Where did you grow up and what was your childhood like? Did you have any particular experiences/stories that shaped your adult life?

Growing up in the East Bay Area of Northern California was interesting… my parents were right out of high school when they had me and later became hippies in the early 1970s. I loved the free-spirited nature of my family but we were definitely outcasts in the conservative neighborhood we moved to in 1970. My father would later get involved in dealing drugs to support his own habit and, as a result, there were times when I didn’t feel safe growing up. While the hippie scene was fun to hang out in (parties that would go on for 48 hours straight that I was left to roam free), I had a sense from an early age that I needed to be careful being in situations where people were doing a lot of drugs. This caused me to grow up very quickly at a young age.

Money and having nice things weren’t all that important to my family and yet to me it was. In order to be able to buy things I wanted, I started selling things door-to-door when I was 8 years old – seeds, candy then later I started working on people’s yards to earn money. It is funny to see how I never really stopped figuring out how to make money after that and I know it is part of what led me to become a millionaire by my mid-30s.

What is something you wish you would’ve realized earlier in your life?

I wish I would have realized how strong my intuitive gifts are when I was younger. It was have saved me a lot of hardship and pain. Just learning how to listen to my inner voice and heed its messages.

What are bad recommendations you hear in your profession or area of expertise?

First, I honestly believe we’ve all had different lives and experiences and so I am not comfortable in saying I know more than anyone else does. Perhaps one thing I see people do that I may not always understand is to provide “one-size-fits-all” suggestions to your coaching clients to apply in their life and business. In one situation something may work great but in another, it could blow up someone’s business and so I feel like it is better (as a coach) to ask great questions that cause your clients to figure out the answers that best suit them and their situation.

Tell me about one of the darker periods you’ve experienced in life. How you came out of it and what you learned from it?

When my father was murdered in 1999, I was in so much pain and darkness I knew I would not survive if I stayed in that place for more than a few days. My decision to get help through spiritual books and teachings was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Every day since his death is like a new beginning because of what I’ve learned about myself, healing and transformation.

What is one thing that you do that you feel has been the biggest contributor to your success so far?

I am a very tenacious person and I know that has been a big contributor to my success. I just won’t stop until I get where I want to go. I now get to help other people learn ways to tap into their own sense of love, strength, and perseverance which is one of my greatest joys.

What is your morning routine?

I don’t even get out of bed before taking 1 to 2 hours to meditate. Thankfully I am an early riser (3:30 to 4 am) and so it works for me to sit in silence, practice my chakra balancing meditation, and rehearse the day before I get out of bed. Then I try to exercise (yoga, walking, weight lifting) and always eat a great breakfast. Then it is off to my office where I spend 30 minutes working on things that came through in my meditation before diving into emails and my appointments.

What habit or behavior that you have pursued for a few years has most improved your life?

Daily meditation and breathwork for over two decades. Nothing even comes close.

What are your strategies for being productive and using your time most efficiently?

I created a planning system called Envision that keeps myself and my clients on target to setting our vision for the future, being mindful of limiting patterns (and letting them go), and getting clear on who we must become to create what we most want. From there it is about getting clear about our objectives, milestones, and action steps so we can keep moving towards what we want to create even if our work is more focused on inner awakening than external accomplishments. I like the balance between the yin and the yang inside of Envision as it helps us dance with life and enjoy every step of the way.

What book(s) have influenced your life the most? Why?

I am That by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj – This book about self-realization came to me about 15 years into my spiritual journey and I found it fascinating that the author didn’t mean to write a book which is one reason why I like it so much. It is just a collection of talks and mentoring that Nisargadatta did with his students. As an advanced spiritual student, this book is perfection because it meets me where I am and the information shapeshifts depending on the conscious awareness you bring to it.

Do you have any quotes you live by or think of often?

“How you do anything is how you do everything.” T. Harv Eker – Harv was a mentor of mine when I first started my business and this quote from his book, Secrets of the Millionaire Mindset rings very true for me in all areas of life.