I didn’t begin my career — I had to build it. Before I ever called myself a marketer, an entrepreneur, or a founder, I was just a college kid in Flint, Michigan trying to make fifty bucks on the internet. That first brush with affiliate marketing over 15 years ago — driving traffic, curating products, designing pages that actually converted — sparked a lifelong obsession with what makes people click, buy, and believe.

I never finished college. Not because I wasn’t capable, but because life hit harder than most midterms. The part of my brain reserved for growth, curiosity, and academic ambition had been hijacked by survival. I entered adulthood unprepared, carrying an invisible weight even I didn't fully understand. I grew up in a home where structure and stability were inconsistent, and safety wasn’t something I could rely on. I dropped out because I couldn’t afford it — financially or emotionally.

Most people got internships. I got eviction notices.
Most people learned in class. I learned in crisis.

For most people, independence is a gradual rite of passage, eased into with the support of family, mentors, and the quiet assurance that someone will catch them if they fall. For me, independence was a cliff I was shoved off of, expected to figure it out on the way down. I found myself homeless. In survival mode. And that changed everything.

I became mentally tough because failure wasn’t a chapter in a textbook. It forged a resilience that can't be taught, a tolerance for discomfort most people never develop because they don’t have to. It was in those hardest moments — when everything was unstable and the future was a question mark — that I found the first spark of what would later become my superpower: the ability to figure things out from scratch, to build with clarity inside chaos, and to move through the unknown with confidence. That was my crash course in extreme resourcefulness — and it became my unfair advantage.

That’s the toolkit I still use today—except now, I build growth systems instead of survival systems. I didn’t start with a blueprint. I started with a shovel.

Proven Startup Builder: From Spark Fiber to Toolbox

At Spark Fiber, I was co-founder, marketer, and trench digger — literally. We laid fiber in our own neighborhood, and I led hyperlocal campaigns that turned cold knocks into warm leads. I pitched HOAs, crafted flyers, and even got the FCC to follow us on Twitter.

From there, I built Virtual You, a digital agency before “digital agency” was a category (2016). I ran Facebook Ads for realtors and chiropractors, rewrote restaurant menus to drive margin, and turned forgotten brochures into front-door revenue.

Then came Toolbox — my most refined system to date. A peer-to-peer tool rental marketplace built to empower DIYers with access, education, and inspiration. As CMO & Co-founder, I ran every growth lever: SEO strategy, UI/UX redesigns, paid traffic, content and community, branding, analytics, and funnel optimization. If there was a lever, I pulled it. If it didn’t exist, I built it.

Other Notable Projects:

• Outposts Plus: Designed a webinar engine driving $1M+ in qualified leads through emotional insight, educational framing, and strategic scoring.
• Gmund Cars: Acquired and SEO-recovered a penalized affiliate site, turning it into a passive revenue asset.
• Extras (Web Series): Produced, cast, and starred in a web series — blending story, production, and creative direction.
• Dinner Engineered: A YouTube channel merging content clarity with food obsession.
• Your Day Trading Academy: An affiliate site built from scratch — full-funnel, search-driven.
• Life OS: An AI-powered personal knowledge and productivity system built using Python, Lucidchart, Anki, HuggingFace, and GPT-4.

Each project added a new layer: strategy, storytelling, systems thinking. Each one sharpened a different edge.

Built by Adversity. Optimized by Curiosity.

None of this happened from a place of stability. When you’ve had to lead yourself out of the dark, leading others becomes second nature. In just six years, I went from surviving with nothing but grit, to building a life that I love on my own terms. No handouts. No shortcuts. Just relentless learning, resilience, and resourcefulness.

What I gained:

• Mental toughness that’s unfazed by high-pressure situations.
• Emotional resilience that makes startup chaos feel manageable.
• Deep creativity born out of the necessity to entertain and motivate myself.
• A resourcefulness muscle most people never get to develop.

Now imagine what that kind of transformation can do for your company!

My Top Skills

Divergent Thinking & Problem-Solving

Using divergent thinking, deep market analysis, and cross-functional execution, I uncover unconventional paths to scalable solutions. I blend data with creativity to drive growth, streamline operations, and unlock strategic leverage.

Full-Stack Growth Strategy

I craft and execute growth strategies that move the needle — from revenue and acquisition to brand positioning and retention. With a command of PLG, CRO, SEO, content, and full-funnel optimization, I scale startups by identifying bottlenecks and building systems that convert.

AI Prompt Engineering & Automation

I leverage prompt engineering and generative AI as force multipliers — enhancing everything from content workflows to customer engagement. By embedding AI into marketing ops, analytics, and creative strategy, I build systems that scale smarter and operate leaner.