For many young adults, faith is not a straight line—it’s a series of detours, collisions, and unexpected restarts. Troy Vaughn knows this journey intimately. A former Marine who experienced homelessness, addiction, and unresolved trauma, Troy’s life today looks radically different from what he once imagined. As a pastor, CEO, and author, his story is not one of overnight redemption, but of long obedience, deep healing, and learning to lead through service. He tells his story in his new bookFrom Skid Row to CEO: Your Past Doesn’t Disqualify You, It Prepares You.
In this interview about the book, Troy reflects on how faith met him in his darkest seasons, why healing requires honesty, and what it means to follow God when the path forward looks nothing like the plan you had.
Maina:
You talked about writing this book for years. What finally pushed you to sit down and do it?
Troy:
When I was released from the Los Angeles Mission, I knew something was changing. I didn’t have language for it yet, but I sensed that God was asking me to use my voice in a different way—not just preaching, not just leading, but telling the truth about my life.
About a year before that transition, a woman from my church—someone who worked in media—came to me and said, “The Lord told me to help you with your book.” At the time, I didn’t even think I had a book in me. But we started talking. She interviewed me, my family, people close to me. I journal a lot, so we collected years of notes, recordings, memories—everything.
Then after leaving the mission, all that material just sat there. And one day my wife gave me a T‑shirt in a box that said Write On. My mom used to say that to me before she passed away. It felt like God saying, “It’s time.” Not because I was ready—but because obedience doesn’t wait for comfort.
Maina:
What happened inside you as you started revisiting your story?
Troy:
It reopened wounds I thought were healed.
I started having dreams about my father. I’d wake up sweating, shaking. Trauma has a way of hiding until you finally slow down long enough to listen. Writing forced me to stop running.
When I left the Marine Corps, I had created a version of events that helped me survive. But as I revisited my records years later, I realized I had been released untreated. That explained so much—why I struggled, why I self‑medicated, why I spiraled.
For a long time, I thought faith meant ignoring pain. I’ve learned that faith actually invites us to face it—with God.
Maina:
A lot of people hit a breaking point later in life after years of pushing through. Did that resonate with your experience?
Troy:
Absolutely. I didn’t understand why I became addicted. I didn’t know I was self‑medicating. I didn’t have language for depression or trauma—especially growing up in a culture where mental health wasn’t discussed openly.
In our communities, millions of people struggle silently. We’re taught to be strong, to push through, to pray harder. But strength without healing eventually collapses.
For me, that collapse looked like seven years of homelessness. Not because I lacked faith—but because I lacked understanding.
Maina:
What would you say to young adults walking alongside family members—or even friends—who are struggling with mental health or incarceration?
Troy:
We have to stop pretending this isn’t part of our reality.
When Scripture talks about disease, it’s not just physical—it’s anything that creates disorder and disconnection. We avoid hard conversations because they make us uncomfortable. But healing doesn’t happen in silence.
If society feels distant or broken, the Church and the community still have power. Faith isn’t passive. It calls us to show up, to listen, and to respond with compassion instead of judgment. That’s not optional—it’s the mandate of Christ.
Maina:
What do you hope young readers take away from your book?
Troy:
I want them to see themselves.
Everyone has a skid row. It might not be homelessness—it could be anxiety, addiction, burnout, shame, or disappointment. A place where life didn’t turn out the way you expected.
This book isn’t meant to be read quickly and put down. It’s a working read. It asks you to engage, reflect, and be honest. Healing requires participation.
You don’t have to share my story to find yourself in it. You just have to be willing to tell the truth about where you are.
Maina:
You use the phrase “turn into the skid.” What does that mean spiritually?
Troy:
When you’re driving and your car hits a skid, you’re taught not to panic or pull away—you turn into it. That always stayed with me.
In life, when things fall apart, we do the opposite. We avoid, numb, distract, and perform. But the way through is actually inward.
Faith doesn’t help us escape reality—it gives us courage to face it. When we turn into the skid, we invite God into the mess instead of pretending it isn’t there.
Maina:
You’ve led organizations as a CEO. What did leadership teach you about faith?
Troy:
True leadership is servanthood.
Jesus didn’t lead by control or status—He led by proximity. He invested deeply in people and empowered them to carry the mission forward.
Too often, leadership in our culture is about being served. But the gospel flips that model upside down. Leadership should heal communities, not exploit them. When leaders forget that, imbalance follows—whether in business, ministry, or society.
Maina:
Seven years is a long time to feel stuck. How did you know you were finally moving forward?
Troy:
I realized I couldn’t do it alone.
Independence is celebrated, but isolation is dangerous. Scripture tells us two are better than one for a reason. Healing happens in connection.
When systems are broken—whether it’s mental health, homelessness, or injustice—you’ll always find division. Agreement creates movement. Community creates momentum.
Maina:
Looking back now, is this the life you imagined for yourself?
Troy:
Not at all. I thought I’d be a cartoonist.
I still draw. That creative part of me never left—it just waited. I’m actually working on a children’s book now called Randy the Red Ant’s Road to Redemption. It’s my story told through illustrations.
I’ve learned that calling isn’t cancelled—it evolves. God doesn’t waste any part of us.
UF Editor Allen Reynolds interviewed Denya & Cellus Hamilton, co-founders of the faith based company Sow and Tell about their annual Faith & Work conference focused on black and brown people, “There Will Be Fruit.”
Allen
The first question I have for you all is tell me about what is there will be fruit? Can you tell us about what you guys do and who you are?
Denya
Yes, for sure. So yeah, we are the co-founders of Sow and Tell, it started as a creative agency where we offer services such as social media, marketing, strategy, implementation, artist development, writing sessions and now events. And our signature event that we have annually in the spring is there will be fruit. Really the goal is just to create a space where entrepreneurs, professionals and creatives can come together and just be reminded that God can use them in the marketplace and the industry that he has called us to, whether that is in marketing, hospitality, and tech, [or others] and to also connect each other, right? Because we cannot go on this journey alone.
Cellus
Yeah, the only thing I’ll add to that is that what makes it unique, particularly is that in New York and in many other cities the faith and work space is predominantly white. It’s just a completely different space that you don’t see any black people in the room. You don’t see any people of color in the room at all. We allow this space to be led and ran by black people and people of color that can really share not only their expertise, but what they’re also up to in the faith and work field. And that’s what makes it unique and special.
Allen
Can you talk about what is it that people could expect going to that conference connecting with what you guys do at there will be fruit?
Cellus
Yeah, one of the incredible things that we see is people really love the fact that you feel like it’s an exciting place, an exciting atmosphere. You’ve been to places where you feel like no one’s here is actually intentional about meeting one another, but you get this sense that people show up feeling like, I know that the people in the room have something that they can offer me. I know that the people in the room have something that they can help me with. I know that they’re on a similar journey. And so the excitement comes from the people wanting to actually genuinely connect and then us providing spaces where they’re going to get a chance to sit at tables and be kind of positioned where they can meet people in their similar industries and their fields, but also have moments where they’re able to relax around a meal and have some entertainment in the middle of sessions and things like that. It’s really just a space where people can come together, feel like they’re going to really connect, not just be talked to, but actually get a chance to leave with some connections with people that they can walk their industries and their career paths with. And I feel like that’s what kind of draws people each year.
Denya
Yeah, I always think people come for the content, but stay for the connections and the people. I’ve seen the fruit, literally pun intended, of these spaces. It’s not just like a conference. I believe what we’re doing here is like a movement because the faith and work space is so fresh to our audience, this next generation of believers who are passionate about their work, but also passionate about Jesus. We’re coming here and knowing that at least we have two things in common. We work and we love Jesus. And that expectation is there, but once they get to the room, number one, they experience the Holy Spirit because what we do is led by God. His presence is there,[He] goes before us. And then not just like coming in, seeking people who could help us, but also seeking people who we can serve. So that’s what I’ve experienced as well. So, a prime example is, I met a young lady, she found us on Eventbrite, randomly decided to sign up to come to our event. She bought a VIP ticket, which included the VIP mixer the night before. The VIP mixer is that Friday night before the Saturday conference, where it’s a more intimate space, kind of like a kickoff in a sense, where we invite our sponsors, our partners, our speakers, and our VIP guests to just come to know one another and get hype about what they’re about to experience the next day. And so, this young lady came [on] faith, and she was just blown away by everything. She came to the conference the next day, and she also does production. She recorded a lot of content. And from there, she was already in the process of launching, but she launched her podcast called Minds of Renewal. And from there, she was able to connect with a future guest on her podcast who has a faith-based athletics company. And so just seeing their podcast come to life, because they met at, There Will Be Fruit, has been just so cool to see. And from there, she’s also led Bible studies for ministries that she was encountered with at the conference as well. So just seeing like the tangible outcome of these Kingdom collaborations has been so amazing to see.
Cellus
Yes, that’s it. People come to the conference, they work together with people they met at the conference, and their dreams kind of flourish in ways that they always bring back to, this is someone I met in the room at the conference, and they just, we’ve stayed in contact, and we’ve continued to build from there. And it’s great.
Allen
Wow, that honestly, it sounds like you guys are creating fertile ground, you’re tilling fertile soil. So, when people come and bring their seeds, like that’s why there will be fruit, like the images just coming together in my mind. For folks who may be struggling to find how they can be faithful and still at the same time, do work in a world that’s complex and industries that feel more uncertain than ever, where there may not be as many opportunities, what advice would you give them about being able to be faithful and still be impactful or successful as they’re trying to [be in the] world of faith and work as believers?
Cellus
Yeah, one of the things that we’ve uniquely began to think about is how we can speak to the growing population of people who don’t find themselves in industry, where the line is as clearly drawn between secular and sacred work. And we recognize that with the changing industries, with AI innovation, and with all these things, there is a need for people to learn that there is some flexibility in what it means to be “faithful”, even when the lines where [are] not clearly drawn, whether this is sacred or secular work. And so that’s been something we’ve been leaning into. And we’ve also just been recognizing that we all have multiple skills. And a lot of times we lean specifically toward maybe something that we’re most passionate about, but we may not be as perceptive to how our other skills can open up lanes that are necessary and that kind of are in the direction of the world is going. So we also encourage people to look at all the things that they’re good at and kind of figure out how they can maybe spread their gifts around. And we think it’s very encouraging as well in a changing world.
Denya
And I would just add on to say that, yeah, like work is just an opportunity for worship. So wherever you’re placed, God is using you. And I was reading a devotional the other day about faith and work, and I talked about how the marketplace is the most time we’ll spend in and the most influential. So why not just like allow God’s will to happen in that space through you, whether it is with a co-worker or a boss or, you know, people that you contract with. And using these as opportunities to be the hands and feet of Jesus to live out what we’re learning on Sunday mornings or whenever you worship is what we want to just give advice [about]. Advice on who and [whose we are] in this faith and work journey.
Allen
What advice would you give someone young trying to figure out how to walk in [faith] and be fruitful?
Denya
That’s so good. Something that came to my heart when you answer that, because it’s so it’s so big to want to kind of like raise up the next generation or your successors and equip them. And the first thing I would say number one, like stay connected to the vine, right? John [talks about] how Jesus is that true vine. So once you’re connected with him, you understand what your purpose is and then [you’re] not just connected with him, but connecting with community. God offers us obviously perfect community with him, but then He allows us to be in community with each other. And what we mean is like getting plugged into a local church, getting it plugged into, you know, Bible study, worship, and then events like these where, you know, you can learn how to be an effective professional entrepreneur or creative in God’s way. Because at the end of the day, we’re all being discipled by something, whether that’s the world or, you know, the church. And so, we need to be just positioned in a way where God can use us and effectively according to his word. Stay connected to Him, stay connected to each other, and seek wise counsel in any space that you’re in, whether that is the professional space or a spiritual space, because God is a holistic God.
Cellus
I’ll add that I often consider the things that most burden you. Like I tell people often that there is something that burdens you about the world. There is something that deeply gets you passionate to the point where you want to debate it, you want to fix it, you want to talk about it and dream about ways that it could be different. And a lot of times within those passions that the Lord has placed inside of us, there is also the capacity for us to lean into it and be the answer to some of those problems. And so I just encourage people who are on that path trying to figure out where they can be fruitful, think about what bothers you about the world, connect that to the mission of the kingdom and lean into it and do something about it. And I think those are some good tools to help you kind of figure out where you’re supposed to be.
Allen
Tell me how did the people reach you and get connected to There Will Be Fruit?
Denya
Yes, we’d love to have you. So next year’s conference is Saturday, April 11, 2026 here in New York City. You can stay updated by following us on social media on Instagram at therewillbefruit or check out our website, sowandtell.co.
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Allen
Cellus
