I didn’t have an ideal childhood—some have even suggested I should write a book or make a movie about it. This could easily turn into a sob story, but when you're 15 years old, unable to legally work, and you have no one but yourself to rely on, the struggle becomes real. How do you feed yourself when there's no safety net?

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As a high school dropout, my opportunity came through a classified ad in the newspaper. I showed up as an introvert on a Monday morning at a warehouse filled with deep chest freezers. They were selling frozen steaks door-to-door. I gave it everything I had, but after two weeks, I had made just $40. I was furious. Meanwhile, I’d watch others—people who clearly had their own issues—work for six hours, make $700, disappear for a couple of days, then come back and do it again. Every time they worked, they earned $1,000 or more.

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That day, I told myself: If a drug addict can do this, so can I. I never looked back. That experience taught me a vital lesson: sales is a skill, and anyone can learn it. It’s not about how you start, but about your perspective and determination. I’m not saying you should turn to drugs to be a good salesperson, of course. But the truth is, sales is an art form. Mastering it requires constant practice.

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Since then, I’ve sold food door-to-door, Kirby vacuums, cars, property, databases, consulting work, marketing, merchant services, credit card processing, sales expertise, SaaS, businesses—and much more.

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I eventually took a break from sales to join the military, driven by a sense of duty. However, after being medically retired, I felt guilty for receiving so much elite training but never getting to deploy. So, I spent the next ten years translating the care developed from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan into civilian care. I started as a phlebotomist and worked my way up to head of clinical research at the busiest Level 1 trauma center in the world—without a college degree. I wasn’t trying to impress you with my “natural intellect,” but to show that hard work, enthusiasm, and a solid foundation in sales are what made the difference.

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After resigning from that position, I returned to sales, building and selling software for clinical research. I also started a school where people could learn to sell anything, without product bias. If you’re trained to sell cars, you might only know how to sell cars—but this school teaches you to sell anything.

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You’ll see I draw from all parts of my life experience. If I mention something backed by science, I’ll cite the peer-reviewed sources to prove it works.

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The Truth About Sales

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Every morning, millions of people wake up and think to themselves, "I could never be in sales." They picture pushy telemarketers, aggressive car dealers, or stereotypical door-to-door salespeople interrupting dinner. What they don’t realize is that they’ve been in sales their whole lives.

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Did you ever convince your parents to let you stay up past bedtime? That was sales. Have you ever gotten a job offer after an interview? That was sales. Did you win over your significant other? That, too, was sales. Applying for a job or going through an interview? Yep, that’s sales too.

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Sales isn’t about manipulation or pressure. It’s about the art of influence and the skill of helping others see the value in what you’re offering—whether that’s a product, an idea, or even yourself. The principles of sales remain the same, no matter what you’re selling.