My First Co-Founders: A Mother's Day Tribute

This is my first Mother's Day without my mom, Mary Thomas, and the weight of her absence sits heavy on my shoulders. But as I reflect on the foundation she and my grandmother laid for me, I realize they weren't just family—they were my original business partners, my first board of directors, and the architects of my entrepreneurial spirit.

The Bubble Gum Entrepreneur

When my best friend Yancy and I got caught selling bubble gum in second grade, most parents would have handed down punishment. Not Mary Thomas.

Instead, she bought me a miniature briefcase to organize my inventory.

That was my mom—turning every mistake into a masterclass. She didn't just tell me to dream; she showed me how to execute. While other kids were playing video games, she was teaching me how to identify market opportunities and fill gaps with solutions.

Every time we'd experience poor service or a bad product, she wouldn't waste energy complaining. Instead, she'd turn to me and my brothers: "What would you do better? How would you change this? What's the opportunity here if you were the business owner?"

She was training us to see the world through the lens of possibility, not problems.

## "Success Favors Action"

My mom was always in motion—sewing clothes, starting a thrift store, launching a virtual call center before remote work was mainstream. She embodied her favorite saying: "Success favors action." She loved Nike's "Just Do It" slogan because that's exactly how she operated.

When I hesitated, she pushed. When I overthought, she reminded me that perfect plans mean nothing without execution.

When I left the military and launched AtlantaEvent.com, she didn't just offer words of encouragement—she took a bus to Atlanta to attend my first event. When I created a skincare line for my daughter called Inspired By XIII, my mom outsold me in soy candles when we opened our mall location.

And when I left corporate America to start 360clean in Atlanta? She moved to Atlanta for six months to help me and my brother manage and clean buildings when we couldn't afford to pay employees.

That wasn't just support—that was skin in the game. That was belief made visible.

## Grandmother's Blueprint for Resilience

My grandmother's wisdom complemented my mother's perfectly. Where my mom was the visionary who taught me to see opportunity everywhere, my grandmother was the tactician who taught me how to survive anything.

"If you can't find a job, you make a job. If you can't find a way, you make a way."

She didn't just say it—she lived it. I watched her pick up scrap metal to make ends meet, turning what others saw as trash into the resources that kept her family going.

She taught me to solve my own problems first and be my own first customer. "You have to believe in you before anyone else will." That lesson has been the cornerstone of every business I've built. In a world full of entrepreneurs waiting for validation or funding, I learned early to back myself first.

## Late-Night Vision Sessions

Our late-night talks were never just conversations—they were strategy sessions. My mom encouraged me to dream as big as I wanted, then gave me practical advice to execute. She wrapped her business wisdom in her faith in God, always finding the perfect Bible passage to relate to whatever challenge we faced.

For years, she would join us at the IVMF Veterans Edge conference. All of her sons would attend, and afterward, we'd digest the information together, brainstorming how to apply what we'd learned. Last year before she passed was our last conference with her. Although she was sick and confined to her bed, it filled her with joy to spend one last conference with her boys.

Even then, in her final months, she was still teaching, still encouraging, still believing.

## Building on Their Foundation

Today, as I run multiple businesses and mentor others, I'm not just building my legacy—I'm extending theirs. The leadership principles I teach about taking action, seeing opportunity in challenges, and serving your community? Those aren't business school theories. They're Mary Thomas theories. They're my grandmother's blueprints.

When I tell veterans and entrepreneurs that they need to make a move before they have it all figured out, that's my mom speaking through me. When I emphasize resilience and resourcefulness, that's my grandmother's voice echoing in mine.

This Mother's Day, I'm not just remembering them—I'm recommitting to the principles they instilled:

* **Faith balanced with action**

* **Vision paired with execution**

* **Problems seen as opportunities**

* **Helping others while helping yourself**

* **Creating your own path when conventional roads are closed**

Their lives weren't just examples to follow—they were foundations to build upon. And while my mom isn't physically here for me to thank her this Mother's Day, I know she sees what she started. I know she's proud of how her sons are carrying forward her legacy of entrepreneurship, faith, and service.

To all the mothers and grandmothers who don't just nurture dreams but help build them: Thank you. Your impact extends far beyond what you can see today.

And to my mom, Mary Thomas, and my grandmother: Your investment is still compounding. The seeds you planted are still growing. The lives you touched are still expanding your impact.

There is only forward, baby. And I'm moving forward on the path you paved.

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## UNFINISHED BUSINESS: The Mary Thomas Challenge

My mother's birthday is in June. And there's no better way to honor her legacy than through decisive action—the very thing she valued most.

So I'm making a bold commitment: **For every week in June, I will build and launch a project using AI and automation.**

Some will be my own projects. Others will be projects to help fellow entrepreneurs. The goal isn't perfection—it's rapid execution. It's progress over perfection. It's faith with works.

This is about more than just getting things done. It's about honoring a woman who didn't wait for perfect conditions to create something valuable. It's about embodying her spirit of "Just Do It" in a tangible way.

I invite you to join me in this tribute:

- That business idea that's been sitting in your notes app for months

- The website you've been meaning to build but keep putting off

- The automation system you know would save you hours each week

- The course or content you've been planning to create "someday"

It's time to turn unfinished business into finished business.

**Sign up at [unfinishedbusiness.ai/challenge](https://unfinishedbusiness.ai/challenge) to join me on this journey.** Throughout June, I'll be sharing the AI tools, automation strategies, and rapid execution frameworks that are helping me complete my projects—and I want to see yours too.

Let's show the world what Mary Thomas's legacy of action looks like when it's multiplied.

Let's show the world what Mary Thomas's legacy of action looks like when it's multiplied.

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*If you'd like to honor the mothers and grandmothers who shaped your entrepreneurial journey, share their wisdom in the comments. Let's celebrate the women who taught us how to build, lead, and serve.*