Getting fired ignited the real fire

It was 10am on May 1, 2018. It was the first nice day of the year. The sun was shining and it was getting warm in NYC. I got a call to come to the conference room. I had been working as a sales manager for a security company for the last two years.

When I got to the conference room, I was met by a corporate lawyer and informed I was being let go. I was give four weeks severance, and one month’s insurance. At that moment I decided I would go all in on building something of my own.

"At that moment I decided I would go all in on building something of my own. "

For the last several years I’ve been building a small men’s media brand called The Stylish Man. Through the process, I’ve built up social media accounts and had been asked by countless emerging brands for tips on how to execute this for their business. I stopped giving tips and started consulting and running accounts for a small retainer.

When I walked out of that office, I deleted all files of my resume. I was burning the boats and never looking back.

"I was burning the boats and never looking back. "

In 2019 I officially partnered with Dave Marcy, a twenty year friend, and another partner and formed Awestruck to serve the destination marketing industry.

Since that time, we have grown to over eighty employees, in ten counties. We’ve branched out into other ventures. Real estate, SaaS solutions, a medspa, landscape construction, and even a charitable arm.

In 2026 we passed $100 million in cumulative revenue. We’ve made the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing privately held companies three years in a row and debuted at #25 in 2023. Our story has been featured in books, magazines, and podcasts.

"In 2026 we passed $100 million in cumulative revenue."

I love building things, I love creating something from just an idea or a vision. I love being told I can’t accomplish something. Watching a vision become a reality and knowing you did it, is the greatest drug on earth.