“Fred J, what are you doing?” he said. “I am trying to figure out how the sky, stars, moon, planets and wind came to be and if my life is worth living.” My dad was always willing to talk to me about anything. He looked at me and said, “God created everything in the universe! You know a man could not have done it. Do you know any man who could create a universe”? I didn’t know any such person, so I accepted dad’s explanation. But why was I here? More specifically, who am I and what is this life really all about? Up until this moment I had never thought about my life or what mattered to me the most. I had just dropped out of high school at fifteen years old and didn’t have a clue about what I was going to do with the rest of my life.
– an excerpt from the book
ARPress is honored to publish Journey to Success by Fred J. Felton. This book is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the ARPress website. The book is an inspiring and thoughtful exploration of one young man’s determination to overcome the obstacles of growing up on the South Side of Chicago. Fred J. dives deep into the challenges of inner-city life, illustrating how relationships, health, and spirituality play central roles in shaping our success.
Success means different things to different people, but at its core, it’s about growth, fulfillment, and achieving the goals we set for ourselves, big or small. For some, success is landing a dream job or graduating from college; for others, it’s simply breaking a cycle of poverty, staying clean, or raising a healthy family. In real life, success rarely looks like a straight line. It’s messy, full of setbacks, and shaped by circumstances like where you’re born, who you’re surrounded by, and the choices you make when things fall apart. Whether it’s an entrepreneur building a business from scratch, a single parent making ends meet, or a young adult navigating peer pressure and broken systems, success is most often built through resilience, not perfection. It’s earned, not handed out.
Fred J. Felton (FJ) was born and raised on the south side of Chicago, Illinois. He was greatly influenced by his godparents, Illinois State Senators Fred J. Smith and Margaret Smith, as well as his parents and siblings. FJ has experienced much adversity on his journey to success. He has received an Associate of Arts degree in Administrative Management from Eastfield College in Mesquite, TX, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology, with an emphasis on law, crime, and justice, from the University of Texas at Dallas, located in Richardson, TX. FJ is also a retired mortgage professional, Texas Peace Officer, songwriter, and bass player.
This deeply personal memoir isn’t just a coming-of-age story. It’s a raw, unflinching look at what it means to fight for your life (literally and metaphorically) while growing up on the turbulent streets of Chicago’s south side. Fred J. Felton’s life was not cushioned by privilege. Instead, it was lined with trauma, adversity, and choices that could have gone either way.
At just fifteen, Felton had already dropped out of high school and was nearly killed in a brutal gang attack. Most would have given up. But Fred didn’t. With nothing more than faith, grit, and the guidance of a determined family, he slowly rewrote his story. His voice throughout the book is authentic and accessible, like a friend telling you the hardest truth over a kitchen table.
What makes Journey to Success stand out isn’t just the life Fred lived; it’s the way he reflects on it. He doesn’t sugarcoat violence, poverty, or poor decisions. Instead, he uses them as lessons, laying out a blueprint for how others can escape similar traps. He talks openly about peer pressure, drug use, dropping out of school, failed dreams, and broken relationships, but also about healing, spirituality, resilience, and starting over.
Through night school, the GED, and eventually college, Fred slowly climbed out of the cycle that had trapped so many of his peers. Along the way, he was a factory worker, a police officer, a musician, a husband, a father, and, perhaps most importantly, a man who never stopped striving.
He reflects with deep humility and insight on everything from sex and health to spiritual growth and decision-making. The poetic passages sprinkled throughout the book show a sensitive thinker and creative soul beneath the hardened survivor.
Fred J. Felton’s story is proof that success is not just about money or status, it’s about perseverance. About making different choices, even when the odds are against you. It’s about walking away from the life you know in order to build the one you deserve.
If you’re looking for inspiration that’s real, not glossy or commercial, this book delivers. Journey to Success is for anyone who has struggled, fallen, and dared to get back up.
Journey to Success by Fred J. Felton is now available for purchase via the ARPress Bookstore.