How Dwayne Thomas Built a Business Empire with Just $300 & 3 suitcases - exclusive with Yaya Diamond - video Dailymotion

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Web link  https://www.dwaynemthomas40.com You tube link https://youtu.be/L4xxO74GiiQ Purchase book link  https://www.christianfaithpublishing.com/books/?book=300-dollars-and-3-suitcases   Join us for inspiring success stories as author Dwayne M. Thomas shares the journey behind his latest book.  This episode of Dream Chasers Success Stories features Dwayne M. Thomas discussing his creative path. As the writer of $300 in 3 Suitcases What's Next?, he offers a glimpse into the motivations that led to his work. We explore the realities of the publishing process and what it takes to bring a vision to life.  This author interview focuses on the practical side of sharing your story with the world. Whether you are currently working on your own manuscript or simply enjoy hearing about book writing experiences, this conversation provides a grounded look at the dedication required to succeed. Yaya Diamond hosts this session, highlighting the grit and persistence needed to chase your goals.  Subscribe for weekly creator interviews and insights, and let us know in the comments what topic you want us to cover next.

Transcript

00:06Hello, my name is Dwayne M. Thomas, and I'm the writer of $300 in three suitcases,

00:12What's Next? And today, I'm glad to be a guest of Yaya Diamond.

00:31Yaya Diamond, dream chasers, we won't wait. Subscribe today before it's too late. Inspiration flowin' just like the breeze. Chase

00:42your dreams and feel at ease.

00:48Be good. Be very good.

00:52Now, I was lookin' for that money. I think somebody stole my $300. But I'm just, forget it, forget it.

01:01We're just gonna leave it there, and we're gonna say thank you guys so much for joining us. We are

01:05Yaya Diamond, dream chasers. Why am I saying we? I am Yaya Diamond, and this is Dream Chasers Radio. I

01:12am the founder and host of this show, and we bring people on this show that are gonna inspire you

01:17to go after your dreams and your goals.

01:18I absolutely love authors, because it's not just this interview that you're gonna get, but you're gonna get an entire

01:24book on what happened when they left home with $300 in three suitcases. How about that? We got a guest

01:31that actually did do that. He stole my money. I'm just kidding. He didn't steal my money. He didn't steal

01:37my money. He had $300. Legitimately had $300 in his pocket and three suitcases, and what next?

01:44And that's exactly who we're gonna be talking with, Dwayne M. Thomas. And I have to say that, because Thomas

01:51is my last name, so I remember that. But I had to think about Dwayne. Thank you so much for

01:55being on the show.

01:57Thank you. Glad to be here.

01:58Oh, thank you. So, okay. So, before all of this happened, before you stole my, I mean, so, before you

02:03had the $300, I'm just kidding. Before you had the $300, right?

02:09What was going through your mind? I mean, why $300?

02:15Well, it's actually, it's a play on words. Currently, or should I say, during that time, I was living at

02:22home with my dad and all, and, you know, doing life and working and handling my business.

02:29And when I was a child, I always had a desire to move to California. So, California was always a

02:37seed in my heart, so to speak. And I was, you know, working and saving money and things of that

02:44nature.

02:46And I was trying to reach a particular goal, which $300, of course, is not much at all. But I

02:53had, in my mind, I was just determined. It's like, it's time to leave. It's time to move on. I

02:59need to do what I have to do.

03:00So, the short story is, by the time my mind was fixed, and my finances at age 23 was together,

03:08I only had $300. And I had three suitcases. And I'm like, I'm on my way to California. And I'm

03:16going to do this. And I moved and I stayed with some relatives of mine. And that's how this started.

03:23I would say thank goodness for the relatives, because California just do not mix, okay? What'd you get? A day's

03:30worth of food? I mean, that just doesn't mix, okay? I'm so happy, very happy that you didn't end up

03:38somewhere where you shouldn't have been.

03:40So, wow. At this decision that you made, you know, so many years ago, you know, what do you think

03:49about that now? What do you understand about going to California now with $300 in three suitcases?

03:57Well, what comes to mind is, I was just determined. And the gist of all of that means, when you

04:06start off with a little, it doesn't mean that your end is going to play out in that way. And

04:14the things that I could take, I took with me the things that I couldn't take, I left at home.

04:20So, it was all about determination and just a drive to have more, to achieve more, to do more. I

04:30had did other things. Of course, I had graduated from high school. I was in the military. I did some

04:36working, you know, different places afterwards. I did security as well.

04:41But I wanted more, but I wanted more. I desired more. So, I wasn't going to let this big move

04:46across states to allow me to slow down and say, no, I can't do it because I need to have

04:53this. I need to have that.

04:54And sometimes I believe in life. We want so much, so many things in order that it doesn't always turn

05:01out that way. And my thought was, hey, I'm going to take this mustard seed and I'm going to make

05:08it grow because I have that much determination and drive to do it. And it turned out well.

05:13I'm glad it did. I mean, okay. So, in your book, you compare your departure to Abraham leaving his home.

05:20How do you distinguish between genuine direction from God and the fears and desires or the impulses that someone can

05:29sometimes feel like spiritual guidance?

05:31Because sometimes you just want to do something, but sometimes it is the spirit guiding you to do it.

05:38Yes. Before I left, I did have an opportunity to talk and get some spiritual counsel and guidance and prayer

05:47because it was in my heart. Even as a child, I remember many times we used to look at the

05:54multicolor states and I was always gravitating to California, California.

06:02And so it was a seed that was already planted. And how I identify or connect myself a little bit

06:10with Abraham. I didn't know fully where I was going and what I was going to do. I mean, I

06:16had a place to stay and all, but I didn't know how things were going to end.

06:20So it was definitely, definitely, excuse me, a leap of faith as far as I know there's more. I just

06:29have to stick to my guns and I'm going to grab what little I have.

06:34And with the direction and through prayer and guidance by the Holy Spirit, I knew that I was going to

06:41eventually reach my goal, but I didn't again, didn't know how I was going to get there.

06:47And, you know, sometimes people have every box checked off in life. I didn't have every box checked off in

06:54life. I was 23 years old. I went totally cross country. I hadn't seen my relatives in umpteen years. So

07:01I, I just, like I said, I just had that burning determination that this is it. And I'm going to

07:08show everybody that I can do it with the help of God.

07:11There you go. There you go. There you go. And then again, you know, it's easier to do this when

07:16you have family members that love you and support you and say, Hey, come on over here and be with

07:21us.

07:21But there is that, that stewardship, you know what I mean? That, that moment where you have to be a

07:27good steward of what you have, even if it's a little, a lot, doesn't really matter that you have to

07:31be a good steward.

07:32What did you do and how was your stewardship when you went over there? Because you only had $300 and

07:39three suitcases to your name. I mean, how was your stewardship on that little bit that you did have? And

07:44how did you grow that?

07:47Well, let me just back up a little bit. When, when I did come, I did have some moral support,

07:54but there's others that were doubtful and others were unsure. So by me already being fixed in my mind, I

08:03wasn't going to allow that little bit to determine.

08:06And, um, I've always been a hustler as far as, you know, maintaining and, and having a job and having

08:14a livelihood as far as things I needed in life. My father was very much of a stickler of when

08:19I became an agent, even before that time, you go out there, you need to work the work.

08:24So basically once I made it to California and I was staying with my aunt and uncle, um, I hit

08:32the grind from day one, actually, before I came to California, I already had a job lined up. I was

08:39interviewing over the phone.

08:40And, um, when I hit the soil, I just came with my resume. I was able to interview. And within

08:48a matter of weeks of that, I got picked up a full time permanently, um, at a mercy hospital and

08:55then stayed there very long, but that was my first job. And, um, I just hit the ground. I hit

09:01the ground running.

09:04And that's what I'm talking about. You know, there, there are certain things that you just have to make sure

09:08that you do. And you did that. And, and I'm so happy again. I mean, I can't say it enough.

09:13You have to have that support system. You have to have those, those people that do help help you in,

09:19in your time of transition, but you're also going to have those naysayers. You're also going to have the traps

09:24of the enemy. You're also going to have the setbacks and all those things, and you're going to have to

09:29be restored. You're going to have to be healed from that without minimizing

09:32the pain involved, which struggle most changed your character and your understanding of God. Um, I believe once I got

09:43settled in Bakersfield and was here a couple of months, um, God allowed me to go through, I'll say my,

09:50my wilderness. Um, I had a relationship with the Lord. I was a born again Christian. I confess that, but

09:58there was some areas that I still was not mature enough in.

10:03According to, according to, I'll say, according to the word of God. And, um, I had to go through some

10:08tough times. There's some decisions I made right about my finances. Others I did not. Um, you know, like they

10:16say, birds of a feather, excuse me, flock together. So I had to find the right company as far as

10:22where they were going, achievements, whether it be vocational school or going back to college and things of that nature.

10:29But that wasn't my frame of mind. I was like,

10:32Hey, I'm in California. Don't know. Nobody know me. I'm a party and do my thing. And yada, yada. Be

10:38honest with you. I just went, wow. I just, I just did. I just have to be transparent. I just

10:45did me. And I enjoyed doing me.

10:46But then after a certain time, you know, I finally kind of hit that pavement like that. And, you know,

10:52I hit the, I hit the wall there. And God's like, you know, this is, this is not what I

10:57called you and ordained you to do.

10:59So through that, I started going through a process of, of him stripping things down within me. But then at

11:06the same time, building up my, my character and working on more of my, my morals and my beliefs and,

11:12and how I've been raised and what he expects from me.

11:16So it just bloomed over time. But, um, I had, I had to do the grunt work. I had to

11:23do the hard work first. And, um, it, it turned around for me. It turned around. It wasn't easy, but

11:29it, but it turned around for me.

11:31What is easy? What tell me what is easy? Tell me so I can do it. There really isn't anything

11:39easy, but you know, I mean, there are seasons in our lives, right. That we have to adhere to that.

11:45We have, we have, um, the good season, the bad seasons, we got the ups and the downs and the

11:51step backs and the setbacks and the forwards and the happiness. And then the next day you're down. I mean,

11:56how did you, um, experience that?

12:00And, and, you know, when you were living there, what kind of approval of others that you have while you

12:07were going through? And I know you said you had some naysayers, but I'm talking about not your family, not

12:12people you knew, but people on the outside looking at.

12:18Um, my, the church that I was a part of really supported me a whole lot. I'll never forget them.

12:26Um, the name of the church is, uh, Compassion Christian Center.

12:29In Bakersfield, uh, California. And I was under the, the direction of, um, uh, pastor, the late pastor Ted Johnson

12:40and pastor, uh, Martha Johnson. And while I was there, they really just poured into my life. Um, I met

12:49other brothers and sisters there that saw more in me than I had believed in myself.

12:56Um, and, um, it gave me an opportunity to be around a company of people that were not only living

13:04the life, but can pour into me, you know, in other ways as well.

13:09And through that feeding on them and, and taking what they had said to heed, it allowed me to, to

13:16grow, you know, and I had a few acquaintances there as well, but they were really the forerunners, um, and

13:25the, the foundation of my building block of my walk in God.

13:29And I know, you know, no one's perfect, you know, we all have to go through our personal transition, but

13:37you have to come to a point where you just grow up and show up, you know, you just can't

13:42talk it.

13:42You have to live it. And, um, I didn't want to be a hypocrite. I didn't, I didn't want to

13:47be one foot with God and another foot, you know, clubbing or whatever I did from time to time.

13:53But I had to go through my own personal pain and, and, and, and, and, and leaving home and, and

14:00my, my mother and my dad still being back home and, and my siblings and all, but he had to

14:06put me in a place where I could really trust in him, but then willing to submit myself totally and

14:16fully unto him.

14:17Well, you know, a lot of people only have $300 and one suitcase, you know, and that's, I had three,

14:27you had three. Okay. Uh, you had two, two more than some people, you know, but I don't think that's

14:34the point. I think the point is if someone feels like the, they want to move, if they want to

14:39go somewhere else, they feel the tug, you know, they have very little resources and say they don't have family

14:46over there and they have limited.

14:47confidence. I mean, they're not clear, but they know where they want to be. And some people are even moving

14:53out of the country. Um, how do they understand that first step of discovering that call? And if that call

15:00is real, or is it just, just them?

15:06Um, I really had to sit and, and first of all, remove all the distractions. Um, of course you want

15:16to weigh out the pros and the cons, but you can't be afraid to step out. Um, even the Bible

15:25says faith without works is dead. And every challenge or hurdle that we desire to go over,

15:33or try to get over or try to get over in life, everything is not always going to be laid

15:37out for you. And the little that you do have, you have to make it work. You have to, you

15:45have to have confidence within yourself through Christ that it can be done. But also you have to be mature

15:52enough to say, if I miss it, that's okay. He's big enough.

15:58To understand his mercy and grace is always there for me, you know, and you can't put your, you can't

16:08line yourself up with someone else. Everyone has a different story. And, and with that particular book, it's not just,

16:16I relocated, but it also talks about, uh, some of the challenges that what I was going through.

16:23Um, I needed healing in some areas. I needed deliverance in, uh, some areas. There were areas that, um, uh,

16:32spiritually I was broken on the inside. I was dry. You know, it was like, there was like a desert

16:39and I, I couldn't get, my thirst could not be quit. You know how the world says, you know, you're

16:45just thirsty.

16:45I was thirsty for the wrong things. And I found out that only him alone, only Christ alone could give

16:53me that thirst that I was quenching for to fulfill it.

16:57But we all get tripped up into things. I was into drugs and alcohol and promiscuity and all the things

17:05that we think of fulfilling, but they end up just being temporal.

17:09And this is not to knock anyone because we all go through our certain challenges. Everyone has something in their,

17:16uh, in their life that, um, that has, uh, dealt with them or they had to deal with traumatically or,

17:23you know, or something that they're ashamed of or something that was out of their control.

17:28So, you know, I had to scrap all that and just look to the maker and say, okay, rebuild me

17:35to where I need to be. So that is a lot about what the book is all about. It's not

17:41just the money. The money is just a cue.

17:44But as you dive more into the book, you'll find out some of the good decisions I made, the bad

17:50decisions I made, some of the positive things that I, that I've come across, you know, how God spoke to

17:56me, how I met my, my wife, how I had distractions that was trying to pull me away from her

18:02before we even came together and got married.

18:05So it has a collage of a little bit of, of everything in there. It's a short read, but it's

18:10a powerful read.

18:11That is amazing. And you know, you would not have met the right woman if you didn't get yourself to

18:17Bakersfield.

18:18Exactly.

18:20That was a hot mess.

18:23That would have been a hot mess.

18:26Oh my gosh.

18:28She wasn't, she wasn't dealing with this. She wasn't going to take any of that. She said, no, no, if

18:35you read the book, she's like, no, no, no, this, you got to come correct, brother, and all, and all

18:39things, you know, everybody got ears.

18:41They didn't need to develop it, but we got, we got to be on one accord. You know what I'm

18:44saying? So it's in the book.

18:47That's the right woman. You got her.

18:49Yes, I do.

18:50She was doing one of those.

18:55Exactly. I have 31 years. Yeah. Y'all to prove it.

18:5931 years.

19:00That's 31 years. And we're not going back.

19:03That's beautiful.

19:04That is beautiful.

19:05Oh, wow. Wow.

19:06Is there anything we missed today that you would like to tell your readers, the viewers?

19:15I just want to say try it.

19:17And what I mean by try it, open up your heart to the book.

19:22See what nuggets you might be able to pull out of it.

19:26Some things you might be able to identify and other things you may not, but I believe at the same

19:34time, there is something in there for everyone, even if it's just a small portion of it.

19:42And I believe that you just take that to heart and you open up your heart at the same time,

19:48I don't think you'd be disappointed.

19:50Then also, too, if you get an opportunity, you can check out my, go on my website, which is www

19:57.DwayneMThomas40.com.

20:04And then also, you can check out my YouTube page as well.

20:08And then, if those of you might be interested in me speaking, you can reach me at etprofit99 at comcast

20:20.net.

20:21That's E as in Edward, T as in Tom.

20:24P-R-O-P-H-E-T 99 at comcast.net.

20:31Excuse me.

20:32That's all good.

20:33That's all good.

20:34I want to thank you so much, Dwayne, for being on the show, man.

20:38It's been such a pleasure having you here.

20:41I appreciate it.

20:41And talking about your move and destiny, I mean, you know, and fate and purpose and plan of the creator

20:50of the Most High.

20:51You know, I feel like a lot of people ignore it and then they complain about their lives here.

20:58But knowing they should not have been here in the first place.

21:01They should have moved away.

21:03So, if you feel that way, first of all, get some confirmation.

21:08Exactly.

21:10Don't just go.

21:11Just don't go.

21:12Don't just go.

21:14I'll do it for some confirmation.

21:17Yes.

21:17Make sure to support where you're going and where you're coming from.

21:20These are going to be very, very important.

21:22And, I mean, and just see what is in the plans for you.

21:27Because Dwayne would not have met his wonderful wife of 31 years if he didn't make that leap of faith

21:33in the beginning.

21:34So, Dwayne, thank you.

21:35We're going to have all of the information about your website, your link, your email, to reach out in the

21:41description box wherever you may be watching, wherever it may be.

21:44Okay.

21:45And I want to thank you guys so much for tuning in.

21:48Don't forget to dare to be different.

21:49And, Dwayne, congratulations on everything, man.

21:52Thank you so much.

21:56Are you a pastor?

21:57Yes, I am.

21:58Where do you pastor, Dwayne?

22:05Currently, we are, we meaning my wife and I, we're in transition, but I'm located in the Olivehurst area, about

22:1230 minutes from Sacramento.

22:15So, give me a call.

22:17I'll love to speak if the opportunity arises and as well as encourage the men of God as well.

22:25So, I operate in both areas as a pastor as well as a prophet, and God is good.

22:31God is good.

22:31I have a word for you.

22:33I have a word for you, people.

How Dwayne Thomas Built a Business Empire with Just $300 & 3 suitcases - exclusive with Yaya Diamond

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