Biography
I grew up in Florida with a loving mother and father. As an only child on a working ranch, I was surrounded by animals, responsibility, and a strong sense of stability. I always felt safe, supported, and provided for. However, my father struggled with alcohol, and that challenge led me to move out at 17 while I was still in high school.
Entrepreneurship came naturally to me. Nearly every man I knew growing up owned his own business, so at 18 I followed that path, learning glassblowing and selling my work to Disney World. From that point on, I’ve spent the past 54 years building and running my own businesses.
I was fortunate to find the right life partner early. I married my wife, Kathy, at 19, and together we have built not only a family but a lifetime of shared work and purpose. Over the years, we’ve been involved in a wide range of ventures, including retail, wholesale, manufacturing, distribution, licensing, franchising, and partnerships. Those experiences have shaped my perspective on pursuing dreams and understanding people.
We have two wonderful children, a son and a daughter, and two beautiful grandchildren. Today, I have the privilege of working alongside my daughter in several of our family businesses, which has been especially meaningful and rewarding.
There’s an old saying that happiness comes from three things: having something to do, something to look forward to, and someone to care about. I’ve been fortunate to have all three throughout my life. I also believe that those who have been given much have a responsibility to give back. So for me, contributing, even in a small way, to Eddie’s vision for the How U Doin Foundation—to help young people build a better future—is both deeply rewarding and a natural extension of the blessings I have received.
Thank you to everyone involved for allowing me to do whatever I can to help make this dream a reality.
