What’s your word or phrase of intention for 2022?

“For me, just stay ambitious. That means just keep doing what I’m doing as far as how I’m moving through life. I ain’t doing nothing wrong, I’m living positive. I’m trying to start my trucking company. I’ve got my own truck. I started it last year and everything took off how I expected it to. I just want to keep that ball rolling. This year I’ll branch off onto my own. I bought my own 18-wheeler. I had to reevaluate what I wanted to do in life. I grew up playing ball. Once that didn’t work out how I expected it, I didn’t know what I wanted to do, and I fell into this. My cousin turned me on to this and it made sense. It allows me to be how I want to be. I didn’t want a boxed-in type of job. I move how I want to move. Of course, I want to work, but I can work on my own terms.” – Anthony Dobynes of Irondale with his daughter, Keilani, 1

Anthony Dobynes loves that trucking gives him the flexibility to spend time with his children. (Tamika Moore / People of Alabama)

Dobynes is looking forward to having his company, Steel City Truck Lines, take off this year. Trucking gives him the flexibility to spend time with his kids. The hard work he has put into it is something that he hopes to instill in them. That and self-sufficiency.

“I like to be real with my children so, hard work. What it means to start a company. My children are more business savvy at this age than I ever was. That has a lot to do with their mom’s side of the family, too. There’s a lot of entrepreneurs over there. They are already about a dollar in a sense.”

These are the faces and stories of people from all walks of life who call Alabama home. People of Alabama is a Red Clay Media and Alabama NewsCenter partnership.