I’m a husband, father, old farmer, and former toolmaker. I believe that most problems get better when you bring them into the shop, put them on the work bench and take an honest look at the moving parts. Once we know what’s really going on… we get to work.
For more than three decades, I have been solving problems that involve people, money and machines. They always required leadership and many turned into big projects.
I grew up on a small family dairy farm in Madison County, New York, on Hardscrabble Road. It was a simple, old-fashioned childhood… the kind with a big family, cow pastures, broken equipment, hard work, and the good neighbor policy.
Those early years taught me how to use tools, solve problems, and work with my hands. I learned to love the satisfaction that comes from making something work again.
I went directly from High School to work at a local factory. As a toolmaker’s apprentice, I began mastering tools and machines, precision, and process. Decades in manufacturing taught me far more than how to run equipment or manage a department. I learned how growing businesses really work: how systems get built, how teams succeed or struggle, how leadership is tested under pressure, and how much success comes down to communication, trust, accountability, and problem-solving.
I also learned a hard truth from the farm and the factory: even good products eventually become commodities. When that happens, working harder is not enough. You have to understand value, differentiation, margins, people, and timing. Whether it is milk, machined parts, or financial advice, the lesson is the same: if you do not take ownership of the value you create, the market will decide your value.
Over time, I took those lessons and pointed them toward people. I learned to ask better questions, listen more carefully, and help people create a better story with their lives.
Today, I consider myself a Professional Optimizer. Through Shop Class, I bring together financial fundamentals, coaching skills, practical problem-solving, and a deep belief that people are capable of more than they think.
As a financial coach, I help people slow down, get honest, and take control of the money stress that affects every part of life. We start with the fundamentals: what comes in, what goes out, where the pressure is, and what needs to change. But the real work is helping clients see themselves as their first and most important investment. When they build better habits, make better decisions, and create margin, their money starts supporting the life they actually want to build.
As a financial advisor, I help clients take the strong foundation we build through coaching and the Shop Class Manual and turn it into a thoughtful long-term financial plan. Once you understand your cash flow, habits, goals, and priorities, we can begin the deeper work of becoming a stronger, more educated investor. That means learning how markets work, understanding risk, building confidence, and making investment decisions connected to the life you actually want to live. My goal is not just to manage money for you, but to help you become wiser, clearer, and more capable as you build your future.
The real power comes when coaching and advising work together.
The coach helps you become the person who can handle the life you say you want — disciplined, confident, and honest about your choices.
The advisor helps you turn that foundation into a long-term investing plan that builds strength, freedom, and opportunity over time.
Together, the goal is not to sacrifice today for tomorrow. The goal is to do work you care about, in a career or business you love, while living with purpose now and investing wisely so your future has room to grow.
That is the Shop Class sweet spot:
Enjoy today while building a beautiful tomorrow.
Bring Your Life to Shop Class.