About
Growing up in Virginia Beach with what they now call ADHD (back before anyone had heard of Ritalin), I was lucky to land at a Quaker school that actually got me. Instead of trying to fix me, they let me find my own path. My photography journey began at age 13 when I won a camera and set up an unauthorized pet studio in my parents' bedroom, photographing show dogs against their perfect white wall backdrop - until my father found a Rottweiler being groomed on his bed. After happily attending boarding school, I headed to Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, then landed my first full time "job" inside Macy's San Francisco photo studio.
Fresh out of university, I had two immediate dreams to chase - becoming a professional road cyclist and living the Warren Miller ski bum lifestyle . No halfway measures - I dove in completely, working at Copper Mountain during winters and making cycling my full-time focus for two seasons in Boulder. Just long enough to learn I needed a different dream.
Adventure called - before settling down, I embarked on an "old school" solo overland journey from South Africa to Egypt. That adventure was cut short on Mount Kenya (an actual mountain on the equator) when a technical climb ended with a broken foot and it took four days to hop/crawl/be carried down to a "bush hospital." But that gave me one of the best stories of my life - ask me about it.
Photography took me places I'd never imagined - shooting for major brands from The North Face to Disney and Deutsche Bank. My work appeared in Outside Magazine, Runner's World, Backpacker, and This Old House, among others.
Already working in advertising in San Francisco, my then wife and I made the move to Austin when our son was 5 - still one of the best decisions we made, and she remains one of my closest friends to this day. The advertising world kept me busy with clients like Ford Motor Company, Coca-Cola, Roche, and Siemens.
As the photography industry transformed and our son headed off to university in 2018, life presented a perfect moment for reinvention. I made the move back to the mountains and turned my passion for skiing into a profession. These days, I split time between teaching on the slopes, launching a personal coaching practice, and overseeing real estate investments. Nothing makes me happier than when my son Zac, who is founder of the NYC tech startup BiteSight, brings his friends up for ski trips.That these twenty-somethings have been choosing to share their mountain days with me for all these years, from ski runs to dinner tables - that's the achievement I'm most proud of.
Summer finds me working on properties, cycling, backpacking, traveling and hitting the ocean. My wanderlust takes me to places like Istanbul, Thailand, and Peru, where I immerse myself in local life rather than just passing through. Being fit has always been my life's foundation - not just physically, but as a mindset. I believe everyone needs something that gives them a core sense of pride - whether it's being brilliant, socially connected, successful in business, or naturally charismatic. For me, it's always been staying strong and ready for the next challenge. Sure, I can quote my resting heart rate (49) or VO2 max (42), but what really matters is being able to say yes to whatever adventure life presents - whether that's an impromptu surf, lacing up my speed skates, or joining friends on a last-minute trek in Nepal. Books like 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance,' 'The Alchemist,' and 'Seven Summits' have been companions on my journey, each reinforcing what I've learned on mountains and trails - that personal growth often comes from embracing the unexpected. When I'm not on the mountain or pursuing physical challenges, I'm exploring the fascinating world of cognitive diversity and how different minds work. I draw inspiration from remarkable individuals like Erik Weihenmayer, who redefined what's possible by becoming the first blind person to summit Everest. His story, like many others, reminds us that our perceived limitations often exist only in our minds. Through teaching skiing and sharing adventures, I've discovered that helping others push past their own barriers might be the greatest adventure of all. Life's just better when you're mentally and physically ready for anything. Let's Go and see where we land together.......