My Bio

Guided by the motto “learn continuously, live generatively” I am a teacher, researcher, and trainer with more than 30 years of experience writing, speaking, and  consulting. Currently a lecturer of marketing in the Wall College of Business at Coastal Carolina University, I develop courses for delivery in person, via blended learning, and online.

A lifelong learner who entered academia after a decade in industry, I integrate my experience managing people, products, and projects into the courses I teach. Internationally engaged, I also integrate lessons learned from my six years as an expat in the United Arab Emirates into my lectures. My teaching interests include consumer behavior, international business, personal selling, principles of marketing, and social media marketing courses.

As the director of the university’s Each One Teach One Entrepreneurship Institute, I develop educational and experiential activities to inspire innovation mindsets in underrepresented adolescents. We develop financial literacy, leadership abilities, and technological expertise to ensure high school graduation while encouraging college attendance, improving career or military readiness, and strengthen self-esteem.

I also facilitate corporate training and implement instructional design initiatives for entrepreneurs, Fortune 500 employees, and government officials. Business Writing, Decision Making, and Public Relations are topics for which I’ve led workshops. Notable clients include Abbott Vascular, BeIN Media Group, Boeing Middle East, LinkedIn Learning (formerly lynda.com), and Princess Cruises.

A charismatic communicator, I have delivered three TEDx talks: “Moving Forward from Failure,” “Inspiring Innovation Mindsets in Underrepresented Adolescents, and “Stepping into the Shoes of a Champion.” You can also find me acting in student films, appearing on podcasts, performing as a voice over artist, or competing on game shows.

Intersecting humanity, industry, and technology, my research interests explore digital marketing, educational technology, entrepreneurship education, the sharing economy, and sports marketing. You can find my work in journal articles, trade publications, books, book chapters, and conference proceedings along with blogs, magazines, and newspapers.

I hold a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of California at Santa Barbara and an MBA from Woodbury University. Additionally, I earned an innovation and entrepreneurship certificate from the Stanford Center for Professional Development.

When asked why teaching is my tenure I explain, “education empowers me to influence individuals and impact organizations while improving myself in the process.”

My Story

On Saturday, September 2, 2006, I “officially” enrolled in my second career: teaching. My task was traffic school for individuals cited for various moving violations. For eight hours I was crammed with 40 students in the meeting room of a motel — without working air conditioning on a 100+ degree day! I was sweating and stressed, but more importantly, I had found my “why.”

At the time, I was a business consultant primarily creating marketing collateral, managing public relations campaigns, and planning promotional events. Before that I spent ten years as a marketer in the education, entertainment, medical device, nonprofit, publishing, travel, and technology segments.

I was also a year into an MBA program that was personally and professionally transformational. I benefited from the mentorship of a professor who encouraged me to engage in academia. I did as he instructed and thereafter presented papers at academic conferences across the United States. Through my participation in these events, I met additional individuals who further guided my progress.

In the 15 years that followed that day in September, I matured as an educator and forged a path into academia. Currently, I teach marketing classes as a lecturer in the Wall College of Business at Coastal Carolina University near Myrtle Beach, SC. I also serve as director of the university’s Each One Teach One Entrepreneurship Institute which inspires innovation mindsets in underrepresented adolescents through entrepreneurship education.

A charismatic communicator, I have delivered three TEDx talks: “Moving Forward from Failure,” “Inspiring Innovation Mindsets in Underrepresented Adolescents, and “Stepping into the Shoes of a Champion.” You can also find me acting in student films, appearing on podcasts, performing as a voice over artist, or competing on game shows.

For six years prior to my present position, I taught entrepreneurship, management, and marketing courses as an expat in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. My time in Dubai presented me with many challenges and rewards. It unquestionably shaped me as a person and professional. I was enriched with memories and moments I would have not encountered elsewhere. Being an expat was a notable time in my life and I am fortunate to have experienced it.

I am beyond grateful for the people and places that shaped the arc of my career. This wasn’t always the case. For many years I was pressured to support someone else’s dreams while my own were relegated to irrelevance. I also had to find a formula to extinguish a fire of failure that consumed my savings, my car, my family, my home, and my health. Knowing my situation needed to change, I took a leap of faith in myself and, when opportunities arose, took control of my destiny, and finally found my bliss.

My Expertise

• Digital Marketing
• Education Abroad
• Educational Technology
• Entrepreneurship Education
• Innovation and Creativity
• Personal Branding
• Public Speaking (TED Talks)
• Sharing Economy
• Social Media Marketing
• Sports Marketing