While the world’s problems can seem overwhelming, Adell Kimbrough is undeterred by them. “I see the issues going on in the world, and instead of backing down, I do what I can to overcome them,” Adell says. “I am just wired that way, I suppose. When challenges rise up, I rise up, too. I’m committed to using the talents I’ve been given to help others through some of the difficulties that they face.” This spirit has helped Adell become a private pilot and a highly respected motivational speaker, author, and entrepreneur.

Adell’s passion for using his piloting skills to serve others started on a remote airstrip in Guatemala in 2016. “I was in a small Cesna, watching the pilot, a pastor, land the plane,” he says. “I realized that I wanted to be able to help fly planes on trips like this, so when I got back to America, I researched how to become a private pilot. The rest, as they say, is history.” Ultimately, Adell says, his goal is to found a private jet charter for pastors.

Adell is also a published author, and he wrote From Passengers to Pilots to inspire others to not settle for mediocrity in their lives. He sees a connection between where people fly on airplanes and how we journey through life. “Whether you are a passenger or a pilot determines how you go through life,” Adell explains. “Are you riding in the cabin or in the cockpit? Too many of us settle because we don’t know if we possess the wherewithal to even be a pilot. All that separates you from what you want is a choice to go after it.”  Adell has also written other books that explore the treasures people can find in themselves when they look to God.

Adell used his talent for entrepreneurship to found Prophetic World Group, a Miami-based nonprofit whose programs include a church, college scholarships for kids in smaller cities and poorer communities, and leadership programs in schools. “One of the things I like most about this,” he says, “is that I get to use my public speaking skills. I travel across the country, teaching students about nonviolence and sex-abstinence. I also teach them about what real leadership looks like.” He is passionate about ending bullying in schools. He even talks about human trafficking. He believes in talking about the tough topics and in shaping the next generation to be peaceful and respectful of others.

When he isn’t traveling, Adell is at Prophetic World Group’s church in Detroit, Michigan. “In addition to our services, we offer spiritual advising to celebrities and high profile clients. Mental stability is key for us to operate at the highest level of creation,” Adell believes. 

Prophetic World Group is growing steadily. “The pandemic meant that our church could not hold in-person services, of course, so we pivoted and started a virtual dialogue on Facebook called TNC or Thursday Night Church. We had a viewership of 10,000+ in the first month of starting.”

As the pandemic continues, Adell is working closely with leaders in the church world. “Their donations have been hit, of course, so I have taught church leaders how to maintain and even heighten their ability to receive virtual donations.”

Adell is thankful for the success he has achieved thus far. “I owe where I am today to thousands of people around the world. Their support has carried me through the challenges I’ve faced in my own life.”

Adell has a special heart for entrepreneurs and is always looking to mentor the next generation. When asked what he would say to them, he laughs a little. “If they want my advice, I’ll give them two words: testicular fortitude. I think you get the point, but in layman’s terms, it means to inwardly possess the courage to conquer the world. If you’ve got that, you’ll accomplish what you set out to do.”

Adell has more to accomplish with Prophetic World Group. “Five years from now, I see us with about nine churches all over the country, and we’re shooting for an annual profit of $1 million. I definitely want us to expand and affect more people. I think we’re on track to doing that, which is really exciting.”

Adell knows that in the end, it’s all about perseverance. “You’ve got to keep going. No matter what life throws at you, you can’t give up. The ones who succeed are the ones who never let anything stop them.”