A Brief History of Me...
After graduating from law school in 1990, I began my career in private practice. I was a corporate transactional lawyer and that lasted around 7 years, which also included a year obtaining an advanced tax degree at Georgetown University.
I always had an inkling that I might have chosen the wrong career, a suspicion that led me to night classes for an MBA. Finally I decided to make the switch to business and landed as a part-owner in a vacation company. When that move ended in disaster, I walked the beach searching inside myself for what to do next. The answer was to start my own boutique mergers and acquisitions advisory. Over the next seven years I advised owners of internet service providers, plastic injection molders and even a private university on how to cash out and move on. The last deal led me to Costa Rica, an event that changed my life forever.
I was hired by the owner of a for-profit private university with campuses in San Jose, Costa Rica and Panama City, Panama. He was ready for a life transition and I was eager to assist. After two years we managed to sell the university to one of the world's largest education companies, Laureate Education, Inc. (at the time known as Sylvan, as in Sylvan Learning Centers). During the course of that deal, I started an online company that designs and manages Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama vacations (now Colombia as well).
I'm no longer in the deal-making business, but I still run the online vacation design company and also have become an avid blogger and writer. I have one published book, The Revolutionary Misfit Manifesto. The book and blog are on a topic that I call impact mindfulness, a mindset that I believe has world-changing implications.
I have done a lot and made almost every mistake in the book, yet I am still here swinging as an entrepreneur. I believe that qualifies me to give advice, not only on what to do, but on what NOT to do.
Education...
University of South Carolina - Bachelor of Arts, Political Science
University of South Carolina - Master in Business Administration
Campbell University School of Law - Juris Doctor, cum laude
Georgetown University Law Center - Master in Law, Taxation, with distinction
How I want to help...
My advice will be geared to those seeking to make a transition in life, perhaps as an expat, online entrepreneur, like me. Having a background and education in law and business, as well as in being an entrepreneur for almost 20 years, and a Costa Rica resident expat for the last 13, I believe I am well equipped to offer some help to those interested.
