was stationed in Brooklyn, New York... waaaaaay back in 1970.Â
Yep... Knolly was my dad's name too. Go figure.
And like me, dad was an entrepreneur, and a musician.
When I was 5 my parents got divorced (ouch!) and when I was 10 my mom, sister and I moved to South Central Los Angeles. The year was 1980.
In fact I purchased many of the ads that were in the back of the comics I loved reading.
I then graduated to selling candy in school (although the practice was banned). I got really good at negotiating and selling... at a really young age.
In that way I would turn 25 cents into $2.50. 10X!
I loved what I called "the process of profit".
When I was 13 years old I got introduced to Run DMC, and promptly became infatuated with rap music - LOL.Â
I began making "mix tapes" and selling them for ten bucks a pop.Â
The blank tapes would cost me 20 cents apiece, and I would only have to make the "mix" once, and then simply make copies.
Wow! Now I was making 50x profit!
II was always "book smart" and the "street smarts" came later.Â
I was a bit nerdy too.Â
For example, back when I was 12 years old I got my first computer and I began taking computer programming classes.Â
By the time I was in 5th grade I was tested out as reading on a Sophomore college level.Â
I absolutely LOVED reading and I devoured books.Â
Come to think of it... I still do. :)Â
But I didn't particularly like school.Â
Although I was placed in the gifted classes, I found school dreadfully boring and I emotionally tuned out.Â
I found that my gifts didn't fit very well within the public school system.
By the time I was 16, I had dropped out of high school, ran away from home and began pursuing my career of doing rap music.
During my "runaway years" I got into some rather shady business activities... trying to make that "hustle" by any means necessary.Â
Sadly this is the state of many businesses today... they are operating without a conscience... with income and profits as their primary motive.
When I turned 18, my life changed forever when I became an avid follower of Jesus (aka I became a "Jesus Freak").Â
That same year my Uncle invited me to come "visit" him for a few weeks in Austin, TX.
I packed a duffle bag and came to TX for my 3 week visit... which has now turned into about 30 years.Â
I basically never left. :)
When I was 20 (1990) I met the woman of my dreams (at church) and we got married a month after my 22nd Birthday (1992).
When we met, I didn't have a car... (or a job for that matter).Â
But as Napoleon Dynamite would say, I had "skills".
I also had "tons of untapped potential". (I still do, as do we all).
3 months after we were married, I came home and announced that I had quit my job.Â
In fact I had given them my "two month notice" (I didn't realize it was supposed to be a 2 week notice).
My boss (a lawyer) was very generous to let me stay on those two months... as I had explained to him that the business I had been doing "on the side" was going to become my full time gig (even though I wasn't making any money at it!).
My wife was shocked beyond description.Â
I had forgotten to consult with here before giving my notice. Oops!Â
We were only making about $1000 per month each and our income was now going to be half that!
That meant we had to live on $250 per week, and our rent was $465.
I made my wife a solemn promise.Â
"If you will support us for one year, I promise you will never have to work again... unless you want to."
She believed in me and she agreed to the proposal.Â
Less than a year later our little fledgling business had grown enough that she was able to quit her job and join me... working from home.
Our little business was a Christian rap record record label.Â
I started the company with just $1,800 in startup capital which I raised from family and friends.Â
The Lord blessed our efforts, and the company grew to a seven figure business, becoming the #1 record label in its genre in the world, with 14 employees and 18 recording artists.
In less than 7 years, I had grown from earning $1000 per month, to more than $150,000 per month.
The good times were rolling... and I was up to my eyeballs in growth (and debt).
Then something weird happened.
Within about 7 months our sales declined by more than 73%.
We had tons of debt and the business began imploding.
Why? Well, the IPod was introduced to the world.Â
Everything began moving toward digital... and we didn't adapt.
After 10 successful years our music industry tanked and we lost everything including our elegant 6,000 square foot home, executive office building, private recording studio and our 10 acre paradise just outside Austin, TX.
After some deep soul searching, I was led into the real estate industry.Â
In 2003, at the age of 33, and starting at rock bottom, the Lord once again blessed our endeavors.Â
I grew to become one of the Top 7 real estate agents in Austin, TX (ranked by Austin Business Journal out of more than 9,500 agents and based on actual production).Â
I listed and sold more than 1000 houses during my first 10 years in the business, which placed me within the Top 1% of REALTORS in the United States.
Then... in about 2009 I got the irresistible urge to TEACH.Â
I actually LOVE teaching more than anything else in this life.
By 2014 I left my lucrative real estate career... to teach... full time.Â
At the time I had no foreseeable way of making income at this new profession... but I knew it was what I had to do... or face being miserable.
Once again the might God that we serve has provided beyond our wildest dreams.
Today I am an Business Owner, Business Leader, Entrepreneur, REALTOR, Author, Trainer and National Speaker.Â
I have been blessed to have been featured on ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, Newsweek and in over 300 newspapers worldwide.
Using the ancient wisdom found in the Bible, I have coached tens of thousands of entrepreneurs, business owners, business leaders, real estate agents, authors, trainers and speakers (people just like me) on how to become all that God created them to be, so that they can live the life they were meant to live.
What I enjoy teaching you the most is how your mind, body, soul and heart are connected and how taking care of these four critical areas can have the a more POWERFUL impact on your success than anything else.Â
Squarely on the business side of things... my training is geared to getting you to making $100,000 per year or more ($250K+ for those who are ready), while working 30 hours a week or less, from home, while taking nights and weekends off, 4-5 vacations a year... all while becoming debt free.
My biggest joy in this life is my relationship with Jesus, my relationship with my wife Josie, my teaching ministry and my weekly Bible classes, which I have been leading since 1989.
My LIFE PURPOSE is to inspire YOU to become ALL that God created you to be so that you can live the life you were meant to live.
