[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”20px” padding_bottom=”20px”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ spacing=”” center_content=”no” hover_type=”none” link=”” min_height=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”left top” background_repeat=”no-repeat” border_size=”0″ border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” dimension_margin=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=”” last=”no”][fusion_text]

Innovator. Founder. Philanthropist.

Entrepreneur. Author. Storyteller.

Just a Good Dude Trying his Best to Impact the Lives of Others.

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Never in my wildest dreams did I ever see myself becoming a real estate agent.

But we never know the path that life may lead us to.

I grew up on a small farm in the mid-west. When I was little, most of my brothers and sisters, who were much older, had already moved out. So it was just my father, my mother and me.

Life can be cruel. The hand of death touched our family. My father, my best friend, was torn from my life when I was 5 years old. One day he was there. The next, gone. I became acutely aware of the passage of time. And that life is truly short.

All the emotions hit me. Anger.  Resentment.  Being alone. I could feel their power. Their ability to destroy me if I let them.

But for me, that wasn’t an option.  Instead, I chose to live my life.  To see and explore new places. Meet new people.  Exceed the expectations of my parents.  To live in honor of my father’s memory.

I learned that my father served in World War II.  After the attacks of Pearl Harbor, my father did what many young men at the time did.  He enlisted.  He took a stand to defend our country.  To protect those who couldn’t protect themselves.

This is an ideal I strive to meet.

A number of years later, I was a grinder.  College degree in hand, I found my “dream job.” All I wanted to do was live for the company.  The years ticked by. Then time made it’s presence felt.

My brother passed away.

Viewing life through a different lens.

When Wayne was little, an illness caused a fever of nearly 105 which damaged parts of his brain.  He would be forever trapped with the mentality of a 4 year old.

Growing up, he was the closest brother I had.

At his funeral, seeing him in his casket, I remember asking myself exactly what it was that I was doing.  Was I truly leading my life in a manner befitting those around me?

I felt I owed Wayne in some way.  Because he couldn’t have a normal life, this made me somehow blessed.

And I dare not piss away this blessing.

My “career” started feeling more like a prison.  This compulsion to do something more with my life haunted me.  I start wondering “Is this all there is?”

I read a book. “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”. It got my wheels turning. My entrepreneurial side started growing.

Now I could see it. A path to creating something more. Being something more. My passion burned. And I channel this all into my business.

I fell under the charm of nearly every aspect of real estate.  I purchased several investment properties. I wrote a book. Created an iPhone app.

People who I connected with started asking me for help.  How can they get started?  What do they need to do?

That’s when I got my license.  Becoming an agent was a “logical” step.  According to my friends.

I sacrificed some of my freedom and joined a brokerage.  I followed their model.  I did their grind.

But there was a problem.

What they asked me to do was not alignment with my core values.  My beliefs.  I sat on the side of my bed, night after night, not feeling right about any of it.  The teachers, the industry gurus were telling me what I needed to do to be “successful”.

When I offered any resistance, the gurus would get a sad look on their face. “If you’re not willing to do what it takes to be successful, then you won’t be.”

So I would do it. The only thing I refused to do was compromise my ethics.

Then time sent me another reminder.

My sister was sitting in her home, texting our cousin. Making plans for the following day.  It was nearly 11:30 p.m. when she sent her last text and headed to bed.

That night, my sister passed away.

Time sent another wake up call.  Another reminder that you should only focus on the important things in life.  Everything else is just noise.

That’s when it hit me.  This is about legacy.  How do I want to be remembered.  Do I want to be remembered as someone who sold 1,000 homes?  Or as someone who made a difference in their community?

That’s when I decided that it’s ok to not be a real estate agent.

Cold calling? Door knocking? Memorizing Scripts? All of that was rejected. Immediately.

I still help people find or sell their home.  But the strategies, the tactics, the mentality of the typical agent has been rejected.  Removed.

In it’s place, I’ve chosen to be a protector.  An advocate.  A fighter for those who need my help.

For the first time in my life, my drive, my ambition and my goals are in complete alignment with my values and beliefs.

In short, I have a mission.

My brain, my heart and my soul are poured into every client. To not only help them achieve their goals but to also protect them from the “grey” ethics that permeate this industry.

Each and every night, when I look myself in the mirror, I always ask “Did I do my best today? Did I act in an ethical manner to serve the best interest of my clients, my family and myself?

Each night, the answer is always “yes”.

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