Connect Who or what is your inspiration in business?

My inspiration comes from those who stay the course, remain resilient, and dont abandon their values, vision, and dreams throughout life's trials and tribulations. They know that the person they are becoming is stronger than their current circumstances. We see these people every day, not on social media or the TV, but quietly living IRL as our neighbors, friends, family, co-workers, and partners. They give me inspiration to keep going when things get tough.

How do you stay motivated?

What keeps me motivated is seeing the real-life impact of our work at Lee Stephens Digital. There are few things more fulfilling than talking with a happy business owner who can now give someone unemployed a job or give a hard-working employee a raise or promotion. That is the fuel. Entrepreneurship is not about motivation. It is about conviction, it's about making a choice every day to serve others and make an impact.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would use the money to invest in people, specifically hiring through an apprenticeship and completing my book (working title: DIY Digital Marketing for Small Businesses) on arming fellow business owners with the power of AI and digital. The book is already written and going through the editing process. My passion is giving back to my community through education and opportunities to break the generational cycles that have kept so many of us from seeing and living our full potential.