I delayed for years writing an about me page. But after several recent requests, I thought I’d finally break down and do it.
Doing Good
I’ve always believed in one simple truth: If you do good things, good things happen. That’s how I’ve tried to live my life and run my business. And after decades of helping people, I can say with confidence—it works.
The Debt Journey Begins
Back in 1990, I hit rock bottom. The economy crashed, my real estate business went under, and I went bankrupt. Not exactly the best chapter of my life, but it taught me some hard-earned lessons about money, failure, and resilience.
By 1994, after clawing my way through my own financial mess, I founded a nonprofit to help others do the same based on what I had learned. It was originally called Debt Counselors of America, but we later changed it to Myvesta—mostly because people had a hard time spelling both debt and counselors. (Who knew?)
At its peak, Myvesta grew from a two-person operation to a 70-employee powerhouse. We built something special—staff psychologists, lawyers, mediators, CPAs, tax experts, even employment specialists. We were the first to launch an inpatient program for compulsive spending. We didn’t just talk about money—we tackled the mental, emotional, and legal challenges that came with it.
We got a ton of press and did some pretty groundbreaking work. But as the organization grew, the fun started to fade. Managing a big company just wasn’t my thing.
After a cross-country motorcycle tour—where I interviewed everyday people about their financial struggles—I had an epiphany: Life was too short to work myself to death. So in 2004, I stepped down as president to spend more time with my family. My daughter was about to graduate high school, and I didn’t want to miss any more of those moments.
A year later, I returned as president, but by 2006, I made the call to shut it all down when our office lease ended. The takeaway? I loved helping people. I hated running a big organization. And that was okay.
You May Have Seen or Heard Me on the News
If you’ve ever turned on the TV and seen someone breaking down debt, scams, and financial survival—yeah, that was probably me. I’ve been on FOX, CNN, ABC, NBC, MSNBC, and plenty of local stations, cutting through the noise and explaining money problems in a way that actually makes sense.
I even had my own radio show (which has since evolved into a podcast) and was the go-to source for newspapers and radio whenever they needed an expert to talk about how people get into financial messes—and, more importantly, how to get out.
But at the end of the day, the media spots and fancy titles don’t mean much. What really matters is this: I know what it’s like to be drowning in debt. I’ve been there. I’ve lived it. And I’ve spent my life helping others find their way out, too.
That’s what drives me. And that’s why I’m still here, doing what I do best.
Here’s a recent Fox News appearance.
So, Who Am I?
Debt, Journalism, and Helping People
These days, I’m an investigative blogger specializing in consumer debt and debt relief. I dig deep into scams, shady financial practices, and the realities of money trouble—because I’ve been there myself.
I’ve also written two top-six personal finance books on iTunes and spent years coaching people, including a few celebrities, who found themselves in financial trouble. You may have even seen me on TV as a money coach on the reality show Starting Over.
After my days running Myvesta, I launched the Myvesta Foundation, a global social enterprise to help people struggling with debt worldwide. From 2006 to 2007, I lived outside Liverpool, England, working on solutions for UK residents. That journey took me all over Europe—I was invited to Parliament to discuss financial literacy, helped set up debt assistance groups in Ireland, South Africa, and the Netherlands, and even spoke at a conference in Berlin in 2007.
While I was in England, I also filmed a few debt interviews outside the Tower of London—because why not?
In 2008, we took a trip back to the U.S., and one of the coolest moments was taking a helicopter from JFK to Manhattan at night—because if you’re going to make an entrance, that’s the way to do it.
We spent three weeks driving from New York to San Francisco, and somewhere along the way, I fell in love with America all over again. It also reminded me how much I missed flying.
Not long after, we moved back to the U.S., and I started helping people for free through GetOutOfDebt.org—a site dedicated to giving real, honest advice about money without the sales pitches or gimmicks.
I could go on about myself, but honestly, I think the people I’ve helped tell the story better than I ever could. If you want to hear what they have to say, click here.
The Non-Debt Stuff: Flying, Firefighting, and Adventure
When I’m not diving into the world of debt, you’ll probably find me in the sky. I’m a firefighter and Chief Pilot for a local fire department, leading search & rescue and emergency operations with drones and airplanes. My callsign? Fire Demon 1. I also have flown missions for other public safety agencies.
I also fly for state and federal agencies and have my commercial and instrument pilot licenses. As a firefighter pilot, I handle search and rescue, law enforcement, and disaster response operations.
Oh, and I’ve done a lot of dog rescue flights, flying pups from kill shelters in the South to loving homes up North. There’s something pretty special about knowing the dogs in your cargo hold are heading toward a second chance.
There was one especially spicy dog rescue flight, and you can hear me with air traffic control. By the way, they ask about souls on board and usually how much fuel you have to know how big the fire will be and how many bodies to look for.
Other Random Adventures
- Scuba Diving – Haven’t done it in years, but in high school, I had a business cleaning the bottoms of racing sailboats in Annapolis, Maryland. Had a few wild experiences—like being shot at underwater and surfacing in front of a completely naked woman standing on the shore.
- Favorite Aircraft I’ve Flown – The WWII-era C-47, an open-cockpit Stearman biplane, and a full-motion Airbus A-320 flight simulator.
- Photography & Film Restoration – I studied photojournalism in college, worked for Rolling Stone magazine, and now restore WWII 16mm gun camera films—which led to meeting incredible WWII fighter pilots who flew Mustangs and Thunderbolts over Europe. That hobby even turned into a business, restoring rare aviation flight and pilot manuals for researchers and aircraft restorers.
- Medical Career – Before all this, I went through Georgetown University Medical School’s ophthalmic technology program, specializing in ophthalmic ultrasonography and photography. I worked in eye care, assisted in surgeries, and even helped develop intraocular lenses for dogs to restore vision.
Oh, and one of the weirdest surgeries I was involved in? Removing a live, wiggling parasite from a teenage girl’s eye.
How It All Comes Full Circle
In 1989, I decided I wanted something new. I left my successful medical career behind and started a real estate development company in Washington, D.C. That company took off… until the economy crashed, and I went bankrupt in 1990.
That’s when my journey with helping people in debt really began.
And now? I’m still at it. Exposing scams, giving honest advice, and making sure people get the financial help they actually need.