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Jay Rayford

@thebettertogetherguy

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Living & building with intention
Founder @sushiritas | Co-Creator @thebettertogetherjourney
Soul, community & connection #BetterTogether

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I think back to the moment I chose to come back home to Detroit. Folks told me to stay away. To play it safe. To hold on to a good job instead of chasing a calling.

That choice broke me down and built me back up. It forced me to rebuild everything from the ground up and it gave me something stronger than comfort. It gave me GRIT.

For me, GRIT means Growth Mindset, Resilience, Intention, and Tribe. Those four pillars carried me through every setback and fueled every step forward.

Detroit raised me. Detroit shaped me. And my story is proof that you can start over, that you can choose purpose, that you can turn struggle into strength.

I’m ready to share more. Ready to open up. Because the story isn’t just mine...it’s a reminder that all of us have the power to rebuild, rise, and live fully.

#BetterTogether 🫡 by @thebettertogetherguy

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a year ago

by @thebettertogetherguy

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17 days ago

F*ck Cancer.

It has been such a humbling experience to have gotten to know you beyond just being my stepmother. Of course there are limitless stories that haven't touched my ears that would allow me to understand at a deeper level but nonetheless tapping only into what I know...

You've shown me what continual growth looks like. What being the emotional center of a family looks like.

A flower forever blooming.

Our journey together exemplified a true dance of humanity. But when two people can move through hard moments and see each other on the other side, it truly touches a human emotion that, in hindsight, was VERY deep for me. Through doing your part in raising me to experiencing the grief of losing your firstborn son and to us on our individual and collective growth journeys. It didn't require words, it only needed love, understanding and showing up. And you showed up...even when it was HARD for you, literally... I HONOR that and I saw YOU.

It's taught me so much and informs how I move in the world.

I'm so grateful. I promise to carry all of it forward. Rest now, Ma'am. I love you.

#BetterTogether 🫶🏾 by @thebettertogetherguy

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4

a month ago

11 years together.
6 years married.
Same date.

9/7.

Maybe the numbers mean something. Maybe we’re just good at finding meaning in the life we’ve built.

Either way, this much I know:

#BetterTogether was never just a philosophy for me.

It’s us.

Not because we’re the same.
Because we’re not.

Sareta grounds things I would run past. She protects what matters. She sees people where I sometimes see possibility. And I know I’ve helped her see possibilities she may not have seen on her own.

That’s the beauty of real partnership.

Not two people completing each other.

Two whole people bringing different gifts to the table and having enough humility to realize the whole is better because both are there.

We’ve built a family, dreams, businesses, ideas, and a life.

But the most important thing we keep building is us.

Still imperfect.
Still learning.
Still becoming.
Still choosing each other.

Happy anniversary, Mrs. Rayford. ❤️

11 years later, I understand #BetterTogether more deeply than ever.

Sometimes the greatest thing you build isn’t a business, a legacy, or a dream.

It’s the partnership strong enough to carry all of it.

9.7. by @thebettertogetherguy

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a month ago

We officially have LIGHTS. 😭✨

And I know that sounds like one small construction update, but look at this shot.

The room starting to take shape.

Woodward right outside.

There are moments in building something where you can suddenly see the dream you’ve been carrying in your head sitting right in front of you.

This was one of them.

On Woodward.

In Detroit.

SushiRitas is becoming real.

And damn, she’s gorgeous. 🥹 taken in Detroit, Michigan by @thebettertogetherguy

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2 months ago

Her birth changed my life...

It shook the foundation that I thought I was already building. Sure, I had goals and dreams before, but I had to take inventory of the person that I was becoming...for her. I decided that I was no longer going to play it safe or play by the rules someone else designed without my input. That set me on a course that would take me every single second of these last 18 years to be able to say this...

Forget the sky...there is NO limit. it's you vs you. Outside of that, I'm here to give you every lesson, tool, resources...whatever I got to help you along this journey.

I believe in you! #BetterTogether 🔐 by @thebettertogetherguy

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2 months ago

JUST. KEEP. GOING. @sushiritas #DetroitSoul by @thebettertogetherguy

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2 months ago

My bonus son y'all...FIFTEEN! #BetterTogether 🥳 by @thebettertogetherguy

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3 months ago

Catch up or get left. That's not what people like @sirlancewoods and @joerobinsonapx believe. Neither do I. Thankful for this life-giving session put on by @sebastianwho via ShopTalk. There's so much alignment in this city, it's not even funny. You might need special glasses to see it...or... just continue to stay tuned. #ASeatWasAlwaysYours #BetterTogether by @thebettertogetherguy

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3 months ago

BetterTogether ❤️✨
📸 Jayda Rayford by @thebettertogetherguy

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3 months ago

Proof.
Confirmation.
Evidence.

Let's keep going babygirl..🩷 by @thebettertogetherguy

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3 months ago

✨️ by @thebettertogetherguy

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3 months ago