what wakes me up in the morning
I am passionate about supporting people on their journey to a fulfilling life. Offering a different perspective and sharing my learnings through writing serves my desire to be helpful. Every day, I want to ask someone, “How can I be helpful?” Writing is a pleasure and serves my purpose.
Approaching life and those I encounter with an open mind and heart has richly rewarded me with the most amazing relationships and experiences. Just a few:
♦ I was the surrogate father of the bride at a Hindu wedding in Delhi, India, where I showered the couple with rose petals, anointed them with spices, and recited prayers in Sanskrit.
♦ Delivered a message on slavery and racism for Black History Month at a church with a Black congregation.
♦ Attended services at 33 houses of worship of different faiths in one year and lived to write about it!
♦ Met a guy on the street in Istanbul who came to my house eight years later and sold me a Turkish rug!
♦ Befriended my tour guides in Iceland, and within a year, they and their wives spent a week in our home, and we are planning our next adventure.
♦ Stood before and had my name announced before the Justices of the US Supreme Court (not a criminal matter, admitted to the Bar).
The “Bio”
♦ Board member and advisor to early-stage consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands and their leaders.
♦ Investor in 10+ early-stage CPG companies and venture capital funds.
♦ Cultivate and deploy my extensive network to connect my colleagues with the resources they seek.
♦ Co-founder of DFW CPG, the region’s CPG ecosystem
♦ Longtime mentor and teacher at SKU, the nation’s leading CPG accelerator.
♦ Co-owned and operated Food Source, LP, a frozen entrée processor for retail grocery stores and national brands for 25 years until its acquisition by a strategic partner.
♦ Attorney and Certified Public Accountant.
The Fun Stuff
♦ Writing: Sharing my travel, church, and life experiences with family, friends, and colleagues since 2016.
♦ Travel: my ancestral hometowns of Drumkeeran, Ireland and Forino, Italy; Antarctica; Easter Island; Angkor Wat, Cambodia; St. Petersburg & Moscow; Belfast, Northern Ireland (stood on the exact spot where the keel of the Titanic was laid) and many more exhilarating places in 30+ countries.
♦ Fitness Enthusiast: road cyclist including riding around the circumference of Iceland with my relay teammates; ascended a Category 3 mountain that is part of the Giro d’Italia and Alp d’Huez, a Highest Category mountain in the Tour de France; former marathoner and still a recreational runner
♦ Community. Active participant and servant in my faith community. Advocate and supporter of several philanthropic organizations.
♦ Family. Completely enjoy and am enriched by my roles as a son, husband, father, grandfather, uncle, cousin, etc.
♦ Friend. Blessed by so many who love and support me, and greatly enjoy fellowship with them.