SERVICES & VERTICALS
THE CASE FOR HUMAN POTENTIAL
Is there anything more important than personal development?
Self-betterment doesn’t end after high school or college. At least it doesn’t have to.
Constant striving beyond yesterday’s limitations, behaviors, and missteps takes real work and commitment to yourself. However, the reward for such efforts always outweighs the price paid and pain endured.
Growth happens in the discomfort, leaving us stronger and more capable to capitalize on today’s opportunities.
I can think of no better way to direct my time and passion than creating work that helps others explore new territory. Naturally, I’m interested in wide variety of topics, but there are a few specific areas that have had the most notable affect on my life personally.
adventure sports
Sports like surfing and mountain biking—that thrust you outside and into the moment—boost overall levels of satisfaction and happiness in each area. With such a dramatic outcome that’s hard to ignore.
Not only have I experienced this personally, but so have friends, family, interviewees. Anyone I ask about it, really. All with the same passion and reverent conviction that adventure sport changed their lives. For some, like me, maybe even redefined it.
my background in adventure sports
A few years ago, I spent a month in Aruba learning how to kite. I couldn’t remember a happier time than when in the water. Within three months I’d torpedoed my enviably beautiful life and rebuilt it around having my feet in the sand.
my background in adventure travel
Because my parents lived in Europe for three years, my house and life were filled with paintings and stories about Rothenburg, Paris, and Rome. Then, with traveling for sports every weekend, my life became one long road trip. So, exploring unfamiliar locations is second nature.
I always knew I’d make the world an adventure. That wasn’t a question. Whenever someone asked what I wanted to do, I’d answer, “Surf, travel, and write.” (Hey, hey, look at me now.)
My first international trip, if you can call it that, was a tournament in Canada. A few years later, Dad and Chris and I went to London for my 21st.
And that was it.
I shortly followed up with trips to the DR, New Zealand, Germany, the Czech Republic, Costa Rica, and China.
For the last three years, I’ve been moving about the earth solo-style. Living in Italy, Aruba, Argentina, Spain, England, the Canary Islands, Ireland and visiting Chile, Uruguay, Portugal, Morocco, France, Austria, and Switzerland.
And it’s changed my values, priorities, habits, goals, location, career objectives…basically everything I am.
So, I’m a big supporter of getting on a plane.
ADVENTURE TRAVEL
You discover new edges, fascinating facets of being. Somewhere along the way—in between exotic foods and foreign customs—you escape the myopia in which you’ve been held. After witnessing other landscapes and lifestyles, the abundance of possibility takes tangible shape.
Free from the forms of a life that no longer serves, you have the opportunity to choose your existence for yourself.
NATURAL HEALTH & FITNESS
Everything from thoughts and foods to daily habits not only reflect our values, but ourselves. Not who we want to be, our ideal version, but the person we show up as.
Today.
When we start honoring who we are and what we deserve, we create the necessary space to make better choices.
Decisions that define our health and happiness for the long term.
my background in SPORTS
SOCCER
From age 3 to 18, I had a soccer ball at my feet; three hours a day, 350 days of the year. Rain or snow. (Imagine, my poor dad, always on the sidelines cheering and driving from one state to another.)
I love the game so much, at one point, I found myself playing on four teams simultaneously, serving as cocaptain for two (premiere and tristate).
Blessed to be on winning teams with excellent athletes and coaches my whole life, we enjoyed a lot of stellar seasons.
RUGBY
I first stepped onto a rugby pitch my sophomore spring of college. And that was it. It had everything.
Fortunately, I again lucked out to be surrounded by amazing athletes and coaches, critical in my evolution. My rookie year, I started at wing for a few games, then quickly found a home at inside center.
(Let me talk to you about my love of breaking a line and putting the ball down between the uprights. How much time do you have?)
We went undefeated junior year, clenching the EPRU championship, and ranking #14 in the country. (A big deal for the ladies, as we were just a club team from a DII school, playing major DI, school-sponsored teams like Penn State and Princeton.)
OTHER LOVES:
- Track — 5 years running the 100-, 200-, and 400-meter dash and relays; competing in the high and long jumps
- Gymnastics — 8 years specializing in floor, beam, and bars
- Swimming and diving — 6 years, focusing on free, back, and relays; 5 years diving
- Basketball — 6 years playing point and forward
- Skiing —30 years (don’t let that big number paint the picture of grandiose ability)
my background in education
Some of my happiest memories were my four years as a daycare teacher. Maybe because I had a reason to play with paint every day?
After college, I moved into being a special education teacher. First, for a group of 13- to 21-year old, mentally handicapped, male sex offenders. Many crack and heroine babies; each story worse than the previous. Then, I transferred to teaching a class of six students with a host of mental and physical conditions, including violent schizophrenia.
My time at the school proved an incredibly humbling experience. One as rewarding as challenging emotionally. However, what I thought would be a long-term career ended a year later after being offered an editor position in Virginia. Thus taking my life in a totally new direction.
Though my love for kids, education, and teaching remains.
EDUCATION
With endless curiosity, creativity, and ability to make everything fun, children transform how we see the world.
How we come to it.
As a former day care and special education teacher, as well as children’s book series author, one of my great loves has been giving growing minds the resources to increase that expansion. What an amazing gift to witness their discoveries and genius.
Such unmeasurable potential deserves the support and freedom to run.
