07/23/2025
This photo was taken 13 years ago, when I had just relocated to the West Coast to build my business.
I was living in a small $2,000 beat up rental house in a rough neighborhood. The place wasnât much. The cash flow was tight to build a new location. I needed all my savings to reinvest back to my business . Every month was a hustle. But the hardest part⌠was leaving my daughter Bella behind.
She was so young. She didnât understand why I had to keep leaving for meetings, flying to different cities to build leaders, to build a future that didnât exist yet.
This photo breaks my heart and lifts it at the same time. She didnât want me to leave. But she still helped me pick the right shirt for my meetingâher tiny hand holding up my blazer as if to say, âGo get âem, Dad.â
Entrepreneurship isnât always glamorous.
Itâs not always jets and stages and success stories.
Sometimes itâs sleeping on the floor of a cheap apartment. Sometimes itâs crying silently in the car after saying goodbye to your kids.
Sometimes itâs hoping that the sacrifices you make today wonât be in vain tomorrow.
If youâre a parent chasing a bigger dream for your family, I see you. The guilt is real. The doubt is heavy.
But this journey is about building a future where our children can choose a different pathâone with more freedom, more options, more dignity.
To every hustling parent out there whoâs missed birthdays, bedtime stories, and morning hugsâŚ
Just know that one day, your children will understand.
And theyâll be proud of the dream you chasedâfor them.
JW
