My Story
Growing up in a rough neighborhood taught me a valuable life lesson. I learned that where you aspire to go is more important than where you come from. I grew up in the Northview Heights neighborhood located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where my father constantly reminded me that there was an entire world out there. After graduating from Oliver High School in 2004, I began the pursuit of my Bachelor Degree at La Roche College. With an interest in entrepreneurship, I decided to become a Marketing and Management major. While pursuing my degree, I played three years of collegiate basketball (2005 - 2008). In 2008, I completed my undergraduate program and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing and Management.
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In 2013, I decided to pursue a Masters Degree at California University of Pennsylvania (Exercise Science and Health Promotion). While working towards my graduate degree, I discovered my aspiration to become a motivational speaker. A significant focus of this program was Sport Psychology, which involved motivating athletes to reach a high level of performance. One course lead me to watching a series of motivational videos done by the late Zig Ziglar. After watching these videos, I realized that I wanted to spend the rest of my life inspiring people to reach their full potential in both life and athletics. At the conclusion of 2015, I completed my graduate program.
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With the vision of helping people develop a better relationship with God and having a passion for writing, I made the decision to become a Christian Blogger and launch my brand Carlton Speaks, LLC (2016). This brand places an emphasis on spiritual encouragement and the empowerment of women. Over the last three years, Carlton Speaks has been viewed in 92 different countries including the United States and has reached a following of over 20,000 people worldwide. In the midst of building a global brand, I decided to start a graduate program at Grand Canyon University for Life Coaching; completing my coursework in January (2018).
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During the month of March (2018), my women empowerment and community efforts lead to a NAACP Image Award. Along with being a Christian blogger, Certified Life Coach, and a Women Empowerment Advocate, I decided to organize a team for the Autism Speaks walk to raise funding and awareness for Autism!
In a continuous effort to bring awareness and support to the community, I decided to organize a team for "Making Strides for Greater Pittsburgh" Breast Cancer walk to demonstrate my support and admiration for every individual that has survived, fought, and currently is fighting this battle.
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Under the tutelage of Reverend John Knight and Dr. William Curtis, I became a Licensed Associate Minister at Mount Ararat Baptist Church in August (2018). Also during the month of August, I was voted as one of Pittsburgh's Best Local Bloggers in the Pittsburgh City Paper (3rd Place). During the summer (2019), I was selected as a Fab 40 Honoree for being one of the top young professionals in the city of Pittsburgh.
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My goals include Christian leadership, women empowerment, life coaching, fitness training, and giving back to local communities. I've always found joy in helping others and seeing people succeed.
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Without God or the help of others, I would not be where I am today. I'm committed to keeping our focus on God and what's necessary to reach our full potential as men and women of God!
