OCALA, FL (352today.com) – From Pretty Boy T to Darrell Tolbert, Ph.D., his life has been a journey of remarkable transformation.
When Tolbert left prison in 1999, his first business venture was a food truck and barbecue grill. However, these were not his only contributions to the community. Tolbert was also licensed and ordained as a minister.
“I was in prison studying, I was already getting credit,” says Tolbert. “God didn’t send me to the pulpit; He sent me back to the streets, the same streets where I sold drugs. For 11 years, that’s all I did: street ministry.”
Sharing his faith through street evangelism
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, as Ocala struggled with a pervasive drug culture, Tolbert set up speakers and began spreading the good news of the Gospel. His message resonated deeply with the community. As a minister, his inspirational and uplifting words had the same impact as a well-maintained aircraft achieving lift and thrust to beat gravity. His V-1 Rotate Elevate motivational business has since become a major influence on many lives.
“It was so powerful because the majority of those people, I was their drug dealer, selling them drugs, and for them to see that Darrell has changed,” Tolbert explains. “My street name was Pretty Boy T. They would say, ‘Pretty Boy T, he’s preaching.’ They used to crowd around. I did that for 11 years, and then God transitioned me, and that’s when I started pastoring. V-1 came three or four years ago. I started speaking in prisons and juvenile detention centers. I decided I wanted to be a motivational speaker. That’s when V-1 Rotate Elevate was birthed. V-1 is the velocity of speed. Once an aircraft reaches the velocity of speed, it cannot abandon the takeoff. If it’s abandoned, the plane will crash. So, it doesn’t matter what’s going on with this plane; once it reaches V-1, it has to take off.”
Once someone reaches that V-1 mentality, they must accomplish their goal, says Tolbert, a graduate of Forest High School and a U.S. Army veteran.
“You have to rotate, which means you have to make positive decisions, and then you see your life elevate,” he adds.
A life of service and transformation
While engaged in his street ministry, Tolbert received an honorary doctorate in 2010. In 2016, he joined War Cry 4 Peace, an initiative addressing gun violence and supporting families affected by it.
“War Cry 4 Peace is about family members who’ve been killed through gun violence,” says Tolbert. “Whenever we have memorials or prayer vigils for them, I would do the speaking because I lived that lifestyle, and I knew what it was about.”
Enterprising spirit with empathy and compassion
During his transformation, Tolbert noticed many people relying on GoFundMe accounts to cover expenses, which inspired him to become an insurance agent. He began selling life and health insurance to educate the Black community on the importance of financial planning.
“You need insurance because when death comes, you can use the excess money to pay bills. You don’t have to do these GoFundMe’s, and that’s when I came up with Christian Financial Services,” says Tolbert.
An animal lover, Tolbert also started Patches Pain Pet and Grief Counseling and recently published the book The Pain and Grief of Losing a Pet. Additionally, he is a personal trainer with a lifelong passion for sports.
Overcoming challenges to achieve peace
Trucking was not a path Tolbert initially chose, but with eight children and significant financial responsibilities, it became a necessity. The first four years after his release from prison were particularly challenging.
“When I first got out, I had all this child support, and I’m not knocking that—I had the kids—but I had just got out, I hadn’t been established yet,” Tolbert recounts. “I don’t know how many times I walked down the road and cried at night, wanting to sell drugs because I was broke. But God was there because I could feel the Holy Spirit holding me. He said, ‘It’s going to be alright.’”
Building a business took time and sacrifice. Although trucking provided income, it took him away from his family and dreams.
“There’s a place called ‘there,’ and a lot of us are in pursuit of a place called ‘there,’” says Tolbert. “There is that place, when you get there, you know it’s there. It brings peace and contentment.”
For his dedication to helping others and transforming lives, Tolbert received the Ocala City Council Citizen of the Month Award in November.
“I know the dedication that I put into the west side, ever since I got out of prison,” he says. “I know the money I have spent, buying clothes, paying light bills. I did it because I love people. But it was so huge because here it is, Darrell Tolbert, the guy who used to sell drugs in this same City of Ocala. The guy who was a nuisance to this city. And 25 years later, to have the mayor call you up and give the guy who was the problem a small medallion that’s a key to the city. Hollywood can’t script this stuff.”