Author: Henry Murphy

There’s a lot that grabs our attention throughout the day, but I present to you four things we must give careful thought to every day: God, food, money, and community.

Let’s start with God. God is the beginning of wisdom. He gives wisdom freely to those who ask. He desires time with us, and the more we understand Him, the more we understand ourselves. Life doesn’t make much sense without this relationship. I can’t imagine a day where I’m not talking with God—pulling His principles, His wisdom, and His strategies from His Word.

Now, let’s talk about food. This has become a major focus for me over the years. I’ve been on this journey for a long time, and I’ve suffered some hard blows congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, diabetes, and even becoming legally blind. These challenges came from not thinking about food the way I should.

Thanks to people like Dr. Caroline Leaf and her book Think and Eat Yourself Smart: A Neuroscientific Approach to a Sharper Mind and Healthier Life, my thought life about food is changing. I’m learning to pay attention to how food is made and where it comes from. Let me pause here for a moment. My relationship with God, paired with eating food the way it’s meant to be eaten, has given me mental clarity that I can’t even put into words. The connection between nourishing my body and nourishing my spirit is undeniable.

Now, let’s move to money. We need money to live. I don’t have to go further than that but I will. I love entrepreneurship. For me, money isn’t just about having it; it’s about earning it honestly and with purpose. What will I do to earn this money? How can I serve people? What do they need? If I serve them well, the money will come. Every day, I ask myself these questions: What systems can I create? What automations can I put in place?

You also have to ask yourself, what am I going to do with the money once I make it? How am I going to invest it? And then, when that money makes money, how am I going to re-invest it? These are things that we must think about and have a plan for. This is also stewardship.

Finally, community. Community is everything. Even God exists in perfect community the Trinity. Before He made Adam, He declared that man should not be alone. He gave Eve to Adam, but it was about more than companionship. We were made for community to share life with others, to build each other up, and to provide hope and encouragement.

Here are my final thoughts: Build your relationship with God—your Creator. As you do, everything else starts to flow. You’ll take food more seriously because your body is the temple of God, and taking care of it is stewardship. You’ll take money more seriously because it’s a way to serve people and earn an honest living. And you’ll embrace community because it’s an opportunity to love people as God does.

God Bless The Entrepreneur

A lot of you reading this may haven’t started your business yet. Maybe you’re just at the beginning stages, or you’re building your team or already have one. If you don’t have core values in place, then you’ve missed an essential step in the foundation. This is why you will hear me say over and over again about your mission statement and values.

OK, let me get back to it. I travel a lot as a vendor selling my apparel for Unapologetic®. For many years, Southwest Airlines was my friend because they allowed me to carry two 50-pound bags free of charge. Let me tell you something that was a game changer for me. I had a bright neon orange suitcase and a bright neon green one, so when they popped up on that conveyor belt, I knew they were mine.

You have to start thinking about your core values. When I was doing my research to write this blog today, I looked up Southwest Airlines’ core values and they align. I am a passenger who has been flying for many years and countless trips, and they are pretty much spot on with these core values. These core values point everybody in the same direction. It influences who you hire and why you hire them everything is part of the process.

Let me briefly go over Southwest’s core values (but let’s simplify them):
   •    A Warrior Spirit: They work hard, stay persistent, and innovate.
   •    A Servant’s Heart: They prioritize kindness, respect, and putting others first.
   •    A Fun LUVing  Attitude: They keep the experience fun and lighthearted.
   •    Integrity: They build trust by doing what’s right, even when it’s hard.
   •    Safety First: They always prioritize the safety and well-being of everyone onboard.

Here’s the takeaway: The values begin with you as the leader, and you build a culture around those values. They are more important than you think.

God Bless The Entrepreneur

My friend and colleague, Dolly Carle Henley, used to stay on me about having a Drip Drop Schedule. Now, I know that’s not the technical term, but that’s what I call it because Unapologetic.®️’s got the drip. Get it?

I used to drop apparel throughout the year with no real plan. Don’t get me wrong people loved the designs, and our visuals and photography were on point, but I honestly believe I hurt my team by not having a proper schedule. If we had a clear plan in place, they could’ve better prepared, and we could’ve been more aligned. That means more input, more structure, and ultimately better results. What we did in a good year could have been amazing with just a bit of forethought and a plan in place. It reminds me of Jim Collins’ book Good to Great. We were good, but with the right processes like a product release schedulewe could have easily been on the path to greatness.

As a leader, I learned the hard way that neglecting the small things in your business can be costly. Things like schedules, mission statements, and values they matter. They help guide every decision you make, especially when it comes to your apparel brand.

When I first started dropping apparel, it was chaotic no focused effort or attention on what was coming next. And trust me, that costs a lot of money. It’s easy to make this mistake, but it’s crucial to make a change. Start small: create a quarterly release schedule. As your brand grows, you can move to a yearly schedule, and eventually, even a monthly one if you’re big enough. The key is to build that structure so you can avoid losing money and start scaling in a smarter, more sustainable way.

God Bless The Entrepreneur

I’ll never forget my Cadillac Cimarron. I’m not even sure how many of those cars they made, but I loved its shape. I had it decked out: rims that gleamed in the sunlight, tires that gave it a bold stance, and a sound system that shook the neighborhood. You could hear me coming from blocks away.

But here’s the thing about that car one winter evening, I took my wife out on our first date, and it was freezing. Guess what? The heat didn’t work. And to make it worse, the coolant reservoir was practically bone dry.

That car looked sharp on the outside, but it was struggling under the hood. It had all the shine, but none of the essentials.

This is how many of us treat our businesses. We polish the exterior: the website, the social media presence, the branding. We’re so focused on making it look good to the outside world that we neglect the internal foundation the very things that keep it running. Before long, the cracks begin to show, and the whole operation starts to fall apart.

Foundation is Everything

I’ll say it again: foundation is everything. Without it, the business won’t last. Here are the foundational principles every e-commerce brand needs to secure:

    1.    Your “Why”

The core reason you’re in business. Your “why” fuels your passion and keeps you focused when challenges arise.

    2.    Your Brand Story

People connect with stories. What’s the journey that led you to create your business? Sharing it authentically builds trust with your audience.

    3.    Your Mission and Values

What do you stand for? Your mission and values not only guide your decisions but also resonate with the people you’re meant to serve.

    4.    Your Trademark

Protecting your intellectual property is critical. Your brand name, logo, and other assets need legal safeguarding so your business identity remains yours.

    5.    Your Systems

Without systems, you’ll constantly operate in chaos. Whether it’s how you process orders, manage inventory, or deliver a seamless customer experience, your systems keep the business running smoothly.

    6.    Your Understanding of Business

A great idea isn’t enough. You need to understand the basics of running an e-commerce business: managing cash flow, marketing effectively, and building a sustainable infrastructure.

These aren’t optional they’re essential. Without them, your business is like my old Cadillac: shiny on the outside, but broken where it matters most.

Don’t get so caught up in the appearance of success that you neglect the essentials. Build the foundation first. Because when the road gets tough, it’s not the rims that will keep you moving it’s what’s under the hood.

God Bless The Entrepreneur

Curious George, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, My Life by Magic Johnson, and Proverbs from the Bible. These were the only books I read by the time I was 16, and all of them had a lasting impact on me in different ways. Yes, I said I read Curious George, a series of books, which was funny and spoke to my playful nature. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobesparked my imagination in a new way. I loved basketball, and Magic Johnson was my favorite player at the time, so My Life, his autobiography, felt like a must-read.

Now, imagine a gap of over 30 years where I really didn’t read much at all. That was a lot of time wasted. I could’ve changed my life in major ways if I had just picked up a book.

Oh wait a minute, there was one book, The Majesty of Calmness—and my dad was persistent that I read that. But other than that, there was a lot of wasted time.

Now, I have 100+ books in my Audible library, with my Audible wish list growing by the day. I’m passionate about businessm productivity, processes, credit, investing, and everything that comes with running a business. It took me a while to realize that I learn better by listening, so that’s what I do.

It feels like I’m just beginning, though, even at my age. When I heard Dan Sullivan, in his 80s, talk about his love for reading and writing, it made me smile. I’m in the right place. I’m going to keep reading. I’m going to keep writing. I’m going to keep getting better.

Pick up a book.

God Bless The Entrepreneur

I used to say that I went from a hustler to an entrepreneur, but the truth is, I was an entrepreneur the entire time. An entrepreneur is someone who takes value from one state to another, creating something greater in the process. I didn’t realize it back then, but even when I was hustling, I was laying the groundwork for something bigger.

Back then, my business model was simple: take 24 tees, flip them, flip them again, then flip them again. That hustle taught me tenacity, but it only got me so far. I was one of those people who swore “cash is king.” I didn’t understand credit, and honestly, I didn’t care about it. Growing up, I never even wanted a house my only goal was to build my business.

But as I got older and my vision got bigger, I realized I needed to know more. I got a coach to teach me about credit. She walked me through the process and broke down terms I had never paid attention to:

    •    Utilization: How much of your credit limit you’re using.

    •    History: How long you’ve had credit.

    •    Inquiries: The requests made to check your credit score.

    •    Hard pulls vs. soft pulls: Hard pulls affect your score, while soft pulls don’t.

That season of flipping tees had its place it led me to a point where I was making $3,000 a day. But imagine what happens when you combine that same hustle with a 750 credit score that gets you an $80,000 business card. Imagine the possibilities if your business was structured right. Your “why” was clear, your brand story was solid, your trademark was protected, and you fully understood how business really works.

A greater starting point changes everything.

Sometimes, when we’re getting into business, we think we know it all. But the truth is, we don’t and that’s okay. The key is being willing to pause, seek guidance, and learn what we need to know to execute at our highest level.

Understanding credit changed everything for me. It wasn’t just about flipping tees anymoreit was about building something sustainable, something that could grow beyond me. Don’t be afraid to invest in knowledge. Whether it’s credit, e-commerce, or any part of your business journey, that foundation can take you further than you can imagine.

God Bless The Entrepreneur.

I’m the one with the bullhorn on the street corner shouting: Foundation matters! Foundation matters! If you commit to the process, the fruit will follow.

You don’t get to shipping 200 or 300 packages a day overnight. And honestly? You wouldn’t even want it that way because the leaks in your business would be overwhelming. Trying to handle that kind of volume without the right structure in place would be chaos.

It all starts with the groundwork. You need to pour the concrete for your business by truly understanding it. I see people rush to “get to the bag,” but they end up losing it just as quickly. Why? Because they wanted the highlight reel, not the knowledge.

The investment of time, money, and learning is worth it. When you build your business the right way, from the ground up, you don’t just create a solid brand you create a blueprint. One you can replicate again and again for future ventures.

FOUNDATION MATTERS.Commit to the process. Build something that lasts.

God Bless The Entrepreneur

I hear it more than you know—people come to me, excited, saying, “Man, I have some amazing designs, and people are loving it. I’m ready to start my brand.” And trust me, I get it. I love seeing that passion and creativity. But as I listen, trying my best not to interrupt, I want to scream, “That’s good, but you need foundation. You must have foundation if you really want to build something!”

It’s like trying to lay the frame of a house before pouring the concrete—it just doesn’t work. If you want to build something that lasts, you need to focus on the basics first.

Let me break it down like this: consider these foundational principles before you take the next step. You can’t put the cart before the horse.

    •    Yo, why? (What’s your purpose? Why are you doing this?)

    •    Your brand story(What’s the narrative that connects people to your business?)

    •    Your name (Is it memorable, meaningful, and clear?)

    •    Your logo (Does it reflect your brand identity?)

    •    Business structure(How are you legally setting yourself up for success?)

    •    Business credit (Do you have the financial tools to scale?)

    •    Trademark protection(Is your intellectual property secure?)

    •    Your mission statement (What does your business stand for?)

    •    Your values (What principles guide every decision you make?)

When you take the time to lay a strong foundation, everything else starts to fall into place. But keep in mind, distraction follows intention. The moment you set your mind to building something great, adversity will come your way. That’s why your “why,” mission, and values are so important—they’ll keep you grounded and help push you through.

Remember, the strongest brands don’t just happen—they’re built.

God Bless The Entrepreneur.

When I was creating the custodial account for my granddaughter Arie, I couldn’t help but think about what I wish I had known when my kids were younger. It’s something I have to get over every time I think about it. I didn’t know, so I can’t beat myself up. But the only thing we can do, once we know better, is change what we can.

I woke up with these thoughts the other day, and I said to myself, “I’m going to pen this.”

If I could do it all over again, I would homeschool my kids. I would do my best to make it work. Yes, I’d still follow the stage requirements for education, but I’d also introduce them to different languages, cultures, and foods. I’d teach them about entrepreneurship. I’d teach them about the stock market. Many of their lessons would involve engaging with people. I’d teach them how to create a business plan, find the right people to put in that business, and then show them how to move that business forward.

I’d introduce them to the arts. I’d put them around street artists here in America and in different countries. I’d take them to Broadway plays. And I’d make sure they understood the importance of personal credit and business credit.

When it comes to God, I want to make something clear. I was young in my faith when I became a disciple of Jesus, so my wife and I shared our faith with our kids, but if I had to do it differently, I would teach them about the call to discipleship and what that truly means.

I’m a little older now, and the reason I’m writing this is because someone reading this might be in the place I wish I had been back then. I want you to know that you have the power to decide what your children learn. We don’t always know what we don’t know, but once we do, it’s our responsibility to share.

I’m by no means saying that we didn’t give our children anything good. We spent beautiful family nights together, and there was love in the home. But simply put, I taught them how to survive, not to thrive. And when I look back, I see the difference. We have the opportunity to put this thriving mindset into our children early teaching them not just to make it, but to succeed, grow, and live with purpose.

God Bless the Entrepreneur.

Have you ever wondered, “How did I get here?” If you’ve lived long enough, you probably have. Starting over is a part of life, and if you embrace it, you can turn those valley moments into something great. Often, those valleys are preparing you for what’s next.

Life is full of highs and lows, and sometimes we need a reset to get back on track. I’ve often wondered if sharing my vulnerabilities is too much, but I’ve realized that being open can give others the courage to do the same.

Resets are natural. I remember moving my family to my grandmother’s house when I was younger because I didn’t understand the importance of paying bills on time. During that time, I learned valuable lessons about responsibility, financial discipline, and resilience.

There was a time when I couldn’t pay off a card to save my life, but once I settled at my grandmother’s house, things started to shift. Suddenly, I was handling things that once seemed impossible. I learned that what I once couldn’t handle like paying rent for a small apartment was no longer an issue. I got a chance to move my family into a beautiful house in a fantastic neighborhood. It was another season to step up and rise to the challenge.

Every valley, every challenge, every reset has given me a chance to be better. When I look back, I see that the struggles I once thought were burdens were really opportunities to grow, learn, and rise higher.

Taking risks is essential. Life is short, and if we don’t seize opportunities, they may pass us by. We might face setbacks, but each reset strengthens us, preparing us for the challenges ahead.

Remember, it’s okay to start over. Every reset is a chance to build a stronger foundation for the future.

God Bless The Entrepreneur