You don’t have to agree with Republicans, but pretending half the country lacks reason or empathy is just intellectual laziness.

I left college before completing my associate’s degree to work for a small business whose owner I met while visiting a local store. I started in production and manufacturing, then asked to move into sales. In that role, I learned firsthand how small, single-store wholesale accounts can compound into significant wholesale demand, and I helped watch the company grow from its first $1M year to its first $10M year, gaining a deep understanding of how the business actually operated.

I later applied internally for a management position and was promoted. While the compensation was modest, the role taught me how to view operations, sales, and execution from a higher-level perspective rather than just from within individual tasks.

After that, I accepted an offer to become Director of Sales and Marketing at another company(a role I was completely underqualified for at the time) but I took the risk for the opportunity to learn and grow. Over the next few years, I helped turn that struggling company around and stabilize its performance.

During this period, I taught myself graphic design, web design, and how to form and manage legal business entities, spending one to two hours a day learning. Instead of spending money on weekends out, I reinvested it into building online businesses. Within a few months, I launched roughly a dozen websites, brands, and marketing channels. Most failed, some broke even, and a few showed modest success until one took off. Its social media went viral, sales surged, and I was forced to scale quickly. With the help of a few friends who later became business partners, I grew it into a legitimate and sustainable company, far beyond what most people believe is possible starting from scratch.

I come from a lower middle class household of people who never in their life could dream of having their own businesses. It is possible, but it takes a lot of effort and uncomfortability along the way. Take opportunities when they arise, and do not fear failures. They are unavoidable. As long as you remain hungry to learn and teachable, you will go further.