I have faced doubt, rejection, failure, and fear in my lifetime. I am often attributed to such words as tenacious, passionate, resilient, inspiring and successful. I am a true entrepreneur who has experienced tremendous obstacles, faced down fear and persevered through some of the most uncomfortable moments of my life. These moments have ironically all been my greatest gifts. They have taught me the importance of perseverance in the face of adversity, pushed me to lean into fear during the most uncomfortable moments and forced me to rise to the occasion not only to survive in business but in life; to ultimately thrive.
I am the second oldest child in my family. I grew up without my father and never felt like I had a mentor. Becoming a young man, I yearned for a role model; one that I could learn and growth from, authentically. Searching for this, I only came face to face with toxic masculinity and guidance from punishment. This behavior, learned and watched from my own father, was what I thought I should be and do as a man.
Throughout my teen and young adult years, I watched my family slowly crumble.My father struggled with addiction, and my mother heald up the family as best as she could. I began to internalize fear and pain, not knowing what do with the weight of all that was happening around me. I struggled, I pushed down emotions, and I walked through the world with an arrogance and toxicity that took me 20 years to undo and put down.
I feared not being enough. I feared of not being able to do more and I feared the unknown. And yet, as a youg man, I knew I had to persevere. I had to provide, to be a man. At 19, I began working in a marketing company and committed myself to my work. I embarked on my first business venture. With an endless desire to grow, learn, and pursue success, I started a business from my bedroom in my parent’s house. I got a loan for $5,000 and transpired this business venture into a billion dollar company. This was no easy feat. I worked hard, learned from my mistakes, and made sacrifices along the way. At 20, I was promoted to a Junior Sales position and was learning how to navigate work and life from all of my mistakes.
I have spent my career taking on new challenges and business ventures while also acting as a mentor to many aspiring business owners and company executives who are striving to propel their ventures and expand their successes. One of my greatest accomplishments in business, however, is found in the pivotal role I played as an original Co-Founder of Digital Media Solutions (DMS). My expertise in marketing and business development helped DMS become the award winning, leading global martech company it is today. This company is on a path of continued growth and success because of my perseverance and commitment.
During my career, I was often labeled as aggressive and assertive, which in the early days of my professional carrer were all too true. Nothing good was coming out of my attitude or behavior, internally and externally. The ways in which I was perceived and the ways in which I excelled were not healthy
