I have a fantastic wife who has supported me throughout my career, and I am the proud father of two young daughters. We live in Encinitas, where my wife and I grew up.

Where I’m From

I was born in Dallas, Texas, but grew up in Encinitas, CA, from the age of four. Living in sunny Southern California meant I spent a lot of my time outdoors playing sports. And sports became my world. At first, it was soccer, and then golf came into the picture. I had to choose one to pursue near the end of high school, and I picked golf.

UCLA

I went to UCLA on an athletic scholarship and competed on what was the #1 ranked team in the country. I won multiple events in college, but I had to miss competing for most of my senior year because I had to have hip surgery. Golf was my life, but earning my degree was a top priority, and I am proud to say while competing for UCLA year-round, I earned my B.A. in history and was named to the UCLA Director’s Honor Roll.

TURNING PROFESSIONAL

After four great years at UCLA and recovering from my hip surgery, I said my version of “hello world” and turned professional. Unlike Tiger Woods, no reporters were at my “hello world” moment. I got to experience a blessed life in my early twenties as I competed around the world as a professional golfer. I played in events on the PGA and Korn Ferry Tour, down to events on the PGA Tour Canada and Latinoamerica Tours. It was a great experience, but hip and back injuries continued to cause issues, and I knew my playing time was limited.

Since my days at UCLA, I was very aware of the stats outlining the financial problems many athletes face upon retirement and saw firsthand the many so-called “advisors” and managers with bad intentions trying to take advantage of athletes. Luckily, during my career, I surrounded myself with great advisors and mentors that had introduced me to my growing passion for finance. Being a professional golfer means that you have to run your own business. I had to learn how to be my own advocate and how to professionally run a business. Chief among these were the many nuances around financial, tax, and contract decisions. 

While slowing down my playing career, I began to work in the golf industry at a performance center and consult for businesses in the golf, sports apparel, and performance technology industries. Once other golfers and athletes started asking me for advice on their situations, I knew right away I wanted to turn these passion side projects into a career as a financial planner.

THE WORLD OF FINANCE

Ready to make the career change but unsure what route to take, I took the first step by walking into an advisor’s office near where I lived. I showed up and asked him if I could shadow him to learn about what a career could be like. 

I knew from my past as a golfer that there were two types of advisors; fiduciaries that are required to put a client’s interests above all else, and those that are not. I knew I wanted to start or be a part of a firm that was a true independent fiduciary, and that only answered to their clients and what was best for them.

After working at two other wealth management firms in San Diego, CA, I decided to establish my career at Bull Oak Capital, a firm where I can best provide a world-class financial experience to my clients.