Barefeet in Business, 3707 Main Street, College Park, GA (2026)

04/16/2025

Gotta give them props for this

01/24/2025

01/22/2025

My supporters, since 2014, I’ve been trying to figure it out. Big Dave’s was my first business—I didn’t know what I was doing, and honestly, I’m still learning every day. I just wanted to change my life and inspire others while doing it. This journey has been a rollercoaster. Scaling a business for the first time comes with real challenges, you start opening stores, hiring people, and hoping they share your vision. Over the years, I had to learn the difference between making a business popular and actually growing it.

I was hard on myself because I felt overlooked—being a Black man from the ghetto of West Philly, I knew I didn’t fit the mold. But every year, I told myself, ‘This will be my year, and nothing or no one will stop me.’ Sometimes, the biggest challenge is getting out of your own way. Once you master your craft, NOBODY can stop you.

I don’t look like the typical CEO in my industry, but I’ve defied the odds. Only 8% of African Americans own franchises in the U.S., and less than 10% of businesses survive their first year, that means 90% don’t make it.

This message is for anyone out there building a brand or dreaming of starting a business, LEARN every single day. Study your pricing, build strong relationships, and figure out how to stay profitable while keeping your customers happy. But most importantly, NEVER let anyone take you away from what built you. Stay authentic, because that’s what people love.

Today, I have hundreds of employees, locations in stadiums and across states, and people traveling from everywhere to experience Big Dave’s. But it’s been 10 years of fighting to prove my brand is not only needed, but special to the world.

If you made it past your first year, you’ve already done what 90% of businesses couldn’t. Keep pushing. The journey is yours! 💪🏾 ”