THIS MUSICIAN IS FIGHTING FOR THE POLICE

The first time I met Travis, I wasn’t greeted with the firm handshake of a man who runs a multi-million dollar company.

I was greeted with a hug.

“I’m from LA,” he told me. “Just to clarify, that’s Lower Alabama. This is how we do things down by me.”

Travis runs a company called The Chord Buddy. You may have seen him on Shark Tank. He’s kind. He’s warm hearted. He’s authentic. He’s humble.

And he’s pissed.

“Kyle – I’m so sick and tired of seeing the disrespect for law enforcement,” he told me over cocktails. “People are entitled to their own opinions… but we need to respect and appreciate those who look out for us.”

Travis isn’t one to get political (even though it’s safe to assume he’s one of us). But he’s a dad. And a patriot. He’s watched negative media coverage against law enforcement grow and grow – specifically on social media. And he points out that there’s one demographic that people are forgetting about.

The families of LEOs.

“These husbands and wives and children watch their loved ones go off to work every day. They hug them. They kiss them. They can’t wait to see them at the end of the day. And far too often, that hug and kiss is the last one they’ll ever experience.”

Last year, more than 160 officers died in the line of duty. And as Travis points out, that means a lot of children who will be spending the holidays without a parent this year.

“I’ve had good times and I’ve had bad times. I mean REAL bad times,” Travis told me. “There’s one thing that’s been with me consistently. And that’s music. Music brought my family together. It guided me through the highs and lows. It grounded me. And it’s a gift that everyone deserves.”

That’s why Travis is giving back this year. He’s donating The Chord Buddy to any children of police officers killed in the line of duty in 2017. It’s his small gesture to be a voice of compassion in a world that sometimes confuses politics and compassion.

Travis invented The Chord Buddy at a low point in his life, ironically. He had a huge real estate company that was BOOMING… until it went bust in the last economic crisis to hit America. He lost everything and had to go back to his roots of teaching guitar lessons to be able to pay his mortgage and put food on the table for his family.

It wasn’t long after that when he tried to teach his kid how to play the guitar… and he invented The Chord Buddy to help make it easier for her to learn.

The product ended up on Shark Tank and Travis and his family were blessed with good fortune and success… which is why he wants to give back.

“We have a responsibility to other people,” said Travis. “That’s our duty as Americans. We need to support those who sacrifice everything for us… and we need to make sure to take care of their loved ones as well. Music is just one little way we can help with that.”

If you want to learn more… visit The Chord Buddy on Facebook and drop Travis a line. It’s time we start rallying around the businesses who support those who hold The Thin Blue Line.

This article was originally posted on lawenforcementtoday.com and can be viewed by clicking HERE.