Mesquite, Texas to a Submarine

I grew up in Mesquite, Texas. Halfway through my senior year, I was offered the option to transfer to an alternative school — something I absolutely did not want to do. But I tried it for one day, attempted to go back to my original school, and wasn't given the option. I finished the entire program in a week and a day.

After that, I decided to join the military. I walked into the Navy recruiting office by accident — I was actually looking for the Marines — and they sold me on seeing the world. That's how I ended up in submarines. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made. I got to travel, drive submarines, and experience life in ways most people never do. I also got married. Got the coffee cup and the T-shirt — and then the divorce.

From Couch to Couch. Then the Street.

After the military and the divorce, I moved back to Mesquite with my mom. After some time in bartending, I moved to Addison trying to find my way. Then Austin, where I got into phone sales for the first time. I bounced around, never quite landing, eventually moving back to Dallas.

That's where things got rough. I was moving from couch to couch, and then I became homeless. No safety net, no plan — just the reality of hitting bottom. But in that moment, something shifted inside me.

I told myself: This is not where I stop. This is not what I'm supposed to be.

I found a job down the street from where I was staying, saved enough money for a room, then a car, then a better life. I found a job listing on Craigslist that said "Make $80,000 — or hit the bricks." I'd never made anywhere close to that. So I showed up, gave the pitch of my life, and got the job. I spent almost eight years at that company.

A House, a Ring, and Starting Over Again

Life started moving in the right direction. I got into selling websites, and during that time I bought my first house — on my own. I thought I had it figured out. Then I got let go. For four months I searched for work — networking, LinkedIn, Indeed — and nothing came through.

I ended up doing 100% commission credit repair work, seven days a week, twelve hours a day. It paid the bills but cost me everything else. Then I landed at a new company — a place where someone told me on my first interview, "You're either full of it, or you could be really good at this." That became one of my closest friendships.

My personal life was growing too. We moved in together. I asked her to marry me, and she said yes. Then four months later, she changed her mind. I was working remotely in my house, alone, trying to process everything.

So I did what made sense at the time: I booked a trip to Belize.

Three Weeks Became Two Months. Then Five Years.

The plan was three weeks. I ended up staying two months — met people, went to Playa del Carmen, kept moving. When I finally walked back through my front door with my luggage in hand, I looked around at all my stuff and thought: all of this can go.

That was the moment I decided to become a nomad. I thought it was going to be purely fun and adventure — and it is. But about two years in, I started to realize that mindset was the real story. Not just for travel, but for everything.

I started listening to podcasts obsessively. Reading books on positive psychology, resilience, and growth. Working out — not to lose weight, but to feed my body the energy it needed to keep going. Little by little, I was building a framework that worked no matter where in the world I was.

Building the Five Pillars

Five years into nomadic life — across five continents, countless cities, dozens of challenges — I understood something clearly: the people who thrive while traveling don't just have good luck. They have a mindset built for it.

The Five Pillars of the Positive Nomad Method aren't theory I read in a textbook. They're what I live every single day. Mindset shapes your reality. Focus on what you can control. Reframe failure as feedback. Surround yourself with positivity. Practice gratitude and growth daily.

Now I'm getting certified as a Positive Psychology Practitioner because I want to do this right — to bring real science behind what I know from experience to be true. My goal is simple: help as many people as possible develop a growth mindset, keep positivity top of mind, and understand that we don't die once. We have one life to live, and every single loss is a lesson.

Look for this work. I'm going to keep sharing it with everyone.