Lecture Notes

Early Life

Grew up in Planwell, Michigan, a small town of 4,000 people
Lived on a small lake; mother was a public school teacher, father was a wastewater treatment consultant
Enjoyed outdoor activities like fishing, boating, and playing in the woods
Family background in art: grandfather was artistic, father was a ceramicist
Developed a love for art and creativity early on
Father was handy; enjoyed building model rockets, skateboard ramps, snowboard jumps, and rails

Did odd jobs such as staining decks and painting houses
Played hockey, traveled around the Midwest, and visited Canada
Chose not to pursue hockey in Canada to stay with friends
Father introduced him to pole vaulting and got super into it, which helped in getting recruited to Brown University

Attended Brown University, studied economics
Took art and architecture classes at Rhode Island School of Design due to love for creativity
Interned on Wall Street which he found unenjoyable despite the lucrative nature
Sought a career that balanced outdoor activities like snowboarding with professional growth

Discovered DPR Construction, a large commercial construction company, through a college friend
Worked as a project engineer/manager at DPR in San Francisco, but found the projects uninteresting
Transitioned to a family office, Bayshore Global Management, managing high-end residential real estate projects
Gained exposure to high-end design and construction, which led to starting his own company

Left Bayshore amicably in 2014 to start Peak Projects
Peak Projects: specialized in owner representation and project management consultancy
Current operations in 12 states, 59 employees, managing almost 100 projects with construction budgets ranging from $15M to $250M

Oversee planning, design, and construction phases
Assist with due diligence, team building, contract negotiation, and risk management
Advocate for early and continuous involvement
Help set and track project goals, budgets, and schedules

Driven by a desire for creative control and helping more people
Stressed the importance of setting clear goals and managing expectations from the start
Advocated for fair compensation and creating an enjoyable work environment for the team

Owner representation for high-end residential projects
Managing budgets, schedules, and team coordination
Ensuring project adherence to goals and efficient issue resolution
Regular site visits, pay app reviews, and facilitating quick payments to contractors