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The power of necessity as a driver of innovation shines in this remarkable conversation with a tech entrepreneur who turned childhood hardship into business success.

Growing up in foster care and group homes without parents, he faced challenges most of us can’t imagine—where government assistance covered only the bare essentials and violence and negativity were daily realities.

School became his sanctuary. While many of his peers from similar backgrounds tragically ended up incarcerated, addicted, or lost to suicide, he found refuge in computer labs. Compassionate teachers, who stayed hours after closing time, gave him access to technology he couldn’t afford at home. This opportunity sparked not only technical skills but also an entrepreneurial spirit. By age thirteen, he was coding, repairing computers, and finding ways to generate income—sometimes just enough for a t-shirt he otherwise couldn’t buy.

What began as survival tactics evolved into strategic business moves. From swapping computer repairs for home-cooked meals to creating shareware security tools that helped pay for college, every step led to greater success. He pioneered managed services before "MSP" became standard industry language, built custom VoIP platforms before the technology was mainstream, and eventually expanded into cybersecurity and cloud services.

His journey is a powerful reminder that resilience, talent, and determination can turn adversity into achievement—and that innovation often begins with necessity.

Want more stories of transformation and innovation? Subscribe to our podcast and join the conversation about how entrepreneurs are reshaping the tech landscape through resilience and vision.

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Hi, I’m Marc Thomas, Founder and CEO of Current TEK Solutions and CYBER GUARDIANS. If you or someone you know could benefit from our cutting-edge IT and cybersecurity services, we’d love to help. Reach out to us today to learn how we can secure and elevate your business. https://www.currentTEKsolutions.com

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Ever searched frantically for glasses perched on your head or keys clutched in your hand? These everyday moments reflect a deeper truth about human perception: scotomas—cognitive blind spots that hide crucial realities in plain sight.

In this eye-opening conversation, we explore how these blind spots create resistance and limit our potential. We share a humbling personal story—a moment when, despite being “the boss applesauce” with all the trappings of success, failing a simple perception exercise became a spine-straightening catalyst for transformation. It wasn’t a test of intelligence but of awareness—the ability to see what’s right in front of you.

These blind spots often appear where you’re working hard but not breaking through—where familiar efforts yield the same frustrating results. They're usually rooted in outdated beliefs drawn from past emotional experiences and misapplied to present challenges. The good news? You can overcome them—through appreciative inquiry, outside perspective, and targeted exercises that turn insight into action.

We dive deep into practical strategies for uncovering what you can’t yet see—especially in those areas that keep you up at night. By replacing limiting beliefs with liberating ones, goals that once felt impossible become attainable. Just like the story we share—of rising from commission-based sales to CEO—transformation comes incrementally, as you learn to run toward the roar instead of away from it.

Ready to uncover what’s been hiding in plain sight? Listen now and discover how shifting your perception might just be your greatest competitive edge—and the key to unlocking your next breakthrough.

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Links to Follow Empower & Elevate Podcast 24/7:

• https://linktr.ee/empowerelevatepodcast
• https://www.youtube.com/@EmpowerElevatePodcast
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• https://www.instagram.com/EmpowerElevatePodcast
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• https://www.twitter.com/EmpowerElevateP
• https://www.tiktok.com/@empowerelevatepodcast
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/empowerelevatepodcast

Hi, I’m Marc Thomas, Founder and CEO of Current TEK Solutions and CYBER GUARDIANS. If you or someone you know could benefit from our cutting-edge IT and cybersecurity services, we’d love to help. Reach out to us today to learn how we can secure and elevate your business. https://www.currentTEKsolutions.com

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Kindness might be the most undervalued currency in our fast-paced world. This conversation explores how approaching situations with positivity can transform not just outcomes, but our entire experience.

When travel plans go awry or technology fails, our first instinct might be frustration. Yet, as personal stories reveal, treating the person behind the counter or the technician on the phone with genuine kindness consistently leads to better results. “I’ve never missed a flight,” shares one speaker, explaining how a smile and understanding attitude has gotten them onto fully booked planes—while others remained stranded.

The conversation takes a powerful turn when it shifts to perspective. A poignant story about a grandfather who spent his final hours angry over a minor workplace incident serves as a stark reminder to ask ourselves: Will this matter five years from now? The recent CrowdStrike-Microsoft incident offers another example—the technician helping you didn’t cause the problem, yet bears the brunt of customer frustration. Treating support staff with respect not only honors their humanity, but often gets your systems back online faster.

COVID taught us that we can slow down without the world falling apart. Perhaps that’s the lasting lesson we need: take a breath before reacting, recognize the humanity in others, and understand that most frustrations are temporary. Your positive attitude creates ripples far beyond the moment.

What small gesture of kindness might you offer today?

Support the show

Links to Follow Empower & Elevate Podcast 24/7:

• https://linktr.ee/empowerelevatepodcast
• https://www.youtube.com/@EmpowerElevatePodcast
• https://www.facebook.com/EmpowerElevatePodcast
• https://www.instagram.com/EmpowerElevatePodcast
• https://www.threads.net/@EmpowerElevatePodcast
• https://www.twitter.com/EmpowerElevateP
• https://www.tiktok.com/@empowerelevatepodcast
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/empowerelevatepodcast

Hi, I’m Marc Thomas, Founder and CEO of Current TEK Solutions and CYBER GUARDIANS. If you or someone you know could benefit from our cutting-edge IT and cybersecurity services, we’d love to help. Reach out to us today to learn how we can secure and elevate your business. https://www.currentTEKsolutions.com