Building the Life I Care About Most

If you’ve spent any amount of time exploring this website, you’ll probably notice a recurring theme.
Build.
Grow.
Steward.
Create.
Connect.
Those words appear throughout these pages because they’ve shaped nearly every chapter of my professional life. I’ve built sales organizations, websites, presentations, business strategies, customer relationships, and community partnerships. Much of this site exists to document those experiences and the lessons I’ve learned along the way.
But if I’m being honest, none of those things are the most meaningful thing I’ve ever helped build.
That honor belongs to the life I’m building with my partner, Erica.

People know Erica in a lot of different ways.
She’s an entrepreneur.
She’s a devoted mother.
She’s a school board member.
She’s an advocate.
She’s a trusted voice in our community.
She’s the person many people call when they need wisdom, perspective, or someone willing to stand up for those whose voices aren’t always heard.
I know her as all of those things.
But more importantly, I know her as the person who chose to build a life with me.
For that, I’ll always be grateful.

Our relationship has never been centered around simply existing alongside one another.
We’ve always been building something together.
Sometimes that’s an idea.
Sometimes it’s a business.
Sometimes it’s a community event.
Sometimes it’s simply helping each other become better versions of ourselves.

The Herbal Joint is probably the clearest expression of that partnership.
It’s more than a business.
It’s a reflection of us.
Every decision, every conversation, every late night planning session helped shape what that space would become.
Erica brings an incredible depth of knowledge around herbs and herbal wellness. She leads much of our consultation work, educational conversations, and social media presence with authenticity and care.
My role naturally evolved into creating and curating our beverage program, helping develop operations, organizing events, and thinking through customer experience from the moment someone walks through the front door.
Neither vision exists without the other.
The Herbal Joint is ours.

The aesthetic tells that story just as much as the business itself.
The yellow couch.
The oversized fan.
The botanical wallpaper.
The blend of warmth, creativity, comfort, and personality.
It’s difficult to explain exactly what our style is.
Maybe it’s a little West Coast mixed with Midwest roots.
Maybe it’s hippie with intention.
Maybe it’s modern while still feeling lived in.
Whatever you choose to call it…
It’s us.
And somehow, it just works.

One of the things I’m most proud of isn’t necessarily what we built.
It’s how we built it.
Creating a business together is supposed to test a relationship.
Long days.
Financial uncertainty.
Design disagreements.
Operational challenges.
Stress.
Decision fatigue.
Yet when I think back over the entire process—from the earliest conversations through designing the space, opening our doors, navigating challenges, hosting events, and continuing to grow—I honestly can’t remember a single significant argument between us.
That doesn’t mean we always agreed.
It means we always respected each other enough to solve problems together instead of against one another.
That’s a difference that matters.

I’ve come to realize that our strengths don’t compete.
They complement.
We’re both ambitious.
We’re both creative.
We’re both opinionated.
We’re both willing to challenge ideas.
But somehow those qualities don’t create friction.
They create momentum.
When one of us gets tired, the other steps forward.
When one of us loses perspective, the other offers clarity.
When life becomes overwhelming, we instinctively begin carrying more of each other’s load.
She’s become my compass whenever I need direction.
The person who gently reminds me what really matters.
Who helps me slow down when I’m moving too fast.
Who encourages me to take care of myself even when my instinct is to keep pushing.
In return, I try to be her place of peace.
Her consistency.
Her security.
The person she knows she can lean on when life demands more than anyone should have to carry alone.
That’s partnership.

One of the things I admire most about Erica is how she shows up for people.
She advocates.
She listens.
She speaks when speaking matters.
She creates space for people who aren’t always given one.
She’s never interested in attention for its own sake.
She’s interested in making sure people are seen.
There is a quiet confidence about her that I admire deeply.
She isn’t usually the loudest person in the room.
She doesn’t have to be.
Her presence speaks before her voice ever does.
It’s remarkable considering she’s barely over five feet tall.
Meanwhile, I’m somewhere around 6’2” or 6’3”, so my presence tends to arrive simply because of my size.
Erica’s presence is different.
It comes from authenticity.
Integrity.
Confidence.
Preparation.
Compassion.
People naturally trust her because she’s genuine.
And genuine people have a way of filling a room without ever trying to.

As I continue building websites, businesses, projects, ideas, and hopefully helping other people build theirs, I want this website to reflect what matters most.
Not just what I’ve accomplished.
But why.
Because at the end of the day, every project eventually ends.
Businesses evolve.
Careers change.
Websites get redesigned.
Goals shift.
The relationships we invest in are what remain.
There isn’t anything I’ve built that I’m more proud of than the relationship Erica and I continue to build together.
And there isn’t anything I’m more excited about building in the years ahead.
If this website is ultimately about documenting the things I’ve built throughout my life, then beginning with the person who’s helped shape so many of them feels exactly right.
Here’s to everything we’ve built.
And everything that’s still to come.