Born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas, I grew up in an environment where you had to grow up fast. I learned early on that the world doesn’t hand you anything—if you want something, you have to work for it. Learning boxing wasn't much different from all else. I didn't learn boxing from a corporate fitness textbook or an online certification course. I learned it by stepping into a gym and getting to work.

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Before I ever stepped into a boxing ring, my foundational discipline was built on the baseball diamond under the tutelage of Coaches Don McCoy, Jeff Shaw, and Dennis Jordan. It was there that my childhood coaches instilled a deep sense of structure, personal responsibility, teamwork, and relentless execution in me. They didn't baby us; they gave us tough love without raising their voice, pushed us past our comfort zones without lifting a finger, and offered unwavering encouragement when we put in the work.

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In March of 2006, I laced up a pair of boxing gloves for the very first time—and, while my life was already changed by the lessons I learned from baseball, I transformed even further into a better version of myself. Over the last two decades, the sweet science became my ultimate teacher. I tested my grit directly under the lights as a competitive amateur fighter, and later transitioned that passion into my coaching career. I’ve spent years in the corner, coaching and developing both amateur and professional boxers, proving my training systems work at every level of the sport. Win or lose, there is always something to be gained and learned from all experiences, just as life has taught me during my lifetime.

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Animal Kingdom Boxing was started in 2018 when I realized how many 'animals' I've encountered in my life. Starting with my baseball team from my earlier years, we were all different shapes and sizes, we possessed different abilities, we thrived in different environments and situations. One of the goals that we all had in common was to get better with every game. When you enter a boxing gym, you see the same thing I saw within my team. Different animals of different backgrounds, possessing different abilities, training for different purposes. One of the common goals within a boxing gym? To get better with every training session.