Let me give you a short story on where the term Gorilla Hustle came from. I grew up in the lap of luxury (especially for a black family in the 70’s). We had a nice apartment, furnished beautifully, and my father owned 4 cars. I was too young to know but my pops was a heroin dealer. I remember seeing him handle big knots of money and dressing real nice. All I had to do was ask, and it was given. Along with this I saw him come home shot twice. One time he was shot through his calf muscle, the other tome 4 inches from his heart. This would always scare me. I never knew if he would make it back home.
One day he made me promise him not to be like him! He told me to make something of myself. Little did I know that this was the last conversation we would ever have? Two weeks later, he was dead. The streets say it was retaliation for something he did, for me my heart was crushed! We went from a life of luxury to poverty in 1 months’ time. We moved into a house that you could literally see through floor. All we could do to keep warm was to pile on blankets when we slept at night. School down south was horrible! In D.C. it was an all-black staff of teachers that nurtured you and recognized your potential. Down south at my new school all I got was suspensions. The teachers there could care less if you learned or not. I went from A’s & B’s to straight F’s. My last year of school I was suspended for a total of 88 days. I dropped out at 17 with the great advice from the principle (You and I both know that you’re only going to end up dead or in jail, why don’t you just quit?). So I did, I was now a straight hood dude, left to thug out it like everyone else, trapped in an extremely hostile environment at the height of the crack epidemic of the 1990’s.
How could I escape this world of mass incarceration, mandatory sentencing, heavy drug use, violence and murders??? I was close to my brothers in the streets. All we had was each other. All of our fathers were dead or in jail. None of us had shit. But from what I saw in my early life growing up, I knew there was a better life! I had no choice but to adapt to the environment I was in and learned to move accordingly. I lost over 12 friends from murders at that time. Many more went to jail for long bids and others became drug addicts and alcoholics.
I took a trip to west Philly, hell I had nothing to lose. My best friend’s brother owned a clothing store there. This was my introduction to “The Hustle” legal entrepreneurship. I instinctively hung with this brother every day. His friends owned businesses too and just listing to their conversations inspired me .We would listen to Minister Farrakhan teaching the 3 words I live by to this day: Own, Control, Produce.
Yeah, West Philly That’s where I learned to hustle. To think like a hustler, to see the world like a hustler, to make moves like a hustler. I learned never to half way do anything! If you going to do it, be a Gorilla! Average anything gets average results. When I left Philly I went to Job corps. In my dorm there were 1,300 men from projects all over the east coast. I ended up be one of the top 5 earners in the underground economy there. The thing that I noticed looking back was I naturally was in the position of buying & selling. I loaned people money as well, then collected with interest. It wasn’t they I tried to be that, I just WAS & the people accepted it. My center was off the hook! The students basically had free reign to do whatever. Eventually I got expelled for going to jail on a petty possession charge. When I got back home I had No coat for the winter. I literally had to take a guy’s shoes before I left job corps (I still feel bad about that). A few days later something in me changed! I was sick and tired of being sick and tired! I made a vow to myself that I was not going out like this. I made a decision…..I had no idea how but I was going to own my own business.
I started hanging with entrepreneurs. I started thinking like a hustler. Before long I was selling handbags and cloths out the trunk of the car. I was going into barber shops and beauty salons selling oils and incense. I went from the trunk to a flea market booth, the booth turned into a store, the store turned into selling a major events, the events turned to websites, websites turned to product lines and now some 25 years and 2 companies later…here we are!
What is Gorilla Hustle??? It’s a mentally. It’s a belief that you will not fold regardless. When you refuse to give up. When your desire for freedom over rides your fear of failure. When you are so focused on your dream that your friends think your crazy. All you talk about is the hustle (Dream). The difference? A Hustler can earned extra money on the side, a Gorilla Hustler can create a steady income for himself and if he/she is good enough they create money for others.
It’s a big world out here. If I did it, you can do it! That’s why I’m here. To help you live your dream help to guide you through the process. This journey is not for weak of faint of heart. You will be changed forever. You will be a stronger person. You will loose some friends but it will pay off. Are you ready??? If so Welcome to the jungle! Mother f%ckers! Let’s go!
