Meet Simple Man Good Food

Today we’d like to introduce you to Simple Man Good Food. 

Thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I was raised by a single mother in Detroit, and she worked incredibly hard to provide for me. I went to elementary & middle school at Nataki Talibah Schoolhouse of Detroit, and throughout my time there, I was a troublemaker to say the least. I was a kid full of anger and would constantly make trouble, be a class-clown, and do everything I could to not be productive. I would estimate that I was suspended between 30-40 times in the span of 5th and 8th grade. But even with all my troubles, my principal (who started the school) Carmen N’namdi did not give up on me, and because of that I was able to graduate and continue with my schooling. My behavioral problems completely stopped when I started high school, which I credit to Mrs. N’namdi, but my academic struggles did not stop. I played varsity basketball and football for three years, and I had the opportunity to play college football- but since I did not put forth effort academically, I could not get into any colleges. I was able to graduate high school- albeit with a GPA of 1.7. I did not immediately go to community college; I took a semester off and worked at UPS. It was a grueling experience; I worked so hard, but I knew I wanted to do something more- and at that time, I just wanted to play football. So I started looking for Junior Colleges with football teams to fulfill this dream. I found one in Thief River Falls, Minnesota (Northland Community and Technical College). It was such a small school that they didn’t have student housing, so my mother (being the great woman that she is) took money out of her retirement to pay for an apartment, classes, and everything else I needed to chase this dream. I was nervous going back to school because in reality, I barely graduated high school and did not know how I would fare in college. I never thought about what I wanted to do with my life, but psychology sounded interesting so my first college semester I believe I took around 15-18 credits, mostly psychology courses, and I fell in love with it. I also thrived on the football field, but unfortunately the football program was shut-down after that season. I decided to follow the football coach to his next job, so I went from Thief River Falls, Minnesota to Wahpeton, North Dakota. After I finished my college season there, I signed up to play football at Division II Minot State University in Minot, ND. I went there for a short time, but knew in my heart it wasn’t the right place for me- so I came home to Oakland Community College (OCC) to get my Associate’s Degree while I looked for schools to continue my football career. I came upon Lindenwood University-Belleville, so after I completed my Associate’s Degree at OCC, I went to Lindenwood University. During my time there, I lost some of my passion for football, but made up for it in my newfound zeal for my education. My professors Dr. Trisha Prunty and Dr. Diana Jacobs taught me so much during my two years there, and I was so proud to become the first person in my immediate family to obtain a Bachelor’s degree: a B.A. of Psychology. After graduation, I moved back home to Michigan and started working for my current employer in nursing home mental health as a clinical assistant, but again knew I had a calling for something more. A coworker of mine, a social worker, let me shadow him to see what he does in nursing homes- and I immediately fell in love with it. I then applied & got accepted into Madonna University’s Masters of Social Work program; it was a stressful but overwhelmingly great experience. One of the reasons I fought so hard during the program was for my ten nieces and nephews: I wanted to be an example for them, showing them that we can do anything we set our minds to, without exception. I started doing TikToks as a way of decompression & mental breaks from my day job. Social workers work extremely hard for others, and while it is often rewarding, it is also taxing on our own mental health. Going out to eat with my fiancée and doing the videos is a fun way for me to decompress from the stresses of both work and life. The TikToks allow me to show people cool, delicious restaurants all around metro Detroit. I myself grew up all over Detroit: from Van Dyke & Gratiot, to 7 mile and Houghton- and now doing these videos feels like paying homage to a city I love so much. I hope it entices people to stop in & try them, because I love to see Detroit flourishing- and it’s only going up from here.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has not always been smooth. My Dad not being there for me to teach and guide me had a profound effect on me growing up, my mom worked so hard to play both roles, I cherish and appreciate all she did and continues to do in my life. I would not be where I am without her support. Going to Junior College to play football is a tough road to travel, it forced me to mature and become independent because at that time, that was the only way I thought I could get a college degree.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I work two jobs. The first job I work as a care coordinator for a mental health services company that specializes in psychiatric, psychological, and therapeutic services in skilled nursing facilities in Michigan.

The second job I work as a counselor for mental health services in Lapeer, Michigan.

I am most proud of my second job because of the work I see my clients working dilagently to improve their mental health and overall outlook for their lives. The work they put in to be vulnerable with me and challenge themselves to become better in what way that want is awesome. We celebrate all the victories no matter how “small” they may be. I love to build my clients up because I know when I was at my lowest, I had people in my life building me up every step of the way and continuing to do so.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
I think my happiness comes in various forms.

Hobby wise, I love to go bowling, to the movies (superhero movies/action movies), try new restaurants and watch Christmas movies with my fiancée. I have always struggled to find happiness, now that I know what I enjoy doing, I try to do them as much as possible.

God makes me happy. When I find myself struggling, I turn to him for guidance, lessons, peace, and strength.

My fiancée makes me happy; she is my best friend; I do not have to be perfect around her and she loves me even harder.

My friends and family make me happy because when I need them, they do all they can to be in my corner.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simplemangoodfood/?hl=en
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@simplemangoodfood