MY JOURNEY
I come from a long line of adventurers. My Father grew up on the Navajo Reservation where his Step-Father owned and operated several trading posts (his biological Father left his wife and children to pursue musical ambitions in California); and my Mother grew up on a cattle ranch near Gallup, NM where her Father was the Chief of Police. In the mid 50’s my parents, along with four sets of Aunts and Uncles and their children, made an exodus to Alaska to homestead, raise cattle and start new lives in the Last Frontier. I was born in Homer, Alaska and raised on 1,500 acres of virgin land filled with timber, wildlife, natural springs, hills, valleys, fields and 360 degrees of the most spectacular views you could imagine. With my trusty Springer Spaniel Ringo by my side, I spent most of my days outside hunting pirates and Indians in the summer and riding snow mobiles, sledding and skiing in the winter.
I started playing the piano at age 4 and grew up involved in music, drama, sports and student government. I played piano and saxophone, sang in the school choir, performed in school and community plays and was on the swim and track teams in high school, graduating in 1981.
After attending my first two years of university in Hawaii and spending time in Japan as a Missionary, I was accepted into the Acting program at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (the oldest professional acting school in the English-speaking world) and graduated from the New York City campus in the Spring of 1987. Following graduation and a subsequent creative hiatus in Alaska, I married the love of my life, Jodi Christy, on March 17, 1990. Shortly thereafter, I put my acting career on hold and went to work full-time for UPS in 1991 and made the decision at that time, to put all of my energy into my career and providing for my family. Soon, I found myself climbing the corporate ladder. In December 1994, our daughter, Madison, was born.
In January 2001, I got the call to open UPS’s largest dedicated customs brokerage site in Aiken, S.C. For the first few years in Aiken, I focused on my professional career and hiring more than 500 people to run the brokerage operation. After securing solid roots in Aiken and my new position, I got involved in the local arts scene. I have been on the board of directors for the Aiken Center for the Arts, the USC Aiken Partnership Board and the Aiken Community Theatre, where I also served as executive director of the Youth Wing and performed in and directed productions and fundraisers.
In 2012, I left UPS with the intent of expanding my professional experience and eventually launching my own business. I continued to work in the area of customs trade and regulatory compliance for a few different companies and even transferred over to nuclear regulatory compliance in 2015. In 2019, I came back to import/export compliance in order to continue making a difference in the global trade community while putting more emphasis on launching my business, which I am now prepared to do more than ever.
At the age of 56, I have lived a very rich and varied life. I have lived in Alaska, Hawaii, Japan, California, New York, Arizona, South Carolina and Texas. I have traveled the world and met thousands of fascinating people who have educated, surprised, transformed, mystified and forever inspired me to find my common voice amidst the many paths of my uncommon journey!
I am inviting you to take this journey with me – to see the creation of a new concept of industry combined with artistry. To see talent and material emerge with a stronger bond of leadership and creativity to serve both entertainment and global enterprise in a way that will galvanize a much stronger sense of optimism unlike anything that has been witnessed before.
I hope you follow me here – and on my social channels – and if you like what you see, leave a comment and let me know! Share, contact me and GET INVOLVED in your own way, in a way that feels right to you!
Let’s get started!