When you hear the word investment, you probably think about money.
Stocks. Real estate. Retirement accounts. 401(k)s.
And while those things matter, the kind of investment that shaped my career — and ultimately Detroit Promotions — looked different.
It wasn't courses, certifications, or credentials.
It was people.
Early in my career, my mentor chose to focus on what I could become instead of what I lacked. He trusted me with responsibility before I felt ready, inviting me into real conversations and decisions that felt beyond my experience. He gave me ownership, and, in doing so, taught me empathy, curiosity, and the power of showing up with heart.
That investment shaped my career, but more importantly, it shaped my purpose.
It taught me that people don't rise to criticism; they rise to opportunity and trust.
Unfortunately, many people in my generation experienced the opposite. Instead of being coached, they were criticized.
Millennials don't work hard.
Millennials feel entitled.
Millennials don't understand the real world.
Now, I see similar narratives directed at Gen Z.
They don't want to work.
They're too sensitive.
They expect too much.
But every generation enters the workforce shaped by a different world with new technology, shifting expectations, and pressures we didn’t experience ourselves.
We don't get to reshape the world and then question how they learn to move within it.
As leaders today, we have a choice: complain about what's changing or invest in who's coming next.
I chose the latter.
I didn't build Detroit Promotions simply to create great marketing (although we do that too). I built it to create opportunity—for local businesses, for our community, and for the people coming up behind us who are eager to learn, if only someone opens the door.
That mindset shows up in how we invite young professionals into our business. They're not here to shadow; they contribute. They help manage accounts, build content strategies, and see what it means to support—and sometimes create—a brand.
Beyond that, we mentor students through Walsh College's Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, serve on the Macomb Community College Business Advisory Board, pilot leadership programs, and more.
And just as importantly, we offer what many young professionals are looking for: someone who wholeheartedly believes in them.
Because while the return on investing in people isn't immediate, it's powerful.
It shows up when a former intern lands their first role and finally feels confident, or when a young entrepreneur launches something they once thought was "just an idea."
At Detroit Promotions, we're proud to invest in brands.
We're proud to invest in community.
But most importantly, we're proud to invest in people.
Because the future isn't something we wait for.
It's something we invest in.
Let's look at the word investment differently — one that goes beyond financial returns and focuses on investing in people, mentorship, and the next generation.