How I Got Here

I was born on an Army base in Alabama and was on a plane to Germany before I could walk. Growing up as an Army kid meant moving every couple of years, learning how to adapt fast, read people quickly, and get comfortable being the new guy over and over again. St. Mary's Ryken High School in Maryland was the first place I actually stayed four consecutive years — it's where I became an all-star goalkeeper, the #1 singles tennis player, and realized how much I loved competing and leading from the front.

After high school, I wandered — delivery driver, shoe salesman, college dropout, professional poker player, sustainable farmer, and a call center rep in a shiny corporate building. That last one convinced me the corporate ladder wasn't my path. I went back to school, fought my way into the University of Maryland's top-20 business program, and eventually answered a simple text from a family friend looking for a part-time bookkeeper at his small startup.

That opportunity was Great Lakes Radiant, where I grew into president and business partner while staying true to the things that make me tick: competing hard and having fun along the way. Today I split my professional energy between scaling Great Lakes Radiant, building IvyIQ™ in my free time, and running Birdman Strings — all driven by the same obsessions: growth, ownership, and helping people.