Hey there! I'm a lot of things rolled into one – son, brother, father, neighbor, friend, and yes, a widower too. These days, I call the vibrant downtown Durham, North Carolina home, though my roots stretch back to a small town in Missouri.

Growing up as the oldest of three kids in a typical suburban middle-class family, I was lucky to have parents who really cared. College took me to Mizzou for engineering, with an awesome year studying in Japan thrown in. After graduation, I landed at 3M Corporation – things were looking pretty good!

My career really took off when I joined an international automotive supplier, where I spent about 20 years climbing the ladder. During this time, I met a fantastic woman, got married, and we raised three beautiful kids. Life was a whirlwind of promotions, moving to new cities, and raising our family. Everything seemed perfect... until it didn't.

Something felt off. I realized I was basically trading my time for money, and that wasn't cutting it for me. I wasn't becoming the person I wanted to be, so I made a bold move – quit my job and started my own business. I also hired a coach, which completely changed my perspective. I started focusing on my values and becoming the best version of myself. My wife wasn't thrilled with how I was changing, and our marriage eventually ended. It was definitely a difficult time.

The recruiting firm I started was like a roller coaster – things were looking up until the 2008-2009 financial crisis nearly wiped me out. I ended up moving to Durham to be my mom’s caregiver as she obtained a double lung transplant. I figured out how to run my business remotely – way before working from home was cool! I found myself in a new city, juggling my business and caring for my mom.

Then something amazing happened. I met someone – Kim – who was drawn to me because of who I was becoming. We hit it off immediately and dated for 18 months before getting married. Throughout our relationship, I continued coaching while diving deep into positive psychology and personal development. I eventually sold my recruiting business and launched "Best Life Global," my coaching firm. Life was pretty great!

But then everything changed. As I was finishing my PhD in psychology, Kim was diagnosed with ALS. That year of caregiving completely transformed me. The experience gave me a unique perspective on life's fragility and instilled in me an urgency to make every day count.

When I was ready, I jumped back into work and community life. Eventually, I set up a Match.com account (and it worked!). I found love again, got married, and now Tanya and I super happy and excited about our future together.

Today, I'm grateful to share my journey – combining my corporate background, coaching expertise, education, and personal experiences to help others thrive. Whether as a speaker or coach, I'm all about helping my clients create meaningful transformations in their lives. From corporate America to purpose-driven living, my path hasn't been straight, but it's definitely been worth it!

Let’s Talk.