Not to make this all about me, but….
Curious how I went from building stone walls to building Enterprise level AI Strategies?
Band Geek. Boy Scout. Punk Rock.
Band Geek. Boy Scout. Punk Rock.
Yup, as a teen, I was all of the above. When I turned 17, I decided to join the Army. I knew that I wanted to goto college and follow the traditional path, but I also knew I was meant to serve. I felt compelled, and so……
2000 — Raised my right hand. Joined the U.S. Army. Had no idea this would still be on my calendar 26 years later.
2003 — First Iraq deployment. Learned more about leadership in a few months than most MBA programs teach in two years. These were my "grit" years, where I discovered that I could be endure immense pressure and uncertainty but still deliver.
2005 — Second Iraq deployment. Went from being a heavy machine gunner to convoy commander for Convoy Escort Services. My first taste at leading rather than following; being responsible not only for mission success but for the very real safety of my soldiers.
2007 — Earned my Bachelors. Rather than go corporate, I put my deployment money to good use and launched Prospects Stoneworks. Became a stone mason. I learned that running a business is a 24/7 committment. It taught me networking, salesmenship, establishing trust, scheduling, estimating, execution, and standing behind my work.
2011 — After serving as the Asst. Sup building one of Home Depots Distribution centers, I decided try my luck in corporate and became an Operations Manager at the same warehouse I had helped construct. This broadened my team leadership from 20 reports to nearly 200. I learned of metrics, throughput, deliverables, and that employees can't be led the same as soldiers. I learned tact, patience, and empathy.
2013 — Executive Team Leader for Target. Retail operations, team leadership, and an education in how massive organizations actually run at the store level. Also, met my (future) wife.
2014 — Joined Waste Management National Accounts as a National Program Manager and Senior Analyst. Managed a $22M portfolio and began my path down optimization and continuous improvement. This was also where I strongly began using tech to my advantage, becoming a self-proclaimed "Excel junkie".
2016 — Third deployment. This time to the Horn of Africa. Commanded a Civil Affairs Team supporting Navy SEALs, Army SOCOM, and UN operations. Direct relations with Dept of State, Diplomats, Joint Staff, and multiple foreign militaries. I am good at making friends.
2018 — Got married. Got a new job. Big year. Joined KKR / Global Atlantic as a Retirement Operations Manager.
2020 — Discovered continuous improvement wasn't just a buzzword. Moved into a Continuous Improvement role at Global Atlantic. Lean Six Sigma, DMAIC, process mapping, you name it; I'm your huckleberry.
2023 — Three big shifts. Finished my MBA. Smoozed my way into becoming the (first) "AI guy" with KKR (formerly Global Atlantic), and shifted from Battalion Executive Officer to the 78th Training Division in the US Army.
The AI pivot — They asked for a chatbot. I saw something bigger. When AI hit, I went all-in. For fun, I self-taught Mid-Journey; publishing 7 coloring books on Amazon, started an Etsy store offering AI-generated wrapping paper, another selling humorous gym tanks.
Then I got serious; became an expert on every available LLM, fine tuned my prompt engineering techniques, learned agentic orchestration, vectorization, data streams, and workflow automation. I was fully immersed in everything AI......... And then, the Commanding General calls.
It had gotten around that I was leveraging Ai within my Army capacity; to train, coach, and mentor Reserve Units. The general had liked what he heard. For the past year, I have trained over 320+ staff officer for the 78th Training Command. I now sit on the higher 84th Training Commands "AI Integration Cell" as a leading expert in forward looking strategy.
Today — Still going. AVP in fintech. Lieutenant Colonel in the reserves. AI strategist who's been a mason, a retail manager, a logistics operator, a combat leader, and everything in between. The path didn't follow a straight line — but that's exactly why it works.
Band Geek. Boy Scout. Punk Rock.
Yup, as a teen, I was all of the above. When I turned 17, I decided to join the Army. I knew that I wanted to goto college and follow the traditional path, but I also knew I was meant to serve. I felt compelled, and so……
2000 — Raised my right hand. Joined the U.S. Army. Had no idea this would still be on my calendar 26 years later.
2003 — First Iraq deployment. Learned more about leadership in a few months than most MBA programs teach in two years. These were my "grit" years, where I discovered that I could be endure immense pressure and uncertainty but still deliver.
2005 — Second Iraq deployment. Went from being a heavy machine gunner to convoy commander for Convoy Escort Services. My first taste at leading rather than following; being responsible not only for mission success but for the very real safety of my soldiers.
2007 — Earned my Bachelors. Rather than go corporate, I put my deployment money to good use and launched Prospects Stoneworks. Became a stone mason. I learned that running a business is a 24/7 committment. It taught me networking, salesmenship, establishing trust, scheduling, estimating, execution, and standing behind my work.
2011 — After serving as the Asst. Sup building one of Home Depots Distribution centers, I decided try my luck in corporate and became an Operations Manager at the same warehouse I had helped construct. This broadened my team leadership from 20 reports to nearly 200. I learned of metrics, throughput, deliverables, and that employees can't be led the same as soldiers. I learned tact, patience, and empathy.
2013 — Executive Team Leader for Target. Retail operations, team leadership, and an education in how massive organizations actually run at the store level. Also, met my (future) wife.
2014 — Joined Waste Management National Accounts as a National Program Manager and Senior Analyst. Managed a $22M portfolio and began my path down optimization and continuous improvement. This was also where I strongly began using tech to my advantage, becoming a self-proclaimed "Excel junkie".
2016 — Third deployment. This time to the Horn of Africa. Commanded a Civil Affairs Team supporting Navy SEALs, Army SOCOM, and UN operations. Direct relations with Dept of State, Diplomats, Joint Staff, and multiple foreign militaries. I am good at making friends.
2018 — Got married. Got a new job. Big year. Joined KKR / Global Atlantic as a Retirement Operations Manager.
2020 — Discovered continuous improvement wasn't just a buzzword. Moved into a Continuous Improvement role at Global Atlantic. Lean Six Sigma, DMAIC, process mapping, you name it; I'm your huckleberry.
2023 — Three big shifts. Finished my MBA. Smoozed my way into becoming the (first) "AI guy" with KKR (formerly Global Atlantic), and shifted from Battalion Executive Officer to the 78th Training Division in the US Army.
The AI pivot — They asked for a chatbot. I saw something bigger. When AI hit, I went all-in. For fun, I self-taught Mid-Journey; publishing 7 coloring books on Amazon, started an Etsy store offering AI-generated wrapping paper, another selling humorous gym tanks.
Then I got serious; became an expert on every available LLM, fine tuned my prompt engineering techniques, learned agentic orchestration, vectorization, data streams, and workflow automation. I was fully immersed in everything AI......... And then, the Commanding General calls.
It had gotten around that I was leveraging Ai within my Army capacity; to train, coach, and mentor Reserve Units. The general had liked what he heard. For the past year, I have trained over 320+ staff officer for the 78th Training Command. I now sit on the higher 84th Training Commands "AI Integration Cell" as a leading expert in forward looking strategy.
Today — Still going. AVP in fintech. Lieutenant Colonel in the reserves. AI strategist who's been a mason, a retail manager, a logistics operator, a combat leader, and everything in between. The path didn't follow a straight line — but that's exactly why it works.
Mission Oriented. Strategically Relentless.
Mission Oriented. Strategically Relentless.
The battlefield demands clarity, decisiveness, and execution under pressure — so does your enterprise. I translate military-grade discipline into AI-driven strategies that move organizations forward.
Precision Targeting
Turn strategies into results.
Scalable Results
Grow without redesigning.
Mission Oriented. Strategically Relentless.
The battlefield demands clarity, decisiveness, and execution under pressure — so does your enterprise. I translate military-grade discipline into AI-driven strategies that move organizations forward.
Precision Targeting
Turn strategies into results.
Scalable Results
Grow without redesigning.
Not a total dummy
I'll be transparent…. I learn by doing, tinkering, getting my hands dirty. Not by sitting in a class, taking multiple choice quizzes, & regurgitating a class lesson.
But, I guess it's frowned upon not having ANY credentials, so here's a few…
Six Sigma - Green Belt
2022
Advanced Innovation Group Pro Excellence (AIGPE™)
Microsoft 365 with Generative AI Specialization
2025
Microsoft - Credential ID BPIZF97JPAXC
Generative AI Leader Certification
2025
Google - Credential ID 353d2fd6-ea16-4acd-9ad9-cbdfe03a9e83
Responsible AI: Applying AI Principles with Google Cloud
2023
Google - Credential ID 5668826
Generative AI Fundamentals
2023
Google - Credential ID 5635392
Introduction to Generative AI
2023
Google - Credential ID 5581230
Introduction to Large Language Models
2023
Google - Credential ID 5581507
Six Sigma - Green Belt
2022
Awarded by Digital Excellence
Microsoft 365 with Generative AI Specialization
2025
Microsoft - Credential ID BPIZF97JPAXC
Generative AI Leader Certification
2025
Google - Credential ID 353d2fd6-ea16-4acd-9ad9-cbdfe03a9e83
Responsible AI: Applying AI Principles with Google Cloud
2023
Google - Credential ID 5668826
Generative AI Fundamentals
2023
Google - Credential ID 5635392
Introduction to Generative AI
2023
Google - Credential ID 5581230
Introduction to Large Language Models
2023
Google - Credential ID 5581507
Ready to elevate your brand and unlock new growth?
With years of diverse experience, I can help your business scale confidently.
Ready to elevate your brand and unlock new growth?
With years of diverse experience, I can help your business scale confidently.
Ready to elevate your brand and unlock new growth?
With years of diverse experience, I can help your business scale confidently.