I grew up in a household defined by structure, discipline, and an obsession with order. Not military…but close. My dad was a Fortune 30 executive at State Farm and a classic Type A, red-personality leader. He brought the boardroom home, and our house often felt like a high-performing organization.

Behind that intensity was my role model. My hero.

Everyone calls him “Dean the Dream.” Not because he was some genius or academic but because of how he made people feel. The way he spoke, how he carried himself, he just had this gravity. You felt better just being around him. He didn’t demand respect, he earned it, effortlessly. What people didn’t see was that his real gift was simple: he understood people, and he was authentically himself, no matter what. 

One of the first lessons he taught me still shapes who I am:
First Lesson: “People will forget what you said, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel.” That stuck. Still does.

Now, I wasn’t exactly the easiest kid to raise. Stubborn, defiant, selfish at times, but also fiercely competitive. I wanted to win. Be the fastest, the strongest, the smartest. Life has a way of humbling you. I fell short…a lot.

That’s where my dad’s second and third lesson kicked in:
Second Lesson: The 5 P’s: Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.
You don’t have to be the most talented, but you damn well better be the most prepared.

Third Lesson: “You win with dignity, and you lose with dignity.” Inevitable in life you will win and lose but how you handle wins and loses demonstrates more of your character than the outcome. 

These lessons formed the backbone of my life and career:

• Authenticity wins. 

• Prepare to compete and leave ego at the door.

• Make others feel seen, heard, and valued—just like my father always did.

That drive led me to study human psychology in college. I wanted to understand what moves people. What earns trust. What influences decisions. It’s also what drew me to sales leadership. It gave me a platform to apply these lessons in real time: motivating teams, building culture, earning business, and transforming relationships.

Today, at Braintrust, I get to take those principles to the next level, helping people and companies become more intentional in how they communicate, engage, and connect. If I do my job right, I hope people leave our conversations feeling just a little like they’ve talked to “Dean the Dream.”