We had the good fortune of connecting with Dexter L. Scott, Dr. Tonya Joyner-Scott Scott and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dexter L. Scott, Dr. Tonya Joyner-Scott, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My wife and I, since our marriage in 2001, have always been involved in speaking, coaching and training even at our corporate and government careers.

We stepped out several years later with the idea to continue to serve and uplift those we came into contact. Through our engagements, we observed that people tend to invest in upgrading material things, such as wardrobes, cars, and cell phones but few take the necessary steps to upgrade themselves through consistent personal development.

For years, we had been passionate about inspiring, motivating, and influencing individuals to overcome their self-imposed limitations and step into the spotlight of their own lives. This passion was not just our calling; it was the essence of who we were.

We invested in ourselves in various masterminds and conferences to continue to feed our passion. Having invested in a program with world renowned motivational speaker and trainer Les Brown, that fed the need for us to dream big and make things happen. After that experience, we quickly recognized that we needed a professional marketing firm to help us navigate what we knew we had the potential to do but had not done yet.

While sitting down with a local firm, the owner said to us, “I can see people getting on an elevator. When they get on, they push the button to the floor they want to go to. This is what I see for you two. People come to you to upgrade. You are the UPgraders”.

The name “The UPgraders” holds a significant place in our hearts. It encapsulates our mission—to help individuals upgrade themselves, not just their possessions.

In 2016, The UPgraders Personal and Professional Development Company was formed and we are still going strong.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
As the UPgraders, Personal development is at the core of what we do. It’s the driving force that led us to launch our business.

At its heart, personal development is about conscious growth and improvement. It’s about recognizing that we have untapped potential within us waiting to be unlocked. For us, personal development is the key to unleashing that potential. We help people/groups with:

1. Self-Discovery
2. Overcoming Limitations
3. Growth Mindset
4. Paradigm Shifts
5. Emotional Intelligence
6. Communication Styles

What makes us unique is our training style and outcomes. Our communication trainings with churches and organizations has tremendous outcomes which gives us repeat opportunities to serve.

We got where we are today by continuing to do what we have been called to. Yes we did waiver but we kept moving forward which is the key to success. We overcame many challenges by recognizing that failure is a part of success, not absent of it.

One of our favorite quotes is by Samuel Beckett. He said “Have you ever tried, ever failed, doesn’t matter. Try again, fail again, fail better”. When we understand this truth, we can’t be stopped at whatever we put our minds to accomplish.

We want the world to know that personal development is the nexus of all success. Its the battery that powers all of our goals and dreams. We are dedicated to upgrading the planet, one group, team, church, corporation or organization, at a time. If you want change, call the UPgraders.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If our best friend visited us and wanted the best time ever, we would lay out a itinerary that look like this:

Breakfast options: Big Eds, Another Broken Egg, Briggs, home cooked

Lunch/Dinner Options: Sitti (Authentic Lebanese), J. Alexanders, Ruth Chris, Bombay Curry, Beasleys, home cooked, Morgan Street Food Hall, The Cowfish.

We would visit and hangout: Historic Stagville, North Hills, downtown Raleigh, Crabtree Valley Mall, Southpoint Mall, Burning Coal Theater Company

Most fun/interesting/exciting people/places: North Hills, downtown Raleigh, Crabtree Valley Mall, Southpoint Mall, Burning Coal Theater Company, Farmers Market, Zinc House Winery, Haven Farm

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Firstly we would like to thank our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for giving us the ability to lead and influence people for his glory. We are extremely grateful for our children, Tailiah, Kiera, Morgan and Tyler. They granted the opportunity and freedom for us to grow and development ourselves to be the best we could be for them. We are avid readers so there is a laundry list of books we could give credit to.

Website: theupgraders.com / yourupgradeteam.com / dexterlscott.com / tonyajoyner-scott.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dexterandtonyascott , https://www.instagram.com/dexterlscott/ , https://www.instagram.com/tonyajscott

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/dexterlscott , https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonya-joyner-scott-09a27631/twitt

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dexterlscott , https://twitter.com/tonyajoynerscot

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dexterlscott , https://www.facebook.com/tonya.joynerscott , https://www.facebook.com/theupgraders

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/theupgraders

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutNorthCarolina is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.