The world we live in is far from perfect, and its imperfections often hurt those who are the least to blame the most. In the United States, close to 15% of children under 18 live below the poverty measure, and 6% live in what is considered deep poverty, according to the Center for American Progress. Since early childhood experiences matter so much for later life, it’s easy to see how a rocky start to a life’s journey might influence its entirety.
RaShine Mitchell would like to tell people that it doesn’t have to. Today, RaShine “Pushman” Mitchell is a successful entrepreneur. He owns an exotic car rental company, a credit repair business, and several other business ventures. He also mentors and coaches, is an author, and is a frequent guest on podcasts about entrepreneurship.
RaShine Mitchell lives a lifestyle many would envy, and he doesn’t mind showing it online. Why? Because it’s a lifestyle he earned. His story is one many people who have come up in army families might find familiar. Army kids tend to move around a lot, and so did RaShine Mitchell. Later on, he was looking toward a promising sports career, but an injury put an end to those dreams and spun him into a spiral of low-paying jobs and bad credit.
Still, he managed to claw out from under the crushing weight of bad credit. It took quite a few odd jobs and a stint driving an Uber for 16 hours a day seven days a week, but he made it. His credit was good enough to start acquiring cars, so he tapped into the demand for luxury vehicles for rent, and he soon became a rising entrepreneurial star. Then, RaShine Mitchell started helping others do the same.
“Humble beginnings might make everything in life harder than it could be,” he says. “But that doesn’t make it anyone’s destiny, or sentence, to continue living that way. There’s always a way to improve your circumstances.” To help others, RaShine Mitchell teaches them about credit repair, starting businesses, and the kind of focus that’s required for a young person who’s not well-off to succeed in life.
“I don’t smoke or drink; I never have,” says RaShine Mitchell. “I show people what they can achieve if they stay disciplined and keep investing in themselves, showing up every day for themselves.” People flock to his social media presence for advice and inspiration because he is the real deal, and his story is one that many people can identify with.
Even though he carries himself lightly and effortlessly, he doesn’t make success look easy; he tells it as it is. He talks about the tough times while he’s showing the results, driving the point home: first steps matter, but they don’t determine the whole journey. “It would be better for kids to have a better start in life, for sure,” says RaShine Mitchell. “But anyone who doesn’t shouldn’t feel it’s the end of the world. We can rise, especially if we support and inspire one another.”