What was your favorite part about college?
Living with my best friends. I loved being that close to them, learning from them and pushing each other every day. The best moments were never planned. Late-night conversations that started over nothing and ended up somewhere real. We celebrated everything together too, wins, birthdays, holidays, etc. You end up knowing your friends in a way you don’t get many other chances to.
What has surprised you about life post-grad?
How fast it goes. School gives you a natural rhythm, semesters and breaks and finish lines, and once that’s gone a year can pass without much to mark it. There’s no map either. You’re figuring out most of it as you go, and the only person keeping track is you.
If you were stranded on an island with one person from the firm, who would it be and why?
Rick (F3_Dumpster Fire) Lopez. We’re similar in a lot of ways, and I think we’d have a blast trying to figure things out together. I could also see us having a lot of late night long conversations out there. He’s the kind of person who makes a bad situation better.
Who is someone who changed your perspective, and in what way?
I’d say my girlfriend, Joanna. We’ve been together seven years, and in that time she’s probably shaped how I see things more than anyone else. She’s changed my perspective on a lot over the years, but if I had to pick one, it’s how I handle stress.
Life can feel like a lot sometimes, and my instinct is still to dwell on things and carry them around longer than I need to. But she’s taught me, mostly by example, that you can take things seriously without letting them consume you. She has this way of asking, ‘Is this going to matter in a month?’ And most of the time the honest answer is no.
I’m still working on it, but watching her let go of the small stuff and pour her energy into the people and moments that actually matter has changed how I move through my days. I’m calmer and more present than I used to be, and more grateful too, because when you stop dwelling on what went wrong, you notice a lot more of what’s going right.
What’s been your favorite nature excursion in Michigan?
Mackinac Island, for sure. I loved everything about it. I remember biking the whole loop around the island with my girlfriend, and the views were so beautiful the entire way.
You’ve mentioned before that loyalty is a core value for you. Where does that value stem from?
Loyalty is the foundation for me. You can’t build trust, real relationships, or anything that lasts without it. To me it’s keeping your word after the reasons to break it show up. Anyone can be there when it’s convenient. Loyalty is having someone’s back when it costs you something. I think it says more about who a person is than almost anything else.
What’s your go-to comfort food?
Seafood boil, for sure. With an iced sweet tea on the side.
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