ABOUT

The Money Side

I’ve spent more than three decades in finance. I started at KPMG in 1991, where I audited financial results for small, medium and large companies, guided businesses through IPOs, and advised on mergers and acquisitions. It was an unbelievable experience. You see, from the inside, why some strong companies keep working and why others come apart. From there, I moved into the private sector holding senior finance roles, managing a billion-dollar consumer electronics portfolio as a Senior Director of Product Management at a public company, and today serving as CFO for a large private company. Along the way, I also became a licensed loan officer, helping families navigate one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives: buying a home.

Real estate has been part of my life too. My wife and I own rental property in California and South Carolina, we’ve flipped houses together, and we made one investment in Detroit that went badly enough that I still write about it. The mistakes taught me more than the wins did.

But no matter where my career took me, I kept seeing the same thing. Far too many people, and plenty of companies too, are struggling financially. Not because they aren’t smart or capable. Because nobody ever taught them how to avoid financial mistakes.

That’s where this site comes in.

Whether you’re just getting started, trying to escape the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle, or planning for retirement, my goal is to break down personal finance in real, relatable terms. If my kids and their friends don’t know this stuff, I know there are plenty of others who don’t either and it’s too important to ignore.

The Inspiration Side

My journey took a turn in 2003 when my family and I endured a series of hardships that changed my life forever.

It began when my dad was diagnosed with leukemia in September 2003. He fought courageously for 15 months, but ultimately lost his battle. Around that same time, on August 1, 2003, just one day before her official due date, our daughter Isabella passed away at birth. To this day, it remains the worst day of my life, and I can only hope nothing ever surpasses it.

Shortly after my father’s passing, my wife became pregnant again. But in August 2004, on my birthday, she was diagnosed with cancer while carrying our son, Jaden. Thankfully, she beat the disease that first time, and even when it returned five years later, Jaden was born a healthy boy.

That chapter of my life could have broken me. Instead, it shaped me.

It’s why I began raising money for cancer research through endurance sports: running many marathons, one 50-mile ultra marathon, and five Ironman triathlons. It’s why I coached others to train for marathons while fundraising. And it’s why I continue to share my story: because through unimaginable loss, I found strength, purpose, and community.

I learned that Blessings Come From the Worst of Times. It’s the mantra I live by, and it’s the reason this site is called what it’s called. Today I want to be a voice of hope for anyone who feels lost, showing that even in the hardest moments, there’s a way forward.

I’m also writing a book about those years. It’s called Blessings From The Dark.

Why “Money and Inspiration”?

At first, this site was going to be called Your Financial Strength, but I quickly realized that what I want to offer goes beyond budgets and credit scores. I want to inspire. I want to encourage. I want to share hard-earned lessons and real-life experiences, successes and failures, so that maybe, just maybe, you can avoid a few of the same mistakes.

If I can help you get smarter about your money and stronger in your spirit, then this is all worth it.

And if this site ever generates income, I’ve committed to donating 30% of it, 10% each to three organizations. Blood Cancer United, formerly the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, which carried my father’s memory and for which I’ve helped raise more than $600,000. Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, which gives grieving parents professional photographs of a child who lived too briefly, something my wife and I were never able to receive. And the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the largest grassroots mental health organization in the country. My book carries the same commitment.

Whatever brought you here, whether it’s financial confusion or a need for hope, welcome. You’re not alone.

Let’s build something better, together.