Tony A. Gaskins Jr. the son of a former pastor, was raised in a loving home along with a younger sister in a small central Florida town where most people believed that there were only a few avenues one could take in life. The common belief was that one could either end up overworked and underpaid, sell drugs or become a professional athlete. Tony escaped the cycle that entrapped so many of his peers and was awarded a full collegiate football scholarship.
It was in college where Ton started to be a problem child. Surrounded by a bunch of girls in college, he could not resist being called the ‘hunk” of college. With the body that he had and the fame that he got from school, he began to be big headed and that is when everything started falling apart. Tony started selling drugs from his dorm room and stealing. He became very different and started not to appreciate all the things that he received. He felt that they weren’t enough to sustain him, and in that juggling women somewhere in between. After three years of not staying firm to his responsibilities as a student athlete, his coached decided to remove him from the team. It was obviously thought of him to get wakeup call when that happened but Tony was unreceptive. He then moved back to Florida and continued to sell drugs as a form of income. He was living like Prodigal son, ignoring his natural gifts that possibly would have changed his life.
Not so long after relocating to Florida that Tony would cross paths with a young lady that would advise positive change into his life. Tony then saw a chance a made her his wife. Tony was still living a lie because he was still selling drugs and on the other hand being a husband. But that balancing act wouldn’t sustain for too long. At 23 Tony got married and had a Son who he described as being premature because he arrive 2 weeks early and weighed two pounds at birth. Being desperate in finding a way to provide for his new family, Tony decided to give drug dealing one more shot. No less than a few weeks in his risky lifestyle, Tony’s wife (Sheri Gaskins) decided to leave him. It got worse when Tony was robbed by local enemies. He was left with debts, poor credit and nothing to call his own, a marriage that was hanging on by thread and a son in an intensive care unit. It was only then when he realised his stupidity. He kneeled down and cried out to God. He rededicated his life to Christ and vowed to forever live a life of God from that day forward. Although he experienced potholes along the road, Tony kept his word to God.
Tony pulled out his first book, “What Daddy Never Told His Little Girl” which he had written and published that earlier that year. He set goals, And one of them was to be featured as a guest on The Opera Winfrey Show to admit his shortcomings and from there, to move with a clear conscious to change the world. Tony than engrossed himself of the teachings of the greatest human to ever walk on earth. He absorbed thousands of hours from teaching from world leaders and Jesus Crist was his most valuable source. This new information about every subject imperative to life changed Tony in the most profound ways. He literally became a new man and almost unrecognizable to his former associates. He became a beliver and a server of God that Christ’s teachings and love restored his life, his heart, his mind, his marriage and his son. While simultaneously transforming into a new man, he was also trying the the tasks of standing in as his own agent, manager and publicist. He secured several speaking engagements, newspaper articles, magazine articles and local television appearances.
Almost two years to the date, Tony was invited to The Oprah Winfrey Show to share his dark story of once being a toxic and abusive boyfriend while in college with his ex-girlfriend. Tony admitted to things the average man would carry to his grave. His reasoning was to turn his mess into his message and to use his story for God’s glory. He knew that in order to help others change their lives, he had to be willing to admit his own faults as a man. It was his pain which birthed his purpose. He humbled himself and revealed his mistakes as a young man. The day after appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show, the producers of The Tyra Banks Show called him. Tony was featured on Tyra Banks’ show as a guest expert with his self-published book in hand. This was a book that Tony wrote at the mere age of 22 years old when he was fresh out of the dating game. He played the game worse than most men and survived to tell about it in his books. After the talk show appearances, Tony was featured on TBN’s 700 Club. He had visited three globally-televised shows all within a few months while acting as his own agent, manager and publicist.
Tony put a lot of miles on his life at a young age and was blessed with a level of wisdom from his mistakes that would not only change his life but also millions of others. He continued to study and gain years of growth and knowledge. It was that dedication to growth which eventually set Tony free and free spirited.
Today, Tony has travelled all over the world speaking to groups of all ages. Luckily Sibusiso Leope a well-known South African radio and Tv personality that also declares himself as a local motivational speaker had the courage to bring Tony to South Africa and he had the kindness to visit and share his wise words of wisdom with our country. He is one of the most sought-after speakers in the USA. He speaks on topics of love, business, success and self-development. He has addressed audiences for countless colleges and universities, major sports organizations and churches. In addition, he is finally conquering his fear of flying so that he can accept the hundreds of invites from around the globe.
Tony is an author of several books and a professional life coach by day, coaching people from all walks of life all around the globe. He is also a TV & film producer on the rise, ghostwriter and an author/business/social media consultant. Because of his vast life experiences, Tony has become a jack-of-all-trades but a master of service. It is his belief that as we live, we should teach. This philosophy urged him to create online schools for people who desire to learn about love and relationships, entrepreneurship or becoming a life coach. He also organizes and hosts retreats for those who need to get away, have a great time, and change their lives in the process.
Tony’s story is a testament that it doesn’t matter where you come from or what you’ve been through, if you want better for your life, then you can have it. The choice is yours!
XoXo ZeReal_Cleo :)
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