African-American Entrepreneurs Grant — Male Award

Remember the days when you were a kid when you wanted to become a big YouTuber or social media sensation, but people always told you it's unrealistic? Me too. Ever since I was ten years old, I loved watching people live their dream life, and I was so sold on making it to the "luxurious lifestyle." But of course, like everyone else, big dreams crumbled into pieces. People said things like "School is the only way to become successful" or "you can't live a life like that, it's not possible…" or the worst one was "you have to be realistic." Surprisingly all these negative phrases uplifted me to keep envisioning the life I want to live, and I knew I could make it. When I was 15, I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. This discovery affected how I approached every aspect of my life, from school, work, sports, family, and relationships. When I turned 16, I was introduced to my first love, the gym. The gym became my sacred place; however, I didn't realize my passion for health and wellness until my senior year of high school. Like many other teens, my biggest insecurity was my body, and even though I was working out a lot, I still felt helpless. I wanted someone to show me all the correct ways to transform my body and mindset, but no one was available. One day, I decided to DM one of my favorite fitness influencers on Instagram, and I wrote a whole paragraph on why he should help me reach my goals. But of course, he didn't respond. So I shook it off and messaged 10-20 other influencers. Again, no response. I became extremely frustrated that I was alone, and no one wanted to teach me how to reach my goals. Fast forward to my senior year of high school, after years of running on low energy, feeling purposeless and lost, my friend asked me an eye-opening question: "Hey iyaji, have you ever thought of becoming a fitness influencer yourself?" of course, I made a million excuses of why I shouldn't do it, but then I asked myself one night while I laid in bed in tears.. What do I have to lose? I responded with silence. So later that week, I created a plan that would propel me to take massive action on becoming the next most prominent social media influencer. For the next three months, I created a fitness page where I posted daily workouts and valuable motivation for men and women. I started falling in love with creating content for others. After three months of consistently posting valuable fitness content, I went from 1,500 followers to 20,000. But then I asked myself why to stop here? I decided to start an online coaching business. I also created a website where I have cheap affordable training programs for various goals. Although I'm not making a lot of money, I convinced myself that it's not about the money. It's about the value I bring to people daily through my content. Motivate, inspire, and create a movement that will shift people's lives. That's my goal so far, and I'm proud to say that it's working. Waking up to messages about how I changed someone's life or helping them become the better version of themselves is the biggest blessing I could imagine. I never thought I could achieve what I've done at 18 years old, but this is just the beginning. Hard work and consistency placed me in the position I'm in today, and It wouldn't be possible without my close friends, family, and god. There's more to it than just the business aspect of what I'm doing; it's the mindset. Once I started placing my focus around others and not myself, my life changed for the better. So what's next for me? To help people achieve their dream body and inspire the youth to go after their dreams! Some so many people are going through the same problems I went through, and I'm confident enough to say that I'm that voice for the lost. Seeing that I'm making an impact is my biggest motivation, so I will continue to bring value to the world and soon open up my very own health club, clothing line, and much more! It's not about me anymore, and that's why I love what I do.