About Me

Early Life

I grew up in Washington State in a family of seven (3 sisters and 1 brother).

My siblings and I grew up in a Christian based, homeschool environment learning from a multitude of curriculum managed by my mother. My father was a hard-working businessman who had a bullet proof work ethic and the highest of standards. Our family was structured in a strict and orderly fashion. I think my mother took a lot of lessons from the movie “the sound of music” because each of us had a whistle that we responded to, we wore uniforms and often marched in a column formation in public.

From a very young age I became obsessed with cowboys and the military. I envied the rough and rugged demeanor that characters like Roy Rogers, Steve McQueen, John Wayne, and Clayton Moore (the Lone Ranger) displayed. I wanted to be a cowboy and a Soldier to prove to the world that I was a man and worth the flesh I walked around in.

Being raised in a strict Christian household I often found myself at war within myself between behaving as a “christian” should and living to make myself happy. This is a struggle that would cause many interesting experiences throughout my life.

Teen Years

At 16 years old I left home during the summer to take part in an intense training program designed to train kids how to operate in a military environment. This was my chance to prove to myself, my parents and the people around me that I had what it takes to be physically and mentally tough. The group was called A.L.E.R.T. (Air Land Emergency Resource Team) and it was built by a former Navy Seal. This training was, to date, the hardest physical training I have ever taken part in and it showed me just how far a person can push their mind and body to achieve goals. Completion of this training gave me a sense of accomplishment, but I still had no purpose in life.

At 17 I graduated from “high-school” while attending Bellevue College and continued my education in general studies until I graduated with an AA degree at the age of 19. My grades were good, but not the best. I graduated with a 3.6 GPA and stopped college due to a lack of purpose. I felt that the only way I could find my true value in life was to join the military and give my life for the people I loved. It would be another three years before I committed my life to military service.

Young Adulthood

In 2010 I got married (first marriage), joined the military and moved to Lynchburg Virginia for college. I joined the Virginia National Guard as an Infantry Soldier and attended college at Liberty University working on my bachelor’s of science in Criminal Justice. This phase of my life is where I adopted a number of very bad habits that would take over a decade to learn from.

I was from a strict Christian family, going to a Christian school, in the military and in a marriage that was on the rocks (to put it nicely) from the very beginning. I had no true identity and often looked to others for approval. Inside, I was a complete mess and had no core standards whatsoever. I lived my life to please others and secretly took out my anger and dissatisfaction inside my own mind.

My unhappiness and constant approval seeking lead to an addiction to alcohol which ultimately consumed my life for the better part of a decade. This addiction was something that I blatantly denied because I believed that I had it “under control”. It was not until much later in my journey, when I was at rock bottom, that I finally realized that alcohol was a major contributor to my bad behavior, lack of drive, and isolation.

Military Life

From 2010-2014 I was an Infantry Soldier in the 116th Infantry, Virginia National Guard, 29th Infantry Division. Behing a part of this team gave me a sense of pride because of their rich history (read about them here). I was finally living out my dream of being a Soldier.

In 2014 I graduated from Liberty University and commissioned as an officer in the Ordnance Corps. I went to school for Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and excelled! I felt like I had purpose and a reason to live because my job was to get rid of the explosives that were hurting so many people. I graduated at the top of my class from the Navy School of Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Destin Florida, in 2015 and got stationed in Honolulu Hawaii.

From 2015-2019 I worked as an EOD officer assigned to the Pacific Theater. I worked with multiple countries including Korea, Indonesia, Australia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. I got to work on protection details for President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump as well as other dignitaries.

In 2019 I got a separation from my ex-wife, left Hawaii and went back to Virginia for Captains Career Course. That winter I was stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), Washington. I gave up an EOD command position in order to move to Washington state to be closer to my children (who had since moved there). At JBLM I took on a role as Ammunition manager and eventually took command of a logistics company under 17th Infantry Brigade, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.

While in command I went through the divorce process and dealt with a major increase in my alcohol consumption due to the stress and feeling that I didn’t belong anymore. I was not doing what I loved (EOD) because I gave up that possibility when I took assignment at JBLM and I resented that.

At this time I also met my wife! I finally found someone who loves me for who I am and had the ability to see through all my bad habits and attitudes. She stuck with me through the worst down-turn in my life and she continues to stick with me today as I develop and grow.

In 2021 I got re-married, moved to a house away from base with my wife and began the process of separating from the Army. I was finally discharged in September 2022.

Current Life

Over the past two years I have gone through the process of building two businesses, left the Army and got remarried. My beautiful wife and I now have a blended family with five children. 

This transition has come with a great deal of growing pains and continues to present interesting twists and turns as I learn how to integrate with the civilian world, grow with my wife and father 5 kids.

I have now been sober since April 2021 and am involved in ongoing addiction recovery programs. I volunteer time each week to help other people who are struggling to find purpose and struggling to get free from the bondage of addiction.

My life is in no way perfect but I have made a commitment to proceed each day and make tiny changes that will have lasting impact. I am a work in progress just like everyone else.

This blog is a platform to help other people and myself. It is a space where I can track progress, share ideas and resources and broaden my span of influence. My vision is that I will help as many people as I can possibly get to with their life journey. I am here to help you discover your purpose in life, discover your strengths, get rid of the limiting factors that hold you back and blossom into the person you are meant to be. EVERY PERSON has a purpose; strengths, weaknesses, skills and needs. My hope is that this page will help you in your journey to fulfillment in life.