I was born into a healthy, loving family in 1976 while my dad was attending college to get his degree in engineering. We moved several times everywhere from Kansas to Washington. My family is large – I have seven sisters and a brother with me somewhere in the middle. Life was hard growing up – as most people my age would agree who grew up in the 80’s. We didn’t have a lot, but back then you didn’t need a lot to have fun.
I claim Auburn, Washington as my home as I lived there the most growing up. I went on to college at Brigham Young University, took a break to serve a mission for my church for two years in Italy and Malta, and then struggled financially to finish college. I met the love of my life, Melissa Ann, in 2001 and we were married in 2002. We had two children, Rebekah and Sapphira, before I finally graduated with my bachelors in history. I love a good story, I love to ask questions, and I love a good mystery. That is why I chose history.
Unfortunately, my degree afforded me no suitable job, so I was kind of forced into getting a graduate degree just so I could eventually be able to provide for my family. We tried a multi-level marketing company selling legal insurance and spent more than we ever made. I vowed I would never do that again and looked for something that is as secure as they come in making money – government.
I pursued my Masters in Public Administration (MPA) at Northern Illinois University and while in the Chicago suburbs, had another baby, Zachariah. I was fortunate to find a job about a semester before I graduated and we moved to Utah for me to work as a Management Analyst for a city.
The recession hit the city I worked for very early as it is a boom town and relies heavily on new development for revenue – I was laid off. At about the same time that I got laid off, my wife was introduced to another network marketing company, XanGo. I was adamantly opposed and she operated her business covertly.
Within a summer, I was able to get a job as a budget and policy analyst in the Governor’s Office under John Huntsman (now Herbert). We bought a home in a Homeowner’s Association, had our last baby, Lazarus, and are enjoying suburban life, getting to know our neighbors, serving in our church, and I currently serve on the HOA board.
Melissa continues to run her XanGo business and is actually making money now – I help her out and try to market her opportunity online. I have begun to experience some success and am excited to see what happens in the future and as I learn more about both the health and internet industries.
