About Me

Life is nothing, but a series of challenges. We all face them but for Michael, the odds were against him from the very beginning. Born prematurely, he entered life facing significant medical challenges before he could take his first steps. Doctors believed Michael would never be able to walk, talk, see, or hear.

As he grew older, challenges continued in his academic journey. He was written off by many and told he would not graduate middle school or high school, and that college was out of reach. In his first year of college, he earned a 0.5 GPA.

Despite those circumstances, Michael made a shift. He chose to take ownership of his life and develop the mindset needed to keep moving forward. Through determination, perseverance, and discipline, he transformed his academic path and graduated college with a 3.1 GPA.

That experience shaped his belief in self-leadership, the idea that when youth learn how to manage their mindset, choices, and responses, they begin to change the direction of their lives.

Today, Michael is a Youth Leadership Development Trainer. He specializes in working with middle schools, high schools, juvenile detention centers, nonprofits, and city youth programs. He is committed to supporting the development and growth of the next generation.

He is the founder of Be You & Prosper LLC, an organization focused on youth self-leadership and mindset development.

About the Company

Be You & Prosper LLC was built on a simple but powerful belief. Every youth, regardless of their circumstances, has the capacity to lead themselves forward.

We are a youth leadership development company. We partner with school districts, middle schools, high schools, juvenile justice programs, nonprofit youth organizations, and city youth programs serving youth ages 12–18.

We develop leaders from the inside out. Self-leadership through mindset and belief is the foundation of everything we do. We believe that lasting leadership begins internally. When belief changes, behavior follows and that is where self-leadership begins.

When youth learn to lead themselves, everything else begins to shift. Because before you can lead anyone else, you have to first learn to lead yourself.

"Where the mind goes, the leader grows."