I built my first company from nothing. A Christian dating platform — bootstrapped, self-funded, and eventually reaching over 100,000 users. I learned sales by doing it. I learned leadership by failing at it first. I learned that believing in something is only the beginning — you have to build it, too.
After the startup, I moved into financial services at Morgan Stanley. The pace was different, the stakes higher, the pressure constant. I got good at performing in those conditions — and I learned a great deal about what it actually takes to sustain yourself when the results don't come easy.
"I didn't come this far to come this far."
The Ironman came from a simple conviction: do something genuinely hard for no reason other than to see if I could. 140.6 miles — swim, bike, run — and a finish line that meant more than the medal. The training taught me more about consistency, resilience, and showing up than any boardroom ever could.
Faith has been the thread through all of it. Not the kind that sits on a shelf — the kind that gets tested under pressure and either holds or it doesn't. Mine held. And the perspective that comes from that shapes how I lead, how I build relationships, and how I think about what's actually worth pursuing.
Today I direct sales organizations, speak to groups about leadership and perseverance, and wake up genuinely looking forward to the work. Getting to that last part took longer than anything else — and it's the thing I'm most proud of.