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39 things about me on my 39th birthday

April 9, 2015 by C.J. Stewart

Today is the 39th time that I have celebrated a birthday on earth.

I saw my father Willie James Stewart and my mother Gail Stewart for the first time on April 10, 1976 in Grady Memorial Hospital.

God blessed me with good parents.

I have two sisters Nicole Stewart and Erica Stewart, six nieces and one nephew.

I remember celebrating several of my early birthdays at McDonald’s. I loved getting the birthday plates with Ronald McDonald and the other characters on it. Remember Grimace!

I also remembered how close my birthday was to the start of the Major League Baseball season each year.

So today, I’m 39 years of age with a beautiful wife Kelli Stewart and two awesome daughters Mackenzi (age 13) and Mackenna (age 7).

I am their earthly protector and provider on assignment from God.

I would also like to share 39 additional things about me that you may or may not have already known.

1. I’m a follower of Christ.

2. My favorite color is red because red is bold.

3. As a child, I dreamed of playing Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs.

4. I saw my future wife Kelli on I-20 in Atlanta and followed her to a gas station off the exit. A little over a year later we were married and have been for 18 years.

5. My favorite college football team is the University of Georgia Bulldogs. Go DAWGS!

6. My favorite restaurant is Longhorns.

7. I love all Apple products.

8. My favorite quote is an African Proverb. “To understand the road ahead ask those coming back. Success leaves clues.”

9. I would love to visit India.

10. My favorite Atlanta landmark is The Varsity.

11. My all time favorite Atlanta Braves player is Brian McCann.

12. The only NFL jersey that I have ever purchased is #2 Matt Ryan. Rise Up Falcons!

13. My favorite book is Talent Code by Daniel Coyle.

14. My favorite musical artists are Outkast.

15. C.J. stands for Courteney James.

16. I wish that I could sing like Boyz II Men.

17. I can guarantee that I will be married to Kelli Stewart until death.

18. I would be honored to meet John Maxwell.

19. The most emotional moment in my life was receiving a proclamation of C.J. Stewart Day in Atlanta through perpetuity on November 20, 2011 by Atlanta City Councilman Michael Bond.

20. I often dream about L.E.A.D. Ambassadors leading Atlanta.

Presenting an award of support to The Lovett School Head Baseball Coach Lance Oubs for support of L.E.A.D.

21. I get super irritated when people pop gum.

22. The best team that I have ever been a member of is Leadership Atlanta.

23. The sports team that I love to hate is the Duke Blue Devils.

24. The scariest moment of my life was when I saved a neighbor from being malled to death by a pit bull.

25. If I inherited one million dollars, I would give 10% to my church Elizabeth Baptist. I would put 10% in savings and I would ask my wife Kelli what to do with the remaining 80%.

26. The person that I trust the most in the world is my wife Kelli.

27. I am afraid of snakes.

28. I can eat an entire bag of Oreo’s within 15 minutes.

29. I enjoy blessing others more than receiving blessings.

30. I have a bad habit of interrupting people when they are talking.

31. If I could be age 10 again, I would take school more serious.

32. My favorite form of exercise is bike riding.

33. I’m jealous of New Edition because I think that Kelli loves them more than me.

34. The gift that I would love to receive on my birthday is an Apple Watch.

35. My earthly role model is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

36. My least favorite thing in the world to do is playing golf.

37. My 2015 NBA Finals prediction is the Atlanta Hawks over the San Antonio Spurs in 7 games.

38. I constantly pray to God for patience, wisdom, renewed faith and trust in Him.

39. My mission in life is to be significant and to serve millions starting with my wife Kelli and daughters Mackenzi and Mackenna.

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From Bankhead 2 Buckhead

April 7, 2015 by C.J. Stewart

Yesterday I visited Home Depot’s Corporate Office and had lunch with a dear friend and mentor, Bill McLellan. After we ate, he took me to the 18th floor to view something I experience every day.

To my right, I saw the Atlanta skyline and all of the familiar buildings I’ve seen that tell me I’m home when I’m flying or driving into the City. To my left, I saw a not so familiar skyline emerging from the landscape – the Buckhead skyline.

Buckhead is the skyline to the left and downtown Atlanta to the right

For those unafraid to admit it, Atlanta is a tale of two cities. For some, it is indeed the best of times and for others the worst of times. The haves and the have nots are all separated by what I call the “Great Divide” – aka The Northside Drive overpass. On one side of this bridge, you’ll find 10,000 homes valued under $100K or less, and on the other side, you’ll find 10,000 homes valued at $1Million or more. This Great Divide exists for a myriad of reasons, some personal and too many institutional.

Even though these disparities paint a bleak picture, I’m encouraged because each day I have the privilege to link Bankhead and Buckhead through an unusual suspect – baseball.

Baseball has afforded me a presence in both communities. Kelli and I started our company, Diamond Directors, about 15 years ago. Through this venture, we work with the some of the most talented amateur and professional baseball players in the country. A little over seven years ago, Kelli and I embarked on another venture – L.E.A.D. Through L.E.A.D., we work with some of the most raw, untapped talent in Atlanta. As funny as it sounds, I’m getting an opportunity to work with myself because I was exactly who my Ambassadors are.

And what do I do with this privilege I’ve been given?

Every chance I get, I create opportunities for my Ambassadors and Diamond Directors clients to interact with each other. I love connecting the kids because they quickly get past all of the labels that society puts on them – privilege vs. poverty – and they see what’s most important – people.

Baseball provides the artery from which their humanity can flow. They don’t care about Black and White; they want to talk about top plays, batting averages and oh did you see that fastball Teheran threw to win the game last night??!! Baseball allows them to be brothers and they only become enemies when they wear different uniforms and step between the lines. After the game is over though, they’re just brothers again. Baseball is the tie that binds.

Next time you travel between Bankhead and Buckhead, ask yourself, what has God given me to link these two communities in ways that members of both can be empowered? Not so one can be envied and the other pitied. Envy and pity never bridged any gaps – only understanding and love can do that.

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Jesus was resurrected for me so that I can do three things

April 4, 2015 by C.J. Stewart

By the grace of God, I was raised in a home that believed that Jesus lived the perfect life, died on the cross and was resurrected. As an adult, I continue to believe the Good News because I have experienced Him for myself.

God has granted me life on earth to do three things well while giving Him the glory and I will share them shortly.

If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there. ~Lewis Carroll

This is one of my favorite quotes because it holds me accountable for living life on purpose.

I’ve been reading Stephen R. Covey’s famous book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and he challenges us all to create a personal mission statement so that we can live life on purpose.

My personal mission statement is to be significant and to serve millions starting with my wife Kelli and daughters Mackenzi and Mackenna.

Be significant

Significance is who you are while success is what you do.

I’ve accomplished a lot of awesome things in my life. As a child I wanted to play professional baseball for the Chicago Cubs and God allowed me to do that. I wanted to also become an entrepreneur every since I heard of the profession while I was a middle school student at Ronald E. McNair. God has also allowed me to do that as well.

I’m significant because I can be trusted to serve my wife, daughters and mankind with excellence like my eternal life depends on it.

Serve my wife and daughters

My wife and daughters are gifts to me from God. I have the daily pleasure of protecting and providing for them so that they may serve each other and others well.

Serve mankind

God has blessed me with two parents that are still alive, healthy and happily married. I have two grandmothers that celebrated their 90th birthdays this past December.

I have two younger sisters, nieces, a nephew, several aunts, uncles and cousins.

My family tree is strong and we are all rooted in God to serve each other and mankind.

I have the daily honor of using the information that I have learned over the years as a baseball player to now develop young boys to become significant men that love God and live on purpose.

Click here to go behind the scenes with Jason Heyward and I. Also checkout our recent L.E.A.D. eMagazine to see how God allows me to lead others.

Glory be to God and Happy Easter to all!

What I saw in inner city Atlanta today and why was it there?

March 25, 2015 by C.J. Stewart

My baseball career began at Adams Park located in the inner city of Atlanta in 1983 with one thing on my mind – playing for the Chicago Cubs.

I watched Cubs games during the day with my grandfather and we would watch the Braves at night.

I wanted to be a Chicago Cubbie like my hero Jerome Walton who’s also a Georgia native.

I played several little league games at Adams Park in front of Atlanta Mayors Maynard Jackson and Andrew Young. Hank Aaron would also be in attendance from time to time. Why were they there you ask? Because they lived in the community and baseball was king.

Atlanta City Council President Ceasar Mitchell getting some swings in at Adams Park

Later in high school, my mentor T.J. Wilson informed me that I could attend college for free if I could play baseball well enough, along with maintaining good grades.

My parents didn’t have thousands of dollars sitting in a college fund for me so I decided to give it a shot. I wasn’t a huge fan of school, but I did hear that education was a means to an end.

Baseball inspired me to do well in school. It taught me perseverance. Baseball allowed me to dream and see myself beyond my negligent teenage years.

In 1994, I signed a Letter of Intent to become a student-baseball player at Georgia State University. I was also drafted by the Chicago Cubs.

I reluctantly chose Georgia State because that’s what my family thought was best. All the while, I was fearing that I had lost my childhood dream of being a Cubbie.

After graduating from Westlake High School’s Magnet Program with honors, I was on academic probation after only a year at Georgia State; I didn’t want to be there. I wanted to be in the Cubs uniform that I had earned, but that would have to wait. I then transferred to Dekalb Junior College.

Only by the mercy, grace and divine order of God was I drafted a second time by the Chicago Cubs while at Dekalb Junior College. Only this time, I signed.

After my career was over in the Cubs organization, I realized that I wanted to be a Cubbie for the fame and money. I was selfish and reckless. But God allowed me to touch the Ivy of Wrigley Field, so that I would have the capacity to serve and lead others.

I was able to share this story with several youth today at Adams Park for the ribbon cutting of two batting cages. Special thanks to Coca-Cola for continuing to step up to the plate for Atlanta inner city youth.

We never dreamed of having batting cages at Adams Park when I was there playing baseball. We didn’t even know that they existed, so how could we ask for them.

Why does Adams Park need batting cages in 2015? Because black boys in Atlanta love baseball and they want to compete with the rest of the world contrary to media reports.

Baseball players from Georgia State University and I coached kids in the new turfed cages and that was a surreal moment for me. I fought the tears and simply gave the glory to God.

I challenged the kids to use the batting cages and school to access a college education. Use baseball to prepare for life. Learn from the adversity of baseball to prepare you to lead Atlanta. Who in Atlanta will argue that we lack a much needed abundance of sound leadership in this city?

Click here to see how God is allowing me to L.E.A.D. in Atlanta.

There is too much underdeveloped human capital in my city but better days are ahead – we now have batting cages at Adams Park. Batting cages are laboratories that can prepare you to win at the game of life. -C.J. Stewart

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C.J. Stewart with Georgia State Univ. Players at the unveiling of new
bating cages at Adams Park in Atlanta.

Going Back To Athens – Day 3

March 17, 2015 by C.J. Stewart

Monday, March 16

Day 1 and 2 of our empowerment visit to Athens, GA were great. It prepared us for today.

Today, the Ambassadors were able to share our S.W.O.T. Analysis Comparison with Zaxby’s executives. It was awesome to see the Ambassadors speak about L.E.A.D. (Launch, Expose, Advise, Direct) with such confidence.

Bobby Dibble is the Zaxby’s Catering Business Manager

L.E.A.D. exists because Atlanta can no longer be considered a world class city until hundreds of thousands of black males are living sustainable lives of significance. We believe that Zaxby’s can help us achieve our why. Achieving our why equals success.

Success for black males in Atlanta is ownership of Zaxby’s restaurants in the inner city of Atlanta.

Success is also positions of influence such as the Atlanta Public Schools (APS) Superintendent, APS Board Chairman, Atlanta Mayor, Coca-Cola CEO, Governor of Georgia and Director of Athletics at Georgia State University to name a few.

The self-confidence of the Ambassadors went to a new level when they spent time with Zaxby’s co-founder Zach McLeroy and heard the Zaxby’s story. Priceless.

The value of self-confidence is that it leads to things like graduation from high school and college becoming simple. When things get simple, great things begin to happen with speed.

Get ready Atlanta to vote for a L.E.A.D. Ambassador to lead Atlanta and our state.

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L.E.A.D., Inc. | L.E.A.D. Center For Youth