WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (WGHP) — From educator to entrepreneur, a local teacher stepped away from the classroom seven months ago to take a leap of faith and launch his own business.

He is now starting to see the fruits of his labor after overcoming several obstacles.

David Bishop resigned from his salaried job as a high school Exceptional Children teacher at Quality Education Academy in Oct. 2022 where he was also serving as the men’s basketball coach. He left with the goal of becoming an entrepreneur and starting his own trucking company.

He began the process of launching his business Bishop Anchor Enterprises in January of last year but had to put it on hold.

“I had so many things that I was doing at the time … the final year for 2022, I just got a promotion, and I just started my doctorate program. So it was a lot of things that I was doing, and I realized that the business was getting set to the side,” Bishop said.

Bishop said leaving his students was not an easy decision to make. This led him to stay on as their coach, leading them to the state championship.

“I just stepped away from the classroom aspect. The kids took it hard, but they still see me every day, and that was one thing that I needed to do,” he said.

He said he faced several challenges as he focused on building his trucking company from the ground up.

“My credit is good, but I don’t have enough business credit. Then they looked at my personal credit. … Everything is good, but my business hasn’t been established for so long. So they ask me to put down 60 to 70% down deposit, which is mind-boggling to me because if I have enough money to put down 60 or 70% for a deposit, I might as well just buy the truck,” Bishop said.

He bought his first semi-truck in March of this year, added two more to his fleet two weeks ago and has a team of three drivers.

“I took a step back, and I was like, ‘You know what? I’m going to go all in,’” Bishop said. “I’m here anyway … when I decided to make that move, doors started opening up.”

Bishop said business is booming.

He said he still loves education, and as his business takes off, he is also focusing on his Educational Leadership doctorate program at High Point University.

“This is not for me. This is for all the youth that think that they can’t make it that far,” Bishop said.

Bishop says two of his semi-trucks are on the road, the third will be joining them next week and he is in the process of adding a fourth to his fleet within the next few weeks.