Anthony

Anthony is a young man with an eternal smile. He has been a member of Milestone’s Small Group Employment program for about five years, where he is part of a crew that regularly cleans one of Milestone’s office buildings.

But there is so much more to Anthony than that.

Since 2020, Anthony has also been an up-and-coming businessman. He’s the proud founder and owner of Anthony’s Shoes, a designer sneaker brand that’s attracting global attention.

“I want to be successful in life,” explained Anthony. He cites rapper and entrepreneur Master P as his inspiration – especially because he’s known for wearing cool shoes.
“I use the money I make at Milestone to invest into my shoe brand.”

How did all start? “I did research,” Anthony said. “I found a website where I can design my shoes. I send the design to a manufacturer in Italy and customers who order shoes can get them in seven to 12 days.”

Along with style, Anthony said that comfort is what sets his shoes apart from others.

“Anthony is very motivated in his work and loves learning about business,” said Brandon Pannell, Milestone’s Employment Services Supervisor. “He’s on his way to fulfilling our goal of him being an independent worker.”

Anthony’s Shoes has a website (AnthonysShoesBrand.LuxuryBrand.Shoes), Instagram page (instagram.com/AnthonysShoesBrand1/) and YouTube channel (Anthony’s Shoe Brand). A visit to the YouTube channel shows shout-outs from comedian/actor Cedric the Entertainer, BET & VH-1 personalities and even customers from Africa and India. Not to mention a commercial that ran on the BET network!

“It was a proud moment when I learned about Anthony’s business,” Pannell said. “Every time he shows me something new, I’m more astonished by what he does.”