How did it all start? The same place it starts for all of us of course - with our mothers, and our dads as well, but for me it was mostly my mom.

As the story goes my aunt was visiting my mother after my mom's 15th child was born.
My aunt asked her "You're done, right? This is your last child...".
My mom said, "I'm not going to tell Ben he can't be born."
"How do you know the next one will be a boy?" my aunt asked.
"I just know", said my mom.
"Well, you will stop after him right?", questioned my aunt.
To which my mom replied, "Well, Ben will need a younger brother to play with since there are six sisters ahead of him."
And that is how I ended up the second youngest of 17. Nine girls, eight boys, same parents, no twins, 22 years apart to the day.

My dad died of kidney failure when I was 4, which left my mom to cope with her army of kids on her own. While growing up in a large, poor family with a single mother is not for everyone, I believe it really helped prepare me for life. In a large family such as mine, you're pretty much on your own with very little supervision; so you are given a great gift - the gift of freedom. Imagine never being told what to do or how to act. You get the opportunity to explore and learn important life lessons on your own.

What does this have to do with my services? It gave me a great variety of experiences and an interesting perspective which allows me to help clients, write books, present talks and seminars.

After graduating from the University of Vermont, I worked for a CPA firm where I received my CPA. Eventually I went on to start a few businesses in the financial and business services area.

I grew up in Vermont where I now live with my wife, Kathy, and our two sons, Joshua and Matthew.

As my sons started playing youth sports, I began coaching baseball and basketball. It was here that I found a great joy in working with kids, teaching sport skills, as well as, a winning attitude, and being a winner in life. This coaching experience inspired me to write my first book "I'm a Winner, You're a Winner - Remembering How Great You Are". It also inspired me to start SHINE Charitable Group, Inc., to create empowerment and enrichment programs to help people SHINE in their lives.

As I look forward, I am finding enjoyment in coaching clients, building businesses, writing more books and helping to develop amazing confident kids.

If you would like to see how we could work together, please contact me.