From an early age, I was drawn to the world of business, inspired by my father's successful banking career. At the University of South Carolina, an internship with the Special Olympics gave me my first glimpse of what a nonprofit could do in people's lives. I didn't know it then, but that seed would take years to grow.

I climbed the corporate ladder at GEICO, leading large teams and managing significant operations, and earned my MBA from Lindenwood University in those early years. My corporate journey peaked in New York, where I led the state's largest auto claims department through Hurricane Sandy.

In the middle of all that devastation, I had a realization I couldn't shake: I was climbing a ladder leaning against the wrong wall.

Michelle and I left the corporate world and moved to Omaha, a city where we knew no one, to open a Christian Brothers Automotive. Day after day, we saw single mothers come through our doors without reliable transportation. No car meant no way to get to work, to school, or to the doctor. It meant staying stuck.

In 2014, we sold the business and founded Chariots4Hope. We were new to town, had no supporters, and had no idea how it would all work. We just knew God was calling us to it.

We didn't know where it would lead. God did. Today, Chariots4Hope has impacted more than 8,000 lives, has grown into Wisconsin, and Chariots4Hope USA is helping new chapters launch beyond Nebraska.

What started with cars has grown into more. Men's Garage began as a men's Bible study at Chariots4Hope and is becoming a place where men move from acquaintances to brothers. I wrote Climbing Down the Ladder to help other high achievers find the freedom I found on the way down. And through Hurt Consulting, I help Christ-centered dreamers figure out whether their idea should become a ministry, and how to launch it well.