My Early Life
I was born in Darlington, South Carolina in 1950. My childhood was happy until age 12, when my parents divorced and we lost everything in a house fire. Thankfully, my grandparents were active in my life, and I cherish my memories with them. Raised with a strong work ethic, I entered the workforce at 13. My jobs, though not prestigious—i.e., meat cutter—were my first lessons on marketing. I had fun in high school (and was voted “Most Wittiest”), but when I said I wanted to go to college, my school counselor told me that I would never amount to anything! I proved her wrong, graduating from Pembroke University in three years, thanks to my wife, Debra, who I met during my freshman year.