"Move out of your comfort zone.
You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new." - Brian Tracy
For me, this quote sums up the past year or so perfectly. Given the topsy-turvy 8 or so months I've just experienced, it's hard to remember that not much changed for so long.
It's also been a great period of growth, transformation and meeting a lot of new people with incredible stories to share. One of those people is Eric Agyeman who I met through a friend of a friend.
A coffee or two later and it was clear that the man sitting in front of me, had a very different path to entrepreneurship than I did.
Growing up in Ghana in West Africa, Eric lived in poverty as a teenager, experiencing first-hand how kids in his country didn't have access to education and regular schooling... the kind of things kids in Australia tend to take for granted.
When Eric's father handed him a 1-way ticket for a holiday to Ghana, he could never have realised that initial 3-week holiday would lead to a 7-year journey of self-discovery.
As we sat and talked for the first time, Eric was just weeks away from releasing his book that tells his story - while already being no stranger to success thanks to PVBS, the social enterprise he founded, and his work as a youth motivational speaker, launching a book is somewhat of a defining moment in Eric's journey.
"Let There Be Darkness is my story and explores how I went through and overcame some dark experiences in order to find my identity and purpose," says Eric.
Images from Eric's book launch
Having scored myself a special sneak peak copy, there's no doubt this book is hard-hitting and while it doesn't pull its punches where necessary, it is ultimately a story of hope.
After reading Let There Be Darkness, I can definitely see why Eric is so well received by the young kids and adults he chats with. Suicide prevention, youth/student leadership issues... he's already walked down and overcome that challenging path faced by too many of today's youth.
"We are losing far too many kids to suicide - those in the 12 to 25-year-old age bracket are particularly at risk. How can we encourage kids to push past the hardships and understand that it's the challenging times that are the building blocks in terms of who we are destined to become?"
Eric is definitely living proof of the notion that with determination and hard work, dreams really can come true. In 2010, he founded PVBS, the social enterprise he now runs with his wife, Sandy. PVBS sells customised clothing with proceeds donated to regions such as Ghana.
In a relatively short amount of time, it's clear to see that PVBS is making a difference with over $20k donated to projects taking place in Ghana and Cambodia. As a result, over 1,400 children have been fed and two schools built.
"I like to call myself a 'Hope Dealer' - I've managed to use what I'm most passionate about to drive my mission: to act as a voice that speaks and draws out the inner greatness of this generation. My goal is to empower these kids to let go of their fears and to change their world."
Let There Be Darkness is available to buy here.
Sarah Cannata is the Communications Officer for PVBS