Growing up in a low-income family in the suburbs of Detroit, grit and resilience built me. Working 12+ hour days with my dad to make ends meet, I learned to work hard and chase quality. “Good enough” was never good enough.

When I started a real estate business with my brother, all I had was a sleeping bag, an empty studio apartment, and a dream to build a better life. I pooled every dollar I had to cover one month’s rent on a single-family home to sublet on Airbnb. I spent my days renovating it, and my nights assembling furniture I’d maxed out my credit card to buy.

It took off. I used the profits to pay down the credit card, and launch the next rental. Eventually, I started traveling. Not the touristy stuff, but hiking the mountains of Scandinavia and Iceland. Taking a train through Italy. Getting lost in the streets of Middle Eastern cities. I developed a deep passion for high-end hospitality that helps people explore and make memories.

Success hasn’t changed my underdog mentality. Always innovating, always scrappy, always forward. I’m still that kid from Detroit with a dream and something to prove.