When I graduated from college with a degree in education, I thought I was headed to a life of teaching. As fate would have it, I wound up managing a tutoring branch for a small startup, and it turned out to be the first of many roles spanning more than a decade.

Early on, I learned how to build systems that empower people to succeed, transform chaos into clarity, and keep the human side of business at the forefront, especially in fast-paced, high-growth environments.

Over time, I took on larger roles with greater responsibility: owning revenue, designing organizational structures, building operational playbooks from the ground up, and helping high-performing teams reach the next level. I became the person leaders called when they needed a reset, a turnaround, or a clear strategic path. For a while, that was more than enough.

Then, I hit a wall.

I found myself in roles that looked ideal on paper but felt increasingly misaligned in practice. The boxes were checked. The numbers were hit. The title was there. But the work lacked meaning. I wanted deeper impact, better alignment, and a more authentic sense of purpose. So, I paused. Reflected. And I started again.

Since then, I’ve coached executives, advised startups, clarified strategies, and built momentum where things had stalled. I’ve made hard decisions and helped others do the same. I’ve learned what it takes to lead with integrity and what happens when we don’t. I’ve become a better listener, a sharper strategist, and a systems thinker who cares just as much about people as performance.

I decided to leave my corporate career to help grow Flight School because I see it as a place to do meaningful, high-stakes work with founders and artists who are ready to imagine, build, and create a better tomorrow for themselves and the larger world. Some of these creators are at inflection points. Others are navigating reinvention. Many are stepping into something bigger than anything they’ve done before. What unites them is a willingness to ask the right questions and do the hard work.

I don’t claim to have the perfect formula. But I do know how to help leaders bring clarity to complexity, chart a course through uncertainty, and turn their ambition into outcomes. I’ve spent most of my career doing just that. And I plan to continue with Flight School for years to come.

If that resonates with where you are or where you're headed, I’d love to build with you.

I started my career in the classroom, teaching high school students how to read the world with just as much criticality as they read the word. Then I spent over a decade in higher ed, eventually earning promotion and tenure. I left that security behind to join a startup and learn how to build something from scratch. That startup succeeded. Then I outgrew it. I pressed repeat. I grew another company. That company outgrew me. It happens.

Since then, I’ve helped launch almost a dozen startups, designed products, grown communities, and coached teams and team leaders through the difficult and sometimes disorienting work of creation. I’ve made money, lost it, made it again. I’ve burned out, rebuilt, repeated. I’ve raised a son. I’ve learned to be a better husband. I’ve written books I’m still afraid to share. I’ve watched parts of my life fall apart, held onto the important bits, and I’ve kept building.

I’ve learned that my superpower is bringing out the best in people and teams, and I’m putting that to work at Flight School.

I want this venture studio to be a place for creatives and entrepreneurs who are ready to design, build, and implement important and impactful ideas. Some of my clients have had successful businesses and just need a new altitude. Some are launching their first thing. Some have no idea what’s next but know their current path is dead. All of them are interested in better versions of themselves and the world we live in.

I don’t have all the answers. I have a lot of questions. I ask them out loud. I build containers for people to hear themselves think. I offer roadmaps to take their thinking and to turn those thoughts into reality. I’ve been doing that in some way, shape or form for almost 25 years. I’m hoping I am allowed to do it for another 25 (at least). I’d like to positively impact the lives of 10M “students” during that time. If I can work with you and make that happen, I’m eager to get started.

My design career has ranged from working as a graphic designer within corporate in-house creative teams to leading multidisciplinary teams—including front-end and back-end developers, motion designers, art directors, and graphic designers—as the creative director at a strategic advertising agency. I’m passionate about building, guiding, and continuously elevating design teams.

Brand identity is where I find the greatest fulfillment. I thrive on developing brands through intentional storytelling and visually compelling design that brings their essence to life. This is why building creative brands through Flight School is so compelling to me. My goal is to take world-changing creative ideas and help bring them to life through purpose-driven design and creative direction.

I am so excited to be part of the projects that Flight School will help bring to market. Let's go!