How do you know you made it?

For Tray Chaney, that moment came after HBO’s hit show, “The Wire,” came to an end in 2008.

The hip hop star turned actor had a five-year run as Poot Carr, a Barksdale drug dealer who rises through the ranks and eventually quits the trade after his best friend dies. To his surprise, the role resonated with fans from all over the world.

It wasn’t until he started receiving speaking requests from people in London that the Maryland-born Chaney realized he had made it big.

His advice to young people just starting out?

“Craft your hustle. Empower your dream,” he says.

Watch Chaney tell his story below: