Stay awhile, and listen.   

Some stories are linear.  A natural progression from A to B, to C, to now.  I'm happy for those people, I really am.  But a truly compelling story is rarely that simple.  I'm not saying that everyone doesn't have their own trials and tribulation, just that sometimes the best distance between two points isn't a straight line. 

​

My story begins in central California, Fresno to be exact.  

​

The first child of a lower-middle-class family, I grew up learning that nothing in this life is free.  The only opportunities some people have in life are the ones we make for ourselves. 

​

That being said, I did everything in my power to shoot myself right in the foot. My father is a cabinet builder, and my mother worked in retail.

I was always told by my parents that they wanted a better life for me.  College and good-paying job, instead of manual labor 60 hours a week.  but being the first generation to graduate high school, I had no idea how to make that happen.  

​

So when my high school counselor asked me what my plan for college was, I said that I was poor so I had to go to community college. 

​

Long story short, Fresno Community College and I didn't work out.  so into the workforce, I went.  I spent the next 10 years in customer service.  I worked in a hospital screening patients for metal implants, so our MRI machine wouldn't kill them.  I tended bar, I sold the newspaper door to door, and I worked in a bank call center.  Needless to say, I was getting by but not advancing my life.  So on my 25th birthday, I sold everything I owned, got on a plane, and flew to Fayetteville Arkansas.

​

At this point in the story, you may be asking yourself? Why Arkansas? Did he have a hot cousin? hahahahha.  The answer is that a great friend of mine offered to put me up on his couch until I got my shit together.  And I was willing to take a chance to make a change.

​

Robert Frost once said, "I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." 

This single line is probably the best way to describe that time in my life.  

​

Not to say that there weren't hard times, but to say that moving to that little college town changed me.  I focused on myself, I was embarrassed by local culture; mountain biking, hiking, and playing music.  And, I attended the University of Arkansas Sam M. Walton College of Business.  In a few short years of working full-time and taking a nearly full-time class load, I graduated with a degree in Information Systems.  I was always fascinated by the intersection of technology and business.  How change management is key to successful implementations, and that without the people to embrace and use it, technology isn't effective. 

​

Of course with a degree in hand, it was time to leave my little Ozark hideaway and head to the big city.  So I chose Austin, Tx and worked for Hewlett Packard first as a developer, then as a business analyst.  I also met and fell in love with my future wife, that thread we'll pick up a bit later. 

​

I excelled at Hewlett-Packard.  My communication skills, the lesson I learned about hard work from my father, remembering 10 years of scraping by, my love of technology, and my focus on customers allowed me to stand out among other new hires as a leader and teacher.  

​

3 years and the biggest company split in corporate history I lost my mother. 

Her 10-year battle with breast cancer ended a month after her 46th birthday. Once again I felt changed.  I had made some amazing friends in TX, but I needed to be closer to my family. My brother had moved to Fayetteville to follow in my footsteps in the years before so I decided it was time to head back to Northwest Arkansas.  So on a whim, I applied to Walmart.  We both decided it was a good fit, so I once again packed my bags.  Although this time in a Uhaul instead of an airplane. 

​

About the time I was leaving, my roommate and former co-worker decided that I was a pretty ok guy after all, so we started dating. 

​And I moved. 

​

I went back to the Ozarks and dove headfirst into Walmart. And into my new long-distance relationship. I was a bit apprehensive about working for the corporate giant with a reputation for not treating people well.  But once I got inside, the culture swallowed me.  I learned to love the company.  A few org changes, a few promotions, and a few title changes, later I was a Product Manager in international technology.  And loved what I did every day.  Well... most days.  

​

50,000 miles on the and countless hours from Bentonville, to Austin later. 

​

On 02/22/20 I married the aforementioned love of my life and moved back to Austin,(Pflugerville) TX.  I've been working from home ever since.  Continuing to support my users and provide solutions that delight my customers and exceed their expectations.

​

5 years at Walmart flew by. I established myself as someone who would pick up any task, and get it done regardless of whose "job" it was to drive it.  I made a ton of friends in the company and had a great time traveling to interact with my international customers.  But, like many good things, it came to an end.  In the immortal words of Tom Petty, "It's time to move on" I found myself stuck in a product that wasn't meeting my needs as a product manager.  I would have liked to move internally, but my living situation dictated that I stay in Austin and the official policy of Walmart is that working remotely isn't allowed.  So I dusted off the ol resume and started the grind.  After many applications, many interviews, and one decision later I accepted a new position as a Product Analyst with Crossover Health.  I am extremely happy with this company and I feel like I can make a difference in people's lives through healthcare technology.  

​

Also in the fall of 2020, I made the decision to further my education.  I started an MBA with Texas State University, Eat Em Up Cats!  I enjoyed being back in the classroom, although I questioned starting a new job and a new degree within two months of each other. 

​​

March: 2025

What a long strange trip it's been.  I'm glad you made it through 2020+.  Not everyone did, including a very good friend of mine.  I finished my degree and jumped in the San Marcos River in my gown.  I did a backflip, in fact.  A feat my wife didn't know I was capable of.  Then we put our house on the market and packed our bags for the great American road trip. We've spent the last 9 months exploring this beautiful country.  We rented offroad vehicles in Idaho, bought mountain bikes in Utah, visited Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, and had countless other adventures.  I truly love living in a motorhome with my wife, the space may be a little tight, but it's brought us closer.