“I am living proof that your mindset and work ethic can overcome the disadvantages you were born into”
Tim Mercer’s success was never a foregone conclusion. He was born in 1970 in Mullins, South Carolina, a small farming town located on the western edge of a region commonly referred to as the “Corridor of Shame.” He lived with his mother, three siblings, grandfather, and his aunt’s family.—three families with two bedrooms, one bathroom, and a pot-belly stove for heat. His home town is unfortunately known for poor education, discrimination, and a troubled economic history. Mullins was not a springboard for entrepreneurial success; and Tim can’t help but feel grateful. “At the time, I felt especially ashamed of our lives,” he explains. “But today I view that time as the anchor of my humility and the engine of my ambition.”
That ambition would lead him to join the U.S, Army after high school. Tim became a telecom operator, something he credits with getting his IT career started. After his time in the Army, Tim decided to take advantage of his GI bill by enrolling in the technology program at DeVry University in Atlanta. Shortly thereafter he found work with a software vendor for wireless carriers. However, his employer did not appreciate the work he was doing so Tim set out on his own as an independent contractor and solo entrepreneur. This was the start of his entrepreneurial journey and success.
He was billing clients $1,000 per day, receiving $5,000-$10,000 in monthly expenses, and had a bottomless queue of work from various companies. He was doing well enough that he left the IT field and got involved in real estate investing and financial services. He married his wife in lavish fashion. They owned luxury properties in Atlanta, D.C., and Chicago. Then his investments soured with the markets around 2008. At one point, he had only $1,000 in his bank account. Depression had set in and his life was seemingly falling apart.
Ultimately, his saving grace came in the form of a LinkedIn message from a friend. This message led to a meeting that got him back into IT consulting full-time.
In July of 2008, Tim founded IBOXG, providing technology service and solutions to government agencies and Fortune 500 corporations. Over the past ten year, his company has seen massive growth. IBOXG has accrued over $60 million dollars in revenues since its inception.
Today, Tim is grateful to be back in the field of technology and finance. He has not forgotten that little house he lived in, nor the lessons he learned in 2008. Timothy lives in Atlanta with his beautiful wife, Cassandra and their pet dog, Coco.
