Guiding Success

10/04/2025

09/27/2025

09/16/2025

🎯💥 $1.6 Million—Up in Smoke?

Every time a missile is fired, it doesn’t just explode on impact—it erases opportunity.

The average cost of a missile fired from an A-10 Warthog is around $110,000. But what if we considered what that money could grow into if redirected?

🔁 Research shows that every dollar invested in early childhood education returns $14 to $16 by the time a child graduates high school. That means…

💣 One missile = $1,634,000 in potential returns lost

That’s not just money. That’s hundreds of children missing out on music, mentorship, literacy, language development, and life-changing support.

It’s one thing to talk about it—it’s another to watch that money literally go up in smoke as a missile launches, soars into the sky, and explodes.

Imagine if we launched that kind of power into our preschool classrooms instead. Imagine if we funded violins instead of violence, confidence instead of conflict, Guiding Success instead of guided missiles.

🎻 The return isn’t just financial—it’s generational.

Let’s rethink the way we invest in our future.

08/31/2025

06/28/2025

06/19/2025

"Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it."
- Proverbs 22:6

In the two and a half decades that I have been working to develop early childhood music programs here in Jacksonville, FL, I have witnessed our children do some amazing things. But it's when I get to see moments like this that I understand it's about more than music.

These two four-year-olds were waiting to enter the music center when they struck up a conversation and the little girl grabbed hold of his hand; she said something encouraging. He had his violin on his shoulder and was in deep thought. I can no longer hear the words she spoke on that day, but years later, this picture speaks a thousand words.

05/18/2025

This is what fatherhood is all about. Watching this young man pour out positive reinforcement and unconditional love to his daughter is a reminder of what every child deserves.

If I could offer one bit of encouragement to all new parents, it would be this: speak to your baby like they understand every word you say.

“Baby talk” might sound cute — phrases like “Do you want some wah-wah in your bah-bah?” — but those are missed opportunities. Why? Because 95% of a child’s brain develops between birth and five years old. That window is powerful — and short.

Instead of simplifying, be intentional. Use clear words and connect them to visual cues:

Point to the bottle and say, “This is your bottle.”

Hand them a ball and say, “Here’s your ball.”

Vary your tone: “Let’s put on your shoes” sounds different than, “Do you want to put on your shoes?” That difference matters.

And most importantly, make eye contact. Engage two senses at once — sight and sound — to reinforce language and connection.

After 50 years of shaping the minds of toddlers, I’m still learning. I didn’t fully grasp the impact of literally getting down on my knees and speaking at eye level with three- and four-year-olds until we began bringing our music program into preschools. But once I did, I saw the world through their eyes — and it changed everything.

Between the ages of three and five is its own magical universe. One where the right kind of attention, language, and love can set the course for a lifetime.

Let’s meet them in that world — on their level — and guide them toward greatness.

05/16/2025

I don't know where to begin. Last month, I found a box of VHS cassettes that I thought were long gone and it turned out to be a time capsule from over 30 years ago. Among the videos was a comedy show I did with comedian Rod Z at Pastor Bruce V Allen Church, a news segment that featured me as the cabbie/comedian, a full 40-set at the Comedy Zone.

I will share all of the videos here on my page and later upload them to YouTube. But the most precious of them all is this video of Korah's first public performance at the Potter's House. What brought joy to my heart was to see my children as toddlers - and you will see that in the beginning, Cameron was never impressed with Korah's brilliance; he had the personality of an old man at three years old. What brought the tears was to hear me talk about why Miriam and I started the music program and the thought that I had no idea what I was speaking into existence at that time.

I can't thank Bishop Vaughn McLaughlin and the Potter's House family enough for all the live and support you have shown my family over the years, from Korah's birth to Miriam's funeral. This videos gives me life like you will never know and it renewes my commitment to providing every four-year-old in Duval County with a high-quality early childhood music education while in preschool. It is my praye that I will see this mission carried out throughout this nation before I see my last day on this earth.

"Because music has been proven to soothe the soul and cause the mind to grow in leaps and bounds." - Richard Cuff, founder Guiding Success Program