The point of it all is a life of leadership in the service of others.
I come from a family that lived this way. My grandfather, a career Army officer, cultivated my intellectual curiosity. My father, a college football coach, taught me never to quit. My mother, a teacher, taught me to listen and to empathize with people.
I was born in New Jersey and grew up all over the East Coast of the United States. After 9/11, I decided to join the military to serve and protect, a decision that led me to the United States Military Academy at West Point. As a U.S. Army officer, I served for over half a decade, including two and a half years in the Middle East, where I created air defense strategies and embraced the cultural perspectives of my host nation partners.
When my service ended, I moved to Brazil, where I earned my master's in business in Rio de Janeiro while continuing to train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Today I am at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland, where I teach and research trust, leadership, and dignity, drawing on lessons from the mats. Twenty years of Jiu Jitsu and a 2nd degree black belt under Renzo Gracie have sharpened my focus on the people around me.
Now I bring those lessons to others: lecturing at the university, delivering keynotes and workshops for organizations, and coaching anyone willing to step on the mat. Whether in a classroom, the military, or a Jiu Jitsu school, humility, discipline, and trust in the people beside you lead to success. That's the point of it all.
