Full Circles is your memoir about fatherhood, race, community, and transforming past wounds into a life of purpose, tracing your journey from East Austin to corporate leadership, elected office, national advocacy, and the White House. What people from your childhood had the greatest influence on your understanding of responsibility and belonging?

The people who had the greatest influence on my understanding of responsibility and belonging were the men who stepped into my life at different stages and showed me what it meant to be present, accountable, and invested in others. Some were mentors, coaches, teachers, and community leaders who saw something in me before I fully saw it in myself. Men like Mr. Lawrence Britton, L.D. Washington and Nathaniel Cannon helped demonstrate that being a man was not simply about providing—it was about showing up, guiding others, and leaving something meaningful behind.

My mother also shaped my understanding of responsibility. Growing up as one of seven children, I learned early that family means looking out for one another. My experiences in East Austin reinforced that sense of community. I came to understand that belonging is not something you simply receive; it is something you help create. Those early lessons became the foundation for how I approached fatherhood, leadership, mentoring, and ultimately my commitment to helping other fathers and young people understand their value and their potential.

What was the most difficult part of revisiting your past while writing the memoir?

The most difficult part was allowing myself to be vulnerable enough to revisit experiences I had learned to live with, but had not necessarily fully processed. Writing Full Circles required me to look honestly at my childhood, my relationship with my father, and the feelings that came from knowing him but not truly knowing him. Some memories brought back questions, disappointments, and that sense of a “Hole in the Soul” that I carried for years.

At the same time, I realized that revisiting my past was not about placing blame. It was about understanding how those experiences shaped the man, husband, father, mentor, and advocate I became. The hardest part was telling the truth while extending grace—to myself, to my father, and to others who were part of my journey. In many ways, writing the memoir became another full-circle moment: I could finally look at my past not simply as something that wounded me, but as something that helped give my life purpose.

How do you hope your story influences fathers who may be struggling to understand the importance of their presence?
I hope Full Circles reminds fathers that their presence is one of the greatest gifts they can give their children. You don’t have to be perfect, wealthy, or have all the answers. Children need to know that their father sees them, hears them, believes in them, and is willing to show up consistently. I learned that fatherhood is less about what we can buy and more about the time, attention, guidance, and love we give.

I also want fathers who may be struggling to understand that their past does not have to determine their future. I knew my father, but I did not truly know my father, and that absence left a “Hole in the Soul.” Becoming a father gave me a purpose I had not fully understood before. My hope is that fathers will recognize that they can break cycles, heal wounds, and create a different legacy for their children. Sometimes being present starts with simply making the decision: “I will be the father my child needs me to be.”

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