I grew up in San Diego, surrounded by sunshine, rolled tacos, and a perpetual sense of being an outsider in a world that knew more than I every would. As an latchkey only child with divorced working parents, I learned early that creativity and social connection were my best friends. And the only reliable path to a sense of belonging and purpose.

I was a chatterbox and storyteller from the start, but with no outlet or audience. At 9 years old, I auditioned for my first play and was cast as Pinocchio at the Actor’s Quarter Theatre. A few months later, I booked a national TV commercial for Royal Insurance of Canada (shooting in San Diego where it was warm in January). And that was that. A path. A community. Acceptance, inclusion, and a sense personal value. Exactly what all of us hope for and seek.

I joined Actor's Equity Association at 16, got my theater degree at San Diego State University, trekked the country, and landed in Chicago where I met my wife. And never stopped working on stages and sets until something shifted at the age of 30.

I woke up one day with a new drive to expand my own story while helping others discover theirs. Which meant walking away from the only thing I’d ever known and loved—the path that saved me as a kid in SoCal, but was holding me back as an adult in the Upper Midwest.

Stage and screen no longer fit like they once did. But standing in front of an audience, using my voice to deliver value for as many people as possible, felt more right than anything ever had. Maybe that sounds familiar?‍

I never planned on a long career in public speaking. Or helping employees and corporations reach multitudes and markets. But the dot-com boom welcomed me in, and countless mentors guided my education and evolution. I’ll always be an actor at heart. But the latchkey finally opened a wider door to a far larger and more recognizable stage. 30 years on, it’s a platform I’m still so humbled and honored to stand on.