I grew up in Minnesota, surrounded by lakes and long winters. The day after graduating from college, I boarded a bus with everything I could carry and moved to New York City, where I worked for a nonprofit focused on serving the homeless and community development. The intensity and diversity of the city sharpened my skills and broadened my perspective. After 9/11, my wife and I found ourselves volunteering at Ground Zero, an experience that left a lasting impression on both of us.

Through the generosity of guest ranch owners, we found ourselves on a vacation in western Colorado—unaware that a year later we would be called back for good. I often joke that there were more people on our block in New York than in the entire town of Ridgway. We quickly fell in love with the slower pace of life, the abundance of outdoor opportunities, and the strength of close-knit communities. Life on the Western Slope offered a different kind of purpose and a renewed sense of belonging.

Now we spend our free time snowboarding with our three kids and helping coach the high school rock climbing team they’re part of. We also love traveling around the U.S. to compete in obstacle races—it’s the perfect mix of adventure, challenge, and exploration. Each race is a chance to push myself while discovering new places and experiencing different parts of the country.

From working on a ranch to earning a Master’s degree in education and preparing taxes for the last 17 years, being a jack of all trades isn’t about short attention span — it’s about adaptability, practical problem-solving, and continual learning.

Tax preparation demands precision, regulatory knowledge, and the ability to translate complex rules into clear practical guidance. My background in ranching reinforces attention to real-world details — receipts, asset records, seasonal income — while my training in education strengthens my ability to explain tax implications, teach clients how to organize financial information, and build systems that prevent costly mistakes.

The common thread through all of this work is service. Whether fixing a fence, designing a curriculum, or preparing a client’s tax return, the goal is the same: solving problems so others can thrive. Being a jack of all trades means:

• Embracing diverse tools: practical know-how, instructional design, and tax software all become part of a single toolkit.

• Connecting dots: synthesizing information from different domains to create better solutions.

• Communicating plainly: translating jargon into actionable steps for people who need clear guidance.

• Continual learning: staying current with best practices in varied fields and applying them where they fit.

That combination produces a practitioner who is practical and precise, empathetic and efficient. It’s not about being a master of nothing — it’s about leveraging breadth and depth together to deliver results that are both informed by experience and grounded in expertise.