We would like to share with you the story of a division one football player turned entrepreneur…. Tahj- Anthony Wilson.
Tahj- Anthony is not your average business entrepreneur. He started his career off as the captain of his high school basketball team, where he led his team to win both county, and regional championships. In addition to excelling on the basketball court, Tahj-Anthony was later offered a WalkOn position on the University of Connecticut's ( UCONN) division-one football team.
“ Being a WalkOn may be viewed differently, depending on your mindset. For me, being able to WalkOn at UCONN's football team was a blessing. Making the transition from high school to college, I didn't know what I wanted to do with my career. Did I love playing football? Yes. But, did I also love the idea of being a young entrepreneur? Absolutely.”
“As a WalkOn, I gained first-hand exposure to what it meant to be a division one athlete, and I wouldn't have changed that for the world. I learned that it's earned not given.That applies to everything in life. Whether it's receiving a scholarship, getting playing time, getting offered a job, closing a business deal etc. Nothing in life is just given to you without the hard work and dedication.”
“While playing, I also examined the behind scene logistics and business of running a football team. I soon realized that the concepts of running a success business and a successful team were very similar. As time passed, I soon realized that I was called to pursue my dream of creating my own business.”
As a junior, Tahj made a tough decision to leave the football team and opened up his own business. Tahj says “the decision was not an easy one, but I knew that it was one of the best decisions I've ever made thus far.” At the young age of 19, he opened up UCONN's first- ever creperie. Rebranding himself from Student-Athlete to Student-Business owner. There, he managed an extensive staff and led a successful operation while pursuing his degree in Economics. His marketing and business strategy resulted in over 20,000 Google searches, seventy-five thousand customers, and a percentage of the profits to help feed the hunger.
In addition to owning his own restaurant, Tahj- Anthony is currently a Senior Business Development at a startup in New York. In his free time, he is an avid investor and continues to innovate. He continues his entrepreneurial spirit and has several pending business ventures in the works.
Tahj believes “It is important to constantly learn and aim to get better everyday. Just like a sport, to be successful, you have to work hard to achieve that goal.”
“It's Earned Not Given
* Originally published on January 13, 2021, by Michael Willett
