How I went from an E-4 specialist in the Army to owning my own sports and entertainment network

Have you ever known where life was taking you, but had no idea how to get there? That’s how I felt when I was beginning post-military life. But I held on to my vision and kept moving forward until I got to where I am today — owner of WBGR TV in Washington, D.C-Baltimore. I hope my story inspires you to approach your transition the way I did — by moving forward, embracing challenges, and taking some risks in pursuit of new opportunities.

My first major opportunity came in 1983 after just one year of college. I realized I picked the wrong school and decided to follow in my father’s footsteps by joining the Army. He spent 21 years in the military and provided our family with a great life.

I completed basic training at Fort Leonard Wood. And, again like my father, I won my division in the command base boxing tournament. I then competed on the All-Army Boxing Team. I became an athlete and began building a legacy. I also found what I was called to do: sports and entertainment.

When I left the Army, I was assigned to Special Forces, and played All-Army football, track and basketball. Two years later, I was off for a short stint in the Canadian Football League.

Afterward, I continued my sports career off the field. I went into the spa business as a physical trainer and fitness membership salesperson. I excelled. After four years, I was running six clubs.

Of course, that wasn’t all I was doing. My wife and I combined our strong belief in God and passion for music to make a run in the Christian gospel music industry as Lionel & Leslie. In between gigs, I coached my kids in sports.

By 2010, with my son in high school, I wanted to be a role model in business and in higher education, even though I’d been out of school for 20 years. I took vocational rehab classes, started a business — WBGR Sports and Entertainment — and enrolled at American Military University.

Taking on these endeavors simultaneously was hard. But the better I got in school, the easier it became to do things for my business. The deeper I dove into my business, the more I got out of my classes.

Everything didn’t click right away. I had to re-learn how to be a student. But AMU’s professors were outstanding, and the flexible class schedules helped me juggle work and school. By the time my son got his diploma, I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in Sports and Health Sciences: https://rly.pt/3DzOftZ

Mastering these challenges fueled my confidence. That’s when I leased office space — an empty eight-floor building that looked abandoned.

My friends thought I was taking too much of a risk. But the previous tenant was the number-one radio station in the country. It was the perfect spot to lay the foundation I wanted. Since then, I’ve grown WBGR to be a leader in sports and entertainment, and I’ve never looked back.

A few years later, my daughter graduated high school, and I earned my master’s degree from AMU, also in Sports and Health Sciences: https://rly.pt/3JleIPg

I’ve since earned my doctorate in music ministry, received my PMP certification and am earning a law degree in intellectual property — a highly sought-after skill in my field.

I credit so much of my success today to that decision to attend AMU. When I first started, I had no idea how I was going to get through my studies. Now I can’t seem to stop!

Today, we continue to be a sports and entertainment family. My son is a professional athlete who has appeared in the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment). My daughter is getting her master’s degree in music production. My wife and I still love to sing. And WBGR continues providing our audience with inspirational and informative programming.

Thanks to God, a whole lot of perseverance, and a strong assist from AMU, we’re living our dreams.

Fellow Veterans, I know that you can, too. My advice? Keep moving forward until you can see yourself in your dream job, and go after it. Talk with other Veterans about how they achieved success after service. As long as you’re breathing, opportunity is there.

Learn more

• Find out more about my companies at https://rly.pt/3Jghrtp or https://rly.pt/3XC1diw

• GI Bill info: https://benefits.va.gov/gibill

• My AMU bachelor’s program: https://rly.pt/3DzOftZ

• My AMU master’s program: https://rly.pt/3JleIPg

The views and opinions expressed here are solely from the author and do not reflect the opinions of any organization in this piece.