On Faith, Failure, and Building Again
First off, thank you for being here and taking the time to read this. I truly believe that God guides our steps, and that moments like this — you reading these words right now — are not random. I believe they’re part of a much bigger plan.
As you can probably tell, I’m a man of faith today. But it wasn’t always that way.
I’ve fallen on my face more times than I can count. I lost my first home to foreclosure. I’ve had my gas, electricity, and water shut off. I’ve taken ice-cold showers and eaten ramen and cold beans because that’s all I could afford. I know what it’s like to be broke — truly broke.
Things started to turn around when I met my wife. I was 28 and just beginning to build my low-voltage contracting business. A year into our relationship she got pregnant, and I was about to become a father.
But at 21 weeks she went into labor and was rushed to the hospital. Our daughter was born weighing just 1 pound and 2 ounces. We prayed and hoped for a miracle, but she didn’t survive.
That moment absolutely crushed me.
My wife fell into a deep depression, and it nearly destroyed our relationship. And if I’m being honest, I turned my back on God for a long time. I couldn’t understand how something like that could happen.
About a year later we tried again, and we were blessed with a healthy baby girl. But it still took me almost ten years before I could forgive God for losing our first daughter.
Looking back now, I realize I was just hurt and angry. Life had lessons for me that I didn’t yet understand.
A few years ago I returned to my faith. But interestingly, things didn’t suddenly become easier. In fact, two months after I returned to church, the low-voltage business I had built — a company doing nearly $3 million a year — popped on the radar of a national IP firm and they nearly wiped us off the face of the earth. We rebranded, repositioned, and started over from the ground up.
At the time it felt like everything was falling apart again.
But this time I didn’t run from God. I leaned into Him.
My business nearly crumbled. My finances were struggling again. My marriage was under pressure. But I kept the faith and kept moving forward.
Over time I began to see something I couldn’t see before: sometimes God removes things from our lives that we think we need, so He can prepare us for the purpose we’re truly meant for.
Today my life looks very different.
My marriage is stronger than it has ever been. My daughter is healthy and thriving. And the businesses I’m building now allow me to earn more while working less — and most importantly, they give me my time back.
Today I spend my time building companies, mentoring others, creating opportunities, and continuing to grow.
And through it all, I try to remember that none of it happens by accident.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
— James 1:2–3