ContactBiography
Sunday, 25 April 2010 16:46
The Early Years
As a kid, I spent a lot of the years prior to middle school in various parts of Florida and the Tidewater area of Virginia. I ultimately spent the larger part of my early years in Norfolk and Virginia Beach, VA. I began studying music in the fifth grade and was invited every year up until the tenth grade to participate in all city, which was a performance set aside for the most talented musicians in the city. I lost interest in band after the tenth grade and drifted more towards a desire to become a disc jockey (DJ) and spending my time surfing. I was not able to make DJing happen during those years, but the desire did remain with me. I played football and baseball as far back as I can remember and was even a member of my high school baseball team all four years. I was into everything other than academics back then, even though I had this love for Florida State University (FSU). I don't know how that came about since I did not know any other FSU fans all those years of growing up in Virginia. I guess I picked it up some where along the line when I lived in Panama City, FL as a very small boy.
The Military Years
Since I wasn't ready for college, I joined the United States Army once my high school career ended. I became a combat infantryman with orders to report to Fort Ord, CA at the end of advanced infantry school. With only a couple of weeks left and orders confirming the unit I would be joining, I knew the very battalion I was reporting to was the one leading the invasion into Panama in the early part of 1990. We were able to watch the fighting on television from our barracks in Fort Benning, GA. We thought for sure that we would be in combat in just a few more weeks. The fighting ended quickly, however, and we were routed to California to wait for our future roommates and friends who were returning from combat. I would be lucky one more time before completing my military commitment. My unit was not deployed to fight in the first gulf war since we were trained for jungle and urban warfare. We were sent to the National Training Center, which is the desert of Barstow, CA, to see how effective we would be if deployed to Iraq. Luckily for me, the powers that be decided that our services would not be required and I was able to end my time of service without ever seeing any combat. I consider my self very lucky.
The Undergraduate College Years
Once my time with the United States Army was over, I moved to Miami, FL to begin my college career. I attended Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC) Kendall Campus, where I worked on the basics and started to finally take academics seriously. I had a hard time picking a major and fell into sport medicine (i.e. athletic training) since I had a love for sports, had always been around a team, and it kept me involved in athletics. I ended up working with the baseball team and got to know Miami baseball coaching legend Charlie Green. He was the coach of MDCC Kendall Campus baseball team and was well known and liked by what seemed to be every major league player from south Miami. I was there during the major league baseball strike of the 1990's. Several major league players stopped by our practices to workout with the team and use our facilities. The most famous players at the time were probably Alex Fernandez, Alex Rodriguez, and Alex Gonzalez. All Alex first names, that is pretty funny. I eventually did graduate and was accepted to the only University that I applied to. My best friend at the time, Dan Prussman, changed his mind and ended up attending the University of Florida instead of following me and his brother to FSU. I missed Dan, but my dream to attend FSU had finally come true. It worked out for Dan since he is now a successful movie producer in New York, NY. I continued to study sports medicine at FSU and had an opportunity to work in the strength and conditioning department. I was there when FSU was on top of the college football world and won two national championships. I worked with future NFL greats Warrick Dunn, Laverneous Coles, Peter Boulware, Samanuri Rolle and many others. I was also finally able to tap into my desire to become a disc jockey (DJ.) My interest was once again ignited when I went to a club called "The Underground" and was introduced to the world of electronic dance music. I heard sounds that I had not ever experienced before and it changed my life. It didn't take long before I was DJing at local night clubs and after parties. I became good friends and DJing partners with DJ Madd Martin from the world famous Club LaVela in Panama City Beach, FL. We ultimately became business partners with the launch of Ultra Rhythm Records & Productions. We learned how to run a independent label from local record label executives and famous undergrounds artist's. We eventually disbanded operations in 2000 when I chose to use my degree and moved to pursue a career in sports medicine that led me to Orlando, Florida.
The Sports Medicine Career
I left Tallahassee, FL to initially work with the University of Central Florida's football program. After spending one year with the organization, I moved on to work with the Montreal Expos player development department. This was the last year the team, known as the Montreal Expos, was in existence due to ownership changes. Major league baseball took over the team while they looked for a new owner, which was eventually found and the program moved to Washington D.C. They are now the Washington Nationals. I spent spring training at the facility in Jupiter, Florida and then spent the season with the Grapefruit League in Melbourne, Florida at the Expos player development facility. The one person I met that is well known from that team is Jose Conseco. The entrepreneur side of me showed when I got tired of working for athletic departments and started my own fitness business. This is when I first discovered that I am really an entrepreneur at heart and needed to study business. I later learned that I wanted to make a career change and leave the world of athletics and fitness behind for a more lucrative career choice that gave me the freedom to pursue outside interests.
The Real Estate Career & Graduate School Transition
I initially dabbled in the financial planning arena while I was trying to learn business and finance concepts. This led me to being a mortgage broker and the world of real estate investing to which I never looked back. In conjunction, I decided to attend the Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University to earn a Master of Business Administration. Initially, I arrived at my decision because I planned on taking technology courses as an emphasis coupled with the fact that the University has campuses all over Florida in case I moved. I took college courses while also attending real estate industry classes in an attempt to master my craft. The most notable organizations I have taken courses with are the CCIM Institute, the Realtor Land Institute, and the Appraisal Institute. I am also a licensed Real Estate Broker, Mortgage Broker, and a Real Estate Appraiser. I worked for a great commercial appraisal firm based out of Tampa, FL, Urban Realty Solutions, as a commercial real estate analyst / appraiser for about a year that provided amazing experience evaluating various property types and many with unusual financial issues due to the great depression of the 2000's. A great foundation leading into real estate development was obtained and I have continued my study of the process as taught by the Urban Land Institute. I eventually landed where I wanted to be, which is working for a commercial real estate brokerage.
Another Graduate School Step & Starting Fresh in Tampa
Once I completed my Master of Business Administration, I hit a crossroads of decisions. I ended up deciding to continue my studies by earning a Graduate Certificate in Accounting and adding a concentration in Marketing to my MBA as a precursor to entering the Music Industry / Recording Arts program at St. Petersburg College. In the end, all of the fields I work in have a marketing component. Therefore, it only makes sense. So, where to from here? The Recording Arts program at St. Petersburg College. I will be putting a studio / business together over the next three years with talent recruited from the greater Tampa Bay area. There is a ton of talent that is untapped. In the meantime, I will be establishing contacts and building a network of professionals while looking for talent. Bye for now.
To be continued....
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