How I got here
I'm not going to pretend my road was a straight line. Here's the honest version: the craft, the fall, the climb back, and what it taught me about doing the right thing.
New England, start to finish
I'm a New England native. I was born in Holyoke, MA, grew up in Chicopee, and moved to East Longmeadow in 5th grade, where I lived until I graduated. I was a championship high jumper, and I still hold the school record.
Springfield nights
I waited tables at a sports bar in downtown Springfield and fell in love with the nightlife. My money went to bar tabs, cocaine, and gambling. Eventually I left to find a more "normal" job, outside the 5pm-to-4am hours.
Learning the craft from Jack
I started as a general laborer for a slate roofing company owned by a good friend's family. They were the best at a niche specialty craft. Jack, the father, was "a true class act. Soft spoken but carried a big hammer." He taught us tips and tricks "shared across oceans and ages." He brought hot soup on cold days and cold water in the summer, and he climbed the scaffolding 40 feet up to inspect, critique, and coach. You couldn't see the roof from the ground, but Jack made sure every detail was perfect and no corner was cut. "It's really where I learned about taking pride in the craft and to do the right thing even when you can't see it or no one is looking." We worked on everything from sheds and small homes to massive homes, schools, and universities. In my early twenties I was making good money and drinking hard after work and on weekends. I excelled anyway and rose to foreman, then safety supervisor.
A broken ankle
During a rain-day inspection at a private school, my boot heel caught a double-headed nail on the ridge. I slid down the roof, caught a 2x4 ladder cleat, snapped my ankle, and kept sliding to the scaffolding with my foot facing the wrong way. I spent that summer in a cast on the couch with oxys, workman's comp checks, and a lot of time alone. My drug use got worse than it had ever been. When I went back to work, I was "a hot mess express."
Losing it all
On an off-season job near Hampton Beach in November, my drug use came to light, and I was let go. I blamed others and lied about why, and I felt real shame in front of a family I loved and respected. After months out of work, I spent about six months in car sales. I hated it and didn't like the ethics. I was lost: separated from my high school sweetheart, living with my mom, my nana, and my brother at Nana's house in Chicopee, deep in addiction and wanting to be better. I tried to join the Air Force like my grandfather, but they turned me down because of the limited range of motion in my ankle.
The driveway moment
Coming back from that Air Force appointment, I pulled into Nana's driveway and saw a family friend in the backyard looking at the roof. He had just started a roofing company in South Hadley with my uncle from Texas, someone I barely knew. I started working there shortly after.
My uncle, and building something
Over 12 years, my uncle became my biggest mentor, teacher, and idol. Together we built the company "from a garage to a multi-million-dollar commercial roofing company." I held every position there was, learned to lead and manage, and rose to Vice President. My uncle supported me through sobriety and recovery. "I couldn't have done it without him."
Getting sober
After more than a decade in roofing, abusing my body with physical labor, alcohol, and drugs, I took control of my life. My first full day sober was 8-8-18. I've kept working on healing, learning, and understanding my mind and my behaviors ever since.
Love, and a year on the road
I met my fiancée, Ashley, at that company. "We were friends that fell in love and built a relationship on trust, honesty, and commitment." After COVID I was unsatisfied, so I resigned as VP and walked away from a company I'd given more than a decade of blood, sweat, and tears. In 2022 we sold the house, bought a 5th-wheel camper and a big truck, and spent about a year traveling the East Coast with our two dogs, stopping in every state. Then we came home to New England and settled in Simsbury, CT.
Where I am now
Ashley and I owned and ran our own commercial roofing repair business. After the ups and downs and the stress of a new business, we decided it wasn't what we wanted, and we looked for the stability of the right company. Today I'm VP of Operations for a large residential roofing contractor across New England, and I bring more than 20 years of roofing and leadership experience to the job.
Do the right thing, even when no one is looking.
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