Looking back, one of the biggest shifts in my life didn’t come from school, work, or a specific opportunity. It came from having the right mentor. His name is Eric Collins, or some call him – @chicknfeet.

Seeing Something I Didn’t

At the time, I didn’t have things figured out.

I was young. Emotional. Sometimes angry. I had energy, but no direction. I was trying to figure things out on my own, making mistakes, learning the hard way, and not always handling things the right way.

Eric saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself.

He didn’t say it in a motivational way. He didn’t sit me down and give me a speech. He just treated me like someone who had potential, even when I wasn’t acting like it.

That stuck with me.

Built From Nothing

What made it different was where he came from. Eric built himself up from nothing. Everything he had, he worked for. There was no shortcut, no safety net, no easy path.

You can tell when someone has lived that kind of life. The way they move. The way they think. The way they handle problems. It’s not theory. It’s experience.

Being around that kind of mindset changes how you see things.

Not Giving Up on Me

There were definitely moments where I wasn’t easy to deal with.

I reacted emotionally. I got frustrated. I didn’t always listen. There were times I probably would’ve given up on myself if I were in his position. But he never did.

He stayed consistent. He kept showing up. He kept pushing me, even when I didn’t fully understand why at the time. That kind of consistency is rare.

A lot of people will give you advice when it’s easy. Very few people will stick around when you’re still figuring yourself out.

Learning Business Without Realizing It

What I gained from him wasn’t just motivation. It was focus. How to communicate. How to think through decisions. How to approach business with intention instead of emotion.

At the time, it didn’t feel like structured learning. It was just conversations, observations, and being around someone who operated differently. But over time, those small moments added up. I started thinking more clearly. Communicating better. Making decisions with more awareness.

That shift carried into everything I do now.

What a Mentor Really Is

A good mentor doesn’t just teach you skills. They help you see yourself differently.

They don’t fix your problems for you. They don’t give you a step-by-step path. They challenge you, stay consistent, and give you space to grow into your own understanding. Sometimes, they just believe in you before you’re ready to believe in yourself.

That was the biggest difference for me.

What He Really Gave Me

If I’m being real, the reason I am where I am today, the opportunities, the life, the mindset, the network, even the way I move, a lot of that traces back to Eric.

He took me in when I was young, as a graphic designer in his startup post production company. At the time, I didn’t fully understand what I was being given.

He taught me something simple that stuck. Life is always going to challenge you. It’s up to you how you respond. Work. Relationships. Family. Business. You always have two options. You give up, or you keep going.

And don’t worry about what other people think. Just do it.

He Didn’t Give Up On Me

There were so many times he could’ve just cut me off. Fired me. Ignored me. Moved on. I wasn’t always easy to deal with. But he didn’t.

He stayed.

From my teenage years into adulthood, he stayed consistent, making sure I didn’t completely mess things up. That kind of presence is rare.

Looking Back

It’s easy to overlook how much influence one person can have on your life.

But when I think about where I was and where I am now, a lot of that shift goes back to having someone who stayed, who challenged me, and who didn’t give up on me.

Not everyone gets that. And if you do, it changes everything.