We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Vantonio Fraley . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Vantonio below.
Alright, Vantonio thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?
I hope the legacy I leave will be based on how many people I positively influenced and helped. I still believe that the more you help people get what they want, the more you get what. My understanding of the BIBLE is that God gave us all a purpose. Again, this is my understanding that when God assigns a purpose, it benefits/ serves others and brings us closer to harmony. On my journey, I had a mentor that ask me a question that stuck with me. He ask me, How do you give people more every time they come in your presence than they did when they came into your presence? I want my legacy to be based around the testimony God has given me to inspire, impact and encourage others/.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m Vantonio (Van-Toni-O) Fraley Founder & Director of ImPossible Teen Center, Owner of B.G.O.P Be Great On Purpose, and Owner/C.E.O of B.G.O.P CORPORATIONS (www.BGOP247.com). Growing up I wanted to help people start their companies and grow them into impactful companies. I didn’t know that you could start a company based on helping people. My first semi-conscious experience with entrepreneurship was towards the end of my professional track and field career. During this time I was on a developmental deal and didn’t fully understand how to monetize my platform on my own. I didn’t fully dive into entrepreneurship until I couldn’t find a job from having so many unpaid speeding tickets that turned to warrants. This time frame was very challenging because I couldn’t get a job and I didn’t want to do anything illegal.
I call this phase of my life rock bottom, in this phase I experienced sleeping outside, squatting in a house, and staying in a friend’s garage. I was searching for any way possible to change my situation when I came across a network marketing company called 5Linx and after 3yrs in this company I started to think if the same energy I’m putting in this company I’d put into my own, it would be more beneficial to my family and I. 2013 I created a curriculum based off the things I was doing to pick myself through goal setting and overcoming adversity. Which ultimately led to me creating the nonprofit 501c3 ImPossible Paradigm Shifters aka ImPossible Teen Center [I’m Possible] and B.G.O.P BE GREAT ON PURPOSE.
The ImPOSSIBLE Youth Mentoring Programs (IYMP) of ImPOSSIBLE
Paradigm Shifters (IPS) is the organization’s innovative youth mentoring and wellness program
dedicated to providing youth-centered developmental programming to enhance an
individual’s self-esteem and the learning of life skills. (www.ipsctx.org).
B.G.O.P is personal growth & development website that encourages people to be the best version of themselves. The site provides a platform for Life Coaches, podcasters, and those with curricula to put their curricula online. All the curricula are based on personal development and entrepreneurship. (www.bgop247.com)
For youth, our nonprofit teach them to have fortitude and the systems they need to achieve the things they set their minds to while providing a safe and nourishing environment to grow in. Hoping of reducing youth crime and equipping them with resources, mentors, and the mindset they need to achieve their goals.
For adults, B.G.O.P helps with the steps and mindset to entrepreneurship and for those that want to better themselves the tools, support, and resources to achieve whatever goal they set for themselves.
There has been nothing easy about my journey, what I’m most proud of is not giving up on myself and those that have used my story as motivation to accomplish the things they set out to accomplish.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
The story of resilience I’ll share is from July of 2021, I lost our first facility. I can’t express how heavy my heart was and defeated I felt. For about 2-weeks I was lost, I couldn’t find vision or motivation. I received a call from someone that saw my story and wanted to help me find another facility for the program. This re-lit my flame and for about two months we looked for a facility. I almost signed a lease for an overpriced place that didn’t fit what we were trying to do out of desperation. After, not signing that lease our realtor gave up on us and things died down for a month when another realtor from Austin, TX called and wanted to help. Matthias Theile is his name, at this point I taught I had driven around and looked at every building that met the dimensions we needed there was none and Matthias didn’t know what he was up against. About 2- weeks later Matthias called with a building, this building was close however still wasn’t big enough. 2 buildings later we get a call from Matthias and we go see this building and its perfect!!! Not only is the building perfect the owner wants to work with us because he likes what we are doing and as someone that grew up here believes it’s much needed and way overdue, They wanted to get rid of everything, the building, and an additional 12acres. Adding the 12 acres put it out of our price range at 2.7 million. 2-weeks later we lost that facility to someone that paid the owner in full, with their capital gains. Maybe two weeks later I speak at a city council meeting, which leads to a call from a person that owns a lot of local land and offers us a place to build a facility to fit our needs. After seeing the location we are even more excited and began the process. Two- weeks later we find out we can’t build there because was a business that recently got their liquor license. Things went quiet for another month before Matthias calls with a new location offer from the same landowner. We like the land and things got quiet again, during this time I left for Arizona to find some mental clarity before Matthias called again saying they are ready for me to sign the letter of intent. We are currently working to get the new location re-zoned and the lease signed at any day now, however, we are expecting this to happen before the end of March. This is a process I started in 2013
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
One of the biggest lessons I had to unlearn, was how the level of business I want to achieve is not about how well you can exchange things for money. Growing up I thought to get to my dreams I had to sell a product or service. The entrepreneurs I studied and gravitate towards all created systems and processes. I believe entrepreneurship can be developed, studied, and practiced like sports. In Basketball you have a point guard, shooting guard, etc. In entrepreneurship, you might have an owner, CEO, and secretary. Those positions all have roles and responsibilities educating yourself and help’s develop the brand. Not knowing what a point guard does makes it hard to find a good point guard same applies to the CEO and secretary. I had to learn a few things versus thinking I can just exchange things for money.
Contact Info:
- Website: ipsctx.org. | www.bgop247.com
- Instagram: @ImPossibleCTX
- Facebook: @ImPossible254
- Linkedin: Vantonio Fraley
Image Credits
I have permission to use all photos.