About

I have always been an active participant in the LGBTQ+ community, whether it was here in Charlotte or in Kansas City, Missouri where I lived for 11 years before coming back. I was a member of the Mid-America LGBT Chamber of Commerce through my work at DST Systems and while was working at Amazon later. At Amazon, I was a member of BEN, the Black Employee Network and the Glamazons, the LGBTQ employee group. In the past here in Charlotte, I was a member of OutCharlotte and the festival steering committee. As a Black, gay senior now, it is more important now than ever for representation in the business sector as well as the social sector of our communities.

At the end of last year, I made the difficult but necessary decision to dissolve my small business. The vision I had for it never fully materialized, and I eventually had to acknowledge that a few key ingredients—like having a mobile setup—simply weren’t in place. I initially hoped clients could come to my home or meet at a shared workspace, but it quickly became clear that this wasn’t a sustainable or appropriate long‑term model.

At the same time, I was competing with more than 200,000 notaries across North Carolina, many of them concentrated right here in Charlotte. And with the state’s online notary platform still stalled, the barriers kept stacking up. After a full year without generating a single dollar, I realized I was pushing against a closed door. So on January 2, 2026, I made the decision to dissolve the company.

What came next surprised me. I wasn’t sure how I would pivot, especially since the business was meant to supplement retirement income that simply isn’t enough on its own. But life has a way of nudging us forward. One day, riding the bus home from the gym, I noticed a banner promoting a workforce program for individuals receiving EBT nutrition benefits. That program—now called More Than Just A Job—led me to an informational session, an eligibility interview, and ultimately a scholarship.

I chose an IT certification program at CPCC. Classes began this month, and by May I’ll be certified and ready to re-enter the workforce. In a way, I’m coming out of retirement and stepping into something entirely new.

My story right now is about pivoting with purpose. It’s about staying open to unexpected opportunities, releasing the shame that often comes with changing direction, and recognizing that failure isn’t a dead end—it’s data. It’s guidance. It’s a chance to begin again.

If you find yourself at a crossroads—whether early in life or, like me, much later—take a breath, make the hard decision, and take the next step. Reinvention is always possible.

Here’s to all of us navigating change with courage and clarity.