Bigger Than Me: The Hakeem Jubal Croom Story

A Documentary About Defying the Odds—and Flourishing Anyway

Crowdfunding Goal: $25,000

This is not just my story. It’s for: 

• The young person questioning their worth and feels hopeless 

• The individual trying to bounce back after failure or loss 

• The leader and dreamer standing at the edge of action

 • Anyone ready to defy the odds and flourish no matter their background

My name is Hakeem Jubal Croom.

I am a certified life-coach, speaker, educator, husband, father, and the founder of Defying All Odds.

But long before the titles, I was a young man navigating unfavorable circumstances, stereotypes, setbacks, and silent expectations—learning early that survival often requires strategy, resilience requires belief, and flourishing requires intention. This film is about how we reclaim our power—and how we help others do the same. At the heart of this film is a simple but powerful truth: Your circumstances do not define your ceiling. Your mindset does.

Purpose of Documentary

Bigger Than Me is designed to bring a cinematic lens to my full journey from Harlem to Virginia to California, while highlighting what I had to overcome, and honoring the village that made the journey possible. Bigger Than Me is not just a documentary—it is a movement, a mirror, and a message for anyone who was born an underdog but desires to become an overcomer.

Through Bigger Than Me, I aim to:

Liberate beliefs — by exposing and dismantling limiting narratives

Inspire action — by modeling courage, consistency, and choice

Transform lives — by showing what’s possible when purpose meets preparation

This is a film about flourishing, not just surviving.

About healing while leading.

About becoming bigger than the labels placed on you.

This film will be used to:

• Support youth, students, athletes, and emerging leaders

• Fuel workshops, keynotes, campus programs, and community screenings

• Spark dialogue around identity, resilience, mindset, and possibility

Why We’re Raising $25,000

The documentary has been filmed.

Now we need to shape the story with excellence.

Your contribution will fund:

• Professional documentary editing

• Sound design & audio mixing

• Color correction & visual cohesion

• Narrative pacing & story clarity

• Festival-ready post-production delivery

$25,000 allows us to honor the story—and the people it’s meant to reach.

What your support means:

By supporting Bigger Than Me, you are not just funding a film—you are investing in belief, amplifying truth, and helping shape futures.

Every dollar helps cut through limitations and launch possibility.

Every share extends the impact.

Every supporter becomes part of the story.

Help Us Finish the Film

Help Others Defy the Odds—and Flourish

This story is Bigger Than Me.

With your support, it becomes bigger than us all.

With Gratitude,

Hakeem J. Croom

Watch Bigger Than Me Trailer 1 here

Watch Bigger Than Me Trailer 2 here