I’m eternally grateful to my uncle Bobby, who took in an extra mouth to feed when he didn’t have to. He taught me discipline, tough love, manners, respect, and so much more that has helped me succeed in life. I truly have no idea where I’d be if he hadn’t given me a roof over my head or become the father figure whom I desperately needed at that age. To Mr. Gentry, who took a chance on a twenty-three-year-old kid and let him run his offices in Portland, Oregon. He never saw my age, my race, or my lack of formal education. He just saw a kid hungry to learn, hungry to grow, and hungry to succeed in business. He never stopped me; he only encouraged me. Although this period of my life was filled with many ups and downs, my time in the mortgage industry was worth it. My time in the industry wouldn’t have been made possible without Guy Stidham who taught me the honest mortgage game. A very special thanks to Dustin Wells who brought me on as the lowest- paid employee at Headspring and then allowed me to rise through the ranks to become president of the company. Thank you for introducing me to company culture. Writing a book about the story of your life is a surreal process. I’m forever indebted to Tucker Max, Mark Chait, and Amanda Ibey for their editorial help, keen insight, and ongoing support in bringing my stories to life. It is because of their efforts and encouragement that I have a legacy to pass on to my family where one didn’t exist before. To everyone at the Scribe Tribe who enable me to be the CEO of a company that I’m honored to be a part of, thank you for letting me serve, for being a part of our amazing company, and for showing up every day and helping more authors turn their ideas into stories. To my family. To Aunt Jean: for always being the person I could turn to during those dark and desperate years. She sustained me in ways WriTE yOUr BOOk ACkNOWlEDgMENTS · 211