Rising from the Ashes: A Journey of Wins, Losses, and New Beginnings

Life is full of lessons, but it’s crucial to understand that those lessons aren’t only found in failure. They exist in our successes, too, and it's the wins that fuel me to keep pushing forward.

I’ve had my share of victories, but two stand out above the rest—both deeply personal and transformative. The first, and the one that means the most to me, was gaining full custody of my daughters. It was a long, grueling fight that tested me mentally, emotionally, and even physically. As a father, nothing mattered more to me than ensuring they had a stable, loving home, but the legal process was draining.

There were moments when it felt like the odds were stacked against me, being a man, fresh out of prison, and struggling with addiction and housing issues, yet I refused to give up. I would sometimes sleep outside of the homless shelter in the rain to be close to the hot showers they provided in the mornings and the meals they would give out. I would take odd jobs just to get enough money to take the train out to visit my kids in foster care 4 hrs away in seattle. Every court date, every piece of paperwork, and every sleepless night was worth it to see them safe and with me. Eventually I got a stable construction job and got a house big enough for the state to decide to give me full custody. That battle made me realize just how far I was willing to go for my children, and it remains my proudest achievement to this day.

The second victory, no less significant, was overcoming my battle with drugs and alcohol. Addiction had its claws in me for 23 years, threatening to take away everything I cared about. I was likely the worse alcoholic you had ever seen. At the peak of my addiction I was drinking a gallon of liquor a day and ended up in a coma with stage 2 liver disease dying in the hospital shortly after i had gotten custody of my kids. I was stuck in the cycle of depression and self sabatoge I had been in since i was a teenager. Even then..

It wasn’t easy to break free, but doing so changed the trajectory of my entire life. Getting clean wasn’t just about quitting—it was about rebuilding, rediscovering my purpose, and finding clarity. It was a battle that required me to confront some of my deepest pain and insecurities, but emerging from it gave me the strength to take on everything that followed. Sobriety laid the foundation for everything I’ve built since—my businesses, my relationships, and my role as a father. Without that victory, none of the other successes would have been possible. Moving forward to 2018, I was juggling two jobs while going to school full-time and raising my daughters, I was clean and sober and they were on a great track in school and we were thriving.

It was hard and without a doubt unsustainable, but I was determined to get above the status quo. Then COVID hit, and I lost both jobs overnight. The world changed instantly. But instead of letting it defeat me, I innovated. That’s when I launched Smart Digital Payments, one of the first cryptocurrency payments point of sale companies in the United States. I thought it made the most sence due to the climate of social distancing and contactless payments. Quickly I saw how predatory the payments industry was—especially with the lack of regulation for cryptocurrency—and I knew I had to make a change. From there, I transitioned into Meta-Builders, another innovative web3 service business that was far ahead of the curve. In my first year, I made nearly $400,000.

During the peak of my success, I traveled across the U.S., sponsoring notable Web3 events like NFT NYC and meeting key figures like NFT influencer Kenn Bosak and renowned artist Nanu Burks. Co founded a project called Metajax with my friend Tim Ellis which co-produced a Music NFT album in collaboration with world-famous Jazz artist Arturo Sandoval, which went on to be nominated for a Grammy.

I helped curate NFT The Movie and even hosted Vice presidential hopeful Carla Ballard in my Airbnb during her interview for the documentary. I also hosted the first Web3 Jazz Festival and led one of the earliest NFT projects SDP OWLS. All of which were showcased in the NFT The Movie by my guidence. Life felt unstoppable.

Then, the FTX crash hit, and everything collapsed. I lost the business momentum I had built. To make matters worse, my daughters’ sisters were being abused by their father, being that their mother wasnt in the picture which is why I got custody of my 2 girls in the first place, I took custody of one, while the other went into a mental hospital. The one I took in was battling her own struggles, turning to drugs and alcohol, which caused me to reface some of the addiction struggles I had had such a difficult time overcoming in the past. Now instead of being a single wealthy dad of 2 happy girls, I had no money and three sad and confused teenage girls to care for with no family support all while dealing with the emotional fallout of losing so much. I had an emotional breakdown, but by a miracle, I maintained my sobriety—seven years clean and counting. My foster daughter ended up growing out of foster care and moved on with her life and we were evicted out of our apartment in Washington. We had to throw away everything we ever had and hopped on a train 1500 miles away with $100 in my pocket with no idea what was in store for us on the other side.

When we left Washington, I left behind my addictions, with them went family and friends, and I started a new life in South Dakota. Now, I’m focused on giving back. I founded an indoor farming business Smart Farms and launched a children’s book series Bucket Buddies to teach kids how to grow their own food. It’s my way of inspiring the next generation to take control of their health and their future.

Looking back, it's clear that life has been a journey of peaks and valleys, but it’s in the darkest moments that we often find our greatest strength. Every setback taught me resilience, and every win showed me what was possible. My story isn’t one of a smooth ride or easy success—it’s about determination, reinvention, and the belief that no matter how many times life knocks you down, you have the power to rise again.

I’ve faced my battles, both personal and professional, and through it all, I’ve learned that true success isn’t just about what you achieve. It’s about who you become in the process. It’s about the ability to pivot, to stand tall after a fall, and to keep moving forward with a heart full of hope, even when the road ahead seems uncertain.

Today, I stand stronger, not because of the wins alone, but because of the lessons those wins and losses taught me. My story isn’t finished, and neither is yours. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that no matter where you are in life, there’s always another chapter waiting to be written, and it’s up to you to make it the best one yet.