My Story

“In order to write about life, you must first live it.”

–Ernest Hemingway

I’m the son of a blue collar family. Yet, my sister and I were never given the option not to go to college. My dad, mechanically-inclined and a do-it-yourself-er, and my mom, well-read and intellectually curious, both valued knowledge and learning.

Academically, I excelled, but I hated school. My interests and abilities stemmed from both parents, as did my general restlessness. I studied engineering and was fascinated with how things work, yet I got far better scores in language arts. By the end of my collegiate junior year, I was constantly working math problems–and miserable. So in my senior year, already paying my way by selling tools and hardware, I decided that I could combine my affinity for both technology and communication to go into technical sales as a career.

I worked in industrial automation, then logistics, and later, healthcare IT. I even became versed in other fields through side gigs. I learned about professional selling, both hands-on with experienced mentors as well as through ongoing professional development. Still, in every “sales” job, no matter the title, my mastery of words made me the go-to writer. Adding in my project management and leadership ability, soon I was leading entire marketing initiatives. I was bridging the gap between sales and marketing well before that became a specific, defined role.

As with school, the corporate world never quite fit. Here again, no one blazed a trail for me. I came to work, not play politics or stroke egos. Often contrarian and always candid, I asked hard questions about long-standing processes and methods. Yet from this lack of conformity to the status quo, I successfully overhauled entire sales and marketing operations. This led to the kind of growth that would result in the long-term restructuring, merger, or acquisition of several of my employers.

By my reputation, I was eventually hired to lead sales and marketing for a medical SaaS firm. I would again work myself out of a job when a competitor acquired this employer, a much smaller yet industry-defining thorn in their side. So once more, I pivoted, leveraging the sum of my experiences. Now, instead of bridging sales and marketing for just one company, I do it for a diverse book of business. I can be versatile and flexible from a position of stability and depth.

My clients don’t just get a sales and marketing professional. They get a person.

I think holistically, drawing on the entirety of my life experience–as a scholar, engineer, farmer, builder, sportsman, philosopher, historian, business leader, author, speaker, marketer, and yes, salesman. I embrace challenges, and I bring the full measure of my aptitude and experience to solve problems. Technology and communication. Sales and marketing. Doing and leading. 

 (Though sometimes, I’d rather just go hunting or fishing. . . . A country boy can survive!)