Today we’d like to introduce you to C.A. Henderson, MA.Ed.
Thanks for sharing your story with us C.A. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
I was born in San Bernardino, CA in 1979. My parents were the offspring of southern sharecroppers from Louisiana and Mississippi. When my parents divorced, I ended up with my mother and sister. We grew up poor and moved around a bunch. I spent most of my elementary and junior high days living in Rialto, CA. After my freshmen football season, I moved to live with my father in Victorville, CA.
After three and a half years living with my father and playing football at Victor Valley High School, home of the Jackrabbits, I graduated and accepted a football scholarship to the prestigious United States Military Academy, at West Point, NY. After being injured during my freshmen season, and falling into a depression, I decided to leave West Point, give up my football dream, and head to San Jose State University.
After giving up my football dream, I landed in San Jose with no real direction to go, and unmotivated. This life with no purpose caused me to end up kicked out of school a few years later with anxiety and depression issues. With hard work and dedication, I ended up graduating from San Jose State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in African American Studies and a Minor in Sociology.
With a degree in hand, I packed up and headed back to Rialto, CA with aspirations to help inspire the youth and encourage them to follow their dreams using my story, and through coaching and mentoring. In 2004, I began coaching football and later went on to coach track and field. In 2013, I finished my Master’s Degree in Education and became a full-time educator.
With my heart still heavy, and anxiety and depression still an issue in my life, I wrote my life story, an autobiography called “Victor Valley to West Point: Keep Your Eyes on the Prize.” This book served as self-therapy for me and was also written to help inspire young Black men to have a dream, encourage them to follow their dreams, and remind them to have courage through adversity in pursuit of their dreams.
My book has served as a platform for me to uplift the youth and community as a whole through leadership training and motivational speaking. After learning how to successfully write and publish books, I started consulting aspiring authors on how to successfully tell their stories. Now at forty years of age, I’m an author, educator, consultant and real estate agent.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My road has been very long and treacherous. Growing up poor, on welfare, AFDC, Section 8, and Medi-Cal, my family was no stranger to struggle. In spite of the impoverished conditions, my mother always stressed education and being a good person. All my siblings and I went on to college and pursued higher education.
College for me was a constant uphill battle. After being hurt at West Point, and falling into a deep depression, anxiety and depression followed me to San Jose. During my tenure at San Jose State, I was kicked out of school, evicted twice, homeless and living out of my car, and suffered a major anxiety attack.
After seven hard years in the bay area, I was able to graduate with my degree. My road is ongoing and has never been smooth, but with perseverance, courage, and endurance I keep setting goals, creating action plans and I keep my head high to the finish.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I help people identify and realize their dreams and goals. I wear a few different hats, but all of those hats help people accomplish their dreams and goals. As an author, speaker, and consultant I encourage clients to have a dream, inspire clients to set goals based on their dream and remind them to have courage through adversity in pursuit of their dreams. I speak to the youth, college athletes, and professionals on leadership, and the characteristics of a leader.
I’m known for my leadership success system called “The SWORD” which is an acronym representing certain essential characteristics that all leaders should possess and internalize. I’m most proud of publishing my autobiography and my accomplishments in consulting aspiring authors, helping them succeed in writing their books. I know that everyone has a story or some other way to contribute to their community, in helping them write their books, I have helped the world as a whole.
What sets me apart from others is that I’m my true self. In writing books, coaching sports, consulting, motivating, or whatever it may be, I always stay true to myself, down to earth, and real. As a real estate professional, I lead the Henderson Real Estate Team of Caldwell and Taylor Realty in San Bernardino, CA. Being an educator, I am the Teachers’ Choice for Realtors.
I help first-time homeowners successfully purchase their piece of the American Dream, and I help current homeowners successfully market and sell their home in 60 days or less. I specialize in assisting the clients of family law attorneys, going through divorce or probate, in selling their home as quickly as possible and for as much money as possible.
I’m most proud of helping families through rough times while showing care and concern. What sets our real estate team apart from others is that we are needs based and we’ll answer your phone calls.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
As an author, I look forward to writing another book on leadership by the end of 2019 that athletic departments can use to train their teams to be more effective leaders. As a speaker, I look forward to helping two athletic teams per month by way of motivation and leadership training.
As an autobiography/memoir consultant I plan to help ten aspiring authors per year with writing their story. I know how hard it is to write the first book. With the right consultant on their team, it can make their dream come to fruition a lot easier.
My big plans as a real estate professional is to acquire my broker’s license in the next 24 months and open up my own brokerage, helping motivated agents accomplish their financial goals in the real estate industry.
Pricing:
- Autobiography/Memoir consultations starting at $100/month
- Speaking and group trainings starting at $250/hour
- “Victor Valley to West Point: Keep Your Eyes on the Prize” $14.99 on Amazon
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cahenderson.net
- Phone: 909-475-7035
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: instragram.com/c.a.henderson
- Twitter: twitter.com/ca_thelife
- Other: www.hendersonrealestateteam.info
Image Credit:
Keona Henderson, For Mor Media
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
