I am a husband to the most amazing wife and father to three kids. I am an entrepreneur at heart and love helping companies scale. I enjoy CrossFit, golf, and cooking when I'm not working. Sometimes with proper planning and execution, I can enjoy all three on the same day.
How did you get started in your career?
During my junior and senior year college summers, I had internships at a commercial real estate firm in Chicago. When I graduated, they offered me a job, and I moved from Lawrence, KS to Chicago, IL, and spent the next two years working for them.
Who has been your biggest inspiration?
My father is definitely my biggest inspiration. He's the hardest working person I know and passed that down. My brother and I started a lawn mowing company when we were six and eight. My dad always strived for perfection and passed that on to us as well. We had the straightest lines in the neighborhood.
What is the best part of your job?
The people! Being surrounded by amazing talent who believes in the mission, vision, and core values and lives it out daily.
What are you passionate about?
I have always been passionate about kids. Kids are our future, and I invest in them in every way I can. From coaching, tutoring, mentorship, and serving in our kids' program at Church. I also volunteer with Kaboom, a national nonprofit that works with communities to build incredible, kid-designed play spaces.
What is the most challenging part of your job?
The most challenging part for me is work-life balance. I absolutely love what I do, and sometimes it's difficult to pull away. A mentor once told me, "no amount of success at work is worth failure at home." This is something I have to remind myself on a weekly basis as it's so easy to get stuck in work mode.
How do you think we can improve positive work cultures in the fintech industry?
I think we are seeing an increase in culture trends that are definitely having an impact but for me, it's all about having strong core values that the company lives by.
What advice would you give someone who is starting their career in your field?
Buckle up. The industry can move very fast, and there is new tech being deployed all the time. Be prepared to be uncomfortable with the pace and do everything you can to keep up.
What resources would you recommend?
This would be an incredibly long list, so I'm going to toss one out that I feel is often overlooked. I think it's important for everyone to work with a coach. Whether you are in sales, marketing, product, or leadership, everyone can benefit from having a business coach from outside of their organization.
What are some rules you live by?
Golden Rule, no texting while driving and always putt the birdie putt, even if it's inside 2'.