Mario Kelly, 41, was at rock bottom when his marriage fell apart and he lost his job. With just $1,500 to his name, he moved into his car and started selling wristbands that cost him just 3 cents a piece. The wristbands had the words Believe 313 printed on them, a reference to Detroit’s area code and a message of hope.
- With just $1,500 to his name, Kelly started building, one rubber band at a time.
- He sold wristbands to strangers in downtown Detroit, asking: ‘Do you believe in yourself? Do you believe in this city?’
- People donated $1, $5, even $20 for the rubber bands.
Kelly’s humble idea soon turned into something much bigger. In six months, he made $17,000 just from selling wristbands. Every dollar he earned, he stuffed into his spare tire, which became his bank.
| Event | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Wristband sales | $17,000 in six months |
| First cleaning job | $27 worth of cleaning supplies |
| First successful cleaning job | $1,500 |
As the pandemic took hold, Kelly saw an opportunity to launch another business, Believe 313 Staffing, which helped fill labor shortages by hiring people often overlooked.
“I went to halfway houses, shelters, anywhere people needed a second chance. I hired over 2,000 returning citizens. One of them, Willie Bass, was serving three life sentences. He got out after 40 years and couldn’t even get a job shoveling manure. I hired him.”
— Mario Kelly
Kelly’s cleaning and staffing empire expanded to major sports arenas in Detroit, Houston, and Seattle. He also launched Believe in AI, featuring ‘Emily,’ a custom-built virtual assistant that answers business calls, schedules meetings, and handles customer service.
“Every call center I’ve seen in corporate America is slow, understaffed, and outdated,” Kelly said. “Emily can handle it all-fast, polite, accurate. She even has emotional intelligence, so she stays calm no matter what you throw at her.”
Kelly attributes his success to his mother’s discipline and the mentors who guided him, as well as the discipline instilled in him by his childhood chores. He believes AI will change the world and wants to be at the forefront.
Aside from his go-getter attitude and relentless grit, Ford credits his success to the mentors who guided him, as well as the discipline instilled in him by his childhood chores.
“Believe in yourself. Even if no one else does,” Kelly said.
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