No shortcuts. No easy path. Just truth.
My story isn't packaged or polished. It's real — built from sacrifice, failure, a courageous decision to change, and an obsession with what's next for our industry.
04The Grind Nobody Sees
I became a financial advisor at a time when the industry rewarded those who could outlast the grind. I worked multiple jobs to make ends meet — all while my wife stayed home to raise our kids. I believed in the sacrifice. I believed in the mission. But nobody tells you what it costs you.
When the Coping Becomes the Crisis
The pressure stacked up quietly — and then COVID hit. April 2020 became my breaking point. I tried to get sober on my own, made it two months, then relapsed. Twice. The ultimatums came. The clarity came harder. But on December 2020, I put the drink down for the last time. What followed wasn't just sobriety — it was a total reinvention. I lost 55 pounds. A former college basketball player who had let himself go, I rebuilt my body and my identity from scratch, eventually becoming an endurance athlete. Asking for help was the hardest call I ever made. It was also the best.
The Month That Changed Everything
My firm did something extraordinary — they gave me a month. A new role. A new purpose. Partnering with advisors, splitting revenue, and going deep on financial planning tools. That's when I discovered my true calling: building the bridge between advisors and technology.
Running Toward What's Next
A college basketball player who once let his health fall apart now competes in endurance races — and the discipline required to transform your body is the same discipline that fuels everything else. Today I lead conversations at the intersection of human resilience and fintech innovation. The same mental toughness that gets me through a race fuels how I think about the shift to technology-led planning for the next generation of advisors.