Where you grew up and your background can often have surprising effects on our lives and careers. We’ve asked folks from the community to tell us about how their background has affected them.

Irene Sanders

I never imagined my path would lead from Reno, Nevada, to becoming a pivotal figure in Johns Creek’s leadership development landscape. My Georgia story began in 1981 when my husband Eric was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons, marking the start of our NFL journey.

After six years in Atlanta, Eric was traded to the Detroit Lions where we were part-time residents. It was there that we began our family, and I discovered my passion for community engagement. As a stay-at-home mom, I threw myself into our children’s schools and our homeowners’ association, eventually rising to become HOA President, a position oddly enough I still hold. Read More>>

Erica Reid

I was born in Erie, PA, and later moved to Philadelphia. My father spent his entire career in waste management, and during visits to my grandmother in Augusta, GA, he noticed that the city didn’t offer curbside trash and recycling together. Seeing an opportunity, he pursued his vision and moved our family to Augusta when I was in grade school, founding Augusta Disposal and Recycling. He started with just one truck, driving it himself, with my uncle slinging trash on the back. Through hard work and determination, he built it into a thriving business with nearly 20 trucks. His entrepreneurial spirit and relentless work ethic shaped who I am today. Read More>>

Patrick Muhammad

I was born and raised in East St. Louis, Illinois, known as the city of champions. Growing up in East Boogie, in our mind, it was the perfect environment to develop resolve and wherewithal. We were motivated by the fact that we could not fail individually because our individual failures became “City” failures, and the hope of those after us would quickly diminish. This fueled my and my fellow East St Louis friends. As I ventured into other arenas, carrying motivation from my city on my back, I quickly excelled in education, sports, and, eventually, business. No has never been an option throughout my development only a building block to beat the odds and get to a yes. Now, that same drive as a young child is the force I lean on daily to continue to beat the odds and pull the others out of the bucket of despair. Read More>>