Check on your strong founder friends…
“Yooo… You good? Just checking in on you” — A real one
Today everything moves so fast, especially in the world of tech. I came into this space about four years ago as a founder many times over but a first time tech founder. I found so many terms foreign like SAFE or MVP.
SAFE — Simple Agreement for Future Equity
MVP — Minimal Viable Product
When I launched Kiddie Kredit I thought I would simply build an app and it would immediately change the world. Build it and they will come they say… WRONG! I’ve found myself going through many peaks and valleys along this journey and it was part of my reasons I helped co-found the Black Men Talk Tech conference. While not involved in the day to day of it anymore I appreciate people like Temante Leary who brought the opportunity my way in hopes of building bridges for underserved founders… Respect.
This journey has led me to raise over $1M in funding that includes folks I idolized growing up like Baron Davis and Dwyane Wade. It has led me to partner with companies like Equifax and Discover and receive funds from tech giants Amazon and Google whose products I use daily. But all in all this journey has left me tired and continually seeking growth. I’m built for it, as Mekhi Phifer once said in the classic Paid In Full “I love the hustle.”
But one thing I couldn’t have been prepared for was losing my father at the beginning of this year. While coming off a high of doing a fireside chat at Money 20/20 end of last year I received a call that my father wasn’t doing well. I agreed to make a ‘pit’ stop in Pittsburgh to check in on him after I attended a pitch competition in Cincinnati. After securing my 11th pitch competition win of the year my wife and I drove to check in on my father. I was absolutely shocked to see the condition he was in.
This led to a six month process of me quietly going back and forth from Miami to Pittsburgh to deal with everything for him and my grandmother. I even relocated there for three months to handle everything a bit easier. We finally got him stable and brought him to New Jersey where I thought he would be on a pathway to recovery. This was at the beginning of March of this year, I was wrong and he passed away three weeks later.
I write this because I honestly don’t think I have ever given myself time to really process this. I’m a founder of an early stage startup in a space that waits for no one. I was taking investment calls by my fathers bedside all the while putting on a brave front. Truth is this year has been absolutely devastating. It’s been hard to keep up with the things that need to be done at times and I feel like I’m playing catch up a lot because of the months spent attending to my dad. I see my to do list pile up (updates, forecasts, etc.) of things I usually do with ease and come close to breaking down.
Those who know me closest would see me as the one who’s “got this” and is the strong one you can ask for advice but truth is I have really struggled. What keeps me going is my team, I really appreciate every single one of them working their asses off every single day to bring this mission to the world and if it wasn’t for them I would have probably just took a less stressful gig and taken some time to heal.
For me writing this is my healing, there’s so many founders that silently struggle because they know that there’s ‘no room for weakness’ and I fall victim to that. I want anyone reading this to please check in on your founder friends. A lot of times they are silently struggling and can’t take the time to process. Let’s all work to lift one another, I vow to do the same.
But with that said… BACK TO THE GRIND!
✌🏾 and ❤️
