What is your favorite thing about working at ClearTrust?

I appreciate the operational style of an open-minded working environment based on excellent standards of management which allows for both a supreme service to our clients as well as a work culture that highlights individuality. 

What are some small things that make your day better?

It is important to try to get consistent sunlight, rest, nutrition, and socializing to maintain happiness in a person’s life. It is always a blessing to, even just for a little while, take a walk through the park with my girlfriend or eat an excellent meal. All in all, if the sun is shining ,that’s a good start to my day. 

How do you relax after a hard day of work?

There’s nothing better than getting some exercise, taking a hot shower, eating a good meal, and then eventually playing video games with friends. Video games have always been part of my life, and I have found that they work to ease my mind. There is something relaxing to being able to learn game mechanics and apply them in real time with no real consequences.                                       

What do you hope never changes?

I hope that people never give up on each other. There are moments in time where it seems that the best parts of humanity are pushed to the margins. Why celebrate when someone rescues another person or when the homeless are helped when there are many more “important” things going on? Especially in moments of intense societal division it is slowly harder for people to find moments to show humanity to strangers. The truth is that even in changing times, we still need each other and I hope that never changes. 

What songs have you completely memorized?

Most of the Led Zeppelin catalogue for sure. Pick any song of theirs’ and there is about a 95% chance that I will proceed to badly but accurately sing the guitar solo while air drumming John Bonham’s masterful rhythmic sections.

What are you addicted to?

Not a day goes by where I do not consume caffeine. Double espresso? Make it a quad. 

If you could make one rule that everyone had to follow, what rule would you make?

A rule that everyone should follow is to have an open mind. Whether that is being open to considering new ideas or meeting new people, having an open mind is important to make sure you leave open the possibility of reinventing yourself for the better. 

What is one of your favorite smells?

There is literally nothing better than the smell of barbecue. I could be dead asleep but if somehow I get a whiff of the cookout outside, I will begin floating towards the source like a loony toons cartoon character floating towards the freshly baked pie. 

What book impacted you the most?

To Kill a Mockingbird was a book required for reading in middle school but ended up providing me with so much value even to this day. I believe it was critical in forming who I am even though it has been ages since I last read it. The main crux of the work is that one should view others through the other person’s shoes which is critical especially in moments when the incentives can align to try to dissuade you from doing so. 

What small gesture from a stranger made a big impact on you?

The overwhelming majority of teachers I had throughout my life have had an incredible impact on my trajectory. As a typical male teenager, I never appreciated their value in the moment, but over the years I have observed their lessons, viewpoints, and individual qualities continuously impacting me in unexpected ways. At this point I have realized that without some of the great teachers I have had in my life I wouldn’t be who I am today. 

What’s the best and worst thing about getting older?

Understanding more about the world and the hopes and dreams of humanity is something that I value heavily as I grow older which in turn seems to outweigh the negatives regarding losing youthfulness. I believe that a lot of people gain nostalgia for the time when we were younger because things were simpler in our minds and therefore seem simpler overall when looking back. Truth is things are always complicated, and I believe resisting change can lead to the missing out of the benefits of aging. Therefore, I try to resist this nostalgia as life changes for better or worse as it is simply part of the process.