Drive Charity Today: How Chess, Books, and Animal Welfare Can Change Lives

Throughout my business career, charity has always been interwoven with commerce. My retail stores participated in Make-A-Wish Foundation events and supported Children's Hospital. When I exited those businesses in 2021, I faced a realization: I no longer had a built-in mechanism for giving back. Rather than simply donating to existing organizations, I decided to create something that aligned perfectly with my personal values and could scale alongside my business success. That's how Drive Charity Today was born – with an ambitious mission centered around three passions that have shaped my life: chess, books, and animal welfare. Let me share why these three pillars matter so deeply and how I believe they can transform lives – perhaps even yours. The Profound Lessons of Chess My relationship with chess began in elementary school, where I discovered a surprising talent for the game. I wasn't a prodigy by any measure, but somehow I was the best player in our school chess club. This led to a unique privilege: whenever I finished my classwork early, the principal would excuse me to come play chess with him. Over the course of my elementary school years, I probably left class over 100 times to play chess. Those games taught me lessons that no classroom could provide:

1. Unlimited Possibilities After just three moves in chess, the number of possible game states becomes astronomical. There are more potential chess games than stars in the universe. This fundamental truth has shaped my entrepreneurial mindset – I've never felt constrained by convention because chess taught me that possibilities are essentially infinite.
2. The Power of a Single Move In chess, you can be completely backed into a corner, seemingly defeated, when suddenly one brilliant move (or one opponent's mistake) completely changes the game. This has been my experience in business repeatedly – persistence through difficult moments eventually reveals the game-changing move that transforms everything.
3. Humility Through Competition No matter how good you become at chess, you will lose. Frequently. The game forces you to embrace both victory and defeat with grace. It teaches you to analyze your mistakes without being defined by them – a crucial skill for any entrepreneur.
4. The Necessity of Partnership Chess cannot be played alone. It requires engagement with another mind. Similarly, business success never happens in isolation. You need customers, team members, investors, and partners to create something meaningful. These lessons have been so valuable in my life that I've set an audacious goal: to donate one million custom chess boards to youth groups, schools, churches, and any organization working with young people. I want the next generation to learn these same lessons that have served me so well. The Transformative Power of Books My wife is a voracious reader, consuming 50-100 books annually. I'm more modest at about a book per month, but I recognize that books have been the single most transformative force in my life. My reading journey began when I was 17. I briefly joined Amway (yes, really – I was drawn to the entrepreneurial opportunity), and they had a book-of-the-month club focused on personal development. While the Amway business wasn't my path, those books ignited something in me that continues today. Through reading, I've gained access to the world's greatest minds. I've absorbed decades of wisdom in days. I've explored perspectives I would never encounter in my daily life. Every success I've achieved can be traced back to principles I first encountered in books. That's why my second pillar is donating one million books, focused initially on three titles that fundamentally changed my life:
5. "Total Money Makeover" by Dave Ramsey I believe this should be required reading before anyone turns 18. It teaches financial principles that would have saved me years of struggle had I understood them earlier. Debt is a trap that limits your options and increases your stress. Financial freedom isn't about wealth – it's about choice. These lessons should be universal.
6. "The 12 Week Year" by Brian Moran and Michael Lennington This book transformed my approach to goal setting and execution. It taught me to break annual goals into 12-week sprints, creating both urgency and accountability. This methodology has become central to my Power of 27 framework and has helped countless entrepreneurs accelerate their progress.
7. "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield This book names and explains the mysterious force that seems to arise whenever we pursue important work – resistance. Whether you're writing a book, building a business, or improving your health, resistance emerges to derail your progress. Understanding this force is the first step to overcoming it. These three books address fundamental challenges that derail most people's dreams: financial mismanagement, ineffective goal setting, and inability to overcome resistance. By putting these books in people's hands, I hope to equip them with tools to overcome these universal obstacles. Compassion Through Animal Welfare The third pillar of Drive Charity Today focuses on animal welfare. Having spent 20 years in the pet industry as both a retailer and breeder, I've developed a deep appreciation for the human-animal bond and the responsibility we have toward animals in our care. While there are many worthy causes in this space, I'm particularly drawn to:

Supporting no-kill shelters that give animals second chances Funding emergency medical care for animals whose owners cannot afford treatment Backing programs that match service animals with individuals who need them Connecting rescue animals with seniors and others who benefit from animal companionship

During our travels, my wife and I often seek out local animal welfare organizations to support with both time and resources. There's something uniquely rewarding about making a direct, immediate difference in the life of an animal in need. This pillar is less structured than our chess and book initiatives but no less important. Animals give us unconditional love and ask for so little in return – ensuring their welfare is simply the right thing to do. Where Commerce Meets Compassion What makes Drive Charity Today different is how it integrates with my business philosophy. I don't see charity as something separate from commerce – I see them as complementary forces that strengthen each other. When we teach young people strategic thinking through chess, we're developing future leaders and entrepreneurs. When we put transformative books in people's hands, we're creating more capable, focused individuals who contribute more effectively to society. When we support animal welfare, we're building a more compassionate community. These outcomes don't just make the world better – they create an environment where business can thrive sustainably. It's a virtuous cycle that benefits everyone involved. Join the Movement Drive Charity Today isn't just my personal initiative – it's an invitation for like-minded individuals to participate in making a difference. Through our website, you can:

Sponsor chess boards for schools or youth organizations Fund book donations to educational programs Support animal rescue efforts Participate in local events where we deliver chess boards and books

When I speak at events, I bring chess boards and books to give to attendees, spreading both the physical tools and the message behind them. The response has been tremendous – people intuitively understand how these three pillars can transform lives. The Deeper Purpose Beyond the specific initiatives, Drive Charity Today reflects a philosophy that has guided my life: success is meant to be shared. As entrepreneurs, we build businesses that create value, solve problems, and generate profit. But the ultimate fulfillment comes not from accumulation but from contribution. Each of us has experienced moments when someone believed in us, taught us, or gave us an opportunity. Drive Charity Today is my way of passing that forward – of creating moments of possibility for others. The chess board represents strategic thinking and unlimited potential. The books represent transformative knowledge and personal growth. The animal welfare initiatives represent compassion and responsibility. Together, they create a foundation for a life well-lived. As you build your own success, I encourage you to consider how you might drive charity today – not as a distant future goal when you've "made it," but as an integral part of your journey right now. The act of giving creates a perspective shift that actually accelerates your success rather than delaying it. After all, the most fulfilled entrepreneurs I know are those who've found ways to convert their success into significance – who measure their impact not just in dollars earned but in lives changed.