A LIFETIME OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP

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My first business was TnT Skateboard shop in Pullman, Washington. TnT was located in the top floor of the historic Combine Mall. TnT was opened in the summer of 1994 and closed in January of 1995 after a burglary wiped out the entire store.

In response to the later closure of the Combine Mall, I launched Java Llamas coffee shop in 1998. In early 1999 I acquired local drive-through Pony Espresso. Unable to make the business profitable, Pony Espresso was closed and the Java Llamas location was turned over to The Daily Grind, another local coffee chain, in the summer of 1999.

After a brief stint in Los Angeles, I returned to Seattle in 2000 where I formed the band Ultra Find and launched an independent record label, Humble Rocks! Records (2001-2004). Humble Rocks! Records put out a few local original releases (including Ultra Find’s), however Humble’s main source of revenue was as the producer and distributor of marketing compilations; free music albums given out at the point of sale at record stores as a way to advertise other independent northwest artists.

In 2004, considering law school and a career as an entertainment attorney, I moved to Denver, Colorado. While completing undergrad, I worked evenings as a valet in the affluent Cherry Creek neighborhood. It was there that I got the idea to sell advertising on the blank side of valet tickets. In 2005, ValetAds valet ticket advertising was launched, my first successful national brand. ValetAds partners have included Mercedes-Benz, Maserati, NBA and NHL teams, luxury builders, and more.

In 2007, I realized there was a lack of services addressing the growing digital media needs of the legal community. 

In 2007, I formed the company Law Father, which provides courtroom audio/video assistance, hot seat operators, digital mediation and deposition support, day-in-the-life videos, and multi-media trial consulting services to law firms.

In 2013, after suffering many years of excruciating back pain, I formed and launched the Queen Anne Pillow Company. We manufactured high-end luxury pillows for better support and deeper sleep. After 8 years, I successfully sold this company in 2021.

In 2017, I spun off a software program I had created as part of Law Father and launched the award winning trial presentation timeline software TrialLine. I sold TrialLine in 2023.

Today, I have launched a new company, Write of Passage Journals. I spend my leftover time speaking, mentoring, traveling , and writing books. It’s been a good first half….