At the age of 19, Tyrone Jacobs Jr. found himself severely depressed, living a life with little motivation, in a neighborhood ravaged by gang violence, weapons, drugs, and many other less than ideal conditions in life.

“My life until I was 19 years old was feeling purposeless and meaningless, mindlessly wandering through life with no direction or sense of urgency,” Jacobs Jr. shared with me. It was at that point that Jacobs Jr. began his journey to want more out of life. He began to explore his purpose in this world, and in the process began a social media movement that motivated young minds. This movement quickly grew when he enrolled in college for his first year majoring in engineering.

Pretty soon, Jacobs found himself setting up speaking engagements with young students that were growing up in many of the same conditions that he did. He shared his journey with the world, and his story began to impact lives. Jacobs’ motivational speaking has given him a seat at the same table with the president of his university, with the CEO of Linkedin, and many other motivational moguls. He did all this while being enrolled in an engineering curriculum, graduating, and eventually becoming an Engineer at the world’s largest Aerospace company. Although he never imagined it to become a side hustle, it quickly transformed into that. But it was discovering his purpose in life and sharing his personal journey that created The Tyrone Jacobs Jr. the world knows now.

Today Jacobs shares with Mogul Millennial how walking in your purpose started it all.

Passion, Purpose, and the intersection of the two.

To me, passion is something that excites you, something that you become enthused about. Something that makes you happy and something that, you’re willing to endure a lot for. Purpose, I would say, are all of those things, and knowing that, you were put on this Earth to accomplish and mean something of significance. Purpose hits harder than passion. If you’re lucky enough to have your passion be tied to your purpose, then you have struck gold. I definitely encourage everyone to work and try to discover their purpose, and become something significant. 

What’s important to keep in mind on your road to success and greatness?

The most important thing to keep in mind on your road to success and greatness would be remembering why you started in the first place. You always have to remember your “why”. You can’t ever let it go from your sight or from your mind. If you do, you’ll end up around people and in environments that will take you off your path. You have to keep your eyes on the prize. It will get tough and hard along the way, but, if you can realize and accept that, and understand that, all of it is making you into a better person and individual, and is building your resolve, you’re golden.

How do you sustain your success after you’ve accomplished or achieved your goals?

You have to keep your “why” at the forefront, and you have to somewhat “forget” what you’ve accomplished. It’s very hard to do this, and I struggle with it as well myself. You don’t ever want to become complacent, nor do you want to lose your drive, hunger, and work ethic. Never forget how far you’ve come, but, always strive for more and always aim to become better at what you do. Aim to set the bar higher and higher.

What does Purpose > Paycheck mean?

We all need money to survive and thrive in the world today.  However, money cannot eliminate your depression, insecurities, or anything you hate about yourself or your circumstances. It can provide you temporary happiness, and a temporary feeling of self-esteem. This is why we call it “self”-esteem, and not “money”-esteem, or “shoes”-esteem. Love comes from the inside, not from the things that you buy. If you are “rich” on the inside, you can and will become “rich” on the outside, and will be able to truly enjoy your riches, without struggling with feelings of loneliness, depression, anxiety, etc.

What can happen when you choose to walk and operate in your purpose as opposed to chasing the bag?

When you choose to walk in your gift/purpose, as opposed to “chasing a bag”, the “bag” will come to you naturally. You are not looking for “money”, you are looking to make an impact, provide a positive influence, etc. The things you naturally think about, want, and desire will come your way. If you are moving with good intentions and a good heart.