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My journey began in a Chipotle kitchen. I spent years working hard, climbing the ladder, but the more I pushed, the more I realized that path wasn’t for me. I didn’t want to spend my life chasing someone else’s version of success.

From there, I ended up in a factory role at Lincoln Electric. The people were great, and the company had a solid foundation and even though the money was good, deep down I still felt out of place. I kept thinking, there has to be more than this. More than waiting to be noticed, more than solving problems that didn’t feel like mine.

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Martial arts has always been part of my life, even if it was in the background. As a kid, I trained simply because it was something to do. I wasn’t particularly talented at it, but after high school, I took a break. When I came back, everything changed. I didn’t just train, I fell in love with it.

Though I don’t consider myself a fighter despite my lifelong commitment to martial arts, I practice it to protect myself and the people I love. It’s not about competition; it’s about being ready to stand up for what matters most.

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One day during training, I was having a conversation with my instructor, and he said something that stuck with me: “No one makes anything real anymore.” That simple statement hit me hard. I shared with him that, even though I’m a college dropout, I’ve always had a deep confidence in myself. I originally pursued a business degree, but quickly lost interest when I realized I had to take classes that had nothing to do with my goals. I knew then that my life had to be about more than just following a set path I wanted purpose. 

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That conversation was a turning point. It reminded me that I don’t just want to exist, I want to build. I want to create something real, something useful, something that outlives a job title or paycheck. My experiences from the kitchen to the factory floor to the dojo taught me discipline, resilience, and the value of showing up for myself. I started thinking about the everyday problems people face, especially in high-risk environments, and how often simple tools are overlooked. That’s what led me to create the cone light a practical solution designed to increase visibility and safety where it matters most. It’s more than just a product, it’s proof that with vision, grit, and purpose, you can make something real.

I’ve always believed that the road you take, no matter how winding can lead to something meaningful if you pay attention along the way.

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My story starts back in high school, when I came home from football practice one day and found Coach Woody Hayes sitting in the kitchen with my mom. We talked for about an hour, and after he left, my mom turned to me and said, “You’re going to Ohio State.” That decision changed my life. Playing football under Coach Hayes at Ohio State taught me discipline, grit, and what it meant to be a teammate working toward something bigger than myself. It laid the foundation for everything that came after.

Injuries eventually pulled me away from the game, and I briefly attended John Carroll University before being drafted into the U.S. Army. I spent two years in Vietnam, a time that reshaped how I saw the world. Coming home, I had to relearn how to live in a country that had moved on without me. It wasn’t easy, but like football, it taught me how to adapt and keep moving forward.

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After the military, I went to work for my uncle, who ran the 4th largest car wash in the country. I learned the ins and outs of the business and eventually bought my own auto wash, scaling it from 600 to 1,500 cars a day. I went on to partner in three more locations and even built one from the ground up. That experience gave me an understanding of operations, scale, and how to grow something with your own two hands.

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From there, I pivoted into the entertainment world. A good friend of mine had started the National Rib Cook-Off in Cleveland, and I joined as a partner with the idea of adding live entertainment to the mix. The event quickly outgrew its original space, moving from downtown Cleveland to the Berea Fairgrounds, and eventually beyond. When that partnership ended, I headed to Minneapolis and became an independent concert promoter, eventually working in 44 venues across the country. That led to a three-year stint developing what would become iHeartRadio. When I stepped away from that chapter, I dedicated a portion of my earnings to supporting veteran causes.

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The inspiration for the Cone Light came years later, while driving past parked landscaping trucks on the side of the road. I kept seeing close calls, low visibility, near miss, accidents and unnecessary risk. I realized there had to be a better, safer way to alert oncoming traffic. That’s when the idea for Cone Light was born: a simple, effective tool designed to protect not just landscapers, but everyday people who find themselves in vulnerable roadside situations.

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Everything in my life from football, to Vietnam, to building businesses has taught me the value of preparation, hard work and opportunity. To be able to share this experience with my son, create and develop the Cone Light is a continuation of that mission. It's about using the lessons of a lifetime to create something that could truly make a difference.