My story doesn't start with a coffee roaster; it starts in a place of hardship. When I was young, my mother was caught selling drugs and sent to jail. Without a home, my family ended up in a halfway house, where 20-25 other families shared everything from living spaces to dinner plates. It was a difficult time, defined by a constant struggle to get by, but it also taught me the deep value of community and resilience.

I knew I needed a different path. At 17, I left my hometown and put myself through college at the University of Southern California. Being the only university I was accepted into, the high cost of attendance left me struggling to afford basic needs. I sold T-shirts, worked multiple jobs, and even acted in student films to make a buck so I wouldn’t go hungry.

All that hard work wasn’t enough though. After graduation, I found myself saddled with student loan debt and a drive to get back on my feet quickly. That's what led me north, to the oil sands of Canada. For two years, I worked on infrastructure projects in unforgiving conditions at Kearl Lake and Mildred Lake, learning firsthand the meaning of hard work and grit.

That chapter came to a close in 2014, when I finally moved back home to California, settling in San Diego. Ever since, I've been building projects around the county, from custom homes to commercial spaces. The construction industry taught me the value of honest work, attention to detail, and the pride that comes from creating something with your hands that will last.