Today we’d like to introduce you to Terrance Thomas.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My story started in Fort Worth, Texas. I did not know my father and his side of the family. My mother was doing her best with two boys and addiction. I spent many nights on the streets of Fort Worth asking people for money to buy food, only to have that money be used to purchase illegal substances. I had a little brother, and I was responsible for taking care of him. Our journey would take us from motel to motel in Fort Worth. They were dangerous places to be, and one motel had rats jumping out of the wall. We lived a life of danger and uncertainty. My shoes were torn, and the cold North Texas nights were difficult because my toes were exposed to the elements.
When I was thirteen, we were arrested for shoplifting baby clothes. My mom went to prison, my brother to foster care, and I was went to a homeless shelter called “The Bridge”. While I was at the Bridge, I was an honor resident. This meant that I did all of my chores and became a house manager. I was responsible for ensuring that the other teens were doing what needed to be done in the house. I had a fantastic time living at the homeless shelter and did not want to leave when it was time to go. I believed that I had no value, and I was confident that my life would lead me to prison or death. I did not like who I was, and my future was something that I avoided thinking about.
I was blessed to have teachers in high school who believed in me. They taught me to believe in myself. I went to college and studied Political Science. I then moved overseas to China, where I did business, worked for a yacht company, and got into entertainment.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
One of my biggest challenges was getting rid of the idea that I was stupid. When I was young, I was told that I was stupid and dumb. I believed it for most of my life. The result of this belief was a severely poor performance in school. My poor performance in school contributed to other limiting beliefs about myself and unproductive habits.
I was not able to read until I was around ten years old. I performed poorly in school and failed most exams. When I was in high school, my teachers, Mr. Hayward and Mrs. Coker taught me about my potential. I took the AP Exam for Macroeconomics and placed first in my school. That was when I learned about my ability to learn.
In college, I studied Political Science and learned how to do research. That was the point when my academic life took a turn, and I started to become who I am today. I utilized the skills I learned in college once I left the United States. I was present in Hong Kong during the Umbrella Movement, and I was in Thailand when a military coup attempted to overthrow the King. I took a boat into North Korea by a river and had the North Korean Navy throw rocks at me. I saw the North Korean Navy rob vendors who were selling goods on the river. I also took a boat deep into the South China Sea from Palawan Island to get a firsthand account of the regional dispute.
As you know, we’re big fans of Terrance Thomas Int. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I am a motivational speaker and life coach.
I am a unique speaker because my stories do not use other people’s examples and experiences. I have slept under a bridge and behind a convenience store. I went through a cancer battle in 2009 while living in a house with no electricity or water. I stood in line at the homeless charity waiting for canned goods because I had no way to refrigerate food. I know what turmoil is, and I know that each of us can rise above our circumstances and live a life for the better.
I know what it means to say that God is good and will deliver. I can say this because I have been to the bottom of the pit and back. My story is a story of triumph, and I am still writing it today.
Four-time Olympic Gold Medalists Ruben Gonzalez said, “There are top dollar speakers who wish they had a story like you because you speak from experience.” I believe that is true. In my books “We Must Fail to Succeed” and “Make Today Your Day”, I discuss the fact that the very things I was once ashamed of are the things that God has turned into my most remarkable assets for success!
The confidence I needed was already there because God was with me all along. I had faith that God would use my pain to my advantage. He took my frustration and turned it into blessings. I was not alone.
Dr. Robert Criner said to me, “Whatever you focus on will expand”. If you focus on your problems, they will get more significant and numerous. If you focus on your blessings and all of the good things that God is doing in your life, you will attract more blessings.
You must define success for yourself and work diligently to make that your reality. Success for me includes publishing my following seven books and sharing my story of triumph on stages across the US. I already had the opportunity to leave a positive impact in China. Now, it’s time to take my message to organizations across Dallas-Fort Worth.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Most people don’t know that I am also an international DJ. I have Bass House music out that is in English and Chinese. It’s written and performed by me. My producers are global names from Ukraine and Russia. I was a headliner in 2019 at the International ISY Music Festival in Sanya, China. My wife and I also have an entertainment company.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@terrancethomas.com
- Website: terrancethomas.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terrancethomas_int/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terrancethomasofficial
