I believe our lives are big unfolding love stories.

Before we land in our relationship chapters, we “date” a lot: cities, jobs, people, styles, and versions of ourselves. Every chapter—messy or meaningful—teaches us something about how we love and how we want to be loved.

My own story spans the Midwest to Manhattan, Copenhagen to California. I grew up in Kansas and earned my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Education before spending years in the classroom. A creative pull—and a new love interest—led me to San Francisco, where I earned an MFA in Fashion Design and began translating identity into clothing. My new identity took me to New York, where I won a national fashion design reality competition show and designed capsule collections for major retailers.

Following an admittedly tough breakup with fashion, I found myself drawn to a different kind of creativity—meaningful life design. I settled into my long-term relationship with helping others write their own love stories.

I spent the next seven years as a professional matchmaker with a top matchmaking company. This important work showed me just how often people want to jump straight to the ending—to the forever partner—without taking time to understand their own story first. I discovered the love we’re seeking usually begins with the love story we tell ourselves.

As a certified professional coach, I love working with people who are reconnecting with themselves after heartbreak, approaching dating differently or reimagining love on their own terms. I bring structure, curiosity and deep respect for the story each client carries.

I’m currently writing a chapter set in Chicago where I live with my wife and our two pups, Ripley and Marcel. Our home is full of evolving love, lots of laughter and just enough dog hair to keep our communication skills sharp.