He has gone from incarceration to starting his own business, all while helping those in our community see that a thriving life after prison is possible. His story is a powerful one, filled with honesty, humility, and trusting God with each step.
We sat down with Tony to hear how his faith has shaped his business ventures and his life. Below is our conversation. For a full backstory on the blog interview series, view our first post here. Faith Co-Op FC : Can you share some background on who you are and how you got started with your business? My family lived there until I was six and then moved to Chattanooga. In school, I chose to get in the streets and mess with drugs. I ended up running with the wrong people and found myself in prison.
They need someone to walk with them to show them that someone really does care about them and that there are people out there that have been where they are and have made it out. One night, while working third shift, someone broke into my house.
My wife had purchased a firearm for protection for her and the girls since I was on third shift, but when the police arrived they found the gun. It was devastating having to go back. I remember it like it was yesterday. I felt that God had let me down.
There was a young guy in the cell with me and we got to talking. He was a gang member and had a bunch of bullet wounds from where he had been shot, so I had to help him on and off the bed. When I got out of prison again, I tried to go back to my old job. It was devastating and I started getting angry. I started to distrust employers because of what they had done to me. She went to the Dollar Store and bought me dollars worth of cleaning supplies and I went and bought myself a fold-up pressure washer.
