Hello Ladies and Gents! Just to tell you a little about myself and my background. I created Black Sheep Heritage with the sole purpose of helping others. I am E, The Black Sheep. Now, many know me as The Black Sheep. But before I get into my story, I wanted to make it clear, I am an average guy with legendary goals. My sole purpose in life is to help through setting the example and share the many tools/experiences I have. Along with a team of experts of course!
Like many of you, I grew up in this country’s worst of the worst
I grew up in the top 10 neighborhoods below the poverty line and to make things better(or worse depending on how you look at things), it was gangland, needless to say it was home. I myself fell into the trap of this culture only to pull myself out, but that’s another story. Like many of you, I faced my fair share of adversity and obstacles. Thankfully, my stubbornness and problem with unsatisfactory authority helped me with my exodus into other ventures. I was very fortunate, to say the least. Many of my family and friends weren’t so lucky.
If you asked anyone else, they would most likely comment somewhere along the lines of “E, that sucks” or “E, wtf.”
One of my earliest childhood memories was watching a woman being choked in the middle of broad daylight. Pretty fucked up right?! I could’nt believe my eyes when I saw it, it was surreal. The worse of it all was it was normal. So normal that walking 100 yards to the gas station was a struggle because it was always being held up at gunpoint, it didn’t matter if kids were present.
Fortunately, it made for one resilient kid.
The very same kind of kid that picked up a wheelbarrow and shovel, at the age of 12, to make money on the side. The very type that went on to be a counselor for a non-profit for 8 years. But that wasn’t enough! I trained my mind and body to pursue being an honest cop because my family had lost their lives to dirty ones. Fortunately, I quit the academy to pursue a higher calling and challenge with the Marine Corps. At that point, I was working full time in a blue-collar job, training for boxing and muay thai, and making sure my studies did not fall. My nights would include more work as a sorter at the local packaging plant. Clearly, I was not going to accept mediocrity. The Black Sheep wanted more for his life haha.
Clearly, I don’t like to settle for second best.
Throughout my Marine Corps career, it was tough, but highly educational. I did my time, deployed, and six years later, returned home, married, with a son who had missed his father early on, and a lot of responsibility. Fortunately, I was blessed with the curse of not being able to sit still, so I began to work nights as armed security for the top club in Arizona. By day, I was going to school. My afternoons were ruled by the gym and my family, while my nights were filled with homework and continuing education. Thanks to the biggest, bull shit rule for the GI Bill, I forced myself to finish my bachelors and masters within three years. A bachelors in physiology and an MBA. Let me tell you that shit was tough. I not only had father and husband duties, but school, work, gym, and continuing education.
I will say though that throughout this whirlwind of a life, I had the great opportunity to continue to hone my skills in multiple industries.
I began my career as a coach and trainer while getting my bachelors degree. Fitness has always been a passion in my life. With the help of an education and certifications, I was able to truly cultivate a skill set that allowed me to work in hospitals, rehab centers, gyms and in the field. I have worked with NFL teams, Olympic swim teams, skateboarders, collegiate or lower, local teams, and general population. Much like previous instances, I craved for more in my life. Many of my fellow Marines would call me a Tasmanian terror because I couldn’t just sit still.
I wanted more perspective, much like when I jumped around from country to country in one of my deployments. I learned very quickly that people from all walks of life were doing everything in their lives to not only survive, but thrive. It was a reality or as I like to say a “gut check”. It was bad! My most heart wrenching moment is walking down the pier through huts of impoverished people and a single mother walking up to me to convince me somehow to stow away her child on our ship. One of the saddest things I encountered on that trip to town. I realized the reality of life and from there on I pursued all walks of life to grow as an individual. Fast track to a year after my bachelors, opportunity came knockin.
Fortunately, the timing could not have been more perfect, my mentor told me about an MBA program at ASU, that would give me the experience I yearned for. After a rigorous bout of interviews and literal arguments with the interviewers, I got in. From there, I was accepted and continued to work with the top organizations in the country, specifically the Oakland Raiders. I worked with private and public organizations in sales, marketing, operations and IT.
Throughout this crazy time, I realized the many pitfalls and shortcomings of many organizations I worked for, the main being leadership. So I decided to do something about it.
There’s a complete and utter disconnect with these companies that are deemed successful in the public eye. They’ve forgotten the basics. Take it from a marine, who has led and been led. There is much to be desired from many of these so called experts. They’ve forgotten the basic social contract of human dignity and value. As the saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words!” So what’s the point of all this?! Its definitely not to stroke my own ego, if that’s what you think. No, I merely want to provide a helping hand to those who don’t have all the information, to those who grew up in the same or worse condition as I, or those looking to pursue a similar career path.
Pretty much, in a nutshell, I have some answers you may not have. More importantly, I am using this platform, to prove to you all, that you do not have to be one single thing to be successful, that you don’t have to follow a normal path like a majority of folks out there tell us, this is for those who think outside the box, for the originals, for those who need proof because I’m not going to lie, we have a plethora of role models to derive knowledge from. I am E, The Black Sheep, the founder of Black Sheep Heritage. Welcome!
You must be logged in to post a comment.