We came here, and until we return...
we are simply asked to live, to love and to learn. ~m. higgs
Hello, my name is Marcus AureliusThat's right, like the Roman Emperor. Higgs. I am a simple man who tries to leave each path I walk a little brighter then how I met it.
Where am I from?
A better question is Where am I going, but since you want to know.
I was born in Riverside, California. Moved to Alabama at 2 and back to California at 7, then Nassau, Bahamas at 12 (Yes, The Bahamasand no, we didn't sit on the beach everyday, being fanned by servants while drinking daiquiris...not everyday..)
I studied CISComputer Information Systems at College of the Bahamas and Communication, Journalism at Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama. Right after college I moved to South Korea안녕하새요 친구! 
where I was worked as an English Instructor/Administrator for 6 years. My mother is Filipino and my father is Bahamian. But it’s not about where your from, it’s about where you’re going.
…a simple man who tries to leave each path I walk a little brighter then how I met it.
Because of the consistent change in my life, I’ve learned to ‘get in where you fit in’. And with no individual ‘group’ to identify with I learned to quickly relate with a wide variety of peopleover 18 countries so far, and still counting, while still standing as an individual sure of who I am.
I embrace my diversity (or ‘muttness’). It adds to my insight and helps me see how we have more commonalities than differences.
In the Bahamas around 1998 I was watching “Slam Nation” on HBO.Looong before Def Poetry Jam. Watch the trailer now if you love poetry (or even if you don’t). To see the intensity, the craft, the drive of the poets’ words; to see what they created with their lines was all a wonder to me. While in awe, my feeling was clear, ‘I want to do that’. Not as a profession, but as an expression.
…my feeling was clear, ‘I want to do that’. Not as a profession, but as an expression.
Right after the movie I jumped our 52k modem and Yahoo searchedThat's what we did back in my day before Googling and sifted through the words ‘slam’, ‘poetry’ , ‘performance’, ‘spoken word’, and everything inbetween. Early inspiration came from established poetssuch as muMs the Schemer, Taylor Mali , Jessica Care Moore , Mighty Mike McGee, Big Poppa E, Talam Acey, however most of my drive came from a sea of unnamed poets, with pieces that still stand out in my mind.
For two years, I wrote and shared my work through email and with friends at school, but there was no ‘stage’ or outlet until “the Verse Place” in Nassau Bahamas. In college I continued writing with two creative collectives, “Art n’ Soul”, and “M’kono-Nia”. All the while, traveling and performing at every opportunity on every open mic and stage. Along the way, I’ve shared the stage with Nikki Giovanni, Shihan the Poet, Will ‘Da Real One’ Bell, Mike McGee, just to name a few.
Here is something I wrote a while ago:
~ the Word is Love, Spread the Word.
“Your communication affects the quality of your life.” That’s the reason we study languages; to improve the quality of our life.
From 2005 until 2011 I had the opportunity to help improve the quality of numerous lives as an English teacher. While being based in beautiful South Korea, I taught in a wide array of class settings across AsiaMongolia, the Philippines, Vietnam...and Spain and Venezuela too, but that's not Asia..
Some call it teaching. For me, it’s another way to live life and enjoy it, while helping others improve their lives (through English skills.)
Some call it teaching. For me, it’s another way to live life and enjoy it, while helping others improve their lives (though English skills).
Teaching English has given me the opportunity to travel to different lands while meeting interesting people with intriguing stories. One of my most satisfying moments as an English teacher happened in Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam. I needed a place to stay for one night but there was no vacancy in the hostel. After talking a few minutes with the desk worker he said it would be possible for me to stay in the staff quarters, but only if I volunteer to teach English at the orphanage the next morningHonestly, I would have slept outside and still volunteered in the morning.. Needless to say, I had a wonderful time with the kids the next morning.
Although I’m currently not teaching, I’m working with a project called LangJoy; a place providing enjoyable language lessons with native speakers to help you improve your language skills. Also, if you want to find out more about my English teaching experience, you can check out my online Teaching CV/Resume.
At my core, I love helping people. In college I was known as ‘the Go-to Guy’; when you needed something, I was the guy you go to.
My unique blend of creativity, communication, and caringYeah it sounds a bit cheesy, but it's true. I do care. have laid the foundation of my entrepreneurial spirit.
What builds on that foundation? Networking, Continuous Education, Leaning into the Unknown, Executing Smartly, Implementing Quickly.
Basically, knowing how to get things done, taking the risk to get things done, and doing themDoing is the most important part..
Currently I’m working with ‘the Software Roundtable’ headed by Dane MaxwellFounder of Zannee.com - At age 22, Dane started out by building an intranet website for real estate companies (FROM A CLOSET). By asking them countless questions and passionately learning about their problems, it grew into much more. Fast forward 5 years, and Zannee.com now works with hundreds of the real estate companies, helping them with real estate recruiting websites, real estate intranet websites, and real estate transaction management systems. Oh yeah, and offices are paperless.. Other proven entrepreneurs ‘mentoring’ in this group are RubenFounder of BidSketch.com – bootstrapped a profitable start up from nothing to $10k/month without funding. Previously an employee, used to be a programmer turned marketer., DamonFounder of Lifestylesquest.com – bootstrapped to $30k/ month without funding. Runs a massively successful real estate investment firm, owns dozens of rentals himself, happens to know software, and with his new understanding of copywriting and marketing, boosted his company by 10k/month in revenues., AaronCo-founder of FastCustomer.com – raised $750k in funding and is soaring in his field. He’ll tell you if your idea flys or not without being afraid to hurt your feelings., and TimCo-founder of AgentPronto.com – the CEO of PaperlessPipeline and owner of AgentPronto. He’s building internal software to manage his thriving lead gen company. An adwords genius and conversion ninja.. But honestly the power of this group is bigger than names or past achievements.
Without making it too simple, what we do is:
Everybody in every industry has a problem.
If 5 people in an industry have the same problem, that’s a possible product.
If 10 or more people in an industry have the same problem, that’s a possible profitable product. 
(Say that three times fast.)
Currently, I’m working with Landscape Designers, Landscape Architects and Landscape Contractors.If you know landscapers, please introduce me. I'd love to interview them and get to know their problems.
You can follow me on this journey in my journal; entries tagged ‘entrepreneur‘.
