Business with Purpose Podcast EP 115: Antonio T. Smith Jr. – From Living in a Dumpster to Self-Made Millionaire
When I start an episode, my goal is to give you a personal connection–some type of fact or interesting tidbit–that is kind of a general statement, but is loosely or directly related to the upcoming conversation. But this week, as I sat down to work on the post-production for this episode, there was not a phrase or a catchy saying or a fact (or anything like that), that could really put into perspective the conversation that I had with my guest today. No fancy intro or statement of facts, could possibly give you any real indication as to what today’s episode is about. So I’m doing things a little differently, and we’re just going to dive right in. My guest this week is Antonio T. Smith, Jr.. He is a self-made millionaire who started off as a 6-year-old homeless kid, living in a dumpster, and is now a celebrity business advisor, running several multi-million dollar businesses. You heard that right. He’s a self-made millionaire, who was homeless, as a six-year-old, living in a dumpster. Antonio is also the business advisor to Les Brown, the Les Brown. Antonio an entrepreneur, he’s a business consultant, a 3-time best-selling author, and has 4 top-ranked podcasts in the top 30 on iTunes and is also ranked in the top on podomatic. Antonio travels the country helping celebrities and businesses develop multi-million dollar companies using the system that took him years to master. Not only that, he has given away hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of information and product because he genuinely desires to help others grow personally and financially.
A TOUGH BEGINNING + A DUMPSTER
Antonio grew up in a difficult situation, to say the least. His parents did the very best with what they had. However, when Antonio was 6-years-old, they became addicted to the drugs that plagued their urban projects neighborhood. One year later, in 1987, his parents were no longer able to keep him–legally or financially. They gave Antonio up with good intentions but each situation proved more toxic than the last. He started suffering–wondering who would love him if his own parents didn’t love him. This is where his story really began. He found a dumpster outside of a paper company, which became his home from ages 6 to 14. He put himself through school by forging his mother’s signature, subsisting on four bags of chips per day and a public water fountain. Despite failing twice due to lack of resources and support, he kept going back. Antonio became a powerful prose and poetry speaker, recognized state-wide. This qualified him for every single school in Texas, but he decided to enlist in the army instead. His testing for the army came back off-the-charts, with his IQ coming in at 134. Antonio was told he would be a spy for the US Army.
ADJUSTING TO CIVILIAN LIFE
Antonio spent 95% of his 4-year military career in the field. After returning home, he had a very difficult time returning to civilian life. After many psychotherapy sessions, he asked himself what he knew how to do well, and two things came to mind: he knew how to program people in the masses (through marketing and public relations) and he knew how to speak. He thus started a lot of businesses to keep himself speaking, and now does marketing and public relations all over the world.
FINDING YOUR “CONGREGATION”
Today, Antonio helps celebrities understand how to make money in the digital age. First, by finding their “congregation”–people who have an important thing in common. Second, by finding their congregation’s attention, following that attention, and then jumping in front of it. Last, by converting their energy into income. Antonio also started the ATS Business University, which is his pride and joy. He takes lower-class to middle-class people, wherever they are, and he teaches them how to become millionaires. The university does 9 trainings a week–from business, to marketing, to sales, to cold-calls. He helps these individuals grow their companies and has created 8 millionaires so far. Antonio believes that abundance is meant to be shared, and he is a shining example of how exactly to do that.
About Antonio T. Smith, Jr.:
Antonio T. Smith, Jr. is the C.E.O. of The ATS JR Companies, a top personal development and training company that offers people from small business owners, to managers, to entrepreneurs, to stay-at-home moms, and college students reliable, high-quality resources through coaching, motivational speaking, and free and paid resources, and the active CEO of The ATS JR Business University, a university developed to guide you through broke to profitable.
In the early 2000’s, after identifying “the internet” as a land-grab opportunity, Antonio studied and master the trade of Business to build his businesses and moving to help other businesses in dying markets revive themselves.
During his growth season and learning and mastering the art of Business, he started several podcasts to share his wealth of knowledge to help others master the art of business. These podcasts include Brick By Brick, The Secret to Success, Overcoming Low Self Esteem and his most recent and quickly growing podcast, Awareness TV.
Not only has Antonio leveraged content creation and the rise of social media for his personal brand, but it was the seed which would become the pillar to his now 10-year path to adding value and sharing his wealth of knowledge of business through The ATS JR Companies and the ATS Business University.
Outside of being the CEO of his own companies, Antonio is a highly sought after public speaker, a 3-time Amazon Bestselling Author, as well as a prolific Business Advisor with clients that range from Les Brown to Chase Bank and several other major companies.
Antonio is currently the subject of the Plant Better Vlog, an online documentary series highlighting what it’s like to be a young CEO and public figure in today’s world, as well the host of The Plant Better Mindset Calls, a weekly call to give his audience the tools needed to better themselves, and host of Awareness TV, a show exposes the untruths that have kept society unaware, blind and oblivious to what is going on around them. Combining metaphysics, science, theology, history and alternative science, Rediscover our world through a new awakening.
In addition to ATS Business University, The ATS JR Companies also houses ATS Publishing, a new publishing company started to benefit the writer and allow them to make a true profit on their dreams. In addition to running The ATS JR Companies, Antonio also has Kode Inc. Tech, a graphic and website design company, ATS Media and several other companies that add value to the lives of the over 500,000 followers world wide that believe in what Antonio T. Smith Jr does.
Antonio is also the COO and Director of Business Development and Operations of the Les Brown University, Business Advisor for the NAACP, Missouri City Chapter, and Business Advisor for the Greater Houston Black Chamber of Commerce.
Antonio T. Smith, Jr. was born on the island of Galveston, TX. At the age of six, Antonio had to overcame abandonment, homelessness, brokenness and living in a dumpster until the age of 14. Antonio’s childhood help build him to become the person that he is today because he had to teach himself the same “Plant Better” Principles that he teaches us today.
CONNECT WITH ANTONIO
- Website: ATS Jr. Companies
- Facebook: Antonio T. Smith Jr.
- Email: info@theatsjr.com
Special thanks to Cultivate What Matters for sponsoring this week’s Business with Purpose podcast. Visit http://www.stillbeingmolly.com/cultivate to shop!
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