January 2026 Newsletter – How I repurposed my pain.

Two L's to a New Life

At the top of 2025, I took two major losses. The brick-and-mortar job I depended on shut down.

Then, my relationship ended. All of this happened while I was still attending college, grinding toward degrees, chasing clarity, holding on to my identity while the world around me shifted.

“Be Real. Be Relentless. Ryze Above.” A letter from

I've been fighting all my life and have been losing all my life. This was no different. I did what did best, keep my head in the game. I also sought out mentors. Something I've never done before. When you see me out you may see me as an eccentric confident extravert, but like everybody else I am human. Those loses had me questioning myself, building narratives around my uselessness. Building narratives around why she left me. What anchored me was my will to provide a great future for my daughter, my mother and my will to succeed despite the odds that are always against me. I decided to bet on myself. I chose legacy over loss. Instead of spiraling, I took control of my story.

• I doubled down on my education, enrolled in 6 classes.

• I put full focus on building my business, Ryze Above.

• I partnered with several individuals to bring the love.

• I traded pity for purpose. I let my pain be my proof.

What I Built in 2025

Here’s what that decision turned into:

• Facilitated trauma-informed workshops for youth & adults.

  • Strategic partnership with Making The Transition.

  • Foundations of trauma presentation for Center of Male Engagement.

  • Co facilitated workshops at MLK high school with an upcoming speaker Brian Gaines.

  • Created and presented my Buy Back the Block lecture for NABA CCP.

    I repeated the presentation, Buy Back the Block for Mural Arts Guild program.

• Delivered recovery services: stretch, cupping, and coaching to the community.

  • Emir Hope Healing Day

  • NAACP From Coast To Coast

• Took 6 college courses while maintaining a GPA at 3.90, graduating with my A.A.S.

• Spoke at events, sat on panels, mentored, and kept showing up.

  • Deloitte School district PD.

  • CCP BHHS Advisory Committee.

  • Became a peer coach for the Center For Male Engagement.

• Launched healing-focused merch and lifestyle branding:

  • Ryze Essentials

  • Healing necklaces.

• Created the “Ryze Recovery System” and 8D Mastery Framework.

• Served clients while still healing myself, publicly and privately

• I completed several certifications:

  • Holistic Health Practitioner

  • Shadow Mastery Practitioner

  • Body Healing Practitioner

  • Sex Therapy Practitioner

  • Mental Health First Aid

Every win was earned. Every day was a choice,

and through it all, Ryze Above wasn’t just a business, it was a lifeline.

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2025 Taught Me:

• Healing isn’t a luxury. It’s a strategy.

• Wellness isn’t just personal. It’s political.

• Community isn’t just about survival. It’s about powerful alignment.

2026 Vision: Discipline. Devotion. Design.

This isn’t the year I perform.

This is the year I build with reverence.

This is the year we honor what we’ve been through and create what’s next.

The Ryze Above mission for 2026 is rooted in:

• Discipline – Because structure is sacred

• Devotion – Because we’re not flirting with greatness—we’re married to it

• Design – Because this isn’t luck. It’s architecture

Next Moves for the family

• Developing my 8D Mastery Course

• Second Edition of my memoir Ryze

• Second Edition of 48 Laws of Dating co-authored by my brother and I.

• 48 Laws of Dating Game.

Thank you for rocking with me.

For believing in this vision.

For rising through your own setbacks.

We don’t heal by pretending to be perfect.

We heal by being real.

We Ryze… together.

Peace be upon you family, truly yours the realest author you know.

Larry Carroll Jr.

Founder, Ryze Above Inc.

“Be Real. Be Relentless. Ryze Above.”