Everyone seems to want to describe themselves in some format that references the past, so the world can place them neatly into a very comfortable basket of "People Who Do X," or "People Who Have Been Y."
And the world finds it fascinating. "Oh, you were a poker player. You were a pool player. A this. A that."
We find ourselves unintentionally living into the preconceived notions of what other people imagine our lives to have been and to currently be.
If you want the truth of what I do and how I roam this planet:
I BREATHE LIFE INTO YOUR SOUL.
But...
You won't find any photos of me wearing false spiritual robes with my hands held in prayer pose, looking pensive yet deeply sensitive.
You won't find me all over the internet spewing the typical self-help platitudes and pining for likes and validating comments.
And you sure as hell won't see me offering up quick tips, life hacks, and whatever other nonsense the "coaching lite" crowd serves up.
That is not where life happens.
It happens in those small moments where you meet yourself. Even when you don't recognize what you see.
A glance among strangers. Moments of awe atop a mountain or in a forest or staring deep into the night sky. Honest conversations among partners. Sharing the ideas and thoughts and expressions of love that we hold dearest and most precious to our hearts, and risking it all in the process.
It's taking a good, long look at yourself in the mirror and doing an honest evaluation of who you really are and what's really there. Of what lies underneath. Of the Truth. Of the untruths that have crept in and wedged their way into the deepest corners of your life.
That is where life begins. And evolves.
When it's time for you to evolve, reach out.
The Nuts And Bolts:
1977: Born in Willingboro, NJ, the youngest of 4 children. Life was not easy - love was scarce at home. My siblings and I learned to navigate the world in a backwards way - feeling like we were not good people, yet somehow righteous enough to feel like the world was even worse and was out to get us.
1981-ish: The first time an adult told me to "be realistic." Also, the first time I did not listen to an adult telling me to "be realistic." Something deep inside me understood that there was more to life than the morose grind we were shown at home, and that was difficult to reconcile.
1994-2003: The journey began. Studied philosophy, psychology, mathematics, computer science, and accounting. Dropped out of school 4 times. Maybe 5. Also worked as a waiter and bartender and almost drank myself to death. I struggled mightily to reconcile the depth I felt, understood, and KNEW in my bones with my experience of the world.
2003-2006: Professional poker player. One night wiping down the bar at work, I caught the World Series of Poker on a nearby TV and said, "I'm going to do that." A year later, I did. Fact: it was not glamorous. Lucrative, yes. Glamorous, absofuckinglutely not.
2006-2017: Corporate finance. I realized success does not necessarily lead to fulfillment. I'd created all the things in my life that were supposed to mean my life was good. That world, to my eyes, looked like window dressing placed over more window dressing. At my lowest point, something clicked.
2015-today: In my discovery of the world, community built, understanding deepened, broke down, fell apart, has humbled me, continues to humble me, and renews my soul. I've worked with several hundred clients over the years - some for just a few hours, some for more than 5 years.