Never Defeated

Today, life feels like a dream. But it wasn’t always this way. Throughout my life, I’ve been blessed with people who helped put me back together, time and time again. It all started with a childhood that felt more like a nightmare, full of trauma, abuse, and neglect. Somehow, I stumbled into an incredible career.

 

The transformation, mentally, emotionally, in every way, has been unreal. The road from the foster care system to where I am now? Nothing short of insane.

 

As I get older, I realize that everything I went through is what shaped me. It’s not just something people say. I truly couldn’t be the best version of myself without all the trauma, the struggle to find a place in this world, and the challenges of tinting.

 

My Earliest Memories

 

I was born in Ohio, but my earliest memories are from South Florida. All I remember is chaos. My father was a man with many demons. He had his moments of being a decent father, but more often than not, he was drunk and angry. He was mad at the world and took it out on us. 

 

The only blessing was that he wasn’t home much. He’d go to work in the morning, and we’d be in bed before he came home drunk. But sometimes, his temper would get the best of him. After a few noticeable bruises, my first-grade teacher called the cops, and they took me and my older brother to foster care. I didn’t see my dad again until I was about 10.

 

At first, they sent us to a temporary home meant for short-term stays before moving kids into long-term homes. Looking back, that was my only good experience in the foster care system. The next place was a rundown house with about nine of us crammed into a tiny three-bedroom space. 

 

The people running it were cold, and they fed us very little. I remember thinking they should’ve just left me with my dad because at least he fed me. So, I got myself thrown out and moved to another home, which was even worse. It didn’t take long before I was thrown out again and sent to a group home for “bad” kids.

 

Words Saved Me 

 

The only positive influence I had left was my caseworker. She always told me I was a special kid, destined for great things. Those words saved me time and time again, pulling me from the darkness when I needed it most.

 

At the time, I thought she was just being kind. It wasn’t until years later that I truly believed her. It wasn’t until much later that I began to build something for myself. 

 

After a few years of bouncing around Florida, my uncle in Ohio came and took me and my brother in. Then, my mom showed up when I was in my teens, asking me to move to Texas. I felt like I wasn’t my uncle’s responsibility, so I agreed. 

 

But it was a mistake. My mother had never wanted me before, and deep down, I realized that hadn’t changed. I ended up homeless in a town where I barely knew anyone, staying with a couple of kids I knew and sleeping wherever I could. That’s when a tinter took me in.

 

Tinting Saved Me 

 

I’d go to school, then head straight to the shop. At first, I just cleaned up and helped with easy tasks. Soon after, I started learning to install stereos and amplifiers. I always wanted to learn tinting, but the shop owner wasn’t keen on teaching me. I was all over the place, and I get why he felt that way, but it didn’t stop me from watching him and the other tinters. 

 

Eventually, I picked up the basics and learned how to do simple windows. I kept at it, and after a year, I was tinting entire cars by myself. Even then, I didn’t think I’d be a tinter forever. 

 

As I started doing full cars, I quickly realized how challenging it was. I made plenty of mistakes, re-did a lot of work, and often found myself stumped. The older guys would bail me out, and it was rough in the beginning. But after about three years, I got comfortable and didn’t need anyone’s help anymore.

 

I also worked weekends in fast food, where I met another window tinter who knew of me and offered me a job. After several years learning from him, I moved back to Ohio as a decent (nothing special) tinter. After struggling to find a “normal” job, I landed with another tinting company. 

 

My first tryout was a disaster. I broke vent shades and messed up a window on a Ford Ranger pickup. It was a total failure. But on my second try, I laid down a clean, perfect window. To my surprise, they hired me.

 

Tinters Saved Me 

 

A few years later, I overheard my sister telling her husband, “He's a professional.” At 23, I felt like I had value for the first time in my life. I could achieve something. That moment was the start of my confidence and my financial growth. I’ve worked on commission ever since. 

 

When I first got into tinting, I tried to do “normal” jobs, but nothing worked out. I was stuck in tinting, and once I found my groove, I was grateful for that “stuckness.”

 

The struggles early in my life left deep scars. For much of it, I felt like I wasn’t good enough for anyone or anything. But then, my life started to feel like it had a purpose. A turning point came when I met a tinter who was one of the best in the world. He had a tint bay unlike anything I’d seen, and his work was impeccable. 

 

He taught me that tinting isn’t just about speed. It’s about precision. I learned to slow down, focus on every detail, and perfect my craft. He saw potential in me and wanted me to come back on weekends to learn from him. I kept working and refining my skills, and soon enough, my brand grew. In 2008, I started my own business: Trey’s Tint & Custom Car Audio.

 

Working in this industry helped me heal from my past. I finally started to heal once I knew I’d always have work. For the first time, I felt truly safe, knowing I wouldn’t have to worry about going hungry or becoming homeless again. The more I grew in the industry, the more I felt like I had the support system I lacked growing up. 

 

Re-Writing My Story 

 

As I got better at my craft, my confidence soared. There was hope for me after all. It’s crazy how so many good things came out of the bad. Whenever I faced adversity, someone remarkable came into my life, helping to rewrite my story in ways I never expected.

 

Now, when a tough situation arises, I can handle it. I’ve learned that a bad day isn’t really that bad. As a child, going through so many hardships taught me to stay calm in difficult situations. I don’t tend to panic or get nervous. I think through the problem and figure out a reasonable way to solve it.

 

If I could talk to my younger self, I’d tell him: “It’s going to be okay.” I spent years battling with emotional and mental scars from things that weren’t my fault. I carried my parents’ burdens, and it took me a long time to realize that none of it was on me. 

 

I’d tell that younger version of me not to focus on the ones who left, but to hold tight to the ones who stayed. It took years to truly understand that, but once I did, everything started to shift.

 

When people look into my eyes now, they might still see traces of pain, but they’ll also see the light, the strength, and the peace I’ve found on this wild journey. And that’s thanks to the people who saw a hurting little boy, then a broken young man, and chose to care. Really care.

 

I was broken, yes. But I was never defeated. It’s not over until we say it is. It’s crazy how much can change.