While growing up in a small town as one of the hardest working people you’ve ever met, I started training as an entrepreneur in the 5^th grade delivering news papers-at one point I had 5 paper routes and delivered several hundred papers a day.  Through high school I also worked in the construction industry after cross country and track practice and of course after all of the papers had been delivered. 

While attending Adrian College, I worked as campus security and my senior year I worked much of the year full time manufacturing and a full time student.  Moving to Holland in 1996 I was back in manufacturing and going to school…this time, I worked at Prince and Johnson Controls 3^rd Shift so that I could attended GRCC in the mornings and in the evenings.

I finally got a job as a Design Engineer and then as a Six Sigma Black-belt and became one of the first and few in my cohort to become certified.  From there I served in a variety of engineering roles including project and resident engineering.  While at JCI, I also attended Western Michigan University and earned my Masters in Engineering Management.

Although I was let go from JCI, I have no doubt that it was one of the best things that could have ever happened to me (and to many others).  I truly do believe that God works in mysterious ways.  I have been in the Real Estate Industry ever since and have utilized my engineering background and education in many of the complex transactions that I have helped my clients with.

Carving out a niche in the recession of helping clients that owe significantly more than their homes are worth by developing a unique process with a 90% + success rate compared to the national average of 24%!  I am proud of this number along with the 45,000 dollar average my clients have had of forgiven debt over the past several years.

These past couple of years I have focused on self development and the betterment of my community.  Leadership Holland, local business leaders, lawyers, accountants, books, authors, my team, and my family and friends have all helped in this growth…especially my wife who continues to encourage me and won’t ever let me become complacent.  She is an inspiration.

Being a leader of men and women through my many endeavors I have learned a ton, some things turned out great, and some lessons I have learned the hard way-I call those CHARACTER BUILDING lessons.  Most of my conclusions have been about people, but some are about business planning, strategy and life in general.

Many of the most important things that I have learned come from being a father…and trying to be the best father that I can be, even when it requires a little tough love.

My goal is to help people by doing what I can, when I can…sometimes just stopping to smell the ‘roses’ in this world will help some people.