Throughout my life, I have held various jobs, some for extended periods. I worked in restaurants for five years during college, insulation for housing, framing (newb),  photographer’s assistant, technical service representative at a call centre, web developer for a short period, cold caller for a day (outside of building a book of business in investments), and I would go where the universe would take me to fund rent and education.

Over time, impactful events changed my thinking and how I would conduct myself and run my business. I will never forget that after working at the same restaurant for over four years, my request for benefits was declined. The company gave two craps about my loyalty and dedication. I have worked for “religious” business owners who wanted me to phone shredding companies and pretend we were going to do business to get free boxes. I have watched managers yell at people who had nothing to do with a bigger issue. I had an employer take away my commission and leave me in charge of clients, even though I was paid fully on commission. I was told years ago that my video media idea was silly. I “caused problems” when I hooked up a second computer monitor at work to enter data more efficiently; the company didn’t want to invest in employee equipment. I arrived early each day and worked to build an introductory book for one industry. The owner became frustrated with my questions and later yelled at me for not knowing how to do something, which you would only know if you had been properly prepped. These small moments in time are ingrained so deeply in my memory, and I vowed I would do better when given the chance to build something greater.

However, that is only one side of the coin; throughout my life, I have also encountered amazing leaders who taught me that success can be win/win/win/win: the business wins, the client wins, the staff win, and I win. I have worked for and learned from individuals far wiser than I was, who showed me the true definition of leadership. They proved to me that business does not have to be a zero-sum game and that a handshake and your word should truly mean something. These individuals persevered in all business environments, even when others did not exhibit the same grace and control. I soaked up as much as I could from leaders who put themselves on the frontline and understood their business from the ground up. The biggest takeaway was that they were all principled.

I also want to point out how powerful my parents and family have been in shaping these principles. They lead by example and keep me humble, aware of others, and grateful, and teach me to see far beyond the cover of a book. They taught me that to create change, you have to roll up your sleeves and put in the work, even when others don’t see the value. More importantly, the betterment of society comes with doing what is right and expecting no recognition or reward. Evil prevails when good men fail to act.

I plan to share the moments that match the principle I adopted, but my time is limited, and this webpage needs to be up. Thank you for taking the time to read this.