I grew up hearing the word empuja used by my father, my mother, my grandfather, my uncles and my brothers to describe what we had to do to overcome any obstacle, anywhere, AT ANY TIME.

The word empuja is part of my Grit Machine DNA that clearly describes my daily mindset. And this hat reminds me of that every day.

Faith, family and grit were values instilled in me by my family. And these three pillars shape who I am, and they are the core elements that define my very being.

1. Faith: Defined as a strong belief in God, Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. My faith is my foundation.
2. Family: My family has acted as my classroom since my youngest days.
3. Grit: Defined as mental toughness, tenacity, perseverance, grit is the fiber that defines my approach and mindset to the projects, initiatives or problems I face.

These Faith, Family, Grit patches represents:

1. My core values— Faith, Family and Grit
2. A triangle symbolizing the Holy trinity: God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit
3. America’s colors in honor of our nation, the land of the free
4. Four stars representing my family— me, my wife, and my two sons
5. The anchor symbolizing Jesus, my source of truth and strength!

The PVC patches are made of durable plastic and are extremely tough with velcro fabric on the rear side.