CREATOR

Life is beautiful. Reaching the place where that truth is clear, is not.

I grew up in the quasi-rural farmlands turned suburban Mecca known as west Phoenix. Nothing fancy. Neither rich nor poor. Neglected nor spoiled. Just plain Jane Americane, I suppose. Still, something was in me. It is still there. I am a dreamer. Til' death. While that might sound great, it is not always so. 

In school, it meant never reaching my potential because I saw no point to the rat race. The system. It's rigged! Or, so I thought. It also means isolation. Even amongst friends, I was a loner. 

In responsibility, it meant always being distracted. Hating chores. Chasing sparrows. Not only getting lost in the sky but doing it from under the water. Still one of my favorite ways to view the world by the way.

In my mind, it also meant being discontent with all that is. Perpetually wanting something different. Something better. Something. Deeper.

In all, I became the wanderer I was born to be and it came with costs. It caused pain. My own and that which I inflicted. Oh, the regrets. The shame. The loss of time and potential! Still, there is mercy—because it also came with rewards.

Yes, it is true, I unraveled. I admit it. But this is exactly what moved me to seek. To find answers. And you know what? I found them. Tell me, from what is there a sweeter satisfaction than finding understanding? Then finding answers to the questions that burn holes in our souls? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Work has been another big and often weird piece of my story. The means to all my wandering loose ends, I guess you could say. Full-time, part-time, on-call, in fancy restaurants, night clubs, furniture delivery, schools, non-profits, state governments, you name it, I've done it and chilled with those who have. I tended bar on the beaches of Cape Cod, on the ski slopes of Jackson Hole, and in the wild golf lands of Scottsdale, for example. I also got through school running my own little pool cleaning company. You should have seen it.

Perhaps more relevant, I have also taught college courses in prisons, worked as a Research Analyst for the Arizona State Governor’s Office for Children, Youth, and Families where I helped the state of Arizona develop curriculum, write reports, and evaluate over 40 federally funded programs. I also served as a group counselor in the areas of domestic violence with court mandated clients.

And now? For the past ten years I have been a Professor of Social Work at Spring Arbor University in Michigan where I have taught at both bachelor’s and master’s level courses and have also had the privilege to lead several three-week global learning courses where I helped immerse students in the institutions and diverse cultures of such places as Cambodia, Morocco, Greece, Jamaica, and Chicago. It’s epic. My wife and I also started Flume’s sister company, Flourish: Center for Cultivating Human Potential, which offers meaningful and humane counseling to those seeking to grow through their suffering.

I have gone to school a lot too. Taking eight years or so to find my niche in studying philosophy, of course, I was floored to get my bachelor's degree in integrative studies, with a concentration in counseling and philosophy. From which point went on to earn a Master of Public Administration and a Master of Social Work from Arizona State University, and most recently a Doctor of Philosophy in Humanities from Faulkner University. In translation, I take a more humanities-rich approach to social work, which is seemingly rare in a more socially scientific discipline. It also highlights how I love thinking and doing.

In sum, it took much heartache, soul searching, trial, error, blood, sweat, tears, and mental unrest to get here, but all those experiences and inroads led to me teaching around the world and now led me to create Flume. And it’s a privilege to do so. And I hope you enjoy what we are going to create.

Peace,