We were lucky to catch up with Dr. David Martin recently and have shared our conversation below.

Dr. David , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

Martin’s Empowerment Group was born from pain, growth, and purpose. The “Martin” part? That’s me, it’s personal, it’s legacy, and it’s accountability. Putting my name on it meant I had to stand behind it, live it, and lead with integrity.

The word “Empowerment” came from what I’ve always wanted to do: help people unlock their potential. Whether I’m speaking to youth, creating curriculum, writing books, or leading events. It’s all about empowering others to rise above their circumstances and walk in their calling.

And “Group”? That was intentional. I didn’t want this to just be about me. I wanted it to be a movement. A team. A space where other leaders, mentors, and changemakers could come together and impact communities.

The name carries weight. It reminds me of where I came from, what I’ve overcome.

Dr. David , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

If you don’t know me yet, my name is David Martin, and I’m a man who turned his pain into purpose. I was addicted to drugs for 15 years, until I surrendered my life to Jesus and that moment completely changed the trajectory of my life. That experience birthed a passion in me to help others, especially young people, break free from destructive patterns and discover who they were truly created to be.

I’m the founder of Martin’s Empowerment Group, an organization focused on restoring, equipping, and empowering individuals through faith-based speaking, mentorship, and curriculum development. Everything I do is centered around transformation—helping people get unstuck, walk in their identity, and create a new story for themselves.

One of the main tools I use is what I call the PPT Formula—People, Places, and Thinking. These are the three areas that either grow us or destroy us. When I changed my people, changed my environment, and renewed my mind—that’s when my life really started to shift. I turned that personal journey into a teaching tool and built a curriculum called “Good Ground”, which focuses on helping students recognize their value and make positive changes. It’s now being used in schools and youth organizations, and we’re working to expand its reach.

I also developed a second curriculum called “Power Parent,” which helps parents become more intentional leaders in their homes. It’s built on the same core principles of healing, structure, and accountability because if we want stronger kids, we need stronger parents too.

What I’m most proud of are the lives that have been changed—not because of me, but because God used my story to wake something up in others. I’ve seen young men who were ready to quit on life start dreaming again. I’ve seen parents rebuild broken relationships with their children. I’ve seen schools come alive when the right message hits the right heart at the right time.

Martin’s Empowerment Group isn’t just about events, it’s about impact. It’s about leaving something behind that will outlast me. And it’s about reminding people, no matter how far they’ve fallen, that they’re still good ground.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

One of the moments that really showed my resilience was learning how to publish my first book, “The ABC’s of Faith.” I didn’t grow up around authors or entrepreneurs. I came out of 15 years of addiction, and when I gave my life to Jesus, I had a fire in me to share my story, but I had no clue how to take that fire and turn it into something people could hold in their hands.

I had no formal training, no publishing team, no guidebook. Just my testimony, my faith, and a calling to encourage others. I remember sitting there thinking, “How do I even do this? Where do I begin?” But I didn’t let not knowing stop me. I researched. I watched videos. I stayed up late learning formatting and design. I asked questions, made mistakes, got discouraged, and kept going anyway.

Eventually, I released “The ABC’s of Faith”—and I self-published it on Amazon, so people could access it from anywhere. That book was my way of saying, “If God can do this in me, He can do it in you too.” It was more than just a project—it was proof that your testimony has power, and it can travel farther than you ever imagined.

That process gave me the confidence to go deeper and create my second book, “Good Ground.” That one was born out of the transformation I experienced by changing my People, Places, and Thinking—what I now call the PPT Formula. It became more than a book—it became a curriculum, a message, and the foundation of Martin’s Empowerment Group. I began speaking in schools, mentoring youth, and packaging my testimony not just as inspiration, but as a tool for transformation.

Learning how to write, publish, and build a brand around my journey wasn’t easy but that’s what resilience looks like. It’s about pushing through what you don’t know, trusting God with what you do have, and never quitting on the vision He gave you.

So when I look back, I’m proud, not because I did it perfectly, but because I didn’t stop. I didn’t just survive my past. I built from it.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the biggest lessons I had to unlearn was the idea that “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” That saying used to live in the back of my mind, and for a long time, I believed it. I thought that because I didn’t grow up around business, didn’t grow up writing books, or building a brand—that I wasn’t meant to do it. I’d look at other people who seemed to have it all figured out and think, “That’s just not for me.”

But let me tell you something—I had to throw that mindset in the trash.

When I started trying to write my first book, I felt completely unqualified. I didn’t know the first thing about publishing, editing, or even formatting a manuscript. I didn’t have a blueprint. I didn’t have people in my circle who had done it before. But what I did have was a story, a purpose, and a whole lot of grit. So instead of saying, “I can’t,” I started saying, “Let me learn.”

I learned how to structure my message, how to speak in schools, and how to take my testimony and build a movement behind it. And none of that came from prior experience, it came from a decision to grow anyway.

Unlearning that old mindset opened the door for everything I’m doing now. It taught me that just because I didn’t start with certain tools doesn’t mean I can’t develop them. And it reminded me that God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

So now, when I hear someone say, “I’m too old,” or “I missed my window,” I smile and say, “No, you’re just getting started.”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Martinsempowermentgroup.com
• Instagram: DavidMartin98
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1ExEyPXCKS/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-martin-jr-26a555b2?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=android_app
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@martinsempowerment?si=VGGh15XEPFXOM91E