I’ve never been enrolled in a school—not kindergarten, not high school, not college. The religious cult I grew up in put no value in education and in all transparency I can’t read or write well at all. And yet, here I am nearly 16 years into owning and running a successful restoration company in Austin, Texas: All Nation Restoration.
Over the years, I’ve learned how to manage my setbacks and disabilities in ways that allow me to thrive as a business owner and person. I use tools like voice-to-text, lean on trusted people to support me with reading and writing, and I’ve made it a priority to educate myself in the areas that matter most to my role finance, accounting, strategy, and the complex realities that determine whether a business sinks or succeeds. Delegation, adaptation, and self-education have become my greatest strengths.
Over the years, I’ve found myself in countless conversations about success, how it’s achieved, who deserves it, and how education plays into the equation. And while I never expected to be offering my opinion on higher education, here I am. I think it’s time someone shared a different perspective. So take this with a grain of salt from a guy who can’t read a menu or write a paragraph but has managed to build something that works.
Starting out at 15, trying to figure out things like employment, how to get a driver’s license, how to fill out a form, I felt completely handicapped by my lack of education. It crushed my confidence. I felt like I had no real shot at the kind of life I imagined. The odds I assigned to my dreams weren’t good. But I didn’t let that stop me.
I worked harder. I asked questions. I trusted the right people. And I stayed in the game long enough to learn the language of business even if I still can’t read it on paper.
For the last 50 years, being a “good parent” often meant preparing your child for college. It was the holy grail. But now, the ripple effects are obvious: millions of young adults buried in debt, holding degrees they’ll never use, fighting for entry-level jobs they were told would be waiting on the other side.
Of course, this isn’t everyone’s story but it’s common enough to talk about. Meanwhile, companies in “unsexy” trades, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, roofing, restoration—are booming. These are the industries selling at massive multiples, growing fast, and producing real wealth. And not one of them requires a college degree to start or run. I’m living proof of that.
There are ditches on both sides of the road:
So what’s the solution?
If you have a clear and burning desire—you want to be a doctor, lawyer, engineer, architect, etc…then yes, go get the education. Go in with commitment and intensity, because you’re going to need it to succeed in those professions.
But if you’re unsure? If you’re 17 or 18 and don’t know where to go or what to do, don’t take on debt to figure it out. Go to work. Get into a trade. Earn $15–$22 an hour and act like an apprentice. Show up every day, don’t hop around, and absorb everything you can.
If possible, don’t change jobs. Don’t change careers. Every time you do, you reset trust, systems, culture things that take years to rebuild. My own success has been built almost entirely on sticking with one thing and becoming an expert at it.
If you’re going to college just because your parents insist, or because it’s “the thing to do,” then go with a plan: Study finance. Maybe minor in business. Learn how money works, because that’s the number one tool missing from most people’s toolbox—educated or not.
“It’s not reading and writing that would’ve saved me years of struggle it’s financial literacy. They say cash flow kills companies, and it’s true. The people who succeed are the ones who understand the numbers, not just the narrative.”
So no, I don’t have a degree. I don’t even have a GED. I’m still illiterate. But I understand business. I understand people. And I’ve learned how to succeed in a world that wasn’t built for people like me.
Stay strong. Stay focused. Stay in business.
