Dont Give Up

I was living in my truck, trying to sell enough belts to get an Airbnb. It wasn't luxurious.. I wasn't camping. I wasn't PROUD of my situation. I was embarrassed

Not having a place to live and not being about to find a job after serving my country as a Navy SEAL put me in a hard place and at a hard time in the world

I had every reason to CHECK OUT

For months, I bounced around to the cheapest Airbnb bookings I could get... and when I couldn't afford the nightly rate or nothing was available.. I was sleeping in parking lots

My "business" fit into two pelican cases. BUT there was one problem. Some of the Airbnbs I got had garages and others didn't

When they DIDN'T... I ran my "business" on some cheap foldable tables from Walmart in the living rooms and on the kitchen countertops! (Pictured below)

No matter where I ended up.. I made sure my customer got their belt. Every order I got felt like this:

"This person from the internet that I had never met was now counting on ME! They trusted me with their business and now I had to hold up my end of the bargain. Every order that came in was a PROMISE made to a stranger that no matter my living situation, I wasn’t going to BREAK!"

The ACCOUNTABILITY of not letting my customer down got me through some tough times

Those two or three belt sales a day paid for the rented roof over my head

Hey.. If I could have found a real job back then, I would have taken it in a heartbeat... But the world was on lockdown

Fortunately for me, folks were spending a lot of time on their phones during COVID-19, and I learned how to sell my handmade belts online

I created a “job” for myself

But It didn't feel like a JOB and I damn sure didn't feel like an "entrepreneur..." it was an arts and crafts project that was helping me get by...

I thought words like "entrepreneur" and "business owner" belonged to people wearing gold watches with fancy cars parked in front of big buildings with their name on it

I swore that when the world simmered down... I would go back to dropping off resumes, dressing up nice, and interview again

Photos like this from years ago make me SMILE...

Because I never ended up trying to interview for that "REAL JOB" I said I would get…

And that arts and crafts project became a REAL COMPANY

You know like one that's not run in the living room of an Airbnb but in a building with my name on it, with warehouse shelving, machinery, employees, and salaries... The whole 9 yards

Things have come a long and I mean LONG way in the last few years

I wouldn't be where I am today without folks like YOU reading this now. I hope you know how thankful I am!

But most importantly… I hope this message finds those stuck in the "IN-BETWEEN"

I promise if you KEEP HAMMERING

GOOD will come

Oftentimes it comes from the place you LEAST expect

Dont Give Up!

See how far Macks Belts has come:

Shop The Toughest Belts On Earth HERE