My name is Marquis Owens — a certified peer specialist, a graduate in psychology, a father, a survivor, and a man who rebuilt his life after years of addiction and incarceration. But before any of that, I was just a boy growing up without a father, carrying pain I didn’t yet know how to name.
I fell into drugs. I served time. I hit rock bottom. But I also found something in the darkness — clarity, purpose, and the courage to rise. I got clean while incarcerated. I faced my trauma. And I committed to a future where my son would never have to wonder if his father loved him, fought for him, or showed up for him.
This isn’t just a slogan. Real Ones Rebuild is a movement. It’s a space for those who’ve been counted out, who’ve been broken, and still choose to rebuild — with integrity, accountability, and love. It’s for the fathers trying to show up. The mothers rebuilding from pain. The kids growing up too fast. The people who’ve made mistakes but refuse to stay stuck in them.
This brand is about truth. About hope. About community. It’s a reminder that we don’t have to be perfect to be powerful — we just have to be real. If you’re willing to own your story, heal your wounds, and build something new — you belong here.
HoldenStrong is named after my son — my reason, my reminder, my legacy. It represents every parent who is fighting to be better for their child. Every man trying to break generational cycles. Every person trying to heal their inner child while raising a strong one of their own.
This is more than a phrase — it’s a promise. A promise that I will be the father I never had. That I will fight through systems, stigma, and struggle to be present. That I will lead by example, not by perfection. HoldenStrong means we keep showing up. We keep learning. We keep rebuilding — for them, and for ourselves.
People don’t just need information — they need transformation. They need real stories. Real support. Real leadership. That’s what this space is about. Through blogs, podcast episodes, merch, and live conversations, I’m sharing my journey not because it’s easy — but because it’s true. And truth changes lives.
If you’re here, you’re already part of the story. Welcome to the movement. Real Ones Rebuild — and we rebuild together.