I grew up in Bethel — a small town in the western Maine mountains where everybody knows your name and your business. My father left when I was six. My mom raised me on her own, working at Sunday River and running retail to keep us going. We didn't have much, but we had the mountains.

I spent my childhood skiing and mountain biking. The outdoors wasn't recreation — it was the thing that kept me grounded. School was a different story. I didn't fit the mold. I got my GED in 2006 and tried college for a couple of years. It wasn't for me either. What I found instead was technology. I taught myself to code, and that changed everything.

I founded Don't Panic Consulting to help small and medium businesses grow through technology — cybersecurity, automation, digital transformation. The kind of practical problem-solving that keeps the lights on and the doors open.

I also built software specifically for tradespeople — plumbers, electricians, contractors — because I saw firsthand how much time they waste on paperwork instead of doing the work they're good at. That same instinct is what's driving me to run. When something's broken, you should try to fix it.

There wasn't one moment that pushed me to run. It was a thousand small ones. Another CMP rate hike. Another family in Sagadahoc County wondering how they'll afford property taxes. Another friend at BIW worried about the next contract. Another small business owner buried in permits.

At some point, complaining about it stops being enough. You either do something or you accept things the way they are. I'm not built for acceptance.