The Words That Hurt… and the Voice That Survived

I grew up in a very abusive home, and there was absolutely no support for the arts or anything creative. My late mom—bless her soul—was loving in some ways, but in other ways, incredibly harsh. Acting, performing, anything artistic… I was told it was dumb and a waste of time. I heard that constantly. Not just from home, but even from people who were supposed to guide me. I had a high school counselor and even a health teacher tell me I would never amount to anything.

Those kinds of words stick with you. Sometimes for life. Growing up, I always had this quiet dream of doing voiceovers, but when you’re surrounded by people telling you it’s pointless, you eventually start believing them. So I pushed it aside and went into radio instead. But while I was working in radio, I started picking up voiceover gigs on the side. Slowly, something started to click. I thought… maybe this isn’t crazy. Maybe this could actually be something.

Even then, the doubts were loud. My mom had hoped I would go into the ministry, and she was disappointed that I didn’t. I was still hearing that word… “dreamer.” But something inside me just kept saying, keep going.

The truth is, I love my parents. But the reality is that growing up wasn’t easy, and the mental scars from those years don’t just disappear. Even today, there are moments when those old voices creep back in. Even after I started booking regular commercial work, I still caught myself thinking, Why did they pick me? Did they actually like my audition?

Confidence doesn’t always arrive the moment success does. Sometimes it takes years to catch up. One of the biggest reasons I was able to keep pushing forward is my wife, Tracy. She has been an incredible source of encouragement and belief in my life. Tracy is an entrepreneur at heart, just like I am, and she understands what it takes to build something from nothing. Watching her thrive as a content creator, photographer, and social media manager inspires me all the time. She believed in me during moments when I wasn’t sure I believed in myself.

And that kind of support can change everything. Breaking out of a cycle of negativity and self-doubt is hard. A lot of people carry voices from their past telling them they’re not good enough. If you’ve ever felt that way, you’re definitely not alone.

But here’s what I’ve learned after all these years…Sometimes the most important thing you can do is keep moving forward, even when you’re not completely sure of yourself. You don’t need everyone to believe in you. Sometimes you just need one person… or even just a small voice inside you that says, try anyway.

Life is too short to ignore the things that make you feel alive. If someone has told you that your dream is unrealistic, that you’re wasting your time, or that you’re not good enough… please understand that those words say far more about them than they do about you.

The path isn’t always easy. There will be doubt, setbacks, and moments where you question everything. I still have those moments.

But if something inside you keeps nudging you forward… listen to it. Because sometimes the biggest dreams are born in the places where people least expect them. And sometimes the people who were told they would “never amount to anything” end up building lives they never thought were possible.

Just...keep...going.