When dreams get deferred, they don't disappear—they deepen.
Daniel Fitch knows this better than most. At 19, he was selling peanut butter sandwiches in Delaware State dorms instead of studying mass communications. At 36, he was publicly humiliated and ousted by his mortgage company manager. Now in his early 50’s, he's the CEO of Natural Leaders Media, an international video production agency that helps entrepreneurs tell their stories with authenticity and power.
"I'm an overlooked, late blooming, overachiever," Daniel reflects, his voice carrying the weight of decades spent proving doubters wrong—including himself.
And the lesson from his journey is crystal clear: our winding paths often lead to the most authentic destinations.
Basketball Dreams & Reality Checks
Every great comeback story begins with a fall from grace. For Daniel, that first fall happened on a high school basketball court when he didn't make varsity. The teenager who'd dreamed of college athletics since childhood suddenly faced a harsh truth: wanting something deeply doesn't guarantee getting it.
But here's where the winner in Daniel started to emerge. Instead of wallowing, he pivoted. "Once I realized I wasn't on varsity, I started thinking about college and what’s [next]. Then, I was like TV,” he remembers, recalling how inspired he was by Spike Lee’s ‘Do The Right Thing.’
That shift from sports to media happened during his junior year of high school. For college, he enrolled at Delaware State University as a mass communications major, and he’d soon learn that college life had other plans for him.
The Entrepreneurial Detour
College, for Daniel, first became about navigating freedom responsibly. "I was like, whoa, no parents around? Navigating that was interesting," he admits. "I wasn't focused. I was a terrible student."
But terrible student didn't mean terrible entrepreneur. While his classmates attended 8AM lectures, Daniel was building his first business in the dorms. "I realized my entrepreneurism," he says, describing how he sold everything from contraband to sandwiches. "I realized I had a gift for selling. If I put my mind to it, I can sell water to a whale."
After two years and academic probation, Daniel left Delaware State—but he took those sales lessons with him.
The Long Game: Building Skills While Dreams Simmer
What followed was a stint working in airline operations, which first exposed him to global travel. Next, were fifteen years in mortgage lending, a career that taught him the business acumen he'd later need as a creative entrepreneur. He worked as a loan officer while also flipping houses and building a robust client base.
Every transformation needs a catalyst, and Daniel's came in the form of public humiliation during a team meeting in December 2009. His manager called him out in front of fifteen colleagues, questioning his commitment and performance. "Nobody should have that level of control over me,” Daniel recalls, speaking of the moment he knew it was time to change course.
The next day brought a series of events that would change everything: a cracked tooth, a dental procedure, and a missed day of work that resulted in his termination—discovered only when his name disappeared from the company system.
Fortunately, as Paulo Coehlo writes, “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” And this termination would be the universe's way of setting Daniel free.
The Return: College at 36
At an age when many people are hitting their professional stride, Daniel was starting over as a non-traditional student at Georgia State University, reconnecting him with his original dream.
The turning point came through Dr. Doris Derby, a civil rights veteran and SNCC member who worked in the Office of African-American Studies and Programs. "She comes out and says, ‘Hey, what's your name? What do you like to do? Great. I have a film alliance crew, you want to be on it?" Daniel recalls.
Under Dr. Derby's mentorship, he changed his major to African American Studies with a concentration in film and video. "I loved it," he says. "It was the highlight, learning more about my racial identity. It really enhanced the scope of what type of films I wanted to do."
From Student to CEO: The Dream Realized
After graduation, Daniel launched Natural Leaders Media with a clear vision: helping entrepreneurs gain visibility while telling their stories authentically. "I give them that confidence that their story matters, and that, you know, they are somebody," he explains.
The work combines his sales psychology insights with his filmmaking skills, creating videos that don't just showcase businesses but reveal the humans behind them. His first major retainer with Clayton County Services Authority in 2016 proved his approach and business model worked.
Today, in addition to his business and event coverage clients, Daniel’s most personal project is his feature film, “Cut”, addressing the fentanyl crisis. “Hopefully, this movie can shed some light and move the needle on it,” he says, recounting how close loved ones have been impacted by the crisis. Even beyond these noble intentions, the movie is also a win for teenaged Daniel who, after seeing a Spike Lee Joint, dreamt of doing the same thing one day.
The Takeaway: Your Timeline Isn't Their Timeline
Looking back, every setback was actually a set up for Daniel’s eventual success. His first college attempt taught him entrepreneurship. His mortgage career built his business acumen. His termination redirected him back to his original dream.
His story challenges our culture's obsession with early success and linear career paths, and it's a testament to the power of persistent reinvention. Every skill he learned, every setback he endured, every pivot he made contributed to the leader he is today.
For professionals feeling behind schedule or off track, Daniel's story offers this reassurance: your timeline is your own. Those detours? They’re likely the exact experiences you need to succeed authentically when your moment finally arrives.
And as long as you keep going, it will.
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