The folks who organize Creatives United asked me to share with the community in 2 minutes something I am tinkering with. I chose to speak about Made In Fayetteville. My words are below.

I grew up in Mountain Home and am the oldest of three.
My parents were divorced by the time I was two and left me in between a constant custody battle.
I spent my childhood building treehouses, playing with legos and enjoying the company of my dog.
I was the student leader of my charter school and had the typical high school sweetheart while I battled severe depression.
I went to the 18th ranked architecture school in the nation and lived in Italy for 6 months.
I won national architecture design awards and have had work published.
I was hit by a truck and almost lost my life but thankfully only lost my memory and sense of smell.

Architecture and our Economy gave up on me but I didnt give up on myself.
I lived in my car, worked at a liquor store, and was on food stamps all while being blessed to meet my future wife.
I have witnessed multi million dollar oil deals, pitched at techstars, and been courted to sell a company I owned.
I have helped build an entrepreneurship community and work daily to build an ecommerce company.
I am building my family and I am constantly building me.
I have Failed and Succeeded
Struggled and Prospered.

This is my story, but now I want to know yours.

See, we are often only perceived for face value.
What our name is attached to.
What company or project we represent.
The latest award we have won or newspaper article we are in.
While living in the moment is often a thrill, the story by which we are built is every bit as thrilling.

Fayetteville is special.
Everywhere you go, someone has a story associated with it.
I believe that the reason Fayetteville is so special is the pride that so many diverse people take in associating themselves and their stories with this unique place.

Fayetteville: the binding to the book of all the stories we have to share.

My goal for this is to tell the stories of the amazing people who are proud to be Made in Fayetteville.
You could be a creative, an entrepreneur, a coffee lover, an author, a WalMart Sales clerk, or a Janitor. We all have stories, and our stories make us who we are.
Our stories collectively make Fayetteville what it is.

Many of you know the people on the screen as MobileFWD.
Soon you will know their story, not how they have built an amazing mobile company, but how life has built the amazing people they are today and why they take pride in being Made in Fayetteville.