The glory days of holding court in front of 9,000 screaming fans at Clemson University’s Littlejohn Coliseum, have faded slowly into yesterday’s memories for Grayson Marshall.  Marshall, who was once the Atlantic Coast Conference all-time career assist leader (857) and still the reigning Clemson Tiger’s single game (20) and single season (262) assist record holder, has transformed himself over the last 20 years since college. The man, who once played with the great ability to put others into a position to score on the court, has learned how to adapt those skills for off the court. The crowds are a little smaller now, but there are also no shot clocks or referees to worry with anymore. Nevertheless, Grayson has still found a way to be an assist leader and change peoples lives along the way.

After his playing days were behind him, he’d began to do just like the majority of us do and find his way into the job market. After several years of living his life on what seemed to be the obvious path to be on, he would still somehow find himself homeless by the age of 29 years old. What led up to this could simply be dismissed as bad luck, bad decisions, or maybe even poor judgment. However, from a more realistic observation, it would simply be because another young man was sent out into the world with tens of thousands of hours of academic education & basketball training behind him, but virtually no spiritual or financial training to give him the proper direction to travel with in life. Without the structure of organized sports or the ongoing guidance of a coach, Grayson sadly had found him self broke, busted & disgusted.

That all began to change the day that he met the love of his life, Darlene. Once their relationship had progressed over time, Grayson proposed to Darlene with one caveat. He told her that he had nothing to offer her financially, but if she would stand by his side, they would be free by 40.

With no way of knowing how he was going to do it, he knew that God had a plan. He kept that promise and now they both have all the time they need to spend with their four beautiful children. Darlene is now retired, and Grayson travels the country sharing exactly how he did it to audiences ranging from 50 to 500 people several times a month or large events that host thousands.

While on stage or working with the audience, Grayson has the presence and command of a seasoned speaker. You would’ve thought that he’d spent years on the road being tutored by the likes of an Anthony Robbins, Les Brown or any other great motivational speaker that’s on the speaking circuit. The truth is, his mentor and teacher was one with a much higher calling in life than just that of public speaker.

The day that Grayson walked through the doors of The Potter’s House Christian Fellowship in Jacksonville, Florida, and met the man that would become not only his spiritual father, but his mentor as well; his future would never look brighter. The man that he met that day was the founder of the Potter’s House, Bishop Vaughn McLaughlin. Bishop McLaughlin’s vision of economic empowerment of not only the congregation, but also for the community as a whole, has been envied from all over the country. His integration of business and church has been considered a model for breaking down some of the common barriers between non-profit church and for-profit business. This has garnered him national attention and landed him on the covers of several national Christian magazine like Charisma, Ministries Today and Leadership Journal. He’s also had several television appearances on TBN & BET as a guest speaker.

While at McLaughlin’s side, Grayson not only began to have the foundation of his faith deeply rooted, but his understanding of what it takes to shift paradigms for purpose. He also got a front row seat to one of the most charismatic speakers in Bishop McLaughlin and he absorbed it all with great passion. Now Grayson has moved forward with his to desire lift people up and follow in the example set by his mentor. His new goal is to create 1000 millionaires and to give people a chance at the same freedoms he and his wife now have. He plans to do this through any one of his many business ventures.

Not only does he volunteer as the Head Coach of the boy’s high school basketball team at PHCF, but he’s also a serial entrepreneur and speaker as well. With his company Balance Your Game Inc., he’s been laying the foundation to create franchised center’s that will be an environment for growing the youth of our communities using faith & sports. His company Assist Enterprises is an outlet for personal development and for the coaching of financial literacy. While using biblically based teachings mixed with the secular philosophies of the likes of Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad, Grayson believes that he can help anyone achieve their desired financial and personal goals. Lastly, Graydarhealth LLC is a company that he and his wife Darlene use to help bring back the balance between health and nutrition using a functional beverage named Mona*Vie, while also giving individuals a chance at starting on the road to financial freedom with a part-time home based business. Any of these avenues will surely allow him to spread his wings and his talent, to touch the lives of those desiring change.

So just as it began more than 20 years ago at Clemson University, Grayson has found the way to not only pass the ball to the open man, but put the man in position to score. With the principles taught to him by his spiritual & entrepreneurial mentor and by helping people in bringing back the balance of faith & financial freedom, he will once again be the all-time assist leader. Only this time, he will gladly encourage others to break his record.