A fellow millennial, I was born and raised in the mid-90s to some pretty amazing parents. From an early age, my father inspired me to think differently from those around me and taught me great lessons commensurate with working hard and gaining valuable skills in life. You could say that those lessons which were inculcated within me at an early age serve as a partial impetus for the development of this site.
Throughout elementary and middle school, I struggled with bullies and being overweight. Much of this would breed a severe lack of confidence that followed me into high school. And while I managed to shed a lot of the weight during my teenage years, I was never too successful with dating and could have definitely been more sociable, altogether. I was never the smartest guy in the room, the most athletic, the best looking, and certainly not well-dressed. However, I began to slowly find some of my passions during this phase of my life, thus laying the groundwork for what would come.
Since high school, I learned that I had a passion to lead, teach, and inspire others to help find their purpose, and as a result of this passion, I joined my high school's Navy JROTC program. Instead of pushing me to get a conventional job in high school, my parents supported and encouraged me to find organizations that I was passionate about and helped enable me to invest time and energy into these programs so that I may acquire valuable skills and potentially gain some sort of assistance in paying for college.
All of this ultimately lead to my earning of a 4-year Navy ROTC scholarship and upon graduating from my high school in Georgia in 2014, I began my undergraduate studies and officer training pipeline at Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont. This is a private military university that has existed for over 200 years. Here, I learned numerous valuable life and leadership lessons, culminating in my graduation and commissioning as an officer in the U.S. Navy with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management.
Shortly thereafter, I moved across the country to San Diego, California, where I spent my first and second division officer tours on the USS PRINCETON (CG-59) and USS MANCHESTER (LCS-14). During these years, I served as a Surface Warfare Officer (SWO). Basically, I drove warships and managed sailors and was deployed during the COVID-19 pandemic to 5th and 7th fleets for roughly 10 months.
It was during this period of my life that I discovered what my true calling was to become. As grateful as I was to serve my country, I quickly discovered that I was no 'company man.' I wanted to lead, teach, and inspire on my own terms. I wanted to find a voice and champion my own cause. In the military, as unique and valuable as the experiences have the potential of being, you are only ever working for someone else, and while some people are fine with living life with a varying level of control, I have realized that I cannot, so much as I can help it.
This blog and brand allow for me to take what I know and help show men of all ages and various walks of life who, perhaps weren't as paternally blessed as I was, how to do more with less in their lives. How to think smarter and not harder. How to show up for themselves and build confidence. Growing up, my own lack of confidence was hard to overcome even as I entered adulthood. This would result in toxic shame and anxiety that would not allow for my own needs to be met in the long term. The truth is, we all struggle with such issues and insecurities, but if I can overcome them, so too can anyone.
Whether you're 18-years old and trying to figure out who you are, or 50-years old and looking to reinvent yourself and redefine what you're passions are, this is a place for you to enjoy, learn, and grow. I am committed to providing valuable content so as to enrich your lives because there are things that average guys like you and me were just never taught.
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