You have several business ventures, including a consulting firm, expedition company, a real estate development firm, and a podcast, to name a few. When did you know you wanted to become an entrepreneur? Was this a lifelong passion or something that you discovered later in life?

Being an entrepreneur has always been in my blood, but pursued it professionally later in life.  I grew up in a household where my father was a career public servant and my mother was a serial entrepreneur. I knew before I benefited from everything our country had to offer that I wanted to serve it.  I served for nearly a decade before returning to my entrepreneurial roots. I grew up selling baseball cards and helping my mother with her interior design and restaurant ventures.  I always liked the creative process of developing something of value for people. I was captivated by the idea that one person could cultivate an idea that benefits and serves so many others.

What inspired you to start the “Professionally Offensive” podcast? What makes for an engaging interview subject? 

I wanted to “Humanize” this incredible sport we call business.  As I’ve helped companies grow, entrepreneurs solve problems and Leaders build Teams, I realized that folks outside the sport or in the early-stages had this mystique about business.  CEOs were all knowing, companies that became successful had the perfect plan and the people who run businesses were machines…. All not true.  Leaders and the Teams they lead are full of normal folks who simply decide to take on extraordinary problems and help the world solve them.  Similar to my time in the military, no one is born with superhero powers, but simply shows up every day trying to make a difference.  This is the essence we try to capture each episode, so that folks understand that making a difference is a lot more relatable than they think.  Our guests are incredibly engaging because they all provide an unfiltered and raw take on their journey to “Success”.  They make you feel like you’ve known them your whole life but their actions are those that books and movies are based on.

How do you define “excellence” in business? 

Excellence is seeking greatness in all aspects of your business and being dedicated to your craft.  This all starts with showing up every day (rain or shine) and giving it everything you got.  Being excellent doesn’t mean you are just good at sales or marketing or developing products, but being world-class in all pillars.  I’ve found that excellent Teams have elite cultures that are not only driven by the scoreboard (aka Revenue & EBITDA) but the core purpose of why they exist.  Cultures based around serving their customers, not just selling them, I find achieve the highest levels of excellence.  

Entrepreneurship has its fair share of challenges. What trait or characteristic do you think has benefitted you the most in your entrepreneurial journey and helped you weather those storms? 

I’ve benefited from two main things on my entrepreneurial journey. First, I’m a product of really good parenting. I grew up traveling, experiencing the world and being encouraged by my parents to be curious.  At a young age I was exposed to a lot of different people and cultures, which helped me more naturally understand differences and make human connections quickly.  Secondly, my time in the service has allowed me to experience ambiguity in extreme environments and still be expected, to find a way to win.  I learned that even in the grimmest situations, you can always find a glimmer of light.  If you can figure out how to focus on that light, things start to fall in place.  Like war, storms are inevitable in entrepreneurship and if you can figure out how to welcome them instead of fight them, I’ve found it makes even the hard times more meaningful.

How has being a part of the TBHF network impacted your entrepreneurial journey? 

Only Positively.  Being a part of the TBHF network means you get to interact and learn from some of the best entrepreneurs and Leaders in the world.  This network is also uniquely Texan which is synonymous with a culture that is down-to-earth but on a mission.  The impact of this network has been a living example that success and making the world a better place must be one’s duty.  The horsepower and willingness to help fellow entrepreneurs has been incredibly humbling and has open doors that have dynamically transformed my entrepreneurial journey.

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This fall, TBHF partnered with Professionally Offensive on a series of episodes featuring TBHF Legends, Directors, and Alumni. To listen to those episodes, please click here.