We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jovan Ford a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jovan thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.

I feel that coaching and training boxing along with mentoring the youth is a huge part of the community that is being underserved. A high percentage of issues in the world in general stem from the youth not being or having guidance and a full support system. Not all families have both parents there, let alone outside support that can help aide with the growth of empowering children. We often get angry or bothered by how children are, but not noting the fact that these issues derive from family structure from generations passed down. It is extremely important that our youth have a well groomed head start on life, simply by having love. My brand helps the underserved community by providing a brother/father/mentor support system that I wish I had. So looking at my faults I know what I needed and what can help those that are in need. I utilize boxing, not for the contact, but for the independence and confidence one can gain in themselves along with a constant and consistent pat on the back that encourages and lights a fire in the youths heart to know that they are someone special. Along with knowing you will have to go through life fighting for everything. Not physically but mentally most importantly.

Jovan, 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?

I’m Jovan Ford and I’m 37 yrs old but 7 yrs old at heart. While working with children and adults with developmental disabilities as well for a total of 10+yrs, I’ve gained a whole new perspective on the daily lives of individuals with physical and mental disabilities, to individuals without a father figure or a family structure. Being that I can relate, gave me all the more passion to want to help by any means necessary. After seeing two mentally disabled kids fight in middle school, to being around friends that had a big family background and connection, this fueled me to help and heal them as well as myself. I decided to get into boxing at the age of 25 yrs old just to test myself. I remember my pops saying one day that I was afraid of competition when I played football in high school, in which I disagreed with because I always was a starter, but I took that to heart as I wanted to show him I was never afraid and that football wasn’t where my heart was to want to even try that much. The main lesson I got from boxing was to be humble. I also compared it to my life circumstances and how my brothers and I were always fighters at heart. Not only physically, but also through life’s tough journey. Boxing as always brought out a side of me that made me feel important to myself and I figured I can use that to help build up the fatherless children or those in need of just some love. This passion has allowed me to start a youth boxing club to help children and those with physical disabilities to become in love with themselves not only through physical activity but through a passionate voice and loving figure to help get all of the extra love and support we’ve all missed at some point. I make the workouts as fun as possible by bringing my laughter, a cheerful spirit, and along with life’s quotes and words of wisdom that they can take with them forever. I look at like music. If the beat is nice you’ll listen. So the boxing became the beat in which I use to share words of inspiration through which God has shown me on my journey. I know what I missed as a kid or wished I had so I feel my duty is to provide that to kids so they don’t have to feel the same. We all need an outlet and one that doesn’t demand much from you except your own desire to want to be better. With Ford Tuff Boxing, I feel you can get more than a workout, but instead get an abundance of everlasting fuel driven through love and true passion to see the children succeed. I’ve always lived by the, “ Don’t let the kid die in you “ saying. The main thing I’m most proud about is to see true joy in children through a workout, in which is hardly ever seen. No one enjoys a workout, but to be a kid again amongst the youth is a big reminder on how important they are. With my organization you can put your child in an activity outside of school and also a mentorship and guidance approach. From boxing footwork, punch techniques, angles and discipline, our youth can get that self confidence that most of us seem to lack at some point. They don’t have to worry about being judged or being perfect but instead to be applauded through their efforts, regardless of the time it takes. “It’s better to have traveled well than to arrive”, it’s said. Ford Tuff Boxing is the journey before arriving at life’s destination to becoming a humbled soul. I Box, I write, I Box 4 Life.

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

A story from my journey that illustrates my resilience is one of being homeless and not letting people know that. From living in my car and eating tuna from a can, to living in 10 different peoples homes, to losing 18 lbs and being scared to be seen, to having a seizure from lack of sleep and sicknesses, and finally, to helping the homeless when I felt I needed to help them more than they needed what I had to offer. All of these things plus many more dark shadows has built me to who I am and I pray that I can put some fuel in the vehicles of others that I cross paths with.

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

I had to unlearn that everyone doesn’t love you or like you as you’d want them to. As long as you have the love and support of yourself and even just one other person is more than enough. Gods love will cover the rest. I unfortunately had to learn that through not having a full family structure and not even knowing how to receive love or help, but always wanting to help. A lady once told me, “Honey, when you don’t let people help you then you’re messing up the flow of the universe. How can you expect someone to accept your help but not do the same?”. That woke me up big time because I gave so much of myself to everyone and I felt it wasn’t reciprocated. Now that I had time to sit to myself at an older age, it brought more clarity. “The same things that make you laugh make you cry”.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/hovford