Soldier First
I'm a disabled U.S. Army veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. My military service will always be part of who I am. The Army taught me discipline, perseverance, attention to detail, and how to keep moving forward when things don't go according to plan.
Those lessons would become even more important later in my life.
A Second Chance
After the military, life took a road I never expected. I battled kidney disease, and eventually my kidneys failed. That meant dialysis. Days revolving around treatment, energy I didn't always have, and learning that sometimes just getting through the day was the accomplishment.
Then I was given something incredible: a second chance at life through a kidney transplant. I don't take that lightly. Going through kidney failure, dialysis, and transplantation changes your perspective on what really matters. Tomorrow isn't guaranteed, and the time we have with the people we love is worth more than just about anything.
Then Came the Garage
What started as a hobby and a chance to work with my hands slowly became something much bigger. I fell in love with woodworking.
There's something satisfying about taking a rough piece of hardwood that may not look special at first and discovering what's hiding underneath. You cut it. Shape it. Sand it. And somewhere along the way, the grain and character that have been inside that tree for decades finally reveal themselves. No two pieces are exactly alike.
The projects got more ambitious. The tools multiplied. The garage somehow got smaller. Eventually that hobby became KCRB WoodWorks, launched in May 2025 out of our garage in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
More Than a Business
KCRB was never just mine. My wife Claudia has supported this from the beginning — through the late nights, craft shows, experiments that didn't work the first time, and through some of the hardest chapters of my life. She's one of the biggest reasons I'm able to do what I do today.
Our son Robert has started learning woodworking alongside me. Seeing him get interested in the shop has given this whole thing a different meaning. Because someday the most important things I leave behind won't be the things I've built. They'll be the things I've taught my children.
And our daughter Bella, at 9 years old, has her own corner: Bella's Candles and Crafts. Together with her mom, she creates small-batch candles and crafts, and profits help support children and families in Bolivia. As a multicultural family, it's important to us that our children learn to give back.
Soldier.
Iraq and Afghanistan War veteran.
Disabled veteran.
Kidney patient.
Dialysis patient.
Transplant recipient.
Federal employee.
Husband.
Dad.
Coach.
Woodworker.
Small-business owner.
Some chapters I chose. Others I didn't. But every one of them helped shape the person standing in that garage today.