Last Friday, I had the pleasure of joining the faculty and staff at Doby Elementary School in Apollo Beach, Florida to see what a day in the life of our Hillsborough County educators and students is like.

For me, it’s been many years since I walked the halls of an elementary school, but something about being back made me think hard about a question I get asked all the time: If you could go back in time, what would you tell your younger self? I’d tell myself to persevere. The process of building a business from the ground up comes with mistakes and obstacles, but our team never gave up. If anyone can learn from my experience, I want them to know that hard work and determination do pay off. As we like to say at Diamond View, “the dream is free but the hustle is sold separately”.

In my short amount of time interacting with the students at Doby Elementary, I quickly realized that these kids are so bright and intellectually curious. They’re passionate about learning, and building a better future which makes me optimistic about the future of our world. We’re in good hands.

The Hillsborough Education Foundation’s “CEOs in Schools” program is also important because it allows business leaders like myself to get an inside look at what it takes each day to set these students up for success. Our educators and school staff deserve the utmost recognition because it truly takes a special type of person to be in those roles. And, as business leaders we have them to thank for creating the talent pipeline and giving us a shot at having the best and brightest team members down the road.

I can’t tell you enough how important it is to stay involved in the community and do what we can to inspire the next generation. If I can have a positive impact in just one person’s life and give them the confidence and resources they need to pursue their dreams, everything I’ve done in my career will be worth it. We have a mural on the side of our office that says, “Dream Big”, and that’s my biggest advice to elementary students. My company, Diamond View, is just one example of a person who had a big dream and never gave up. Everything seems impossible until it’s done.

To the students and educators at Doby Elementary, thank you for allowing me to learn from you, and I hope that I can continue to touch the lives of the students in our community.