Thomas C. Deans III

Information and Photos Provided by Thomas C. Dean III

The story of Thomas C. Dean III is a classic American story of overcoming adversity through hard work, determination, and guts. But this story comes with some very unusual twists and turns that make Thomas uniquely qualified to inspire others through his gifts as a community leader and public speaker.

New Orleans, LA, native Thomas C. Deans was born to a large Creole family. At age 17, Thomas’ mother gave birth to him with the help of her “village,” which included Thomas’ maternal grandparents, his paternal grandmother, his uncle, and five aunts, she raised him. His mother worked a lot to provide for him, a quality Thomas also observed in his Grandfather as he held down three jobs while providing for his family. Witnessing his family’s hard work implanted sound values and work ethics in him, qualities that he continues to carry even today.

Throughout his childhood, Thomas’ Grandfather was a revered “Indian Chief” in the 2nd Line Mardi Gras tradition in New Orleans. From the age of five, Thomas’ Grandfather and uncle began to teach him the art of costume making and indoctrinated him into the traditions of the Mardi Gras culture as a young Indian. This would become a defining part of Thomas’ life as he grew older.

At the age of 11, Thomas was forced by his Grandfather into his first public speaking engagements. He was commissioned to speak at 28 public schools throughout New Orleans on the traditions and history of the Mardi Gras Indians. At 13, Thomas began working in the French Quarter as a busboy. Money was tight in the family, and part of earning your status in New Orleans as a young man meant dressing to impress. Thomas recalls, “We were a poor community. The only thing guys in the neighborhood had was their appearance, so dressing sharp and staying well groomed was a priority to gain respect and status.”

Growing up in New Orleans also meant that Thomas would have to learn how to survive, and knowing how to fight was a necessity if you wanted to go to the playground. “To make it in the neighborhood and gain the respect of your peers, you had to be able to stand your ground and learn to scrap, and that’s what I did,” says Thomas.

While Thomas worked a job and even played football in Middle School, academics were more important to his mother, specifically for Thomas to maintain good grades. “My mother’s rule was that I had to maintain at least a B average if I wanted to work during school,” he says. Following his mother’s instruction, Thomas excelled and became captain of the football team, even holding the office of Student Body President.

Thomas pictured with his wife, Elona

In high school, Thomas continued to hone his public speaking and leadership skills. He was part of the speech and debate club, and in his Senior year, he was class president. As a Senior, Thomas earned a nomination through the Louisiana House of Representatives, gaining him a full scholarship to the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Thomas experienced a few ups and downs while adjusting as a young cadet with the U.S. Air Force Academy. Things didn’t go as planned, and at 22 years of age, he returned home to New Orleans and dove directly into his work creating Mardi Gras costumes with his Grandfather and uncle. His uncle had since graduated to become the 2nd generation Indian Chief, following Thomas’ Grandfather, who remained the patriarch. His uncle had fallen ill and was forced to pass the Chief’s stick on to another member of their Tribe. Fortunately, Thomas had developed a formidable self-confidence and was prepared to answer the call of his family’s legacy.

He rejoined the family processions and, that year, created his own costume. While participating in the event, Thomas’s costume and presence in the “2nd Line” procession caught the attention of the community, and people began whispering about how Thomas had outshone the new chief of their tribe. Thomas had created a bright yellow costume, and people said Thomas was the “prettier” one of the two of them. This was unusual, particularly as Thomas was quite young at the time, and this ended up creating a certain degree of jealousy and friction with the new Big Chief.

The following year, when Thomas was 23, his Grandfather stepped in to resolve the matter. He determined that between the two of them, Thomas possessed the greater charisma and leadership abilities. So he anointed Thomas to the role of Big Chief and handed him the ceremonial stick. Thomas was given the name “Big Chief Bo”.

Something else happened upon Thomas’s return to New Orleans: he reunited with his girlfriend Enola, whom he’d been dating since he was 17. He and Enola were married that same year, and the following year, their twin sons Thomas and Tony were born.

In the years to follow, Thomas worked for MCI as a salesperson and at a restaurant at night. When MCI left New Orleans, Thomas moved into a few corporate Sales Management positions, first at Cadillac of Metarie and later with Fairfield Resorts, while continuing to work nights in the restaurant business. His next career venture would be in the flooring business, where he learned the trade and worked doing sales and installations. He also opened a dry cleaners around this time.

In 2003, he decided to open his own flooring store and installation business in New Orleans, Premier Flooring Group. Things were going well, but then Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and turned his business upside down. The impact of the storm was too severe, and Thomas and Enola decided to pack their bags and relocate with their children to Atlanta, GA. What was supposed to be a temporary move became a permanent stay.

In Atlanta, Thomas took a position as a sales manager in the flooring business to support his family until his sons graduated high school. A few years would pass while he worked as a salesperson in Atlanta, and Thomas knew there was more that his family needed. Obediently, he opened his heart and asked God to please lead him to something that would provide more financial stability to his family. God was listening.

While attending a meeting at his place of employment, he got a call from his wife, Enola, telling him their home was in flames. Everyone was safe, but the entire house was burning down. All of their belongings, including any family photos that survived Katrina, were taken in the fire. When the fire department arrived, and the scene was investigated, it was determined that a shoe-shining device that Thomas used had shorted and created the spark that ignited the fire. By the grace of God, Thomas had recently restructured his home insurance policy to cover everything. From that tragedy grew a blessing, and Thomas was able to use some seed funding to open his own flooring business.

Thomas and his family moved from Stone Mountain to Conyers, GA, and purchased a new home. In 2017, Thomas founded the Premier Flooring Group, the same name as the fledgling company he’d started in New Orleans before Katrina hit. In Conyers, Thomas worked as a community leader, helping in local political campaigns with the Splost Committee, as an Ambassador/Chair in the Rockdale/Conyers Chamber of Commerce, and as a teacher for the Entrepreneurs Academy at the Chamber. In 2019, he graduated from the “Leadership Rockdale” program, and he currently speaks as a mentor for two different organizations: the 100 Black Men of Atlanta, a national group as well as The Hills Academy representing “The Man’s Cave”, a Rockdale County-based mentoring organization that has adopted Hills Academy for its mentoring program.

Premier Flooring Group has grown to become a successful business, which Thomas runs today with his two sons, Thomas and Tony. He has 15 teams of installers in the field who run a range of commercial and residential projects ranging from flooring to staircases, kitchen and bath remodeling, and basement renovation throughout the greater Atlanta area. In 2021, Premier Flooring Group was named the #1 business partner for education by the Rockdale/Conyers Chamber of Commerce and Rockdale County Schools.

In 2023, Thomas founded the Premier Business Network, a 501c3 and thriving weekly Business Development Organization of entrepreneurs who meet to network, exchange ideas, and help members grow their businesses. He speaks regularly at meetings and does a range of public speaking engagements in and around the Atlanta community, focusing on the power of relationships in building a successful business career.