As a young lad, I galloped around the once-great city of Buffalo, New York. My days were spent biking around the neighborhood with my best friend Danny, looking for fun things to do in an otherwise blighted area of the city. We would frequently go the the playground for games of chase tag and to court the young lasses who were amused with our cheeky antics.
An important moment came to my life when I realized the connection of hard work and money. My aunt had a lawnmower that she would let me borrow to mow neighbors' lawns. I started mowing lawns in the summer, raking leaves in the fall, shovel snow in the winter, and take the spring off to enjoy the renewed landscape. This set of experiences helped me have some discretionary spending money in my pocket (that most kids my age did not earn) and taught me about the entrepreneurial spirit.
I attended some of the best private schools in the area and graduated high school with a twinkle in my eye of becoming a physician or surgeon. My first year and a half of college was not very rewarding. Due to the heavy course workload, having a full-time job, and attempting to remain academically-competitive with the many foreign students that did not have to work, my dream of becoming a medical professional quickly dissipated. This was a very low point in my life, left directionless for a career and disheartened because of an unfortunate brush with the law.
A change in latitude was needed to get me refocused. I moved to my father's house in central New York and decided to restart college, albeit with an unknown endgame. The country quiet and small town attitude was just what I needed to rekindle my thirst for knowledge. I enrolled at the satellite campus of SUNY @ Morrisville and began taking general education classes, still not sure what matriculation angle to take.
SUNY @ Morrisville was an accommodating environment. Most professors were able and willing to adapt their teaching methods to help the learning process of each student. I excelled in this environment and appreciated the dedication of the professors to my success.
While attending SUNY @ Morrisville, I was working overnights at Walmart in order to pay for my tuition and for spending money. Additionally, I saw an opportunity to make some additional money through Walmart's Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP). The program allowed employees to purchase Walmart stock with the company contributing dollar-for-dollar towards the employee's balance. I saw this as an opportunity to eventually fund an entrepreneurial endeavor I came across at random: paintball.
When my first school year was complete at SUNY @ Morrisville's satellite campus, I decided that I had enough money through the ESOP to fund my paintball field. So I quit my job at Walmart and opened up my paintball field. I spent the summer running the paintball field and enjoyed the outdoors with my then girlfriend (now wife).
The summer was coming to an end, so I planned on attending the main campus of SUNY @ Morrisville to get the full college experience of living in the dorms. Upon arrival, I discovered that there was a vacant Resident Assistant (RA) position on my floor. I applied and was given the position, which also gave me a free room and board. It also gave me a chance at a leadership position, of which I am still proud of today.
My summer experience at running my own business solidified my resolve to go to school for business. I enjoy creating wealth and making decisions that have impact. But at this point, I had no significant business acumen or experience. Also, I did not have the necessary tools to run a larger business nor the ability or credibility to get credit.
Three semesters later, and I graduated with an Associate's of Applied Science in Business. Having a degree was an empowering feeling that gave me a sensation of success. At that point, I didn't exactly know what I wanted to do, but knew that this would not be the last of my education. Before going any further, I needed a job to pay my bills. I took a position at an automotive windshield warehouse because of the flexibility provided for my schedule, as it changed.
My eye was next on getting a bachelor's degree in business. SUNY @ Fredonia seemed to fit all of my educational needs so I moved to the town to obtain my degree. College in this small, picturesque town was a similar experience to that in Morrisville. The professors adjusted their teaching methods to optimize the learning process.
Fredonia was a very nice town and I wish I had the chance to spend more time there. Small, close-knit towns like Fredonia just have an indescribable appeal, a certain inviting vibe that I couldn't complain about. This vibe flowed through the town and college alike. Getting my bachelor's degree there was an absolutely pleasurable experience. The classes were so interesting that it created an urge for me to go on and get my MBA.
I graduated from Fredonia in December 2003 and couldn't start at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) until May 2004. So in that downtime I decided to move out to Las Vegas with my long-time girlfriend (who is my current wife). She had moved out to Las Vegas in August 2003 and wanted to spend as much time with me before I would start my MBA program at RIT.
Those 5 months we spent in Las Vegas solidified that this was the area we wanted to spend the next part of our lives living in. She had met some very nice people from school that we both had made friends with. As young people in our 20's, Las Vegas can be a very funny city to experience. The hiking and 4x4 trails, night clubs, pool parties at friends' houses, and the general energy of the city appealed to our wants and needs.
Upon returning to New York to start my MBA program, I realized how difficult the next year was going to be. The course load was going to be almost unbearable because a traditional 2-year MBA program was being condensed into a 1-year program. This meant 16-week classes were condensed into 12-week classes and no breaks between course quarters. But I took it in stride. The realization of what completing this program meant both personally and professionally was driving me to work as hard as I could.
My MBA year was an absolute blur...I had so much stuff jammed into my head in such a short period of time that I am still debriefing my brain to this day! Any MBA program can take a toll on you psyche, but you learn what your perceived limitations are and how to surpass them. Once you graduate, you feel unstoppable and want to change the world for the better.