ABOUT JOSH
Like every other human, my story or “about me” really begins with my parents.
They were super young, I was a “surprise”, and they didn’t know what they were getting into. It was humble beginnings with both of them determined to give me a better life than they had known, doing the best they knew how at the time. I was five years old and didn’t even know what the term “broken home” meant when they told me they were getting divorced. Fragmentation, separation, and compartmentalization became norms for me as I stood in the gap between them while my sister and I were shuffled back and forth between their houses. I took on the role of mediator and peacekeeper, and in hindsight - my leadership journey started very early.
My preference for extraversion was obvious from the beginning, I displayed charisma and confidence in ways that inspired further cultivation. I participated in talent shows, speech competitions, had a knack for memorization and was tagging along to Toastmasters meetings by the time I was eleven or twelve. The brokenness continued though as I endured two additional parental divorces by the time I finished high school. After being a three sport athlete, serving as the ASB Activities Commissioner and winning an open competition that allowed me the opportunity to give our commencement speech, I was recruited by the United States Marine Corps and deployed to Iraq in 2005 - the leadership journey continued.
The year of my deployment was simultaneously the first year of my marriage to Brianna. We were also super young and underestimated what we were getting into. As much as we didn’t want to be like either (multiple) sets of our parents, in many ways, we inevitably were. I was an angry teenager that had built plenty of walls and a large ego. Then I became one of The Few and The Proud, a lean, mean fighting machine and the stakes were high. War was hard and Brianna and I got a lot wrong early in our relationship, at times we came close to the edge of extinction. Thankfully, we have been able to lean on Love, resilience and forgiveness to pull us through. We have built a beautiful life together that we are both very proud of, our marriage has definitely been the greatest part of my leadership journey.
After the Marine Corps, I finally finished college with a degree in Organizational Management and established a career in the fitness industry. I had opportunities to launch, manage, design and run gyms for nearly twenty years. I learned a lot about people and ultimately came to a place of wanting to help others seek wellness beyond just the physical system. I became an Integrative Wellness & Life Coach as well as a Certified Practitioner of the MBTI Instruments (ENTP) and read over 50 books on leadership & personal development. I began facilitating and coaching for Lighthouse Institute, a leadership development company, in 2019 and became Chief Operating Officer in 2023.
Brianna and I have three daughters, my wife and girls are my top priorities. How I show up for them is really important to me. I know that I am driven and have a lot of discipline, which can be tough to live with at times. I work to balance that with empathy, compassion and patience and thankfully, they’re willing to do the same. We love to adventure and spend time together. Parenting is the most important leadership role there is in life and I’m grateful to be on the journey.
I think about the future quite a bit, I love brainstorming and learning new things. I like to identify patterns, I enjoy studying people and am usually able to communicate complex ideas in ways that are understandable, even for kids. I believe we all have a desire to show up for others and I love coming alongside people in their pursuit of a better version of themselves, because it always starts with leading ourselves well first.