I started life in a medium sized family living modestly in a quiet neighborhood in Delaware. I did all of the basics as a kid and graduated high school.  Then I served in the Marine Corps Reserve, went on a mission for my church, and studied accounting.  I had a decent career as a bookkeeper and then accountant, working primarily with churches and non-profits, as well as a number of small to mid-sized businesses.  

Then Ulcerative Colitis came into my life and brought a number of ups and downs with it. After almost a decade with it I had lost my career, regained it, lost my eyesight to cataracts, and regained it with artificial lenses, lost a tooth due to excessive grinding and poor nutrient absorption, but gained back an implant.  Finally, in 2024 I lost my colon.  That, I do not expect to get back in this life.  If they had not done the surgery, I would have lost my life.  As it is, life will be different and there is no going back, but I can always take another step forward.  

I like to call it the Evergreen Step.

With new perspective, and a really good opportunity to make some changes, I decided not to go back into accounting, but to explore other options.  Health and wellness have been a big part of my journey. I was raised with Shaklee vitamins and protein as a kid, and I rediscovered them when my journey with ulcerative colitis began.  When the surgeon told me I would need lots of protein and electrolytes in order to recover, I turned to Shaklee Life Shake, and their Performance Hydrate as my go-to drinks for what my body could not absorb from regular meals.  Wellness is definitely and evergreen step that I will continue to take for the rest of my life.

I also decided to try my hand at real estate investing.  I have been able to work with a number of great people in this industry.  I am learning to understand contracts, creative finance, comping, underwriting, transaction coordination, different asset types, new technologies and tools, as well as communications. I collected books of floor plans as a kid, and for the first year or so of college studied architecture before switching to accounting so it has been fun to dive back into looking at houses, but from a different perspective.  I know there are many more steps to take in exploring this field. 

There are many other steps I am taking along this journey.  I love to delve into self-improvement, coaching, my local community, faith, fitness, and service.  Some steps are significantly harder to take than they were before Ulcerative Colitis became part of my life, but they are all still valuable to me.