About Me

Hi there! 😊 My name is Chris and I’m excited you found me!

First Things First. Some Fun Facts About Me

  • I was an art student in college and aimed toward a career as a grade school art teacher because my art teacher sucked. I mean, she was really terrible. I never wanted any kid, especially my own, to be subject to that. That dream quickly died when I got sucked into the footwear industry and the world of eCommerce.
  • I joined Zappos.com in early 2004 and played an early and very active part in building Zappos’ early culture using employees, vendors, customers, and investors as vital pillars. This was a first mover for Zappos, as the entire industry seemed to mimic Zappos’ business model. “Delivering Happiness” was such amazing company purpose and I have so much gratitude to have been part of something bigger than myself for 16 1/2 years there
  • I’m trained by Second City to deliver “Yes, And!” Workshops, which takes the art of improv and applies it to the business setting, helping to enhance team dynamics and business through guided exercises. It’s a cool experience to talk with people about and even more incredible to take people through the experience itself
  • I was awarded the “MILQ” award at Zappos. MILQ stands for “Most Influential Leader of the Quarter”, awarded to Zappos’ most recognized servant leaders. I thought this was one of the coolest achievements ever – to be recognized for this award was very special to me
  • I have three of the best children any parent could have. Each of them seemed to have picked up my interest and knack for art. They all have their own creative styles and they truly motivate me every day to create
  • I’ve been married to my incredible wife for almost 21 years and we dated for 7 1/2 years before that. Yeah… that’s almost 2/3 of my life!
  • I love cooking and baking. My kids and I take close up pictures of all the food we make, but we have failed to get them out of our phones and into a platform where people can see them. Hopefully soon…
  • I’m an avid runner and aspiring artist, even in my older years. It’s this love that brought me to this space!

What I’m Up To…

I recently made a decision to integrate the love I have for running with the passion I have for art and the experience I have in business.

As a runner, I used to spend a large portion of my running time thinking about my work. Whether it was stress-related, thinking through solutions to complex problems, or trying to get in a creative headspace, running was always there to help me. With that said, I was almost using running as a crutch; always running from or to something instead of just running for me.

The same goes for art. Actually, before getting sucked into the world of footwear and retail, I went to university to study art with the dreams of being a grade-school art teacher! Art was always there if I needed to disappear from real life a few hours, get lost in creating something, or even to mentor my own kids through creativity (who have all blossomed into fantastic artists in their own rights).

After 27+ years of hands-on experience as a servant leader in two great companies, I chose to step away from the corporate world to take a break. I used the time to energize some much needed self-discovery, to connect closer with the things I love most and to start writing a new chapter in my life.

While I’m not 100% sure where my next journey will take me, I am excited to explore a new complimentary path, one where I share my learnings and experiences in life and business, through the lens of a runner and artist. I hope you enjoy it all. More importantly, I hope it gives you some inspiration to discover your own path forward, one where you get to write the script and make the difference you’ve always wanted to.

Gratitude for being here and sharing the journey with me.

Quotes That Recently Resonated with Me

When I ultimately made the decision to take a break from work, I came to a realization that I had been missing out on some of the most critical pieces of life, much of which I will write about in these blogs. These are the quotes that kind of made me think about things a bit differently.

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. None but us can free our minds.

Bob Marley

Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans.

John Lennon

All things must pass; None of life’s strings can last. So I must be on my way and face another day.

George Harrison

You’ve been stuck in a lift. In the belly of a whale, at the bottom of the ocean.

Thom Yorke

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