Today we’d like to introduce you to Donteil Bradley.
Hi Donteil , we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
There were nights I slept under bridges, my body pressed against cold concrete, the sound of cars rushing overhead like reminders that life was still moving while I was stuck in the shadows. There were days when my clothes were so worn I thought the world could see straight through me. There were mornings when I woke up with nothing but hunger in my stomach and anger in my chest.
I lost my mother too soon. I watched her die right in front of me, powerless to stop it, powerless to bring her back. I carried grief that felt too heavy for my young shoulders. I carried the shame of being the black sheep in my father’s house, rejected by the one who was supposed to protect me. I carried nights of hunger, humiliation, bullying, and despair.
But here’s the truth I want every person holding this book to understand: your pain does not have to be your ending.
Loss is real. Death will break you in ways that can’t be put into words. The rejection of family, the sting of being overlooked, the shame of having nothing — all of that will weigh on you. But weight can do one of two things: it can crush you, or it can build you. The same pressure that breaks rocks also creates diamonds.
My mother’s death did not erase me. My father’s rejection did not define me. My nights under bridges did not disqualify me. They all pushed me. They all shaped me. They all built me into a man who refuses to quit.
If you’ve lost someone you love — if you’ve buried a parent, cried yourself to sleep, or begged God to take the pain away — know this: you can survive it. More than that, you can rise because of it. You can honor the ones you lost by living fully, by chasing your purpose, by refusing to let their memory be tied only to your grief.
If you’ve been rejected by family, told you’re nothing, black-sheeped, overlooked — know this: the stone the builders reject often becomes the cornerstone. What others threw away, God can use to build something stronger than they ever imagined.
And if you’ve been hungry, homeless, humiliated — I’ve been there. I’ve felt that. And I’m telling you from the other side: it doesn’t have to end there. You are proof waiting to be written.
This isn’t about me becoming perfect. It’s about me becoming possible. It’s about me turning wounds into wisdom and scars into stories that can light someone else’s path.
So to you — whoever you are, wherever you are reading this — I want you to know: you can make it. Even through the death of a parent. Even through rejection. Even through nights where you feel forgotten. You can survive. You can grow. You can live.
I am living proof.
From surviving to living — that’s not just my journey. It can be yours too.
I nominate Donniese bradley and my Daugther ivy chanel bradley
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My daddy not being apart of my life my mothers illness actually losing her my daddy not accepting me for who I am single me out making me the black sheep homelessness to finding a way I struggle with my sexuality because I felt I had to battle that alone acceptance family issues poverty at times bullying
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
So I’ve always been good at creating content inspiring others with my image and encouring the youth of my community that life will throw curves at you but you caint give up you have to keep pushing
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Tino_the_travelingbarber
- Facebook: Valentino bradley
Image Credits
Donteil bradley also known for valentino and dedication to my mother Donniese bradley
